CHICAGO (AP) — The staggering Chicago White Sox lost their 16th straight game, extending a franchise record, as Michael Massey homered and Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory. Bobby Witt Jr. ran his hitting streak to 12 games and had the first RBI in an eighth-inning rally that gave the Royals the lead for good. Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn homered for the second consecutive night and rookie Jonathan Cannon pitched seven terrific innings, allowing only Massey’s solo shot. He gave way to rookie Fraser Ellard, who walked two in his major league debut to set the stage for Kansas City’s comeback. Sam Long worked a clean ninth for his fourth career save and first this season.

CHICAGO (AP) — Paul DeJong had a quick commute after getting traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals: He threw his gear into a duffel bag and walked from the clubhouse on the third base side of U.S. Cellular Field to the locker room on the first base side. DeJong was acquired for minor league right-hander Jarold Rosado in a trade announced 3 hours, 15 minutes before the game. White Sox clubhouse staff helped him pack his gear, and a Royals duffel bag awaited him in the other locker room.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tommy Pham hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his first game back with the Cardinals and St. Louis beat the Texas Rangers 8-1 on Tuesday night. Pham’s blast off reliver Cody Bradford capped a five-run fifth. It was his first at-bat since being dealt to the Cardinals from the White Sox as part of a three-team trade on Monday. Cardinals starter Lance Lynn gave up one run on three hits in five innings. Rangers starter Max Scherzer lasted just four innings, allowing three runs on four hits. The Rangers lost for the fourth time in their last five games.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jazz Chisholm had five RBIs in his second straight two-homer game, Gleyber Torres hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 for their first four-game winning streak since early June. Chisholm had an RBI grounder in the first, a solo homer in the sixth off Aaron Nola and a three-run homer in the seventh against Matt Strahm that put the Yankees ahead 5-4. Chisholm has homered twice in two of three games with the Yankees after having three multihomer performances in 405 games with Miami, which traded him last weekend.

PHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, San Diego added All-Star closer Tanner Scott, and Arizona, Baltimore and Pittsburgh made significant deals for the stretch run ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Many top stars mentioned as trade targets stayed with their teams, including Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., San Francisco left-hander Blake Snell and Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet. San Diego got Scott from Miami, Cleveland got right-hander Alex Cobb from San Francisco and Minnesota obtained reliever Trevor Richards from payroll-cutting Toronto, which also sent outfielder Kevin Kiermaier to the Dodgers and utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa to Pittsburgh.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels are shutting down the rehab for star Mike Trout after a recent setback in his recovery from meniscus surgery and placed Anthony Rendon on the injured list. Trout had surgery on May 3 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Angels general manager Perry Minasian did not reveal any details about Trout’s setback and did not specify how much more time the 11-time All-Star will miss. Rendon was placed back on the IL with lower back inflammation. The veteran third baseman had been on the IL for most of the season with a hamstring injury and played in 14 games upon his return.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have the government backing the team needs to build a long-sought-after ballpark. The Pinellas County Commissioners approved on Tuesday the west-central Florida county's share of the funding for the 30,000-seat stadium. The deal will guarantee the team stays put for at least 30 years. The county voted 5-2 to approve spending about $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs from revenue generated by a bed tax. The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $417.5 million for the stadium earlier this month. The $1.3 billion ballpark is part of a broader $6.5 billion redevelopment project that supporters say would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s downtown.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor has extended the contract of women’s basketball coach Nicki Collen through the 2029-30 season after a 74-28 record and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of her first three seasons. The Big 12 school announced the extension on Tuesday. The Bears were 28-7 and made it to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, when they were 13th in the final AP Top 25 poll. Collen was coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream before being hired by Baylor in May 2021. That was after Kim Mulkey, who won three national titles in her 21 seasons with the Bears, returned to her home state as LSU's coach.

PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Kaylee McKeown still rules the women’s Olympic backstroke. The Australian knocked off world-record holder Regan Smith of the United States in the 100 back, defending the title she won in Tokyo. Smith couldn’t hold off the hard-charging Aussie, who touched the wall in 57.33 to win by a relatively comfortable margin. The U.S. also grabbed the bronze with Katharine Berkoff. In the men's 800 freestyle, Daniel Wiffen won Ireland’s first gold medal in swimming since scandal-plagued Michelle Smith won three events in 1996. Defending champion Bobby Finke of the U.S. got the silver. The night's other gold medal went to Britain, which defended its title in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay, with the U.S. earning yet another silver.

UNDATED (AP) — Sophia Smith, along with Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman, are helping the United States reclaim its status as a team to be feared at the Olympics in France. Smith scored both of her goals in the team’s 4-1 victory on Sunday over Germany that clinched the Americans a spot in the quarterfinals at their first major tournament under coach Emma Hayes. The United States' reputation has slipped a bit in recent years following the team's bronze medal in Tokyo and disappointment at the World Cup.

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Alex Sedrick ran the length of the field to give the U.S. women a first Olympic rugby sevens medal with a stunning stoppage-time comeback win over Australia in the bronze-medal match. The 2016 champion Australians were leading 12-7 with seconds remaining and deep in U.S. territory. The ball went to Sedrick and she bumped off two tacklers before racing all the way to the other end to touch down and then convert the try. Ilona Maher and the rest of the Americans rushed down the field to celebrate the 14-12 victory. The U.S. women had earlier reached the Olympic semifinals for the first time and lost to eventual champion New Zealand.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — French phenom Léon Marchand swam four races Tuesday and had a pair of night semifinals separated by less than 90 minutes. His 200-meter butterfly semi came first, then he immediately needed to switch gears for the 200 breaststroke. All that after doing the same daunting double during the morning session with prelims in both those events. And Wednesday won’t be much different — except medals will now be on the line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, July 31st, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, July 31st, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8549508/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>CHICAGO (AP) — The staggering Chicago White Sox lost their 16th straight game, extending a franchise record, as Michael Massey homered and Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory. Bobby Witt Jr. ran his hitting streak to 12 games and had the first RBI in an eighth-inning rally that gave the Royals the lead for good. Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn homered for the second consecutive night and rookie Jonathan Cannon pitched seven terrific innings, allowing only Massey’s solo shot. He gave way to rookie Fraser Ellard, who walked two in his major league debut to set the stage for Kansas City’s comeback. Sam Long worked a clean ninth for his fourth career save and first this season.CHICAGO (AP) — Paul DeJong had a quick commute after getting traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals: He threw his gear into a duffel bag and walked from the clubhouse on the third base side of U.S. Cellular Field to the locker room on the first base side. DeJong was acquired for minor league right-hander Jarold Rosado in a trade announced 3 hours, 15 minutes before the game. White Sox clubhouse staff helped him pack his gear, and a Royals duffel bag awaited him in the other locker room.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tommy Pham hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his first game back with the Cardinals and St. Louis beat the Texas Rangers 8-1 on Tuesday night. Pham’s blast off reliver Cody Bradford capped a five-run fifth. It was his first at-bat since being dealt to the Cardinals from the White Sox as part of a three-team trade on Monday. Cardinals starter Lance Lynn gave up one run on three hits in five innings. Rangers starter Max Scherzer lasted just four innings, allowing three runs on four hits. The Rangers lost for the fourth time in their last five games.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jazz Chisholm had five RBIs in his second straight two-homer game, Gleyber Torres hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 for their first four-game winning streak since early June. Chisholm had an RBI grounder in the first, a solo homer in the sixth off Aaron Nola and a three-run homer in the seventh against Matt Strahm that put the Yankees ahead 5-4. Chisholm has homered twice in two of three games with the Yankees after having three multihomer performances in 405 games with Miami, which traded him last weekend.PHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, San Diego added All-Star closer Tanner Scott, and Arizona, Baltimore and Pittsburgh made significant deals for the stretch run ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Many top stars mentioned as trade targets stayed with their teams, including Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., San Francisco left-hander Blake Snell and Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet. San Diego got Scott from Miami, Cleveland got right-hander Alex Cobb from San Francisco and Minnesota obtained reliever Trevor Richards from payroll-cutting Toronto, which also sent outfielder Kevin Kiermaier to the Dodgers and utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa to Pittsburgh.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels are shutting down the rehab for star Mike Trout after a recent setback in his recovery from meniscus surgery and placed Anthony Rendon on the injured list. Trout had surgery on May 3 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Angels general manager Perry Minasian did not reveal any details about Trout’s setback and did not specify how much more time the 11-time All-Star will miss. Rendon was placed back on the IL with lower back inflammation. The veteran third baseman had been on the IL for most of the season with a hamstring injury and played in 14 games upon his return.CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have the government backing the team needs to build a long-sought-after ballpark. The Pinellas County Commissioners approved on Tuesday the west-central Florida county's share of the funding for the 30,000-seat stadium. The deal will guarantee the team stays put for at least 30 years. The county voted 5-2 to approve spending about $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs from revenue generated by a bed tax. The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $417.5 million for the stadium earlier this month. The $1.3 billion ballpark is part of a broader $6.5 billion redevelopment project that supporters say would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s downtown.WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor has extended the contract of women’s basketball coach Nicki Collen through the 2029-30 season after a 74-28 record and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of her first three seasons. The Big 12 school announced the extension on Tuesday. The Bears were 28-7 and made it to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, when they were 13th in the final AP Top 25 poll. Collen was coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream before being hired by Baylor in May 2021. That was after Kim Mulkey, who won three national titles in her 21 seasons with the Bears, returned to her home state as LSU's coach.OLYMPICSPARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.NANTERRE, France (AP) — Kaylee McKeown still rules the women’s Olympic backstroke. The Australian knocked off world-record holder Regan Smith of the United States in the 100 back, defending the title she won in Tokyo. Smith couldn’t hold off the hard-charging Aussie, who touched the wall in 57.33 to win by a relatively comfortable margin. The U.S. also grabbed the bronze with Katharine Berkoff. In the men's 800 freestyle, Daniel Wiffen won Ireland’s first gold medal in swimming since scandal-plagued Michelle Smith won three events in 1996. Defending champion Bobby Finke of the U.S. got the silver. The night's other gold medal went to Britain, which defended its title in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay, with the U.S. earning yet another silver.UNDATED (AP) — Sophia Smith, along with Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman, are helping the United States reclaim its status as a team to be feared at the Olympics in France. Smith scored both of her goals in the team’s 4-1 victory on Sunday over Germany that clinched the Americans a spot in the quarterfinals at their first major tournament under coach Emma Hayes. The United States' reputation has slipped a bit in recent years following the team's bronze medal in Tokyo and disappointment at the World Cup.SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Alex Sedrick ran the length of the field to give the U.S. women a first Olympic rugby sevens medal with a stunning stoppage-time comeback win over Australia in the bronze-medal match. The 2016 champion Australians were leading 12-7 with seconds remaining and deep in U.S. territory. The ball went to Sedrick and she bumped off two tacklers before racing all the way to the other end to touch down and then convert the try. Ilona Maher and the rest of the Americans rushed down the field to celebrate the 14-12 victory. The U.S. women had earlier reached the Olympic semifinals for the first time and lost to eventual champion New Zealand.NANTERRE, France (AP) — French phenom Léon Marchand swam four races Tuesday and had a pair of night semifinals separated by less than 90 minutes. His 200-meter butterfly semi came first, then he immediately needed to switch gears for the 200 breaststroke. All that after doing the same daunting double during the morning session with prelims in both those events. And Wednesday won’t be much different — except medals will now be on the line.TUESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal N.Y. Mets 2 Minnesota 0Final Tampa Bay 9 Miami 3Final St. Louis 8 Texas 1Final N.Y. Yankees 7 Philadelphia 6Final Pittsburgh 6 Houston 2Final L.A. Angels 10 Colorado 7Final Oakland 5 San Francisco 2AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Cleveland 5 Detroit 0Final Baltimore 6 Toronto 2Final Seattle 10 Boston 6Final Kansas City 4 Chicago White Sox 3NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Cincinnati 6 Chicago Cubs 3Final Atlanta 5 Milwaukee 1Final Arizona 17 Washington 0Final San Diego 6 L.A. Dodgers 5

