Wildcats Stay Alive in Austin Regional Behind O’Connor’s Record Blast, Sheffield’s Shutout Gem

The No. 3 seed Kansas State Wildcats kept their 2025 NCAA Austin Regional hopes alive on Saturday, defeating fourth-seeded Houston Christian 7-4 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The victory was highlighted by Keegan O’Connor’s record-breaking 17th home run and a masterful 6 2/3 shutout innings from pitcher Lincoln Sheffield.

“Get another day playing and coaching with this team,” expressed head coach Pete Hughes, who improved to 4-1 in regional games at K-State. Hughes lauded Sheffield’s performance as “the key to today,” emphasizing his ability to settle the team and allow the offense to work.

Sheffield was dominant, setting a new K-State NCAA postseason record for most shutout innings by a starter. He retired 10 consecutive batters at one point, finishing with six strikeouts and two walks, improving his record to 7-4.

O’Connor, a graduate student, etched his name in K-State history in the bottom of the third. His three-run blast, a 104-mph shot, marked his 17th home run of the season, breaking a record that stood since 1997.

Despite the significant win, Hughes acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly leaving runners in scoring position. “We left a lot of runs out there. We’re sloppy,” he stated, emphasizing the need for “airtight baseball” moving forward.

The win also marked a personal milestone for Hughes, who earned his 200th victory at K-State, becoming the fastest coach in program history to reach the mark. “Not really concerned with the 200, concerned with 201 and 202,” Hughes remarked, looking ahead to Sunday’s elimination game.

K-State (33-25) will face the loser of the Texas vs. UTSA game in an elimination contest on Sunday at 2 p.m., while Houston Christian (32-25) has been eliminated from the tournament.