The Kansas Wesleyan men are playing their best volleyball at the right time.

Following a hard-fought 3-1 loss to No. 3-ranked Missouri Valley on Friday the Coyotes quickly bounced back with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) Senior Day victory over Culver-Stockton in a Heart of America Conference match Saturday afternoon inside Mabee Arena.

KWU improved to 4-11 in the conference and 8-14 overall; Culver-Stockton fell to 1-13 and 2-23.

"That's a sign of maturity and growth," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f5c3c04f-79db-48f9-876c-4e0055fb002a?elinkdata=23297">Dustin Sahlmann</a> said. "Young guys learning how to bounce back the next day after things don't go exactly how you want them and we're still able to do the job that we were trying to do."

Sahlmann said a meeting earlier in the week paid dividends.

"We had a pretty extensive team meeting on Monday before practice and that was part of it," he said. "Some guys got to express some things that hadn't been expressed before. They also know we have an opportunity to still make the conference tournament if we can win X amount of matches and that's what they're trying to accomplish."

Tied 14-14 in the first set the Coyotes took control with a 10-3 run and finished it on a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0b687a9d-8f88-40e1-a001-327243d023cc?elinkdata=23297">Ryan Wagner</a>.

A 10-4 burst in the second set extended KWU's 10-9 lead to 20-13. Culver-Stockton used a 5-1 surge to get within 24-21 but an attack error gave the Coyotes victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Culver-Stockton led the third set 8-6 when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1de142d8-a39d-4342-abe2-ed704cb44717?elinkdata=23297">Justin Burras</a> took the serve. Eight consecutive points followed, and the Coyotes led 14-8. The Wildcats got within 19-18 before three straight KWU points extended the advantage to 22-18. CSC narrowed the gap to 22-20 before consecutive kills by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a5fc153-a8a9-4d5d-8c00-374b829b25e6?elinkdata=23297">Jaron Lindsay</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bca5dd35-590f-4f9b-b991-b59a60b237fa?elinkdata=23297">Colin Lindo</a> ended the set and match.

"I was really happy for the focus we had today coming off a pretty emotional hard fought match last night," Sahlmann said. "We're more together. Even on Tuesday night against Grand View we weren't a hundred percent together but were more so than we had been. That sign of growth and where we're trying to get to."

The Coyotes hit .182 percent and were led by Lindsay's 11 kills while Burras had eight and Lindo six. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b83f6a66-f5b8-4ddc-b27e-c87d8d0fbbba?elinkdata=23297">Ethan Ricketts</a> had 22 assists and Burras four service aces. Defensively, Burras led the way with 10 digs and Wagner six block assists.

Culver-Stockton hit .103 percent and was led by Henry Reeves' 13 kills.

Wesleyan's two seniors, Lindo and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4338b368-1c3e-430e-9ed9-11990c9beb31?elinkdata=23297">Angel Diaz</a>, were recognized during a pregame ceremony.

The Kansas Wesleyan men are playing their best volleyball at the right time.Following a hard-fought 3-1 loss to No. 3-ranked Missouri Valley on Friday the Coyotes quickly bounced back with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) Senior Day victory over Culver-Stockton in a Heart of America Conference match Saturday afternoon inside Mabee Arena.KWU improved to 4-11 in the conference and 8-14 overall; Culver-Stockton fell to 1-13 and 2-23."That's a sign of maturity and growth," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f5c3c04f-79db-48f9-876c-4e0055fb002a?elinkdata=23297">Dustin Sahlmann</a> said. "Young guys learning how to bounce back the next day after things don't go exactly how you want them and we're still able to do the job that we were trying to do."Sahlmann said a meeting earlier in the week paid dividends."We had a pretty extensive team meeting on Monday before practice and that was part of it," he said. "Some guys got to express some things that hadn't been expressed before. They also know we have an opportunity to still make the conference tournament if we can win X amount of matches and that's what they're trying to accomplish."Tied 14-14 in the first set the Coyotes took control with a 10-3 run and finished it on a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0b687a9d-8f88-40e1-a001-327243d023cc?elinkdata=23297">Ryan Wagner</a>.A 10-4 burst in the second set extended KWU's 10-9 lead to 20-13. Culver-Stockton used a 5-1 surge to get within 24-21 but an attack error gave the Coyotes victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.Culver-Stockton led the third set 8-6 when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1de142d8-a39d-4342-abe2-ed704cb44717?elinkdata=23297">Justin Burras</a> took the serve. Eight consecutive points followed, and the Coyotes led 14-8. The Wildcats got within 19-18 before three straight KWU points extended the advantage to 22-18. CSC narrowed the gap to 22-20 before consecutive kills by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a5fc153-a8a9-4d5d-8c00-374b829b25e6?elinkdata=23297">Jaron Lindsay</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bca5dd35-590f-4f9b-b991-b59a60b237fa?elinkdata=23297">Colin Lindo</a> ended the set and match."I was really happy for the focus we had today coming off a pretty emotional hard fought match last night," Sahlmann said. "We're more together. Even on Tuesday night against Grand View we weren't a hundred percent together but were more so than we had been. That sign of growth and where we're trying to get to."The Coyotes hit .182 percent and were led by Lindsay's 11 kills while Burras had eight and Lindo six. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b83f6a66-f5b8-4ddc-b27e-c87d8d0fbbba?elinkdata=23297">Ethan Ricketts</a> had 22 assists and Burras four service aces. Defensively, Burras led the way with 10 digs and Wagner six block assists.Culver-Stockton hit .103 percent and was led by Henry Reeves' 13 kills.Wesleyan's two seniors, Lindo and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4338b368-1c3e-430e-9ed9-11990c9beb31?elinkdata=23297">Angel Diaz</a>, were recognized during a pregame ceremony.

KWU MVB stops skid, sweeps Culver-Stockton on Senior Day

SALINA KS. - Kansas Wesleyan University's Softball team hosted the University of Saint Mary Spires for a KCAC match up. The teams would spit the double header with KWU stealing game one with late offense and USM taking game two by run rule. The scores would be 7-4 Coyotes in game one, and 10-2 Spires in game two.

Starting in the circle for the Coyotes to start the day was <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f9d893b0-2e60-43c6-8684-438437f31733?elinkdata=23328">Caitlyn Collier</a>. Game one the Coyotes put themselves in a tough position with a two errors in the top in the first and one error in the top of the second. The Spires capitalized scoring three runs to make it 3-0 after three innings of play. The fourth inning is when the Coyotes stared playing ball, only allowing one hit, and getting out of the inning with no harm done. Then three runs on three hits making a tied ball game at 3-3. The Coyotes then put another great inning together with allowing no runs in the top of fifth off of one hit. Then KWU would go to the bottom of the fifth to score two runs off of a deep sacrifice fly to center field by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0fcf1e3e-50d0-4912-ac33-e3e909da90cc?elinkdata=23328">Keira Hammen</a>. Her hit would score <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1e16f688-70a8-40e3-aed7-9b48f420f636?elinkdata=23328">Josie Buhr</a> from third and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5b2fdc3f-7f85-4979-ada5-696ff29e8508?elinkdata=23328">Kylar Smith</a> from third. Trinity Miller then hit a two run homer scoring Jenna Soul who reached on a single. KWU would go on to win game one 4-7.

