UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12 is moving quickly on an expansion plan that could have the conference at 12 schools after Texas and Oklahoma leave, with BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston as the “most intriguing” candidates. 

Three people familiar with the Big 12′s talks say the eight schools being left behind by the Longhorns and Sooners are working to rebuild by adding four new members. 

One person says invitations to new members could go out as soon as next week. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 was not making its internal discussions public.

UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12 is moving quickly on an expansion plan that could have the conference at 12 schools after Texas and Oklahoma leave, with BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston as the “most intriguing” candidates. Three people familiar with the Big 12′s talks say the eight schools being left behind by the Longhorns and Sooners are working to rebuild by adding four new members. One person says invitations to new members could go out as soon as next week. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 was not making its internal discussions public.

Big 12 looking for new teams

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mamadou Fall scored twice to help Los Angeles FC beat Sporting Kansas City 4-0. 

Los Angeles ended a club-record, eight-game winless streak. LAFC had never gone more than five straight games without a win before this season. Kansas City has lost twice in its last 13 matches — with six victories. 

  Fall opened the scoring in the 19th minute by heading in Eduard Atuesta’s corner kick. He made it 2-0 in the 61st in similar fashion, heading home Atuesta’s free kick. Cristian Arango made it 3-0 in the 71st after he was left wide open at the penalty spot for Daniel Musovski’s pass. Eduard Atuesta capped it with a penalty kick in the 87th.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mamadou Fall scored twice to help Los Angeles FC beat Sporting Kansas City 4-0. Los Angeles ended a club-record, eight-game winless streak. LAFC had never gone more than five straight games without a win before this season. Kansas City has lost twice in its last 13 matches — with six victories. Fall opened the scoring in the 19th minute by heading in Eduard Atuesta’s corner kick. He made it 2-0 in the 61st in similar fashion, heading home Atuesta’s free kick. Cristian Arango made it 3-0 in the 71st after he was left wide open at the penalty spot for Daniel Musovski’s pass. Eduard Atuesta capped it with a penalty kick in the 87th.

Sporting KC loses in LA Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dallas Keuchel had another rocky outing for the AL Central-leading White Sox, allowing six runs in three innings in Chicago’s 7-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. 

Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, has a 7.26 ERA in his past 11 starts after giving up five earned runs, seven hits and two walks with one strikeout. He went one inning and allowed five earned runs in his previous start, then admitted to being “the weakest starter in the rotation for much of the year.” 

Chicago remained 9 1/2 games ahead of Cleveland for the division lead, and Keuchel is battling to show he’s worth a postseason roster spot.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dallas Keuchel had another rocky outing for the AL Central-leading White Sox, allowing six runs in three innings in Chicago’s 7-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, has a 7.26 ERA in his past 11 starts after giving up five earned runs, seven hits and two walks with one strikeout. He went one inning and allowed five earned runs in his previous start, then admitted to being “the weakest starter in the rotation for much of the year.” Chicago remained 9 1/2 games ahead of Cleveland for the division lead, and Keuchel is battling to show he’s worth a postseason roster spot.

Royals beat White Sox Friday

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jason Bean connected with Lawrence Arnold for the second time in the game with 1:12 remaining Friday night, allowing Kansas to escape with a 17-14 victory over South Dakota in coach Lance Leipold’s debut with the Jayhawks. 

The Coyotes had pulled ahead when Kansas native Travis Theis ran 25 yards for a go-ahead score with 5:16 to go. The student section rushed the field to celebrate the end of a 13-game skid — albeit against an FCS opponent — and the Jayhawks’ first win since beating Texas Tech on Oct. 26, 2019.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jason Bean connected with Lawrence Arnold for the second time in the game with 1:12 remaining Friday night, allowing Kansas to escape with a 17-14 victory over South Dakota in coach Lance Leipold’s debut with the Jayhawks. The Coyotes had pulled ahead when Kansas native Travis Theis ran 25 yards for a go-ahead score with 5:16 to go. The student section rushed the field to celebrate the end of a 13-game skid — albeit against an FCS opponent — and the Jayhawks’ first win since beating Texas Tech on Oct. 26, 2019.

KU wins football opener Friday

Hutchinson Community College freshman Collin Oswalt jumped right into the jungle known as Jayhawk Conference cross country on Friday and didn’t back down.

Oswalt, a Hutchinson Central Christian product, had a tremendous Blue Dragon debut with a fourth-place finish at the season-opening Terry Masterson Twilight Classic at Fun Valley.

Oswalt dueled with Cloud County’s Awet Beraki and Fort Scott’s Gudisa Andow, two of the top KJCCC runners from last season, and Garden City freshman Dennis Mutai.

Oswalt stayed with that lead pack most of the first three laps of the four-lap, 4-mile men’s race. That group started to separate during the final mile. The Blue Dragon freshman finished fourth overall with a time of 20:38.2. That time was the 15th best time in Masterson Twilight history.

Garden City’s Mutai won the race in 19:47.7, which was 17.8 seconds ahead of Beraki (20:06.5). Adnow was third in 20:26.7.

The Blue Dragons weren’t able to post a team score on Friday with only four runners able to compete.

Sophomore Andrew Holt the second Blue Dragon to finish. He placed 34th with a time of 22:37.5. Holt cut 9 full seconds off his freshman Masterson Twilight time.

Freshman Carsyn Turpin placed 39th in his Blue Dragon debut with a time of 22:55.4.

Sophomore Aaron Geissinger was 47th overall in a time of 23:08.1. Geissinger improved 29 full seconds from his freshman Masterson Twilight time.

Cloud County repeated as Masterson Twilight team champion with 65 points and three runners finishing in the Top 10. Cowley College was second with 102 points and Washburn was third with 118 points.

The race time was moved up 3 hours became of the potential of heavy rain on Friday night.

The Blue Dragons will run their first 8,000-meter race of the season on September 18 at the Bethel Rogers-Muthama Classic in North Newton, KS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630750896839.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationHutchinson Community College freshman Collin Oswalt jumped right into the jungle known as Jayhawk Conference cross country on Friday and didn’t back down.Oswalt, a Hutchinson Central Christian product, had a tremendous Blue Dragon debut with a fourth-place finish at the season-opening Terry Masterson Twilight Classic at Fun Valley.Oswalt dueled with Cloud County’s Awet Beraki and Fort Scott’s Gudisa Andow, two of the top KJCCC runners from last season, and Garden City freshman Dennis Mutai.Oswalt stayed with that lead pack most of the first three laps of the four-lap, 4-mile men’s race. That group started to separate during the final mile. The Blue Dragon freshman finished fourth overall with a time of 20:38.2. That time was the 15th best time in Masterson Twilight history.Garden City’s Mutai won the race in 19:47.7, which was 17.8 seconds ahead of Beraki (20:06.5). Adnow was third in 20:26.7.The Blue Dragons weren’t able to post a team score on Friday with only four runners able to compete.Sophomore Andrew Holt the second Blue Dragon to finish. He placed 34th with a time of 22:37.5. Holt cut 9 full seconds off his freshman Masterson Twilight time.Freshman Carsyn Turpin placed 39th in his Blue Dragon debut with a time of 22:55.4.Sophomore Aaron Geissinger was 47th overall in a time of 23:08.1. Geissinger improved 29 full seconds from his freshman Masterson Twilight time.Cloud County repeated as Masterson Twilight team champion with 65 points and three runners finishing in the Top 10. Cowley College was second with 102 points and Washburn was third with 118 points.The race time was moved up 3 hours became of the potential of heavy rain on Friday night.The Blue Dragons will run their first 8,000-meter race of the season on September 18 at the Bethel Rogers-Muthama Classic in North Newton, KS.

