KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed with former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on a $10.75 million deal for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical, which should be completed soon.

Smith-Schuster wasted little time in announcing the move himself, tweeting to Chiefs fans: “Let’s Go!”

The Chiefs have been searching for a high-profile wide receiver to take the pressure off Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce in the passing game. They tried several bargain options last season, including Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, but nobody has been able to fill the role since Sammy Watkins left for Baltimore after the 2020 season.

Pringle signed a $6 million deal with the Bears for next season on Thursday.

The 25-year-old Smith-Schuster, who caught 323 passes for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns during his first five seasons in Pittsburgh, should fill the void nicely. And he comes on a relatively low-risk one-year contract after he sustained a shoulder injury in Week 5 last season that ultimately limited him to just 15 catches for 129 yards in five games.

In a coincidence, though, Smith-Schuster managed to return from the injury in time for the wild-card round of the playoffs in Kansas City in January. He caught five passes for 26 yards in a 42-21 loss to the Chiefs.

In another social media post, Smith-Schuster thanked the Steelers and their fans for their support over the years.

“Thank you for taking me in and making me a part of the family from the moment that I was drafted,” he said. “You all took me in so quickly, and I really needed it. I was a wide-eyed 20-year-old who was sent to the East Coast away from my family for the first time in my life, and you made me feel right at home, despite all of the loneliness I should have felt.

“These have been the best five years of my life,” he added. “I owe so much to the fans who embraced me and who made playing on Sundays in Pittsburgh so special. It was an honor to wear the black and gold for you all.”

Smith-Schuster heads from Pittsburgh, where there is uncertainty at quarterback following the retirement of longtime stalwart Ben Roethlisberger, to the Chiefs, where Patrick Mahomes is under contract for most of the next decade. He also joins one of the NFL’s most potent offenses with Hill, Kelce and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire around him.

The Chiefs have now filled their two most pressing needs of free agency, adding a big-play wide receiver along with a safety to replace Tyrann Mathieu. The latter became official on Thursday, when the Chiefs signed ex-Texans safety Justin Reid to a $31.5 million, three-year contract.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed with former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on a $10.75 million deal for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical, which should be completed soon.Smith-Schuster wasted little time in announcing the move himself, tweeting to Chiefs fans: “Let’s Go!”The Chiefs have been searching for a high-profile wide receiver to take the pressure off Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce in the passing game. They tried several bargain options last season, including Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, but nobody has been able to fill the role since Sammy Watkins left for Baltimore after the 2020 season.Pringle signed a $6 million deal with the Bears for next season on Thursday.The 25-year-old Smith-Schuster, who caught 323 passes for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns during his first five seasons in Pittsburgh, should fill the void nicely. And he comes on a relatively low-risk one-year contract after he sustained a shoulder injury in Week 5 last season that ultimately limited him to just 15 catches for 129 yards in five games.In a coincidence, though, Smith-Schuster managed to return from the injury in time for the wild-card round of the playoffs in Kansas City in January. He caught five passes for 26 yards in a 42-21 loss to the Chiefs.In another social media post, Smith-Schuster thanked the Steelers and their fans for their support over the years.“Thank you for taking me in and making me a part of the family from the moment that I was drafted,” he said. “You all took me in so quickly, and I really needed it. I was a wide-eyed 20-year-old who was sent to the East Coast away from my family for the first time in my life, and you made me feel right at home, despite all of the loneliness I should have felt.“These have been the best five years of my life,” he added. “I owe so much to the fans who embraced me and who made playing on Sundays in Pittsburgh so special. It was an honor to wear the black and gold for you all.”Smith-Schuster heads from Pittsburgh, where there is uncertainty at quarterback following the retirement of longtime stalwart Ben Roethlisberger, to the Chiefs, where Patrick Mahomes is under contract for most of the next decade. He also joins one of the NFL’s most potent offenses with Hill, Kelce and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire around him.The Chiefs have now filled their two most pressing needs of free agency, adding a big-play wide receiver along with a safety to replace Tyrann Mathieu. The latter became official on Thursday, when the Chiefs signed ex-Texans safety Justin Reid to a $31.5 million, three-year contract.

Chiefs agree with Smith-Schuster on $10.75M deal

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Once Kansas set its mind on not getting outhustled for even one more possession, the Jayhawks took over.

Ioanna Chatzileonti had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter scored 19 points and eighth-seeded Kansas beat ninth-seeded Georgia Tech 77-58 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Jayhawks 6-foot-6 junior center Taiyanna Jackson made things difficult in the paint on both ends, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds. She also swatted away a pair of shots to extend her a single-season school record to 92 blocks.

Back in the bracket for the first time since 2013 under Big 12 Coach of the Year Brandon Schneider, he hoped his team’s tough schedule down the stretch — Iowa State, Baylor, Texas then Oklahoma twice — would do plenty to get his team ready.

“It built us. There are times and there are teams who see that and kind of go downhill,” Kersgieter said. “But we’ve just kind of put an emphasis on helping it let us grow. This team we have a lot of veterans, we’ve been through a lot together and we’ve never been here. We were ready, we were really excited. It showed today.”

Kersgieter, an All-Big 12 first team selection, shot 6 for 13 and the Jayhawks got out in transition at every chance — making one extra pass to find the high-percentage shots in a game that featured big runs by both teams in their first-ever matchup.

Kansas (21-9) advances to face top-seeded defending NCAA champion Stanford.

Digna Strautmane scored 18 points to lead the Yellow Jackets (21-11). Georgia Tech leading scorer Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, averaging 11 points, was held to seven on 3-for-12 shooting — 1 of 6 on 3s.

The Jayhawks jumped out to a 10-0 lead and gave it up when the Yellow Jackets went on an impressive 22-3 run to end the first quarter ahead 22-13.

They made their first field goal on Eylia Love’s 3-pointer at the 6:16 mark of the opening quarter and rallied to tie it on a 3 by Strautmane at 4:11 before going ahead on Nerea Hermosa’s basket the next time down.

But Kansas got it together to dominate the last stretch of the second quarter and the final two periods. The Jayhawks used a 14-3 run over the final 5:48 of the first half to build a 34-31 edge at the break. Georgia Tech committed five turnovers over the last 6:51 of the half and missed 6 of 7 shots.

“Couldn’t be prouder of our young women in their fight and determination really throughout the entire ballgame,” Schneider said. “We were able to ignite our offense with our defense.”

Georgia Tech reached the Sweet 16 last season under veteran coach Nell Fortner for the second time in program history, and from 2007 to 2012 made six straight NCAA Tournaments.

“It’s a disappointing loss there’s no question and it’s a tough way to end your season,” Fortner said. “We just didn’t have our best night. Kansas played really well, they did what they wanted to do and we couldn’t stop it.”

Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech shot 7 for 21 from deep. ... The Yellow Jackets had nine first-half turnovers that led to 10 Kansas points and were held to nine points in the second quarter. ... Georgia Tech got to the free-throw line just six times to 17 by the Jayhawks. ... A highlight of the season for this group was a 57-44 win against Connecticut in December.

Kansas: The Jayhawks scored 17 points overall off the 13 turnovers by Georgia Tech. ... Kansas began 4 of 7 before missing 10 straight field-goal tries spanning the first and second quarters. ... The Jayhawks’ international roster features women from the Republic of North Macedonia, Croatia, Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Canada.

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Once Kansas set its mind on not getting outhustled for even one more possession, the Jayhawks took over.Ioanna Chatzileonti had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter scored 19 points and eighth-seeded Kansas beat ninth-seeded Georgia Tech 77-58 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Jayhawks 6-foot-6 junior center Taiyanna Jackson made things difficult in the paint on both ends, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds. She also swatted away a pair of shots to extend her a single-season school record to 92 blocks.Back in the bracket for the first time since 2013 under Big 12 Coach of the Year Brandon Schneider, he hoped his team’s tough schedule down the stretch — Iowa State, Baylor, Texas then Oklahoma twice — would do plenty to get his team ready.“It built us. There are times and there are teams who see that and kind of go downhill,” Kersgieter said. “But we’ve just kind of put an emphasis on helping it let us grow. This team we have a lot of veterans, we’ve been through a lot together and we’ve never been here. We were ready, we were really excited. It showed today.”Kersgieter, an All-Big 12 first team selection, shot 6 for 13 and the Jayhawks got out in transition at every chance — making one extra pass to find the high-percentage shots in a game that featured big runs by both teams in their first-ever matchup.Kansas (21-9) advances to face top-seeded defending NCAA champion Stanford.Digna Strautmane scored 18 points to lead the Yellow Jackets (21-11). Georgia Tech leading scorer Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, averaging 11 points, was held to seven on 3-for-12 shooting — 1 of 6 on 3s.The Jayhawks jumped out to a 10-0 lead and gave it up when the Yellow Jackets went on an impressive 22-3 run to end the first quarter ahead 22-13.They made their first field goal on Eylia Love’s 3-pointer at the 6:16 mark of the opening quarter and rallied to tie it on a 3 by Strautmane at 4:11 before going ahead on Nerea Hermosa’s basket the next time down.But Kansas got it together to dominate the last stretch of the second quarter and the final two periods. The Jayhawks used a 14-3 run over the final 5:48 of the first half to build a 34-31 edge at the break. Georgia Tech committed five turnovers over the last 6:51 of the half and missed 6 of 7 shots.“Couldn’t be prouder of our young women in their fight and determination really throughout the entire ballgame,” Schneider said. “We were able to ignite our offense with our defense.”Georgia Tech reached the Sweet 16 last season under veteran coach Nell Fortner for the second time in program history, and from 2007 to 2012 made six straight NCAA Tournaments.“It’s a disappointing loss there’s no question and it’s a tough way to end your season,” Fortner said. “We just didn’t have our best night. Kansas played really well, they did what they wanted to do and we couldn’t stop it.”BIG PICTUREGeorgia Tech: Georgia Tech shot 7 for 21 from deep. ... The Yellow Jackets had nine first-half turnovers that led to 10 Kansas points and were held to nine points in the second quarter. ... Georgia Tech got to the free-throw line just six times to 17 by the Jayhawks. ... A highlight of the season for this group was a 57-44 win against Connecticut in December.Kansas: The Jayhawks scored 17 points overall off the 13 turnovers by Georgia Tech. ... Kansas began 4 of 7 before missing 10 straight field-goal tries spanning the first and second quarters. ... The Jayhawks’ international roster features women from the Republic of North Macedonia, Croatia, Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Canada.