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp; —&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Lucas Erceg from the Oakland Athletics for right-handed pitchers Mason Barnett and Will Klein, and outfielder Jared Dickey.

Erceg (urr-seg), 29, has appeared in 38 games for the Athletics this season, going 2-3 with 3 saves and a 3.68 ERA (15 ER in 36.2 IP), 41 strikeouts (26.3 K%, 10.1 K/9) and just 13 walks (8.3 BB%, 3.2 BB/9). He has held opponents to a .133 batting average (4-for-30) with runners in scoring position, and since June 21, 12 of his 13 appearances have been scoreless. He features a four-pitch repertoire that includes a 4-seam fastball that averages 98.5 mph, which ranks as the 8th-fastest heater in the Majors and 4th in the American League (min. 500 pitches) per Baseball Savant.

Erceg made his Major League debut with the A’s last year, going 4-4 with a 4.75 ERA (29 ER in 55.0 IP) with 68 strikeouts (27.1 K%, 11.1 K/9) and just 1 home run allowed.

A native of San Jose, Calif., Erceg was originally selected by Milwaukee in the 2nd round of the 2016&nbsp;Draft, and he spent his first four minor league seasons as a position player in their system before transitioning to a two-way player in 2021 with Double-A Biloxi. He split the 2022 season between&nbsp;Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, working strictly as a pitcher, and was acquired by the A’s on May 17, 2023 for cash considerations. He made his big league debut two days later on May 19 at Houston.

Barnett (MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 Royals prospect), has pitched in 19 games (18 starts) at Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, striking out 109 batters in 91.2 innings, and was named Kansas City’s 2023 Paul Splittorff Award winner, given to the top minor league pitcher in the organization.

Klein (MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 Royals prospect), made his Major League debut with the Royals on April 28 at Detroit and has pitched in 5 big league games this season, while spending the majority of the&nbsp;year in Triple-A Omaha. He pitched in last year’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Wash.

Dickey, 22, was Kansas City’s 11th-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in last year’s FirstYear Player Draft, and he has played in 81 games for High-A Quad Cities, batting .269 (78-for-290) with 24 extra-base hits (.784 OPS).

Also, the Kansas City Royals announced Thursday that they have acquired infielder Paul DeJong from the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitcher Jarold Rosado. To make room on Kansas City’s 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher John McMillon has been designated for assignment.

DeJong (duh-yung), who turns 31 on Friday, has hit 18 home runs in 102 games for the White Sox this season, including 15 homers in 89 games at shortstop, ranking him 4th in the American League.

On July 10 of this year, DeJong started at third base for Chicago, marking his first game at that position in the Majors. He has made 816 appearances in the field, with 783 of them (96.0%) at shortstop, also making 22 appearances at second base and 11 at third. Since his debut in 2017, he owns a .979 fielding percentage at shortstop, tied for the 6th-highest mark in that span. He is one of 10 shortstops since his debut to record over 100 home runs.

DeJong was a National League All-Star in 2019 with the Cardinals when he collected a career-high 30 home runs and 31 doubles in 159 games, with a .762 OPS. He has appeared in 14 postseason games and has recorded multiple hits in 4 of them, most recently playing in the 2022 Wild Card Series.

A native of Orlando, Fla., DeJong was selected by St. Louis in the 4th round of the 2015 Draft out of Illinois State University. Pittsburgh selected him in the 38th round in 2014, but he did not sign.

Rosado, 22, has made 27 relief appearances for Low-A Columbia, posting a 1.85 ERA (8 ER in 39.0 IP). He signed with the Royals as an international free agent in Feb. 2020 out of the Dominican Republic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694386651701.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp; —&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Lucas Erceg from the Oakland Athletics for right-handed pitchers Mason Barnett and Will Klein, and outfielder Jared Dickey.Erceg (urr-seg), 29, has appeared in 38 games for the Athletics this season, going 2-3 with 3 saves and a 3.68 ERA (15 ER in 36.2 IP), 41 strikeouts (26.3 K%, 10.1 K/9) and just 13 walks (8.3 BB%, 3.2 BB/9). He has held opponents to a .133 batting average (4-for-30) with runners in scoring position, and since June 21, 12 of his 13 appearances have been scoreless. He features a four-pitch repertoire that includes a 4-seam fastball that averages 98.5 mph, which ranks as the 8th-fastest heater in the Majors and 4th in the American League (min. 500 pitches) per Baseball Savant.Erceg made his Major League debut with the A’s last year, going 4-4 with a 4.75 ERA (29 ER in 55.0 IP) with 68 strikeouts (27.1 K%, 11.1 K/9) and just 1 home run allowed.A native of San Jose, Calif., Erceg was originally selected by Milwaukee in the 2nd round of the 2016&nbsp;Draft, and he spent his first four minor league seasons as a position player in their system before transitioning to a two-way player in 2021 with Double-A Biloxi. He split the 2022 season between&nbsp;Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, working strictly as a pitcher, and was acquired by the A’s on May 17, 2023 for cash considerations. He made his big league debut two days later on May 19 at Houston.Barnett (MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 Royals prospect), has pitched in 19 games (18 starts) at Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, striking out 109 batters in 91.2 innings, and was named Kansas City’s 2023 Paul Splittorff Award winner, given to the top minor league pitcher in the organization.Klein (MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 Royals prospect), made his Major League debut with the Royals on April 28 at Detroit and has pitched in 5 big league games this season, while spending the majority of the&nbsp;year in Triple-A Omaha. He pitched in last year’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Wash.Dickey, 22, was Kansas City’s 11th-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in last year’s FirstYear Player Draft, and he has played in 81 games for High-A Quad Cities, batting .269 (78-for-290) with 24 extra-base hits (.784 OPS).Also, the Kansas City Royals announced Thursday that they have acquired infielder Paul DeJong from the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitcher Jarold Rosado. To make room on Kansas City’s 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher John McMillon has been designated for assignment.DeJong (duh-yung), who turns 31 on Friday, has hit 18 home runs in 102 games for the White Sox this season, including 15 homers in 89 games at shortstop, ranking him 4th in the American League.On July 10 of this year, DeJong started at third base for Chicago, marking his first game at that position in the Majors. He has made 816 appearances in the field, with 783 of them (96.0%) at shortstop, also making 22 appearances at second base and 11 at third. Since his debut in 2017, he owns a .979 fielding percentage at shortstop, tied for the 6th-highest mark in that span. He is one of 10 shortstops since his debut to record over 100 home runs.DeJong was a National League All-Star in 2019 with the Cardinals when he collected a career-high 30 home runs and 31 doubles in 159 games, with a .762 OPS. He has appeared in 14 postseason games and has recorded multiple hits in 4 of them, most recently playing in the 2022 Wild Card Series.A native of Orlando, Fla., DeJong was selected by St. Louis in the 4th round of the 2015 Draft out of Illinois State University. Pittsburgh selected him in the 38th round in 2014, but he did not sign.Rosado, 22, has made 27 relief appearances for Low-A Columbia, posting a 1.85 ERA (8 ER in 39.0 IP). He signed with the Royals as an international free agent in Feb. 2020 out of the Dominican Republic.

⚾ Royals deal for INF DeJong, RHP Erceg

WICHITA, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs finished third in pool A as pool-play wrapped up and have drawn the Liberal Bee Jays in the NBC World Series bracket beginning today at noon at Eck Stadium in Wichita.

Hutch went 1-2 in pool-play to join four other Kansas teams in the single elimination bracket of the 90th annual event.

