DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0. Lugo allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening. Tigers starter Reese Olson allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight. Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning. The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening.

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson has announced he will return for a final season with the Jayhawks. Coach Bill Self also announced he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four. Meanwhile, UCLA picked up its fourth player from the portal, adding forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State. He averaged 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his first two seasons with the Beavers. Bilodeau joins Skyy Clark from Louisville, Eric Dailey Jr. from Oklahoma State and Kobe Johnson from USC in Westwood.

UNDATED (AP) —  The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off their second trade the 2024 NFL Draft — this time with their Super Bowl LVIII opponents: the San Francisco 49ers. Kansas City moved up from the 64th to 63rd pick to select BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. After trading up in the first round to select wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs stayed aggressive, going up to get the player they wanted. During this draft cycle, Suamataia has been a favorite of the Chiefs due to his top-end potential — and the fact that he profiles as an eventual long-term solution at left tackle. He will immediately compete with Wanya Morris at left tackle and be in a similar stage of development: both players have strong physical traits, have college experience at both tackle spots and need to refine their skills as pass protectors on the blind side.

UNDATED (AP) — Defense became the focus of the NFL draft on Friday night after a record-setting 23 offensive players were selected in the first round. The Atlanta Falcons, who shocked everyone by taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, kicked off the shift by moving up to take Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro with the third pick of the second round. The Commanders then took Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and a total of 20 defensive players went in a round that had seven trades as teams were wheeling and dealing to get their guy. The Titans took a chance on Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat with the 38th pick after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

DETROIT (AP) — The NFL draft tour has not had a stop quite like the one in Detroit. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told fans that flooded downtown Detroit for a second straight day that an attendance record was set with 275,000 people on Thursday during the first round. Goodell says another 230,000 fans attended during Friday's second round. He challenged the crowd to show up 100,000 strong on Saturday to break Nashville's three-day record of 600,000 set in 2019. The NFL draft left its traditional home in New York a decade ago and took the show on the road, starting in Chicago.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs. Milwaukee's Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points.

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks took a chippy 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA. The Mavs won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game series loss to the Clippers. Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half. James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but fellow stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact.

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry held onto a share of the lead Friday in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, with the Irish duo shooting a 2-under 70 in alternate play in the PGA Tour’s only team event. The teams of Davis Thompson-Andrew Novak, Ryan Brehm-Mark Hubbard and Aaron Rai-David Lipsky matched McIlroy and Lowry at 13-under 131 at TPC Louisiana. They will play best ball Saturday and close with alternate shot Sunday. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the 2022 winners, were a stroke back with Callum Tarren-David Skinns, Nick Taylor-Adam Hadwin, Zach Johnson-Ryan Palmer, Luke List-Henrik Norlander and Corey Connors-Taylor Pendrith. McIlroy and Lowry, who opened Thursday with a best-ball 61, overcame Lowry’s mid-round putting woes to close with consecutive birdies.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712497619824.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0. Lugo allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening. Tigers starter Reese Olson allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight. Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning. The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening.UNDATED (AP) — Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson has announced he will return for a final season with the Jayhawks. Coach Bill Self also announced he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four. Meanwhile, UCLA picked up its fourth player from the portal, adding forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State. He averaged 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his first two seasons with the Beavers. Bilodeau joins Skyy Clark from Louisville, Eric Dailey Jr. from Oklahoma State and Kobe Johnson from USC in Westwood.UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off their second trade the 2024 NFL Draft — this time with their Super Bowl LVIII opponents: the San Francisco 49ers. Kansas City moved up from the 64th to 63rd pick to select BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. After trading up in the first round to select wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs stayed aggressive, going up to get the player they wanted. During this draft cycle, Suamataia has been a favorite of the Chiefs due to his top-end potential — and the fact that he profiles as an eventual long-term solution at left tackle. He will immediately compete with Wanya Morris at left tackle and be in a similar stage of development: both players have strong physical traits, have college experience at both tackle spots and need to refine their skills as pass protectors on the blind side.UNDATED (AP) — Defense became the focus of the NFL draft on Friday night after a record-setting 23 offensive players were selected in the first round. The Atlanta Falcons, who shocked everyone by taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, kicked off the shift by moving up to take Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro with the third pick of the second round. The Commanders then took Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and a total of 20 defensive players went in a round that had seven trades as teams were wheeling and dealing to get their guy. The Titans took a chance on Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat with the 38th pick after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated.DETROIT (AP) — The NFL draft tour has not had a stop quite like the one in Detroit. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told fans that flooded downtown Detroit for a second straight day that an attendance record was set with 275,000 people on Thursday during the first round. Goodell says another 230,000 fans attended during Friday's second round. He challenged the crowd to show up 100,000 strong on Saturday to break Nashville's three-day record of 600,000 set in 2019. The NFL draft left its traditional home in New York a decade ago and took the show on the road, starting in Chicago.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs. Milwaukee's Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points.DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks took a chippy 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA. The Mavs won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game series loss to the Clippers. Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half. James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but fellow stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact.AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry held onto a share of the lead Friday in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, with the Irish duo shooting a 2-under 70 in alternate play in the PGA Tour’s only team event. The teams of Davis Thompson-Andrew Novak, Ryan Brehm-Mark Hubbard and Aaron Rai-David Lipsky matched McIlroy and Lowry at 13-under 131 at TPC Louisiana. They will play best ball Saturday and close with alternate shot Sunday. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the 2022 winners, were a stroke back with Callum Tarren-David Skinns, Nick Taylor-Adam Hadwin, Zach Johnson-Ryan Palmer, Luke List-Henrik Norlander and Corey Connors-Taylor Pendrith. McIlroy and Lowry, who opened Thursday with a best-ball 61, overcame Lowry’s mid-round putting woes to close with consecutive birdies.FRIDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Chicago Cubs	7	Boston	1	Final	L.A. Dodgers	12	Toronto	2	Final	Atlanta	6	Cleveland	2	Final	Texas	2	Cincinnati	1	Final	Milwaukee	7	N.Y. Yankees	6	Final	Seattle	6	Arizona	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Kansas City	8	Detroit	0	Final	Oakland	3	Baltimore	2	Final	Chicago White Sox	9	Tampa Bay	4	Final	Minnesota	5	L.A. Angels	3	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	3	Miami	1	Final	St. Louis	4	N.Y. Mets	2	Final	Philadelphia	9	San Diego	3	Final	San Francisco	3	Pittsburgh	0	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal OT	Indiana	121	Milwaukee	118	Final	Dallas	101	L.A. Clippers	90	Final	Minnesota	126	Phoenix	109	NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	N-Y Rangers	3	Washington	1	Final	Vancouver	2	Nashville	1	Final	Colorado	6	Winnipeg	2	Final	Edmonton	6	Los Angeles	1

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Friday.

Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.

“Being aggressive is always part of my plan, but I just had really good fastball command,” he said. “They took some early swings that gave me an idea of what their approach was going to be throughout the game.”

Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.

Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning.

“Lugo is a throwback to the guys who pitched, moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

With one out in the third, Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel singled before Maikel Garcia walked to load the bases for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center.

The Tigers thought they had the lead in the bottom of the third, but Frazier reached over the right-field fence to rob Parker Meadows of a home run before doubling Javier Báez off first.

“I just tried to get back there with some space to jump,” Frazier said. “I wasn't sure if I would have a chance at it with the wind, but fortunately I was able to do it.”

Detroit got a hit and an error against former teammate John Schreiber in the eighth, but he struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the inning.

The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, thanks to two singles and a walk off Tyler Holton. Holton, usually one of Detroit's best control pitchers, then hit Frazier and Isbel with consecutive pitches to make it 3-0.

“He really didn't have command,” Hinch said. “That's really unusual for him — he rarely misfires at all. He was in a perfect spot facing two lefties, and he sailed the ball into their elbows, so I had to get him out of there.”

Garcia greeted Will Vest with a two-run single to put the Royals up by five, and Witt tripled before Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.

“We did a good job of creating traffic against Holton and then we took advantage of a little wildness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Then we were able to tack on with Mikael and Bobby both coming up big."

Tigers C Carson Kelly (ribs) wasn't available for the game. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team might make a roster move to avoid playing with one healthy catcher. ... Tigers utilityman Andy Ibáñez (hamstring) started a rehab assignment on Thursday, going 2-3 with a double for Triple-A Toledo.

The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening. RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 2.95) is scheduled to start for Detroit against RHP Brady Singer (3-0, 1.82).

