<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/search?Archive=24345&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-july-28-2025/4943" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-zgepE2DOaz" target="_blank">Media Download</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex after the Wildcats’ first full week of preseason camp. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

“Okay, good afternoon. It’s good to see everybody again. It's been a while, unless I saw you at Big 12 Media Days. This is a first for me – it’s July 28, and we just finished practice No. 5. So, it is upon us, and we are rolling. This is the second full week of fall camp. We're in a spell right now – everybody in the country is right now with the heat. We're trying to go as early in the morning as we can, getting our work done and trying to keep our kids hydrated and as safe as we can. So, it will be a heavy day tomorrow, and then we have an off day. Then I think maybe the weather even lessens a little bit. But, we've had good work so far.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/search?Archive=24345&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-july-28-2025/4943" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-zgepE2DOaz" target="_blank">Media Download</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex after the Wildcats’ first full week of preseason camp. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Okay, good afternoon. It’s good to see everybody again. It's been a while, unless I saw you at Big 12 Media Days. This is a first for me – it’s July 28, and we just finished practice No. 5. So, it is upon us, and we are rolling. This is the second full week of fall camp. We're in a spell right now – everybody in the country is right now with the heat. We're trying to go as early in the morning as we can, getting our work done and trying to keep our kids hydrated and as safe as we can. So, it will be a heavy day tomorrow, and then we have an off day. Then I think maybe the weather even lessens a little bit. But, we've had good work so far.

K-State’s Klieman Holds Initial Preseason Camp Press Conference

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Ten home games at Bramlage Coliseum, including power conference matchups with California and Seton Hall, highlight the non-conference schedule for fourth-year coach Jerome Tang and his Kansas State men’s basketball program announced on Monday afternoon (July 28).

Season tickets for the 2025-26 season went on sale June 10 with a variety of ticket options. Fans can purchase tickets by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at <a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

In addition to its 10 home games, K-State will play locally at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Thursday-Friday, Nov. 20-21 in the 25th annual Hall of Fame Classic. The Wildcats will open against NCAA Tournament participant Mississippi State at 8:30 p.m., CT on Nov. 20 before facing either Nebraska or New Mexico on Nov. 21. Tickets for the event go on sale on Sept. 3.

K-State will open its 122nd season of men’s basketball with the second of five straight home games, as the Wildcats face first-time opponent UNC Greensboro on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The contest with the Spartans is followed by matchups against Bellarmine on Saturday, Nov. 8, California on Thursday, Nov. 13 and Tulsa on Monday, Nov. 17.

The season-opening homestand will begin on Friday, Oct. 31 with an exhibition against Newman. The details of a second exhibition contest will be released once they are finalized.

In all, the Wildcats will play 19 home games in 2025-26, including visits by NCAA Tournament participants Baylor, BYU, Iowa State and Kansas.

Aside from the Hall of Fame Classic, the Wildcats will play a pair of road non-conference games with a trip to Indiana on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and the start of a home-and-home series with Creighton on Saturday, Dec. 13 at CHI Health Center Omaha. The Bluejays are expected to return to Bramlage Coliseum during the 2026-27 season. This will be the first meeting with the Hoosiers since 1998 and the first in Bloomington since 1985.

K-State will also start a home-and-home series with Seton Hall on Saturday, Dec. 6. It will be the first meeting between the schools since 1940.

K-State finished the 2024-25 season with a 16-17 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with a 9-11 mark. Among the Wildcats’ 16 victories were five over Top 25 teams, including No. 3 Iowa State on the road. The team has won 61 games in head coach Jerome Tang’s tenure, including two postseason appearances.

The rest of the 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule will be released as it becomes official.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Ten home games at Bramlage Coliseum, including power conference matchups with California and Seton Hall, highlight the non-conference schedule for fourth-year coach Jerome Tang and his Kansas State men’s basketball program announced on Monday afternoon (July 28).Season tickets for the 2025-26 season went on sale June 10 with a variety of ticket options. Fans can purchase tickets by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at <a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.In addition to its 10 home games, K-State will play locally at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Thursday-Friday, Nov. 20-21 in the 25th annual Hall of Fame Classic. The Wildcats will open against NCAA Tournament participant Mississippi State at 8:30 p.m., CT on Nov. 20 before facing either Nebraska or New Mexico on Nov. 21. Tickets for the event go on sale on Sept. 3.K-State will open its 122nd season of men’s basketball with the second of five straight home games, as the Wildcats face first-time opponent UNC Greensboro on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The contest with the Spartans is followed by matchups against Bellarmine on Saturday, Nov. 8, California on Thursday, Nov. 13 and Tulsa on Monday, Nov. 17.The season-opening homestand will begin on Friday, Oct. 31 with an exhibition against Newman. The details of a second exhibition contest will be released once they are finalized.In all, the Wildcats will play 19 home games in 2025-26, including visits by NCAA Tournament participants Baylor, BYU, Iowa State and Kansas.Aside from the Hall of Fame Classic, the Wildcats will play a pair of road non-conference games with a trip to Indiana on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and the start of a home-and-home series with Creighton on Saturday, Dec. 13 at CHI Health Center Omaha. The Bluejays are expected to return to Bramlage Coliseum during the 2026-27 season. This will be the first meeting with the Hoosiers since 1998 and the first in Bloomington since 1985.K-State will also start a home-and-home series with Seton Hall on Saturday, Dec. 6. It will be the first meeting between the schools since 1940.K-State finished the 2024-25 season with a 16-17 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with a 9-11 mark. Among the Wildcats’ 16 victories were five over Top 25 teams, including No. 3 Iowa State on the road. The team has won 61 games in head coach Jerome Tang’s tenure, including two postseason appearances.The rest of the 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule will be released as it becomes official.SCHEDULE NOTES<ul>
 <li>K-State will open the 2025-26 season with 5 consecutive home games for the second consecutive season.</li><li>K-State will face 3 first-time opponents (UNC Greensboro, Bowling Green, ULM) starting with the opener against UNC Greensboro on Tuesday, Nov. 4.</li><li>K-State will conclude a home-and-home series with California by hosting the Golden Bears for the first time since 2007 on Thursday, Nov. 13.</li><li>K-State will play Tulsa for the fourth time since 2017 at home on Monday, Nov. 17.</li><li>K-State will play in the Hall of Fame Classic for the fourth time (2010, 2015, 2021, 2025) and the first time since 2021… The field is one of the best in-season tournaments with NCAA Tournament participants Mississippi State and New Mexico and College Basketball Crown winner Nebraska… This will be the first meeting with the Bulldogs since 2019.</li><li>K-State and Indiana have a long history having played 31 times between 1936 and 1998… This will be the 16th meeting in Bloomington and the first time since 1985.</li><li>K-State will play five of its six games in the month of December at home starting with first time opponent Bowling Green on Monday, Dec. 1.</li><li>K-State will play Seton Hall for the first time since 1940 on Saturday, Dec. 6… The Wildcats will make a return visit to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in 2026-27.</li><li>K-State will play at Creighton for the first time since 1987 on Saturday, Dec. 13… The schools have split their 16 all-time meetings since the first one in 1926… The Wildcats have won the last 3 matchups with the Bluejays, including a 69-59 win in the last matchup at the 2018 NCAA Tournament.</li><li>K-State will wrap up non-conference play with home games against South Dakota (Saturday, Dec. 20) and ULM (Sunday, Dec. 28)… The Wildcats are 10-0 all-time vs. the Yotes in approaching the first meeting since 2015.</li>
 </ul>

Ten Home Games Highlight K-State MBB Non-Conference Schedule in 2025-26

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Seth Lugo&nbsp;has agreed to a two-year contract extension through 2027, with a vesting option for 2028.

Since joining the Royals last season, Lugo, 35, is 23-14 (.622) with a 2.98 ERA (106 ER in 319.2 IP) in 52 starts. Over this stretch, he ranks 2nd in the American League in innings, 3rd in quality starts (33), tied for 4th in wins and 7th in ERA.

Lugo’s 2.98 ERA is the lowest in the 57-season history of the Kansas City Royals (min. 50 starts).

In 19 starts this season, he ranks 10th in the American League with a 2.95 ERA (37 ER in 113.0 IP).

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Seth Lugo&nbsp;has agreed to a two-year contract extension through 2027, with a vesting option for 2028.Since joining the Royals last season, Lugo, 35, is 23-14 (.622) with a 2.98 ERA (106 ER in 319.2 IP) in 52 starts. Over this stretch, he ranks 2nd in the American League in innings, 3rd in quality starts (33), tied for 4th in wins and 7th in ERA.Lugo’s 2.98 ERA is the lowest in the 57-season history of the Kansas City Royals (min. 50 starts).In 19 starts this season, he ranks 10th in the American League with a 2.95 ERA (37 ER in 113.0 IP).

 Royals Agree to Two-Year Contract Extension with Seth Lugo

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, (I) hope nobody broke a sweat in here. The guys that didn’t practice were (Jake) Briningstool – hamstring strain, (Kristian) Fulton – knee surgery. (Jawaan) Taylor and Tre Watson – Jawaan Taylor and Tre Watson came back. So, all in all, a good day – a good day to get them in pads and work. Time’s yours.”

Q: On Omarr Norman-Lott’s practice injury and Kristian Fulton’s surgery.

REID:&nbsp;“He (Omarr Norman-Lott) tweaked his ankle just a little bit, yeah. He came back. That (Kristian Fulton’s surgery) was back in the spring, yeah. It was a clean-up, yeah.”

Q: How much does Xavier Worthy need to be a part of the deep passing game this year, as it’s been an emphasis throughout practice?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, sure, no he’s (Xavier Worthy) a part of that. Yeah, for sure. We’ve got speed, and so, you know, the best we can utilize it. We’ll still work our short and our intermediate game as we go, but that’s all part of it.”

