Following are the sports programs and events scheduled for KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) this week.

Monday The Coach Heron O'Neal Show at AJ's at the Alley:&nbsp; 6 p.m.

Saturday MRN&nbsp; Nascar Live:&nbsp; 8 a.m.

Salina Liberty Champions Indoor Football Pregame Show:&nbsp; 5:30 p.m.

Salina Liberty vs. Southwest Kansas Storm at United Wireless Arena, Dodge City:&nbsp; 6 p.m.

Sunday PRN&nbsp; The Pit Reporters:&nbsp; 9 a.m.

MRN&nbsp; Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.:&nbsp; 1 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By SALINA POSTFollowing are the sports programs and events scheduled for KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) this week.Monday The Coach Heron O'Neal Show at AJ's at the Alley:&nbsp; 6 p.m. Saturday MRN&nbsp; Nascar Live:&nbsp; 8 a.m. Salina Liberty Champions Indoor Football Pregame Show:&nbsp; 5:30 p.m. Salina Liberty vs. Southwest Kansas Storm at United Wireless Arena, Dodge City:&nbsp; 6 p.m. Sunday PRN&nbsp; The Pit Reporters:&nbsp; 9 a.m. MRN&nbsp; Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.:&nbsp; 1 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports on KINA this week

KANSAS CITY&nbsp;— The Kansas City Current earned its second consecutive home win and third straight win across all competitions with a 2-0 victory over NJ/NY Gotham FC. Two goals from midfielder Debinha led the team to a win, breaking Gotham’s two-match winning streak.

The visitors nearly took the lead in the 13th minute, when forward Lynn Williams stole the ball from Kansas City defender Croix Soto and charged toward the goal. All three Current defenders collapsed in to force her shot wide.

The ball nearly found the goal on the opposite side of the field just three minutes later. A free kick from midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta allowed Debinha to set up forward Mimmi Larsson at the top of the box. Larsson immediately took the shot, launching a ball over the crossbar.

Gotham goalkeeper Abby Smith was called into action several times in the first half, and she came in clutch for Gotham under an onslaught of Current attempts. In the 30th minute, forward Cece Kizer found herself one-on-one with the keeper, who charged off her line and slid to capture the ball.

At halftime, forward Michelle Cooper entered the match and had a chance at goal just five minutes in. Kizer slipped a ball past the Gotham backline to find the rookie right in front of the net. Smith managed to get a hand on it to deny Cooper’s goal.

“We wanted to keep the pressure in the attacking half and that was what we talked about at halftime to keep more pressure,” explained interim head coach Caroline Sjöblom about her halftime adjustments. “So when the center back gets the ball like Ali Krieger drives up with the ball we can put much more pressure and can red players from left to right and win the turnover in the transition so that was kind of the plan in halftime.”

In the 54th minute, a pass from Gotham midfielder Yazmeen Ryan deflected off a Current defender to fall right into the path of Gotham’s Williams. Goalkeeper Cassie Miller made herself big to block the shot and preserve her second straight regular season clean sheet.

The Current broke the stalemate in the 57th minute, when Debinha charged down the left flank to find a pass from LaBonta bouncing in. She charged past the Gotham defense and slid the ball past a diving Smith for her third goal of the season.

The forward wasn’t satisfied with one. Just four minutes later, forward Michelle Cooper drew Smith way off her line, near the right corner flag. Cooper tapped the ball around Smith and crossed the ball in toward Cece Kizer. The forward’s shot was blocked by a Gotham defender, but Debinha pounced on the rebound to knock it into the open net.

Debinha became the first player to score a brace in club history after midfielder Cece Kizer had a goal rescored as an own goal in the Challenge Cup match against Houston.

The Kansas City Current returns to action next weekend as the team travels to Los Angeles to face Angel City FC on May 7.&nbsp;

Kansas City CurrentKANSAS CITY&nbsp;— The Kansas City Current earned its second consecutive home win and third straight win across all competitions with a 2-0 victory over NJ/NY Gotham FC. Two goals from midfielder Debinha led the team to a win, breaking Gotham’s two-match winning streak.The visitors nearly took the lead in the 13th minute, when forward Lynn Williams stole the ball from Kansas City defender Croix Soto and charged toward the goal. All three Current defenders collapsed in to force her shot wide.The ball nearly found the goal on the opposite side of the field just three minutes later. A free kick from midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta allowed Debinha to set up forward Mimmi Larsson at the top of the box. Larsson immediately took the shot, launching a ball over the crossbar.Gotham goalkeeper Abby Smith was called into action several times in the first half, and she came in clutch for Gotham under an onslaught of Current attempts. In the 30th minute, forward Cece Kizer found herself one-on-one with the keeper, who charged off her line and slid to capture the ball.At halftime, forward Michelle Cooper entered the match and had a chance at goal just five minutes in. Kizer slipped a ball past the Gotham backline to find the rookie right in front of the net. Smith managed to get a hand on it to deny Cooper’s goal.“We wanted to keep the pressure in the attacking half and that was what we talked about at halftime to keep more pressure,” explained interim head coach Caroline Sjöblom about her halftime adjustments. “So when the center back gets the ball like Ali Krieger drives up with the ball we can put much more pressure and can red players from left to right and win the turnover in the transition so that was kind of the plan in halftime.”In the 54th minute, a pass from Gotham midfielder Yazmeen Ryan deflected off a Current defender to fall right into the path of Gotham’s Williams. Goalkeeper Cassie Miller made herself big to block the shot and preserve her second straight regular season clean sheet.The Current broke the stalemate in the 57th minute, when Debinha charged down the left flank to find a pass from LaBonta bouncing in. She charged past the Gotham defense and slid the ball past a diving Smith for her third goal of the season.The forward wasn’t satisfied with one. Just four minutes later, forward Michelle Cooper drew Smith way off her line, near the right corner flag. Cooper tapped the ball around Smith and crossed the ball in toward Cece Kizer. The forward’s shot was blocked by a Gotham defender, but Debinha pounced on the rebound to knock it into the open net.Debinha became the first player to score a brace in club history after midfielder Cece Kizer had a goal rescored as an own goal in the Challenge Cup match against Houston.The Kansas City Current returns to action next weekend as the team travels to Los Angeles to face Angel City FC on May 7.&nbsp;

KC Current gets 2nd home win, defeats NJ/NY Gotham FC

WICHITA – Irving Lopez drilled the go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth to deliver the Springfield Cardinals a 7-4 come-from-behind win on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp; The Cardinals win the series taking four of six games.&nbsp;

Yoyner Fajardo extended his hitting streak to five games hitting a home run and going two for five in the contest.&nbsp; Yunior Severino picked up two more RBI for his team leading 15th&nbsp;of the season.&nbsp;

The Wind Surge started the scoring in the third inning with Severino’s two run double.&nbsp; The Cardinals Chandler Redmond hit his league leading eighth home run in the fourth inning to give Springfield the lead.&nbsp;

The teams were tied through eight innings when Lopez drilled the go-ahead home run. &nbsp;&nbsp;The Wind Surge stranded nine runners in the game and finished one for eight with runners in scoring position. &nbsp;

Blayne Enlow started and pitched five innings allowing three runs in a no decision.&nbsp; Andre Granillo pitched the final two innings and earned the win, Alex Scherff took the loss.

Wichita and Springfield are tied for fourth in the division with an identical 9-12 record.

NOTES – The Cardinals outscored the Wind Surge 56-39 in the six-game series.&nbsp; Wichita placed outfielder Alerick Soulairie on the 7-day injured list on Sunday.

UPCOMING – The Wind Surge will hit the road on Tuesday for the start of a 12-game road trip.&nbsp; The Surge will start RH David Festa against RH Ronald Medrano at 11:05 AM.

BROADCAST:&nbsp; Catch the game on Milb First Pitch App, <a href="http://Windsurge.com">Windsurge.com</a>.

NEXT HOME GAME:&nbsp;May 16 vs Arkansas Travelers.

Wichita Wind SurgeWICHITA – Irving Lopez drilled the go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth to deliver the Springfield Cardinals a 7-4 come-from-behind win on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp; The Cardinals win the series taking four of six games.&nbsp;Yoyner Fajardo extended his hitting streak to five games hitting a home run and going two for five in the contest.&nbsp; Yunior Severino picked up two more RBI for his team leading 15th&nbsp;of the season.&nbsp;The Wind Surge started the scoring in the third inning with Severino’s two run double.&nbsp; The Cardinals Chandler Redmond hit his league leading eighth home run in the fourth inning to give Springfield the lead.&nbsp;The teams were tied through eight innings when Lopez drilled the go-ahead home run. &nbsp;&nbsp;The Wind Surge stranded nine runners in the game and finished one for eight with runners in scoring position. &nbsp;Blayne Enlow started and pitched five innings allowing three runs in a no decision.&nbsp; Andre Granillo pitched the final two innings and earned the win, Alex Scherff took the loss.Wichita and Springfield are tied for fourth in the division with an identical 9-12 record.NOTES – The Cardinals outscored the Wind Surge 56-39 in the six-game series.&nbsp; Wichita placed outfielder Alerick Soulairie on the 7-day injured list on Sunday.UPCOMING – The Wind Surge will hit the road on Tuesday for the start of a 12-game road trip.&nbsp; The Surge will start RH David Festa against RH Ronald Medrano at 11:05 AM.BROADCAST:&nbsp; Catch the game on Milb First Pitch App, <a href="http://Windsurge.com">Windsurge.com</a>.NEXT HOME GAME:&nbsp;May 16 vs Arkansas Travelers.