Oswalt makes strong Dragon debut

All-American Louise Cocking earned her fifth Top-5 finish to lead the Hutchinson Community College Women’s Cross Country Team at the season-opening Terry Masterson Twilight Classic on Friday at Fun Valley.

The 2021 opener was a tough one for the Blue Dragons as a team. The Blue Dragons finished eighth of the 13 teams that posted a team score on Friday.

Cocking was the only Hutchinson runner in the Top 25. The rest of the team finished between 55th and 70th overall.

The 2021 edition of the Masterson Twilight wasn’t exactly run under the lights. The start of the race was moved up three hours to avoid potential heavy rains for later in the evening. While the race temperature was in the mid-80s and under cloud cover, the runners battled extremely high humidity.

Cocking was the race leader well into the second of three 1-mile laps around Fun Valley. She was in a lead pack of four runners throughout the race.

During the final lap, Washburn’s Patricia Koma took charge and won the race with the 12th-fastest time in Masterson Twilight history of 18:54.4. Kansas Wesleyan’s Stephanie Martinez was second in 19:05.4.

Cowley’s Karissa Glover edged Cocking for third by 0.7 seconds. Cocking ran a time of 19:07.7, a second slower than her freshman time last season.

Sophomore Noelle Hidalgo was the next Blue Dragon to finish. She was 55th in a time of 21:50.7.

Freshman Anastasia Meyer placed 62nd with a time of 22:20.8.

Freshman Michele Gage 22:32.1 to place 66th. Freshman Sydney Grauer was 69th in a time of 22:44.3. Freshman Aidyn White placed 70th in a time of 22:46.4.

The Blue Dragons finished with 22 points. Washburn University won the women’s team title with 48 points. Dodge City was second with 81 and Cloud County was third with 105 points.

The Blue Dragons will run their first 5,000-meter race of the season on September 18 at the Bethel Rogers-Muthama Classic in North Newton, KS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630750766722.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationAll-American Louise Cocking earned her fifth Top-5 finish to lead the Hutchinson Community College Women’s Cross Country Team at the season-opening Terry Masterson Twilight Classic on Friday at Fun Valley.The 2021 opener was a tough one for the Blue Dragons as a team. The Blue Dragons finished eighth of the 13 teams that posted a team score on Friday.Cocking was the only Hutchinson runner in the Top 25. The rest of the team finished between 55th and 70th overall.The 2021 edition of the Masterson Twilight wasn’t exactly run under the lights. The start of the race was moved up three hours to avoid potential heavy rains for later in the evening. While the race temperature was in the mid-80s and under cloud cover, the runners battled extremely high humidity.Cocking was the race leader well into the second of three 1-mile laps around Fun Valley. She was in a lead pack of four runners throughout the race.During the final lap, Washburn’s Patricia Koma took charge and won the race with the 12th-fastest time in Masterson Twilight history of 18:54.4. Kansas Wesleyan’s Stephanie Martinez was second in 19:05.4.Cowley’s Karissa Glover edged Cocking for third by 0.7 seconds. Cocking ran a time of 19:07.7, a second slower than her freshman time last season.Sophomore Noelle Hidalgo was the next Blue Dragon to finish. She was 55th in a time of 21:50.7.Freshman Anastasia Meyer placed 62nd with a time of 22:20.8.Freshman Michele Gage 22:32.1 to place 66th. Freshman Sydney Grauer was 69th in a time of 22:44.3. Freshman Aidyn White placed 70th in a time of 22:46.4.The Blue Dragons finished with 22 points. Washburn University won the women’s team title with 48 points. Dodge City was second with 81 and Cloud County was third with 105 points.The Blue Dragons will run their first 5,000-meter race of the season on September 18 at the Bethel Rogers-Muthama Classic in North Newton, KS.

Cocking fourth to lead Hutchinson women at Masterson Twilight

Center, Mo. 34, Christ Preparatory Academy 6

Lafayette (St. Joseph), Mo. 50, Atchison 21

Lee's Summit Community Christian, Mo. 49, Fort Scott 0

Maur Hill - Mount Academy 22, Council Grove 14

<h2>Friday's Scores</h2>The Associated PressPREP FOOTBALL=Andale 57, Rose Hill 6Andover Central 10, Newton 6Atchison County 45, Horton 7Attica/Argonia 36, Norwich 6Augusta 48, Coffeyville 0Ava, Mo. 45, Humboldt 0Axtell 62, Wheatland-Grinnell 16BV Northwest 35, Blue Valley 21BV West 45, BV Southwest 21Basehor-Linwood 27, Tonganoxie 6Bennington 56, Wakefield 8Bucklin 22, Spearville 6Buhler 42, Goddard 14Burden Central 62, South Haven 22Cair Paravel 60, KC East Christian 14Caldwell 30, Oxford 0Caney Valley 49, Fredonia 18Canton-Galva 56, Goessel 8Center, Mo. 34, Christ Preparatory Academy 6Central Heights 34, West Franklin 13Chaparral 32, Wichita Trinity 0Chapman 24, Sabetha 22Chase County 72, Moundridge 34Cheney 34, Kingman 14Cheylin 67, Golden Plains 12Circle 20, Chanute 12Clay Center 40, Abilene 12Clearwater 48, Belle Plaine 0Clifton-Clyde 46, Onaga 0Colby 35, Hugoton 7Commerce, Okla. 40, Galena 14Concordia 41, Wamego 40, OTCunningham 58, Rolla 8DeSoto 62, KC Turner 8Dighton 54, Wallace County 22Dodge City 28, Wichita West 6Doniphan West 54, BV Randolph 8El Dorado 36, Independence 0Ellsworth 31, Salina Sacred Heart 0Eudora 53, Baldwin 0Eureka 12, Neodesha 0Flinthills 48, Cedar Vale/Dexter Co-op 0Frankfort 60, Washington County 34Girard 33, Pittsburg Colgan 7Hanover 44, Pike Valley 0Hartford 100, Maranatha Academy 58Hays 35, Wichita East 6Hays-TMP-Marian 31, Oakley 13Hesston 45, Haven 8Hill City 28, Osborne 6Hillsboro 50, Nickerson 22Hodgeman County 48, Satanta 0Holcomb 23, Cimarron 16Holton 26, Nemaha Central 24Hutchinson 34, Valley Center 6Inman 52, Hutchinson Trinity 0Jackson Heights 45, Oskaloosa 6KC Bishop Ward 28, KC Sumner 6KC Piper 56, Ottawa 7Kapaun Mount Carmel 55, Wichita South 0Kinsley 38, Central Plains 6Lafayette (St. Joseph), Mo. 50, Atchison 21Lakeside 64, Logan/Palco 18Lakin 63, Elkhart 6Larned 41, Lyons 19Leavenworth 20, Shawnee Heights 13Lebo 46, Southern Coffey 0Lee's Summit Community Christian, Mo. 49, Fort Scott 0Liberal 56, Guymon, Okla. 16Lincoln 46, Tescott 0Little River 62, Peabody-Burns 6Madison/Hamilton 52, Burlingame 6Maize South 32, Great Bend 0Manhattan 21, Garden City 7Marion 26, Ell-Saline 7Marmaton Valley 50, Altoona-Midway 0Maur Hill - Mount Academy 22, Council Grove 14McPherson 24, Salina South 14Medicine Lodge 52, Triplains-Brewster 34Mill Valley 35, Gardner-Edgerton 14Minneola 48, Kiowa County 0Moscow 26, Fowler 0Natoma 87, Deerfield 0Ness City 32, Macksville 20Oberlin-Decatur 56, St. Francis 18Odessa, Mo. 35, Lansing 0Olathe Northwest 28, Olathe West 21Olathe South 7, SM West 6Olpe 68, Ellinwood 0, 3OTOsage City 41, Lyndon 6Otis-Bison 50, St. John 0Paola 41, Bonner Springs 21Perry-Lecompton 40, Jefferson West 6Pittsburg 28, Labette County 0Plainville 34, Phillipsburg 7Pleasant Ridge 24, Jefferson North 22Pratt 68, Hoisington 18Pretty Prairie 16, Hutchinson Central Christian 14Quinter 38, Rawlins County 8Riley County 17, St. Mary's 14Riverton 52, Baxter Springs 0Rossville 38, Centralia 0Royal Valley 16, Riverside 13Russell 17, Ellis 6SM East 28, SM North 7Salina Central 44, Wichita Campus 6Scott City 36, Ulysses 27Sedan 50, St. Paul 0Sedgwick 61, Sterling 8Silver Lake 34, Rock Creek 28Smith Center 26, Norton 7Smoky Valley 20, Halstead 16Solomon 46, Linn 0South Gray 32, Ingalls 6Southeast Saline 50, Minneapolis 0Southern Cloud 52, Wilson 8Spring Hill 31, Louisburg 0St. John's Beloit-Tipton 38, Sylvan-Lucas 20St. Thomas Aquinas 28, St. James Academy 7Syracuse 34, Sublette 7Thunder Ridge 70, Stockton 12Topeka Hayden 22, Emporia 2Topeka Seaman 71, Highland Park 6Troy 12, Hiawatha 10Valley Falls 34, Wetmore 20Victoria 52, La Crosse 26Wabaunsee 28, Mission Valley 0Washburn Rural 45, Topeka West 6Waverly 34, Marais des Cygnes Valley 22Wellsville 26, Burlington 6West Elk 48, Udall 0Wichita County 56, Hoxie 6Wichita Southeast 28, Wichita North 6Wray, Colo. 30, Goodland 0Yates Center 50, Crest 22^POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Beloit vs. Republic County, ccd.Clearwater vs. Wellington, ccd.Columbus vs. Frontenac, ppd. to Sep 4th.Herington vs. Centre, ccd.KC Harmon vs. KC Washington, ccd.McLouth vs. Maur Hill - Mount Academy, ccd.Parsons vs. Anderson County, ppd. to Sep 6th.Solomon vs. Rural Vista, ccd.Valley Heights vs. Marysville, ccd.Winfield vs. Arkansas City, ppd. to Sep 6th.___Some high school football scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/<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;

