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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, July 18th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, July 18th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="July 18th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=r6683-167172c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: Sterling College names HOF:⚾ Monarchs begin final home stand

Hayden Gillum has an opportunity in the UFL, if he wants it.

The Houston Roughnecks grabbed Gillum in the fifth round of the UFL’s 10-round draft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705800055511.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hayden Gillum has an opportunity in the UFL, if he wants it.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">DRILL BABY DRILL 🛢️ Welcome to Houston, Hayden Gillum 👏 <a href="https://t.co/BvIZvJRjpP">pic.twitter.com/BvIZvJRjpP</a>&mdash; Houston Roughnecks (@XFLRoughnecks) <a href="https://twitter.com/XFLRoughnecks/status/1813590654053990711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Houston Roughnecks grabbed Gillum in the fifth round of the UFL’s 10-round draft.

🏈 Former K-State lineman selected in UFL Draft

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The defending NBC World Series champion Hutchinson Monarchs (25-6) will host the the Kansas Cannons (24-9) at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park Friday night with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Monarchs currently have a two game lead on the Cannons in the Jayhawk Summer League second half standings. The Cannons won the first-half league race.

The Monarchs final three home games of the regular season will be video streamed on <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/8dc5bdf3-e9a7-4011-9b4a-2b453688d13f">hutchpost.com</a> as well as on the <a href="http://www.monarchslive.tv">monarchslive.tv</a> channel. Glen Grunwald will have the play-by-play call with Matt Peterson providing the video stream sponsored by Mid-Way Motors.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721288492589.png" alt="Game Day Hutchinson Monarchs vs Kansas Cannons - July 18th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Game Day Hutchinson Monarchs vs Kansas Cannons - July 18th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The defending NBC World Series champion Hutchinson Monarchs (25-6) will host the the Kansas Cannons (24-9) at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park Friday night with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.The Monarchs currently have a two game lead on the Cannons in the Jayhawk Summer League second half standings. The Cannons won the first-half league race.The Monarchs final three home games of the regular season will be video streamed on <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/8dc5bdf3-e9a7-4011-9b4a-2b453688d13f">hutchpost.com</a> as well as on the <a href="http://www.monarchslive.tv">monarchslive.tv</a> channel. Glen Grunwald will have the play-by-play call with Matt Peterson providing the video stream sponsored by Mid-Way Motors.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/1125238?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

⚾ Monarchs begin final home stand versus the Kansas Cannons tonight

MANHATTAN, Kan. — For the 14th consecutive year, K-State volleyball was presented with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2023-24 academic year, the organization announced Wednesday.

The honor, which is given to programs that maintained a team grade-point average of 3.30 or higher during the academic year, is the 22nd in K-State volleyball history. The streak of 14 straight awards extends the longest such stretch in program history, seven years longer than its next-best streak of seven straight awards from 2001-02 through 2007-08.

The team award caps another strong academic year for the Wildcats. In total, six players were selected to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team while K-State boasted a 3.365 team GPA during the 2023-24 academic year. Mackenzie Morris, Molly Ramsey and Symone Sims each turned in a perfect 4.0 GPA in the spring semester.

Additionally, Morris racked up multiple academic honors following her final season at K-State, as she became the first player to receive the Big 12 Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year Award twice in the league's volleyball history, after earning the merit in 2023. Additionally, the AVCA First Team All-Region selection earned her fourth Academic All-Big 12 honor and was named to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

The AVCA Team Academic Award was initiated in 1992-93 and honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year. More than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball programs earned the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed academic year.

Eleven of the 15 teams in the Big 12, including newcomers Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, received the 2023-24 AVCA Team Academic Award.

Head coach Jason Mansfield enters his second season at the helm of Wildcat volleyball with nine letterwinners returning from last season's squad that accomplished a record breaking five Top 25 wins. Returners include AVCA All-American Honorable Mention Aliyah Carter and Big 12 All-Rookie Team Aniya Clinton.

The 2024 new K-State Volleyball season tickets are now sold out. Only renewals remain for fans who had season tickets last year (2023). To renew season tickets, visit kstatesports.com/tickets or call 1-800-221-CATS. Single game tickets will go on sale this August.

Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. — For the 14th consecutive year, K-State volleyball was presented with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2023-24 academic year, the organization announced Wednesday.The honor, which is given to programs that maintained a team grade-point average of 3.30 or higher during the academic year, is the 22nd in K-State volleyball history. The streak of 14 straight awards extends the longest such stretch in program history, seven years longer than its next-best streak of seven straight awards from 2001-02 through 2007-08.The team award caps another strong academic year for the Wildcats. In total, six players were selected to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team while K-State boasted a 3.365 team GPA during the 2023-24 academic year. Mackenzie Morris, Molly Ramsey and Symone Sims each turned in a perfect 4.0 GPA in the spring semester.Additionally, Morris racked up multiple academic honors following her final season at K-State, as she became the first player to receive the Big 12 Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year Award twice in the league's volleyball history, after earning the merit in 2023. Additionally, the AVCA First Team All-Region selection earned her fourth Academic All-Big 12 honor and was named to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.The AVCA Team Academic Award was initiated in 1992-93 and honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year. More than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball programs earned the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed academic year.Eleven of the 15 teams in the Big 12, including newcomers Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, received the 2023-24 AVCA Team Academic Award.Head coach Jason Mansfield enters his second season at the helm of Wildcat volleyball with nine letterwinners returning from last season's squad that accomplished a record breaking five Top 25 wins. Returners include AVCA All-American Honorable Mention Aliyah Carter and Big 12 All-Rookie Team Aniya Clinton.The 2024 new K-State Volleyball season tickets are now sold out. Only renewals remain for fans who had season tickets last year (2023). To renew season tickets, visit kstatesports.com/tickets or call 1-800-221-CATS. Single game tickets will go on sale this August.

🏐 K-State wins academic award

STERLING, Kan. — Sterling College Athletics announces its 2024 Hall of Fame Recipients. This year’s class includes two student-athletes, one coach, and one KCAC Championship team. Sterling College’s fifteenth Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on September 28th, 2024. The induction ceremony will be held at halftime of the homecoming football game against Southwestern College at Smisor Stadium. There will be a reception before the game in the Gleason Center. More specific information can be found on the SC Warriors website as the Hall of Fame weekend approaches.

Lonnie Paramore ’92 (Basketball), Jaymi (McAnally) Westrup ’07 (Women’s Soccer), Mary Ver Steeg (Volleyball Coach, 1989-2005), and the 2013 KCAC Champion Football Team make up the 2024 Hall of Fame class.

Lonnie Paramore had an illustrious career for the Warriors in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Paramore was a three-year letter winner, two-time All-KCAC award winner, and two-time NAIA All-District winner. He was a two-time SC Outstanding Basketball Player, 1990-91 Outstanding Senior Athlete, and ’90-91 KCAC Co-Player of the Year. When he stepped off the floor his final season, he was second-highest in points scored in a single game (44), had the second-highest scoring average (23.6 ppg), second-highest in points scored in a season, held the highest number of 3-point field goals made in a season (63), maintained the highest career shooting percentage (49.6%), had the highest career Free Throws made percentage (81.2%) and was fifth in total career points.

Jaymi (McAnally) Westrup impressed many in her three and a half years as a Lady Warrior soccer player. She was a four-year letter winner for SC, a six-time KCAC Player of the Week, and two-time NAIA All-Region Player of the Week. In her freshman season, she earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC with 7 goals and 10 assists before an injury cut her season short after just nine games. In her sophomore campaign, she earned Second Team NSCAA Adidas All-American, All-KCAC First Team, tied for second in the KCAC in goals scored (16), and finished with nine assists. As a Junior, she was on the All-KCAC First Team, NAIA All-Region, and Honorable Mention NAIA All-American, and the team reached the NAIA Region IV tournament for the first time in program history. She scored 12 goals and had 7 assists. In her final season as a Warrior, Westrup was All-KCAC First Team, Second-Team All-Region, and scored 5 goals and had 5 assists. She was a three-year captain as well. In her career, she tallied 41 goals and 30 assists. Jaymi is still second in scoring and the all-time assist leader in Sterling College history. With Westrup on the team, Sterling went 45-31-2 overall and 25-11 in KCAC play.

Mary Ver Steeg, or “Coach Mary” as she is now endearingly referred to, impacted the lives of many athletes in her sixteen years at the helm of the Lady Warrior Volleyball program. She is the all-time winningest volleyball coach with 255 career wins for the Warriors. Coach Mary joined the Sterling College Hall of Fame as the first-ever KCAC Championship team coach in 1993. She repeated the feat in 1997, and took the KCAC crown for the second time. The ’97 team had an overall record of 29-10 and went undefeated in the KCAC with a perfect 18-0 conference record. That team also played in the NAIA Great Plains Regional Tournament. Ver Steeg’s teams also succeeded in the classroom, 8 earning AVCA Academic Team status. Since retiring from coaching at the collegiate level, Coach Mary has continued at SC as a professor, continuing to influence young people in an athletic setting, and still coaches high school volleyball at Hutchinson Central Christian High School in Hutchinson, Kansas.

The 2013 football team was undoubtedly one of the best teams in program history. It was the first team to win a KCAC Championship with a 9-3 overall record, 8-1 in KCAC play. They qualified for the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time in school history and played Baker University. They were ranked #14 in the final NAIA poll. Head Coach Andy Lambert was named KCAC Coach of the Year, and Assistant Coaches Brett Clow and Chase Hansen were named Co-Assistant Coaches of the Year. This team had one of the top offenses in the nation. It ranked 10th nationally in passing efficiency (145.3), 12th in total rushing offense (2619 yards), 12th in total scoring offense (422 points), 14th in rushing offense per game (218.3 y/gm), and 14th in scoring offense per game (35.2 pts/gm).

Antonio Bray was ranked 1st in all-purpose yards (2352), 1st in kickoff return yards per attempt (35.7), 3rd in all-purpose yards per game (196), 4th in Division I in total kick-off return yards (820), 5th in total points scored from touchdowns (120), 6th in total points scored (120), 9th in points scored from touchdowns per Game (10), 10th in points scored per game (10), and 17th in punt return yards per attempt (11.5).

