Kansas State Wildcats Baseball 2026 Season Preview

In 2025, Kansas State Baseball secured an NCAA Regional berth, but lost to the University of Texas 8-15 to end its season. Now in 2026, the Wildcats have greater aspirations– a trip to Omaha. 

“We’re excited to take that next step,” Head Coach Pete Hughes said in a preseason press conference. “To be a sustainable, national player, and ultimately get to our next step, which we’re close to. We’re determined to make [it] happen, to play in Omaha and get hot and play for a National Championship.”

Coach Hughes, in eight years at Kansas State, has led the team to 200-168 across seven seasons.  His roster in 2026 consists primarily of returners, but Hughes has supplemented the team with a few key transfers and five new freshmen.  

Roster Breakdown

Though the Wildcats’ top hitter, Seth Dardar, transferred to LSU, and Maximus Martin and Keegan O’Connor graduated after 2025, KSU retained the bulk of their lineup from the previous season. Sophomore AJ Evasco returns at first base after posting a .934 OPS and 11 home runs in a D1 Freshman All-American season. He will continue to anchor the infield with Dee Kennedy, who hit .279 with a team-best 12 steals, and senior Shintaro Inoue, who posted a .407 OBP.

Redshirt senior Bear Madilak is back for a final year as a Wildcat. Madilak hit .242 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 2025. Carlos Vasquez, a redshirt senior transfer from Western Kentucky, will likely round out the infield at the hot corner. Vasquez, a Kansas native, made the All-Conference USA Second-Team after hitting .366 and finishing second in the conference in hits, doubles and batting average. 

With the exception of Nebraska transfer Robby Bolin, the outfield lacks playing time. Rohan Putz played in just 14 games and Cadyn Karl hit .105 across 19 at-bats in 2025. Freshman Jack Quetschenbach may receive some playing time, as the 6-foot-1-inch Missourian hit for a 1.096 OPS in his senior year of high school. 

An additional utility option for the Wildcats is Kyan Lodice, a player who has struggled with injuries throughout his entire career at K-State. Should he remain healthy, Coach Hughes would certainly like to use the senior leader in his inexperienced outfield.  

Michael Quevedo is gone and Jacob Frost is in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system, but Lincoln Sheffield is back on the bump as a starter for the Wildcats. Sheffield started 15 games in 2025, posting a 5.45 ERA and striking out 70 batters. In addition to Sheffield, Coach Hughes said that his staff was sturdy but could mix around throughout the season.

“We have a super competitive pitching staff right now,” Hughes said. “Hasn’t really sorted itself out yet… It could vary from weekend to weekend with matchups and who we’re playing.”

Some of the top relief arms returning are Adam Arther (21 Apps, 2.45 ERA) and James Guyette (24 Apps, 4.70 ERA). Cohen Feser is an exciting arm from TCU, as is Aaron Arnold from Wichita State. Carson Liggett, who couldn’t play in 2025 due to injury, was impressive in three seasons at Louisville and could find his way into the starting rotation. 

Schedule

The Wildcats were wildly successful at Tointon Family Stadium in 2025, going 18-1 on their home turf, but only 7-19 on the road. Kansas State opens the year on Feb. 13 at the MLB Desert Invitational in Goodyear, Arizona. They will play four teams in four days, including a pair of Big 10 teams in Iowa and Penn State.

In late February, the Wildcats will head south for the Amegy Bank College Series in Arlington, TX before a two game set against the Ragin’ Cajuns at Louisiana. It isn’t until Feb. 27 that KSU will return to Manhattan for an eight game home stretch. 

Kansas State’s most difficult opponent before Big 12 play is Auburn University. The Tigers are No. 9 in the nation and will be the series opener for KSU in the Amegy Bank College Series.

Though the Wildcats’ Big 12 schedule starts favorably with matchups against Houston and Baylor, they will be tested by Arizona State at home from March 20-22, who finished 18-12 in the conference last year. Of the teams that finished top-five in the conference last season, Kansas State will play three of them at home (ASU, TCU, Kansas) and two on the road (Arizona, WVU). 

A road series versus Utah and a one-off matchup against BYU will round out the end of March before a big home series against TCU, the highest ranked team in the D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 for the Big 12. Alumni Weekend consists of three games against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, then after a game against Omaha, the Wildcats will face a tough road series against No. 24 Arizona. 

KSU will want revenge after being swept in the Sunflower Showdown in 2025. The Wildcats lost 3-5, 3-5 and 3-6, but will play the series at home this season, which should provide a considerable advantage.

The Wildcats finish the regular season with three notable series– away versus the 2025 Big 12 regular season champion, West Virginia, a home set against Cincinnati, and back on the road for UCF. The Big 12 Championships will take place from May 20-23.

Hopes are high for Coach Hughes and the Wildcats. They open the season live on MLB.com on Friday, Feb. 13 versus Iowa.