LAS VEGAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State hit the media circuit on Tuesday afternoon during the first day of the 2024 Big 12 Football Media Day held at Allegiant Stadium. Linked above is Coach Klieman’s press conference and breakout with ESPNU, in addition to Avery Johnson’s Interview with ESPNU. A transcript of Coach Klieman’s press conference is below. For more content, please visit the K-State Football social media pages on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/kstatefb" target="_blank">X (formerly Twitter)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kstatefb" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/kstatesports" target="_blank">YouTube</a>)

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's great to be out here in Vegas. Thanks to Commissioner Yormark for getting this all set up, and we're excited to get things started here at the end of July.

We're excited about our football team. We've got a lot of returning guys, but as everybody does, we've got a lot of new guys as well. So it will be nice to mesh those guys together come August.

Competitive league, as usual. Great parity with the amount of schools and new schools we have, especially the ones we play. We're excited about the challenge.

Q. You obviously came from North Dakota State. There's been a few other notable coaches that have come from FCS, Division II, even NAIA with Kalen DeBoer and his success after his time at Sioux Falls. What does it mean to see these guys getting these opportunities, and do you think those guys tend to be overlooked sometimes?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I've said this since the day I arrived in Manhattan, and football is football, and you just need opportunities, and when you get opportunities, and if you're having success, you're going to get those opportunities. And I've known Kalen for a while. I was so excited for him with the run they made last year.

There's a lot of good football coaches at all different levels. And I think you're going to continue to see coaches from NAIA, Division II, FCS, so forth, get opportunities.

Q. The esteemed voters of the Big 12 preseason poll picked you guys second but they put none of your guys on the All-Conference team. How do you rectify those two decisions?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Don't pay a whole lot of attention to it, to be honest with you. Everybody sees it, but it's not something that we talk about an awful lot. I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are and how important our players are as far as if you're a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come.

I'm sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls, and I don't know if they're excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams, but you still have to perform, and we've got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.

Q. Hiring Matt Wells, comes in as co-offensive coordinator, huge history with quarterbacks, specifically 2018 Jordan Love at Utah State. What does he bring to Avery Johnson, and what led you to bring him in?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Matt and I have been friends for more than a decade, always talked, even when he was at Tech and I was here at K-State, when he went to Oklahoma. He and I have always stayed in contact.

It was maybe the right time for him to get back on the field and truly coach. We talked all through that bowl prep, and he was the one who I wanted to hire. He was just trying to get through that bowl time, and it worked out.

But a wealth of experience and a wealth of knowledge with quarterbacks, and I've already seen, in a short period of time, just the second semester, the value of him being with Avery.

There's a great mesh there. There's a great comfort between the two guys. They are on the same page an awful lot. And I know that Avery, as well as our offensive staff, coaches, Coach Riley, our offensive coordinator, are excited about some of the things that Coach Wells will bring to K-State, especially the pass game. And everybody wants to know what the heck we'll do, but we'll wait until

But super excited to have Matt and his family in Manhattan.

Q. The secondary returns a lot of talent this past year. How important is it as you transition into the season with a fairly similar defensive structure?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's really important. There's such talented offenses in this league and skilled players, for us to have bookend corners back in Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish is really important for us. Those guys have played a lot of football. And then to have most of our safeties, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle played a lot of football, Colby McCalister has played a lot.

And then we've got some freshmen that are ready to step up as redshirt freshmen, a couple of transfers, a kid named Jordan Riley that I think people will learn and know an awful lot about by the end of the season.

But you need to have great depth in the secondary, and we feel that that's an area that we have done a really good job of recruiting and developing talent and then sprinkling in a transfer because you need to be really good in the secondary in this league.

Q. You kind of have the unique nature of playing 10 conference games with the Arizona game not counting towards it. Was there any discussion of pushing that off because of the fact that they're in the league now?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I think it was probably too late when everything got finished up with scheduling. And I'm glad that we're playing Arizona. They're a terrific football program, and it's a great early-season game for the Big 12 to get on national TV on a Friday night. So that excites us, and I know it excites Arizona. There's really good talent on both teams.

I'm hoping that we ultimately get to an even number of conference games so that we're not in the nine, five away, four at home, that it's more of a four and four split of eight games, or even a ten, because if you have to play a Power Five, you might as well play it in your league and get five

But, no, it's going to be a great game. It's going to be a great showcase for the Big 12 in early September.

Q. I believe you play five teams that are either new to the conference or second year in the Big 12. To what extent, if any, did that mean any extra work in preparation for your coaching staff?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Yeah, it definitely gave us a lot more work in the summer. The month of June is already busy enough with recruiting and camps, and now we don't have the database like you'd have with a Tech or a Baylor or a TCU. We've got five new schools, or even BYU and Cincinnati have been in our league, but we didn't play them last year, so we don't have much data on them. Then we've got the two Arizona schools and Colorado.

So a lot of extra work. I think it's excitement, though, for the fans, for both schools, as far as whether it's us going to Provo and seeing a great environment, because I've been there and I know it's a phenomenal environment, to us going to Boulder and seeing a great environment, or those other schools potentially coming to our place and seeing a great environment in Manhattan.

I think the fan base of all the schools are going to be excited because they're going to see really good football, and they're going to see some different teams that they haven't seen throughout the year.

Q. You lose a lot of senior leadership in (Cooper) Beebe, what he meant to the offensive line, and the offensive line, the quarterback's best friend. How have you kind of just this offseason tried to get the O-line to embody his spirit, and when will he be put in the ring of honor?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I don't probably make that decision, but Beebs had a phenomenal career. He'll be in the ring of honor for sure.

But it's interesting, we lost four really good senior offensive linemen, but we have four really good senior offensive linemen returning.

And that's something that maybe goes overlooked a little bit, the value of what Conor Riley does for our offense and for our program and for that room and the offensive line room, to lose the amount of seniors that we had and then still return the amount of seniors. Hadley Panzer, Taylor Poitier, Carver Willis have really taken over the reins from those guys that have left and have tried to kept that engine running.

And we've always been really, really good up front, and it's due to Coach Riley. But it's those guys that have been in the program that want to stay and want to be developed and not want to get in the transfer portal just because they don't play in their first year.

The offensive line is a different deal. It takes sometimes a few years to develop. We've got Hadley and Carver back that have played a lot. T.P. has played a lot. Andrew Leingang is going to play a lot of football that's been around. Sam Hecht will play a lot of football that's been around.

We have experienced guys that have been with our program, they're just going to gain on-field experience quickly in the non-con.

Q. Going from the offensive line to the defensive line here, how important will the physicality and experience up front defensively be, given the talent of the ground games in this conference as well as the importance of the pass rush?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;We've been really fortunate that we've always had a lot of depth in our defensive line. Coach Tui and Coach Wyatt do a great job, and we're probably going to have eight or nine deep on the defensive line, and we've always rotated guys really well.

But we've got two six-year defensive ends in Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean coming back that have been in the program for a long time. And those young kids will play a lot to a high standard, to high expectations.

But I'm really comfortable and excited about the amount of defensive linemen we have that have played a lot of Big 12 football, as well as some of the new guys we have coming on, some freshmen that will be redshirt freshmen that I think can really be effective pass rushers. And there's no doubt about it, you've got to be able to stop the run, and you've got to be able to get a good rush on the passer.

Q. You guys played Oklahoma State last year when Ollie Gordon was just getting going. You obviously know what really good running backs look like at K-State. I'm curious, just what impresses you about him, and obviously in Manhattan this year, what's the challenge of handling him?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;He's a tremendous talent. He's got really good speed. He's a home run hitter, as well as he can run through arm tackles. He a breakout season and it started around our game and he continued to elevate. He's a terrific football player, and we're glad we play him in Manhattan and not Stillwater.

We've struggled in Stillwater and we've played better in Manhattan. But that's the nature of our league. You're going to face really talented running backs each week. You'll face talented quarterbacks, and you've got to stay healthy and you've got to do a great job of trying to eliminate explosive plays and last year Ollie got us on a couple of big ones, and we've got to prevent that.

Q. You have one of the most talented running backs in this league in DJ Giddens. Last season he split carries with Treshaun Ward. Do you plan on giving him more of a workload this year or how will that work out?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It will probably be similar in the fact that DJ can carry it 30 times, and he did that a few times for us last year. He can carry it 20 times. DJ is an every-down back and underrated in our league.

DJ is just a phenomenal football player that's a great kid, great pass protection, great out of the backfield catch the ball. He's going to have a dynamite year for us. We've surrounded him now with some more talent that we don't have to rely on him that much. There are some games we are. We're going to give it to him, and he'll be ready for it. There's other games where we've got to spread it around more. We've got to throw the ball a little more so that the offensive or the running game does open up.

