By Steve Carpenter - Hutchinson CC Sports Information

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Delice Downing has been hired as the 13th head volleyball coach at Hutchinson Community College.

Blue Dragon Athletic Director Josh Gooch introduced Downing at a news conference Thursday morning on the main floor of the Hutchinson Sports Arena

Downing succeeds Patrick Hall, who announced his resignation in early June after eight seasons, 201 victories and five national tournament appearances with the Blue Dragons.

"I'm very excited to be a part of the Blue Dragon Family," Downing said. "I am excited to get the ball rolling at this premiere community college. Being a champion is what it is all about and that is the mentality I want to bring to this team and program.

"I want all of my player who come into this program to leave with the full understanding that they are capable of accomplishing any goals they set."

Hutchinson's new head volleyball coach is a Jayhawk Conference veteran. From Atchison, Kansas, Downing played volleyball, basketball and softball at Coffeyville Community College (1998-2000). Then in 2005, Downing was hired as the Red Raven head volleyball coach.

Posting winning records in 14 of her 15 seasons at Coffeyville, Downing's last five seasons at Coffeyville have been stellar and spent at the nationally elite level.

Over the last five seasons, Downing's teams posted a 197-22 record. Coffeyville won back-to-back NJCAA Division II national volleyball championships in 2017 and 2018 with a national third-place finish in 2019.

The 2018 national title came without losing a set in four national tournament matches, going 40-3 overall. Among the awards Downing collected in 2018 were the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship Coach of the Tournament, AVCA Two-Year College Midwest Region Coaches of the Year, and the Division II Volleyball 2018 Tachikara NJCAA Division II Coach of the Year.

Downing's all-time record in 15 seasons at Coffeyville was 432-175. She is the Red Ravens' all-time coaching wins' leader. Downing ranks No. 3 in all-time Jayhawk Conference volleyball coaching wins and No. 5 in Region VI Volleyball history.

Downing is a three-time Jayhawk East Coach of the Year. She won four Jayhawk East and four Region VI championships with the Red Ravens. Downing's Raven teams made eight Region VI championship match appearances.

The Red Ravens had eight NJCAA and six AVCA All-Americans in Downing's tenure. Downing also produced 43 first-team All-Region VI players (22 first team), 34 All-Jayhawk East players (18 first team), three Jayhawk East Players of the Year and two Jayhawk East Freshmen of the Year.

"I know that Coach Hall has signed some gifted athletes and I look forward to adding to that," Downing said. "August 1st is just around the corner, so I am ready to get the ball rolling."

As an athlete at Coffeyville, Downing played volleyball, softball and basketball. She was Jayhawk East Volleyball Freshman in the Year in 1998 and was conference MVP in 1999. Downing earned first-team all-Jayhawk East honors in both her freshman and sophomore years. Downing was also named second-team all-conference in softball in 1999. Downing graduated from Coffeyville in May 2000.

Downing then transferred to the University of West Alabama on a volleyball scholarship and was a two-year volleyball starter. She received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award in 2002. Downing was a student assistant volleyball coach at West Alabama and was also head coach of the junior varsity volleyball team in 2002. She graduated from West Alabama in 2003 with a bachelor's degree.

Downing has a daughter, Aah'lice (9), and sons Adrian (6) and Dash, who passed away in July 2015.

Hutchinson is scheduled to open the 2020 season at the New Mexico Military Classic on August 21-22 in Roswell, NM. Downing's first Blue Dragon victory will be the program's 1,100th all-time victory.

YearSchoolRecordLeague (finish)Region VINJCAA2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 TotalsCoffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville 20-15 20-19 33-13 19-20 24-13 24-19 20-18 29-11 21-13 25-12 33-10 38-4 44-2 40-3 42-3 432-1756-3 (3) 5-4 (5) 6-3 (3) 6-5 (5) 5-6 (8) 5-5 (6) 5-5 (5) 8-2 (2) 3-7 (9) 5-4 (5) 7-2 (3) 8-1 (T1) 9-0 (1) 9-1 (T1) 10-0 (1) 97-181-2 2-2 0-1 1-1 (2) 0-1 1-1 (2) 0-1 1-1 (2) DNQ 0-1 1-1 (2) 2-0 (1) 2-0 (1) 2-0 (1) 2-0 (1) 15-12--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 1-3 4-0 (Champs) 4-0 (Champs) 3-1 (3rd) 12-4

By Steve Carpenter - Hutchinson CC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON, Kan. - Delice Downing has been hired as the 13th head volleyball coach at Hutchinson Community College.Blue Dragon Athletic Director Josh Gooch introduced Downing at a news conference Thursday morning on the main floor of the Hutchinson Sports ArenaDowning succeeds Patrick Hall, who announced his resignation in early June after eight seasons, 201 victories and five national tournament appearances with the Blue Dragons."I'm very excited to be a part of the Blue Dragon Family," Downing said. "I am excited to get the ball rolling at this premiere community college. Being a champion is what it is all about and that is the mentality I want to bring to this team and program."I want all of my player who come into this program to leave with the full understanding that they are capable of accomplishing any goals they set."Hutchinson's new head volleyball coach is a Jayhawk Conference veteran. From Atchison, Kansas, Downing played volleyball, basketball and softball at Coffeyville Community College (1998-2000). Then in 2005, Downing was hired as the Red Raven head volleyball coach.Posting winning records in 14 of her 15 seasons at Coffeyville, Downing's last five seasons at Coffeyville have been stellar and spent at the nationally elite level.Over the last five seasons, Downing's teams posted a 197-22 record. Coffeyville won back-to-back NJCAA Division II national volleyball championships in 2017 and 2018 with a national third-place finish in 2019.The 2018 national title came without losing a set in four national tournament matches, going 40-3 overall. Among the awards Downing collected in 2018 were the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship Coach of the Tournament, AVCA Two-Year College Midwest Region Coaches of the Year, and the Division II Volleyball 2018 Tachikara NJCAA Division II Coach of the Year.Downing's all-time record in 15 seasons at Coffeyville was 432-175. She is the Red Ravens' all-time coaching wins' leader. Downing ranks No. 3 in all-time Jayhawk Conference volleyball coaching wins and No. 5 in Region VI Volleyball history.Downing is a three-time Jayhawk East Coach of the Year. She won four Jayhawk East and four Region VI championships with the Red Ravens. Downing's Raven teams made eight Region VI championship match appearances.The Red Ravens had eight NJCAA and six AVCA All-Americans in Downing's tenure. Downing also produced 43 first-team All-Region VI players (22 first team), 34 All-Jayhawk East players (18 first team), three Jayhawk East Players of the Year and two Jayhawk East Freshmen of the Year."I know that Coach Hall has signed some gifted athletes and I look forward to adding to that," Downing said. "August 1st is just around the corner, so I am ready to get the ball rolling."As an athlete at Coffeyville, Downing played volleyball, softball and basketball. She was Jayhawk East Volleyball Freshman in the Year in 1998 and was conference MVP in 1999. Downing earned first-team all-Jayhawk East honors in both her freshman and sophomore years. Downing was also named second-team all-conference in softball in 1999. Downing graduated from Coffeyville in May 2000.Downing then transferred to the University of West Alabama on a volleyball scholarship and was a two-year volleyball starter. She received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award in 2002. Downing was a student assistant volleyball coach at West Alabama and was also head coach of the junior varsity volleyball team in 2002. She graduated from West Alabama in 2003 with a bachelor's degree.Downing has a daughter, Aah'lice (9), and sons Adrian (6) and Dash, who passed away in July 2015.Hutchinson is scheduled to open the 2020 season at the New Mexico Military Classic on August 21-22 in Roswell, NM. Downing's first Blue Dragon victory will be the program's 1,100th all-time victory.Information Box<h2>DELICE DOWNING COACHING HISTORY</h2>YearSchoolRecordLeague (finish)Region VINJCAA2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 TotalsCoffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville Coffeyville 20-15 20-19 33-13 19-20 24-13 24-19 20-18 29-11 21-13 25-12 33-10 38-4 44-2 40-3 42-3 432-1756-3 (3) 5-4 (5) 6-3 (3) 6-5 (5) 5-6 (8) 5-5 (6) 5-5 (5) 8-2 (2) 3-7 (9) 5-4 (5) 7-2 (3) 8-1 (T1) 9-0 (1) 9-1 (T1) 10-0 (1) 97-181-2 2-2 0-1 1-1 (2) 0-1 1-1 (2) 0-1 1-1 (2) DNQ 0-1 1-1 (2) 2-0 (1) 2-0 (1) 2-0 (1) 2-0 (1) 15-12--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 1-3 4-0 (Champs) 4-0 (Champs) 3-1 (3rd) 12-4

Delice Downing named 13th Blue Dragon Head Volleyball Coach

WASHINGTON (AP) — The title sponsor of the Washington Redskins’ stadium wants the NFL team to change its name.

“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,“ FedEx said in a statement Thursday.

The company paid the team $205 million in 1999 for the naming rights to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

In addition to the stadium name and sponsorship agreement, FedEx CEO Frederik Smith is a minority owner. Majority owner Daniel Snyder has shown no indications he’ll change the name since buying the team in 1999.

Amid the national debate over race,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dbf8f65947560be30a7952d6cf510ef0">pressure has been mounting</a>&nbsp;on the organization to abandon the name called a “dictionary-defined racial slur” by experts and advocates.

Investors this week wrote to FedEx, PepsiCo and other sponsors asking them to request a change. FedEx is believed to be the first to take action.

On Thursday night, Nike appeared to remove all Redskins gear from its online store. The other 31 NFL teams were listed and a search for “Redskins” came up with no results. Nike did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

Asked about Snyder changing the name, a spokesman said recently the team had no comment. The team last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/816f75d04ad39fe6f5af98bb84064512">removed the name of racist founder George Preston Marshall</a>&nbsp;from its Ring of Fame at FedEx Field, and a monument to him was removed from the site of the old RFK Stadium.

Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser also said the name was an “obstacle” to the team returning to the District. The team’s lease at FedEx Field expires in 2027, and it is still talking to Washington, Virginia and Maryland about building a new stadium.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The title sponsor of the Washington Redskins’ stadium wants the NFL team to change its name.“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,“ FedEx said in a statement Thursday.The company paid the team $205 million in 1999 for the naming rights to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.In addition to the stadium name and sponsorship agreement, FedEx CEO Frederik Smith is a minority owner. Majority owner Daniel Snyder has shown no indications he’ll change the name since buying the team in 1999.Amid the national debate over race,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dbf8f65947560be30a7952d6cf510ef0">pressure has been mounting</a>&nbsp;on the organization to abandon the name called a “dictionary-defined racial slur” by experts and advocates.Investors this week wrote to FedEx, PepsiCo and other sponsors asking them to request a change. FedEx is believed to be the first to take action.On Thursday night, Nike appeared to remove all Redskins gear from its online store. The other 31 NFL teams were listed and a search for “Redskins” came up with no results. Nike did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.Asked about Snyder changing the name, a spokesman said recently the team had no comment. The team last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/816f75d04ad39fe6f5af98bb84064512">removed the name of racist founder George Preston Marshall</a>&nbsp;from its Ring of Fame at FedEx Field, and a monument to him was removed from the site of the old RFK Stadium.Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser also said the name was an “obstacle” to the team returning to the District. The team’s lease at FedEx Field expires in 2027, and it is still talking to Washington, Virginia and Maryland about building a new stadium.

Sponsor FedEx asks Redskins to change their name

<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/850800778&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost" title="HutchPost.com" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HutchPost.com</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost/eagle-sports-july-2-2020" title="Eagle Sports July 2 - 2020" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Sports July 2 - 2020</a></div></div>

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday

MCPHERSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutch Colts split a doubleheader in McPherson Wednesday night.

Game one was a walk for the Colts, as they won 17-0 behind a three-hit shutout from Bennett Turner. 

Game two went to McPherson 8-3. Taybin Smith took the loss in that one, but Kinser Newquist had 2 RBI's in the loss.

MCPHERSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutch Colts split a doubleheader in McPherson Wednesday night.Game one was a walk for the Colts, as they won 17-0 behind a three-hit shutout from Bennett Turner. Game two went to McPherson 8-3. Taybin Smith took the loss in that one, but Kinser Newquist had 2 RBI's in the loss.

Hutch Colts split two in Mac Wednesday

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

NEW YORK (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have replaced the New York Yankees as the opponent for the Chicago White Sox in the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 13 at Dyersville, Iowa. The schedule change caused by the new coronavirus pandemic meant the White Sox no longer play the Yankees this season. The new opponent, first reported by The Des Moines Register, was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the arrangements who spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the matchup has not been announced. Major League Baseball hopes to announce its new schedule next week.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man was freed from prison after a county prosecutor declined to retry his case, punctuating years of work by WNBA star Maya Moore and other supporters who argued he was falsely convicted of burglary and assault charges. Moore was on hand when Jonathan Irons, 40, walked out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center. She clapped as Irons approached a group of people waiting for his release. She then dropped to her knees at one point before joining a group hug around Irons.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The NCAA's infractions case against the University of Kansas men's basketball program has been accepted into a newly created independent investigation process that was created to handle especially complex cases. The Independent Accountability Resolution Process said Wednesday that a referral of the case against the Jayhawks and coach Bill Self had been approved by the infractions referral committee. It is the first step in a process that was created in August 2018 to deal with select cases and minimize perceived conflicts of interest.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas State is launching a diversity and education fund to address racial injustice after football players threatened a boycott in response to an insensitive tweet by a student about the death of George Floyd. The school also said student-athletes, coaches and staff would undergo mandatory diversity and inclusion training that includes monthly town hall sessions. And it announced that it would provide transportation for athletes to voting locations on Election Day.

MLB players begin reporting for tests as first workouts near

UNDATED (AP) — Baseball players began reporting to their teams Wednesday in the most significant step yet as MLB presses ahead with its plan for a 60-game sprint of a season. Most players underwent a battery of health checks, not only for COVID-19 but also for any other lingering ailments from spring training, ahead of planned workouts beginning Friday and Saturday. And one thing was clear: Despite rising numbers of positive tests and some players opting out, most players and executives are bullish about the season taking place in just a few weeks.

— An emotional Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy is recovering from a severe case of COVID-19 that quarantined him for 30 days. The former major leaguer learned he had the virus on the third day he felt ill following a nasal test. Hottovy tested negative about two weeks ago and still gets winded easily. Hottovy isolated in a spare bedroom with a relentless fever, difficulty breathing, dehydration and an increased heart rate. It was particularly bad at night, making sleep just about impossible.

— The Kansas City Royals have launched what they are calling a "Fanbassador" program in which up to 500 fans may purchase a plastic cutout of their likeness for $40 apiece that will be displayed in a seat at Kauffman Stadium during the abbreviated 2020 season. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Royals Respond Fund.

— Colorado Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich says he supports outfielder Ian Desmond's decision to sit out the 2020 major league baseball season over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues in society. Desmond's will be replaced by veteran Matt Kemp. The slugger has agreed to a minor league deal with the Rockies and could get the DH job.

— Catcher Patrick Bailey has agreed to a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants that includes a $3.8 million signing bonus. He was selected 13th overall in last month's amateur draft, The 21-year-old hit .296 with six homers, including three grand slams, and 20 RBIs in 17 games in the pandemic-shortened season as a junior at North Carolina State. He earned the Johnny Bench award as the top Division I catcher, an honor also won the Giants' Buster Posey in 2008 and Joey Bart in 2018.

— The baseball organization that presents the annual MVP awards will consider whether the name of former commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis should be pulled from future plaques. A longtime official of the Baseball Writers' Association of America says the issue will be put up for discussion. Former NL Most Valuable Players Barry Larkin, Mike Schmidt and Terry Pendleton say they would favor removing Landis' name because of concerns over his handling of Black players. Landis was hired in 1920 as MLB's first commissioner and no Blacks played in the majors during his quarter-century tenure.

Lakers add veteran J.R. Smith for Orlando championship push

LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.R. Smith has joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their championship push.

The Lakers announced their long-anticipated signing of Smith as a substitute player. Smith is the Lakers' replacement for Avery Bradley, who cited family reasons for his decision not to finish the season with the Lakers in Orlando.

The 34-year-old Smith hasn't played in the league since November 2018, but the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year is a longtime trusted teammate of James. They won the NBA title together with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and reached four consecutive NBA Finals.

 — Houston's Thabo Sefolosha is opting out of the NBA's restart in Orlando. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decision hasn't been announced. Sefolosha is in his first season with the Rockets. The 36-year-old is a 15-year NBA veteran who has also played for Utah, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Chicago. The Rockets are schedule to resume the season on July 31 against the Dallas Mavericks.

— Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers says Lou Williams is expected to join the team for the NBA's restart in Florida. Williams has described himself as "50-50" on whether he would finish out the pandemic-interrupted season. Rivers says he doesn't think any of the Clippers are opting out from resuming the season. The team heads to Orlando next week.

— Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are healthy for the NBA restart. Brown says Simmons is "good to go" following a lengthy layoff with a back injury. Embiid was recovering from surgery on his left hand and had just returned after missing five games with a sprained left shoulder at the time of the shutdown. Brown says he expects Embiid to return to play in the best shape of his professional career.

 - The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Trey Burke as a replacement after center Willie Cauley-Stein decided not to rejoin the team for the planned resumption of the season.

— The Brooklyn Nets don't look ready for a restart, but general manager Sean Marks says there was no discussion of the team not traveling to Florida for the resumption of the NBA season. DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler aren't going, and Spencer Dinwiddie's status is uncertain after both he and Jordan tested positive for the coronavirus. Marks also says neither Kevin Durant nor Kyrie Irving will return from injuries to rejoin the Nets this season. The GM says he will support any other players who choose not to play. Brooklyn is currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. 

AP Source: NFL cutting preseason in half, pushing back start

UNDATED (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that the NFL will cut the preseason in half and push the start of exhibition play back a week to give players more time to get in shape. Teams haven't been able to gather together since last season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league and the players association have been meeting to find ways to make sure they can have games in a safe environment. The exhibition slate will now begin Aug. 20 instead of Aug. 13. Teams will begin reporting to training camp July 28.

— The Green Bay Packers have signed each of their two top draft picks: Utah State quarterback Jordan Love and Boston College running back A.J. Dillon. Green Bay gave the Miami Dolphins a fourth-round draft choice to move up four spots in the first round and take Love with the 26th overall selection back in April. The Packers chose Dillon with the 62nd overall pick. Both selections were somewhat surprising because the Packers already have two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and Aaron Jones at running back.

— Some NFL players are raising concerns about playing football amid the coronavirus pandemic while others are ignoring advice of medical experts by working out with teammates. JC Tretter, a center on the Cleveland Browns and president of the NFL Players Association, wrote an open letter to players saying they have to fight for "necessary COVID-19 protections." New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said last week that "football is a nonessential business and so we don't need to do it." Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward has asthma so he wants to "take every precaution" if he plays.

Healthy Kessel expected to give Coyotes a boost in return

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A healthy Phil Kessel should give the Arizona Coyotes a big lift when the NHL season resumes. Kessel labored during the first part of his inaugural season in the desert while battling injuries. The 32-year-old right wing suffered a groin injury early and didn't have the same explosiveness he had in the past, scoring 14 goals with 24 assists in 70 games. The NHL's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic allowed Kessel to heal, giving the Coyotes hope of a deep playoff run.

— Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell says executive Rick Dudley won't return. The 71-year-old Dudley had worked as the Hurricanes senior vice president of hockey operations since 2018, part of nearly five decades in professional hockey. Waddell says the Hurricanes are still in talks with longtime TV play-by-play announcer John Forslund on a new deal.

UNDATED (AP) — Webb Simpson is competing on the PGA Tour again after his family had a coronavirus scare. One of Simpson's daughters tested positive for the virus, leading to him withdrawing from last week's tournament as a precaution. Simpson says the daughter, along with his wife and other kids, later tested negative. Webb leads the tour in FedEx Cup points and scoring average. He is attempting to become the PGA Tour's first player with three victories during this pandemic-interrupted year. Chad Campbell has withdrawn from the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit after becoming the sixth PGA Tour player to test positive for the coronavirus.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic's latest policy change on the coronavirus means Cameron Champ can play the tour this week in Detroit. Champ tested positive for the virus last week when he arrived for the Travelers Championship. That meant he had to self-isolate for 10 days without showing symptoms. Champ was asymptomatic when he tested positive. The tour says he had three negative tests over the next three days. The tour consulted with the CDC on its policy change. Now, anyone who is asymptomatic and tests positive will be eligible to return with two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

In other coronavirus related sports news:

— UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma is asking for federal help to get foreign students that include athletes back to campus. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said he and other members of Congress plan to press the Department of Homeland Security to grant exemptions for the students, similar to ones given to professional athletes last month.

