No. 1 Hutchinson (34-0) vs. No. 8 New Mexico (27-6) NJCAA Tournament Quarterfinals&nbsp;

When: Friday, March 29, 2024 Tipoff: 1:00 p.m. CDT (Noon MDT) Where: Ford Wyoming Center, Casper, WY Radio:&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2" target="_blank">KHMY-FM (93.1), 12:45 p.m.</a>&nbsp;- Sean Boston (PBP) Video: ESPN+X: @bluedragonsport <a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/files/Women-s_Notes_35_-_New_Mexico_JC.pdf">BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES (PDF Format)</a>

The No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team makes their seventh overall appearance in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament national quarterfinals and first since 2019 on Friday at the Ford Casper Center.

The top-seeded Blue Dragons (34-0) will meet the eighth-seed New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds (27-6) in the first of four quarterfinals at 1 p.m. (Noon Casper time). The Hutchinson-New Mexico winner advances to the national semifinals to meet the Gulf Coast State/Eastern Arizona winner at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The game will be broadcast live on KHMY-FM (93.1) with Sean Boston (play-by-play) calling the action beginning at 12:45 p.m. (Hutchinson time). All tournament games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Monday's championship game to by televised on ESPNU.

The Blue Dragons are 6-0 all-time in the NJCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The last time Hutchinson played in the quarterfinal round was 2019 when the Dragons defeated Odessa 66-50 in Lubbock.

Hutchinson survived an upset bid from No. 16-seed Cochise College in the second-round on Wednesday. Trailing by as many as nine points, the Blue Dragons rallied, getting 11 fourth-quarter points from leading scorer&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/smith_kiki_x1vf">Kiki Smith</a>&nbsp;- who was shut out on just two shot attempts in the first three quarters - to earn a 59-54 victory over the Apaches.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/jackson_hailey_x66o">Hailey Jackson</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 16 points to pace the Blue Dragons.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/armstead_journey_w1mg">Journey Armstead</a>&nbsp;had 12 points and four assists.

New Mexico comes from a tough Region 5 field that placed three teams - Odessa and Collin - in the national tournament field. The Thunderbirds are an at-large entry into the tournament after falling in the Region 5 semifinals two weeks ago.

New Mexico advanced to the national quarterfinals after a 74-61 win over Trinity Valley in the second round on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds used a 23-11 second-quarter to keep the Cardinals at arm's length throughout the second half. Cacia Antonio and Pania Davis had 20 points each to lead New Mexico. Antonio had a double-double with 11 rebounds.

The Blue Dragons are making their 11th NJCAA Tournament appearance, the 10th under head coach John Ontjes, who is 18-10 in the national tournament in his time in his 17 seasons with the Blue Dragons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711724243830.jpeg" alt="Akaysha Muggeridge and the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragon women's basketball team plays eighth-seed New Mexico JC at 1 p.m. (CDT) Friday in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Women's Tournament in Casper, WY (Photo courtesy Jake Ripple)" />
 <figcaption>Akaysha Muggeridge and the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragon women's basketball team plays eighth-seed New Mexico JC at 1 p.m. (CDT) Friday in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Women's Tournament in Casper, WY (Photo courtesy Jake Ripple)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsNo. 1 Hutchinson (34-0) vs. No. 8 New Mexico (27-6) NJCAA Tournament Quarterfinals&nbsp;When: Friday, March 29, 2024 Tipoff: 1:00 p.m. CDT (Noon MDT) Where: Ford Wyoming Center, Casper, WY Radio:&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2" target="_blank">KHMY-FM (93.1), 12:45 p.m.</a>&nbsp;- Sean Boston (PBP) Video: ESPN+X: @bluedragonsport <a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/files/Women-s_Notes_35_-_New_Mexico_JC.pdf">BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES (PDF Format)</a>The No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team makes their seventh overall appearance in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament national quarterfinals and first since 2019 on Friday at the Ford Casper Center.The top-seeded Blue Dragons (34-0) will meet the eighth-seed New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds (27-6) in the first of four quarterfinals at 1 p.m. (Noon Casper time). The Hutchinson-New Mexico winner advances to the national semifinals to meet the Gulf Coast State/Eastern Arizona winner at 4 p.m. Saturday.The game will be broadcast live on KHMY-FM (93.1) with Sean Boston (play-by-play) calling the action beginning at 12:45 p.m. (Hutchinson time). All tournament games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Monday's championship game to by televised on ESPNU.The Blue Dragons are 6-0 all-time in the NJCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The last time Hutchinson played in the quarterfinal round was 2019 when the Dragons defeated Odessa 66-50 in Lubbock.Hutchinson survived an upset bid from No. 16-seed Cochise College in the second-round on Wednesday. Trailing by as many as nine points, the Blue Dragons rallied, getting 11 fourth-quarter points from leading scorer&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/smith_kiki_x1vf">Kiki Smith</a>&nbsp;- who was shut out on just two shot attempts in the first three quarters - to earn a 59-54 victory over the Apaches.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/jackson_hailey_x66o">Hailey Jackson</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 16 points to pace the Blue Dragons.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/armstead_journey_w1mg">Journey Armstead</a>&nbsp;had 12 points and four assists.New Mexico comes from a tough Region 5 field that placed three teams - Odessa and Collin - in the national tournament field. The Thunderbirds are an at-large entry into the tournament after falling in the Region 5 semifinals two weeks ago.New Mexico advanced to the national quarterfinals after a 74-61 win over Trinity Valley in the second round on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds used a 23-11 second-quarter to keep the Cardinals at arm's length throughout the second half. Cacia Antonio and Pania Davis had 20 points each to lead New Mexico. Antonio had a double-double with 11 rebounds.The Blue Dragons are making their 11th NJCAA Tournament appearance, the 10th under head coach John Ontjes, who is 18-10 in the national tournament in his time in his 17 seasons with the Blue Dragons.

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons to face New Mexico JC in NJCAA quarterfinals today

Courtesy of HutchCC Sports Information

With spring drills beginning Monday for the Hutchinson Community College football team, head coach Drew Dallas has announced a reshuffling of coaching duties on his staff for the 2024 season.

The reorganization was prompted with the hiring of two new assistants for the upcoming season.

The new hires to the Blue Dragon staff are Matt Wallerstedt and Conner Lierz.

Wallerstedt is a veteran coach at all levels of college football, including Kansas State. He will become the Blue Dragons’ new defensive coordinator and linebackers’ coach.

Lierz is a familiar name to Blue Dragon football. He is a former offensive lineman who played at Hutchinson Community College in 2018 and 2019. Lierz is the new tight ends coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach

“We are certainly excited about the two new additions to our staff this offseason," Dallas said. "Coach Lierz is a former player who is from the state of Kansas and has great energy and an understanding on what we are all about here at Hutch.&nbsp; Coach Wally is also another Kansas guy.&nbsp; His experience and knowledge are a welcomed addition as we try to continue to elevate our program.”

The other six coaches on staff were with the Blue Dragons last season during a year the Dragons went through the regular season undefeated and won the Jayhawk Conference championship posting a 10-1 overall season.

Dallas has made some changes to some of their duties as well.

Dallas will continue to serve as the Blue Dragon quarterbacks’ coach. Dallas will be in his fifth season as head coach and has posted a four-year record of 38-4.

Matt Martin returns for his third season with the Blue Dragons. Martin is the Dragons’ assistant head coach, wide receivers coach and co-special teams’ coordinator.

Greg Cross returns for his seventh season and has been promoted to Associate Head Coach as well as his position duties with the running backs and as run-game coordinator.

Tony Kohling will be in his second season as Blue Dragon offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

Andrew Krause returns for his ninth season on the Blue Dragon sideline. Krause returns to the defensive side of the ball as defensive backs coach, co-special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Former Blue Dragon player Demarcus Roberson returns for his second season on staff as the Dragons’ defensive line coach and assistant strength and condition coach.

Davin Hawkins is back for his second season as the safeties’ coach and is now the head of the strength and conditioning program.

Taylor Martin returns as a student assistant for offensive quality control and Adonis Armstrong is back as a student assistant for defensive quality control.

“This is a great group of men that are not only great coaches but guys that are professionals and determined to develop our team in every way possible," Dallas said. "Their ability to adapt to new roles, teach the game of football and work at a championship level is second to none.&nbsp;

"They all bring something unique and special to the table and it has been fun attacking the off-season with them up to this point. I am excited to get going on the field with them in spring practice and am looking forward to building &amp; developing our team with them as we prepare for the ’24 season.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711724978908.jpeg" alt="Blue Dragon head football coach Drew Dallas celebrates with his players following a touchdown against the Butler Grizzlies Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 at BG Products Stadium in El Dorado, KS. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Blue Dragon head football coach Drew Dallas celebrates with his players following a touchdown against the Butler Grizzlies Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 at BG Products Stadium in El Dorado, KS. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC Sports InformationWith spring drills beginning Monday for the Hutchinson Community College football team, head coach Drew Dallas has announced a reshuffling of coaching duties on his staff for the 2024 season.The reorganization was prompted with the hiring of two new assistants for the upcoming season.The new hires to the Blue Dragon staff are Matt Wallerstedt and Conner Lierz.Wallerstedt is a veteran coach at all levels of college football, including Kansas State. He will become the Blue Dragons’ new defensive coordinator and linebackers’ coach.Lierz is a familiar name to Blue Dragon football. He is a former offensive lineman who played at Hutchinson Community College in 2018 and 2019. Lierz is the new tight ends coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach“We are certainly excited about the two new additions to our staff this offseason," Dallas said. "Coach Lierz is a former player who is from the state of Kansas and has great energy and an understanding on what we are all about here at Hutch.&nbsp; Coach Wally is also another Kansas guy.&nbsp; His experience and knowledge are a welcomed addition as we try to continue to elevate our program.”The other six coaches on staff were with the Blue Dragons last season during a year the Dragons went through the regular season undefeated and won the Jayhawk Conference championship posting a 10-1 overall season.Dallas has made some changes to some of their duties as well.Dallas will continue to serve as the Blue Dragon quarterbacks’ coach. Dallas will be in his fifth season as head coach and has posted a four-year record of 38-4.Matt Martin returns for his third season with the Blue Dragons. Martin is the Dragons’ assistant head coach, wide receivers coach and co-special teams’ coordinator.Greg Cross returns for his seventh season and has been promoted to Associate Head Coach as well as his position duties with the running backs and as run-game coordinator.Tony Kohling will be in his second season as Blue Dragon offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.Andrew Krause returns for his ninth season on the Blue Dragon sideline. Krause returns to the defensive side of the ball as defensive backs coach, co-special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.Former Blue Dragon player Demarcus Roberson returns for his second season on staff as the Dragons’ defensive line coach and assistant strength and condition coach.Davin Hawkins is back for his second season as the safeties’ coach and is now the head of the strength and conditioning program.Taylor Martin returns as a student assistant for offensive quality control and Adonis Armstrong is back as a student assistant for defensive quality control.“This is a great group of men that are not only great coaches but guys that are professionals and determined to develop our team in every way possible," Dallas said. "Their ability to adapt to new roles, teach the game of football and work at a championship level is second to none.&nbsp;"They all bring something unique and special to the table and it has been fun attacking the off-season with them up to this point. I am excited to get going on the field with them in spring practice and am looking forward to building &amp; developing our team with them as we prepare for the ’24 season.”

