NEW ORLEANS, La –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks advanced to their 10th National Championship game in program history Saturday night with a convincing 81-65 win over Villanova at the Caesars Superdome.

The No. 1 seeded Jayhawks never trailed in Saturday’s National Semifinal, leading for all but the first 19 seconds of the game. David McCormack led Kansas with a season-high 25 points and nine rebounds, while Ochai Agbaji scored 21 points. Kansas improved to 33-6 on the season, while Villanova finished its season with a 30-8 record.

The Jayhawks will now look to win their fourth NCAA Tournament championship on Monday night against the winner of Saturday’s other National Semifinal, Duke and North Carolina. Monday’s game will mark the program’s third National Championship game appearance under Coach Bill Self.

Kansas started the game on fire, opening up on a 10-0 run to jump out in front from the start. Agbaji hit a pair of 3-pointers in the run, while McCormack contributed two buckets in the paint. Villanova got on the board more than three minutes into the game when Brandon Slater scored the Wildcats’ first basket of the game.

Agbaji, who hit both of his 3-pointers in the team’s Elite 8 win over Miami, hit his first six attempts from deep in Saturday’s National Semifinal, giving him eight straight 3-pointers over two games. By the second media timeout at the 11:33 mark, Agbaji was outscoring Villanova 12-8 on his own.

Villanova started 3-for-10 from the floor with five turnovers thanks to stingy defense from the Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks continued to stretch their lead over the final 10 minutes of the second half, leading by as many as 19 at one point. Leading 36-19 with just under five minutes to play, Jalen Wilson converted a second-chance layup to make it 38-19, giving Kansas its largest lead of the night.

However, Villanova finished the first half on a run and got the lead down to nine with 1:23 left when Collin Gillespie hit a 3-pointer to make it 38-29. However, the Jayhawks stretched their lead back to double digits before the half, thanks to a bucket from Mitch Lightfoot to make it 40-29 at half.

In the second half, Kansas pushed its lead to 16 just more than three minutes into the half when Dajuan Harris Jr., canned a 3-pointer to make it 50-34. But like the first half, Villanova wouldn’t go away. The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to close it to eight at 50-42 with 14:10 to play.

The Kansas lead stayed in that range until about the six-minute mark when Villanova’s Jermaine Samuels converted an and-one to make it a six-point game with 6:10 to play.

However, that was as close as Villanova would get the rest of the way. McCormack hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to push it to eight, before Christian Braun scored a bucket to push it to 10. After a free throw from Samuels, Braun hit a 3-pointer to push it to 12 at 71-59 with four minutes to play.

After an Agbaji free throw, Braun hit another 3-pointer to make it 75-69 with 2:48 to go, which put the icing on the cake for the Jayhawks.

Wilson picked up his seventh double-double of the season and third of the NCAA Tournament with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He has double-digit rebounds in four-straight games. Braun finished with 10 points and five assists. Kansas improved to 25-0 this season when holding its opponent to less than 70 points.

NEW ORLEANS, La –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks advanced to their 10th National Championship game in program history Saturday night with a convincing 81-65 win over Villanova at the Caesars Superdome.The No. 1 seeded Jayhawks never trailed in Saturday’s National Semifinal, leading for all but the first 19 seconds of the game. David McCormack led Kansas with a season-high 25 points and nine rebounds, while Ochai Agbaji scored 21 points. Kansas improved to 33-6 on the season, while Villanova finished its season with a 30-8 record.The Jayhawks will now look to win their fourth NCAA Tournament championship on Monday night against the winner of Saturday’s other National Semifinal, Duke and North Carolina. Monday’s game will mark the program’s third National Championship game appearance under Coach Bill Self.Kansas started the game on fire, opening up on a 10-0 run to jump out in front from the start. Agbaji hit a pair of 3-pointers in the run, while McCormack contributed two buckets in the paint. Villanova got on the board more than three minutes into the game when Brandon Slater scored the Wildcats’ first basket of the game.Agbaji, who hit both of his 3-pointers in the team’s Elite 8 win over Miami, hit his first six attempts from deep in Saturday’s National Semifinal, giving him eight straight 3-pointers over two games. By the second media timeout at the 11:33 mark, Agbaji was outscoring Villanova 12-8 on his own.Villanova started 3-for-10 from the floor with five turnovers thanks to stingy defense from the Jayhawks.The Jayhawks continued to stretch their lead over the final 10 minutes of the second half, leading by as many as 19 at one point. Leading 36-19 with just under five minutes to play, Jalen Wilson converted a second-chance layup to make it 38-19, giving Kansas its largest lead of the night.However, Villanova finished the first half on a run and got the lead down to nine with 1:23 left when Collin Gillespie hit a 3-pointer to make it 38-29. However, the Jayhawks stretched their lead back to double digits before the half, thanks to a bucket from Mitch Lightfoot to make it 40-29 at half.In the second half, Kansas pushed its lead to 16 just more than three minutes into the half when Dajuan Harris Jr., canned a 3-pointer to make it 50-34. But like the first half, Villanova wouldn’t go away. The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to close it to eight at 50-42 with 14:10 to play.The Kansas lead stayed in that range until about the six-minute mark when Villanova’s Jermaine Samuels converted an and-one to make it a six-point game with 6:10 to play.However, that was as close as Villanova would get the rest of the way. McCormack hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to push it to eight, before Christian Braun scored a bucket to push it to 10. After a free throw from Samuels, Braun hit a 3-pointer to push it to 12 at 71-59 with four minutes to play.After an Agbaji free throw, Braun hit another 3-pointer to make it 75-69 with 2:48 to go, which put the icing on the cake for the Jayhawks.Wilson picked up his seventh double-double of the season and third of the NCAA Tournament with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He has double-digit rebounds in four-straight games. Braun finished with 10 points and five assists. Kansas improved to 25-0 this season when holding its opponent to less than 70 points.

🏀 Jayhawks advance to National Championship Game with win over Villanova

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports Information

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The No. 19-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team exploded for two huge innings on Friday at Fun Valley to earn a sixth-straight Jayhawk Conference sweep.

First-place Hutchinson broke open a tied game with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat third-place Seward County 8-2 in the opening game on Friday. The Dragons then tied a season high with nine runs in the fourth inning to complete the sweep of the Saints 12-3 in five innings.

The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to 12 games, which matches a 2016 winning streak for the fourth-longest win streak in program history. The Dragons improved to 24-4 overall and 15-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Saints have now lost six games in a row and fell to 17-11 overall and 8-4 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson travels to Colby for a KJCCC doubleheader on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning and tied the game with a Madison Grimes’ double high off the left-center field wall to score Haley Miller.

The tie was broken one inning later when Allie Stipsits led off the inning with a long home run to left field for a 2-1 lead. That broke the Dragon offense loose. Held to just two hits over the first four innings, Hutchinson tallied 11 hits in its final two at-bats.

Leading 3-1 after pinch-runner Lexi Pitcher scored on a bad Saints’ throw, Miller ripped an RBI triple to center, Grimes drove in a run through the right side and Natalie Bevan doubled in a run to make it 6-2. Riley Wertz then capped the big inning with a two-run home run to left for an 8-1 lead.

Ella Dougherty, Miller, Grimes, Stipsits and Aspen Goetz all had two hits each for the Blue Dragons.

Hutchinson out-hit Seward County 13-5. Seward leadoff hitter Paris Brieneese was 4 for 4 with a triple to lead Seward County.

Wertz improved to 9-0 in the pitching circle pitching the final two innings. Wertz had three strikeouts, but allowed an unearned run and two walks, but no hits. Emily Munson received a no-decision after five strong innings. Munson allowed four hits and one earned run with three strikeouts and three walks.

Madison Pack and Beth Denny hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the fourth inning and help Seward County tie the Blue Dragons at 3-all.

The Blue Dragons immediately jumped on several Saints’ mistakes in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead. Hutchinson immediately regained the lead after leadoff hitter Dougherty walked, moved to second on a passed ball, advanced to third on a while pitch and scored on a Miller sacrifice fly for a 4-3 lead. Grimes then walked and then Bevan skied a fly ball to right field that was dropped, which opened the flood gates for the Dragons.

Carley Sterneker laced a two-run triple down the right-field line. Goetz also delivered a two-run double, Dougherty had a sacrifice play and Grimes ripped a two-run double to right center to complete a nine-run inning for a 12-3 lead.

The nine-run inning tied the nine-run second inning against the Ottawa University JV on Opening Day on January 29.

Miller went 3 for 3 with a run scored, RBI and stolen base to lead the Blue Dragons’ 13-hit attack. This was Miller’s fifth three-hit game of the season.

Sterneker was 2 for 3 with a double, triple and three RBIs. Goetz had a pair of doubles in a 2 for 2 game. She scored two runs and had three RBIs. Easton Swanson went 2 for 3 as well.

