(AP) — Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke, Houston and Florida joining the Tigers on the No. 1 line in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness brackets</a>&nbsp;released Sunday.

The NCAA selection committee favored the regular-season champs of the record-setting Southeastern Conference despite three losses in their last four games, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auburn-duke-basketball-score-14ea6fd696d93d62d6edc4b47073d608">a loss to Duke</a>&nbsp;back in December.

The Tigers (28-5) and Gators were two of the 14 SEC teams to make the field, which are the most for a conference in the history of the tournament.&nbsp;

It’s Florida, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-florida-score-49478f25c45a901113aef95e22911f58">captured the SEC tournament</a>&nbsp;by winning three games with an average margin of 15 points, that opens as a slight favorite to win it all at the Final Four in San Antonio on April 5 and 7, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

In something of a surprise, both North Carolina and Texas slid in off the bubble, while Indiana, West Virginia and Boise State did not.

The 68-team bracket starts whittling down on Tuesday with preliminary games, and the main draw kicks off on Thursday and Friday, with 32 games at eight sites around the country.

A tribute, then a bracket with plenty to talk about

The selection show began with a heartfelt tribute to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greg-gumbel-died-ace2925dbb23282079fb2dba06efe9bb">the late Greg Gumbel,</a>&nbsp;the CBS stalwart who oversaw the bracket unveiling for decades.

Then, just as Gumbel would have preferred, it was about the basketball – and this time there was plenty to talk about.&nbsp;

North Carolina looked all but out, a victim of a 1-12 record against so-called Quad 1 opponents and part of a conference (ACC) teetering on the verge of a historically bad season. But the Tar Heels made it, thanks maybe to a strong nonconference slate, while Texas was also in — its seven wins against Quad 1 teams outweighing its overall 15 losses.

The SEC’s 14 teams were followed by the Big Ten with eight and Big 12 with seven. The ACC, meanwhile, ended up with four teams, barely avoiding its worst showing since 2000, back when the conference was half the size it is now.&nbsp;

Even in a down cycle, the ACC has Duke, and Duke has arguably the best player in the country in freshman Cooper Flagg, a 19-point, 7.5-rebound-a-game freshman whose ankle injury, the school says, will not keep him out of March Madness.

Bracket gives Pitino and St. John’s a long and interesting road&nbsp;

Elsewhere in the bracket, coach Rick Pitino leads his unprecedented sixth program into the tournament, and what a road he would have to take to get to the Final Four.

First, he will travel to Providence, the same building where the coach led the Friars to a surprise Final Four trip back in 1987, to lead St. John’s in a first-round game against Omaha. Pitino’s second game could come against Arkansas and John Calipari in what would be a titanic matchup between two of the game’s biggest coaching names.&nbsp;

Another coaching icon, Tom Izzo, leads Michigan State to its 27th straight tournament. The Spartans are seeded second and will face America East champion Bryant in its opener.&nbsp;

And Gonzaga is in for the 26th time, though extending its streak of making the second weekend to 10 years will be tough. The Bulldogs, after an “off” year in which they still won the West Coast Conference, are seeded eighth and could face Houston in the second round.

AP March Madness bracket:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket">https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket</a>and coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741021637501.jpeg" alt="FILE - March Madness branding is displayed (AP Photo/Michael Caterina, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - March Madness branding is displayed (AP Photo/Michael Caterina, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>(AP) — Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke, Houston and Florida joining the Tigers on the No. 1 line in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness brackets</a>&nbsp;released Sunday.The NCAA selection committee favored the regular-season champs of the record-setting Southeastern Conference despite three losses in their last four games, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auburn-duke-basketball-score-14ea6fd696d93d62d6edc4b47073d608">a loss to Duke</a>&nbsp;back in December.The Tigers (28-5) and Gators were two of the 14 SEC teams to make the field, which are the most for a conference in the history of the tournament.&nbsp;It’s Florida, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-florida-score-49478f25c45a901113aef95e22911f58">captured the SEC tournament</a>&nbsp;by winning three games with an average margin of 15 points, that opens as a slight favorite to win it all at the Final Four in San Antonio on April 5 and 7, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.In something of a surprise, both North Carolina and Texas slid in off the bubble, while Indiana, West Virginia and Boise State did not.The 68-team bracket starts whittling down on Tuesday with preliminary games, and the main draw kicks off on Thursday and Friday, with 32 games at eight sites around the country.<h2>A tribute, then a bracket with plenty to talk about</h2>The selection show began with a heartfelt tribute to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greg-gumbel-died-ace2925dbb23282079fb2dba06efe9bb">the late Greg Gumbel,</a>&nbsp;the CBS stalwart who oversaw the bracket unveiling for decades.Then, just as Gumbel would have preferred, it was about the basketball – and this time there was plenty to talk about.&nbsp;North Carolina looked all but out, a victim of a 1-12 record against so-called Quad 1 opponents and part of a conference (ACC) teetering on the verge of a historically bad season. But the Tar Heels made it, thanks maybe to a strong nonconference slate, while Texas was also in — its seven wins against Quad 1 teams outweighing its overall 15 losses.The SEC’s 14 teams were followed by the Big Ten with eight and Big 12 with seven. The ACC, meanwhile, ended up with four teams, barely avoiding its worst showing since 2000, back when the conference was half the size it is now.&nbsp;Even in a down cycle, the ACC has Duke, and Duke has arguably the best player in the country in freshman Cooper Flagg, a 19-point, 7.5-rebound-a-game freshman whose ankle injury, the school says, will not keep him out of March Madness.<h2>Bracket gives Pitino and St. John’s a long and interesting road&nbsp;</h2>Elsewhere in the bracket, coach Rick Pitino leads his unprecedented sixth program into the tournament, and what a road he would have to take to get to the Final Four.First, he will travel to Providence, the same building where the coach led the Friars to a surprise Final Four trip back in 1987, to lead St. John’s in a first-round game against Omaha. Pitino’s second game could come against Arkansas and John Calipari in what would be a titanic matchup between two of the game’s biggest coaching names.&nbsp;Another coaching icon, Tom Izzo, leads Michigan State to its 27th straight tournament. The Spartans are seeded second and will face America East champion Bryant in its opener.&nbsp;And Gonzaga is in for the 26th time, though extending its streak of making the second weekend to 10 years will be tough. The Bulldogs, after an “off” year in which they still won the West Coast Conference, are seeded eighth and could face Houston in the second round.AP March Madness bracket:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket">https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket</a>and coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness</a>

🏀 March Madness brackets have Auburn as the overall No. 1 followed by Duke, Houston, Florida

OLATHE - The Kansas Wesleyan women came one game shy of reaching next week's NAIA's Sweet 16 - an opposing player named Shy the primary culprit.

Shy Christopher scored 40 points and Mid-America Christian (Okla.) pulled away late in the fourth quarter for a 94-74 victory over the Coyotes in a Second Round game of the NAIA National Championship on Saturday night inside the Cook Center.

Christopher, a senior guard and transfer from Division I Southeast Missouri State, scored 19 in the first half and 21 in the second, going 14 of 23 from the field and 11 of 16 at the free throw line. She had seven points in the fourth quarter as the Evangels outscored KWU 34-21.

"You've got to credit her, she's a great finisher through contact off one foot, off balance," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/38b524d9-5127-4804-912f-ce651e77577b?elinkdata=22181">Ryan Showman</a> said on the postgame radio show. "It was incredible some of the shots she made. For us to have a chance to win we had to force her to take those shots and unfortunately for us she knocked them down."

The Coyotes, the 15th seed in the Duer Quadrant, upset No. 2 MidAmerica Nazarene on Friday and ended the season with a 24-8 record that included an 18-4 slate and the Kansas Conference's regular season title. MACU (27-6) was the seventh seed and eliminated No. 10 Northwestern (Iowa) 74-64 Friday night.

Christopher scored 12 in the first quarter and the Evangels took a 19-11 lead into the second period. The Coyotes stormed back and had leads of 33-32 and 35-34 before trailing 36-35 at the break.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/da225b3d-ac37-45e8-85ad-e58e22f167d4?elinkdata=22181">Hampton Williams'</a> 3-pointer got KWU within 56-53 late in the third quarter but six straight points extended the Evangels' lead to 62-53 early in the fourth quarter.

Leading 76-68 with just over four minutes left, MACU closed out the game on an 18-6 run that included the final eight points. The Evangels outscored the Coyotes 58-39 in the second half.

"I thought it was a great effort, it just wasn't good enough tonight against a really good team," Showman said. "At this level they're all really good and we had to play a certain way, but we weren't able to do that consistently."

The Coyotes shot 40.3 percent (27 of 67) but were just 5 of 24 beyond the 3-point arc. MACU shot 57 percent (33 of 58), 4 of 9 from deep, and outscored the Coyotes in the paint 72-48.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ae20fcdf-5827-42b6-a569-bb6b9a0df15f?elinkdata=22181">LaMyah Ricks</a> and Williams led KWU with 12 points apiece while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/733f316c-dee9-4d16-98f8-18d181f3cf45?elinkdata=22181">Jocelyn Hall</a> had 11 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ae069471-bb07-47dc-b8c7-d6cad153cdce?elinkdata=22181">Angel Lee</a> and Cat Bowman 10 each. Ricks also had six assists and two steals. Bowman grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and Hall had seven, but MACU won the rebounding battle 40-31.

The 2024-25 season was in stark contrast to a year ago when KWU finished with a 17-13 record.

"I was proud of everyone tonight," Showman said. "Right now, it's raw and in the moment, it hurts. But when we have a chance to reflect it's going to be a season to remember, one of the best in school history.

OLATHE - The Kansas Wesleyan women came one game shy of reaching next week's NAIA's Sweet 16 - an opposing player named Shy the primary culprit.Shy Christopher scored 40 points and Mid-America Christian (Okla.) pulled away late in the fourth quarter for a 94-74 victory over the Coyotes in a Second Round game of the NAIA National Championship on Saturday night inside the Cook Center.Christopher, a senior guard and transfer from Division I Southeast Missouri State, scored 19 in the first half and 21 in the second, going 14 of 23 from the field and 11 of 16 at the free throw line. She had seven points in the fourth quarter as the Evangels outscored KWU 34-21."You've got to credit her, she's a great finisher through contact off one foot, off balance," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/38b524d9-5127-4804-912f-ce651e77577b?elinkdata=22181">Ryan Showman</a> said on the postgame radio show. "It was incredible some of the shots she made. For us to have a chance to win we had to force her to take those shots and unfortunately for us she knocked them down."The Coyotes, the 15th seed in the Duer Quadrant, upset No. 2 MidAmerica Nazarene on Friday and ended the season with a 24-8 record that included an 18-4 slate and the Kansas Conference's regular season title. MACU (27-6) was the seventh seed and eliminated No. 10 Northwestern (Iowa) 74-64 Friday night.Christopher scored 12 in the first quarter and the Evangels took a 19-11 lead into the second period. The Coyotes stormed back and had leads of 33-32 and 35-34 before trailing 36-35 at the break.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/da225b3d-ac37-45e8-85ad-e58e22f167d4?elinkdata=22181">Hampton Williams'</a> 3-pointer got KWU within 56-53 late in the third quarter but six straight points extended the Evangels' lead to 62-53 early in the fourth quarter.Leading 76-68 with just over four minutes left, MACU closed out the game on an 18-6 run that included the final eight points. The Evangels outscored the Coyotes 58-39 in the second half."I thought it was a great effort, it just wasn't good enough tonight against a really good team," Showman said. "At this level they're all really good and we had to play a certain way, but we weren't able to do that consistently."The Coyotes shot 40.3 percent (27 of 67) but were just 5 of 24 beyond the 3-point arc. MACU shot 57 percent (33 of 58), 4 of 9 from deep, and outscored the Coyotes in the paint 72-48.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ae20fcdf-5827-42b6-a569-bb6b9a0df15f?elinkdata=22181">LaMyah Ricks</a> and Williams led KWU with 12 points apiece while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/733f316c-dee9-4d16-98f8-18d181f3cf45?elinkdata=22181">Jocelyn Hall</a> had 11 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ae069471-bb07-47dc-b8c7-d6cad153cdce?elinkdata=22181">Angel Lee</a> and Cat Bowman 10 each. Ricks also had six assists and two steals. Bowman grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and Hall had seven, but MACU won the rebounding battle 40-31.The 2024-25 season was in stark contrast to a year ago when KWU finished with a 17-13 record."I was proud of everyone tonight," Showman said. "Right now, it's raw and in the moment, it hurts. But when we have a chance to reflect it's going to be a season to remember, one of the best in school history.

