MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has added an international talent to the 2025-26 roster, as Ivona Scekic from Slovenia has signed with the Wildcats. She will join the team in mid-December.

A center from Ljubljana, Slovenia, Scekic has played in numerous European events in her national team’s program. Scekic has taken part in the 2025 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship.

During the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, Scekic saw action in seven games and averaged 5.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists. She ranked 17th&nbsp;in the event for rebounds per game. Against Greece, Scekic tallied 13 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes of action.

K-State makes its first regular season road trip of the 2025-26 season, as the Wildcats visit SMU on Saturday at 4 p.m.

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has added an international talent to the 2025-26 roster, as Ivona Scekic from Slovenia has signed with the Wildcats. She will join the team in mid-December.A center from Ljubljana, Slovenia, Scekic has played in numerous European events in her national team’s program. Scekic has taken part in the 2025 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship.During the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, Scekic saw action in seven games and averaged 5.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists. She ranked 17th&nbsp;in the event for rebounds per game. Against Greece, Scekic tallied 13 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes of action.K-State makes its first regular season road trip of the 2025-26 season, as the Wildcats visit SMU on Saturday at 4 p.m.

K-State Women’s Basketball Adds Scekic to 2025-26 Roster

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer is back in the KCAC Women's Soccer Tournament Semifinals for the 20th time in the last 21 years after the Coyotes won a penalty kick shootout 4-2 over the University of Saint Mary Spires on Wednesday night at JRI Stadium.

The shootout came after a scoreless draw between the teams through regulation time and two extra time periods.

The Coyotes were up first in the shootout, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f73f3da6-b933-4be8-aed3-2d49efd46129?elinkdata=32337">Emma Gervy</a> would miss her try. Then it was Saint Mary's turn. Wesleyan keeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4834c9ef-d610-48e8-84e1-13cc05c4c587?elinkdata=32337">Isabella Galvan</a> would save the try by Tessa Lucas.

KWU stepped to the spot again, this time <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f1d35ad-c12c-49b2-bf86-beaea2952469?elinkdata=32337">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> converted giving KWU a 1-0 lead. On Saint Mary's try by Kate Erpelding, again Galvan would make the save keeping the Spires off the board.

On KWU's third try, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c921cc5a-c4ad-4ebe-8aba-80722cb94e76?elinkdata=32337">Marlee Walsh</a> converted making it 2-0 Coyotes. Saint Mary's Jaidyn Cavalieri would convert her try making it 2-1.

On the fourth shot, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2538adcb-c28c-4d45-a1bd-29ded8b09ce0?elinkdata=32337">Paige Proper</a> converted for the Coyotes but Saint Mary's Natalie Flores would also convert making it 3-2.

Up stepped KWU's last shot taker in <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c57dd3ca-28d2-423e-b146-16bc8fc729c4?elinkdata=32337">Hanna Castro</a>. Castro would convert, giving the Coyotes the 4-2 win.

In regulation, the match was played very evenly throughout. Saint Mary had the first try on goal in the ninth minute, but Galvan would make a save on the shot by Flores.

The Coyotes had a golden chance at a goal in the 41st minute but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f58a3642-307b-4fc2-ab6c-98d9becffec2?elinkdata=32337">Victoria Poon's</a> shot would hit the crossbar.

Wesleyan had a couple more good looks in the second half, the first by Moreno-Rojas in the 48th on a header that just missed. Moreno-Rojas had another try in the 74th that would be blocked.

Saint Mary had a chance to score in the 85th minute when a foul occurred inside the penalty area resulting in a penalty kick. Rebecca Lord set the ball at the spot and shot but missed high and wide left to keep the match scoreless.

Each team had a try in the first overtime, but could not convert.

The Coyotes had one chance in the second overtime by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a98dfe8e-f945-4359-9bd8-942edfd1365b?elinkdata=32337">Minaya Winchester</a> but her shot would be save and Galvan would have a save for the Coyotes to send the match to penalty kicks.

Gervy and Moreno-Rojas led the Coyotes with three shots each. Galvan had four saves for the Coyotes.

Hello, KCAC Semifinals, our old friend.Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer is back in the KCAC Women's Soccer Tournament Semifinals for the 20th time in the last 21 years after the Coyotes won a penalty kick shootout 4-2 over the University of Saint Mary Spires on Wednesday night at JRI Stadium.The shootout came after a scoreless draw between the teams through regulation time and two extra time periods.The Coyotes were up first in the shootout, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f73f3da6-b933-4be8-aed3-2d49efd46129?elinkdata=32337">Emma Gervy</a> would miss her try. Then it was Saint Mary's turn. Wesleyan keeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4834c9ef-d610-48e8-84e1-13cc05c4c587?elinkdata=32337">Isabella Galvan</a> would save the try by Tessa Lucas.KWU stepped to the spot again, this time <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f1d35ad-c12c-49b2-bf86-beaea2952469?elinkdata=32337">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> converted giving KWU a 1-0 lead. On Saint Mary's try by Kate Erpelding, again Galvan would make the save keeping the Spires off the board.On KWU's third try, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c921cc5a-c4ad-4ebe-8aba-80722cb94e76?elinkdata=32337">Marlee Walsh</a> converted making it 2-0 Coyotes. Saint Mary's Jaidyn Cavalieri would convert her try making it 2-1.On the fourth shot, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2538adcb-c28c-4d45-a1bd-29ded8b09ce0?elinkdata=32337">Paige Proper</a> converted for the Coyotes but Saint Mary's Natalie Flores would also convert making it 3-2.Up stepped KWU's last shot taker in <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c57dd3ca-28d2-423e-b146-16bc8fc729c4?elinkdata=32337">Hanna Castro</a>. Castro would convert, giving the Coyotes the 4-2 win.In regulation, the match was played very evenly throughout. Saint Mary had the first try on goal in the ninth minute, but Galvan would make a save on the shot by Flores.The Coyotes had a golden chance at a goal in the 41st minute but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f58a3642-307b-4fc2-ab6c-98d9becffec2?elinkdata=32337">Victoria Poon's</a> shot would hit the crossbar.Wesleyan had a couple more good looks in the second half, the first by Moreno-Rojas in the 48th on a header that just missed. Moreno-Rojas had another try in the 74th that would be blocked.Saint Mary had a chance to score in the 85th minute when a foul occurred inside the penalty area resulting in a penalty kick. Rebecca Lord set the ball at the spot and shot but missed high and wide left to keep the match scoreless.Each team had a try in the first overtime, but could not convert.The Coyotes had one chance in the second overtime by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a98dfe8e-f945-4359-9bd8-942edfd1365b?elinkdata=32337">Minaya Winchester</a> but her shot would be save and Galvan would have a save for the Coyotes to send the match to penalty kicks.Gervy and Moreno-Rojas led the Coyotes with three shots each. Galvan had four saves for the Coyotes.

⚽️ KWU Women’s Soccer advances past Saint Mary in penalty kick shootout

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Royals today announced their 32-game exhibition schedule for 2026. Game times will be announced at a later date.

The Royals will begin their 24th season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 20 as the road team vs. the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 2 games as the visiting team vs. the Rangers on Feb. 20 and March 18.

The Royals will play 32 games in 33 days next spring, including 29 Cactus League games. The other 3 games include an exhibition vs. Team Cuba on Tuesday, March 3 at Surprise Stadium, plus 2 games vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24, after the conclusion of Cactus League play.

The Royals are scheduled for two off days in Arizona, on Wednesday, March 4 and Monday, March 16. Their final Cactus League game is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 vs. Colorado, after which they’ll have an off day on Sunday, March 22, before their games in Arlington, Texas.

There are two split-squad dates, on which the Royals will field a pair of teams and play 2 games, on Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 19.

The Royals will play their neighbors in Surprise, the Texas Rangers, five times in total, including 2 games as the home team. They will play every other Cactus League team twice, including 1 home game and 1 road game.

The Royals will play their regular season opener on Thursday, March 26 at Truist Park vs. the Atlanta Braves. Their home opener will be on Monday, March 30 vs. the Minnesota Twins.

In addition to their 32 exhibition games, the Royals will play a Spring Breakout Game on Friday, March 20 at Surprise Stadium vs. the Rangers, in which both organizations will field a team of minor league prospects.

A complete Spring Training schedule is attached. Games are subject to change.

Group and season ticket packages for the 2026 Spring Training season will go on sale starting Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. MST.

Individual game tickets for Spring Training at Surprise Stadium will go on sale Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. MST online at&nbsp;<a href="http://surprisestadium.com/" target="_blank">SurpriseStadium.com</a>. Information regarding game times and promotional events will be announced later.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Royals today announced their 32-game exhibition schedule for 2026. Game times will be announced at a later date.The Royals will begin their 24th season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 20 as the road team vs. the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 2 games as the visiting team vs. the Rangers on Feb. 20 and March 18.The Royals will play 32 games in 33 days next spring, including 29 Cactus League games. The other 3 games include an exhibition vs. Team Cuba on Tuesday, March 3 at Surprise Stadium, plus 2 games vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24, after the conclusion of Cactus League play.The Royals are scheduled for two off days in Arizona, on Wednesday, March 4 and Monday, March 16. Their final Cactus League game is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 vs. Colorado, after which they’ll have an off day on Sunday, March 22, before their games in Arlington, Texas.There are two split-squad dates, on which the Royals will field a pair of teams and play 2 games, on Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 19.The Royals will play their neighbors in Surprise, the Texas Rangers, five times in total, including 2 games as the home team. They will play every other Cactus League team twice, including 1 home game and 1 road game.The Royals will play their regular season opener on Thursday, March 26 at Truist Park vs. the Atlanta Braves. Their home opener will be on Monday, March 30 vs. the Minnesota Twins.In addition to their 32 exhibition games, the Royals will play a Spring Breakout Game on Friday, March 20 at Surprise Stadium vs. the Rangers, in which both organizations will field a team of minor league prospects.A complete Spring Training schedule is attached. Games are subject to change.Group and season ticket packages for the 2026 Spring Training season will go on sale starting Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. MST.Individual game tickets for Spring Training at Surprise Stadium will go on sale Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. MST online at&nbsp;<a href="http://surprisestadium.com/" target="_blank">SurpriseStadium.com</a>. Information regarding game times and promotional events will be announced later.