Q: There was a rotation at right tackle today with Jawaan Taylor. Was that to ease Jawaan Taylor in, or is there a position battle at right tackle?&nbsp;

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we were just getting him (Jawaan Taylor) back in the swing. He hadn’t done anything, so – but they’re all three (Jawaan Taylor, Ethan Driskell, and Jaylon Moore) kind of competing in there, so.”

Q: What is the benefit of having the Bill Walsh Fellowship coaches at camp this year? Particularly with veteran Juan Castillo?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, Juan’s (Castillo) coaching at Michigan, or at least helping out there. So, he came in, (he) brings a ton of experience. (Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck) knows him, and likes him, and he’s in coaching, you know? Andy’s given him an opportunity to step in and do some stuff with him. And (the) same way with Cam (former T Cameron Erving). Cam played for him (Andy Heck), so he knows our stuff, (he) wants to get into coaching. He just got done playing and is looking at possibly coaching.”

Q: How do you think Josh Simmons looked on his first day in pads?

REID:&nbsp;“He (Josh Simmons) did some good things. I wasn’t just focusing on him the whole time, but I thought he did some good things. He’s going to be a work in progress, (he’s going to) keep working and cranking on. (He’s a) young guy.”

Q: What’s the timeline on Jake Briningstool’s return?&nbsp;

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I can’t tell you. He’s (Jake Briningstool) got a hamstring (injury), so I don’t know how long he’ll be.”

Q: What have you seen from Robert Tonyan?&nbsp;

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s (Robert Tonyan) done a nice job. He’s a veteran, I mean, he’s played before. So, he’s been consistent, (he’s a) good receiver. (He’s a) good receiving tight end.”

Q: We noticed Mike Danna moving to different positions throughout practice. Can you speak more to the strategy behind that?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we did that last year. We moved him (Mike Danna) inside, outside, pass situation(s), jump him inside. He’s got a knack for it. Spags (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) moves those guys all around, but you got to have a special knack if you’re going to go inside, and he’s got that.”

Q: You’ve gone against Josh Simmons in practice, what stands out about him?

DANNA:&nbsp;“I think he (Josh Simmons) is a hell of an athlete man. He has a bright future. The sky is the limit for him. You know, he comes in day in (and) day out, you know, (he is) physical (and) athletic. It is great to see him working in with the ones and seeing him compete every single day. The guy comes to work every single day, and he is a tough competitor.”

Q: What do you guys want to build off of from last season?

DANNA:&nbsp;“Man, we’re trying to finish, we’re trying to finish. Trying to raise another Lombardi (Trophy). You know, just finish games man. When it comes late into that fourth quarter, that’s why we’re out here working. When it is hot, when we do these long drive drills, we’re trying to finish these games out on top, because every single game is a shootout, every single game is a competition man. It is always going to (a) one score game. So, we’re trying to finish games (and) condition ourselves out here. So, when it comes time for that point, you know, where we can excel.”

Q: What is the challenge of playing inside and outside on the defensive line?

DANNA:&nbsp;“You know, where my game is at, I just try to be versatile, whatever the coaches need, whatever my teammates need and if they rely on me to go inside and produce, or lineup inside and do what I got to do, then that is what it is. But you know it’s always a challenge from going from both, outside and in. Because it is always different footwork, always different techniques but you just got to be able to adjust man. If you’re able to adjust on the fly, you can really excel.”

Q: On last season and last year’s Super Bowl.

WORTHY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean it was so close, it could’ve gone either way – it just didn’t go our way. So, I mean, that’s what the offseason is for, to build, and gain that rapport together; I understand where we’re going to be on the field, and what’s our speed, (and) what’s our limitations, and how we’re going to get the ball.”&nbsp;

Q: What are you seeing from Jalen Royals and how is he meshing with the wide receivers?

WORTHY:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s (Jalen Royals) a fast learner. He gets out there, he doesn't make too many mistakes. Obviously, he’s a rookie, so he’s going to make a (few) mistakes, a few minimal errors here and there. But he’s out there, he’s playing well, he’s doing good, and he’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”

Q: What was the learning curve last year? Was there anything specific that you had to work on?

WORTHY: “It was just, like I said, it was a learning curve. I mean, everybody, you go in there with a new quarterback, he doesn’t know you, you don’t know him. You guys don’t know where he’s going to be, or you don’t know his tendencies. So, it was just a learning curve, understanding where I am going to be at and understanding what Pat (Patrick Mahomes) likes to do when he throws the ball. So, once we got that down, and we kind of learned throughout the year, trial and errors, and we’re using this training camp to do that too, as well. I feel like it would get way better.”

Q: Is there any difference between OTA’s, mandatory mini-camp, and putting pads on?

GRAY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think pads definitely changes the game. I mean, football is a padded game, (so) it’s definitely different – the intensity’s different. So, it feels good to be back out here, back in pads with the guys. I know everyone’s excited about that, so it’s good to finally be back to real football. And it’s been a lot of fun today and, (I’m) looking forward to the rest of training camp.”

GRAY:&nbsp;“Yeah, every year he (Travis Kelce) just gets wiser and wiser. Every year, he’s continuing to pour into guys like me, the young guys – some of the rookies like Jake (Briningstool) and Tre (Watson), Bobby (Robert Tonyan) coming in. You know, Jared (Wiley), (Geor’Quarius) Spivey, everybody, everybody in that room. We’re (all) just taking it all in. He just keeps giving (us) more and more information about what he’s seeing on the field. Watching him, and his practice habits, and the way he works always rubs off on us. So, when you (have) a leader like that, that continues to lead the room, (and) continues to lead the team, it rubs off on everybody else and it makes a huge difference.”

Q: What did your contract last year do for your confidence?

GRAY:&nbsp;“Like I said before, I thank God for it. I thank everybody in the organization, but I think I’m moving forward from that. I’m not trying to think about what contracts I had in the past, where I was rookie year, where I was, you know, my sophomore year. It’s all about moving forward with the guys here on this team. So, that’s what I’m focused on right now. I’m focused on competing with these guys – we had a great practice today (with) guys just coming out, working, balling, making plays - pushing past, you know, the first day in pads, and we’re looking forward to building on this and winning every football game that we can.”

Q: What do you want to see on the second day of pads as things get more intense?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesJuly 27, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, (I) hope nobody broke a sweat in here. The guys that didn’t practice were (Jake) Briningstool – hamstring strain, (Kristian) Fulton – knee surgery. (Jawaan) Taylor and Tre Watson – Jawaan Taylor and Tre Watson came back. So, all in all, a good day – a good day to get them in pads and work. Time’s yours.”Q: On Omarr Norman-Lott’s practice injury and Kristian Fulton’s surgery.REID:&nbsp;“He (Omarr Norman-Lott) tweaked his ankle just a little bit, yeah. He came back. That (Kristian Fulton’s surgery) was back in the spring, yeah. It was a clean-up, yeah.”Q: How much does Xavier Worthy need to be a part of the deep passing game this year, as it’s been an emphasis throughout practice?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, sure, no he’s (Xavier Worthy) a part of that. Yeah, for sure. We’ve got speed, and so, you know, the best we can utilize it. We’ll still work our short and our intermediate game as we go, but that’s all part of it.”Q: There was a rotation at right tackle today with Jawaan Taylor. Was that to ease Jawaan Taylor in, or is there a position battle at right tackle?&nbsp;REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we were just getting him (Jawaan Taylor) back in the swing. He hadn’t done anything, so – but they’re all three (Jawaan Taylor, Ethan Driskell, and Jaylon Moore) kind of competing in there, so.”Q: What is the benefit of having the Bill Walsh Fellowship coaches at camp this year? Particularly with veteran Juan Castillo?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, Juan’s (Castillo) coaching at Michigan, or at least helping out there. So, he came in, (he) brings a ton of experience. (Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck) knows him, and likes him, and he’s in coaching, you know? Andy’s given him an opportunity to step in and do some stuff with him. And (the) same way with Cam (former T Cameron Erving). Cam played for him (Andy Heck), so he knows our stuff, (he) wants to get into coaching. He just got done playing and is looking at possibly coaching.”Q: How do you think Josh Simmons looked on his first day in pads?REID:&nbsp;“He (Josh Simmons) did some good things. I wasn’t just focusing on him the whole time, but I thought he did some good things. He’s going to be a work in progress, (he’s going to) keep working and cranking on. (He’s a) young guy.”Q: What’s the timeline on Jake Briningstool’s return?&nbsp;REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I can’t tell you. He’s (Jake Briningstool) got a hamstring (injury), so I don’t know how long he’ll be.”Q: What have you seen from Robert Tonyan?&nbsp;REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s (Robert Tonyan) done a nice job. He’s a veteran, I mean, he’s played before. So, he’s been consistent, (he’s a) good receiver. (He’s a) good receiving tight end.”Q: We noticed Mike Danna moving to different positions throughout practice. Can you speak more to the strategy behind that?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we did that last year. We moved him (Mike Danna) inside, outside, pass situation(s), jump him inside. He’s got a knack for it. Spags (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) moves those guys all around, but you got to have a special knack if you’re going to go inside, and he’s got that.”Chiefs Player QuotesJuly 27, 2025DE MIKE DANNAQ: You’ve gone against Josh Simmons in practice, what stands out about him?DANNA:&nbsp;“I think he (Josh Simmons) is a hell of an athlete man. He has a bright future. The sky is the limit for him. You know, he comes in day in (and) day out, you know, (he is) physical (and) athletic. It is great to see him working in with the ones and seeing him compete every single day. The guy comes to work every single day, and he is a tough competitor.”Q: What do you guys want to build off of from last season?DANNA:&nbsp;“Man, we’re trying to finish, we’re trying to finish. Trying to raise another Lombardi (Trophy). You know, just finish games man. When it comes late into that fourth quarter, that’s why we’re out here working. When it is hot, when we do these long drive drills, we’re trying to finish these games out on top, because every single game is a shootout, every single game is a competition man. It is always going to (a) one score game. So, we’re trying to finish games (and) condition ourselves out here. So, when it comes time for that point, you know, where we can excel.”Q: What is the challenge of playing inside and outside on the defensive line?DANNA:&nbsp;“You know, where my game is at, I just try to be versatile, whatever the coaches need, whatever my teammates need and if they rely on me to go inside and produce, or lineup inside and do what I got to do, then that is what it is. But you know it’s always a challenge from going from both, outside and in. Because it is always different footwork, always different techniques but you just got to be able to adjust man. If you’re able to adjust on the fly, you can really excel.”WR XAVIER WORTHYQ: On last season and last year’s Super Bowl.WORTHY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean it was so close, it could’ve gone either way – it just didn’t go our way. So, I mean, that’s what the offseason is for, to build, and gain that rapport together; I understand where we’re going to be on the field, and what’s our speed, (and) what’s our limitations, and how we’re going to get the ball.”&nbsp;Q: What are you seeing from Jalen Royals and how is he meshing with the wide receivers?WORTHY:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s (Jalen Royals) a fast learner. He gets out there, he doesn't make too many mistakes. Obviously, he’s a rookie, so he’s going to make a (few) mistakes, a few minimal errors here and there. But he’s out there, he’s playing well, he’s doing good, and he’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”Q: What was the learning curve last year? Was there anything specific that you had to work on?WORTHY: “It was just, like I said, it was a learning curve. I mean, everybody, you go in there with a new quarterback, he doesn’t know you, you don’t know him. You guys don’t know where he’s going to be, or you don’t know his tendencies. So, it was just a learning curve, understanding where I am going to be at and understanding what Pat (Patrick Mahomes) likes to do when he throws the ball. So, once we got that down, and we kind of learned throughout the year, trial and errors, and we’re using this training camp to do that too, as well. I feel like it would get way better.”TE NOAH GRAYQ: Is there any difference between OTA’s, mandatory mini-camp, and putting pads on?GRAY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think pads definitely changes the game. I mean, football is a padded game, (so) it’s definitely different – the intensity’s different. So, it feels good to be back out here, back in pads with the guys. I know everyone’s excited about that, so it’s good to finally be back to real football. And it’s been a lot of fun today and, (I’m) looking forward to the rest of training camp.”Q: On Travis Kelce.GRAY:&nbsp;“Yeah, every year he (Travis Kelce) just gets wiser and wiser. Every year, he’s continuing to pour into guys like me, the young guys – some of the rookies like Jake (Briningstool) and Tre (Watson), Bobby (Robert Tonyan) coming in. You know, Jared (Wiley), (Geor’Quarius) Spivey, everybody, everybody in that room. We’re (all) just taking it all in. He just keeps giving (us) more and more information about what he’s seeing on the field. Watching him, and his practice habits, and the way he works always rubs off on us. So, when you (have) a leader like that, that continues to lead the room, (and) continues to lead the team, it rubs off on everybody else and it makes a huge difference.”Q: What did your contract last year do for your confidence?GRAY:&nbsp;“Like I said before, I thank God for it. I thank everybody in the organization, but I think I’m moving forward from that. I’m not trying to think about what contracts I had in the past, where I was rookie year, where I was, you know, my sophomore year. It’s all about moving forward with the guys here on this team. So, that’s what I’m focused on right now. I’m focused on competing with these guys – we had a great practice today (with) guys just coming out, working, balling, making plays - pushing past, you know, the first day in pads, and we’re looking forward to building on this and winning every football game that we can.”Q: What do you want to see on the second day of pads as things get more intense?