Prep Scores from Friday

McCOOK, Nebraska – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team earned a pair of victory over two Region IX teams on Friday in to open the McCook Community College Tournament at the Graff Events Center.

The Blue Dragons rolled by Otero Junior College in a sweep, 25-20, 25-16, 25-18 in the first match on Friday. The Blue Dragons rallied after dropping the first set against North Platte and had to defeat the Knights in five sets, 17-25, 25-20, 25-22, 13-25, 15-10.

Hutchinson improves to 4-0 overall. The Blue Dragons will play tournament host McCook at 9 a.m. on Saturday and NJCAA No. 1-ranked Iowa Western at 1 p.m.

Melina Christadoulou recorded a season high for kills, Kristina Head had a season-high for total blocks and McKinley Johnson served a season high number of aces in a sweep of Otero in the opening match of the tournament.

Christadoulou hammered home 13 kills to lead the Blue Dragons. Head had nine total blocks. Johnson decimated the Otero serve receive with nine aces.

The Blue Dragons racked up 40 total kills and had 14 total blocks and 10 total service aces.

Head and Blondie Penaflor had nine kills each. Penaflor and Morgan Harvey had four blocks each.

Libero Shelby Reeder led the Blue Dragon back line with 12 digs. Harvey had eight digs and Zoe Schmidt had seven digs.

The Blue Dragons moved to 2-0 in five-set matches winning their second five-setter in three days. They did so after dropping the first set of a match for the first time in 2021.

After dropping the first set, the Blue Dragons won the next two sets only to be dominated by the Knights in the fourth set.

Head led the Blue Dragons with 12 kills and five total blocks. Freshman Aubreigh Haxton was a spark with 11 kills and two blocks. Freshman Baylee Miller also saw her first extended action of the season with seven kills and two service aces.

The Blue Dragons utilized a 6-2 offense against North Platte. Amanda Velez had 18 assists and Johnson finished with 16 assists. Reeder had 21 digs to pace the Dragons defensively. Tauja Durham chipped in four total blocks, including one solo stuff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630750604580.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationFriday, September 3, 2021McCOOK, Nebraska – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team earned a pair of victory over two Region IX teams on Friday in to open the McCook Community College Tournament at the Graff Events Center.The Blue Dragons rolled by Otero Junior College in a sweep, 25-20, 25-16, 25-18 in the first match on Friday. The Blue Dragons rallied after dropping the first set against North Platte and had to defeat the Knights in five sets, 17-25, 25-20, 25-22, 13-25, 15-10.Hutchinson improves to 4-0 overall. The Blue Dragons will play tournament host McCook at 9 a.m. on Saturday and NJCAA No. 1-ranked Iowa Western at 1 p.m.OTERO RECAPMelina Christadoulou recorded a season high for kills, Kristina Head had a season-high for total blocks and McKinley Johnson served a season high number of aces in a sweep of Otero in the opening match of the tournament.Christadoulou hammered home 13 kills to lead the Blue Dragons. Head had nine total blocks. Johnson decimated the Otero serve receive with nine aces.The Blue Dragons racked up 40 total kills and had 14 total blocks and 10 total service aces.Head and Blondie Penaflor had nine kills each. Penaflor and Morgan Harvey had four blocks each.Libero Shelby Reeder led the Blue Dragon back line with 12 digs. Harvey had eight digs and Zoe Schmidt had seven digs.Johnson finished with 29 set assists.NORTH PLATTE RECAPThe Blue Dragons moved to 2-0 in five-set matches winning their second five-setter in three days. They did so after dropping the first set of a match for the first time in 2021.After dropping the first set, the Blue Dragons won the next two sets only to be dominated by the Knights in the fourth set.Head led the Blue Dragons with 12 kills and five total blocks. Freshman Aubreigh Haxton was a spark with 11 kills and two blocks. Freshman Baylee Miller also saw her first extended action of the season with seven kills and two service aces.The Blue Dragons utilized a 6-2 offense against North Platte. Amanda Velez had 18 assists and Johnson finished with 16 assists. Reeder had 21 digs to pace the Dragons defensively. Tauja Durham chipped in four total blocks, including one solo stuff.

Dragons down pair of Region IX foes in McCook

Week 1 High School Football scores and reports from across Kansas...

Week 1 High School Football scores and reports from across Kansas...<div><iframe title="2021 Week 1 High School Football Scoreboard Show" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=46img-10d0034-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div>

Week 1 High School Football Scoreboard Show

High school football gets underway tonight, plus more from Hutch Post.

High school football gets underway tonight, plus more from Hutch Post.<div><iframe title="September 3, 2021 Afternoon Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=2uhg7-10cfcff-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div>

September 3, 2021 Afternoon Sports

HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawks open the 2021 by hosting the Valley Center Hornets tonight at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.

