- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl will recap Thursday's 5A Regional Baseball Tournament at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Conor will also look ahead to next week's State Baseball and Softball tournaments.&nbsp;

- KVGB Track and Field Insider Mike Courson previews Thursday's 5A Regional Track Meet at Great Bend High School's Memorial Stadium.

- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock talks everything Fort Hays State.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with host Steve Webster" />
 <figcaption>Thursday show lineup with host Steve Webster</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0se2ldc6o54?si=9ULU8mBYgxn6q3xc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl will recap Thursday's 5A Regional Baseball Tournament at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Conor will also look ahead to next week's State Baseball and Softball tournaments.&nbsp;- KVGB Track and Field Insider Mike Courson previews Thursday's 5A Regional Track Meet at Great Bend High School's Memorial Stadium.- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock talks everything Fort Hays State.- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Thursday on Sports Day (Watch)

HAYS, Kan. – On Friday (May 16, 2025), Fort Hays State University named Dr. Lisa Goddard McGuirk as its next Director of Athletics. She comes to FHSU after an impressive tenure as Director of Athletics at Gannon University.

Goddard McGuirk had a very successful 11-year run as the Director of Athletics at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, another NCAA Division II institution. She was honored as a NACDA Athletic Director of the Year in 2023-24. In 2022, the Erie Times-News honored Goddard McGuirk as Erie Sportswoman of the Year.

"Our primary objective was to find a visionary leader who aligns with our aspirations for the future of Tiger Athletics," said FHSU President Tisa Mason. "In this era of unprecedented challenges and significant transformation in intercollegiate athletics, Dr. McGuirk stands out as an exceptional choice. Her extensive experience, strategic foresight, and proven leadership position her to build on our incredible accomplishments and elevate our program to new heights in the competitive landscape of NCAA Division II athletics."

Gannon's athletic programs soared to new heights under Goddard McGuirk's leadership. The Golden Knights earned two of the last three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Dixon Trophy championships for all sports (2021-22 and 2022-23). They lead the conference standings for that honor again this year following the winter sports season (final standings following spring sports not yet released). The trophy is presented annually based on finishes in conference events and standings.

The Golden Knights enjoyed their highest finish nationally in the Learfield Directors' Cup in 2023-24, placing 19th. So far in 2024-25, they rank 12th in the standings following the winter sports season. Points generated in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings are based on an institution's finish in NCAA Championships for each sport.

Gannon's rise to prominence in the Dixon Trophy and Learfield Directors' Cup standings over the last four years shows the strong surge in success for all of its athletic programs under Goddard McGuirk's leadership. However, that is not the only measure of success in her tenure leading the Golden Knights. Their student-athletes excelled in the classroom, having at least a 3.2 GPA collectively in all 11 years of her guidance. They also had a big impact in the Erie community through service and philanthropy. Gannon produced over 250 PSAC Scholar-Athletes each of the last seven years and over 300 four times in that run with a high mark of 362 in 2021-22.

Gannon won conference championships in volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's golf, and claimed NCAA regional titles in women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's wrestling, and men's golf during her tenure. In non-NCAA activities, the Golden Knights' acrobatics &amp; tumbling team placed second nationally at the NCATA Championships while claiming two event national titles, and two Gannon competitive dance teams placed third at NDA Nationals.

Goddard McGuirk is recognized as a national leader in collegiate athletics, serving on the NCAA Women's Wrestling National Committee and the Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2ADA) Board of Directors. She has been instrumental in several renovation projects at Gannon, including enhancements to the Highmark Event Center, McConnell Family Stadium, and Carneval Athletic Pavilion.

"I would like to thank President Mason for the opportunity to serve as Tiger Nation's next Athletic Director," Goddard McGuirk said. "I am excited to begin collaborating and building upon a long-standing tradition of excellence at FHSU. Throughout the search process, it was evident that there is a remarkable level of commitment and pride throughout Hays and Tiger Athletics. My family and I are excited to become members of this special community."

Prior to her time at Gannon, Goddard McGuirk served as Director of Athletics, Wellness and Recreation and head softball coach at NCAA Division III affiliate Cedar Crest College (Pa.) for two years (2012-14). She also had a four-year stint as Director of Athletics and head softball coach at NCAA Division III affiliate Saint Elizabeth University (N.J.) for four years (2005-09). She had 11 years of experience overall as a head softball coach at the collegiate level, which also included two years at the University of Massachusetts-Boston (1997-99) and three years at Centenary College (La.) (1999-2002). She also had experience coaching basketball and volleyball at the collegiate level.

Goddard McGuirk earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Brandeis University and a master's degree in management from Gannon University. Most recently, she completed her doctoral degree in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University. She and her husband, Keith, have one daughter, Shea.

Dr. Lisa Goddard McGuirk's first day as Athletic Director at Fort Hays State University will be June 23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747923466053.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – On Friday (May 16, 2025), Fort Hays State University named Dr. Lisa Goddard McGuirk as its next Director of Athletics. She comes to FHSU after an impressive tenure as Director of Athletics at Gannon University.Goddard McGuirk had a very successful 11-year run as the Director of Athletics at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, another NCAA Division II institution. She was honored as a NACDA Athletic Director of the Year in 2023-24. In 2022, the Erie Times-News honored Goddard McGuirk as Erie Sportswoman of the Year."Our primary objective was to find a visionary leader who aligns with our aspirations for the future of Tiger Athletics," said FHSU President Tisa Mason. "In this era of unprecedented challenges and significant transformation in intercollegiate athletics, Dr. McGuirk stands out as an exceptional choice. Her extensive experience, strategic foresight, and proven leadership position her to build on our incredible accomplishments and elevate our program to new heights in the competitive landscape of NCAA Division II athletics."Gannon's athletic programs soared to new heights under Goddard McGuirk's leadership. The Golden Knights earned two of the last three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Dixon Trophy championships for all sports (2021-22 and 2022-23). They lead the conference standings for that honor again this year following the winter sports season (final standings following spring sports not yet released). The trophy is presented annually based on finishes in conference events and standings.The Golden Knights enjoyed their highest finish nationally in the Learfield Directors' Cup in 2023-24, placing 19th. So far in 2024-25, they rank 12th in the standings following the winter sports season. Points generated in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings are based on an institution's finish in NCAA Championships for each sport.Gannon's rise to prominence in the Dixon Trophy and Learfield Directors' Cup standings over the last four years shows the strong surge in success for all of its athletic programs under Goddard McGuirk's leadership. However, that is not the only measure of success in her tenure leading the Golden Knights. Their student-athletes excelled in the classroom, having at least a 3.2 GPA collectively in all 11 years of her guidance. They also had a big impact in the Erie community through service and philanthropy. Gannon produced over 250 PSAC Scholar-Athletes each of the last seven years and over 300 four times in that run with a high mark of 362 in 2021-22.Gannon won conference championships in volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's golf, and claimed NCAA regional titles in women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's wrestling, and men's golf during her tenure. In non-NCAA activities, the Golden Knights' acrobatics &amp; tumbling team placed second nationally at the NCATA Championships while claiming two event national titles, and two Gannon competitive dance teams placed third at NDA Nationals.Goddard McGuirk is recognized as a national leader in collegiate athletics, serving on the NCAA Women's Wrestling National Committee and the Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2ADA) Board of Directors. She has been instrumental in several renovation projects at Gannon, including enhancements to the Highmark Event Center, McConnell Family Stadium, and Carneval Athletic Pavilion."I would like to thank President Mason for the opportunity to serve as Tiger Nation's next Athletic Director," Goddard McGuirk said. "I am excited to begin collaborating and building upon a long-standing tradition of excellence at FHSU. Throughout the search process, it was evident that there is a remarkable level of commitment and pride throughout Hays and Tiger Athletics. My family and I are excited to become members of this special community."Prior to her time at Gannon, Goddard McGuirk served as Director of Athletics, Wellness and Recreation and head softball coach at NCAA Division III affiliate Cedar Crest College (Pa.) for two years (2012-14). She also had a four-year stint as Director of Athletics and head softball coach at NCAA Division III affiliate Saint Elizabeth University (N.J.) for four years (2005-09). She had 11 years of experience overall as a head softball coach at the collegiate level, which also included two years at the University of Massachusetts-Boston (1997-99) and three years at Centenary College (La.) (1999-2002). She also had experience coaching basketball and volleyball at the collegiate level.Goddard McGuirk earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Brandeis University and a master's degree in management from Gannon University. Most recently, she completed her doctoral degree in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University. She and her husband, Keith, have one daughter, Shea.Dr. Lisa Goddard McGuirk's first day as Athletic Director at Fort Hays State University will be June 23.

