HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Three Class of 2024 Salthawk student-athletes, along with their families, participated in the Spring Signing Day at Hutchinson High School today, as part of a long-standing tradition.

Lakin Franz will attend Kansas Wesleyan University in the fall to play baseball. He chose KWU because of their strong campus and athletics culture. He plans to double major in Sports Management and Business. While at Hutchinson High School he excelled in baseball and swimming. As a sophomore he made honorable mention catcher, and as a junior played second team utility. In swimming, Franz participated in the relay events and placed 7th&nbsp;at State.&nbsp;The Salthawks ended the regular season last night against Derby. Their record stands at 17-9 overall and 8-4 in the AVCTL-I. The 17 wins are the most by a Salthawks team since the 2004 team finished 17-4.

ReyJon Redenbaugh will join the soccer team this fall at Manhattan Christian College. Redenbaugh stated he chose MCC because the “staff, soccer team, and coach were very welcoming and friendly. Also, I have previous teammates and friends that attend Manhattan Christian College.” Redenbaugh has not determined his college major at this time but is most interested in Business. The Salthawk soccer team ended their season in the fall of 2023 with a 7-8-2 record.

Daylee VanSyckle signs on as a Coffeyville Community College Red Raven for the fall of 2024. The 6’4” Senior is most excited about leveling up his football skills and career next year. He was impressed with the Coffeeville coaches throughout the recruitment process. VanSyckle enjoyed a strong Salthawk football career with three years on the starting line. The past two seasons he has been named First Team All-State in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League. VanSyckle served as team Captain last fall when the Salthawk Football team went 7-3.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648640359585.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>USD 308 ReleaseHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Three Class of 2024 Salthawk student-athletes, along with their families, participated in the Spring Signing Day at Hutchinson High School today, as part of a long-standing tradition.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715253980630.jpeg" alt="Lakin Franz signed to play baseball at Kansas Wesleyan University" />
 <figcaption>Lakin Franz signed to play baseball at Kansas Wesleyan University</figcaption>
 </figure>Lakin Franz will attend Kansas Wesleyan University in the fall to play baseball. He chose KWU because of their strong campus and athletics culture. He plans to double major in Sports Management and Business. While at Hutchinson High School he excelled in baseball and swimming. As a sophomore he made honorable mention catcher, and as a junior played second team utility. In swimming, Franz participated in the relay events and placed 7th&nbsp;at State.&nbsp;The Salthawks ended the regular season last night against Derby. Their record stands at 17-9 overall and 8-4 in the AVCTL-I. The 17 wins are the most by a Salthawks team since the 2004 team finished 17-4.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715254020847.jpeg" alt="ReyJon Redenbaugh signed with Manhattan Christian College" />
 <figcaption>ReyJon Redenbaugh signed with Manhattan Christian College</figcaption>
 </figure>ReyJon Redenbaugh will join the soccer team this fall at Manhattan Christian College. Redenbaugh stated he chose MCC because the “staff, soccer team, and coach were very welcoming and friendly. Also, I have previous teammates and friends that attend Manhattan Christian College.” Redenbaugh has not determined his college major at this time but is most interested in Business. The Salthawk soccer team ended their season in the fall of 2023 with a 7-8-2 record.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715254069141.jpeg" alt="Daylee VanSyckle will play football at Coffeyville Community College" />
 <figcaption>Daylee VanSyckle will play football at Coffeyville Community College</figcaption>
 </figure>Daylee VanSyckle signs on as a Coffeyville Community College Red Raven for the fall of 2024. The 6’4” Senior is most excited about leveling up his football skills and career next year. He was impressed with the Coffeeville coaches throughout the recruitment process. VanSyckle enjoyed a strong Salthawk football career with three years on the starting line. The past two seasons he has been named First Team All-State in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League. VanSyckle served as team Captain last fall when the Salthawk Football team went 7-3.

⚾⚽🏈 3 Hutch High seniors participated in the Spring Signing Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715251048984.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., left, runs past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., left, runs past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>DAVID SMALE Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a home run and scored three times to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Wednesday.Both starting pitchers struggled out of the gate but settled down and limited the damage. The Royals' Brady Singer (3-1) allowed one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Joe Ross (1-4) allowed three runs on three hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two.“I think the sinker had a lot of action on it,” Singer said. “I was able to locate that pretty well, get it in on the lefthanders. I wanted to go deeper in the game, but the first two innings the pitch count was pretty high.”James McArthur picked up his eighth save after blowing his last two chances.“We thought we had a chance to not have to bring him in, but clearly we needed to,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “He came in and executed right off the bat. He only had to throw three pitches.”The Brewers opened the first with back-to-back doubles by Brice Turang and William Contreras to grab a 1-0 lead.The Royals answered with back-to-back doubles by Maikel Garcia and Witt, but didn't score until Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly. Witt's double looked like a flyout to center, keeping Garcia at second. But Blake Perkins slipped in center and the ball dropped untouched. Michael Massey's sacrifice fly scored Witt to give KC a 2-1 lead.Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn't lamenting the mistakes after the game.“They're all winnable,” he said. “You make mistakes and then it piles on. Give them credit, they capitalized when they had to. But we had a couple of things happen to us early. But there were a lot of good things today, too. Gary Sanchez continues to have great at-bats. Joe Ross pitched good.”After both starters settled down, Massey got his second sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Witt. The sacrifice fly isn't as glamorous as an RBI hit, but the runs help.“It's knowing the situation and getting a pitch you can do something with,” Quatraro said. “You have to understand that you don't have to do too much. Both Vinnie and Massey had big at-bats.”Sanchez connected for his fifth home run leading off the seventh for Milwaukee. With one out and a runner at second, Turang lined one to left, but Oliver Dunn was thrown out at the plate by left fielder MJ Melendez.“I'm just trying to find a way to help this team win,” said Melendez, who entered the game hitting .185 and struck out in his two at-bats. “Obviously I'm not getting the job done on offense. I'm trying to make up for it on the other side of the ball.”His contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.“I think he's got one of the best arms out there,” Witt said. “His accuracy is unbelievable. It's great to see him out there doing his thing.”Witt hit his first home run since April 11 leading off the eighth.“That was a slider,” Witt said. “Those are the pitches you're supposed to hit out when they back up like that.”Adam Frazier and Freddy Fermin added RBI singles. The Brewers got two runs in the ninth.Christian Yelich went 0 for 5 for the Brewers in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brewers-yelich-4d7a6765cdff6915ba9cae4c05c7d523">first game back</a>&nbsp;from a low back strain.TRAINING ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh is eligible to come off the IL on Friday. Manager Matt Quatraro said Marsh is on schedule to start for the Royals in Anaheim.UP NEXTBrewers: return to Milwaukee to start a four-game series with the Cardinals. Milwaukee will hand the ball to RHP Tobias Myers (0-2, 6.23 ERA). The Cardinals have not announced their starter.Royals: will begin a four-game series in Anaheim on Thursday. RHP Michael Wacha (1-4, 5.50 ERA) will start for KC against LHP Reid Detmers (3-3, 4.24 ERA).

⚾ Royals win Wednesday

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

&nbsp; WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;homered for the first of three times in the first inning and No. 4 seed Wichita State never looked back in a 13-0 rout of No. 9 UTSA in the opening round of the American Athletic Conference Championship Wednesday night at Wilkins Stadium.

Wichita State (26-21) advances to Thursday's second round where they will face No. 5 seed Tulsa at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

The Shockers homered four times, three of those belonging to Barnard, in front of their home crowd. Wichita State finished the night with 10 hits, seven of those being extra base hits. Barnard's big bat supplied the most damage, going 4-for-4 with a double, three home runs and five RBI. Her four hits and three home runs both tied career highs, bringing her season home run total to 21 and career total to 90. She has now had 20 or more home runs in three of her four seasons at Wichita State. Her 90 career homers move her into a tie for 8th on the NCAA all-time home run list.

Barnard set American Athletic Conference Championship records in home runs and total bases (14).

<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Her three hits and three RBI tied career highs.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;scored three times to go with a three-run home run, moving her season total to 14.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7565">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;had a pair of hits, including a double.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;was held hitless, but scored three times thanks to three walks.

<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7566">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;got the start, but never looked completely comfortable. She went just 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and two walks, while striking out a pair.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7561">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;(6-8) came in with the bases loaded in the second inning and promptly got the Shockers out of the jam with a strikeout. She struck out three in 3.1 innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Two batters into the bottom of the first, UTSA got a taste of how the night was going to go. After Wong walked, Barnard unloaded a mammoth two-run home run into the wind. After a pair of UTSA errors and a wild pitch moved two more into scoring position, Brown dropped down a perfect bunt, allowing Sedlacek to slide in before the tag to make it 3-0.

The bottom of the second started the exact same way as the first. Wong drew a leadoff walk, setting the stage for Barnard. On the 11th pitch of the at bat, Barnard drilled a full count pitch over the wall in left-center to make it 5-0. Following a Sedlacek walk and Hood ground-rule double, Brown added a double of her own to drive in two more. Another UTSA error made it a five-run inning and the lead, 8-0.

In the third, Barnard followed up yet another Wong walk with a lousy double (sarcasm), paving the way for a Sedlacek three-run blast. Singles from Hood and Brown and a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;hit by pitch loaded the bases for&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/jessica-garcia/7563">Jessica Garcia</a>. A deep drive to left would stay in the yard, but plenty deep enough for a sac fly to put the Shockers up 12-0.

