<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750041521086.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita Wind Surge
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (June 25, 2025)&mdash;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/kala-i-rosario-693850">Kala&rsquo;i Rosario</a>&nbsp;hit for the cycle in a 10-1 Wichita Wind Surge win over the Springfield Cardinals at Equity Bank Park.
<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/john-klein-804619">John Klein</a>&nbsp;struck out a season-high nine hitters over five innings with two hits, an earned run, and a walk finishing out his line. He improved to 5-4 on the year with the win, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/ricky-castro-690462">Ricky Castro</a>&nbsp;earned his second save after throwing for the final three innings with just two walks given up besides three strikeouts.
Rosario smoked a ground ball double the other way to right center to bring in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/gabriel-gonzalez-694224">Gabby Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;for a 1-0 Wind Surge lead in the bottom of the first.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/jorel-ortega-687567">Jorel Ortega</a>&nbsp;gave Wichita another run on a sacrifice fly to right field in the home half of the second.
JJ Wetherholt grounded an RBI single to right center in the top of the third to make the score 2-1 Wichita, then Rosario roped a solo shot off the scoreboard, his eighth of the season, to return a two-run lead for the Wind Surge in the bottom of the inning.
Wichita scored four more times in the bottom of the fourth on just a hit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/kaelen-culpepper-701785">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;drew a bases-loaded walk, and then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/ben-ross-805346">Ben Ross</a>&nbsp;came home on a groundout. Rosario singled to right center for the latter two runs to score and provide a 7-1 Wichita lead.
Culpepper homered for the second straight game to left field in the home half of the sixth.
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Rosario proceeded to complete the cycle with a two-RBI triple to right center in the bottom of the eighth to give the Wind Surge a 10-1 lead that became the eventual final score. He&rsquo;s the second-ever Wichita batter to accomplish the feat.
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POSTGAME NOTES
<ul>
<li>Kala&rsquo;i Rosario is the second Wind Surge hitter in franchise history to hit for the cycle (Christian Encarnacion-Strand, July 17, 2022, vs. Arkansas). He&rsquo;s also the first Wichita hitter this year with five or more RBIs in a game (6).</li>
<li>Kaelen Culpepper hits his second home run with the Wind Surge.</li>
<li>John Klein tallies a new season-high in strikeouts (9).</li>
<li>Ricky Castro is up to two saves out of the bullpen in long relief action in 2025.</li>
<li>Every Wichita hitter in the lineup reached base.</li>
</ul>
Wichita continues the series with the Springfield Cardinals on June 26 at 7:05 PM on Thirsty Thursday, presented by LDF, Standard Beverages, and House of Schwan. Come on down to Equity Bank Park for a variety of discounted drinks! You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="http://milb.tv/">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Sports Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/tickets">windsurge.com/tickets</a>.</div>

⚾ Wind Surge rout Cardinals Wednesday

NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man in Dallas.

The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away.

Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luka-doncic-anthony-davis-lakers-mavericks-trade-7c8064be5c8e941489f14500fa43f5e7">traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team.

But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, the college player of the year who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. The Mavericks quickly announced that Flagg would wear No. 32 in Dallas, where fellow Duke products Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are on the roster.

“I’m really excited. I think I keep saying I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them,” Flagg said. “It’s going to be an incredible experience.”

His selection — considered likely ever since Flagg showed off his considerable game last summer after being invited to the U.S. Olympic team’s training camp — was a daylong celebration in his home state for the 18-year-old forward from Newport, Maine.

“It means a lot to me to have the support of the whole state. I know how many people showed up today and supported me at some of the draft parties back home,” Flagg said. “It feels amazing knowing I can inspire younger kids. I was in their shoes really not that long ago, so just to know I can give those kids those feelings and have the whole state behind me, it means a lot.”

He joined Elton Brand,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mavericks-irving-contract-dfd30497433e4423a799b5bf07e9bbab">Irving</a>, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero as Duke players drafted No. 1 since 1999, and he returned the draft to its longtime start with a one-and-done college player.

That’s the way the draft began every year from 2010 until Banchero’s selection in 2022, but the last two No. 1 picks, Victor Wembanyama and Zaccherie Risacher, are both from France.

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by the Spurs with the No. 2 pick and will try to follow Wembanyama and Stephon Castle and give San Antonio a third straight NBA Rookie of the Year.

“It’s definitely a goal of mine to make it three in a row,” Harper said. “I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent, so definitely.”

The 76ers then took Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, getting the first sustained burst of loud cheers of the draft from what seemed to be a number of Philadelphia fans who made the trip to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first two picks had long been expected, but the No. 3 spot was the first one where there was intrigue.

Kon Knueppel made it two Duke players in the first four picks when the Charlotte Hornets took him at No. 4. When big man Khaman Maluach went at No. 10 — a pick made by the Houston Rockets but headed to Phoenix as part of the trade for Kevin Durant that can’t become official until next month — it gave the Blue Devils three top-10 picks and 50 in the first round since 1989, moving past Kentucky (48) for most by any school.

“It was so emotional getting to see my teammates, my fellow freshmen getting drafted,” Maluach said. “I was so happy for them because they deserve everything they have. They worked hard for it, for that moment, too.”

Ace Bailey, Harper’s teammate with the Scarlet Knights who could have been in the mix to go third but declined to work out for the 76ers, ended up going at No. 5 to Utah to end a draft process in which he was criticized for how his camp handled it.

“I’m glad it’s over,” Bailey said. “I’m ready to play some basketball now.”

Then it was Tre Johnson of Texas to the Washington Wizards at No. 6 and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to New Orleans at No. 7, before the host Nets took BYU’s Egor Demin at No. 8, Brooklyn’s first of potentially five selections in the first round. Toronto took South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9.

The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder took Georgetown center Thomas Sorber at No. 15, their first of two picks in the first round.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750907091607.png" alt="Cooper Flagg, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks In the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)" />
 <figcaption>Cooper Flagg, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks In the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man in Dallas.The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away.Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luka-doncic-anthony-davis-lakers-mavericks-trade-7c8064be5c8e941489f14500fa43f5e7">traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team.But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, the college player of the year who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. The Mavericks quickly announced that Flagg would wear No. 32 in Dallas, where fellow Duke products Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are on the roster.“I’m really excited. I think I keep saying I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them,” Flagg said. “It’s going to be an incredible experience.”His selection — considered likely ever since Flagg showed off his considerable game last summer after being invited to the U.S. Olympic team’s training camp — was a daylong celebration in his home state for the 18-year-old forward from Newport, Maine.“It means a lot to me to have the support of the whole state. I know how many people showed up today and supported me at some of the draft parties back home,” Flagg said. “It feels amazing knowing I can inspire younger kids. I was in their shoes really not that long ago, so just to know I can give those kids those feelings and have the whole state behind me, it means a lot.”He joined Elton Brand,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mavericks-irving-contract-dfd30497433e4423a799b5bf07e9bbab">Irving</a>, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero as Duke players drafted No. 1 since 1999, and he returned the draft to its longtime start with a one-and-done college player.That’s the way the draft began every year from 2010 until Banchero’s selection in 2022, but the last two No. 1 picks, Victor Wembanyama and Zaccherie Risacher, are both from France.Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by the Spurs with the No. 2 pick and will try to follow Wembanyama and Stephon Castle and give San Antonio a third straight NBA Rookie of the Year.“It’s definitely a goal of mine to make it three in a row,” Harper said. “I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent, so definitely.”The 76ers then took Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, getting the first sustained burst of loud cheers of the draft from what seemed to be a number of Philadelphia fans who made the trip to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first two picks had long been expected, but the No. 3 spot was the first one where there was intrigue.Kon Knueppel made it two Duke players in the first four picks when the Charlotte Hornets took him at No. 4. When big man Khaman Maluach went at No. 10 — a pick made by the Houston Rockets but headed to Phoenix as part of the trade for Kevin Durant that can’t become official until next month — it gave the Blue Devils three top-10 picks and 50 in the first round since 1989, moving past Kentucky (48) for most by any school.“It was so emotional getting to see my teammates, my fellow freshmen getting drafted,” Maluach said. “I was so happy for them because they deserve everything they have. They worked hard for it, for that moment, too.”Ace Bailey, Harper’s teammate with the Scarlet Knights who could have been in the mix to go third but declined to work out for the 76ers, ended up going at No. 5 to Utah to end a draft process in which he was criticized for how his camp handled it.“I’m glad it’s over,” Bailey said. “I’m ready to play some basketball now.”Then it was Tre Johnson of Texas to the Washington Wizards at No. 6 and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to New Orleans at No. 7, before the host Nets took BYU’s Egor Demin at No. 8, Brooklyn’s first of potentially five selections in the first round. Toronto took South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9.The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder took Georgetown center Thomas Sorber at No. 15, their first of two picks in the first round.

🏀 Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen tossed five innings of two-hit ball, Tampa Bay scored three times in the second on an array of singles and bunts, and the Rays held on the rest of the way to beat the Kansas City Royals 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Rasmussen (7-5) struck out five and walked two before turning it over to the Tampa Bay bullpen on a hot, humid night. Three relievers combined to allow one hit and one walk before Pete Fairbanks handled the ninth for his 14th save.

The Rays (45-35) have won five straight on the road, nine of their last 12 overall and are a season-best 10 games over .500.

José Caballero had an RBI bunt single and Danny Jansen laid down a sacrifice bunt against Michael Wacha during the decisive second for Tampa Bay. Christopher Morel, Josh Lowe and Chandler Simpson had singles in the inning.

Other than that, Wacha (4-7) was tough on the Rays. He went six innings and struck out nine while walking just one.

His biggest problem has been the Royals' biggest problem: They aren't scoring. Not only have they managed four runs total amid a four-game losing streak, they have given Wacha two runs of support or fewer in 13 of his 16 starts this season.

Kansas City has lost nine straight at Kauffman Stadium since beating Detroit on May 31, its longest home skid since dropping 10 in a row in April and May 2023. The Royals also have lost 10 of their last 14 games overall.

The Royals put runners on the corners in the fourth, but Salvador Perez popped out on his first pitch to end the threat.

Kansas City has not hit a home run in its last 54 innings at Kauffman Stadium.

