MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Following its stellar 2023-24 season, Kansas State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has been named the recipient of the 2024 Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) Women’s Basketball Four-Year College Coach of the Year Award. This is the second time Mittie has earned the honor, collecting the distinction in 2017.

Kansas State concluded the 2023-24 season with 26 wins, the most since the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats made the 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and advanced a round in the tournament for the 13th time. The NCAA Tournament appearance for Mittie was the 23rd postseason trip for one of his programs, including his eighth in 10 seasons at K-State.

The Wildcats were ranked among the Associated Press (AP) top-25 for 19 consecutive weeks, including a high of number two in the nation on January 29. According to StatsPerform, K-State was the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball program to go from unranked in the preseason poll to ranked either 1st or 2nd in the same season. K-State ended the season ranked 19th&nbsp;in the AP poll and 18th&nbsp;in the WBCA/USA Today Coaches poll.

The Wildcats registered a 5-4 record against AP top-25 opponents, the eighth season in program history with a .500 or better record against AP foes and the first since 2007-08. The five wins were tied for the second-most in a season in program history and the most since 2003-04.

Two of K-State's ranked wins came against AP top-10 opponents: at second-ranked Iowa and home against 10th-ranked Texas, the first time since 2011-12 in which the Wildcats picked up at least two wins against AP top-10 teams. As part of its 65-58 win at then second-ranked Iowa, K-State was the only team to defeat the Hawkeyes in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and held Iowa to its lowest point total in the Caitlin Clark era.

According to ESPN Stats &amp; Info, K-State became the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball program in the last 25 years to be unranked and defeat the same AP top-5 team in consecutive seasons. K-State and Indiana were the only teams to defeat Iowa twice in the last two seasons.

This was the 18th 20-win season for Mittie in his 32 seasons as a head coach. The 26 victories by the 2024 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List member were the most by a Mittie coached team at K-State. He has tallied 30 winning seasons in his 32 years as a head coach, including nine in his 10 seasons in Manhattan.

The Wildcats registered a 13-5 mark in the Big 12 and a third-place finish in the league. The 13 wins were the most for the program since the Big 12 switched to an 18-game in 2011-12 and the most since K-State won the Big 12 in 2007-08 with a 13-3 mark.

Among its statistical achievements in the 2023-24 season, Mittie’s squad set the school records for assists (631) and blocked shots (178). The Wildcats led the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.362), which was the fifth-lowest allowed in program history and the third-lowest since the 1981-82 season.

Mittie mentored several players to postseason honors in the 2023-24 season. Heading the list were 2024 All-Big 12 First Team honorees, Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell, and honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, Gabby Gregory.

In addition to her All-Big 12 First Team honor, Lee was a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News, an AP and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention recipient, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team.

In the 2023-24 season, Lee averaged 19.7 points on a .619 field goal percentage, 8.6 rebounds and 2.78 blocked shots. She is the first player in program history with two or more seasons of 500 or more points, 200 or more rebounds and 75 or more blocks. Her 75 blocks were the sixth-most in program history and was her third career season with 75 or more blocked shots.

She ranked sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is third in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.

In her seven games this season against Associated Press top-25 opponents, Lee averaged 20.6 points on a .637 field goal percentage, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Lee has recorded 14 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.

This season, Lee led the Big 12’s top defense with 21 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.

Sundell was second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She led the Big 12 for total assists (189) and assists per game (5.6 apg). The product of Maryville, Missouri, was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranks fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and is 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).

With her points (411) and assists (189) totals this season, Sundell was the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists. She is also the first player in program history to average 10 or more points and five or more assists in three or more seasons. She was the second player in program history to shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field and hand out five or more assists per game.

In her career, Sundell is fourth in school history for career assists with 549 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.33 apg). She ranks 22nd on the K-State career scoring list with 1,263 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.

Gregory completed her two seasons with the Wildcats as&nbsp;the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks in her collegiate career as she finished with 1,753 (12.4 ppg). Gregory scored in double figures in 44 games at K-State and 85 games in her career. She ranks fifth in program history for career free throw percentage (.803).

The product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was named a 2024 All-Big 12 honorable mention recipient as she averaged just under 10 points per game this season (9.4) and established a career-high for assists with 114 (3.4 apg). When combined with Serena Sundell’s 189 assists, the tandem ranked second in school history for combined assists in a season (303). Gregory ranked 12th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in assists per game and was sixth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.78).

Gregory led the Wildcats in their two NCAA Tournament games with 17.0 points on a .458 field goal percentage. She tallied a season-high 22 points against Portland in K-State’s first round win.

In early April, Gregory represented Kansas State at the Women’s College All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio.

Deposits for K-State women’s basketball season tickets for the 2024-25 season are being accepted now. For more information contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office by calling 1-800-221-CATS or visit

<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Following its stellar 2023-24 season, Kansas State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has been named the recipient of the 2024 Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) Women’s Basketball Four-Year College Coach of the Year Award. This is the second time Mittie has earned the honor, collecting the distinction in 2017.Kansas State concluded the 2023-24 season with 26 wins, the most since the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats made the 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and advanced a round in the tournament for the 13th time. The NCAA Tournament appearance for Mittie was the 23rd postseason trip for one of his programs, including his eighth in 10 seasons at K-State.The Wildcats were ranked among the Associated Press (AP) top-25 for 19 consecutive weeks, including a high of number two in the nation on January 29. According to StatsPerform, K-State was the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball program to go from unranked in the preseason poll to ranked either 1st or 2nd in the same season. K-State ended the season ranked 19th&nbsp;in the AP poll and 18th&nbsp;in the WBCA/USA Today Coaches poll.The Wildcats registered a 5-4 record against AP top-25 opponents, the eighth season in program history with a .500 or better record against AP foes and the first since 2007-08. The five wins were tied for the second-most in a season in program history and the most since 2003-04.Two of K-State's ranked wins came against AP top-10 opponents: at second-ranked Iowa and home against 10th-ranked Texas, the first time since 2011-12 in which the Wildcats picked up at least two wins against AP top-10 teams. As part of its 65-58 win at then second-ranked Iowa, K-State was the only team to defeat the Hawkeyes in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and held Iowa to its lowest point total in the Caitlin Clark era.According to ESPN Stats &amp; Info, K-State became the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball program in the last 25 years to be unranked and defeat the same AP top-5 team in consecutive seasons. K-State and Indiana were the only teams to defeat Iowa twice in the last two seasons.This was the 18th 20-win season for Mittie in his 32 seasons as a head coach. The 26 victories by the 2024 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List member were the most by a Mittie coached team at K-State. He has tallied 30 winning seasons in his 32 years as a head coach, including nine in his 10 seasons in Manhattan.The Wildcats registered a 13-5 mark in the Big 12 and a third-place finish in the league. The 13 wins were the most for the program since the Big 12 switched to an 18-game in 2011-12 and the most since K-State won the Big 12 in 2007-08 with a 13-3 mark.Among its statistical achievements in the 2023-24 season, Mittie’s squad set the school records for assists (631) and blocked shots (178). The Wildcats led the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.362), which was the fifth-lowest allowed in program history and the third-lowest since the 1981-82 season.Mittie mentored several players to postseason honors in the 2023-24 season. Heading the list were 2024 All-Big 12 First Team honorees, Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell, and honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, Gabby Gregory.In addition to her All-Big 12 First Team honor, Lee was a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News, an AP and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention recipient, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team.In the 2023-24 season, Lee averaged 19.7 points on a .619 field goal percentage, 8.6 rebounds and 2.78 blocked shots. She is the first player in program history with two or more seasons of 500 or more points, 200 or more rebounds and 75 or more blocks. Her 75 blocks were the sixth-most in program history and was her third career season with 75 or more blocked shots.She ranked sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is third in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.In her seven games this season against Associated Press top-25 opponents, Lee averaged 20.6 points on a .637 field goal percentage, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.Lee has recorded 14 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.This season, Lee led the Big 12’s top defense with 21 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.Sundell was second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She led the Big 12 for total assists (189) and assists per game (5.6 apg). The product of Maryville, Missouri, was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranks fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and is 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).With her points (411) and assists (189) totals this season, Sundell was the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists. She is also the first player in program history to average 10 or more points and five or more assists in three or more seasons. She was the second player in program history to shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field and hand out five or more assists per game.In her career, Sundell is fourth in school history for career assists with 549 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.33 apg). She ranks 22nd on the K-State career scoring list with 1,263 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.Gregory completed her two seasons with the Wildcats as&nbsp;the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks in her collegiate career as she finished with 1,753 (12.4 ppg). Gregory scored in double figures in 44 games at K-State and 85 games in her career. She ranks fifth in program history for career free throw percentage (.803).The product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was named a 2024 All-Big 12 honorable mention recipient as she averaged just under 10 points per game this season (9.4) and established a career-high for assists with 114 (3.4 apg). When combined with Serena Sundell’s 189 assists, the tandem ranked second in school history for combined assists in a season (303). Gregory ranked 12th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in assists per game and was sixth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.78).Gregory led the Wildcats in their two NCAA Tournament games with 17.0 points on a .458 field goal percentage. She tallied a season-high 22 points against Portland in K-State’s first round win.In early April, Gregory represented Kansas State at the Women’s College All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio.Deposits for K-State women’s basketball season tickets for the 2024-25 season are being accepted now. For more information contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office by calling 1-800-221-CATS or visit<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

K-State’s Mittie Named KBCA Women’s Coach of the Year

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter

Hello and happy Thursday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.

On Wednesday, Abilene High School officially announced that former assistant Kyle Taylor would be elevated to head boys basketball coach for the 2024-25 season.

Taylor has served as assistant boys varsity coach for the last five years, after joining Abilene as head middle school&nbsp;boys coach in 2018, and takes the reigns from Erik Graefe, who stepped down this offseason after leading the Cowboys along with Taylor, to three state tournament appearances in four years

Wednesday also saw an exciting announcement as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as dates have been announced for the 2024 Catbacker Tour.