Coyote WBB falls to Mid-America Christian in NAIA Second Round

WINFIELD - Less Mother Nature and more winning for the Kansas Wesleyan Baseball team on Saturday as the Coyotes swept Southwestern 24-3 and 20-7 at Bradway Athletic Complez.

The wins improve the Coyotes' record to 17-9 overall and 12-3 in the KCAC.

Wesleyan scored every inning of the first game on the way to the run-rule shortened victory.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c2e642ec-313a-41a6-91d0-f8341ab3fbe0?elinkdata=22150">Tyler Favretto</a> had himself a day starting in the first inning hitting a solo homer to put the Coyotes up.

In the second it was <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f179d4fa-daf1-43ec-9b71-da4e7559d3ee?elinkdata=22150">Joe Finder's</a> turn with a solo shot to put the Coyotes up 2-0.

In the third, KWU put five on the board, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/738298e4-c965-4cb5-8895-49342ade8970?elinkdata=22150">Blake Dale</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9ce94e2e-08f3-4358-93c1-ebf4e9d2f74a?elinkdata=22150">Jacob Williamson</a> led off the inning with singles and Favretto crushed a 3-run homer to make it 5-0. Two batters later, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/361698a2-3e3a-46a8-b2f0-14411eec1562?elinkdata=22150">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> homered and later in the inning <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/76bf4a4a-2e5a-4c84-ab8a-bbd55c642d8b?elinkdata=22150">Jesse Conrad</a> had a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.

In the fourth, the Coyotes put three more on the board. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7a9c6c06-5772-442b-983e-f5c980426126?elinkdata=22150">Carter Allen</a> reached on an error with the bases loaded that allowed two runs to score and Ruvalcaba scored in the inning as well on a wild pitch.

Five more in the fifth for the Coyotes as Favretto drove in two more on a double, Ruvalcaba brought one in on a sacrifice fly and Allen hit a 2-run homer to make it 15-1.

The sixth inning saw six more on the board for the Coyotes. Conrad homered and Favretto drove in another run with a ground out. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd2fd7c9-08af-4b6c-a26b-38ee9e184cd9?elinkdata=22150">Garrett Garfield</a> reached on an error with two outs that allowed Williamson to score. Ruvalcaba doubled home a run, and Allen capped the scoring in the inning with a 2-run homer.

The Coyotes added three more in the seventh. Three straight walks to Conrad, Dale and Williams set up Favretto's 2-run single and Ruvalcaba's sacrifice fly.

Southwestern scored twice in the bottom of the inning, but could not push the difference back under 10 to continue the game.

Favretto was 4 of 5 in the game with nine RBI, the most RBI in a game since Haydn Brown had nine in 2021 against McPherson. Allen drove in five, Ruvalcaba drove in four. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/00020dd4-80df-45b3-9d9d-69e783414689?elinkdata=22150">Nathan Righi</a> went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven.

In the second game, the Coyotes jumped out to a 2-0 lead off doubles by Favretto and Garfield and a single by Ruvalcaba that yielded a run thanks to a Southwestern error.

Wesleyan added two more in the second as Riggs singled scoring Finder who led off the inning with a single and Conrad later scored on a wild pitch after walking in the inning.

Riggs led off the fourth with a homer as the Coyotes put five runs on the board. Williamson and Favretto walked and Ruvalcaba singled home a run. A balk plated Favretto and Allen followed with a two run homer.

Five more went on the board for the Coyotes in the fifth. Favretto singled, Garfield walked and then Ruvalcaba hit a 3-run homer. The Coyotes then loaded the bases again and Williamson drove in two with a single.

Southwestern scored three in the bottom of the fifth, but the Coyotes answered right back with five in the sixth. Garfield walked and Ruvalcaba started the inning reaching back and Garfield started the scoring reaching on a wild pitch. Finder and Conrad walked to load the bases. Dale walked to bring in a run, and Riggs was hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Williamson then singled two score two runs.

Ruvalcaba was 4 for 4 and drove in four runs. Williams had two hits and drove in four. Riggs drove in three.

WINFIELD - Less Mother Nature and more winning for the Kansas Wesleyan Baseball team on Saturday as the Coyotes swept Southwestern 24-3 and 20-7 at Bradway Athletic Complez.The wins improve the Coyotes' record to 17-9 overall and 12-3 in the KCAC.Wesleyan scored every inning of the first game on the way to the run-rule shortened victory.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c2e642ec-313a-41a6-91d0-f8341ab3fbe0?elinkdata=22150">Tyler Favretto</a> had himself a day starting in the first inning hitting a solo homer to put the Coyotes up.In the second it was <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f179d4fa-daf1-43ec-9b71-da4e7559d3ee?elinkdata=22150">Joe Finder's</a> turn with a solo shot to put the Coyotes up 2-0.In the third, KWU put five on the board, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/738298e4-c965-4cb5-8895-49342ade8970?elinkdata=22150">Blake Dale</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9ce94e2e-08f3-4358-93c1-ebf4e9d2f74a?elinkdata=22150">Jacob Williamson</a> led off the inning with singles and Favretto crushed a 3-run homer to make it 5-0. Two batters later, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/361698a2-3e3a-46a8-b2f0-14411eec1562?elinkdata=22150">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> homered and later in the inning <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/76bf4a4a-2e5a-4c84-ab8a-bbd55c642d8b?elinkdata=22150">Jesse Conrad</a> had a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.In the fourth, the Coyotes put three more on the board. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7a9c6c06-5772-442b-983e-f5c980426126?elinkdata=22150">Carter Allen</a> reached on an error with the bases loaded that allowed two runs to score and Ruvalcaba scored in the inning as well on a wild pitch.Five more in the fifth for the Coyotes as Favretto drove in two more on a double, Ruvalcaba brought one in on a sacrifice fly and Allen hit a 2-run homer to make it 15-1.The sixth inning saw six more on the board for the Coyotes. Conrad homered and Favretto drove in another run with a ground out. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd2fd7c9-08af-4b6c-a26b-38ee9e184cd9?elinkdata=22150">Garrett Garfield</a> reached on an error with two outs that allowed Williamson to score. Ruvalcaba doubled home a run, and Allen capped the scoring in the inning with a 2-run homer.The Coyotes added three more in the seventh. Three straight walks to Conrad, Dale and Williams set up Favretto's 2-run single and Ruvalcaba's sacrifice fly.Southwestern scored twice in the bottom of the inning, but could not push the difference back under 10 to continue the game.Favretto was 4 of 5 in the game with nine RBI, the most RBI in a game since Haydn Brown had nine in 2021 against McPherson. Allen drove in five, Ruvalcaba drove in four. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/00020dd4-80df-45b3-9d9d-69e783414689?elinkdata=22150">Nathan Righi</a> went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven.In the second game, the Coyotes jumped out to a 2-0 lead off doubles by Favretto and Garfield and a single by Ruvalcaba that yielded a run thanks to a Southwestern error.Wesleyan added two more in the second as Riggs singled scoring Finder who led off the inning with a single and Conrad later scored on a wild pitch after walking in the inning.Riggs led off the fourth with a homer as the Coyotes put five runs on the board. Williamson and Favretto walked and Ruvalcaba singled home a run. A balk plated Favretto and Allen followed with a two run homer.Five more went on the board for the Coyotes in the fifth. Favretto singled, Garfield walked and then Ruvalcaba hit a 3-run homer. The Coyotes then loaded the bases again and Williamson drove in two with a single.Southwestern scored three in the bottom of the fifth, but the Coyotes answered right back with five in the sixth. Garfield walked and Ruvalcaba started the inning reaching back and Garfield started the scoring reaching on a wild pitch. Finder and Conrad walked to load the bases. Dale walked to bring in a run, and Riggs was hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Williamson then singled two score two runs.Ruvalcaba was 4 for 4 and drove in four runs. Williams had two hits and drove in four. Riggs drove in three.

KWU Baseball routs Southwestern twice to sweep series

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

After briefly stumbling 76-59 at the hands of Sterling in the 2A state semifinals, the Ell-Saline boy’s basketball team rebounded well on Saturday, blowing out Valley Falls 109-74 to claim third place at state.

For the first time since 1980, a new boys basketball banner will hang in the gym in Brookville.

“What these guys did is huge and I’m sure we all felt a lot of pressure but this was a moment we felt like we lost last season and these were our expectations,” Ell-Saline head coach Marty Wendel said. “To make that a reality is huge especially when we were down 16 with five minutes left to go in our season a week ago.”

That mark of 109 points broke the all-time single-game scoring record for any team at the state tournament in the history of the state of Kansas.

The combined total of 183 points nearly broke another record, and now sits as the second most point-rich game in state basketball history, and the highest-scoring game in the recorded history of Class 2A.

“The pace was fast and we played our 1-3-1 zone throughout the entire game,” Wendel said. “They hadn’t seen that kind of quickness and athleticism and we hit shots and got a lot of good work in transition.”

This win was never in doubt, as the Cardinals flew out of the gates to a 33-15 lead in the first quarter, a 63-38 advantage at halftime, and a 97-51 mammoth lead in the third.

Things slowed a little in the fourth and final quarter, but thanks to their hard work in the opening three frames Ell-Saline was able to coast to victory in Manhattan.

Four different Cardinals notched double digits in this game, led by Brogan Rowley (34) Garrison Zerger (19) Reese Krone (15) Kas Kramer (13), and Trey Williams (12).

This state run caps off a 22-4 season for Ell-Saline, two massive feats considering the state of the program when Coach Wendel took over five years ago.

Brick by brick, Wendel and the Cardinals rebuilt a program that didn’t have a single winning season from 2013-2020, collecting the program's first win in nearly three seasons in 2021.

From there, the Cardinals stamped that first winning season in 2022-23, and just two years later they stand as the third best team in Class 2A, a remarkable turn of events in such a short time frame.

“It’s humbling as a head coach to see this program where it is now,” Wendel said. “I didn’t take over a diamond here, things were rough and it wasn’t pretty but to have people in the community that have backed and supported me through this and continued to believe and see the positive means everything.”

This also couldn’t have been done without a stellar senior class, consisting of Brogan Rowley, Garrison Zerger, Tayton Williams, Melvin Lutes, and Jake Tillberg.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our senior group,” he said. “We joke about the struggles we went through in their first few years but I’m so glad they were the ones to get here and accomplish this.”

While growing pains in the absence of that group will be present next season, Ell-Saline has built a program designed to last, and will be eager to get back on the floor when the ball goes back in the air next season.