The icing on the cake came in the bottom of the fourth with you know who coming to the plate for a fourth time. She promptly sent the first pitch she saw on a missile to center, again clearing the wall easily to cap off her three home run night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715272545584.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;—&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;homered for the first of three times in the first inning and No. 4 seed Wichita State never looked back in a 13-0 rout of No. 9 UTSA in the opening round of the American Athletic Conference Championship Wednesday night at Wilkins Stadium.Wichita State (26-21) advances to Thursday's second round where they will face No. 5 seed Tulsa at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.The Shockers homered four times, three of those belonging to Barnard, in front of their home crowd. Wichita State finished the night with 10 hits, seven of those being extra base hits. Barnard's big bat supplied the most damage, going 4-for-4 with a double, three home runs and five RBI. Her four hits and three home runs both tied career highs, bringing her season home run total to 21 and career total to 90. She has now had 20 or more home runs in three of her four seasons at Wichita State. Her 90 career homers move her into a tie for 8th on the NCAA all-time home run list.Barnard set American Athletic Conference Championship records in home runs and total bases (14).<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Her three hits and three RBI tied career highs.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;scored three times to go with a three-run home run, moving her season total to 14.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7565">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;had a pair of hits, including a double.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;was held hitless, but scored three times thanks to three walks.<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7566">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;got the start, but never looked completely comfortable. She went just 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and two walks, while striking out a pair.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7561">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;(6-8) came in with the bases loaded in the second inning and promptly got the Shockers out of the jam with a strikeout. She struck out three in 3.1 innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk.Two batters into the bottom of the first, UTSA got a taste of how the night was going to go. After Wong walked, Barnard unloaded a mammoth two-run home run into the wind. After a pair of UTSA errors and a wild pitch moved two more into scoring position, Brown dropped down a perfect bunt, allowing Sedlacek to slide in before the tag to make it 3-0.The bottom of the second started the exact same way as the first. Wong drew a leadoff walk, setting the stage for Barnard. On the 11th pitch of the at bat, Barnard drilled a full count pitch over the wall in left-center to make it 5-0. Following a Sedlacek walk and Hood ground-rule double, Brown added a double of her own to drive in two more. Another UTSA error made it a five-run inning and the lead, 8-0.In the third, Barnard followed up yet another Wong walk with a lousy double (sarcasm), paving the way for a Sedlacek three-run blast. Singles from Hood and Brown and a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571">Caroline Tallent</a>&nbsp;hit by pitch loaded the bases for&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/jessica-garcia/7563">Jessica Garcia</a>. A deep drive to left would stay in the yard, but plenty deep enough for a sac fly to put the Shockers up 12-0.The icing on the cake came in the bottom of the fourth with you know who coming to the plate for a fourth time. She promptly sent the first pitch she saw on a missile to center, again clearing the wall easily to cap off her three home run night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Barnard’s record-setting night powers Shockers to rout of UTSA

University of Kansas Sports Information

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –&nbsp;Seventh seeded Kansas topped 10 seeded Houston 6-5 Wednesday night at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.&nbsp;

Hailey Cripe tied the Big 12 Championship single-game record with five RBI and the Jayhawks produced 12 hits to take the first round matchup as Kansas improved to 28-14-1, its most wins since 2016, while Houston fell to 25-30.&nbsp;

Win: Kasey Hamilton (11-14)Final line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 SOWin: Lizzy Ludwig (2)Final line: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SOLoss: Shelby Smith (10-15)Final line: 6.0 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 1 SO

Cripe went 2-for-3 at the plate, including a two-run home run and a three-run double. Her five RBI tied a Big 12 Championships single-game record and was the first time someone achieved the feat since 2018.&nbsp;

QUOTABLES &amp; NOTABLES“That just goes to show that everyone in this tournament is good and we know that Houston can swing it. Every run matters. I think we put ourselves in a tough position, not capitalizing in the inning before to score those runs. Most importantly, I’m super proud of the way we finished and the way Kasey Hamilton competed tonight, I thought she threw a heck of a game. Sometimes, we have to switch it up and Lizzy (Ludwig) came in and did exactly what Lizzy does, just getting us groundballs and popups. So we have to come back and get ready for tomorrow.” – Head Coach Jennifer McFalls

“I felt very comfortable today. I think going into the game, we were just relaxed. I think the key focus was to stay short and staying behind the pitch. We needed this one really bad, and as a team we wanted it really bad. The opportunity happened to come, and we capitalized as much as we could as a team. To know that it was in those clutch moments that our team got that win, it means a lot.” – Hailey Cripe

Kansas will face off against No. 4 Oklahoma in the second round of the Big 12 Championship Thursday, May 9. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. CT with every pitch being broadcasted via&nbsp;<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fwatch%2Fcatalog%2F0ce3542e-d057-4001-80aa-1d9649289920%2Fbig-12-now%23bucketId%3D29789&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cjackgilligan%40ku.edu%7C00f2fde8773e4157631b08dc6fc9045f%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638508156365211097%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Cs8BsgSXxc2dSF17J3sJFporv58V0uQHeBB2XVHrdow%3D&amp;reserved=0">Big 12 Now on ESPN+</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715222098488.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>University of Kansas Sports InformationOKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –&nbsp;Seventh seeded Kansas topped 10 seeded Houston 6-5 Wednesday night at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.&nbsp;Hailey Cripe tied the Big 12 Championship single-game record with five RBI and the Jayhawks produced 12 hits to take the first round matchup as Kansas improved to 28-14-1, its most wins since 2016, while Houston fell to 25-30.&nbsp;HOW IT HAPPENED<ul>
 <li>Kasey Hamilton got the start in the circle, her 27th start of the season. Hamilton punched out the first batter of the game, before producing a flyout and another strikeout to end the first. She finished the game with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.</li><li>Kansas got on the board first in the first inning. With two outs, All-Big 12 Second Team selection Lyric Moore drew a walk and advanced to second via wild pitch. In the next at-bat, Hailey Cripe hit a two-run shot to left center to give Kansas an early 2-0 lead in the first.</li><li>&nbsp;Houston answered right back in the top of the second. After getting runners on first and third, Houston fouled out to right, which prompted the runner on third to go home. However, the runner at first also tagged, and was thrown out at second by Anyslee Linduff for the double play to end the inning as Kansas led 2-1.</li><li>&nbsp;Ashlyn Anderson opened the bottom of the second with a bang. She tripled to right and was brought home off a sacrifice fly by Angela Price to extends KU’s lead to 3-1 heading into the third.</li><li>&nbsp;After a scoreless inning, the Jayhawks got back into the scoring column in the fourth. Three-straight singles by Anderson, Presley Limbaugh and Linduff loaded the bases and Cripe cleared the bases with a double off the wall to give Kansas a 6-1 lead at the end of the fourth.&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;The Cougars cut into KU’s lead in the sixth. A single, a stolen base and an error put runners on the corners. Houston scored its second run of the day off a sacrifice fly to right as Kansas still held a 6-2 lead.</li><li>&nbsp;Houston almost mounted a comeback in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back-to-back singles with one out loaded the bases. A fourth-straight single gave Houston two more runs to cut into KU’s lead, 6-4. The Cougars added another on a RBI groundout, but reliever Lizzy Ludwig forced a popup to give Kansas the 6-5 victory as she earned her second save of the season.</li>
 </ul>PITCHERS OF RECORDWin: Kasey Hamilton (11-14)Final line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 SOWin: Lizzy Ludwig (2)Final line: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SOLoss: Shelby Smith (10-15)Final line: 6.0 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 1 SOPLAYER OF THE GAMECripe went 2-for-3 at the plate, including a two-run home run and a three-run double. Her five RBI tied a Big 12 Championships single-game record and was the first time someone achieved the feat since 2018.&nbsp;QUOTABLES &amp; NOTABLES“That just goes to show that everyone in this tournament is good and we know that Houston can swing it. Every run matters. I think we put ourselves in a tough position, not capitalizing in the inning before to score those runs. Most importantly, I’m super proud of the way we finished and the way Kasey Hamilton competed tonight, I thought she threw a heck of a game. Sometimes, we have to switch it up and Lizzy (Ludwig) came in and did exactly what Lizzy does, just getting us groundballs and popups. So we have to come back and get ready for tomorrow.” – Head Coach Jennifer McFalls“I felt very comfortable today. I think going into the game, we were just relaxed. I think the key focus was to stay short and staying behind the pitch. We needed this one really bad, and as a team we wanted it really bad. The opportunity happened to come, and we capitalized as much as we could as a team. To know that it was in those clutch moments that our team got that win, it means a lot.” – Hailey Cripe<ul>
 <li>&nbsp;With its 28th win of the season, Kansas has its most wins since 2016 when the squad went 31-20.</li><li>&nbsp;This is the first time since 2006 and 2007 that Kansas has won a Big 12 Championship game in consecutive games. Last season, Kansas topped Oklahoma State 8-7 in comeback fashion.&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;Cripe hit her seventh home run of the season, a team high. Her five RBI tied the Big 12 Championships single-game record, the first time someone recorded five RBI in a single game since 2018.&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;Anderson hit her second triple of the season in the second inning, the fifth of her career. She is now just one triple away from reaching 10th on the Kansas career triples list.&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;Limbaugh went 3-for-4 at the dish, which increased her hitting streak to six games and tied her career-high of three hits, which she has done four times, most recently against BYU on May 2, 2024.</li><li>&nbsp;Moore caught a runner stealing in the sixth to put her season total at 12 runners caught, increasing her Big 12 lead.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>UP NEXTKansas will face off against No. 4 Oklahoma in the second round of the Big 12 Championship Thursday, May 9. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. CT with every pitch being broadcasted via&nbsp;<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fwatch%2Fcatalog%2F0ce3542e-d057-4001-80aa-1d9649289920%2Fbig-12-now%23bucketId%3D29789&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cjackgilligan%40ku.edu%7C00f2fde8773e4157631b08dc6fc9045f%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638508156365211097%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Cs8BsgSXxc2dSF17J3sJFporv58V0uQHeBB2XVHrdow%3D&amp;reserved=0">Big 12 Now on ESPN+</a>.