<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/tournament-central-2024/">BRACKET</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720989891998.png" alt="2024 NBC&nbsp; World Series" />
 <figcaption>2024 NBC&nbsp; World Series</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs finished third in pool A as pool-play wrapped up and have drawn the Liberal Bee Jays in the NBC World Series bracket beginning today at noon at Eck Stadium in Wichita.Hutch went 1-2 in pool-play to join four other Kansas teams in the single elimination bracket of the 90th annual event.<a href="https://nbcbaseball.com/tournament-central-2024/">BRACKET</a>

⚾ Hutch Monarchs draw Liberal Bee Jays as bracket play begins in NBC World Series

Schedule and Scores Saturday, July 27&nbsp;(Baseball ‘Round the Clock) San Diego Stars 7, Boulder Collegians 5 Derby Twins 9, Liberal Bee Jays 6 Seattle Cheney Studs 5, TPA Texas 1 Santa Barbara Foresters 3,&nbsp;Seattle Blackfins 2 (F11) Tulsa Sandlot 7, Hutchinson 6 Sunday, July 28 (Baseball ‘Round the Clock) Haysville Aviators 7, GPS Legends 6 Lonestar Baseball Club 11, Air Capital Flyers 1 Derby Twins 8, Boulder Collegians 3 Hays Larks 11, Kansas Cannons 8 Liberal Bee Jays 11, San Diego Stars 8 Monday Schedule Tulsa Sandlot 4, TPA Texas 0 Santa Barbara Foresters 12, Haysville Aviators 6 Seattle Cheney Studs 17, Hutchinson Monarchs 6 GPS Legends 9, Seattle Blackfins 3 Tuesday Schedule San Diego Stars 6, Derby Twins 3 Kansas Cannons 9, Air Capital Flyers 0 Hays Larks 9, Lonestar Baseball 0 Liberal Bee Jays 13, Boulder Collegians 9

(Top 3 teams in each pool will advance to single-elimination bracket play starting 7/31) Final Pool Play Records Pool A Seattle Cheney Studs 3-0 Tulsa Sandlot 2-1 Hutchinson Monarchs 1-2 TPA Texas 0-3 (Eliminated) Pool B Santa Barbara Foresters 3-0 Haysville Aviators 2-1 GPS Legends 1-2 Seattle Blackfins 0-3&nbsp;(Eliminated) Pool C Derby Twins 2-1 San Diego Stars 2-1 Liberal Bee Jays 2-1 Boulder Collegians 0-3&nbsp;(Eliminated) Pool D Hays Larks 3-0 Lonestar Baseball Club 2-1 Kansas Cannons 1-2 Air Capital Flyers 0-3&nbsp;(Eliminated) TEAMS&nbsp; Hutchinson Monarchs – Jayhawk League – 2023 NBC champions Santa Barbara Foresters – California Collegiate League&nbsp; Seattle Cheney Studs – Pacific International League Seattle Black Fins – Pacific International League Boulder Collegians – Mile High Collegiate Baseball League Haysville Aviators – Jayhawk League Top Prospect Academy Texas -Stan Musial Texas World Series Champion Liberal Bee Jays – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League Hays Larks – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League San Diego Stars- Western Baseball Association Lonestar Baseball Club – North – CenTex Collegiate Baseball League Kansas Cannons – Jayhawk League Tulsa Sandlot – AABC – Stan Musial Oklahoma World Series Champion GPS Legends – CenTex Collegiate Baseball League Derby Twins – Jayhawk League Air Capital Flyers – Hap Dumont Tournament Winner

Schedule and Scores Saturday, July 27&nbsp;(Baseball ‘Round the Clock) San Diego Stars 7, Boulder Collegians 5 Derby Twins 9, Liberal Bee Jays 6 Seattle Cheney Studs 5, TPA Texas 1 Santa Barbara Foresters 3,&nbsp;Seattle Blackfins 2 (F11) Tulsa Sandlot 7, Hutchinson 6 Sunday, July 28 (Baseball ‘Round the Clock) Haysville Aviators 7, GPS Legends 6 Lonestar Baseball Club 11, Air Capital Flyers 1 Derby Twins 8, Boulder Collegians 3 Hays Larks 11, Kansas Cannons 8 Liberal Bee Jays 11, San Diego Stars 8 Monday Schedule Tulsa Sandlot 4, TPA Texas 0 Santa Barbara Foresters 12, Haysville Aviators 6 Seattle Cheney Studs 17, Hutchinson Monarchs 6 GPS Legends 9, Seattle Blackfins 3 Tuesday Schedule San Diego Stars 6, Derby Twins 3 Kansas Cannons 9, Air Capital Flyers 0 Hays Larks 9, Lonestar Baseball 0 Liberal Bee Jays 13, Boulder Collegians 9(Top 3 teams in each pool will advance to single-elimination bracket play starting 7/31) Final Pool Play Records Pool A Seattle Cheney Studs 3-0 Tulsa Sandlot 2-1 Hutchinson Monarchs 1-2 TPA Texas 0-3 (Eliminated) Pool B Santa Barbara Foresters 3-0 Haysville Aviators 2-1 GPS Legends 1-2 Seattle Blackfins 0-3&nbsp;(Eliminated) Pool C Derby Twins 2-1 San Diego Stars 2-1 Liberal Bee Jays 2-1 Boulder Collegians 0-3&nbsp;(Eliminated) Pool D Hays Larks 3-0 Lonestar Baseball Club 2-1 Kansas Cannons 1-2 Air Capital Flyers 0-3&nbsp;(Eliminated) TEAMS&nbsp; Hutchinson Monarchs – Jayhawk League – 2023 NBC champions Santa Barbara Foresters – California Collegiate League&nbsp; Seattle Cheney Studs – Pacific International League Seattle Black Fins – Pacific International League Boulder Collegians – Mile High Collegiate Baseball League Haysville Aviators – Jayhawk League Top Prospect Academy Texas -Stan Musial Texas World Series Champion Liberal Bee Jays – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League Hays Larks – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League San Diego Stars- Western Baseball Association Lonestar Baseball Club – North – CenTex Collegiate Baseball League Kansas Cannons – Jayhawk League Tulsa Sandlot – AABC – Stan Musial Oklahoma World Series Champion GPS Legends – CenTex Collegiate Baseball League Derby Twins – Jayhawk League Air Capital Flyers – Hap Dumont Tournament Winner

NBC World Series  - Pool Play Standings/Scores

CHICAGO (AP) — The staggering Chicago White Sox lost their 16th straight game, extending a franchise record, as Michael Massey homered and Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory Tuesday night.

Bobby Witt Jr. ran his hitting streak to 12 games and had the first RBI in an eighth-inning rally that gave the Royals the lead for good.

“We’ve had big at-bats all year,” Massey said. “We know we’re capable.”

Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn homered for the second consecutive night and rookie Jonathan Cannon pitched seven terrific innings, allowing only Massey’s solo shot while walking three and striking out two. He gave way to rookie Fraser Ellard (0-1), who walked two in his major league debut to set the stage for Kansas City's comeback.

Down 2-1, the Royals got a bloop single from Witt to tie it before Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run single off Justin Anderson.

Vaughn had an RBI groundout in the bottom half, but Sam Long worked a clean ninth for his fourth career save and first this season.

Wacha (8-6) scattered five hits over seven innings, walking two and striking out five. He’s won five of his last six starts, and Kansas City has won 11 of 17.

“He was really good,” Pasquantino said. “It’s awesome to play behind him because you always feel like you’re in it.”

Chicago dropped to a major league-worst 27-83 and is threatening to break the record for most losses in a 162-game season, set by the expansion New York Mets when they finished with 120 in 1962.

“It’s not for the lack of effort. We’re busting our (tails) trying to get that win,” shortstop Nicky Lopez said. “It just always seems like there’s that one inning or one situation where we have to come through and we haven’t done that.”

It was a busy trade-deadline day for both teams. Kansas City acquired right-hander Lucas Erceg from Oakland for outfielder Jared Dickey and pitchers Mason Barnett and Will Klein. The move came after the Royals swapped minor league pitcher Jarold Rosado for White Sox infielder Paul DeJong.

Chicago designated hitter Eloy Jiménez went to Baltimore for left-hander Trey McGough and cash, and lefty Tanner Banks was traded to Philadelphia for minor league infielder William Bergolla.

A move many thought the White Sox might make never materialized. All-Star pitcher Garrett Crochet, the subject of much speculation in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, is staying put. His demand for a new contract and a starting role from any potential new team reportedly affected the team’s ability to trade him. Chicago outfielder Luis Robert Jr. also remained with the club despite persistent trade talk.

Royals: RHP Jonathan Bowlan was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. INF Nick Lofton was optioned to Omaha and RHP John McMillon was designated for assignment.

White Sox: INF Lenyn Sosa was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, LHP Fraser Ellard was promoted from Charlotte and former Los Angeles Dodgers INF Miguel Vargas was signed before the first pitch.

Kansas City’s Brady Singer (7-6, 2.82 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Drew Thorpe (3-2, 4.81) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717239729221.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — The staggering Chicago White Sox lost their 16th straight game, extending a franchise record, as Michael Massey homered and Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory Tuesday night.Bobby Witt Jr. ran his hitting streak to 12 games and had the first RBI in an eighth-inning rally that gave the Royals the lead for good.“We’ve had big at-bats all year,” Massey said. “We know we’re capable.”Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn homered for the second consecutive night and rookie Jonathan Cannon pitched seven terrific innings, allowing only Massey’s solo shot while walking three and striking out two. He gave way to rookie Fraser Ellard (0-1), who walked two in his major league debut to set the stage for Kansas City's comeback.Down 2-1, the Royals got a bloop single from Witt to tie it before Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run single off Justin Anderson.Vaughn had an RBI groundout in the bottom half, but Sam Long worked a clean ninth for his fourth career save and first this season.Wacha (8-6) scattered five hits over seven innings, walking two and striking out five. He’s won five of his last six starts, and Kansas City has won 11 of 17.“He was really good,” Pasquantino said. “It’s awesome to play behind him because you always feel like you’re in it.”Chicago dropped to a major league-worst 27-83 and is threatening to break the record for most losses in a 162-game season, set by the expansion New York Mets when they finished with 120 in 1962.“It’s not for the lack of effort. We’re busting our (tails) trying to get that win,” shortstop Nicky Lopez said. “It just always seems like there’s that one inning or one situation where we have to come through and we haven’t done that.”It was a busy trade-deadline day for both teams. Kansas City acquired right-hander Lucas Erceg from Oakland for outfielder Jared Dickey and pitchers Mason Barnett and Will Klein. The move came after the Royals swapped minor league pitcher Jarold Rosado for White Sox infielder Paul DeJong.Chicago designated hitter Eloy Jiménez went to Baltimore for left-hander Trey McGough and cash, and lefty Tanner Banks was traded to Philadelphia for minor league infielder William Bergolla.A move many thought the White Sox might make never materialized. All-Star pitcher Garrett Crochet, the subject of much speculation in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, is staying put. His demand for a new contract and a starting role from any potential new team reportedly affected the team’s ability to trade him. Chicago outfielder Luis Robert Jr. also remained with the club despite persistent trade talk.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: RHP Jonathan Bowlan was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. INF Nick Lofton was optioned to Omaha and RHP John McMillon was designated for assignment.White Sox: INF Lenyn Sosa was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, LHP Fraser Ellard was promoted from Charlotte and former Los Angeles Dodgers INF Miguel Vargas was signed before the first pitch.UP NEXTKansas City’s Brady Singer (7-6, 2.82 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Drew Thorpe (3-2, 4.81) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.------AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

⚾ Royals rally for Tuesday win

PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. Again.