“We do lose some key pieces and we’ll suffer from that a little bit,” Wendel said. “But it’s an opportunity for our underclassmen to step up and we’re optimistic about the guys we bring back that we can battle to do something like this again next year. It’s a run it back mentality”

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostAfter briefly stumbling 76-59 at the hands of Sterling in the 2A state semifinals, the Ell-Saline boy’s basketball team rebounded well on Saturday, blowing out Valley Falls 109-74 to claim third place at state.For the first time since 1980, a new boys basketball banner will hang in the gym in Brookville.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.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>“What these guys did is huge and I’m sure we all felt a lot of pressure but this was a moment we felt like we lost last season and these were our expectations,” Ell-Saline head coach Marty Wendel said. “To make that a reality is huge especially when we were down 16 with five minutes left to go in our season a week ago.”That mark of 109 points broke the all-time single-game scoring record for any team at the state tournament in the history of the state of Kansas.The combined total of 183 points nearly broke another record, and now sits as the second most point-rich game in state basketball history, and the highest-scoring game in the recorded history of Class 2A.“The pace was fast and we played our 1-3-1 zone throughout the entire game,” Wendel said. “They hadn’t seen that kind of quickness and athleticism and we hit shots and got a lot of good work in transition.”This win was never in doubt, as the Cardinals flew out of the gates to a 33-15 lead in the first quarter, a 63-38 advantage at halftime, and a 97-51 mammoth lead in the third.Things slowed a little in the fourth and final quarter, but thanks to their hard work in the opening three frames Ell-Saline was able to coast to victory in Manhattan.Four different Cardinals notched double digits in this game, led by Brogan Rowley (34) Garrison Zerger (19) Reese Krone (15) Kas Kramer (13), and Trey Williams (12).This state run caps off a 22-4 season for Ell-Saline, two massive feats considering the state of the program when Coach Wendel took over five years ago.Brick by brick, Wendel and the Cardinals rebuilt a program that didn’t have a single winning season from 2013-2020, collecting the program's first win in nearly three seasons in 2021.From there, the Cardinals stamped that first winning season in 2022-23, and just two years later they stand as the third best team in Class 2A, a remarkable turn of events in such a short time frame.“It’s humbling as a head coach to see this program where it is now,” Wendel said. “I didn’t take over a diamond here, things were rough and it wasn’t pretty but to have people in the community that have backed and supported me through this and continued to believe and see the positive means everything.”This also couldn’t have been done without a stellar senior class, consisting of Brogan Rowley, Garrison Zerger, Tayton Williams, Melvin Lutes, and Jake Tillberg.“I couldn’t be more proud of our senior group,” he said. “We joke about the struggles we went through in their first few years but I’m so glad they were the ones to get here and accomplish this.”While growing pains in the absence of that group will be present next season, Ell-Saline has built a program designed to last, and will be eager to get back on the floor when the ball goes back in the air next season.“We do lose some key pieces and we’ll suffer from that a little bit,” Wendel said. “But it’s an opportunity for our underclassmen to step up and we’re optimistic about the guys we bring back that we can battle to do something like this again next year. It’s a run it back mentality”

Cardinals crush state scoring record en route to third-place finish at state 

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals today named their 2024 Organization Award winners and their Players and Pitchers of the Year for each minor league affiliate.

All Organization Award winners were honored at the club’s Spring Training complex in Surprise, Ariz. this morning.

Nicholas Badders&nbsp;was the recipient of the&nbsp;Matt Minker&nbsp;Award, which annually recognizes an outstanding minor league affiliate employee. Badders, the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers Broadcast and Media Relations Manager, is entering his ninth season broadcasting professional baseball and his fifth season with the Royals organization. In September 2023, he acted as a fill-in broadcaster for the Royals Radio Network for a series in Toronto. Prior to his role with Omaha, Badders was the broadcaster for Double-A Northwest Arkansas from 2021-22.

J.C. Boscan&nbsp;was honored as the&nbsp;Dick Howser&nbsp;Award winner, which recognizes a player development employee for outstanding contributions to the organization. Boscan is entering his ninth season as the Minor League Catching Coordinator. During his time with the club, he’s worked extensively as a long-time mentor to countryman&nbsp;Freddy Fermin&nbsp;as he worked his way up through the Royals system. Boscan had stints in the Majors with the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs from 2010-13 and played in parts of 19 seasons in the minors, including his time in the Royals organization in 2015 when he played for Triple-A Omaha.

Yunior Marte&nbsp;was the recipient of the&nbsp;Carlos Fortuna&nbsp;Award, which recognizes a player who is dedicated to improving his English on and off the field, and who exemplifies leadership, great work ethic, discipline and dedication. The Azua, D.R. native made 9 appearances (8 starts) between the ACL Royals and Single-A Columbia in 2024 and struck out 22 batters in 24.2 innings pitched. Since signing with the Royals as an international free agent in January 2022, he’s graduated from high school and is currently taking college classes online. He’s seen among his peers as a great role model with his discipline, humility and respectful attitude, along with his commitment to learning English.

John Rave, 27, earned Omaha Player of the Year honors for 2024 after slashing .259/.346/.470 (129-for-498, .816 OPS) in a career-high 131 games, and his 21 home runs matched&nbsp;Spencer Nivens&nbsp;for the most by a Royals minor leaguer. Rave was one of only four minor leaguers to register at least 30 doubles, 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases last season, along with Houston’s&nbsp;Jesús Bastidas&nbsp;(31 2B, 25 HR, 15 SB), Boston’s&nbsp;Kristian Campbell&nbsp;(32, 20, 24) and the A’s&nbsp;Colby Thomas&nbsp;(44, 31, 15). He won Omaha’s Player of the Month Award in June after batting .316 (31-for-98, 1.028 OPS) with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs and 14 RBI in 25 games. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Illinois State University and was signed by&nbsp;Scott Melvin.

Evan Sisk, 27, was added to Kansas City’s 40-man roster on Nov. 1, 2024 after spending last season with Omaha and being named a 2024 International League postseason All-Star. He led all Triple-A pitchers (min. 50 games) in ERA (1.57) and WHIP (1.03), ranked 2nd in opponents’ average (.166) and K/BB ratio (3.1), 3rd in K/9 (12.7), tied for 4th in strikeouts (81) and 5th in saves (15). Sisk was one of two pitchers in Minor League Baseball to record at least 50 appearances and not allow a home run, as he enters 2025 with an active streak of 69.0 homerless innings. On Jan. 23, 2023, Sisk was acquired by Kansas City with right hander&nbsp;Steven Cruz&nbsp;from Minnesota for outfielder&nbsp;Michael A. Taylor.

Gavin Cross, 24, earned Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year accolades after playing in 101 games for the Naturals in 2024 and slashing .261/.342/.428 (100-for-383, .770 OPS) with 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 59 RBI. He recorded 30 stolen bases, which ranked as the 5th most among Royals farmhands trailing leader&nbsp;Tyler Tolbert&nbsp;(48). His combination of 15 home runs and 30 steals was matched by only 18 minor leaguers last season, including just three others at the Double-A level. Cross was joined by right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Ben Kudrna&nbsp;as Kansas City’s representatives at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, Texas last July. He was selected in the 1st round (9th overall) of the 2022 Draft out of Virginia Tech and was signed by scout&nbsp;Tim Bittner.

Steven Zobac, 24, earned Pitcher of the Year honors with Northwest Arkansas for 2024 after also being crowned the organization’s&nbsp;Paul Splittorff&nbsp;Pitcher of the Year Award winner. He split the season between High-A Quad Cities, where he made 14 appearances (13 starts), and Northwest Arkansas, where he pitched in 11 games (10 starts). Among both levels, he went 11-8, registering the 3rd-most wins by a Royals farmhand, with a 3.64 ERA (51 ER in 126.0 IP) and 123 strikeouts (8.8 K/9, 23.8 K%). His 3.64 ERA finished as the 5th-lowest ERA among Royals minor leaguers, and his 123 strikeouts were tied for 2nd, trailing only&nbsp;Noah Cameron&nbsp;(149). Zobac was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Month for June after going 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA (3 ER in 23.0 IP) across 4 starts. He was originally selected in the 4th round of the 2022 Draft out of the University of California, Berkeley and was signed by&nbsp;Buddy Gouldsmith.

Carter Jensen, 21, was crowned the Quad Cities Player of the Year for 2024. His campaign began by posting a .338/.490/.506 (26-for-77, .996 OPS) slashline with more walks (22) than strikeouts (19) in 22 April games as he was named the High-A Quad Cities Player of the Month. The Kansas City, Mo. native batted .271/.386/.435 (84-for-310, .821 OPS) with 57 walks and 16 stolen bases across 84 games for the River Bandits before being promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in mid-July. His on-base percentage was nearly 30 points higher than the next-closest River Bandit,&nbsp;Dustin Dickerson&nbsp;(.357), while he also paced the club in both average and OPS. He was selected by the Royals in the 3rd round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Park Hill Senior High School (Mo.) by Royals scout&nbsp;Matt Price.

Ethan Bosacker, 24, posted a 7-1 record with a 1.97 ERA (11 ER in 50.1 IP) and .202 opponents’ average in 9 starts for High-A Quad Cities to earn the River Bandits Pitcher of the Year Award. He was promoted to Quad Cities from Single-A Columbia on July 9 after compiling a 6-2 record and a 2.78 ERA (23 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 games (9 starts) for the Fireflies. In all, Bosacker combined for a 13-3 record with a 2.45 ERA (34 ER in 124.2 IP) across 24 appearances (18 starts) for the River Bandits and Fireflies, as he led all Royals minor leaguers in ERA and wins. He ranked among organization leaders in opponents’ average (2nd, .222), WHIP (2nd, 1.04) and innings pitched (4th, 124.2). He earned Midwest League Pitcher of the Month honors in August after going 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA (6 ER in 30.0 IP), 20 strikeouts and just 5 walks in 5 starts. He was selected in the 13th round of the 2023 Draft from Xavier University and was signed by scout&nbsp;Mike Farrell.

Blake Mitchell, 20, was recognized as the Columbia Player of the Year. Mitchell hit .238/.376/.439 (90-for-378, .815 OPS) with a team-best 16 doubles and 18 home runs in 106 games for the Fireflies en route to being selected as a Single-A Carolina League All-Star. His 79 walks with Columbia were the 2nd most in club history, trailing only&nbsp;Carter Jensen’s&nbsp;franchise record (83) set in 2022. Additionally, Mitchell swiped 25 bases, which led all Single-A catchers and marked the second consecutive year in which a Firefly has led Single-A backstops in stolen bases, after&nbsp;Omar Hernández&nbsp;(26) did so in 2023. Among the accolades he earned in his first full season, Mitchell was named the&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;Hitter of the Year, awarded annually to the Royals top offensive minor league player. He was selected by the Royals 8th overall in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Sinton High School (Texas) and was signed by scout&nbsp;Josh Hallgren.

Félix Arronde, 21, posted a 2.94 ERA (36 ER in 110.1 IP) and 103 strikeouts (8.4 K/9) across 23 games (21 starts) with the Fireflies, earning Columbia’s Pitcher of the Year honors in 2024. Arronde led the Carolina League in opponents’ average (.205) and WHIP (1.02) and ranked among leaders in ERA (2nd, 2.94) and innings pitched (3rd, 110.1). Over his final 13 appearances (12 starts) with the Fireflies, he posted a 1.65 ERA (12 ER in 65.1 IP) and held opponents to a .194 batting average. He worked at least 5.0 innings in 10 of those 13 appearances. His 2.94 ERA last year was 2nd lowest by a Royals minor leaguer, behind only&nbsp;Ethan Bosacker&nbsp;(2.45). Arronde was originally signed as an international free agent on June 28, 2021 by Royals scout&nbsp;Elias Despradel&nbsp;out of Santa Clara, Cuba.

Ramón Ramírez, 19, secured ACL Royals Player of the Year honors after slashing .265/.379/.459 (45-for-170, .838 OPS) across 49 games. It marks his second consecutive end-of-year honors after also being named the Dominican Summer League Player of the Year following his 2023 season. Leading the way for the ACL Royals’ offense, Ramírez paced the club in slugging, OPS, extra-base hits (18), total bases (78), home runs (7) and RBI (33), while also falling one hit shy of matching&nbsp;Jorge Hernández&nbsp;(46) for the team lead. He was originally signed as an international free agent out of Porlamar, Venezuela on Jan. 20, 2023, by Royals scouts&nbsp;Roberto Aquino,&nbsp;Francis Feliciano&nbsp;and&nbsp;Daniel Guerrero.