The tour will kick off May 14 with stops in Salina, Great Bend and Liberal, and Head football coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman, as well as coaches and student-athletes from various sports will be in attendance during the swing through western Kansas.

And finally the Kansas Wesleyan Softball fought valiantly, but saw its season come to an end as the Coyotes dropped a pair of games at the 2024 KCAC Softball Tournament on Wednesday

The Coyotes fell 4-1 at the hands of Ottawa before being eliminated in a 7-1 loss at the hands of Tabor, finishing their season 24-20

That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

____________________________________________

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yHVnG_Hca5g?si=vIsreF8qgyh9e7ZJ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By TYLER HENRY Lead SportswriterHello and happy Thursday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. _________<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, Abilene High School officially announced that former assistant Kyle Taylor would be elevated to head boys basketball coach for the 2024-25 season.Taylor has served as assistant boys varsity coach for the last five years, after joining Abilene as head middle school&nbsp;boys coach in 2018, and takes the reigns from Erik Graefe, who stepped down this offseason after leading the Cowboys along with Taylor, to three state tournament appearances in four years_________Wednesday also saw an exciting announcement as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as dates have been announced for the 2024 Catbacker Tour.The tour will kick off May 14 with stops in Salina, Great Bend and Liberal, and Head football coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman, as well as coaches and student-athletes from various sports will be in attendance during the swing through western Kansas._________And finally the Kansas Wesleyan Softball fought valiantly, but saw its season come to an end as the Coyotes dropped a pair of games at the 2024 KCAC Softball Tournament on WednesdayThe Coyotes fell 4-1 at the hands of Ottawa before being eliminated in a 7-1 loss at the hands of Tabor, finishing their season 24-20_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.____________________________________________

910 KINA sports headlines — May 2

TORONTO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings to win for the fifth time in seven starts, Michael Massey hit a three-run home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday.

Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, scored once and also drove in a run as the Royals won for the fifth time in seven meetings with Toronto.

Witt also turned in a highlight defensive play,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsKC/status/1785772790953447504">making a sliding stop and throwing from one knee</a>&nbsp;to retire Bo Bichette for the final out of the sixth inning.

Salvador Perez had an RBI single and extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 21 games. His 27 RBIs lead the American League.

Massey homered off right-hander Nate Pearson in the eighth, his second in two games. He finished with four RBIs.

Lugo (5-1) allowed just one hit, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s single in the first, until Toronto catcher Danny Jansen homered with two outs in the seventh. The solo blast was Jansen’s third of the season.

Lugo walked two and struck out eight. He lowered his ERA to 1.60.

Chris Stratton worked the eighth and Nick Anderson finished.

Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-5) didn’t allow a hit through five innings, but had his outing unravel after Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel doubled to begin the sixth.

Maikel Garcia sacrificed Isbel to third and Witt followed with a tiebreaking single through the drawn-in infield.

Vinnie Pasquantino doubled, advancing Witt to third, and Perez made it 2-0 with another base hit through the infield. Massey’s RBI groundout capped the inning.

Bassitt lost his third straight start, allowing three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.

The Royals used replay review to confirm that Perez was hit by a two-out pitch in the fourth inning. Massey struck out to end the frame.

Perez started at catcher for Kansas City. He was scratched from Monday’s start behind the plate but came on as a pinch hitter. Perez started at first base Tuesday.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (2-1, 2.62) is scheduled to start Friday as Kansas City hosts Texas. RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.24) goes for the Rangers.

Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 294 ERA) is expected to start Friday as Toronto visits Washington for a three-game series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714645881187.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>TORONTO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings to win for the fifth time in seven starts, Michael Massey hit a three-run home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday.Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, scored once and also drove in a run as the Royals won for the fifth time in seven meetings with Toronto.Witt also turned in a highlight defensive play,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsKC/status/1785772790953447504">making a sliding stop and throwing from one knee</a>&nbsp;to retire Bo Bichette for the final out of the sixth inning.Salvador Perez had an RBI single and extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 21 games. His 27 RBIs lead the American League.Massey homered off right-hander Nate Pearson in the eighth, his second in two games. He finished with four RBIs.Lugo (5-1) allowed just one hit, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s single in the first, until Toronto catcher Danny Jansen homered with two outs in the seventh. The solo blast was Jansen’s third of the season.Lugo walked two and struck out eight. He lowered his ERA to 1.60.Chris Stratton worked the eighth and Nick Anderson finished.Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-5) didn’t allow a hit through five innings, but had his outing unravel after Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel doubled to begin the sixth.Maikel Garcia sacrificed Isbel to third and Witt followed with a tiebreaking single through the drawn-in infield.Vinnie Pasquantino doubled, advancing Witt to third, and Perez made it 2-0 with another base hit through the infield. Massey’s RBI groundout capped the inning.Bassitt lost his third straight start, allowing three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.The Royals used replay review to confirm that Perez was hit by a two-out pitch in the fourth inning. Massey struck out to end the frame.Perez started at catcher for Kansas City. He was scratched from Monday’s start behind the plate but came on as a pinch hitter. Perez started at first base Tuesday.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Brady Singer (2-1, 2.62) is scheduled to start Friday as Kansas City hosts Texas. RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.24) goes for the Rangers.Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 294 ERA) is expected to start Friday as Toronto visits Washington for a three-game series.

⚾Lugo gets 5th win in 7 starts as Royals beat Blue Jays

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

Taylor has served as assistant boys varsity coach for the last five years, after joining Abilene as head middle school&nbsp;boys coach in 2018.

Before his time with the Cowboys, Taylor spent seven seasons as head boys coach at Goddard High School, and worked as an assistant at Andover Central and Riley County prior to that.

“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Kyle Taylor as our new head boys basketball coach," Abilene AD Will Burton said. "We are excited for the leadership he will provide for our players both on and off the court as well as his work with programs throughout our community.”

In addition to helping lead the Cowboys to three state runs in four years, Taylor also brings in college playing experience at Kansas State, Butler County CC, and Fort Scott CC.

The Augusta native also helped lead his Orioles to a 4A state title during his playing days back in 2002.

Taylor takes the reigns from Erik Graefe, who stepped down this offseason after leading the Cowboys for the last four seasons, and coaching in Abilene for the last 18.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostOn Wednesday, Abilene High School officially announced that former assistant Kyle Taylor would be elevated to head boys basketball coach for the 2024-25 season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Taylor has served as assistant boys varsity coach for the last five years, after joining Abilene as head middle school&nbsp;boys coach in 2018.Before his time with the Cowboys, Taylor spent seven seasons as head boys coach at Goddard High School, and worked as an assistant at Andover Central and Riley County prior to that.“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Kyle Taylor as our new head boys basketball coach," Abilene AD Will Burton said. "We are excited for the leadership he will provide for our players both on and off the court as well as his work with programs throughout our community.”In addition to helping lead the Cowboys to three state runs in four years, Taylor also brings in college playing experience at Kansas State, Butler County CC, and Fort Scott CC.The Augusta native also helped lead his Orioles to a 4A state title during his playing days back in 2002.Taylor takes the reigns from Erik Graefe, who stepped down this offseason after leading the Cowboys for the last four seasons, and coaching in Abilene for the last 18.

Kyle Taylor promoted to head boys basketball coach at Abilene

Hello and happy Wednesday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.

Last night, the cross-town rivalry between Salina South and Salina Central took place on both the diamonds, and it was a HUGE four-game sweep for the Cougars and Lady Cougars, who picked up wins of 9-6 and 7-0 on the softball diamond, and 11-4 and 17-1 on the baseball diamond.

All four games were streamed with live audio and video on Salina Post, and are now available for playback on-demand

Big news also broke out of Kansas Wesleyan on Tuesday when it was announced that head mens VB coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5550cb47-03d8-4f6f-8898-612123b9ae83?elinkdata=9800" target="_blank">Dustin Sahlmann</a>&nbsp;was named as GPAC Coach-of-the-Year headlining KWU's 2024 list of All-GPAC selections

In just his second season, Sahlmann led the Coyotes to new program heights, finishing with their first winning season, their first home playoff game, and their first trip to the conferences final four.

And finally Following a successful 12-year NFL career that included four Pro Bowl appearances, All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl 50 title, Kansas Jayhawk Chris Harris Jr. announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday.

An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Harris signed with the Denver Broncos in 2011 and spent his first nine seasons with the Broncos, which included four Pro Bowl appearances and the Super Bowl 50 title. Harris was named first-team All-Pro in 2016 and is a member of the 2010s NFL All-Decade team.

That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out <a href="https://twitter.com/SPostSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Salina Post</a> and stay tuned to <a href="http://910KINA.COM">910 KINA</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712241007452.jpeg" alt="Salina Post Sports" />
 <figcaption>Salina Post Sports</figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead SportswriterHello and happy Wednesday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>_________Last night, the cross-town rivalry between Salina South and Salina Central took place on both the diamonds, and it was a HUGE four-game sweep for the Cougars and Lady Cougars, who picked up wins of 9-6 and 7-0 on the softball diamond, and 11-4 and 17-1 on the baseball diamond.All four games were streamed with live audio and video on Salina Post, and are now available for playback on-demand_________Big news also broke out of Kansas Wesleyan on Tuesday when it was announced that head mens VB coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5550cb47-03d8-4f6f-8898-612123b9ae83?elinkdata=9800" target="_blank">Dustin Sahlmann</a>&nbsp;was named as GPAC Coach-of-the-Year headlining KWU's 2024 list of All-GPAC selectionsIn just his second season, Sahlmann led the Coyotes to new program heights, finishing with their first winning season, their first home playoff game, and their first trip to the conferences final four._________And finally Following a successful 12-year NFL career that included four Pro Bowl appearances, All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl 50 title, Kansas Jayhawk Chris Harris Jr. announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday.An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Harris signed with the Denver Broncos in 2011 and spent his first nine seasons with the Broncos, which included four Pro Bowl appearances and the Super Bowl 50 title. Harris was named first-team All-Pro in 2016 and is a member of the 2010s NFL All-Decade team._________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out <a href="https://twitter.com/SPostSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Salina Post</a> and stay tuned to <a href="http://910KINA.COM">910 KINA</a>.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — May 1

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Following a successful 12-year NFL career that included four Pro Bowl appearances, All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl 50 title, Kansas Jayhawk Chris Harris Jr. announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday.

