SALINA, Kan.&nbsp;— The No. 3 McPherson Bullpups punched their ticket into the class 4A state championship game following a 9-2 win over Paola in the semifinal on Friday.

The Bullpups will await the winner of the other semifinal between No. 4 Fort Scott and No. 8 Chanute, which will be played at 1:15 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. this evening at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina.

McPherson (20-4) jumped on the Panthers early and often. After Paola took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Bullpups responded with four of their own to take 4-1 lead. McPherson tagged on three more in the second to lead 7-1 after two complete. The Bullpups added their final two runs in the fourth inning. Paola plated one in the fifth to cut the lead down to seven.

Cade Wedel went 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple and an RBI to lead the Bullpups' attack. Teegan Haines (2-for-4), Gavin Richardson (2-for-3, 3 RBI), Brock Richardson (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Jaret Myers (2-for-3) all had multi-hit games for the Bullpups, who in total tallied 15 hits.

Ian Razak was credited with the win on the mound, securing his second straight win of the state tournament.&nbsp;

Paola - 100 010 0 -- 2 6 3 McPherson - 430 200 x -- 9 15 1 W: Razak. L: Loethen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685040392143.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA, Kan.&nbsp;— The No. 3 McPherson Bullpups punched their ticket into the class 4A state championship game following a 9-2 win over Paola in the semifinal on Friday.The Bullpups will await the winner of the other semifinal between No. 4 Fort Scott and No. 8 Chanute, which will be played at 1:15 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. this evening at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina.McPherson (20-4) jumped on the Panthers early and often. After Paola took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Bullpups responded with four of their own to take 4-1 lead. McPherson tagged on three more in the second to lead 7-1 after two complete. The Bullpups added their final two runs in the fourth inning. Paola plated one in the fifth to cut the lead down to seven.Cade Wedel went 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple and an RBI to lead the Bullpups' attack. Teegan Haines (2-for-4), Gavin Richardson (2-for-3, 3 RBI), Brock Richardson (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Jaret Myers (2-for-3) all had multi-hit games for the Bullpups, who in total tallied 15 hits.Ian Razak was credited with the win on the mound, securing his second straight win of the state tournament.&nbsp;Paola - 100 010 0 -- 2 6 3 McPherson - 430 200 x -- 9 15 1 W: Razak. L: Loethen.

⚾ McPherson punches ticket to 4A state title game

<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=0756381c95&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=efaf55eee9&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Statistics</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=36d3c75c87&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Gallery</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=a4ff1f7bf7&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Bracket</a>

ARLINGTON, Texas –&nbsp;TCU used a five-run sixth inning Thursday afternoon to break open a close game against Kansas in the Big 12 Championship and top the Jayhawks 14-4 in eight innings at Globe Life Field.

Trailing 5-4 in the middle of the sixth, the Jayhawks were going toe-to-toe with the fourth-seeded Horned Frogs. But TCU (35-22) scored five runs on four hits, including a two-run homer to take a 10-4 lead, before adding one more in the seventh and three in the eighth to secure a run-rule victory.

The Jayhawks (25-31) dropped to 1-1 in Big 12 Championship play and will now play Kansas State (34-23) in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Friday in an elimination game. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.

“We’ll be back tomorrow, ready to go,” Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “I just told the guys after the game that we don’t have the luxury to spend a lot of time on this one. Let’s get our minds right and be ready to compete tomorrow. Thankfully, we’ve approached every game with that end of the season mentality of this is the only game we’re promised. These guys will bounce back, and we’ll fight tomorrow. I have zero questions about that.”

For the second straight day, Kansas got on the scoreboard first. Mike Koszewski started the game with an 11-pitch walk to get a man on base to start. After a strikeout, Kodey Shojinaga singled through the right side to move Koszewski to third and put runners on the corners. A hit by pitch then loaded the bases for Michael Brooks, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Koszewski and make it 1-0.

TCU responded in the bottom half of the inning, however. The Horned Frogs scored three runs off a single and triple to take a 3-1 lead after the first.

The Jayhawks got it to within one in the second, thanks to a 400-foot home run from Luke Leto. Kansas then tied the game an inning later when Cole Elvis doubled with two outs to score Janson Reeder and knot the game at three apiece.

The Horned Frogs responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half, though, to regain the lead at 5-3. Kansas chipped away in the sixth inning when Jake English homered to left to make it 5-4 for his ninth home run of the season.

But TCU had its answer in the bottom half with its five-run frame and then cruised from there.

Reeder and Koszewski both had two-hit nights for the Jayhawks, while Leto and English both went deep. Elvis hit his team-high-tying 16th double in the loss.

PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Luke Savage (3-3) Final line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO Loss: Hunter Cranton (3-4) Final line: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 SO

NOTES • Kansas fell to 13-23 all-time in the Big 12 Championship and 2-2 against TCU in the tournament. • English hit his ninth home run of the season. • Leto blasted his eighth home run of the year.

UP NEXT Kansas plays Kansas State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Friday afternoon in an elimination game at 3 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field. The winner will advance to Saturday to face TCU at 9 a.m. CT, while the losing team will be eliminated from the tournament. Friday’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

<figure>
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 <figcaption>Via KU Sports</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=0756381c95&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=efaf55eee9&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Statistics</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=36d3c75c87&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Gallery</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=a4ff1f7bf7&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Bracket</a>ARLINGTON, Texas –&nbsp;TCU used a five-run sixth inning Thursday afternoon to break open a close game against Kansas in the Big 12 Championship and top the Jayhawks 14-4 in eight innings at Globe Life Field.Trailing 5-4 in the middle of the sixth, the Jayhawks were going toe-to-toe with the fourth-seeded Horned Frogs. But TCU (35-22) scored five runs on four hits, including a two-run homer to take a 10-4 lead, before adding one more in the seventh and three in the eighth to secure a run-rule victory.The Jayhawks (25-31) dropped to 1-1 in Big 12 Championship play and will now play Kansas State (34-23) in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Friday in an elimination game. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.“We’ll be back tomorrow, ready to go,” Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “I just told the guys after the game that we don’t have the luxury to spend a lot of time on this one. Let’s get our minds right and be ready to compete tomorrow. Thankfully, we’ve approached every game with that end of the season mentality of this is the only game we’re promised. These guys will bounce back, and we’ll fight tomorrow. I have zero questions about that.”For the second straight day, Kansas got on the scoreboard first. Mike Koszewski started the game with an 11-pitch walk to get a man on base to start. After a strikeout, Kodey Shojinaga singled through the right side to move Koszewski to third and put runners on the corners. A hit by pitch then loaded the bases for Michael Brooks, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Koszewski and make it 1-0.TCU responded in the bottom half of the inning, however. The Horned Frogs scored three runs off a single and triple to take a 3-1 lead after the first.The Jayhawks got it to within one in the second, thanks to a 400-foot home run from Luke Leto. Kansas then tied the game an inning later when Cole Elvis doubled with two outs to score Janson Reeder and knot the game at three apiece.The Horned Frogs responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half, though, to regain the lead at 5-3. Kansas chipped away in the sixth inning when Jake English homered to left to make it 5-4 for his ninth home run of the season.But TCU had its answer in the bottom half with its five-run frame and then cruised from there.Reeder and Koszewski both had two-hit nights for the Jayhawks, while Leto and English both went deep. Elvis hit his team-high-tying 16th double in the loss.PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Luke Savage (3-3) Final line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO Loss: Hunter Cranton (3-4) Final line: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 SONOTES • Kansas fell to 13-23 all-time in the Big 12 Championship and 2-2 against TCU in the tournament. • English hit his ninth home run of the season. • Leto blasted his eighth home run of the year.UP NEXT Kansas plays Kansas State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Friday afternoon in an elimination game at 3 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field. The winner will advance to Saturday to face TCU at 9 a.m. CT, while the losing team will be eliminated from the tournament. Friday’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

⚾ Jayhawks drop game 2 at Big 12 Championship to TCU

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brayden Taylor drove in three runs and scored four times and TCU blew open a close game with a five-run sixth inning to defeat Kansas 14-4 in eight innings in a winners bracket game of the Big 12 Tournament. Taylor, who had four hits, ripped his 21st home run in the sixth inning and reached 60 RBIs for the season with the two-run shot. No. 4 seed TCU advances to the final round of the upper bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will face either No. 8 Kansas or No. 5 Kansas State on Saturday. Luke Savage got the win after allowing three hits and one run in 3 1/3 innings of middle relief.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ty Ruhl and Tyson Neighbors combined for a two-hitter and Kansas State eliminated top-seeded Texas 6-0 in the Big 12 Tournament. Kansas State (34-23) plays in another elimination game on Friday. Texas (38-20) was the first team eliminated from the tournament. Dom Hughes went 3 for 4, including an RBI single in the first inning to give Kansas State a 1-0 lead that would hold until a five-run seventh. Kansas State chased starter Lebarron Johnson after leading off the seventh with a single. The Wildcats scored five runs with the bases loaded — two on walks. Nick Goodwin hit his two-run double off the third Texas pitcher of the inning.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kevin Bazzell delivered a two-out walk-off single in the ninth inning, lifting Texas Tech to a 10-9 victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders scored three runs in the ninth to defeat the Sooners on a night when the TTU pitching staff issued nine walks, threw three wild pitches and hit one batter. Bazzell’s winning hit was set up by consecutive RBI-singles from Tracer Lopez and Nolen Hester. After Hester’s hit, Gage Harrelson kept the inning alive with a single and Bazzell followed with his only hit in five at-bats. Josh Sanders pitched three perfect innings for the win.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Roc Riggio hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Oklahoma State edged West Virginia 3-2 in the Big 12 Tournament to give coach Josh Holliday his 400th career victory. Oklahoma State (38-17) plays in another must-win game on Friday. West Virginia (39-18) became the second top-three seed to be eliminated from the tournament after No. 1 Texas lost earlier. Oklahoma State sophomore Juaron Watts-Brown struck out the first two batters of the ninth inning before West Virginia loaded the bases after two hit batters and a double. Watts-Brown ended it with his seventh strikeout in three innings to get his sixth win of the season.

DENVER (AP) — Ezequiel Tovar singled through a five-man infield during a ninth-inning storm, lifting Colorado over the Miami Marlins 7-6 Thursday after the Rockies wasted a four-run lead in the top of the inning. Colorado took a 6-2 lead with four runs in the eighth, but Jorge Soler and pinch-hitter Garrett Cooper hit two-run homers on curveballs from Pierce Johnson in the ninth. Huascar Brazobán (0-1) walked Kris Bryant and Elias Díaz on four pitches each starting the bottom half, retired Randal Grichuk on a flyout and after getting ahead of Ryan McMahon 0-2, threw four straight balls that loaded the bases. Amid a downpour with thunder and lightning overhead, the Marlins moved right fielder Garrett Hampson to the infield and Tovar hit a chopper past diving third baseman Jean Segura into left field.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and scored on a wild pitch, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 for their 13th win in 18 games. Miles Mikolas won his third straight decision, allowing five hits over seven scoreless innings, which matched his season high. He struck out five and walked none. Giovany Gallegos gave up a two-out RBI single to Stuart Fairchild in the ninth before striking out Luke Maile for his fifth save in six chances.

BOSTON (AP) — Derrick White had 24 points, including six 3-pointers, helping lead the charge as the Boston Celtics dominated the Miami Heat 110-97 in Game 5 on to extend the Eastern Conference finals. Marcus Smart had 23 points and five steals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points apiece as the Celtics claimed their second straight win and trimmed Miami’s series lead to 3-2. It keeps alive Boston’s hopes of becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Saturday in Miami. Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points.

DALLAS (AP) — Joe Pavelski scored on a power play at 3:18 of overtime and the Dallas Stars avoided a sweep in the Western Conference final with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. Jason Robertson scored twice for his first career multigoal playoff game for Dallas, which played without suspended captain Jamie Benn. Jake Oettinger had 37 saves, two nights after he was pulled 7:10 into Game 3 after allowing three goals on five shots. Benn was suspended two games by the NHL on Wednesday for his cross-check with his stick landing near the neck of Vegas captain Mark Stone in the first two minutes of Game 3 on Tuesday night. William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault scored for Vegas.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — So much for the Block party at Colonial. California club pro Michael Block had a dream week at the PGA Championship when he made a hole-in-one and tied for 15th. He came back to reality in the Charles Schwab Challenge. Block had three double bogeys on the last four holes and shot 81. He in last place in the 120-man field. Harry Hall of England shot a 62 and leads Harris English by three shots. Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Sam Burns opened with 67s. Jordan Spieth shot a 72. Block says he had a day when everything went wrong.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Politics and sports go together like baseball and apple pie. Title-winning teams have visited the White House for decades. But what started as a nonpartisan rite of passage has become increasingly tangled up in politics. It's a shift that some peg to Bill Clinton’s presidency. One pro golfer declined a White House invitation and described Clinton in unflattering terms. On Friday, President Joe Biden will welcome the NCAA champion LSU women's basketball team along with UConn's men's team. Some took umbrage when first lady Jill Biden suggested also inviting the Iowa team that lost in the finals to LSU. After significant pushback, that idea faded away.

