Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

&nbsp; DENTON, Texas&nbsp;— A complete game shutout from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573">Chloe Barber</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;three-run home run powered Wichita State to a 6-0 win in the series finale at North Texas Saturday morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp; Wichita State (22-21, 13-11) avoided a series sweep, which would have been the first time ever the Shockers were swept in an American Athletic Conference series.

After throwing a gem last night with 14 strikeouts and just one run allowed, Barber came right back 12 hours later and tossed a two-hitter, complete game shutout. She walked three and struck out three.

&nbsp; Wichita State managed just three hits in the contest, all three extra base hits. Sedlacek provided the big blast with her three-run home run, while&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/krystin-nelson/7568">Krystin Nelson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;tallied an RBI double each.

&nbsp; Entering the top of the third, Wichita State had yet to put anyone on base. Then with two outs, three straight walks from Nelson,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;loaded the bags for Sedlacek. A 1-2 pitch found its way to the backstop, allowing Nelson to score from third to open the scoring. Two pitches later Sedlacek sent one over the wall in left to put the Shockers up, 4-0.

Barber carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth until back-to-back singles with two outs broke it up. She would keep the shutout intact after inducing an infield pop-up. North Texas never advanced a runner past second on the day.

&nbsp; In the top of the seventh, Wichita State tacked on a pair of insurance runs behind Tallent and Nelson RBI doubles.

Up Next The regular season comes to an end next weekend when Wichita State hosts Memphis for senior weekend at Wilkins Stadium, May 3-5.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714247333674.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp; DENTON, Texas&nbsp;— A complete game shutout from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573">Chloe Barber</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;three-run home run powered Wichita State to a 6-0 win in the series finale at North Texas Saturday morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wichita State (22-21, 13-11) avoided a series sweep, which would have been the first time ever the Shockers were swept in an American Athletic Conference series.After throwing a gem last night with 14 strikeouts and just one run allowed, Barber came right back 12 hours later and tossed a two-hitter, complete game shutout. She walked three and struck out three.&nbsp; Wichita State managed just three hits in the contest, all three extra base hits. Sedlacek provided the big blast with her three-run home run, while&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/krystin-nelson/7568">Krystin Nelson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;tallied an RBI double each.&nbsp; Entering the top of the third, Wichita State had yet to put anyone on base. Then with two outs, three straight walks from Nelson,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;loaded the bags for Sedlacek. A 1-2 pitch found its way to the backstop, allowing Nelson to score from third to open the scoring. Two pitches later Sedlacek sent one over the wall in left to put the Shockers up, 4-0.Barber carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth until back-to-back singles with two outs broke it up. She would keep the shutout intact after inducing an infield pop-up. North Texas never advanced a runner past second on the day.&nbsp; In the top of the seventh, Wichita State tacked on a pair of insurance runs behind Tallent and Nelson RBI doubles.Up Next The regular season comes to an end next weekend when Wichita State hosts Memphis for senior weekend at Wilkins Stadium, May 3-5.

🥎 Shockers leave North Texas with shutout win

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Racing is back on the historic half-mile oval in Hutchinson. Salt City Racing LLC opened its 2024 season Friday night at the Kansas State Fairgrounds.&nbsp;

"We had a great night," said Phil Nightingale. "Hit my goal on race cars and we had over 2,500 in the stands!"&nbsp; <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/eccdd1ac-5cc0-4690-81d7-e3597a41ce28">In November of 2022</a>, the Kansas State Fair Board approved demolishing the half-mile oval racetrack.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/4ec532d3-3a09-4133-8d04-0a1c51feaf12">In January 2024,</a>&nbsp;the fair rescinded their motion to demolish the track after accepting a proposal from Nightingale of Mel Hambelton Ford.

There were more than a dozen Hutchinson natives who entered into Friday night’s races. Five different classes competed: Stock, URSS Sprints, Hobby Stock, Sport Mods and Modified.&nbsp;

Tathan Burkhart of Hays placed first in IMCA Stock Car. Scott Miller of Hutchinson placed third in stock car. Miller placed first in his heat. Larned Mayor and chief save our track supporter William Nusser placed 12th in the stock class.&nbsp;

Dakota Sproul of Hays placed first in IMCA Modified. Sproul placed first in his heat. Peyton Burkhart of Hutchinson placed fifth in modified and first in his heat.&nbsp;

Taylor Velasquez of Liberal placed first in IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car and also placed first in his heat.&nbsp;

Cody Williams of Minneapolis placed first in IMCA Hobby Stock and first in his heat.&nbsp;

Warren Huffman of Salina placed first in Northern Sportmod and first in his heat.&nbsp;

Each class was split into two different heat races. The stock and sprint class completed eight laps around the track in the heat races and modified, hobby stock and Northern Sportmod completed six.&nbsp;

For the A Feature (main event) the stock, hobby stock and northern sportmod completed 15 laps around the track and modified and sprint car completed 20 laps.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 250-Tathan Burkhart[2]; 2. 25P-Mike Petersilie[4]; 3. 1-Scott Miller[3]; 4. 68-Garrett Hager[10]; 5. 3T-Tanner Thiel[7]; 6. 12-Reed Payne[8]; 7. 97-Chase Moore[11]; 8. 59-James Lutkie[9]; 9. 55X-Mike Burian[16]; 10. 19D-Dylan Chambers[15]; 11. (DNF) 25X-Troy Burkhart[6]; 12. (DNF) 7N-William Nusser[5]; 13. (DNF) 48-Craig Miller[1]; 14. (DNF) 01-Chris Griffin[14]; 15. (DNF) 660$-David Brown[12]; 16. (DNF) 20$-Shannon Edwards[13]; 17. (DNS) 64-Ryan Carey

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 68-Garrett Hager[5]; 2. 250-Tathan Burkhart[1]; 3. 12-Reed Payne[2]; 4. 3T-Tanner Thiel[4]; 5. 48-Craig Miller[9]; 6. 97-Chase Moore[7]; 7. 20$-Shannon Edwards[3]; 8. 19D-Dylan Chambers[6]; 9. (DNS) 64-Ryan Carey

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 1-Scott Miller[3]; 2. 25X-Troy Burkhart[4]; 3. 25P-Mike Petersilie[8]; 4. 7N-William Nusser[7]; 5. 59-James Lutkie[5]; 6. 660$-David Brown[1]; 7. 01-Chris Griffin[6]; 8. (DNS) 55X-Mike Burian

A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 08-Dakota Sproul[1]; 2. 3C-Casey Jo Gemmill[3]; 3. A2-Randy Wilson[2]; 4. 11W-Tim Watts[10]; 5. 13-Peyton Burkhart[6]; 6. 94-Jim Graves[11]; 7. 132-Tyler Humphries[12]; 8. (DNF) 721-Troy Gemmill[8]; 9. (DNF) 23A-Aaron Rayl[4]; 10. (DNF) 3G-Ryan Green[13]; 11. (DNF) 7N-Chris Pitts[9]; 12. (DNF) 10-Patrick McManus[5]; 13. (DNF) 86S-lee steffen[15]; 14. (DNS) 3J-Jake Nightingale; 15. (DNS) 93J-Jeff Carrell

Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 13-Peyton Burkhart[4]; 2. 23A-Aaron Rayl[2]; 3. A2-Randy Wilson[6]; 4. 10-Patrick McManus[7]; 5. 3C-Casey Jo Gemmill[8]; 6. 94-Jim Graves[1]; 7. 3G-Ryan Green[5]; 8. 86S-lee steffen[3]

Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 08-Dakota Sproul[1]; 2. 721-Troy Gemmill[4]; 3. 3J-Jake Nightingale[6]; 4. 7N-Chris Pitts[3]; 5. 11W-Tim Watts[7]; 6. 132-Tyler Humphries[5]; 7. (DNS) 93J-Jeff Carrell

Mel Hambelton Ford Racing A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[1]; 2. 0-Steven Richardson[2]; 3. 51-Jeremy Campbell[8]; 4. 97-Brian Herbert[4]; 5. 81-Jon Freeman[5]; 6. 20-Jeremy Huish[3]; 7. 16-Conner Thomas[9]; 8. 8X-Charlee Chaffin[10]; 9. (DNF) 22-Justin Chaffin[6]; 10. (DNF) 21K-TJ Kleyman[7]; 11. (DNS) 23K-Mike Kleymann; 12. (DNS) 1H-Henry Chambers

KansasLand Tire Service Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 20-Jeremy Huish[6]; 2. 0-Steven Richardson[3]; 3. 22-Justin Chaffin[4]; 4. 21K-TJ Kleyman[2]; 5. 8X-Charlee Chaffin[1]; 6. (DNF) 23K-Mike Kleymann[5]

Kansas land Tire Service Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 97-Brian Herbert[1]; 2. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[4]; 3. 81-Jon Freeman[5]; 4. 51-Jeremy Campbell[6]; 5. 16-Conner Thomas[3]; 6. (DQ) 1H-Henry Chambers[2]

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 77-Cody Williams[5]; 2. 24R-Dillon Richards[6]; 3. 187-Tyler Heath[9]; 4. 70-Billy McBride[4]; 5. 5S-Jonathan Saliba[8]; 6. 55-Blake Holmes[1]; 7. 11B-Blake Spear[7]; 8. (DNF) 55C-Garrit Caswell[2]; 9. (DNF) 30-Dawson Bradford[3]; 10. (DNS) D21-Dan Kruse

Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 24R-Dillon Richards[4]; 2. 5S-Jonathan Saliba[5]; 3. 55C-Garrit Caswell[2]; 4. 30-Dawson Bradford[3]; 5. (DNF) D21-Dan Kruse[1]

Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 77-Cody Williams[4]; 2. 70-Billy McBride[1]; 3. 187-Tyler Heath[5]; 4. 11B-Blake Spear[3]; 5. 55-Blake Holmes[2]

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 20-Warren Huffman[2]; 2. 02-Justin Lampe[4]; 3. 54-Eddie Ingram[11]; 4. 64-Jimmy Brozek[1]; 5. 10-Alex Wiens[5]; 6. 18-Kyle Wiens[8]; 7. 22B-Dalton Bell[3]; 8. 8-Brian May[6]; 9. 120-Stacey Huffman[9]; 10. (DNF) 77W-Tyler Watts[7]; 11. (DNS) 97-Shawn Ward

Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 20-Warren Huffman[1]; 2. 10-Alex Wiens[5]; 3. 64-Jimmy Brozek[6]; 4. 8-Brian May[4]; 5. (DNF) 120-Stacey Huffman[2]; 6. (DNF) 54-Eddie Ingram[3]

Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 22B-Dalton Bell[1]; 2. 02-Justin Lampe[3]; 3. 77W-Tyler Watts[5]; 4. 18-Kyle Wiens[4]; 5. (DNS) 97-Shawn Ward

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714224003242.jpeg" alt="Jeremy Huish of Jetmore interviewing after placing first in heat 1 of the IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car class at the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Friday, April 26, 2024. Photo by Emmie Boese.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Jeremy Huish of Jetmore interviewing after placing first in heat 1 of the IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car class at the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Friday, April 26, 2024. Photo by Emmie Boese.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Racing is back on the historic half-mile oval in Hutchinson. Salt City Racing LLC opened its 2024 season Friday night at the Kansas State Fairgrounds.&nbsp;"We had a great night," said Phil Nightingale. "Hit my goal on race cars and we had over 2,500 in the stands!"&nbsp; <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/eccdd1ac-5cc0-4690-81d7-e3597a41ce28">In November of 2022</a>, the Kansas State Fair Board approved demolishing the half-mile oval racetrack.&nbsp; <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/4ec532d3-3a09-4133-8d04-0a1c51feaf12">In January 2024,</a>&nbsp;the fair rescinded their motion to demolish the track after accepting a proposal from Nightingale of Mel Hambelton Ford. There were more than a dozen Hutchinson natives who entered into Friday night’s races. Five different classes competed: Stock, URSS Sprints, Hobby Stock, Sport Mods and Modified.&nbsp;Tathan Burkhart of Hays placed first in IMCA Stock Car. Scott Miller of Hutchinson placed third in stock car. Miller placed first in his heat. Larned Mayor and chief save our track supporter William Nusser placed 12th in the stock class.&nbsp;Dakota Sproul of Hays placed first in IMCA Modified. Sproul placed first in his heat. Peyton Burkhart of Hutchinson placed fifth in modified and first in his heat.&nbsp;Taylor Velasquez of Liberal placed first in IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car and also placed first in his heat.&nbsp;Cody Williams of Minneapolis placed first in IMCA Hobby Stock and first in his heat.&nbsp;Warren Huffman of Salina placed first in Northern Sportmod and first in his heat.&nbsp;Each class was split into two different heat races. The stock and sprint class completed eight laps around the track in the heat races and modified, hobby stock and Northern Sportmod completed six.&nbsp;For the A Feature (main event) the stock, hobby stock and northern sportmod completed 15 laps around the track and modified and sprint car completed 20 laps.&nbsp;&nbsp;Results:&nbsp;IMCA Stock Car&nbsp; <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714227049309.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 250-Tathan Burkhart[2]; 2. 25P-Mike Petersilie[4]; 3. 1-Scott Miller[3]; 4. 68-Garrett Hager[10]; 5. 3T-Tanner Thiel[7]; 6. 12-Reed Payne[8]; 7. 97-Chase Moore[11]; 8. 59-James Lutkie[9]; 9. 55X-Mike Burian[16]; 10. 19D-Dylan Chambers[15]; 11. (DNF) 25X-Troy Burkhart[6]; 12. (DNF) 7N-William Nusser[5]; 13. (DNF) 48-Craig Miller[1]; 14. (DNF) 01-Chris Griffin[14]; 15. (DNF) 660$-David Brown[12]; 16. (DNF) 20$-Shannon Edwards[13]; 17. (DNS) 64-Ryan CareyHeat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 68-Garrett Hager[5]; 2. 250-Tathan Burkhart[1]; 3. 12-Reed Payne[2]; 4. 3T-Tanner Thiel[4]; 5. 48-Craig Miller[9]; 6. 97-Chase Moore[7]; 7. 20$-Shannon Edwards[3]; 8. 19D-Dylan Chambers[6]; 9. (DNS) 64-Ryan CareyHeat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 1-Scott Miller[3]; 2. 25X-Troy Burkhart[4]; 3. 25P-Mike Petersilie[8]; 4. 7N-William Nusser[7]; 5. 59-James Lutkie[5]; 6. 660$-David Brown[1]; 7. 01-Chris Griffin[6]; 8. (DNS) 55X-Mike BurianIMCA Modified<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714227920409.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 08-Dakota Sproul[1]; 2. 3C-Casey Jo Gemmill[3]; 3. A2-Randy Wilson[2]; 4. 11W-Tim Watts[10]; 5. 13-Peyton Burkhart[6]; 6. 94-Jim Graves[11]; 7. 132-Tyler Humphries[12]; 8. (DNF) 721-Troy Gemmill[8]; 9. (DNF) 23A-Aaron Rayl[4]; 10. (DNF) 3G-Ryan Green[13]; 11. (DNF) 7N-Chris Pitts[9]; 12. (DNF) 10-Patrick McManus[5]; 13. (DNF) 86S-lee steffen[15]; 14. (DNS) 3J-Jake Nightingale; 15. (DNS) 93J-Jeff CarrellHeat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 13-Peyton Burkhart[4]; 2. 23A-Aaron Rayl[2]; 3. A2-Randy Wilson[6]; 4. 10-Patrick McManus[7]; 5. 3C-Casey Jo Gemmill[8]; 6. 94-Jim Graves[1]; 7. 3G-Ryan Green[5]; 8. 86S-lee steffen[3]Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 08-Dakota Sproul[1]; 2. 721-Troy Gemmill[4]; 3. 3J-Jake Nightingale[6]; 4. 7N-Chris Pitts[3]; 5. 11W-Tim Watts[7]; 6. 132-Tyler Humphries[5]; 7. (DNS) 93J-Jeff CarrellIMCA Racesaver Sprint Car<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714224790775.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mel Hambelton Ford Racing A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[1]; 2. 0-Steven Richardson[2]; 3. 51-Jeremy Campbell[8]; 4. 97-Brian Herbert[4]; 5. 81-Jon Freeman[5]; 6. 20-Jeremy Huish[3]; 7. 16-Conner Thomas[9]; 8. 8X-Charlee Chaffin[10]; 9. (DNF) 22-Justin Chaffin[6]; 10. (DNF) 21K-TJ Kleyman[7]; 11. (DNS) 23K-Mike Kleymann; 12. (DNS) 1H-Henry ChambersKansasLand Tire Service Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 20-Jeremy Huish[6]; 2. 0-Steven Richardson[3]; 3. 22-Justin Chaffin[4]; 4. 21K-TJ Kleyman[2]; 5. 8X-Charlee Chaffin[1]; 6. (DNF) 23K-Mike Kleymann[5]Kansas land Tire Service Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 97-Brian Herbert[1]; 2. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[4]; 3. 81-Jon Freeman[5]; 4. 51-Jeremy Campbell[6]; 5. 16-Conner Thomas[3]; 6. (DQ) 1H-Henry Chambers[2]IMCA Hobby Stock<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714226237552.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 77-Cody Williams[5]; 2. 24R-Dillon Richards[6]; 3. 187-Tyler Heath[9]; 4. 70-Billy McBride[4]; 5. 5S-Jonathan Saliba[8]; 6. 55-Blake Holmes[1]; 7. 11B-Blake Spear[7]; 8. (DNF) 55C-Garrit Caswell[2]; 9. (DNF) 30-Dawson Bradford[3]; 10. (DNS) D21-Dan KruseHeat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 24R-Dillon Richards[4]; 2. 5S-Jonathan Saliba[5]; 3. 55C-Garrit Caswell[2]; 4. 30-Dawson Bradford[3]; 5. (DNF) D21-Dan Kruse[1]Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 77-Cody Williams[4]; 2. 70-Billy McBride[1]; 3. 187-Tyler Heath[5]; 4. 11B-Blake Spear[3]; 5. 55-Blake Holmes[2]IMCA Northern Sportmod <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714227626042.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 20-Warren Huffman[2]; 2. 02-Justin Lampe[4]; 3. 54-Eddie Ingram[11]; 4. 64-Jimmy Brozek[1]; 5. 10-Alex Wiens[5]; 6. 18-Kyle Wiens[8]; 7. 22B-Dalton Bell[3]; 8. 8-Brian May[6]; 9. 120-Stacey Huffman[9]; 10. (DNF) 77W-Tyler Watts[7]; 11. (DNS) 97-Shawn WardHeat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 20-Warren Huffman[1]; 2. 10-Alex Wiens[5]; 3. 64-Jimmy Brozek[6]; 4. 8-Brian May[4]; 5. (DNF) 120-Stacey Huffman[2]; 6. (DNF) 54-Eddie Ingram[3]Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 22B-Dalton Bell[1]; 2. 02-Justin Lampe[3]; 3. 77W-Tyler Watts[5]; 4. 18-Kyle Wiens[4]; 5. (DNS) 97-Shawn Ward<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Salt City has truly Grand Opening Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs only made one pick on Friday at the NFL Draft. At No. 63, they selected&nbsp;OT Kingsley Suamataia from BYU.

