The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes finished their series against the Sterling Warriors with their brooms held high, finishing the sweep with a 21-4 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium.

Even though pitcher Zack Westbrook gave up back-to-back solo home runs to the Warriors early, Westbrook shut down the Sterling offense by only allowing two hits, two runs and two walks in five innings pitched.

Reliever Nate Galusha came in to finish the contest strong for Kansas Wesleyan with three hits and two earned runs in two innings pitched.The game started strong for the Coyotes with a six run first inning, including a grand slam from 2B&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/730ce76f-957f-4363-bbf3-58bb41d2088f?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Adrian Villalobos</a>, who finished the game 2-for-3 with five RBI.

Villalobos wasn't the only star of the afternoon for Kansas Wesleyan however, with eight separate batters recording at least one RBI. Villabos five,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cda0dbb2-572c-4dc5-a7d1-9ea7a2080d2b?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Jacob Williamson</a>&nbsp;one,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2141330-1dbd-4303-9674-a31b3fd0596c?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Kendall Foster</a>&nbsp;two, Reese Bishop two,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ccf66561-22bb-48b2-8044-df89aceccc36?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Zack Beatty</a>&nbsp;three,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb0ddbf6-d01d-44f2-8924-2f25b5b291a5?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Jalen Jones</a>&nbsp;one,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9a9b3673-64d0-4c96-8037-eea589d70475?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Jackson Harriger</a>&nbsp;two and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/937e9b9b-58b1-468b-9682-912c3c208907?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Alex Garcia</a>&nbsp;two.

After the quick start, the Coyotes kept the offense rolling with every starter in the lineup recording at least one hit.

"We got what we needed to do done,"&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d012315f-3c1c-4f6d-95d3-6bafeea1c456?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Coulson Riggs</a>&nbsp;said, after scoring four times in the game as a courtesy runner, and also recording a hit in a pinch-hit role in the sixth inning."

Tuesday's game marked the last midweek matchup for the Coyotes as they gear up for their final home series of the season against the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes finished their series against the Sterling Warriors with their brooms held high, finishing the sweep with a 21-4 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium.Even though pitcher Zack Westbrook gave up back-to-back solo home runs to the Warriors early, Westbrook shut down the Sterling offense by only allowing two hits, two runs and two walks in five innings pitched.Reliever Nate Galusha came in to finish the contest strong for Kansas Wesleyan with three hits and two earned runs in two innings pitched.The game started strong for the Coyotes with a six run first inning, including a grand slam from 2B&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/730ce76f-957f-4363-bbf3-58bb41d2088f?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Adrian Villalobos</a>, who finished the game 2-for-3 with five RBI.Villalobos wasn't the only star of the afternoon for Kansas Wesleyan however, with eight separate batters recording at least one RBI. Villabos five,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cda0dbb2-572c-4dc5-a7d1-9ea7a2080d2b?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Jacob Williamson</a>&nbsp;one,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2141330-1dbd-4303-9674-a31b3fd0596c?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Kendall Foster</a>&nbsp;two, Reese Bishop two,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ccf66561-22bb-48b2-8044-df89aceccc36?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Zack Beatty</a>&nbsp;three,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb0ddbf6-d01d-44f2-8924-2f25b5b291a5?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Jalen Jones</a>&nbsp;one,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9a9b3673-64d0-4c96-8037-eea589d70475?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Jackson Harriger</a>&nbsp;two and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/937e9b9b-58b1-468b-9682-912c3c208907?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Alex Garcia</a>&nbsp;two.After the quick start, the Coyotes kept the offense rolling with every starter in the lineup recording at least one hit."We got what we needed to do done,"&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d012315f-3c1c-4f6d-95d3-6bafeea1c456?elinkdata=8986" target="_blank">Coulson Riggs</a>&nbsp;said, after scoring four times in the game as a courtesy runner, and also recording a hit in a pinch-hit role in the sixth inning."Now it's onto the next one.Tuesday's game marked the last midweek matchup for the Coyotes as they gear up for their final home series of the season against the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

Baseball blasts Sterling 21-4 to complete series sweep

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;continued to construct his roster for the 2024-25 season with the signing of transfer guard&nbsp;Christian (C.J.) Jones&nbsp;(East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis/UIC)&nbsp;to a Financial Aid Agreement on Monday afternoon (April 15).

A 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard, Jones arrives at K-State after 2 seasons (2022-24) at Illinois-Chicago (UIC), where he led the Flames in assists (159) and minutes played (1,102) while was second in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and steals (1.0 spg.) as a sophomore in 2023-24. He scored in double figures in 14 of his last 17 games – which was jumpstarted by a career-high 25 points against Bradley on Jan. 13 – while producing a pair of points/assists double-doubles. His 14 assists against Drake on Feb. 28 were the most by a Missouri Valley Conference player this season.

In his 2 seasons in Chicago, Jones averaged 9.0 points on 39.4 percent shooting (216-of-548), including 36 percent (54-of-150) from 3-point range, to go with 3.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 30.2 minutes per game while playing in 62 of a possible 65 games with 50 starts for head coach&nbsp;Luke Yaklich.

Jones is a former high school teammate of current Wildcat&nbsp;Macaleab Rich&nbsp;at East St. Louis High School, where the duo led the Flyers to a 27-6 record and a berth in the Class 3A Super Sectionals in 2021-22.

“We’re fired up to welcome C.J. and his family to K-State,” said Tang. “We had some familiarity with him having played with Buddy (Rich) at East St. Louis High School for head coach Mark Chambers. But C.J. stands out on his own. He is a big versatile guard with great decision-making abilities who can shoot the ball at a very high, efficient rate. We love his size and measurables (6-foot-5 frame with a 6-7 wingspan) and we think he can be an all-conference player as he continues to develop. We’re excited that C.J. and his family have chosen to continue his basketball career at K-State. We know this fan base is ready to embrace and welcome them to this community.”

Jones is the third player to sign with the Wildcats for the 2024-25 season, including the second Division I transfer following&nbsp;Dug McDaniel&nbsp;(Washington, D.C./St. Paul VI Catholic VI/Michigan)&nbsp;on April 4. The pair join top-50 high school prospect&nbsp;David Castillo&nbsp;(Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]), who signed on Nov. 8.

In all, Jones scored 556 points in his UIC career on 39.4 percent (216-of-548) shooting, including 36 percent (54-of-150) from 3-point range, and 63.6 percent (70-of-110) from the free throw line to go with 221 assists (3.6 apg.), 170 rebounds (2.7 rpg.) and 54 steals (0.9 spg.) in 1,870 total minutes (30.2 mpg.).

Jones posted double figures in 26 games, including three 20-point efforts, with 14 of those double-digit scoring games and two of those 20-point performances coming in the last 17 games this past season. In that stretch to end the season, he averaged 13.7 points on 44.8 percent shooting, including 40.5 percent from 3-point range, with 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game. In addition to his 25 points against Bradley on Jan. 13, he scored 22 points against George Washington on Nov. 25 and 24 points against Northern Iowa on Feb. 11.

This past season, Jones averaged 11.4 points on 42.5 percent (150-of-353) shooting, including 37.8 percent (31-of-82) from 3-point range, to go with 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 33.3 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 18 times, including three 20-point games. He led the Flames in assists (159) and minutes played (1,102) while he was second in scoring, field goals made and steals (31). He ranked in the Missouri Valley top-10 in both assists (4.82/4th) and assist/turnover ratio (1.71/10th) while he was 11th&nbsp;in minutes.

Jones had a pair of points/assists double-doubles in 2023-24, including a Missouri Valley high 14 assists to go with 16 points in a 3-overtime loss to Drake on Feb. 28. He also had a 17-point, 10-assist performance against Evansville on Feb. 21. He totaled three double-digit assist games during the year, which included an 11-assist effort against Western Michigan on Dec. 16.

As a true freshman in 2022-23, Jones played in 29 of 32 games with 19 starts. He averaged 6.2 points on 33.8 percent (66-of-195) shooting, including 33.8 percent (23-of-68) from 3-point range, to go with 2.1 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 26.6 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 8 times, including a season-high 15 points twice, first against Northeastern on Dec. 18, 2022, and again against Indiana State on Feb. 15, 2023.

Jones played 2 seasons at East St. Louis High School in East St. Louis, Ill., where he led the Flyers to a 27-6 record and a berth in the Class 3A Super Sectionals in 2021-22. As a senior, he averaged 15.5 points on 38.9 percent shooting with 7.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He scored a season-high 31 points against Rockford East in his second game of the season.