Cardinals get come-from-behind win against Wind Surge

By BRIAN HALL Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning, Sonny Gray kept rolling with six strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Sunday.

Gray (4-0) allowed one run on five hits while striking out seven batters. Gray has given up just three runs in 35 innings this season and saw his MLB-best ERA rise to 0.77 after the outing.

Minnesota won three of the four games against Kansas City and has won six of eight.

Buxton homered for the second straight game, making it four in his past five games. The Twins homered in 13 straight games, hitting 22 over that span.

Brady Singer (2-3) lasted just 2 2/3 innings for the Royals, surrendering eight runs on five hits and three walks.

Vinnie Pasquantino had three hits for Kansas City, including a two-run single in the ninth inning before Jhoan Duran entered with two outs and recorded his sixth save.

The Royals' 21 losses in April tie the club record for losses in any calendar month.

Buxton doubled and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Gordon in the second inning before launching his seventh homer of the season to the third deck in left field in the third.

Gordon, Willi Castro and Christian Vázquez followed with consecutive run-scoring singles.

Buxton's homer allowed Minnesota to show off its new home run celebration. When he entered the dugout, Buxton was given a fishing vest and fishing pole. On the back of the vest was "Land of 10,000 Rakes" a play on Minnesota's famous "Land of 10,000 Lakes" slogan.

Twins: RHP Tyler Mahle had an MRI and X-rays done on his sore right arm. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Mahle will be shut down and won't make his next start, but didn't get into specifics because the team had yet to meet with Mahle to discuss the results.

Royals: Host Baltimore on Tuesday for the first of 10 straight home games. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 6.35 ERA) will make his second straight start for the Royals in place of Kris Bubic.

Twins: Start a six-game road trip with three games against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Joe Ryan (5-0, 2.81) starts the first game Tuesday with RHP Michael Kopech (0-3, 7.01) scheduled for Chicago.

By BRIAN HALL Associated PressMINNEAPOLIS — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning, Sonny Gray kept rolling with six strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Sunday.Gray (4-0) allowed one run on five hits while striking out seven batters. Gray has given up just three runs in 35 innings this season and saw his MLB-best ERA rise to 0.77 after the outing.Minnesota won three of the four games against Kansas City and has won six of eight.Buxton homered for the second straight game, making it four in his past five games. The Twins homered in 13 straight games, hitting 22 over that span.Brady Singer (2-3) lasted just 2 2/3 innings for the Royals, surrendering eight runs on five hits and three walks.Vinnie Pasquantino had three hits for Kansas City, including a two-run single in the ninth inning before Jhoan Duran entered with two outs and recorded his sixth save.The Royals' 21 losses in April tie the club record for losses in any calendar month.Buxton doubled and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Gordon in the second inning before launching his seventh homer of the season to the third deck in left field in the third.Gordon, Willi Castro and Christian Vázquez followed with consecutive run-scoring singles.DEEP FISHINGBuxton's homer allowed Minnesota to show off its new home run celebration. When he entered the dugout, Buxton was given a fishing vest and fishing pole. On the back of the vest was "Land of 10,000 Rakes" a play on Minnesota's famous "Land of 10,000 Lakes" slogan.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: RHP Tyler Mahle had an MRI and X-rays done on his sore right arm. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Mahle will be shut down and won't make his next start, but didn't get into specifics because the team had yet to meet with Mahle to discuss the results.UP NEXTRoyals: Host Baltimore on Tuesday for the first of 10 straight home games. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 6.35 ERA) will make his second straight start for the Royals in place of Kris Bubic.Twins: Start a six-game road trip with three games against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Joe Ryan (5-0, 2.81) starts the first game Tuesday with RHP Michael Kopech (0-3, 7.01) scheduled for Chicago.

Buxton homer, Gray's 6 innings push Twins over Royals 8-4

MANHATTAN –&nbsp;Kansas State women’s basketball Associate Head Coach Brian Ostermann has been named the head women’s basketball coach at Emporia State.

“My time at K-State must begin with a thank you to the K-State family! Thank you to all the coaches and administrators that number too many to name them all. I never dreamed of recruiting and coaching some the of greatest players in K-State history, too many to name but must mention a very special one in Ayoka Lee.

The friendships made along the way are special and I will carry all of those with me to Emporia State. Friendships are for a lifetime and I am grateful for so many. The opportunity to be a head coach again at a school with the rich basketball history that is Emporia State University is something I couldn’t pass up. I am so blessed that Director of Athletics David Spafford &amp; his team selected me to be their Women’s Basketball Head Coach. Finally, it’s been an honor and privilege to serve K-State &amp; the women’s basketball program for the past 9 years. Thank you and forever Go Cats!"

Ostermann completed his ninth season at K-State in 2022-23, serving as the associate head coach during all nine seasons in Manhattan. This was Ostermann’s 34th season of coaching at the collegiate level.

K-State head coach Jeff Mittie’s teams have been known for playing a stifling defense and Ostermann helped develop those schemes, setting school along the way.

“Emporia State has made a terrific hire in Coach O,” stated Mittie. “He has been a successful head coach at every one of his coaching stops and an integral part of our success here at Kansas State and at TCU. He understands the MIAA conference and the great women’s basketball history at Emporia State. I have no doubt he will be a huge success at Emporia State. Brian, Julie and the entire family will be a great addition to the Emporia community.”

During the 2021-22 season, the Wildcats set the school record for blocks in a single-season (170). In Ostermann's nine seasons with the Wildcats, K-State blocked 130 or more shots in all nine seasons.

As a team, the 2019-20 K-State squad tied for the second-most blocked shots in program history (163) and set the school record for blocks per game (5.6 bpg).

The Wildcats held opponents to a .374 field goal percentage and 64.7 points per game. The .374 opponent field goal percentage was the second-lowest since Mittie and Ostermann arrived at K-State.

Mittie and Ostermann helped reshape K-State’s defense in their first season in 2014-15, as the Wildcats finished the season ranked 44th in the nation in scoring defense (58.2 ppg allowed), 12th in steals (11.3 spg) and 42nd in blocked shots (4.7 bpg). K-State’s defense ranked first in the Big 12 in steals, second in scoring defense and third in blocked shots.

The Wildcats registered the second-most steals in program history with 374 in 2014-15. In addition to the 374 steals, K-State blocked 156 shots.

Along with his time at K-State, Ostermann was the associate head coach at TCU from 2008-14, served as the men's basketball head coach at Missouri State - West Plains from 2004-08 and the men's basketball head coach at Colby (Kan.) Community College from 1999-04.

Ostermann served as an assistant coach, holding positions with the Kansas City men's basketball team (1996-99), Missouri Western (1992-96) and Mercyhurst College (1991-92). His first season at Missouri Western was spent as an assistant for both the men’s and women’s team. That season marked Mittie’s first season as head coach of the Griffon women’s program. One of Ostermann’s early achievements included the successful recruitment of two-time All-American Tonya Foster to Missouri Western.

Ostermann began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Northwest Missouri State University (1989-91), where he graduated with a master’s of science degree in education. Ostermann earned his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1988. He and his wife, Julie, have four children: Robbie, John, Allie and Emily.

K-State concluded its 55th season of action with a 19-17 record and the 33rd postseason appearance in program history with its seventh bid into the WNIT. During the 2022-23 season, the Wildcats became the 19th program in NCAA Division I history to surpass the 1,000-win mark.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682866506708.png" alt="Brian Ostermann. Photo courtesy <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Brian Ostermann. Photo courtesy <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>K-State SportsMANHATTAN –&nbsp;Kansas State women’s basketball Associate Head Coach Brian Ostermann has been named the head women’s basketball coach at Emporia State.“My time at K-State must begin with a thank you to the K-State family! Thank you to all the coaches and administrators that number too many to name them all. I never dreamed of recruiting and coaching some the of greatest players in K-State history, too many to name but must mention a very special one in Ayoka Lee.The friendships made along the way are special and I will carry all of those with me to Emporia State. Friendships are for a lifetime and I am grateful for so many. The opportunity to be a head coach again at a school with the rich basketball history that is Emporia State University is something I couldn’t pass up. I am so blessed that Director of Athletics David Spafford &amp; his team selected me to be their Women’s Basketball Head Coach. Finally, it’s been an honor and privilege to serve K-State &amp; the women’s basketball program for the past 9 years. Thank you and forever Go Cats!"Ostermann completed his ninth season at K-State in 2022-23, serving as the associate head coach during all nine seasons in Manhattan. This was Ostermann’s 34th season of coaching at the collegiate level.K-State head coach Jeff Mittie’s teams have been known for playing a stifling defense and Ostermann helped develop those schemes, setting school along the way.“Emporia State has made a terrific hire in Coach O,” stated Mittie. “He has been a successful head coach at every one of his coaching stops and an integral part of our success here at Kansas State and at TCU. He understands the MIAA conference and the great women’s basketball history at Emporia State. I have no doubt he will be a huge success at Emporia State. Brian, Julie and the entire family will be a great addition to the Emporia community.”During the 2021-22 season, the Wildcats set the school record for blocks in a single-season (170). In Ostermann's nine seasons with the Wildcats, K-State blocked 130 or more shots in all nine seasons.As a team, the 2019-20 K-State squad tied for the second-most blocked shots in program history (163) and set the school record for blocks per game (5.6 bpg).The Wildcats held opponents to a .374 field goal percentage and 64.7 points per game. The .374 opponent field goal percentage was the second-lowest since Mittie and Ostermann arrived at K-State.Mittie and Ostermann helped reshape K-State’s defense in their first season in 2014-15, as the Wildcats finished the season ranked 44th in the nation in scoring defense (58.2 ppg allowed), 12th in steals (11.3 spg) and 42nd in blocked shots (4.7 bpg). K-State’s defense ranked first in the Big 12 in steals, second in scoring defense and third in blocked shots.The Wildcats registered the second-most steals in program history with 374 in 2014-15. In addition to the 374 steals, K-State blocked 156 shots.Along with his time at K-State, Ostermann was the associate head coach at TCU from 2008-14, served as the men's basketball head coach at Missouri State - West Plains from 2004-08 and the men's basketball head coach at Colby (Kan.) Community College from 1999-04.Ostermann served as an assistant coach, holding positions with the Kansas City men's basketball team (1996-99), Missouri Western (1992-96) and Mercyhurst College (1991-92). His first season at Missouri Western was spent as an assistant for both the men’s and women’s team. That season marked Mittie’s first season as head coach of the Griffon women’s program. One of Ostermann’s early achievements included the successful recruitment of two-time All-American Tonya Foster to Missouri Western.Ostermann began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Northwest Missouri State University (1989-91), where he graduated with a master’s of science degree in education. Ostermann earned his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1988. He and his wife, Julie, have four children: Robbie, John, Allie and Emily.K-State concluded its 55th season of action with a 19-17 record and the 33rd postseason appearance in program history with its seventh bid into the WNIT. During the 2022-23 season, the Wildcats became the 19th program in NCAA Division I history to surpass the 1,000-win mark.