Dallas announces coaching assignments for 2024

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, March 29th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, March 29th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 29th, 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=5adi9-15c7ace-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: ⚾ Royals drop opener 🏀 NJCAA: Barton punches tickets to the finals  

Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has agreed to a contract with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the deal.

The 23-year-old Rees-Zammit, one of the best wingers in rugby, announced in January that he was leaving the Welsh national team to pursue a dream of playing in the NFL. He’s projected as a returner/running back/wide receiver.

Rees-Zammit is one of 15 athletes from eight countries participating in the NFL International Player Pathway program. The prospects have spent 10 weeks training at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, getting a crash course in practicing the fundamentals of football and learning the intricacies of a game most have never played.

Rees-Zammit ran an official time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash last week when the international players participated in the University of South Florida’s pro day. He drew a lot of attention from a crowd that included 51 scouts from 31 teams.

“A bit disappointed in my 40,” Rees-Zammit told the AP afterward. “Last week, I was getting some really good times. I was getting low 4.3s, high 4.2s. So it is what it is. It’s just what happens on the day. But I know I can run that fast. I’m not trying to make excuses or anything, but I know what I can do and I’m happy with the day and how the day went."

Rees-Zammit, whose favorite NFL player growing up was three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, hopes to play like 49ers stars Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.

“I watched a lot of footage of Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, players like that who’ve got that versatility because I want to be a player that can play multiple positions and I fully believe I can, so being able to play out of the backfield, being able to line up as a receiver, in the slot, wideout," Rees-Zammit said last week. “I’ve learned a lot in the past eight weeks and I’m pretty excited to see what will happen.”

He'll get an opportunity to catch passes from three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and learn from coach Andy Reid. The NFL's new kickoff rule that makes returners more relevant gives Rees-Zammit a chance to make the team as a specialist.

For the first time this season, each team will have a 17th roster spot on the practice squad specifically available for an international player. Teams also are permitted to promote an international practice squad player to the active roster a maximum of three times throughout the season — increasing opportunities for players to develop and get a chance to play.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711709644614.jpeg" alt="Louis Rees-Zammit" />
 <figcaption>Louis Rees-Zammit</figcaption>
 </figure>Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has agreed to a contract with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the deal.The 23-year-old Rees-Zammit, one of the best wingers in rugby, announced in January that he was leaving the Welsh national team to pursue a dream of playing in the NFL. He’s projected as a returner/running back/wide receiver.Rees-Zammit is one of 15 athletes from eight countries participating in the NFL International Player Pathway program. The prospects have spent 10 weeks training at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, getting a crash course in practicing the fundamentals of football and learning the intricacies of a game most have never played.Rees-Zammit ran an official time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash last week when the international players participated in the University of South Florida’s pro day. He drew a lot of attention from a crowd that included 51 scouts from 31 teams.“A bit disappointed in my 40,” Rees-Zammit told the AP afterward. “Last week, I was getting some really good times. I was getting low 4.3s, high 4.2s. So it is what it is. It’s just what happens on the day. But I know I can run that fast. I’m not trying to make excuses or anything, but I know what I can do and I’m happy with the day and how the day went."Rees-Zammit, whose favorite NFL player growing up was three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, hopes to play like 49ers stars Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.“I watched a lot of footage of Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, players like that who’ve got that versatility because I want to be a player that can play multiple positions and I fully believe I can, so being able to play out of the backfield, being able to line up as a receiver, in the slot, wideout," Rees-Zammit said last week. “I’ve learned a lot in the past eight weeks and I’m pretty excited to see what will happen.”He'll get an opportunity to catch passes from three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and learn from coach Andy Reid. The NFL's new kickoff rule that makes returners more relevant gives Rees-Zammit a chance to make the team as a specialist.For the first time this season, each team will have a 17th roster spot on the practice squad specifically available for an international player. Teams also are permitted to promote an international practice squad player to the active roster a maximum of three times throughout the season — increasing opportunities for players to develop and get a chance to play.

🏈 Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit agrees to a contract with the Chiefs

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup after giving Alabama the lead. The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. Armando Bacot finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina. Rylan Griffen and Aaron Estrada scored 19 points each for Alabama and Mark Sears scored 18.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with 25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West Region semifinal. PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded Tigers, who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No. 4 seed Alabama. Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley scored 18 points for second-seeded Arizona, which had a horrific shooting night, going 5 of 28 from 3-point range.

BOSTON (AP) — Top-seeded and defending NCAA champion UConn advanced to the Elite Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State 82-52 in a rematch of last year’s title game. Stephon Castle had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer scored 18 and Tristen Newton added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. They will play the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. The Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.

BOSTON (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the first half for the third-seeded Illini, who never trailed. He broke away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws to help Illinois fnally put away the second-seeded Cyclones. Illinois reached a regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four. Curtis Jones scored 26 points to lead Iowa State

DALLAS (AP) — Houston is playing in its fifth Sweet 16 in a row, its best March Madness run since making three consecutive Final Four appearances in the Phi Slama Jama era four decades ago. The Cougars were Big 12 regular-season champions this season after making the move into that power conference. They play blueblood Duke on Friday night at the home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, about 250 miles from the Houston campus. Another Atlantic Coast Conference team, No. 11 seed North Carolina State, takes on second-seeded Marquette and former Texas coach Shaka Smart in the first Dallas game.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — North Carlina State's Sweet 16 game against Stanford in the women's NCAA Tournament is bit of a harbinger of what’s to come. That’s because next season the perennially talented Cardinal are headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Second-seeded Stanford plays No. 3 seed N.C. State on Friday night in the Portland 4 Region, before top-seeded Texas plays No. 4 seed Gonzaga. Stanford is among five Pac-12 teams — most of any conference — that have advanced to the Sweet 16 as the league’s days dwindle due to conference reallignment.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals 4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after pitching six strong innings.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers, and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the Dodger Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. No offseason addition to the Dodgers' star-studded lineup was bigger than Ohtani, who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was going down to block a low pitch when he heard the ball tip off the bat and saw it change directions. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t hear or see the same thing in the ninth inning of the season opener for the World Series champions. The Chicago Cubs took the lead on that disputed play before Texas rallied to win 4-3 on Heim’s game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning Thursday night. Fairchild told a poll reporter after the game that he ruled a swinging strike. Asked if he had seen a replay, Fairchild said he had, but refused to talk about what he saw on it.

UNDATED (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be short but he isn’t sure. MLB announced its investigation Friday after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block party outside the stadium. A half-hour before the game’s first pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags and threw beanbags at caricatures of team executives —including owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association while the investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor. Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this year, remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities there investigate and did not report to spring training.

HOUSTON (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is off to a solid start in his bid for a third straight PGA Tour victory. The world's No. 1 player shot a 65 in the Houston Open and trails Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one shot at Memorial Park. Scheffler has 28 consecutive rounds under par to start the year. Moore made bogey on his first hole and then had an eagle and five birdies for a 64. Furr matched him late in the day, holing out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 fifth and closing with birdies on 8 and 9. Pierceson and Parker Coody became the first twins to play with each other on the PGA Tour.

Milwaukee at N-Y Mets 1:40 p.m. (Postponed)

