WILDCAT TIMELINE Both teams played well, both have had the same difficulties
cats to a 19-4 overall record en route to the Topeka Confer-
April 10, 1897: Kansas Agricultural College played and won in regard to practice, Saturday’s game was the first time its first game in Fort Riley, Kan. Head coach H.W. Wagner that either nine had played together.
ence title. This baseball championship is believed to be the
FIRST GAME [1897]
first by a varsity sport in K-State history.
led the Aggies to a 4-3 win over Fort Riley. The following is an account of the first game as told by the April 14, 1897
The college team had by far the best battery. The college FIRST DOUBLEHEADER [1908]
edition of the K.A.C. Students’ Herald.
team was rather weak at the bat but this will soon be reme- June 6, 1908: Kansas State played its first-ever doubledied by practice.
header on this date and sweeps archrival Kansas, 2-1 and 1-0. H.S. Baird pitched both games of the doubleheader.
The baseball team crossed bats with the Fort Riley team
at Fort Riley, April 10, in the first game of the season. The FIRST HOME RUN [1897] game resulted in a victory for the college team, the score May 1, 1897: In the ninth inning of the game against Chap- MIKE AHEARN RETIRES [1911] standing at the close of the ninth inning 4 to 3 in favor of
man High School, K.A.C. second basemen Whitelock stepped
Legendary coach Mike Ahearn retires as Kansas State’s
the K.A.C. The game in detail was as follows: first inning, to the plate. According to the K.A.C. Students’ Herald,
most successful baseball coach in history with a .734 win-
first half, Crooch in the box, Davis catching for Fort Riley.
ning percentage. In eight seasons as the head coach, he
Noble at the bat sent a fly to third and was put out on first. “When Whitelock stepped to the plate in the ninth inning led the Wildcats to victory 93 times and suffered only 33 dethere was a look of determination on his face and when feats. Second half Hank Wagner in the box, Doc Wagner catching the ball crossed the plate he met it squarely sending it into MISSOURI VALLEY CHAMPS [1928] for the college. Consiudine at the bat sent a ball to the the deep right field for a home run.” pitcher who makes a wild throw to first and Consiudine
Kansas State concluded the season with a 10-2 Missouri
scores a run. Fann sent a fly to center field and was caught
This was the first home run in the school’s short four-game Valley Conference record to finish atop the standings. Led
out. Mearns made first on an error by third. Hayward was
history.
an 11-3 overall record and won their first baseball title in
put out on first and Mearns on third. In the second and third innings neither side scored.
by Captain Guy Huey, the Wildcats finished the season with
WILDCATS PLAY CHICAGO CUBS [1905]
20 years.
April 6, 1905: The Chicago Cubs made a stop in Manhattan In the second half of the fourth inning Mearns scored an to face Kansas State. The team, which included the Cubs’ BIG SIX CHAMPS [1930] earned run, the score then standing Fort Riley 2, K.A.C. 0. most famous double play combination of all-time, Tinker, Kansas State finished 9-3 in the Big Six Conference and tied Evans and Chance, was on their way back to Chicago after
for first place.
In the fifth inning Menke and Poston each scored a run for
completing spring training in Arizona and stopped off to play
the college team and Davis scored for the Fort Riley team.
the Aggies. No box score remains, but the Cubs did win, 13- BIG SIX CHAMPS AGAIN [1933] 0.
scored on an error by first.
Kansas State and Oklahoma ended the season as co-champions of the Big Six Conference. KSU finished the season
In the sixth inning Ashbrook went out on first; Cheadle
THE FIRST EXTRA-INNING GAME [1905]
with a 9-3 overall record and 3-2 in Big Six play.
May 2, 1905: Kansas State played its first extra-inning affair Green made first; Poston made first and Green made sec- in school history, as the Aggies won it, 6-5, over Friends Uni- FIRST BIG-LEAGUER [1933] Elden Auker becomes the first Kansas State graduate to play ond on an error by left field. Menke sent a fly to third and versity of Wichita, Kan. in the Major Leagues when he broke in with the Detroit
was caught out. H. Wagner struck out leaving Green and Poston on bases.
BACK-TO-BACK NO-HITTERS [1906]
Tigers. Auker would spent the next 10 years in the big
April 17, 1906: Arthur Furey pitched the first no-hitter in leagues with the Tigers, the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Farm and Mearns both went out on fouls which Doc Wagner
Kansas State baseball history in a 13-0 win over the College
Browns. He would post a career 4.42 ERA and 130-101
nailed hansomely, the inning closed with the score standing of Emporia. Three days later, Carl Mallon matched Furey’s record with 126 complete games and 14 shutouts. He would feat in the team’s next outing with a no-hitter against Ottawa post his best season in 1935, as he finished with an 18-7 Fort Riley 3, K.A.C. 0. University.
record.
In the seventh inning, Doc Wagner was put out on first. Noble went out on a foul; Dial made a base hit and scored Accounts in newspapers reported: “The game was played MYERS COACHES ONE SEASON [1940] a run, Cheadle sent a fly to the pitcher and was caught out on a muddy field and there was a rabbit chase across the The namesake of Kansas State’s baseball stadium, Frank leaving Ashbrook on base. Fort Riley made no score.
diamond.”
Myers spent just one season as a baseball coach, guiding the Wildcats to an 11-5 overall mark with co-head coach
Dougal Russell. In 1967, the field was dedicated in his In the eighth and ninth innings neither side scored, the re- FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP [1907] Legendary coach Mike Ahearn, who coached nearly every name. In 2002, the field was re-named Frank Myers Field sult was K.A.C. 4, Riley 3. sporting team at Kansas State during his tenure and later at Tointon Family Stadium. served as the school’s first athletics director, led the Wild88