Fort Hays State University Names Dr. Lisa Goddard McGuirk as Director of Athletics

Baseball -Game 1- Great Bend 10 Ark City 0 -Game 2- Great Bend 5 Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4

Great Bend Sports on B104 3 The Point sponsored by USD #428, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance Agency, Equity Bank, The 10th Street Eyecare Center, People's Bank and Trust, Comfort Pro, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Great Bend Rec, Edward Jones, Damm Pipe Testing, University of Kansas Health System, The Fieldhouse, Scott's Welding Service, American Plains COOP, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, Innovative Livestock Services, Marmie Auto Group, Mpire Realty, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, GB Tarp Company, Freedom Claims Management, Coldwell Banker - Megan Wells, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Nextech, Stone Sand Company/Stone Waste Management, Rosenberg Family Denistry, Sutherlands, Great Bend Redi Mix, Kern Floor Service, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, Shelter Insurance - Chris Ramsey, and Mitchell K Haney and Associates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747909479431.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Great Bend Panther #14 Ian Premmer slides into home to score the winning run to capture the 5A Regional Baseball Championship. The Great Bend Panthers win 5-4 over Kapaun-Mount Carmel in the KSHSAA Class 5A Baseball Regional Championship Game held at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, Kansas on May 21, 2025. (Photo: Joey Bahr, www.joeybahr.com)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Great Bend Panther #14 Ian Premmer slides into home to score the winning run to capture the 5A Regional Baseball Championship. The Great Bend Panthers win 5-4 over Kapaun-Mount Carmel in the KSHSAA Class 5A Baseball Regional Championship Game held at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, Kansas on May 21, 2025. (Photo: Joey Bahr, www.joeybahr.com)</figcaption>
 </figure>Baseball -Game 1- Great Bend 10 Ark City 0 -Game 2- Great Bend 5 Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/0yvy2liq/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Great Bend Sports on B104 3 The Point sponsored by USD #428, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance Agency, Equity Bank, The 10th Street Eyecare Center, People's Bank and Trust, Comfort Pro, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Great Bend Rec, Edward Jones, Damm Pipe Testing, University of Kansas Health System, The Fieldhouse, Scott's Welding Service, American Plains COOP, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, Innovative Livestock Services, Marmie Auto Group, Mpire Realty, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, GB Tarp Company, Freedom Claims Management, Coldwell Banker - Megan Wells, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Nextech, Stone Sand Company/Stone Waste Management, Rosenberg Family Denistry, Sutherlands, Great Bend Redi Mix, Kern Floor Service, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, Shelter Insurance - Chris Ramsey, and Mitchell K Haney and Associates.

Panthers beat Kapaun to advance to 5A State

Class 5A - Wednesday, May 21 @ Great Bend Kapaun 4, Emporia 3 Great Bend 10, Ark City 0 Great Bend 5, Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4 -Great Bend advances to 5A state with a record of 23-5 Class 2-1A TMP Regional Wednesday, May 21 @ TMP High School TMP 9, Ellinwood 4 Ellis 4, Sacred Heart 3 TMP 15, Ellis 0 -TMP advances to 2-1A state with a record of 21-4

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747491845277.jpeg" alt="Area Regional Baseball Scores and Schedule" />
 <figcaption>Area Regional Baseball Scores and Schedule</figcaption>
 </figure>Class 5A - Wednesday, May 21 @ Great Bend Kapaun 4, Emporia 3 Great Bend 10, Ark City 0 Great Bend 5, Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4 -Great Bend advances to 5A state with a record of 23-5 Class 2-1A TMP Regional Wednesday, May 21 @ TMP High School TMP 9, Ellinwood 4 Ellis 4, Sacred Heart 3 TMP 15, Ellis 0 -TMP advances to 2-1A state with a record of 21-4

Wednesday Area Regional Baseball Scores

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

Kansas hired former All-American and NBA coach Jacque Vaughn to be an assistant on Bill Self's staff Wednesday, bringing one of the most beloved and accomplished players in school history back to campus after nearly three decades.

Vaughn will replace Norm Roberts, who announced his retirement after 37 years in coaching earlier this month.

“The game of basketball has provided me the incredible privilege to mentor, coach and compete alongside some of the best in the game,” Vaughn said. “I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring those experiences back to the school that means so much to me. It's a blessing to once again be part of the Jayhawk tradition.”

The 50-year-old Vaughn, who spent five-plus seasons as the head coach of the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets, becomes the first former NBA coach to join a Jayhawks coaching staff. The Nets fired him in February 2024.

Vaughn played under Roy Williams at Kansas from 1993-97 and finished his career as the school and Big Eight's leader with 804 assists. He was a second-team All-American as a senior and had his jersey retired by the school on Dec. 21, 2002.

Vaughn was a first-round pick of the Utah Jazz in 1997 and wound up spending 12 seasons in the NBA, helping the San Antonio Spurs win the 2007 championship. After his playing career, he spent 2010-12 as an assistant with the Spurs before becoming head coach of the Magic, where he failed to make the playoffs in two-plus seasons. He got another chance in Brooklyn, taking the Nets to a pair of playoff appearances, and has a career record of 129-226 as an NBA head coach.

“I've known Jacque from a distance for several years now and have always admired how he has conducted himself professionally and how he has treated people,” Self said. "He will be an excellent addition to our program, while also serving as a great mentor, coach and representative of Kansas basketball. We lost an awesome coach in Norm when he retired but feel very fortunate to have replaced him with a tremendous Jayhawk that has a unique and impressive resume.”

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKansas hired former All-American and NBA coach Jacque Vaughn to be an assistant on Bill Self's staff Wednesday, bringing one of the most beloved and accomplished players in school history back to campus after nearly three decades.Vaughn will replace Norm Roberts, who announced his retirement after 37 years in coaching earlier this month.“The game of basketball has provided me the incredible privilege to mentor, coach and compete alongside some of the best in the game,” Vaughn said. “I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring those experiences back to the school that means so much to me. It's a blessing to once again be part of the Jayhawk tradition.”The 50-year-old Vaughn, who spent five-plus seasons as the head coach of the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets, becomes the first former NBA coach to join a Jayhawks coaching staff. The Nets fired him in February 2024.Vaughn played under Roy Williams at Kansas from 1993-97 and finished his career as the school and Big Eight's leader with 804 assists. He was a second-team All-American as a senior and had his jersey retired by the school on Dec. 21, 2002.Vaughn was a first-round pick of the Utah Jazz in 1997 and wound up spending 12 seasons in the NBA, helping the San Antonio Spurs win the 2007 championship. After his playing career, he spent 2010-12 as an assistant with the Spurs before becoming head coach of the Magic, where he failed to make the playoffs in two-plus seasons. He got another chance in Brooklyn, taking the Nets to a pair of playoff appearances, and has a career record of 129-226 as an NBA head coach.“I've known Jacque from a distance for several years now and have always admired how he has conducted himself professionally and how he has treated people,” Self said. "He will be an excellent addition to our program, while also serving as a great mentor, coach and representative of Kansas basketball. We lost an awesome coach in Norm when he retired but feel very fortunate to have replaced him with a tremendous Jayhawk that has a unique and impressive resume.”