Atlanta at Philadelphia 3:05 p.m. (Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, March 29th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, March 29th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 29th, 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=5adi9-15c7ace-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>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup after giving Alabama the lead. The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. Armando Bacot finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina. Rylan Griffen and Aaron Estrada scored 19 points each for Alabama and Mark Sears scored 18.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with 25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West Region semifinal. PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded Tigers, who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No. 4 seed Alabama. Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley scored 18 points for second-seeded Arizona, which had a horrific shooting night, going 5 of 28 from 3-point range.BOSTON (AP) — Top-seeded and defending NCAA champion UConn advanced to the Elite Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State 82-52 in a rematch of last year’s title game. Stephon Castle had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer scored 18 and Tristen Newton added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. They will play the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. The Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.BOSTON (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the first half for the third-seeded Illini, who never trailed. He broke away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws to help Illinois fnally put away the second-seeded Cyclones. Illinois reached a regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four. Curtis Jones scored 26 points to lead Iowa StateDALLAS (AP) — Houston is playing in its fifth Sweet 16 in a row, its best March Madness run since making three consecutive Final Four appearances in the Phi Slama Jama era four decades ago. The Cougars were Big 12 regular-season champions this season after making the move into that power conference. They play blueblood Duke on Friday night at the home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, about 250 miles from the Houston campus. Another Atlantic Coast Conference team, No. 11 seed North Carolina State, takes on second-seeded Marquette and former Texas coach Shaka Smart in the first Dallas game.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — North Carlina State's Sweet 16 game against Stanford in the women's NCAA Tournament is bit of a harbinger of what’s to come. That’s because next season the perennially talented Cardinal are headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Second-seeded Stanford plays No. 3 seed N.C. State on Friday night in the Portland 4 Region, before top-seeded Texas plays No. 4 seed Gonzaga. Stanford is among five Pac-12 teams — most of any conference — that have advanced to the Sweet 16 as the league’s days dwindle due to conference reallignment.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals 4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after pitching six strong innings.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers, and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the Dodger Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. No offseason addition to the Dodgers' star-studded lineup was bigger than Ohtani, who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was going down to block a low pitch when he heard the ball tip off the bat and saw it change directions. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t hear or see the same thing in the ninth inning of the season opener for the World Series champions. The Chicago Cubs took the lead on that disputed play before Texas rallied to win 4-3 on Heim’s game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning Thursday night. Fairchild told a poll reporter after the game that he ruled a swinging strike. Asked if he had seen a replay, Fairchild said he had, but refused to talk about what he saw on it.UNDATED (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be short but he isn’t sure. MLB announced its investigation Friday after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block party outside the stadium. A half-hour before the game’s first pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags and threw beanbags at caricatures of team executives —including owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association while the investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor. Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this year, remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities there investigate and did not report to spring training.HOUSTON (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is off to a solid start in his bid for a third straight PGA Tour victory. The world's No. 1 player shot a 65 in the Houston Open and trails Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one shot at Memorial Park. Scheffler has 28 consecutive rounds under par to start the year. Moore made bogey on his first hole and then had an eagle and five birdies for a 64. Furr matched him late in the day, holing out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 fifth and closing with birdies on 8 and 9. Pierceson and Parker Coody became the first twins to play with each other on the PGA Tour.COLLEGE BASKETBALLNCAA Sweet 16EASTFinal UConn 82 San Diego St. 52Final Illinois 72 Iowa St. 69WESTFinal Clemson 77 Arizona 72Final Alabama 89 North Carolina 87MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal Texas 4 Chicago Cubs 3AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Baltimore 11 L.A. Angels 3Final Detroit 1 Chicago White Sox 0Final Minnesota 4 Kansas City 1Final Toronto 8 Tampa Bay 2Final N.Y. Yankees 5 Houston 4Final Cleveland 8 Oakland 0Final Boston 6 Seattle 4NATIONAL LEAGUEMilwaukee at N-Y Mets 1:40 p.m. (Postponed)Atlanta at Philadelphia 3:05 p.m. (Postponed)Final Cincinnati 8 Washington 2Final L.A. Dodgers 7 St. Louis 1Final San Diego 6 San Francisco 4Final Pittsburgh 6 Miami 5Final Arizona 16 Colorado 1NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal OT Atlanta 123 Boston 122Final New Orleans 107 Milwaukee 100NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal Ottawa 2 Chicago 0Final Pittsburgh 3 Columbus 2Final Toronto 5 Washington 1Final N-Y Islanders 3 Florida 2Final Montreal 4 Philadelphia 1Final Carolina 4 Detroit 0Final Minnesota 3 San Jose 1Final St. Louis 5 Calgary 3Final Vegas 4 Winnipeg 1Final Edmonton 4 Los Angeles 1Final SO N-Y Rangers 3 Colorado 2Final Dallas 3 Vancouver 1

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Friday

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/kansas-great-walt-wesley-passes/">Via KU Athletics</a>

Kansas great Walt Wesley died at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, Thursday morning. According to his KU coach, Ted Owens, Wesley was with his wife Denise who was holding his hand when he passed. Owens and Wesley’s KU teammates Riney Lochmann and Al Lopes were able to talk with Wesley on the phone earlier in the week. Wesley was 79 years old and had been fighting leukemia the past few years.

From Fort Myers, Florida, Wesley was a two-time Consensus All-American at Kansas in 1965 and 1966. Wesley, who stood 6-foot, 11-inches, was also a two-time All-Big Eight selection following his junior and senior seasons. Wesley’s career average of 19.3 points per game ranks in the top 10 on the KU all-time scoring average list and his 1,315 career points are 33rd. He averaged over 20 points in his junior and senior seasons.

“Walt Wesley is one of the finest men I have ever known,” Owens said. “He was so loved by his teammates and coaches. He was just an extraordinary man. He came to Kansas and worked so hard to develop into the great player that he was. He loved the University of Kansas and loved being a part of Kansas basketball. He touched all of our lives. I can’t say enough about Walt. He was so loved by his teammates.”

“No one loved Kansas basketball more than Walt Wesley,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “At 6-11, he was one of the true giants when he played, which led him to being a two-time All-American. Walt would come back to Lawrence often and it was always great to see him. He was such a great ambassador for Kansas basketball. Our thoughts and prayers are with Denise and his family. We lost a KU great and his legacy will live forever in Kansas basketball history.”

Owens was the assistant coach who recruited Wesley out of Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, Florida. Wesley played under KU head coach Dick Harp his freshman and sophomore seasons, then for Owens his All-American campaigns in 1965 and 1966. Kansas won the Big Eight Holiday Tournament in 1964 and 1965 and was the Big Eight regular-season champion in 1966, advancing to the NCAA Tournament with a 23-4 record.

Wesley was selected sixth overall pick by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1966 NBA Draft and had a successful 10-year career playing for numerous teams in the NBA from 1967 to 1976. He held the Cleveland Cavaliers single-game scoring record of 50 points for more than 30 years until it was broken by LeBron James in 2008, who utilized three-point baskets, which was not a part of the game when the record was established by Wesley.

After playing professional basketball, Wesley served as a Division I college basketball coach for more than 25 years at Kansas, Western Michigan and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After his retirement from coaching, Wesley served as an Executive Director for the Police Athletic League in Fort Myers, Florida.

Wesley’s Kansas jersey, No. 13 was officially retired on Dec. 18, 2004. He was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. Additionally, he was inducted into the Fort Myers Dunbar High School Hall of Fame, the National Negro High School Basketball Hall of Fame, the National High School Basketball Hall of Fame and the Court of Legends by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches. Wesley also received the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity “Jessie Owens Award of Excellence” for athletic and philanthropic accomplishments, which he received in 2010.

Wesley would often make the trip from Fort Myers, Florida, to Lawrence to catch a Kansas game and participate in Kansas Basketball reunions. He attended KU’s 125-Year celebration in January 2023 and later that season, Wesley was honored as the men’s basketball recipient in the Marian E. Washington Trailblazer Series. The Marian E. Washington Trailblazer series was created in February 2020 to highlight influential African-American Jayhawks in multiple sports throughout each Black History Month.

Services for Wesley will be in Fort Myers, Florida, with details to be announced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711709612128.jpeg" alt="Walt Wesley died March 28, 2024. Photo Courtesy KU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Walt Wesley died March 28, 2024. Photo Courtesy KU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kuathletics.com/kansas-great-walt-wesley-passes/">Via KU Athletics</a>Kansas great Walt Wesley died at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, Thursday morning. According to his KU coach, Ted Owens, Wesley was with his wife Denise who was holding his hand when he passed. Owens and Wesley’s KU teammates Riney Lochmann and Al Lopes were able to talk with Wesley on the phone earlier in the week. Wesley was 79 years old and had been fighting leukemia the past few years.From Fort Myers, Florida, Wesley was a two-time Consensus All-American at Kansas in 1965 and 1966. Wesley, who stood 6-foot, 11-inches, was also a two-time All-Big Eight selection following his junior and senior seasons. Wesley’s career average of 19.3 points per game ranks in the top 10 on the KU all-time scoring average list and his 1,315 career points are 33rd. He averaged over 20 points in his junior and senior seasons.“Walt Wesley is one of the finest men I have ever known,” Owens said. “He was so loved by his teammates and coaches. He was just an extraordinary man. He came to Kansas and worked so hard to develop into the great player that he was. He loved the University of Kansas and loved being a part of Kansas basketball. He touched all of our lives. I can’t say enough about Walt. He was so loved by his teammates.”“No one loved Kansas basketball more than Walt Wesley,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “At 6-11, he was one of the true giants when he played, which led him to being a two-time All-American. Walt would come back to Lawrence often and it was always great to see him. He was such a great ambassador for Kansas basketball. Our thoughts and prayers are with Denise and his family. We lost a KU great and his legacy will live forever in Kansas basketball history.”Owens was the assistant coach who recruited Wesley out of Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, Florida. Wesley played under KU head coach Dick Harp his freshman and sophomore seasons, then for Owens his All-American campaigns in 1965 and 1966. Kansas won the Big Eight Holiday Tournament in 1964 and 1965 and was the Big Eight regular-season champion in 1966, advancing to the NCAA Tournament with a 23-4 record.Wesley was selected sixth overall pick by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1966 NBA Draft and had a successful 10-year career playing for numerous teams in the NBA from 1967 to 1976. He held the Cleveland Cavaliers single-game scoring record of 50 points for more than 30 years until it was broken by LeBron James in 2008, who utilized three-point baskets, which was not a part of the game when the record was established by Wesley.After playing professional basketball, Wesley served as a Division I college basketball coach for more than 25 years at Kansas, Western Michigan and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After his retirement from coaching, Wesley served as an Executive Director for the Police Athletic League in Fort Myers, Florida.Wesley’s Kansas jersey, No. 13 was officially retired on Dec. 18, 2004. He was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. Additionally, he was inducted into the Fort Myers Dunbar High School Hall of Fame, the National Negro High School Basketball Hall of Fame, the National High School Basketball Hall of Fame and the Court of Legends by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches. Wesley also received the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity “Jessie Owens Award of Excellence” for athletic and philanthropic accomplishments, which he received in 2010.Wesley would often make the trip from Fort Myers, Florida, to Lawrence to catch a Kansas game and participate in Kansas Basketball reunions. He attended KU’s 125-Year celebration in January 2023 and later that season, Wesley was honored as the men’s basketball recipient in the Marian E. Washington Trailblazer Series. The Marian E. Washington Trailblazer series was created in February 2020 to highlight influential African-American Jayhawks in multiple sports throughout each Black History Month.Services for Wesley will be in Fort Myers, Florida, with details to be announced.

