MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State’s Serena Sundell and Ayoka Lee added to their career trophy cases, as the tandem were named honorable mention All-Americans by the Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday. This is the first time since 2004 the Wildcats have seen two players garner All-America honors.

This is the third time Lee has collected AP All-America honors in her career, as she was a second team recipient in 2022 and honorable mention in 2024. This was the first All-America honor for Sundell.

Sundell, a 2025 All-Big 12 First Team selection, is second in the nation with a career-high for total assists (233), is second in the nation and paces the Big 12 with a career-high for assists per game (7.06 apg) and fourth in the Big 12 for assist-turnover ratio (2.38). She owns a league-best eight games with 10 or more assists.

The product of Maryville, Missouri, is second on the team in scoring average with 13.6 points per game and leads the Wildcats with 449 points, which is the second-highest total of her career on a .493 field goal percentage. Her 170 made field goals this season is a new career-high.

She has registered a career-high 30 blocked shots (0.91 bpg) and has pulled in 148 rebounds (4.5 rpg), which is the second-highest rebound total in her career.

Sundell is the only player in the nation to register 400 or more points, 200 or more assists, 125 or more rebounds and 30 or more blocks. She has registered a career-high seven double-doubles this season. She was the first Big 12 player since the 2022-23 season and the fifth player in program history to register a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against USC Upstate on Dec. 5, 2024.

With her point (449) and assist (233) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in Big 12 history to record four seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.

In her career, Sundell holds the school records for career starts (136) and games played (136). She is second in school history and sixth in Big 12 history for career assists with 782 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.75 apg). She ranks seventh on the K-State career scoring list with 1,712 points. She ranks eighth in school history for career blocks (103).

She is the only player in school history with 1,500 or more career points, 700 or more career assists and 100 or more career blocked shots.

This season, Lee, a 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, is averaging a team-high 15.5 points on a career-high .656 field goal percentage. She is also averaging team-highs with 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

In her career, Lee holds the school record and ranks sixth in Big 12 history for points scored with 2,488 and holds the school record for career scoring average at 18.8. She also owns the school records for career rebounds and ranks fifth in Big 12 history with 1,233 and career rebounding average at 9.3.

Lee is also the school record holder and ranks fourth in Big 12 history for career blocks with 351 and owns the school record and ranks tied for third in Big 12 history for career double-doubles with 63. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.

(19/18) K-State (26-7), the five-seed in the Spokane 4 Region, will face 12-seed Fairfield (28-4) on Friday at 1:30 p.m. (CT), in Lexington, Kentucky, in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State’s Serena Sundell and Ayoka Lee added to their career trophy cases, as the tandem were named honorable mention All-Americans by the Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday. This is the first time since 2004 the Wildcats have seen two players garner All-America honors.This is the third time Lee has collected AP All-America honors in her career, as she was a second team recipient in 2022 and honorable mention in 2024. This was the first All-America honor for Sundell.Sundell, a 2025 All-Big 12 First Team selection, is second in the nation with a career-high for total assists (233), is second in the nation and paces the Big 12 with a career-high for assists per game (7.06 apg) and fourth in the Big 12 for assist-turnover ratio (2.38). She owns a league-best eight games with 10 or more assists.The product of Maryville, Missouri, is second on the team in scoring average with 13.6 points per game and leads the Wildcats with 449 points, which is the second-highest total of her career on a .493 field goal percentage. Her 170 made field goals this season is a new career-high.She has registered a career-high 30 blocked shots (0.91 bpg) and has pulled in 148 rebounds (4.5 rpg), which is the second-highest rebound total in her career.Sundell is the only player in the nation to register 400 or more points, 200 or more assists, 125 or more rebounds and 30 or more blocks. She has registered a career-high seven double-doubles this season. She was the first Big 12 player since the 2022-23 season and the fifth player in program history to register a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against USC Upstate on Dec. 5, 2024.With her point (449) and assist (233) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in Big 12 history to record four seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.In her career, Sundell holds the school records for career starts (136) and games played (136). She is second in school history and sixth in Big 12 history for career assists with 782 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.75 apg). She ranks seventh on the K-State career scoring list with 1,712 points. She ranks eighth in school history for career blocks (103).She is the only player in school history with 1,500 or more career points, 700 or more career assists and 100 or more career blocked shots.This season, Lee, a 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, is averaging a team-high 15.5 points on a career-high .656 field goal percentage. She is also averaging team-highs with 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.In her career, Lee holds the school record and ranks sixth in Big 12 history for points scored with 2,488 and holds the school record for career scoring average at 18.8. She also owns the school records for career rebounds and ranks fifth in Big 12 history with 1,233 and career rebounding average at 9.3.Lee is also the school record holder and ranks fourth in Big 12 history for career blocks with 351 and owns the school record and ranks tied for third in Big 12 history for career double-doubles with 63. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.(19/18) K-State (26-7), the five-seed in the Spokane 4 Region, will face 12-seed Fairfield (28-4) on Friday at 1:30 p.m. (CT), in Lexington, Kentucky, in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

K-State’s Sundell, Lee Named AP All-America Honorable Mention

BETHANY, Okla. - Kansas Wesleyan University Baseball headed south this week to face the Southwestern Christian University Eagles at Dolese Park on the campus of SCU. The Coyotes and Eagles duked it out in a marathon of the ball game that went 12 innings with SCU prevailing 8-7.