Royals Announce 2026 Spring Training Schedule

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer is headed to Wichita for the KCAC Semifinals.

The third-seeded Coyotes put forth a dominating performance behind three unmatched second half goals to defeat sixth-seeded Tabor College Bluejays 4-1 on Tuesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

The victory boosts Wesleyan's record to 13-3-3 as KWU heads to the KCAC Semifinals on Friday in Wichita at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex. KWU will meet up with the Ottawa Braves at 7:30 p.m. Ottawa squeaked by seventh-seeded McPherson 2-1 in overtime, needing an 89th minute goal to tie the match and then scored in the 94th minute to win.

The Coyotes were quick out of the gates to get some shots off in the second minute by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b0159863-6ae7-4528-8253-ff4a70005bc3?elinkdata=32269">Noel Zimbeva</a> and another by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adaa2dc1-5e09-422b-a9a3-32f571e9b616?elinkdata=32269">Gonzalo Gaubeka</a> in the third.

However the teams settled in and the match was played mostly in the middle third of the pitch for most of the first half.

Late in the first, the Coyotes went on the offensive attack again, a pair of shots by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f9a1b14c-f047-4132-90cc-e272079a8f82?elinkdata=32269">Brennen Lamont</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e7987ecd-cca4-4381-abd4-ac68223d8010?elinkdata=32269">Mateo Hoyos</a> were blocked by Tabor's defense and another by Hoyos was saved.

The Coyotes got on the board first in the 41st minute. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7105481d-5422-4d5d-8b46-7188dab34607?elinkdata=32269">Emilio Rodriguez</a> netted the goal. After receiving a pass from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/588216cf-6bdf-4067-88e2-7d67bf3c53a7?elinkdata=32269">Seth Flores</a>, Rodriguez settled the ball on the left edge of the penalty area and worked around a couple defenders before sending a shot into goal for the score.

Tabor had a quick answer, literally 20 seconds later. Martin Marinakis sent a cross into the box to David Montoya who got a foot on in and sent it in for the equalizer.

Wesleyan wasted no time in taking the lead to start the second half. After a Tabor foul, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/22abdacc-1f7c-48fd-9c4a-4507ff842ebe?elinkdata=32269">Noel Zimbeva</a> had a direct kick from 23 yards out on the left side. He sent the ball into goal, using the far post to send into the back of the next for the score putting the Coyotes up 2-1 in the 47th minute.

The Coyotes had several other good looks at goals but would be denied.

Wesleyan's last two goals came exactly a minute apart in the 68th and 69th minutes, and both came off corner set pieces.

The first came as Flores sent the corner from the right side into the goal area and found <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b954d51b-263f-4dfd-bb02-adc05587fa4c?elinkdata=32269">Brennen Lamont</a> for the score. Lamont nearly had another goal immediately following but his shot was saved, setting up another corner.

This time Flores sent it in to the far post, finding <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dd847dc5-b140-4e91-b006-6c065a5002e2?elinkdata=32269">Mateo Hoyos</a> who knocked it in just inside the near post putting the Coyotes up 4-1.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer is headed to Wichita for the KCAC Semifinals.The third-seeded Coyotes put forth a dominating performance behind three unmatched second half goals to defeat sixth-seeded Tabor College Bluejays 4-1 on Tuesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.The victory boosts Wesleyan's record to 13-3-3 as KWU heads to the KCAC Semifinals on Friday in Wichita at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex. KWU will meet up with the Ottawa Braves at 7:30 p.m. Ottawa squeaked by seventh-seeded McPherson 2-1 in overtime, needing an 89th minute goal to tie the match and then scored in the 94th minute to win.The Coyotes were quick out of the gates to get some shots off in the second minute by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b0159863-6ae7-4528-8253-ff4a70005bc3?elinkdata=32269">Noel Zimbeva</a> and another by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adaa2dc1-5e09-422b-a9a3-32f571e9b616?elinkdata=32269">Gonzalo Gaubeka</a> in the third.However the teams settled in and the match was played mostly in the middle third of the pitch for most of the first half.Late in the first, the Coyotes went on the offensive attack again, a pair of shots by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f9a1b14c-f047-4132-90cc-e272079a8f82?elinkdata=32269">Brennen Lamont</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e7987ecd-cca4-4381-abd4-ac68223d8010?elinkdata=32269">Mateo Hoyos</a> were blocked by Tabor's defense and another by Hoyos was saved.The Coyotes got on the board first in the 41st minute. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7105481d-5422-4d5d-8b46-7188dab34607?elinkdata=32269">Emilio Rodriguez</a> netted the goal. After receiving a pass from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/588216cf-6bdf-4067-88e2-7d67bf3c53a7?elinkdata=32269">Seth Flores</a>, Rodriguez settled the ball on the left edge of the penalty area and worked around a couple defenders before sending a shot into goal for the score.Tabor had a quick answer, literally 20 seconds later. Martin Marinakis sent a cross into the box to David Montoya who got a foot on in and sent it in for the equalizer.The score was tied at the half.Wesleyan wasted no time in taking the lead to start the second half. After a Tabor foul, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/22abdacc-1f7c-48fd-9c4a-4507ff842ebe?elinkdata=32269">Noel Zimbeva</a> had a direct kick from 23 yards out on the left side. He sent the ball into goal, using the far post to send into the back of the next for the score putting the Coyotes up 2-1 in the 47th minute.The Coyotes had several other good looks at goals but would be denied.Wesleyan's last two goals came exactly a minute apart in the 68th and 69th minutes, and both came off corner set pieces.The first came as Flores sent the corner from the right side into the goal area and found <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b954d51b-263f-4dfd-bb02-adc05587fa4c?elinkdata=32269">Brennen Lamont</a> for the score. Lamont nearly had another goal immediately following but his shot was saved, setting up another corner.This time Flores sent it in to the far post, finding <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dd847dc5-b140-4e91-b006-6c065a5002e2?elinkdata=32269">Mateo Hoyos</a> who knocked it in just inside the near post putting the Coyotes up 4-1.

⚽️ Coyotes roll past Bluejays 4-1 to reach KCAC Semifinals

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior guard P.J. Haggerty continued to add to his preseason accolades list, as he was named to the watch lists for the 2025-26 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year award, which is presented by AXIA Time, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which is given annually to the Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

This is third time Haggerty has been named to the watch list for a national player of the year award, as he was among 20 candidates for the 2026 NABC Division I Player of the Year on Oct. 30.

Haggerty has already received a number of preseason accolades, including All-America honors from CBS Sports, Jay Bilas, The Field of 68, Jon Rothstein and @CBBAnalytics and All-Big 12 honors from the league coaches. He was also named to the watch list for the Jerry West Award, which is given annually the nation’s top shooting guard.

Haggerty averaged 25 points in K-State’s 2 exhibition games, including a 27-point, 10-assist double-double in Friday’s win over Newman.

A consensus Second Team All-American at Memphis, Haggerty is coming off a career year in 2024-25, in which, he became the first Division I player since Ja Morant in 2018-19 to average 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals to go with 6.5 free throws per game. He ranked third nationally in both scoring (21.7 ppg.) and total points (759), while his 759 points were an AAC single-season record and the most since Dajuan Wagner (762) set the school single-season record in 2001-02. He became the first Memphis Tiger since 2008 to be named an AP All-American, while he was selected as the AAC Player of the Year, First Team All-AAC and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2025 AAC Championship.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior guard P.J. Haggerty continued to add to his preseason accolades list, as he was named to the watch lists for the 2025-26 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year award, which is presented by AXIA Time, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which is given annually to the Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.This is third time Haggerty has been named to the watch list for a national player of the year award, as he was among 20 candidates for the 2026 NABC Division I Player of the Year on Oct. 30.Haggerty has already received a number of preseason accolades, including All-America honors from CBS Sports, Jay Bilas, The Field of 68, Jon Rothstein and @CBBAnalytics and All-Big 12 honors from the league coaches. He was also named to the watch list for the Jerry West Award, which is given annually the nation’s top shooting guard.Haggerty averaged 25 points in K-State’s 2 exhibition games, including a 27-point, 10-assist double-double in Friday’s win over Newman.A consensus Second Team All-American at Memphis, Haggerty is coming off a career year in 2024-25, in which, he became the first Division I player since Ja Morant in 2018-19 to average 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals to go with 6.5 free throws per game. He ranked third nationally in both scoring (21.7 ppg.) and total points (759), while his 759 points were an AAC single-season record and the most since Dajuan Wagner (762) set the school single-season record in 2001-02. He became the first Memphis Tiger since 2008 to be named an AP All-American, while he was selected as the AAC Player of the Year, First Team All-AAC and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2025 AAC Championship.

Haggerty Named to Two More Player of the Year Watch Lists

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals tonight announced a two-year contact agreement with catcher&nbsp;Salvador Perez&nbsp;through the 2027 season.

“Salvy is a Royals legend and one of the most important players this franchise has ever had,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager&nbsp;J.J. Picollo. “We had the option for next year, but everyone knew we wanted to make sure his legacy with us continued longer than that. We appreciate Salvy’s commitment to the Royals, and we’re just as excited as our fans.”

Perez, 35, is a nine-time All-Star, five-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award winner, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the 2015 World Series Most Valuable Player and the 2024&nbsp;Roberto Clemente&nbsp;Award winner. In 2023, Perez was named the fourth Captain in franchise history.

He is one of two catchers in Major League history to win at least five Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards, along with Hall of Famer&nbsp;Iván Rodríguez.