🏀 Kansas Great Walt Wesley Passes

EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch Post&nbsp;

HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— Connors State just missed the NJCAA Division I national championship game by three points. The No. 19 seeded Cowboys beat Moberly, Salt Lake and Hutchinson to get to the semifinals. All teams seeded higher than them. 

The No. 7 Triton College Trojans beat Connors State 87-84 Thursday to move on to the final game of the tournament. Head Coach Brian Burns is in his first year with the Trojans.&nbsp;

Sophomore guard Amar Augillard led Triton with 26 points. Freshman guard AJ Dixon scored 20. Freshman guard Khamani Cooper lead Connors State with 22. Sophomore forward Bradyn Hubbard scored 21.&nbsp;

Triton got off to a quick lead in the first half and led 51-37 at halftime. The Trojans shot 62.5% from the field and 50.0% from the 3-point line.&nbsp;

Connors State adjusted at halftime but dealt with foul trouble late in the game. Freshman forward Buddy Hammer Jr. received his fourth foul of the game with under 10 minutes left. Hammer Jr. was&nbsp; a presence for Connors State in the paint. He averaged 14 points a game during the tournament. Hammer Jr. scored a tournament high 22 points on Thursday.&nbsp;

With a little over a 1:30 to go, Connors State only trailed by two (86-84) after Hubbard made two free throws.&nbsp;

Sophomore guard Antonio Green Jr. got fouled and went to the line but missed both of his free throws for the Cowboys.&nbsp;

With about a minute left, Hammer Jr. went back into the game, but quickly fouled out. Triton's sophomore guard Dior Conner made 1-2 free throws to make it a three point game 87-84). Connors State had one more possession but the clock ran out.&nbsp;

Triton will play Barton in national championship on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.&nbsp;

Glen Grunwald and Rick Kraus will have the game play-by-play on Saturday on Country 102.9 FM and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710770148738.png" alt="2024 NJCAA DI MBB National Tournament" />
 <figcaption>2024 NJCAA DI MBB National Tournament</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch Post&nbsp; HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— Connors State just missed the NJCAA Division I national championship game by three points. The No. 19 seeded Cowboys beat Moberly, Salt Lake and Hutchinson to get to the semifinals. All teams seeded higher than them. The No. 7 Triton College Trojans beat Connors State 87-84 Thursday to move on to the final game of the tournament. Head Coach Brian Burns is in his first year with the Trojans.&nbsp;Sophomore guard Amar Augillard led Triton with 26 points. Freshman guard AJ Dixon scored 20. Freshman guard Khamani Cooper lead Connors State with 22. Sophomore forward Bradyn Hubbard scored 21.&nbsp;Triton got off to a quick lead in the first half and led 51-37 at halftime. The Trojans shot 62.5% from the field and 50.0% from the 3-point line.&nbsp;Connors State adjusted at halftime but dealt with foul trouble late in the game. Freshman forward Buddy Hammer Jr. received his fourth foul of the game with under 10 minutes left. Hammer Jr. was&nbsp; a presence for Connors State in the paint. He averaged 14 points a game during the tournament. Hammer Jr. scored a tournament high 22 points on Thursday.&nbsp;With a little over a 1:30 to go, Connors State only trailed by two (86-84) after Hubbard made two free throws.&nbsp;Sophomore guard Antonio Green Jr. got fouled and went to the line but missed both of his free throws for the Cowboys.&nbsp;With about a minute left, Hammer Jr. went back into the game, but quickly fouled out. Triton's sophomore guard Dior Conner made 1-2 free throws to make it a three point game 87-84). Connors State had one more possession but the clock ran out.&nbsp;Triton will play Barton in national championship on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.&nbsp;Glen Grunwald and Rick Kraus will have the game play-by-play on Saturday on Country 102.9 FM and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM.

 🏀 NJCAA Tourney: Triton headed to national championship

HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— A Kansas school will play&nbsp; in the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship final. No. 1 Barton beat No.5 Indian Hills 93-78 in the semifinals of the national tournament on Thursday night.&nbsp;

Sophomore forward Lajae Jones led the Cougars in scoring with 25 points, nine rebounds and an assist.&nbsp; Hutchinson native Myles Thompson scored 21 points. Thompson, a sophomore forward, also recorded nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block.&nbsp;

Sophomore guards Davontae Hall and Braden Sparks scored 17 points a piece for Indian Hills.&nbsp;

About midway through the first half, Indian Hills trailed Barton by just six points 33-27, but the Cougars went on a 7-0 scoring run to end the half with a 40-27 lead.&nbsp;

Barton led for the rest of the game. They only shot 36.4% from the 3-point line but they dominated in the paint by scoring 44 points to Indian Hills 30. The Cougars were 73.1% from the free throw line (19-26).&nbsp;

The Cougars also capitalized by scoring 19 points off of Indian Hills 16 turnovers.&nbsp;

Barton will play the winner of Connors State and Triton in the national championship on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711675068665.jpeg" alt="Sophomore forward Lajae Jones dunks it late in the second half against Indian Hills. Jones scored 25 points in Barton's 93-78 win over Indian Hills on Thursday, March 28. Photo by Emmie Boese.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Sophomore forward Lajae Jones dunks it late in the second half against Indian Hills. Jones scored 25 points in Barton's 93-78 win over Indian Hills on Thursday, March 28. Photo by Emmie Boese.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— A Kansas school will play&nbsp; in the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship final. No. 1 Barton beat No.5 Indian Hills 93-78 in the semifinals of the national tournament on Thursday night.&nbsp;Sophomore forward Lajae Jones led the Cougars in scoring with 25 points, nine rebounds and an assist.&nbsp; Hutchinson native Myles Thompson scored 21 points. Thompson, a sophomore forward, also recorded nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block.&nbsp;Sophomore guards Davontae Hall and Braden Sparks scored 17 points a piece for Indian Hills.&nbsp;About midway through the first half, Indian Hills trailed Barton by just six points 33-27, but the Cougars went on a 7-0 scoring run to end the half with a 40-27 lead.&nbsp;Barton led for the rest of the game. They only shot 36.4% from the 3-point line but they dominated in the paint by scoring 44 points to Indian Hills 30. The Cougars were 73.1% from the free throw line (19-26).&nbsp;The Cougars also capitalized by scoring 19 points off of Indian Hills 16 turnovers.&nbsp;Barton will play the winner of Connors State and Triton in the national championship on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.&nbsp;Glen Grunwald and Rick Kraus will have the game play-by-play on Saturday on Country 102.9 FM and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM.

🏀 NJCAA Tourney: Barton headed to national championship game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.

It didn't calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.

The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday. And when Royce Lewis homered, and Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs, Minnesota had a 4-1 victory to begin its defense of its AL Central crown.

“You shake it off,” Lopez said of that ominous first at-bat. “Let it go, as hard as that can be sometimes. It was about not letting go of my plan, and attacking the zone. If you attack the zone, you'll get some good results.”

In fact, it was reminiscent of last season, when Lopez (1-0) shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory to open the season.

Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.

“It was a tight game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You have to get in the weeds a little bit. Have good at-bats, put the ball in play when we have runners on base. I was pleased with the way we executed.”

Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.

“His stuff was good. He got two outs on three pitches in the first,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Correa is obviously a tough out for a lot of a lot of pitchers. (Lopez) was really good. They gave him a couple of runs. We’ll take that every time out.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid began the festivities on a sun-splashed afternoon by hauling the club's latest Lombardi Trophy to the mound, where team owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan held two other Super Bowl trophies. Then Reid, who worked as a vendor at Dodger Stadium as a teen, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.

Lewis delivered the first hit of the day for Minnesota, a no-doubt shot to left field with two outs in the first. Garcia delivered the second for Kansas City, a tying homer of his own into the left-field bullpen leading off the bottom half.

Minnesota pulled ahead in the third when Correa's double brought home Manuel Margot. The hit proved costly, though, when Lewis pulled up near third base with a right quad injury; Edouard Julien replaced him.

“He had an MRI and we're going to take some time to evaluate,” said Baldelli, adding that Max Kepler had an X-ray that came back clean after he fouled a pitch off his knee. “I hope Kep is going to play (Saturday) but we're just going to have to see.”

The Twins added two runs off Chris Stratton in the ninth to give their bullpen a cushion it hardly needed.

“Not the way you want to start the season on the injury side of things,” Baldelli said, “but how you want to see your team go out and fight and get a win on opening day.”

Twins: RHPs Jhoan Duran (right oblique strain), Josh Staumont (left calf strain), Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis) and Zack Weiss (right shoulder strain) and LHP Caleb Thielbar (left hamstring strain) were placed on the injured list.

Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (right shoulder impingement), LHPs Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left biceps) and INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) were placed on the IL. All of them remained in Arizona.

After taking Friday off, the Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the mound against Royals RHP Seth Lugo on Saturday. The Royals signed Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract during their offseason overhaul of the starting rotation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711667585037.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.It didn't calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday. And when Royce Lewis homered, and Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs, Minnesota had a 4-1 victory to begin its defense of its AL Central crown.“You shake it off,” Lopez said of that ominous first at-bat. “Let it go, as hard as that can be sometimes. It was about not letting go of my plan, and attacking the zone. If you attack the zone, you'll get some good results.”In fact, it was reminiscent of last season, when Lopez (1-0) shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory to open the season.Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.“It was a tight game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You have to get in the weeds a little bit. Have good at-bats, put the ball in play when we have runners on base. I was pleased with the way we executed.”Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.“His stuff was good. He got two outs on three pitches in the first,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Correa is obviously a tough out for a lot of a lot of pitchers. (Lopez) was really good. They gave him a couple of runs. We’ll take that every time out.”Chiefs coach Andy Reid began the festivities on a sun-splashed afternoon by hauling the club's latest Lombardi Trophy to the mound, where team owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan held two other Super Bowl trophies. Then Reid, who worked as a vendor at Dodger Stadium as a teen, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.Lewis delivered the first hit of the day for Minnesota, a no-doubt shot to left field with two outs in the first. Garcia delivered the second for Kansas City, a tying homer of his own into the left-field bullpen leading off the bottom half.Minnesota pulled ahead in the third when Correa's double brought home Manuel Margot. The hit proved costly, though, when Lewis pulled up near third base with a right quad injury; Edouard Julien replaced him.“He had an MRI and we're going to take some time to evaluate,” said Baldelli, adding that Max Kepler had an X-ray that came back clean after he fouled a pitch off his knee. “I hope Kep is going to play (Saturday) but we're just going to have to see.”The Twins added two runs off Chris Stratton in the ninth to give their bullpen a cushion it hardly needed.“Not the way you want to start the season on the injury side of things,” Baldelli said, “but how you want to see your team go out and fight and get a win on opening day.”TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: RHPs Jhoan Duran (right oblique strain), Josh Staumont (left calf strain), Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis) and Zack Weiss (right shoulder strain) and LHP Caleb Thielbar (left hamstring strain) were placed on the injured list.Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (right shoulder impingement), LHPs Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left biceps) and INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) were placed on the IL. All of them remained in Arizona.UP NEXTAfter taking Friday off, the Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the mound against Royals RHP Seth Lugo on Saturday. The Royals signed Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract during their offseason overhaul of the starting rotation.