Kansas hires former standout and NBA coach Jacque Vaughn as an assistant

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Salvador Perez had three hits including a two-run homer, Bobby Witt
Jr. and Maikel Garcia each had two hits and two RBIs, and the Kansas
City Royals got their offense going in a 8-4 victory over the San
Francisco Giants. The Royals had scored three runs or fewer in their
previous seven games and were held to four runs or fewer in 42 of
their first 50 games. Kansas City led 3-1 in the top of the fourth
when Perez hit an opposite field homer off Giants starter Logan Webb
(5-4). Matt Chapman, Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos homered for San
Francisco.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Spencer Torkelson had a pair of hits, walked twice and drove in a run
to help the Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 for Detroit’s
15th win in its past 20 games. Brant Hurter allowed one hit in three
scoreless innings in his second career start, and Chase Lee followed
with two scoreless innings to earn his first major league win as the
Tigers used six pitchers in a bullpen game. Andre Pallante allowed
three runs and four hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Kansas hired former standout and NBA coach Jacque Vaughn to be an
assistant on Bill Self’s staff Wednesday. He will replace Norm
Roberts, who announced his retirement after 37 years in coaching
earlier this month. Vaughn played under Roy Williams for the Jayhawks
in the late 1990s and is one of the most beloved players in school
history. He spent 12 seasons playing in the NBA, then became an
assistant coach in San Antonio. He later served as the head coach of
both the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets, who fired him early
last year.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) —
NFL owners narrowly failed to pass a proposal to prohibit the tush
push. The fate of the short-yardage strategy was on the agenda at
their spring meetings. The ban on offensive players from pushing,
pulling, lifting, grasping or encircling a runner was supported by a
22-10 vote, according to a person with knowledge of the proceedings,
speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because
details weren’t made public. That’s two short of the
three-quarters majority required by league bylaws. Health and safety
committees for the players and owners and the league’s competition
committee all unanimously recommended the proposal.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Tyrese Haliburton tied it with a long jumper that bounced high off
the back of the rim and in as time expired in regulation, then the
Indiana Pacers went on to finish off their stunning rally by beating
the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime Wednesday night in Game 1 of
the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks led by 14 points with under
3 minutes remaining in regulation, but Aaron Nesmith brought the
Pacers back with a flurry of late 3-pointers. Haliburton hoped he had
won it with another, but replay confirmed his toe was on the line and
it was a 2-pointer that tied it at 125. Andrew Nembhard eventually
made the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds remaining in OT.

DALLAS (AP) — Miro
Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals
in a 5:26 span early in the third period and the Dallas Stars opened
their Western Conference final rematch against the Edmonton Oilers
with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night. Dallas began the third period
with a two-goal deficit and a man advantage from a penalty that
carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in,
Granlund tied it and Duchene put the Stars ahead to stay with a
second-effort score that made it 4-3. Tyler Seguin had two goals and
an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went
almost the entire length of the ice. Game 2 is Friday night in
Dallas.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The organizers of the Los Angeles Olympics remain optimistic that
Major League Baseball will find a way to join the NFL in sending the
world’s best athletes in their respective sports to the 2028 Games.
LA28 president and chairman Casey Wasserman said he has been in close
contact with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred about the decision that
must be made by both the league and the players’ union on whether
to send players to the Olympics in the middle of the 2028 MLB season.
There’s no current timetable for the decision. Wasserman says MLB
participation is the right thing for everybody involved.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —
Roger Penske has fired team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing
director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer in the
wake of an Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal. Penske said in a
statement Wednesday that “nothing is more important than the
integrity of our sport and our race teams.” Two-time defending
Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were
found to have an illegally modified part on their cars ahead of
Sunday’s final round of qualifications for the 109th running of the
Indianapolis 500.

Atlanta	at	Washington	1:05
p.m.	(Postponed)

NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739459822020.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Salvador Perez had three hits including a two-run homer, Bobby Witt
Jr. and Maikel Garcia each had two hits and two RBIs, and the Kansas
City Royals got their offense going in a 8-4 victory over the San
Francisco Giants. The Royals had scored three runs or fewer in their
previous seven games and were held to four runs or fewer in 42 of
their first 50 games. Kansas City led 3-1 in the top of the fourth
when Perez hit an opposite field homer off Giants starter Logan Webb
(5-4). Matt Chapman, Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos homered for San
Francisco.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Spencer Torkelson had a pair of hits, walked twice and drove in a run
to help the Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 for Detroit’s
15th win in its past 20 games. Brant Hurter allowed one hit in three
scoreless innings in his second career start, and Chase Lee followed
with two scoreless innings to earn his first major league win as the
Tigers used six pitchers in a bullpen game. Andre Pallante allowed
three runs and four hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Kansas hired former standout and NBA coach Jacque Vaughn to be an
assistant on Bill Self’s staff Wednesday. He will replace Norm
Roberts, who announced his retirement after 37 years in coaching
earlier this month. Vaughn played under Roy Williams for the Jayhawks
in the late 1990s and is one of the most beloved players in school
history. He spent 12 seasons playing in the NBA, then became an
assistant coach in San Antonio. He later served as the head coach of
both the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets, who fired him early
last year.EAGAN, Minn. (AP) —
NFL owners narrowly failed to pass a proposal to prohibit the tush
push. The fate of the short-yardage strategy was on the agenda at
their spring meetings. The ban on offensive players from pushing,
pulling, lifting, grasping or encircling a runner was supported by a
22-10 vote, according to a person with knowledge of the proceedings,
speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because
details weren’t made public. That’s two short of the
three-quarters majority required by league bylaws. Health and safety
committees for the players and owners and the league’s competition
committee all unanimously recommended the proposal.NEW YORK (AP) —
Tyrese Haliburton tied it with a long jumper that bounced high off
the back of the rim and in as time expired in regulation, then the
Indiana Pacers went on to finish off their stunning rally by beating
the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime Wednesday night in Game 1 of
the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks led by 14 points with under
3 minutes remaining in regulation, but Aaron Nesmith brought the
Pacers back with a flurry of late 3-pointers. Haliburton hoped he had
won it with another, but replay confirmed his toe was on the line and
it was a 2-pointer that tied it at 125. Andrew Nembhard eventually
made the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds remaining in OT.DALLAS (AP) — Miro
Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals
in a 5:26 span early in the third period and the Dallas Stars opened
their Western Conference final rematch against the Edmonton Oilers
with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night. Dallas began the third period
with a two-goal deficit and a man advantage from a penalty that
carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in,
Granlund tied it and Duchene put the Stars ahead to stay with a
second-effort score that made it 4-3. Tyler Seguin had two goals and
an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went
almost the entire length of the ice. Game 2 is Friday night in
Dallas.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The organizers of the Los Angeles Olympics remain optimistic that
Major League Baseball will find a way to join the NFL in sending the
world’s best athletes in their respective sports to the 2028 Games.
LA28 president and chairman Casey Wasserman said he has been in close
contact with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred about the decision that
must be made by both the league and the players’ union on whether
to send players to the Olympics in the middle of the 2028 MLB season.
There’s no current timetable for the decision. Wasserman says MLB
participation is the right thing for everybody involved.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —
Roger Penske has fired team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing
director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer in the
wake of an Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal. Penske said in a
statement Wednesday that “nothing is more important than the
integrity of our sport and our race teams.” Two-time defending
Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were
found to have an illegally modified part on their cars ahead of
Sunday’s final round of qualifications for the 109th running of the
Indianapolis 500.WEDNESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Detroit	5	St.
Louis	1	Final	Baltimore	8	Milwaukee	4	Final	Kansas
City	8	San Francisco	4	Final	N.Y.
Mets	5	Boston	1	Final	Toronto	14	San
Diego	0	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Tampa
Bay	8	Houston	4	Final	Minnesota	6	Cleveland	5	Final	Seattle	6	Chicago
White Sox	5	Final	Cleveland	5	Minnesota	1	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	4	Texas	3	Final	L.A.
Angels	10	Athletics	5	NATIONAL LEAGUEAtlanta	at	Washington	1:05
p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Pittsburgh	3	Cincinnati	1	Final	Chicago
Cubs	2	Miami	1	Final	Philadelphia	9	Colorado	5	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	3	Arizona	1	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal
OT	Indiana	138	New York	135	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Dallas	6	Edmonton	3

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Salvador Perez had three hits including a two-run homer, Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia each had two hits and two RBIs, and the Kansas City Royals got their offense going in a 8-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

The Royals had scored three runs or fewer in their previous seven games and were held to four runs or fewer in 42 of their first 50 games.

Kansas City led 3-1 in the top of the fourth when Perez hit an opposite field homer off Giants starter Logan Webb (5-4) with Witt aboard.

The Royals extended the lead to 8-2 in the fifth, when Drew Waters hit a leadoff double during a two-run inning.

Matt Chapman, Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos homered for San Francisco.

Ramos hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Lucas Erceg to cut the lead to 8-4.

Jonathan Bowlan (1-0) gave up one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings in relief of opener Daniel Lynch IV, who walked three and gave up a hit in 1 2/3 innings.

Webb (5-4) gave up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits in four innings. The Giants’ ace struck out five and walked none.

Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel made a sliding catch on a low line drive off Wilmer Flores’ bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning of a 6-2 game.

The Royals improved to a major league-best 17-1 when scoring four runs or more.

Kansas City LHP Noah Cameron (1-1, 0.71 ERA) will pitch Friday’s series opener against the Twins in Minnesota. The Giants have not yet announced a starter for Friday’s series opener against the Nationals in Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747909915500.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Salvador Perez had three hits including a two-run homer, Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia each had two hits and two RBIs, and the Kansas City Royals got their offense going in a 8-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.The Royals had scored three runs or fewer in their previous seven games and were held to four runs or fewer in 42 of their first 50 games.Kansas City led 3-1 in the top of the fourth when Perez hit an opposite field homer off Giants starter Logan Webb (5-4) with Witt aboard.The Royals extended the lead to 8-2 in the fifth, when Drew Waters hit a leadoff double during a two-run inning.Matt Chapman, Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos homered for San Francisco.Ramos hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Lucas Erceg to cut the lead to 8-4.Jonathan Bowlan (1-0) gave up one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings in relief of opener Daniel Lynch IV, who walked three and gave up a hit in 1 2/3 innings.Webb (5-4) gave up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits in four innings. The Giants’ ace struck out five and walked none.<h2>Key moment</h2>Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel made a sliding catch on a low line drive off Wilmer Flores’ bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning of a 6-2 game.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Royals improved to a major league-best 17-1 when scoring four runs or more.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas City LHP Noah Cameron (1-1, 0.71 ERA) will pitch Friday’s series opener against the Twins in Minnesota. The Giants have not yet announced a starter for Friday’s series opener against the Nationals in Washington.

Perez powers Royals with 3 hits, including a homer, in 8-4 win over Giants

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College track and field program wrapped up its season Saturday in Hutchinson challenging for a national team title at the 2025 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.

The women's team led the three-day meet going into the last two events, but with no points possible in the 5000m and facing a shuffled 4x400m relay squad due to the injury, the chase for the crown came up short.

Iowa Western ended up on top of the standings with 98 points, the Cougars accumulating 90.33 points while New Mexico finished third with 84 points.

On the men's side, the Cougars finished with 38 points for an 8th place standing overall, South Plains winning the title followed by New Mexico and Iowa Western.

The women's final finish was its second consecutive runner-up placing for its 8th straight year within the Top-5 while the men's placing marked the 9th straight season among the Top-8.

Overall, the two squads had 21 personal and/or season best efforts, captured four event titles, had 23 scoring performances, and modified the program record book seven times.

Highlighting the women's achievements was the continued discus dominance from Cedricka Williams. Setting the national record multiple times including at the national meet last year, Williams' sophomore season kept the record book fluid by breaking it again on her first attempt, then doing it again on her third attempt, marking the eighth time of her career raising the bar.

When the dust settled, the Baylor University signee defended her title with a 61.07m (200-04) distance leading a Barton 20-point event.

Ranking second on the program's all-time list behind Williams, Ivanilda Semedo didn't have her best on Saturday but still uncorked four over the 50m mark including a runner-up 52.23m (171-04) toss. Zadie Mackey contributed another two points on a 44.86m (147-02) toss for 7th place.

Immediately following the conclusion, Williams rushed to change venues and within thirty minutes was back in competition for just the second time in the javelin throw resulting in a 10th place finish at 36.73m (120-06).

Two days prior, Williams made a huge jump up the program's hammer throw list, uncorking a 52.79m (173-02) throw in jumping from 10th to 4th all-time, placing 3rd overall at the meet. Mackey finished just outside points in the event placing 10th at 46.12m (151-04).

As Williams continued her reign in the discus, Trevon Hamer continued his dominance in the men's triple jump capturing his fourth title, two from the indoor seasons and Saturday grabbing his second outdoor title of his two-year career.

Picking up his second career national runner-up medal in the long jump on Thursday (7.66m, 25-01.75), the Kansas State University signee capped his Barton career Saturday with an eighteen inch margin triple jump victory of 16.77m (55-00.25). The mark moved Hamer from 6th to 4th on the program's all-time list, trailing only Olympians Leevan Sands, the late LeJuan Simon, and Walter Davis.

A pair of freshmen earned the women's squad a pair of golds and contributed 36 points combined, Asharria Ulett clocking a program 8th fastest 100m hurdle time to capture her second hurdle national title (60m hurdle indoors), with Celine Riddle winning the long jump (5.97m, 19-07.00) and placing runner-up in the triple jump on a personal best 12.38m (40-07.50) mark.

In addition to Riddle's runner-up placing, Ulett helped the Cougars to one of its five, second place finishes in teaming with Keliza Smith, Kayda Austin, and Kennidra Spigner to improve their program 9th fastest time to 44.67.

Smith added a second placing in the 400m and was primed for high points in the 100m after clocking an 11.45 in the prelims but pulled up late in finals avoiding injury in crossing 8th. A key member of the Cougars' 4x400 relay team, her absence left the Cougars shuffling the lineup before finals resulting in a 7th placing to close out the meet.

Alexia Walker, the Region 6 Champion after posting the program's 10th most multi-event total, earned the Cougars' first eight points of the meet with a second place in the heptathlon compiling 4609 points after winning two of the seven events and recording four personal bests.

The Barton men's first track points of the meet came in Thursday's 4x800m relay with the tandem of Corlando Chambers, Jasiah Clapp, Simeon Adams, and Keandro Gordon improving their 6th to now 5th fastest program time to 7:35.87 in placing 8th overall.

Already owning the program's 8th fastest 4x100 relay time, the squad of Aragorn Straker, Hamer, Perrion Williams, and Wanyae Belle finished 6th overall in a time of 39.90.

In addition to Hamer's accomplishments in the field events, DeAndre Bristol bettered his program 9th furthest javelin throw with a 62.93m (206-05) mark as Ricardo Hayles placed 3rd in the discus at 55.45m (181-11). Hayles also owns the program's second furthest mark and 10th furthest shot put distance, placing 9th in the event on a lesser 15.90m (52-02) distance.

Barton's National Outdoor Championship Results (Complete Results) (PR/PB = Personal record/best)

Heptathlon: Runner-Up Alexia Walker (4609 Points *Already has 10th Program Most Points)

100m: 8th Keliza Smith (14.55 *11.45 in prelims **Pulled up in finals)

200m: 7th Kayda Austin (23.52), 25th Kennidra Spigner (24.77)

400m: Runner-Up Keliza Smith (52.98), 15th Narissa McPherson (PB 55.78)

800m: 10th Shone Walters (2:12.22 *Already has Program 10th Best)

100m Hurdles: CHAMPION Asharria Ulett (PB 13.45 *Program 8th Best)

400m Hurdles: 4th Natasha Fox (PB 1:00.70), 7th Kialia Claiborne (PB 1:01.44), 13th Alexia Walker (PB 1:03.59)

4x100m Relay: Runner-Up SB 44.67 *Bettered Program 9th fastest time (Keliza Smith, Kayda Austin, Kennidra Spigner, Asharria Ulett)

4x400m Relay: 7th 3:44.25 (Natasha Fox, Shone Walters, Narissa McPherson, Kialia Claiborne)

High Jump: 8th Alexia Walker (1.58m, 5-2.25)

Long Jump: CHAMPION Celine Riddle (5.97m, 19-07.00)

Triple Jump: Runner-Up Celine Riddle (PB 12.38m, 40-7.50)

Shot Put: 14th Zadie Mackey (12.03m, 39-5.75)

Discus: CHAMPION Cedricka Williams (61.07m, 200-04 *Broke her National Record twice), Runner-Up Ivanilda Semedo (SB 52.23m, 171-04 *Already owns Program 2nd Best), 7th Zadie Mackey (44.86m, 147-02)

Hammer Throw: 3rd Cedricka Williams (PB 52.79m, 173-02 *Moved up from Program 10th to 4th Best), 10th Zadie Mackey (46.12m, 151-04)

Javelin: 10th Cedricka Williams (36.73m, 120-06 *2nd Time in event)

100m: 9th Wanyae Belle (10.30), 21st Perrion Williams (10.46), DNF Trevon Hamer

200m: 4th Wanyae Belle (20.94), 26th Aragorn Straker (21.58)