Mar E Whitson ranked 12th in fumbles forced per game (0.3). Reggie Langford ranked 14th in total offense (2665) and 16th in pass efficiency (141.1). Eddie Juarez ranked 16th in total scoring (Kicking) (71). Cedrique Smith ranked 20th in interceptions per game (0.4).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721302121859.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Sterling College AthleticsSTERLING, Kan. — Sterling College Athletics announces its 2024 Hall of Fame Recipients. This year’s class includes two student-athletes, one coach, and one KCAC Championship team. Sterling College’s fifteenth Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on September 28th, 2024. The induction ceremony will be held at halftime of the homecoming football game against Southwestern College at Smisor Stadium. There will be a reception before the game in the Gleason Center. More specific information can be found on the SC Warriors website as the Hall of Fame weekend approaches.Lonnie Paramore ’92 (Basketball), Jaymi (McAnally) Westrup ’07 (Women’s Soccer), Mary Ver Steeg (Volleyball Coach, 1989-2005), and the 2013 KCAC Champion Football Team make up the 2024 Hall of Fame class.Lonnie ParamoreLonnie Paramore had an illustrious career for the Warriors in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Paramore was a three-year letter winner, two-time All-KCAC award winner, and two-time NAIA All-District winner. He was a two-time SC Outstanding Basketball Player, 1990-91 Outstanding Senior Athlete, and ’90-91 KCAC Co-Player of the Year. When he stepped off the floor his final season, he was second-highest in points scored in a single game (44), had the second-highest scoring average (23.6 ppg), second-highest in points scored in a season, held the highest number of 3-point field goals made in a season (63), maintained the highest career shooting percentage (49.6%), had the highest career Free Throws made percentage (81.2%) and was fifth in total career points.Jaymi (McAnally) WestrupJaymi (McAnally) Westrup impressed many in her three and a half years as a Lady Warrior soccer player. She was a four-year letter winner for SC, a six-time KCAC Player of the Week, and two-time NAIA All-Region Player of the Week. In her freshman season, she earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC with 7 goals and 10 assists before an injury cut her season short after just nine games. In her sophomore campaign, she earned Second Team NSCAA Adidas All-American, All-KCAC First Team, tied for second in the KCAC in goals scored (16), and finished with nine assists. As a Junior, she was on the All-KCAC First Team, NAIA All-Region, and Honorable Mention NAIA All-American, and the team reached the NAIA Region IV tournament for the first time in program history. She scored 12 goals and had 7 assists. In her final season as a Warrior, Westrup was All-KCAC First Team, Second-Team All-Region, and scored 5 goals and had 5 assists. She was a three-year captain as well. In her career, she tallied 41 goals and 30 assists. Jaymi is still second in scoring and the all-time assist leader in Sterling College history. With Westrup on the team, Sterling went 45-31-2 overall and 25-11 in KCAC play.Mary Ver SteegMary Ver Steeg, or “Coach Mary” as she is now endearingly referred to, impacted the lives of many athletes in her sixteen years at the helm of the Lady Warrior Volleyball program. She is the all-time winningest volleyball coach with 255 career wins for the Warriors. Coach Mary joined the Sterling College Hall of Fame as the first-ever KCAC Championship team coach in 1993. She repeated the feat in 1997, and took the KCAC crown for the second time. The ’97 team had an overall record of 29-10 and went undefeated in the KCAC with a perfect 18-0 conference record. That team also played in the NAIA Great Plains Regional Tournament. Ver Steeg’s teams also succeeded in the classroom, 8 earning AVCA Academic Team status. Since retiring from coaching at the collegiate level, Coach Mary has continued at SC as a professor, continuing to influence young people in an athletic setting, and still coaches high school volleyball at Hutchinson Central Christian High School in Hutchinson, Kansas.2013 Football TeamThe 2013 football team was undoubtedly one of the best teams in program history. It was the first team to win a KCAC Championship with a 9-3 overall record, 8-1 in KCAC play. They qualified for the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time in school history and played Baker University. They were ranked #14 in the final NAIA poll. Head Coach Andy Lambert was named KCAC Coach of the Year, and Assistant Coaches Brett Clow and Chase Hansen were named Co-Assistant Coaches of the Year. This team had one of the top offenses in the nation. It ranked 10th nationally in passing efficiency (145.3), 12th in total rushing offense (2619 yards), 12th in total scoring offense (422 points), 14th in rushing offense per game (218.3 y/gm), and 14th in scoring offense per game (35.2 pts/gm).Antonio Bray was ranked 1st in all-purpose yards (2352), 1st in kickoff return yards per attempt (35.7), 3rd in all-purpose yards per game (196), 4th in Division I in total kick-off return yards (820), 5th in total points scored from touchdowns (120), 6th in total points scored (120), 9th in points scored from touchdowns per Game (10), 10th in points scored per game (10), and 17th in punt return yards per attempt (11.5).Mar E Whitson ranked 12th in fumbles forced per game (0.3). Reggie Langford ranked 14th in total offense (2665) and 16th in pass efficiency (141.1). Eddie Juarez ranked 16th in total scoring (Kicking) (71). Cedrique Smith ranked 20th in interceptions per game (0.4).

Paramore, Ver Steeg to enter Sterling Athletic HOF

WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge will reach a major milestone later this month: The organization will welcome its one-millionth fan to Riverfront Stadium! Since 2021, the Wind Surge have drawn 975,945 to their regular-season home games at the ballpark.

The lucky fan will be part of history and honored at Riverfront Stadium. The individual will receive:

They will also receive a Wind Surge Experience Package on a TBD date during the 2024 season, which includes:

The Surge has attracted 191,550 fans over 42 home contests this season, an average of 4,561 per game.

The club continues its season after the All-Star Break series at home on Friday, July 19, against the Frisco RoughRiders, with a 7:05 PM first pitch. They’ll take the field as the Turbo Tubs for the third time this season. Saturday night opens at 6:05 PM on "Wait, Who Are These Guys?" Night, where Wichita becomes the Malmo Oat Milkers for the first time ever! The weekend series wraps on Sunday Family Fun-Day at 1:05 PM, with pre-game catch on the field and post-game Kids Run the Bases. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721290196364.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge closing in on one-millionth fan" />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge closing in on one-millionth fan</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge will reach a major milestone later this month: The organization will welcome its one-millionth fan to Riverfront Stadium! Since 2021, the Wind Surge have drawn 975,945 to their regular-season home games at the ballpark.The lucky fan will be part of history and honored at Riverfront Stadium. The individual will receive:<ul>
 <li>Personalized “#1M” Wind Surge Jersey</li><li>2024 Team Autographed Bat</li><li>$200 team store credit</li><li>One (1) of each Promotional Giveaway Item from the 2024 Season</li>
 </ul>They will also receive a Wind Surge Experience Package on a TBD date during the 2024 season, which includes:<ul>
 <li>Four (4) Fidelity Club Seats</li><li>On-Field Photo with a Wind Surge Player (subject to availability)</li><li>One-Half Inning in the Radio Booth with Tim Grubbs</li><li>Opportunity to be the “Fireworks Starter” and blast off the Post-Game Fireworks Spectacular on the field (subject to date)</li><li>Opportunity to ride with Windy when he makes his Pre-Game Entrance</li>
 </ul>The Surge has attracted 191,550 fans over 42 home contests this season, an average of 4,561 per game.The club continues its season after the All-Star Break series at home on Friday, July 19, against the Frisco RoughRiders, with a 7:05 PM first pitch. They’ll take the field as the Turbo Tubs for the third time this season. Saturday night opens at 6:05 PM on "Wait, Who Are These Guys?" Night, where Wichita becomes the Malmo Oat Milkers for the first time ever! The weekend series wraps on Sunday Family Fun-Day at 1:05 PM, with pre-game catch on the field and post-game Kids Run the Bases. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/windsurge.com">windsurge.com</a>.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge drawing closer to one-millionth fan At Riverfront Stadium

Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA's game assists record with 19 in Fever's loss to Wings

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA record for assists in a game Wednesday night, finishing with 19 in the Fever's 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings. The previous record was 18 by Courtney Vandersloot for Chicago on Aug. 31, 2020. Vandersloot also had 18 in a playoff game on Sept. 28, 2021. And the league's previous record for assists by a rookie was 16, set by Ticha Penicheiro for Sacramento on July 29, 1998. The record-breaker for Clark came on a play where she set Kelsey Mitchell up for a 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining. That tied it at 93, but Dallas closed with an 8-0 run. Clark entered the game as the WNBA's assists-per-game leader this season. She added 24 points on 10-for-19 shooting.

McIlroy gets last chance to recover from another major letdown as British Open starts at Troon

TROON, Scotland (AP) — Rory McIlroy takes his first big step toward moving past a major championship collapse. It comes in the last major of the year. McIlroy is among the early starters at Royal Troon as the 152nd British Open gets under way. This is the 10th time at Royal Troon. McIlroy last month was poised to end a decade without a major until missing a pair of 3-foot putts in the U.S. Open to finish one behind Bryson DeChambeau. McIlroy is optimistic about the state of his game. Now he has to handle the wind and bunkers of Royal Troon.

Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan is the youngest ever in MLS. He's just 14 years old

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player in Major League Soccer history when he made his debut against the New England Revolution. At 14 years and 293 days old, Sullivan is about two weeks younger than Freddy Adu was when he made his MLS debut in 2004. Sullivan is also younger than any player who has appeared in any of the four major North American sports since at least 1970. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that mark is held by Andrew Bynum. He debuted for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005 at the age of 18 years, 6 days.

Bronny James bounces back with 12 points, Lakers top Hawks 87-86 at Summer League

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bronny James got some shots to fall Wednesday night in perhaps his best performance yet out of his five games with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. The son of NBA career scoring leader LeBron James finished with 12 points in the Lakers' 87-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Summer League in Las Vegas. Bronny James made four of his first five shots, including his first 3-pointer of the summer on his 17th attempt. He finished 5 for 11 from the field, 2 for 5 from 3-point range.

Magic co-founder Pat Williams, who helped bring team to Orlando, dies at 84

Pat Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, has died from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league's board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989.

Nick Saban is back at SEC Media Days, 6 months after retiring and asking the questions now

DALLAS (AP) — Nick Saban is at SEC Media Days again, six months after retiring as Alabama coach. This time he's asking the questions as part of ESPN's SEC Network coverage of the four-day event. Saban retired after 17 seasons with the Tide and three decades as a head coach. The seven-time national champion will work for ESPN this season on its "College GameDay" Saturday pregame show. He said he strives to be objective as a broadcaster and steer away from being controversial. Though he already made a headline by picking Georgia and Texas, and not Alabama, to play for the SEC title.

Jon Jones fights charges stemming from alleged hostility during a drug test at his home

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has pleaded not guilty to a pair of misdemeanor charges stemming from a drug test at his home in which he was accused of being hostile. He appeared with his attorney Wednesday for a virtual court hearing. Jones has said on social media that the allegations were baseless and that he never threatened anyone. A woman who worked for a company that conducts drug tests on professional athletes initially filed a report with police in April. She accused Jones of threatening her and cursing at her when she and a colleague visited Jones' home for a test in March.