The 21-year-old has experience at both left and right tackle playing almost half his snaps at each spot.

Suamataia was a boxer as a kid and allowed just two sacks in his last two seasons.&nbsp;

Detroit Lions left tackle Penei Sewell is his cousin and&nbsp;Suamataia has learned a lot from him, according to comments he made to <a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/five-things-to-know-about-chiefs-second-round-pick-ot-kingsley-suamataia">Chiefs.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714191844604.jpeg" alt="Kingsley Suamataia" />
 <figcaption>Kingsley Suamataia</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs only made one pick on Friday at the NFL Draft. At No. 63, they selected&nbsp;OT Kingsley Suamataia from BYU.The 21-year-old has experience at both left and right tackle playing almost half his snaps at each spot.Suamataia was a boxer as a kid and allowed just two sacks in his last two seasons.&nbsp;Detroit Lions left tackle Penei Sewell is his cousin and&nbsp;Suamataia has learned a lot from him, according to comments he made to <a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/five-things-to-know-about-chiefs-second-round-pick-ot-kingsley-suamataia">Chiefs.com</a>.

🏈 Chiefs select BYU's Kingsley Suamataia Friday in 2nd Round

DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Friday.

Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-caleb-williams-first-round-picks-36120e9df01c0cdaebf0e621cfbd2a8e">NFL draft</a>&nbsp;festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.

“Being aggressive is always part of my plan, but I just had really good fastball command,” he said. “They took some early swings that gave me an idea of what their approach was going to be throughout the game.”

Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.

Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning.

“Lugo is a throwback to the guys who pitched, moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

With one out in the third, Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel singled before Maikel Garcia walked to load the bases for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center.

The Tigers thought they had the lead in the bottom of the third, but Frazier reached over the right-field fence to rob Parker Meadows of a home run before doubling Javier Báez off first.

“I just tried to get back there with some space to jump,” Frazier said. “I wasn't sure if I would have a chance at it with the wind, but fortunately I was able to do it.”

Detroit got a hit and an error against former teammate John Schreiber in the eighth, but he struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the inning.

The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, thanks to two singles and a walk off Tyler Holton. Holton, usually one of Detroit's best control pitchers, then hit Frazier and Isbel with consecutive pitches to make it 3-0.

“He really didn't have command,” Hinch said. “That's really unusual for him — he rarely misfires at all. He was in a perfect spot facing two lefties, and he sailed the ball into their elbows, so I had to get him out of there.”

Garcia greeted Will Vest with a two-run single to put the Royals up by five, and Witt tripled before Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.

“We did a good job of creating traffic against Holton and then we took advantage of a little wildness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Then we were able to tack on with Mikael and Bobby both coming up big."

Tigers C Carson Kelly (ribs) wasn't available for the game. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team might make a roster move to avoid playing with one healthy catcher. ... Tigers utilityman Andy Ibáñez (hamstring) started a rehab assignment on Thursday, going 2-3 with a double for Triple-A Toledo.

The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening. RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 2.95) is scheduled to start for Detroit against RHP Brady Singer (3-0, 1.82).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714161176264.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DAVE HOGG Associated PressDETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Friday.Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-caleb-williams-first-round-picks-36120e9df01c0cdaebf0e621cfbd2a8e">NFL draft</a>&nbsp;festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.“Being aggressive is always part of my plan, but I just had really good fastball command,” he said. “They took some early swings that gave me an idea of what their approach was going to be throughout the game.”Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning.“Lugo is a throwback to the guys who pitched, moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.With one out in the third, Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel singled before Maikel Garcia walked to load the bases for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center.The Tigers thought they had the lead in the bottom of the third, but Frazier reached over the right-field fence to rob Parker Meadows of a home run before doubling Javier Báez off first.“I just tried to get back there with some space to jump,” Frazier said. “I wasn't sure if I would have a chance at it with the wind, but fortunately I was able to do it.”Detroit got a hit and an error against former teammate John Schreiber in the eighth, but he struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the inning.The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, thanks to two singles and a walk off Tyler Holton. Holton, usually one of Detroit's best control pitchers, then hit Frazier and Isbel with consecutive pitches to make it 3-0.“He really didn't have command,” Hinch said. “That's really unusual for him — he rarely misfires at all. He was in a perfect spot facing two lefties, and he sailed the ball into their elbows, so I had to get him out of there.”Garcia greeted Will Vest with a two-run single to put the Royals up by five, and Witt tripled before Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.“We did a good job of creating traffic against Holton and then we took advantage of a little wildness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Then we were able to tack on with Mikael and Bobby both coming up big."TRAINER'S ROOMTigers C Carson Kelly (ribs) wasn't available for the game. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team might make a roster move to avoid playing with one healthy catcher. ... Tigers utilityman Andy Ibáñez (hamstring) started a rehab assignment on Thursday, going 2-3 with a double for Triple-A Toledo.UP NEXTThe teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening. RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 2.95) is scheduled to start for Detroit against RHP Brady Singer (3-0, 1.82).

⚾ Royals shut out Tigers Friday

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

FORT WORTH, Texas&nbsp;— Thirteen strikeouts from the TCU pitching staff spearheaded the Horned Frogs to a 12-0 victory in the series opener at Lupton Stadium Friday night.

K-State (25-16, 9-10 Big 12) allowed runs in four of the first five innings, including four in the second and third. The Horned Frogs (25-15, 9-13 Big 12) used 17 hits to score 12 runs to back right-handed starter Payton Tolle.

The Wichita State transfer held the Wildcats to three hits in his five innings to pick up his fifth victory with TCU (5-4). Tolle, a right-hander from Yukon, Okla., finished the game with seven strikeouts and issued four walks.

&nbsp; "Difficult to play from behind versus a premiere arm," said head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/2461">Pete Hughes</a>. "I have confidence in our team and how we'll respond."

&nbsp; K-State starting pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/11475">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;(1-2) suffered the loss after surrendering five runs, all earned, on four hits in his one inning.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jacob-frost/11523">Jacob Frost</a>&nbsp;logged 3 1/3 innings in relief, allowing one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts. Relievers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-wisenbaker/11478">Cole Wisenbaker</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/preston-martinez/11528">Preston Martinez</a>&nbsp;each turned in a scoreless inning for the Cats.

&nbsp; Four different Wildcats generated a hit led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/11460">Kaelen Culpepper</a>, who finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk, while the Frogs issued eight walks to K-State.

THE RUNDOWN&nbsp;&nbsp; TCU took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame, until the Horned Frogs exploded for four runs in the second led off by a solo shot to right field by Luke Boyers in the second inning.

The Frogs used four hits in the third to tag on four runs to their lead, 9-0.

&nbsp; Tolle took a one-hitter into the fourth inning until&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jayden-lobliner/11468">Jayden Lobliner</a>&nbsp;punched the first pitch through the left side and advanced to second on a two-out single from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-parsons/11530">Jaden Parsons</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp; Andrew Mosiello relieved Tolle in the sixth inning and struck out two in his first inning. The righty finished with six strikeouts and scattered two hits to Culpepper and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/danniel-rivera/11532">Danniel Rivera</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ON DECK The Wildcats and Horned Frogs will be back for round two at Lupton Stadium at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale scheduled to follow approximately 45 minutes at the conclusion of Game 1 of the doubleheader.

&nbsp; Saturday's games can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).

A free live streaming audio available for all games at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Live=3268&amp;type=Archive">KStateSports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714248697846.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State AthleticsFORT WORTH, Texas&nbsp;— Thirteen strikeouts from the TCU pitching staff spearheaded the Horned Frogs to a 12-0 victory in the series opener at Lupton Stadium Friday night.K-State (25-16, 9-10 Big 12) allowed runs in four of the first five innings, including four in the second and third. The Horned Frogs (25-15, 9-13 Big 12) used 17 hits to score 12 runs to back right-handed starter Payton Tolle.The Wichita State transfer held the Wildcats to three hits in his five innings to pick up his fifth victory with TCU (5-4). Tolle, a right-hander from Yukon, Okla., finished the game with seven strikeouts and issued four walks.&nbsp; "Difficult to play from behind versus a premiere arm," said head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/2461">Pete Hughes</a>. "I have confidence in our team and how we'll respond."&nbsp; K-State starting pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/11475">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;(1-2) suffered the loss after surrendering five runs, all earned, on four hits in his one inning.<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jacob-frost/11523">Jacob Frost</a>&nbsp;logged 3 1/3 innings in relief, allowing one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts. Relievers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-wisenbaker/11478">Cole Wisenbaker</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/preston-martinez/11528">Preston Martinez</a>&nbsp;each turned in a scoreless inning for the Cats.&nbsp; Four different Wildcats generated a hit led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/11460">Kaelen Culpepper</a>, who finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk, while the Frogs issued eight walks to K-State.THE RUNDOWN&nbsp;&nbsp; TCU took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame, until the Horned Frogs exploded for four runs in the second led off by a solo shot to right field by Luke Boyers in the second inning.The Frogs used four hits in the third to tag on four runs to their lead, 9-0.&nbsp; Tolle took a one-hitter into the fourth inning until&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jayden-lobliner/11468">Jayden Lobliner</a>&nbsp;punched the first pitch through the left side and advanced to second on a two-out single from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-parsons/11530">Jaden Parsons</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Andrew Mosiello relieved Tolle in the sixth inning and struck out two in his first inning. The righty finished with six strikeouts and scattered two hits to Culpepper and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/danniel-rivera/11532">Danniel Rivera</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;ON DECK The Wildcats and Horned Frogs will be back for round two at Lupton Stadium at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale scheduled to follow approximately 45 minutes at the conclusion of Game 1 of the doubleheader.&nbsp; Saturday's games can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). A free live streaming audio available for all games at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Live=3268&amp;type=Archive">KStateSports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ TCU blanks K-State in series opener Friday

&nbsp; WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp; — Tulane scored four runs in the top of the first and never looked back, downing Wichita State 13-8 on Friday night at Eck Stadium.