800m: 13th Keandro Gordon (PB 1:52.86), 16th Corlando Chambers (1:53.21), 19th Jasiah Clapp (PB 1:53.28)

4x100m Relay: 6th 39.90 (Aragorn Straker, Trevon Hamer, Perrion Williams, Wanyae Belle) *Already owns Program 8th fastest time)

4x400m Relay: 9th 3:10.62 (Keandro Gordon, Simeon Adams, Jasiah Clapp, Corlando Chambers)

4X800m Relay: 8th SB 7:35.87 *Moves up from 6th to Program 5th fastest time (Corlando Chambers, Jasiah Clapp, Simeon Adams, Keandro Gordon)

Long Jump: Runner-Up Trevon Hamer (PB 7.66m, 25-1.75)

Triple Jump: CHAMPION Trevon Hamer (PB 16.77m, 55-00.25 *Also Indoor Champion *Moves up from 6th to 4th Program Best)

Shot Put: 9th Ricardo Hayles (15.90m, 52-02.00 *Already owns Program 10th Best), 10th Jaylon Calder (15.12m, 49-07.25)

Discus: 3rd Ricardo Hayles (55.45m, 181-11 *Already owns Program 2nd Best), 10th Jaylon Calder (47.98m, 157-05), 11th DeAndre Bristol (47.51m, 155-10)

Hammer: 11th Boris Peranovic (50.47m, 165-07)

Javelin: 5th DeAndre Bristol (PB 62.93m, 206-05 *Bettered his Program 9th Best)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747848371972.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College track and field program wrapped up its season Saturday in Hutchinson challenging for a national team title at the 2025 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.The women's team led the three-day meet going into the last two events, but with no points possible in the 5000m and facing a shuffled 4x400m relay squad due to the injury, the chase for the crown came up short.Iowa Western ended up on top of the standings with 98 points, the Cougars accumulating 90.33 points while New Mexico finished third with 84 points.On the men's side, the Cougars finished with 38 points for an 8th place standing overall, South Plains winning the title followed by New Mexico and Iowa Western.The women's final finish was its second consecutive runner-up placing for its 8th straight year within the Top-5 while the men's placing marked the 9th straight season among the Top-8.Overall, the two squads had 21 personal and/or season best efforts, captured four event titles, had 23 scoring performances, and modified the program record book seven times.Highlighting the women's achievements was the continued discus dominance from Cedricka Williams. Setting the national record multiple times including at the national meet last year, Williams' sophomore season kept the record book fluid by breaking it again on her first attempt, then doing it again on her third attempt, marking the eighth time of her career raising the bar.When the dust settled, the Baylor University signee defended her title with a 61.07m (200-04) distance leading a Barton 20-point event.Ranking second on the program's all-time list behind Williams, Ivanilda Semedo didn't have her best on Saturday but still uncorked four over the 50m mark including a runner-up 52.23m (171-04) toss. Zadie Mackey contributed another two points on a 44.86m (147-02) toss for 7th place.Immediately following the conclusion, Williams rushed to change venues and within thirty minutes was back in competition for just the second time in the javelin throw resulting in a 10th place finish at 36.73m (120-06).Two days prior, Williams made a huge jump up the program's hammer throw list, uncorking a 52.79m (173-02) throw in jumping from 10th to 4th all-time, placing 3rd overall at the meet. Mackey finished just outside points in the event placing 10th at 46.12m (151-04).As Williams continued her reign in the discus, Trevon Hamer continued his dominance in the men's triple jump capturing his fourth title, two from the indoor seasons and Saturday grabbing his second outdoor title of his two-year career.Picking up his second career national runner-up medal in the long jump on Thursday (7.66m, 25-01.75), the Kansas State University signee capped his Barton career Saturday with an eighteen inch margin triple jump victory of 16.77m (55-00.25). The mark moved Hamer from 6th to 4th on the program's all-time list, trailing only Olympians Leevan Sands, the late LeJuan Simon, and Walter Davis.A pair of freshmen earned the women's squad a pair of golds and contributed 36 points combined, Asharria Ulett clocking a program 8th fastest 100m hurdle time to capture her second hurdle national title (60m hurdle indoors), with Celine Riddle winning the long jump (5.97m, 19-07.00) and placing runner-up in the triple jump on a personal best 12.38m (40-07.50) mark.In addition to Riddle's runner-up placing, Ulett helped the Cougars to one of its five, second place finishes in teaming with Keliza Smith, Kayda Austin, and Kennidra Spigner to improve their program 9th fastest time to 44.67.Smith added a second placing in the 400m and was primed for high points in the 100m after clocking an 11.45 in the prelims but pulled up late in finals avoiding injury in crossing 8th. A key member of the Cougars' 4x400 relay team, her absence left the Cougars shuffling the lineup before finals resulting in a 7th placing to close out the meet.Alexia Walker, the Region 6 Champion after posting the program's 10th most multi-event total, earned the Cougars' first eight points of the meet with a second place in the heptathlon compiling 4609 points after winning two of the seven events and recording four personal bests.The Barton men's first track points of the meet came in Thursday's 4x800m relay with the tandem of Corlando Chambers, Jasiah Clapp, Simeon Adams, and Keandro Gordon improving their 6th to now 5th fastest program time to 7:35.87 in placing 8th overall.Already owning the program's 8th fastest 4x100 relay time, the squad of Aragorn Straker, Hamer, Perrion Williams, and Wanyae Belle finished 6th overall in a time of 39.90.In addition to Hamer's accomplishments in the field events, DeAndre Bristol bettered his program 9th furthest javelin throw with a 62.93m (206-05) mark as Ricardo Hayles placed 3rd in the discus at 55.45m (181-11). Hayles also owns the program's second furthest mark and 10th furthest shot put distance, placing 9th in the event on a lesser 15.90m (52-02) distance.Barton's National Outdoor Championship Results (Complete Results) (PR/PB = Personal record/best)WOMENHeptathlon: Runner-Up Alexia Walker (4609 Points *Already has 10th Program Most Points)2nd - 100m Hurdles (PB 14.96)7th - High jump (1.50m, 4-11.00)7th - Shot Put (PB 9.73m, 31-11.75)1st - 200m (PB 25.13)4th - Long Jump (5.01m, 16-05.25)7th - Javelin Throw (PB 29.65m, 97-03)1st - 800m (2:27.71)100m: 8th Keliza Smith (14.55 *11.45 in prelims **Pulled up in finals)200m: 7th Kayda Austin (23.52), 25th Kennidra Spigner (24.77)400m: Runner-Up Keliza Smith (52.98), 15th Narissa McPherson (PB 55.78)800m: 10th Shone Walters (2:12.22 *Already has Program 10th Best)100m Hurdles: CHAMPION Asharria Ulett (PB 13.45 *Program 8th Best)400m Hurdles: 4th Natasha Fox (PB 1:00.70), 7th Kialia Claiborne (PB 1:01.44), 13th Alexia Walker (PB 1:03.59)4x100m Relay: Runner-Up SB 44.67 *Bettered Program 9th fastest time (Keliza Smith, Kayda Austin, Kennidra Spigner, Asharria Ulett)4x400m Relay: 7th 3:44.25 (Natasha Fox, Shone Walters, Narissa McPherson, Kialia Claiborne)High Jump: 8th Alexia Walker (1.58m, 5-2.25)Long Jump: CHAMPION Celine Riddle (5.97m, 19-07.00)Triple Jump: Runner-Up Celine Riddle (PB 12.38m, 40-7.50)Shot Put: 14th Zadie Mackey (12.03m, 39-5.75)Discus: CHAMPION Cedricka Williams (61.07m, 200-04 *Broke her National Record twice), Runner-Up Ivanilda Semedo (SB 52.23m, 171-04 *Already owns Program 2nd Best), 7th Zadie Mackey (44.86m, 147-02)Hammer Throw: 3rd Cedricka Williams (PB 52.79m, 173-02 *Moved up from Program 10th to 4th Best), 10th Zadie Mackey (46.12m, 151-04)Javelin: 10th Cedricka Williams (36.73m, 120-06 *2nd Time in event)MEN100m: 9th Wanyae Belle (10.30), 21st Perrion Williams (10.46), DNF Trevon Hamer200m: 4th Wanyae Belle (20.94), 26th Aragorn Straker (21.58)400m: 14th Simeon Adams (PB 46.92)800m: 13th Keandro Gordon (PB 1:52.86), 16th Corlando Chambers (1:53.21), 19th Jasiah Clapp (PB 1:53.28)4x100m Relay: 6th 39.90 (Aragorn Straker, Trevon Hamer, Perrion Williams, Wanyae Belle) *Already owns Program 8th fastest time)4x400m Relay: 9th 3:10.62 (Keandro Gordon, Simeon Adams, Jasiah Clapp, Corlando Chambers)4X800m Relay: 8th SB 7:35.87 *Moves up from 6th to Program 5th fastest time (Corlando Chambers, Jasiah Clapp, Simeon Adams, Keandro Gordon)Long Jump: Runner-Up Trevon Hamer (PB 7.66m, 25-1.75)Triple Jump: CHAMPION Trevon Hamer (PB 16.77m, 55-00.25 *Also Indoor Champion *Moves up from 6th to 4th Program Best)Shot Put: 9th Ricardo Hayles (15.90m, 52-02.00 *Already owns Program 10th Best), 10th Jaylon Calder (15.12m, 49-07.25)Discus: 3rd Ricardo Hayles (55.45m, 181-11 *Already owns Program 2nd Best), 10th Jaylon Calder (47.98m, 157-05), 11th DeAndre Bristol (47.51m, 155-10)Hammer: 11th Boris Peranovic (50.47m, 165-07)Javelin: 5th DeAndre Bristol (PB 62.93m, 206-05 *Bettered his Program 9th Best)

