Savannah DeMelo's ability to speak Portuguese may help US in critical Women's World Cup match

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Savannah DeMelo was a surprise addition to the U.S. roster for the Women's World Cup because she had never played for the national team. Now DeMelo has two starts at the tournament while fellow midfielder Rose Lavelle gets up to speed following a knee injury. The Americans play Portugal on Tuesday to wrap up the group stage and need a victory. DeMelo may be able to help with more than her play. She learned Portuguese from her dad, who is from the country and played soccer there. DeMelo has dual citizenship.

Beleaguered Pac-12 says it will pursue expansion with Colorado, USC and UCLA all leaving next year

The nine remaining Pac-12 schools have been mostly quiet since Colorado announced it would leave the conference in 2024 and join the Big 12. The Buffaloes joined Big Ten-bound Southern California and UCLA in an exodous that could continue in coming weeks and months. The Pac-12 issued a statement pledging to soldier on and pursue new members once its media rights deal ends at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said he trusts the league to land a new TV deal that will hold together the Pac-12.

NFL teams are adapting to unrelenting heat as training camps ramp up

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The unrelenting heat has made the opening of training camps even more challenging than usual for teams throughout the NFL. Scientists have already calculated this will be the hottest July on record. The Southwest and parts of the South have been especially hit hard. Most of the Midwest and East also have been affected. That means NFL teams have to be even more mindful than usual about keeping players safe while also getting their work done before the season begins in September.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow could miss 'several weeks' with calf strain, coach Taylor says

CINCINNATI (AP) — Bengals coach Zac Taylor says quarterback Joe Burrow could miss "several weeks" with a right calf strain. The 26-year-old franchise quarterback hobbled on one leg and then went to the ground after a scramble play near the end of practice Thursday. Backup QBs Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian took the snaps on Friday. Burrow is still negotiating with the Bengals on a long-term contract that could make him one of the NFL's highest-paid players.

Sean Payton says he regrets criticizing predecessor Nathaniel Hackett and his own general manager

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has issued a mea culpa for criticizing his predecessor in an interview with USA Today. Payton says he regrets ripping Nathaniel Hackett and for throwing so many others under the bus for allowing quarterback Russell Wilson to be given so many allowances last year, such as having his personal quarterback coach in the team facility. Payton says he'll reach out to Hackett and Jets head coach Robert Saleh at some point to apologize. The Jets and Broncos play in Denver in Week 5.

Santander hits 9th-inning homer to give the Orioles a 1-0 win in Judge's Yankees return

BALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Santander homered off Tommy Kahnle in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 1-0 win over New York, spoiling Aaron Judge's return for the Yankees. Judge walked three times in his first game back from a toe injury, but the Orioles kept New York off the scoreboard with a spectacular defensive effort — particularly in the eighth inning, when Santander made a lunging, sliding catch in right field and second baseman Adam Frazier made a diving stop on Anthony Rizzo's grounder with a man on second.

Aaron Judge draws 3 walks after coming off injured list for Yankees at Baltimore

BALTIMORE (AP) — The New York Yankees reinstated Aaron Judge from the injured list before opening a weekend road series against the Baltimore Orioles. Judge lined out to right field in his first at-bat. He then walked his next three times up. Judge had been out since tearing a ligament in his right big toe June 3 when he crashed into the right-field fence while making a catch at Dodger Stadium. Judge played a simulated game Wednesday at the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, and returned to New York after that. The Yankees lost 1-0 to the Orioles.

Ohtani homers in 3 straight at-bats over 2 games before being sidelined by cramps -- again

TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run — for a run of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before being sidelined due to cramping for a second consecutive game. Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning due to leg cramps. The Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-1 Friday. Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani had cramping in both calves. Ohtani homered twice in the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit on Thursday before leaving with cramps. He threw a one-hitter in the opener for his first career MLB shutout.

USC still preparing for a European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrest

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week. The tour will run from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules. James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is "safe and healthy."

Super Bowl champion Chiefs hold hot, tough practice in 1st day of pads

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The weather was hot and pads were on for the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. That's just about the perfect practice combo for Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Kansas City worked out nearly two hours in pads for the first time since winning the Super Bowl last February. Reid said the players' energy was up during the intense session in sweltering conditions. Reid didn't mind players trash-talking at workouts as long as the scrums don't lead to thrown punches. Linebacker Willie Gay said sessions like this are tailor-made for Reid and how to prepare for another championship run.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688383699667.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Saturday Morning, July 29th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Saturday Morning, July 29th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports SummaryBrief at 2:41 a.m. EDTSavannah DeMelo's ability to speak Portuguese may help US in critical Women's World Cup matchAUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Savannah DeMelo was a surprise addition to the U.S. roster for the Women's World Cup because she had never played for the national team. Now DeMelo has two starts at the tournament while fellow midfielder Rose Lavelle gets up to speed following a knee injury. The Americans play Portugal on Tuesday to wrap up the group stage and need a victory. DeMelo may be able to help with more than her play. She learned Portuguese from her dad, who is from the country and played soccer there. DeMelo has dual citizenship.Beleaguered Pac-12 says it will pursue expansion with Colorado, USC and UCLA all leaving next yearThe nine remaining Pac-12 schools have been mostly quiet since Colorado announced it would leave the conference in 2024 and join the Big 12. The Buffaloes joined Big Ten-bound Southern California and UCLA in an exodous that could continue in coming weeks and months. The Pac-12 issued a statement pledging to soldier on and pursue new members once its media rights deal ends at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said he trusts the league to land a new TV deal that will hold together the Pac-12.NFL teams are adapting to unrelenting heat as training camps ramp upHENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The unrelenting heat has made the opening of training camps even more challenging than usual for teams throughout the NFL. Scientists have already calculated this will be the hottest July on record. The Southwest and parts of the South have been especially hit hard. Most of the Midwest and East also have been affected. That means NFL teams have to be even more mindful than usual about keeping players safe while also getting their work done before the season begins in September.Bengals QB Joe Burrow could miss 'several weeks' with calf strain, coach Taylor saysCINCINNATI (AP) — Bengals coach Zac Taylor says quarterback Joe Burrow could miss "several weeks" with a right calf strain. The 26-year-old franchise quarterback hobbled on one leg and then went to the ground after a scramble play near the end of practice Thursday. Backup QBs Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian took the snaps on Friday. Burrow is still negotiating with the Bengals on a long-term contract that could make him one of the NFL's highest-paid players.Sean Payton says he regrets criticizing predecessor Nathaniel Hackett and his own general managerENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has issued a mea culpa for criticizing his predecessor in an interview with USA Today. Payton says he regrets ripping Nathaniel Hackett and for throwing so many others under the bus for allowing quarterback Russell Wilson to be given so many allowances last year, such as having his personal quarterback coach in the team facility. Payton says he'll reach out to Hackett and Jets head coach Robert Saleh at some point to apologize. The Jets and Broncos play in Denver in Week 5.Santander hits 9th-inning homer to give the Orioles a 1-0 win in Judge's Yankees returnBALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Santander homered off Tommy Kahnle in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 1-0 win over New York, spoiling Aaron Judge's return for the Yankees. Judge walked three times in his first game back from a toe injury, but the Orioles kept New York off the scoreboard with a spectacular defensive effort — particularly in the eighth inning, when Santander made a lunging, sliding catch in right field and second baseman Adam Frazier made a diving stop on Anthony Rizzo's grounder with a man on second.Aaron Judge draws 3 walks after coming off injured list for Yankees at BaltimoreBALTIMORE (AP) — The New York Yankees reinstated Aaron Judge from the injured list before opening a weekend road series against the Baltimore Orioles. Judge lined out to right field in his first at-bat. He then walked his next three times up. Judge had been out since tearing a ligament in his right big toe June 3 when he crashed into the right-field fence while making a catch at Dodger Stadium. Judge played a simulated game Wednesday at the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, and returned to New York after that. The Yankees lost 1-0 to the Orioles.Ohtani homers in 3 straight at-bats over 2 games before being sidelined by cramps -- againTORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run — for a run of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before being sidelined due to cramping for a second consecutive game. Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning due to leg cramps. The Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-1 Friday. Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani had cramping in both calves. Ohtani homered twice in the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit on Thursday before leaving with cramps. He threw a one-hitter in the opener for his first career MLB shutout.USC still preparing for a European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrestLOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week. The tour will run from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules. James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is "safe and healthy."Super Bowl champion Chiefs hold hot, tough practice in 1st day of padsST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The weather was hot and pads were on for the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. That's just about the perfect practice combo for Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Kansas City worked out nearly two hours in pads for the first time since winning the Super Bowl last February. Reid said the players' energy was up during the intense session in sweltering conditions. Reid didn't mind players trash-talking at workouts as long as the scrums don't lead to thrown punches. Linebacker Willie Gay said sessions like this are tailor-made for Reid and how to prepare for another championship run.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Miami	6	Detroit	5	Final	Oakland	8	Colorado	5	Final	San Diego	7	Texas	1	Final	Boston	3	San Francisco	2	Final	Seattle	5	Arizona	2	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Chicago White Sox	3	Cleveland	0	Final	Baltimore	1	N.Y. Yankees	0	Final	Toronto	4	L.A. Angels	1	Final	Tampa Bay	4	Houston	3	Final	Kansas City	8	Minnesota	5	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	2	Pittsburgh	1	Final	N.Y. Mets	5	Washington	1	Final	Atlanta	10	Milwaukee	7	Final	Chicago Cubs	3	St. Louis	2	Final	Cincinnati	6	L.A. Dodgers	5	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Dallas	90	Washington	62	Final	Seattle	83	Chicago	74	Final	Minnesota	88	New York	83	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Detroit	at	Miami	4:10 p.m.			Boston	at	San Francisco	7:15 p.m.			Oakland	at	Colorado	8:10 p.m.			Seattle	at	Arizona	8:10 p.m.			Texas	at	San Diego	8:40 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		L-A Angels	at	Toronto	3:07 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Chi White Sox	7:10 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Kansas City	7:10 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Baltimore	7:15 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Houston	7:15 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Philadelphia	at	Pittsburgh	7:05 p.m.			Washington	at	N-Y Mets	7:10 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	St. Louis	7:15 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Atlanta	7:20 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	L-A Dodgers	9:10 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Saturday