Rays RHP Shane Baz (7-3, 4.79 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-7, 4.81) starts for the Royals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750933236408.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone catches a fly ball for the out on Tampa Bay Rays' Josh Lowe during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone catches a fly ball for the out on Tampa Bay Rays' Josh Lowe during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen tossed five innings of two-hit ball, Tampa Bay scored three times in the second on an array of singles and bunts, and the Rays held on the rest of the way to beat the Kansas City Royals 3-0 on Wednesday night.Rasmussen (7-5) struck out five and walked two before turning it over to the Tampa Bay bullpen on a hot, humid night. Three relievers combined to allow one hit and one walk before Pete Fairbanks handled the ninth for his 14th save.The Rays (45-35) have won five straight on the road, nine of their last 12 overall and are a season-best 10 games over .500.José Caballero had an RBI bunt single and Danny Jansen laid down a sacrifice bunt against Michael Wacha during the decisive second for Tampa Bay. Christopher Morel, Josh Lowe and Chandler Simpson had singles in the inning.Other than that, Wacha (4-7) was tough on the Rays. He went six innings and struck out nine while walking just one.His biggest problem has been the Royals' biggest problem: They aren't scoring. Not only have they managed four runs total amid a four-game losing streak, they have given Wacha two runs of support or fewer in 13 of his 16 starts this season.Kansas City has lost nine straight at Kauffman Stadium since beating Detroit on May 31, its longest home skid since dropping 10 in a row in April and May 2023. The Royals also have lost 10 of their last 14 games overall.<h2>Key moment</h2>The Royals put runners on the corners in the fourth, but Salvador Perez popped out on his first pitch to end the threat.<h2>Key stat</h2>Kansas City has not hit a home run in its last 54 innings at Kauffman Stadium.<h2>Up next</h2>Rays RHP Shane Baz (7-3, 4.79 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-7, 4.81) starts for the Royals.

⚾ Rasmussen and the Rays bullpen shine in win over Royals

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750882146419.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;&ndash; Center Paul Mbiya has signed a financial aid agreement to play basketball at Kansas, KU head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727" rel="smarttag" rev="727">Bill Self</a></dfn>&nbsp;announced today. Mbiya is from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo will be a freshman for the 2025-26 season. Mbiya is 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, and has a 7-foot-8 wingspan. He played&nbsp;this past season in the ASVEL team system in the top-tier level French Pro A League. Mbiya averaged 15.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game in 2024-25. In 2023-24, Mbiya averaged 15.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game for the ASVEL U21 team. He also appeared in 10 games in 2023-24 for the top ASVEL team. Prior to playing for ASVEL, Mbiya was part of the NBA Academy Africa and was a 2022 Basketball Without Borders All-Star selection. "We've had a good last couple of days recruiting with Kohl (Rosario) signing yesterday and Paul today," Self said. "Paul is big. He's a legit 6-11 with a wingspan of 7-foot, 8 inches. He fits very well with the way we play. He is an immediate impact guy, and he gives us much needed size to go along with Flory (Bidunga) and Bryson (Tiller)." Mbiya becomes the sixth incoming freshman signee for Kansas, joining Darryn Peterson, Samis Calderon, Bryson Tiller, Kohl Rosario, and Corbin Allen. Tiller joined the KU team as a redshirt in January. Kansas' spring transfer portal signees include Melvin Council Jr. (St. Bonaventure), Jayden Dawson (Loyola Chicago), and Tre White (Illinois).</div>

🏀 Paul Mbiya signs with KU, second signee for Jayhawks in as many days

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for Wednesday, June 25, 2025" 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=twznu-18e8efb-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>

🎧⚾ Royals drop opener to Rays; ⚾ Wind Surge hit 3 home runs in win; 🏀 NBA Draft is tonight

LONDON (AP) — In an offseason huddle at the NFL’s London headquarters, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-chiefs">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;are drawing up a game plan to win over fans in a crowded UK market.

They’re getting input from the locals, and there’s good news.

“There is something about that younger generation, in the UK specifically, they are really into U.S. sports at the moment,” says Louise Johnson, chief executive of marketing agency Fuse. “There’s a moment in time that you can really capitalize on.”

Chiefs executives visited London after the team added the UK to its list of countries in the NFL’s&nbsp;<a href="https://operations.nfl.com/updates/the-game/all-32-teams-officially-part-of-nfl-s-global-markets-program/" target="_blank">global markets program</a>, which puts teams in the driver’s seat to increase fandom overall — as well as land commercial partnerships individually.

A day that began meeting with local agencies in the NFL’s glass-enclosed eighth-floor office overlooking Leicester Square ended along the banks of the Thames, where a “Chiefs cab” was the meeting point to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Chiefs/status/1929976584485720162" target="_blank">surprise a local fan</a>&nbsp;with a ticket giveaway.

“The UK is another puzzle piece in the larger globalization of the brand,” said Lara Krug, the team’s chief media and marketing officer, echoing a franchise theme of becoming the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-mahomes-germany-global-kelce-c583255170f52f4a7628d116058ac402">world’s team</a>.”

Krug led the team’s delegation that included business, social media and public relations representatives. Besides marketing agencies, they also met with NFL officials. The takeaways were clear for growing the Chiefs’ fanbase.

“One, that 12-to-24 (aged) audience is where there is the biggest opportunity,” she told The Associated Press. ”(They’re) very much into the cultural part of the NFL and the Americana of it all.”

Second, find creative ways to connect to local fans. The Chicago Bears did&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-partner-with-acid-fc-mitchell-ness-for-london-merch-collection" target="_blank">soccer-style jerseys</a>&nbsp;last year for their London game.

“The league and the clubs have done a great job on growing the game,” Krug said. “We see the opportunity of reaching more fans and doing it from a cultural lens.”

Expanding your fan base is much easier when your quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is the face of the league, and your star tight end,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-kelce-kansas-city-chiefs-76e795fb9e896e69e82d4bc6af1eef60">Travis Kelce</a>, is dating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-64580f4056005e292ab261900cbd2144">global pop star Taylor Swift</a>. Kelce was the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLUKIRE/status/1882475470484344866" target="_blank">UK’s top-selling NFL jersey</a>&nbsp;in 2024.

The Chiefs have also played in five of the last six Super Bowls and won three of them.

Still, there are eight other NFL teams with the same rights the Chiefs have in Britain — and six of them have been there longer.

Social media content on platforms like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-delay-executive-order-3211a98113615be44cf92b32dca69a8e">TikTok</a>&nbsp;and Instagram are crucial, especially because NFL fans in the UK over-index on daily social media use compared to other fans, the Chiefs said.

“We know mascots do really well in the markets, it becomes an ambassador,” Krug said.

KC Wolf was on hand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-dolphins-germany-mahomes-12a0ace723d0c6c3aab077ca6614f161">in Frankfurt, Germany in 2023</a>&nbsp;when the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 21-14.

They’ll soon be looking for “multiple European-based mascots of our KC Wolf,” Krug said.

“That will be something that we launch later this year,” she said, “so having KC Wolf show up in a few of our markets more frequently.”

Meetings aside, being on the ground in London was helpful in other ways: Krug noted the long line at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one">Formula One</a>&nbsp;promotion in the Lego store in Leicester Square.

The Chiefs have experimented before. Last year the team partnered with Hallmark — headquartered in Kansas City — on “&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syuN4M-wa9s" target="_blank">Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.</a>&nbsp;”

In the NFL’s global markets program, Kansas City has rights in seven countries — only the Los Angeles Rams have as many. All but one — Mexico — of the Chiefs’ markets are in Europe. The team added the UK, Ireland and Spain this year.

The team’s brass believes the best way to gain fans in foreign markets is to play games there. The Chiefs won their only London game, back in 2015. They are 3-0 overall in regular-season international games.

Dublin, Madrid and Berlin are all new host cities this season.

The Chiefs will play internationally this season — but not in Europe. They open in Brazil on Sept. 5 when they face the Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo.

That’s the first of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-2025-international-games-to-feature-seven-games-in-five-countries" target="_blank">seven international NFL games</a>&nbsp;in 2025 — the most ever in one season — and Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to eventually get to 16 games per year. Goodell has also floated the idea of creating a European division and staging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/goodell-nfl-london-international-caa03e8d27aa2a07ab0a848bc015fff7">a Super Bowl outside the United States</a>. One theory is the league will package the international games into&nbsp;<a href="https://frontofficesports.com/sources-nfl-eyes-multi-billion-dollar-international-rights-package/" target="_blank">a billion-dollar rights deal</a>.

Team and league data show that the Chiefs are already popular internationally.

They have the largest overall German-language social media following at nearly 150,000. For consumer products sales, the Chiefs rank No. 1 in the “DACH” region of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and No. 2 in Mexico. In international Game Pass viewing, the Chiefs were the most-watched team in DACH and Mexico last season.

The Chiefs brought several British “influencers” to a game at Arrowhead Stadium last season. They included “&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@formzofficial?lang=en" target="_blank">Formz</a>,” a Tottenham fan who raps Premier League weekly recaps and sings about heartbreak; he has 1 million followers on TikTok.

The league saw “significant growth” in UK fandom last year, said Henry Hodgson, the NFL’s general manager for the UK and Ireland.

Confidence is high enough that three teams — the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers — applied for and were awarded UK rights starting this season, joining the six others already in the market.

“For now, we don’t want to cap it,” Hodgson told the AP. “We see the benefit of these teams being involved in the market. It’s something that the NFL will monitor, not just in the UK but in all the markets that the global markets program exists in and make sure that all of the clubs can be successful in all the markets they’re in.”

