ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat the New York Mets 6-5 for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment. When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Smith on a flyball for the final out.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eddie Rosario hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning that sent the Cleveland Indians to an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. Josh Naylor added a two-run shot off Royals reliever Jakob Junis two batters after Rosario during what became a five-run inning. Bryan Shaw got the win in relief of Indians starter Aaron Civale. Emmanuel Clase handled the ninth for his sixth save and has yet to allow an earned run in 13 1/3 innings this season. Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier had two-run homers for Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs used a pair of late-round picks on players with a history of medical problems but undeniable upside. In the fourth round they took defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, whose career at Florida State was interrupted first by hamstring injuries and then a significant right leg injury in 2019. In the sixth the Chiefs took Tennessee offensive linemen Trey Smith, who had blood clots in his lungs that may have been a red flag for other teams.  If both can stay on the field, the Chiefs might have gotten the kind of steals that allow a winning team to stay on top.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor has found its new women's basketball coach. WNBA coach Nicki Collen has been named as the coach of the Lady Bears program that has won three national championships and the last 11 Big 12 regular season titles. Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades made the announcement Monday night. Collen coached the Atlanta Dream the past three seasons. She replaces Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey and will be formally introduced Wednesday on the Waco campus.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — New Oklahoma coach Porter Moser has signed brothers Tanner and Jacob Groves from Eastern Washington, Ethan Chargois from SMU and Jordan Goldwire from Duke as transfers. Tanner Groves averaged 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks as a junior last season. He was the 2021 Big Sky Conference Player of the Year,  The quartet joins returning senior guards Umoja Gibson and Elijah Harkless, junior forward Jalen Hill and redshirt sophomore center Rick Issanza. Oklahoma’s freshman signees are guards Bijan Cortes, Alston Mason and CJ Noland.

CHICAGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Dustin May will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next week. May threw just 27 pitches before leaving Saturday’s 11-inning loss to Milwaukee. After his final pitch, May reacted with obvious discomfort, took a few steps and called for attention. May is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA in five starts this year after making seven appearances in the 2020 postseason.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser died of natural causes at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday. Unser and his younger brother, Al, are two of just 10 drivers to earn three Indy 500 victories, with Bobby doing it in 1968, 1975 and 1981. Unser was one of six members of the Unser family to race in the Indianapolis 500. He was 87.

L-A Dodgers	at	Chi Cubs	2:20 p.m.	(Postponed)

San Francisco	at	Colorado	8:40 p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619688727502.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat the New York Mets 6-5 for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment. When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Smith on a flyball for the final out.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eddie Rosario hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning that sent the Cleveland Indians to an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. Josh Naylor added a two-run shot off Royals reliever Jakob Junis two batters after Rosario during what became a five-run inning. Bryan Shaw got the win in relief of Indians starter Aaron Civale. Emmanuel Clase handled the ninth for his sixth save and has yet to allow an earned run in 13 1/3 innings this season. Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier had two-run homers for Kansas City.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs used a pair of late-round picks on players with a history of medical problems but undeniable upside. In the fourth round they took defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, whose career at Florida State was interrupted first by hamstring injuries and then a significant right leg injury in 2019. In the sixth the Chiefs took Tennessee offensive linemen Trey Smith, who had blood clots in his lungs that may have been a red flag for other teams. If both can stay on the field, the Chiefs might have gotten the kind of steals that allow a winning team to stay on top.WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor has found its new women's basketball coach. WNBA coach Nicki Collen has been named as the coach of the Lady Bears program that has won three national championships and the last 11 Big 12 regular season titles. Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades made the announcement Monday night. Collen coached the Atlanta Dream the past three seasons. She replaces Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey and will be formally introduced Wednesday on the Waco campus.NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — New Oklahoma coach Porter Moser has signed brothers Tanner and Jacob Groves from Eastern Washington, Ethan Chargois from SMU and Jordan Goldwire from Duke as transfers. Tanner Groves averaged 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks as a junior last season. He was the 2021 Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, The quartet joins returning senior guards Umoja Gibson and Elijah Harkless, junior forward Jalen Hill and redshirt sophomore center Rick Issanza. Oklahoma’s freshman signees are guards Bijan Cortes, Alston Mason and CJ Noland.CHICAGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Dustin May will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next week. May threw just 27 pitches before leaving Saturday’s 11-inning loss to Milwaukee. After his final pitch, May reacted with obvious discomfort, took a few steps and called for attention. May is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA in five starts this year after making seven appearances in the 2020 postseason.ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser died of natural causes at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday. Unser and his younger brother, Al, are two of just 10 drivers to earn three Indy 500 victories, with Bobby doing it in 1968, 1975 and 1981. Unser was one of six members of the Unser family to race in the Indianapolis 500. He was 87.MONDAY SCORESAMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Minnesota	6	Texas	5	Final	Cleveland	8	Kansas City	6	Final	Oakland	5	Toronto	4	Final	Baltimore	5	Seattle	3	Final	Tampa Bay	7	L.A. Angels	3	NATIONAL LEAGUEL-A Dodgers	at	Chi Cubs	2:20 p.m.	(Postponed)San Francisco	at	Colorado	8:40 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Philadelphia	4	Milwaukee	3	Final	St. Louis	6	N.Y. Mets	5	Final	San Diego	2	Pittsburgh	0	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Orlando	119	Detroit	112	Final	Washington	154	Indiana	141	Final	Golden State	123	New Orleans	108	Final	Atlanta	123	Portland	114	Final	Philadelphia	106	Chicago	94	Final	New York	118	Memphis	104	Final	Utah	110	San Antonio	99	Final	L.A. Lakers	93	Denver	89

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Whit Merrifield made his big league debut for Kansas City in 2016, the season after the Royals won the World Series.

Five years later, he’s trying to lead another resurgence for a team whose identity should be pretty familiar by now.

The Royals are still trying to beat teams on the basepaths. Merrifield already has eight stolen bases, tied for the major league lead. As a team, Kansas City has 22 steals. Only San Diego has more. That’s despite the fact that Adalberto Mondesi, last year’s major league leader in steals, hasn’t played for the Royals in 2021 because of an oblique injury.

That’s not to say the Royals can’t hit for power. Carlos Santana and Salvador Perez have six homers each. Jorge Soler is off to a slow start this year, but he went deep 48 times just two seasons ago.

Kansas City (16-10) has the best record in baseball, although that note comes with a word of caution: The Royals have been outscored by three runs on the season. They won their first six one-run games before finally dropping one Tuesday at Pittsburgh.

But even if Kansas City eventually falls from its perch atop the AL Central, the Royals seem to be moving in the right direction — and quickly.

The Washington Nationals (12-12) made it to .500 by winning four straight games, and that’s enough to put them in a first-place tie with the New York Mets. The NL East doesn’t have a team with a winning record at the moment, and the only team with a positive run differential is actually last-place Miami, which is at plus-4 in that department but has an 11-16 record.

The Atlanta Braves, division champions the last three seasons, are barely above the Marlins at 12-16 — but they’re also not that far from first place.

Name the only non-Kansas City player to lead the American League in steals since 2017.

Minnesota’s Bryon Buxton put on quite a show in center field Friday night — at the expense of Kansas City’s Andrew Benintendi. In the fifth inning, Buxton made a diving catch on Benintendi’s flyball to shallow center. Two innings later, Benintendi sent a drive to deep left-center, and Buxton made a leaping catch at the wall.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in Toronto’s 9-5 victory over Max Scherzer and Washington on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old Guerrero is beginning to live up to the promise that made him one of the most celebrated prospects of the past few years. He’s hitting .337 with seven home runs and is fourth in the AL in OPS.

Down by two runs in the bottom of the 11th, the Milwaukee Brewers faced a tough task against the Dodgers on Saturday night, even with the help of the automatic runner to start the frame. But two walks loaded the bases, and after a sacrifice fly and a strikeout, Avisaíl García singled home the tying run. Then Travis Shaw won it 6-5 with a single of his own. Los Angeles had a 95.1% chance to win in the top of the 11th, according to Baseball Savant.

The Dodgers have been on the wrong end of some big comebacks lately. They blew a 7-1 lead in a loss to San Diego the previous weekend.

Philadelphia nearly topped Milwaukee’s big rally after trailing the Mets by four heading into the bottom of the ninth Sunday, but replay overturned what would have been a tying homer by Rhys Hoskins, and the Phillies fell a run short in an 8-7 loss.

Mallex Smith of the Seattle Mariners topped the AL with 46 steals in 2019, beating out Mondesi by three. Merrifield led the AL the two years prior to that.