MLB All-Star Game viewers up 6% to 7.44 million after falling to record low last year

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani, Jarren Duran and the rest of this year's All-Stars drew 7,443,000 viewers on Fox, up 6% from the 2023 game but the second lowest for the event. The American League's 5-3 victory at Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night saw an increase from the 7,006,000 viewers for the National League's 3-2 win last year at Seattle. The 2022 game is Los Angeles was watched by 7.51 million. An additional 116,000 viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Fox Deportes, up 36% from 85,000 last year.

French anti-terror police detain alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer suspected of targeting Olympic torch

PARIS (AP) — French anti-terror police have detained an alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer suspected of wanting to target the Olympic torch relay. The Paris prosecutor's office said the man was detained Wednesday in the Alsace region of eastern France. It said he runs a group titled "French Aryan division" on the social media channel Telegram and was detained for questioning about death threats, hate speech and other postings he allegedly made. The prosecutor's office said his alleged comments that triggered the probe by its unit dedicated to fighting online hate didn't specifically target the Paris Olympics that kick off July 26. But Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the suspect had "a willingness to intervene during a stage, evidently, of the torch relay."

Sha'Carri Richardson out to prove she is not just back, but better after drug suspension

Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson's comeback story reaches its crescendo when she goes for gold at the Paris Olympics in the 100 meters. The woman who burst onto the scene three years ago, only to see her Olympic trip squelched by a positive test for marijuana has been leaning on the mantra "I'm not back, I'm better" ever since winning the U.S. and world titles last year. She has yet to tell the full story, which includes bouts with depression and the death of her mother. Whether she stays in the spotlight depends a lot on how she fares in the 100-meter final on August 3rd at the Stade de France in Paris.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final	Vancouver	2	Sporting Kansas City	1	

Final tie	Real Salt Lake	1	Los Angeles FC	1	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, July 18th 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, July 18th 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for July 18th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8543293/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>Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA's game assists record with 19 in Fever's loss to WingsARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA record for assists in a game Wednesday night, finishing with 19 in the Fever's 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings. The previous record was 18 by Courtney Vandersloot for Chicago on Aug. 31, 2020. Vandersloot also had 18 in a playoff game on Sept. 28, 2021. And the league's previous record for assists by a rookie was 16, set by Ticha Penicheiro for Sacramento on July 29, 1998. The record-breaker for Clark came on a play where she set Kelsey Mitchell up for a 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining. That tied it at 93, but Dallas closed with an 8-0 run. Clark entered the game as the WNBA's assists-per-game leader this season. She added 24 points on 10-for-19 shooting.McIlroy gets last chance to recover from another major letdown as British Open starts at TroonTROON, Scotland (AP) — Rory McIlroy takes his first big step toward moving past a major championship collapse. It comes in the last major of the year. McIlroy is among the early starters at Royal Troon as the 152nd British Open gets under way. This is the 10th time at Royal Troon. McIlroy last month was poised to end a decade without a major until missing a pair of 3-foot putts in the U.S. Open to finish one behind Bryson DeChambeau. McIlroy is optimistic about the state of his game. Now he has to handle the wind and bunkers of Royal Troon.Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan is the youngest ever in MLS. He's just 14 years oldCHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player in Major League Soccer history when he made his debut against the New England Revolution. At 14 years and 293 days old, Sullivan is about two weeks younger than Freddy Adu was when he made his MLS debut in 2004. Sullivan is also younger than any player who has appeared in any of the four major North American sports since at least 1970. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that mark is held by Andrew Bynum. He debuted for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005 at the age of 18 years, 6 days.Bronny James bounces back with 12 points, Lakers top Hawks 87-86 at Summer LeagueLAS VEGAS (AP) — Bronny James got some shots to fall Wednesday night in perhaps his best performance yet out of his five games with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. The son of NBA career scoring leader LeBron James finished with 12 points in the Lakers' 87-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Summer League in Las Vegas. Bronny James made four of his first five shots, including his first 3-pointer of the summer on his 17th attempt. He finished 5 for 11 from the field, 2 for 5 from 3-point range.Magic co-founder Pat Williams, who helped bring team to Orlando, dies at 84Pat Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, has died from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league's board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989.Nick Saban is back at SEC Media Days, 6 months after retiring and asking the questions nowDALLAS (AP) — Nick Saban is at SEC Media Days again, six months after retiring as Alabama coach. This time he's asking the questions as part of ESPN's SEC Network coverage of the four-day event. Saban retired after 17 seasons with the Tide and three decades as a head coach. The seven-time national champion will work for ESPN this season on its "College GameDay" Saturday pregame show. He said he strives to be objective as a broadcaster and steer away from being controversial. Though he already made a headline by picking Georgia and Texas, and not Alabama, to play for the SEC title.Jon Jones fights charges stemming from alleged hostility during a drug test at his homeALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has pleaded not guilty to a pair of misdemeanor charges stemming from a drug test at his home in which he was accused of being hostile. He appeared with his attorney Wednesday for a virtual court hearing. Jones has said on social media that the allegations were baseless and that he never threatened anyone. A woman who worked for a company that conducts drug tests on professional athletes initially filed a report with police in April. She accused Jones of threatening her and cursing at her when she and a colleague visited Jones' home for a test in March.MLB All-Star Game viewers up 6% to 7.44 million after falling to record low last yearNEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani, Jarren Duran and the rest of this year's All-Stars drew 7,443,000 viewers on Fox, up 6% from the 2023 game but the second lowest for the event. The American League's 5-3 victory at Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night saw an increase from the 7,006,000 viewers for the National League's 3-2 win last year at Seattle. The 2022 game is Los Angeles was watched by 7.51 million. An additional 116,000 viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Fox Deportes, up 36% from 85,000 last year.French anti-terror police detain alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer suspected of targeting Olympic torchPARIS (AP) — French anti-terror police have detained an alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer suspected of wanting to target the Olympic torch relay. The Paris prosecutor's office said the man was detained Wednesday in the Alsace region of eastern France. It said he runs a group titled "French Aryan division" on the social media channel Telegram and was detained for questioning about death threats, hate speech and other postings he allegedly made. The prosecutor's office said his alleged comments that triggered the probe by its unit dedicated to fighting online hate didn't specifically target the Paris Olympics that kick off July 26. But Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the suspect had "a willingness to intervene during a stage, evidently, of the torch relay."Sha'Carri Richardson out to prove she is not just back, but better after drug suspensionSprinter Sha'Carri Richardson's comeback story reaches its crescendo when she goes for gold at the Paris Olympics in the 100 meters. The woman who burst onto the scene three years ago, only to see her Olympic trip squelched by a positive test for marijuana has been leaning on the mantra "I'm not back, I'm better" ever since winning the U.S. and world titles last year. She has yet to tell the full story, which includes bouts with depression and the death of her mother. Whether she stays in the spotlight depends a lot on how she fares in the 100-meter final on August 3rd at the Stade de France in Paris.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Minnesota	86	Atlanta	79	Final	Dallas	101	Indiana	93	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCERFinal tie	New York City FC	2	Atlanta	2	Final	Chicago	1	Cincinnati	0	Final tie	Charlotte FC	1	Columbus	1	Final	Miami	3	Toronto FC	1	Final tie	CF Montréal	2	New York	2	Final	Philadelphia	5	New England	1	Final	FC Dallas	3	Austin FC	1	Final	D.C. United	3	Minnesota	2	Final	Orlando City	3	Nashville	0	Final	LA Galaxy	3	Colorado	2	Final	Houston	1	San Jose	0	Final	Seattle	2	St Louis City	0	Final	Vancouver	2	Sporting Kansas City	1	Final tie	Real Salt Lake	1	Los Angeles FC	1	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Thursday

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;- Wichita State Athletics is accepting public nominations for the 2025 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction, Associate AD for Strategic Communications&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>&nbsp;announced today.

Former student-athletes are not eligible for induction until nine years after their initial enrollment at Wichita State University. This year's class must have an initial enrollment of Fall, 2016, or before.

Submit nominations, along with support materials to&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>, Associate AD/Strategic Communications, Charles Koch Arena, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, Kansas, 67260-0018 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tcutler@goshockers.com">tcutler@goshockers.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685474248819.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;- Wichita State Athletics is accepting public nominations for the 2025 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction, Associate AD for Strategic Communications&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>&nbsp;announced today.Former student-athletes are not eligible for induction until nine years after their initial enrollment at Wichita State University. This year's class must have an initial enrollment of Fall, 2016, or before.Submit nominations, along with support materials to&nbsp;<a href="http://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=28">Tami Cutler</a>, Associate AD/Strategic Communications, Charles Koch Arena, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, Kansas, 67260-0018 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tcutler@goshockers.com">tcutler@goshockers.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WSU seeking nominations for Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame class

ARLINGTON, Tex. — The United Football League held its UFL College Draft on Wednesday and a familiar name was selected first.

Kansas quarterback Jason Bean was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Memphis Showboats.&nbsp;

Bean is currently signed with the Indianapolis Colts after joining the team as an undrafted free agent.

In his senior season, Bean helped lead the Jayhawks to a 9-4 record and to its first bowl victory since 2008. He threw for 2,130 yards and 18 touchdowns this past fall in Lawrence. He added nearly 300 yards rushing to go along with three touchdowns.

The UFL season takes place during the spring, just completed its first season after it had been formed by a merger of two previous professional leagues, the XFL and USFL. Its draft pool consists strictly of players who went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft in April.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721234805141.jpeg" alt="Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jason Bean throws during NFL football practice at the team's headquarters Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)" />
 <figcaption>Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jason Bean throws during NFL football practice at the team's headquarters Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostARLINGTON, Tex. — The United Football League held its UFL College Draft on Wednesday and a familiar name was selected first.Kansas quarterback Jason Bean was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Memphis Showboats.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With the first pick of the 2024 UFL College Draft, we’ve selected QB Jason Bean 🙌🚤 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SHOWTIME?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SHOWTIME</a>🤩 <a href="https://t.co/yNcekeBtX6">pic.twitter.com/yNcekeBtX6</a>&mdash; Memphis Showboats (@USFLShowboats) <a href="https://twitter.com/USFLShowboats/status/1813578497887203347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Bean is currently signed with the Indianapolis Colts after joining the team as an undrafted free agent.In his senior season, Bean helped lead the Jayhawks to a 9-4 record and to its first bowl victory since 2008. He threw for 2,130 yards and 18 touchdowns this past fall in Lawrence. He added nearly 300 yards rushing to go along with three touchdowns.The UFL season takes place during the spring, just completed its first season after it had been formed by a merger of two previous professional leagues, the XFL and USFL. Its draft pool consists strictly of players who went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft in April.

