WACO, Texas (K-State Athletics) – Off to its best Big 12 start in school history, K-State claimed its fifth straight win Friday night behind 4 1/3 shutout innings from reliever James Guyette to go with a go-ahead three-run homer from Bear Madliak in an 8-2 series opening win over Baylor at Baylor Ballpark.

Guyette (2-1) picked up his second straight victory in relief, as the sophomore right-hander held the Bears to four hits in his longest collegiate outing. The Newbury Park, California product retired the nine of the first 10 batters he faced while matching a career-high four strikeouts.

“It was a great opening night in Big 12 play,” head coach Pete Hughes said on his team’s fourth consecutive conference victory, marking the best Big 12 start in school history and first 4-0 conference start since the 1990 season in the Big Eight. “We set the tone of the series, which we had to do and is really tough to do on the road.”

“[Guyette] was my team MVP tonight. He came in and threw up 4 1/3 of a shutout baseball and saved our bullpen. So, our bullpen will be fresh tomorrow and Sunday, but overall, a really good win on the road to set the tone of the series,” Hughes mentioned.

Madliak handed the Cats (14-7, 4-0 Big 12) a 4-0 lead in the second, after he launched his fourth homer of the season over the fence in left field.

As a team, the Wildcat offense produced seven hits with multi-hit efforts from AJ Evasco and Keegan O’Connor. Evasco went 2-for-3 with a double and triple, while O’Connor (2-for-3) drove in two RBI.

“We got some big hits from AJ Evasco, and Keegan O’Connor, and the big three-run homer by Bear that kind of set the tone for the whole game. And we really had a very good start by Jacob Frost.”

A product of St. Louis, Mo., Frost logged four scoreless innings in his fifth consecutive start before spotting a pair of runs in the fifth. He carried a two-hitter into the fifth inning and capped his night scattering four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in his 4 1/3 innings.

Ethan Calder (3-3) suffered the loss for Baylor (15-6, 1-3 Big 12) after being tagged for six earned runs over his five innings.

Evasco extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 while O’Connor stretched his to 11 – the first and second longest streaks for K-State players this season.

Shintaro Inoue belted his fourth homer of the season in the ninth, marking the team’s 12^th game of the year with two or more home runs.

K-State is 11-1 in multi-homer games this season, while totaling 24 in the last 13 games.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless opening frame, Evasco doubled down the left field line to lead off the second followed by an infield base knock from O’Connor to put the Cats on first and third. A fielder’s choice plated the first run of the game until a throwing error put two runners in scoring position.

With no outs, catcher Bear Madliak launched a towering shot out to left field to hand the Cats a 4-0 lead.

Frost surrendered his first hit in the bottom of the inning, but quickly forced a fly out to right field, leaving runners on first and second.

Evasco tripled off the wall in right center and scored on a grounder to second by O’Connor, expanding the Cats’ lead to five.

The Wildcats plated a pair of runs in the fifth, as Dee Kennedy was issued a walk to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a double by Maximus Martin. The duo each crossed the plate with the help of a sacrifice fly from Evasco and two-out RBI-single by O’Connor – his 12^th two-out RBI of the year.

Baylor ended the shutout in the home half of the inning, utilizing a two-run double to urge K-State to make its first call to the bullpen. Guyette relieved Frost in the fifth, inheriting a runner on second. The sophomore forced a fly out and used five pitches to punch out the final batter, preserving a 7-2 lead.

The Bears added some pressure in the eighth with back-to-back singles through the right side, but the runners were left stranded on second and third with two consecutive strikeouts for Guyette.

INSIDE THE BOX

• K-State scored eight runs on seven hits, committed no errors, and stranded just three runners on base.
• Baylor was held to two runs on eight hits, while committing two errors and leaving 11 runners on base.
• K-State had five extra-base hits on the night.
• Evasco and O’Connor each went 2-for-3, combining for three RBI and three runs scored.
• Madliak delivered the game-winning hit with a three-run homer in the second.
• Inoue belted a homer in the ninth.
• Guyette (2-1) was awarded the win in relief, firing 4 1/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts.
• Frost logged 4 1/3 innings in his fifth consecutive start, striking out a team-high five.
• Three players recorded multi-hit efforts for Baylor.
• Calder (3-3) suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs (one earned) on six hits.
• Reliever Bunch allowed one earned run in his four innings of work.
• K-State was 4-for-12 (.333) with runners on and hit .500 (4-for-6) with men in scoring position, while BU was 5-for-19 (.263) with runners on and 1-for-8 (.125) in scoring position.

TEAM NOTES

• The Wildcats are off to their best Big 12 start in school history, while it marks first 4-0 conference start since the 1990 season in the Big Eight.
• Baylor leads the all-time series 55-34, with a 51-28 advantage in Big 12 games.
• In games played in Waco, K-State is 12-33.
• Evasco recorded K-State’s first triple of the season.
• K-State has registered a home run in 12 of its last 13 games, totaling 24 in the stretch.
• Cats are 11-1 when hitting multiple home runs in a game.
• The Wildcats move to 4-1 in Friday night games, 4-2 overall on Friday.
• In the second, K-State produced its 15^th inning with four or more runs.
• Cats are 13-1 when generating 4+ runs in an inning during a game.
• Over the last four games, the bullpen has surrendered four earned runs in 15 2/3 innings with 14 strikeouts.