Whit Merrifield made his big league debut for Kansas City in 2016, the season after the Royals won the World Series.Five years later, he’s trying to lead another resurgence for a team whose identity should be pretty familiar by now.The Royals are still trying to beat teams on the basepaths. Merrifield already has eight stolen bases, tied for the major league lead. As a team, Kansas City has 22 steals. Only San Diego has more. That’s despite the fact that Adalberto Mondesi, last year’s major league leader in steals, hasn’t played for the Royals in 2021 because of an oblique injury.That’s not to say the Royals can’t hit for power. Carlos Santana and Salvador Perez have six homers each. Jorge Soler is off to a slow start this year, but he went deep 48 times just two seasons ago.Kansas City (16-10) has the best record in baseball, although that note comes with a word of caution: The Royals have been outscored by three runs on the season. They won their first six one-run games before finally dropping one Tuesday at Pittsburgh.But even if Kansas City eventually falls from its perch atop the AL Central, the Royals seem to be moving in the right direction — and quickly.STUCK IN NEUTRALThe Washington Nationals (12-12) made it to .500 by winning four straight games, and that’s enough to put them in a first-place tie with the New York Mets. The NL East doesn’t have a team with a winning record at the moment, and the only team with a positive run differential is actually last-place Miami, which is at plus-4 in that department but has an 11-16 record.The Atlanta Braves, division champions the last three seasons, are barely above the Marlins at 12-16 — but they’re also not that far from first place.TRIVIA TIMEName the only non-Kansas City player to lead the American League in steals since 2017.HIGHLIGHTSMinnesota’s Bryon Buxton put on quite a show in center field Friday night — at the expense of Kansas City’s Andrew Benintendi. In the fifth inning, Buxton made a diving catch on Benintendi’s flyball to shallow center. Two innings later, Benintendi sent a drive to deep left-center, and Buxton made a leaping catch at the wall.LINE OF THE WEEKVladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in Toronto’s 9-5 victory over Max Scherzer and Washington on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old Guerrero is beginning to live up to the promise that made him one of the most celebrated prospects of the past few years. He’s hitting .337 with seven home runs and is fourth in the AL in OPS.COMEBACK OF THE WEEKDown by two runs in the bottom of the 11th, the Milwaukee Brewers faced a tough task against the Dodgers on Saturday night, even with the help of the automatic runner to start the frame. But two walks loaded the bases, and after a sacrifice fly and a strikeout, Avisaíl García singled home the tying run. Then Travis Shaw won it 6-5 with a single of his own. Los Angeles had a 95.1% chance to win in the top of the 11th, according to Baseball Savant.The Dodgers have been on the wrong end of some big comebacks lately. They blew a 7-1 lead in a loss to San Diego the previous weekend.Philadelphia nearly topped Milwaukee’s big rally after trailing the Mets by four heading into the bottom of the ninth Sunday, but replay overturned what would have been a tying homer by Rhys Hoskins, and the Phillies fell a run short in an 8-7 loss.TRIVIA ANSWERMallex Smith of the Seattle Mariners topped the AL with 46 steals in 2019, beating out Mondesi by three. Merrifield led the AL the two years prior to that.

Royals love to run -- and they’ve raced to MLB’s top mark

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrelton Simmons and Mitch Garver homered in a seven-run third inning, and rookie Alex Kirillof went deep for the fourth time in three games as the Minnesota Twins routed the Kansas City Royals 13-4 on Sunday.

José Berríos (3-2) took advantage of Minnesota’s tear at the plate to win for the first time in four starts. Berríos gave up four runs on six hits and struck out nine in six innings.

The Twins have won three of four and scored 35 runs during that stretch.

Kansas City starter Brad Keller was undone by the long ball and his own defense. Keller (2-3) gave up all seven runs in the third, but only two were earned after a pair of errors by third baseman Hunter Dozier.

Dozier later hit a three-run homer, but the AL Central-leading Royals have lost three of five.

Keller cruised through the first two innings, but things unraveled quickly in the third. The right-hander hit Jake Cave with a pitch and Simmons followed with his first home run of the season to the second deck in left field. Garver capped the inning with a three-run shot an estimated 436 feet to the second deck in left field.

Kansas City couldn’t capitalize on some shaky defense by Minnesota in the sixth as Berríos struck out the final two batters he faced, yelling into his glove as he walked off the mound at the end of the inning.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer is scheduled to start Wednesday in his regular rotation spot after his foot was bruised Friday on a comebacker. ... C Cam Gallagher took foul balls off his helmet on consecutive pitches in the eighth. After each one, Gallagher took time to recover and was attended to by a trainer, but he stayed in the game.

Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said 1B Miguel Sanó (right hamstring strain) will likely be activated in the middle of the upcoming week. The team wants Sanó to get his timing down and he will hit off high-velocity machines.

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (1-1, 3.47 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series against Cleveland on Monday as Kansas City returns home. Junis is coming off his first quality start of the season, when he took his first loss against Pittsburgh. RHP Aaron Civale (4-0, 2.94) is scheduled to pitch for the Indians.

Twins: The homestand continues with four games against Texas, with RHP Kenta Maeda (1-2, 6.56) looking to bounce back Monday. Maeda has allowed 12 runs in 8 2/3 innings over his last two starts. The Rangers will start RHP Dane Dunning (1-1, 3.97).

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrelton Simmons and Mitch Garver homered in a seven-run third inning, and rookie Alex Kirillof went deep for the fourth time in three games as the Minnesota Twins routed the Kansas City Royals 13-4 on Sunday.José Berríos (3-2) took advantage of Minnesota’s tear at the plate to win for the first time in four starts. Berríos gave up four runs on six hits and struck out nine in six innings.The Twins have won three of four and scored 35 runs during that stretch.Kansas City starter Brad Keller was undone by the long ball and his own defense. Keller (2-3) gave up all seven runs in the third, but only two were earned after a pair of errors by third baseman Hunter Dozier.Dozier later hit a three-run homer, but the AL Central-leading Royals have lost three of five.Keller cruised through the first two innings, but things unraveled quickly in the third. The right-hander hit Jake Cave with a pitch and Simmons followed with his first home run of the season to the second deck in left field. Garver capped the inning with a three-run shot an estimated 436 feet to the second deck in left field.Kansas City couldn’t capitalize on some shaky defense by Minnesota in the sixth as Berríos struck out the final two batters he faced, yelling into his glove as he walked off the mound at the end of the inning.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Brady Singer is scheduled to start Wednesday in his regular rotation spot after his foot was bruised Friday on a comebacker. ... C Cam Gallagher took foul balls off his helmet on consecutive pitches in the eighth. After each one, Gallagher took time to recover and was attended to by a trainer, but he stayed in the game.Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said 1B Miguel Sanó (right hamstring strain) will likely be activated in the middle of the upcoming week. The team wants Sanó to get his timing down and he will hit off high-velocity machines.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Jakob Junis (1-1, 3.47 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series against Cleveland on Monday as Kansas City returns home. Junis is coming off his first quality start of the season, when he took his first loss against Pittsburgh. RHP Aaron Civale (4-0, 2.94) is scheduled to pitch for the Indians.Twins: The homestand continues with four games against Texas, with RHP Kenta Maeda (1-2, 6.56) looking to bounce back Monday. Maeda has allowed 12 runs in 8 2/3 innings over his last two starts. The Rangers will start RHP Dane Dunning (1-1, 3.97).

Twins score 7 in 3rd to back Berríos in 13-4 win over Royals

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football held its 2021 Spring Game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, where the White team topped the Blue team, 74-42.

“I thought we had a great all-around day. Guys came out flying with energy and I was super proud of this unit,” senior Sam Burt said. “That’s what we have been practicing all spring and we just really showcased it tonight.”

The defense stole the show on Saturday night, forcing six sacks, 21 tackles-for-loss, and three interceptions.

Leading the defense was senior Kyron Johnson, who recorded 7.5 tackles including 2 sacks. Freshman Johnquai Lewis, freshman Jacobee Bryant and senior Malcolm Lee all came away with interceptions, including Bryant’s which resulted in a touchdown.

On the offensive end, Miles Kendrick competed 17 passes for 29 yards, with Will Huggins the leading receiver hauling in five passes for 66 yards. Amauri Pesek-Hickson led the ground game rushing 14 times for 65 yards.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football held its 2021 Spring Game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, where the White team topped the Blue team, 74-42.“I thought we had a great all-around day. Guys came out flying with energy and I was super proud of this unit,” senior Sam Burt said. “That’s what we have been practicing all spring and we just really showcased it tonight.”The defense stole the show on Saturday night, forcing six sacks, 21 tackles-for-loss, and three interceptions.Leading the defense was senior Kyron Johnson, who recorded 7.5 tackles including 2 sacks. Freshman Johnquai Lewis, freshman Jacobee Bryant and senior Malcolm Lee all came away with interceptions, including Bryant’s which resulted in a touchdown.On the offensive end, Miles Kendrick competed 17 passes for 29 yards, with Will Huggins the leading receiver hauling in five passes for 66 yards. Amauri Pesek-Hickson led the ground game rushing 14 times for 65 yards.