Julio Rosario, 22, was named the ACL Royals Pitcher of the Year after finishing the 2024 season with a 6-2 record and a 2.44 ERA (12 ER in 44.1 IP) across 24 appearances between the ACL Royals (17 G) and Single-A Columbia (7 G). With the ACL Royals, Rosario recorded a team-best (min. 10 games) 2.45 ERA (8 ER in 29.1 IP) and 40 strikeouts (12.3 K/9) while holding opponents to a .225 batting average (25-for-111). He was promoted to Single-A Columbia on Aug. 2 and appeared in 7 games for the Fireflies, going 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA (4 ER in 15.0 IP) and 16 strikeouts. Rosario was originally signed as an international free agent out of Azua, D.R. on November 21, 2022 by Royals scout&nbsp;Nicolas Bautista.

Dominican Summer League Royals Ventura (Rookie)

In his first professional season,&nbsp;José Cerice, 19, earned the DSL Royals Ventura Player of the Year Award. Cerice began his debut campaign by posting a .362/.448/.489 (17-for-47, .937 OPS) slashline with 14 runs and more walks (5) than strikeouts (3) across 15 June games. He finished his rookie year with a .314 average (50-for-159), which led all Royals minor leaguers, while also leading the DSL Royals Ventura in slugging percentage (.421), hits, RBI (25), total bases (67) and runs (35). Defensively, he split time on both corners of the diamond, starting in 28 games at first base and 16 games at third base, while also appearing in 2 games as a designated hitter. His .996 fielding percentage as a first baseman led the club (min. 200.0 innings). The La Habana, Cuba native was originally signed as an international free agent on Jan. 17, 2024 by Royals scouts&nbsp;Roberto Aquino,&nbsp;Francis Feliciano&nbsp;and&nbsp;Daniel Guerrero.

Jorge Herrera, 21, was named the DSL Royals Ventura Pitcher of the Year for 2024 after posting a combined 2.17 ERA (9 ER in 37.1 IP) and 30 strikeouts between the DSL Royals Ventura (9 G, 8 GS) and Fortuna (1 G). During his time with Ventura, Herrera recorded a 1.04 ERA (4 ER in 34.2 IP) with 30 strikeouts and held opponents to a .207 average. Over his last 3 appearances (2 starts) with Ventura, he worked 10.2 consecutive scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, while not issuing a walk. Herrera was originally signed as an international free agent out of Arjona, Colombia on December 15, 2021 by&nbsp;Rafael Miranda&nbsp;and&nbsp;Orlando Estevez.

Dominican Summer League Royals Fortuna (Rookie)

Raimel Medina, 20, slashed .394/.523/.667 (13-for-33, 1.190 OPS) in 2024, earning DSL Royals Fortuna Player of the Year honors. Additionally, Medina appeared in 34 games for DSL Royals Ventura, and his .433 OBP across both teams led all Royals farmhands. In addition to his on-base percentage, his average and slugging percentage both paced the DSL Royals Fortuna, while his 2 triples were tied for the team lead, despite playing in just 12 games. He finished his time with the club posting more walks (9) than strikeouts (5). Medina made starts in left field (7), center field (1) and right field (4), registering a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage across 85.0 innings. Medina was originally signed as an international free agent on Jan. 20, 2022 out of Hondo Valle, Dominican Republic by Royals scout&nbsp;Nicolas Bautista.

Marwys Cabrera, 19, earned DSL Royals Fortuna Pitcher of the Year honors and was named a DSL All-Star in 2024 after combining to post a 2.75 ERA (12 ER in 39.1 IP) in 11 starts between the DSL Royals Fortuna (4 GS) and Ventura (7 GS). Originally signed as an international free agent on Feb. 16, 2023 out of San Cristóbal, D.R., by Royals scouts&nbsp;Edis Perez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Roberto Aquino, Cabrera was ranked as the No. 49 prospect on the international Top 50 Prospects list by&nbsp;MLB.com. Before signing with Kansas City, he trained with 15-year MLB veteran and 2015 World Series champion&nbsp;Edinson Vólquez.

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals today named their 2024 Organization Award winners and their Players and Pitchers of the Year for each minor league affiliate.All Organization Award winners were honored at the club’s Spring Training complex in Surprise, Ariz. this morning.Nicholas Badders&nbsp;was the recipient of the&nbsp;Matt Minker&nbsp;Award, which annually recognizes an outstanding minor league affiliate employee. Badders, the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers Broadcast and Media Relations Manager, is entering his ninth season broadcasting professional baseball and his fifth season with the Royals organization. In September 2023, he acted as a fill-in broadcaster for the Royals Radio Network for a series in Toronto. Prior to his role with Omaha, Badders was the broadcaster for Double-A Northwest Arkansas from 2021-22.J.C. Boscan&nbsp;was honored as the&nbsp;Dick Howser&nbsp;Award winner, which recognizes a player development employee for outstanding contributions to the organization. Boscan is entering his ninth season as the Minor League Catching Coordinator. During his time with the club, he’s worked extensively as a long-time mentor to countryman&nbsp;Freddy Fermin&nbsp;as he worked his way up through the Royals system. Boscan had stints in the Majors with the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs from 2010-13 and played in parts of 19 seasons in the minors, including his time in the Royals organization in 2015 when he played for Triple-A Omaha.Yunior Marte&nbsp;was the recipient of the&nbsp;Carlos Fortuna&nbsp;Award, which recognizes a player who is dedicated to improving his English on and off the field, and who exemplifies leadership, great work ethic, discipline and dedication. The Azua, D.R. native made 9 appearances (8 starts) between the ACL Royals and Single-A Columbia in 2024 and struck out 22 batters in 24.2 innings pitched. Since signing with the Royals as an international free agent in January 2022, he’s graduated from high school and is currently taking college classes online. He’s seen among his peers as a great role model with his discipline, humility and respectful attitude, along with his commitment to learning English.Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A)John Rave, 27, earned Omaha Player of the Year honors for 2024 after slashing .259/.346/.470 (129-for-498, .816 OPS) in a career-high 131 games, and his 21 home runs matched&nbsp;Spencer Nivens&nbsp;for the most by a Royals minor leaguer. Rave was one of only four minor leaguers to register at least 30 doubles, 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases last season, along with Houston’s&nbsp;Jesús Bastidas&nbsp;(31 2B, 25 HR, 15 SB), Boston’s&nbsp;Kristian Campbell&nbsp;(32, 20, 24) and the A’s&nbsp;Colby Thomas&nbsp;(44, 31, 15). He won Omaha’s Player of the Month Award in June after batting .316 (31-for-98, 1.028 OPS) with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs and 14 RBI in 25 games. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Illinois State University and was signed by&nbsp;Scott Melvin.Evan Sisk, 27, was added to Kansas City’s 40-man roster on Nov. 1, 2024 after spending last season with Omaha and being named a 2024 International League postseason All-Star. He led all Triple-A pitchers (min. 50 games) in ERA (1.57) and WHIP (1.03), ranked 2nd in opponents’ average (.166) and K/BB ratio (3.1), 3rd in K/9 (12.7), tied for 4th in strikeouts (81) and 5th in saves (15). Sisk was one of two pitchers in Minor League Baseball to record at least 50 appearances and not allow a home run, as he enters 2025 with an active streak of 69.0 homerless innings. On Jan. 23, 2023, Sisk was acquired by Kansas City with right hander&nbsp;Steven Cruz&nbsp;from Minnesota for outfielder&nbsp;Michael A. Taylor.Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Double-A)Gavin Cross, 24, earned Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year accolades after playing in 101 games for the Naturals in 2024 and slashing .261/.342/.428 (100-for-383, .770 OPS) with 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 59 RBI. He recorded 30 stolen bases, which ranked as the 5th most among Royals farmhands trailing leader&nbsp;Tyler Tolbert&nbsp;(48). His combination of 15 home runs and 30 steals was matched by only 18 minor leaguers last season, including just three others at the Double-A level. Cross was joined by right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Ben Kudrna&nbsp;as Kansas City’s representatives at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, Texas last July. He was selected in the 1st round (9th overall) of the 2022 Draft out of Virginia Tech and was signed by scout&nbsp;Tim Bittner.Steven Zobac, 24, earned Pitcher of the Year honors with Northwest Arkansas for 2024 after also being crowned the organization’s&nbsp;Paul Splittorff&nbsp;Pitcher of the Year Award winner. He split the season between High-A Quad Cities, where he made 14 appearances (13 starts), and Northwest Arkansas, where he pitched in 11 games (10 starts). Among both levels, he went 11-8, registering the 3rd-most wins by a Royals farmhand, with a 3.64 ERA (51 ER in 126.0 IP) and 123 strikeouts (8.8 K/9, 23.8 K%). His 3.64 ERA finished as the 5th-lowest ERA among Royals minor leaguers, and his 123 strikeouts were tied for 2nd, trailing only&nbsp;Noah Cameron&nbsp;(149). Zobac was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Month for June after going 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA (3 ER in 23.0 IP) across 4 starts. He was originally selected in the 4th round of the 2022 Draft out of the University of California, Berkeley and was signed by&nbsp;Buddy Gouldsmith.Quad Cities River Bandits (High-A)Carter Jensen, 21, was crowned the Quad Cities Player of the Year for 2024. His campaign began by posting a .338/.490/.506 (26-for-77, .996 OPS) slashline with more walks (22) than strikeouts (19) in 22 April games as he was named the High-A Quad Cities Player of the Month. The Kansas City, Mo. native batted .271/.386/.435 (84-for-310, .821 OPS) with 57 walks and 16 stolen bases across 84 games for the River Bandits before being promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in mid-July. His on-base percentage was nearly 30 points higher than the next-closest River Bandit,&nbsp;Dustin Dickerson&nbsp;(.357), while he also paced the club in both average and OPS. He was selected by the Royals in the 3rd round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Park Hill Senior High School (Mo.) by Royals scout&nbsp;Matt Price.Ethan Bosacker, 24, posted a 7-1 record with a 1.97 ERA (11 ER in 50.1 IP) and .202 opponents’ average in 9 starts for High-A Quad Cities to earn the River Bandits Pitcher of the Year Award. He was promoted to Quad Cities from Single-A Columbia on July 9 after compiling a 6-2 record and a 2.78 ERA (23 ER in 74.1 IP) in 15 games (9 starts) for the Fireflies. In all, Bosacker combined for a 13-3 record with a 2.45 ERA (34 ER in 124.2 IP) across 24 appearances (18 starts) for the River Bandits and Fireflies, as he led all Royals minor leaguers in ERA and wins. He ranked among organization leaders in opponents’ average (2nd, .222), WHIP (2nd, 1.04) and innings pitched (4th, 124.2). He earned Midwest League Pitcher of the Month honors in August after going 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA (6 ER in 30.0 IP), 20 strikeouts and just 5 walks in 5 starts. He was selected in the 13th round of the 2023 Draft from Xavier University and was signed by scout&nbsp;Mike Farrell.Columbia Fireflies (Single-A)Blake Mitchell, 20, was recognized as the Columbia Player of the Year. Mitchell hit .238/.376/.439 (90-for-378, .815 OPS) with a team-best 16 doubles and 18 home runs in 106 games for the Fireflies en route to being selected as a Single-A Carolina League All-Star. His 79 walks with Columbia were the 2nd most in club history, trailing only&nbsp;Carter Jensen’s&nbsp;franchise record (83) set in 2022. Additionally, Mitchell swiped 25 bases, which led all Single-A catchers and marked the second consecutive year in which a Firefly has led Single-A backstops in stolen bases, after&nbsp;Omar Hernández&nbsp;(26) did so in 2023. Among the accolades he earned in his first full season, Mitchell was named the&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;Hitter of the Year, awarded annually to the Royals top offensive minor league player. He was selected by the Royals 8th overall in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Sinton High School (Texas) and was signed by scout&nbsp;Josh Hallgren.Félix Arronde, 21, posted a 2.94 ERA (36 ER in 110.1 IP) and 103 strikeouts (8.4 K/9) across 23 games (21 starts) with the Fireflies, earning Columbia’s Pitcher of the Year honors in 2024. Arronde led the Carolina League in opponents’ average (.205) and WHIP (1.02) and ranked among leaders in ERA (2nd, 2.94) and innings pitched (3rd, 110.1). Over his final 13 appearances (12 starts) with the Fireflies, he posted a 1.65 ERA (12 ER in 65.1 IP) and held opponents to a .194 batting average. He worked at least 5.0 innings in 10 of those 13 appearances. His 2.94 ERA last year was 2nd lowest by a Royals minor leaguer, behind only&nbsp;Ethan Bosacker&nbsp;(2.45). Arronde was originally signed as an international free agent on June 28, 2021 by Royals scout&nbsp;Elias Despradel&nbsp;out of Santa Clara, Cuba.Arizona Complex League Royals (Rookie)Ramón Ramírez, 19, secured ACL Royals Player of the Year honors after slashing .265/.379/.459 (45-for-170, .838 OPS) across 49 games. It marks his second consecutive end-of-year honors after also being named the Dominican Summer League Player of the Year following his 2023 season. Leading the way for the ACL Royals’ offense, Ramírez paced the club in slugging, OPS, extra-base hits (18), total bases (78), home runs (7) and RBI (33), while also falling one hit shy of matching&nbsp;Jorge Hernández&nbsp;(46) for the team lead. He was originally signed as an international free agent out of Porlamar, Venezuela on Jan. 20, 2023, by Royals scouts&nbsp;Roberto Aquino,&nbsp;Francis Feliciano&nbsp;and&nbsp;Daniel Guerrero.Julio Rosario, 22, was named the ACL Royals Pitcher of the Year after finishing the 2024 season with a 6-2 record and a 2.44 ERA (12 ER in 44.1 IP) across 24 appearances between the ACL Royals (17 G) and Single-A Columbia (7 G). With the ACL Royals, Rosario recorded a team-best (min. 10 games) 2.45 ERA (8 ER in 29.1 IP) and 40 strikeouts (12.3 K/9) while holding opponents to a .225 batting average (25-for-111). He was promoted to Single-A Columbia on Aug. 2 and appeared in 7 games for the Fireflies, going 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA (4 ER in 15.0 IP) and 16 strikeouts. Rosario was originally signed as an international free agent out of Azua, D.R. on November 21, 2022 by Royals scout&nbsp;Nicolas Bautista.Dominican Summer League Royals Ventura (Rookie)In his first professional season,&nbsp;José Cerice, 19, earned the DSL Royals Ventura Player of the Year Award. Cerice began his debut campaign by posting a .362/.448/.489 (17-for-47, .937 OPS) slashline with 14 runs and more walks (5) than strikeouts (3) across 15 June games. He finished his rookie year with a .314 average (50-for-159), which led all Royals minor leaguers, while also leading the DSL Royals Ventura in slugging percentage (.421), hits, RBI (25), total bases (67) and runs (35). Defensively, he split time on both corners of the diamond, starting in 28 games at first base and 16 games at third base, while also appearing in 2 games as a designated hitter. His .996 fielding percentage as a first baseman led the club (min. 200.0 innings). The La Habana, Cuba native was originally signed as an international free agent on Jan. 17, 2024 by Royals scouts&nbsp;Roberto Aquino,&nbsp;Francis Feliciano&nbsp;and&nbsp;Daniel Guerrero.Jorge Herrera, 21, was named the DSL Royals Ventura Pitcher of the Year for 2024 after posting a combined 2.17 ERA (9 ER in 37.1 IP) and 30 strikeouts between the DSL Royals Ventura (9 G, 8 GS) and Fortuna (1 G). During his time with Ventura, Herrera recorded a 1.04 ERA (4 ER in 34.2 IP) with 30 strikeouts and held opponents to a .207 average. Over his last 3 appearances (2 starts) with Ventura, he worked 10.2 consecutive scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, while not issuing a walk. Herrera was originally signed as an international free agent out of Arjona, Colombia on December 15, 2021 by&nbsp;Rafael Miranda&nbsp;and&nbsp;Orlando Estevez.Dominican Summer League Royals Fortuna (Rookie)Raimel Medina, 20, slashed .394/.523/.667 (13-for-33, 1.190 OPS) in 2024, earning DSL Royals Fortuna Player of the Year honors. Additionally, Medina appeared in 34 games for DSL Royals Ventura, and his .433 OBP across both teams led all Royals farmhands. In addition to his on-base percentage, his average and slugging percentage both paced the DSL Royals Fortuna, while his 2 triples were tied for the team lead, despite playing in just 12 games. He finished his time with the club posting more walks (9) than strikeouts (5). Medina made starts in left field (7), center field (1) and right field (4), registering a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage across 85.0 innings. Medina was originally signed as an international free agent on Jan. 20, 2022 out of Hondo Valle, Dominican Republic by Royals scout&nbsp;Nicolas Bautista.Marwys Cabrera, 19, earned DSL Royals Fortuna Pitcher of the Year honors and was named a DSL All-Star in 2024 after combining to post a 2.75 ERA (12 ER in 39.1 IP) in 11 starts between the DSL Royals Fortuna (4 GS) and Ventura (7 GS). Originally signed as an international free agent on Feb. 16, 2023 out of San Cristóbal, D.R., by Royals scouts&nbsp;Edis Perez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Roberto Aquino, Cabrera was ranked as the No. 49 prospect on the international Top 50 Prospects list by&nbsp;MLB.com. Before signing with Kansas City, he trained with 15-year MLB veteran and 2015 World Series champion&nbsp;Edinson Vólquez.