Eleven teams have rights in Germany. Mexico is next highest with 10.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750857545978.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Chiefs mascot, KC Wolf, is seen, before the start of an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Chiefs mascot, KC Wolf, is seen, before the start of an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — In an offseason huddle at the NFL’s London headquarters, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-chiefs">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;are drawing up a game plan to win over fans in a crowded UK market.They’re getting input from the locals, and there’s good news.“There is something about that younger generation, in the UK specifically, they are really into U.S. sports at the moment,” says Louise Johnson, chief executive of marketing agency Fuse. “There’s a moment in time that you can really capitalize on.”Chiefs executives visited London after the team added the UK to its list of countries in the NFL’s&nbsp;<a href="https://operations.nfl.com/updates/the-game/all-32-teams-officially-part-of-nfl-s-global-markets-program/" target="_blank">global markets program</a>, which puts teams in the driver’s seat to increase fandom overall — as well as land commercial partnerships individually.A day that began meeting with local agencies in the NFL’s glass-enclosed eighth-floor office overlooking Leicester Square ended along the banks of the Thames, where a “Chiefs cab” was the meeting point to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Chiefs/status/1929976584485720162" target="_blank">surprise a local fan</a>&nbsp;with a ticket giveaway.“The UK is another puzzle piece in the larger globalization of the brand,” said Lara Krug, the team’s chief media and marketing officer, echoing a franchise theme of becoming the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-mahomes-germany-global-kelce-c583255170f52f4a7628d116058ac402">world’s team</a>.”Krug led the team’s delegation that included business, social media and public relations representatives. Besides marketing agencies, they also met with NFL officials. The takeaways were clear for growing the Chiefs’ fanbase.“One, that 12-to-24 (aged) audience is where there is the biggest opportunity,” she told The Associated Press. ”(They’re) very much into the cultural part of the NFL and the Americana of it all.”Second, find creative ways to connect to local fans. The Chicago Bears did&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-partner-with-acid-fc-mitchell-ness-for-london-merch-collection" target="_blank">soccer-style jerseys</a>&nbsp;last year for their London game.“The league and the clubs have done a great job on growing the game,” Krug said. “We see the opportunity of reaching more fans and doing it from a cultural lens.”<h2>Mahomes, Kelce and KC Wolf</h2>Expanding your fan base is much easier when your quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is the face of the league, and your star tight end,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-kelce-kansas-city-chiefs-76e795fb9e896e69e82d4bc6af1eef60">Travis Kelce</a>, is dating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-oilers-panthers-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-64580f4056005e292ab261900cbd2144">global pop star Taylor Swift</a>. Kelce was the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLUKIRE/status/1882475470484344866" target="_blank">UK’s top-selling NFL jersey</a>&nbsp;in 2024.The Chiefs have also played in five of the last six Super Bowls and won three of them.Still, there are eight other NFL teams with the same rights the Chiefs have in Britain — and six of them have been there longer.Social media content on platforms like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-delay-executive-order-3211a98113615be44cf92b32dca69a8e">TikTok</a>&nbsp;and Instagram are crucial, especially because NFL fans in the UK over-index on daily social media use compared to other fans, the Chiefs said.But some old-school methods work too.Hello, KC Wolf.“We know mascots do really well in the markets, it becomes an ambassador,” Krug said.KC Wolf was on hand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-dolphins-germany-mahomes-12a0ace723d0c6c3aab077ca6614f161">in Frankfurt, Germany in 2023</a>&nbsp;when the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 21-14.They’ll soon be looking for “multiple European-based mascots of our KC Wolf,” Krug said.“That will be something that we launch later this year,” she said, “so having KC Wolf show up in a few of our markets more frequently.”Meetings aside, being on the ground in London was helpful in other ways: Krug noted the long line at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one">Formula One</a>&nbsp;promotion in the Lego store in Leicester Square.The Chiefs have experimented before. Last year the team partnered with Hallmark — headquartered in Kansas City — on “&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syuN4M-wa9s" target="_blank">Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.</a>&nbsp;”<h2>Going international</h2>In the NFL’s global markets program, Kansas City has rights in seven countries — only the Los Angeles Rams have as many. All but one — Mexico — of the Chiefs’ markets are in Europe. The team added the UK, Ireland and Spain this year.The team’s brass believes the best way to gain fans in foreign markets is to play games there. The Chiefs won their only London game, back in 2015. They are 3-0 overall in regular-season international games.Dublin, Madrid and Berlin are all new host cities this season.The Chiefs will play internationally this season — but not in Europe. They open in Brazil on Sept. 5 when they face the Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo.That’s the first of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-2025-international-games-to-feature-seven-games-in-five-countries" target="_blank">seven international NFL games</a>&nbsp;in 2025 — the most ever in one season — and Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to eventually get to 16 games per year. Goodell has also floated the idea of creating a European division and staging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/goodell-nfl-london-international-caa03e8d27aa2a07ab0a848bc015fff7">a Super Bowl outside the United States</a>. One theory is the league will package the international games into&nbsp;<a href="https://frontofficesports.com/sources-nfl-eyes-multi-billion-dollar-international-rights-package/" target="_blank">a billion-dollar rights deal</a>.Team and league data show that the Chiefs are already popular internationally.They have the largest overall German-language social media following at nearly 150,000. For consumer products sales, the Chiefs rank No. 1 in the “DACH” region of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and No. 2 in Mexico. In international Game Pass viewing, the Chiefs were the most-watched team in DACH and Mexico last season.<h2>NFL says UK still has room to grow</h2>The Chiefs brought several British “influencers” to a game at Arrowhead Stadium last season. They included “&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@formzofficial?lang=en" target="_blank">Formz</a>,” a Tottenham fan who raps Premier League weekly recaps and sings about heartbreak; he has 1 million followers on TikTok.The league saw “significant growth” in UK fandom last year, said Henry Hodgson, the NFL’s general manager for the UK and Ireland.Confidence is high enough that three teams — the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers — applied for and were awarded UK rights starting this season, joining the six others already in the market.“For now, we don’t want to cap it,” Hodgson told the AP. “We see the benefit of these teams being involved in the market. It’s something that the NFL will monitor, not just in the UK but in all the markets that the global markets program exists in and make sure that all of the clubs can be successful in all the markets they’re in.”Eleven teams have rights in Germany. Mexico is next highest with 10.

🏈 Chiefs’ strategy to expand UK fandom: cultural connections and mascot diplomacy

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750857696666.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita Wind Surge
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (June 24, 2025)&mdash;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/nate-baez-686960">Nate Baez</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/kaelen-culpepper-701785">Kaelen Culpepper</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/kyler-fedko-693459">Kyler Fedko</a>&nbsp;all homered in a 3-0 victory for the Wichita Wind Surge over the Springfield Cardinals at Equity Bank Park. The shutout is also the sixth of the season thrown by the Wind Surge pitching staff.
<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/christian-macleod-681306">Christian MacLeod</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/jacob-wosinski-814291">Jacob Wosinski</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/mike-paredes-702474">Mike Paredes</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/tanner-andrews-681084">Tanner Andrews</a>&nbsp;combined for the seventh shutout of the season for the Wind Surge. MacLeod gave up just three hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in his second start back from injury. Wosinski ended up earning the win to jump to 2-1 on the year with Wichita after two innings of two-hit baseball with two walks.
Baez debuted his new number #13 in loud fashion with a solo home run, his second with Wichita, out to left in the bottom of the second.
Fedko jumped back ahead to the top of the Texas League leaderboard with a solo shot, #13 of the year, off the Wind Surge scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. Culpepper followed after the stretch in the seventh with a blast of his own for his first as a member of the Wind Surge and a 3-0 lead.
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Paredes and Andrews didn&rsquo;t let Springfield get a hit for the final four innings to end the night, with Andrews getting his first save in a Wind Surge uniform after a scoreless ninth.
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POSTGAME NOTES
<ul>
<li>Both Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins made their 2025 home debuts with the Wind Surge.</li>
<li>Gabby Gonzalez records his first outfield assist with Wichita in the top of the second, gunning down Ramon Mendoza at the plate. That&rsquo;s the ninth outfield assist of the season for the Wind Surge.</li>
<li>Kaelen Culpepper hits his first home run with Wichita.</li>
<li>Tanner Andrews records his first save with the Wind Surge.</li>
<li>Wichita throws their sixth shutout in 2025.</li>
</ul>
The Wind Surge continue the series with the Springfield Cardinals on June 25 at 7:05 PM on Wetnose Wednesday. Bring your dogs to Equity Bank Park and enjoy the sights and sounds of baseball under the lights! You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="http://milb.tv/">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Sports Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/tickets">windsurge.com/tickets</a>.</div>

⚾ Wichita utilizes solo shots in shutout of Springfield

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Danny Jansen hit a two-run home run and finished with three RBIs, Taj Bradley pitched two-hit ball for 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda had three hits apiece for the Rays.

José Caballero hit a two-out single in the second inning, and two pitches later Jansen followed with a homer that gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

Aranda led off the fourth with a single, advanced to third on throwing error when Jake Mangum reached on a fielder's choice, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jansen to make it 3-0.

Díaz and Curtis Mead hit back-to-back singles and Díaz scored when Aranda, with two out in the fifth, reached on a throwing error by starter Kris Bubic (6-5).

Junior Camerino doubled and later scored on a ground ball by Mangum in the seventh.

Kansas City's Maikel Garcia hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Vinnie Pasquantino to cap the scoring in the ninth.

Tampa Bay, in second place in the AL East behind the New York Yankees, has won three in a row and eight of 10.

Bradley (5-5) didn’t allow a base runner until John Rave drew a one-out walk in the sixth. After Kyle Isbel flied out, Jonathan India hit a ground rule double to break up the no-hit bid before Bradley got Bobby Witt Jr. to line out and end the threat.

The Royals have lost eight straight and 12 of their last 15 at Kauffman Stadium after starting the season 16-5 at home.

The series continues Wednesday when Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen (6-5, 2.61 ERA) takes on Michael Wacha (4-6, 3.24).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750848445269.jpeg" alt="Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Danny Jansen hit a two-run home run and finished with three RBIs, Taj Bradley pitched two-hit ball for 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda had three hits apiece for the Rays.José Caballero hit a two-out single in the second inning, and two pitches later Jansen followed with a homer that gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.Aranda led off the fourth with a single, advanced to third on throwing error when Jake Mangum reached on a fielder's choice, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jansen to make it 3-0.Díaz and Curtis Mead hit back-to-back singles and Díaz scored when Aranda, with two out in the fifth, reached on a throwing error by starter Kris Bubic (6-5).Junior Camerino doubled and later scored on a ground ball by Mangum in the seventh.Kansas City's Maikel Garcia hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Vinnie Pasquantino to cap the scoring in the ninth.Tampa Bay, in second place in the AL East behind the New York Yankees, has won three in a row and eight of 10.<h2>Key moment</h2>Bradley (5-5) didn’t allow a base runner until John Rave drew a one-out walk in the sixth. After Kyle Isbel flied out, Jonathan India hit a ground rule double to break up the no-hit bid before Bradley got Bobby Witt Jr. to line out and end the threat.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Royals have lost eight straight and 12 of their last 15 at Kauffman Stadium after starting the season 16-5 at home.<h2>Up next</h2>The series continues Wednesday when Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen (6-5, 2.61 ERA) takes on Michael Wacha (4-6, 3.24).