K-State Associate Head Coach Ostermann new head coach at ESU

LEAVENWORTH –&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan baseball secured no less than a share of the 2023 KCAC Baseball Championship on Saturday, sweeping Saint Mary in a doubleheader, topping the Spires 17-1 in seven innings, and 15-2 at Saint Mary's baseball field.

The KCAC title is the first for the Coyotes since the 2011 season.

The Coyotes were dominant in every facet of the game in both games of the doubleheader.

In the opener, the Coyotes took a 2-0 lead with a pair of homers from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14219">Kendall Foster</a>&nbsp;(SR/Prosper, Texs) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14201">Haydn Brown</a>&nbsp;(SR/Gardnerville, Nev.).

Wesleyan added two more in the third on RBI doubles by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13262">Dustin Sipe</a>&nbsp;(SR/Aztec, N.M.) and Brown.

KWU put it out of reach in the fourth inning with nine runs.

<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13260">Jarrett Gable</a>&nbsp;(SR/Colleyville, Texas) led off the fourth with a homer.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13268">Kevin Esquilin-Cruz</a>&nbsp;(SR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico) doubled and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13271">Zach Olson</a>&nbsp;(JR/Red Deer, Alberta) hit a 2-run homer. The Coyotes loaded the bases with singles by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14228">Jackson Newman</a>&nbsp;(JR/Bixby, Okla.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14204">William Dryburgh</a>&nbsp;(SR/St. Joseph, Mo.) and Foster was hit by a pitch. Sipe followed with a 2-run single. Brown then singled and two batters later Gable came up for the second time in the inning and hit a grand slam for the Coyotes.

Wesleyan added four more in the fifth when Sipe reached on an error bringing in courtesy runner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14236">Coulson Riggs</a>&nbsp;(FR/Piedmont, Okla.) and two batters later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14208">Zack Beatty</a>&nbsp;(JR/Maple Park, Ill.) clubbed a 3-run homer.

<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13272">Tyler Triano</a>&nbsp;(SR/Hollister, Calif.) was again outstanding on the hill for the Coyotes, going four innings, allowing only two hits.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13273">Spencer Foley</a>&nbsp;(SR/Lancaster, Calif.) pitched two innings and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13229">Cesar Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;(JR/Houston, Texas) logged a perfect seventh to end it.

Brown had four hits for the Coyotes, while five others had two each.

Brown just missed a cycle in the second game, not getting a single, walking in his first at bat.

The Coyotes raced out to a 3-0 first inning lead on Foster's homer and Gable's 2-run single.

Saint Mary got on the board in the third but the Coyotes responded immediately.

Esquilin-Cruz led off with a single in the fifth, followed by Olson's single. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14229">Kansuke Okada</a>&nbsp;(SR/Osaka, Japan) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Riggs scored an earned run on a wild pitch, and Olson also scored another earned run on another wild pitch. Foster then doubled on a wild infield play, and two batters later Brown homered for three more earned runs to make it 8-2 Coyotes.

The Coyotes blew it open in the sixth with seven runs. Dryburgh led off with a single, Foster walked, a wild pitch brought in a run. Sipe was hit, and Brown followed with a RBI double. Beatty followed with a 2-run single and Gable hit a 2-run homer. Diego fisher capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14210">Jarrett Brannen</a>&nbsp;(JR/Bakersfield, Calif.) picked up the win, improving to 13-0 on the season, allowing two runs on three hits.

Brown was 3 of 3 with four RBI in the game. Gable was one of four Coyotes with two hits and drove in four runs.

The teams will cap the regular season on Sunday with a single game starting at Noon. &nbsp;

The KCAC tournament starts Wednesday in Great Bend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682865037417.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>KWU Sports InformationLEAVENWORTH –&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan baseball secured no less than a share of the 2023 KCAC Baseball Championship on Saturday, sweeping Saint Mary in a doubleheader, topping the Spires 17-1 in seven innings, and 15-2 at Saint Mary's baseball field.The KCAC title is the first for the Coyotes since the 2011 season.The Coyotes were dominant in every facet of the game in both games of the doubleheader.In the opener, the Coyotes took a 2-0 lead with a pair of homers from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14219">Kendall Foster</a>&nbsp;(SR/Prosper, Texs) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14201">Haydn Brown</a>&nbsp;(SR/Gardnerville, Nev.).Wesleyan added two more in the third on RBI doubles by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13262">Dustin Sipe</a>&nbsp;(SR/Aztec, N.M.) and Brown.KWU put it out of reach in the fourth inning with nine runs.<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13260">Jarrett Gable</a>&nbsp;(SR/Colleyville, Texas) led off the fourth with a homer.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13268">Kevin Esquilin-Cruz</a>&nbsp;(SR/Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico) doubled and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13271">Zach Olson</a>&nbsp;(JR/Red Deer, Alberta) hit a 2-run homer. The Coyotes loaded the bases with singles by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14228">Jackson Newman</a>&nbsp;(JR/Bixby, Okla.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14204">William Dryburgh</a>&nbsp;(SR/St. Joseph, Mo.) and Foster was hit by a pitch. Sipe followed with a 2-run single. Brown then singled and two batters later Gable came up for the second time in the inning and hit a grand slam for the Coyotes.Wesleyan added four more in the fifth when Sipe reached on an error bringing in courtesy runner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14236">Coulson Riggs</a>&nbsp;(FR/Piedmont, Okla.) and two batters later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14208">Zack Beatty</a>&nbsp;(JR/Maple Park, Ill.) clubbed a 3-run homer.<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13272">Tyler Triano</a>&nbsp;(SR/Hollister, Calif.) was again outstanding on the hill for the Coyotes, going four innings, allowing only two hits.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13273">Spencer Foley</a>&nbsp;(SR/Lancaster, Calif.) pitched two innings and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/13229">Cesar Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;(JR/Houston, Texas) logged a perfect seventh to end it.Brown had four hits for the Coyotes, while five others had two each.Brown just missed a cycle in the second game, not getting a single, walking in his first at bat.The Coyotes raced out to a 3-0 first inning lead on Foster's homer and Gable's 2-run single.Saint Mary got on the board in the third but the Coyotes responded immediately.Esquilin-Cruz led off with a single in the fifth, followed by Olson's single. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14229">Kansuke Okada</a>&nbsp;(SR/Osaka, Japan) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Riggs scored an earned run on a wild pitch, and Olson also scored another earned run on another wild pitch. Foster then doubled on a wild infield play, and two batters later Brown homered for three more earned runs to make it 8-2 Coyotes.The Coyotes blew it open in the sixth with seven runs. Dryburgh led off with a single, Foster walked, a wild pitch brought in a run. Sipe was hit, and Brown followed with a RBI double. Beatty followed with a 2-run single and Gable hit a 2-run homer. Diego fisher capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/3/14210">Jarrett Brannen</a>&nbsp;(JR/Bakersfield, Calif.) picked up the win, improving to 13-0 on the season, allowing two runs on three hits.Brown was 3 of 3 with four RBI in the game. Gable was one of four Coyotes with two hits and drove in four runs.The teams will cap the regular season on Sunday with a single game starting at Noon. &nbsp;The KCAC tournament starts Wednesday in Great Bend.

KWU baseball secures share of KCAC Championship

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Texans got two of the best players in the NFL draft in the first three picks. The Eagles added three more defensive standouts from Georgia.

While it takes two or three years to judge whether players panned out, it's easy to identify the potential winners of the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston selected quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2 and traded up to get Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the third pick. In a 10-minute span, the Texans added two players who could dramatically change the future of the franchise.

Defending NFC champion Philadelphia needed to replenish the defense so it looked toward the two-time national champion Bulldogs. The Eagles moved up one spot to No. 9 for defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a player widely considered the most talented in the draft who slipped because of off-field issues.

