Prep sports action around the state turned into a race against the weather. Friday night in McPherson, the Panther baseball team was helped by some quick innings from Carson Umphres on the mound. Following a 6-3 loss to Salina South, Umphres threw five no-hit innings and strike out nine as Great Bend run-ruled Junction City as the storms arrived.

Umphres was perfect until walking a Bluejay batter with two outs in the fifth inning. He got help from the offense right away as the Panthers scratched across five runs in the first and six more in the third to lead 12-0.

Sophomore Ian Premer had another monster game at the plate with two doubles and a triple to drive in five runs and score three times. Umphres helped himself out with a double, a single, and a walk with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Peyden Oelger singled and doubled, and Owen Kaiser doubled and walked. JJ Grove singled and walked twice, coming around to score twice.

Three late runs from Salina South in game one cost Great Bend the sweep. The Panthers led 2-1 after one and held that lead until the Cougars plated two runs in the fifth. Great Bend got a run in the sixth to tie things up before South decided the game in the top of the seventh.

Hunter Herrman threw the first 5.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked three batters. Kaiser threw the final five outs, striking out five but allowing three earned runs on two hits with a pair of walks.

The Panther offense managed just four hits and five walks in the loss. Umphres and Koehn Ribordy each doubled, and Kaiser and Slade Mohr each singled. Grove reached on a pair of walks.

Great Bend moves to 18-6 on the season and travels to Manhattan for a pair of games against the Indians on Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886567489.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsPrep sports action around the state turned into a race against the weather. Friday night in McPherson, the Panther baseball team was helped by some quick innings from Carson Umphres on the mound. Following a 6-3 loss to Salina South, Umphres threw five no-hit innings and strike out nine as Great Bend run-ruled Junction City as the storms arrived.Umphres was perfect until walking a Bluejay batter with two outs in the fifth inning. He got help from the offense right away as the Panthers scratched across five runs in the first and six more in the third to lead 12-0.Sophomore Ian Premer had another monster game at the plate with two doubles and a triple to drive in five runs and score three times. Umphres helped himself out with a double, a single, and a walk with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Peyden Oelger singled and doubled, and Owen Kaiser doubled and walked. JJ Grove singled and walked twice, coming around to score twice.Three late runs from Salina South in game one cost Great Bend the sweep. The Panthers led 2-1 after one and held that lead until the Cougars plated two runs in the fifth. Great Bend got a run in the sixth to tie things up before South decided the game in the top of the seventh.Hunter Herrman threw the first 5.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked three batters. Kaiser threw the final five outs, striking out five but allowing three earned runs on two hits with a pair of walks.The Panther offense managed just four hits and five walks in the loss. Umphres and Koehn Ribordy each doubled, and Kaiser and Slade Mohr each singled. Grove reached on a pair of walks.Great Bend moves to 18-6 on the season and travels to Manhattan for a pair of games against the Indians on Wednesday.

Umphres tosses no-no against Junction City, Panthers go 1-1

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714833774385.jpeg" alt="Ellinwood Freshman Trace Tudor tossed a 5 Inning no-hitter Friday night in a 10-victory over Minneapolis. Tudor is 5-3 for the 11-11 Eagles, leading the team with 53 K’s in 39.1 IP. He has a 2.31 ERA. (courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Ellinwood Freshman Trace Tudor tossed a 5 Inning no-hitter Friday night in a 10-victory over Minneapolis. Tudor is 5-3 for the 11-11 Eagles, leading the team with 53 K’s in 39.1 IP. He has a 2.31 ERA. (courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellinwood hurler tosses 5-inning no-hitter

Wednesday, May 1 Evangel 10, Tabor 4 Ottawa 4, Kansas Wesleyan 1 St. Mary 5, Avila 2 Friends 5, Oklahoma Wesleyan 2 Friends 6, Ottawa 2 Evangel 4, St. Mary 3 (9-inn) Avila 4, Oklahoma Wesleyan 0 Tabor 7, Kansas Wesleyan 1 Thursday, May 2 Ottawa 11, Avila 3 Tabor 9, St. Mary 5 Friends 3, Evangel 2 Tabor 6, Ottawa 1 Evangel 6, Tabor 0 Friday, May 3 Championship - Evangel 8, Friends 1 2nd Championship game - Evangel 1 Friends 0 (12 inn.)

Evangel wins KCAC Tournament with a record of 35-8

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714833033691.jpeg" alt="Evangel Valor - 2024 KCAC Softball Champions" />
 <figcaption>Evangel Valor - 2024 KCAC Softball Champions</figcaption>
 </figure>Wednesday, May 1 Evangel 10, Tabor 4 Ottawa 4, Kansas Wesleyan 1 St. Mary 5, Avila 2 Friends 5, Oklahoma Wesleyan 2 Friends 6, Ottawa 2 Evangel 4, St. Mary 3 (9-inn) Avila 4, Oklahoma Wesleyan 0 Tabor 7, Kansas Wesleyan 1 Thursday, May 2 Ottawa 11, Avila 3 Tabor 9, St. Mary 5 Friends 3, Evangel 2 Tabor 6, Ottawa 1 Evangel 6, Tabor 0 Friday, May 3 Championship - Evangel 8, Friends 1 2nd Championship game - Evangel 1 Friends 0 (12 inn.)Evangel wins KCAC Tournament with a record of 35-8

Evangel Beats Friends twice to win KCAC Softball Championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Brady Singer pitched six dominant innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night.

Perez hit his eighth home run of the season in Kansas City's six-run seventh inning to break open what was a pitcher's duel. Kyle Isbel, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. had RBI singles before Perez gave the Royals a 7-1 lead.

“That was amazing, I hadn't seen it that special since 2021 when I hit 48 home runs and I appreciate the fans in Kansas City,” Perez said. “We're winning right now and hopefully it stays that way. I think they feel the same energy we have in the dugout.”

Prior to that, Michael Lorenzen had his best start of the season for Texas, giving up three hits and one run — on a homer by Hunter Renfroe — in six innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 86 pitches.

“They're an athletic team and they're going to swing,” Lorenzen said. "You just have to trust your defense and believe they're going to do a good job behind you.

Cole Winn (0-1) then gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and Jose Urena gave up two more before closing out the inning.

“I think you can attribute Cole being a little off,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “His command and everything was a little bit off tonight.”

The Royals have won three straight and seven of their last 10. The Rangers had won three of their previous four.

Singer allowed just one run and four hits while striking out eight with no walks. He hasn’t given up more than one run in five of his seven starts this season.

“I was happy to get out of the sixth there honestly,” Singer said. “I didn't want to walk anybody after the last couple outings and I just went out there and attacked the strike zone.”

The lone blemish against Singer came on an RBI single by Corey Seager that drove in Marcus Semien in the third inning.

John Schreiber (3-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, striking out Semien to keep the score at 1-1 before the Royals' big inning in the bottom half.

“We had no room for error and Schreiber has been excellent,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “To get where we were in that game, we don't get there without Schreiber.”

The Rangers placed RHP Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day IL (right groin strain) and recalled RHP Yerry Rodriguez from Triple-A Round Rock.

Texas RHP Dane Dunning (3-2, 4.13 ERA) goes against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (1-3, 4.24) on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714827193108.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) celebrates with Vinnie Pasquantino (9) after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) celebrates with Vinnie Pasquantino (9) after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Brady Singer pitched six dominant innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night.Perez hit his eighth home run of the season in Kansas City's six-run seventh inning to break open what was a pitcher's duel. Kyle Isbel, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. had RBI singles before Perez gave the Royals a 7-1 lead.“That was amazing, I hadn't seen it that special since 2021 when I hit 48 home runs and I appreciate the fans in Kansas City,” Perez said. “We're winning right now and hopefully it stays that way. I think they feel the same energy we have in the dugout.”Prior to that, Michael Lorenzen had his best start of the season for Texas, giving up three hits and one run — on a homer by Hunter Renfroe — in six innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 86 pitches.“They're an athletic team and they're going to swing,” Lorenzen said. "You just have to trust your defense and believe they're going to do a good job behind you.Cole Winn (0-1) then gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and Jose Urena gave up two more before closing out the inning.“I think you can attribute Cole being a little off,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “His command and everything was a little bit off tonight.”The Royals have won three straight and seven of their last 10. The Rangers had won three of their previous four.Singer allowed just one run and four hits while striking out eight with no walks. He hasn’t given up more than one run in five of his seven starts this season.“I was happy to get out of the sixth there honestly,” Singer said. “I didn't want to walk anybody after the last couple outings and I just went out there and attacked the strike zone.”The lone blemish against Singer came on an RBI single by Corey Seager that drove in Marcus Semien in the third inning.John Schreiber (3-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, striking out Semien to keep the score at 1-1 before the Royals' big inning in the bottom half.“We had no room for error and Schreiber has been excellent,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “To get where we were in that game, we don't get there without Schreiber.”ROSTER MOVESThe Rangers placed RHP Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day IL (right groin strain) and recalled RHP Yerry Rodriguez from Triple-A Round Rock.UP NEXTTexas RHP Dane Dunning (3-2, 4.13 ERA) goes against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (1-3, 4.24) on Saturday.