The Green Wave (23-19, 8-8) used a leadoff walk and four singles to do their damage in the first against WSU starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-dobbs/7616">Tyler Dobbs</a>&nbsp;(5-4), putting the Shockers in an early 4-0 hole. An RBI ground out from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-gustafson/7525">Jaden Gustafson</a>&nbsp;and an RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mauricio-millan/7532">Mauricio Millan</a>&nbsp;in the bottom of the inning made it 4-2, but the Shockers (21-22, 7-9) would get no closer the rest of the way.

Tulane got two homers from Gavin Schulz and one apiece from Teo Banks and Brady Marget to keep the Shockers at bay.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/derek-williams/7627">Derek Williams</a>&nbsp;homered twice for Wichita State as part of a four-hit night, including a two-run shot in the seventh that cut the Green Wave lead to 10-8, but Tulane scored two of their own in the eighth and one more in the ninth for the final margin.

<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kam-durnin/7604">Kam Durnin</a>&nbsp;also homered as part of his 3-for-4 evening to lead Wichita State offensively.

Tulane starter Luc Fladda (2-3) picked up the win, allowing 10 hits and six runs over 5.1 innings. Carter Benbrook and Jonah Wachter combined to retire the final six batters of the game out of the Green Wave bullpen.

Dobbs was saddled with the loss, allowing seven hits and six runs in 3.1 innings.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-hamilton/7614">Brady Hamilton</a>&nbsp;was tagged for five hits and four runs in relief, and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/drew-iverson/7618">Drew Iverson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-munz/7619">Mason Munz</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-holmes/8976">Hunter Holmes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/peyton-walters/8974">Peyton Walters</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-zang/7601">Daniel Zang</a>&nbsp;surrendered a combined three runs over the final three innings.

The Shockers and Green Wave continue the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714248237483.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp; WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp; — Tulane scored four runs in the top of the first and never looked back, downing Wichita State 13-8 on Friday night at Eck Stadium.The Green Wave (23-19, 8-8) used a leadoff walk and four singles to do their damage in the first against WSU starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-dobbs/7616">Tyler Dobbs</a>&nbsp;(5-4), putting the Shockers in an early 4-0 hole. An RBI ground out from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-gustafson/7525">Jaden Gustafson</a>&nbsp;and an RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mauricio-millan/7532">Mauricio Millan</a>&nbsp;in the bottom of the inning made it 4-2, but the Shockers (21-22, 7-9) would get no closer the rest of the way.Tulane got two homers from Gavin Schulz and one apiece from Teo Banks and Brady Marget to keep the Shockers at bay.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/derek-williams/7627">Derek Williams</a>&nbsp;homered twice for Wichita State as part of a four-hit night, including a two-run shot in the seventh that cut the Green Wave lead to 10-8, but Tulane scored two of their own in the eighth and one more in the ninth for the final margin.<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kam-durnin/7604">Kam Durnin</a>&nbsp;also homered as part of his 3-for-4 evening to lead Wichita State offensively.Tulane starter Luc Fladda (2-3) picked up the win, allowing 10 hits and six runs over 5.1 innings. Carter Benbrook and Jonah Wachter combined to retire the final six batters of the game out of the Green Wave bullpen.Dobbs was saddled with the loss, allowing seven hits and six runs in 3.1 innings.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-hamilton/7614">Brady Hamilton</a>&nbsp;was tagged for five hits and four runs in relief, and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/drew-iverson/7618">Drew Iverson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-munz/7619">Mason Munz</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-holmes/8976">Hunter Holmes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/peyton-walters/8974">Peyton Walters</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-zang/7601">Daniel Zang</a>&nbsp;surrendered a combined three runs over the final three innings.The Shockers and Green Wave continue the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Shockers Fall in Series Opener

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;

DENTON, Texas —Wichita State dropped both games of Friday's doubleheader at North Texas by one run, 4-3 and 1-0.

Wichita State (21-21, 12-11) will look back at several missed opportunities on the night that cost them a pair of games.&nbsp; The Shockers dropped the first game on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning. In the nightcap Wichita State had nine hits and held North Texas to just three hits, but left 14 runners on base and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Game 1 | Wichita State 3, North Texas 4 (9 innings)

<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/krystin-nelson/7568">Krystin Nelson</a>&nbsp;reached base all three times via two singles and a walk.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;hit a solo home run and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-urban/7572">Bailey Urban</a>&nbsp;both had a hit and an RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;rounded out the hit column with a single apiece.

<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7566">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;got the start in the circle, going 2.2 innings. She allowed two runs on five walks and a pair of hits.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7557">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;was solid in 4.1 innings of relief until the game-tying home run in the seventh. That was the lone run she allowed on six hits and one walk.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7561">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;(5-8) was on the losing end in the circle. In 1.1 innings, she allowed the lone run on two hits and a walk.

With one out in the bottom of the second North Texas grabbed the lead on a solo home run. In the third, two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases for the Mean Green which led to another walk, scoring a run. The Shockers turned to Aguilar out of the bullpen to prevent any further damage, and she delivered. Aguilar struck out the first batter she faced to end the inning.

The Shockers finally broke into the scoring column in the top of the fifth on Tallent's two-out solo home run, cutting the deficit in half.

In the sixth Wichita State grabbed momentum after loading the bases on three straight singles from Nelson, Wong and Barnard. A sac fly from Sedlacek tied the game at 2-2 and then Urban's single off the wall in center gave the Shockers a 3-2 lead.

Needing three outs to secure the win, North Texas immediately led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to tie the game at 3-3. Aguilar would retire the next three hitters to send the game to extra innings.

Cooper escaped the eighth after a leadoff double, sending the game to the ninth. Wichita State went down in order, paving the way for Molly Rainey's walk-off solo home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

Game 2 | Wichita State 0, North Texas 1

The Mean Green spoiled another masterful pitching performance from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573">Chloe Barber</a>. On the heels of a complete game shutout with 15 strikeouts in her last outing, all she did was strikeout 14 tonight, allowing just one run on three hits and no walks. She carried a perfect game into the bottom of the fifth when North Texas' Mikayla Smith sent a one-out solo home run over the wall in right.

Barber now has four games with 14 or more strikeouts this season and 29 punch outs in her last 13.0 innings.

All nine of Wichita State's hits were singles.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;had two each, while&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-urban/7572">Bailey Urban</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7565">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;all had one.

Wichita State loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, but failed to score.

Barber struck out the side in three of the first four innings.

Up Next Wichita &nbsp;State and North Texas wrap up the series Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. on ESPN+.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714244446169.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp; DENTON, Texas —Wichita State dropped both games of Friday's doubleheader at North Texas by one run, 4-3 and 1-0. Wichita State (21-21, 12-11) will look back at several missed opportunities on the night that cost them a pair of games.&nbsp; The Shockers dropped the first game on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning. In the nightcap Wichita State had nine hits and held North Texas to just three hits, but left 14 runners on base and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.Game 1 | Wichita State 3, North Texas 4 (9 innings)<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/krystin-nelson/7568">Krystin Nelson</a>&nbsp;reached base all three times via two singles and a walk.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;hit a solo home run and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-urban/7572">Bailey Urban</a>&nbsp;both had a hit and an RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;rounded out the hit column with a single apiece.<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7566">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;got the start in the circle, going 2.2 innings. She allowed two runs on five walks and a pair of hits.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7557">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;was solid in 4.1 innings of relief until the game-tying home run in the seventh. That was the lone run she allowed on six hits and one walk.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7561">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;(5-8) was on the losing end in the circle. In 1.1 innings, she allowed the lone run on two hits and a walk.With one out in the bottom of the second North Texas grabbed the lead on a solo home run. In the third, two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases for the Mean Green which led to another walk, scoring a run. The Shockers turned to Aguilar out of the bullpen to prevent any further damage, and she delivered. Aguilar struck out the first batter she faced to end the inning.The Shockers finally broke into the scoring column in the top of the fifth on Tallent's two-out solo home run, cutting the deficit in half.In the sixth Wichita State grabbed momentum after loading the bases on three straight singles from Nelson, Wong and Barnard. A sac fly from Sedlacek tied the game at 2-2 and then Urban's single off the wall in center gave the Shockers a 3-2 lead.Needing three outs to secure the win, North Texas immediately led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to tie the game at 3-3. Aguilar would retire the next three hitters to send the game to extra innings.Cooper escaped the eighth after a leadoff double, sending the game to the ninth. Wichita State went down in order, paving the way for Molly Rainey's walk-off solo home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth.Game 2 | Wichita State 0, North Texas 1The Mean Green spoiled another masterful pitching performance from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573">Chloe Barber</a>. On the heels of a complete game shutout with 15 strikeouts in her last outing, all she did was strikeout 14 tonight, allowing just one run on three hits and no walks. She carried a perfect game into the bottom of the fifth when North Texas' Mikayla Smith sent a one-out solo home run over the wall in right.Barber now has four games with 14 or more strikeouts this season and 29 punch outs in her last 13.0 innings.All nine of Wichita State's hits were singles.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;had two each, while&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-urban/7572">Bailey Urban</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7565">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;all had one.Wichita State loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, but failed to score.Barber struck out the side in three of the first four innings.Up Next Wichita &nbsp;State and North Texas wrap up the series Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. on ESPN+.