White Tops Blue in Kansas Spring Game

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State defensive end Wyatt Hubert saw his NFL dream come true on Saturday afternoon as he was selected in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hubert, who was chosen with the seventh pick of the seventh round (No. 235 overall), is the fifth Wildcat all-time to be selected by Cincinnati. The last was another defensive end when Jordan Willis, who is currently with the San Francisco 49ers, was taken by the Bengals in the 2017 draft.

A two-time First Team All-Big 12 defender, Hubert started 29 career games for the Wildcats and tied for eighth in school history with 20.0 career sacks. Hubert, who earned votes for the Big 12 Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Year awards each of the last two seasons, was ranked seventh in the nation among active players in career sacks per game (0.59) and 10th in tackles for loss per game (1.00) following the 2020 season.

Hubert, a native of Topeka, Kansas, started every in 2020, totaling 27 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, the latter two being career highs despite K-State playing in a COVID-shortened 10 games. He was the only Big 12 defender to be a unanimous selection to the first team.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1619958930576.png" alt="Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State defensive end Wyatt Hubert saw his NFL dream come true on Saturday afternoon as he was selected in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.Hubert, who was chosen with the seventh pick of the seventh round (No. 235 overall), is the fifth Wildcat all-time to be selected by Cincinnati. The last was another defensive end when Jordan Willis, who is currently with the San Francisco 49ers, was taken by the Bengals in the 2017 draft.A two-time First Team All-Big 12 defender, Hubert started 29 career games for the Wildcats and tied for eighth in school history with 20.0 career sacks. Hubert, who earned votes for the Big 12 Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Year awards each of the last two seasons, was ranked seventh in the nation among active players in career sacks per game (0.59) and 10th in tackles for loss per game (1.00) following the 2020 season.Hubert, a native of Topeka, Kansas, started every in 2020, totaling 27 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, the latter two being career highs despite K-State playing in a COVID-shortened 10 games. He was the only Big 12 defender to be a unanimous selection to the first team.

Hubert Selected by Bengals in 2021 NFL Draft


The Barton Lady Cougar softball team wrapped up the regular season
Saturday with a pair of losses at Independence.


The Lady Pirates took game one 8-6 and completed the sweep with a 7-3
victory in game two.


In having their four game winning streak snapped, Barton dropped to
11-15 in conference play and 17-25 overall. Independence closes the
season with a record of 12-14 and 22-20.


The Region 6 tournament begins on Friday, May 7 at Legends Park in
Dodge City.

The Barton Lady Cougar softball team wrapped up the regular season
Saturday with a pair of losses at Independence.
The Lady Pirates took game one 8-6 and completed the sweep with a 7-3
victory in game two.
In having their four game winning streak snapped, Barton dropped to
11-15 in conference play and 17-25 overall. Independence closes the
season with a record of 12-14 and 22-20.
The Region 6 tournament begins on Friday, May 7 at Legends Park in
Dodge City.

Barton Softball drops final two games at Indy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had precious few holes to fill after reaching their second consecutive Super Bowl.

Good thing. They didn’t have many draft picks to fill them.

The Chiefs traded their first-round choice in a package that landed two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown from Baltimore, leaving them with just two second-round picks, a fourth-rounder and three more in the fifth and sixth.

Yet the Chiefs took advantage of the way the board fell by landing players with their first three selections that they rated much higher than where they were taken, but also filled substantial needs: Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton and Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey went in the second round and Florida State pass rusher Joshua Kaindoh in the fourth.

“We felt there was a lot of depth there in (rounds) two and three, and believe it or not, we were open to fielding some trade-down calls,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. “We felt like there were a number of players there that we liked and again, there was a lot of flexibility. Those trades never really materialized, and we sat on the board.”

Which worked out just fine for a team with designs on a third straight AFC title.

Bolton is a plug-and-play middle linebacker with whom the Chiefs were intimately familiar given his starring role just down Interstate 70 at Missouri. The Chiefs lost Damien Wilson to the Jaguars in free agency, creating a hole in the middle of their defense, but had already been hoping to get more athletic at that position.

Humphrey was widely considered the best center available yet fell into the late second round. That allowed the Chiefs to add him to their complete overhaul of an offensive line that was decimated by injuries and opt outs last season, and whose backups were unable to contain the Tampa Bay pass rush in a blowout loss in the Super Bowl.

“Big, wide, tough, gritty. I kind of labeled him a get-the-job-done type of guy,” said Ryan Poles, one of the Chiefs’ assistant directors of player personnel, who helps to oversee their draft. “He’s a highly intelligent leader.”

The Chiefs also were desperate to improve an inconsistent pass rush. They did that by landing Kaindoh, who slipped to the fourth round largely because of his injury history, but whose athletic traits give him plenty of upside.

“He’s got a great attitude. He’s smart. He works hard. All the intangibles you want in an individual, he has those,” Chiefs area scout David Hinson said. “When the team loves him, coaches love him, the staff, you know you’re getting a good individual, and then you watch the tape and you see flashes of a defensive end that you like to see.”

The Chiefs made a minor swap of draft picks with the Jets to jump from 175 to 162 overall and take Duke tight end Noah Gray. The Chiefs have struggled to find a reliable second tight end behind Travis Kelce the past few years, and Gray is an athletic pass-catching threat that should giving Patrick Mahomes another downfield target.

“This kid really stood out when you looked at the board,” Chiefs assistant director of pro personnel Mike Bradway said. “I thought he was one of the guys we really wanted to target. We didn’t want to wait on the chances of him falling.”

Later in the fifth round, the Chiefs took Clemson wide receiver Cornell Powell as depth behind Tyreek Hill and Co., then added one more offensive lineman to the meeting room with Tennessee guard Trey Smith.

The Chiefs announced that Tim Grunhard, who spent his 11-year career entirely in Kansas City, would join the club’s Hall of Fame. The affable center started 164 games and went to one Pro Bowl before retiring after the 2000 season.

“We wait around long enough good things happen,” Grunhard said with a smile.

Season-ticket holders were invited to a draft party at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday to watch Day 3 selections on the video boards above the end zones. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo were among those who spoke to a masked and socially distanced crowd.

The relatively modest crowd that showed up Saturday could be a whole lot bigger this fall. The Chiefs are optimistic that Arrowhead Stadium will be at full capacity after allowing about 20,000 fans for home games last season.

“The commissioner has been on the record,” Hunt said. “There are a lot of hurdles that need to be jumped over between now and then. The league will have discussions with the union in terms of the protocols, separating fans from players — there’s a lot of work to be done. But our mindset and mentality right now is that we will be at 100 percent.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had precious few holes to fill after reaching their second consecutive Super Bowl.Good thing. They didn’t have many draft picks to fill them.The Chiefs traded their first-round choice in a package that landed two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown from Baltimore, leaving them with just two second-round picks, a fourth-rounder and three more in the fifth and sixth.Yet the Chiefs took advantage of the way the board fell by landing players with their first three selections that they rated much higher than where they were taken, but also filled substantial needs: Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton and Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey went in the second round and Florida State pass rusher Joshua Kaindoh in the fourth.“We felt there was a lot of depth there in (rounds) two and three, and believe it or not, we were open to fielding some trade-down calls,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. “We felt like there were a number of players there that we liked and again, there was a lot of flexibility. Those trades never really materialized, and we sat on the board.”Which worked out just fine for a team with designs on a third straight AFC title.Bolton is a plug-and-play middle linebacker with whom the Chiefs were intimately familiar given his starring role just down Interstate 70 at Missouri. The Chiefs lost Damien Wilson to the Jaguars in free agency, creating a hole in the middle of their defense, but had already been hoping to get more athletic at that position.Humphrey was widely considered the best center available yet fell into the late second round. That allowed the Chiefs to add him to their complete overhaul of an offensive line that was decimated by injuries and opt outs last season, and whose backups were unable to contain the Tampa Bay pass rush in a blowout loss in the Super Bowl.“Big, wide, tough, gritty. I kind of labeled him a get-the-job-done type of guy,” said Ryan Poles, one of the Chiefs’ assistant directors of player personnel, who helps to oversee their draft. “He’s a highly intelligent leader.”The Chiefs also were desperate to improve an inconsistent pass rush. They did that by landing Kaindoh, who slipped to the fourth round largely because of his injury history, but whose athletic traits give him plenty of upside.“He’s got a great attitude. He’s smart. He works hard. All the intangibles you want in an individual, he has those,” Chiefs area scout David Hinson said. “When the team loves him, coaches love him, the staff, you know you’re getting a good individual, and then you watch the tape and you see flashes of a defensive end that you like to see.”OTHER DAY 3 SELECTIONSThe Chiefs made a minor swap of draft picks with the Jets to jump from 175 to 162 overall and take Duke tight end Noah Gray. The Chiefs have struggled to find a reliable second tight end behind Travis Kelce the past few years, and Gray is an athletic pass-catching threat that should giving Patrick Mahomes another downfield target.“This kid really stood out when you looked at the board,” Chiefs assistant director of pro personnel Mike Bradway said. “I thought he was one of the guys we really wanted to target. We didn’t want to wait on the chances of him falling.”Later in the fifth round, the Chiefs took Clemson wide receiver Cornell Powell as depth behind Tyreek Hill and Co., then added one more offensive lineman to the meeting room with Tennessee guard Trey Smith.HALL OF FAMERThe Chiefs announced that Tim Grunhard, who spent his 11-year career entirely in Kansas City, would join the club’s Hall of Fame. The affable center started 164 games and went to one Pro Bowl before retiring after the 2000 season.“We wait around long enough good things happen,” Grunhard said with a smile.PARTY TIMESeason-ticket holders were invited to a draft party at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday to watch Day 3 selections on the video boards above the end zones. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo were among those who spoke to a masked and socially distanced crowd.AS FOR NEXT SEASONThe relatively modest crowd that showed up Saturday could be a whole lot bigger this fall. The Chiefs are optimistic that Arrowhead Stadium will be at full capacity after allowing about 20,000 fans for home games last season.“The commissioner has been on the record,” Hunt said. “There are a lot of hurdles that need to be jumped over between now and then. The league will have discussions with the union in terms of the protocols, separating fans from players — there’s a lot of work to be done. But our mindset and mentality right now is that we will be at 100 percent.”