⚾ Jansen has HR and 3 RBIs as the Rays beat Royals 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750782019146.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State&nbsp;Athletics
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WICHITA, Kan. &nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The Basketball Tournament (TBT) &ndash; the $1 million, winner-take-all summer basketball event broadcast live on FOX Sports &ndash; will see the return of AfterShocks, a Wichita State University alumni team.&nbsp;The AfterShocks will host the Wichita Regional in&nbsp;Charles Koch Arena from July 18-22. AfterShocks will face No Excuses in the opening round on Friday, July 18, at 8 p.m. CT. If they advance, they will play the winner of Challenge ALS and Austin's Own on Sunday, July 20, at 8 p.m. CT on FS1. The Wichita Regional championship game will be held on Tuesday, July 22 at 8 p.m. CT. AfterShocks, the No. 2&nbsp;seed in the Wichita Region, will be hosting a TBT regional for the sixth time. Seven teams join the AfterShocks in the Wichita Region. 2025 Wichita Region #1 Seed: Forever Coogs (Houston Alumni) #2 Seed: AfterShocks (Wichita State Alumni) #3 Seed: Challenge ALS #4 Seed: Fire Family #5 Seed: Run DFW #6 Seed: Austin's Own (Texas Alumni) #7 Seed: No Excuses As the top seed in the Wichita Region, Forever Coogs will not have a first-round game. AfterShocks' current roster includes: ● Trey Wade (2019-21) ● Markis McDuffie (2015-19) ● Conner Frankamp (2015-18) ● Zach Brown (2014-18) ● Rashard Kelly (2014-18) ● Chevez Goodwin (College of Charleston, Wofford, USC) ● Leyton Hammonds (Oklahoma State) Additional player announcements for AfterShocks will be announced via TBT and the team's social media channels.</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750782115025.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 2025 TBT bracket, schedule revealed for AfterShocks

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750781898843.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
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LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;&ndash; Shooting guard Kohl Rosario has signed a financial aid agreement to play basketball at Kansas, KU head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727" rel="smarttag" rev="727">Bill Self</a></dfn>&nbsp;announced today. Rosario will be a freshman for the 2025-26 season. Rosario, 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, comes to Kansas after playing at Overtime Elite (OTE) in Atlanta in 2024-25. The Miami native is ranked No. 27 in the class of 2026 by Rivals.com and has reclassified for the upcoming season. "We're very excited to add Kohl this year's team," Self said. "It's not often there's a player of his potential to become available at this point. We feel that what Kohl brings from a perimeter athletic shooting standpoint is something that we've needed to add to this year's roster. He is one of the hardest working youngsters that we've ever recruited and feel the transition to college ball will be more seamless due to this. "He's been very well drilled, and I think his competitiveness will add of piece to our culture." At OTE, Rosario played for YNG Dreamerz, which won the 2025 championship. During the regular season Rosario averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. In the playoffs he averaged 13.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in YNG Dreamerz' seven games. Additionally, he was 12-for-29 (41.4%) from three-point range in his team's title run. Prior to OTE, Rosario played two seasons at Moravian Prep in Hudson, North Carolina. In 2023-24, he averaged 25.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and made 60 threes shooting 35.3 percent from beyond the arc in 24 games. In 2022-23, Rosario averaged 16.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He made 58 threes in 22 contests and shot 38.9 percent from three-point range. Rosario becomes the fifth high school signee for Kansas, joining Darryn Peterson, Samis Calderon, Bryson Tiller, and Corbin Allen. Tiller joined the KU team as a redshirt in January. Kansas' spring transfer portal signees include Melvin Council Jr. (St. Bonaventure), Jayden Dawson (Loyola Chicago), and Tre White (Illinois).</div>

🏀 4-star guard Kohl Rosario signs with KU

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750781757699.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
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LAWRENCE, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Kansas women's basketball will renew a longtime rivalry on Saturday, November 15, as the Jayhawks take on Missouri at the T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The Storagemart Border Showdown matchup will be part of the 28.5 Shootout hosted by Missouri Valley Youth Services. "We are excited to compete in the T-Mobile Center on November 15," Kansas coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/brandon-schneider/737" rel="smarttag" rev="737">Brandon Schneider</a></dfn>&nbsp;said. "As a program, we greatly understand the intensity of the rivalry and look forward to playing in the venue that will host the 2026 Big 12 Championship." Kansas and Missouri will meet for the 84th time in series history, which dates back to 1973. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 45-38, with the most recent matchup being a blowout 75-47 victory by Kansas in the second round of the 2023 WNIT. Prior to that, Kansas and Missouri had not faced off since the Tigers departed the Big 12 Conference following the 2011-12 season. The Jayhawks will be making their first regular season appearance at the T-Mobile Center, while playing a fourth game all-time at the venue. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship was moved to the T-Mobile Center in 2024, and Kansas is 1-2 in the event over the past two seasons. The matchup with Missouri will serve as a homecoming for four players on the Kansas roster who call the greater Kansas City area home.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/s-mya-nichols/15529" rel="smarttag" rev="15529">S'Mya Nichols</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=16490" rev="16490">Jaliya Davis</a></dfn>&nbsp;both hail from Overland Park, Kansas, while&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sania-copeland/15536" rel="smarttag" rev="15536">Sania Copeland</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/regan-williams/15538" rel="smarttag" rev="15538">Regan Williams</a></dfn>&nbsp;are both from Kansas City, with Copeland from the Kansas side and Williams from Missouri. This is the first non-conference matchup announced by Kansas for the 2025-26 season, with the remainder expected to be finalized soon. Season tickets for the 2025-26 Kansas women's basketball campaign will go on sale in July and can be purchased by visiting KUAthletics.com or calling 800-34-HAWKS.</div>

🏀 KU women to face Mizzou at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for Tuesday, June 24, 2025" 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=m7qny-18e6cdc-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>

🎧⚾ Royals open homestand with Rays; ⚾ Monarchs suspended Monday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750771091837.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
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WICHITA, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/chris-lamb/1221" rel="smarttag" rev="1221">Chris Lamb</a></dfn>&nbsp;and the Wichita State volleyball program finalized their 2025 schedule on Monday, including a season-opening home tournament and a home date against in-state rival Kansas. Among the 12 non-conference teams the Shockers have on the schedule, seven finished the 2024 season in the top 100 of the RPI and three (BYU, Kansas, South Dakota) qualified for the NCAA tournament. Wichita State will host the Shocker Volleyball Classic to kick off the campaign, marking the first time since the 2007 season that WSU has opened the season at home. The Shockers host Kennesaw State in the season opener on Friday, August 29, then conclude the competition against SEC foe Arkansas on Sunday, August 31. From there Wichita State heads to Provo, Utah for a tournament hosted by perennial national power BYU. The Shockers will take on Incarnate Word and the host Cougars on Friday, September 5 before battling a familiar opponent in Northern Colorado the following day. WSU has played Northern Colorado each of the last three seasons; the Bears are coming off a program record 28-win season in 2024. The Shockers travel to Cookeville, Tennessee for a tournament featuring Radford, host Tennessee Tech and Samford on September 11-12, then return to Charles Koch Arena to square off with Kansas on Tuesday, September 16. The final non-conference tournament takes WSU to Vermillion, South Dakota, where the Shockers take on Drake, South Dakota and Villanova. All three programs finished last season with top-100 RPIs. The 16-match conference slate begins on September 26 at UAB. The Shockers will host Tulsa, Memphis, UAB, Tulane, North Texas, East Carolina, Charlotte and Rice, with road trips to UAB, Memphis, Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, Florida Atlantic, South Florida and Temple. The American Athletic Conference tournament will be hosted by South Florida and begins November 21 in Tampa, Florida. The Shockers return 13 players from a team that finished the 2024 season with an 18-14 record, including outside hitters&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/brooklyn-leggett/8982" rel="smarttag" rev="8982">Brooklyn Leggett</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emerson-wilford/8987" rel="smarttag" rev="8987">Emerson Wilford</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-morrow/9022" rel="smarttag" rev="9022">Gracie Morrow</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/nadia-wasilewski/9023" rel="smarttag" rev="9023">Nadia Wasilewski</a></dfn>&nbsp;plus middle blockers&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/maddie-wilson/8988" rel="smarttag" rev="8988">Maddie Wilson</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/allie-paulsen/8984" rel="smarttag" rev="8984">Allie Paulsen</a></dfn>.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/katie-galligan/8980" rel="smarttag" rev="8980">Katie Galligan</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-hett/9021" rel="smarttag" rev="9021">Grace Hett</a></dfn>&nbsp;return to the back row, along with&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gabi-maas/8983" rel="smarttag" rev="8983">Gabi Maas</a></dfn>, who missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to injury. Lamb has added four transfers to the mix, bringing in outside hitter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/sydney-dunning/9446" rel="smarttag" rev="9446">Sydney Dunning</a></dfn>&nbsp;(Cal State Bakersfield), middle blocker&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/elinor-engel/9445" rel="smarttag" rev="9445">Elinor Engel</a></dfn>&nbsp;(Central Missouri), and setters&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/hannah-hawkins/9444" rel="smarttag" rev="9444">Hannah Hawkins</a></dfn>&nbsp;(High Point) and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/jordan-heatherly/9489" rel="smarttag" rev="9489">Jordan Heatherly</a></dfn>&nbsp;(Memphis). The veteran head coach enters his 26th season in 2025, with a career record of 526-250.</div>

🏐 WSU announces 2025 schedule

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Monday night's Jayhawk Collegiate League matchup between the Hutchinson Monarchs and the Wichita Wildcats was postponed in the bottom of the first inning due to inclement weather, with the Monarchs holding a 3-1 lead.

The game was halted with runners on first and third and one out, following a fast start by the Monarchs’ offense after Wichita struck first in the top half of the inning.

The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead when Josh Donna singled and came around to score on a double to center field by Landon Haines. Monarchs starter Carson Harrell settled down to strike out Reed Haneberg and end the frame.

Hutchinson wasted no time responding in the bottom of the inning. Jeter Worthley drew a leadoff walk, and the Monarchs loaded the bases with a single by Joey Senstock and a walk to Drew Bugner. Jackson Legg followed with a two-run single to give the Monarchs a 2-1 lead. Keegan Demmer added a sacrifice fly to bring in a third run.

With Dylan Bell at the plate and a 2-0 count, the game was stopped and ultimately postponed due to heavy rain and lightning strikes in the area.

No makeup date has been announced. The Monarchs will be on the road Wednesday and Thursday night in Newton and Friday in Derby before returning home on Saturday and Sunday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750734021181.png" alt="The Hutchinson Monarchs game vs the Wichita Wildcats was suspended and postponed to a later date Monday night with the Monarchs leading in the bottom of the 1st inning 3-1." />
 <figcaption>The Hutchinson Monarchs game vs the Wichita Wildcats was suspended and postponed to a later date Monday night with the Monarchs leading in the bottom of the 1st inning 3-1.</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Monday night's Jayhawk Collegiate League matchup between the Hutchinson Monarchs and the Wichita Wildcats was postponed in the bottom of the first inning due to inclement weather, with the Monarchs holding a 3-1 lead.The game was halted with runners on first and third and one out, following a fast start by the Monarchs’ offense after Wichita struck first in the top half of the inning.The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead when Josh Donna singled and came around to score on a double to center field by Landon Haines. Monarchs starter Carson Harrell settled down to strike out Reed Haneberg and end the frame.Hutchinson wasted no time responding in the bottom of the inning. Jeter Worthley drew a leadoff walk, and the Monarchs loaded the bases with a single by Joey Senstock and a walk to Drew Bugner. Jackson Legg followed with a two-run single to give the Monarchs a 2-1 lead. Keegan Demmer added a sacrifice fly to bring in a third run.With Dylan Bell at the plate and a 2-0 count, the game was stopped and ultimately postponed due to heavy rain and lightning strikes in the area.No makeup date has been announced. The Monarchs will be on the road Wednesday and Thursday night in Newton and Friday in Derby before returning home on Saturday and Sunday night.

