KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Zeke Mayo poured in 24 points, and sixth-seeded Kansas rallied to force overtime before holding off No. 14 seed UCF 98-94 on Wednesday night in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.

AJ Storr scored a season-high 19 points before fouling out in the closing seconds of OT, and KJ Adams had 15 points and seven boards for the Jayhawks (21-11), who narrowly avoided dropping their conference tourney opener for a second straight year.&nbsp;

Instead, they will face third-seeded Arizona on Thursday night in a rematch of a game Kansas won last weekend.

Jordan Ivy-Curry pulled UCF to within 94-93 when he converted a three-point play with 18.2 seconds to go, and Mayo missed the second of two foul shots at the other end. But UCF big man Moustapha Thiam came up short on a jumper with a chance to tie the game, Kansas got the rebound and Dickinson made the second of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining.

The Knights’ Deebo Coleman was quickly fouled. He made the first foul shot with 0.9 seconds left to make it 96-94, but when he tried to intentionally miss the second to give his team a chance, Coleman failed to hit the rim and the Jayhawks got possession.

David Coit was fouled and added two more free throws for the final margin.

Keyshawn Hall led UCF (17-16) with 25 points. Darius Johnson had 22 before fouling out with a minute to go in regulation.

The Jayhawks blew a 13-point second-half lead, then had to rally once UCF pulled ahead with 7 minutes to go. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, and Ivy-Curry’s 3-pointer tied the game 83-all with 14.1 seconds left in regulation.

Kansas tried to set up a winning play, but Adams stepped on the baseline on his drive, giving the Knights a shot. Ivy-Curry raced up the floor and got a decent look from the wing, but his 3-pointer came up well short as time expired.

UCF came a long way from January, when it lost 99-48 to the Jayhawks at home. It had won four of its past six games.

Kansas has gone with a shortened lineup late in the season and it seems to be paying off for the Jayhawks.

Thiam’s miss from about 6 feet along the baseline with a few seconds left in overtime would have tied the game.

Three players fouled out of the game. Kansas guard Dajuan Harris also finished with five fouls.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741834147996.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Zeke Mayo poured in 24 points, and sixth-seeded Kansas rallied to force overtime before holding off No. 14 seed UCF 98-94 on Wednesday night in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.AJ Storr scored a season-high 19 points before fouling out in the closing seconds of OT, and KJ Adams had 15 points and seven boards for the Jayhawks (21-11), who narrowly avoided dropping their conference tourney opener for a second straight year.&nbsp;Instead, they will face third-seeded Arizona on Thursday night in a rematch of a game Kansas won last weekend.Jordan Ivy-Curry pulled UCF to within 94-93 when he converted a three-point play with 18.2 seconds to go, and Mayo missed the second of two foul shots at the other end. But UCF big man Moustapha Thiam came up short on a jumper with a chance to tie the game, Kansas got the rebound and Dickinson made the second of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining.The Knights’ Deebo Coleman was quickly fouled. He made the first foul shot with 0.9 seconds left to make it 96-94, but when he tried to intentionally miss the second to give his team a chance, Coleman failed to hit the rim and the Jayhawks got possession.David Coit was fouled and added two more free throws for the final margin.Keyshawn Hall led UCF (17-16) with 25 points. Darius Johnson had 22 before fouling out with a minute to go in regulation.The Jayhawks blew a 13-point second-half lead, then had to rally once UCF pulled ahead with 7 minutes to go. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, and Ivy-Curry’s 3-pointer tied the game 83-all with 14.1 seconds left in regulation.Kansas tried to set up a winning play, but Adams stepped on the baseline on his drive, giving the Knights a shot. Ivy-Curry raced up the floor and got a decent look from the wing, but his 3-pointer came up well short as time expired.<h2>Takeaways</h2>UCF came a long way from January, when it lost 99-48 to the Jayhawks at home. It had won four of its past six games.Kansas has gone with a shortened lineup late in the season and it seems to be paying off for the Jayhawks.<h2>Key moment</h2>Thiam’s miss from about 6 feet along the baseline with a few seconds left in overtime would have tied the game.<h2>Key stats</h2>Three players fouled out of the game. Kansas guard Dajuan Harris also finished with five fouls.<h2>Up next</h2>

🏀 KU holds off UCF to advance in Big 12 Tournament

Day one of the KSHSAA state basketball tournaments is in the books with 28 games complete, four quarterfinal matchups at seven different locations.&nbsp;

The Hutch Post area teams go 7-0 on the day with some impressive performances. Gabe Pyle hit a game winning floater to give McPherson boys the 60-59 win in overtime over Baldwin, while Sterling boys put up 97 points in its quarterfinal win.&nbsp;

Below are all 28 finals from the first day.

Note: The records shown next to team names are the records following the game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741095160913.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy KSHSAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KSHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure>Day one of the KSHSAA state basketball tournaments is in the books with 28 games complete, four quarterfinal matchups at seven different locations.&nbsp;The Hutch Post area teams go 7-0 on the day with some impressive performances. Gabe Pyle hit a game winning floater to give McPherson boys the 60-59 win in overtime over Baldwin, while Sterling boys put up 97 points in its quarterfinal win.&nbsp;Below are all 28 finals from the first day.Note: The records shown next to team names are the records following the game.<div>CLASS 6A BOYS&nbsp; At White Auditorium, Emporia&nbsp; Wednesday&rsquo;s quarterfinals&nbsp;
[8] Maize (17-6) 49,&nbsp;[1] Shawnee Mission South (21-2) 48 [4] Shawnee Mission Northwest (20-3) 76, [5] Mill Valley (18-5) 52 [7] Olathe North (17-6) 69,&nbsp;[3] Derby (21-1) 50 [2] Wichita Heights (21-2)&nbsp;64, [6] Washburn Rural (18-5) 44
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 5A GIRLS&nbsp; At White Auditorium, Emporia&nbsp; Wednesday&rsquo;s quarterfinals&nbsp; &nbsp; [8] St. Thomas Aquinas (16-7) 51,&nbsp;[1] Hays (22-1) 48 [4] Spring Hill (20-3)&nbsp;61, [5] Maize South (19-4) 56 [3] Seaman (23-0)&nbsp;66, [7] KC Piper (18-5) 54 [2] Andover (22-1) 49, [6] St. James Academy (18-5) 44
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 4A BOYS&nbsp; At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Ottawa (23-0)&nbsp;63, [8] Atchison (15-8) 46 [4] McPherson (18-4)&nbsp;60, [5] Baldwin (18-5) 59 (OT) [2] Rock Creek (21-2)&nbsp;56, [7] Abilene (16-7) 33 [3] Andale (20-3) 45,&nbsp;[6] Pratt (17-6)&nbsp;43
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 3A GIRLS&nbsp; At Hutchinson Sports Arena,&nbsp;Hutchinson&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Hesston (24-0)&nbsp;52,&nbsp;[8] Holcomb (18-6) 37 [4] Silver Lake (22-2)&nbsp;56, [5] Girard (21-3) 45 [2] Halstead (23-1)&nbsp;50, [7] Neodesha (18-4) 33 [6] Colby (22-2) 57,&nbsp;[3] Osage City (22-2) 31
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 2A BOYS&nbsp; At&nbsp;Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Moundridge (24-0)&nbsp;58, [8] St. Mary's Colgan (13-11) 25&nbsp;&nbsp; [4] Valley Falls (20-4)&nbsp;58, [5] Syracuse (19-5) 54 [2] Sterling (21-3)&nbsp;97, [7] Chase County (14-9) 48 [3] Ell-Saline (21-3) 82, [6] Rossville (16-8) 78
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 1A DI GIRLS&nbsp; At&nbsp;United Wireless Arena,&nbsp;Dodge City&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Little River (22-0)&nbsp;76, [8] Crest (14-8) 27 [5] Quinter (21-3) 65,&nbsp;[4] South Gray (21-3) 54 [2] Centralia (24-0)&nbsp;50,&nbsp;[7] St. John (18-6) 27 [3] Troy (22-1)&nbsp;33, [6] Central Plains (19-4) 25
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 1A DII&nbsp;GIRLS At&nbsp;Colby Event Center, Colby Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[8] Linn (17-6) 51,&nbsp;[1] South Haven (21-2) 39 [5] Attica (21-3) 47,&nbsp;[4] Bucklin (20-4) 40 [2] Lebo (21-2)&nbsp;44,&nbsp; [7] Hodgeman County (18-6) 24 [3] Hanover (21-2) 64, [6] Wallace County (18-5) 49
&nbsp;</div>

🏀 KSHSAA state quarterfinal scoreboard from Wednesday

Hutch Post area scores from Wednesday's state quarterfinals

[4] McPherson 60, [5] Baldwin 59 (OT) [3] Andale 45, [6] Pratt 43

[1] Hesston 52, [8] Holcomb 37 [2] Halstead 50, [7] Neodesha 33

[1] Moundridge 58, [8] St. Mary's Colgan 25 [2] Sterling 97, [7] Chase County 48

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741830475972.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch Post area scores from Wednesday's state quarterfinalsClass 4A Boys[4] McPherson 60, [5] Baldwin 59 (OT) [3] Andale 45, [6] Pratt 43Class 3A Girls[1] Hesston 52, [8] Holcomb 37 [2] Halstead 50, [7] Neodesha 33Class 2A Boys[1] Moundridge 58, [8] St. Mary's Colgan 25 [2] Sterling 97, [7] Chase County 48Class 1A DI Girls[1] Little River 76, [8] Crest 27

🏀 Area teams go 6-1 on Day 1 of state tournaments

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — VJ Edgecombe had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Norchad Omier added 12 points and 14 boards, and seventh-seeded Baylor rolled to a 70-56 victory over No. 10 seed Kansas State in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Jayden Dunn also scored 18 points for the Bears (19-13), who built a 20-point lead early in the second half and then cruised into a quarterfinal matchup with ninth-ranked and No. 2 seed Texas Tech on Thursday night.