Chiefs use modest number of draft picks to address big holes


The Barton Baseball Cougars nearly had a sweep of their four-game
series with the Garden City Broncbusters but fell short as Garden
salvaged the final game of the series Saturday at Williams Stadium in
Garden City.


The Broncbusters beat the Cougars 10-9 in game two of the double
header after Barton had taken game one 12-10 in 8-innings. The
Cougars had taken the first two games of the series with a double
header sweep in Great Bend.


With four games left in the season, Barton is 16-12 in Jayhawk
Conference play, one game behind Butler and Cloud County for third
place.


Barton wraps up the regular season starting Thursday at home against
Cloud County. The Cougars will then play in Concordia Saturday in the
final two games of the regular season.

The Barton Baseball Cougars nearly had a sweep of their four-game
series with the Garden City Broncbusters but fell short as Garden
salvaged the final game of the series Saturday at Williams Stadium in
Garden City.
The Broncbusters beat the Cougars 10-9 in game two of the double
header after Barton had taken game one 12-10 in 8-innings. The
Cougars had taken the first two games of the series with a double
header sweep in Great Bend.
With four games left in the season, Barton is 16-12 in Jayhawk
Conference play, one game behind Butler and Cloud County for third
place.
Barton wraps up the regular season starting Thursday at home against
Cloud County. The Cougars will then play in Concordia Saturday in the
final two games of the regular season.
The Region 6 playoffs begin May 14.JAYHAWK WEST
STANGINGSTEAM / CONF/
OVERALL
1. HUTCHINSON	19-7		31-13	
2. SEWARD COUNTY	18-10	23-21	
3. BUTLER - KS		17-11		26-12	
3. CLOUD COUNTY	17-11		28-17	5.
BARTON		16-12	29-16
5. COLBY			17-13	24-22
7. GARDEN CITY	9-19		19-25
8. DODGE CITY		7-21		20-25
9. PRATT			6-22		13-29

Barton Baseball takes 3 of 4 from Garden City

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Benintendi hit two homers, Salvador Perez homered and drove in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals cruised to an 11-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Danny Duffy (4-1) continued his strong start to the season in helping the AL Central-leading Royals bounce back from Friday night’s 9-1 loss. He allowed one run and two hits in seven innings, striking out seven.

Matt Shoemaker (1-3) couldn’t sustain Minnesota’s momentum after back-to-back wins. He gave up nine runs and eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings.

Alex Kiriloff homered for the second straight day for Minnesota and Nelson Cruz added his 425th career homer.

Kiriloff’s homer in the seventh ended Duffy’s streak of 17 straight innings without allowing an earned run.

Duffy started the day with the best ERA in the majors (0.39), ahead of Jacob deGrom’s 0.51 mark. Duffy allowed one earned run in his first four starts this season and exited this game with at 0.60.

Kansas City recalled LHP Kris Bubic from the team’s alternate training site and optioned IF/OF Ryan McBroom to the alternate site. Bubic was 1-6 with an 8.59 ERA in 10 starts for the Royals last season.

Royals: RHP Kyle Zimmer was placed on the injured list prior to the game with a left trap strain. He is 2-0 with one save and a 3.38 ERA in 11 games this season. RHP Jake Newberry was recalled from the team’s alternate site to take his spot on the active roster. … Manager Mike Matheny said RHP Brady Singer is responding well to treatment after taking a liner off his foot in Friday’s game and sustaining a contusion.

Twins: 1B Miguel Sanó (right hamstring strain) will stay in Minnesota with the team as the Triple-A St. Paul team goes on the road to begin its season. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Sanó is doing well physically, but he wants to see Sanó face live pitching before returning him from the injured list.

RHP Brad Keller (2-2, 9.00 ERA) will start the final game of the series on Sunday for Kansas City and will be matched up with Minnesota RHP José Berríos (2-2, 3.04). Keller is coming off his first quality start of the season where he allowed two runs in six innings in a win against Detroit. Berríos hasn’t allowed more than five hits in any start this season and he started the day ninth in the American League with 33 strikeouts.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Benintendi hit two homers, Salvador Perez homered and drove in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals cruised to an 11-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.Danny Duffy (4-1) continued his strong start to the season in helping the AL Central-leading Royals bounce back from Friday night’s 9-1 loss. He allowed one run and two hits in seven innings, striking out seven.Matt Shoemaker (1-3) couldn’t sustain Minnesota’s momentum after back-to-back wins. He gave up nine runs and eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings.Alex Kiriloff homered for the second straight day for Minnesota and Nelson Cruz added his 425th career homer.Kiriloff’s homer in the seventh ended Duffy’s streak of 17 straight innings without allowing an earned run.Duffy started the day with the best ERA in the majors (0.39), ahead of Jacob deGrom’s 0.51 mark. Duffy allowed one earned run in his first four starts this season and exited this game with at 0.60.ROSTER MOVEKansas City recalled LHP Kris Bubic from the team’s alternate training site and optioned IF/OF Ryan McBroom to the alternate site. Bubic was 1-6 with an 8.59 ERA in 10 starts for the Royals last season.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Kyle Zimmer was placed on the injured list prior to the game with a left trap strain. He is 2-0 with one save and a 3.38 ERA in 11 games this season. RHP Jake Newberry was recalled from the team’s alternate site to take his spot on the active roster. … Manager Mike Matheny said RHP Brady Singer is responding well to treatment after taking a liner off his foot in Friday’s game and sustaining a contusion.Twins: 1B Miguel Sanó (right hamstring strain) will stay in Minnesota with the team as the Triple-A St. Paul team goes on the road to begin its season. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Sanó is doing well physically, but he wants to see Sanó face live pitching before returning him from the injured list.UP NEXTRHP Brad Keller (2-2, 9.00 ERA) will start the final game of the series on Sunday for Kansas City and will be matched up with Minnesota RHP José Berríos (2-2, 3.04). Keller is coming off his first quality start of the season where he allowed two runs in six innings in a win against Detroit. Berríos hasn’t allowed more than five hits in any start this season and he started the day ninth in the American League with 33 strikeouts.

Benintendi, Perez lead Duffy, Royals over Twins 11-3


Dodge City jumped to an early lead and
then held off a late Great Bend rally to beat the Panthers 7-4 Friday
at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

The
Red Demons scored a run in the first and eventually built the lead to
6-1 before the Panthers scored two runs in the sixth and one in the
seventh to draw a bit closer.

Sage
Koelch, Joeseph Moeder, Stefan Spray and Chayse Gruber all had rbi’s
for Great Bend who managed just 5-hits in the single 7-inning affair.

The
loss dropped the Panthers to 6-7 on the season while Dodge City
improved to 11-4.

Great
Bend returns to action Monday at home when they host Hutchinson in a
game that was suspended back in March with the Salt Hawks leading 5-0
with the Panthers coming to bat in the bottom of the first inning. 


Dodge City jumped to an early lead and
then held off a late Great Bend rally to beat the Panthers 7-4 Friday
at the Great Bend Sports Complex.The
Red Demons scored a run in the first and eventually built the lead to
6-1 before the Panthers scored two runs in the sixth and one in the
seventh to draw a bit closer.Sage
Koelch, Joeseph Moeder, Stefan Spray and Chayse Gruber all had rbi’s
for Great Bend who managed just 5-hits in the single 7-inning affair.The
loss dropped the Panthers to 6-7 on the season while Dodge City
improved to 11-4.Great
Bend returns to action Monday at home when they host Hutchinson in a
game that was suspended back in March with the Salt Hawks leading 5-0
with the Panthers coming to bat in the bottom of the first inning.