DETROIT (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals won their fourth straight game, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Friday.Lugo (4-1) allowed three singles and matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a game played at 1:10 pm due to the NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit on Friday evening.“Being aggressive is always part of my plan, but I just had really good fastball command,” he said. “They took some early swings that gave me an idea of what their approach was going to be throughout the game.”Tigers starter Reese Olson (0-4) allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out eight.Kansas City led 1-0 before scoring seven runs in the ninth inning.“Lugo is a throwback to the guys who pitched, moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.With one out in the third, Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel singled before Maikel Garcia walked to load the bases for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center.The Tigers thought they had the lead in the bottom of the third, but Frazier reached over the right-field fence to rob Parker Meadows of a home run before doubling Javier Báez off first.“I just tried to get back there with some space to jump,” Frazier said. “I wasn't sure if I would have a chance at it with the wind, but fortunately I was able to do it.”Detroit got a hit and an error against former teammate John Schreiber in the eighth, but he struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the inning.The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, thanks to two singles and a walk off Tyler Holton. Holton, usually one of Detroit's best control pitchers, then hit Frazier and Isbel with consecutive pitches to make it 3-0.“He really didn't have command,” Hinch said. “That's really unusual for him — he rarely misfires at all. He was in a perfect spot facing two lefties, and he sailed the ball into their elbows, so I had to get him out of there.”Garcia greeted Will Vest with a two-run single to put the Royals up by five, and Witt tripled before Vinnie Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 8-0.“We did a good job of creating traffic against Holton and then we took advantage of a little wildness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Then we were able to tack on with Mikael and Bobby both coming up big."TRAINER'S ROOMTigers C Carson Kelly (ribs) wasn't available for the game. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team might make a roster move to avoid playing with one healthy catcher. ... Tigers utilityman Andy Ibáñez (hamstring) started a rehab assignment on Thursday, going 2-3 with a double for Triple-A Toledo.UP NEXTThe teams play the second game of the series on Saturday evening. RHP Casey Mize (1-0, 2.95) is scheduled to start for Detroit against RHP Brady Singer (3-0, 1.82).

Seth Lugo throws 7 scoreless innings, leads Royals past Tigers 8-0

Baseball -Game 1- Great Bend 1 Dodge City 0 -Game 2- Great Bend 5 Dodge City 4

1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Baseball -Game 1- Great Bend 1 Dodge City 0 -Game 2- Great Bend 5 Dodge City 4<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/0ljvu5o0/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

Big 12 Conference newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even after all brought winning programs into the league.

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference games combined, and half of those came in games they played against each other.

Now after a second spring for the Big 12, that quartet is getting ready for another significant transition in the league, while all have changes of their own. There will be four more new teams this fall and the departure of two championship-winning programs.

There will be new starting quarterbacks at BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. Houston returns QB Donovan Smith, but is the only of the league's returning schools with a new coach after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.

Smith, a former Texas Tech starter, had surgery in the offseason to repair a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder after completing 64.5% of his passes for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his Cougars debut. While limited on the field during spring drills, he spent a lot of time learning Fritz's offense and is expected to be ready for fall camp.

“I feel like he got a lot better," Fritz said. “He did a good job of paying attention, asking questions and coaching guys.”

Fritz came from Tulane after that American Athletic Conference team two years ago had an FBS-record 10-win turnaround capped by a stunning comeback win over Southern California in the Cotton Bowl. Houston was 4-8 last year.

Cincinnati was in the AAC three years ago when it was the first team from outside the Power Five to make the four-team College Football Playoff.

The Bearcats were 3-9 in coach Scott Satterfield's debut, and their only Big 12 win was over Houston. Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby, who had multiple TD passes in five of his 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year, appears set to succeed quarterback Emory Jones after his only year at Cincinnati to end a three-school, six-season college career.

BYU has to replace Kedon Slovis after his only season at his third school ended at 4-8. The Cougars' QB competition will go into fall camp between South Florida transfer Gerry Bohanon, who before that was Baylor's starter for its Big 12 championship game win in 2021, and Jake Retzlaff, their backup last season.

“They’re both athletic. They both can make the throws that we need them to make in this offense and they’re both really smart," BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “It's been a really good battle."

UCF was 6-7, ending a streak of six consecutive winning seasons. The Knights were 3-6 in the Big 12, with a surprising 45-3 win over league runner-up Oklahoma State to go with wins over Houston and Cincinnati. They have added quarterback KJ Jefferson, who threw for 7,911 yards and 67 touchdowns in 44 games the past five seasons at Arkansas, and also ran for 1,876 yards and 21 more TDs.

“I'm really excited about KJ. I recruited him out of high school, but Bo Nix was the same age," said fourth-year UCF coach Gus Malzahn, who was previously at Auburn. “Obviously, we weren’t gonna take two quarterbacks. So I had my eye on him and, being from Arkansas, a lot of my friends are huge Arkansas fans. So when he went in the portal, he was our No. 1 guy.”

Mike Gundy is going into his 20th season as head coach of the Cowboys, with the only longer-tenured FBS coach being Kirk Ferentz going into his 25th season at Iowa this fall. Gundy was a quarterback from Oklahoma State from 1986-89, then an assistant coach for 10 seasons over two different stints before taking over as head coach.

The Cowboys return 10 starters on both sides of the ball. They have been to their only two Big 12 championship games the past three seasons.

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will no longer be the newcomers when the Big 12 expands from 14 to 16 teams.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are moving from the Pac-12 into the Big 12 this summer. That is when reigning league champion Texas and Oklahoma make their move to the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns and Sooners were the only remaining Big 12 members to win national championships in football.

The Big 12 will have a new champion next season with Texas departing after bookend titles (the Longhorns also won the league’s inaugural title in 1996).

Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz of the the Longhorns' spring game with his 355 yards passing and three touchdowns. But coach Steve Sarkisian has said Quinn Ewers will remain the starter after bypassing the NFL draft.

Manning is headed to the SEC where both of his Super Bowl-winning uncles were standout quarterbacks — Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss.

Big 12 Conference newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even after all brought winning programs into the league.BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference games combined, and half of those came in games they played against each other.Now after a second spring for the Big 12, that quartet is getting ready for another significant transition in the league, while all have changes of their own. There will be four more new teams this fall and the departure of two championship-winning programs.There will be new starting quarterbacks at BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. Houston returns QB Donovan Smith, but is the only of the league's returning schools with a new coach after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.Smith, a former Texas Tech starter, had surgery in the offseason to repair a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder after completing 64.5% of his passes for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his Cougars debut. While limited on the field during spring drills, he spent a lot of time learning Fritz's offense and is expected to be ready for fall camp.“I feel like he got a lot better," Fritz said. “He did a good job of paying attention, asking questions and coaching guys.”Fritz came from Tulane after that American Athletic Conference team two years ago had an FBS-record 10-win turnaround capped by a stunning comeback win over Southern California in the Cotton Bowl. Houston was 4-8 last year.Cincinnati was in the AAC three years ago when it was the first team from outside the Power Five to make the four-team College Football Playoff.The Bearcats were 3-9 in coach Scott Satterfield's debut, and their only Big 12 win was over Houston. Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby, who had multiple TD passes in five of his 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year, appears set to succeed quarterback Emory Jones after his only year at Cincinnati to end a three-school, six-season college career.BYU has to replace Kedon Slovis after his only season at his third school ended at 4-8. The Cougars' QB competition will go into fall camp between South Florida transfer Gerry Bohanon, who before that was Baylor's starter for its Big 12 championship game win in 2021, and Jake Retzlaff, their backup last season.“They’re both athletic. They both can make the throws that we need them to make in this offense and they’re both really smart," BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “It's been a really good battle."UCF was 6-7, ending a streak of six consecutive winning seasons. The Knights were 3-6 in the Big 12, with a surprising 45-3 win over league runner-up Oklahoma State to go with wins over Houston and Cincinnati. They have added quarterback KJ Jefferson, who threw for 7,911 yards and 67 touchdowns in 44 games the past five seasons at Arkansas, and also ran for 1,876 yards and 21 more TDs.“I'm really excited about KJ. I recruited him out of high school, but Bo Nix was the same age," said fourth-year UCF coach Gus Malzahn, who was previously at Auburn. “Obviously, we weren’t gonna take two quarterbacks. So I had my eye on him and, being from Arkansas, a lot of my friends are huge Arkansas fans. So when he went in the portal, he was our No. 1 guy.”LONG-TIME COWBOYMike Gundy is going into his 20th season as head coach of the Cowboys, with the only longer-tenured FBS coach being Kirk Ferentz going into his 25th season at Iowa this fall. Gundy was a quarterback from Oklahoma State from 1986-89, then an assistant coach for 10 seasons over two different stints before taking over as head coach.The Cowboys return 10 starters on both sides of the ball. They have been to their only two Big 12 championship games the past three seasons.BIG 12 CHANGESBYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will no longer be the newcomers when the Big 12 expands from 14 to 16 teams.Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are moving from the Pac-12 into the Big 12 this summer. That is when reigning league champion Texas and Oklahoma make their move to the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns and Sooners were the only remaining Big 12 members to win national championships in football.NEW CHAMPION, NO MANNINGThe Big 12 will have a new champion next season with Texas departing after bookend titles (the Longhorns also won the league’s inaugural title in 1996).Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz of the the Longhorns' spring game with his 355 yards passing and three touchdowns. But coach Steve Sarkisian has said Quinn Ewers will remain the starter after bypassing the NFL draft.Manning is headed to the SEC where both of his Super Bowl-winning uncles were standout quarterbacks — Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss.

