
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Buhler USD 313 plans to start school in person September 2, but they know that the plans they are making will require adjustment once everyone gets into the buildings.

"We're doing what we call a slow start," said USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman. "September 2, we're just going to have 1st grade through 5th grade and 6th grade in our middle school and 9th grade in our high school. Then, the 2nd day, we're going to do everybody 1st through 12th. Our kindergarteners don't come for another week, due to testing. We're going to take a look at doing just a two-hour early dismissal the 3rd. Then, on Friday, we're going to take a half day of professional development and a half-day workday with our staff and say, hey, let's reevaluate, what worked and what didn't work?"

Parents and stakeholders in the district should expect communication in the days immediately following that meeting on any changes that are deemed neccessary.

"We'll have then Friday to Monday, that's a holiday weekend in there, to communicate, if there are some shifts that are going to have to happen. We will do that through probably our all alert email if there's something that needs to be changed. Flexibility is going to be key this year. I think that we're going to learn to adapt very quickly. The state likes to use the word pivot. I think we're going to have to be ready to pivot on a dime."

Kids need love and encouragement from their educators and that is something Couchman looks forward to providing, while still keeping them safe.

"That's one of the reasons we're excited and ready to have our kids back in wearing facemasks," Couchman said. "With a facemask, you can get a hug in occasionally and you can get closer than your six feet away. That's the advantage of having a facemask on. We are going to be within six feet. That's just going to have to happen in a school setting. That's one of the advantages of being on site is, I think kids need that physical interaction and so do our staff."

Couchman said one thing parents can do to help is really teach and stress the importance of handwashing along with mask wearing as they prepare kids for school. 

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Buhler USD 313 plans to start school in person September 2, but they know that the plans they are making will require adjustment once everyone gets into the buildings."We're doing what we call a slow start," said USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman. "September 2, we're just going to have 1st grade through 5th grade and 6th grade in our middle school and 9th grade in our high school. Then, the 2nd day, we're going to do everybody 1st through 12th. Our kindergarteners don't come for another week, due to testing. We're going to take a look at doing just a two-hour early dismissal the 3rd. Then, on Friday, we're going to take a half day of professional development and a half-day workday with our staff and say, hey, let's reevaluate, what worked and what didn't work?"Parents and stakeholders in the district should expect communication in the days immediately following that meeting on any changes that are deemed neccessary."We'll have then Friday to Monday, that's a holiday weekend in there, to communicate, if there are some shifts that are going to have to happen. We will do that through probably our all alert email if there's something that needs to be changed. Flexibility is going to be key this year. I think that we're going to learn to adapt very quickly. The state likes to use the word pivot. I think we're going to have to be ready to pivot on a dime."Kids need love and encouragement from their educators and that is something Couchman looks forward to providing, while still keeping them safe."That's one of the reasons we're excited and ready to have our kids back in wearing facemasks," Couchman said. "With a facemask, you can get a hug in occasionally and you can get closer than your six feet away. That's the advantage of having a facemask on. We are going to be within six feet. That's just going to have to happen in a school setting. That's one of the advantages of being on site is, I think kids need that physical interaction and so do our staff."Couchman said one thing parents can do to help is really teach and stress the importance of handwashing along with mask wearing as they prepare kids for school.

Couchman: USD 313 will slow start, then pivot quickly if necessary


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The technological divide among K-12 students across the country and in parts of Kansas became incredibly visible in light of the pivot to remote learning as a result of COVID-19. It is with that in mind that the Kansas Association of School Boards is advocating for additional funding to be rolled into the proposed coronavirus relief bill to address the issue.

"The homework gap is the gap between internet haves and have nots," said Leah Fliter, Advocacy and Outreach Director for KASB. "In Kansas, a recent study found that more than 150,000 Kansas students don't have reliable home broadband internet access."

Wireless hotspots may be the quickest way to get students on to the internet right now.

"What this bill would do is, it would allow the schools and the libraries to purchase those devices for kids to use during this public health emergency," Fliter said. "Hopefully, as the emergency subsides and perhaps some physical build-out can happen of broadband the schools and libraries would be able to take back those devices and they would be able to just continue to loan them out on an as-needed basis."

Right now, this is generally falling along partisan lines.

"The Senate bill has many sponsors," Fliter said. "All of the folks who have officially signed on to support it are Democrats. I'm not aware of why the Republicans seem to be taking a hands-off on it. I think they're trying to just maybe, bide their time and see how the negotiations go."

It also could be about money, as the bill would appropriate an additional $4 billion, which is over and above what will already be spent on stimulus checks and the like.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The technological divide among K-12 students across the country and in parts of Kansas became incredibly visible in light of the pivot to remote learning as a result of COVID-19. It is with that in mind that the Kansas Association of School Boards is advocating for additional funding to be rolled into the proposed coronavirus relief bill to address the issue."The homework gap is the gap between internet haves and have nots," said Leah Fliter, Advocacy and Outreach Director for KASB. "In Kansas, a recent study found that more than 150,000 Kansas students don't have reliable home broadband internet access."Wireless hotspots may be the quickest way to get students on to the internet right now."What this bill would do is, it would allow the schools and the libraries to purchase those devices for kids to use during this public health emergency," Fliter said. "Hopefully, as the emergency subsides and perhaps some physical build-out can happen of broadband the schools and libraries would be able to take back those devices and they would be able to just continue to loan them out on an as-needed basis."Right now, this is generally falling along partisan lines."The Senate bill has many sponsors," Fliter said. "All of the folks who have officially signed on to support it are Democrats. I'm not aware of why the Republicans seem to be taking a hands-off on it. I think they're trying to just maybe, bide their time and see how the negotiations go."It also could be about money, as the bill would appropriate an additional $4 billion, which is over and above what will already be spent on stimulus checks and the like.

Bill to alleviate homework gap in U.S. Senate

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Sheriff's Office took a report from the contractor working on the K-14 West 4th Avenue interchange that someone drove through the work zone damaging a portion of the work site.

The driver went through a section of wet concrete on Tuesday causing about $40,000 in damage and forcing crews to tear out that section of the road and start over. KDOT spokesperson Tim Potter says the area measured about 18 feet by 50 feet.

Potter says the damage will delay the project by about two days. The work is now projected to finish up August 13, weather permitting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596728644302.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Sheriff's Office took a report from the contractor working on the K-14 West 4th Avenue interchange that someone drove through the work zone damaging a portion of the work site.The driver went through a section of wet concrete on Tuesday causing about $40,000 in damage and forcing crews to tear out that section of the road and start over. KDOT spokesperson Tim Potter says the area measured about 18 feet by 50 feet.Potter says the damage will delay the project by about two days. The work is now projected to finish up August 13, weather permitting.

Motorist damages construction site at K-14 and West 4th

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Public Schools announced that they are now sponsoring an adult high school completion program. The school will be housed in the Mid Town Center at 200 E Sherman.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The staff at Mid Town Center will assist adult students in establishing an individualized learning plan to achieve the goal of obtaining a Hutchinson High School diploma. Courses can be in person or online. The diploma will be recognized by military recruiters, employers, colleges, and universities. The district will also help will career and college planning.

Enrollment will be from noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 11 at MidTown Center, 200 E. Sherman.