— Coach Dawn Staley would be prepping the U.S. women's basketball team for the Tokyo Olympics this week if not for the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, she'll hold a Zoom conference call with players who are vying for a spot on the roster in 2021, if the postponed Olympics are held next year. Staley's focus these days involves getting her South Carolina women's team back on campus in a safe environment. Her team finished No. 1 in the last AP poll and won the SEC Tournament before the NCAA Tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus.

— Six players with FC Dallas have tested positive for COVID-19 and the entire team has been quarantined ahead of the MLS Is Back tournament. The team says the players tested positive upon arrival in Florida for a tournament that starts next week. All of the league's 26 teams are sequestered in hotels in advance of the tournament played without fans at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.

— For the first time in almost a century, Mexico has cancelled its professional baseball season. It's the first time in 95 years a whole season had been cancelled. The season was scheduled to start Aug. 7, but the 16 team owners decided that they could not guarantee the safety of fans and players. 

-If basketball icon LeBron James gets his way, NBA arenas and other sports venues around the country will be mega polling sites for the November general election. The Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons have already made deals with local elections officials in their cities. The effort will advise sports franchises around the country on how to follow suit.

Sankey: federal NIL law needed to ensure fair competition

UNDATED (AP) — Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey has told a U.S. Senate committee that there needs to be a uniform federal law to regulate the compensation of college athletes instead of a series of state-level versions with different requirements.

The hearing came as three states have signed athlete-compensation bills into law, with Florida's set to take effect next summer. Sankey said there's a risk of states "one-upping each other" with their own versions without a federal law.

— The NCAA's infractions case against the University of Kansas men's basketball program has been accepted into a newly created independent investigation process that was created to handle especially complex cases. It is the first step in a process that was created in August 2018 to deal with select cases and minimize perceived conflicts of interest. Kansas has been accused by the NCAA of committing five Level I violations, which are considered the most egregious, as part of the fallout of an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption. The case hinges on whether representatives of apparel company Adidas were acting as boosters when two of them arrange payments to prospective recruits.

Utah defensive coordinator Scalley to keep job after review

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will remain on staff but will take a pay cut and must undergo diversity training after being suspended for using a racial slur in a 2013 text message. Utah announced Scalley will participate in diversity and inclusion education, and have his salary cut from $1.1 million to $525,000. His contract also was trimmed from a multiyear deal to a one-year deal, and he will no longer be the designated head coach in waiting. Scalley was suspended last month when his use of a racial slur in a text message was posted on social media.

Missouri man freed from prison with help from WNBA's Moore

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man was freed from prison Wednesday after a county prosecutor declined to retry his case, punctuating years of work by WNBA star Maya Moore and other supporters who argued he was falsely convicted of burglary and assault charges.

Moore was on hand when Jonathan Irons, 40, walked out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center. She clapped as Irons approached a group of people waiting for his release. She then dropped to her knees at one point before joining a group hug around Irons.

He had been serving a 50-year prison sentence stemming from the non-fatal shooting of a homeowner in the St. Louis area when Irons was 16. 

Moore and Irons became friends after meeting through prison ministry, according to the Times. The 31-year-old Moore, a Jefferson City, Missouri, native who starred at UConn before helping lead Minnesota to four WNBA titles, put her career on hold last season to help Irons.

Bobsled, skeleton still planning for full World Cup season

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Bobsled and skeleton officials indicated Wednesday that they are still planning for a full World Cup season, releasing detailed schedules for eight races as well as the world championships that remain scheduled for February in Lake Placid, New York. Also still on the schedule: a season-finale at the new track built for the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The addition to the revised schedule released Wednesday was the addition of women's monobob to the schedule for Lake Placid's two weeks of world-title races.

Oklahoma athletics cutting $13.7M from budget

UNDATED (AP) — The Oklahoma athletics department is cutting $13.7 million from its budget, blaming those cuts on fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Budget cuts include a 10% salary drop for any employee earning at least $1 million per year. 