Kersgieter, Chatzileonti put Kansas women over Ga Tech 77-58

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Ioanna Chatzileonti had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter scored 19 points and eighth-seeded Kansas beat ninth-seeded Georgia Tech 77-58 t in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks’ 6-foot-6 junior center Taiyanna Jackson finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks to extend her a single-season school record to 92 blocks. Digna Strautmane scored 18 points to lead the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech’s Lotta-Maj Lahtinen averaged 11 points this season but was held to seven points on 3-for-12 shooting, and just 1 of 6 on 3s.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored a season-high 36 points and third-seeded Iowa State rallied to beat No. 14 seed UT Arlington 78-71 in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The Mavericks were bidding to be the first 14-seed to ever win a game in the tournament and led by 12 in the first half before the Cyclones (27-6) came back. Emily Ryan made a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 64 and followed with a layup to give the Cyclones the lead. Joens hit a 3-pointer that gave Iowa State a 73-67 cushion with 1:43 left and that was enough for Iowa State to avoid the upset. Starr Jacobs finished with 19 points for the Mavericks (20-8).

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew Jones scored 21 points, Marcus Carr beat the halftime buzzer with a shot from well beyond halfcourt to put Texas ahead for good, and the Longhorns beat Virginia Tech 81-73 for their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2014. The sixth-seeded Longhorns advance to a second-round East Region game Sunday against No. 3 seed Purdue. The Boilermakers trounced Yale 78-56 in the first round. Texas went 10 of 19 from 3-point range while ending a five-game NCAA Tournament skid. Sean Padulla led the Hokies with 19 points.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mike Miles Jr. scored 21 points and ninth-seeded TCU got its first NCAA Tournament victory in 35 years, easily dispatching eighth-seeded Seton Hall 69-42 on Friday night. The Horned Frogs’ last tournament victory was in 1987 against Marshall, when coach Jamie Dixon was a senior at his alma mater. They haven’t had many opportunities since: This was their third appearance since 1988 and second in Dixon’s six seasons. Damion Baugh scored 14 points for TCU. The Horned Frogs will take on top-seeded Arizona on Sunday in a South Region second-round game. Jamir Harris and Myles Cale each scored 11 points for Seton Hall.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 20 points and set a dominating tone in the opening minutes for Texas Tech, which overwhelmed Montana State 97-62 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders had one of the best-shooting games in the first round since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Bryson Williams also scored 20 points for Texas Tech, which shot 66.7% from the field, including making 12 of 20 3-pointers. Xavier Bishop led Montana State with 12 points. Texas Tech will play 11th-seeded Notre Dame in the second round.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Freshman Tyrese Hunter scored 23 points and Iowa State made itself at home in Milwaukee once again, topping No. 6 seed LSU 59-54 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Izaiah Brockington added 19 points as the 11th-seeded Cyclones got their first win in the NCAA tourney since 2017 — also in Milwaukee. They held the Tigers to 37% shooting and forced 19 turnovers, stopping a three-game slide. Tari Eason scored 18 points for LSU. The Tigers were playing their first game since coach Will Wade was fired amid allegations of NCAA violations. Next up for Iowa State is a second-round matchup with No. 3 seed Wisconsin.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed with former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on a $10.75 million deal for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical, which should be completed soon. Smith-Schuster wasted little time in announcing the move himself, tweeting to Chiefs fans: "Let’s Go!” The Chiefs have been searching for a high-profile wide receiver to take the pressure off Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce in the passing game.

UNDATED (AP) — Deshaun Watson is coming to Cleveland after all. A person familiar with the decision tells the AP that the quarterback has decided to waive his no-trade clause and accept a move to the Browns. Watson rejected the trade on Thursday, but the source says he had a change of heart and called the team on Friday. The Texans are receiving three first-round picks, along with a third- and fifth-rounder.

UNDATED (AP) — First baseman Luke Voit has been traded from the Yankees to the Padres for a minor league pitcher. The deal comes a day after New York completed a two-year contract with Anthony Rizzo. The 31-year-old right-handed hitter led the major leagues with 22 home runs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he hit .277 with 52 RBIs.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty will miss the start of the season and there’s no timetable for his return after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his ailing right shoulder. The Cardinals are hopeful Flaherty could be ready by May, but haven’t ruled out the possibility that he could need surgery. Fellow pitcher Alex Reyes has been diagnosed with a frayed labrum in his throwing shoulder. Reyes isn’t expected to make his season debut until late May or early June after receiving a stem cell injection on Wednesday. Flaherty’s injection is designed to aid the healing of a small tear. He will rest for the next couple of days, then won’t be allowed to throw for two weeks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647510214977.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Ioanna Chatzileonti had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter scored 19 points and eighth-seeded Kansas beat ninth-seeded Georgia Tech 77-58 t in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks’ 6-foot-6 junior center Taiyanna Jackson finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks to extend her a single-season school record to 92 blocks. Digna Strautmane scored 18 points to lead the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech’s Lotta-Maj Lahtinen averaged 11 points this season but was held to seven points on 3-for-12 shooting, and just 1 of 6 on 3s.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored a season-high 36 points and third-seeded Iowa State rallied to beat No. 14 seed UT Arlington 78-71 in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The Mavericks were bidding to be the first 14-seed to ever win a game in the tournament and led by 12 in the first half before the Cyclones (27-6) came back. Emily Ryan made a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 64 and followed with a layup to give the Cyclones the lead. Joens hit a 3-pointer that gave Iowa State a 73-67 cushion with 1:43 left and that was enough for Iowa State to avoid the upset. Starr Jacobs finished with 19 points for the Mavericks (20-8).MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew Jones scored 21 points, Marcus Carr beat the halftime buzzer with a shot from well beyond halfcourt to put Texas ahead for good, and the Longhorns beat Virginia Tech 81-73 for their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2014. The sixth-seeded Longhorns advance to a second-round East Region game Sunday against No. 3 seed Purdue. The Boilermakers trounced Yale 78-56 in the first round. Texas went 10 of 19 from 3-point range while ending a five-game NCAA Tournament skid. Sean Padulla led the Hokies with 19 points.SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mike Miles Jr. scored 21 points and ninth-seeded TCU got its first NCAA Tournament victory in 35 years, easily dispatching eighth-seeded Seton Hall 69-42 on Friday night. The Horned Frogs’ last tournament victory was in 1987 against Marshall, when coach Jamie Dixon was a senior at his alma mater. They haven’t had many opportunities since: This was their third appearance since 1988 and second in Dixon’s six seasons. Damion Baugh scored 14 points for TCU. The Horned Frogs will take on top-seeded Arizona on Sunday in a South Region second-round game. Jamir Harris and Myles Cale each scored 11 points for Seton Hall.SAN DIEGO (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 20 points and set a dominating tone in the opening minutes for Texas Tech, which overwhelmed Montana State 97-62 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders had one of the best-shooting games in the first round since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Bryson Williams also scored 20 points for Texas Tech, which shot 66.7% from the field, including making 12 of 20 3-pointers. Xavier Bishop led Montana State with 12 points. Texas Tech will play 11th-seeded Notre Dame in the second round.MILWAUKEE (AP) — Freshman Tyrese Hunter scored 23 points and Iowa State made itself at home in Milwaukee once again, topping No. 6 seed LSU 59-54 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Izaiah Brockington added 19 points as the 11th-seeded Cyclones got their first win in the NCAA tourney since 2017 — also in Milwaukee. They held the Tigers to 37% shooting and forced 19 turnovers, stopping a three-game slide. Tari Eason scored 18 points for LSU. The Tigers were playing their first game since coach Will Wade was fired amid allegations of NCAA violations. Next up for Iowa State is a second-round matchup with No. 3 seed Wisconsin.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed with former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on a $10.75 million deal for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical, which should be completed soon. Smith-Schuster wasted little time in announcing the move himself, tweeting to Chiefs fans: "Let’s Go!” The Chiefs have been searching for a high-profile wide receiver to take the pressure off Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce in the passing game.UNDATED (AP) — Deshaun Watson is coming to Cleveland after all. A person familiar with the decision tells the AP that the quarterback has decided to waive his no-trade clause and accept a move to the Browns. Watson rejected the trade on Thursday, but the source says he had a change of heart and called the team on Friday. The Texans are receiving three first-round picks, along with a third- and fifth-rounder.UNDATED (AP) — First baseman Luke Voit has been traded from the Yankees to the Padres for a minor league pitcher. The deal comes a day after New York completed a two-year contract with Anthony Rizzo. The 31-year-old right-handed hitter led the major leagues with 22 home runs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he hit .277 with 52 RBIs.JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty will miss the start of the season and there’s no timetable for his return after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his ailing right shoulder. The Cardinals are hopeful Flaherty could be ready by May, but haven’t ruled out the possibility that he could need surgery. Fellow pitcher Alex Reyes has been diagnosed with a frayed labrum in his throwing shoulder. Reyes isn’t expected to make his season debut until late May or early June after receiving a stem cell injection on Wednesday. Flaherty’s injection is designed to aid the healing of a small tear. He will rest for the next couple of days, then won’t be allowed to throw for two weeks.FRIDAY NCAA TOURNAMENT SCORESNCAA First RoundSOUTHFinal	Arizona	87	Wright St.	70	Final	TCU	69	Seton Hall	42	Final	Ohio St.	54	Loyola Chicago	41	Final	Villanova	80	Delaware	60	Final	Illinois	54	Chattanooga	53	Final	Houston	82	UAB	68	MIDWESTFinal	Iowa St.	59	LSU	54	Final	Wisconsin	67	Colgate	60	Final	Auburn	80	Jacksonville St.	61	Final	Miami	68	Southern Cal	66	EASTFinal	Purdue	78	Yale	56	Final	Texas	81	Virginia Tech	73	WESTFinal	Duke	78	Cal St.-Fullerton	61	Final	Michigan St.	74	Davidson	73	Final	Texas Tech	97	Montana St.	62	Final	Notre Dame	78	Alabama	64