PLAYER NOTES

• Evasco recorded his first collegiate triple and expanded his hitting streak to 12 – the longest streak by a Wildcat this season.
• Guyette made his eighth relief appearance of the season, logging his longest career outing.
• O’Connor stretched his on-base streak to 13, dating back to March 1 (vs. Sam Houston), that includes an 11-game hitting streak.
• O’Connor drove in his team-leading 12^th two-out RBI of the year.
• Madliak and Inoue each launched their fourth homers.

UP NEXT
Game two between the Wildcats and Bears is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Baylor Ballpark. The entire series will broadcast on ESPN+, while radio coverage is available on KMAN online with Matt Walters calling all the action. A free live streaming audio available for all games at 1350kman.com/listen.
K-State baseball season and single-game tickets are now available, and can be purchased by visiting KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stopping by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage

Click here for more K-State sports.

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (K-State Athletics) – Colleen Corbin, the 2022 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year who spent the 2024 season as the associate head coach at Saint Louis, was announced Monday as the K-State women’s soccer head coach by K-State Director of Athletics Gene Taylor.

Corbin agreed to a 5-year contract, which was approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors and President Richard Linton.

Corbin will be formally introduced to the public during a news conference on Thursday, December 5, at 11 a.m., in the Steel and Pipe Team Theatre at the Vanier Football Complex. A live stream of the news conference can be viewed on the K-State Sports Facebook page.

“We are thrilled to welcome Colleen to K-State as the new leader of our soccer program,” Taylor said. “She has a proven track record of building and leading a championship program as evidenced by her time at Wyoming, and her most recent tenure at Saint Louis allowed her the opportunity to grow even more as a coach and put her stamp on an already established and high-level program. We look forward to welcoming Colleen and her husband, Nick, to Manhattan.”

“I am honored and thrilled to have the privilege of being named the next head coach of the Kansas State women’s soccer team,” stated Corbin. “I want to personally thank Gene Taylor, Jill Shields and Matt Thomason for their commitment and intention throughout the hiring process, as well as their trust in me and their belief in the K-State soccer program. It is evident that there are resources in place to help K-State women’s soccer be successful, as well as an incredibly supportive community who is excited about our team and the opportunity for continued growth and success.

“My husband, Nick, and I are looking forward to making Manhattan our home and joining the Wildcat family. We can’t wait to immerse ourselves into the community and experience all that the Little Apple has to offer. Go Cats!”

Corbin takes the reins of the K-State program following a season as the associate head coach at Saint Louis. During her time with the Billikens, Corbin helped the program to a 15-2-6 overall record, which included a 7-0-3 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference and the regular season and conference tournament titles and the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Billikens reached the second round of the tournament following a 1-0 win over Kansas.

Corbin was responsible for the Billikens’ goalkeepers and defensive backline, overseeing a defensive effort that registered 14 shutouts in the 23 matches. For the season, Saint Louis goalkeepers registered a save percentage of .835 while allowing 14 total goals for a 0.61 goals against average. She helped mentor the 2024 Atlantic 10 Defender of the Year, Lyndsey Heckel.

Prior to her time at Saint Louis, Corbin guided Wyoming to a Mountain West Conference regular-season co-championship and was named the league’s Coach of the Year in 2022 and coached the 2022 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, Jamie Tatum.

In her first season in Laramie in 2021, she led the Cowgirls to eight victories, equaling the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history.

Prior to her stint at Wyoming, Corbin served as associate head coach at James Madison (2018-20) and was an assistant coach at Arizona State (2016) and Cal State Northridge (2014-15). She helped James Madison win the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title, coaching the Dukes’ goalkeepers to the top of the league in shutouts (7).

Corbin played collegiately at Oregon State, where she was a two-time NSCAA All-America honors as a goalkeeper and set school career and single-season records for goals against average and shutouts. She helped lead the Beavers to three NCAA Tournament appearances including a round of 16 in 2009. Corbin is a 2012 graduate of Oregon State with a bachelor’s degree in education.

The La Cañada, California, native went on to play two seasons of professional soccer. She was part of a Western New York Flash team that captured a Women’s Premier Soccer League title, and she played for the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League.

What They Are Saying About Coach Corbin

Saint Louis Women’s Soccer Head Coach Katie Shields

“K-State made a tremendous decision in hiring Colleen. I am grateful for the time we spent together here at SLU. She is an elite recruiter that brings passion and intensity to helping student-athletes fulfill their potential. Her diversity of experience and expertise will be a tremendous asset to the K-State program and I look forward to watching her build something special in Manhattan.”

James Madison Women’s Soccer Head Coach Joshua Walters, Sr.

“I am excited for Colleen & Nick along with the players at Kansas State. Colleen is a very passionate and caring coach that seeks to develop the culture of the program along with the competitiveness on the field. She will pour herself into this project and impact everyone around her. What I also love for the players is that Colleen has done everything as a player they dream about doing at the collegiate and professional level. As a coach she is a winner and knows how to win championships. This is a fantastic hire for K-State.”

Utah State Women’s Soccer Head Coach Manny Martins

“Colleen Corbin is an outstanding hire for Kansas State University. She seamlessly combines high energy with a genuine passion for creating a positive and empowering environment for her student-athletes. Colleen’s ability to inspire and maximize the potential of her athletes will undoubtedly be reflected both on the field and throughout the community from day one.”

The post Colleen Corbin Named K-State Head Soccer Coach appeared first on News Radio KMAN.