So we've got another tailback in Dylan Edwards that's a really good complement to DJ with some speed as well as electricity elusiveness in the open field that's probably the thing that excites us the most offensively we have a lot of guys around Avery.

Q. For the four new teams to the conference that maybe aren't familiar with Kansas State. How would you describe your brand of football?

LAS VEGAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State hit the media circuit on Tuesday afternoon during the first day of the 2024 Big 12 Football Media Day held at Allegiant Stadium. Linked above is Coach Klieman’s press conference and breakout with ESPNU, in addition to Avery Johnson’s Interview with ESPNU. A transcript of Coach Klieman’s press conference is below. For more content, please visit the K-State Football social media pages on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/kstatefb" target="_blank">X (formerly Twitter)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kstatefb" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/kstatesports" target="_blank">YouTube</a>)CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's great to be out here in Vegas. Thanks to Commissioner Yormark for getting this all set up, and we're excited to get things started here at the end of July.We're excited about our football team. We've got a lot of returning guys, but as everybody does, we've got a lot of new guys as well. So it will be nice to mesh those guys together come August.Competitive league, as usual. Great parity with the amount of schools and new schools we have, especially the ones we play. We're excited about the challenge.Q. You obviously came from North Dakota State. There's been a few other notable coaches that have come from FCS, Division II, even NAIA with Kalen DeBoer and his success after his time at Sioux Falls. What does it mean to see these guys getting these opportunities, and do you think those guys tend to be overlooked sometimes?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I've said this since the day I arrived in Manhattan, and football is football, and you just need opportunities, and when you get opportunities, and if you're having success, you're going to get those opportunities. And I've known Kalen for a while. I was so excited for him with the run they made last year.There's a lot of good football coaches at all different levels. And I think you're going to continue to see coaches from NAIA, Division II, FCS, so forth, get opportunities.Q. The esteemed voters of the Big 12 preseason poll picked you guys second but they put none of your guys on the All-Conference team. How do you rectify those two decisions?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Don't pay a whole lot of attention to it, to be honest with you. Everybody sees it, but it's not something that we talk about an awful lot. I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are and how important our players are as far as if you're a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come.I'm sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls, and I don't know if they're excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams, but you still have to perform, and we've got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.Q. Hiring Matt Wells, comes in as co-offensive coordinator, huge history with quarterbacks, specifically 2018 Jordan Love at Utah State. What does he bring to Avery Johnson, and what led you to bring him in?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Matt and I have been friends for more than a decade, always talked, even when he was at Tech and I was here at K-State, when he went to Oklahoma. He and I have always stayed in contact.It was maybe the right time for him to get back on the field and truly coach. We talked all through that bowl prep, and he was the one who I wanted to hire. He was just trying to get through that bowl time, and it worked out.But a wealth of experience and a wealth of knowledge with quarterbacks, and I've already seen, in a short period of time, just the second semester, the value of him being with Avery.There's a great mesh there. There's a great comfort between the two guys. They are on the same page an awful lot. And I know that Avery, as well as our offensive staff, coaches, Coach Riley, our offensive coordinator, are excited about some of the things that Coach Wells will bring to K-State, especially the pass game. And everybody wants to know what the heck we'll do, but we'll wait untilthe fall to unveil that.But super excited to have Matt and his family in Manhattan.Q. The secondary returns a lot of talent this past year. How important is it as you transition into the season with a fairly similar defensive structure?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's really important. There's such talented offenses in this league and skilled players, for us to have bookend corners back in Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish is really important for us. Those guys have played a lot of football. And then to have most of our safeties, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle played a lot of football, Colby McCalister has played a lot.And then we've got some freshmen that are ready to step up as redshirt freshmen, a couple of transfers, a kid named Jordan Riley that I think people will learn and know an awful lot about by the end of the season.But you need to have great depth in the secondary, and we feel that that's an area that we have done a really good job of recruiting and developing talent and then sprinkling in a transfer because you need to be really good in the secondary in this league.Q. You kind of have the unique nature of playing 10 conference games with the Arizona game not counting towards it. Was there any discussion of pushing that off because of the fact that they're in the league now?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I think it was probably too late when everything got finished up with scheduling. And I'm glad that we're playing Arizona. They're a terrific football program, and it's a great early-season game for the Big 12 to get on national TV on a Friday night. So that excites us, and I know it excites Arizona. There's really good talent on both teams.I'm hoping that we ultimately get to an even number of conference games so that we're not in the nine, five away, four at home, that it's more of a four and four split of eight games, or even a ten, because if you have to play a Power Five, you might as well play it in your league and get fiveand five.But, no, it's going to be a great game. It's going to be a great showcase for the Big 12 in early September.Q. I believe you play five teams that are either new to the conference or second year in the Big 12. To what extent, if any, did that mean any extra work in preparation for your coaching staff?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Yeah, it definitely gave us a lot more work in the summer. The month of June is already busy enough with recruiting and camps, and now we don't have the database like you'd have with a Tech or a Baylor or a TCU. We've got five new schools, or even BYU and Cincinnati have been in our league, but we didn't play them last year, so we don't have much data on them. Then we've got the two Arizona schools and Colorado.So a lot of extra work. I think it's excitement, though, for the fans, for both schools, as far as whether it's us going to Provo and seeing a great environment, because I've been there and I know it's a phenomenal environment, to us going to Boulder and seeing a great environment, or those other schools potentially coming to our place and seeing a great environment in Manhattan.I think the fan base of all the schools are going to be excited because they're going to see really good football, and they're going to see some different teams that they haven't seen throughout the year.Q. You lose a lot of senior leadership in (Cooper) Beebe, what he meant to the offensive line, and the offensive line, the quarterback's best friend. How have you kind of just this offseason tried to get the O-line to embody his spirit, and when will he be put in the ring of honor?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I don't probably make that decision, but Beebs had a phenomenal career. He'll be in the ring of honor for sure.But it's interesting, we lost four really good senior offensive linemen, but we have four really good senior offensive linemen returning.And that's something that maybe goes overlooked a little bit, the value of what Conor Riley does for our offense and for our program and for that room and the offensive line room, to lose the amount of seniors that we had and then still return the amount of seniors. Hadley Panzer, Taylor Poitier, Carver Willis have really taken over the reins from those guys that have left and have tried to kept that engine running.And we've always been really, really good up front, and it's due to Coach Riley. But it's those guys that have been in the program that want to stay and want to be developed and not want to get in the transfer portal just because they don't play in their first year.The offensive line is a different deal. It takes sometimes a few years to develop. We've got Hadley and Carver back that have played a lot. T.P. has played a lot. Andrew Leingang is going to play a lot of football that's been around. Sam Hecht will play a lot of football that's been around.We have experienced guys that have been with our program, they're just going to gain on-field experience quickly in the non-con.Q. Going from the offensive line to the defensive line here, how important will the physicality and experience up front defensively be, given the talent of the ground games in this conference as well as the importance of the pass rush?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;We've been really fortunate that we've always had a lot of depth in our defensive line. Coach Tui and Coach Wyatt do a great job, and we're probably going to have eight or nine deep on the defensive line, and we've always rotated guys really well.But we've got two six-year defensive ends in Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean coming back that have been in the program for a long time. And those young kids will play a lot to a high standard, to high expectations.But I'm really comfortable and excited about the amount of defensive linemen we have that have played a lot of Big 12 football, as well as some of the new guys we have coming on, some freshmen that will be redshirt freshmen that I think can really be effective pass rushers. And there's no doubt about it, you've got to be able to stop the run, and you've got to be able to get a good rush on the passer.Q. You guys played Oklahoma State last year when Ollie Gordon was just getting going. You obviously know what really good running backs look like at K-State. I'm curious, just what impresses you about him, and obviously in Manhattan this year, what's the challenge of handling him?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;He's a tremendous talent. He's got really good speed. He's a home run hitter, as well as he can run through arm tackles. He a breakout season and it started around our game and he continued to elevate. He's a terrific football player, and we're glad we play him in Manhattan and not Stillwater.We've struggled in Stillwater and we've played better in Manhattan. But that's the nature of our league. You're going to face really talented running backs each week. You'll face talented quarterbacks, and you've got to stay healthy and you've got to do a great job of trying to eliminate explosive plays and last year Ollie got us on a couple of big ones, and we've got to prevent that.Q. You have one of the most talented running backs in this league in DJ Giddens. Last season he split carries with Treshaun Ward. Do you plan on giving him more of a workload this year or how will that work out?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It will probably be similar in the fact that DJ can carry it 30 times, and he did that a few times for us last year. He can carry it 20 times. DJ is an every-down back and underrated in our league.DJ is just a phenomenal football player that's a great kid, great pass protection, great out of the backfield catch the ball. He's going to have a dynamite year for us. We've surrounded him now with some more talent that we don't have to rely on him that much. There are some games we are. We're going to give it to him, and he'll be ready for it. There's other games where we've got to spread it around more. We've got to throw the ball a little more so that the offensive or the running game does open up.So we've got another tailback in Dylan Edwards that's a really good complement to DJ with some speed as well as electricity elusiveness in the open field that's probably the thing that excites us the most offensively we have a lot of guys around Avery.Q. For the four new teams to the conference that maybe aren't familiar with Kansas State. How would you describe your brand of football?