For more information, go to <a href="https://tinyurl.com/MidTown2020">tinyurl.com/MidTown2020</a>.

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Public Schools announced that they are now sponsoring an adult high school completion program. The school will be housed in the Mid Town Center at 200 E Sherman.&nbsp;&nbsp;The staff at Mid Town Center will assist adult students in establishing an individualized learning plan to achieve the goal of obtaining a Hutchinson High School diploma. Courses can be in person or online. The diploma will be recognized by military recruiters, employers, colleges, and universities. The district will also help will career and college planning.Enrollment will be from noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 11 at MidTown Center, 200 E. Sherman.For more information, go to <a href="https://tinyurl.com/MidTown2020">tinyurl.com/MidTown2020</a>.

USD 308 offering adult learning program

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Three teens were injured in an ATV accident just east of Hutchinson Wednesday afternoon.

The Reno County Sheriff's Office reports that they were summoned along with EMS to 700 N Obee Road around 1:20 p.m.

Reports say that three 13-year-old females were operating a side by side ATV when they lost control of the vehicle rolling it on its side ejecting the passengers.

Two of the teens were transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. The third refused treatment.

Speed is believed to have been a factor in the accident, which is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560362354225.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Three teens were injured in an ATV accident just east of Hutchinson Wednesday afternoon.The Reno County Sheriff's Office reports that they were summoned along with EMS to 700 N Obee Road around 1:20 p.m.Reports say that three 13-year-old females were operating a side by side ATV when they lost control of the vehicle rolling it on its side ejecting the passengers.Two of the teens were transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. The third refused treatment.Speed is believed to have been a factor in the accident, which is still under investigation.

ATV accident injures 3

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks put out a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USD308/videos/2646967445558267">video</a> for parents and stakeholders Thursday morning on Facebook.

"I just appreciate immensely what a great attitude everyone has about getting school started, whether that's remotely or in our traditional sense," Folks said. 

Folks noted that more details about how school is going to work will be coming soon.

"We have a Salthawk reopening plan that our board of education is going to look at and hopefully approve on Monday night, August 10," Folks said. "It would have been great to have that out prior to enrollment. I think there's a lot of details and answers to questions that parents and staff have. It was just unfortunate that we could not have that ready to go with so much uncertainty and change prior to enrollment."

If you have some doubts about how USD 308 is going to operate, the goal is to alleviate those as much as possible.

"I think that will help," Folks said. "We'll try to get that out Tuesday morning to everyone across the district. I think it's going to answer a lot of those detailed questions that people have as far as, hey what's school really going to look like? How are we going to handle specific situations around the district."

Folks also said they are considering having an additional walk-in enrollment date after the plan is released, if they believe it is necessary.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks put out a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USD308/videos/2646967445558267">video</a> for parents and stakeholders Thursday morning on Facebook. "I just appreciate immensely what a great attitude everyone has about getting school started, whether that's remotely or in our traditional sense," Folks said. Folks noted that more details about how school is going to work will be coming soon."We have a Salthawk reopening plan that our board of education is going to look at and hopefully approve on Monday night, August 10," Folks said. "It would have been great to have that out prior to enrollment. I think there's a lot of details and answers to questions that parents and staff have. It was just unfortunate that we could not have that ready to go with so much uncertainty and change prior to enrollment."If you have some doubts about how USD 308 is going to operate, the goal is to alleviate those as much as possible."I think that will help," Folks said. "We'll try to get that out Tuesday morning to everyone across the district. I think it's going to answer a lot of those detailed questions that people have as far as, hey what's school really going to look like? How are we going to handle specific situations around the district."Folks also said they are considering having an additional walk-in enrollment date after the plan is released, if they believe it is necessary.

Folks: USD 308 reopening plan to be revealed Monday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Emporia State political science professor Michael Smith notes that the Republican primary winners for U.S. Senate and in the Second District Congressional race in Kansas used a similar strategy to get the job done.

"Roger Marshall and also Jake LaTurner in the Second District ran great campaigns," Smith said. "What they did was, they reframed the issue away from who's the most conservative to who is the most competent. Marshall and LaTurner both put a lot of emphasis on saying, I'm a conservative. They are. They're both quite conservative. That wasn't a big leap."

In the state house and senate races, Kansas Republicans seemed to go farther to the right.

"When a person is tacking conservative and they don't have baggage like Kobach or Watkins, they can still do very well in the Kansas Republican primary," Smith said. 

This fits what has been the conventional wisdom that conservatives tend to be the ones that vote in Republican primaries in Kansas, but Smith cautions not to take that thought too far.

"The winners in the Republican side were definitely conservatives," Smith said. "There's no question about that, maybe not firebrand. We have to be so careful making a leap from primary results to general election results, because the turnout is so much higher in the general, especially in a Presidential election year."

It will also be interesting to see how Medicaid expansion proposals move or don't now that Missouri has voted to expand by ballot initiative. That isn't an option in Kansas. The legislature must pass expansion if it is to happen.

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Emporia State political science professor Michael Smith notes that the Republican primary winners for U.S. Senate and in the Second District Congressional race in Kansas used a similar strategy to get the job done."Roger Marshall and also Jake LaTurner in the Second District ran great campaigns," Smith said. "What they did was, they reframed the issue away from who's the most conservative to who is the most competent. Marshall and LaTurner both put a lot of emphasis on saying, I'm a conservative. They are. They're both quite conservative. That wasn't a big leap."In the state house and senate races, Kansas Republicans seemed to go farther to the right."When a person is tacking conservative and they don't have baggage like Kobach or Watkins, they can still do very well in the Kansas Republican primary," Smith said. This fits what has been the conventional wisdom that conservatives tend to be the ones that vote in Republican primaries in Kansas, but Smith cautions not to take that thought too far."The winners in the Republican side were definitely conservatives," Smith said. "There's no question about that, maybe not firebrand. We have to be so careful making a leap from primary results to general election results, because the turnout is so much higher in the general, especially in a Presidential election year."It will also be interesting to see how Medicaid expansion proposals move or don't now that Missouri has voted to expand by ballot initiative. That isn't an option in Kansas. The legislature must pass expansion if it is to happen.

Smith: Conservatives win GOP primaries, even as Kobach, Watkins lose

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Slowdowns in key business segments because of the pandemic tore into Arconic’s earnings as the company released its second quarter report Wednesday.&nbsp;

The aluminum components manufacturer reported second quarter revenue of $1.2 billion, down 38% year over year, and a net loss of $92 million in second quarter 2020 compared with net income of $5 million in 2019.&nbsp;

Arconic, which began operating as a standalone company on April 1, saw sudden declines in critical end markets because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down many of its customers’ production facilities around the world.&nbsp;

The company announced $200 million of cash conservation actions in early April and addressed a legacy pension obligation, reducing its gross liability by approximately $250 million, according to a company release.

Arconic in Hutchinson finishes aluminum sheets and components for the aerospace industry and carries a workforce of around 75 employees when at full production.

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Slowdowns in key business segments because of the pandemic tore into Arconic’s earnings as the company released its second quarter report Wednesday.&nbsp;The aluminum components manufacturer reported second quarter revenue of $1.2 billion, down 38% year over year, and a net loss of $92 million in second quarter 2020 compared with net income of $5 million in 2019.&nbsp;Arconic, which began operating as a standalone company on April 1, saw sudden declines in critical end markets because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down many of its customers’ production facilities around the world.&nbsp;The company announced $200 million of cash conservation actions in early April and addressed a legacy pension obligation, reducing its gross liability by approximately $250 million, according to a company release.Arconic in Hutchinson finishes aluminum sheets and components for the aerospace industry and carries a workforce of around 75 employees when at full production.