Sadie Loney (5-3) earned the pitching win in relief. Loney gave up a home run to the first batter she faced, but then retired 6 of the final 7 batters she faced. Kiersten Weitze worked the first three innings and struck out four.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The No. 19-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team exploded for two huge innings on Friday at Fun Valley to earn a sixth-straight Jayhawk Conference sweep.First-place Hutchinson broke open a tied game with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat third-place Seward County 8-2 in the opening game on Friday. The Dragons then tied a season high with nine runs in the fourth inning to complete the sweep of the Saints 12-3 in five innings.The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to 12 games, which matches a 2016 winning streak for the fourth-longest win streak in program history. The Dragons improved to 24-4 overall and 15-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Saints have now lost six games in a row and fell to 17-11 overall and 8-4 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson travels to Colby for a KJCCC doubleheader on Saturday.GAME 1 RECAPThe Blue Dragons trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning and tied the game with a Madison Grimes’ double high off the left-center field wall to score Haley Miller.The tie was broken one inning later when Allie Stipsits led off the inning with a long home run to left field for a 2-1 lead. That broke the Dragon offense loose. Held to just two hits over the first four innings, Hutchinson tallied 11 hits in its final two at-bats.Leading 3-1 after pinch-runner Lexi Pitcher scored on a bad Saints’ throw, Miller ripped an RBI triple to center, Grimes drove in a run through the right side and Natalie Bevan doubled in a run to make it 6-2. Riley Wertz then capped the big inning with a two-run home run to left for an 8-1 lead.Ella Dougherty, Miller, Grimes, Stipsits and Aspen Goetz all had two hits each for the Blue Dragons.Hutchinson out-hit Seward County 13-5. Seward leadoff hitter Paris Brieneese was 4 for 4 with a triple to lead Seward County.Wertz improved to 9-0 in the pitching circle pitching the final two innings. Wertz had three strikeouts, but allowed an unearned run and two walks, but no hits. Emily Munson received a no-decision after five strong innings. Munson allowed four hits and one earned run with three strikeouts and three walks.GAME 2 RECAPMadison Pack and Beth Denny hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the fourth inning and help Seward County tie the Blue Dragons at 3-all.The Blue Dragons immediately jumped on several Saints’ mistakes in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead. Hutchinson immediately regained the lead after leadoff hitter Dougherty walked, moved to second on a passed ball, advanced to third on a while pitch and scored on a Miller sacrifice fly for a 4-3 lead. Grimes then walked and then Bevan skied a fly ball to right field that was dropped, which opened the flood gates for the Dragons.Carley Sterneker laced a two-run triple down the right-field line. Goetz also delivered a two-run double, Dougherty had a sacrifice play and Grimes ripped a two-run double to right center to complete a nine-run inning for a 12-3 lead.The nine-run inning tied the nine-run second inning against the Ottawa University JV on Opening Day on January 29.Miller went 3 for 3 with a run scored, RBI and stolen base to lead the Blue Dragons’ 13-hit attack. This was Miller’s fifth three-hit game of the season.Sterneker was 2 for 3 with a double, triple and three RBIs. Goetz had a pair of doubles in a 2 for 2 game. She scored two runs and had three RBIs. Easton Swanson went 2 for 3 as well.Sadie Loney (5-3) earned the pitching win in relief. Loney gave up a home run to the first batter she faced, but then retired 6 of the final 7 batters she faced. Kiersten Weitze worked the first three innings and struck out four.

Dragon softball win streak now twelve

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports Information

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Sophomore Ben McLaughlin extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to nine games in dramatic fashion on Friday with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Seward County in the opening of a four-game Jayhawk West series at Hobart-Detter Field.

McLaughlin made it 10 games in a row while Bryce Logan and Daniel Beebe drove in three runs each to defeat Seward County 10-8 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Saints.

Games 3 and 4 will be at Brent Gould Field in Liberal at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to six games and reached a season-high four games over .500. Hutchinson is now 16-12 overall and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. Seward County is now 11-24 overall and 4-10 in league play.

McLaughlin’s walk-off base hit in Game 1 capped a two-run rally for the Blue Dragons, who trailed 1-0 and was being no-hit by Seward County pitcher Mason Martinez for six innings.

Ryan Henderson broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single to start the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter P.J. Loucks and leadoff hitter Bryce Logan walked to load the bases with two outs. The Blue Dragons tied the game when Jack Torosian was hit with a pitch to plate pinch-runner Carter Booe with the tying run.

McLaughlin then completed the comeback by lacing a 1-0 pitch up the middle to score Loucks with the game-winning run and giving the Blue Dragons their first walkoff win of the season.

The Blue Dragons missed a scoring chance in the sixth after loading the bases with a hit batter, error and walk, but the Dragons couldn’t scratch across a run. Hutchinson left eight runners on base.

Sophomore Jack Whitlock twirled the first Blue Dragon complete game of the season and improved to 4-1 for the season.

After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Whitlock tossed six shutout innings with only two Seward County baserunners reaching second base.

Whitlock struck out seven while allowing five hits, only three after the first inning, with two walks. Whitlock issued a one-out walk in the sixth to Jacob Masters, but picked him off of first base.

Seward County’s Martinez struck out nine in 6 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit three Blue Dragons and had two wild pitches.

The Blue Dragons broke a 5-all tie after seven innings with a five-run eighth and then had to hold off the Saints in a two-run victory in the nightcap on Friday.

Bolstered by two errors on sacrifice bunt attempts that loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Beebe scored a pair with a single to left-center that scored Sterling Sutcliffe and Hunter Gotreaux. Logan added a two-run single to plate Loucks and Beebe for a 9-5 lead. Logan then scored on a McLaughlin sacrifice fly to right to complete a five-run eighth inning and take a 10-5 lead to the ninth.

The first five Seward County batters in the ninth reached base and three scored as Reed Scott retired the only three batters he faced to claim his third save of the season and make Kaden Wickersham (2-1) the winning pitcher.

The Dragons led 5-4 after three innings. Trailing 4-3 in the third, the Dragons reclaimed the lead at 5-4 with RBI singles from Gotreaux and Beebe. The Saints tied the game in the fifth with a Masters’ solo home run.

Logan had a career-high three points and tied a career high with three RBIs. Logan was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Beebe tied a career high for hits, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.

Torosian was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base. Gotreaux went 2 for 3 with three stolen bases. Gotreaux stole all three bases in the same inning, the second inning.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Sophomore Ben McLaughlin extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to nine games in dramatic fashion on Friday with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Seward County in the opening of a four-game Jayhawk West series at Hobart-Detter Field.McLaughlin made it 10 games in a row while Bryce Logan and Daniel Beebe drove in three runs each to defeat Seward County 10-8 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Saints.Games 3 and 4 will be at Brent Gould Field in Liberal at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to six games and reached a season-high four games over .500. Hutchinson is now 16-12 overall and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. Seward County is now 11-24 overall and 4-10 in league play.GAME 1 RECAPMcLaughlin’s walk-off base hit in Game 1 capped a two-run rally for the Blue Dragons, who trailed 1-0 and was being no-hit by Seward County pitcher Mason Martinez for six innings.Ryan Henderson broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single to start the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter P.J. Loucks and leadoff hitter Bryce Logan walked to load the bases with two outs. The Blue Dragons tied the game when Jack Torosian was hit with a pitch to plate pinch-runner Carter Booe with the tying run.McLaughlin then completed the comeback by lacing a 1-0 pitch up the middle to score Loucks with the game-winning run and giving the Blue Dragons their first walkoff win of the season.The Blue Dragons missed a scoring chance in the sixth after loading the bases with a hit batter, error and walk, but the Dragons couldn’t scratch across a run. Hutchinson left eight runners on base.Sophomore Jack Whitlock twirled the first Blue Dragon complete game of the season and improved to 4-1 for the season.After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Whitlock tossed six shutout innings with only two Seward County baserunners reaching second base.Whitlock struck out seven while allowing five hits, only three after the first inning, with two walks. Whitlock issued a one-out walk in the sixth to Jacob Masters, but picked him off of first base.Seward County’s Martinez struck out nine in 6 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit three Blue Dragons and had two wild pitches.GAME 2 RECAPThe Blue Dragons broke a 5-all tie after seven innings with a five-run eighth and then had to hold off the Saints in a two-run victory in the nightcap on Friday.Bolstered by two errors on sacrifice bunt attempts that loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Beebe scored a pair with a single to left-center that scored Sterling Sutcliffe and Hunter Gotreaux. Logan added a two-run single to plate Loucks and Beebe for a 9-5 lead. Logan then scored on a McLaughlin sacrifice fly to right to complete a five-run eighth inning and take a 10-5 lead to the ninth.The first five Seward County batters in the ninth reached base and three scored as Reed Scott retired the only three batters he faced to claim his third save of the season and make Kaden Wickersham (2-1) the winning pitcher.The Dragons led 5-4 after three innings. Trailing 4-3 in the third, the Dragons reclaimed the lead at 5-4 with RBI singles from Gotreaux and Beebe. The Saints tied the game in the fifth with a Masters’ solo home run.Logan had a career-high three points and tied a career high with three RBIs. Logan was 3 for 5 with a run scored.Beebe tied a career high for hits, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.Torosian was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base. Gotreaux went 2 for 3 with three stolen bases. Gotreaux stole all three bases in the same inning, the second inning.The Dragons out-hit Seward County 14-10.