Royals announce 2024 organization awards

&nbsp;By SALINA POST The Tony’s Pizza Events Center, located at 800 The Midway, Salina, was evacuated Saturday around 1 p.m. during the state basketball tournament after a fire alarm was triggered.

According to initial reports, event staff and emergency responders were assessing the situation, including checking the building’s electrical box. Spectators, players, and staff were temporarily moved outside as a precaution.

The alarm caused a delay in the third quarter of the Ottawa and Andale boys 4A third place game.

According to Battalion Chief Kirk Stover with the Salina Fire Department, the alarm was caused by a fire alarm system error. No flames or smoke were visible at the scene. No injuries have been reported, and officials are working to determine the caused the alarm malfunction.

&nbsp;4A Boys 3rd Place Final #1 Ottawa 61 #3 Andale 36

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592866481388.jpeg" alt="Tonys Pizza Events Center summer SP photo.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Tonys Pizza Events Center summer SP photo.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By SALINA POST The Tony’s Pizza Events Center, located at 800 The Midway, Salina, was evacuated Saturday around 1 p.m. during the state basketball tournament after a fire alarm was triggered.According to initial reports, event staff and emergency responders were assessing the situation, including checking the building’s electrical box. Spectators, players, and staff were temporarily moved outside as a precaution.The alarm caused a delay in the third quarter of the Ottawa and Andale boys 4A third place game.According to Battalion Chief Kirk Stover with the Salina Fire Department, the alarm was caused by a fire alarm system error. No flames or smoke were visible at the scene. No injuries have been reported, and officials are working to determine the caused the alarm malfunction.&nbsp;4A Boys 3rd Place Final #1 Ottawa 61 #3 Andale 36<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ottawa band with Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and we are back in action here in Salina! 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sportsinkansas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sportsinkansas</a> <a href="https://t.co/GYtb7olTnT">pic.twitter.com/GYtb7olTnT</a>&mdash; Sports in Kansas (@sportsinkansas) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportsinkansas/status/1900975612065419272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

UPDATED: 4A State basketball tournament at Tony’s Pizza Events Center evacuated after fire alarm

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ce541c8c-f7a5-4b85-b328-0c482932f9e2?elinkdata=22057">Hampton Williams</a> gave the Coyotes the final 70-69 lead with a shot in the paint with six seconds left. Lee blocked a shot by MNU's Keona Schenck at the other end, but the ball went out of bounds off of Lee with 1 second remaining.

Williams blocked Kameron Green's desperation shot as the horn sounded.

"We had that same calmness that we've had the entire year," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d6019b6d-f7e2-45d0-8ee1-d6e8be43c3b5?elinkdata=22057">Ryan Showman</a> said. "Things were good, things were bad, but we had an even keel and just made plays. The last 20 seconds when we were down one, it was no big deal. It was nothing."

The game was nip-and-tuck from start to finish. Wesleyan led 17-14 after one quarter, trailed 33-29 at halftime and was down 51-49 after three quarters.

A 7-2 MNU run gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game, 40-33, with 7:27 left in the third quarter and they led 55-49 with 9:00 left in the game. The Coyotes had an answer each time, though.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2d8cdb61-9cd1-4dd9-a98b-cfc55459d343?elinkdata=22057">LaMyah Ricks</a>, a native of nearby DeSoto, led KWU with 15 points while Lee and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adaefa52-b2d7-41ed-81de-59818b347ae3?elinkdata=22057">Jill Stephens</a> had 12 each and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a925f656-7508-40eb-9764-82c5cd911025?elinkdata=22057">Paige Chauncey</a> 10 and seven rebounds. The Coyotes got 23 points from their players off the bench led by Stephens and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb6609f0-e4f4-48e2-ac12-c2cabc4cb269?elinkdata=22057">Jocelyn Hall</a> who had nine points and eight rebounds. MNU got five points from its reserves.

"It's why we're where we're at," Showman said of the balance and depth. "On any given night someone's going to step up and make a play in any give situation. We had so many of those across the board tonight when we needed them most."

KWU shot 42.6 percent (26 of 61) while MNU shot 46.3 percent (25 of 54). The Coyotes were outrebounded 36-27 but forced 18 turnovers that led to 21 points; the Pioneers scored 16 points off 13 Wesleyan miscues.

Schenck, a graduate student and transfer from Division I Illinois-Chicago, led MNU with 24 points

Showman said his team heeded the advice he and his staff preached during the week: close will count at the end.

"We just needed to hang around, get to the fourth quarter and we're going to find a way to win," he said. "That's exactly what we did. We made the plays we had to to win the game."

Showman said the low seeding was effectively business as usual.

"Our team understands this entire year we've been kind of cast aside, we've been doubted," he said. "Coaches picked us fifth in (the Kansas Conference), we go win the thing; we get seeded 15th it's like no big deal. It is what it is. We can't control anything other than what we can do between the lines."

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ce541c8c-f7a5-4b85-b328-0c482932f9e2?elinkdata=22057">Hampton Williams</a> gave the Coyotes the final 70-69 lead with a shot in the paint with six seconds left. Lee blocked a shot by MNU's Keona Schenck at the other end, but the ball went out of bounds off of Lee with 1 second remaining.Williams blocked Kameron Green's desperation shot as the horn sounded."We had that same calmness that we've had the entire year," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d6019b6d-f7e2-45d0-8ee1-d6e8be43c3b5?elinkdata=22057">Ryan Showman</a> said. "Things were good, things were bad, but we had an even keel and just made plays. The last 20 seconds when we were down one, it was no big deal. It was nothing."The game was nip-and-tuck from start to finish. Wesleyan led 17-14 after one quarter, trailed 33-29 at halftime and was down 51-49 after three quarters.A 7-2 MNU run gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game, 40-33, with 7:27 left in the third quarter and they led 55-49 with 9:00 left in the game. The Coyotes had an answer each time, though.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2d8cdb61-9cd1-4dd9-a98b-cfc55459d343?elinkdata=22057">LaMyah Ricks</a>, a native of nearby DeSoto, led KWU with 15 points while Lee and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adaefa52-b2d7-41ed-81de-59818b347ae3?elinkdata=22057">Jill Stephens</a> had 12 each and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a925f656-7508-40eb-9764-82c5cd911025?elinkdata=22057">Paige Chauncey</a> 10 and seven rebounds. The Coyotes got 23 points from their players off the bench led by Stephens and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb6609f0-e4f4-48e2-ac12-c2cabc4cb269?elinkdata=22057">Jocelyn Hall</a> who had nine points and eight rebounds. MNU got five points from its reserves."It's why we're where we're at," Showman said of the balance and depth. "On any given night someone's going to step up and make a play in any give situation. We had so many of those across the board tonight when we needed them most."KWU shot 42.6 percent (26 of 61) while MNU shot 46.3 percent (25 of 54). The Coyotes were outrebounded 36-27 but forced 18 turnovers that led to 21 points; the Pioneers scored 16 points off 13 Wesleyan miscues.Schenck, a graduate student and transfer from Division I Illinois-Chicago, led MNU with 24 pointsShowman said his team heeded the advice he and his staff preached during the week: close will count at the end."We just needed to hang around, get to the fourth quarter and we're going to find a way to win," he said. "That's exactly what we did. We made the plays we had to to win the game."Showman said the low seeding was effectively business as usual."Our team understands this entire year we've been kind of cast aside, we've been doubted," he said. "Coaches picked us fifth in (the Kansas Conference), we go win the thing; we get seeded 15th it's like no big deal. It is what it is. We can't control anything other than what we can do between the lines."