Athletic director Joe Castiglione said the moves were the "first steps" in responding to the financial losses associated with virus outbreak.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>NEW YORK (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have replaced the New York Yankees as the opponent for the Chicago White Sox in the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 13 at Dyersville, Iowa. The schedule change caused by the new coronavirus pandemic meant the White Sox no longer play the Yankees this season. The new opponent, first reported by The Des Moines Register, was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the arrangements who spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the matchup has not been announced. Major League Baseball hopes to announce its new schedule next week.JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man was freed from prison after a county prosecutor declined to retry his case, punctuating years of work by WNBA star Maya Moore and other supporters who argued he was falsely convicted of burglary and assault charges. Moore was on hand when Jonathan Irons, 40, walked out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center. She clapped as Irons approached a group of people waiting for his release. She then dropped to her knees at one point before joining a group hug around Irons.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The NCAA's infractions case against the University of Kansas men's basketball program has been accepted into a newly created independent investigation process that was created to handle especially complex cases. The Independent Accountability Resolution Process said Wednesday that a referral of the case against the Jayhawks and coach Bill Self had been approved by the infractions referral committee. It is the first step in a process that was created in August 2018 to deal with select cases and minimize perceived conflicts of interest.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas State is launching a diversity and education fund to address racial injustice after football players threatened a boycott in response to an insensitive tweet by a student about the death of George Floyd. The school also said student-athletes, coaches and staff would undergo mandatory diversity and inclusion training that includes monthly town hall sessions. And it announced that it would provide transportation for athletes to voting locations on Election Day.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>MLB-BASEBALL RETURNSMLB players begin reporting for tests as first workouts nearUNDATED (AP) — Baseball players began reporting to their teams Wednesday in the most significant step yet as MLB presses ahead with its plan for a 60-game sprint of a season. Most players underwent a battery of health checks, not only for COVID-19 but also for any other lingering ailments from spring training, ahead of planned workouts beginning Friday and Saturday. And one thing was clear: Despite rising numbers of positive tests and some players opting out, most players and executives are bullish about the season taking place in just a few weeks.In other baseball news:— An emotional Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy is recovering from a severe case of COVID-19 that quarantined him for 30 days. The former major leaguer learned he had the virus on the third day he felt ill following a nasal test. Hottovy tested negative about two weeks ago and still gets winded easily. Hottovy isolated in a spare bedroom with a relentless fever, difficulty breathing, dehydration and an increased heart rate. It was particularly bad at night, making sleep just about impossible.— The Kansas City Royals have launched what they are calling a "Fanbassador" program in which up to 500 fans may purchase a plastic cutout of their likeness for $40 apiece that will be displayed in a seat at Kauffman Stadium during the abbreviated 2020 season. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Royals Respond Fund.— Colorado Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich says he supports outfielder Ian Desmond's decision to sit out the 2020 major league baseball season over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues in society. Desmond's will be replaced by veteran Matt Kemp. The slugger has agreed to a minor league deal with the Rockies and could get the DH job.— Catcher Patrick Bailey has agreed to a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants that includes a $3.8 million signing bonus. He was selected 13th overall in last month's amateur draft, The 21-year-old hit .296 with six homers, including three grand slams, and 20 RBIs in 17 games in the pandemic-shortened season as a junior at North Carolina State. He earned the Johnny Bench award as the top Division I catcher, an honor also won the Giants' Buster Posey in 2008 and Joey Bart in 2018.— The baseball organization that presents the annual MVP awards will consider whether the name of former commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis should be pulled from future plaques. A longtime official of the Baseball Writers' Association of America says the issue will be put up for discussion. Former NL Most Valuable Players Barry Larkin, Mike Schmidt and Terry Pendleton say they would favor removing Landis' name because of concerns over his handling of Black players. Landis was hired in 1920 as MLB's first commissioner and no Blacks played in the majors during his quarter-century tenure.NBA NEWSLakers add veteran J.R. Smith for Orlando championship pushLOS ANGELES (AP) — J.R. Smith has joined LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their championship push.The Lakers announced their long-anticipated signing of Smith as a substitute player. Smith is the Lakers' replacement for Avery Bradley, who cited family reasons for his decision not to finish the season with the Lakers in Orlando.The 34-year-old Smith hasn't played in the league since November 2018, but the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year is a longtime trusted teammate of James. They won the NBA title together with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and reached four consecutive NBA Finals.In other NBA news: — Houston's Thabo Sefolosha is opting out of the NBA's restart in Orlando. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decision hasn't been announced. Sefolosha is in his first season with the Rockets. The 36-year-old is a 15-year NBA veteran who has also played for Utah, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Chicago. The Rockets are schedule to resume the season on July 31 against the Dallas Mavericks.— Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers says Lou Williams is expected to join the team for the NBA's restart in Florida. Williams has described himself as "50-50" on whether he would finish out the pandemic-interrupted season. Rivers says he doesn't think any of the Clippers are opting out from resuming the season. The team heads to Orlando next week.— Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are healthy for the NBA restart. Brown says Simmons is "good to go" following a lengthy layoff with a back injury. Embiid was recovering from surgery on his left hand and had just returned after missing five games with a sprained left shoulder at the time of the shutdown. Brown says he expects Embiid to return to play in the best shape of his professional career. - The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Trey Burke as a replacement after center Willie Cauley-Stein decided not to rejoin the team for the planned resumption of the season.— The Brooklyn Nets don't look ready for a restart, but general manager Sean Marks says there was no discussion of the team not traveling to Florida for the resumption of the NBA season. DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler aren't going, and Spencer Dinwiddie's status is uncertain after both he and Jordan tested positive for the coronavirus. Marks also says neither Kevin Durant nor Kyrie Irving will return from injuries to rejoin the Nets this season. The GM says he will support any other players who choose not to play. Brooklyn is currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. NFL-PRESEASONAP Source: NFL cutting preseason in half, pushing back startUNDATED (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that the NFL will cut the preseason in half and push the start of exhibition play back a week to give players more time to get in shape. Teams haven't been able to gather together since last season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league and the players association have been meeting to find ways to make sure they can have games in a safe environment. The exhibition slate will now begin Aug. 20 instead of Aug. 13. Teams will begin reporting to training camp July 28.In other NFL news:— The Green Bay Packers have signed each of their two top draft picks: Utah State quarterback Jordan Love and Boston College running back A.J. Dillon. Green Bay gave the Miami Dolphins a fourth-round draft choice to move up four spots in the first round and take Love with the 26th overall selection back in April. The Packers chose Dillon with the 62nd overall pick. Both selections were somewhat surprising because the Packers already have two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and Aaron Jones at running back.— Some NFL players are raising concerns about playing football amid the coronavirus pandemic while others are ignoring advice of medical experts by working out with teammates. JC Tretter, a center on the Cleveland Browns and president of the NFL Players Association, wrote an open letter to players saying they have to fight for "necessary COVID-19 protections." New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said last week that "football is a nonessential business and so we don't need to do it." Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward has asthma so he wants to "take every precaution" if he plays.NHL-COYOTES-KESSELHealthy Kessel expected to give Coyotes a boost in returnRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A healthy Phil Kessel should give the Arizona Coyotes a big lift when the NHL season resumes. Kessel labored during the first part of his inaugural season in the desert while battling injuries. The 32-year-old right wing suffered a groin injury early and didn't have the same explosiveness he had in the past, scoring 14 goals with 24 assists in 70 games. The NHL's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic allowed Kessel to heal, giving the Coyotes hope of a deep playoff run.Elsewhere in the NHL:— Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell says executive Rick Dudley won't return. The 71-year-old Dudley had worked as the Hurricanes senior vice president of hockey operations since 2018, part of nearly five decades in professional hockey. Waddell says the Hurricanes are still in talks with longtime TV play-by-play announcer John Forslund on a new deal.SPORTS-VIRUS OUTBREAKUNDATED (AP) — Webb Simpson is competing on the PGA Tour again after his family had a coronavirus scare. One of Simpson's daughters tested positive for the virus, leading to him withdrawing from last week's tournament as a precaution. Simpson says the daughter, along with his wife and other kids, later tested negative. Webb leads the tour in FedEx Cup points and scoring average. He is attempting to become the PGA Tour's first player with three victories during this pandemic-interrupted year. Chad Campbell has withdrawn from the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit after becoming the sixth PGA Tour player to test positive for the coronavirus.The Rocket Mortgage Classic's latest policy change on the coronavirus means Cameron Champ can play the tour this week in Detroit. Champ tested positive for the virus last week when he arrived for the Travelers Championship. That meant he had to self-isolate for 10 days without showing symptoms. Champ was asymptomatic when he tested positive. The tour says he had three negative tests over the next three days. The tour consulted with the CDC on its policy change. Now, anyone who is asymptomatic and tests positive will be eligible to return with two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.In other coronavirus related sports news:— UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma is asking for federal help to get foreign students that include athletes back to campus. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said he and other members of Congress plan to press the Department of Homeland Security to grant exemptions for the students, similar to ones given to professional athletes last month.— Coach Dawn Staley would be prepping the U.S. women's basketball team for the Tokyo Olympics this week if not for the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, she'll hold a Zoom conference call with players who are vying for a spot on the roster in 2021, if the postponed Olympics are held next year. Staley's focus these days involves getting her South Carolina women's team back on campus in a safe environment. Her team finished No. 1 in the last AP poll and won the SEC Tournament before the NCAA Tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus.— Six players with FC Dallas have tested positive for COVID-19 and the entire team has been quarantined ahead of the MLS Is Back tournament. The team says the players tested positive upon arrival in Florida for a tournament that starts next week. All of the league's 26 teams are sequestered in hotels in advance of the tournament played without fans at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.— For the first time in almost a century, Mexico has cancelled its professional baseball season. It's the first time in 95 years a whole season had been cancelled. The season was scheduled to start Aug. 7, but the 16 team owners decided that they could not guarantee the safety of fans and players. -If basketball icon LeBron James gets his way, NBA arenas and other sports venues around the country will be mega polling sites for the November general election. The Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons have already made deals with local elections officials in their cities. The effort will advise sports franchises around the country on how to follow suit.NCAA-COMPENSATING ATHLETESSankey: federal NIL law needed to ensure fair competitionUNDATED (AP) — Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey has told a U.S. Senate committee that there needs to be a uniform federal law to regulate the compensation of college athletes instead of a series of state-level versions with different requirements.The hearing came as three states have signed athlete-compensation bills into law, with Florida's set to take effect next summer. Sankey said there's a risk of states "one-upping each other" with their own versions without a federal law.In other NCAA news:— The NCAA's infractions case against the University of Kansas men's basketball program has been accepted into a newly created independent investigation process that was created to handle especially complex cases. It is the first step in a process that was created in August 2018 to deal with select cases and minimize perceived conflicts of interest. Kansas has been accused by the NCAA of committing five Level I violations, which are considered the most egregious, as part of the fallout of an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption. The case hinges on whether representatives of apparel company Adidas were acting as boosters when two of them arrange payments to prospective recruits.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-SCALLEYUtah defensive coordinator Scalley to keep job after reviewSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will remain on staff but will take a pay cut and must undergo diversity training after being suspended for using a racial slur in a 2013 text message. Utah announced Scalley will participate in diversity and inclusion education, and have his salary cut from $1.1 million to $525,000. His contract also was trimmed from a multiyear deal to a one-year deal, and he will no longer be the designated head coach in waiting. Scalley was suspended last month when his use of a racial slur in a text message was posted on social media.WNBA-MAYA MOORE-PRISONERMissouri man freed from prison with help from WNBA's MooreJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man was freed from prison Wednesday after a county prosecutor declined to retry his case, punctuating years of work by WNBA star Maya Moore and other supporters who argued he was falsely convicted of burglary and assault charges.Moore was on hand when Jonathan Irons, 40, walked out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center. She clapped as Irons approached a group of people waiting for his release. She then dropped to her knees at one point before joining a group hug around Irons.He had been serving a 50-year prison sentence stemming from the non-fatal shooting of a homeowner in the St. Louis area when Irons was 16. Moore and Irons became friends after meeting through prison ministry, according to the Times. The 31-year-old Moore, a Jefferson City, Missouri, native who starred at UConn before helping lead Minnesota to four WNBA titles, put her career on hold last season to help Irons.BOBSLED-WORLD CUPBobsled, skeleton still planning for full World Cup seasonLAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Bobsled and skeleton officials indicated Wednesday that they are still planning for a full World Cup season, releasing detailed schedules for eight races as well as the world championships that remain scheduled for February in Lake Placid, New York. Also still on the schedule: a season-finale at the new track built for the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The addition to the revised schedule released Wednesday was the addition of women's monobob to the schedule for Lake Placid's two weeks of world-title races.SPORTS-VIRUS OUTBREAK-OKLAHOMAOklahoma athletics cutting $13.7M from budgetUNDATED (AP) — The Oklahoma athletics department is cutting $13.7 million from its budget, blaming those cuts on fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.Budget cuts include a 10% salary drop for any employee earning at least $1 million per year. Athletic director Joe Castiglione said the moves were the "first steps" in responding to the financial losses associated with virus outbreak.

Thursday Sports Headlines

ROSE HILL, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (9-3) fell to Rose Hill Sluggers 9-8 on Wednesday on a walk off home run hit by Rose Hill's Kocis. The game was tied at eight with Rose Hill Sluggers batting in the bottom of the ninth when Garrett Kocis&nbsp;hit the&nbsp; solo homer.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Monarchs&nbsp;put up four runs in the sixth inning. The big inning was primarily thanks to home runs by Austin Callahan&nbsp;and Clayton Chadwick.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hutchinson totaled ten hits in the game.&nbsp;Chadwick,&nbsp;Dylan Nedved, and&nbsp;Luke Sartori&nbsp;each collected multiple hits for&nbsp;the Monarchs.&nbsp;Nedved&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chadwick&nbsp;each had three hits to lead&nbsp;the team at the plate.&nbsp;Hutchinson tore up the base paths, as two players stole at least two bases.&nbsp; Anthony Mackenzie&nbsp;led the way with three stolen bases.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The loss overshadowed an outstanding effort by Hutchinson's Clayton Chadwick who double in the third, hit a home run in the sixth and also tripled in the eighth inning He was just being a single away from hitting for the cycle.

Tanner Leslie earned the victory for Rose Hill Sluggers.&nbsp;Caden Pogue&nbsp;took the loss for Hutchisnon. He went two innings, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out two.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Monarchs return home tonight for the 3rd game of the 4 game series beginning at 7 pm at Hobart-Detter field in Carey Park.&nbsp; The final game in the series will be played on Friday night with that game being video streamed on hutchpost.com at 7 pm.

ROSE HILL, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (9-3) fell to Rose Hill Sluggers 9-8 on Wednesday on a walk off home run hit by Rose Hill's Kocis. The game was tied at eight with Rose Hill Sluggers batting in the bottom of the ninth when Garrett Kocis&nbsp;hit the&nbsp; solo homer.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Monarchs&nbsp;put up four runs in the sixth inning. The big inning was primarily thanks to home runs by Austin Callahan&nbsp;and Clayton Chadwick.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hutchinson totaled ten hits in the game.&nbsp;Chadwick,&nbsp;Dylan Nedved, and&nbsp;Luke Sartori&nbsp;each collected multiple hits for&nbsp;the Monarchs.&nbsp;Nedved&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chadwick&nbsp;each had three hits to lead&nbsp;the team at the plate.&nbsp;Hutchinson tore up the base paths, as two players stole at least two bases.&nbsp; Anthony Mackenzie&nbsp;led the way with three stolen bases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The loss overshadowed an outstanding effort by Hutchinson's Clayton Chadwick who double in the third, hit a home run in the sixth and also tripled in the eighth inning He was just being a single away from hitting for the cycle.Tanner Leslie earned the victory for Rose Hill Sluggers.&nbsp;Caden Pogue&nbsp;took the loss for Hutchisnon. He went two innings, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out two.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Monarchs return home tonight for the 3rd game of the 4 game series beginning at 7 pm at Hobart-Detter field in Carey Park.&nbsp; The final game in the series will be played on Friday night with that game being video streamed on hutchpost.com at 7 pm.

Rose Hill gets walk off homerun; wins 9-8 over the Monarchs

NEW YORK (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have replaced the New York Yankees as the opponent for the Chicago White Sox in the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 13 at Dyersville, Iowa. The schedule change caused by the new coronavirus pandemic meant the White Sox no longer play the Yankees this season. The new opponent, first reported by The Des Moines Register, was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the arrangements who spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the matchup has not been announced. Major League Baseball hopes to announce its new schedule next week.

