SHREVEPORT, Louisiana - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a0d705bb-d8fc-485f-b3e8-5609af70fce4?elinkdata=10042">Bill Neale</a> wants his Kansas Wesleyan baseball team to do one thing well above all else as the Coyotes begin play in the NAIA Opening Round.

"Just be us, don't make the situation bigger than what it is," said Neale as KWU prepares for its opening game against No. 18-ranked Concordia (Nebraska) at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pilot Field on the Louisiana State-Shreveport campus. "Just continue to play games the way that we played games this year with that loose mentality and not putting too much emphasis on it. Don't worry about the other team across the field. I think the only team that can beat us is us."

The Coyotes (45-10) are ranked 20th in the NAIA and are the third seed in the bracket. Concordia (41-13) is the second seed and LSU-Shreveport (42-2) the top seed and ranked fourth in the NAIA. Talladega (38-15) is the bracket's fourth seed and plays fifth-seeded Blue Mountain Christian (31-21) in Tuesday's first game at 11 a.m.

KWU won the Kansas Conference title for the second consecutive season and was second in the KCAC Tournament, losing to Oklahoma Wesleyan 6-4 Sunday in Great Bend.

Neale hopes a week off will benefit his squad.

"We struggled a bit offensively at the at the conference tournament but I think we're pitching it at a high level," he said. "We've got a few guys a little banged up so if they get healthy by Monday I like our chances."

Hitting has been the Coyotes' forte this season with a .328 team batting average and they're scoring just under 10 runs a game. They have bashed 124 home runs.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1413b007-68bf-4b1a-ab59-67fb5d060087?elinkdata=10042">Jarrett Gable</a> leads the way with a .401 average and has a team-best 74 runs batted in. Seven other Coyotes are batting at least .302 including <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d550f89-7087-4a8a-8375-3b8986dd23bc?elinkdata=10042">Jacob Williamson</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4882c138-c885-48a6-a8bd-db1b5915b1be?elinkdata=10042">Reece Bishop</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3b56d6c9-42dc-4598-8343-4e791a1ef472?elinkdata=10042">Cruz Oxford</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6c3acc89-69bb-4cd3-aba8-696b2a732bd1?elinkdata=10042">Kendall Foster</a>, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7285ed14-95c6-46e9-83f1-8a805b21e39b?elinkdata=10042">Tyler Favretto</a>. All five have also driven more than 50 runs apiece. Foster has a team-best 22 home runs followed by Gable with 18 and Williamson 16.

The pitching staff has a 4.30 team earned run average and opposing batters are hitting just .244. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/76bb6475-7bc4-4e06-b530-b487dbafcd3f?elinkdata=10042">Jarrett Brannen</a>, who will likely start Tuesday's game, is 11-1 with a 3.31 ERA. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3bb1061b-2b79-45d4-818e-1d59347faa42?elinkdata=10042">Brett Maddock</a> is 8-2 with a 5.76 ERA and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2dfbd5a1-a5fa-4035-8447-6ca8d79b4c5e?elinkdata=10042">Thalen Wright</a> 7-3 and 5.22. In the bullpen <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/266f2237-ccb5-454e-9691-5eca8f13fcac?elinkdata=10042">Ritter Steinmann</a> is 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 26 appearances and closer <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fb0b32ca-71b6-45bb-a5f6-7a8b18ff1056?elinkdata=10042">Ryan Sandoval</a> has a team-high eight saves and 3.94 ERA.

Neale is confident his team is equipped to handle the emotional stress of playing in the national tournament. KWU is playing in its third consecutive Opening Round.

"One good thing is we brought in a lot of kids from winning programs," he said. "So, whether it's the NAIA Opening Round or playing for the juco national championship out in California ... a lot of our guys have played in these pressure situations. And obviously we have guys who have been here in the Opening Round and can give our guys some advice."

Concordia shared the Great Plains Athletic Conference title with Doane then defeated Doane 5-1 in the conference tournament championship Tuesday.

The Bulldogs have a .326 team batting average, score just under nine runs a game, have hit 109 home runs, and have a 4.40 team ERA. They swept a doubleheader from KWU 14-5 and 5-2 on February 20 at Dean Evans Stadium.

"They're good, they're all junior college transfers so they're always older," Neale said. "They've got the all-time NAIA home run leader in Joey Grabanski (24 homers this spring), their third baseman (Jaidan Quinn) is good (26 homers) and they've got some good arms. They like to run which probably isn't the best for us."

The winner will play the Talladega-Blue Mountain Christian winner at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday while the loser will play the Talladega-BMC loser in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Play concludes Thursday; a second championship game is slated for Friday if necessary.

The Shreveport bracket winner advances to the AVISTA NAIA World Series on May 24-31 at Lewiston, Idaho.

"It should be a lot of fun," Neale said. "We're excited for the challenge."

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a0d705bb-d8fc-485f-b3e8-5609af70fce4?elinkdata=10042">Bill Neale</a> wants his Kansas Wesleyan baseball team to do one thing well above all else as the Coyotes begin play in the NAIA Opening Round."Just be us, don't make the situation bigger than what it is," said Neale as KWU prepares for its opening game against No. 18-ranked Concordia (Nebraska) at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pilot Field on the Louisiana State-Shreveport campus. "Just continue to play games the way that we played games this year with that loose mentality and not putting too much emphasis on it. Don't worry about the other team across the field. I think the only team that can beat us is us."The Coyotes (45-10) are ranked 20th in the NAIA and are the third seed in the bracket. Concordia (41-13) is the second seed and LSU-Shreveport (42-2) the top seed and ranked fourth in the NAIA. Talladega (38-15) is the bracket's fourth seed and plays fifth-seeded Blue Mountain Christian (31-21) in Tuesday's first game at 11 a.m.KWU won the Kansas Conference title for the second consecutive season and was second in the KCAC Tournament, losing to Oklahoma Wesleyan 6-4 Sunday in Great Bend.Neale hopes a week off will benefit his squad."We struggled a bit offensively at the at the conference tournament but I think we're pitching it at a high level," he said. "We've got a few guys a little banged up so if they get healthy by Monday I like our chances."Hitting has been the Coyotes' forte this season with a .328 team batting average and they're scoring just under 10 runs a game. They have bashed 124 home runs.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1413b007-68bf-4b1a-ab59-67fb5d060087?elinkdata=10042">Jarrett Gable</a> leads the way with a .401 average and has a team-best 74 runs batted in. Seven other Coyotes are batting at least .302 including <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d550f89-7087-4a8a-8375-3b8986dd23bc?elinkdata=10042">Jacob Williamson</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4882c138-c885-48a6-a8bd-db1b5915b1be?elinkdata=10042">Reece Bishop</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3b56d6c9-42dc-4598-8343-4e791a1ef472?elinkdata=10042">Cruz Oxford</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6c3acc89-69bb-4cd3-aba8-696b2a732bd1?elinkdata=10042">Kendall Foster</a>, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7285ed14-95c6-46e9-83f1-8a805b21e39b?elinkdata=10042">Tyler Favretto</a>. All five have also driven more than 50 runs apiece. Foster has a team-best 22 home runs followed by Gable with 18 and Williamson 16.The pitching staff has a 4.30 team earned run average and opposing batters are hitting just .244. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/76bb6475-7bc4-4e06-b530-b487dbafcd3f?elinkdata=10042">Jarrett Brannen</a>, who will likely start Tuesday's game, is 11-1 with a 3.31 ERA. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3bb1061b-2b79-45d4-818e-1d59347faa42?elinkdata=10042">Brett Maddock</a> is 8-2 with a 5.76 ERA and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2dfbd5a1-a5fa-4035-8447-6ca8d79b4c5e?elinkdata=10042">Thalen Wright</a> 7-3 and 5.22. In the bullpen <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/266f2237-ccb5-454e-9691-5eca8f13fcac?elinkdata=10042">Ritter Steinmann</a> is 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 26 appearances and closer <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fb0b32ca-71b6-45bb-a5f6-7a8b18ff1056?elinkdata=10042">Ryan Sandoval</a> has a team-high eight saves and 3.94 ERA.Neale is confident his team is equipped to handle the emotional stress of playing in the national tournament. KWU is playing in its third consecutive Opening Round."One good thing is we brought in a lot of kids from winning programs," he said. "So, whether it's the NAIA Opening Round or playing for the juco national championship out in California ... a lot of our guys have played in these pressure situations. And obviously we have guys who have been here in the Opening Round and can give our guys some advice."Concordia shared the Great Plains Athletic Conference title with Doane then defeated Doane 5-1 in the conference tournament championship Tuesday.The Bulldogs have a .326 team batting average, score just under nine runs a game, have hit 109 home runs, and have a 4.40 team ERA. They swept a doubleheader from KWU 14-5 and 5-2 on February 20 at Dean Evans Stadium."They're good, they're all junior college transfers so they're always older," Neale said. "They've got the all-time NAIA home run leader in Joey Grabanski (24 homers this spring), their third baseman (Jaidan Quinn) is good (26 homers) and they've got some good arms. They like to run which probably isn't the best for us."The winner will play the Talladega-Blue Mountain Christian winner at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday while the loser will play the Talladega-BMC loser in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Play concludes Thursday; a second championship game is slated for Friday if necessary.The Shreveport bracket winner advances to the AVISTA NAIA World Series on May 24-31 at Lewiston, Idaho."It should be a lot of fun," Neale said. "We're excited for the challenge."