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Trailing after doubles play, it took the final match of Wednesday's action at McPherson College to determine the winner as the 6th ranked Barton Community College men's tennis team rallied for a 4-3 victory.

Barton will have a day of rest and recovery before hosting the weekend's Barton Classic, beginning Friday at Ellinwood Grade School Tennis Courts with a 10:30 a.m. intrasquad battle before taking on Newman University at 2:30 p.m. Switching location to Great Bend's Veteran's Park on Saturday, the Cougars conclude the Classic at 10:30 a.m. against Iowa Central Community College.

The Cougars fell behind 1-0 in the match dropping two of the doubles matches in the tiebreak. The lone win came at the No. 2 as James Kaoma and Barnabas Kalaba stood victorious 6-2 while the No. 1 duo of Gustavo Campos and Tsholofelo Tsiang dropped a 7-5 tiebreak score and the No. 3 tandem of Eduardo Morais and Samyak Bajracharya lost their breaker 7-4.

In singles play Barton won the match by taking four of the six matches including Tsiang's come from behind 5-7, 7-6(7), and 10-6 victory providing the difference maker in the No. 6 spot.

All six matches were highly competitive as two of Barton's previous three victories also came in the tiebreak, No. 2 Kaoma winning 10-7 after splitting 6-1, 3-6, sets while Morais came out with a 10-8 No. 3 slot victory after splitting sets 7-6 and 3-6. In the No. 4 spot, Kalaba prevailed in consecutive 7-5 set wins.

As Barton won by narrow margins, they also lost by narrow margins. Campos lost in 6-4 consecutive sets in the top spot with a 10-5 tiebreak defeating Bajracharya in the No. 5 singles to spoil a rally in dropping the first set 6-3 but forcing the third with an identical 6-3 win.

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647626634586.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Trailing after doubles play, it took the final match of Wednesday's action at McPherson College to determine the winner as the 6th ranked Barton Community College men's tennis team rallied for a 4-3 victory.Barton will have a day of rest and recovery before hosting the weekend's Barton Classic, beginning Friday at Ellinwood Grade School Tennis Courts with a 10:30 a.m. intrasquad battle before taking on Newman University at 2:30 p.m. Switching location to Great Bend's Veteran's Park on Saturday, the Cougars conclude the Classic at 10:30 a.m. against Iowa Central Community College.The Cougars fell behind 1-0 in the match dropping two of the doubles matches in the tiebreak. The lone win came at the No. 2 as James Kaoma and Barnabas Kalaba stood victorious 6-2 while the No. 1 duo of Gustavo Campos and Tsholofelo Tsiang dropped a 7-5 tiebreak score and the No. 3 tandem of Eduardo Morais and Samyak Bajracharya lost their breaker 7-4.In singles play Barton won the match by taking four of the six matches including Tsiang's come from behind 5-7, 7-6(7), and 10-6 victory providing the difference maker in the No. 6 spot.All six matches were highly competitive as two of Barton's previous three victories also came in the tiebreak, No. 2 Kaoma winning 10-7 after splitting 6-1, 3-6, sets while Morais came out with a 10-8 No. 3 slot victory after splitting sets 7-6 and 3-6. In the No. 4 spot, Kalaba prevailed in consecutive 7-5 set wins.As Barton won by narrow margins, they also lost by narrow margins. Campos lost in 6-4 consecutive sets in the top spot with a 10-5 tiebreak defeating Bajracharya in the No. 5 singles to spoil a rally in dropping the first set 6-3 but forcing the third with an identical 6-3 win.

6th ranked Cougar tennis rallies for tough victory at McPherson

The 11th ranked Barton Community College women's tennis team picked up their second straight win of the week over NAIA opponents, following their 7-0 blanking at Friends University on Monday to take down McPherson College on Wednesday 4-3.

The Cougars will next host a trio of matches in the weekend's Barton Classic at Great Bend's Veteran's Park beginning 10:00 a.m. Saturday taking on Iowa Central Community College followed by an approximate 6:00 p.m. match against Newman University. Iowa Central and Newman will tangle at approximately 2:00 p.m. or following the conclusion of the Barton-Iowa Central match with the Cougars versus Newman to follow. The Classic concludes and shifts locations on Sunday with the Cougars hosting Fort Hays State University at the College's tennis courts in a 1:30 p.m. first serve.

On Monday the doubles teams lost just four games in the three matches. No. 1 tandem Angelina Gnezdilova and Clara Penido, as well as, the No. 3 team of Malena Hernandez and Jacie Roth came away with 6-1 victories while the No. 2 duo of Azul Barrios and Paula Curci won 6-2.

Barton was equally dominant in singles play, outscoring the Falcons 72-15.

The Cougars again swept doubles action on Wednesday in McPherson but in much tougher competitive fashion. Gnezdilova and Penido taking the No. 1 matchup 6-3 over the Bulldogs' No. 5 central region duo of Polina Khoroshevskaya/Kayla Ortiz, the No. 2 slot of Barrios/Curci taking down the region No. 8 ranked Erica Paradise/Vanessa Mundo 6-4, and in the No. 3 doubles tangle Hernandez/Roth also winning 6-4 over the Bulldogs' Kendra Maples/Savannah McHugh.

In the first wave of singles action, Barton held a 2-1 advantage with Penido winning the No. 2 slot 6-0, 6-3, over Paradise and Hernandez winning the No. 3 in tiebreak fashion 10-1 over region 14th ranked Grace Maxey after winning the first 6-3 but dropping the second set 2-6. Competing in the top spot Gnezdilova took the lone loss of the early singles matches, winning the first set 6-2 before dropping the second by an identical score and coming up short 10-6 in the tiebreak to region 8th ranked Khoroshevskaya.

Barrios earned the 4-2 match clincher coming out of the No. 4 slot with Barrios winning 6-4, 6-4, over region 18th ranked Mundo. Curci and Roth each lost by 6-2 scores in the No. 5 and No. 6 slot respectively to Ortiz and Maples.

The 11th ranked Barton Community College women's tennis team picked up their second straight win of the week over NAIA opponents, following their 7-0 blanking at Friends University on Monday to take down McPherson College on Wednesday 4-3.The Cougars will next host a trio of matches in the weekend's Barton Classic at Great Bend's Veteran's Park beginning 10:00 a.m. Saturday taking on Iowa Central Community College followed by an approximate 6:00 p.m. match against Newman University. Iowa Central and Newman will tangle at approximately 2:00 p.m. or following the conclusion of the Barton-Iowa Central match with the Cougars versus Newman to follow. The Classic concludes and shifts locations on Sunday with the Cougars hosting Fort Hays State University at the College's tennis courts in a 1:30 p.m. first serve.On Monday the doubles teams lost just four games in the three matches. No. 1 tandem Angelina Gnezdilova and Clara Penido, as well as, the No. 3 team of Malena Hernandez and Jacie Roth came away with 6-1 victories while the No. 2 duo of Azul Barrios and Paula Curci won 6-2.Barton was equally dominant in singles play, outscoring the Falcons 72-15.The Cougars again swept doubles action on Wednesday in McPherson but in much tougher competitive fashion. Gnezdilova and Penido taking the No. 1 matchup 6-3 over the Bulldogs' No. 5 central region duo of Polina Khoroshevskaya/Kayla Ortiz, the No. 2 slot of Barrios/Curci taking down the region No. 8 ranked Erica Paradise/Vanessa Mundo 6-4, and in the No. 3 doubles tangle Hernandez/Roth also winning 6-4 over the Bulldogs' Kendra Maples/Savannah McHugh.In the first wave of singles action, Barton held a 2-1 advantage with Penido winning the No. 2 slot 6-0, 6-3, over Paradise and Hernandez winning the No. 3 in tiebreak fashion 10-1 over region 14th ranked Grace Maxey after winning the first 6-3 but dropping the second set 2-6. Competing in the top spot Gnezdilova took the lone loss of the early singles matches, winning the first set 6-2 before dropping the second by an identical score and coming up short 10-6 in the tiebreak to region 8th ranked Khoroshevskaya.Barrios earned the 4-2 match clincher coming out of the No. 4 slot with Barrios winning 6-4, 6-4, over region 18th ranked Mundo. Curci and Roth each lost by 6-2 scores in the No. 5 and No. 6 slot respectively to Ortiz and Maples.