UNDATED (AP) — The spring transfer window lasts just 15 days and is not nearly as active as the 45-day window after the college football season — except if your Colorado. Coach Deion Sanders’ team has added 20 transfers since the portal window opened April 15. The Buffaloes are up to 48 transfers overall, according to 247 Sports, and have room for more. Other schools went for quality over quantity. USC, Alabama, Auburn and Northwestern are among six winners from the spring transfer season.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683366121627.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Friday, May 26th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Friday, May 26th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brayden Taylor drove in three runs and scored four times and TCU blew open a close game with a five-run sixth inning to defeat Kansas 14-4 in eight innings in a winners bracket game of the Big 12 Tournament. Taylor, who had four hits, ripped his 21st home run in the sixth inning and reached 60 RBIs for the season with the two-run shot. No. 4 seed TCU advances to the final round of the upper bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will face either No. 8 Kansas or No. 5 Kansas State on Saturday. Luke Savage got the win after allowing three hits and one run in 3 1/3 innings of middle relief.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ty Ruhl and Tyson Neighbors combined for a two-hitter and Kansas State eliminated top-seeded Texas 6-0 in the Big 12 Tournament. Kansas State (34-23) plays in another elimination game on Friday. Texas (38-20) was the first team eliminated from the tournament. Dom Hughes went 3 for 4, including an RBI single in the first inning to give Kansas State a 1-0 lead that would hold until a five-run seventh. Kansas State chased starter Lebarron Johnson after leading off the seventh with a single. The Wildcats scored five runs with the bases loaded — two on walks. Nick Goodwin hit his two-run double off the third Texas pitcher of the inning.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kevin Bazzell delivered a two-out walk-off single in the ninth inning, lifting Texas Tech to a 10-9 victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders scored three runs in the ninth to defeat the Sooners on a night when the TTU pitching staff issued nine walks, threw three wild pitches and hit one batter. Bazzell’s winning hit was set up by consecutive RBI-singles from Tracer Lopez and Nolen Hester. After Hester’s hit, Gage Harrelson kept the inning alive with a single and Bazzell followed with his only hit in five at-bats. Josh Sanders pitched three perfect innings for the win.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Roc Riggio hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Oklahoma State edged West Virginia 3-2 in the Big 12 Tournament to give coach Josh Holliday his 400th career victory. Oklahoma State (38-17) plays in another must-win game on Friday. West Virginia (39-18) became the second top-three seed to be eliminated from the tournament after No. 1 Texas lost earlier. Oklahoma State sophomore Juaron Watts-Brown struck out the first two batters of the ninth inning before West Virginia loaded the bases after two hit batters and a double. Watts-Brown ended it with his seventh strikeout in three innings to get his sixth win of the season.DENVER (AP) — Ezequiel Tovar singled through a five-man infield during a ninth-inning storm, lifting Colorado over the Miami Marlins 7-6 Thursday after the Rockies wasted a four-run lead in the top of the inning. Colorado took a 6-2 lead with four runs in the eighth, but Jorge Soler and pinch-hitter Garrett Cooper hit two-run homers on curveballs from Pierce Johnson in the ninth. Huascar Brazobán (0-1) walked Kris Bryant and Elias Díaz on four pitches each starting the bottom half, retired Randal Grichuk on a flyout and after getting ahead of Ryan McMahon 0-2, threw four straight balls that loaded the bases. Amid a downpour with thunder and lightning overhead, the Marlins moved right fielder Garrett Hampson to the infield and Tovar hit a chopper past diving third baseman Jean Segura into left field.CINCINNATI (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and scored on a wild pitch, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 for their 13th win in 18 games. Miles Mikolas won his third straight decision, allowing five hits over seven scoreless innings, which matched his season high. He struck out five and walked none. Giovany Gallegos gave up a two-out RBI single to Stuart Fairchild in the ninth before striking out Luke Maile for his fifth save in six chances.BOSTON (AP) — Derrick White had 24 points, including six 3-pointers, helping lead the charge as the Boston Celtics dominated the Miami Heat 110-97 in Game 5 on to extend the Eastern Conference finals. Marcus Smart had 23 points and five steals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points apiece as the Celtics claimed their second straight win and trimmed Miami’s series lead to 3-2. It keeps alive Boston’s hopes of becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Saturday in Miami. Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points.DALLAS (AP) — Joe Pavelski scored on a power play at 3:18 of overtime and the Dallas Stars avoided a sweep in the Western Conference final with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. Jason Robertson scored twice for his first career multigoal playoff game for Dallas, which played without suspended captain Jamie Benn. Jake Oettinger had 37 saves, two nights after he was pulled 7:10 into Game 3 after allowing three goals on five shots. Benn was suspended two games by the NHL on Wednesday for his cross-check with his stick landing near the neck of Vegas captain Mark Stone in the first two minutes of Game 3 on Tuesday night. William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault scored for Vegas.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — So much for the Block party at Colonial. California club pro Michael Block had a dream week at the PGA Championship when he made a hole-in-one and tied for 15th. He came back to reality in the Charles Schwab Challenge. Block had three double bogeys on the last four holes and shot 81. He in last place in the 120-man field. Harry Hall of England shot a 62 and leads Harris English by three shots. Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Sam Burns opened with 67s. Jordan Spieth shot a 72. Block says he had a day when everything went wrong.WASHINGTON (AP) — Politics and sports go together like baseball and apple pie. Title-winning teams have visited the White House for decades. But what started as a nonpartisan rite of passage has become increasingly tangled up in politics. It's a shift that some peg to Bill Clinton’s presidency. One pro golfer declined a White House invitation and described Clinton in unflattering terms. On Friday, President Joe Biden will welcome the NCAA champion LSU women's basketball team along with UConn's men's team. Some took umbrage when first lady Jill Biden suggested also inviting the Iowa team that lost in the finals to LSU. After significant pushback, that idea faded away.UNDATED (AP) — The spring transfer window lasts just 15 days and is not nearly as active as the 45-day window after the college football season — except if your Colorado. Coach Deion Sanders’ team has added 20 transfers since the portal window opened April 15. The Buffaloes are up to 48 transfers overall, according to 247 Sports, and have room for more. Other schools went for quality over quantity. USC, Alabama, Auburn and Northwestern are among six winners from the spring transfer season.THURSDAY SCORESAMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Tampa Bay 6 Toronto 3Final Detroit 7 Chicago White Sox 2Final Baltimore 3 N.Y. Yankees 1Final Seattle 3 Oakland 2NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal St. Louis 2 Cincinnati 1Final Colorado 7 Miami 6Final San Diego 8 Washington 6Final Atlanta 8 Philadelphia 5Final N.Y. Mets 10 Chicago Cubs 1Final San Francisco 5 Milwaukee 0NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal Boston 110 Miami 97

📢📰  Sports Headlines for Friday

CLASS 4A 
FINAL (12 Inn): McPherson 3, Fort Scott 2 
SALINA, Kan. — No. 2 seed McPherson fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but would battle back and take down No. 7 Fort Scott, 3-2 in 12 innings.&nbsp;

The Bullpups walked it off on a groundout in the bottom of the 12th inning from Kelcy Bergstrom. Chloe Clevenger doubled to lead off the bottom of the 12th, and after Addison Chapman was intentionally walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out, Clevenger stole third. She would come home to score the game winning run on the groundout to the second baseman.

Fort Scott grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an error, one of two errors committed by the Bullpups. McPherson countered with a run in the bottom half to pull within 2-1.

The game saw an hour long weather delay in the fifth inning, still with Fort Scott leading 2-1. The Bullpups got out of another bases loaded jam as play resumed in the fifth.

McPherson tied the game up at two apiece in the bottom of the seventh inning when Chapman came up clutch with an RBI single to center that scored Olivia Cheatham who led the inning off with a single.

McPherson tallied 11 hits in the win, including three apiece from Chapman, Bergstrom and Cheatham. Chapman went the distance in the circle, striking out 17 in the victory.

The Bullpups will face the winner of Mulvane and Clearwater (9 p.m. start on Thursday) at 11 a.m. on Friday in the semifinal.

Fort Scott - 200 000 000 000 -- 2 4 1 McPherson - 100 000 100 001 -- 3 11 3 W: Chapman. L: Farrell.

CLASS 3A FINAL (4 Inn): Haven 17, Scott City 2 MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;— No. 1 Haven had no problems whatsoever with it's quarterfinal game, as it blew by No. 8 Scott City, 17-2 in four innings at Twin Oaks Complex on Thursday evening.&nbsp;

The Wildcats plated two in the first inning, and then erupted four nine in the second to build an 11-0 lead after two complete. The damage was done as the rain was coming down in the Little Apple, and Haven took advantage of it. The Wildcats also took advantage of six Beaver errors in the game.&nbsp;

Haven only recorded five hits, two by Avery Brawner, the only Wildcat with a multi hit game. Kaylie Kincaid drove in a team-high four runs on three walks, while Morgan O'Neal drove in three. The Wildcats were patient at the plate, walking 15 times in the win.

Brawner went the distance in the circle, striking out seven Beavers and allowing just three hits in the victory. Haven will now play in the semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m. against the winner of Beloit and Santa Fe Trail (Thursday at 7 p.m.).

Scott City - 001 1xx x -- 2 3 6 Haven - 294 2xx x -- 17 5 0 W: A. Brawner. L: Cramer.

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<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685055809965.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CLASS 4A 
FINAL (12 Inn): McPherson 3, Fort Scott 2 
SALINA, Kan. — No. 2 seed McPherson fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but would battle back and take down No. 7 Fort Scott, 3-2 in 12 innings.&nbsp;The Bullpups walked it off on a groundout in the bottom of the 12th inning from Kelcy Bergstrom. Chloe Clevenger doubled to lead off the bottom of the 12th, and after Addison Chapman was intentionally walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out, Clevenger stole third. She would come home to score the game winning run on the groundout to the second baseman.Fort Scott grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an error, one of two errors committed by the Bullpups. McPherson countered with a run in the bottom half to pull within 2-1.The game saw an hour long weather delay in the fifth inning, still with Fort Scott leading 2-1. The Bullpups got out of another bases loaded jam as play resumed in the fifth.McPherson tied the game up at two apiece in the bottom of the seventh inning when Chapman came up clutch with an RBI single to center that scored Olivia Cheatham who led the inning off with a single.McPherson tallied 11 hits in the win, including three apiece from Chapman, Bergstrom and Cheatham. Chapman went the distance in the circle, striking out 17 in the victory.The Bullpups will face the winner of Mulvane and Clearwater (9 p.m. start on Thursday) at 11 a.m. on Friday in the semifinal.Fort Scott - 200 000 000 000 -- 2 4 1 McPherson - 100 000 100 001 -- 3 11 3 W: Chapman. L: Farrell.CLASS 3A FINAL (4 Inn): Haven 17, Scott City 2 MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;— No. 1 Haven had no problems whatsoever with it's quarterfinal game, as it blew by No. 8 Scott City, 17-2 in four innings at Twin Oaks Complex on Thursday evening.&nbsp;The Wildcats plated two in the first inning, and then erupted four nine in the second to build an 11-0 lead after two complete. The damage was done as the rain was coming down in the Little Apple, and Haven took advantage of it. The Wildcats also took advantage of six Beaver errors in the game.&nbsp;Haven only recorded five hits, two by Avery Brawner, the only Wildcat with a multi hit game. Kaylie Kincaid drove in a team-high four runs on three walks, while Morgan O'Neal drove in three. The Wildcats were patient at the plate, walking 15 times in the win.Brawner went the distance in the circle, striking out seven Beavers and allowing just three hits in the victory. Haven will now play in the semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m. against the winner of Beloit and Santa Fe Trail (Thursday at 7 p.m.).Scott City - 001 1xx x -- 2 3 6 Haven - 294 2xx x -- 17 5 0 W: A. Brawner. L: Cramer.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 McPherson wins thriller in 12, Haven wins easily in area recap

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

ARLINGTON, Texas –&nbsp;Sophomores&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;combined for Wildcats' first conference tournament shutout in 47 years, as K-State took down top-seeded Texas, 6-0, Thursday in an elimination game of the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field. No. 5 seed K-State (34-23) bounced back in the second breakfast baseball game when the Wildcats recorded the program's first conference tournament shutout since 1976 where they defeated Colorado, 2-0, during the Big Eight tournament. "Difference a day makes, crazy game but you're never too down when you have the chance to coach tough kids and play for each other," fifth-year head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>&nbsp;said on his team's victory. "All the corny stuff you know makes a difference when you're in the losers' bracket, you're battling through a lot of things out there today." In the 123-year history of Wildcat baseball and second in the Hughes era, K-State picked up win No. 34. The victory also marks the first time since 2011 and 2013 that the Wildcats won 34 or more games twice in a three-year span. "We all came to K-State to win championships. We're trying to get back in to play in this tournament to win a championship. Just really proud of our boys and how they responded," Hughes commented. &nbsp; "We had some great effort,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;who's accustomed to coming out of the bullpen and basically got a start here for the second week in a row in a win or go home and was lights out against a fantastic offensive team. And he was sick all day doing it and didn't feel good and neither did our closer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>, a little bug is going around." <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;combined for the Cats' fourth shutout of the season as the sophomores limited the Longhorns (38-20) to just two hits, their lowest of the season. "Guys playing for each other, playing for their teammates. Just really exemplifying toughness, which is what we're all about." Ruhl (4-4) tossed a one-hitter during his five innings in just his second career start as he retired 16 of the 21 batters he faced with four strikeouts to pick up the victory. Neighbors, a product of Royse City, Texas, collected his 11th&nbsp;save of the season as he dominated in his four innings where fanned eight batters to match a career-high. Neighbors' 11 saves ties third in the program's single-season records. Designated hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dom-hughes/10952">Dom Hughes</a>&nbsp;posted a career-high three hits to lead the Wildcats offense that totaled 13 hits. The junior from Boston, Mass., went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;who recorded his 16th&nbsp;multi-RBI game of the season. HOW IT HAPPENED <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-jones/10954">Brendan Jones</a>&nbsp;set the tone for the game when the Greenbrier, Tenn., native doubled down the right field line to lead off the elimination game. The sophomore would score the game-winning run on the Cats' second hit into right by Hughes. &nbsp; Ruhl used 13 pitches to set down the Longhorns in order in the bottom of the inning with a pair of strikeouts to keep the Cats lead. Leading 1-0, K-State made the call to the pen as Neighbors relieved Ruhl in the sixth. The closer allowed just one runner to reach base in the inning before striking out the final batter, leaving the Longhorns' sixth runner stranded at third. The Cats' put away the game in the seventh with five runs on four hits and three walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/10947">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;hit into right field before moving to third on a walk and single from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>. With bases loaded, Jones drew his 43rd&nbsp;walk of the season to score Culpepper. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cash-rugely/10963">Cash Rugely</a>&nbsp;and Hughes each registered an RBI to extend the Cats' lead out to four, leading to the Longhorns' second pitching change. &nbsp; Goodwin launched a two-out two-RBI double off the left field wall to nail the final runs to the board. &nbsp; Neighbors retired eight of the final 11 batters including punching out the last two batters to complete the shutout. INSIDE THE BOX

UP NEXT K-State will face either No. 4 seed TCU or No. 8 seed Kansas Friday in an elimination game at 3 p.m. The game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Network with live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/Watch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685049690979.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