🥎 KU advances to second round of Big 12 Tournament

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics and The RoundHouse

&nbsp; The white numbers applied to the green left-field wall at Wilkins Stadium signifying the years of NCAA regional bids are a reminder of Wichita State's unprecedented recent success.

Three straight appearances, four in five seasons and five in seven. Those numbers mean a lot, but coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1162">Kristi Bredbenner</a>&nbsp;wants the Shockers to ignore them. Fourth-seeded WSU opens play in the American Athletic Conference Championships at 7 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN+) against ninth-seeded UTSA (15-41).

That NCAA standard is powerful motivation. However, the weight of that standard worked its way into the minds of the Shockers earlier in the season.

"We had to realize that every year is a different team, and there are different expectations," junior pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7561">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;said.

Instead of focusing on the immediate pitch, inning and game, the possibility of not playing in an NCAA regional knocked them off course."

Stay in the moment," Bredbenner said. "We've been very anxious, nervous, playing not to lose vs. playing to win. We've been to three straight post-seasons and they don't want to break the streak."

On Sunday, the Shockers (25-21) completed a sweep of Memphis to extend their win streak to four games and six of eight. Bredbenner repeated the message that's helped the Shockers recover from series losses to Charlotte, Tulsa and USF in late March and early April. That 3-6 stretch knocked WSU out of the AAC race and diminished their NCAA resume.

"Clean slate," third baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/krystin-nelson/7568">Krystin Nelson</a>&nbsp;said. "Starting over will be extremely beneficial for us. That's what's making us dig in a little."

&nbsp; To earn the AAC's automatic bid, the Shockers must win four games in four days. Bredbenner is optimistic that a strong schedule will help the NCAA at-large resume if they get to Friday's semifinal and, more helpfully, Saturday's final. WSU's strength of schedule ranks No. 50 and its non-conference schedule No. 7, according to warrennolan.com. The AAC is the nation's No. 7 conference with seven of its 10 members in the top 100 of the power rankings.

Second-seeded Charlotte enters the tournament ranked No. 26 in the RPI. A strong non-conference schedule and wins over teams such as Florida State, Kentucky and Virginia Tech make the 49ers a strong at-large possibility.

Top-seeded Florida Atlantic (41-13) owns a No. 40 RPI. While the Owls won the series over Charlotte, they lack marquee non-conference wins.

WSU's RPI ranks No. 57, but Bredbenner likes factors such as the non-conference schedule and wins over Arkansas (No. 15 in the RPI) and South Carolina (No. 27) when she compares her team to those above the Shockers in the power ranking.

The only sure thing is to win on Saturday. To do that, the Shockers must keep their focus tight.

"Inning by inning,"&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;said. "When we realize that, I think we play a little better."

The work of WSU's pitching staff over the past three weeks provides a path to winning four games this week. The Shockers have held 11 of their 13 opponents to three or fewer earned runs, including four shutouts.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7566">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;threw a one-hitter against last-place Memphis and recently threw a three-hitter in a win over UAB. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573">Chloe Barber</a>&nbsp;is 4-1 in her past five starts with a 0.96 earned run average and coming off Sunday's no-hitter against Memphis.

Shocker pitchers entered the season with high expectations after a strong 2023 in which it led the conference with a 2.55 ERA. This season, WSU's ERA is eighth at 4.07.

When the staff is pitching well, it trusts its defense and doesn't let one or two mistakes turn into an avalanche. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7557">Alex Aguilar</a>, last season's AAC Rookie of the Year, is bothered by an injury, Bredbenner said Tuesday, that limits her to a few innings.

"We can't take the expectations of last year and constantly trying to compare ourselves," Cooper said. &nbsp;"We would get caught up in trying to overdo it, trying to be the hero."

While WSU's punch isn't as overwhelming as in past seasons, the Shockers lead the AAC with 66 home runs and a .510 slugging percentage. Wong earned AAC Player of the Year honors on Tuesday and enters the tournament hitting .476, tied for first nationally with Howard's Maryn Jordan. She teams with center fielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;– hitting .372 with 18 home runs – to give the Shockers an elite top of the order. Shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>, also an all-conference pick, hit .329 with 10 homers against AAC teams.

The Shockers know the task ahead. They have the comforts of home, post-season experience and star power to rely on. The right mental approach, they say, can be the difference between a tournament run and an early exit.

"Be energetic, be loud," catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;said. "Celebrate the little things. Stay true to ourselves and we'll win."&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715200571793.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics and The RoundHouseBy Paul Sullentrop&nbsp;&nbsp; The white numbers applied to the green left-field wall at Wilkins Stadium signifying the years of NCAA regional bids are a reminder of Wichita State's unprecedented recent success.Three straight appearances, four in five seasons and five in seven. Those numbers mean a lot, but coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1162">Kristi Bredbenner</a>&nbsp;wants the Shockers to ignore them. Fourth-seeded WSU opens play in the American Athletic Conference Championships at 7 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN+) against ninth-seeded UTSA (15-41).That NCAA standard is powerful motivation. However, the weight of that standard worked its way into the minds of the Shockers earlier in the season."We had to realize that every year is a different team, and there are different expectations," junior pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7561">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;said.Instead of focusing on the immediate pitch, inning and game, the possibility of not playing in an NCAA regional knocked them off course."Stay in the moment," Bredbenner said. "We've been very anxious, nervous, playing not to lose vs. playing to win. We've been to three straight post-seasons and they don't want to break the streak."On Sunday, the Shockers (25-21) completed a sweep of Memphis to extend their win streak to four games and six of eight. Bredbenner repeated the message that's helped the Shockers recover from series losses to Charlotte, Tulsa and USF in late March and early April. That 3-6 stretch knocked WSU out of the AAC race and diminished their NCAA resume."Clean slate," third baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/krystin-nelson/7568">Krystin Nelson</a>&nbsp;said. "Starting over will be extremely beneficial for us. That's what's making us dig in a little."&nbsp; To earn the AAC's automatic bid, the Shockers must win four games in four days. Bredbenner is optimistic that a strong schedule will help the NCAA at-large resume if they get to Friday's semifinal and, more helpfully, Saturday's final. WSU's strength of schedule ranks No. 50 and its non-conference schedule No. 7, according to warrennolan.com. The AAC is the nation's No. 7 conference with seven of its 10 members in the top 100 of the power rankings.Second-seeded Charlotte enters the tournament ranked No. 26 in the RPI. A strong non-conference schedule and wins over teams such as Florida State, Kentucky and Virginia Tech make the 49ers a strong at-large possibility.Top-seeded Florida Atlantic (41-13) owns a No. 40 RPI. While the Owls won the series over Charlotte, they lack marquee non-conference wins.WSU's RPI ranks No. 57, but Bredbenner likes factors such as the non-conference schedule and wins over Arkansas (No. 15 in the RPI) and South Carolina (No. 27) when she compares her team to those above the Shockers in the power ranking.The only sure thing is to win on Saturday. To do that, the Shockers must keep their focus tight."Inning by inning,"&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967">CC Wong</a>&nbsp;said. "When we realize that, I think we play a little better."The work of WSU's pitching staff over the past three weeks provides a path to winning four games this week. The Shockers have held 11 of their 13 opponents to three or fewer earned runs, including four shutouts.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7566">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;threw a one-hitter against last-place Memphis and recently threw a three-hitter in a win over UAB. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573">Chloe Barber</a>&nbsp;is 4-1 in her past five starts with a 0.96 earned run average and coming off Sunday's no-hitter against Memphis.Shocker pitchers entered the season with high expectations after a strong 2023 in which it led the conference with a 2.55 ERA. This season, WSU's ERA is eighth at 4.07.When the staff is pitching well, it trusts its defense and doesn't let one or two mistakes turn into an avalanche. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7557">Alex Aguilar</a>, last season's AAC Rookie of the Year, is bothered by an injury, Bredbenner said Tuesday, that limits her to a few innings."We can't take the expectations of last year and constantly trying to compare ourselves," Cooper said. &nbsp;"We would get caught up in trying to overdo it, trying to be the hero."While WSU's punch isn't as overwhelming as in past seasons, the Shockers lead the AAC with 66 home runs and a .510 slugging percentage. Wong earned AAC Player of the Year honors on Tuesday and enters the tournament hitting .476, tied for first nationally with Howard's Maryn Jordan. She teams with center fielder&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;– hitting .372 with 18 home runs – to give the Shockers an elite top of the order. Shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570">Taylor Sedlacek</a>, also an all-conference pick, hit .329 with 10 homers against AAC teams.The Shockers know the task ahead. They have the comforts of home, post-season experience and star power to rely on. The right mental approach, they say, can be the difference between a tournament run and an early exit."Be energetic, be loud," catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;said. "Celebrate the little things. Stay true to ourselves and we'll win."&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Wichita State opens AAC play at Wilkins Stadium

Class 3A (Halstead Regional) Thursday, May 9 5 p.m. at Kingman: [1] Kingman (19-5) vs. [8] Nickerson (1-17) 5 p.m. at Cheney: [4] Cheney (10-8) vs. [5] Halstead (6-14) 5 p.m. at Hesston: [2] Hesston (15-4) vs. [7] Smoky Valley (3-15) 5 p.m. at Haven: [3] Haven (17-7) vs. [6] Hillsboro (4-14) Tuesday, May 14 at Halstead 2 p.m.:&nbsp;Kingman/Nickerson winner vs. Cheney/Halstead winner 4 p.m.: Hesston/Smoky Valley winner vs. Haven/Hillsboro winner 6 p.m.: Championship Game <a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/3ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;Class=4&amp;WeekID=5794">Click here for Halstead Regional bracket</a>