Brady Singer pitches 6 dominant innings as Royals beat Rangers 7-1

As the 2012 movie
title said, many who step into the batter’s box have “Trouble with the Curve.”
For a pair of KVGB “Sports Day” hosts, it was something else: trouble with the
changeup. Voice of the Panthers Aaron Clark and Mike Courson recently faced off
against Lady Panther varsity softball pitchers Paige Thexton, Braelyn Turner,
and Chayla Prendergast. Results were mixed.

“Most of the time,
we work behind the scenes covering the athletes,” Courson said. “It’s always
fun to step out and see exactly what the opposition is seeing. Big thanks to
Coach Carrie Minton and the team for letting us interrupt a practice for some
entertainment purposes.”

Courson once faced
off against Lady Panther All-State pitcher Hunter Middleton but that was a few fast-twitch muscles ago. Wednesday, he stepped into the box first against Turner, who leads the team with 61.2 innings pitched and 55 strikeouts this season. Her best pitch, a
curve, went into the dirt, er, the brown turf at Barton Community College for
ball one. Courson hit a weak pop up to third base on the next &nbsp;- one that would easily be fielded by any
varsity third baseman, especially Lady Panther Denver Ringo.

“We weren’t
expected to make contact,” Courson said. “So, yeah, it was a weak fly ball in
the infield. But I feel like it put the team on notice that I was there to hit.”

Thexton next
stepped into the circle against Courson, again opening with a ball low. He took
her next pitch up the middle. Normally, the Fort Hays State-bound Thexton can
be found at shortstop. In her absence, the ball snuck by for a base hit.


“No pitcher wants to give up a base hit,” Courson said. “But the ball cleanly
reached the outfield. Had I chosen to run, I would have safely made it to
first. I feel like I beat the shift, but I think Paige would have thrown me
out.”

Then it was
Prendergast’s turn. The freshman has tossed 56.2 innings and struck out 51 in her first varsity season. After a ball, she fooled Courson with a changeup that left
the rest of the team giggling.

“I was throwing fastballs outside,” Prendergast said. “On the
second time, I started with a changeup on the outside. I really like it when my
changeup works. It's funny.”

All three pitchers enjoy the snap of a fastball in the glove for a
strikeout. But there’s also a certain satisfaction of completely fooling a
batter.

“It's so much fun watching them swing so early or try to pull it
back so they don't swing out,” Thexton said. “Even when it's in the dirt,
that's when it's the funniest because it's not even a strike and they're
swinging at it.”

Deciding which pitch to throw comes down to a variety of factors,
including where the batter is standing in the box.

“If they're hugging the plate really far, then you want to go
outside because it's harder for them to reach it, or you can also jam them
inside,” said Prendergast. “If they're also hugging you, that's when you do
your curve. You wouldn't really do a screw because it would probably hit them.”

The team allowed Courson to take a couple cuts off Prendergast. He
hit one slicing bloop down the right field line. While he watched to see it if
stayed fair, freshman Camdyn Post hustled from her outfield spot to snag the
ball. Post recently gunned down a runner at home plate from a spot farther out.
Before Courson pondered if he could have run it out for a single, Minton
confirmed: you would have been out. 

The changeup still in his mind, Courson got around late to the one ball right
field and made his final contact on a groundout to sophomore Alyssa McCauley,
who has varsity innings in the circle this year, but fielded the last hit for
an easy force out at first.

Then it was Clark’s turn to fit a helmet over his long locks. By
his own admission, the 6-foot-7 play-by-play man last saw a pitch during
machine-pitch baseball in the second grade. Accordingly, he went down swinging
against Turner.

The Lady Panther pitchers rarely see players as tall as Clark, but
they do see opponents of various heights and in various stances, presenting a
different strike zone for each batter.

“You just have to adjust to their strike zone,” Turner said. “Sometimes
they're a little bit taller or shorter. You just have to adjust your release
point.”

Thexton, a standout shortstop who has thrown just 7.2 innings this season with 10 strikeouts and a 0.913 ERA, then returned to the circle. She caught Clark looking on a
ball right down the middle, much to the delight of catcher Kamryn Koelsch, doubling as an umpire, then
fooled Clark with a changeup.

“Their ability to
effortlessly swap between pitches, they don't give anything away with their
wind up or stance in the circle,” he said. “It all looks the same until you're
reaching outside or swinging in the dirt.”

Thexton ended up
striking out Clark, but she said just because a batter looks foolish on a
changeup does not mean going right back to the off-speed pitch.

“If I don't strike them out on the changeup, I do like to come
back with some speed to hopefully keep them off balance more,” she said. “Even
with the next batter, I normally won't start with off-speed. I'll keep coming
with what I've got.”

Finally, Clark squared off against Prendergast. He made his first
contact on a foul ball that found Koelsch’s glove – a strike. He grounded out
the next pitch to McCauley at first.

“It's almost the
opposite of what I thought,” he said. “They use fast balls to kind of lull you
to sleep and get you used to a certain tempo and speed of pitch, and then throw
that changeup. It makes it hard to get comfortable or in any sort of rhythm. I
think all three of the gals I faced got me swinging hard on a changeup I didn't
come close to touching.”

As intimidating as it
was, Clark, who played football at Emporia State University, was pleased at the
opportunity to see the Lady Panthers in action – from behind the facemask of a
batting helmet.

“It was a ton of fun,”
he said. “I get to see the gals play on the diamond all the time and it was
awesome getting to see some of their pitches firsthand. Huge thank you to Coach
Minton for letting us come out and interrupt practice as well as to all the
players who only laughed at us a little bit.”&nbsp;

McCauley did not pitch in practice but has 7.2 innings in the circle this year for the Lady Panthers. She has three strikeouts and a 2.74 ERA.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714696973945.jpeg" alt="From left, this year's Lady Panther varsity pitchers are Alyssa McCauley, Braelyn Turner, Chayla Prendergast, and Paige Thexton." />
 <figcaption>From left, this year's Lady Panther varsity pitchers are Alyssa McCauley, Braelyn Turner, Chayla Prendergast, and Paige Thexton.</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post
SportsAs the 2012 movie
title said, many who step into the batter’s box have “Trouble with the Curve.”
For a pair of KVGB “Sports Day” hosts, it was something else: trouble with the
changeup. Voice of the Panthers Aaron Clark and Mike Courson recently faced off
against Lady Panther varsity softball pitchers Paige Thexton, Braelyn Turner,
and Chayla Prendergast. Results were mixed.“Most of the time,
we work behind the scenes covering the athletes,” Courson said. “It’s always
fun to step out and see exactly what the opposition is seeing. Big thanks to
Coach Carrie Minton and the team for letting us interrupt a practice for some
entertainment purposes.”Courson once faced
off against Lady Panther All-State pitcher Hunter Middleton but that was a few fast-twitch muscles ago. Wednesday, he stepped into the box first against Turner, who leads the team with 61.2 innings pitched and 55 strikeouts this season. Her best pitch, a
curve, went into the dirt, er, the brown turf at Barton Community College for
ball one. Courson hit a weak pop up to third base on the next &nbsp;- one that would easily be fielded by any
varsity third baseman, especially Lady Panther Denver Ringo.<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/kciugn0m/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>“We weren’t
expected to make contact,” Courson said. “So, yeah, it was a weak fly ball in
the infield. But I feel like it put the team on notice that I was there to hit.”Thexton next
stepped into the circle against Courson, again opening with a ball low. He took
her next pitch up the middle. Normally, the Fort Hays State-bound Thexton can
be found at shortstop. In her absence, the ball snuck by for a base hit.
“No pitcher wants to give up a base hit,” Courson said. “But the ball cleanly
reached the outfield. Had I chosen to run, I would have safely made it to
first. I feel like I beat the shift, but I think Paige would have thrown me
out.”Then it was
Prendergast’s turn. The freshman has tossed 56.2 innings and struck out 51 in her first varsity season. After a ball, she fooled Courson with a changeup that left
the rest of the team giggling.“I was throwing fastballs outside,” Prendergast said. “On the
second time, I started with a changeup on the outside. I really like it when my
changeup works. It's funny.”All three pitchers enjoy the snap of a fastball in the glove for a
strikeout. But there’s also a certain satisfaction of completely fooling a
batter.“It's so much fun watching them swing so early or try to pull it
back so they don't swing out,” Thexton said. “Even when it's in the dirt,
that's when it's the funniest because it's not even a strike and they're
swinging at it.”Deciding which pitch to throw comes down to a variety of factors,
including where the batter is standing in the box.“If they're hugging the plate really far, then you want to go
outside because it's harder for them to reach it, or you can also jam them
inside,” said Prendergast. “If they're also hugging you, that's when you do
your curve. You wouldn't really do a screw because it would probably hit them.”The team allowed Courson to take a couple cuts off Prendergast. He
hit one slicing bloop down the right field line. While he watched to see it if
stayed fair, freshman Camdyn Post hustled from her outfield spot to snag the
ball. Post recently gunned down a runner at home plate from a spot farther out.
Before Courson pondered if he could have run it out for a single, Minton
confirmed: you would have been out. The changeup still in his mind, Courson got around late to the one ball right
field and made his final contact on a groundout to sophomore Alyssa McCauley,
who has varsity innings in the circle this year, but fielded the last hit for
an easy force out at first.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714697113831.jpeg" alt="Clark (kinda) gets around on a pitch from Lady Panther freshman Chayla Prendergast." />
 <figcaption>Clark (kinda) gets around on a pitch from Lady Panther freshman Chayla Prendergast.</figcaption>
 </figure>Then it was Clark’s turn to fit a helmet over his long locks. By
his own admission, the 6-foot-7 play-by-play man last saw a pitch during
machine-pitch baseball in the second grade. Accordingly, he went down swinging
against Turner.The Lady Panther pitchers rarely see players as tall as Clark, but
they do see opponents of various heights and in various stances, presenting a
different strike zone for each batter.“You just have to adjust to their strike zone,” Turner said. “Sometimes
they're a little bit taller or shorter. You just have to adjust your release
point.”Thexton, a standout shortstop who has thrown just 7.2 innings this season with 10 strikeouts and a 0.913 ERA, then returned to the circle. She caught Clark looking on a
ball right down the middle, much to the delight of catcher Kamryn Koelsch, doubling as an umpire, then
fooled Clark with a changeup.“Their ability to
effortlessly swap between pitches, they don't give anything away with their
wind up or stance in the circle,” he said. “It all looks the same until you're
reaching outside or swinging in the dirt.”Thexton ended up
striking out Clark, but she said just because a batter looks foolish on a
changeup does not mean going right back to the off-speed pitch.“If I don't strike them out on the changeup, I do like to come
back with some speed to hopefully keep them off balance more,” she said. “Even
with the next batter, I normally won't start with off-speed. I'll keep coming
with what I've got.”Finally, Clark squared off against Prendergast. He made his first
contact on a foul ball that found Koelsch’s glove – a strike. He grounded out
the next pitch to McCauley at first.“It's almost the
opposite of what I thought,” he said. “They use fast balls to kind of lull you
to sleep and get you used to a certain tempo and speed of pitch, and then throw
that changeup. It makes it hard to get comfortable or in any sort of rhythm. I
think all three of the gals I faced got me swinging hard on a changeup I didn't
come close to touching.”As intimidating as it
was, Clark, who played football at Emporia State University, was pleased at the
opportunity to see the Lady Panthers in action – from behind the facemask of a
batting helmet.“It was a ton of fun,”
he said. “I get to see the gals play on the diamond all the time and it was
awesome getting to see some of their pitches firsthand. Huge thank you to Coach
Minton for letting us come out and interrupt practice as well as to all the
players who only laughed at us a little bit.”&nbsp;McCauley did not pitch in practice but has 7.2 innings in the circle this year for the Lady Panthers. She has three strikeouts and a 2.74 ERA.