Coyotes ready for NAIA Opening Round Challenge

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline baseball team steamrolled Sylvan Lucas in Thursday’s quarterfinals, eliminating the Mustangs in a 15-0 drubbing in Ellsworth.

With this win, the Trojans (14-9) advance to the semifinals to face Ellsworth (15-4) while Sylvan-Lucas’ season draws to a close at 6-12.

SES wasted no time triggering a mercy-rule victory, scoring nine runs in the first, five in the second, and one more in the fourth to close the contest early.

On the hill, Treytan Olson and Killian Vaughn looked unhittable, splitting four scoreless innings, and allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out five.

At the plate, the whole platoon got in on the fun, with twelve different Trojans recording at least one at-bat, and eight members of the order posting at least one hit in the win.

Southeast will have the weekend off to prepare for the Bearcats, who manhandled Minneapolis by an identical 15-0 score on Thursday.

The two teams shared second place in the NCAA, splitting their season series with a 5-0 Ellsworth victory, and a 13-0 SES win back in April.

First pitch for this semifinal contest is scheduled for 2:00 at Marysville High School next Tuesday.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline baseball team steamrolled Sylvan Lucas in Thursday’s quarterfinals, eliminating the Mustangs in a 15-0 drubbing in Ellsworth.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>With this win, the Trojans (14-9) advance to the semifinals to face Ellsworth (15-4) while Sylvan-Lucas’ season draws to a close at 6-12.SES wasted no time triggering a mercy-rule victory, scoring nine runs in the first, five in the second, and one more in the fourth to close the contest early.On the hill, Treytan Olson and Killian Vaughn looked unhittable, splitting four scoreless innings, and allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out five.At the plate, the whole platoon got in on the fun, with twelve different Trojans recording at least one at-bat, and eight members of the order posting at least one hit in the win.Southeast will have the weekend off to prepare for the Bearcats, who manhandled Minneapolis by an identical 15-0 score on Thursday.The two teams shared second place in the NCAA, splitting their season series with a 5-0 Ellsworth victory, and a 13-0 SES win back in April.First pitch for this semifinal contest is scheduled for 2:00 at Marysville High School next Tuesday.

⚾️ Trojans steamroll Sylvan-Lucas, advance to regional semis

The Southeast of Saline track and field teams posted another strong showing at this year's NCAA league meet, with the boys team winning for another consecutive year, and the girls finishing runner-up.

On the boy's side, this meet was never a contest as SES racked up 250 points, 120 more than their next closest competition in Beloit.

Beloit would take home another league title on the girls' side, but the Lady Trojans posted a strong showing, scoring 133 points on the day in a second-place finish.

You can find team results, as well as all of Southeast's individual podium finishers below.

Boys team results 1. SE of Saline- 250 2. Beloit- 129.5 3. Minneapolis- 59.5 4. Republic County- 50 5. Ellsworth- 26

Girls team results 1. Beloit- 214 2. SE of Saline- 133 3. Sacred Heart- 95 4. Ellsworth- 51 5. Republic County- 40 6. Minneapolis- 8

Caden Parry 1st 100m hurdles 1st 300m hurdles 2nd triple jump

Tate Nurnberg 1st high jump 1st triple jump

Malachi Hopkins 2nd 110m hurdles 2nd long jump

Nathan Friesen 2nd 100m dash 2nd 200m dash

Team 1st 4x100m relay 1st 4x800m relay

Elliana Smith 1st 100m hurdles 1st 300m hurdles 1st high jump

Team 1st 4x400m relay 1st 4x800m relay

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline track and field teams posted another strong showing at this year's NCAA league meet, with the boys team winning for another consecutive year, and the girls finishing runner-up.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>On the boy's side, this meet was never a contest as SES racked up 250 points, 120 more than their next closest competition in Beloit.Beloit would take home another league title on the girls' side, but the Lady Trojans posted a strong showing, scoring 133 points on the day in a second-place finish.You can find team results, as well as all of Southeast's individual podium finishers below.Boys team results 1. SE of Saline- 250 2. Beloit- 129.5 3. Minneapolis- 59.5 4. Republic County- 50 5. Ellsworth- 26Girls team results 1. Beloit- 214 2. SE of Saline- 133 3. Sacred Heart- 95 4. Ellsworth- 51 5. Republic County- 40 6. Minneapolis- 8SES boys podium finishersCaden Parry 1st 100m hurdles 1st 300m hurdles 2nd triple jumpTate Nurnberg 1st high jump 1st triple jumpCayden Walker 1st 1600 3rd 3200Owen Bailey
 1st 400mJacob Bircher 1st 800mLevi Allen 1st 3200Tucker Thaxton 1st long jumpMalachi Hopkins 2nd 110m hurdles 2nd long jumpBrayden Walker 2nd 800m 2nd 3200Nathan Friesen 2nd 100m dash 2nd 200m dashBen Grauerholz 2nd 1600Tanner Schroeder 3rd discusKeaton Blake 3rd javelinTeam 1st 4x100m relay 1st 4x800m relaySES girls podium finishersElliana Smith 1st 100m hurdles 1st 300m hurdles 1st high jumpRegan Duran
 1st 100m dashKarlee Zurfluh 1st 100m dash Anna Jackson 1st 3200Christina Wingo 1st triple jumpPiper Brown 2nd 800mCali Augustine 3rd 800mTeam 1st 4x400m relay 1st 4x800m relay

Trojan Track Posts 1-2 finish at NCAA League Meet

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;continued to build his backcourt for the 2024-25 season with the signing of transfer guard&nbsp;Max Jones&nbsp;(Clearwater, Fla./ Clearwater/University of Tampa/Cal State Fullerton)&nbsp;to a Financial Aid Agreement on Friday afternoon (May 10).

A 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard, Jones arrives at K-State with valuable playing experience, including 2 seasons at Division II University of Tampa (2020-22) in his home state of Florida before 2 seasons (2022-24) at Cal State Fullerton. He has scored nearly 1,400 career points in 84 career games with 81 starts in his playing career, connecting on 43.2 percent (436-of-1009) from the field, including 36.3 percent (134-of-369) from 3-point range, and 79.9 percent (378-of-473) from the free throw line. He has 26 20-point games and 6 30-point games in his career, including a high 39 points at Florida Tech on March 16, 2021, while playing at Tampa.

“It’s always a great day to be a Wildcat and we’re excited to welcome Max and his family to K-State,” said head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang. “Max is a proven and versatile shot maker. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and is in attack mode on both ends of the floor at all times.”

Jones was the 2021 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Freshman of the Year, a two-time First Team All-Sunshine State Conference (2021, 2022) as well as a 2022 D2CCA All-Region Team member while at Tampa, where he averaged 22.1 points on 45.4 percent (203-of-447) shooting while playing in just 28 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was selected All-Big West Honorable Mention as a sophomore in 2022-23 at Cal State Fullerton, where he was second on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.), assists (2.2 apg.), steals (0.9 spg.) and minutes (31.9 mpg.) en route to helping the Titans to a 20-win season and the Big West Championship game.

This past season, Jones upped his scoring average by nearly 3 points per game, averaging 15.3 points on 38.3 percent (103-of-269) shooting, including 38.5 percent (42-of-109) from 3-point range, while playing in 24 games with 21 starts. His scoring average ranked 11th&nbsp;in the Big West, including second on the team. He posted 6 20-point games, including a season-best 30 points at Nebraska on Nov. 26, 2023, that included 5 3-pointers. He also ranked third in the conference in steals (1.7 spg.), posting at least 3 in 6 games.

In his 2 seasons at Cal State Fullerton, Jones averaged 13.7 points on 41.5 percent (233-of-562) shooting, including 39 percent (76-of-195) from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent (224-of-285) from the free throw line to go with 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 minutes per game while playing in 56 games with 53 starts for head coach&nbsp;Dedrique Taylor. He scored in double figures in 40 of his 56 career games.

Jones started his college career at Division II Tampa, which included 7 games as true freshman during the COVID-19 season of 2020-21. Despite playing in just 28 games in his Spartan career, he averaged better than 20 points per game in each season, while posting 18 games of at least 20 points with 5 games with at least 30 points. He turned in consecutive 30-point games against Rollins and No. 17 Barry in January 2022, including 38 points in a 104-98 win over the nationally ranked Bucs, and was named the Division II National Player of the Week.

Jones scored 20 or more points in 5 of his 7 games during the 2020-21 season, including a career-high 39 in the season finale against Florida Tech on March 16. He averaged 22.6 points on 48.2 percent (53-of-110) shooting, including 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from 3-point range, and 77.1 percent (32-of-45) from the free throw line to go with 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals in a school-record 38.1 minutes per game. He was named the 2021 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Freshman of the Year, while he was selected First Team All-SSC and to the league’s All-Newcomer Team.

In his first full season at Tampa in 2021-22, Jones posted a team-best 21.9 points per game on 44.5 percent (150-of-337) shooting to go with 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.0 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in 19 of his 21 games played with 15 games of at least 20 points and 4 30-point efforts. He was named to the D2CCA All-Region Team and was a repeat First Team All-Sunshine State Conference selection. He was twice honored as the Sunshine State Conference Offensive Player of the Week and was the D2SIDA National Player of the Week after his back-to-back 30-point games against Rollins and No. 17 Barry on Jan. 12 and 15, 2022.