Cards replace Yanks as White Sox opponent at Field of Dreams

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The NCAA’s infractions case against the University of Kansas men’s basketball program has been accepted into a newly created independent investigation process that was created to handle especially complex cases. The Independent Accountability Resolution Process said Wednesday that a referral of the case against the Jayhawks and coach Bill Self had been approved by the infractions referral committee. It is the first step in a process that was created in August 2018 to deal with select cases and minimize perceived conflicts of interest.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The NCAA’s infractions case against the University of Kansas men’s basketball program has been accepted into a newly created independent investigation process that was created to handle especially complex cases. The Independent Accountability Resolution Process said Wednesday that a referral of the case against the Jayhawks and coach Bill Self had been approved by the infractions referral committee. It is the first step in a process that was created in August 2018 to deal with select cases and minimize perceived conflicts of interest.

NCAA case against Kansas hoops taken for independent review

The Oklahoma athletics department has announced $13.7 million in budget cuts it blames on fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, including a 10% salary drop for any employee earning at least $1,000,000 per year.

Athletic director Joe Castiglione said the moves were the “first steps” in responding to the financial losses associated with virus outbreak. He warned other steps may be necessary.

The football team began voluntary workouts Wednesday. The Sooners said 111 players were tested Monday and there were seven additional positive tests after seven previously. In all, 14 Oklahoma players have tested positive along with two staff members. It said two players have since recovered.

Earlier this week, Michigan’s athletic department projected a $26.1 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. Many Wolverines coaches and other senior staff are taking 10% pay cuts, including football coach Jim Harbaugh and men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard

Houston’s Thabo Sefolosha is opting out of the NBA’s restart in Orlando, a person familiar with the decision has told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decision hasn’t been announced.

Sefolosha is in his first season with the Rockets. He averaged 2.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 41 games.

The 36-year-old is a 15-year NBA veteran who has also played for Utah, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Chicago.

The Rockets are schedule to resume the season on July 31 against the Dallas Mavericks.

— AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken reporting from Houston.

Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton says forward Jabari Parker has been cleared to end his self-isolation following a positive test for the coronavirus. Walton also spoke to Parker about handling himself in public after photos surfaced last week of the forward playing tennis without a mask following his positive test.

Center Alex Len and guard Buddy Hield also announced they contracted the coronavirus, and Walton says all three are “doing much better” while being tested every other day. No players have told Walton they don’t want to take part as the Kings (28-36) prepare to play their final eight games in Orlando beginning at the end of this month.

“This is a grown men’s league,” Walton said on a call Wednesday. “We talk to our guys but you can’t make them do anything. All we can do is encourage them to follow the guidelines that we’ve all been given: Do your best to social distance, wear a face mask when you’re out, wash your hands as often as possible, stay away from shaking hands, those type of things.”

One of Walton’s top priorities now is “making sure everyone’s comfortable” — which will mean players bringing their own workout gear and leaving an extra pair of shoes that stay at the practice facility or arena.

The Lexington County Blowfish of the summertime Coastal Plain League will open their home season as scheduled Wednesday, but without fans after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said people in the stands would be a violation of his executive order against spectator sports due to COVID-19.

The team, a collection of college players, had sold seats for its opening game against the Bomb Island Bombers. After the governor spoke Wednesday, the team posted on Twitter that fans would not be allowed into games until it received a clarification from the governor’s office. The state of South Carolina has seen a spike of cases the past few weeks and on Tuesday had a one-day high of 1,741 new cases.

McMaster also warned that residents should wear masks and maintain social distance “so we can enjoy high school and college football in South Carolina this fall.”

The Green Bay Packers will have a six-decade NFL training camp tradition end as they won’t be staying at nearby St. Norbert College because of coronavirus concerns.

The Packers instead will have their entire training camp operations at Lambeau Field. Housing arrangements are still being finalized.

Packers officials said they made the switch due to NFL protocols asking clubs to maximize use of their own facilities to mitigate exposure to the virus.

St. Norbert had hosted the Packers for training camp since 1958

The Packers have traditionally eaten dinner at St. Norbert and stayed in a residence hall on campus while commuting to their training-camp workouts at Lambeau Field.

The start of the outdoor motocross season is being delayed for a second time due to a spike in coronavirus cases.

Supercross was able to complete its season by holding the final 10 races at University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium over a span of three weeks last month. Eli Tomac won his first Supercross title.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in recent weeks, series operator MX Sports Pro Racing opted to postpone the start of the outdoor season until August.

The series was scheduled to start July 18 in Indiana after being pushed back in May due to the pandemic. The season-opening Hangtown Classic was canceled in March.

Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy is recovering from a severe case of COVID-19 that had him quarantined for 30 days.

The 38-year-old Hottovy broke down Wednesday as he detailed a harrowing ordeal during a conference call. The Cubs resume workouts Friday for the first time since Major League Baseball shut down camps on March 12.

Hottovy is in his second season as the Cubs’ pitching coach. The former major leaguer said he experienced fevers, breathing trouble and an increased heart rate. The symptoms worsened at night, making it difficult to sleep.

Because he didn’t want his wife and young children to catch the virus, Hottovy isolated himself in a spare bedroom at home. He struggled during one Zoom meeting with pitchers, and manager David Ross took over for him.

Things got so bad that Hottovy spent eight hours at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on the 12th day he was sick. He finally tested negative about two weeks ago.

Hottovy said he’s still weakened from the illness. He considered opting out of the season while he was sick but decided against that.

Six FC Dallas players have tested positive for COVID-19 since arriving in Florida for the resumption of MLS play, after every member of the team’s traveling party was negative in league-mandated testing before departing Dallas last Saturday.

The team said Wednesday that two players tested positive after arriving in Orlando and were immediately isolated from teammates and FC Dallas coaches and staff, and other MLS clubs and staffs. After more league testing, four more FC Dallas players tested positive.

After consultation with MLS medical officials, FC Dallas took proactive steps to isolate the newly affected players as well as all FC Dallas players and staff that are in Florida. All members of the club’s delegation will remain quarantined in their hotel rooms pending the results of further COVID-19 testing.

The league says no other team has been in contact with the FC Dallas delegation since its arrival.

All of the league’s 26 teams are sequestered in hotels in advance of the tournament played without fans at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World. The tournament opens next week.

The Kansas City Royals have launched what they are calling a “Fanbassador” program in which up to 500 fans may purchase a plastic cutout of their likeness for $40 apiece that will be displayed in a seat at Kauffman Stadium during the abbreviated 2020 season.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Royals Respond Fund, an effort to support Kansas City-area nonprofits that are focused on food insecurity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The idea of putting fan likenesses inside stadiums began in Germany when soccer resumed, and other baseball franchises like the Oakland A’s have proposed the same idea. Season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase their likenesses.

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is asking for help from Congress to get foreign students, including athletes, back to campus.

The Huskies have three foreign players on their roster this year: Anna Makurat, a sophomore from Poland; Nika Muhl, a freshman from Croatia, and Aaliyah Edwards, a freshman from Ontario, Canada.

The Hall of Fame coach says all three are experiencing issues getting into the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic and he doesn’t know if any of them will be back with the rest of the team on July 26. Auriemma questions why professional athletes have been allowed back from overseas, but not college athletes.

“We started asking questions like, ‘Why is that?’” Auriemma said. “We’ve got some really good people in Washington, D.C., looking into how to do that for international students, not just athletes but kids that have enrolled here, gone to school. What is the issue here? Why can’t we get that resolved?”

Auriemma said he’s planning as if there will be a college basketball season but is not sure that will happen. “How are certain teams going to come here and play if they come from a state that’s been severely impacted? I don’t know,” he said.

The Russian soccer league says another game involving FC Orenburg has been called off following an outbreak of coronavirus at the club.

The league says the regional public health body did not sign off on Orenburg hosting Ural Yekaterinburg. Orenburg already forfeited a game on Saturday against FC Krasnodar.

The league says 10 people at Orenburg have been confirmed to have the virus. The club said last week that six players and two staff members had tested positive.

There was no mention of any plan to reschedule the game.