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;First-year Wichita State head men's basketball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/paul-mills/1128">Paul Mills</a>&nbsp;unveiled the program's 2023-24 non-conference schedule Friday morning. The out of conference slate includes one true road game at Missouri and six neutral site contests, which include the Myrtle Beach Invitational and in-state showdowns with Kansas State and Kansas. Season tickets are available now by calling 316-978-FANS (3267) or in-person at the Shocker Ticket Office, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wichita State opens with four straight home games to start the season, including an exhibition matchup vs. Rogers State on Oct. 29. Following home dates with Lipscomb (Nov. 6), Western Kentucky (Nov. 9) and Friends (Nov. 12), the Shockers travel to Conway, S.C., for the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The bracket has yet to be announced, but the field includes Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Furman, Liberty, Saint Louis, Vermont and Wyoming. Wichita State will play three games over four days over the Thanksgiving holiday. Two more home games against Norfolk State (Nov. 25) and Richmond (Nov. 29) wrap up the month of November. A road trip to Missouri to face the Tigers on Dec. 3 kickstarts a tough stretch to conclude the non-conference season. Wichita State will face South Dakota State on Dec. 9 in its annual INTRUST Bank Arena game, before hosting former Missouri Valley Conference rival, Southern Illinois on Dec. 16. The schedule closes with the highly anticipated matchups against Kansas State and Kansas in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center. Start times and television assignments will be announced when the American Athletic Conference releases its 18-game league slate in September. 2023-24 Non-Conference Schedule Oct. 29 – Rogers State (Exh.) Nov. 6 – Lipscomb Nov. 9 – Western Kentucky Nov. 12 – Friends Nov. 16 – Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 17 – Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 19 – Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 25 – Norfolk State Nov. 29 – Richmond Dec. 3 – at Missouri Dec. 9 – vs. South Dakota State (INTRUST Bank Arena) Dec. 16 – Southern Illinois Dec. 21 – vs. Kansas State (T-Mobile Center) Dec. 30 – vs. Kansas (T-Mobile Center)&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685474248819.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;First-year Wichita State head men's basketball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/paul-mills/1128">Paul Mills</a>&nbsp;unveiled the program's 2023-24 non-conference schedule Friday morning. The out of conference slate includes one true road game at Missouri and six neutral site contests, which include the Myrtle Beach Invitational and in-state showdowns with Kansas State and Kansas. Season tickets are available now by calling 316-978-FANS (3267) or in-person at the Shocker Ticket Office, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wichita State opens with four straight home games to start the season, including an exhibition matchup vs. Rogers State on Oct. 29. Following home dates with Lipscomb (Nov. 6), Western Kentucky (Nov. 9) and Friends (Nov. 12), the Shockers travel to Conway, S.C., for the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The bracket has yet to be announced, but the field includes Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Furman, Liberty, Saint Louis, Vermont and Wyoming. Wichita State will play three games over four days over the Thanksgiving holiday. Two more home games against Norfolk State (Nov. 25) and Richmond (Nov. 29) wrap up the month of November. A road trip to Missouri to face the Tigers on Dec. 3 kickstarts a tough stretch to conclude the non-conference season. Wichita State will face South Dakota State on Dec. 9 in its annual INTRUST Bank Arena game, before hosting former Missouri Valley Conference rival, Southern Illinois on Dec. 16. The schedule closes with the highly anticipated matchups against Kansas State and Kansas in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center. Start times and television assignments will be announced when the American Athletic Conference releases its 18-game league slate in September. 2023-24 Non-Conference Schedule Oct. 29 – Rogers State (Exh.) Nov. 6 – Lipscomb Nov. 9 – Western Kentucky Nov. 12 – Friends Nov. 16 – Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 17 – Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 19 – Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 25 – Norfolk State Nov. 29 – Richmond Dec. 3 – at Missouri Dec. 9 – vs. South Dakota State (INTRUST Bank Arena) Dec. 16 – Southern Illinois Dec. 21 – vs. Kansas State (T-Mobile Center) Dec. 30 – vs. Kansas (T-Mobile Center)&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: Shockers release non-conference schedule

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference hosted its annual football media day on Friday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita. The HutchCC Blue Dragons were picked to win the conference in the preseason coaches poll for the fifth consecutive season.

The Blue Dragons enter the 2023 season after a runner-up finish in 2022, losing to Iowa Western in the national championship game.&nbsp;

HutchCC is led by fourth year head coach Drew Dallas, who has an overall record of 28-3 in his first three seasons.&nbsp;

The Blue Dragons return no offensive starters from the 2022 season. The defense on the other hand has only one starter back from last fall. HutchCC had 34 players move onto the Division I level.&nbsp;

2023 KJCCC FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1) Hutchinson 2) Coffeyville 3) Butler 4) Garden City 5) Independence 6) Dodge City 7) Highland

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690581772524.jpeg" alt="HutchCC head coach Drew Dallas" />
 <figcaption>HutchCC head coach Drew Dallas</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference hosted its annual football media day on Friday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita. The HutchCC Blue Dragons were picked to win the conference in the preseason coaches poll for the fifth consecutive season.<div><iframe width="660" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B59Z4WZSVas" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Blue Dragons enter the 2023 season after a runner-up finish in 2022, losing to Iowa Western in the national championship game.&nbsp;HutchCC is led by fourth year head coach Drew Dallas, who has an overall record of 28-3 in his first three seasons.&nbsp;The Blue Dragons return no offensive starters from the 2022 season. The defense on the other hand has only one starter back from last fall. HutchCC had 34 players move onto the Division I level.&nbsp;2023 KJCCC FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1) Hutchinson 2) Coffeyville 3) Butler 4) Garden City 5) Independence 6) Dodge City 7) Highland<div><iframe title="Drew Dallas - 2023 Media Day" 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=3szsn-1469442-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🏈 Blue Dragons preseason favorite to win KJCCC

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) will host its annual football Media Day today. The event will begin at 12 p.m. and will be hosted by the Wichita Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium.&nbsp;

You can watch the event <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/kjccc/?B=591394">here</a>.

The annual event gives an opportunity for head coaches from the seven football playing schools in the KJCCC to preview the upcoming fall season. There will also be time for each coach to answer questions from media members.&nbsp;

KJCCC first-year commissioner Mike Saddler will have opening remarks and a brief overview of the conference before coordinator of officials Craig Helser talks rule changes for the 2023 season. The event will be hosted by radio personality Pat Strathman.

The Blue Dragons were picked to win the 2022 title in the preseason coaches' poll and that held true, as Drew Dallas led his team to the regular season title. Below is the predicted order of finish from 2022 and how each team finished in parentheses.

1. Hutchinson (1) 2. Garden City (4) 3. Independence (5) 4. Coffeyville (2) 5. Butler (3) 6. Dodge City (6) 7. Highland&nbsp; &nbsp;(7)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633603608131.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) will host its annual football Media Day today. The event will begin at 12 p.m. and will be hosted by the Wichita Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium.&nbsp;You can watch the event <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/kjccc/?B=591394">here</a>.The annual event gives an opportunity for head coaches from the seven football playing schools in the KJCCC to preview the upcoming fall season. There will also be time for each coach to answer questions from media members.&nbsp;KJCCC first-year commissioner Mike Saddler will have opening remarks and a brief overview of the conference before coordinator of officials Craig Helser talks rule changes for the 2023 season. The event will be hosted by radio personality Pat Strathman.The Blue Dragons were picked to win the 2022 title in the preseason coaches' poll and that held true, as Drew Dallas led his team to the regular season title. Below is the predicted order of finish from 2022 and how each team finished in parentheses.1. Hutchinson (1) 2. Garden City (4) 3. Independence (5) 4. Coffeyville (2) 5. Butler (3) 6. Dodge City (6) 7. Highland&nbsp; &nbsp;(7)

🏈 KJCCC Media Day is today in Wichita

WICHITA, KS - Pierson Ohl, Francis Peguero and Alex Scherff combined to pitch an exceptional nine innings of baseball for Wichita. They struck out a total of 12 batters and only gave up five hits. The Wind Surge bounced back after giving up the first two home games to Frisco and defeated the RoughRiders 4-1.

The Wind Surge got a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning. With runners at first and third Patrick Winkle grounded out on a soft ground ball up the right field line that drove in a run from third.

Frisco tied the game up in the top of the second. Chris Seise hit a line drive RBI single to left field.

Yunior Severino hit his 21st home run of the season over the left field wall in the bottom of the third. The two-run shot broke the tie and gave the Surge a two-run lead.

Jake Rucker added a run to the Surge lead in the bottom of the fifth. He hit a line drive into centerfield for an RBI double.

Pierson Ohl made his sixth start of the season for the Wichita Wind Surge. He pitched five full innings where he gave up one earned run off three hits. He struck out five batters, walked two more and had a pick off.

The starting pitcher for Frisco was Nick Krauth. He pitched four and two thirds innings where he gave up three runs off five hits. Krauth delivered five strike outs and walked six batters.

The Wichita Wind Surge improve to (10-14, 38-54) and the Frisco RoughRiders fall to (13-11, 44-48).

NOTES: The Surge dealt 12 strikeouts in the ball game which makes it the 14th double digit strike out game in the last 21 games. Yunior Severino is second in the Texas League with 21 home runs.

BROADCAST: ESPN 92.3 FM, Milb First Pitch App,&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fWindsurge.com&amp;c=E,1,dexWbEMmO2SNZFacaCKfVJIV48UFXNwoAwE4zyM2KXaD_HSgx84zoOHAglON-gUjtBR3aBrV7b7fNPJsxVGXCgYR5cYPta1xJgIbXkHri2NTnYdJ6WV7jsuz044,&amp;typo=1&amp;ancr_add=1">Windsurge.com</a>, MiLB.tv and Bally Live app.

UPCOMING: The Wichita Wind Surge continue their home series against the Frisco Rough Riders and play game four at 7:05 PM on Friday July 28th. RH Marco Raya will be the starting pitcher for the Wind Surge and RH Noah Bremer will be the starting pitcher for the Rough Riders.

