Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;Wichita State head softball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>&nbsp;completed her coaching staff for the 2024 season with the addition of Easton Herring. Herring will serve as the defensive coach for the Shockers after a year at Austin&nbsp;Peay&nbsp;as the defensive coach/assistant coach. "We are thrilled to welcome Easton, Tara and their newborn son Kannon to the Shocker Softball family," Bredbenner said. "Easton's energy and passion for coaching has been evident since he made the transition from baseball to softball. I look forward to seeing what he can do on the recruiting trail and the impact he will make within our program." Prior to Austin&nbsp;Peay, Herring served as a volunteer assistant and catching/outfield coordinator and first base coach for nationally ranked Virginia Tech. He also was tasked with developing scouting reports for the Top-10 ranked&nbsp;Hokies, who finished with a 46-10 record, including 14 wins over Top-25 ranked opponents, and hosted both an NCAA Regional and Super Regional. During his one season at Virginia Tech, the&nbsp;Hokies&nbsp;had a conference-high 11 members on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams. Before his time at Virginia Tech, Herring spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Wichita State baseball program serving as the catching/outfield coordinator. As a volunteer assistant in 2021, Herring helped guide the Shockers to a 31-23 overall record and 18-13 mark in the American Athletic Conference, with the conference win total being a program-high since joining the AAC before the 2018 season. In addition, the Shockers had five players named All-Conference First Team, including Freshman All-American and Newcomer Pitcher of the Year, Jace&nbsp;Kaminska, reliever Aaron Haase, infielders Paxton Wallace and Garrett&nbsp;Kocis, and outfielder Corrigan Bartlett. A native of Pratt, Kan., Herring also served as a graduate manager for WSU from 2018-2020 before being elevated to volunteer assistant coach. Prior to arriving at Wichita State in 2018, he attended and played two seasons of baseball at Newman University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Newman in December 2018 and received his master's degree in sport management from Wichita State in May 2020. Herring also served as the head coach for the Hutchinson Monarchs in the summer of 2020 in the Sunflower Collegiate League and helped lead the team to a third-place finish in the NBC World Series (highest in team history) and their first SCL league championship with a 32-8 overall record. Herring is a 2013 graduate of Pratt High School, and attended both Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb. and Seward County Community College. He and his wife, Tara, reside in Wichita with their son, Kannon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689952909022.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;Wichita State head softball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>&nbsp;completed her coaching staff for the 2024 season with the addition of Easton Herring. Herring will serve as the defensive coach for the Shockers after a year at Austin&nbsp;Peay&nbsp;as the defensive coach/assistant coach. "We are thrilled to welcome Easton, Tara and their newborn son Kannon to the Shocker Softball family," Bredbenner said. "Easton's energy and passion for coaching has been evident since he made the transition from baseball to softball. I look forward to seeing what he can do on the recruiting trail and the impact he will make within our program." Prior to Austin&nbsp;Peay, Herring served as a volunteer assistant and catching/outfield coordinator and first base coach for nationally ranked Virginia Tech. He also was tasked with developing scouting reports for the Top-10 ranked&nbsp;Hokies, who finished with a 46-10 record, including 14 wins over Top-25 ranked opponents, and hosted both an NCAA Regional and Super Regional. During his one season at Virginia Tech, the&nbsp;Hokies&nbsp;had a conference-high 11 members on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams. Before his time at Virginia Tech, Herring spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Wichita State baseball program serving as the catching/outfield coordinator. As a volunteer assistant in 2021, Herring helped guide the Shockers to a 31-23 overall record and 18-13 mark in the American Athletic Conference, with the conference win total being a program-high since joining the AAC before the 2018 season. In addition, the Shockers had five players named All-Conference First Team, including Freshman All-American and Newcomer Pitcher of the Year, Jace&nbsp;Kaminska, reliever Aaron Haase, infielders Paxton Wallace and Garrett&nbsp;Kocis, and outfielder Corrigan Bartlett. A native of Pratt, Kan., Herring also served as a graduate manager for WSU from 2018-2020 before being elevated to volunteer assistant coach. Prior to arriving at Wichita State in 2018, he attended and played two seasons of baseball at Newman University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Newman in December 2018 and received his master's degree in sport management from Wichita State in May 2020. Herring also served as the head coach for the Hutchinson Monarchs in the summer of 2020 in the Sunflower Collegiate League and helped lead the team to a third-place finish in the NBC World Series (highest in team history) and their first SCL league championship with a 32-8 overall record. Herring is a 2013 graduate of Pratt High School, and attended both Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb. and Seward County Community College. He and his wife, Tara, reside in Wichita with their son, Kannon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Pratt native completes WSU coaching staff

Courtesy of The Basketball Tournament

WICHITA SUPER REGIONAL FIRST ROUND RECAP/FRIDAY 2ND ROUND PREVIEW

For more information on TBT Wichita Regional, click <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/regions/wichita/">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689949230202.png" alt="MARK KUHLMANN/TBT" />
 <figcaption>MARK KUHLMANN/TBT</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of The Basketball TournamentWICHITA SUPER REGIONAL FIRST ROUND RECAP/FRIDAY 2ND ROUND PREVIEW<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689948916097.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For more information on TBT Wichita Regional, click <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/regions/wichita/">here</a>.

🏀 TBT Day 2 Recap: AfterShocks and Purple & Black both victorious

ST. JOSEPH, Mo.&nbsp;— The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to begin training camp at Missouri Western State University on Sunday morning.

The Chiefs will have 19 training camp sessions in St. Joseph, 17 of which will be open to the public. The other two will be exclusive to Chiefs season ticket holders. All but three will have free admission, but parking at Missouri Western will cost $5.

Tickets for all practice sessions must be reserved in advance and can be done so <a href="http://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp/">here</a>. All tickets are mobile entry only through the Chiefs Mobile app. The first 18 practices will begin at 9:15 a.m., while the final practice will start at 8:15 a.m. and will be the "Military Appreciation Day."

Sunday, July 23 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • $5 admission fee • Team autograph session

Monday, July 24 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Exclusive season ticket member day - not open to general public • Team autograph session

Tuesday, July 25 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Linebackers

Wednesday, July 26 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Defensive Backs

Friday, July 28 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Quarterbacks, Running Backs &amp; Specialists

Saturday, July 29 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • $5 admission fee • Chiefs Champions Tour • Team autograph session

Sunday, July 30 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Wide Receivers &amp; Tight Ends

Monday, July 31 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Alumni Day • Autographs: Offensive/Defensive Line

Wednesday, August 2 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Linebackers

Thursday, August 3 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Defensive Backs

Friday, August 4 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Quarterbacks, Running Backs &amp; Specialists

Saturday, August 5 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Family Fun Day - $5 admission fee • Team autograph session

Monday, August 7 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Tuesday, August 8 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Offensive Line &amp; Defensive Line

Wednesday, August 9 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Exclusive season ticket member day - not open to general public • Team autograph session

Friday, August 11 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Linebackers

Sunday, August 13 • Preseason game at Saints

Tuesday, August 15 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Defensive Backs

Wednesday, August 16 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Offensive/Defensive Line

Thursday, August 17 • Practice - 8:15 a.m. • Military Appreciation Day • Final camp practice

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689795098017.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ST. JOSEPH, Mo.&nbsp;— The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to begin training camp at Missouri Western State University on Sunday morning.The Chiefs will have 19 training camp sessions in St. Joseph, 17 of which will be open to the public. The other two will be exclusive to Chiefs season ticket holders. All but three will have free admission, but parking at Missouri Western will cost $5.Tickets for all practice sessions must be reserved in advance and can be done so <a href="http://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp/">here</a>. All tickets are mobile entry only through the Chiefs Mobile app. The first 18 practices will begin at 9:15 a.m., while the final practice will start at 8:15 a.m. and will be the "Military Appreciation Day."FULL TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULESunday, July 23 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • $5 admission fee • Team autograph sessionMonday, July 24 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Exclusive season ticket member day - not open to general public • Team autograph sessionTuesday, July 25 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: LinebackersWednesday, July 26 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Defensive BacksThursday, July 27 • No practiceFriday, July 28 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Quarterbacks, Running Backs &amp; SpecialistsSaturday, July 29 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • $5 admission fee • Chiefs Champions Tour • Team autograph sessionSunday, July 30 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Wide Receivers &amp; Tight EndsMonday, July 31 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Alumni Day • Autographs: Offensive/Defensive LineTuesday, August 1 • No practiceWednesday, August 2 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: LinebackersThursday, August 3 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Defensive BacksFriday, August 4 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Quarterbacks, Running Backs &amp; SpecialistsSaturday, August 5 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Family Fun Day - $5 admission fee • Team autograph sessionSunday, August 6 • No practiceMonday, August 7 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Wide Receivers/Tight EndsTuesday, August 8 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Offensive Line &amp; Defensive LineWednesday, August 9 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Exclusive season ticket member day - not open to general public • Team autograph sessionThursday, August 10 • No practiceFriday, August 11 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: LinebackersSaturday, August 12 • No practiceSunday, August 13 • Preseason game at SaintsMonday, August 14 • No practiceTuesday, August 15 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Defensive BacksWednesday, August 16 • Practice - 9:15 a.m. • Autographs: Offensive/Defensive LineThursday, August 17 • Practice - 8:15 a.m. • Military Appreciation Day • Final camp practice

🏈 Chiefs open training camp Sunday

ST. JOESEPH, Mo.—Felix Anudike-Uzomah was 10 years old when he watched the Kansas City Chiefs take the training camp practice fields at Missouri Western State University for the first time. He sat in the stands as the likes of quarterback Alex Smith, defensive end Tamba Hali and tight end Travis Kelce – who was a rookie that year – prepared for the Chiefs' first season under Head Coach Andy Reid, enjoying a pastime that so many travel hours to experience every single year.

He's now back on the campus of Missouri Western a decade later, but this time, the former Lee's Summit High School and Kansas State star is attending training camp as a member of his favorite team.

"I had to soak it all in at first because I remember sitting in the stands – I believe it was in 2013 – and just watching all the guys," Anudike-Uzomah said. "[For] me to actually be walking on this grass pad and to come down to camp, it's a dream come true, but at the same time, although I'm in this dream, I have to [earn] it."

Anudike-Uzomah is certainly worthy of the opportunity as the 21-year-old defensive end racked up 25.5 tackles-for-loss, 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles in 27 games over the last two years. He recorded at least eight sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss in each of the last two seasons while leading the FBS in forced fumbles in 2021, and his efforts this past season – which included 11 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks – earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.

He was simply one of the top prospects in the nation, enticing the Chiefs to make the Kansas City native the final pick of the first round back in April. Anudike-Uzomah wasn't invited to the draft, but ironically enough, he attended the event – which took place in Kansas City – as a fan mere hours before his name was called on stage.

It was nothing short of an amazing moment, but while Anudike-Uzomah is well-aware of his story, he understands that the real work still lies ahead.

"I still have to have to impress the coaches. It's the same thing day-by-day, because if you don't impress the coaches, you're not going to get on the field," Anudike-Uzomah said. "Learning that playbook, learning my technique and doing everything possible to impress the coaches will hopefully get me on the field."