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

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;continued to construct his roster for the 2024-25 season with the signing of transfer guard&nbsp;Christian (C.J.) Jones&nbsp;(East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis/UIC)&nbsp;to a Financial Aid Agreement on Monday afternoon (April 15).A 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard, Jones arrives at K-State after 2 seasons (2022-24) at Illinois-Chicago (UIC), where he led the Flames in assists (159) and minutes played (1,102) while was second in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and steals (1.0 spg.) as a sophomore in 2023-24. He scored in double figures in 14 of his last 17 games – which was jumpstarted by a career-high 25 points against Bradley on Jan. 13 – while producing a pair of points/assists double-doubles. His 14 assists against Drake on Feb. 28 were the most by a Missouri Valley Conference player this season.In his 2 seasons in Chicago, Jones averaged 9.0 points on 39.4 percent shooting (216-of-548), including 36 percent (54-of-150) from 3-point range, to go with 3.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 30.2 minutes per game while playing in 62 of a possible 65 games with 50 starts for head coach&nbsp;Luke Yaklich.Jones is a former high school teammate of current Wildcat&nbsp;Macaleab Rich&nbsp;at East St. Louis High School, where the duo led the Flyers to a 27-6 record and a berth in the Class 3A Super Sectionals in 2021-22.“We’re fired up to welcome C.J. and his family to K-State,” said Tang. “We had some familiarity with him having played with Buddy (Rich) at East St. Louis High School for head coach Mark Chambers. But C.J. stands out on his own. He is a big versatile guard with great decision-making abilities who can shoot the ball at a very high, efficient rate. We love his size and measurables (6-foot-5 frame with a 6-7 wingspan) and we think he can be an all-conference player as he continues to develop. We’re excited that C.J. and his family have chosen to continue his basketball career at K-State. We know this fan base is ready to embrace and welcome them to this community.”Jones is the third player to sign with the Wildcats for the 2024-25 season, including the second Division I transfer following&nbsp;Dug McDaniel&nbsp;(Washington, D.C./St. Paul VI Catholic VI/Michigan)&nbsp;on April 4. The pair join top-50 high school prospect&nbsp;David Castillo&nbsp;(Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]), who signed on Nov. 8.In all, Jones scored 556 points in his UIC career on 39.4 percent (216-of-548) shooting, including 36 percent (54-of-150) from 3-point range, and 63.6 percent (70-of-110) from the free throw line to go with 221 assists (3.6 apg.), 170 rebounds (2.7 rpg.) and 54 steals (0.9 spg.) in 1,870 total minutes (30.2 mpg.).Jones posted double figures in 26 games, including three 20-point efforts, with 14 of those double-digit scoring games and two of those 20-point performances coming in the last 17 games this past season. In that stretch to end the season, he averaged 13.7 points on 44.8 percent shooting, including 40.5 percent from 3-point range, with 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game. In addition to his 25 points against Bradley on Jan. 13, he scored 22 points against George Washington on Nov. 25 and 24 points against Northern Iowa on Feb. 11.This past season, Jones averaged 11.4 points on 42.5 percent (150-of-353) shooting, including 37.8 percent (31-of-82) from 3-point range, to go with 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 33.3 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 18 times, including three 20-point games. He led the Flames in assists (159) and minutes played (1,102) while he was second in scoring, field goals made and steals (31). He ranked in the Missouri Valley top-10 in both assists (4.82/4th) and assist/turnover ratio (1.71/10th) while he was 11th&nbsp;in minutes.Jones had a pair of points/assists double-doubles in 2023-24, including a Missouri Valley high 14 assists to go with 16 points in a 3-overtime loss to Drake on Feb. 28. He also had a 17-point, 10-assist performance against Evansville on Feb. 21. He totaled three double-digit assist games during the year, which included an 11-assist effort against Western Michigan on Dec. 16.As a true freshman in 2022-23, Jones played in 29 of 32 games with 19 starts. He averaged 6.2 points on 33.8 percent (66-of-195) shooting, including 33.8 percent (23-of-68) from 3-point range, to go with 2.1 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 26.6 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 8 times, including a season-high 15 points twice, first against Northeastern on Dec. 18, 2022, and again against Indiana State on Feb. 15, 2023.Jones played 2 seasons at East St. Louis High School in East St. Louis, Ill., where he led the Flyers to a 27-6 record and a berth in the Class 3A Super Sectionals in 2021-22. As a senior, he averaged 15.5 points on 38.9 percent shooting with 7.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He scored a season-high 31 points against Rockford East in his second game of the season.K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

Tang Signs Transfer C.J. Jones

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

After a storybook six-year run that concluded with three straight trips to the 3A state tournament, Bryson Flax has chosen to step down as head boy’s basketball coach at Southeast of Saline.

His final campaign may have been his magnum opus, as despite returning just one starter and a handful of varsity returners, the Trojans rattled off a Cinderella run, finishing fourth at state despite entering sub-state as a 4-seed.

While many know the story of that 2023-24 Trojan team, fewer know that Coach Flax’s youngest son was hospitalized multiple times throughout the season, battling complications related to epilepsy.

“This decision came with a lot of prayers and a lot of conversations with my wife,” Flax said. “But with my son’s health and how active my other kids are in their lives, it feels like this is the time for me to take a step back and focus on my family.”

Coach Flax leaves a lasting legacy at Southeast of Saline, finishing his six-year run with a 94-47 record, five winning seasons, and three top-four finishes at state.

“We were fortunate to have Bryson here as he built this program,” SES AD Doug Minneman said. “Whoever takes over will be in great shape because of his leadership. He was able to get the most out of all of his guys and generated a lot of excitement around this team. I can’t thank Bryson enough for all he did for the basketball program and the school here at Southeast of Saline.”

Over the last five years, Trojan basketball became a must-see event in the community, and by the end of this most recent chapter, there was rarely an empty seat in the house at the Purple Palace in Gypsum.

“The guys have been phenomenal, their families have been phenomenal and the community has been phenomenal,” Flax said. Our guys have gotten so much support and this community has gotten so excited about basketball, it was so great to see.”

While many will remember him for the success he had on the court, Flax, like any good coach, always understood that it was about so much more than numbers on a scoreboard.

“As a coach, you hope that it’s about more than wins and losses and you hope that you have some sort of a small hand in preparing these kids to be good fathers and husbands and outstanding people in their community,” he said. “We’ve been so blessed with good kids and I’m proud to have provided even just a tiny sliver of help in their development.”

The search for a replacement in Gypsum is already underway, and whoever inherits the role will have a great group to work with, returning several key pieces from last year’s state-bound squad.

“I’ll be the first to welcome whoever takes the position with open arms,” Flax said. “I think someone with a new energy can take this to new heights. I’ll be a lifetime supporter of this program but I know that success at Southeast doesn’t stop with me.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713285733003.jpeg" alt="Bryson Flax coaches his team to a home win over Ellinwood. Photo courtesy of Bryson Flax " />
 <figcaption>Bryson Flax coaches his team to a home win over Ellinwood. Photo courtesy of Bryson Flax </figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>After a storybook six-year run that concluded with three straight trips to the 3A state tournament, Bryson Flax has chosen to step down as head boy’s basketball coach at Southeast of Saline.His final campaign may have been his magnum opus, as despite returning just one starter and a handful of varsity returners, the Trojans rattled off a Cinderella run, finishing fourth at state despite entering sub-state as a 4-seed.While many know the story of that 2023-24 Trojan team, fewer know that Coach Flax’s youngest son was hospitalized multiple times throughout the season, battling complications related to epilepsy.“This decision came with a lot of prayers and a lot of conversations with my wife,” Flax said. “But with my son’s health and how active my other kids are in their lives, it feels like this is the time for me to take a step back and focus on my family.”Coach Flax leaves a lasting legacy at Southeast of Saline, finishing his six-year run with a 94-47 record, five winning seasons, and three top-four finishes at state.“We were fortunate to have Bryson here as he built this program,” SES AD Doug Minneman said. “Whoever takes over will be in great shape because of his leadership. He was able to get the most out of all of his guys and generated a lot of excitement around this team. I can’t thank Bryson enough for all he did for the basketball program and the school here at Southeast of Saline.”Over the last five years, Trojan basketball became a must-see event in the community, and by the end of this most recent chapter, there was rarely an empty seat in the house at the Purple Palace in Gypsum.“The guys have been phenomenal, their families have been phenomenal and the community has been phenomenal,” Flax said. Our guys have gotten so much support and this community has gotten so excited about basketball, it was so great to see.”While many will remember him for the success he had on the court, Flax, like any good coach, always understood that it was about so much more than numbers on a scoreboard.“As a coach, you hope that it’s about more than wins and losses and you hope that you have some sort of a small hand in preparing these kids to be good fathers and husbands and outstanding people in their community,” he said. “We’ve been so blessed with good kids and I’m proud to have provided even just a tiny sliver of help in their development.”The search for a replacement in Gypsum is already underway, and whoever inherits the role will have a great group to work with, returning several key pieces from last year’s state-bound squad.“I’ll be the first to welcome whoever takes the position with open arms,” Flax said. “I think someone with a new energy can take this to new heights. I’ll be a lifetime supporter of this program but I know that success at Southeast doesn’t stop with me.”