K-State Previews 2024 Season at Big 12 Football Media Day

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals originally scheduled for Tuesday night was postponed because of heavy rainfall from the remnants of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-beryl-texas-power-outages-8bfeeed79444eed0bf116d09f1ea7e6c">Hurricane Beryl</a>, which was moving through eastern Missouri on its way north from the Gulf of Mexico.

The cross-state rivals will play a split doubleheader on Wednesday at Busch Stadium. The first pitch for the opener will be at 12:45 p.m., and the nightcap will begin at the originally scheduled time of 6:45 p.m.

The Royals' Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74 ERA) is scheduled to face Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00) of the Cardinals in Game 1, though pitching plans could change because of the postponement. Alec Marsh (6-6, 4.57) is the scheduled starter for Kansas City in Game 2 against Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.30) for St. Louis.

Tuesday's forecast called for rain lasting throughout the day and localized flooding. The rain was not supposed to ease up until Tuesday night, though the forecast for Wednesday calls for warm weather and a sunny sky.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals originally scheduled for Tuesday night was postponed because of heavy rainfall from the remnants of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-beryl-texas-power-outages-8bfeeed79444eed0bf116d09f1ea7e6c">Hurricane Beryl</a>, which was moving through eastern Missouri on its way north from the Gulf of Mexico.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Due to inclement weather in the St. Louis area, tonight&#39;s game has been postponed. <a href="https://t.co/SC8XXvAn17">pic.twitter.com/SC8XXvAn17</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1810718228823343175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The cross-state rivals will play a split doubleheader on Wednesday at Busch Stadium. The first pitch for the opener will be at 12:45 p.m., and the nightcap will begin at the originally scheduled time of 6:45 p.m.The Royals' Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74 ERA) is scheduled to face Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00) of the Cardinals in Game 1, though pitching plans could change because of the postponement. Alec Marsh (6-6, 4.57) is the scheduled starter for Kansas City in Game 2 against Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.30) for St. Louis.Tuesday's forecast called for rain lasting throughout the day and localized flooding. The rain was not supposed to ease up until Tuesday night, though the forecast for Wednesday calls for warm weather and a sunny sky.

⚾  Royals, Cardinals game Tuesday in St. Louis postponed

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

On Monday, it was announced that Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. would be competing in the 2024 All-Star Week Home Run Derby.

This makes Witt just the fifth Royal in team history to compete in the event, joining Bo Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Mike Moustakas, and&nbsp;Salvador Perez who competed most recently in 2021.

The Royals slugger will compete alongside Gunnar Henderson, Alec Bohm, Marcell Ozuna and Pete Alonso.

The Derby will begin at 7:00 CST on Monday, July 15th, and will be aired on ESPN, ESPN.com, MLB.com, and MLB.tv.

Monday also saw the announcement that Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold is one of 21 college football coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy

The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

And finally, in Men’s basketball news&nbsp;Kansas State will take on George Washington to conclude the first round of the 2024 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday, November 22, organizers announced today

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

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p54JFX1XTWg?si=wbraSQcD0BmAdkbw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Hello and happy Tuesday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine._________On Monday, it was announced that Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. would be competing in the 2024 All-Star Week Home Run Derby.This makes Witt just the fifth Royal in team history to compete in the event, joining Bo Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Mike Moustakas, and&nbsp;Salvador Perez who competed most recently in 2021.The Royals slugger will compete alongside Gunnar Henderson, Alec Bohm, Marcell Ozuna and Pete Alonso.The Derby will begin at 7:00 CST on Monday, July 15th, and will be aired on ESPN, ESPN.com, MLB.com, and MLB.tv._________Monday also saw the announcement that Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold is one of 21 college football coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd TrophyThe Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy._________And finally, in Men’s basketball news&nbsp;Kansas State will take on George Washington to conclude the first round of the 2024 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday, November 22, organizers announced today_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — July 9

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State will take on George Washington to conclude the first round of the 2024 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday, November 22, as tournament organizers announced the complete bracket for the tournament on Tuesday morning (July 9).

The annual Paradise Jam will run from Friday-Monday, November 22-25, 2024, at the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. This will mark the tournament’s 24th&nbsp;year with K-State appearing for the third time (2002, 2018, 2024) in its existence, including a championship in 2018.

K-State and the Atlantic 10’s George Washington will meet for the sixth time in their respective histories in the final game of the first day of the tournament at 7 p.m., CT on Friday, November 22. Big South Tournament champion Longwood and AAC Tournament champion UAB will meet in the tournament opener at 11:30 a.m., CT followed by Illinois State and Southland Conference champion McNeese at 2 p.m., CT. Louisiana and Liberty will open the evening session at 4:30 p.m., CT followed by the Wildcats and Revolutionaries.

The K-State/GW winner will advance to face the winner of the contest between Louisiana and Liberty on Sunday, November 24 at 7 p.m., CT, while the two remaining teams will play on Saturday, November 23 at 4:30 p.m., CT.

In the opponent bracket, the winner of the first game between Longwood and UAB will play the winner of the second game between Illinois State and McNeese on Sunday, November 24 at 4:30 p.m., CT, while the two remaining teams will play on Saturday, November 23 at 2 p.m., CT.

The winner of each bracket will face off in the championship game on Monday, November 25 at 7 p.m., CT. There will be three consolation games that will precede the title contest at 11:30 a.m., CT (seventh-place game), 2 p.m., CT (fourth-place game) and 4:30 p.m., CT (third-place game), respectively.

All games will be streamed on ESPN platforms.

Six of the eight teams in the Paradise Jam won 18 or more games in 2023-24, while Longwood, McNeese and UAB all advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Fan travel packages are currently available via the Paradise Jam&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballtravelers.com/paradise-jam/" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;or by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://checkout.eventcreate.com/2024-paradisejam-fanpackages/select-buy" target="_blank">here</a>. All packages include tickets, transportation to/from games, a tournament gift as well as dedicated tournament staff at The Westin Beach Resort &amp; Spa at Frenchman’s Reef (can view&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sttwi-the-westin-beach-resort-and-spa-at-frenchmans-reef/overview/" target="_blank">here</a>).

This will mark K-State’s third appearance in the Paradise Jam with the Wildcats winning the 2018 event with victories over Eastern Kentucky (95-68), Penn (64-48) and Missouri (82-67). The team is 4-2 all-time in the tournament, posting a 1-2 mark in its inaugural appearance in 2002.

Previous winners of the Paradise Jam include Big 12 members BYU (2002), Baylor (2007) and Colorado (2017) as well as Arkansas (2004), Wisconsin (2005), Alabama (2006), UConn (2008), Purdue (2009), Marquette (2011) and Creighton (2016). Last season, Missouri State defeated Abilene Christian, 87-69, in the championship game.

The Wildcats won the Cayman Islands Classic in head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;first season in 2022 before finishing as the runner-up at the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship in 2023.

K-State has already announced several aspects of its non-conference schedule, including the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle at St. John’s on Saturday, December 7 and the Wildcat Classic matchup with Drake on Tuesday, December 17 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Other games will be released in the coming weeks.

In addition to their non-conference slate, the Wildcats will play a 20-game Big 12 schedule that includes 10 home games with NCAA Tournament teams Arizona, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech as well as Arizona State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in Tang’s first two seasons, including consecutive postseason appearances.

The Wildcats return 3 lettermen (senior&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;and sophomores&nbsp;Taj Manning&nbsp;and&nbsp;Macaleab Rich) in 2024-25, along with the 10 newcomers, which includes 8 Division I transfers, a junior college All-American (Mobi Ikegwuruka) and a top-50 high school prospect (David Castillo).

The transfer class is considered one of the best in the country and includes notable additions&nbsp;Achor Achor&nbsp;(Samford),&nbsp;Coleman Hawkins&nbsp;(Illinois),&nbsp;Dug McDaniel&nbsp;(Michigan) and&nbsp;Ugonna Onyenso&nbsp;(Kentucky) as well as&nbsp;Baye Fall&nbsp;(Arkansas),&nbsp;Brendan Hausen&nbsp;(Villanova),&nbsp;C.J. Jones&nbsp;(UIC) and&nbsp;Max Jones&nbsp;(Cal State Fullerton).