Late rally sends Coyotes into NAIA Second Round as KWU stuns MidAmerica Nazarene 70-69

WINFIELD - Battling adverse weather conditions, the Kansas Wesleyan Baseball team persevered to come away with a 13-5 win over the Southwestern Moundbuilders on Friday at Broadway Sports Complex.

Winds were blowing at 35-40 miles per hour all day Friday with gusts well in advance of 60 mph. As the game went on, a huge cloud of dust and smoke enveloped the area, most of the dust kicked up from Oklahoma. The smoke from many wildfires that broke out in Oklahoma and southern Kansas due to power poles snapping in the wind and sparks causing fires to start in the dry conditions and quickly grow out of control.

Southwestern had an early lead 1-0 in the bottom of the first, and the score remained the same until the fourth when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5b4be7af-dc4a-47c5-b074-8c28c0eb7c83?elinkdata=22026">Jesse Conrad</a> singled to score <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59c89e0f-2050-4410-aa96-0e3e6116bb6b?elinkdata=22026">Joe Finder</a> who doubled earlier in the inning.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6aac4020-1c79-4c9b-bcd4-1d764576676b?elinkdata=22026">Jacob Williamson's</a> solo homerun in the top of the fifth inning put the Coyotes up 2-1.

The Coyotes started to pull away in the sixth, scoring runs after loading the bases when Finder was hit, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4551e1e6-aa67-403f-aa09-bbdb6b7a77df?elinkdata=22026">Coulson Riggs</a> walked and Conrad singled. A wild pitch brought in the first run. Williamson brought in a run on a sacrifice fly and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/85d04182-5453-44a9-9998-f590acec1771?elinkdata=22026">Garrett Garfield</a> added a sacrifice fly in the inning as well.

Southwestern scored one in the sixth, but the Coyotes answered right back. Finder and Riggs led off the inning with singles and three batters later, Williamson reached on an error that allowed both runners to score.

The Coyotes out five on the board in the eighth. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d7cc2218-5ae6-4966-a3bd-98d88f513fbf?elinkdata=22026">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> walked and then <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b11fa923-3452-404b-9645-b781cc033be8?elinkdata=22026">Carter Allen</a> doubled, but an error on the play allowed pinch runner <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ba0af1e-59fd-4080-abc8-d64aff71d292?elinkdata=22026">Lakin Franz</a> to score. Finder followed with a RBI single, Riggs walked, Conrad singled home a run, Williamson did the same and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4ad47e71-de43-438a-9e71-5b30af1113b7?elinkdata=22026">Tyler Favretto</a> brought in a run with a ground out.

Southwestern scored three in the bottom of the inning, but the Coyotes added one more in the ninth as Finder tripled and then scored on a single by Riggs.

Finder had four hits for the Coyotes and scored five times. Conrad had three hits while three others had two hits each. Williamson drove in three.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/22ccd26d-2a5f-47e0-97e0-65cb51d176af?elinkdata=22026">Brett Maddock</a> was excellent on the hill for the Coyotes, going the entire way allowing five runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts.

WINFIELD - Battling adverse weather conditions, the Kansas Wesleyan Baseball team persevered to come away with a 13-5 win over the Southwestern Moundbuilders on Friday at Broadway Sports Complex.Winds were blowing at 35-40 miles per hour all day Friday with gusts well in advance of 60 mph. As the game went on, a huge cloud of dust and smoke enveloped the area, most of the dust kicked up from Oklahoma. The smoke from many wildfires that broke out in Oklahoma and southern Kansas due to power poles snapping in the wind and sparks causing fires to start in the dry conditions and quickly grow out of control.Southwestern had an early lead 1-0 in the bottom of the first, and the score remained the same until the fourth when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5b4be7af-dc4a-47c5-b074-8c28c0eb7c83?elinkdata=22026">Jesse Conrad</a> singled to score <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59c89e0f-2050-4410-aa96-0e3e6116bb6b?elinkdata=22026">Joe Finder</a> who doubled earlier in the inning.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6aac4020-1c79-4c9b-bcd4-1d764576676b?elinkdata=22026">Jacob Williamson's</a> solo homerun in the top of the fifth inning put the Coyotes up 2-1.The Coyotes started to pull away in the sixth, scoring runs after loading the bases when Finder was hit, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4551e1e6-aa67-403f-aa09-bbdb6b7a77df?elinkdata=22026">Coulson Riggs</a> walked and Conrad singled. A wild pitch brought in the first run. Williamson brought in a run on a sacrifice fly and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/85d04182-5453-44a9-9998-f590acec1771?elinkdata=22026">Garrett Garfield</a> added a sacrifice fly in the inning as well.Southwestern scored one in the sixth, but the Coyotes answered right back. Finder and Riggs led off the inning with singles and three batters later, Williamson reached on an error that allowed both runners to score.The Coyotes out five on the board in the eighth. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d7cc2218-5ae6-4966-a3bd-98d88f513fbf?elinkdata=22026">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> walked and then <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b11fa923-3452-404b-9645-b781cc033be8?elinkdata=22026">Carter Allen</a> doubled, but an error on the play allowed pinch runner <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ba0af1e-59fd-4080-abc8-d64aff71d292?elinkdata=22026">Lakin Franz</a> to score. Finder followed with a RBI single, Riggs walked, Conrad singled home a run, Williamson did the same and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4ad47e71-de43-438a-9e71-5b30af1113b7?elinkdata=22026">Tyler Favretto</a> brought in a run with a ground out.Southwestern scored three in the bottom of the inning, but the Coyotes added one more in the ninth as Finder tripled and then scored on a single by Riggs.Finder had four hits for the Coyotes and scored five times. Conrad had three hits while three others had two hits each. Williamson drove in three.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/22ccd26d-2a5f-47e0-97e0-65cb51d176af?elinkdata=22026">Brett Maddock</a> was excellent on the hill for the Coyotes, going the entire way allowing five runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts.

Coyotes open Southwestern series with 13-5 win

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals have announced that outfielder&nbsp;Alex Gordon&nbsp;has been elected into the Royals Hall of Fame presented by Commerce Bank. He will become the elite group’s 31st inductee during on-field ceremonies prior to the game vs. the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, June 13.

“My family and I are beyond grateful and humbled,” Gordon said. “I’ve said this before but my heart has always and will always be with the Royals. All I ever thought about was working as hard as I could, and being the best teammate I could. The memories we made will stick with me forever, and this incredible honor is a reflection of our amazing teammates, coaches, trainers, staff and fans in Kansas City.”

“Alex has been and always will be one of the most respected Royals ever,” said Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager,&nbsp;J.J. Picollo. “Nobody prepared the way he did and his work ethic couldn’t be matched. We will always remember the big homer in Game 1 of the World Series in 2015, but his teammates will always remember the level of professionalism he brought to our clubhouse. This is a well deserved and much anticipated honor for Alex.”

Gordon was elected in his first ballot appearance in a vote of living Royals Hall of Fame Members, members of the Royals Hall of Fame Executive Board, select members of the Kansas City Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Kansas City media representatives, current Royals front office staff with 15 years of service or more, and Royals fans via an on-line vote.

To be eligible for the ballot, Royals Alumni must have been active with the club for at least three seasons and accumulated a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances or 300.0 innings pitched or managed the equivalent of three full seasons. Eligible alumni shall have ceased to be an active on-field member of the Royals (or for any other Major League organization) in the role for which they are being considered for at least three calendar years preceding the election. Eligible alumni must be named on at least 75% of all ballots cast to be elected. Gordon received 97.8% of the vote.

Gordon was the Royals 1st-round selection (2nd overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft after his standout collegiate career at the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) where he won both the 2005&nbsp;Dick Howser&nbsp;Award as the most outstanding player in college baseball and the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the United States.

On April 2, 2007, he became just the fourth player in club history to make his MLB debut in the Royals Opening Day starting lineup, beginning a 14-year career all in Kansas City. Gordon was the 2011&nbsp;Les Milgram&nbsp;Royals Player of the Year when he posted career bests in batting average (.303), runs scored (101), stolen bases (17), home runs (23), and RBI (87). He was a three-time All-Star (2013-15) and was elected as the American League All-Star starting left fielder in 2015.

Gordon was an eight-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award winner (2011-14, 2017-20), sharing the club record with&nbsp;Frank White, and a two-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Platinum Glove Award winner (2014, 2020). He holds the Royals career record for leadoff home runs (14) and hit by pitches (121). He led the Majors with 51 doubles in 2012, the 2nd-highest single season total in club history (Hal McRae&nbsp;had 54 in 1977). His 102 career outfield assists are 2nd most in Royals history to&nbsp;Amos Otis’&nbsp;116.

He was a key player in the Royals capturing the 2014 American League Pennant, including a 10th inning go-ahead home run in Game 1 of the ALCS in Baltimore. During Game 1 of the 2015 World Series, he hit a 9th-inning, game-tying home run at Kauffman Stadium. Additionally, his 10 career postseason doubles are 2nd most in club history behind only McRae (11).

Gordon currently ranks in the Royals Career Top 10 in walks (3rd, 684), doubles (5th, 357), home runs (5th, 190), hits (6th, 1,643), runs (6th, 867), totals bases (6th, 2,622), games played (6th, 1,753) and RBI (7th, 749). He is one of six position players to play 14 or more seasons for the Royals along with&nbsp;Amos Otis&nbsp;(14; 1970-83),&nbsp;Hal McRae&nbsp;(15; 1973-87),&nbsp;Willie Wilson&nbsp;(15; 1976-90),&nbsp;Frank White&nbsp;(18; 1973-1990) and&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;(21; 1973-93), all now members of the Royals Hall of Fame.