KWU came out the gate swinging in the top of the first. The Coyotes capitalized by scoring 3 runs off of a double to right center by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/74157ac0-2b04-4852-bb6b-1eb3fe9b4e1f?elinkdata=22305">Carter Allen</a> that scored <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ea0f22f9-41b1-4fdb-9d56-bb1941e4be0b?elinkdata=22305">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3cef2ea9-d16f-40d9-8bdf-7a2cdf4c957d?elinkdata=22305">Tyler Favretto</a>. Followed by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d9c4894-471b-4a9e-abd5-0c6c413deb18?elinkdata=22305">Joe Finder's</a> single down the left field line to score Allen. The Coyotes sent <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eba80c01-aff8-4343-ae90-e1fae322167a?elinkdata=22305">Davin Hinote</a> to the hill for KWU. SCU would get one back in the bottom of the first with a single to make it 3-1 after the first.

KWU cashed in a single run the second inning off of pure speed coupled with some sloppy throws. First the Coyotes with <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f0074ba2-e2ee-4dd7-b88d-80dc049cdd42?elinkdata=22305">Tyler Favretto</a> reached and went to second on a wild pitch, to third on bad throw and then scored on another errant throw.

SCU had the Coyotes sweating for a moment with bases loaded and scoring one run in the bottom of the inning off of a fielder's choice from a SAC bunt bringing the score to 4-2 after two innings.

The two teams sat at a stand still for the next four innings with good pitching and clean defense keeping things at 4-2. KWU was able to get one run in the 6th after a Eagles error and a Coyotes RBI. The Eagles would then rally back in the 6th after racking up four unearned runs making the score 5-4. KWU scraped to get one more in the 7th after <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e0060094-fad7-46d3-9898-668cca2456db?elinkdata=22305">Michael Rago</a> scored of a fielder's choice RBI by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f05a3ca6-3d56-48d7-b615-3e5cea6497b2?elinkdata=22305">Joe Finder</a> to make it 6-4 Coyotes. The Eagles would did not go anywhere though; scoring two runs in the 8th inning after a RBI and steal to second and delay go from the runner on third to tie things up 6-6.

Both teams kept each other at six each until the Coyotes were able to crack one all the way in the top of the 12th. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9925b40a-f71a-46ac-95bd-c91a421d1325?elinkdata=22305">Jacob Williamson</a> roped one down the right field line that he legged out for a triple that would score teammate <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f8369fd5-8b90-4fb9-a05b-59443c29fca9?elinkdata=22305">Blake Dale</a> to make it 7-6 Coyotes.

The Eagles would go on to take advantage of some Coyotes mistakes with a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch to let the runner get to second, a walk, and then a error on a ground ball, letting the tying run score then an errant throw to home to score the game winning run. The Coyotes would drop the thriller to the Eagles.

BETHANY, Okla. - Kansas Wesleyan University Baseball headed south this week to face the Southwestern Christian University Eagles at Dolese Park on the campus of SCU. The Coyotes and Eagles duked it out in a marathon of the ball game that went 12 innings with SCU prevailing 8-7.KWU came out the gate swinging in the top of the first. The Coyotes capitalized by scoring 3 runs off of a double to right center by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/74157ac0-2b04-4852-bb6b-1eb3fe9b4e1f?elinkdata=22305">Carter Allen</a> that scored <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ea0f22f9-41b1-4fdb-9d56-bb1941e4be0b?elinkdata=22305">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3cef2ea9-d16f-40d9-8bdf-7a2cdf4c957d?elinkdata=22305">Tyler Favretto</a>. Followed by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d9c4894-471b-4a9e-abd5-0c6c413deb18?elinkdata=22305">Joe Finder's</a> single down the left field line to score Allen. The Coyotes sent <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eba80c01-aff8-4343-ae90-e1fae322167a?elinkdata=22305">Davin Hinote</a> to the hill for KWU. SCU would get one back in the bottom of the first with a single to make it 3-1 after the first.KWU cashed in a single run the second inning off of pure speed coupled with some sloppy throws. First the Coyotes with <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f0074ba2-e2ee-4dd7-b88d-80dc049cdd42?elinkdata=22305">Tyler Favretto</a> reached and went to second on a wild pitch, to third on bad throw and then scored on another errant throw.SCU had the Coyotes sweating for a moment with bases loaded and scoring one run in the bottom of the inning off of a fielder's choice from a SAC bunt bringing the score to 4-2 after two innings.The two teams sat at a stand still for the next four innings with good pitching and clean defense keeping things at 4-2. KWU was able to get one run in the 6th after a Eagles error and a Coyotes RBI. The Eagles would then rally back in the 6th after racking up four unearned runs making the score 5-4. KWU scraped to get one more in the 7th after <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e0060094-fad7-46d3-9898-668cca2456db?elinkdata=22305">Michael Rago</a> scored of a fielder's choice RBI by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f05a3ca6-3d56-48d7-b615-3e5cea6497b2?elinkdata=22305">Joe Finder</a> to make it 6-4 Coyotes. The Eagles would did not go anywhere though; scoring two runs in the 8th inning after a RBI and steal to second and delay go from the runner on third to tie things up 6-6.Both teams kept each other at six each until the Coyotes were able to crack one all the way in the top of the 12th. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9925b40a-f71a-46ac-95bd-c91a421d1325?elinkdata=22305">Jacob Williamson</a> roped one down the right field line that he legged out for a triple that would score teammate <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f8369fd5-8b90-4fb9-a05b-59443c29fca9?elinkdata=22305">Blake Dale</a> to make it 7-6 Coyotes.The Eagles would go on to take advantage of some Coyotes mistakes with a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch to let the runner get to second, a walk, and then a error on a ground ball, letting the tying run score then an errant throw to home to score the game winning run. The Coyotes would drop the thriller to the Eagles.