Into the box: Eagle Radio guys face off against Lady Panthers

Katherine Mazouch
was the hero a couple times last year as a freshman on the Lady Panther
softball team. She reclaimed her title Friday afternoon in Salina after
delivering a game-winning double in the sixth inning. The Lady Panthers held on
to beat Salina South 6-5. Great Bend dropped game two to McPherson 6-0.

Against South, Great
Bend scored runs in the first, third, and fifth innings to lead 4-0 heading
into the sixth. That’s when the Cougars decided to take the lead with a
five-run frame. 

Kamryn Koelsch
opened the bottom of the sixth with a single. Ava Kaiser, running for Koelsch,
advanced to second base on a sac bunt from Denver Ringo. Kaiser moved to third
on a groundout from Alyssa McCauley, then scored on an error off Chayla
Prendergast’s bat to tie the game. Rylee Prilling came in to run for
Prendergast and scored what proved to be the game-winning run after Mazouch hit
a two-out double to right field.

Braelyn Turner
pitched five scoreless innings to open the game, striking out one and allowing
five hits. Prendergast took over in the fifth, allowing five earned runs on two
hits and three strikeouts. Prendergast remained in the game into the seventh,
walking her sixth batter of the game before Turner returned to the circle.
Ringo threw out a runner at home for the second out, and Turner forced a popup
to Koelsch behind the plate to end the game.

Koelsch singled
three times and drove in a run. Paige Thexton singled, doubled, and added a
team-high 21st walk of the season, coming around to score two of the
six runs. DeShawnna Bryant singled twice and drove in two. Camdyn Post singled
and scored twice.

Turner threw four
shutout innings to begin game two. The Pups singled and homered in the fifth to
open up a 2-0 lead, then plated four more runs in the sixth. Turner allowed six
earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Prendergast recorded the final
out.

The Lady Panther
offense was held to just a single apiece from Post and McCauley.

Great Bend moves
to 18-6 on the season ahead of next Tuesday’s home games against TMP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886320587.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post
SportsKatherine Mazouch
was the hero a couple times last year as a freshman on the Lady Panther
softball team. She reclaimed her title Friday afternoon in Salina after
delivering a game-winning double in the sixth inning. The Lady Panthers held on
to beat Salina South 6-5. Great Bend dropped game two to McPherson 6-0.Against South, Great
Bend scored runs in the first, third, and fifth innings to lead 4-0 heading
into the sixth. That’s when the Cougars decided to take the lead with a
five-run frame. Kamryn Koelsch
opened the bottom of the sixth with a single. Ava Kaiser, running for Koelsch,
advanced to second base on a sac bunt from Denver Ringo. Kaiser moved to third
on a groundout from Alyssa McCauley, then scored on an error off Chayla
Prendergast’s bat to tie the game. Rylee Prilling came in to run for
Prendergast and scored what proved to be the game-winning run after Mazouch hit
a two-out double to right field.Braelyn Turner
pitched five scoreless innings to open the game, striking out one and allowing
five hits. Prendergast took over in the fifth, allowing five earned runs on two
hits and three strikeouts. Prendergast remained in the game into the seventh,
walking her sixth batter of the game before Turner returned to the circle.
Ringo threw out a runner at home for the second out, and Turner forced a popup
to Koelsch behind the plate to end the game.Koelsch singled
three times and drove in a run. Paige Thexton singled, doubled, and added a
team-high 21st walk of the season, coming around to score two of the
six runs. DeShawnna Bryant singled twice and drove in two. Camdyn Post singled
and scored twice.Turner threw four
shutout innings to begin game two. The Pups singled and homered in the fifth to
open up a 2-0 lead, then plated four more runs in the sixth. Turner allowed six
earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Prendergast recorded the final
out.The Lady Panther
offense was held to just a single apiece from Post and McCauley.Great Bend moves
to 18-6 on the season ahead of next Tuesday’s home games against TMP.

Lady Panthers win thriller, drop game two against McPherson

Great Bend High School senior Maddox Spray announced his commitment to Barton Community College to play basketball next season.

Spray was named to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) 2nd Team this winter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714772279614.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend High School senior Maddox Spray announced his commitment to Barton Community College to play basketball next season.Spray was named to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) 2nd Team this winter.

Great Bend's Spray commits to Barton for basketball

- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl settles in his regular Friday slot to talk all things high school sports including softball and baseball.

- Mike Courson runs down all the top marks and times in the field and on the track this season in high school track and field. He'll also talk about our local athletes who have a chance at reaching the podium at the State Track meet later this month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Friday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Friday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LAxduAGLnr8?si=Mf26DjZ67B_XJn8n" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl settles in his regular Friday slot to talk all things high school sports including softball and baseball.- Mike Courson runs down all the top marks and times in the field and on the track this season in high school track and field. He'll also talk about our local athletes who have a chance at reaching the podium at the State Track meet later this month.- Friday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24 hours

Friday on Sports Day (Watch)

The Kansas City
Royals start a three-game series at home against the Texas Rangers on
Friday.

Texas Rangers
(17-15, second in the AL West) vs. Kansas City Royals (19-13, second
in the AL Central)

Kansas City,
Missouri; Friday, 7:40 p.m. EDT

PITCHING
PROBABLES: Rangers: Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP,
14 strikeouts); Royals: Brady Singer (2-1, 2.62 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 34
strikeouts)

BETMGM
SPORTSBOOK: LINE Royals -118, Rangers -101; over/under is 9 runs

BOTTOM LINE:
The Kansas City Royals host the Texas Rangers to begin a three-game
series.

Kansas City has a
12-5 record in home games and a 19-13 record overall. Royals hitters
are batting a collective .236, which ranks 10th in the AL.

Texas is 7-6 in road
games and 17-15 overall. The Rangers have the third-ranked team
batting average in the AL at .249.

The teams meet
Friday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS:
Salvador Perez has a .355 batting average to lead the Royals, and has
five doubles and seven home runs. Bobby Witt Jr. is 14-for-38 with 10
RBI over the past 10 games.

Adolis Garcia has
seven doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBI while hitting .292 for the
Rangers. Nate Lowe is 12-for-35 with two doubles and a home run over
the last 10 games.