Chiefs Quotes: 7-27-25

WICHITA, Kan. (July 27, 2025)—Andrew Cossetti hit two home runs in a 6-4 victory for the Wichita Wind Surge over the Frisco RoughRiders at Equity Bank Park. Wichita takes five of six from Frisco in their first six-game series after the All-Star Break.&nbsp;

Cossetti crushed a three-run homer, his eighth of the year, off the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. The long ball marked the longest of the season hit by anyone at Equity Bank Park at 462 feet.&nbsp;

Aaron Zavala led off the second inning with a solo shot into the RoughRiders bullpen in right-center to make the score 3-1 Wind Surge. Wichita returned to a three-run lead in the home half of the frame on a sac fly to center from Kyler Fedko.&nbsp;

Darren Bowen finished his start with five strikeouts over four innings with an earned run and three hits. The righty tallied 10 punchouts over his two starts this week. John Stankiewicz also faced the minimum, striking out two and giving up a hit over two innings to earn the win and improve to 2-4 this season.&nbsp;

Cossetti left the yard for the second time on a solo home run over the Wind Surge bullpen in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-1 score in favor of Wichita.&nbsp;

Ian Moller connected on a two-run bloop single to right center in the top of the seventh. Josh Hatcher scampered in to score on a wild pitch to put Frisco within a run heading into the stretch.

Kala’i Rosario smoked a high-arcing solo home run, his 13th in 2025, out to left field in the home half of the eighth to get to a 6-4 Wind Surge lead that stayed through the final out.

Cole Percival notched his third save after striking out a pair and giving up one hit in the top of the ninth.&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (July 27, 2025)—Andrew Cossetti hit two home runs in a 6-4 victory for the Wichita Wind Surge over the Frisco RoughRiders at Equity Bank Park. Wichita takes five of six from Frisco in their first six-game series after the All-Star Break.&nbsp;Cossetti crushed a three-run homer, his eighth of the year, off the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. The long ball marked the longest of the season hit by anyone at Equity Bank Park at 462 feet.&nbsp;Aaron Zavala led off the second inning with a solo shot into the RoughRiders bullpen in right-center to make the score 3-1 Wind Surge. Wichita returned to a three-run lead in the home half of the frame on a sac fly to center from Kyler Fedko.&nbsp;Darren Bowen finished his start with five strikeouts over four innings with an earned run and three hits. The righty tallied 10 punchouts over his two starts this week. John Stankiewicz also faced the minimum, striking out two and giving up a hit over two innings to earn the win and improve to 2-4 this season.&nbsp;Cossetti left the yard for the second time on a solo home run over the Wind Surge bullpen in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-1 score in favor of Wichita.&nbsp;Ian Moller connected on a two-run bloop single to right center in the top of the seventh. Josh Hatcher scampered in to score on a wild pitch to put Frisco within a run heading into the stretch.Kala’i Rosario smoked a high-arcing solo home run, his 13th in 2025, out to left field in the home half of the eighth to get to a 6-4 Wind Surge lead that stayed through the final out.Cole Percival notched his third save after striking out a pair and giving up one hit in the top of the ninth.&nbsp;POSTGAME NOTES<ul>
 <li>Andrew Cossetti’s home run in the first is the longest home run hit at Equity Bank Park this season (462 feet).&nbsp;</li><li>Wichita takes five of six from a Texas League South opponent at home for the third time this season (Midland RockHounds, Corpus Christi).&nbsp;</li><li>Andrew Cossetti hits multiple home runs for the second time this season (June 10 vs. Corpus Christi).</li><li>Cole Percival picks up his second save in a four-day span.</li><li>The Wind Surge head down to Texas for a series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles next week.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Wichita Powers Along To Victory In Series Finale With Frisco

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced tonight that they have acquired outfielder&nbsp;Randal Grichuk&nbsp;(GRICH-ick) from the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Andrew Hoffmann. To make room on the 26-man roster, outfielder&nbsp;Jac Caglianone&nbsp;was placed on the 10-day Injured List (left hamstring strain).

Grichuk, 33, entered tonight batting .243 (42-for-173) with 15 doubles, 1 triple and 7 home runs (.742 OPS) in 69 games with the Diamondbacks this season, after re-signing with them on a one-year deal in February. He’s made 40 starts this season, including 23 as the designated hitter, 16 in right field and 1 in left field.

Five of his 7 HR this season have come against left-handed pitchers, and he owns a career .827 OPS against southpaws. Since 2022, his .553 slugging percentage vs. left handers ranks 5th in the Majors (min. 500 PA) behind only&nbsp;Aaron Judge&nbsp;(.703),&nbsp;Paul Goldschmidt&nbsp;(.583),&nbsp;Yordan Alvarez&nbsp;(.577) and&nbsp;Mookie Betts&nbsp;(.561).

In 15 games this month entering tonight, Grichuk hit .256 (11-for-43) and 9 of his 11 hits have gone for extra bases, including 5 doubles and 4 home runs, for a .924 OPS.

Grichuk was selected by the Angels in the 1st round (24th overall) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft and made his Major League debut in 2014 with St. Louis, where he played the first four seasons of his career through 2017. He’s also played for Toronto (2018-21), Colorado (2022-23), the Angels (2023) and Arizona (2024-25).

A 12-year Major League veteran, Grichuk has 504 career extra-base hits (28th among active players), including 210 home runs (31st among actives).

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced tonight that they have acquired outfielder&nbsp;Randal Grichuk&nbsp;(GRICH-ick) from the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Andrew Hoffmann. To make room on the 26-man roster, outfielder&nbsp;Jac Caglianone&nbsp;was placed on the 10-day Injured List (left hamstring strain).Grichuk, 33, entered tonight batting .243 (42-for-173) with 15 doubles, 1 triple and 7 home runs (.742 OPS) in 69 games with the Diamondbacks this season, after re-signing with them on a one-year deal in February. He’s made 40 starts this season, including 23 as the designated hitter, 16 in right field and 1 in left field.Five of his 7 HR this season have come against left-handed pitchers, and he owns a career .827 OPS against southpaws. Since 2022, his .553 slugging percentage vs. left handers ranks 5th in the Majors (min. 500 PA) behind only&nbsp;Aaron Judge&nbsp;(.703),&nbsp;Paul Goldschmidt&nbsp;(.583),&nbsp;Yordan Alvarez&nbsp;(.577) and&nbsp;Mookie Betts&nbsp;(.561).In 15 games this month entering tonight, Grichuk hit .256 (11-for-43) and 9 of his 11 hits have gone for extra bases, including 5 doubles and 4 home runs, for a .924 OPS.Grichuk was selected by the Angels in the 1st round (24th overall) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft and made his Major League debut in 2014 with St. Louis, where he played the first four seasons of his career through 2017. He’s also played for Toronto (2018-21), Colorado (2022-23), the Angels (2023) and Arizona (2024-25).A 12-year Major League veteran, Grichuk has 504 career extra-base hits (28th among active players), including 210 home runs (31st among actives).