In 2025, Perez completed his 14th season—all with Kansas City—and recorded 30 home runs and 100 RBI in 155 games. The 30 HR were the 2nd-highest total of his career, trailing his franchise-record-tying 48-HR season in 2021. This marked his third season with at least 100 RBI and second straight.

Salvy in 2025 became the second catcher in Major League history (min. 50% of games at the position) to record at least 100 RBI in his age-35 season (or older), following Hall of Famer&nbsp;Carlton Fisk, who had 107 RBI as a 37 year old in 1985.

The 2025 season also saw Perez reach the 300-HR and 1,000-RBI career milestones. He’s one of eight primary catchers in Major League history with 300 HR and one of 15 catchers with 1,000 RBI.

He ranks among the Royals all-time leaders in HR (2nd, 303), RBI (2nd, 1,106), extra-base hits (3rd, 634), hits (6th, 1,712) and games (7th, 1,707). Perez is 14 HR shy of matching Hall of Famer&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;(317) for the club’s all-time HR record.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals tonight announced a two-year contact agreement with catcher&nbsp;Salvador Perez&nbsp;through the 2027 season.“Salvy is a Royals legend and one of the most important players this franchise has ever had,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager&nbsp;J.J. Picollo. “We had the option for next year, but everyone knew we wanted to make sure his legacy with us continued longer than that. We appreciate Salvy’s commitment to the Royals, and we’re just as excited as our fans.”Perez, 35, is a nine-time All-Star, five-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award winner, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the 2015 World Series Most Valuable Player and the 2024&nbsp;Roberto Clemente&nbsp;Award winner. In 2023, Perez was named the fourth Captain in franchise history.He is one of two catchers in Major League history to win at least five Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards, along with Hall of Famer&nbsp;Iván Rodríguez.In 2025, Perez completed his 14th season—all with Kansas City—and recorded 30 home runs and 100 RBI in 155 games. The 30 HR were the 2nd-highest total of his career, trailing his franchise-record-tying 48-HR season in 2021. This marked his third season with at least 100 RBI and second straight.Salvy in 2025 became the second catcher in Major League history (min. 50% of games at the position) to record at least 100 RBI in his age-35 season (or older), following Hall of Famer&nbsp;Carlton Fisk, who had 107 RBI as a 37 year old in 1985.The 2025 season also saw Perez reach the 300-HR and 1,000-RBI career milestones. He’s one of eight primary catchers in Major League history with 300 HR and one of 15 catchers with 1,000 RBI.He ranks among the Royals all-time leaders in HR (2nd, 303), RBI (2nd, 1,106), extra-base hits (3rd, 634), hits (6th, 1,712) and games (7th, 1,707). Perez is 14 HR shy of matching Hall of Famer&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;(317) for the club’s all-time HR record.

Royals Announce Two-Year Contract with Salvador Perez

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State offensive lineman&nbsp;Sam Hecht&nbsp;and safety&nbsp;VJ Payne&nbsp;have been rewarded with successful collegiate careers thus far as the senior duo has earned invitations to the 2026 East West Shrine Bowl.

Hecht and Payne are invited to take part in the longest-running college all-star football game in the nation on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, inside the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

This will be the fourth time in the last five years and the third-straight season the Wildcats have had a representative in the game. Marques Sigle played in last year’s edition before being selected in the NFL Draft by San Francisco. In 2024, defensive end Khalid Duke and offensive lineman KT Leveston competed in the game. Duke ended up being a free agent signee by Tennessee, while Leveston was selected in 2024 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. In 2022, quarterback Skylar Thompson and safety Russ Yeast played in the Shrine Bowl before being selected in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Dolphins and Rams, respectively.

A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht has started each of the last 22 games dating back to the 2024 season opener, seeing time on a combined 1,410 offensive snaps while only committing two penalties. A 2024 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, Hecht was on the watch lists for the 2025 Outland and Rimington trophies in addition to being a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

Payne, a product of Buford, Georgia, has started a team-leading 39 games, including 38-straight contests to stand as the best on the squad. He has 191 career tackles, including 10.0 tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and 12 total passes defended. This season, Payne ranks third on the team with 43 career tackles.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State offensive lineman&nbsp;Sam Hecht&nbsp;and safety&nbsp;VJ Payne&nbsp;have been rewarded with successful collegiate careers thus far as the senior duo has earned invitations to the 2026 East West Shrine Bowl.Hecht and Payne are invited to take part in the longest-running college all-star football game in the nation on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, inside the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.This will be the fourth time in the last five years and the third-straight season the Wildcats have had a representative in the game. Marques Sigle played in last year’s edition before being selected in the NFL Draft by San Francisco. In 2024, defensive end Khalid Duke and offensive lineman KT Leveston competed in the game. Duke ended up being a free agent signee by Tennessee, while Leveston was selected in 2024 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. In 2022, quarterback Skylar Thompson and safety Russ Yeast played in the Shrine Bowl before being selected in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Dolphins and Rams, respectively.A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht has started each of the last 22 games dating back to the 2024 season opener, seeing time on a combined 1,410 offensive snaps while only committing two penalties. A 2024 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, Hecht was on the watch lists for the 2025 Outland and Rimington trophies in addition to being a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.Payne, a product of Buford, Georgia, has started a team-leading 39 games, including 38-straight contests to stand as the best on the squad. He has 191 career tackles, including 10.0 tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and 12 total passes defended. This season, Payne ranks third on the team with 43 career tackles.

K-State’s Hecht, Payne Earn Shine Bowl Invitations

MANHATTAN, Kan. —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5106275/pj-haggerty">P.J. Haggerty</a>&nbsp;scored 27 points,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4898278/nate-johnson">Nate Johnson</a>&nbsp;had 22 points and just missed a triple-double as Kansas State rolled to a 93-64 victory over UNC Greensboro on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Haggerty shot 10 of 20 from the field and Johnson was 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed a nine rebounds to go with nine assists.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5174959/abdi-bashir-jr">Abdi Bashir Jr</a>. scored all 16 of his points in the second half for K-State, which finished shooting 34 of 67 (51%) from the floor and 14 of 27 (52%) from long range.

<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4896620/justin-neely">Justin Neely</a>&nbsp;had 15 points, nine rebounds, fives assists and three steals to lead UNC Greensboro.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5314576/lilian-marville">Lilian Marville</a>&nbsp;added 14 points.

The Spartans built a 26-18 advantage with about six minutes left in the first half and led 34-33 at the break.

It was tied 40-all early in the second half before K-State pulled away on a 25-5 run, capped by a Johnson 3-pointer, and led 70-45 with 9:39 to play. The Wildcats were 3-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in the first half but 11 of 17 in the second.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762313383073.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. —&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5106275/pj-haggerty">P.J. Haggerty</a>&nbsp;scored 27 points,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4898278/nate-johnson">Nate Johnson</a>&nbsp;had 22 points and just missed a triple-double as Kansas State rolled to a 93-64 victory over UNC Greensboro on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.Haggerty shot 10 of 20 from the field and Johnson was 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed a nine rebounds to go with nine assists.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5174959/abdi-bashir-jr">Abdi Bashir Jr</a>. scored all 16 of his points in the second half for K-State, which finished shooting 34 of 67 (51%) from the floor and 14 of 27 (52%) from long range.<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4896620/justin-neely">Justin Neely</a>&nbsp;had 15 points, nine rebounds, fives assists and three steals to lead UNC Greensboro.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5314576/lilian-marville">Lilian Marville</a>&nbsp;added 14 points.The Spartans built a 26-18 advantage with about six minutes left in the first half and led 34-33 at the break.It was tied 40-all early in the second half before K-State pulled away on a 25-5 run, capped by a Johnson 3-pointer, and led 70-45 with 9:39 to play. The Wildcats were 3-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in the first half but 11 of 17 in the second.

🏀 Haggerty scores 27 to lead K-State over UNC Greensboro

(<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9db87e51-0174-46a9-8f23-600a65a433a3?elinkdata=32167">BRACKET</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aa750159-4fc7-4c43-8100-61d303b98057?elinkdata=32167">TICKETS</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4f114486-9f64-4bca-b546-7be083e1b0ea?elinkdata=32167">WATCH</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b4aa5f1-4f7c-4913-9d58-1609f4a9db5b?elinkdata=32167">LIVE STATS</a>) Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer is the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Men's Soccer Tournament and will host No. 6 seed Tabor on Tuesday at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Due to the event being a KCAC Postseason event, there will be admission tickets sold for the event. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/315a593e-d468-49bb-972e-032e0a675422?elinkdata=32167">https://kcacsports.com/sports/2023/1/6/tickets.aspx</a>. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (55+), $6 for faculty and staff with ID, $6 for children 6-17 (college students must show ID), and children 5 and under are free.

KWU earned the No. 3 seed with a 9-2-2 KCAC record and a 12-3-3 record overall, finishing with 29 points in the conference table, four behind Ottawa. The Coyotes leapfrogged York who lost its final regular season contest.

Tabor enters the match with an 8-7-3 overall record and a 6-5-2 KCAC mark to lock in the sixth-seed with 20 points in the table.

In the regular season match-up between the teams, KWU came away with a 2-1 win on October 8 in Hillsboro. KWU got a pair of second half goals, a Noel ZImbeva penalty and the game winner by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/86bd4e55-601c-478d-b19f-2c70c508a2c6?elinkdata=32167">Brennen Lamont</a>.

KWU is led by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e65d7a74-d67b-4bd0-a6ed-77d5a8acbd87?elinkdata=32167">Noel Zimbeva</a> with nine goals and three assists for 21 points on the season. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2f60cf06-8b33-4df3-a7ed-f1accda9a16a?elinkdata=32167">Mateo Hoyos</a> has nine goals. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/03704857-d41c-4b98-9c81-37c635a3b0d9?elinkdata=32167">Seth Flores</a> has five goals and six assists. The Coyotes are solid defensively, recording eight shutouts during the regular season, five coming in conference play. The Coyotes led the KCAC in overall shutouts and tied for the lead in conference shutouts. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8600cefb-5b9e-4b25-a1bf-c59d1a8b0432?elinkdata=32167">Shae Wirt</a> has 51 saves in goal for the Coyotes and has only allowed 19 goals in 18 matches.