Red Demons take down Panthers 7-4

Baseball -Game 1- Larned 6 Hoisington 2 -Game 2- Larned 5 Hoisington 4

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600485516602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Baseball -Game 1- Larned 6 Hoisington 2 -Game 2- Larned 5 Hoisington 4<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/k0kne4rk/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs selected Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton with the No. 58 overall pick in the NFL draft Friday night, keeping him close to home while providing an athletic upgrade to the middle of their defense.

The Chiefs did not have a first-round pick after dealing it to Baltimore this week in a package for two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Orlando Brown, filling their biggest offensive need. So with their initial pick, the Chiefs used the first of two second-round choices to fill their biggest need on defense.

Many draft pundits had projected Bolton, a Butkus Award finalist, to be a late-first round pick.

Not long after selecting Bolton, the Chiefs took Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey with the 63rd overall pick. Humphrey could wind up as the starting center when next season begins. The Chiefs have veteran fallback candidates but Humphrey will be given the chance to win the job. He is the seventh new offensive lineman from last season. That counts not only Orlando Brown, who came in via trade, and free-agent additions Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and Austin Blythe but also Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang, who opted out of last season.

Earlier in the day, the Chiefs signed running back Jerrick McKinnon to a one-year deal to provide depth behind starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

McKinnon missed the 2018 and ’19 seasons due to injuries but returned last season to appear in 16 games for San Francisco, running for 319 yards and five touchdowns while adding another score through the air.

The Chiefs, unless they trade up, won't have another pick until late in the fourth round. They also head into the draft's final day with two picks in the fifth round and one in the sixth.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs selected Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton with the No. 58 overall pick in the NFL draft Friday night, keeping him close to home while providing an athletic upgrade to the middle of their defense.The Chiefs did not have a first-round pick after dealing it to Baltimore this week in a package for two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Orlando Brown, filling their biggest offensive need. So with their initial pick, the Chiefs used the first of two second-round choices to fill their biggest need on defense.Many draft pundits had projected Bolton, a Butkus Award finalist, to be a late-first round pick.Not long after selecting Bolton, the Chiefs took Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey with the 63rd overall pick. Humphrey could wind up as the starting center when next season begins. The Chiefs have veteran fallback candidates but Humphrey will be given the chance to win the job. He is the seventh new offensive lineman from last season. That counts not only Orlando Brown, who came in via trade, and free-agent additions Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and Austin Blythe but also Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang, who opted out of last season.Earlier in the day, the Chiefs signed running back Jerrick McKinnon to a one-year deal to provide depth behind starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire.McKinnon missed the 2018 and ’19 seasons due to injuries but returned last season to appear in 16 games for San Francisco, running for 319 yards and five touchdowns while adding another score through the air.The Chiefs, unless they trade up, won't have another pick until late in the fourth round. They also head into the draft's final day with two picks in the fifth round and one in the sixth.

Chiefs take linebacker and center with Day 2 picks

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Kirilloff hit the first two home runs of his major league career, including a three-run drive that broke open the game in the third inning and led the Minnesota Twins over the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals 9-1 on Friday night.

Kirilloff, who debuted last Sept. 30, hit his first home run in his 28th plate appearance, an opposite-field drive to left off reliever Tyler Zuber that put the Twins ahead 4-0 and set off fireworks at Target Field.

The 23-year-old hit a solo homer to center off Ervin Santana in the fifth inning. Kirilloff entered hitting .115 (3 for 26) in eight games since he was recalled on April 23.

Kirilloff became the first Twins player to hit his first two home runs in the same game since Pat Meares on June 19, 1994.

Michael Pineda (2-1) allowed one run and three hits in five innings.

Brady Singer (1-3) left after he was hit on the left foot by a Josh Donaldson line drive that ended the second inning. The ball ricocheted to Carlos Santana, and the first baseman stepped on the base to double up Ben Rortvedt, who had just walked in the first plate appearance of his major league debut.

Singer remained on the ground for a minute before walking off under his own power.

Rortvedt, a 23-year-old catcher, was 1 for 3 with a bloop RBI double in the eighth against Wade Davis, then scored on a wild pitch.

Carlos Santana hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, his sixth of the season.

Royals: Singer was diagnosed with a bruised heel contusion and listed as day to day.

Twins: Outfielders Max Kepler and Kyle Garlick were both activated from the COVID-19 injured list after missing nine games. Kepler started in right field and was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (3-1, 0.39 ERA) faces Minnesota for the first time this season on Saturday. Duffy has allowed just one earned run in 23 innings through four starts.

Twins: RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-2, 5.49 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season. He has lost two straight starts and is winless in three.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Kirilloff hit the first two home runs of his major league career, including a three-run drive that broke open the game in the third inning and led the Minnesota Twins over the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals 9-1 on Friday night.Kirilloff, who debuted last Sept. 30, hit his first home run in his 28th plate appearance, an opposite-field drive to left off reliever Tyler Zuber that put the Twins ahead 4-0 and set off fireworks at Target Field.The 23-year-old hit a solo homer to center off Ervin Santana in the fifth inning. Kirilloff entered hitting .115 (3 for 26) in eight games since he was recalled on April 23.Kirilloff became the first Twins player to hit his first two home runs in the same game since Pat Meares on June 19, 1994.Michael Pineda (2-1) allowed one run and three hits in five innings.Brady Singer (1-3) left after he was hit on the left foot by a Josh Donaldson line drive that ended the second inning. The ball ricocheted to Carlos Santana, and the first baseman stepped on the base to double up Ben Rortvedt, who had just walked in the first plate appearance of his major league debut.Singer remained on the ground for a minute before walking off under his own power.Rortvedt, a 23-year-old catcher, was 1 for 3 with a bloop RBI double in the eighth against Wade Davis, then scored on a wild pitch.Carlos Santana hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, his sixth of the season.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Singer was diagnosed with a bruised heel contusion and listed as day to day.Twins: Outfielders Max Kepler and Kyle Garlick were both activated from the COVID-19 injured list after missing nine games. Kepler started in right field and was 0 for 3 with a walk.UP NEXTRoyals: LHP Danny Duffy (3-1, 0.39 ERA) faces Minnesota for the first time this season on Saturday. Duffy has allowed just one earned run in 23 innings through four starts.Twins: RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-2, 5.49 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season. He has lost two straight starts and is winless in three.

Kirilloff’s 1st 2 big league homers lead Twins over KC 9-1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Kirilloff hit the first two home runs of his major league career, including a three-run drive that broke open the game in the third inning and led the Minnesota Twins over the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals 9-1. Kirilloff, who debuted last Sept. 30, hit his first home run in his 28th plate appearance, an opposite-field drive to left off reliever Tyler Zuber that put the Twins ahead 4-0 and set off fireworks at Target Field. The 23-year-old hit a solo homer to center off Ervin Santana in the fifth inning. 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Matt Carpenter hit his second pinch, three-run home run in as many days and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3. Carpenter connected off Duane Underwood Jr. in the sixth inning to put the Cardinals ahead 6-1. Carpenter took the Philadelphia Phillies’ Aaron Nola deep Thursday in a game the Cardinals won 4-3 in 10 innings. St. Louis' Tyler O’Neill had three hits, including a leadoff home run in the fourth inning. Nolan Arenado hit two run-scoring bloop doubles as St. Louis won for the sixth time in eight games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs selected Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton with the No. 58 overall pick in the NFL draft. They added Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey five selections later. The Chiefs did not have a first-round pick after dealing it to Baltimore this week in a package for two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Orlando Brown, filling their biggest offensive need. Humphrey continues an effort by the Chiefs to rebuild their offensive line — their biggest need this offseason.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos addressed their thin offensive backfield by moving up in Round 2 of the NFL draft and selecting North Carolina running back Javonte Williams. Then general manager George Paton picked up an extra third-round pick by twice trading down in the third. He selected O-lineman Quinn Meinerz of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning with those third-rounders. Meinerz's nickname is ‘The Gut’ for his propensity to stick out his belly. But he did lose 20 pounds to get ready for the Senior Bowl, where he was the hit of the all-star game.