Barton Women take 2nd at Nationals, Men finish 8th

The 5th ranked Barton Community College men's tennis team made a historic run this past week in matching program history by wrapping up the 2025 season with a national runner-up placing at the NJCAA Division I Championships held at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center in Florence, South Carolina.

The Cougars got off to a great start in going on to match the 2002 and 2001 squads for the program's highest ever finish by sending eight of its nine entries into the quarterfinal round. Four entries then advanced into the semifinals with two reaching the title match resulting in its 5th consecutive year of placing in the top eight.

Having won the Region 6 Championship three weeks prior, Barton led the four Region members finishing inside the top seven of the Championships, accumulating a national runner-up 33 points, nine points behind winner Tyler Junior College and .5 of a point ahead of third place Collin County.

The next team finishers were coached by former Cougars who played for Head Coach Lyle Stickney in now, head coaching roles. Larned native Jeret Johnson (2012-14) in his third season guided the Pratt Beavers to within a .5 point shy in fourth place accumulating 32 points and a full point ahead of fellow alum Marcel Miasoto's (2014-16) first year leading the Cowley Tigers to a fifth placing with 31 points. Seward County rounded out Region 6 representation with a 7th team placing with 27 total points.

The No. 3 doubles tandem of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/abuzed_mohammed_53hf">Mohammed Abuzed</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/naude_oliver_rtw7">Oliver Naude</a>&nbsp;made a charge into the Championship finals before falling short, while Alves teamed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/tapera_shane_ud3q">Shane Tapera</a>&nbsp;in the No. 2 doubles grouping in giving Barton another final day highlight by winning the consolation title in convincing fashion.

Overall, the squad racked up 21 victories, two losses coming to the eventual national champion, a pair of defeats coming to the eventual national runner-up, with the four quarterfinal losses coming to an opponent who then went on to win the national title.

Complete&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mten/div1/index" target="_blank">NJCAA Division I National Tennis Championship</a>&nbsp;information

For the second straight season Alves was tabbed the fourth seed, last year in the No. 1 draw being upset in the first round before going on to win the consolation title. This season in the No. 2 draw, Alves' road to the championship began with a victory in the Round of 16 defeating Tom Zimpel of Harford 6-1, 6-1 before dispatching Seward County's Sebastian De Las Salas 6-1, 7-6. In the semifinal, Alves pulled off a comeback victory taking down top seeded Daniel Jankoski of Tyler after losing the first set 6-4 but taking the next two 6-4 and 6-2. The momentum carried into Friday's final day of action by capturing the title in straight 6-2 set scores over 6th seeded Alberto Perez of Eastern Florida.

Teaming with Tapera in the second double's tandem, the duo was locked into a third set battle with Ryland Buford and Gonzalo Cotter of Mississippi Gulf Coast before being forced to retire in the third set due to body cramping. Bounced to the consolation side of the bracket, the duo won all four of its backside matches in convincing fashion including an 8-1 victory over USC Sumter's Aki Harada and Stanley Long giving Barton its third consecutive year of earning a consolation title.

Barton's other title challenge came in the No. 3 doubles draw, 4th seeded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/abuzed_mohammed_53hf">Mohammed Abuzed</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/naude_oliver_rtw7">Oliver Naude</a>&nbsp;falling in the championship match 6-0, 6-3 to Tyler's 2nd seed Daniel Maurico Marincas and Alex Morris. The Cougars began their run with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the Round of 16 over Iowa Central's Mariano Orsini-Rodriguez and Alex Tiffon before their road led to a pair of victories over Region 6 members. In the quarterfinals, the pair notched a twin 6-3 victory over Seward County's Sebastian De Las Salas and Ognjen Gajic then marched into the finals with another straight set win by knocking off Cowley's top seeded Pedro De La Riva and David Hoyos by 6-4 scores.

In singles play Abuzed and Naude each were eliminated in the quarterfinal round to an opponent who would then lose to the eventual national champion. Abuzed, seeded 7th in the No. 3 draw, won a pair of matches before losing to the 2nd seeded Jose Castillo of Collin while the 4th seeded Naude won his first match before being knocked out by 5th seeded Hoyos of Cowley in a tough three-set defeat.

Barton's top player&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/garay_gabriel_kon5">Gabriel Garay</a>'s time in the No. 1 singles slot ended after a pair of victories before a three-set heartbreaker in the semifinals to Seward County's Samuel Antwi as the Saint would go on to finish national runner-up. Last year in the No. 2 draw, Garay marched to the championship match before coming up short.

Garay and doubles partner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/loffler_hayden_k9nx">Hayden Loffler</a>&nbsp;were dealt a similar fate in the No. 1 draw, winning a pair of matches before falling to the top seed and eventual national champion duo of Daniel Borisov and Alex Despoja of team champion Tyler.

In other singles play action ending in the quarterfinal round, 6th seeded Tapera won a pair of matches before losing to the 3rd seed and eventual national runner-up Enrique Doldan of Collin while Loffler won his first match before falling to 2nd seeded Jacopo Cianfarini of Tyler.

To see the full results and standings click <a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/releases/20250519itouye">HERE</a>.

