MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott and offensive lineman Cooper Beebe saw their NFL dreams come true on Friday night as they were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Sinnott was selected with the 21st pick of the second round – No. 53 overall – by the Washington Commanders, while Beebe was taken with the ninth pick of the third round – No. 73 overall – by the Dallas Cowboys. K-State has now had four players selected in the top three rounds over the last two years, its most in a two-year stretch since 2002 and 2003.

A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Sinnott became the highest-selected tight end in school history, bettering the No. 58 pick in of Cedric Price by the Dallas Texans in the 1961 AFL Draft. He is the first Wildcat tight end to be selected since Shad Meier was taken by Tennessee in 2001, while he is the fifth Wildcat ever selected by Washington and the first since defensive end Rob Jackson in 2008.

Beebe, who hails from Kansas City, Kansas, is just the fourth Wildcat ever drafted by the Dallas Cowboys but the second in as many years as running back Deuce Vaughn was selected in the sixth round last season.

More K-State football players will hear their names called during the 2024 NFL Draft, which concludes on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. (CT) with rounds four through seven. Coverage is available on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott and offensive lineman Cooper Beebe saw their NFL dreams come true on Friday night as they were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.Sinnott was selected with the 21st pick of the second round – No. 53 overall – by the Washington Commanders, while Beebe was taken with the ninth pick of the third round – No. 73 overall – by the Dallas Cowboys. K-State has now had four players selected in the top three rounds over the last two years, its most in a two-year stretch since 2002 and 2003.A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Sinnott became the highest-selected tight end in school history, bettering the No. 58 pick in of Cedric Price by the Dallas Texans in the 1961 AFL Draft. He is the first Wildcat tight end to be selected since Shad Meier was taken by Tennessee in 2001, while he is the fifth Wildcat ever selected by Washington and the first since defensive end Rob Jackson in 2008.Beebe, who hails from Kansas City, Kansas, is just the fourth Wildcat ever drafted by the Dallas Cowboys but the second in as many years as running back Deuce Vaughn was selected in the sixth round last season.More K-State football players will hear their names called during the 2024 NFL Draft, which concludes on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. (CT) with rounds four through seven. Coverage is available on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

Sinnott, Beebe Selected on Second Day of NFL Draft

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Football standout offensive lineman Dominick Puni was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday evening, going to the San Francisco 49ers at pick No. 86.

Puni becomes KU’s highest-drafted player since 2008, when Aqib Talib was selected in the first round (pick 20) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s the first Jayhawk offensive lineman selected since Hakeem Adeniji was a sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 and the highest drafted Kansas offensive lineman since Mike Wellman was picked in the third round (pick 81) by the Los Angeles Rams in 1979.

Puni was a two-year starter for the Jayhawks, playing at left guard for all 13 games during the 2022 season before moving to left tackle for his senior season. In 2023, he ranked third among FBS tackles with a pass blocking grade of 90.5 from PFF, while not allowing a quarterback sack in 745 snaps. He helped pave the way for KU’s rushing attack, which ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 211.3 yards per game.

A native of St. Charles, Missouri, Puni is a two-time All-Big 12 selection, receiving All-Big 12 First Team accolades from the AP and Coaches during the 2023 season after earning honorable mention in 2022. He was also a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year award and was selected to participate in the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Football standout offensive lineman Dominick Puni was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday evening, going to the San Francisco 49ers at pick No. 86.Puni becomes KU’s highest-drafted player since 2008, when Aqib Talib was selected in the first round (pick 20) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s the first Jayhawk offensive lineman selected since Hakeem Adeniji was a sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 and the highest drafted Kansas offensive lineman since Mike Wellman was picked in the third round (pick 81) by the Los Angeles Rams in 1979.Puni was a two-year starter for the Jayhawks, playing at left guard for all 13 games during the 2022 season before moving to left tackle for his senior season. In 2023, he ranked third among FBS tackles with a pass blocking grade of 90.5 from PFF, while not allowing a quarterback sack in 745 snaps. He helped pave the way for KU’s rushing attack, which ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 211.3 yards per game.A native of St. Charles, Missouri, Puni is a two-time All-Big 12 selection, receiving All-Big 12 First Team accolades from the AP and Coaches during the 2023 season after earning honorable mention in 2022. He was also a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year award and was selected to participate in the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Dominick Puni Chosen by 49ers in Third Round of 2024 NFL Draft

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Looking to follow up a Wednesday split and continue momentum into the final week of the regular season, the Barton Community College baseball team fell short in the final two games of the four-game series Friday afternoon against 20th ranked Hutchinson Community College by scores of 12-10 and 17-3 at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson.

Six home runs in the opener weren't enough to hold off the Blue Dragons as Hutchinson pieced together six straight singles in plating four runs in the decisive fourth inning to win 12-10. Drawling within 4-3 in the fourth inning of the nightcap, 13 unanswered Hutchinson runs in the final two at-bats secured the Blue Dragons series clinching 17-3 seventh inning run rule victory over the Cougars.

Falling to sixth in the conference standings at 15-13 and 33-19 overall, Barton drops its second straight conference series for the first time since the 2019 season while the Blue Dragons wrap up conference play with a league best 27-5 mark and move to 42-11 overall.

Heading into the final conference series of the season, Barton will continue the road trip with a Thursday trip out to Garden City Community College for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Williams Stadium before concluding the regular season with the final two games on Saturday at Lawson-Biggs Field.

Hutchinson outhit the Cougars by eight in the twin bill, but 10 hits were for extra bases including a trio of home runs in each of the two games including a pair of three-run home runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap.

Barton's 24 hits on the afternoon were led by the duo of Jaron Cotton and Grant Nottlemann's four each. Cotton opened the day with a 3-4 performance, with three RBIs, furnishing two of Barton's six game 1 home runs with the first on the front end of back-to-back round trippers teaming up with Owen Bailey gifting the Cougars their lone lead of 3-0. Nottlemann was 2-3 at the plate in the opener while distributing his first collegiate home run.

Joining Cotton with multiple RBIs on the day was the trio of Cesar Gomez, Hank Orr and Barrett Donaldson. Gomez supplied his pair between the two games, with Orr's knotting things up at 6-apiece in the opener behind his second fence clearer of the season and Donaldson's first collegiate home run drawing Barton within 4-3 in the fourth of the nightcap.

Game 1 starter Nathan Bowman earned a no-decision going three innings. Anthony Treto (4-2) dropped the loss in the opener working two innings in relief.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714232476122.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoLooking to follow up a Wednesday split and continue momentum into the final week of the regular season, the Barton Community College baseball team fell short in the final two games of the four-game series Friday afternoon against 20th ranked Hutchinson Community College by scores of 12-10 and 17-3 at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson.Six home runs in the opener weren't enough to hold off the Blue Dragons as Hutchinson pieced together six straight singles in plating four runs in the decisive fourth inning to win 12-10. Drawling within 4-3 in the fourth inning of the nightcap, 13 unanswered Hutchinson runs in the final two at-bats secured the Blue Dragons series clinching 17-3 seventh inning run rule victory over the Cougars.Falling to sixth in the conference standings at 15-13 and 33-19 overall, Barton drops its second straight conference series for the first time since the 2019 season while the Blue Dragons wrap up conference play with a league best 27-5 mark and move to 42-11 overall.Heading into the final conference series of the season, Barton will continue the road trip with a Thursday trip out to Garden City Community College for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Williams Stadium before concluding the regular season with the final two games on Saturday at Lawson-Biggs Field.Hutchinson outhit the Cougars by eight in the twin bill, but 10 hits were for extra bases including a trio of home runs in each of the two games including a pair of three-run home runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap.Barton's 24 hits on the afternoon were led by the duo of Jaron Cotton and Grant Nottlemann's four each. Cotton opened the day with a 3-4 performance, with three RBIs, furnishing two of Barton's six game 1 home runs with the first on the front end of back-to-back round trippers teaming up with Owen Bailey gifting the Cougars their lone lead of 3-0. Nottlemann was 2-3 at the plate in the opener while distributing his first collegiate home run.Joining Cotton with multiple RBIs on the day was the trio of Cesar Gomez, Hank Orr and Barrett Donaldson. Gomez supplied his pair between the two games, with Orr's knotting things up at 6-apiece in the opener behind his second fence clearer of the season and Donaldson's first collegiate home run drawing Barton within 4-3 in the fourth of the nightcap.Game 1 starter Nathan Bowman earned a no-decision going three innings. Anthony Treto (4-2) dropped the loss in the opener working two innings in relief.

Barton Baseball drops series at 20th ranked Hutchinson

Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson announced Friday he would return for a final season with the Jayhawks.

Coach Bill Self also said he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four.

Dickinson was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and conference newcomer of the year after averaging 17.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his first season with the Jayhawks after transferring from Michigan.

“Yeah you're right coach. I guess it's time to tell everyone I'm coming back! Rock Chalk!” Dickinson wrote on social media.

Griffen started 33 of 37 games and averaged 11.2 points per game for Alabama. He should help a KU offense that ranked 11th in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting.

“Rylan’s won everywhere he’s been,” Self said. “He’s a solid shooter, making 39% from 3-point range on last season’s Final Four team at Alabama. He’s also a solid defender, often guarding the best perimeter player on the opposing team. Rylan fits our system well.”