Game two was a slow start for both teams. No runs for either side after two innings of play. The third inning the Spires cashed in two runs off of two hits and two errors. The Coyotes would respond by scoring two runs themselves off of a RBI double by Keira Hamman. Then an RBI single by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a02404bd-e34d-4275-8b28-f73ee7441a3c?elinkdata=23328">Hailey Summers</a> to even things at 2-2 after three innings. The fourth inning was another scoreless one for both teams. Then the 5th inning saw the Spires having timely hits to score three runs off of two singles and a double and one error by the Coyotes. KWU was not able to answer back in the 5th scoring no runs with only one hit. USM then kept the momentum in their favor scoring five runs off of four hits in the top of the 6th to make it 10-2. KWU could not get anything on the board in the bottom of 6th and would lose due to the run rule of being down by 8 or more after five innings or more of play.

The Coyotes now sit at a record of 13-17 overall and 4-8 in KCAC play.

SALINA KS. - Kansas Wesleyan University's Softball team hosted the University of Saint Mary Spires for a KCAC match up. The teams would spit the double header with KWU stealing game one with late offense and USM taking game two by run rule. The scores would be 7-4 Coyotes in game one, and 10-2 Spires in game two.Starting in the circle for the Coyotes to start the day was <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f9d893b0-2e60-43c6-8684-438437f31733?elinkdata=23328">Caitlyn Collier</a>. Game one the Coyotes put themselves in a tough position with a two errors in the top in the first and one error in the top of the second. The Spires capitalized scoring three runs to make it 3-0 after three innings of play. The fourth inning is when the Coyotes stared playing ball, only allowing one hit, and getting out of the inning with no harm done. Then three runs on three hits making a tied ball game at 3-3. The Coyotes then put another great inning together with allowing no runs in the top of fifth off of one hit. Then KWU would go to the bottom of the fifth to score two runs off of a deep sacrifice fly to center field by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0fcf1e3e-50d0-4912-ac33-e3e909da90cc?elinkdata=23328">Keira Hammen</a>. Her hit would score <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1e16f688-70a8-40e3-aed7-9b48f420f636?elinkdata=23328">Josie Buhr</a> from third and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5b2fdc3f-7f85-4979-ada5-696ff29e8508?elinkdata=23328">Kylar Smith</a> from third. Trinity Miller then hit a two run homer scoring Jenna Soul who reached on a single. KWU would go on to win game one 4-7.Game two was a slow start for both teams. No runs for either side after two innings of play. The third inning the Spires cashed in two runs off of two hits and two errors. The Coyotes would respond by scoring two runs themselves off of a RBI double by Keira Hamman. Then an RBI single by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a02404bd-e34d-4275-8b28-f73ee7441a3c?elinkdata=23328">Hailey Summers</a> to even things at 2-2 after three innings. The fourth inning was another scoreless one for both teams. Then the 5th inning saw the Spires having timely hits to score three runs off of two singles and a double and one error by the Coyotes. KWU was not able to answer back in the 5th scoring no runs with only one hit. USM then kept the momentum in their favor scoring five runs off of four hits in the top of the 6th to make it 10-2. KWU could not get anything on the board in the bottom of 6th and would lose due to the run rule of being down by 8 or more after five innings or more of play.The Coyotes now sit at a record of 13-17 overall and 4-8 in KCAC play.

Coyote softball splits with Saint Mary

SPOKANE, Ore. (AP) — Kennedy Smith stepped into the void left by injured star JuJu Watkins, scoring 19 points to help Southern California hold off Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet 16 of the women's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.

The top-seeded Trojans (31-3) were considered title contenders before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-juju-watkins-hurt-usc-12f286a14edad1e632dd1a4938132a88">Watkins tore her right ACL</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-usc-mississippi-state-score-371f2453968abdf9d3416f1beead058d">a second-round victory</a>&nbsp;over Mississippi State. Now they’ll be underdogs in an Elite Eight rematch on Monday with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-oklahoma-uconn-score-917699e45b6d7619e93530c3d0415a58">Paige Bueckers</a>&nbsp;and second-seeded UConn. The Huskies knocked the Trojans out of last year’s March Madness in Watkins’ first season.

Avery Howell, another freshman, scored 18 points for USC, which went on a 12-0 run during the third quarter to take a 46-39 lead, matching its biggest advantage of the day.

Kansas State (28-8) kept pushing, though, and tied it at 51-all early in the fourth on a layup by Ayoka Lee. Rayah Marshall responded with two straight buckets for USC.

A layup by Serena Sundell got the Wildcats within 60-59. Smith responded with a pair of free throws, and USC was solid enough at the foul line to close it out.

Sundell scored 22 points and Lee had 12 for the fifth-seeded Wildcats (28-8), who fell short of the program’s second Elite Eight appearance and first since 1982. They beat Kentucky&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-kentucky-women-score-bda945b0046c0fee4943a2d0b733cd9d">80-79 in overtime</a>&nbsp;to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2002.

Smith had 11 points in the opening quarter as the Trojans built 19-9 lead.

The Wildcats pulled ahead 19-16 after Sundell's layup and free throw. USC answered with a pair of 3-pointers from Howell and Malia Samuels.

Sundell hit a jumper and two free throws down the stretch to help Kansas State to a 30-28 advantage at the half.

USC arrived at Spokane Arena wearing Nike T-shirts emblazoned with Watkins’ face.

Players passed around a small Watkins bobblehead, complete with her trademark “JuJu Bun” hairstyle, on the sidelines during the game.

A day earlier, coach Lindsay Gottlieb said her team was playing for its inured star: “I think the prevailing feeling is that we can still do something together, and that’s what JuJu wants us to do.”

Watkins was hoping to lead USC to its first national title since it won back to back in 2002 and '03.