<div><iframe src="https://streamable.com/milb/keirsey-jr-s-five-hit-outing" width="560" height="315"></iframe></div>WICHITA, KS - Pierson Ohl, Francis Peguero and Alex Scherff combined to pitch an exceptional nine innings of baseball for Wichita. They struck out a total of 12 batters and only gave up five hits. The Wind Surge bounced back after giving up the first two home games to Frisco and defeated the RoughRiders 4-1.The Wind Surge got a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning. With runners at first and third Patrick Winkle grounded out on a soft ground ball up the right field line that drove in a run from third.Frisco tied the game up in the top of the second. Chris Seise hit a line drive RBI single to left field.Yunior Severino hit his 21st home run of the season over the left field wall in the bottom of the third. The two-run shot broke the tie and gave the Surge a two-run lead.Jake Rucker added a run to the Surge lead in the bottom of the fifth. He hit a line drive into centerfield for an RBI double.Pierson Ohl made his sixth start of the season for the Wichita Wind Surge. He pitched five full innings where he gave up one earned run off three hits. He struck out five batters, walked two more and had a pick off.The starting pitcher for Frisco was Nick Krauth. He pitched four and two thirds innings where he gave up three runs off five hits. Krauth delivered five strike outs and walked six batters.The Wichita Wind Surge improve to (10-14, 38-54) and the Frisco RoughRiders fall to (13-11, 44-48).NOTES: The Surge dealt 12 strikeouts in the ball game which makes it the 14th double digit strike out game in the last 21 games. Yunior Severino is second in the Texas League with 21 home runs.BROADCAST: ESPN 92.3 FM, Milb First Pitch App,&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fWindsurge.com&amp;c=E,1,dexWbEMmO2SNZFacaCKfVJIV48UFXNwoAwE4zyM2KXaD_HSgx84zoOHAglON-gUjtBR3aBrV7b7fNPJsxVGXCgYR5cYPta1xJgIbXkHri2NTnYdJ6WV7jsuz044,&amp;typo=1&amp;ancr_add=1">Windsurge.com</a>, MiLB.tv and Bally Live app.UPCOMING: The Wichita Wind Surge continue their home series against the Frisco Rough Riders and play game four at 7:05 PM on Friday July 28th. RH Marco Raya will be the starting pitcher for the Wind Surge and RH Noah Bremer will be the starting pitcher for the Rough Riders.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge pitchers shut down Frisco

Bronny James discharged from hospital as LeBron sends thanks and says family is 'safe and healthy'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James has been discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is resting at home, three days after the 18-year-old son of LeBron James went into cardiac arrest. Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a consulting cardiologist for Bronny James, said in a statement issued by the hospital Thursday that James was "successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest" thanks to "the swift and effective response by the USC athletics' medical staff" after the incident Monday at the University of Southern California's Galen Center, where James was participating in basketball practice.

Angels say they won't trade Shohei Ohtani. He celebrates with a 1-hitter, 2 homers

DETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is staying with the Los Angeles Angels, at least for the rest of the season. The playoff-contending team said Thursday it has decided not to deal the two-way superstar, just days before MLB's trade deadline. It was welcome news in the Angels' clubhouse, and Ohtani celebrated with his latest extraordinary performance on the mound and at the plate. Ohtani threw a one-hit shutout for his first complete game in the majors in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Detroit. Then, in Game 2, he homered twice to increase his major league-leading total to 38 before exiting with cramps.

Colorado leaving Pac-12 and returning to Big 12 in 2024 following unanimous vote by board of regents

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado board of regents has voted unanimously to leave the Pac-12 Conference and return to the Big 12. The Pac-12 has seemed vulnerable to more poaching. It will lose USC and UCLA to the Big Ten next year and has spent months trying to land a new media rights contract. Now Colorado is leaving at the same time. The Buffaloes say money wasn't the only lure back to the league where it was a founding member. Chancellor Philip DiStefano noted that Colorado will have more favorable start times across three time zones that will provide better exposure for the school.

Can the Pac-12 survive? Conference of champions faces murky future after Colorado bolts for Big 12

Colorado's departure for the Big 12 is not a death blow for the Pac-12. However, there is no way to spin this latest hit as anything but a loss for the so-called conference of champions. The question now becomes: Can the Pac-12 stop bleeding membership? And if not, does it trigger conferences beyond the Big 12 to target Pac-12 schools? Will CU's move trigger another wide-ranging round of realignment?

Formed to combat Olympic sex abuse, SafeSport center is struggling 6 years after opening

DENVER (AP) — Six years into its mission to remedy the sex-abuse crisis in Olympic sports, the U.S. Center for SafeSport is struggling. The Associated Press examined five cases that exposed flaws at the overwhelmed agency that has been criticized by athletes, Olympic leaders and investigators with Washington connections. The Denver-based center has around 1,000 open cases, with some 150 new complaints coming in every week. Less than 15% of the more than 12,500 cases the center investigated from 2017 through 2022 ended with a formal resolution. Many other cases were closed because of administrative issues. The backlog, delays in resolving cases and confusion surrounding the reporting led one athlete to conclude the center is woefully under-equipped for its mission.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow carted off the practice field after calf injury

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was carted off the practice field after he came up hobbling from a scramble. The 26-year-old franchise quarterback hobbled on one leg and then went to the ground after the play near the end of the afternoon practice. Coach Zac Taylor later said it was a calf injury. Burrow was wearing a sleeve on it and came up limping. Burrow is still negotiating with the Bengals on a long-term contract that could make him one of the NFL's highest-paid players.

Captain Horan sets the tone for United States at the Women's World Cup

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As co-captain of the United States, Lindsey Horan is setting a feisty tone for the team at the Women's World Cup. She got into it with Dutch midfielder Danielle van de Donk and just minutes later scored the tying goal for a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. The draw keeps the United States atop their group with one game remaining. With 14 players making their World Cup debuts at the tournament, Horan's example on the field and her leadership off it is important. Just 26, Horan has been building toward these moments in her second World Cup.

Several stars at the Women's World Cup honed their skills with US collegiate teams

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Christine Sinclair. Megan Rapinoe. Sarina Bolden. Like many players in the Women's World Cup, all three stars built their skills at the U.S. collegiate level. Of the 736 players competing at this year's tournament, 137 have roots in American college-level soccer. The pool includes 16 who currently compete for Division I schools or lower divisions. Across the 32 teams that qualified for the group stage, more than one in every six players has had a career with a stop at an American school.

Cubs' Happ hits Cardinals catcher Contreras in head with follow-through, then gets hit by pitch

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ hit St. Louis catcher Willson Contreras in the head with a long follow-through on a swing, then was soon hit himself by a pitch from Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Mikolas and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol were ejected in the first-inning dustup. Contreras was cut badly and tumbled down. After a trainer applied a towel to his head, Contreras walked off the field. Andrew Knizner took over behind the plate, and Mikolas brushed back Happ with the first pitch when play resumed to run the count to 3-1. With the next pitch, Mikolas hit Happ in the rear.

Sean Payton pins blame for awful 2022 season by Broncos, Wilson on predecessor Nathaniel Hackett

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton unleashed criticisms on his predecessor Nathaniel Hackett and his new team, the New York Jets, in an interview. Until now, Payton had avoided not only criticizing the previous staff but even looking back at 2022 when the Broncos went 5-12 in Russell Wilson's first season in Denver. Payton went so far as to have a video made showing a truck without its rearview and side mirrors to send a message to his team about moving on from that dismal season. Jets coach Robert Saleh had some spicy comments in response.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688383699667.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, July 28th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, July 28th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for July 28th.Bronny James discharged from hospital as LeBron sends thanks and says family is 'safe and healthy'LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James has been discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is resting at home, three days after the 18-year-old son of LeBron James went into cardiac arrest. Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a consulting cardiologist for Bronny James, said in a statement issued by the hospital Thursday that James was "successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest" thanks to "the swift and effective response by the USC athletics' medical staff" after the incident Monday at the University of Southern California's Galen Center, where James was participating in basketball practice.Angels say they won't trade Shohei Ohtani. He celebrates with a 1-hitter, 2 homersDETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is staying with the Los Angeles Angels, at least for the rest of the season. The playoff-contending team said Thursday it has decided not to deal the two-way superstar, just days before MLB's trade deadline. It was welcome news in the Angels' clubhouse, and Ohtani celebrated with his latest extraordinary performance on the mound and at the plate. Ohtani threw a one-hit shutout for his first complete game in the majors in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Detroit. Then, in Game 2, he homered twice to increase his major league-leading total to 38 before exiting with cramps.Colorado leaving Pac-12 and returning to Big 12 in 2024 following unanimous vote by board of regentsBOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado board of regents has voted unanimously to leave the Pac-12 Conference and return to the Big 12. The Pac-12 has seemed vulnerable to more poaching. It will lose USC and UCLA to the Big Ten next year and has spent months trying to land a new media rights contract. Now Colorado is leaving at the same time. The Buffaloes say money wasn't the only lure back to the league where it was a founding member. Chancellor Philip DiStefano noted that Colorado will have more favorable start times across three time zones that will provide better exposure for the school.Can the Pac-12 survive? Conference of champions faces murky future after Colorado bolts for Big 12Colorado's departure for the Big 12 is not a death blow for the Pac-12. However, there is no way to spin this latest hit as anything but a loss for the so-called conference of champions. The question now becomes: Can the Pac-12 stop bleeding membership? And if not, does it trigger conferences beyond the Big 12 to target Pac-12 schools? Will CU's move trigger another wide-ranging round of realignment?Formed to combat Olympic sex abuse, SafeSport center is struggling 6 years after openingDENVER (AP) — Six years into its mission to remedy the sex-abuse crisis in Olympic sports, the U.S. Center for SafeSport is struggling. The Associated Press examined five cases that exposed flaws at the overwhelmed agency that has been criticized by athletes, Olympic leaders and investigators with Washington connections. The Denver-based center has around 1,000 open cases, with some 150 new complaints coming in every week. Less than 15% of the more than 12,500 cases the center investigated from 2017 through 2022 ended with a formal resolution. Many other cases were closed because of administrative issues. The backlog, delays in resolving cases and confusion surrounding the reporting led one athlete to conclude the center is woefully under-equipped for its mission.Bengals QB Joe Burrow carted off the practice field after calf injuryCINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was carted off the practice field after he came up hobbling from a scramble. The 26-year-old franchise quarterback hobbled on one leg and then went to the ground after the play near the end of the afternoon practice. Coach Zac Taylor later said it was a calf injury. Burrow was wearing a sleeve on it and came up limping. Burrow is still negotiating with the Bengals on a long-term contract that could make him one of the NFL's highest-paid players.Captain Horan sets the tone for United States at the Women's World CupWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As co-captain of the United States, Lindsey Horan is setting a feisty tone for the team at the Women's World Cup. She got into it with Dutch midfielder Danielle van de Donk and just minutes later scored the tying goal for a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. The draw keeps the United States atop their group with one game remaining. With 14 players making their World Cup debuts at the tournament, Horan's example on the field and her leadership off it is important. Just 26, Horan has been building toward these moments in her second World Cup.Several stars at the Women's World Cup honed their skills with US collegiate teamsWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Christine Sinclair. Megan Rapinoe. Sarina Bolden. Like many players in the Women's World Cup, all three stars built their skills at the U.S. collegiate level. Of the 736 players competing at this year's tournament, 137 have roots in American college-level soccer. The pool includes 16 who currently compete for Division I schools or lower divisions. Across the 32 teams that qualified for the group stage, more than one in every six players has had a career with a stop at an American school.Cubs' Happ hits Cardinals catcher Contreras in head with follow-through, then gets hit by pitchST. LOUIS (AP) — Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ hit St. Louis catcher Willson Contreras in the head with a long follow-through on a swing, then was soon hit himself by a pitch from Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Mikolas and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol were ejected in the first-inning dustup. Contreras was cut badly and tumbled down. After a trainer applied a towel to his head, Contreras walked off the field. Andrew Knizner took over behind the plate, and Mikolas brushed back Happ with the first pitch when play resumed to run the count to 3-1. With the next pitch, Mikolas hit Happ in the rear.Sean Payton pins blame for awful 2022 season by Broncos, Wilson on predecessor Nathaniel HackettENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton unleashed criticisms on his predecessor Nathaniel Hackett and his new team, the New York Jets, in an interview. Until now, Payton had avoided not only criticizing the previous staff but even looking back at 2022 when the Broncos went 5-12 in Russell Wilson's first season in Denver. Payton went so far as to have a video made showing a truck without its rearview and side mirrors to send a message to his team about moving on from that dismal season. Jets coach Robert Saleh had some spicy comments in response.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	L.A. Angels	6	Detroit	0	Final	L.A. Angels	11	Detroit	4	Final	Cleveland	6	Chicago White Sox	3	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Mets	2	Washington	1	Final	Chicago Cubs	10	St. Louis	3	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Los Angeles	81	Indiana	68	Final	New York	95	Atlanta	84	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Detroit	at	Miami	6:40 p.m.			Oakland	at	Colorado	8:40 p.m.			Seattle	at	Arizona	9:40 p.m.			Texas	at	San Diego	9:40 p.m.			Boston	at	San Francisco	10:15 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		N-Y Yankees	at	Baltimore	7:05 p.m.			L-A Angels	at	Toronto	7:07 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Chi White Sox	7:10 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Kansas City	8:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Houston	8:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Philadelphia	at	Pittsburgh	7:05 p.m.			Washington	at	N-Y Mets	7:10 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Atlanta	7:20 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	St. Louis	8:15 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	L-A Dodgers	10:10 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Minnesota	at	New York	8 p.m.			Seattle	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Dallas	8 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Friday