Coyote Baseball falls to Southwestern Christian in extra innings

FREMONT, Neb. - The final minute of Kansas Wesleyan's flag football game with Midland University on Tuesday was wild. The Coyotes would come back from a 14-7 deficit in the final minute and hold off a late charge by the Warriors to seal the 15-14 win at Needum Field.

It was two big defensive stops for the Coyotes that sealed the win.

After KWU's drive failed at its own 33, Midland had the ball with 1:52 to go. The Warriors could not convert a first down on the drive however, as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f770723f-e8de-4f73-ab12-e42984e1331c?elinkdata=22274">Angel Roman</a> and the Coyote defense stopped Midland at the KWU 21 on fourth down with 56 seconds left giving the ball back to the Coyotes.

Wesleyan needed only one play and 13 seconds to score. Quarterback <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/030b2df9-9f59-4b1a-8a1d-0314454f5f11?elinkdata=22274">Chihiro Iwata</a> hit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7e577831-4ebb-4b76-81f7-370b6340c5ee?elinkdata=22274">Ciaran DeCuir</a> down the left sideline and she outraced everyone to the endzone drawing the Coyotes within a point at 14-13 with 43 seconds left.

KWU decided to go for two on the PAT and Iwata's pass was good, giving KWU a 15-14 lead.

Midland started its drive getting a pass interference call against the Coyotes to get a first down at the 24. After a breakup of a pass by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2ed6aa99-2baf-4619-9021-c91eaf7b080b?elinkdata=22274">Samari McKinney</a>, Midland converted a second down play to the 37. Two plays later Midland had a first down at the KWU 38, but after an incompletion, Aaliyah Wood would pick off a pass to seal the win for the Coyotes.

It was a scoreless game until there was 44 seconds left in the second quarter when Midland grabbed a 7-0 lead.

The Coyotes tied it with 3:32 left in the third as Iwata hit Roman for a 44-yard touchdown pass and the PAT was good to knot things up at 7-7.

Midland scored on its next drive to take a 14-7 lead with 9:50 left in the game.

Iwata was 16 of 30 passing for 225 yards and two scores. She also rushed for 11 yards. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/84aae680-3bf8-41b8-ad33-e483e367edcc?elinkdata=22274">Ava Duerr</a> had five catches for 32 yards. Roman had three for 72, DeCuir had two for 72, and Wood had three for 24.

McKinney led KWU's defense with four flag pulls.

FREMONT, Neb. - The final minute of Kansas Wesleyan's flag football game with Midland University on Tuesday was wild. The Coyotes would come back from a 14-7 deficit in the final minute and hold off a late charge by the Warriors to seal the 15-14 win at Needum Field.It was two big defensive stops for the Coyotes that sealed the win.After KWU's drive failed at its own 33, Midland had the ball with 1:52 to go. The Warriors could not convert a first down on the drive however, as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f770723f-e8de-4f73-ab12-e42984e1331c?elinkdata=22274">Angel Roman</a> and the Coyote defense stopped Midland at the KWU 21 on fourth down with 56 seconds left giving the ball back to the Coyotes.Wesleyan needed only one play and 13 seconds to score. Quarterback <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/030b2df9-9f59-4b1a-8a1d-0314454f5f11?elinkdata=22274">Chihiro Iwata</a> hit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7e577831-4ebb-4b76-81f7-370b6340c5ee?elinkdata=22274">Ciaran DeCuir</a> down the left sideline and she outraced everyone to the endzone drawing the Coyotes within a point at 14-13 with 43 seconds left.KWU decided to go for two on the PAT and Iwata's pass was good, giving KWU a 15-14 lead.Midland started its drive getting a pass interference call against the Coyotes to get a first down at the 24. After a breakup of a pass by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2ed6aa99-2baf-4619-9021-c91eaf7b080b?elinkdata=22274">Samari McKinney</a>, Midland converted a second down play to the 37. Two plays later Midland had a first down at the KWU 38, but after an incompletion, Aaliyah Wood would pick off a pass to seal the win for the Coyotes.It was a scoreless game until there was 44 seconds left in the second quarter when Midland grabbed a 7-0 lead.The Coyotes tied it with 3:32 left in the third as Iwata hit Roman for a 44-yard touchdown pass and the PAT was good to knot things up at 7-7.Midland scored on its next drive to take a 14-7 lead with 9:50 left in the game.Iwata was 16 of 30 passing for 225 yards and two scores. She also rushed for 11 yards. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/84aae680-3bf8-41b8-ad33-e483e367edcc?elinkdata=22274">Ava Duerr</a> had five catches for 32 yards. Roman had three for 72, DeCuir had two for 72, and Wood had three for 24.McKinney led KWU's defense with four flag pulls.