⚾ Weather halts Monarchs-Wildcats matchup with Hutchinson leading early

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarch game between the Monarchs and the Wichita Wildcats had to be suspended due to rain and lightning at 8:55pm Monday night with the Monarchs leading 3-1 in the bottom of the first inning with one out and runners at 1st and 3rd base. No date has been announced as to when this game will resume.

The Monarchs (12-3) will pay host to the Wichita Wildcats tonight at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Hutchinson is slated for 19 home games this season, all of which will be streamed live on HutchPost.com and the MonarchsLive.tv channel. Glen Grunwald of Eagle Media will handle the play-by-play, with Matt Peterson on the video stream.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750711929557.png" alt="Game Day versus Wichita Wildcat College tonight at Hobart-Detter Field at 7pm" />
 <figcaption>Game Day versus Wichita Wildcat College tonight at Hobart-Detter Field at 7pm</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarch game between the Monarchs and the Wichita Wildcats had to be suspended due to rain and lightning at 8:55pm Monday night with the Monarchs leading 3-1 in the bottom of the first inning with one out and runners at 1st and 3rd base. No date has been announced as to when this game will resume.The Monarchs (12-3) will pay host to the Wichita Wildcats tonight at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.Hutchinson is slated for 19 home games this season, all of which will be streamed live on HutchPost.com and the MonarchsLive.tv channel. Glen Grunwald of Eagle Media will handle the play-by-play, with Matt Peterson on the video stream.<div><iframe src="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/2471295?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

🎥⚾ WATCH LIVE: WEATHER POSTPONMENT - Hutch Monarchs vs Wichita Wildcats

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will return to Missouri Western State University for their 2025 training camp, marking the 15th year the club has held camp in St. Joseph. The team and university have also agreed to a multi-year extension to continue the partnership.

Open practices are scheduled to begin Tuesday, July 22, and run through Wednesday, Aug. 13. All practices will take place on the Mosaic Training Fields and are free to the public unless otherwise noted. Fans must reserve tickets in advance at <a href="http://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp">www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp</a>, and space is limited due to anticipated demand.

Season Ticket Members will have first access to reserve tickets beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 24. The general public can begin reserving tickets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 25. Fans may reserve up to six tickets per day for a maximum of three practices. Paid practice days and exclusive Season Ticket Member dates do not count toward the three-practice limit.

Three practices will require a $6 admission fee: Sunday, July 27; Saturday, Aug. 2 (Family Fun Day); and Sunday, Aug. 3. Two practices—Tuesday, July 22 and Thursday, Aug. 7—are reserved exclusively for Chiefs Season Ticket Members and will not be open to the general public.

Ambassador Day is set for Monday, July 28, and Military Appreciation Day will be held on the final day of camp, Wednesday, Aug. 13. Team autograph sessions are scheduled for July 22, July 27, Aug. 2, Aug. 3 and Aug. 7.

Parking is $7 per vehicle and must be purchased in advance during the ticket reservation process. Parking will be free for Season Ticket Members on their two exclusive days. All tickets will be mobile-only and accessible through the Chiefs Mobile app.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574554305.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will return to Missouri Western State University for their 2025 training camp, marking the 15th year the club has held camp in St. Joseph. The team and university have also agreed to a multi-year extension to continue the partnership.Open practices are scheduled to begin Tuesday, July 22, and run through Wednesday, Aug. 13. All practices will take place on the Mosaic Training Fields and are free to the public unless otherwise noted. Fans must reserve tickets in advance at <a href="http://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp">www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp</a>, and space is limited due to anticipated demand.Season Ticket Members will have first access to reserve tickets beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 24. The general public can begin reserving tickets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 25. Fans may reserve up to six tickets per day for a maximum of three practices. Paid practice days and exclusive Season Ticket Member dates do not count toward the three-practice limit.Three practices will require a $6 admission fee: Sunday, July 27; Saturday, Aug. 2 (Family Fun Day); and Sunday, Aug. 3. Two practices—Tuesday, July 22 and Thursday, Aug. 7—are reserved exclusively for Chiefs Season Ticket Members and will not be open to the general public.Ambassador Day is set for Monday, July 28, and Military Appreciation Day will be held on the final day of camp, Wednesday, Aug. 13. Team autograph sessions are scheduled for July 22, July 27, Aug. 2, Aug. 3 and Aug. 7.Parking is $7 per vehicle and must be purchased in advance during the ticket reservation process. Parking will be free for Season Ticket Members on their two exclusive days. All tickets will be mobile-only and accessible through the Chiefs Mobile app.

🏈 Chiefs announce 2025 training camp schedule in St. Joseph; ticket reservations begin June 24

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for Monday, June 23, 2025" 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=dxsp6-18e4e3c-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>

🎧⚾ Royals drop series in San Diego; 🏈 West wins 52nd Shrine Bowl; 🏀 Thunder wins first NBA title

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.

The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.

The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pacers-tyrese-haliburton-injury-game-7-8ef02bc6a6892d26c98a5dbee531c5cc">who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes</a>&nbsp;— 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

“It doesn’t feel real,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.

Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.

It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.

In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.

“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”

The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.

“Deflated, but proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.

Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers — who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship — had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.

Home teams improved to 16-4 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2025-thunder-pacers-cc44027f3b4e715a5de3ac28fc4bcea3">NBA Finals</a>&nbsp;Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.

Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.

And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.

The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750672587014.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.It was over.The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pacers-tyrese-haliburton-injury-game-7-8ef02bc6a6892d26c98a5dbee531c5cc">who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes</a>&nbsp;— 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.“It doesn’t feel real,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.“Deflated, but proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers — who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship — had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.Home teams improved to 16-4 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2025-thunder-pacers-cc44027f3b4e715a5de3ac28fc4bcea3">NBA Finals</a>&nbsp;Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.

🏀 Thunder beat Pacers in Game 7 for first NBA title

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750679382044.png" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure><div>KSHSAA Covered
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DODGE CITY &ndash; Maize South&rsquo;s Christian McDonald found himself in the perfect spot at the perfect time to deliver the signature moment of Saturday&rsquo;s Kansas Shrine Bowl.&nbsp; Moments after the West offense found a spark with a touchdown drive to take the lead, McDonald added an early dagger in the third quarter, scoring on a 28-yard interception return to put the West on its way to a 26-8 victory in a windy 52nd edition of the Shrine Bowl at Memorial Stadium.&nbsp; The defensive back jumped a route in the right flat and followed his blockers up the sideline to highlight a 19-0 third quarter for the West. &ldquo;I had to make sure I was assignment correct and reading the quarterback,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;Anything that came to the flats, that was me. I just made sure I was underneath the route and once the play came to me I jumped on it.&nbsp; &ldquo;I took advantage of the opportunity I had.&rdquo; The West followed up McDonald&rsquo;s pick-six with another defensive stop and tacked on a 1-yard TD from Cheney quarterback Josh Burdick late in the third frame for the final points of the game.&nbsp; &ldquo;That (pick-six) was really electrifying for the whole team,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;It wouldn&rsquo;t have happened if it wasn&rsquo;t for my lead blocker (Derby&rsquo;s James Middlebrook). If he didn&rsquo;t set the block, I probably wouldn&rsquo;t have scored, so it&rsquo;s a team effort.&rdquo; &ldquo;That was a (defensive call) we&rsquo;d been working on. We&rsquo;d been saving it,&rdquo; said West head coach Dominic Dingle of Wichita Heights. &ldquo;It was a Cover 2 look, and (McDonald) did a great job of executing the game plan. It was a big-time, game-changing play.&rdquo; &nbsp;Maize South's&nbsp;Christian McDonald celebrates his pick six.&nbsp; The wind caused havoc at times, starting on the game&rsquo;s first possession. After a three-and-out at the East 5, the punt from Gardner-Edgerton quarterback Bravin Powell-Brown got caught in the wind and sailed backward into the end zone where Wellington&rsquo;s Brody Weir pounced on the ball for a touchdown. Neither team had much success moving the ball into the wind, with all five of the touchdowns coming with the wind at the scoring team&rsquo;s backs.&nbsp; &ldquo;We knew (the wind) was going to be a part of the game tonight,&rdquo; Dingle said. &ldquo;Everything just kind of worked out the way that we want. We only kicked the ball twice, and that was exactly what we wanted to do. It was part of our game plan and it worked out perfectly tonight.&rdquo; The East bounced back from the early punt mishap to take an 8-7 halftime lead. Powell-Brown, who led Gardner-Edgerton to back-to-back 6A championships, scored the East&rsquo;s lone touchdown on a 51-yard run with 9:58 left in the second quarter. Powell-Brown found Aquinas&rsquo; Elzie Slaughter for the two-point conversion.&nbsp; Olathe North&rsquo;s Wyatt Flood helped the East keep the lead heading into the locker room after breaking up a pass that was nearly caught in the end zone by Abilene&rsquo;s Weston Rock with 1.2 seconds left.&nbsp; The West, which rotated Burdick, Norton&rsquo;s Eli Jones and Manhattan&rsquo;s Carter Aslin at quarterback, found its offensive rhythm in the third quarter.&nbsp; Burdick and Jones each made big plays on the go-ahead drive, capped by a 2-yard TD run from Jones.&nbsp; &ldquo;It started up front and the quarterbacks were just making dynamite decisions,&rdquo; Dingle said. Burdick, an Emporia State signee who quarterbacked Cheney to a 3A state championship as a junior, was named MVP for the West &ldquo;Our defense played amazing,&rdquo; Burdick said. &ldquo;Really, I think there could have been a lot more MVPs in this game. A lot of guys played really well. We were one big family on the West and I think that&rsquo;s what helped us pull away.&rdquo; Lansing defensive lineman Ayden Ellington was MVP for the East.&nbsp; The West quickly got back into the win column after last year saw the East pick up its first win in six years.&nbsp; &ldquo;We really couldn&rsquo;t have started any worse, but we just kept going, kept going, and got up one at half,&rdquo; said East head coach Garrett Michael of Sabetha. &ldquo;All you can ask for as a coach is a chance, and that&rsquo;s what we had.&nbsp; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud of everyone. I&rsquo;m not really worried about winning or losing the game. The kids win.&rdquo; &nbsp;The East's Bravin Powell-Brown is wrapped up by a host of West players.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wellington's Brody Weir celebrates after recovering a punt in the end zone.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gardner-Edgerton's Bravin Powell-Brown weaves through tacklers on his way to the end zone.&nbsp; WEST 26, EAST 8 East &hellip; 0 &hellip; 8 &hellip; 0 &hellip; 0 &hellip; &ndash; &hellip; 8 West ... 7 &hellip; 0 &hellip; 19 &hellip; 0 &hellip; &ndash; &hellip; 26 West &ndash; Weir punt recovery in end zone (Jones kick) East &ndash; Powell-Brown 49 run (Slaughter pass from Brown) West &ndash; Jones 2 run (run failed)&nbsp; West &ndash; McDonald 28 interception return (run failed)&nbsp; West &ndash; Burdick 1 run (Jones kick)</div>

