In September, the Wichita State University Board of Trustees
approved funding for phases 1A and 1B for the capital improvement plan to
remake Cessna Stadium into a state-of-the-art home for Wichita State athletics,
university and community events and the Kansas State High School Track and
Field Championship.

“We are planning to host the KSHSAA Track and Field
Championships in Wichita both during, and long after, this renovation project
is complete,” Wichita State director of athletics Kevin Saal said.

·&nbsp;Timing
of all demolition and renovations will be scheduled to avoid interruption of
the Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship in future years.

·&nbsp;Demolition
of the east stands of Cessna Stadium will begin immediately after the state
track meet this year. Phase 1A begins in the fall with work scheduled to begin
on improvements on the east side of the existing track (underground utility
work, seating area for approximately 3,600 with a combination of bleacher seats
and terraces designed for tents, free-standing field lights, fencing, ticket
pavilion, restroom/storage buildings, and plaza).&nbsp;Work is scheduled to be
completed before the 2024 Kansas State High School Track and Field
Championship.

·&nbsp;The
west side of the stadium, capacity around 12,000, will remain standing to allow
for continued operation of the Kansas State High School Track and Field
Championship. Demolition of the west side of the stadium can begin as early as
June 2025.

·&nbsp;Capacity
of the stadium, when completed, is planned for approximately 13,500.

·&nbsp;Phase
1B begins after the 2024 Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship
and includes widening the field and a 9-lane track. Bleacher seating on the
north and south sides of the stadium is included.

·&nbsp;Future
phases include a new west stadium structure with seating for more than 6,000.
The new west stadium would include a single level of press boxes and viewing
decks, offices/locker rooms/team room areas for a future soccer team, as well
as restrooms, concessions and storage
rooms.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


·&nbsp;The
stadium opened in 1946 as Veterans Field and was expanded and renamed Cessna
Stadium in 1969.

·&nbsp;Wichita
State has served as the host for all classes since 1970, except for 1978 when
track renovation split the classes into three locations (Salina, Augusta,
Wichita).

·&nbsp;The
Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship is scheduled for May
26-27, 2023.

Information about the project can be found <a href="https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews/news/2022/09-sept/stadium_7.php">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683899162876.jpeg" alt="When completed, the new university stadium, shown in this conceptual rendering, will accommodate more than 12,000 spectators and include a 9-lane track and space for a soccer field. (Courtesy Wichita State University)" />
 <figcaption>When completed, the new university stadium, shown in this conceptual rendering, will accommodate more than 12,000 spectators and include a 9-lane track and space for a soccer field. (Courtesy Wichita State University)</figcaption>
 </figure>KSHSAAIn September, the Wichita State University Board of Trustees
approved funding for phases 1A and 1B for the capital improvement plan to
remake Cessna Stadium into a state-of-the-art home for Wichita State athletics,
university and community events and the Kansas State High School Track and
Field Championship.“We are planning to host the KSHSAA Track and Field
Championships in Wichita both during, and long after, this renovation project
is complete,” Wichita State director of athletics Kevin Saal said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683899256642.jpeg" alt="Phase 1A is anticipated to start in August 2023 and includes the improvements on the east side of the existing track. Phase 1B, anticipated to start in June 2024, widens the existing grass field to accommodate a regulation-sized soccer field and reconfigures the 8-lane track around the widened field. (Courtesy Wichita State University)" />
 <figcaption>Phase 1A is anticipated to start in August 2023 and includes the improvements on the east side of the existing track. Phase 1B, anticipated to start in June 2024, widens the existing grass field to accommodate a regulation-sized soccer field and reconfigures the 8-lane track around the widened field. (Courtesy Wichita State University)</figcaption>
 </figure>·&nbsp;Timing
of all demolition and renovations will be scheduled to avoid interruption of
the Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship in future years.·&nbsp;Demolition
of the east stands of Cessna Stadium will begin immediately after the state
track meet this year. Phase 1A begins in the fall with work scheduled to begin
on improvements on the east side of the existing track (underground utility
work, seating area for approximately 3,600 with a combination of bleacher seats
and terraces designed for tents, free-standing field lights, fencing, ticket
pavilion, restroom/storage buildings, and plaza).&nbsp;Work is scheduled to be
completed before the 2024 Kansas State High School Track and Field
Championship.·&nbsp;The
west side of the stadium, capacity around 12,000, will remain standing to allow
for continued operation of the Kansas State High School Track and Field
Championship. Demolition of the west side of the stadium can begin as early as
June 2025.·&nbsp;Capacity
of the stadium, when completed, is planned for approximately 13,500.·&nbsp;Phase
1B begins after the 2024 Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship
and includes widening the field and a 9-lane track. Bleacher seating on the
north and south sides of the stadium is included.·&nbsp;Future
phases include a new west stadium structure with seating for more than 6,000.
The new west stadium would include a single level of press boxes and viewing
decks, offices/locker rooms/team room areas for a future soccer team, as well
as restrooms, concessions and storage
rooms.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
·&nbsp;The
stadium opened in 1946 as Veterans Field and was expanded and renamed Cessna
Stadium in 1969.·&nbsp;Wichita
State has served as the host for all classes since 1970, except for 1978 when
track renovation split the classes into three locations (Salina, Augusta,
Wichita).·&nbsp;The
Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship is scheduled for May
26-27, 2023.Information about the project can be found <a href="https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews/news/2022/09-sept/stadium_7.php">here</a>.

👟 KSHSAA releases information concerning state track meet

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles: AnnaLisa Cullens- 1st (New AVCTL record), Ava Krone- 8th

Boys 110 Meter Hurdles: Adrian Castaneda- 5th, Deon Garrett- 8th

Girls 100 Meters: AnnaLisa Cullens- 2nd, Azariah Dawes- 5th, Avery Meier- 6th

Boys 100 Meters: Juan Ford- 3rd, Chris Lachenmeier- 8th

Boys 400 Meters: Robert Hunter- 2nd, Quintin Loveless- 5th

Girls 300 Meter Hurdles: AnnaLisa Cullens- 1st, Ava Krone- 5th

Boys 300 Meter Hurdles: Zion Burgess- 8th

Girls 200 Meters: Azariah Dawes- 3rd, Avery Meier- 5th, KeirRe Martinez- 8th

Boys 200 Meters: Spencer Riggs- 2nd, Chris Lachenmeier- 4th, Juan Ford- 6th

Girls Long Jump: Azariah Dawes- 2nd, KeirRe Martinez- 5th

Boys Long Jump: Gabe Eye- 3rd, Quentin Loveless- 5th

Boys Triple Jump: Gabe Eye- 1st, Zion Burgess- 5th, Gavin Barnett- 7th

Girls Shot Put: Aiyanna Green- 1st, Maleigha Bornholdt- 6th

Boys Shot Put: Grady Bare- 1st, Kaleb Cape- 8th

Girls Discus: Maleigha Bornholdt- 5th, Aiyanna Green- 8th

Boys Discus: Grady Bare- 3rd, Keagun Teeter- 5th

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680491027456.jpg" alt="AVCTL Track and field Hutchinson Results" />
 <figcaption>AVCTL Track and field Hutchinson Results</figcaption>
 </figure>Results of the AVCTL track meet, 5-11-23Girls 100 Meter Hurdles: AnnaLisa Cullens- 1st (New AVCTL record), Ava Krone- 8thBoys 110 Meter Hurdles: Adrian Castaneda- 5th, Deon Garrett- 8thGirls 100 Meters: AnnaLisa Cullens- 2nd, Azariah Dawes- 5th, Avery Meier- 6thBoys 100 Meters: Juan Ford- 3rd, Chris Lachenmeier- 8thWomens 1600 Meters: Chloe Inskeep- 5thWomens 4 X 100 Relay: 2ndBoys 4 X 100 Relay: 1stGirls 400 Meters: Tanasia Hampton- 8thBoys 400 Meters: Robert Hunter- 2nd, Quintin Loveless- 5thGirls 300 Meter Hurdles: AnnaLisa Cullens- 1st, Ava Krone- 5thBoys 300 Meter Hurdles: Zion Burgess- 8thGirls 800 Meters: Chloe Inskeep- 6thGirls 200 Meters: Azariah Dawes- 3rd, Avery Meier- 5th, KeirRe Martinez- 8thBoys 200 Meters: Spencer Riggs- 2nd, Chris Lachenmeier- 4th, Juan Ford- 6thGirls 4 X 400 Relay: 5thBoys 4 X 400 Relay- 3rdGirls High Jump: Layni Hagley- 4thBoys High Jump: Tayson Runyan- 3rdGirls Long Jump: Azariah Dawes- 2nd, KeirRe Martinez- 5thBoys Long Jump: Gabe Eye- 3rd, Quentin Loveless- 5thBoys Triple Jump: Gabe Eye- 1st, Zion Burgess- 5th, Gavin Barnett- 7thGirls Shot Put: Aiyanna Green- 1st, Maleigha Bornholdt- 6thBoys Shot Put: Grady Bare- 1st, Kaleb Cape- 8thGirls Discus: Maleigha Bornholdt- 5th, Aiyanna Green- 8thBoys Discus: Grady Bare- 3rd, Keagun Teeter- 5thGirls Javelin: Aiyanna Green- 4thBoys Javelin: Keagun Teeter- 6thThe Hutch boys placed 4th.The Hutch girls placed 3rd

👟 Salthawk Track and Field teams shine at AVCTL meet

<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=95b117bbfc&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=4379c4bb13&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Statistics</a>

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –&nbsp;Kansas and Samford played a traditional low scoring Friday night game on Thursday afternoon, with Samford narrowly defeating Kansas 3-2 at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Collin Baumgartner tossed his third consecutive quality start and Chase Jans hit his ninth home run of the season.

On Thursday, Kansas had runners on first and third with one out in the final inning. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, there was an extended delay for a rules review on mound visits. The umpires ultimately determined there was not a violation. A foul pop out then ended the game.

Samford (28-21, 12-6 Southern) started the scoring on Thursday afternoon in the third inning. Josh Rodriguez led off the bottom half of the frame with a solo home run to center field. The homer gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. That was the only run Baumgartner gave up all day.

Kansas came right back in the top of the fourth. Freshman Kodey Shojinaga led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error. With two outs, redshirt sophomore Mike Koszewski hit an RBI single to center field to score Shojinaga. That tied the game up at 1-1.

The game remained tied 1-1 until the bottom of the seventh. A walk and double to start the bottom of the seventh set up runners on second and third. Thaniel Trumper struck out the next two hitters, but the second one was a dropped third strike. On the throw to first base, the runner from third came in to score and take a 2-1 lead.

Again, Kansas responded in the top of the eighth. Jans, who made a SportsCenter worthy catch early in the game, took a 3-2 pitch the opposite way for his ninth home run of the year. That locked the score at 2-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Samford’s John Anderson broke the tie with a solo home run to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. The rally in the ninth fell short for Kansas.

Baumgartner had another excellent outing for the Jayhawks. He allowed only one run over six innings on four hits. He lowered his season ERA to 3.95 heading into the final week of the regular season. Thaniel Trumper received the loss after allowing two runs over the final two innings.

PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Jake Holifield (2-2) Final line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO Save: Ben Petschke (10) Final line: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO Loss: Thaniel Trumper (3-5) Final line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 SO

NOTES • Baumgartner threw his third straight quality start and fifth of the season. Over his last three outings, he has thrown 19.2 innings and allowed six earned runs, while striking out 16 compared to three walks. • Shojinaga extended his hitting streak to 15 games. • Jans has a 14-game on-base streak after his home run in the eighth inning. The home run was his ninth of the season. • Koszewski pushed his on-base streak to 10 games and his hitting streak to seven games. He has multiple hits in six of his last seven games. • Jackson Kline has reached base safely in his last nine games.