Dragon baseball sweeps Seward Friday

WICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team had two top eight placings on Friday on Day 1 of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin Stadium.

Day 1 featured just a handful of events. Saturday’s final day begins with field events at 9 a.m. and running events at noon.

The Blue Dragon 4 x 800 Relay team posted the sixth-best time in Blue Dragon history on Friday and finished fourth in the event. The relay team of Noel Buckhaultz, Anastasia Meyer, Sydney Grauer and Louise Cocking ran a time of 10:04.70. That time is 2.95 seconds shy of qualifying for nationals.

The only other placers for the Blue Dragons came in the pole vault as All-Americans Kiana Brown and Violet Martinez tied for eighth after clearing 9 feet, 8 inches.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationWICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team had two top eight placings on Friday on Day 1 of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin Stadium.Day 1 featured just a handful of events. Saturday’s final day begins with field events at 9 a.m. and running events at noon.The Blue Dragon 4 x 800 Relay team posted the sixth-best time in Blue Dragon history on Friday and finished fourth in the event. The relay team of Noel Buckhaultz, Anastasia Meyer, Sydney Grauer and Louise Cocking ran a time of 10:04.70. That time is 2.95 seconds shy of qualifying for nationals.The only other placers for the Blue Dragons came in the pole vault as All-Americans Kiana Brown and Violet Martinez tied for eighth after clearing 9 feet, 8 inches.

HutchCC women run well Friday at Friends

WICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College men’s track and field team had two participants on an abbreviated Day 1 schedule of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin Stadium

Sophomore pole vaulter Simon Steinert was the top placer for the Blue Dragons on the opening-day of the two-day event with a fifth-place showing the men’s pole vault. Steinert cleared 13 feet, 11 1/4 inches on Friday.

The Blue Dragons men’s 4 x 800 relay placed sixth on Friday. The relay team of Andrew Holt, Aaron Geissinger, Caryn Turpin and Camilo Tarin ran a time of 8:18.

The remainder of the Blue Dragons will open competition on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with field events and noon for running events.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationWICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College men’s track and field team had two participants on an abbreviated Day 1 schedule of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin StadiumSophomore pole vaulter Simon Steinert was the top placer for the Blue Dragons on the opening-day of the two-day event with a fifth-place showing the men’s pole vault. Steinert cleared 13 feet, 11 1/4 inches on Friday.The Blue Dragons men’s 4 x 800 relay placed sixth on Friday. The relay team of Andrew Holt, Aaron Geissinger, Caryn Turpin and Camilo Tarin ran a time of 8:18.The remainder of the Blue Dragons will open competition on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with field events and noon for running events.

HutchCC men start at Friends Friday

Wichita East split with Hutch High Friday in a baseball doubleheader.

Hutchinson watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 14-1 loss to Wichita East on Friday.&nbsp;

Caiden Beavers and Bradyn Rodriguez each managed one hit for Hutch.

Wichita East collected seven hits in game one.  Eli Kuttler and Theory Hollins had multiple hits for Wichita East.

The second game was tied at seven with Hutchinson batting in the top of the seventh when an error gave Hutch the lead and they stretched it out to win 14-8.

There was plenty of action on the base paths as the Salthawks collected ten hits and Wichita East four.&nbsp;

Bradyn Rodriguez and Kinser Newquist each collected two hits to lead Hutchinson.

Wichita East split with Hutch High Friday in a baseball doubleheader.Game 1:Hutchinson watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 14-1 loss to Wichita East on Friday.&nbsp;Caiden Beavers and Bradyn Rodriguez each managed one hit for Hutch.Wichita East collected seven hits in game one. Eli Kuttler and Theory Hollins had multiple hits for Wichita East.Game 2The second game was tied at seven with Hutchinson batting in the top of the seventh when an error gave Hutch the lead and they stretched it out to win 14-8.There was plenty of action on the base paths as the Salthawks collected ten hits and Wichita East four.&nbsp;Bradyn Rodriguez and Kinser Newquist each collected two hits to lead Hutchinson.

Hutch High baseball salvages Friday split

GODDARD, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawk Baseball team will try to get a double-header in today if mother nature cooperates at the new Genesis Baseball complex in Goddard vs Wichita East.&nbsp; Game times are at bother 4 and 6pm.

The game will not be broadcast or streamed due to scheduling conflicts, but the game can be followed on the link below.&nbsp; The Genesis Baseball Complex usually streams their events but will not have their stream up until mid May.

Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Genesis+Sports+Complex/@37.6615063,-97.5669701,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x59e5506d64f5b79c!8m2!3d37.6615063!4d-97.5670067">Directions to the Genesis Baseball Complex</a>

Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://gc.com/game-622d4cadcbc9ee127a3937f9">Hutch vs Wichita East Game Changer</a>&nbsp;Gm#1

CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

GODDARD, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawk Baseball team will try to get a double-header in today if mother nature cooperates at the new Genesis Baseball complex in Goddard vs Wichita East.&nbsp; Game times are at bother 4 and 6pm.The game will not be broadcast or streamed due to scheduling conflicts, but the game can be followed on the link below.&nbsp; The Genesis Baseball Complex usually streams their events but will not have their stream up until mid May.Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Genesis+Sports+Complex/@37.6615063,-97.5669701,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x59e5506d64f5b79c!8m2!3d37.6615063!4d-97.5670067">Directions to the Genesis Baseball Complex</a>Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://gc.com/game-622d4cadcbc9ee127a3937f9">Hutch vs Wichita East Game Changer</a>&nbsp;Gm#1Hutch vs Wichita East Game Changer Gm #2CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾️ Salthawk Baseball travels to Goddard for double-header with Wichita East

STERLING, Kan.-Sterling College Athletics, and Vice President for Athletics, Scott Downing, announced today that Randy Stange will be Sterling College's next head men's basketball coach.

"I would like to thank the President, Dr. Scott Rich, VP for Athletics, Scott Downing, and Athletic Director, Justin Morris, for this opportunity to come home and work in the community I called home for so many years. I am looking forward to getting back to my passion of coaching men's basketball and training up young men both on and off the court," said Stange. "I have long admired the program and legacy that longtime Coach Lonnie Kruse put together and look forward to working with Coach Bassett as she continues to grow her program on the women's side. The community of Sterling is so important to the success of the programs at Sterling College and I am excited to build relationships between the men's basketball program and the community."

According to Downing, Sterling College has much to look forward to by the hiring of Stange as well. "Randy Stange is an excellent fit for Sterling College and our community. His experience on and off the court is outstanding and will help take our basketball program in a new direction.&nbsp; Coach Stange's emphasis on relationships and spiritual growth aligns with our mission and makes us stronger."&nbsp;

Director of Athletics, Justin Morris, added, "We are very excited to welcome Randy and his wife Suzanne to the Warrior family. Randy's coaching experience and strong desire to minister to our men's basketball team is very exciting."

Stange comes to Sterling from Johnson County Community College where he served as Athletic Director since July 2017.