KINGMAN, Kan.&nbsp;— The Hutchinson Monarchs won their third consecutive game on Thursday night, defeating the Kingman Islanders 13-2 in seven innings. This marks the second straight night the Monarchs beat the Islanders via run-rule.

Hutchinson (19-16) scored two in the second, one in the third and then blew the game open with a seven-run fourth inning.&nbsp;

Drew Bugner, Will Edmunson, Max Buettenback, Jaden Gustafson and Blake Bradford all had multi-hit nights. Bugner and Gustafson both homered in the win and drove in a team-high two runs.

Brady Beverman went five innings and earned the win for the Monarchs on the mound, while Brady Bell tossed two scoreless innings of relief.&nbsp;

MonRay Van der Walt had the lone multi-hit game for Kingman (13-24).

The Monarchs will look to close out the series with a sweep, as they play in Kingman on Friday night at 7 p.m. Hutchinson will close out the regular season on Saturday night in Derby against the Twins.&nbsp;

Hutchinson - 021 730 0xx - 13 13 1 Kingman - 002 000 0xx - 2 7 5 W: Beverman (2-2). L: Askew (0-2). HR: Bugner (1st, in 5th inning), Gustafson (4th, in 5th inning). Time: 1:48.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590175262343.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KINGMAN, Kan.&nbsp;— The Hutchinson Monarchs won their third consecutive game on Thursday night, defeating the Kingman Islanders 13-2 in seven innings. This marks the second straight night the Monarchs beat the Islanders via run-rule.Hutchinson (19-16) scored two in the second, one in the third and then blew the game open with a seven-run fourth inning.&nbsp;Drew Bugner, Will Edmunson, Max Buettenback, Jaden Gustafson and Blake Bradford all had multi-hit nights. Bugner and Gustafson both homered in the win and drove in a team-high two runs.Brady Beverman went five innings and earned the win for the Monarchs on the mound, while Brady Bell tossed two scoreless innings of relief.&nbsp;MonRay Van der Walt had the lone multi-hit game for Kingman (13-24).The Monarchs will look to close out the series with a sweep, as they play in Kingman on Friday night at 7 p.m. Hutchinson will close out the regular season on Saturday night in Derby against the Twins.&nbsp;Hutchinson - 021 730 0xx - 13 13 1 Kingman - 002 000 0xx - 2 7 5 W: Beverman (2-2). L: Askew (0-2). HR: Bugner (1st, in 5th inning), Gustafson (4th, in 5th inning). Time: 1:48.

⚾ Bugner and Gustafson homer, Monarchs win third straight

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Colorado is leaving the Pac-12, and the Big 12 is ready to welcome the Buffaloes back to the conference they left a dozen years ago.

Colorado’s board of regents voted 9-0 in a special remote meeting Thursday to approve the conference switch.

While some of the regents expressed disappointment about leaving the Pac-12, they said the shifting sports landscape left CU no option but to rejoin the conference where they were a founding member in 1996.

The Buffs actually joined the Big Six conference in 1947 and remained with the expanded league for 63 years as it eventually grew into the Big 12. Colorado will join the Big 12 in 2024 and becomes the third school to leave the Pac-12 in the last year, joining UCLA and USC, which are joining the Big Ten next year.

Big 12 presidents and chancellors voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept Colorado as a new member, clearing the way for the school to leave the Pac-12 and rejoin its former league, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 was not making its expansion plans public. ESPN first reported the vote.

Colorado still needs to go through a formal process on its campus in Boulder and officially accept membership. The university’s board of regents held a special meeting Thursday afternoon with athletics operations on the agenda.

Pac-12 presidents and chancellors, athletic directors and Commissioner George Kliavkoff are scheduled to convene Thursday to discuss the next moves for the conference, two people with knowledge of the meeting told AP on condition of anonymity because the conference is not making its internal moves public.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has spoken for months about his desire to expand the conference and add schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. A second person familiar with the Big 12′s expansion aspirations, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told AP the school and league have been in contact for more than a month about a potential departure from the Pac-12; the person said it was unclear if CU had come to a decision.

A Colorado departure could lead to more defections from the Pac-12, which has seemed vulnerable to more poaching after losing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten and with negotiations for a new media rights contract dragging on. Current deals with ESPN and Fox expire after this school year.

The Los Angeles schools are in their last go-round as Pac-12 members this year and it could be Colorado’s, too. With contractual agreements running out, the Buffaloes would be positioned to rejoin the Big 12 in 2024; the league last year it came to an agreement with ESPN and Fox on a six-year extension worth more than $2 billion that runs through 2030-31.

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff had said at football media days last week that the 10 remaining conference members were committed to staying together. Text messages to Kliavkoff and Colorado athletic director Rick George were not returned.

Colorado was an original member of the Big 12 in 1996, and joined the Pac-12 in 2011. The Buffaloes’ football team has had only one winning record over a full season since joining the Pac-12, and went 1-11 last year, leading to the hiring of former NFL star Deion Sanders.

The Big 12 has 14 members this year, but Texas and Oklahoma are leaving for the Southeastern Conference next year. The second person familiar with the Big 12′s discussions said the conference would ideally like to expand to 16 schools with Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado all coming over from the Pac-12 to create a Western wing of the league.

Big 12 leadership has also discussed the possibility of trying to add UConn, which won the men’s NCAA basketball tournament earlier this year, and Gonzaga, a basketball powerhouse that does not have a football team, the person said. The Big 12 has been the strongest men’s basketball conference in the country over the last few seasons, and Yormark has said he believes the sport could be a source of untapped value in future media rights deals.

-------------------- AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690494997695.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Colorado is leaving the Pac-12, and the Big 12 is ready to welcome the Buffaloes back to the conference they left a dozen years ago.Colorado’s board of regents voted 9-0 in a special remote meeting Thursday to approve the conference switch.While some of the regents expressed disappointment about leaving the Pac-12, they said the shifting sports landscape left CU no option but to rejoin the conference where they were a founding member in 1996.The Buffs actually joined the Big Six conference in 1947 and remained with the expanded league for 63 years as it eventually grew into the Big 12. Colorado will join the Big 12 in 2024 and becomes the third school to leave the Pac-12 in the last year, joining UCLA and USC, which are joining the Big Ten next year.Big 12 presidents and chancellors voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept Colorado as a new member, clearing the way for the school to leave the Pac-12 and rejoin its former league, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 was not making its expansion plans public. ESPN first reported the vote.Colorado still needs to go through a formal process on its campus in Boulder and officially accept membership. The university’s board of regents held a special meeting Thursday afternoon with athletics operations on the agenda.Pac-12 presidents and chancellors, athletic directors and Commissioner George Kliavkoff are scheduled to convene Thursday to discuss the next moves for the conference, two people with knowledge of the meeting told AP on condition of anonymity because the conference is not making its internal moves public. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has spoken for months about his desire to expand the conference and add schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. A second person familiar with the Big 12′s expansion aspirations, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told AP the school and league have been in contact for more than a month about a potential departure from the Pac-12; the person said it was unclear if CU had come to a decision.A Colorado departure could lead to more defections from the Pac-12, which has seemed vulnerable to more poaching after losing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten and with negotiations for a new media rights contract dragging on. Current deals with ESPN and Fox expire after this school year.The Los Angeles schools are in their last go-round as Pac-12 members this year and it could be Colorado’s, too. With contractual agreements running out, the Buffaloes would be positioned to rejoin the Big 12 in 2024; the league last year it came to an agreement with ESPN and Fox on a six-year extension worth more than $2 billion that runs through 2030-31.Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff had said at football media days last week that the 10 remaining conference members were committed to staying together. Text messages to Kliavkoff and Colorado athletic director Rick George were not returned. Colorado was an original member of the Big 12 in 1996, and joined the Pac-12 in 2011. The Buffaloes’ football team has had only one winning record over a full season since joining the Pac-12, and went 1-11 last year, leading to the hiring of former NFL star Deion Sanders.The Big 12 has 14 members this year, but Texas and Oklahoma are leaving for the Southeastern Conference next year. The second person familiar with the Big 12′s discussions said the conference would ideally like to expand to 16 schools with Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado all coming over from the Pac-12 to create a Western wing of the league.Big 12 leadership has also discussed the possibility of trying to add UConn, which won the men’s NCAA basketball tournament earlier this year, and Gonzaga, a basketball powerhouse that does not have a football team, the person said. The Big 12 has been the strongest men’s basketball conference in the country over the last few seasons, and Yormark has said he believes the sport could be a source of untapped value in future media rights deals.-------------------- AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.