Lopez shuts down Royals as Twins begin defense of AL Central title with 4-1 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals announced several roster moves this morning to finalize their Opening Day roster.

The Royals have placed four players on the Injured List, retroactive to March 25, including righthanded pitcher Carlos Hernández (right shoulder impingement), left-handed pitchers Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left arm/biceps nerve injury) and infielder Michael Massey (low back strain).

Pitchers Kris Bubic (left elbow surgery) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder surgery) were placed on the 60-day Injured List on Feb. 23 and Feb. 17, respectively.

The Royals have 40 players on the Major League Reserve List.

Kansas City’s 26-man roster includes only seven players who made the Royals Opening Day roster last season, including pitchers Jordan Lyles and Brady Singer, catcher Salvador Perez, infielders Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. and outfielders Kyle Isbel and MJ Melendez.

Nine Royals made the Opening Day roster this season for the first time, including pitchers Alec Marsh, James McArthur, Matt Sauer and Angel Zerpa, catcher Freddy Fermin, infielders Maikel Garcia and Nick Loftin and outfielders Dairon Blanco and Nelson Velázquez.

Nine players will make their Royals debut with their 1st appearance this season, including pitchers Nick Anderson, Seth Lugo, Sauer, Chris Stratton, John Schreiber and Michael Wacha, infielders Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson and outfielder Hunter Renfroe.

Cole Ragans will make his 1st career Opening Day start. The 26-year-old will be the second-youngest left-handed Opening Day starting pitcher in franchise history, older only than 25-year-old Danny Jackson in 1987. Ragans’ 21 career starts will be the 4th fewest by any Opening Day starter in Royals history, more than only Brad Keller (20, 2019), Runelvys Hernández (12, 2003) and Royals Hall of Famer Steve Busby (5, 1973).

Will Smith is entering his 12th season in the Majors and 2024 marks his 10th Opening Day roster.

He’s made an Opening Day roster every season since 2014, except for the 2017 season when he missed the year due to injury. This marks his second stint with Kansas City, after pitching his first two seasons in the Majors with the Royals from 2012-13. He will be the 34th different player in franchise history to appear for the Royals, leave the organization and return to play for the team.

Salvador Perez is making his 10th career Opening Day start at catcher, extending his franchise record for the position. His 10 career Opening Day starts (at any position) are tied with Willie Wilson

for the 6th most in franchise history behind George Brett (18), Frank White (15), Alex Gordon (13), Hal McRae (13) and Amos Otis (12).

Below is the roster, in alphabetical order:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708710110872.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals announced several roster moves this morning to finalize their Opening Day roster.The Royals have placed four players on the Injured List, retroactive to March 25, including righthanded pitcher Carlos Hernández (right shoulder impingement), left-handed pitchers Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left arm/biceps nerve injury) and infielder Michael Massey (low back strain).Pitchers Kris Bubic (left elbow surgery) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder surgery) were placed on the 60-day Injured List on Feb. 23 and Feb. 17, respectively.The Royals have 40 players on the Major League Reserve List.Kansas City’s 26-man roster includes only seven players who made the Royals Opening Day roster last season, including pitchers Jordan Lyles and Brady Singer, catcher Salvador Perez, infielders Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. and outfielders Kyle Isbel and MJ Melendez.Nine Royals made the Opening Day roster this season for the first time, including pitchers Alec Marsh, James McArthur, Matt Sauer and Angel Zerpa, catcher Freddy Fermin, infielders Maikel Garcia and Nick Loftin and outfielders Dairon Blanco and Nelson Velázquez.Nine players will make their Royals debut with their 1st appearance this season, including pitchers Nick Anderson, Seth Lugo, Sauer, Chris Stratton, John Schreiber and Michael Wacha, infielders Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson and outfielder Hunter Renfroe.Cole Ragans will make his 1st career Opening Day start. The 26-year-old will be the second-youngest left-handed Opening Day starting pitcher in franchise history, older only than 25-year-old Danny Jackson in 1987. Ragans’ 21 career starts will be the 4th fewest by any Opening Day starter in Royals history, more than only Brad Keller (20, 2019), Runelvys Hernández (12, 2003) and Royals Hall of Famer Steve Busby (5, 1973).Will Smith is entering his 12th season in the Majors and 2024 marks his 10th Opening Day roster.He’s made an Opening Day roster every season since 2014, except for the 2017 season when he missed the year due to injury. This marks his second stint with Kansas City, after pitching his first two seasons in the Majors with the Royals from 2012-13. He will be the 34th different player in franchise history to appear for the Royals, leave the organization and return to play for the team.Salvador Perez is making his 10th career Opening Day start at catcher, extending his franchise record for the position. His 10 career Opening Day starts (at any position) are tied with Willie Wilsonfor the 6th most in franchise history behind George Brett (18), Frank White (15), Alex Gordon (13), Hal McRae (13) and Amos Otis (12).Below is the roster, in alphabetical order:63 Anderson, Nick RHP44 Blanco, Dairon OF59 Brentz, Jake 15IL LHP50 Bubic, Kris 60IL LHP34 Fermin, Freddy C26 Frazier, Adam IF11 Garcia, Maikel IF2 Hampson, Garrett IF43 Hernández, Carlos 15IL RHP28 Isbel, Kyle OF12 Loftin, Nick IF67 Lugo, Seth RHP24 Lyles, Jordan RHP48 Marsh, Alec RHP19 Massey, Michael 10IL IF66 McArthur, James RHP1 Melendez, MJ OF9 Pasquantino, Vinnie IF13 Perez, Salvador C55 Ragans, Cole LHP16 Renfroe, Hunter OF65 Sauer, Matt RHP46 Schreiber, John RHP51 Singer, Brady RHP31 Smith, Will LHP35 Stratton, Chris RHP38 Taylor, Josh 15IL LHP17 Velázquez, Nelson OF52 Wacha, Michael RHP7 Witt Jr., Bobby IF30 Wright, Kyle 60IL RHP61 Zerpa, Angel LHP

⚾ Royals announce Opening Day roster

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for March 28th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for March 28th, 2024.</figcaption>
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🎧 LISTEN: 🏀 WBB: HutchCC rallies pas Cochise 🏀 MBB: HutchCC Men eliminated ⚾ Royals opening day 

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2024/3/27/k-state-football-announces-staff-additions">Via K-State Athletics</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan. — As spring football practices continue, Kansas State has welcomed the additions of staff members Nate Kaczor, Drew Liddle, Sean Maguire, Riley Galpin and Lonnie Maddox over the last month.

Kaczor (pronounced KAT-sir) will serve as the Special Teams Quality Control Coach, Liddle and Maguire as Offensive Analysts, Galpin as Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Maddox as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.

A 16-year NFL coaching veteran who has served as the Special Teams Coordinator for the Washington Commanders over the last five seasons, Kaczor has worked as a college or NFL coach each of the last 33 seasons. He got his start in the NFL as an assistant special teams coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2008 to 2011, was an assistant offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2012 and has also served as the special teams coordinator for the Titans (2013-15) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18).

A native of Scott City, Kansas, Kaczor also worked 17 seasons as a college assistant coach as he was an offensive assistant at Utah State from 1991 to 1999 – crossing paths with current K-State assistants Mike Tuiasosopo and Matt Wells – in addition to serving as the offensive coordinator at Nebraska-Kearney (2000-03), co-offensive coordinator at Idaho (2004-05) and tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe (2006-07).

Liddle returns to Manhattan after working the previous two seasons as the tight ends/fullbacks coach at UTEP. Liddle, who played in 26 games throughout his four-year Wildcat career, was an Offensive Graduate Assistant at K-State for the 2015 and 2016 seasons before working as an Offensive Quality Control Coach and Assistant Director of Recruiting for the 2017 through 2020 seasons. Liddle then became the offensive line coach at Abilene Christian in 2021 before moving to UTEP a year later.

A former quarterback at Florida State, Maguire comes to Manhattan after working last season at the University of Buffalo as a Defensive Analyst and Quality Control Coach. He went to upstate New York after working four seasons at Texas A&amp;M, the first two as an Offensive Graduate Assistant in 2018 and 2019 before serving as an Offensive Analyst the next two seasons. Maguire played four seasons at Florida State, including the National Championship campaign of 2013. His best season came during his junior campaign of 2015 when he made five starts and threw for 1,520 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Galpin has spent the last two seasons as the Director of On-campus Recruiting and an Operations Assistant at the University of West Georgia where she directed and supervised all planning of official and unofficial visits to campus. She also helped plan and execute football camps, prospect days and junior days, while she helped transitioned incoming players both athletically and academically.

Maddox arrives in Manhattan after spending the last four seasons at Valdosta State as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for all 14 athletics programs, while he did the same the 2017 through 2019 seasons at Alcorn State. A graduate of Troy University, Maddox received his start in the strength and conditioning field at Troy for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, while he worked with the South Carolina football program as an intern in 2016. He is a certified strength and condition specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a registered strength and conditioning coach by the NSCA.