Big 12 newcomers struggled in debuts. Now they get ready for league to change again

A look at football players in the Big 12 Conference this spring who could have breakout seasons in the fall, when Oklahoma and Texas will be in the Southeastern Conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will come in from the Pac-12 to make the Big 12 a 16-team league.

BAYLOR: WR Hal Presley got sidelined by a lower-body injury after 17 catches while starting six games last season. The 6-foot-2 senior is a speedy receiver who can make tough and acrobatic catches, and showed that throughout the spring while working with a new offensive coordinator.

BYU: RB LJ Martin ran for a team-high 518 yards as a freshman last season, and with a bigger role could be the key to reviving what was one of the worst FBS rushing offenses last season when the Cougars went 4-8 in their Big 12 debut.

CINCINNATI: QB Brendan Sorsby is expected to take over as the starter with the departure of Emory Jones, who played for three schools over six seasons. Sorsby got in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year at Indiana, where he threw for 1,587 yards and 15 touchdowns.

HOUSTON: RB Parker Jenkins returns after a solid freshman season where he led the team with 464 yards rushing on 99 carries. He wowed in the spring game when he had a 60-yard touchdown run, and should be another weapon for first-year coach Willie Fritz to pair with veteran QB Donovan Smith.

IOWA STATE: Coaches and teammates called freshman RB Dylan Lee the star of the spring. His impressive change of direction and acceleration were on display as he ran 17 times for 80 yards in the spring game. Abu Sama III is the projected starter, but this offense likes to regularly use two or three backs.

KANSAS: DL Dylan Wudke transferred from Youngstown State and gives the Jayhawks some immediate experience at a position of need. Wudke had 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks over the past two seasons.

KANSAS STATE: QB Avery Johnson takes over for Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State. The reality is that Johnson probably would have beaten out Howard for the starting job even if he returned to Manhattan. Johnson showcased a dynamic set of dual-purpose skills when he played last season, including a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over North Carolina State.

OKLAHOMA: Jackson Arnold became the starting quarterback for the Alamo Bowl after Dillon Gabriel left for Oregon. In his first career start, Arnold passed for 361 yards, with two TDs and three interceptions in the loss to Arizona. Now heading into his sophomore year, he passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game for the SEC-bound Sooners.

OKLAHOMA STATE: The entire offensive line that helped Ollie Gordon II win the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back is back. Joe Michalski, Dalton Cooper, Preston Wilson, Jake Springfield and Cole Birmingham all started at least 10 games last season. Jason Brooks Jr. started seven. Behind them, Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 TDs.

TCU: LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr transferred from California after ranking third in the Pac-12 with 8.4 tackles per game (92 overall). The junior could be an important piece on the unit for new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.

TEXAS: Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz with his 355 yards passing and three TDs in the spring game. Coach Steve Sarkisian said Quinn Ewers remains QB1 after staying in school instead of entering the NFL draft. The spring scrimmage was Manning's first chance to deliver on his much-hyped promise and he did, assuring the Longhorns that the offense is in great hands if Ewers gets hurt again, he missed part or all of six games the last two seasons.

TEXAS TECH: Edge rusher Amier Washington played only two games for the Red Raiders last season. That included their Independence Bowl victory over California when he had four tackles for losses, including two sacks, and forced a fumble, after being moved from defensive tackle. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Washington was in that outside role for the bowl only after an opt-out and an injury, but now could be the starter as a redshirt freshman.

UCF: Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson takes over at quarterback for the Knights after throwing for 7,923 yards and 67 touchdowns while also running for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs in 44 games the past five seasons in the SEC. He replaces John Rhys Plumlee, who helped UCF make the transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 last season.

WEST VIRGINIA: QB Garrett Greene emerged as a solid dual threat in his first full season as a starter. He threw for a career-high 391 yards against Houston and had three 100-yard rushing efforts as the Mountaineers, picked to finish last in the Big 12, went 9-4. The senior needs to work on his throwing accuracy after a 53.1 completion percentage that was among the lowest in FBS.

By The Associated PressA look at football players in the Big 12 Conference this spring who could have breakout seasons in the fall, when Oklahoma and Texas will be in the Southeastern Conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will come in from the Pac-12 to make the Big 12 a 16-team league.BAYLOR: WR Hal Presley got sidelined by a lower-body injury after 17 catches while starting six games last season. The 6-foot-2 senior is a speedy receiver who can make tough and acrobatic catches, and showed that throughout the spring while working with a new offensive coordinator.BYU: RB LJ Martin ran for a team-high 518 yards as a freshman last season, and with a bigger role could be the key to reviving what was one of the worst FBS rushing offenses last season when the Cougars went 4-8 in their Big 12 debut.CINCINNATI: QB Brendan Sorsby is expected to take over as the starter with the departure of Emory Jones, who played for three schools over six seasons. Sorsby got in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year at Indiana, where he threw for 1,587 yards and 15 touchdowns.HOUSTON: RB Parker Jenkins returns after a solid freshman season where he led the team with 464 yards rushing on 99 carries. He wowed in the spring game when he had a 60-yard touchdown run, and should be another weapon for first-year coach Willie Fritz to pair with veteran QB Donovan Smith.IOWA STATE: Coaches and teammates called freshman RB Dylan Lee the star of the spring. His impressive change of direction and acceleration were on display as he ran 17 times for 80 yards in the spring game. Abu Sama III is the projected starter, but this offense likes to regularly use two or three backs.KANSAS: DL Dylan Wudke transferred from Youngstown State and gives the Jayhawks some immediate experience at a position of need. Wudke had 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks over the past two seasons.KANSAS STATE: QB Avery Johnson takes over for Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State. The reality is that Johnson probably would have beaten out Howard for the starting job even if he returned to Manhattan. Johnson showcased a dynamic set of dual-purpose skills when he played last season, including a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over North Carolina State.OKLAHOMA: Jackson Arnold became the starting quarterback for the Alamo Bowl after Dillon Gabriel left for Oregon. In his first career start, Arnold passed for 361 yards, with two TDs and three interceptions in the loss to Arizona. Now heading into his sophomore year, he passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game for the SEC-bound Sooners.OKLAHOMA STATE: The entire offensive line that helped Ollie Gordon II win the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back is back. Joe Michalski, Dalton Cooper, Preston Wilson, Jake Springfield and Cole Birmingham all started at least 10 games last season. Jason Brooks Jr. started seven. Behind them, Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 TDs.TCU: LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr transferred from California after ranking third in the Pac-12 with 8.4 tackles per game (92 overall). The junior could be an important piece on the unit for new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.TEXAS: Backup QB Arch Manning created the biggest buzz with his 355 yards passing and three TDs in the spring game. Coach Steve Sarkisian said Quinn Ewers remains QB1 after staying in school instead of entering the NFL draft. The spring scrimmage was Manning's first chance to deliver on his much-hyped promise and he did, assuring the Longhorns that the offense is in great hands if Ewers gets hurt again, he missed part or all of six games the last two seasons.TEXAS TECH: Edge rusher Amier Washington played only two games for the Red Raiders last season. That included their Independence Bowl victory over California when he had four tackles for losses, including two sacks, and forced a fumble, after being moved from defensive tackle. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Washington was in that outside role for the bowl only after an opt-out and an injury, but now could be the starter as a redshirt freshman.UCF: Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson takes over at quarterback for the Knights after throwing for 7,923 yards and 67 touchdowns while also running for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs in 44 games the past five seasons in the SEC. He replaces John Rhys Plumlee, who helped UCF make the transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 last season.WEST VIRGINIA: QB Garrett Greene emerged as a solid dual threat in his first full season as a starter. He threw for a career-high 391 yards against Houston and had three 100-yard rushing efforts as the Mountaineers, picked to finish last in the Big 12, went 9-4. The senior needs to work on his throwing accuracy after a 53.1 completion percentage that was among the lowest in FBS.

14 football players to watch next season from current Big 12 Conference schools

Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in Ireland at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

The Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 24, and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The fourth annual game in Ireland, announced Wednesday, marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a season opener and third time they've squared off at a neutral site. They played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009 and 2010.

“The opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and fans to visit one of the world’s top travel destinations and to showcase our football program and brand on a global stage was one we could not pass up,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said.

Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our university and its football program,” ISU coach Matt Campbell said. “We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”

By The Associated PressIowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in Ireland at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.The Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 24, and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.The fourth annual game in Ireland, announced Wednesday, marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a season opener and third time they've squared off at a neutral site. They played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009 and 2010.“The opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and fans to visit one of the world’s top travel destinations and to showcase our football program and brand on a global stage was one we could not pass up,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said.Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our university and its football program,” ISU coach Matt Campbell said. “We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”

Cyclones and Wildcats will open 2025 season in the annual college football game in Ireland

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes the kind of speedy deep threat they have not enjoyed since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.

The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years, but they managed to trade up with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs sent the 32nd pick along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.

“Listen, I like the wide receivers we've got,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but to go add somebody of this quality is important, or a good move to strengthen it. I don't want to slight the guys we have but he's a nice addition.”

So nice that Mahomes, who was attending a gala in New York, instantly took to social media to approve of it.

“We told Patrick," Reid said with a smile. “Patrick is curious. He loves this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense. He just loves the draft. He's texting away at us and we get back to him. He's great with it.”

Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City last enjoyed when Hill was on the team. But Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner and cutting down on the number of drops last season, when he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs.

“It doesn’t hurt to have down-the-field speed,” Reid said. “We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well, but if you have an opportunity to get somebody you think is a good player, you probably need to take advantage of that.”

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year with a patchwork wide receiver corps, and they were in the market for help even before second-year pro Rashee Rice — their biggest breakout star of last season — got embroiled in legal trouble in Texas.

Dallas police allege that Rice was driving a Lamborghini well over 100 mph when he and a friend, who was driving a Corvette, lost control and began a chain-reaction crash that resulted in injuries to several people. Rice left the scene without seeing if anyone was injured, but turned himself in when police issued warrants for his arrest.

Rice has been released on bond, and Reid has said he would continue to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program as the legal situation plays out. But the Chiefs must prepare for the possibility they will be without him for at least the first part of the season — if not the entire season — as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.

“It's a quarterback league and a speed game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game. We have a couple of guys now that can keep a defense guessing, and we're excited about what this will do.”

The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown in free agency, and tight end Travis Kelce has been every bit as productive as any wide receiver. But otherwise, the Chiefs were faced with heading into the summer with Justin Watson, drop-prone Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, and journeymen such as Montrell Washington filling out the receiver corps.

So the trade to get Worthy wasn't a surprise. But the fact that the Bills picked up the phone raised some eyebrows.

Along with the fact that Kansas City has frequently ended their season in the playoffs, the Chiefs also swung a memorable first-round trade with them in 2017: They sent Buffalo their first- and third-round picks that year and a first-round pick the next year to move up to No. 10 and select Mahomes, which ultimately altered the trajectory of the entire franchise.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving Patrick Mahomes the kind of speedy deep threat they have not enjoyed since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after winning their second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five years, but they managed to trade up with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs sent the 32nd pick along with a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder.“Listen, I like the wide receivers we've got,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but to go add somebody of this quality is important, or a good move to strengthen it. I don't want to slight the guys we have but he's a nice addition.”So nice that Mahomes, who was attending a gala in New York, instantly took to social media to approve of it.“We told Patrick," Reid said with a smile. “Patrick is curious. He loves this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense. He just loves the draft. He's texting away at us and we get back to him. He's great with it.”Worthy broke the NFL combine record when he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, exhibiting the kind of raw speed that Kansas City last enjoyed when Hill was on the team. But Worthy is more than just a deep threat, showing promise as a route runner and cutting down on the number of drops last season, when he caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five TDs.“It doesn’t hurt to have down-the-field speed,” Reid said. “We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well, but if you have an opportunity to get somebody you think is a good player, you probably need to take advantage of that.”The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year with a patchwork wide receiver corps, and they were in the market for help even before second-year pro Rashee Rice — their biggest breakout star of last season — got embroiled in legal trouble in Texas.Dallas police allege that Rice was driving a Lamborghini well over 100 mph when he and a friend, who was driving a Corvette, lost control and began a chain-reaction crash that resulted in injuries to several people. Rice left the scene without seeing if anyone was injured, but turned himself in when police issued warrants for his arrest.Rice has been released on bond, and Reid has said he would continue to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program as the legal situation plays out. But the Chiefs must prepare for the possibility they will be without him for at least the first part of the season — if not the entire season — as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.“It's a quarterback league and a speed game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “and the more speed you have on the field, the harder it is for defenses to take away different elements of the game. We have a couple of guys now that can keep a defense guessing, and we're excited about what this will do.”The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown in free agency, and tight end Travis Kelce has been every bit as productive as any wide receiver. But otherwise, the Chiefs were faced with heading into the summer with Justin Watson, drop-prone Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, and journeymen such as Montrell Washington filling out the receiver corps.So the trade to get Worthy wasn't a surprise. But the fact that the Bills picked up the phone raised some eyebrows.Along with the fact that Kansas City has frequently ended their season in the playoffs, the Chiefs also swung a memorable first-round trade with them in 2017: They sent Buffalo their first- and third-round picks that year and a first-round pick the next year to move up to No. 10 and select Mahomes, which ultimately altered the trajectory of the entire franchise.

Chiefs trade up with Bills to select WR Xavier Worthy at No. 28 in NFL draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro was frustrated that his team was left hanging in limbo. Blue Jays counterpart John Schneider was equally perturbed that his team wasn't being given a chance to finish out a game it was losing.

At least Quatraro felt a bit better in the end.

After playing five innings, then waiting out a bizarre rain delay that stretched to 3 hours, 38 minutes, the Royals finally were declared a 2-1 winner Thursday — their third straight one-run victory to wrap up their four-game set with Toronto.

Salvador Perez provided both of their runs with a two-out, two-run homer off José Berrios (4-1) in the first, and Cole Ragans (1-2) earned the win by allowing the lone Blue Jays run on three hits and three walks in five rain-soaked innings.

“What was getting frustrating to me,” Quatraro said, "was just like, ‘All right. Let’s make the decision, one way or the other. Tell us to get out there and play or tell us to go home.”

The strange sequence of events began when the fifth inning ended, and an early drizzle had turned into a steady rain.

Umpire chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp to cover the infield, but Schneider came out and objected, arguing that his club deserved another opportunity to tie or take the lead. Guccione told the grounds crew to roll the tarp back and attempt to get the field in playing shape, but about 10 minutes later, the umpire summoned the tarp again.

The field was covered for about 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the grounds crew went to work, pouring dozens of bags of dry dirt on it. But after another hour-plus spent working on the field, Guccione made the decision to call the game complete.

“They tried to work their magic to try to scrape all that old dirt off, get new dirt on there, rake it as much as they could,” he said. “It was just like, the whole shortstop area, the whole third base area, was so spongy and soft that I couldn’t imagine Bo Bichette or Bobby Witt Jr. trying to field the ball to their left or right and planting and trying to make a successful throw. That’s not good for the game, and for sure, the safety of the players is the No. 1 priority.”

The decision still didn't sit well with Schneider.

“I think the entire day was handled kind of poorly, just from the start of the game,” he said. “What was said out there was the fact that the field was unplayable and they didn’t want to continue the game. In my opinion, the field was significantly better than it was in the third, fourth and fifth inning.”

Long forgotten was what had transpired in the game: Berrios had a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings end when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out walk, deposited the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen in the first inning.

In the fourth, the Blue Jays bookended Davis Schneider's walk with hits by Justin Turner and Ernie Clement to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Ragans bounced back to retire Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk and maintain a 2-1 lead.

The Blue Jays had another chance in the fifth, when center fielder Kyle Isbel made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch of Isiah Kiner-Falefa's drive to the warning track. Isbel also raced down George Springer's blooper. Then, after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk, Bichette popped foul to end what turned out to be the Blue Jays' final at-bat.

“It’s kind of an awkward state," Isbel said. "You obviously want to play, but it’s out of our control. The field was pretty messed up. I didn’t really go back down there after the rain stopped. It was just kind of a waiting game.”

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (bruised right elbow) went on the injured list Thursday after taking a 91 mph line drive off his elbow the previous night. RHP Will Klein was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his spot on the roster.

Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (right forearm tendinitis) was placed on the IL after pitching two scoreless innings Wednesday night. LHP Brendon Little was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his spot in the bullpen.

Blue Jays: Start a six-game homestand that includes a visit by Kansas City next week. Up first are the Los Angeles Dodgers with RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA) getting the nod against them in Friday night's series opener.