🏈 Former Jayhawk selected No. 1 in UFL College Draft

STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.

Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-anthony-santand">hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer</a>&nbsp;for the American League and being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-is-named-the-2024-all-star-game-mvp">awarded the MVP trophy</a>&nbsp;named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

“That's an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”

The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-skenes-allstars-6b6611f683a612ef2c263c6bfd5d6396">Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes</a>&nbsp;pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.

Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.

“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.

Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.

Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.

“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”

Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-allstars-d70046c8cf15a5d1b31aed95c1f73346">pulled a 400-foot drive to right</a>&nbsp;off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.

“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”

When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.

Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.

Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.

“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”

The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.

Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.

The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League's 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-corbin-burnes-499fe81cf19ebe1fbf03f0a88bf93446">AL starter Corbin Burnes</a>&nbsp;arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.

After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.

Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.

Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL's San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.

The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721208842253.jpeg" alt="American League's Jarren Duran, of the Boston Red Sox, hits a home run during the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Anthony Santander, of the Baltimore Orioles, also scored. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" />
 <figcaption>American League's Jarren Duran, of the Boston Red Sox, hits a home run during the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Anthony Santander, of the Baltimore Orioles, also scored. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)</figcaption>
 </figure>STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball WriterARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-homers-1-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-anthony-santand">hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer</a>&nbsp;for the American League and being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/747298/video/jarren-duran-is-named-the-2024-all-star-game-mvp">awarded the MVP trophy</a>&nbsp;named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.“That's an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-skenes-allstars-6b6611f683a612ef2c263c6bfd5d6396">Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes</a>&nbsp;pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-allstars-d70046c8cf15a5d1b31aed95c1f73346">pulled a 400-foot drive to right</a>&nbsp;off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League's 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-corbin-burnes-499fe81cf19ebe1fbf03f0a88bf93446">AL starter Corbin Burnes</a>&nbsp;arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.<h2>Quick game</h2>Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.<h2>Won in both leagues</h2>Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL's San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.<h2>Up next</h2>The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

⚾ Duran's homer leads AL to All-Star win

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games. Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the third for a 3-0 lead. Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single for the AL to tie the score in the third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph fastball in his perfect inning. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

UNDATED (AP) — Major League Baseball’s three-day amateur draft concluded on Tuesday, with the 30 teams blazing through 300 picks in less than 3 1/2 hours. There were some familiar last names selected on the final day, which consisted of rounds 11 through 20. The Los Angeles Angels took outfielder Lucas Ramirez in the 17th round. Ramirez is the son of 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez. The Boston Red Sox selected D’Angelo Ortiz in the 19th round and he’s the son of Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz. In the 20th round, the Toronto Blue Jays took USC shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, who is the son of former All-Star Mark Grudzielanek.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes joined rookies and select veterans in reporting for the starting camp Tuesday as the Kansas City Chiefs set their sights on a record third straight Super Bowl title. They had a short offseason after beating the 49ers on Feb. 11 to win the Lombardi Trophy. Standout left guard Joe Thuney will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list following surgery for a pectoral injury. Defensive back Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi also will be on the PUP list. First-round pick Xavier Worthy, a wide receiver out of Texas, will be available for practice this week after missing most of the offseason with a hamstring injury.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, recently announced that they were expecting their third child, but don't expect a fourth. Mahomes was adamant that he is done after the third joins his daughter, Sterling, and his son, Bronze. He spoke Tuesday at Missouri Western, where the two-time NFL MVP joined Chiefs rookies and select veterans in reporting for training camp. The Mahomes family recently returned from a European vacation that included stops in Spain, Portugal, and at Wimbledon. The couple also joined Travis Kelce in watching his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, perform at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have locked in their top two rookies, agreeing to four-year contracts with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams and No. 9 selection Rome Odunze and avoiding any training camp drama with their prized quarterback and receiver. A person familiar with the deal confirmed the agreement with Williams to The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the contract. Williams gets a slotted $39.49 million fully guaranteed deal with a $25.5 million signing bonus. The Bears announced Odunze signed. The club has options for 2028 on both players. The Bears are banking on Williams to become the sort of franchise quarterback Chicago has craved for decades.

UNDATED (AP) — The Pac-12’s existing bowl game agreements will continue through the 2025 season despite the league’s breakup. Among other things, it means Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining Pac-12 schools after the conference collapsed in realignment last summer, will retain their postseason opportunities. The league has worked with the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences on the agreements for the Holiday Bowl, Independence Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Sun Bowl, Alamo Bowl and the ESPN bowl pool.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Pac-12 may be down to the Pac-2, but that doesn’t mean the league or its remaining members — Oregon State and Washington State — aren’t gearing up for football. Drawing reporters who were in town for the Big 12 and Mountain West Conference media days, the abandoned Pac-12 Conference hosted “After Hours with the Beavs &amp; Cougs” in an intimate setting at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on Wednesday. The night included gourmet hors d’oeuvres and an open bar and current coaches, former stars and athletic officialds talking about the future.

DALLAS (AP) — Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava are the Southeastern Conference's wild-card quarterbacks. The two first-year starters and former five-star recruits have the potential to turn their teams into College Football Playoff contenders. The Sooners made their SEC Media Days debut on Tuesday and Arnold was the main attraction, drawing a three-deep crowd of reporters around his dais. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel decided to leave his first-year starter at home, but don’t mistake that for a lack of confidence for Iamaleava. Heupel said he expects Iamaleava to ‘hit the ground running.’

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s next media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting Tuesday, moving the league one giant step closer to finalizing the 11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion. Now comes the next, and possibly final, step: seeing if Warner Bros. Discovery will match one of the deals in an effort to extend a relationship with the NBA that dates to the late 1980s. WBD has five days to match, that clock starting to run when it receives the contracts from the league.

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving has a broken left hand that required surgery after getting injured in an offseason workout. The Dallas Mavericks aren't providing a timeline for Irving's recovery. Irving and Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in their first full season together. Boston won the title series in five games. The 32-year-old Irving averaged 25.6 points in 58 games during the regular season while dealing with foot, heel and thumb injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday July 17th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday July 17th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8542784/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>ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games. Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the third for a 3-0 lead. Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single for the AL to tie the score in the third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph fastball in his perfect inning. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.UNDATED (AP) — Major League Baseball’s three-day amateur draft concluded on Tuesday, with the 30 teams blazing through 300 picks in less than 3 1/2 hours. There were some familiar last names selected on the final day, which consisted of rounds 11 through 20. The Los Angeles Angels took outfielder Lucas Ramirez in the 17th round. Ramirez is the son of 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez. The Boston Red Sox selected D’Angelo Ortiz in the 19th round and he’s the son of Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz. In the 20th round, the Toronto Blue Jays took USC shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, who is the son of former All-Star Mark Grudzielanek.ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes joined rookies and select veterans in reporting for the starting camp Tuesday as the Kansas City Chiefs set their sights on a record third straight Super Bowl title. They had a short offseason after beating the 49ers on Feb. 11 to win the Lombardi Trophy. Standout left guard Joe Thuney will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list following surgery for a pectoral injury. Defensive back Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi also will be on the PUP list. First-round pick Xavier Worthy, a wide receiver out of Texas, will be available for practice this week after missing most of the offseason with a hamstring injury.ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, recently announced that they were expecting their third child, but don't expect a fourth. Mahomes was adamant that he is done after the third joins his daughter, Sterling, and his son, Bronze. He spoke Tuesday at Missouri Western, where the two-time NFL MVP joined Chiefs rookies and select veterans in reporting for training camp. The Mahomes family recently returned from a European vacation that included stops in Spain, Portugal, and at Wimbledon. The couple also joined Travis Kelce in watching his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, perform at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have locked in their top two rookies, agreeing to four-year contracts with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams and No. 9 selection Rome Odunze and avoiding any training camp drama with their prized quarterback and receiver. A person familiar with the deal confirmed the agreement with Williams to The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the contract. Williams gets a slotted $39.49 million fully guaranteed deal with a $25.5 million signing bonus. The Bears announced Odunze signed. The club has options for 2028 on both players. The Bears are banking on Williams to become the sort of franchise quarterback Chicago has craved for decades.UNDATED (AP) — The Pac-12’s existing bowl game agreements will continue through the 2025 season despite the league’s breakup. Among other things, it means Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining Pac-12 schools after the conference collapsed in realignment last summer, will retain their postseason opportunities. The league has worked with the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences on the agreements for the Holiday Bowl, Independence Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Sun Bowl, Alamo Bowl and the ESPN bowl pool.LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Pac-12 may be down to the Pac-2, but that doesn’t mean the league or its remaining members — Oregon State and Washington State — aren’t gearing up for football. Drawing reporters who were in town for the Big 12 and Mountain West Conference media days, the abandoned Pac-12 Conference hosted “After Hours with the Beavs &amp; Cougs” in an intimate setting at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on Wednesday. The night included gourmet hors d’oeuvres and an open bar and current coaches, former stars and athletic officialds talking about the future.DALLAS (AP) — Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava are the Southeastern Conference's wild-card quarterbacks. The two first-year starters and former five-star recruits have the potential to turn their teams into College Football Playoff contenders. The Sooners made their SEC Media Days debut on Tuesday and Arnold was the main attraction, drawing a three-deep crowd of reporters around his dais. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel decided to leave his first-year starter at home, but don’t mistake that for a lack of confidence for Iamaleava. Heupel said he expects Iamaleava to ‘hit the ground running.’LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s next media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting Tuesday, moving the league one giant step closer to finalizing the 11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion. Now comes the next, and possibly final, step: seeing if Warner Bros. Discovery will match one of the deals in an effort to extend a relationship with the NBA that dates to the late 1980s. WBD has five days to match, that clock starting to run when it receives the contracts from the league.DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving has a broken left hand that required surgery after getting injured in an offseason workout. The Dallas Mavericks aren't providing a timeline for Irving's recovery. Irving and Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in their first full season together. Boston won the title series in five games. The 32-year-old Irving averaged 25.6 points in 58 games during the regular season while dealing with foot, heel and thumb injuries.