Previous Hall of Fame inductees include:

1986: Pitcher Steve Busby and Outfielder Amos Otis

1987: Manager Dick Howser, Second Baseman Cookie Rojas and Pitcher Paul Splittorff

1989: Pitcher Dennis Leonard and Designated Hitter Hal McRae

1992: Club President Joe Burke, Pitcher Larry Gura and Shortstop Fred Patek

1996: Royals First Lady Muriel Kauffman and first baseman John Mayberry

2000: Manager Whitey Herzog and outfielder Willie Wilson&nbsp;

2024: General Manager Cedric Tallis, General Manager John Schuerholz, and outfielder Bo Jackson

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals have announced that outfielder&nbsp;Alex Gordon&nbsp;has been elected into the Royals Hall of Fame presented by Commerce Bank. He will become the elite group’s 31st inductee during on-field ceremonies prior to the game vs. the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, June 13.“My family and I are beyond grateful and humbled,” Gordon said. “I’ve said this before but my heart has always and will always be with the Royals. All I ever thought about was working as hard as I could, and being the best teammate I could. The memories we made will stick with me forever, and this incredible honor is a reflection of our amazing teammates, coaches, trainers, staff and fans in Kansas City.”“Alex has been and always will be one of the most respected Royals ever,” said Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager,&nbsp;J.J. Picollo. “Nobody prepared the way he did and his work ethic couldn’t be matched. We will always remember the big homer in Game 1 of the World Series in 2015, but his teammates will always remember the level of professionalism he brought to our clubhouse. This is a well deserved and much anticipated honor for Alex.”Gordon was elected in his first ballot appearance in a vote of living Royals Hall of Fame Members, members of the Royals Hall of Fame Executive Board, select members of the Kansas City Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Kansas City media representatives, current Royals front office staff with 15 years of service or more, and Royals fans via an on-line vote.To be eligible for the ballot, Royals Alumni must have been active with the club for at least three seasons and accumulated a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances or 300.0 innings pitched or managed the equivalent of three full seasons. Eligible alumni shall have ceased to be an active on-field member of the Royals (or for any other Major League organization) in the role for which they are being considered for at least three calendar years preceding the election. Eligible alumni must be named on at least 75% of all ballots cast to be elected. Gordon received 97.8% of the vote.Gordon was the Royals 1st-round selection (2nd overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft after his standout collegiate career at the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) where he won both the 2005&nbsp;Dick Howser&nbsp;Award as the most outstanding player in college baseball and the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the United States.On April 2, 2007, he became just the fourth player in club history to make his MLB debut in the Royals Opening Day starting lineup, beginning a 14-year career all in Kansas City. Gordon was the 2011&nbsp;Les Milgram&nbsp;Royals Player of the Year when he posted career bests in batting average (.303), runs scored (101), stolen bases (17), home runs (23), and RBI (87). He was a three-time All-Star (2013-15) and was elected as the American League All-Star starting left fielder in 2015.Gordon was an eight-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award winner (2011-14, 2017-20), sharing the club record with&nbsp;Frank White, and a two-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Platinum Glove Award winner (2014, 2020). He holds the Royals career record for leadoff home runs (14) and hit by pitches (121). He led the Majors with 51 doubles in 2012, the 2nd-highest single season total in club history (Hal McRae&nbsp;had 54 in 1977). His 102 career outfield assists are 2nd most in Royals history to&nbsp;Amos Otis’&nbsp;116.He was a key player in the Royals capturing the 2014 American League Pennant, including a 10th inning go-ahead home run in Game 1 of the ALCS in Baltimore. During Game 1 of the 2015 World Series, he hit a 9th-inning, game-tying home run at Kauffman Stadium. Additionally, his 10 career postseason doubles are 2nd most in club history behind only McRae (11).Gordon currently ranks in the Royals Career Top 10 in walks (3rd, 684), doubles (5th, 357), home runs (5th, 190), hits (6th, 1,643), runs (6th, 867), totals bases (6th, 2,622), games played (6th, 1,753) and RBI (7th, 749). He is one of six position players to play 14 or more seasons for the Royals along with&nbsp;Amos Otis&nbsp;(14; 1970-83),&nbsp;Hal McRae&nbsp;(15; 1973-87),&nbsp;Willie Wilson&nbsp;(15; 1976-90),&nbsp;Frank White&nbsp;(18; 1973-1990) and&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;(21; 1973-93), all now members of the Royals Hall of Fame.Previous Hall of Fame inductees include:1986: Pitcher Steve Busby and Outfielder Amos Otis1987: Manager Dick Howser, Second Baseman Cookie Rojas and Pitcher Paul Splittorff1989: Pitcher Dennis Leonard and Designated Hitter Hal McRae1992: Club President Joe Burke, Pitcher Larry Gura and Shortstop Fred Patek1993: Owner Ewing Kauffman1994: Third Baseman George Brett1995: Second Baseman Frank White1996: Royals First Lady Muriel Kauffman and first baseman John Mayberry1998: Relief pitcher Dan Quisenberry2000: Manager Whitey Herzog and outfielder Willie Wilson&nbsp;2003: Pitcher Jeff Montgomery2004: Radio Announcer Denny Matthews2005: Pitcher Bret Saberhagen2006: Pitcher Mark Gubicza2008: Scout Art Stewart2011: Pitcher Kevin Appier2012: Groundskeeper George Toma2015: First Baseman/DH Mike Sweeney2023: Manager Ned Yost2024: General Manager Cedric Tallis, General Manager John Schuerholz, and outfielder Bo Jackson

Alex Gordon Elected to Royals Hall of Fame

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Tennis stayed unbeaten in the KCAC after Thursday's 6-1 win over Evangel University at the Salina Tennis Alliance Center.

Wesleyan opened the match by winning the doubles point, winning two of the three matches. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c517f8c6-d136-4b06-9e39-d6b71cd9dcd1?elinkdata=21902">McKinnley Evans</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/00c38907-d847-467f-bd19-a5322a586e43?elinkdata=21902">Kristi Henderson</a> beat Rachel Chaney and Hennessey Brown 6-1; and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dd5ec240-1441-46ba-8fdc-2af38d3a665c?elinkdata=21902">Hayden Bellamy</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/87597daa-ad6b-476d-982c-2d4974af5758?elinkdata=21902">Danielle Slack</a> beat Lidia Bjelica and Lauren Hendrickson 6-1. Evangel got a win as McKylie Cox and Maddeline Peters beat <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/980fdcfb-28f9-48f4-afba-41af91b6dd9b?elinkdata=21902">Eliza Camp</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/66150e12-b190-47ca-99f0-c941bb1a62f6?elinkdata=21902">Alivia Sherer</a> 6-2.

In singles, the Coyotes took five of the six matches. Sherer beat Brown 6-2, 6-4; Evans beat Bjelica 7-5, 6-1; Henderson beat Hendrickson 6-4, 6-4; Slack beat Cox 6-1, 6-1; and Camp beat Jacey Wilson 6-0, 7-6. Evangel got its only point of the match as Chaney beat Bellamy 2-6, 6-4, 10-6.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Tennis stayed unbeaten in the KCAC after Thursday's 6-1 win over Evangel University at the Salina Tennis Alliance Center.The Coyotes are 2-0 in KCAC play.Wesleyan opened the match by winning the doubles point, winning two of the three matches. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c517f8c6-d136-4b06-9e39-d6b71cd9dcd1?elinkdata=21902">McKinnley Evans</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/00c38907-d847-467f-bd19-a5322a586e43?elinkdata=21902">Kristi Henderson</a> beat Rachel Chaney and Hennessey Brown 6-1; and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dd5ec240-1441-46ba-8fdc-2af38d3a665c?elinkdata=21902">Hayden Bellamy</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/87597daa-ad6b-476d-982c-2d4974af5758?elinkdata=21902">Danielle Slack</a> beat Lidia Bjelica and Lauren Hendrickson 6-1. Evangel got a win as McKylie Cox and Maddeline Peters beat <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/980fdcfb-28f9-48f4-afba-41af91b6dd9b?elinkdata=21902">Eliza Camp</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/66150e12-b190-47ca-99f0-c941bb1a62f6?elinkdata=21902">Alivia Sherer</a> 6-2.In singles, the Coyotes took five of the six matches. Sherer beat Brown 6-2, 6-4; Evans beat Bjelica 7-5, 6-1; Henderson beat Hendrickson 6-4, 6-4; Slack beat Cox 6-1, 6-1; and Camp beat Jacey Wilson 6-0, 7-6. Evangel got its only point of the match as Chaney beat Bellamy 2-6, 6-4, 10-6.

Women’s Tennis improves to 2-0 in KCAC defeating Evangel 6-1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis scored 19 points apiece and Arizona pulled away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal at T-Mobile Center on Thursday night.

Veesaar came off the bench to sink 7 of 11 shots with two 3-pointers for the third-seeded Wildcats (21-11), who move on to play second-seeded and ninth-ranked Texas Tech in a Friday semifinal. No. 1 seed Houston plays No. 4 seed BYU in the other semifinal.

Veesaar scored 10, leading Arizona to a 45-37 advantage at halftime. Dajuan Harris Jr.'s 3-pointer gave No. 6 seed Kansas (21-12) its only lead of the half at 3-2. The Wildcats twice built 12-point leads. KJ Adams made two free throws to get the Jayhawks within 40-37, but Veesaar answered with a 3-pointer and Arizona stayed in front.

Arizona played with a lead until Zeke Mayo hit back-to-back 3-pointers for Kansas to knot the score at 50 with 15:43 remaining. Harris hit a 3-pointer to give the Jayhawks their second lead at 56-54. Rylan Griffen hit a jumper with 8:44 left to put Kansas up for the last time at 63-61. Trey Townsend followed with a dunk and a three-point play and Arizona maintained a lead over the final 7:48.

Towsend had 16 points and Love scored 11 with six assists.

Mayo scored 20 to lead Kansas. Hunter Dickinson totaled 19 points and 12 rebounds. Harris hit four 3-pointers and scored 16.

The Jayhawks wore their blue jerseys in the tournament for the first time since the 2008 title game against the Texas Longhorns. They were the higher seed and wore white in their previous 36 straight games. Kansas — the two seed in '08 — beat the top-seeded Longhorns 84-74.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741920672474.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis scored 19 points apiece and Arizona pulled away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal at T-Mobile Center on Thursday night.Veesaar came off the bench to sink 7 of 11 shots with two 3-pointers for the third-seeded Wildcats (21-11), who move on to play second-seeded and ninth-ranked Texas Tech in a Friday semifinal. No. 1 seed Houston plays No. 4 seed BYU in the other semifinal.Veesaar scored 10, leading Arizona to a 45-37 advantage at halftime. Dajuan Harris Jr.'s 3-pointer gave No. 6 seed Kansas (21-12) its only lead of the half at 3-2. The Wildcats twice built 12-point leads. KJ Adams made two free throws to get the Jayhawks within 40-37, but Veesaar answered with a 3-pointer and Arizona stayed in front.Arizona played with a lead until Zeke Mayo hit back-to-back 3-pointers for Kansas to knot the score at 50 with 15:43 remaining. Harris hit a 3-pointer to give the Jayhawks their second lead at 56-54. Rylan Griffen hit a jumper with 8:44 left to put Kansas up for the last time at 63-61. Trey Townsend followed with a dunk and a three-point play and Arizona maintained a lead over the final 7:48.Towsend had 16 points and Love scored 11 with six assists.Mayo scored 20 to lead Kansas. Hunter Dickinson totaled 19 points and 12 rebounds. Harris hit four 3-pointers and scored 16.The Jayhawks wore their blue jerseys in the tournament for the first time since the 2008 title game against the Texas Longhorns. They were the higher seed and wore white in their previous 36 straight games. Kansas — the two seed in '08 — beat the top-seeded Longhorns 84-74.___

🏀 Arizona tops Kansas in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal

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WASHINGTON (AP) — John Feinstein, one of the country's foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, including the groundbreaking “A Season on the Brink” about college basketball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-knight-death-indiana-army-college-basketball-c29a7cb601f64e9181564037e8c78758">Bob Knight</a>, died unexpectedly Thursday. Feinstein was 69.

He died of natural causes at his brother's home in McLean, Virginia, according to Robert Feinstein, who said he discovered John's body.

John Feinstein was a full-time reporter for The Washington Post from 1977 to 1991, a commentator for outlets such as ESPN and the Golf Channel and a voter for more than 20 years in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;men's college basketball poll. He remained with the Post as a contributing columnist, and he also hosted satellite radio programs on SiriusXM.

“He was very passionate about things,” Robert Feinstein said in a telephone interview. “People either loved him or hated him — and equally strongly.”

John Feinstein — always a storyteller, whether via the written word or when chatting with other journalists in an arena's media room or press box — was working until the time of his death. He was in Washington this week to cover the Atlantic 10 Tournament, and he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/03/13/tom-izzo-michigan-state/">filed a column for the Post</a>&nbsp;about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo that appeared online Thursday.

Feinstein was comfortable writing about an array of sports, including golf and tennis, but he was known most for his connection to college basketball because of “A Season on the Brink.” He took a leave of absence from the Post in 1985 to embed with Knight's Indiana team, and the book highlighted the author's flair for the dramatic and ability to capture his subjects' personalities.

Knight's reputation for having a hot temper was well-established by then, and Feinstein brought it to life. Feinstein also effectively portrayed the personal relationships Knight had with his players, which alternated between warm and abusive.

Feinstein went on to write more than 40 books, including “A Good Walk Spoiled” (1995), about professional golf, and “A Civil War” (1996), about the Army-Navy football game. After that book's publication, he worked for many years as a radio commentator for Navy football.