David N’Guessan had 20 points and Dug McDaniel finished with 14 for the Wildcats (16-17), who edged Arizona State in the first round but were unable to keep the momentum going against the same team that rallied from 12 down to beat them in January.

The Bears ended the first half Wednesday night on a 9-0 run to take a 41-24 lead into the locker room. Kansas State was just 1 for 12 from beyond the 3-point arc at that point, and veteran forward Coleman Hawkins — who scored 26 points against the Sun Devils — was 0 for 4 from the field and quickly growing frustrated.

Kansas State closed within 58-46 with 8 minutes to go, but Hawkins was whistled for a flagrant foul contesting Edgecombe’s dunk, and Jeremy Roach added a basket after his foul shots to help Baylor pull away again.

Kansas State finished 3 of 25 from beyond the arc. Hawkins and McDaniel were each 1 for 6.

Baylor improved to 15-2 when holding an opponent to 70 points or less this season.

Baylor was leading 32-24 with 2:40 left in the first half when it scored the next nine points to take control.

Baylor got 27 points from its bench. Kansas State only got four.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741829331601.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — VJ Edgecombe had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Norchad Omier added 12 points and 14 boards, and seventh-seeded Baylor rolled to a 70-56 victory over No. 10 seed Kansas State in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.Jayden Dunn also scored 18 points for the Bears (19-13), who built a 20-point lead early in the second half and then cruised into a quarterfinal matchup with ninth-ranked and No. 2 seed Texas Tech on Thursday night.David N’Guessan had 20 points and Dug McDaniel finished with 14 for the Wildcats (16-17), who edged Arizona State in the first round but were unable to keep the momentum going against the same team that rallied from 12 down to beat them in January.The Bears ended the first half Wednesday night on a 9-0 run to take a 41-24 lead into the locker room. Kansas State was just 1 for 12 from beyond the 3-point arc at that point, and veteran forward Coleman Hawkins — who scored 26 points against the Sun Devils — was 0 for 4 from the field and quickly growing frustrated.Kansas State closed within 58-46 with 8 minutes to go, but Hawkins was whistled for a flagrant foul contesting Edgecombe’s dunk, and Jeremy Roach added a basket after his foul shots to help Baylor pull away again.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Kansas State finished 3 of 25 from beyond the arc. Hawkins and McDaniel were each 1 for 6.Baylor improved to 15-2 when holding an opponent to 70 points or less this season.<h2>Key moment</h2>Baylor was leading 32-24 with 2:40 left in the first half when it scored the next nine points to take control.<h2>Key stats</h2>Baylor got 27 points from its bench. Kansas State only got four.<h2>Up next</h2>

🏀 K-State falls to Baylor in second round of Big 12 Tournament

⚾ KU hits 5 consecutive home runs in thumping of Minnesota

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741833555614.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;
 
LINCOLN, Neb. --&nbsp;Wichita State put the tying run into scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings but came up empty both times as Nebraska held on for a 5-4 win on Wednesday night at Haymarket Park. The Shockers (6-11) out-hit the Huskers (7-8) 9-5, but left 11 runners on base and went just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position as an early 4-0 deficit proved too much to overcome. It was a rocky beginning for WSU starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-dobbs/9176" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tyler Dobbs</a>(0-1) who allowed the first five batters to reach base against him on three walks and a pair of hits. Cayden Brumbaugh&apos;s RBI double and Gabe Swansen&apos;s two-run single made it 3-0 before an out was recorded and a fielder&apos;s choice later in the inning gave the Huskers a 4-0 advantage. Dobbs settled down after the early salvo, ending his outing by retiring the final eight Nebraska hitters, part of a stretch in which WSU pitchers set down 12 in a row from the end of the first inning through the beginning of the fifth. While the pitching staff was throwing up zeroes, the Shocker offense found the range with two runs in the second and one in the fifth to cut into the deficit.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kam-durnin/9177" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Kam Durnin</a>&nbsp;opened the Shocker scoring in the second with a sacrifice fly and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/camden-johnson/9183" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Camden Johnson</a>rapped a two-out RBI single off Nebraska starter TJ Coats, cutting the lead in half at 4-2. In the fifth,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-livingston/9185" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Josh Livingston</a>&nbsp;singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and came plateward on an RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/lane-haworth/9180" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lane Haworth</a>&nbsp;that got WSU back within a run, 4-3. Nebraska pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the fifth, as Max Buettenback came off the bench to crack a pinch-hit solo homer for a 5-3 cushion. The Shockers had two good scoring chances in the eighth and ninth innings but could only muster one run. In the eighth,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-gustafson/9178" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaden Gustafson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/ryan-callahan/9175" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ryan Callahan</a>&nbsp;opened the frame with singles against Nebraska lefty Jalen Worthley, followed by a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. Johnson lined a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Gustafson to cut the margin back to one, 5-4, but reliever Drew Christo stymied the threat with a strikeout to preserve the lead. In the ninth, Livingston worked a leadoff walk against Nebraska closer Luke Broderick to put the tying run on base. Another sacrifice moved pinch-runner&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaleb-duncan/9419" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Kaleb Duncan</a>&nbsp;to second, but the next two Shockers struck out to secure Broderick&apos;s third save. Gavin Blachowicz (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win for Nebraska with 1.1 scoreless innings in relief. The Shockers got good relief work of their own from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/caleb-anderson/9173" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Caleb Anderson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jeremiah-arnett/9174" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jeremiah Arnett</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-potter/9404" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Nick Potter</a>, who allowed just one run over the final five innings. Johnson led the Shockers with three hits, while Millan added two hits of his own. Wichita State returns home on Friday for a three-game series against Louisiana Tech. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT.</div>

⚾ Nebraska beats WSU for second straight game

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741833616589.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
OMAHA, Neb. &ndash;&nbsp;Omaha utilized nine pitchers to hold K-State to one run Wednesday night, as the Wildcats fell, 3-1, at Tal Anderson Field. Omaha (5-10) spotted starter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tanner-duke/12334" rel="smarttag" rev="12334">Tanner Duke</a></dfn>&nbsp;(0-1) for one run in his four-innings of work, as the redshirt sophomore suffered the loss and scattered three hits with three strikeouts. Duke carried a one-hitter through three innings and retired eight consecutive batters in his first start in a K-State uniform. &nbsp; "Omaha's pitching staff did a great job tonight," commented head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/2603" rel="smarttag" rev="2603">Pete Hughes</a></dfn>. "They used nine different pitchers and constantly gave us different looks that kept us off balance. Credit to them. They limited us to two hits through eight and only walked us twice. Obviously, that makes for a limited scoring offense." "We pitched well enough to win and got a quality start for&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tanner-duke/12334" rel="smarttag" rev="12334">Tanner Duke</a></dfn>. Our guys will make the appropriate adjustments and look forward to playing great in our BiG12 opener this weekend," Hughes added. Nine UNO pitchers were utilized in the win, with Gavin Brummond (1-0) firing two scoreless innings to pick up the win in the Mavericks' third victory over a Power 4 opponent this season. Matt Dreher was awarded the save after punching out the final out of the nightcap. <dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dee-kennedy/12308" rel="smarttag" rev="12308">Dee Kennedy</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/keegan-o-connor/12317" rel="smarttag" rev="12317">Keegan O'Connor</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/aj-evasco/12312" rel="smarttag" rev="12312">AJ Evasco</a></dfn>&nbsp;mustered the Cats' four hits, with O'Connor producing his third multi-hit game of the season. Two of the Mavericks' six hits were for extra-bases, with three different players driving in a run. Sam Beck matched O'Connor with a game-leading two hits and finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. HOW IT HAPPENED After allowing a double in the first, Duke retired eight consecutive batters to bring a one-hitter into the fourth inning, highlighted by a trio of punch outs. Wildcats picked up their first base runner in the fourth, as Lodice was issued a walk and stole second for the Cats' first runner in scoring position. Omaha quickly jammed the bases in the bottom of the inning, after successfully reaching base in the first three at bats. A sacrifice fly plated a run but was followed with a 5-4-3 double play to get the Cats' out of the inning with a one-run deficit. &nbsp; UNO added some traffic in the fifth, but was held to one run with the help of diving play from first baseman&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-bishop/12287" rel="smarttag" rev="12287">David Bishop</a></dfn>&nbsp;before reliever&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/james-guyette/12295" rel="smarttag" rev="12295">James Guyette</a></dfn>&nbsp;forced a fly ball to left field that stranded runners on second and third. Kennedy ended the Mavs' no-hit bid with his two-out double in the sixth inning. <dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/adam-arther/12286" rel="smarttag" rev="12286">Adam Arther</a></dfn>&nbsp;entered the game in the seventh and relieved Guyette, who allowed one earned run in 1 1/3 innings. The sophomore left-hander struck out the first pair of batters he faced before a grounder to third retired the Mavs in order, leaving them scoreless for the first time since the third inning. After eight scoreless innings, the Wildcats jumped on the board and ended the shutout, as Evasco and O'Connor registered back-to-back two-out doubles. The Cats rally was halted as Dreher fanned the final batter to earn his second save of the season. &nbsp; INSIDE THE BOX
<ul>
<li>K-State was held to four hits, committed no errors and stranded ??? on base.</li>
<li>UNO scored three runs on six hits with no errors committed and leaving ??? on base.</li>
<li>Nine pitchers made an appearance for UNO with Brummond earning the victory in relief.</li>
<li>K-State went down in order in four innings.</li>
<li>Kennedy broke up the no-hit bid with a double in the sixth.</li>
<li>Three different Cats recorded a hit &ndash; Kennedy, O'Connor, Evasco.</li>
<li>O'Connor matched a game-high two hits.</li>
<li>Duke (0-1) was tagged for the loss, allowing one earned run on four hits with a game-high three strikeouts.</li>
<li>Four of K-State's six pitchers combined for eight strikeouts.</li>
</ul>
NOTES
<ul>
<li>K-State leads the all-time series 17-4, that includes a 1-2 record in Omaha.</li>
<li>Under Hughes, the Cats are 5-2.</li>
<li>The Wildcats have turned 10 double plays this season.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>O'Connor produced his third multi-hit game of the season.</li>
<li>Lodice stretched his on-base streak to six with his walk in the fourth.</li>
<li>Wednesday marked Duke's first start in a K-State uniform, and fifth collegiate start.</li>
<li>O'Connor extended his hitting streak to six followed by Kennedy with four.</li>
</ul>
UP NEXT K-State returns to Tointon Family Stadium to open its Big 12 slate on Friday night, as the Cats host Utah (11-5). The series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. The entire series will broadcast on ESPN+, while a free live streaming audio available for all games at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Live=3268&amp;type=Archive">KStateSports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app. Season and single-game tickets are now available. To purchase tickets, fans can visit&nbsp;<a name="_Hlk192492882"></a>KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.</div>