A native of Clearwater, Fla., Jones scored more than 1,000 points during his career at Clearwater High School, where he was named the Male Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2020. He was also selected as the Pinellas County Athletic Conference (PCAC) Player of the Year as well as a PCAC and Florida All-Star.

Jones is the sixth player to sign with the Wildcats for the 2024-25 season, including the fifth Division I transfer following&nbsp;Dug McDaniel&nbsp;(Washington, D.C./St. Paul VI Catholic VI/Michigan),&nbsp;Christian (C.J.) Jones&nbsp;(East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis/UIC),&nbsp;Brendan Hausen&nbsp;(Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo/Villanova)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Baye Fall&nbsp;(Dakar, Senegal/ Accelerated Prep [Colo.]/Arkansas).&nbsp;The five transfers join top-50 high school prospect&nbsp;David Castillo&nbsp;(Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]), who signed on Nov. 8.

K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;continued to build his backcourt for the 2024-25 season with the signing of transfer guard&nbsp;Max Jones&nbsp;(Clearwater, Fla./ Clearwater/University of Tampa/Cal State Fullerton)&nbsp;to a Financial Aid Agreement on Friday afternoon (May 10).A 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard, Jones arrives at K-State with valuable playing experience, including 2 seasons at Division II University of Tampa (2020-22) in his home state of Florida before 2 seasons (2022-24) at Cal State Fullerton. He has scored nearly 1,400 career points in 84 career games with 81 starts in his playing career, connecting on 43.2 percent (436-of-1009) from the field, including 36.3 percent (134-of-369) from 3-point range, and 79.9 percent (378-of-473) from the free throw line. He has 26 20-point games and 6 30-point games in his career, including a high 39 points at Florida Tech on March 16, 2021, while playing at Tampa.“It’s always a great day to be a Wildcat and we’re excited to welcome Max and his family to K-State,” said head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang. “Max is a proven and versatile shot maker. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and is in attack mode on both ends of the floor at all times.”Jones was the 2021 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Freshman of the Year, a two-time First Team All-Sunshine State Conference (2021, 2022) as well as a 2022 D2CCA All-Region Team member while at Tampa, where he averaged 22.1 points on 45.4 percent (203-of-447) shooting while playing in just 28 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was selected All-Big West Honorable Mention as a sophomore in 2022-23 at Cal State Fullerton, where he was second on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.), assists (2.2 apg.), steals (0.9 spg.) and minutes (31.9 mpg.) en route to helping the Titans to a 20-win season and the Big West Championship game.This past season, Jones upped his scoring average by nearly 3 points per game, averaging 15.3 points on 38.3 percent (103-of-269) shooting, including 38.5 percent (42-of-109) from 3-point range, while playing in 24 games with 21 starts. His scoring average ranked 11th&nbsp;in the Big West, including second on the team. He posted 6 20-point games, including a season-best 30 points at Nebraska on Nov. 26, 2023, that included 5 3-pointers. He also ranked third in the conference in steals (1.7 spg.), posting at least 3 in 6 games.In his 2 seasons at Cal State Fullerton, Jones averaged 13.7 points on 41.5 percent (233-of-562) shooting, including 39 percent (76-of-195) from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent (224-of-285) from the free throw line to go with 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 minutes per game while playing in 56 games with 53 starts for head coach&nbsp;Dedrique Taylor. He scored in double figures in 40 of his 56 career games.Jones started his college career at Division II Tampa, which included 7 games as true freshman during the COVID-19 season of 2020-21. Despite playing in just 28 games in his Spartan career, he averaged better than 20 points per game in each season, while posting 18 games of at least 20 points with 5 games with at least 30 points. He turned in consecutive 30-point games against Rollins and No. 17 Barry in January 2022, including 38 points in a 104-98 win over the nationally ranked Bucs, and was named the Division II National Player of the Week.Jones scored 20 or more points in 5 of his 7 games during the 2020-21 season, including a career-high 39 in the season finale against Florida Tech on March 16. He averaged 22.6 points on 48.2 percent (53-of-110) shooting, including 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from 3-point range, and 77.1 percent (32-of-45) from the free throw line to go with 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals in a school-record 38.1 minutes per game. He was named the 2021 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Freshman of the Year, while he was selected First Team All-SSC and to the league’s All-Newcomer Team.In his first full season at Tampa in 2021-22, Jones posted a team-best 21.9 points per game on 44.5 percent (150-of-337) shooting to go with 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.0 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in 19 of his 21 games played with 15 games of at least 20 points and 4 30-point efforts. He was named to the D2CCA All-Region Team and was a repeat First Team All-Sunshine State Conference selection. He was twice honored as the Sunshine State Conference Offensive Player of the Week and was the D2SIDA National Player of the Week after his back-to-back 30-point games against Rollins and No. 17 Barry on Jan. 12 and 15, 2022.A native of Clearwater, Fla., Jones scored more than 1,000 points during his career at Clearwater High School, where he was named the Male Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2020. He was also selected as the Pinellas County Athletic Conference (PCAC) Player of the Year as well as a PCAC and Florida All-Star.Jones is the sixth player to sign with the Wildcats for the 2024-25 season, including the fifth Division I transfer following&nbsp;Dug McDaniel&nbsp;(Washington, D.C./St. Paul VI Catholic VI/Michigan),&nbsp;Christian (C.J.) Jones&nbsp;(East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis/UIC),&nbsp;Brendan Hausen&nbsp;(Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo/Villanova)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Baye Fall&nbsp;(Dakar, Senegal/ Accelerated Prep [Colo.]/Arkansas).&nbsp;The five transfers join top-50 high school prospect&nbsp;David Castillo&nbsp;(Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]), who signed on Nov. 8.K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang’s&nbsp;tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

Tang Signs Transfer Max Jones

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Dairon Blanco had three hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, Michael Wacha picked up his first win in over a month and the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

“He comes ready to play whenever he’s in the lineup, whether that’s starting or just coming off the bench,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Blanco, who is mostly used as a pinch runner, but has hit safely in five of his seven starts this season.

Vinnie Pasquantino also had a two-run homer in the third and drove in three runs for the Royals, who have won three of four. Pasquantino has nine RBIs in his last five games.

Maikel Garcia added three hits, including a two-run double in the sixth.

Wacha (2-4) — who went 0-4 in his previous five starts. — allowed only two hits in six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. The Angels loaded the bases as their first three hitters got aboard when Luis Guillorme and Cole Tucker drew bases-loaded walks to chase the right-hander.

“Those first six innings I felt like I was locked in, you know. Then, kind of lost it in the seventh,” said Wacha, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and struck out six in six-plus innings. “I’m not going to let that affect how I feel coming out of there. The stuff was good and had a good mix.”

The Angels had runners at first and second with one out, but reliever Daniel Lynch IV made a great grab of Kevin Pillar’s grounder to start a double play and end the inning.

The Angels had five hits and are 4-12 at The Big A, the worst home start in franchise history.

Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-4) retired the first six Royals before running into trouble in the third. Hunter Renfroe drew a leadoff walk and Blanco followed by driving Detmers' slider into the left-field bullpens. Later in the inning, Pasquantino's two-run shot to right went 442 feet, the farthest he has hit in his three years in the majors.

Detmers allowed six runs and seven hits and struck out five in five innings. The left-hander has allowed at least four runs in four straight starts after giving up four runs (three earned) through his first four starts.

“Tonight, everything he landed they got to and he wasn't landing very much. Tonight wasn't his night,” manager Ron Washington said of Detmers. “When he did make a good pitch, they found a way to put it into play. We struck out 13 tonight and they still had 12 hits and put 10 runs on the board.”

Angels: Infielders Brandon Drury (left hamstring strain) and Luis Rengifo (viral infection) were placed on the 10-day injured list. The moves and Los Angeles' lineup were not announced until 8 minutes before first pitch.