Royals Acquire Outfielder Randal Grichuk from Arizona

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Noah Cameron escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first before tossing five innings of three-hit ball, Maikel Garcia homered for the second time in three games, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on Sunday.

Garcia finished with two RBIs, and Vinnie Pasquantino and Luke Maile also drove in runs, while the Kansas City bullpen allowed only Gabriel Arias' homer amid four hits over the final four innings.

Carlos Estévez worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 27th save.

Cameron (5-4) was stingy after the first, when Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and José Ramírez began the game by loading the bases with nobody out. Cameron rebounded to retire David Fry, Carlos Santana and Arias, then allowed only two baserunners in the next four innings. He also struck out six in another dominant performance.

The 26-year-old left-hander from nearby St. Joseph, Missouri, lowered his ERA to 2.44 and has not lost a game since June 27.

Joey Cantillo (2-1) lasted only four innings for Cleveland on a hot, humid day in Kansas City. He allowed three runs and three hits and four walks while striking out four in his fifth start since joining the Guardians' rotation.

Cantillo had twice faced Kansas City in relief this season, retiring all six he faced and striking out four of them.

The fruitless first proved to be pivotal for Cleveland, when Fry flied out to right, Santana struck out and Arias grounded out to end the inning. Kansas City proceeded to coax across two runs in the bottom half and never trailed.

The Royals won despite going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

The Guardians return home to face Colorado on Monday night with RHP Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.76 ERA) starting the opener. The Royals welcome the Braves on Monday night with LHP Rich Hill (0-1, 1.80) on the mound first for the three-game series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753651898491.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph's Noah Cameron continued to make a strong case for an AL Rookie of the Year bid with another strong performance as the Royals clinched the series over the Guardians-Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph's Noah Cameron continued to make a strong case for an AL Rookie of the Year bid with another strong performance as the Royals clinched the series over the Guardians-Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Noah Cameron escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first before tossing five innings of three-hit ball, Maikel Garcia homered for the second time in three games, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 on Sunday.Garcia finished with two RBIs, and Vinnie Pasquantino and Luke Maile also drove in runs, while the Kansas City bullpen allowed only Gabriel Arias' homer amid four hits over the final four innings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753654434475.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>Carlos Estévez worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 27th save.Cameron (5-4) was stingy after the first, when Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and José Ramírez began the game by loading the bases with nobody out. Cameron rebounded to retire David Fry, Carlos Santana and Arias, then allowed only two baserunners in the next four innings. He also struck out six in another dominant performance.The 26-year-old left-hander from nearby St. Joseph, Missouri, lowered his ERA to 2.44 and has not lost a game since June 27.Joey Cantillo (2-1) lasted only four innings for Cleveland on a hot, humid day in Kansas City. He allowed three runs and three hits and four walks while striking out four in his fifth start since joining the Guardians' rotation.Cantillo had twice faced Kansas City in relief this season, retiring all six he faced and striking out four of them.<h2>Key moment</h2>The fruitless first proved to be pivotal for Cleveland, when Fry flied out to right, Santana struck out and Arias grounded out to end the inning. Kansas City proceeded to coax across two runs in the bottom half and never trailed.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Royals won despite going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.<h2>Up next</h2>The Guardians return home to face Colorado on Monday night with RHP Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.76 ERA) starting the opener. The Royals welcome the Braves on Monday night with LHP Rich Hill (0-1, 1.80) on the mound first for the three-game series.

⚾Maikel Garcia homers to lead the Royals over Guardians

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals placed All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic on the 15-day injured list with a rotator cuff strain and outfielder Jac Caglianone on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring amid a series of moves before their series finale against Cleveland on Sunday.

The Royals also welcomed outfielder Randal Grichuk, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-diamondbacks-trade-87f6f60e37cd00beaeb9c3924e2c922b">acquired on Saturday night</a>&nbsp;in a deal that shipped reliever Andrew Hoffmann to Arizona, and recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to help the bullpen.

Bubic walked the first four batters he faced and only managed to last 2 2/3 innings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guardians-royals-score-e9dff49ae08ba862a081e7ebbf3ba835">against the Guardians on Saturday</a>, when he started the second game of a split doubleheader. He needed 42 pitches to get through the first inning, and he wound up allowing four runs and three hits in his shortest start since Sept. 18, 2022, at Boston.

“He’s getting some further testing and then we’ll talk to the doc here and see what we got,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

Bubic said he’s experienced some shoulder soreness for much of the season, but he’s been able to pitch through it at a break-through level. Even with the rocky start Saturday, he has a 2.55 ERA — the fifth-best mark in the American League.

“I mean, you see how he’s performed,” Quatraro said. “Most pitchers when they go out there, they feel something almost every time. The severity of it and his ability to continue to deal with it has been manageable, by his own admission. ... And it’s gotten to the point where, you know, he doesn’t, and we don’t feel like it’s best for him to keep fighting through it.”

The Royals rotation has suddenly thinned considerably. Left-hander Cole Ragans remains on the IL with a strained rotator cuff and is not expected back until late August, and right-hander Michael Lorenzen is progressing from his strained left oblique but may need to make a rehab start before he returns to the Royals sometime in August.

The Royals already have had to plug one spot with 45-year-old Rich Hill, who pitched well in his debut for them this past week.

Caglianone, the Royals’ 22-year-old power-hitter, felt tightness in his hamstring while running down a double into the gap in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Then he felt the twinge again while running to first on a groundout later the inning.

The timing of the injury could have been worse: The Royals had been working on a deal to land Grichuk, who nearly signed with them in the offseason but will now help them primarily against left-handed hitting for the rest of the season.

“You’ve seen our outfield had gotten very heavily left-handed. Something we thought we needed to add was a right-handed bat,” said Quatraro, whose team began the day 51-54 and 4 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race.

Grichuk was 0 for 2 on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, flying out in the second inning and the fourth, when he was told by the Diamondbacks that he had been traded. He hugged several teammates in the dugout and then headed out, catching a flight first thing Sunday so that he could be in Kansas City in time for the series finale against the Guardians.

He was put in the starting lineup right away, batting sixth and playing right field.

“When they called they said, ‘If you’re willing to be here to play, you know, we want you in the starting lineup,’” Grichuk said, “and yeah, I want to play. That’s kind of my M.O. And so I said, ‘Let’s do it. We’ll make it happen, even if it’s crazy travel.’”

The one hang-up was Grichuk’s number: He’s always worn 15 and that number was taken by backup catcher Luke Maile. But it turns out the two knew each other from their days together in Toronto, so a quick text message smoothed things out. Maile took No. 17 and gave his old buddy No. 15 — “We’ll work something out,” Grichuk said of potential compensation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748859163449.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals placed All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic on the 15-day injured list with a rotator cuff strain and outfielder Jac Caglianone on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring amid a series of moves before their series finale against Cleveland on Sunday.The Royals also welcomed outfielder Randal Grichuk, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-diamondbacks-trade-87f6f60e37cd00beaeb9c3924e2c922b">acquired on Saturday night</a>&nbsp;in a deal that shipped reliever Andrew Hoffmann to Arizona, and recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to help the bullpen.Bubic walked the first four batters he faced and only managed to last 2 2/3 innings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guardians-royals-score-e9dff49ae08ba862a081e7ebbf3ba835">against the Guardians on Saturday</a>, when he started the second game of a split doubleheader. He needed 42 pitches to get through the first inning, and he wound up allowing four runs and three hits in his shortest start since Sept. 18, 2022, at Boston.“He’s getting some further testing and then we’ll talk to the doc here and see what we got,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.Bubic said he’s experienced some shoulder soreness for much of the season, but he’s been able to pitch through it at a break-through level. Even with the rocky start Saturday, he has a 2.55 ERA — the fifth-best mark in the American League.“I mean, you see how he’s performed,” Quatraro said. “Most pitchers when they go out there, they feel something almost every time. The severity of it and his ability to continue to deal with it has been manageable, by his own admission. ... And it’s gotten to the point where, you know, he doesn’t, and we don’t feel like it’s best for him to keep fighting through it.”The Royals rotation has suddenly thinned considerably. Left-hander Cole Ragans remains on the IL with a strained rotator cuff and is not expected back until late August, and right-hander Michael Lorenzen is progressing from his strained left oblique but may need to make a rehab start before he returns to the Royals sometime in August.The Royals already have had to plug one spot with 45-year-old Rich Hill, who pitched well in his debut for them this past week.Caglianone, the Royals’ 22-year-old power-hitter, felt tightness in his hamstring while running down a double into the gap in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Then he felt the twinge again while running to first on a groundout later the inning.The timing of the injury could have been worse: The Royals had been working on a deal to land Grichuk, who nearly signed with them in the offseason but will now help them primarily against left-handed hitting for the rest of the season.“You’ve seen our outfield had gotten very heavily left-handed. Something we thought we needed to add was a right-handed bat,” said Quatraro, whose team began the day 51-54 and 4 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race.Grichuk was 0 for 2 on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, flying out in the second inning and the fourth, when he was told by the Diamondbacks that he had been traded. He hugged several teammates in the dugout and then headed out, catching a flight first thing Sunday so that he could be in Kansas City in time for the series finale against the Guardians.He was put in the starting lineup right away, batting sixth and playing right field.“When they called they said, ‘If you’re willing to be here to play, you know, we want you in the starting lineup,’” Grichuk said, “and yeah, I want to play. That’s kind of my M.O. And so I said, ‘Let’s do it. We’ll make it happen, even if it’s crazy travel.’”The one hang-up was Grichuk’s number: He’s always worn 15 and that number was taken by backup catcher Luke Maile. But it turns out the two knew each other from their days together in Toronto, so a quick text message smoothed things out. Maile took No. 17 and gave his old buddy No. 15 — “We’ll work something out,” Grichuk said of potential compensation.