⚾ K-State drops midweek game at Omaha

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741833364818.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
 
 
LAWRENCE, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;A 10-hit evening powered Wichita State to a 7-3 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on Wednesday evening at Arrocha Ballpark. &nbsp; The win for the Shockers (11-12) snapped a five-game losing streak. &nbsp; In the top of the first, the Shockers&apos; bats came out swinging as&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ellee-eck/9322" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ellee Eck</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lauren-lucas/9314" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lauren Lucas</a></dfn>&nbsp;started the game with back-to-back doubles, giving WSU an early 1-0 lead. &nbsp; In the bottom of the second, the Jayhawks put pressure on starter&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/9309" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alex Aguilar</a></dfn>&nbsp;with two singles to lead off the inning, with both runners moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but the Shocker starter worked around the trouble, inducing two weak flyouts to Eck in left field to hang another zero and maintain a 1-0 WSU lead. &nbsp; In the third, the Shockers put together a sensational two-out rally that resulted in four runners coming across to score.&nbsp; &nbsp; After&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/9318" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Taylor Sedlacek</a></dfn>&nbsp;singled,&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/9312" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sami Hood</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/jodie-epperson/9323" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jodie Epperson</a></dfn>&nbsp;both walked to load the bases with two outs. Then,&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/gabby-scott/9324" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gabby Scott</a></dfn>&nbsp;made the Jayhawks pay, driving in Sedlacek and Hood with her first collegiate hit to put WSU up 3-0.&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/brookelyn-livanec/9329" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Brookelyn Livanec</a></dfn>&nbsp;kept the line moving with a two-run single to give the Shockers a 5-0 lead through three innings.&nbsp; &nbsp; After two scoreless innings in relief from&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/9310" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Chloe Barber</a></dfn>, Epperson drove in Lucas to give the Shockers a 6-0 lead. Later in the inning, Scott added her third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to put Wichita State up 7-0 through five innings.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the bottom of the fifth, KU immediately responded, drawing a leadoff walk, followed by back-to-back doubles to shrink the Shocker lead to 7-2, forcing a Wichita State pitching change. Now facing&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ryley-nihart/9325" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ryley Nihart</a></dfn>, Kansas added a run on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-3, but that was the end of the damage for the Jayhawks in the fifth. &nbsp; Nihart held the Jayhawks in check across the final two innings, giving the Shockers a 7-3 road victory. &nbsp; Barber earned the win in her 2.0 innings of relief. Nihart notched a save for 3.0 innings of work, allowing no runs on one hit. &nbsp; Seven Shockers recorded a hit with Eck, Lucas and Sedlacek recording two each. &nbsp; Next Up The Shockers return home to begin their conference series against North Texas at 6:00 PM CT on Friday at Wilkins Stadium</div>

🥎 WSU snaps losing streak with win at KU

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was hit on the forearm by a pitch and left a spring training game against Seattle on Wednesday, but X-rays came back negative and the club said its young All-Star will continue to be evaluated.

Witt immediately fell to the ground after he was struck by a 95 mph fastball thrown by Andrés Muñoz in the fifth inning. He walked to the dugout after being tended to by a trainer and tried to shake off the pain before heading to the clubhouse.

The Royals described his injury as a contusion and did not say how long he would be out.

Witt was the runner-up to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race after hitting .332 with 32 homers and 109 RBIs in 161 games last year. He led the AL with 211 hits in his third big league season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730720651347.jpeg" alt="FILE - Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws out New York Yankees' Gleyber Torres at first during the first inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws out New York Yankees' Gleyber Torres at first during the first inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was hit on the forearm by a pitch and left a spring training game against Seattle on Wednesday, but X-rays came back negative and the club said its young All-Star will continue to be evaluated.Witt immediately fell to the ground after he was struck by a 95 mph fastball thrown by Andrés Muñoz in the fifth inning. He walked to the dugout after being tended to by a trainer and tried to shake off the pain before heading to the clubhouse.The Royals described his injury as a contusion and did not say how long he would be out.Witt was the runner-up to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race after hitting .332 with 32 homers and 109 RBIs in 161 games last year. He led the AL with 211 hits in his third big league season.

⚾ X-rays negative on Bobby Witt Jr. after the Royals’ All-Star shortstop is hit by a pitch