🥎Missed opportunities haunt shockers in doubleheader sweep

University of Kansas Sports Information

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704598537251.jpeg" alt="Kansas center Hunter Dickinson celebrates after his basket that gave his team a win over TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas center Hunter Dickinson celebrates after his basket that gave his team a win over TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>University of Kansas Sports Information<div>LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Kansas center Hunter Dickinson has announced he will return to Kansas for the 2024-25 season.
<blockquote style="text-align: center;color: rgb(30, 31, 33);font-size: 16px;border: 0px;">
 &ldquo;This is great news,&rdquo; Kansas head coach Bill Self said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had a lot of good things happen since the end of the season and Hunter coming back has definitely added to that. Hunter made a huge impact on our team last year. He played and fought through injuries and was still one of the most consistent players in the Big 12 and nationally. Not only is Hunter a terrific player, he&rsquo;s a great leader and teammate. We expect him to contend for first-team All-American next season.&rdquo;
 </blockquote>
A two-time Consensus All-America Second Team and two-time Wooden Award All-American, Dickinson led the Big 12 and ranks eighth nationally in rebounds per game at 10.8 in 2023-24. The 2024 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection from Alexandria, Virginia, Dickinson recorded his 17 double-doubles which led the Big 12 and ranked 12th nationally. With a 17.9 scoring average, which was second in the Big 12 behind teammate Kevin McCullar Jr.&rsquo;s 18.3 ppg, Dickinson was the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double. Dickinson also led the Big 12 with 14 games of 20-plus points and led Kansas with 47 blocked shots.
Dickinson ended 2023-24 with 2,208 career points and 1,148 career rebounds and was one of four active players in&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;Division I to surpass both 2,200 points and 1,100 rebounds for his career. Others included Zach Edey (Purdue), Amanda Bacot (North Carolina) and Baylor Schereman (Creighton).
2023-24 Hunter Dickinson Accolades Wooden All American; Consensus All-America Second Team; USBWA All-America Second Team; NABC All-America Third Team; Associated Press All-America Second Team; NABC All-District 8 First Team; The Sporting News All-America Second Team; Big 12 Newcomer of the Year; All-Big 12 First Team; Big 12 All-Newcomer Team; Wooden Award Ballot (1 of 15); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist (1 of 5); Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America Watch List (1 of 40); Naismith Trophy Midseason Team (1 of 30); Big 12 Player of the Week (2.5.24); Big 12 Player of the Week (1.8.24); Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (1.8.24); Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team; Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (11.21.23); Big 12 Player of the Week (11.20.23); Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (11.20.23); Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (11.13.23)
&nbsp;</div>

🏀 MBB: KU's Dickinson to return for one final season

AP Sports Report in a Minute for April 26th, 2024.

Quarterbacks Williams, Daniels, Maye, Penix, McCarthy and Nix selected in top 12 of NFL draft

DETROIT (AP) — Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first round. The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the New England Patriots took North Carolina's Drake Maye at No. 3, making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first three picks.

NFL Draft Latest: Caleb Williams to Bears, record six QBs taken in first 12 picks

DETROIT (AP) — The Chicago Bears picked USC quarterback Caleb Williams to open the 2024 NFL draft, the first of six QBs in the top 12 picks. The Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick overall. With the first pick since parting ways with Bill Belichick, the Patriots picked quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3 overall. The Falcons made the first stunning pick of the NFL draft by taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick overall. Then Minnesota traded up to take J.J. McCarthy at No. 10, and Bo Nix went to Denver at No. 12.

The first round of the NFL draft turns into a QB bonanza with a record-setting 6 taken in the top 12

Quarterbacks went off the draft board at a record-setting pace. This was the fourth time in the common draft era starting in 1967 that QBs went with the top three picks, with three more going in the top 12 in the fewest number of picks for six QBs to be drafted. This marked the first time five quarterbacks were drafted in the top 10 and matched the famed 1983 class with six first-rounders in all as teams throughout the league were in search of a big-time passer who can turn the fortunes of a franchise.

Colts snap record streak of 14 straight offensive players taken in NFL draft with UCLA DE Latu

UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player selected in the NFL draft, going No. 15 overall to Indianapolis to snap a record streak of 14 straight offensive players taken. The previous latest a defensive player was drafted came in 2021, when the Carolina Panthers took cornerback Jaycee Horn eighth overall. Not only were the 14 straight offensive players to start the draft a record, it was the first time 14 straight offensive players were taken at any point in the draft.

Gordon, Jokic lead the Nuggets to the brink of a sweep with a 112-105 win over the Lakers in Game 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the first-round series. Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Jamal Murray added 22 points and Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with the Lakers since 2022. Anthony Davis had 33 points and 15 rebounds, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine assists in the Lakers' seventh consecutive postseason loss to Denver over the past two years.

Joel Embiid scores 50 points to lead 76ers past Knicks 125-114 to cut deficit to 2-1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter on Thursday night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Embiid boldly stated "we're going to win this series" after the 76ers dropped Game 2. With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive. The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Sergei Bobrovsky makes 26 saves, Panthers beat Lightning 5-3 to take 3-0 series lead

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves, Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Steven Lorentz also scored for the Panthers, who will seek a sweep Saturday night in Tampa. Tkachuk had a first-period goal and added an empty-netter with 32 seconds left. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nicholas Paul scored for Tampa Bay, with Paul cutting it to 4-3 with 5:10 left. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots.

Falcons provide an NFL draft surprise by taking Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with No. 8 pick

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons provided the first major surprise of the NFL draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 pick. The Falcons extended their recent trend of selecting offensive skill players in the first round by drafting Penix one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. Using a draft slot normally targeted for players expected to make an immediate impact, the Falcons chose Penix as the apparent long-term successor to the 35-year-old Cousins. The Falcons had been expected to use the pick to boost their pass rush.

Roger Goodell envisions more overseas games, more streaming and more cities hosting the NFL draft

DETROIT (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he thinks the league will dramatically increase its number of international games in the next decade. The NFL will host five games abroad this season. Goodell says during an ESPN interview at the draft that he thinks the league will go up to 16 international games by 2034. Goodell also says the draft will continue to rotate to different locations. This year's draft is in Detroit. Next year's is in Green Bay.

Reggie Bush plans to continue his fight against the NCAA after the return of his Heisman Trophy