Pol Fernandez leads Tabor with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Richard Wiegand and Martin Marinakis have four goals each for the Bluejays. Benjamin Baeza has allowed 30 goals for the Bluejays in 17 matches.

(<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9db87e51-0174-46a9-8f23-600a65a433a3?elinkdata=32167">BRACKET</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aa750159-4fc7-4c43-8100-61d303b98057?elinkdata=32167">TICKETS</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4f114486-9f64-4bca-b546-7be083e1b0ea?elinkdata=32167">WATCH</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b4aa5f1-4f7c-4913-9d58-1609f4a9db5b?elinkdata=32167">LIVE STATS</a>) Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer is the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Men's Soccer Tournament and will host No. 6 seed Tabor on Tuesday at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.Due to the event being a KCAC Postseason event, there will be admission tickets sold for the event. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/315a593e-d468-49bb-972e-032e0a675422?elinkdata=32167">https://kcacsports.com/sports/2023/1/6/tickets.aspx</a>. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (55+), $6 for faculty and staff with ID, $6 for children 6-17 (college students must show ID), and children 5 and under are free.KWU earned the No. 3 seed with a 9-2-2 KCAC record and a 12-3-3 record overall, finishing with 29 points in the conference table, four behind Ottawa. The Coyotes leapfrogged York who lost its final regular season contest.Tabor enters the match with an 8-7-3 overall record and a 6-5-2 KCAC mark to lock in the sixth-seed with 20 points in the table.In the regular season match-up between the teams, KWU came away with a 2-1 win on October 8 in Hillsboro. KWU got a pair of second half goals, a Noel ZImbeva penalty and the game winner by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/86bd4e55-601c-478d-b19f-2c70c508a2c6?elinkdata=32167">Brennen Lamont</a>.KWU is led by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e65d7a74-d67b-4bd0-a6ed-77d5a8acbd87?elinkdata=32167">Noel Zimbeva</a> with nine goals and three assists for 21 points on the season. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2f60cf06-8b33-4df3-a7ed-f1accda9a16a?elinkdata=32167">Mateo Hoyos</a> has nine goals. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/03704857-d41c-4b98-9c81-37c635a3b0d9?elinkdata=32167">Seth Flores</a> has five goals and six assists. The Coyotes are solid defensively, recording eight shutouts during the regular season, five coming in conference play. The Coyotes led the KCAC in overall shutouts and tied for the lead in conference shutouts. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8600cefb-5b9e-4b25-a1bf-c59d1a8b0432?elinkdata=32167">Shae Wirt</a> has 51 saves in goal for the Coyotes and has only allowed 19 goals in 18 matches.Pol Fernandez leads Tabor with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Richard Wiegand and Martin Marinakis have four goals each for the Bluejays. Benjamin Baeza has allowed 30 goals for the Bluejays in 17 matches.

⚽️ Coyote Men’s Soccer to host Tabor in KCAC Tournament on Tuesday

(<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/054608fc-85ba-4641-a319-9b5148bef9e6?elinkdata=32235">BRACKET</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80a5c13e-3597-4f3d-95b1-8be9b13db2e4?elinkdata=32235">TICKETS</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9e7bc251-858e-426a-8646-ff881d1473ed?elinkdata=32235">WATCH</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42c2a3f2-cdd0-4947-8391-111700b36af3?elinkdata=32235">LIVE STATS</a>) Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer is the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Tournament and will host No. 6 seed Saint Mary on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

Due to the event being a KCAC Postseason event, there will be admission tickets sold for the event. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0074b7a1-aa48-43ce-ac1f-8d2945ab65c1?elinkdata=32235">https://kcacsports.com/sports/2023/1/6/tickets.aspx</a>. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (55+), $6 for faculty and staff with ID, $6 for children 6-17 (college students must show ID), and children 5 and under are free.

KWU secured their spot in the KCAC standings with a 2-0 win over Avila in Saturday's regular season finale. KWU is 12-4-2 overall and 10-2-1 in the KCAC.

Kansas Wesleyan got a 2-1 win over the Spires in the regular season meeting between the teams on October 4 in Salina. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cab5e9ae-4fb8-47df-9724-16c003ae7320?elinkdata=32235">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1a2aeb99-a6f0-407c-9d04-39cbc91b63dc?elinkdata=32235">Talia Walsh</a> scored goals for the Coyotes in the match.

Saint Mary is 7-5-6 overall and 5-3-5 in the KCAC earning the sixth seed in the tournament.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/09858cdf-8a89-431a-84cc-c4d17f0b546a?elinkdata=32235">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> leads the Coyotes in goals, assists and points with seven goals, four assists and 18 points. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9da19f86-eaef-49a6-b5b3-5d8d7e5a99bf?elinkdata=32235">Emma Gervy</a> has six goals and two assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/358cc624-2054-4365-ada3-c5ed26d2aeb1?elinkdata=32235">Brooklyn Velotta</a> has five goals for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f971e0e9-b73e-47dd-88c2-154e4e7b74cb?elinkdata=32235">Isabella Galvan</a> has played every minute in goal for the Coyotes, allowing 16 goals in 18 matches. She has eight shutouts on the season for the Coyotes.

Rebecca Lord leads Saint Mary with nine goals and four assists for 22 points. No other player has more than 13 points for the Spires. Kate Erpelding has six goals. Avah Casarez is Saint Mary's leading goalkeeper, logging 1215 minutes in goal, with five shutouts.

(<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/054608fc-85ba-4641-a319-9b5148bef9e6?elinkdata=32235">BRACKET</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80a5c13e-3597-4f3d-95b1-8be9b13db2e4?elinkdata=32235">TICKETS</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9e7bc251-858e-426a-8646-ff881d1473ed?elinkdata=32235">WATCH</a> | <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42c2a3f2-cdd0-4947-8391-111700b36af3?elinkdata=32235">LIVE STATS</a>) Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer is the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Tournament and will host No. 6 seed Saint Mary on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.Due to the event being a KCAC Postseason event, there will be admission tickets sold for the event. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time online at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0074b7a1-aa48-43ce-ac1f-8d2945ab65c1?elinkdata=32235">https://kcacsports.com/sports/2023/1/6/tickets.aspx</a>. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (55+), $6 for faculty and staff with ID, $6 for children 6-17 (college students must show ID), and children 5 and under are free.KWU secured their spot in the KCAC standings with a 2-0 win over Avila in Saturday's regular season finale. KWU is 12-4-2 overall and 10-2-1 in the KCAC.Kansas Wesleyan got a 2-1 win over the Spires in the regular season meeting between the teams on October 4 in Salina. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cab5e9ae-4fb8-47df-9724-16c003ae7320?elinkdata=32235">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1a2aeb99-a6f0-407c-9d04-39cbc91b63dc?elinkdata=32235">Talia Walsh</a> scored goals for the Coyotes in the match.Saint Mary is 7-5-6 overall and 5-3-5 in the KCAC earning the sixth seed in the tournament.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/09858cdf-8a89-431a-84cc-c4d17f0b546a?elinkdata=32235">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> leads the Coyotes in goals, assists and points with seven goals, four assists and 18 points. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9da19f86-eaef-49a6-b5b3-5d8d7e5a99bf?elinkdata=32235">Emma Gervy</a> has six goals and two assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/358cc624-2054-4365-ada3-c5ed26d2aeb1?elinkdata=32235">Brooklyn Velotta</a> has five goals for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f971e0e9-b73e-47dd-88c2-154e4e7b74cb?elinkdata=32235">Isabella Galvan</a> has played every minute in goal for the Coyotes, allowing 16 goals in 18 matches. She has eight shutouts on the season for the Coyotes.Rebecca Lord leads Saint Mary with nine goals and four assists for 22 points. No other player has more than 13 points for the Spires. Kate Erpelding has six goals. Avah Casarez is Saint Mary's leading goalkeeper, logging 1215 minutes in goal, with five shutouts.

⚽️ KWU WSOC is third seed, hosts Saint Mary Wednesday

WICHITA, Kan. - Kansas Wesleyan goalkeeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c5b15e0-3b6f-41b5-94cf-12f0accb3c44?elinkdata=32201">Shae Wirt</a> has been named as the KCAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Monday.

Student-athletes in the KCAC Player of the Week program were selected for their performances from Oct. 27-Nov. 2 by a vote of conference sports information directors.

Wirt had a pair of clean sheets as the Coyotes wrapped up the regular season with a pair of wins. He had three saves against McPherson to secure the win, including a wild diving save on a rocket shot that would have been a goal. Wirt has helped the Coyotes secure the most shutouts overall in the KCAC (eight), and tied for the most in conference play (five; tied with Oklahoma Wesleyan and Ottawa).

WICHITA, Kan. - Kansas Wesleyan goalkeeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c5b15e0-3b6f-41b5-94cf-12f0accb3c44?elinkdata=32201">Shae Wirt</a> has been named as the KCAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Monday.Student-athletes in the KCAC Player of the Week program were selected for their performances from Oct. 27-Nov. 2 by a vote of conference sports information directors.Wirt had a pair of clean sheets as the Coyotes wrapped up the regular season with a pair of wins. He had three saves against McPherson to secure the win, including a wild diving save on a rocket shot that would have been a goal. Wirt has helped the Coyotes secure the most shutouts overall in the KCAC (eight), and tied for the most in conference play (five; tied with Oklahoma Wesleyan and Ottawa).

Shae Wirt earns KCAC Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honor

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State opened its 58th&nbsp;season of women’s basketball on Monday night, as the Wildcats dashed by Omaha, 100-35, at Bramlage Coliseum. This was K-State’s 15th&nbsp;straight win in a season-opener.

The Wildcats carded 100 points in a season-opener for the second time in five seasons, as K-State notched a 103-40 win over Central Arkansas to begin the 2021-22 season. This was the sixth time K-State has scored 100 or more points in the first game of a season.