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741095160913.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy KSHSAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KSHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure><div>KSHSAA Covered
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
CLASS 3A GIRLS &nbsp; At Hutchinson Sports Arena &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=12&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/8_Colby_HS.jpg" alt="15850" width="680" height="480" data-airgap-id="46" />
<figcaption>Colby</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; COLBY &nbsp; Coach: Yancey Walker &nbsp; Record: 21-2 (No. 6 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Nickerson, 69-18; beat Russell, 50-25; beat Goodland, 35-24 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Osage City (3: 22-1), 4 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Alisabeth Barton, sr., G; Shaylee Holzmeister, jr., F; Brenn Stanley, sr., F; Logan Nolan, sr., G; Ali Flanagin, sr., G; Sadie Cheney, jr., F. &nbsp; Worth noting: Eagles returning to state for the first time since 2011 when they were in Class 4A. &hellip; State appearance is 16th overall and Colby qualifier eight times between 2000 and 2011, reaching the semifinals four times in that span. &hellip; Lone state championship for the program came in 2007 when Eagles won Class 4A state title with 58-46 win over Augusta in title game&hellip; Also finished runner-up in 1990 in Class 4A. &hellip; Eagles were undefeated Great West Activities Conference champions this year, going 12-0 in league play including a sweep of fellow 3A qualifier Holcomb. &hellip; One of two losses came to 5A unbeaten Hays at the Orange and Black Classic and other was five-point loss to Hoxie. &hellip; Barton scored her 1,000th career point this season and averages 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3.3 steals per game. &hellip; Holzmeister, Stanley and Nolan all scored either 7.2 or 7.3 points per game with Holzmeister and Stanley each averaging 6.3 rebounds per contest as well. &hellip; Flanagin adds 5.6 points per game. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/4_Girard_HS.jpg" alt="15851" width="667" height="327" data-airgap-id="47" />
<figcaption>Girard</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; GIRARD &nbsp; Coach: Brad Herlocker &nbsp; Record: 21-2 (No. 5 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Baxter Springs, 56-9; beat Riverton, 49-23; beat Burlington, 41-31 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Silver Lake (4: 21-2), 8 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Maddie Coester, jr., F; Erika Boatman, jr.; Jeriah Adolph, sr.; Kennedy Keller, so.; Karsyn Orand, so.; Marli Sisney, so. &nbsp; Worth noting: Trojans return to state for the second straight year after ending six-year drought last year. &hellip; Trojans fell to Goodland 32-30 in the quarterfinals last year. &hellip; Trip to state is eight overall for the program, which went three straight years from 2015-17, capturing a state championship in class 4A in 2017. &hellip; Trojans also were third in 2010 and fourth in 2016. &hellip; Trojans faced this year&rsquo;s quarterfinal foe Silver Lake in the semifinals of the Burlington Invitational and dropped a 50-48 decision for its first loss of the season. &hellip; Only other loss came to 2A qualifier St. Mary&rsquo;s Colgan by 19, which the Trojans avenged in the regular-season finale with a 12-point win to earn a share of the CNC League title, their 10th in the past 19 years. &hellip; Girard also beat Fort Scott and Burlington twice. &hellip; Herlocker won his 400th career game this season and his 300th at Girard. &hellip; Trojans held seven of last 10 teams they played to 26 points or less. &hellip; Six different players have led the team in scoring in a game this season. &hellip; Coester leads team in scoring at 12.4 points per game while Boatman averages 10.8. &hellip; Adolph, Keller and Orand all average between 6-8 points per game. &hellip; Boatman also averages 8.3 rebounds and Coester is at 5.3 per game. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/_Halstead_HS.png" alt="15853" width="553" height="379" data-airgap-id="48" />
<figcaption>Halstead</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; HALSTEAD &nbsp; Coach: Derek Schutte &nbsp; Record: 22-1 (No. 2 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Smoky Valley, 63-36; beat Nemaha Central, 36-28; beat Marysville, 42-20 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Neodesha (7: 18-3), 2 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Dalaina Schutte, sr., F; Kaci Young, sr., G; Addisen Wills, jr., G; Bailey Bernal, so., F; Jordy Schroeder, so., G; Piper Schroeder, so., G; Tess Williams, jr., F; Ainsley Farmer, jr., G; Onnyka Nedich, so., G. &nbsp; Worth noting: Dragons making just third state appearance in program history, all three coming in the past six seasons. &hellip; Dragons made Forever Four in 2020 and then fell in quarterfinals in 2021 in double-overtime to eventual state champion Cheney. &hellip; Dragons were Central Kansas League champions this year, going 8-1 in league play with only loss coming to 3A unbeaten Hesston, 41-23. &hellip; All but five wins are by double digits and 19-1 regular season record is best in program history. &hellip; Dragons won Marion Preseason Tournament and Haven Wildcat Classic for second straight year, beating 6A Maize, 5A Valley Center and 3A-ranked Haven. &hellip; Dragons set team record with 318 steals this season. &hellip; Leading scorer Piper Schroeder (9.8 points per game) suffered season-ending injury in 18th game. &hellip; No Dragon averages double-figure scoring but six players average at least 6 points per game. &hellip; With Schroeder out, Bernal is leading scorer at 8.8 points per game. &hellip; Wills adds 7.3 points per game while Schutte, Young and Jordy Schroeder are all right around 6.5 points per game. &hellip; Young is leading rebounder at 4.8 per game and Wills leads in assists with 3 per game. &hellip; Bulk of squad helped lead volleyball team to Class 3A state title in the fall. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/1_Hesston_HS.jpg" alt="15854" width="522" height="381" data-airgap-id="49" />
<figcaption>Hesston</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; HESSTON &nbsp; Coach: Matt Richardson &nbsp; Record: 23-0 (No. 1 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Council Grove, 61-16; beat Minneapolis, 51-39; beat Riley County, 42-35 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Holcomb (8: 18-5), 6 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Kendal Brueggen, sr., G; Abby Proctor, sr., G; Kaycee Mason, sr., C; Ava Magill, sr., G; Callie Yoder, jr., G; Jaden Williams, so., G; Jacy Proctor, fr., C; Ashley Lehman, jr.; Avery Krehbiel, sr.; Rhianne Grilliot, jr. &nbsp; Worth noting: Hesston nearly made the most of its first state tournament berth in nearly a decade last year, reaching the championship game before dropping a tight 66-61 decision to undefeated state champion Silver Lake. &hellip; The Swathers had last qualified in 2015 when it captured the second of two straight state championships in Class 3A. &hellip; Trip to state this year is 13th overall and Swathers have runner-up state finishes in 1982 and 1985 as well as last year. &hellip; Swathers are lone unbeaten in 3A this season and now have won at least 14 games in every year of Richardson&rsquo;s 20-year tenure. &hellip; Swathers were Central Kansas League champions and won the Hillsboro Trojan Classic title. &hellip; They handed fellow 3A qualifier Halstead its only loss and also beat 2A qualifier Moundridge. &hellip; Closest call this season was overtime win over Wamego in early January. &hellip; Sitting at 1,723 career points, Brueggen became Swathers&rsquo; all-time leading scorer, surpassing Michelle Arnold, who scored 1,589. &hellip; She also is all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 178. &hellip; Brueggen averages 20.5 points, 6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.2 assists per game this season. &hellip; No other Swather is in double-figure scoring with Abby Proctor closest at 9.3 points per game. &hellip; Mason averages 6.4 points per game and Jacy Proctor comes off bench as a freshman for 6.1 points a game. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/2_Holcomb_HS.jpeg" alt="15855" width="667" height="500" data-airgap-id="50" />
<figcaption>Holcomb</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; HOLCOMB &nbsp; Coach: Andrea Ardery &nbsp; Record: 18-5 (No. 8 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Hoisington, 76-35; beat Scott City, 45-36; beat Beloit, 56-35 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Hesston (1: 23-0), 6 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Halle Jones, sr., G; Isabella Galliart, jr., PG; Jaylee Wickwar, jr., G; Malia Ruda, jr., C; Sammie Magana, jr. G; Delilah Galliart, fr., G; Emma Hill, fr., F; Jayln VanPelt, sr., F; Blanca Baier, fr., G. &nbsp; Worth noting: Longhorns ending decade-long drought with first state appearance since 2013. &hellip; Program has only made four previous trips to state and all four ended with quarterfinal losses. &hellip; Holcomb fell in sub-state finals last year to Goodland, which had won two straight 3A titles going into last season. &hellip; Holcomb finished tied for second in the Great West Activities Conference this year behind champion Colby, which handed Longhorns two of five losses. &hellip; Other losses came to 2A qualifier Moundridge, 4A qualifier Clay Center and Goodland. &hellip; Longhorns won the Gene Keady Classic in Larned. &hellip; Jones scored her 1,000th career point in mid-January and has over 1,200 in her career, averaging 14.2 points per game this season. &hellip; She&rsquo;s also averaging 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. &hellip; Isabella Galliart adds 10.3 points and leads team with 3.9 assists per game. &hellip; Wickwar adds 8.9 points per game and Delilah Galliart comes off bench for 6.5 points, 3..7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game. &hellip; She&rsquo;s one of three freshmen reserves for Longhorns. &hellip; Ruda averages team-best 7 rebounds per game. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/6_Neodesha_HS.jpg" alt="15856" width="770" height="568" data-airgap-id="51" />
<figcaption>Neodesha</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; NEODESHA &nbsp; Coach: Justin Pierce &nbsp; Record: 18-3 (No. 7 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Fredonia, 52-25; beat Prairie View, 46-30; beat Frontenac, 38-29 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Halstead (2: 22-1), 2 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Prayer Roebuck, sr., C; Trinity Bell, sr., G; Allison Stover, fr., G; Darcie Dyke, sr., G; Alivia Morrison, jr., F; Sophia Ecton, fr., G; Samantha Stover, sr., G; Tiana Sanders, so., F; Ayva Gooch, jr., G; Brooklynn Becker, fr., C. &nbsp; Worth noting: Bluestreaks qualified for state for the first time since 2007. &hellip; Trip is just fourth in program history with other trips coming in 1989 and 1991. &hellip; Only final four showing was a fourth in 2007. &hellip; Neodesha shared the Tri-Valley League title with Cherryvale, its first league title since 2008. &hellip; All three losses came to league school, twice to Cherryvale on back-to-back nights and the other to Eureka. &hellip; Bluestreaks captured the title at the Lancer Classic at Southeast-Cherokee. &hellip; Small roster of 11 got smaller with season-ending injuries to Samantha Stover and Kimmy Combs. &hellip; Roebuck went over 1,400 points in her career this season and ranks second in school history in career scoring. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/7_Osage_City_HS.jpg" alt="15857" width="667" height="404" data-airgap-id="52" />
<figcaption>Osage City</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; OSAGE CITY &nbsp; Coach: Kate Boss &nbsp; Record: 22-1 (No. 3 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Osawatomie, 90-26; beat Jefferson West, 75-45; beat Royal Valley, 62-47 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Colby (6: 21-2), 4 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Lexi Boss, sr., C; Kaelyn Boss, fr., G; Emory Speece, jr., G; Sadie Shoemaker, sr., G; Jewelia Kitselman, jr., F; Addi Watson, jr., G; Peyton Pitts, jr., G. &nbsp; Worth noting: Last trip to state for Indians came in 2020 when they fell in state quarterfinals. &hellip; this year&rsquo;s appearance is sixth overall and top placings were third-place finishes in 1987 and 1990. &hellip; Osage City also took fourth in 1991. &hellip; Indians were Flint Hills League regular season and tournament champions, going undefeated in league play this season. &hellip; Only loss came to 1A Division II qualifier Lebo in the title game of the Ike Cearfoss Invitational at Central Heights to start the season. &hellip; Indians avenged that loss with a 41-34 win over the Wolves in the regular-season finale. &hellip; Indians tied school record with 90 points in sub-state quarterfinal win over Osawatomie. &hellip; Osage City hit 11 3-pointers in a game twice this year to set a school record. &hellip; Kaelyn Boss is arguably the top freshman in the state, averaging 23.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5 steals per game. &hellip; Speece averages 13.7 points, 4.2 steals and 3.8 assists per game. &hellip; Lexi Boss and Kitselman each average over 7 points per game with Boss also adding 7.8 rebounds per game to lead team. &hellip; Shoemaker averages 4.4 points per game. &hellip; Indians are 39-6 under coach Kate Boss. &nbsp;
<figure class="caption figure_object_image"><img src="https://kshsaacovered.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=14&amp;image_path=/images/2025/3/11/3_Silver_Lake_HS.jpg" alt="15858" width="667" height="364" data-airgap-id="53" />
<figcaption>Silver Lake</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp; SILVER LAKE &nbsp; Coach: Kyle Porter &nbsp; Record: 2-12 (No. 4 seed) &nbsp; Sub-state results: beat Perry-Lecompton, 77-23; beat St. Marys, 51-31; beat Wellsville, 58-25 &nbsp; State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Girard (5: 21-2), 8 p.m. Wednesday &nbsp; Key players: Kailyn Hanni, jr., G; Karys Deiter, fr., G; Ella Bolan, sr., F; Taylor Zordel, sr., G; Paige Herman, jr., f; Savanah Wende, so., G; Jaylie Whitehead, so., G. &nbsp; Worth noting: Eagles are defending Class 3A state champions, going 26-0 last season and beating Hesston 66-61 in the championship game. &hellip; State title was seventh for the program, which ranks tied for fifth all-time in girls state history. &hellip; Title came on heels of two straight semifinal showings with losses to eventual champion Goodland. &hellip; Silver Lake making fifth straight trip and 18th overall in program history. &hellip; State title was second for Porter as head coach with other coming at Royal Valley in 2019 in Class 3A, where he also finished runner-up in 2018. &hellip; He has seven trips to state in his eight years as head coach and five top-four finishes in those seven trips. &hellip; Eagles took second in the Big East League this year, finishing behind Riley County with whom they split games against this season. &hellip; Only other loss came to 1A Division I unbeaten Centralia, which ended the Eagles&rsquo; 28-game winning streak. &hellip; Eagles beat quarterfinal foe Girard by two in the semifinals of the Burlington Invitational, handing the Trojans their first loss of the season. &hellip; Eagles then won the tournament, beating undefeated Labette County in the finals. &hellip; Hanni is lone returning starter off title team and averages 17.5 points, 6 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game. &hellip; Deiter has been impact freshman with 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game. &hellip; She missed the first game with Girard. &hellip; Bolan averages 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, Wende adds 7.2 points per game and Zordel and Heiman each average 5 points per game.</div>

🏀 KSHSAA 3A girls state capsules

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) class 3A state basketball tournament begins today at the Hutchinson Sports Arena with girls quarterfinal action, with tipoff times at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The boys' quarterfinal games will take place tomorrow.