The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/gymnastics-olympics-simone-biles-updates">the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night.

With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport, and among the best in the history of the Olympics.

The outcome — the Americans on top with the rest of the world looking up — was not in doubt from the moment Jordan Chiles began the night by drilling her double-twisting Yurchenko vault.

By the time Biles, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-simone-biles-590bfce552aef32cb12fb0e3bb64ecd3">left calf that bothered her during qualifying</a>&nbsp;heavily taped, stepped onto the floor for the final event — a floor exercise set to music by Taylor Swift and Beyonce — her fifth Olympic gold medal was well in hand.

The 27-year-old provided the exclamation point anyway, sealing the Americans’ third gold in its last four trips to the Games.

The Americans remain peerless (if not flawless, this is gymnastics after all) when at their best.

And over two hours in front of a crowd that included everyone from tennis great Serena Williams and actor Natalie Portman to Biles’ husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles left little doubt about anything.

Her status as the sport’s greatest of all time. Her ability to move past the “twisties” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-simone-biles-injured-463f9be556246eada6dec265297df4d2">derailed her in Tokyo</a>. Her spot in the pantheon of the U.S. Olympic movement.

Three years after removing herself from the same competition to protect herself — a decision that changed the conversation around mental health in sports — Biles pushed her medal total in major competition to a staggering 38 and counting.

Yet her return to the Games wasn’t so much about winning. It was about a joy she had lost somewhere along the way.

It seems to have returned. She leaned into the crowd that roared at every flip, every leap and, yes, every twist. With her husband — on break from NFL training camp — waving an American flag while sitting next to her parents, Biles did what she has done so well for so long save for a couple of difficult days in Japan during a pandemic: she dominated.

Yet the 27-year-old hardly did it alone. Lee and Chiles were on the team that earned silver in Tokyo with Biles watching from the sideline. They navigated a series of setbacks both physical and personal to return to this moment and get the gold they so badly wanted.

And there they were on the biggest stage, Chiles doing all four rotations right next to her good friend Biles while doubling as the U.S.'s hype woman. Lee mixing her elegance with grit while dazzling on beam and uneven bars, her two best events.

Carey won the floor exercise in Tokyo, but did it with an asterisk of sorts. She’s earned her way in through a nominative process the sport’s governing body has since abandoned. She was with Team USA in Tokyo but not actually part of the official four-woman squad.

She vowed to write a different ending this time, and the Cheng vault she did on the first rotation scored a 14.800 — second only to Biles — to give the U.S. a commanding lead before Biles even saluted the judges.

The only real drama centered on who would finish next to the Americans on the medal stand.

Italy, which was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-gymnastics-simone-biles-0831e6e4649ab23669cb6b2427481f88">surprising second to the U.S. during qualifying</a>, earned its first Olympic team medal since 1928 by holding off Brazil, which took bronze for its first medal in the biggest event in the sport.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722365147928.jpeg" alt="Simone Biles, of United States, competes on the uneven bars during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July, 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)" />
 <figcaption>Simone Biles, of United States, competes on the uneven bars during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July, 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)</figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. Again.The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/gymnastics-olympics-simone-biles-updates">the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night.With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport, and among the best in the history of the Olympics.The outcome — the Americans on top with the rest of the world looking up — was not in doubt from the moment Jordan Chiles began the night by drilling her double-twisting Yurchenko vault.By the time Biles, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-simone-biles-590bfce552aef32cb12fb0e3bb64ecd3">left calf that bothered her during qualifying</a>&nbsp;heavily taped, stepped onto the floor for the final event — a floor exercise set to music by Taylor Swift and Beyonce — her fifth Olympic gold medal was well in hand.The 27-year-old provided the exclamation point anyway, sealing the Americans’ third gold in its last four trips to the Games.The Americans remain peerless (if not flawless, this is gymnastics after all) when at their best.And over two hours in front of a crowd that included everyone from tennis great Serena Williams and actor Natalie Portman to Biles’ husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles left little doubt about anything.Her status as the sport’s greatest of all time. Her ability to move past the “twisties” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-gymnastics-simone-biles-injured-463f9be556246eada6dec265297df4d2">derailed her in Tokyo</a>. Her spot in the pantheon of the U.S. Olympic movement.Three years after removing herself from the same competition to protect herself — a decision that changed the conversation around mental health in sports — Biles pushed her medal total in major competition to a staggering 38 and counting.Yet her return to the Games wasn’t so much about winning. It was about a joy she had lost somewhere along the way.It seems to have returned. She leaned into the crowd that roared at every flip, every leap and, yes, every twist. With her husband — on break from NFL training camp — waving an American flag while sitting next to her parents, Biles did what she has done so well for so long save for a couple of difficult days in Japan during a pandemic: she dominated.Yet the 27-year-old hardly did it alone. Lee and Chiles were on the team that earned silver in Tokyo with Biles watching from the sideline. They navigated a series of setbacks both physical and personal to return to this moment and get the gold they so badly wanted.And there they were on the biggest stage, Chiles doing all four rotations right next to her good friend Biles while doubling as the U.S.'s hype woman. Lee mixing her elegance with grit while dazzling on beam and uneven bars, her two best events.Carey won the floor exercise in Tokyo, but did it with an asterisk of sorts. She’s earned her way in through a nominative process the sport’s governing body has since abandoned. She was with Team USA in Tokyo but not actually part of the official four-woman squad.She vowed to write a different ending this time, and the Cheng vault she did on the first rotation scored a 14.800 — second only to Biles — to give the U.S. a commanding lead before Biles even saluted the judges.The only real drama centered on who would finish next to the Americans on the medal stand.Italy, which was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-gymnastics-simone-biles-0831e6e4649ab23669cb6b2427481f88">surprising second to the U.S. during qualifying</a>, earned its first Olympic team medal since 1928 by holding off Brazil, which took bronze for its first medal in the biggest event in the sport.<ul>
 <li>See the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/olympic-schedule">Olympic schedule of events</a>&nbsp;and follow all of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">AP’s coverage of the Summer Games</a>.</li><li>Here is a link to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/olympics-medal-tracker">Olympic medal tracker</a>.</li>
 </ul>

Simone Biles and Team USA earn ‘redemption’ by powering to Olympic gold

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722357729810.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
 
LAWRENCE, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Kansas senior cornerback&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/cobee-bryant/1350" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Cobee Bryant</a></dfn>&nbsp;was one of 75 defensive standouts named to the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, which was announced Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). &nbsp; The Bronko Nagurski Trophy honors the National Defensive Player of the Year. The FWAA has chosen the winner since 1993, and in 1995 they named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football&apos;s Chicago Bears in the 1930&apos;s. Bronislaw &quot;Bronko&quot; Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame. &nbsp; Bryant becomes the fourth Jayhawk named to a preseason watch list, joining quarterback&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/devin-neal/1356" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Devin Neal</a></dfn>, who were selected to the Maxwell Award Watch List, and long snapper&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/luke-hosford/1447" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Luke Hosford</a></dfn>, who earned a spot on the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List on Monday. &nbsp; A native of Evergreen, Alabama, Bryant is a preseason All-Big 12 selection in 2024 after earning All-Big 12 First Team honors in each of the past two seasons. He has become the first Kansas defensive back to earn first team all-conference honors in consecutive seasons since Aqib Talib in 2006-07. Bryant finished the 2023 season with 32 tackles, 4 interceptions and 9 pass breakups. He enters his senior season tied for eighth in school history with nine interceptions and his two career interceptions returned for a touchdown are tied for the school record. &nbsp; The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association&apos;s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The FWAA and the&nbsp;Charlotte Touchdown Club&nbsp;will announce&nbsp;finalists for the 2024 trophy on Nov. 20 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 9 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C. &nbsp; Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. The FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week&apos;s honored player will be added at that time. &nbsp; The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football&apos;s most prestigious awards, and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. &nbsp; 2024 Kansas Football Preseason Watch Lists: Maxwell Award &ndash; QB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn>, RB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/devin-neal/1356" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Devin Neal</a></dfn> Patrick Mannelly Award &ndash; LS&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/luke-hosford/1447" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Luke Hosford</a></dfn> Bronko Nagurski Award &ndash; CB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/cobee-bryant/1350" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Cobee Bryant</a></dfn></div>

🏈 KU DB Cobee Bryant on Bronko Nagurski Watch List

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719501051752.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
 
LAWRENCE, Kan. &ndash; Head Coach <dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/brandon-schneider/255" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Brandon Schneider</a></dfn> has announced another challenging non-conference schedule that the Kansas Women&apos;s Basketball team will face in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Highlighting the early season schedule is a matchup with national runner-up Iowa at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, three games at the Paradise Jam and a home game against Penn State in December. All total, the Jayhawks will play 11 non-conference games following a home exhibition contest against Washburn on Nov. 1. Kansas will play seven of its 11 non-conference games at Allen Fieldhouse, while the other four will be played at neutral locations.
&quot;We once again set out to play a challenging non-conference schedule, allowing our team to be tested at a high level early in the season,&quot; Schneider said. &quot;This year&apos;s schedule has a good mixture of home and neutral site contests, which will prepare us for the Big 12 season.&quot;
After hosting Washburn for an exhibition contest, the Jayhawks will open the regular season with four straight home games at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas will host Lindenwood (Nov. 6), Sam Houston State (Nov. 11), Omaha (Nov. 13) and North Alabama (Nov. 17) before heading to Sioux Falls on Nov. 20 to face Iowa. The following week is the Paradise Jam, and while in the U.S. Virgin Islands, KU will face Pittsburgh (Nov. 28), Northern Iowa (Nov. 29) and Auburn (Nov. 30).
Three more home games await the Jayhawks following its trip to the Paradise Jam. Wichita State will come to Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 5, followed by Kansas City on Dec. 11 and Penn State on Dec. 15, which will conclude the non-conference schedule.
On June 27, the Big 12 Conference <a href="https://kuathletics.com/news/2024/6/27/womens-basketball-big-12-announces-womens-basketball-matchups-for-2024-25-season.aspx" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">announced conference matchups</a> for the 2024-25 season. Kansas will play 18 league games, which includes home and away games against Iowa State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Teams that KU will only play at home include Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and UCF, and the Jayhawks will play road games only against BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Utah and West Virginia.
Kansas returns two starters from its 2023-24 team, which finished 20-13 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons. The Jayhawks are led by sophomore guard <dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/s-mya-nichols/1420" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">S&apos;Mya Nichols</a></dfn>, who averaged 15.4 points per game as a freshman and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors. KU also returns super-senior guard <dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/wyvette-mayberry/1410" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Wyvette Mayberry</a></dfn>, who started 32 games last season and ranked fifth on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game.
Season tickets for the 2024-25 Kansas Women&apos;s Basketball campaign are now on sale. For as low as $95, fans can reserve their seat at historic Allen Fieldhouse for the entire season. Season tickets can be purchased by visiting <a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=WBN&linkID=kansas&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">KUAthletics.com</a> or calling 800-34-HAWKS.
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="741" style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Date</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Opponent</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Location</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Series History</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Last Meeting</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 1</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Washburn (exh.)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">--</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">--</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 6</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lindenwood</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">First Meeting</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">--</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 11</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Sam Houston State</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">KU Leads 1-0</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2011</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 13</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Omaha</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">KU Leads 6-3</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2021</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 17</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">North Alabama</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">First Meeting</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">--</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 20</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Iowa</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Sioux Falls, S.D. (Sanford Pentagon)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">KU Leads 4-2</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2009</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 28</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Pittsburgh</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">First Meeting</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">--</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 29</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Northern Iowa</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">KU Leads 5-0</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2006</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Nov. 30</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Auburn</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">First Meeting</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">--</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Dec. 5</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Wichita State</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">KU Leads 34-7</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2023</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Dec. 11</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Kansas City</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">KU Leads 18-4</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2023</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Dec. 15</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Penn State</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Lawrence, Kan. (Allen Fieldhouse)</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">PSU Leads 3-2</td>
 <td style="font-size: 0.875rem;">2023</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
Big 12 Scheduling Opponent Matrix (18-game schedule)
Home and Away: Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State
Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF
Away Only: BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Utah, West Virginia</div>