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reggie Bush says the return of his Heisman Trophy is the biggest step yet in his fight against the NCAA to restore his reputation and his records from his incredible career at Southern California. Bush and his family celebrated the restoration of his Heisman honors Thursday during a news conference atop the venerable Coliseum, where Bush played three outstanding seasons with the Trojans. Bush and his attorneys made it clear their fight against the NCAA has not ended. Bush indicated he doesn't plan to drop his defamation lawsuit filed last year against the NCAA over the governing body's characterization of the circumstances that led to Bush's troubles.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for April 26th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for April 26th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Report in a Minute for April 26th, 2024.<div><iframe title="April 26th, 2024 AP Sports in a Minute" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=3wnww-15f7c91-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Quarterbacks Williams, Daniels, Maye, Penix, McCarthy and Nix selected in top 12 of NFL draftDETROIT (AP) — Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first round. The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the New England Patriots took North Carolina's Drake Maye at No. 3, making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first three picks.NFL Draft Latest: Caleb Williams to Bears, record six QBs taken in first 12 picksDETROIT (AP) — The Chicago Bears picked USC quarterback Caleb Williams to open the 2024 NFL draft, the first of six QBs in the top 12 picks. The Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick overall. With the first pick since parting ways with Bill Belichick, the Patriots picked quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3 overall. The Falcons made the first stunning pick of the NFL draft by taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick overall. Then Minnesota traded up to take J.J. McCarthy at No. 10, and Bo Nix went to Denver at No. 12.The first round of the NFL draft turns into a QB bonanza with a record-setting 6 taken in the top 12Quarterbacks went off the draft board at a record-setting pace. This was the fourth time in the common draft era starting in 1967 that QBs went with the top three picks, with three more going in the top 12 in the fewest number of picks for six QBs to be drafted. This marked the first time five quarterbacks were drafted in the top 10 and matched the famed 1983 class with six first-rounders in all as teams throughout the league were in search of a big-time passer who can turn the fortunes of a franchise.Colts snap record streak of 14 straight offensive players taken in NFL draft with UCLA DE LatuUCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player selected in the NFL draft, going No. 15 overall to Indianapolis to snap a record streak of 14 straight offensive players taken. The previous latest a defensive player was drafted came in 2021, when the Carolina Panthers took cornerback Jaycee Horn eighth overall. Not only were the 14 straight offensive players to start the draft a record, it was the first time 14 straight offensive players were taken at any point in the draft.Gordon, Jokic lead the Nuggets to the brink of a sweep with a 112-105 win over the Lakers in Game 3LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the first-round series. Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Jamal Murray added 22 points and Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with the Lakers since 2022. Anthony Davis had 33 points and 15 rebounds, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine assists in the Lakers' seventh consecutive postseason loss to Denver over the past two years.Joel Embiid scores 50 points to lead 76ers past Knicks 125-114 to cut deficit to 2-1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter on Thursday night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Embiid boldly stated "we're going to win this series" after the 76ers dropped Game 2. With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive. The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.Sergei Bobrovsky makes 26 saves, Panthers beat Lightning 5-3 to take 3-0 series leadTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves, Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Steven Lorentz also scored for the Panthers, who will seek a sweep Saturday night in Tampa. Tkachuk had a first-period goal and added an empty-netter with 32 seconds left. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nicholas Paul scored for Tampa Bay, with Paul cutting it to 4-3 with 5:10 left. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots.Falcons provide an NFL draft surprise by taking Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with No. 8 pickFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons provided the first major surprise of the NFL draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 pick. The Falcons extended their recent trend of selecting offensive skill players in the first round by drafting Penix one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. Using a draft slot normally targeted for players expected to make an immediate impact, the Falcons chose Penix as the apparent long-term successor to the 35-year-old Cousins. The Falcons had been expected to use the pick to boost their pass rush.Roger Goodell envisions more overseas games, more streaming and more cities hosting the NFL draftDETROIT (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he thinks the league will dramatically increase its number of international games in the next decade. The NFL will host five games abroad this season. Goodell says during an ESPN interview at the draft that he thinks the league will go up to 16 international games by 2034. Goodell also says the draft will continue to rotate to different locations. This year's draft is in Detroit. Next year's is in Green Bay.Reggie Bush plans to continue his fight against the NCAA after the return of his Heisman TrophyLOS ANGELES (AP) — Reggie Bush says the return of his Heisman Trophy is the biggest step yet in his fight against the NCAA to restore his reputation and his records from his incredible career at Southern California. Bush and his family celebrated the restoration of his Heisman honors Thursday during a news conference atop the venerable Coliseum, where Bush played three outstanding seasons with the Trojans. Bush and his attorneys made it clear their fight against the NCAA has not ended. Bush indicated he doesn't plan to drop his defamation lawsuit filed last year against the NCAA over the governing body's characterization of the circumstances that led to Bush's troubles.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUE Final	Chicago Cubs	3	Houston	1	___AMERICAN LEAGUE Final	Minnesota	6	Chicago White Sox	3	Final	Kansas City	2	Toronto	1	Final	Cleveland	6	Boston	4	Final	Seattle	4	Texas	3	Final	Oakland	3	N.Y. Yankees	1	___NATIONAL LEAGUE Final	Milwaukee	7	Pittsburgh	5	Final	Philadelphia	5	Cincinnati	0	Final	Colorado	10	San Diego	9	Final	L.A. Dodgers	2	Washington	1	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Final	Orlando	121	Cleveland	83	Final	Philadelphia	125	New York	114	Final	Denver	112	L.A. Lakers	105	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Final	Florida	5	Tampa Bay	3	Final	Carolina	3	N-Y Islanders	2	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE L-A Dodgers	at	Toronto	7:07 p.m.	Chi Cubs	at	Boston	7:10 p.m.	Cleveland	at	Atlanta	7:20 p.m.	Cincinnati	at	Texas	8:05 p.m.	N-Y Yankees	at	Milwaukee	8:10 p.m.	Arizona	at	Seattle	9:40 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE Kansas City	at	Detroit	1:10 p.m.	Oakland	at	Baltimore	7:05 p.m.	Tampa Bay	at	Chi White Sox	7:40 p.m.	Minnesota	at	L-A Angels	9:38 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis	at	N-Y Mets	7:10 p.m.	Washington	at	Miami	7:10 p.m.	Philadelphia	at	San Diego	9:40 p.m.	Pittsburgh	at	San Francisco	10:15 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Milwaukee	at	Indiana	5:30 p.m.	L.A. Clippers	at	Dallas	8 p.m.	Minnesota	at	Phoenix	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS N-Y Rangers	at	Washington	7 p.m.	Vancouver	at	Nashville	7:30 p.m.	Winnipeg	at	Colorado	10 p.m.	Edmonton	at	Los Angeles	10:30 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes the kind of speedy deep threat they have not enjoyed since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.

The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years, but they managed to trade up with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs sent the 32nd pick along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.

“Listen, I like the wide receivers we've got,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but to go add somebody of this quality is important, or a good move to strengthen it. I don't want to slight the guys we have but he's a nice addition.”

So nice that Mahomes, who was attending a gala in New York, instantly took to social media to approve of it.

“We told Patrick," Reid said with a smile. “Patrick is curious. He loves this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense. He just loves the draft. He's texting away at us and we get back to him. He's great with it.”

Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City last enjoyed when Hill was on the team. But Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner and cutting down on the number of drops last season, when he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs.

“It doesn’t hurt to have down-the-field speed,” Reid said. “We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well, but if you have an opportunity to get somebody you think is a good player, you probably need to take advantage of that.”

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year with a patchwork wide receiver corps, and they were in the market for help even before second-year pro Rashee Rice — their biggest breakout star of last season — got embroiled in legal trouble in Texas.

Dallas police allege that Rice was driving a Lamborghini well over 100 mph when he and a friend, who was driving a Corvette, lost control and began a chain-reaction crash that resulted in injuries to several people. Rice left the scene without seeing if anyone was injured, but turned himself in when police issued warrants for his arrest.

Rice has been released on bond, and Reid has said he would continue to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program as the legal situation plays out. But the Chiefs must prepare for the possibility they will be without him for at least the first part of the season — if not the entire season — as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.

“It's a quarterback league and a speed game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game. We have a couple of guys now that can keep a defense guessing, and we're excited about what this will do.”

The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown in free agency, and tight end Travis Kelce has been every bit as productive as any wide receiver. But otherwise, the Chiefs were faced with heading into the summer with Justin Watson, drop-prone Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, and journeymen such as Montrell Washington filling out the receiver corps.

So the trade to get Worthy wasn't a surprise. But the fact that the Bills picked up the phone raised some eyebrows.

Along with the fact that Kansas City has frequently ended their season in the playoffs, the Chiefs also swung a memorable first-round trade with them in 2017: They sent Buffalo their first- and third-round picks that year and a first-round pick the next year to move up to No. 10 and select Mahomes, which ultimately altered the trajectory of the entire franchise.

“Everyone goes into the process with their own list of priorities of what they want to do and what they want to accomplish,” Veach said. “I think they had a mindset of what they wanted to do. They've done a great job over the years. I'm sure it made sense to them. We were on our own agenda. We saw value there.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707336003255.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes the kind of speedy deep threat they have not enjoyed since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years, but they managed to trade up with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs sent the 32nd pick along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.“Listen, I like the wide receivers we've got,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but to go add somebody of this quality is important, or a good move to strengthen it. I don't want to slight the guys we have but he's a nice addition.”So nice that Mahomes, who was attending a gala in New York, instantly took to social media to approve of it.“We told Patrick," Reid said with a smile. “Patrick is curious. He loves this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense. He just loves the draft. He's texting away at us and we get back to him. He's great with it.”Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City last enjoyed when Hill was on the team. But Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner and cutting down on the number of drops last season, when he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs.“It doesn’t hurt to have down-the-field speed,” Reid said. “We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well, but if you have an opportunity to get somebody you think is a good player, you probably need to take advantage of that.”The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year with a patchwork wide receiver corps, and they were in the market for help even before second-year pro Rashee Rice — their biggest breakout star of last season — got embroiled in legal trouble in Texas.Dallas police allege that Rice was driving a Lamborghini well over 100 mph when he and a friend, who was driving a Corvette, lost control and began a chain-reaction crash that resulted in injuries to several people. Rice left the scene without seeing if anyone was injured, but turned himself in when police issued warrants for his arrest.Rice has been released on bond, and Reid has said he would continue to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program as the legal situation plays out. But the Chiefs must prepare for the possibility they will be without him for at least the first part of the season — if not the entire season — as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.“It's a quarterback league and a speed game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game. We have a couple of guys now that can keep a defense guessing, and we're excited about what this will do.”The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown in free agency, and tight end Travis Kelce has been every bit as productive as any wide receiver. But otherwise, the Chiefs were faced with heading into the summer with Justin Watson, drop-prone Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, and journeymen such as Montrell Washington filling out the receiver corps.So the trade to get Worthy wasn't a surprise. But the fact that the Bills picked up the phone raised some eyebrows.Along with the fact that Kansas City has frequently ended their season in the playoffs, the Chiefs also swung a memorable first-round trade with them in 2017: They sent Buffalo their first- and third-round picks that year and a first-round pick the next year to move up to No. 10 and select Mahomes, which ultimately altered the trajectory of the entire franchise.“Everyone goes into the process with their own list of priorities of what they want to do and what they want to accomplish,” Veach said. “I think they had a mindset of what they wanted to do. They've done a great job over the years. I'm sure it made sense to them. We were on our own agenda. We saw value there.”

🏈 Chiefs trade up for wide receiver in first round

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro was frustrated that his team was left hanging in limbo. Blue Jays counterpart John Schneider was equally perturbed that his team wasn't being given a chance to finish out a game it was losing.

At least Quatraro felt a bit better in the end.

After playing five innings, then waiting out a bizarre rain delay that stretched to 3 hours, 38 minutes, the Royals finally were declared a 2-1 winner Thursday — their third straight one-run victory to wrap up their four-game set with Toronto.

Salvador Perez provided both of their runs with a two-out, two-run homer off José Berrios (4-1) in the first, and Cole Ragans (1-2) earned the win by allowing the lone Blue Jays run on three hits and three walks in five rain-soaked innings.

“What was getting frustrating to me,” Quatraro said, "was just like, ‘All right. Let’s make the decision, one way or the other. Tell us to get out there and play or tell us to go home.”

The strange sequence of events began when the fifth inning ended, and an early drizzle had turned into a steady rain.

Umpire chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp to cover the infield, but Schneider came out and objected, arguing that his club deserved another opportunity to tie or take the lead. Guccione told the grounds crew to roll the tarp back and attempt to get the field in playing shape, but about 10 minutes later, the umpire summoned the tarp again.