Griffen scored a career-high 21 points twice last season, against Missouri and at Kentucky. He had 19 games of 10 or more points and had 10 games where he made at least three 3s.

The Jayhawks also have signed AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Riley Kugel (Florida) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State).

“We’ve had a lot of good things happen since the end of the season and Hunter coming back has definitely added to that," Self said. "Hunter made a huge impact on our team last year. He played and fought through injuries and was still one of the most consistent players in the Big 12 and nationally. Not only is Hunter a terrific player, he’s a great leader and teammate. We expect him to contend for first-team All-American next season.”

By The Associated PressKansas star center Hunter Dickinson announced Friday he would return for a final season with the Jayhawks.Coach Bill Self also said he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four.Dickinson was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and conference newcomer of the year after averaging 17.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his first season with the Jayhawks after transferring from Michigan.“Yeah you're right coach. I guess it's time to tell everyone I'm coming back! Rock Chalk!” Dickinson wrote on social media.Griffen started 33 of 37 games and averaged 11.2 points per game for Alabama. He should help a KU offense that ranked 11th in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting.“Rylan’s won everywhere he’s been,” Self said. “He’s a solid shooter, making 39% from 3-point range on last season’s Final Four team at Alabama. He’s also a solid defender, often guarding the best perimeter player on the opposing team. Rylan fits our system well.”Griffen scored a career-high 21 points twice last season, against Missouri and at Kentucky. He had 19 games of 10 or more points and had 10 games where he made at least three 3s.The Jayhawks also have signed AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Riley Kugel (Florida) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State).“We’ve had a lot of good things happen since the end of the season and Hunter coming back has definitely added to that," Self said. "Hunter made a huge impact on our team last year. He played and fought through injuries and was still one of the most consistent players in the Big 12 and nationally. Not only is Hunter a terrific player, he’s a great leader and teammate. We expect him to contend for first-team All-American next season.”

Hunter Dickinson announces his return to KU

Saturday, April 27 11:00AM 1590/95.5FM - NFL Draft - Day Three 4:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Detroit Sunday, April 28 12:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Detroit 5:00PM 1590/95.5FM - MLB Baseball - Chicago Cubs @ Boston Monday, April 29 5:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Toronto Tuesday, April 30 5:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Toronto Wednesday, May 1 1:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Toronto Friday, May 3 4:00PM B104 - Panther Softball- Great Bend @ Salina South (Quad) 6:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Texas @ Kansas City Saturday, May 4 12:30PM&nbsp;1590/95.5FM - MLB Baseball - Milwaukee @ Chicago Cubs 5:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Texas @ Kansas City Sunday, May 5 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Texas @ Kansas City 5:00PM 1590/95.5FM - MLB Baseball - San Francisco @ Philadelphia Monday, May 6 6:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Milwaukee @ Kansas City Tuesday, May 7 6:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Milwaukee @ Kansas City Wednesday, May 8 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Milwaukee @ Kansas City 4:00PM B104 - Panther Baseball- Great Bend @ Manhattan

Saturday, April 27 11:00AM 1590/95.5FM - NFL Draft - Day Three 4:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Detroit Sunday, April 28 12:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Detroit 5:00PM 1590/95.5FM - MLB Baseball - Chicago Cubs @ Boston Monday, April 29 5:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Toronto Tuesday, April 30 5:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Toronto Wednesday, May 1 1:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Kansas City @ Toronto Friday, May 3 4:00PM B104 - Panther Softball- Great Bend @ Salina South (Quad) 6:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Texas @ Kansas City Saturday, May 4 12:30PM&nbsp;1590/95.5FM - MLB Baseball - Milwaukee @ Chicago Cubs 5:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Texas @ Kansas City Sunday, May 5 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Texas @ Kansas City 5:00PM 1590/95.5FM - MLB Baseball - San Francisco @ Philadelphia Monday, May 6 6:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Milwaukee @ Kansas City Tuesday, May 7 6:00PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Milwaukee @ Kansas City Wednesday, May 8 12:30PM 1590/95.5FM - Royals Baseball - Milwaukee @ Kansas City 4:00PM B104 - Panther Baseball- Great Bend @ Manhattan

Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting PBP Schedule

DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0. Lugo allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening. Tigers starter Reese Olson allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight. Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning. The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening.

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson has announced he will return for a final season with the Jayhawks. Coach Bill Self also announced he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four. Meanwhile, UCLA picked up its fourth player from the portal, adding forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State. He averaged 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his first two seasons with the Beavers. Bilodeau joins Skyy Clark from Louisville, Eric Dailey Jr. from Oklahoma State and Kobe Johnson from USC in Westwood.

UNDATED (AP) —  The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off their second trade the 2024 NFL Draft — this time with their Super Bowl LVIII opponents: the San Francisco 49ers. Kansas City moved up from the 64th to 63rd pick to select BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. After trading up in the first round to select wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs stayed aggressive, going up to get the player they wanted. During this draft cycle, Suamataia has been a favorite of the Chiefs due to his top-end potential — and the fact that he profiles as an eventual long-term solution at left tackle. He will immediately compete with Wanya Morris at left tackle and be in a similar stage of development: both players have strong physical traits, have college experience at both tackle spots and need to refine their skills as pass protectors on the blind side.

UNDATED (AP) — Defense became the focus of the NFL draft on Friday night after a record-setting 23 offensive players were selected in the first round. The Atlanta Falcons, who shocked everyone by taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, kicked off the shift by moving up to take Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro with the third pick of the second round. The Commanders then took Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and a total of 20 defensive players went in a round that had seven trades as teams were wheeling and dealing to get their guy. The Titans took a chance on Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat with the 38th pick after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

DETROIT (AP) — The NFL draft tour has not had a stop quite like the one in Detroit. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told fans that flooded downtown Detroit for a second straight day that an attendance record was set with 275,000 people on Thursday during the first round. Goodell says another 230,000 fans attended during Friday's second round. He challenged the crowd to show up 100,000 strong on Saturday to break Nashville's three-day record of 600,000 set in 2019. The NFL draft left its traditional home in New York a decade ago and took the show on the road, starting in Chicago.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs. Milwaukee's Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points.

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks took a chippy 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA. The Mavs won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game series loss to the Clippers. Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half. James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but fellow stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact.

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry held onto a share of the lead Friday in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, with the Irish duo shooting a 2-under 70 in alternate play in the PGA Tour’s only team event. The teams of Davis Thompson-Andrew Novak, Ryan Brehm-Mark Hubbard and Aaron Rai-David Lipsky matched McIlroy and Lowry at 13-under 131 at TPC Louisiana. They will play best ball Saturday and close with alternate shot Sunday. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the 2022 winners, were a stroke back with Callum Tarren-David Skinns, Nick Taylor-Adam Hadwin, Zach Johnson-Ryan Palmer, Luke List-Henrik Norlander and Corey Connors-Taylor Pendrith. McIlroy and Lowry, who opened Thursday with a best-ball 61, overcame Lowry’s mid-round putting woes to close with consecutive birdies.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712497619824.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0. Lugo allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening. Tigers starter Reese Olson allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight. Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning. The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening.UNDATED (AP) — Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson has announced he will return for a final season with the Jayhawks. Coach Bill Self also announced he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four. Meanwhile, UCLA picked up its fourth player from the portal, adding forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State. He averaged 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his first two seasons with the Beavers. Bilodeau joins Skyy Clark from Louisville, Eric Dailey Jr. from Oklahoma State and Kobe Johnson from USC in Westwood.UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off their second trade the 2024 NFL Draft — this time with their Super Bowl LVIII opponents: the San Francisco 49ers. Kansas City moved up from the 64th to 63rd pick to select BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. After trading up in the first round to select wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs stayed aggressive, going up to get the player they wanted. During this draft cycle, Suamataia has been a favorite of the Chiefs due to his top-end potential — and the fact that he profiles as an eventual long-term solution at left tackle. He will immediately compete with Wanya Morris at left tackle and be in a similar stage of development: both players have strong physical traits, have college experience at both tackle spots and need to refine their skills as pass protectors on the blind side.UNDATED (AP) — Defense became the focus of the NFL draft on Friday night after a record-setting 23 offensive players were selected in the first round. The Atlanta Falcons, who shocked everyone by taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, kicked off the shift by moving up to take Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro with the third pick of the second round. The Commanders then took Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and a total of 20 defensive players went in a round that had seven trades as teams were wheeling and dealing to get their guy. The Titans took a chance on Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat with the 38th pick after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated.DETROIT (AP) — The NFL draft tour has not had a stop quite like the one in Detroit. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told fans that flooded downtown Detroit for a second straight day that an attendance record was set with 275,000 people on Thursday during the first round. Goodell says another 230,000 fans attended during Friday's second round. He challenged the crowd to show up 100,000 strong on Saturday to break Nashville's three-day record of 600,000 set in 2019. The NFL draft left its traditional home in New York a decade ago and took the show on the road, starting in Chicago.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs. Milwaukee's Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points.DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks took a chippy 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA. The Mavs won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game series loss to the Clippers. Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half. James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but fellow stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact.AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry held onto a share of the lead Friday in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, with the Irish duo shooting a 2-under 70 in alternate play in the PGA Tour’s only team event. The teams of Davis Thompson-Andrew Novak, Ryan Brehm-Mark Hubbard and Aaron Rai-David Lipsky matched McIlroy and Lowry at 13-under 131 at TPC Louisiana. They will play best ball Saturday and close with alternate shot Sunday. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the 2022 winners, were a stroke back with Callum Tarren-David Skinns, Nick Taylor-Adam Hadwin, Zach Johnson-Ryan Palmer, Luke List-Henrik Norlander and Corey Connors-Taylor Pendrith. McIlroy and Lowry, who opened Thursday with a best-ball 61, overcame Lowry’s mid-round putting woes to close with consecutive birdies.FRIDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Chicago Cubs	7	Boston	1	Final	L.A. Dodgers	12	Toronto	2	Final	Atlanta	6	Cleveland	2	Final	Texas	2	Cincinnati	1	Final	Milwaukee	7	N.Y. Yankees	6	Final	Seattle	6	Arizona	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Kansas City	8	Detroit	0	Final	Oakland	3	Baltimore	2	Final	Chicago White Sox	9	Tampa Bay	4	Final	Minnesota	5	L.A. Angels	3	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	3	Miami	1	Final	St. Louis	4	N.Y. Mets	2	Final	Philadelphia	9	San Diego	3	Final	San Francisco	3	Pittsburgh	0	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal OT	Indiana	121	Milwaukee	118	Final	Dallas	101	L.A. Clippers	90	Final	Minnesota	126	Phoenix	109	NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	N-Y Rangers	3	Washington	1	Final	Vancouver	2	Nashville	1	Final	Colorado	6	Winnipeg	2	Final	Edmonton	6	Los Angeles	1