Colorado leaving Pac-12, returning to Big 12 in 2024

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) will conduct a virtual media day for the 2023 football&nbsp;season, the conference office announced Wednesday. The event&nbsp;will take place Wednesday, August 2, starting&nbsp;at 11 a.m. The 2023 KCAC Football Virtual Media Day is presented by&nbsp;<a href="https://imacorp.com/">IMA Financial Group</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dissingerreed.com/">Dissinger Reed</a>. The event will be broadcast on Facebook Live. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kcacsports">www.facebook.com/kcacsports</a>&nbsp;for more details leading up to the event and to watch it that day. Media members and fans alike will have the opportunity to ask questions through the Comments section on the live stream. The conference office will screen questions before submitting to coaches. Following the media day activities, media members&nbsp;will be asked to participate in preseason polls for the projected finish in each of the KCAC's two football divisions. Head coaches will also be polled. Both sets of preseason polls will be released to the public that evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690457366396.jpeg" alt="KCAC Media Day.jpg" />
 <figcaption>KCAC Media Day.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) will conduct a virtual media day for the 2023 football&nbsp;season, the conference office announced Wednesday. The event&nbsp;will take place Wednesday, August 2, starting&nbsp;at 11 a.m. The 2023 KCAC Football Virtual Media Day is presented by&nbsp;<a href="https://imacorp.com/">IMA Financial Group</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dissingerreed.com/">Dissinger Reed</a>. The event will be broadcast on Facebook Live. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kcacsports">www.facebook.com/kcacsports</a>&nbsp;for more details leading up to the event and to watch it that day. Media members and fans alike will have the opportunity to ask questions through the Comments section on the live stream. The conference office will screen questions before submitting to coaches. Following the media day activities, media members&nbsp;will be asked to participate in preseason polls for the projected finish in each of the KCAC's two football divisions. Head coaches will also be polled. Both sets of preseason polls will be released to the public that evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 2023 KCAC Football Virtual Media Day Set for August 2

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Volleyball announced its complete 2023 schedule on Thursday, which features 28 total matches, including 15 matches at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Kansas will play a competitive mix of teams, with 12 matches against NCAA Tournament qualifiers from a year ago. The Jayhawks have 10 non-conference matches to begin the season before playing 18 conference foes.

The Jayhawks start the season with three consecutive tournaments. First, Kansas will head to Omaha, Nebraska, to face Pepperdine and Omaha on Aug. 25-26. KU will then have its home opener and host its first tournament the following weekend when Purdue and Marquette come to Lawrence for the Kansas Invitational from Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The third tournament will be a trip to Wichita, Kansas, for the Shocker Volleyball Classic. Kansas will play on Sept. 7-8 against Wichita State and Colorado.

Kansas hosts its lone non-conference match that is not in a tournament on Sept. 12 against Oral Roberts. That will be followed by the Jayhawk Classic on Sept. 15-16, where Kansas will host three matches in two days against Bellarmine, New Hampshire and Texas State to end the non-conference portion of the schedule.

“There are a number of reasons why our 2024 schedule could be as competitive and entertaining as we have played in many years,” Head Coach Ray Bechard said. “We will have the opportunity to compete against nationally prominent programs early and often during our pre-conference schedule. We also welcome four new schools to the Big 12 who have all had consistent success on the national stage. The Big 12 Conference will showcase great matchups every night and will be one of the premier volleyball conferences in the country.”

As previously announced, Kansas will play each Big 12 opponent with a volleyball program at least once this season, beginning with a pair of matches on Sept. 22-23 at Texas Tech.

The first home conference matches will follow on Sept. 29-30 against new Big 12 member Houston.

Other home dates include Oct. 14 against Oklahoma, Oct. 26-27 against West Virginia, Nov. 3-4 for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State, Nov. 15 against Baylor and Nov. 25 against UCF for the final regular season match of the season.

“Having 15 matches at home in the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena will give our loyal fans plenty of opportunities to see some high-level action,” Bechard said.

The Jayhawks will make trips to Texas, TCU, Iowa State, BYU and Cincinnati to complete the conference schedule.

Kansas returns 13 players from the 2022 roster, a team which finished 19-11 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks have a pair of returning All-Big 12 Second Team selections in Camryn Turner and Ayah Elnady. Turner, a junior setter, was voted to the 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the league’s head coaches and received Midwest All-Region Honorable Mention accolades last season. Elnady, a junior outside hitter, was also named Midwest All-Region a season ago.

Bechard will be entering his 26th season at Kansas in 2023. In 2022, Bechard moved into second all-time in the Big 12 Conference in league wins, and currently has 209 entering the 2023 season.

Season tickets for the 2023 Kansas Volleyball season are on sale and start at just $115. Fans can purchase season tickets by contacting the Kansas ticket office at 785-864-3141, or by simply clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=VBS&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">here</a>. Information about single-game ticket options will be released at a later date.

All dates and times are subject to change. Broadcast and promotional schedules will be announced prior to the start of the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690455938369.jpeg" alt="KU VB 2023 Season" />
 <figcaption>KU VB 2023 Season</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Volleyball announced its complete 2023 schedule on Thursday, which features 28 total matches, including 15 matches at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Kansas will play a competitive mix of teams, with 12 matches against NCAA Tournament qualifiers from a year ago. The Jayhawks have 10 non-conference matches to begin the season before playing 18 conference foes.The Jayhawks start the season with three consecutive tournaments. First, Kansas will head to Omaha, Nebraska, to face Pepperdine and Omaha on Aug. 25-26. KU will then have its home opener and host its first tournament the following weekend when Purdue and Marquette come to Lawrence for the Kansas Invitational from Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The third tournament will be a trip to Wichita, Kansas, for the Shocker Volleyball Classic. Kansas will play on Sept. 7-8 against Wichita State and Colorado.Kansas hosts its lone non-conference match that is not in a tournament on Sept. 12 against Oral Roberts. That will be followed by the Jayhawk Classic on Sept. 15-16, where Kansas will host three matches in two days against Bellarmine, New Hampshire and Texas State to end the non-conference portion of the schedule.“There are a number of reasons why our 2024 schedule could be as competitive and entertaining as we have played in many years,” Head Coach Ray Bechard said. “We will have the opportunity to compete against nationally prominent programs early and often during our pre-conference schedule. We also welcome four new schools to the Big 12 who have all had consistent success on the national stage. The Big 12 Conference will showcase great matchups every night and will be one of the premier volleyball conferences in the country.”As previously announced, Kansas will play each Big 12 opponent with a volleyball program at least once this season, beginning with a pair of matches on Sept. 22-23 at Texas Tech.The first home conference matches will follow on Sept. 29-30 against new Big 12 member Houston.Other home dates include Oct. 14 against Oklahoma, Oct. 26-27 against West Virginia, Nov. 3-4 for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State, Nov. 15 against Baylor and Nov. 25 against UCF for the final regular season match of the season.“Having 15 matches at home in the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena will give our loyal fans plenty of opportunities to see some high-level action,” Bechard said.The Jayhawks will make trips to Texas, TCU, Iowa State, BYU and Cincinnati to complete the conference schedule.Kansas returns 13 players from the 2022 roster, a team which finished 19-11 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks have a pair of returning All-Big 12 Second Team selections in Camryn Turner and Ayah Elnady. Turner, a junior setter, was voted to the 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the league’s head coaches and received Midwest All-Region Honorable Mention accolades last season. Elnady, a junior outside hitter, was also named Midwest All-Region a season ago.Bechard will be entering his 26th season at Kansas in 2023. In 2022, Bechard moved into second all-time in the Big 12 Conference in league wins, and currently has 209 entering the 2023 season.Season tickets for the 2023 Kansas Volleyball season are on sale and start at just $115. Fans can purchase season tickets by contacting the Kansas ticket office at 785-864-3141, or by simply clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=VBS&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=">here</a>. Information about single-game ticket options will be released at a later date.All dates and times are subject to change. Broadcast and promotional schedules will be announced prior to the start of the season.

🏐 Kansas Volleyball Releases Complete 2023 Schedule

Matt Nagy is once again the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator after a head coaching stint with the Chicago Bears.

He came back to the Chiefs last year as quarterbacks coach and was elevated to offensive coordinator with the departure of Eric Bieniemy in the offseason.

As one might expect, Nagy is pretty encouraged by what he’s seen from this high-powered offense so far in training camp in St. Joseph.

"The players have been phenomenal," he said. "Just the mental side of it. Getting into the scheme stuff. Coach (Andy) Reid likes to keep things fresh. Then, you come here. It's an amazing setup here. The fans are great, the people are great. The players come in with a great mindset."

The Chiefs worked for about two hours in helmets and shorts on Wednesday at Missouri Western. It was certainly a warm workout, as temperatures were already in the mid 80s just after 9 a.m.

Linebacker Nick Bolton was absent Wednesday due to illness. Receiver John Ross had an excused absence, while linebacker Isiah Moore was held out due to a knee injury.

Receiver Kadarius Toney (knee surgery) and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (PUP list) are still out, while defensive tackle Chris Jones has yet to report.

Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson has been playing steadily with the first-team defense to start camp, and had strong reps again Wednesday.

Johnson was a seventh-round draft pick out of Marshall last year, and he's worked with the ones, while Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson have spent time with the second-team defense. Williams has rotated in with the first-team as well.

In Nick Bolton's absence, Drue Tranquill was the first-team middle linebacker Wednesday. Tranquill is a fifth-year pro who signed with the Chiefs this past March. He was with the Chargers from 2019-2022.

Much like last year, the Chiefs have an arsenal of young and talented wide receivers to pick from. Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman left in the offseason, but guys like Richie James, rookie Rashee Rice and Justyn Ross have taken over nicely.

Matt Nagy was asked specifically about James.

"Some of these wideouts, you know when they have a feel," Nagy said. "They know the timing with the quarterback. They understand the defense. They know when to speed up or slow down their route. They know how to play in zone. (James) has got that. You also have to have that confidence, and I'm excited to see what he does this preseason."

"He came in phenomenal shape here," Nagy said of Rice. "Every day, he has made incremental improvements. It's exciting for us, because the sky is the roof for his talent."

Tight end Noah Gray and receiver Cornell Powell caught practically everything thrown their way Wednesday. Nagy also had praise for tight end Matt Bushman, who had a solid OTAs.

James, joining the Chiefs this year after three years in San Francisco and one year with the Giants, is encouraged by the depth at his position.

"We have a lot of good players inside and out," James said. "We have a lot of moving pieces. People can move inside, outside. I think we're talented, to be honest. I think we're a really solid group."

The Chiefs have been in helmets, jerseys and shorts for the first four training camp practices. The teams gets a day off Thursday and they’ll be back on the field in full pads Friday.