🏀 WBB: KU releases non-conference schedule

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024.</figcaption>
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🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals win off Witt Grand-Slam; ⚾ Seattle bombs Monarchs

MANHATTAN, Kan. — K-State's Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens have been added to the Maxwell Award watch list.&nbsp; 

The Maxwell Award is [resented to the college player of the year by the Maxwell Football Club

Previous K-State Candidates Preseason Candidates:&nbsp;

Darren Sproles (2004), John Hubert (2013), Tyler Lockett (2014), Jesse Ertz (2017), Alex Barnes (2018), James Gilbert (2019), Skylar Thompson (2020 and 2021), Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022), Adrian Martinez (2022),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/will-howard/11107">Will Howard</a>&nbsp;(2023)

Finalists:&nbsp;Michael Bishop (1998), Collin Klein (2012)&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722339884925.jpeg" alt="Maxwell Award" />
 <figcaption>Maxwell Award</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. — K-State's Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens have been added to the Maxwell Award watch list.&nbsp; The Maxwell Award is [resented to the college player of the year by the Maxwell Football ClubPrevious K-State Candidates Preseason Candidates:&nbsp;Darren Sproles (2004), John Hubert (2013), Tyler Lockett (2014), Jesse Ertz (2017), Alex Barnes (2018), James Gilbert (2019), Skylar Thompson (2020 and 2021), Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022), Adrian Martinez (2022),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/will-howard/11107">Will Howard</a>&nbsp;(2023)Semifinalists:&nbsp;Jake Waters (2014)Finalists:&nbsp;Michael Bishop (1998), Collin Klein (2012)&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 K-State's Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens added to Maxwell Watch List

CHICAGO (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr.'s grand slam — and fourth hit of the game — capped Kansas City’s six-run, eighth inning rally and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 8-5 on Monday night. Witt lofted the first pitch he saw from John Brebbia, a low slider, into the left-center stands for 19th homer and third career grand slam. Witt also singled twice and doubled as the Royals handed the major league worst White Sox a franchise-record 15th straight loss. With Kansas City trailing 5-2 entering the eight, Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez hit back-to-back solo drives off reliever Steven Wilson. Brebbia hit Adam Frazier with a pitch and issued a walk to Michael Massey before Witt connected.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe hit a two-run homer, Nathan Eovaldi worked six solid innings and the Texas Rangers snapped a three-game skid with a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Wyatt Langford added three hits for the Rangers, who have gone 6-5 since the All-Star break. Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Adolis Garcia and Leody Taveras also drove in runs for the Rangers. Matt Carpenter homered for St. Louis, which has lost four of its last five games.

SOUTHPORT, Conn. (AP) — Most Comcast subscribers will be able to watch their favorite sports teams again after it reached an agreement with their distributor. Comcast and Diamond Sports announced Monday that 15 regional sports networks will be available on Comcast on Thursday after being blacked out for three months. The Bally Sports networks were no longer available to Comcast subscribers on May 1 due to a contract dispute. Under the agreement, subscribers to Comcast’s Xfinity Ultimate TV package will gain access to the Bally RSNs. Additionally, Xfinity Ultimate TV customers will be able to stream Bally’s content on the Bally Sports app.

HOUSTON (AP) — The NFL has suspended Houston Texans defensive lineman Denico Autry for the first six games of the regular season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancers. Autry denied he knowingly ingested a banned substance but said he would accept the suspension. Autry is allowed to participate in preseason practices and games. His first regular-season availability will be Oct. 20 at Green Bay. Autry apologized to the Texans organization, his teammates and fans for any distraction.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was downright ticked off. The New York Jets quarterback took the snap, started to drop back and ended up sprawled on the grass after one of his offensive linemen stepped on one of his feet. Rodgers shouted. He wasn’t hurt, but he was angry. Monday was the first practice in full pads and the Jets' offense was sloppy. Tight end Tyler Conklin acknowledged it was a little frustrating, but said the offense can learn from days like that. Center Joe Tippmann has been struggling with some of his shotgun snaps, something coach Robert Saleh says needs to be fixed.

UNDATED (AP) — John Calipari wants his Arkansas Razorbacks to think big. The Hall of Fame coach is used to big thinking and expectations from his days at Kentucky, of course. Now, Calipari has constructed virtually a whole new Razorbacks roster since his hiring in April, with only forward Trevon Brazile returning after testing the NBA waters. He’s taking over a program that made it to back-to-back Elite Eights followed by a Sweet 16 trip last season. The outsized expectations were already there, but most of the roster was assembled by Calipari and his staff.

VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France (AP) — The U.S. men’s basketball team overflowed with highlights in its opening game, blowout win over Serbia. LeBron James awed with his signature one-handed dunks and celebratory flexes. Kevin Durant had a nearly perfect shooting night in his first official basketball game in weeks because of a calf strain. But just as eye-popping was that Jayson Tatum – the newly-minted highest-paid player in the NBA – and Tyrese Haliburton, who recently signed franchise record contract himself, didn’t even play. It illustrates the embarrassment of riches for a team that says it’s still figuring out how best to utilize its talent.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — American swimmers won four medals at the Olympics Monday night, but none of them gold. Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant went silver and bronze against Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh in the 400-meter individual medley. Ryan Murphy took a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke, his seventh medal over three Olympics. Luke Hobson earned a bronze of his own in the 200 freestyle.

PARIS (AP) — The U.S. men's gymnastics team hopes the program's first Olympic team medal in 16 years can give the sport a boost back home. The Americans surged to bronze in the team final to give the U.S. its first team medal since Beijing in 2008. The team says their NCAA careers helped prepare them for the moment. Paul Juda says he hopes their performance will help college athletic directors see the importance of NCAA programs help fuel the U.S. Olympic team.

PARIS (AP) — The men’s Olympic triathlon has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris’ Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place. Organizers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon Wednesday instead of Tuesday as planned. The women’s competition is also scheduled for Wednesday, but both are subject to water tests. A risk of rain through Thursday could complicate rescheduling. The decision to postpone the men’s event followed a meeting that included the sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials. The event is now scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m., which may make heat more of a factor.