Royals: 6-4,
.233 batting average, 3.04 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runs

Rangers: 6-4,
.236 batting average, 2.30 ERA, outscored opponents by 10 runs

Royals: Alec
Marsh: 15-Day IL (forearm), Josh Taylor: 60-Day IL (biceps), Jake
Brentz: 15-Day IL (hamstring), Carlos Hernandez: 15-Day IL
(shoulder), Kris Bubic: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 60-Day IL
(shoulder)

By The Associated
PressThe Kansas City
Royals start a three-game series at home against the Texas Rangers on
Friday.Texas Rangers
(17-15, second in the AL West) vs. Kansas City Royals (19-13, second
in the AL Central)Kansas City,
Missouri; Friday, 7:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING
PROBABLES: Rangers: Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP,
14 strikeouts); Royals: Brady Singer (2-1, 2.62 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 34
strikeouts)BETMGM
SPORTSBOOK: LINE Royals -118, Rangers -101; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE:
The Kansas City Royals host the Texas Rangers to begin a three-game
series.Kansas City has a
12-5 record in home games and a 19-13 record overall. Royals hitters
are batting a collective .236, which ranks 10th in the AL.Texas is 7-6 in road
games and 17-15 overall. The Rangers have the third-ranked team
batting average in the AL at .249.The teams meet
Friday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS:
Salvador Perez has a .355 batting average to lead the Royals, and has
five doubles and seven home runs. Bobby Witt Jr. is 14-for-38 with 10
RBI over the past 10 games.Adolis Garcia has
seven doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBI while hitting .292 for the
Rangers. Nate Lowe is 12-for-35 with two doubles and a home run over
the last 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES:
Royals: 6-4,
.233 batting average, 3.04 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runsRangers: 6-4,
.236 batting average, 2.30 ERA, outscored opponents by 10 runsINJURIES: 
Royals: Alec
Marsh: 15-Day IL (forearm), Josh Taylor: 60-Day IL (biceps), Jake
Brentz: 15-Day IL (hamstring), Carlos Hernandez: 15-Day IL
(shoulder), Kris Bubic: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 60-Day IL
(shoulder)

Royals open 3-game series with the Rangers

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.
(AP) — With the expanded College Football Playoff locked in through
2031, questions still remain about what the rest of the postseason
will look like. One thing is certain, there will still be bowls. Nick
Carparelli, the executive director of the organization that
represents bowls games, a more professionalized version of college
football could quell players opting-out of bowls by tying
compensation to postseason participation. He also said giving bowl
organizers more freedom to make matchups could help create more
compelling games.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) —
Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension that makes
him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary
of $13 million. Smart surpasses Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who is set
to make $11 million in 2024. Smart gets a bump in salary of $1.75
million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs
through 2033. He could also receive up to $1.55 million per year in
bonuses based on the new 12-team playoff structure, an increase from
$1.3 million under the previous terms. Athletic director Josh Brooks
got an extension that raises his salary to $1.275 million annually.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4
seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers
118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Jalen Brunson had 41 points and 12 assists to lead the Knicks, who
move on to face the Indiana Pacers. Game 1 is Monday in New York. The
Knicks are through to the second round in consecutive years for the
first time since the postseasons from 1992-2000. Joel Embiid finished
with 39 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers but fouled out in the
closing seconds.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —
Obi Toppin scored 21 points, T.J. McConnell had 20 points and nine
assists and the Indiana Pacers won a playoff series for the first
time in a decade, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 in Game 6 on
Thursday night. The Pacers will face New York in their first Eastern
Conference semifinal in a decade. Indiana’s milestone victory came
exactly 30 years after it swept Orlando 3-0 to advance in the NBA
playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and it came on a
night the Bucks again were without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The
two-time league MVP never played after straining his left calf April
9. Damian Lillard had 28 points for Milwaukee.

UNDATED (AP) — The
Orlando Magic desperately want an opportunity to go back on the road.
The Los Angeles Clippers are hoping to go home, though not for good.
There are two more elimination games in the NBA playoffs Friday
night, with the Magic hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers and the
Clippers visiting the Dallas Mavericks after falling behind 3-2 in
the first-round matchups. With Donovan Mitchell scoring 28 points and
Evan Mobley blocking Franz Wagner’s layup in the closing seconds of
a one-point victory Tuesday night, Cleveland is on the brink of
advancing to face Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals after
taking Games 1, 2 and 5 at home. The Dallas-Los Angeles winner will
face Oklahoma City in the West semifinals.

TORONTO (AP) —
William Nylander scored twice, Joseph Woll made 22 saves and the
Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday night to
force a seventh game in the first-round Eastern Conference series.
Toronto has overcame a 3-1 series deficit, also staving off
elimination with a 2-1 victory in overtime in Boston on Tuesday
night, to send the series back to Boston for a winner-take-all finale
Saturday night. The series winner will face the Florida Panthers.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who also blew a 3-1
lead against the Florida Panthers last year in the first round before
losing in Game 7 following a record-setting regular season. Morgan
Geekie spoiled Woll’s shutout bid with 0.1 seconds left.

UNDATED (AP) —
Tiger Woods is headed to the U.S. Open after receiving the first of
what likely will be many special exemptions. Woods has been eligible
for every U.S. Open since he played in his first one in 1995 as the
reigning U.S. Amateur champion. By the time he played his first Open
as a pro, Woods already was the Masters champion. And 14 more major
titles followed. Jack Nicklaus received eight U.S. Open exemptions.
Arnold Palmer received five. Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion
as part of his 15 majors. The U.S. Open is June 13-16 at Pinehurst
No. 2.

McKINNEY, Texas (AP)
— Matt Wallace has a one-shot lead over seven players in the first
round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The 34-year-old Englishman finished
three strokes ahead of defending champion Jason Day. Hometown
favorite Jordan Spieth is five back with world No. 1 and fellow
Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler sitting out while awaiting the
birth of his first child. Wallace is without a top-10 finish this
season. His only PGA Tour victory came last year in the Dominican
Republic. The round was suspended by darkness with nine players yet
to finish at TPC Craig Ranch.

NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.
(AP) — With the expanded College Football Playoff locked in through
2031, questions still remain about what the rest of the postseason
will look like. One thing is certain, there will still be bowls. Nick
Carparelli, the executive director of the organization that
represents bowls games, a more professionalized version of college
football could quell players opting-out of bowls by tying
compensation to postseason participation. He also said giving bowl
organizers more freedom to make matchups could help create more
compelling games.ATHENS, Ga. (AP) —
Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension that makes
him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary
of $13 million. Smart surpasses Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who is set
to make $11 million in 2024. Smart gets a bump in salary of $1.75
million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs
through 2033. He could also receive up to $1.55 million per year in
bonuses based on the new 12-team playoff structure, an increase from
$1.3 million under the previous terms. Athletic director Josh Brooks
got an extension that raises his salary to $1.275 million annually.PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4
seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers
118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Jalen Brunson had 41 points and 12 assists to lead the Knicks, who
move on to face the Indiana Pacers. Game 1 is Monday in New York. The
Knicks are through to the second round in consecutive years for the
first time since the postseasons from 1992-2000. Joel Embiid finished
with 39 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers but fouled out in the
closing seconds.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —
Obi Toppin scored 21 points, T.J. McConnell had 20 points and nine
assists and the Indiana Pacers won a playoff series for the first
time in a decade, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 in Game 6 on
Thursday night. The Pacers will face New York in their first Eastern
Conference semifinal in a decade. Indiana’s milestone victory came
exactly 30 years after it swept Orlando 3-0 to advance in the NBA
playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and it came on a
night the Bucks again were without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The
two-time league MVP never played after straining his left calf April
9. Damian Lillard had 28 points for Milwaukee.UNDATED (AP) — The
Orlando Magic desperately want an opportunity to go back on the road.
The Los Angeles Clippers are hoping to go home, though not for good.
There are two more elimination games in the NBA playoffs Friday
night, with the Magic hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers and the
Clippers visiting the Dallas Mavericks after falling behind 3-2 in
the first-round matchups. With Donovan Mitchell scoring 28 points and
Evan Mobley blocking Franz Wagner’s layup in the closing seconds of
a one-point victory Tuesday night, Cleveland is on the brink of
advancing to face Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals after
taking Games 1, 2 and 5 at home. The Dallas-Los Angeles winner will
face Oklahoma City in the West semifinals.TORONTO (AP) —
William Nylander scored twice, Joseph Woll made 22 saves and the
Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday night to
force a seventh game in the first-round Eastern Conference series.
Toronto has overcame a 3-1 series deficit, also staving off
elimination with a 2-1 victory in overtime in Boston on Tuesday
night, to send the series back to Boston for a winner-take-all finale
Saturday night. The series winner will face the Florida Panthers.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who also blew a 3-1
lead against the Florida Panthers last year in the first round before
losing in Game 7 following a record-setting regular season. Morgan
Geekie spoiled Woll’s shutout bid with 0.1 seconds left.UNDATED (AP) —
Tiger Woods is headed to the U.S. Open after receiving the first of
what likely will be many special exemptions. Woods has been eligible
for every U.S. Open since he played in his first one in 1995 as the
reigning U.S. Amateur champion. By the time he played his first Open
as a pro, Woods already was the Masters champion. And 14 more major
titles followed. Jack Nicklaus received eight U.S. Open exemptions.
Arnold Palmer received five. Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion
as part of his 15 majors. The U.S. Open is June 13-16 at Pinehurst
No. 2.McKINNEY, Texas (AP)
— Matt Wallace has a one-shot lead over seven players in the first
round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The 34-year-old Englishman finished
three strokes ahead of defending champion Jason Day. Hometown
favorite Jordan Spieth is five back with world No. 1 and fellow
Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler sitting out while awaiting the
birth of his first child. Wallace is without a top-10 finish this
season. His only PGA Tour victory came last year in the Dominican
Republic. The round was suspended by darkness with nine players yet
to finish at TPC Craig Ranch.THURSDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	San
Francisco	3	Boston	1	Final	Texas	6	Washington	0	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	7	N.Y.
Yankees	2	Final	Houston	8	Cleveland	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Miami	5	Colorado	4	Final	N.Y.
Mets	7	Chicago Cubs	6	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Indiana	120	Milwaukee	98	Final	New
York	118	Philadelphia	115	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

- Great Bend Panther Baseball coach Randy Beck joins the show to talk about Tuesday's sweep of Garden City at the Great Bend Sports Complex that improved Great Bend's record to 17-5 on the season.

- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock joins us live from the MIAA Softball Tournament to talk Tiger spring football.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-nlHX6GWITw?si=kX1w2GXeziYnw6LN" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Panther Baseball coach Randy Beck joins the show to talk about Tuesday's sweep of Garden City at the Great Bend Sports Complex that improved Great Bend's record to 17-5 on the season.- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock joins us live from the MIAA Softball Tournament to talk Tiger spring football.- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24 hours

Thursday on Sports Day (Watch) 

On this episode of Panther Player Profiles Eagle Radio's Aaron Clark chats with Great Bend High School senior Sadie Spray.

Sadie is a three-sport standout for Great Bend High School lettering in volleyball, basketball and track and field during her Panther career. Spray earned all-conference and all-state honors on the basketball court this year and will be attending Washburn University to continue her basketball and academic career.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sponsors for Panther Player Profiles include... Great Bend Recreation Commission The Fieldhouse C &amp; E Doors Megan Wells - Caldwell Banker Advance Truck and Diesel Freedom Claims Management Inc. Kern Floor Service The 10th Street Eye Care Center

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687372980932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On this episode of Panther Player Profiles Eagle Radio's Aaron Clark chats with Great Bend High School senior Sadie Spray.Sadie is a three-sport standout for Great Bend High School lettering in volleyball, basketball and track and field during her Panther career. Spray earned all-conference and all-state honors on the basketball court this year and will be attending Washburn University to continue her basketball and academic career.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe title="Panther Player Profiles - GBHS Senior Sadie Spray" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=bg4yv-1600709-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=60a0c8" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Sponsors for Panther Player Profiles include... Great Bend Recreation Commission The Fieldhouse C &amp; E Doors Megan Wells - Caldwell Banker Advance Truck and Diesel Freedom Claims Management Inc. Kern Floor Service The 10th Street Eye Care Center

🎙Post Podcast: Panther Player Profiles - Sadie Spray

SCOTTDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Before the realigned Big 12 — sans Oklahoma and Texas —even kicks off, the expanded College Football Playoff’s new revenue structure has created a perception that the conference is no longer the equal of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

Instead of a Power Five, college football now has a “Big Two,” with the expanded SEC, now home to the Sooners and Longhorns, and Big Ten at the top of the pack.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark's job is to push back against the narrative that bigger bank accounts automatically means better football teams.

“As I've said before, I'm betting on the Big 12,” Yormark said Wednesday after wrapping up two days of meetings with the conference's athletic directors and football and basketball coaches.

The Big 12 becomes a 16-team conference this upcoming season with the additions of former Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.

The CFP is expanding, too, from four teams to 12 this season, with five spots reserved for conference champions. That all but ensures the winners of the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference will be in the field.

The demise of the Pac-12 prompted a change in the 12-team format before it even went into effect from six conference champions being guaranteed a spot in the field to five.

How those seven at-large spots will be divvied up among what is now a Power Four in college football figures to be much debated, but the Big Ten and SEC have already established something of a pecking order.

“You’re kind of either labeled as one of the haves, one of the have-nots,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said.

When the new contracts kick in for the expanded CFP in 2026, the Big Ten and SEC are guaranteed to share nearly 60% of the revenue. The Big 12 and ACC will split up about 30%. In the original four-team playoff agreements, the Power Five received equal revenue shares.

“When you look at the first 10 years of the CFP, we didn’t perform probably as well as we would have liked. That's OK. History might not repeat itself.”

Yormark said he “certainly wasn't happy” with where the CFP the revenue distribution landed.

“I guess you could say in some respects I was satisfied. It was fine, but certainly not happy about it,” he said.

Yormark said he pushed for a look-in on the new CFP deal after the 2027 season, where adjustments could be made to the CFP financial agreement.

When the new deal begins in 2026, the CFP could expand again to 14 teams. Yormark said he likes the idea of a bigger field, but said he would like to see at least this season play out before any decision is made on further expansion.

He also said he and the conference's basketball coaches “in theory” support a modest expansion of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Talk of the Big Ten and SEC getting more automatic bids than the other leagues and guaranteed first-round byes went by the wayside for now, but the message has been sent: The Big 12 and ACC are no longer true peers.

How that plays out come selection Sunday remains to be seen.

“I think that you always want your program to be judged by the merits, not by the geography,” Dykes said.

The ACC already is feeling slighted after Florida State, a true blue blood with three national championships on its resume, was snubbed by the CFP selection committee last year after star quarterback Jordan Travis was injured.

For the non-Florida State, Clemson and Miami schools in the ACC, the conference already being viewed as a less-than is disconcerting because they are already are at an perception disadvantage.

"Sometimes I think anytime a non-traditional power in a power conference has success, it’s easier to discredit the league than to credit the team,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.

For the Big 12, losing their flagship schools, the only two with recent national championship pedigree, creates an opportunity for the current members but also makes for a different evaluation process.

Texas and Oklahoma, “logo schools” as Dykes calls them, were barometers in the Big 12. TCU sweeping the Longhorns and Sooners on the way to a CFP appearance in 2022 helped validate the Horned Frogs as a legitimate playoff contender, even though Dykes will remind you Kansas State was the second-best team in the conference.

TCU is one of two teams in the Big 12's new lineup to have made the four-team playoff, along with Cincinnati, which made the field out of the American Athletic Conference in 2021.

TCU, Colorado and BYU are Big 12 members that can claim national championships, though CU's was the most recent, coming in 1990. Even without traditional super powers, the Big 12 still has a chance to be a strong and deep conference.

“We’re going to continue to build football to the core of what we do, and I’m excited about our future,” Yormark said.

SCOTTDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Before the realigned Big 12 — sans Oklahoma and Texas —even kicks off, the expanded College Football Playoff’s new revenue structure has created a perception that the conference is no longer the equal of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.Instead of a Power Five, college football now has a “Big Two,” with the expanded SEC, now home to the Sooners and Longhorns, and Big Ten at the top of the pack.Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark's job is to push back against the narrative that bigger bank accounts automatically means better football teams.“As I've said before, I'm betting on the Big 12,” Yormark said Wednesday after wrapping up two days of meetings with the conference's athletic directors and football and basketball coaches.The Big 12 becomes a 16-team conference this upcoming season with the additions of former Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.The CFP is expanding, too, from four teams to 12 this season, with five spots reserved for conference champions. That all but ensures the winners of the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference will be in the field.The demise of the Pac-12 prompted a change in the 12-team format before it even went into effect from six conference champions being guaranteed a spot in the field to five.How those seven at-large spots will be divvied up among what is now a Power Four in college football figures to be much debated, but the Big Ten and SEC have already established something of a pecking order.“You’re kind of either labeled as one of the haves, one of the have-nots,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said.When the new contracts kick in for the expanded CFP in 2026, the Big Ten and SEC are guaranteed to share nearly 60% of the revenue. The Big 12 and ACC will split up about 30%. In the original four-team playoff agreements, the Power Five received equal revenue shares.“When you look at the first 10 years of the CFP, we didn’t perform probably as well as we would have liked. That's OK. History might not repeat itself.”Yormark said he “certainly wasn't happy” with where the CFP the revenue distribution landed.“I guess you could say in some respects I was satisfied. It was fine, but certainly not happy about it,” he said.Yormark said he pushed for a look-in on the new CFP deal after the 2027 season, where adjustments could be made to the CFP financial agreement.When the new deal begins in 2026, the CFP could expand again to 14 teams. Yormark said he likes the idea of a bigger field, but said he would like to see at least this season play out before any decision is made on further expansion.He also said he and the conference's basketball coaches “in theory” support a modest expansion of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.Talk of the Big Ten and SEC getting more automatic bids than the other leagues and guaranteed first-round byes went by the wayside for now, but the message has been sent: The Big 12 and ACC are no longer true peers.How that plays out come selection Sunday remains to be seen.“I think that you always want your program to be judged by the merits, not by the geography,” Dykes said.The ACC already is feeling slighted after Florida State, a true blue blood with three national championships on its resume, was snubbed by the CFP selection committee last year after star quarterback Jordan Travis was injured.For the non-Florida State, Clemson and Miami schools in the ACC, the conference already being viewed as a less-than is disconcerting because they are already are at an perception disadvantage."Sometimes I think anytime a non-traditional power in a power conference has success, it’s easier to discredit the league than to credit the team,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.For the Big 12, losing their flagship schools, the only two with recent national championship pedigree, creates an opportunity for the current members but also makes for a different evaluation process.Texas and Oklahoma, “logo schools” as Dykes calls them, were barometers in the Big 12. TCU sweeping the Longhorns and Sooners on the way to a CFP appearance in 2022 helped validate the Horned Frogs as a legitimate playoff contender, even though Dykes will remind you Kansas State was the second-best team in the conference.TCU is one of two teams in the Big 12's new lineup to have made the four-team playoff, along with Cincinnati, which made the field out of the American Athletic Conference in 2021.TCU, Colorado and BYU are Big 12 members that can claim national championships, though CU's was the most recent, coming in 1990. Even without traditional super powers, the Big 12 still has a chance to be a strong and deep conference.“We’re going to continue to build football to the core of what we do, and I’m excited about our future,” Yormark said.