KWU Flag Football rallies past Midland 15-14 in final minute

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football will be well-represented at the second Big 12 Pro Day, hosted inside the Ford Center at the Star in Dallas, Texas, from March 18-21, as 29 Jayhawks will showcase their skills in front of nearly 300 NFL scouts and personnel.

Operated in partnership with the NFL, the 2025 Big 12 Pro Day will be televised on NFL Network with expert commentary and analysis of the event from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT on March 19 and 20. Coverage will also be featured within additional NFL Network programming and promoted across NFL+ and NFL digital and social channels.

Player workouts will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19 with the offensive linemen followed by defensive linemen and linebackers. Running backs and tight ends will kick off the action on Thursday, March 20 at 9:15 a.m., followed by quarterbacks and defensive backs. Friday will be the specialists’ morning on the field.

More than 200 athletes across the 16 Big 12 schools will participate in the Big 12 Pro Day. Among Kansas’ representatives are, Tevita Ahoafi-Noa, Taiwan Berryhill Jr., JB Brown, Logan Brown, Bryce Cabeldue, Javier Derritt, Dylan Downing, Michael Ford, Ronald McGee, Alex Raich, Jereme Robinson, Darrell Simmons Jr., Caleb Taylor, Cornell Wheeler, Dylan Wudke, Lawrence Arnold, Cobee Bryant, O.J. Burroughs, Jared Casey, Mello Dotson, Marvin Grant Jr., Luke Grimm, Trevor Kardell, Torry Locklin, Devin Neal, Quentin Skinner, Trevor Wilson, Tabor Allen and Luke Hosford.

Big 12 Pro Day is open to the public on March 19 and March 20 from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. CT with the March 21 session open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Parking will be available in any of the public garages and lots surrounding The Star.

PRO DAY SCHEDULE (All Times CT)Wednesday, March 19

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football will be well-represented at the second Big 12 Pro Day, hosted inside the Ford Center at the Star in Dallas, Texas, from March 18-21, as 29 Jayhawks will showcase their skills in front of nearly 300 NFL scouts and personnel.Operated in partnership with the NFL, the 2025 Big 12 Pro Day will be televised on NFL Network with expert commentary and analysis of the event from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT on March 19 and 20. Coverage will also be featured within additional NFL Network programming and promoted across NFL+ and NFL digital and social channels.Player workouts will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19 with the offensive linemen followed by defensive linemen and linebackers. Running backs and tight ends will kick off the action on Thursday, March 20 at 9:15 a.m., followed by quarterbacks and defensive backs. Friday will be the specialists’ morning on the field.More than 200 athletes across the 16 Big 12 schools will participate in the Big 12 Pro Day. Among Kansas’ representatives are, Tevita Ahoafi-Noa, Taiwan Berryhill Jr., JB Brown, Logan Brown, Bryce Cabeldue, Javier Derritt, Dylan Downing, Michael Ford, Ronald McGee, Alex Raich, Jereme Robinson, Darrell Simmons Jr., Caleb Taylor, Cornell Wheeler, Dylan Wudke, Lawrence Arnold, Cobee Bryant, O.J. Burroughs, Jared Casey, Mello Dotson, Marvin Grant Jr., Luke Grimm, Trevor Kardell, Torry Locklin, Devin Neal, Quentin Skinner, Trevor Wilson, Tabor Allen and Luke Hosford.Big 12 Pro Day is open to the public on March 19 and March 20 from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. CT with the March 21 session open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Parking will be available in any of the public garages and lots surrounding The Star.PRO DAY SCHEDULE (All Times CT)Wednesday, March 19<ul>
 <li>9:15 a.m.&nbsp;- OL Workout Begins</li><li>11:45 a.m.&nbsp;- DL Workout Begins</li><li>12:45 p.m.&nbsp;- OL Ends</li><li>2:15 p.m.&nbsp;- LB Workout Begins</li><li>3:15&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;- DL Ends</li><li>5:45 p.m.&nbsp;- LB Ends</li>
 </ul>&nbsp;Thursday, March 20<ul>
 <li>9:15 a.m.&nbsp;- RB / TE Workout Begins</li><li>11:45 a.m. - QB / WR Workout Begins</li><li>12:45 p.m.&nbsp;- RB / TE Ends</li><li>2:15 p.m.&nbsp;- DB Workout Begins</li><li>3:15 p.m.&nbsp;-&nbsp;QB / WR Ends</li><li>5:45 p.m.&nbsp;- DB Ends</li>
 </ul>&nbsp;Friday, March 21<ul>
 <li>9:15 a.m.&nbsp;- Specialists Workout Begins</li><li>12:15 p.m.&nbsp;- Specialists Workout Ends</li>
 </ul>

Kansas to be Represented by 29 Jayhawks at Big 12 Pro Day

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior David N’Guessan was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Central Region Second Team on Tuesday morning (March 18) as the organization announced its All-District honors. The honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across Division I.

It was the first NABC award for N’Guessan, who was named to the coaches’ All-Big 12 honorable mention team on March 9. He is the first Wildcat to earn all-district accolades since Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell were selected to the first team in 2023.

A 6-foot-9, 220-pound wing from De Lier, The Netherlands, N’Guessan was the Wildcats’ leading scorer and rebounder for most of the season, as he averaged 13.3 points on a Big 12-best 64.4 percent (179-of-278) shooting from the field with 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in a team-best 26 games, including a team-best six 20-point performance. He has also collected a team-best 7 double-doubles, including 5 in Big 12 play. In addition to being the league’s leader in field goal percentage, he ranked in the Big 12’s top 20 in both scoring and rebounding.