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 24 points and Breanna Stewart added 22 to help the U.S. beat Japan 102-76 in the Olympic opener for both teams. Wilson also had 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. The Americans now have a 56-game Olympic winning streak that dates to the 1992 Barcelona Games. The U.S. also beat Japan in the final at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. This was Brittney Griner’s first game internationally since she spent time in a Russian prison in 2022. She had 11 points and nine rebounds.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Swimming’s next generation of stars claimed the spotlight at the Paris Olympics on Monday night, a brash group that comes from all over the globe. Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old phenom from Canada. David Popovici, a 19-year-old from Romania. Mollie O’Callaghan, a 20-year-old speedster who took down her mighty Australian teammate, Ariarne Titmus. Throw in an Italian gold medalist, and another from South Africa, and it was clear that swimming’s reach stretches far beyond the traditional powerhouse, the United States. The Americans collected some hardware on Day 3 at La Defense Arena, but only silver and bronze.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, July 30th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8548803/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>CHICAGO (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr.'s grand slam — and fourth hit of the game — capped Kansas City’s six-run, eighth inning rally and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 8-5 on Monday night. Witt lofted the first pitch he saw from John Brebbia, a low slider, into the left-center stands for 19th homer and third career grand slam. Witt also singled twice and doubled as the Royals handed the major league worst White Sox a franchise-record 15th straight loss. With Kansas City trailing 5-2 entering the eight, Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez hit back-to-back solo drives off reliever Steven Wilson. Brebbia hit Adam Frazier with a pitch and issued a walk to Michael Massey before Witt connected.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe hit a two-run homer, Nathan Eovaldi worked six solid innings and the Texas Rangers snapped a three-game skid with a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Wyatt Langford added three hits for the Rangers, who have gone 6-5 since the All-Star break. Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Adolis Garcia and Leody Taveras also drove in runs for the Rangers. Matt Carpenter homered for St. Louis, which has lost four of its last five games.SOUTHPORT, Conn. (AP) — Most Comcast subscribers will be able to watch their favorite sports teams again after it reached an agreement with their distributor. Comcast and Diamond Sports announced Monday that 15 regional sports networks will be available on Comcast on Thursday after being blacked out for three months. The Bally Sports networks were no longer available to Comcast subscribers on May 1 due to a contract dispute. Under the agreement, subscribers to Comcast’s Xfinity Ultimate TV package will gain access to the Bally RSNs. Additionally, Xfinity Ultimate TV customers will be able to stream Bally’s content on the Bally Sports app.HOUSTON (AP) — The NFL has suspended Houston Texans defensive lineman Denico Autry for the first six games of the regular season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancers. Autry denied he knowingly ingested a banned substance but said he would accept the suspension. Autry is allowed to participate in preseason practices and games. His first regular-season availability will be Oct. 20 at Green Bay. Autry apologized to the Texans organization, his teammates and fans for any distraction.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was downright ticked off. The New York Jets quarterback took the snap, started to drop back and ended up sprawled on the grass after one of his offensive linemen stepped on one of his feet. Rodgers shouted. He wasn’t hurt, but he was angry. Monday was the first practice in full pads and the Jets' offense was sloppy. Tight end Tyler Conklin acknowledged it was a little frustrating, but said the offense can learn from days like that. Center Joe Tippmann has been struggling with some of his shotgun snaps, something coach Robert Saleh says needs to be fixed.UNDATED (AP) — John Calipari wants his Arkansas Razorbacks to think big. The Hall of Fame coach is used to big thinking and expectations from his days at Kentucky, of course. Now, Calipari has constructed virtually a whole new Razorbacks roster since his hiring in April, with only forward Trevon Brazile returning after testing the NBA waters. He’s taking over a program that made it to back-to-back Elite Eights followed by a Sweet 16 trip last season. The outsized expectations were already there, but most of the roster was assembled by Calipari and his staff.OLYMPICSVILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France (AP) — The U.S. men’s basketball team overflowed with highlights in its opening game, blowout win over Serbia. LeBron James awed with his signature one-handed dunks and celebratory flexes. Kevin Durant had a nearly perfect shooting night in his first official basketball game in weeks because of a calf strain. But just as eye-popping was that Jayson Tatum – the newly-minted highest-paid player in the NBA – and Tyrese Haliburton, who recently signed franchise record contract himself, didn’t even play. It illustrates the embarrassment of riches for a team that says it’s still figuring out how best to utilize its talent.NANTERRE, France (AP) — American swimmers won four medals at the Olympics Monday night, but none of them gold. Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant went silver and bronze against Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh in the 400-meter individual medley. Ryan Murphy took a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke, his seventh medal over three Olympics. Luke Hobson earned a bronze of his own in the 200 freestyle.PARIS (AP) — The U.S. men's gymnastics team hopes the program's first Olympic team medal in 16 years can give the sport a boost back home. The Americans surged to bronze in the team final to give the U.S. its first team medal since Beijing in 2008. The team says their NCAA careers helped prepare them for the moment. Paul Juda says he hopes their performance will help college athletic directors see the importance of NCAA programs help fuel the U.S. Olympic team.PARIS (AP) — The men’s Olympic triathlon has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris’ Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place. Organizers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon Wednesday instead of Tuesday as planned. The women’s competition is also scheduled for Wednesday, but both are subject to water tests. A risk of rain through Thursday could complicate rescheduling. The decision to postpone the men’s event followed a meeting that included the sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials. The event is now scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m., which may make heat more of a factor.VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 24 points and Breanna Stewart added 22 to help the U.S. beat Japan 102-76 in the Olympic opener for both teams. Wilson also had 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. The Americans now have a 56-game Olympic winning streak that dates to the 1992 Barcelona Games. The U.S. also beat Japan in the final at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. This was Brittney Griner’s first game internationally since she spent time in a Russian prison in 2022. She had 11 points and nine rebounds.NANTERRE, France (AP) — Swimming’s next generation of stars claimed the spotlight at the Paris Olympics on Monday night, a brash group that comes from all over the globe. Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old phenom from Canada. David Popovici, a 19-year-old from Romania. Mollie O’Callaghan, a 20-year-old speedster who took down her mighty Australian teammate, Ariarne Titmus. Throw in an Italian gold medalist, and another from South Africa, and it was clear that swimming’s reach stretches far beyond the traditional powerhouse, the United States. The Americans collected some hardware on Day 3 at La Defense Arena, but only silver and bronze.MONDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal N.Y. Yankees 14 Philadelphia 4Final N.Y. Mets 15 Minnesota 2Final Texas 6 St. Louis 3Final Pittsburgh 5 Houston 3AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Baltimore 11 Toronto 5Final Cleveland 8 Detroit 4Final Toronto 8 Baltimore 4Final Boston 14 Seattle 7Final Kansas City 8 Chicago White Sox 5NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Cincinnati 7 Chicago Cubs 1Final Milwaukee 8 Atlanta 3

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Tuesday

WICHITA, Kan. — The Seattle Studs combined for big innings in the fourth and fifth innings to run-rule the Hutchinson Monarchs, 17-6, Monday night in the final round of pool play at Wichita State's Eck Stadium.

Seattle scored 11 runs in those two inning to run their record to 3-0 in pool A and earn a bye in the single-elimination bracket that starts Wednesday at the NBC.

Hutchinson falls to 1-2, but will advance to the single-elimination bracket as three teams out of each pool advance. The Monarchs opponent is to be announced.

Matchups for bracket play will be determined after pool play in completed on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722339007474.jpeg" alt="NBC-World-Series-90th-Anniversary" />
 <figcaption>NBC-World-Series-90th-Anniversary</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. — The Seattle Studs combined for big innings in the fourth and fifth innings to run-rule the Hutchinson Monarchs, 17-6, Monday night in the final round of pool play at Wichita State's Eck Stadium.Seattle scored 11 runs in those two inning to run their record to 3-0 in pool A and earn a bye in the single-elimination bracket that starts Wednesday at the NBC.Hutchinson falls to 1-2, but will advance to the single-elimination bracket as three teams out of each pool advance. The Monarchs opponent is to be announced.Matchups for bracket play will be determined after pool play in completed on Tuesday.

⚾ Seattle Studs hammer Monarchs in NBC Tourney

CHICAGO (AP) —&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.'s grand slam — and fourth hit of the game — capped Kansas City's six-run, eighth inning rally and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 8-5 on Monday night.

Witt lofted the first pitch he saw from John Brebbia, a low slider, into the left-center stands for 19th homer and third career grand slam. Witt also singled twice and doubled as the Royals handed the major league worst White Sox a franchise-record 15th straight loss.

Witt extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The 24-year-old All-Star shortstop is batting .545 (24 for 44) during the surge.

“I'm just trying to be ready for every pitch because you never know what your going to get in the big leagues,” Witt said. “These pitchers are good so you just want to be prepared.”

With Kansas City trailing 5-2 entering the eight, Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez hit back-to-back solo drives off reliever Steven Wilson. Brebbia (0-6) hit Adam Frazier with a pitch and issued a walk to Michael Massey before Witt connected.

“Those guys put together good at-bats, so I had to do my part,” Witt said. “There was always kind of a momentum swing or whatever it is, but I think that we just believe in ourselves.”

The Royals improved to 58-49 and remained in position for the final AL Wild Card.

“There were so many things that went well tonight, but Bobby's definitely the headline," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Great, great poise to not try to do too much and he's just got so much talent, so much bat speed and power.”

Luis Robert Jr. had three hits and an RBI, and Andrew Vaughn added a solo shot for the White Sox. At 27-82, Chicago is 55 games below. 500 for the first time in franchise history and has a worse record than the 1962 New York Mets (29-80) through 109 games.

Andrew Benintendi drove in a run with a double, then Paul DeJong followed with an RBI single in Chicago's two-run sixth to put Chicago ahead. But the White Sox blew a save for an MLB-leading 27th time.

“I thought our two best guys (Wilson and Brebbia) were on the mound," Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “Those are the two guys we wanted at the end of the game.”

“He's a superstar,” Grifol said. “You see how he impacts the game in every single facet of the game.”

Chris Stratton (3-3), the second of four Kansas City relievers, got four outs for the win despite allowing a run on two hits. James McArthur pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save.

Royals starter Alec Marsh allowed two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Chicago's Chris Flexen allowed two runs while scattering nine hits over six innings.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first on Gavin Sheets’ RBI single.

The Royals tied it in the third when Witt raced home from third on Salvador Perez’s tapper in front of the plate. Robert’s RBI single in the fifth tied it 2-all and chased Marsh.

Vaughn's 12th homer of the season, in the seventh, made it 5-2.

Kansas City acquired right-hander Michael Lorenzen from Texas for minor league left-hander reliever Walter Pennington on Monday. Lorenzen is 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for the Rangers, but Royals manager Matt Quatraro wasn’t sure about the versatile righty's arrival date or exact role.

The White Sox traded starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham to the Cardinals as part of a three-team deal involving seven players. Chicago also sent hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech to the NL West-leading Dodgers.

The Dodgers sent infield prospects Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez to Chicago. Manager Pedro Grifol expects to insert Vargas into the lineup once he arrives.

The White Sox called up outfielder Dominic Fletcher, left-hander Sammy Peralta and right-hander Touki Toussaint on Monday to fill the holes on their roster after trading away Fedde, Pham and Kopech.

RHP Davis Martin, who made his first appearance in relief on Saturday following Tommy John surgery 11 months ago, will take Fedde’s place in the rotation, Grifol said.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey, who left Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Cubs with back spasms, was “feeling way better” on Monday, Quatraro said and was playing catch. … RHP John Schreiber was diagnosed with right patellar tendon inflammation after tweaking his knee covering first base Sunday. He’ll have an injection and will be out for an unspecified time.