UP NEXT Kansas (22-27, 7-14 Big 12) will play the second of three games against Samford on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://mcusercontent.com/3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1/images/35298191-8404-1850-2cf4-85dfd9fdae2b.jpg" alt="Via KU Sports" />
 <figcaption>Via KU Sports</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=95b117bbfc&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=4379c4bb13&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Statistics</a>BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –&nbsp;Kansas and Samford played a traditional low scoring Friday night game on Thursday afternoon, with Samford narrowly defeating Kansas 3-2 at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Collin Baumgartner tossed his third consecutive quality start and Chase Jans hit his ninth home run of the season.On Thursday, Kansas had runners on first and third with one out in the final inning. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, there was an extended delay for a rules review on mound visits. The umpires ultimately determined there was not a violation. A foul pop out then ended the game.Samford (28-21, 12-6 Southern) started the scoring on Thursday afternoon in the third inning. Josh Rodriguez led off the bottom half of the frame with a solo home run to center field. The homer gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. That was the only run Baumgartner gave up all day.Kansas came right back in the top of the fourth. Freshman Kodey Shojinaga led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error. With two outs, redshirt sophomore Mike Koszewski hit an RBI single to center field to score Shojinaga. That tied the game up at 1-1.The game remained tied 1-1 until the bottom of the seventh. A walk and double to start the bottom of the seventh set up runners on second and third. Thaniel Trumper struck out the next two hitters, but the second one was a dropped third strike. On the throw to first base, the runner from third came in to score and take a 2-1 lead.Again, Kansas responded in the top of the eighth. Jans, who made a SportsCenter worthy catch early in the game, took a 3-2 pitch the opposite way for his ninth home run of the year. That locked the score at 2-2.In the bottom of the eighth, Samford’s John Anderson broke the tie with a solo home run to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. The rally in the ninth fell short for Kansas.Baumgartner had another excellent outing for the Jayhawks. He allowed only one run over six innings on four hits. He lowered his season ERA to 3.95 heading into the final week of the regular season. Thaniel Trumper received the loss after allowing two runs over the final two innings.PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Jake Holifield (2-2) Final line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO Save: Ben Petschke (10) Final line: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO Loss: Thaniel Trumper (3-5) Final line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 SONOTES • Baumgartner threw his third straight quality start and fifth of the season. Over his last three outings, he has thrown 19.2 innings and allowed six earned runs, while striking out 16 compared to three walks. • Shojinaga extended his hitting streak to 15 games. • Jans has a 14-game on-base streak after his home run in the eighth inning. The home run was his ninth of the season. • Koszewski pushed his on-base streak to 10 games and his hitting streak to seven games. He has multiple hits in six of his last seven games. • Jackson Kline has reached base safely in his last nine games.UP NEXT Kansas (22-27, 7-14 Big 12) will play the second of three games against Samford on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.

⚾️ Samford Edges Kansas on Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Freddy Fermin followed a leadoff walk by Nick Pratto and a single by Matt Duffy with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning, giving the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Reynaldo López took the loss for the White Sox. Scott Barlow pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win. The Royals nursed a 3-1 lead into the eighth, but the White Sox tied it up with a two-out rally against Aroldis Chapman. Andrew Vaughn and pinch-hitter Carlos Pérez singled, and Luis Robert Jr. bounced a tying double off the chalk of the left-field line.

CHICAGO (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are last in the NL Central with a 13-25 record in a surprisingly lackluster start for one of baseball's winningest franchises. It’s the worst 38-game start for the team since it was 13-25 in 1925, according to Sportradar. The Cardinals haven’t finished with a losing record since they were 78-84 in 2007, and the franchise has just two losing seasons in the past 25 years. Alongside the losing, St. Louis also has experienced a bit of dysfunction in a departure for a franchise that typically sails along with very little of the choppy water it has publicly navigated already.

PHOENIX (AP) — Rookie Casey Schmitt had four more hits, including a two-run homer, and Alex Cobb blanked Arizona into the eighth inning as the San Francisco Giants beat the Diamondbacks 6-2. Schmitt connected for a 443-foot home run into the second deck above the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in the second inning off Tommy Henry. Schmitt was recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Sacramento. He finished 4 for 4 with a run-scoring double in the ninth and is 8 for 12 with two homers and four RBIs through three games. Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio is the only other player since 1920 with at least eight hits, four RBIs and four runs scored through his first three games, according to OptaSTATS.

MIAMI (AP) — Miami's top pitching prospect, Eury Pérez, will make his major league debut Friday when the Marlins host Cincinnati. At 20 years, 27 days old, he’ll become the youngest starting pitcher in the club’s history and the only MLB player born after 2002. Injuries to left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-hander Johnny Cueto made room for Pérez, who is listed on MLB pipeline as the No. 10 overall prospect and third-best right-hander. He was called up from Double-A Pensacola on Wednesday.

Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will kick off the season against the upstart Detroit Lions in a matchup of high-powered offenses and they’ll host Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11. Aaron Rodgers will make his New York Jets debut in the first Monday night game of the season against the Buffalo Bills and later faces the Miami Dolphins in the NFL’s first Black Friday game on Nov. 24. Thanks to Rodgers’ arrival in the Big Apple, the Jets will have six nationally televised games, including their first Sunday night game since 2011 vs. the Chiefs on Oct. 1.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7. The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home. Game 7 is Sunday in Boston. Tatum scored 19 points. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he excepts Anthony Davis to play Friday night in Los Angeles, adding that the eight-time All-Star big man is “not showing any signs of anything” and is not in the NBA’s concussion protocol after being hit in the head late in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals. Davis is “doing great,” Ham said, and is probable for Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors. Davis was hurt by what appeared to be an inadvertent shot to the head from Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 victory in San Francisco.

MIAMI (AP) — Whatever it takes. That's the credo at this time of year in the NBA playoffs. It's why New York teammates Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes are playing 48 minutes. It's why Miami's Jimmy Butler is playing through ankle soreness. It's why Golden State’s Stephen Curry is taking more shots per game than he ever has in a playoff run. It's why the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis will likely play through whatever is ailing him after he had to leave early Wednesday night. The Heat play host to New York and the Lakers play host to Golden State on Friday. Both home clubs have 3-2 series leads.

UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has agreed to a three-game suspension and a $1 million pay cut after he used a homophobic slur during a radio show. The agreement allows Huggins to keep his job as the school's basketball coach, but the blunder will leave a lasting mark on his Hall of Fame career. During a call to a Cincinnati radio station Monday, Huggins was asked whether he had a chance of landing an Xavier player from the transfer portal. Huggins then made offensive comments about Xavier fans. He later apologized. Huggins will also be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders as part of the agreement.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jesper Fast deflected in a shot by Jesperi Kotkaniemi on a power play at 7:09 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a series-ending 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Fast’s deflection while shielding Akira Schmid set off a celebration for the Hurricanes, who never led until the final play and twice trailed by a goal before winning the best-of-seven series 4-1 to reach the Eastern Conference final. In the first tight game of the second-round matchup, Fast made amends for when he popped a puck over the goal in front of an open net in the first period. Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for Carolina, and Frederik Andersen made 27 saves.

DALLAS (AP) — Roope Hintz scored two goals and had an assist, Joe Pavelski scored his seventh goal of the second-round series and the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 in Game 5. The Stars have a 3-2 series lead. Pavelski also had an assist on Hintz’s second goal, which ricocheted hard out of the net with 8:37 left for a two-goal lead, though play continued for nearly a half-minute before a replay review that confirmed the score. Radek Faksa added an empty-netter. Game 6 is Saturday in Seattle. Adam Larsson and Jared McCann scored for Seattle.

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — S.Y. Noh has a three-shot lead at the AT&amp;T Byron Nelson after he tied the course record with an opening-round 60. Noh decided against going for the green in two on the par-5 18th. He made birdie and finished at 11-under even after dealing with a cracked driver on the back nine. Sebastián Muñoz set the TPC Craig Ranch record last year with a 12-under opening round. The course is now a par 71 in its third year of hosting the Nelson after one of the par-5s was converted to a par-4. Two-time defending champion K.H. Lee of South Korea shot 71. Local favorite and world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler had a 64.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683366121627.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, May 12th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, May 12th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Freddy Fermin followed a leadoff walk by Nick Pratto and a single by Matt Duffy with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning, giving the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Reynaldo López took the loss for the White Sox. Scott Barlow pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win. The Royals nursed a 3-1 lead into the eighth, but the White Sox tied it up with a two-out rally against Aroldis Chapman. Andrew Vaughn and pinch-hitter Carlos Pérez singled, and Luis Robert Jr. bounced a tying double off the chalk of the left-field line.CHICAGO (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are last in the NL Central with a 13-25 record in a surprisingly lackluster start for one of baseball's winningest franchises. It’s the worst 38-game start for the team since it was 13-25 in 1925, according to Sportradar. The Cardinals haven’t finished with a losing record since they were 78-84 in 2007, and the franchise has just two losing seasons in the past 25 years. Alongside the losing, St. Louis also has experienced a bit of dysfunction in a departure for a franchise that typically sails along with very little of the choppy water it has publicly navigated already.PHOENIX (AP) — Rookie Casey Schmitt had four more hits, including a two-run homer, and Alex Cobb blanked Arizona into the eighth inning as the San Francisco Giants beat the Diamondbacks 6-2. Schmitt connected for a 443-foot home run into the second deck above the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in the second inning off Tommy Henry. Schmitt was recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Sacramento. He finished 4 for 4 with a run-scoring double in the ninth and is 8 for 12 with two homers and four RBIs through three games. Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio is the only other player since 1920 with at least eight hits, four RBIs and four runs scored through his first three games, according to OptaSTATS.MIAMI (AP) — Miami's top pitching prospect, Eury Pérez, will make his major league debut Friday when the Marlins host Cincinnati. At 20 years, 27 days old, he’ll become the youngest starting pitcher in the club’s history and the only MLB player born after 2002. Injuries to left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-hander Johnny Cueto made room for Pérez, who is listed on MLB pipeline as the No. 10 overall prospect and third-best right-hander. He was called up from Double-A Pensacola on Wednesday.Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will kick off the season against the upstart Detroit Lions in a matchup of high-powered offenses and they’ll host Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11. Aaron Rodgers will make his New York Jets debut in the first Monday night game of the season against the Buffalo Bills and later faces the Miami Dolphins in the NFL’s first Black Friday game on Nov. 24. Thanks to Rodgers’ arrival in the Big Apple, the Jets will have six nationally televised games, including their first Sunday night game since 2011 vs. the Chiefs on Oct. 1.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7. The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home. Game 7 is Sunday in Boston. Tatum scored 19 points. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he excepts Anthony Davis to play Friday night in Los Angeles, adding that the eight-time All-Star big man is “not showing any signs of anything” and is not in the NBA’s concussion protocol after being hit in the head late in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals. Davis is “doing great,” Ham said, and is probable for Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors. Davis was hurt by what appeared to be an inadvertent shot to the head from Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 victory in San Francisco.MIAMI (AP) — Whatever it takes. That's the credo at this time of year in the NBA playoffs. It's why New York teammates Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes are playing 48 minutes. It's why Miami's Jimmy Butler is playing through ankle soreness. It's why Golden State’s Stephen Curry is taking more shots per game than he ever has in a playoff run. It's why the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis will likely play through whatever is ailing him after he had to leave early Wednesday night. The Heat play host to New York and the Lakers play host to Golden State on Friday. Both home clubs have 3-2 series leads.UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has agreed to a three-game suspension and a $1 million pay cut after he used a homophobic slur during a radio show. The agreement allows Huggins to keep his job as the school's basketball coach, but the blunder will leave a lasting mark on his Hall of Fame career. During a call to a Cincinnati radio station Monday, Huggins was asked whether he had a chance of landing an Xavier player from the transfer portal. Huggins then made offensive comments about Xavier fans. He later apologized. Huggins will also be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders as part of the agreement.RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jesper Fast deflected in a shot by Jesperi Kotkaniemi on a power play at 7:09 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a series-ending 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Fast’s deflection while shielding Akira Schmid set off a celebration for the Hurricanes, who never led until the final play and twice trailed by a goal before winning the best-of-seven series 4-1 to reach the Eastern Conference final. In the first tight game of the second-round matchup, Fast made amends for when he popped a puck over the goal in front of an open net in the first period. Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for Carolina, and Frederik Andersen made 27 saves.DALLAS (AP) — Roope Hintz scored two goals and had an assist, Joe Pavelski scored his seventh goal of the second-round series and the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 in Game 5. The Stars have a 3-2 series lead. Pavelski also had an assist on Hintz’s second goal, which ricocheted hard out of the net with 8:37 left for a two-goal lead, though play continued for nearly a half-minute before a replay review that confirmed the score. Radek Faksa added an empty-netter. Game 6 is Saturday in Seattle. Adam Larsson and Jared McCann scored for Seattle.McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — S.Y. Noh has a three-shot lead at the AT&amp;T Byron Nelson after he tied the course record with an opening-round 60. Noh decided against going for the green in two on the par-5 18th. He made birdie and finished at 11-under even after dealing with a cracked driver on the back nine. Sebastián Muñoz set the TPC Craig Ranch record last year with a 12-under opening round. The course is now a par 71 in its third year of hosting the Nelson after one of the par-5s was converted to a par-4. Two-time defending champion K.H. Lee of South Korea shot 71. Local favorite and world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler had a 64.THURSDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Minnesota 5 San Diego 3AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Kansas City 4 Chicago White Sox 3Final Tampa Bay 8 N.Y. Yankees 2Final Texas 4 Oakland 0NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Cincinnati 5 N.Y. Mets 0Final San Francisco 6 Arizona 2NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal Boston 95 Philadelphia 86Final Denver 125 Phoenix 100NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal OT Carolina 3 New Jersey 2Final Dallas 5 Seattle 2<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;