New Big 12 out to prove bigger bank accounts don't always mean better football

TORONTO (AP) —
Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings to win for the fifth time in
seven starts, Michael Massey hit a three-run home run and the Kansas
City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday. Bobby Witt
Jr. had two hits, scored once and also drove in a run as the Royals
won for the fifth time in seven meetings with Toronto. Salvador Perez
had an RBI single and extended his career-best streak of reaching
base safely to 21 games. His 27 RBIs lead the American League. Massey
homered off right-hander Nate Pearson in the eighth, his second in
two games. He finished with four RBIs.

DETROIT (AP) —
Kenta Maeda got his first win for Detroit, allowing four hits over
six innings in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals as the
Tigers took two of three games in the series. Matt Vierling had three
RBIs for the Tigers, who are 31-16 against St. Louis in interleague
play. The teams also met in three World Series, with the Cardinals
winning in 1934 and 2006, and Detroit taking the title in 1968. Maeda
allowed a fourth-inning home run to Willson Contreras that landed in
shrubbery above the center-field fence. He struck out five and walked
none.

MILWAUKEE (AP) —
Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe was suspended for six games and
starter Freddy Peralta for five for their roles in a brawl during a
Brewers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay outfielder Jose
Siri was suspended for three games, a penalty later cut to two, and
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy for two. The suspensions were issued by
Mike Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for
on-field operations. All four also were fined. Murphy started his
suspension, when associate manager Rickie Weeks led the team against
the Rays, and Siri also began his penalty.

BOSTON (AP) —
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the Boston
Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the
short-handed Miami Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Boston
will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series. The Cavaliers
lead 3-2, with Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night. Brown also had six
assists, and White hit five 3-pointers. Sam Hauser added 17 points
and Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 12 rebounds, The top-seeded
Celtics never trailed and led by 37 points. They also got a measure
of revenge a year after the Heat routed them in Game 7 of the
conference finals in Boston. Bam Adebayo scored 23 points for Miami.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Luka Doncic scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half and added
10 assists and seven rebounds, propelling the Dallas Mavericks to a
123-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 and a 3-2 lead
in the first-round series. Maxi Kleber hit five 3-pointers and Kyrie
Irving added 14 points for the Mavericks, who clamped down on the
Clippers defensively and won decisively in Los Angeles for the second
time in the series. Paul George and Ivica Zubac scored 15 points
apiece for the Clippers. They played their second straight game and
third of the series without Kawhi Leonard.

UNDATED (AP) —
Two-time reigning national champion UConn is among the teams that
have dramatically changed their rosters with transfers during college
basketball's open portal window. The deadline for players to enter
their names into the portal to signal their intent to change programs
is late Wednesday. The Huskies could lose all five starters from
their second straight NCAA championship team. But coach Dan Hurley
has added former Michigan center Tarris Reed and Saint Mary's guard
Aidan Mahaney as replacements. Other teams facing significant changes
include marquee names like Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Arkansas.

UNDATED (AP) —
Koby Brea, who led the nation in 3-point shooting for Dayton, has
announced he will play his final season at Kentucky. He is the fifth
player this week and sixth overall to sign with the Wildcats from the
transfer portal. Brea shot a Division I-leading 49.8% on 3-pointers
for Dayton and will have one season of eligibility with Kentucky.
American Athletic Conference co-player of the year Johnell Davis of
Florida Atlantic has been added to new coach John Calipari’s roster
at Arkansas. Washington 7-foot-1 center Braxton Meah has transferred
to Nebraska.

SCOTTDALE, Ariz.
(AP) — The Big 12 is about to play its first season without
Oklahoma and Texas. The new 16-team conference lacks traditional
super powers. And the expanded College Football Playoff’s new
revenue structure has created a perception the Big 12 is no longer a
peer of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference on the field. Big 12
commissioner Brett Yormark’s job is to push back against the
narrative bigger bank accounts automatically make better football
teams. He says he was not happy with the new CFP revenue model, but
he's betting on the Big 12's performance in the 12-team playoff to
overcome perception.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP)
— Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and his quarterback son,
Shedeur, have taken to social media in response to a transfer being
critical of how players were treated at the school. Former Colorado
defensive back Xavier Smith said in a recent article published in the
Athletic that Deion Sanders “never even tried to get to know me,”
and that he “was destroying guys’ confidence and belief in
themselves.” Shedeur Sanders responded on X by saying he didn’t
remember Smith. Smith was hampered by injuries for the Buffaloes. He
earned freshman All-America honors at FCS Austin Peay in 2023 and has
since followed coach Scotty Walden to UTEP.