🏈 West team prevails in third quarter of 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746799760928.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita Wind Surge
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NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 22, 2025)&mdash;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/gabriel-gonzalez-694224">Gabby Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;totaled three hits in a 9-2 defeat for the Wichita Wind Surge against the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park. Following the loss, the Wind Surge split the series with the Travelers and finished the first half of the season with a 37-32 record.
Arkansas put up five first-inning runs on an RBI single by Hunter Fitz-Gerald, a sacrifice fly by Nick Raposo, and a three-run home run to left by Caleb Cali. Four more tallies came in the home half of the fourth on an RBI single from Bill Knight and another three-run long ball that stayed fair down the left field line by Hunter Fitz-Gerald to make the score 9-0 Travelers.
<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/ricardo-olivar-691627">Ricardo Olivar</a>&nbsp;broke the shutout after bringing Gonzalez home on a sac fly to center in the top of the sixth.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/jake-rucker-696160">Jake Rucker</a>&nbsp;scored on an infielder&rsquo;s choice off the bat of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/walker-jenkins-805805?affiliateId=mlbcom-milb">Walker Jenkins</a>&nbsp;an inning later before the stretch.
<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1936880065326800934&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.milb.com%2Fnews%2Fwind-surge-drop-series-finale-to-travelers&amp;sessionId=3f3a3ab21abd443786d61f9099da6a3d3bad2569&amp;siteScreenName=milb&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1936880065326800934"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/jaylen-nowlin-701549">Jaylen Nowlin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/cole-percival-676931">Cole Percival</a>&nbsp;combined to give up just a hit over Wichita&rsquo;s final two and two-thirds innings pitched, but the 9-2 score would remain throughout the rest of the afternoon, and the Wind Surge would split the series with Arkansas.
<a href="https://www.milb.com/player/darren-bowen-804539">Darren Bowen</a>&nbsp;took the loss and now stands at 2-3 on the season. Over three innings, he gave up five hits and five runs (two earned) with three walks and three strikeouts.
POSTGAME NOTES
<ul>
<li>The first half of the 2025 season is complete for Wichita. They went 37-32.</li>
<li>The Wind Surge turned three double plays in today&rsquo;s game.</li>
<li>Gabby Gonzalez recorded his third consecutive multi-hit performance.</li>
<li>Walker Jenkins tallies an RBI for the second straight game.</li>
<li>Wichita heads back home to begin the second half against the Texas League North First Half Champion Springfield Cardinals on Tuesday.</li>
</ul>
The Wind Surge return to Equity Bank Park for a series with the Springfield Cardinals on June 24 at 7:05 PM on Two for Tuesday. Bring your Dillons Plus card or app to the box office and get two tickets for the price of one! You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/">windsurge.com</a>&nbsp;or watch online at&nbsp;<a href="http://milb.tv/">MiLB.TV</a>&nbsp;and Bally Sports Live. For ticket information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://windsurge.com/tickets">windsurge.com/tickets</a>.</div>

⚾ Wind Surge drops series finale to Travelers

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jose Iglesias tied the game with two-run, two-out, bases-loaded pinch-hit single in the seventh inning and then&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1936916158826864995">drove in the winning run</a>&nbsp;with a grounder in the ninth for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Sunday to take two of three.

Iglesias hit a soft bouncer to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who fielded it, spun around and threw home too late to get Luis Arraez.

Arraez started the decisive rally with a single off Daniel Lynch IV (3-2) and took third on Xander Bogaerts' double. John Schreiber came on and allowed Iglesias' grounder.

Robert Suarez (2-3) worked the ninth. He is appealing his three-game suspension for hitting Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday night.

Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer for the Royals and phenom Jac Caglianone leaped and got his glove over the right-field wall to rob Jackson Merrill of a two-run home run in the eighth.

Seth Lugo, who pitched for the Padres in 2023, was brilliant in retiring 18 straight batters after allowing Fernando Tatis’ leadoff single.

The Padres finally broke through when Merrill, who returned from the seven-day concussion injured list, doubled into the right-field corner leading off the seventh. Lugo retired Manny Machado and made way for Angel Zerpa, who issued consecutive two-out walks.

Iglesias, pinch-hitting for left-hander Jake Cronenworth, hit an opposite-field single to right, and he tripped and fell breaking out of the box.

Perez lined a 1-0 pitch from Randy Vásquez 412 feet into the left-field stands to break a scoreless tie in the sixth.

Kansas City's Drew Waters was thrown out trying to score from first on Freddy Fermin’s double to center in the ninth.

It was Iglesias' fifth career walk-off and first since July 2, 2019, with Cincinnati.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jose Iglesias tied the game with two-run, two-out, bases-loaded pinch-hit single in the seventh inning and then&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1936916158826864995">drove in the winning run</a>&nbsp;with a grounder in the ninth for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Sunday to take two of three.Iglesias hit a soft bouncer to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who fielded it, spun around and threw home too late to get Luis Arraez.Arraez started the decisive rally with a single off Daniel Lynch IV (3-2) and took third on Xander Bogaerts' double. John Schreiber came on and allowed Iglesias' grounder.Robert Suarez (2-3) worked the ninth. He is appealing his three-game suspension for hitting Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday night.Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer for the Royals and phenom Jac Caglianone leaped and got his glove over the right-field wall to rob Jackson Merrill of a two-run home run in the eighth.Seth Lugo, who pitched for the Padres in 2023, was brilliant in retiring 18 straight batters after allowing Fernando Tatis’ leadoff single.The Padres finally broke through when Merrill, who returned from the seven-day concussion injured list, doubled into the right-field corner leading off the seventh. Lugo retired Manny Machado and made way for Angel Zerpa, who issued consecutive two-out walks.Iglesias, pinch-hitting for left-hander Jake Cronenworth, hit an opposite-field single to right, and he tripped and fell breaking out of the box.Perez lined a 1-0 pitch from Randy Vásquez 412 feet into the left-field stands to break a scoreless tie in the sixth.<h2>Key moment</h2>Kansas City's Drew Waters was thrown out trying to score from first on Freddy Fermin’s double to center in the ninth.<h2>Key stat</h2>It was Iglesias' fifth career walk-off and first since July 2, 2019, with Cincinnati.<h2>Up next</h2>