Bryson Flax Steps Down as SES Boys Basketball Coach 

CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals’ game at the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night has been postponed because of rain.

It will be made up on Wednesday afternoon as part of a straight doubleheader.

Kansas City beat Chicago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-white-sox-score-lugo-9f51d9b56efae644197f5d1fac620cd7">2-0 in the series opener</a>&nbsp;on Monday night.

White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon takes the mound in the doubleheader opener for his big league debut. Right-hander Brady Singer starts for the Royals.

Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha and Chicago right-hander Erick Fedde start the second game.

The rainout creates an extra day of rest for Royals catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-perez-b495ebd2ed1ecafd912c4f9f03d40e47">Salvador Perez</a>, who is dealing with a groin injury.

Perez was out of the starting lineup before the game was postponed, but manager Matt Quatraro said he was available off the bench.

“He came in early, got worked on ... did his hitting and running,” Quatraro said. “Really we’re just trying to use discretion a little bit. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow.”

Perez, who turns 34 next month, had an MRI on Monday that showed a mild groin strain. He got hurt during Kansas City’s series finale at the New York Mets on Sunday.

Perez is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 games this season. He hit his 250th career homer on Saturday.

The slumping White Sox finalized a minor league contract with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-sox-pham-716910dbbf8db68d1d8d96e572302d83">Tommy Pham</a>. The veteran outfielder will report to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, giving him some time to ramp up before joining the big league team.

“He’s got a track record in this game, and he’s a really good hitter,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s got the ability to control the strike zone. ... He’s got an edge to him that I really like.”

Pham hit .256 with 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 129 games last season. He was traded from the New York Mets to Arizona on Aug. 1, and he helped the Diamondbacks make a surprising run to the World Series.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals’ game at the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night has been postponed because of rain.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/4CJMtTX7Xv">pic.twitter.com/4CJMtTX7Xv</a>&mdash; Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) <a href="https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1780370304151281928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It will be made up on Wednesday afternoon as part of a straight doubleheader.Kansas City beat Chicago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-white-sox-score-lugo-9f51d9b56efae644197f5d1fac620cd7">2-0 in the series opener</a>&nbsp;on Monday night.White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon takes the mound in the doubleheader opener for his big league debut. Right-hander Brady Singer starts for the Royals.Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha and Chicago right-hander Erick Fedde start the second game.The rainout creates an extra day of rest for Royals catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-perez-b495ebd2ed1ecafd912c4f9f03d40e47">Salvador Perez</a>, who is dealing with a groin injury.Perez was out of the starting lineup before the game was postponed, but manager Matt Quatraro said he was available off the bench.“He came in early, got worked on ... did his hitting and running,” Quatraro said. “Really we’re just trying to use discretion a little bit. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow.”Perez, who turns 34 next month, had an MRI on Monday that showed a mild groin strain. He got hurt during Kansas City’s series finale at the New York Mets on Sunday.Perez is batting .339 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 games this season. He hit his 250th career homer on Saturday.The slumping White Sox finalized a minor league contract with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-sox-pham-716910dbbf8db68d1d8d96e572302d83">Tommy Pham</a>. The veteran outfielder will report to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, giving him some time to ramp up before joining the big league team.“He’s got a track record in this game, and he’s a really good hitter,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s got the ability to control the strike zone. ... He’s got an edge to him that I really like.”Pham hit .256 with 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 129 games last season. He was traded from the New York Mets to Arizona on Aug. 1, and he helped the Diamondbacks make a surprising run to the World Series.

⚾ Royals game Tuesday postponed due to rain in Chicago

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

An all-NCAA showdown is brewing in Salina this evening as the 2nd-ranked and undefeated Sacred Heart baseball team prepares to host red-hot Ellsworth.

The Knights enter this two-game set at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in league play while the Bearcats come in at 7-1 and 3-1 respectively.

Sacred Heart swept this two-game set a season ago swiping wins of 17-7 and 19-10 in a pair of shootouts in Ellsworth, but the Bearcats will be eager to respond in kind to avoid falling behind in the brutally competitive NCAA.

“Our league is tough,” Sacred Heart head coach Dalton Dooley said. “Southeast always has a great team, Ellsworth has some good senior arms, and all around the league is tough which really helps prepare you for postseason play.”

For as good as the Knight’s lineup has been this season, racking up 124 runs in just ten games, its pitching, led by four senior returners in Cam Yohe, Evan Bogart, Jett Samuelson, and Cooper Ivey, has been even better, holding those same opponents to just 17 runs all year.

Ellsworth has also leaned on its pitching, holding its first eight opponents to 35 runs, while striking for 93 themselves for a +58 run differential.

“They’ve got some good pitchers coming back that we saw last year and I thought we did a good job to earn a few wins at their place,” Dooley said. “Good things will happen if we keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”

For the Knights, today’s doubleheader will give them an opportunity to take yet another step toward two team goals, as Sacred Heart looks to punch a ticket to state and win the NCAA outright for the first time in recent memory.

“We need to stay consistent,” he said. “We’ve gotta keep throwing strikes, backing up our pitchers, and keep improving our approach at the plate. If we get guys on base we’re going to score because we’ve got good speed and we can get guys moved around.”

First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 at James Matson Field in Salina, and both games will be broadcast with live audio and video on Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>An all-NCAA showdown is brewing in Salina this evening as the 2nd-ranked and undefeated Sacred Heart baseball team prepares to host red-hot Ellsworth.The Knights enter this two-game set at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in league play while the Bearcats come in at 7-1 and 3-1 respectively.Sacred Heart swept this two-game set a season ago swiping wins of 17-7 and 19-10 in a pair of shootouts in Ellsworth, but the Bearcats will be eager to respond in kind to avoid falling behind in the brutally competitive NCAA.“Our league is tough,” Sacred Heart head coach Dalton Dooley said. “Southeast always has a great team, Ellsworth has some good senior arms, and all around the league is tough which really helps prepare you for postseason play.”For as good as the Knight’s lineup has been this season, racking up 124 runs in just ten games, its pitching, led by four senior returners in Cam Yohe, Evan Bogart, Jett Samuelson, and Cooper Ivey, has been even better, holding those same opponents to just 17 runs all year.Ellsworth has also leaned on its pitching, holding its first eight opponents to 35 runs, while striking for 93 themselves for a +58 run differential.“They’ve got some good pitchers coming back that we saw last year and I thought we did a good job to earn a few wins at their place,” Dooley said. “Good things will happen if we keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”For the Knights, today’s doubleheader will give them an opportunity to take yet another step toward two team goals, as Sacred Heart looks to punch a ticket to state and win the NCAA outright for the first time in recent memory.“We need to stay consistent,” he said. “We’ve gotta keep throwing strikes, backing up our pitchers, and keep improving our approach at the plate. If we get guys on base we’re going to score because we’ve got good speed and we can get guys moved around.”First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 at James Matson Field in Salina, and both games will be broadcast with live audio and video on Salina Post.<figure>
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⚾️ Knights and Bearcats Collide on Game of the Week

NEW YORK (AP) — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as "Whiteyball," has died. He was 92.

Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog's family. The team was not yet sure whether it happened Monday night or Tuesday. Herzog had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals' home opener.

A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the "buddy-buddy" school of management, Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and helped end the team's decade-plus pennant drought by adapting it to the artificial surface and distant fences of Busch Memorial Stadium. A typical Cardinals victory under Herzog was a low-scoring, 1-run game, sealed in the final innings by a “bullpen by committee,” relievers who might be replaced after a single pitch, or temporarily shifted to the outfield, then brought back to the mound.

The Cardinals had power hitters in George Hendrick and Jack Clark, but they mostly relied on the speed and resourcefulness of switch-hitters Vince Coleman and Willie McGee, the acrobat fielding of shortstop and future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and the effective pitching of starters such as John Tudor and Danny Cox and relievers Todd Worrell, Ken Dayley and Jeff Lahti. For the '82 champions, Herzog didn't bother rotating relievers, but simply brought in future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to finish the job.

"They (the media) seemed to think there was something wrong with the way we played baseball, with speed and defense and line-drive hitters," Herzog wrote in his memoir "White Rat: A Life in Baseball," published in 1987. "They called it 'Whiteyball' and said it couldn't last."