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Friday.

Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.

“Being aggressive is always part of my plan, but I just had really good fastball command,” he said. “They took some early swings that gave me an idea of what their approach was going to be throughout the game.”

Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.

Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning.

“Lugo is a throwback to the guys who pitched, moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

With one out in the third, Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel singled before Maikel Garcia walked to load the bases for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center.

The Tigers thought they had the lead in the bottom of the third, but Frazier reached over the right-field fence to rob Parker Meadows of a home run before doubling Javier Báez off first.

“I just tried to get back there with some space to jump,” Frazier said. “I wasn't sure if I would have a chance at it with the wind, but fortunately I was able to do it.”

Detroit got a hit and an error against former teammate John Schreiber in the eighth, but he struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the inning.

The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, thanks to two singles and a walk off Tyler Holton. Holton, usually one of Detroit's best control pitchers, then hit Frazier and Isbel with consecutive pitches to make it 3-0.

“He really didn't have command,” Hinch said. “That's really unusual for him — he rarely misfires at all. He was in a perfect spot facing two lefties, and he sailed the ball into their elbows, so I had to get him out of there.”

Garcia greeted Will Vest with a two-run single to put the Royals up by five, and Witt tripled before Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.

“We did a good job of creating traffic against Holton and then we took advantage of a little wildness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Then we were able to tack on with Mikael and Bobby both coming up big."

Tigers C Carson Kelly (ribs) wasn't available for the game. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team might make a roster move to avoid playing with one healthy catcher. ... Tigers utilityman Andy Ibáñez (hamstring) started a rehab assignment on Thursday, going 2-3 with a double for Triple-A Toledo.

The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening. RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 2.95) is scheduled to start for Detroit against RHP Brady Singer (3-0, 1.82).

DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Friday.Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.“Being aggressive is always part of my plan, but I just had really good fastball command,” he said. “They took some early swings that gave me an idea of what their approach was going to be throughout the game.”Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning.“Lugo is a throwback to the guys who pitched, moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.With one out in the third, Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel singled before Maikel Garcia walked to load the bases for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center.The Tigers thought they had the lead in the bottom of the third, but Frazier reached over the right-field fence to rob Parker Meadows of a home run before doubling Javier Báez off first.“I just tried to get back there with some space to jump,” Frazier said. “I wasn't sure if I would have a chance at it with the wind, but fortunately I was able to do it.”Detroit got a hit and an error against former teammate John Schreiber in the eighth, but he struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the inning.The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, thanks to two singles and a walk off Tyler Holton. Holton, usually one of Detroit's best control pitchers, then hit Frazier and Isbel with consecutive pitches to make it 3-0.“He really didn't have command,” Hinch said. “That's really unusual for him — he rarely misfires at all. He was in a perfect spot facing two lefties, and he sailed the ball into their elbows, so I had to get him out of there.”Garcia greeted Will Vest with a two-run single to put the Royals up by five, and Witt tripled before Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.“We did a good job of creating traffic against Holton and then we took advantage of a little wildness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Then we were able to tack on with Mikael and Bobby both coming up big."TRAINER'S ROOMTigers C Carson Kelly (ribs) wasn't available for the game. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team might make a roster move to avoid playing with one healthy catcher. ... Tigers utilityman Andy Ibáñez (hamstring) started a rehab assignment on Thursday, going 2-3 with a double for Triple-A Toledo.UP NEXTThe teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening. RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 2.95) is scheduled to start for Detroit against RHP Brady Singer (3-0, 1.82).

Seth Lugo throws 7 scoreless innings, leads Royals past Tigers 8-0

Baseball -Game 1- Great Bend 1 Dodge City 0 -Game 2- Great Bend 5 Dodge City 4

1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Baseball -Game 1- Great Bend 1 Dodge City 0 -Game 2- Great Bend 5 Dodge City 4<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/0ljvu5o0/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

Big 12 Conference newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even after all brought winning programs into the league.

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference games combined, and half of those came in games they played against each other.

Now after a second spring for the Big 12, that quartet is getting ready for another significant transition in the league, while all have changes of their own. There will be four more new teams this fall and the departure of two championship-winning programs.

There will be new starting quarterbacks at BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. Houston returns QB Donovan Smith, but is the only of the league's returning schools with a new coach after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.

Smith, a former Texas Tech starter, had surgery in the offseason to repair a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder after completing 64.5% of his passes for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his Cougars debut. While limited on the field during spring drills, he spent a lot of time learning Fritz's offense and is expected to be ready for fall camp.

“I feel like he got a lot better," Fritz said. “He did a good job of paying attention, asking questions and coaching guys.”

Fritz came from Tulane after that American Athletic Conference team two years ago had an FBS-record 10-win turnaround capped by a stunning comeback win over Southern California in the Cotton Bowl. Houston was 4-8 last year.

Cincinnati was in the AAC three years ago when it was the first team from outside the Power Five to make the four-team College Football Playoff.

The Bearcats were 3-9 in coach Scott Satterfield's debut, and their only Big 12 win was over Houston. Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby, who had multiple TD passes in five of his 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year, appears set to succeed quarterback Emory Jones after his only year at Cincinnati to end a three-school, six-season college career.

BYU has to replace Kedon Slovis after his only season at his third school ended at 4-8. The Cougars' QB competition will go into fall camp between South Florida transfer Gerry Bohanon, who before that was Baylor's starter for its Big 12 championship game win in 2021, and Jake Retzlaff, their backup last season.

“They’re both athletic. They both can make the throws that we need them to make in this offense and they’re both really smart," BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “It's been a really good battle."

UCF was 6-7, ending a streak of six consecutive winning seasons. The Knights were 3-6 in the Big 12, with a surprising 45-3 win over league runner-up Oklahoma State to go with wins over Houston and Cincinnati. They have added quarterback KJ Jefferson, who threw for 7,911 yards and 67 touchdowns in 44 games the past five seasons at Arkansas, and also ran for 1,876 yards and 21 more TDs.

“I'm really excited about KJ. I recruited him out of high school, but Bo Nix was the same age," said fourth-year UCF coach Gus Malzahn, who was previously at Auburn. “Obviously, we weren’t gonna take two quarterbacks. So I had my eye on him and, being from Arkansas, a lot of my friends are huge Arkansas fans. So when he went in the portal, he was our No. 1 guy.”

Mike Gundy is going into his 20th season as head coach of the Cowboys, with the only longer-tenured FBS coach being Kirk Ferentz going into his 25th season at Iowa this fall. Gundy was a quarterback from Oklahoma State from 1986-89, then an assistant coach for 10 seasons over two different stints before taking over as head coach.

The Cowboys return 10 starters on both sides of the ball. They have been to their only two Big 12 championship games the past three seasons.

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will no longer be the newcomers when the Big 12 expands from 14 to 16 teams.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are moving from the Pac-12 into the Big 12 this summer. That is when reigning league champion Texas and Oklahoma make their move to the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns and Sooners were the only remaining Big 12 members to win national championships in football.

The Big 12 will have a new champion next season with Texas departing after bookend titles (the Longhorns also won the league’s inaugural title in 1996).

Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz of the the Longhorns' spring game with his 355 yards passing and three touchdowns. But coach Steve Sarkisian has said Quinn Ewers will remain the starter after bypassing the NFL draft.

Manning is headed to the SEC where both of his Super Bowl-winning uncles were standout quarterbacks — Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss.