ARLINGTON, Texas –&nbsp;Sophomores&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;combined for Wildcats' first conference tournament shutout in 47 years, as K-State took down top-seeded Texas, 6-0, Thursday in an elimination game of the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field. No. 5 seed K-State (34-23) bounced back in the second breakfast baseball game when the Wildcats recorded the program's first conference tournament shutout since 1976 where they defeated Colorado, 2-0, during the Big Eight tournament. "Difference a day makes, crazy game but you're never too down when you have the chance to coach tough kids and play for each other," fifth-year head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>&nbsp;said on his team's victory. "All the corny stuff you know makes a difference when you're in the losers' bracket, you're battling through a lot of things out there today." In the 123-year history of Wildcat baseball and second in the Hughes era, K-State picked up win No. 34. The victory also marks the first time since 2011 and 2013 that the Wildcats won 34 or more games twice in a three-year span. "We all came to K-State to win championships. We're trying to get back in to play in this tournament to win a championship. Just really proud of our boys and how they responded," Hughes commented. &nbsp; "We had some great effort,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;who's accustomed to coming out of the bullpen and basically got a start here for the second week in a row in a win or go home and was lights out against a fantastic offensive team. And he was sick all day doing it and didn't feel good and neither did our closer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>, a little bug is going around." <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/10964">Ty Ruhl</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;combined for the Cats' fourth shutout of the season as the sophomores limited the Longhorns (38-20) to just two hits, their lowest of the season. "Guys playing for each other, playing for their teammates. Just really exemplifying toughness, which is what we're all about." Ruhl (4-4) tossed a one-hitter during his five innings in just his second career start as he retired 16 of the 21 batters he faced with four strikeouts to pick up the victory. Neighbors, a product of Royse City, Texas, collected his 11th&nbsp;save of the season as he dominated in his four innings where fanned eight batters to match a career-high. Neighbors' 11 saves ties third in the program's single-season records. Designated hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dom-hughes/10952">Dom Hughes</a>&nbsp;posted a career-high three hits to lead the Wildcats offense that totaled 13 hits. The junior from Boston, Mass., went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;who recorded his 16th&nbsp;multi-RBI game of the season. HOW IT HAPPENED <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-jones/10954">Brendan Jones</a>&nbsp;set the tone for the game when the Greenbrier, Tenn., native doubled down the right field line to lead off the elimination game. The sophomore would score the game-winning run on the Cats' second hit into right by Hughes. &nbsp; Ruhl used 13 pitches to set down the Longhorns in order in the bottom of the inning with a pair of strikeouts to keep the Cats lead. Leading 1-0, K-State made the call to the pen as Neighbors relieved Ruhl in the sixth. The closer allowed just one runner to reach base in the inning before striking out the final batter, leaving the Longhorns' sixth runner stranded at third. The Cats' put away the game in the seventh with five runs on four hits and three walks.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/10947">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;hit into right field before moving to third on a walk and single from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>. With bases loaded, Jones drew his 43rd&nbsp;walk of the season to score Culpepper. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cash-rugely/10963">Cash Rugely</a>&nbsp;and Hughes each registered an RBI to extend the Cats' lead out to four, leading to the Longhorns' second pitching change. &nbsp; Goodwin launched a two-out two-RBI double off the left field wall to nail the final runs to the board. &nbsp; Neighbors retired eight of the final 11 batters including punching out the last two batters to complete the shutout. INSIDE THE BOX<ul>
 <li>K-State scored six runs on 13 hits with two errors and seven left on base</li><li>Ruhl and Neighbors combined for the shutout</li><li>Hughes singled to score the game-winning run in the first</li><li>K-State scored five runs in the seventh inning</li><li>Goodwin hit a two-run RBI</li><li>The Cats drew two walks that led to a pair of runs</li><li>Hughes had a career-high three hits; went 3-for-4 at the plate</li><li>Goodwin and Hughes each tallied two RBI</li><li>Seven Wildcats registered a hit Thursday</li><li>Hughes and Goodwin each tallied two RBI</li><li>K-State hit four doubles</li><li>Ruhl (4-4) was awarded the victory in his second career start</li><li>Neighbors earned his 11th&nbsp;save; matched a career-high eight strikeouts</li><li>UT was held to two hits with nine left on base</li><li>Johnson (7-3) was credited the loss allowing two runs (two earned) in six innings</li><li>The Longhorns' bullpen combined for four earned runs with three walks and one strikeout</li>
 </ul>NOTES<ul>
 <li>First time since 2011 and 2013 that K-State has won 34+ games twice in a three-year stretch</li><li>First conference tournament shutout since 1976</li><li>K-State moves to 20-25 all-time in the Big 12 Championship tournament</li><li>Cats will face the loser of No. 4 TCU and No. 8 Kansas</li><li>RECORD WATCH</li><li>Texas leads the all-time series, 63-22</li><li>K-State is 1-3 against UT during the conference tournament</li><li>The Cats moved to 2-2 in the season series</li>
 </ul>UP NEXT K-State will face either No. 4 seed TCU or No. 8 seed Kansas Friday in an elimination game at 3 p.m. The game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Network with live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/Watch.

⚾ K-State eliminates top-seeded Texas in Big 12 tourney

CLASS 4A FINAL: McPherson 8, Larned/La Crosse 3 SALINA, Kan.&nbsp;— No. 3 McPherson continued it's postseason run with an 8-3 win over No. 6 Larned/La Crosse on Thursday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina.

The Bullpups dominated this one, out hitting the Indians, 11-2. The only miscue McPherson had was defensively, committing four errors in the game.

Teegan Haines finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, triple and 2 RBI. Hunter Alvord had a 2-for-4 day at the plate with a double and an RBI, while Jaytin Gumm finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Larned/La Crosse - 000 300 0 -- 3 2 2 McPherson - 102 311 x -- 8 11 4 W: Razak. L: Hope. HR: Haines, McPherson.

CLASS 2-1A FINAL: Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan 12, Little River 5 GREAT BEND, Kan. — No. 1 Little River saw it's season come to a close with a first round loss to No. 8 Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan, 12-5 on Thursday afternoon at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

Logan Renken led the Little River offense, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Grant Stephens also added a pair of RBI in the loss. The Redskins end their season with a 20-2 record.

Pittsburg-SMC - 301 042 2 -- 12 8 3&nbsp; Little River - 002 030 0 -- 5 4 4 W: Keller. L: Mantz.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
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 </figure>CLASS 4A FINAL: McPherson 8, Larned/La Crosse 3 SALINA, Kan.&nbsp;— No. 3 McPherson continued it's postseason run with an 8-3 win over No. 6 Larned/La Crosse on Thursday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina.The Bullpups dominated this one, out hitting the Indians, 11-2. The only miscue McPherson had was defensively, committing four errors in the game.Teegan Haines finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, triple and 2 RBI. Hunter Alvord had a 2-for-4 day at the plate with a double and an RBI, while Jaytin Gumm finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.Larned/La Crosse - 000 300 0 -- 3 2 2 McPherson - 102 311 x -- 8 11 4 W: Razak. L: Hope. HR: Haines, McPherson.CLASS 2-1A FINAL: Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan 12, Little River 5 GREAT BEND, Kan. — No. 1 Little River saw it's season come to a close with a first round loss to No. 8 Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan, 12-5 on Thursday afternoon at the Great Bend Sports Complex.Logan Renken led the Little River offense, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Grant Stephens also added a pair of RBI in the loss. The Redskins end their season with a 20-2 record.Pittsburg-SMC - 301 042 2 -- 12 8 3&nbsp; Little River - 002 030 0 -- 5 4 4 W: Keller. L: Mantz.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ McPherson dominates, Little River falls in area recap

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;

CLEARWATER, Fla. --&nbsp;Wichita State was held to one hit through eight innings, rallying in the ninth before falling one run short in a 4-3 loss to Houston on Thursday morning at BayCare Ballpark. The loss ends Wichita State's season with a record of 30-25. Four of the final five losses of the season for Wichita State came by one run. The Shockers had been stymied for eight frames by the combination of Paul Schmitz and Maddux Miller, who combined for eight strikeouts and allowed just one hit, a one-out single from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;in the first. Trailing 4-0 into the ninth and down to their final three outs, Wichita State opened the inning against Houston closer Justin Murray with consecutive singles from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;and Rodden.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/garrett-pennington/7468">Garrett Pennington</a>&nbsp;followed with a long three-run home run to left field, pulling the Shockers to within one. Murray bounced back to retire the next three hitters on two fly outs and a strikeout to end the game. Houston (34-22) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Brandon Uhse rifled a two-run double down the line in left off Wichita State starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/payton-tolle/7456">Payton Tolle</a>&nbsp;(9-3). Tolle exited after just 3.0 innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out two and walking two.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/robert-cranz/7445">Robert Cranz</a>&nbsp;put together a strong outing in relief, holding the Cougars to one run over 3.0 innings while striking out five.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-snead/7469">Nate Snead</a>&nbsp;worked the final two innings, allowing a run in the eighth on an RBI single from Cameron Nickens that proved to be the difference. Houston advances in the loser's bracket to await the loser of Tulane and Memphis on Friday&nbsp;night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685042328723.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;CLEARWATER, Fla. --&nbsp;Wichita State was held to one hit through eight innings, rallying in the ninth before falling one run short in a 4-3 loss to Houston on Thursday morning at BayCare Ballpark. The loss ends Wichita State's season with a record of 30-25. Four of the final five losses of the season for Wichita State came by one run. The Shockers had been stymied for eight frames by the combination of Paul Schmitz and Maddux Miller, who combined for eight strikeouts and allowed just one hit, a one-out single from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brock-rodden/7450">Brock Rodden</a>&nbsp;in the first. Trailing 4-0 into the ninth and down to their final three outs, Wichita State opened the inning against Houston closer Justin Murray with consecutive singles from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/chuck-ingram/7448">Chuck Ingram</a>&nbsp;and Rodden.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/garrett-pennington/7468">Garrett Pennington</a>&nbsp;followed with a long three-run home run to left field, pulling the Shockers to within one. Murray bounced back to retire the next three hitters on two fly outs and a strikeout to end the game. Houston (34-22) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Brandon Uhse rifled a two-run double down the line in left off Wichita State starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/payton-tolle/7456">Payton Tolle</a>&nbsp;(9-3). Tolle exited after just 3.0 innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out two and walking two.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/robert-cranz/7445">Robert Cranz</a>&nbsp;put together a strong outing in relief, holding the Cougars to one run over 3.0 innings while striking out five.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-snead/7469">Nate Snead</a>&nbsp;worked the final two innings, allowing a run in the eighth on an RBI single from Cameron Nickens that proved to be the difference. Houston advances in the loser's bracket to await the loser of Tulane and Memphis on Friday&nbsp;night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Shockers season ends with loss to Houston

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Zack Short hit a three-run homer to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Riley Greene also homered, doubled and scored twice for the Tigers in the game that was delayed 29 minutes by rain.

“Any time you leave a place having won a series on the road, it’s loud in the clubhouse,” Detroit manager AJ Hinch said with a smile. “It’ll be loud on the plane, even though it’s late.”

Greene led off the sixth with a double and went to third on an infield single by Matt Vierling. Short drove them both home with the first pinch-hit home run of his career, a 416-foot shot to left field off Josh Taylor (1-2).

“I faced that guy last month a few times (in Triple-A),” Short said. “I wasn't really expecting one pitch or another, but I saw it early. All we needed was something into the outfield and I put my best swing on it.”

Will Vest (1-0) retired all four hitters he faced, striking out two. Alex Lange picked up his ninth save in 10 tries.

Both starting pitchers were effective, even though they didn't stick around very long. Matthew Boyd allowed one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Zach Greinke gave up one run on four hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.

They were sharp early. Greinke didn't allow his first hit until the fourth inning, while Boyd allowed only one hit in his first three innings.

“It was a good day,” Boyd said. “We built off what we've been doing. We got ahead in counts. I would have liked to put guys away a little faster, but we kept it close in the inning when they had some baserunners.”

When Greinke finally gave up a hit, Greene made sure it counted. He launched a 440-foot blast into the fountains in right-center field, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

“I tried to throw it more inside,” Greinke said of the pitch Greene hit out. “It ended up being more middle, middle up. It definitely wasn’t right where I wanted to throw it, but there are some spots I would have been more upset with than where it ended up. But, he hit it pretty good, so, obviously, not too good of a spot.”

The Royals tied it in the bottom of the inning on an RBI fielder's choice by MJ Melendez. They stranded runners at third base in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Royals got a run in the seventh on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out RBI single, but the Tigers answered that with a pair in the eighth. Jonathan Schoop's two-out, two-run double drove home Spencer Torkelson and Short. The Royals added a run in the eighth on a single by Melendez and a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Witt Jr.

Tigers: Return to Detroit, where they will open a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The White Sox will send RHP Lucas Giolito (3-3, 3.63 ERA) to the mound to face Alex Faedo (0-2, 4.60 ERA).

Royals: Have Thursday off before opening a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals.

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 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Zack Short hit a three-run homer to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.Riley Greene also homered, doubled and scored twice for the Tigers in the game that was delayed 29 minutes by rain.“Any time you leave a place having won a series on the road, it’s loud in the clubhouse,” Detroit manager AJ Hinch said with a smile. “It’ll be loud on the plane, even though it’s late.”Greene led off the sixth with a double and went to third on an infield single by Matt Vierling. Short drove them both home with the first pinch-hit home run of his career, a 416-foot shot to left field off Josh Taylor (1-2).“I faced that guy last month a few times (in Triple-A),” Short said. “I wasn't really expecting one pitch or another, but I saw it early. All we needed was something into the outfield and I put my best swing on it.”Will Vest (1-0) retired all four hitters he faced, striking out two. Alex Lange picked up his ninth save in 10 tries.Both starting pitchers were effective, even though they didn't stick around very long. Matthew Boyd allowed one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Zach Greinke gave up one run on four hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.They were sharp early. Greinke didn't allow his first hit until the fourth inning, while Boyd allowed only one hit in his first three innings.“It was a good day,” Boyd said. “We built off what we've been doing. We got ahead in counts. I would have liked to put guys away a little faster, but we kept it close in the inning when they had some baserunners.”When Greinke finally gave up a hit, Greene made sure it counted. He launched a 440-foot blast into the fountains in right-center field, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.“I tried to throw it more inside,” Greinke said of the pitch Greene hit out. “It ended up being more middle, middle up. It definitely wasn’t right where I wanted to throw it, but there are some spots I would have been more upset with than where it ended up. But, he hit it pretty good, so, obviously, not too good of a spot.”The Royals tied it in the bottom of the inning on an RBI fielder's choice by MJ Melendez. They stranded runners at third base in the fourth and fifth innings.The Royals got a run in the seventh on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out RBI single, but the Tigers answered that with a pair in the eighth. Jonathan Schoop's two-out, two-run double drove home Spencer Torkelson and Short. The Royals added a run in the eighth on a single by Melendez and a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Witt Jr.UP NEXT:Tigers: Return to Detroit, where they will open a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The White Sox will send RHP Lucas Giolito (3-3, 3.63 ERA) to the mound to face Alex Faedo (0-2, 4.60 ERA).Royals: Have Thursday off before opening a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals.

⚾ Short hits pinch-hit, three-run homer, Tigers beat Royals

SPRINGFIELD, Mo - Brooks Lee and Yoyner Fajardo both earned three RBIs and pushed the Wichita Wind Surge to a dominant 13-1 victory over the Springfield Cardinals. All but one player recorded at least one hit in the game.

It was a scoreless ballgame until the top of the third inning. Anthony Prato changed that when he hit a solo home run out past the left field wall. Yoyner Fajardo got his first RBI of the night when he hit a line drive to center field. To top it all off Brooks Lee rocketed a ball past the left field wall for two run home run and gave the Surge the lead.

Fajardo got his second RBI in the top of the fourth inning with a line drive to right field.

The Cardinals were able to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning when Chandler Redmond picked up an RBI.

The Surge added another five runs in the top of the seventh. Yunior Severino wrapped a ball straight down the left field foul line that drove in two runs. Jake Rucker was able to take advantage of a passed ball and scored. DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. hit a double and earned two RBIs on the play. Patrick Winkel hit a line drive to right field that would score another run for the Surge.

Wichita was not done, as they decided to pile on more runs in the top of the eighth. Fajardo earned his third and final RBI of the day. Lee ripped a line drive to right field that earned him an RBI.

The Cardinal’s Nick Dunn was their standout offensive player as he was able to record four hits in the game.

Blayne Enlow pitched six innings allowed one run on six hits and earned his second consecutive win. The Surge improved to 19-21 and Springfield dropped to 18-23.

NOTES: Enlow dealt another quality start, his third of the season. The 18 hits in the game matches a season high. The 12 run win is the largest win of the season for Wichita.

UPCOMING – The Wichita Wind Surge continue the road trip in Springfield on Thursday at 7:05. Surge will start RH David Festa against Cardinals RH Brandon Komar.