Kansas City RHP Alec Marsh (3-0, 2.70 ERA), who had a right elbow contusion, is expected to come off the 15-day injured list Friday. RHP Griffin Canning (1-4, 6.69 ERA) gets the call for Los Angeles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715317703148.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Dairon Blanco, right, is congratulated by Salvador Perez after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Dairon Blanco, right, is congratulated by Salvador Perez after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)</figcaption>
 </figure>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Dairon Blanco had three hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, Michael Wacha picked up his first win in over a month and the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.“He comes ready to play whenever he’s in the lineup, whether that’s starting or just coming off the bench,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Blanco, who is mostly used as a pinch runner, but has hit safely in five of his seven starts this season.Vinnie Pasquantino also had a two-run homer in the third and drove in three runs for the Royals, who have won three of four. Pasquantino has nine RBIs in his last five games.Maikel Garcia added three hits, including a two-run double in the sixth.Wacha (2-4) — who went 0-4 in his previous five starts. — allowed only two hits in six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. The Angels loaded the bases as their first three hitters got aboard when Luis Guillorme and Cole Tucker drew bases-loaded walks to chase the right-hander.“Those first six innings I felt like I was locked in, you know. Then, kind of lost it in the seventh,” said Wacha, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and struck out six in six-plus innings. “I’m not going to let that affect how I feel coming out of there. The stuff was good and had a good mix.”The Angels had runners at first and second with one out, but reliever Daniel Lynch IV made a great grab of Kevin Pillar’s grounder to start a double play and end the inning.The Angels had five hits and are 4-12 at The Big A, the worst home start in franchise history.Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-4) retired the first six Royals before running into trouble in the third. Hunter Renfroe drew a leadoff walk and Blanco followed by driving Detmers' slider into the left-field bullpens. Later in the inning, Pasquantino's two-run shot to right went 442 feet, the farthest he has hit in his three years in the majors.Detmers allowed six runs and seven hits and struck out five in five innings. The left-hander has allowed at least four runs in four straight starts after giving up four runs (three earned) through his first four starts.“Tonight, everything he landed they got to and he wasn't landing very much. Tonight wasn't his night,” manager Ron Washington said of Detmers. “When he did make a good pitch, they found a way to put it into play. We struck out 13 tonight and they still had 12 hits and put 10 runs on the board.”TRAINER'S ROOMAngels: Infielders Brandon Drury (left hamstring strain) and Luis Rengifo (viral infection) were placed on the 10-day injured list. The moves and Los Angeles' lineup were not announced until 8 minutes before first pitch.UP NEXTKansas City RHP Alec Marsh (3-0, 2.70 ERA), who had a right elbow contusion, is expected to come off the 15-day injured list Friday. RHP Griffin Canning (1-4, 6.69 ERA) gets the call for Los Angeles.

⚾ Blanco has 3 hits as Royals roll to victory over Angels

Kansas Wesleyan baseball coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4dff2720-a13c-4cde-a05a-b1713c31ae6b?elinkdata=10020">Bill Neale</a> had a diplomatic answer when asked if it's an advantage or disadvantage playing a team the Coyotes had faced during the regular season.

KWU plays Concordia (Nebraska) in an Opening Round game of the NAIA National Championship at 2:30 p.m. Monday in Shreveport, Louisiana. Pairings were announced Thursday for Opening Round games that will be played May 13-16 at 10 sites across the country.

The 20th ranked and third-seeded Coyotes (45-10) know plenty about the No. 18 and second-seeded Bulldogs (41-13) after playing a doubleheader against them February 20 at Dean Evans Stadium. Concordia won both games 14-5 and 5-2.

"I look at it this way," Neale said, "it's hard to beat a good team three times. That's the glass is half full answer for me."

No. 4-ranked Louisiana State-Shreveport is the host, the top seed in the Shreveport bracket and has an opening bye. Fourth-seeded Talladega (Alabama) plays fifth-seeded Blue Mountain Christian (Mississippi) at 11 a.m. Monday in the first game of the day - the winner facing LSU-Shreveport at 6 p.m. Monday.

The Coyotes play at 11 a.m. Tuesday with a loss and 2:30 p.m. with a victory.

The bracket winner, along with the other nine Opening Round winners, advances to the 67th Annual AVISTA NAIA World Series on May 24-31 in Lewiston, Idaho.

KWU won the Kansas Conference's regular season title with a 32-4 record and finished second in the KCAC tournament losing to Oklahoma Wesleyan 6-4 in the championship game Sunday in Great Bend.

"We struggled a little bit offensively at the conference tournament but I think we're pitching it at a high level," Neale said. "We're trying to get some guys healthy; we've got few guys who are a little banged up."

Concordia was 21-7 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference and shared the regular season title with No. 19 Doane. The Bulldogs defeated Doane 5-1 Tuesday in the GPAC tournament title game. It was their seventh tournament title in seven years.

"They're a good team," Neale said. "It is what it is. I like going to Shreveport, it's something different for our boys. It's a really nice facility, it's kind of a baseball school, they really support baseball so it should be fun for our guys. We'll get on the bus after graduation on Saturday and go."

KWU is making its third consecutive trip to the Opening Round. The Coyotes played in the 2023 Opening Round at Fayette, Missouri and went 2-2, defeating Central Methodist twice and losing twice to top-ranked Southeastern (Florida).

Kansas Wesleyan baseball coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4dff2720-a13c-4cde-a05a-b1713c31ae6b?elinkdata=10020">Bill Neale</a> had a diplomatic answer when asked if it's an advantage or disadvantage playing a team the Coyotes had faced during the regular season.KWU plays Concordia (Nebraska) in an Opening Round game of the NAIA National Championship at 2:30 p.m. Monday in Shreveport, Louisiana. Pairings were announced Thursday for Opening Round games that will be played May 13-16 at 10 sites across the country.The 20th ranked and third-seeded Coyotes (45-10) know plenty about the No. 18 and second-seeded Bulldogs (41-13) after playing a doubleheader against them February 20 at Dean Evans Stadium. Concordia won both games 14-5 and 5-2."I look at it this way," Neale said, "it's hard to beat a good team three times. That's the glass is half full answer for me."No. 4-ranked Louisiana State-Shreveport is the host, the top seed in the Shreveport bracket and has an opening bye. Fourth-seeded Talladega (Alabama) plays fifth-seeded Blue Mountain Christian (Mississippi) at 11 a.m. Monday in the first game of the day - the winner facing LSU-Shreveport at 6 p.m. Monday.The Coyotes play at 11 a.m. Tuesday with a loss and 2:30 p.m. with a victory.The bracket winner, along with the other nine Opening Round winners, advances to the 67th Annual AVISTA NAIA World Series on May 24-31 in Lewiston, Idaho.KWU won the Kansas Conference's regular season title with a 32-4 record and finished second in the KCAC tournament losing to Oklahoma Wesleyan 6-4 in the championship game Sunday in Great Bend."We struggled a little bit offensively at the conference tournament but I think we're pitching it at a high level," Neale said. "We're trying to get some guys healthy; we've got few guys who are a little banged up."Concordia was 21-7 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference and shared the regular season title with No. 19 Doane. The Bulldogs defeated Doane 5-1 Tuesday in the GPAC tournament title game. It was their seventh tournament title in seven years."They're a good team," Neale said. "It is what it is. I like going to Shreveport, it's something different for our boys. It's a really nice facility, it's kind of a baseball school, they really support baseball so it should be fun for our guys. We'll get on the bus after graduation on Saturday and go."KWU is making its third consecutive trip to the Opening Round. The Coyotes played in the 2023 Opening Round at Fayette, Missouri and went 2-2, defeating Central Methodist twice and losing twice to top-ranked Southeastern (Florida).

Coyotes headed to Shreveport for NAIA Opening Round, faces Concordia in first round

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The Coach O' Show

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter

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

On Wednesday The Salina Liberty and Nashville Kats each agreed to a schedule amendment proposed by the league and will square off in Nashville on Sunday, May 12th at 2:30.

This game replaces a matchup that would have seen the Liberty travel to Oregon to battle the BlackBears. The league is still working on reschedule the Liberty’s road matchup with Wichita, form more on that stay tuned to Salina Post.

Elsewhere in our area The Sacred Heart golf team rolled to yet another league title, taking five of the top six spots at this year's NCAA league tournament.

Seniors from all over the area took center stage, with Southeast of Saline's Dylan Esch and Sacred Heart's Walker Tuttle tying for the top spot, each carding a 73 on the day.

Excitement is ramping up as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as part of the Kansas State Athletics Catbacker Tour, which will begin on May 14th in Salina before heading to Western Kansas

And finally the NAIA Flag Football National Championships in Atlanta kicked off yesterday and Kansas Wesleyan split their two matchups, defeating Reinhardt University 36-6 before falling 33-7 to Thomas University. Action continues today at 11am

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

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uvAG_KCpB0M?si=whSTf-cRJp52yN8L" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By TYLER HENRY Lead SportswriterHello and happy Thursday everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home field advantage starts here" />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home field advantage starts here</figcaption>
 </figure>_________On Wednesday The Salina Liberty and Nashville Kats each agreed to a schedule amendment proposed by the league and will square off in Nashville on Sunday, May 12th at 2:30.This game replaces a matchup that would have seen the Liberty travel to Oregon to battle the BlackBears. The league is still working on reschedule the Liberty’s road matchup with Wichita, form more on that stay tuned to Salina Post._________Elsewhere in our area The Sacred Heart golf team rolled to yet another league title, taking five of the top six spots at this year's NCAA league tournament.Seniors from all over the area took center stage, with Southeast of Saline's Dylan Esch and Sacred Heart's Walker Tuttle tying for the top spot, each carding a 73 on the day.Excitement is ramping up as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as part of the Kansas State Athletics Catbacker Tour, which will begin on May 14th in Salina before heading to Western Kansas_________And finally the NAIA Flag Football National Championships in Atlanta kicked off yesterday and Kansas Wesleyan split their two matchups, defeating Reinhardt University 36-6 before falling 33-7 to Thomas University. Action continues today at 11am_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — May 9 

Excitement is ramping up as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as part of the Kansas State Athletics 2024 Catbacker Tour.&nbsp;

Sponsored by Kansas Strong, the 2024 Catbacker Tour will kick off May 14 in Salina. The tour will be in town from 8-10 a.m. at the K-State Salina Student Life Center located at 2310 Centennial Road.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Next stops include Great Bend and Liberal before moving to Dodge City, Garden City, and Scott City on May 15, and then on to Colby and Hays on May 16. Head football coach Chris Klieman, as well as coaches and student-athletes from various sports, will be in attendance during the swing of Western Kansas.