It's a mentality that Anudike-Uzomah embraced in the days that followed the draft courtesy of some advice from Chiefs' legend Dante Hall, who was announced as the franchise's latest Hall of Fame inductee prior to the draft's third day. The event – which acted as an abbreviated fan rally – brought Hall and Anudike-Uzomah together for what turned out to me a meaningful exchange.

"Basically, he kept it really simple. He said that you play football for a reason, so just go out and play," Anudike-Uzomah said. "There's no overthinking it, just go out there and play because at the end of the day, this is just a game. So, once you just play like you did in little league, you do everything right, you eat right and you work on your body, everything will just [fall into] place. That's basically the simplest thing that he said, and I'll take it forever."

- The Chiefs' quarterbacks, rookies and select veterans returning from injuries have now completed two "pre-camp" practices, which began on Wednesday. There will be one more "pre-camp" practice on Friday before the veterans arrive later in the afternoon. The first full, team practice will take place on Sunday.

- Safety Mike Edwards, who sustained a hamstring injury during Organized Team Activities (OTAs), participated in both Wednesday and Thursday's practice. He has impressed, too, as Edwards hauled in an interception off a tipped pass during 7-on-7 drills on Thursday. While this "pre-camp" period is designed for quarterbacks and rookies, some players recovering from injuries are also permitted to attend.

- Tailback Isiah Pacheco provided an update on his status following Thursday's practice. Pacheco, who underwent surgeries on both his shoulder and hand during the offseason, participated in Wednesday and Thursday's practices on a limited basis.

Here's what Pacheco had to say about his progress:

"I feel great right now. It's just a process that takes time," Pacheco said. "For me, I'm just continuing to listen to the staff and trusting myself."

- Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice was busy with several receptions on Thursday. It was a solid practice for the second-round pick, who also tallied a physical touchdown grab on Wednesday.

- Fellow rookie wide receiver Nikko Remigio tallied several receptions as part of a strong practice on Wednesday, which included perhaps the play of the morning when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found the undrafted free agent signee in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

- Rookie cornerback Nic Jones recorded a great defensive play on Wednesday with a pass-breakup on a slant.

The Chiefs will take the field for the final "pre-camp" practice on Friday before the veterans begin to arrive later in the afternoon. The first full, team practice will take place on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689938101307.png" alt="Felix Anudike-Uzomah.png" />
 <figcaption>Felix Anudike-Uzomah.png</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. JOESEPH, Mo.—Felix Anudike-Uzomah was 10 years old when he watched the Kansas City Chiefs take the training camp practice fields at Missouri Western State University for the first time. He sat in the stands as the likes of quarterback Alex Smith, defensive end Tamba Hali and tight end Travis Kelce – who was a rookie that year – prepared for the Chiefs' first season under Head Coach Andy Reid, enjoying a pastime that so many travel hours to experience every single year.He's now back on the campus of Missouri Western a decade later, but this time, the former Lee's Summit High School and Kansas State star is attending training camp as a member of his favorite team."I had to soak it all in at first because I remember sitting in the stands – I believe it was in 2013 – and just watching all the guys," Anudike-Uzomah said. "[For] me to actually be walking on this grass pad and to come down to camp, it's a dream come true, but at the same time, although I'm in this dream, I have to [earn] it."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;It&#39;s a dream come true.&quot; Pretty cool day for Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who took the field for a training camp practice as a member of the Chiefs for the very first time. Felix, who grew up in KC, has memories of attending camp as a fan. <a href="https://t.co/siD8maizgP">pic.twitter.com/siD8maizgP</a>&mdash; Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCChiefs_Matt/status/1681758246766362624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Anudike-Uzomah is certainly worthy of the opportunity as the 21-year-old defensive end racked up 25.5 tackles-for-loss, 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles in 27 games over the last two years. He recorded at least eight sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss in each of the last two seasons while leading the FBS in forced fumbles in 2021, and his efforts this past season – which included 11 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks – earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.He was simply one of the top prospects in the nation, enticing the Chiefs to make the Kansas City native the final pick of the first round back in April. Anudike-Uzomah wasn't invited to the draft, but ironically enough, he attended the event – which took place in Kansas City – as a fan mere hours before his name was called on stage.It was nothing short of an amazing moment, but while Anudike-Uzomah is well-aware of his story, he understands that the real work still lies ahead."I still have to have to impress the coaches. It's the same thing day-by-day, because if you don't impress the coaches, you're not going to get on the field," Anudike-Uzomah said. "Learning that playbook, learning my technique and doing everything possible to impress the coaches will hopefully get me on the field."It's a mentality that Anudike-Uzomah embraced in the days that followed the draft courtesy of some advice from Chiefs' legend Dante Hall, who was announced as the franchise's latest Hall of Fame inductee prior to the draft's third day. The event – which acted as an abbreviated fan rally – brought Hall and Anudike-Uzomah together for what turned out to me a meaningful exchange."Basically, he kept it really simple. He said that you play football for a reason, so just go out and play," Anudike-Uzomah said. "There's no overthinking it, just go out there and play because at the end of the day, this is just a game. So, once you just play like you did in little league, you do everything right, you eat right and you work on your body, everything will just [fall into] place. That's basically the simplest thing that he said, and I'll take it forever."News &amp; Notes- The Chiefs' quarterbacks, rookies and select veterans returning from injuries have now completed two "pre-camp" practices, which began on Wednesday. There will be one more "pre-camp" practice on Friday before the veterans arrive later in the afternoon. The first full, team practice will take place on Sunday.- Safety Mike Edwards, who sustained a hamstring injury during Organized Team Activities (OTAs), participated in both Wednesday and Thursday's practice. He has impressed, too, as Edwards hauled in an interception off a tipped pass during 7-on-7 drills on Thursday. While this "pre-camp" period is designed for quarterbacks and rookies, some players recovering from injuries are also permitted to attend.- Tailback Isiah Pacheco provided an update on his status following Thursday's practice. Pacheco, who underwent surgeries on both his shoulder and hand during the offseason, participated in Wednesday and Thursday's practices on a limited basis.Here's what Pacheco had to say about his progress:"I feel great right now. It's just a process that takes time," Pacheco said. "For me, I'm just continuing to listen to the staff and trusting myself."- Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice was busy with several receptions on Thursday. It was a solid practice for the second-round pick, who also tallied a physical touchdown grab on Wednesday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F792039519061444%2F&show_text=false&width=476&t=0" width="476" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>- Fellow rookie wide receiver Nikko Remigio tallied several receptions as part of a strong practice on Wednesday, which included perhaps the play of the morning when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found the undrafted free agent signee in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.- Rookie cornerback Nic Jones recorded a great defensive play on Wednesday with a pass-breakup on a slant.The Chiefs will take the field for the final "pre-camp" practice on Friday before the veterans begin to arrive later in the afternoon. The first full, team practice will take place on Sunday.

🏈 Felix Anudike-Uzomah embraces his childhood dreams at Chiefs Camp

AMARILLO, Texas - Starting pitcher David Festa combined with the Wind Surge bullpen to pitch an outstanding nine innings where they allowed only one run. A couple of home runs was all that was needed for the Wichita to secure the 4-1 victory over Amarillo. The Sod Poodles now lead the series two games to one.

For the third game in a row the Wind Surge got on the board in the top of the first inning. This time it came at the hands of Sod Poodles starting pitcher Luke Albright. He walked three batters in a row after Yunior Severino hit a two-out double to force a run to score for Wichita.

Severino added another run to the Surge lead in the top of the seventh inning. He crushed a ball out of the park over the left field wall for a solo home run.

The Surge piled on a couple more runs in the top of the eighth. Jake Rucker hit a two-run blast over the left field wall to extend the Surge lead to four runs.

The Sod Poodles only run came in the bottom of the ninth. Deyvison De Los Santos hit a run in on a single to right field off a ground ball to allow an unearned run to score.

David Festa started on the mound for the Wind Surge. He pitched an excellent three innings where he gave up no runs off two hits. He also struck out six batters and walked one. Denny Bentley earned the win pitching three scoreless innings.

The starting pitcher for Amarillo was Luke Albright. He pitched four full innings and gave up one run off three hits. He struck out five batters and walked four more. He was credited with the loss.

The Wichita Wind Surge improve to (8-10, 36-50) and the Amarillo Sod Poodles fall to (12-6, 46-41).

NOTES: Brooks Lee extended his hitting streak to eight games. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. stole a base for the 29th time this season which is third best in the Texas League. Yunior Severino hit his 18th home run of the season and is in second place in the league in 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 Wind Surge continue their six game road series in Amarillo and play game four Friday at 7:05 PM. RH Marco Raya will get the start for the Wichita and RH Jamison Hill will get the start for Amarillo.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Wichita Wind Surge return home Tuesday July 25th at 7:05 PM when they host the Frisco Rough Riders. The game will kick off a 12-game home stand for the Wind Surge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689937387521.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge win in Amarillo" />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge win in Amarillo</figcaption>
 </figure>AMARILLO, Texas - Starting pitcher David Festa combined with the Wind Surge bullpen to pitch an outstanding nine innings where they allowed only one run. A couple of home runs was all that was needed for the Wichita to secure the 4-1 victory over Amarillo. The Sod Poodles now lead the series two games to one.<div><iframe src="https://streamable.com/milb/david-festa-s-six-strikeouts" width="560" height="315"></iframe></div>For the third game in a row the Wind Surge got on the board in the top of the first inning. This time it came at the hands of Sod Poodles starting pitcher Luke Albright. He walked three batters in a row after Yunior Severino hit a two-out double to force a run to score for Wichita.Severino added another run to the Surge lead in the top of the seventh inning. He crushed a ball out of the park over the left field wall for a solo home run.The Surge piled on a couple more runs in the top of the eighth. Jake Rucker hit a two-run blast over the left field wall to extend the Surge lead to four runs.The Sod Poodles only run came in the bottom of the ninth. Deyvison De Los Santos hit a run in on a single to right field off a ground ball to allow an unearned run to score.David Festa started on the mound for the Wind Surge. He pitched an excellent three innings where he gave up no runs off two hits. He also struck out six batters and walked one. Denny Bentley earned the win pitching three scoreless innings.The starting pitcher for Amarillo was Luke Albright. He pitched four full innings and gave up one run off three hits. He struck out five batters and walked four more. He was credited with the loss.The Wichita Wind Surge improve to (8-10, 36-50) and the Amarillo Sod Poodles fall to (12-6, 46-41).NOTES: Brooks Lee extended his hitting streak to eight games. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. stole a base for the 29th time this season which is third best in the Texas League. Yunior Severino hit his 18th home run of the season and is in second place in the league in 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 Wind Surge continue their six game road series in Amarillo and play game four Friday at 7:05 PM. RH Marco Raya will get the start for the Wichita and RH Jamison Hill will get the start for Amarillo.NEXT HOME GAME: The Wichita Wind Surge return home Tuesday July 25th at 7:05 PM when they host the Frisco Rough Riders. The game will kick off a 12-game home stand for the Wind Surge.

⚾ Excellent pitching delivered a Wind Surge victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen threw seven innings of three-hit ball to help the Tigers beat the Royals 3-0. Lorenzen ran his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings dating to June 30 at Colorado. The All-Star right-hander stranded runners at the corners in the second and another at third base in the fourth. Tyler Holton worked a perfect eighth for Detroit before Jason Foley handled the ninth inning for his fourth save. Zack Greinke took the loss for Kansas City, allowing two runs over four innings in his first start since landing on the injured list with shoulder tendinitis. The Tigers have won five straight series against the Royals, and they are 7-3 against their AL Central rivals this season.