K-State (1-0) saw five players reach double figures and were led by sophomore guard Izela Arenas with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. The 18 points were the most in a K-State career debut since Gabby Gregory tallied 19 against Central Arkansas on Nov. 7, 2022.

Junior guard Taryn Sides narrowly missed a triple-double as she tallied her second career double-double and her first with points and assists as she tallied 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 12 assists with zero turnovers, seven rebounds and four steals.

Freshman guard Aniya Foy carded 13 points, four steals and three rebounds. Junior forward Nastja Claessens chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in her collegiate debut. Sophomore forward Jenessa Cotton tallied career-highs with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting and eight rebounds.

- K-State held Omaha (0-1) without a made field goal for the duration of the first quarter to build a 31-5 advantage at the end of the frame. This was the first time K-State held a team without a made field goal in a quarter since Feb. 20, 2022, against Oklahoma State.

- The Wildcats buried seven 3-pointers on 12 attempts in the opening quarter, including five consecutive possessions.

- The 31-point first quarter was the most in an opening quarter since March 7, 2025, when the Wildcats tallied a 33-point first quarter against West Virginia in the Big 12 quarterfinals.

- The Wildcats did not allow a made field goal by the Mavericks until the 6:40 mark of the second quarter. K-State would end the half with a 50-9 lead and held Omaha to two made field goals in the half (2-of-22; 9.1 percent). The two made field goals allowed tied the school record for fewest field goals allowed in a half, which has been done four times in program history.

- Offensively in the first half, K-State shot 51.3 percent (20-of-39) from the field including 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from beyond the arc.

- K-State closed out the third quarter on an 11-4 run to build a 73-24 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

- In the final frame, the Wildcats matched their shooting from the third quarter by going 10-of-17 from the floor (.588) and outscore the Mavericks, 27-11. K-State reached the 100-point mark on a steal and layup from Foy with 1:20 remaining. Over the final 7:25 of the fourth frame, the Wildcats went on a 23-3 run.

- K-State shot 54.8 (40-of-73) from the field including 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from long range.

- The Cats dished out 25 assists to 11 turnovers on the night. K-State handed out 21.2 assists per game a season ago, which was second in the nation.

- The Wildcats tallied a 36-0 advantage in fastbreak points.

- Monday’s game was the earliest season-opener in program history.

- Kansas State is 49-9 (.845) in season openers and have won 23 of the last 25 season openers, including 15 straight.

- The Wildcats have won 31 of its last 33 home openers in Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 49-9 (.845) all-time in home openers and 34-4 (.895) in openers in Bramlage.

- K-State leads the series with Omaha, 9-0. The Wildcats are 44-6 (.880) against current members of the Summit League.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 673-378 (.640), including a mark of 219-143 (.605).

- K-State is 414-157 (.725) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 144-49 (.746) record under Mittie. The Wildcats are 239-30 (.888) in non-conference games in Bramlage including an 85-9 (.904) mark during Mittie’s time with at K-State.

- The Wildcats are 167-55 (.752) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 55 of its last 67 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 53-12 (.815) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal and Taryn Sides and forwards Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton. This was the first time this lineup has started together this season.

- K-State improves to 66-0 in the Jeff Mittie era when holding an opponent to 49 points or less. During the last five seasons, K-State is 66-3 (.957) when holding foes to 60 points or less.

- The Wildcats held a 50-9 lead at halftime on Monday. Under Mittie, K-State is 177-21 (.894) when leading at halftime.

- K-State scored 20-or more points in a quarter three times on Monday. A season ago, the Wildcats set the school record for 20-point quarters with 68. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 160-65 (.711) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.

- K-State improved to 115-8 (.935) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.

- Sides tied for ninth in program history for assists in a game with 12 on Monday. Her 12 assists pushed her career total to 202.

- Sides made two or more 3-point field goals for the 32nd&nbsp;time in her career.

- Cotton achieved career-highs in points (11) and rebounds (8). She tallied her first career double digit scoring game. This was her first career game with five or more rebounds.

- Arenas surpassed double figures in scoring for the sixth time in her career.

- Arenas tallied her fourth career game with two or more steals.

- Gina Garcia dished out five assists on Monday. Her five assists were the most in a K-State career debut since Serena Sundell handed out nine on Nov. 9, 2021, against Central Arkansas.

“I thought it was a solid performance. [It was]Important that we got out on the court, first time for a lot of these players. We obviously had a closed scrimmage here. We had the road [exhibition at Tarleton State], but it's different at home, with different emotions, energy and nerves that go into that. I thought our group really did some things that were pretty solid. Most of the night, you could see we were kind of excited to play, so I think that led to a lot of early fouls. We have to clean those things up and do those things better. We fundamentally missed some shots that I think we’ll make over time. So we have to clean those things up, but all in all, it was a pretty good performance.”

On set connections on the court…

“I don't know if I found any tonight. I think through practice and through this early fall, we'll start to get some answers. I still think that one of the things when we're going into these games– is that it's important we get these players minutes together. It's why I'm changing the lineup a lot, it's why I'm changing rotations a lot. I think every opportunity to get them some different connections with each other on the floor. We still have a lot of things we have to answer. Can we rebound against size? Tonight we really weren't challenged in that area. So we have to do those things better in practice.”

On some things they will work on in practice following game one…

“Well they’ll be excited, there's no practice tomorrow. We got the day off, but when we get back to work, I'm not going to like our box outs when I just look at them. I'm going to say that we just rebounded the ball because we chased it better and we were bigger and more athletic. I'm probably going to be pretty nitpicky on that, and because we didn't get tested in that area tonight, it's probably going to be a pretty big part of practice going forward, because I think we'll be tested more in the coming weeks. Offensively, I don't know how to gauge the half court. We weren't in the half court enough tonight, I didn't like our pace at times in the half court. It felt like one person would do something, then we'd go, ‘Oh, okay, it's time for me to do something.’ ‘Oh, wait, it's time for me to do something.’ And our timing has got to be better. Now that's just my eyes watching it. I'll evaluate it tonight, but I think the half court is going to be tough for me to evaluate.”

“You look at her stat line, I mean she's very efficient, 12 assists and no turnovers. Just a little bit of everything, and more importantly for her, it's just those that have watched her grow and play with a confident pace out there. You saw it last year, we've seen it continue to grow. This year, it'll be interesting as we progress as a basketball team, whether she's off the ball more or with the ball more, that's something that we're still experimenting with, but it was a really good performance by her.”

On fundamentals paying off in practice…

“Yeah, I've said this a couple times. Whatever you invest in practice, you want to see that those things are good. So when you talk about us, we've spent a lot of time on just the fundamentals defensively. From that standpoint, I was a little disappointed, because we had way too many fouls and too many hand checks. That's an area that we've invested time in, not doing those things right, so that's disappointing. I did think our communication defensively, with some of our switch outs, some of our ball screen coverages were really pretty solid. From that standpoint, I saw that it was really good. I did not think Omaha pushed it against us, so it's difficult for me to judge transition defense.&nbsp; That would have been an area that I would have liked to have been tested more tonight. They did a pretty good job of that. Can they stay unselfish and can they keep sharing the basketball to the right player? All in all, pretty solid. Most of the night's effort is something that we saw for 40 minutes. I thought it was pretty good. I think you saw the same thing I saw because I'm judging that, with three or four minutes to go, do we have our hands up? Are we talking? I really thought, for the most part, I didn't think we had a whole lot of lapses. Some of the threes that they hit late, those were more credit to them and our coverage of who got those threes, we were going over some stuff, and they finally started knocking some things down. So I thought our effort was pretty good with the freshmen.”

On the performance of the freshmen…

“I think all of them did good things. All of them did good things tonight. I thought Jordan [Speiser] improved defensively. It's an area that she's working harder at improving. I thought her recognition of things was better. She did not shoot it great, but she made good moves off the bounce. [Brandie] Harrod got off to a rough start, and she had some layup opportunities. She didn't finish, but I liked her activity. You saw as the game went on, what kind of versatile player she is. Gina [Garcia] had foul trouble early. You saw her make a really good adjustment in the second half to get the hands off. And then you saw Aniya Foy have a really good fourth quarter, and I thought she played really well. I thought all the freshmen did some nice things.”

On the adjustments to the hand check ruling…

“I have to look at that on film. I didn't think we were as bad as they were calling it, so I have to really look at that. There was an adjustment to the rule, but it was actually a more aggressive adjustment in that you could measure them up a couple times now, so you can get multiple touches. So I have to look at it, I don't know that. You know we can do that in practice to officiate that better and teach it better. Yeah, I don't know. All three officials, though., kept talking about [Gina] Garcia, how handsy she was, and they kept telling us, so I've really got to take a look at that, because she picked up three pretty quick ones [fouls]. Fortunately for her, we're in a game where I can still get her minutes because, if it was a really tight game, I would have probably not gotten her some extra minutes there.”

On stretches when shots stopped falling…

“I think in that stretch, we just had some steals and were able to get some layups that way. I think watching us tonight, it would be hard to gauge in the half court what we're good at. I don't mean that critically of our team, I just don't think we were in it very much. I just don't think we were in it enough to really gauge what kind of rhythm that was going to take. So I'll look at it on film and see and certainly we'll get back to the drawing board against our practice squad and see if there's some things that we can get better at.”

“I thought she was really efficient, what she's really given us is an ability to score one on one. She's got a good step back. If she gets to that left hand, she's got a nice floater. She can also get to the rim there. We're still evaluating Garcia, [Taryn] Sides and [Izela] Arenas on how to best utilize them together, because all three of them bring some things. Garcia is really the only true point guard that thinks past first– both Sides and Arenas, they go look for their shot, but I thought Arenas played really well, and I liked her defense better tonight. It's an area that we've asked her to be peskier. It's an area that we've asked her to be more disruptive and I thought she was pretty good.”