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State will take on George Washington to conclude the first round of the 2024 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday, November 22, as tournament organizers announced the complete bracket for the tournament on Tuesday morning (July 9).The annual Paradise Jam will run from Friday-Monday, November 22-25, 2024, at the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. This will mark the tournament’s 24th&nbsp;year with K-State appearing for the third time (2002, 2018, 2024) in its existence, including a championship in 2018.K-State and the Atlantic 10’s George Washington will meet for the sixth time in their respective histories in the final game of the first day of the tournament at 7 p.m., CT on Friday, November 22. Big South Tournament champion Longwood and AAC Tournament champion UAB will meet in the tournament opener at 11:30 a.m., CT followed by Illinois State and Southland Conference champion McNeese at 2 p.m., CT. Louisiana and Liberty will open the evening session at 4:30 p.m., CT followed by the Wildcats and Revolutionaries.The K-State/GW winner will advance to face the winner of the contest between Louisiana and Liberty on Sunday, November 24 at 7 p.m., CT, while the two remaining teams will play on Saturday, November 23 at 4:30 p.m., CT.In the opponent bracket, the winner of the first game between Longwood and UAB will play the winner of the second game between Illinois State and McNeese on Sunday, November 24 at 4:30 p.m., CT, while the two remaining teams will play on Saturday, November 23 at 2 p.m., CT.The winner of each bracket will face off in the championship game on Monday, November 25 at 7 p.m., CT. There will be three consolation games that will precede the title contest at 11:30 a.m., CT (seventh-place game), 2 p.m., CT (fourth-place game) and 4:30 p.m., CT (third-place game), respectively.All games will be streamed on ESPN platforms.Six of the eight teams in the Paradise Jam won 18 or more games in 2023-24, while Longwood, McNeese and UAB all advanced to the NCAA Tournament.Fan travel packages are currently available via the Paradise Jam&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballtravelers.com/paradise-jam/" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;or by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://checkout.eventcreate.com/2024-paradisejam-fanpackages/select-buy" target="_blank">here</a>. All packages include tickets, transportation to/from games, a tournament gift as well as dedicated tournament staff at The Westin Beach Resort &amp; Spa at Frenchman’s Reef (can view&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sttwi-the-westin-beach-resort-and-spa-at-frenchmans-reef/overview/" target="_blank">here</a>).Tournament capsulesGeorge Washington<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 15-17 (4-14 in Atlantic 10/15th)</li><li>Head coach Chris Caputo (31-33/3rd season)</li><li>K-State leads 4-1 (Last meeting: W 67-59/Nov. 14, 2017)</li>
 </ul>Liberty<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 18-14 (7-9 in C-USA/t-4th)</li><li>Head coach Ritchie McKay (244-127/12th season)</li><li>First meeting</li>
 </ul>Louisiana<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 19-14 (10-8 in Sun Belt/5th)</li><li>Head coach Bob Marlin (266-189/15th season)</li><li>K-State leads 1-0 (Last meeting: W 66-63/March 15, 1973)</li>
 </ul>Illinois State<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 15-17 (9-11 in Missouri Valley/t-7th)</li><li>Head coach Ryan Pedon (26-38/3rd season)</li><li>K-State leads 2-0 (Last meeting: W 83-79/March 18, 2009)</li>
 </ul>Longwood<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 21-14 (6-10 in Big South/t-5th&nbsp;– NCAA Tournament)</li><li>Head coach Griff Aldrich (109-86/7th season)</li><li>K-State leads 1-0 (Last meeting: W 89-60/Dec. 5, 2005)</li>
 </ul>McNeese<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 30-4 (17-1 in Southland/1st&nbsp;– NCAA Tournament)</li><li>Head coach Will Wade (22-2/2nd season)</li><li>K-State leads 1-0 (Last meeting: W 74-59/Dec. 21, 2021)</li>
 </ul>UAB<ul>
 <li>2023-24 record: 23-12 (12-6 in AAC/4th&nbsp;– NCAA Tournament)</li><li>Head coach Andy Kennedy (101-37/5th season)</li><li>First meeting</li>
 </ul>This will mark K-State’s third appearance in the Paradise Jam with the Wildcats winning the 2018 event with victories over Eastern Kentucky (95-68), Penn (64-48) and Missouri (82-67). The team is 4-2 all-time in the tournament, posting a 1-2 mark in its inaugural appearance in 2002.Previous winners of the Paradise Jam include Big 12 members BYU (2002), Baylor (2007) and Colorado (2017) as well as Arkansas (2004), Wisconsin (2005), Alabama (2006), UConn (2008), Purdue (2009), Marquette (2011) and Creighton (2016). Last season, Missouri State defeated Abilene Christian, 87-69, in the championship game.The Wildcats won the Cayman Islands Classic in head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;first season in 2022 before finishing as the runner-up at the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship in 2023.K-State has already announced several aspects of its non-conference schedule, including the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle at St. John’s on Saturday, December 7 and the Wildcat Classic matchup with Drake on Tuesday, December 17 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Other games will be released in the coming weeks.In addition to their non-conference slate, the Wildcats will play a 20-game Big 12 schedule that includes 10 home games with NCAA Tournament teams Arizona, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech as well as Arizona State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in Tang’s first two seasons, including consecutive postseason appearances.The Wildcats return 3 lettermen (senior&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;and sophomores&nbsp;Taj Manning&nbsp;and&nbsp;Macaleab Rich) in 2024-25, along with the 10 newcomers, which includes 8 Division I transfers, a junior college All-American (Mobi Ikegwuruka) and a top-50 high school prospect (David Castillo).The transfer class is considered one of the best in the country and includes notable additions&nbsp;Achor Achor&nbsp;(Samford),&nbsp;Coleman Hawkins&nbsp;(Illinois),&nbsp;Dug McDaniel&nbsp;(Michigan) and&nbsp;Ugonna Onyenso&nbsp;(Kentucky) as well as&nbsp;Baye Fall&nbsp;(Arkansas),&nbsp;Brendan Hausen&nbsp;(Villanova),&nbsp;C.J. Jones&nbsp;(UIC) and&nbsp;Max Jones&nbsp;(Cal State Fullerton).

K-State to Open Paradise Jam with George Washington

This makes Witt just the fifth Royal in team history to compete in the event, joining Bo Jackson (1989), Danny Tartabull (1991) and Mike Moustakas (2017), and&nbsp;Salvador Perez (2021).

Witt grew up in Colleyville, TX, less than 20 miles from Arlington, the host site of this year's All Star Game and festivities.

The Royals slugger will compete alongside Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), Alec Bohm (Phillies), and Pete Alonso (Mets), who will be the only repeat contender in this year's derby.

Witt's 15 home runs to this point in the MLB season are the fewest of the field, but his towering shot of 468 feet is the longest hit by the group, which makes him an intriguing competitor.

The 2024 Home Run Derby will begin at 7:00 CST on Monday, July 15th, and will be aired on ESPN, ESPN.com, MLB.com, and MLB.tv.

BY SALINA POSTOn Monday, it was announced that Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. would be competing in the 2024 All-Star Week Home Run Derby.This makes Witt just the fifth Royal in team history to compete in the event, joining Bo Jackson (1989), Danny Tartabull (1991) and Mike Moustakas (2017), and&nbsp;Salvador Perez (2021).Witt grew up in Colleyville, TX, less than 20 miles from Arlington, the host site of this year's All Star Game and festivities.The Royals slugger will compete alongside Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), Alec Bohm (Phillies), and Pete Alonso (Mets), who will be the only repeat contender in this year's derby.Witt's 15 home runs to this point in the MLB season are the fewest of the field, but his towering shot of 468 feet is the longest hit by the group, which makes him an intriguing competitor.The 2024 Home Run Derby will begin at 7:00 CST on Monday, July 15th, and will be aired on ESPN, ESPN.com, MLB.com, and MLB.tv.

Bobby Witt selected to compete in 2024 Home Run Derby

ATLANTA –&nbsp;Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold is one of 21 college football coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy presented by PNC Bank, the organization announced on Monday.&nbsp;

Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2024 season.

Entering his fourth season leading the Jayhawks, Leipold has put his track record as a proven program builder on full display during his time at Kansas. He has guided the Jayhawks to back-to-back bowl games, including a 49-36 victory over UNLV in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, which was KU’s first bowl victory since 2008. Prior to Leipold’s arrival, Kansas had only made consecutive bowl game appearances once in program history (2007-08).&nbsp;

Kansas was picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason poll, announced on July 2, which is the Jayhawks’ highest preseason ranking since the league went to a non-divisional format in 2011. Leipold is one of four coaches from the Big 12 Conference on The Dodd Trophy watch list.

A midseason watch list – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Starting in September on a weekly basis, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also honor coaches whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.