The field was covered for about 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the grounds crew went to work, pouring dozens of bags of dry dirt on it. But after another hour-plus spent working on the field, Guccione made the decision to call the game complete.

“They tried to work their magic to try to scrape all that old dirt off, get new dirt on there, rake it as much as they could,” he said. “It was just like, the whole shortstop area, the whole third base area, was so spongy and soft that I couldn’t imagine Bo Bichette or Bobby Witt Jr. trying to field the ball to their left or right and planting and trying to make a successful throw. That’s not good for the game, and for sure, the safety of the players is the No. 1 priority.”

The decision still didn't sit well with Schneider.

“I think the entire day was handled kind of poorly, just from the start of the game,” he said. “What was said out there was the fact that the field was unplayable and they didn’t want to continue the game. In my opinion, the field was significantly better than it was in the third, fourth and fifth inning.”

Long forgotten was what had transpired in the game: Berrios had a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings end when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out walk, deposited&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BallySportsKC/status/1783563442760094190">the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen</a>&nbsp;in the first inning.

In the fourth, the Blue Jays bookended Davis Schneider's walk with hits by Justin Turner and Ernie Clement to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Ragans bounced back to retire Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk and maintain a 2-1 lead.

The Blue Jays had another chance in the fifth, when center fielder Kyle Isbel made&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BallySportsKC/status/1783578273974239339">a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch</a>&nbsp;of Isiah Kiner-Falefa's drive to the warning track. Isbel also raced down George Springer's blooper. Then, after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk, Bichette popped foul to end what turned out to be the Blue Jays' final at-bat.

“It’s kind of an awkward state," Isbel said. "You obviously want to play, but it’s out of our control. The field was pretty messed up. I didn’t really go back down there after the rain stopped. It was just kind of a waiting game.”

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (bruised right elbow)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-kansas-city-93cf6c8a1cdfb0119a804ce31af76b98">went on the injured list Thursday</a>&nbsp;after taking a 91 mph line drive off his elbow the previous night. RHP Will Klein was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his spot on the roster.

Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (right forearm tendinitis) was placed on the IL after pitching two scoreless innings Wednesday night. LHP Brendon Little was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his spot in the bullpen.

Blue Jays: Start a six-game homestand that includes a visit by Kansas City next week. Up first are the Los Angeles Dodgers with RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA) getting the nod against them in Friday night's series opener.

Royals: Begin a six-day trip against the Tigers on Friday with a rare 12:10 p.m. CDT start so that it any minimizes interference with the NFL draft in Detroit. RHP Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03) is on the mound for the series opener.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708710110872.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro was frustrated that his team was left hanging in limbo. Blue Jays counterpart John Schneider was equally perturbed that his team wasn't being given a chance to finish out a game it was losing.At least Quatraro felt a bit better in the end.After playing five innings, then waiting out a bizarre rain delay that stretched to 3 hours, 38 minutes, the Royals finally were declared a 2-1 winner Thursday — their third straight one-run victory to wrap up their four-game set with Toronto.Salvador Perez provided both of their runs with a two-out, two-run homer off José Berrios (4-1) in the first, and Cole Ragans (1-2) earned the win by allowing the lone Blue Jays run on three hits and three walks in five rain-soaked innings.“What was getting frustrating to me,” Quatraro said, "was just like, ‘All right. Let’s make the decision, one way or the other. Tell us to get out there and play or tell us to go home.”The strange sequence of events began when the fifth inning ended, and an early drizzle had turned into a steady rain.Umpire chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp to cover the infield, but Schneider came out and objected, arguing that his club deserved another opportunity to tie or take the lead. Guccione told the grounds crew to roll the tarp back and attempt to get the field in playing shape, but about 10 minutes later, the umpire summoned the tarp again.The field was covered for about 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the grounds crew went to work, pouring dozens of bags of dry dirt on it. But after another hour-plus spent working on the field, Guccione made the decision to call the game complete.“They tried to work their magic to try to scrape all that old dirt off, get new dirt on there, rake it as much as they could,” he said. “It was just like, the whole shortstop area, the whole third base area, was so spongy and soft that I couldn’t imagine Bo Bichette or Bobby Witt Jr. trying to field the ball to their left or right and planting and trying to make a successful throw. That’s not good for the game, and for sure, the safety of the players is the No. 1 priority.”The decision still didn't sit well with Schneider.“I think the entire day was handled kind of poorly, just from the start of the game,” he said. “What was said out there was the fact that the field was unplayable and they didn’t want to continue the game. In my opinion, the field was significantly better than it was in the third, fourth and fifth inning.”Long forgotten was what had transpired in the game: Berrios had a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings end when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out walk, deposited&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BallySportsKC/status/1783563442760094190">the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen</a>&nbsp;in the first inning.In the fourth, the Blue Jays bookended Davis Schneider's walk with hits by Justin Turner and Ernie Clement to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Ragans bounced back to retire Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk and maintain a 2-1 lead.The Blue Jays had another chance in the fifth, when center fielder Kyle Isbel made&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BallySportsKC/status/1783578273974239339">a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch</a>&nbsp;of Isiah Kiner-Falefa's drive to the warning track. Isbel also raced down George Springer's blooper. Then, after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk, Bichette popped foul to end what turned out to be the Blue Jays' final at-bat.“It’s kind of an awkward state," Isbel said. "You obviously want to play, but it’s out of our control. The field was pretty messed up. I didn’t really go back down there after the rain stopped. It was just kind of a waiting game.”TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh (bruised right elbow)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-kansas-city-93cf6c8a1cdfb0119a804ce31af76b98">went on the injured list Thursday</a>&nbsp;after taking a 91 mph line drive off his elbow the previous night. RHP Will Klein was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his spot on the roster.Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (right forearm tendinitis) was placed on the IL after pitching two scoreless innings Wednesday night. LHP Brendon Little was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his spot in the bullpen.UP NEXTBlue Jays: Start a six-game homestand that includes a visit by Kansas City next week. Up first are the Los Angeles Dodgers with RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA) getting the nod against them in Friday night's series opener.Royals: Begin a six-day trip against the Tigers on Friday with a rare 12:10 p.m. CDT start so that it any minimizes interference with the NFL draft in Detroit. RHP Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03) is on the mound for the series opener.

⚾ Royals win rain-shortened game Wednesday over Blue Jays

EL DORADO, Kan. — Caiden Beavers recorded his first four-hit game of the season to go along with three RBI, as the Hutchinson High School baseball team beat El Dorado 14-4 in a non-league game at McDonald Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

The Salthawks scored three in the top of the first inning, as Landon Parks drove in a run with a groundout, followed by an RBI single to center from Jack Yoder. Yoder then scored a few pitches later on an errant throw into left field on a stolen base.

Hutchinson plated three more runs in the second inning, all with two outs. Beavers drove in two with a double to the left-center gap, followed up by an RBI single from Cole Bleything.

The Salthawks scored one more in the fourth, and then plated four runs in the fifth inning. In the fifth, Carter Morgan drove in a run with an RBI double into the right field corner, while Beavers followed him up with an RBI single into left-center.

Hutchinson scored two more in the sixth and scored its final run in the seventh.

Morgan tossed five strong innings on the mound, allowing one hit and four runs, but no earned runs. Landon Parks tossed two scoreless innings of relief, striking out two and allowing one hit.

The Salthawks are now 12-8 on the season and will travel to Goddard on Tuesday for a doubleheader against the Eisenhower Tigers with first pitch at 4 p.m.

Hutchinson - 330 142 1 - 14 12 2 El Dorado - 000 020 0 - 4 3 2 WP: Carter Morgan (2-0). LP: Sam Greene. Time: 2:15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714084291127.jpeg" alt="Carter Morgan delivers a pitch in the third inning of a single-game at McDonald Stadium on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in El Dorado. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Carter Morgan delivers a pitch in the third inning of a single-game at McDonald Stadium on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in El Dorado. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>EL DORADO, Kan. — Caiden Beavers recorded his first four-hit game of the season to go along with three RBI, as the Hutchinson High School baseball team beat El Dorado 14-4 in a non-league game at McDonald Stadium on Thursday afternoon.The Salthawks scored three in the top of the first inning, as Landon Parks drove in a run with a groundout, followed by an RBI single to center from Jack Yoder. Yoder then scored a few pitches later on an errant throw into left field on a stolen base.Hutchinson plated three more runs in the second inning, all with two outs. Beavers drove in two with a double to the left-center gap, followed up by an RBI single from Cole Bleything.The Salthawks scored one more in the fourth, and then plated four runs in the fifth inning. In the fifth, Carter Morgan drove in a run with an RBI double into the right field corner, while Beavers followed him up with an RBI single into left-center.Hutchinson scored two more in the sixth and scored its final run in the seventh.Morgan tossed five strong innings on the mound, allowing one hit and four runs, but no earned runs. Landon Parks tossed two scoreless innings of relief, striking out two and allowing one hit.The Salthawks are now 12-8 on the season and will travel to Goddard on Tuesday for a doubleheader against the Eisenhower Tigers with first pitch at 4 p.m.Hutchinson - 330 142 1 - 14 12 2 El Dorado - 000 020 0 - 4 3 2 WP: Carter Morgan (2-0). LP: Sam Greene. Time: 2:15.

⚾ Beavers 4-hit day leads Salthawks to road win

EL DORADO, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School Salthawks trek East to El Dorado for a a non-league game against the El Dorado Wildcats this afternoon at McDonald Stadium.&nbsp;

First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.&nbsp; Hutchinson is 11-8 overall, while El Dorado is 7-10.