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Wednesday, July 17th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Wednesday, July 17th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="July 17th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=i54wz-167005e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: 🏈 Chiefs camp opens:⚾ AL rallies to win All-Star game

LAWRENCE, Kan. —&nbsp;Right-handed pitchers Ethan Lanthier and Tegan Cain, catcher Ben Hartl and left-handed pitcher Evan Shaw were all selected on the third and final day of the MLB Draft on Tuesday. The four Jayhawks drafted brings the total to six Kansas players selected after right-handed pitcher Hunter Cranton and infielder/catcher Kodey Shojinaga were drafted on Monday.

"I'm really proud of this draft class," Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. "We've come a long way in two years and have our work cut out for us in replacing these guys! My staff did a fantastic job in finding these guys, recruiting them, and developing them at a high level! The bar has certainly been raised."

Lanthier was drafted in the 12th round (353rd overall) by the New York Mets, Cain was chosen in the 13th round (402nd overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies, Hartl was selected in the 14th round (435th overall) by the Texas Rangers and Shaw was taken in the 16th round (490th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The six selections are the most by Kansas in the top 20 rounds of an MLB Draft in program history. It also marks the most draft picks since 2014 and only one shy of the school record of seven set in 2010. Kansas had the second most players drafted by a current Big 12 school, trailing only Oklahoma State who had eight.

In only his second season at Kansas, Fitzgerald, and his coaching staff of Brandon Scott, Tyler Hancock and Jon Coyne, had as many players drafted in 2024 as the previous six years combined. Five of the six Jayhawks selected in this year's draft were recruited by Fitzgerald and his staff, with the lone exception being Shojinaga, who was converted from a catcher to an All-Big 12 infielder by Fitzgerald and his staff in both of his seasons at Kansas.

Lanthier developed into a multi-inning reliever midway through the 2024 season. The 6-5 right-hander provided length for the Jayhawks, specifically on Sundays as the first pitcher out of the bullpen. Lanthier finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 4.54 ERA across 20 appearances. Eleven of those 20 outings were more than one inning.

"Ethan had a fantastic year for us and is a great pick for the Mets," Fitzgerald said. "Lanth has a huge fastball and great feel for a well-above average slider. He's a great competitor and an outstanding teammate."

Prior to the season, Lanthier was awarded a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. He was coming off a summer in the Cape Cod League where he was named an All-Star. Lanthier wrapped up his 2024 season at Kansas with 42 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched.

A native of Northfield, Minnesota, Lanthier spent two years at St. Cloud State before playing at KU for one season. He posted a 7-2 record with a 3.67 ERA in 29 appearances while a member of the Huskies.

Round 13, No. 402 Overall, Philadelphia Phillies

Cain morphed into the setup man for Kansas out of the bullpen this past season. Throwing from a unique arm slot, Cain has a fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90s to go along with a dynamic slider and changeup. He had a 1-2 record with a 5.94 ERA in 27 appearances (one start).

"Tegan has an above average changeup that was really effective versus right-handed hitters," Fitzgerald said. "His fastball velocity improved greatly in his time as a Jayhawk."

Cain's 46 strikeouts as a reliever led the team and his 27 pitching appearances were the second most on the team. He recorded at least one strikeout in 22 of those outings and had multiple strikeouts in 12 of those contests. He finished the season with 12.69 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

The Ellis, Kansas, native played at Kansas one season after beginning his career at Barton Community College. In his two seasons at Barton, Cain went 9-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 108.2 innings pitched.

Hartl, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, played a key role for the Jayhawks offensively and defensively in 2024. Hartl led the team in on-base percentage (.460) and hit by pitches (17), while he was second on the team with 11 home runs. He hit .309 on the season with a 1.059 OPS in 45 games (41 starts). 

"Hartl will be a great addition to the Rangers," Fitzgerald said. "Ben has great strike zone discipline and is a very good defender behind the plate."

Originally recruited as a catcher, Hartl became the primary first baseman for the Jayhawks as he started 32 games at the position. Hartl provided multiple clutch late-game heroics this past season as he had a walk-off RBI single against Texas Tech and a go-ahead ninth inning home run against Texas.

A native of Springfield, Illinois, Hartl came to Kansas for one season after spending the previous two seasons at Heartland Community College. Hartl was an ABCA/Rawlings NJCAA Div. II All-American in 2022 and 2023 and also helped Heartland capture its first national title in program history in 2023.

Round 16, No. 490 Overall, Los Angeles Dodgers

Shaw served in multiple roles for the Jayhawks in 2024. He started the season by pitching out of the bullpen before alternating between a midweek and weekend starter. The southpaw went 3-1 on the season with a 5.10 ERA across 18 appearances (10 starts).

"Shaw had one of the best left-handed sliders in this year's draft to go along with an above average fastball," Fitzgerald said. "He's a great athlete and will pitch for a long time in professional baseball."

Shaw's ability to make hitters swing and miss made him dangerous any time he touched the mound. He had at least three strikeouts in 11 of his 18 appearances and was second on the team with 12.76 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Shaw had 60 strikeouts this past season in 42.1 innings pitched.

The Fridley, Minnesota, native was at Kansas for one season after playing at Cochise College in 2022 and 2023 and Minnesota State in 2020. While at Cochise, Shaw was an all-conference and all-region performer. He was 12-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 129.0 innings pitched with the Apaches.

Kansas finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 31-23 and a 15-15 mark in conference play. The 31 wins were the most for Kansas since 2019 and the 15 victories in Big 12 games were tied for the most in program history. The Jayhawks also advanced to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship this past season for the first time since 2013.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721216143182.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas AthleticsLAWRENCE, Kan. —&nbsp;Right-handed pitchers Ethan Lanthier and Tegan Cain, catcher Ben Hartl and left-handed pitcher Evan Shaw were all selected on the third and final day of the MLB Draft on Tuesday. The four Jayhawks drafted brings the total to six Kansas players selected after right-handed pitcher Hunter Cranton and infielder/catcher Kodey Shojinaga were drafted on Monday."I'm really proud of this draft class," Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. "We've come a long way in two years and have our work cut out for us in replacing these guys! My staff did a fantastic job in finding these guys, recruiting them, and developing them at a high level! The bar has certainly been raised."Lanthier was drafted in the 12th round (353rd overall) by the New York Mets, Cain was chosen in the 13th round (402nd overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies, Hartl was selected in the 14th round (435th overall) by the Texas Rangers and Shaw was taken in the 16th round (490th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers.The six selections are the most by Kansas in the top 20 rounds of an MLB Draft in program history. It also marks the most draft picks since 2014 and only one shy of the school record of seven set in 2010. Kansas had the second most players drafted by a current Big 12 school, trailing only Oklahoma State who had eight.In only his second season at Kansas, Fitzgerald, and his coaching staff of Brandon Scott, Tyler Hancock and Jon Coyne, had as many players drafted in 2024 as the previous six years combined. Five of the six Jayhawks selected in this year's draft were recruited by Fitzgerald and his staff, with the lone exception being Shojinaga, who was converted from a catcher to an All-Big 12 infielder by Fitzgerald and his staff in both of his seasons at Kansas.RHP Ethan Lanthier (Jr.)Round 12, No. 353 Overall, New York MetsLanthier developed into a multi-inning reliever midway through the 2024 season. The 6-5 right-hander provided length for the Jayhawks, specifically on Sundays as the first pitcher out of the bullpen. Lanthier finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 4.54 ERA across 20 appearances. Eleven of those 20 outings were more than one inning."Ethan had a fantastic year for us and is a great pick for the Mets," Fitzgerald said. "Lanth has a huge fastball and great feel for a well-above average slider. He's a great competitor and an outstanding teammate."Prior to the season, Lanthier was awarded a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. He was coming off a summer in the Cape Cod League where he was named an All-Star. Lanthier wrapped up his 2024 season at Kansas with 42 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched.A native of Northfield, Minnesota, Lanthier spent two years at St. Cloud State before playing at KU for one season. He posted a 7-2 record with a 3.67 ERA in 29 appearances while a member of the Huskies.RHP Tegan Cain (Jr.)Round 13, No. 402 Overall, Philadelphia PhilliesCain morphed into the setup man for Kansas out of the bullpen this past season. Throwing from a unique arm slot, Cain has a fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90s to go along with a dynamic slider and changeup. He had a 1-2 record with a 5.94 ERA in 27 appearances (one start)."Tegan has an above average changeup that was really effective versus right-handed hitters," Fitzgerald said. "His fastball velocity improved greatly in his time as a Jayhawk."Cain's 46 strikeouts as a reliever led the team and his 27 pitching appearances were the second most on the team. He recorded at least one strikeout in 22 of those outings and had multiple strikeouts in 12 of those contests. He finished the season with 12.69 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.The Ellis, Kansas, native played at Kansas one season after beginning his career at Barton Community College. In his two seasons at Barton, Cain went 9-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 108.2 innings pitched.C Ben Hartl (Jr.)Round 14, No. 435 Overall, Texas RangersHartl, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, played a key role for the Jayhawks offensively and defensively in 2024. Hartl led the team in on-base percentage (.460) and hit by pitches (17), while he was second on the team with 11 home runs. He hit .309 on the season with a 1.059 OPS in 45 games (41 starts). "Hartl will be a great addition to the Rangers," Fitzgerald said. "Ben has great strike zone discipline and is a very good defender behind the plate."Originally recruited as a catcher, Hartl became the primary first baseman for the Jayhawks as he started 32 games at the position. Hartl provided multiple clutch late-game heroics this past season as he had a walk-off RBI single against Texas Tech and a go-ahead ninth inning home run against Texas.A native of Springfield, Illinois, Hartl came to Kansas for one season after spending the previous two seasons at Heartland Community College. Hartl was an ABCA/Rawlings NJCAA Div. II All-American in 2022 and 2023 and also helped Heartland capture its first national title in program history in 2023.Evan Shaw (Jr.)Round 16, No. 490 Overall, Los Angeles DodgersShaw served in multiple roles for the Jayhawks in 2024. He started the season by pitching out of the bullpen before alternating between a midweek and weekend starter. The southpaw went 3-1 on the season with a 5.10 ERA across 18 appearances (10 starts)."Shaw had one of the best left-handed sliders in this year's draft to go along with an above average fastball," Fitzgerald said. "He's a great athlete and will pitch for a long time in professional baseball."Shaw's ability to make hitters swing and miss made him dangerous any time he touched the mound. He had at least three strikeouts in 11 of his 18 appearances and was second on the team with 12.76 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Shaw had 60 strikeouts this past season in 42.1 innings pitched.The Fridley, Minnesota, native was at Kansas for one season after playing at Cochise College in 2022 and 2023 and Minnesota State in 2020. While at Cochise, Shaw was an all-conference and all-region performer. He was 12-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 129.0 innings pitched with the Apaches.Kansas finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 31-23 and a 15-15 mark in conference play. The 31 wins were the most for Kansas since 2019 and the 15 victories in Big 12 games were tied for the most in program history. The Jayhawks also advanced to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship this past season for the first time since 2013.