Kansas will play all six home games in the Kansas City Metro area as work continues on the University of Kansas Gateway District. Fans can purchase the 2024 Kansas Football 4-game season ticket package that includes all home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The season ticket package features prices starting as low as $230 for general stadium seating.

Other ticket options include the popular Family Zone as well as available Premium Seating opportunities. Purchasing a 4-game season ticket package also continues to enhance your priority to pick seats in the reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for the 2025 season. 6-game season ticket packages which include the first two games at Children's Mercy Park are sold out.

ATLANTA –&nbsp;Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold is one of 21 college football coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy presented by PNC Bank, the organization announced on Monday.&nbsp;Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2024 season.Entering his fourth season leading the Jayhawks, Leipold has put his track record as a proven program builder on full display during his time at Kansas. He has guided the Jayhawks to back-to-back bowl games, including a 49-36 victory over UNLV in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, which was KU’s first bowl victory since 2008. Prior to Leipold’s arrival, Kansas had only made consecutive bowl game appearances once in program history (2007-08).&nbsp;Kansas was picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason poll, announced on July 2, which is the Jayhawks’ highest preseason ranking since the league went to a non-divisional format in 2011. Leipold is one of four coaches from the Big 12 Conference on The Dodd Trophy watch list.A midseason watch list – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.Starting in September on a weekly basis, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also honor coaches whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.Kansas will play all six home games in the Kansas City Metro area as work continues on the University of Kansas Gateway District. Fans can purchase the 2024 Kansas Football 4-game season ticket package that includes all home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The season ticket package features prices starting as low as $230 for general stadium seating.Other ticket options include the popular Family Zone as well as available Premium Seating opportunities. Purchasing a 4-game season ticket package also continues to enhance your priority to pick seats in the reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for the 2025 season. 6-game season ticket packages which include the first two games at Children's Mercy Park are sold out.

Lance Leipold Named to Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter-Salina Post

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

Over the weekend the Salina Liberty pulled out a dramatic, late-game finish, fending off the Southwest Kansas Storm to punch their ticket to the AFL semifinals.

With a 41-35 victory, the Liberty secure a date with the Albany Firebirds in New York next Saturday at 1:30 CST while the Storm see their season draw to a close at 4-6.

The defense that Salina had hung it’s hat on all season long was immaculate once again, forcing four turnovers and three sacks in the win.

Charles McCullum had a great day under center as well, completing 47% of his passes for 164 yards, three touchdowns and only one pick.

Sunday also saw Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homere, and Brady Singer win for the first time on the road this season as the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.

Kansas City picks up the action in the battle for I-70 tomorrow as they travel to face the Cardinals

And finally, speaking of KC on Sunday four Royals were named to the AL All-Star Roster, as Salvador Perez, Bobby Witt Jr, Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans will all participate in the Texas Festivities

Four All-Stars are the most for the Royals since 2016, when Perez was named to the team alongside Eric Hosmer, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u8KW6S5c2JU?si=QQutE5bJVBZdR3-3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter-Salina PostHello and happy Monday, everybody, it’s&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.<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.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>_________Over the weekend the Salina Liberty pulled out a dramatic, late-game finish, fending off the Southwest Kansas Storm to punch their ticket to the AFL semifinals.With a 41-35 victory, the Liberty secure a date with the Albany Firebirds in New York next Saturday at 1:30 CST while the Storm see their season draw to a close at 4-6.The defense that Salina had hung it’s hat on all season long was immaculate once again, forcing four turnovers and three sacks in the win.Charles McCullum had a great day under center as well, completing 47% of his passes for 164 yards, three touchdowns and only one pick._________Sunday also saw Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homere, and Brady Singer win for the first time on the road this season as the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.Kansas City picks up the action in the battle for I-70 tomorrow as they travel to face the Cardinals_________And finally, speaking of KC on Sunday four Royals were named to the AL All-Star Roster, as Salvador Perez, Bobby Witt Jr, Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans will all participate in the Texas FestivitiesFour All-Stars are the most for the Royals since 2016, when Perez was named to the team alongside Eric Hosmer, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — July 8

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball announced today the rosters for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The American League team will feature four Royals players, including&nbsp;Salvador Perez,&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and&nbsp;Seth Lugo&nbsp;(who were elected by the players) and&nbsp;Cole Ragans&nbsp;(who was selected by the Commissioner’s Office).

The four All-Star players are the most for the Royals since 2016, when Perez led the American League in All-Star votes and&nbsp;Eric Hosmer&nbsp;started and was named All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player.&nbsp;Kelvin Herrera&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wade Davis&nbsp;were also named All-Stars that year, though Davis didn’t pitch due to injury.

Last week, Major League Baseball announced that Royals Strength and Conditioning Coach,&nbsp;Ryan Stoneberg, will join Manager&nbsp;Bruce Bochy’s&nbsp;American League staff for the 2024 All-Star Game.

Perez is an American League All-Star for the ninth time in his career, which leads all active catchers and ranks 2nd in Royals history to&nbsp;George Brett’s&nbsp;13 All-Star selections. His nine All-Star selections are tied with&nbsp;Jose Altuve&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dave Concepción&nbsp;for the 3rd most by a Venezuela-born player, trailing only&nbsp;Miguel Cabrera&nbsp;(12) and&nbsp;Luis Aparicio&nbsp;(10).

Salvy, 34, entered today among the American League leaders at catcher this season (min. 50% games at the position) in extra-base hits (30, tied for 1st), hits (88, 2nd) and RBI (55, 2nd). His 18 go-ahead RBI rank tied for 5th in the Majors among players at all positions. Perez had 2 more hits in today’s win, including the 1,500th&nbsp;hit of his career.

The 2024 All-Star Game will be a homecoming of sorts for first-time All-Star Witt Jr., who grew up in Colleyville, Texas, which is less than 20 miles north of Globe Life Field. The 24-year-old entered today ranking among the top 5 in the Majors in several offensive categories, including hits (116, 2nd), batting average (.320, 2nd), multi-hit games (36, 2nd), extra-base hits (48, 4th), total bases (201, 4th), runs (70, tied for 4th) and stolen bases (22, tied for 5th). He added 3 hits in today’s win, including a 3-run home run. On defense, Witt Jr.’s 12 Outs Above Average lead all shortstops and trail only&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;and&nbsp;Michael Siani&nbsp;(13 each) at all positions.

Witt Jr. is the third Royals shortstop to be named an All-Star, following&nbsp;Fred Patek&nbsp;(1972, 1976, 1978) and&nbsp;Alcides Escobar&nbsp;(2015).

Witt Jr.’s 49 extra-base hits including today are already the 2nd most by any Royals player before the All-Star break, trailing&nbsp;Mike Sweeney’s&nbsp;56 extra-base hits before the break in 2001. With 1 extra-base hit in the next 5 games, Witt Jr. would become just the sixth player to record at least 50 extra-base hits and 20 steals before the All-Star break, and would join&nbsp;Bobby Bonds&nbsp;(1973),&nbsp;Alfonso Soriano&nbsp;(2002),&nbsp;Ian Kinsler&nbsp;(2008),&nbsp;Mike Trout&nbsp;(2013) and&nbsp;José Ramírez&nbsp;(2018).

Lugo, 34, is a first-time All-Star in his ninth Major League season. He entered today leading the Majors in ERA (2.21), innings (122.0) and quality starts (15). His 11 wins are tied with&nbsp;Chris Sale&nbsp;for the Major League lead and his .786 win percentage (11-3) is tied for 3rd best in the Majors. Lugo has completed at least 6.0 innings in 17 of his 19 starts, the most such starts in the Majors.

Ragans, 26, was Kansas City’s Opening Day starter this season and is now an All-Star for the first time in his career. He’s 5-6 with a 3.28 ERA (40 ER in 109.2 IP) in 19 starts, and his 134 strikeouts were the 3rd most in the Majors entering today, trailing&nbsp;Garrett Crochet&nbsp;(146) and&nbsp;Tyler Glasnow&nbsp;(143).

Ragans was a 2016 1st-round pick of the Rangers, who are hosting this year’s All-Star Game. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers in 2022 and made Texas’ Opening Day roster in 2023, before being acquired by Kansas City on June 30, 2023 in a three-player trade that sent&nbsp;Aroldis Chapman&nbsp;to the Rangers.