CHICAGO (AP) — Jordan Walker and Paul DeJong each hit a two-run homer, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 for their sixth straight victory. Nolan Arenado drove in two runs and Steven Matz pitched five effective innings as St. Louis won for the the ninth time in 11 games overall. Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and scored two runs. Marcus Stroman pitched just 3 2/3 innings in possibly his final home start for the Cubs. The right-hander was charged with five runs — four earned — and seven hits. He struck out four and walked four.

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken bone in his left foot after kicking a water cooler following a ninth-inning strikeout the night before. Kelenic was apologetic fighting through tears for letting his emotions get out of hand and expressing his frustration in a way that led to an injury. Kelenic says he made a mistake and feels awful for letting his teammates down. There was no timeframe on when Kelenic may return but surgery is not expected. Kelenic is in his third season with the Mariners and showed significant improvement. He’s hitting .252 with 11 homers and 45 RBIs in 90 games.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs probably would have not won the Super Bowl last season without some spectacular play from their rookie class. Four defensive backs carved out crucial roles, George Karlaftis was one of their best pass rushers, Skyy Moore had a big punt return in the Super Bowl and seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco became the starting running back. Now, the pressure is on for this year's group of first-year players to produce. That class is headlined by defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who grew up in suburban Kansas City and played at Kansas State, and wide receiver Rashee Rice, who already has caught Patrick Mahomes' eye.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Men’s and women’s basketball teams in the expanded Big 12 will still play 18 conference games each during the 2023-24 season. The conference will have 14 schools for the upcoming season before the departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC next summer. Each team will play five Big 12 opponents twice. Along with those home-and-away matchups, teams will play each of the remaining eight league foes once — four at home, and four on the road. As a 10-team league since 2011-12, the 18-game conference slate had each team playing each other home and away.

HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Brian Harman is quickly setting the new target at the British Open. The American opened with a 67. And now he has run off three straight birdies starting on the second hole. That puts Harman at 7-under par. Harman has never won a major. He once had the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills in 2017. Adrian Otaegui of Spain made all pars on the front nine and was at 4 under among those playing in the chilly breeze and occasional light rain. Rory McIlroy has just now teed off after opening at 71.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States begins its journey to a record third consecutive Women’s World Cup title with the same confidence it had in winning the last two tournaments. The top-ranked Americans open play against Vietnam, which is no doubt considering the U.S. a daunting challenge in its World Cup debut. The teams meet on Saturday in Auckland at Eden Park. As opponents, the Vietnamese are similar to Thailand, which the Americans thumped 13-0 in the opener at the World Cup four years ago in France.

UNDATED (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators is proposing new oversight of college sports and the NCAA. A bill being worked would pre-empt state laws and create national regulations for name, image and likeness compensation for players. It would also establish an entity to oversee enforcement of those rules, and fund long-term health care for athletes. Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Cory Booker of New Jersey along with Republican Jerry Moran of Kansas have previously introduced separate college sports bills.

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — American freestyler Katie Ledecky has never gone home with anything other than a gold or silver medal in the Olympics or world championships dating from the 2012 London Games. But it might happen Sunday in the women’s 400-meter freestyle on the opening night in the pool of the World Aquatics Championships. This is perhaps the most anticipated race of the entire eight-day program in Japan. Ledecky is up against two younger stars. There is 16-year-old Summer McIntosh. She is a Canadian who holds the world record at 400. And 22-year-old Ariarne Titmus. She is an Australian who is a former world-record holder. Ledecky also held the record.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris. The deal is for a North American professional sports record of $6.05 billion. Snyder was also fined $60 million after the completion of an NFL-sponsored investigation into workplace culture and business dealings. Harris' group also includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Washington-area businessman Mitchell Rales and partner David Blitzer. Blitzer co-owns with Harris the NBA's 76ers and NHL's Devils. Snyder had owned the club since 1999 and long insisted amid mounting criticism and pressure he would never sell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688383699667.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, July 21st, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, July 21st, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen threw seven innings of three-hit ball to help the Tigers beat the Royals 3-0. Lorenzen ran his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings dating to June 30 at Colorado. The All-Star right-hander stranded runners at the corners in the second and another at third base in the fourth. Tyler Holton worked a perfect eighth for Detroit before Jason Foley handled the ninth inning for his fourth save. Zack Greinke took the loss for Kansas City, allowing two runs over four innings in his first start since landing on the injured list with shoulder tendinitis. The Tigers have won five straight series against the Royals, and they are 7-3 against their AL Central rivals this season.CHICAGO (AP) — Jordan Walker and Paul DeJong each hit a two-run homer, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 for their sixth straight victory. Nolan Arenado drove in two runs and Steven Matz pitched five effective innings as St. Louis won for the the ninth time in 11 games overall. Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and scored two runs. Marcus Stroman pitched just 3 2/3 innings in possibly his final home start for the Cubs. The right-hander was charged with five runs — four earned — and seven hits. He struck out four and walked four.SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken bone in his left foot after kicking a water cooler following a ninth-inning strikeout the night before. Kelenic was apologetic fighting through tears for letting his emotions get out of hand and expressing his frustration in a way that led to an injury. Kelenic says he made a mistake and feels awful for letting his teammates down. There was no timeframe on when Kelenic may return but surgery is not expected. Kelenic is in his third season with the Mariners and showed significant improvement. He’s hitting .252 with 11 homers and 45 RBIs in 90 games.ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs probably would have not won the Super Bowl last season without some spectacular play from their rookie class. Four defensive backs carved out crucial roles, George Karlaftis was one of their best pass rushers, Skyy Moore had a big punt return in the Super Bowl and seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco became the starting running back. Now, the pressure is on for this year's group of first-year players to produce. That class is headlined by defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who grew up in suburban Kansas City and played at Kansas State, and wide receiver Rashee Rice, who already has caught Patrick Mahomes' eye.IRVING, Texas (AP) — Men’s and women’s basketball teams in the expanded Big 12 will still play 18 conference games each during the 2023-24 season. The conference will have 14 schools for the upcoming season before the departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC next summer. Each team will play five Big 12 opponents twice. Along with those home-and-away matchups, teams will play each of the remaining eight league foes once — four at home, and four on the road. As a 10-team league since 2011-12, the 18-game conference slate had each team playing each other home and away.HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Brian Harman is quickly setting the new target at the British Open. The American opened with a 67. And now he has run off three straight birdies starting on the second hole. That puts Harman at 7-under par. Harman has never won a major. He once had the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills in 2017. Adrian Otaegui of Spain made all pars on the front nine and was at 4 under among those playing in the chilly breeze and occasional light rain. Rory McIlroy has just now teed off after opening at 71.AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States begins its journey to a record third consecutive Women’s World Cup title with the same confidence it had in winning the last two tournaments. The top-ranked Americans open play against Vietnam, which is no doubt considering the U.S. a daunting challenge in its World Cup debut. The teams meet on Saturday in Auckland at Eden Park. As opponents, the Vietnamese are similar to Thailand, which the Americans thumped 13-0 in the opener at the World Cup four years ago in France.UNDATED (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators is proposing new oversight of college sports and the NCAA. A bill being worked would pre-empt state laws and create national regulations for name, image and likeness compensation for players. It would also establish an entity to oversee enforcement of those rules, and fund long-term health care for athletes. Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Cory Booker of New Jersey along with Republican Jerry Moran of Kansas have previously introduced separate college sports bills.FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — American freestyler Katie Ledecky has never gone home with anything other than a gold or silver medal in the Olympics or world championships dating from the 2012 London Games. But it might happen Sunday in the women’s 400-meter freestyle on the opening night in the pool of the World Aquatics Championships. This is perhaps the most anticipated race of the entire eight-day program in Japan. Ledecky is up against two younger stars. There is 16-year-old Summer McIntosh. She is a Canadian who holds the world record at 400. And 22-year-old Ariarne Titmus. She is an Australian who is a former world-record holder. Ledecky also held the record.BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris. The deal is for a North American professional sports record of $6.05 billion. Snyder was also fined $60 million after the completion of an NFL-sponsored investigation into workplace culture and business dealings. Harris' group also includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Washington-area businessman Mitchell Rales and partner David Blitzer. Blitzer co-owns with Harris the NBA's 76ers and NHL's Devils. Snyder had owned the club since 1999 and long insisted amid mounting criticism and pressure he would never sell.THURSDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Chicago White Sox 6 N.Y. Mets 2Final Toronto 4 San Diego 0AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Detroit 3 Kansas City 0Final Seattle 5 Minnesota 0Final Baltimore 4 Tampa Bay 3Final Houston 3 Oakland 1NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Atlanta 7 Arizona 5Final Cincinnati 5 San Francisco 1Final Milwaukee 4 Philadelphia 0Final St. Louis 7 Chicago Cubs 2

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen knew there was no chance that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was sending him out for the eighth inning Thursday, despite holding the lowly Royals to three hits in a seemingly effortless start.

Lorenzen tried to hide in the dugout anyway.

“I'm surprised he came in the (dugout) entrance he did. You could go down at the other end and find him and still take him out,” Hinch said with a smile afterward the 3-0 victory, which gave Detroit its fifth straight series win against its AL Central rival. “But it's fun to see him happy at the end of his outing because of the way he pitched.”

Lorenzen (5-6) stranded runners at the corners in the second and another at third in the fourth inning but otherwise went unchallenged while running his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings dating to June 30 at Colorado. The All-Star right-hander, who has made his disdain for day games well known, struck out three and walked one on a bright, sunny afternoon.

Tyler Holton worked a perfect eighth before Jason Foley handled the ninth for his fourth save.

“With the amount of strikes I've been throwing," Lorenzen said, “I know that teams are going to come out aggressive. And so if you just leverage that, you get some weak contact. A really good job by the defense.”

Spencer Torkelson, Andy Ibañez and Eric Haase drove in runs for Detroit, which took three of four from the Royals to improve to 7-3 against them this season. The teams still have three more to play at Comerica Park in September.

“Obviously coming out of the break, you never know quite how the guys are going to get back up and running,” Hinch said, “and we came out aggressively in Seattle. ... I think our guys in there understand that every day is really important coming out of the break.”

The Tigers scored twice off Zack Greinke (1-10) in the second before adding another run in the fifth, after the veteran right-hander had been removed from the game. Greinke allowed four hits in four innings in his first start since July 4, when the 39-year-old was diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis and landed on the injured list.

“We knew it wasn't going to be a deep outing,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It looked like he struggled a bit with his command. He was around the zone plenty but probably a lower strike percentage than he's used to, or we're used to seeing.”

Greinke had been good the first time through a lineup this season, but he struggled against the bottom half on Thursday.

The trouble began in the second with Nick Maton's two-out single. Akil Baddoo followed with a walk and Ibañez gave Detroit the lead with a base hit. Haase followed with his run-scoring single to extend the Tigers' lead to 2-0.

Greinke got through the next two innings before Austin Cox replaced him.

Zach McKinstry's triple in the fifth led to another run when Torkelson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.

Meanwhile, the Royals kept squandering their few scoring opportunities.