Royals: Begin a six-day trip against the Tigers on Friday with a rare 12:10 p.m. CDT start so that it any minimizes interference with the NFL draft in Detroit. RHP Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03) is on the mound for the series opener.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro was frustrated that his team was left hanging in limbo. Blue Jays counterpart John Schneider was equally perturbed that his team wasn't being given a chance to finish out a game it was losing.At least Quatraro felt a bit better in the end.After playing five innings, then waiting out a bizarre rain delay that stretched to 3 hours, 38 minutes, the Royals finally were declared a 2-1 winner Thursday — their third straight one-run victory to wrap up their four-game set with Toronto.Salvador Perez provided both of their runs with a two-out, two-run homer off José Berrios (4-1) in the first, and Cole Ragans (1-2) earned the win by allowing the lone Blue Jays run on three hits and three walks in five rain-soaked innings.“What was getting frustrating to me,” Quatraro said, "was just like, ‘All right. Let’s make the decision, one way or the other. Tell us to get out there and play or tell us to go home.”The strange sequence of events began when the fifth inning ended, and an early drizzle had turned into a steady rain.Umpire chief Chris Guccione called for the tarp to cover the infield, but Schneider came out and objected, arguing that his club deserved another opportunity to tie or take the lead. Guccione told the grounds crew to roll the tarp back and attempt to get the field in playing shape, but about 10 minutes later, the umpire summoned the tarp again.The field was covered for about 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the grounds crew went to work, pouring dozens of bags of dry dirt on it. But after another hour-plus spent working on the field, Guccione made the decision to call the game complete.“They tried to work their magic to try to scrape all that old dirt off, get new dirt on there, rake it as much as they could,” he said. “It was just like, the whole shortstop area, the whole third base area, was so spongy and soft that I couldn’t imagine Bo Bichette or Bobby Witt Jr. trying to field the ball to their left or right and planting and trying to make a successful throw. That’s not good for the game, and for sure, the safety of the players is the No. 1 priority.”The decision still didn't sit well with Schneider.“I think the entire day was handled kind of poorly, just from the start of the game,” he said. “What was said out there was the fact that the field was unplayable and they didn’t want to continue the game. In my opinion, the field was significantly better than it was in the third, fourth and fifth inning.”Long forgotten was what had transpired in the game: Berrios had a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings end when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino's two-out walk, deposited the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen in the first inning.In the fourth, the Blue Jays bookended Davis Schneider's walk with hits by Justin Turner and Ernie Clement to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Ragans bounced back to retire Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk and maintain a 2-1 lead.The Blue Jays had another chance in the fifth, when center fielder Kyle Isbel made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch of Isiah Kiner-Falefa's drive to the warning track. Isbel also raced down George Springer's blooper. Then, after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk, Bichette popped foul to end what turned out to be the Blue Jays' final at-bat.“It’s kind of an awkward state," Isbel said. "You obviously want to play, but it’s out of our control. The field was pretty messed up. I didn’t really go back down there after the rain stopped. It was just kind of a waiting game.”TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Alec Marsh (bruised right elbow) went on the injured list Thursday after taking a 91 mph line drive off his elbow the previous night. RHP Will Klein was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his spot on the roster.Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (right forearm tendinitis) was placed on the IL after pitching two scoreless innings Wednesday night. LHP Brendon Little was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his spot in the bullpen.UP NEXTBlue Jays: Start a six-game homestand that includes a visit by Kansas City next week. Up first are the Los Angeles Dodgers with RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.90 ERA) getting the nod against them in Friday night's series opener.Royals: Begin a six-day trip against the Tigers on Friday with a rare 12:10 p.m. CDT start so that it any minimizes interference with the NFL draft in Detroit. RHP Seth Lugo (3-1, 2.03) is on the mound for the series opener.

Perez homers as KC beats Blue Jays 2-1 in game called after 5 innings

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have traded up to select Texas wide
receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft. They
decided to give Patrick Mahomes a speedy deep threat with legal
uncertainty surrounding the future of Rashee Rice at the position.
The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after
winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, but they managed to make
a trade with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs
sent the No. 32 pick, along with a fourth-rounder and
seventh-rounder, to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a
seventh-rounder. Rice is facing charges in Texas for a sports car
crash that resulted in several injuries.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
(AP) — The sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft was No.
1 in the Denver Broncos’ eyes. The Broncos bypassed a bevy of
blue-chip defenders to draft former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with
the 12th pick Thursday night. Denver has churned through 13 starting
quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired as a Super Bowl champion
following the 2015 season. None of the signal-callers who have
followed him has been able to lead Denver back to the playoffs. Their
eight-year playoff drought is exacerbated by seven straight losing
seasons and watching Patrick Mahomes lead division rival Kansas City
to three Super Bowl parades in five years, including the past two.

DETROIT (AP) —
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the
franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other
teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record
with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first
round. The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft
on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022
Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up
by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the
New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3,
making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first
three picks.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Cole
Ragans held Toronto in check long enough for the storms to arrive,
and the Kansas City Royals beat the Blue Jays 2-1 in a game called
after five innings due to rain. Cole Ragans gave up the lone Toronto
run on three hits and three walks while striking out four to earn the
win. José Berrios had his streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings snapped
when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-out walk, deposited
the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen to give Kansas
City a lead it would never surrender. The game was delayed 3 1/2
hours before it was called.

UNDATED (AP) — The
Big 12 football newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even
after all brought winning programs into the league. BYU, Cincinnati,
Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of
the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference
games combined, and half of those wins came in the games they played
against each other. BYU, Cincinnati and UCF will have new starting
quarterbacks next fall. Houston returns starting QB Donovan Smith,
but is the only of the league’s returning schools with a new coach
after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.

UNDATED (AP) —
There are always players poised in the spring for potential breakouts
when the football season kicks off in the fall. Among those in the
changing Big 12 Conference are transfer quarterbacks KJ Jefferson at
UCF and Brendan Sorsby for Cincinnati. There are a few young running
backs that could become standouts in the Big 12, as well as
California transfer linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr at TCU. The Big 12
will have 16 teams in the fall after Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC
this summer, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah come in
from the Pac-12.

UNDATED (AP) —
Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in
Ireland at the fourth Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The
Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames,
Iowa, on Nov. 24 and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in
Dublin. The game marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a
season opener and third time they’ve squared off at a neutral site.
Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first
time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a
112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the
first-round series. Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Jamal
Murray added 22 points and Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds
and nine assists as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th
consecutive meeting with the Lakers since 2022. Anthony Davis had 33
points and 15 rebounds, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine
assists in the Lakers’ seventh consecutive postseason loss to
Denver over the past two years.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and
scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter on Thursday
night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New
York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the
76ers dropped Game 2. With one of the finest postseason efforts of
his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points
against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a
Philadelphia series comeback very much alive. The Knicks lead the
series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have traded up to select Texas wide
receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 28 pick in the NFL draft. They
decided to give Patrick Mahomes a speedy deep threat with legal
uncertainty surrounding the future of Rashee Rice at the position.
The Chiefs were supposed to pick last in the first round after
winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, but they managed to make
a trade with one of their biggest AFC rivals in Buffalo. The Chiefs
sent the No. 32 pick, along with a fourth-rounder and
seventh-rounder, to the Bills for No. 28, a fourth-rounder and a
seventh-rounder. Rice is facing charges in Texas for a sports car
crash that resulted in several injuries.ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
(AP) — The sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft was No.
1 in the Denver Broncos’ eyes. The Broncos bypassed a bevy of
blue-chip defenders to draft former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with
the 12th pick Thursday night. Denver has churned through 13 starting
quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired as a Super Bowl champion
following the 2015 season. None of the signal-callers who have
followed him has been able to lead Denver back to the playoffs. Their
eight-year playoff drought is exacerbated by seven straight losing
seasons and watching Patrick Mahomes lead division rival Kansas City
to three Super Bowl parades in five years, including the past two.DETROIT (AP) —
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the
franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other
teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record
with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first
round. The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft
on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022
Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up
by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the
New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3,
making it the fourth draft with quarterbacks going with the first
three picks.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Cole
Ragans held Toronto in check long enough for the storms to arrive,
and the Kansas City Royals beat the Blue Jays 2-1 in a game called
after five innings due to rain. Cole Ragans gave up the lone Toronto
run on three hits and three walks while striking out four to earn the
win. José Berrios had his streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings snapped
when Perez, following Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-out walk, deposited
the first pitch he saw into the left-field bullpen to give Kansas
City a lead it would never surrender. The game was delayed 3 1/2
hours before it was called.UNDATED (AP) — The
Big 12 football newcomers struggled in their league debuts, even
after all brought winning programs into the league. BYU, Cincinnati,
Houston and UCF all had losing records and were in the bottom half of
the Big 12 standings last season. They won only eight conference
games combined, and half of those wins came in the games they played
against each other. BYU, Cincinnati and UCF will have new starting
quarterbacks next fall. Houston returns starting QB Donovan Smith,
but is the only of the league’s returning schools with a new coach
after Willie Fritz replaced the fired Dana Holgorsen.UNDATED (AP) —
There are always players poised in the spring for potential breakouts
when the football season kicks off in the fall. Among those in the
changing Big 12 Conference are transfer quarterbacks KJ Jefferson at
UCF and Brendan Sorsby for Cincinnati. There are a few young running
backs that could become standouts in the Big 12, as well as
California transfer linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr at TCU. The Big 12
will have 16 teams in the fall after Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC
this summer, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah come in
from the Pac-12.UNDATED (AP) —
Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2025 season opener in
Ireland at the fourth Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The
Cyclones and Wildcats will close the 2024 regular season in Ames,
Iowa, on Nov. 24 and meet again on Aug. 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in
Dublin. The game marks the first time ISU and K-State have met in a
season opener and third time they’ve squared off at a neutral site.
Iowa State will be playing outside the United States for the first
time. Kansas State played Nebraska in Tokyo in 1992.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The Denver Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a
112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the
first-round series. Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Jamal
Murray added 22 points and Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds
and nine assists as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th
consecutive meeting with the Lakers since 2022. Anthony Davis had 33
points and 15 rebounds, and LeBron James added 26 points and nine
assists in the Lakers’ seventh consecutive postseason loss to
Denver over the past two years.PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and
scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter on Thursday
night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New
York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the
76ers dropped Game 2. With one of the finest postseason efforts of
his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points
against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a
Philadelphia series comeback very much alive. The Knicks lead the
series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.THURSDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Chicago
Cubs	3	Houston	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Minnesota	6	Chicago
White Sox	3	Final	Kansas
City	2	Toronto	1	Final	Cleveland	6	Boston	4	Final	Seattle	4	Texas	3	Final	Oakland	3	N.Y.
Yankees	1	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Milwaukee	7	Pittsburgh	5	Final	Philadelphia	5	Cincinnati	0	Final	Colorado	10	San
Diego	9	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	2	Washington	1	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Orlando	121	Cleveland	83	Final	Philadelphia	125	New
York	114	Final	Denver	112	L.A.
Lakers	105	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Florida	5	Tampa
Bay	3