Under Herzog, the Cards won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987, and the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. Herzog managed the Kansas City Royals to division titles in 1976-78, but they lost each time in the league championship to the New York Yankees.

Overall, Herzog was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling a record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985 and voted into the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2010, his plaque noting his "stern, yet good-natured style," and his emphasis on speed, pitching and defense. Just before he formally entered the Hall, the Cardinals retired his uniform number, 24.

When asked about the secrets of managing, he would reply a sense of humor and a good bullpen.

Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog was born in New Athens, Illinois, a blue-collar community that would shape him long after he left. He excelled in baseball and basketball and was open to skipping the occasional class to take in a Cardinals game. Signed up by the Yankees, he was a center fielder who discovered that he had competition from a prospect born just weeks before him, Mickey Mantle.

Herzog never played for the Yankees, but he did get to know manager Casey Stengel, another master shuffler of players who became a key influence. The light-haired Herzog was named "The White Rat" because of his resemblance to Yankees pitcher Bob "The White Rat" Kuzava.

Like so many successful managers, Herzog was a mediocre player, batting just .257 over eight seasons and playing several positions. His best year was with Baltimore in 1961, when he hit .291. He also played for the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers, with whom he ended his playing career, in 1963.

"Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it," he liked to say.

After working as a scout and coach, Herzog was hired in 1967 by the New York Mets as director of player development, with Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan among the future stars he helped bring along. The Mets liked him well enough to designate him the successor to Gil Hodges, but when the manager died suddenly in 1972 the job went to Yogi Berra. Herzog instead debuted with the Texas Rangers the following season, finishing just 47-91 before being replaced by Billy Martin. He managed the Angels for a few games in 1974 and joined the Royals the following season, his time with Kansas City peaking in 1977 when the team finished 102-60.

Many players spoke warmly of Herzog, but he didn’t hesitate to rid his teams of those he no longer wanted, dumping such Cardinals stars as outfielder Lonnie Smith and starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar. One trade worked out brilliantly: Before the 1982 season, he exchanged .300 hitting shortstop Garry Templeton, whom Herzog had chastised for not hustling, for the Padres' light-hitting Ozzie Smith, now widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop in history. Another deal was less far successful: Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez, with whom Herzog had feuded, to the Mets in the middle of 1983 for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez led New York to the World Series title in 1986, while Allen and Ownbey were soon forgotten.

Herzog was just as tough on himself, resigning in the middle of 1990 because he was “embarrassed” by the team’s 33-47 record. He served as a consultant and general manager for the Angels in the early '90s and briefly considered managing the Red Sox before the 1997 season.

If the '82 championship was the highlight of his career, his greatest blow was the '85 series. The Cardinals were up 3 games to 2 against his former team, the Royals, and in Game 6 led 1-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, with Worrell brought in to finish the job.

Jorge Orta led off and grounded a 0-2 pitch between the mound and first base. In one of the most famous blown calls in baseball history, he was ruled safe by umpire Don Denkinger, even though replays showed first baseman Jack Clark's toss to Worrell was in time. The Cardinals never recovered. Kansas City rallied for two runs to tie the series and crushed the Cards 11-0 in Game 7.

"No, I'm not bitter at Denkinger," Herzog told the AP years later. "He's a good guy, he knows he made a mistake, and he's a human being. It happened at an inopportune time but I do think they ought to have instant replay in the playoffs and World Series."

As if testing Herzog's humor, the Hall inducted him alongside an umpire, Doug Harvey.

"I don't know why he should get in," Herzog joked at the time. "Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713282597678.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as "Whiteyball," has died. He was 92.Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog's family. The team was not yet sure whether it happened Monday night or Tuesday. Herzog had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals' home opener.A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the "buddy-buddy" school of management, Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and helped end the team's decade-plus pennant drought by adapting it to the artificial surface and distant fences of Busch Memorial Stadium. A typical Cardinals victory under Herzog was a low-scoring, 1-run game, sealed in the final innings by a “bullpen by committee,” relievers who might be replaced after a single pitch, or temporarily shifted to the outfield, then brought back to the mound.The Cardinals had power hitters in George Hendrick and Jack Clark, but they mostly relied on the speed and resourcefulness of switch-hitters Vince Coleman and Willie McGee, the acrobat fielding of shortstop and future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and the effective pitching of starters such as John Tudor and Danny Cox and relievers Todd Worrell, Ken Dayley and Jeff Lahti. For the '82 champions, Herzog didn't bother rotating relievers, but simply brought in future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to finish the job."They (the media) seemed to think there was something wrong with the way we played baseball, with speed and defense and line-drive hitters," Herzog wrote in his memoir "White Rat: A Life in Baseball," published in 1987. "They called it 'Whiteyball' and said it couldn't last."Under Herzog, the Cards won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987, and the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. Herzog managed the Kansas City Royals to division titles in 1976-78, but they lost each time in the league championship to the New York Yankees.Overall, Herzog was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling a record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985 and voted into the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2010, his plaque noting his "stern, yet good-natured style," and his emphasis on speed, pitching and defense. Just before he formally entered the Hall, the Cardinals retired his uniform number, 24.When asked about the secrets of managing, he would reply a sense of humor and a good bullpen.Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog was born in New Athens, Illinois, a blue-collar community that would shape him long after he left. He excelled in baseball and basketball and was open to skipping the occasional class to take in a Cardinals game. Signed up by the Yankees, he was a center fielder who discovered that he had competition from a prospect born just weeks before him, Mickey Mantle.Herzog never played for the Yankees, but he did get to know manager Casey Stengel, another master shuffler of players who became a key influence. The light-haired Herzog was named "The White Rat" because of his resemblance to Yankees pitcher Bob "The White Rat" Kuzava.Like so many successful managers, Herzog was a mediocre player, batting just .257 over eight seasons and playing several positions. His best year was with Baltimore in 1961, when he hit .291. He also played for the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers, with whom he ended his playing career, in 1963."Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it," he liked to say.After working as a scout and coach, Herzog was hired in 1967 by the New York Mets as director of player development, with Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan among the future stars he helped bring along. The Mets liked him well enough to designate him the successor to Gil Hodges, but when the manager died suddenly in 1972 the job went to Yogi Berra. Herzog instead debuted with the Texas Rangers the following season, finishing just 47-91 before being replaced by Billy Martin. He managed the Angels for a few games in 1974 and joined the Royals the following season, his time with Kansas City peaking in 1977 when the team finished 102-60.Many players spoke warmly of Herzog, but he didn’t hesitate to rid his teams of those he no longer wanted, dumping such Cardinals stars as outfielder Lonnie Smith and starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar. One trade worked out brilliantly: Before the 1982 season, he exchanged .300 hitting shortstop Garry Templeton, whom Herzog had chastised for not hustling, for the Padres' light-hitting Ozzie Smith, now widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop in history. Another deal was less far successful: Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez, with whom Herzog had feuded, to the Mets in the middle of 1983 for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez led New York to the World Series title in 1986, while Allen and Ownbey were soon forgotten.Herzog was just as tough on himself, resigning in the middle of 1990 because he was “embarrassed” by the team’s 33-47 record. He served as a consultant and general manager for the Angels in the early '90s and briefly considered managing the Red Sox before the 1997 season.If the '82 championship was the highlight of his career, his greatest blow was the '85 series. The Cardinals were up 3 games to 2 against his former team, the Royals, and in Game 6 led 1-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, with Worrell brought in to finish the job.Jorge Orta led off and grounded a 0-2 pitch between the mound and first base. In one of the most famous blown calls in baseball history, he was ruled safe by umpire Don Denkinger, even though replays showed first baseman Jack Clark's toss to Worrell was in time. The Cardinals never recovered. Kansas City rallied for two runs to tie the series and crushed the Cards 11-0 in Game 7."No, I'm not bitter at Denkinger," Herzog told the AP years later. "He's a good guy, he knows he made a mistake, and he's a human being. It happened at an inopportune time but I do think they ought to have instant replay in the playoffs and World Series."As if testing Herzog's humor, the Hall inducted him alongside an umpire, Doug Harvey."I don't know why he should get in," Herzog joked at the time. "Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire."

Legendary Cardinals and Royals manager Whitey Herzog dies at 92

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter

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

Last night, Seth Lugo pitched seven excellent innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0.

KC improves to 5-0 against Chicago already this season, and the Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, while the White Sox have scored just 34 runs so far as a team, which is the lowest total in MLB.

Unfortunately for Royals fans the win didn’t come without some bad news as All-Star Catcher Salvador Perez missed that contest due to a left groin strain from an injury sustained during Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Mets.

Fortunately however, Perez announced on Social media via his twitter account that he will return for Tuesday’s contest, telling Joel Goldberg that despite the strain he feels no pain, just light tightness&nbsp;

More locally, Salina Post confirmed on Monday that Ellsworth head boy’s basketball coach Brett Rolfs had resigned.