Head men's basketball coach Jerome Tang, other sports' coaches and student-athletes will be a part of the second week of tours, beginning with Manhattan on May 20. Following stops in Hutchinson and Wichita on May 21, the tour will head to Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City on May 22 and end in Marysville, Seneca and Topeka on May 23.

The tour stops will have a fan-friendly atmosphere and feature mini-pep rallies, photo opportunities, and meet and greets with the guests. Willie Wildcat and members of the cheer team will also be in attendance. Make sure to follow K-State Athletics on social media platforms throughout the tour for more coverage.

May 15: Dodge City/Garden City/Scott City

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715260536685.jpeg" alt="2024 Catbacker Tour" />
 <figcaption>2024 Catbacker Tour</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedExcitement is ramping up as Wildcat fans will soon get the opportunity to see their favorite student-athletes and coaches as part of the Kansas State Athletics 2024 Catbacker Tour.&nbsp;Sponsored by Kansas Strong, the 2024 Catbacker Tour will kick off May 14 in Salina. The tour will be in town from 8-10 a.m. at the K-State Salina Student Life Center located at 2310 Centennial Road.&nbsp;&nbsp;Next stops include Great Bend and Liberal before moving to Dodge City, Garden City, and Scott City on May 15, and then on to Colby and Hays on May 16. Head football coach Chris Klieman, as well as coaches and student-athletes from various sports, will be in attendance during the swing of Western Kansas.Head men's basketball coach Jerome Tang, other sports' coaches and student-athletes will be a part of the second week of tours, beginning with Manhattan on May 20. Following stops in Hutchinson and Wichita on May 21, the tour will head to Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City on May 22 and end in Marysville, Seneca and Topeka on May 23.The tour stops will have a fan-friendly atmosphere and feature mini-pep rallies, photo opportunities, and meet and greets with the guests. Willie Wildcat and members of the cheer team will also be in attendance. Make sure to follow K-State Athletics on social media platforms throughout the tour for more coverage.<h2>2024 Catbacker Tour Schedule</h2>Week One – May 14-16May 14: Salina/Great Bend/LiberalMay 15: Dodge City/Garden City/Scott CityMay 16: Colby/HaysWeek Two – May 20-23May 20: ManhattanMay 21: Hutchinson/WichitaMay 22: Chanute/Emporia/Kansas CityMay 23: Marysville/Seneca/Topeka

2024 K-State Athletics Catbacker Tour to stop in Salina next week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run and scored three times to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Wednesday.

Both starting pitchers struggled out of the gate but settled down and limited the damage. The Royals' Brady Singer (3-1) allowed one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Joe Ross (1-4) allowed three runs on three hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two.

“I think the sinker had a lot of action on it,” Singer said. “I was able to locate that pretty well, get it in on the lefthanders. I wanted to go deeper in the game, but the first two innings the pitch count was pretty high.”

James McArthur picked up his eighth save after blowing his last two chances.

“We thought we had a chance to not have to bring him in, but clearly we needed to,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He came in and executed right off the bat. He only had to throw three pitches.”

The Brewers opened the first with back-to-back doubles by Brice Turang and William Contreras to grab a 1-0 lead.

The Royals answered with back-to-back doubles by Maikel Garcia and Witt, but didn't score until Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly. Witt's double looked like a flyout to center, keeping Garcia at second. But Blake Perkins slipped in center and the ball dropped untouched. Michael Massey's sacrifice fly scored Witt to give KC a 2-1 lead.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn't lamenting the mistakes after the game.

“They're all winnable,” he said. “You make mistakes and then it piles on. Give them credit, they capitalized when they had to. But we had a couple of things happen to us early. But there were a lot of good things today, too. Gary Sanchez continues to have great at-bats. Joe Ross pitched good.”

After both starters settled down, Massey got his second sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Witt. The sacrifice fly isn't as glamorous as an RBI hit, but the runs help.

“It's knowing the situation and getting a pitch you can do something with,” Quatraro said. “You have to understand that you don't have to do too much. Both Vinnie and Massey had big at-bats.”

Sanchez connected for his fifth home run leading off the seventh for Milwaukee. With one out and a runner at second, Turang lined one to left, but Oliver Dunn was thrown out at the plate by left fielder MJ Melendez.

“I'm just trying to find a way to help this team win,” said Melendez, who entered the game hitting .185 and struck out in his two at-bats. “Obviously I'm not getting the job done on offense. I'm trying to make up for it on the other side of the ball.”

His contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“I think he's got one of the best arms out there,” Witt said. “His accuracy is unbelievable. It's great to see him out there doing his thing.”

Witt hit his first home run since April 11 leading off the eighth.

“That was a slider,” Witt said. “Those are the pitches you're supposed to hit out when they back up like that.”

Adam Frazier and Freddy Fermin added RBI singles. The Brewers got two runs in the ninth.

Christian Yelich went 0 for 5 for the Brewers in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brewers-yelich-4d7a6765cdff6915ba9cae4c05c7d523">first game back</a>&nbsp;from a low back strain.

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh is eligible to come off the IL on Friday. Manager Matt Quatraro said Marsh is on schedule to start for the Royals in Anaheim.

Brewers: return to Milwaukee to start a four-game series with the Cardinals. Milwaukee will hand the ball to RHP Tobias Myers (0-2, 6.23 ERA). The Cardinals have not announced their starter.

Royals: will begin a four-game series in Anaheim on Thursday. RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 5.50 ERA) will start for KC against LHP Reid Detmers (3-3, 4.24 ERA).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715202768644.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., left, runs past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., left, runs past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run and scored three times to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Wednesday.Both starting pitchers struggled out of the gate but settled down and limited the damage. The Royals' Brady Singer (3-1) allowed one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Joe Ross (1-4) allowed three runs on three hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two.“I think the sinker had a lot of action on it,” Singer said. “I was able to locate that pretty well, get it in on the lefthanders. I wanted to go deeper in the game, but the first two innings the pitch count was pretty high.”James McArthur picked up his eighth save after blowing his last two chances.“We thought we had a chance to not have to bring him in, but clearly we needed to,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He came in and executed right off the bat. He only had to throw three pitches.”The Brewers opened the first with back-to-back doubles by Brice Turang and William Contreras to grab a 1-0 lead.The Royals answered with back-to-back doubles by Maikel Garcia and Witt, but didn't score until Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly. Witt's double looked like a flyout to center, keeping Garcia at second. But Blake Perkins slipped in center and the ball dropped untouched. Michael Massey's sacrifice fly scored Witt to give KC a 2-1 lead.Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn't lamenting the mistakes after the game.“They're all winnable,” he said. “You make mistakes and then it piles on. Give them credit, they capitalized when they had to. But we had a couple of things happen to us early. But there were a lot of good things today, too. Gary Sanchez continues to have great at-bats. Joe Ross pitched good.”After both starters settled down, Massey got his second sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Witt. The sacrifice fly isn't as glamorous as an RBI hit, but the runs help.“It's knowing the situation and getting a pitch you can do something with,” Quatraro said. “You have to understand that you don't have to do too much. Both Vinnie and Massey had big at-bats.”Sanchez connected for his fifth home run leading off the seventh for Milwaukee. With one out and a runner at second, Turang lined one to left, but Oliver Dunn was thrown out at the plate by left fielder MJ Melendez.“I'm just trying to find a way to help this team win,” said Melendez, who entered the game hitting .185 and struck out in his two at-bats. “Obviously I'm not getting the job done on offense. I'm trying to make up for it on the other side of the ball.”His contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.“I think he's got one of the best arms out there,” Witt said. “His accuracy is unbelievable. It's great to see him out there doing his thing.”Witt hit his first home run since April 11 leading off the eighth.“That was a slider,” Witt said. “Those are the pitches you're supposed to hit out when they back up like that.”Adam Frazier and Freddy Fermin added RBI singles. The Brewers got two runs in the ninth.Christian Yelich went 0 for 5 for the Brewers in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brewers-yelich-4d7a6765cdff6915ba9cae4c05c7d523">first game back</a>&nbsp;from a low back strain.TRAINING ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh is eligible to come off the IL on Friday. Manager Matt Quatraro said Marsh is on schedule to start for the Royals in Anaheim.UP NEXTBrewers: return to Milwaukee to start a four-game series with the Cardinals. Milwaukee will hand the ball to RHP Tobias Myers (0-2, 6.23 ERA). The Cardinals have not announced their starter.Royals: will begin a four-game series in Anaheim on Thursday. RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 5.50 ERA) will start for KC against LHP Reid Detmers (3-3, 4.24 ERA).___

⚾ Bobby Witt Jr. powers Royals past Brewers

The Sacred Heart golf team rolled to yet another league title on Tuesday, taking five of the top six spots at this year's NCAA league tournament.

Beyond that duo, a pair of Knight's seniors also found themselves in the top five, with excellent performances from Michael Matteucci (74) and Luke Newell (75).