On Taryn Sides and what she needs to improve on…

“I wasn't really happy at the end of the first quarter, because we messed that end of quarter play. I got to see those things better from her. We had messed up a couple of them at Tarleton. We spent some time on it this week. Those things got to be better, because she is a veteran, and she has been in a lot of different environments, she's got to use those experiences. She's played at Kentucky, she's played at Iowa, she's played in the biggest games in the Big 12. We got to draw from those experiences. And what I've loved about her from the summer on, we were running her off as a shooter this summer. She was more of a scorer and she started to show that ability to play with pace that is required as a scorer. So I want to see her continue to do that, because I think there's a lot more in her.”

On Jenessa Cotton’s performance…

“I like the way Jenessa played, I really did. I thought she was a little calmer than she's played. I thought she was rushed at Tarleton. A lot of the things that we're doing offensively puts her into a decision making spot on the floor. She's going to be in the middle of the floor a lot, which, depending on how the defense plays us, she's going to be in that spot to make decisions. We have constantly talked to her about slower is better, and tonight you saw that be better. I think it's a good step for her, because she was rushed at Tarleton. She wasn't seeing it very well, so I really thought she got off to a nice start. And I thought she had a good practice, I thought she's had a good couple days of practice. It looked like she was starting to see things better, and it looked like the game was slowing down for her. She's a player that only played about 45-50 minutes last year at Duke, had the injury, and didn't play all summer for us. She just needs time, she needs minutes, she needs reps, she needs time. She's going to be a heck of a player. We just got to keep getting her out there and giving her some time.”

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State opened its 58th&nbsp;season of women’s basketball on Monday night, as the Wildcats dashed by Omaha, 100-35, at Bramlage Coliseum. This was K-State’s 15th&nbsp;straight win in a season-opener.The Wildcats carded 100 points in a season-opener for the second time in five seasons, as K-State notched a 103-40 win over Central Arkansas to begin the 2021-22 season. This was the sixth time K-State has scored 100 or more points in the first game of a season.K-State (1-0) saw five players reach double figures and were led by sophomore guard Izela Arenas with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. The 18 points were the most in a K-State career debut since Gabby Gregory tallied 19 against Central Arkansas on Nov. 7, 2022.Junior guard Taryn Sides narrowly missed a triple-double as she tallied her second career double-double and her first with points and assists as she tallied 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 12 assists with zero turnovers, seven rebounds and four steals.Freshman guard Aniya Foy carded 13 points, four steals and three rebounds. Junior forward Nastja Claessens chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in her collegiate debut. Sophomore forward Jenessa Cotton tallied career-highs with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting and eight rebounds.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State held Omaha (0-1) without a made field goal for the duration of the first quarter to build a 31-5 advantage at the end of the frame. This was the first time K-State held a team without a made field goal in a quarter since Feb. 20, 2022, against Oklahoma State.- The Wildcats buried seven 3-pointers on 12 attempts in the opening quarter, including five consecutive possessions.- The 31-point first quarter was the most in an opening quarter since March 7, 2025, when the Wildcats tallied a 33-point first quarter against West Virginia in the Big 12 quarterfinals.- The Wildcats did not allow a made field goal by the Mavericks until the 6:40 mark of the second quarter. K-State would end the half with a 50-9 lead and held Omaha to two made field goals in the half (2-of-22; 9.1 percent). The two made field goals allowed tied the school record for fewest field goals allowed in a half, which has been done four times in program history.- Offensively in the first half, K-State shot 51.3 percent (20-of-39) from the field including 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from beyond the arc.- K-State closed out the third quarter on an 11-4 run to build a 73-24 advantage entering the fourth quarter.- In the final frame, the Wildcats matched their shooting from the third quarter by going 10-of-17 from the floor (.588) and outscore the Mavericks, 27-11. K-State reached the 100-point mark on a steal and layup from Foy with 1:20 remaining. Over the final 7:25 of the fourth frame, the Wildcats went on a 23-3 run.- K-State shot 54.8 (40-of-73) from the field including 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from long range.- The Cats dished out 25 assists to 11 turnovers on the night. K-State handed out 21.2 assists per game a season ago, which was second in the nation.- The Wildcats tallied a 36-0 advantage in fastbreak points.QUICK FACTS- Monday’s game was the earliest season-opener in program history.- Kansas State is 49-9 (.845) in season openers and have won 23 of the last 25 season openers, including 15 straight.- The Wildcats have won 31 of its last 33 home openers in Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 49-9 (.845) all-time in home openers and 34-4 (.895) in openers in Bramlage.- K-State leads the series with Omaha, 9-0. The Wildcats are 44-6 (.880) against current members of the Summit League.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 673-378 (.640), including a mark of 219-143 (.605).- K-State is 414-157 (.725) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 144-49 (.746) record under Mittie. The Wildcats are 239-30 (.888) in non-conference games in Bramlage including an 85-9 (.904) mark during Mittie’s time with at K-State.- The Wildcats are 167-55 (.752) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 55 of its last 67 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 53-12 (.815) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal and Taryn Sides and forwards Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton. This was the first time this lineup has started together this season.- K-State improves to 66-0 in the Jeff Mittie era when holding an opponent to 49 points or less. During the last five seasons, K-State is 66-3 (.957) when holding foes to 60 points or less.- The Wildcats held a 50-9 lead at halftime on Monday. Under Mittie, K-State is 177-21 (.894) when leading at halftime.- K-State scored 20-or more points in a quarter three times on Monday. A season ago, the Wildcats set the school record for 20-point quarters with 68. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 160-65 (.711) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.- K-State improved to 115-8 (.935) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.PLAYER NOTES- Sides tied for ninth in program history for assists in a game with 12 on Monday. Her 12 assists pushed her career total to 202.- Sides made two or more 3-point field goals for the 32nd&nbsp;time in her career.- Cotton achieved career-highs in points (11) and rebounds (8). She tallied her first career double digit scoring game. This was her first career game with five or more rebounds.- Arenas surpassed double figures in scoring for the sixth time in her career.- Arenas tallied her fourth career game with two or more steals.- Gina Garcia dished out five assists on Monday. Her five assists were the most in a K-State career debut since Serena Sundell handed out nine on Nov. 9, 2021, against Central Arkansas.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOpening Statement…“I thought it was a solid performance. [It was]Important that we got out on the court, first time for a lot of these players. We obviously had a closed scrimmage here. We had the road [exhibition at Tarleton State], but it's different at home, with different emotions, energy and nerves that go into that. I thought our group really did some things that were pretty solid. Most of the night, you could see we were kind of excited to play, so I think that led to a lot of early fouls. We have to clean those things up and do those things better. We fundamentally missed some shots that I think we’ll make over time. So we have to clean those things up, but all in all, it was a pretty good performance.”On set connections on the court…“I don't know if I found any tonight. I think through practice and through this early fall, we'll start to get some answers. I still think that one of the things when we're going into these games– is that it's important we get these players minutes together. It's why I'm changing the lineup a lot, it's why I'm changing rotations a lot. I think every opportunity to get them some different connections with each other on the floor. We still have a lot of things we have to answer. Can we rebound against size? Tonight we really weren't challenged in that area. So we have to do those things better in practice.”On some things they will work on in practice following game one…“Well they’ll be excited, there's no practice tomorrow. We got the day off, but when we get back to work, I'm not going to like our box outs when I just look at them. I'm going to say that we just rebounded the ball because we chased it better and we were bigger and more athletic. I'm probably going to be pretty nitpicky on that, and because we didn't get tested in that area tonight, it's probably going to be a pretty big part of practice going forward, because I think we'll be tested more in the coming weeks. Offensively, I don't know how to gauge the half court. We weren't in the half court enough tonight, I didn't like our pace at times in the half court. It felt like one person would do something, then we'd go, ‘Oh, okay, it's time for me to do something.’ ‘Oh, wait, it's time for me to do something.’ And our timing has got to be better. Now that's just my eyes watching it. I'll evaluate it tonight, but I think the half court is going to be tough for me to evaluate.”On Taryn Sides’ performance…“You look at her stat line, I mean she's very efficient, 12 assists and no turnovers. Just a little bit of everything, and more importantly for her, it's just those that have watched her grow and play with a confident pace out there. You saw it last year, we've seen it continue to grow. This year, it'll be interesting as we progress as a basketball team, whether she's off the ball more or with the ball more, that's something that we're still experimenting with, but it was a really good performance by her.”On fundamentals paying off in practice…“Yeah, I've said this a couple times. Whatever you invest in practice, you want to see that those things are good. So when you talk about us, we've spent a lot of time on just the fundamentals defensively. From that standpoint, I was a little disappointed, because we had way too many fouls and too many hand checks. That's an area that we've invested time in, not doing those things right, so that's disappointing. I did think our communication defensively, with some of our switch outs, some of our ball screen coverages were really pretty solid. From that standpoint, I saw that it was really good. I did not think Omaha pushed it against us, so it's difficult for me to judge transition defense.&nbsp; That would have been an area that I would have liked to have been tested more tonight. They did a pretty good job of that. Can they stay unselfish and can they keep sharing the basketball to the right player? All in all, pretty solid. Most of the night's effort is something that we saw for 40 minutes. I thought it was pretty good. I think you saw the same thing I saw because I'm judging that, with three or four minutes to go, do we have our hands up? Are we talking? I really thought, for the most part, I didn't think we had a whole lot of lapses. Some of the threes that they hit late, those were more credit to them and our coverage of who got those threes, we were going over some stuff, and they finally started knocking some things down. So I thought our effort was pretty good with the freshmen.”On the performance of the freshmen…“I think all of them did good things. All of them did good things tonight. I thought Jordan [Speiser] improved defensively. It's an area that she's working harder at improving. I thought her recognition of things was better. She did not shoot it great, but she made good moves off the bounce. [Brandie] Harrod got off to a rough start, and she had some layup opportunities. She didn't finish, but I liked her activity. You saw as the game went on, what kind of versatile player she is. Gina [Garcia] had foul trouble early. You saw her make a really good adjustment in the second half to get the hands off. And then you saw Aniya Foy have a really good fourth quarter, and I thought she played really well. I thought all the freshmen did some nice things.”On the adjustments to the hand check ruling…“I have to look at that on film. I didn't think we were as bad as they were calling it, so I have to really look at that. There was an adjustment to the rule, but it was actually a more aggressive adjustment in that you could measure them up a couple times now, so you can get multiple touches. So I have to look at it, I don't know that. You know we can do that in practice to officiate that better and teach it better. Yeah, I don't know. All three officials, though., kept talking about [Gina] Garcia, how handsy she was, and they kept telling us, so I've really got to take a look at that, because she picked up three pretty quick ones [fouls]. Fortunately for her, we're in a game where I can still get her minutes because, if it was a really tight game, I would have probably not gotten her some extra minutes there.”On stretches when shots stopped falling…“I think in that stretch, we just had some steals and were able to get some layups that way. I think watching us tonight, it would be hard to gauge in the half court what we're good at. I don't mean that critically of our team, I just don't think we were in it very much. I just don't think we were in it enough to really gauge what kind of rhythm that was going to take. So I'll look at it on film and see and certainly we'll get back to the drawing board against our practice squad and see if there's some things that we can get better at.”On Gina Garcia’s performance…“I thought she was really efficient, what she's really given us is an ability to score one on one. She's got a good step back. If she gets to that left hand, she's got a nice floater. She can also get to the rim there. We're still evaluating Garcia, [Taryn] Sides and [Izela] Arenas on how to best utilize them together, because all three of them bring some things. Garcia is really the only true point guard that thinks past first– both Sides and Arenas, they go look for their shot, but I thought Arenas played really well, and I liked her defense better tonight. It's an area that we've asked her to be peskier. It's an area that we've asked her to be more disruptive and I thought she was pretty good.”On Taryn Sides and what she needs to improve on…“I wasn't really happy at the end of the first quarter, because we messed that end of quarter play. I got to see those things better from her. We had messed up a couple of them at Tarleton. We spent some time on it this week. Those things got to be better, because she is a veteran, and she has been in a lot of different environments, she's got to use those experiences. She's played at Kentucky, she's played at Iowa, she's played in the biggest games in the Big 12. We got to draw from those experiences. And what I've loved about her from the summer on, we were running her off as a shooter this summer. She was more of a scorer and she started to show that ability to play with pace that is required as a scorer. So I want to see her continue to do that, because I think there's a lot more in her.”On Jenessa Cotton’s performance…“I like the way Jenessa played, I really did. I thought she was a little calmer than she's played. I thought she was rushed at Tarleton. A lot of the things that we're doing offensively puts her into a decision making spot on the floor. She's going to be in the middle of the floor a lot, which, depending on how the defense plays us, she's going to be in that spot to make decisions. We have constantly talked to her about slower is better, and tonight you saw that be better. I think it's a good step for her, because she was rushed at Tarleton. She wasn't seeing it very well, so I really thought she got off to a nice start. And I thought she had a good practice, I thought she's had a good couple days of practice. It looked like she was starting to see things better, and it looked like the game was slowing down for her. She's a player that only played about 45-50 minutes last year at Duke, had the injury, and didn't play all summer for us. She just needs time, she needs minutes, she needs reps, she needs time. She's going to be a heck of a player. We just got to keep getting her out there and giving her some time.”UP NEXTK-State makes its first regular season road trip of the 2025-26 season, as the Wildcats visit SMU on Saturday at 4 p.m.