After a stellar high school career at Nickerson High School, Stange became a Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon under head coach Gary Bargen. While an HCC player, the Blue Dragons were 46-15, including an incredible 30-3 record at the Sports Arena. Stange scored 560 points in his career. In his sophomore season, Stange averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. He also played tennis for the Blue Dragons.&nbsp;

After graduating from Hutchinson Community College, Stange went on to have a stellar career a Missouri State University. He was the first player recruited by Charlie Spoonhour and was a key member of the Bear's backcourt. Stange set the season mark for free throw accuracy his junior year with a .909 figure and averaged 10.4 points a game. That earned him a spot on the Mid-Continent Conference all-newcomer team for the 18-10 Bears.&nbsp;

During his senior year, Stange was on the all-conference second-team and shared Missouri State's Player of the Year honors with backcourt running mate Brian Smith. He finished his career with 706 points and shooting percentages of .564 from the field and .855 at the line. He set the record for career free-throw accuracy, now ranking second, and ranks sixth in field goal accuracy. He was inducted into the Missouri State Hall of Fame in February of 2001.&nbsp;

Once his playing days were complete, Stange jumped into the coaching profession, which eventually brought him back to Hutchinson. Hired shortly before the 1994-95 season, Stange spent three seasons on the Blue Dragons bench. He posted an 85-20 record, tied for a Jayhawk West title in 1995and his 1997 team won Region VI and qualified for the NJCAA Tournament.&nbsp;

Under his watch, Stange coached Nate Erdman a 1997 2nd round NBA Draft pick by the Utah Jazz, and Demetrius Alexander, who was an honorable mention NJCAA All-American. Stange also had several Blue Dragons earn All-Jayhawk Conference honors.&nbsp;

Before returning to Hutchinson, Stange served as an assistant coach at Kansas State University under Lon Kruger for the 1985-86 season. He then joined the staff at Missouri State and St. Louis University under his old college coach, Charlie Spoonhour, before the 1986-87 season. During his five seasons on the Bears staff, Missouri State won Mid-Continent titles in 1988, 1989, and 1990 with three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 1990 the Bears joined the Missouri Valley Conference and made an NIT appearance in 1991 and won the MVC tournament to return to the NCAA Tournament field in 1992.&nbsp;

When Spoonhour went to St. Louis University before the 1992-93 season, Stange followed and spent two seasons at SLU before returning to Hutchinson. The 1993-94 St. Louis University basketball team that Stange was part of went into the Billiken Hall of Fame in 2005.&nbsp;

After coaching, Stange spent several years as Athletic Director at Hutchinson Community College where he served until 2015. During his 18-year tenure at Hutchinson, Blue Dragon athletics won 33 Jayhawk Conference championships, 28 Region VI championships in all sports, and 128 teams earned NJCAA Championship berths, with 10 finishing in the top five nationally. Additionally, the football team appeared in nine bowl games, winning eight times, and 15 players over that span went on to play in the NFL. He also played a major role in the Gowan's Stadium renovation project.

Stange served eight years as the Region VI men's director, was the chair of the Division I men's basketball tournament, and served on the track and field and golf committees. He was also a member of the NJCAA Executive Committee.&nbsp;

Stange looks forward to this opportunity that has been laid out before him to return to where he grew up. "The Lord has made it clear to my wife, Suzanne, and I that this is where we are to be for the next stage in our lives. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us as we come back to Sterling."

There will be a meet and greet with several of Sterling's new coaches, including coach Stange, at Studio 96 in Sterling on Friday, April 8, at 10 am.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/sterling" target="_blank">Sterling College Sports Network</a>.

STERLING, Kan.-Sterling College Athletics, and Vice President for Athletics, Scott Downing, announced today that Randy Stange will be Sterling College's next head men's basketball coach."I would like to thank the President, Dr. Scott Rich, VP for Athletics, Scott Downing, and Athletic Director, Justin Morris, for this opportunity to come home and work in the community I called home for so many years. I am looking forward to getting back to my passion of coaching men's basketball and training up young men both on and off the court," said Stange. "I have long admired the program and legacy that longtime Coach Lonnie Kruse put together and look forward to working with Coach Bassett as she continues to grow her program on the women's side. The community of Sterling is so important to the success of the programs at Sterling College and I am excited to build relationships between the men's basketball program and the community."According to Downing, Sterling College has much to look forward to by the hiring of Stange as well. "Randy Stange is an excellent fit for Sterling College and our community. His experience on and off the court is outstanding and will help take our basketball program in a new direction.&nbsp; Coach Stange's emphasis on relationships and spiritual growth aligns with our mission and makes us stronger."&nbsp;Director of Athletics, Justin Morris, added, "We are very excited to welcome Randy and his wife Suzanne to the Warrior family. Randy's coaching experience and strong desire to minister to our men's basketball team is very exciting."Stange comes to Sterling from Johnson County Community College where he served as Athletic Director since July 2017.After a stellar high school career at Nickerson High School, Stange became a Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon under head coach Gary Bargen. While an HCC player, the Blue Dragons were 46-15, including an incredible 30-3 record at the Sports Arena. Stange scored 560 points in his career. In his sophomore season, Stange averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. He also played tennis for the Blue Dragons.&nbsp;After graduating from Hutchinson Community College, Stange went on to have a stellar career a Missouri State University. He was the first player recruited by Charlie Spoonhour and was a key member of the Bear's backcourt. Stange set the season mark for free throw accuracy his junior year with a .909 figure and averaged 10.4 points a game. That earned him a spot on the Mid-Continent Conference all-newcomer team for the 18-10 Bears.&nbsp;During his senior year, Stange was on the all-conference second-team and shared Missouri State's Player of the Year honors with backcourt running mate Brian Smith. He finished his career with 706 points and shooting percentages of .564 from the field and .855 at the line. He set the record for career free-throw accuracy, now ranking second, and ranks sixth in field goal accuracy. He was inducted into the Missouri State Hall of Fame in February of 2001.&nbsp;Once his playing days were complete, Stange jumped into the coaching profession, which eventually brought him back to Hutchinson. Hired shortly before the 1994-95 season, Stange spent three seasons on the Blue Dragons bench. He posted an 85-20 record, tied for a Jayhawk West title in 1995and his 1997 team won Region VI and qualified for the NJCAA Tournament.&nbsp;Under his watch, Stange coached Nate Erdman a 1997 2nd round NBA Draft pick by the Utah Jazz, and Demetrius Alexander, who was an honorable mention NJCAA All-American. Stange also had several Blue Dragons earn All-Jayhawk Conference honors.&nbsp;Before returning to Hutchinson, Stange served as an assistant coach at Kansas State University under Lon Kruger for the 1985-86 season. He then joined the staff at Missouri State and St. Louis University under his old college coach, Charlie Spoonhour, before the 1986-87 season. During his five seasons on the Bears staff, Missouri State won Mid-Continent titles in 1988, 1989, and 1990 with three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 1990 the Bears joined the Missouri Valley Conference and made an NIT appearance in 1991 and won the MVC tournament to return to the NCAA Tournament field in 1992.&nbsp;When Spoonhour went to St. Louis University before the 1992-93 season, Stange followed and spent two seasons at SLU before returning to Hutchinson. The 1993-94 St. Louis University basketball team that Stange was part of went into the Billiken Hall of Fame in 2005.&nbsp;After coaching, Stange spent several years as Athletic Director at Hutchinson Community College where he served until 2015. During his 18-year tenure at Hutchinson, Blue Dragon athletics won 33 Jayhawk Conference championships, 28 Region VI championships in all sports, and 128 teams earned NJCAA Championship berths, with 10 finishing in the top five nationally. Additionally, the football team appeared in nine bowl games, winning eight times, and 15 players over that span went on to play in the NFL. He also played a major role in the Gowan's Stadium renovation project.Stange served eight years as the Region VI men's director, was the chair of the Division I men's basketball tournament, and served on the track and field and golf committees. He was also a member of the NJCAA Executive Committee.&nbsp;Stange looks forward to this opportunity that has been laid out before him to return to where he grew up. "The Lord has made it clear to my wife, Suzanne, and I that this is where we are to be for the next stage in our lives. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us as we come back to Sterling."There will be a meet and greet with several of Sterling's new coaches, including coach Stange, at Studio 96 in Sterling on Friday, April 8, at 10 am.Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/sterling" target="_blank">Sterling College Sports Network</a>.

Stange hired to lead Men's Basketball at Sterling

NEW ORLEANS, La –&nbsp;Set to play in its 16th Final Four, No. 1-seed Kansas (32-6) will meet No. 2-seed Villanova (30-7) on Saturday, April 2, at 5:09 p.m. CST at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will air on TBS with Jim Nantz (Play-by-Play), Bill Raftery (Analyst), Grant Hill (Analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (Reporter) on the call.

Kansas claimed its 13th NCAA Midwest Region Tournament title with a 76-50 win over No. 10-seed Miami on Sunday, March 27, in Chicago. With the win, the Jayhawks advance to the 16th Final Four in program history and fourth under head coach Bill Self.

In the win over Miami, the Jayhawks were led by a dominant defensive performance, in which Kansas outscored Miami 47-15 in the second half. Miami’s 15 points were the fewest allowed in the second of an NCAA Tournament game in Kansas program history.

Following the win over Miami, super-senior Remy Martin was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region, while Christian Braun and David McCormack earned All-Region Team honors.

Kansas is led by Naismith Player of the Year finalist Ochai Agbaji, who averages 18.9 points per game, while shooting 35.6 percent beyond the arc, both of which are Big 12 bests. Martin has provided a boost during the tournament, scoring in double-figures in three-of-four tournament games, including a season-high 23 points in Kansas’ Sweet Sixteen win against Providence.

With the Sweet 16 win over Providence, Kansas became the winningest program in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, and the Jayhawks are currently holding 2,355 all-time wins. Kansas enters the Final Four with NCAA Tournament wins over No. 16 seed Texas Southern (83-56), No. 9 Creighton (79-72), No. 4 Providence (66-61) and No. 10 Miami (76-50).

Villanova enters the Final Four after a 50-44 victory over No. 5-seed Houston in the Elite Eight, in which graduate guard Jermaine Samuels led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Samuels was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player.