⚾ Iglesias drives in the tying and winning runs as the Padres beat the Royals 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750679049780.jpg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div>KSHSAA Covered
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SALINA &ndash;&nbsp;Andover&rsquo;s Josh Kim spent a rough December evening in McPherson&rsquo;s Roundhouse, struggling to keep the Trojans afloat against Gabe Pyle and the host Bullpups. &nbsp; In March, Kim&rsquo;s hopes for a second Class 5A boys title in three seasons were dashed by Corbin Johnson and Kapaun Mt. Carmel in the state semifinals in Emporia. &nbsp; But on Saturday at Kansas Wesleyan&rsquo;s Mabee Arena, Kim was tossing lobs to Pyle and laughing it up with Johnson as their Gold squad rolled to a 107-61 victory over the Blue in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game. &nbsp; &ldquo;It was great not having to worry about them anymore,&rdquo; said Kim, who scored 13 points and handed out seven assists. &ldquo;You only had to worry about the good stuff.&rdquo; &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/McPherson_s_Gabe_Pyle.jpg" alt="17864" width="667" height="396" />
<figcaption>McPherson's Gabe Pyle (14) reacts to a 3-pointer by Moundridge's Bear Moddelmog that put the Gold squad over 100 points in Saturday's KBCA All-Star Game.</figcaption>
</figure>
 &nbsp;There was plenty of good stuff for the Gold, which was coached by McPherson&rsquo;s Kurt Kinnamon and Kapaun&rsquo;s Steve Eck, both of whom guided their high school teams to successful state title defenses in March. Their 12-player team drew largely from south central Kansas and featured a variety of foe-turned-friend lineup combinations. &nbsp; In fact, the Gold starting lineup featured Kim and players from teams responsible for three of Andover&rsquo;s five losses last season &ndash; Pyle, Johnson and Derby&rsquo;s Jack Ulwelling &ndash; as well as Wichita Heights forward Amalachi Wilkins. &nbsp; Even the Gold reserves tapped into the unique partnerships. Reed Friesen of Class 3A champion Hesston was on the court with Moundridge&rsquo;s Bear Moddelmog, whose Wildcats dealt the Swathers one of their two losses last season in the Hillsboro Trojan Classic title game. &nbsp; But on Saturday, those combinations were lethal. Pyle, who joined his older brothers Drew and Ben as recipients of the KBCA&rsquo;s Mr. Kansas Basketball award prior to the contest, scored a game-high 19 points. Elyria Christian&rsquo;s Ty Romero, the MVP of the Central Kansas All-Star Basketball Classic in March, added 14 points and Ellinwood&rsquo;s Landon Simpson added 10. &nbsp; The Blue team got 11 points each from Ottawa&rsquo;s Caleb Hepner, Shawnee Mission Northwest&rsquo;s Tyler Salmon and Goodland&rsquo;s Brady Brumbaugh. But after building a 16-8 lead in the first five minutes, its momentum faded amid cold shooting and the Gold&rsquo;s defensive pressure, which led to a flurry of fast-break points. &nbsp; &ldquo;It was really cool,&rdquo; said Johnson, a KSHSAA Covered All-State Top 5 selection who will play at Wichita&rsquo;s Sunrise Christian Academy next season. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s such good players from around the same city, so to team up and put our stuff together, the chemistry that we had was really fun. &nbsp; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s what basketball is about, just building friendships.&rdquo; &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/Ellinwood_s_Landon_Simpson_and_Rock_Creek_s_Coley_Burgess_40.jpg" alt="17870" width="667" height="444" />
<figcaption>Ellinwood's Landon Simpson drives on Rock Creek's Coley Burgess (2) during the KBCA All-Star Game.</figcaption>
</figure>
 Even those whose paths didn&rsquo;t cross with the others during the winter made a splash for the Gold. Simpson, one of the state&rsquo;s top scorers last season at more than 24 points per game, scored all his points in the Gold&rsquo;s 60-point second half after Romero led them to a 47-29 halftime lead with 12 first-half points. &nbsp; Galena&rsquo;s Jack Perry added nine points on 4-of-7 shooting. Macksville&rsquo;s Diego Esparza had just two points, but hounded the Blue team&rsquo;s guards with his quickness. &nbsp; All those contributions made an impression on Kim, who will play collegiately at Washington University in St. Louis. &nbsp; &ldquo;Small-school guys can hoop,&rdquo; Kim said. &ldquo;I want people to know that. They can go.&rdquo; &nbsp; Kim scored seven points and Pyle added four in the Gold&rsquo;s 15-4 run to start the second half that pushed the lead to 62-33. The Gold made 27 of 47 shots in the second half (57.4%) to stretch its margin. Meanwhile, the Blue finished 19 of 80 from the field and 7 of 43 from 3-point range. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/Ottawa_s_Caleb_Hepner_and_Kapaun_s_Corbin_Johnson.jpg" alt="17867" width="667" height="456" />
<figcaption>Kapaun Mt. Carmel's Corbin Johnson (34) defends against Ottawa's Caleb Hepner during the KBCA All-Star Game.</figcaption>
</figure>
 Moddelmog, who helped Moundridge to Class 2A titles as a sophomore and junior, pushed the Gold over the 100-point mark with a 3-pointer that made it 101-59 with two minutes remaining. &nbsp; &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had a past with Bear,&rdquo; said Friesen, who scored eight points. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve played baseball together in the past and we played together last summer. We&rsquo;ve become pretty good friends and it just makes it fun when you can get out on the court together.&rdquo; &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/Elyria_Christian_s_Ty_Romero_and_Marysville_s_Will_Otott.jpg" alt="17866" width="667" height="453" />
<figcaption>Marysville's Will Otott (14) drives in the lane against Elyria Christian's Ty Romero (25) during the KBCA All-Star Game.</figcaption>
</figure>
 The crossover on Saturday wasn&rsquo;t limited to player-to-player. After Eck watched from the bench Saturday, he recalled splitting two state tournament battles against Kim and Andover &ndash; who defeated Kapaun for the 2023 5A title &ndash; and several Greater Wichita Athletic League battles against Wilkins and Heights. &nbsp; In Kapaun&rsquo;s most recent meeting with Heights, Johnson hit a fadeaway 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Crusaders a 56-53 victory, spoiling the Falcons&rsquo; senior night. &nbsp; &ldquo;For me, it was fun that I could sit on the same bench with them instead of coaching against them,&rdquo; Eck said. &ldquo;I told Josh and Amalachi, I&rsquo;m glad you guys are on the same side with me this time because I&rsquo;m tired of seeing your face.&rdquo; &nbsp; KBCA BOYS ALL-STAR GAME &nbsp; GOLD 107, BLUE 61 &nbsp; Blue &hellip; 29 &hellip; 32 &hellip; &ndash;&nbsp;&hellip; 61 &nbsp; Gold &hellip; 47 &hellip; 60 &hellip; &ndash;&nbsp;&hellip; 107 &nbsp; Blue &ndash;&nbsp;Hepner 4-6 2-2 11, Salmon 5-15 0-0 11, Jones 1-8 2-7 4, Rowley 1-3 0-0 3, Broxterman 0-6 0-0 0, Burgess 2-9 2-2 6, Otott 0-1 3-4 3, Brumbaugh 4-20 1-2 11, VanHoutan 1-5 2-2 5, Skocny 1-7 4-4 7. Totals 19-80 16-23 61. &nbsp; Gold &ndash; Ulwelling 1-6 0-0 2, Wilkins 4-6 0-0 8, Kim 6-9 0-0 13, Pyle 9-16 0-0 19, Johnson 4-11 0-0 9, Esparza 1-3 0-0 2, Baalmann 2-4 0-0 4, Perry 4-7 0-0 9, Friesen 4-7 0-0 8, Moddelmog 4-5 0-0 9, Simpson 4-7 1-2 10, Romero 5-9 2-2 14. Totals 48-90 3-4 107. &nbsp; 3-point goals &ndash;&nbsp;Blue 7-43 (Brumbaugh 2-14, Hepner 1-2, Rowley 1-3, VanHoutan 1-4, Skocny 1-6, Salmon 1-7, Jones 0-1, Broxterman 0-2, Burgess 0-4); Gold 8-32 (Romero 2-6, Kim 1-2, Moddelmog 1-2, Simpson 1-2, Perry 1-3, Pyle 1-4, Johnson 1-5, Wilkins 0-1, Baalmann 0-2, Ulwelling 0-5). Rebounds &ndash; Blue 46 (Hepner 7); Gold 60 (Johnson 13). Assists &ndash;&nbsp;Blue 11 (Jones 3); Gold 28 (Kim 7). Turnovers &ndash; Blue 9, Gold 7. Total fouls &ndash; Blue 9, Gold 19. Fouled out &ndash; None. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/Ottawa_s_Caleb_Hepner_and_Hesston_s_Reed_Friesen.jpg" alt="17871" width="667" height="418" />
<figcaption>Hesston's Reed Friesen (22) pivots toward the lane against Ottawa's Caleb Hepner (4) during the KBCA All-Star Game.</figcaption>
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🏀 McPherson's Pyle shines in KBCA Boys All-Star Game

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750679049780.jpg" alt=" " />
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 </figure><div>KSHSAA Covered
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As soon as the rosters came out for the Kansas Basketball Coaches All-Star game, there was a certain amount of giddiness for Anna Jueneman and Oen Deters. &nbsp; Not necessarily that they&rsquo;d been selected to play in the annual contest which in itself was an honor But that they&rsquo;d both been named to the Blue Squad. &nbsp; At last the Twin Valley League rivals &ndash; Deters from Centralia and Jueneman from Hanover &ndash; would get to play together instead of going up against each other as they&rsquo;d done annually since their middle school days. &nbsp; But when the Blue coaches split up their 12-member squad for playing time purposes for the game, Deters was on one group of six and Jueneman was on the other. &nbsp; &ldquo;Me and Oen were on opposites and so we were like, &lsquo;We&rsquo;ve been waiting for this day literally since the teams came out. Can we please get on the court together?&rsquo;&rdquo; Jueneman said. &ldquo;So we talked them into it.&rdquo; &nbsp; It didn&rsquo;t hurt that two of the three Blue coaches were rather familiar with each with Hanover&rsquo;s Chris Beikman and Centralia&rsquo;s Dusty Thompson joining Manhattan&rsquo;s Scott Mall as the Blue coaches this year. &nbsp; They acquiesced and it paid off late in Saturday&rsquo;s All-Star contest at Kansas Wesleyan for the Blue team. With the Blue clinging to a narrow lead on the Gold in in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, both Deters and Jueneman hit huge 3-pointers that ultimately propelled the Blue to a 70-61 victory. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/AnnaJueneman1_32.JPG" alt="17875" width="667" height="605" />
<figcaption>Hanover's Anna Jueneman (4) watches a late 3-point fall through the net to seal a 70-61 win for the Blue in the annual KBCA All-Star game at Kansas Wesleyan.</figcaption>
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&nbsp; &ldquo;We definitely came up big,&rdquo; Jueneman said. &nbsp; Which they&rsquo;ve done throughout their high school careers, particularly on the basketball court. &nbsp; Jueneman led Hanover to three straight Class 1A Division II state championships and in her four years as a start for the Wildcats, they posted a 93-11 record including a perfect 26-0 mark in 2022-23. Deters, meanwhile, led Centralia to an 87-14 record in her four-year career, capping it with an undefeated 26-0 Class 1A Division I state championship this past Match that earned her All-State Top 5 honors from KSHSAA Covered. &nbsp; The performance throughout their career and the Twin Valley League&rsquo;s reputation as the best athletic small-school league in the state didn&rsquo;t mean each didn&rsquo;t go into Saturday&rsquo;s game without perhaps a little something to prove. &nbsp; &ldquo;There are a lot of good athletes in 4, 5 and 6A, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean anything,&rdquo; Deters said. &ldquo;There are a lot of great ones in 3, 2 and 1A, too. I love competing against them. Everybody here is an all-star and that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s fun. &nbsp; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty confident and it was definitely is a little more chippy. But I like playing like that, being a little cocky. It&rsquo;s more fun that way.&rdquo; &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/OenDeters.JPG" alt="17873" width="667" height="469" />
<figcaption>Centralia's Oen Deters scored 10 points and had 4 steals, helping the Blue to a 70-61 win over the Gold in the KBCA Girls All-Star game.</figcaption>
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&nbsp; Jueneman agreed. &nbsp; &ldquo;Everyone says what a great league the TVL is, and it is,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And it definitely helps in a game like this.&rdquo; &nbsp; The TVL combo had been solid throughout the game as the Blue and Gold were tied 14-14 at the end of the third quarter before the Gold maintained leads at halftime (34-28) and at the end of the third quarter (53-50). &nbsp; But in the fourth, the Blue began to clamp down defensively and slowly pulled into the lead. They had held a slight lead for much of the third quarter as well before the Gold finished the period strong to regain the edge going into the fourth. &nbsp; This time, once the Blue got the lead, they fought off the Gold. Up by less than two possessions late, Jueneman found Deters on the wing and the Panther guard banked in a 3-pointer that gave the Blue a little breathing room. &nbsp; &ldquo;I passed it to her for the assist and she actually called bank on that one,&rdquo; Jueneman said, which Deters also confirmed. &ldquo;The bench girls heard it.&rdquo; &nbsp; Moments later, Jueneman &ndash; known more for her scoring ability in transition as a result of her constant pressure &ndash; fired up her only 3-point attempt of the game and drained it to all but clinch the Blue victory. &nbsp; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s grown on me,&rdquo; she said of the 3-pointer. &ldquo;Earlier in my high school career, I wouldn&rsquo;t have had the confidence to take that shot, but now I know I can come up at big times like that and have the full confidence it&rsquo;s going in. &nbsp; &ldquo;Some might say it was a stupid shot, but in the heat of the moment I took it and was like, &lsquo;Yeah, this is going in.&rsquo; Oen said, &ldquo;Oh I knew it was going in right away!&rdquo; &nbsp; Jueneman finished with 12 points to lead the Blue team and the performance may serve as an omen of what&rsquo;s to come in her college career. A three-sport standout who led the Hanover volleyball team to four 1A Division II state championship matches and two titles and also was a three-time 1A state track champion in the 400 and two-time winner of the 200, Jueneman had always targeted basketball as her sport of choice for college. &nbsp; And her college of choice ended up being Kansas Wesleyan with Saturday&rsquo;s all-star game being held on her future home court. Ironically, her mother, Tiffany (Lohse), also played in the KBCA All-Star game when it was held at Washburn&rsquo;s Lee Arena, where she ended up playing in college. &nbsp; Deters added 10 points and 4 steals for the Blue, her point total matched by Labette County&rsquo;s Lauren O&rsquo;Brien. De Soto&rsquo;s Makenzie Farmer chipped in 9 points and 2 assists, while St. Marys&rsquo; Hayden Heim had 7 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/6/22/ValNorwood1.JPG" alt="17872" width="667" height="469" />
<figcaption>After receiving the KBCA's Miss Kansas Basketball award prior to the All-Star game, Wellington's Val Norwood scored 16 points to lead all scorers in the game.</figcaption>
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&nbsp; The gold was led by Wellington's Val Norwood, who hit 7 of 14 shots on her way to game-high scoring honors with 16 points. Despite not coming away with the team win in the game, Norwood still relished the experience, which began with her being presented the KBCA Miss Kansas Basketball honor prior to the game. &nbsp; &ldquo;It was a very exciting moment when I got the call,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great honor and I&rsquo;m very grateful for it.&rdquo; &nbsp; The honors capped a magical senior season for the Wellington standout, who earned All-State Top 5 honors after leading Wellington to its first-ever state championship as the Crusader toppled longtime state nemesis Bishop Miege 53-48 in the Class 4A championship game to finish off a 24-1 season. &nbsp; Norwood and her Wellington teammates had had numerous near-misses before the breakthrough title, including a 75-62 loss to Miege in the 2024 title game and losses to the Stags in each of the previous two state tourneys as well. &nbsp; &ldquo;We&rsquo;d all been waiting for that (state title) forever,&rdquo; said Norwood, who led Wellington to a 91-6 record in her career. &ldquo;And it was a game that we had always talked about winning. It was a great season and I&rsquo;m going to miss playing with them. &nbsp; &ldquo;This game was nice to get to play with other people and meeting them as well. We had come back at one point, but we just couldn&rsquo;t get it done at the end. But it was good.&rdquo; &nbsp; No other Gold player reached double figures with Andover&rsquo;s Aliyah Green, Arkansas City&rsquo;s Saliyah Henderson-Johnson and Hoxie&rsquo;s Emily Bainter each finishing with 7 points. Henderson-Johnson also grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds and Central Plains&rsquo; Marilyn Soeken had 6 points and 3 assists. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; KBCA GIRLS ALL-STAR GAME &nbsp; BLUE 70, GOLD 61 &nbsp; Blue &hellip; 14 &hellip; 14 &hellip; 22 &hellip; 20 &hellip; -- &hellip; 70 &nbsp; Gold &hellip; 14 &hellip; 20 &hellip; 19 &hellip; 8 &hellip; -- &hellip; 61 &nbsp; Blue &ndash; O&rsquo;Brien 3-10 3-3 10, Jueneman 3-5 5-8 12, Harris 2-4 0-0 4, Deters 3-7 2-2 10, Ramsey 1-2 0-0 2, Lambert 1-3 0-0 3, Jacobs 1-6 0-0 2, Krafels 1-4 0-0 2, Farmer 3-7 1-2 9, Martin 2-5 2-2 7, Heim 3-8 1-2 7, Johnson 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 24-65 14-21 70. &nbsp; Gold &ndash; Butler 1-3 0-0 2, Green 13-10 1-2 7, Zeka 2-11 0-0 4, Norwood 7-14 0-0 16, Hadley 2-5 0-0 4, Phillips 2-5 0-0 4, Henderson-Johnson 3-9 0-0 7, Jones 1-3 0-0 2, Bainter 2-4 2-2 7, Barton 1-5 0-0 2, Soeken 2-7 1-2 6, Winfrey 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-78 4-6 61. &nbsp; 3-point goals &ndash; Blue 8-19 (Deters 2-4, Farmer 2-4, O&rsquo;Brien 1-2, Jueneman 1-1, Lambert 1-3, Martin 1-2, Krafels 0-1, Jacobs 0-2); Gold 5-29 (Norwood 2-4, Henderson-Johnson 1-4, Bainter 1-1, Soeken 1-4, Butler 0-1, Zeka 0-5, Hadley 0-1, Phillips 0-2, Jones 0-2, Barton 0-3, Winfrey 0-1). Rebounds &ndash; Blue 43 (Heim 8), Gold 49 (Henderson-Johnson 7). Assists &ndash; Blue 11 (Jueneman 2, Farmer 2, Martin 2, Heim 2), Gold 7 (Soeken 3). Turnovers &ndash; Blue 16, Gold 17. Total fouls &ndash; Blue 7, Gold 18. Fouled out &ndash; none.</div>