⚾ Royals put Kris Bubic, Jac Caglianone on IL; newly acquired Randal Grichuk into starting lineup

WICHITA, Kan. (July 26, 2025)—Mike Paredes staved off a late comeback in a 3-2 Wichita Wind Surge win over the Frisco RoughRiders at Equity Bank Park. The victory gives the Wind Surge the series heading into the Sunday finale tomorrow afternoon.&nbsp;

A bases-loaded error on the infield off the bat of Kala’i Rosario plated the first run of the game for Wichita in the home half of the third. Walker Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to double the Wind Surge lead to 2-0 two innings later.

Connor Prielipp broke through the four-frame barrier for the second time this season, striking out five against three hits and a walk over four and one-third innings of scoreless baseball. Joel Cesar also notched a pair of strikeouts and retired all five men he faced over an inning and two-thirds following the southpaw starter to earn the win and improve to 3-3 in 2025.

Sebastian Walcott lined a solo home run 107 miles per hour off his bat to left field to cut the Wichita advantage in half before the stretch in the seventh. After being awarded second base on a walk in the bottom of the seventh, Kaelen Culpepper stole third base and took home plate after a throwing error to make the score 3-1 Wind Surge after seven.&nbsp;

Alejandro Osuna brought the RoughRiders back within one on an RBI single up the middle in the top of the eighth, but Paredes would bounce back and retire four of the next five to secure a 3-2 Wichita win and his second save of the year. Paredes pitched the final three frames, giving up two earned runs with five hits and a pair of strikeouts.&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (July 26, 2025)—Mike Paredes staved off a late comeback in a 3-2 Wichita Wind Surge win over the Frisco RoughRiders at Equity Bank Park. The victory gives the Wind Surge the series heading into the Sunday finale tomorrow afternoon.&nbsp;A bases-loaded error on the infield off the bat of Kala’i Rosario plated the first run of the game for Wichita in the home half of the third. Walker Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to double the Wind Surge lead to 2-0 two innings later.Connor Prielipp broke through the four-frame barrier for the second time this season, striking out five against three hits and a walk over four and one-third innings of scoreless baseball. Joel Cesar also notched a pair of strikeouts and retired all five men he faced over an inning and two-thirds following the southpaw starter to earn the win and improve to 3-3 in 2025.Sebastian Walcott lined a solo home run 107 miles per hour off his bat to left field to cut the Wichita advantage in half before the stretch in the seventh. After being awarded second base on a walk in the bottom of the seventh, Kaelen Culpepper stole third base and took home plate after a throwing error to make the score 3-1 Wind Surge after seven.&nbsp;Alejandro Osuna brought the RoughRiders back within one on an RBI single up the middle in the top of the eighth, but Paredes would bounce back and retire four of the next five to secure a 3-2 Wichita win and his second save of the year. Paredes pitched the final three frames, giving up two earned runs with five hits and a pair of strikeouts.&nbsp;POSTGAME NOTES<ul>
 <li>Connor Prielipp pitches more than four innings for the second time this season (4.2 IP on June 7 @ Northwest Arkansas).</li><li>The first and final runs for the Wind Surge happened on errors.&nbsp;</li><li>Wichita takes the series over Frisco with wins in four of the five games so far.</li><li>Mike Paredes records his second save of the season.</li><li>The Wind Surge improve to 9-19 in one-run games in 2025.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Wind Surge Take Series Over RoughRiders

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steven Kwan hit a two-run home run, Tanner Bibee struck out eight in five innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Saturday night to earn a doubleheader split.

Kansas City&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-guardians-kansas-city-royals-score-bc3d30f7d34788831c14afe7331d699f">won the first game 5-3</a>&nbsp;with a walk-off homer in the 10th inning. The Guardians have not swept the Royals in a doubleheader since April 24, 2008.

Kwan's 431-foot home run into the right field fountains of Kauffman Stadium gave the Guardians a 6-2 lead.

The Guardians drew four straight walks in the first with Carlos Santana drawing the RBI walk to give Cleveland a 1-0 lead. Johnathan Rodríguez extended the lead with a two-run double in the first. Daniel Schneemann hit a sacrifice fly RBI in the third.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Freddy Fermin each hit two-run home runs for Kansas City.

Bibee (7-9) allowed four runs on seven hits for his third straight win. After taking the loss in game one, Emmanuel Clase earned his 24th save of the season.

Kris Bubic (8-7) gave up four runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings of work with four walks and one strikeout. Bubic got off to a slow start, throwing 42 pitches in the first inning. The four walks matched a season-high.

Jac Caglianone exited game one on Saturday with left groin tightness and was moved to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.

Kwan's home run was the spark the Guardians needed to get the win. Since July 7, Cleveland has homered in 14 of 16 games.

Santana drew his 133rd career walk against the Royals, which tied Rickey Henderson for most career walks vs. Kansas City.

LHP Joey Cantillo (2-0, 3.91 ERA) will start the series finale for Cleveland. LHP Noah Cameron (4-4, 2.61) is slated to take the mound for Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steven Kwan hit a two-run home run, Tanner Bibee struck out eight in five innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Saturday night to earn a doubleheader split.Kansas City&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-guardians-kansas-city-royals-score-bc3d30f7d34788831c14afe7331d699f">won the first game 5-3</a>&nbsp;with a walk-off homer in the 10th inning. The Guardians have not swept the Royals in a doubleheader since April 24, 2008.Kwan's 431-foot home run into the right field fountains of Kauffman Stadium gave the Guardians a 6-2 lead.The Guardians drew four straight walks in the first with Carlos Santana drawing the RBI walk to give Cleveland a 1-0 lead. Johnathan Rodríguez extended the lead with a two-run double in the first. Daniel Schneemann hit a sacrifice fly RBI in the third.Bobby Witt Jr. and Freddy Fermin each hit two-run home runs for Kansas City.Bibee (7-9) allowed four runs on seven hits for his third straight win. After taking the loss in game one, Emmanuel Clase earned his 24th save of the season.Kris Bubic (8-7) gave up four runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings of work with four walks and one strikeout. Bubic got off to a slow start, throwing 42 pitches in the first inning. The four walks matched a season-high.Jac Caglianone exited game one on Saturday with left groin tightness and was moved to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.<h2>Key moment</h2>Kwan's home run was the spark the Guardians needed to get the win. Since July 7, Cleveland has homered in 14 of 16 games.<h2>Key stat</h2>Santana drew his 133rd career walk against the Royals, which tied Rickey Henderson for most career walks vs. Kansas City.<h2>Up next</h2>LHP Joey Cantillo (2-0, 3.91 ERA) will start the series finale for Cleveland. LHP Noah Cameron (4-4, 2.61) is slated to take the mound for Kansas City.

⚾ Kwan's homer lifts Guardians over Royals and doubleheader split

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonathan India hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning to send the Kansas City Royals past the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Trailing 3-2, John Rave and Luke Maile walked to lead off the 10th off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (5-3).

Automatic runner Tyler Tolbert was picked off second base after Rave's walk. India's 413-foot drive to left center won it for the Royals. It was India’s fifth homer of the season.

Kyle Manzardo's bases-loaded RBI single in the top of the 10th gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead.

Steven Cruz (3-1) earned the win for Kansas City.

Maikel Garcia went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, triple and a walk. Salvador Perez had a two-hit game with a double. Garcia's two-run homer in the fourth inning gave the Royals a 2-0 lead. It was his ninth homer of the season.

Bo Naylor drove in both of the runs for the Guardians with a sac fly in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh.

Kansas City's Michael Wacha pitched 5 1-3 innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Gavin Williams gave up two runs and five hits in six innings with three strikeouts and two walks for the Royals.

The series opener on Friday game was postponed because of weather, which set up a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Missed opportunities in the later innings cost the Guardians. With two on and one out in the seventh, Brayan Rocchio attempted to score from first on Naylor’s RBI double, but was thrown out at home. Cleveland had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth and had the bases loaded in the 10th, but only scored once. The Guardians went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.

Jac Caglianone (left hamstring tightness) left the game in the top of the third inning after grounding into a double play in the bottom of the second.

This was the first matchup for between the AL Central foes since April 13. For the Royals, it was the first divisional game since June 8.

RHP Tanner Bibee (6-9, 4.27 ERA) will start for Cleveland in the second game. LHP Kris Bubic (8-6, 2.38) will counter for Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753569070739.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonathan India hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning to send the Kansas City Royals past the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.Trailing 3-2, John Rave and Luke Maile walked to lead off the 10th off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (5-3).Automatic runner Tyler Tolbert was picked off second base after Rave's walk. India's 413-foot drive to left center won it for the Royals. It was India’s fifth homer of the season.Kyle Manzardo's bases-loaded RBI single in the top of the 10th gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead.Steven Cruz (3-1) earned the win for Kansas City.Maikel Garcia went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, triple and a walk. Salvador Perez had a two-hit game with a double. Garcia's two-run homer in the fourth inning gave the Royals a 2-0 lead. It was his ninth homer of the season.Bo Naylor drove in both of the runs for the Guardians with a sac fly in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh.Kansas City's Michael Wacha pitched 5 1-3 innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and one walk.Gavin Williams gave up two runs and five hits in six innings with three strikeouts and two walks for the Royals.The series opener on Friday game was postponed because of weather, which set up a split doubleheader on Saturday.<h2>Key moment</h2>Missed opportunities in the later innings cost the Guardians. With two on and one out in the seventh, Brayan Rocchio attempted to score from first on Naylor’s RBI double, but was thrown out at home. Cleveland had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth and had the bases loaded in the 10th, but only scored once. The Guardians went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.<h2>Trainer’s room</h2>Jac Caglianone (left hamstring tightness) left the game in the top of the third inning after grounding into a double play in the bottom of the second.<h2>Key stats</h2>This was the first matchup for between the AL Central foes since April 13. For the Royals, it was the first divisional game since June 8.<h2>Up next</h2>RHP Tanner Bibee (6-9, 4.27 ERA) will start for Cleveland in the second game. LHP Kris Bubic (8-6, 2.38) will counter for Kansas City.___