Catch all the action on KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm and right here on hutchpost.com. &nbsp;The Kansas Kickoff Show will start at 6pm followed by the Salthawk Football Pregame Show from 6:30pm up until the kickoff at 7pm.

Hutchpost YouTube Channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC254gj0YbEZHIXOrS5jjdYA">CLICK HERE</a>

<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;

HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawks open the 2021 by hosting the Valley Center Hornets tonight at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.Catch all the action on KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm and right here on hutchpost.com. &nbsp;The Kansas Kickoff Show will start at 6pm followed by the Salthawk Football Pregame Show from 6:30pm up until the kickoff at 7pm.Hutchpost YouTube Channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC254gj0YbEZHIXOrS5jjdYA">CLICK HERE</a><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jd4bV3StsDU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></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;

LIVE TV: Hutchinson Salthawk Football vs Valley Center

WICHITA, Kan. —&nbsp;Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Commissioner Dr. Scott Crawford has announced the hiring of Hans Nickel into the role of Assistant Commissioner for Operations beginning in September.

Nickel joins the KCAC from Sterling College, where he has been serving&nbsp;as an Assistant Professor of&nbsp;Sports Management. While a member of the faculty at Sterling, Nickel has been involved with athletics in various roles including as a Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), a Sports Information Director (SID), and through class involvement with active learning experience both at the school and conference level.

"I am very excited to be joining the conference staff," said Nickel. "Under Dr. Crawford's leadership, the KCAC has grown into an NAIA conference that is considered one of the best in providing a high-quality athletic experience to its student-athletes. I want to thank Dr. Crawford for the opportunity to serve our student-athletes and member institutions as part of this prestigious office."

"Simply put, I cannot think of a better person than Hans Nickel to become part of the conference staff and take on this new role of Assistant Commissioner for Operations," related Dr. Scott Crawford, KCAC Commissioner.&nbsp; "I have had the privilege of watching Hans' career trajectory working directly with him as an intern for the KCAC many years ago to his most recent service to the conference as a member of our Executive Committee two years ago.&nbsp; He is a former student-athlete within the KCAC and has done impressive work as an athletic department staff member and faculty member at Sterling College.&nbsp; I relish the many facets of experience he will be able to draw on in taking on this position."

Nickel brings a wealth of sport governance experience, both at the conference and national level. While the FAR at Sterling College, Nickel served on the KCAC Governing Council for five years. Three of those five years, Nickel served on the KCAC Governing Council Executive Committee where he provided guidance in KCAC policy interpretation and helped organize the KCAC business meetings. Additionally, Nickel also served on the KCAC Nominating Committee for four years, chairing the committee for three years. In that role, Nickel helped ensure KCAC nominations for NAIA national awards.

At the national level, Nickel was active in the NAIA governance process. NAIA FARs voted Nickel to serve on the Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives (CFAR), where Nickel served for three years. As a member of CFAR, Nickel assisted the council in developing Return to Play procedures for the 2020-21 academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of his CFAR service, Nickel represented the council on the NAIA Constitution and Bylaws Committee, which is responsible for editing proposed NAIA legislation for consistency with the NAIA Constitution and Bylaws prior to the Annual Business Meeting each academic year. The committee also provides insight into the impact the proposed legislation would have on the current NAIA Constitution and Bylaws.

Prior to his service on CFAR, Nickel was voted to serve on the NAIA Faculty Athletics Representatives' Association (FARA) Executive Committee for a three-year term in which Nickel served as Chair in the 2018-19 academic year. During his FARA tenure, Nickel developed and presented professional development programming to NAIA FARs at the annual NAIA Convention.

During his tenure as a member of the Sterling College Faculty, Nickel was active in faculty governance and leadership. For seven of his 11 years as a member of the faculty, Nickel was voted by his peers to serve on the Faculty Council and was voted to chair the council for two separate years.

While at Sterling, Nickel also served four years as the athletic department's Sports Information Director (SID). As Sterling's SID, Nickel oversaw athletic department branded communication and portions of game day operations. Nickel was responsible to lead both part-time employees and volunteer staff during game days.

Through active learning experiences in his classes as an Assistant Professor of Sports Management, Nickel and his students were also heavily involved in the operation of KCAC Championship Events. Nickel's students helped operate KCAC Championships during all three championship seasons during the year, providing operational support in ticketing, crowd control, game support, team support, and many other crucial roles in operating a successful championship event.

In the classroom, Nickel taught a variety of sport related courses including Governance in Sport, Sport Tournament/Event Management, Sport Economics, and Sport Marketing. During his tenure, Nickel grew the Sports Management Program into one of Sterling College's most populated degree programs and was also awarded the William M. McCreery Teaching Award for the 2016-17 academic year.

Currently, Nickel lives in Wichita with his wife, Sarah, and their children, Madison and Ehli.

WICHITA, Kan. —&nbsp;Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Commissioner Dr. Scott Crawford has announced the hiring of Hans Nickel into the role of Assistant Commissioner for Operations beginning in September.Nickel joins the KCAC from Sterling College, where he has been serving&nbsp;as an Assistant Professor of&nbsp;Sports Management. While a member of the faculty at Sterling, Nickel has been involved with athletics in various roles including as a Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), a Sports Information Director (SID), and through class involvement with active learning experience both at the school and conference level."I am very excited to be joining the conference staff," said Nickel. "Under Dr. Crawford's leadership, the KCAC has grown into an NAIA conference that is considered one of the best in providing a high-quality athletic experience to its student-athletes. I want to thank Dr. Crawford for the opportunity to serve our student-athletes and member institutions as part of this prestigious office.""Simply put, I cannot think of a better person than Hans Nickel to become part of the conference staff and take on this new role of Assistant Commissioner for Operations," related Dr. Scott Crawford, KCAC Commissioner.&nbsp; "I have had the privilege of watching Hans' career trajectory working directly with him as an intern for the KCAC many years ago to his most recent service to the conference as a member of our Executive Committee two years ago.&nbsp; He is a former student-athlete within the KCAC and has done impressive work as an athletic department staff member and faculty member at Sterling College.&nbsp; I relish the many facets of experience he will be able to draw on in taking on this position."Nickel brings a wealth of sport governance experience, both at the conference and national level. While the FAR at Sterling College, Nickel served on the KCAC Governing Council for five years. Three of those five years, Nickel served on the KCAC Governing Council Executive Committee where he provided guidance in KCAC policy interpretation and helped organize the KCAC business meetings. Additionally, Nickel also served on the KCAC Nominating Committee for four years, chairing the committee for three years. In that role, Nickel helped ensure KCAC nominations for NAIA national awards.At the national level, Nickel was active in the NAIA governance process. NAIA FARs voted Nickel to serve on the Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives (CFAR), where Nickel served for three years. As a member of CFAR, Nickel assisted the council in developing Return to Play procedures for the 2020-21 academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic.As part of his CFAR service, Nickel represented the council on the NAIA Constitution and Bylaws Committee, which is responsible for editing proposed NAIA legislation for consistency with the NAIA Constitution and Bylaws prior to the Annual Business Meeting each academic year. The committee also provides insight into the impact the proposed legislation would have on the current NAIA Constitution and Bylaws.Prior to his service on CFAR, Nickel was voted to serve on the NAIA Faculty Athletics Representatives' Association (FARA) Executive Committee for a three-year term in which Nickel served as Chair in the 2018-19 academic year. During his FARA tenure, Nickel developed and presented professional development programming to NAIA FARs at the annual NAIA Convention.During his tenure as a member of the Sterling College Faculty, Nickel was active in faculty governance and leadership. For seven of his 11 years as a member of the faculty, Nickel was voted by his peers to serve on the Faculty Council and was voted to chair the council for two separate years.While at Sterling, Nickel also served four years as the athletic department's Sports Information Director (SID). As Sterling's SID, Nickel oversaw athletic department branded communication and portions of game day operations. Nickel was responsible to lead both part-time employees and volunteer staff during game days.Through active learning experiences in his classes as an Assistant Professor of Sports Management, Nickel and his students were also heavily involved in the operation of KCAC Championship Events. Nickel's students helped operate KCAC Championships during all three championship seasons during the year, providing operational support in ticketing, crowd control, game support, team support, and many other crucial roles in operating a successful championship event.In the classroom, Nickel taught a variety of sport related courses including Governance in Sport, Sport Tournament/Event Management, Sport Economics, and Sport Marketing. During his tenure, Nickel grew the Sports Management Program into one of Sterling College's most populated degree programs and was also awarded the William M. McCreery Teaching Award for the 2016-17 academic year.Currently, Nickel lives in Wichita with his wife, Sarah, and their children, Madison and Ehli.