Following nine seasons with the Broncos, Harris spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2020-2021, before finishing his playing career with the New Orleans Saints in 2022.

Over his NFL career, Harris finished with 621 tackles, 97 pass deflections, 22 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles and 6 sacks.

Harris played at Kansas from 2007-10, where he played in 50 career games as a Jayhawk, totaling 290 tackles (198 solo) and three interceptions. Harris was a part of two bowl victories, including the 2008 Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech and the 2008 Insight Bowl vs. Minnesota.

Harris was later inducted into the Kansas Football Ring of Honor in 2018.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Following a successful 12-year NFL career that included four Pro Bowl appearances, All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl 50 title, Kansas Jayhawk Chris Harris Jr. announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday.An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Harris signed with the Denver Broncos in 2011 and spent his first nine seasons with the Broncos, which included four Pro Bowl appearances and the Super Bowl 50 title. Harris was named first-team All-Pro in 2016 and is a member of the 2010s NFL All-Decade team.Following nine seasons with the Broncos, Harris spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2020-2021, before finishing his playing career with the New Orleans Saints in 2022.Over his NFL career, Harris finished with 621 tackles, 97 pass deflections, 22 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles and 6 sacks.Harris played at Kansas from 2007-10, where he played in 50 career games as a Jayhawk, totaling 290 tackles (198 solo) and three interceptions. Harris was a part of two bowl victories, including the 2008 Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech and the 2008 Insight Bowl vs. Minnesota.Harris was later inducted into the Kansas Football Ring of Honor in 2018.

Four-Time Pro-Bowler Chris Harris Jr. Retires from NFL After 12 Seasons

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Excitement is ramping up as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as the Kansas State Athletics has announced its 2024 Catbacker Tour dates and stops.

The tour, sponsored by Kansas Strong, will kick off May 14 with stops in Salina, Great Bend and Liberal before moving to Dodge City, Garden City and Scott City on May 15, and then on to Colby and Hays on May 16. Head football coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman, as well as coaches and student-athletes from various sports will be in attendance during the swing of Western Kansas.

Head men’s basketball coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang, other sports’ coaches and student-athletes will be a part of the second week of tours, beginning with Manhattan on May 20. Following stops in Hutchinson and Wichita on May 21, the tour will head to Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City on May 22 and end in Marysville, Seneca and Topeka on May 23.

The tour stops will have a fan-friendly atmosphere and feature mini-pep rallies, photo opportunities, and meet and greets with the guests. Willie Wildcat and members of the cheer team will also be in attendance. Make sure to follow K-State Athletics on social media platforms throughout the tour for more coverage.

May 15: Dodge City/Garden City/Scott City

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Excitement is ramping up as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as the Kansas State Athletics has announced its 2024 Catbacker Tour dates and stops.The tour, sponsored by Kansas Strong, will kick off May 14 with stops in Salina, Great Bend and Liberal before moving to Dodge City, Garden City and Scott City on May 15, and then on to Colby and Hays on May 16. Head football coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman, as well as coaches and student-athletes from various sports will be in attendance during the swing of Western Kansas.Head men’s basketball coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang, other sports’ coaches and student-athletes will be a part of the second week of tours, beginning with Manhattan on May 20. Following stops in Hutchinson and Wichita on May 21, the tour will head to Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City on May 22 and end in Marysville, Seneca and Topeka on May 23.The tour stops will have a fan-friendly atmosphere and feature mini-pep rallies, photo opportunities, and meet and greets with the guests. Willie Wildcat and members of the cheer team will also be in attendance. Make sure to follow K-State Athletics on social media platforms throughout the tour for more coverage.2024 Catbacker Tour ScheduleWeek One – May 14-16May 14: Salina/Great Bend/LiberalMay 15: Dodge City/Garden City/Scott CityMay 16: Colby/HaysWeek Two – May 20-23May 20: ManhattanMay 21: Hutchinson/WichitaMay 22: Chanute/Emporia/Kansas CityMay 23: Marysville/Seneca/Topeka

Catbacker Tour Set for Next Month

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Senior&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;will return to Kansas State in 2024-25 and use his extra season of eligibility it was announced on his social media accounts on Tuesday afternoon (April 30).

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound wing has played the last two seasons (2022-24) at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech, where he played two seasons (2020-22). He has seen action in 120 games in his college career, including 39 starts, leading the Hokies and Wildcats to 83 victories, including 4 postseason appearances (3 NCAA, 1 NIT).

The Dutch national is coming off a career season in 2023-24, posting career-highs for scoring (7.8 ppg.), total points (265), double-digit scoring games (14), field goals made (111) and attempted (190), double-doubles (3), rebounding (6.8 rpg.), total rebounds (230), assists (31), blocks (26), steals (24) and total minutes (935).

N’Guessan’s 14 double-digit scoring games in 2023-24 were more than his previous 3 seasons combined (11), while he registered 3 double-doubles, including the first of his career in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23). He also turned in an 11-point, 16-rebound performance in the Wildcats’ 65-58 win over No. 6/6 Iowa State in home finale.

In 2023-24, N’Guessan averaged 7.8 points on 58.4 percent (111-of-190) shooting with 6.8 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game while playing in all 34 games with 21 starts. Among his 14 double-digit scoring games were seven in the final 10 games of season, where he averaged 9.4 points on 60.9 percent (39-of-64) from the field to go 6.7 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game. He was at his best coming off the bench in the last 13 games, where he averaged 8.5 points on 59.7 percent (46-of-77) shooting with 6.3 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game.

For his K-State career, N’Guessan is averaging 7.2 points on 62.9 percent (188-of-299) shooting with 5.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game while playing in 63 games with 39 starts. Overall, he has averaged 5.3 points on 59 percent (261-of-442) shooting with 4.0 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game in his 120-game college career.

N’Guessan has one season of eligibility after the NCAA gave all student-athletes who competed during the 2020-21 athletics season an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Senior&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;will return to Kansas State in 2024-25 and use his extra season of eligibility it was announced on his social media accounts on Tuesday afternoon (April 30).The 6-foot-9, 205-pound wing has played the last two seasons (2022-24) at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech, where he played two seasons (2020-22). He has seen action in 120 games in his college career, including 39 starts, leading the Hokies and Wildcats to 83 victories, including 4 postseason appearances (3 NCAA, 1 NIT).The Dutch national is coming off a career season in 2023-24, posting career-highs for scoring (7.8 ppg.), total points (265), double-digit scoring games (14), field goals made (111) and attempted (190), double-doubles (3), rebounding (6.8 rpg.), total rebounds (230), assists (31), blocks (26), steals (24) and total minutes (935).N’Guessan’s 14 double-digit scoring games in 2023-24 were more than his previous 3 seasons combined (11), while he registered 3 double-doubles, including the first of his career in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23). He also turned in an 11-point, 16-rebound performance in the Wildcats’ 65-58 win over No. 6/6 Iowa State in home finale.In 2023-24, N’Guessan averaged 7.8 points on 58.4 percent (111-of-190) shooting with 6.8 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game while playing in all 34 games with 21 starts. Among his 14 double-digit scoring games were seven in the final 10 games of season, where he averaged 9.4 points on 60.9 percent (39-of-64) from the field to go 6.7 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game. He was at his best coming off the bench in the last 13 games, where he averaged 8.5 points on 59.7 percent (46-of-77) shooting with 6.3 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game.For his K-State career, N’Guessan is averaging 7.2 points on 62.9 percent (188-of-299) shooting with 5.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game while playing in 63 games with 39 starts. Overall, he has averaged 5.3 points on 59 percent (261-of-442) shooting with 4.0 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game in his 120-game college career.N’Guessan has one season of eligibility after the NCAA gave all student-athletes who competed during the 2020-21 athletics season an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.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&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

N’Guessan to Return for Senior Season in 2024-25

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State bolstered its linebacker corps on Tuesday as the Wildcats signed El Paso, Texas, native&nbsp;Alec Marenco&nbsp;(al-LICK mah-REN-coe) to a Financial Aid Agreement.

Marenco, who is transferring to K-State from New Mexico, is the second FBS transfer signee by the Wildcats this spring after they picked up running back&nbsp;Dylan Edwards&nbsp;on Monday.

Marenco has one year of eligibility remaining after carding 96 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over his previous three seasons in Albuquerque.

The leading tackler for the Lobos in 2023, Marenco picked up All-Mountain West Honorable Mention accolades after carding 66 tackles over his 12 games, which included 10 starts. He twice had double-digit tackle efforts, recording a career-high 12 at UMass and 11 against Utah State, the latter of which he forced a fumble. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss against San Jose State and a half sack against New Mexico State.

Marenco saw action in six games with three seasons as a sophomore in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. He produced 26 tackles, including a season-high nine stop at LSU before coming back with six more tackles at UNLV. As a freshman, he played in nine games and recorded a pair of tackles.

A product of Burges High School under head coach James Routledge, Marenco tallied 113 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss, while he also spent time at receiver, catching 17 passes for 253 yards. He was also on the track team, picking up district championships in 2019 and 2020.