Arconic battles through pandemic-driven quarter

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Voter turnout for the primary election Tuesday night was not too bad.

Numbers released by the Reno County Clerk's Office show that voter turnout in the county was 36%. There were 14,082 votes cast with more than 1,400 of them cast in advance. That does not include ballots that need to be counted by hand, nor mailed out ballots that can still come into the clerk's office until Friday. A final canvass is set for Thursday, Aug. 13.

By comparison, voter turnout for the 2016 primary was 11,976 ballots cast, or about 30%.

There are 39,183 registered voters in Reno County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596478871632.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Voter turnout for the primary election Tuesday night was not too bad.Numbers released by the Reno County Clerk's Office show that voter turnout in the county was 36%. There were 14,082 votes cast with more than 1,400 of them cast in advance. That does not include ballots that need to be counted by hand, nor mailed out ballots that can still come into the clerk's office until Friday. A final canvass is set for Thursday, Aug. 13.By comparison, voter turnout for the 2016 primary was 11,976 ballots cast, or about 30%.There are 39,183 registered voters in Reno County.

Voter turnout surpasses 2016 primary totals

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutch Rec announced Wednesday that they have started organizing and working on Hutchinson’s sixth featured neighborhood as a part of the Hutchinson Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative.

The sixth featured neighborhood is the area between Main and Monroe streets, from 11th Avenue to 17th Avenue. Residents living in this neighborhood are invited to attend a meeting on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the CosmoWorks room at Clayworks, 1125 N. Main St. There, residents will discuss priorities, goals, and concerns for the neighborhood, as well as go over neighborhood boundaries and learn about the neighborhood development program.

This effort is part of the Hutchinson Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, a partnership among Hutch Rec, the City of Hutchinson, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, and the Hutchinson Community Foundation. 

The purpose of the Healthy Neighborhood initiative was put in place to better market area neighborhoods, making them attractive places where residents choose to live for an enhanced quality of life. 

Organized efforts in the five current featured neighborhoods have led to park improvements, grants for home improvements and repairs, social events, and development of neighborhood identities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584563985382.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutch Rec announced Wednesday that they have started organizing and working on Hutchinson’s sixth featured neighborhood as a part of the Hutchinson Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative.The sixth featured neighborhood is the area between Main and Monroe streets, from 11th Avenue to 17th Avenue. Residents living in this neighborhood are invited to attend a meeting on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the CosmoWorks room at Clayworks, 1125 N. Main St. There, residents will discuss priorities, goals, and concerns for the neighborhood, as well as go over neighborhood boundaries and learn about the neighborhood development program.This effort is part of the Hutchinson Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, a partnership among Hutch Rec, the City of Hutchinson, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, and the Hutchinson Community Foundation. The purpose of the Healthy Neighborhood initiative was put in place to better market area neighborhoods, making them attractive places where residents choose to live for an enhanced quality of life. Organized efforts in the five current featured neighborhoods have led to park improvements, grants for home improvements and repairs, social events, and development of neighborhood identities.

Hutch Rec begins work on sixth Healthy Neighborhood


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — A Texas man was injured in an accident in Reno County Tuesday afternoon. 

The Reno County Sheriff's Office says 24-year-old Edward Thompson was traveling east on Parallel Road just before 12:15 p.m. Tuesday when he slightly veered off the roadway and overcorrected and collided into a parked and unoccupied Reno County Public Works flagging truck.

Thompson's airbags deployed. He was buckled up. He was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries.

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 </figure>
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — A Texas man was injured in an accident in Reno County Tuesday afternoon. The Reno County Sheriff's Office says 24-year-old Edward Thompson was traveling east on Parallel Road just before 12:15 p.m. Tuesday when he slightly veered off the roadway and overcorrected and collided into a parked and unoccupied Reno County Public Works flagging truck.Thompson's airbags deployed. He was buckled up. He was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries.

Reno County accident injures one Tuesday

GAME TIME UPDATE: The two NBC World Series games to be played in Hutchinson Thursday night have swapped time frames.

6pm - Rose Hill, KS Sluggers vs. Winner of Houston, TX Express/Lonestar Baseball Club

8:30pm - Hutchinson Monarchs vs. Hattiesburg Black Sox

GAME TIME UPDATE: The two NBC World Series games to be played in Hutchinson Thursday night have swapped time frames.6pm - Rose Hill, KS Sluggers vs. Winner of Houston, TX Express/Lonestar Baseball Club<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vzO_3gfiZ5s" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>8:30pm - Hutchinson Monarchs vs. Hattiesburg Black Sox<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ALo5GC8bHUU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596713722720.jpeg" alt="Updated Bracket.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Updated Bracket.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

LIVE STREAM VIDEO: Hutch Monarchs play  Hattiesburg, MS tonight in nightcap game at Hobart-Detter

Holding competitions as planned or postponing them to spring deemed not feasible

Division II’s seven fall 2020 championships are canceled, the Division II Presidents Council decided Wednesday due to the operational, logistical and financial challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The council made the move after the&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;Board of Governors directed&nbsp;each division to make a decision on its fall sport championships. The Board of Governors also directed each division to meet various requirements to compete in the fall. Those directives include that all member&nbsp;institutions apply the&nbsp;re-socialization principles&nbsp;to fall sports and set a 50% sponsorship threshold for a fall sport championship to be conducted, among other requirements. As of Wednesday, 11 of the 23 Division II conferences had announced they will not compete during the traditional fall season.

With the Board of Governors’ directives, the Division II Presidents Council determined that it was not feasible to hold fall championships as planned or to postpone them to the spring while prioritizing the health and well-being of student-athletes.

“After reviewing and discussing the Board of Governors’ directives, the Division II Presidents Council made the difficult decision that holding fall championships in any capacity was not a viable or fiscally responsible option for Division II,” said Sandra Jordan, chancellor of South Carolina Aiken and chair of the council. “This decision was discussed very thoroughly, and I assure you, it was not made lightly. It is important to note that fall student-athletes will be given eligibility-related flexibility to allow them championship opportunities in the future. As we move forward, we will continue to focus on providing the best championships experience for our winter and spring student-athletes who were not afforded those opportunities at the beginning of this pandemic.”

On July 22, the&nbsp;Division II Administrative Committee approved waivers&nbsp;to allow Division II student-athletes to retain the use of a season of competition if their team completes 50% or less of the sport’s Bylaw 17 maximum contests/dates of competition for the 2020-21 academic year. Additionally, student-athletes who qualify for the season of competition waiver, or whose institutions cancel the sport season entirely, will receive an extension of their 10 semesters/15 quarters of eligibility, provided the student-athlete was otherwise eligible for competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Division II schools and conferences can still choose to play part or all of their regular season in the fall semester if they follow the requirements set forth by the Board of Governors.