11th ranked Barton women's tennis takes down second opponent

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Reid spent one season playing with Tyrann Mathieu in Houston, then replaced him as one of the leaders of the Texans defensive backfield when the three-time All-Pro safety signed with the Chiefs.

Three years later, Reid is replacing Mathieu again — this time in Kansas City.

The 25-year-old safety signed his three-year, $31.5 million free-agent contract with the Chiefs on Thursday, making official a deal that was reached earlier this week. The contract includes $20 million in guaranteed money.

“I had a few options,” Reid said. “The financial bit does play a role, but you take that away and it comes down to the fit and the culture and the opportunity in front of you. I wanted to play for a championship-caliber team, I wanted to fit in a defense that played to my strengths. It really felt right. I slept on it one day and came back to it.

“In the back of my mind,” he said, “the bottom of my heart, Kansas City was the best situation for me.”

Mathieu is also a free agent this offseason after anchoring the Chiefs’ defensive backfield the past three years. It was a run that included his two most recent All-Pro nods along with three trips to the AFC title game, two trips to the Super Bowl and the first championship for the organization in 50 years.

But rather than bring back Mathieu, who will turn 30 in May and demand a significant contract of his own, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach opted for a younger option with potentially his best years ahead of him.

“I have always said this: A copy is never worth as much as the original. There will never be another Tyrann Mathieu to come through Kansas City,” Reid said, “but I can bring the best Justin Reid possible to Kansas City. That’s my mentality. I’m going to play to my strengths, play to who I am, and we’re going to play great defense.”

Reid was a third-round pick of Houston in the 2018 draft and had been one of the few reliable players for the struggling Texans over the past four seasons. He has started 53 of 57 games, including 13 last season, when he made 66 tackles along with four passes defensed and a forced fumble.

He’s hoping to replicate that success in Kansas City while also taking on Mathieu’s leadership role. In fact, Reid asked for headshots of everyone else on the Chiefs roster so he could begin to put faces to names.

“It’s something I want to do,” he said, “but at the end of the day, that’s not something just given or appointed to someone. That’s something earned in the locker room. ... I want to be able to shake everyone’s hand in the locker room, know them by name. I want to earn these guys’ respect. I want to prove to them I can be a leader.”

The Chiefs would like to add some pass rush help along with another wide receiver in free agency, but they’ve already had to get creative with a tight salary cap situation.

They restructured the contract of defensive end Frank Clark to save at least $11 million this season, and an extension for wide receiver Tyreek Hill also could carve out some cap space.

The only other moves the Chiefs have made have been modest: Backup quarterback Chad Henne is returning on a $2 million deal for next season, while backup offensive tackle Andrew Wylie is returning on a $2.5 million contract.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Reid spent one season playing with Tyrann Mathieu in Houston, then replaced him as one of the leaders of the Texans defensive backfield when the three-time All-Pro safety signed with the Chiefs.Three years later, Reid is replacing Mathieu again — this time in Kansas City.The 25-year-old safety signed his three-year, $31.5 million free-agent contract with the Chiefs on Thursday, making official a deal that was reached earlier this week. The contract includes $20 million in guaranteed money.“I had a few options,” Reid said. “The financial bit does play a role, but you take that away and it comes down to the fit and the culture and the opportunity in front of you. I wanted to play for a championship-caliber team, I wanted to fit in a defense that played to my strengths. It really felt right. I slept on it one day and came back to it.“In the back of my mind,” he said, “the bottom of my heart, Kansas City was the best situation for me.”Just as it was for his predecessor.Mathieu is also a free agent this offseason after anchoring the Chiefs’ defensive backfield the past three years. It was a run that included his two most recent All-Pro nods along with three trips to the AFC title game, two trips to the Super Bowl and the first championship for the organization in 50 years.But rather than bring back Mathieu, who will turn 30 in May and demand a significant contract of his own, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach opted for a younger option with potentially his best years ahead of him.“I have always said this: A copy is never worth as much as the original. There will never be another Tyrann Mathieu to come through Kansas City,” Reid said, “but I can bring the best Justin Reid possible to Kansas City. That’s my mentality. I’m going to play to my strengths, play to who I am, and we’re going to play great defense.”Reid was a third-round pick of Houston in the 2018 draft and had been one of the few reliable players for the struggling Texans over the past four seasons. He has started 53 of 57 games, including 13 last season, when he made 66 tackles along with four passes defensed and a forced fumble.He’s hoping to replicate that success in Kansas City while also taking on Mathieu’s leadership role. In fact, Reid asked for headshots of everyone else on the Chiefs roster so he could begin to put faces to names.“It’s something I want to do,” he said, “but at the end of the day, that’s not something just given or appointed to someone. That’s something earned in the locker room. ... I want to be able to shake everyone’s hand in the locker room, know them by name. I want to earn these guys’ respect. I want to prove to them I can be a leader.”The Chiefs would like to add some pass rush help along with another wide receiver in free agency, but they’ve already had to get creative with a tight salary cap situation.They restructured the contract of defensive end Frank Clark to save at least $11 million this season, and an extension for wide receiver Tyreek Hill also could carve out some cap space.The only other moves the Chiefs have made have been modest: Backup quarterback Chad Henne is returning on a $2 million deal for next season, while backup offensive tackle Andrew Wylie is returning on a $2.5 million contract.

Chiefs sign Justin Reid to $31.5 million, 3-year contract

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Top-seeded Kansas opened its 50th NCAA Tournament the way it has so many times in the past, with a lopsided victory.

Remy Martin had 15 points and Christian Braun 14 to pace five Jayhawks scoring in double figures in an 83-56 victory over Texas Southern on Thursday night.

“It was a good team win, certainly one that I’m glad we got, especially in this crazy tournament and this crazy day,” said Kansas coach Bill Self after one of the last of games to finish on a wild opening tourney day when a No. 11 seed, two No. 12s and a No. 15 won games.

Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Texas Southern (19-13), the No. 16 seed which won a First Four game two nights earlier, had its only lead against the Big 12 champs after Bryson Etienne made its first shot of the game.

Once the Jayhawks finally got on the board on a tying layup by Dajuan Harris after missing their first three shots, they got on a roll. They made their next six shots, and soon after that had a stretch of seven makes in a row. There were several highlight dunks throughout the game, and Kansas made 11 3-pointers.

“The first four minutes, everybody was a little nervous, little tight. We loosened up a little bit and started playing well,” Braun said.

“We did a lot of really good things in the first half,” Self said. “I thought we shared it, defended, rebounded the ball pretty well, and after we kind calmed our nerves down a little bit, we were very efficient first half.”

Kansas (29-6) plays its second-round Midwest Regional game Saturday against ninth-seeded Creighton, which opened with a 72-69 overtime victory over San Diego State and will try to get to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

John Walker III had 13 points for the Tigers.

Big 12 player of the year Ochai Agbagi had a relatively quiet night with 11 points for Kansas, but he had a short scoring outburst in the first half and his last points were a highlight play, scoring on an alley-oop pass from Harris, who finished with 12 points. Jalen Wilson had 11 points.

The Jayhawks led 47-19 after scoring five points in the final 4 seconds of the first half. It was their largest halftime lead in an NCAA Tournament game since they led by 29 over Marquette in the 2003 national semifinals.

“I didn’t think we played well there in the first half, but I thought in the second half we played, continued to fight and made some plays and looked more resembling the type of team that we had most of the time throughout the year,” Tigers coach Johnny Jones said. “Unfortunately, we ran into a team that’s very efficient, coached extremely well.

After Texas Southern got a putback layup from Joirdon Karl Nicholas with 15 seconds left in the half, Self called timeout.

Joseph Yesufu passed to true freshman Zach Clemence, who split through two defenders for a layup while being fouled with 4 seconds left. Clemence missed the free throw, but Jalen Coleman-Lands got the rebound and hit a half-ending 3-pointer from the right corner.

Agbaji had all seven of his first-half points by making three shots in row in a span of less than two minutes. He had a jumper, 3-pointer and then a layup that made it 14-7 before Braun’s 3-pointer for the first double-digit lead with 12:43 left in the half.

The Jayhawks later had an 18-2 run in which Martin scored nine points, including a steal and breakaway dunk.

“I didn’t know Remy could dunk a basketball, so that was a big moment,” Self said. “The pass that he gave David in transition was pretty special.”

Martin had ignited that spurt with an emphatic bounce pass to David McCormack for a thunderous one-handed slam dunk and a 21-12 lead.

“Scoring is not what I came here for. Came here to change pace and help my teammates,” Martin said. “If I have an open look, I’m there to take it. If not, find these guys.”

Texas Southern: It was the second consecutive March and the third NCAA Tournament appearance in a row in which the Tigers won a First Four game before falling in the next game — they beat Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi 76-67 on Tuesday. Texas Southern has made six of the last nine NCAA tourneys.

Kansas: The Jayhawks are in their record 32nd NCAA tourney in a row. The three-time national champions are 110-48 overall in NCAA games and have won their last 15 tourney openers since losing to Bradley in 2006. They also fell to Bucknell in their 2005 opener, but those are the only first-round losses in their 32 straight appearances.