BROADCAST: ESPN Wichita 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 Ballys Live app.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Wind Surge return home for a six game homestand on Tuesday, May 30 vs Tulsa Drillers. The Surge will offer $1 Hot Dogs and Dillons Two for Tuesday, buy one ticket and get a free ticket with your Dillons Shoppers Card or App.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685003696491.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge roll past Springfield" />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge roll past Springfield</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo - Brooks Lee and Yoyner Fajardo both earned three RBIs and pushed the Wichita Wind Surge to a dominant 13-1 victory over the Springfield Cardinals. All but one player recorded at least one hit in the game.It was a scoreless ballgame until the top of the third inning. Anthony Prato changed that when he hit a solo home run out past the left field wall. Yoyner Fajardo got his first RBI of the night when he hit a line drive to center field. To top it all off Brooks Lee rocketed a ball past the left field wall for two run home run and gave the Surge the lead.Fajardo got his second RBI in the top of the fourth inning with a line drive to right field.The Cardinals were able to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning when Chandler Redmond picked up an RBI.The Surge added another five runs in the top of the seventh. Yunior Severino wrapped a ball straight down the left field foul line that drove in two runs. Jake Rucker was able to take advantage of a passed ball and scored. DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. hit a double and earned two RBIs on the play. Patrick Winkel hit a line drive to right field that would score another run for the Surge.Wichita was not done, as they decided to pile on more runs in the top of the eighth. Fajardo earned his third and final RBI of the day. Lee ripped a line drive to right field that earned him an RBI.The Cardinal’s Nick Dunn was their standout offensive player as he was able to record four hits in the game.Blayne Enlow pitched six innings allowed one run on six hits and earned his second consecutive win. The Surge improved to 19-21 and Springfield dropped to 18-23.NOTES: Enlow dealt another quality start, his third of the season. The 18 hits in the game matches a season high. The 12 run win is the largest win of the season for Wichita.UPCOMING – The Wichita Wind Surge continue the road trip in Springfield on Thursday at 7:05. Surge will start RH David Festa against Cardinals RH Brandon Komar.BROADCAST: ESPN Wichita 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 Ballys Live app.NEXT HOME GAME: The Wind Surge return home for a six game homestand on Tuesday, May 30 vs Tulsa Drillers. The Surge will offer $1 Hot Dogs and Dillons Two for Tuesday, buy one ticket and get a free ticket with your Dillons Shoppers Card or App.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge Enlow deals and offense dominant to even series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Zack Short hit a three-run homer to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Riley Greene also homered, doubled and scored twice for the Tigers in the game that was delayed 29 minutes by rain. Will Vest (1-0) retired all four hitters he faced, striking out two. Alex Lange picked up his ninth save in 10 tries. Greene led off the sixth with a double and went to third on an infield single by Matt Vierling. Short drove them both home with the first pinch-hit home run of his career, a 416-foot shot to left field off Josh Taylor

DENVER (AP) — Yuli Gurriel had four hits, Sandy Alcantara limited Colorado to two runs in six innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Rockies 10-2 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Alcantara (2-5) put together one of his best outings in what has been a difficult season, striking out three and allowing his second-fewest runs this season. Major league hitting leader Luis Arraez doubled in two runs in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead. Jonathan Davis was 3 for 4 with a solo homer a day after being called up from Triple-A Jacksonville.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ben Lively earned his first victory as a starter since 2017, Kevin Newman drove in three runs and Cincinnati had its highest hit total in almost a year in a 10-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Rookie shortstop Matt McClain hit the second homer of his big league career and Spencer Steer had a career-best four hits with two RBIs for Cincinnati, which pounded out 18 hits, the team’s highest total since posting 20 against the Chicago Cubs last May 26. Lively (2-2) worked six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out eight. Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar homered for the Cardinals. St. Louis left-hander Steven Matz remained winless after giving up up four runs in the first inning.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Hudson White had three hits, Mason Molina pitched six strong innings and Texas Tech upset third-seeded West Virginia 6-2 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The sixth-seeded Red Raiders (38-19) scored in five straight innings, beginning with a two-run second, to knock the Mountaineers (39-17) into the losers bracket. Texas Tech advances to play No. 7 seed Oklahoma on Thursday night. West Virginia will play an elimination game against second-seeded Oklahoma State earlier Thursday.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — John Spikerman and Easton Carmichael each had two hits and an RBI to help Oklahoma beat rival Oklahoma State 9-5 in the Big 12 Tournament. Oklahoma (31-24), the defending tournament champion, picked up its second win in five meetings against Oklahoma State this season to advance to the winners’ bracket on Thursday. Oklahoma State (37-17) plays in a consolation game on Thursday. Oklahoma jumped out to a 7-0 lead, with RBI singles from Dakota Harris, Spikerman and Carmichael. Spikerman reached base five times, with three walks. Oklahoma State’s first error of the game led to Kade Fletcher scoring from third to give the Sooners an 8-4 lead in the seventh. The Cowboys also walked home a run in the inning to make it 9-4.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Janson Reeder hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning and No. 8 seed Kansas knocked off top-seeded Texas 6-3 in the Big 12 Tournament. Kansas (25-30) advances to the winners’ bracket to play No. 4 seed TCU on Thursday, while Texas (38-19) faces elimination against No. 5 Kansas State. The Longhorns received the No. 1 seed after sharing the regular-season title with West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Chase Jans got his 50th RBI of the season in the third inning to open the scoring and Kodey Shojinaga, the Big 12 freshman of the year, gave Kansas a 2-0 lead with an RBI single to left field. Shojinaga finished 3 for 4.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brayden Taylor hit his 44th career home run to tie the program record, Karson Bowen went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and TCU routed Kansas State 16-3 in seven innings to begin the Big 12 Tournament. Taylor opened the scoring with a three-run homer as TCU batted around in a five-run first inning. Taylor added an RBI double in the second and a two-run double in the fourth to make it 16-2. Fourth-seeded TCU (34-22), which closed out the regular season with a 2-1 series win at Kansas State, advances to the winners’ bracket on Thursday while Kansas State (33-23), the No. 5 seed, plays in a consolation game.

UNDATED (AP) — Kevin McCullar Jr. said Wednesday that he will return to Kansas for his final year of eligibility, likely rounding out a roster that could make the Jayhawks the preseason No. 1 next season. McCullar transferred from Texas Tech to Kansas last season, when he started 33 of 34 games and averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He was also among the nation’s leaders in steals. He returns to a roster that features holdovers Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams, brought in Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson and Texas guard Arterio Morris, and will add one of the nation's best freshmen classes.

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics finally found cohesion between their defense and offense in their Game 4 win, capitalizing off 16 Heat turnovers and finding their 3-point shot. Now down 3-1, the question is whether Boston can carry that energy home, a place where it is just 4-5 this postseason to keep alive its hopes of extending the series. At the very least the Celtics’ win made their hopes of becoming the first NBA team in 151 tries to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series shift from insurmountable back to possible heading into Game 5.

DENVER (AP) — It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world. The Nuggets are in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They did it against the Lakers, the team had beaten them in their seven previous playoff series. Next up, Denver will play the winner of the Miami-Boston series that the Heat lead 3-1. The first game of the NBA Finals is set for June 1.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 4.9 seconds left, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots to cap off a brilliant series, and the Florida Panthers earned their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 27 years by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 to win the Eastern Conference title in a sweep. Tkachuk’s goal was his second of the night — and maybe the biggest in Panthers’ history. The Panthers will play either Vegas or Dallas for the Stanley Cup starting sometime next week; Vegas currently leads the Western Conference title series 3-0.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo announced Wednesday a preliminary agreement between his office, legislative leaders in the state and the Oakland Athletics for a stadium funding plan. It comes after weeks of negotiations over how much public assistance the state will contribute to a $1.5 billion ballpark in Las Vegas. The preliminary agreement indicates a funding bill could come to the Nevada Legislature in the coming days. It still needs approval from both the Senate and Assembly, with less than two weeks until the session ends. The A’s have been looking for years for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The PGA Tour's “Block Party” is still going with Michael Block playing at Colonial after tying for 15th at last week's PGA Championship. The club pro from California will tee up for the first round Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. The 120-player field also includes local favorites Scott Scheffler and Jordan Spieth. Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, was the runner-up in the major last week and at Colonial last year to Sam Burns. Block is in on a sponsor's exemption and says he's glad he hasn't come to reality yet about what's happening.

UNDATED (AP) — An NCAA-commissioned survey of 18- to 22-year-olds shows more than half acknowledged placing sports wagers and two-thirds of those who live on college campuses saying they engage in betting. The survey results come less than a month after the baseball coach at Alabama and athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were found to have made wagers in violation of NCAA rules. The purpose of the survey was to explore the prevalence of gambling. Thirty-percent of the 3,500 respondents said their typical wager was between $10 and $20. But 6% said they have lost more than $500 in a single day.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683366121627.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Thursday, May 25th" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Thursday, May 25th</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Zack Short hit a three-run homer to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Riley Greene also homered, doubled and scored twice for the Tigers in the game that was delayed 29 minutes by rain. Will Vest (1-0) retired all four hitters he faced, striking out two. Alex Lange picked up his ninth save in 10 tries. Greene led off the sixth with a double and went to third on an infield single by Matt Vierling. Short drove them both home with the first pinch-hit home run of his career, a 416-foot shot to left field off Josh TaylorDENVER (AP) — Yuli Gurriel had four hits, Sandy Alcantara limited Colorado to two runs in six innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Rockies 10-2 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Alcantara (2-5) put together one of his best outings in what has been a difficult season, striking out three and allowing his second-fewest runs this season. Major league hitting leader Luis Arraez doubled in two runs in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead. Jonathan Davis was 3 for 4 with a solo homer a day after being called up from Triple-A Jacksonville.CINCINNATI (AP) — Ben Lively earned his first victory as a starter since 2017, Kevin Newman drove in three runs and Cincinnati had its highest hit total in almost a year in a 10-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Rookie shortstop Matt McClain hit the second homer of his big league career and Spencer Steer had a career-best four hits with two RBIs for Cincinnati, which pounded out 18 hits, the team’s highest total since posting 20 against the Chicago Cubs last May 26. Lively (2-2) worked six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out eight. Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar homered for the Cardinals. St. Louis left-hander Steven Matz remained winless after giving up up four runs in the first inning.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Hudson White had three hits, Mason Molina pitched six strong innings and Texas Tech upset third-seeded West Virginia 6-2 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The sixth-seeded Red Raiders (38-19) scored in five straight innings, beginning with a two-run second, to knock the Mountaineers (39-17) into the losers bracket. Texas Tech advances to play No. 7 seed Oklahoma on Thursday night. West Virginia will play an elimination game against second-seeded Oklahoma State earlier Thursday.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — John Spikerman and Easton Carmichael each had two hits and an RBI to help Oklahoma beat rival Oklahoma State 9-5 in the Big 12 Tournament. Oklahoma (31-24), the defending tournament champion, picked up its second win in five meetings against Oklahoma State this season to advance to the winners’ bracket on Thursday. Oklahoma State (37-17) plays in a consolation game on Thursday. Oklahoma jumped out to a 7-0 lead, with RBI singles from Dakota Harris, Spikerman and Carmichael. Spikerman reached base five times, with three walks. Oklahoma State’s first error of the game led to Kade Fletcher scoring from third to give the Sooners an 8-4 lead in the seventh. The Cowboys also walked home a run in the inning to make it 9-4.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Janson Reeder hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning and No. 8 seed Kansas knocked off top-seeded Texas 6-3 in the Big 12 Tournament. Kansas (25-30) advances to the winners’ bracket to play No. 4 seed TCU on Thursday, while Texas (38-19) faces elimination against No. 5 Kansas State. The Longhorns received the No. 1 seed after sharing the regular-season title with West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Chase Jans got his 50th RBI of the season in the third inning to open the scoring and Kodey Shojinaga, the Big 12 freshman of the year, gave Kansas a 2-0 lead with an RBI single to left field. Shojinaga finished 3 for 4.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brayden Taylor hit his 44th career home run to tie the program record, Karson Bowen went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and TCU routed Kansas State 16-3 in seven innings to begin the Big 12 Tournament. Taylor opened the scoring with a three-run homer as TCU batted around in a five-run first inning. Taylor added an RBI double in the second and a two-run double in the fourth to make it 16-2. Fourth-seeded TCU (34-22), which closed out the regular season with a 2-1 series win at Kansas State, advances to the winners’ bracket on Thursday while Kansas State (33-23), the No. 5 seed, plays in a consolation game.UNDATED (AP) — Kevin McCullar Jr. said Wednesday that he will return to Kansas for his final year of eligibility, likely rounding out a roster that could make the Jayhawks the preseason No. 1 next season. McCullar transferred from Texas Tech to Kansas last season, when he started 33 of 34 games and averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He was also among the nation’s leaders in steals. He returns to a roster that features holdovers Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams, brought in Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson and Texas guard Arterio Morris, and will add one of the nation's best freshmen classes.BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics finally found cohesion between their defense and offense in their Game 4 win, capitalizing off 16 Heat turnovers and finding their 3-point shot. Now down 3-1, the question is whether Boston can carry that energy home, a place where it is just 4-5 this postseason to keep alive its hopes of extending the series. At the very least the Celtics’ win made their hopes of becoming the first NBA team in 151 tries to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series shift from insurmountable back to possible heading into Game 5.DENVER (AP) — It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world. The Nuggets are in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They did it against the Lakers, the team had beaten them in their seven previous playoff series. Next up, Denver will play the winner of the Miami-Boston series that the Heat lead 3-1. The first game of the NBA Finals is set for June 1.SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 4.9 seconds left, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots to cap off a brilliant series, and the Florida Panthers earned their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 27 years by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 to win the Eastern Conference title in a sweep. Tkachuk’s goal was his second of the night — and maybe the biggest in Panthers’ history. The Panthers will play either Vegas or Dallas for the Stanley Cup starting sometime next week; Vegas currently leads the Western Conference title series 3-0.CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo announced Wednesday a preliminary agreement between his office, legislative leaders in the state and the Oakland Athletics for a stadium funding plan. It comes after weeks of negotiations over how much public assistance the state will contribute to a $1.5 billion ballpark in Las Vegas. The preliminary agreement indicates a funding bill could come to the Nevada Legislature in the coming days. It still needs approval from both the Senate and Assembly, with less than two weeks until the session ends. The A’s have been looking for years for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The PGA Tour's “Block Party” is still going with Michael Block playing at Colonial after tying for 15th at last week's PGA Championship. The club pro from California will tee up for the first round Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. The 120-player field also includes local favorites Scott Scheffler and Jordan Spieth. Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, was the runner-up in the major last week and at Colonial last year to Sam Burns. Block is in on a sponsor's exemption and says he's glad he hasn't come to reality yet about what's happening.UNDATED (AP) — An NCAA-commissioned survey of 18- to 22-year-olds shows more than half acknowledged placing sports wagers and two-thirds of those who live on college campuses saying they engage in betting. The survey results come less than a month after the baseball coach at Alabama and athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were found to have made wagers in violation of NCAA rules. The purpose of the survey was to explore the prevalence of gambling. Thirty-percent of the 3,500 respondents said their typical wager was between $10 and $20. But 6% said they have lost more than $500 in a single day.WEDNESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Texas 3 Pittsburgh 2Final Milwaukee 4 Houston 0Final Minnesota 7 San Francisco 1AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Chicago White Sox 6 Cleveland 0Final Tampa Bay 7 Toronto 3Final Baltimore 9 N.Y. Yankees 6Final Detroit 6 Kansas City 4Final L.A. Angels 7 Boston 3Final Seattle 6 Oakland 1NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Philadelphia 6 Arizona 5Final Cincinnati 10 St. Louis 3Final Washington 5 San Diego 3Final Chicago Cubs 4 N.Y. Mets 2Final Atlanta 4 L.A. Dodgers 3Final Miami 10 Colorado 2NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal Florida 4 Carolina 3<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

📢📰  Sports Headlines for Thursday

CLASS 4A - Salina South High School in Salina Quarterfinals (Thursday) 5:00 p.m. (Field A) - [1] Wamego (17-1) vs. [8] St. George-Rock Creek (11-11) 5:00 p.m. (Field B) - [2] McPherson (19-3) vs. [7] Fort Scott (13-8) 7:00 p.m. (Field A) - [4] Eudora (15-5) vs. [5] Andale/Garden Plain (15-7) 7:00 p.m. (Field B) - [3] Mulvane (17-5) vs. [6] Clearwater (14-8) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. (Field A) - McPherson/Ft. Scott winner vs. Mulvane/Clearwater winner 11:00 a.m. (Field B) - Wamego/St.George-Rock Creek winner vs. Eudora/Andale-Garden Plain winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 1:00 p.m. (Field B) -&nbsp;TBD Championship Game (Friday) 1:30 p.m. (Field A) - TBD *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 4A</a> -The McPherson Bullpups make just their second state tournament appearance in program history... defeated Winfield and Abilene in regional play, both in shutout fashion, outscoring the two 16-0... second straight year as undefeated AVCTL-III champions... two of three losses came to 6A qualifiers Derby and Manhattan... only three seniors on current roster... sophomore Addison Chapman is 11-2 in the circle with a 2.20 ERA and 113 strikeouts on the season...