<h2>Holding competitions as planned or postponing them to spring deemed not feasible</h2>Division II’s seven fall 2020 championships are canceled, the Division II Presidents Council decided Wednesday due to the operational, logistical and financial challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.The council made the move after the&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;Board of Governors directed&nbsp;each division to make a decision on its fall sport championships. The Board of Governors also directed each division to meet various requirements to compete in the fall. Those directives include that all member&nbsp;institutions apply the&nbsp;re-socialization principles&nbsp;to fall sports and set a 50% sponsorship threshold for a fall sport championship to be conducted, among other requirements. As of Wednesday, 11 of the 23 Division II conferences had announced they will not compete during the traditional fall season.With the Board of Governors’ directives, the Division II Presidents Council determined that it was not feasible to hold fall championships as planned or to postpone them to the spring while prioritizing the health and well-being of student-athletes.“After reviewing and discussing the Board of Governors’ directives, the Division II Presidents Council made the difficult decision that holding fall championships in any capacity was not a viable or fiscally responsible option for Division II,” said Sandra Jordan, chancellor of South Carolina Aiken and chair of the council. “This decision was discussed very thoroughly, and I assure you, it was not made lightly. It is important to note that fall student-athletes will be given eligibility-related flexibility to allow them championship opportunities in the future. As we move forward, we will continue to focus on providing the best championships experience for our winter and spring student-athletes who were not afforded those opportunities at the beginning of this pandemic.”On July 22, the&nbsp;Division II Administrative Committee approved waivers&nbsp;to allow Division II student-athletes to retain the use of a season of competition if their team completes 50% or less of the sport’s Bylaw 17 maximum contests/dates of competition for the 2020-21 academic year. Additionally, student-athletes who qualify for the season of competition waiver, or whose institutions cancel the sport season entirely, will receive an extension of their 10 semesters/15 quarters of eligibility, provided the student-athlete was otherwise eligible for competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Division II schools and conferences can still choose to play part or all of their regular season in the fall semester if they follow the requirements set forth by the Board of Governors.

DII Presidents Council cancels fall 2020 championships

<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/871126645&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost" title="HutchPost.com" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HutchPost.com</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost/eagle-sports-august-6-2020" title="Eagle Sports August 6 - 2020" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Sports August 6 - 2020</a></div></div>

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have returned to the field for light workouts nearly a week after an outbreak of COVID-19 forced the club and its staff members to quarantine in Milwaukee. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt called it "a breath of fresh air" after five days spent in The Pfister Hotel. The Cardinals returned 13 positive coronavirus tests in their traveling party, seven of them players, forcing them to suspend their season. They were finally cleared to travel back to St. Louis late Tuesday, when they returned negative tests for the second straight day.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched seven sharp innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory. Javier Báez drove in two runs for the Cubs, who handed Kansas City its sixth consecutive defeat. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo each had two hits and scored twice. Darvish was in midseason form for the second straight outing. He gave up five hits, struck out four and walked one.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs hope to know soon whether cornerback Bashaud Breeland will be suspended to start the season, but they are confident they'll be fine either way. Even before the veteran was arrested in South Carolina in April, the Chiefs worked hard to fortify one of the crucial spots in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's defense. They signed special teams ace Antonio Hamilton, who played for the Giants last season, and used a pair of draft picks on cornerbacks. L'Jarius Sneed was picked in the fourth round and Bopete Keyes was chosen in the seventh.

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.Jason Heyward, Jason Kipnis and Willson Contreras homered and the Chicago Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 for their fifth straight win. Kimbrel took over to begin the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead, but struggled again and allowed two runs and two hits while getting only one out. Kyle Ryan closed it out for his first save, getting Bubba Starling to ground out with a runner on third to end it.

UNDATED (AP) — When a team is sidelined by the coronavirus, it affects future opponents as well, and leaves players and managers in an unusual holding pattern. That's a challenge several teams have already had to deal with during this baseball season. Milwaukee had a whole series against St. Louis called off, and Detroit now has a gap in its schedule because the Cardinals still can't play. Philadelphia played three games against Miami. Then the Marlins were sidelined because of an outbreak within their team, and the Phillies went a week without playing a game.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tristan Wirfs knows he has a critical role to play in helping Tom Brady transform the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into winners. The rookie is undaunted by the challenge of preparing for the task without the benefit of a normal preseason. The former Iowa star was the 13th pick in this year's NFL draft, addressing the need to bolster an offensive line responsible for protecting the team's 43-year-old quarterback. While Wirfs is expected to be an immediate starter at right tackle, he concedes he has a lot of ground to cover in training camp.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have had two players opt out of the upcoming season because of COVID-19 concerns in running back Damien Williams and guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Both were key parts of their Super Bowl run. But with the signing of veteran guard Kelechi Osemele, and some key offseason acquisitions at both spots, there may be no positions for which the Chiefs are better able to absorb those losses as they head into training camp.&nbsp;

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina says he's one of the players on the team who tested positive for COVID-19. The nine-time All-Star revealed his results in a Spanish-language Instagram post. Soon afterward, the Cardinals issued a release naming six of the players who have tested positive. The others are infielders Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa and Rangel Ravelo along with pitchers Junior Fernandez and Kodi Whitley. The outbreak resulted in the postponement of the Cardinals' scheduled three-game weekend series at Milwaukee as well as a four-game series with Detroit.&nbsp;

Garland, Hall each score in 3rd as Coyotes beat Preds 4-1

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Conor Garland and Taylor Hall each scored in the third period and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 Wednesday. Now the Coyotes can eliminate the sixth-seeded Predators in Game 4 on Friday in this best-of-five qualifying series. Christian Dvorak scored on Arizona's first shot, and the Coyotes scored three in the third for the victory capped by Carl Soderberg's empty-netter. The Predators thought they had a 2-1 lead 1:13 into the third period on a goal by Kyle Turris, but the Coyotes won their challenge of offside with Nashville center Matt Duchene found over the blue line on review.

— Matthew Highmore tied the score with 5:47 left in the third period, and Jonathan Toews got his second of the game 4 1/2 minutes later to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their qualifying round series. On the winner, Oilers defenseman Ethan Bear errantly tipped a Chicago point shot off Toews and past goalie Mikko Koskinen. It was Toews' fourth goal of the series. Olli Maatta also scored for the Blackhawks, and Corey Crawford finished with 25 saves. Leon Draisaitl scored twice for Edmonton, and Connor McDavid got his fifth of the series. Koskinen had 21 saves.

— Mike Hoffman and Brian Boyle scored 2:07 apart in the opening minutes of the third period, and the Florida Panthers avoided elimination with a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders Wednesday in Game 3 of their preliminary round playoff series. Erik Haula also scored and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 20 shots. The 10th-seeded Panthers trail the best-of-five series 2-1 with Game 4 at the NHL's Eastern Conference hub city of Toronto on Friday. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders, the East's seventh seed. Semyon Varlamov stopped 19 shots and made a costly error leading to Hoffman's go-ahead goal 41 seconds into the third period.

— Tyler Johnson scored the tiebreaking goal with 87 seconds left to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 victory over Boston. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins fell to their second straight loss in the NHL's playoff seeding round. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots for the Lightning, who improved to 2-0 in the three-game round-robin. Tampa Bay would earn the top seed in the East with a victory over Philadelphia on Saturday. Tuukka Rask made 32 saves for the Bruins. They led the NHL with 100 points in the pandemic-shortened regular season but can now finish no higher than No. 3. 