Lugo and Ragans are the first Royals pitchers to be named to an All-Star Game since&nbsp;Jason Vargas&nbsp;in 2017. This marks the first time in franchise history that the Royals will have two All-Star&nbsp;starting pitchers&nbsp;in the same season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball announced today the rosters for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The American League team will feature four Royals players, including&nbsp;Salvador Perez,&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and&nbsp;Seth Lugo&nbsp;(who were elected by the players) and&nbsp;Cole Ragans&nbsp;(who was selected by the Commissioner’s Office).The four All-Star players are the most for the Royals since 2016, when Perez led the American League in All-Star votes and&nbsp;Eric Hosmer&nbsp;started and was named All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player.&nbsp;Kelvin Herrera&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wade Davis&nbsp;were also named All-Stars that year, though Davis didn’t pitch due to injury.Last week, Major League Baseball announced that Royals Strength and Conditioning Coach,&nbsp;Ryan Stoneberg, will join Manager&nbsp;Bruce Bochy’s&nbsp;American League staff for the 2024 All-Star Game.Perez is an American League All-Star for the ninth time in his career, which leads all active catchers and ranks 2nd in Royals history to&nbsp;George Brett’s&nbsp;13 All-Star selections. His nine All-Star selections are tied with&nbsp;Jose Altuve&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dave Concepción&nbsp;for the 3rd most by a Venezuela-born player, trailing only&nbsp;Miguel Cabrera&nbsp;(12) and&nbsp;Luis Aparicio&nbsp;(10).Salvy, 34, entered today among the American League leaders at catcher this season (min. 50% games at the position) in extra-base hits (30, tied for 1st), hits (88, 2nd) and RBI (55, 2nd). His 18 go-ahead RBI rank tied for 5th in the Majors among players at all positions. Perez had 2 more hits in today’s win, including the 1,500th&nbsp;hit of his career.The 2024 All-Star Game will be a homecoming of sorts for first-time All-Star Witt Jr., who grew up in Colleyville, Texas, which is less than 20 miles north of Globe Life Field. The 24-year-old entered today ranking among the top 5 in the Majors in several offensive categories, including hits (116, 2nd), batting average (.320, 2nd), multi-hit games (36, 2nd), extra-base hits (48, 4th), total bases (201, 4th), runs (70, tied for 4th) and stolen bases (22, tied for 5th). He added 3 hits in today’s win, including a 3-run home run. On defense, Witt Jr.’s 12 Outs Above Average lead all shortstops and trail only&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;and&nbsp;Michael Siani&nbsp;(13 each) at all positions.Witt Jr. is the third Royals shortstop to be named an All-Star, following&nbsp;Fred Patek&nbsp;(1972, 1976, 1978) and&nbsp;Alcides Escobar&nbsp;(2015).Witt Jr.’s 49 extra-base hits including today are already the 2nd most by any Royals player before the All-Star break, trailing&nbsp;Mike Sweeney’s&nbsp;56 extra-base hits before the break in 2001. With 1 extra-base hit in the next 5 games, Witt Jr. would become just the sixth player to record at least 50 extra-base hits and 20 steals before the All-Star break, and would join&nbsp;Bobby Bonds&nbsp;(1973),&nbsp;Alfonso Soriano&nbsp;(2002),&nbsp;Ian Kinsler&nbsp;(2008),&nbsp;Mike Trout&nbsp;(2013) and&nbsp;José Ramírez&nbsp;(2018).Lugo, 34, is a first-time All-Star in his ninth Major League season. He entered today leading the Majors in ERA (2.21), innings (122.0) and quality starts (15). His 11 wins are tied with&nbsp;Chris Sale&nbsp;for the Major League lead and his .786 win percentage (11-3) is tied for 3rd best in the Majors. Lugo has completed at least 6.0 innings in 17 of his 19 starts, the most such starts in the Majors.Ragans, 26, was Kansas City’s Opening Day starter this season and is now an All-Star for the first time in his career. He’s 5-6 with a 3.28 ERA (40 ER in 109.2 IP) in 19 starts, and his 134 strikeouts were the 3rd most in the Majors entering today, trailing&nbsp;Garrett Crochet&nbsp;(146) and&nbsp;Tyler Glasnow&nbsp;(143).Ragans was a 2016 1st-round pick of the Rangers, who are hosting this year’s All-Star Game. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers in 2022 and made Texas’ Opening Day roster in 2023, before being acquired by Kansas City on June 30, 2023 in a three-player trade that sent&nbsp;Aroldis Chapman&nbsp;to the Rangers.Lugo and Ragans are the first Royals pitchers to be named to an All-Star Game since&nbsp;Jason Vargas&nbsp;in 2017. This marks the first time in franchise history that the Royals will have two All-Star&nbsp;starting pitchers&nbsp;in the same season.

Four Royals Selected to 2024 All-Star Game

DENVER (AP) — Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homered, Brady Singer won for the first time on the road this season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.

Garcia’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning off right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Garcia homered for first time since May 17, a span of 183 at-bats. He has six homer this season.

Melendez homered in the seventh, and Witt hit his 15th to cap a three-hit day in a three-run ninth.

Singer (5-5) gave one run and six hits — all singles — and stuck out seven in seven innings for his first road victory since Aug. 8, 2023, in Boston. He is 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in eight road starts this season.

Nolan Jones hit run-scoring single to break Singer’s shutout with two outs in the seventh inning, but Singer retired Aaron Schunk on a fly to deep left field to preserve a 5-1 lead.

Salvador Perez had two singles, the first the 1,500th of his 13-year career, and Michael Massey and Garcia also had two hits. The Royals were 4 for 7 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 51 in their previous nine road games. They had lost five straight on the road.

Gordon gave up eight hits and stuck out four without a walk in an economical 6 1/3 innings. He threw 78 pitches, 62 strikes.

Jake Cave had two hits and Michael Toglia reached base on a single and two walks for the Rockies, who had a three-game winning streak broken. Ezequiel Tovar was 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 24 at-bats, a career long.

Perez singled to open second inning off Gordon, and singles by Massey and Felix Fermin drove in the first run. Garcia homered on a one-out 1-2 changeup, his 382-foot fly just clearing the left field fence. Massey and Fermin had RBIs in the eighth.

Royals: 2B/OF Adam Frazier (thumb) was hitless in four at-bats from the leadoff spot in his first game since being activated from the injured list Friday. He was replaced for defensive purposes in the seventh inning.

Rockies: Gordon was purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start and RHP Dakota Hudson (2-12, 5.84 ERA) was designated for assignment. Hudson set a franchise record for most losses before the All-Star Game. … RHP German Marquez (Tommy John surgery) nearing a return to the rotation and is expected to make a final rehab start Tuesday, likely for Double-A Hartford. The Rockies roster is at 39. … OF Kris Bryant (oblique strain) will accompany the team on the seven-game road trip and will begin hitting on the field Monday. “That’s another big step,” manager Bud Black said. Bryant has been out since June 3.

Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.60 ERA) was set to face Cincinnati LHP Andrew Abbott (8-6, 3.28) in the first game of a four-game series Monday at Great American Ball Park. ... Royals RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74) was scheduled to oppose Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00) on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720431731860.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tanner Gordon in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tanner Gordon in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. homered, Brady Singer won for the first time on the road this season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.Garcia’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning off right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Garcia homered for first time since May 17, a span of 183 at-bats. He has six homer this season.Melendez homered in the seventh, and Witt hit his 15th to cap a three-hit day in a three-run ninth.Singer (5-5) gave one run and six hits — all singles — and stuck out seven in seven innings for his first road victory since Aug. 8, 2023, in Boston. He is 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in eight road starts this season.Nolan Jones hit run-scoring single to break Singer’s shutout with two outs in the seventh inning, but Singer retired Aaron Schunk on a fly to deep left field to preserve a 5-1 lead.Salvador Perez had two singles, the first the 1,500th of his 13-year career, and Michael Massey and Garcia also had two hits. The Royals were 4 for 7 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 51 in their previous nine road games. They had lost five straight on the road.Gordon gave up eight hits and stuck out four without a walk in an economical 6 1/3 innings. He threw 78 pitches, 62 strikes.Jake Cave had two hits and Michael Toglia reached base on a single and two walks for the Rockies, who had a three-game winning streak broken. Ezequiel Tovar was 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 24 at-bats, a career long.Perez singled to open second inning off Gordon, and singles by Massey and Felix Fermin drove in the first run. Garcia homered on a one-out 1-2 changeup, his 382-foot fly just clearing the left field fence. Massey and Fermin had RBIs in the eighth.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 2B/OF Adam Frazier (thumb) was hitless in four at-bats from the leadoff spot in his first game since being activated from the injured list Friday. He was replaced for defensive purposes in the seventh inning.Rockies: Gordon was purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start and RHP Dakota Hudson (2-12, 5.84 ERA) was designated for assignment. Hudson set a franchise record for most losses before the All-Star Game. … RHP German Marquez (Tommy John surgery) nearing a return to the rotation and is expected to make a final rehab start Tuesday, likely for Double-A Hartford. The Rockies roster is at 39. … OF Kris Bryant (oblique strain) will accompany the team on the seven-game road trip and will begin hitting on the field Monday. “That’s another big step,” manager Bud Black said. Bryant has been out since June 3.UP NEXTRockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.60 ERA) was set to face Cincinnati LHP Andrew Abbott (8-6, 3.28) in the first game of a four-game series Monday at Great American Ball Park. ... Royals RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74) was scheduled to oppose Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00) on Tuesday night in St. Louis.___

⚾ Garcia, Melendez, Witt homer as Royals rout Rockies to end losing streak

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

It wasn’t always pretty, but when it mattered most, the Salina Liberty buckled down and defeated the Southwest Kansas Storm to punch their ticket to the AFL Semifinals.