Class 2-1A (Hays-TMP Regional) Friday, May 10 3 p.m. at Sacred Heart: [8] Little River (4-16) vs. [9] Ellis (1-17) 5 p.m. at Sacred Heart: [1] Sacred Heart (18-2) vs. Little River/Ellis winner 5 p.m. at Inman: [4] Inman (8-10) vs. [5] Ell-Saline (6-14) 5 p.m. at TMP: [2] Hays-TMP (16-7) vs. [7] Bennington (4-16) 5 p.m. at Ellinwood: [3] Ellinwood (11-11) vs. [6] Hutch Trinity Catholic (6-16) Thursday, May 16 2 p.m. at TMP: Sacred Heart/Little River/Ellis winner vs. Inman/Ell-Saline winner 4 p.m. at TMP: TMP/Bennington winner vs. Ellinwood/Trinity Catholic winner 6 p.m. at TMP: Championship Game <a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/2-1ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;Class=8&amp;WeekID=5801">Click here for Hays-TMP Regional bracket</a>

Class 2-1A (Rosalia-Flinthills Regional) Wednesday, May 8 3 p.m. at Sedgwick: [8] Eureka (1-15) vs. [9] Wichita Independent (0-23) 5 p.m. at Sedgwick: [1] Sedgwick (19-3) vs. Eureka/Independent winner 5 p.m. at Moundridge: [4] Moundridge (12-6) vs. [5] Canton-Galva/Elyria Christian 5 p.m. at Marion: [2] Marion (18-4) vs. [7] Rosalia-Flinthills (7-16) 5 p.m. at Chase County: [3] Cottonwood Falls-Chase County (11-3) vs. [6] Remington (7-11) Monday, May 13 2 p.m. at Rosalia: Sedgwick/Eureka/Independent winner vs. Moundridge/Canton-Galva/Elyria Christian winner 4 p.m. at Rosalia: Marion/Rosalia-Flinthills winner vs. Chase County/Remington winner 6 p.m.: Championship game <a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/2-1ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;Class=8&amp;WeekID=5827">Click here for Rosalia-Flinthills Regional bracket</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715192492812.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Class 3A (Halstead Regional) Thursday, May 9 5 p.m. at Kingman: [1] Kingman (19-5) vs. [8] Nickerson (1-17) 5 p.m. at Cheney: [4] Cheney (10-8) vs. [5] Halstead (6-14) 5 p.m. at Hesston: [2] Hesston (15-4) vs. [7] Smoky Valley (3-15) 5 p.m. at Haven: [3] Haven (17-7) vs. [6] Hillsboro (4-14) Tuesday, May 14 at Halstead 2 p.m.:&nbsp;Kingman/Nickerson winner vs. Cheney/Halstead winner 4 p.m.: Hesston/Smoky Valley winner vs. Haven/Hillsboro winner 6 p.m.: Championship Game <a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/3ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;Class=4&amp;WeekID=5794">Click here for Halstead Regional bracket</a>Class 2-1A (Hays-TMP Regional) Friday, May 10 3 p.m. at Sacred Heart: [8] Little River (4-16) vs. [9] Ellis (1-17) 5 p.m. at Sacred Heart: [1] Sacred Heart (18-2) vs. Little River/Ellis winner 5 p.m. at Inman: [4] Inman (8-10) vs. [5] Ell-Saline (6-14) 5 p.m. at TMP: [2] Hays-TMP (16-7) vs. [7] Bennington (4-16) 5 p.m. at Ellinwood: [3] Ellinwood (11-11) vs. [6] Hutch Trinity Catholic (6-16) Thursday, May 16 2 p.m. at TMP: Sacred Heart/Little River/Ellis winner vs. Inman/Ell-Saline winner 4 p.m. at TMP: TMP/Bennington winner vs. Ellinwood/Trinity Catholic winner 6 p.m. at TMP: Championship Game <a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/2-1ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;Class=8&amp;WeekID=5801">Click here for Hays-TMP Regional bracket</a>Class 2-1A (Rosalia-Flinthills Regional) Wednesday, May 8 3 p.m. at Sedgwick: [8] Eureka (1-15) vs. [9] Wichita Independent (0-23) 5 p.m. at Sedgwick: [1] Sedgwick (19-3) vs. Eureka/Independent winner 5 p.m. at Moundridge: [4] Moundridge (12-6) vs. [5] Canton-Galva/Elyria Christian 5 p.m. at Marion: [2] Marion (18-4) vs. [7] Rosalia-Flinthills (7-16) 5 p.m. at Chase County: [3] Cottonwood Falls-Chase County (11-3) vs. [6] Remington (7-11) Monday, May 13 2 p.m. at Rosalia: Sedgwick/Eureka/Independent winner vs. Moundridge/Canton-Galva/Elyria Christian winner 4 p.m. at Rosalia: Marion/Rosalia-Flinthills winner vs. Chase County/Remington winner 6 p.m.: Championship game <a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/2-1ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;Class=8&amp;WeekID=5827">Click here for Rosalia-Flinthills Regional bracket</a>

⚾ Area regional brackets for classes 3A, 2-1A

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School baseball team has been through a lot of ups and downs through the past 20 years, but mainly more downs than ups. The Salthawks, however, have made strides this spring that may thought were unimaginable.

Hutchinson finished the regular season 17-9 overall and 8-4 in the&nbsp; Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I. 

The 17 wins are the most the program has had since the 2004 season, when the Salthawks finished the year 17-4. The 8-4 mark is good enough for third place in the AVCTL, the best league finish since the Salthawks finished third in 2013.

This is all coming after the Salthawks went just 4-17 last spring and 2-18 in 2022. Prior to this season, Hutchinson had a combined record of 40-149 over the past nine seasons.&nbsp;

How has Mace Krol turned the program around in just his second season as the head coach?

"I've got a lot of guys on this team that just believe," Krol said. "I knew we were going to be more competitive than we were last year, and I told a lot of people we were going to double our win total from then, but to be able to quadruple it is not something I expected."

The eight wins in league play this season have come against some of the best in the league each and every year. Hutchinson swept Campus, Derby and Salina South, and split against Maize and Newton. The Salthawks were also very competitive against 5A powerhouse Maize South, losing by four runs in the first game and one in the second game.

"It's all a testament to the kids right now and what they've accomplished," Krol said. "They've done exactly what we've asked them to do and they've worked so hard for what's coming to them and they deserve all of the credit."

Junior Cole Bleything leads the Salthawks with a .341 batting average, as well as a team-high 30 hits and eight doubles. Junior Carter Morgan is right behind Bleything with a .337 average. Morgan leads the Salthawks with 26 runs scored, 30 hits, two triples, one home run and 20 RBI. Junior Caiden Beavers is hitting .333 in the two-spot in the batting order with four doubles, 12 RBI and a team-high 13 stolen bases.

Sophomore JuJu Lyons leads the Salthawks with a 4-0 record on the mound with a 3.38 ERA in six starts. Senior Lakin Franz has a team-high 11 appearances (all in relief), 28 strikeouts, four saves, while also accumulating a 2.16 ERA.

The Salthawks have a .281 batting average as a team, 156 runs scored, 35 doubles, seven triples and one home run. Hutchinson also has 55 stolen bases on the season.

The Hutchinson pitching staff has a 4.82 ERA and have struck out 119 batters. Senior Eastyn Keeler has two complete games, while Bleything has one.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) will officially release regional pairings on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and will be posted on kshsaa.org.&nbsp;

No matter who the Salthawks play, Krol knows his team will be ready for the challenge.

"We're a really dangerous team to play right now, because the guys truly believe they're going to win every time they go out on the field," Krol said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Baseball/SchedulesByTeam.cfm?SchoolSelect=595&amp;Class=5A">Click here for 2024 Salthawk baseball schedule</a>

Salthawk Baseball Season-by-Season 2023: 4-17 2022: 2-18 2021: 6-15 2020: COVID 2019: 6-14 2018: 3-18 2017: 9-14 2016: 4-17 2015: 5-16 2014: 1-20 2013: 13-9 2012: 9-13 2011: 11-11 2010: 8-14 2009: 13-8 2008: 9-12 2007: 14-8 2006: 9-12 2005: 14-9 2004: 17-4 2003: 16-5 2002: 21-4 2001: 14-5-1 2000: 16-6 1999: 16-4 1998: 6-15 1997: 16-9 1996: 16-7 1995: 7-15 1994: 16-7 1993: 12-7 1992: 13-9 1991: 13-9 1990: 11-11 1989: 6-15