K-State Races By Omaha in Season-Opener

GAME 1 KANSAS STATE (0-0) VS. UNC GREENSBORO (0-0) Tuesday, November 4, 2025 &nbsp;| &nbsp;7:01 p.m., CT &nbsp;|&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)&nbsp; |&nbsp; Manhattan, Kan.

TICKETS Single-game tickets are available for as low as $14.There are a variety of season, mini-plan and group ticket packages available. These can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2015/6/12/mbbtickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>, by calling (800) 221.CATS or by visiting the Bramlage Coliseum Ticket Office, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm. TELEVISIONESPN+ (online&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player?eventCalendarId=401819888" target="_blank">link</a>)

RADIOK-State Sports NetworkFlagships: // KMAN 1350 &amp; WIBW 580Satellite Radio: Ch. 390Online: Varsity Network [free] /&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/watch" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;[free]

LIVE STATS<a href="https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=ksu" target="_blank">kstate.statbroadcast.com</a>COACHESK-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ‘07]Record at K-State: 61-42/4th YearCareer Record: 63-42*/4th Year+vs. UNC Greensboro: 0-0UNC Greensboro: Mike Jones [Howard ‘87]Record at UNCG: 77-49/5th YearCareer Record: 252-199/15th Yearvs. K-State: 0-0SERIES HISTORYOverall: First meetingAt Home: First meetingAt Bramlage Coliseum: First meetingActive Streak: First meetingFirst Meeting: n/aLast Meeting: n/aJerome Tang vs. Mike Jones: First meetingK-STATE OPENS 2025-26 SEASON TUESDAY VS. UNC GREENBOROK-State officially opens the 122nd season of men’s basketball on Tuesday night when the Wildcats play host to UNC Greensboro (0-0) at Bramlage Coliseum. The game will tip off at 7:01 p.m., CT on ESPN+. It will be the first of 4 consecutive home games to start the 2025-26 season.This will be the first meeting between the two schools. K-State is 2-1 all-time vs. teams from the Southern Conference (SoCon) in the first such meeting since a loss to Western Carolina in 2001.Led by fifth-year coach&nbsp;Mike Jones, UNC Greensboro returns just 3 lettermen from a squad that posted a 20-12 record and finished second in the SoCon with a 13-5 mark. The Spartans were picked 5th in the preseason SoCon poll out of 10 teams by the league coaches.LAST TIME OUT

DRISCOLL BEAT THE SPARTANS IN 2024

RECAPPING EXHIBITION PLAY:MISSOURI 100, K-STATE 91 [Exh.]

TWINS PLAYING DIVISION I BASKETBALL

‘CATS PICKED 9TH IN BIG 12 POLL; HAGGERTY NAMED TO ALL-BIG 12 TEAM

🏀 K-State Welcomes UNC Greensboro for Season Opener Tuesday

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the first time in 59 years, the Kansas Jayhawks will face the Arizona Wildcats when they travel to Tucson on Saturday for a matinee matchup. Kickoff at Arizona Stadium is slated for 2:30 p.m., CT on ESPN2 with Mike Monaco (Play-by-Play), Kirk Morrison (Analyst) and Dawn Davenport (Sideline) on the call.

The Jayhawks enter Saturday’s Big 12 showdown at 5-4 (3-3 Big 12) following a 38-21 Homecoming victory over Oklahoma State on Nov. 1. The win was Kansas’ fourth-consecutive win on Homecoming, which is the longest streak since 1997-2000. The Jayhawks will now be a part of Arizona’s Homecoming festivities at Arizona Stadium on Saturday, where the Wildcats are 4-1 this season. Arizona is 5-3 overall and 2-3 in league play.

Saturday’s matchup will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the conference – Kansas’ Jalon Daniels and Arizona’s Noah Fifita -- with both hailing from Southern California.

Daniels, from Lawndale, California, is having the best year of his career, completing 160-of-240 passes for 1,991 yards and 20 touchdowns. Daniels’ 20 passing touchdowns this season are the fifth-most in single season KU history. Daniels also hit a historic milestone in the win over Oklahoma State as he surpassed 10,000 career yards of total offense, becoming the second Jayhawk in school history and the eighth active player in FBS to accomplish the feat.

Partnered with Daniels, the dynamic rushing duo of Daniel Hishaw Jr. and LeShon Williams have combined for 10 rushing touchdowns this season.

Defensively, Kansas redshirt junior Trey Lathan leads the team with 60 tackles, while 14 different Jayhawks have recorded or assisted on a sack this season. Defensive end Leroy Harris III leads the team with 4.5 sacks and is coming off a performance Saturday where he picked up a tackle-for-loss and a blocked field goal. Defensive tackles Blake Herold and Marcus Calvin also picked up sacks Saturday.

They will try to slow down Fifita, who has thrown for 2,042 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five straight games and tossed four scores Saturday in a 52-17 win at Colorado. The Wildcats have a balanced attack around Fifita, a Huntington Beach, California native, with five different receivers with more than 200 yards and multiple touchdown catches. Tre Spivey leads the team with six touchdown catches, while Javin Whatley has the most receiving yards with 404. The Wildcats are coached by Brent Brennan, who is in his second year with the program.