CLASS 3A - Twin Oaks Complex in Manhattan Quarterfinals (Thursday) 5:00 p.m. (Field 1) - [1] Haven (22-1) vs. [8] Scott City (16-7) 5:00 p.m. (Field 4) - [2] Southeast of Saline (21-2) vs. [7] Burlington (15-6) 7:00 p.m. (Field 1) - [4] Beloit (20-3) vs. [5] Santa Fe Trail (19-3) 7:00 p.m. (Field 4) - [3] Columbus (21-2) vs. [6] Rossville (17-4) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. (Field 1) - SE of Saline/Burlington winner vs. Columbus/Rossville winner 11:00 a.m. (Field 4) - Haven/Scott City winner vs. Beloit/Santa Fe Trail winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 1:00 p.m. (Field 4) -&nbsp;TBD Championship Game (Friday) 1:30 p.m. (Field 1) - TBD&nbsp; *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 3A</a> -Haven returns to the state tournament for the seventh time in the past nine seasons, and have been a 3A powerhouse under head coach Darin Ashworth... Wildcats finished as runner-up in 2016 &amp; 2017 and three third place finishes... Haven has won the Central Kansas League in four of the past five seasons... defeated Conway Springs/Argonia, Kingman/Norwich and Wichita Trinity en route to the state tournament... freshman Avery Brawner has had a standout first year going 16-1 in the circle with a 1.49 ERA and 104 punch outs... junior Sadie Estill leads the offense with a .634 average and 41 RBI

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684983513675.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CLASS 4A - Salina South High School in Salina Quarterfinals (Thursday) 5:00 p.m. (Field A) - [1] Wamego (17-1) vs. [8] St. George-Rock Creek (11-11) 5:00 p.m. (Field B) - [2] McPherson (19-3) vs. [7] Fort Scott (13-8) 7:00 p.m. (Field A) - [4] Eudora (15-5) vs. [5] Andale/Garden Plain (15-7) 7:00 p.m. (Field B) - [3] Mulvane (17-5) vs. [6] Clearwater (14-8) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. (Field A) - McPherson/Ft. Scott winner vs. Mulvane/Clearwater winner 11:00 a.m. (Field B) - Wamego/St.George-Rock Creek winner vs. Eudora/Andale-Garden Plain winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 1:00 p.m. (Field B) -&nbsp;TBD Championship Game (Friday) 1:30 p.m. (Field A) - TBD *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 4A</a> -The McPherson Bullpups make just their second state tournament appearance in program history... defeated Winfield and Abilene in regional play, both in shutout fashion, outscoring the two 16-0... second straight year as undefeated AVCTL-III champions... two of three losses came to 6A qualifiers Derby and Manhattan... only three seniors on current roster... sophomore Addison Chapman is 11-2 in the circle with a 2.20 ERA and 113 strikeouts on the season...<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684983404853.jpeg" alt="The McPherson Bullpups are headed to the 4A state softball tournament. Photo courtesy of McPherson High School Athletics." />
 <figcaption>The McPherson Bullpups are headed to the 4A state softball tournament. Photo courtesy of McPherson High School Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>CLASS 3A - Twin Oaks Complex in Manhattan Quarterfinals (Thursday) 5:00 p.m. (Field 1) - [1] Haven (22-1) vs. [8] Scott City (16-7) 5:00 p.m. (Field 4) - [2] Southeast of Saline (21-2) vs. [7] Burlington (15-6) 7:00 p.m. (Field 1) - [4] Beloit (20-3) vs. [5] Santa Fe Trail (19-3) 7:00 p.m. (Field 4) - [3] Columbus (21-2) vs. [6] Rossville (17-4) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. (Field 1) - SE of Saline/Burlington winner vs. Columbus/Rossville winner 11:00 a.m. (Field 4) - Haven/Scott City winner vs. Beloit/Santa Fe Trail winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 1:00 p.m. (Field 4) -&nbsp;TBD Championship Game (Friday) 1:30 p.m. (Field 1) - TBD&nbsp; *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 3A</a> -Haven returns to the state tournament for the seventh time in the past nine seasons, and have been a 3A powerhouse under head coach Darin Ashworth... Wildcats finished as runner-up in 2016 &amp; 2017 and three third place finishes... Haven has won the Central Kansas League in four of the past five seasons... defeated Conway Springs/Argonia, Kingman/Norwich and Wichita Trinity en route to the state tournament... freshman Avery Brawner has had a standout first year going 16-1 in the circle with a 1.49 ERA and 104 punch outs... junior Sadie Estill leads the offense with a .634 average and 41 RBI<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684983206902.jpeg" alt="The Haven Wildcats are headed to the 3A state softball tournament. Photo courtesy of Haven High School Athletics." />
 <figcaption>The Haven Wildcats are headed to the 3A state softball tournament. Photo courtesy of Haven High School Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>

🥎 Haven, McPherson highlight area state qualifiers

CLASS 4A - Dean Evans Stadium in Salina Quarterfinals (Thursday) 11:00 a.m. - [2] St. George-Rock Creek (21-1) vs. [7] Paola (14-8) 1:15 p.m. - [3] McPherson (18-4) vs. [6] Larned/La Crosse (14-7) 3:30 p.m. - [1] Clay Center/Wakefield (21-1) vs. [8] Chanute (16-6) 5:45 p.m. - [4] Fort Scott (16-6) vs. [5] Abilene (14-8) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. - G1 winner vs. G2 winner 1:15 p.m. - G3 winner vs. G4 winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 3:30 p.m. - G5 loser vs. G6 loser Championship Game (Friday) 5:45 p.m. - G5 winner vs. G6 winner *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 4A</a> -The McPherson Bullpups return to the Class 4A state tournament as the reigning champions, beating Tonganoxie 5-2 last spring... the Bullpups finished the 2022 season with a 23-2 record... this marks the ninth appearance for the Bullpups at the state tournament in program history... senior Hunter Alvord set the school record for batting average (.545) this season (6 HR, 47 RBI)

CLASS 2-1A - Great Bend Sports Complex Quarterfinals (Thursday) 11:00 a.m. - [1] Little River (20-1)&nbsp;vs. [8] Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan (12-11) 1:15 p.m. - [4] Onaga (18-3) vs. [5] Medicine Lodge (19-4) 3:30 p.m. - [2] Elkhart (20-1) vs. [7] Prairie Village-KC Christian (15-8) 5:45 p.m. - [3] Marion (19-2) vs. [6] Sedgwick (18-5) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. - G1 winner vs. G2 winner 1:15 p.m. - G3 winner vs. G4 winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 3:30 p.m. - G5 loser vs. G6 loser Championship Game (Friday) 5:45 p.m. - G5 winner vs. G6 winner *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 2-1A</a> -The Little River Redskins are back in the 2-1A state tournament after finishing as runner-up in 2022, losing to Mission Valley, 5-4... the Redskins beat Ell-Saline, Canton-Galva and Sacred Heart in regional play... this marks the fourth state tournament appearance in program history... senior Braden Young leads the team with a .667 average and has 22 RBI, 52 runs scored and 35 stolen bases... the Redskins have just 11 players on their state roster

-The Sedgwick Cardinals are back in the 2-1A state tournament after winning the state title in 2021, beating Valley Falls, 11-1... this marks the fourth appearance in the state tournament for the Cardinals... Sedgwick defeated Flinthills, Leon-Bluestem and Remington in regional play... junior Jeff Nold leads the team with 29 total hits and 26 RBI... four of the five losses for the Cardinals have come to fellow 2-1A qualifiers Little River and quarterfinal foe Marion...&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684980575527.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CLASS 4A - Dean Evans Stadium in Salina Quarterfinals (Thursday) 11:00 a.m. - [2] St. George-Rock Creek (21-1) vs. [7] Paola (14-8) 1:15 p.m. - [3] McPherson (18-4) vs. [6] Larned/La Crosse (14-7) 3:30 p.m. - [1] Clay Center/Wakefield (21-1) vs. [8] Chanute (16-6) 5:45 p.m. - [4] Fort Scott (16-6) vs. [5] Abilene (14-8) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. - G1 winner vs. G2 winner 1:15 p.m. - G3 winner vs. G4 winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 3:30 p.m. - G5 loser vs. G6 loser Championship Game (Friday) 5:45 p.m. - G5 winner vs. G6 winner *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 4A</a> -The McPherson Bullpups return to the Class 4A state tournament as the reigning champions, beating Tonganoxie 5-2 last spring... the Bullpups finished the 2022 season with a 23-2 record... this marks the ninth appearance for the Bullpups at the state tournament in program history... senior Hunter Alvord set the school record for batting average (.545) this season (6 HR, 47 RBI)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684983576348.jpeg" alt="The McPherson Bullpups are headed to the 4A state baseball tournament. Photo courtesy of McPherson High School Athletics." />
 <figcaption>The McPherson Bullpups are headed to the 4A state baseball tournament. Photo courtesy of McPherson High School Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>CLASS 2-1A - Great Bend Sports Complex Quarterfinals (Thursday) 11:00 a.m. - [1] Little River (20-1)&nbsp;vs. [8] Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan (12-11) 1:15 p.m. - [4] Onaga (18-3) vs. [5] Medicine Lodge (19-4) 3:30 p.m. - [2] Elkhart (20-1) vs. [7] Prairie Village-KC Christian (15-8) 5:45 p.m. - [3] Marion (19-2) vs. [6] Sedgwick (18-5) Semifinals (Friday) 11:00 a.m. - G1 winner vs. G2 winner 1:15 p.m. - G3 winner vs. G4 winner 3rd Place Game (Friday) 3:30 p.m. - G5 loser vs. G6 loser Championship Game (Friday) 5:45 p.m. - G5 winner vs. G6 winner *<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/baseball/pdf/gamechangerresults.pdf">Stats &amp; Results from Class 2-1A</a> -The Little River Redskins are back in the 2-1A state tournament after finishing as runner-up in 2022, losing to Mission Valley, 5-4... the Redskins beat Ell-Saline, Canton-Galva and Sacred Heart in regional play... this marks the fourth state tournament appearance in program history... senior Braden Young leads the team with a .667 average and has 22 RBI, 52 runs scored and 35 stolen bases... the Redskins have just 11 players on their state roster<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684983717528.jpeg" alt="The Little River Redskins are headed to the 2-1A state baseball tournament. Photo courtesy of Little River High School Athletics." />
 <figcaption>The Little River Redskins are headed to the 2-1A state baseball tournament. Photo courtesy of Little River High School Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>-The Sedgwick Cardinals are back in the 2-1A state tournament after winning the state title in 2021, beating Valley Falls, 11-1... this marks the fourth appearance in the state tournament for the Cardinals... Sedgwick defeated Flinthills, Leon-Bluestem and Remington in regional play... junior Jeff Nold leads the team with 29 total hits and 26 RBI... four of the five losses for the Cardinals have come to fellow 2-1A qualifiers Little River and quarterfinal foe Marion...&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684983766263.jpeg" alt="The Sedgwick Cardinals are headed to the 2-1A state baseball tournament. Photo courtesy of Sedgwick High School Athletics." />
 <figcaption>The Sedgwick Cardinals are headed to the 2-1A state baseball tournament. Photo courtesy of Sedgwick High School Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ McPherson, Sedgwick and Little River highlight area state qualifiers

ARLINGTON, Texas –&nbsp;The Horned Frogs' pitching staff held the Wildcats to just three hits as the fourth-seeded TCU defeated No. 5 seed K-State, 16-3, in seven innings during the first round of the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field. "Not the start that we wanted to have for the game or for the tournament," stated head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>. "Credit to TCU to dictate the tempo." "We're all in. We were all in today they just jumped out on us and we couldn't exercise our pitching plan. It will be every man available and we will do whatever it takes to win. Survive for the next day and game plan for the next day," said Hughes. K-State drew 11 walks, TCU's largest allowed walk total this season, with four Wildcats drawing multiple. The Cats season total improved to 331 walks which ranks third all-time in the school's single-season records. "I was proud of our guys. You can abandon your plate discipline in a throw away game like that when you're chasing 10 runs, but they stuck to who they were. There's some maturity there and we can build off that." Boerema became just the fifth Wildcat in program history to record 91 strikeouts in a single season after striking out the final batter in the first, tying Derek Anderson in the single-season records. The Litchfield, Minn., product received just his second loss of the season to move to 7-2. &nbsp; <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-corsentino/10946">Blake Corsentino</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/andrew-evans/10981">Andrew Evans</a>&nbsp;allowed just two hits over their 2 1/3 innings in relief. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cash-rugely/10963">Cash Rugely</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;each recorded a hit while Johnson,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/roberto-pena/10971">Roberto Pena</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;each drove in an RBI. HOW IT HAPPENED TCU scored all 16 of its runs over the first four innings including a six-run fourth to seal the run-rule victory. &nbsp; The Horned Frogs struck first in the bottom of the opening frame with Brayden Taylor's three-run homer. TCU reached base in four straight plate appearances before the Wildcats' recorded an out until Kurtis Byrne, who hit No. 7 in the lineup, launched a two-run blast into left center to expand the lead to five. The Cats added traffic to the basepath for the first time since the first frame with three walks until&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/roberto-pena/10971">Roberto Pena</a>&nbsp;was hit by a pitch to bring in K-State's first run of the tournament to end the shutout in the fourth. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;put a 3-1 pitch into play to score&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-day/10948">Brady Day</a>&nbsp;on the sacrifice fly to trim the Frogs' lead to eight, 10-2. &nbsp; In the fifth, Johnson registered the Cats' first hit since the first inning with an RBI single up the middle past the diving efforts of the Frogs' second baseman. Trailing 16-3, Goodwin doubled down the left field line to record his 23rd&nbsp;extra-base hit of the season until&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dom-hughes/10952">Dom Hughes</a>&nbsp;drew the Cats K-State drew its 331st&nbsp;walk. The duo moved into scoring position on a wild pitch but were left stranded when reliever Chase Hoover punched out the final two batters. INSIDE THE BOX

UP NEXT K-State (33-23) will face either No. 1 seed Texas or No. 8 seed Kansas Thursday in an elimination game at 9 a.m. The game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Radio Network with live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/Watch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684978530875.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