Drew Waters flied out to right field to leave runners on the corners in the second. Nick Pratto spiked his helmet after striking out to leave a runner on third in the fourth. And in the sixth inning, Kyle Isbel ripped a double down the right-field line but was easily thrown out by McKinstry while trying to stretch it into a triple.

“(Lorenzen) doesn't give up a lot," said Quatraro, whose team was shut out for the 12th time and held to four hits or fewer for the 20th this season. “You have to really maximize your chances and he didn't give us many.”

Nick Wittgren had his glove knocked off his hand by Ibañez's line drive in the ninth. But the Royals reliever alertly pounced on the ball behind the mound and threw him out at first base in a bang-bang play that was confirmed by a review.

The Royals created space for Greinke on the roster by optioning right-hander Max Castillo to Triple-A Omaha. Castillo allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings Wednesday night in his only outing since being recalled last weekend.

Tigers RHP Reese Olson (1-3, 3.96 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game series against the Padres on Friday night. The Royals are headed to New York for three games against the Yankees, with RHP Alec Marsh (0-3, 5.40 ERA) starting the opener.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689885090092.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen knew there was no chance that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was sending him out for the eighth inning Thursday, despite holding the lowly Royals to three hits in a seemingly effortless start.Lorenzen tried to hide in the dugout anyway.“I'm surprised he came in the (dugout) entrance he did. You could go down at the other end and find him and still take him out,” Hinch said with a smile afterward the 3-0 victory, which gave Detroit its fifth straight series win against its AL Central rival. “But it's fun to see him happy at the end of his outing because of the way he pitched.”Lorenzen (5-6) stranded runners at the corners in the second and another at third in the fourth inning but otherwise went unchallenged while running his scoreless streak to 23 2/3 innings dating to June 30 at Colorado. The All-Star right-hander, who has made his disdain for day games well known, struck out three and walked one on a bright, sunny afternoon.Tyler Holton worked a perfect eighth before Jason Foley handled the ninth for his fourth save.“With the amount of strikes I've been throwing," Lorenzen said, “I know that teams are going to come out aggressive. And so if you just leverage that, you get some weak contact. A really good job by the defense.”Spencer Torkelson, Andy Ibañez and Eric Haase drove in runs for Detroit, which took three of four from the Royals to improve to 7-3 against them this season. The teams still have three more to play at Comerica Park in September.“Obviously coming out of the break, you never know quite how the guys are going to get back up and running,” Hinch said, “and we came out aggressively in Seattle. ... I think our guys in there understand that every day is really important coming out of the break.”The Tigers scored twice off Zack Greinke (1-10) in the second before adding another run in the fifth, after the veteran right-hander had been removed from the game. Greinke allowed four hits in four innings in his first start since July 4, when the 39-year-old was diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis and landed on the injured list.“We knew it wasn't going to be a deep outing,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It looked like he struggled a bit with his command. He was around the zone plenty but probably a lower strike percentage than he's used to, or we're used to seeing.”Greinke had been good the first time through a lineup this season, but he struggled against the bottom half on Thursday.The trouble began in the second with Nick Maton's two-out single. Akil Baddoo followed with a walk and Ibañez gave Detroit the lead with a base hit. Haase followed with his run-scoring single to extend the Tigers' lead to 2-0.Greinke got through the next two innings before Austin Cox replaced him.Zach McKinstry's triple in the fifth led to another run when Torkelson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.Meanwhile, the Royals kept squandering their few scoring opportunities.Drew Waters flied out to right field to leave runners on the corners in the second. Nick Pratto spiked his helmet after striking out to leave a runner on third in the fourth. And in the sixth inning, Kyle Isbel ripped a double down the right-field line but was easily thrown out by McKinstry while trying to stretch it into a triple.“(Lorenzen) doesn't give up a lot," said Quatraro, whose team was shut out for the 12th time and held to four hits or fewer for the 20th this season. “You have to really maximize your chances and he didn't give us many.”GOLD GLOVE? MORE LIKE MISSING GLOVENick Wittgren had his glove knocked off his hand by Ibañez's line drive in the ninth. But the Royals reliever alertly pounced on the ball behind the mound and threw him out at first base in a bang-bang play that was confirmed by a review.ROSTER MOVESThe Royals created space for Greinke on the roster by optioning right-hander Max Castillo to Triple-A Omaha. Castillo allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings Wednesday night in his only outing since being recalled last weekend.UP NEXTTigers RHP Reese Olson (1-3, 3.96 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game series against the Padres on Friday night. The Royals are headed to New York for three games against the Yankees, with RHP Alec Marsh (0-3, 5.40 ERA) starting the opener.

⚾ Lorenzen tosses 7 scoreless as Tigers beat Royals

Courtesy of Bethel College Athletics&nbsp;

NORTH NEWTON, Kan. - Tony Hoops has resigned as Bethel College's director of athletics after six years in the role, and nine total years as a member of the Threshers athletic department. He has been named the vice president of athletics at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. "It is with great sorrow and deep appreciation to the entire Bethel Community that I announce my resignation," Hoops stated. "Bethel has transformed my life as a student, athlete, coach, and athletic director. The past nine years of my life at Bethel have been the most fulfilling time of my entire career. Our family has grown up at Bethel and we could not have asked for a better place to call home." During Hoops' tenure as the head of the athletic department, the Threshers achieved more athletic success than seen in many years prior at the institution. This includes numerous Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championships earned at the team and individual level, highlighted by the three-consecutive KCAC championships by the football team and their NAIA Championship Series appearance in 2021. The men's basketball team won the KCAC regular and postseason titles in 2020-2021 and have earned bids to the NAIA national tournament each of the past three seasons, making it to the Round of 16 twice. The women's basketball qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the first time in program history during the 2020-2021 season, and the competitive cheer team has also represented Bethel in their respective national tournament during the 2021 season. "The unprecedented success we experienced is something I never could have imagined. I was blessed to hire a tremendous staff who bought into me as a young leader for which I am incredibly grateful," Hoops went on to say. "We all have someone else's dream job. Our staff embraced this, exhibited by their strong commitment to running excellent programs. As a result, I was able to live out my dream job." Hoops' time as the director of athletics brought with it a revitalization of the athletic department in multiple ways. Multiple facility projects and upgrades were able to take place, including the installation of new turf, a new locker room and suite&nbsp;viewing area at Thresher Stadium, a new track and a video board at Thresher Stadium, new bleachers and scoreboards in Thresher Gym, a new clubhouse with restrooms and fan seating at the Ward Tennis Center, and a new clubhouse, restrooms, scoreboard,&nbsp;concessions stand, and press box at Wedel Softball Field. "I am grateful for Tony's contributions to the long-term excellence of Bethel College athletics," President Gering stated. "He has been an excellent advocate, leader, and partner for the college and the community.&nbsp; I wish him and his family the best of success as they transition into their new lives at Northwestern College." Hoops was recognized by his peers in the KCAC by being named the conference's athletic director of the year for the 2020-2021 school year. This award came during the height of the Threshers' success on the field, but also as a result of their achievements in the classroom and community. Bethel has seen a growing number of KCAC and NAIA scholar-athletes each of the past six years. The Threshers as a department were also able to earn their fifth-consecutive NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Gold award in the summer of 2022. Perhaps most impressively, the 2023 graduating class of Bethel students included a record-breaking number of student-athletes. "Our mission was to create life-changing experiences for our student-athletes. Our staff embraced this in everything they did by passionately caring for each athlete," stated Hoops. "This care led to model programs being created that competed for championships and graduated young men and women who will continue to impact the world."&nbsp; Hoops' passion for establishing a new culture in the athletic department was molded during his time as a student and coach at Bethel. Hoops played basketball at Bethel from 2001-05 and was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2005 and KCAC Academic All-Conference player in 2003, 2004, and 2005.&nbsp; He was a member of the 2002-03 KCAC championship team and played in the 2003 NAIA National Tournament, the first in Bethel's history. After coaching and teaching at a few Kansas high schools upon his graduation, Hoops was named the head coach of the men's basketball program in 2014. He held this position for four years prior to his appointment as director of athletics. When asked about his love for Bethel, Hoops said, "The people of Bethel are what makes this place so special. The alums, staff, student-athletes, and community are who motivated me every day to make Bethel Athletics the best version it could be. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me and my family. We gave everything we had to this place and I look forward to following the continued success now as an alum." Hoops' final day on campus will be August 15th.&nbsp; A national search for the next director of athletics will begin immediately. In athletics, Bethel competes within the 13-school Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and the NAIA. For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bethelthreshers.com/">www.bethelthreshers.com</a> Bethel College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, parental or marital status, gender identity, gender expression, medical or genetic information, ethnic or national origins, citizenship status, veteran or military status or disability. E-mail questions to TitleIXCoordinator@bethelks.edu&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689888779365.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Bethel College Athletics&nbsp;NORTH NEWTON, Kan. - Tony Hoops has resigned as Bethel College's director of athletics after six years in the role, and nine total years as a member of the Threshers athletic department. He has been named the vice president of athletics at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. "It is with great sorrow and deep appreciation to the entire Bethel Community that I announce my resignation," Hoops stated. "Bethel has transformed my life as a student, athlete, coach, and athletic director. The past nine years of my life at Bethel have been the most fulfilling time of my entire career. Our family has grown up at Bethel and we could not have asked for a better place to call home." During Hoops' tenure as the head of the athletic department, the Threshers achieved more athletic success than seen in many years prior at the institution. This includes numerous Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championships earned at the team and individual level, highlighted by the three-consecutive KCAC championships by the football team and their NAIA Championship Series appearance in 2021. The men's basketball team won the KCAC regular and postseason titles in 2020-2021 and have earned bids to the NAIA national tournament each of the past three seasons, making it to the Round of 16 twice. The women's basketball qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the first time in program history during the 2020-2021 season, and the competitive cheer team has also represented Bethel in their respective national tournament during the 2021 season. "The unprecedented success we experienced is something I never could have imagined. I was blessed to hire a tremendous staff who bought into me as a young leader for which I am incredibly grateful," Hoops went on to say. "We all have someone else's dream job. Our staff embraced this, exhibited by their strong commitment to running excellent programs. As a result, I was able to live out my dream job." Hoops' time as the director of athletics brought with it a revitalization of the athletic department in multiple ways. Multiple facility projects and upgrades were able to take place, including the installation of new turf, a new locker room and suite&nbsp;viewing area at Thresher Stadium, a new track and a video board at Thresher Stadium, new bleachers and scoreboards in Thresher Gym, a new clubhouse with restrooms and fan seating at the Ward Tennis Center, and a new clubhouse, restrooms, scoreboard,&nbsp;concessions stand, and press box at Wedel Softball Field. "I am grateful for Tony's contributions to the long-term excellence of Bethel College athletics," President Gering stated. "He has been an excellent advocate, leader, and partner for the college and the community.&nbsp; I wish him and his family the best of success as they transition into their new lives at Northwestern College." Hoops was recognized by his peers in the KCAC by being named the conference's athletic director of the year for the 2020-2021 school year. This award came during the height of the Threshers' success on the field, but also as a result of their achievements in the classroom and community. Bethel has seen a growing number of KCAC and NAIA scholar-athletes each of the past six years. The Threshers as a department were also able to earn their fifth-consecutive NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Gold award in the summer of 2022. Perhaps most impressively, the 2023 graduating class of Bethel students included a record-breaking number of student-athletes. "Our mission was to create life-changing experiences for our student-athletes. Our staff embraced this in everything they did by passionately caring for each athlete," stated Hoops. "This care led to model programs being created that competed for championships and graduated young men and women who will continue to impact the world."&nbsp; Hoops' passion for establishing a new culture in the athletic department was molded during his time as a student and coach at Bethel. Hoops played basketball at Bethel from 2001-05 and was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2005 and KCAC Academic All-Conference player in 2003, 2004, and 2005.&nbsp; He was a member of the 2002-03 KCAC championship team and played in the 2003 NAIA National Tournament, the first in Bethel's history. After coaching and teaching at a few Kansas high schools upon his graduation, Hoops was named the head coach of the men's basketball program in 2014. He held this position for four years prior to his appointment as director of athletics. When asked about his love for Bethel, Hoops said, "The people of Bethel are what makes this place so special. The alums, staff, student-athletes, and community are who motivated me every day to make Bethel Athletics the best version it could be. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me and my family. We gave everything we had to this place and I look forward to following the continued success now as an alum." Hoops' final day on campus will be August 15th.&nbsp; A national search for the next director of athletics will begin immediately. In athletics, Bethel competes within the 13-school Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and the NAIA. For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bethelthreshers.com/">www.bethelthreshers.com</a> Bethel College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, parental or marital status, gender identity, gender expression, medical or genetic information, ethnic or national origins, citizenship status, veteran or military status or disability. E-mail questions to TitleIXCoordinator@bethelks.edu&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hoops resigns as Bethel College director of athletics