— High-scoring rookie defenseman Cale Makar connected on an early power-play goal, 30-year-old Pavel Francouz recorded a shutout in his postseason debut and the Colorado Avalanche cruised to a 4-0 round-robin win over the Dallas Stars. Joonas Donskoi, Vladislav Namestnikov and Andre Burakovsky also scored as the Avalanche improved to 2-0 in the three-game round that will determine playoff seeding for the top four teams in the Western Conference. The Stars have lost both of their games and are likely to finish where they started as the fourth seed.

— Jeff Petry scored 5:33 into the third period as the Montreal Canadiens rallied from two goals down and beat Pittsburgh 4-3 in Game 3, pushing the Penguins to the brink of elimination in the best-of-five series. Shea Weber had a goal and two assists for Montreal, Paul Byron added a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Drouin also scored. Carey Price stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens. Montreal can advance to the normal first round with 16 teams with win in Game 4 on Friday. Patric Hornqvist, Jason Zucker and Teddy Blueger scored for fifth-seeded Pittsburgh, which led 3-1 after Blueger's goal 5:34 into the second. Matt Murray finished with 27 saves.

Ingles, Jazz keep Grizzlies winless in bubble, 124-115

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Utah Jazz kept the Memphis Grizzlies winless in the NBA bubble with a 124-115 victory. Joe Ingles scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Mike Conley had 23 points and seven assists against his former team as the Jazz improved to 2-2 in the seeding round and nudged ahead of Houston for the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. Dillon Brooks scored 23 points, while Grayson Allen had a career-high 20 points and six 3-pointers as the Grizzlies dropped to 0-4 in the seeding round.

— Jaylen Brown stayed hot with 21 points on five 3-pointers, and the Boston Celtics rolled past the Brooklyn Nets 149-115 without All-Star point guard Kemba Walker. Jayson Tatum added 19 points, and Gordon Hayward and Robert Williams each had 18 points for the Celtics, who posted a season high in points and improved to 2-2 in Orlando. Boston shot 20 of 39 from 3-point range. Jeremiah Martin had 20 points and Joe Harris had 14 for the Nets.

— Fred VanVleet had 21 points and 10 assists, and the Toronto Raptors held on to beat the Orlando Magic 109-99. Pascal Siakam added 15 points and Kyle Lowry finished with eight points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Toronto has won its last seven dating back to before the hiatus and three straight games since the restart. The Magic missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot following Washington's loss to Philadelphia earlier Wednesday. But they maintained their 7 1/2-game lead over the Wizards for the East's eighth seed with four seeding games to play. 

— Joel Embiid had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers held on to beat the Washington Wizards 107-98 on Wednesday despite losing two-time All-Star Ben Simmons to a knee injury in the third quarter.

— Chris Paul had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 105-86 victory over the poor-shooting Los Angeles Lakers. Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points and Steven Adams had 18 for the Thunder, who never trailed in their first win over the Lakers in four meetings this season. LeBron James had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who had another possibly concerning offensive performance while dropping to 2-2 in the bubble. The Lakers never held a lead for the first time all season.

— Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points and had 15 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the San Antonio Spurs 132-126. Nikola Jokic added 25 points and 11 assists. Jerami Grant finished with 22 points. San Antonio, which started the day two games behind Memphis for the final playoff spot in the West, dropped to 2-2 since the restart. Derrick White had 23 points and seven assists.

Visiting Phils beat Yankees 11-7 at home to open twin bill, Yanks top in nightcap 3-1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mike Tauchman's tiebreaking double in the seventh inning sent the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and a split of their seven-inning doubleheader Wednesday. 

Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto homered to back Zack Wheeler and lead the "visiting" Phillies to an 11-7 win in the opener, snapping New York's seven-game winning streak. Due to a late schedule change, the Yankees were the "home" team for the first game — even in Philadelphia. 

Phillies ace Aaron Nola tied a career high with 12 strikeouts in the nightcap, allowing one run on Luke Voit's homer and three hits in six innings. 

— Joc Pederson's second home run of the game sailed an estimated 435 feet through two palm trees just beyond the center field fence at Petco Park, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 to take two of three in an early series between NL West rivals. Pederson drove in five runs on the two homers for the seven-time defending division champion Dodgers, who won seven of nine on a three-city trip. Pederson hit a two-run homer off Garrett Richards in the second inning and then welcomed rookie Luis Patiño to the big leagues with his monster three-run shot in the sixth. 

— Scorching slugger Kyle Seager hit a three-run homer, rookie Kyle Lewis stayed hot with an RBI single, and the Seattle Mariners overcame two home runs by Mike Trout to beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6. Albert Pujols remained on 659 career home runs, one behind Willie Mays on the career list. There were plenty of long balls otherwise. The Angels got all their runs — and hits — off Seattle starter Marco Gonzales via a trio of solo shots. Trout connected for one of those off Gonzales and added a three-run drive in the eighth against reliever Taylor Williams to pull the Angels within 7-6.

—Matt Olson homered twice, Ramon Laureano also went deep and the Oakland Athletics rallied to beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 on Wednesday night. Austin Allen hit his first career homer, a go-ahead, two-run drive in the seventh inning, as the A's stunned the Rangers late for a second consecutive night and won their fifth straight. On Tuesday, Stephen Piscotty hit a walk-off grand slam in Oakland's 5-1 win.

— Kole Calhoun hit his first career inside-the-park homer with the help of a crazy bounce, David Peralta had four RBIs and the Arizona Diamondbacks used a nine-run burst in the fourth inning to beat the Houston Astros 14-7 on Wednesday night. The Diamondbacks broke out of their extended early-season offensive slump by sending 14 batters to the plate in the fourth and building a 9-4 lead. Peralta had a triple with the bases loaded and a solo homer. Stephen Vogt hit two doubles. The Astros hit four homers, one each by Abraham Toro, Kyle Tucker, George Springer and Yuli Gurriel.

—Brandon Belt extended his success against Colorado starter Jon Gray with a three-run homer and a double to lead the San Francisco Giants past the Rockies 4-3. Belt's two hits raised his career average against Gray to .417 and helped Logan Webb get his first win in his fourth start of the season. Nolan Arenado homered for the third straight game for the Rockies, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

— Five pitchers combined on a four-hitter for the undermanned, gritty and first-place Miami Marlins, who beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 Wednesday night for a doubleheader sweep. Brian Anderson homered in the opener, and Miami won 1-0 despite getting only two hits. The sweep kept the Marlins atop the NL East and earned Don Mattingly his 281st win as Miami's manager, tying Jack McKeon's club record. In a baseball season complete with new rules and an ever-changing, abbreviated schedule, this doubleheader raised the bar on strange. Not only were both games seven innings apiece, but the Orioles were the home team in the opener and the Marlins served as hosts in the nightcap.

— Nationals starter Max Scherzer exited because of a hamstring problem after laboring through just one inning, overshadowing Juan Soto's eventful 2020 debut for the World Series champs, and Rick Porcello collected his 150th career win in the New York Mets' 3-1 victory over Washington. Porcello went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. Seth Lugo got the last six outs for his second save. Scherzer's replacement, Erick Fedde, took the loss after giving up a tiebreaking run in his three innings. Soto had an RBI double, a single and a highlight-reel catch in his first game after coming off the COVID-19 list.