Villanova entered the NCAA Tournament with a 16-4 record in the Big EAST, before defeating No. 15 seed Delaware (80-60), No. 7 seed Ohio State (71-61), No. 11 seed Michigan (63-55) and No. 5 seed Houston (50-44) to reach the Final Four.

Kansas is 12-14 in Final Four games all-time, including 3-2 under head coach Bill Self, beginning in 2004. The Jayhawk most recently appeared in the Final Four in 2018, where Kansas lost to Villanova, 95-79 in San Antonio.

The Final Four contest between the Jayhawks and Wildcats will be the 10th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Villanova holding the series advantage at 5-4.

Should Kansas win its Final Four Matchup against No. 2 seed Villanova, the Jayhawks would advance to their sixth NCAA Championship appearance and first since 2012. Kansas will play the winner of No. 2 seed Duke and No. 8 seed North Carolina at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will be played on Monday, April 4 on TBS.

NEW ORLEANS, La –&nbsp;Set to play in its 16th Final Four, No. 1-seed Kansas (32-6) will meet No. 2-seed Villanova (30-7) on Saturday, April 2, at 5:09 p.m. CST at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will air on TBS with Jim Nantz (Play-by-Play), Bill Raftery (Analyst), Grant Hill (Analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (Reporter) on the call.Kansas claimed its 13th NCAA Midwest Region Tournament title with a 76-50 win over No. 10-seed Miami on Sunday, March 27, in Chicago. With the win, the Jayhawks advance to the 16th Final Four in program history and fourth under head coach Bill Self.In the win over Miami, the Jayhawks were led by a dominant defensive performance, in which Kansas outscored Miami 47-15 in the second half. Miami’s 15 points were the fewest allowed in the second of an NCAA Tournament game in Kansas program history.Following the win over Miami, super-senior Remy Martin was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region, while Christian Braun and David McCormack earned All-Region Team honors.Kansas is led by Naismith Player of the Year finalist Ochai Agbaji, who averages 18.9 points per game, while shooting 35.6 percent beyond the arc, both of which are Big 12 bests. Martin has provided a boost during the tournament, scoring in double-figures in three-of-four tournament games, including a season-high 23 points in Kansas’ Sweet Sixteen win against Providence.With the Sweet 16 win over Providence, Kansas became the winningest program in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, and the Jayhawks are currently holding 2,355 all-time wins. Kansas enters the Final Four with NCAA Tournament wins over No. 16 seed Texas Southern (83-56), No. 9 Creighton (79-72), No. 4 Providence (66-61) and No. 10 Miami (76-50).Villanova enters the Final Four after a 50-44 victory over No. 5-seed Houston in the Elite Eight, in which graduate guard Jermaine Samuels led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Samuels was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player.Villanova entered the NCAA Tournament with a 16-4 record in the Big EAST, before defeating No. 15 seed Delaware (80-60), No. 7 seed Ohio State (71-61), No. 11 seed Michigan (63-55) and No. 5 seed Houston (50-44) to reach the Final Four.Kansas is 12-14 in Final Four games all-time, including 3-2 under head coach Bill Self, beginning in 2004. The Jayhawk most recently appeared in the Final Four in 2018, where Kansas lost to Villanova, 95-79 in San Antonio.The Final Four contest between the Jayhawks and Wildcats will be the 10th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Villanova holding the series advantage at 5-4.Up NextShould Kansas win its Final Four Matchup against No. 2 seed Villanova, the Jayhawks would advance to their sixth NCAA Championship appearance and first since 2012. Kansas will play the winner of No. 2 seed Duke and No. 8 seed North Carolina at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will be played on Monday, April 4 on TBS.CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Kansas to face Villanova in Final Four on Saturday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert says investigations into allegations of major violations against several high-profile men's college basketball programs have taken "way too long." The implicated programs include current men's Final Four participant Kansas. Emmert did not specify what solutions to speed the process are on the table. But there's increasing acknowledgement that the process is broken. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the Division I Transformation Committee he co-chairs is working to recommend ways to modernize and reform NCAA governance and regulatory policies. Emmert also is urging Congress to draft national name, image and likeness policies governing permissible athlete endorsement deals. He says transfer rules also remain under constant scrutiny.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Exactly 10 years after a bunch of one-and-done phenoms for Kentucky cut down the nets in the Big Easy, there is a much more old-school feel to this year's Final Four. Some of the biggest stars on each team have taken advantage of medical and COVID-19 waivers, along with transfer portals, to produce four national semifinalists long on experience. Villanova and Kansas, and to some extent Duke and North Carolina, feature the kind of savvy veterans that once seemed endangered in the world of big-time college basketball. And together, this quartet is proving on the game's grandest stage that experience still matters in an era of instant gratification.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Carolina's Hubert Davis is relying on experience from his playing career and lessons from Hall of Fame mentors in a field of NCAA coaching giants surrounding him at this week's men's Final Four. Davis' experience includes being a Tar Heels player in the Final Four under Dean Smith in 1991. The first-year head coach has less sideline history than the three Hall of Famers also in New Orleans: Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas' Bill Self and Villanova's Jay Wright. UNC player Leaky Black says Davis understands the challenges they face because he's been in their position and "gets us under control."

UNDATED (AP) — This year's Final Four includes quite a collection of big-name programs — but this hasn't been a particularly dominant group this season. In fact, the top three teams in the current Pomeroy rankings — and five of the top six — are absent. That's a change from last year, when Gonzaga and Baylor were terrific all season and then met in the title game. Here's a statistical look at this season's accomplished-but-flawed Final Four quartet, using advanced stats.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Villanova has passed the torch of guards playing in the low post, from Ryan Arcidiancono to Jalen Brunson. Now it's Collin Gillespie's turn and it may be the equalizer for the short-handed Wildcats against Kansas in the Final Four. Gillespie learned to play in the low post while battling Brunson in practice and has become one of the best guards in the nation at it. Guard post-ups could give Villanova an edge in the national semifinals after Justin Moore was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In one of his tried-and-true motivational speeches, Mike Krzyzewski outlined his four pillars of team building. They are: making everyone feel important, taking ownership, adaptability and doing things with feeling. Duke perfected the first three to help Coach K reach his 13th and most amazing Final Four. Next comes the "feeling" part. Now that the record-setting, 75-year-old coach is in New Orleans, he knows he must walk a fine line between enjoying the moment and letting it overwhelm his team. Krzyzewski says he's always thought that being able to share the emotion with his players is the best feeling. Their next chance comes Saturday, when the Blue Devils meet archrival North Carolina in the national semifinals, If Duke wins, Coach K will go for his sixth national title Monday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The four blueblood programs that have descended upon the Superdome for the men's Final Four all have the ability to recruit on a national scale. Their coaches are able to hop aboard a jet on a moment's notice to sit in a living room or take in a game. Yet all of the teams in New Orleans have pulled talent from their own backyards. Kansas has mined stars from Kansas City, Villanova from the fertile recruiting grounds of Philadelphia, and Duke and North Carolina have gone head-to-head for local talent with their campuses separated by about 10 miles.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A seat at the 182-year-old French Quarter restaurant that invented Oysters Rockefeller and mastered Baked Alaska is virtually impossible to get this week. The first NCAA men's Final Four without pandemic restrictions in three years is being held in New Orleans. And the tourism-dependent city needed it after seeing the hospitality industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic for much of the past two years. New Orleans suffered the cancellation of the 2020 women's Final Four but 70,000-plus fans are expected at the Superdome for games on Saturday and Monday nights. Downtown hotels and restaurants are booked solid and city officials hope it marks the resumption of New Orleans as a big-event destination.

UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are within a half-game of Miami for the NBA's Eastern Conference lead, and with a game in hand on the Heat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) became the Bucks' all-time scoring leader before hitting two free throws with three seconds left, giving Milwaukee a 120-119 win over the Nets. Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bucks clinched a playoff berth. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the team scoring leader by hitting a 3-pointer that forced overtime.

Kris Middleton had 16 points and nine boards before his ejection for a flagrant foul.

Kevin Durant had 26 points and Kyrie Irving 25 for Brooklyn, which fell into an eighth-place tie with Charlotte in the East.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— Saddiq Bey (sah-DEEK' bay) scored half of his 20 points in the final 4 ½ minutes of the Pistons' 102-94 victory over the 76ers. Bey provided seven points in a 9-0 run that gave the Pistons a 102-89 lead with 1:54 to play. Cade Cunningham scored 27 points to help Detroit withstand Joel Embiid's 37 points and 15 rebounds.

— DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 50 points and the Bulls rallied to beat the Clippers, 135-130 in overtime. DeRozan finished two points shy of his career high, providing 17 in the fourth quarter and 10 in OT. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-seh-vihch) added 22 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago, which trailed by 16 in the third period.

— Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had a double-double as the Jazz dumped the Lakers, 122-109 to end a five-game losing streak. Gobert delivered 25 points and 17 boards for the Jazz, who are trying to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game. Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points for Utah, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury.

— Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Hawks never trailed in their fourth straight win, 131-107 over the struggling Cavaliers. Kevin Huerter continued his strong finish to the regular season with 23 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds in helping Atlanta wrap up a berth in the play-in round.

Record-setting night for Huberdeau and the Cats

UNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are on the verge of a Stanley Cup playoff berth after picking up their team-record 28th home win.

Sergei Bobrovsky posted his third shutout of the season by making 37 saves in the Panthers' 4-0 win over the Blackhawks. Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO'-bur-doh) set an NHL record for left wingers with his 71st assist. Huberdeau is three away from breaking the club mark of 86 points.

Aleksander Barkov scored twice for the Panthers, who can wrap up a playoff spot as early as Saturday.

— The Avalanche posted a 4-2 win over the Sharks as Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 7:43 remaining. Andre Burakovsky (bur-ah-KAHV'-skee), Darren Helm and Alex Newhook also added goals in Colorado's seventh straight win over San Jose. Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup for the Avs, dodging a scare after appearing to hurt his hand in a fight last weekend.

— Marc McLaughlin scored in his NHL debut while the Bruins erupted for six goals in the second period of a 8-1 rout of the Devils. The former Boston College captain tallied as the Bruins scored three times in 183 seconds. Brad Marchand scored twice in Boston's highest scoring output since Thanksgiving 2019.

— The Hurricanes were 4-0 winners over the Canadiens as Frederik Anderson handled 32 shots in his fourth shutout of the season. Andrei Svechnikov (SVEHCH'-nih-kahv) scored twice for Carolina, while Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) and Teuvo Teravainen (TAY'-voh tehr-ah-VY'-nehn) each had a goal and an assist. Carolina has points in six straight games as it tries to stay atop the Metropolitan Division.

— Evgeni Malkin's overtime goal gave the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Wild, ending Minnesota's seven-game winning streak. Malkin ended it at 3:57 of the extra session after Rickard Rackell (rih-KAHRD' rah-KEHL') delivered two goals. Jake Guentzel (GEHNT'-sul) added his 32nd goal for the Pens, who moved back into six place in the Metropolitan Division and six points behind the Hurricanes.

— The Islanders wasted a 2-0 lead before Kyle Palmieri put them back ahead in the third period of a 5-2 win over Columbus. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist as the Isles beat the Blue Jackets for the second time in three nights. Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) also tallied for New York, about 34 seconds in real time before Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored 500 miles away against Montreal.

— Jamie Benn scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Stars completed a two-game sweep of the skidding Ducks. 3-2. Jake Oettinger made 21 saves to help Dallas win for the fifth time in six games. Kevin Shattenkirk scored a tying goal with 3:21 left in regulation, but the Ducks still lost their 11th consecutive game.

— Lias (LEE'-ahs) Andersson furnished the deciding goal in the shootout and Cal Petersen made 26 saves as the Kings captured a 3-2 victory over the Flames. Alex Iaffalo (eye-ah-FAH'-loh) and Viktor Arvidsson scored in regulation for Los Angeles, which is five points behind the of Pacific Division-leading Flames. Calgary has three games in hand.

— Auston Matthews scored his 50th goal of the season as the Maple Leafs thumped the Jets, 7-3. Matthews is the first Leaf with 50 goals since Dave Andreychuk (AN'-dreh-chuhk) scored 53 in 1993-94. William Nylander (NEE'-lan-dur) added two on the power play to go along with an assist.

Royals exercise option to keep Matheny through 2023 season

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have exercised their club option on Mike Matheny (muh-THEE'-nee) for the 2023 season. The move eliminates any uncertainty over whether their manager will remain with the club after the coming season.

Matheny has gone 100-122 in two seasons with the Royals and is 691-596 as a major league skipper, including his seven years with St. Louis.

— Former Marlins and Tigers pitcher José Ureña has signed a $1.25 million, one-year league contract with the Brewers. The 30-year-old Ureña went 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA for the Tigers last season in 26 appearances, including 18 starts.

— A rules change to bring back automatic runners in extra innings is being brought back for a third straight season. MLB and the players' association agreed to keep the controversial rule that starts each team with a runner on second base during extra innings for the 2022 regular season. The agreement regarding on-field rules modifications also includes expanding active rosters from 26 players to 28 from opening day on April 7 through May 1 this year, due to the delayed start of spring training.

LB Bobby Wagner agrees to 5-year deal with Rams

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Linebacker Bobby Wagner has agreed to a five-year deal to join his hometown Los Angeles Rams.

Wagner became one of the NFL's top linebackers during a decade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks released the six-time All-Pro anchor of their defense on March 9.

ESPN reported Wagner's deal is worth $50 million.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aliyah Boston of South Carolina is The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year.

Boston averaged 16.8 points, 12 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this year. The junior forward helped South Carolina go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country, putting up 27 consecutive double-doubles. She has the Gamecocks two wins away from their second national championship.

And Kim Mulkey is The Associated Press women's basketball Coach of the Year in her first season at LSU.

The longtime Baylor coach led the Tigers to 26 wins at an NCAA Tournament berth after they won only nine games last season. Mulkey received 10 votes from the 30-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25.

UNDATED (AP) — A number of college basketball stars have entered their names in the NBA draft.

Purdue's Jaden Ivey averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game and was named to The Associated Press All-America second team.

Wisconsin's Johnny Davis is regarded as a likely lottery selection as an Associated Press All-America first-team selection and the Big Ten player of the year.

And Notre Dame freshman guard Blake Wesley, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged a team-leading 14.4 points also tweeted his intention.

— Longtime Miami associate head coach Chris Caputo has accepted a contract offer to become the new coach at George Washington. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation who says the school and Caputo were working out final contract details including length of the deal. Caputo replaces Jamion Christian, who was 29-50 in three seasons at the school.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Knox birdied four straight holes on the back nine and fired a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.

Knox closed out his round with a seven-foot putt to save par at the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, leaving him just ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.

Hojgaard fired a 66 despite a double bogey on his final hole.

Matt Kuchar is another stroke back after an opening 5-under 67. Kuchard is among a group that includes Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.

FIFA sets World Cup draw seedings with updated rankings

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States has received a boost for the World Cup draw and Canada has taken a hit in the updated FIFA rankings.

The Americans will be in Pot 2 after being ranked 15th in the world. They clinched a berth for this year's championship in Qatar (KUH'-tur) despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica Wednesday on the final night of qualifying.

Canada won the North American qualifying group and will play at the tournament for the first time in 36 years but missed a chance for a rankings boost by losing at Panama 1-0 in its final qualifier. Canada will instead be among the lowest seeded teams in Pot 4.