⚾ 4 Jayhawks picked on final day of MLB Draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Filming is going on this week at Arrowhead Stadium for the upcoming <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/79fae240-b932-416f-869b-68ea2ff6a9f2">Chiefs and Hallmark movie collaboration</a>.

In Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest.  Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana    and her family stack up against the other two finalists.  As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfathers (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs, good luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.

The movie will premiere on the Hallmark Channel as part of the network’s “Countdown to Christmas” later this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719398947587.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Filming is going on this week at Arrowhead Stadium for the upcoming <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/79fae240-b932-416f-869b-68ea2ff6a9f2">Chiefs and Hallmark movie collaboration</a>.In Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfathers (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs, good luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.The movie will premiere on the Hallmark Channel as part of the network’s “Countdown to Christmas” later this year.

🏈 Filming at Arrowhead for Chiefs Hallmark movie

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals selected 10 players on the third and final day of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.

In total, the Royals selected 15 pitchers, two outfielders, one infielder, one catcher and a two-way player. Of their 20 picks, 16 were from the college ranks and four were high school players, including one player who graduated from high school in 2023 and took a gap year in 2024.

With the 317th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Zachary Cawyer&nbsp;out of Texas Christian University. Cawyer, 21, went 6-2 with a 5.20 ERA (21 ER in 36.1 IP) and 39 strikeouts (24.8 K%) across 24 appearances (1 start) this season at TCU. He earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors as well as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after the season. Zachary pitched in 9 games for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League, spinning 13.1 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts (34.0 K%) and 3 walks. Prior to transferring to TCU, he pitched two seasons at McLennan Community College (Texas), where he posted a 3.14 ERA (17 ER in 48.2 IP) as a sophomore and earned CSC Academic All-District honors, after missing most of his freshman season due to injury.

With the 347th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Tommy Molsky&nbsp;out of Oklahoma State University. Molsky, 21, pitched in just one season at OSU, where he went 6-3 with 66 strikeouts (33.7 K%) and just 27 walks (13.8%) in 19 games (2 starts). Prior to pitching for the Cowboys, he played two seasons at Penn State University, where he appeared in 31 games (18 starts) and struck out 83 hitters in 95.1 innings. Molsky is also a two-time participant in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched in 15 combined games (3 starts) for Chatham from 2022-23, and struck out 36 batters in 40.1 innings pitched while earning 3 wins.

With the 377th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected infielder&nbsp;Sam Kulasingam&nbsp;out of the United States Air Force Academy (Colo.). Kulasingam, 23, slashed .323/.416/.498 (74-for-229, .914 OPS) in 55 games at the Air Force Academy as a senior this season. Over his four-year career, he posted a 1.067 OPS with a .377/.470/.598 (305-for-810) slashline in 206 games, while also walking (118) more than he struck out (102). He won back-to-back&nbsp;Tony Gwynn&nbsp;Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Awards from 2022-23, joining&nbsp;C.J. Cron,&nbsp;Mitch Garver&nbsp;and&nbsp;DJ Peterson&nbsp;as the only multi-MWC Player of the Year winners. He was teammates with 2024 All-Star Game National League starting pitcher Paul Skenes at the Academy from 2021-22. Sam has played for Newport in the NECBL each of the last two summers, most recently slashing .383/.465/.517 (23-for-60) in 2023. Kulasingam was selected by Toronto in the 17th round of the 2023 Draft, but elected to go back to the Academy.

With the 407th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Kyle DeGroat&nbsp;out of Wallkill Senior High School (N.Y.). DeGroat, 18, was a two-way player at Wallkill Senior High School (N.Y.), where he was named a Rawlings Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Region 1 All-Star after striking out 107 batters in 9 appearances (7 starts) as a senior, allowing 6 runs and just 16 hits (all singles). Kyle was originally committed to Stony Brook University (N.Y.), but flipped his commitment to the University of Texas last October. He has trained with Cleveland Guardians reliever,&nbsp;James Karinchak, and Angels minor leaguer,&nbsp;Caden Dana, in Newburgh, N.Y.

With the 437th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Tyler Davis&nbsp;out of Mississippi State University. Davis, 22, went 6-1 with a team-leading 5 saves a 2.80 ERA (11 ER in 35.1 IP) and 41 strikeouts in 28 relief appearances for the Bulldogs as a senior. He also spent his junior season with the Bulldogs, pitching in 14 games and covering 22.2 innings on the mound. Davis pitched his freshman and sophomore years at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he won 14 games and struck out 116 batters in 38 games (15 starts), including a 3.60 ERA (24 ER in 60.0 IP) and 63 strikeouts as a sophomore. He was named to the A-10 All-Rookie team as a freshman. Davis graduated from Menchville High School (Va.), where he led his team to the state tournament twice and was a 2020 Preseason All-American, and is from Newport News, Va., the same hometown of Royals pitcher&nbsp;Daniel Lynch IV. Menchville High School also produced former MLB pitcher&nbsp;Jharel Cotton.

With the 467th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Andrew Morones&nbsp;out of Cal State Fullerton University. Morones, 23, pitched in 26 games for Cal State Fullerton, striking out 44 batters in 33.0 innings as a senior. He pitched 14.0 scoreless innings with 4 saves and 22 strikeouts (41.5 K%) to just 2 walks across 12 games (11 finished) for Mahoning Valley in the 2024 MLB Draft League, where was teammates with&nbsp;Zachary Cawyer, the Royals 11th-round selection. Andrew pitched in the Northwoods League in 2021 and 2023, appearing in 26 total games for St. Cloud, striking out 50 batters in 39.0 innings. Prior to pitching for the Titans, Morones spent two seasons at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif.

With the 497th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Dane Burns&nbsp;out of Prosper High School (Texas). Burns, 19, graduated from Prosper High School in 2023 and did not pitch competitively in 2024 after undergoing&nbsp;Tommy John&nbsp;Surgery. Prior to his injury, he had been committed to Mississippi State University, and is still committed to attend for the 2024-25 season. Dane pitched in 5 games for the Keene Swamp Bats in the New England Collegiate Baseball League this summer, where he struck out 16 batters in 9.2 innings. Born in Canada, Burns has deep hockey roots and didn’t start playing baseball until he was 12 years old.

With the 527th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected outfielder&nbsp;Corey Cousin Jr.&nbsp;out of Slidell High School (La.). Cousin Jr., 17, graduated from Slidell High School (La.), and is committed to playing baseball at the University of Oklahoma. As a junior, Corey was a First-Team All-District 6-5A selection after batting .374 with a .468 OBP, 7 doubles, 6 home runs, 27 RBI, 24 runs and 12 stolen bases, while also posting a 2.86 ERA (7 ER in 22.0 IP) with 36 strikeouts and 4 saves on the mound. He had been committed to Louisiana State University-Eunice—where Royals prospect&nbsp;Javier Vaz&nbsp;went prior to transferring to Vanderbilt University—but flipped his commitment in Nov. 2023.

With the 557th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Dash Albus&nbsp;out of Abilene Christian University. Albus, who turns 22 next Wednesday, appeared in 20 games for Abilene Christian University this year, striking out 31 hitters (26.3 K%) in 24.2 innings. Dash pitched for the Temple College Leopards from 2021-22, making 14 appearances (7 starts) and striking out 28 batters in 35.1 innings. He graduated from Wylie High School (Texas) in 2021.