Rolfs finished his two-year run with a 31-14 record, and a trip to the 3A state tournament this year

And finally, speaking of Ellsworth the Bearcats baseball team will be in Salina this evening to take on Sacred Heart, and we will be broadcasting both games 100% free with live audio and video on our Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine games of the week

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

<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/ZmJajANm-ATjzBQNW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Kinasu 4-16-24" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter Hello and happy Tuesday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>_________Last night, Seth Lugo pitched seven excellent innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0.KC improves to 5-0 against Chicago already this season, and the Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, while the White Sox have scored just 34 runs so far as a team, which is the lowest total in MLB.Unfortunately for Royals fans the win didn’t come without some bad news as All-Star Catcher Salvador Perez missed that contest due to a left groin strain from an injury sustained during Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Mets.Fortunately however, Perez announced on Social media via his twitter account that he will return for Tuesday’s contest, telling Joel Goldberg that despite the strain he feels no pain, just light tightness&nbsp;_________More locally, Salina Post confirmed on Monday that Ellsworth head boy’s basketball coach Brett Rolfs had resigned.Rolfs finished his two-year run with a 31-14 record, and a trip to the 3A state tournament this year_________And finally, speaking of Ellsworth the Bearcats baseball team will be in Salina this evening to take on Sacred Heart, and we will be broadcasting both games 100% free with live audio and video on our Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine games of the week_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out the Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — April 16

CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Monday night.

Lugo (3-0) allowed four hits — all singles — in his third straight win. The right-hander struck out four and walked one.

Kansas City improved to 5-0 against Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big leagues.

Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago's four hits in its fifth consecutive loss. The White Sox were shut out for the sixth time during their 2-14 start.

Braden Shewmake was the only Chicago runner to advance past first base. He singled and swiped second in the fifth, but was stranded there when Robbie Grossman flied out to the warning track in right.

Chris Stratton got three outs for Kansas City before James McArthur earned his third save.

Gavin Sheets was hit by a pitch with two down in the ninth, but McArthur struck out pinch-hitter Eloy Jiménez for the final out.

White Sox right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-1) permitted two runs and three hits over five innings in his major league debut. He struck out five and walked two.

Nastrini retired his first 11 batters before Pasquantino connected for his third homer in the fourth, a 421-foot drive to right on a 2-1 fastball.

Kyle Isbel hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth for Kansas City's second run. The Royals had a chance to break it open, but Bobby Witt Jr. flied out to the wall in center with the bases loaded.

Royals: C&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-salvador-perez-6522c4ffa45c7f70f960653eb38ccf28">Salvador Perez</a>&nbsp;rested after he had an MRI that showed a mild groin strain. He was replaced by Freddy Fermin. Perez left Sunday’s 2-1 loss at the Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. ... INF Michael Massey (low back strain) had an off day as he continues his rehab stint with Triple-A Omaha. “He's progressing really well,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

White Sox:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-sox-grifol-eloy-a4d061c6fc54ffada3dda229485b2845">Jiménez</a>&nbsp;was activated from the 10-day injured list. The slugger had been sidelined by a left adductor strain.

Right-handers Brady Singer and Jonathan Cannon take the mound on Tuesday night. Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) pitched five innings of one-run ball in Kansas City's 13-3 victory over Houston on Thursday. Cannon will make his major league debut for Chicago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713234319647.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Monday night.Lugo (3-0) allowed four hits — all singles — in his third straight win. The right-hander struck out four and walked one.Kansas City improved to 5-0 against Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big leagues.Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago's four hits in its fifth consecutive loss. The White Sox were shut out for the sixth time during their 2-14 start.Braden Shewmake was the only Chicago runner to advance past first base. He singled and swiped second in the fifth, but was stranded there when Robbie Grossman flied out to the warning track in right.Chris Stratton got three outs for Kansas City before James McArthur earned his third save.Gavin Sheets was hit by a pitch with two down in the ninth, but McArthur struck out pinch-hitter Eloy Jiménez for the final out.White Sox right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-1) permitted two runs and three hits over five innings in his major league debut. He struck out five and walked two.Nastrini retired his first 11 batters before Pasquantino connected for his third homer in the fourth, a 421-foot drive to right on a 2-1 fastball.Kyle Isbel hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth for Kansas City's second run. The Royals had a chance to break it open, but Bobby Witt Jr. flied out to the wall in center with the bases loaded.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: C&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-salvador-perez-6522c4ffa45c7f70f960653eb38ccf28">Salvador Perez</a>&nbsp;rested after he had an MRI that showed a mild groin strain. He was replaced by Freddy Fermin. Perez left Sunday’s 2-1 loss at the Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. ... INF Michael Massey (low back strain) had an off day as he continues his rehab stint with Triple-A Omaha. “He's progressing really well,” manager Matt Quatraro said.White Sox:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-sox-grifol-eloy-a4d061c6fc54ffada3dda229485b2845">Jiménez</a>&nbsp;was activated from the 10-day injured list. The slugger had been sidelined by a left adductor strain.UP NEXTRight-handers Brady Singer and Jonathan Cannon take the mound on Tuesday night. Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) pitched five innings of one-run ball in Kansas City's 13-3 victory over Houston on Thursday. Cannon will make his major league debut for Chicago.

⚾ Lugo pitches 7 crisp innings as the Royals beat the White Sox 

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Welcome back, we’re glad to be getting Phase One underway, we’re going to do it very similar to how we’ve done it the last few years…which several of them are down with Patrick (Mahomes) in Texas. It gives the guys a little more time away from here, but at the same time getting some of their offseason evaluation work done and the opportunity to move forward into this next season. As far as Rashee Rice goes, his situation, I’m leaving that like we’ve done for most of these, just for the law enforcement part of it to take place, then we will go from there with that. I have had an opportunity to talk to Rashee (Rice) and I’m obviously not going to get into that. That part has been gone through. Anyways, really with that, time’s yours here.”

Q: Besides (Former Outside Linebackers coach) Ken Flajole retiring, are there any other changes to your coaching staff?

REID:&nbsp;“That’s a good point. (Former Outside Linebackers coach) Ken Flajole did retire. We were able to move (Outside Linebackers Coach) Rod Wilson into that position, (Defensive Quality Control Coach) Alex Whittingham likewise will have a little bit of a bigger role from his position and we hired Louie Addazio at (the) Quality Control position on defense. Louie has a bunch of experience coaching. He also has been an offensive coach, a line coach and at the major college level and he’ll give us some good productive information for the defense going forward so that we’re able to add good quality to the mix there.”

Q: What is Rashee Rice’s status during the offseason program?

REID:&nbsp;“There’s no real participation other than probably Zoom so he’ll (Rashee Rice) participate in that but other than that we don’t have anything going on here that he would be involved with. To answer your question, he’s participating in Zoom. Just a reminder on this, it’s voluntary as we go forward, that’s another part of this.”

Q: Do you anticipate him being there on-site when the next phase takes place?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re just going to take it day by day here as we go.”

Q: What did you like about Irv Smith and Hollywood Brown and what role do you think they’ll have on the team?

REID:&nbsp;“Hollywood Brown is a good speed receiver, he can play inside or outside and I stay away from saying a deep threat although he can do that, he can play within the offense and do all of the different routes that we asked. He’s a nice addition and he has some experience and production. Irv (Smith) is a tight end and kind of does everything pretty good. He’s a good solid football player, he’s a good receiver, good after the catch, good blocker, not necessarily the biggest guy but really plays a good physical game and I kind of like what he’s shown in the past. I think it’s important for both of these guys that they’re able to keep themselves healthy and rolling and that’ll be a part of it as we go forward here.”

Q: You’ve stated that this stage is more beneficial for the offense. What does the defense get out of Phase One of the offseason program?

REID:&nbsp;“On the being more productive on the offense – because they can actually go out and throw the ball around and do that part of it. Defensively, it’s hard to set up an offense and have an offense do whatever they do against you. I think this Phase One favors the offense in a way but at the same time, we go through this whole scheme evaluation in the offseason offensively, defensively and special teams and that’s where you benefit with being able to just do that on Zoom or likewise in person. On Zoom, you can get everything done that you need to do there with the video and/or new things that you may want to slip in there.”

Q: What was your message to Kadarius Toney in your exit interview and what will you be looking for from him during the season?

REID:&nbsp;“Kadarius (Toney) is arguably one of the most talented guys we have on the team. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being able to stay on the field. You always hear about the reliability, accountability, all of those things that go into it so I’m expecting him to come back ripping and ready to go. It’s great that’s he’s down there working with Pat (Mahomes) and putting the work in so that’s a positive. Listen, we like Kadarius it’s just a matter of having him on the field.”