The eight groups for the tournament in Qatar will be drawn Friday from four pots. Qatar gets the top-seeded slot given to the World Cup host nation despite being ranked No. 51.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated PressNEW ORLEANS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert says investigations into allegations of major violations against several high-profile men's college basketball programs have taken "way too long." The implicated programs include current men's Final Four participant Kansas. Emmert did not specify what solutions to speed the process are on the table. But there's increasing acknowledgement that the process is broken. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the Division I Transformation Committee he co-chairs is working to recommend ways to modernize and reform NCAA governance and regulatory policies. Emmert also is urging Congress to draft national name, image and likeness policies governing permissible athlete endorsement deals. He says transfer rules also remain under constant scrutiny.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Exactly 10 years after a bunch of one-and-done phenoms for Kentucky cut down the nets in the Big Easy, there is a much more old-school feel to this year's Final Four. Some of the biggest stars on each team have taken advantage of medical and COVID-19 waivers, along with transfer portals, to produce four national semifinalists long on experience. Villanova and Kansas, and to some extent Duke and North Carolina, feature the kind of savvy veterans that once seemed endangered in the world of big-time college basketball. And together, this quartet is proving on the game's grandest stage that experience still matters in an era of instant gratification.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Carolina's Hubert Davis is relying on experience from his playing career and lessons from Hall of Fame mentors in a field of NCAA coaching giants surrounding him at this week's men's Final Four. Davis' experience includes being a Tar Heels player in the Final Four under Dean Smith in 1991. The first-year head coach has less sideline history than the three Hall of Famers also in New Orleans: Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas' Bill Self and Villanova's Jay Wright. UNC player Leaky Black says Davis understands the challenges they face because he's been in their position and "gets us under control."UNDATED (AP) — This year's Final Four includes quite a collection of big-name programs — but this hasn't been a particularly dominant group this season. In fact, the top three teams in the current Pomeroy rankings — and five of the top six — are absent. That's a change from last year, when Gonzaga and Baylor were terrific all season and then met in the title game. Here's a statistical look at this season's accomplished-but-flawed Final Four quartet, using advanced stats.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Villanova has passed the torch of guards playing in the low post, from Ryan Arcidiancono to Jalen Brunson. Now it's Collin Gillespie's turn and it may be the equalizer for the short-handed Wildcats against Kansas in the Final Four. Gillespie learned to play in the low post while battling Brunson in practice and has become one of the best guards in the nation at it. Guard post-ups could give Villanova an edge in the national semifinals after Justin Moore was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In one of his tried-and-true motivational speeches, Mike Krzyzewski outlined his four pillars of team building. They are: making everyone feel important, taking ownership, adaptability and doing things with feeling. Duke perfected the first three to help Coach K reach his 13th and most amazing Final Four. Next comes the "feeling" part. Now that the record-setting, 75-year-old coach is in New Orleans, he knows he must walk a fine line between enjoying the moment and letting it overwhelm his team. Krzyzewski says he's always thought that being able to share the emotion with his players is the best feeling. Their next chance comes Saturday, when the Blue Devils meet archrival North Carolina in the national semifinals, If Duke wins, Coach K will go for his sixth national title Monday.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The four blueblood programs that have descended upon the Superdome for the men's Final Four all have the ability to recruit on a national scale. Their coaches are able to hop aboard a jet on a moment's notice to sit in a living room or take in a game. Yet all of the teams in New Orleans have pulled talent from their own backyards. Kansas has mined stars from Kansas City, Villanova from the fertile recruiting grounds of Philadelphia, and Duke and North Carolina have gone head-to-head for local talent with their campuses separated by about 10 miles.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A seat at the 182-year-old French Quarter restaurant that invented Oysters Rockefeller and mastered Baked Alaska is virtually impossible to get this week. The first NCAA men's Final Four without pandemic restrictions in three years is being held in New Orleans. And the tourism-dependent city needed it after seeing the hospitality industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic for much of the past two years. New Orleans suffered the cancellation of the 2020 women's Final Four but 70,000-plus fans are expected at the Superdome for games on Saturday and Monday nights. Downtown hotels and restaurants are booked solid and city officials hope it marks the resumption of New Orleans as a big-event destination.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULEBucks pull out win over NetsUNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are within a half-game of Miami for the NBA's Eastern Conference lead, and with a game in hand on the Heat.Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) became the Bucks' all-time scoring leader before hitting two free throws with three seconds left, giving Milwaukee a 120-119 win over the Nets. Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bucks clinched a playoff berth. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the team scoring leader by hitting a 3-pointer that forced overtime.Kris Middleton had 16 points and nine boards before his ejection for a flagrant foul.Kevin Durant had 26 points and Kyrie Irving 25 for Brooklyn, which fell into an eighth-place tie with Charlotte in the East.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— Saddiq Bey (sah-DEEK' bay) scored half of his 20 points in the final 4 ½ minutes of the Pistons' 102-94 victory over the 76ers. Bey provided seven points in a 9-0 run that gave the Pistons a 102-89 lead with 1:54 to play. Cade Cunningham scored 27 points to help Detroit withstand Joel Embiid's 37 points and 15 rebounds.— DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 50 points and the Bulls rallied to beat the Clippers, 135-130 in overtime. DeRozan finished two points shy of his career high, providing 17 in the fourth quarter and 10 in OT. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-seh-vihch) added 22 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago, which trailed by 16 in the third period.— Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had a double-double as the Jazz dumped the Lakers, 122-109 to end a five-game losing streak. Gobert delivered 25 points and 17 boards for the Jazz, who are trying to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game. Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points for Utah, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury.— Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Hawks never trailed in their fourth straight win, 131-107 over the struggling Cavaliers. Kevin Huerter continued his strong finish to the regular season with 23 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds in helping Atlanta wrap up a berth in the play-in round.NHL-SCHEDULERecord-setting night for Huberdeau and the CatsUNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are on the verge of a Stanley Cup playoff berth after picking up their team-record 28th home win.Sergei Bobrovsky posted his third shutout of the season by making 37 saves in the Panthers' 4-0 win over the Blackhawks. Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO'-bur-doh) set an NHL record for left wingers with his 71st assist. Huberdeau is three away from breaking the club mark of 86 points.Aleksander Barkov scored twice for the Panthers, who can wrap up a playoff spot as early as Saturday.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— The Avalanche posted a 4-2 win over the Sharks as Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 7:43 remaining. Andre Burakovsky (bur-ah-KAHV'-skee), Darren Helm and Alex Newhook also added goals in Colorado's seventh straight win over San Jose. Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup for the Avs, dodging a scare after appearing to hurt his hand in a fight last weekend.— Marc McLaughlin scored in his NHL debut while the Bruins erupted for six goals in the second period of a 8-1 rout of the Devils. The former Boston College captain tallied as the Bruins scored three times in 183 seconds. Brad Marchand scored twice in Boston's highest scoring output since Thanksgiving 2019.— The Hurricanes were 4-0 winners over the Canadiens as Frederik Anderson handled 32 shots in his fourth shutout of the season. Andrei Svechnikov (SVEHCH'-nih-kahv) scored twice for Carolina, while Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) and Teuvo Teravainen (TAY'-voh tehr-ah-VY'-nehn) each had a goal and an assist. Carolina has points in six straight games as it tries to stay atop the Metropolitan Division.— Evgeni Malkin's overtime goal gave the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Wild, ending Minnesota's seven-game winning streak. Malkin ended it at 3:57 of the extra session after Rickard Rackell (rih-KAHRD' rah-KEHL') delivered two goals. Jake Guentzel (GEHNT'-sul) added his 32nd goal for the Pens, who moved back into six place in the Metropolitan Division and six points behind the Hurricanes.— The Islanders wasted a 2-0 lead before Kyle Palmieri put them back ahead in the third period of a 5-2 win over Columbus. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist as the Isles beat the Blue Jackets for the second time in three nights. Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) also tallied for New York, about 34 seconds in real time before Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored 500 miles away against Montreal.— Jamie Benn scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Stars completed a two-game sweep of the skidding Ducks. 3-2. Jake Oettinger made 21 saves to help Dallas win for the fifth time in six games. Kevin Shattenkirk scored a tying goal with 3:21 left in regulation, but the Ducks still lost their 11th consecutive game.— Lias (LEE'-ahs) Andersson furnished the deciding goal in the shootout and Cal Petersen made 26 saves as the Kings captured a 3-2 victory over the Flames. Alex Iaffalo (eye-ah-FAH'-loh) and Viktor Arvidsson scored in regulation for Los Angeles, which is five points behind the of Pacific Division-leading Flames. Calgary has three games in hand.— Auston Matthews scored his 50th goal of the season as the Maple Leafs thumped the Jets, 7-3. Matthews is the first Leaf with 50 goals since Dave Andreychuk (AN'-dreh-chuhk) scored 53 in 1993-94. William Nylander (NEE'-lan-dur) added two on the power play to go along with an assist.MLB-NEWSRoyals exercise option to keep Matheny through 2023 seasonUNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have exercised their club option on Mike Matheny (muh-THEE'-nee) for the 2023 season. The move eliminates any uncertainty over whether their manager will remain with the club after the coming season.Matheny has gone 100-122 in two seasons with the Royals and is 691-596 as a major league skipper, including his seven years with St. Louis.In other Major League Baseball news:— Former Marlins and Tigers pitcher José Ureña has signed a $1.25 million, one-year league contract with the Brewers. The 30-year-old Ureña went 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA for the Tigers last season in 26 appearances, including 18 starts.— A rules change to bring back automatic runners in extra innings is being brought back for a third straight season. MLB and the players' association agreed to keep the controversial rule that starts each team with a runner on second base during extra innings for the 2022 regular season. The agreement regarding on-field rules modifications also includes expanding active rosters from 26 players to 28 from opening day on April 7 through May 1 this year, due to the delayed start of spring training.NFL NEWSLB Bobby Wagner agrees to 5-year deal with RamsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Linebacker Bobby Wagner has agreed to a five-year deal to join his hometown Los Angeles Rams.Wagner became one of the NFL's top linebackers during a decade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks released the six-time All-Pro anchor of their defense on March 9.ESPN reported Wagner's deal is worth $50 million.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-WOMENBoston AP player of year, Mulkey coachMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aliyah Boston of South Carolina is The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year.Boston averaged 16.8 points, 12 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this year. The junior forward helped South Carolina go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country, putting up 27 consecutive double-doubles. She has the Gamecocks two wins away from their second national championship.And Kim Mulkey is The Associated Press women's basketball Coach of the Year in her first season at LSU.The longtime Baylor coach led the Tigers to 26 wins at an NCAA Tournament berth after they won only nine games last season. Mulkey received 10 votes from the 30-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NBA DRAFTCollege stars enter NBA DraftUNDATED (AP) — A number of college basketball stars have entered their names in the NBA draft.Purdue's Jaden Ivey averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game and was named to The Associated Press All-America second team.Wisconsin's Johnny Davis is regarded as a likely lottery selection as an Associated Press All-America first-team selection and the Big Ten player of the year.And Notre Dame freshman guard Blake Wesley, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged a team-leading 14.4 points also tweeted his intention.Also in men's college basketball:— Longtime Miami associate head coach Chris Caputo has accepted a contract offer to become the new coach at George Washington. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation who says the school and Caputo were working out final contract details including length of the deal. Caputo replaces Jamion Christian, who was 29-50 in three seasons at the school.PGA-TEXAS OPENKnox leads through 18SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Knox birdied four straight holes on the back nine and fired a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.Knox closed out his round with a seven-foot putt to save par at the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, leaving him just ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.Hojgaard fired a 66 despite a double bogey on his final hole.Matt Kuchar is another stroke back after an opening 5-under 67. Kuchard is among a group that includes Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.SOCCER-WORLD CUP SEEDINGSFIFA sets World Cup draw seedings with updated rankingsDOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States has received a boost for the World Cup draw and Canada has taken a hit in the updated FIFA rankings.The Americans will be in Pot 2 after being ranked 15th in the world. They clinched a berth for this year's championship in Qatar (KUH'-tur) despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica Wednesday on the final night of qualifying.Canada won the North American qualifying group and will play at the tournament for the first time in 36 years but missed a chance for a rankings boost by losing at Panama 1-0 in its final qualifier. Canada will instead be among the lowest seeded teams in Pot 4.The eight groups for the tournament in Qatar will be drawn Friday from four pots. Qatar gets the top-seeded slot given to the World Cup host nation despite being ranked No. 51.CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