At No. 30, Philly added edge Nolan Smith. General manager Howie Roseman still wasn't finished. He got Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo in the fourth round and added another former Bulldog, acquiring running back De'Andre Swift in a trade with Detroit. The Eagles have drafted five Georgia players in the past two years.

Here are AP's early grades on each team's overall draft:

OT Paris Johnson Jr. (6) will protect QB Kyler Murray. Addressed defensive needs with DE BJ Ojulari and CB Garrett Williams. OL Jon Gaines II and LB Owen Pappoe were value picks in Day 3.

RB Bijan Robinson should be a superstar but No. 8 was too high. Teams win Super Bowls with late-round picks and undrafted free agents carrying the ball. OT Matthew Bergeron and DE Zach Harrison bolster both lines.

With Odell Beckham Jr. in the flock, should've addressed the secondary in the first round instead of taking WR Zay Flowers at No. 22. Went defense with next three picks.

Traded up for TE Dalton Kincaid at No. 25 despite other needs. Got better value in second round with OL O'Cyrus Torrence and third round with LB Dorian Williams.

No. 1 pick Bryce Young has superior talent but needs to overcome size concerns. WR Jonathan Mingo is a playmaker. OL Chandler Zavala highlighted Day 3 picks.

Moved down one spot and got OT Darnell Wright (10) to anchor the O-line. DL Gervon Dexter Sr., RB Roschon Johnson, WR Tyler Scott, LB Noah Sewell and CB Terrell Smith are among an impressive haul.

DE Myles Murphy (28) was projected among the top 15. Upgraded secondary with CB DJ Turner and S Jordan Battle.

Didn't pick until WR Cedric Tillman at No. 74. OT Dawand Jones and DL Isaiah McGuire bolster the trenches. CB Cameron Mitchell was solid value in fifth round.

DT Mazi Smith (26) and LB DeMarvion Overshown should make immediate impact. TE Luke Schoonmaker gives Dak Prescott another playmaker.

Gave Russell Wilson another option with WR Marvin Mims at No. 63. LB Drew Sanders, CB Riley Moss and S JL Skinner strengthen the defense.

LB Jack Campbell (18), TE Sam LaPorta, S Brian Branch and QB Hendon Hooker help make up for reaching way too high for RB Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12.

Added talented DE Lukas Van Ness (13), and helped Jordan Love with additions of TE Luke Musgrave, WR Jayden Reed, TE Tucker Kraft and WR Dontayvion Wicks.

Stroud and Anderson are the headliners. OL Juice Scruggs, WR Nathaniel Dell and DE Dylan Horton improve a poor roster.

QB Anthony Richardson (4) is raw but has the most upside of all the QBs. Had the best Day 3, getting OT Blake Freeland, DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, CB Darius Rush, S Daniel Scott, TE Will Mallory and RB Evan Hull.

Improved offense with first three picks: OT Anton Harrison (27), TE Brenton Strange and RB Tank Bigsby. WR Parker Washington could be a steal in the sixth round.

Reached for DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah at No. 31. WR Rashee Rice and OT Wanya Morris in Day 2 fill holes.

Tyree Wilson (7) is a game-changer. TE Michael Mayer and WR Tre Tucker bolster receiving group. DL Byron Young at No. 70 is questionable.

Quentin Johnston (21) was the second WR off the board with better options available. Addressed defense on Day 2 with DL Tuli Tuipulotu and LB Daiyan Henley.

Selected 14 players, including 11 on Day 3 starting with QB Stetson Bennett. Didn't have a first for seventh straight year but added plenty of depth.

Had only four picks and no first but came away with talented CB Cam Smith, RB Devon Achane and WR Elijah Higgins.

WR Jordan Addison (23) replaces Adam Thielen. CBs Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward upgrade secondary.

Traded down and still got talented CB Christian Gonzalez at No. 17. Focused on defense in Day 2 with DE Keion White and S Marte Mapu. Trading up for K Chad Ryland in fourth round was baffling.

DL Bryan Bresee made sense at No. 29 but DE Isaiah Foskey seemed too early at No. 40. Got value in Day 3 with OL Nick Saldiveri, S Jordan Howden and WR A.T. Perry.

CB Deonte Banks (24) and OL John Michael Schmitz fill needs. Stole WR Jalin Hyatt in the third round.

DE Will McDonald IV (15) needs to perform quickly to justify going that high. OT Carter Warren, RB Israel Abanikanda and CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse highlighted an outstanding Day 3 haul.

Carter, Smith, Ringo plus OT Tyler Steen and S Sydney Brown in the third round and a trade for Swift already make Roseman a favorite for executive of the year.

Moved up for OT Broderick Jones (14). Got first-round talent in CB Joey Porter Jr. and TE Darnell Washington in Day 2.

CB Ji'Ayir Brown with their first pick at No. 87 and CB Darrell Luter Jr. in fifth round were the best picks in a draft that included K Jake Moody in the third round.

Got the best players at their position with CB Devon Witherspoon (5) and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (20) in the first round. DE Derick Hall and OL Anthony Bradford highlight a strong overall group.

Taking DT Calijah Kancey at No. 19 over Will Levis shows commitment to Kyle Trask/Baker Mayfield QB competition. OL Cody Mauch, TE Payne Durham and WR Trey Palmer graded well at their spots.

Took OL Peter Skoronski over Levis at No. 11 and ended up with the QB anyway in the second round. Added RB Tyjae Spears, TE Josh Whyle, OT Jaelyn Duncan and WR Colton Dowell in an all-offense draft.

Took Emmanuel Forbes (16) early in an excellent CB draft class. Further bolstered secondary with S Jartavius Martin in second round. Day 3 RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. has upside.

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Texans got two of the best players in the NFL draft in the first three picks. The Eagles added three more defensive standouts from Georgia.While it takes two or three years to judge whether players panned out, it's easy to identify the potential winners of the 2023 NFL draft.Houston selected quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2 and traded up to get Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the third pick. In a 10-minute span, the Texans added two players who could dramatically change the future of the franchise.Defending NFC champion Philadelphia needed to replenish the defense so it looked toward the two-time national champion Bulldogs. The Eagles moved up one spot to No. 9 for defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a player widely considered the most talented in the draft who slipped because of off-field issues.At No. 30, Philly added edge Nolan Smith. General manager Howie Roseman still wasn't finished. He got Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo in the fourth round and added another former Bulldog, acquiring running back De'Andre Swift in a trade with Detroit. The Eagles have drafted five Georgia players in the past two years.Here are AP's early grades on each team's overall draft:ARIZONA CARDINALS: BOT Paris Johnson Jr. (6) will protect QB Kyler Murray. Addressed defensive needs with DE BJ Ojulari and CB Garrett Williams. OL Jon Gaines II and LB Owen Pappoe were value picks in Day 3.ATLANTA FALCONS: C-RB Bijan Robinson should be a superstar but No. 8 was too high. Teams win Super Bowls with late-round picks and undrafted free agents carrying the ball. OT Matthew Bergeron and DE Zach Harrison bolster both lines.BALTIMORE RAVENS: C+With Odell Beckham Jr. in the flock, should've addressed the secondary in the first round instead of taking WR Zay Flowers at No. 22. Went defense with next three picks.BUFFALO BILLS: BTraded up for TE Dalton Kincaid at No. 25 despite other needs. Got better value in second round with OL O'Cyrus Torrence and third round with LB Dorian Williams.CAROLINA PANTHERS: B-No. 1 pick Bryce Young has superior talent but needs to overcome size concerns. WR Jonathan Mingo is a playmaker. OL Chandler Zavala highlighted Day 3 picks.CHICAGO BEARS: AMoved down one spot and got OT Darnell Wright (10) to anchor the O-line. DL Gervon Dexter Sr., RB Roschon Johnson, WR Tyler Scott, LB Noah Sewell and CB Terrell Smith are among an impressive haul.CINCINNATI BENGALS: BDE Myles Murphy (28) was projected among the top 15. Upgraded secondary with CB DJ Turner and S Jordan Battle.CLEVELAND BROWNS: BDidn't pick until WR Cedric Tillman at No. 74. OT Dawand Jones and DL Isaiah McGuire bolster the trenches. CB Cameron Mitchell was solid value in fifth round.DALLAS COWBOYS: B+DT Mazi Smith (26) and LB DeMarvion Overshown should make immediate impact. TE Luke Schoonmaker gives Dak Prescott another playmaker.DENVER BRONCOS: B+Gave Russell Wilson another option with WR Marvin Mims at No. 63. LB Drew Sanders, CB Riley Moss and S JL Skinner strengthen the defense.DETROIT LIONS: CLB Jack Campbell (18), TE Sam LaPorta, S Brian Branch and QB Hendon Hooker help make up for reaching way too high for RB Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12.GREEN BAY PACKERS: B-Added talented DE Lukas Van Ness (13), and helped Jordan Love with additions of TE Luke Musgrave, WR Jayden Reed, TE Tucker Kraft and WR Dontayvion Wicks.HOUSTON TEXANS: A+Stroud and Anderson are the headliners. OL Juice Scruggs, WR Nathaniel Dell and DE Dylan Horton improve a poor roster.INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: A-QB Anthony Richardson (4) is raw but has the most upside of all the QBs. Had the best Day 3, getting OT Blake Freeland, DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, CB Darius Rush, S Daniel Scott, TE Will Mallory and RB Evan Hull.JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: B+Improved offense with first three picks: OT Anton Harrison (27), TE Brenton Strange and RB Tank Bigsby. WR Parker Washington could be a steal in the sixth round.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: C+Reached for DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah at No. 31. WR Rashee Rice and OT Wanya Morris in Day 2 fill holes.LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: B+Tyree Wilson (7) is a game-changer. TE Michael Mayer and WR Tre Tucker bolster receiving group. DL Byron Young at No. 70 is questionable.LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: C+Quentin Johnston (21) was the second WR off the board with better options available. Addressed defense on Day 2 with DL Tuli Tuipulotu and LB Daiyan Henley.LOS ANGELES RAMS: BSelected 14 players, including 11 on Day 3 starting with QB Stetson Bennett. Didn't have a first for seventh straight year but added plenty of depth.MIAMI DOLPHINS: B+Had only four picks and no first but came away with talented CB Cam Smith, RB Devon Achane and WR Elijah Higgins.MINNESOTA VIKINGS: AWR Jordan Addison (23) replaces Adam Thielen. CBs Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward upgrade secondary.NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: B+Traded down and still got talented CB Christian Gonzalez at No. 17. Focused on defense in Day 2 with DE Keion White and S Marte Mapu. Trading up for K Chad Ryland in fourth round was baffling.NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: BDL Bryan Bresee made sense at No. 29 but DE Isaiah Foskey seemed too early at No. 40. Got value in Day 3 with OL Nick Saldiveri, S Jordan Howden and WR A.T. Perry.NEW YORK GIANTS: A-CB Deonte Banks (24) and OL John Michael Schmitz fill needs. Stole WR Jalin Hyatt in the third round.NEW YORK JETS: BDE Will McDonald IV (15) needs to perform quickly to justify going that high. OT Carter Warren, RB Israel Abanikanda and CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse highlighted an outstanding Day 3 haul.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: A+Carter, Smith, Ringo plus OT Tyler Steen and S Sydney Brown in the third round and a trade for Swift already make Roseman a favorite for executive of the year.PITTSBURGH STEELERS: AMoved up for OT Broderick Jones (14). Got first-round talent in CB Joey Porter Jr. and TE Darnell Washington in Day 2.SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: C-CB Ji'Ayir Brown with their first pick at No. 87 and CB Darrell Luter Jr. in fifth round were the best picks in a draft that included K Jake Moody in the third round.SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: AGot the best players at their position with CB Devon Witherspoon (5) and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (20) in the first round. DE Derick Hall and OL Anthony Bradford highlight a strong overall group.TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: B-Taking DT Calijah Kancey at No. 19 over Will Levis shows commitment to Kyle Trask/Baker Mayfield QB competition. OL Cody Mauch, TE Payne Durham and WR Trey Palmer graded well at their spots.TENNESSEE TITANS: B+Took OL Peter Skoronski over Levis at No. 11 and ended up with the QB anyway in the second round. Added RB Tyjae Spears, TE Josh Whyle, OT Jaelyn Duncan and WR Colton Dowell in an all-offense draft.WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: C+Took Emmanuel Forbes (16) early in an excellent CB draft class. Further bolstered secondary with S Jartavius Martin in second round. Day 3 RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. has upside.