Best of luck to all student-athletes competing in the Salt City through the rest of this week.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741095160913.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy KHSAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) class 3A state basketball tournament begins today at the Hutchinson Sports Arena with girls quarterfinal action, with tipoff times at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.The boys' quarterfinal games will take place tomorrow.<div>&nbsp;
<h1>CLASS 3A GIRLS&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;</h1>
<h3>2 p.m. - [2] Halstead (22-1) vs. [7] Neodesha (18-3) 4 p.m. -&nbsp;[3] Osage City (22-1) vs. [6] Colby (21-2) 6 p.m. - [1] Hesston (23-0) vs. [8] Holcomb (18-5) 8 p.m. - [4] Silver Lake (21-2) vs. [5] Girard (21-2) </h3>
&nbsp;</div>Best of luck to all student-athletes competing in the Salt City through the rest of this week.&nbsp;

🏀 3A state tournament begins today at Sports Arena

Buhler High School athletic director Justin Seuser has announced Ashley Nehls will be the next head volleyball coach, beginning with the 2025 season.

Nehls was approved at the USD 313 Buhler March Board Meeting held on Tuesday evening.

She brings a wealth of knowledge with head coaching stints at Dodge City Community College and William Woods University (Mo.). She also has numerous years coaching club volleyball throughout the midwest. Nehls' most recent head job at the school level was at Emporia High School.

Nehls played collegiately at Butler Community College from 2004-06, where she led the Grizzlies in aces.&nbsp;

Nehls' husband, Brock, is the head baseball coach at Hutchinson Community College, and is in his second season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741788589471.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy USD 313 Buhler" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy USD 313 Buhler</figcaption>
 </figure>Buhler High School athletic director Justin Seuser has announced Ashley Nehls will be the next head volleyball coach, beginning with the 2025 season.Nehls was approved at the USD 313 Buhler March Board Meeting held on Tuesday evening.She brings a wealth of knowledge with head coaching stints at Dodge City Community College and William Woods University (Mo.). She also has numerous years coaching club volleyball throughout the midwest. Nehls' most recent head job at the school level was at Emporia High School.Nehls played collegiately at Butler Community College from 2004-06, where she led the Grizzlies in aces.&nbsp;Nehls' husband, Brock, is the head baseball coach at Hutchinson Community College, and is in his second season.

🏐 Nehls named head coach at Buhler High School

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) state basketball tournaments tipoff today at seven locations across the state, including class 3A at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Below is the complete schedule for all quarterfinal games to be played today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741095160913.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy KSHSAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KSHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) state basketball tournaments tipoff today at seven locations across the state, including class 3A at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.Below is the complete schedule for all quarterfinal games to be played today.<div>CLASS 6A BOYS&nbsp; At White Auditorium, Emporia&nbsp; Wednesday&rsquo;s quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Shawnee Mission South (21-1) vs. [8] Maize (16-6), 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp; [4] Shawnee Mission Northwest (19-3) vs. [5] Mill Valley (18-4), 4 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp; [3] Derby (21-1) vs. [7] Olathe North (16-6), 6 p.m.&nbsp; [2] Wichita Heights (20-2) vs. [6] Washburn Rural (18-4), 8 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 5A GIRLS&nbsp; At White Auditorium, Emporia&nbsp; Wednesday&rsquo;s quarterfinals&nbsp; &nbsp; [1] Hays (22-0) vs. [8] St. Thomas Aquinas (15-7), 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp; [4] Spring Hill (19-3) vs. [5] Maize South (19-3), 4 p.m.&nbsp; [3] Seaman (22-0) vs. [7] KC Piper (18-4), 6 p.m.&nbsp; [2] Andover (21-1) vs. [6] St. James Academy (18-4), 8 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 4A BOYS&nbsp; At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Ottawa (22-0) vs. [8] Atchison (15-7), 2 p.m.&nbsp; [4] McPherson (18-4) vs. [5] Baldwin (18-4), 4 p.m.&nbsp; [2] Rock Creek (20-2) vs. [7] Abilene (16-6), 6 p.m.&nbsp; [3] Andale (19-3) vs. [6] Pratt (17-5), 8 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 3A GIRLS&nbsp; At Hutchinson Sports Arena,&nbsp;Hutchinson&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Hesston (23-0) vs. [8] Holcomb (18-5), 6 p.m.&nbsp; [4] Silver Lake (21-2) vs. [5] Girard (21-2), 8 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [2] Halstead (22-1) vs. [7] Neodesha (18-3), 2 p.m.&nbsp; [3] Osage City (22-1) vs. [6] Colby (21-2), 4 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 2A BOYS&nbsp; At&nbsp;Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Moundridge (23-0) vs. [8] St. Mary's Colgan (13-10), 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp; [4] Valley Falls (19-4) vs. [5] Syracuse (19-4), 4 p.m.&nbsp; [2] Sterling (20-3) vs. [7] Chase County (14-9), 6 p.m.&nbsp; [3] Ell-Saline (20-3) vs. [6] Rossville (16-7), 8 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 1A DI GIRLS&nbsp; At&nbsp;United Wireless Arena,&nbsp;Dodge City&nbsp; Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] Little River (21-0) vs. [8] Crest (14-7) , 6 p.m.&nbsp; [4] South Gray (21-2) vs. [5] Quinter (20-3), 8 p.m.&nbsp; [2] Centralia (23-0) vs. [7] St. John (18-5), 2 p.m.&nbsp; [3] Troy (21-1) vs. [6] Central Plains (19-3), 4 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
CLASS 1A DII&nbsp;GIRLS At&nbsp;Colby Event Center, Colby Wednesday's quarterfinals&nbsp;
[1] South Haven (21-1) vs. [8] Linn (16-6), 2 p.m.&nbsp; [4] Bucklin (20-3) vs. [5] Attica (20-3), 4 p.m.&nbsp; [2] Lebo (20-2) vs. [7] Hodgeman County (18-5), 6 p.m.&nbsp; [3] Hanover (20-2) vs. [6] Wallace County (18-4), 8 p.m.&nbsp;
&nbsp;</div>

🏀 KSHSAA state tournament: Day 1 schedule

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/boxscores/20250311_cf1k.xml">BOX SCORE</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball season came to an end with a 74-73 loss to Butler in the Region VI Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons finished the season with a 19-12 record. Butler (22-10) will play Cowley in the semifinals Friday in Hays.

HutchCC trailed by eight with 2:07 remaining but rallied to cut the deficit to 71-70 with nine seconds left after two free throws by DJ Dudley.

Butler made one of two free throws to extend its lead to 72-70. Dudley then drove the length of the floor but lost control of the ball, dribbling it off his thigh and out of bounds with three seconds remaining. Russell Branch made both free throws to push Butler’s lead to 74-70. Bo Aldridge hit a 3-pointer as time expired, but the Blue Dragons fell one point short.

Aldridge led HutchCC with 23 points and eight rebounds. Dudley added 18 points, while Khalil Arnold scored 12 off the bench.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741752782337.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Daren Dunn" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Daren Dunn</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/boxscores/20250311_cf1k.xml">BOX SCORE</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball season came to an end with a 74-73 loss to Butler in the Region VI Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday at the Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons finished the season with a 19-12 record. Butler (22-10) will play Cowley in the semifinals Friday in Hays.HutchCC trailed by eight with 2:07 remaining but rallied to cut the deficit to 71-70 with nine seconds left after two free throws by DJ Dudley.Butler made one of two free throws to extend its lead to 72-70. Dudley then drove the length of the floor but lost control of the ball, dribbling it off his thigh and out of bounds with three seconds remaining. Russell Branch made both free throws to push Butler’s lead to 74-70. Bo Aldridge hit a 3-pointer as time expired, but the Blue Dragons fell one point short.Aldridge led HutchCC with 23 points and eight rebounds. Dudley added 18 points, while Khalil Arnold scored 12 off the bench.

🏀 Butler ends Blue Dragons' season in Region VI Tournament quarterfinal

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2024-25/boxscores/20250311_cs88.xml">BOX SCORE</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 9 Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team overcame a sluggish start and poor shooting to defeat Colby 59-49 in the Region VI Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons will face No. 20 Coffeyville (25-5) in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. The Red Ravens defeated Seward County 61-50 on Tuesday.

HutchCC (28-3) shot just 32% from the field, including 4 of 30 from 3-point range. Katie Duncan made three of the four 3-pointers and finished with 11 points, including a basket to end the third quarter that gave the Blue Dragons a 37-36 lead.

Both teams struggled offensively early, as Colby (16-16) led 9-6 after the first quarter. Hutchinson shot 3-for-18 from the field in the opening period, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

The Blue Dragons’ shooting woes continued in the second quarter, and Colby took a 23-20 lead into halftime. The Trojans extended their lead to 27-20 early in the third quarter before Hutchinson began to rally. Duncan’s runner at the end of the period gave the Blue Dragons their first lead since 18-16 in the second quarter.

Hutchinson built on its momentum in the fourth quarter, extending its lead to as many as 18 points.

Hailey Jackson led the Blue Dragons with 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Jada Pleasant also scored in double figures with 11 points.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741751406814.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Daren Dunn" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Daren Dunn</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2024-25/boxscores/20250311_cs88.xml">BOX SCORE</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 9 Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team overcame a sluggish start and poor shooting to defeat Colby 59-49 in the Region VI Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday at the Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons will face No. 20 Coffeyville (25-5) in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. The Red Ravens defeated Seward County 61-50 on Tuesday.HutchCC (28-3) shot just 32% from the field, including 4 of 30 from 3-point range. Katie Duncan made three of the four 3-pointers and finished with 11 points, including a basket to end the third quarter that gave the Blue Dragons a 37-36 lead.Both teams struggled offensively early, as Colby (16-16) led 9-6 after the first quarter. Hutchinson shot 3-for-18 from the field in the opening period, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range.The Blue Dragons’ shooting woes continued in the second quarter, and Colby took a 23-20 lead into halftime. The Trojans extended their lead to 27-20 early in the third quarter before Hutchinson began to rally. Duncan’s runner at the end of the period gave the Blue Dragons their first lead since 18-16 in the second quarter.Hutchinson built on its momentum in the fourth quarter, extending its lead to as many as 18 points.Hailey Jackson led the Blue Dragons with 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Jada Pleasant also scored in double figures with 11 points.