Saturday’s game between Kansas and Arizona will be the first since 1966 and the seventh in the all-time series, which Kansas leads, 3-2-1, with a 3-1 advantage in games played in Tucson. This will be the first time the two teams have faced each other since Arizona joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2024 season.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the first time in 59 years, the Kansas Jayhawks will face the Arizona Wildcats when they travel to Tucson on Saturday for a matinee matchup. Kickoff at Arizona Stadium is slated for 2:30 p.m., CT on ESPN2 with Mike Monaco (Play-by-Play), Kirk Morrison (Analyst) and Dawn Davenport (Sideline) on the call.The Jayhawks enter Saturday’s Big 12 showdown at 5-4 (3-3 Big 12) following a 38-21 Homecoming victory over Oklahoma State on Nov. 1. The win was Kansas’ fourth-consecutive win on Homecoming, which is the longest streak since 1997-2000. The Jayhawks will now be a part of Arizona’s Homecoming festivities at Arizona Stadium on Saturday, where the Wildcats are 4-1 this season. Arizona is 5-3 overall and 2-3 in league play.Saturday’s matchup will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the conference – Kansas’ Jalon Daniels and Arizona’s Noah Fifita -- with both hailing from Southern California.Daniels, from Lawndale, California, is having the best year of his career, completing 160-of-240 passes for 1,991 yards and 20 touchdowns. Daniels’ 20 passing touchdowns this season are the fifth-most in single season KU history. Daniels also hit a historic milestone in the win over Oklahoma State as he surpassed 10,000 career yards of total offense, becoming the second Jayhawk in school history and the eighth active player in FBS to accomplish the feat.Partnered with Daniels, the dynamic rushing duo of Daniel Hishaw Jr. and LeShon Williams have combined for 10 rushing touchdowns this season.Defensively, Kansas redshirt junior Trey Lathan leads the team with 60 tackles, while 14 different Jayhawks have recorded or assisted on a sack this season. Defensive end Leroy Harris III leads the team with 4.5 sacks and is coming off a performance Saturday where he picked up a tackle-for-loss and a blocked field goal. Defensive tackles Blake Herold and Marcus Calvin also picked up sacks Saturday.They will try to slow down Fifita, who has thrown for 2,042 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five straight games and tossed four scores Saturday in a 52-17 win at Colorado. The Wildcats have a balanced attack around Fifita, a Huntington Beach, California native, with five different receivers with more than 200 yards and multiple touchdown catches. Tre Spivey leads the team with six touchdown catches, while Javin Whatley has the most receiving yards with 404. The Wildcats are coached by Brent Brennan, who is in his second year with the program.Saturday’s game between Kansas and Arizona will be the first since 1966 and the seventh in the all-time series, which Kansas leads, 3-2-1, with a 3-1 advantage in games played in Tucson. This will be the first time the two teams have faced each other since Arizona joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2024 season.

Jayhawks Head to Desert for Big 12 Showdown at Arizona

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and ESPN announced Monday that Kansas State’s November 15 contest at Oklahoma State will kick at 11 a.m., and be televised on ESPNU.

This will be the Wildcats’ first daytime game at Oklahoma State since a 45-40 win over the 10th-ranked Cowboys in 2017 – which was the last time K-State won in Stillwater – while it is K-State’s first 11 a.m., kickoff in Stillwater since 2003. After a 42-20 home victory over the Cowboys last year, the Wildcats are looking to win consecutive games in the series for the first time since 2017 and 2018.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and ESPN announced Monday that Kansas State’s November 15 contest at Oklahoma State will kick at 11 a.m., and be televised on ESPNU.This will be the Wildcats’ first daytime game at Oklahoma State since a 45-40 win over the 10th-ranked Cowboys in 2017 – which was the last time K-State won in Stillwater – while it is K-State’s first 11 a.m., kickoff in Stillwater since 2003. After a 42-20 home victory over the Cowboys last year, the Wildcats are looking to win consecutive games in the series for the first time since 2017 and 2018.

K-State’s Game at Oklahoma State Set for Morning Kick

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 21 points in 22 minutes in his debut to lead No. 19 Kansas past Green Bay 94-51 in the season opener for both teams Monday night.

Peterson shot 7 of 11 from the field, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range, before sitting most of the second half.

Kansas' Flory Bidunga led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 sniping from the line. Melvin Council added 10 points for Kansas, which was 33 of 58 from the field (56.9%).

Green Bay was led by Marcus Hall's 17 points.

The Jayhawks, who led by 21 points at the break, put any thoughts of a Green Bay comeback to rest by scoring the first seven points of the second half. The Jayhawks extended their lead throughout the second half and their final 43-point margin was their largest of the game.

Peterson made an impact early. His first bucket, a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 18:31 mark, put Kansas in front and the Jayhawks never looked back. He also had two steals before the first media timeout. He finished the first half with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Bidunga picked up his second foul with 6:44 left, which earned him a spot on the bench. He finished the half with 16 points. He was 6 for 6 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line.

The Jayhawks were 17 of 29 from the field in the first half, and missed 11 of their 14 3-point attempts. They still led 48-27 at intermission.

Green Bay was led by C.J. O’Hara's nine points before halftime. The Phoenix hit just 34.6% of their shots.

Kansas: At No. 25 North Carolina on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762225440954.png" alt=" Freshman Darryn Peterson -Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption> Freshman Darryn Peterson -Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 21 points in 22 minutes in his debut to lead No. 19 Kansas past Green Bay 94-51 in the season opener for both teams Monday night.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">That Allen energy 😮‍💨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockChalk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockChalk</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/KUHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KUHoops</a> <a href="https://t.co/YVXpUDNfTJ">pic.twitter.com/YVXpUDNfTJ</a>&mdash; Kansas Jayhawks (@KUAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/KUAthletics/status/1985528766483849408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Peterson shot 7 of 11 from the field, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range, before sitting most of the second half.Kansas' Flory Bidunga led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 sniping from the line. Melvin Council added 10 points for Kansas, which was 33 of 58 from the field (56.9%).Green Bay was led by Marcus Hall's 17 points.The Jayhawks, who led by 21 points at the break, put any thoughts of a Green Bay comeback to rest by scoring the first seven points of the second half. The Jayhawks extended their lead throughout the second half and their final 43-point margin was their largest of the game.Peterson made an impact early. His first bucket, a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 18:31 mark, put Kansas in front and the Jayhawks never looked back. He also had two steals before the first media timeout. He finished the first half with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.Bidunga picked up his second foul with 6:44 left, which earned him a spot on the bench. He finished the half with 16 points. He was 6 for 6 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line.The Jayhawks were 17 of 29 from the field in the first half, and missed 11 of their 14 3-point attempts. They still led 48-27 at intermission.Green Bay was led by C.J. O’Hara's nine points before halftime. The Phoenix hit just 34.6% of their shots.<h2>Up next</h2>Green Bay: At Buffalo on Friday.Kansas: At No. 25 North Carolina on Friday.

🏀 Peterson scores 21 in 22 minutes in debut to lead KU past Green Bay

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Royals shortstop&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and third baseman&nbsp;Maikel Garcia&nbsp;were named winners of 2025&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Awards, as announced tonight by&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Sporting Goods Inc. on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.

The&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Awards honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League. Winners were chosen by a combination of votes from MLB Managers and coaches, and the SABR Defensive Index.

This is Witt Jr.’s second straight&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award and Garcia’s first. The Royals now have 42&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove winners by 18 different players. Over the last 15 seasons since 2011, the Royals lead Major League Baseball with 24&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Awards.

Witt Jr. is the first two-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove winner at shortstop in Royals history, and is the first American League shortstop to win the award in consecutive seasons since&nbsp;Andrelton Simmons&nbsp;with the Angels from 2017-18.

Witt Jr., 25, made 153 starts at shortstop in 2025, 3rd most in the American League. He ranked 2nd among AL shortstops in assists (382) and fielding percentage (.983), and he was charged with just 10 errors in 578 chances, 2nd fewest among AL shortstops (min. 125 starts).

Witt Jr. tied for the Major League lead among all players in 2025 with 24 Outs Above Average, according to&nbsp;Baseball Savant. Witt Jr.’s 18 Runs Prevented ranked 3rd in the Majors to&nbsp;Pete Crow-Armstrong&nbsp;(22) and&nbsp;Ceddanne Rafaela&nbsp;(19).&nbsp;Baseball Savant’s&nbsp;Fielding Run Value ranked Witt Jr. 5th among all defenders (20) and 1st among shortstops.

Garcia is the second Royals third baseman to win a&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove, joining&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;in 1985.

Garcia, 25, ranked 3rd among American League third basemen with 130 starts, but ranked 1st in total chances (346), putouts (105) and fielding percentage (.980). He was charged with just 7 errors in his 346 chances at third base, fewest among American League players at the position (min. 125 starts). He committed only 1 error in his final 75 games at third base from June 25 through season’s end.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Royals shortstop&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and third baseman&nbsp;Maikel Garcia&nbsp;were named winners of 2025&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Awards, as announced tonight by&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Sporting Goods Inc. on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.The&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Awards honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League. Winners were chosen by a combination of votes from MLB Managers and coaches, and the SABR Defensive Index.This is Witt Jr.’s second straight&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Award and Garcia’s first. The Royals now have 42&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove winners by 18 different players. Over the last 15 seasons since 2011, the Royals lead Major League Baseball with 24&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove Awards.Witt Jr. is the first two-time&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove winner at shortstop in Royals history, and is the first American League shortstop to win the award in consecutive seasons since&nbsp;Andrelton Simmons&nbsp;with the Angels from 2017-18.Witt Jr., 25, made 153 starts at shortstop in 2025, 3rd most in the American League. He ranked 2nd among AL shortstops in assists (382) and fielding percentage (.983), and he was charged with just 10 errors in 578 chances, 2nd fewest among AL shortstops (min. 125 starts).Witt Jr. tied for the Major League lead among all players in 2025 with 24 Outs Above Average, according to&nbsp;Baseball Savant. Witt Jr.’s 18 Runs Prevented ranked 3rd in the Majors to&nbsp;Pete Crow-Armstrong&nbsp;(22) and&nbsp;Ceddanne Rafaela&nbsp;(19).&nbsp;Baseball Savant’s&nbsp;Fielding Run Value ranked Witt Jr. 5th among all defenders (20) and 1st among shortstops.Garcia is the second Royals third baseman to win a&nbsp;Rawlings&nbsp;Gold Glove, joining&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;in 1985.Garcia, 25, ranked 3rd among American League third basemen with 130 starts, but ranked 1st in total chances (346), putouts (105) and fielding percentage (.980). He was charged with just 7 errors in his 346 chances at third base, fewest among American League players at the position (min. 125 starts). He committed only 1 error in his final 75 games at third base from June 25 through season’s end.Garcia ranked 4th among all American League players with 17 Outs Above Average, and his 18 OAA as a third basemen led all players at the position in the American League, well ahead of 2nd-place&nbsp;José Ramírez&nbsp;(7) and&nbsp;Ernie Clement&nbsp;(7).&nbsp;Baseball Savant’s&nbsp;Fielding Run Value metric also ranked Garcia 1st among American League third basemen (14), ahead of Ramírez (6).