Q: What benefits have you seen from the offseason training that Patrick holds down in Texas?

REID:&nbsp;“A couple things, coming off of a 21 game season, it’s a short offseason as you guys know. It gives the guys an opportunity to stay away from here (and) maybe a little bit more relaxed atmosphere but at the same time get a ton of work done. Also, there’s a little comradery that goes with it which is important on the offensive side that the guys work and play together and kind of are on the same side. It gives Pat (Mahomes) an opportunity along with the quarterbacks to be able to kind of talk to the guys about what they see and at a little bit slowed down pace. It’s been effective for us, the guys have come back in great shape and come back knowing what their responsibilities are. At the same time, they’re getting that influx of new and our scheme evaluation from last year thrown at them by the coaches.”

Q: Can you explain the process on whether or not Rashee Rice will be able to participate in the next phase of offseason training?

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll just see how it goes, I want to keep gathering any information from the law enforcement people and we’ll just see where everything goes from there. Let the process take place.”

Q: On Louis Rees-Zammit transitioning to football.

REID:&nbsp;“He (Louis Rees-Zammit) was introduced to this when he was young because his dad played six years in the European League (English Football League) and so he’s somewhat familiar with the sport. He sure has had a lot of success with rugby and there are some similarities there, it’s a contact sport, he’s had to catch the ball and do those things and run with the ball. We’ll start him off at the running back position, get him to feel comfortable with that going forward here. He’s had an opportunity to also go down there to Dallas and work with Pat (Mahomes) and so again, he’ll get used to some of these calls and through our Zooms, the plays and then we’ll just see where it goes from there. (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Dave (Toub) will have an opportunity to have him on special teams and see where that goes. That’s not an easy transition but he seems to be wired…. he’s been playing competitive rugby professionally since he was 17 years old. He’s sitting there at 23 years old, he’s had a pretty good career with that and kind of understands the professional game and the mindset of playing at a professional level.”

Q: Do you see Louis Rees-Zammit being a return specialist?

REID:&nbsp;“Potentially. We just have to see how it goes here. You know how (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Dave (Toub) puts them all out there, they’re all out there working on returns before and during practice. We’ll just see what his feel is and where that goes.”

Q: Do you think there’s too much emphasis on first-round draft picks?

REID:&nbsp;“I’m not sure that I’ve seen as many mock drafts going on as there are right now. It’s an amazing amount of mock drafts out there. I got to give the guys credit, they’re all a little different, some guys are on to their third first-round mock draft doing that. (General Manager) Brett’s (Veach) had this whole thing up and does a nice job of making sure he’s got all the rounds covered. There is a tremendous amount of input that goes into this first-round pick. However, there’s like a 50% success rate over a period for these first-round picks, it’s a bit crazy for all the time that’s spent doing them. You’ve got to make sure you cover the other parts of the draft and you’re right, all the way to the point where your college free agents almost become your second highest percentage that make it on these teams over a five-year span so you’ve really got to stay intact with the whole board. How you layer the board is so important and stack it ends up being so important and that order can be – I mean you’re one guy off, that can be your Pro Bowl player just by one guy. Brett spends so much time with the scouts and going in there and bashing it out. I call it the ‘Lock Down,’ he locks them in there for two-week periods and they just beat it up in there and make sure that board is layered there, it’s a tribute to his dedication on that thing.”

Q: Due to the situation with Rashee Rice does your need at the wide receiver position increase? Are you looking for a veteran left tackle too?

REID:&nbsp;“Those are two positions that we are looking at, but I mean (General Manager) Brett (Veach) is looking at all of them. You’re sitting at pick 32 so it’s tough to tell you what’s going to take place there. It’s a great thing on one hand to be 32nd&nbsp;because you’ve done ok on the season before but that’s a long wait and you better really stay true to the board, what’s there and take the best player you possibly can at that spot. I’d tell you those two positions he’s looking at but he’s also going through everything so we’ve got spots and depth that we can use really everywhere and we’ll just see with the whole Rashee (Rice) thing how that goes. When it’s all said and done, we should have players in there ready to go.”

Q:&nbsp;Are you finding more value as we are approaching the 2024 Draft with what you have done in free agency? Are you finding more value in this upcoming draft than some of the free agents still available?

REID:&nbsp;“We feel comfortable with what we’ve done there with the free agency piece. (General Manager) Brett’s (Veach) always keeping his eyes open on that. (He) does a great job in that area. I would tell you this part, the ability that we’ve had to bring guys back here (and) the quality of the guys that we brought back here I think is a real tribute to Chris Shea in his new position now and his guys and then (General Manager) Brett (Veach) for going out and getting them. We always thank (Chairman &amp; CEO) Clark Hunt for this because it comes out of his wallet and he’s been – like I always mention, he gives us an opportunity to win in that area. So, Chris Jones, let’s not slight that one. That’s a pretty big one and (Mike) Danna is big in the same position there, (Derrick) Nnadi coming back. That strength up front, I think it all starts there and becomes very important for us as we go forward there.”

REID:&nbsp;“Well, yeah, listen, as long as he’s learned from it, that’s the important part of it. We’ll take it from there and see what takes place. Right now, we’re just kind of gathering everything and trying to make sure we have all the bases covered.”

Q:&nbsp;Can you give a breakdown of how you run your offseason training down in Texas?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It’s kind of collaborative with the coaches and then with me and the players. In the morning, we get a workout in, just kind of get guys moving. There’s therapy there so guys can get whatever warmup they need to do if they don’t want to get an actual full workout and they (just) want to get some work in to get themselves ready to run routes. Then we get the routes in and right after that – it’s like two to three times a week depending on week and the plan with the coaches. Then we meet with the coaches at 12 o’ clock, so it’s pretty good, you kind of get everybody in and out before 2 o’ clock whenever the meetings end but it gets good work in.”

Q: Have you been throwing with Rashee this offseason?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve worked with Rashee (Rice) throughout the offseason just in general, so I’m sure we’ll continue that work as the legal process plays out.”

Q: What benefit have you seen from this offseason camp that you have been doing the past couple years?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I wouldn’t say that it’s too much different than being up at the facility, but at the same time just with the guys hearing it from me because you get the workouts in before the meetings, hearing how I explain things, how I explain the routes, what I’m thinking and then getting to go into the meeting room and hear the coaches and how they explain the stuff and how do we blend that together. I think it’s just that good one on one interaction with me. Sometimes, especially this time of the year, those lines get long with a lot of receivers, lot of tight ends, lot of running backs whatever it is. To be able to explain my thought process one on one, I think it gives guys a good intro into what the coaches are thinking and the coaches can really detail the details.”

Q: What has stood out about WR Hollywood Brown?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“With Hollywood (Brown), I think you obviously see the speed, you see the speed instantly. What I’ve liked so far is how hard he works, he’s been at the workouts, been at the route running and he wants more. He wants to continue to push himself more and more, and I think he has a hell of a great role in this offense the way he’s able to run routes, the way he’s able to stretch the field. I think he’ll be even different than you’ve seen him before because I think we can utilize him in different ways (than) I think he’s been utilized in yet.”

Q: What did you think about seeing Messi play on Saturday?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“As far as (Inter Miami CF Forward Lionel) Messi, I mean it’s awesome to see the guy at the top of the top in any league in the entire world, and I mean you saw the certain spots that he had where he wasn’t marked, or he wasn’t free where he got free. I mean he made stuff happen with the pass that he made, the division that had. Then the goal that he scored, it shows you what it is like when you have the top of the top playing in any profession.”

Q: What role do you see Hollywood Brown playing this season?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think everybody has seen his speed and the way he’s able to track a football down the field which we’ll obviously use, that’s something that’s huge and we need to continue to get better and better at this offense. I think the route running is what I’ve been pleasantly surprised by. Just the way he’s able to get in and out of his cuts, he has a good feel for space and like I said he wants to learn more and more, so I think as he gets within our offense and learns how with the freedom you have and the route running and your ability to find space I think we can utilize that over the middle of the field. I know he’s done that in the past but I think we utilize it at an even higher load so I think it’ll be something that we can really emphasize in our offense.”

Q: How do your training sessions in Texas help you?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think what helps me the most is that I get to hear what they are thinking, and when they’re really going. I think sometimes when the coaches are around they want to do exactly what the coach says which is the right thinking but whenever I can hear what they’re thinking whenever they’re running their route it helps me know where they’re going to be at and what their timing is going to be and that’s something that I try to do during the year but there’s kind of a lot of things that you’re worried about during the season or trying to do just how the coaches say. When I can hear them and we talk it through and we hear from the coaches, we can all be on the same page.”