N’Guessan was joined on the second team by Creighton’s Steven Ashworth, Missouri’s Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill and Mark Mitchell, Kentucky’s Lamont Butler and Amari Williams, Vanderbilt’s Jason Edwards, Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert and Lipscomb’s Jacob Ognacevic.

First team honorees included Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, Memphis’ P.J. Haggerty, Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn, Iowa State’s Curtis Jones, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, Drake’s Bennett Stirtz and Nebraska’s Brice Williams.

The Central Region Coach of the Year was Missouri’s Dennis Gates.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior David N’Guessan was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Central Region Second Team on Tuesday morning (March 18) as the organization announced its All-District honors. The honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across Division I.It was the first NABC award for N’Guessan, who was named to the coaches’ All-Big 12 honorable mention team on March 9. He is the first Wildcat to earn all-district accolades since Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell were selected to the first team in 2023.A 6-foot-9, 220-pound wing from De Lier, The Netherlands, N’Guessan was the Wildcats’ leading scorer and rebounder for most of the season, as he averaged 13.3 points on a Big 12-best 64.4 percent (179-of-278) shooting from the field with 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in a team-best 26 games, including a team-best six 20-point performance. He has also collected a team-best 7 double-doubles, including 5 in Big 12 play. In addition to being the league’s leader in field goal percentage, he ranked in the Big 12’s top 20 in both scoring and rebounding.N’Guessan was joined on the second team by Creighton’s Steven Ashworth, Missouri’s Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill and Mark Mitchell, Kentucky’s Lamont Butler and Amari Williams, Vanderbilt’s Jason Edwards, Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert and Lipscomb’s Jacob Ognacevic.First team honorees included Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, Memphis’ P.J. Haggerty, Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn, Iowa State’s Curtis Jones, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, Drake’s Bennett Stirtz and Nebraska’s Brice Williams.The Central Region Coach of the Year was Missouri’s Dennis Gates.

N’Guessan Named to NABC All-Central Region Second Team

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The University of Kansas, Kansas Athletics and the KU Alumni Association announced several key dates for the 2025 Kansas football season, as the school’s 113th&nbsp;Homecoming game presented by Central Bank will take place the weekend of Nov. 1 vs. Oklahoma State and Family Weekend will take place the weekend of Sept. 27 vs. Cincinnati.

The pair of events will welcome Jayhawks of all ages back to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which features an action-packed&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/news/2025/2/4/back-in-the-booth-kansas-football-2025-schedule-announced.aspx" target="_blank">seven-game slate</a>&nbsp;in the new and improved stadium.

More information regarding activities around Family Weekend will be released in the future.

Celebrating its 113th&nbsp;Homecoming, the Jayhawks will host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, Nov. 1 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. As planning continues, the KU Alumni Association will update Homecoming information on their website at&nbsp;<a href="http://kualumni.org/homecoming" target="_blank">kualumni.org/homecoming</a>.

Under fifth year head coach Lance Leipold, the Jayhawks have won their last three homecoming games, including a 42-14 win over Houston in 2024. Kansas’ roster features a new-look, talented squad, led by an accomplished set of returning starters in Jalon Daniels, Bryce Foster, Kobe Baynes, Dean Miller, Tommy Dunn and DJ Withers, among others, as well as a nationally recognized transfer class and a group of emerging playmakers poised to make a difference in 2025.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The University of Kansas, Kansas Athletics and the KU Alumni Association announced several key dates for the 2025 Kansas football season, as the school’s 113th&nbsp;Homecoming game presented by Central Bank will take place the weekend of Nov. 1 vs. Oklahoma State and Family Weekend will take place the weekend of Sept. 27 vs. Cincinnati.The pair of events will welcome Jayhawks of all ages back to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which features an action-packed&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/news/2025/2/4/back-in-the-booth-kansas-football-2025-schedule-announced.aspx" target="_blank">seven-game slate</a>&nbsp;in the new and improved stadium.More information regarding activities around Family Weekend will be released in the future.Celebrating its 113th&nbsp;Homecoming, the Jayhawks will host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, Nov. 1 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. As planning continues, the KU Alumni Association will update Homecoming information on their website at&nbsp;<a href="http://kualumni.org/homecoming" target="_blank">kualumni.org/homecoming</a>.Under fifth year head coach Lance Leipold, the Jayhawks have won their last three homecoming games, including a 42-14 win over Houston in 2024. Kansas’ roster features a new-look, talented squad, led by an accomplished set of returning starters in Jalon Daniels, Bryce Foster, Kobe Baynes, Dean Miller, Tommy Dunn and DJ Withers, among others, as well as a nationally recognized transfer class and a group of emerging playmakers poised to make a difference in 2025.

University of Kansas Sets 2025 Homecoming, Family Weekend Dates

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals and FanDuel Sports Network today announced the team’s 2025 regular season television schedule, with all 162 games airing regionally or nationally.