Big 12 Conference newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even after all brought winning programs into the league.BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference games combined, and half of those came in games they played against each other.Now after a second spring for the Big 12, that quartet is getting ready for another significant transition in the league, while all have changes of their own. There will be four more new teams this fall and the departure of two championship-winning programs.There will be new starting quarterbacks at BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. Houston returns QB Donovan Smith, but is the only of the league's returning schools with a new coach after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.Smith, a former Texas Tech starter, had surgery in the offseason to repair a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder after completing 64.5% of his passes for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his Cougars debut. While limited on the field during spring drills, he spent a lot of time learning Fritz's offense and is expected to be ready for fall camp.“I feel like he got a lot better," Fritz said. “He did a good job of paying attention, asking questions and coaching guys.”Fritz came from Tulane after that American Athletic Conference team two years ago had an FBS-record 10-win turnaround capped by a stunning comeback win over Southern California in the Cotton Bowl. Houston was 4-8 last year.Cincinnati was in the AAC three years ago when it was the first team from outside the Power Five to make the four-team College Football Playoff.The Bearcats were 3-9 in coach Scott Satterfield's debut, and their only Big 12 win was over Houston. Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby, who had multiple TD passes in five of his 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year, appears set to succeed quarterback Emory Jones after his only year at Cincinnati to end a three-school, six-season college career.BYU has to replace Kedon Slovis after his only season at his third school ended at 4-8. The Cougars' QB competition will go into fall camp between South Florida transfer Gerry Bohanon, who before that was Baylor's starter for its Big 12 championship game win in 2021, and Jake Retzlaff, their backup last season.“They’re both athletic. They both can make the throws that we need them to make in this offense and they’re both really smart," BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “It's been a really good battle."UCF was 6-7, ending a streak of six consecutive winning seasons. The Knights were 3-6 in the Big 12, with a surprising 45-3 win over league runner-up Oklahoma State to go with wins over Houston and Cincinnati. They have added quarterback KJ Jefferson, who threw for 7,911 yards and 67 touchdowns in 44 games the past five seasons at Arkansas, and also ran for 1,876 yards and 21 more TDs.“I'm really excited about KJ. I recruited him out of high school, but Bo Nix was the same age," said fourth-year UCF coach Gus Malzahn, who was previously at Auburn. “Obviously, we weren’t gonna take two quarterbacks. So I had my eye on him and, being from Arkansas, a lot of my friends are huge Arkansas fans. So when he went in the portal, he was our No. 1 guy.”LONG-TIME COWBOYMike Gundy is going into his 20th season as head coach of the Cowboys, with the only longer-tenured FBS coach being Kirk Ferentz going into his 25th season at Iowa this fall. Gundy was a quarterback from Oklahoma State from 1986-89, then an assistant coach for 10 seasons over two different stints before taking over as head coach.The Cowboys return 10 starters on both sides of the ball. They have been to their only two Big 12 championship games the past three seasons.BIG 12 CHANGESBYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will no longer be the newcomers when the Big 12 expands from 14 to 16 teams.Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are moving from the Pac-12 into the Big 12 this summer. That is when reigning league champion Texas and Oklahoma make their move to the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns and Sooners were the only remaining Big 12 members to win national championships in football.NEW CHAMPION, NO MANNINGThe Big 12 will have a new champion next season with Texas departing after bookend titles (the Longhorns also won the league’s inaugural title in 1996).Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz of the the Longhorns' spring game with his 355 yards passing and three touchdowns. But coach Steve Sarkisian has said Quinn Ewers will remain the starter after bypassing the NFL draft.Manning is headed to the SEC where both of his Super Bowl-winning uncles were standout quarterbacks — Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss.

Big 12 newcomers struggled in debuts. Now they get ready for league to change again

A look at football players in the Big 12 Conference this spring who could have breakout seasons in the fall, when Oklahoma and Texas will be in the Southeastern Conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will come in from the Pac-12 to make the Big 12 a 16-team league.

BAYLOR: WR Hal Presley got sidelined by a lower-body injury after 17 catches while starting six games last season. The 6-foot-2 senior is a speedy receiver who can make tough and acrobatic catches, and showed that throughout the spring while working with a new offensive coordinator.

BYU: RB LJ Martin ran for a team-high 518 yards as a freshman last season, and with a bigger role could be the key to reviving what was one of the worst FBS rushing offenses last season when the Cougars went 4-8 in their Big 12 debut.

CINCINNATI: QB Brendan Sorsby is expected to take over as the starter with the departure of Emory Jones, who played for three schools over six seasons. Sorsby got in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year at Indiana, where he threw for 1,587 yards and 15 touchdowns.

HOUSTON: RB Parker Jenkins returns after a solid freshman season where he led the team with 464 yards rushing on 99 carries. He wowed in the spring game when he had a 60-yard touchdown run, and should be another weapon for first-year coach Willie Fritz to pair with veteran QB Donovan Smith.

IOWA STATE: Coaches and teammates called freshman RB Dylan Lee the star of the spring. His impressive change of direction and acceleration were on display as he ran 17 times for 80 yards in the spring game. Abu Sama III is the projected starter, but this offense likes to regularly use two or three backs.

KANSAS: DL Dylan Wudke transferred from Youngstown State and gives the Jayhawks some immediate experience at a position of need. Wudke had 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks over the past two seasons.

KANSAS STATE: QB Avery Johnson takes over for Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State. The reality is that Johnson probably would have beaten out Howard for the starting job even if he returned to Manhattan. Johnson showcased a dynamic set of dual-purpose skills when he played last season, including a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over North Carolina State.

OKLAHOMA: Jackson Arnold became the starting quarterback for the Alamo Bowl after Dillon Gabriel left for Oregon. In his first career start, Arnold passed for 361 yards, with two TDs and three interceptions in the loss to Arizona. Now heading into his sophomore year, he passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game for the SEC-bound Sooners.

OKLAHOMA STATE: The entire offensive line that helped Ollie Gordon II win the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back is back. Joe Michalski, Dalton Cooper, Preston Wilson, Jake Springfield and Cole Birmingham all started at least 10 games last season. Jason Brooks Jr. started seven. Behind them, Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 TDs.

TCU: LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr transferred from California after ranking third in the Pac-12 with 8.4 tackles per game (92 overall). The junior could be an important piece on the unit for new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.

TEXAS: Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz with his 355 yards passing and three TDs in the spring game. Coach Steve Sarkisian said Quinn Ewers remains QB1 after staying in school instead of entering the NFL draft. The spring scrimmage was Manning's first chance to deliver on his much-hyped promise and he did, assuring the Longhorns that the offense is in great hands if Ewers gets hurt again, he missed part or all of six games the last two seasons.

TEXAS TECH: Edge rusher Amier Washington played only two games for the Red Raiders last season. That included their Independence Bowl victory over California when he had four tackles for losses, including two sacks, and forced a fumble, after being moved from defensive tackle. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Washington was in that outside role for the bowl only after an opt-out and an injury, but now could be the starter as a redshirt freshman.

UCF: Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson takes over at quarterback for the Knights after throwing for 7,923 yards and 67 touchdowns while also running for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs in 44 games the past five seasons in the SEC. He replaces John Rhys Plumlee, who helped UCF make the transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 last season.

WEST VIRGINIA: QB Garrett Greene emerged as a solid dual threat in his first full season as a starter. He threw for a career-high 391 yards against Houston and had three 100-yard rushing efforts as the Mountaineers, picked to finish last in the Big 12, went 9-4. The senior needs to work on his throwing accuracy after a 53.1 completion percentage that was among the lowest in FBS.

By The Associated PressA look at football players in the Big 12 Conference this spring who could have breakout seasons in the fall, when Oklahoma and Texas will be in the Southeastern Conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will come in from the Pac-12 to make the Big 12 a 16-team league.BAYLOR: WR Hal Presley got sidelined by a lower-body injury after 17 catches while starting six games last season. The 6-foot-2 senior is a speedy receiver who can make tough and acrobatic catches, and showed that throughout the spring while working with a new offensive coordinator.BYU: RB LJ Martin ran for a team-high 518 yards as a freshman last season, and with a bigger role could be the key to reviving what was one of the worst FBS rushing offenses last season when the Cougars went 4-8 in their Big 12 debut.CINCINNATI: QB Brendan Sorsby is expected to take over as the starter with the departure of Emory Jones, who played for three schools over six seasons. Sorsby got in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year at Indiana, where he threw for 1,587 yards and 15 touchdowns.HOUSTON: RB Parker Jenkins returns after a solid freshman season where he led the team with 464 yards rushing on 99 carries. He wowed in the spring game when he had a 60-yard touchdown run, and should be another weapon for first-year coach Willie Fritz to pair with veteran QB Donovan Smith.IOWA STATE: Coaches and teammates called freshman RB Dylan Lee the star of the spring. His impressive change of direction and acceleration were on display as he ran 17 times for 80 yards in the spring game. Abu Sama III is the projected starter, but this offense likes to regularly use two or three backs.KANSAS: DL Dylan Wudke transferred from Youngstown State and gives the Jayhawks some immediate experience at a position of need. Wudke had 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks over the past two seasons.KANSAS STATE: QB Avery Johnson takes over for Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State. The reality is that Johnson probably would have beaten out Howard for the starting job even if he returned to Manhattan. Johnson showcased a dynamic set of dual-purpose skills when he played last season, including a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over North Carolina State.OKLAHOMA: Jackson Arnold became the starting quarterback for the Alamo Bowl after Dillon Gabriel left for Oregon. In his first career start, Arnold passed for 361 yards, with two TDs and three interceptions in the loss to Arizona. Now heading into his sophomore year, he passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game for the SEC-bound Sooners.OKLAHOMA STATE: The entire offensive line that helped Ollie Gordon II win the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back is back. Joe Michalski, Dalton Cooper, Preston Wilson, Jake Springfield and Cole Birmingham all started at least 10 games last season. Jason Brooks Jr. started seven. Behind them, Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 TDs.TCU: LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr transferred from California after ranking third in the Pac-12 with 8.4 tackles per game (92 overall). The junior could be an important piece on the unit for new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.TEXAS: Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz with his 355 yards passing and three TDs in the spring game. Coach Steve Sarkisian said Quinn Ewers remains QB1 after staying in school instead of entering the NFL draft. The spring scrimmage was Manning's first chance to deliver on his much-hyped promise and he did, assuring the Longhorns that the offense is in great hands if Ewers gets hurt again, he missed part or all of six games the last two seasons.TEXAS TECH: Edge rusher Amier Washington played only two games for the Red Raiders last season. That included their Independence Bowl victory over California when he had four tackles for losses, including two sacks, and forced a fumble, after being moved from defensive tackle. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Washington was in that outside role for the bowl only after an opt-out and an injury, but now could be the starter as a redshirt freshman.UCF: Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson takes over at quarterback for the Knights after throwing for 7,923 yards and 67 touchdowns while also running for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs in 44 games the past five seasons in the SEC. He replaces John Rhys Plumlee, who helped UCF make the transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 last season.WEST VIRGINIA: QB Garrett Greene emerged as a solid dual threat in his first full season as a starter. He threw for a career-high 391 yards against Houston and had three 100-yard rushing efforts as the Mountaineers, picked to finish last in the Big 12, went 9-4. The senior needs to work on his throwing accuracy after a 53.1 completion percentage that was among the lowest in FBS.