⚾ Royals rally past Guardians in 10 innings in first game of doubleheader

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q: Can you take us through the competition at punt returner and kickoff returner?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Right now, I mean, it’s so early right now obviously, but punt returner, I’m excited about Brashard (Brashard Smith). He keeps getting better and better, didn’t do it a lot in college, so this is a new for him, but he’s really a good catcher, you know? And then obviously, Nikko (Nikko Remigio) just keeps getting better and better every day. He doesn’t make any mistakes. He’ll catch every ball. He’s dependable. And Worthy (Xavier Worthy), he’s working back there as well. That’s going to be a big question (on) whether I can use him or not; obviously I’d love to have him back there, especially in certain situations, because he’s that guy that can really be dynamic with his top end speed. But obviously, you know, it’s all going to depend on what’s going on with Rashee (Rashee Rice). And then you know, other guys that are in there are all doing a good job. They’re all working hard. It’s going to take the preseason games to make a real good judgement on that.&nbsp; Right now, Nikko is as far and above everybody else right now, just because he keeps getting better. And as far as the punter situation, that’s a big question, and we got the punters too, but as far as the punters go it’s a good competition. I think we have two NFL punters; I said that during the offseason. I still believe it. Matt (Matt Araiza) has come in right now, and he’s probably got the edge over these first few days; but I expect, you know, just because it was new for Eddie (Eddie Czaplicki) with all the fans and everything, and I think Eddie will get better next week. But it’s a real competition, and obviously we’re gonna take it into the games and see who prevails on that thing.”

Q: What is the most important thing you want to improve upon when it comes to punting?

TOUB:&nbsp;“I want to see (us get) better in the pooch area. We worked on that today; that was one of the things we worked on. I want to see them be more aggressive, let’s get the ball inside the five. You know they can kick it high and make a fair catch at the 15, but that’s not what we want. If a team’s making us punt at the 50, we want to get him inside the 10, or even the five, for that matter. So, we want to push that envelope. Matt’s (Matt Araiza) gotten better at his hang times on pooches, we just got to get it down the field a little bit more. And that’s both guys, they need to push the envelope, especially in practice.”&nbsp;

Q: What’s the timeline for deciding on a punter?

TOUB:&nbsp;“That’ll come down – like (General Manager Brett) Veach might hit me up, like ‘Hey, you know, where are we going,’ because we’re always – because right now we don’t have any injuries, knock (on) wood, I mean we don’t have anything serious, we don’t have to bring anyone in from the outside. As soon as that happens, you got 90 guys you got to work with, and sometimes you got to make decisions. Sometimes that issue gets pressed a little bit, but right now, we don’t have to rush on it.”

Q: The kickoff rules changed again, how are you going to adapt?

TOUB:&nbsp;(laughter) “All right, I’ll answer the real question first, which is a good question, because it’s going to change a lot, you know with the new kickoff rule. If you hit a touchback, if the ball flies into the end zone, last year, you got the ball at the 30. Now you get the ball at the 35. That’s going to change everything. So, teams are going to want to hit it into the target zone just about every time. And that means there’s going to be returns every time. It means you got to cover every kick, every time. So that’s why we work on it. You see us working on it every day because that’s going to be a big factor. Big influence in games is, you know, kick return and kickoff. So that’s where it is going to change a lot, as far as that goes, which is a good thing. To me, it’s a positive change. It’s good for all special teams and special teams’ coaches, because that makes the plays more relevant. And the fans are going to like it too because now there are more plays. You know, you’re not seeing touchbacks, because last year, it was just a wash. The ball was getting to the 30, they kick off, you might as well kick a touchback, get it to the 30. So, this will be a lot better.”

Q: How does it feel to be a part of the Chiefs?

MITCHELL:&nbsp;“Man, it feels amazing. It is a winning program, and you know what it is when you come and you want to be apart of that winning program.”

Q: What is it like working with Patrick Mahomes, have you had the no look pass come at you yet?

MITCHELL:&nbsp;“Man, I had a behind the back (pass) my first week here. One thing about Pat (Patrick Mahomes) is you got to always have to stay ready with him.”

Q: What are your thoughts on Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco?

MITCHELL:&nbsp;“They (Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco) are all beasts, man. They can do everything, so they really push you to go to work every day.”

Q:&nbsp;Which offensive lineman has been the most challenging so far?

NORMAN-LOTT:&nbsp;“(Creed) Humphrey is a brick wall (laughter). No, no I’m not laughing (laughs) I’m serious, seriously, I would say Creed.”

Q:&nbsp;Did you feel like you were ready for your first NFL training camp?

NORMAN-LOTT:&nbsp;“Yeah, I do believe I was ready but, you know, it is getting back into the groove of things, you always have that and that is kind of what this week was for, just to get us back into the groove. We come (back) on Sunday, and we get into pads and we are full-go.”

Q:&nbsp;What changes when the pads finally come on two days from now?

NORMAN-LOTT:&nbsp;“Probably just the level of physicality. I mean we are kind of already moving – I play a position, me in the O-Lineman and my teammates, we all play a position where we are in contact and engaged every play. So, it kind of doesn’t really make a difference but it gets more physical.”

Q: What are your ambitions for the defense this season?&nbsp;

BOLTON:&nbsp;“Yeah, we had a pretty good defense last year in terms of efficiency. We also want to be a top defense in this league. I think we got the personnel, the players and the coaches to do so. It’s about executing week to week and giving ourselves an opportunity to win football games, to help our team win, and ultimately, get back to the end game. But I feel like we could be the number one defense in this league, and that’s my motivation as we keep going in training camp.”

Q: You’ve proven yourself in the league, and you’ve proven that you know this defense. What is your biggest challenge when you get up every day?

BOLTON:&nbsp;“Yeah man, just not being complacent. I (have) a lot of stuff that I still haven’t done in this league. Won Super Bowls, that’s cool, but individual success and all of that type of stuff – I haven’t really accomplished. So, I get out of bed every morning and be the best version of myself. I don’t feel like I’ve done that yet, so I’m still striving every day to do that. And that’s kind of my motivation every time I get up for camp.”&nbsp;

Q: How has the competition been between the offense and defense so far?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs Coordinator QuotesJuly 25, 2025ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ: Can you take us through the competition at punt returner and kickoff returner?TOUB:&nbsp;“Right now, I mean, it’s so early right now obviously, but punt returner, I’m excited about Brashard (Brashard Smith). He keeps getting better and better, didn’t do it a lot in college, so this is a new for him, but he’s really a good catcher, you know? And then obviously, Nikko (Nikko Remigio) just keeps getting better and better every day. He doesn’t make any mistakes. He’ll catch every ball. He’s dependable. And Worthy (Xavier Worthy), he’s working back there as well. That’s going to be a big question (on) whether I can use him or not; obviously I’d love to have him back there, especially in certain situations, because he’s that guy that can really be dynamic with his top end speed. But obviously, you know, it’s all going to depend on what’s going on with Rashee (Rashee Rice). And then you know, other guys that are in there are all doing a good job. They’re all working hard. It’s going to take the preseason games to make a real good judgement on that.&nbsp; Right now, Nikko is as far and above everybody else right now, just because he keeps getting better. And as far as the punter situation, that’s a big question, and we got the punters too, but as far as the punters go it’s a good competition. I think we have two NFL punters; I said that during the offseason. I still believe it. Matt (Matt Araiza) has come in right now, and he’s probably got the edge over these first few days; but I expect, you know, just because it was new for Eddie (Eddie Czaplicki) with all the fans and everything, and I think Eddie will get better next week. But it’s a real competition, and obviously we’re gonna take it into the games and see who prevails on that thing.”Q: What is the most important thing you want to improve upon when it comes to punting?TOUB:&nbsp;“I want to see (us get) better in the pooch area. We worked on that today; that was one of the things we worked on. I want to see them be more aggressive, let’s get the ball inside the five. You know they can kick it high and make a fair catch at the 15, but that’s not what we want. If a team’s making us punt at the 50, we want to get him inside the 10, or even the five, for that matter. So, we want to push that envelope. Matt’s (Matt Araiza) gotten better at his hang times on pooches, we just got to get it down the field a little bit more. And that’s both guys, they need to push the envelope, especially in practice.”&nbsp;Q: What’s the timeline for deciding on a punter?TOUB:&nbsp;“That’ll come down – like (General Manager Brett) Veach might hit me up, like ‘Hey, you know, where are we going,’ because we’re always – because right now we don’t have any injuries, knock (on) wood, I mean we don’t have anything serious, we don’t have to bring anyone in from the outside. As soon as that happens, you got 90 guys you got to work with, and sometimes you got to make decisions. Sometimes that issue gets pressed a little bit, but right now, we don’t have to rush on it.”Q: The kickoff rules changed again, how are you going to adapt?TOUB:&nbsp;(laughter) “All right, I’ll answer the real question first, which is a good question, because it’s going to change a lot, you know with the new kickoff rule. If you hit a touchback, if the ball flies into the end zone, last year, you got the ball at the 30. Now you get the ball at the 35. That’s going to change everything. So, teams are going to want to hit it into the target zone just about every time. And that means there’s going to be returns every time. It means you got to cover every kick, every time. So that’s why we work on it. You see us working on it every day because that’s going to be a big factor. Big influence in games is, you know, kick return and kickoff. So that’s where it is going to change a lot, as far as that goes, which is a good thing. To me, it’s a positive change. It’s good for all special teams and special teams’ coaches, because that makes the plays more relevant. And the fans are going to like it too because now there are more plays. You know, you’re not seeing touchbacks, because last year, it was just a wash. The ball was getting to the 30, they kick off, you might as well kick a touchback, get it to the 30. So, this will be a lot better.”Chiefs Player QuotesJuly 25, 2025RB ELIJAH MITCHELLQ: How does it feel to be a part of the Chiefs?MITCHELL:&nbsp;“Man, it feels amazing. It is a winning program, and you know what it is when you come and you want to be apart of that winning program.”Q: What is it like working with Patrick Mahomes, have you had the no look pass come at you yet?MITCHELL:&nbsp;“Man, I had a behind the back (pass) my first week here. One thing about Pat (Patrick Mahomes) is you got to always have to stay ready with him.”Q: What are your thoughts on Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco?MITCHELL:&nbsp;“They (Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco) are all beasts, man. They can do everything, so they really push you to go to work every day.”DT OMARR NORMAN-LOTTQ:&nbsp;Which offensive lineman has been the most challenging so far?NORMAN-LOTT:&nbsp;“(Creed) Humphrey is a brick wall (laughter). No, no I’m not laughing (laughs) I’m serious, seriously, I would say Creed.”Q:&nbsp;Did you feel like you were ready for your first NFL training camp?NORMAN-LOTT:&nbsp;“Yeah, I do believe I was ready but, you know, it is getting back into the groove of things, you always have that and that is kind of what this week was for, just to get us back into the groove. We come (back) on Sunday, and we get into pads and we are full-go.”Q:&nbsp;What changes when the pads finally come on two days from now?NORMAN-LOTT:&nbsp;“Probably just the level of physicality. I mean we are kind of already moving – I play a position, me in the O-Lineman and my teammates, we all play a position where we are in contact and engaged every play. So, it kind of doesn’t really make a difference but it gets more physical.”LB NICK BOLTONQ: What are your ambitions for the defense this season?&nbsp;BOLTON:&nbsp;“Yeah, we had a pretty good defense last year in terms of efficiency. We also want to be a top defense in this league. I think we got the personnel, the players and the coaches to do so. It’s about executing week to week and giving ourselves an opportunity to win football games, to help our team win, and ultimately, get back to the end game. But I feel like we could be the number one defense in this league, and that’s my motivation as we keep going in training camp.”Q: You’ve proven yourself in the league, and you’ve proven that you know this defense. What is your biggest challenge when you get up every day?BOLTON:&nbsp;“Yeah man, just not being complacent. I (have) a lot of stuff that I still haven’t done in this league. Won Super Bowls, that’s cool, but individual success and all of that type of stuff – I haven’t really accomplished. So, I get out of bed every morning and be the best version of myself. I don’t feel like I’ve done that yet, so I’m still striving every day to do that. And that’s kind of my motivation every time I get up for camp.”&nbsp;Q: How has the competition been between the offense and defense so far?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs Quotes: 7-25-25

