For the first time in program history, the K-State baseball team has been ranked in the Perfect Game and Baseball America preseason Top 25 polls. The Wildcats are ranked No. 22 in both polls, which is the highest K-State has ever been ranked in any preseason rankings.

The Wildcats have now been placed in three preseason polls entering the 2014 campaign after coming in at No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason Fab 40, which was released in December. The No. 28 ranking by Collegiate Baseball was at the time the best the Wildcats had ever been ranked in a preseason poll.

After winning the Big 12 title and advancing to the program’s first Super Regional, K-State finished the 2013 season No. 13 in Baseball America’s final poll and No. 14 in Perfect Game’s final season rankings. The Wildcats return 19 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including five starting position players and eight pitchers.

K-State, one of four different Big 12 teams to be ranked in Baseball America’s or Perfect Game’s preseason rankings, is the highest ranked Big 12 team in the Perfect Game polls. Texas (27-24 record in 2013) is ranked No. 18 and No. 25 by Baseball America and Perfect Game, respectively, while TCU (29-28 in 2013) is No. 19 in the Baseball America poll. Oklahoma State (41-19 in 2013) is ranked No. 23 by Perfect Game.

The Wildcats start the 2014 campaign in less than three week when they kick off an eight-game, 10-day road trip with a series at Cal Poly from Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 16. K-State’s first home game at Tointon Family Stadium is on Friday, Feb. 28 against Milwaukee at 3 pm. Season tickets are available and can be purchased by calling 1-800-221-CATS, visiting kstatesports.com/tickets, or by going to the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at Bramlage Coliseum.

— KSU Sports Information —