FanDuel Sports Network will televise 154 regular season games. Eight other games are scheduled for Major League Baseball’s national television package:

Five games will be co-exist telecasts on FanDuel Sports Network and other national networks:

Monday, April 14 at Yankees (MLB Network)

Thursday, June 12 vs. Yankees (MLB Network)

Ten additional games will be simulcast on FanDuel Sports Network and Grey Media’s KCTV5/KSMO:

Sunday, April 6 vs. Baltimore (KCTV5/KSMO)

Monday, May 26 vs. Cincinnati (KCTV5/KSMO)

Sunday, June 15 vs. Athletics (KCTV5/KSMO)

Sunday, Aug. 17 vs. White Sox (KCTV5/KSMO)

FanDuel Sports Network is entering its 18th season as the exclusive regional television home of Royals baseball. Every game on FanDuel Sports Network will be preceded by a 30-minute pregame show, “Price Chopper Royals Live,” and followed by the “Rally House Royals Live” postgame show.

Both the pre and postgame shows at Kauffman Stadium will originate from FanDuel Sports Network’s set on the left field concourse adjacent to the Royals Hall of Fame.

Regular season coverage will begin when FanDuel Sports Network airs Opening Day on Thursday, March 27, from Kauffman Stadium vs. the Cleveland Guardians at 3:10 p.m. CT. Live coverage of the opener on FanDuel Sports Network will begin at 2:00 p.m. with an expanded pregame show that features the on-field ceremonies from The K.

HOW TO WATCH AND STREAM THE ROYALS IN 2025

Fans can watch the Royals and other programming available within their zip code via FanDuel Sports Network’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. The service is available for purchase with monthly ($19.99), Season Pass ($99.99 starting March 20) and annual ($189.99) subscription options at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/packages" target="_blank">http://www.FanDuelSportsNetwork.com/packages</a>.

FanDuel Sports Network is also available on cable, satellite, and streaming TV providers throughout the Royals television footprint. Options include Charter Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Mediacom and U-verse TV. If you watch the Royals on FanDuel Sports Network with your TV provider, you can also stream the games on the FanDuel Sports Network app and FanDuelSportsNetwork.com for no additional charge by signing in with their provider login and password.

The FanDuel Sports Network app is available for download on Apple and Android devices and through a number of connected device platforms and Smart TVs. For a complete list, click&nbsp;<a href="https://help.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/answer/detail/000001374" target="_blank">here</a>.

New this season, Amazon Prime customers can subscribe to stream FanDuel Sports Network through Prime Video as an add-on subscription priced at $19.99 per month.

For all ways to watch, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.royals.com/tunein" target="_blank">http://www.royals.com/tunein</a>.

Ryan Lefebvre, in his 27th season, will call the majority of regular season games for FanDuel Sports Network, and&nbsp;Jake Eisenberg&nbsp;will provide the play-by-play on the remaining games.&nbsp;Rex Hudler&nbsp;will return for his 14th season as the analyst, and Royals Hall of Famer&nbsp;Jeff Montgomery&nbsp;will provide analysis throughout the season on “Royals Live” with host&nbsp;Joel Goldberg. 2015 World Series champion&nbsp;Jeremy Guthrie&nbsp;will return on FanDuel Sports Network as analysts on select series.

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals and FanDuel Sports Network today announced the team’s 2025 regular season television schedule, with all 162 games airing regionally or nationally.FanDuel Sports Network will televise 154 regular season games. Eight other games are scheduled for Major League Baseball’s national television package:Saturday, May 3 at Baltimore (FOX)Friday, June 20 at San Diego (Apple TV+)Saturday, June 21 at San Diego (FOX)Saturday, July 26 vs. Cleveland (FOX)Sunday, Aug. 10 at Minnesota (Roku)Saturday, Aug. 30 vs. Detroit (FOX)Saturday, Sept. 6 vs. Minnesota (FOX)Thursday, Sept. 11 at Cleveland (FOX)Five games will be co-exist telecasts on FanDuel Sports Network and other national networks:Monday, April 14 at Yankees (MLB Network)Thursday, April 17 at Detroit (FS1)Saturday, April 26 vs. Houston (FS1)Tuesday, June 10 vs. Yankees (TBS)Thursday, June 12 vs. Yankees (MLB Network)Ten additional games will be simulcast on FanDuel Sports Network and Grey Media’s KCTV5/KSMO:Sunday, April 6 vs. Baltimore (KCTV5/KSMO)Sunday, April 27 vs. Houston (KSMO)Sunday, May 18 vs. St. Louis (KSMO)Monday, May 26 vs. Cincinnati (KCTV5/KSMO)Sunday, June 1 vs. Detroit (KSMO)Sunday, June 15 vs. Athletics (KCTV5/KSMO)Sunday, July 20 at Miami (KCTV5/KSMO)Sunday, Aug. 17 vs. White Sox (KCTV5/KSMO)Sunday, Aug. 24 at Detroit (KCTV5/KSMO)Sunday, Aug. 31 vs. Detroit (KCTV5/KSMO)FanDuel Sports Network is entering its 18th season as the exclusive regional television home of Royals baseball. Every game on FanDuel Sports Network will be preceded by a 30-minute pregame show, “Price Chopper Royals Live,” and followed by the “Rally House Royals Live” postgame show.Both the pre and postgame shows at Kauffman Stadium will originate from FanDuel Sports Network’s set on the left field concourse adjacent to the Royals Hall of Fame.Regular season coverage will begin when FanDuel Sports Network airs Opening Day on Thursday, March 27, from Kauffman Stadium vs. the Cleveland Guardians at 3:10 p.m. CT. Live coverage of the opener on FanDuel Sports Network will begin at 2:00 p.m. with an expanded pregame show that features the on-field ceremonies from The K.HOW TO WATCH AND STREAM THE ROYALS IN 2025Fans can watch the Royals and other programming available within their zip code via FanDuel Sports Network’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. The service is available for purchase with monthly ($19.99), Season Pass ($99.99 starting March 20) and annual ($189.99) subscription options at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/packages" target="_blank">http://www.FanDuelSportsNetwork.com/packages</a>.FanDuel Sports Network is also available on cable, satellite, and streaming TV providers throughout the Royals television footprint. Options include Charter Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Mediacom and U-verse TV. If you watch the Royals on FanDuel Sports Network with your TV provider, you can also stream the games on the FanDuel Sports Network app and FanDuelSportsNetwork.com for no additional charge by signing in with their provider login and password.The FanDuel Sports Network app is available for download on Apple and Android devices and through a number of connected device platforms and Smart TVs. For a complete list, click&nbsp;<a href="https://help.fanduelsportsnetwork.com/answer/detail/000001374" target="_blank">here</a>.New this season, Amazon Prime customers can subscribe to stream FanDuel Sports Network through Prime Video as an add-on subscription priced at $19.99 per month.For all ways to watch, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.royals.com/tunein" target="_blank">http://www.royals.com/tunein</a>.ANNOUNCER LINEUPRyan Lefebvre, in his 27th season, will call the majority of regular season games for FanDuel Sports Network, and&nbsp;Jake Eisenberg&nbsp;will provide the play-by-play on the remaining games.&nbsp;Rex Hudler&nbsp;will return for his 14th season as the analyst, and Royals Hall of Famer&nbsp;Jeff Montgomery&nbsp;will provide analysis throughout the season on “Royals Live” with host&nbsp;Joel Goldberg. 2015 World Series champion&nbsp;Jeremy Guthrie&nbsp;will return on FanDuel Sports Network as analysts on select series.

