Coach Pete Hughes Leads K-State Wildcats To Super Regional For First Time Since 2013
Kansas State baseball program is only one step away from playing in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., which starts June14 and runs through June 23/24.
The Wildcats, 36-24, put themselves in this enviable position by beating Southeast Missouri State 7-2 Sunday in the Fayetteville Regional Championship game.
The final step to the College World Series will be a difficult one. The Wildcats will hit the road and take on No. 18 Virginia, 44-15, on Friday in the Charlottesville Super Regional in the best-of-three series.
K-State coach Pete Hughes, who is in his sixth season, wants his team to stay hungry because h is what has driven the Wildcats to this point. Some of his inspirational words were captured in a story on the K-State athletic website.
“Now is the time to get greedy,” Hughes told his team on the field after the game. “Stay hungry, stay humble, stay focused. You came out swinging and ready to go last night, boys, and then you had to turn around and do it early in the morning and bring the same energy.
“I'm just telling you it feels different, it feels different. Stay right there, you're right in the sweet spot, boys, let's go on a run and carry that energy over to tonight, right? Let's go and get this thing going.”
The Wildcats will need that mindset over the weekend. Virginia will be playing at home where it has a 29-7 record.
It’s the ninth time in the last 15 years Virginia has advanced to the Super Regional. Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor has built a perennial top 25 program. He led the Cavaliers to the College World Series title in 2015 and six College World Series appearances.
In contrast, K-State is making only its second Super Regional appearance. The Wildcats other appearance was 2013.
Hughes, the coaching staff and players want to build a program in which this occurs regularly.
“That's why we all came here to Manhattan,” Hughes said. “That's why every coach and every player in that dugout came here, to win Regionals and go to Super Regionals and raise the standard for Kansas State baseball.”
David Boyce can be reached at davidboyce95@gmail.com