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715182785805.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Melissa Newton Loepp" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Melissa Newton Loepp</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School baseball team has been through a lot of ups and downs through the past 20 years, but mainly more downs than ups. The Salthawks, however, have made strides this spring that may thought were unimaginable.Hutchinson finished the regular season 17-9 overall and 8-4 in the&nbsp; Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I. The 17 wins are the most the program has had since the 2004 season, when the Salthawks finished the year 17-4. The 8-4 mark is good enough for third place in the AVCTL, the best league finish since the Salthawks finished third in 2013.This is all coming after the Salthawks went just 4-17 last spring and 2-18 in 2022. Prior to this season, Hutchinson had a combined record of 40-149 over the past nine seasons.&nbsp;How has Mace Krol turned the program around in just his second season as the head coach?"I've got a lot of guys on this team that just believe," Krol said. "I knew we were going to be more competitive than we were last year, and I told a lot of people we were going to double our win total from then, but to be able to quadruple it is not something I expected."The eight wins in league play this season have come against some of the best in the league each and every year. Hutchinson swept Campus, Derby and Salina South, and split against Maize and Newton. The Salthawks were also very competitive against 5A powerhouse Maize South, losing by four runs in the first game and one in the second game."It's all a testament to the kids right now and what they've accomplished," Krol said. "They've done exactly what we've asked them to do and they've worked so hard for what's coming to them and they deserve all of the credit."Junior Cole Bleything leads the Salthawks with a .341 batting average, as well as a team-high 30 hits and eight doubles. Junior Carter Morgan is right behind Bleything with a .337 average. Morgan leads the Salthawks with 26 runs scored, 30 hits, two triples, one home run and 20 RBI. Junior Caiden Beavers is hitting .333 in the two-spot in the batting order with four doubles, 12 RBI and a team-high 13 stolen bases.Sophomore JuJu Lyons leads the Salthawks with a 4-0 record on the mound with a 3.38 ERA in six starts. Senior Lakin Franz has a team-high 11 appearances (all in relief), 28 strikeouts, four saves, while also accumulating a 2.16 ERA.The Salthawks have a .281 batting average as a team, 156 runs scored, 35 doubles, seven triples and one home run. Hutchinson also has 55 stolen bases on the season.The Hutchinson pitching staff has a 4.82 ERA and have struck out 119 batters. Senior Eastyn Keeler has two complete games, while Bleything has one.The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) will officially release regional pairings on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and will be posted on kshsaa.org.&nbsp;No matter who the Salthawks play, Krol knows his team will be ready for the challenge."We're a really dangerous team to play right now, because the guys truly believe they're going to win every time they go out on the field," Krol said.&nbsp;<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Baseball/SchedulesByTeam.cfm?SchoolSelect=595&amp;Class=5A">Click here for 2024 Salthawk baseball schedule</a> Salthawk Baseball Season-by-Season 2023: 4-17 2022: 2-18 2021: 6-15 2020: COVID 2019: 6-14 2018: 3-18 2017: 9-14 2016: 4-17 2015: 5-16 2014: 1-20 2013: 13-9 2012: 9-13 2011: 11-11 2010: 8-14 2009: 13-8 2008: 9-12 2007: 14-8 2006: 9-12 2005: 14-9 2004: 17-4 2003: 16-5 2002: 21-4 2001: 14-5-1 2000: 16-6 1999: 16-4 1998: 6-15 1997: 16-9 1996: 16-7 1995: 7-15 1994: 16-7 1993: 12-7 1992: 13-9 1991: 13-9 1990: 11-11 1989: 6-15

⚾ Salthawks head into postseason with most wins in 20 years

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Baseball will be hosting its first Rare Disease Game on Saturday, May 11. Kansas plays Houston at 2 p.m. CT and will be wearing special t-shirts during batting practice that features the ‘Kansas’ wordmark in zebra print to help raise awareness for rare diseases. Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=BSBSGT&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">here</a>.

The game will hold special meaning for Kansas Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott.

“We are so excited to be hosting the Rare Disease Game at KU,” Scott said. “My wife and I are parents to a child with a rare disease. We know how important awareness is. Our daughter is one of a few children with what is called the CSNK2B Neurodevelopmental Syndrome.”

Scott continued:&nbsp;“We started the CSNK2B Foundation in 2022 to raise money for research. It is our hope that others will someday have access to life changing treatments. Those types of treatments don’t just happen without awareness and support. We are thankful to Kansas Athletics and Coach&nbsp;(Dan)&nbsp;Fitzgerald for allowing us to play this game in honor of those who are affected in any way by a rare disease.”

In addition to the team wearing specially designed shirts, the decals on the bases will have the Kansas wordmark in zebra print. Fans attending the game will have an opportunity to get a bracelet with the Kansas wordmark in zebra print, while supplies last.

With approximately 300 million people with rare diseases worldwide,&nbsp;various&nbsp;organizations will be setup in the concourse on Saturday to share additional information.

Kansas (27-17, 13-11 Big 12) will host Houston for a three-game series this weekend in the final series at Hoglund Ballpark this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715193612091.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>University of Kansas Sports InformationLAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Baseball will be hosting its first Rare Disease Game on Saturday, May 11. Kansas plays Houston at 2 p.m. CT and will be wearing special t-shirts during batting practice that features the ‘Kansas’ wordmark in zebra print to help raise awareness for rare diseases. Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=BSBSGT&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">here</a>.The game will hold special meaning for Kansas Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott.“We are so excited to be hosting the Rare Disease Game at KU,” Scott said. “My wife and I are parents to a child with a rare disease. We know how important awareness is. Our daughter is one of a few children with what is called the CSNK2B Neurodevelopmental Syndrome.”Scott continued:&nbsp;“We started the CSNK2B Foundation in 2022 to raise money for research. It is our hope that others will someday have access to life changing treatments. Those types of treatments don’t just happen without awareness and support. We are thankful to Kansas Athletics and Coach&nbsp;(Dan)&nbsp;Fitzgerald for allowing us to play this game in honor of those who are affected in any way by a rare disease.”In addition to the team wearing specially designed shirts, the decals on the bases will have the Kansas wordmark in zebra print. Fans attending the game will have an opportunity to get a bracelet with the Kansas wordmark in zebra print, while supplies last.With approximately 300 million people with rare diseases worldwide,&nbsp;various&nbsp;organizations will be setup in the concourse on Saturday to share additional information.Kansas (27-17, 13-11 Big 12) will host Houston for a three-game series this weekend in the final series at Hoglund Ballpark this season.

⚾ KU to host Rare Disease Game on Saturday

(AP) — Colorado coach Tad Boyle is adding basketball great Danny Manning to his coaching staff in a reunion of former Kansas teammates.

Boyle and Manning spent a season together with the Jayhawks in 1984-85. Manning would later go on to lead Kansas to the 1988 NCAA championship, an improbable run that earned the team the nickname “Danny and the Miracles.”

The addition of Manning comes as the Buffaloes prepare to rejoin the Big 12 Conference. Manning and Boyle will now routinely face their alma mater.

Manning, who turns 58 on May 17, begins his time in Boulder on June 1. He will work with a team that’s coming off a 26-win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Buffaloes saw several players enter the NBA draft, including freshman Cody Williams, who could be a lottery pick.

Manning spent the past two seasons as associate head coach at Louisville. He’s also served as the head coach at Tulsa and Wake Forest. In addition, he was the interim head coach at Maryland in 2021-22.

“I’m very excited to join coach Boyle’s staff,” Manning said in a statement Tuesday. “This staff has been together for quite some time and has had quite a bit of success, so I want to come in and be a sponge.”

While at Kansas, Manning became the program’s all-time leader in points (2,951) and rebounds (1,187). He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

As a senior in 1984-85, Boyle shared the court with Manning, who was a freshman at the time. They crossed paths again as assistant coaches for USA Basketball’s under-19 World Cup team in 2017.

“I’m excited to add him to the staff,” Boyle said. “He’s not only a great coach, but he’s a great human being and he’s going to do nothing but help Colorado basketball.”

Manning was the top pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1988. He spent 15 seasons in the NBA with seven different teams. He was the sixth man of the year with Phoenix in 1998.

He broke into the coaching ranks under Kansas coach Bill Self, starting as the director of student-athlete development/team manager in 2003 and rising to an assistant coach role in 2007. He was part of the staff when the Jayhawks won the 2008 national title.

Manning went 38-29 in two seasons at Tulsa, where he was named Conference USA’s coach of the year in 2013-14. At Wake Forest, he went 78-111 over six seasons and then 10-14 as the interim coach at Maryland after Mark Turgeon stepped down.

“Danny brings the ability to connect with young people, being able to mentor them and let them know what they need to do to get better,” Boyle said. “But also what they need to do to achieve their ultimate goal, which is to be a professional basketball player.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715179083855.png" alt="FILE - Louisville head coach Kenny Payne, left, and associate head coach Danny Manning during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Syracuse in Syracuse, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. Colorado coach Tad Boyle is adding basketball great Danny Manning to his coaching staff in a reunion of the former Kansas teammates. Boyle and Manning spent a season together with the Jayhawks in 1984-85. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Louisville head coach Kenny Payne, left, and associate head coach Danny Manning during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Syracuse in Syracuse, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. Colorado coach Tad Boyle is adding basketball great Danny Manning to his coaching staff in a reunion of the former Kansas teammates. Boyle and Manning spent a season together with the Jayhawks in 1984-85. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>(AP) — Colorado coach Tad Boyle is adding basketball great Danny Manning to his coaching staff in a reunion of former Kansas teammates.Boyle and Manning spent a season together with the Jayhawks in 1984-85. Manning would later go on to lead Kansas to the 1988 NCAA championship, an improbable run that earned the team the nickname “Danny and the Miracles.”The addition of Manning comes as the Buffaloes prepare to rejoin the Big 12 Conference. Manning and Boyle will now routinely face their alma mater.Manning, who turns 58 on May 17, begins his time in Boulder on June 1. He will work with a team that’s coming off a 26-win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Buffaloes saw several players enter the NBA draft, including freshman Cody Williams, who could be a lottery pick.Manning spent the past two seasons as associate head coach at Louisville. He’s also served as the head coach at Tulsa and Wake Forest. In addition, he was the interim head coach at Maryland in 2021-22.“I’m very excited to join coach Boyle’s staff,” Manning said in a statement Tuesday. “This staff has been together for quite some time and has had quite a bit of success, so I want to come in and be a sponge.”While at Kansas, Manning became the program’s all-time leader in points (2,951) and rebounds (1,187). He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.As a senior in 1984-85, Boyle shared the court with Manning, who was a freshman at the time. They crossed paths again as assistant coaches for USA Basketball’s under-19 World Cup team in 2017.“I’m excited to add him to the staff,” Boyle said. “He’s not only a great coach, but he’s a great human being and he’s going to do nothing but help Colorado basketball.”Manning was the top pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1988. He spent 15 seasons in the NBA with seven different teams. He was the sixth man of the year with Phoenix in 1998.He broke into the coaching ranks under Kansas coach Bill Self, starting as the director of student-athlete development/team manager in 2003 and rising to an assistant coach role in 2007. He was part of the staff when the Jayhawks won the 2008 national title.Manning went 38-29 in two seasons at Tulsa, where he was named Conference USA’s coach of the year in 2013-14. At Wake Forest, he went 78-111 over six seasons and then 10-14 as the interim coach at Maryland after Mark Turgeon stepped down.“Danny brings the ability to connect with young people, being able to mentor them and let them know what they need to do to get better,” Boyle said. “But also what they need to do to achieve their ultimate goal, which is to be a professional basketball player.”