AP Report Cards: Texans, Eagles get highest NFL draft grades

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor

The Salina Liberty took care of business in their non-league exhibition on Saturday, defeating the Queen City Asylum 59-34 at Tony’s Pizza Events Center.

While it will not contribute to their CIF record, this win is the sixth of the year for Salina, who improve to 6-2 overall.

With several key starters on both sides of the ball resting up this week, the Liberty took this opportunity to work out a number of new additions and take stock of their depth.

The Asylum put up a real fight early, answering an early touchdown from Ed Crouch to Moe Strong to take an 8-6 lead and keeping Salina off the board until the closing minutes of the opening quarter.

The second saw more of the same, as Queen City again punched in a score to take a 16-15 lead, and responded to a Tevin Bush rushing touchdown with one of their own to even the match at 22 all.

From there, the Liberty would start to pull away, putting the clamps on defensively and exploding offensively to outscore the Asylum 37-12 the rest of the way.

It was a monstrous day for star wideout D-Wash, who hauled in six catches for just shy of 100 yards and four receiving touchdowns on the day.

All four of those scores came from reigning CIF Offensive Player of the Week Ed Crouch, who continues to prove himself as the real deal much to the delight of the Liberty faithful.

Salina will be back in action and back to league play next week when they travel to Southwest Kansas looking for a sweep of the Storm.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617409785202.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Liberty took care of business in their non-league exhibition on Saturday, defeating the Queen City Asylum 59-34 at Tony’s Pizza Events Center.While it will not contribute to their CIF record, this win is the sixth of the year for Salina, who improve to 6-2 overall.With several key starters on both sides of the ball resting up this week, the Liberty took this opportunity to work out a number of new additions and take stock of their depth.The Asylum put up a real fight early, answering an early touchdown from Ed Crouch to Moe Strong to take an 8-6 lead and keeping Salina off the board until the closing minutes of the opening quarter.The second saw more of the same, as Queen City again punched in a score to take a 16-15 lead, and responded to a Tevin Bush rushing touchdown with one of their own to even the match at 22 all.From there, the Liberty would start to pull away, putting the clamps on defensively and exploding offensively to outscore the Asylum 37-12 the rest of the way.It was a monstrous day for star wideout D-Wash, who hauled in six catches for just shy of 100 yards and four receiving touchdowns on the day.All four of those scores came from reigning CIF Offensive Player of the Week Ed Crouch, who continues to prove himself as the real deal much to the delight of the Liberty faithful.Salina will be back in action and back to league play next week when they travel to Southwest Kansas looking for a sweep of the Storm.

Liberty control Asylum to pick up non-league win

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Bryce Duke and Mathieu Choinière scored first-half goals to lead CF Montreal to a 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

Duke gave Montreal (3-6-0) a 1-0 lead, using assists from Choinière and Sean Rea to score in the 35th minute.

Choinière added a goal in the first minute of stoppage time — with assists from Aaron Herrera and Rea — to put Montreal up 2-0 at halftime.

Sporting KC (0-7-3) had advantages of 13-10 in shots and 6-4 in shots on goal.

Jonathan Sirois had six saves to earn the clean sheet for Montreal. Tim Melia finished with two saves for Sporting KC.

Sporting KC was hosting Montreal for the first time since 2019 when it set a club record for goals in a 7-1 victory.

SKC has scored just three goals this season, the fewest in league history through 10 matches. SKC also became the first team with as many red cards as goals through 10 matches.

Montreal returns home to host Orlando City on Saturday. Sporting KC travels to play the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Bryce Duke and Mathieu Choinière scored first-half goals to lead CF Montreal to a 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.Duke gave Montreal (3-6-0) a 1-0 lead, using assists from Choinière and Sean Rea to score in the 35th minute.Choinière added a goal in the first minute of stoppage time — with assists from Aaron Herrera and Rea — to put Montreal up 2-0 at halftime.Sporting KC (0-7-3) had advantages of 13-10 in shots and 6-4 in shots on goal.Jonathan Sirois had six saves to earn the clean sheet for Montreal. Tim Melia finished with two saves for Sporting KC.Sporting KC was hosting Montreal for the first time since 2019 when it set a club record for goals in a 7-1 victory.SKC has scored just three goals this season, the fewest in league history through 10 matches. SKC also became the first team with as many red cards as goals through 10 matches.Montreal returns home to host Orlando City on Saturday. Sporting KC travels to play the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

Duke, Choinière lead Montreal over Sporting KC 2-0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes as KWU faced the Ottawa University Braves on Saturday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Coyotes battled to the end with the Braves, but came up short in a 34-14 decision.

Ottawa scored on its first two possessions of the game, capitalizing on a 46-yard pass play from Madison Carrera to Bailey Hodgins, to set up the first score on a 2-yard Carrera run with 8:51 left in the first.

The Braves made it 14-0 scoring with 2:18 left in the first.

Another scoring drive by Ottawa in the second quarter pushed Ottawa's lead out to 21-0.

Back came the Coyotes on the ensuing drive.

<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13680">Brianna Hernandez-Silva</a>&nbsp;(SR/Las Vegas, Nev.) found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13685">Angel Roman</a>&nbsp;(SO/Jacksonville, Fla.) for a first down to get the drive going, and a 10-yard Hernandez-Silva run and a 19-yard pass to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/14268">Angel Almaraz</a>&nbsp;(FR/Las Vegas, Nev.) got the Coyotes to the Ottawa 28. An Ottawa penalty for roughing the passer kept Wesleyan's drive going and two plays later Hernandez-Silva found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13687">Kendra Velasquez-Munro</a>&nbsp;(SO/Las Vegas, Nev.) for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.

Ottawa got a score on a long pass play with two minutes to go before the half.

Wesleyan opened the second half with the ball and Hernandez-Silva capped the drive hitting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13679">Ja'Daa Wilson</a>&nbsp;(JR/Crawfordville, Fla.) on a 47-yard catch and run down the sideline for the touchdown making it 28-14 with 8:25 left in the third.

Both defenses then stepped up their games, as the Coyotes stopped Ottawa at the KWU-10 with a sack, and in the fourth quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13683">Nickayla Howard</a>&nbsp;(SO/Las Vegas, Nev.) picked off a Carrera pass to stop another Ottawa drive at the KWU-9, making the interception in the end zone for a touchback.

Ottawa did not score again until what ended up being the final play of the game making it 34-14 with 1:58 left.