📢📰  Sports Headlines for Friday

FRISCO, Texas – A pair of Major League shortstops made rehab appearances in the game for Wichita and Frisco, but the Wind Surge score three runs in the seventh to tie the game and three ninth inning runs to defeat the Riders 8-6. The Surge won their third in a row and lead the series three games to none.

Frisco’s defense led the league with fewest errors, committing twelve through the first 29 games but on Thursday the Riders committed seven errors leading to three unearned runs.

The Riders led the game 5-2 through six innings and the Wind Surge offense took advantage of a pair of walks, a hit batter, and two errors in the inning to tie the game.

In the ninth with two outs the Surge drew a pair of walks and Alex Isola delivered with a two out two run single and Yoyner Fajardo added an RBI single. Michael Boyle worked two and two third innings for the win and John Matthews took the loss.

Royce Lewis on a rehab assignment for the Minnesota Twins played third base for seven innings and had no hits in three at bats with a hit batter. Corey Seager on a rehab assignment for the Texas Rangers had one hit and two RBI playing five innings.

NOTES – Wichita stole a season high six stolen bases. The Surge have three players with at least ten stolen bases. The Riders seven errors is the most in a Texas League game this season.

UPCOMING – The Wind Surge continue the twelve-game road trip in Texas on Friday. The Surge will start RH Blayne Enlow against the Frisco RoughRiders RH Owen White at 7:05 PM.

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>

NEXT HOME GAME: The Wind Surge return home for a six game homestand on Tuesday, May 16 vs Arkansas Travelers.

<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/2023/5/1683890087594.jpeg" alt="Wind Surge win 8-6. Three in a row from Texas" />
 <figcaption>Wind Surge win 8-6. Three in a row from Texas</figcaption>
 </figure>FRISCO, Texas – A pair of Major League shortstops made rehab appearances in the game for Wichita and Frisco, but the Wind Surge score three runs in the seventh to tie the game and three ninth inning runs to defeat the Riders 8-6. The Surge won their third in a row and lead the series three games to none.Frisco’s defense led the league with fewest errors, committing twelve through the first 29 games but on Thursday the Riders committed seven errors leading to three unearned runs.The Riders led the game 5-2 through six innings and the Wind Surge offense took advantage of a pair of walks, a hit batter, and two errors in the inning to tie the game.In the ninth with two outs the Surge drew a pair of walks and Alex Isola delivered with a two out two run single and Yoyner Fajardo added an RBI single. Michael Boyle worked two and two third innings for the win and John Matthews took the loss.Royce Lewis on a rehab assignment for the Minnesota Twins played third base for seven innings and had no hits in three at bats with a hit batter. Corey Seager on a rehab assignment for the Texas Rangers had one hit and two RBI playing five innings.NOTES – Wichita stole a season high six stolen bases. The Surge have three players with at least ten stolen bases. The Riders seven errors is the most in a Texas League game this season.UPCOMING – The Wind Surge continue the twelve-game road trip in Texas on Friday. The Surge will start RH Blayne Enlow against the Frisco RoughRiders RH Owen White at 7:05 PM.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>NEXT HOME GAME: The Wind Surge return home for a six game homestand on Tuesday, May 16 vs Arkansas Travelers.<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;

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge rally in the ninth to win

FORT SCOTT, Kan.—The Fort Scott Greyhounds rallied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and tacked on another run in the eight to eliminate the Hutchinson Blue Dragons 10-6 in the best of three game series.

The Greyhounds shut out the Blue Dragons in the series opener 11-0 on Wednesday.

Fort Scott now advances into the Plains District Tournament to be played at Eck Stadium in Wichita May 17-21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681806741971.jpeg" alt="HutchCC Baseball eliminated by Fort Scott" />
 <figcaption>HutchCC Baseball eliminated by Fort Scott</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT SCOTT, Kan.—The Fort Scott Greyhounds rallied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and tacked on another run in the eight to eliminate the Hutchinson Blue Dragons 10-6 in the best of three game series.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BASE | Final from Fort Scott Fort Scott defeats Hutchinson 10-6 in Game 2 and wins the series 2-0. The Blue Dragons close the season at 30-28&mdash; Blue Dragon Sports (@bluedragonsport) <a href="https://twitter.com/bluedragonsport/status/1656813936694419459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Greyhounds shut out the Blue Dragons in the series opener 11-0 on Wednesday.Fort Scott now advances into the Plains District Tournament to be played at Eck Stadium in Wichita May 17-21.Hutchinson finishes the season at 30-28.<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;

⚾Fort Scott rallies to eliminate Blue Dragons

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Freddy Fermin had fouled off a couple of bunt attempts earlier in the week, yet Royals manager Matt Quatraro had no qualms about calling for another one with the backup catcher at the plate and a chance to beat the White Sox on Thursday.

Nick Pratto immediately dashed home from third base, but the bunt was so perfectly executed that there was never even a play, and that allowed Kansas City to escape with a 4-3 victory over Chicago and its first home series win of the season.

“He stuck his nose in there and got it done,” Quatraro said. “It's a really hard play, if at all possible, to defense a safety squeeze unless you really sell out, and then you give up a free base. But to get that bunt down was really impressive.”

There have been two walk-off bunts in the majors this season. Both have come against the White Sox.

“We got outplayed in this series,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said after dropping three of four. "Flat out.”

The Royals nursed a 3-1 lead into the eighth, but the White Sox tied it with a two-out rally against Aroldis Chapman. Andrew Vaughn and pinch-hitter Carlos Pérez singled, and Luis Robert Jr. bounced a tying double off the chalk of the left-field line.

But in the ninth, Pratto worked a walk off Reynaldo López (0-3) before Maikel Garcia struck out. Matt Duffy followed with a single to right, and Fermin laid down a bunt that went landed about six feet in front of the plate.

“Just shows you the versatility of this team,” said the Royals' Michael Massey, “and the spectrum we can play on.”

Scott Barlow (1-2) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the win.

The start of the game was delayed an hour by a steady rain that never fully abated, and that in turn created a conundrum for the grounds crew, which never seemed certain before first pitch whether it should be rolling up and stowing the tarp.

Turned out the pitchers handled the drizzle better than anyone.

The Royals' Brady Singer has been struggling most of the season, allowing 19 runs in 19 innings in his first four home starts. But the young right-hander showcased better command and execution while cutting through the White Sox lineup Thursday.

He gave up Vaughn's two-out single in the third but lasted six innings and departed with a 3-1 lead.

Mike Clevinger was sharp, too, though that was expected against Kansas City. The right-hander with the funky delivery — who twice got nailed with pitch-clock violations — was 9-0 with a 1.98 ERA over his first 14 games against the Royals.

Clevinger also left after six innings Thursday, allowing three hits and two walks.

While the Royals never hit Clevinger hard, they did hit him enough. Massey followed his first homer of the season Wednesday night with a two-out shot in the second, and the Royals got a leadoff single by Edward Oliveras and a walk from Pratto before a double by Garcia into the left-field corner gave Kansas City a 3-1 lead in the fourth.

The lead didn't hold. But the Royals added one more run when they needed it.

“There’s a lot of baseball left,” Grifol said. "Disappointed at times with lack of urgency? Absolutely, I am. Absolutely. That starts with me. So we've got to be better. We've got to be better as a staff. We've got to be better as a ballclub.”

The Royals welcomed hundreds of students for a wet but educational morning at Kauffman Stadium, and many stuck around through the rain delay for part of the game. The annual school day event was particularly special for Quatraro, the Royals' first-year manager, whose parents were both educators and whose wife is a teacher as well.

“There’s so many good lessons for life in school,” Quatraro said, “whether it’s in the books or the other stuff.”

Royals: OF Franmil Reyes chose free agency Thursday rather than go to Triple-A Omaha. He was designated for assignment after hitting just .186 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games for Kansas City.

White Sox: C Yasmani Grandal doubled in the second and singled in the third before leaving with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced by Seby Zavala. ... INF Jake Burger (strained left oblique) was beginning a rehab assignment Thursday night with Triple-A Charlotte. ... INF Yoán Moncada (lower back tightness) was not playing at Charlotte, raising the expectation that he would return to the White Sox on Friday. Chicago manager Pedro Grifol would only say it's a possibility.