With the 587th overall pick in the 20th round, the Royals selected outfielder&nbsp;Carter Frederick&nbsp;out of the University of Oklahoma. Frederick, 22, played in 13 games for the Oklahoma Sooners this season, going 12-for-35 (.343) with 2 home runs and 9 RBI. Prior to joining the Sooners, he spent two seasons at Snead State Community College (Ala.), where he batted .463 with 14 home runs as a junior in 2023. This summer, Carter played for the Portland Pickles in the West Coast Collegiate Summer League, and in 7 games for the Pickles, he went 12-for-26 (.462) with 7 runs scored, 7 RBI, 2 stolen bases and more walks (8) than strikeouts (3). He redshirted as a freshman at Auburn University (Ala.), before transferring to Snead State. He graduated from Chelsea High School (Ala.) in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717239521858.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MLBKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals selected 10 players on the third and final day of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.In total, the Royals selected 15 pitchers, two outfielders, one infielder, one catcher and a two-way player. Of their 20 picks, 16 were from the college ranks and four were high school players, including one player who graduated from high school in 2023 and took a gap year in 2024.With the 317th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Zachary Cawyer&nbsp;out of Texas Christian University. Cawyer, 21, went 6-2 with a 5.20 ERA (21 ER in 36.1 IP) and 39 strikeouts (24.8 K%) across 24 appearances (1 start) this season at TCU. He earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors as well as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after the season. Zachary pitched in 9 games for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League, spinning 13.1 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts (34.0 K%) and 3 walks. Prior to transferring to TCU, he pitched two seasons at McLennan Community College (Texas), where he posted a 3.14 ERA (17 ER in 48.2 IP) as a sophomore and earned CSC Academic All-District honors, after missing most of his freshman season due to injury.With the 347th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Tommy Molsky&nbsp;out of Oklahoma State University. Molsky, 21, pitched in just one season at OSU, where he went 6-3 with 66 strikeouts (33.7 K%) and just 27 walks (13.8%) in 19 games (2 starts). Prior to pitching for the Cowboys, he played two seasons at Penn State University, where he appeared in 31 games (18 starts) and struck out 83 hitters in 95.1 innings. Molsky is also a two-time participant in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched in 15 combined games (3 starts) for Chatham from 2022-23, and struck out 36 batters in 40.1 innings pitched while earning 3 wins.With the 377th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected infielder&nbsp;Sam Kulasingam&nbsp;out of the United States Air Force Academy (Colo.). Kulasingam, 23, slashed .323/.416/.498 (74-for-229, .914 OPS) in 55 games at the Air Force Academy as a senior this season. Over his four-year career, he posted a 1.067 OPS with a .377/.470/.598 (305-for-810) slashline in 206 games, while also walking (118) more than he struck out (102). He won back-to-back&nbsp;Tony Gwynn&nbsp;Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Awards from 2022-23, joining&nbsp;C.J. Cron,&nbsp;Mitch Garver&nbsp;and&nbsp;DJ Peterson&nbsp;as the only multi-MWC Player of the Year winners. He was teammates with 2024 All-Star Game National League starting pitcher Paul Skenes at the Academy from 2021-22. Sam has played for Newport in the NECBL each of the last two summers, most recently slashing .383/.465/.517 (23-for-60) in 2023. Kulasingam was selected by Toronto in the 17th round of the 2023 Draft, but elected to go back to the Academy.With the 407th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Kyle DeGroat&nbsp;out of Wallkill Senior High School (N.Y.). DeGroat, 18, was a two-way player at Wallkill Senior High School (N.Y.), where he was named a Rawlings Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Region 1 All-Star after striking out 107 batters in 9 appearances (7 starts) as a senior, allowing 6 runs and just 16 hits (all singles). Kyle was originally committed to Stony Brook University (N.Y.), but flipped his commitment to the University of Texas last October. He has trained with Cleveland Guardians reliever,&nbsp;James Karinchak, and Angels minor leaguer,&nbsp;Caden Dana, in Newburgh, N.Y.With the 437th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Tyler Davis&nbsp;out of Mississippi State University. Davis, 22, went 6-1 with a team-leading 5 saves a 2.80 ERA (11 ER in 35.1 IP) and 41 strikeouts in 28 relief appearances for the Bulldogs as a senior. He also spent his junior season with the Bulldogs, pitching in 14 games and covering 22.2 innings on the mound. Davis pitched his freshman and sophomore years at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he won 14 games and struck out 116 batters in 38 games (15 starts), including a 3.60 ERA (24 ER in 60.0 IP) and 63 strikeouts as a sophomore. He was named to the A-10 All-Rookie team as a freshman. Davis graduated from Menchville High School (Va.), where he led his team to the state tournament twice and was a 2020 Preseason All-American, and is from Newport News, Va., the same hometown of Royals pitcher&nbsp;Daniel Lynch IV. Menchville High School also produced former MLB pitcher&nbsp;Jharel Cotton.With the 467th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Andrew Morones&nbsp;out of Cal State Fullerton University. Morones, 23, pitched in 26 games for Cal State Fullerton, striking out 44 batters in 33.0 innings as a senior. He pitched 14.0 scoreless innings with 4 saves and 22 strikeouts (41.5 K%) to just 2 walks across 12 games (11 finished) for Mahoning Valley in the 2024 MLB Draft League, where was teammates with&nbsp;Zachary Cawyer, the Royals 11th-round selection. Andrew pitched in the Northwoods League in 2021 and 2023, appearing in 26 total games for St. Cloud, striking out 50 batters in 39.0 innings. Prior to pitching for the Titans, Morones spent two seasons at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif.With the 497th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Dane Burns&nbsp;out of Prosper High School (Texas). Burns, 19, graduated from Prosper High School in 2023 and did not pitch competitively in 2024 after undergoing&nbsp;Tommy John&nbsp;Surgery. Prior to his injury, he had been committed to Mississippi State University, and is still committed to attend for the 2024-25 season. Dane pitched in 5 games for the Keene Swamp Bats in the New England Collegiate Baseball League this summer, where he struck out 16 batters in 9.2 innings. Born in Canada, Burns has deep hockey roots and didn’t start playing baseball until he was 12 years old.With the 527th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected outfielder&nbsp;Corey Cousin Jr.&nbsp;out of Slidell High School (La.). Cousin Jr., 17, graduated from Slidell High School (La.), and is committed to playing baseball at the University of Oklahoma. As a junior, Corey was a First-Team All-District 6-5A selection after batting .374 with a .468 OBP, 7 doubles, 6 home runs, 27 RBI, 24 runs and 12 stolen bases, while also posting a 2.86 ERA (7 ER in 22.0 IP) with 36 strikeouts and 4 saves on the mound. He had been committed to Louisiana State University-Eunice—where Royals prospect&nbsp;Javier Vaz&nbsp;went prior to transferring to Vanderbilt University—but flipped his commitment in Nov. 2023.With the 557th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Dash Albus&nbsp;out of Abilene Christian University. Albus, who turns 22 next Wednesday, appeared in 20 games for Abilene Christian University this year, striking out 31 hitters (26.3 K%) in 24.2 innings. Dash pitched for the Temple College Leopards from 2021-22, making 14 appearances (7 starts) and striking out 28 batters in 35.1 innings. He graduated from Wylie High School (Texas) in 2021.With the 587th overall pick in the 20th round, the Royals selected outfielder&nbsp;Carter Frederick&nbsp;out of the University of Oklahoma. Frederick, 22, played in 13 games for the Oklahoma Sooners this season, going 12-for-35 (.343) with 2 home runs and 9 RBI. Prior to joining the Sooners, he spent two seasons at Snead State Community College (Ala.), where he batted .463 with 14 home runs as a junior in 2023. This summer, Carter played for the Portland Pickles in the West Coast Collegiate Summer League, and in 7 games for the Pickles, he went 12-for-26 (.462) with 7 runs scored, 7 RBI, 2 stolen bases and more walks (8) than strikeouts (3). He redshirted as a freshman at Auburn University (Ala.), before transferring to Snead State. He graduated from Chelsea High School (Ala.) in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Royals wrap up draft

WICHITA, Kan. — Former Wichita State men's basketball player Henry Carr, died early Tuesday morning, according to a post on X from Antoine Carr.

Carr played 108 games for the Shockers from 1983-87, making 74 starts. He averaged seven points and nearly five rebounds during his four-year tenure in Wichita.&nbsp;

He then was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the seventh round of the 1987 NBA Draft, but never played in the NBA.&nbsp;

Henry was the younger brother of former Shocker and NBA great, Antoine.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721240670242.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. — Former Wichita State men's basketball player Henry Carr, died early Tuesday morning, according to a post on X from Antoine Carr.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning at approximately 12:53 am Henry Ralondo Carr passed away and joined Mama Carr in Heaven. <a href="https://t.co/6VngRhC81Y">pic.twitter.com/6VngRhC81Y</a>&mdash; Antoine Carr (@AntoineCarr55) <a href="https://twitter.com/AntoineCarr55/status/1813195592111157467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Carr played 108 games for the Shockers from 1983-87, making 74 starts. He averaged seven points and nearly five rebounds during his four-year tenure in Wichita.&nbsp;He then was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the seventh round of the 1987 NBA Draft, but never played in the NBA.&nbsp;Henry was the younger brother of former Shocker and NBA great, Antoine.&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: Former Shocker Henry Carr dead 

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

Chiefs Training Camp is now open with quarterbacks and rookies
reporting to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs need to stay
hungry even though they are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.

“We’re back in St. Joe, it’s time to get better,” Mahomes tells
reporters as training camp officials gets underway. “Every season starts
different. You’ve got to come in with the same mentality you had the year
before, even a higher intensity. Even though we won the Super Bowl last year,
we feel like we didn’t play our best football, especially offensively. It’s our
goal to be better that way and we have to come with that mentality every single
day.”

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid says training camp prepares the
team for a grueling season by sharpening their mental and physical abilities.

“If you’re fatigued then you’re going to be fatigued mentally.
If you’re fatigued physically that’s going to affect you mentally. And if you’re
fatigued period, then you can’t think and you can’t play, at least not to the best
of your ability,” Reid says during the news conference. “So, the objective here
is let’s get ourselves in shape, make sure we’re in football shape. They’re all
going to come back in shape, but let’s get ourselves in football shape.”

Mahomes says it’s important for the team to sequester itself
on the Missouri Western campus and focus on football.

“Being in the building and being at lunch together, being at
dinner together, always kind of being around the guys, you build this kind of
culture and this family-type brotherhood,” according to Mahomes. “I’m excited
to continue to do that with a lot of new faces and then with guys that have
been here before, because we know this is what it takes in order for us to go
out there and be great.”

Not all the team is in St. Joseph. This week, only the quarterbacks
and rookies attend practice. Practices this week are closed to the public. The
full team reports Sunday.

Reid values this time to bring the team together and prepare
for a tough football season.

“Listen, we look forward to being back here. We love the set
up here. The people here treat us great at Missouri Western State University; beautiful
facilities,” Reid tells reports standing outside Scanlon Hall, which will be
their home for the next few weeks. “It’s great to be able to get away from the
city and be able to house guys in the same dorm. I’m saying this as a coach and
they probably aren’t going to say this, but it builds a certain camaraderie.”

Chiefs Training Camp begins for the full team Sunday morning
with a 9:15am start at MWSU. There is a $5 admission fee for the practice on
Sunday, the first open to the public.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721167941490.jpeg" alt="Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at the opening of Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph (Alexis Starks photo)" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at the opening of Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph (Alexis Starks photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostChiefs Training Camp is now open with quarterbacks and rookies
reporting to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs need to stay
hungry even though they are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.“We’re back in St. Joe, it’s time to get better,” Mahomes tells
reporters as training camp officials gets underway. “Every season starts
different. You’ve got to come in with the same mentality you had the year
before, even a higher intensity. Even though we won the Super Bowl last year,
we feel like we didn’t play our best football, especially offensively. It’s our
goal to be better that way and we have to come with that mentality every single
day.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721168026141.jpeg" alt="Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions at the start of training camp. (Alexis Starks photo)" />
 <figcaption>Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions at the start of training camp. (Alexis Starks photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid says training camp prepares the
team for a grueling season by sharpening their mental and physical abilities.“If you’re fatigued then you’re going to be fatigued mentally.
If you’re fatigued physically that’s going to affect you mentally. And if you’re
fatigued period, then you can’t think and you can’t play, at least not to the best
of your ability,” Reid says during the news conference. “So, the objective here
is let’s get ourselves in shape, make sure we’re in football shape. They’re all
going to come back in shape, but let’s get ourselves in football shape.”Mahomes says it’s important for the team to sequester itself
on the Missouri Western campus and focus on football.“Being in the building and being at lunch together, being at
dinner together, always kind of being around the guys, you build this kind of
culture and this family-type brotherhood,” according to Mahomes. “I’m excited
to continue to do that with a lot of new faces and then with guys that have
been here before, because we know this is what it takes in order for us to go
out there and be great.”Not all the team is in St. Joseph. This week, only the quarterbacks
and rookies attend practice. Practices this week are closed to the public. The
full team reports Sunday.Reid values this time to bring the team together and prepare
for a tough football season.“Listen, we look forward to being back here. We love the set
up here. The people here treat us great at Missouri Western State University; beautiful
facilities,” Reid tells reports standing outside Scanlon Hall, which will be
their home for the next few weeks. “It’s great to be able to get away from the
city and be able to house guys in the same dorm. I’m saying this as a coach and
they probably aren’t going to say this, but it builds a certain camaraderie.”Chiefs Training Camp begins for the full team Sunday morning
with a 9:15am start at MWSU. There is a $5 admission fee for the practice on
Sunday, the first open to the public.