SPOKANE, Ore. (AP) — Kennedy Smith stepped into the void left by injured star JuJu Watkins, scoring 19 points to help Southern California hold off Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet 16 of the women's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you, K-State Family. 💜 <a href="https://t.co/A0E4LQqvZe">pic.twitter.com/A0E4LQqvZe</a>&mdash; K-State Women&#39;s Basketball (@KStateWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateWBB/status/1906166043267207186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The top-seeded Trojans (31-3) were considered title contenders before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-juju-watkins-hurt-usc-12f286a14edad1e632dd1a4938132a88">Watkins tore her right ACL</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-usc-mississippi-state-score-371f2453968abdf9d3416f1beead058d">a second-round victory</a>&nbsp;over Mississippi State. Now they’ll be underdogs in an Elite Eight rematch on Monday with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-oklahoma-uconn-score-917699e45b6d7619e93530c3d0415a58">Paige Bueckers</a>&nbsp;and second-seeded UConn. The Huskies knocked the Trojans out of last year’s March Madness in Watkins’ first season.Avery Howell, another freshman, scored 18 points for USC, which went on a 12-0 run during the third quarter to take a 46-39 lead, matching its biggest advantage of the day.Kansas State (28-8) kept pushing, though, and tied it at 51-all early in the fourth on a layup by Ayoka Lee. Rayah Marshall responded with two straight buckets for USC.A layup by Serena Sundell got the Wildcats within 60-59. Smith responded with a pair of free throws, and USC was solid enough at the foul line to close it out.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From all of us, thank you.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAAWBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCAAWBB</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://t.co/4UB4ezbRP2">pic.twitter.com/4UB4ezbRP2</a>&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1906167071911575761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sundell scored 22 points and Lee had 12 for the fifth-seeded Wildcats (28-8), who fell short of the program’s second Elite Eight appearance and first since 1982. They beat Kentucky&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-kentucky-women-score-bda945b0046c0fee4943a2d0b733cd9d">80-79 in overtime</a>&nbsp;to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2002.Smith had 11 points in the opening quarter as the Trojans built 19-9 lead.The Wildcats pulled ahead 19-16 after Sundell's layup and free throw. USC answered with a pair of 3-pointers from Howell and Malia Samuels.Sundell hit a jumper and two free throws down the stretch to help Kansas State to a 30-28 advantage at the half.<h2>Honoring JuJu</h2>USC arrived at Spokane Arena wearing Nike T-shirts emblazoned with Watkins’ face.Players passed around a small Watkins bobblehead, complete with her trademark “JuJu Bun” hairstyle, on the sidelines during the game.A day earlier, coach Lindsay Gottlieb said her team was playing for its inured star: “I think the prevailing feeling is that we can still do something together, and that’s what JuJu wants us to do.”Watkins was hoping to lead USC to its first national title since it won back to back in 2002 and '03.___

🏀 K-State women's basketball season ends in Sweet 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning after Maikel Garcia tied it with a homer four batters earlier to help lead the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Saturday.

Garcia led off the seventh with a 405-foot homer off Paul Sewald (0-1). Cavan Biggio followed with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who stole second. With two outs, Witt lined a double to left to score Blanco with the go-ahead run.

Guardians six-time All-Star José Ramírez left in the sixth inning with a sprained right wrist after he was hurt in the third inning while attempting to steal second base. Gabriel Arias replaced Ramírez at third base.

Bo Naylor gave the Indians a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the second, and Carlos Santana scored Steven Kwan on a sacrifice fly in the third.

Kwan's solo homer in the fifth put Cleveland up 3-1.

Royals starter Seth Lugo threw five innings and allowed three earned runs and four hits and struck out four with three walks. Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) followed Lugo and threw two perfect innings for the win. Carlos Estévez walked one and struck out one in the ninth to earn his first save for Kansas City.

Guardians starter Gavin Williams allowed two runs and four hits in five innints with one walk and two strikeouts.

Salvador Perez had RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings.

The Royals' comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning was powered by Garcia's homer and Witt's double.

The top four hitters for Kansas City — Jonathan India, Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Perez — went 5 for 14 with five RBIs.

The Guardians send RHP Tanner Bibee to the mound against RHP Michael Wacha for Kansas City in Sunday’s series finale.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743297600088.png" alt="Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia circles the bases after hitting a game-tying home run against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, March 29, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas City Royals photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia circles the bases after hitting a game-tying home run against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, March 29, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas City Royals photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning after Maikel Garcia tied it with a homer four batters earlier to help lead the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Saturday.Garcia led off the seventh with a 405-foot homer off Paul Sewald (0-1). Cavan Biggio followed with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who stole second. With two outs, Witt lined a double to left to score Blanco with the go-ahead run.Guardians six-time All-Star José Ramírez left in the sixth inning with a sprained right wrist after he was hurt in the third inning while attempting to steal second base. Gabriel Arias replaced Ramírez at third base.Bo Naylor gave the Indians a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the second, and Carlos Santana scored Steven Kwan on a sacrifice fly in the third.Kwan's solo homer in the fifth put Cleveland up 3-1.Royals starter Seth Lugo threw five innings and allowed three earned runs and four hits and struck out four with three walks. Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) followed Lugo and threw two perfect innings for the win. Carlos Estévez walked one and struck out one in the ninth to earn his first save for Kansas City.Guardians starter Gavin Williams allowed two runs and four hits in five innints with one walk and two strikeouts.Salvador Perez had RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings.<h2>Key moment</h2>The Royals' comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning was powered by Garcia's homer and Witt's double.<h2>Key stat</h2>The top four hitters for Kansas City — Jonathan India, Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Perez — went 5 for 14 with five RBIs.<h2>Up next</h2>The Guardians send RHP Tanner Bibee to the mound against RHP Michael Wacha for Kansas City in Sunday’s series finale.—

⚾ Garcia's homer and Witt’s go-ahead RBI double lead Royals past Guardians 

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

Opening day was a resounding success for the Salina South baseball team, who swept a battle of top-four baseball teams from a season ago, collecting victories of 6-1 and 7-6 over the Abilene Cowboys.

Game One: Salina South 6, Abilene 1

It didn’t take the Cougars long to collect their first runs of the season as in the top of the first Wyatt Breeden brought home Caden Stauffer on a fielder’s choice, and a sac fly by Aiden Spielman scored Jace Humphrey to deliver the Cougars an early 2-0 lead.

Spielman continued an impressive day at the plate, bringing in two more runs on an RBI single in the third, and came in to score a run himself as part of a two-run sixth inning for South.

While the bats were impressive, the star of game one was undoubtedly Jace Humphrey, who silenced the Abilene bats from the mound.

In six innings of work on just 86 pitches, Humphrey held the Cowboys to just one hit, walking just two while fanning six batters in a shutout effort.

Abilene would score a late run in the seventh on a pair of Cougar errors, but it was too little too late for the Cowboys, who dropped the season opener.

Game Two: Salina South 7, Abilene 6

The nightcap of this doubleheader had a similar feel to it, as the Cougars picked up right where they left off, scoring two runs in the first, two more in the second, and another in the third to take a sizable 6-0 lead after three.

With their backs to the wall, the Cowboys responded, rattling off five unanswered runs in the home half of the third to make this a ballgame once again.

It looked like the Cougars would earn some breathing room in the fourth, but a batter's interference call wiped a run off the board and set the scene for an inning-ending double play.

With the momentum of that play, the Cowboys managed to get the tying run to the plate on an RBI double from Landyn Rogers.

Abilene had the go-ahead run 90 feet away and loaded the bases, but three strikeouts from Caden Stauffer ensured the game would go to the final inning on level footing.

South led off the seventh with a Landon Putnam single, and the right fielder advanced to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a textbook bunt single from pinch hitter Lawson Rassette.

The Cougars wouldn’t get another hit in the seventh, but they wouldn’t need to, as a wild pitch got away from the Cowboy catcher, allowing Putnam to scamper home and score the deciding run.