Starting center Creed Humphrey says he looks forward to putting the pads on.

"It builds mental toughness," he said. "It's something you fight through on those days you don't want to go, but it makes you a better player for it. I think everyone is excited to get the pads on. It's a lot more fun playing football with pads for sure. So, I think everyone is really excited for Friday."

In Chris Jones' absence, guys like George Karlaftis, Derrick Nnadi, and newcomers Charles Omenihu and Daniel Wise have gotten reps with the first-team defense.

Karlaftis says that group is working hard

"When you have a guy like (Jones) who's not here right now, you have to fill that void as a collective, so that's kind of what we're doing."

Karlaftis, now a second-year pro, says he feels a lot better this year compared to last.

"I feel a whole lot better both physically and mentally being out here on year two," he said. "I'm super excited to hit the ground running with these guys."

Known as the 'Greek freak,' Karlaftis had seven total sacks last year as a rookie. Six-and-a-half of those sacks came after Week 10. He also logged seven pass deflections and two fumble recoveries.

The Chiefs are off Thursday and are back to work on Friday morning at 9:15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690396962626.jpeg" alt="Creed Humphrey (52), George Karlaftis (56) and Joe Thuney (62) come down the hill to start training camp Wednesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Creed Humphrey (52), George Karlaftis (56) and Joe Thuney (62) come down the hill to start training camp Wednesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostMatt Nagy is once again the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator after a head coaching stint with the Chicago Bears.He came back to the Chiefs last year as quarterbacks coach and was elevated to offensive coordinator with the departure of Eric Bieniemy in the offseason.As one might expect, Nagy is pretty encouraged by what he’s seen from this high-powered offense so far in training camp in St. Joseph."The players have been phenomenal," he said. "Just the mental side of it. Getting into the scheme stuff. Coach (Andy) Reid likes to keep things fresh. Then, you come here. It's an amazing setup here. The fans are great, the people are great. The players come in with a great mindset."The Chiefs worked for about two hours in helmets and shorts on Wednesday at Missouri Western. It was certainly a warm workout, as temperatures were already in the mid 80s just after 9 a.m.Linebacker Nick Bolton was absent Wednesday due to illness. Receiver John Ross had an excused absence, while linebacker Isiah Moore was held out due to a knee injury.Receiver Kadarius Toney (knee surgery) and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (PUP list) are still out, while defensive tackle Chris Jones has yet to report.Defensive standoutsCornerback Nazeeh Johnson has been playing steadily with the first-team defense to start camp, and had strong reps again Wednesday.Johnson was a seventh-round draft pick out of Marshall last year, and he's worked with the ones, while Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson have spent time with the second-team defense. Williams has rotated in with the first-team as well.In Nick Bolton's absence, Drue Tranquill was the first-team middle linebacker Wednesday. Tranquill is a fifth-year pro who signed with the Chiefs this past March. He was with the Chargers from 2019-2022.Receivers impressingMuch like last year, the Chiefs have an arsenal of young and talented wide receivers to pick from. Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman left in the offseason, but guys like Richie James, rookie Rashee Rice and Justyn Ross have taken over nicely.Matt Nagy was asked specifically about James."Some of these wideouts, you know when they have a feel," Nagy said. "They know the timing with the quarterback. They understand the defense. They know when to speed up or slow down their route. They know how to play in zone. (James) has got that. You also have to have that confidence, and I'm excited to see what he does this preseason."He also had high praise for Rice."He came in phenomenal shape here," Nagy said of Rice. "Every day, he has made incremental improvements. It's exciting for us, because the sky is the roof for his talent."Tight end Noah Gray and receiver Cornell Powell caught practically everything thrown their way Wednesday. Nagy also had praise for tight end Matt Bushman, who had a solid OTAs.James, joining the Chiefs this year after three years in San Francisco and one year with the Giants, is encouraged by the depth at his position."We have a lot of good players inside and out," James said. "We have a lot of moving pieces. People can move inside, outside. I think we're talented, to be honest. I think we're a really solid group."Full pads comingThe Chiefs have been in helmets, jerseys and shorts for the first four training camp practices. The teams gets a day off Thursday and they’ll be back on the field in full pads Friday.Starting center Creed Humphrey says he looks forward to putting the pads on."It builds mental toughness," he said. "It's something you fight through on those days you don't want to go, but it makes you a better player for it. I think everyone is excited to get the pads on. It's a lot more fun playing football with pads for sure. So, I think everyone is really excited for Friday."Defensive linemen putting in workIn Chris Jones' absence, guys like George Karlaftis, Derrick Nnadi, and newcomers Charles Omenihu and Daniel Wise have gotten reps with the first-team defense.Karlaftis says that group is working hard"When you have a guy like (Jones) who's not here right now, you have to fill that void as a collective, so that's kind of what we're doing."Karlaftis, now a second-year pro, says he feels a lot better this year compared to last."I feel a whole lot better both physically and mentally being out here on year two," he said. "I'm super excited to hit the ground running with these guys."Known as the 'Greek freak,' Karlaftis had seven total sacks last year as a rookie. Six-and-a-half of those sacks came after Week 10. He also logged seven pass deflections and two fumble recoveries.The Chiefs are off Thursday and are back to work on Friday morning at 9:15.Video recapMoments caught on tape<figure>
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🏈 Chiefs complete long, hot training camp practice Wednesday before day off Thursday

WICHITA, Kan. - Brooks Lee, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Yunior Severino and Jake Rucker all had home runs that flew over 400 feet but the sheer amount of runs that Frisco scored could not be overcome. The Rough Riders defeated the Wind Surge 19-10 and now lead the series two games to none.

A two-run home run hit by Thomas Saggese gave the RoughRiders an early lead in the top of the first.

Wichita answered right back in the bottom of the first. They scored three runs and took the lead off of an RBI single by Keirsey Jr., a sacrifice fly that drove in a run by Patrick Winkel and a 424-foot home run rocketed over the left field wall by Rucker.

A grand slam hit by Evan Carter in the top of the second gave the lead back to the RoughRiders who now led by three.

Keirsey Jr. hit his 13th home run of the season in the bottom of the third. The ball soared 421 feet and left the ball park over the center field wall.

Frisco extended their lead in the top of the fourth. Saggese hit a two RBI single, Trevor Hauler hit an RBI double, Josh Hatcher hit an RBI single and an unearned run was scored off a fielding error committed by the Wind Surge.

The RoughRiders were gifted another run in the top of the fifth off a wild pitch by Wind Surge pitching.

In the bottom of the fifth Yunior Severino hit one of the longest home runs hit at Riverfront Stadium. He hit a ball 485 feet for a two-run home run that sailed over the right field wall. Seth Gray then hit an RBI single to cut the Frisco lead down to five.

In the bottom of the eighth Frisco pitching walked Aaron Sabato with the bases loaded to force a run to score for the Surge.

Frisco added more runs in the top of the ninth. Luisangel Acuna hit a two-run home run over the right center field wall. Saggese hit another RBI single. Hauver hit a two-run home run. Hatcher and Kapers hit solo home runs as well.

Brooks Lee hit a line drive over the center field wall for a two-run home run but the deficit was too large to come back from.

David Festa made his 16th start for the Wichita Wind Surge he pitched two and two thirds of an inning and gave up six runs, four earned off of six hits. He struck out four batters and walked two more. He was credited with the loss.

The starting pitcher for Frisco was Ryan Garcia. He pitched four and one thirds innings where he gave up five runs off five hits. He struck out one batter and walked one more. Matt Bush earned the win.

The Wichita Wind Surge fall to (9-14, 37-54) and the Frisco RoughRiders improve to (13-10, 44-47).

NOTES: The 19 hits and 19 runs allowed were both new records set for the Wind Surge. Yunior Severino hit his 20th home run of the season and is second in the Texas League in total home runs. The Surge used two position players to pitch in the ninth. Holland retired a batter and got the first ever Wind Surge pitcher hit. Keirsey had his first five hit game.

UPCOMING: The Wichita Wind Surge continue their home series against the Frisco Rough Riders and play game three at 7:05 PM on Thursday July 27th. RH Pierson Ohl will be the starting pitcher for the Wind Surge and RH Nick Krauth will be the starting pitcher for the Rough Riders.

<div><iframe src="https://streamable.com/milb/keirsey-jr-s-five-hit-outing" width="560" height="315"></iframe></div>WICHITA, Kan. - Brooks Lee, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Yunior Severino and Jake Rucker all had home runs that flew over 400 feet but the sheer amount of runs that Frisco scored could not be overcome. The Rough Riders defeated the Wind Surge 19-10 and now lead the series two games to none.A two-run home run hit by Thomas Saggese gave the RoughRiders an early lead in the top of the first.Wichita answered right back in the bottom of the first. They scored three runs and took the lead off of an RBI single by Keirsey Jr., a sacrifice fly that drove in a run by Patrick Winkel and a 424-foot home run rocketed over the left field wall by Rucker.A grand slam hit by Evan Carter in the top of the second gave the lead back to the RoughRiders who now led by three.Keirsey Jr. hit his 13th home run of the season in the bottom of the third. The ball soared 421 feet and left the ball park over the center field wall.Frisco extended their lead in the top of the fourth. Saggese hit a two RBI single, Trevor Hauler hit an RBI double, Josh Hatcher hit an RBI single and an unearned run was scored off a fielding error committed by the Wind Surge.The RoughRiders were gifted another run in the top of the fifth off a wild pitch by Wind Surge pitching.In the bottom of the fifth Yunior Severino hit one of the longest home runs hit at Riverfront Stadium. He hit a ball 485 feet for a two-run home run that sailed over the right field wall. Seth Gray then hit an RBI single to cut the Frisco lead down to five.In the bottom of the eighth Frisco pitching walked Aaron Sabato with the bases loaded to force a run to score for the Surge.Frisco added more runs in the top of the ninth. Luisangel Acuna hit a two-run home run over the right center field wall. Saggese hit another RBI single. Hauver hit a two-run home run. Hatcher and Kapers hit solo home runs as well.Brooks Lee hit a line drive over the center field wall for a two-run home run but the deficit was too large to come back from.David Festa made his 16th start for the Wichita Wind Surge he pitched two and two thirds of an inning and gave up six runs, four earned off of six hits. He struck out four batters and walked two more. He was credited with the loss.The starting pitcher for Frisco was Ryan Garcia. He pitched four and one thirds innings where he gave up five runs off five hits. He struck out one batter and walked one more. Matt Bush earned the win.The Wichita Wind Surge fall to (9-14, 37-54) and the Frisco RoughRiders improve to (13-10, 44-47).NOTES: The 19 hits and 19 runs allowed were both new records set for the Wind Surge. Yunior Severino hit his 20th home run of the season and is second in the Texas League in total home runs. The Surge used two position players to pitch in the ninth. Holland retired a batter and got the first ever Wind Surge pitcher hit. Keirsey had his first five hit game.BROADCAST: ESPN 92.3 FM, Milb First Pitch App,&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fWindsurge.com&amp;c=E,1,dexWbEMmO2SNZFacaCKfVJIV48UFXNwoAwE4zyM2KXaD_HSgx84zoOHAglON-gUjtBR3aBrV7b7fNPJsxVGXCgYR5cYPta1xJgIbXkHri2NTnYdJ6WV7jsuz044,&amp;typo=1&amp;ancr_add=1">Windsurge.com</a>, MiLB.tv and Bally Live app.UPCOMING: The Wichita Wind Surge continue their home series against the Frisco Rough Riders and play game three at 7:05 PM on Thursday July 27th. RH Pierson Ohl will be the starting pitcher for the Wind Surge and RH Nick Krauth will be the starting pitcher for the Rough Riders.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge High-scoring game ends with Frisco on top

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fourth, leading the Cleveland Guardians past the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Wednesday.