🏀 HutchCC women beat Colby, advance to Region VI semifinal

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741279495945.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy NJCAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy NJCAA</figcaption>
 </figure><div><h1>Region VI Tournament women's quarterfinals</h1>
Games played at higher seeds
5:30 p.m. - No. 2 Hutchinson&nbsp;59, No. 10 Colby 49
5:30 p.m. - No. 3 Coffeyville 61, No. 6 Seward County 50
5:30 p.m. - No. 4 Butler 88, No. 5 Cowley 78
7 p.m. - No. 1 Dodge City 72, No. 8 Barton 40
&nbsp;
<h1>Region VI Tournament men's quarterfinals</h1>
Games played at higher seeds
7 p.m. - No. 1 Cowley 87, No. 9 Dodge City 74
7 p.m. - No. 3 Barton 100, No. 11 Cloud County 87
7:30 p.m. - No. 5 Butler 74,&nbsp;No. 4 Hutchinson&nbsp;73
7:30 p.m. - No. 2 Coffeyville 80, No. 7 Garden City 67</div>

🏀 NJCAA Region VI quarterfinal scores from Tuesday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741753323716.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
MINNEAPOLIS &ndash;&nbsp;Kansas baseball fell to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 10-6 on Tuesday evening at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the loss, graduate&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jackson-hauge/16155" rel="smarttag" rev="16155" data-airgap-id="74">Jackson Hauge</a></dfn>&nbsp;had two doubles, three RBIs and two walks in the defeat. &nbsp; Kansas (14-2) and Minnesota combined to score 16 runs in the first four innings and then neither team scored the rest of the game. The Jayhawks put up four runs in the second inning to take a lead but surrendered five runs in the bottom half of the inning to give that lead back. Minnesota would hold onto that lead the remainder of the contest. &nbsp; HOW IT HAPPENED &bull; Minnesota (7-7) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. A leadoff walk came in to score on an RBI double by Drew Berkland. &bull; Kansas responded in the top of the second inning with four runs, all coming with two outs.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-ballinger/16147" rel="smarttag" rev="16147" data-airgap-id="75">Brady Ballinger</a></dfn>&nbsp;drew a bases loaded walk to tie up the game. Hauge came up next with the bases still loaded and hit one off the wall in right-center field to clear the bases. That gave Kansas a 4-3 lead. &bull; The Golden Gophers answered back with five runs in the bottom of the second inning. A two-run single, two-run triple and an RBI single put Minnesota back ahead by a score of 6-4. &bull; The teams traded a run in the third inning as&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-counsell/16135" rel="smarttag" rev="16135" data-airgap-id="76">Brady Counsell</a></dfn>&nbsp;scored on an error and Minnesota picked up a run on a sacrifice fly. At the end of three innings, it was a 7-5 game. &bull; Counsell provided offense with his bat in the top of the fourth with a two-out RBI single to score Ballinger. That cut the Jayhawks deficit to 7-6. &bull; Minnesota picked up three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Berkland drove in another run on an RBI double and Weber Neels brought in a pair on a two-run single. The Golden Gophers led 10-6 at the end of the fourth. &bull; After an active first four innings offensively, the bats quieted down for both teams. The next four innings were scoreless for both sides.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-cubbler/16153" rel="smarttag" rev="16153" data-airgap-id="77">Jake Cubbler</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/dalton-smith/16144" rel="smarttag" rev="16144" data-airgap-id="78">Dalton Smith</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/kasey-crawford/16123" rel="smarttag" rev="16123" data-airgap-id="79">Kasey Crawford</a></dfn>&nbsp;all had scoreless relief outings. &bull; Kansas loaded the bases in the ninth inning with one out but was unable to score. &nbsp; PITCHERS OF RECORD Win: Noah Rooney (2-2) Final line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO Loss:&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/naun-haro/16149" rel="smarttag" rev="16149" data-airgap-id="80">Naun Haro</a></dfn>&nbsp;(0-1) Final line: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 SO &nbsp; SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME
<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=%40KUBaseball&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1899636941831671813&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fkuathletics.com%2Fnews%2F2025%2F3%2F11%2Fbaseball-kansas-drops-tuesday-game-at-minnesota-10-6.aspx&amp;sessionId=224cbc65bc101b3641f50193a6c8afaaae8e53aa&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1899636941831671813"></iframe></div>
&nbsp; QUOTABLES &amp; NOTABLES "Obviously, it was not the start we were looking for with our staff. Unfortunately, the first couple guys we went to didn't stop the bleeding. I actually thought that we did a pretty good job at the plate. We drew a bunch of walks, had 10 hits and I thought had a decent approach at the plate. But you have to have someone that can come in and stop the hemorrhaging and we didn't. An ugly baseball game on both sides with a lot of a lot of goofy stuff, but I think the good part is that we were locked in the whole time and had the tying run at the plate with a couple of shots at it in the ninth. Good opponent, good opportunity for us to grow and bounce back tomorrow. We're going to have to be better tomorrow." &ndash; Head Coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/dan-fitzgerald/871" rel="smarttag" rev="871" data-airgap-id="82">Dan Fitzgerald</a></dfn> &nbsp; &bull; Kansas lost its first road game of the season. &bull; Hauge finished 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and two walks. &bull; Cubbler, Smith and Crawford all had multi-inning scoreless relief appearances. &nbsp; UP NEXT Kansas and Minnesota will play the second game of its midweek series on Wednesday at U.S. Bank Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on B1G+, with live audio available on the Jayhawk Sports Network.</div>

⚾ Jayhawks drop series opener at Minnesota

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Coleman Hawkins had a season-best 26 points, David N'Guessan converted a crucial three-point play in the final minute, and No. 10 seed Kansas State beat No. 15 seed Arizona State 71-66 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.

Dug McDaniel added 14 points and Max Jones and Brendan Hausen scored 10 apiece for the Wildcats (16-16), who had won two of their last three entering the tournament and now get No. 7 seed Baylor in the second round Wednesday night.

Alston Mason had 17 points to lead the Sun Devils (13-19). Joson Sanon and Basheer Jihad scored 13 apiece and Shawn Phillips Jr. finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Kansas State opened the game on a 17-4 run, watched Arizona State counter with a 20-4 run of its own, and then used another 11-0 run later in the first half to take control. But the outcome was never assured until N'Guessan, who dealt with foul trouble all game, slashed through the lane to convert his three-point play for a 71-64 lead with 37.2 seconds remaining.

The Sun Devils played their fifth consecutive game without freshman Jayden Quaintance, who continued to deal with a right knee injury. The forward had 18 points and seven rebounds against Kansas State in his most recent game on Feb. 23.

Adam Miller returned from a strained oblique for the Sun Devils, but they still played just seven the entire game.

Before tipoff, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Arizona State coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-hurley-arizona-state-basketball-d0ee54c2c93989fd2d257619748c6f58">Bobby Hurley was expected to return</a>&nbsp;for an 11th season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.

Arizona State finished with a losing record for the fourth time in five years.

Kansas State finished with a 20-10 advantage in points off turnovers, despite committing three more than the Sun Devils.

N'Guessan's slashing layup on which he was fouled. He's just a 58.5% foul shooter but made the free throw.

Kansas State led for 35 minutes, 39 seconds.

The Wildcats will play the Bears on Wednesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741741541721.png" alt="K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Coleman Hawkins had a season-best 26 points, David N'Guessan converted a crucial three-point play in the final minute, and No. 10 seed Kansas State beat No. 15 seed Arizona State 71-66 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.Dug McDaniel added 14 points and Max Jones and Brendan Hausen scored 10 apiece for the Wildcats (16-16), who had won two of their last three entering the tournament and now get No. 7 seed Baylor in the second round Wednesday night.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741741505040.png" alt="K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Alston Mason had 17 points to lead the Sun Devils (13-19). Joson Sanon and Basheer Jihad scored 13 apiece and Shawn Phillips Jr. finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.Kansas State opened the game on a 17-4 run, watched Arizona State counter with a 20-4 run of its own, and then used another 11-0 run later in the first half to take control. But the outcome was never assured until N'Guessan, who dealt with foul trouble all game, slashed through the lane to convert his three-point play for a 71-64 lead with 37.2 seconds remaining.The Sun Devils played their fifth consecutive game without freshman Jayden Quaintance, who continued to deal with a right knee injury. The forward had 18 points and seven rebounds against Kansas State in his most recent game on Feb. 23.Adam Miller returned from a strained oblique for the Sun Devils, but they still played just seven the entire game.Before tipoff, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Arizona State coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-hurley-arizona-state-basketball-d0ee54c2c93989fd2d257619748c6f58">Bobby Hurley was expected to return</a>&nbsp;for an 11th season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Arizona State finished with a losing record for the fourth time in five years.Kansas State finished with a 20-10 advantage in points off turnovers, despite committing three more than the Sun Devils.<h2>Key moment</h2>N'Guessan's slashing layup on which he was fouled. He's just a 58.5% foul shooter but made the free throw.<h2>Key stats</h2>Kansas State led for 35 minutes, 39 seconds.<h2>Up next</h2>The Wildcats will play the Bears on Wednesday night.