Full team results, as well as the top ten finishers from this year's NCAA league tournament, can be found below

Team Scores 1. Sacred Heart- 297 2. SE of Saline- 334 3. Beloit- 402 4. Republic County- 440 5. Minneapolis- 445 6. Ellsworth- 45

Individual Scores T1. Dylan Esch (SE of Saline)- 73 T1. Walker Tuttle (Sacred Heart) - 73 3. Michael Matteucci (Sacred Heart) - 74 T4. Luke Newell (Sacred Heart) - 75 T4. Hunter Newell (Sacred Heart) - 75 6. Dom Matteucci (Sacred Heart) - 80 7. Joel Huffaker (SE of Saline) - 82 8. Jason Marrs (Sacred Heart) - 85 9. Adam Thiel (SE of Saline) - 85 10. Jennings Sloan (Beloit) - 86

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Sacred Heart golf team rolled to yet another league title on Tuesday, taking five of the top six spots at this year's NCAA league tournament.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Seniors from all over the area took center stage, with Southeast of Saline's Dylan Esch and Sacred Heart's Walker Tuttle tying for the top spot, each carding a 73 on the day.Beyond that duo, a pair of Knight's seniors also found themselves in the top five, with excellent performances from Michael Matteucci (74) and Luke Newell (75).Full team results, as well as the top ten finishers from this year's NCAA league tournament, can be found belowTeam Scores 1. Sacred Heart- 297 2. SE of Saline- 334 3. Beloit- 402 4. Republic County- 440 5. Minneapolis- 445 6. Ellsworth- 45Individual Scores T1. Dylan Esch (SE of Saline)- 73 T1. Walker Tuttle (Sacred Heart) - 73 3. Michael Matteucci (Sacred Heart) - 74 T4. Luke Newell (Sacred Heart) - 75 T4. Hunter Newell (Sacred Heart) - 75 6. Dom Matteucci (Sacred Heart) - 80 7. Joel Huffaker (SE of Saline) - 82 8. Jason Marrs (Sacred Heart) - 85 9. Adam Thiel (SE of Saline) - 85 10. Jennings Sloan (Beloit) - 86

Sacred Heart golf dominates NCAA league tournament

The Salina Liberty and Nashville Kats have each agreed to a schedule amendment proposed by the league and will square off in Nashville on Sunday, May 12th at 2:30.

This game replaces a matchup that would have seen the Liberty travel to Oregon to battle the BlackBears.

Nashville will enter this contest at 1-1 while Salina comes in at 1-0, having had their game with Wichita postponed due to severe weather last week.

The Kats returned to the arena football world after a 16-year hiatus, and feature several familiar faces in their organization with former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher serving as Director of Football Operations, and long-time voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide Eli Gold serving as the team's radio voice.

Municipal Auditorium in Nashville will serve as the host site for this game, and tickets are available online.

For more on this matchup, tune into the Coach O Show this Thursday at 6:00 on Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Salina Liberty and Nashville Kats have each agreed to a schedule amendment proposed by the league and will square off in Nashville on Sunday, May 12th at 2:30.This game replaces a matchup that would have seen the Liberty travel to Oregon to battle the BlackBears.Nashville will enter this contest at 1-1 while Salina comes in at 1-0, having had their game with Wichita postponed due to severe weather last week.The Kats returned to the arena football world after a 16-year hiatus, and feature several familiar faces in their organization with former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher serving as Director of Football Operations, and long-time voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide Eli Gold serving as the team's radio voice.Municipal Auditorium in Nashville will serve as the host site for this game, and tickets are available online.For more on this matchup, tune into the Coach O Show this Thursday at 6:00 on Salina Post.

Schedule Change: Liberty Nashville bound to Battle Kats on Sunday 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames had been chatting up the Royals fans behind the Milwaukee dugout all game, the good-natured ribbing carrying on as the Brewers jumped out to a two-run lead and Kansas City battled back to take its own two-run lead to the ninth.

With two outs and a pair of runners aboard, Adames found himself standing in the on-deck circle with the game on the line.

“They told me they wanted me to hit a three-run homer,” Adames would say later, “and I was like, ‘I got you.’”

Adames proceeded to drill an 83 mph curveball from Royals closer James McArthur into the left-field bullpen, sending Milwaukee to a 6-5 win Tuesday night, and leaving those Kansas City fans mock-worshipping him as he returned to the dugout.

“It was really priceless,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who had watched the called-shot scene unfold. “It was really cool.”

Jared Koenig (3-1) earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill breezed through the ninth to earn his third save in three tries.

Vinnie Pasquantino drove in three runs for Kansas City. Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel also drove in runs.

“That one stings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro admitted, “but we've done that to other people as well.”

Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz crushed back-to-back homers off Royals starter Seth Lugo in the second inning, but that was all the offense the Brewers could muster until the seventh, when they managed to coax another run across.

They squandered a chance to draw closer when Angel Zerpa struck out Gary Sanchez to strand a pair later in the seventh, then missed another opportunity in the eighth, when John Schreiber fanned Oliver Dunn to leave two more runners aboard.

The Brewers didn't waste their final opportunity in the ninth.

McArthur (1-2) had retired the first two batters when William Contreras, on a full-count pitch, began the comeback with a double just inside the left-field foul line. Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames walked confidently to the plate.

“He's carrying on with (the fans) during Gary's at-bat, and he's telling them — they're Kansas City fans — he's telling them, ‘One more ball,'” Murphy said. “Then he goes back to them and goes, ‘Here we go.’”

There it went, right into the left-field bullpen.

It wasn't exactly on par Babe Ruth's called shot — there's a big difference between a regular-season game the first week of May and Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, when the Hall of Famer famously pointed toward deep center field at Wrigley Field, then homered to that exact spot to help the Yankees beat the Cubs, 7-5.

Still, it was the kind of stuff certain to go down in Brewers lore.

“Oh my God, that was the coolest thing I ever done,” said Adames, who even signed some balls for those Kansas City fans. “You know, sometimes the fans will be very hard, but these guys here, they were amazing. They were having a good time. Like, all my at-bats, we were chatting, and then the last one was obviously the most fun.”

Brewers left-hander Wade Miley was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati. The procedure was being performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds' medical director. The 37-year-old Miley made two starts this season, working seven total innings, before he was put on the injured list April 22 with elbow inflammation. The Brewers were counting on him after Miley went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts last season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715135395718.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey throws to first after forcing Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick (10) out at second on a force out hit into by William Contreras during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey throws to first after forcing Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick (10) out at second on a force out hit into by William Contreras during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames had been chatting up the Royals fans behind the Milwaukee dugout all game, the good-natured ribbing carrying on as the Brewers jumped out to a two-run lead and Kansas City battled back to take its own two-run lead to the ninth.With two outs and a pair of runners aboard, Adames found himself standing in the on-deck circle with the game on the line.“They told me they wanted me to hit a three-run homer,” Adames would say later, “and I was like, ‘I got you.’”Adames proceeded to drill an 83 mph curveball from Royals closer James McArthur into the left-field bullpen, sending Milwaukee to a 6-5 win Tuesday night, and leaving those Kansas City fans mock-worshipping him as he returned to the dugout.“It was really priceless,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who had watched the called-shot scene unfold. “It was really cool.”Jared Koenig (3-1) earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill breezed through the ninth to earn his third save in three tries.Vinnie Pasquantino drove in three runs for Kansas City. Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel also drove in runs.“That one stings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro admitted, “but we've done that to other people as well.”Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz crushed back-to-back homers off Royals starter Seth Lugo in the second inning, but that was all the offense the Brewers could muster until the seventh, when they managed to coax another run across.They squandered a chance to draw closer when Angel Zerpa struck out Gary Sanchez to strand a pair later in the seventh, then missed another opportunity in the eighth, when John Schreiber fanned Oliver Dunn to leave two more runners aboard.The Brewers didn't waste their final opportunity in the ninth.McArthur (1-2) had retired the first two batters when William Contreras, on a full-count pitch, began the comeback with a double just inside the left-field foul line. Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames walked confidently to the plate.“He's carrying on with (the fans) during Gary's at-bat, and he's telling them — they're Kansas City fans — he's telling them, ‘One more ball,'” Murphy said. “Then he goes back to them and goes, ‘Here we go.’”There it went, right into the left-field bullpen.It wasn't exactly on par Babe Ruth's called shot — there's a big difference between a regular-season game the first week of May and Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, when the Hall of Famer famously pointed toward deep center field at Wrigley Field, then homered to that exact spot to help the Yankees beat the Cubs, 7-5.Still, it was the kind of stuff certain to go down in Brewers lore.“Oh my God, that was the coolest thing I ever done,” said Adames, who even signed some balls for those Kansas City fans. “You know, sometimes the fans will be very hard, but these guys here, they were amazing. They were having a good time. Like, all my at-bats, we were chatting, and then the last one was obviously the most fun.”MILEY UPDATEBrewers left-hander Wade Miley was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati. The procedure was being performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds' medical director. The 37-year-old Miley made two starts this season, working seven total innings, before he was put on the injured list April 22 with elbow inflammation. The Brewers were counting on him after Miley went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts last season.UP NEXT

⚾ Adames hits go-ahead 3-run homer in ninth as Brewers beat KC

ATLANTA - Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football will open play in the NAIA Flag Finals on Wednesday, starting with two games in Pool Play against Reinhardt University and Thomas University. Both games will be played at Franklin Gateway Sports Complex in Marietta, Georgia.