The Wildcats have held six of their 15 allotted spring practices, and they will continue to practice three to four times per week leading up to their final practice on April 13.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711622836791.jpeg" alt="Bill Snyder Family Stadium-Photo Courtesy K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Bill Snyder Family Stadium-Photo Courtesy K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2024/3/27/k-state-football-announces-staff-additions">Via K-State Athletics</a>MANHATTAN, Kan. — As spring football practices continue, Kansas State has welcomed the additions of staff members Nate Kaczor, Drew Liddle, Sean Maguire, Riley Galpin and Lonnie Maddox over the last month.Kaczor (pronounced KAT-sir) will serve as the Special Teams Quality Control Coach, Liddle and Maguire as Offensive Analysts, Galpin as Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Maddox as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.A 16-year NFL coaching veteran who has served as the Special Teams Coordinator for the Washington Commanders over the last five seasons, Kaczor has worked as a college or NFL coach each of the last 33 seasons. He got his start in the NFL as an assistant special teams coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2008 to 2011, was an assistant offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2012 and has also served as the special teams coordinator for the Titans (2013-15) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18).A native of Scott City, Kansas, Kaczor also worked 17 seasons as a college assistant coach as he was an offensive assistant at Utah State from 1991 to 1999 – crossing paths with current K-State assistants Mike Tuiasosopo and Matt Wells – in addition to serving as the offensive coordinator at Nebraska-Kearney (2000-03), co-offensive coordinator at Idaho (2004-05) and tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe (2006-07).Liddle returns to Manhattan after working the previous two seasons as the tight ends/fullbacks coach at UTEP. Liddle, who played in 26 games throughout his four-year Wildcat career, was an Offensive Graduate Assistant at K-State for the 2015 and 2016 seasons before working as an Offensive Quality Control Coach and Assistant Director of Recruiting for the 2017 through 2020 seasons. Liddle then became the offensive line coach at Abilene Christian in 2021 before moving to UTEP a year later.A former quarterback at Florida State, Maguire comes to Manhattan after working last season at the University of Buffalo as a Defensive Analyst and Quality Control Coach. He went to upstate New York after working four seasons at Texas A&amp;M, the first two as an Offensive Graduate Assistant in 2018 and 2019 before serving as an Offensive Analyst the next two seasons. Maguire played four seasons at Florida State, including the National Championship campaign of 2013. His best season came during his junior campaign of 2015 when he made five starts and threw for 1,520 yards and 11 touchdowns.Galpin has spent the last two seasons as the Director of On-campus Recruiting and an Operations Assistant at the University of West Georgia where she directed and supervised all planning of official and unofficial visits to campus. She also helped plan and execute football camps, prospect days and junior days, while she helped transitioned incoming players both athletically and academically.Maddox arrives in Manhattan after spending the last four seasons at Valdosta State as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for all 14 athletics programs, while he did the same the 2017 through 2019 seasons at Alcorn State. A graduate of Troy University, Maddox received his start in the strength and conditioning field at Troy for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, while he worked with the South Carolina football program as an intern in 2016. He is a certified strength and condition specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a registered strength and conditioning coach by the NSCA.The Wildcats have held six of their 15 allotted spring practices, and they will continue to practice three to four times per week leading up to their final practice on April 13.

K-State Football announces staff additions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. AP) - The AL Central doesn't appear to be a great place to find baseball's best teams.

Instead, it might be home to some of the most improved.

The division had a tough 2023, with the Twins running away with the title despite an 87-win season that wouldn't have been good enough to win any other division in MLB. One year later, it's still hard to look at the rosters and find an obvious 90-win squad in the bunch.

Minnesota once again appears to be the class of the division despite losing a pair of front-line starting pitchers in Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda.

But the real interest lies with teams like the Tigers and Royals, who are hoping for a big step forward. The Tigers haven't had a winning season since 2016 and the pressure is on fourth-year manager A.J. Hinch to end that stretch.

The Royals won the World Series in 2015 and haven't had a winning season since, but they made moves in the offseason to try and end that streak.

1. Minnesota Twins. After stopping their 18-game postseason losing streak that was the longest in the history of the major North American professional sports and winning a series for the first time in 21 years, the Twins have largely the same look in their quest to defend their division title. The notable exception is in the rotation, where losing Gray and Maeda could represent a setback. Pablo López remains the ace after an excellent debut season with the Twins and Joe Ryan has the potential to be a dominant sidekick. The wild card is Chris Paddack, who missed the 2023 regular season recovering from Tommy John surgery and chipped in from the bullpen for the playoffs. Health will likely be the pivotal factor for success at the plate this year, too, after shortstop Carlos Correa played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot and had the worst offensive season of his career and Byron Buxton’s right knee trouble limited him to designated hitter duty. Buxton has returned to center field and been thriving in spring training, as promising of a sign the Twins could hope for in camp.

2. Cleveland Guardians. Two years after a controversial name change, another new era begins in Cleveland as Stephen Vogt takes over for Terry Francona, the winningest manager in franchise history. A journeyman catcher, Vogt has never managed at any level and will break in with a Guardians team that has enough good pieces to contend for a division title. Shane Bieber looks to be recovered from arm issues that limited him in 2023 and he’ll be expected to anchor a rotation featuring Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams, who both showed major promise as rookies. Although Cleveland’s lineup lacks power, José Ramírez and Josh Naylor are each capable of hitting 30 homers and don’t be surprised if slugging prospect Kyle Manzardo arrives early to provide some needed pop. Closer Emmanuel Clase has to be more consistent after leading the majors with 12 blown saves.

3. Detroit Tigers. The franchise is more hopeful than recent years, feeling optimistic about what appears to be a plus pitching staff and some promising players, and could make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Left-hander Tarik Skubal won four straight games and gave up just three runs over his last five starts to end last season and will be followed by newly acquired right-handers Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty. The bullpen is led by righties Jason Foley and Alex Lange along with lefty Andrew Chafin. First baseman Spencer Torkelson, the top pick in 2022, has a chance to become a 40-homer hitter. Multi-talented outfielder Parker Meadows generates excitement at the plate and base paths. The franchise gave second baseman Colt Keith a guaranteed deal worth at least $28 million before he faced his first pitch in the majors, clearly excited about his upside, and plan to give him opportunities to prove he was worth the investment.

4.) Kansas City Royals: The Royals are hoping to go worst-to-first this season after losing 106 games a year ago, and there is reason to believe they could do it. For one thing, the AL Central is wide open. But the Royals also spent more than $100 million in free agency to fix their biggest problems, which began and ended with pitching. Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha were signed to join breakout star Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Jordan Lyles in the rotation, and almost the entire bullpen is new with Will Smith taking over the closer job. The Royals also added slugger Hunter Renfroe and versatile Adam Frazier to the lineup and get power-hitting first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino back from shoulder surgery that wiped out almost his entire 2023 season. With the Royals eying a new downtown ballpark as the centerpiece of a $2 billion development funded in part by the extension of an existing sales tax, it would behoove them to show a weary fanbase that they are serious enough about winning to warrant the new digs.

5.) Chicago White Sox: It was a tough 2023 for the White Sox, who lost 101 games. It's unclear if 2024 will be much better. Chicago was second-to-last in the majors in runs scored and gave up more runs than all but four teams. The team also ranked among the worst on defense. The White Sox hope that pitchers Chris Flexen and Erick Fedde can solidify the back end of the rotation while the offense has a handful of proven offensive players in outfielder Luis Robert Jr., first baseman Andrew Vaughn, outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jiménez and third baseman Yoán Moncada. It appears that new general manager Chris Getz, starting his first full season, has plenty of work to do.

The White Sox signaled they'll be continuing to rebuild&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cease-padres-white-sox-fd1e245131875c12cc65ed0e5b65905a">when they dealt right-hander Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday for a package of players, including reliever Steven Wilson.

Cease, who turned 28 in December, was second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA last year for a White Sox team that went 61-101.

The Royals signed young star Bobby Witt Jr. to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/largest-baseball-contract-packages-f160430310f54a19d5cee11d32d10e4c">11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed</a>&nbsp;in February, easily the longest and richest contract in club history. It includes a three-year, $89 million team option that would drive the value to more than $377 million and keep Witt with the Royals through the 2037 season.