The Wildcats finished the 2023 season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 18), AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 19) and College Football Playoff Top 25 (No. 25) after recording a 9-4 record, which included a victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. K-State is the only Big 12 program – and one of only 11 Power 4 Teams – currently to enjoy a streak of three eight-plus win seasons.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State bolstered its linebacker corps on Tuesday as the Wildcats signed El Paso, Texas, native&nbsp;Alec Marenco&nbsp;(al-LICK mah-REN-coe) to a Financial Aid Agreement.Marenco, who is transferring to K-State from New Mexico, is the second FBS transfer signee by the Wildcats this spring after they picked up running back&nbsp;Dylan Edwards&nbsp;on Monday.Marenco has one year of eligibility remaining after carding 96 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over his previous three seasons in Albuquerque.The leading tackler for the Lobos in 2023, Marenco picked up All-Mountain West Honorable Mention accolades after carding 66 tackles over his 12 games, which included 10 starts. He twice had double-digit tackle efforts, recording a career-high 12 at UMass and 11 against Utah State, the latter of which he forced a fumble. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss against San Jose State and a half sack against New Mexico State.Marenco saw action in six games with three seasons as a sophomore in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. He produced 26 tackles, including a season-high nine stop at LSU before coming back with six more tackles at UNLV. As a freshman, he played in nine games and recorded a pair of tackles.A product of Burges High School under head coach James Routledge, Marenco tallied 113 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss, while he also spent time at receiver, catching 17 passes for 253 yards. He was also on the track team, picking up district championships in 2019 and 2020.The Wildcats finished the 2023 season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 18), AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 19) and College Football Playoff Top 25 (No. 25) after recording a 9-4 record, which included a victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. K-State is the only Big 12 program – and one of only 11 Power 4 Teams – currently to enjoy a streak of three eight-plus win seasons.

Linebacker Alec Marenco Signs with K-State

Kansas Wesleyan head coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5550cb47-03d8-4f6f-8898-612123b9ae83?elinkdata=9800">Dustin Sahlmann</a> was named as a Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Co-Coach-of-the-Year headlining KWU's 2024 list of All-GPAC selections in men's volleyball in Wesleyan's final season as a member of the conference for men's volleyball.

KWU also had its first-ever First Team All-GPAC selection, and the highest total of All-GPAC selections in program history in 2024 with six.

In just his second season, Sahlmann led the Coyotes to new program heights. KWU finished with its first-ever winning season with a 14-13 record. KWU finished 4-6 in the GPAC, and was the No. 4 seed, hosting the program's first-ever GPAC playoff game, and picked up the first-ever postseason win for the Coyotes.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bcdccce5-4a40-4720-9a0f-6f5c73382026?elinkdata=9800">Zayin Martinez</a> was named to the All-GPAC first-team. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9cfe9625-4b18-407f-9b93-c6d53c60581b?elinkdata=9800">Justin Burras</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/097ed325-6a6a-42c0-96fd-6b7a38806e18?elinkdata=9800">Jeremy Lapeze</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d5d1f3a-ee4f-469a-a6c5-da1a03b36a94?elinkdata=9800">Viet Nguyen</a> were named to the second-team. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9fbe201d-0283-4c41-8dfd-02eb077c939a?elinkdata=9800">Tyler McUne</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dd5928dc-e81e-44ce-b22b-32bda69e8c3d?elinkdata=9800">Kahlib Lawrence</a> were named to the honorable-mention team.

Martinez became KWU's first-ever first-team selection. He averaged 2.73 kills per set on the season as a freshman for the Coyotes. He also had a .298 attack percentage during the season, and scored 3.1 points per set. He ranked seventh in the GPAC in kills per set and second in attack percentage.

Burras was a repeat second-team selection from a year ago. He averaged 2.3 kills per set which ranked ninth in the GPAC this season and had a .209 attack percentage that ranked seventh in the GPAC. He had 26 service aces on the season, which ranked second in the GPAC.

Lapeze is a repeat selection from last season, earning honorable-mention honors last year as well. Lapeze led the GPAC in digs per set at 3.24 per set, and had 275 digs, the second highest total in the GPAC this year.

Nguyen was also a repeat second-team selection and KWU's only three-time All-GPAC pick, earning honorable-honors in his first year as a Coyote. Nguyen ranked 12th in the GPAC in kills per set at 1.93 and 10th in the conference in attack percentage. He ranked ninth in the conference in blocks per set at .67.

McUne was an honorable-mention selection in his first season with the Coyotes. He ranked third in the GPAC in assists per set, averaging 7.07, as the Coyotes changed offenses in different matches from a 5-1 to a 6-2. He also averaged 1.83 digs per set and had 19 aces that ranked 11th in the GPAC.

Lawrence is a repeat honorable-mention selection from 2023. He averaged 1.53 kills per set, ranking 20th in the GPAC. He also averaged 0.94 blocks per set, which ranked third best in the conference this season.

Kansas Wesleyan head coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5550cb47-03d8-4f6f-8898-612123b9ae83?elinkdata=9800">Dustin Sahlmann</a> was named as a Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Co-Coach-of-the-Year headlining KWU's 2024 list of All-GPAC selections in men's volleyball in Wesleyan's final season as a member of the conference for men's volleyball.KWU also had its first-ever First Team All-GPAC selection, and the highest total of All-GPAC selections in program history in 2024 with six.In just his second season, Sahlmann led the Coyotes to new program heights. KWU finished with its first-ever winning season with a 14-13 record. KWU finished 4-6 in the GPAC, and was the No. 4 seed, hosting the program's first-ever GPAC playoff game, and picked up the first-ever postseason win for the Coyotes.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bcdccce5-4a40-4720-9a0f-6f5c73382026?elinkdata=9800">Zayin Martinez</a> was named to the All-GPAC first-team. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9cfe9625-4b18-407f-9b93-c6d53c60581b?elinkdata=9800">Justin Burras</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/097ed325-6a6a-42c0-96fd-6b7a38806e18?elinkdata=9800">Jeremy Lapeze</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d5d1f3a-ee4f-469a-a6c5-da1a03b36a94?elinkdata=9800">Viet Nguyen</a> were named to the second-team. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9fbe201d-0283-4c41-8dfd-02eb077c939a?elinkdata=9800">Tyler McUne</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dd5928dc-e81e-44ce-b22b-32bda69e8c3d?elinkdata=9800">Kahlib Lawrence</a> were named to the honorable-mention team.Martinez became KWU's first-ever first-team selection. He averaged 2.73 kills per set on the season as a freshman for the Coyotes. He also had a .298 attack percentage during the season, and scored 3.1 points per set. He ranked seventh in the GPAC in kills per set and second in attack percentage.Burras was a repeat second-team selection from a year ago. He averaged 2.3 kills per set which ranked ninth in the GPAC this season and had a .209 attack percentage that ranked seventh in the GPAC. He had 26 service aces on the season, which ranked second in the GPAC.Lapeze is a repeat selection from last season, earning honorable-mention honors last year as well. Lapeze led the GPAC in digs per set at 3.24 per set, and had 275 digs, the second highest total in the GPAC this year.Nguyen was also a repeat second-team selection and KWU's only three-time All-GPAC pick, earning honorable-honors in his first year as a Coyote. Nguyen ranked 12th in the GPAC in kills per set at 1.93 and 10th in the conference in attack percentage. He ranked ninth in the conference in blocks per set at .67.McUne was an honorable-mention selection in his first season with the Coyotes. He ranked third in the GPAC in assists per set, averaging 7.07, as the Coyotes changed offenses in different matches from a 5-1 to a 6-2. He also averaged 1.83 digs per set and had 19 aces that ranked 11th in the GPAC.Lawrence is a repeat honorable-mention selection from 2023. He averaged 1.53 kills per set, ranking 20th in the GPAC. He also averaged 0.94 blocks per set, which ranked third best in the conference this season.

Sahlmann named Coach of the Year headlining Men’s Volleyball All-GPAC selections

TORONTO (AP) — Michael Massey hit a two-run home run, Cole Ragans struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Bobby Witt Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as the Royals improved to 17-11 in April. It’s the most victories Kansas City has had in a month since going 17-9 in June 2017.

Ragans (2-2) allowed one run and four hits. The left-hander left because of cramping in his left calf after walking consecutive batters. John Schreiber came on and retired Cavan Biggio to end the inning.

Schreiber got four outs and right-hander James McArthur finished for his seventh save in eight chances.

Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings but lost to Ragans for the second straight outing. Ragans got the win as the Royals won a rain-shortened game in Kansas City last Thursday.

Massey struck out to end Monday’s 6-5 loss, stranding the tying run at third base. On Tuesday, the second baseman homered on the second pitch he saw from Berríos in the second inning.

Toronto’s Bo Bichette hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth but Witt made it 3-1 with an RBI double off Erik Swanson in the eighth. Génesis Cabrera replaced Swanson and gave up an RBI double to Vinnie Pasquantino.

Salvador Perez started at first base for Kansas City one night after being scratched from a start behind the plate because of a sore back. Perez had a pinch hit single in the ninth inning of Monday’s 6-5 loss and was replaced by a pinch runner.

With a leadoff single in the second inning Tuesday, Perez extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 20 games.

Toronto’s Davis Schneider hit a one-out single in the second but Royals right fielder Hunter Renfroe threw Schneider out at second base as he tried to extend his hit. Renfroe leads the major leagues with 67 outfield assists since 2017.

George Springer started in center field for the Blue Jays. He didn’t make a single start in center in 2023.

Royals: Kansas City recalled RHP Colin Selby from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Jonathan Bowlan to Triple-A.

Blue Jays: Toronto put RHP Yariel Rodríguez (back) on the 15-day IL and recalled RHP Zach Pop from Triple-A Buffalo. Rodríguez started Monday, allowing three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. … RHP Alek Manoah (shoulder) allowed one run and two hits in six innings in a rehab start at Triple-A. Manoah struck out 12 and walked two.

Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (2-4, 5.64) is expected to start Wednesday's series finale. Kansas City’s scheduled starter is RHP Seth Lugo (4-1, 1.66).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714528329973.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TORONTO (AP) — Michael Massey hit a two-run home run, Cole Ragans struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.Bobby Witt Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as the Royals improved to 17-11 in April. It’s the most victories Kansas City has had in a month since going 17-9 in June 2017.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEYHEYHEYHEY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEYHEYHEYHEY</a>-PRIL Our 17 wins in the month of April are a new franchise record! <a href="https://t.co/JJLNaKIyIn">pic.twitter.com/JJLNaKIyIn</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1785482857546187081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ragans (2-2) allowed one run and four hits. The left-hander left because of cramping in his left calf after walking consecutive batters. John Schreiber came on and retired Cavan Biggio to end the inning.Schreiber got four outs and right-hander James McArthur finished for his seventh save in eight chances.Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings but lost to Ragans for the second straight outing. Ragans got the win as the Royals won a rain-shortened game in Kansas City last Thursday.Massey struck out to end Monday’s 6-5 loss, stranding the tying run at third base. On Tuesday, the second baseman homered on the second pitch he saw from Berríos in the second inning.Toronto’s Bo Bichette hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth but Witt made it 3-1 with an RBI double off Erik Swanson in the eighth. Génesis Cabrera replaced Swanson and gave up an RBI double to Vinnie Pasquantino.Salvador Perez started at first base for Kansas City one night after being scratched from a start behind the plate because of a sore back. Perez had a pinch hit single in the ninth inning of Monday’s 6-5 loss and was replaced by a pinch runner.With a leadoff single in the second inning Tuesday, Perez extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 20 games.Toronto’s Davis Schneider hit a one-out single in the second but Royals right fielder Hunter Renfroe threw Schneider out at second base as he tried to extend his hit. Renfroe leads the major leagues with 67 outfield assists since 2017.George Springer started in center field for the Blue Jays. He didn’t make a single start in center in 2023.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: Kansas City recalled RHP Colin Selby from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Jonathan Bowlan to Triple-A.Blue Jays: Toronto put RHP Yariel Rodríguez (back) on the 15-day IL and recalled RHP Zach Pop from Triple-A Buffalo. Rodríguez started Monday, allowing three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. … RHP Alek Manoah (shoulder) allowed one run and two hits in six innings in a rehab start at Triple-A. Manoah struck out 12 and walked two.UP NEXTBlue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (2-4, 5.64) is expected to start Wednesday's series finale. Kansas City’s scheduled starter is RHP Seth Lugo (4-1, 1.66).___

⚾ Ragans fans 9 as Royals snap 3-game losing streak, beat Blue Jays

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It was reported on Monday that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had agreed to a new 2-year contract that will keep the All-Pro in KC through the 2025 season.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the new deal is worth $34.25 million, with $17 million guaranteed this year, and the rest guaranteed during the 2025 league year.

Kelce, who has spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Chiefs, has amassed over 11,000 receiving yards, and 74 receiving touchdowns, capping off a ninth-straight Pro Bowl season in 2024.

The four-time All-Pro has also been an integral part of all three of the Chief's Super Bowl runs, helping Kansas City to reach three of its four all-time titles.

BY SALINA POSTIt was reported on Monday that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had agreed to a new 2-year contract that will keep the All-Pro in KC through the 2025 season.According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the new deal is worth $34.25 million, with $17 million guaranteed this year, and the rest guaranteed during the 2025 league year.Kelce, who has spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Chiefs, has amassed over 11,000 receiving yards, and 74 receiving touchdowns, capping off a ninth-straight Pro Bowl season in 2024.The four-time All-Pro has also been an integral part of all three of the Chief's Super Bowl runs, helping Kansas City to reach three of its four all-time titles.

Kelce, Chiefs agree to 2-Year $34 million dollar contract

Hello and happy Tuesday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.

On Monday The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/kc/kansas-city-chiefs">Chiefs</a>&nbsp;gave tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/15847/travis-kelce">Travis Kelce</a>&nbsp;a significant raise with a new two-year contract

A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the deal is worth $34.25 million with $17 million fully guaranteed for this season and most of the rest to be guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year.

Kelce, who has been selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls and is a four-time first-team All-Pro, had 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns last season.

From the gridiron to the diamond Monday also saw the release of both KCAC championship tournament brackets, and both K-Dub teams will participate in Great Bend this week

The softball team snuck into bracket play following a sweep of Bethany College last Wednesday, they will be the 7-seed facing Ottawa&nbsp;at noon this Wednesday

Meanwhile the Coyote baseball team will look to double down after winning a KCAC regular season title, facing Evangel&nbsp;on Wednesday evening&nbsp;as this year’s 1-seed&nbsp;

And finally speaking of baseball and softball we will be providing full coverage of all four games between South and Central today on Salina Post, with audio and video streaming for free. First pitch for both doubleheaders is slated for&nbsp;4pm

That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out the Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

LISTEN:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6bfe0522-8f55-4fd0-99ec-058c84d3c808">910 KINA Sports Headlines — April 29</a>

<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/sUz5PCYL-ATjzBQNW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Sports Update Tues" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Hello and happy Tuesday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>_________On Monday The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/kc/kansas-city-chiefs">Chiefs</a>&nbsp;gave tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/15847/travis-kelce">Travis Kelce</a>&nbsp;a significant raise with a new two-year contractA source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the deal is worth $34.25 million with $17 million fully guaranteed for this season and most of the rest to be guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year.Kelce, who has been selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls and is a four-time first-team All-Pro, had 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns last season._________From the gridiron to the diamond Monday also saw the release of both KCAC championship tournament brackets, and both K-Dub teams will participate in Great Bend this weekThe softball team snuck into bracket play following a sweep of Bethany College last Wednesday, they will be the 7-seed facing Ottawa&nbsp;at noon this WednesdayMeanwhile the Coyote baseball team will look to double down after winning a KCAC regular season title, facing Evangel&nbsp;on Wednesday evening&nbsp;as this year’s 1-seed&nbsp;_________And finally speaking of baseball and softball we will be providing full coverage of all four games between South and Central today on Salina Post, with audio and video streaming for free. First pitch for both doubleheaders is slated for&nbsp;4pm_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out the Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.LISTEN:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6bfe0522-8f55-4fd0-99ec-058c84d3c808">910 KINA Sports Headlines — April 29</a>

910 KINA Sports Headlines — April 30

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Appreciate you guys for hopping on the Zoom. First want to start off by congratulating Travis Kelce on his contract adjustment. We just signed it here a few minutes ago. It’s hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization, this city. It was certainly a priority to adjust his contract for us, and it was something that was important for (Chairman and CEO) Clark (Hunt). (It’s) very fitting that Travis is now the highest paid tight end (in the NFL) in these two years. I want to thank his agents Michael (Simon) and Greg (Diulus) for all their hard work. Chris Shea (Vice President of Football Operations/Team Counsel) and (Football Administration Coordinator) Jack Wolov on our side, appreciate them for all their hard work. Again, just a really special day and moment for this organization to once again recognize arguably one of the greatest tight ends to ever do it. Additionally, we certainly have a lot of draft stuff to talk about, really proud of the work that my staff did this weekend in conjunction with our coaching staff to bring seven new additions to this organization. We have some verbals (agreements) with some (college) free agents we’re really excited about, those won’t be official until Friday. Certainly, a lot to talk about, and with that I’ll take your questions.”

Q:&nbsp;You have some other players that will be up for contracts in the near future, so what went into getting Travis Kelce’s deal done now?

VEACH:&nbsp;“We do have some younger guys coming up. Like always, once the draft settles down, we’ll have a chance to address all those players and work through that. Travis (Kelce) is an outlier here. I think we all know that. When you talk about Travis and his career and his legacy here, this is something we wanted to knock right out of the park early on. Then, like you mentioned, shift our focus to some of the guys coming up. We’ll have a long runway now until the preseason starts – I know the OTAs have started now – but we’ll have a little runway here until we get to St. Joe (for training camp), and we’ll spend our time working – I’ll work with (Vice President of Football Operations/Team Counsel) Chris (Shea) and (Football Administration Coordinator) Jack (Wolov) on our side and work with these guys and their agents.”

Q:&nbsp;How long do you see Travis Kelce being able to play at this level for the Chiefs?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers – and certainly Travis (Kelce) is one of those players. It’s funny, it’s not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in phase two and guys were out there running around. Travis was the first guy in line, and he looked like he was 28 years old. Again, the odds of someone playing this far into their 30s is very low, but it does happen, and it happens with unicorns in the profession and Travis is one of those. We’ll certainly celebrate this with him and hopefully we can ride this thing even longer. We’ll just have to wait and see, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Everyone notices the kind of postseason he had; he just found an extra gear. These special players are always able to find that extra gear and again if anybody can do it, Travis can.”

Q:&nbsp;Now that the draft is over what needs, if any, do you feel like you still need to address in free agency?

VEACH:&nbsp;“We accomplished a lot between the free agency period and the draft. Now, I think we’ll have a chance to really evaluate these young guys and evaluate these new players we brought in on our 90-man (roster) signings right after the season and the undrafted free agent guys we got. We’ll have a chance to evaluate this team– I think we spoke about this over the weekend, I don’t think you’re ever satisfied with what you have as a roster, there’s always ways to improve. The important thing is just to make sure we have competition and battles at every position group going into St. Joe (for training camp). Now we get to spend the few weeks watching these guys and seeing how they move out there. It’s a good gage to predict how these competitions will go. Once we get through the next few phases of these OTAs, we’ll huddle up as a staff both personnel and coaches and see if we have enough competition at all the positions. If we need to go in a different direction before training camp, we will, but I think we’re excited with where the roster is and look forward to the final OTA periods.”

Q:&nbsp;What intrigued you most about Jared Wiley?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Every now and then, especially with where we pick in the draft, the tight ends – it just seems to me the last few years it’s harder to find tight ends in the draft than it had been in the past. I think you do get a chance – depending on where you pick – to select a receiving tight end or a blocking tight end, but these combo tight ends are hard to find. I think the thing that intrigued us about (Jared) Wiley is the fact that he is a big kid, a former quarterback, is athletic, can run, a guy that can certainly hold up in line and will get better as a blocker, can block, will block and then that receiving skillset he has. I think it’s unique to add a true combo tight end on this roster so certainly excited about that prospect there. We had guys in the past like Blake Bell and some other guys down the line. I just think Travis (Kelce) is the best at what he does, and Noah Gray has done some really outstanding stuff for us the last few years. Noah plays a ton of reps on special teams. Having another big body, (to) be interchangeable with those two players is really important for us.”