UNDATED (AP) — Two days down, but the NFL Draft is only half done and there are still plenty of celebrated college players available to be picked. The defensive players of the year in both the Big Ten and Pac-12 are still available heading into Saturday's fourth through seventh rounds. Looking for a quarterback? There are multiyear starters from which to choose. And several decorated offensive playmakers are still left to fill the remaining 154 picks.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are hopeful of getting Adam Wainwright back from the COVID-19 injured list on Monday. The veteran right-hander was placed on the IL Thursday. Though Wainwright has been vaccinated, he came in close contact with a family member who has tested positive for the virus.  Manager Mike Shildt declined to go into detail about Wainwright’s situation, citing privacy issues, but said he expects the 39-year-old Wainwright to start Monday night when the Cardinals host the New York Mets. Wainwright was originally scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has hired Buffalo's Lance Leipold as its next football coach. The Jayhawks are turning over one of college football’s worst programs to a longtime Division III coach with Midwestern roots. Leipold signed a six-year contract and takes over for Les Miles. Miles, who won a title at LSU, parted with the Jayhawks after two losing seasons amid allegations of sexual harassment dating to his time with the Tigers. Leipold won six Division III national titles in eight seasons before going to the Bulls, where he was 37-33 the past six years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619688727502.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Kirilloff hit the first two home runs of his major league career, including a three-run drive that broke open the game in the third inning and led the Minnesota Twins over the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals 9-1. Kirilloff, who debuted last Sept. 30, hit his first home run in his 28th plate appearance, an opposite-field drive to left off reliever Tyler Zuber that put the Twins ahead 4-0 and set off fireworks at Target Field. The 23-year-old hit a solo homer to center off Ervin Santana in the fifth inning. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Matt Carpenter hit his second pinch, three-run home run in as many days and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3. Carpenter connected off Duane Underwood Jr. in the sixth inning to put the Cardinals ahead 6-1. Carpenter took the Philadelphia Phillies’ Aaron Nola deep Thursday in a game the Cardinals won 4-3 in 10 innings. St. Louis' Tyler O’Neill had three hits, including a leadoff home run in the fourth inning. Nolan Arenado hit two run-scoring bloop doubles as St. Louis won for the sixth time in eight games.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs selected Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton with the No. 58 overall pick in the NFL draft. They added Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey five selections later. The Chiefs did not have a first-round pick after dealing it to Baltimore this week in a package for two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Orlando Brown, filling their biggest offensive need. Humphrey continues an effort by the Chiefs to rebuild their offensive line — their biggest need this offseason.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos addressed their thin offensive backfield by moving up in Round 2 of the NFL draft and selecting North Carolina running back Javonte Williams. Then general manager George Paton picked up an extra third-round pick by twice trading down in the third. He selected O-lineman Quinn Meinerz of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning with those third-rounders. Meinerz's nickname is ‘The Gut’ for his propensity to stick out his belly. But he did lose 20 pounds to get ready for the Senior Bowl, where he was the hit of the all-star game.UNDATED (AP) — Two days down, but the NFL Draft is only half done and there are still plenty of celebrated college players available to be picked. The defensive players of the year in both the Big Ten and Pac-12 are still available heading into Saturday's fourth through seventh rounds. Looking for a quarterback? There are multiyear starters from which to choose. And several decorated offensive playmakers are still left to fill the remaining 154 picks.PITTSBURGH (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are hopeful of getting Adam Wainwright back from the COVID-19 injured list on Monday. The veteran right-hander was placed on the IL Thursday. Though Wainwright has been vaccinated, he came in close contact with a family member who has tested positive for the virus. Manager Mike Shildt declined to go into detail about Wainwright’s situation, citing privacy issues, but said he expects the 39-year-old Wainwright to start Monday night when the Cardinals host the New York Mets. Wainwright was originally scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has hired Buffalo's Lance Leipold as its next football coach. The Jayhawks are turning over one of college football’s worst programs to a longtime Division III coach with Midwestern roots. Leipold signed a six-year contract and takes over for Les Miles. Miles, who won a title at LSU, parted with the Jayhawks after two losing seasons amid allegations of sexual harassment dating to his time with the Tigers. Leipold won six Division III national titles in eight seasons before going to the Bulls, where he was 37-33 the past six years.FRIDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Toronto	13	Atlanta	5	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Yankees	10	Detroit	0	Final	Houston	9	Tampa Bay	2	Final	Boston	6	Texas	1	Final	Cleveland	5	Chicago White Sox	3	Final	Minnesota	9	Kansas City	1	Final	Baltimore	3	Oakland	2	Final	Seattle	7	L.A. Angels	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	St. Louis	7	Pittsburgh	3	Final	Washington	2	Miami	1	Final	Philadelphia	2	N.Y. Mets	1	Final	Cincinnati	8	Chicago Cubs	6	Final	Milwaukee	3	L.A. Dodgers	1	Final	Arizona	7	Colorado	2	Final	San Diego	3	San Francisco	2	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Philadelphia	126	Atlanta	104	Final	Washington	122	Cleveland	93	Final	Portland	128	Brooklyn	109	Final	Memphis	92	Orlando	75	Final OT	Boston	143	San Antonio	140	Final	Milwaukee	108	Chicago	98	Final	Phoenix	121	Utah	100	Final	Sacramento	110	L.A. Lakers	106

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas hired Buffalo’s Lance Leipold on Friday, turning over one of college football’s worst programs to a longtime Division III coach with strong Midwestern roots.

Leipold signed a six-year contract and takes over for Les Miles, who won a national championship at LSU. Miles parted with Kansas after two losing seasons and amid sexual harassment allegations dating to his time with the Tigers.

“It is an exciting and humbling opportunity and this is a day I will never forget,” Leipold said in a statement. “We are going to build this program through developing players, discipline and determination. The philosophies engrained in our programs along the way will be key as we turn this around. This is a program that has a lot of young talent on the roster and has the infrastructure in place to succeed. The best days for this program are ahead.”

Leipold has been with the Bulls the past six years, building a downtrodden program into a perennial bowl contender. He is 37-33 with Buffalo, leading the school to its best seasons since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1999.

Before jumping to the Division I level, the 56-year-old Leipold won six national championships in eight seasons while going 109-6 as the head coach of his alma mater, Wisconson-Whitewater. At one point, the Warhawks won three straight titles to cap perfect seasons, then after a seven-win “down year,” put together two more undefeated seasons.

Now, new Kansas athletic director Travis Goff — who was hired away from Northwestern in April — hopes a coach with all those D-III championships on his resume can do what a coach who won a D-I title could not.

“His track record of sustained excellence is exactly what we were looking for in our next leader,” Goff said in a statement Friday, “and is what the University of Kansas and our fans deserve.”

Miles was hired nearly three years ago by then-AD Jeff Long to turn around one of the worst Power Five programs in college football history. Instead, the Jayhawks went winless in nine games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, the 12th straight in which they failed to hit the .500 mark or win more than one Big 12 game.

Miles was then let go in March after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. A law firm’s review of LSU’s handling of sexual misconduct complaints campuswide described how Miles “tried to sexualize the staff of student workers in the football program” before he was fired four games into the 2016 season.

Leipold played quarterback for Wisconsin-Whitewater in the 1980s before beginning a long grind through college football’s lower ranks. He spent time at Doane, an NAIA school in Nebraska, and several seasons coaching at Nebraska-Omaha, whose football team was later disbanded to save money.

His only Division I experience before Buffalo hired him in 2015 was a stint as a graduate assistant under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin in the early 1990s and some time with Frank Solich at Nebraska in the early 2000s.

Leipold took over a Bulls team that had regressed under Jeff Quinn and had played in only two bowl games before his arrival. Leipold endured two losing seasons before winning at least six games each of the past four years, twice playing for a MAC title and going 6-1 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

That put him on the radar for several high-profile openings earlier in the coaching carousel.

The Jayhawks certainly have higher hopes for Leipold than the last coach they hired from Buffalo. Turner Gill was just 5-19 over two seasons in Lawrence before he was fired, beginning a whirlwind of hirings and firings: Charlie Weis lasted parts of three seasons, David Beaty survived four and Miles was let go after two.

Along with the Jayhawks’ history of losing, Leipold will have to overcome a substantial talent gap in the Big 12, fan apathy that has only grown over the past decade and facilities — despite a new indoor practice field — that are woefully outdated.

“I can’t thank Lance enough for everything he has done for our football program,” Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt said. “His vision and leadership helped elevate the UB football brand. We are grateful for what Lance has done here and we wish him and his family all the best as they embark on this new journey.”