The contract was a seismic shift for a notoriously frugal, small-market ballclub. It also shows that Kansas City's ownership is serious about being more competitive in the division after several lean years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711618860637.jpeg" alt="Royas Home Opener March 28th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Royas Home Opener March 28th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. AP) - The AL Central doesn't appear to be a great place to find baseball's best teams.Instead, it might be home to some of the most improved.The division had a tough 2023, with the Twins running away with the title despite an 87-win season that wouldn't have been good enough to win any other division in MLB. One year later, it's still hard to look at the rosters and find an obvious 90-win squad in the bunch.Minnesota once again appears to be the class of the division despite losing a pair of front-line starting pitchers in Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda.But the real interest lies with teams like the Tigers and Royals, who are hoping for a big step forward. The Tigers haven't had a winning season since 2016 and the pressure is on fourth-year manager A.J. Hinch to end that stretch.The Royals won the World Series in 2015 and haven't had a winning season since, but they made moves in the offseason to try and end that streak.HOW THEY PROJECT1. Minnesota Twins. After stopping their 18-game postseason losing streak that was the longest in the history of the major North American professional sports and winning a series for the first time in 21 years, the Twins have largely the same look in their quest to defend their division title. The notable exception is in the rotation, where losing Gray and Maeda could represent a setback. Pablo López remains the ace after an excellent debut season with the Twins and Joe Ryan has the potential to be a dominant sidekick. The wild card is Chris Paddack, who missed the 2023 regular season recovering from Tommy John surgery and chipped in from the bullpen for the playoffs. Health will likely be the pivotal factor for success at the plate this year, too, after shortstop Carlos Correa played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot and had the worst offensive season of his career and Byron Buxton’s right knee trouble limited him to designated hitter duty. Buxton has returned to center field and been thriving in spring training, as promising of a sign the Twins could hope for in camp.2. Cleveland Guardians. Two years after a controversial name change, another new era begins in Cleveland as Stephen Vogt takes over for Terry Francona, the winningest manager in franchise history. A journeyman catcher, Vogt has never managed at any level and will break in with a Guardians team that has enough good pieces to contend for a division title. Shane Bieber looks to be recovered from arm issues that limited him in 2023 and he’ll be expected to anchor a rotation featuring Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams, who both showed major promise as rookies. Although Cleveland’s lineup lacks power, José Ramírez and Josh Naylor are each capable of hitting 30 homers and don’t be surprised if slugging prospect Kyle Manzardo arrives early to provide some needed pop. Closer Emmanuel Clase has to be more consistent after leading the majors with 12 blown saves.3. Detroit Tigers. The franchise is more hopeful than recent years, feeling optimistic about what appears to be a plus pitching staff and some promising players, and could make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Left-hander Tarik Skubal won four straight games and gave up just three runs over his last five starts to end last season and will be followed by newly acquired right-handers Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty. The bullpen is led by righties Jason Foley and Alex Lange along with lefty Andrew Chafin. First baseman Spencer Torkelson, the top pick in 2022, has a chance to become a 40-homer hitter. Multi-talented outfielder Parker Meadows generates excitement at the plate and base paths. The franchise gave second baseman Colt Keith a guaranteed deal worth at least $28 million before he faced his first pitch in the majors, clearly excited about his upside, and plan to give him opportunities to prove he was worth the investment.4.) Kansas City Royals: The Royals are hoping to go worst-to-first this season after losing 106 games a year ago, and there is reason to believe they could do it. For one thing, the AL Central is wide open. But the Royals also spent more than $100 million in free agency to fix their biggest problems, which began and ended with pitching. Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha were signed to join breakout star Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Jordan Lyles in the rotation, and almost the entire bullpen is new with Will Smith taking over the closer job. The Royals also added slugger Hunter Renfroe and versatile Adam Frazier to the lineup and get power-hitting first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino back from shoulder surgery that wiped out almost his entire 2023 season. With the Royals eying a new downtown ballpark as the centerpiece of a $2 billion development funded in part by the extension of an existing sales tax, it would behoove them to show a weary fanbase that they are serious enough about winning to warrant the new digs.5.) Chicago White Sox: It was a tough 2023 for the White Sox, who lost 101 games. It's unclear if 2024 will be much better. Chicago was second-to-last in the majors in runs scored and gave up more runs than all but four teams. The team also ranked among the worst on defense. The White Sox hope that pitchers Chris Flexen and Erick Fedde can solidify the back end of the rotation while the offense has a handful of proven offensive players in outfielder Luis Robert Jr., first baseman Andrew Vaughn, outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jiménez and third baseman Yoán Moncada. It appears that new general manager Chris Getz, starting his first full season, has plenty of work to do.CEASE GONEThe White Sox signaled they'll be continuing to rebuild&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cease-padres-white-sox-fd1e245131875c12cc65ed0e5b65905a">when they dealt right-hander Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday for a package of players, including reliever Steven Wilson.Cease, who turned 28 in December, was second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA last year for a White Sox team that went 61-101.WITT GETS PAIDThe Royals signed young star Bobby Witt Jr. to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/largest-baseball-contract-packages-f160430310f54a19d5cee11d32d10e4c">11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed</a>&nbsp;in February, easily the longest and richest contract in club history. It includes a three-year, $89 million team option that would drive the value to more than $377 million and keep Witt with the Royals through the 2037 season.The contract was a seismic shift for a notoriously frugal, small-market ballclub. It also shows that Kansas City's ownership is serious about being more competitive in the division after several lean years.

⚾ AL Central Preview: Tigers, Royals try to end years of losing after offseason moves

AP Sports Summary for Thursday, March 28th, 2024.

NCAA President Charlie Baker urges states with legal wagering to ban prop bets on college athletes

NCAA President Charlie Baker is urging states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances. Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game. The NBA has opened an investigation into Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations related to his own performance in individual games. Ohio, Vermont and Maryland are among the states that have removed prop betting on college athletes. The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments through legal sportsbooks.

Phillies-Braves and Brewers-Mets openers postponed a day to Friday due to rainy forecasts

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball season openers in New York and Philadelphia have been postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both cities. Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, a day featuring the first full slate of major league games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres started the regular season with a two-game series in South Korea last week. But with wet weather expected much of Thursday in Queens, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was pushed back to Friday afternoon. Minutes later, the Philadelphia Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival Atlanta Braves was moved from Thursday at 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the same time due to anticipated rain.

Opening day 2024: What to watch for on the first full day of the MLB season

After the Dodgers and Padres soft-launched the 2024 MLB season with a two-game series in South Korea last week, the rest of the league was scheduled to start play Thursday. All 30 teams were supposed to be in action, before Braves-Phillies and Brewers-Mets games were rained out. All eyes remain on Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who will make his home debut with Los Angeles amid investigations into his fired interpreter. Zack Wheeler and Spencer Strider square off in a juicy NL East opener between the Phillies and Braves in Philadelphia. Several stars are set to debut with new teams, including Juan Soto with the Yankees, Josh Hader with the Astros, Corbin Burnes with the Orioles and Matt Chapman with the Giants.

Will Smith, Dodgers reach $140 million, 10-year deal. LA has spent $1.4 billion on 5 key players

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $140 million, 10-year contract, raising the team's spending to nearly $1.4 billion for five key players since December. Smith's deal supersedes an $8.85 million, one-year agreement reached in January. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .261 with 19 homers and 76 RBIs. Smith has a .263 average with 91 homers and 308 RBIs in six seasons with the Dodgers. Los Angeles has committed almost $1.37 billion to two-way star Shohei Ohtani, right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and Smith.

Warriors' Draymond Green is ejected less than 4 minutes into game against Magic

Golden State forward Draymond Green was ejected less than four minutes into the Warriors' game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. It was Green's fourth ejection of the season and the first since his 16-game suspension by the NBA for his history of misconduct and after he struck Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a Dec. 12 game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the 101-93 win over the Magic that Green "deserved" to be ejected and called it "unfortunate."

'Good likelihood' that injured Embiid will be back before start of playoffs, 76ers' Nurse says

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday that there is a "good likelihood" that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will be back on the court before the postseason. Embiid, who has averaged 35.3 points and 11.5 rebounds this season, has missed the last 27 games after suffering a meniscus injury on Jan. 30 at Golden State that required surgery on Feb. 6. The Sixers were 10-16 in the games since Embiid's injury heading into Wednesday. The club had confirmed two weeks ago that Embiid started on-court work, but has been cryptic about the extent of work he has been doing.

MLB owners unanimously approve sale of Baltimore Orioles to a group headed by David Rubenstein

David Rubenstein's purchase of the Baltimore Orioles has been approved by Major League Baseball owners. That clears the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team. Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Rubenstein can now take over once his investor group officially closes the sale, which is expected sometime Wednesday. The Angelos family has been in control of the Orioles since 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million.

Crowns, chest bumps and swagger: In March Madness, the handshake isn't just for high fives anymore

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The pregame handshake has become a staple of college basketball during March Madness. Nearly every team in both the men's and women's game has at least one player who greets the starters with a sometimes intricately choreographed handshake before the game is tipped off. The ritual has become a part of basketball's culture and offers players a chance to relax before the game begins. LSU's Amani Bartlett says she tailors the handshakes to fit a teammate's personality. Bartlett believes the handshakes serve as a wake-up call that it's time to get serious and focus on the task ahead.

UConn, San Diego State set for title game rematch in Sweet 16; Iowa State, Illinois target Elite 8

BOSTON (AP) — No. 1 overall seed UConn has looked unbeatable so far during its bid to become the first school since 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles. Its next hurdle in the Sweet 16 is a rematch with fifth-seeded San Diego State, which the Huskies beat in last year's title game. The other regional semifinal features a matchup between a second-seeded Iowa State team that has the best defensive rating against No. 3 seed Illinois, which boasts the top offensive rating of remaining teams.

Officials admit to missed call on final play of Clippers win over 76ers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials said they missed a foul call in the closing seconds of the Los Angeles Clippers' 108-107 win over Philadelphia, denying the 76ers a possible victory in their fight for better playoff positioning. Referee Kevin Scott said in a pool report sent to reporters by the NBA an hour after the game that the Clippers' Paul George did make contact with Kelly Oubre Jr. — who had the ball and was driving — before time had expired on the final play of the contest. The foul would have sent Oubre to the line with a chance to win the game with 0.2 seconds remaining.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final	L.A. Clippers	108	Philadelphia	107	

		Milwaukee	at	N-Y Mets	1:40 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Atlanta	at	Philadelphia	3:05 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(24)San Diego St.	at	(1)UConn	7:39 p.m.	

		(10)Illinois	at	(4)Iowa St.	10:09 p.m.	

