<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742177141367.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
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MANHATTAN, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Behind a complete game from&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/lincoln-sheffield/12332" rel="smarttag" rev="12332">Lincoln Sheffield</a></dfn>, K-State opened Big 12 play with a series sweep for the first time since 2010, cruising to a 14-2, seven-inning victory over Utah Sunday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium. &nbsp; Leading 8-2 heading into the final frame, K-State erupted for six runs, capped by home runs from&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyan-lodice/12298" rel="smarttag" rev="12298">Kyan Lodice</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/aj-evasco/12312" rel="smarttag" rev="12312">AJ Evasco</a></dfn>&nbsp;to secure the run-rule victory and extend the Wildcats' home winning streak to six. With the win, K-State improves to 12-7 on the year and 3-0 in conference play, while Utah fell to 11-8 and 0-3 in its inaugural Big 12 season. "We got to build an in-conference resume now, and to start out that way was great for our program and gets us off to a good start in Big 12 play," commented 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>. "We beat a good team, and it started with late inning heroics on Friday, and we kept that momentum in our dugout for three days." In K-State's first Big 12 opening weekend sweep in 15 years, the Wildcats out-scored the Utes, 34-10 in the series and hit .360 (36-for-100) with 15 extra-base hits, including seven home runs to end the weekend. The pitching staff boasted a 3.60 ERA and issued just five walks against 24 strikeouts. "Utah was 11-5 coming in here and without playing a home game. So, they're tough and talented. We beat two really good arms, I thought, on Friday and Saturday, and they looked like they ran a little thin in their bullpen, and we took advantage of it," Hughes added. In his fifth start of the year, Sheffield (4-1) was awarded his fourth consecutive victory. The left-hander from Flowood, Mississippi, finished his outing with a season-high nine strikeouts, including striking out the side in the fifth. &nbsp; "Lincoln's just efficient, he never beats himself, he's always way ahead on counts, he's always 0-2 or 1-2, and that's an advantage for him most of the time, because that keeps guys off balance. He works super-fast. He walked one guy today and when you can have no errors at the end of your box score, and one walk, you have a pretty good chance of winning the ball game. Lincoln is always going to give us that opportunity." Sheffield produced his third quality start, and after allowing a leadoff single in the first, he retired nine consecutive batters to allow the Cats to build a 4-0 lead. He surrendered two earned runs in the fourth and scattered three hits over the next three frames as he registered his first complete game at K-State. All nine position players recorded a hit led by three-hit days from Evasco and Lodice, while true freshman&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/donte-lewis/12313" rel="smarttag" rev="12313">Donte Lewis</a></dfn>&nbsp;turned in his first collegiate multi-hit game. Evasco, who delivered his second walk-off homer of the season, ended the day 3-for-4 and drove in a game-leading four RBI. Shortstop&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/maximus-martin/12314" rel="smarttag" rev="12314">Maximus Martin</a></dfn>&nbsp;drove in a pair of runs to turn in his team-high eighth game with multiple RBI, while Evasco's four RBI moved him to second on the team (6). Sunday's win marks the 18th&nbsp;Big 12 sweep for K-State and 37th&nbsp;overall series victory in a three or more-game series in the Hughes era, HOW IT HAPPENED After a scoreless first inning, catcher&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/bear-madliak/12309" rel="smarttag" rev="12309">Bear Madliak</a></dfn>&nbsp;delivered a two-out double into right center to score Martin from first. K-State capitalized on two throwing errors in the third to take a 4-0 lead. A two-run homer from Utah's Kaden Carpenter trimmed the Cats' lead to two, 4-2, in the fourth. The Wildcats recovered the runs handed over in the top of the inning, as Evasco and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/seth-dardar/12320" rel="smarttag" rev="12320">Seth Dardar</a></dfn>&nbsp;both walked and scored on Martin's two-out double into center field. Leading 8-2, K-State used a six-run seventh inning to put the game away. Lodice hit a towering two-run homer off the scoreboard in right field to stretch the Cats lead to eight until an RBI-single by&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dee-kennedy/12308" rel="smarttag" rev="12308">Dee Kennedy</a></dfn>&nbsp;tacked on the 11th&nbsp;run. With no outs, and runners on first and second, Evasco shelled his fourth home run of the year to center to secure the run-rule victory. INSIDE THE BOX
<ul>
<li>K-State scored 14 runs on 14 hits, committed no errors, and stranded seven on base.</li>
<li>UU was held to two runs on six hits and committed four errors with four left on base.</li>
<li>Two Wildcats homered in the win &ndash; Lodice, Evasco.</li>
<li>Evasco hit a three-run homer to walk off the Utes in the seventh, securing a run-rule victory.</li>
<li>Lodice and Evasco were each 3-for-4, combining for six RBI.</li>
<li>Each of the Wildcats nine batters contributed a hit with five recording an RBI.</li>
<li>Sheffield (4-1) was awarded the win, striking out nine in his first complete game. &nbsp;</li>
<li>UU's Boesen (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.</li>
<li>Six different players recorded a hit for Utah, with Carpenter driving in both runs with a two-run homer in the fourth.</li>
</ul>
TEAM NOTES
<ul>
<li>K-State opened Big 12 play with a sweep for the first time since 2010 (vs. Oklahoma State).</li>
<li>Under Hughes, K-State has won 18 Big 12 series &ndash; 37 overall in three or more-game series.</li>
<li>Evasco's homer marked the third walk-off homer of the season and second of the series.</li>
<li>K-State leads the all-time series 8-1, with a 3-0 edge in games played in Big 12 action and in Manhattan.</li>
<li>The Cats move to 6-0 at home during the 2025 season &ndash; 106-42 all-time under Hughes.</li>
<li>K-State held UU scoreless in the first inning for the first time in the series Sunday.</li>
<li>In 19 games, K-State has homered in 13 of those, and registering multiple in 10.</li>
</ul>
PLAYER NOTES
<ul>
<li>Sheffield threw his first complete game at K-State and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts. He matched a K-State career-long seven innings (Last: vs. TCU, February 23).</li>
<li>Evasco turned in his third three-hit day of the season, and Lodice his second.</li>
<li>Evasco hit his second walk-off homer of the season and stretched his hitting streak to a team-leading 10.</li>
<li>Lodice registered his second homer of the year and ninth career.</li>
<li>Lewis had two hits, recording his first collegiate multi-hit game.</li>
<li>Martin leads the team with eight multi-RBI games, followed by Evasco (6). &nbsp;</li>
<li>O'Connor stretched his on-base streak to 11, followed by Evasco (10) and Kennedy (10).</li>
</ul>
UP NEXT The Wildcats will head to Texas for a midweek non-conference matchup against Tarleton State (9-11) on March 19, before heading back into conference play with a three-game series at Baylor (14-5), starting March 21. All four road games can be seen on ESPN+, while a free live streaming audio available for all games at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Live=3268&amp;type=Archive">KStateSports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app. Season and single-game tickets are now available. To purchase tickets, fans can visit&nbsp;<a name="_Hlk192492882"></a>KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.</div>

⚾ Sheffield tosses complete game in historic win for 'Cats