Charlotte, NC —&nbsp;The NJCAA has announced the 2023-24 Committee Chairs for the 48 committees. Each chair serves as a direct contact and liaison for the committee and the NJCAA National Office staff, while also heading their committee all year.

With the academic year approaching, chairs are preparing to lead weekly calls, conduct national rankings, and assist with postseason at-large and seeding selections, and All-America selections. In addition to these roles, chairs complete committee-related assignments and annual NJCAA Convention tasks. In some cases, chairs will attend their respective national championship(s).&nbsp;

On the women's side, Katie Amundson, Brookdale (NJ) Athletic Director, will serve as a first-time chair of the NJCAA Division III Women's Soccer Committee. Josh Cole, Quinsigamond Assistant Director of Athletics and Fitness will serve beside Amundson as first-time vice chair. Todd Eastin, South Mountain (AZ) Athletic Director and Baseball Head Coach is a first-time committee chair of the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer Committee. Eastin will be assisted by Christine Paciero, Region 4 Women's Assistant Director, who will serve as first-time vice chair.

On the men's side, Tommy Stewart, NJCAA Board of Regents member and Holyoke (MA) Athletic Director, will once again serve as chair of both the NJCAA Division III Men's Golf and NJCAA Division III Women's Golf Committees. Peyton Deterding, Southeastern (IA) Athletic Director, is a first-time committee chair of the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Committee.

For the joint committees, Doug Spiwak, Region 4 Director, will serve as chair of the Cross Country/Half-Marathon committee. Spiwak has previously served as chair of the NJCAA Division I Tennis Committee and NJCAA Division III Football and Volleyball Committees. Scott Newton, Richard Bland (VA) Director of Student Life and Athletics, will lead the committee alongside Spiwak as first-time vice chair. Greg Witkop, Administrator of Athletics at CCBC Essex (MD), will serve as chair of the Lacrosse Committee. Witkop previously served as chair of the NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee. Witkop will be assisted by Duane Herr, Anne Arundel (MD) Director of Athletics, who will serve as first-time vice chair.&nbsp; Brett Monaghan, Indian Hills (IA) Athletic Director, will chair the Division I Oversight Committee; Jeff Willis, LSU Eunice Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach, was selected to chair the Division II Oversight Committee; Rob Chaney, Florida Commissioner, will chair Eligibility; Kevin Vest, Athletic Director of Tyler Junior College, is the new chair of the NJCAA Sports Governance Committee; and Jerry Smith, Athletic Director of Arizona Western, will chair Championship Events.

For the emerging sports, Hayley Kobza, Head Coach at McCook Community College will serve as first-time chair of the Competitive Cheerleading Committee. Kurt Kohler, Executive Director of MCAC, will head the NJCAA Clay Target Shooting Committee with David Elder, Region 17 Men's Director, as first-time vice chair. Tim Swartzendruber, Pratt Community College Athletic Director, will serve as first-time committee chair of the NJCAA Women's Flag Football Committee with the help of Adrienne Cataldo, USC Sumter Director of Athletics, as first-time vice chair.

For a full list, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/about/governance_structure">NJCAA Governance Structure</a>&nbsp;and see below:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584387465637.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the NJCAACharlotte, NC —&nbsp;The NJCAA has announced the 2023-24 Committee Chairs for the 48 committees. Each chair serves as a direct contact and liaison for the committee and the NJCAA National Office staff, while also heading their committee all year.With the academic year approaching, chairs are preparing to lead weekly calls, conduct national rankings, and assist with postseason at-large and seeding selections, and All-America selections. In addition to these roles, chairs complete committee-related assignments and annual NJCAA Convention tasks. In some cases, chairs will attend their respective national championship(s).&nbsp;On the women's side, Katie Amundson, Brookdale (NJ) Athletic Director, will serve as a first-time chair of the NJCAA Division III Women's Soccer Committee. Josh Cole, Quinsigamond Assistant Director of Athletics and Fitness will serve beside Amundson as first-time vice chair. Todd Eastin, South Mountain (AZ) Athletic Director and Baseball Head Coach is a first-time committee chair of the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer Committee. Eastin will be assisted by Christine Paciero, Region 4 Women's Assistant Director, who will serve as first-time vice chair.On the men's side, Tommy Stewart, NJCAA Board of Regents member and Holyoke (MA) Athletic Director, will once again serve as chair of both the NJCAA Division III Men's Golf and NJCAA Division III Women's Golf Committees. Peyton Deterding, Southeastern (IA) Athletic Director, is a first-time committee chair of the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Committee.For the joint committees, Doug Spiwak, Region 4 Director, will serve as chair of the Cross Country/Half-Marathon committee. Spiwak has previously served as chair of the NJCAA Division I Tennis Committee and NJCAA Division III Football and Volleyball Committees. Scott Newton, Richard Bland (VA) Director of Student Life and Athletics, will lead the committee alongside Spiwak as first-time vice chair. Greg Witkop, Administrator of Athletics at CCBC Essex (MD), will serve as chair of the Lacrosse Committee. Witkop previously served as chair of the NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee. Witkop will be assisted by Duane Herr, Anne Arundel (MD) Director of Athletics, who will serve as first-time vice chair.&nbsp; Brett Monaghan, Indian Hills (IA) Athletic Director, will chair the Division I Oversight Committee; Jeff Willis, LSU Eunice Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach, was selected to chair the Division II Oversight Committee; Rob Chaney, Florida Commissioner, will chair Eligibility; Kevin Vest, Athletic Director of Tyler Junior College, is the new chair of the NJCAA Sports Governance Committee; and Jerry Smith, Athletic Director of Arizona Western, will chair Championship Events.For the emerging sports, Hayley Kobza, Head Coach at McCook Community College will serve as first-time chair of the Competitive Cheerleading Committee. Kurt Kohler, Executive Director of MCAC, will head the NJCAA Clay Target Shooting Committee with David Elder, Region 17 Men's Director, as first-time vice chair. Tim Swartzendruber, Pratt Community College Athletic Director, will serve as first-time committee chair of the NJCAA Women's Flag Football Committee with the help of Adrienne Cataldo, USC Sumter Director of Athletics, as first-time vice chair.For a full list, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/about/governance_structure">NJCAA Governance Structure</a>&nbsp;and see below:<figure>
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NJCAA announces 2023-24 Committee Chairs

The Big 12 announced the Conference scheduling matrix for the 2023-24 Women’s Basketball season. Teams will play five Big 12 opponents twice, then play the other eight conference opponents one time, for a total of 18 Conference games. Opponents were selected based on a combination of geography, historical results and a poll of the coaches to best balance the schedule in terms of travel and competitiveness. A full Big 12 schedule will be released at a later date. Baylor Home-and-away: Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech Away-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma BYU Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU Home-only: Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: UCF, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas UCF Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Home-only: BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Away-only: Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas Tech Cincinnati Home-and-away: BYU, UCF, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU Away-only: Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Houston Home-and-away: Baylor, BYU, UCF, TCU, Texas Tech Home-only: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Away-only: Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Iowa State Home-and-away: BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, TCU Away-only: UCF, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech Kansas Home-and-away: Baylor, BYU, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma Home-only: Cincinnati, Houston, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Away-only: UCF, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech Kansas State Home-and-away: UCF, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Home-only: BYU, Houston, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, TCU, Texas Tech Oklahoma Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Home-only: Baylor, UCF, TCU, Texas Tech Away-only: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, West Virginia Oklahoma State Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech Home-only: BYU, Houston, Texas, West Virginia Away-only: Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU TCU Home-and-away: BYU, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State Away-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma Texas Home-and-away: Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech Home-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas Away-only: UCF, Houston, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Texas Tech Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Houston, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU Home-only: UCF, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State Away-only: Baylor, BYU, Oklahoma, West Virginia West Virginia Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU Home-only: Houston, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech Away-only: BYU, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678363413755.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the Big 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 announced the Conference scheduling matrix for the 2023-24 Women’s Basketball season. Teams will play five Big 12 opponents twice, then play the other eight conference opponents one time, for a total of 18 Conference games. Opponents were selected based on a combination of geography, historical results and a poll of the coaches to best balance the schedule in terms of travel and competitiveness. A full Big 12 schedule will be released at a later date. Baylor Home-and-away: Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech Away-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma BYU Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU Home-only: Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: UCF, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas UCF Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Home-only: BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Away-only: Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas Tech Cincinnati Home-and-away: BYU, UCF, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU Away-only: Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Houston Home-and-away: Baylor, BYU, UCF, TCU, Texas Tech Home-only: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Away-only: Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Iowa State Home-and-away: BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, TCU Away-only: UCF, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech Kansas Home-and-away: Baylor, BYU, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma Home-only: Cincinnati, Houston, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Away-only: UCF, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech Kansas State Home-and-away: UCF, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Home-only: BYU, Houston, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, TCU, Texas Tech Oklahoma Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Home-only: Baylor, UCF, TCU, Texas Tech Away-only: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, West Virginia Oklahoma State Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech Home-only: BYU, Houston, Texas, West Virginia Away-only: Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU TCU Home-and-away: BYU, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State Away-only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma Texas Home-and-away: Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech Home-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas Away-only: UCF, Houston, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Texas Tech Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Houston, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU Home-only: UCF, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State Away-only: Baylor, BYU, Oklahoma, West Virginia West Virginia Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU Home-only: Houston, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech Away-only: BYU, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State

🏀 WBB: Big 12 announces 2023-24 conference opponents

Courtesy of the Big 12 Conference&nbsp;