UNDATED (AP) —
Gamers’ appetites for immersive sports video games have not changed
much since the heyday of EA Sports' college football. Society,
however, has. Video-game developer EA Sports is breaking back into
the college football world 11 years after lawsuits over using
players’ likeness without compensation froze the franchise. EA
Sports announced in 2021 it would be rebooting the game with college
athletes receiving the go-ahead to profit from their brand. The
developer will seek to differentiate its game from other offerings in
the market — sports franchises that have had the advantage of time
to evolve.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Longtime Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart has been
inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. Stewart unveiled a bust
of himself Wednesday during a ceremony in the Missouri House. The
bust will be displayed in the Hall of Famous Missourians in the
Jefferson City Capitol building. Stewart joked that he appreciated
that his likeness still had some hair. Stewart coached basketball at
Missouri for 32 seasons, finishing with a 634-333 record. Missouri
reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times and won eight regular-season
conference championships and six conference tournament championships
under his leadership. House Speaker Dean Plocher says he chose to
induct Stewart to celebrate his resilience and dedication to the
community.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712497619824.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TORONTO (AP) —
Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings to win for the fifth time in
seven starts, Michael Massey hit a three-run home run and the Kansas
City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday. Bobby Witt
Jr. had two hits, scored once and also drove in a run as the Royals
won for the fifth time in seven meetings with Toronto. Salvador Perez
had an RBI single and extended his career-best streak of reaching
base safely to 21 games. His 27 RBIs lead the American League. Massey
homered off right-hander Nate Pearson in the eighth, his second in
two games. He finished with four RBIs.DETROIT (AP) —
Kenta Maeda got his first win for Detroit, allowing four hits over
six innings in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals as the
Tigers took two of three games in the series. Matt Vierling had three
RBIs for the Tigers, who are 31-16 against St. Louis in interleague
play. The teams also met in three World Series, with the Cardinals
winning in 1934 and 2006, and Detroit taking the title in 1968. Maeda
allowed a fourth-inning home run to Willson Contreras that landed in
shrubbery above the center-field fence. He struck out five and walked
none.MILWAUKEE (AP) —
Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe was suspended for six games and
starter Freddy Peralta for five for their roles in a brawl during a
Brewers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay outfielder Jose
Siri was suspended for three games, a penalty later cut to two, and
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy for two. The suspensions were issued by
Mike Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for
on-field operations. All four also were fined. Murphy started his
suspension, when associate manager Rickie Weeks led the team against
the Rays, and Siri also began his penalty.BOSTON (AP) —
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the Boston
Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the
short-handed Miami Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Boston
will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series. The Cavaliers
lead 3-2, with Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night. Brown also had six
assists, and White hit five 3-pointers. Sam Hauser added 17 points
and Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 12 rebounds, The top-seeded
Celtics never trailed and led by 37 points. They also got a measure
of revenge a year after the Heat routed them in Game 7 of the
conference finals in Boston. Bam Adebayo scored 23 points for Miami.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Luka Doncic scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half and added
10 assists and seven rebounds, propelling the Dallas Mavericks to a
123-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 and a 3-2 lead
in the first-round series. Maxi Kleber hit five 3-pointers and Kyrie
Irving added 14 points for the Mavericks, who clamped down on the
Clippers defensively and won decisively in Los Angeles for the second
time in the series. Paul George and Ivica Zubac scored 15 points
apiece for the Clippers. They played their second straight game and
third of the series without Kawhi Leonard.UNDATED (AP) —
Two-time reigning national champion UConn is among the teams that
have dramatically changed their rosters with transfers during college
basketball's open portal window. The deadline for players to enter
their names into the portal to signal their intent to change programs
is late Wednesday. The Huskies could lose all five starters from
their second straight NCAA championship team. But coach Dan Hurley
has added former Michigan center Tarris Reed and Saint Mary's guard
Aidan Mahaney as replacements. Other teams facing significant changes
include marquee names like Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Arkansas.UNDATED (AP) —
Koby Brea, who led the nation in 3-point shooting for Dayton, has
announced he will play his final season at Kentucky. He is the fifth
player this week and sixth overall to sign with the Wildcats from the
transfer portal. Brea shot a Division I-leading 49.8% on 3-pointers
for Dayton and will have one season of eligibility with Kentucky.
American Athletic Conference co-player of the year Johnell Davis of
Florida Atlantic has been added to new coach John Calipari’s roster
at Arkansas. Washington 7-foot-1 center Braxton Meah has transferred
to Nebraska.SCOTTDALE, Ariz.
(AP) — The Big 12 is about to play its first season without
Oklahoma and Texas. The new 16-team conference lacks traditional
super powers. And the expanded College Football Playoff’s new
revenue structure has created a perception the Big 12 is no longer a
peer of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference on the field. Big 12
commissioner Brett Yormark’s job is to push back against the
narrative bigger bank accounts automatically make better football
teams. He says he was not happy with the new CFP revenue model, but
he's betting on the Big 12's performance in the 12-team playoff to
overcome perception.BOULDER, Colo. (AP)
— Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and his quarterback son,
Shedeur, have taken to social media in response to a transfer being
critical of how players were treated at the school. Former Colorado
defensive back Xavier Smith said in a recent article published in the
Athletic that Deion Sanders “never even tried to get to know me,”
and that he “was destroying guys’ confidence and belief in
themselves.” Shedeur Sanders responded on X by saying he didn’t
remember Smith. Smith was hampered by injuries for the Buffaloes. He
earned freshman All-America honors at FCS Austin Peay in 2023 and has
since followed coach Scotty Walden to UTEP.UNDATED (AP) —
Gamers’ appetites for immersive sports video games have not changed
much since the heyday of EA Sports' college football. Society,
however, has. Video-game developer EA Sports is breaking back into
the college football world 11 years after lawsuits over using
players’ likeness without compensation froze the franchise. EA
Sports announced in 2021 it would be rebooting the game with college
athletes receiving the go-ahead to profit from their brand. The
developer will seek to differentiate its game from other offerings in
the market — sports franchises that have had the advantage of time
to evolve.JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Longtime Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart has been
inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. Stewart unveiled a bust
of himself Wednesday during a ceremony in the Missouri House. The
bust will be displayed in the Hall of Famous Missourians in the
Jefferson City Capitol building. Stewart joked that he appreciated
that his likeness still had some hair. Stewart coached basketball at
Missouri for 32 seasons, finishing with a 634-333 record. Missouri
reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times and won eight regular-season
conference championships and six conference tournament championships
under his leadership. House Speaker Dean Plocher says he chose to
induct Stewart to celebrate his resilience and dedication to the
community.WEDNESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Detroit	4	St.
Louis	1	Final	Milwaukee	7	Tampa
Bay	1	Final	Oakland	4	Pittsburgh	0	Final	Atlanta	5	Seattle	2	Final	Philadelphia	2	L.A.
Angels	1	Final	Boston	6	San
Francisco	2	Final	Washington	1	Texas	0	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Minnesota	10	Chicago
White Sox	5	Final	Kansas
City	6	Toronto	1	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	2	Baltimore	0	Final	Cleveland	3	Houston	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	San
Diego	6	Cincinnati	2	Final	Miami	4	Colorado	1	Final	Chicago
Cubs	1	N.Y. Mets	0	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	8	Arizona	0	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Boston	118	Miami	84	Final	Dallas	123	L.A.
Clippers	93	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Dallas	3	Vegas	2

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

TORONTO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings to win for the fifth time in seven starts, Michael Massey hit a three-run home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday.

Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, scored once and also drove in a run as the Royals won for the fifth time in seven meetings with Toronto.

Witt also turned in a highlight defensive play, making a sliding stop and throwing from one knee to retire Bo Bichette for the final out of the sixth inning.

“That was a great play,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Just to get something on that throw, once he got there, and to do it accurately to get a good runner, that was really impressive.”

Lugo was equally appreciative of Witt’s defensive effort.

“He wows me every day,” Lugo said. “I thought it was a base hit for sure. He’s awesome.”

Salvador Perez had an RBI single and extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 21 games. His .355 batting average and 27 RBIs lead the American League.

“He’s always fun to watch but what he’s doing right now is incredible,” Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel said. “I’ve never really seen anything like it. He’s barreling everything.”

Perez’s streak of reaching safely is the second-longest active streak in the majors behind Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich (23 games).

“Who knows where we’d be without him?,” Quatraro asked of Perez.

Massey homered off right-hander Nate Pearson in the eighth, his second in two games. He finished with four RBIs.

Lugo (5-1) allowed just one hit, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s single in the first, until Toronto catcher Danny Jansen homered with two outs in the seventh. The solo blast was Jansen’s third of the season.

Lugo walked two and struck out eight. He lowered his ERA to 1.60.

“He’s putting together some of the best-pitched games that we’ve seen,” Quatraro said.

Chris Stratton worked the eighth and Nick Anderson finished.

Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-5) didn’t allow a hit through five innings, but had his outing unravel after Isbel doubled to begin the sixth.

“That was a huge at-bat by Izzy there to kind of break up (Bassitt’s) momentum,” Massey said. “He was nasty tonight.”

Maikel Garcia sacrificed Isbel to third and Witt followed with a tiebreaking single through the drawn-in infield.

Vinnie Pasquantino doubled, advancing Witt to third, and Perez made it 2-0 with another base hit through the infield. Massey’s RBI groundout capped the inning.

Bassitt lost his third straight start, allowing three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.

The Royals used replay review to confirm that Perez was hit by a two-out pitch in the fourth inning. Massey struck out to end the frame.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider was upset that the umpires didn’t rule Perez had swung at the pitch.

“I think it was pretty obvious the ball hit him and it was even more obvious that he took a full swing,” Schneider said. “So, by the rules, he’s out. I thought that was a terrible call.”

Perez started at catcher for Kansas City. He was scratched from Monday’s start behind the plate but came on as a pinch hitter. Perez started at first base Tuesday.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (2-1, 2.62) is scheduled to start Friday as Kansas City hosts Texas. RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.24) goes for the Rangers.

Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 294 ERA) is expected to start Friday as Toronto visits Washington for a three-game series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714645881187.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>TORONTO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven strong innings to win for the fifth time in seven starts, Michael Massey hit a three-run home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday.Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, scored once and also drove in a run as the Royals won for the fifth time in seven meetings with Toronto.Witt also turned in a highlight defensive play, making a sliding stop and throwing from one knee to retire Bo Bichette for the final out of the sixth inning.“That was a great play,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Just to get something on that throw, once he got there, and to do it accurately to get a good runner, that was really impressive.”Lugo was equally appreciative of Witt’s defensive effort.“He wows me every day,” Lugo said. “I thought it was a base hit for sure. He’s awesome.”Salvador Perez had an RBI single and extended his career-best streak of reaching base safely to 21 games. His .355 batting average and 27 RBIs lead the American League.“He’s always fun to watch but what he’s doing right now is incredible,” Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel said. “I’ve never really seen anything like it. He’s barreling everything.”Perez’s streak of reaching safely is the second-longest active streak in the majors behind Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich (23 games).“Who knows where we’d be without him?,” Quatraro asked of Perez.Massey homered off right-hander Nate Pearson in the eighth, his second in two games. He finished with four RBIs.Lugo (5-1) allowed just one hit, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s single in the first, until Toronto catcher Danny Jansen homered with two outs in the seventh. The solo blast was Jansen’s third of the season.Lugo walked two and struck out eight. He lowered his ERA to 1.60.“He’s putting together some of the best-pitched games that we’ve seen,” Quatraro said.Chris Stratton worked the eighth and Nick Anderson finished.Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-5) didn’t allow a hit through five innings, but had his outing unravel after Isbel doubled to begin the sixth.“That was a huge at-bat by Izzy there to kind of break up (Bassitt’s) momentum,” Massey said. “He was nasty tonight.”Maikel Garcia sacrificed Isbel to third and Witt followed with a tiebreaking single through the drawn-in infield.Vinnie Pasquantino doubled, advancing Witt to third, and Perez made it 2-0 with another base hit through the infield. Massey’s RBI groundout capped the inning.Bassitt lost his third straight start, allowing three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.The Royals used replay review to confirm that Perez was hit by a two-out pitch in the fourth inning. Massey struck out to end the frame.Blue Jays manager John Schneider was upset that the umpires didn’t rule Perez had swung at the pitch.“I think it was pretty obvious the ball hit him and it was even more obvious that he took a full swing,” Schneider said. “So, by the rules, he’s out. I thought that was a terrible call.”Perez started at catcher for Kansas City. He was scratched from Monday’s start behind the plate but came on as a pinch hitter. Perez started at first base Tuesday.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Brady Singer (2-1, 2.62) is scheduled to start Friday as Kansas City hosts Texas. RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.24) goes for the Rangers.Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 294 ERA) is expected to start Friday as Toronto visits Washington for a three-game series.