WICHITA, Kan. (July 25, 2025)—Ben Ross hit a two-run home run in a 3-0 Wichita Wind Surge victory over the Frisco RoughRiders in a four-and-a-half-inning contest at Equity Bank Park. The game marked the quickest of the year for the Wind Surge at 1 hour and 59 minutes.&nbsp;

Ricardo Olivar pummeled a ground ball 103 miles per hour off his bat into left center to bring in Kala’i Rosario for the game’s first run in the bottom of the second.&nbsp;

John Klein struck out five men, including Major League rehabber Joc Pederson, over four innings while giving up three hits and three walks. He’d receive the win in the rain-shortened game and improve to 7-5 in 2025.&nbsp;

Ross yanked a two-run home run, his sixth of the season, out to left field to give Wichita a 3-0 lead in the home half of the fourth.&nbsp;

After Jacob Wosinski threw a routine top of the fifth, the game entered a rain delay, the second of the night. The game was later called after four and a half innings, with a 3-0 Wind Surge final score. Wosinski’s fifth gave him his second Double-A save.&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (July 25, 2025)—Ben Ross hit a two-run home run in a 3-0 Wichita Wind Surge victory over the Frisco RoughRiders in a four-and-a-half-inning contest at Equity Bank Park. The game marked the quickest of the year for the Wind Surge at 1 hour and 59 minutes.&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar pummeled a ground ball 103 miles per hour off his bat into left center to bring in Kala’i Rosario for the game’s first run in the bottom of the second.&nbsp;John Klein struck out five men, including Major League rehabber Joc Pederson, over four innings while giving up three hits and three walks. He’d receive the win in the rain-shortened game and improve to 7-5 in 2025.&nbsp;Ross yanked a two-run home run, his sixth of the season, out to left field to give Wichita a 3-0 lead in the home half of the fourth.&nbsp;After Jacob Wosinski threw a routine top of the fifth, the game entered a rain delay, the second of the night. The game was later called after four and a half innings, with a 3-0 Wind Surge final score. Wosinski’s fifth gave him his second Double-A save.&nbsp;POSTGAME NOTES<ul>
 <li>The game began with a 28-minute rain delay and ended after a second 42-minute rain delay.</li><li>The game was the shortest of the year for Wichita at 1 hour and 59 minutes</li><li>Kala’i Rosario is the first Wind Surge hitter to reach 20 doubles in 2025.&nbsp;</li><li>John Klein records the second four-inning win for a Wichita starter after accomplishing the feat on April 19 @ Tulsa.&nbsp;</li><li>The first 2,000 fans through the gates at Equity Bank Park will receive a Kate Flannery bobblehead on An American Workplace Night.</li>
 </ul>

Wichita Shuts Out Frisco In Rain-Shortened Affair

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has added an international talent to the 2025-26 roster, as Nastja Claessens from Belgium has signed with the Wildcats.

A forward, Claessens most recently helped the Belgian Senior National Team win the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket in June. She saw action in six games and averaged 5.2 points on a .529 field goal percentage, including .429 from beyond the arc, 1.8 rebounds and 0.2 assists.

Prior to aiding Belgium in winning the tournament in June, she was a member of the national team at the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers and played in all four games.

Claessens already holds Olympic experience on her resume, as she was a member of the 2024 Belgian National Team at the Paris Olympics and played in two games. She aided her home country in qualifying for the Olympics during the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and carded action in three games.

In April of 2024, Claessens was selected in the third round with the 30th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. As an international player, she was automatically eligible for the WNBA Draft in the calendar year of her 20th&nbsp;birthday. Claessens elected not to sign with Washington to keep her options open and to have the opportunity to go to school and play collegiately in the United States.

Earlier in 2024, Claessens played in the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and registered seven games of play while notching averages of 17.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

In 2023, she played in four games and averaged 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists during the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers. In the 2023 U20 Women’s European Championship, Claessens registered 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in six games.

Claessens also played in the 2022 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship and notched 16.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in seven games.

In addition to her international experiences, Claessens played with IDK Euskotren in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto in Spain. During the 2025 Eurocup, she played in 10 games and averaged 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists including a high of 19 points, three rebounds and two assists against Proteas on November 27.

In league action with IDK Euskotren, Claessens averaged 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists.

During the 2024 Eurocup, she played for her hometown club of Castors Braine and averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in five games.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has added an international talent to the 2025-26 roster, as Nastja Claessens from Belgium has signed with the Wildcats.A forward, Claessens most recently helped the Belgian Senior National Team win the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket in June. She saw action in six games and averaged 5.2 points on a .529 field goal percentage, including .429 from beyond the arc, 1.8 rebounds and 0.2 assists.Prior to aiding Belgium in winning the tournament in June, she was a member of the national team at the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers and played in all four games.Claessens already holds Olympic experience on her resume, as she was a member of the 2024 Belgian National Team at the Paris Olympics and played in two games. She aided her home country in qualifying for the Olympics during the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and carded action in three games.In April of 2024, Claessens was selected in the third round with the 30th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. As an international player, she was automatically eligible for the WNBA Draft in the calendar year of her 20th&nbsp;birthday. Claessens elected not to sign with Washington to keep her options open and to have the opportunity to go to school and play collegiately in the United States.Earlier in 2024, Claessens played in the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and registered seven games of play while notching averages of 17.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists.In 2023, she played in four games and averaged 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists during the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers. In the 2023 U20 Women’s European Championship, Claessens registered 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in six games.Claessens also played in the 2022 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship and notched 16.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in seven games.In addition to her international experiences, Claessens played with IDK Euskotren in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto in Spain. During the 2025 Eurocup, she played in 10 games and averaged 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists including a high of 19 points, three rebounds and two assists against Proteas on November 27.In league action with IDK Euskotren, Claessens averaged 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists.During the 2024 Eurocup, she played for her hometown club of Castors Braine and averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in five games.

WBB: K-State WBB Signs Claessens to 2025-26 Roster

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, these were the injuries here – the guys that didn’t practice at least. (Kristian) Fulton, (Jawaan) Taylor, (Tre) Watson, everybody else is gone and has done a good job. Just a shoutout to Tyrann (Mathieu) for a great career, (Tyrann) Mathieu. What a great career he had. The game will miss him, (will) miss his energy. Definitely an energy giver, a great leader. Hopefully he gets into coaching, because he’d be a heck of a coach if he decides to go that way – he’d be tremendous. But, we wish he and his family all the best going forward here. With that, it’s been great to get out here, get these days in. We’ve had three really good days of work where we get ones against ones, twos against twos, threes against threes, so, there’s some competition there and some good solid work. It’s ramp-up period. We’ve got another day or two of this, and then we start right in with pads on Sunday. So, anyways, with that – time’s yours.”

Q: What was your reaction when you heard Tyrann Mathieu was retiring? What’s his legacy in your opinion?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, the legacy is great ball skills, great player, great guy, always been a team captain everywhere he’s been at – including here. He got a Super Bowl Championship here and he was a leader on defense. So, I think he’ll leave all that behind, but that’s not even talking about if he chose to do that throughout his career. He probably would’ve set all the records at punt returner. He was tremendous at that. Anyway, I could go on and on about him – the Honey Badger; that’ll be part of the legacy also. He’d sit on the bench there and he’d make all kinds of funny noises. Not only did he have the blonde hair, but he’d be over there (mimics honey badger noises) – making all those noises. What a great kid. Loved coaching him (laughter).”