Salina South begins their season at 2-0 while Abilene will look to rebound next week at 0-2.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostOpening day was a resounding success for the Salina South baseball team, who swept a battle of top-four baseball teams from a season ago, collecting victories of 6-1 and 7-6 over the Abilene Cowboys.<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>Game One: Salina South 6, Abilene 1It didn’t take the Cougars long to collect their first runs of the season as in the top of the first Wyatt Breeden brought home Caden Stauffer on a fielder’s choice, and a sac fly by Aiden Spielman scored Jace Humphrey to deliver the Cougars an early 2-0 lead.Spielman continued an impressive day at the plate, bringing in two more runs on an RBI single in the third, and came in to score a run himself as part of a two-run sixth inning for South.While the bats were impressive, the star of game one was undoubtedly Jace Humphrey, who silenced the Abilene bats from the mound.In six innings of work on just 86 pitches, Humphrey held the Cowboys to just one hit, walking just two while fanning six batters in a shutout effort.Abilene would score a late run in the seventh on a pair of Cougar errors, but it was too little too late for the Cowboys, who dropped the season opener.Game Two: Salina South 7, Abilene 6The nightcap of this doubleheader had a similar feel to it, as the Cougars picked up right where they left off, scoring two runs in the first, two more in the second, and another in the third to take a sizable 6-0 lead after three.With their backs to the wall, the Cowboys responded, rattling off five unanswered runs in the home half of the third to make this a ballgame once again.It looked like the Cougars would earn some breathing room in the fourth, but a batter's interference call wiped a run off the board and set the scene for an inning-ending double play.With the momentum of that play, the Cowboys managed to get the tying run to the plate on an RBI double from Landyn Rogers.Abilene had the go-ahead run 90 feet away and loaded the bases, but three strikeouts from Caden Stauffer ensured the game would go to the final inning on level footing.South led off the seventh with a Landon Putnam single, and the right fielder advanced to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a textbook bunt single from pinch hitter Lawson Rassette.The Cougars wouldn’t get another hit in the seventh, but they wouldn’t need to, as a wild pitch got away from the Cowboy catcher, allowing Putnam to scamper home and score the deciding run.Salina South begins their season at 2-0 while Abilene will look to rebound next week at 0-2.

⚾️ Cougars take two from Abilene on opening day

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dbd13d7e-acec-4d9d-a4da-4de6d4462171?elinkdata=23266">Carter Allen</a> hit two home runs, including the game-ending 2-run shot to propel the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes to an 11-0 run-rule win over the Bethany Swedes on Friday at Dean Evans Stadium.

The game was played at 10 a.m. Friday due to high school games being played at the field in the afternoon, and the threat of inclement weather on Sunday forcing the teams to play early.

Wesleyan got out of a bases loaded jam by the Swedes in the top of the first and immediately responded as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3bcfdebf-a058-436c-80a3-a05935faf5db?elinkdata=23266">Jacob Williamson</a> was hit by a pitch and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8e7ae3e1-e751-44f4-bd90-b42c7b451e50?elinkdata=23266">Tyler Favretto</a> walked setting up <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8251152d-cf5a-43a0-af94-2b751f418b0b?elinkdata=23266">Garrett Garfield's</a> 3-run homer to start the scoring.

The Coyotes left the bases loaded in the second on three walks, but could not score.

Allen got the scoring started in the third leading off the inning with a homer followed by a triple by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2286dc01-1f69-4274-8880-f194f83d7be8?elinkdata=23266">Joe Finder</a>. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/500d5eee-6089-451b-b1a2-fe98e79aeb19?elinkdata=23266">Frank Kelch</a>, making his season debut, walked and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/66922a8e-7519-4bf1-8ec4-067f870a4d68?elinkdata=23266">Blake Dale</a> drove in the second run of the inning with a fielder's choice. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1121b717-42ca-40fc-a04f-a6c7f0d9884c?elinkdata=23266">Eric Romero</a> followed with an RBI triple to make it 6-0 Coyotes.

Finder reached on a Bethany error in the fifth and then scored on Kelch's groundout.

In the sixth the Coyotes added two more as Williams and Favretto walked to start the inning and two batters later <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/652ed46c-be00-4150-ad67-fb8d315ccefb?elinkdata=23266">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> hit a 2-run double down the line in left field to make it 9-0 Coyotes.

Wesleyan nearly ended it in the seventh. Pinch hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/245e5c7a-ecba-42c3-b423-49f1c6c4a80d?elinkdata=23266">Jackson Harriger</a> stepped up and launched a ball down the line in left that easily cleared the fence, but was called foul by the umpire. Romero later singled in the inning, but the Coyotes could not push the game-ender across.

The Coyotes did end it in the eighth. Favretto led off the inning with a walk, his fifth walk of the day. Allen stepped up three spots later and launched a ball out to left center for a 2-run shot to end the game.

Meanwhile on the other side, the Coyote pitching staff was phenomenal. Starter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/691e0bb2-1e64-41e2-9ddd-36c26a719e2e?elinkdata=23266">Brett Maddock</a> went five innings to get the win, holding Bethany to four hits and struck out 10, against four walks. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/90393d60-69e1-4cad-ab82-aaa5511e51a9?elinkdata=23266">Riley Gwin</a> pitched two hitless innings with three strikeouts and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d14ba91c-41b0-495b-8144-7e8694fa3a72?elinkdata=23266">Thalen Wright</a> pitched an inning with two strikeouts.