🏀 MBB: Former Jayhawk great added to Colorado staff

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715178575953.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy KJCCC" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KJCCC</figcaption>
 </figure><div>KJCCC Release
 
Complete <a title="2024 Division I All-KJCCC/Region VI Selections" href="https://kjccc.org/sports/sball/2023-24/files/2024_D1_SB_All-Conference_Team.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: rgb(140, 0, 15);font-size: 18px;">Division I All-KJCCC/Region VI Selections</a>
 
Selected via KJCCC Coaches, post-season awards for Division I Softball have been announced.
Leading the player selections is Allyson McDougal of Barton voted the KJCCC/Region VI Most Valuable Player with Hutchinson freshman pitcher Dakota Lake being named the Freshman of the Year.
The Coach of the Year honor was awarded to Colby Head Coach Steve Kinnett following his retirement of leading the Trojan program and service to the KJCCC.
Most Valuable Player: Allyson McDougal (Barton) McDougal ranked in the top five of most offensive statistics in the KJCCC, leading the league with 61 hits and 48 runs scored in the 32-games while ranking second in batting average (.565), on-base perrcentage (.595), and doubles (14). &nbsp;The freshman from Moore, Oklahoma, was also solid in right field for the Cougars with just one error in 42 chances (.979) in making a number of spectactular catches throughout the season helping Barton to a third place finish for its highest conference placing since 2017. &nbsp;A week six KJCCC Player of the Week award winner, McDougal also picked up the NJCAA distinction that week in the midst of her season best 16-game hitting streak.
Freshman of the Year: Dakota Lake (Hutchinson) Lake dominated the conference circle this season in 62.0 innings with a miniscule 0.79 ERA. &nbsp;Making 23 appearances, the freshman from Des Moines, Iowa, posted a 7-1 league record with a save in striking out out 115 conference opponents for a 12.98 strikeout per seven innings while walking just 23 free passes and allowing just 7 earned runs. &nbsp;A five-time KJCCC Pitcher of the Week, Lake struck out ten or more batters ten times during the season including tying a career high 13 punch out in Hutchinson&apos;s home finale leading the Blue Dragons to a runner-up placing at 28-4 and a 41-9 overall record ranking in program top five history.
Coach of the Year: Steve Kinnett (Colby) Leading the Colby program since 2013, Kinnett&apos;s retirement leaves a legacy in Trojan history of a .577 win percentage (313-229) in posting six 30-plus winning seasons. &nbsp;Named the 2019 KJCCC West Division Coach of the Year after leading the Trojans to its first regular season conference title, Kinnett&apos;s club also posted the nation&apos;s best grade point average that season. &nbsp;Capturing its second West Division title in 2021, Kinnett built Colby into a consistent contender while providing leadership to other coaches and guidance withing the KJCCC throughout his tenure.</div>

🥎 Lake headlines 10 Blue Dragons on All-KJCCC/Region VI teams

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for May 8th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for May 8th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="May 8th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" 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=5rge2-1608523-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Hutch High sweeps Derby ⚾ Brewers edge Royals

WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge tallied 16 runs on 20 hits (nine extra-base hits and four home runs) in their first home game since April 21 in a 16-2 win over the Arkansas Travelers.&nbsp;Carson McCusker&nbsp;went a perfect 5-5 at the plate with five runs scored, three home runs, and six RBI to become the first Wind Surge player in history to record three round-trippers in a ballgame.

McCusker’s first came after smacking a two-run home run over the Wichita bullpen in left center in the bottom of the second inning. The Travelers later cut the 2-0 Wind Surge lead a half inning later on a run-scoring groundout.

Jorel Ortega&nbsp;doubled home McCusker in the last of the fifth before&nbsp;Tanner Schobel&nbsp;went the opposite way to right field to single him in. Despite an Arkansas solo homer by Spencer Packard, Wichita would tag the Travelers for 12 unanswered runs in the consecutive three frames.

Aaron Sabato added&nbsp;an RBI in his return game from a rehab stint in Fort Myers on a single to center in the bottom of the sixth. Ortega allowed Sabato to score after floating his second hit to shallow left. McCusker also scurried home on an infield hit by Schobel for a 7-2 Wichita advantage two-thirds of the way through.

Jeferson Morales&nbsp;joined the home run party on a solo shot to left after the stretch. McCusker also tallied his second of three long balls on a three-run big fly to left center to push the Wind Surge out 11-2.

The eighth inning saw five more Wichita notches.&nbsp;Kala’i Rosario&nbsp;doubled to the alley in right center to bring in Morales. Sabato wallopped a three-run home run two batters later. The next pitch saw McCusker launching a baseball at 114 MPH off the bat 504 feet out of Riverfront Stadium. The back-to-back jacks gave the game its future final 16-2 score.

Travis Adams&nbsp;evened up his season record at 2-2 with a win in six innings of two-run ball. The righty gave up five hits and a walk opposite six strikeouts.

Wichita continues its series with Arkansas tomorrow, Wednesday, May 7, on the team’s second Education Day. The first pitch from Riverfront Stadium will be at 12:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/MiLB.TV">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715170250071.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge provides on-field fireworks, Tally 20 hits in series opening victory" />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge provides on-field fireworks, Tally 20 hits in series opening victory</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge tallied 16 runs on 20 hits (nine extra-base hits and four home runs) in their first home game since April 21 in a 16-2 win over the Arkansas Travelers.&nbsp;Carson McCusker&nbsp;went a perfect 5-5 at the plate with five runs scored, three home runs, and six RBI to become the first Wind Surge player in history to record three round-trippers in a ballgame.McCusker’s first came after smacking a two-run home run over the Wichita bullpen in left center in the bottom of the second inning. The Travelers later cut the 2-0 Wind Surge lead a half inning later on a run-scoring groundout.Jorel Ortega&nbsp;doubled home McCusker in the last of the fifth before&nbsp;Tanner Schobel&nbsp;went the opposite way to right field to single him in. Despite an Arkansas solo homer by Spencer Packard, Wichita would tag the Travelers for 12 unanswered runs in the consecutive three frames.Aaron Sabato added&nbsp;an RBI in his return game from a rehab stint in Fort Myers on a single to center in the bottom of the sixth. Ortega allowed Sabato to score after floating his second hit to shallow left. McCusker also scurried home on an infield hit by Schobel for a 7-2 Wichita advantage two-thirds of the way through.Jeferson Morales&nbsp;joined the home run party on a solo shot to left after the stretch. McCusker also tallied his second of three long balls on a three-run big fly to left center to push the Wind Surge out 11-2.The eighth inning saw five more Wichita notches.&nbsp;Kala’i Rosario&nbsp;doubled to the alley in right center to bring in Morales. Sabato wallopped a three-run home run two batters later. The next pitch saw McCusker launching a baseball at 114 MPH off the bat 504 feet out of Riverfront Stadium. The back-to-back jacks gave the game its future final 16-2 score.Travis Adams&nbsp;evened up his season record at 2-2 with a win in six innings of two-run ball. The righty gave up five hits and a walk opposite six strikeouts.Wichita continues its series with Arkansas tomorrow, Wednesday, May 7, on the team’s second Education Day. The first pitch from Riverfront Stadium will be at 12:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/MiLB.TV">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.

⚾ Wind surge tally 20 hits in series opening victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames hit a three-run homer into the left-field bullpen with two outs in the ninth inning, helping the Milwaukee Brewers rally for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. James McArthur had retired the first two batters in the ninth when William Contreras began the comeback with a double on a full-count pitch. Gary Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames homered on an 83 mph curveball. Jared Koenig earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill pitched the ninth for his third save.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run homer to spark a six-run fifth inning, and the New York Mets rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5. The Cardinals not only dropped their fourth straight game, but also lost catcher Willson Contreras to a broken left forearm in the second inning after he was hit by J.D. Martinez’s swing. Contreras, a three-time All-Star, is hitting .280 with a team-leading six home runs. José Buttó allowed three runs in five innings as the Mets won their second consecutive game. All three runs he permitted came in the first, but Buttó retired nine of his last 10 batters.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras broke his left forearm when he was hit by a swing during their game against the New York Mets. Contreras got hurt with J.D. Martinez at the plate in the second inning. After he was clipped by Martinez’s swing, the three-time All-Star tumbled over in obvious pain and then jogged away before sitting down while was examined by St. Louis training staff. Martinez was awarded first base due to catcher’s interference. The team said Contreras had a left forearm fracture, and Iván Herrera took over behind the plate.

DALLAS (AP) — A newspaper report says Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is suspected of assault in Dallas a little over a month after he was one of the speeding drivers in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges. Law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person who went to a hospital after an incident at a downtown nightclub early Monday morning. Rice faces multiple charges in the high-speed crash in Dallas. Rice's attorney has acknowledged the receiver was one of the speeding drivers.