The White Sox start a nine-game homestand with RHP Michael Kopech (1-3, 5.97 ERA) on the mound for Friday night's opener of a three-game set against Houston. The Royals head out on a nine-game trip but have not announced a starting pitcher for Friday night's opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683193842018.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Freddy Fermin had fouled off a couple of bunt attempts earlier in the week, yet Royals manager Matt Quatraro had no qualms about calling for another one with the backup catcher at the plate and a chance to beat the White Sox on Thursday.This time, Fermin's bunt was fair.Nick Pratto immediately dashed home from third base, but the bunt was so perfectly executed that there was never even a play, and that allowed Kansas City to escape with a 4-3 victory over Chicago and its first home series win of the season.“He stuck his nose in there and got it done,” Quatraro said. “It's a really hard play, if at all possible, to defense a safety squeeze unless you really sell out, and then you give up a free base. But to get that bunt down was really impressive.”There have been two walk-off bunts in the majors this season. Both have come against the White Sox.“We got outplayed in this series,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said after dropping three of four. "Flat out.”The Royals nursed a 3-1 lead into the eighth, but the White Sox tied it with a two-out rally against Aroldis Chapman. Andrew Vaughn and pinch-hitter Carlos Pérez singled, and Luis Robert Jr. bounced a tying double off the chalk of the left-field line.But in the ninth, Pratto worked a walk off Reynaldo López (0-3) before Maikel Garcia struck out. Matt Duffy followed with a single to right, and Fermin laid down a bunt that went landed about six feet in front of the plate.“Just shows you the versatility of this team,” said the Royals' Michael Massey, “and the spectrum we can play on.”Scott Barlow (1-2) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the win.The start of the game was delayed an hour by a steady rain that never fully abated, and that in turn created a conundrum for the grounds crew, which never seemed certain before first pitch whether it should be rolling up and stowing the tarp.Turned out the pitchers handled the drizzle better than anyone.The Royals' Brady Singer has been struggling most of the season, allowing 19 runs in 19 innings in his first four home starts. But the young right-hander showcased better command and execution while cutting through the White Sox lineup Thursday.He gave up Vaughn's two-out single in the third but lasted six innings and departed with a 3-1 lead.Mike Clevinger was sharp, too, though that was expected against Kansas City. The right-hander with the funky delivery — who twice got nailed with pitch-clock violations — was 9-0 with a 1.98 ERA over his first 14 games against the Royals.Clevinger also left after six innings Thursday, allowing three hits and two walks.While the Royals never hit Clevinger hard, they did hit him enough. Massey followed his first homer of the season Wednesday night with a two-out shot in the second, and the Royals got a leadoff single by Edward Oliveras and a walk from Pratto before a double by Garcia into the left-field corner gave Kansas City a 3-1 lead in the fourth.The lead didn't hold. But the Royals added one more run when they needed it.“There’s a lot of baseball left,” Grifol said. "Disappointed at times with lack of urgency? Absolutely, I am. Absolutely. That starts with me. So we've got to be better. We've got to be better as a staff. We've got to be better as a ballclub.”SCHOOL DAY AT THE KThe Royals welcomed hundreds of students for a wet but educational morning at Kauffman Stadium, and many stuck around through the rain delay for part of the game. The annual school day event was particularly special for Quatraro, the Royals' first-year manager, whose parents were both educators and whose wife is a teacher as well.“There’s so many good lessons for life in school,” Quatraro said, “whether it’s in the books or the other stuff.”TRANSACTIONSRoyals: OF Franmil Reyes chose free agency Thursday rather than go to Triple-A Omaha. He was designated for assignment after hitting just .186 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games for Kansas City.TRAINER'S ROOMWhite Sox: C Yasmani Grandal doubled in the second and singled in the third before leaving with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced by Seby Zavala. ... INF Jake Burger (strained left oblique) was beginning a rehab assignment Thursday night with Triple-A Charlotte. ... INF Yoán Moncada (lower back tightness) was not playing at Charlotte, raising the expectation that he would return to the White Sox on Friday. Chicago manager Pedro Grifol would only say it's a possibility.UP NEXTThe White Sox start a nine-game homestand with RHP Michael Kopech (1-3, 5.97 ERA) on the mound for Friday night's opener of a three-game set against Houston. The Royals head out on a nine-game trip but have not announced a starting pitcher for Friday night's opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee.

⚾ Fermin's bunt in ninth gives Royals 4-3 win over White Sox

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

The Wichita State men's basketball team has signed on to compete in the 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational, Nov. 16, 17 and 19 in Conway, S.C. at Coastal Carolina University's HTC Center. In addition to WSU, the eight-team field includes four schools that won conference regular season titles in 2022-23 -- College of Charleston (Colonial), Furman (Southern), Liberty (Atlantic Sun) and Vermont (American East) – along with Saint Louis (Atlantic 10), Wyoming (Mountain West) and Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt). All 12 tournament games will be televised on ESPN platforms. Matchups will be released later this summer, however fans can sign up today for first access through a special pre-sale page. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.myrtlebeachinvite.com/">www.myrtlebeachinvite.com</a>&nbsp;for details. This is WSU's first appearance in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The Shockers (17-15, 9-9 American) have appeared in eight of the last 11 NCAA tournaments. First-year head coach Paul Mills took Oral Roberts to a Sweet 16 in 2021 and to its first 30-win season in 2023 while winning the Summit League regular season and tournament titles. Furman (a first-round winner over No. 4 seed Virginia), Vermont and College of Charleston are all coming off NCAA tournament appearances, while Liberty reached the second round of the NIT after downing Villanova. This is the MBI's fifth go-around. Past champions include UCF (2018), Baylor (2019), Utah State (2021) and UMass (2022). THE REST OF THE 2023 MYRTLE BEACH FIELD: Coastal Carolina&nbsp;(11-20, 5-13 SBC, 295 NET)

College of Charleston&nbsp;(31-4, 16-2 CAA, 52 NET)

Furman&nbsp;(28-8, 15-3 SoCon, 88 NET)

Liberty&nbsp;(27-9, 15-3 ASUN, 46 NET)

Saint Louis&nbsp;(21-12, 12-6 A10, 97 NET)

Vermont&nbsp;(23-11, 14-2 AEC, 112 NET)

Wyoming&nbsp;(9-22, 4-14 MWC, 180 NET)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683857439357.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

The Wichita State men's basketball team has signed on to compete in the 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational, Nov. 16, 17 and 19 in Conway, S.C. at Coastal Carolina University's HTC Center. In addition to WSU, the eight-team field includes four schools that won conference regular season titles in 2022-23 -- College of Charleston (Colonial), Furman (Southern), Liberty (Atlantic Sun) and Vermont (American East) – along with Saint Louis (Atlantic 10), Wyoming (Mountain West) and Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt). All 12 tournament games will be televised on ESPN platforms. Matchups will be released later this summer, however fans can sign up today for first access through a special pre-sale page. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.myrtlebeachinvite.com/">www.myrtlebeachinvite.com</a>&nbsp;for details. This is WSU's first appearance in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The Shockers (17-15, 9-9 American) have appeared in eight of the last 11 NCAA tournaments. First-year head coach Paul Mills took Oral Roberts to a Sweet 16 in 2021 and to its first 30-win season in 2023 while winning the Summit League regular season and tournament titles. Furman (a first-round winner over No. 4 seed Virginia), Vermont and College of Charleston are all coming off NCAA tournament appearances, while Liberty reached the second round of the NIT after downing Villanova. This is the MBI's fifth go-around. Past champions include UCF (2018), Baylor (2019), Utah State (2021) and UMass (2022). THE REST OF THE 2023 MYRTLE BEACH FIELD: Coastal Carolina&nbsp;(11-20, 5-13 SBC, 295 NET)<ul>
 <li>CCU is led by Cliff Ellis, who ranks second among active coaches (10th all-time) with 828 Division I wins and has coached in more Division I games than any coach other than Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim.</li><li>This is the fifth year of the MBI and the second appearance for CCU.</li><li>The Shockers and Chanticleers have never met on the hardwood.</li>
 </ul> College of Charleston&nbsp;(31-4, 16-2 CAA, 52 NET)<ul>
 <li>CofC spent multiple weeks in the Associated Press Top 25 and swept the CAA's regular season and tournament titles.</li><li>The 12th-seeded Cougars fell by six points to eventual Final Four participant San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.</li><li>WSU won both previous meetings with CofC (both in Wichita), defeating the Cougars in the quarterfinals of the 2011 NIT and in a November 2017 non-conference matchup.</li>
 </ul> Furman&nbsp;(28-8, 15-3 SoCon, 88 NET)<ul>
 <li>Furman has topped the 20-win mark in six of the last seven seasons.</li><li>The Paladins shared the SoCon regular season title at 15-3 and won the league's tournament title to advance to their first NCAA tournament in 43 years. A 68-67 first-round upset of No. 4 seed Virginia was the program's first NCAA tourney victory since 1974</li><li>WSU won its lone meeting with Furman in the first round of the 2019 NIT, 76-70.</li>
 </ul> Liberty&nbsp;(27-9, 15-3 ASUN, 46 NET)<ul>
 <li>Liberty moves to Conference USA this season after winning or sharing the regular season conference and/or division title in each of its five seasons in the ASUN.</li><li>A potential MBI meeting with the Flames would be the first ever between the schools.</li>
 </ul> Saint Louis&nbsp;(21-12, 12-6 A10, 97 NET)<ul>
 <li>SLU has finished in the top four of the Atlantic 10 standings in three of the last four seasons, including a tie for second place last year.</li><li>56 of the 64 meetings between WSU and SLU took place between 1946 and 1974 when the schools were both members of the MVC. The teams last played in 2016 when WSU swept the last of a four-game home-and-home series.</li>
 </ul> Vermont&nbsp;(23-11, 14-2 AEC, 112 NET)<ul>
 <li>The Catamounts have won or shared the America East regular season title in each of the last seven seasons, with four NCAA Tournament appearances during that span (the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled).</li><li>WSU has never faced Vermont.</li>
 </ul> Wyoming&nbsp;(9-22, 4-14 MWC, 180 NET)<ul>
 <li>Wyoming earned an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.</li><li>The Cowboys were picked second behind eventual Final Four participant San Diego State in the 2022-23 Mountain West preseason poll before a string of injuries throughout the season.</li><li>WSU is 10-3 all-time vs. Wyoming. The Shockers swept a home-and-home from the Cowboys in the most-recent matchups, winning in 2006 in Casper and 2007 in Wichita.</li>
 </ul>

🏀 Shockers headed to Myrtle Beach in November

HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The Hutchinson Salthawks baseball team needed at least one win on Thursday to advance into next week's regional, and that came true at Hobart-Detter Field. Hutchinson won game one over Salina Central, 11-10, before falling in the second game, 17-2.

There was plenty of drama in game one, as the Salthawks fell behind 8-1 going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Hutchinson (4-16) scored one in the fourth and five more in the fifth to pull within 8-7. The Mustangs scored two in the sixth to extend its lead to three, 10-7.

Hutchinson scored one run on an RBI single to centerfield by Landon Parks to pull within 10-8. Jack Davis followed the single up by being hit by the pitch, then a pop up by Jax Heneha made it two on and two outs. Carter Morgan then was hit by the pitch and loaded the bases up for Caiden Beavers. Beavers drew the count full and then on the 3-2 pitch, Beavers tripled to deep left-center to clear the bases, and giving the Salthawks the 11-10 walk-off victory.

Cole Bleything earned the win on the mound, going three innings, giving up two unearned runs and striking out two. He would also record a team-high two hits in the win, while driving in one. Beavers' lone hit was the game-winner and recorded a team-high three RBI.&nbsp;

The Salthawks never had a chance in the second game, falling behind quickly 6-0 after the first inning and then 10-0 after two complete. Hutchinson scored two in the fourth to extend the game into the fifth after Salina Central (5-13) scored five in the top of the inning, but Central responded with two more in the fifth.&nbsp;

Hutchinson was outhit in the loss, 13-4, while Salthawk hitters struck out eight times.&nbsp;

The Salthawks will be the No. 16 seed in the 5A west and will travel to Wichita next week to face Bishop Carroll (19-1). The game time and location will be finalized on Saturday and will be published on the <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/5ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;WeekID=5479">KSHSAA site</a>.

GAME 1 Salina Central - 012 502 0 - 10 11 1 Hutchinson - 001 150 4 - 11 8 2 W: Bleything. L: Kvasnicka. Time: 2:29.

GAME 2 Salina Central - 640 52x x - 17 13 3 Hutchinson - 000 20x x - 2 4 3 W: Gross. L: Heneha. HR: Richardson (S. Central). Time: 1:44.