Q:&nbsp;Where did you have Kingsley Suamataia on your board and which side will he play on?

VEACH:&nbsp;“We had him up there obviously really high. (You) have to be prepared for all types of scenarios. Depending on how the draft unfolded, you never know. I think we had a pretty good indication with the number or quarterbacks this year and the number of other offensive linemen that there would be a chance that a player like Xavier (Worthy) might slide to where we picked. But he (Kingsley Suamataia) was certainly in one of those top 25-40 considerations. He was potentially a consideration at number 32, and he was potentially a consideration had we traded down. To have the draft unfold like it did and be able to select him at 63, we feel very fortunate and lucky. As far as position, he’s played both left and right tackle. I think plans are to throw him right there at left tackle and let him compete and battle with Wanya (Morris). We’ll see how it goes. I mentioned before the draft that we certainly like some of the things we saw out of Wanya last year, and it was our job to bring in competition. I think those guys will be excited to compete with each other. We look forward to that battle at training camp. We also know that Kingsley has played on the right side too, so I think there is a lot of versatility and value there.”

Q:&nbsp;Where do you see Hunter Nourzad fitting in?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Well really when you lose a guy like (Commanders G) Nick Allegretti, I mean those guys are hard to replace and we like some of the things Mike Caliendo did last year. These are long seasons and week in, and week out there is a physical toll these guys have to undertake. It’s one of those things where it’s always comforting to know you have a guy like Nick Allegretti who, if needed, or pressed into service like he was last year in the playoffs can come in, can play center, can play guard and can get you out of a game there. When you look at Hunter (Nourzad) and his career the kid started out playing tackle. Then he transferred to Penn State, played guard, played center. Extremely smart kid, I think he had a mechanical engineering degree. One of those guys that we feel has a tremendous amount of upside but also almost see in that Nick Allegretti role where we think he can come and certainly will compete like the rest of the guys do. I think we have a high amount of confidence in him, knowing his background, knowing how smart he is, that he can come in and play quality reps and provide quality starts if needed.”

Q: You drafted three offensive linemen, was this a priority or were there just good opportunities presented? What do you expect your offensive line to look like this season?

VEACH: “We lost a few guys in the offseason. Donovan Smith was a free agent, we lost (Nick) Allegretti. Just depth wise it’s one of those things, I think every GM would say the same – when you go to training camp, you’re always looking at your backup line and you’re looking to make sure you have eight, nine, 10 that you feel really good about. Certainly, mentioning Wanya (Morris) and his development last year, I mean there were five guys, and (Mike) Caliendo played a little bit, six. We still have Lucas (Niang) who has every year come back better with that injury. Again, there’s been many years where we carry 10 offensive linemen, I think the last couple of years it may have been nine. (We) always want to shoot for that number there, and I thought just looking at our roster not only are we wanting to provide competitions at that left tackle position, swing type of position – but we also needed some depth in that interior offensive line, players that had experience both at center and guard. You can’t have enough of those, and every team carries around 10. I think for the most part of my GM tenure, I believe we were close to 10 and some years I think we even had 11 when we had guys that weren’t counting against the 53, I think we snuck in 11 one year. We’re always trying to look for 10 linemen, some years it’s nine, just wanted to make sure that we had enough competition to compete for those eight, nine, 10, 11 spots.”

Q: Are the wide receiver and tackle position still in high demand for your roster?

VEACH: “We’ll use this OTA period to assess that. I think we feel good right now, a lot of these guys were playing college football last year. I think how they do it here in the meetings and how they do with just kind of absorbing the information and can they translate it out on the field is a big deal. We don’t have pads on, so some of it may tail into St. Joe, into training camp but I think for right now we’re going to let these young guys go out there and see what they can do and how much they can absorb. If we feel good about it, this will be kind of where we go from St. Joe and then we’ll be able to adapt and adjust if needed, but I don’t think anything would be imminent.”

Q: Of your seven draft picks, is there a specific trait that made you like them more than other prospects?

VEACH: “Many of them were captains of their team but I would just say the intelligence. We’re always looking for athletic players, versatility, and intelligence right after athleticism is always a priority for us and I think all these guys really from Xavier (Worthy) all the way down to C.J. (Hanson). These are guys that are really smart and can adapt and adjust, we feel, to the pro game very quickly. Height, weight, speed and athletic ability will be number one but a close second will be versatility and intelligence and we feel like all of these guys fit that bill.”

Q: How do you feel about the running back position after your all of the new additions you added in this offseason?

VEACH: “Keaontay Ingram is a guy we like too, we got him late last year and it’s hard when guys come in into the middle of the season, we added him into our practice squad late, but I think we were a fan of his when he was at USC. I think that’s going to be one of those positions just like the left tackle, starting position, just like the tail end positions at corner, that running back position will be a battle and usually it comes down to special teams and pass protector as a number three here, so I think all these guys have traits we like and now it’s just a matter of a couple of those guys putting together a solid training camp. That’s from the mental side of things and from a special teams side of things. I do think though we have some guys that all have ability and now it’s just a matter of those guys going out there and earning a position. From a talent perspective, as you mentioned with (Emani) Bailey and (Carson) Steele we brought in and then last year (Deneric) Prince and Keaontay Ingram, all of those guys have talent and ability to play in this league, now it’s just a matter of who can put together a solid training camp and earn the position.”

Q: What do you like about Jaden Hicks, Kamal Hadden and C.J. Hanson and how do you see them fitting in?

VEACH: “(Jaden) Hicks, just the value was too great there, this is where you just want to stay true to your board and just take the best player available, and he’s one of those players that you look left to right on your board and you have needs at receiver and o-line, d-line and corner and then all of a sudden you get to your pick and you have a player that is at the safety position and we have some really good safeties here on this team but just from a talent perspective and long-term planning perspective it was just too good of a player to pass up. He’s a guy that you can do a lot of different things with. He’s a big kid. He has good range. He’s physical. He can play down low in the box. He can play in the back end and another really smart, intense player and with the special teams roles. Imagining him on special teams, I’m sure (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Toub is going to have a blast with him. It was just one of those situations where when we got to our pick, we just wanted to stay true to our board and take the best player available, and he was by far the best player available. (Kamal) Hadden was a guy that we kind of targeted there day three, tough physical kid, think he has a good press skillset and just like the way he plays and again. The one thing that we prioritize in the defensive back field is not just the size but physicality and (we) think he’ll certainly bring that. (C.J.) Hanson, he was a kid that (we) really heard a lot of things about him during the fall. He showed up at the East-West (Shrine Bowl) game and kind of took us by surprise, super athletic kid. He has a high ceiling and one of those guys that (Offensive Line) Coach (Andy) Heck was excited to work with and was surprised that he was still there in the seventh (round). Usually those guys that have success at smaller levels but go to an all-star game and excel and show out, usually those guys get nabbed up there in the fifth or sixth round so when we were sitting there in the seventh round, we did have some other needs but again, like Hicks, was just a player and at a position that those guys are hard to find. They’re hard to bring in as free agents. There’s usually bidding wars and every team is after them. Just think he’s another guy like Hunter (Nourzad) that has guard/center flexibility, played tackle at Holy Cross there but showed up and played well at guard at the East-West game but also think he has center flexibility too. Coach Heck will do a great job with both Hunter and Hanson in regards to getting both those guys reps at guard and center and the more versatility we have, the more important you become. I think both of those guys can handle – and mentally both of those guys are smart, so don’t think that will be an issue for either of those players.”