		(19)Alabama	at	(5)North Carolina	9:39 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, March 28th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, March 28th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 28th, 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=8u6a5-15c5e87-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>AP Sports Summary for Thursday, March 28th, 2024.NCAA President Charlie Baker urges states with legal wagering to ban prop bets on college athletesNCAA President Charlie Baker is urging states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances. Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game. The NBA has opened an investigation into Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations related to his own performance in individual games. Ohio, Vermont and Maryland are among the states that have removed prop betting on college athletes. The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments through legal sportsbooks.Phillies-Braves and Brewers-Mets openers postponed a day to Friday due to rainy forecastsNEW YORK (AP) — Baseball season openers in New York and Philadelphia have been postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both cities. Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, a day featuring the first full slate of major league games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres started the regular season with a two-game series in South Korea last week. But with wet weather expected much of Thursday in Queens, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was pushed back to Friday afternoon. Minutes later, the Philadelphia Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival Atlanta Braves was moved from Thursday at 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the same time due to anticipated rain.Opening day 2024: What to watch for on the first full day of the MLB seasonAfter the Dodgers and Padres soft-launched the 2024 MLB season with a two-game series in South Korea last week, the rest of the league was scheduled to start play Thursday. All 30 teams were supposed to be in action, before Braves-Phillies and Brewers-Mets games were rained out. All eyes remain on Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who will make his home debut with Los Angeles amid investigations into his fired interpreter. Zack Wheeler and Spencer Strider square off in a juicy NL East opener between the Phillies and Braves in Philadelphia. Several stars are set to debut with new teams, including Juan Soto with the Yankees, Josh Hader with the Astros, Corbin Burnes with the Orioles and Matt Chapman with the Giants.Will Smith, Dodgers reach $140 million, 10-year deal. LA has spent $1.4 billion on 5 key playersLOS ANGELES (AP) — Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $140 million, 10-year contract, raising the team's spending to nearly $1.4 billion for five key players since December. Smith's deal supersedes an $8.85 million, one-year agreement reached in January. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .261 with 19 homers and 76 RBIs. Smith has a .263 average with 91 homers and 308 RBIs in six seasons with the Dodgers. Los Angeles has committed almost $1.37 billion to two-way star Shohei Ohtani, right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and Smith.Warriors' Draymond Green is ejected less than 4 minutes into game against MagicGolden State forward Draymond Green was ejected less than four minutes into the Warriors' game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. It was Green's fourth ejection of the season and the first since his 16-game suspension by the NBA for his history of misconduct and after he struck Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a Dec. 12 game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the 101-93 win over the Magic that Green "deserved" to be ejected and called it "unfortunate."'Good likelihood' that injured Embiid will be back before start of playoffs, 76ers' Nurse saysPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday that there is a "good likelihood" that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will be back on the court before the postseason. Embiid, who has averaged 35.3 points and 11.5 rebounds this season, has missed the last 27 games after suffering a meniscus injury on Jan. 30 at Golden State that required surgery on Feb. 6. The Sixers were 10-16 in the games since Embiid's injury heading into Wednesday. The club had confirmed two weeks ago that Embiid started on-court work, but has been cryptic about the extent of work he has been doing.MLB owners unanimously approve sale of Baltimore Orioles to a group headed by David RubensteinDavid Rubenstein's purchase of the Baltimore Orioles has been approved by Major League Baseball owners. That clears the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team. Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Rubenstein can now take over once his investor group officially closes the sale, which is expected sometime Wednesday. The Angelos family has been in control of the Orioles since 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million.Crowns, chest bumps and swagger: In March Madness, the handshake isn't just for high fives anymorePITTSBURGH (AP) — The pregame handshake has become a staple of college basketball during March Madness. Nearly every team in both the men's and women's game has at least one player who greets the starters with a sometimes intricately choreographed handshake before the game is tipped off. The ritual has become a part of basketball's culture and offers players a chance to relax before the game begins. LSU's Amani Bartlett says she tailors the handshakes to fit a teammate's personality. Bartlett believes the handshakes serve as a wake-up call that it's time to get serious and focus on the task ahead.UConn, San Diego State set for title game rematch in Sweet 16; Iowa State, Illinois target Elite 8BOSTON (AP) — No. 1 overall seed UConn has looked unbeatable so far during its bid to become the first school since 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles. Its next hurdle in the Sweet 16 is a rematch with fifth-seeded San Diego State, which the Huskies beat in last year's title game. The other regional semifinal features a matchup between a second-seeded Iowa State team that has the best defensive rating against No. 3 seed Illinois, which boasts the top offensive rating of remaining teams.Officials admit to missed call on final play of Clippers win over 76ersPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials said they missed a foul call in the closing seconds of the Los Angeles Clippers' 108-107 win over Philadelphia, denying the 76ers a possible victory in their fight for better playoff positioning. Referee Kevin Scott said in a pool report sent to reporters by the NBA an hour after the game that the Clippers' Paul George did make contact with Kelly Oubre Jr. — who had the ball and was driving — before time had expired on the final play of the contest. The foul would have sent Oubre to the line with a chance to win the game with 0.2 seconds remaining.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Charlotte	118	Cleveland	111	Final	Golden State	101	Orlando	93	Final OT	Brooklyn	122	Washington	119	Final	New York	145	Toronto	101	Final	Atlanta	120	Portland	106	Final	L.A. Clippers	108	Philadelphia	107	Final	Minnesota	106	Detroit	91	Final	Chicago	125	Indiana	99	Final	L.A. Lakers	136	Memphis	124	Final OT	Houston	132	Oklahoma City	126	Final	San Antonio	118	Utah	111	Final	Phoenix	104	Denver	97	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	6	Buffalo	2	Final	Tampa Bay	3	Boston	1	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Chi Cubs	at	Texas	7:35 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		L-A Angels	at	Baltimore	3:05 p.m.			Detroit	at	Chi White Sox	4:10 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Kansas City	4:10 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Houston	4:10 p.m.			Toronto	at	Tampa Bay	4:10 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Oakland	10:07 p.m.			Boston	at	Seattle	10:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Pittsburgh	at	Miami	4:10 p.m.			San Francisco	at	San Diego	4:10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	L-A Dodgers	4:10 p.m.			Washington	at	Cincinnati	4:10 p.m.			Colorado	at	Arizona	10:10 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	N-Y Mets	1:40 p.m.	(Postponed)		Atlanta	at	Philadelphia	3:05 p.m.	(Postponed)___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Boston	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Chicago	at	Ottawa	7 p.m.			Columbus	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.			N-Y Islanders	at	Florida	7 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			Washington	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Carolina	7:30 p.m.			Calgary	at	St. Louis	8 p.m.			San Jose	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			Vegas	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.			Los Angeles	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.			N-Y Rangers	at	Colorado	9 p.m.			Anaheim	at	Seattle	10 p.m.			Dallas	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.			Nashville	at	Arizona	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(24)San Diego St.	at	(1)UConn	7:39 p.m.			(10)Illinois	at	(4)Iowa St.	10:09 p.m.			(19)Alabama	at	(5)North Carolina	9:39 p.m.			Clemson	at	(9)Arizona	7:09 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Thursday

HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The HutchCC Blue Dragons ended their season in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Hutch lost to Connors State 91-69 on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

"Coach Muse (head coach of Connors State) does a hell of a job and that's a lot of wins on that sideline with him and they deserve the win," Head Coach Tommy DeSalme said. "And I was proud of our guys for fighting. They never gave up and their heads didn't go down. That's kind of been an issue with our games this year where we lost it but we kept fighting all the way to the end."

Hutch trailed Connors State 41-35 at the half. Connors State picked up the intensity though after halftime and pushed Hutch out to the 3-point line.

"They were just being real physical with us," sophomore guard Kamryn Thomas said. "Keeping us out of the paint, closing out real strong. It wasn't nothing we've not seen before. Shots just wasn't falling tonight."

Hutch shot 15.4% (4-26) from the field, a tournament low. Connors State scored 52 points in the paint and shot 51.6% (32-62) from the field. They only took three shots from the 3-point line.&nbsp;

"That kind of style of play, if you can't speed them up, it's a hard deal," DeSalme said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711602932284.jpeg" alt="Sophomore guard Antonio Green Jr. who played for Hutchinson before transferring to Connors State hugs sophomore guard Dadrevious Weathers. Hutch lost to Connors State 91-69 in the semifinals of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Photo by Emmie Boese." />
 <figcaption>Sophomore guard Antonio Green Jr. who played for Hutchinson before transferring to Connors State hugs sophomore guard Dadrevious Weathers. Hutch lost to Connors State 91-69 in the semifinals of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Photo by Emmie Boese.</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The HutchCC Blue Dragons ended their season in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Hutch lost to Connors State 91-69 on Wednesday night.&nbsp;"Coach Muse (head coach of Connors State) does a hell of a job and that's a lot of wins on that sideline with him and they deserve the win," Head Coach Tommy DeSalme said. "And I was proud of our guys for fighting. They never gave up and their heads didn't go down. That's kind of been an issue with our games this year where we lost it but we kept fighting all the way to the end."Hutch trailed Connors State 41-35 at the half. Connors State picked up the intensity though after halftime and pushed Hutch out to the 3-point line."They were just being real physical with us," sophomore guard Kamryn Thomas said. "Keeping us out of the paint, closing out real strong. It wasn't nothing we've not seen before. Shots just wasn't falling tonight."Hutch shot 15.4% (4-26) from the field, a tournament low. Connors State scored 52 points in the paint and shot 51.6% (32-62) from the field. They only took three shots from the 3-point line.&nbsp;"That kind of style of play, if you can't speed them up, it's a hard deal," DeSalme said.&nbsp;Sophomore forward Bradyn Hubbard who typically averages 25 points per game for Connors State put up 29 against Hutch.&nbsp;"He's a grown man that knows his game and knows where his spots are and we did a pretty good job at getting him off his spots but him and that other post player(freshman forward Buddy Hammer Jr.), they know who they are and they did a good job," DeSalme said.&nbsp;The Blue Dragons will loose seven sophomores off their roster for the 2024-25 season. Thomas and sophomore forward Valentino Simon were named to the All-KJCCC Division I First Team earlier this season.&nbsp;Thomas scored 12 points against Connors State and recorded 3 blocks.&nbsp;"We overcame a lot behind closed doors and stuff like that so I wouldn't want any other team to do it with man," Thomas said.&nbsp;Sophomore guard&nbsp; J.P. Ricks was an All-KJCCC Division I Honorable Mention selection. Against Connors State, Ricks scored 22 points, recorded four assists and had zero turnovers.&nbsp;"We had a great crowd three days straight," Ricks said. "We just came up short but I mean it's part of basketball. We had a good group of guys and we went to work every day in practice and games and we just came up short."&nbsp;Hutchinson finished the season with an overall 29-7 record. Connors State will play Triton in the semifinals on Thursday, March 28 at 7:15 p.m. On the other side of the bracket, Barton will play Indian Hills at 6 p.m.&nbsp;Glen Grunwald and Dan Naccarato will have the game play-by-play on Thursday on Country 102.9 FM and KWBW 1450 AM/98.5 FM.