Allen and Romero were the only two Coyotes with multiple hits. Allen and Garfield drove in three each.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dbd13d7e-acec-4d9d-a4da-4de6d4462171?elinkdata=23266">Carter Allen</a> hit two home runs, including the game-ending 2-run shot to propel the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes to an 11-0 run-rule win over the Bethany Swedes on Friday at Dean Evans Stadium.The game was played at 10 a.m. Friday due to high school games being played at the field in the afternoon, and the threat of inclement weather on Sunday forcing the teams to play early.Wesleyan got out of a bases loaded jam by the Swedes in the top of the first and immediately responded as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3bcfdebf-a058-436c-80a3-a05935faf5db?elinkdata=23266">Jacob Williamson</a> was hit by a pitch and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8e7ae3e1-e751-44f4-bd90-b42c7b451e50?elinkdata=23266">Tyler Favretto</a> walked setting up <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8251152d-cf5a-43a0-af94-2b751f418b0b?elinkdata=23266">Garrett Garfield's</a> 3-run homer to start the scoring.The Coyotes left the bases loaded in the second on three walks, but could not score.Allen got the scoring started in the third leading off the inning with a homer followed by a triple by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2286dc01-1f69-4274-8880-f194f83d7be8?elinkdata=23266">Joe Finder</a>. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/500d5eee-6089-451b-b1a2-fe98e79aeb19?elinkdata=23266">Frank Kelch</a>, making his season debut, walked and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/66922a8e-7519-4bf1-8ec4-067f870a4d68?elinkdata=23266">Blake Dale</a> drove in the second run of the inning with a fielder's choice. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1121b717-42ca-40fc-a04f-a6c7f0d9884c?elinkdata=23266">Eric Romero</a> followed with an RBI triple to make it 6-0 Coyotes.Finder reached on a Bethany error in the fifth and then scored on Kelch's groundout.In the sixth the Coyotes added two more as Williams and Favretto walked to start the inning and two batters later <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/652ed46c-be00-4150-ad67-fb8d315ccefb?elinkdata=23266">Fernando Ruvalcaba</a> hit a 2-run double down the line in left field to make it 9-0 Coyotes.Wesleyan nearly ended it in the seventh. Pinch hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/245e5c7a-ecba-42c3-b423-49f1c6c4a80d?elinkdata=23266">Jackson Harriger</a> stepped up and launched a ball down the line in left that easily cleared the fence, but was called foul by the umpire. Romero later singled in the inning, but the Coyotes could not push the game-ender across.The Coyotes did end it in the eighth. Favretto led off the inning with a walk, his fifth walk of the day. Allen stepped up three spots later and launched a ball out to left center for a 2-run shot to end the game.Meanwhile on the other side, the Coyote pitching staff was phenomenal. Starter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/691e0bb2-1e64-41e2-9ddd-36c26a719e2e?elinkdata=23266">Brett Maddock</a> went five innings to get the win, holding Bethany to four hits and struck out 10, against four walks. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/90393d60-69e1-4cad-ab82-aaa5511e51a9?elinkdata=23266">Riley Gwin</a> pitched two hitless innings with three strikeouts and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d14ba91c-41b0-495b-8144-7e8694fa3a72?elinkdata=23266">Thalen Wright</a> pitched an inning with two strikeouts.Allen and Romero were the only two Coyotes with multiple hits. Allen and Garfield drove in three each.

KWU baseball blasts by Bethany 11-0

SPOKANE, Wash. -&nbsp;K-State (28-7, 13-5 Big 12), the 5-seed in the Spokane 4 Region, will face the top-seed, USC (30-3, 16-1 Big Ten), in the regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT), in Spokane, Washington, at Spokane Arena.

• With a win on Saturday, K-State would secure the second Elite 8 appearance in program history and the first since 1982.

• Saturday’s game will air on ESPN, as Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline) will have the call.

Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball

1. Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament

• K-State is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance and the sixth under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats own a record of 17-18 in its 19 bids and has reached the Sweet 16 four times (1982, 1983, 2002, 2025).

• K-State women’s basketball is the only team in the nation this season with 300 or more steals and 200 or more blocks. This is the first time in program history has reached 300 or more steals and 200 or more blocks in the same season.

• K-State’s 28 wins this season have tied for the second-most wins in program history. With a win, K-State would tie the school record for wins in a season (29; 2002-03).

• In addition to setting the school record for points in a season (See Number to Know pt. 1), K-State has established new school records for a single season for assists (753) and blocks (200).

5. Sundell Sets Career Assist Record

• Serena Sundell became the program’s career assist leader (805), passing Shalee Lehning (2005-09; 800) for the school record for career assists. Her total ranks fourth in Big 12 history for a career.

• K-State has scored 2,781 points this season (79.5 ppg).

• The 2,781 points is a new school record for points in a season. This broke the previous mark of 2,635 set in the 1979-80 season.

• The Wildcats’ scoring average of 79.5 would rank second in school history behind the school record of 81.3 in the 1982-83 season.

• K-State’s 54 wins ranks tied for second in school history for wins in a two-season span.

• Aiding its win total are consecutive seasons with 25 or more wins. This is the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons that K-State has won 25 or more games in consecutive seasons.

2024-25 K-State Player Milestones to Watch

• Needs two double-doubles to move into sole possession of second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles

• Needs 11 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made

• Needs 4 assists to move into 14th on K-State career assists list

• Needs 13 rebounds for sole possession of 18th on the K-State career rebounds list

• Needs 35 points for sole possession of 26th on the K-State career points list

• USC (30-3, 16-1 Big Ten), the top-seed in the Spokane 4 Region, enters Saturday’s regional semifinal game following a 96-59 win over Mississippi State in Los Angeles on Monday night.

• On the sideline, the Trojans are led by fourth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. A 1999 graduate of Brown, Gottlieb owns a record of 92-35 (.724) at USC, and guided the program to the 2025 Big Ten regular season crown and three NCAA Tournament appearances.

• On the floor, USC is led by JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.

• Watkins, a sophomore from Los Angeles, leads the squad in scoring at 23.9 points per game and 3.4 assists per game. Watkins is a 2025 All-American, a candidate for numerous Player of the Year honors by a number of organizations and the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year.

• Iriafen, a graduate student from Los Angeles, is second on the team in scoring at 18.6 points on a .506 field goal percentage and a team-best 8.5 rebounds. In the absence of Watkins against Mississippi State, Iriafen paced the Trojans with 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks.

K-State’s NCAA First Weekend in Review

• 4 - This is the fourth Sweet 16 appearance in program history and the first since 2002 (1982, 1983, 2002, 2025)

• 80+ - K-State tallied 80 or more points in both its games last weekend; this marked the second time in program history and first time since the 2002 season that K-State scored 80 or more points in consecutive NCAA Tournament games

• 62 - Total rebounds by Ayoka Lee in her NCAA Tournament career, a school record

• 48 - Second half points by K-State over Fairfield in its first round win; tied school record for points in a half in an NCAA Tournament game

• 44 - margin of victory by K-State over Fairfield in its first round win; largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game in program history

• 43 - Total assists by Serena Sundell in her NCAA Tournament career, a school record

• 29 - Points scored in the third quarter by K-State over Fairfield in its first round win; school record for points in any quarter of an NCAA Tournament game

• 23 - Total assists by Sundell in the first two games; most by any player in the first weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

• 14 - Assists by Sundell against Kentucky in K-State’s second round win; this set a school record for assists in an NCAA Tournament game and were the most assists by any player in opening weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

• Sundell carded the first K-State double-double in an NCAA Tournament game involving points (19) and assists (14) against Kentucky

• 14 - Three-point field goals made by K-State against Kentucky; this set the school record for 3-point field goals made in an NCAA Tournament game

• 13 - Blocks by K-State against Kentucky; this set the school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game

• 11 - Total blocks by Lee in her NCAA Tournament career, a school record

• 8 - Three-point field goals made by Temira Poindexter in K-State’s second round overtime win over Kentucky; she made the most 3-pointers of any player in the opening weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

• 6 - Poindexter tied the school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game

• Poindexter was the first player in NCAA Tournament history with six or more 3-point field goals made and six or more blocked shots in the same game

• 3 - Career NCAA Tournament double-doubles by Lee, a new school record for career NCAA Tournament double-doubles

K-State Top-20 in NCAA History for Wins

• K-State is in its 57th season of action and ranks among the top programs in NCAA history for all-time wins.