🏀 Hawkins scores 26 as K-State beats Arizona State in Big 12 tourney

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741753417655.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
LINCOLN, Neb. --&nbsp;Nebraska scored nine runs over their final four innings to cruise past Wichita State 10-1 on Tuesday night at Haymarket Park. The Shockers (6-10) trailed just 1-0 into the bottom of the fifth, but the Huskers (6-8) scored three times in the fifth, once in the seventh and five times in the eighth to blow the game open. Wichita State was held to just four hits by a combination of five Nebraska pitchers and struck out 14 times. WSU starter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jace-miner/9423" rel="smarttag" rev="9423" data-airgap-id="58">Jace Miner</a></dfn>&nbsp;(1-2) kept the Shockers within striking distance, allowing just one run through the first four innings. But a pair of WSU errors helped the Huskers strike for three runs in the fifth, capped by a two-run single from Devin Nunez that extended the Nebraska lead to 4-0. Nebraska starter Carson Jasa&nbsp;(1-1) held the Shockers scoreless over five innings, striking out eight in the process. WSU finally got on the board in the sixth against the Huskers bullpen via a solo home run from&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/lane-haworth/9180" rel="smarttag" rev="9180" data-airgap-id="59">Lane Haworth</a></dfn>, cutting the deficit to 4-1. But Nebraska answered back with a Nunez RBI groundout in the bottom of the inning and then scored five runs on just a single hit in the bottom of the eighth, capitalizing on two walks and three hit by pitches. Nunez plated the final two runs of the night with a two-run single, giving him five RBI on the night. In addition to Haworth's homer, the Shockers got hits from&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jordan-rogers/9191" rel="smarttag" rev="9191" data-airgap-id="60">Jordan Rogers</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/camden-johnson/9183" rel="smarttag" rev="9183" data-airgap-id="61">Camden Johnson</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/zeb-henry/9413" rel="smarttag" rev="9413" data-airgap-id="62">Zeb Henry</a></dfn>, who recorded his first WSU hit with a third inning single. The Shockers and Huskers conclude the midweek series on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT.</div>

⚾ Shockers stifled by Huskers 

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region VI men's and women's basketball tournaments continue today with quarterfinal games.&nbsp;

Hutchinson and Coffeyville are the lone teams to have a doubleheader at their home venue, as both Blue Dragon and Red Raven women and men received a first round bye.

Below you will see the schedule for quarterfinal games. The quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, which will be held at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University on Friday. The Region VI championship games will be played on Saturday in Hays.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741279495945.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy NJCAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy NJCAA</figcaption>
 </figure>The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region VI men's and women's basketball tournaments continue today with quarterfinal games.&nbsp;Hutchinson and Coffeyville are the lone teams to have a doubleheader at their home venue, as both Blue Dragon and Red Raven women and men received a first round bye.Below you will see the schedule for quarterfinal games. The quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, which will be held at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University on Friday. The Region VI championship games will be played on Saturday in Hays.<div><h1>Region VI Tournament women's quarterfinals</h1>
Games played at higher seeds
5:30 p.m. - No. 2 Hutchinson vs. No. 10 Colby
5:30 p.m. - No. 3 Coffeyville vs. No. 6 Seward County
5:30 p.m. - No. 4 Butler vs. No. 5 Cowley
7 p.m. - No. 1 Dodge City vs. No. 8 Barton
&nbsp;
<h1>Region VI Tournament men's quarterfinals</h1>
Games played at higher seeds
7 p.m. - No. 1 Cowley vs. No. 9 Dodge City
7 p.m. - No. 3 Barton vs. No. 11 Cloud County
7:30 p.m. - No. 4 Hutchinson vs. No. 5 Butler
7:30 p.m. - No. 2 Coffeyville vs. No. 7 Garden City</div>

🏀 NJCAA Region VI Tournament continues with quarterfinal action

🎧 LISTEN: 🏀 HutchCC opens Region VI Tournament this evening; 🏀 K-State opens Big 12 Tournament play

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a two-year, $30 million contract with offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and a one-year, $3.5 million contract with his former 49ers teammate Elijah Mitchell, two people familiar with the deals told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither contract has become official.

The Chiefs spent the entire season searching for an upgrade at left tackle after rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year pro Wanya Morris struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes. They ultimately slid All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to tackle for the stretch run and the playoffs, but they were still unable to protect Mahomes in a lopsided Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.

Last week, the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, creating another hole along their offensive line. It is possible that Suamataia transitions from tackle to guard and gets the first chance at that spot.

The trade nevertheless left Kansas City with one fewer option to play offensive tackle. And when the Ravens signed Ronnie Stanley to a three-year, $60 million contract to keep the best potential option off the free-agent market, the Chiefs began to look elsewhere, and they ultimately settled on a tackle in Moore who appeared in 55 games the past four years in San Francisco.

The 27-year-old Moore was picked by the 49ers in the fifth round out of the 2021 draft of Western Michigan. And while he only started 12 games for San Francisco, five of them came late last season, and he fared well in the expanded role.

The Chiefs could still draft an offensive tackle to provide competition or serve as an understudy, but Moore at least solidifies one of their biggest holes. They already have signed center Creed Humphrey to a long-term deal and are working on an extension for right guard Trey Smith, whom they used the franchise tag on earlier in the offseason.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs signed the 26-year-old Mitchell in the hopes he can revitalized an injury-prone career in Kansas City.

Mitchell wowed scouts at the NFL combine in 2021, when he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, and he ran for nearly 1,000 yards in just 11 games as a rookie. But Mitchell only appeared in five games the following year because of knee injuries, and 11 games two seasons ago, before landing on the reserve/injured list during last year’s roster cuts because of a hamstring injury.

The only other running backs on the Kansas City roster had been Isiah Pacheco, who is entering a contract year after missing a portion of last season because of an injury, along with journeyman Keontay Ingram and hybrid-fullback Carson Steele.

Their third-down back, Samaje Perine, is a free agent along with Kareem Hunt, who played well for the Chiefs after Pacheco got hurt. Hunt went unsigned last offseason because of an injury but is expected to get plenty of offers this offseason.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741230834058.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a two-year, $30 million contract with offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and a one-year, $3.5 million contract with his former 49ers teammate Elijah Mitchell, two people familiar with the deals told The Associated Press.The people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither contract has become official.The Chiefs spent the entire season searching for an upgrade at left tackle after rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year pro Wanya Morris struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes. They ultimately slid All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to tackle for the stretch run and the playoffs, but they were still unable to protect Mahomes in a lopsided Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.Last week, the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, creating another hole along their offensive line. It is possible that Suamataia transitions from tackle to guard and gets the first chance at that spot.The trade nevertheless left Kansas City with one fewer option to play offensive tackle. And when the Ravens signed Ronnie Stanley to a three-year, $60 million contract to keep the best potential option off the free-agent market, the Chiefs began to look elsewhere, and they ultimately settled on a tackle in Moore who appeared in 55 games the past four years in San Francisco.The 27-year-old Moore was picked by the 49ers in the fifth round out of the 2021 draft of Western Michigan. And while he only started 12 games for San Francisco, five of them came late last season, and he fared well in the expanded role.The Chiefs could still draft an offensive tackle to provide competition or serve as an understudy, but Moore at least solidifies one of their biggest holes. They already have signed center Creed Humphrey to a long-term deal and are working on an extension for right guard Trey Smith, whom they used the franchise tag on earlier in the offseason.Meanwhile, the Chiefs signed the 26-year-old Mitchell in the hopes he can revitalized an injury-prone career in Kansas City.Mitchell wowed scouts at the NFL combine in 2021, when he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, and he ran for nearly 1,000 yards in just 11 games as a rookie. But Mitchell only appeared in five games the following year because of knee injuries, and 11 games two seasons ago, before landing on the reserve/injured list during last year’s roster cuts because of a hamstring injury.The only other running backs on the Kansas City roster had been Isiah Pacheco, who is entering a contract year after missing a portion of last season because of an injury, along with journeyman Keontay Ingram and hybrid-fullback Carson Steele.Their third-down back, Samaje Perine, is a free agent along with Kareem Hunt, who played well for the Chiefs after Pacheco got hurt. Hunt went unsigned last offseason because of an injury but is expected to get plenty of offers this offseason.

🏈 Chiefs bringing in offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and running back Elijah Mitchell, AP sources say

The Hutchinson Community College baseball team moved up one spot to No. 20 in the latest NJCAA DI Baseball Rankings released on Monday afternoon.

The Blue Dragons are 16-3 overall, 3-1 in the Jayhawk Conference West. HutchCC will host Cowley on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field for a single game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741353702312.jpeg" alt="Eli Duncan smacked two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs in No. 21 Hutchinson's 23-11 rule-run win over Dodge City in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Thursday, March 7 in Dodge City. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Eli Duncan smacked two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs in No. 21 Hutchinson's 23-11 rule-run win over Dodge City in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Thursday, March 7 in Dodge City. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Hutchinson Community College baseball team moved up one spot to No. 20 in the latest NJCAA DI Baseball Rankings released on Monday afternoon.The Blue Dragons are 16-3 overall, 3-1 in the Jayhawk Conference West. HutchCC will host Cowley on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field for a single game.<div><h2>2025 NJCAA DI Baseball Poll - Week 3 - 03-10-25</h2>
&nbsp;
<div class="awards">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Place</td>
<td>Name</td>
<td>Region</td>
<td>Record</td>
<td>Points</td>
<td>1st Place</td>
<td>Prev.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Weatherford College</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>18-3</td>
<td>198</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>College of Southern Nevada</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>27-4</td>
<td>194</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Northwest Florida State College</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>19-5</td>
<td>184</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Louisiana State University Eunice</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>22-1</td>
<td>173</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Shelton State Community College</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>16-3</td>
<td>170</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Florida Southwestern State College</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>20-6</td>
<td>160</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Blinn College</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>16-6</td>
<td>153</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Johnson County Community College</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>17-5</td>
<td>136</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Cowley County Community College</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>12-3</td>
<td>131</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Indian River State College</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>17-7</td>
<td>128</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>Midland College</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>18-4</td>
<td>113</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Gulf Coast State College</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>16-5</td>
<td>105</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>McLennan Community College</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>12-5</td>
<td>102</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Walters State Community College</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>18-4-1</td>
<td>101</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>Georgia Highlands College</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>21-4</td>
<td>88</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td>John A. Logan College</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>19-5</td>
<td>88</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>College of Central Florida</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>19-6</td>
<td>85</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>Florence-Darlington Technical College</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>20-7</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>Salt Lake Community College</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>10-6</td>
<td>49</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>Hutchinson Community College</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>16-3</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td>El Paso Community College</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>22-2</td>
<td>36</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td>Arizona Western College</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>20-6</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td>Southwest Tennessee Community College</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>17-5</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>N/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td>Bossier Parish Community College</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>17-5</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>N/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td>Chipola College</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>21-10</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
&nbsp;
Receiving Votes: Alvin, San Jacinto, Crowder, Cochise, Polk State</div>