ARLINGTON, Texas –&nbsp;The Horned Frogs' pitching staff held the Wildcats to just three hits as the fourth-seeded TCU defeated No. 5 seed K-State, 16-3, in seven innings during the first round of the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field. "Not the start that we wanted to have for the game or for the tournament," stated head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>. "Credit to TCU to dictate the tempo." "We're all in. We were all in today they just jumped out on us and we couldn't exercise our pitching plan. It will be every man available and we will do whatever it takes to win. Survive for the next day and game plan for the next day," said Hughes. K-State drew 11 walks, TCU's largest allowed walk total this season, with four Wildcats drawing multiple. The Cats season total improved to 331 walks which ranks third all-time in the school's single-season records. "I was proud of our guys. You can abandon your plate discipline in a throw away game like that when you're chasing 10 runs, but they stuck to who they were. There's some maturity there and we can build off that." Boerema became just the fifth Wildcat in program history to record 91 strikeouts in a single season after striking out the final batter in the first, tying Derek Anderson in the single-season records. The Litchfield, Minn., product received just his second loss of the season to move to 7-2. &nbsp; <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-corsentino/10946">Blake Corsentino</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/andrew-evans/10981">Andrew Evans</a>&nbsp;allowed just two hits over their 2 1/3 innings in relief. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cash-rugely/10963">Cash Rugely</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;each recorded a hit while Johnson,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/roberto-pena/10971">Roberto Pena</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;each drove in an RBI. HOW IT HAPPENED TCU scored all 16 of its runs over the first four innings including a six-run fourth to seal the run-rule victory. &nbsp; The Horned Frogs struck first in the bottom of the opening frame with Brayden Taylor's three-run homer. TCU reached base in four straight plate appearances before the Wildcats' recorded an out until Kurtis Byrne, who hit No. 7 in the lineup, launched a two-run blast into left center to expand the lead to five. The Cats added traffic to the basepath for the first time since the first frame with three walks until&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/roberto-pena/10971">Roberto Pena</a>&nbsp;was hit by a pitch to bring in K-State's first run of the tournament to end the shutout in the fourth. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;put a 3-1 pitch into play to score&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-day/10948">Brady Day</a>&nbsp;on the sacrifice fly to trim the Frogs' lead to eight, 10-2. &nbsp; In the fifth, Johnson registered the Cats' first hit since the first inning with an RBI single up the middle past the diving efforts of the Frogs' second baseman. Trailing 16-3, Goodwin doubled down the left field line to record his 23rd&nbsp;extra-base hit of the season until&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dom-hughes/10952">Dom Hughes</a>&nbsp;drew the Cats K-State drew its 331st&nbsp;walk. The duo moved into scoring position on a wild pitch but were left stranded when reliever Chase Hoover punched out the final two batters. INSIDE THE BOX<ul>
 <li>K-State scored three runs on three hits with three errors and 11 left on base</li><li>The Cats drew 11 walks</li><li>K-State drew double figure walks for the ninth time this season</li><li>Goodwin, Rugely and Johnson each registered a hit</li><li>Three Wildcats drove in an RBI</li><li>Boerema (7-2) received the loss</li><li>The Cats bullpen combined for two earned runs and two strikeouts</li><li>K-State stole two bases to bring the season total to 111; ranks fifth in the single-season records</li><li>TCU played 16 runs on 17 hits with one error and five left on base</li><li>Traeger received his first victory of the season</li><li>The Frogs' pitching staff combined for 10 strikeouts</li>
 </ul>NOTES<ul>
 <li>K-State moves to 19-25 all-time in the Big 12 Championship tournament</li><li>Cats will face the loser of No. 1 Texas and No. 8 Kansas</li><li>Boerema ties fifth in the single-season records with 91 strikeouts</li><li>TCU leads the all-time series, 29-13</li><li>K-State is 1-3 against TCU during the conference tournament</li><li>TCU leads the season-series 3-1</li>
 </ul> UP NEXT K-State (33-23) will face either No. 1 seed Texas or No. 8 seed Kansas Thursday in an elimination game at 9 a.m. The game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Radio Network with live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/Watch.

⚾ K-State blasted by TCU in Big 12 tournament opener

⚾ Reeder’s grand slam lifts Jayhawks to Big 12 Tournament win over top-seeded Texas

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Wichita State student-athletes set a school record with a 3.406 cumulative grade-point average for the Spring 2023 semester. It was also the 36th-consecutive semester of earning higher than a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average. In August of 2022, Wichita State Athletics established a bold and aggressive set of five-year strategic objectives.&nbsp;Academically - beginning the Fall of 2022 semester and concluding the Spring of 2027 semester - Wichita State Athletics aspires to achieve a department-wide 3.0 GPA all 10 semesters, a department-wide 3.30 GPA five out of the next 10 semesters and a department-wide 3.40 GPA once out of the next 10 semesters.&nbsp;The Spring of 2023 accomplished all three of these objectives, after achieving a "never been done before" department-wide GPA of 3.406. "Today's record-breaking announcement, achieving a 'first ever' department-wide GPA above a 3.4, brings great joy to our department, University and community," said Director of Athletics Kevin Saal.&nbsp; "Our student-athletes, coaches, support staff and administration have consistently prioritized elite academic performance. Over half of our student-athletes identify as first-generation college students, so these results represent generational and transformational change not only within their families but also collectively within our athletics department family." Of the 198 student-athletes on the honor roll (above a 3.0), 45 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while 124 were named to the Dean's List (3.5 GPA) and 182 were named Shocker Scholars (3.2 GPA).&nbsp;&nbsp;Eighty-six percent of student-athlete grades were either an A or a B.&nbsp;&nbsp; "The Shocker Athletics Scholarship Organization (SASO) is critical to connecting young people from all walks of life to a higher education degree," Saal said. "Athletics represents unique classrooms through which young people are equipping to launch as leaders of character, competence, and consequence for life.&nbsp;Our gratitude and appreciation for hundreds of generous SASO contributors cannot be overstated. Thank you for fueling our mission to develop young people and programs through intercollegiate athletics at Wichita State University."&nbsp; If you would like to enhance your current contribution to SASO or make a new contribution to assist in providing the best educational experience for our student-athletes, please call the SASO Office at 316-978-7276 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:saso@goshockers.com">saso@goshockers.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684955746552.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Wichita State student-athletes set a school record with a 3.406 cumulative grade-point average for the Spring 2023 semester. It was also the 36th-consecutive semester of earning higher than a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average. In August of 2022, Wichita State Athletics established a bold and aggressive set of five-year strategic objectives.&nbsp;Academically - beginning the Fall of 2022 semester and concluding the Spring of 2027 semester - Wichita State Athletics aspires to achieve a department-wide 3.0 GPA all 10 semesters, a department-wide 3.30 GPA five out of the next 10 semesters and a department-wide 3.40 GPA once out of the next 10 semesters.&nbsp;The Spring of 2023 accomplished all three of these objectives, after achieving a "never been done before" department-wide GPA of 3.406. "Today's record-breaking announcement, achieving a 'first ever' department-wide GPA above a 3.4, brings great joy to our department, University and community," said Director of Athletics Kevin Saal.&nbsp; "Our student-athletes, coaches, support staff and administration have consistently prioritized elite academic performance. Over half of our student-athletes identify as first-generation college students, so these results represent generational and transformational change not only within their families but also collectively within our athletics department family." Of the 198 student-athletes on the honor roll (above a 3.0), 45 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while 124 were named to the Dean's List (3.5 GPA) and 182 were named Shocker Scholars (3.2 GPA).&nbsp;&nbsp;Eighty-six percent of student-athlete grades were either an A or a B.&nbsp;&nbsp; "The Shocker Athletics Scholarship Organization (SASO) is critical to connecting young people from all walks of life to a higher education degree," Saal said. "Athletics represents unique classrooms through which young people are equipping to launch as leaders of character, competence, and consequence for life.&nbsp;Our gratitude and appreciation for hundreds of generous SASO contributors cannot be overstated. Thank you for fueling our mission to develop young people and programs through intercollegiate athletics at Wichita State University."&nbsp; If you would like to enhance your current contribution to SASO or make a new contribution to assist in providing the best educational experience for our student-athletes, please call the SASO Office at 316-978-7276 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:saso@goshockers.com">saso@goshockers.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Shocker student-athletes set GPA record

The Wichita State men's basketball team will travel to Greece for a 10-day exhibition tour, Aug. 1-10, first-year head coach Paul Mills announced today. "I'm thankful for this opportunity to take our team to Greece," Mills said. "These summer months preparing for our games will ignite chemistry and lay a critical foundation for the approaching season. It's also phenomenal cultural opportunity, giving our players exposure to the people and rich heritage of Greece." The Shockers will play three games against international competition during their trip (dates and opponents to be announced) and can take advantage of 10 extra practices in the days leading up to it. Greece is a country with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas and is famous for its beaches. Influential in ancient times, it's often called the cradle of Western civilization. The itinerary includes stops in Thessaloniki, Athens, Kalampaka and Corinth for site-seeing opportunities at world-famous landmarks such at the Acropolis, the Parthanon, Meteora, the Isthmus of Corinth and more. The journey begins with two days in Thessaloniki, along the Aegean Sea. Rich in history, culture and beauty, it's the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region. Evidence of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history remains in the form of museums, monuments and an intricate culinary scene. Words nor pictures can sufficiently describe the magic and beauty of Meteora, the famous rock formation located just outside the city of Kalampaka in central Greece. The Shockers will have a day to soak it all in and a chance to visit the Meteora Monasteries, perched precipitously atop the formation's collection of large pillars and rounded boulders. The second half of the trip takes place in and around Athens, the capital of Greece, which is home to legendary landmarks like the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel and the Parthenon temple. While in Athens, the team will take a full-day cruise through the islands of Poros, Hydra and Aegina and later tour Corinth, an important historical and archeological site that was once one of the most powerful cities of the Classical world. "I'm grateful to the many Wichita State fans and supporters who contribute to our athletics program to make this possible," Mills said. "Shocker Nation is giving these young men an experience they will not forget. Thank you!" NCAA rules allow for one foreign tour every four years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WSU last took one in 2016 when it played a series of games in Montreal and Toronto. Previous teams visited Brazil (2011) and Vancouver, British Columbia (2016).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684943717223.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;The Wichita State men's basketball team will travel to Greece for a 10-day exhibition tour, Aug. 1-10, first-year head coach Paul Mills announced today. "I'm thankful for this opportunity to take our team to Greece," Mills said. "These summer months preparing for our games will ignite chemistry and lay a critical foundation for the approaching season. It's also phenomenal cultural opportunity, giving our players exposure to the people and rich heritage of Greece." The Shockers will play three games against international competition during their trip (dates and opponents to be announced) and can take advantage of 10 extra practices in the days leading up to it. Greece is a country with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas and is famous for its beaches. Influential in ancient times, it's often called the cradle of Western civilization. The itinerary includes stops in Thessaloniki, Athens, Kalampaka and Corinth for site-seeing opportunities at world-famous landmarks such at the Acropolis, the Parthanon, Meteora, the Isthmus of Corinth and more. The journey begins with two days in Thessaloniki, along the Aegean Sea. Rich in history, culture and beauty, it's the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region. Evidence of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history remains in the form of museums, monuments and an intricate culinary scene. Words nor pictures can sufficiently describe the magic and beauty of Meteora, the famous rock formation located just outside the city of Kalampaka in central Greece. The Shockers will have a day to soak it all in and a chance to visit the Meteora Monasteries, perched precipitously atop the formation's collection of large pillars and rounded boulders. The second half of the trip takes place in and around Athens, the capital of Greece, which is home to legendary landmarks like the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel and the Parthenon temple. While in Athens, the team will take a full-day cruise through the islands of Poros, Hydra and Aegina and later tour Corinth, an important historical and archeological site that was once one of the most powerful cities of the Classical world. "I'm grateful to the many Wichita State fans and supporters who contribute to our athletics program to make this possible," Mills said. "Shocker Nation is giving these young men an experience they will not forget. Thank you!" NCAA rules allow for one foreign tour every four years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WSU last took one in 2016 when it played a series of games in Montreal and Toronto. Previous teams visited Brazil (2011) and Vancouver, British Columbia (2016).&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: WSU to play in 10-day exhibition tour overseas

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;— The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team received big news on Wednesday morning, as it was announced Kevin McCullar will be returning to the hardwood next season in the crimson and blue.

McCullar entered the NBA Draft process following the 2022-23 season, but will return to Kansas for a fifth year.&nbsp;

McCullar was named to the Big 12 All Defensive Team and All-Big 12 Third Team after his performance this past winter. He finished third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game and was second on the team and fourth in the Big 12 in rebounds per game at 7.0.&nbsp;

“How about one more year Jayhawk nation,” McCullar said in a release. “To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country; to play for the best coach in the nation, I truly believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog. Rock Chalk! Let’s do it!”

Possibly the happiest about the news is head coach Bill Self.

“This is a big day for Kansas basketball,” Bill Self added in the release. “We’ve had a lot of good things happen through recruiting this offseason, but nothing that has transpired this offseason was bigger for KU basketball than having a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar return to our program.”

With McCullar back, KU will now have 11 scholarship players on the roster. The Jayhawks will have three returners, three incoming transfers and four incoming freshman on the 2023-24 roster.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678410958158.png" alt="Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. celebrates after making a basket in an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. celebrates after making a basket in an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;— The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team received big news on Wednesday morning, as it was announced Kevin McCullar will be returning to the hardwood next season in the crimson and blue.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">1️⃣5️⃣ is BACK baby 🔴🔵 <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevin_McCullar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kevin_McCullar</a> <a href="https://t.co/d5kihcNl7r">pic.twitter.com/d5kihcNl7r</a>&mdash; Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/KUHoops/status/1661371696836669442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McCullar entered the NBA Draft process following the 2022-23 season, but will return to Kansas for a fifth year.&nbsp;McCullar was named to the Big 12 All Defensive Team and All-Big 12 Third Team after his performance this past winter. He finished third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game and was second on the team and fourth in the Big 12 in rebounds per game at 7.0.&nbsp;“How about one more year Jayhawk nation,” McCullar said in a release. “To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country; to play for the best coach in the nation, I truly believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog. Rock Chalk! Let’s do it!”Possibly the happiest about the news is head coach Bill Self.“This is a big day for Kansas basketball,” Bill Self added in the release. “We’ve had a lot of good things happen through recruiting this offseason, but nothing that has transpired this offseason was bigger for KU basketball than having a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar return to our program.”With McCullar back, KU will now have 11 scholarship players on the roster. The Jayhawks will have three returners, three incoming transfers and four incoming freshman on the 2023-24 roster.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: McCullar opts out of NBA Draft process, returns to KU

ARLINGTON, Texas—The Big 12 Baseball Championship begins Wednesday morning in Arlington, Texas.

The official 2023&nbsp;Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball&nbsp;Championship game program is now available for download.