Royals RHP Michael Wacha (7-6, 3.65 ERA) faces White Sox rookie RHP Jonathan Cannon (1-5, 4.43) on Tuesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717239521858.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) —&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.'s grand slam — and fourth hit of the game — capped Kansas City's six-run, eighth inning rally and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 8-5 on Monday night.Witt lofted the first pitch he saw from John Brebbia, a low slider, into the left-center stands for 19th homer and third career grand slam. Witt also singled twice and doubled as the Royals handed the major league worst White Sox a franchise-record 15th straight loss.Witt extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The 24-year-old All-Star shortstop is batting .545 (24 for 44) during the surge.“I'm just trying to be ready for every pitch because you never know what your going to get in the big leagues,” Witt said. “These pitchers are good so you just want to be prepared.”With Kansas City trailing 5-2 entering the eight, Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez hit back-to-back solo drives off reliever Steven Wilson. Brebbia (0-6) hit Adam Frazier with a pitch and issued a walk to Michael Massey before Witt connected.“Those guys put together good at-bats, so I had to do my part,” Witt said. “There was always kind of a momentum swing or whatever it is, but I think that we just believe in ourselves.”The Royals improved to 58-49 and remained in position for the final AL Wild Card.“There were so many things that went well tonight, but Bobby's definitely the headline," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Great, great poise to not try to do too much and he's just got so much talent, so much bat speed and power.”Luis Robert Jr. had three hits and an RBI, and Andrew Vaughn added a solo shot for the White Sox. At 27-82, Chicago is 55 games below. 500 for the first time in franchise history and has a worse record than the 1962 New York Mets (29-80) through 109 games.Andrew Benintendi drove in a run with a double, then Paul DeJong followed with an RBI single in Chicago's two-run sixth to put Chicago ahead. But the White Sox blew a save for an MLB-leading 27th time.“I thought our two best guys (Wilson and Brebbia) were on the mound," Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “Those are the two guys we wanted at the end of the game.”But they were beaten, finally by Witt.“He's a superstar,” Grifol said. “You see how he impacts the game in every single facet of the game.”Chris Stratton (3-3), the second of four Kansas City relievers, got four outs for the win despite allowing a run on two hits. James McArthur pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save.Royals starter Alec Marsh allowed two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Chicago's Chris Flexen allowed two runs while scattering nine hits over six innings.The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first on Gavin Sheets’ RBI single.The Royals tied it in the third when Witt raced home from third on Salvador Perez’s tapper in front of the plate. Robert’s RBI single in the fifth tied it 2-all and chased Marsh.Vaughn's 12th homer of the season, in the seventh, made it 5-2.Kansas City acquired right-hander Michael Lorenzen from Texas for minor league left-hander reliever Walter Pennington on Monday. Lorenzen is 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for the Rangers, but Royals manager Matt Quatraro wasn’t sure about the versatile righty's arrival date or exact role.The White Sox traded starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham to the Cardinals as part of a three-team deal involving seven players. Chicago also sent hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech to the NL West-leading Dodgers.The Dodgers sent infield prospects Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez to Chicago. Manager Pedro Grifol expects to insert Vargas into the lineup once he arrives.ROSTER MOVESThe White Sox called up outfielder Dominic Fletcher, left-hander Sammy Peralta and right-hander Touki Toussaint on Monday to fill the holes on their roster after trading away Fedde, Pham and Kopech.RHP Davis Martin, who made his first appearance in relief on Saturday following Tommy John surgery 11 months ago, will take Fedde’s place in the rotation, Grifol said.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Hunter Harvey, who left Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Cubs with back spasms, was “feeling way better” on Monday, Quatraro said and was playing catch. … RHP John Schreiber was diagnosed with right patellar tendon inflammation after tweaking his knee covering first base Sunday. He’ll have an injection and will be out for an unspecified time.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Michael Wacha (7-6, 3.65 ERA) faces White Sox rookie RHP Jonathan Cannon (1-5, 4.43) on Tuesday night.

⚾ Royals rally for Monday win

(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

8:45 a.m. E! —
Individual: Round of 64, 32 (Taped)

9 p.m. USA —
Individual: Round of 64, 32 (Taped)

6:45 a.m. E! —
Group Play: Singles, Doubles (Taped)

12:30 a.m. USA —
Women’s Group C: USA vs. Japan (Taped)

5 a.m. E! — Men’s
Pool A: Spain vs. Greece

7:45 a.m. USA —
Men’s Group A: Canada vs. Australia

11:30 a.m. NBC —
Women’s Pool Play: USA vs. Germany

4:15 p.m. NBC —
Men’s Pool Play &amp; more

4 a.m. E! — Men’s
Pool C: GER (Ehlers/Wickler) vs. FRA (Bassereau/Lyneel) (Taped)

12:15 p.m. USA —
Women’s Pool E: BRA (Carol/Barbara) vs. LTU (Paulikiene/Raupelyte)
(Taped)

6 p.m. USA — Men’s
Pool D: USA (Partain/Benesh) vs. MAR (Abicha/Elgraoui) (Taped)

11 p.m. USA —
Men’s Pool F: NED (Boermans/de Groot) vs. USA (Evans/Budinger)
(Taped)

7:15 a.m. E! —
Qualification: BMX Freestyle

9:10 a.m. E! —
Qualification: BMX Freestyle

4 p.m. E! —
Slalom: Men’s Kayak, Women’s Canoe Heats (Taped)

2:35 a.m. NBC —
NBC Late Night (July 29)

11 a.m. E! —
Dressage: Grand Prix (Taped)

10:30 a.m. E! —
Team Epee Semifinals (Taped)

4:30 p.m. E! —
Women’s Team Epee Bronze/Gold Finals (taped)

8 p.m. USA —
Women’s Team Epee Bronze/Gold Finals

6 a.m. GOLF — Golf
Central - Paris Preview

11 p.m. NBC —
Primetime in Paris (July 30)

11:45 a.m. USA —
Heats: Double Sculls &amp; more

1 p.m. E! —
Women’s Bronze, Gold Finals

5 p.m. USA —
Women’s Bronze, Gold Finals (Taped)

4 a.m. USA — Mixed
Team Air Pistol Final

1 p.m. USA — Men’s
Group A: USA vs. Guinea

5 a.m. USA —
Heats: Men’s 200m Fly &amp; more

10:45 a.m. NBC —
Heats: Men’s 200m Fly &amp; more (Taped)

2:30 p.m. NBC —
Finals: Women’s 100m Back &amp; more

4:30 a.m. USA —
M&amp;W Singles: Round of 32

8 p.m. USA — Mixed
Doubles: Final (Taped)

7:45 a.m. USA —
Men’s Pool C: USA vs. Germany

3 p.m. USA — Men’s
Pool C: USA vs. Germany (Taped)

10:30 a.m. USA —
Men’s Group: USA vs. Romania

(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsTuesday, July 30ARCHERY8:45 a.m. E! —
Individual: Round of 64, 32 (Taped)9 p.m. USA —
Individual: Round of 64, 32 (Taped)BADMINTON6:45 a.m. E! —
Group Play: Singles, Doubles (Taped)BASKETBALL12:30 a.m. USA —
Women’s Group C: USA vs. Japan (Taped)5 a.m. E! — Men’s
Pool A: Spain vs. Greece7:45 a.m. USA —
Men’s Group A: Canada vs. AustraliaBASKETBALL 3X311:30 a.m. NBC —
Women’s Pool Play: USA vs. Germany4:15 p.m. NBC —
Men’s Pool Play &amp; more7 p.m. USA — Pool
Play (Taped)BEACH VOLLEYBALL4 a.m. E! — Men’s
Pool C: GER (Ehlers/Wickler) vs. FRA (Bassereau/Lyneel) (Taped)12:15 p.m. USA —
Women’s Pool E: BRA (Carol/Barbara) vs. LTU (Paulikiene/Raupelyte)
(Taped)2:15 p.m. E! —
Pool Play5 p.m. NBC — Pool
Play (Taped)6 p.m. USA — Men’s
Pool D: USA (Partain/Benesh) vs. MAR (Abicha/Elgraoui) (Taped)11 p.m. USA —
Men’s Pool F: NED (Boermans/de Groot) vs. USA (Evans/Budinger)
(Taped)BMX7:15 a.m. E! —
Qualification: BMX Freestyle9:10 a.m. E! —
Qualification: BMX FreestyleCANOEING4 p.m. E! —
Slalom: Men’s Kayak, Women’s Canoe Heats (Taped)CYCLING2:35 a.m. NBC —
NBC Late Night (July 29)7:15 a.m. E! —
Qualification: BMX Freestyle9:10 a.m. E! —
Qualification: BMX FreestyleEQUESTRIAN11 a.m. E! —
Dressage: Grand Prix (Taped)FENCING10:30 a.m. E! —
Team Epee Semifinals (Taped)4:30 p.m. E! —
Women’s Team Epee Bronze/Gold Finals (taped)8 p.m. USA —
Women’s Team Epee Bronze/Gold FinalsGOLF6 a.m. GOLF — Golf
Central - Paris PreviewGYMNASTICSNoon NBC — Women’s
Team Final11 p.m. NBC —
Primetime in Paris (July 30)HANDBALL9:45 p.m. USA —
Shooting, HandballROWING11:45 a.m. USA —
Heats: Double Sculls &amp; moreRUGBY9:30 a.m. USA —
Women’s Semifinals1 p.m. E! —
Women’s Bronze, Gold Finals5 p.m. USA —
Women’s Bronze, Gold Finals (Taped)SHOOTING4 a.m. USA — Mixed
Team Air Pistol Final9:45 p.m. USA —
Shooting, HandballSOCCER1 p.m. USA — Men’s
Group A: USA vs. GuineaSURFING2:35 a.m. NBC —
NBC Late Night (July 29)11 p.m. NBC —
Primetime in Paris (July 30)SWIMMING5 a.m. USA —
Heats: Men’s 200m Fly &amp; more10:45 a.m. NBC —
Heats: Men’s 200m Fly &amp; more (Taped)2:30 p.m. NBC —
Finals: Women’s 100m Back &amp; more11 p.m. NBC —
Primetime in Paris (July 30)TABLE TENNIS4:30 a.m. USA —
M&amp;W Singles: Round of 3212:15 p.m. USA —
Mixed Doubles: Final8 p.m. USA — Mixed
Doubles: Final (Taped)TRIATHLON2 a.m. USA — Men’s
FinalVOLLEYBALL7:45 a.m. USA —
Men’s Pool C: USA vs. Germany3 p.m. USA — Men’s
Pool C: USA vs. Germany (Taped)WATER POLO10:30 a.m. USA —
Men’s Group: USA vs. Romania

Olympics on TV for Tuesday, July 30

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have signed 14th round selection&nbsp;Kyle DeGroat&nbsp;and 18th round selection&nbsp;Corey Cousin Jr.&nbsp;(coo-zun) from the 2024 First-Year Player Draft. With their additions, as well as 1st-round pick&nbsp;Jac Caglianone’s&nbsp;signing last Wednesday, the Royals have inked 19 of their 20 Draft selections from the 2024 class, and one undrafted free agent.