Kansas and Creighton have played in the NCAA Tournament only once, when the Jayhawks won 55-54 in 1974. Their only meeting since was another one-point victory for Kansas on Dec. 8, 2020.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Top-seeded Kansas opened its 50th NCAA Tournament the way it has so many times in the past, with a lopsided victory.Remy Martin had 15 points and Christian Braun 14 to pace five Jayhawks scoring in double figures in an 83-56 victory over Texas Southern on Thursday night.“It was a good team win, certainly one that I’m glad we got, especially in this crazy tournament and this crazy day,” said Kansas coach Bill Self after one of the last of games to finish on a wild opening tourney day when a No. 11 seed, two No. 12s and a No. 15 won games.Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Texas Southern (19-13), the No. 16 seed which won a First Four game two nights earlier, had its only lead against the Big 12 champs after Bryson Etienne made its first shot of the game.Once the Jayhawks finally got on the board on a tying layup by Dajuan Harris after missing their first three shots, they got on a roll. They made their next six shots, and soon after that had a stretch of seven makes in a row. There were several highlight dunks throughout the game, and Kansas made 11 3-pointers.“The first four minutes, everybody was a little nervous, little tight. We loosened up a little bit and started playing well,” Braun said.“We did a lot of really good things in the first half,” Self said. “I thought we shared it, defended, rebounded the ball pretty well, and after we kind calmed our nerves down a little bit, we were very efficient first half.”Kansas (29-6) plays its second-round Midwest Regional game Saturday against ninth-seeded Creighton, which opened with a 72-69 overtime victory over San Diego State and will try to get to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.John Walker III had 13 points for the Tigers.Big 12 player of the year Ochai Agbagi had a relatively quiet night with 11 points for Kansas, but he had a short scoring outburst in the first half and his last points were a highlight play, scoring on an alley-oop pass from Harris, who finished with 12 points. Jalen Wilson had 11 points.The Jayhawks led 47-19 after scoring five points in the final 4 seconds of the first half. It was their largest halftime lead in an NCAA Tournament game since they led by 29 over Marquette in the 2003 national semifinals.“I didn’t think we played well there in the first half, but I thought in the second half we played, continued to fight and made some plays and looked more resembling the type of team that we had most of the time throughout the year,” Tigers coach Johnny Jones said. “Unfortunately, we ran into a team that’s very efficient, coached extremely well.After Texas Southern got a putback layup from Joirdon Karl Nicholas with 15 seconds left in the half, Self called timeout.Joseph Yesufu passed to true freshman Zach Clemence, who split through two defenders for a layup while being fouled with 4 seconds left. Clemence missed the free throw, but Jalen Coleman-Lands got the rebound and hit a half-ending 3-pointer from the right corner.Agbaji had all seven of his first-half points by making three shots in row in a span of less than two minutes. He had a jumper, 3-pointer and then a layup that made it 14-7 before Braun’s 3-pointer for the first double-digit lead with 12:43 left in the half.The Jayhawks later had an 18-2 run in which Martin scored nine points, including a steal and breakaway dunk.“I didn’t know Remy could dunk a basketball, so that was a big moment,” Self said. “The pass that he gave David in transition was pretty special.”Martin had ignited that spurt with an emphatic bounce pass to David McCormack for a thunderous one-handed slam dunk and a 21-12 lead.“Scoring is not what I came here for. Came here to change pace and help my teammates,” Martin said. “If I have an open look, I’m there to take it. If not, find these guys.”BIG PICTURETexas Southern: It was the second consecutive March and the third NCAA Tournament appearance in a row in which the Tigers won a First Four game before falling in the next game — they beat Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi 76-67 on Tuesday. Texas Southern has made six of the last nine NCAA tourneys.Kansas: The Jayhawks are in their record 32nd NCAA tourney in a row. The three-time national champions are 110-48 overall in NCAA games and have won their last 15 tourney openers since losing to Bradley in 2006. They also fell to Bucknell in their 2005 opener, but those are the only first-round losses in their 32 straight appearances.UP NEXTKansas and Creighton have played in the NCAA Tournament only once, when the Jayhawks won 55-54 in 1974. Their only meeting since was another one-point victory for Kansas on Dec. 8, 2020.

Top seed Kansas opens 50th NCAA with 83-56 win over TSU

MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State, a nine-seed in the Bridgeport Region, will compete in the 2022 NCAA Tournament first round against eight-seed Washington State on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.

• Saturday's game will air on ESPN2, as Sam Ravech (play-by-play) and Kelly Gramlich (analyst) will have the call.

• K-State's 10-win improvement from the 2020-21 season is the largest win improvement in the Jeff Mittie era and tied for the second-largest win increase from one season to the next in program history. It is the largest since the school record of 14 was set in the 2001-02 season.

• The Wildcats have been led this season by All-Big 12 First Team honoree Ayoka Lee and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient Serena Sundell. 

• Lee, a 2022 All-America and National Player of the Year candidate, is the first player in program history and the only player in the nation this season to register the combination of 675 or more points, 300 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocked shots.

• Sundell, a unanimous 2022 Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection, is second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg). She is second in the Big 12 in total assists (171) and assists per game (5.5). A five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week honoree, Sundell is the only freshman in the nation with 170 or more assists and 40 or more 3-point field goals made.

MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State, a nine-seed in the Bridgeport Region, will compete in the 2022 NCAA Tournament first round against eight-seed Washington State on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.• Saturday's game will air on ESPN2, as Sam Ravech (play-by-play) and Kelly Gramlich (analyst) will have the call.• K-State's 10-win improvement from the 2020-21 season is the largest win improvement in the Jeff Mittie era and tied for the second-largest win increase from one season to the next in program history. It is the largest since the school record of 14 was set in the 2001-02 season.• The Wildcats have been led this season by All-Big 12 First Team honoree Ayoka Lee and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient Serena Sundell. • Lee, a 2022 All-America and National Player of the Year candidate, is the first player in program history and the only player in the nation this season to register the combination of 675 or more points, 300 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocked shots.• Sundell, a unanimous 2022 Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection, is second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg). She is second in the Big 12 in total assists (171) and assists per game (5.5). A five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week honoree, Sundell is the only freshman in the nation with 170 or more assists and 40 or more 3-point field goals made.Kansas State Athletics

K-State, Washington State Meet in Saturday Morning NCAA Tournament Tip

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas makes its return to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 8-seed in the Spokane Regional. The Jayhawks will match up with No. 9-seed Georgia Tech in the first round on Friday, March 18, at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California.

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPNU with Tiffany Greene and Steffi Sorensen on the call.

The Jayhawks are making the program’s 14th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance and first since KU went to back-to-back Sweet Sixteens as a double-digit seed in 2012 and 2013. Kansas will be facing a Georgia Tech team that is 21-10 on the year and in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Yellow Jackets earned an at-large bid out of the Atlantic Coast Conference after finishing sixth in the league at 11-7.

Big 12 Coach of the Year Brandon Schneider has led the Jayhawks to a breakthrough season in 2021-22. Kansas enters the postseason with 20 wins for the first time since 1999-2000, which was also the last time that Kansas had 10 or more conference wins in a season. On Wednesday, March 9, KU announced a new four-year contract for Schneider that will keep him in Lawrence through the 2025-26 season.

Kansas Women’s Basketball is 13-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with the first trip to the Big Dance coming in 1987. The Jayhawks would make a return trip in 1988 before qualifying in nine consecutive years from 1992-2000. KU is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000, with previous trips in 2012 and 2013.

With six blocked shots against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Quarterfinals, junior Taiyanna Jackson ascended to the top of KU’s single-season blocks record. Jackson, who ranks fourth in the country 3.1 blocks per game, now has 90 blocked shots for the season, which surpassed the previous KU record of 88 set by Lisa Tate in 1992-93.

Friday’s NCAA Tournament first round matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and Georgia Tech in women’s basketball.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas makes its return to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 8-seed in the Spokane Regional. The Jayhawks will match up with No. 9-seed Georgia Tech in the first round on Friday, March 18, at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California.Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPNU with Tiffany Greene and Steffi Sorensen on the call.The Jayhawks are making the program’s 14th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance and first since KU went to back-to-back Sweet Sixteens as a double-digit seed in 2012 and 2013. Kansas will be facing a Georgia Tech team that is 21-10 on the year and in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Yellow Jackets earned an at-large bid out of the Atlantic Coast Conference after finishing sixth in the league at 11-7.Big 12 Coach of the Year Brandon Schneider has led the Jayhawks to a breakthrough season in 2021-22. Kansas enters the postseason with 20 wins for the first time since 1999-2000, which was also the last time that Kansas had 10 or more conference wins in a season. On Wednesday, March 9, KU announced a new four-year contract for Schneider that will keep him in Lawrence through the 2025-26 season.Kansas Women’s Basketball is 13-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with the first trip to the Big Dance coming in 1987. The Jayhawks would make a return trip in 1988 before qualifying in nine consecutive years from 1992-2000. KU is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000, with previous trips in 2012 and 2013.With six blocked shots against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Quarterfinals, junior Taiyanna Jackson ascended to the top of KU’s single-season blocks record. Jackson, who ranks fourth in the country 3.1 blocks per game, now has 90 blocked shots for the season, which surpassed the previous KU record of 88 set by Lisa Tate in 1992-93.Friday’s NCAA Tournament first round matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and Georgia Tech in women’s basketball.Kansas Athletics

Jayhawk Women to Meet Georgia Tech in NCAA Opener

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Remy Martin had 15 points and Christian Braun 14 to lead five players scoring in double figures for top-seeded Kansas, and the Jayhawks opened their 50th NCAA Tournament with an 83-56 victory over Texas Southern. The SWAC champion Tigers had their only lead over the Big 12 champs after Bryson Etienne made their first shot of the game. Kansas is 29-6 and plays its second-round Midwest Regional game Saturday against ninth-seeded Creighton. John Walker III had 13 points for the Tigers.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Matthew Mayer scored a career-high 22 points and defending national champion Baylor opened the NCAA Tournament with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State. Freshman standout Jeremy Sochan added 15 points and seven rebounds. The top-seeded Bears are 27-6. Baylor traveled less than 100 miles from its campus in Waco, Texas, to open the East Regional in Fort Worth. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year Joe Bryant had 15 points for Norfolk State.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Second-seeded Kentucky suffered an 85-79 overtime loss to St. Peter’s in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Darryl Banks poured in 27 points as the Peacocks became the 10th No. 15 seed to win a first-round game since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Banks’ two free throws with 1:45 left in overtime gave Saint Peter’s the lead for good. Oscar Tshiebwe had 30 points and 16 rebounds for Kentucky (26-8) but his pair of missed free throws early in overtime was costly.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Gonzaga struggled to shake No. 16 seed Georgia State for 30 minutes before going on a 24-1 run in a 93-72 victory in the opening round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half and finished with 13 rebounds. The Zags were sluggish early and couldn’t make a basket for a long stretch of the first half.