UNDATED (AP) — Colorado coach Tad Boyle is adding basketball great Danny Manning to his coaching staff in a reunion of the former Kansas teammates. Boyle and Manning spent a season together with the Jayhawks in 1984-85. Manning would later go on to lead Kansas to the 1988 NCAA championship, an improbable run that earned the team the nickname “Danny and the Miracles.” The addition of Manning comes as the Buffaloes prepare to rejoin the Big 12 Conference. Manning and Boyle will now routinely face their alma mater.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to help the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks 117-95 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Chet Holmgren added 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Thunder. Jalen Williams struggled with his shot for three quarters but scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth to help Oklahoma City remain unbeaten in the playoffs. Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting and had five turnovers. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Mavericks.

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and the Boston Celtics powered past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series. Derrick White added 25 points, including 7 3-pointers to help the Celtics pull away in the second half. Jayson Tatum finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Cavaliers went 11 of 42 from 3 and kept pace early. But the Celtics were even more efficient from the outside, connecting on 18 of 46 from beyond the arc for the game. It helped Boston carry a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell had 33 points for Cleveland, becoming the fourth player in league history with 30 or more points in six straight playoff series openers.

DALLAS (AP) — Miles Wood scored on a backhander 11:03 into overtime into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche, after trailing by three goals in the first period, beat the top-seeded Dallas Stars 4-3 in the opener of their second-round Western Conference series. Wood got the puck past Jake Oettinger to wrap up only the Avalanche’s third three-goal comeback to win a playoff game in their history. Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for Colorado, while Valerie Nichushkin had a goal and an assist. Nathan MacKinnon had the tying goal only 39 seconds into the third period Alexander Georgiev had 19 saves while winning his fifth consecutive game in goal for the Avalanche. Game 2 is Thursday night.

NEW YORK (AP) — Vincent Trocheck scored a power-play goal off a rebound at 7:24 of the second overtime to give the New York Rangers a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Alexis Lafreniere scored twice, Chris Kreider had a power-play goal and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin stopped a season-high 54 shots. The Rangers remained perfect in six playoff games. Jake Guentzel scored twice, Dmitry Orlov also scored and Sebastian Aho had three assists for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen finished with 35 saves. The Hurricanes have lost three of their last four.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, May 8th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, May 8th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports in a Minute for May 8th, 2024.<div><iframe title="May 8th, 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=n5zxz-160853e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames hit a three-run homer into the left-field bullpen with two outs in the ninth inning, helping the Milwaukee Brewers rally for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. James McArthur had retired the first two batters in the ninth when William Contreras began the comeback with a double on a full-count pitch. Gary Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames homered on an 83 mph curveball. Jared Koenig earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill pitched the ninth for his third save.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run homer to spark a six-run fifth inning, and the New York Mets rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5. The Cardinals not only dropped their fourth straight game, but also lost catcher Willson Contreras to a broken left forearm in the second inning after he was hit by J.D. Martinez’s swing. Contreras, a three-time All-Star, is hitting .280 with a team-leading six home runs. José Buttó allowed three runs in five innings as the Mets won their second consecutive game. All three runs he permitted came in the first, but Buttó retired nine of his last 10 batters.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras broke his left forearm when he was hit by a swing during their game against the New York Mets. Contreras got hurt with J.D. Martinez at the plate in the second inning. After he was clipped by Martinez’s swing, the three-time All-Star tumbled over in obvious pain and then jogged away before sitting down while was examined by St. Louis training staff. Martinez was awarded first base due to catcher’s interference. The team said Contreras had a left forearm fracture, and Iván Herrera took over behind the plate.DALLAS (AP) — A newspaper report says Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is suspected of assault in Dallas a little over a month after he was one of the speeding drivers in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges. Law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person who went to a hospital after an incident at a downtown nightclub early Monday morning. Rice faces multiple charges in the high-speed crash in Dallas. Rice's attorney has acknowledged the receiver was one of the speeding drivers.UNDATED (AP) — Colorado coach Tad Boyle is adding basketball great Danny Manning to his coaching staff in a reunion of the former Kansas teammates. Boyle and Manning spent a season together with the Jayhawks in 1984-85. Manning would later go on to lead Kansas to the 1988 NCAA championship, an improbable run that earned the team the nickname “Danny and the Miracles.” The addition of Manning comes as the Buffaloes prepare to rejoin the Big 12 Conference. Manning and Boyle will now routinely face their alma mater.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to help the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks 117-95 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Chet Holmgren added 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Thunder. Jalen Williams struggled with his shot for three quarters but scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth to help Oklahoma City remain unbeaten in the playoffs. Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting and had five turnovers. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Mavericks.BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and the Boston Celtics powered past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series. Derrick White added 25 points, including 7 3-pointers to help the Celtics pull away in the second half. Jayson Tatum finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Cavaliers went 11 of 42 from 3 and kept pace early. But the Celtics were even more efficient from the outside, connecting on 18 of 46 from beyond the arc for the game. It helped Boston carry a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell had 33 points for Cleveland, becoming the fourth player in league history with 30 or more points in six straight playoff series openers.DALLAS (AP) — Miles Wood scored on a backhander 11:03 into overtime into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche, after trailing by three goals in the first period, beat the top-seeded Dallas Stars 4-3 in the opener of their second-round Western Conference series. Wood got the puck past Jake Oettinger to wrap up only the Avalanche’s third three-goal comeback to win a playoff game in their history. Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for Colorado, while Valerie Nichushkin had a goal and an assist. Nathan MacKinnon had the tying goal only 39 seconds into the third period Alexander Georgiev had 19 saves while winning his fifth consecutive game in goal for the Avalanche. Game 2 is Thursday night.NEW YORK (AP) — Vincent Trocheck scored a power-play goal off a rebound at 7:24 of the second overtime to give the New York Rangers a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Alexis Lafreniere scored twice, Chris Kreider had a power-play goal and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin stopped a season-high 54 shots. The Rangers remained perfect in six playoff games. Jake Guentzel scored twice, Dmitry Orlov also scored and Sebastian Aho had three assists for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen finished with 35 saves. The Hurricanes have lost three of their last four.MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLTUESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Washington 3 Baltimore 0Final L.A. Angels 9 Pittsburgh 0Final Philadelphia 10 Toronto 1Final Atlanta 4 Boston 2Final Milwaukee 6 Kansas City 5AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Texas 15 Oakland 8Final Detroit 11 Cleveland 7Final Tampa Bay 5 Chicago White Sox 1Final N.Y. Yankees 10 Houston 3Final Seattle 10 Minnesota 6NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Arizona 6 Cincinnati 2Final Chicago Cubs 3 San Diego 2Final N.Y. Mets 7 St. Louis 5Final San Francisco 5 Colorado 0Final L.A. Dodgers 8 Miami 2NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal Boston 120 Cleveland 95Final Oklahoma City 117 Dallas 95NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

DALLAS (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is suspected of assault in Dallas a little over a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rashee-rice-dallas-crash-kansas-city-chiefs-b9c772b81b1b64ad111e249b38c8c4b5">he was one of the speeding drivers</a>&nbsp;in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges, according to a newspaper report Tuesday.

Law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person at a downtown nightclub early Monday, and that the person went to a hospital after the encounter.

Dallas police did not name Rice as the suspect in detailing a report of the incident to The Associated Press. Officers were dispatched to the nightclub about 2:30 a.m. Monday over a report of an assault, and the victim self-transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Rice's attorney, Texas state Sen. Royce West, didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The Chiefs and the NFL declined to comment.

Rice reported to the Chiefs for voluntary workouts last month, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-rashee-rice-a05c25a451cbf078da1276807610cf52">Chiefs coach Andy Reid said</a>&nbsp;he had spoken to the receiver and the team was letting the legal process play out.

The former SMU and Dallas-area high school player reported to the Chiefs shortly after turning himself into Dallas police over multiple charges, including aggravated assault, involving the high-speed crash.

West has previously acknowledged Rice was speeding in a Lamborghini SUV when the crash involving six vehicles happened March 30. Police said Theodore Knox, who also played for SMU, was driving a Corvette.

Rice, who turned 24 last month, and Knox have been charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury.

Four people were injured in the crash, and police said the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without providing information or determining whether anyone needed medical attention.

Rice was drafted in the second round by Kansas City last year and played in 20 games, including the Chiefs' 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco in the Super Bowl. He led the team with seven touchdowns receiving in the regular season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712017870514.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is suspected of assault in Dallas a little over a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rashee-rice-dallas-crash-kansas-city-chiefs-b9c772b81b1b64ad111e249b38c8c4b5">he was one of the speeding drivers</a>&nbsp;in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges, according to a newspaper report Tuesday.Law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person at a downtown nightclub early Monday, and that the person went to a hospital after the encounter.Dallas police did not name Rice as the suspect in detailing a report of the incident to The Associated Press. Officers were dispatched to the nightclub about 2:30 a.m. Monday over a report of an assault, and the victim self-transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.Rice's attorney, Texas state Sen. Royce West, didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The Chiefs and the NFL declined to comment.Rice reported to the Chiefs for voluntary workouts last month, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-rashee-rice-a05c25a451cbf078da1276807610cf52">Chiefs coach Andy Reid said</a>&nbsp;he had spoken to the receiver and the team was letting the legal process play out.The former SMU and Dallas-area high school player reported to the Chiefs shortly after turning himself into Dallas police over multiple charges, including aggravated assault, involving the high-speed crash.West has previously acknowledged Rice was speeding in a Lamborghini SUV when the crash involving six vehicles happened March 30. Police said Theodore Knox, who also played for SMU, was driving a Corvette.Rice, who turned 24 last month, and Knox have been charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury.Four people were injured in the crash, and police said the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without providing information or determining whether anyone needed medical attention.Rice was drafted in the second round by Kansas City last year and played in 20 games, including the Chiefs' 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco in the Super Bowl. He led the team with seven touchdowns receiving in the regular season.