The Big 12 announced the Conference scheduling matrix for the 2023-24 Men’s Basketball season. Teams will play five Big 12 opponents twice, then play the other eight conference opponents once, for a total of 18 Conference games. Opponents were selected based on a combination of geography, historical results and a poll of the coaches to best balance the schedule in terms of travel and competitiveness. A full Big 12 schedule will be released at a later date. Baylor Home-and-away: BYU, Kansas, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech Home-only: Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma Away-only: UCF, K-State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia BYU Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State Home-only: Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, Texas Away-only: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia UCF Home-and-away: BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma Away-only: K-State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Cincinnati Home- and-away: UCF, Houston, TCU, Oklahoma, West Virginia Home-only: Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas Away-only: Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech Houston Home-and-away: UCF, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Home-only: K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, BYU, Oklahoma, TCU Iowa State Home-and-away: BYU, Houston, K-State, Oklahoma, TCU Home-only: Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, UCF, Cincinnati, Texas Kansas Home-and-away: Baylor, Houston, K-State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Home-only: BYU, Cincinnati, TCU, Texas Away-only: UCF, Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Kansas State Home-and-away: BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, UCF, Oklahoma, TCU Away-only: Cincinnati, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech Oklahoma Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Home-only: BYU, Houston, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, UCF, K-State, TCU Oklahoma State Home-and-away: BYU, Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech Home-only: Baylor, UCF, TCU, West Virginia Away-only: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Houston, Texas TCU Home-and-away: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Houston, Oklahoma, Texas Away-only: BYU, Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma State Texas Home-and-away: Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State Away-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, TCU Texas Tech Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Home-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, K-State Away-only: Iowa State, Houston, Oklahoma, West Virginia West Virginia Home-and-away: UCF, Cincinnati, K-State, TCU, Texas Home-only: Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech Away-only: Iowa State, Houston, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689880143034.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the Big 12 Conference&nbsp;The Big 12 announced the Conference scheduling matrix for the 2023-24 Men’s Basketball season. Teams will play five Big 12 opponents twice, then play the other eight conference opponents once, for a total of 18 Conference games. Opponents were selected based on a combination of geography, historical results and a poll of the coaches to best balance the schedule in terms of travel and competitiveness. A full Big 12 schedule will be released at a later date. Baylor Home-and-away: BYU, Kansas, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech Home-only: Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma Away-only: UCF, K-State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia BYU Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State Home-only: Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, Texas Away-only: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia UCF Home-and-away: BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma Away-only: K-State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Cincinnati Home- and-away: UCF, Houston, TCU, Oklahoma, West Virginia Home-only: Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas Away-only: Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech Houston Home-and-away: UCF, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Home-only: K-State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, BYU, Oklahoma, TCU Iowa State Home-and-away: BYU, Houston, K-State, Oklahoma, TCU Home-only: Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, UCF, Cincinnati, Texas Kansas Home-and-away: Baylor, Houston, K-State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Home-only: BYU, Cincinnati, TCU, Texas Away-only: UCF, Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Kansas State Home-and-away: BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia Home-only: Baylor, UCF, Oklahoma, TCU Away-only: Cincinnati, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech Oklahoma Home-and-away: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Home-only: BYU, Houston, Texas Tech, West Virginia Away-only: Baylor, UCF, K-State, TCU Oklahoma State Home-and-away: BYU, Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech Home-only: Baylor, UCF, TCU, West Virginia Away-only: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Houston, Texas TCU Home-and-away: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Houston, Oklahoma, Texas Away-only: BYU, Kansas, K-State, Oklahoma State Texas Home-and-away: Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia Home-only: UCF, Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State Away-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, TCU Texas Tech Home-and-away: Baylor, UCF, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Home-only: BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, K-State Away-only: Iowa State, Houston, Oklahoma, West Virginia West Virginia Home-and-away: UCF, Cincinnati, K-State, TCU, Texas Home-only: Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech Away-only: Iowa State, Houston, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: Big 12 releases 2023-24 conference opponents

The American Athletic Conference has announced home-away pairings for the 2023-24 season, including matchups with the six new members. The league will once again conduct an 18-game schedule with each team assigned five home-and-home series, plus four home-only and four road-only opponents. The Shockers will not visit North Texas, Rice, SMU or UTSA this season, while UAB, Charlotte, South Florida and Tulane miss out on a trip to the Roundhouse. Matchups are annually determined by television inventory and contractual requirements, competitive issues/NET implications and geographic rivalries. The complete 2023-24 men's basketball composite schedule with dates and times will be announced at a later date. The first conference play dates will be January, 2-4, 2024 and will run through March 10. The 2024 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship will expand to a 14-team tournament and be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, March 13-17. 2023-24 men's basketball season tickets are on sale now. For more information or to purchase dial the Shocker Ticket Office at&nbsp;316-978-FANS (3267). Wichita State Men's Basketball 2023-24 American Athletic Conference Pairings: Home Only: North Texas, Rice, SMU, UTSA Away Only: UAB, Charlotte, South Florida, Tulane Home + Away: East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Temple, Tulsa&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689879088578.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;The American Athletic Conference has announced home-away pairings for the 2023-24 season, including matchups with the six new members. The league will once again conduct an 18-game schedule with each team assigned five home-and-home series, plus four home-only and four road-only opponents. The Shockers will not visit North Texas, Rice, SMU or UTSA this season, while UAB, Charlotte, South Florida and Tulane miss out on a trip to the Roundhouse. Matchups are annually determined by television inventory and contractual requirements, competitive issues/NET implications and geographic rivalries. The complete 2023-24 men's basketball composite schedule with dates and times will be announced at a later date. The first conference play dates will be January, 2-4, 2024 and will run through March 10. The 2024 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship will expand to a 14-team tournament and be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, March 13-17. 2023-24 men's basketball season tickets are on sale now. For more information or to purchase dial the Shocker Ticket Office at&nbsp;316-978-FANS (3267). Wichita State Men's Basketball 2023-24 American Athletic Conference Pairings: Home Only: North Texas, Rice, SMU, UTSA Away Only: UAB, Charlotte, South Florida, Tulane Home + Away: East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Temple, Tulsa&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: New members highlight 2023-24 AAC Pairings

The American Athletic Conference has released home-away matchups for the 2023-24 women's basketball season. The conference schedule will expand from 16 to 18 games with each team playing five home-and-home series in addition to four home-only and four road-only opponents. The Shockers will host three of the six new conference members in Charles Koch Arena as they're set to play UAB, Florida Atlantic and UTSA in home-and-home series and will travel to the remaining three, Charlotte, North Texas and Rice, for road-only contests. Wichita State will also play Temple and Tulsa twice and is scheduled to host East Carolina, Memphis, SMU and Tulane in The Roundhouse, while just playing South Florida in Tampa. The Shockers' non-conference schedule will be announced soon once all dates are finalized. Season tickets are on sale at GoShockers.com/Tickets or can be purchased by calling 316-978-FANS (3267).Wichita State Women's Basketball 2023-24 American Athletic Conference Pairings Home Only East Carolina Memphis SMU Tulane Away Only Charlotte North Texas Rice South Florida Home &amp; Away UAB Florida Atlantic Memphis Tulane Tulsa&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689878977347.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;The American Athletic Conference has released home-away matchups for the 2023-24 women's basketball season. The conference schedule will expand from 16 to 18 games with each team playing five home-and-home series in addition to four home-only and four road-only opponents. The Shockers will host three of the six new conference members in Charles Koch Arena as they're set to play UAB, Florida Atlantic and UTSA in home-and-home series and will travel to the remaining three, Charlotte, North Texas and Rice, for road-only contests. Wichita State will also play Temple and Tulsa twice and is scheduled to host East Carolina, Memphis, SMU and Tulane in The Roundhouse, while just playing South Florida in Tampa. The Shockers' non-conference schedule will be announced soon once all dates are finalized. Season tickets are on sale at GoShockers.com/Tickets or can be purchased by calling 316-978-FANS (3267).Wichita State Women's Basketball 2023-24 American Athletic Conference Pairings Home Only East Carolina Memphis SMU Tulane Away Only Charlotte North Texas Rice South Florida Home &amp; Away UAB Florida Atlantic Memphis Tulane Tulsa&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 WBB: AAC releases matchups set for 2023-24

Courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs

Pre-Camp Breakdown: Looking at the Chiefs' Defensive Line

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs' veterans report to training camp in just a few days, and with the annual pilgrimage to St. Joseph nearly here, we're examining every position group on the roster heading into camp.

Here's a look at what we've covered so far:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-evaluating-the-three-qbs-behind-patrick-mahomes-">QB</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-a-look-at-the-chiefs-talented-group-of-running-backs">RB</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-travis-kelce-leads-a-deep-group-of-athletic-tight-ends">TE</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-examining-the-chiefs-crowded-wide-receiver-corps">WR</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-looking-at-the-chiefs-offensive-line">OT</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-examining-the-chiefs-young-and-athletic-linebacker-corps">LB</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-evaluating-the-chiefs-young-secondary">DB</a>

We'll wrap up this series with the defensive line, where the Chiefs currently employ 17 players. Here's a closer look at every defensive linemen on the roster, sorted by defensive ends and defensive tackles. Many of these players have the versatility to play both spots, but for the purpose of this breakdown, each member of the defensive line is categorized by his primary role.

Defensive End (beginning with last year's starters, then sorted alphabetically)

A first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Karlaftis tallied the second-most pressures (48) and the third-most sacks (6) among all rookies last season. He was particularly effective late in the year, recording at least a half sack in six of the Chiefs' final seven regular-season games.

Karlaftis logged the most snaps of any defensive end on the Chiefs' roster last season with 730, and with former edge rusher Frank Clark no longer in town, the 22-year-old Karlaftis will likely have an even larger role in 2023.

SACK: George Karlaftis Gets to Geno Smith on Third Down to Force the Punt

The 25-year-old Danna racked up a career-best 35 pressures and five sacks in 2022, the latter of which ranked third on the team behind only Chris Jones (15.5 sacks) and George Karlaftis (6 sacks).

Danna's 35 pressures ranked fourth on the squad, and it's worth pointing out that he amassed those numbers while logging only 310 pass-rushing snaps. For context, only 11 players recorded more pressures last season on fewer pass-rushing snaps than Danna.

He'll aim to continue that upward trajectory this upcoming season with a larger role likely in store.

An alum of nearby Lee's Summit High School and Kansas State, Anudike-Uzomah was immensely productive over the last two seasons for the Wildcats, racking up 25.5 tackles-for-loss, 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles in 27 games. He recorded at least eight sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss in each of the last two seasons while leading the FBS in forced fumbles in 2021.

Additionally, Anudike-Uzomah's efforts this past season – which included 11 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks – earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and a Second-Team All-America nod.

Anudike-Uzomah brings a varied skillset to the table that should make him a versatile and capable contributor early in his professional career. For example, The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote the following about Anudike-Uzomah's play style in his annual draft guide:

"Anudike-Uzomah plays hard and mixes up his rush to keep his pursuit alive, which is what he does best. He projects as a physical, face-up power rusher with the impact potential to compete for an NFL starting role as a rookie."

The 21-year-old Anudike-Uzomah brings more than just power and strength to his game, however, as Pro Football Focus called him one of the "bendiest" defensive linemen in this class.

"Bend is one of the most coveted traits for an edge rusher for a reason. Being able to consistently get underneath offensive tackles the way Anudike-Uzomah can makes life a lot easier…He's one of the best edge benders in the draft class, and he's the type of edge rusher that's going to convert a lot of pressures to sacks because of that. Of his 89 pressures the past two seasons, 21 ended up as sacks."