• K-State’s all-time record stands at 1,071-671 (.615) and the Wildcats entered the 2024-25 season ranked 20th in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history for program wins. The Wildcats were the 19th program in NCAA Division I history to reach 1,000 or more wins as a program and are one of four members of the Big 12 (Baylor, Utah, Texas Tech). K-State is averaging 18.5 wins per season.

• K-State is one of three teams in the nation to be guided by an active head coach with 650 or more career wins and the program has surpassed the 1,000-win mark (UConn, NC State).

• The Wildcats have accumulated 28 20-win seasons and have secured 413 victories inside Bramlage Coliseum.

• K-State has 245 wins in the Big 12 Conference.

• Kansas State has registered 276 victories when they were ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll and achieved 95 wins against teams ranked in the AP poll.

• K-State features five players with 1,000 or more career points: Ayoka Lee (2,521), Temira Poindexter (2,005), Serena Sundell (1,749), Jaelyn Glenn (1,193) and Kennedy Taylor (1,005).

• The Wildcats are the only team in NCAA Division I this season with a 2,500+ point scorer and a 2,000+ point scorer (NCAA Division I points scored only).

• K-State is also the only team in the nation with a 2,500+ point scorer, a 2,000+ point scorer, a 1,500+ point scorer and a 1,000+ point scorer this season.

• The Wildcats are tied for third in the nation for 1,000+ point scorers on its roster with five. K-State is one of two Big 12 programs with five or more 1,000-point scorers on its roster (Baylor, 7).

• With Lee, Sundell and Glenn all scoring 1,000 or more points at their current school, K-State is one of 14 teams in the nation and one of two in the Big 12 (Utah) with three or more players on their current roster to score 1,000 or more points at their current school.

• K-State continues to attack from deep in the 2024-25 season.

• For the season, K-State is shooting 38.8 percent (302-of-779) from 3-point range. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and are second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage and are third in the Big 12 and 22nd in the nation for 3-point field goals made per game (8.63).

• K-State’s 302 three-point field goals made this season ranks second in program history for 3-pointers made in a single season and marks the second time in program history K-State has made 300 or more 3-pointers in a season (325; 2012-13). K-State’s 3-point field goal percentage of .388 would rank second in school history for a season.

• K-State is receiving 32.6 percent of its total points (906 points) from made 3-point field goals this season. This is the highest percentage of points from 3-pointers in the Jeff Mittie era and the fourth time since 2014-15 that K-State has received 30.0 percent or more of its points from beyond the arc.

• The Wildcats registered a season-high 15 connections from 3-point range at Kansas on Feb. 2 with a percentage of 65.2.

• The Wildcats registered 14 connections on 20 attempts from 3-point range against UCF on Feb. 15 for a season-high 70.0 percent effort. Since 2009-10 season, the percentage of 70.0 is the highest in program history (min. 20 attempts), the only Big 12 team to shoot 70.0 percent or better on 20 or more attempts and the eighth team in the nation to achieve the feat.

• Against Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, K-State made 14 three-pointers which set the school record for three-pointers made in an NCAA Tournament game.

• In the Mittie era, the Wildcats have made five or more 3-pointers in a game 260 times in 360 total games including 51 games with 10 or more connections (w-l: 45-6) from deep.

• This season, K-State made 10 or more 3-pointers in five straight games (Dec. 1-18) for the first time in program history.

• The trio of Temira Poindexter (90), Taryn Sides (84) and Jaelyn Glenn (70) are the fourth set of K-State teammates and first since 2012-13 to make 50 or more 3-pointers in a season.

• The quintet of Poindexter (90), Sides (84), Glenn (70), Serena Sundell (24) and Zyanna Walker (22) marks the fifth season in program including the third straight with five or more Wildcats making 20 or more 3-point field goals in a season.

• In the 11 seasons under Mittie, K-State has buried 2,275 three-pointers which is 6.31 per game.

• K-State remains unselfish in its play in the 2024-25 season.

• The Wildcats are averaging 21.5 assists per game and own an assisted shot rate of 70.9. K-State is second in the nation for assists per game, second in the nation for assist/turnover ratio (1.67) and leads the nation for assisted shot rate.

• The Wildcats have dished out 753 total assists this season, which is second in the nation for total assists. The 753 assists are sixth in Big 12 history for a season. K-State joins Baylor (8x) as the only programs in Big 12 history (1996-present) with 700 or more assists in a season.

• Since assists became an officially tracked stat in 1981-82, K-State has registered an assisted shot rate of 60.0 percent or higher at the end of a season 24 times in its history.

• The Wildcats have handed out 20 or more assists in 22 games this season (22-0) including a season-high 30 assists on 37 made field goals against DePaul on Nov. 27. The 30 assists were the most since carding 30 against UIW on Dec. 3, 2019.

• Over the last 17 years, the Wildcats are 114-8 (.934) when handing out 20 or more assists.

• Serena Sundell (256) and Zyanna Walker (122) have combined to dish out 378 assists this season, setting the school record for most combined assists by a tandem.

• K-State features five players with 50 or more assists this season: Sundell (256), Walker (122), Jaelyn Glenn (109), Taryn Sides (98) and Temira Poindexter (60). This marks the fourth season in program history with five or more players dishing 50 or more assists.

• During the Jeff Mittie era, K-State has dealt out rejection to its opponents including a record total in 2024-25 season.

• This season, K-State is averaging 5.7 blocks per game (200 blocks) and ranks second in the Big 12 and eighth in the nation. The Wildcats are one of seven teams in the nation that feature seven or more players with 10 or more blocks this season - Ayoka Lee (43), Temira Poindexter (35), Serena Sundell (30), Zyanna Walker (25), Imani Lester (19), Eliza Maupin (17) and&nbsp; Kennedy Taylor (16).

• K-State’s blocked shots total of 200 is a school record for blocks in a season.

• The Wildcats have registered 150 or more blocked shots in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. K-State has blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s 11 seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.

• K-State has a blocked shot differential of +102 this season (200-98). Since blocks became official in 1982-83, K-State has 22 seasons with a positive blocked shot differential including a school record of +95 last season.

• K-State recorded a season-high 13 blocks against Kentucky on March 23. This was a school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game and tied for the most in the opening weekend.

• Under Mittie, K-State has blocked 10 or more shots in a game 17 times, including a school record of 14 at Tulsa on Nov. 13, 2015. K-State is 16-1 during Mittie’s tenure when blocking 10 or more shots.

• During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,727 shots for 4.80 per game in the 360 games. The 1,727 blocks in the 11 seasons are the most in any 11-season span in program history.

K-State Ready for Sweet 16 Matchup with USC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyle Manzardo had a two-run double in the 10th inning to tie the club record for most RBIs on opening day and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Thursday.

Manzardo joined Tris Speaker (1925) and Leon Wagner (1964) with four RBIs on opening day.

Manzardo also become the third MLB player with a double, triple and homer on opening day, joining Don Baylor (1973), Gee Walker (1937).