Royals and FanDuel Sports Network Announce 2025 Television Schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Following its second straight 26-win season, Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid and a five-seed in the Spokane 4 Regional in the 2025 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the sixth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.

K-State (26-7, 13-5 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 5 seed in the Spokane 4 regional and will be opposed by No. 12 seed Fairfield (28-4, 19-1 MAAC). The game will be played on Friday with a time and broadcast information announced on Monday. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.

K-State and Fairfield will meet for the first time. The Wildcats are 2-0 against members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, as K-State defeated Marist, 57-56, in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Dec. 29, 2011, and downed Saint Peter’s (N.J.), 72-64, in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Dec. 30, 2005.

The winner of the Kansas State-Fairfield game will play the winner of the No. 4 Kentucky-No. 13 Liverty matchup on Sunday, March 23. The top four seeds in the Spokane 4 region are: No. 1 USC (28-3), No. 2 UConn (31-3), No. 3 Oklahoma (25-7) and No. 4 Kentucky (22-7).

K-State is 15-18 in its previous 18 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Manhattan, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 region. K-State defeated the No. 13 seed Portland, 78-65, in the first round and fell to five-seed Colorado, 63-50, in the second round.

Under Mittie's guidance in his 11th season, Kansas State has registered the program’s most wins since the 2008-09 season. K-State recorded 13 Big 12 wins for the fifth time since the formation of the league in 1996-97.

On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2025 All-America candidate Serena Sundell, Ayoka Lee, Temira Poindexter, Jaelyn Glenn and Zyanna Walker.

In her first season in Manhattan, Poindexter garnered All-Big 12 Third Team honors. She has registered 12.5 points per game on a career-high .467 field goal percentage. The product of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, owns a career-high .407 three-point field goal percentage and has made the second-most 3-pointers in her career (81-of-199). She has also notched a career-high 340 steals this season.

Glenn, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient, has tallied her second career season with 300 or more points and has dished out a career-high 99 assists this season. She is averaging 9.7 points on a career-best field goal percentage (.488), including a career-high effort from 3-point range (.439), and 3.0 assists per game. Glenn leads the league and ranks eigth in the nation in assist to turnover ratio (3.00). She is 14th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (1.97) and is tied for 15th&nbsp;in steals per game (1.67).

In her career, Glenn is the second player in program history (Carlisa Thomas, 1983-87) with 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 300 or more assists and 250 or more steals. She ranks 28th&nbsp;in program history for career points (1,174), 20th&nbsp;for career rebounds (603), 15th&nbsp;for career assists (309) and tied for fourth in program history for career steals with 260. Her 260 steals are the most by a Wildcat in the Big 12 era (1996-present).

Walker was the fourth Wildcat in program history to earn All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors. This season, Walker owns career-highs of 57 steals, 20 blocks and 3.8 rebounds per game. The sophomore from Wichita, Kansas, ranks 13th&nbsp;in the Big 12 for steals per game (1.73). She has tallied 15 games with two or more steals including three games with five or more.