SOFTBALL SCORES Game 1: Hutchinson 24, Salina Central 14 Game 2: Hutchinson 12, Salina Central 4

<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;

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 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The Hutchinson Salthawks baseball team needed at least one win on Thursday to advance into next week's regional, and that came true at Hobart-Detter Field. Hutchinson won game one over Salina Central, 11-10, before falling in the second game, 17-2.There was plenty of drama in game one, as the Salthawks fell behind 8-1 going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Hutchinson (4-16) scored one in the fourth and five more in the fifth to pull within 8-7. The Mustangs scored two in the sixth to extend its lead to three, 10-7.Hutchinson scored one run on an RBI single to centerfield by Landon Parks to pull within 10-8. Jack Davis followed the single up by being hit by the pitch, then a pop up by Jax Heneha made it two on and two outs. Carter Morgan then was hit by the pitch and loaded the bases up for Caiden Beavers. Beavers drew the count full and then on the 3-2 pitch, Beavers tripled to deep left-center to clear the bases, and giving the Salthawks the 11-10 walk-off victory.Cole Bleything earned the win on the mound, going three innings, giving up two unearned runs and striking out two. He would also record a team-high two hits in the win, while driving in one. Beavers' lone hit was the game-winner and recorded a team-high three RBI.&nbsp;The Salthawks never had a chance in the second game, falling behind quickly 6-0 after the first inning and then 10-0 after two complete. Hutchinson scored two in the fourth to extend the game into the fifth after Salina Central (5-13) scored five in the top of the inning, but Central responded with two more in the fifth.&nbsp;Hutchinson was outhit in the loss, 13-4, while Salthawk hitters struck out eight times.&nbsp;The Salthawks will be the No. 16 seed in the 5A west and will travel to Wichita next week to face Bishop Carroll (19-1). The game time and location will be finalized on Saturday and will be published on the <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/5ARegional.cfm?Activity=2&amp;WeekID=5479">KSHSAA site</a>.GAME 1 Salina Central - 012 502 0 - 10 11 1 Hutchinson - 001 150 4 - 11 8 2 W: Bleything. L: Kvasnicka. Time: 2:29.GAME 2 Salina Central - 640 52x x - 17 13 3 Hutchinson - 000 20x x - 2 4 3 W: Gross. L: Heneha. HR: Richardson (S. Central). Time: 1:44.SOFTBALL SCORES Game 1: Hutchinson 24, Salina Central 14 Game 2: Hutchinson 12, Salina Central 4<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;

⚾ Beavers' walk-off sends Salthawks to postseason

Courtesy of Kansas State Atheltics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – No. 15 K-State sets out for the final road trip of the regular season this weekend when the Wildcats take on No. 13 Oklahoma State in a crucial Big 12 series starting on Friday at 6 p.m. inside O'Brate Stadium.

⚾ No. 15 K-State travels to No. 13 Oklahoma State in crucial Big 12 series

Courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs

The NFL announced today that the Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 7 for the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game. The game will air on NBC as part of a special Thursday night edition of Sunday Night Football.

As part of the Kickoff Game festivities, the club will unveil its Super Bowl LVII championship banner as well as have a brief on-field presentation during pregame.

The NFL has confirmed that the full 2023 schedule will be unveiled on NFL Network, the NFL App, NFL+ and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nfl.com/">www.NFL.com</a>&nbsp;beginning at 7 p.m. CT tonight.

Single-game and group tickets for all 2023 Chiefs home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will go on sale beginning tomorrow and can be purchased at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/">www.chiefs.com</a>&nbsp;by the public beginning at 11 a.m. Season Ticket Members will have an exclusive online presale for home opener tickets beginning at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The club will notify Season Ticket Members via email with instructions on how to purchase additional single-game tickets.

In continuation of the team's long-standing policy, the taxpayers of Jackson County, Missouri, will have a presale opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2023 season beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow. The Jackson County taxpayer presale will take place online only and purchasers must use a credit card with a billing zip code within Jackson County to participate.

Ticket and parking pass delivery for games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will be mobile only. The ticket office will not be open for any walk-up sales. All single-game and group tickets for Chiefs home games are subject to availability and dynamic pricing. Parking can be purchased during the ticket purchase process or in advance of the game at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/parking">www.chiefs.com/parking</a>. Advance parking pass purchase is required as cash will not be accepted at the tollgates.

The club will announce its 2023 schedule presented by Ticketmaster on the team's official&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/chiefs/">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">Facebook</a>&nbsp;channels at 7 p.m. CT tonight. Fans can check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/">www.chiefs.com</a>&nbsp;or the official&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/KansasCityChiefs/videos">Chiefs YouTube</a>&nbsp;page after the schedule release for a special edition of the Defending the Kingdom Podcast breaking down the entire 2023 Chiefs schedule.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683817375922.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the Kansas City ChiefsThe NFL announced today that the Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 7 for the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game. The game will air on NBC as part of a special Thursday night edition of Sunday Night Football.As part of the Kickoff Game festivities, the club will unveil its Super Bowl LVII championship banner as well as have a brief on-field presentation during pregame.The NFL has confirmed that the full 2023 schedule will be unveiled on NFL Network, the NFL App, NFL+ and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nfl.com/">www.NFL.com</a>&nbsp;beginning at 7 p.m. CT tonight.Single-game and group tickets for all 2023 Chiefs home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will go on sale beginning tomorrow and can be purchased at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/">www.chiefs.com</a>&nbsp;by the public beginning at 11 a.m. Season Ticket Members will have an exclusive online presale for home opener tickets beginning at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The club will notify Season Ticket Members via email with instructions on how to purchase additional single-game tickets.In continuation of the team's long-standing policy, the taxpayers of Jackson County, Missouri, will have a presale opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2023 season beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow. The Jackson County taxpayer presale will take place online only and purchasers must use a credit card with a billing zip code within Jackson County to participate.Ticket and parking pass delivery for games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will be mobile only. The ticket office will not be open for any walk-up sales. All single-game and group tickets for Chiefs home games are subject to availability and dynamic pricing. Parking can be purchased during the ticket purchase process or in advance of the game at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/parking">www.chiefs.com/parking</a>. Advance parking pass purchase is required as cash will not be accepted at the tollgates.The club will announce its 2023 schedule presented by Ticketmaster on the team's official&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/chiefs/">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">Facebook</a>&nbsp;channels at 7 p.m. CT tonight. Fans can check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/">www.chiefs.com</a>&nbsp;or the official&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/KansasCityChiefs/videos">Chiefs YouTube</a>&nbsp;page after the schedule release for a special edition of the Defending the Kingdom Podcast breaking down the entire 2023 Chiefs schedule.

🏈 Chiefs to host Lions in 2023 NFL opener

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – In order to accommodate travel schedules, K-State officials have announced that the Wildcats' Big 12 contest on Saturday, May 20, against TCU will now begin at 2 p.m. inside Tointon Family Stadium.

The final game of the regular season between the Wildcats and Horned Frogs was originally scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. The three-game conference series will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN + and the ESPN app with radio coverage on KMAN (93.3FM/1350AM). A free live audio is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jballard_kstatesports_com/Documents/Documents/2022-23/Baseball/Archives/kstatesports.com/watch">kstatesports.com/watch</a>. The Wildcats (31-18) take on Oklahoma State (33-14) this weekend in their final road trip of the regular season beginning on Friday, May 12 at 6 p.m. at O'Brate Stadium. K-State enters the Big 12 matchup tied second in the league with the Cowboys with an 11-7 league record. &nbsp; Revised K-State Baseball Weekend Series Thursday, May 18, vs. TCU – 6 p.m. Friday, May 19, vs. TCU – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 20, vs. TCU – 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
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 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. – In order to accommodate travel schedules, K-State officials have announced that the Wildcats' Big 12 contest on Saturday, May 20, against TCU will now begin at 2 p.m. inside Tointon Family Stadium.The final game of the regular season between the Wildcats and Horned Frogs was originally scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. The three-game conference series will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN + and the ESPN app with radio coverage on KMAN (93.3FM/1350AM). A free live audio is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jballard_kstatesports_com/Documents/Documents/2022-23/Baseball/Archives/kstatesports.com/watch">kstatesports.com/watch</a>. The Wildcats (31-18) take on Oklahoma State (33-14) this weekend in their final road trip of the regular season beginning on Friday, May 12 at 6 p.m. at O'Brate Stadium. K-State enters the Big 12 matchup tied second in the league with the Cowboys with an 11-7 league record. &nbsp; Revised K-State Baseball Weekend Series Thursday, May 18, vs. TCU – 6 p.m. Friday, May 19, vs. TCU – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 20, vs. TCU – 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ K-State announces time change for TCU series

HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— Hutchinson High School athletic director John McLean has announced Thursday's baseball and softball games against Salina Central have been moved up an hour to a 3 p.m. start time due to impending weather.

This will be for both varsity and junior varsity games, as well.

You can watch the varsity baseball game against the Mustangs <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f25c32f1-dc1a-466d-96d4-9f7d9cb20d8e">here</a>.&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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648640359585.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— Hutchinson High School athletic director John McLean has announced Thursday's baseball and softball games against Salina Central have been moved up an hour to a 3 p.m. start time due to impending weather.This will be for both varsity and junior varsity games, as well.You can watch the varsity baseball game against the Mustangs <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f25c32f1-dc1a-466d-96d4-9f7d9cb20d8e">here</a>.&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;