Q: What do you enjoy most about starting anew each season and what do you find most difficult having a shorter offseason?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think what I find most enjoyable is building those relationships with the guys. Every single team is different and just getting the guys down here and seeing them outside the building, trying to do different things, trying to get dinner or whatever it is, you get to meet the guy. I think that’s what brings a team closer together, so that’s something that I enjoy most about this part of the year. At the same time, you win the Super Bowl, and it’s awesome but it makes the offseason shorter so trying to make sure I get time to myself and my family, that’s something that is important to me and so I still intertwine that with keeping my body in the right shape so that I can go out there and try to get the three-peat.”

Q: Now that you guys have won your second-straight Super Bowl, how much do you discuss a three-peat?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It was something that was discussed more after we won the second one. Now that we’re kind of back and starting back from the beginning, that’s how you have to start, you have to start from the beginning, you have to go back to your fundamentals. I’ll be going over fronts and stuff today, stuff that might get a little tedious and stuff that I need to know. The coaches will get a laugh out of it because they know that it kind of irritates me sometimes. That’s how it is, you have to go back to the beginning, go back to your elementary school and learn from the beginning and I think that’s something that has kind of gotten us to where we’re at is that you can’t be satisfied at where we’re at, you have to learn and pick up one little different thing that you didn’t know the year before. That’s something that I will continue to work on throughout this offseason and prepare myself and then once we get to the season, we’ll try to make that run at it but it’s going to take a day-in, day-out type of mentality.”

Q: Have you shared your thoughts on this year’s draft picks with General Manager Brett Veach yet?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I’ve looked at some of the stuff. It’s cool that (General Manager Brett) Veach and (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid kind of let me in on all of the conversations that they have about players and I like that stuff. I like watching film and watching other guys from college and stuff like that. At the end of the day, we have the greatest of the greatest as far as GMs and head coach and the staffs that they build so I know they’re going to get great players in here and I’ll give my input but I trust that they’re going to do the work to get the great players in. You’ve seen our team, it seems like we get younger and younger every single year and that comes from drafting.”

Q: On running a play in the Super Bowl that the team hasn’t run since training camp.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It was really cool. That was something that we had worked on in training camp, we talked about it in years in the past about some of the blitz looks that the teams have shown us of getting to that check. We worked on it in training camp and of course all year long we just never got the look that we wanted. Then you get to the Super Bowl, a third down, a huge moment in the game and of course you get the exact look you’re thinking about. We probably ran it in practice maybe once every week or once every other week to kind of prepare ourselves. It speaks to the guys, I mean not only me of getting to the check but the guys, the offensive line knowing how to block and leave the right guy free, Jerick McKinnon being able to bluff the guy where we had the cross protection most of the game, he bluffs a guy and gets loose, then the receivers making the block out in space. You never know, it’s one of those plays that anybody can be in, it’s kind of a check at the line of scrimmage and so everybody was ready for the moment. That comes with, like I said, the tedious fundamentals from day one. We do this stuff to prepare ourselves for the Super Bowl but you have to do it on a day-in process.”

Q: What stood out about the other new guys who have been working out in Texas with you?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think what stood out is how hard the guys want to work. I think that’s always great; I say it and people take it for granted but you have to have guys that want it. I mean this is offseason, this time you can be anywhere in the world, spending it on vacation. These guys came in – I’m in my hometown, I’m in my house so it’s easy for me to go workout and throw but these guys are in hotels or AirBnBs and they’re down here getting work in and they want to be great and that’s awesome. Guys like Nikko (Remigio), Anthony Miller and Louis (Rees-Zammit), they’ve all done a great job of getting in here and learning from the guys in front of them, guys that have been here. I always enjoy guys like Skyy (Moore) and Kadarius (Toney), guys that are teaching too at the same time. I think it’s a healthy competition, that’s what you want on any team, and I think we have a great team for it. I’m excited to see these guys continue to evolve in this offense and get them on the field.”

Q: What do you think the linebacker room will look like with the changes that have been made?

BOLTON:&nbsp;“I think it’s going to be a lot different. We’re definitely going to miss (Saints LB) Willie (Gay), his energy that he brought to the locker room, especially to the LB room on a day-to-day basis. Drue (Tranquill) played phenomenal for us. I think he adds a little bit (of a) different flavor to our defense. He’s a smart guy, intelligent, finds the ball (and) on all intents where you need to be great in this league, he has it, so I’m going for him and I’m excited for the projections we have in the linebacker room. We have Leo (Chenal) as well, got a lot of young guys in there and we’re just staying in our roles, trying to get one percent better every single day and we’ll see where that takes us.”

Q: You’re eligible for an extension soon, have there been any discussions about that and would you be interested in staying?

BOLTON:&nbsp;“I’ve been in the state of Missouri going on seven years now, so it definitely feels like home. Fans, the community, open arms since I got here as an 18-year-old. Staying here would be a blessing, would be a dream come true if we could get that done in the foreseeable future, but I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and have our defense pick up where we left off last year and not regress. Just trying to get better than we were last year and it starts in two weeks from now.”

Q:&nbsp;How will you handle Phase One of the offseason program since it’s online and what has your offseason looked like?

BOLTON: “First off, I’m out in Arizona, I’m enjoying this heat a little bit. In terms of – I’m just managing my energy, just trying to make sure to stay ahead of stuff. I finished out the end of the season healthy, everything looked good going into the offseason. Now it’s just trying to get comfortable, get things as strong as they were (before), get compression on my hand, my wrist, getting everything even on both sides because I haven’t been lifting on my left hand for a little bit. Just working on those things, (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) has done a hell of a job with a plan for me while I’ve been away from Kansas City and when I get back there, I’m going to be back working with her again. Our training staff does a great job of getting us prepared, giving us a plan, giving us options of things that we can do to make this a little better so I’m just trying to take advantage of that.”

Chiefs Quotes: 4-15-24

Athletic Director Ron Davis confirmed to Salina Post on Monday that Brett Rolfs has resigned as head boy's basketball coach at Ellsworth High School.

Rolfs led the Bearcats for two seasons, finishing his time in Ellsworth with a 31-14 record.

 That two-year run included a 19-5 finish and a trip to the 3A state tournament in 2023-24, which saw the Bearcats fall to Wellsville in the opening round.

The search for a new head coach in Ellsworth is already underway and the school is actively interviewing applicants to fill the role.

For more information on this developing situation, stay tuned to Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Athletic Director Ron Davis confirmed to Salina Post on Monday that Brett Rolfs has resigned as head boy's basketball coach at Ellsworth High School.Rolfs led the Bearcats for two seasons, finishing his time in Ellsworth with a 31-14 record. That two-year run included a 19-5 finish and a trip to the 3A state tournament in 2023-24, which saw the Bearcats fall to Wellsville in the opening round.The search for a new head coach in Ellsworth is already underway and the school is actively interviewing applicants to fill the role.For more information on this developing situation, stay tuned to Salina Post.

Ellsworth Head Boys Basketball Coach Brett Rolfs Resigns

Kansas Wesleyan Baseball picked up its 20th consecutive Kansas Conference win as the Coyotes completed a three-game sweep of the Tabor College Bluejays with a 10-2 win on Sunday at Dean Evans Stadium.

The Coyotes improved to 25-4 in the KCAC with the win and 34-8 overall heading into Tuesday's home game with Sterling.

Tabor took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Marcelo Aguirre's solo homer, and the scored stayed there until the bottom of the third when the Coyotes broke it open.

It was another 2-out rally for the Coyotes as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ae51151b-a1f9-4847-ab66-44a2bfe01b53?elinkdata=8964">Jarrett Gable</a> started the charge with a double to left and then scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e294ffaf-d777-4bf4-a152-e7a5135494b5?elinkdata=8964">Cruz Oxford's</a> single through the right side. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/13a7e506-bc3b-4876-a738-72b825973d2e?elinkdata=8964">Tyler Favretto</a> walked and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e3b42cc6-faf8-4b29-8849-2680f271b655?elinkdata=8964">Reece Bishop</a> followed with a RBI single back through the middle.

Zach Beatty followed with a massive 3-run homer to right center to put the Coyotes up 5-1.

Wesleyan added another run in the fourth on another 2-out rally. Favretto led it off with a single, Bishop was hit by a pith and Beatty drove in the run with a single to left to score courtesy runner <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/da4f9ffb-b9cb-4e27-889d-2881b4ddbdb9?elinkdata=8964">Coulson Riggs</a>.

Favretto extended Wesleyan's lead to 8-1 in the bottom of the sixth with a 2-run homer that also brought in Oxford who led off the inning with a single.