With a 41-35 victory, the Liberty secure a date with the Albany Firebirds in New York next week while the Storm see their season draw to a close at 4-6.

This game began and ended in chaos, with the whole contest played within two possessions.

Southwest Kansas would strike first, recording a safety on the Liberty’s first drive of the game and immediately following up with a touchdown run from Matt Struck to take a 9-0 lead.

The Liberty responded with a touchdown to get on the board but still trailed 12-7 going into the second quarter.

From there, Salina turned up the heat, as Demarius Washington caught his second touchdown pass of the day from Charles McCullum to deliver the Liberty their first lead of the game.

That score kicked off a huge run for the Liberty, who scored 24 unanswered points to take a 31-18 lead into the locker room.

The third quarter belonged to the Storm as Southwest Kansas countered with 15 unanswered points of thier own to bring the game back within one possession.

Salina added an Aeden Johnson field goal to open the scoring in the fourth, but another Matt Struck touchdown run tied the game at 34 with just 4:16 to play.

After a missed Liberty field goal, the Storm were gifted an opportunity to take their first lead of the second half, but the Liberty defense stood tall, forcing a fumble near the goal line that Henry Kellogg scooped up to deliver Salina a 41-34 advantage in the closing seconds.

Two incompletions, a sack, and a desperation heave were all the Storm could muster on their final drive of the game, as the Liberty held on for dear life to a playoff victory.

The Liberty will square off with the league’s top seed in the Albany Firebirds (7-2) next Saturday at 1:30 CST.

On the other side of the bracket, the Nashville Kats will travel to Billings to take on the 2-seeded Outlaws after defeating decimating Orlando 62-32 in the quarterfinals.

Both games will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostIt wasn’t always pretty, but when it mattered most, the Salina Liberty buckled down and defeated the Southwest Kansas Storm to punch their ticket to the AFL Semifinals.With a 41-35 victory, the Liberty secure a date with the Albany Firebirds in New York next week while the Storm see their season draw to a close at 4-6.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715632935741.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing." />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing.</figcaption>
 </figure>This game began and ended in chaos, with the whole contest played within two possessions.Southwest Kansas would strike first, recording a safety on the Liberty’s first drive of the game and immediately following up with a touchdown run from Matt Struck to take a 9-0 lead.The Liberty responded with a touchdown to get on the board but still trailed 12-7 going into the second quarter.From there, Salina turned up the heat, as Demarius Washington caught his second touchdown pass of the day from Charles McCullum to deliver the Liberty their first lead of the game.That score kicked off a huge run for the Liberty, who scored 24 unanswered points to take a 31-18 lead into the locker room.The third quarter belonged to the Storm as Southwest Kansas countered with 15 unanswered points of thier own to bring the game back within one possession.Salina added an Aeden Johnson field goal to open the scoring in the fourth, but another Matt Struck touchdown run tied the game at 34 with just 4:16 to play.After a missed Liberty field goal, the Storm were gifted an opportunity to take their first lead of the second half, but the Liberty defense stood tall, forcing a fumble near the goal line that Henry Kellogg scooped up to deliver Salina a 41-34 advantage in the closing seconds.Two incompletions, a sack, and a desperation heave were all the Storm could muster on their final drive of the game, as the Liberty held on for dear life to a playoff victory.The defense that Salina had hung it’s hat on all season long was immaculate once again, forcing four turnovers and three sacks in the win.Charles McCullum had a great day under center as well, completing 47% of his passes for 164 yards, three touchdowns and only one pick.The Liberty will square off with the league’s top seed in the Albany Firebirds (7-2) next Saturday at 1:30 CST.On the other side of the bracket, the Nashville Kats will travel to Billings to take on the 2-seeded Outlaws after defeating decimating Orlando 62-32 in the quarterfinals.Both games will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network.

Liberty weather Storm, punch ticket to AFL semifinals with 41-35 victory

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered for the fourth time in five games, Austin Gomber won for the first time in seven weeks and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night.

Gomber (2-5) allowed a run on six hits in seven innings and struck out three in his first victory since May 15. He outdueled Royals ace Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon having three hits to help Colorado win its third straight.

“That was the best result that I’ve had in a while, but I’ve felt really good the last couple of weeks. I’ve just been kind of honing it in," Gomber said. “I thought I had a really good fastball, a good curveball, some good sliders at times. But really I thought it was kind of the fastball, curveball that kind of carried it for me today.”

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said the way Gomber mixed his fastball and breaking pitches kept his hitters off balance.

“I think when we looked hard, he threw soft and vice versa,” Quatraro said. “We didn’t square up a whole lot of balls, so you’ve got to give him credit.”

Lugo (11-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs — two earned. He struck out five and walked two.

In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th homer of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached on third baseman Maikel Garcia’s throwing error.

Doyle has had an exceptionally strong homestand, going 11 for 17 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs in five games.

Doyle drove Lugo’s 1-1 offering over the fence in right-center and into the Rockies bullpen 408 feet away.

“Guys like him are not easy to face and he’s been doing really well all year,” Doyle said about Lugo. “He’s been throwing really well all year and to get a hit like that off him is pretty huge for me, and to fire the team up a little bit. We played a good rest of the game.”

The drive snapped Lugo’s scoreless innings streak at 13 and led to his first loss on the road this season. He had dominated in his nine previous road starts, going 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA.

“I felt like I really had to battle out there,” Lugo said. “A few little things mechanically were off, but I felt like I made some good pitches. I made a few mistakes, but the defense played great behind me and we kept the team in the game and had a chance the whole way. So that's a positive I can take away from that."

Vinnie Pasquantino homered for Kansas City, and Hunter Renfroe had three hits. The Royals are 2-9 in their last 11 road games.

Pasquantino connected off Gomber with two outs in the sixth inning. Salvador Perez followed Pasquantino’s homer with a drive down the line in right that Jake Cave caught on the run, crashing into the wall. Kansas City right fielder Kyle Isbel reciprocated in the bottom of the sixth when he robbed Doyle of extra bases, snaring a sinking line drive to center at the end of a long run.

With Kansas City runners at the corners with two outs in the ninth, Victor Vodnik retired pinch-hitter Michael Massey on an infield grounder for his first save.

McMahon’s RBI single fifth made it 3-0.

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, completing a 447-day rehab and recovery from Tommy John surgery. He made just three starts in 2023 before undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in April 2023. He’ll work out of the bullpen, at least initially. LHP Walter Pennington, who retired both batters that he faced Friday night in his major league debut, has been optioned to Omaha to make roster room for Bubic.

Rockies: Trying to give Ryan Feltner bit of a break from a heavy workload, manager Bud Black opted to push back Feltner’s scheduled start Sunday by a day. Feltner is now slated to start Monday night in Cincinnati. The Rockies called up RHP Tanner Gordon from their Triple A affiliate in Albuquerque and he’s slated to make his major league debut as the starter for the Rockies in Sunday’s series finale.