14 football players to watch next season from current Big 12 Conference schools

Jayhawk Conference DI Standings Team Butler&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 28-2&nbsp; &nbsp; 42-8 Hutchinson&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;24-4&nbsp; &nbsp; 37-9 Barton&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;21-9&nbsp; &nbsp; 26-16 Colby&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 18-10&nbsp; &nbsp;25-21 Seward County&nbsp; 19-11&nbsp; &nbsp;25-19 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10-17&nbsp; &nbsp;10-27 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;3-23&nbsp; &nbsp; 5-35 Pratt&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4-24&nbsp; &nbsp;8-38 NW Tech&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1-27&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1-43

Wednesday, April 24 Barton 13, Pratt 5 Barton 13, Pratt 5 Butler 2, Colby 0 Butler 5, Colby 0 Dodge City 7, Seward County 6 Seward County 6, Dodge City 5 Hutchinson 9, Garden City 2 Hutchinson 13, Garden City 0 Garden City @ Hutchinson Saturday, April 27 Hutchison @ Barton NW Tech @ Pratt Seward County @ Butler Garden City @ Dodge City Colby @ SE Nebraska Sunday, April 28 McCook @ Colby Monday, April 29 Dodge City @ Colby Tuesday, April 30 Pratt @ No. Oklahoma-Tonkawa

Jayhawk Conference DI Standings Team Butler&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 28-2&nbsp; &nbsp; 42-8 Hutchinson&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;24-4&nbsp; &nbsp; 37-9 Barton&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;21-9&nbsp; &nbsp; 26-16 Colby&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 18-10&nbsp; &nbsp;25-21 Seward County&nbsp; 19-11&nbsp; &nbsp;25-19 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10-17&nbsp; &nbsp;10-27 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;3-23&nbsp; &nbsp; 5-35 Pratt&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4-24&nbsp; &nbsp;8-38 NW Tech&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1-27&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1-43Wednesday, April 24 Barton 13, Pratt 5 Barton 13, Pratt 5 Butler 2, Colby 0 Butler 5, Colby 0 Dodge City 7, Seward County 6 Seward County 6, Dodge City 5 Hutchinson 9, Garden City 2 Hutchinson 13, Garden City 0 Garden City @ Hutchinson Saturday, April 27 Hutchison @ Barton NW Tech @ Pratt Seward County @ Butler Garden City @ Dodge City Colby @ SE Nebraska Sunday, April 28 McCook @ Colby Monday, April 29 Dodge City @ Colby Tuesday, April 30 Pratt @ No. Oklahoma-Tonkawa

Jayhawk DI Softball Scores and Schedule

Jayhawk West Standings Team&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Conf&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;All Hutchinson&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;25-5&nbsp; &nbsp;40-11 Cloud County&nbsp; &nbsp; 18-8&nbsp; &nbsp;34-16 Butler&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;16-8&nbsp; &nbsp;27-20 Barton&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;15-11&nbsp; 33-17 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;14-10&nbsp; 30-18 Seward County 14-11&nbsp; &nbsp;26-22 Colby&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;7-18&nbsp; &nbsp;11-37 Pratt&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-22&nbsp; 21-30 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2-24&nbsp; &nbsp;6-39 &nbsp; Wednesday, April 24 Hutchinson 7, Barton 2 Barton 10, Hutchinson 9 (10-inn) Cloud County 10, Garden City 0 Cloud County 13, Garden City 3 Thursday, April 25 Seward County 5, Colby 1 Friday, April 26 Barton @ Hutchinson Cloud County @ Garden City Butler @ Dodge City Saturday, April 27 Dodge City @ Butler Sunday, April 28 Seward County @ Colby Monday, April 29 Colby @ Seward County (1) Tuesday, April 30 No. Oklahoma-Enid @ Butler (1) Colby @ McCook (1)

Jayhawk West Standings Team&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Conf&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;All Hutchinson&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;25-5&nbsp; &nbsp;40-11 Cloud County&nbsp; &nbsp; 18-8&nbsp; &nbsp;34-16 Butler&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;16-8&nbsp; &nbsp;27-20 Barton&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;15-11&nbsp; 33-17 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;14-10&nbsp; 30-18 Seward County 14-11&nbsp; &nbsp;26-22 Colby&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;7-18&nbsp; &nbsp;11-37 Pratt&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-22&nbsp; 21-30 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2-24&nbsp; &nbsp;6-39 &nbsp; Wednesday, April 24 Hutchinson 7, Barton 2 Barton 10, Hutchinson 9 (10-inn) Cloud County 10, Garden City 0 Cloud County 13, Garden City 3 Thursday, April 25 Seward County 5, Colby 1 Friday, April 26 Barton @ Hutchinson Cloud County @ Garden City Butler @ Dodge City Saturday, April 27 Dodge City @ Butler Sunday, April 28 Seward County @ Colby Monday, April 29 Colby @ Seward County (1) Tuesday, April 30 No. Oklahoma-Enid @ Butler (1) Colby @ McCook (1)

Jayhawk West Baseball Standings-Scores

Western Athletic Conference&nbsp; SCHOOL&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; WAC&nbsp; &nbsp; ALL Hays&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 7-0&nbsp; &nbsp; 11-6 Great Bend&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2-2&nbsp; &nbsp; 13-5 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2-2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-10 Liberal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1-4&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10-6 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0-5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5-6 Tuesday, April 23 Great Bend 9, TMP 0 Great Bend 11, TMP 5 Dodge City 13, Garden City 3 Russell @ Liberal (2) PPD Thursday, April 25 Liberal 3, Holcomb 0 Liberal 9, Holcomb 6 Friday, April 26 Great Bend @ Dodge City (2) Wichita Southeast @ Garden City (2) Tuesday, April 30 Garden City @ Great Bend (2) Liberal @ Dodge City (1)

Western Athletic Conference&nbsp; SCHOOL&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; WAC&nbsp; &nbsp; ALL Hays&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 7-0&nbsp; &nbsp; 11-6 Great Bend&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2-2&nbsp; &nbsp; 13-5 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2-2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-10 Liberal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1-4&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10-6 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0-5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5-6 Tuesday, April 23 Great Bend 9, TMP 0 Great Bend 11, TMP 5 Dodge City 13, Garden City 3 Russell @ Liberal (2) PPD Thursday, April 25 Liberal 3, Holcomb 0 Liberal 9, Holcomb 6 Friday, April 26 Great Bend @ Dodge City (2) Wichita Southeast @ Garden City (2) Tuesday, April 30 Garden City @ Great Bend (2) Liberal @ Dodge City (1)

WAC Baseball Standings-Scores

Western Athletic Conference Softball SCHOOL&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; WAC&nbsp; &nbsp; ALL Hays&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;8-1&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 11-5 Great Bend&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 10-2&nbsp; &nbsp;17-5 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2-6&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5-11 Liberal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0-5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4-11 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0-6&nbsp; &nbsp; 2-18 Tuesday, April 23 Great Bend 4, Garden City 1 Pratt 10, Dodge City 3 Pratt 13, Dodge City 3 Thursday, April 25 Great Bend 16, Garden City 1 Great Bend 12, Garden City 0 Hays 20, TMP 5 Hays 9, TMP 1 Liberal @Cimarron PPD Friday, April 26 Hays @ Salina Central (2) Liberal @ Syracuse (2)

Tuesday, April 30 Garden City @ Dodge City (2) Liberal @ Hays (1)

Western Athletic Conference Softball SCHOOL&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; WAC&nbsp; &nbsp; ALL Hays&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;8-1&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 11-5 Great Bend&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 10-2&nbsp; &nbsp;17-5 Garden City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2-6&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5-11 Liberal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0-5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4-11 Dodge City&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0-6&nbsp; &nbsp; 2-18 Tuesday, April 23 Great Bend 4, Garden City 1 Pratt 10, Dodge City 3 Pratt 13, Dodge City 3 Thursday, April 25 Great Bend 16, Garden City 1 Great Bend 12, Garden City 0 Hays 20, TMP 5 Hays 9, TMP 1 Liberal @Cimarron PPD Friday, April 26 Hays @ Salina Central (2) Liberal @ Syracuse (2) Tuesday, April 30 Garden City @ Dodge City (2) Liberal @ Hays (1)

WAC Softball Standings-Scores

Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in Ireland at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

The Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 24, and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The fourth annual game in Ireland, announced Wednesday, marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a season opener and third time they've squared off at a neutral site. They played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009 and 2010.