“The Ancient Eight,” about Ivy League football, was published last year. Feinstein also wrote sports novels aimed at younger readers.

In addition to Robert, John Feinstein is survived by his wife, Christine, daughters Brigid and Jayne, and son Danny, as well as a sister, Margaret.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741903303400.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — John Feinstein, one of the country's foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, including the groundbreaking “A Season on the Brink” about college basketball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-knight-death-indiana-army-college-basketball-c29a7cb601f64e9181564037e8c78758">Bob Knight</a>, died unexpectedly Thursday. Feinstein was 69.He died of natural causes at his brother's home in McLean, Virginia, according to Robert Feinstein, who said he discovered John's body.John Feinstein was a full-time reporter for The Washington Post from 1977 to 1991, a commentator for outlets such as ESPN and the Golf Channel and a voter for more than 20 years in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;men's college basketball poll. He remained with the Post as a contributing columnist, and he also hosted satellite radio programs on SiriusXM.“He was very passionate about things,” Robert Feinstein said in a telephone interview. “People either loved him or hated him — and equally strongly.”John Feinstein — always a storyteller, whether via the written word or when chatting with other journalists in an arena's media room or press box — was working until the time of his death. He was in Washington this week to cover the Atlantic 10 Tournament, and he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/03/13/tom-izzo-michigan-state/">filed a column for the Post</a>&nbsp;about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo that appeared online Thursday.Feinstein was comfortable writing about an array of sports, including golf and tennis, but he was known most for his connection to college basketball because of “A Season on the Brink.” He took a leave of absence from the Post in 1985 to embed with Knight's Indiana team, and the book highlighted the author's flair for the dramatic and ability to capture his subjects' personalities.Knight's reputation for having a hot temper was well-established by then, and Feinstein brought it to life. Feinstein also effectively portrayed the personal relationships Knight had with his players, which alternated between warm and abusive.Feinstein went on to write more than 40 books, including “A Good Walk Spoiled” (1995), about professional golf, and “A Civil War” (1996), about the Army-Navy football game. After that book's publication, he worked for many years as a radio commentator for Navy football.“The Ancient Eight,” about Ivy League football, was published last year. Feinstein also wrote sports novels aimed at younger readers.In addition to Robert, John Feinstein is survived by his wife, Christine, daughters Brigid and Jayne, and son Danny, as well as a sister, Margaret.

John Feinstein, bestselling author and one of country's foremost sports writers, dies

Before he and his staff got into the specifics Kansas Wesleyan women's coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f097efc3-32e9-48ae-b32b-272640c67bc0?elinkdata=21840">Ryan Showman</a> knew his team will face a daunting opponent in the First Round of the NAIA National Championship.

MidAmerica Nazarene's reputation preceded their research.

"You always see the scores," Showman said in advance the game that begins at 6 p.m. Friday inside the Cook Center on the MNU campus in Olathe. "Being in Kansas the Heart of America (Conference) is in our backyard, they're in our rating arc so we pay attention to who they play. A lot of common opponents in that league with our (Kansas Conference) league."

Tickets for the event are $15 for general admission and can be purchased online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ec9c7057-628c-480a-94b8-96ca528eb67e?elinkdata=21840">www.mnusports.com/tickets</a>. Tickets will also be sold on-site at the Cook Center. For those unable to attend this weekend's games, a live video stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4b71381f-ebe3-4f74-a727-ca8482cd4155?elinkdata=21840">www.heartconferencenetwork.com/mnu</a>. There is a pay-per-view fee on the video stream of $15. Fans can also listen to the game in the Salina area on 910 AM KINA / 107.5 FM, and online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/af9123f6-ba32-405a-b236-dd1ba645be72?elinkdata=21840">salinapost.com</a>, with Tyler Henry and Russ Cossel on the call of the game. Pregame starts at 5:30 p.m.

MidAmerica enters the game ranked 10th in the final NAIA poll of the season with a 28-3 record. The Pioneers won the HAC title with a 24-0 record but lost to Benedictine 65-51 in the tournament championship. The defeat ended their 26-game winning streak.

"They're young, really young," Showman said. "They only have one or two seniors in their rotation which is a stark contrast from us but they're good. They play really hard. They're not flashy, they don't do a bunch of crazy things but they're just really good at what they do."

Wesleyan qualified for the NAIA tournament by winning the KCAC title with an 18-4 record. The Coyotes lost to Friends 68-66 in the semifinals of the conference tournament in Mabee Arena.

Friday will be their first trip to the national tournament since 2020. They walloped Mayville State (N.D.) 86-64 in Sioux City, Iowa in the First Round but their Second Round game against Concordia (Neb.) was abruptly cancelled along with the rest of the tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Balance is the hallmark of MANU's offense with four starters having double-figure scoring averages. Sophomore center Kameron Green averages a team-high 13.5 points and 6.3 rebounds; Keona Schneck, a guard and graduate student, 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds; junior guard Aubrey Rogers 11.8 points and 3.5 assists; and freshman forward Zaylee Werth, a Hillsboro native, 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. Freshman Grace Carlson is the point guard and averages 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

Rogers is the top 3-point shooter, 58 of 186. Schneck has 51 3-pointers and Mary Lukert, a sophomore guard, 41 off the bench.

Showman is particularly impressed with Schneck, a transfer from Illinois-Chicago.

"She looks the part," he said. "You can just tell at this level when someone transfers down from Division I. They just look different, they move different, they play different and she's definitely a difference maker, a big reason why they've had success."

Showman also likes Carlson who plays beyond her youth.

"She runs the show for them," he said. "From a facilitator standpoint she knows how to get her people open and what they're looking for offensively."

The Pioneers average 74.8 points and allow just 56.7 points. They're outrebounding the opposition by 7.3 per game.

"When you look at it it's just a really well put together team," Showman said. "We have to be prepared and focused and ready to play hard because we know we're going to get that on the other side."

In contrast Wesleyan has eight seniors/graduate students on its roster but has similar scoring balance. Point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/814b9571-0f77-43ed-8d0e-b8ee97ffbe61?elinkdata=21840">LaMyah Ricks</a> averages 12.0 points, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f2508267-fff4-4366-bcac-eb631d791fd8?elinkdata=21840">Angel Lee</a> 11.8, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/376ef054-54b7-407d-b848-29609559d13a?elinkdata=21840">Hampton Williams</a> 10.0, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/55a3119f-0382-4771-b4d1-176cf807eb42?elinkdata=21840">Jill Stephens</a> 9.7, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/62b5123d-17a7-49cc-9c01-a84fbb0cfe3d?elinkdata=21840">Odessa Ozuna</a> 8.6, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/07bb7bfc-e5f5-4af1-aee8-149dd34180d4?elinkdata=21840">Paige Chauncey</a> 7.6 and Cat Bowman 6.5. Williams averages a team-best 7.6 rebounds.

The Coyotes average 75.4 points, allow 63.7 and have a 5.4 rebounding edge.

"They're a really tough disciplined team that does everything the right way, so we just have to get them out of their regular routine and get them unorganized," Ricks said of the Pioneers. "We have to move the ball side to side, play our game and not play their game. Just do what we've been doing all along."

"We have to help each other off defense and get the ball side to side on offense, those are our top two things that we always talk about," Lee said.

Before he and his staff got into the specifics Kansas Wesleyan women's coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f097efc3-32e9-48ae-b32b-272640c67bc0?elinkdata=21840">Ryan Showman</a> knew his team will face a daunting opponent in the First Round of the NAIA National Championship.MidAmerica Nazarene's reputation preceded their research."You always see the scores," Showman said in advance the game that begins at 6 p.m. Friday inside the Cook Center on the MNU campus in Olathe. "Being in Kansas the Heart of America (Conference) is in our backyard, they're in our rating arc so we pay attention to who they play. A lot of common opponents in that league with our (Kansas Conference) league."Tickets for the event are $15 for general admission and can be purchased online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ec9c7057-628c-480a-94b8-96ca528eb67e?elinkdata=21840">www.mnusports.com/tickets</a>. Tickets will also be sold on-site at the Cook Center. For those unable to attend this weekend's games, a live video stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4b71381f-ebe3-4f74-a727-ca8482cd4155?elinkdata=21840">www.heartconferencenetwork.com/mnu</a>. There is a pay-per-view fee on the video stream of $15. Fans can also listen to the game in the Salina area on 910 AM KINA / 107.5 FM, and online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/af9123f6-ba32-405a-b236-dd1ba645be72?elinkdata=21840">salinapost.com</a>, with Tyler Henry and Russ Cossel on the call of the game. Pregame starts at 5:30 p.m.MidAmerica enters the game ranked 10th in the final NAIA poll of the season with a 28-3 record. The Pioneers won the HAC title with a 24-0 record but lost to Benedictine 65-51 in the tournament championship. The defeat ended their 26-game winning streak."They're young, really young," Showman said. "They only have one or two seniors in their rotation which is a stark contrast from us but they're good. They play really hard. They're not flashy, they don't do a bunch of crazy things but they're just really good at what they do."Wesleyan qualified for the NAIA tournament by winning the KCAC title with an 18-4 record. The Coyotes lost to Friends 68-66 in the semifinals of the conference tournament in Mabee Arena.Friday will be their first trip to the national tournament since 2020. They walloped Mayville State (N.D.) 86-64 in Sioux City, Iowa in the First Round but their Second Round game against Concordia (Neb.) was abruptly cancelled along with the rest of the tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Balance is the hallmark of MANU's offense with four starters having double-figure scoring averages. Sophomore center Kameron Green averages a team-high 13.5 points and 6.3 rebounds; Keona Schneck, a guard and graduate student, 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds; junior guard Aubrey Rogers 11.8 points and 3.5 assists; and freshman forward Zaylee Werth, a Hillsboro native, 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. Freshman Grace Carlson is the point guard and averages 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.Rogers is the top 3-point shooter, 58 of 186. Schneck has 51 3-pointers and Mary Lukert, a sophomore guard, 41 off the bench.Showman is particularly impressed with Schneck, a transfer from Illinois-Chicago."She looks the part," he said. "You can just tell at this level when someone transfers down from Division I. They just look different, they move different, they play different and she's definitely a difference maker, a big reason why they've had success."Showman also likes Carlson who plays beyond her youth."She runs the show for them," he said. "From a facilitator standpoint she knows how to get her people open and what they're looking for offensively."The Pioneers average 74.8 points and allow just 56.7 points. They're outrebounding the opposition by 7.3 per game."When you look at it it's just a really well put together team," Showman said. "We have to be prepared and focused and ready to play hard because we know we're going to get that on the other side."In contrast Wesleyan has eight seniors/graduate students on its roster but has similar scoring balance. Point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/814b9571-0f77-43ed-8d0e-b8ee97ffbe61?elinkdata=21840">LaMyah Ricks</a> averages 12.0 points, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f2508267-fff4-4366-bcac-eb631d791fd8?elinkdata=21840">Angel Lee</a> 11.8, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/376ef054-54b7-407d-b848-29609559d13a?elinkdata=21840">Hampton Williams</a> 10.0, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/55a3119f-0382-4771-b4d1-176cf807eb42?elinkdata=21840">Jill Stephens</a> 9.7, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/62b5123d-17a7-49cc-9c01-a84fbb0cfe3d?elinkdata=21840">Odessa Ozuna</a> 8.6, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/07bb7bfc-e5f5-4af1-aee8-149dd34180d4?elinkdata=21840">Paige Chauncey</a> 7.6 and Cat Bowman 6.5. Williams averages a team-best 7.6 rebounds.The Coyotes average 75.4 points, allow 63.7 and have a 5.4 rebounding edge."They're a really tough disciplined team that does everything the right way, so we just have to get them out of their regular routine and get them unorganized," Ricks said of the Pioneers. "We have to move the ball side to side, play our game and not play their game. Just do what we've been doing all along.""We have to help each other off defense and get the ball side to side on offense, those are our top two things that we always talk about," Lee said.