UNDATED (AP) — A pair of fifth seeds were knocked out of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Jacob Gilyard scored 24 points and 12th-seeded Richmond leaned on its graduate senior-experienced lineup to defeat Big Ten champion Iowa, 67-63. Teddy Allen scored 37 points and New Mexico State won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in almost three decades, 70-63 over No. 5 Connecticut.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Santiago Vescovi scored 18 points and Tennessee pounded Longwood 88-56 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, showing exactly why it felt it deserved better than a No. 3 seed. The Volunteers shot 60% from the field and had four players score in double figures. The runaway victory came just four days after the school won the Southeastern Conference Tournament for its first conference tourney crown in 43 years. Next up for the Vols is 11th-seeded Michigan on Saturday. No. 14 seed Longwood was led by Justin Hill with 13 points in the school’s first NCAA tourney appearance.

MOSCOW (AP) _Russia’s Tass news agency says a court near Moscow announced it has extended the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner until May 19. Griner was detained at a Moscow airport, reportedly in mid-February, after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges as allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. The 31-year-old Griner is one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball. The seven-time All-Star has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S.. and a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury.

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 </figure>FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Remy Martin had 15 points and Christian Braun 14 to lead five players scoring in double figures for top-seeded Kansas, and the Jayhawks opened their 50th NCAA Tournament with an 83-56 victory over Texas Southern. The SWAC champion Tigers had their only lead over the Big 12 champs after Bryson Etienne made their first shot of the game. Kansas is 29-6 and plays its second-round Midwest Regional game Saturday against ninth-seeded Creighton. John Walker III had 13 points for the Tigers.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Matthew Mayer scored a career-high 22 points and defending national champion Baylor opened the NCAA Tournament with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State. Freshman standout Jeremy Sochan added 15 points and seven rebounds. The top-seeded Bears are 27-6. Baylor traveled less than 100 miles from its campus in Waco, Texas, to open the East Regional in Fort Worth. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year Joe Bryant had 15 points for Norfolk State.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Second-seeded Kentucky suffered an 85-79 overtime loss to St. Peter’s in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Darryl Banks poured in 27 points as the Peacocks became the 10th No. 15 seed to win a first-round game since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Banks’ two free throws with 1:45 left in overtime gave Saint Peter’s the lead for good. Oscar Tshiebwe had 30 points and 16 rebounds for Kentucky (26-8) but his pair of missed free throws early in overtime was costly.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Gonzaga struggled to shake No. 16 seed Georgia State for 30 minutes before going on a 24-1 run in a 93-72 victory in the opening round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half and finished with 13 rebounds. The Zags were sluggish early and couldn’t make a basket for a long stretch of the first half.UNDATED (AP) — A pair of fifth seeds were knocked out of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Jacob Gilyard scored 24 points and 12th-seeded Richmond leaned on its graduate senior-experienced lineup to defeat Big Ten champion Iowa, 67-63. Teddy Allen scored 37 points and New Mexico State won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in almost three decades, 70-63 over No. 5 Connecticut.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Santiago Vescovi scored 18 points and Tennessee pounded Longwood 88-56 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, showing exactly why it felt it deserved better than a No. 3 seed. The Volunteers shot 60% from the field and had four players score in double figures. The runaway victory came just four days after the school won the Southeastern Conference Tournament for its first conference tourney crown in 43 years. Next up for the Vols is 11th-seeded Michigan on Saturday. No. 14 seed Longwood was led by Justin Hill with 13 points in the school’s first NCAA tourney appearance.MOSCOW (AP) _Russia’s Tass news agency says a court near Moscow announced it has extended the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner until May 19. Griner was detained at a Moscow airport, reportedly in mid-February, after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges as allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. The 31-year-old Griner is one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball. The seven-time All-Star has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S.. and a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury.THURSDAY NCAA TOURNAMENT SCORESSOUTHFinal	Michigan	75	Colorado St.	63	Final	Tennessee	88	Longwood	56	MIDWESTFinal OT	Creighton	72	San Diego St.	69	Final	Kansas	83	Texas Southern	56	Final	Providence	66	S. Dakota St.	57	Final	Richmond	67	Iowa	63	EASTFinal	Baylor	85	Norfolk St.	49	Final	North Carolina	95	Marquette	63	Final OT	St. Peter's	85	Kentucky	79	Final OT	Murray St.	92	San Francisco	87	Final	Saint Mary's (Cal.)	82	Indiana	53	Final	UCLA	57	Akron	53	WESTFinal	Memphis	64	Boise St.	53	Final	Gonzaga	93	Georgia St.	72	Final	New Mexico St.	70	UConn	63	Final	Arkansas	75	Vermont	71

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A $1.8 million artificial turf project is nearing completion at Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

The turf should be ready for play when the season starts later this spring. Jeff Boyle, Hays parks director, said installation of the turf has gone smoothly.

New shade structures, scoreboards and a new playground area have also been added to the park in the last three years.

"I think what we've done here is pretty unbeatable in the state," Boyle said. "There's a lot of nice facilities to go to, but we're in the top tier of those," he said.

"I think we are going to see a huge increase in participation, and&nbsp; I think the overall experience is going to be so much better."

Shade structures were installed last summer at Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post

Artificial turf was added to the infields of all eight of the baseball/softball fields at the complex. The project also included turfing of the bullpens.

The addition of turf will allow guaranteed play even when it rains. Boyle said this is important to teams wishing to schedule tournaments at the complex.

He said he expects an increase in tournament play at the complex, which will likely bring more visitors to the community.

Families who travel for summer ball tournaments often bring their entire families. They stay in hotels, eat out, buy gas and shop. This not only benefits local businesses, but brings in more revenue for the city and county in the form of sales tax, Boyle said.

When the project was approved by the Hays City Commission in May 2021, Commissioner Shaun Musil cited a report from the Fort Hays State University Docking Institute that said the sports complex brought more than $1 million to the community in 2018.

New scoreboards have also been installed at all eight ball fields at Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

Teams can sign up for summer youth baseball and fast-pitch softball, as well as adult softball tournaments, through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hayssportscomplex.com/">Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex website</a>.

The City of Hays paid a little more than $1 million toward the project out of its capital reserve fund with the Hays Recreation Commission paying the rest of the $750,000. The city's portion of the project was funded through its share of the 1/4 cent Ellis County sales tax.

Operation costs should decrease with the addition of the new surface, Boyle said. High winds regularly shifted the fine dirt from the infields off the fields. The city invested considerable time and effort, spreading that dirt back on the fields.

The dirt that was removed from the Bickle-Schmidt fields has been used to replace infield dirt at Auble-Bickle Park and Dusty Glassman Ball Field. The city hired a laser grader company to grade the fields so they shed water appropriately.

The city also hopes to add new infield dirt to the Hank Speier Ball Field from dirt that was left over from Bickle-Schmidt project.

A covered playground was added to the sports complex two years ago. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post

The addition of the new infield dirt at these facilities should create much better playing surfaces, Boyle said.

Reconfiguration of fields will also allow 13 and younger players to play at Bickle-Schmidt.

This also will be the first full year new shade structures at Bickle-Schmidt will be in use. They were constructed last summer at a cost of $451,000. New scoreboards were also added at all eight ballfields in 2021.

Two years ago, a new shaded playground area was added to the southwest quad at the complex.