Newspaper says Chiefs' Rice in trouble again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RHP Joe Ross (1-3, 4.65 ERA) pitches the series finale Wednesday afternoon for the Brewers. RHP Brady Singer (2-1, 2.45) is due to make the 100th start of his career for Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715135395718.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey throws to first after forcing Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick (10) out at second on a force out hit into by William Contreras during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey throws to first after forcing Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick (10) out at second on a force out hit into by William Contreras during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willy Adames had been chatting up the Royals fans behind the Milwaukee dugout all game, the good-natured ribbing carrying on as the Brewers jumped out to a two-run lead and Kansas City battled back to take its own two-run lead to the ninth.With two outs and a pair of runners aboard, Adames found himself standing in the on-deck circle with the game on the line.“They told me they wanted me to hit a three-run homer,” Adames would say later, “and I was like, ‘I got you.’”Adames proceeded to drill an 83 mph curveball from Royals closer James McArthur into the left-field bullpen, sending Milwaukee to a 6-5 win Tuesday night, and leaving those Kansas City fans mock-worshipping him as he returned to the dugout.“It was really priceless,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who had watched the called-shot scene unfold. “It was really cool.”Jared Koenig (3-1) earned the win for Milwaukee, getting Hunter Renfroe to ground out to end the seventh and then surviving a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill breezed through the ninth to earn his third save in three tries.Vinnie Pasquantino drove in three runs for Kansas City. Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel also drove in runs.“That one stings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro admitted, “but we've done that to other people as well.”Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz crushed back-to-back homers off Royals starter Seth Lugo in the second inning, but that was all the offense the Brewers could muster until the seventh, when they managed to coax another run across.They squandered a chance to draw closer when Angel Zerpa struck out Gary Sanchez to strand a pair later in the seventh, then missed another opportunity in the eighth, when John Schreiber fanned Oliver Dunn to leave two more runners aboard.The Brewers didn't waste their final opportunity in the ninth.McArthur (1-2) had retired the first two batters when William Contreras, on a full-count pitch, began the comeback with a double just inside the left-field foul line. Sanchez followed with a walk before Adames walked confidently to the plate.“He's carrying on with (the fans) during Gary's at-bat, and he's telling them — they're Kansas City fans — he's telling them, ‘One more ball,'” Murphy said. “Then he goes back to them and goes, ‘Here we go.’”There it went, right into the left-field bullpen.It wasn't exactly on par Babe Ruth's called shot — there's a big difference between a regular-season game the first week of May and Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, when the Hall of Famer famously pointed toward deep center field at Wrigley Field, then homered to that exact spot to help the Yankees beat the Cubs, 7-5.Still, it was the kind of stuff certain to go down in Brewers lore.“Oh my God, that was the coolest thing I ever done,” said Adames, who even signed some balls for those Kansas City fans. “You know, sometimes the fans will be very hard, but these guys here, they were amazing. They were having a good time. Like, all my at-bats, we were chatting, and then the last one was obviously the most fun.”MILEY UPDATEBrewers left-hander Wade Miley was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati. The procedure was being performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds' medical director. The 37-year-old Miley made two starts this season, working seven total innings, before he was put on the injured list April 22 with elbow inflammation. The Brewers were counting on him after Miley went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts last season.UP NEXTRHP Joe Ross (1-3, 4.65 ERA) pitches the series finale Wednesday afternoon for the Brewers. RHP Brady Singer (2-1, 2.45) is due to make the 100th start of his career for Kansas City.

⚾ Brewers win Tuesday over Royals

&nbsp; WICHITA, Kan. — The NIL Store powered by Campus Ink has announced the launch of the Wichita State NIL Store, providing officially licensed merchandising opportunities to Wichita State University student-athletes. <a href="http://nil.store/signup">[Athletes sign-up here!]</a>

With every purchase, Wichita State fans will place industry-leading payments directly into their favorite student-athlete's pocket.

Part of the&nbsp;<a href="http://nil.store/">NIL Store</a>&nbsp;network, the Wichita State NIL Store team will continuously be onboarding new student-athletes and developing custom merchandise drops for individual student-athletes. All merchandise on the Wichita State NIL Store is officially licensed by Wichita State University.

Each student-athlete's digital locker room includes a collection of core products which feature personalized names and numbers for applicable athletes.

ABOUT CAMPUS INK AND THE NIL STORE Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink expanded into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space in 2021 and launched the NIL Store, which serves as a merchandising solution for student-athletes and schools across the country. The NIL Store operates with the firm belief that every student-athlete has an opportunity to capitalize on their NIL and should earn industry-leading payouts. Campus Ink was founded in 1947 on the campus of the University of Illinois and was reimagined in 2015 with an office in downtown Chicago and a production facility in Urbana, Ill., where the company handles all of its own production and fulfillment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715185538539.jpeg" alt="Graphic courtesy of Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Graphic courtesy of Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp; WICHITA, Kan. — The NIL Store powered by Campus Ink has announced the launch of the Wichita State NIL Store, providing officially licensed merchandising opportunities to Wichita State University student-athletes. <a href="http://nil.store/signup">[Athletes sign-up here!]</a> With every purchase, Wichita State fans will place industry-leading payments directly into their favorite student-athlete's pocket. Part of the&nbsp;<a href="http://nil.store/">NIL Store</a>&nbsp;network, the Wichita State NIL Store team will continuously be onboarding new student-athletes and developing custom merchandise drops for individual student-athletes. All merchandise on the Wichita State NIL Store is officially licensed by Wichita State University. Each student-athlete's digital locker room includes a collection of core products which feature personalized names and numbers for applicable athletes. ABOUT CAMPUS INK AND THE NIL STORE Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink expanded into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space in 2021 and launched the NIL Store, which serves as a merchandising solution for student-athletes and schools across the country. The NIL Store operates with the firm belief that every student-athlete has an opportunity to capitalize on their NIL and should earn industry-leading payouts. Campus Ink was founded in 1947 on the campus of the University of Illinois and was reimagined in 2015 with an office in downtown Chicago and a production facility in Urbana, Ill., where the company handles all of its own production and fulfillment.

Wichita State launches NIL store

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School baseball team finished the regular season strong on Tuesday night with a pair of wins over the Derby Panthers, 5-0 in game one, and 7-6 in game two.&nbsp;

The Salthawks end the regular season 17-9 overall, 8-4 in the AVCTL-I. The 17 wins are the most by a Salthawks team since the 2004 team finished 17-4.

Hutchinson received a dominant pitching start in game one, and then rallied from down 6-0 to win game two in walk-off fashion, 7-6.

The two wins over the Panthers are the first sweep of Derby by Hutchinson since the 2013 season.

Game 1: Hutchinson 5, Derby 0 Eastyn Keeler made his final start on the mound at Hobart-Detter Field one to remember. The senior left-handed pitcher tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out a season-high six in the win.

Both starting pitchers were cruising right along until the bottom of the fifth, when Derby starter Hudson Halstead, who had only allowed two baserunners through the first four frames, struggled in the fifth.

 Halstead walked three and hit a batter in the inning, but the biggest blow was a three-run inside-the-park home run hit by Carter Morgan into the right field corner. The Salthawks scored all five of their runs in the fifth inning.

Derby - 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 Hutchinson - 000 050 x - 5 3 1 WP: Eastyn Keeler (3-3). LP: Hudson Halstead. Time: 1:22.

---------------------------------------------------------

Game 2: Hutchinson 7, Derby 6 Jack Yoder delivered the hit of his life, a single down the right field line to score Caiden Beavers from second base to complete the comeback and complete the sweep of the Panthers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715120561855.jpeg" alt="Carter Morgan drives a pitch to the right field corner for an inside-the-park home run in the 5th inning of game one against Derby on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Hobart-Detter Field. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Bosotn)." />
 <figcaption>Carter Morgan drives a pitch to the right field corner for an inside-the-park home run in the 5th inning of game one against Derby on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Hobart-Detter Field. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Bosotn).</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School baseball team finished the regular season strong on Tuesday night with a pair of wins over the Derby Panthers, 5-0 in game one, and 7-6 in game two.&nbsp;The Salthawks end the regular season 17-9 overall, 8-4 in the AVCTL-I. The 17 wins are the most by a Salthawks team since the 2004 team finished 17-4.Hutchinson received a dominant pitching start in game one, and then rallied from down 6-0 to win game two in walk-off fashion, 7-6.The two wins over the Panthers are the first sweep of Derby by Hutchinson since the 2013 season.Game 1: Hutchinson 5, Derby 0 Eastyn Keeler made his final start on the mound at Hobart-Detter Field one to remember. The senior left-handed pitcher tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out a season-high six in the win.Both starting pitchers were cruising right along until the bottom of the fifth, when Derby starter Hudson Halstead, who had only allowed two baserunners through the first four frames, struggled in the fifth. Halstead walked three and hit a batter in the inning, but the biggest blow was a three-run inside-the-park home run hit by Carter Morgan into the right field corner. The Salthawks scored all five of their runs in the fifth inning.Derby - 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 Hutchinson - 000 050 x - 5 3 1 WP: Eastyn Keeler (3-3). LP: Hudson Halstead. Time: 1:22.---------------------------------------------------------Game 2: Hutchinson 7, Derby 6 Jack Yoder delivered the hit of his life, a single down the right field line to score Caiden Beavers from second base to complete the comeback and complete the sweep of the Panthers.After Derby scored four in the first and two more in the second, Lakin Franz tossed six scoreless innings of relief, keeping the Salthawks in the game.The Salthawks scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth on five hits, including a double by Beavers, singles by Bleything, Parks and Yoder, and the tying single from JuJu Lyons.Derby - 420 000 0 - 6 11 4 Hutchinson - 000 105 1 - 7 9 0 WP: Lakin Franz (2-1). LP: Jace Hambleton. Time: 2:08.