From Bartonsports.com:<figure>
 <img src="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/photos/NJCAA_MenTennis_051625_TeamW.jpg?max_width=450" alt="Cougars finish national runner-up, Victor Alves captures individual title." />
 <figcaption>Cougars finish national runner-up, Victor Alves captures individual title.</figcaption>
 </figure>The 5th ranked Barton Community College men's tennis team made a historic run this past week in matching program history by wrapping up the 2025 season with a national runner-up placing at the NJCAA Division I Championships held at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center in Florence, South Carolina.The Cougars got off to a great start in going on to match the 2002 and 2001 squads for the program's highest ever finish by sending eight of its nine entries into the quarterfinal round. Four entries then advanced into the semifinals with two reaching the title match resulting in its 5th consecutive year of placing in the top eight.Having won the Region 6 Championship three weeks prior, Barton led the four Region members finishing inside the top seven of the Championships, accumulating a national runner-up 33 points, nine points behind winner Tyler Junior College and .5 of a point ahead of third place Collin County.The next team finishers were coached by former Cougars who played for Head Coach Lyle Stickney in now, head coaching roles. Larned native Jeret Johnson (2012-14) in his third season guided the Pratt Beavers to within a .5 point shy in fourth place accumulating 32 points and a full point ahead of fellow alum Marcel Miasoto's (2014-16) first year leading the Cowley Tigers to a fifth placing with 31 points. Seward County rounded out Region 6 representation with a 7th team placing with 27 total points.The No. 3 doubles tandem of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/abuzed_mohammed_53hf">Mohammed Abuzed</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/naude_oliver_rtw7">Oliver Naude</a>&nbsp;made a charge into the Championship finals before falling short, while Alves teamed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/tapera_shane_ud3q">Shane Tapera</a>&nbsp;in the No. 2 doubles grouping in giving Barton another final day highlight by winning the consolation title in convincing fashion.Overall, the squad racked up 21 victories, two losses coming to the eventual national champion, a pair of defeats coming to the eventual national runner-up, with the four quarterfinal losses coming to an opponent who then went on to win the national title.Complete&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mten/div1/index" target="_blank">NJCAA Division I National Tennis Championship</a>&nbsp;informationFor the second straight season Alves was tabbed the fourth seed, last year in the No. 1 draw being upset in the first round before going on to win the consolation title. This season in the No. 2 draw, Alves' road to the championship began with a victory in the Round of 16 defeating Tom Zimpel of Harford 6-1, 6-1 before dispatching Seward County's Sebastian De Las Salas 6-1, 7-6. In the semifinal, Alves pulled off a comeback victory taking down top seeded Daniel Jankoski of Tyler after losing the first set 6-4 but taking the next two 6-4 and 6-2. The momentum carried into Friday's final day of action by capturing the title in straight 6-2 set scores over 6th seeded Alberto Perez of Eastern Florida.Teaming with Tapera in the second double's tandem, the duo was locked into a third set battle with Ryland Buford and Gonzalo Cotter of Mississippi Gulf Coast before being forced to retire in the third set due to body cramping. Bounced to the consolation side of the bracket, the duo won all four of its backside matches in convincing fashion including an 8-1 victory over USC Sumter's Aki Harada and Stanley Long giving Barton its third consecutive year of earning a consolation title.Barton's other title challenge came in the No. 3 doubles draw, 4th seeded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/abuzed_mohammed_53hf">Mohammed Abuzed</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/naude_oliver_rtw7">Oliver Naude</a>&nbsp;falling in the championship match 6-0, 6-3 to Tyler's 2nd seed Daniel Maurico Marincas and Alex Morris. The Cougars began their run with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the Round of 16 over Iowa Central's Mariano Orsini-Rodriguez and Alex Tiffon before their road led to a pair of victories over Region 6 members. In the quarterfinals, the pair notched a twin 6-3 victory over Seward County's Sebastian De Las Salas and Ognjen Gajic then marched into the finals with another straight set win by knocking off Cowley's top seeded Pedro De La Riva and David Hoyos by 6-4 scores.In singles play Abuzed and Naude each were eliminated in the quarterfinal round to an opponent who would then lose to the eventual national champion. Abuzed, seeded 7th in the No. 3 draw, won a pair of matches before losing to the 2nd seeded Jose Castillo of Collin while the 4th seeded Naude won his first match before being knocked out by 5th seeded Hoyos of Cowley in a tough three-set defeat.Barton's top player&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/garay_gabriel_kon5">Gabriel Garay</a>'s time in the No. 1 singles slot ended after a pair of victories before a three-set heartbreaker in the semifinals to Seward County's Samuel Antwi as the Saint would go on to finish national runner-up. Last year in the No. 2 draw, Garay marched to the championship match before coming up short.Garay and doubles partner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/bios/loffler_hayden_k9nx">Hayden Loffler</a>&nbsp;were dealt a similar fate in the No. 1 draw, winning a pair of matches before falling to the top seed and eventual national champion duo of Daniel Borisov and Alex Despoja of team champion Tyler.In other singles play action ending in the quarterfinal round, 6th seeded Tapera won a pair of matches before losing to the 3rd seed and eventual national runner-up Enrique Doldan of Collin while Loffler won his first match before falling to 2nd seeded Jacopo Cianfarini of Tyler.To see the full results and standings click <a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mten/2024-25/releases/20250519itouye">HERE</a>.

5th Ranked Barton Men’s Tennis: National Runner-Up

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL players in the past three Pro Bowls have had a taste of flag football under the new format for the all-star game.

For a select few, the Olympics could be next.

League owners have unanimously approved permission for players to participate in flag football for the 2028 Olympics.

The vote at the spring meetings in Minnesota on Tuesday authorized the league to negotiate safety provisions and scheduling logistics with the NFL Players Association, the sport's international governing body and the relevant Olympic authorities before it becomes reality during the next Summer Games in Los Angeles.

The excitement throughout the league and momentum in global growth of the game have made this a seemingly inevitable advancement.

“I think the world finally has an opportunity to see the greatest athletes in the world participate,” league executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said.

The 10-player Olympic rosters will be selected by the national committee for each country, with six teams each in separate tournaments for men and women. Only one player per NFL club would be allowed for each country. The game itself is a 5-on-5 competition on a 50-yard field.

With the 2028 Olympics scheduled from July 14-30, the flag football gold medal game could practically be staged before teams report to training camp, a provision that NFL executive vice president of club business and league events Peter O'Reilly indicated has already received informal support. Tryout and training periods for the national teams would also fit in offseason quiet periods for NFL clubs, O'Reilly said.

At least seven athletes have appeared in an NFL game and an Olympics in the same year, including safety Nate Ebner in 2016 (rugby) when he was with the New England Patriots and running back Herschel Walker in 1992 (bobsledding) when he was with the Eagles. The others were in track and field.

“I do believe you'll see the hands go up from those who are not just currently playing but those veterans, those individuals, who have not had the professional career they were looking to have or the professional experience,” Vincent said.

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson attended the news conference along with teammate Brian Asamoah, a backup linebacker and special teams ace whose parents were born in Ghana and could potentially play for his country of heritage.

While Jefferson would provide some serious star power, players of his stature might not be willing to risk injury right before the season. He said he'd have to consider his participation, but as one of the league's global ambassadors for the sport he's a true champion of flag football.

“The Pro Bowl game was honestly way more fun,” he said. “We felt like kids out there.”

The flag football vote was a given. The hard part for league owners this week at the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel is determining the fate of the tush push.

After tabling the issue seven weeks ago, a vote was expected on Wednesday on the proposal by the Green Bay Packers to prohibit the play popularized by the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. To enact the ban, 24 of the 32 teams must approve.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said last month he believes the owners will reach a consensus on the issue that involves both competitive integrity and player safety. The league released a revised proposal by the Packers on Monday that broadens the language to prohibit pushing, pulling, lifting or encircling a runner by any offensive player, not specific to quarterback assists. This would put the rule back where it was 20 years ago, when a previous such ban was lifted because of the difficulty of enforcement.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has been leading the defense of the play his team developed with the coinciding arrival of strong-legged quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2020.

The NFL has no conclusive data supporting a connection between the tush push and an injury risk increase, as Lurie noted at the previous league meetings in Florida. The Buffalo Bills are also a frequent user and favor a ban for safety, though, as head coach Sean McDermott said after the vote was tabled.

The tush push, which has also been dubbed the “Brotherly Shove” in a catchy and clever twist on the Greek-to-English translation of Philadelphia, not only assigns a player to push the backside of the quarterback for extra power behind a tight nine-man line but sometimes involves a blocker on the end pivoting to try to pull the ball carrier past the marker.

Health is only half of this debate, however. Entertainment is the other.

While the Eagles have nearly perfected the play for fourth-and-1 or 1-yard line situations with well-chosen personnel and well-rehearsed precision, it looks more like rugby than football.

The Packers have been among several teams voicing their distaste for the evolution of the traditional quarterback sneak into an all-out scrum. On the memo distributed by the NFL on Monday, the reasons cited for the proposal are player safety and pace of play.

“It was controversial when the forward pass came out,” Lurie said at the last league meetings. “I think aestheticism is very subjective. I’ve never judged whether a play looks OK.”

The NFL further increased its international presence by granting global marketing rights to the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans and bring all 32 teams into the 21-country program that was launched three years ago.

The Bills and Bengals were granted rights in Canada, where four other clubs have already been operating outreach efforts. The Titans got Ireland, where five other teams were previously granted rights.