Catch the audio only broadcast below with Sean Boston on the call.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714044539563.png" alt="Game Day vs El Dorado 4-25-24" />
 <figcaption>Game Day vs El Dorado 4-25-24</figcaption>
 </figure>EL DORADO, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School Salthawks trek East to El Dorado for a a non-league game against the El Dorado Wildcats this afternoon at McDonald Stadium.&nbsp;First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.&nbsp; Hutchinson is 11-8 overall, while El Dorado is 7-10.Catch the audio only broadcast below with Sean Boston on the call.&nbsp; &nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://eagle-media-sports-hutch.mixlr.com/embed" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="200px" width="100%"></iframe><a href="https://mixlr.com/" style="color:#1a1a1a;display:block;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:left;padding: 4px 0;">Eagle Media Sports - Hutchpost Sports is on Mixlr</a></div>

⚾🎧 Salthawks travel to El Dorado for non-league tilt

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball will play at Creighton on Dec. 4 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle, the two conferences announced Thursday. The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle is a men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance, which is in its sixth year.

Each conference has added member schools since the start of the original agreement. The Battle will include 11 matchups for the second straight season. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 while the Big 12 will host five. The 2024 matchups will feature seven teams ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2023-24 season, including defending national champion Connecticut. Five of the 11 participant teams made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Kansas leads the overall series with Creighton, 11-6, and the Jayhawks have won the past six meetings. The two teams last met March 19, 2022 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, a KU 79-72 win en route to the 2022 NCAA National title.

The Battle matchups are jointly determined by the two conferences, with the home team choosing&nbsp;the venue of its game. Broadcast arrangements for the contests will be determined by the national television rights holder of the home team, which is FOX Sports for the BIG EAST and ESPN for the Big 12.

Game times and television networks will be announced when available.

Kansas is 4-1 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle. Last season, Kansas defeated UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse. The previous season, the Jayhawks defeated Seton Hall, 91-65, on Dec. 1, 2022, in Allen Fieldhouse. KU won at St. John’s, 95-75, in 2021 and defeated Creighton, 73-72, in 2020 in Lawrence. Kansas’ sole loss in the battle was at Villanova, 56-55, in 2019.

2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle Schedule Dec. 3 – Cincinnati at Villanova; BYU at Providence Dec. 4 –&nbsp;KANSAS AT CREIGHTON; Baylor at Connecticut; DePaul at Texas Tech; Marquette at Iowa State Dec. 6 – Georgetown at West Virginia; Xavier at TCU Dec. 7 – Kansas State at St. John’s; Butler at Houston Dec. 8 – Oklahoma State at Seton Hall

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714055520216.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>University of Kansas Sports InformationLAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball will play at Creighton on Dec. 4 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle, the two conferences announced Thursday. The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle is a men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance, which is in its sixth year.Each conference has added member schools since the start of the original agreement. The Battle will include 11 matchups for the second straight season. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 while the Big 12 will host five. The 2024 matchups will feature seven teams ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2023-24 season, including defending national champion Connecticut. Five of the 11 participant teams made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.Kansas leads the overall series with Creighton, 11-6, and the Jayhawks have won the past six meetings. The two teams last met March 19, 2022 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, a KU 79-72 win en route to the 2022 NCAA National title.The Battle matchups are jointly determined by the two conferences, with the home team choosing&nbsp;the venue of its game. Broadcast arrangements for the contests will be determined by the national television rights holder of the home team, which is FOX Sports for the BIG EAST and ESPN for the Big 12.Game times and television networks will be announced when available.Kansas is 4-1 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle. Last season, Kansas defeated UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse. The previous season, the Jayhawks defeated Seton Hall, 91-65, on Dec. 1, 2022, in Allen Fieldhouse. KU won at St. John’s, 95-75, in 2021 and defeated Creighton, 73-72, in 2020 in Lawrence. Kansas’ sole loss in the battle was at Villanova, 56-55, in 2019.2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle Schedule Dec. 3 – Cincinnati at Villanova; BYU at Providence Dec. 4 –&nbsp;KANSAS AT CREIGHTON; Baylor at Connecticut; DePaul at Texas Tech; Marquette at Iowa State Dec. 6 – Georgetown at West Virginia; Xavier at TCU Dec. 7 – Kansas State at St. John’s; Butler at Houston Dec. 8 – Oklahoma State at Seton Hall

🏀 MBB: KU to play at Creighton in 2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle

The Hutchinson Community College softball team earned a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader sweep of Garden City on Wednesday in the final home games of the 2024 season at Fun Valley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714050864743.jpeg" alt="Dakota Lake ties a career high with 13 strikeouts in Blue Dragon softball's 9-2 win over Garden City in Game 1 in a doubleheader sweep over the Broncbusters on Wednesday at Fun Valley (Steve Kappenman/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Dakota Lake ties a career high with 13 strikeouts in Blue Dragon softball's 9-2 win over Garden City in Game 1 in a doubleheader sweep over the Broncbusters on Wednesday at Fun Valley (Steve Kappenman/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College softball team earned a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader sweep of Garden City on Wednesday in the final home games of the 2024 season at Fun Valley.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/brawner_brie_9nkv">Brie Brawner</a>&nbsp;tied a career high with three RBIs and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lake_dakota_j57w">Dakota Lake</a>&nbsp;tied a career high with 13 strikeouts in Hutchinson's 9-2 victory in Game 1. Then&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lozoya_tamara_njkf">Tamara Lozoya</a>&nbsp;hit a three-run home run while&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lies_korri_k1mj">Korri Lies</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/nowlin_jaala_tjnf">Jaala Nowlin</a>&nbsp;combined on a three-hit shutout in a 13-0 five-inning run-rule victory in Game 2.The Blue Dragons are now a season-high 30 games over .500 at 39-9 overall and remain in second place in the KJCCC at 26-4. Hutchinson closes out the regular season on Saturday at Barton. Garden City is now 8-36 overall and 6-24 in the league. Hutchinson sweeps the regular-season series with the Broncbusters and have won nine-straight games over Garden City.The 39 victories tie for the fifth-most wins in team history, matching the 1992 and 2011 teams.GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 9, Garden City 2 Lake surpassed 10 strikeouts in a game for the fourth time this season, tying a career high with 13 strikeouts she first accomplished on February 1 against the Ottawa University JV. Her 13 strikeouts tied for the fourth-most in single-season program history.The Blue Dragon freshman improved to 8-3 for the season with her fourth complete game of the year. Lake allowed five hits, two earned runs and four walks. She gave up single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.Lake's teammates gave her plenty of run support, breaking open a two-run game with six combined runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Hutchinson out-hit Garden City 11-5. Lies had the only extra-base hit for Hutchinson, a double in the third inning.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;had her 25th multi-hit game and ninth with three or more hits, going 3 for 4 with two runs scored, an RBI and stolen base.Brawner tied a season high with three RBIs, going 2 for 3. She had an RBI infield single in the first inning and a two-run single in the sixth.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/mastin_alexis_jxjs">Alexis Mastin</a>&nbsp;drove in a pair of runs with an RBI single in the first and her sixth sacrifice fly of the season in the fourth.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/sandoval_olivia_ydnf">Olivia Sandoval</a>&nbsp;had a two-run single in the fourth inning.The Blue Dragons were hit with pitches a season-high six times.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/darnell_jaeleigh_5kwl">Jaeleigh Darnell</a>&nbsp;was plunked twice in the game.GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 13, Garden City 0 (5 innings) The Blue Dragons followed pretty much the same recipe against Garden City in the second game – strong pitching and bunching runs together.Lies improved to 5-1 in the pitching circle with four shutout innings. She allowed three hits and walked one with one strikeout. Lies stranded three baserunners in scoring position, including Cadence Mallet, who led off the fourth inning with a double and reached third with one out. Lies got a key infield pop-up caught by Lozoya and a line-out to shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/dice_emily_aof6">Emily Dice</a>&nbsp;to get out of the inning unscored upon.Nowlin retired Garden Cit in order in the fifth inning to close out Hutchinson's 23rd run-rule win of the season.The Blue Dragons out-hit Garden City 13-3 in Game 2 with three extra-base hits. Five different Blue Dragons had two hits each in the game.Sandoval was 2 for 3 with RBI singles in the second and third innings for her 25th multi-hit game of the season.Lies helped herself out going 2 for 3 with a two-run triple in a seven-run third inning.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 2 with a walk and two two-out RBI singles in the first and second innings.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/divis_madi_gofs">Madi Divis</a>&nbsp;and Darnell both had two hits each.Lozoya was 1 for 2, but her lone hit was a three-run home run – her third of the season – in the third inning.With her stolen base in the third inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;reached 20 stolen bases for the season.GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons finish the home portion of the schedule 15-3 this season at Fun Valley. …&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/sandoval_olivia_ydnf">Olivia Sandoval</a>&nbsp;is now ranked second on the Blue Dragon single-season hits list with 83 hits and fifth on the season RBI list with 61. … Sandoval now ranks third on the career hits list with 160, second on the career runs scored list with 126 and third on the career RBI list with 120. …&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/darnell_jaeleigh_5kwl">Jaeleigh Darnell</a>&nbsp;now ranks fifth on the Blue Dragon single-season hits list with 79 and sixth on the season RBI list with 60. … Darnell now ranks 17th on the career hits list with 120. …&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;is now sixth on the single-season hits list with 78. …&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/mastin_alexis_jxjs">Alexis Mastin</a>&nbsp;is now third on the single-season RBI list with 63 and fifth on the career RBI list with 113.