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered for the fourth time in five games, Austin Gomber won for the first time in seven weeks and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night.Gomber (2-5) allowed a run on six hits in seven innings and struck out three in his first victory since May 15. He outdueled Royals ace Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon having three hits to help Colorado win its third straight.“That was the best result that I’ve had in a while, but I’ve felt really good the last couple of weeks. I’ve just been kind of honing it in," Gomber said. “I thought I had a really good fastball, a good curveball, some good sliders at times. But really I thought it was kind of the fastball, curveball that kind of carried it for me today.”Royals manager Matt Quatraro said the way Gomber mixed his fastball and breaking pitches kept his hitters off balance.“I think when we looked hard, he threw soft and vice versa,” Quatraro said. “We didn’t square up a whole lot of balls, so you’ve got to give him credit.”Lugo (11-3) went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs — two earned. He struck out five and walked two.In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th homer of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached on third baseman Maikel Garcia’s throwing error.Doyle has had an exceptionally strong homestand, going 11 for 17 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs in five games.Doyle drove Lugo’s 1-1 offering over the fence in right-center and into the Rockies bullpen 408 feet away.“Guys like him are not easy to face and he’s been doing really well all year,” Doyle said about Lugo. “He’s been throwing really well all year and to get a hit like that off him is pretty huge for me, and to fire the team up a little bit. We played a good rest of the game.”The drive snapped Lugo’s scoreless innings streak at 13 and led to his first loss on the road this season. He had dominated in his nine previous road starts, going 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA.“I felt like I really had to battle out there,” Lugo said. “A few little things mechanically were off, but I felt like I made some good pitches. I made a few mistakes, but the defense played great behind me and we kept the team in the game and had a chance the whole way. So that's a positive I can take away from that."Vinnie Pasquantino homered for Kansas City, and Hunter Renfroe had three hits. The Royals are 2-9 in their last 11 road games.Pasquantino connected off Gomber with two outs in the sixth inning. Salvador Perez followed Pasquantino’s homer with a drive down the line in right that Jake Cave caught on the run, crashing into the wall. Kansas City right fielder Kyle Isbel reciprocated in the bottom of the sixth when he robbed Doyle of extra bases, snaring a sinking line drive to center at the end of a long run.With Kansas City runners at the corners with two outs in the ninth, Victor Vodnik retired pinch-hitter Michael Massey on an infield grounder for his first save.McMahon’s RBI single fifth made it 3-0.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: LHP Kris Bubic has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, completing a 447-day rehab and recovery from Tommy John surgery. He made just three starts in 2023 before undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in April 2023. He’ll work out of the bullpen, at least initially. LHP Walter Pennington, who retired both batters that he faced Friday night in his major league debut, has been optioned to Omaha to make roster room for Bubic.Rockies: Trying to give Ryan Feltner bit of a break from a heavy workload, manager Bud Black opted to push back Feltner’s scheduled start Sunday by a day. Feltner is now slated to start Monday night in Cincinnati. The Rockies called up RHP Tanner Gordon from their Triple A affiliate in Albuquerque and he’s slated to make his major league debut as the starter for the Rockies in Sunday’s series finale.UP NEXT

⚾ Gomber outduels Lugo in the Rockies victory over the Royals

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review.

Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.

The Royals went up 1-0 in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored an out later on a single by Perez.

Toglia connected on a 2-2 offering from Cole Ragans in the third inning, sending it the opposite way and just barely over the left field fence. Left fielder Dairon Blanco made a leaping attempt at the wall, his glove appearing to make glancing contact with the cupped hands of a fan who also tried to catch the ball. The ball dropped into the first row of the bleachers. The replay review upheld the home run call, ruling there was no conclusive evidence the spectator had interfered with Blanco in the field of play.

The Royals moved in front on an unearned run in the fourth inning, and the Rockies tied it at 2 in the sixth on Elias Díaz's RBI single.

Both starters turned in solid performances, with Ragans going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight but had four wild pitches, the most in a game by a pitcher this season. Colorado’s Kyle Freeland also went seven innings and allowed two runs — one earned — on seven hits.

Rockies RHP Germán Márquez is getting closer to returning from reconstructive elbow surgery. Márquez threw 69 pitches for Double-A Hartford on Thursday in his second rehab start, striking out two and walking one. He reached 99 mph with his fastball. “He came out of that fine,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s healthy. He feels good.” Márquez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, is expected to have one more rehab start Tuesday with Hartford and could rejoin the Rockies during their seven-game road trip next week that leads up to the All-Star break July 15-18.

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review.Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.The Royals went up 1-0 in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored an out later on a single by Perez.Toglia connected on a 2-2 offering from Cole Ragans in the third inning, sending it the opposite way and just barely over the left field fence. Left fielder Dairon Blanco made a leaping attempt at the wall, his glove appearing to make glancing contact with the cupped hands of a fan who also tried to catch the ball. The ball dropped into the first row of the bleachers. The replay review upheld the home run call, ruling there was no conclusive evidence the spectator had interfered with Blanco in the field of play.The Royals moved in front on an unearned run in the fourth inning, and the Rockies tied it at 2 in the sixth on Elias Díaz's RBI single.Both starters turned in solid performances, with Ragans going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight but had four wild pitches, the most in a game by a pitcher this season. Colorado’s Kyle Freeland also went seven innings and allowed two runs — one earned — on seven hits.TRAINER’S ROOMRockies RHP Germán Márquez is getting closer to returning from reconstructive elbow surgery. Márquez threw 69 pitches for Double-A Hartford on Thursday in his second rehab start, striking out two and walking one. He reached 99 mph with his fastball. “He came out of that fine,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s healthy. He feels good.” Márquez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, is expected to have one more rehab start Tuesday with Hartford and could rejoin the Rockies during their seven-game road trip next week that leads up to the All-Star break July 15-18.UP NEXT

⚾ Brenton Doyle's 2-run double lifts Rockies over the  Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonny DeLuca and Brandon Lowe homered, eight Rays players drove in runs, and Tampa Bay pounced on some erratic Kansas City pitching to squeak out a 10-8 victory over the Royals on Thursday night.

Zach Eflin (5-5), riding a 10-inning scoreless streak coming into the game, allowed six runs — five earned — and seven hits with a walk over five innings. That was still good enough to pick up his first win in his last five road starts.

“The offense was tremendous tonight,” Eflin said. “They carried us.”

Alec Marsh (6-6) allowed five runs and six hits with three walks in just three innings. The Kansas City bullpen fared no better as five relievers combined to allow five more runs, 10 hits and five walks.

“It was a game of adjustments and I wasn't able to make them,” Marsh said. “Feels like you're battling yourself out there.”

Michael Massey and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for the Royals, who trailed 9-4 before scoring three times in the sixth inning. The rally ended when Witt — representing the potential tying run — was thrown out trying to steal second.

Pete Fairbanks surrendered Witt's solo homer in the ninth before picking up his 14th save.

“They kept going, getting big hits after big hits,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “but it felt like when we really needed a play, we made it.”

Marsh struggled with his command from the start, walking Richie Palacios on four pitches and Isaac Paredes on a full-count to start the game — both eventually scored. DeLuca homered in the second and Palacios added an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720172251915.jpeg" alt="Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe runs home past Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin (34) to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Taylor Walls during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe runs home past Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin (34) to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Taylor Walls during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonny DeLuca and Brandon Lowe homered, eight Rays players drove in runs, and Tampa Bay pounced on some erratic Kansas City pitching to squeak out a 10-8 victory over the Royals on Thursday night.Zach Eflin (5-5), riding a 10-inning scoreless streak coming into the game, allowed six runs — five earned — and seven hits with a walk over five innings. That was still good enough to pick up his first win in his last five road starts.“The offense was tremendous tonight,” Eflin said. “They carried us.”Alec Marsh (6-6) allowed five runs and six hits with three walks in just three innings. The Kansas City bullpen fared no better as five relievers combined to allow five more runs, 10 hits and five walks.“It was a game of adjustments and I wasn't able to make them,” Marsh said. “Feels like you're battling yourself out there.”Michael Massey and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for the Royals, who trailed 9-4 before scoring three times in the sixth inning. The rally ended when Witt — representing the potential tying run — was thrown out trying to steal second.Pete Fairbanks surrendered Witt's solo homer in the ninth before picking up his 14th save.“They kept going, getting big hits after big hits,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “but it felt like when we really needed a play, we made it.”Marsh struggled with his command from the start, walking Richie Palacios on four pitches and Isaac Paredes on a full-count to start the game — both eventually scored. DeLuca homered in the second and Palacios added an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.The Royals got a run back on Massey's homer in the second. And after Tampa Bay restored a four-run lead on DeLuca's single in the third, Witt hit a sacrifice fly and Pasquantino an RBI single to get Kansas City to 5-3.Carlos Hernandez didn't have much better command than Marsh for Kansas City. He walked the bases loaded to begin the fifth, and Taylor Walls and Ben Rortvedt made sure all three runners scored, extending the Tampa Bay lead.The Rays hung on the rest of the way for their fifth straight series win.“We got a lot of big hits. We had a lot of big at-bats, tough matchups,” said Cash, whose club has won 11 of its last 16 games to leave Kansas City above .500 at 43-42. “There were a lot of guys who contributed offensively.”TRAINER'S ROOMMassey played the field for the first time since May 24, when a lower back issue forced him onto the injured list. He had been limited to DH duties since returning to the club on June 24. ... Royals INF/OF Adam Frazier (right thumb strain) began what is expected to be a short rehab stint at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Friday night.UP NEXTThe Rays have not announced a starter for Friday night's series-opener at Texas, though RHP Shane Baz is expected to get the ball in place of Aaron Civale, who was traded to the Brewers earlier this week. Baz missed last season after Tommy John surgery, but he's been dominant at Triple-A Durham, compiling a 1.57 ERA over his last five outings.The Royals begin a nine-game trip leading into the All-Star break with the first of three in Colorado on Friday night. RHP Cole Ragans (5-6, 3.33) will try to bounce back from a shaky outing last Saturday against Cleveland.