Although the shade structures, scoreboards and playground equipment were separate projects from the turf, Boyle said all four projects combined will greatly improved the experience for fans and athletes at the complex.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647455821696.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA $1.8 million artificial turf project is nearing completion at Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.The turf should be ready for play when the season starts later this spring. Jeff Boyle, Hays parks director, said installation of the turf has gone smoothly.New shade structures, scoreboards and a new playground area have also been added to the park in the last three years. "I think what we've done here is pretty unbeatable in the state," Boyle said. "There's a lot of nice facilities to go to, but we're in the top tier of those," he said."I think we are going to see a huge increase in participation, and&nbsp; I think the overall experience is going to be so much better."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647456405593.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shade structures were installed last summer at Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post Artificial turf was added to the infields of all eight of the baseball/softball fields at the complex. The project also included turfing of the bullpens.The addition of turf will allow guaranteed play even when it rains. Boyle said this is important to teams wishing to schedule tournaments at the complex.He said he expects an increase in tournament play at the complex, which will likely bring more visitors to the community.Families who travel for summer ball tournaments often bring their entire families. They stay in hotels, eat out, buy gas and shop. This not only benefits local businesses, but brings in more revenue for the city and county in the form of sales tax, Boyle said.When the project was approved by the Hays City Commission in May 2021, Commissioner Shaun Musil cited a report from the Fort Hays State University Docking Institute that said the sports complex brought more than $1 million to the community in 2018.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647456628884.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>New scoreboards have also been installed at all eight ball fields at Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.Teams can sign up for summer youth baseball and fast-pitch softball, as well as adult softball tournaments, through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hayssportscomplex.com/">Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex website</a>.The City of Hays paid a little more than $1 million toward the project out of its capital reserve fund with the Hays Recreation Commission paying the rest of the $750,000. The city's portion of the project was funded through its share of the 1/4 cent Ellis County sales tax. Operation costs should decrease with the addition of the new surface, Boyle said. High winds regularly shifted the fine dirt from the infields off the fields. The city invested considerable time and effort, spreading that dirt back on the fields.The dirt that was removed from the Bickle-Schmidt fields has been used to replace infield dirt at Auble-Bickle Park and Dusty Glassman Ball Field. The city hired a laser grader company to grade the fields so they shed water appropriately.The city also hopes to add new infield dirt to the Hank Speier Ball Field from dirt that was left over from Bickle-Schmidt project.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647457047678.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A covered playground was added to the sports complex two years ago. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post The addition of the new infield dirt at these facilities should create much better playing surfaces, Boyle said. Reconfiguration of fields will also allow 13 and younger players to play at Bickle-Schmidt.This also will be the first full year new shade structures at Bickle-Schmidt will be in use. They were constructed last summer at a cost of $451,000. New scoreboards were also added at all eight ballfields in 2021. Two years ago, a new shaded playground area was added to the southwest quad at the complex.Although the shade structures, scoreboards and playground equipment were separate projects from the turf, Boyle said all four projects combined will greatly improved the experience for fans and athletes at the complex.

Turf at Hays complex will be ready for summer ball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a $2 million contract with quarterback Chad Henne, keeping their longtime backup to Patrick Mahomes in the fold for next season, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the contract had yet to be signed.

The 36-year-old Henne has spent four seasons with the Chiefs, appearing in eight regular-season games with one start while providing a veteran voice in their quarterback room. Henne was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round in 2008, which was about when Mahomes was beginning to sling the ball around junior high fields.

While Henne has played relatively few snaps in Kansas City, some have proven to be crucial. The biggest came Jan. 17, 2021, when he calmly threw a fourth-down pass to Tyreek Hill to convert a first down near midfield in the waning minutes of a 22-17 victory over the Browns in the divisional round of the playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Henne has appeared in 75 games with 54 starts over the course of his 13-year career, throwing for more than 13,000 yards with 60 touchdown passes. That includes his start with the Dolphins and five years in Jacksonville.

Earlier this week, the Chiefs agreed to a three-year, $31.5 million contract with safety Justin Reid, a deal expected to be signed soon following the start of the new league year Wednesday. That contract includes $20 million in guarantees, a person familiar with the terms told AP on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.

The 25-year-old Reid was a third-round pick of Houston in the 2018 draft and has been one of the few solid parts of the struggling Texans over the past four seasons. He has started 53 of 57 games, including 13 last season, when he made 66 tackles with four passes defensed and a forced fumble.

His deal with Kansas City signaled the end of Tyrann Mathieu’s time with the club. The three-time All-Pro’s contract expired after last season, and the Chiefs chose to go with a younger option who could have his best years ahead of him.

The cash-strapped Chiefs, who earlier put the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., freed up some space Tuesday when they managed to restructure the contract of pass rusher Frank Clark. His salary cap hit would have been a prohibitive $26.3 million this season and $27.8 million in 2023, but the new deal is expected to save at least $11 million this season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a $2 million contract with quarterback Chad Henne, keeping their longtime backup to Patrick Mahomes in the fold for next season, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the contract had yet to be signed.The 36-year-old Henne has spent four seasons with the Chiefs, appearing in eight regular-season games with one start while providing a veteran voice in their quarterback room. Henne was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round in 2008, which was about when Mahomes was beginning to sling the ball around junior high fields.While Henne has played relatively few snaps in Kansas City, some have proven to be crucial. The biggest came Jan. 17, 2021, when he calmly threw a fourth-down pass to Tyreek Hill to convert a first down near midfield in the waning minutes of a 22-17 victory over the Browns in the divisional round of the playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium.Henne has appeared in 75 games with 54 starts over the course of his 13-year career, throwing for more than 13,000 yards with 60 touchdown passes. That includes his start with the Dolphins and five years in Jacksonville.Earlier this week, the Chiefs agreed to a three-year, $31.5 million contract with safety Justin Reid, a deal expected to be signed soon following the start of the new league year Wednesday. That contract includes $20 million in guarantees, a person familiar with the terms told AP on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.The 25-year-old Reid was a third-round pick of Houston in the 2018 draft and has been one of the few solid parts of the struggling Texans over the past four seasons. He has started 53 of 57 games, including 13 last season, when he made 66 tackles with four passes defensed and a forced fumble.His deal with Kansas City signaled the end of Tyrann Mathieu’s time with the club. The three-time All-Pro’s contract expired after last season, and the Chiefs chose to go with a younger option who could have his best years ahead of him.The cash-strapped Chiefs, who earlier put the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., freed up some space Tuesday when they managed to restructure the contract of pass rusher Frank Clark. His salary cap hit would have been a prohibitive $26.3 million this season and $27.8 million in 2023, but the new deal is expected to save at least $11 million this season.

Chiefs backup QB Chad Henne back on $2M contract

Six pitchers combined for a one-hitter Wednesday at Salina's Dean Evans Stadium leading the Barton Community College baseball team to a 11-0 game shortened seven inning victory over the junior varsity of Kansas Wesleyan University.

Logan Phillips set the early tone striking out four in his planned two innings of work, improving to 1-1 on the year, five other pitchers combined for six strikeouts keeping the Coyotes' bats silent.

Alex Rodgers and Ricardo Sanchez led the top of the lineup with a combined five hits and two runs batted in while Jaden Wiley and Henry Hayman anchored the lower card with five hits and two RBIs as well.

Barton improves to 11-6 on the season, getting back to conference action on Friday with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader at Dodge City Community College. The teams switch locations on Saturday to the Cougars' Lawson-Biggs Field in wrapping up the four-game series with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch twinbill.

Six pitchers combined for a one-hitter Wednesday at Salina's Dean Evans Stadium leading the Barton Community College baseball team to a 11-0 game shortened seven inning victory over the junior varsity of Kansas Wesleyan University.Logan Phillips set the early tone striking out four in his planned two innings of work, improving to 1-1 on the year, five other pitchers combined for six strikeouts keeping the Coyotes' bats silent.Alex Rodgers and Ricardo Sanchez led the top of the lineup with a combined five hits and two runs batted in while Jaden Wiley and Henry Hayman anchored the lower card with five hits and two RBIs as well.Barton improves to 11-6 on the season, getting back to conference action on Friday with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader at Dodge City Community College. The teams switch locations on Saturday to the Cougars' Lawson-Biggs Field in wrapping up the four-game series with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch twinbill.

Combined one-hitter leads Barton Baseball to 11-0 victory in Salina

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed six-time All-Star pitcher Zack Greinke to a $13 million contract for this season Wednesday, reuniting the left-hander with the club that drafted him in the first round two decades ago.

Greinke also can make up to $2 million in performance bonuses, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not disclosed.

The 38-year-old Greinke was the sixth overall pick of the Royals in the 2002 amateur draft, and he spent his first six seasons with the club, winning the Cy Young Award during his standout 2009 season. He was traded to the Brewers the following year for a package of players that formed the basis of the Royals’ back-to-back AL champion teams.

Greinke spent just over a season in Milwaukee before his he was traded to the Angels, then spent three seasons across town with the Dodgers, where he finished second in Cy Young voting in 2015. Greinke went on to pitch four seasons for the Diamondbacks before spending the past three seasons with the Astros.

He went 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA and one complete game in 29 starts for Houston last season.

Greinke has 219 wins over 18 years in the big leagues, seven behind Justin Verlander among active pitchers, and he needs just 191 strikeouts to reach 3,000 for his career. Greinke also is a six-time Gold Glove winner.

The Royals created space on the 40-man roster for him Wednesday by placing reliever Tyler Zuber on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement.

Greinke left the Royals as an up-and-coming star just hitting his prime years, and he returns to provide veteran leadership for a rotation that figures to be among the youngest in baseball. Brad Keller had been the elder statesman at 26 years old, while Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, Carlos Hernandez and Jackson Kowar are even younger.

The move to sign Greinke came hours after the Royals traded left-hander Mike Minor to the Reds for reliever Amir Garrett on Wednesday. The Reds also would get $500,000 from the Royals if Minor’s mutual option for 2023 is declined.

Minor is due $10 million in the second year of an $18 million, two-year contract. The deal originally included a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout but a provision converts it to a mutual option because of the trade.

Garrett is eligible for arbitration and likely will have a salary in the $2 million range.