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will travel to St. John's on Saturday, Dec. 7 as part of the sixth edition of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, the two conferences announced on Thursday morning (April 25).

The game will be broadcast on one of FOX's properties and will take place at either Madison Square Garden or St. John's on-campus arena – the 5,602-seat Carnesecca Arena.

This will be just the third meeting between the programs and the first in more than 60 years since St. John's knocked off K-State, 72-65, on Dec. 10, 1965, in the Sunflower Doubleheader at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. The Wildcats won the first meeting, 63-50, at Ahearn Fieldhouse on Dec. 16, 1961.

The 11 matchups were jointly determined by the two conferences and will be played on various campuses starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 and running through Sunday, Dec. 8. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 after the Big 12 played host to six games in 2023-24. Only 11 of the 16 Big 12 teams will compete in the final event with the exceptions of Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, Colorado and Utah.

K-State is 1-3 all-time in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, snapping a 3-game losing streak with a 72-71 overtime victory over Villanova this past season. The Wildcats have also played Marquette in 2019 and 2021 and Butler in 2022.

Overall, K-State is 26-27 all-time against BIG EAST opponents, including wins against Providence and Villanova in 2023-24. However, the Wildcats are just 4-16 on the road against BIG EAST foes, including seven straight losses, with the last win coming at Creighton on Dec. 5, 1987.

In the first season under Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, St. John's posted a 20-13 overall record, including a fifth place finish in the BIG EAST with an 11-9 mark, and were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. The Red Storm won six in a row before losing to eventual national champion UConn in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.

K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats' 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach Jerome Tang's tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will travel to St. John's on Saturday, Dec. 7 as part of the sixth edition of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, the two conferences announced on Thursday morning (April 25).The game will be broadcast on one of FOX's properties and will take place at either Madison Square Garden or St. John's on-campus arena – the 5,602-seat Carnesecca Arena.This will be just the third meeting between the programs and the first in more than 60 years since St. John's knocked off K-State, 72-65, on Dec. 10, 1965, in the Sunflower Doubleheader at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. The Wildcats won the first meeting, 63-50, at Ahearn Fieldhouse on Dec. 16, 1961.The 11 matchups were jointly determined by the two conferences and will be played on various campuses starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 and running through Sunday, Dec. 8. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 after the Big 12 played host to six games in 2023-24. Only 11 of the 16 Big 12 teams will compete in the final event with the exceptions of Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, Colorado and Utah.K-State is 1-3 all-time in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, snapping a 3-game losing streak with a 72-71 overtime victory over Villanova this past season. The Wildcats have also played Marquette in 2019 and 2021 and Butler in 2022.Overall, K-State is 26-27 all-time against BIG EAST opponents, including wins against Providence and Villanova in 2023-24. However, the Wildcats are just 4-16 on the road against BIG EAST foes, including seven straight losses, with the last win coming at Creighton on Dec. 5, 1987.In the first season under Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, St. John's posted a 20-13 overall record, including a fifth place finish in the BIG EAST with an 11-9 mark, and were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. The Red Storm won six in a row before losing to eventual national champion UConn in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats' 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach Jerome Tang's tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.

K-State to Play at St. John’s in Final BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Thursday's softball games at the Great Bend Sports Complex were moved by more than two hours to beat potential storms. Yet the Lady Panthers created a storm of their own with a 16-run third inning in game one to end things early 17-1. Great Bend completed the sweep with a 12-0 win in the late game.

Senior Paige Thexton got the rare start in the circle for game one, throwing all three innings and allowing one earned run on four hits. She struck out three before the offense ended the game early.

High winds made defensive play difficult and statistics may vary. Camdyn Post, Alyssa McCauley, Denver Ringo, and Katherine Mazouch each had two hits in game one. Thexton doubled for her lone hit, finishing with two RBIs and two runs scored. DeShawnna Bryant also doubled for her lone hit and walked, driving in two and scoring three times. McCauley, Ringo, and Post each drove in two runs.

Game two was more of the same as Great Bend scored in each of the first four innings, including a 5-run second and four runs in the fourth to set up the run-rule win.

Sophomore Braelyn Turner got the start in game two, allowing just one hit and walking one with a strikeout. Freshman Chayla Prendergast pitched the final three innings, striking out six with a walk and just one hit against.

Even against a stiff wind, Behr knocked a double off the centerfield fence in the second inning. She finished with two hits and a walk, driving in one and scoring twice. Post, Camdyn Koelsch, and Rylee Prilling each added two hits. Turner doubled for her lone hit, and Thexton added another double.

Great Bend improves to 17-5 on the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714084507696.jpeg" alt="Lady Panther senior Paige Thexton hits a sac fly in game two of Thursday's sweep of Garden City. Thexton also pitched all three innings in a game-one win." />
 <figcaption>Lady Panther senior Paige Thexton hits a sac fly in game two of Thursday's sweep of Garden City. Thexton also pitched all three innings in a game-one win.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThursday's softball games at the Great Bend Sports Complex were moved by more than two hours to beat potential storms. Yet the Lady Panthers created a storm of their own with a 16-run third inning in game one to end things early 17-1. Great Bend completed the sweep with a 12-0 win in the late game.Senior Paige Thexton got the rare start in the circle for game one, throwing all three innings and allowing one earned run on four hits. She struck out three before the offense ended the game early.High winds made defensive play difficult and statistics may vary. Camdyn Post, Alyssa McCauley, Denver Ringo, and Katherine Mazouch each had two hits in game one. Thexton doubled for her lone hit, finishing with two RBIs and two runs scored. DeShawnna Bryant also doubled for her lone hit and walked, driving in two and scoring three times. McCauley, Ringo, and Post each drove in two runs.Game two was more of the same as Great Bend scored in each of the first four innings, including a 5-run second and four runs in the fourth to set up the run-rule win.Sophomore Braelyn Turner got the start in game two, allowing just one hit and walking one with a strikeout. Freshman Chayla Prendergast pitched the final three innings, striking out six with a walk and just one hit against.Even against a stiff wind, Behr knocked a double off the centerfield fence in the second inning. She finished with two hits and a walk, driving in one and scoring twice. Post, Camdyn Koelsch, and Rylee Prilling each added two hits. Turner doubled for her lone hit, and Thexton added another double.Great Bend improves to 17-5 on the season.

Lady Panther takes two more from Garden City

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball will play at Creighton on Dec. 4 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle, the two conferences announced Thursday. The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle is a men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance, which is in its sixth year.

Each conference has added member schools since the start of the original agreement. The Battle will include 11 matchups for the second straight season. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 while the Big 12 will host five. The 2024 matchups will feature seven teams ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2023-24 season, including defending national champion Connecticut. Five of the 11 participant teams made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Kansas leads the overall series with Creighton, 11-6, and the Jayhawks have won the past six meetings. The two teams last met March 19, 2022 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, a KU 79-72 win en route to the 2022 NCAA National title.