The program produced by Learfield IMG College features Big 12 standings, Big 12 Championship records as well as team rosters and stats. The program can be&nbsp;<a href="https://digital.learfield.com/big-12-bsb-championship-program.html">downloaded here</a>&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684929480100.jpeg" alt="Big 12 Baseball.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Big 12 Baseball.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas—The Big 12 Baseball Championship begins Wednesday morning in Arlington, Texas.The official 2023&nbsp;Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball&nbsp;Championship game program is now available for download.The program produced by Learfield IMG College features Big 12 standings, Big 12 Championship records as well as team rosters and stats. The program can be&nbsp;<a href="https://digital.learfield.com/big-12-bsb-championship-program.html">downloaded here</a>&nbsp;

 ⚾ 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship starts Wednesday

IRVING, Texas –&nbsp;True freshman Kodey Shojinaga was named Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, the first in program history to receive the accolade, while five Jayhawks received conference honors Wednesday as announced by the league. Janson Reeder was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Collin Baumgartner, Cole Elvis, Chase Jans and Shojinaga were voted to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Shojinaga also was an unanimous selection for the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. &nbsp; “I’m super proud of all the guys,” Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. They have been bought in since our first team meeting last August. They all trusted the process and stayed focused on the important things. They are a special group of Jayhawks.” &nbsp; Shojinaga highlighted the conference awards for the Jayhawks by being recognized as the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, a member of the All-Big 12 Second Team and getting selected unanimously to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He shared Freshman of the Year honors with Oklahoma State’s Nolan Schubart. &nbsp; Shojinaga, originally recruited as a catcher and converted to an infielder, has been the most consistent hitter for Kansas in 2023. He is currently seventh in the nation amongst true freshman with a team-best .380 batting average this season, which ranks second in the conference. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native also posted a .418 average and 41 hits in conference games, which were both a league best. He led the team in hits (70), multi-hit games (19), on-base percentage (.424) and OPS (.962) as well. &nbsp; “Kodey has worked hard and played at a very high level since day one on campus,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a winner in every way – a 4.0 student, a great teammate, and an elite worker. His success is not surprising, and I could not be more proud of Kodey.” &nbsp; Reeder earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team as a designated hitter. The junior transfer from Cowley Community College made his transition to Division I this season and led the Jayhawks in doubles and slugging percentage. He also was tied for the most extra-base hits on the roster and hit 11 home runs, the second most on the team. He recorded 15 multi-hit games and had 11 multi-RBI contests. Reeder posted a .614 slugging percentage in Big 12 play this season. &nbsp; Baumgartner, a sixth-year graduate transfer from SIU-Edwardsville, seized his opportunity to move up to the Power Five level and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team. Baumgartner spent his first five years alongside current Kansas pitching coach Brandon Scott. The Brighton, Illinois, native was the Friday starter for Kansas all season and went 5-1 with a 3.79 ERA. He allowed three runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts and led the team in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and strikeout to walk ratio. His 73.2 innings pitched ranked fifth in the conference. &nbsp; Elvis, a senior transfer from Cal, was awarded a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team as an infielder. Elvis was the only Kansas player to start every game this season and played two-thirds of those games at first base. He led the team with 14 home runs, 51 RBIs and 118 total bases. Ten of his 14 home runs this season have come in the sixth inning or later. Elvis hit a home run in four consecutive games from April 19-23, which made him the first Jayhawk to do so since at least 1993. The Vacaville, California, native hit 10 home runs in conference play, which was tied for the most in the Big 12. His 32 RBIs and 67 total bases in Big 12 play were both the most in conference games this season. Defensively, Elvis committed only four errors in 447 chances for a .991 fielding percentage. &nbsp; Jans, one of 10 returners from the 2022 roster, made a huge jump that landed him on the All-Big 12 Second Team. Jans was second on the team in slugging percentage, hits and RBIs. This season, Jans has hit 10 home runs compared to three in 2022. On April 16, he tied the program record of nine RBIs set in 1993 after going 5-for-7 with a double, grand slam, and four runs scored. The sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas, made some highlight-reel catches on defense this season, two of which ended up on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. &nbsp; All five players who received conference honors were developed over the last year under Fitzgerald, who is in his first year as head coach at Kansas, along with his assembled coaching staff of Scott, Tyler Hancock and Jon Coyne. &nbsp; “My staff did a great job with these guys,” Fitzgerald said. “We built a good foundation and map for them to follow - but ultimately - all the credit goes to the players. They are the ones who actually have to do it, and those guys have really done it at a high level all year.” &nbsp; Kansas (24-30, 8-16 Big 12) begins the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship against No. 13 Texas on Wednesday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field. The Jayhawks are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2021 and are seeking their first victory in the double-elimination tournament since 2019. &nbsp; AWARDS + STATISTICS INF&nbsp;Kodey Shojinaga, Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 Second Team, Big 12 All-Freshman Team Overall: .380/.424/.538, 11 2B, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 40 R, 15 BB, 99 TB in 50 games (43 starts) Big 12: .418/.462/.500, 8 2B, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 49 TB in 24 games (23 starts) &nbsp; DH&nbsp;Janson Reeder, All-Big 12 First Team Overall: .278/.374/.561, 16 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 34 R, 21 BB, 105 TB in 51 games (49 starts) Conference: .295/.366/.614, 8 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB, 54 TB in 23 games (22 starts) &nbsp; RHP&nbsp;Collin Baumgartner, All-Big 12 Second Team Overall: 5-1, 3.79 ERA, 14 G, 14 GS, 73.2 IP, 21 BB, 69 SO in 14 starts Big 12: 3-1, 4.69 ERA, 8 G, 8 GS, 40.1 IP, 13 BB, 39 SO in eight starts &nbsp; INF&nbsp;Cole Elvis, All-Big 12 Second Team Overall: .275/.324/.532, 15 2B, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 36 R, 16 BB, 118 TB in 54 games Conference: .313/.387/.698, 7 2B, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 21 R, 11 BB, 67 TB in 24 starts &nbsp; OF&nbsp;Chase Jans, All-Big 12 Second Team Overall: .320/.390/.548, 13 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 36 R, 22 BB, 108 TB in 50 games (47 starts) Conference: .304/.359/.511, 4 3B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R, 9 BB, 47 TB in 22 games (21 starts)

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://mcusercontent.com/3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1/images/07738262-0b24-a1db-96e4-193152fdaa9a.jpeg" alt="Via KU Sports" />
 <figcaption>Via KU Sports</figcaption>
 </figure>IRVING, Texas –&nbsp;True freshman Kodey Shojinaga was named Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, the first in program history to receive the accolade, while five Jayhawks received conference honors Wednesday as announced by the league. Janson Reeder was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Collin Baumgartner, Cole Elvis, Chase Jans and Shojinaga were voted to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Shojinaga also was an unanimous selection for the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. &nbsp; “I’m super proud of all the guys,” Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. They have been bought in since our first team meeting last August. They all trusted the process and stayed focused on the important things. They are a special group of Jayhawks.” &nbsp; Shojinaga highlighted the conference awards for the Jayhawks by being recognized as the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, a member of the All-Big 12 Second Team and getting selected unanimously to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He shared Freshman of the Year honors with Oklahoma State’s Nolan Schubart. &nbsp; Shojinaga, originally recruited as a catcher and converted to an infielder, has been the most consistent hitter for Kansas in 2023. He is currently seventh in the nation amongst true freshman with a team-best .380 batting average this season, which ranks second in the conference. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native also posted a .418 average and 41 hits in conference games, which were both a league best. He led the team in hits (70), multi-hit games (19), on-base percentage (.424) and OPS (.962) as well. &nbsp; “Kodey has worked hard and played at a very high level since day one on campus,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a winner in every way – a 4.0 student, a great teammate, and an elite worker. His success is not surprising, and I could not be more proud of Kodey.” &nbsp; Reeder earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team as a designated hitter. The junior transfer from Cowley Community College made his transition to Division I this season and led the Jayhawks in doubles and slugging percentage. He also was tied for the most extra-base hits on the roster and hit 11 home runs, the second most on the team. He recorded 15 multi-hit games and had 11 multi-RBI contests. Reeder posted a .614 slugging percentage in Big 12 play this season. &nbsp; Baumgartner, a sixth-year graduate transfer from SIU-Edwardsville, seized his opportunity to move up to the Power Five level and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team. Baumgartner spent his first five years alongside current Kansas pitching coach Brandon Scott. The Brighton, Illinois, native was the Friday starter for Kansas all season and went 5-1 with a 3.79 ERA. He allowed three runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts and led the team in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and strikeout to walk ratio. His 73.2 innings pitched ranked fifth in the conference. &nbsp; Elvis, a senior transfer from Cal, was awarded a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team as an infielder. Elvis was the only Kansas player to start every game this season and played two-thirds of those games at first base. He led the team with 14 home runs, 51 RBIs and 118 total bases. Ten of his 14 home runs this season have come in the sixth inning or later. Elvis hit a home run in four consecutive games from April 19-23, which made him the first Jayhawk to do so since at least 1993. The Vacaville, California, native hit 10 home runs in conference play, which was tied for the most in the Big 12. His 32 RBIs and 67 total bases in Big 12 play were both the most in conference games this season. Defensively, Elvis committed only four errors in 447 chances for a .991 fielding percentage. &nbsp; Jans, one of 10 returners from the 2022 roster, made a huge jump that landed him on the All-Big 12 Second Team. Jans was second on the team in slugging percentage, hits and RBIs. This season, Jans has hit 10 home runs compared to three in 2022. On April 16, he tied the program record of nine RBIs set in 1993 after going 5-for-7 with a double, grand slam, and four runs scored. The sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas, made some highlight-reel catches on defense this season, two of which ended up on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. &nbsp; All five players who received conference honors were developed over the last year under Fitzgerald, who is in his first year as head coach at Kansas, along with his assembled coaching staff of Scott, Tyler Hancock and Jon Coyne. &nbsp; “My staff did a great job with these guys,” Fitzgerald said. “We built a good foundation and map for them to follow - but ultimately - all the credit goes to the players. They are the ones who actually have to do it, and those guys have really done it at a high level all year.” &nbsp; Kansas (24-30, 8-16 Big 12) begins the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship against No. 13 Texas on Wednesday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field. The Jayhawks are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2021 and are seeking their first victory in the double-elimination tournament since 2019. &nbsp; AWARDS + STATISTICS INF&nbsp;Kodey Shojinaga, Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 Second Team, Big 12 All-Freshman Team Overall: .380/.424/.538, 11 2B, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 40 R, 15 BB, 99 TB in 50 games (43 starts) Big 12: .418/.462/.500, 8 2B, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 49 TB in 24 games (23 starts) &nbsp; DH&nbsp;Janson Reeder, All-Big 12 First Team Overall: .278/.374/.561, 16 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 34 R, 21 BB, 105 TB in 51 games (49 starts) Conference: .295/.366/.614, 8 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB, 54 TB in 23 games (22 starts) &nbsp; RHP&nbsp;Collin Baumgartner, All-Big 12 Second Team Overall: 5-1, 3.79 ERA, 14 G, 14 GS, 73.2 IP, 21 BB, 69 SO in 14 starts Big 12: 3-1, 4.69 ERA, 8 G, 8 GS, 40.1 IP, 13 BB, 39 SO in eight starts &nbsp; INF&nbsp;Cole Elvis, All-Big 12 Second Team Overall: .275/.324/.532, 15 2B, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 36 R, 16 BB, 118 TB in 54 games Conference: .313/.387/.698, 7 2B, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 21 R, 11 BB, 67 TB in 24 starts &nbsp; OF&nbsp;Chase Jans, All-Big 12 Second Team Overall: .320/.390/.548, 13 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 36 R, 22 BB, 108 TB in 50 games (47 starts) Conference: .304/.359/.511, 4 3B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R, 9 BB, 47 TB in 22 games (21 starts)<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Shojinaga named Big 12 Freshman of the Year; Five Jayhawks receive conference honors

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/files/2023_All-KJCCC_West_Baseball.pdf">CLICK FOR 2023 ALL-JAYHAWK WEST BASEBALL TEAM</a>

Hutchinson Community College baseball sophomore outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/edmunson_will_rdcc">Will Edmunson</a>&nbsp;led five Blue Dragon players on the 2023 All-Jayhawk West team and was named the league's Most Valuable Player on Tuesday.

The sophomore from Luther, Oklahoma, and recent University of Arkansas commit, led the Jayhawk Conference in hitting and was eighth in the nation with a .454 batting average.

Edmunson was the only first-team selection for the Blue Dragons following a 30-28 season in 2023.

Freshman catcher/designated hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/gunderson_cody_4bzo">Cody Gunderson</a>&nbsp;was a second-team selection. First baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/henderson_ryan_sab3">Ryan Henderson</a>, outfielder A.J. Mustow and pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/giesbrecht_ethan_uono">Ethan Giesbrecht</a>&nbsp;were named all-Jayhawk West honorable mention this season.

Edmunson is the first Blue Dragon to be named Jayhawk West MVP since Zane Schmidt in 2019. He is the fifth Blue Dragon MVP in head coach Ryan Schmidt's tenure.

WILL EDMUNSON – MVP/1ST TEAM Edmunson became the first Blue Dragon to win the Jayhawk Conference batting championship since Michael Helman in 2017.

The Blue Dragon outfielder hit .454 with 93 total hits, 17 doubles, four triples and 51 RBIs, hitting primarily out of the No. 2 slot in the batting order. Edmunson scored 78 runs, walked 23 times, was hit with pitches 16 times and had a team-high 15 stolen bases this season.

Edmunson started the season with a 16-game hitting streak, which tied Brock Schaffer and Ben McLaughlin for the fifth-longest hitting streak in program history. Edmunson also put together hitting streaks of 12 and 10 games this season.

Edmunson had 33 multi-hit games, including five three-hit games, a four-hit game against Pratt on March 19 and a five-hit game against Southeast Nebraska on February 11.

In addition to Edmunson leading the KJCCC in batting, he also led the league and was sixth in the NJCAA in total hits. He was second in the KJCCC runs scored and on-base percentage (.532) and was sixth in the Jayhawk in slugging percentage (.737). Edmunson had a team-high 23-game streak of reaching base this season.

Edmunson's .454 batting average and 93 total hits both ranked fourth in Blue Dragon single-season history. His 78 runs scored tied Logan Sartori and Shane Cooper for second on the single-season list. He 151 total baes were seventh most in team single-season history.

Edmunson's .424 career batting average ranks No. 4 in Blue Dagon career statistical history.

He became the 51st Blue Dragon in program history to reach 100 career hits, closing his career with 106.

CODY GUNDERSON – 2ND TEAM Despite missing 13 games because of injury, the freshman from St. Malo, Manitoba, Canada had a strong season behind the plate and as a designated hitter.

Gunderson hit .367 this season, going 55 for 150 in 45 games.

Gunderson had 14 doubles and 10 home runs while scoring 44 runs and driving in 38 runs.

Gunderson went a season-high 4 for 5 with a double and home run on April 27 against eventual Jayhawk West champion Barton. He had a five-RBI game against Pratt on March 19 and drove in four runs against Seward County on March 26.

Defensively, Gunderson had a .962 fielding percentage and threw out 8 of 27 base stealers this season.

RYAN HENDERSON – HONORABLE MENTION A sophomore first baseman from Buhler, Henderson hit .271 in 57 games played, going 54 for 199 at the plate. For a second-straight season, Henderson reached double figures with 10 home runs and hit drove in 51 runs while scoring 41 runs.

Henderson had two-home run, four-RBI game against Pratt on March 17. During that Pratt doubleheader, Henderson was 6 for 7 with three home runs and eight RBIs. He had career highs with a 4 for 5 game with six RBIs, including a double and home run against Garden City on April 20.

Henderson steadily became one of the top defensive first baseman in the KJCCC this season with a .989 fielding percentage. He had four errors in 354 total defensive chances this season.

With 20 career home runs, Henderson is only the 16th Blue Dragon with 20 career homers. He also became the 50th Blue Dragon in program history to reach 100 hits, closing his career with 110 hits.

A.J. MUSTOW – HONORABLE MENTION A freshman outfielder from Sydney, Australia, Mustow was the Blue Dragons' third-leading hitter with a .331 batting average this season.