“I mean, my head was always it could be a possibility, you know?” said Garrett, who was picked by the Reds in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft. “I think moving forward they have to do what’s best for the organization and the club. There’s no hard feelings. These guys have been with me through it all. All I can say is thank you.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed six-time All-Star pitcher Zack Greinke to a $13 million contract for this season Wednesday, reuniting the left-hander with the club that drafted him in the first round two decades ago.Greinke also can make up to $2 million in performance bonuses, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not disclosed.The 38-year-old Greinke was the sixth overall pick of the Royals in the 2002 amateur draft, and he spent his first six seasons with the club, winning the Cy Young Award during his standout 2009 season. He was traded to the Brewers the following year for a package of players that formed the basis of the Royals’ back-to-back AL champion teams.Greinke spent just over a season in Milwaukee before his he was traded to the Angels, then spent three seasons across town with the Dodgers, where he finished second in Cy Young voting in 2015. Greinke went on to pitch four seasons for the Diamondbacks before spending the past three seasons with the Astros.He went 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA and one complete game in 29 starts for Houston last season.Greinke has 219 wins over 18 years in the big leagues, seven behind Justin Verlander among active pitchers, and he needs just 191 strikeouts to reach 3,000 for his career. Greinke also is a six-time Gold Glove winner.The Royals created space on the 40-man roster for him Wednesday by placing reliever Tyler Zuber on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement.Greinke left the Royals as an up-and-coming star just hitting his prime years, and he returns to provide veteran leadership for a rotation that figures to be among the youngest in baseball. Brad Keller had been the elder statesman at 26 years old, while Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, Carlos Hernandez and Jackson Kowar are even younger.The move to sign Greinke came hours after the Royals traded left-hander Mike Minor to the Reds for reliever Amir Garrett on Wednesday. The Reds also would get $500,000 from the Royals if Minor’s mutual option for 2023 is declined.Minor is due $10 million in the second year of an $18 million, two-year contract. The deal originally included a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout but a provision converts it to a mutual option because of the trade.Garrett is eligible for arbitration and likely will have a salary in the $2 million range.“I mean, my head was always it could be a possibility, you know?” said Garrett, who was picked by the Reds in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft. “I think moving forward they have to do what’s best for the organization and the club. There’s no hard feelings. These guys have been with me through it all. All I can say is thank you.”

Royals sign RHP Greinke to $13M contract for 2022

The Barton Community College softball team dropped a pair of conferences losses Wednesday at 6th ranked Butler Community College 8-0 and 14-3.

The Cougars drop to 6-4 in conference play and 12-8 on the season while Butler improves to 7-1 and 15-1 overall.

Barton next travels to Texas for a Saturday 12:00 p.m. doubleheader at No. 5 Odessa College before returning to conference action hosting Hutchinson on Monday and Dodge City on Wednesday.  Both are 1:00 p.m. first serves at Cougar Field.

The Barton Community College softball team dropped a pair of conferences losses Wednesday at 6th ranked Butler Community College 8-0 and 14-3.The Cougars drop to 6-4 in conference play and 12-8 on the season while Butler improves to 7-1 and 15-1 overall.Barton next travels to Texas for a Saturday 12:00 p.m. doubleheader at No. 5 Odessa College before returning to conference action hosting Hutchinson on Monday and Dodge City on Wednesday. Both are 1:00 p.m. first serves at Cougar Field.

Butler takes two from Barton

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Beware of Jackrabbits.

South Dakota State is bounding into the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s longest winning streak at 21 games and the most-accurate 3-point shooting team in major college basketball in almost three decades.

In just 13 seasons in Division I, South Dakota State has become an NCAA Tournament regular out of the Summit League and one of the best mid-major programs in the country with former stars Nate Wolters and Mike Daum setting the standard.

The 13th-seeded Jackrabbits (30-4) will be making their sixth tournament appearance Thursday, when they face fourth-seeded Providence (25-5) in the first round of the Midwest Region in Buffalo.

At a time when mid-major programs are often turned into farm clubs for the schools from the so-called power conferences — such as the Big East, where Providence plays — South Dakota State has been a place where players tend to find a home.

“Quite frankly, our group has been together the last three years for the most part, and they’re a very, very connected group,” third-year coach Eric Henderson said Wednesday.

The Jackrabbits have had only one top player transfer out and up to a bigger program in recent years. David Jenkins followed former coach T.J. Otzelberger to UNLV in 2019.

“When you are part of a program that has a history like South Dakota State, playing in the NCAA Tournament and having winning teams, that’s what kids want to be part of.” Henderson said.

A unique nickname also hasn’t hurt South Dakota State develop its brand.

“It’s a cool logo,” Henderson said.

Douglas Wilson, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, played two seasons at junior college before landing at South Dakota State. After two years in Brookings, Wilson decided to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted to athletes who played through the pandemic in 2020-21 to return this season.

The 6-foot-7 forward leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game and is shooting 57.4 percent from the floor.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Beware of Jackrabbits.South Dakota State is bounding into the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s longest winning streak at 21 games and the most-accurate 3-point shooting team in major college basketball in almost three decades.In just 13 seasons in Division I, South Dakota State has become an NCAA Tournament regular out of the Summit League and one of the best mid-major programs in the country with former stars Nate Wolters and Mike Daum setting the standard.The 13th-seeded Jackrabbits (30-4) will be making their sixth tournament appearance Thursday, when they face fourth-seeded Providence (25-5) in the first round of the Midwest Region in Buffalo.At a time when mid-major programs are often turned into farm clubs for the schools from the so-called power conferences — such as the Big East, where Providence plays — South Dakota State has been a place where players tend to find a home.“Quite frankly, our group has been together the last three years for the most part, and they’re a very, very connected group,” third-year coach Eric Henderson said Wednesday.The Jackrabbits have had only one top player transfer out and up to a bigger program in recent years. David Jenkins followed former coach T.J. Otzelberger to UNLV in 2019.“When you are part of a program that has a history like South Dakota State, playing in the NCAA Tournament and having winning teams, that’s what kids want to be part of.” Henderson said.A unique nickname also hasn’t hurt South Dakota State develop its brand.“It’s a cool logo,” Henderson said.Douglas Wilson, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, played two seasons at junior college before landing at South Dakota State. After two years in Brookings, Wilson decided to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted to athletes who played through the pandemic in 2020-21 to return this season.The 6-foot-7 forward leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game and is shooting 57.4 percent from the floor.“So, I’m a big loyalty guy. So there was always people talking about (transferring), but my loyalty was with South Dakota State, and I didn’t want to be with nobody else,” Wilson said.Wilson is the inside player on a team loaded with long-range shooters. South Dakota State enters the tournament shooting 44.7% from 3-point range. The last team to shoot better than that for a full season in Division I was Indiana, which made 45.4% percent on 3s in 1993-94.Baylor Scheierman is shooting 47.6% from deep for the Jackrabbits, and that’s third-best on the team behind Charlie Easley and Alex Arians. Both are above 50%.“I think coach has done an incredible job with keeping them simple,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said. “They know who they are. I don’t think they take bad shots. You can see they have a lot of offensive synergy and continuity.”Cooley orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in the country after the Friars went 13-13 last season. But there are still skeptics. The Friars have heard they have been dubbed the luckiest team in America after winning 15 games by a single-digit margin, including three in overtime.The Big East regular-season champions are only a two-point favorite against South Dakota State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Jackrabbits, who have not lost since Dec. 15, are a popular upset pick in the bracket.“I don’t think there is a person in America that has given us a chance in this game we’re about to play, not one person,” Cooley said.At least the luckiest team in the country starts its NCAA Tournament on St. Patrick’s Day?“Hell, I may be the leprechaun tomorrow,” Cooley said.ALL-AMERICANSThe Midwest Region features two All-Americans and player of the year contenders in Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji and Iowa’s Keegan Murray.Agbaji entered the NBA draft after his junior season, but decided to come back to Kansas this season and has blossomed. The senior improved his shooting percentage overall, from 3-point range and from the free-throw line.Kansas coach Bill Self said that while Agbaji has become a star he doesn’t necessarily have to carry the team in the postseason.“You know what I think he can do to really help us and himself is just be who he is and not try to be more than what that is,” Self said. “What that is is plenty. And he doesn’t need to be a superhero. We’ve got good players around him.”Agbaji heads into the top-seeded Jayhawks’ first-round game against 16th-seeded Texas Southern (19-12) in Fort Worth, Texas, averaging 19.7 points per game.Murray and the fifth-seeded Hawkeyes (26-9) are in Buffalo to face 12th-seeded Richmond (23-12), which made a surprising run to an Atlantic 10 Tournament championship to reach the NCAAs.Murray made a leap this season, leading the Big Ten in scoring at 23.6 points per game after being a role player as a freshman.“I think last year, you saw flashes of that,” Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon said. “Obviously, it was really hard to see. We had so many talented guys last year from Joe Wieskamp to CJ (Fredrick) to Luka Garza.”Bohannon called Murray a “generational player.”“That step just doesn’t happen by accident,” Bohannon said. “That step happens by day in and day out of continuing to work hard and helping this team win, and that’s exactly what he did in this offseason.”BATTLE OF THE DPOYsThe 8-9 game in Fort Worth will match two conference defensive players of the year.Nathan Mensah of eighth-seeded San Diego State was the DPOY in the Mountain West, averaging two blocked shots per game for the team that led the conference in fewest points allowed (57.75) and field goal percentage against (38.2%).Ryan Kalkbrenner of ninth-seeded Creighton was the Big East’s defensive player of the year. He averaged 2.7 blocks per game and the Bluejays were the toughest team in their conference to make a basket against, allowing opponents to shoot 38.6% from the field.“Both teams are really close to each other as far as profile,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “You can make mistakes on the perimeter, but anything around the rim is protected, hard to score at the basket. So that’s going to be a great challenge for both teams.”