Lugo gets 5th win in 7 starts as Royals beat Blue Jays 6-1

- Great Bend Lady Panther Softball coach Carrie Minton will be in studio to talk about the week ahead.

- Aaron Clark will be live at the KCAC Baseball and Softball Tournaments at the Great Bend Sports Complex with updates and interviews.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dm_ex7E9-oM?si=uFdeFSyIZVxXbpW3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Lady Panther Softball coach Carrie Minton will be in studio to talk about the week ahead.- Aaron Clark will be live at the KCAC Baseball and Softball Tournaments at the Great Bend Sports Complex with updates and interviews.- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24 hours

Wednesday on Sports Day (Watch) 

The No. 10 Panther baseball team moved its win streak to six games and its overall record to 17-5 with a pair of wins against Garden City at the Sports Complex. Great Bend took game one 8-2 before the offense exploded for a 17-7 win in game two.

The Panthers scored a run in the first inning of game one and led 6-0 after two innings before the Buff plated their only two runs in the third inning. Great Bend picked up insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

Daxton Minton pitched the first three innings, striking out four and allowing one hit. Both runs against the sophomore were unearned. Koehn Ribordy threw three no-hit innings with four strikeouts, and Javen Stoney threw an inning without allowing a hit.

Carson Umphres had the big bat in game one with three hits, including a double. He drove in a run and scored a run. Ian Premer singled and doubled, driving in a run and scoring three times. Trenton Kern singled twice and walked twice with a pair of RBIs.&nbsp;

Garden City opened scoring in the first inning of game two but the Panthers were able to respond with nine runs in their first at bat. The Buffs kept things interesting with three more runs in each of the third and fourth innings for an 11-7 score heading into the bottom of the fourth. Great Bend again found an answer with five more runs.

The bases were loaded for Premer in that big fourth inning when he homered to drive in four of his five runs on the day. He also singled and scored twice in the win. Peyden Oelger finished with three singles, three RBIs, and a run scored. Umphres singled and doubled with an RBI and two runs scored. Ribordy had a pair of hits to drive in two and score twice, and Slade Mohr singled twice and walked, driving in a run and scoring twice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886582717.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The No. 10 Panther baseball team moved its win streak to six games and its overall record to 17-5 with a pair of wins against Garden City at the Sports Complex. Great Bend took game one 8-2 before the offense exploded for a 17-7 win in game two.The Panthers scored a run in the first inning of game one and led 6-0 after two innings before the Buff plated their only two runs in the third inning. Great Bend picked up insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings.Daxton Minton pitched the first three innings, striking out four and allowing one hit. Both runs against the sophomore were unearned. Koehn Ribordy threw three no-hit innings with four strikeouts, and Javen Stoney threw an inning without allowing a hit.Carson Umphres had the big bat in game one with three hits, including a double. He drove in a run and scored a run. Ian Premer singled and doubled, driving in a run and scoring three times. Trenton Kern singled twice and walked twice with a pair of RBIs.&nbsp;Garden City opened scoring in the first inning of game two but the Panthers were able to respond with nine runs in their first at bat. The Buffs kept things interesting with three more runs in each of the third and fourth innings for an 11-7 score heading into the bottom of the fourth. Great Bend again found an answer with five more runs.The bases were loaded for Premer in that big fourth inning when he homered to drive in four of his five runs on the day. He also singled and scored twice in the win. Peyden Oelger finished with three singles, three RBIs, and a run scored. Umphres singled and doubled with an RBI and two runs scored. Ribordy had a pair of hits to drive in two and score twice, and Slade Mohr singled twice and walked, driving in a run and scoring twice.

No. 1 Panther baseball makes easy work of Garden City

Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey (19) celebrates with teammates Salvador Perez (13) and Freddy Fermin (34) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in Toronto.(Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas lawmakers see a chance to lure Kansas City's two biggest professional sports teams across the Missouri border, but an effort to help the Super Bowl champion Chiefs and Major League Baseball's Royals finance new stadiums in Kansas fizzed over concerns about how it might look to taxpayers.

Members of the Republican-controlled Legislature pushed a bill Tuesday that would have allowed Kansas officials to authorize at least $1 billion in bonds to cover the entire cost of building each new stadium, paying the debt off with tax revenues generated in the area over 30 years. But GOP leaders didn't bring it up for a vote before lawmakers adjourned their annual session early Wednesday.

Some critics derided the plan as corporate welfare. Others were receptive but didn't want to pass the proposal until the Legislature approved a broad package of tax cuts for their constituents that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would sign — which didn't happen either.

Legislators' work on a plan began in earnest behind the scenes after voters on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area decisively refused earlier this month to extend a local sales tax used to keep up the complex housing the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals' Kauffman Stadium for more than 50 years.

Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey (19) celebrates with teammates Salvador Perez (13) and Freddy Fermin (34) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in Toronto.(Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas lawmakers see a chance to lure Kansas City's two biggest professional sports teams across the Missouri border, but an effort to help the Super Bowl champion Chiefs and Major League Baseball's Royals finance new stadiums in Kansas fizzed over concerns about how it might look to taxpayers.Members of the Republican-controlled Legislature pushed a bill Tuesday that would have allowed Kansas officials to authorize at least $1 billion in bonds to cover the entire cost of building each new stadium, paying the debt off with tax revenues generated in the area over 30 years. But GOP leaders didn't bring it up for a vote before lawmakers adjourned their annual session early Wednesday.Some critics derided the plan as corporate welfare. Others were receptive but didn't want to pass the proposal until the Legislature approved a broad package of tax cuts for their constituents that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would sign — which didn't happen either.Legislators' work on a plan began in earnest behind the scenes after voters on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area decisively refused earlier this month to extend a local sales tax used to keep up the complex housing the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals' Kauffman Stadium for more than 50 years.The bill's biggest champion, Kansas House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Kansas City-area Republican, said supporters want to give the two professional sports teams another option should they contemplate leaving Kansas City, which he said would be devastating to both states.“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” Tarwater said. “We need them to stay in the metroplex.”The idea isn't dead yet.Kelly and her staff signaled Tuesday that she's likely to veto the last tax package lawmakers approved, cutting income, sales and property taxes by a total of almost $1.5 billion over the next three years. Lawmakers expect Kelly to call a special session of the Legislature to try to get lawmakers to pass a tax plan that she'll accept — and they could consider the stadium financing proposal then.“We just need a little time on it — we’ll be OK," said Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita Republican. "I mean, we’re serious about trying to incentivize the Chiefs to come our direction.”The proposal would allow the bonds to finance 100% of the construction of each of two new professional sports stadiums with at least 30,000 seats. State and local officials would have a year to sign off, and the teams would be on the hook if local tax revenues weren't enough to pay off the bonds.“It was just a concern of running it before we gave real tax relief to our constituents — kind of that juxtaposed look of what appears to be corporate welfare before you’re getting tax relief to the people,” Masterson said after deciding against having a Senate vote.Before the local sales tax vote in Missouri, the Chiefs wanted to use their share of the revenues to help pay for an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead. The Royals planned to use their share to help finance a new, $2 billion-plus ballpark district that would be part of a larger nationwide wave of sports construction.The current lease lease on the two teams' complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. Royals owner John Sherman has said the Royals will not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.“We’ll be in a situation where we go back to the drawing board,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told reporters last week. “I do feel very much a sense of urgency, and we will approach it from a broader perspective going forward.”Backers argue that the Kansas plan is ideal because the money to pay off the bonds would come from new taxes generated only when the area around each stadium develops. Also, professional players will have to pay the state's income tax on the portion of their earnings made at the stadiums in Kansas.But Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, a small-government, low-tax group that has long opposed the use of such bonds, also opposed the stadium financing proposal. The group is influential with Republicans and told lawmakers it would consider their votes in evaluating their records.Critics have long argued that allowing the bonds to finance big projects represents the state picking economic winners and losers instead of the free market. The same kind of bonds have financed multiple projects, including NASCAR's Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.One northeastern Kansas lawmaker, Democratic Sen. Tom Holland, called the stadium proposal “economic development for millionaires.” He added that it’s “total foolishness” to have taxpayers subsidize the stadiums — either through taxes they pay when they visit or because the state forgoes revenues that would flow into its coffers.Another northeastern Kansas lawmaker, conservative GOP Sen. Dennis Pyle, said: “We’ve got a lot of priorities in Kansas, and I’m not sure that’s one of them."Other lawmakers were critical because the Legislature had no public hearings or debates before three senators and three House members met in public this week to hash out the details of the proposal.