“The opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and fans to visit one of the world’s top travel destinations and to showcase our football program and brand on a global stage was one we could not pass up,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said.

Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our university and its football program,” ISU coach Matt Campbell said. “We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”

By The Associated PressIowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in Ireland at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.The Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 24, and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.The fourth annual game in Ireland, announced Wednesday, marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a season opener and third time they've squared off at a neutral site. They played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009 and 2010.“The opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and fans to visit one of the world’s top travel destinations and to showcase our football program and brand on a global stage was one we could not pass up,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said.Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our university and its football program,” ISU coach Matt Campbell said. “We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”

Cyclones and Wildcats will open 2025 season in the annual college football game in Ireland

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes the kind of speedy deep threat they have not enjoyed since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.

The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years, but they managed to trade up with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs sent the 32nd pick along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.

“Listen, I like the wide receivers we've got,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but to go add somebody of this quality is important, or a good move to strengthen it. I don't want to slight the guys we have but he's a nice addition.”

So nice that Mahomes, who was attending a gala in New York, instantly took to social media to approve of it.

“We told Patrick," Reid said with a smile. “Patrick is curious. He loves this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense. He just loves the draft. He's texting away at us and we get back to him. He's great with it.”

Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City last enjoyed when Hill was on the team. But Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner and cutting down on the number of drops last season, when he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs.

“It doesn’t hurt to have down-the-field speed,” Reid said. “We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well, but if you have an opportunity to get somebody you think is a good player, you probably need to take advantage of that.”

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year with a patchwork wide receiver corps, and they were in the market for help even before second-year pro Rashee Rice — their biggest breakout star of last season — got embroiled in legal trouble in Texas.

Dallas police allege that Rice was driving a Lamborghini well over 100 mph when he and a friend, who was driving a Corvette, lost control and began a chain-reaction crash that resulted in injuries to several people. Rice left the scene without seeing if anyone was injured, but turned himself in when police issued warrants for his arrest.

Rice has been released on bond, and Reid has said he would continue to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program as the legal situation plays out. But the Chiefs must prepare for the possibility they will be without him for at least the first part of the season — if not the entire season — as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.

“It's a quarterback league and a speed game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game. We have a couple of guys now that can keep a defense guessing, and we're excited about what this will do.”

The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown in free agency, and tight end Travis Kelce has been every bit as productive as any wide receiver. But otherwise, the Chiefs were faced with heading into the summer with Justin Watson, drop-prone Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, and journeymen such as Montrell Washington filling out the receiver corps.

So the trade to get Worthy wasn't a surprise. But the fact that the Bills picked up the phone raised some eyebrows.

Along with the fact that Kansas City has frequently ended their season in the playoffs, the Chiefs also swung a memorable first-round trade with them in 2017: They sent Buffalo their first- and third-round picks that year and a first-round pick the next year to move up to No. 10 and select Mahomes, which ultimately altered the trajectory of the entire franchise.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes the kind of speedy deep threat they have not enjoyed since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years, but they managed to trade up with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs sent the 32nd pick along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.“Listen, I like the wide receivers we've got,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but to go add somebody of this quality is important, or a good move to strengthen it. I don't want to slight the guys we have but he's a nice addition.”So nice that Mahomes, who was attending a gala in New York, instantly took to social media to approve of it.“We told Patrick," Reid said with a smile. “Patrick is curious. He loves this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense. He just loves the draft. He's texting away at us and we get back to him. He's great with it.”Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City last enjoyed when Hill was on the team. But Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner and cutting down on the number of drops last season, when he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs.“It doesn’t hurt to have down-the-field speed,” Reid said. “We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well, but if you have an opportunity to get somebody you think is a good player, you probably need to take advantage of that.”The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year with a patchwork wide receiver corps, and they were in the market for help even before second-year pro Rashee Rice — their biggest breakout star of last season — got embroiled in legal trouble in Texas.Dallas police allege that Rice was driving a Lamborghini well over 100 mph when he and a friend, who was driving a Corvette, lost control and began a chain-reaction crash that resulted in injuries to several people. Rice left the scene without seeing if anyone was injured, but turned himself in when police issued warrants for his arrest.Rice has been released on bond, and Reid has said he would continue to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program as the legal situation plays out. But the Chiefs must prepare for the possibility they will be without him for at least the first part of the season — if not the entire season — as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.“It's a quarterback league and a speed game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game. We have a couple of guys now that can keep a defense guessing, and we're excited about what this will do.”The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown in free agency, and tight end Travis Kelce has been every bit as productive as any wide receiver. But otherwise, the Chiefs were faced with heading into the summer with Justin Watson, drop-prone Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, and journeymen such as Montrell Washington filling out the receiver corps.So the trade to get Worthy wasn't a surprise. But the fact that the Bills picked up the phone raised some eyebrows.Along with the fact that Kansas City has frequently ended their season in the playoffs, the Chiefs also swung a memorable first-round trade with them in 2017: They sent Buffalo their first- and third-round picks that year and a first-round pick the next year to move up to No. 10 and select Mahomes, which ultimately altered the trajectory of the entire franchise.

Chiefs trade up with Bills to select WR Xavier Worthy at No. 28 in NFL draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro was frustrated that his team was left hanging in limbo. Blue Jays counterpart John Schneider was equally perturbed that his team wasn't being given a chance to finish out a game it was losing.

At least Quatraro felt a bit better in the end.

After playing five innings, then waiting out a bizarre rain delay that stretched to 3 hours, 38 minutes, the Royals finally were declared a 2-1 winner Thursday — their third straight one-run victory to wrap up their four-game set with Toronto.

Salvador Perez provided both of their runs with a two-out, two-run homer off José Berrios (4-1) in the first, and Cole Ragans (1-2) earned the win by allowing the lone Blue Jays run on three hits and three walks in five rain-soaked innings.

“What was getting frustrating to me,” Quatraro said, "was just like, ‘All right. Let’s make the decision, one way or the other. Tell us to get out there and play or tell us to go home.”

The strange sequence of events began when the fifth inning ended, and an early drizzle had turned into a steady rain.

Umpire chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp to cover the infield, but Schneider came out and objected, arguing that his club deserved another opportunity to tie or take the lead. Guccione told the grounds crew to roll the tarp back and attempt to get the field in playing shape, but about 10 minutes later, the umpire summoned the tarp again.

The field was covered for about 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the grounds crew went to work, pouring dozens of bags of dry dirt on it. But after another hour-plus spent working on the field, Guccione made the decision to call the game complete.

“They tried to work their magic to try to scrape all that old dirt off, get new dirt on there, rake it as much as they could,” he said. “It was just like, the whole shortstop area, the whole third base area, was so spongy and soft that I couldn’t imagine Bo Bichette or Bobby Witt Jr. trying to field the ball to their left or right and planting and trying to make a successful throw. That’s not good for the game, and for sure, the safety of the players is the No. 1 priority.”

The decision still didn't sit well with Schneider.

“I think the entire day was handled kind of poorly, just from the start of the game,” he said. “What was said out there was the fact that the field was unplayable and they didn’t want to continue the game. In my opinion, the field was significantly better than it was in the third, fourth and fifth inning.”

Long forgotten was what had transpired in the game: Berrios had a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings end when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out walk, deposited the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen in the first inning.

In the fourth, the Blue Jays bookended Davis Schneider's walk with hits by Justin Turner and Ernie Clement to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Ragans bounced back to retire Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk and maintain a 2-1 lead.

The Blue Jays had another chance in the fifth, when center fielder Kyle Isbel made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch of Isiah Kiner-Falefa's drive to the warning track. Isbel also raced down George Springer's blooper. Then, after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk, Bichette popped foul to end what turned out to be the Blue Jays' final at-bat.

“It’s kind of an awkward state," Isbel said. "You obviously want to play, but it’s out of our control. The field was pretty messed up. I didn’t really go back down there after the rain stopped. It was just kind of a waiting game.”

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (bruised right elbow) went on the injured list Thursday after taking a 91 mph line drive off his elbow the previous night. RHP Will Klein was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his spot on the roster.

Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (right forearm tendinitis) was placed on the IL after pitching two scoreless innings Wednesday night. LHP Brendon Little was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his spot in the bullpen.