🏀 Blue beats Gold in KBCA Girls All-Star Game 

WICHITA, Kan. — Ethan Giesbrecht struck out 11 over six strong innings and the Hutchinson Monarchs jumped out to an early lead in route to a 7-4 victory over the Wichita Wildcats Saturday night in Rose Hill.

Giesbrecht, who scattered five hits and allowed three runs while walking two, notched the win for Hutchinson (12-3), setting the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning — despite giving up a solo home run to Jackson Ellison.

The Monarchs grabbed control in the top of the first, capitalizing on early command issues from Wildcats starter Jace Meyer. After a single and two hit batters loaded the bases, Tyler Vassart roped a two-run double to right, and Hutchinson tacked on two more in the second on back-to-back bases-loaded walks.

The Wildcats cut the lead to 4-2 on a solo homer from Josiah Sems in the second and drew closer on a Gunner Lewis homer in the sixth. But Hutchinson answered in the top of the seventh, when Vassart launched a solo home run to center — his third RBI of the night — to push the lead to 6-3.

The Monarchs added an insurance run in the ninth when Vassart scored on a misplayed pop fly by the Wildcats’ infield.

Wichita threatened in the bottom of the ninth, plating a run on an RBI single from Austin Selenke, but Russell Copous slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts and a dropped third strike to end the game.

Copous earned the save, working the final frame after Daegan Vinduska tossed two solid innings in relief of Giesbrecht.

Meyer took the loss for the Wildcats, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks over just 1.2 innings.

Vassart led Hutchinson offensively, going 2-for-4 with a double, homer, walk, and three RBIs.

The Monarchs return home Monday night for their next contest versus the Wildcats at Hobart-Detter Field. First pitch is at 7pm and can be viewed on Hutchpost.com and monarchslive.tv.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750584945731.png" alt="Final - Hutch Monarchs defeat the Wichita Wildcats on Saturday night in Rose Hill ." />
 <figcaption>Final - Hutch Monarchs defeat the Wichita Wildcats on Saturday night in Rose Hill .</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. — Ethan Giesbrecht struck out 11 over six strong innings and the Hutchinson Monarchs jumped out to an early lead in route to a 7-4 victory over the Wichita Wildcats Saturday night in Rose Hill.Giesbrecht, who scattered five hits and allowed three runs while walking two, notched the win for Hutchinson (12-3), setting the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning — despite giving up a solo home run to Jackson Ellison.The Monarchs grabbed control in the top of the first, capitalizing on early command issues from Wildcats starter Jace Meyer. After a single and two hit batters loaded the bases, Tyler Vassart roped a two-run double to right, and Hutchinson tacked on two more in the second on back-to-back bases-loaded walks.The Wildcats cut the lead to 4-2 on a solo homer from Josiah Sems in the second and drew closer on a Gunner Lewis homer in the sixth. But Hutchinson answered in the top of the seventh, when Vassart launched a solo home run to center — his third RBI of the night — to push the lead to 6-3.The Monarchs added an insurance run in the ninth when Vassart scored on a misplayed pop fly by the Wildcats’ infield.Wichita threatened in the bottom of the ninth, plating a run on an RBI single from Austin Selenke, but Russell Copous slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts and a dropped third strike to end the game.Copous earned the save, working the final frame after Daegan Vinduska tossed two solid innings in relief of Giesbrecht.Meyer took the loss for the Wildcats, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks over just 1.2 innings.Vassart led Hutchinson offensively, going 2-for-4 with a double, homer, walk, and three RBIs.The Monarchs return home Monday night for their next contest versus the Wildcats at Hobart-Detter Field. First pitch is at 7pm and can be viewed on Hutchpost.com and monarchslive.tv.

⚾ Hutchinson Monarchs power past Wichita Wildcats behind Giesbrecht’s gem

<a href="https://eagle-media-sports-hutch.mixlr.com/events/4218822">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE</a>

DODGE CITY, Kan. — The 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, featuring 88 of the state’s top high school football players in one final showcase.

Eagle Media is the official radio broadcast partner for the Kansas Shrine Bowl. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m., with Gerard Wellbrock on play-by-play, Dustin Armbruster as analyst, and Sean Boston and Anthony Gorges reporting from the West and East sidelines, respectively.

Click station to listen to live stream

The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to producing annual events that benefit Shriners Children’s. Since its inception in 1974, the organization has raised nearly $4 million for the healthcare network, which provides pediatric specialty care regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

In addition to the East vs. West all-star football game, Kansas Shrine All-Star Events include the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Camp, the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals, and a variety of other game week activities. Shriners Children’s, formerly known as Shriners Hospitals for Children, operates facilities and outreach programs worldwide, offering innovative research, teaching programs, and family-centered care to children up to age 18.

<a href="https://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/uploads/1/0/2/8/10280235/2025_kansas_shrine_bowl_rosters_-_updated_6-16-25.pdf">Click here</a> for complete rosters for the Kansas Shrine Bowl game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750079718324.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://eagle-media-sports-hutch.mixlr.com/events/4218822">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE</a>DODGE CITY, Kan. — The 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, featuring 88 of the state’s top high school football players in one final showcase.Eagle Media is the official radio broadcast partner for the Kansas Shrine Bowl. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m., with Gerard Wellbrock on play-by-play, Dustin Armbruster as analyst, and Sean Boston and Anthony Gorges reporting from the West and East sidelines, respectively.<h2>Eagle Media Stations</h2>Click station to listen to live stream<div><h3><a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Hutchinson: 102.9 FM - (KHUT)</a> *Flagship Station</h3>
<h3><a href="https://ice10.securenetsystems.net/KVGBAM">Great Bend: 104.3 FM - (KVGB)</a></h3>
<h3><a href="https://ice9.securenetsystems.net/KKQY">Hays: 101.9 FM - (KKQY)</a></h3>
<h3><a href="https://ice10.securenetsystems.net/KINA">Salina: 107.5 FM/910 AM - (KINA)</a></h3>
<h3><a href="https://ice9.securenetsystems.net/KQLAFM">Manhattan: 103.5 FM -&nbsp;(KQLA)</a></h3></div>The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to producing annual events that benefit Shriners Children’s. Since its inception in 1974, the organization has raised nearly $4 million for the healthcare network, which provides pediatric specialty care regardless of a family’s ability to pay.In addition to the East vs. West all-star football game, Kansas Shrine All-Star Events include the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Camp, the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals, and a variety of other game week activities. Shriners Children’s, formerly known as Shriners Hospitals for Children, operates facilities and outreach programs worldwide, offering innovative research, teaching programs, and family-centered care to children up to age 18.<a href="https://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/uploads/1/0/2/8/10280235/2025_kansas_shrine_bowl_rosters_-_updated_6-16-25.pdf">Click here</a> for complete rosters for the Kansas Shrine Bowl game.