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Appreciate you guys for hopping on the Zoom. First want to start off by congratulating Travis Kelce on his contract adjustment. We just signed it here a few minutes ago. It’s hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization, this city. It was certainly a priority to adjust his contract for us, and it was something that was important for (Chairman and CEO) Clark (Hunt). (It’s) very fitting that Travis is now the highest paid tight end (in the NFL) in these two years. I want to thank his agents Michael (Simon) and Greg (Diulus) for all their hard work. Chris Shea (Vice President of Football Operations/Team Counsel) and (Football Administration Coordinator) Jack Wolov on our side, appreciate them for all their hard work. Again, just a really special day and moment for this organization to once again recognize arguably one of the greatest tight ends to ever do it. Additionally, we certainly have a lot of draft stuff to talk about, really proud of the work that my staff did this weekend in conjunction with our coaching staff to bring seven new additions to this organization. We have some verbals (agreements) with some (college) free agents we’re really excited about, those won’t be official until Friday. Certainly, a lot to talk about, and with that I’ll take your questions.”Q:&nbsp;You have some other players that will be up for contracts in the near future, so what went into getting Travis Kelce’s deal done now?VEACH:&nbsp;“We do have some younger guys coming up. Like always, once the draft settles down, we’ll have a chance to address all those players and work through that. Travis (Kelce) is an outlier here. I think we all know that. When you talk about Travis and his career and his legacy here, this is something we wanted to knock right out of the park early on. Then, like you mentioned, shift our focus to some of the guys coming up. We’ll have a long runway now until the preseason starts – I know the OTAs have started now – but we’ll have a little runway here until we get to St. Joe (for training camp), and we’ll spend our time working – I’ll work with (Vice President of Football Operations/Team Counsel) Chris (Shea) and (Football Administration Coordinator) Jack (Wolov) on our side and work with these guys and their agents.”Q:&nbsp;How long do you see Travis Kelce being able to play at this level for the Chiefs?VEACH:&nbsp;“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers – and certainly Travis (Kelce) is one of those players. It’s funny, it’s not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in phase two and guys were out there running around. Travis was the first guy in line, and he looked like he was 28 years old. Again, the odds of someone playing this far into their 30s is very low, but it does happen, and it happens with unicorns in the profession and Travis is one of those. We’ll certainly celebrate this with him and hopefully we can ride this thing even longer. We’ll just have to wait and see, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Everyone notices the kind of postseason he had; he just found an extra gear. These special players are always able to find that extra gear and again if anybody can do it, Travis can.”Q:&nbsp;Now that the draft is over what needs, if any, do you feel like you still need to address in free agency?VEACH:&nbsp;“We accomplished a lot between the free agency period and the draft. Now, I think we’ll have a chance to really evaluate these young guys and evaluate these new players we brought in on our 90-man (roster) signings right after the season and the undrafted free agent guys we got. We’ll have a chance to evaluate this team– I think we spoke about this over the weekend, I don’t think you’re ever satisfied with what you have as a roster, there’s always ways to improve. The important thing is just to make sure we have competition and battles at every position group going into St. Joe (for training camp). Now we get to spend the few weeks watching these guys and seeing how they move out there. It’s a good gage to predict how these competitions will go. Once we get through the next few phases of these OTAs, we’ll huddle up as a staff both personnel and coaches and see if we have enough competition at all the positions. If we need to go in a different direction before training camp, we will, but I think we’re excited with where the roster is and look forward to the final OTA periods.”Q:&nbsp;What intrigued you most about Jared Wiley?VEACH:&nbsp;“Every now and then, especially with where we pick in the draft, the tight ends – it just seems to me the last few years it’s harder to find tight ends in the draft than it had been in the past. I think you do get a chance – depending on where you pick – to select a receiving tight end or a blocking tight end, but these combo tight ends are hard to find. I think the thing that intrigued us about (Jared) Wiley is the fact that he is a big kid, a former quarterback, is athletic, can run, a guy that can certainly hold up in line and will get better as a blocker, can block, will block and then that receiving skillset he has. I think it’s unique to add a true combo tight end on this roster so certainly excited about that prospect there. We had guys in the past like Blake Bell and some other guys down the line. I just think Travis (Kelce) is the best at what he does, and Noah Gray has done some really outstanding stuff for us the last few years. Noah plays a ton of reps on special teams. Having another big body, (to) be interchangeable with those two players is really important for us.”Q:&nbsp;Where did you have Kingsley Suamataia on your board and which side will he play on?VEACH:&nbsp;“We had him up there obviously really high. (You) have to be prepared for all types of scenarios. Depending on how the draft unfolded, you never know. I think we had a pretty good indication with the number or quarterbacks this year and the number of other offensive linemen that there would be a chance that a player like Xavier (Worthy) might slide to where we picked. But he (Kingsley Suamataia) was certainly in one of those top 25-40 considerations. He was potentially a consideration at number 32, and he was potentially a consideration had we traded down. To have the draft unfold like it did and be able to select him at 63, we feel very fortunate and lucky. As far as position, he’s played both left and right tackle. I think plans are to throw him right there at left tackle and let him compete and battle with Wanya (Morris). We’ll see how it goes. I mentioned before the draft that we certainly like some of the things we saw out of Wanya last year, and it was our job to bring in competition. I think those guys will be excited to compete with each other. We look forward to that battle at training camp. We also know that Kingsley has played on the right side too, so I think there is a lot of versatility and value there.”Q:&nbsp;Where do you see Hunter Nourzad fitting in?VEACH:&nbsp;“Well really when you lose a guy like (Commanders G) Nick Allegretti, I mean those guys are hard to replace and we like some of the things Mike Caliendo did last year. These are long seasons and week in, and week out there is a physical toll these guys have to undertake. It’s one of those things where it’s always comforting to know you have a guy like Nick Allegretti who, if needed, or pressed into service like he was last year in the playoffs can come in, can play center, can play guard and can get you out of a game there. When you look at Hunter (Nourzad) and his career the kid started out playing tackle. Then he transferred to Penn State, played guard, played center. Extremely smart kid, I think he had a mechanical engineering degree. One of those guys that we feel has a tremendous amount of upside but also almost see in that Nick Allegretti role where we think he can come and certainly will compete like the rest of the guys do. I think we have a high amount of confidence in him, knowing his background, knowing how smart he is, that he can come in and play quality reps and provide quality starts if needed.”Q: You drafted three offensive linemen, was this a priority or were there just good opportunities presented? What do you expect your offensive line to look like this season?VEACH: “We lost a few guys in the offseason. Donovan Smith was a free agent, we lost (Nick) Allegretti. Just depth wise it’s one of those things, I think every GM would say the same – when you go to training camp, you’re always looking at your backup line and you’re looking to make sure you have eight, nine, 10 that you feel really good about. Certainly, mentioning Wanya (Morris) and his development last year, I mean there were five guys, and (Mike) Caliendo played a little bit, six. We still have Lucas (Niang) who has every year come back better with that injury. Again, there’s been many years where we carry 10 offensive linemen, I think the last couple of years it may have been nine. (We) always want to shoot for that number there, and I thought just looking at our roster not only are we wanting to provide competitions at that left tackle position, swing type of position – but we also needed some depth in that interior offensive line, players that had experience both at center and guard. You can’t have enough of those, and every team carries around 10. I think for the most part of my GM tenure, I believe we were close to 10 and some years I think we even had 11 when we had guys that weren’t counting against the 53, I think we snuck in 11 one year. We’re always trying to look for 10 linemen, some years it’s nine, just wanted to make sure that we had enough competition to compete for those eight, nine, 10, 11 spots.”Q: Are the wide receiver and tackle position still in high demand for your roster?VEACH: “We’ll use this OTA period to assess that. I think we feel good right now, a lot of these guys were playing college football last year. I think how they do it here in the meetings and how they do with just kind of absorbing the information and can they translate it out on the field is a big deal. We don’t have pads on, so some of it may tail into St. Joe, into training camp but I think for right now we’re going to let these young guys go out there and see what they can do and how much they can absorb. If we feel good about it, this will be kind of where we go from St. Joe and then we’ll be able to adapt and adjust if needed, but I don’t think anything would be imminent.”Q: Of your seven draft picks, is there a specific trait that made you like them more than other prospects?VEACH: “Many of them were captains of their team but I would just say the intelligence. We’re always looking for athletic players, versatility, and intelligence right after athleticism is always a priority for us and I think all these guys really from Xavier (Worthy) all the way down to C.J. (Hanson). These are guys that are really smart and can adapt and adjust, we feel, to the pro game very quickly. Height, weight, speed and athletic ability will be number one but a close second will be versatility and intelligence and we feel like all of these guys fit that bill.”Q: How do you feel about the running back position after your all of the new additions you added in this offseason?VEACH: “Keaontay Ingram is a guy we like too, we got him late last year and it’s hard when guys come in into the middle of the season, we added him into our practice squad late, but I think we were a fan of his when he was at USC. I think that’s going to be one of those positions just like the left tackle, starting position, just like the tail end positions at corner, that running back position will be a battle and usually it comes down to special teams and pass protector as a number three here, so I think all these guys have traits we like and now it’s just a matter of a couple of those guys putting together a solid training camp. That’s from the mental side of things and from a special teams side of things. I do think though we have some guys that all have ability and now it’s just a matter of those guys going out there and earning a position. From a talent perspective, as you mentioned with (Emani) Bailey and (Carson) Steele we brought in and then last year (Deneric) Prince and Keaontay Ingram, all of those guys have talent and ability to play in this league, now it’s just a matter of who can put together a solid training camp and earn the position.”Q: What do you like about Jaden Hicks, Kamal Hadden and C.J. Hanson and how do you see them fitting in?VEACH: “(Jaden) Hicks, just the value was too great there, this is where you just want to stay true to your board and just take the best player available, and he’s one of those players that you look left to right on your board and you have needs at receiver and o-line, d-line and corner and then all of a sudden you get to your pick and you have a player that is at the safety position and we have some really good safeties here on this team but just from a talent perspective and long-term planning perspective it was just too good of a player to pass up. He’s a guy that you can do a lot of different things with. He’s a big kid. He has good range. He’s physical. He can play down low in the box. He can play in the back end and another really smart, intense player and with the special teams roles. Imagining him on special teams, I’m sure (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Toub is going to have a blast with him. It was just one of those situations where when we got to our pick, we just wanted to stay true to our board and take the best player available, and he was by far the best player available. (Kamal) Hadden was a guy that we kind of targeted there day three, tough physical kid, think he has a good press skillset and just like the way he plays and again. The one thing that we prioritize in the defensive back field is not just the size but physicality and (we) think he’ll certainly bring that. (C.J.) Hanson, he was a kid that (we) really heard a lot of things about him during the fall. He showed up at the East-West (Shrine Bowl) game and kind of took us by surprise, super athletic kid. He has a high ceiling and one of those guys that (Offensive Line) Coach (Andy) Heck was excited to work with and was surprised that he was still there in the seventh (round). Usually those guys that have success at smaller levels but go to an all-star game and excel and show out, usually those guys get nabbed up there in the fifth or sixth round so when we were sitting there in the seventh round, we did have some other needs but again, like Hicks, was just a player and at a position that those guys are hard to find. They’re hard to bring in as free agents. There’s usually bidding wars and every team is after them. Just think he’s another guy like Hunter (Nourzad) that has guard/center flexibility, played tackle at Holy Cross there but showed up and played well at guard at the East-West game but also think he has center flexibility too. Coach Heck will do a great job with both Hunter and Hanson in regards to getting both those guys reps at guard and center and the more versatility we have, the more important you become. I think both of those guys can handle – and mentally both of those guys are smart, so don’t think that will be an issue for either of those players.”

Chiefs Quotes: GM Brett Veach (4-29-24)

Kansas Wesleyan Softball is the No. 7 seed in the 2024 KCAC Tournament and will open the tournament against the No. 2 seed Ottawa University at Noon on Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend.

KWU reached the tournament thanks to a sweep of the Bethany Swedes in the final series of the regular season last week. KWU went 11-3 over its last 14 conference games after starting the season 2-10 in KCAC play to reach the conference tournament.