— Hyun-Jin Ryu combined with four relievers on a three-hitter and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Sean Newcomb and the shorthanded Atlanta Braves 2-1. Ryu lasted only five innings but was dominant as he gave up only one hit, an infield single by Adam Duvall in the second inning. Duvall homered in the seventh off Thomas Hatch. Ryu struck out eight. The Braves were forced to recast their lineup after placing Ozzie Albies and Matt Adams on the injured list and giving Freddie Freeman a day off. The new-look lineup didn't resemble the unit which had 13 hits in a 10-1 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

— Brian Anderson hit a fourth-inning homer off Alex Cobb and the Miami Marlins won their second straight since returning, beating the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 in the opener of a doubleheader. Miami improved to 4-1 with its second successive shutout win over the Orioles. 

-Mike Clevinger didn't have his best stuff but did enough to pitch into the sixth inning and lead the Cleveland Indians to a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. César Hernández hit an RBI single and Óscar Mercado scored with some daring baserunning in the fifth when the Indians finally scored after being blanked by Reds rookie Tejay Antone in his first major league start. The Indians have won two of three against their in-state rivals. 

— Adrian Houser dominated over seven innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the White Sox 1-0 to snap Chicago's six-game win streak. The Brewers held struggling star Christian Yelich out of the lineup. The Brewers ended Chicago's best streak since a six-game run in April 2017. Houser simply dazzled on a night when Dallas Keuchel was about as good for Chicago. The 27-year-old right-hander gave up five hits and struck out five. Eric Sogard drove in Mark Mathias with a single in the third, and that was all Milwaukee needed.

—Martín Pérez pitched out of trouble all night, and Alex Verdugo and Michael Chavis homered to help the Boston Red Sox stop a four-game skid Wednesday with a 5-0 victory over the slumping Tampa Bay Rays. Pérez allowed four hits and three walks, wiggling out of jams for five innings. He struck out four. The Rays have trailed in 11 of 12 games this season, including their last 10.

— Minnesota's Randy Dobnak dominated in his homecoming, allowing three hits in six innings as the streaking Twins topped the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2. Pittsburgh managed just four balls out of the infield against Dobnak, who dropped his ERA to 0.60. Marwin Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Twins. Max Kepler gave Minnesota some breathing room in the ninth with a three-run home run off Pirates' reliever Dovydas Neverauskas.

MLB tightening virus protocols, including masks in dugouts

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is cracking down on coronavirus safety protocols, mandating that players and staff wear face coverings at all times, including in the dugouts and bullpens, except for players on the field of play. 

The league sent a memo to teams Wednesday outlining changes to its 2020 operations manual after outbreaks on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals led to 21 postponements in the first two weeks of a shortened 60-game season. 

The memo, obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday night, says that repeated or flagrant violators of the protocols could be banned from participating in the 2020 season and postseason.

Cyclist in Poland crash stable after 5-hour surgery on face

WARSAW (AP) —Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen has had a five-hour surgery on his skull and face and is in a serious but stable condition after a controversial crash with another cyclist near the finish line at the Tour of Pland in Poland. 

The hospital says there were no complications. 

Jakobsen was fighting for victory with the other cyclist Wednesday in the first stage when the cyclist deviated from his line in the final meters and sent Jakobsen crashing through roadside barriers. 

Doctors say they see no brain or spinal injury and they'll try to bring him out of a coma later today.

Sports Headlines for Thursday

WICHITA, Kan. - The Hattiesburg, MS Black Sox defeated the Denver, CO Cougars 9-4 in the 2020 NBC World Series powered by Evergy on Wednesday night at Eck Stadium.&nbsp;

Jamal Washington and Marcus Regan led the Black Sox with two hits and two RBIs each, with Carter Pennington going 3-for-4 at the plate for the Cougars.&nbsp;

A single to right field by JT Hall allowed the game’s first run to score in the bottom of the first inning for the Black Sox, with two more runs crossing home following an error in the outfield. The Cougars chipped away to make it a one-run game through the middle of the fourth inning, but a two-RBI single from Regan and a wild pitch gave the Black Sox three runs to push the lead 6-2.&nbsp;

The Cougars cut the deficit to two runs after the top of the eighth inning, but the Black Sox struck again with another three-run outing in the bottom of the eighth. A solo home run from Pablo Lanzarote and a two-RBI double from Washington gave the Black Sox the five-run lead carried through the end of the game.&nbsp;

The Black Sox will play the Hutchinson, KS Monarchs on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Hutchinson. 

WICHITA, Kan. - The Hattiesburg, MS Black Sox defeated the Denver, CO Cougars 9-4 in the 2020 NBC World Series powered by Evergy on Wednesday night at Eck Stadium.&nbsp;Jamal Washington and Marcus Regan led the Black Sox with two hits and two RBIs each, with Carter Pennington going 3-for-4 at the plate for the Cougars.&nbsp;A single to right field by JT Hall allowed the game’s first run to score in the bottom of the first inning for the Black Sox, with two more runs crossing home following an error in the outfield. The Cougars chipped away to make it a one-run game through the middle of the fourth inning, but a two-RBI single from Regan and a wild pitch gave the Black Sox three runs to push the lead 6-2.&nbsp;The Cougars cut the deficit to two runs after the top of the eighth inning, but the Black Sox struck again with another three-run outing in the bottom of the eighth. A solo home run from Pablo Lanzarote and a two-RBI double from Washington gave the Black Sox the five-run lead carried through the end of the game.&nbsp;The Black Sox will play the Hutchinson, KS Monarchs on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Hutchinson.

Hattiesburg survives to defeat Denver, CO Cougars

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Behind 15 hits in eight innings, the Houston, TX Express defeated Lonestar, TX Baseball Club 15-7 in the 2020 NBC World Series powered by Evergy on Tuesday night at Hobart-Detter Field.&nbsp;

Gales DeVaughn led the Express with five hits in six at-bats, scoring four runs to go with five RBIs. The Express had four players that recorded multi-hit outings, with Lonestar having three players with at least two hits.&nbsp;

Phillip Jones of the Express shined in the final 6.1 innings of play, coming up with 10 strikeouts and earning the win in the process. Tristen Bayless of Lonestar recorded eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.&nbsp;

After being tied 2-2 at the end of the first inning, Lonestar used a five-run top of the second inning to move ahead 7-2. The Express, however, scored 10 unanswered runs to lead 12-7 after three innings of play. The Express scored three more runs to cap off the run-rule effort in the eighth inning.&nbsp;

The Express takes on the Rose Hill, KS Sluggers at 6 p.m. in Hutchinson on Thursday.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Behind 15 hits in eight innings, the Houston, TX Express defeated Lonestar, TX Baseball Club 15-7 in the 2020 NBC World Series powered by Evergy on Tuesday night at Hobart-Detter Field.&nbsp;Gales DeVaughn led the Express with five hits in six at-bats, scoring four runs to go with five RBIs. The Express had four players that recorded multi-hit outings, with Lonestar having three players with at least two hits.&nbsp;Phillip Jones of the Express shined in the final 6.1 innings of play, coming up with 10 strikeouts and earning the win in the process. Tristen Bayless of Lonestar recorded eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.&nbsp;After being tied 2-2 at the end of the first inning, Lonestar used a five-run top of the second inning to move ahead 7-2. The Express, however, scored 10 unanswered runs to lead 12-7 after three innings of play. The Express scored three more runs to cap off the run-rule effort in the eighth inning.&nbsp;The Express takes on the Rose Hill, KS Sluggers at 6 p.m. in Hutchinson on Thursday.