Q: On Creed Humphrey’s significance to the team.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, he’s still young. He’s a very good athlete, great balance, ex-wrestler. Great balance and upper-body strength, he’s got lower-body strength. One of the stronger guys on the team, and he’s got a nice feel for the game. Plus, he’s very intelligent.”

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I like what I’ve seen. He’s working hard at it. He’s made some big catches out here, working his routes, playing physical in his transition game there. So, just (have) got to keep coming. We’re still young in this thing, so we (have) got to keep bringing it.”

Q: How have Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore looked in training camp so far?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, they’ve done some good things. They’re getting better – they get better and better every day. So, it’s been good that way. Young guys, working. (I’m) looking forward to getting them (Simmons and Moore) in pads. It’s hard to evaluate them doing this, but we’ll see how they do with pads on.”

Q: On early impressions of Jalen Royals.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesJuly 24, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, these were the injuries here – the guys that didn’t practice at least. (Kristian) Fulton, (Jawaan) Taylor, (Tre) Watson, everybody else is gone and has done a good job. Just a shoutout to Tyrann (Mathieu) for a great career, (Tyrann) Mathieu. What a great career he had. The game will miss him, (will) miss his energy. Definitely an energy giver, a great leader. Hopefully he gets into coaching, because he’d be a heck of a coach if he decides to go that way – he’d be tremendous. But, we wish he and his family all the best going forward here. With that, it’s been great to get out here, get these days in. We’ve had three really good days of work where we get ones against ones, twos against twos, threes against threes, so, there’s some competition there and some good solid work. It’s ramp-up period. We’ve got another day or two of this, and then we start right in with pads on Sunday. So, anyways, with that – time’s yours.”Q: What was your reaction when you heard Tyrann Mathieu was retiring? What’s his legacy in your opinion?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, the legacy is great ball skills, great player, great guy, always been a team captain everywhere he’s been at – including here. He got a Super Bowl Championship here and he was a leader on defense. So, I think he’ll leave all that behind, but that’s not even talking about if he chose to do that throughout his career. He probably would’ve set all the records at punt returner. He was tremendous at that. Anyway, I could go on and on about him – the Honey Badger; that’ll be part of the legacy also. He’d sit on the bench there and he’d make all kinds of funny noises. Not only did he have the blonde hair, but he’d be over there (mimics honey badger noises) – making all those noises. What a great kid. Loved coaching him (laughter).”Q: On Creed Humphrey’s significance to the team.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, he’s still young. He’s a very good athlete, great balance, ex-wrestler. Great balance and upper-body strength, he’s got lower-body strength. One of the stronger guys on the team, and he’s got a nice feel for the game. Plus, he’s very intelligent.”Q: On Tyquan Thornton.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I like what I’ve seen. He’s working hard at it. He’s made some big catches out here, working his routes, playing physical in his transition game there. So, just (have) got to keep coming. We’re still young in this thing, so we (have) got to keep bringing it.”Q: How have Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore looked in training camp so far?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, they’ve done some good things. They’re getting better – they get better and better every day. So, it’s been good that way. Young guys, working. (I’m) looking forward to getting them (Simmons and Moore) in pads. It’s hard to evaluate them doing this, but we’ll see how they do with pads on.”Q: On early impressions of Jalen Royals.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so, it looks like he’s very smart because we’re in our third install here today. And we load him up with plays, early, and he’s been able to retain a lot of the things – the newer stuff that we introduced to him before and the new stuff we’ve introduced now. So, that’s a good sign. And then, he’s made some catches. You’ve seen it out here, he’s made some catches. And does he have a long way to go? Yeah, well he’s got to keep working, (and) work through all of this and we’ll see how it goes when everything’s flying.”Q:&nbsp;What have your impressions been of Gardner Minshew so far leading the second unit with him being around the league?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, can see that with Gardner (Minshew). You can see that he’s smart, he’s got good accuracy, poise – it’s great to have him here, so we are pleased to have him here and you kind of have a heads up because he’s actually started in games so you kind of know how he handles the pressure in that, so we liked what we saw on tape and I’ve seen the same thing here so he should be fine.”Q:&nbsp;Are there still moments that you see Patrick Mahomes do something on a day like this and are like, ‘jeez, where did that come from,’ or are you so focused on what’s going on that it doesn’t kick in sometimes?REID:&nbsp;“I tell the coaches this all the time, ‘You never take that for granted. So, appreciate every one of those throws he (Patrick Mahomes) makes,’ because you don’t get that very often in a career and as a coach. Yeah, absolutely there are times I go, ‘Woah, that was pretty good right there now.’”Q:&nbsp;After a heavy workload last year, what do you expect out of Kareem Hunt this year?REID:&nbsp;“You know, he (Kareem Hunt) has had an offseason. He missed two offseasons there, and he had this offseason and worked hard, (and) now he is coming into training camp and he’s in good shape and I would expect good things. He’ll be in there rotating, doing his thing. He’s a good solid football player. Love having him here.”Q:&nbsp;What are your thoughts on Jake Briningstool bringing him aboard? How valuable is it adding a fourth tight end?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, so (General Manager) Brett (Veach) gets the credit for that one. He loved him (Jake Briningstool) and loved what he saw. So far, the kid has done a nice job. Again, let’s see how he does when things get going, but he’s working in there and it looks like the quarterbacks trust him. They’re throwing itChiefs Player QuotesJuly 24, 2025C CREED HUMPHREYQ:&nbsp;What are the challenges working with two new tackles?HUMPHREY:&nbsp;“I think just getting the chemistry down with the offensive line, you know? That’s why camp is really good for this, you know? You get a ton of reps in and a ton of looks against (Defensive Coordinator) Spags’ (Steve Spagnuolo) defense, so you know, it’s preparing you all for the season. So, we are excited about it. We got some really good talent in that room right now that is going to bring out some good competition.”Q:&nbsp;You earned your first All-Pro selection and you were named in the NFL Top 100 Players list this offseason. What does that mean to know that your work is paying off as you earn these accolades?HUMPHREY:&nbsp;“Yeah, you know it’s obviously a blessing to get those accolades and stuff, but for me it’s just focusing (on) about what you can improve. You can never stop improving, and you can never reach the top. You’re always going to keep improving, you can keep learning, all those things. So, for me, it’s a great feeling getting the recognition and everything, but for me I know there is stuff I need to work on, so you know, I’m hungry. I’m hungry to come out here and grind and get stuff going in training camp. So, it’s been fun. It’s been a lot of fun getting out here and working and grinding.”Q:&nbsp;When Josh Simmons was drafted a lot of people were talking about his health. What’s the progress that you’ve seen for him to get to training camp and being out here?HUMPHREY:&nbsp;“Yeah, well you could tell all of OTAs it was something he (Josh Simmons) was working nonstop on it. Making sure he was getting healthy as quick as he could so that was awesome to see. He’s moving really well, playing really well right now. He seems to be fully healthy, and he’s getting after it so it has been a lot of fun to see.”LB LEO CHENALQ: What are you thinking about as you go into this last year of your rookie deal?CHENAL:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean, I try to keep my mind off of it as best you can, that can become an unnecessary stress on yourself and on your shoulders. I just look at, you know, still being selfless, doing what I can for the team. I’m not trying to do too much, still do my job, and do what I can, but at the same time growing and get better.”Q: How much does Nick Bolton mean to you and the team?CHENAL:&nbsp;“Oh, he (Nick Bolton) means everything. When he’s on the field, it’s just different. You guys can see it, I’m sure. He’s just, not only (in) his play, his leadership, his loud, bold communication, just his positivity. Like, you go down the list of what a leader is, and you know, everything, it’s like Nick Bolton checks the box. So, it’s just, it gives a boost and like it boosts morale to the whole team and makes everybody play better around him.”Q: How much pride do you take on special teams and the success that you’ve had on special teams?CHENAL:&nbsp;“Yeah no it’s huge. Obviously, I’m not, you know, every down linebacker for the most part, you know? I got a certain percentage of snaps, and I’m obviously looking to extend that, but you know, I want to play what I’m playing, I want to be the best of what I can be. Whether it’s punt, kickoff return, SAM linebacker, filling in for buck. You know whatever it is, like we got a good core unit of guys that have been here now on special teams that are leaders, and you know, we’re looking to be better and better. And obviously we got (Assistant Head) Coach (and Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Toub, who’s a legend, so just continue to climb the mountain.”RB KAREEM HUNTQ: Did you do anything different this offseason compared to past off seasons to prepare yourself?HUNT:&nbsp;“Oh for sure. I was more locked in, staying on schedule. Because I didn’t know when I was going to get picked up or when I was going to have the opportunity, or if I was going to have the opportunity to play again. So, I stayed on top of things, this offseason (I) made sure I stayed in good shape from OTAs and just (being) able to keep building on what I’ve already built.”Q: People in the league say you’re the best short yard running back this offseason. Did you ever think you would ever wear that label? Do you take pride in it?HUNT:&nbsp;“I mean yeah, I take pride in whatever I do. That’s one of those things – those are big time plays (and) people don’t understand how hard (it is) to get those two or three yards and punch it in. Those keep the drives alive and get us more opportunities to make big plays. So, that’s one of those things I take pride in, and you know, it’s a mindset thing.”Q: Is there an advantage to being at training camp that you might not have had last season?HUNT:&nbsp;“Yeah, for sure. It’s definitely an advantage. I get to be around guys who (are) pushing me, guys who (are) challenging me each and every day. Instead of me trying to push myself, by myself, working out and staying in shape and making sure I hold myself accountable, with what I eat and what I do in my off time.”to him. It’s positive.”Q:&nbsp;Any difference in the way Travis Kelce is moving before he hits the pads?

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