Meet the Picks: Kansas State Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah | 2023 NFL Draft

Herring earned a spot on the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster following training camp last season and went on to appear in seven games, recording 86 total defensive snaps. He logged significant time on the field in Week 5 (18 snaps) and Week 7 (26 snaps), tallying at least 30 percent of the Chiefs' defensive plays in each contest.

It was a major step in the right direction for Herring, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent the previous offseason. The University of Georgia product was rehabbing a knee injury throughout his rookie campaign, but once healthy, he didn't waste the opportunity. He'll look to build on that progress heading into his third season as a professional.

An undrafted free agent signee, Jones earned Second-Team All-America honors in 2022 after leading the Ivy League with 13 tackles-for-loss last season. He was also a menace on special teams, blocking three kicks last year alone.

Here's more on Jones from The Athletic's Dane Brugler:

"Overall, Jones needs to expand his hand usage and learn how to string moves together for the next level, but his athletic tools and energy are a nice start for a developmental guy."

Jones – a former linebacker who made the switch to defensive end as a redshirt freshman – checks in at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds.

Kaindoh is entering his third season with the Chiefs in 2023, and while he made the initial 53-man roster following training camp last year, the former fourth-round pick didn't appear in a game last season.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Kaindoh – who appeared in three games during his rookie season in 2021 – will have a chance to earn a role along the Chiefs' defensive line during training camp.

One of the Chiefs' marquee free agent signings of the offseason, Omenihu racked up 54 pressures, 16 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks in 17 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, recording (or matching, in the case of quarterback hits) career-bests in each category. He recorded at least three pressures in nine games.

His 54 pressures ranked second on the 49ers and would have ranked second on the Chiefs behind only defensive lineman Chris Jones (77). He ranked 27th league-wide in that category overall.

A versatile defender, the 25-year-old Omenihu is a perfect fit for Chiefs' Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who often likes to deploy his defensive linemen at various spots along the line of scrimmage. In fact, Omenihu logged significant snaps last season as an outside edge rusher (310 snaps), lined up over the opposing tackle (127 snaps) and along the interior of the defensive line (133 snaps).

A major reason that Omenihu is able to play those different positions is his tremendous size. He's a big man at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds with 36-inch arms. For context, his arm length would have been the second-longest of any edge rusher at the NFL Scouting Combine this year.

Jawaan Taylor and Charles Omenihu Introduction Press Conference

The Chiefs selected Thompson in the fifth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft after he recorded 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 24.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and five passes defensed in 52 career games (34 starts) between Baylor and Stephen F. Austin. The 24-year-old Thompson checks in at 6-foot-6 and 243 pounds with nearly 35-inch arms to go along with impressive speed.

Here's more on Thompson's physical profile from The Athletic's Dane Brugler:

"…His speed and length make him a tough guy to keep blocked when he stays under controlled mid-rush. He is a developmental subpackage rusher (reminiscent of Arden Key)."

Thompson wasn't invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but he still had an opportunity to demonstrate his athletic skills during Stephen F. Austin's pro day. Here's a quick look at some of his results and how they compared with those in his position group who were at the Combine:

Vertical Jump:&nbsp;37.5 inches (would have tied for third among defensive ends at the Combine)

Three-Cone Drill:&nbsp;7.06 seconds (would have ranked third among defensive ends at the Combine)

Broad Jump:&nbsp;10 feet, five inches (would have ranked seventh among defensive ends at the Combine)

It's also worth mentioning that Thompson&nbsp;<a href="https://theathletic.com/3488797/2022/08/10/college-football-freaks-list-2022/?access_token=456497&amp;redirected=1">landed on The Athletic’s “College Football Freaks List”</a>&nbsp;back in August due to his incredible physical traits.

BJ Thompson Speaks during Rookie Minicamp | Press Conference 5/7

Defensive Tackles (beginning with last year's starters, then sorted alphabetically)

One of the best players in all of football, Jones racked up 77 total pressures, 29 quarterback hits, 17 tackles-for-loss and 15.5 sacks in 2022. His 77 pressures led all defensive tackles and ranked fifth among all players, trailing only the Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons (90), the San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa (90), the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby (81) and the Minnesota Vikings' Za'Darius Smith (78).

Jones finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting following the campaign, and at still only 29 years old, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Jones remains one of the most dominant defensive players in the league.

SACK: Chris Jones' HUGE Sack of Joe Burrow in the Final Minute Forces a Cincinnati Punt

The 27-year-old Nnadi re-signed with the Chiefs this offseason after appearing in all 17 games in 2022, tallying 25 tackles. The five-year veteran was on the field for 388 defensive snaps last season, and with former defensive tackle Khalen Saunders no longer on the team, it's reasonable to expect Nnadi to take on a larger role in 2023.

In fact, perhaps Nnadi's best trait during his career in Kansas City has been his availability. The former third-round pick has appeared in 81 of 82 possible games as a professional.

A sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Texas, Coburn is a big man with impressive strength and power, as the 22-year-old Coburn checks in at 6-foot-2 and 332 pounds to go along with immense size and power throughout his frame. Here's more from The Athletic's Dane Brugler:

"With his low, leveraged position, Coburn creates power at contact to walk blockers backward or reestablish the line of scrimmage. He's strong, stout and athletic to hold the point or create pressure. He projects as a sawed-off, early down nose tackle in the NFL."

A five-year player for the Longhorns, Coburn tallied 96 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed in 51 games (45 starts) from 2018-22. He saved his best work for last, too, recording 31 pressures in 13 games (12 starts) this past season. Those 31 pressures exceeded his totals from the previous three seasons combined (28), according to Pro Football Focus.

Keondre Coburn Speaks during Rookie Minicamp | Press Conference 5/7

Dickerson re-joined the Chiefs as a free agent signee in May after spending a portion of training camp with Kansas City last August. The Chiefs waived the 27-year-old Dickerson on August 30 as part of final roster cuts, but he eventually went on to appear in six games with the Atlanta Falcons over the course of the 2022 season.

A veteran free agent signee in late March, Hoskins spent the last several weeks of the 2022-23 season on Kansas City's practice squad. A seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2021, Hoskins appeared in eight games for Carolina over the last two seasons before signing with the Chiefs.

A first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Shelton joined the Chiefs as a free agent during training camp last year. He went on to spend much of the season on Kansas City's practice squad, appearing in one game (Week 16 vs. Seattle). Shelton recorded nine defensive snaps and two special teams' snaps in the game.

A big man at 6-foot-2 and 345-pounds, Shelton brings a veteran presence to the Chiefs' defensive line entering training camp.

Wharton was on his way to a solid season in 2022 before tearing his ACL in Week 5. Prior to the injury, the 25-year-old defensive tackle had recorded five pressures, four quarterback hits and a sack in a limited role as a rotational piece along the defensive front.

The former undrafted free agent signee tallied at least 20 pressures in each of the previous two seasons, and while he'll start training camp on the "Physically Unable to Perform" (PUP) list, his rehab will be something to follow.

Williams signed with Kansas City as a veteran free agent during the offseason following two years with the Indianapolis Colts. The 6-foot-2, 302-pound defensive tackle logged 13 appearances for Indianapolis in that time after joining the Colts as an undrafted free agent.

A University of Kansas product, Wise spent the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders after going undrafted in 2021. He logged 17 appearances (2 starts) during that time, recording 11 tackles and one quarterback hit.

The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Wise spent some time on the Chiefs' practice squad in January and chose to remain in town by agreeing to a "Reserve/Future" deal in early February.

The Chiefs elected to employ 10 defensive linemen for the Week 1 roster last season, keeping six defensive ends and four defensive tackles. That trend has been fairly steady in recent seasons, too, as Kansas City kept nine defensive linemen in 2021, 10 in 2020 and nine in 2019. The Chiefs have kept more defensive ends than defensive tackles in each of the last three years, but it's worth noting that they held onto five of each group in 2019.

With all of that in mind, it's reasonable to assume that Karlaftis, Omenihu, Danna and Anudike-Uzomah will each have a place on the team in 2023, leaving potentially one or two spots for the other four defensive ends currently on the roster. As for defensive tackle, there will be two to three spots up for grabs behind Jones and Nnadi depending on if Wharton is activated from the PUP list during camp. Players can remain on the PUP list at the beginning of the season and not count against the roster, so Wharton's progress will be something to watch as it relates to how many roster spots will be available at the end of August.

