The Kansas State Wildcats often receive secondary attention compared to the Kansas Jayhawks, and this was evident again during ESPN’s NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Special on Monday.
ESPN revealed the 64-team tournament field, which begins Friday with 16 double-elimination regionals. Both Kansas and Kansas State were hoping to be included. The Jayhawks, with a 31-23 record and a semifinal appearance in the Big 12 Tournament, had a slim chance of making the cut. In contrast, the Wildcats were almost certain to be selected, though their specific regional destination was unknown.
During the announcement of the Fayetteville Regional, ESPN first showed that Arkansas would host and play SE Missouri in the opening game. When it was Kansas State’s turn, the broadcast switched to a live shot of the Wildcat players celebrating. However, the screen mistakenly displayed the Jayhawks’ name and logo. The error was quickly corrected, as the logo disappeared within two seconds, leaving a blank screen.
The brief appearance of the Kansas logo might have momentarily raised hopes among Jayhawks fans that their team would make the tournament. Unfortunately for them, they will have to watch Kansas State compete instead.