Sterling College assistant professor joins KCAC conference office

Over the last several seasons, the Hutchinson Community College men’s cross country team has received most of the preseason chatter heading into a new season.

As the 2021 season begins on Friday with the annual Terry Masterson Twilight Classic at Fun Valley, the Blue Dragon women have high hopes for a strong season.

“We are a really close team,” returning first-team All-American Louise Cocking said. “We set team goals and we want a regional title and a Top 3 at nationals. I think we can do it.”

“The sophomores will be steady for us,” added seventh-year head coach Justin Riggs. “We will look to see what freshmen will come out of the woodwork and step up for us.”

Cocking, along with fellow sophomores Noelle Hidalgo, Izzy Wheeler and Jurney Yung return from last year’s team that finished seventh in the NJCAA National Championships last November. Riggs adds four in-state freshmen to create depth the Blue Dragon women’s team hasn’t had recently.

Cocking (Derbyshire, UK) finished fifth in the 2020 NJCAA Championships to become the Blue Dragons first first-team NJCAA All-American since Elissa Peterman in 1999. She ran a career-best 5K time of 19:05.94 at nationals, which is the third-fastest 5K time in Blue Dragon history.

The Blue Dragon women are as healthy as they have been since early last season. Cocking battled through injuries all throughout the spring track season. Injuries slowed down Wheeler after a strong start.

Hidalgo (Hooker, OK) showed steady improvement throughout her freshman season. She ran a season’s best 5K cross country time of 21:04.11 in a 45th-place finish at nationals. Hidalgo knocked about a minute off that 5K time in the spring track season.

Wheeler (Belleville, KS) ran a best 5K time of 20:22.8 at the Rogers/Muthama Classic last season in Hutch’s first 5K race. Yung (Andale) also rank her season-low time of 21:51.4 at nationals.

“We don’t have that 1-2 this year after we lost Sheila (Too),” Riggs said. “We do have a lot better depth and I’m excited about that.”

Riggs has been very happy with freshmen Anastasia Meyer (Andale), Aidyn White (Buhler), Sydney Grauer (Marysville) and Michele Gage (Andale) through the preseason workouts.

“The freshmen have all ran pretty close to each other so far,” Riggs said. “Anastasia’s been strong as far and Aidyn was our No. 2 finisher at our time trial. I’m excited about the freshmen. They are getting adjusted to the training. It will be interesting to see how they develop.”

The 2021 Blue Dragon men will have a much different look with only five runners on the roster this season.

Sophomores Andrew Holt (Lago Vista, Texas) and Aaron Geissinger (Abilene) are the only returning runners from last season’s fifth-place NJCAA Championship team.

Riggs adds freshmen Camilo Leos-Tarun (Winfield), Collin Oswalt (Hutchinson Central Christian) and Carsyn Turpin (Shawnee/Mill Valley).

“This is going to be a turnover year,” Riggs said. “We are small on numbers, but I know I can count on all five of those runners. As long as we stay healthy and stay committed to what we are going, we will have a respectable season.”

Holt finished 37th at the 2020 NJCAA Championships with a time of 27:14.08. His best 8K time was 27:05.44 in a ninth-place showing at the Red Devil Relays.

Geissinger was 80th at nationals last season in a time of 28:34.40. His low 8K time was 28:25.70 at the Region VI Championship.

The 2021 Terry Masterson Twilight Classic will have the largest field in the six-year history of the event with 22 men’s teams and 21 women’s teams in the field.

The field includes 11 Jayhawk Conference teams, 12 overall junior college teams, eight NAIA teams and NCAA Division II teams Washburn University and Newman University.

The women’s race will begin at 5:45 p.m. and the men’s race is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. Because of the rain, the video stream is canceled.

Hutchinson’s Andrew Kibet is the Masterson Twilight men’s course record holder. Kibet won the 2018 Masterson with a time of 19:32.70. Barton’s Mirena Goncalves set the women’s record in 2017 of 18:07.31.

Cloud County is the defending women’s champion. Allen’s men won the 2020 Masterson title, but the Red Devils are not in the 2021 field.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationThursday, September 2, 2021Over the last several seasons, the Hutchinson Community College men’s cross country team has received most of the preseason chatter heading into a new season.As the 2021 season begins on Friday with the annual Terry Masterson Twilight Classic at Fun Valley, the Blue Dragon women have high hopes for a strong season.“We are a really close team,” returning first-team All-American Louise Cocking said. “We set team goals and we want a regional title and a Top 3 at nationals. I think we can do it.”“The sophomores will be steady for us,” added seventh-year head coach Justin Riggs. “We will look to see what freshmen will come out of the woodwork and step up for us.”Cocking, along with fellow sophomores Noelle Hidalgo, Izzy Wheeler and Jurney Yung return from last year’s team that finished seventh in the NJCAA National Championships last November. Riggs adds four in-state freshmen to create depth the Blue Dragon women’s team hasn’t had recently.Cocking (Derbyshire, UK) finished fifth in the 2020 NJCAA Championships to become the Blue Dragons first first-team NJCAA All-American since Elissa Peterman in 1999. She ran a career-best 5K time of 19:05.94 at nationals, which is the third-fastest 5K time in Blue Dragon history.The Blue Dragon women are as healthy as they have been since early last season. Cocking battled through injuries all throughout the spring track season. Injuries slowed down Wheeler after a strong start.Hidalgo (Hooker, OK) showed steady improvement throughout her freshman season. She ran a season’s best 5K cross country time of 21:04.11 in a 45th-place finish at nationals. Hidalgo knocked about a minute off that 5K time in the spring track season.Wheeler (Belleville, KS) ran a best 5K time of 20:22.8 at the Rogers/Muthama Classic last season in Hutch’s first 5K race. Yung (Andale) also rank her season-low time of 21:51.4 at nationals.“We don’t have that 1-2 this year after we lost Sheila (Too),” Riggs said. “We do have a lot better depth and I’m excited about that.”Riggs has been very happy with freshmen Anastasia Meyer (Andale), Aidyn White (Buhler), Sydney Grauer (Marysville) and Michele Gage (Andale) through the preseason workouts.“The freshmen have all ran pretty close to each other so far,” Riggs said. “Anastasia’s been strong as far and Aidyn was our No. 2 finisher at our time trial. I’m excited about the freshmen. They are getting adjusted to the training. It will be interesting to see how they develop.”MEN’S PREVIEWThe 2021 Blue Dragon men will have a much different look with only five runners on the roster this season.Sophomores Andrew Holt (Lago Vista, Texas) and Aaron Geissinger (Abilene) are the only returning runners from last season’s fifth-place NJCAA Championship team.Riggs adds freshmen Camilo Leos-Tarun (Winfield), Collin Oswalt (Hutchinson Central Christian) and Carsyn Turpin (Shawnee/Mill Valley).“This is going to be a turnover year,” Riggs said. “We are small on numbers, but I know I can count on all five of those runners. As long as we stay healthy and stay committed to what we are going, we will have a respectable season.”Holt finished 37th at the 2020 NJCAA Championships with a time of 27:14.08. His best 8K time was 27:05.44 in a ninth-place showing at the Red Devil Relays.Geissinger was 80th at nationals last season in a time of 28:34.40. His low 8K time was 28:25.70 at the Region VI Championship.MASTERSON TWILIGHT CLASSICThe 2021 Terry Masterson Twilight Classic will have the largest field in the six-year history of the event with 22 men’s teams and 21 women’s teams in the field.The field includes 11 Jayhawk Conference teams, 12 overall junior college teams, eight NAIA teams and NCAA Division II teams Washburn University and Newman University.The women’s race will begin at 5:45 p.m. and the men’s race is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. Because of the rain, the video stream is canceled.Hutchinson’s Andrew Kibet is the Masterson Twilight men’s course record holder. Kibet won the 2018 Masterson with a time of 19:32.70. Barton’s Mirena Goncalves set the women’s record in 2017 of 18:07.31.Cloud County is the defending women’s champion. Allen’s men won the 2020 Masterson title, but the Red Devils are not in the 2021 field.