The Oklahoma athletics department has announced $13.7 million in budget cuts it blames on fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, including a 10% salary drop for any employee earning at least $1,000,000 per year.Athletic director Joe Castiglione said the moves were the “first steps” in responding to the financial losses associated with virus outbreak. He warned other steps may be necessary.The football team began voluntary workouts Wednesday. The Sooners said 111 players were tested Monday and there were seven additional positive tests after seven previously. In all, 14 Oklahoma players have tested positive along with two staff members. It said two players have since recovered.Earlier this week, Michigan’s athletic department projected a $26.1 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. Many Wolverines coaches and other senior staff are taking 10% pay cuts, including football coach Jim Harbaugh and men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard___Houston’s Thabo Sefolosha is opting out of the NBA’s restart in Orlando, a person familiar with the decision has told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decision hasn’t been announced.Sefolosha is in his first season with the Rockets. He averaged 2.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 41 games.The 36-year-old is a 15-year NBA veteran who has also played for Utah, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Chicago.The Rockets are schedule to resume the season on July 31 against the Dallas Mavericks.— AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken reporting from Houston.___Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton says forward Jabari Parker has been cleared to end his self-isolation following a positive test for the coronavirus. Walton also spoke to Parker about handling himself in public after photos surfaced last week of the forward playing tennis without a mask following his positive test.Center Alex Len and guard Buddy Hield also announced they contracted the coronavirus, and Walton says all three are “doing much better” while being tested every other day. No players have told Walton they don’t want to take part as the Kings (28-36) prepare to play their final eight games in Orlando beginning at the end of this month.“This is a grown men’s league,” Walton said on a call Wednesday. “We talk to our guys but you can’t make them do anything. All we can do is encourage them to follow the guidelines that we’ve all been given: Do your best to social distance, wear a face mask when you’re out, wash your hands as often as possible, stay away from shaking hands, those type of things.”One of Walton’s top priorities now is “making sure everyone’s comfortable” — which will mean players bringing their own workout gear and leaving an extra pair of shoes that stay at the practice facility or arena.___The Lexington County Blowfish of the summertime Coastal Plain League will open their home season as scheduled Wednesday, but without fans after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said people in the stands would be a violation of his executive order against spectator sports due to COVID-19.The team, a collection of college players, had sold seats for its opening game against the Bomb Island Bombers. After the governor spoke Wednesday, the team posted on Twitter that fans would not be allowed into games until it received a clarification from the governor’s office. The state of South Carolina has seen a spike of cases the past few weeks and on Tuesday had a one-day high of 1,741 new cases.McMaster also warned that residents should wear masks and maintain social distance “so we can enjoy high school and college football in South Carolina this fall.”___The Green Bay Packers will have a six-decade NFL training camp tradition end as they won’t be staying at nearby St. Norbert College because of coronavirus concerns.The Packers instead will have their entire training camp operations at Lambeau Field. Housing arrangements are still being finalized.Packers officials said they made the switch due to NFL protocols asking clubs to maximize use of their own facilities to mitigate exposure to the virus.St. Norbert had hosted the Packers for training camp since 1958The Packers have traditionally eaten dinner at St. Norbert and stayed in a residence hall on campus while commuting to their training-camp workouts at Lambeau Field.___The start of the outdoor motocross season is being delayed for a second time due to a spike in coronavirus cases.Supercross was able to complete its season by holding the final 10 races at University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium over a span of three weeks last month. Eli Tomac won his first Supercross title.With COVID-19 cases on the rise in recent weeks, series operator MX Sports Pro Racing opted to postpone the start of the outdoor season until August.The series was scheduled to start July 18 in Indiana after being pushed back in May due to the pandemic. The season-opening Hangtown Classic was canceled in March.___Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy is recovering from a severe case of COVID-19 that had him quarantined for 30 days.The 38-year-old Hottovy broke down Wednesday as he detailed a harrowing ordeal during a conference call. The Cubs resume workouts Friday for the first time since Major League Baseball shut down camps on March 12.Hottovy is in his second season as the Cubs’ pitching coach. The former major leaguer said he experienced fevers, breathing trouble and an increased heart rate. The symptoms worsened at night, making it difficult to sleep.Because he didn’t want his wife and young children to catch the virus, Hottovy isolated himself in a spare bedroom at home. He struggled during one Zoom meeting with pitchers, and manager David Ross took over for him.Things got so bad that Hottovy spent eight hours at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on the 12th day he was sick. He finally tested negative about two weeks ago.Hottovy said he’s still weakened from the illness. He considered opting out of the season while he was sick but decided against that.___Six FC Dallas players have tested positive for COVID-19 since arriving in Florida for the resumption of MLS play, after every member of the team’s traveling party was negative in league-mandated testing before departing Dallas last Saturday.The team said Wednesday that two players tested positive after arriving in Orlando and were immediately isolated from teammates and FC Dallas coaches and staff, and other MLS clubs and staffs. After more league testing, four more FC Dallas players tested positive.After consultation with MLS medical officials, FC Dallas took proactive steps to isolate the newly affected players as well as all FC Dallas players and staff that are in Florida. All members of the club’s delegation will remain quarantined in their hotel rooms pending the results of further COVID-19 testing.The league says no other team has been in contact with the FC Dallas delegation since its arrival.All of the league’s 26 teams are sequestered in hotels in advance of the tournament played without fans at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World. The tournament opens next week.___The Kansas City Royals have launched what they are calling a “Fanbassador” program in which up to 500 fans may purchase a plastic cutout of their likeness for $40 apiece that will be displayed in a seat at Kauffman Stadium during the abbreviated 2020 season.A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Royals Respond Fund, an effort to support Kansas City-area nonprofits that are focused on food insecurity amid the coronavirus pandemic.The idea of putting fan likenesses inside stadiums began in Germany when soccer resumed, and other baseball franchises like the Oakland A’s have proposed the same idea. Season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase their likenesses.___UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is asking for help from Congress to get foreign students, including athletes, back to campus.The Huskies have three foreign players on their roster this year: Anna Makurat, a sophomore from Poland; Nika Muhl, a freshman from Croatia, and Aaliyah Edwards, a freshman from Ontario, Canada.The Hall of Fame coach says all three are experiencing issues getting into the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic and he doesn’t know if any of them will be back with the rest of the team on July 26. Auriemma questions why professional athletes have been allowed back from overseas, but not college athletes.“We started asking questions like, ‘Why is that?’” Auriemma said. “We’ve got some really good people in Washington, D.C., looking into how to do that for international students, not just athletes but kids that have enrolled here, gone to school. What is the issue here? Why can’t we get that resolved?”Auriemma said he’s planning as if there will be a college basketball season but is not sure that will happen. “How are certain teams going to come here and play if they come from a state that’s been severely impacted? I don’t know,” he said.___The Russian soccer league says another game involving FC Orenburg has been called off following an outbreak of coronavirus at the club.The league says the regional public health body did not sign off on Orenburg hosting Ural Yekaterinburg. Orenburg already forfeited a game on Saturday against FC Krasnodar.The league says 10 people at Orenburg have been confirmed to have the virus. The club said last week that six players and two staff members had tested positive.There was no mention of any plan to reschedule the game.

The Latest: Oklahoma athletics cutting $13.7M from budget

The NFL will cut its preseason in half and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train following a virtual offseason made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t announced that the preseason will be cut from four games to two.

Players are still discussing with their union whether to ask for cancellation of all preseason games, according to two people familiar with their thinking. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision hasn’t been made.

The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference. So, teams will be gathering together for the first time when training camps open July 28.

Minus the usual minicamps, on-field practices and in-person weight training from April to June, players’ conditioning won’t be what it normally is. So, eliminating the first week of preseason games Aug. 13-16 will give them more time to ratchet up their football fitness.

Teams will now play exhibitions Aug. 20-24 and Aug. 27-31 during what were originally the second and third weeks of exhibition play, with all 32 teams playing one home and one road game.

Most of those games will remain the same as originally scheduled, although some matchups in that second slate will have to be changed so every team gets a game at home.

The exhibition finales on Sept. 3 were also scrapped, giving teams more time to get ready for the regular season, which opens Sept. 10 with Houston at Kansas City.

There are no changes to the regular season schedule.

The league continues to draw up protocols, not only for COVID-19 mitigation but for ramping up practices during the first few weeks of training camp.

The annual Hall of Fame Game pitting Pittsburgh and Dallas on Aug. 6 was recently scrapped as the induction ceremonies were pushed back to 2021.

The NFL will cut its preseason in half and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train following a virtual offseason made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t announced that the preseason will be cut from four games to two.Players are still discussing with their union whether to ask for cancellation of all preseason games, according to two people familiar with their thinking. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision hasn’t been made.The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference. So, teams will be gathering together for the first time when training camps open July 28.Minus the usual minicamps, on-field practices and in-person weight training from April to June, players’ conditioning won’t be what it normally is. So, eliminating the first week of preseason games Aug. 13-16 will give them more time to ratchet up their football fitness.Teams will now play exhibitions Aug. 20-24 and Aug. 27-31 during what were originally the second and third weeks of exhibition play, with all 32 teams playing one home and one road game.Most of those games will remain the same as originally scheduled, although some matchups in that second slate will have to be changed so every team gets a game at home.The exhibition finales on Sept. 3 were also scrapped, giving teams more time to get ready for the regular season, which opens Sept. 10 with Houston at Kansas City.There are no changes to the regular season schedule.The league continues to draw up protocols, not only for COVID-19 mitigation but for ramping up practices during the first few weeks of training camp.The annual Hall of Fame Game pitting Pittsburgh and Dallas on Aug. 6 was recently scrapped as the induction ceremonies were pushed back to 2021.

HALSTEAD, Kan. - Karenna Gerber of class 3A Halstead, has committed to Pittsburg State University via her twitter account on Wednesday.

Gerber will be a senior this year at Halstead High School.&nbsp; As a junior, she averaged 19.7 points per game along with 10 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots per game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593682833681.jpeg" alt="Gerber.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Gerber.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>HALSTEAD, Kan. - Karenna Gerber of class 3A Halstead, has committed to Pittsburg State University via her twitter account on Wednesday.Gerber will be a senior this year at Halstead High School.&nbsp; As a junior, she averaged 19.7 points per game along with 10 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots per game.

Karenna Gerber of Halstead commits to Pittsburg State

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;– With Diversity and Inclusion as a pillar of its Strategic Plan, K-State Athletics continues to identify new activation steps as a way to grow its social justice programming and awareness for all student-athletes, coaches and staff. The department is in its fourth year of its Diversity and Inclusion plan, which was created to foster an environment that embraces and celebrates diversity, while intentionally promoting and practicing inclusion.&nbsp; "We will not stand for social injustice," said Athletics Director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=1">Gene Taylor</a>. "Now is the time for us to build upon the Diversity and Inclusion program that we launched two years ago and make bigger strides in the areas of racial injustice and racism. I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff for working together on these steps and know that our department and University will continue to evolve and grow tremendously." The 2020-21 academic year affords the department a unique opportunity surrounding the social unrest nationally, and with the input and guidance from student-athletes, coaches and staff, it has identified the following items as focal points for continued progress: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Launching the&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/www/ev_kansuse/ss/ev/DonationEntry?donationCd=DIVERSE&amp;siteId=ev_kansuse&amp;locale=en_US&amp;linkID=kansuse">Diversity and Inclusion Fund</a>&nbsp;which allows&nbsp;K-Staters to directly support department-wide initiatives that&nbsp;actively seek inclusive and diverse community through educational programming and support of all student-athletes, coaches, and staff. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Student-athlete involvement on Ad Hoc Board with SGA and Administration on Student Code of Conduct. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandatory Diversity and Inclusion training&nbsp;for student-athletes, coaches and staff and holding monthly Diversity and Inclusion town hall sessions with student-athletes. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Continue to be&nbsp;diligent in efforts to&nbsp;recruit a broad set of applicants for department staff and coaching positions, including using department personnel and national resources to create diverse hiring pools. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utilize a home game in all sports to show support that&nbsp;Black Lives Matter. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Create more opportunities&nbsp;for all sports to foster relationships and communication between all student-athletes and coaches. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Find new ways to&nbsp;showcase Black History Month&nbsp;and&nbsp;highlight black student-athletes&nbsp;through the department's communication channels. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Partner with the Black Student Union&nbsp;for more programming and educational opportunities and with&nbsp;campus police and RCPD to build better relationships. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Have&nbsp;voter registration sessions and education&nbsp;for all student-athletes and&nbsp;provide transportation to voting polls on election day. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Men's basketball, in concert with all other Big 12 men's basketball programs, will use&nbsp;November 3 as an official day off in order to participate as a voter.