Tabor got a run back in the seventh, but the Coyotes got it right back in the bottom of the inning on Oxford's sacrifice to score <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adcc0643-55f6-43c2-8a3f-e51f428bb11c?elinkdata=8964">Kendall Foster</a> who had doubled earlier in the inning.

The Coyotes added one more run in the eighth on Favretto's second homer of the game, a solo shot to make it 10-2.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aefd2161-47c0-4b37-9dce-089defb863f6?elinkdata=8964">Pedro Ramirez</a> was masterful for the Coyotes on the hill, going seven innings, holding Tabor's high-powered offense to two runs on five hits while striking out five. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e128f890-f24a-443d-86dc-7e7b4cf85af9?elinkdata=8964">Ritter Steinmann</a> struck out the side in the eighth and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cf84c0d2-e631-4ebe-bbcf-f7c123727f06?elinkdata=8964">KT Gearlds</a> finished it off with a perfect ninth.

Favretto went 4-for-4 in the game with three RBI, Beatty was 3-for-3 with four driven in.

The Coyotes host Sterling on Tuesday, then have another huge series next weekend hosting Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday and Sunday at The Dean.

Kansas Wesleyan Baseball picked up its 20th consecutive Kansas Conference win as the Coyotes completed a three-game sweep of the Tabor College Bluejays with a 10-2 win on Sunday at Dean Evans Stadium.The Coyotes improved to 25-4 in the KCAC with the win and 34-8 overall heading into Tuesday's home game with Sterling.Tabor took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Marcelo Aguirre's solo homer, and the scored stayed there until the bottom of the third when the Coyotes broke it open.It was another 2-out rally for the Coyotes as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ae51151b-a1f9-4847-ab66-44a2bfe01b53?elinkdata=8964">Jarrett Gable</a> started the charge with a double to left and then scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e294ffaf-d777-4bf4-a152-e7a5135494b5?elinkdata=8964">Cruz Oxford's</a> single through the right side. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/13a7e506-bc3b-4876-a738-72b825973d2e?elinkdata=8964">Tyler Favretto</a> walked and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e3b42cc6-faf8-4b29-8849-2680f271b655?elinkdata=8964">Reece Bishop</a> followed with a RBI single back through the middle.Zach Beatty followed with a massive 3-run homer to right center to put the Coyotes up 5-1.Wesleyan added another run in the fourth on another 2-out rally. Favretto led it off with a single, Bishop was hit by a pith and Beatty drove in the run with a single to left to score courtesy runner <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/da4f9ffb-b9cb-4e27-889d-2881b4ddbdb9?elinkdata=8964">Coulson Riggs</a>.Favretto extended Wesleyan's lead to 8-1 in the bottom of the sixth with a 2-run homer that also brought in Oxford who led off the inning with a single.Tabor got a run back in the seventh, but the Coyotes got it right back in the bottom of the inning on Oxford's sacrifice to score <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adcc0643-55f6-43c2-8a3f-e51f428bb11c?elinkdata=8964">Kendall Foster</a> who had doubled earlier in the inning.The Coyotes added one more run in the eighth on Favretto's second homer of the game, a solo shot to make it 10-2.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aefd2161-47c0-4b37-9dce-089defb863f6?elinkdata=8964">Pedro Ramirez</a> was masterful for the Coyotes on the hill, going seven innings, holding Tabor's high-powered offense to two runs on five hits while striking out five. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e128f890-f24a-443d-86dc-7e7b4cf85af9?elinkdata=8964">Ritter Steinmann</a> struck out the side in the eighth and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cf84c0d2-e631-4ebe-bbcf-f7c123727f06?elinkdata=8964">KT Gearlds</a> finished it off with a perfect ninth.Favretto went 4-for-4 in the game with three RBI, Beatty was 3-for-3 with four driven in.The Coyotes host Sterling on Tuesday, then have another huge series next weekend hosting Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday and Sunday at The Dean.

KWU Baseball completes sweep of No. 23 Tabor with 10-2 win in series finale

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/01e78b3a-e9bd-46e2-a3fc-9981455ba8bc?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Dustin Sahlmann</a>'s second season at coach of the Kansas Wesleyan men's volleyball team has produced several noteworthy firsts - their victory Saturday night the pinnacle.

KWU, the No. 4 seed, defeated fifth-seeded Ottawa 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 24-26, 25-16) in a quarterfinal match of the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament inside Mabee Arena. It was the first home playoff game in program history, the first postseason victory and it assured the Coyotes of their first winning record (14-12) in their third year of existence.

"This is a season of firsts and we need to keep that going," Sahlmann said. "(The guys) embrace that, they enjoy reaching those milestones. For us as a program as young as we are and doing what we're doing right now is going to help us long term. It's going to help us on the recruiting front, it's going to help us with confidence and belief."

Wesleyan will play its first-ever conference tournament semifinal against top-seeded and NAIA No. 9-ranked Jamestown at 7 p.m. Friday in Jamestown, North Dakota.

The Coyotes' produced one of their best efforts of the season against an Ottawa team they had split with during the regular season. They hit at a .273 percentage, had 13 service aces and 14 block assists.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/01e78b3a-e9bd-46e2-a3fc-9981455ba8bc?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Dustin Sahlmann</a>'s second season at coach of the Kansas Wesleyan men's volleyball team has produced several noteworthy firsts - their victory Saturday night the pinnacle.KWU, the No. 4 seed, defeated fifth-seeded Ottawa 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 24-26, 25-16) in a quarterfinal match of the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament inside Mabee Arena. It was the first home playoff game in program history, the first postseason victory and it assured the Coyotes of their first winning record (14-12) in their third year of existence."This is a season of firsts and we need to keep that going," Sahlmann said. "(The guys) embrace that, they enjoy reaching those milestones. For us as a program as young as we are and doing what we're doing right now is going to help us long term. It's going to help us on the recruiting front, it's going to help us with confidence and belief."Wesleyan will play its first-ever conference tournament semifinal against top-seeded and NAIA No. 9-ranked Jamestown at 7 p.m. Friday in Jamestown, North Dakota.The Coyotes' produced one of their best efforts of the season against an Ottawa team they had split with during the regular season. They hit at a .273 percentage, had 13 service aces and 14 block assists.They also showed resiliency, something that had been an issue. KWU led Morningside 2-0 but lost 3-2 in a March 30 match in Mabee Arena. The Coyotes won the first two sets Saturday before Ottawa took the third."They weren't happy after that third set, we came out and showed how we felt in set four," Sahlmann said. "They're a very resilient group, they don't let a whole lot of things affect them long term. They're still trying to learn a little bit of what it takes to close things out."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a0854d1e-0fd5-48af-9e01-0c4ed85ba7d1?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Zayin Martinez</a>&nbsp;led the attack with 15 kills on a .314 hitting percentage while&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/150a02b9-22e5-4887-b247-6b4aca436eb9?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Justin Burras</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/db3fbb0e-114f-46fd-86c5-b8ff4e6c84a8?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Viet Nguyen</a>&nbsp;had 13 apiece - Nguyen hitting .300 percent and Burras .257 percent.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8150d6fa-3596-42f3-8a7c-c27db37a87ec?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Tyler McUne</a>&nbsp;set the offense with 39 assists. Martinez also had four service aces.Defensively&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b51e7ea5-1263-4a00-9385-d43f6ca45544?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Jeremy Lapeze</a>&nbsp;had 16 digs and Martinez 11 and Martinez and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cd31bf0b-2c30-43a5-914a-542300a39d13?elinkdata=8788" target="_blank">Cooper Stepp</a>&nbsp;each had four block assists."We did a lot of things well," Sahlmann said. "It doesn't necessarily look like it on paper but we served extremely well. We worked all week on serving seams and putting the ball where it needed to go and I thought we did a fantastic job of that. We worked a lot on blocking and I felt like our blocking was really good again today. We added some wrinkles offensively and we used those and those helped us as well."The first set was close throughout but Ottawa (16-14) never led. Clinging to a 19-17 lead the Coyotes gave themselves a cushion by scoring three of the next four points. A Martinez kill accounted for set point.The second set a mirror image of the first. Leading 20-18 the Coyotes scored five of the final six points for the victory.Ottawa led most of the third set but KWU rallied and tied it 23-23 and again 24-24 before the Braves scored the last two points.Ottawa had an 8-4 lead in the fourth set but the Coyotes stormed back with an 15-2 run and led 19-10. The Braves got within 21-15 before a 4-1 surge carried KWU to the set and match victory.Sahlmann said his team has nothing to lose in Friday's semifinal."Our message Monday through Thursday before we take off to go up there is to be relaxed," he said. "We don't have any pressure on us and it is on them. We're going to be fresh and we're going to be pretty close to full strength so hopefully we can give them a run for their money."