Dragons open season Friday with Terry Masterson Twilight Classic

September 3, 2021 Morning Sports

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Triston McKenzie limited Kansas City to a run and two hits over six innings and the Cleveland Indians beat the Royals 4-2. Owen Miller hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, plenty of support for McKenzie, who has dominated the Royals throughout his young career. A day after being activated from the injured list, McKenzie showed no ill effects from his recent shoulder fatigue and improved to 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in six appearances against Kansas City. He struck out six Thursday and has 38 punchouts over 28 2/3 innings against the AL Central foe.

UNDATED (AP) — Seventh-ranked Iowa State doesn't want a repeat of its 2019 season opener when Northern Iowa visited Ames. The Cyclones won 29-26 but it took three overtimes. Northern Iowa has won three of eight meetings since 2007. That includes Matt Campbell's coaching debut at Iowa State in 2016. Pulling an upset this time will be a tall task. The Cyclones are coming off their best season in program history and picked to return to the Big 12 championship game.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is back from injury, and Iowa's veteran secondary is ready. The No. 17 Hoosiers need a healthy Penix in order to continue the momentum they built in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His return comes on the road against an 18th-ranked conference opponent in one of the weekend's most anticipated openers. Penix threw for 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns before missing the last two games with a knee injury. Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras also will be in the spotlight as he enters his second season as the starter.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska will try to bounce back from its loss at Illinois last week when Fordham visits Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Fordham plays in the Football Championship Subdivision and agreed to come to Lincoln for a $500,000 guaranteed payout. The game will be Fordham's opener. It presents an opportunity for the Huskers to rebuild their confidence after Illinois beat them 30-22 to begin coach Scott Frost's fourth season. Fordham's best-known player is NFL coaching great Vince Lombardi. He was a lineman on the famed "Seven Blocks of Granite" in the 1936-37 seasons.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain had an emergency appendectomy this week. That is expected to keep him from traveling to Missouri for Saturday's season opener for both teams. Newly minted assistant head coach Tim Skipper will lead the Chippewas. The Tigers will be unveiling a new defense led by Steve Wilks, the longtime NFL coach. And it will be the first time second-year Missouri coach gets to enjoy a full crowd at Faurot Field.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Stanford and Kansas State go into their season-opening matchup on distinctly different streaks after both won four games last year. The Cardinal won the last four games in a pandemic-altered 4-2 season. K-State lost its last five games in its worst season-ending skid since 1989 to finish 4-6. They play Saturday in the home stadium of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Skylar Thompson is back for sixth year at K-State after a season-ending shoulder injury early last season. Stanford will rotate quarterbacks early while looking for a regular with Davis Mills now in the NFL. &nbsp;

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Missouri Valley Conference has had so much success against schools from Power 5 leagues over the years that Lance Leipold flat refused to play its teams when he was the head coach at Buffalo. He didn't have a say in who Kansas would play in his first game leading the Jayhawks. Kansas will face South Dakota on Friday night to start the season at Memorial Stadium. The Coyotes played just four games last season because of the pandemic, but they return 21 starters and have designs on competing in the tough Valley this season.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 17 Indiana visits 18th-ranked Iowa on Saturday in one of the top Big Ten openers. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will be making his return after missing the last two games in 2020 with a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Penix was a All-Big Ten second-team pick and led the Big Ten in passing when he was injured. He'll be going against an Iowa secondary that returns all its starters. The teams are meeting as ranked opponents for the second time and the first since 1991.

NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic has easily reached the third round of the U.S. Open with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands. Djokovic improved to 15-0 in second-round matches at the U.S. Open and remained unbeaten in Grand Slam matches this season. He is trying to become the first man to win all four majors in the same year since 1969.The No. 1 seed's biggest problem came in the second set with a heckling fan, but Djokovic regained his concentration to put away the victory.

— Kei Nishikori advanced to a possible third-round meeting with Novak Djokovic, holding off American Mackenzie McDonald 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 2-6, 6-3.

Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Karolina Pliskova has saved a match point and edged 75th-ranked American Amanda Anisimova in three sets to reach the U.S. Open's third round. The No. 4-seeded Pliskova pulled out the 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7) victory shortly before midnight after trailing 5-2 in the final tiebreaker. 

— Women's No. 1 seed Ash Barty has advanced to the third round with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Clara Tauson. The reigning Wimbledon champion had trouble closing out Tauson but survived and will try to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for the first time. 

— Olympic gold medalist and 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic (BEN'-chich) defeated Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is also headed to the third round after a 7-6, 6-2 win over Kristyna Pliskova.

Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev cruised to the third round with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Zverev is trying to make the U.S. Open final for the second straight year. 

Denis Shapovalov has reached the third round for the fifth time in five appearances by beating Roberto Carballés Baena 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-0. The No. 7-seeded Shapovalov compiled a 50-13 edge in winners to get past the player who eliminated him from the French Open last year. 

No. 1 doubles team Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic were stunned at the U.S. Open and lost their shot at their second Grand Slam title of the season. The Wimbledon champions were upset by Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow. The Americans beat Mektic and Pavic 6-2, 7-5. 

Phillies rally past Nationals 7-6, complete series sweep

WASHINGTON (AP) — Andrew McCutchen drove in four runs and the Philadelphia Phillies erased a six-run deficit against the Washington Nationals to earn a 7-6 victory and a three-game sweep. 

The Phillies overcame a disappointing start from Aaron Nola and rallied against the Nationals' bullpen for their sixth consecutive win. Philadelphia pulled within 1½ games of NL East leader Atlanta and two games of idle Cincinnati in the race for the second NL wild card. Juan Soto homered and drove in four runs and Lane Thomas also went deep for Washington, which has lost five in a row and 21 of 27.