Houston Express rally to defeat Lonestar, TX Baseball Club

WICHITA, Kan. - Behind a walk-off home run by Wichita State’s Hunter Gibson, the Rose Hill, KS Sluggers defeated the Colorado Cyclones 9-7 in the 2020 NBCWS powered by Evergy on Wednesday night at Eck Stadium.&nbsp;

Gibson led the Sluggers with a 3-for-5 outing and two RBIs, with four total players recording multi-hit games for Rose Hill. Ryan Sullivan led the Cyclones with four hits in six at-bats to go with three RBIs.&nbsp;

After the Cyclones took the opening lead in the top of the first inning, the Sluggers opened the gap with a five-run bottom of the first inning. Mason Hartman hit a leadoff triple before Ryan Koval smashed a home run to give the Sluggers the 2-1 lead. Two singles allowed another run to score for the Sluggers, with two bases loaded walks allowing two more runs to cross home plate.&nbsp;

The Sluggers added an insurance run in the bottom of the second inning, but a sacrifice fly from Jake Haze and three-run home run from Ryan Sullivan cut the Cyclones’ deficit to one through the middle of the sixth inning. The Cyclones tied it up in the top of the seventh inning before the Sluggers responded to retake the lead a half-inning later, with Wichita State’s Ross Cadena scoring off a sacrifice fly following a lead-off double.&nbsp;

Jason Ajamian came up with a left field double in the top of the eighth inning for the Cyclones, with Wyatt Featherston driving in the tying run with a double in the next at-bat to make it a 7-7 game. Following a single by Ryan Koval, Gibson sealed the win with his two-run home run.&nbsp;

The Sluggers will take on either the Houston, TX Express or the Lonestar, TX Baseball Club on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Hutchinson. 

WICHITA, Kan. - Behind a walk-off home run by Wichita State’s Hunter Gibson, the Rose Hill, KS Sluggers defeated the Colorado Cyclones 9-7 in the 2020 NBCWS powered by Evergy on Wednesday night at Eck Stadium.&nbsp;Gibson led the Sluggers with a 3-for-5 outing and two RBIs, with four total players recording multi-hit games for Rose Hill. Ryan Sullivan led the Cyclones with four hits in six at-bats to go with three RBIs.&nbsp;After the Cyclones took the opening lead in the top of the first inning, the Sluggers opened the gap with a five-run bottom of the first inning. Mason Hartman hit a leadoff triple before Ryan Koval smashed a home run to give the Sluggers the 2-1 lead. Two singles allowed another run to score for the Sluggers, with two bases loaded walks allowing two more runs to cross home plate.&nbsp;The Sluggers added an insurance run in the bottom of the second inning, but a sacrifice fly from Jake Haze and three-run home run from Ryan Sullivan cut the Cyclones’ deficit to one through the middle of the sixth inning. The Cyclones tied it up in the top of the seventh inning before the Sluggers responded to retake the lead a half-inning later, with Wichita State’s Ross Cadena scoring off a sacrifice fly following a lead-off double.&nbsp;Jason Ajamian came up with a left field double in the top of the eighth inning for the Cyclones, with Wyatt Featherston driving in the tying run with a double in the next at-bat to make it a 7-7 game. Following a single by Ryan Koval, Gibson sealed the win with his two-run home run.&nbsp;The Sluggers will take on either the Houston, TX Express or the Lonestar, TX Baseball Club on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Hutchinson.

Rose Hill Sluggers get walk-off to stay alive in NBC World Series

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is cracking down on coronavirus safety protocols, mandating that players and staff wear face coverings at all times, including in the dugouts and bullpens, except for players on the field of play.

The league sent a memo to teams Wednesday outlining changes to its 2020 operations manual after outbreaks on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals led to 21 postponements in the first two weeks of a shortened 60-game season.

That includes those who don’t wear face coverings while watching from the dugout. Although such measures were suggested in MLB’s operations manual before Wednesday, some players have continued to not wear face masks, offer high fives, spit and violate the protocols in other ways during games.

Umpires are also being instructed to wear face masks at all times, except when it would make it unfeasible for them to do their jobs.

Compliance officers have been appointed for each team, and they have been charged with enforcing protocols outlined in the operations manual in an effort to keep baseball’s season running.

Players and staff must wear face coverings at all times at team hotels and in public places while on the road. On team buses and airplanes, personnel must wear surgical masks or N95/KN95 respirators.

At hotels, teams have been instructed to provide a large private room -- a ballroom, for instance -- where staff and players can get food and other amenities with enough space to keep their distance. Players are discouraged from talking to each other or facing each other if their mask is pulled down while eating.

If players want to leave the hotel, they must get approval first from the team’s compliance officer.

While in their home cities, players and staff are banned from visiting bars, lounges, malls or other places where groups of people are gathered.

Clubs are being instructed to provided spaces for visiting players that are covered and outdoors, and that home and visiting teams must have access to areas where personnel can socially distance during weather delays. Players are being told to use those outdoor areas as much as possible, rather than linger in the clubhouse.

Among other changes: teams must limit the size of traveling parties to essential personnel, maintain unoccupied rows between passengers on team buses, and distance seating on airplanes while ensuring players do not change locations.

MLB said in the memo it made many of the changes after evaluating results of its investigation into the Marlins outbreak. The league also said it is working with the union to review contact tracing protocols, specifically the requirements for identified close contacts. Close contacts do not currently include passing interactions or physical contact unlikely to pass secretions, such as elbow bumps.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is cracking down on coronavirus safety protocols, mandating that players and staff wear face coverings at all times, including in the dugouts and bullpens, except for players on the field of play.The league sent a memo to teams Wednesday outlining changes to its 2020 operations manual after outbreaks on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals led to 21 postponements in the first two weeks of a shortened 60-game season.The memo, obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday night, says that repeated or flagrant violators of the protocols could be banned from participating in the 2020 season and postseason.That includes those who don’t wear face coverings while watching from the dugout. Although such measures were suggested in MLB’s operations manual before Wednesday, some players have continued to not wear face masks, offer high fives, spit and violate the protocols in other ways during games.Umpires are also being instructed to wear face masks at all times, except when it would make it unfeasible for them to do their jobs.Compliance officers have been appointed for each team, and they have been charged with enforcing protocols outlined in the operations manual in an effort to keep baseball’s season running.Players and staff must wear face coverings at all times at team hotels and in public places while on the road. On team buses and airplanes, personnel must wear surgical masks or N95/KN95 respirators.At hotels, teams have been instructed to provide a large private room -- a ballroom, for instance -- where staff and players can get food and other amenities with enough space to keep their distance. Players are discouraged from talking to each other or facing each other if their mask is pulled down while eating.If players want to leave the hotel, they must get approval first from the team’s compliance officer.While in their home cities, players and staff are banned from visiting bars, lounges, malls or other places where groups of people are gathered.Clubs are being instructed to provided spaces for visiting players that are covered and outdoors, and that home and visiting teams must have access to areas where personnel can socially distance during weather delays. Players are being told to use those outdoor areas as much as possible, rather than linger in the clubhouse.Among other changes: teams must limit the size of traveling parties to essential personnel, maintain unoccupied rows between passengers on team buses, and distance seating on airplanes while ensuring players do not change locations.MLB said in the memo it made many of the changes after evaluating results of its investigation into the Marlins outbreak. The league also said it is working with the union to review contact tracing protocols, specifically the requirements for identified close contacts. Close contacts do not currently include passing interactions or physical contact unlikely to pass secretions, such as elbow bumps.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — UConn canceled its 2020-2021 football season Wednesday, becoming the first FBS program to do so because of the coronavirus pandemic, after other schools had taken the Huskies off their schedules and the governor was reluctant to allow players to travel to states with high infection rates.