The NAIA Flag Finals features 12 participating teams that made the journey to Atlanta. The teams are divided into four three-team pools to determine who advances into the "A Bracket" and "B Bracket" which begins on Thursday.

The two-bracket format is the same format used in the first two years of the NAIA Flag Finals, while last year was one large double-elimination bracket that was used to determine the winner of the Flag Finals.

The participating teams in this year's Flag Finals include (by Pool):

Pool A: Keiser (Fla.), Baker (Kan.), Midland (Kan.)

Pool B: Warner (Fla.), Webber International (Fla.), Milligan (Tenn.)

Pool C: St. Thomas (Fla.), Campbellsville (Ky.), Ottawa (Kan.)

Pool D: Kansas Wesleyan, Reinhardt (Ga.), Thomas (Ga.)

KWU will face off with Reinhardt in the first game on Wednesday at 10:20 a.m., Central Time, 11:20 a.m., Eastern Time. KWU then takes on Thomas at 1:40 p.m., Central Time, 2:40 p.m., Eastern Time.

The four pool winners will advance to the "A Bracket" along with two other selected teams to complete the 6-team bracket field. The remaining six teams will comprise the "B Bracket" field.

Kansas Wesleyan is 16-3 on the season, and posted an 11-2 record in KCAC play. The Coyotes advanced to the KCAC Championship for a third straight season, facing Ottawa University at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, dropping the championship game 27-8.

KWU comes into the NAIA Flag Finals averaging 31.8 points per game, while holding opponents to 11.4 points per game. KWU is averaging 271.7 yards per game of total offense while holding opponents to 160.6. The Coyote defense has four shutouts this season.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e08c727d-952f-40d4-a61f-39d8cf010ba7?elinkdata=9998">Chihiro Iwata</a> paces the Coyote offense and is 361-of-584 passing, a 61.8 completion percentage, and has thrown for 4111 yards and 67 touchdowns, averaging 228.4 yards per game through the air. She has also added 335 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d990e344-66e3-4dfa-8661-1b9f226a7680?elinkdata=9998">Jazmine Whitfield</a> is one of three receivers over 50 receptions and 700 yards on the season, leading the team with 100 catches for 1177 yards and 15 touchdowns. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e76a4710-98ae-4251-a2ea-7ed5e89d9504?elinkdata=9998">Angel Roman</a> has 76 catches for 757 yards and 14 touchdowns and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/37372f35-e8b7-49e6-9597-c2ce76181d17?elinkdata=9998">Ciaran DeCuir</a> has 53 catches for 706 yards and a team-best 16 touchdowns. A total of 17 different players have caught passes.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/22284430-21ae-49ea-9d72-d362e1b0e556?elinkdata=9998">Alexa Mansur</a> leads the Coyote defense with 123 flag pulls on the season, and has five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. Roman leads the defense with six interceptions and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/84567ca7-9a9d-4eb4-a8c9-ecf24303519c?elinkdata=9998">Nickayla Howard</a> adds five as well. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7a23d2e5-0c24-4c4b-aee3-2033af172d94?elinkdata=9998">Ansdiane Rabano</a> has 6.5 sacks on the season. Howard leads the defensive backfield with 12 pass break-ups.

Reinhardt enters the NAIA Flag Finals with a 3-10 record overall and the Eagles went 1-4 in the SUN Conference this season. One of Reinhardt's wins was a forfeit victory over Point University.

The Eagles only have statistics listed for three games this season, but in those stats Alicia Wyatt is the quarterback and had completed 55.2 percent of passes for 360 yards, and is only listed with four interceptions and no touchdowns. Jahnaeia Thomas is the top receiver with 11 catches for 90 yards. Evanee Cooper has 11 catches for 43 yards.

Dachea Branham as 17 flag pulls to lead the Eagle defense.

The Thomas University Night Hawks are 15-3 on the season and went 6-2 in the SUN Conference this season, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament where they reached the championship game, losing the top seed Keiser 6-0.

Thomas hangs its hat on defense, tossing 10 shutouts during the season. The Night Hawks are allowing just 3.7 points per game this season, while scoring 33.2 per game. Thomas has a 565-63 scoring advantage over opponents. Thomas averages 235.4 yards of total offense per game while holding opponents to 107.8 yards per game.

Alexa Wilson is Thomas's leading quarterback, going 334-of-457 passing for 2891 yards and 52 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, completing 73.1 percent of her passes. She averages 180.7 yards per game passing. Tara Llorente is 73 of 124 passing for 609 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Nakerra Brown is Thomas's leading receiver with 72 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. Aliyah Wood has 67 catches for 580 yards and eight touchdowns. Gisele Jones has 39 catches for 387 yards and a team best 13 touchdowns.

Janae Scott leads the Thomas defense with 55 flag pulls on the season, and has two sacks, two interceptions and 12 pass break-ups. Kaitlyn Herb is the Thomas rush specialist with 49 flag pulls that includes 38 stops for loss and an impressive sack total of 32 on the season to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 pass break-ups. Gisele Jones has 12 pass break-ups and a team best 10 interceptions.

ATLANTA - Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football will open play in the NAIA Flag Finals on Wednesday, starting with two games in Pool Play against Reinhardt University and Thomas University. Both games will be played at Franklin Gateway Sports Complex in Marietta, Georgia.The NAIA Flag Finals features 12 participating teams that made the journey to Atlanta. The teams are divided into four three-team pools to determine who advances into the "A Bracket" and "B Bracket" which begins on Thursday.The two-bracket format is the same format used in the first two years of the NAIA Flag Finals, while last year was one large double-elimination bracket that was used to determine the winner of the Flag Finals.The participating teams in this year's Flag Finals include (by Pool):Pool A: Keiser (Fla.), Baker (Kan.), Midland (Kan.)Pool B: Warner (Fla.), Webber International (Fla.), Milligan (Tenn.)Pool C: St. Thomas (Fla.), Campbellsville (Ky.), Ottawa (Kan.)Pool D: Kansas Wesleyan, Reinhardt (Ga.), Thomas (Ga.)KWU will face off with Reinhardt in the first game on Wednesday at 10:20 a.m., Central Time, 11:20 a.m., Eastern Time. KWU then takes on Thomas at 1:40 p.m., Central Time, 2:40 p.m., Eastern Time.The four pool winners will advance to the "A Bracket" along with two other selected teams to complete the 6-team bracket field. The remaining six teams will comprise the "B Bracket" field.Kansas Wesleyan is 16-3 on the season, and posted an 11-2 record in KCAC play. The Coyotes advanced to the KCAC Championship for a third straight season, facing Ottawa University at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, dropping the championship game 27-8.KWU comes into the NAIA Flag Finals averaging 31.8 points per game, while holding opponents to 11.4 points per game. KWU is averaging 271.7 yards per game of total offense while holding opponents to 160.6. The Coyote defense has four shutouts this season.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e08c727d-952f-40d4-a61f-39d8cf010ba7?elinkdata=9998">Chihiro Iwata</a> paces the Coyote offense and is 361-of-584 passing, a 61.8 completion percentage, and has thrown for 4111 yards and 67 touchdowns, averaging 228.4 yards per game through the air. She has also added 335 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d990e344-66e3-4dfa-8661-1b9f226a7680?elinkdata=9998">Jazmine Whitfield</a> is one of three receivers over 50 receptions and 700 yards on the season, leading the team with 100 catches for 1177 yards and 15 touchdowns. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e76a4710-98ae-4251-a2ea-7ed5e89d9504?elinkdata=9998">Angel Roman</a> has 76 catches for 757 yards and 14 touchdowns and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/37372f35-e8b7-49e6-9597-c2ce76181d17?elinkdata=9998">Ciaran DeCuir</a> has 53 catches for 706 yards and a team-best 16 touchdowns. A total of 17 different players have caught passes.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/22284430-21ae-49ea-9d72-d362e1b0e556?elinkdata=9998">Alexa Mansur</a> leads the Coyote defense with 123 flag pulls on the season, and has five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. Roman leads the defense with six interceptions and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/84567ca7-9a9d-4eb4-a8c9-ecf24303519c?elinkdata=9998">Nickayla Howard</a> adds five as well. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7a23d2e5-0c24-4c4b-aee3-2033af172d94?elinkdata=9998">Ansdiane Rabano</a> has 6.5 sacks on the season. Howard leads the defensive backfield with 12 pass break-ups.Reinhardt enters the NAIA Flag Finals with a 3-10 record overall and the Eagles went 1-4 in the SUN Conference this season. One of Reinhardt's wins was a forfeit victory over Point University.The Eagles only have statistics listed for three games this season, but in those stats Alicia Wyatt is the quarterback and had completed 55.2 percent of passes for 360 yards, and is only listed with four interceptions and no touchdowns. Jahnaeia Thomas is the top receiver with 11 catches for 90 yards. Evanee Cooper has 11 catches for 43 yards.Dachea Branham as 17 flag pulls to lead the Eagle defense.The Thomas University Night Hawks are 15-3 on the season and went 6-2 in the SUN Conference this season, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament where they reached the championship game, losing the top seed Keiser 6-0.Thomas hangs its hat on defense, tossing 10 shutouts during the season. The Night Hawks are allowing just 3.7 points per game this season, while scoring 33.2 per game. Thomas has a 565-63 scoring advantage over opponents. Thomas averages 235.4 yards of total offense per game while holding opponents to 107.8 yards per game.Alexa Wilson is Thomas's leading quarterback, going 334-of-457 passing for 2891 yards and 52 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, completing 73.1 percent of her passes. She averages 180.7 yards per game passing. Tara Llorente is 73 of 124 passing for 609 yards and 11 touchdowns.Nakerra Brown is Thomas's leading receiver with 72 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. Aliyah Wood has 67 catches for 580 yards and eight touchdowns. Gisele Jones has 39 catches for 387 yards and a team best 13 touchdowns.Janae Scott leads the Thomas defense with 55 flag pulls on the season, and has two sacks, two interceptions and 12 pass break-ups. Kaitlyn Herb is the Thomas rush specialist with 49 flag pulls that includes 38 stops for loss and an impressive sack total of 32 on the season to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 pass break-ups. Gisele Jones has 12 pass break-ups and a team best 10 interceptions.