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas hired Buffalo’s Lance Leipold on Friday, turning over one of college football’s worst programs to a longtime Division III coach with strong Midwestern roots.Leipold signed a six-year contract and takes over for Les Miles, who won a national championship at LSU. Miles parted with Kansas after two losing seasons and amid sexual harassment allegations dating to his time with the Tigers.“It is an exciting and humbling opportunity and this is a day I will never forget,” Leipold said in a statement. “We are going to build this program through developing players, discipline and determination. The philosophies engrained in our programs along the way will be key as we turn this around. This is a program that has a lot of young talent on the roster and has the infrastructure in place to succeed. The best days for this program are ahead.”Leipold has been with the Bulls the past six years, building a downtrodden program into a perennial bowl contender. He is 37-33 with Buffalo, leading the school to its best seasons since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1999.Before jumping to the Division I level, the 56-year-old Leipold won six national championships in eight seasons while going 109-6 as the head coach of his alma mater, Wisconson-Whitewater. At one point, the Warhawks won three straight titles to cap perfect seasons, then after a seven-win “down year,” put together two more undefeated seasons.Now, new Kansas athletic director Travis Goff — who was hired away from Northwestern in April — hopes a coach with all those D-III championships on his resume can do what a coach who won a D-I title could not.“His track record of sustained excellence is exactly what we were looking for in our next leader,” Goff said in a statement Friday, “and is what the University of Kansas and our fans deserve.”Miles was hired nearly three years ago by then-AD Jeff Long to turn around one of the worst Power Five programs in college football history. Instead, the Jayhawks went winless in nine games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, the 12th straight in which they failed to hit the .500 mark or win more than one Big 12 game.Miles was then let go in March after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. A law firm’s review of LSU’s handling of sexual misconduct complaints campuswide described how Miles “tried to sexualize the staff of student workers in the football program” before he was fired four games into the 2016 season.Leipold played quarterback for Wisconsin-Whitewater in the 1980s before beginning a long grind through college football’s lower ranks. He spent time at Doane, an NAIA school in Nebraska, and several seasons coaching at Nebraska-Omaha, whose football team was later disbanded to save money.His only Division I experience before Buffalo hired him in 2015 was a stint as a graduate assistant under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin in the early 1990s and some time with Frank Solich at Nebraska in the early 2000s.Leipold took over a Bulls team that had regressed under Jeff Quinn and had played in only two bowl games before his arrival. Leipold endured two losing seasons before winning at least six games each of the past four years, twice playing for a MAC title and going 6-1 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.That put him on the radar for several high-profile openings earlier in the coaching carousel.The Jayhawks certainly have higher hopes for Leipold than the last coach they hired from Buffalo. Turner Gill was just 5-19 over two seasons in Lawrence before he was fired, beginning a whirlwind of hirings and firings: Charlie Weis lasted parts of three seasons, David Beaty survived four and Miles was let go after two.Along with the Jayhawks’ history of losing, Leipold will have to overcome a substantial talent gap in the Big 12, fan apathy that has only grown over the past decade and facilities — despite a new indoor practice field — that are woefully outdated.“I can’t thank Lance enough for everything he has done for our football program,” Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt said. “His vision and leadership helped elevate the UB football brand. We are grateful for what Lance has done here and we wish him and his family all the best as they embark on this new journey.”

Kansas hires Buffalo's Lance Leipold as football coach

Softball -Game 1- Garden City 2 Great Bend 1 -Game 2- Garden City 10 Great Bend 9

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617189871227.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Softball -Game 1- Garden City 2 Great Bend 1 -Game 2- Garden City 10 Great Bend 9<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/huo0wmvt/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Softball - Garden City 2 Great Bend 1; Garden City 10 Great Bend 9

The Barton Community College baseball team fended off the upset minded Broncbusters of Garden City Community College as the Cougars pieced together some late magic both offensively and defensive to secure a 6-3 opening win at Lawson-Biggs Field before exploding for six runs in the nightcap's sixth frame enroute to a 15-1 seventh inning run-rule shortened triumph.

The victories, along with other action around the league, move the Cougars back to with a game of second place at 15-11 and 28-15 overall while the Broncbusters slide to 8-18 seventh best in the conference standings and 18-24 on the season. 

The series will shift to Garden's McDonald Field on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m doubleheader to conclude the four game set.&nbsp;

The Barton Community College baseball team fended off the upset minded Broncbusters of Garden City Community College as the Cougars pieced together some late magic both offensively and defensive to secure a 6-3 opening win at Lawson-Biggs Field before exploding for six runs in the nightcap's sixth frame enroute to a 15-1 seventh inning run-rule shortened triumph.The victories, along with other action around the league, move the Cougars back to with a game of second place at 15-11 and 28-15 overall while the Broncbusters slide to 8-18 seventh best in the conference standings and 18-24 on the season. The series will shift to Garden's McDonald Field on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m doubleheader to conclude the four game set.&nbsp;

Barton Baseball opens weekend set with doubleheader sweep over Garden City

Mylena Testoni of the Barton Community College volleyball team has been announced as a first team selection of the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Volleyball All-America awards.

The KJCCC and Region VI Most Valuable Player becomes the 22nd first team selection in program history and the 29th overall while giving Barton its second straight national distinction following Karina de Oliveira's honorable mention honor last season.

Testoni was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week award six times in the eleven weeks of voting. Not a big stat stuffer regarding total numbers, the 5'9" Testoni still ranked fourth in total kills but was most effective in her efficiency by leading Region VI in hitting percentage through most of the season. Posting a match high 19 kills and 32 digs March 6 at Butler, Testoni reached double digits kills in seventeen matches in completing the season on a .339 attack.

The top offensive threat for Barton was also solid defensively, recording six blocks in a match twice during the season and recording a team high 15 double-double kill-dig efforts. For the season, Testoni recorded the 8th most digs in a single season at 474, ranking behind teammate Hanna Miller's 7th best program effort of 494.

Finishing the conference season in second place at 14-2, Testoni helped led the Cougars to the Region VI/Plains District title, going on to make their 23rd nation-leading Division I Volleyball Championship Tournament appearance. The Cougars had their season end at 25-6 following a pair of four-set losses to eventual national runner-up Snow College and 9th place finisher Northeastern Junior College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619775749068.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Mylena Testoni of the Barton Community College volleyball team has been announced as a first team selection of the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Volleyball All-America awards.The KJCCC and Region VI Most Valuable Player becomes the 22nd first team selection in program history and the 29th overall while giving Barton its second straight national distinction following Karina de Oliveira's honorable mention honor last season.Testoni was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week award six times in the eleven weeks of voting. Not a big stat stuffer regarding total numbers, the 5'9" Testoni still ranked fourth in total kills but was most effective in her efficiency by leading Region VI in hitting percentage through most of the season. Posting a match high 19 kills and 32 digs March 6 at Butler, Testoni reached double digits kills in seventeen matches in completing the season on a .339 attack.The top offensive threat for Barton was also solid defensively, recording six blocks in a match twice during the season and recording a team high 15 double-double kill-dig efforts. For the season, Testoni recorded the 8th most digs in a single season at 474, ranking behind teammate Hanna Miller's 7th best program effort of 494.Finishing the conference season in second place at 14-2, Testoni helped led the Cougars to the Region VI/Plains District title, going on to make their 23rd nation-leading Division I Volleyball Championship Tournament appearance. The Cougars had their season end at 25-6 following a pair of four-set losses to eventual national runner-up Snow College and 9th place finisher Northeastern Junior College.

Testoni becomes 29th Barton Volleyball player receiving All-America honor

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs spent the first round of the NFL draft the same way as fans all across the country: watching.

General manager Brett Veach made Thursday night a stress-free start to the draft when he traded the No. 31 overall pick to the Ravens earlier this week in a package that landed them two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown.

The trade filled the most glaring hole for the two-time and reigning AFC champions, one that became painfully obvious in their Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay. But it also left the Chiefs without a first-round selection. Their initial pick is due at No. 58 overall — the 26th selection of the second round — when the draft resumes Friday night.

The Chiefs are scheduled to make their second pick five selections later before concluding their draft Saturday.

“I think the value of this draft is really that first part of two into the mid stage of three,” Veach said. “When we made that move for Orlando, that was the move we wanted, and we were happy and content with our two’s tomorrow.”

Despite the dearth of draft picks through the first three rounds, the Chiefs believe the trade with Baltimore filled their most pressing need. Their offensive line, decimated by opt outs and injuries by the time the Super Bowl rolled around, was beaten soundly by the Buccaneers in what became a humiliating 31-9 loss.

Veach and Chiefs coach Andy Reid have spent the offseason rebuilding their entire offensive line. And at this point, nobody that started the Super Bowl is expected to be in the lineup when they kick off the new season in September.

Brown is slotted into the left tackle spot. Free-agent acquisition Thuney will join Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who opted out of last season to care of COVID-19 patients in his native Canada, at the guard spots. Austin Blythe was signed to take over as center. And right tackle could come down to Kyle Long, a former All-Pro who has come out of retirement, and Lucas Niang, a third-round pick a year ago who also opted out of the season.

“A ton of talent with the number of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros that they have here with Pat (Mahomes), Travis Kelce and Joe Thuney now, guys like me and Tyreek (Hill),” Brown said this week. “I’m looking forward to getting out there and competing each and every day, competing on game days with these guys and just really going out there and giving it my all.”

The question now: Who will join that loaded roster in the remaining rounds of the draft?