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by STEVE CARPENTER-Hutchinson CC Sports Information

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/bios/stuart_angelo_pblm">Angelo Stuart</a>'s one season at Hutchinson Community College was memorable.

Stuart led the Jayhawk Conference in scoring in 2021-22, played in two NJCAA Tournament games and on Wednesday became the 35th NJCAA All-American in the storied history of the Blue Dragon men's basketball program.

Stuart was named NJCAA third-team All-American after leading the Blue Dragons to a 26-9 record, a second-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference standings after being picked second in the preseason, a Region VI Tournament runner-up finish and to the second round of the 2022 NJCAA Tournament.

The Blue Dragons have had at least one NJCAA All-American in 6 of the last 7 seasons.

The sophomore transfer from the Queens, New York, led the Jayhawk Conference and was 12th in the NJCAA in scoring at 22.2 points per game. His 689 points scored were the most since J.J. Rhymes scored 704 in 2018 and the 13th most in program history. His 22.2 point-per-game average ranks as the ninth-best scoring average for a season in team history.

Stuart set a Blue Dragon single-season record for 3-pointers with 104 this season. That beat Josh Gonner's old record by 22 3-pointers, and Stuart missed three games with an injury.

Stuart was 104 of 259 from 3-point range this season, shooting at a 40.1 percent clip. He had three games of six 3-pointers, which tied for the sixth most 3-pointers in single-game history.

Stuart was 31 games of scoring in double figures with three games of 30 or more points. Stuart scorers 34 points twice this season, both times against Dodge City. He also had a 30-point game against Connors State in the NJCAA Tournament.

In addition to his All-America award, Stuart was named first-team all-Jayhawk Conference/Region VI. He was named to the Region VI All-Tournament team and became the 29th Blue Dragon to be named to the NJCAA Tournament All-Tournament team.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/files/2022_All-America_teams.pdf">CLICK FOR 2022 NJCAA DIV. I MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM</a>

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by STEVE CARPENTER-Hutchinson CC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON, Kan.—<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/bios/stuart_angelo_pblm">Angelo Stuart</a>'s one season at Hutchinson Community College was memorable.Stuart led the Jayhawk Conference in scoring in 2021-22, played in two NJCAA Tournament games and on Wednesday became the 35th NJCAA All-American in the storied history of the Blue Dragon men's basketball program.Stuart was named NJCAA third-team All-American after leading the Blue Dragons to a 26-9 record, a second-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference standings after being picked second in the preseason, a Region VI Tournament runner-up finish and to the second round of the 2022 NJCAA Tournament.The Blue Dragons have had at least one NJCAA All-American in 6 of the last 7 seasons.The sophomore transfer from the Queens, New York, led the Jayhawk Conference and was 12th in the NJCAA in scoring at 22.2 points per game. His 689 points scored were the most since J.J. Rhymes scored 704 in 2018 and the 13th most in program history. His 22.2 point-per-game average ranks as the ninth-best scoring average for a season in team history.Stuart set a Blue Dragon single-season record for 3-pointers with 104 this season. That beat Josh Gonner's old record by 22 3-pointers, and Stuart missed three games with an injury.Stuart was 104 of 259 from 3-point range this season, shooting at a 40.1 percent clip. He had three games of six 3-pointers, which tied for the sixth most 3-pointers in single-game history.Stuart was 31 games of scoring in double figures with three games of 30 or more points. Stuart scorers 34 points twice this season, both times against Dodge City. He also had a 30-point game against Connors State in the NJCAA Tournament.In addition to his All-America award, Stuart was named first-team all-Jayhawk Conference/Region VI. He was named to the Region VI All-Tournament team and became the 29th Blue Dragon to be named to the NJCAA Tournament All-Tournament team.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/files/2022_All-America_teams.pdf">CLICK FOR 2022 NJCAA DIV. I MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM</a>CLICK HERE&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. CLICK HERE&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Stuart becomes Blue Dragons' 35th NJCAA All-American

Buhler 15, Winfield 0 Buhler 15, Winfield 1

Hutchinson 3, Haysville Campus 0 Wichita North 1, Buhler 0

BaseballBuhler 15, Winfield 0 Buhler 15, Winfield 1Girls SoccerHutchinson 3, Haysville Campus 0 Wichita North 1, Buhler 0

High School scores from March 31, 2022

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have exercised their club option on the contract of Manager Mike Matheny for the 2023 season. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed.

“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” said Dayton Moore, Royals President of Baseball Operations. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community, and this great game of baseball. It is an absolute joy for our entire baseball operations department to work with him.”

“I’m proud and honored to work with this group of players and staff here with the Royals,” Matheny said. “Being able to continue that work is a privilege that I take very seriously. I know we’re in the middle of something special and I’m excited for our fans to see it.”

Matheny is 100-122 (.450) through his first two seasons with the Royals, after being named the 17th full-time Manager in franchise history on Oct. 31, 2019. The Royals have increased their win percentage in each of the last two seasons under Matheny, going 74-88 (.457) in 2021, following a 26-34 (.433) shortened season in 2020. In the two seasons prior to his arrival, the Royals went 58-104 (.358) and 59-103 (.364).

Matheny led the Royals to a 38-35 (.521) record after the All-Star break in 2021, which marked their best second-half record since 2015 (43-33). Kansas City’s .521 winning percentage in the second half last season was .117 better than their win percentage before the break, marking the largest increase in the American League. The Royals had 38 wins in the second half in just 73 games, after posting 36 wins in 89 games before the break, for an increase of two wins, joining the Cardinals as the only teams in the Majors to win two more games in the second half than they did in the first.

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have exercised their club option on the contract of Manager Mike Matheny for the 2023 season. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed.“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” said Dayton Moore, Royals President of Baseball Operations. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community, and this great game of baseball. It is an absolute joy for our entire baseball operations department to work with him.”“I’m proud and honored to work with this group of players and staff here with the Royals,” Matheny said. “Being able to continue that work is a privilege that I take very seriously. I know we’re in the middle of something special and I’m excited for our fans to see it.”Matheny is 100-122 (.450) through his first two seasons with the Royals, after being named the 17th full-time Manager in franchise history on Oct. 31, 2019. The Royals have increased their win percentage in each of the last two seasons under Matheny, going 74-88 (.457) in 2021, following a 26-34 (.433) shortened season in 2020. In the two seasons prior to his arrival, the Royals went 58-104 (.358) and 59-103 (.364).Matheny led the Royals to a 38-35 (.521) record after the All-Star break in 2021, which marked their best second-half record since 2015 (43-33). Kansas City’s .521 winning percentage in the second half last season was .117 better than their win percentage before the break, marking the largest increase in the American League. The Royals had 38 wins in the second half in just 73 games, after posting 36 wins in 89 games before the break, for an increase of two wins, joining the Cardinals as the only teams in the Majors to win two more games in the second half than they did in the first.Matheny enters the 2022 season with a 691-596 career regular season record (.537), which includes his seven years as the skipper for the Cardinals from 2012-18. His win total ranks ninth among active Managers, and his .537 career winning percentage is tied with Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash and White Sox Manager, Tony La Russa, whom Matheny played for in St. Louis.