🏈 Chiefs return to St. Joseph seeking third straight Super Bowl

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs officially open Training Camp ahead of the 2024 season on Sunday at Missouri Western State University.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid spoke with the media on Tuesday afternoon in St. Joseph.

Find the complete Training Camp schedule <a href="https://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp/schedule">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719308655175.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs officially open Training Camp ahead of the 2024 season on Sunday at Missouri Western State University.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid spoke with the media on Tuesday afternoon in St. Joseph.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/udnjvUtUmVs?si=3xgTE7vAzWo6VZd-" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Find the complete Training Camp schedule <a href="https://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp/schedule">here</a>.

🏈🎥 WATCH: Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid meet with media ahead of Training Camp

WICHITA, Kan. — The Basketball Tournament (TBT) returns to Wichita this weekend at Charles Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State University.&nbsp;

TBT is the original home of the Elam Ending, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with national exposure on ESPN, social media buzz and regional championships across the country - culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thetournament.com/">www.thetournament.com</a>

Fans can purchase tickets for TBT Wichita Regional <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/wichita-2024-regional-tickets/">here</a>.

The eight teams that will compete in the Wichita Regional include the Aftershocks (Wichita State alumni), Mass Street (Kansas alumni), Purple Reign (K-State alumni), Florida TNT, Team Colorado (Colorado alumni), L.A. Cheaters (Drew League), Ram Up (Colorado State alumni) and Midtown Prestige.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689777038708.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostWICHITA, Kan. — The Basketball Tournament (TBT) returns to Wichita this weekend at Charles Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State University.&nbsp;TBT is the original home of the Elam Ending, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with national exposure on ESPN, social media buzz and regional championships across the country - culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thetournament.com/">www.thetournament.com</a>Fans can purchase tickets for TBT Wichita Regional <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/wichita-2024-regional-tickets/">here</a>.The eight teams that will compete in the Wichita Regional include the Aftershocks (Wichita State alumni), Mass Street (Kansas alumni), Purple Reign (K-State alumni), Florida TNT, Team Colorado (Colorado alumni), L.A. Cheaters (Drew League), Ram Up (Colorado State alumni) and Midtown Prestige.<div>Saturday, July 20 12 p.m. on FS1 - (1) AfterShocks (Wichita St.) vs (8) Midtown Prestige 2 p.m. on FS2 - (4) Purple Reign (K-State) vs. (5) Team Colorado (Colorado) 5 p.m. on TBT Live - (3) Florida TNT vs. (6) LA Cheaters 7 p.m. on TBT Live - (2) Mass Street (Kansas) vs. (7) Ram Up (Colorado St.) Monday, July 22 6 p.m. on TBT Live - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner 8 p.m. on FS1 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Wednesday, July 24 8 p.m. on FS1 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mass Street’s FINAL TBT Roster: TBT Tickets are on sale to see <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankMason0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FrankMason0</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/KUHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KUHoops</a> alumni (<a href="https://twitter.com/MassStreetTBT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MassStreetTBT</a>) in Wichita: <a href="https://t.co/qFJbGhryeF">https://t.co/qFJbGhryeF</a> <a href="https://t.co/95nyBEShkC">pic.twitter.com/95nyBEShkC</a>&mdash; TBT (@thetournament) <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/1813292218079195500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Purple Reign’s FINAL TBT Roster and Round 1 Matchup: TBT Tickets to see the <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KStateMBB</a> alumni (<a href="https://twitter.com/PurpleReignTBT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PurpleReignTBT</a>) in Wichita: <a href="https://t.co/qFJbGhryeF">https://t.co/qFJbGhryeF</a> <a href="https://t.co/EY2QBT3Czd">pic.twitter.com/EY2QBT3Czd</a>&mdash; TBT (@thetournament) <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/1813289602137924064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🏀 MBB: $1 million TBT returns to Wichita this week

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– With the start of fall camp right around the corner, K-State Athletics officials announced Tuesday tickets for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on October 26 are down to scattered singles and standing-room only.

Tickets to the other five remaining home games are also selling quickly, highlighted by the season-opener on August 31 against UT Martin (fewer than 850 tickets remain), the Friday night non-conference matchup against new Big 12 foe Arizona on September 13 (fewer than 950), and the September 28 contest against Oklahoma State (only 125 tickets remain).

Finalize your fall plans now, as K-State Athletics utilizes dynamic pricing, and single-game prices may change based on demand. New this season, sales tax will be added to the price of all season and single-game tickets. Fans will see the final price reflected in their shopping cart when checking out.

Fans looking for reserved seats to this year's Sunflower Showdown are encouraged to visit SeatGeek, K-State's official secondary ticket partner. K-State Athletics can only verify tickets and assist with any issues on gamedays with tickets that are purchased from the K-State Ticket Office or through SeatGeek.

All tickets can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669547127050.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State Athletics&nbsp;MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– With the start of fall camp right around the corner, K-State Athletics officials announced Tuesday tickets for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on October 26 are down to scattered singles and standing-room only.Tickets to the other five remaining home games are also selling quickly, highlighted by the season-opener on August 31 against UT Martin (fewer than 850 tickets remain), the Friday night non-conference matchup against new Big 12 foe Arizona on September 13 (fewer than 950), and the September 28 contest against Oklahoma State (only 125 tickets remain).Finalize your fall plans now, as K-State Athletics utilizes dynamic pricing, and single-game prices may change based on demand. New this season, sales tax will be added to the price of all season and single-game tickets. Fans will see the final price reflected in their shopping cart when checking out.Fans looking for reserved seats to this year's Sunflower Showdown are encouraged to visit SeatGeek, K-State's official secondary ticket partner. K-State Athletics can only verify tickets and assist with any issues on gamedays with tickets that are purchased from the K-State Ticket Office or through SeatGeek.All tickets can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Tickets for Sunflower Showdown selling fast

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Seth Lugo faced Bobby Witt Jr. and the rest of the Kansas City Royals last year when they were on their way to a last-place finish in the AL Central.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715561666486.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Seth Lugo faced Bobby Witt Jr. and the rest of the Kansas City Royals last year when they were on their way to a last-place finish in the AL Central.The right-hander picked the Royals in free agency and now is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/skenes-allstar-phillies-7433cd08541a54bfe575b3367c245ff3">first-time All-Star</a>&nbsp;along with Witt and nine-time participant Salvador Perez for a postseason contender.“I know they had a bad year, but they had a pretty good lineup,” said Lugo, who was with San Diego when he gave up five runs in two innings in a 5-4 loss to Kansas City in May 2023. “They weren’t easy outs. There’s a few guys that laid off some pitches, I thought, that a young team should probably go for.”Lugo and Witt, a shortstop, are among 39 first-timers set for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/skenes-allstar-game-f3e94baee0c1004ff839d50c5f38a81e">All-Star Game</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night at the home of the World Series champion Texas Rangers.“It kind of speaks to the youth that’s coming into the game right now,” said starting NL third baseman Alec Bohm of Philadelphia, a 27-year-old first-timer who is among a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-allstar-phillies-c8448f1be8267529f17047fd2b13451f">franchise-record eight All-Stars</a>&nbsp;for the Phillies.“I think the game’s just kind of developing in that way where I think a lot of the technology and information is out now,” Bohm said. “Kids are starting to train the right way from such a young age. Now it’s not weird to see some of these 20-, 21-year-old kids come up and play well and excel.”Lugo doesn’t actually fit the first-timer profile when it comes to age.The 34-year-old is in his second season as a full-time starter after trying to convince the New York Mets that was the best role for him in his first seven big league seasons.Of Lugo’s 275 appearances for the Mets, 237 were as a reliever before he entered free agency and signed with the Padres. In 26 starts for San Diego last year, Lugo was 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA.Lugo entered the All-Star break tied with Baltimore right-hander Grayson Rodriguez for the AL lead in wins. Lugo is 11-4 record and 2.48 ERA, making his point to the Mets from afar.“There’s no animosity, no need for an apology,” Lugo said. “I understand how this game works, and I understand how teams are built. So it’s fine.”Witt, the son of former major league pitcher Bobby Witt, grew up in the Dallas area as a fan of the Rangers. His dad played for seven teams over 16 seasons, but all or part of 11 of those were with Texas.The younger Witt was 12 when Jurickson Profar homered in his first big league at-bat as a 19-year-old top prospect for the Rangers in 2012. Now they are first-time All-Stars together, with San Diego’s Profar starting in left field for the NL.Profar didn’t play for the Rangers at Globe Life Field, which has a retractable roof that made a return to the stifling Texas heat for an All-Star Game possible. He played across the street at Globe Life Park, which is where Witt watched games as a kid.“Just being an All-Star is an honor,” said Witt, who also was set to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday night. “First one being in the hometown is just incredible. I know there are millions of other kids that would die to be in my shoes.”Cole Ragans is a first-time All-Star just more than a year after the Rangers traded one of their top pitching prospects to Kansas City for seven-time All-Star reliever Aroldis Chapman.The 26-year-old Ragans made nine starts among 26 appearances over two seasons with the Rangers. Unlike Lugo with the Mets, Texas viewed Ragans as a starter, and that’s all the left-hander has done since joining the Royals. He’s 6-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 20 starts, the same number for Lugo.“Like I’ve told everybody, it’s a lot of firsts on this field,” Ragans said. “It kind of makes sense that the first All-Star Game is also here. Pretty special.”Ragans wasn’t sure the change of scenery was the catalyst for an All-Star surge, and still speaks glowingly of Texas general manager Chris Young and manager Bruce Bochy.“I think it worked out well,” Ragans said. “Texas won the World Series. I watched every single game of the playoffs. I have some lifelong friends over here. I think it worked out for both of us.”Profar is six seasons removed from his time with the Rangers, and has been playing it cool with describing his reaction to getting his first All-Star nod as a 31-year-old in Texas. The official word came a week and a half ago when he was in the visiting clubhouse with the Padres.After saying Texas was like a second home for the native of Curacao, Profar was asked when it stopped being a second home.He reminded a reporter his 6-year-old son was born in the Dallas area when he was still with the Rangers, and he and his wife decided to use the same hospital for the recent birth of their four-month-old daughter.“Texas is always going to be my home, man,” said Profar, even though he no longer lives in the state where he came of age as a big leaguer.