The Chiefs could use another offensive lineman — they learned the painful importance of depth last season — along with a No. 2 wide receiver and pass-catching tight end. On defense, the Chiefs need to improve their pass rush with an upgrade at defensive end and middle linebacker while adding depth in the defensive backfield.

“There will be some depth in the O-line throughout the first three or four rounds and same with the secondary,” Veach said. “It’s a little thinner in the defensive line, in particular defensive tackle — I feel like we’re pretty good there, so that’s good for us. Linebacker isn’t extremely deep. So again, we’ll just have to be patient and disciplined and just look for value.”

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs spent the first round of the NFL draft the same way as fans all across the country: watching.General manager Brett Veach made Thursday night a stress-free start to the draft when he traded the No. 31 overall pick to the Ravens earlier this week in a package that landed them two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown.The trade filled the most glaring hole for the two-time and reigning AFC champions, one that became painfully obvious in their Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay. But it also left the Chiefs without a first-round selection. Their initial pick is due at No. 58 overall — the 26th selection of the second round — when the draft resumes Friday night.The Chiefs are scheduled to make their second pick five selections later before concluding their draft Saturday.“I think the value of this draft is really that first part of two into the mid stage of three,” Veach said. “When we made that move for Orlando, that was the move we wanted, and we were happy and content with our two’s tomorrow.”Despite the dearth of draft picks through the first three rounds, the Chiefs believe the trade with Baltimore filled their most pressing need. Their offensive line, decimated by opt outs and injuries by the time the Super Bowl rolled around, was beaten soundly by the Buccaneers in what became a humiliating 31-9 loss.Veach and Chiefs coach Andy Reid have spent the offseason rebuilding their entire offensive line. And at this point, nobody that started the Super Bowl is expected to be in the lineup when they kick off the new season in September.Brown is slotted into the left tackle spot. Free-agent acquisition Thuney will join Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who opted out of last season to care of COVID-19 patients in his native Canada, at the guard spots. Austin Blythe was signed to take over as center. And right tackle could come down to Kyle Long, a former All-Pro who has come out of retirement, and Lucas Niang, a third-round pick a year ago who also opted out of the season.“A ton of talent with the number of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros that they have here with Pat (Mahomes), Travis Kelce and Joe Thuney now, guys like me and Tyreek (Hill),” Brown said this week. “I’m looking forward to getting out there and competing each and every day, competing on game days with these guys and just really going out there and giving it my all.”The question now: Who will join that loaded roster in the remaining rounds of the draft?The Chiefs could use another offensive lineman — they learned the painful importance of depth last season — along with a No. 2 wide receiver and pass-catching tight end. On defense, the Chiefs need to improve their pass rush with an upgrade at defensive end and middle linebacker while adding depth in the defensive backfield.“There will be some depth in the O-line throughout the first three or four rounds and same with the secondary,” Veach said. “It’s a little thinner in the defensive line, in particular defensive tackle — I feel like we’re pretty good there, so that’s good for us. Linebacker isn’t extremely deep. So again, we’ll just have to be patient and disciplined and just look for value.”

Chiefs eye Day 2 of draft to continue upgrading their roster

The Barton Community College softball team pounded out thirty hits in sweeping Pratt Community College 10-4 and 17-6 in five innings Thursday in Pratt.

Barton's fourth straight win improves the Cougars to 11-13 in conference play and 17-23 overall with Pratt sliding to 1-23 in league and 7-40 overall.

The Cougars close out the regular season on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Independence Community College.

The Barton Community College softball team pounded out thirty hits in sweeping Pratt Community College 10-4 and 17-6 in five innings Thursday in Pratt.Barton's fourth straight win improves the Cougars to 11-13 in conference play and 17-23 overall with Pratt sliding to 1-23 in league and 7-40 overall.The Cougars close out the regular season on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Independence Community College.

Barton Softball pounds out thirty hits in sweep at Pratt

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Football is in cornerback Pat Surtain II's blood.

His father and namesake was a Pro Bowl cornerback who played 11 seasons with Miami and Kansas City before coaching his son at American Heritage High School in Florida.

“I learned a lot from him,” the younger Surtain said Thursday night after the Denver Broncos made him a surprise selection with the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft.

“Gaining his insight and perspective on things has helped me a lot on the field," Surtain said. "His game translates a lot into my game. Learning from him and having him teach me his techniques helped shape me up for the next level.”

Asked about people saying he's already better than his dad, Surtain said, "I don’t try to be too cocky because he did his thing, and I still have to reach him. I’ve got to reach that steppingstone. This is just the start for me.”

The younger Surtain, who starred at Alabama, has already bested his father, who played at Southern Miss, in one big category: his dad was selected 44th overall in the second round by the Dolphins in 1998.

The Broncos were widely expected to pick a quarterback in the first round for just the fifth time in history, but they were able to grab the best defender on the board instead because of general manager George Paton's trade for veteran QB&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carolina-panthers-denver-broncos-teddy-bridgewater-nfl-sports-c11b3b39ac17be3284174fcc988c0197">Teddy Bridgewater</a>&nbsp;24 hours earlier.

After sending a 2021 sixth-round pick to Carolina for Bridgewater, who will compete with incumbent Drew Lock for the starting job, Paton bypassed quarterbacks Justin Fields and Mac Jones in Round 1.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Football is in cornerback Pat Surtain II's blood.His father and namesake was a Pro Bowl cornerback who played 11 seasons with Miami and Kansas City before coaching his son at American Heritage High School in Florida.“I learned a lot from him,” the younger Surtain said Thursday night after the Denver Broncos made him a surprise selection with the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft.“Gaining his insight and perspective on things has helped me a lot on the field," Surtain said. "His game translates a lot into my game. Learning from him and having him teach me his techniques helped shape me up for the next level.”Asked about people saying he's already better than his dad, Surtain said, "I don’t try to be too cocky because he did his thing, and I still have to reach him. I’ve got to reach that steppingstone. This is just the start for me.”The younger Surtain, who starred at Alabama, has already bested his father, who played at Southern Miss, in one big category: his dad was selected 44th overall in the second round by the Dolphins in 1998.The Broncos were widely expected to pick a quarterback in the first round for just the fifth time in history, but they were able to grab the best defender on the board instead because of general manager George Paton's trade for veteran QB&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carolina-panthers-denver-broncos-teddy-bridgewater-nfl-sports-c11b3b39ac17be3284174fcc988c0197">Teddy Bridgewater</a>&nbsp;24 hours earlier.After sending a 2021 sixth-round pick to Carolina for Bridgewater, who will compete with incumbent Drew Lock for the starting job, Paton bypassed quarterbacks Justin Fields and Mac Jones in Round 1.Fields went two picks later to Chicago and Jones, Surtain's teammate at Alabama, was chosen 15th overall by New England.“We're happy with the two quarterbacks we have here,” Paton said. “Drew's been working hard every day and Teddy's going to bring some experience to the room, some leadership. So, we're really excited for both quarterbacks.“We're always looking at every position and quarterback's another one, but we like the two we have."Paton, the former assistant GM in Minnesota, is familiar with Bridgewater, whom the Vikings selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 draft.The Panthers, who are paying $7 million of the $10 million Bridgewater is due in 2021, are restructuring his deal to facilitate the trade that is expected to be finalized by Saturday.Since succeeding John Elway in January, Paton has focused on rebuilding Denver’s paper-thin secondary.He signed cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby in free agency to go with Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia and he re-signed safeties Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons.“I will benefit a lot learning from those guys," said Surtain, who is the second consecutive Alabama alum selected by Denver in the first round, following wide receiver&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jerryjeudy/status/1387942541677547522?s=20">Jerry Jeudy</a>&nbsp;at No. 15 last year.Broncos fans may not like Denver bypassing a QB, especially after speculation they were in the middle of the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-mark-murphy-aaron-rodgers-football-green-bay-packers-b749d21a65a197a66263ea9143a865bc">reigning MVP's unhappiness</a>&nbsp;with the Packers.Paton declined to say whether he had discussions with Green Bay about Rodgers: “You know, we're just going to focus on the draft right now and focus on Patrick Surtain and what a great player he is and we're excited to have him here.”Paton said three or four teams wanted to trade up to No. 9 but “it would have taken a haul to pass up Patrick Surtain.”The Broncos have foundered under center ever since Peyton Manning retired a month after winning Super Bowl 50, churning through more quarterbacks than any team in the league over the last five years.The failures include first-round bust Paxton Lynch, trade duds Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco and free agent flop Case Keenum.Instead of getting a QB to catch up with the likes of the AFC West's quarterbacks, they got a cornerback who can help contain those prolific passers.“I'm trying to be known as one of the best in the game," said Surtain, who will get the chance to do just that by facing Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr twice a year.NEXT UPThe Broncos own the 40th overall pick in Round 2 and 71st overall selection in Round 3.