Ramírez has 22 multi-homer games in his career, including two this season. He homered into the right field seats in the first and cleared the wall in center in the fourth for his 16th of the season.

Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a check-swing infield hit in the sixth and a walk in the second followed by a stolen base, and he scored three runs. He was finally retired on a groundout in the eighth.

David Fry hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Steven Kwan had two RBIs. Cleveland moved to 51-51 and trails Minnesota by two games in the AL Central.

Cleveland starter Gavin Williams pitched four scoreless innings but was pulled after throwing 85 pitches. It was his first start since developing a blister on his middle finger Friday against Philadelphia. The rookie right-hander threw 31 pitches and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first.

Nick Sandlin (5-3) allowed a run in the fifth.

Kansas City starter Alec Marsh (0-5) allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings. The rookie right-hander has lost each of his five major league starts. Marsh has allowed nine home runs in 23 innings.

MJ Melendez hit a solo homer in the ninth for Kansas City. Maikel Garcia had an RBI single in the fifth and Dairon Blanco drove in a run with an eighth-inning single. Kansas City loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but failed to score.

Cleveland has won three straight series for the first time since ending the 2022 season with five straight series wins.

Ramírez’s first-inning homer followed a walk to Andrés Giménez. Kwan had an RBI single in the second and drew a bases-loaded walk in the third.

Williams dodged trouble in the first. Center fielder Myles Straw made a leaping catch at the wall on a drive hit by Bobby Witt Jr. for the second out. Two singles and a walk followed. The inning ended when Freddy Fermin popped out to Giménez at second base.

Williams struck out five and allowed three hits. The Guardians are closely monitoring the workloads of Williams and rookies Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen. Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill are on Cleveland’s injured list.

The Guardians signed veteran left-hander Amir Garrett to a minor league contract. Garrett, 31, was released by Kansas City earlier this month after going 0-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 27 games. He pitched 24 1/3 innings, striking out 28 and walking 20.

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (shoulder impingement) is nearing the conclusion of a 30-day minor league rehab assignment that began June 28. He hasn’t pitched for Kansas City since May 15.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (6-8, 5.55 ERA) is the scheduled starter Friday night at home against Minnesota.

Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (6-2, 3.04 ERA) will start Thursday night in the opener of a four-game road series against the Chicago White Sox.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690403853334.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia (11) throws his bat after lining out to first base in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia (11) throws his bat after lining out to first base in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fourth, leading the Cleveland Guardians past the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Wednesday.Ramírez has 22 multi-homer games in his career, including two this season. He homered into the right field seats in the first and cleared the wall in center in the fourth for his 16th of the season.Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a check-swing infield hit in the sixth and a walk in the second followed by a stolen base, and he scored three runs. He was finally retired on a groundout in the eighth.David Fry hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Steven Kwan had two RBIs. Cleveland moved to 51-51 and trails Minnesota by two games in the AL Central.Cleveland starter Gavin Williams pitched four scoreless innings but was pulled after throwing 85 pitches. It was his first start since developing a blister on his middle finger Friday against Philadelphia. The rookie right-hander threw 31 pitches and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first.Nick Sandlin (5-3) allowed a run in the fifth.Kansas City starter Alec Marsh (0-5) allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings. The rookie right-hander has lost each of his five major league starts. Marsh has allowed nine home runs in 23 innings.MJ Melendez hit a solo homer in the ninth for Kansas City. Maikel Garcia had an RBI single in the fifth and Dairon Blanco drove in a run with an eighth-inning single. Kansas City loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but failed to score.Cleveland has won three straight series for the first time since ending the 2022 season with five straight series wins.Ramírez’s first-inning homer followed a walk to Andrés Giménez. Kwan had an RBI single in the second and drew a bases-loaded walk in the third.Williams dodged trouble in the first. Center fielder Myles Straw made a leaping catch at the wall on a drive hit by Bobby Witt Jr. for the second out. Two singles and a walk followed. The inning ended when Freddy Fermin popped out to Giménez at second base.Williams struck out five and allowed three hits. The Guardians are closely monitoring the workloads of Williams and rookies Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen. Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill are on Cleveland’s injured list.NEW PITCHERThe Guardians signed veteran left-hander Amir Garrett to a minor league contract. Garrett, 31, was released by Kansas City earlier this month after going 0-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 27 games. He pitched 24 1/3 innings, striking out 28 and walking 20.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Brad Keller (shoulder impingement) is nearing the conclusion of a 30-day minor league rehab assignment that began June 28. He hasn’t pitched for Kansas City since May 15.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Brady Singer (6-8, 5.55 ERA) is the scheduled starter Friday night at home against Minnesota.Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (6-2, 3.04 ERA) will start Thursday night in the opener of a four-game road series against the Chicago White Sox.

⚾ José Ramírez homers twice, drives in three to lead Guardians past Royals 

UNDATED (AP) — The Colorado board of regents has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday. Athletics operations is on the agenda, raising speculation the school may leave the Pac-12 Conference and return to the Big 12. A source told The Associated Press that Big 12 school leaders have already voted to accept Colorado if the Buffs formally apply. The Pac-12 has seemed vulnerable to more poaching. It will lose USC and UCLA to the Big Ten next year and has spent months trying to land a new media rights contract.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lindsey Horan scored a revenge goal after being knocked around in the second half and the United States squeezed out a a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at the Women’s World Cup. The Dutch struck early with Jill Roord’s first-half goal to surprise the Americans. With the draw, neither team secured a spot in the knockout round yet with one group game remaining. The Americans and the Dutch sit atop the Group E standings with a win and a draw, but the U.S. has the edge with more goals.

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fourth, leading the Cleveland Guardians past the Kansas City Royals 8-3. Ramírez has 22 multi-homer games in his career, including two this season. He homered into the right field seats in the first and cleared the wall in center in the fourth for his 16th of the season. Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a check-swing infield hit in the sixth and a walk in the second followed by a stolen base, and he scored three runs. He was finally retired on a groundout in the eighth.

PHOENIX (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit two of St. Louis’ five home runs in the Cardinals’ 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Gorman connected leading off the second against All-Star starter Zac Gallen, then hit a two-run blast to dead center in the eighth off Scott McGough. Gorman has two multi-homer games this season and 22 homers on the season. Lars Nootbaar, Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Knizner also homered to give the Cardinals the series victory over the slumping Diamondbacks. Andre Pallante (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief of Jack Flaherty. Gallen (11-5) lost for the first time at home in 11 starts this season. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, seven hits and two walks. He struck out eight.

WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams’ RBI single capped a four-run ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday for a second straight day. A day after using a four-run eighth to come back from a 5-2 deficit to beat the Rockies 6-5, Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario opened the ninth with walks against Daniel Bard (4-2) in the finale of the three-game series. Joey Meneses, whose three-run homer was the difference in Tuesday night’s win, singled to load the bases. Keibert Ruiz was out on an infield fly, but Bard hit Dominic Smith with a pitch to walk in a run and make it 4-2. Stone Garrett was out on a slow roller before Candelario scored Washington’s third run. Luis Garcia was intentionally walked and Ildemaro Vargas drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game. Matt Koch came on to face Abrams, who grounded a single between first and second to score pinch runner Michael Chavis for the winning run.

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge is back in New York and could return to the Yankees’ lineup Friday night at Baltimore. Sidelined since early June with a toe injury, Judge played another simulated game Wednesday at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida. He returned to the Big Apple after that, manager Aaron Boone said. Speaking at Yankee Stadium after his team’s 3-1 victory over the Mets on Wednesday night, Boone said he didn’t know yet if Judge would come off the injured list Friday. Earlier in the day, the New York Post reported Judge is expected to be activated Friday barring a late setback. Boone has maintained the last-place Yankees are taking Judge’s status day by day and he wouldn’t rule out anything, including a return this weekend.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Judging by the vibe at Wednesday’s “ramp-up” workout, the Denver Broncos are in for a much tougher training camp under new head coach Sean Payton than the infamous “Camp Cupcake” they took part in under Nathaniel Hackett a year ago. Players appear to have steeled themselves for a much more rigorous training camp and preseason slate than they had under Hackett, who was canned after just 11 months and four wins. Payton instilled a culture in which the Broncos went about their business this offseason in relative isolation, keeping the coaching staff he assembled and big free agents he signed off the podium at a time when the Denver Nuggets were winning their first NBA championship and the Colorado Avalanche were coming off a title of their own.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a pay cut and agreed to a new two-year, $75 million guaranteed contract with the New York Jets. The four-time NFL MVP had nearly $110 million in guaranteed money remaining on his previous deal signed with Green Bay. But Rodgers is taking less money with New York and reiterating his stay with the Jets is likely to last beyond just this season. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the contract. NFL Network first reported the sides had agreed to a new deal.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bryce Kirtz, Rod Heard II and Bryce Gallagher were supposed to represent Northwestern at this year's Big Ten media days. Instead, they were no-shows. Just 16 days after longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid a hazing scandal that has tarnished the Wildcats' once-pristine reputation, interim coach David Braun answered questions by himself about the expanding scandal. Braun couldn't say much more than players because of pending litigation, which was the why the players announced Tuesday they would not make the trip to Indianapolis.

UNDATED (AP) — The PGA Tour won't be supporting the proposal to roll back the golf ball. That's from Commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo sent to players Wednesday evening. Monahan says there is widespread belief this isn't good for the game. The USGA and R&amp;A have proposed a modified local rule that would reduce distance by 15 yards for the biggest hitters. The rule would only apply to elite players. It also would allow for two sets of rules. Monahan says he has notified the groups the tour won't go along with this proposal. The feedback period ends Aug. 15.