"It has been an honor to work with our student-athletes on this progress," said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=341">Julian Jones</a>, Assistant A.D. for Student-Athlete Development/Chief Diversity Officer. "They have all stepped up and utilized their platforms for the betterment of K-State, and I am proud of them for that. We have made great strides in our Diversity and Inclusion plan as a department and look forward to continuing to work with our staff and coaches in providing the best environment possible for our student-athletes." Recently, the department has completed numerous other initiatives that have contributed to its Diversity and Inclusion programming and role in social justice, including: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Assistant A.D. for Student-Athlete Development&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=341">Julian Jones</a>&nbsp;has added the role of&nbsp;Chief Diversity&nbsp;Officer&nbsp;for the department and been named to the Senior Staff. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adding and naming&nbsp;Abigail Archibong&nbsp;(volleyball) as&nbsp;the SAAC Diversity Equity and Inclusion Executive Officer&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler Burns&nbsp;(football) as the&nbsp;chair of the newly formed Student-Athlete Social Justice Action Committee. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Created a&nbsp;department-wide Diversity and Inclusion Staff Action Committee. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Held a&nbsp;Black Lives Matter educational panel&nbsp;with Ahearn Fund donors. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Held individual&nbsp;team Diversity and Inclusion education sessions. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Supported local black-owned businesses&nbsp;through social media awareness and posts.&nbsp;K-State Athletics Women Leaders donated $1,120 to Help Lake Street Clean-up &amp; Rebuild efforts and Douglass Community Rec Center.&nbsp; ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Held&nbsp;Unity games&nbsp;at home competitions for men's basketball and soccer&nbsp;to celebrate diversity and inclusion. &nbsp;

"I am excited to help make K-State a better place – an environment where people from all different backgrounds feel welcomed," said Archibong. "We want to continue to build knowledge, skills and retention surrounding all of our Diversity and Inclusion events, and I look forward to continuing to develop collaborative relationships and taking forward steps with all diverse groups in our athletics community."

"We must keep working to raise awareness about the racial injustices of the past and those that are still present today," Burns said. "I see this as an opportunity to restore justice to our country from our hateful history, starting with our University. Indifference about issues of social justice is not okay, and all people deserve love and respect no matter their color of skin, their gender, or choices of beliefs and religion."

"This is just the beginning," added Taylor. "We are committed to diversity and inclusion and for improving the overall experience for not only our black students but all of our student-athletes. K-State is a special place, and it is only going to get better." More information on the department's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2018/7/2/mission-values-vision.aspx">Strategic Plan</a>&nbsp;and mission and also its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2017/8/23/diversity-inclusion.aspx">Diversity and Inclusion&nbsp;plan</a>&nbsp;can be found in the links shown.

MANHATTAN, Kansas&nbsp;– With Diversity and Inclusion as a pillar of its Strategic Plan, K-State Athletics continues to identify new activation steps as a way to grow its social justice programming and awareness for all student-athletes, coaches and staff. The department is in its fourth year of its Diversity and Inclusion plan, which was created to foster an environment that embraces and celebrates diversity, while intentionally promoting and practicing inclusion.&nbsp; "We will not stand for social injustice," said Athletics Director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=1">Gene Taylor</a>. "Now is the time for us to build upon the Diversity and Inclusion program that we launched two years ago and make bigger strides in the areas of racial injustice and racism. I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff for working together on these steps and know that our department and University will continue to evolve and grow tremendously." The 2020-21 academic year affords the department a unique opportunity surrounding the social unrest nationally, and with the input and guidance from student-athletes, coaches and staff, it has identified the following items as focal points for continued progress: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Launching the&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/www/ev_kansuse/ss/ev/DonationEntry?donationCd=DIVERSE&amp;siteId=ev_kansuse&amp;locale=en_US&amp;linkID=kansuse">Diversity and Inclusion Fund</a>&nbsp;which allows&nbsp;K-Staters to directly support department-wide initiatives that&nbsp;actively seek inclusive and diverse community through educational programming and support of all student-athletes, coaches, and staff. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Student-athlete involvement on Ad Hoc Board with SGA and Administration on Student Code of Conduct. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandatory Diversity and Inclusion training&nbsp;for student-athletes, coaches and staff and holding monthly Diversity and Inclusion town hall sessions with student-athletes. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Continue to be&nbsp;diligent in efforts to&nbsp;recruit a broad set of applicants for department staff and coaching positions, including using department personnel and national resources to create diverse hiring pools. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utilize a home game in all sports to show support that&nbsp;Black Lives Matter. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Create more opportunities&nbsp;for all sports to foster relationships and communication between all student-athletes and coaches. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Find new ways to&nbsp;showcase Black History Month&nbsp;and&nbsp;highlight black student-athletes&nbsp;through the department's communication channels. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Partner with the Black Student Union&nbsp;for more programming and educational opportunities and with&nbsp;campus police and RCPD to build better relationships. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Have&nbsp;voter registration sessions and education&nbsp;for all student-athletes and&nbsp;provide transportation to voting polls on election day. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Men's basketball, in concert with all other Big 12 men's basketball programs, will use&nbsp;November 3 as an official day off in order to participate as a voter. "It has been an honor to work with our student-athletes on this progress," said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=341">Julian Jones</a>, Assistant A.D. for Student-Athlete Development/Chief Diversity Officer. "They have all stepped up and utilized their platforms for the betterment of K-State, and I am proud of them for that. We have made great strides in our Diversity and Inclusion plan as a department and look forward to continuing to work with our staff and coaches in providing the best environment possible for our student-athletes." Recently, the department has completed numerous other initiatives that have contributed to its Diversity and Inclusion programming and role in social justice, including: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Assistant A.D. for Student-Athlete Development&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=341">Julian Jones</a>&nbsp;has added the role of&nbsp;Chief Diversity&nbsp;Officer&nbsp;for the department and been named to the Senior Staff. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adding and naming&nbsp;Abigail Archibong&nbsp;(volleyball) as&nbsp;the SAAC Diversity Equity and Inclusion Executive Officer&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler Burns&nbsp;(football) as the&nbsp;chair of the newly formed Student-Athlete Social Justice Action Committee. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Created a&nbsp;department-wide Diversity and Inclusion Staff Action Committee. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Held a&nbsp;Black Lives Matter educational panel&nbsp;with Ahearn Fund donors. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Held individual&nbsp;team Diversity and Inclusion education sessions. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Supported local black-owned businesses&nbsp;through social media awareness and posts.&nbsp;K-State Athletics Women Leaders donated $1,120 to Help Lake Street Clean-up &amp; Rebuild efforts and Douglass Community Rec Center.&nbsp; ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Held&nbsp;Unity games&nbsp;at home competitions for men's basketball and soccer&nbsp;to celebrate diversity and inclusion. &nbsp;"I am excited to help make K-State a better place – an environment where people from all different backgrounds feel welcomed," said Archibong. "We want to continue to build knowledge, skills and retention surrounding all of our Diversity and Inclusion events, and I look forward to continuing to develop collaborative relationships and taking forward steps with all diverse groups in our athletics community.""We must keep working to raise awareness about the racial injustices of the past and those that are still present today," Burns said. "I see this as an opportunity to restore justice to our country from our hateful history, starting with our University. Indifference about issues of social justice is not okay, and all people deserve love and respect no matter their color of skin, their gender, or choices of beliefs and religion.""This is just the beginning," added Taylor. "We are committed to diversity and inclusion and for improving the overall experience for not only our black students but all of our student-athletes. K-State is a special place, and it is only going to get better." More information on the department's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2018/7/2/mission-values-vision.aspx">Strategic Plan</a>&nbsp;and mission and also its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2017/8/23/diversity-inclusion.aspx">Diversity and Inclusion&nbsp;plan</a>&nbsp;can be found in the links shown.

K-State Athletics Continues to Grow Diversity and Inclusion Programming

MEXICO CITY (AP) — For the first time in almost a century, Mexico has cancelled its professional baseball season, the Mexican Baseball League announced Wednesday.

And on the same day, organizers announced the cancellation of the Mexico City Telcel Marathon 2020, which had been scheduled for Aug. 30, citing the safety of participants and spectators. Runners who had registered for the marathon can compete in 2021 or get a refund.

The Mexican Baseball League said it regretted the cancellation of the 2020 season Wednesday, noting it was the first time in 95 years a whole season had been cancelled.

The summer season had been scheduled to start Aug. 7, but the 16 team owners decided that they could not guarantee the safety of fans and players.

Sporting events in Mexico have to be played without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic. But for baseball, playing without fans would not have been economically feasible.

Mexican baseball teams make much of their money from tickets and refreshments at stadiums. They do not have the large broadcast income that soccer teams do.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — For the first time in almost a century, Mexico has cancelled its professional baseball season, the Mexican Baseball League announced Wednesday.And on the same day, organizers announced the cancellation of the Mexico City Telcel Marathon 2020, which had been scheduled for Aug. 30, citing the safety of participants and spectators. Runners who had registered for the marathon can compete in 2021 or get a refund.The Mexican Baseball League said it regretted the cancellation of the 2020 season Wednesday, noting it was the first time in 95 years a whole season had been cancelled.The summer season had been scheduled to start Aug. 7, but the 16 team owners decided that they could not guarantee the safety of fans and players.Sporting events in Mexico have to be played without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic. But for baseball, playing without fans would not have been economically feasible.Mexican baseball teams make much of their money from tickets and refreshments at stadiums. They do not have the large broadcast income that soccer teams do.

Mexico cancels baseball season, marathon because of pandemic

<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/850194481&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost" title="HutchPost.com" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HutchPost.com</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost/eagle-sports-juky-1-2020" title="Eagle Sports Juky 1 - 2020" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Sports Juky 1 - 2020</a></div></div>

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday

Baseball's minor leagues cancel 2020 seasons

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball's minor leagues canceled their seasons Tuesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the head of their governing body said more than half of the 160 teams were in danger of failing without government assistance or private equity injections.

The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the minor league governing body, made the long-expected announcement. National Association president Pat O'Conner says the leagues "don't have national TV revenues." O'Conner estimated 85-90% of revenue was related to ticket money, concessions, parking and ballpark advertising. The minors drew 41.5 million fans last year for 176 teams in 15 leagues, averaging 4,044 fans per game. MLB teams are planning for a 60-game regular season and most of their revenue will derive from broadcast money.

Major League Baseball says a team will not specifically announce a COVID-19 injured list placement for a player who is removed from the club after testing positive, just an IL trip. MLB's operations manual says a positive test and exhibiting symptoms that require isolation for additional assessment or exposure to someone who has had the virus are cause for placement on the new COVID-19 IL. 

— Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is optimistic right fielder Aaron Judge, left-hander James Paxton, center fielder Aaron Hicks and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will be ready to play in the time for New York's rescheduled opener at World Series champion Washington on July 23. Judge did not play in any exhibition games due to discomfort in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder that he felt when swinging. Paxton had surgery Feb. 5 to repair a herniated disk in his back. 

— Outfielder Heston Kjerstad agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles that includes a $5.2 million signing bonus, well below the slot value of $7,789,900 assigned to the No. 2 overall pick. The 21-year-old joins a rebuilding Orioles team that has lost at least 100 games in two straight seasons and used the No. 1 pick in 2019 to secure catcher Adley Rutschman out of Oregon State.

—The San Diego Padres have acquired infielder Jorge Mateo from the Oakland Athletics in the first trade since baseball resumed after a shutdown of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Padres will send either a player or cash to the A's for the 25-year-old Mateo, who will be added to the player pool for the resumption of spring training. The Padres are scheduled to have their first workout Friday at Petco Park. 

—Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) will resume his two-way career with the Los Angeles Angels when baseball returns. Angels general manager Billy Eppler confirms his Japanese star will pitch and hit in the majors this season. Ohtani was only a designated hitter last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He wasn't expected to pitch in 2020 until at least May, and Eppler confirmed that the coronavirus pandemic hasn't altered the Angels' plans. The Angels could have a six-man rotation for the short season.

—Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is optimistic right fielder Aaron Judge, left-hander James Paxton, center fielder Aaron Hicks and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will be ready to play in the time for New York's rescheduled opener at World Series champion Washington on July 23. Judge did not play in any exhibition games due to discomfort in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder that he felt when swinging. Paxton had surgery Feb. 5 to repair a herniated disk in his back.

—Sinkerballing reliever Jared Hughes and the New York Mets agreed to a $700,000, one-year contract, a deal that amounts to $259,259 in prorated pay over the 60-game season. He had a 6.35 ERA over five appearances and 5 2/3 innings during spring training with the Houston Astros and was released March 19. A right-hander who turns 35 on July 4, Hughes was 5-5 with a 4.04 ERA last season for Cincinnati and Philadelphia. 

<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>MINOR LEAGUE SEASON CANCELEDBaseball's minor leagues cancel 2020 seasonsNEW YORK (AP) — Baseball's minor leagues canceled their seasons Tuesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the head of their governing body said more than half of the 160 teams were in danger of failing without government assistance or private equity injections.The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the minor league governing body, made the long-expected announcement. National Association president Pat O'Conner says the leagues "don't have national TV revenues." O'Conner estimated 85-90% of revenue was related to ticket money, concessions, parking and ballpark advertising. The minors drew 41.5 million fans last year for 176 teams in 15 leagues, averaging 4,044 fans per game. MLB teams are planning for a 60-game regular season and most of their revenue will derive from broadcast money.In other MLB news:Major League Baseball says a team will not specifically announce a COVID-19 injured list placement for a player who is removed from the club after testing positive, just an IL trip. MLB's operations manual says a positive test and exhibiting symptoms that require isolation for additional assessment or exposure to someone who has had the virus are cause for placement on the new COVID-19 IL. — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is optimistic right fielder Aaron Judge, left-hander James Paxton, center fielder Aaron Hicks and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will be ready to play in the time for New York's rescheduled opener at World Series champion Washington on July 23. Judge did not play in any exhibition games due to discomfort in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder that he felt when swinging. Paxton had surgery Feb. 5 to repair a herniated disk in his back. — Outfielder Heston Kjerstad agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles that includes a $5.2 million signing bonus, well below the slot value of $7,789,900 assigned to the No. 2 overall pick. The 21-year-old joins a rebuilding Orioles team that has lost at least 100 games in two straight seasons and used the No. 1 pick in 2019 to secure catcher Adley Rutschman out of Oregon State.—The San Diego Padres have acquired infielder Jorge Mateo from the Oakland Athletics in the first trade since baseball resumed after a shutdown of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Padres will send either a player or cash to the A's for the 25-year-old Mateo, who will be added to the player pool for the resumption of spring training. The Padres are scheduled to have their first workout Friday at Petco Park. —Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) will resume his two-way career with the Los Angeles Angels when baseball returns. Angels general manager Billy Eppler confirms his Japanese star will pitch and hit in the majors this season. Ohtani was only a designated hitter last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He wasn't expected to pitch in 2020 until at least May, and Eppler confirmed that the coronavirus pandemic hasn't altered the Angels' plans. The Angels could have a six-man rotation for the short season.—Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is optimistic right fielder Aaron Judge, left-hander James Paxton, center fielder Aaron Hicks and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will be ready to play in the time for New York's rescheduled opener at World Series champion Washington on July 23. Judge did not play in any exhibition games due to discomfort in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder that he felt when swinging. Paxton had surgery Feb. 5 to repair a herniated disk in his back.—Sinkerballing reliever Jared Hughes and the New York Mets agreed to a $700,000, one-year contract, a deal that amounts to $259,259 in prorated pay over the 60-game season. He had a 6.35 ERA over five appearances and 5 2/3 innings during spring training with the Houston Astros and was released March 19. A right-hander who turns 35 on July 4, Hughes was 5-5 with a 4.04 ERA last season for Cincinnati and Philadelphia. — Outfielder Heston Kjerstad agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles that includes a $5.2 million signing bonus, well below the slot value of $7,789,900 assigned to the No. 2 overall pick. The 21-year-old joins a rebuilding Orioles team that has lost at least 100 games in two straight seasons and used the No. 1 pick in 2019 to secure catcher Adley Rutschman out of Oregon State. —The Oakland Athletics are selling cardboard cutouts with fans' photos that they will put in the seats at the Coliseum this season. The team also plans to mix in images of former players and celebrities alongside the fan cutouts. Major League Baseball is looking to play a 60-game regular season this summer because of the coronavirus. There will be no fans at ballparks on opening day, but some markets are hoping to play in front of smaller crowds by the end of the season. The cardboard cutouts for A's games range in price from $49 to $129. Proceeds from the sales go to charity.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBA-PELICANSThree New Orleans players test positiveNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans general manager David Griffin says three New Orleans players have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be in self-isolation until testing shows they can return to team activities without infecting others.Griffin declined to identify the players, citing medical privacy laws.The positive tests occurred on June 23, the first day all members of the team were tested as part of the NBA's plan to restart the season, which was suspended in mid-March because of the pandemic. Griffin says the Pelicans have had no players test positive since.When the Pelicans return to action on July 30 against Utah at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex outside of Orlando, Florida, they will be 3½ games out of the Western Conference's final playoff spot with eight games left.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL-HURRICANESHurricanesRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Members of the Carolina Hurricanes have returned to their home ice at PNC Arena as the team began voluntary training sessions amid the second phase of the NHL's return plan.In a video conference with reporters, captain Jordan Staal said the players went through safety protocols that included wearing a mask and getting a temperature check when arriving at the arena, as well as "keeping your distance as best you can."The team had announced last week that roughly 16 players were expected to participate, divided into two groups, with workouts closed to the public and media.In other developments related to the coronavirus:— The LPGA Tour lost another tournament when the Canadian Women's Open was canceled because of travel restrictions and quarantine requirements from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CP Women's Open was scheduled for Sept. 3-6 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. The LPGA Tour and Golf Canada say it will return to Shaughnessy the last week in August next year.— Up to 800 spectators per day will be allowed at a tennis exhibition in Berlin in mid-July. This, even after four players tested positive for the coronavirus after playing in a similar event fronted by Novak Djokovic. Organizers of two tournaments in Berlin say the city health authorities have approved a limited number of spectators. The maximum is set at 800 per day for a July 13-15 outdoor event on grass, and 200 per day for a hard-court event in a hangar at the disused Tempelhof airport from July 17-19. NBA-RACIAL INJUSTICE-MORANT APOLOGYGrizzlies' Morant apologizes for anti-police Instagram postMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard Ja Morant posted and deleted an Instagram photo suggesting he'd replace his name with an expletive on his number 12 jersey in a protest against police. Morant then apologized, saying the post didn't "accurately convey" what he wanted to share. Morant said he knows "there are good cops" out there.The league, Nike and the players association are reportedly working on a deal that would allow players to replace the names on the backs of their jerseys with social justice statements. MLB-RACIAL INJUSTICE-MVP PLAQUES'A dark past': MVPs say time to pull Landis name off plaquesNEW YORK (AP) — As monuments, statues and memorials around the world come under increased scrutiny, some former Most Valuable Players in Major League Baseball are saying they'd like to see a change in future MVP plaques. The trophy is engraved with the name of Kenesaw Mountain Landis in large letters. Landis was baseball's first commissioner and there were no Black players in the majors during his reign from 1920 until his death in 1944. His name has been on every American League and National League MVP plaque since then. Barry Larkin, Terry Pendleton and Mike Schmidt say they'd like to see it pulled off.Toward the end of his tenure as commissioner, Landis told owners they were free to sign Black players. But there is no evidence he pushed for baseball integration.FORMULA ONE-PROTESTSF1 drivers discuss whether to take a knee at season openerLONDON (AP) — Formula One drivers will discuss taking a knee at the opening race of the delayed season in Austria on Sunday. McLaren driver Lando Norris says it will be discussed following the drivers' briefing with the Grand Prix Drivers' Association on Friday. Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement and F1's diversity issues. Black Lives Matter has been supported by soccer players in Germany, Italy and England taking a knee before and during games.BROADCASTS-DISCRIMINATIONSoccer players' union points to racial bias in broadcastsLONDON (AP) — The soccer players' union in England believes racial bias is evident during broadcasts of matches based on the language used by commentators in European leagues. The study conducted by Danish research firm RunRepeat in association with the Professional Footballers' Association found 63% of praise regarding a player's intelligence was aimed at those with lighter skin, while 63% of criticism for a player's intelligence was aimed at those with darker skin tones. The study looked at 80 matches in the Premier League as well as the top divisions in Italy, Spain and France this season. <h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa running back Akrum Wadley says he was so mistreated by some coaches he now regrets playing there. Wadley's statement, posted on Facebook, mentions coach Kirk Ferentz, his son, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz and others. He says his weight was a constant issue and was used to belittle him. A statement issued to the Des Moines Register said Kirk Ferentz would not comment publicly.