⚾ Blue Dragons move up to No. 20 in latest rankings

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741658068571.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
MANHATTAN, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Junior&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/maximus-martin/12314" rel="smarttag" rev="12314">Maximus Martin</a></dfn>&nbsp;was selected as the Golden Spikes Award Player of the Week by USA Baseball on Monday, as the shortstop becomes the first player in school history to garner the weekly award. In addition to the national honor, Martin was voted the Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week, announced by the league offices. He is the third Wildcat to pick up Big 12 weekly honors in consecutive weeks, joining outfielder Drew Mount (2018) and right-handed pitcher Nate Griep (2015). Rising to the second-best slugging percentage (1.143) and third-best batting average (.524) in Division I, Martin is coming off a monstrous offensive weekend at Tointon Family Stadium. A product of Edgewater Park, N.J, Martin turned in an incredible 2.714 OPS, after launching five home runs and tallying 12 runs batted in in the Wildcats three-game series sweep of William &amp; Mary. He now leads the Big 12 with a season 1.735 OPS. He became the first player since 2018 to drive in eight RBI in a single game, while achieving the first multi-homer game this season for K-State with his first-inning grand slam and three-run homer in the second on Saturday. In the series finale, Martin homered in his fourth consecutive game with another two-homer game, which marked the third straight game with a home run in the first inning. He finished 5-for-5 on the day, falling short of a triple of completing the cycle and became the first K-State player and fourth from the Big 12 to turn in a five-hit day. K-State (9-5) will hit the road for a couple of midweek matchups, facing Creighton (7-4) and Omaha (4-10) on March 11-12. Following the games in Nebraska, the Cats will open Big 12 play at Tointon Family Stadium on Friday, March 14 with a three-game series against Utah (11-3). Season and single-game tickets are now available. To purchase tickets, fans can visit&nbsp;<a name="_Hlk192492882"></a>KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.</div>

⚾ K-State's Martin picks up Golden Spikes Award Player of the Week honors

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741657924303.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;The AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League) unveiled the schedule and locations for its inaugural regular season, which launches with Opening Day on Saturday, June 7 in Wichita and Chicago. Due to overwhelming demand from cities eager to host professional softball and as the popularity of women's professional sports continues to surge, AUSL has expanded its original plans to now include 10 cities, with more to be announced at a later date. &nbsp; Four teams &ndash; the&nbsp;<a href="https://theausl.com/bandits">Bandits</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://theausl.com/blaze">Blaze</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://theausl.com/talons">Talons</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://theausl.com/volts">Volts</a>&nbsp;&ndash; will play 24 games each between June 7 and July 23. The season will start with the Bandits and Talons playing a three game series in Chicago, while the Blaze and Volts play a four game series in Wichita. Each team will travel to 4-6 markets throughout the summer, culminating with the top two teams competing in the&nbsp;AUSL Championship, a best-of-three series to be held July 26-28 at the University of Alabama's Rhoads Stadium. &nbsp; Following the AUSL Championship, 60 players will compete for an individual championship in the&nbsp;AUSL All-Star Cup, a 24-game competition in August featuring the original Athletes Unlimited scoring system. &nbsp; 2025 AUSL venues (and series per market) include: &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rosemont, Illinois (just outside Chicago):&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/chicago">The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex</a>&nbsp;(11 games across four series) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wichita, Kansas:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/wichita">Wilkins Stadium at Wichita State University</a>&nbsp;(11 total games across four series) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tuscaloosa, Alabama:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/alabama">Rhoads Stadium at the University of Alabama</a>&nbsp;(two game series, plus the AUSL Championship) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Round Rock, Texas&nbsp;(just outside of Austin, Texas):&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/austin">Dell Diamond in Round Rock</a>, home of the MiLB AAA Round Rock Express (4-game series) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Salt Lake City, UT:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/salt-lake-city">Dumke Family Softball Stadium at the University of Utah&nbsp;</a>(4-game series) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sulphur, Louisiana:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/louisiana">McMurry Park at Lake Charles</a>&nbsp;(3-game series). Held during the Jennie Finch World Series, a youth softball tournament produced by Olympian, USA Softball legend and AUSL Advisor,&nbsp;Jennie Finch. &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chattanooga, Tennessee:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/tennessee">Jim Frost Stadium at Warner Park</a>&nbsp;(3-game series) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Omaha, Nebraska:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/omaha">Connie Claussen Field at University of Nebraska-Omaha</a>&nbsp;(3-game series)
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Following the AUSL Championship, 60 players will compete for an individual championship in the&nbsp;AUSL All-Star Cup, a 24-game competition in August featuring the innovative Athletes Unlimited scoring system. The venues for these games include:
<div> ● &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Rosemont, Illinois (just outside Chicago): The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex&nbsp;(18 games)</div>
</div>
&nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Raleigh, North Carolina:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/raleigh">Ting Stadium at Holly Springs</a>&nbsp;(4&nbsp;games) &nbsp; ●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Greenville, North Carolina:&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/greenville">Max R. Joyner Family Stadium at&nbsp;</a><a href="http://theausl.com/greenville">East&nbsp;</a><a href="http://theausl.com/greenville">Carolina University</a>&nbsp;(2&nbsp;games: the AUSL Pro Games at the Little League Softball World Series presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods) &nbsp; The full schedule can be found&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/schedule">here</a>&nbsp;and below. Series ticket packages are available&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/tickets">here</a>. More information, including team rosters and the schedule broken down by team can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/">theAUSL.com</a>. &nbsp; "We were truly overwhelmed by the number of cities with world-class venues and a history of supporting softball interested in being part of the historic first season of the AUSL," said&nbsp;Kim Ng,&nbsp;a seasoned sports executive charged with leading the design and launch of the AUSL. "We are looking forward to launching a new era for the sport, and everyone involved with the AUSL &ndash; including players, coaches and staff &ndash; is excited to do so in front of so many passionate softball fans across the country." &nbsp; While the AUSL will be a touring property in its first year, the teams will each be assigned to a single city when the league becomes city-based in 2026. ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner of the AUSL, and will carry 33 total games exclusively across platforms in 2025, with 30 of them to air on linear television. Additional broadcast partners and other details will be announced at a later date. &nbsp;
<div>Each team drafted their first 12 players at the AUSL Inaugural Draft on January 29. All four teams have since signed one additional player, and will fill out the remainder of their 16-player rosters with the incoming class of top NCAA talent who will finish their eligibility in May. The AUSL College Draft will take place in the spring, with details to be announced at a later date.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In addition to the opportunity to compete in the new league, all players will receive benefits unprecedented in the history of the sport, including year-round health insurance, mental health services, paid leave for pregnancy or adoption and in-season childcare.</div>
&nbsp; About Athletes Unlimited Softball League: Launching in 2025, the AUSL will feature four teams playing a 24-game season (48 total games) in a traditional format. It will also be complemented and followed by the AUSL All-Star Cup (formerly known as the AU Pro Softball Championship Season), creating a new opportunity for the world's best players to compete. In addition to the Player Executive Committee (Aubrey Leach, Megan Faraimo, Sierra Romero, Morgan Zerkle and Sharlize Palacois), softball legends Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman and Natasha Watley are advisors to the AUSL, consulting with AU leadership and current athletes on the strategic direction of the new league. Kim Ng, a trailblazing executive who most recently became the first woman to serve as General Manager of a major American men's professional sports team, joined the organization in 2024 as a Senior Advisor, overseeing the development of the AUSL. The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026, while the inaugural season in 2025 will be a touring property featuring games in six to eight different cities. For more information follow&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/theauslofficial">@theauslofficial</a>&nbsp;and visit&nbsp;<a href="http://theausl.com/">theausl.com</a>. &nbsp; About Athletes Unlimited: Named one of&nbsp;Fast Company's&nbsp;Most Innovative Companies, Athletes Unlimited owns and operates professional women's softball, volleyball, and basketball leagues featuring world-class competition and fan experience, and stands out as an organization driven by the athletes that play in the leagues, with athlete representation on the company's board of directors, each league led by a Player Executive Committee, and players sharing in long-term profits of the company, all while being proactive in shaping policies supporting the women that play in the league. Athletes Unlimited is the first professional sports league to be organized as a Public Benefit Corporation. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://auprosports.com/">AUProSports.com</a>. &nbsp; AUSL SCHEDULE (as of March 10; subject to change) &nbsp;
<table border="0" width="624" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Day</td>
<td>Date</td>
<td>Location</td>
<td>Home Team</td>
<td>Away Team</td>
<td>Time (local)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>June 7</td>
<td>Rosemont</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>2:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>June 7</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>5:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>June 8</td>
<td>Rosemont</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>1:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>June 8</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>4:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>June 9</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>6:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>June 10</td>
<td>Rosemont</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>7:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>June 12</td>
<td>Sulfur, LA</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>6:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
<td>June 13</td>
<td>Chattanooga</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>6:30 pm ET</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
<td>June 13</td>
<td>Sulfur, LA</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>8:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>June 14</td>
<td>Chattanooga</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>12:00 pm ET</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>June 14</td>
<td>Sulfur, LA</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>8:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>June 15</td>
<td>Chattanooga</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>2:00 pm ET</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>June 17</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>6:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>June 17</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>8:30 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>June 18</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>6:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>June 18</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>8:30 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
<td>June 20</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>6:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
<td>June 20</td>
<td>TBA</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>TBA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>June 21</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>6:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>June 21</td>
<td>TBA</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>TBA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>June 22</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>4:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>June 22</td>
<td>TBA</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>TBA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>June 23</td>
<td>Wichita</td>
<td>Blaze</td>
<td>Bandits</td>
<td>4:00 pm CT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>June 23</td>
<td>TBA</td>
<td>Volts</td>
<td>Talons</td>
<td>TBA</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>