— Sergio Alcántara scampered home when second baseman Wilmer Difo mishandled a popup in the 11th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 for their third straight win. Rafael Ortega and Ian Happ homered for Chicago, and Alcántara logged the first three-hit game of his career. Codi Heuer got three outs for the win. Alcántara began the 11th on second base and advanced on Ortega's sacrifice bunt. Happ then sent a high fly to second, where Difo committed the game-ending error. 

— Jed Lowrie hit a three-run homer in the first inning for the first of Oakland's eight two-out runs against Matt Manning in the Athletics' 8-6 victory over the Tigers on Thursday. Mark Canha followed Lowrie's shot with another homer for 4-0 lead. It was the 14th homer of the season for both Lowrie and Canha, and each went to the opposite field to reach the seats. Lowrie drilled a 411-foot shot to left-center, and Canha drove one out to right-center. Lowrie's RBI double in the fourth made it 8-0 before the Tigers battled back by scoring six runs.

— Eduardo Rodriguez pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-0 for a split of their four-game series with the AL East-leading Rays. Garrett Richards replaced Rodriguez with two on and no outs in the seventh, and the right-hander escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball. Richards earned his second save, finishing a five-hitter. Rays rookie Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 33 games with a seventh-inning walk but left afterward with a headache.

— Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith broke a seventh-inning tie with an RBI single and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 4-3 for their fifth straight victory. Marlins leadoff batter Miguel Rojas and Mets counterpart Jonathan Villar each homered on the first pitch they saw, the first time that's happened in a major league game since at least 1985, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. New York won all three games completed this week against the last-place Marlins to cap a tumultuous homestand. 

— Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer in Atlanta's three-run fifth inning, and the Braves overcame a grand slam by Charlie Blackmon to beat the Colorado Rockies 6-5. Atlanta took the opener of a four-game series after losing three straight to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves also stayed two games ahead of Philadelphia in the NL East. Five Atlanta relievers combined for six scoreless innings after Touki Toussaint struggled. Jacob Webb got six outs for the win, and Will Smith worked the ninth for his 30th save.

— Triston McKenzie limited Kansas City to a run and two hits over six innings and the Cleveland Indians beat the Royals 4-2. Owen Miller hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, plenty of support for McKenzie, who has dominated the Royals throughout his young career. A day after being activated from the injured list, McKenzie showed no ill effects from his recent shoulder fatigue and improved to 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in six appearances against Kansas City. 

Mets place Scott on paid leave, acting GM pleads not guilty

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Mets have placed acting general manager Zack Scott on paid administrative leave following his arrest on charges of driving while intoxicated.

Electronic court records show Scott was released without bail after pleading not guilty Thursday to driving while intoxicated and some traffic violations. He's due back in White Plains City Court on Oct. 7. Scott was arrested on a DUI charge early Tuesday in suburban White Plains, New York, hours after he attended a fundraiser at team owner Steve Cohen's house. The Mets said they placed Scott on paid leave until further notice and team president Sandy Alderson will assume Scott's responsibilities.

Stroud leads No. 4 Ohio State past Minnesota 45-31 in opener

UNDATED (AP) — C.J. Stroud passed for 294 yards and four touchdowns in his debut as the Ohio State starter and the fourth-ranked Buckeyes kept coach Ryan Day unbeaten in Big Ten play with a 45-31 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night. The Buckeyes flashed their five-star speed with two 70-plus-yard scores in the opener, one early on a run off right end by Miyan Williams and one late on a third-down screen to true freshman TreVeyon Henderson. Day, starting his third full year on the job, is 24-2 overall and 16-0 in conference games.

— Charlie Brewer threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns in his Utah debut to help the No. 24 Utes beat Weber State 40-17 on Thursday night. Dalton Kincaid caught four passes for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the opener for both teams. Tavion Thomas ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in his Utah debut. Weber State took a 7-3 lead when Rashid Shaheed cut to the edge and returned a kickoff 100 yards untouched. He tied an FCS record with his sixth kickoff return for a touchdown. The teams retreated to the locker rooms with 8:26 left in the first quarter because of a lightning delay that lasted 90 minutes.

— Darien Butler had two interceptions and No. 25 Arizona State used its punishing run game to overcome some sloppy moments in a season-opening 41-14 win over Southern Utah. The Sun Devils were a bit rusty to start a season of high expectations, committing numerous miscues on special teams and 13 penalties for 135 yards. Arizona State still proved to be too much for the FCS Thunderbirds, forcing four turnovers and running for six touchdowns to win its 22nd straight home opener. Rachaad White and DeaMonte Trayanum each ran for two scores.

— Grayson McCall threw for 262 yards and a touchdown and No. 22 Coastal Carolina scored on its first seven possessions in a season-opening 52-14 victory over The Citadel on Thursday night. McCall was the Sun Belt Conference offensive player of the year in 2020 and kept up his stellar play by completing 16 of 19 passes. Jaivon Heiligh caught six passes for 133 yards and Reese White and Shemari Jones each rushed for two touchdowns. The Chants came into the year with their first preseason ranking and never gave the Bulldogs a chance for the upset. 

— The season-opening football game between Temple and Rutgers scheduled for Thursday night has been postponed until Saturday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over parts of the Northeast. Rutgers officials said Saturday's kickoff would be at noon and that all tickets and parking passes will be honored. 

— Liam Welch threw four touchdown passes as Samford rolled to a 52-14 victory over Tennessee Tech in the season opener for both teams. Welch, the Southern Conference's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was 33-of-44 passing for 370 yards. 

— Ricky Person Jr. scored three first-half touchdowns and was one of two North Carolina State players to run for more than 100 yards in the Wolfpack's 45-0 season-opening win against South Florida. It marked the Wolfpack's first season-opening shutout victory in 17 years. 

— Nic Baker threw for a school-record 460 yards and four touchdowns and Southern Illinois beat Southeast Missouri 47-21 in a season opener. Baker finished 25-of-34 passing with his yardage total breaking Sam Straub's record of 450 yards set against Western Illinois in 2016.

— Drew Plitt threw two long touchdown passes to Justin Hall and Ball State pulled away in the second half for a 31-21 victory over Western Illinois in a nonconference season opener. 

— Nolan Henderson threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns and Delaware rallied to beat Maine 34-24 in the season and Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams. 

— Carter Peevy threw for 139 yards and a touchdown and Tommy Pollack ran for 103 yards and two scores and Mercer beat NAIA-member Point University 69-0 in its season opener. The Bears' total points established a new program record.

— Ian Corwin ran for two scores and passed for a third in the first half as Drake opened its season with a 45-3 win over Division II West Virginia Wesleyan. 

— Draylen Ellis threw for 325 yards and four scores to four different receivers and Austin Peay beat Chattanooga 30-20 in the season opener for both teams. Chattanooga entered as the preseason 18th-ranked team in the FCS and Austin Peay No. 20. 

— Kyle Vantrease threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Jovany Ruiz within the first minute of the game, Buffalo coach Maurice Linguist collected his first win at the helm, and the Bulls routed Wagner 69-7 in the season opener for both teams. 

— Bailey Zappe passed for 424 yards and seven touchdowns as Western Kentucky walloped UT Martin in the season opener 59-21. Zappe was college football's leading passer in 2020 while playing at Houston Baptist.

— Isaiah Gomez kicked two of his four field goals in the fourth quarter and UC Davis, an FCS school, stunned Tulsa 19-17 in a nonconference season opener. game-winner from 22 yards out with 7:35 left to play.

