It wasn't the kind of trip they anticipated when the Kansas State baseball team left for Utah earlier this week, but the Wildcats have arrived back in Manhattan from their winless two-game trip to Provo.
Now, K-State is ready to get back to conference play — starting tonight when the Wildcats open a three-game home series with Baylor at Tointon Family Stadium.
With a light practice on Thursday, K-State has shifted its focus, and the Cats are ready to face Baylor tonight at 6:30 p.m.
"It was a long night," senior Adam Muenster said on Thursday, referring to the Cats' 13-10 lost to BYU on Wednesday night. "It was nice to get home and get some rest and get ready for (Friday). I think everybody is pretty much ready."
In their two losses to BYU this week, the No. 20-ranked Wildcats (23-8 6-3 Big 12) have got off to slow starts, missed opportunities late in the game, and then scrambled to find a consistent pitching performance on the mound.
In all, the Wildcats gave up 28 runs in the two-game series.
Despite that, Muenster said he isn't concerned.
"I think we are going to be fine," he said. "I think it was just a mild set back, but I think we are going to be alright. I think sometimes the season just gets long. It's just kind of a wear and tear and you kind of have some peaks and valleys and right there it was just one of those things that we just have to put behind us."
With Baylor in town tonight, the Cats are hoping to do, just that.
K-State will send senior right-hander Ryan Daniel to the mound tonight to make his ninth start of the season. Daniel holds a 5-1 record in those starts and has a 3.95 ERA in 41 innings pitched.
Meanwhile the Bears (21-11, 5-5) are scheduled to counter with junior right-hander Shawn Tolleson. The right-hander has a 1-4 record with a 4.19 ERA in eight starts.
Daniel's last appearance came in the Wildcats' 8-3 series-clinching win over Nebraska on April 11. Daniel threw five innings in the no-decision start.
"I'm excited," Daniel said. "I feel very confident and I'm just going to come out (Friday) and give my team an opportunity to win the game."
Baylor comes into the series as one of the better hitting teams in the Big 12 with a team average of .328. The Bears rank second in the category, five points behind the Big 12-leading Wildcats. Baylor ranks first in the Big 12 in slugging percentage at .516.
"I just know I can't relax when I pitch," Daniel said. "When they have two strikes, they are just going to shorten up and try to put the ball into play."
Baylor is currently in the midst of a four-game winning streak and has won six of its last seven games - including taking two of three against Texas A&M.
"They are going to be a very good team," KSU coach Brad Hill said. "They are riding on a lot of high emotion right now."
The series against Baylor will be part of a festive weekend around the K-State campus as alumni will in town for Alumni
Weekend and the Union Program Council will provide a post-game fireworks show following tonight's contest.
"The emotions are high in the Big 12," Hill said. "With the position we are in right now, we are at home, we have alumni coming in on Saturday, so again, we want to make sure we are at the top of our game this weekend.
First pitch for Saturday's game against Baylor is set for 2 p.m., while Sunday's game will start at 1 p.m.
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