⚾🥎 Salthawks game times moved up

#20/20&nbsp;[1] Wichita State vs. [4] Tulsa/[5] Houston Friday, May 12&nbsp;| 12&nbsp;PM ET/11 AM CT Tampa, Fla. | USF Softball Stadium ESPNU&nbsp;| StatBroadcast.com QUICK HITS • Wichita State will open the AAC Championship in the semifinals against either Houston or Tulsa. • Wichita State is the AAC regular season champion, and will be the top seed in the 2023 AAC Championship. • Wichita State is ranked in all four polls: NFCA (#20), USA Softball (#20), D1 Softball (#21) and Softball America (#22). Wichita State's #18 ranking in NFCA and D1 Softball is the highest in school history. • Wichita State sits at No. 20 in the RPI. • Wichita State 4-2 all-time in the AAC Championship. • Wichita State won the 2021 AAC Championship, defeating UCF in the title game, 7-4. • Wichita State's 43-9 record is the best start through 52 games in school history. • Wichita State's 43 wins are T-5th most in the NCAA in 2023. • Wichita State has its third 40-win season in school history. • Wichita State is 8-2 in its last 10 games. • Wichita State has three Top 10 wins this season - #9 Arkansas, #2 Oklahoma State and #3 Oklahoma State. • Wichita State's win at #3 Oklahoma State was the highest ranked road win in school history. • Wichita State's win over #2 Oklahoma State was the highest ranked win in school history. • Wichita State has 10 shutouts in 2023. The 2022 Shockers had five all season. • Regular Season Awards:&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;(Player of the Year, 1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7246">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;(Defensive Player of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;(Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team), Coaching Staff of the Year,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;(1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/zoe-jones/7234">Zoe Jones</a>&nbsp;(1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/7235">Lauren Lucas</a>&nbsp;(1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;(2nd Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7229">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;(2nd Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7248">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;(All-Rookie Team). • McKinney was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 21. • McKinney leads the country in hits and batting average. • McKinney led the nation in hits and batting average in 2022. • McKinney is the NCAA DI active leader in hits and at bats. • McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU. • McKinney is the program's all-time hits, batting average, runs and total bases leader, while also owning single season records for those categories. • McKinney is one of 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. •&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;has 69 career home runs, the most all time at Wichita State and in American Athletic Conference history. • Barnard is the only active DI player with 60+ HR and 50+ SB. • Barnard ranks 2nd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs. • Barnard became the first known player in NCAA history with 30+ home runs and 25+ stolen bases in 2022. • After playing just 11 home games in 2022, Wichita State had 27 games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023. • Wichita State received three first place votes in the AAC Preseason Poll and was picked to finish 2nd, just one point behind UCF. LAST MEETING VS. THE GOLDEN HURRICANE Wichita State swept the regular season series with Tulsa, having just played a week and a half ago. The Shockers won by scores of 8-2, 17-2 and 2-1. Wichita State completed the sweep with a comeback win in the finale, scoring both runs in the Top of the 6th. LAST MEETING VS. THE COUGARS Wichita State needed two come from behind wins to take the regular season series with the Cougars. The Shockers needed 11 innings to win the opener, 8-7, and then scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to win Game 2, 5-4. Houston avoided the sweep with a 4-0 win in the finale. 40 WIN SEASON Wichita State recorded its 40th win of the season on Sunday, April 23 vs. East Carolina. It marks only the third 40-win season in school history, joining the 2005 and 2021 teams. The 2005 team holds the current school record with 46 wins. 2023 AAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS Wichita State won its second American Athletic Conference regular season championship. It marks the fourth regular season conferene title in school history and second in the last three seasons. All four regular season championships (2014, 2016, 2021, 2023) have come under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>. It also ensures the No. 1 seed in the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Shockers will receive a first round bye into the semifinals. MCKINNEY SELECTED IN 2023 ATHLETES UNLIMITED DRAFT <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited College Softball Draft on May 8. McKinney is the first Shocker selected in the brief history of the Athletes Unlimited professional league. SHOCKER NATION SHOWED UP Wichita State set a new school record for home season attendance in 2023, as 18,594 fans came through the gates at Wilkins Stadium. That season total ranked 26th nationally, while the Shockers also ranked 31st nationally in average attendace (715). RPI - WEEK TEN Wichita State checked in at No. 20 in the week 10 RPI rankings on May 8. The Shockers have already faced 12 teams in the Top 75, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Oklahoma State (twice), No. 14 Arkansas, No. 27 Minnesota, No. 31 UCF, No. 35 Nebraska, No. 38 San Diego State, No. 42 Texas State, No. 48 Boise State, No. 53 South Dakota State, No. 55 Kansas, No. 62 South Florida and No. 68 Villanova. TOP 10 WINS Wichita State owns a trio of Top 10 wins in 2023 after taking down No. 3 Oklahoma State on April 18 in Stillwater. The Shockers completed the regular season sweep of Oklahoma State with wins in Stillwater and Wichita. The win over the Cowgirls in Wichita marked the highest ranked win in program history, having never beaten a Top 5 team before the matchup. The road win over OSU marked the highest ranked win on the road in school history. Wichita State's resume now includes wins over No. 2/3 Oklahoma State (twice) and No. 9 Arkansas (March 14), making it the first season in school history with multiple Top 10 victories. Wichita State has four Top 10 wins under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>, all four coming in the last three seasons. PITCHING PROWESS The pitching staff was a question mark entering the season in 2023, but those questions have since disappeared. Wichita State's trio of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7231">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;have accomplished something already that no other team in school history has done. All three have double digit wins in 2023. Howell (18-3), Aguilar (14-2) and Cooper (11-4) have combined for all 43 wins so far this season, making them the first trio of teammates to have 10 or more wins in a single season in the circle. TOP 10 FINALIST Wichita State senior&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;was named one of 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on May 3. A top 10 finalist a season ago, McKinney is once again putting the nation on notice. McKinney was named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List prior to the season before making the cut at 25. Considered the most distinguished individual honor in Division I college softball, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players from across the country. The Top 25 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 3, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 17. AWARD SZN Wichita State brought home a lot of hardware from the American Athletic Conference regular season awards. The Shockers claimed Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, as well as four First Team All-Conference and four Second Team All-Conference selections.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;is the third straight Shocker to take home the league's top honor, Player of the Year, and first player in conference history to win it multiple times. She finishes her career as a four-time First Team All-Conference selection – a first in school history.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;broke on to the scene as a true freshman, earning Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Conference honors.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7246">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;was rewarded for her defensive prowess by being named Defensive Player of the Year, while also adding Second Team and All-Rookie Team honors. Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>, associate head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/elizabeth-economon/1074">Elizabeth Economon</a>&nbsp;and assistant coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/presley-bell/1073">Presley Bell</a>&nbsp;led the team to a record-breaking season. They were named the 2023 Coaching Staff of the Year.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/zoe-jones/7234">Zoe Jones</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/7235">Lauren Lucas</a>&nbsp;were named to the All-Conference First Team. Barnard is a three-time first team selection and Lucas a two-time first teamer.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7229">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;round out the Second Team All-Conference picks.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7248">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;is the third Shocker on the All-Rookie Team. ALL HAIL THE HIT QUEEN •&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;is Wichita State's all-time hits leader with 372 in her career. She passed Britnee Barnett on April 29, 2022 vs. ECU with No. 251. • McKinney is the NCAA DI active career leader in hits (371) and at bats (824). She ranks 2nd in runs scored (245) and total bases (533), 3rd in batting average (.451) and 7th in triples (16). • McKinney's career batting average of .451 ranks 17th all-time in NCAA history. • McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU. • McKinney's 245 career runs scored are the most in school history. • McKinney shattered her own single season record for batting average. She set it at .439 in 2021 and hit a nation-leading .522 in 2022. • With a career OBP of .501, McKinney currently holds the top spot in that category as well at Wichita State. • She ranks second with 16 career triples. • Her 45 career doubles place her in 5th on the school's all-time list. HOME SWEET HOME Just a season ago Wichita State took on the role of road warrior. The Shockers had 27 home games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023 compared to only 11 in 2022. During the month of March Wichita State only left&nbsp;Wichita once. Seventeen of those 27 home games took&nbsp;place in the month of March, including matchups against 2022 NCAA Regional teams: Stanford, Nebraska, Missouri State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Florida. IN THE AMERICAN RECORD BOOKS Wichita State is well-represented in the American Athletic Conference record books. Currently&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;holds the single-season record for batting average, hits, on base percentage and runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;is the single-season record holder for home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases. On the career charts, McKinney already enters her final season holding the top spot in batting average, on base percentage, runs, total bases and hits. Barnard is the all-time home run leader and needs 12 RBI to surpass Wichita State's own Madison Perrigan for the most all-time in American history.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics#20/20&nbsp;[1] Wichita State vs. [4] Tulsa/[5] Houston Friday, May 12&nbsp;| 12&nbsp;PM ET/11 AM CT Tampa, Fla. | USF Softball Stadium ESPNU&nbsp;| StatBroadcast.com QUICK HITS • Wichita State will open the AAC Championship in the semifinals against either Houston or Tulsa. • Wichita State is the AAC regular season champion, and will be the top seed in the 2023 AAC Championship. • Wichita State is ranked in all four polls: NFCA (#20), USA Softball (#20), D1 Softball (#21) and Softball America (#22). Wichita State's #18 ranking in NFCA and D1 Softball is the highest in school history. • Wichita State sits at No. 20 in the RPI. • Wichita State 4-2 all-time in the AAC Championship. • Wichita State won the 2021 AAC Championship, defeating UCF in the title game, 7-4. • Wichita State's 43-9 record is the best start through 52 games in school history. • Wichita State's 43 wins are T-5th most in the NCAA in 2023. • Wichita State has its third 40-win season in school history. • Wichita State is 8-2 in its last 10 games. • Wichita State has three Top 10 wins this season - #9 Arkansas, #2 Oklahoma State and #3 Oklahoma State. • Wichita State's win at #3 Oklahoma State was the highest ranked road win in school history. • Wichita State's win over #2 Oklahoma State was the highest ranked win in school history. • Wichita State has 10 shutouts in 2023. The 2022 Shockers had five all season. • Regular Season Awards:&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;(Player of the Year, 1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7246">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;(Defensive Player of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;(Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team), Coaching Staff of the Year,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;(1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/zoe-jones/7234">Zoe Jones</a>&nbsp;(1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/7235">Lauren Lucas</a>&nbsp;(1st Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;(2nd Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7229">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;(2nd Team),&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7248">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;(All-Rookie Team). • McKinney was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 21. • McKinney leads the country in hits and batting average. • McKinney led the nation in hits and batting average in 2022. • McKinney is the NCAA DI active leader in hits and at bats. • McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU. • McKinney is the program's all-time hits, batting average, runs and total bases leader, while also owning single season records for those categories. • McKinney is one of 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. •&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;has 69 career home runs, the most all time at Wichita State and in American Athletic Conference history. • Barnard is the only active DI player with 60+ HR and 50+ SB. • Barnard ranks 2nd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs. • Barnard became the first known player in NCAA history with 30+ home runs and 25+ stolen bases in 2022. • After playing just 11 home games in 2022, Wichita State had 27 games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023. • Wichita State received three first place votes in the AAC Preseason Poll and was picked to finish 2nd, just one point behind UCF. LAST MEETING VS. THE GOLDEN HURRICANE Wichita State swept the regular season series with Tulsa, having just played a week and a half ago. The Shockers won by scores of 8-2, 17-2 and 2-1. Wichita State completed the sweep with a comeback win in the finale, scoring both runs in the Top of the 6th. LAST MEETING VS. THE COUGARS Wichita State needed two come from behind wins to take the regular season series with the Cougars. The Shockers needed 11 innings to win the opener, 8-7, and then scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to win Game 2, 5-4. Houston avoided the sweep with a 4-0 win in the finale. 40 WIN SEASON Wichita State recorded its 40th win of the season on Sunday, April 23 vs. East Carolina. It marks only the third 40-win season in school history, joining the 2005 and 2021 teams. The 2005 team holds the current school record with 46 wins. 2023 AAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS Wichita State won its second American Athletic Conference regular season championship. It marks the fourth regular season conferene title in school history and second in the last three seasons. All four regular season championships (2014, 2016, 2021, 2023) have come under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>. It also ensures the No. 1 seed in the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Shockers will receive a first round bye into the semifinals. MCKINNEY SELECTED IN 2023 ATHLETES UNLIMITED DRAFT <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited College Softball Draft on May 8. McKinney is the first Shocker selected in the brief history of the Athletes Unlimited professional league. SHOCKER NATION SHOWED UP Wichita State set a new school record for home season attendance in 2023, as 18,594 fans came through the gates at Wilkins Stadium. That season total ranked 26th nationally, while the Shockers also ranked 31st nationally in average attendace (715). RPI - WEEK TEN Wichita State checked in at No. 20 in the week 10 RPI rankings on May 8. The Shockers have already faced 12 teams in the Top 75, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Oklahoma State (twice), No. 14 Arkansas, No. 27 Minnesota, No. 31 UCF, No. 35 Nebraska, No. 38 San Diego State, No. 42 Texas State, No. 48 Boise State, No. 53 South Dakota State, No. 55 Kansas, No. 62 South Florida and No. 68 Villanova. TOP 10 WINS Wichita State owns a trio of Top 10 wins in 2023 after taking down No. 3 Oklahoma State on April 18 in Stillwater. The Shockers completed the regular season sweep of Oklahoma State with wins in Stillwater and Wichita. The win over the Cowgirls in Wichita marked the highest ranked win in program history, having never beaten a Top 5 team before the matchup. The road win over OSU marked the highest ranked win on the road in school history. Wichita State's resume now includes wins over No. 2/3 Oklahoma State (twice) and No. 9 Arkansas (March 14), making it the first season in school history with multiple Top 10 victories. Wichita State has four Top 10 wins under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>, all four coming in the last three seasons. PITCHING PROWESS The pitching staff was a question mark entering the season in 2023, but those questions have since disappeared. Wichita State's trio of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alison-cooper/7231">Alison Cooper</a>&nbsp;have accomplished something already that no other team in school history has done. All three have double digit wins in 2023. Howell (18-3), Aguilar (14-2) and Cooper (11-4) have combined for all 43 wins so far this season, making them the first trio of teammates to have 10 or more wins in a single season in the circle. TOP 10 FINALIST Wichita State senior&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;was named one of 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on May 3. A top 10 finalist a season ago, McKinney is once again putting the nation on notice. McKinney was named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List prior to the season before making the cut at 25. Considered the most distinguished individual honor in Division I college softball, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players from across the country. The Top 25 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 3, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 17. AWARD SZN Wichita State brought home a lot of hardware from the American Athletic Conference regular season awards. The Shockers claimed Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, as well as four First Team All-Conference and four Second Team All-Conference selections.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;is the third straight Shocker to take home the league's top honor, Player of the Year, and first player in conference history to win it multiple times. She finishes her career as a four-time First Team All-Conference selection – a first in school history.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/7249">Alex Aguilar</a>&nbsp;broke on to the scene as a true freshman, earning Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Conference honors.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7246">Sami Hood</a>&nbsp;was rewarded for her defensive prowess by being named Defensive Player of the Year, while also adding Second Team and All-Rookie Team honors. Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1072">Kristi Bredbenner</a>, associate head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/elizabeth-economon/1074">Elizabeth Economon</a>&nbsp;and assistant coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/presley-bell/1073">Presley Bell</a>&nbsp;led the team to a record-breaking season. They were named the 2023 Coaching Staff of the Year.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/zoe-jones/7234">Zoe Jones</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/7235">Lauren Lucas</a>&nbsp;were named to the All-Conference First Team. Barnard is a three-time first team selection and Lucas a two-time first teamer.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-howell/7244">Lauren Howell</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7229">Lainee Brown</a>&nbsp;round out the Second Team All-Conference picks.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7248">Taylor Sedlacek</a>&nbsp;is the third Shocker on the All-Rookie Team. ALL HAIL THE HIT QUEEN •&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;is Wichita State's all-time hits leader with 372 in her career. She passed Britnee Barnett on April 29, 2022 vs. ECU with No. 251. • McKinney is the NCAA DI active career leader in hits (371) and at bats (824). She ranks 2nd in runs scored (245) and total bases (533), 3rd in batting average (.451) and 7th in triples (16). • McKinney's career batting average of .451 ranks 17th all-time in NCAA history. • McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU. • McKinney's 245 career runs scored are the most in school history. • McKinney shattered her own single season record for batting average. She set it at .439 in 2021 and hit a nation-leading .522 in 2022. • With a career OBP of .501, McKinney currently holds the top spot in that category as well at Wichita State. • She ranks second with 16 career triples. • Her 45 career doubles place her in 5th on the school's all-time list. HOME SWEET HOME Just a season ago Wichita State took on the role of road warrior. The Shockers had 27 home games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023 compared to only 11 in 2022. During the month of March Wichita State only left&nbsp;Wichita once. Seventeen of those 27 home games took&nbsp;place in the month of March, including matchups against 2022 NCAA Regional teams: Stanford, Nebraska, Missouri State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Florida. IN THE AMERICAN RECORD BOOKS Wichita State is well-represented in the American Athletic Conference record books. Currently&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sydney-mckinney/7236">Sydney McKinney</a>&nbsp;holds the single-season record for batting average, hits, on base percentage and runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7228">Addison Barnard</a>&nbsp;is the single-season record holder for home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases. On the career charts, McKinney already enters her final season holding the top spot in batting average, on base percentage, runs, total bases and hits. Barnard is the all-time home run leader and needs 12 RBI to surpass Wichita State's own Madison Perrigan for the most all-time in American history.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Top seeded Shockers ready for AAC tournament