The Battle matchups are jointly determined by the two conferences, with the home team choosing the venue of its game. Broadcast arrangements for the contests will be determined by the national television rights holder of the home team, which is FOX Sports for the BIG EAST and ESPN for the Big 12.

Game times and television networks will be announced when available.

Kansas is 4-1 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle. Last season, Kansas defeated UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse. The previous season, the Jayhawks defeated Seton Hall, 91-65, on Dec. 1, 2022, in Allen Fieldhouse. KU won at St. John’s, 95-75, in 2021 and defeated Creighton, 73-72, in 2020 in Lawrence. Kansas’ sole loss in the battle was at Villanova, 56-55, in 2019.

2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle Schedule

Dec. 3 – Cincinnati at Villanova; BYU at Providence

Dec. 4 – KANSAS AT CREIGHTON; Baylor at Connecticut; DePaul at Texas Tech; Marquette at Iowa State

Dec. 6 – Georgetown at West Virginia; Xavier at TCU

Dec. 7 – Kansas State at St. John’s; Butler at Houston

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball will play at Creighton on Dec. 4 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle, the two conferences announced Thursday. The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle is a men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance, which is in its sixth year.Each conference has added member schools since the start of the original agreement. The Battle will include 11 matchups for the second straight season. The BIG EAST will host six games in 2024-25 while the Big 12 will host five. The 2024 matchups will feature seven teams ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2023-24 season, including defending national champion Connecticut. Five of the 11 participant teams made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.Kansas leads the overall series with Creighton, 11-6, and the Jayhawks have won the past six meetings. The two teams last met March 19, 2022 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, a KU 79-72 win en route to the 2022 NCAA National title.The Battle matchups are jointly determined by the two conferences, with the home team choosing the venue of its game. Broadcast arrangements for the contests will be determined by the national television rights holder of the home team, which is FOX Sports for the BIG EAST and ESPN for the Big 12.Game times and television networks will be announced when available.Kansas is 4-1 in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle. Last season, Kansas defeated UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse. The previous season, the Jayhawks defeated Seton Hall, 91-65, on Dec. 1, 2022, in Allen Fieldhouse. KU won at St. John’s, 95-75, in 2021 and defeated Creighton, 73-72, in 2020 in Lawrence. Kansas’ sole loss in the battle was at Villanova, 56-55, in 2019.2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle ScheduleDec. 3 – Cincinnati at Villanova; BYU at ProvidenceDec. 4 – KANSAS AT CREIGHTON; Baylor at Connecticut; DePaul at Texas Tech; Marquette at Iowa StateDec. 6 – Georgetown at West Virginia; Xavier at TCUDec. 7 – Kansas State at St. John’s; Butler at HoustonDec. 8 – Oklahoma State at Seton Hall

Kansas to Play at Creighton in 2024 Big 12-BIG EAST Battle

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Alec Marsh on the injured list Thursday after he took a 91 mph liner off his pitching elbow the previous night against the Blue Jays, putting what had been a breakout season for him on hold.

Marsh had not allowed a run when Toronto's Addison Barger drilled a fastball at him with one out in the fifth inning Wednesday night. The ball ricocheted off Marsh's elbow, closer to the forearm, so hard that it left an indentation of the laces.

X-rays taken after the game showed no fractures, but the ball hit near the flexor tendon and the Royals opted for caution.

“He's got a good horseshoe there from the seams," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said before the conclusion of their four-game series against the Blue Jays. “He can maybe go out there (for his next start), maybe not, but we just can't take that chance with somebody that is that important to us going forward.”

The 25-year-old Marsh went into spring training fighting for a spot on the roster, but he somewhat surprisingly nailed down the final job in the rotation. He has rewarded the Royals' faith in him by going 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA through his first five starts, and he has not allowed a run since the third inning of his start against the New York Mets on April 13.

“All is good,” Marsh said Wednesday night. “Just take it day by day.”

The Royals recalled reliever Will Klein from Triple-A Omaha to fill Marsh's spot on the roster, and Quatraro said the club was still discussing its options for who will make his next scheduled start Monday in Toronto.

Kansas City entered Thursday's game having allowed the fewest runs of any team in the majors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Alec Marsh on the injured list Thursday after he took a 91 mph liner off his pitching elbow the previous night against the Blue Jays, putting what had been a breakout season for him on hold.Marsh had not allowed a run when Toronto's Addison Barger drilled a fastball at him with one out in the fifth inning Wednesday night. The ball ricocheted off Marsh's elbow, closer to the forearm, so hard that it left an indentation of the laces.X-rays taken after the game showed no fractures, but the ball hit near the flexor tendon and the Royals opted for caution.“He's got a good horseshoe there from the seams," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said before the conclusion of their four-game series against the Blue Jays. “He can maybe go out there (for his next start), maybe not, but we just can't take that chance with somebody that is that important to us going forward.”The 25-year-old Marsh went into spring training fighting for a spot on the roster, but he somewhat surprisingly nailed down the final job in the rotation. He has rewarded the Royals' faith in him by going 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA through his first five starts, and he has not allowed a run since the third inning of his start against the New York Mets on April 13.“All is good,” Marsh said Wednesday night. “Just take it day by day.”The Royals recalled reliever Will Klein from Triple-A Omaha to fill Marsh's spot on the roster, and Quatraro said the club was still discussing its options for who will make his next scheduled start Monday in Toronto.Kansas City entered Thursday's game having allowed the fewest runs of any team in the majors.

Royals put Alec Marsh on IL after taking a liner off his pitching elbow

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Continuing her rewriting of record books, Cedricka Williams of the 3rd ranked Barton Community College women's track and field team has been named the U.S. Track &amp; Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Women's Athlete of the Week.

Breaking the national discus record two weeks prior, Williams was back in the ring this past Friday in Waco, Texas, slinging the disc eight further inches to reset the program and NJCAA All-Time mark to 57.80m (189-07).

The freshman's distance won the Michael Johnson Invitational at Baylor University by nearly ten feet over a University of Nebraska junior while climbing to within two inches of her personal best of setting the Jamaican U20 record (57.84m, 189-9) at last year's ISSA High School Championships.

The award is the second straight and third USTFCCC honor having earned the distinguishment initially on April 2 in setting the program record two rounds after fellow freshman teammate Ivanilda Semedo had broken the top throw. Not winning the NJCAA award that week, the latest makes it consecutive honors awarded by the NJCAA National Office.

According to the USTFCCCA, this is the tenth time that a female athlete from Barton has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Williams' three awards this season joins Kelsie Murrell-Ross (2022), Nia Robinson (once each in 2022 and 2021), Lashanna Graham (2021), Yoveinny Mota (twice in 2019) and Lydia Mato (2015).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714045446987.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoContinuing her rewriting of record books, Cedricka Williams of the 3rd ranked Barton Community College women's track and field team has been named the U.S. Track &amp; Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Women's Athlete of the Week.Breaking the national discus record two weeks prior, Williams was back in the ring this past Friday in Waco, Texas, slinging the disc eight further inches to reset the program and NJCAA All-Time mark to 57.80m (189-07).The freshman's distance won the Michael Johnson Invitational at Baylor University by nearly ten feet over a University of Nebraska junior while climbing to within two inches of her personal best of setting the Jamaican U20 record (57.84m, 189-9) at last year's ISSA High School Championships.The award is the second straight and third USTFCCC honor having earned the distinguishment initially on April 2 in setting the program record two rounds after fellow freshman teammate Ivanilda Semedo had broken the top throw. Not winning the NJCAA award that week, the latest makes it consecutive honors awarded by the NJCAA National Office.According to the USTFCCCA, this is the tenth time that a female athlete from Barton has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Williams' three awards this season joins Kelsie Murrell-Ross (2022), Nia Robinson (once each in 2022 and 2021), Lashanna Graham (2021), Yoveinny Mota (twice in 2019) and Lydia Mato (2015).

Barton's Williams takes third National Athlete of the Week award

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College softball team registered a pair of 13-5 five-inning victories Wednesday at Pratt Community College.

Barton scored in all but one of its four frames of the opener before busting open game two with a 2-out 7-run outburst in coasting to the doubleheader sweep.

The conference victories moves the Cougars alone into 3rd place of the standings at 21-9 and 26-16 on the season while Pratt drops to 5-25 in league and 9-39 overall.

Next up is the home and regular season finale on Saturday hosting Hutchinson Community College. First pitch against the Blue Dragons slated for 1:00 p.m. with sophomore recognition taking place between the two games of the doubleheader.

For the third straight twin bill, Barton matched its game one versus game two total hits, the latest in pounding out 12 in each of the contest.

Having surpassed the program record 199 doubles set last year in game one of its previous outing against Otero, the 2024 version of the Cougars added seven more on Wednesday increasing its total to 133 with at least four games left in the season.