Hernandez-Silva was 12 of 24 passing for 137 yards and two scores. She added seven rushes for 44 yards. Velasquez-Munro had five receptions for 34 yards. Wilson and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13684">Alexa Mansur</a>&nbsp;(SO/Henderson, Nev.) led the Coyotes with six flag pulls each.

The season does not end for the Coyotes here. Up next is the NAIA Flag Football Finals, May 18-20 in Atlanta, Ga., at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682863894807.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>KWU Sports InformationKANSAS CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes as KWU faced the Ottawa University Braves on Saturday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.The Coyotes battled to the end with the Braves, but came up short in a 34-14 decision.Ottawa scored on its first two possessions of the game, capitalizing on a 46-yard pass play from Madison Carrera to Bailey Hodgins, to set up the first score on a 2-yard Carrera run with 8:51 left in the first.The Braves made it 14-0 scoring with 2:18 left in the first.Another scoring drive by Ottawa in the second quarter pushed Ottawa's lead out to 21-0.Back came the Coyotes on the ensuing drive.<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13680">Brianna Hernandez-Silva</a>&nbsp;(SR/Las Vegas, Nev.) found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13685">Angel Roman</a>&nbsp;(SO/Jacksonville, Fla.) for a first down to get the drive going, and a 10-yard Hernandez-Silva run and a 19-yard pass to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/14268">Angel Almaraz</a>&nbsp;(FR/Las Vegas, Nev.) got the Coyotes to the Ottawa 28. An Ottawa penalty for roughing the passer kept Wesleyan's drive going and two plays later Hernandez-Silva found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13687">Kendra Velasquez-Munro</a>&nbsp;(SO/Las Vegas, Nev.) for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.Ottawa got a score on a long pass play with two minutes to go before the half.Wesleyan opened the second half with the ball and Hernandez-Silva capped the drive hitting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13679">Ja'Daa Wilson</a>&nbsp;(JR/Crawfordville, Fla.) on a 47-yard catch and run down the sideline for the touchdown making it 28-14 with 8:25 left in the third.Both defenses then stepped up their games, as the Coyotes stopped Ottawa at the KWU-10 with a sack, and in the fourth quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13683">Nickayla Howard</a>&nbsp;(SO/Las Vegas, Nev.) picked off a Carrera pass to stop another Ottawa drive at the KWU-9, making the interception in the end zone for a touchback.Ottawa did not score again until what ended up being the final play of the game making it 34-14 with 1:58 left.Hernandez-Silva was 12 of 24 passing for 137 yards and two scores. She added seven rushes for 44 yards. Velasquez-Munro had five receptions for 34 yards. Wilson and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/33/13684">Alexa Mansur</a>&nbsp;(SO/Henderson, Nev.) led the Coyotes with six flag pulls each.The season does not end for the Coyotes here. Up next is the NAIA Flag Football Finals, May 18-20 in Atlanta, Ga., at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

KWU flag football falls to Ottawa in KCAC final in Arrowhead

WICHITA – Yunior Severino went four for six at the plate, scored two runs and hit his team-leading sixth home run while driving in four runs in a Wind Surge 16-10 loss to the Springfield Cardinals.&nbsp;

Springfield shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa recorded five RBI’s, scored three runs, and went three for five at the plate for Springfield in the Cardinals come from behind win.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;Wichita scored first with a solo home run from Patrick Winkel. &nbsp;Yoyner Fajardo hit an RBI single, to give the Surge a 2-0 lead after two. Springfield tied it up 2-2 in the third.

Springfield scored four runs in the fourth, and Wichita added one to keep the game tied.

The Cardinals started to extend their momentum on offense sending nine batters to the plate producing a six-run seventh inning.

The Surge added three more runs, including a two-run homer from Severino in the eighth. Despite the score, Wichita and Springfield both recorded 18 hits this afternoon.

The winning pitcher was Edgar Escobar for Springfield. The losing pitcher was Jose Bravo for Wichita.

NOTES – The 18 hits for the Wind Surge are a season high.&nbsp;&nbsp; Brooks Lee has a hit in 17 of his 20 games he has started this season.

&nbsp;UPCOMING – The Wind Surge will play against the Springfield Cardinals in game six tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. in their six-game series with Springfield.&nbsp; The Wind Surge will start RH Blayne Enlow against the Cardinals RH Connor Lunn.

&nbsp;BROADCAST:&nbsp; Catch the game at <a href="http://Windsurge.com">Windsurge.com</a>, Promotion: Kids Day.

Wichita Wind SurgeWICHITA – Yunior Severino went four for six at the plate, scored two runs and hit his team-leading sixth home run while driving in four runs in a Wind Surge 16-10 loss to the Springfield Cardinals.&nbsp;Springfield shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa recorded five RBI’s, scored three runs, and went three for five at the plate for Springfield in the Cardinals come from behind win.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wichita scored first with a solo home run from Patrick Winkel. &nbsp;Yoyner Fajardo hit an RBI single, to give the Surge a 2-0 lead after two. Springfield tied it up 2-2 in the third.Springfield scored four runs in the fourth, and Wichita added one to keep the game tied.The Cardinals started to extend their momentum on offense sending nine batters to the plate producing a six-run seventh inning.The Surge added three more runs, including a two-run homer from Severino in the eighth. Despite the score, Wichita and Springfield both recorded 18 hits this afternoon.The winning pitcher was Edgar Escobar for Springfield. The losing pitcher was Jose Bravo for Wichita.NOTES – The 18 hits for the Wind Surge are a season high.&nbsp;&nbsp; Brooks Lee has a hit in 17 of his 20 games he has started this season.&nbsp;UPCOMING – The Wind Surge will play against the Springfield Cardinals in game six tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. in their six-game series with Springfield.&nbsp; The Wind Surge will start RH Blayne Enlow against the Cardinals RH Connor Lunn.&nbsp;BROADCAST:&nbsp; Catch the game at <a href="http://Windsurge.com">Windsurge.com</a>, Promotion: Kids Day.