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;— Kansas freshman big man Ernest Udeh Jr. officially entered his name into the transfer portal on Thursday morning. Udeh confirmed the news via Twitter.

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mbball/roster/season/2022-23/player/ernest-udeh-jr/">Udeh</a> is the eighth Jayhawk to hit the transfer portal this offseason. He averaged eight minutes per game as a freshman, 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds. Udeh came on strong late in the season after Zuby Ejiofor suffered a foot injury.

The Jayhawks now have three available scholarship spots. Kanas recently landed big man <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f7292a0a-cca0-4a4a-a265-3e6dfb319f30">Hunter Dickinson</a>, but have since lost Udeh Jr. and Ejiofor to the transfer portal, both of which would have played significant rolls at the five spot.&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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683815962241.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;— Kansas freshman big man Ernest Udeh Jr. officially entered his name into the transfer portal on Thursday morning. Udeh confirmed the news via Twitter.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m in God’s Hands ❤️🙏🏾 <a href="https://t.co/Lw2yw5Y2GB">https://t.co/Lw2yw5Y2GB</a>&mdash; Ernest Udeh Jr. (@ernestudehjr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ernestudehjr/status/1656659421634908162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mbball/roster/season/2022-23/player/ernest-udeh-jr/">Udeh</a> is the eighth Jayhawk to hit the transfer portal this offseason. He averaged eight minutes per game as a freshman, 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds. Udeh came on strong late in the season after Zuby Ejiofor suffered a foot injury.The Jayhawks now have three available scholarship spots. Kanas recently landed big man <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f7292a0a-cca0-4a4a-a265-3e6dfb319f30">Hunter Dickinson</a>, but have since lost Udeh Jr. and Ejiofor to the transfer portal, both of which would have played significant rolls at the five spot.&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;

🏀 KU freshman Udeh enters transfer portal

HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The Hutchinson Salthawks baseball team will return to Hobart-Detter Field&nbsp; to host the Salina Central Mustangs on Thursday, May 11th postponed from April 25th due to weather. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Salthawks are 3-15 following getting a win in a suspended game Wednesday in Derby, while the Mustangs are 4-14 on the season and come in to today's games after dropping games with Andover Central last Tuesday.

All home and road games can be heard on Hutch Post, while all home games will also have live video on Hutch Post and on the NFHS Network Hutch Channel. Pregame coverage with Sean Boston begins at 3:55 p.m.

The game will be the last regular season game with KSHSAA class 5A playoffs starting next week.

<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/2023/4/1682171699689.png" alt="GameDay vs Salina Central May 11th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>GameDay vs Salina Central May 11th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan.&nbsp;— The Hutchinson Salthawks baseball team will return to Hobart-Detter Field&nbsp; to host the Salina Central Mustangs on Thursday, May 11th postponed from April 25th due to weather. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4 p.m.The Salthawks are 3-15 following getting a win in a suspended game Wednesday in Derby, while the Mustangs are 4-14 on the season and come in to today's games after dropping games with Andover Central last Tuesday.All home and road games can be heard on Hutch Post, while all home games will also have live video on Hutch Post and on the NFHS Network Hutch Channel. Pregame coverage with Sean Boston begins at 3:55 p.m.The game will be the last regular season game with KSHSAA class 5A playoffs starting next week.<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb533a37488" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

</div><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;

⚾🎙LISTEN and WATCH: Salthawk Baseball hosts Salina Central

HAYS, Kan. - The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) announced last week to its membership that the 2024 Class 3-2-1A Boys State Wrestling Tournament will be held in Salina. Fort Hays State University has home conference basketball games scheduled that weekend in February that involve four MIAA institutions, conflicting with dates of the state wrestling tournament. "We realize the significance to our community of facilitating multiple events throughout the year," FHSU Director of Athletics Curtis Hammeke said. "Our staff works diligently attempting to balance these events with our own schedules. When we realized that solutions for solving the basketball conflict were not realistic logistically, we began to explore alternatives to keep a tournament in Hays." "The Kansas State High School Activities Association appreciates the longstanding efforts of the Fort Hays State University Athletic Department and the Hays community in providing championship caliber efforts while hosting state championship events for our member school students and communities," KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said. "We truly appreciate the FHSU administrators in trying to creatively solve the scheduling conflict. This move for next year is no indication that KSHSAA is moving the state wrestling event permanently. We analyze our sites for all our state championships annually to make the best decisions for our schools and hosts." FHSU proposed to host the Girls 4A-1A state tournament the week before on Thursday, February 15 and Friday, February 16, along with a Boys regional on Saturday, February 17. Eventually, KSHSAA opted to have both tournaments in Salina over a three day period during the traditional championship week. "We felt like we had a good proposal, but an alternative concept was selected," Hammeke said. "We remain hopeful to have either a boys or girls state wrestling championship in Hays in the future. We have a good working relationship with KSHSAA and will continue to work to accommodate these special events to the best of our ability."&nbsp;&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/2023/5/1683799364664.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Via FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) announced last week to its membership that the 2024 Class 3-2-1A Boys State Wrestling Tournament will be held in Salina. Fort Hays State University has home conference basketball games scheduled that weekend in February that involve four MIAA institutions, conflicting with dates of the state wrestling tournament. "We realize the significance to our community of facilitating multiple events throughout the year," FHSU Director of Athletics Curtis Hammeke said. "Our staff works diligently attempting to balance these events with our own schedules. When we realized that solutions for solving the basketball conflict were not realistic logistically, we began to explore alternatives to keep a tournament in Hays." "The Kansas State High School Activities Association appreciates the longstanding efforts of the Fort Hays State University Athletic Department and the Hays community in providing championship caliber efforts while hosting state championship events for our member school students and communities," KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said. "We truly appreciate the FHSU administrators in trying to creatively solve the scheduling conflict. This move for next year is no indication that KSHSAA is moving the state wrestling event permanently. We analyze our sites for all our state championships annually to make the best decisions for our schools and hosts." FHSU proposed to host the Girls 4A-1A state tournament the week before on Thursday, February 15 and Friday, February 16, along with a Boys regional on Saturday, February 17. Eventually, KSHSAA opted to have both tournaments in Salina over a three day period during the traditional championship week. "We felt like we had a good proposal, but an alternative concept was selected," Hammeke said. "We remain hopeful to have either a boys or girls state wrestling championship in Hays in the future. We have a good working relationship with KSHSAA and will continue to work to accommodate these special events to the best of our ability."&nbsp;&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;

🤼‍♂️ FHSU releases statement concerning state wrestling

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Pratto homered and drove in three supporting Brad Keller’s first win in almost a month as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 9-1. The Royals batted around with six hits in the first inning against Lance Lynn, who surrendered seven runs over five innings. Michael Massey and Edward Olivares added solo homers for Kansas City.

CHICAGO (AP) — Patrick Wisdom and Yan Gomes homered to lead unbeaten Justin Steele and the Chicago Cubs past the St. Louis Cardinals 10-4, snapping a three-game skid. Steele gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out three and walking three. He joined Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw as the only six-game winners in the National League. Nolan Arenado hit his first triple of the season for St. Louis, which had won three straight after dropping eight in a row. Jordan Montgomery lost for the fifth time in six starts after giving up six runs in five innings.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Centerfielder Brenton Doyle’s perfect throw from centerfield nailed Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds at the plate in the sixth to snuff out a potentially big inning by the Pirates and teammate Jurickson Profar put the Rockies in front with a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh as Colorado slipped by Pittsburgh 4-3 on Wednesday. The Pirates had loaded the bases with no outs against Daniel Bard. Bard struck out Connor Joe looking before giving way to Brad Hand (2-1). Pittsburgh’s Jack Suwinski hit a fly ball to shallow center field. Doyle settled under it before delivering a perfect one-hop strike to catcher Austin Wynn.

ATLANTA (AP) — Kenley Jansen became the seventh player in major league history to earn 400 saves, pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2. Jansen, who had 41 saves last year in his only season with the Braves, faced four batters for his ninth save in 10 chances. The 35-year-old right-hander trails Billy Wagner by 22 saves for sixth place on the career list. Tapia drove in Jarren Duran from second to make it 3-2 against Nick Anderson. Triston Casas hit a two-run shot 442 feet off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias to make it 5-2 in the ninth.