Steven Kwan led off the 10th with a run-scoring double. With two outs and Kwan at third, reliever Sam Long intentionally walked Carlos Santana to face Manzardo, who drove in both runners.

Emmanuel Clase took the win and Paul Sewald earned the save.

Vinnie Pasquantino broke the scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the third for Kansas City.

The Guardians answered with a run in the fourth. Manzardo hit a one-out triple and Jhonkensy Noel drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

The Guardians got another run in the fifth on another sacrifice fly. Cleveland put runners on first and second with no outs and Jose Ramirez drove in Gabriel Arias with the second run.

Manzardo homered on the first pitch he saw in the sixth to give the Guardians a 4-3.

The Royals tied it at 4-all in the bottom of the ninth off Clase on Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly.

The Royals had runners on first and third and no outs in the eighth, with the top of the order up. But Jonathan India hit into a fielder's choice, resulting in a double play.

Manzardo had 12 doubles, no triples and five home runs in 145 at bats in his debut last season.

Gavin Williams of Cleveland is scheduled to face Seth Lugo for Kansas City when the clubs resume the three-game series on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743118799657.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hit a three-run home run during the third inning of&nbsp; the game. Image courtesy KC Royals" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hit a three-run home run during the third inning of&nbsp; the game. Image courtesy KC Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyle Manzardo had a two-run double in the 10th inning to tie the club record for most RBIs on opening day and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Thursday.Manzardo joined Tris Speaker (1925) and Leon Wagner (1964) with four RBIs on opening day.Manzardo also become the third MLB player with a double, triple and homer on opening day, joining Don Baylor (1973), Gee Walker (1937).Steven Kwan led off the 10th with a run-scoring double. With two outs and Kwan at third, reliever Sam Long intentionally walked Carlos Santana to face Manzardo, who drove in both runners.Emmanuel Clase took the win and Paul Sewald earned the save.Vinnie Pasquantino broke the scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the third for Kansas City.The Guardians answered with a run in the fourth. Manzardo hit a one-out triple and Jhonkensy Noel drove him in with a sacrifice fly.The Guardians got another run in the fifth on another sacrifice fly. Cleveland put runners on first and second with no outs and Jose Ramirez drove in Gabriel Arias with the second run.Manzardo homered on the first pitch he saw in the sixth to give the Guardians a 4-3.The Royals tied it at 4-all in the bottom of the ninth off Clase on Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly.<h2>Key moment</h2>The Royals had runners on first and third and no outs in the eighth, with the top of the order up. But Jonathan India hit into a fielder's choice, resulting in a double play.<h2>Key stat</h2>Manzardo had 12 doubles, no triples and five home runs in 145 at bats in his debut last season.<h2>Up next</h2>Gavin Williams of Cleveland is scheduled to face Seth Lugo for Kansas City when the clubs resume the three-game series on Saturday.

⚾ Manzardo shines for Cleveland in opening day win over the Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals this morning selected the contract of infielder&nbsp;Cavan Biggio&nbsp;to finalize their 26-man Opening Day roster.

Earlier this week, the Royals selected the contract of outfielder&nbsp;Mark Canha&nbsp;and placed three pitchers on the 15-day Injured List, including right-handed pitchers&nbsp;Alec Marsh&nbsp;(right shoulder impingement),&nbsp;James McArthur&nbsp;(right elbow olecranon surgery) and&nbsp;Kyle Wright&nbsp;(right shoulder surgery).

The Royals have 39 players on the Major League Reserve List.

Kansas City’s 26-man roster includes 15 players who made the Royals Opening Day roster last season, including pitchers&nbsp;Seth Lugo,&nbsp;Cole Ragans,&nbsp;John Schreiber,&nbsp;Chris Stratton,&nbsp;Michael Wacha&nbsp;and&nbsp;Angel Zerpa, catchers&nbsp;Freddy Fermin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Salvador Perez, infielders&nbsp;Maikel Garcia,&nbsp;Vinnie Pasquantino&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and outfielders&nbsp;Dairon Blanco,&nbsp;Kyle Isbel,&nbsp;MJ Melendez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hunter Renfroe.

Four players will make their Royals debut with their 1st appearance this season, including pitcher&nbsp;Carlos Estévez, infielders&nbsp;Cavan Biggio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jonathan India&nbsp;and outfielder&nbsp;Mark Canha.

Cole Ragans&nbsp;will make his 2nd straight Opening Day start. Following an All-Star campaign in 2024, Ragans will be the first left-hander to make consecutive Opening Day starts for Kansas City since&nbsp;Danny Duffy&nbsp;in 2017-18. The 27-year-old will be the youngest pitcher to start consecutive Opening Day contests for the Royals since 27-year-old&nbsp;Jeff Suppan&nbsp;made the third of three consecutive Opening Day starts in 2002.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals this morning selected the contract of infielder&nbsp;Cavan Biggio&nbsp;to finalize their 26-man Opening Day roster.Earlier this week, the Royals selected the contract of outfielder&nbsp;Mark Canha&nbsp;and placed three pitchers on the 15-day Injured List, including right-handed pitchers&nbsp;Alec Marsh&nbsp;(right shoulder impingement),&nbsp;James McArthur&nbsp;(right elbow olecranon surgery) and&nbsp;Kyle Wright&nbsp;(right shoulder surgery).The Royals have 39 players on the Major League Reserve List.Kansas City’s 26-man roster includes 15 players who made the Royals Opening Day roster last season, including pitchers&nbsp;Seth Lugo,&nbsp;Cole Ragans,&nbsp;John Schreiber,&nbsp;Chris Stratton,&nbsp;Michael Wacha&nbsp;and&nbsp;Angel Zerpa, catchers&nbsp;Freddy Fermin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Salvador Perez, infielders&nbsp;Maikel Garcia,&nbsp;Vinnie Pasquantino&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and outfielders&nbsp;Dairon Blanco,&nbsp;Kyle Isbel,&nbsp;MJ Melendez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hunter Renfroe.Four players will make their Royals debut with their 1st appearance this season, including pitcher&nbsp;Carlos Estévez, infielders&nbsp;Cavan Biggio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jonathan India&nbsp;and outfielder&nbsp;Mark Canha.Cole Ragans&nbsp;will make his 2nd straight Opening Day start. Following an All-Star campaign in 2024, Ragans will be the first left-hander to make consecutive Opening Day starts for Kansas City since&nbsp;Danny Duffy&nbsp;in 2017-18. The 27-year-old will be the youngest pitcher to start consecutive Opening Day contests for the Royals since 27-year-old&nbsp;Jeff Suppan&nbsp;made the third of three consecutive Opening Day starts in 2002.

Royals Announce 2025 Opening Day Roster

Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football made quick and easy work of the Bethel Threshers on Wednesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at Graves Family Sports Complex on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan University.

The Coyotes rolled to 57-0 victory over the Threshers to 8-3 overall and 5-1 in KCAC play, while Bethel remains in search of its first win of the season. It's the third shutout of the year for the Coyotes.