Final Chicago Cubs 10 Chicago White Sox 7

L-A Angels at Detroit 4:40 p.m. (Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688383699667.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Thursday Morning, July 27th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Thursday Morning, July 27th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>UNDATED (AP) — The Colorado board of regents has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday. Athletics operations is on the agenda, raising speculation the school may leave the Pac-12 Conference and return to the Big 12. A source told The Associated Press that Big 12 school leaders have already voted to accept Colorado if the Buffs formally apply. The Pac-12 has seemed vulnerable to more poaching. It will lose USC and UCLA to the Big Ten next year and has spent months trying to land a new media rights contract.WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lindsey Horan scored a revenge goal after being knocked around in the second half and the United States squeezed out a a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at the Women’s World Cup. The Dutch struck early with Jill Roord’s first-half goal to surprise the Americans. With the draw, neither team secured a spot in the knockout round yet with one group game remaining. The Americans and the Dutch sit atop the Group E standings with a win and a draw, but the U.S. has the edge with more goals.CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fourth, leading the Cleveland Guardians past the Kansas City Royals 8-3. Ramírez has 22 multi-homer games in his career, including two this season. He homered into the right field seats in the first and cleared the wall in center in the fourth for his 16th of the season. Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a check-swing infield hit in the sixth and a walk in the second followed by a stolen base, and he scored three runs. He was finally retired on a groundout in the eighth.PHOENIX (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit two of St. Louis’ five home runs in the Cardinals’ 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Gorman connected leading off the second against All-Star starter Zac Gallen, then hit a two-run blast to dead center in the eighth off Scott McGough. Gorman has two multi-homer games this season and 22 homers on the season. Lars Nootbaar, Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Knizner also homered to give the Cardinals the series victory over the slumping Diamondbacks. Andre Pallante (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief of Jack Flaherty. Gallen (11-5) lost for the first time at home in 11 starts this season. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, seven hits and two walks. He struck out eight.WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams’ RBI single capped a four-run ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday for a second straight day. A day after using a four-run eighth to come back from a 5-2 deficit to beat the Rockies 6-5, Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario opened the ninth with walks against Daniel Bard (4-2) in the finale of the three-game series. Joey Meneses, whose three-run homer was the difference in Tuesday night’s win, singled to load the bases. Keibert Ruiz was out on an infield fly, but Bard hit Dominic Smith with a pitch to walk in a run and make it 4-2. Stone Garrett was out on a slow roller before Candelario scored Washington’s third run. Luis Garcia was intentionally walked and Ildemaro Vargas drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game. Matt Koch came on to face Abrams, who grounded a single between first and second to score pinch runner Michael Chavis for the winning run.NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge is back in New York and could return to the Yankees’ lineup Friday night at Baltimore. Sidelined since early June with a toe injury, Judge played another simulated game Wednesday at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida. He returned to the Big Apple after that, manager Aaron Boone said. Speaking at Yankee Stadium after his team’s 3-1 victory over the Mets on Wednesday night, Boone said he didn’t know yet if Judge would come off the injured list Friday. Earlier in the day, the New York Post reported Judge is expected to be activated Friday barring a late setback. Boone has maintained the last-place Yankees are taking Judge’s status day by day and he wouldn’t rule out anything, including a return this weekend.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Judging by the vibe at Wednesday’s “ramp-up” workout, the Denver Broncos are in for a much tougher training camp under new head coach Sean Payton than the infamous “Camp Cupcake” they took part in under Nathaniel Hackett a year ago. Players appear to have steeled themselves for a much more rigorous training camp and preseason slate than they had under Hackett, who was canned after just 11 months and four wins. Payton instilled a culture in which the Broncos went about their business this offseason in relative isolation, keeping the coaching staff he assembled and big free agents he signed off the podium at a time when the Denver Nuggets were winning their first NBA championship and the Colorado Avalanche were coming off a title of their own.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a pay cut and agreed to a new two-year, $75 million guaranteed contract with the New York Jets. The four-time NFL MVP had nearly $110 million in guaranteed money remaining on his previous deal signed with Green Bay. But Rodgers is taking less money with New York and reiterating his stay with the Jets is likely to last beyond just this season. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the contract. NFL Network first reported the sides had agreed to a new deal.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bryce Kirtz, Rod Heard II and Bryce Gallagher were supposed to represent Northwestern at this year's Big Ten media days. Instead, they were no-shows. Just 16 days after longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid a hazing scandal that has tarnished the Wildcats' once-pristine reputation, interim coach David Braun answered questions by himself about the expanding scandal. Braun couldn't say much more than players because of pending litigation, which was the why the players announced Tuesday they would not make the trip to Indianapolis.UNDATED (AP) — The PGA Tour won't be supporting the proposal to roll back the golf ball. That's from Commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo sent to players Wednesday evening. Monahan says there is widespread belief this isn't good for the game. The USGA and R&amp;A have proposed a modified local rule that would reduce distance by 15 yards for the biggest hitters. The rule would only apply to elite players. It also would allow for two sets of rules. Monahan says he has notified the groups the tour won't go along with this proposal. The feedback period ends Aug. 15.WEDNESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Miami 7 Tampa Bay 1Final Toronto 8 L.A. Dodgers 1Final Philadelphia 6 Baltimore 4Final N.Y. Yankees 3 N.Y. Mets 1Final Boston 5 Atlanta 3Final Chicago Cubs 10 Chicago White Sox 7Final San Francisco 8 Oakland 3AMERICAN LEAGUEL-A Angels at Detroit 4:40 p.m. (Postponed)Final Seattle 8 Minnesota 7Final Cleveland 8 Kansas City 3Final Texas 13 Houston 5NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Washington 5 Colorado 4Final Milwaukee 3 Cincinnati 0Final Pittsburgh 3 San Diego 2Final St. Louis 11 Arizona 7

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Thursday

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lindsey Horan scored a revenge goal after being knocked around in the second half and the United States squeezed out a a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at the Women's World Cup. The Dutch struck early with Jill Roord's first-half goal to surprise the Americans. With the draw, neither team secured a spot in the knockout round yet with one group match remaining. Both the Americans and the Dutch sit atop the Group E standings with a win and a draw, but the U.S. has the edge for the lead with more goals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668805896201.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lindsey Horan scored a revenge goal after being knocked around in the second half and the United States squeezed out a a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at the Women's World Cup. The Dutch struck early with Jill Roord's first-half goal to surprise the Americans. With the draw, neither team secured a spot in the knockout round yet with one group match remaining. Both the Americans and the Dutch sit atop the Group E standings with a win and a draw, but the U.S. has the edge for the lead with more goals.WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lindsey Horan, angry over being knocked down minutes earlier by Danielle Van de Donk, scored a revenge goal minutes later in the second half Thursday to help the United States squeeze out a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at the Women's World Cup.The Dutch struck first with a goal from Jill Roord in the first-half to surprise the Americans, who remained unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches with Horan's second-half score.Horan's goal on a header off a corner kick from Rose Lavelle in the 62nd minute followed several minutes of jawing between the two teams: Horan was angry after she was knocked off her feet and even cursed in the direction of Van de Donk — her teammate for club team Lyon."Honestly, me and Dan always go up against each other and it's a physical battle. I respect her so much because that's how it should be, it should be competitive at all times," Horan said. "Once we got through that tackle, all I wanted to do was score."The Americans tried to calm Horan, who responded with her 29th international goal, fourth in the World Cup, and second consecutive in this tournament.Horan got the ball from Lavelle and before it even crossed the goal line, Horan's expression showed she knew she was on target."Heat of the moment I got a little (angry) at her," Horan said of Van de Donk. "But, Rose put in an absolute dime and I got on the end of it. I'm happy for the goal."With the draw, neither team secured a spot in the knockout round yet, with one group match remaining. Both the Americans and the Dutch sit atop the Group E standings with a win and a draw, but the U.S. has the edge for the lead with more goals.The United States plays Portugal in its group finale on Tuesday in Auckland, while the Netherlands plays Vietnam the same day in Dunedin.The game was a rematch of the 2019 Women's World Cup final, a 2-0 win for the Americans in a game played in Lyon, France. It was the Americans' second straight trophy in the tournament, and fourth overall.Roord's strike from atop the box went though Horan's legs to put the Dutch ahead in the 17th minute.Dominique Janssen had a good chance from distance in the 29th minute, but U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher jumped for it and the ball skirted above the crossbar and into the netting.Horan's header off a cross in the 36th minute went wide left as the pace became more frenzied with halftime looming.Lavelle, who was hampered by a knee injury in the run-up to the World Cup, was subbed in for the United States at the half. Lavelle, who scored one of the goals in the World Cup final four years ago, replaced Savannah DeMelo.The Netherlands went into halftime with that single goal lead. It was just the sixth time the United States had trailed at the half in 52 World Cup matches, and first time since trailing Sweden at the break in the opening round in 2011."I think the first half, we feel a little bit disappointed in how we played but I think we fixed things right away, the pressure that we got on, and the amount of chances and opportunities that came from it," Horan said. "Proud of the team and the response."The sky was sunny but temperatures were in the 50s in New Zealand's capital city of Wellington, and there was a stiff breeze for the match. The crowd was announced at 27,312."Very happy with mentality, very happy with the belief, especially from the young ones to mimic the older, experienced ones. Looking forward to the next one," U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said.The Americans, vying for a record third consecutive World Cup title , defeated Vietnam 3-0 in their tournament opener. Sophia Smith scored a pair of goals and Horan added the other.Andonovski used the same lineup for the Dutch that he used against Vietnam. He's turned to Julie Ertz, normally a midfielder, to play at center back in the absence of veteran Becky Sauerbrunn, who injured her foot and was not able to play in the World Cup.Megan Rapinoe, the American star who came in as a substitute in the opening game against Vietnam for her 200th appearance with the team, was not used in Thursday's match. Rapinoe has announced that this is her final World Cup and she will retire at the end of the season.The Dutch were without forward Lineth Beerensteyn, who was hurt early in her team's 1-0 victory over Portugal to open the tournament. Katja Snoeijs replaced her in the starting lineup against the United States.The Dutch were also missing leading scorer Vivianne Miedema, who ruptured her ACL while playing for Arsenal in December. She has 95 career goals for the Dutch.The United States was undefeated in all but one of its meetings with the Dutch — the first game in 1991.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the team at their hotel on the eve of the match and was at the game. Blinken was in Wellington for a formal bilateral meeting with New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta, and he will also meet with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.The top finisher in the group opens the knockout round in Sydney against the second-place finisher in Group G, which includes Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina.The second-place finisher heads to Melbourne against the top Group G team.