UNDATED (AP) — The Jaguars will become the first NFL team to play two international games in the same season. The Jaguars will “host” the Falcons at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 and “visit” the Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 8. The Tennessee Titans will “host” the Ravens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 15. The Chiefs will “host” the Dolphins in Germany at Eintracht Frankfurt Stadium on Nov. 5. The Patriots will “host” the Colts on Nov. 12, also in Frankfurt. The Jets will host the Dolphins a day after Thanksgiving. The Eagles will host the Giants on Christmas Day. The Chiefs will host the Bengals on New Year’s Eve.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry had 27 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins added 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors staved off elimination by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. LeBron James had 25 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis added 23 points and nine rebounds but went to the locker room late after appearing to take a hit in the head from Kevon Looney. Draymond Green contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds as Golden State played tough defense that led to better chances on the offensive end. Now, it’s back to LA for Game 6 on Friday night

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lakers center Anthony Davis injured his head in what appeared to be an inadvertent hit by Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 Game 5 victory in the Western Conference semifinals. Davis grabbed at his head grimacing on the bench before going to the locker room following the play with 7:43 remaining. He and Looney were battling for positioning in the paint on a driving layup by D’Angelo Russell. Davis’ status for Game 6 on Friday night back in Los Angeles is unclear but coach Darivn Ham was encouraged afterward without providing details on what evaluation — such as concussion testing — the big man went through once in the locker room. TNT reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room. Davis walked out of the arena on his own.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson had 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes in a season-extending performance, and the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks denied the Heat’s first attempt to become just the second No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals and sent the series back to Miami for Game 6 on Friday night. RJ Barrett added 26 points and Julius Randle had 24 for the fifth-seeded Knicks, who stayed alive in hopes of reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2000. They did that by getting by the Heat in seven games in the second round, a possibility that still exists.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots in his first playoff start, Mitch Marner and William Nylander had the goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night. Nylander was the beneficiary of an odd bounce for a power-play score in the second period, Marner scored midway through the third and Woll did the rest as he took the place of injured starter Ilya Samsonov. Sam Reinhart scored the goal for Florida, which got 23 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers still lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 in Toronto on Friday night.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 to even their second-round playoff series at two games apiece. Nick Bjugstad, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm also scored as the Oilers built a four-goal lead in the second period. Connor McDavid had two assists and Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots. Nicolas Roy scored in the third period for Vegas. Adin Hill stopped 29 shots in his first NHL playoff start after playing minutes in the two previous games of the series. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night at Las Vegas, and Game 6 will be back in Edmonton on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683366121627.jpeg" alt="Sports Headlines for Thursday, May 11th, 2023" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines for Thursday, May 11th, 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Pratto homered and drove in three supporting Brad Keller’s first win in almost a month as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 9-1. The Royals batted around with six hits in the first inning against Lance Lynn, who surrendered seven runs over five innings. Michael Massey and Edward Olivares added solo homers for Kansas City.CHICAGO (AP) — Patrick Wisdom and Yan Gomes homered to lead unbeaten Justin Steele and the Chicago Cubs past the St. Louis Cardinals 10-4, snapping a three-game skid. Steele gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out three and walking three. He joined Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw as the only six-game winners in the National League. Nolan Arenado hit his first triple of the season for St. Louis, which had won three straight after dropping eight in a row. Jordan Montgomery lost for the fifth time in six starts after giving up six runs in five innings.PITTSBURGH (AP) — Centerfielder Brenton Doyle’s perfect throw from centerfield nailed Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds at the plate in the sixth to snuff out a potentially big inning by the Pirates and teammate Jurickson Profar put the Rockies in front with a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh as Colorado slipped by Pittsburgh 4-3 on Wednesday. The Pirates had loaded the bases with no outs against Daniel Bard. Bard struck out Connor Joe looking before giving way to Brad Hand (2-1). Pittsburgh’s Jack Suwinski hit a fly ball to shallow center field. Doyle settled under it before delivering a perfect one-hop strike to catcher Austin Wynn.ATLANTA (AP) — Kenley Jansen became the seventh player in major league history to earn 400 saves, pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2. Jansen, who had 41 saves last year in his only season with the Braves, faced four batters for his ninth save in 10 chances. The 35-year-old right-hander trails Billy Wagner by 22 saves for sixth place on the career list. Tapia drove in Jarren Duran from second to make it 3-2 against Nick Anderson. Triston Casas hit a two-run shot 442 feet off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias to make it 5-2 in the ninth.UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has agreed to a three-game suspension and a $1 million pay cut after he used a homophobic slur during a radio show. The agreement allows Huggins to keep his job as the school's basketball coach, but the blunder will leave a lasting mark on his Hall of Fame career. During a call to a Cincinnati radio station Monday, Huggins was asked whether he had a chance of landing an Xavier player from the transfer portal. Huggins then made offensive comments about Xavier fans. He later apologized. Huggins will also be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders as part of the agreement.UNDATED (AP) — The Jaguars will become the first NFL team to play two international games in the same season. The Jaguars will “host” the Falcons at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 and “visit” the Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 8. The Tennessee Titans will “host” the Ravens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 15. The Chiefs will “host” the Dolphins in Germany at Eintracht Frankfurt Stadium on Nov. 5. The Patriots will “host” the Colts on Nov. 12, also in Frankfurt. The Jets will host the Dolphins a day after Thanksgiving. The Eagles will host the Giants on Christmas Day. The Chiefs will host the Bengals on New Year’s Eve.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry had 27 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins added 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors staved off elimination by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. LeBron James had 25 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis added 23 points and nine rebounds but went to the locker room late after appearing to take a hit in the head from Kevon Looney. Draymond Green contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds as Golden State played tough defense that led to better chances on the offensive end. Now, it’s back to LA for Game 6 on Friday nightSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lakers center Anthony Davis injured his head in what appeared to be an inadvertent hit by Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 Game 5 victory in the Western Conference semifinals. Davis grabbed at his head grimacing on the bench before going to the locker room following the play with 7:43 remaining. He and Looney were battling for positioning in the paint on a driving layup by D’Angelo Russell. Davis’ status for Game 6 on Friday night back in Los Angeles is unclear but coach Darivn Ham was encouraged afterward without providing details on what evaluation — such as concussion testing — the big man went through once in the locker room. TNT reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room. Davis walked out of the arena on his own.NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson had 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes in a season-extending performance, and the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks denied the Heat’s first attempt to become just the second No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals and sent the series back to Miami for Game 6 on Friday night. RJ Barrett added 26 points and Julius Randle had 24 for the fifth-seeded Knicks, who stayed alive in hopes of reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2000. They did that by getting by the Heat in seven games in the second round, a possibility that still exists.SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots in his first playoff start, Mitch Marner and William Nylander had the goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night. Nylander was the beneficiary of an odd bounce for a power-play score in the second period, Marner scored midway through the third and Woll did the rest as he took the place of injured starter Ilya Samsonov. Sam Reinhart scored the goal for Florida, which got 23 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers still lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 in Toronto on Friday night.EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 to even their second-round playoff series at two games apiece. Nick Bjugstad, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm also scored as the Oilers built a four-goal lead in the second period. Connor McDavid had two assists and Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots. Nicolas Roy scored in the third period for Vegas. Adin Hill stopped 29 shots in his first NHL playoff start after playing minutes in the two previous games of the series. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night at Las Vegas, and Game 6 will be back in Edmonton on Sunday.WEDNESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal Philadelphia 2 Toronto 1Final Boston 5 Atlanta 2Final Minnesota 4 San Diego 3AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Detroit 5 Cleveland 0Final N.Y. Yankees 11 Oakland 3Final Texas 4 Seattle 3Final Houston 5 L.A. Angels 4Final Baltimore 2 Tampa Bay 1Final Kansas City 9 Chicago White Sox 1NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Colorado 4 Pittsburgh 3Final L.A. Dodgers 8 Milwaukee 1Final Washington 11 San Francisco 6Final Miami 5 Arizona 4Final N.Y. Mets 2 Cincinnati 1Final Chicago Cubs 10 St. Louis 4NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal New York 112 Miami 103Final Golden State 121 L.A. Lakers 106NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal Toronto 2 Florida 1Final Edmonton 4 Vegas 1<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;

📢📰  Sports Headlines for Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Pratto homered and Brad Keller won for the first time in nearly a month as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1 on Wednesday night.

Keller (3-3), who leads the majors with 32 walks allowed, got into immediate trouble walking the first two batters he faced, but escaped first-inning damage with a double play and strikeout.

“We had a chance to put some runs on the board in the first inning and we didn’t,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “We had them on the ropes there and he was able to get out of it.”

Gavin Sheets walked to lead off the second and scored on Hanser Alberto’s single for Chicago’s lone run.

“The walks in the beginning, he easily could have fought himself hard,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “(He showed) some resolve. He really executed some pitches, especially with the off-speed stuff. The third inning he came out and threw some good fastballs in the zone. That kind of reset the match-up. It wasn’t just one pitch they had to worry about.”

Keller finished five innings, allowing one run on three hits and four walks, striking out four to earn his first win since April 12.

“I think that (third) was by far my best inning,” Keller said. “The offense putting up numbers like they did allowed me to just go out there and throw strikes. That inning gave me confidence to keep going.”

The Royals batted around in the first, collecting six hits, including Pratto’s two-out RBI single, grabbing a 4-0 lead while forcing Lance Lynn (1-5) to toss 37 pitches in the inning.

“Making pitchers work, making them earn their outs, that’s a big thing in this game,” Pratto said. “If you can make the other team work we’re going to get opportunities to do damage.”

Lynn surrendered seven runs on nine hits two walks, fanning four over five innings.

“A lot of mistakes in the middle of the plate,” Lynn said. “I couldn’t get the ball elevated when I needed to and when I tried to go down it was in the middle of the plate, too. They made me pay for it.”

Pratto’s homer, a two-run shot to right, gave Kansas City a 7-1 lead in the fifth.

Michael Massey opened the fourth with his first home run of the season and Edward Olivares opened the seventh with his third homer. Massey and Vinnie Pasquantino each produced three hits.

“The home runs, obviously, were big,” Quatraro said. “It was just nice that it was production up and down. Walks, tough at-bats that we fought through. Really positive night overall for the offense.”

Four Royals relievers fanned seven over four scoreless innings.

Chicago had six hits, all singles. Luis Robert Jr. struck out four times, snapping an eight-game hitting streak.

White Sox OF Billy Hamilton was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 7 with a left hamstring strain.

White Sox RHP Nick Padilla was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, OF Jake Marisnick’s contract was selected from Charlotte, and RHP Alexander Colomé was designated for assignment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683193842018.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Pratto homered and Brad Keller won for the first time in nearly a month as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1 on Wednesday night.Keller (3-3), who leads the majors with 32 walks allowed, got into immediate trouble walking the first two batters he faced, but escaped first-inning damage with a double play and strikeout.“We had a chance to put some runs on the board in the first inning and we didn’t,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “We had them on the ropes there and he was able to get out of it.”Gavin Sheets walked to lead off the second and scored on Hanser Alberto’s single for Chicago’s lone run.“The walks in the beginning, he easily could have fought himself hard,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “(He showed) some resolve. He really executed some pitches, especially with the off-speed stuff. The third inning he came out and threw some good fastballs in the zone. That kind of reset the match-up. It wasn’t just one pitch they had to worry about.”Keller finished five innings, allowing one run on three hits and four walks, striking out four to earn his first win since April 12.“I think that (third) was by far my best inning,” Keller said. “The offense putting up numbers like they did allowed me to just go out there and throw strikes. That inning gave me confidence to keep going.”The Royals batted around in the first, collecting six hits, including Pratto’s two-out RBI single, grabbing a 4-0 lead while forcing Lance Lynn (1-5) to toss 37 pitches in the inning.“Making pitchers work, making them earn their outs, that’s a big thing in this game,” Pratto said. “If you can make the other team work we’re going to get opportunities to do damage.”Lynn surrendered seven runs on nine hits two walks, fanning four over five innings.“A lot of mistakes in the middle of the plate,” Lynn said. “I couldn’t get the ball elevated when I needed to and when I tried to go down it was in the middle of the plate, too. They made me pay for it.”Pratto’s homer, a two-run shot to right, gave Kansas City a 7-1 lead in the fifth.Michael Massey opened the fourth with his first home run of the season and Edward Olivares opened the seventh with his third homer. Massey and Vinnie Pasquantino each produced three hits.“The home runs, obviously, were big,” Quatraro said. “It was just nice that it was production up and down. Walks, tough at-bats that we fought through. Really positive night overall for the offense.”Four Royals relievers fanned seven over four scoreless innings.Chicago had six hits, all singles. Luis Robert Jr. struck out four times, snapping an eight-game hitting streak.TRAINER’S ROOMWhite Sox OF Billy Hamilton was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 7 with a left hamstring strain.TRANSACTIONSWhite Sox RHP Nick Padilla was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, OF Jake Marisnick’s contract was selected from Charlotte, and RHP Alexander Colomé was designated for assignment.UP NEXTRHP Mike Clevinger (2-3, 4.84 ERA) will oppose RHP Brady Singer (2-4, 8.82) in Thursday’s series finale.