<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747619946630.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
CINCINNATI, Ohio &ndash;&nbsp;Behind five scoreless innings from&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tazwell-butler/12319" rel="smarttag" rev="12319">Tazwell Butler</a></dfn>&nbsp;and five runs batted in by&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-bishop/12287" rel="smarttag" rev="12287">David Bishop</a></dfn>, K-State set a school record for most conference wins in a season en route to a 9-5 victory against Cincinnati Saturday afternoon at UC Baseball Stadium. With the win, the Wildcats (31-23) finish the regular season with a winning record for the sixth consecutive year, that includes a 17-13 mark in Big 12 play. The Cats' 17 conference wins are the most in school history, breaking the previous record held by the 2013 team. "Guys played well in a pressure situation, you always love to see that," seventh-year head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/2603" rel="smarttag" rev="2603">Pete Hughes</a></dfn>&nbsp;commented. "They set the tone early. They didn't let the first two games in the series beat them today, and we took the momentum right from the beginning of the game and kept it in large part by great offensive efforts, by&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/seth-dardar/12320" rel="smarttag" rev="12320">Seth Dardar</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-bishop/12287" rel="smarttag" rev="12287">David Bishop</a></dfn>." Bishop, a native of Marietta, Georgia, achieved his career day with a three-run blast in the second &ndash; his fourth homer of the year. The senior first baseman ended the day going 2-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored. In addition to Bishop, seven other players contributed to the Wildcats' 12 hits. Dardar posted a three-hit day (3-for-4) to pace the offense, that included his 12th&nbsp;homer, while&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/maximus-martin/12314" rel="smarttag" rev="12314">Maximus Martin</a></dfn>&nbsp;was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The 1 through 4 spots in the lineup combined to hit .412 (7-for-17) with four RBI. "<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tazwell-butler/12319" rel="smarttag" rev="12319">Tazwell Butler</a></dfn>&nbsp;was our MVP today. He settled in with a lead, let people make plays behind him, and got some strikeouts. He was our MVP today," added Hughes. Butler (1-1) was awarded his first victory at K-State, after firing five scoreless innings in relief of starter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/lincoln-sheffield/12332" rel="smarttag" rev="12332">Lincoln Sheffield</a></dfn>. The Sandy Springs, Georgia product limited the Bearcats (31-23, 16-14 Big 12) to just two hits in his 15th&nbsp;outing of the season. K-State now turns its efforts towards the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, starting Wednesday, May 21. The single-elimination championship field of 12 will be announced at the conclusion of the conference's final game on Saturday. HOW IT HAPPENED K-State jumped on the board in the first, as&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/keegan-o-connor/12317" rel="smarttag" rev="12317">Keegan O'Connor</a></dfn>&nbsp;drilled a two-out double off the wall in right field to drive in Martin from second. The Wildcats continued to put pressure on early, exploding for five runs in the second. <dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dee-kennedy/12308" rel="smarttag" rev="12308">Dee Kennedy</a></dfn>&nbsp;was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, followed by catcher&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/bear-madliak/12309" rel="smarttag" rev="12309">Bear Madliak's</a></dfn>&nbsp;bunt for a single, before the duo each advanced 90-feet on a wild pitch. With runners in scoring position, Bishop doubled into right center to extend the lead, 3-0. A sacrifice bunt moved Bishop to third, until&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/shintaro-inoue/12311" rel="smarttag" rev="12311">Shintaro Inoue</a></dfn>&nbsp;lifted a ball deep into left field, allowing Bishop to score. <dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/maximus-martin/12314" rel="smarttag" rev="12314">Maximus Martin</a></dfn>&nbsp;singled up the middle and came around the bases in the next at bat, as Dardar hit a towering shot off the basketball arena in right field to hand the Wildcats a 6-0 lead. In the third,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/aj-evasco/12312" rel="smarttag" rev="12312">AJ Evasco</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dee-kennedy/12308" rel="smarttag" rev="12308">Dee Kennedy</a></dfn>&nbsp;each walked and moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt from Madliak. With one out, Bishop belted his fourth homer of the year out to left center, making it a 9-2 ball game. &nbsp; The Bearcats chipped away at the Cats' lead, tallying a run in four of the first five innings to pull the score within four, 9-5. &nbsp; Butler relieved Sheffield in the fifth and inherited a runner on first with no outs. The right-hander retired 11 consecutive batters to preserve the four-run lead. INSIDE THE BOX
<ul>
<li>K-State scored nine runs on 12 hits, committed no errors, and left eight runners on base.</li>
<li>UC scored five runs on 11 hits with one error committed and six men left stranded.</li>
<li>Eight players contributed a hit with three recording multiple.</li>
<li>Dardar went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, followed by Bishop and Martin each with two hits.</li>
<li>Bishop drove in a career-high five RBI, highlighted by a three-run homer in the second.</li>
<li>Dardar and Bishop each homered, marking K-State's 28th&nbsp;game hitting two or more.</li>
<li>Sheffield was tagged for five earned runs on nine hits in his four innings.</li>
<li>Butler fired five scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out five to earn the win (1-1).</li>
<li>K-State scored all nine runs in the first three innings.</li>
<li>Schultz (0-2) took the loss, surrendering five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.</li>
<li>Niehaus led UC's offense, going 3-for-4, while Sefcik drove in a team-high two RBI.</li>
</ul>
TEAM NOTES
<ul>
<li>The Cats' 17th&nbsp;Big 12 victory marks the most conference wins in a season in school history.</li>
<li>With the win, K-State tied the all-time series 3-3, while it was the Cats' first win in Cincinnati.</li>
<li>K-State has homered in 39 of 54 games this season, hitting multiple in 28 of those (25-3).</li>
<li>The win marked the first regular season finale victory since 2017.</li>
</ul></div>

⚾ Bishop, Butler lift Wildcats to record-breaking win