“After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we’ve decided that we will not compete on the gridiron this season,” athletic director David Benedict said. ”The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk.”

UConn had been scheduled to play its first season as an independent after leaving the American Athletic Conference.

The Huskies had already been taken off the schedules of Illinois, Indiana, Maine and Mississippi by those schools, and games against North Carolina and Virginia remained uncertain, UConn officials said. Many of the Power Five conferences are playing league-only games this season.

But coach Randy Edsall said the decision had nothing to do with UConn’s conference status.

“If I was the head coach in a conference — a Power Five conference, a Group of Five conference — I’d be saying the same thing. I’d be doing the same thing,” Edsall said. “Because these young men’s lives are more important than money.”

The Huskies began spring practice on Feb. 4 and were one of the only teams in the country to complete a full spring schedule. The team returned to campus on July 1 and no one has tested positive for the coronavirus, UConn officials said.

But the team had several scares, with three players showing COVID-19 symptoms at various times this summer, requiring those players and everyone they had contact with to be isolated until those tests came back negative.

“In those three incidents, there was a total of 22 people and the average (isolation) time was 10 days,” Edsall said.

That meant that only 30% of the team was available for the 14 workouts the Huskies have had this summer, he said.

Senior left tackle Ryan Van Demark read a statement to the media from the team, which he said was united in its agreement to cancel the season.

“We love this game and we love competing,” he said. “We came to campus in the beginning of July knowing there would be challenges presented by the pandemic, but it is apparent to us now that these challenges are impossible to overcome.”

The football team will remain enrolled in classes either in-person or virtually, and will keep access to facilities and support services under NCAA rules.

Benedict said he is hopeful the NCAA will allow fall athletes an extra year of eligibility, as they did when spring sports were canceled.

He said UConn, which has rejoined the Big East for most other sports, has not made a final decision about any other program and is working with the conference, which is planning for league-only schedules for the fall.

“We have the same concerns for all of our student-athletes,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation. It is a big difference because, typically, as a conference you are trying to make that decision together. But, ultimately, at some point in time, we will absolutely make the decision that is in the best interest of our student-athletes.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont had expressed reluctance to allow the football team to travel to any state with a high virus infection rate. He said the team would be subject to the state’s 14-day quarantine rule upon its return to Storrs from away games.

Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have travel advisories that require visitors from 34 states and Puerto Rico to quarantine for 14 days, with certain exceptions.

UConn officials said they will be reaching out to season ticket holders in the coming days to explain refunds and other options.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — UConn canceled its 2020-2021 football season Wednesday, becoming the first FBS program to do so because of the coronavirus pandemic, after other schools had taken the Huskies off their schedules and the governor was reluctant to allow players to travel to states with high infection rates.“After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we’ve decided that we will not compete on the gridiron this season,” athletic director David Benedict said. ”The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk.”UConn had been scheduled to play its first season as an independent after leaving the American Athletic Conference.The Huskies had already been taken off the schedules of Illinois, Indiana, Maine and Mississippi by those schools, and games against North Carolina and Virginia remained uncertain, UConn officials said. Many of the Power Five conferences are playing league-only games this season.But coach Randy Edsall said the decision had nothing to do with UConn’s conference status.“If I was the head coach in a conference — a Power Five conference, a Group of Five conference — I’d be saying the same thing. I’d be doing the same thing,” Edsall said. “Because these young men’s lives are more important than money.”The Huskies began spring practice on Feb. 4 and were one of the only teams in the country to complete a full spring schedule. The team returned to campus on July 1 and no one has tested positive for the coronavirus, UConn officials said.But the team had several scares, with three players showing COVID-19 symptoms at various times this summer, requiring those players and everyone they had contact with to be isolated until those tests came back negative.“In those three incidents, there was a total of 22 people and the average (isolation) time was 10 days,” Edsall said.That meant that only 30% of the team was available for the 14 workouts the Huskies have had this summer, he said.Senior left tackle Ryan Van Demark read a statement to the media from the team, which he said was united in its agreement to cancel the season.“We love this game and we love competing,” he said. “We came to campus in the beginning of July knowing there would be challenges presented by the pandemic, but it is apparent to us now that these challenges are impossible to overcome.”The football team will remain enrolled in classes either in-person or virtually, and will keep access to facilities and support services under NCAA rules.Benedict said he is hopeful the NCAA will allow fall athletes an extra year of eligibility, as they did when spring sports were canceled.He said UConn, which has rejoined the Big East for most other sports, has not made a final decision about any other program and is working with the conference, which is planning for league-only schedules for the fall.“We have the same concerns for all of our student-athletes,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation. It is a big difference because, typically, as a conference you are trying to make that decision together. But, ultimately, at some point in time, we will absolutely make the decision that is in the best interest of our student-athletes.”Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont had expressed reluctance to allow the football team to travel to any state with a high virus infection rate. He said the team would be subject to the state’s 14-day quarantine rule upon its return to Storrs from away games.Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have travel advisories that require visitors from 34 states and Puerto Rico to quarantine for 14 days, with certain exceptions.UConn officials said they will be reaching out to season ticket holders in the coming days to explain refunds and other options.

UConn becomes 1st FBS program to cancel football over virus

GRANT COHEN - NBC Media Relations

GRANT COHEN - NBC Media RelationsHUTCHINSON, Kan. - Thanks to 12 hits in just six innings, the Hutchinson, KS Monarchs defeated the KCCBA All-Stars 12-1 in the 2020 NBC World Series powered by Evergy <a href="outlook-data-detector://0">on Wednesday night</a> at Hobart-Detter field.&nbsp;Taylor Barber and Clayton Chadwick led the Monarchs with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate each, with Chadwick driving in five RBIs to lead Hutchinson in that category. Mikel Howell pitched all six innings for the Monarchs and recorded five strikeouts with only one earned run.&nbsp;Barber helped the Monarchs strike first in the top of the first inning, driving in the go-ahead run with an RBI single. Following a seven-run top of the third inning, Drew Reetz came up with an RBI double in the top of the fourth inning to put the Monarchs ahead by nine runs.&nbsp;KCCBA’s Jaidan Quinn put the All-Stars on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, smashing a solo home run. The Monarchs scored three more runs in the top of the sixth inning, allowing them to take the game in a run-rule effort.&nbsp;The Monarchs will play on Thursday at 8:30pm in Hutchinson, taking on&nbsp; Hattiesburg, MS Black Sox.

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