Springfield downs Wind Surge, 16-10

CONCORDIA - Eclipsing last year's win total, the Cloud County Community College softball team would earn their sixth win in their past seven games by securing a home doubleheader sweep over visiting Allen County Community College at the CCCC Softball Field on Saturday. Picking up a 9-5 win in game one to match last season's win total of 18, the T-Birds would shutout Allen in game two by a score of 5-0 to improve to 19-23 overall and 9-9 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the Red Devils fall to 12-25 overall and 4-14 in the KJCCC. Game one Allowing a leadoff error to ACCC, CCCC would fall into a 2-0 hole after half an inning of play as a sacrifice bunt and double into right-center field would put runners at second and third with just one out for the Red Devils. Allen would see the two runs come across on each of their next two at-bats, with an RBI groundout and RBI single pushing across two unearned runs before the T-Birds would get a chance to bat. Looking to match Allen with some offense in the bottom of the inning, Cloud County would turn a leadoff&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/828ebad1-cd29-4669-a851-dc4fb5d3b68d?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Ryleigh Jones</a>&nbsp;single into a run later in the inning as a stolen base, groundout, and fielding error on a would-be groundout bringing home the sophomore to cut the Allen lead in half at 2-1 despite ending the inning by stranding two runners. Two strikeouts in the top of the second would help set the table for a one-two-three defensive end of the second for CCCC to get the bats back up at the plate where five consecutive base hits to begin the bottom of the second would allow Cloud County to plate four runs. Of the five hits, doubles for&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/0433f32e-a8fa-4199-8a7b-bb4c3f22e968?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Zoie Kincade</a>&nbsp;and Jones along with singles from&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/2077746a-bb76-42be-a5a6-072067689e1b?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Brooklynn McCormick</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/754edfb1-fc24-452b-8b6b-387b8916adb1?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Alexis Billings</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/70c5c9e5-6340-410f-a06e-616f9be19e4a?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Kaitlynn Baca</a>&nbsp;capped off the inning to give CCCC a 5-2 lead heading into the third. Following a scoreless inning to send things to the fourth, Allen would cut a three-run deficit down to just one as an infield single set up a two-run home run for the Red Devils before a pair of groundouts to end the top half of the inning. Cloud County would be unable to respond offensively in their end of the inning but would retire ACCC in order in the top of the fifth to maintain their one-run lead and head to the plate with the two-three-four batters due up. Back-to-back one-out base runners in the form of an&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/1e220cdc-cc5f-4471-b3c5-9ab882fab336?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Emily Kvasnicka</a>&nbsp;single and&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/6854c408-f651-4b6d-b7d9-0682c6c12a0f?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">McKenna Mayhew</a>&nbsp;walk would put a runner in scoring position that would eventually come around to score on a&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/2506d757-9e41-4a58-8f49-d947604efbd9?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Hannah Hotalen</a>&nbsp;RBI single to put CCCC up 6-4. The lead for the T-Birds would grow again in the bottom of the sixth as a two-out double for Jones and Baca RBI single kick off a rally that would see three runs come home on three hits to give Cloud County a more comfortable 9-4 lead heading into the seventh. Trying to close out the Red Devils would not come easy for CCCC as a leadoff single would be followed by a fielder's choice and lineout before a shallow single down the left field line to put runners on the corners with Allen's three-hole hitter due up. The base runner from third would score in the next at-bat as a wild pitch would give ACCC their first run since the top of the fourth before having the game end on a flyout into right field to give the T-Birds a game-one win. An efficient and effective offensive performance from Cloud County would see 11 total base hits produce the nine-run outing to mark the 10th time this year that CCCC has scored at least nine runs in a game. Stranding just four base runners, Baca and Mayhew would lead the T-Birds with three RBI each while seeing eight of the nine players in the lineup for Cloud County record at least one hit. In the circle, Dekok would need just 93 total pitches to throw a complete game and improve to 8-6 overall after allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits. Game two It would be defense early on that would prove to the headline in the opening innings of game two as two stranded base runners for Cloud County would be followed by a pair of stranded base runners in the second for Allen with neither team able to find the scoreboard throughout the first four innings of action. Another scoreless defensive inning for the T-Birds in the top of the fourth would once again give CCCC the opportunity to try and take the first lead of the contest in the bottom f the inning with the middle part of the order due up. Starting off the bottom of the fourth with a Mayhew single and hit-by-pitches for&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/bf768bb8-523d-470a-a713-a0801dda8fd7?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Jayden Rehlander</a>&nbsp;and Hotalen, Kincade would ensure that the lead would be taken by Cloud County by finding the right-center field gap to drive home all three base runners on a stand-up double. After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Billings would draw a walk to turn the lineup over and set up a two-out, two-RBI triple for&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/6d9e0201-2dbe-4f8f-8d6d-99ed1d211451?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Mia Kelly</a>&nbsp;to finish a five-run inning. Finally having run support to work with, T-Bird freshman&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/19137d56-c5dd-4fb2-a820-bc3433f416d9?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Kiera Brack</a>&nbsp;would retire six of the next seven batters on her way to allowing just one hit over the final three innings of action as the lead for CCCC never would be in trouble to pick up their fourth shutout win of the year. Allowing just five hits while striking out four, Brack would earn her fifth win of the year as just one of the five hits would go for extra bases for Allen. On the offensive side of things, Cloud County would record seven hits but strand six base runners as Mayhew and Jones would finish as the lone T-Birds with extra-base hits. What's next? Cloud County will look to carry to their recent stretch of strong play on the road on Monday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Independence Community College. ICC has lost their last nine games and is 15-19 overall ahead of a home Sunday doubleheader against Hesston College on Sunday. The Pirates are scheduled to play eight games in the next five days to close out the regular season with games on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cloud County Sports InformationCONCORDIA - Eclipsing last year's win total, the Cloud County Community College softball team would earn their sixth win in their past seven games by securing a home doubleheader sweep over visiting Allen County Community College at the CCCC Softball Field on Saturday. Picking up a 9-5 win in game one to match last season's win total of 18, the T-Birds would shutout Allen in game two by a score of 5-0 to improve to 19-23 overall and 9-9 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the Red Devils fall to 12-25 overall and 4-14 in the KJCCC. Game one Allowing a leadoff error to ACCC, CCCC would fall into a 2-0 hole after half an inning of play as a sacrifice bunt and double into right-center field would put runners at second and third with just one out for the Red Devils. Allen would see the two runs come across on each of their next two at-bats, with an RBI groundout and RBI single pushing across two unearned runs before the T-Birds would get a chance to bat. Looking to match Allen with some offense in the bottom of the inning, Cloud County would turn a leadoff&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/828ebad1-cd29-4669-a851-dc4fb5d3b68d?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Ryleigh Jones</a>&nbsp;single into a run later in the inning as a stolen base, groundout, and fielding error on a would-be groundout bringing home the sophomore to cut the Allen lead in half at 2-1 despite ending the inning by stranding two runners. Two strikeouts in the top of the second would help set the table for a one-two-three defensive end of the second for CCCC to get the bats back up at the plate where five consecutive base hits to begin the bottom of the second would allow Cloud County to plate four runs. Of the five hits, doubles for&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/0433f32e-a8fa-4199-8a7b-bb4c3f22e968?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Zoie Kincade</a>&nbsp;and Jones along with singles from&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/2077746a-bb76-42be-a5a6-072067689e1b?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Brooklynn McCormick</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/754edfb1-fc24-452b-8b6b-387b8916adb1?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Alexis Billings</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/70c5c9e5-6340-410f-a06e-616f9be19e4a?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Kaitlynn Baca</a>&nbsp;capped off the inning to give CCCC a 5-2 lead heading into the third. Following a scoreless inning to send things to the fourth, Allen would cut a three-run deficit down to just one as an infield single set up a two-run home run for the Red Devils before a pair of groundouts to end the top half of the inning. Cloud County would be unable to respond offensively in their end of the inning but would retire ACCC in order in the top of the fifth to maintain their one-run lead and head to the plate with the two-three-four batters due up. Back-to-back one-out base runners in the form of an&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/1e220cdc-cc5f-4471-b3c5-9ab882fab336?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Emily Kvasnicka</a>&nbsp;single and&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/6854c408-f651-4b6d-b7d9-0682c6c12a0f?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">McKenna Mayhew</a>&nbsp;walk would put a runner in scoring position that would eventually come around to score on a&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/2506d757-9e41-4a58-8f49-d947604efbd9?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Hannah Hotalen</a>&nbsp;RBI single to put CCCC up 6-4. The lead for the T-Birds would grow again in the bottom of the sixth as a two-out double for Jones and Baca RBI single kick off a rally that would see three runs come home on three hits to give Cloud County a more comfortable 9-4 lead heading into the seventh. Trying to close out the Red Devils would not come easy for CCCC as a leadoff single would be followed by a fielder's choice and lineout before a shallow single down the left field line to put runners on the corners with Allen's three-hole hitter due up. The base runner from third would score in the next at-bat as a wild pitch would give ACCC their first run since the top of the fourth before having the game end on a flyout into right field to give the T-Birds a game-one win. An efficient and effective offensive performance from Cloud County would see 11 total base hits produce the nine-run outing to mark the 10th time this year that CCCC has scored at least nine runs in a game. Stranding just four base runners, Baca and Mayhew would lead the T-Birds with three RBI each while seeing eight of the nine players in the lineup for Cloud County record at least one hit. In the circle, Dekok would need just 93 total pitches to throw a complete game and improve to 8-6 overall after allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits. Game two It would be defense early on that would prove to the headline in the opening innings of game two as two stranded base runners for Cloud County would be followed by a pair of stranded base runners in the second for Allen with neither team able to find the scoreboard throughout the first four innings of action. Another scoreless defensive inning for the T-Birds in the top of the fourth would once again give CCCC the opportunity to try and take the first lead of the contest in the bottom f the inning with the middle part of the order due up. Starting off the bottom of the fourth with a Mayhew single and hit-by-pitches for&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/bf768bb8-523d-470a-a713-a0801dda8fd7?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Jayden Rehlander</a>&nbsp;and Hotalen, Kincade would ensure that the lead would be taken by Cloud County by finding the right-center field gap to drive home all three base runners on a stand-up double. After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Billings would draw a walk to turn the lineup over and set up a two-out, two-RBI triple for&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/6d9e0201-2dbe-4f8f-8d6d-99ed1d211451?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Mia Kelly</a>&nbsp;to finish a five-run inning. Finally having run support to work with, T-Bird freshman&nbsp;<a href="http://cloudtbirds.com/services/go.ashx/19137d56-c5dd-4fb2-a820-bc3433f416d9?elinkdata=49436" target="_blank">Kiera Brack</a>&nbsp;would retire six of the next seven batters on her way to allowing just one hit over the final three innings of action as the lead for CCCC never would be in trouble to pick up their fourth shutout win of the year. Allowing just five hits while striking out four, Brack would earn her fifth win of the year as just one of the five hits would go for extra bases for Allen. On the offensive side of things, Cloud County would record seven hits but strand six base runners as Mayhew and Jones would finish as the lone T-Birds with extra-base hits. What's next? Cloud County will look to carry to their recent stretch of strong play on the road on Monday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Independence Community College. ICC has lost their last nine games and is 15-19 overall ahead of a home Sunday doubleheader against Hesston College on Sunday. The Pirates are scheduled to play eight games in the next five days to close out the regular season with games on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

T-Bird softball sweeps Allen County Saturday

MANHATTAN – Kansas State saw two more of its former football players selected on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday, as defensive back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/josh-hayes/8594">Josh Hayes</a>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/deuce-vaughn/8582">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;were both drafted in the sixth round.