The Coyotes are 24-18 overall and finished KCAC play with a 13-13 record this season.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fdb2ab5-537e-46b3-baef-8043ad38fb5f?elinkdata=9734">Sydnee Fordham</a> paces the Coyotes with a .377 average for the season, leading the team with 49 hits and 21 doubles which leads the KCAC. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fef1eadd-cc21-4f38-9c35-59ce89184799?elinkdata=9734">Josie Buhr</a> is hitting .360 on the season with 31 hits. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/36c1ff11-bab1-4a9b-9a1a-5bc79a0c5e2a?elinkdata=9734">Trenity Miller</a> has 42 hits and leads the team with 30 RBI.

In conference play this season, Fordham has excelled with a .435 average and a 1.115 OPS with 37 hits and 15 doubles, leading the KCAC in conference play, along with a .647 slugging average. Buhr is hitting .409 with 18 hits, but missed nine conference games with an injury.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c16a498-14c2-42ae-90f3-3e050d1f384b?elinkdata=9734">Caitlyn Collier</a> leads the Coyotes with a 1.43 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in the circle with a 7-4 record in 19 appearances with nine complete games in 93 innings. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ca7a22f9-ccbb-4f85-b89e-1a9d2195339c?elinkdata=9734">Miranda Fogal</a> is 7-7 with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in 666 and two-thirds and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8a20ef06-2e39-4973-8416-1eb54bcbd2a3?elinkdata=9734">Jewell Henry</a> is 7-5 with a 1.52 WHIP and a 3.21 ETA in 76 and a third innings.

Ottawa is 36-14 overall and finished KCAC play with a 20-6 record in the KCAC.

Addison Spencer leads the Braves with a .375 average in 50 games for the Braves and leads the team with 63 hits.

The Braves have a three-pitcher rotation led by Ashlyn Mercer with a 15-7 record in 25 appearances and 148 innings with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Madison Carney is 9-1 in 11 appearances with a 2.61 ERA and 1.23 WHIP and Takiya Hill is 11-4 in 21 appearances with a 1.14 WHIP and a 4.14 ERA in 95 and two-thirds innings.

Ottawa swept KWU in the regular season meetings winning 4-3 and 9-0 on March 23 in Salina.

The winner of the Ottawa / KWU match up will play the winner between Friends and Oklahoma Wesleyan at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The loser plays an elimination game against the loser between top-seeded Evangel and 8-seed Tabor at 7:30 on Wednesday.

Evangel is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Ottawa is the No. 2 seed, Friends is the No. 3 seed, Saint Mary is seeded fourth, Avila fifth, Oklahoma Wesleyan sixth, KWU seventh, Tabor eighth.

The KCAC tournament runs through May 3. The tournament champion will receive one of two automatic berths to the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round May 13-16 at campus sites around the country. The NAIA Softball World Series is May 23-29 in Columbus, Ga.

Kansas Wesleyan Softball is the No. 7 seed in the 2024 KCAC Tournament and will open the tournament against the No. 2 seed Ottawa University at Noon on Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend.KWU reached the tournament thanks to a sweep of the Bethany Swedes in the final series of the regular season last week. KWU went 11-3 over its last 14 conference games after starting the season 2-10 in KCAC play to reach the conference tournament.The Coyotes are 24-18 overall and finished KCAC play with a 13-13 record this season.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fdb2ab5-537e-46b3-baef-8043ad38fb5f?elinkdata=9734">Sydnee Fordham</a> paces the Coyotes with a .377 average for the season, leading the team with 49 hits and 21 doubles which leads the KCAC. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fef1eadd-cc21-4f38-9c35-59ce89184799?elinkdata=9734">Josie Buhr</a> is hitting .360 on the season with 31 hits. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/36c1ff11-bab1-4a9b-9a1a-5bc79a0c5e2a?elinkdata=9734">Trenity Miller</a> has 42 hits and leads the team with 30 RBI.In conference play this season, Fordham has excelled with a .435 average and a 1.115 OPS with 37 hits and 15 doubles, leading the KCAC in conference play, along with a .647 slugging average. Buhr is hitting .409 with 18 hits, but missed nine conference games with an injury.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c16a498-14c2-42ae-90f3-3e050d1f384b?elinkdata=9734">Caitlyn Collier</a> leads the Coyotes with a 1.43 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in the circle with a 7-4 record in 19 appearances with nine complete games in 93 innings. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ca7a22f9-ccbb-4f85-b89e-1a9d2195339c?elinkdata=9734">Miranda Fogal</a> is 7-7 with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in 666 and two-thirds and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8a20ef06-2e39-4973-8416-1eb54bcbd2a3?elinkdata=9734">Jewell Henry</a> is 7-5 with a 1.52 WHIP and a 3.21 ETA in 76 and a third innings.Ottawa is 36-14 overall and finished KCAC play with a 20-6 record in the KCAC.Addison Spencer leads the Braves with a .375 average in 50 games for the Braves and leads the team with 63 hits.The Braves have a three-pitcher rotation led by Ashlyn Mercer with a 15-7 record in 25 appearances and 148 innings with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Madison Carney is 9-1 in 11 appearances with a 2.61 ERA and 1.23 WHIP and Takiya Hill is 11-4 in 21 appearances with a 1.14 WHIP and a 4.14 ERA in 95 and two-thirds innings.Ottawa swept KWU in the regular season meetings winning 4-3 and 9-0 on March 23 in Salina.The winner of the Ottawa / KWU match up will play the winner between Friends and Oklahoma Wesleyan at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The loser plays an elimination game against the loser between top-seeded Evangel and 8-seed Tabor at 7:30 on Wednesday.Evangel is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Ottawa is the No. 2 seed, Friends is the No. 3 seed, Saint Mary is seeded fourth, Avila fifth, Oklahoma Wesleyan sixth, KWU seventh, Tabor eighth.The KCAC tournament runs through May 3. The tournament champion will receive one of two automatic berths to the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round May 13-16 at campus sites around the country. The NAIA Softball World Series is May 23-29 in Columbus, Ga.

Softball earns 7-seed in KCAC Tournament, faces No. 2 seed Ottawa on Wednesday

Kansas Conference champion Kansas Wesleyan is the top seed in the 2024 KCAC Baseball Tournament that starts on Wednesday with a new 8-team format at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend.

KWU will face the No. 8 seed Evangel at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday in the first round of the Top Bracket of the tournament.

The tournament field expanded this season to eight teams, with two four-team, double-elimination brackets that will then meet on the final day of the tournament to determine the KCAC Champion.

With a first round victory, the Coyotes will play the winner between Ottawa and McPherson at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. A loss will send KWU into an elimination game on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Kansas Conference champion Kansas Wesleyan is the top seed in the 2024 KCAC Baseball Tournament that starts on Wednesday with a new 8-team format at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend.KWU will face the No. 8 seed Evangel at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday in the first round of the Top Bracket of the tournament.The tournament field expanded this season to eight teams, with two four-team, double-elimination brackets that will then meet on the final day of the tournament to determine the KCAC Champion.With a first round victory, the Coyotes will play the winner between Ottawa and McPherson at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. A loss will send KWU into an elimination game on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.KWU swept the season series with Evangel on February 23 and 24 in Salina.KWU is 41-8 on the season and set new conference and school records for KCAC wins in a season with a 32-4 KCAC record. The Coyotes won 27 straight KCAC games to close out the regular season, not suffering a KCAC loss since the beginning of March. KWU has won 30 of its last 31 games overall and vaulted to No. 20 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fcd7875-d69d-4901-916f-6cd10d9b7d7e?elinkdata=9712">Jarrett Gable</a>, the reigning KCAC Player of the Year leads the Coyotes in batting average at .415, hits with 83, and RBI with 70. He has a 1.268 OPS and has added 18 homers on the season. He leads the KCAC in hits, and ranks fourth in the KCAC in average, second in RBI and third in homers. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/07eb6496-4bcc-44b3-80be-068e7a6f05f4?elinkdata=9712">Kendall Foster</a> hits .377 for the Coyotes with a KCAC best 21 homers with a 1.393 OPS and a .931 slugging average with 55 RBI.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/248ff5c7-7767-4545-acd5-c196ccdb21c7?elinkdata=9712">Jarrett Brannen</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/370a504a-2f8f-4881-a92c-e1f648da1f2f?elinkdata=9712">Brett Maddock</a> anchor the Coyote pitching staff. Brannen is 10-1 on the season in 12 starts, tossing 64 and a third innings, with 67 strikeouts and 23 walks, featuring a 1.37 WHIP and a 3.78 ERA. Maddock is 8-1 on the season in 14 starts, tossing 67 and a third innings with 69 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP and a 5.08 ERA.Evangel is 23-24 on the season and finished 16-20 in the KCAC this season, their first in the conference.Riley Mitchell leads the Valor offensively, hitting .400 on the season with a team best 62 hits, including 13 doubles and seven triples. He has also stolen 31 bases on the season. Levi Loughridge hits .342 for the Valor and has a team best 47 RBI.Evangel's pitching staff seven players that have over 20 innings pitched on the season. Wyatt Keplar leads the Valor in ERA at 4.31, with a 1.58 WHIP, and has a 2-3 record on the season in 13 starts and 54 and a third innings pitched with 78 strikeouts. Colby Vavruska is 6-5 with a 4.93 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 69 and a third innings. Isaac Daley has 12 starts on the season and is 4-5 with a 6.55 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.Wednesday's winner will face either McPherson or Ottawa in the top bracket semifinal on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. The loser will play the loser between McPherson and Ottawa at 3:30 on Thursday in an elimination game.The KCAC Championship Game is on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. featuring the winners of each four-team bracket.KWU, 8-seed Evangel, 4-seed Ottawa and 5-seed McPherson are in the top bracket.2-seed Tabor, 3-seed Oklahoma Wesleyan, 6-seed Friends and 7-seed Avila are in the lower bracket.The winner of the KCAC Tournament will receive one of two automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round held at campus sites around the country May 13-16. The 67th AVISTA NAIA World Series is May 24-31 in Lewiston, Idaho.