Flag Football prepares for NAIA Flag Finals in Atlanta

WICHITA, Kan. (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e6592ccd-c85a-480c-8be6-d3635014054a?elinkdata=9976">2023-24 Commissioner's Cup Standings</a>) - Kansas Wesleyan University has won the KCAC Commissioner's Cup for the 2023-24 academic year, the conference office announced Tuesday.

This marks the fourth time the Coyotes have taken home the KCAC Commissioner's Cup in the award's history (dating back to the 2012-13 academic year), and the fourth time in the past five years that Kansas Wesleyan has earned this honor.

"This is a victory achieved by so many in the Coyote family," Miguel Paredes, Director of Athletics at Kansas Wesleyan University, remarked. "From the community of Salina to our alumni, to our faculty and our leadership, including Ken Oliver and President Thompson, countless people have come together to support our programs and cheer them on to victories. Our staff, coaches and trainers are second-to-none, and their tireless dedication and unwavering commitment to our student-athletes are the cornerstones of our success. Each of these groups - and each of these people - are different, but they have come together as one to achieve a remarkable feat. I am proud to share it with each and every one of them."

The Coyotes led the conference with 189 total points, with 67 accumulated in the fall season, 53 picked up in the winter, and 69 accumulated in the spring. Second through fourth place in the standings were only separated by a single point, as Ottawa University and the University of Saint Mary were both tied at 178.5 points. Friends University was right behind the Braves and Spires in the standings, sitting in fourth with 177.5. Evangel University rounded out the top five with 156 points.

"Congratulations to Kansas Wesleyan for winning its fourth KCAC Commissioner's Cup in the last five years!", Ted Breidenthal, commissioner of the Kansas Collegiate Athetic Conference, stated. "The Coyotes have developed a successful broad-based athletics program with character, high expectations and outstanding leadership. Congratulations to all the coaches and student-athletes who have thrived while building a strong culture of excellence."

Kansas Wesleyan found success in a variety of sports throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons.

2023-24 KCAC Commissioner's Cup Final Standings (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c668fd32-2ae5-4b74-82ef-0261004b8a76?elinkdata=9976">Season-by-Season Breakdown</a>)

Kansas Wesleyan University (189) Ottawa University (178.5) University of Saint Mary (178.5) Friends University (177.5) Evangel University (156.5) Tabor College (138.5) Bethel College (114.5) Oklahoma Wesleyan University (110.5) McPherson College (108.5) Sterling College (79.5) York University (79) Bethany College (78) Southwestern College (76.5) Avila University (46)

WICHITA, Kan. (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e6592ccd-c85a-480c-8be6-d3635014054a?elinkdata=9976">2023-24 Commissioner's Cup Standings</a>) - Kansas Wesleyan University has won the KCAC Commissioner's Cup for the 2023-24 academic year, the conference office announced Tuesday.This marks the fourth time the Coyotes have taken home the KCAC Commissioner's Cup in the award's history (dating back to the 2012-13 academic year), and the fourth time in the past five years that Kansas Wesleyan has earned this honor."This is a victory achieved by so many in the Coyote family," Miguel Paredes, Director of Athletics at Kansas Wesleyan University, remarked. "From the community of Salina to our alumni, to our faculty and our leadership, including Ken Oliver and President Thompson, countless people have come together to support our programs and cheer them on to victories. Our staff, coaches and trainers are second-to-none, and their tireless dedication and unwavering commitment to our student-athletes are the cornerstones of our success. Each of these groups - and each of these people - are different, but they have come together as one to achieve a remarkable feat. I am proud to share it with each and every one of them."The Coyotes led the conference with 189 total points, with 67 accumulated in the fall season, 53 picked up in the winter, and 69 accumulated in the spring. Second through fourth place in the standings were only separated by a single point, as Ottawa University and the University of Saint Mary were both tied at 178.5 points. Friends University was right behind the Braves and Spires in the standings, sitting in fourth with 177.5. Evangel University rounded out the top five with 156 points."Congratulations to Kansas Wesleyan for winning its fourth KCAC Commissioner's Cup in the last five years!", Ted Breidenthal, commissioner of the Kansas Collegiate Athetic Conference, stated. "The Coyotes have developed a successful broad-based athletics program with character, high expectations and outstanding leadership. Congratulations to all the coaches and student-athletes who have thrived while building a strong culture of excellence."Kansas Wesleyan found success in a variety of sports throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons.<ul>
 <li>Fall: The Coyotes led the Commissioner's Cup standings following the fall season after several teams experienced success in that season, securing at least nine points in all six fall sports that factor into the Commissioner's Cup standings. Kansas Wesleyan finished in the top three at both the Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships, then had the following finishes in the final regular season standings:</li><li>Volleyball: Tied for 1st</li><li>Men's Soccer: 3rd</li><li>Football: Tied for 3rd best overall conference record</li><li>Women's Soccer: 6th</li><li>Winter: The Coyotes had a solid winter, but trailed the University of Saint Mary by four points in the Commissioner's Cup standings after the winter sports season. Highlights from the fall for the Coyotes include:</li><li>Winning the KCAC Competitive Dance Championship</li><li>Tied for 2nd in the Men's Basketball regular season standings</li><li>Tied for 4th in the Women's Basketball regular season standings</li><li>Finishing 4th at the KCAC Competitive Cheer Championshp</li><li>3rd (Men) and 7th (Women) Place Finishes at the KCAC Indoor Track &amp; Field Championships</li><li>Spring: A strong spring sports season was enough for the Coyotes to overtake the Spires and earn another KCAC Commissioner's Cup. Highlights from the spring include:</li><li>Winning the KCAC Women's Golf Championships</li><li>1st in the Baseball regular season standings</li><li>Finishing 2nd in the KCAC Men's Golf Championship</li><li>4th Place for the Coyote Men's Track &amp; Field team at the KCAC Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships</li><li>5th Place finish in Men's Tennis regular season standings</li>
 </ul>2023-24 KCAC Commissioner's Cup Final Standings (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c668fd32-2ae5-4b74-82ef-0261004b8a76?elinkdata=9976">Season-by-Season Breakdown</a>)Kansas Wesleyan University (189) Ottawa University (178.5) University of Saint Mary (178.5) Friends University (177.5) Evangel University (156.5) Tabor College (138.5) Bethel College (114.5) Oklahoma Wesleyan University (110.5) McPherson College (108.5) Sterling College (79.5) York University (79) Bethany College (78) Southwestern College (76.5) Avila University (46)About the Commissioner's CupIn an effort to further recognize the achievements of its student-athletes and member institutions, the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference developed an award for the institution that performs the greatest over the fall, winter, and spring athletic seasons. The KCAC Commissioner's Cup will be awarded annually as a symbol of excellence in athletics representing 21 championships. Member institutions can earn points for their finish of each varsity team in those 21 officially recognized conference sports.Points are assigned based on regular-season finish for men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and men's and women's tennis. In football, points are assigned based on overall conference record in the regular season. In competitive cheer, competitive dance, cross country, men's wrestling, indoor track &amp; field, men's and women's golf, and outdoor track &amp; field, the conference championship meet results will determine point values. To be a conference sport there must be six member institutions competing in that sport at the varsity level.Teams who finish in first place will be awarded a maximum number of points equivalent to the total number of teams competing in that respective sport. Point tallies will continue in reverse order until the last place team has been awarded its corresponding point value (i.e. if a sport only has seven teams, point values will be given from the maximum 7 to 1). When two or more teams tie for final placing in the conference standings, each team will be awarded the average of the respective placing. For example, if three teams tied for second place in a sport with 11 teams, those three teams will be given the score of nine points because those three teams are occupying the second (10 points), third (9 points) and fourth (8 points) positions in the standings. The sum of those three positions (27 points) divided by the three teams yields an average score of nine points for each of the teams.Previous Winners: 2012-13: Tabor College 2013-14: Ottawa University 2014-15: Friends University 2015-16: Friends University 2016-17: Tabor College 2017-18: Friends University 2018-19: Friends University 2019-20: Kansas Wesleyan University 2020-21: Kansas Wesleyan University 2021-22: Friends University 2022-23: Kansas Wesleyan University