Mustow was 49 for 148 with 12 doubles, three triples and six home runs. Mustow drove in 44 runs and scored 34 in 47 games played this season.

Mustow had 15 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games this season. He had a season's best four hits against Garden City on April 20 and four RBIs against the Sterling College JV on April 17. Mustow had two two-home run games, doing so against the Sterling JV and Barton on April 29.

Mustow led the Blue Dragons with six outfield assists this season from left field.

ETHAN GIESBRECHT – HONORABLE MENTION A freshman right-handed pitcher from Altona, Manitoba, Canada, Giesbrecht settled into a weekend rotation spot early in the season.

Giesbrecht posted a 4-2 record with a 5.43 earned-run average in 10 starts and 13 overall appearances this season. In league games, Giesbrecht was 4-1 with a 5.58 ERA. He had three complete games and a pair of shutouts against Garden City on April 22 and Colby on May 6.

Over 53 innings pitched, the Blue Dragon right-hander struck out 40 and walked only 14. He allowed 64 hits and 32 earned runs with opponents hitting .299 against him.

Giesbrecht struck out a season-high seven against Cloud County on April 8 in a no-decision. He had six strikeouts in his five-inning complete game against Colby on May 6. Giesbrecht allowed just two hits in game May 6 game, a season-low for hit allowed.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684928360664.jpeg" alt="Will Edmunson becomes the first Blue Dragon baseball player since 2019 to win Jayhawk West Most Valuable Player honors. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information) " />
 <figcaption>Will Edmunson becomes the first Blue Dragon baseball player since 2019 to win Jayhawk West Most Valuable Player honors. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information) </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/files/2023_All-KJCCC_West_Baseball.pdf">CLICK FOR 2023 ALL-JAYHAWK WEST BASEBALL TEAM</a>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationHutchinson Community College baseball sophomore outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/edmunson_will_rdcc">Will Edmunson</a>&nbsp;led five Blue Dragon players on the 2023 All-Jayhawk West team and was named the league's Most Valuable Player on Tuesday.The sophomore from Luther, Oklahoma, and recent University of Arkansas commit, led the Jayhawk Conference in hitting and was eighth in the nation with a .454 batting average.Edmunson was the only first-team selection for the Blue Dragons following a 30-28 season in 2023.Freshman catcher/designated hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/gunderson_cody_4bzo">Cody Gunderson</a>&nbsp;was a second-team selection. First baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/henderson_ryan_sab3">Ryan Henderson</a>, outfielder A.J. Mustow and pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/bios/giesbrecht_ethan_uono">Ethan Giesbrecht</a>&nbsp;were named all-Jayhawk West honorable mention this season.Edmunson is the first Blue Dragon to be named Jayhawk West MVP since Zane Schmidt in 2019. He is the fifth Blue Dragon MVP in head coach Ryan Schmidt's tenure.WILL EDMUNSON – MVP/1ST TEAM Edmunson became the first Blue Dragon to win the Jayhawk Conference batting championship since Michael Helman in 2017.The Blue Dragon outfielder hit .454 with 93 total hits, 17 doubles, four triples and 51 RBIs, hitting primarily out of the No. 2 slot in the batting order. Edmunson scored 78 runs, walked 23 times, was hit with pitches 16 times and had a team-high 15 stolen bases this season.Edmunson started the season with a 16-game hitting streak, which tied Brock Schaffer and Ben McLaughlin for the fifth-longest hitting streak in program history. Edmunson also put together hitting streaks of 12 and 10 games this season.Edmunson had 33 multi-hit games, including five three-hit games, a four-hit game against Pratt on March 19 and a five-hit game against Southeast Nebraska on February 11.In addition to Edmunson leading the KJCCC in batting, he also led the league and was sixth in the NJCAA in total hits. He was second in the KJCCC runs scored and on-base percentage (.532) and was sixth in the Jayhawk in slugging percentage (.737). Edmunson had a team-high 23-game streak of reaching base this season.Edmunson's .454 batting average and 93 total hits both ranked fourth in Blue Dragon single-season history. His 78 runs scored tied Logan Sartori and Shane Cooper for second on the single-season list. He 151 total baes were seventh most in team single-season history.Edmunson's .424 career batting average ranks No. 4 in Blue Dagon career statistical history.He became the 51st Blue Dragon in program history to reach 100 career hits, closing his career with 106.CODY GUNDERSON – 2ND TEAM Despite missing 13 games because of injury, the freshman from St. Malo, Manitoba, Canada had a strong season behind the plate and as a designated hitter.Gunderson hit .367 this season, going 55 for 150 in 45 games.Gunderson had 14 doubles and 10 home runs while scoring 44 runs and driving in 38 runs.Gunderson went a season-high 4 for 5 with a double and home run on April 27 against eventual Jayhawk West champion Barton. He had a five-RBI game against Pratt on March 19 and drove in four runs against Seward County on March 26.Defensively, Gunderson had a .962 fielding percentage and threw out 8 of 27 base stealers this season.RYAN HENDERSON – HONORABLE MENTION A sophomore first baseman from Buhler, Henderson hit .271 in 57 games played, going 54 for 199 at the plate. For a second-straight season, Henderson reached double figures with 10 home runs and hit drove in 51 runs while scoring 41 runs.Henderson had two-home run, four-RBI game against Pratt on March 17. During that Pratt doubleheader, Henderson was 6 for 7 with three home runs and eight RBIs. He had career highs with a 4 for 5 game with six RBIs, including a double and home run against Garden City on April 20.Henderson steadily became one of the top defensive first baseman in the KJCCC this season with a .989 fielding percentage. He had four errors in 354 total defensive chances this season.With 20 career home runs, Henderson is only the 16th Blue Dragon with 20 career homers. He also became the 50th Blue Dragon in program history to reach 100 hits, closing his career with 110 hits.A.J. MUSTOW – HONORABLE MENTION A freshman outfielder from Sydney, Australia, Mustow was the Blue Dragons' third-leading hitter with a .331 batting average this season.Mustow was 49 for 148 with 12 doubles, three triples and six home runs. Mustow drove in 44 runs and scored 34 in 47 games played this season.Mustow had 15 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games this season. He had a season's best four hits against Garden City on April 20 and four RBIs against the Sterling College JV on April 17. Mustow had two two-home run games, doing so against the Sterling JV and Barton on April 29.Mustow led the Blue Dragons with six outfield assists this season from left field.ETHAN GIESBRECHT – HONORABLE MENTION A freshman right-handed pitcher from Altona, Manitoba, Canada, Giesbrecht settled into a weekend rotation spot early in the season.Giesbrecht posted a 4-2 record with a 5.43 earned-run average in 10 starts and 13 overall appearances this season. In league games, Giesbrecht was 4-1 with a 5.58 ERA. He had three complete games and a pair of shutouts against Garden City on April 22 and Colby on May 6.Over 53 innings pitched, the Blue Dragon right-hander struck out 40 and walked only 14. He allowed 64 hits and 32 earned runs with opponents hitting .299 against him.Giesbrecht struck out a season-high seven against Cloud County on April 8 in a no-decision. He had six strikeouts in his five-inning complete game against Colby on May 6. Giesbrecht allowed just two hits in game May 6 game, a season-low for hit allowed.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

 ⚾ Blue Dragons' Edmunson named Jayhawk West MVP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia had three hits, an RBI and a run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Mike Mayers allowed one run on six hits in 4 2/3 innings in his first start for the Royals. He struck out a career-high eight and walked one. Jose Cuas (3-0) was the winner, and Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4) took the loss. He allowed four runs — two earned — on eight hits in five innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon doubled in a four-run fifth inning, Jurickson Profar extended his on-base streak to 31 games and the Colorado Rockies spoiled 20-year-old Eury Pérez’s road debut with a 5-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. Elías Díaz had three hits for Colorado. The Rockies have won the first two of the four-game set between the 1993 expansion franchises. The 6-foot-8 Pérez made his major league debut against Cincinnati on May 12 and beat Washington on Thursday for his first victory. The right-hander pitched well for three innings Tuesday at hitter-friendly Coors Field, allowing one unearned run, but faltered in the fifth.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered in his first two at-bats and Adam Wainwright earned his first victory over Cincinnati since 2019 as the Cardinals defeated the Reds 8-5. Since starting the season 10-24, the Cardinals have won 12 of their last 16 games. Goldschmidt hit solo homers in the first and third innings off Reds starter Graham Ashcraft. Wainwright (2-0) earned his first victory over the Reds since Aug. 16, 2019, also at Great American Ball Park. He had two strikeouts and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Ashcraft gave up 10 hits and seven earned runs in five innings. He struck out five and didn’t allow a walk.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had six RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays stopped a five-game losing streak with a 20-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays, scoring their last 10 runs off position players. Guerrero put Toronto ahead with an RBI single off Taj Bradley in the first, had a run-scoring single in the fifth that opened a 10-0 lead and hit a 423-foot grand slam in a nine-run ninth against Luke Raley. All 12 Toronto batters in the game had hits, and the Blue Jays finished with 27 hits.

UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma must go through one of the nation’s best players in Clemson’s Valerie Cagle to make softball history. The top-seeded Sooners are on a 46-game win streak heading into their super regional opener. That is one victory short of matching Arizona’s Division I record set during the 1996-97 season. If the Sooners win two straight against Clemson, they will have the record to themselves and will advance to the Women’s College World Series.

MIAMI (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 17 points and the Boston Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference finals by running away in the second half to beat the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night. Derrick White had 16 points, Grant Williams scored 14, Al Horford added 12 and Marcus Smart scored 11 for the Celtics, who still trail the series 3-1 — but sent it back to Boston for a Game 5 on Thursday. Jimmy Butler scored 29 for Miami, which led by nine in the second half before getting outscored 48-22 in a 14-minute stretch that turned the game and perhaps the series completely around.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683366121627.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Wednesday Morning, May 24th" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Wednesday Morning, May 24th</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia had three hits, an RBI and a run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Mike Mayers allowed one run on six hits in 4 2/3 innings in his first start for the Royals. He struck out a career-high eight and walked one. Jose Cuas (3-0) was the winner, and Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4) took the loss. He allowed four runs — two earned — on eight hits in five innings. He struck out nine and walked two.DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon doubled in a four-run fifth inning, Jurickson Profar extended his on-base streak to 31 games and the Colorado Rockies spoiled 20-year-old Eury Pérez’s road debut with a 5-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. Elías Díaz had three hits for Colorado. The Rockies have won the first two of the four-game set between the 1993 expansion franchises. The 6-foot-8 Pérez made his major league debut against Cincinnati on May 12 and beat Washington on Thursday for his first victory. The right-hander pitched well for three innings Tuesday at hitter-friendly Coors Field, allowing one unearned run, but faltered in the fifth.CINCINNATI (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered in his first two at-bats and Adam Wainwright earned his first victory over Cincinnati since 2019 as the Cardinals defeated the Reds 8-5. Since starting the season 10-24, the Cardinals have won 12 of their last 16 games. Goldschmidt hit solo homers in the first and third innings off Reds starter Graham Ashcraft. Wainwright (2-0) earned his first victory over the Reds since Aug. 16, 2019, also at Great American Ball Park. He had two strikeouts and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Ashcraft gave up 10 hits and seven earned runs in five innings. He struck out five and didn’t allow a walk.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had six RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays stopped a five-game losing streak with a 20-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays, scoring their last 10 runs off position players. Guerrero put Toronto ahead with an RBI single off Taj Bradley in the first, had a run-scoring single in the fifth that opened a 10-0 lead and hit a 423-foot grand slam in a nine-run ninth against Luke Raley. All 12 Toronto batters in the game had hits, and the Blue Jays finished with 27 hits.UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma must go through one of the nation’s best players in Clemson’s Valerie Cagle to make softball history. The top-seeded Sooners are on a 46-game win streak heading into their super regional opener. That is one victory short of matching Arizona’s Division I record set during the 1996-97 season. If the Sooners win two straight against Clemson, they will have the record to themselves and will advance to the Women’s College World Series.MIAMI (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 17 points and the Boston Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference finals by running away in the second half to beat the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night. Derrick White had 16 points, Grant Williams scored 14, Al Horford added 12 and Marcus Smart scored 11 for the Celtics, who still trail the series 3-1 — but sent it back to Boston for a Game 5 on Thursday. Jimmy Butler scored 29 for Miami, which led by nine in the second half before getting outscored 48-22 in a 14-minute stretch that turned the game and perhaps the series completely around.LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James didn’t meet with the media on the day after the top scorer in NBA history said he needed time to think about his basketball future following the Los Angeles Lakers’ elimination from the Western Conference finals. James has skipped his team’s postseason media exit interviews before, but his decision Tuesday left Lakers fans hanging about his intentions with his enigmatic comments following a four-game sweep by the Denver Nuggets. General manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham say they’ll speak with James soon about his future.DALLAS (AP) — Jonathan Marchessault and the Vegas Golden Knights are one more win from reaching another Stanley Cup Final. Marchessault had the first of three goals in the game's first 7 1/2 minutes for Vegas in a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars to take a 3-0 series lead in Western Conference Final. Game 4 is Thursday night. The Knights are looking to advance to their second Cup final in the franchise's six seasons. Adin Hill stopped 34 shots for his first career playoff shutout. The Knights knocked Jake Oettinger out with three goals on their first five shots.EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The NFL has pushed the kickoff return further toward irrelevance with a priority on player safety. League owners voted for a one-year trial of an enhanced touchback rule that will give the receiving team the ball at its own 25 with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line. The proposal passed despite coaches and players across the league saying they didn't like it. They argued that it will create uglier plays with squib and corner kicks that are impossible for fair catches.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers never made it past warmups in his first New York Jets practice in front of the media. The 39-year-old quarterback strained a calf while participating in conditioning drills Tuesday. Rodgers watched quarterback drills and remained on the field during practice, but was without his helmet and threw no passes. Rodgers downplayed the injury and said it's not too serious. New York acquired Rodgers from Green Bay on April 26. Organized team activities began Monday and Rodgers participated. The session Tuesday marked the first with media in attendance.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin eased his way back onto the practice field by taking part in individual drills and stretching sessions during the team's voluntary minicamp some five months after having a near-death experience on the field. Coach Sean McDermott said the team is taking things one day at a time when asked of Hamlin’s status. McDermott did not provide any timetable as to when Hamlin can begin on-field sessions a month after being cleared to resume his career. The 25-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field during a game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL have agreed on the framework of a three-year contract extension that will keep him in place until 2027. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed the development on Tuesday at the league meetings in Minnesota. Goodell’s current deal expires in 2024. He has been commissioner of the league since replacing Paul Tagliabue in 2006. Irsay says he’s under the impression Goodell will retire after the extended contract expires and be involved in the development of his successor.TUESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Texas 6 Pittsburgh 1Final Milwaukee 6 Houston 0Final San Francisco 4 Minnesota 3AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Chicago White Sox 4 Cleveland 2Final Toronto 20 Tampa Bay 1Final Kansas City 4 Detroit 1Final N.Y. Yankees 6 Baltimore 5Final L.A. Angels 4 Boston 0Final Seattle 3 Oakland 2NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal St. Louis 8 Cincinnati 5Final Arizona 4 Philadelphia 3Final L.A. Dodgers 8 Atlanta 1Final San Diego 7 Washington 4Final Chicago Cubs 7 N.Y. Mets 2Final Colorado 5 Miami 4NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal Boston 116 Miami 99NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal Vegas 4 Dallas 0<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;