Blue Jays: Start a six-game homestand that includes a visit by Kansas City next week. Up first are the Los Angeles Dodgers with RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA) getting the nod against them in Friday night's series opener.

Royals: Begin a six-day trip against the Tigers on Friday with a rare 12:10 p.m. CDT start so that it any minimizes interference with the NFL draft in Detroit. RHP Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03) is on the mound for the series opener.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro was frustrated that his team was left hanging in limbo. Blue Jays counterpart John Schneider was equally perturbed that his team wasn't being given a chance to finish out a game it was losing.At least Quatraro felt a bit better in the end.After playing five innings, then waiting out a bizarre rain delay that stretched to 3 hours, 38 minutes, the Royals finally were declared a 2-1 winner Thursday — their third straight one-run victory to wrap up their four-game set with Toronto.Salvador Perez provided both of their runs with a two-out, two-run homer off José Berrios (4-1) in the first, and Cole Ragans (1-2) earned the win by allowing the lone Blue Jays run on three hits and three walks in five rain-soaked innings.“What was getting frustrating to me,” Quatraro said, "was just like, ‘All right. Let’s make the decision, one way or the other. Tell us to get out there and play or tell us to go home.”The strange sequence of events began when the fifth inning ended, and an early drizzle had turned into a steady rain.Umpire chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp to cover the infield, but Schneider came out and objected, arguing that his club deserved another opportunity to tie or take the lead. Guccione told the grounds crew to roll the tarp back and attempt to get the field in playing shape, but about 10 minutes later, the umpire summoned the tarp again.The field was covered for about 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the grounds crew went to work, pouring dozens of bags of dry dirt on it. But after another hour-plus spent working on the field, Guccione made the decision to call the game complete.“They tried to work their magic to try to scrape all that old dirt off, get new dirt on there, rake it as much as they could,” he said. “It was just like, the whole shortstop area, the whole third base area, was so spongy and soft that I couldn’t imagine Bo Bichette or Bobby Witt Jr. trying to field the ball to their left or right and planting and trying to make a successful throw. That’s not good for the game, and for sure, the safety of the players is the No. 1 priority.”The decision still didn't sit well with Schneider.“I think the entire day was handled kind of poorly, just from the start of the game,” he said. “What was said out there was the fact that the field was unplayable and they didn’t want to continue the game. In my opinion, the field was significantly better than it was in the third, fourth and fifth inning.”Long forgotten was what had transpired in the game: Berrios had a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings end when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out walk, deposited the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen in the first inning.In the fourth, the Blue Jays bookended Davis Schneider's walk with hits by Justin Turner and Ernie Clement to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Ragans bounced back to retire Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk and maintain a 2-1 lead.The Blue Jays had another chance in the fifth, when center fielder Kyle Isbel made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch of Isiah Kiner-Falefa's drive to the warning track. Isbel also raced down George Springer's blooper. Then, after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk, Bichette popped foul to end what turned out to be the Blue Jays' final at-bat.“It’s kind of an awkward state," Isbel said. "You obviously want to play, but it’s out of our control. The field was pretty messed up. I didn’t really go back down there after the rain stopped. It was just kind of a waiting game.”TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh (bruised right elbow) went on the injured list Thursday after taking a 91 mph line drive off his elbow the previous night. RHP Will Klein was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his spot on the roster.Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (right forearm tendinitis) was placed on the IL after pitching two scoreless innings Wednesday night. LHP Brendon Little was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his spot in the bullpen.UP NEXTBlue Jays: Start a six-game homestand that includes a visit by Kansas City next week. Up first are the Los Angeles Dodgers with RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA) getting the nod against them in Friday night's series opener.Royals: Begin a six-day trip against the Tigers on Friday with a rare 12:10 p.m. CDT start so that it any minimizes interference with the NFL draft in Detroit. RHP Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03) is on the mound for the series opener.

Perez homers as KC beats Blue Jays 2-1 in game called after 5 innings

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have traded up to select Texas wide
receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft. They
decided to give Patrick Mahomes a speedy deep threat with legal
uncertainty surrounding the future of Rashee Rice at the position.
The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after
winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, but they managed to make
a trade with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs
sent the No. 32 pick, along with a fourth-rounder and
seventh-rounder, to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a
seventh-rounder. Rice is facing charges in Texas for a sports car
crash that resulted in several injuries.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
(AP) — The sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft was No.
1 in the Denver Broncos’ eyes. The Broncos bypassed a bevy of
blue-chip defenders to draft former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with
the 12th pick Thursday night. Denver has churned through 13 starting
quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired as a Super Bowl champion
following the 2015 season. None of the signal-callers who have
followed him has been able to lead Denver back to the playoffs. Their
eight-year playoff drought is exacerbated by seven straight losing
seasons and watching Patrick Mahomes lead division rival Kansas City
to three Super Bowl parades in five years, including the past two.

DETROIT (AP) —
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the
franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other
teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record
with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first
round. The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft
on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022
Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up
by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the
New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3,
making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first
three picks.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Cole
Ragans held Toronto in check long enough for the storms to arrive,
and the Kansas City Royals beat the Blue Jays 2-1 in a game called
after five innings due to rain. Cole Ragans gave up the lone Toronto
run on three hits and three walks while striking out four to earn the
win. José Berrios had his streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings snapped
when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-out walk, deposited
the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen to give Kansas
City a lead it would never surrender. The game was delayed 3 1/2
hours before it was called.

UNDATED (AP) — The
Big 12 football newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even
after all brought winning programs into the league. BYU, Cincinnati,
Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of
the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference
games combined, and half of those wins came in the games they played
against each other. BYU, Cincinnati and UCF will have new starting
quarterbacks next fall. Houston returns starting QB Donovan Smith,
but is the only of the league’s returning schools with a new coach
after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.

UNDATED (AP) —
There are always players poised in the spring for potential breakouts
when the football season kicks off in the fall. Among those in the
changing Big 12 Conference are transfer quarterbacks KJ Jefferson at
UCF and Brendan Sorsby for Cincinnati. There are a few young running
backs that could become standouts in the Big 12, as well as
California transfer linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr at TCU. The Big 12
will have 16 teams in the fall after Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC
this summer, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah come in
from the Pac-12.

UNDATED (AP) —
Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in
Ireland at the fourth Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The
Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames,
Iowa, on Nov. 24 and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in
Dublin. The game marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a
season opener and third time they’ve squared off at a neutral site.
Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first
time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a
112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the
first-round series. Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Jamal
Murray added 22 points and Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds
and nine assists as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th
consecutive meeting with the Lakers since 2022. Anthony Davis had 33
points and 15 rebounds, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine
assists in the Lakers’ seventh consecutive postseason loss to
Denver over the past two years.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and
scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter on Thursday
night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New
York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the
76ers dropped Game 2. With one of the finest postseason efforts of
his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points
against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a
Philadelphia series comeback very much alive. The Knicks lead the
series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have traded up to select Texas wide
receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft. They
decided to give Patrick Mahomes a speedy deep threat with legal
uncertainty surrounding the future of Rashee Rice at the position.
The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after
winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, but they managed to make
a trade with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs
sent the No. 32 pick, along with a fourth-rounder and
seventh-rounder, to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a
seventh-rounder. Rice is facing charges in Texas for a sports car
crash that resulted in several injuries.ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
(AP) — The sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft was No.
1 in the Denver Broncos’ eyes. The Broncos bypassed a bevy of
blue-chip defenders to draft former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with
the 12th pick Thursday night. Denver has churned through 13 starting
quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired as a Super Bowl champion
following the 2015 season. None of the signal-callers who have
followed him has been able to lead Denver back to the playoffs. Their
eight-year playoff drought is exacerbated by seven straight losing
seasons and watching Patrick Mahomes lead division rival Kansas City
to three Super Bowl parades in five years, including the past two.DETROIT (AP) —
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the
franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other
teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record
with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first
round. The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft
on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022
Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up
by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the
New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3,
making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first
three picks.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Cole
Ragans held Toronto in check long enough for the storms to arrive,
and the Kansas City Royals beat the Blue Jays 2-1 in a game called
after five innings due to rain. Cole Ragans gave up the lone Toronto
run on three hits and three walks while striking out four to earn the
win. José Berrios had his streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings snapped
when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-out walk, deposited
the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen to give Kansas
City a lead it would never surrender. The game was delayed 3 1/2
hours before it was called.UNDATED (AP) — The
Big 12 football newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even
after all brought winning programs into the league. BYU, Cincinnati,
Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of
the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference
games combined, and half of those wins came in the games they played
against each other. BYU, Cincinnati and UCF will have new starting
quarterbacks next fall. Houston returns starting QB Donovan Smith,
but is the only of the league’s returning schools with a new coach
after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.UNDATED (AP) —
There are always players poised in the spring for potential breakouts
when the football season kicks off in the fall. Among those in the
changing Big 12 Conference are transfer quarterbacks KJ Jefferson at
UCF and Brendan Sorsby for Cincinnati. There are a few young running
backs that could become standouts in the Big 12, as well as
California transfer linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr at TCU. The Big 12
will have 16 teams in the fall after Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC
this summer, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah come in
from the Pac-12.UNDATED (AP) —
Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in
Ireland at the fourth Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The
Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames,
Iowa, on Nov. 24 and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in
Dublin. The game marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a
season opener and third time they’ve squared off at a neutral site.
Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first
time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a
112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the
first-round series. Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Jamal
Murray added 22 points and Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds
and nine assists as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th
consecutive meeting with the Lakers since 2022. Anthony Davis had 33
points and 15 rebounds, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine
assists in the Lakers’ seventh consecutive postseason loss to
Denver over the past two years.PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and
scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter on Thursday
night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New
York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the
76ers dropped Game 2. With one of the finest postseason efforts of
his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points
against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a
Philadelphia series comeback very much alive. The Knicks lead the
series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.THURSDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Chicago
Cubs	3	Houston	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Minnesota	6	Chicago
White Sox	3	Final	Kansas
City	2	Toronto	1	Final	Cleveland	6	Boston	4	Final	Seattle	4	Texas	3	Final	Oakland	3	N.Y.
Yankees	1	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Milwaukee	7	Pittsburgh	5	Final	Philadelphia	5	Cincinnati	0	Final	Colorado	10	San
Diego	9	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	2	Washington	1	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Orlando	121	Cleveland	83	Final	Philadelphia	125	New
York	114	Final	Denver	112	L.A.
Lakers	105	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Florida	5	Tampa
Bay	3

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will travel to St. John's on Saturday, Dec. 7 as part of the sixth edition of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, the two conferences announced on Thursday morning (April 25).