Allyson McDougal led Barton's production by going 4-of-5 with an RBI and a double while Aly Lawrence also collected four hits, three coming via the two-bag connection.

Reigning KJCCC Player of the Week Chloe Enslinger also had a solid day of 3-for-5 with a pair of 3-run home runs, both coming in the second inning as the first gave Barton a then 6-2 lead before belting her team leading 10th of the year capping Barton's 7-run second inning of the night cap.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714055310482.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College softball team registered a pair of 13-5 five-inning victories Wednesday at Pratt Community College.Barton scored in all but one of its four frames of the opener before busting open game two with a 2-out 7-run outburst in coasting to the doubleheader sweep.The conference victories moves the Cougars alone into 3rd place of the standings at 21-9 and 26-16 on the season while Pratt drops to 5-25 in league and 9-39 overall.Next up is the home and regular season finale on Saturday hosting Hutchinson Community College. First pitch against the Blue Dragons slated for 1:00 p.m. with sophomore recognition taking place between the two games of the doubleheader.For the third straight twin bill, Barton matched its game one versus game two total hits, the latest in pounding out 12 in each of the contest.Having surpassed the program record 199 doubles set last year in game one of its previous outing against Otero, the 2024 version of the Cougars added seven more on Wednesday increasing its total to 133 with at least four games left in the season.Allyson McDougal led Barton's production by going 4-of-5 with an RBI and a double while Aly Lawrence also collected four hits, three coming via the two-bag connection.Reigning KJCCC Player of the Week Chloe Enslinger also had a solid day of 3-for-5 with a pair of 3-run home runs, both coming in the second inning as the first gave Barton a then 6-2 lead before belting her team leading 10th of the year capping Barton's 7-run second inning of the night cap.

Barton softball hangs pair of eight-run victories at Pratt

Chloe Enslinger of the Barton Community College softball team has been named the week twelve KJCCC Player of the Week.

In Barton's lone conference date last week at Northwest Kansas Technical College, Enslinger led the Cougars with an .833 batting average going 5-of-6 and a 1.333 slugging percentage, while drawing two walks for an .889 on-base percentage. Going 2-of-3 in the opener with three RBI, Enslinger followed with a 3-for-4 performance including a pair of doubles in driving in four more runs.

Most recently the freshman from Derby continued her hot streak into the new week going 7-for-7 on Monday with five extra base hits including her team leading 8th home run of the season helping the Cougars to 14-6 and 16-8 victories hosting Otero College.

Enslinger and the Cougars return to conference play on Wednesday with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch at Pratt Community College before concluding its home and regular season schedule on Saturday hosting Hutchinson Community College. First pitch against the Blue Dragons slated for 1:00 p.m. with sophomore recognition taking place between the two games of the doubleheader.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714042022390.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoChloe Enslinger of the Barton Community College softball team has been named the week twelve KJCCC Player of the Week.In Barton's lone conference date last week at Northwest Kansas Technical College, Enslinger led the Cougars with an .833 batting average going 5-of-6 and a 1.333 slugging percentage, while drawing two walks for an .889 on-base percentage. Going 2-of-3 in the opener with three RBI, Enslinger followed with a 3-for-4 performance including a pair of doubles in driving in four more runs.Most recently the freshman from Derby continued her hot streak into the new week going 7-for-7 on Monday with five extra base hits including her team leading 8th home run of the season helping the Cougars to 14-6 and 16-8 victories hosting Otero College.Enslinger and the Cougars return to conference play on Wednesday with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch at Pratt Community College before concluding its home and regular season schedule on Saturday hosting Hutchinson Community College. First pitch against the Blue Dragons slated for 1:00 p.m. with sophomore recognition taking place between the two games of the doubleheader.

Barton's Enslinger named week twelve KJCCC Player of the Week

Standing eight runners in the series opening 7-2 loss, the Barton Community College baseball team would bounce back against 20th ranked Hutchinson Community College rallying from an eight-run deficit to walk it off on Owen Bailey's sacrifice-fly in the 10th inning for a 10-9 victory and doubleheader split on Wednesday afternoon at Lawson-Biggs Field.

Splitting its seventh doubleheader of the season, the Cougars fall to fifth in the KJCCC West standings at 15-11 and 33-17 overall while the Blue Dragons game one victory secures at least a share of the West title in moving to 25-5 in league play and 40-11 on the season with the series shifting to Hobart Detter Field on Friday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader in Hutchinson, KS.

Luis Pimentel-Guerrero's three-run home run in the third inning was a sign of things to come in the opener as the Cougars fell into a hole, they couldn't dig out of with Cooper Wesslund's bases clearing three-run double capping the Blue Dragons six run frame.

The Cougars stranded five of their eight runners on base in the final two innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth.

Breaking through on the scoreboard in the sixth. Back-to-back Robby Bolin and Owen Clyne singles opened the inning with Bailey's one-out hit-by-pitch loading the bases. Cesar Gomez brought the first Cougar run home drawing an RBI walk with Grant Nottlemann's ensuing single cutting Barton's deficit to 6-2 before leaving the bases loaded.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714041772265.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoStanding eight runners in the series opening 7-2 loss, the Barton Community College baseball team would bounce back against 20th ranked Hutchinson Community College rallying from an eight-run deficit to walk it off on Owen Bailey's sacrifice-fly in the 10th inning for a 10-9 victory and doubleheader split on Wednesday afternoon at Lawson-Biggs Field.Splitting its seventh doubleheader of the season, the Cougars fall to fifth in the KJCCC West standings at 15-11 and 33-17 overall while the Blue Dragons game one victory secures at least a share of the West title in moving to 25-5 in league play and 40-11 on the season with the series shifting to Hobart Detter Field on Friday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader in Hutchinson, KS.Game 1 Recap (L 7-2)Luis Pimentel-Guerrero's three-run home run in the third inning was a sign of things to come in the opener as the Cougars fell into a hole, they couldn't dig out of with Cooper Wesslund's bases clearing three-run double capping the Blue Dragons six run frame.The Cougars stranded five of their eight runners on base in the final two innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth.Breaking through on the scoreboard in the sixth. Back-to-back Robby Bolin and Owen Clyne singles opened the inning with Bailey's one-out hit-by-pitch loading the bases. Cesar Gomez brought the first Cougar run home drawing an RBI walk with Grant Nottlemann's ensuing single cutting Barton's deficit to 6-2 before leaving the bases loaded.Starter Reece Hemmerling (6-4) went three innings allowing five hits, six runs, with one walk and a strikeout in the loss. Game 2 Recap (W 10-9 (10))Trailing 9-1 and held to three hits entering the bottom of the seventh, Barton began to chip away as the second Blue Dragon error of the game prolonged the inning allowing Jaron Cotton to reach with Bolin's bunt single and Clyne's following single both coming home with two-outs to pull within 9-3.Following Colton Wahlstrom's three-up and three-down eighth inning worked in relief, the momentum carried into the home eighth for the Cougars. Held 0-13 from slots six through nine in the lineup, Wyatt Yetter's eight-hole single began the first of seven straight sent to the plate with two-away.Bolin's RBI single following Schieffer's walk brought the first run across with Schieffer scoring from third on Bolin's steal of second. Clyne's double for his third hit of the game added a third run across with a Cotton walk bringing the tying run to the plate.Working the count to 3-2 and looking breaking ball, Bailey drew things even at 9-9 distributing a three-run blast to left center for his first home run of the season capping the two-out six run rally.Neither team able to break through in the ninth, with the Blue Dragons rolling into an inning ending double-play and Barton stranding Nottlemann's one-out walk, the Cougars once again faced a two on situation in the top of the 10th.Following back-to-back Hutchinson walks with one-out, Barton reliever Jackson MacWilliams escaped trouble for the second straight inning inducing his second twin killing double-play keeping the Blue Dragons off the scoreboard.In the bottom of the 10th, Barton loaded the bases with no-outs with Bolin walking, Clyne singling for his fourth hit of the game putting runners at the corners, and Cotton drawing an intentional walk to load them.Already supplying the game tying three-run home run in the eighth, Bailey needed just two pitches to play heroic once again bringing home the game winning run with a sacrifice fly to center field for his fourth RBI of the game.Aiden Sowers got the start on the mound and pitched through 4.1-innings, giving up six runs, five earned, walking three and striking out two in the no-decision effort.MacWilliams (2-1) earned the victory after entering the game in the ninth with one-out generating a pair of inning ending double-plays and walking two.Anthony Treto, Jordan Bedell and Wahlstrom also pitched out of the bullpen.Clyne led Barton's 10-hits in the nightcap finishing 4-6 with a double and RBI. Bailey drove in four of the seven Cougar RBIs with his eighth inning game tying three-run home run and eventual game winning sacrifice fly.Bolin (2-2) and Cotton (1-4) rounded out Barton's RBI performances each driving in one.