Hayes was selected with the fourth pick of the round – No. 181 overall – by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Vaughn was drafted with the 35th&nbsp;pick of the round – No. 212 overall – by the Dallas Cowboys.&nbsp;&nbsp;

K-State concluded the draft with four of its players selected, which was the most since four were selected in 2003. Hayes was the eighth Wildcat ever to be selected by Tampa Bay and the first since quarterback Josh Freeman in 2009. Vaughn is just the third K-State player selected by the Cowboys and the first since cornerback Terence Newman went fifth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. Vaughn's selection was even more special as his father, Chris, is a scout for the Cowboys. A transfer from North Dakota State prior to the 2022 season, Hayes played in 68 career games with 38 starts over parts of six seasons, including 13 starts during his lone season in Manhattan. Despite missing the season opener due to injury, Hayes still ranked third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (5.5), while he broke up seven passes. His highwater mark for tackles was 11 at Iowa State to go along with a TFL and a pass breakup as he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Vaughn, a product of Round Rock, Texas, left K-State with the school records for receptions (116) and receiving yards (1,280) by a running back, while he also ranked in the top 10 in 12 other categories. Just the second player in school history to earn two Consensus All-America honors, Vaughn was also just the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons, joining Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004) and Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010). Additionally, Vaughn is the only player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving, while he was the only player in school history to reach 3,000 all-purpose yards prior to the end of his sophomore season. In 2022, Vaughn earned First Team All-America honors from Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association,&nbsp;Sporting News&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Athletic, while he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as an all-purpose player from the AP as he was the only player in the nation with over 1,500 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards. He ended his junior season ranked eighth nationally in total rushing yards (1,558), 12th in all-purpose yards per game (138.29) and 15th in rushing yards per game (111.3). More former Wildcats could join NFL teams as organizations begin to sign rookie free agents in the coming days. Those will be announced as they made public by their respective organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682812630480.png" alt="Photos courtesy <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>K-State SportsMANHATTAN – Kansas State saw two more of its former football players selected on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday, as defensive back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/josh-hayes/8594">Josh Hayes</a>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/deuce-vaughn/8582">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp;were both drafted in the sixth round. Hayes was selected with the fourth pick of the round – No. 181 overall – by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Vaughn was drafted with the 35th&nbsp;pick of the round – No. 212 overall – by the Dallas Cowboys.&nbsp;&nbsp;K-State concluded the draft with four of its players selected, which was the most since four were selected in 2003. Hayes was the eighth Wildcat ever to be selected by Tampa Bay and the first since quarterback Josh Freeman in 2009. Vaughn is just the third K-State player selected by the Cowboys and the first since cornerback Terence Newman went fifth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. Vaughn's selection was even more special as his father, Chris, is a scout for the Cowboys. A transfer from North Dakota State prior to the 2022 season, Hayes played in 68 career games with 38 starts over parts of six seasons, including 13 starts during his lone season in Manhattan. Despite missing the season opener due to injury, Hayes still ranked third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (5.5), while he broke up seven passes. His highwater mark for tackles was 11 at Iowa State to go along with a TFL and a pass breakup as he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Vaughn, a product of Round Rock, Texas, left K-State with the school records for receptions (116) and receiving yards (1,280) by a running back, while he also ranked in the top 10 in 12 other categories. Just the second player in school history to earn two Consensus All-America honors, Vaughn was also just the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons, joining Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004) and Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010). Additionally, Vaughn is the only player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving, while he was the only player in school history to reach 3,000 all-purpose yards prior to the end of his sophomore season. In 2022, Vaughn earned First Team All-America honors from Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association,&nbsp;Sporting News&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Athletic, while he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as an all-purpose player from the AP as he was the only player in the nation with over 1,500 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards. He ended his junior season ranked eighth nationally in total rushing yards (1,558), 12th in all-purpose yards per game (138.29) and 15th in rushing yards per game (111.3). More former Wildcats could join NFL teams as organizations begin to sign rookie free agents in the coming days. Those will be announced as they made public by their respective organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hayes, Vaughn selected on final day of NFL Draft

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Brett Veach knew he was utilizing the NFL draft's biggest cliche at the scouting combine in February, when the Chiefs general manager insisted that the Super Bowl champions would take "the best player available" when they were on the clock.

The best player available wound up matching their biggest needs over three days of selections. The Chiefs added to their pass rush in the first round with Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah, gave Patrick Mahomes another playmaker in the second round with SMU's Rashee Rice and some protection up front in the third with Oklahoma offensive tackle Wanya Morris.

The final four selections Sunday provided some much needed depth: Virginia Tech safety Chamarri Conner in the fourth round, Stephen F. Austin linebacker BJ Thompson in the fifth, Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn in the sixth and Ball State cornerback Nic Jones in the seventh to wrap up a hometown draft held at Union Station near downtown Kansas City.

"There's always a sense of what you need," Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi admitted, "but we're really looking at the best value on the board. So the first night we took Felix — obviously a pass rusher, you can't get enough of those guys. And then we came back and we knew we wanted to take a receiver in the second round early, and we moved up for Rice. And you know, we were able to get a tackle in the third, so we felt good about filling the needs but also staying true to the board."

In other words, that cliche about taking the best player available had some element of truth to it.

But the Chiefs also knew there were specific areas they needed to target.

They had to release Frank Clark early in the offseason to create some salary cap space, and Carlos Dunlap became a free agent, so they needed some help rushing the passer. Charles Omenihu provided a veteran presence, but the Chiefs were eager to get a bookend for last year's first-round pick, George Karlaftis, and they found it just down the road.

Anudike-Uzomah grew up in Kansas City before turning into the Big 12's defensive player of the year at Kansas State.

"Frank Clark is one of my favorite pass rushers, watching him, and I was like, 'Listen, if he left, I could definitely have input for the team,' especially because I'm a young rusher and I could learn from the people in front of me," he said. "It's honestly surreal, and I'm glad to be a part of the Chiefs and glad to be part of a winning culture."

The Chiefs traded up in the second round to select Rice, who is aggressive after the catch in the same mold as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who left in free agency. The Chiefs also lost Mecole Hardman, making it a priority to add another pass catcher to a group headlined by Kadarius Toney and second-year pro Skyy Moore.

"You're getting a playmaker. You're getting someone who really wants to be a part of the Chiefs' program," said Rice, who caught passes from Mahomes at some impromptu workouts in Texas and got the MVP quarterback's seal of approval.

"I can't complain about a great quarterback," he said. "I'm going to be able to build my relationship with him."

Mahomes will need to establish a good relationship with Morris, too.

The Chiefs lost Orlando Brown Jr. when they were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal with the franchise left tackle, then they lost right tackle Andrew Wylie when he signed a lucrative contract in free agency. The Chiefs opened the checkbook to bring in Jawaan Taylor, and plan to move him from the right side to left, but that still left an opening on the offensive line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682811763769.jpeg" alt="Former Kansas State defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah takes a selfie with fans during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday in Kansas City, Mo. Anudike-Uzomah was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas State defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah takes a selfie with fans during the second round of the NFL football draft Friday in Kansas City, Mo. Anudike-Uzomah was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Brett Veach knew he was utilizing the NFL draft's biggest cliche at the scouting combine in February, when the Chiefs general manager insisted that the Super Bowl champions would take "the best player available" when they were on the clock.How fortuitous they must have been.The best player available wound up matching their biggest needs over three days of selections. The Chiefs added to their pass rush in the first round with Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah, gave Patrick Mahomes another playmaker in the second round with SMU's Rashee Rice and some protection up front in the third with Oklahoma offensive tackle Wanya Morris.The final four selections Sunday provided some much needed depth: Virginia Tech safety Chamarri Conner in the fourth round, Stephen F. Austin linebacker BJ Thompson in the fifth, Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn in the sixth and Ball State cornerback Nic Jones in the seventh to wrap up a hometown draft held at Union Station near downtown Kansas City."There's always a sense of what you need," Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi admitted, "but we're really looking at the best value on the board. So the first night we took Felix — obviously a pass rusher, you can't get enough of those guys. And then we came back and we knew we wanted to take a receiver in the second round early, and we moved up for Rice. And you know, we were able to get a tackle in the third, so we felt good about filling the needs but also staying true to the board."In other words, that cliche about taking the best player available had some element of truth to it.But the Chiefs also knew there were specific areas they needed to target.They had to release Frank Clark early in the offseason to create some salary cap space, and Carlos Dunlap became a free agent, so they needed some help rushing the passer. Charles Omenihu provided a veteran presence, but the Chiefs were eager to get a bookend for last year's first-round pick, George Karlaftis, and they found it just down the road.Anudike-Uzomah grew up in Kansas City before turning into the Big 12's defensive player of the year at Kansas State."Frank Clark is one of my favorite pass rushers, watching him, and I was like, 'Listen, if he left, I could definitely have input for the team,' especially because I'm a young rusher and I could learn from the people in front of me," he said. "It's honestly surreal, and I'm glad to be a part of the Chiefs and glad to be part of a winning culture."The Chiefs traded up in the second round to select Rice, who is aggressive after the catch in the same mold as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who left in free agency. The Chiefs also lost Mecole Hardman, making it a priority to add another pass catcher to a group headlined by Kadarius Toney and second-year pro Skyy Moore."You're getting a playmaker. You're getting someone who really wants to be a part of the Chiefs' program," said Rice, who caught passes from Mahomes at some impromptu workouts in Texas and got the MVP quarterback's seal of approval."I can't complain about a great quarterback," he said. "I'm going to be able to build my relationship with him."Mahomes will need to establish a good relationship with Morris, too.The Chiefs lost Orlando Brown Jr. when they were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal with the franchise left tackle, then they lost right tackle Andrew Wylie when he signed a lucrative contract in free agency. The Chiefs opened the checkbook to bring in Jawaan Taylor, and plan to move him from the right side to left, but that still left an opening on the offensive line.Morris is expected to compete with Lucas Niang and others for that starting job throughout the summer and training camp."You know, he's long, he's athletic, he's got the feet. Now he's just got to put everything together," Borgonzi said, "and we feel comfortable with our room here that he'll learn from some of the guys here."After the three biggest holes were plugged the first two days of the draft, the Chiefs spent Saturday on some luxury picks.Conner could see playing time immediately after safety Juan Thornhill left in free agency. Thompson is an athletic linebacker who could play a variety of special teams roles. Coburn is a 332-pound space-eater in the defensive line who could free up Chris Jones to make plays. Ball State's Nic Jones can provide depth in the defensive backfield."I think Day 2 and Day 3 are really where personnel staffs can distinguish themselves," Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said, "and Brett's staff has certainly done that in recent years. We look back to last year and the number of players that we were able to select in the later rounds who ended up making a big contribution last year all the way to the Super Bowl."