The game will be broadcast on one of FOX's properties and will take place at either Madison Square Garden or St. John's on-campus arena – the 5,602-seat Carnesecca Arena.

This will be just the third meeting between the programs and the first in more than 60 years since St. John's knocked off K-State, 72-65, on Dec. 10, 1965, in the Sunflower Doubleheader at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. The Wildcats won the first meeting, 63-50, at Ahearn Fieldhouse on Dec. 16, 1961.

The 11 matchups were jointly determined by the two conferences and will be played on various campuses starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 and running through Sunday, Dec. 8. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 after the Big 12 played host to six games in 2023-24. Only 11 of the 16 Big 12 teams will compete in the final event with the exceptions of Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, Colorado and Utah.

K-State is 1-3 all-time in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, snapping a 3-game losing streak with a 72-71 overtime victory over Villanova this past season. The Wildcats have also played Marquette in 2019 and 2021 and Butler in 2022.

Overall, K-State is 26-27 all-time against BIG EAST opponents, including wins against Providence and Villanova in 2023-24. However, the Wildcats are just 4-16 on the road against BIG EAST foes, including seven straight losses, with the last win coming at Creighton on Dec. 5, 1987.

In the first season under Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, St. John's posted a 20-13 overall record, including a fifth place finish in the BIG EAST with an 11-9 mark, and were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. The Red Storm won six in a row before losing to eventual national champion UConn in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.

K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats' 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach Jerome Tang's tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will travel to St. John's on Saturday, Dec. 7 as part of the sixth edition of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, the two conferences announced on Thursday morning (April 25).The game will be broadcast on one of FOX's properties and will take place at either Madison Square Garden or St. John's on-campus arena – the 5,602-seat Carnesecca Arena.This will be just the third meeting between the programs and the first in more than 60 years since St. John's knocked off K-State, 72-65, on Dec. 10, 1965, in the Sunflower Doubleheader at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. The Wildcats won the first meeting, 63-50, at Ahearn Fieldhouse on Dec. 16, 1961.The 11 matchups were jointly determined by the two conferences and will be played on various campuses starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 and running through Sunday, Dec. 8. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 after the Big 12 played host to six games in 2023-24. Only 11 of the 16 Big 12 teams will compete in the final event with the exceptions of Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, Colorado and Utah.K-State is 1-3 all-time in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, snapping a 3-game losing streak with a 72-71 overtime victory over Villanova this past season. The Wildcats have also played Marquette in 2019 and 2021 and Butler in 2022.Overall, K-State is 26-27 all-time against BIG EAST opponents, including wins against Providence and Villanova in 2023-24. However, the Wildcats are just 4-16 on the road against BIG EAST foes, including seven straight losses, with the last win coming at Creighton on Dec. 5, 1987.In the first season under Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, St. John's posted a 20-13 overall record, including a fifth place finish in the BIG EAST with an 11-9 mark, and were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. The Red Storm won six in a row before losing to eventual national champion UConn in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats' 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach Jerome Tang's tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

K-State to Play at St. John’s in Final BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Thursday's softball games at the Great Bend Sports Complex were moved by more than two hours to beat potential storms. Yet the Lady Panthers created a storm of their own with a 16-run third inning in game one to end things early 17-1. Great Bend completed the sweep with a 12-0 win in the late game.

Senior Paige Thexton got the rare start in the circle for game one, throwing all three innings and allowing one earned run on four hits. She struck out three before the offense ended the game early.

High winds made defensive play difficult and statistics may vary. Camdyn Post, Alyssa McCauley, Denver Ringo, and Katherine Mazouch each had two hits in game one. Thexton doubled for her lone hit, finishing with two RBIs and two runs scored. DeShawnna Bryant also doubled for her lone hit and walked, driving in two and scoring three times. McCauley, Ringo, and Post each drove in two runs.

Game two was more of the same as Great Bend scored in each of the first four innings, including a 5-run second and four runs in the fourth to set up the run-rule win.

Sophomore Braelyn Turner got the start in game two, allowing just one hit and walking one with a strikeout. Freshman Chayla Prendergast pitched the final three innings, striking out six with a walk and just one hit against.

Even against a stiff wind, Behr knocked a double off the centerfield fence in the second inning. She finished with two hits and a walk, driving in one and scoring twice. Post, Camdyn Koelsch, and Rylee Prilling each added two hits. Turner doubled for her lone hit, and Thexton added another double.

Great Bend improves to 17-5 on the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714084507696.jpeg" alt="Lady Panther senior Paige Thexton hits a sac fly in game two of Thursday's sweep of Garden City. Thexton also pitched all three innings in a game-one win." />
 <figcaption>Lady Panther senior Paige Thexton hits a sac fly in game two of Thursday's sweep of Garden City. Thexton also pitched all three innings in a game-one win.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThursday's softball games at the Great Bend Sports Complex were moved by more than two hours to beat potential storms. Yet the Lady Panthers created a storm of their own with a 16-run third inning in game one to end things early 17-1. Great Bend completed the sweep with a 12-0 win in the late game.Senior Paige Thexton got the rare start in the circle for game one, throwing all three innings and allowing one earned run on four hits. She struck out three before the offense ended the game early.High winds made defensive play difficult and statistics may vary. Camdyn Post, Alyssa McCauley, Denver Ringo, and Katherine Mazouch each had two hits in game one. Thexton doubled for her lone hit, finishing with two RBIs and two runs scored. DeShawnna Bryant also doubled for her lone hit and walked, driving in two and scoring three times. McCauley, Ringo, and Post each drove in two runs.Game two was more of the same as Great Bend scored in each of the first four innings, including a 5-run second and four runs in the fourth to set up the run-rule win.Sophomore Braelyn Turner got the start in game two, allowing just one hit and walking one with a strikeout. Freshman Chayla Prendergast pitched the final three innings, striking out six with a walk and just one hit against.Even against a stiff wind, Behr knocked a double off the centerfield fence in the second inning. She finished with two hits and a walk, driving in one and scoring twice. Post, Camdyn Koelsch, and Rylee Prilling each added two hits. Turner doubled for her lone hit, and Thexton added another double.Great Bend improves to 17-5 on the season.

Lady Panther takes two more from Garden City

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball will play at Creighton on Dec. 4 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle, the two conferences announced Thursday. The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle is a men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance, which is in its sixth year.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball will play at Creighton on Dec. 4 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle, the two conferences announced Thursday. The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle is a men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance, which is in its sixth year.Each conference has added member schools since the start of the original agreement. The Battle will include 11 matchups for the second straight season. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 while the Big 12 will host five. The 2024 matchups will feature seven teams ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2023-24 season, including defending national champion Connecticut. Five of the 11 participant teams made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.Kansas leads the overall series with Creighton, 11-6, and the Jayhawks have won the past six meetings. The two teams last met March 19, 2022 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, a KU 79-72 win en route to the 2022 NCAA National title.The Battle matchups are jointly determined by the two conferences, with the home team choosing the venue of its game. Broadcast arrangements for the contests will be determined by the national television rights holder of the home team, which is FOX Sports for the BIG EAST and ESPN for the Big 12.Game times and television networks will be announced when available.Kansas is 4-1 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle. Last season, Kansas defeated UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse. The previous season, the Jayhawks defeated Seton Hall, 91-65, on Dec. 1, 2022, in Allen Fieldhouse. KU won at St. John’s, 95-75, in 2021 and defeated Creighton, 73-72, in 2020 in Lawrence. Kansas’ sole loss in the battle was at Villanova, 56-55, in 2019.2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle ScheduleDec. 3 – Cincinnati at Villanova; BYU at ProvidenceDec. 4 – KANSAS AT CREIGHTON; Baylor at Connecticut; DePaul at Texas Tech; Marquette at Iowa StateDec. 6 – Georgetown at West Virginia; Xavier at TCUDec. 7 – Kansas State at St. John’s; Butler at HoustonDec. 8 – Oklahoma State at Seton Hall