Regardless, this year's camp will feature plenty of competition along the defensive line as numerous players battle for only a handful of roster spots.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689852889568.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the Kansas City ChiefsPre-Camp Breakdown: Looking at the Chiefs' Defensive LineST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs' veterans report to training camp in just a few days, and with the annual pilgrimage to St. Joseph nearly here, we're examining every position group on the roster heading into camp.Here's a look at what we've covered so far:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-evaluating-the-three-qbs-behind-patrick-mahomes-">QB</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-a-look-at-the-chiefs-talented-group-of-running-backs">RB</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-travis-kelce-leads-a-deep-group-of-athletic-tight-ends">TE</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-examining-the-chiefs-crowded-wide-receiver-corps">WR</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-looking-at-the-chiefs-offensive-line">OT</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-examining-the-chiefs-young-and-athletic-linebacker-corps">LB</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/pre-camp-breakdown-evaluating-the-chiefs-young-secondary">DB</a>We'll wrap up this series with the defensive line, where the Chiefs currently employ 17 players. Here's a closer look at every defensive linemen on the roster, sorted by defensive ends and defensive tackles. Many of these players have the versatility to play both spots, but for the purpose of this breakdown, each member of the defensive line is categorized by his primary role.Defensive End (beginning with last year's starters, then sorted alphabetically)George KarlaftisA first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Karlaftis tallied the second-most pressures (48) and the third-most sacks (6) among all rookies last season. He was particularly effective late in the year, recording at least a half sack in six of the Chiefs' final seven regular-season games.Karlaftis logged the most snaps of any defensive end on the Chiefs' roster last season with 730, and with former edge rusher Frank Clark no longer in town, the 22-year-old Karlaftis will likely have an even larger role in 2023.SACK: George Karlaftis Gets to Geno Smith on Third Down to Force the PuntMike DannaThe 25-year-old Danna racked up a career-best 35 pressures and five sacks in 2022, the latter of which ranked third on the team behind only Chris Jones (15.5 sacks) and George Karlaftis (6 sacks).Danna's 35 pressures ranked fourth on the squad, and it's worth pointing out that he amassed those numbers while logging only 310 pass-rushing snaps. For context, only 11 players recorded more pressures last season on fewer pass-rushing snaps than Danna.He'll aim to continue that upward trajectory this upcoming season with a larger role likely in store.Felix Anudike-UzomahAn alum of nearby Lee's Summit High School and Kansas State, Anudike-Uzomah was immensely productive over the last two seasons for the Wildcats, racking up 25.5 tackles-for-loss, 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles in 27 games. He recorded at least eight sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss in each of the last two seasons while leading the FBS in forced fumbles in 2021.Additionally, Anudike-Uzomah's efforts this past season – which included 11 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks – earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and a Second-Team All-America nod.Anudike-Uzomah brings a varied skillset to the table that should make him a versatile and capable contributor early in his professional career. For example, The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote the following about Anudike-Uzomah's play style in his annual draft guide:"Anudike-Uzomah plays hard and mixes up his rush to keep his pursuit alive, which is what he does best. He projects as a physical, face-up power rusher with the impact potential to compete for an NFL starting role as a rookie."The 21-year-old Anudike-Uzomah brings more than just power and strength to his game, however, as Pro Football Focus called him one of the "bendiest" defensive linemen in this class.Here's more from PFF:"Bend is one of the most coveted traits for an edge rusher for a reason. Being able to consistently get underneath offensive tackles the way Anudike-Uzomah can makes life a lot easier…He's one of the best edge benders in the draft class, and he's the type of edge rusher that's going to convert a lot of pressures to sacks because of that. Of his 89 pressures the past two seasons, 21 ended up as sacks."Meet the Picks: Kansas State Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah | 2023 NFL DraftMalik HerringHerring earned a spot on the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster following training camp last season and went on to appear in seven games, recording 86 total defensive snaps. He logged significant time on the field in Week 5 (18 snaps) and Week 7 (26 snaps), tallying at least 30 percent of the Chiefs' defensive plays in each contest.It was a major step in the right direction for Herring, who signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent the previous offseason. The University of Georgia product was rehabbing a knee injury throughout his rookie campaign, but once healthy, he didn't waste the opportunity. He'll look to build on that progress heading into his third season as a professional.Truman JonesAn undrafted free agent signee, Jones earned Second-Team All-America honors in 2022 after leading the Ivy League with 13 tackles-for-loss last season. He was also a menace on special teams, blocking three kicks last year alone.Here's more on Jones from The Athletic's Dane Brugler:"Overall, Jones needs to expand his hand usage and learn how to string moves together for the next level, but his athletic tools and energy are a nice start for a developmental guy."Jones – a former linebacker who made the switch to defensive end as a redshirt freshman – checks in at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds.Joshua KaindohKaindoh is entering his third season with the Chiefs in 2023, and while he made the initial 53-man roster following training camp last year, the former fourth-round pick didn't appear in a game last season.The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Kaindoh – who appeared in three games during his rookie season in 2021 – will have a chance to earn a role along the Chiefs' defensive line during training camp.Charles OmenihuOne of the Chiefs' marquee free agent signings of the offseason, Omenihu racked up 54 pressures, 16 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks in 17 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, recording (or matching, in the case of quarterback hits) career-bests in each category. He recorded at least three pressures in nine games.His 54 pressures ranked second on the 49ers and would have ranked second on the Chiefs behind only defensive lineman Chris Jones (77). He ranked 27th league-wide in that category overall.A versatile defender, the 25-year-old Omenihu is a perfect fit for Chiefs' Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who often likes to deploy his defensive linemen at various spots along the line of scrimmage. In fact, Omenihu logged significant snaps last season as an outside edge rusher (310 snaps), lined up over the opposing tackle (127 snaps) and along the interior of the defensive line (133 snaps).A major reason that Omenihu is able to play those different positions is his tremendous size. He's a big man at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds with 36-inch arms. For context, his arm length would have been the second-longest of any edge rusher at the NFL Scouting Combine this year.Jawaan Taylor and Charles Omenihu Introduction Press ConferenceBJ ThompsonThe Chiefs selected Thompson in the fifth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft after he recorded 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 24.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and five passes defensed in 52 career games (34 starts) between Baylor and Stephen F. Austin. The 24-year-old Thompson checks in at 6-foot-6 and 243 pounds with nearly 35-inch arms to go along with impressive speed.Here's more on Thompson's physical profile from The Athletic's Dane Brugler:"…His speed and length make him a tough guy to keep blocked when he stays under controlled mid-rush. He is a developmental subpackage rusher (reminiscent of Arden Key)."Thompson wasn't invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but he still had an opportunity to demonstrate his athletic skills during Stephen F. Austin's pro day. Here's a quick look at some of his results and how they compared with those in his position group who were at the Combine:Vertical Jump:&nbsp;37.5 inches (would have tied for third among defensive ends at the Combine)Three-Cone Drill:&nbsp;7.06 seconds (would have ranked third among defensive ends at the Combine)Broad Jump:&nbsp;10 feet, five inches (would have ranked seventh among defensive ends at the Combine)It's also worth mentioning that Thompson&nbsp;<a href="https://theathletic.com/3488797/2022/08/10/college-football-freaks-list-2022/?access_token=456497&amp;redirected=1">landed on The Athletic’s “College Football Freaks List”</a>&nbsp;back in August due to his incredible physical traits.BJ Thompson Speaks during Rookie Minicamp | Press Conference 5/7Defensive Tackles (beginning with last year's starters, then sorted alphabetically)Chris JonesOne of the best players in all of football, Jones racked up 77 total pressures, 29 quarterback hits, 17 tackles-for-loss and 15.5 sacks in 2022. His 77 pressures led all defensive tackles and ranked fifth among all players, trailing only the Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons (90), the San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa (90), the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby (81) and the Minnesota Vikings' Za'Darius Smith (78).Jones finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting following the campaign, and at still only 29 years old, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Jones remains one of the most dominant defensive players in the league.SACK: Chris Jones' HUGE Sack of Joe Burrow in the Final Minute Forces a Cincinnati PuntDerrick NnadiThe 27-year-old Nnadi re-signed with the Chiefs this offseason after appearing in all 17 games in 2022, tallying 25 tackles. The five-year veteran was on the field for 388 defensive snaps last season, and with former defensive tackle Khalen Saunders no longer on the team, it's reasonable to expect Nnadi to take on a larger role in 2023.In fact, perhaps Nnadi's best trait during his career in Kansas City has been his availability. The former third-round pick has appeared in 81 of 82 possible games as a professional.Keondre CoburnA sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Texas, Coburn is a big man with impressive strength and power, as the 22-year-old Coburn checks in at 6-foot-2 and 332 pounds to go along with immense size and power throughout his frame. Here's more from The Athletic's Dane Brugler:"With his low, leveraged position, Coburn creates power at contact to walk blockers backward or reestablish the line of scrimmage. He's strong, stout and athletic to hold the point or create pressure. He projects as a sawed-off, early down nose tackle in the NFL."A five-year player for the Longhorns, Coburn tallied 96 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed in 51 games (45 starts) from 2018-22. He saved his best work for last, too, recording 31 pressures in 13 games (12 starts) this past season. Those 31 pressures exceeded his totals from the previous three seasons combined (28), according to Pro Football Focus.Keondre Coburn Speaks during Rookie Minicamp | Press Conference 5/7Matt DickersonDickerson re-joined the Chiefs as a free agent signee in May after spending a portion of training camp with Kansas City last August. The Chiefs waived the 27-year-old Dickerson on August 30 as part of final roster cuts, but he eventually went on to appear in six games with the Atlanta Falcons over the course of the 2022 season.Phil HoskinsA veteran free agent signee in late March, Hoskins spent the last several weeks of the 2022-23 season on Kansas City's practice squad. A seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2021, Hoskins appeared in eight games for Carolina over the last two seasons before signing with the Chiefs.Danny SheltonA first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Shelton joined the Chiefs as a free agent during training camp last year. He went on to spend much of the season on Kansas City's practice squad, appearing in one game (Week 16 vs. Seattle). Shelton recorded nine defensive snaps and two special teams' snaps in the game.A big man at 6-foot-2 and 345-pounds, Shelton brings a veteran presence to the Chiefs' defensive line entering training camp.Tershawn WhartonWharton was on his way to a solid season in 2022 before tearing his ACL in Week 5. Prior to the injury, the 25-year-old defensive tackle had recorded five pressures, four quarterback hits and a sack in a limited role as a rotational piece along the defensive front.The former undrafted free agent signee tallied at least 20 pressures in each of the previous two seasons, and while he'll start training camp on the "Physically Unable to Perform" (PUP) list, his rehab will be something to follow.Chris WilliamsWilliams signed with Kansas City as a veteran free agent during the offseason following two years with the Indianapolis Colts. The 6-foot-2, 302-pound defensive tackle logged 13 appearances for Indianapolis in that time after joining the Colts as an undrafted free agent.Daniel WiseA University of Kansas product, Wise spent the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders after going undrafted in 2021. He logged 17 appearances (2 starts) during that time, recording 11 tackles and one quarterback hit.The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Wise spent some time on the Chiefs' practice squad in January and chose to remain in town by agreeing to a "Reserve/Future" deal in early February.The Bottom LineThe Chiefs elected to employ 10 defensive linemen for the Week 1 roster last season, keeping six defensive ends and four defensive tackles. That trend has been fairly steady in recent seasons, too, as Kansas City kept nine defensive linemen in 2021, 10 in 2020 and nine in 2019. The Chiefs have kept more defensive ends than defensive tackles in each of the last three years, but it's worth noting that they held onto five of each group in 2019.With all of that in mind, it's reasonable to assume that Karlaftis, Omenihu, Danna and Anudike-Uzomah will each have a place on the team in 2023, leaving potentially one or two spots for the other four defensive ends currently on the roster. As for defensive tackle, there will be two to three spots up for grabs behind Jones and Nnadi depending on if Wharton is activated from the PUP list during camp. Players can remain on the PUP list at the beginning of the season and not count against the roster, so Wharton's progress will be something to watch as it relates to how many roster spots will be available at the end of August.Regardless, this year's camp will feature plenty of competition along the defensive line as numerous players battle for only a handful of roster spots.

🏈 Chiefs rookies and quarterbacks in St. Joseph ahead of Chiefs Training Camp

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— Mass Street, the KU alumni team competing in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) came from behind to defeat We Are D3, 70-67 in the first round on Wednesday night at Charles Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State University.

We Are D3 jumped out early in the game, and led by as many as 12 in the third quarter. Mass Street tied the game at 62 with under four minutes to go, setting up the <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/elam-ending/">Elam Ending</a>, and the target score of 70.&nbsp;

With Mass Street leading, 68-67, Mario Little went to the free-throw line with a chance to seal the win. Little missed both attempts, but Thomas Robinson tipped the second miss back in off the backboard to give Mass Street the target score and the win.

Robinson finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds in the victory, while Little had 17, and Keith Langford scored 15.&nbsp;

Mass Street will face the Show Me Squad made up of Missouri alumni in a Border Showdown type TBT game on Saturday at 3 p.m.

For more information on TBT, <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/regions/wichita/">click here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689853361712.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— Mass Street, the KU alumni team competing in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) came from behind to defeat We Are D3, 70-67 in the first round on Wednesday night at Charles Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State University.We Are D3 jumped out early in the game, and led by as many as 12 in the third quarter. Mass Street tied the game at 62 with under four minutes to go, setting up the <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/elam-ending/">Elam Ending</a>, and the target score of 70.&nbsp;With Mass Street leading, 68-67, Mario Little went to the free-throw line with a chance to seal the win. Little missed both attempts, but Thomas Robinson tipped the second miss back in off the backboard to give Mass Street the target score and the win.Robinson finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds in the victory, while Little had 17, and Keith Langford scored 15.&nbsp;Mass Street will face the Show Me Squad made up of Missouri alumni in a Border Showdown type TBT game on Saturday at 3 p.m.For more information on TBT, <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/regions/wichita/">click here</a>.