Below are the draftees from the 2024 Draft, with the&nbsp;bolded&nbsp;players having signed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695315090950.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have signed 14th round selection&nbsp;Kyle DeGroat&nbsp;and 18th round selection&nbsp;Corey Cousin Jr.&nbsp;(coo-zun) from the 2024 First-Year Player Draft. With their additions, as well as 1st-round pick&nbsp;Jac Caglianone’s&nbsp;signing last Wednesday, the Royals have inked 19 of their 20 Draft selections from the 2024 class, and one undrafted free agent.Below are the draftees from the 2024 Draft, with the&nbsp;bolded&nbsp;players having signed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722284445166.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>

⚾ Royals sign 2 more draft picks, have now signed 19 of 20

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets" target="_blank">Click Here to Purchase All-Session Tickets</a>

Charlotte, NC -&nbsp;All-session tickets are now on sale for the 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Zurich Insurance. The tournament will be held inside the historic Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS, for the 77th consecutive year.&nbsp;For 2025, a schedule change has been implemented with the tournament beginning on Saturday, March 22. This change will allow for four total games to be played each day beginning Saturday, March 22, and ending on Wednesday, March 26. This change eliminates the original six-game playing days. Thursday, March 27 will serve as an off day for the final four teams. During this off day, there will be a luncheon to celebrate the final four teams ahead of the semifinals that will be played on Friday, March 27. The championship game will be played on Saturday, March 28. The tournament format will remain the same.

Tickets can be purchased online by visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets" target="_blank">njcaa.org/tickets</a>&nbsp;and will be available to download on a mobile device or print-at-home when tickets are made available closer to the tournament. Fans can also provide a mobile number and download the HomeTown Ticketing app to have access to their tickets directly on their smartphones. Touchless ticketing and digital scanning of tickets will allow for a quick and effective entry experience when attending the tournament.&nbsp;

Following this presale period for all-session tickets, individual session tickets will be made available to the public for purchase beginning in early 2025. All-session ticket prices remain $65 for each ticket before taxes and parking will be sold separately from the online ticketing system.

The single-elimination seeded bracket is composed of 24 teams - 16 district champions and eight at-large selections. The top-eight seeds receive first-round byes in the tournament.&nbsp;For the national tournament, session 1 starts at 12:00 PM CT and session 2 begins at 5:30 PM CT. As part of a multi-year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/general/2023-24/releases/20231006hwu99r" target="_blank">media rights agreement with ESPN</a>, the 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship&nbsp;can be seen on ESPN+ with the national championship game airing on ESPNU for the third consecutive year.

For tickets, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets" target="_blank">NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tickets</a>

For all national championship updates, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mbkb/div1/index" target="_blank">NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714490337713.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Sports Arena. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Sports Arena. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets" target="_blank">Click Here to Purchase All-Session Tickets</a>NJCAACharlotte, NC -&nbsp;All-session tickets are now on sale for the 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Zurich Insurance. The tournament will be held inside the historic Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS, for the 77th consecutive year.&nbsp;For 2025, a schedule change has been implemented with the tournament beginning on Saturday, March 22. This change will allow for four total games to be played each day beginning Saturday, March 22, and ending on Wednesday, March 26. This change eliminates the original six-game playing days. Thursday, March 27 will serve as an off day for the final four teams. During this off day, there will be a luncheon to celebrate the final four teams ahead of the semifinals that will be played on Friday, March 27. The championship game will be played on Saturday, March 28. The tournament format will remain the same.Tickets can be purchased online by visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets" target="_blank">njcaa.org/tickets</a>&nbsp;and will be available to download on a mobile device or print-at-home when tickets are made available closer to the tournament. Fans can also provide a mobile number and download the HomeTown Ticketing app to have access to their tickets directly on their smartphones. Touchless ticketing and digital scanning of tickets will allow for a quick and effective entry experience when attending the tournament.&nbsp;Following this presale period for all-session tickets, individual session tickets will be made available to the public for purchase beginning in early 2025. All-session ticket prices remain $65 for each ticket before taxes and parking will be sold separately from the online ticketing system.The single-elimination seeded bracket is composed of 24 teams - 16 district champions and eight at-large selections. The top-eight seeds receive first-round byes in the tournament.&nbsp;For the national tournament, session 1 starts at 12:00 PM CT and session 2 begins at 5:30 PM CT. As part of a multi-year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/general/2023-24/releases/20231006hwu99r" target="_blank">media rights agreement with ESPN</a>, the 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship&nbsp;can be seen on ESPN+ with the national championship game airing on ESPNU for the third consecutive year.For tickets, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets" target="_blank">NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tickets</a>For all national championship updates, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mbkb/div1/index" target="_blank">NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship</a>

🏀 MBB: All-Session Tickets now on sale for NJCAA national tournament

&nbsp;LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the second straight season, Kansas quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362">Jalon Daniels</a>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/devin-neal/1356">Devin Neal</a>&nbsp;have been named to the preseason watch list for Maxwell Award, which was announced Monday.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.

Daniels is back for his senior season at Kansas after throwing for 705 yards and five touchdowns in three games in 2023. In 2022, Daniels was a breakthrough player as he led the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program's first bowl game appearance since 2008. He was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection after completing 66.1 percent (152-of-230) of his passes for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns. Daniels capped off his sophomore season with a record-setting performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, when he completed 37-of-55 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.

From Lawndale, California, Daniels enters his senior season ranked No. 9 in school history with 4,297 passing yards and No. 5 with 31 passing touchdowns. At his current career completion rate of 63.6 percent (365-of-574), Daniels would surpass the previous school record of 63.3 percent, set by Todd Reesing from 2006-09.

Neal enters his senior season after becoming the third player in Kansas football history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. In 2023, Neal ran for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns on 203 attempts, averaging 6.3 yards per carry on his way to earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors. His 16 rushing touchdowns are tied for the second most in school history, while his 1,280 rushing yards is ranked No. 4 in school history for a single season.

A hometown native of Lawrence, Kansas, Neal is in position to pursue several school records at Kansas during his senior season. He enters the year ranked No. 4 on the career rushing list with 3,077 yards and No. 3 with 33 touchdowns. Neal has also accumulated 457 receiving yards, and he ranks No. 8 in school history with 3,534 all-purpose yards in his career.

Daniels and Neal are two of 15 players from the Big 12 Conference on the Maxwell Award Watch List, which features 80 players in total. Kansas is one of 17 schools with multiple representatives on the watch list.

The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winner of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722273188633.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Athletics&nbsp;LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the second straight season, Kansas quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362">Jalon Daniels</a>&nbsp;and running back&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/devin-neal/1356">Devin Neal</a>&nbsp;have been named to the preseason watch list for Maxwell Award, which was announced Monday.The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.Daniels is back for his senior season at Kansas after throwing for 705 yards and five touchdowns in three games in 2023. In 2022, Daniels was a breakthrough player as he led the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program's first bowl game appearance since 2008. He was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection after completing 66.1 percent (152-of-230) of his passes for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns. Daniels capped off his sophomore season with a record-setting performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, when he completed 37-of-55 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.From Lawndale, California, Daniels enters his senior season ranked No. 9 in school history with 4,297 passing yards and No. 5 with 31 passing touchdowns. At his current career completion rate of 63.6 percent (365-of-574), Daniels would surpass the previous school record of 63.3 percent, set by Todd Reesing from 2006-09.Neal enters his senior season after becoming the third player in Kansas football history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. In 2023, Neal ran for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns on 203 attempts, averaging 6.3 yards per carry on his way to earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors. His 16 rushing touchdowns are tied for the second most in school history, while his 1,280 rushing yards is ranked No. 4 in school history for a single season.A hometown native of Lawrence, Kansas, Neal is in position to pursue several school records at Kansas during his senior season. He enters the year ranked No. 4 on the career rushing list with 3,077 yards and No. 3 with 33 touchdowns. Neal has also accumulated 457 receiving yards, and he ranks No. 8 in school history with 3,534 all-purpose yards in his career.Daniels and Neal are two of 15 players from the Big 12 Conference on the Maxwell Award Watch List, which features 80 players in total. Kansas is one of 17 schools with multiple representatives on the watch list.The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winner of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 KU duo on Maxwell Award Watch List

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that they have acquired right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Michael Lorenzen&nbsp;from Texas for left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Walter Pennington.

Lorenzen went 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA (43 ER in 101.2 IP) in 19 appearances (18 starts) with the Rangers this season. He signed a one-year deal as a free agent on March 22 and began the season on the Injured List before making his season debut on April 15.

Lorenzen, 32, was a first-time All-Star last season, when he made 29 appearances (25 starts) with Detroit and Philadelphia and set career highs in starts, innings (153.0), wins (9) and strikeouts (111). After being acquired last Aug. 1 by Philadelphia, Lorenzen threw a no-hitter in his 2nd start with the Phillies on Aug. 9, 2023 vs. Washington.

He has held left-handed batters to a .144 average (24-for-167) this season, the lowest opponents’ average vs. left handers in the Majors (min. 150 left handers faced). Over the last two seasons, his .193 opponents’ average (93-for-483) vs. left handers is 2nd best in the Majors (min. 400 left handers faced), trailing only&nbsp;Corbin Burnes&nbsp;(.175).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695315090950.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that they have acquired right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Michael Lorenzen&nbsp;from Texas for left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Walter Pennington.Lorenzen went 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA (43 ER in 101.2 IP) in 19 appearances (18 starts) with the Rangers this season. He signed a one-year deal as a free agent on March 22 and began the season on the Injured List before making his season debut on April 15.Lorenzen, 32, was a first-time All-Star last season, when he made 29 appearances (25 starts) with Detroit and Philadelphia and set career highs in starts, innings (153.0), wins (9) and strikeouts (111). After being acquired last Aug. 1 by Philadelphia, Lorenzen threw a no-hitter in his 2nd start with the Phillies on Aug. 9, 2023 vs. Washington.He has held left-handed batters to a .144 average (24-for-167) this season, the lowest opponents’ average vs. left handers in the Majors (min. 150 left handers faced). Over the last two seasons, his .193 opponents’ average (93-for-483) vs. left handers is 2nd best in the Majors (min. 400 left handers faced), trailing only&nbsp;Corbin Burnes&nbsp;(.175).The 10-year Major League veteran made his big league debut with Cincinnati in 2015 and pitched seven seasons with the Reds, during which 269 of his 295 appearances came in relief. In three seasons since—during which he’s spent time with the Angels (2022), Tigers (2023), Phillies (2023) and Rangers (2024)—61 of his 66 appearances have come as a starting pitcher.Pennington, 26, was an undrafted free agent out of the Colorado School of Mines in 2020 and made his Major League debut earlier this season on July 5 at Coors Field, where he retired both batters he faced. In 37 appearances (2 starts) with Triple-A Omaha this season, he went 6-3 with a 2.26 ERA (15 ER in 59.2 IP) and 79 strikeouts (11.9 K/9).