Colts activate 3 from COVID list, put 3 on injured reserve

UNDATED (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have activated three starters from the reserve/COVID-19 list: quarterback Carson Wentz, center Ryan Kelly and receiver Zach Pascal. 

All three were put on the COVID-19 list Monday after being deemed a close contact to someone who tested positive for the virus. 

The Colts also put four-time Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton, third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger and receiver Dezmon Patmon on injured reserve. By going on injured reserve after the active roster was cut to 53 all three could return this season. 

— Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey is retiring from the NFL after 10 seasons, the first nine with the Tennessee Titans and the last with Denver. Casey scheduled his announcement for Thursday afternoon at Nashville's Nissan Stadium, where he became a five-time Pro Bowl pick, six-time defensive captain and a team two-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. His 51 sacks rank seventh in team history and are second only to Jevon Kearse's 52 sacks since 1999 in the Titans era.

— A person familiar with the deal says the Las Vegas Raiders have added another proven veteran to bolster their banged-up linebacker group by agreeing to a one-year contract with K.J. Wright. Wright has been one of the most dependable linebackers in the league since being drafted by Seattle in 2011. His 54 passes defensed are the fourth most of any linebacker over his 10-year career.

— Investigators say former NFL player Keith McCants was found dead Thursday at his home in Florida in a suspected drug overdose. He was 53. McCants, a linebacker, was a fourth-round pick in the 1990 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He earned All-America honors as a college player at Alabama. McCants played three seasons in Tampa, then with the then-Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals. McCants had previous drug-related arrests.

Flyers sign Farabee to $30 million, six-year extension

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Joel Farabee to a $30 million, six-year contract extension.

Farabee's extension, announced Thursday, kicks in with the 2022-23 season. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent after this season.

The 21-year-old led the Flyers with 20 goals and had 38 points in 55 games. The Flyers' first-round pick in the 2018 draft, Farabee has 28 goals and 31 assists in 107 career games.

— The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed center Casey Mittelstadt to a three-year, $7.5 million contract. Mittelstadt, a restricted free agent, was selected in the first round of the 2017 draft. The 22-year-old from Minnesota overcame early career inconsistencies to finish third on the Sabres with 10 goals and fourth with 22 points in just 41 games last season. 

— The Arizona Coyotes have submitted a bid for two parcels of a 46-acre tract of land in what could be the first step to landing a permanent home. The City of Tempe said it received one response before the deadline to a request for proposals issued in July for a mixed-use project incorporating a professional sports franchise and entertainment district on city-owned land near Arizona State University.

<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;

Sports Headlines for Friday

LITTLE ROCK, AR –&nbsp;The Wind Surge were on the wrong side of history as the Arkansas Travelers combined for the third no-hitter in the league this season with a 6-0 win Thursday night.

Wichita simply had no answers at the plate all night long. Roy Morales and Spencer Steer were the only Surge players to reach base after Morales drew a walk in the sixth inning and a walk in the ninth and Steer also walked in the ninth. 

The Travelers had only scored one run up until the sixth inning when they put the game out of reach for Wichita. Arkansas plated five runs in the sixth led by an RBI triple from Jake Scheiner and a two-RBI triple off the bat of Stephen Wrenn. Arkansas’ Nate Fisher and Dayeison Arias cruised the remaining three innings to combine with Matt Brash for a no-hitter, striking out 14 Surge batters.

Cole Sands pitched 5.0 innings in his 15th start of the year. Sands kept the Surge within reach by allowing just three runs on four hits and striking out four Travelers batters. Kody Funderburk pitched the final 3.0 innings allowing just three hits for three unearned runs and one strikeout.

The two teams meet again Friday with a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

LITTLE ROCK, AR –&nbsp;The Wind Surge were on the wrong side of history as the Arkansas Travelers combined for the third no-hitter in the league this season with a 6-0 win Thursday night.Wichita simply had no answers at the plate all night long. Roy Morales and Spencer Steer were the only Surge players to reach base after Morales drew a walk in the sixth inning and a walk in the ninth and Steer also walked in the ninth. The Travelers had only scored one run up until the sixth inning when they put the game out of reach for Wichita. Arkansas plated five runs in the sixth led by an RBI triple from Jake Scheiner and a two-RBI triple off the bat of Stephen Wrenn. Arkansas’ Nate Fisher and Dayeison Arias cruised the remaining three innings to combine with Matt Brash for a no-hitter, striking out 14 Surge batters.Cole Sands pitched 5.0 innings in his 15th start of the year. Sands kept the Surge within reach by allowing just three runs on four hits and striking out four Travelers batters. Kody Funderburk pitched the final 3.0 innings allowing just three hits for three unearned runs and one strikeout.The two teams meet again Friday with a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

Travelers no-hit Wind Surge Thursday

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Missouri Valley Conference has had so much success against schools from Power 5 leagues over the years that Lance Leipold flat refused to play its teams when he was the head coach at Buffalo. 

He didn’t have a say in who Kansas would play in his first game leading the Jayhawks. 

Kansas will face South Dakota on Friday night to start the season at Memorial Stadium. The Coyotes played just four games last season because of the pandemic, but they return 21 starters and have designs on competing in the tough Valley this season.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Missouri Valley Conference has had so much success against schools from Power 5 leagues over the years that Lance Leipold flat refused to play its teams when he was the head coach at Buffalo. He didn’t have a say in who Kansas would play in his first game leading the Jayhawks. Kansas will face South Dakota on Friday night to start the season at Memorial Stadium. The Coyotes played just four games last season because of the pandemic, but they return 21 starters and have designs on competing in the tough Valley this season.

Kansas and South Dakota meet in Lawrence Friday night

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Stanford and Kansas State go into their season-opening matchup on distinctly different streaks after both won four games last year. The Cardinal won the last four games in a pandemic-altered 4-2 season. 

K-State lost its last five games in its worst season-ending skid since 1989 to finish 4-6. They play Saturday in the home stadium of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. 

Quarterback Skylar Thompson is back for sixth year at K-State after a season-ending shoulder injury early last season. Stanford will rotate quarterbacks early while looking for a regular with Davis Mills now in the NFL.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Stanford and Kansas State go into their season-opening matchup on distinctly different streaks after both won four games last year. The Cardinal won the last four games in a pandemic-altered 4-2 season. K-State lost its last five games in its worst season-ending skid since 1989 to finish 4-6. They play Saturday in the home stadium of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Skylar Thompson is back for sixth year at K-State after a season-ending shoulder injury early last season. Stanford will rotate quarterbacks early while looking for a regular with Davis Mills now in the NFL.

Stanford and K-State meet in Texas Saturday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Triston McKenzie limited Kansas City to a run and two hits over six innings and the Cleveland Indians beat the Royals 4-2. 

Owen Miller hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, plenty of support for McKenzie, who has dominated the Royals throughout his young career. A day after being activated from the injured list, McKenzie showed no ill effects from his recent shoulder fatigue and improved to 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in six appearances against Kansas City. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Triston McKenzie limited Kansas City to a run and two hits over six innings and the Cleveland Indians beat the Royals 4-2. Owen Miller hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, plenty of support for McKenzie, who has dominated the Royals throughout his young career. A day after being activated from the injured list, McKenzie showed no ill effects from his recent shoulder fatigue and improved to 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in six appearances against Kansas City. He struck out six Thursday and has 38 punchouts over 28 2/3 innings against the AL Central foe.