The 57 points is the second highest total for the Coyotes in a game this season, only behind the 64 scored against Pratt on March 8.

Bethel never crossed mid-field in the game, getting to their own 32-yard line on the last drive of the second quarter, the furthest they would advance the ball all game.

KWU had 210 yards of total offense, on only 21 plays, as Wesleyan's longest drive was five plays, which covered 66 yards on the drive that started the second half.

Seven of KWU's eight drives started in Bethel territory, with an average starting point of the Thresher 21 yard line. Adding in the drive to start the third, KWU's average starting field position was the Bethel-26.

The Coyotes only needed three plays on the first drive after taking over at the Bethel 29 as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42d58f5d-d766-4519-854c-6dd1b5b2c0d9?elinkdata=23204">Chihiro Iwata</a> hit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f58cfe7a-849b-4c8d-8bdd-39f328b7ff52?elinkdata=23204">Jazmine Whitfield</a> for a 3-yard touchdown pass and the PAT1 was good.

KWU's defense turned over the Threshers with an interception by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/04310742-53d2-40d9-9134-90f9421ad416?elinkdata=23204">Alexa Mansur</a> and Iwata needed only one play to find <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f4f49f1-7105-45e0-9bdc-16da9c321749?elinkdata=23204">Soriah Tafua</a> for a 12-yard touchdown pass and the 2-point PAT was good giving KWU a 15-0 lead after a quarter.

Starting the next drive at the Bethel 13 after an exceptional punt return by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/05a6d4d6-ace9-4fa8-b548-7aac61540f95?elinkdata=23204">Nyjah Green</a> after laterals from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/60cac0a4-ba7d-483b-bdb7-7bb42db70687?elinkdata=23204">Angel Roman</a> and Whitfield, Iwata hit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/63a5d246-5197-418e-9f52-cfbd05ad7f17?elinkdata=23204">Ava Duerr</a> for an 11-yard pass and then <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d398e440-aff3-44cb-bfb2-74531e3b5e78?elinkdata=23204">Aliyah Wood</a> from two yards out and the 2-point PAT was good making it 23-0 with 8:40 left in the second.

After big punt return by Green set up the Coyotes at the Bethel 15, and KWU needed only one play for Iwata to find Duerr for a 15-yard score and the 1-point PAT was good to make it 30-0 with 3:50 left in the second.

The Coyotes got the ball to start the second half and went 66 yards in five plays, the big play was a 33-yard pass from Iwata to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9948c7c6-f1d5-404c-9df9-420f9a56dd37?elinkdata=23204">Addison Cadwell</a> that set up the scoring pass from 18-yards out to Whitfield and the PAT was good making it 37-0.

Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football made quick and easy work of the Bethel Threshers on Wednesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at Graves Family Sports Complex on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan University.The Coyotes rolled to 57-0 victory over the Threshers to 8-3 overall and 5-1 in KCAC play, while Bethel remains in search of its first win of the season. It's the third shutout of the year for the Coyotes.The 57 points is the second highest total for the Coyotes in a game this season, only behind the 64 scored against Pratt on March 8.Bethel never crossed mid-field in the game, getting to their own 32-yard line on the last drive of the second quarter, the furthest they would advance the ball all game.KWU had 210 yards of total offense, on only 21 plays, as Wesleyan's longest drive was five plays, which covered 66 yards on the drive that started the second half.Seven of KWU's eight drives started in Bethel territory, with an average starting point of the Thresher 21 yard line. Adding in the drive to start the third, KWU's average starting field position was the Bethel-26.KWU scored on all eight drives as well.The Coyotes only needed three plays on the first drive after taking over at the Bethel 29 as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42d58f5d-d766-4519-854c-6dd1b5b2c0d9?elinkdata=23204">Chihiro Iwata</a> hit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f58cfe7a-849b-4c8d-8bdd-39f328b7ff52?elinkdata=23204">Jazmine Whitfield</a> for a 3-yard touchdown pass and the PAT1 was good.KWU's defense turned over the Threshers with an interception by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/04310742-53d2-40d9-9134-90f9421ad416?elinkdata=23204">Alexa Mansur</a> and Iwata needed only one play to find <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f4f49f1-7105-45e0-9bdc-16da9c321749?elinkdata=23204">Soriah Tafua</a> for a 12-yard touchdown pass and the 2-point PAT was good giving KWU a 15-0 lead after a quarter.Starting the next drive at the Bethel 13 after an exceptional punt return by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/05a6d4d6-ace9-4fa8-b548-7aac61540f95?elinkdata=23204">Nyjah Green</a> after laterals from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/60cac0a4-ba7d-483b-bdb7-7bb42db70687?elinkdata=23204">Angel Roman</a> and Whitfield, Iwata hit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/63a5d246-5197-418e-9f52-cfbd05ad7f17?elinkdata=23204">Ava Duerr</a> for an 11-yard pass and then <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d398e440-aff3-44cb-bfb2-74531e3b5e78?elinkdata=23204">Aliyah Wood</a> from two yards out and the 2-point PAT was good making it 23-0 with 8:40 left in the second.After big punt return by Green set up the Coyotes at the Bethel 15, and KWU needed only one play for Iwata to find Duerr for a 15-yard score and the 1-point PAT was good to make it 30-0 with 3:50 left in the second.The Coyotes got the ball to start the second half and went 66 yards in five plays, the big play was a 33-yard pass from Iwata to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9948c7c6-f1d5-404c-9df9-420f9a56dd37?elinkdata=23204">Addison Cadwell</a> that set up the scoring pass from 18-yards out to Whitfield and the PAT was good making it 37-0.Another big punt return by Green gave the Coyotes the ball at the Bethel 13 with just under five minutes left in the third and Tafua this time found Whitfield for a 13-yard touchdown pass and the PAT was good making it 44-0 with two minutes left in the third.After another Bethel punt, the Coyotes used a 19-yard play from Tafua to Cadwell to set up Tafua's 8-yard pass to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/26888e62-3a73-4abc-9a32-7fb55fad0f43?elinkdata=23204">Jenise Washington</a> with 8:20 left in the game to make it 51-0.Wesleyan got the ball back one more time, covering 30 yards in four plays as Tafua hit Green for a 7-yard scoring play but the PAT was no good just before time expired as the teams had agreed to have a running clock the entire game.Iwata was 10 of 11 for 125 yards and five touchdowns before leaving the game in the third. Tafua was 6 of 8 for 60 yards and three touchdowns. Whitfield had three catches for 34 yards, all for touchdowns. Cadwell had three for 57, and three others had two grabs each. Five others had one touchdown each.The Coyote defense limited Bethel to only 18 yards of total offense in the game. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cf8494ce-f39c-4a68-b04d-4f8fde82b565?elinkdata=23204">Ansdiane Rabano</a> led the way with four flag pulls all of them for either zero or negative yardage. KWU had seven stops for loss, including three sacks.Bethel was just 1 of 14 passing for nine yards and had nine yards rushing on 15 attempts.