Fairfield enters the NCAA Tournament with 22 wins in their last 23 games, capturing its second straight MAAC title and MAAC tournament crown for the league’s automatic bid. The Stags have registered a record of 59-6 over the last two seasons. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Stags and the second straight after making the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Following its second straight 26-win season, Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid and a five-seed in the Spokane 4 Regional in the 2025 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the sixth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.K-State (26-7, 13-5 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 5 seed in the Spokane 4 regional and will be opposed by No. 12 seed Fairfield (28-4, 19-1 MAAC). The game will be played on Friday with a time and broadcast information announced on Monday. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.K-State and Fairfield will meet for the first time. The Wildcats are 2-0 against members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, as K-State defeated Marist, 57-56, in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Dec. 29, 2011, and downed Saint Peter’s (N.J.), 72-64, in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Dec. 30, 2005.The winner of the Kansas State-Fairfield game will play the winner of the No. 4 Kentucky-No. 13 Liverty matchup on Sunday, March 23. The top four seeds in the Spokane 4 region are: No. 1 USC (28-3), No. 2 UConn (31-3), No. 3 Oklahoma (25-7) and No. 4 Kentucky (22-7).K-State is 15-18 in its previous 18 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Manhattan, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 region. K-State defeated the No. 13 seed Portland, 78-65, in the first round and fell to five-seed Colorado, 63-50, in the second round.Under Mittie's guidance in his 11th season, Kansas State has registered the program’s most wins since the 2008-09 season. K-State recorded 13 Big 12 wins for the fifth time since the formation of the league in 1996-97.On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2025 All-America candidate Serena Sundell, Ayoka Lee, Temira Poindexter, Jaelyn Glenn and Zyanna Walker.Sundell, a 2025 All-Big 12 First Team selection, is second in the nation with a career-high for total assists (233), is second in the nation and paces the Big 12 with a career-high for assists per game (7.06 apg) and fourth in the Big 12 for assist-turnover ratio (2.38). She owns a league-best eight games with 10 or more assists.The product of Maryville, Missouri, is second on the team in scoring average with 13.6 points per game and leads the Wildcats with 449 points, which is the second-highest total of her career on a .493 field goal percentage. Her 170 made field goals this season is a new career-high.She has registered a career-high 30 blocked shots (0.91 bpg) and has pulled in 148 rebounds (4.5 rpg), which is the second-highest rebound total in her career.Sundell is the only player in the nation to register 400 or more points, 200 or more assists, 125 or more rebounds and 30 or more blocks. She has registered a career-high seven double-doubles this season. She was the first Big 12 player since the 2022-23 season and the fifth player in program history to register a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against USC Upstate on Dec. 5, 2024.With her point (449) and assist (233) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in Big 12 history to record four seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.In her career, Sundell holds the school records for career starts (136) and games played (136). She is second in school history and sixth in Big 12 history for career assists with 782 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.75 apg). She ranks seventh on the K-State career scoring list with 1,712 points. She ranks eighth in school history for career blocks (103).She is the only player in school history with 1,500 or more career points, 700 or more career assists and 100 or more career blocked shots.This season, Lee, a 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, is averaging a team-high 15.5 points on a career-high .656 field goal percentage. She is also averaging team-highs with 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.In her career, Lee holds the school record and ranks sixth in Big 12 history for points scored with 2,488 and holds the school record for career scoring average at 18.8. She also owns the school records for career rebounds and ranks fifth in Big 12 history with 1,233 and career rebounding average at 9.3.Lee is also the school record holder and ranks fourth in Big 12 history for career blocks with 351 and owns the school record and ranks tied for third in Big 12 history for career double-doubles with 63. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.In her first season in Manhattan, Poindexter garnered All-Big 12 Third Team honors. She has registered 12.5 points per game on a career-high .467 field goal percentage. The product of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, owns a career-high .407 three-point field goal percentage and has made the second-most 3-pointers in her career (81-of-199). She has also notched a career-high 340 steals this season.Glenn, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient, has tallied her second career season with 300 or more points and has dished out a career-high 99 assists this season. She is averaging 9.7 points on a career-best field goal percentage (.488), including a career-high effort from 3-point range (.439), and 3.0 assists per game. Glenn leads the league and ranks eigth in the nation in assist to turnover ratio (3.00). She is 14th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (1.97) and is tied for 15th&nbsp;in steals per game (1.67).In her career, Glenn is the second player in program history (Carlisa Thomas, 1983-87) with 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 300 or more assists and 250 or more steals. She ranks 28th&nbsp;in program history for career points (1,174), 20th&nbsp;for career rebounds (603), 15th&nbsp;for career assists (309) and tied for fourth in program history for career steals with 260. Her 260 steals are the most by a Wildcat in the Big 12 era (1996-present).Walker was the fourth Wildcat in program history to earn All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors. This season, Walker owns career-highs of 57 steals, 20 blocks and 3.8 rebounds per game. The sophomore from Wichita, Kansas, ranks 13th&nbsp;in the Big 12 for steals per game (1.73). She has tallied 15 games with two or more steals including three games with five or more.Fairfield enters the NCAA Tournament with 22 wins in their last 23 games, capturing its second straight MAAC title and MAAC tournament crown for the league’s automatic bid. The Stags have registered a record of 59-6 over the last two seasons. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Stags and the second straight after making the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

K-State Women Basketball Selected for 2025 NCAA Tournament

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

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

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

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

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

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

A tribute, then a bracket with plenty to talk about

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KWU Baseball routs Southwestern twice to sweep series

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dominican Summer League Royals Ventura (Rookie)

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

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

Dominican Summer League Royals Fortuna (Rookie)

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

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

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

Royals announce 2024 organization awards

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

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

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

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

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

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