The clubs approved a couple of minor ownership changes, with Pro Football Hall of Fame member Charles Woodson buying a piece of the Cleveland Browns as a limited partner and three Bay Area families acquiring non-controlling minority shares of the San Francisco 49ers.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL players in the past three Pro Bowls have had a taste of flag football under the new format for the all-star game.For a select few, the Olympics could be next.League owners have unanimously approved permission for players to participate in flag football for the 2028 Olympics.The vote at the spring meetings in Minnesota on Tuesday authorized the league to negotiate safety provisions and scheduling logistics with the NFL Players Association, the sport's international governing body and the relevant Olympic authorities before it becomes reality during the next Summer Games in Los Angeles.The excitement throughout the league and momentum in global growth of the game have made this a seemingly inevitable advancement.“I think the world finally has an opportunity to see the greatest athletes in the world participate,” league executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said.The 10-player Olympic rosters will be selected by the national committee for each country, with six teams each in separate tournaments for men and women. Only one player per NFL club would be allowed for each country. The game itself is a 5-on-5 competition on a 50-yard field.With the 2028 Olympics scheduled from July 14-30, the flag football gold medal game could practically be staged before teams report to training camp, a provision that NFL executive vice president of club business and league events Peter O'Reilly indicated has already received informal support. Tryout and training periods for the national teams would also fit in offseason quiet periods for NFL clubs, O'Reilly said.At least seven athletes have appeared in an NFL game and an Olympics in the same year, including safety Nate Ebner in 2016 (rugby) when he was with the New England Patriots and running back Herschel Walker in 1992 (bobsledding) when he was with the Eagles. The others were in track and field.“I do believe you'll see the hands go up from those who are not just currently playing but those veterans, those individuals, who have not had the professional career they were looking to have or the professional experience,” Vincent said.Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson attended the news conference along with teammate Brian Asamoah, a backup linebacker and special teams ace whose parents were born in Ghana and could potentially play for his country of heritage.While Jefferson would provide some serious star power, players of his stature might not be willing to risk injury right before the season. He said he'd have to consider his participation, but as one of the league's global ambassadors for the sport he's a true champion of flag football.“The Pro Bowl game was honestly way more fun,” he said. “We felt like kids out there.”The flag football vote was a given. The hard part for league owners this week at the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel is determining the fate of the tush push.After tabling the issue seven weeks ago, a vote was expected on Wednesday on the proposal by the Green Bay Packers to prohibit the play popularized by the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. To enact the ban, 24 of the 32 teams must approve.Commissioner Roger Goodell said last month he believes the owners will reach a consensus on the issue that involves both competitive integrity and player safety. The league released a revised proposal by the Packers on Monday that broadens the language to prohibit pushing, pulling, lifting or encircling a runner by any offensive player, not specific to quarterback assists. This would put the rule back where it was 20 years ago, when a previous such ban was lifted because of the difficulty of enforcement.Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has been leading the defense of the play his team developed with the coinciding arrival of strong-legged quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2020.The NFL has no conclusive data supporting a connection between the tush push and an injury risk increase, as Lurie noted at the previous league meetings in Florida. The Buffalo Bills are also a frequent user and favor a ban for safety, though, as head coach Sean McDermott said after the vote was tabled.The tush push, which has also been dubbed the “Brotherly Shove” in a catchy and clever twist on the Greek-to-English translation of Philadelphia, not only assigns a player to push the backside of the quarterback for extra power behind a tight nine-man line but sometimes involves a blocker on the end pivoting to try to pull the ball carrier past the marker.Health is only half of this debate, however. Entertainment is the other.While the Eagles have nearly perfected the play for fourth-and-1 or 1-yard line situations with well-chosen personnel and well-rehearsed precision, it looks more like rugby than football.The Packers have been among several teams voicing their distaste for the evolution of the traditional quarterback sneak into an all-out scrum. On the memo distributed by the NFL on Monday, the reasons cited for the proposal are player safety and pace of play.“It was controversial when the forward pass came out,” Lurie said at the last league meetings. “I think aestheticism is very subjective. I’ve never judged whether a play looks OK.”Global marketing rights expansionThe NFL further increased its international presence by granting global marketing rights to the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans and bring all 32 teams into the 21-country program that was launched three years ago.The Bills and Bengals were granted rights in Canada, where four other clubs have already been operating outreach efforts. The Titans got Ireland, where five other teams were previously granted rights.Stakes in the 49ers and BrownsThe clubs approved a couple of minor ownership changes, with Pro Football Hall of Fame member Charles Woodson buying a piece of the Cleveland Browns as a limited partner and three Bay Area families acquiring non-controlling minority shares of the San Francisco 49ers.

NFL owners unanimously approve player participation in Olympic flag football for 2028

Class 5A @ Great Bend - Tuesday, May 20 Topeka-Seaman 7, Goddard-Eisenhower 3 Great Bend 13, Andover Central 1 Topeka-Seaman 7, Great Bend 6 -Topeka-Seaman advances to state with a record of 20-8 -Great Bend ends season with a record of 22-6 Class 4A @ Hoisington - Tuesday, May 20 Circle 14, Augusta 10 Hoisington 8, Ulysses 5 Circle 16, Hoisington 1 -Circle advances to state with a record of 20-8 -Hoisington ends season with a record of 18-8 Class 4A @ McPherson - Tuesday, May 20 Mulvane 15, Larned 0 McPherson 14, Clay Center 4 McPherson 9, Mulvane 2 - McPherson advances to state with a record of 28-0

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747492435606.jpeg" alt="Regional Softball Scores and Schedule" />
 <figcaption>Regional Softball Scores and Schedule</figcaption>
 </figure>Class 5A @ Great Bend - Tuesday, May 20 Topeka-Seaman 7, Goddard-Eisenhower 3 Great Bend 13, Andover Central 1 Topeka-Seaman 7, Great Bend 6 -Topeka-Seaman advances to state with a record of 20-8 -Great Bend ends season with a record of 22-6 Class 4A @ Hoisington - Tuesday, May 20 Circle 14, Augusta 10 Hoisington 8, Ulysses 5 Circle 16, Hoisington 1 -Circle advances to state with a record of 20-8 -Hoisington ends season with a record of 18-8 Class 4A @ McPherson - Tuesday, May 20 Mulvane 15, Larned 0 McPherson 14, Clay Center 4 McPherson 9, Mulvane 2 - McPherson advances to state with a record of 28-0

Area Regional Softball Scores, Schedule

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hayden Birdsong threw five sharp innings in his first start of the season and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Birdsong (2-0) was moved from the bullpen to the rotation in place of Jordan Hicks and provided just what manager Bob Melvin hoped he would deliver when he made the move.

Birdsong allowed one unearned run, five hits and no walks to give the Giants their fourth win in the last five games.

Ryan Walker pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.

Willy Adames hit an RBI triple in the fourth inning against Michael Lorenzen (3-5) and scored on a single by Casey Schmitt to give San Francisco a 2-1 lead.

Lorenzen allowed three runs — two earned — and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the season for Kansas City.

Kyle Isbel hit a sacrifice fly in the third and Bobby Witt Jr. had a run-scoring infield single in the eighth for the Royals, who have been held to four runs or fewer in 42 of 50 games.

The Giants added an insurance run in the fifth after Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino threw wildly to second when he tried to get a force on a grounder by Wilmer Flores. Jung Hoo Lee followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1.

San Francisco improved to 25-9 this season against right-handed starters.

RHP Logan Webb (5-3, 2.42 ERA) pitches the series finale for the Giants. Webb is 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA in four starts at home. The Royals are undecided on their starter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747823629450.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;San Francisco Giants' Hayden Birdsong pitches to a Kansas City Royals batter during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;San Francisco Giants' Hayden Birdsong pitches to a Kansas City Royals batter during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hayden Birdsong threw five sharp innings in his first start of the season and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Tuesday night.Birdsong (2-0) was moved from the bullpen to the rotation in place of Jordan Hicks and provided just what manager Bob Melvin hoped he would deliver when he made the move.Birdsong allowed one unearned run, five hits and no walks to give the Giants their fourth win in the last five games.Ryan Walker pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.Willy Adames hit an RBI triple in the fourth inning against Michael Lorenzen (3-5) and scored on a single by Casey Schmitt to give San Francisco a 2-1 lead.Lorenzen allowed three runs — two earned — and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the season for Kansas City.Kyle Isbel hit a sacrifice fly in the third and Bobby Witt Jr. had a run-scoring infield single in the eighth for the Royals, who have been held to four runs or fewer in 42 of 50 games.<h2>Key moment</h2>The Giants added an insurance run in the fifth after Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino threw wildly to second when he tried to get a force on a grounder by Wilmer Flores. Jung Hoo Lee followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1.<h2>Key stat</h2>San Francisco improved to 25-9 this season against right-handed starters.<h2>Up next</h2>RHP Logan Webb (5-3, 2.42 ERA) pitches the series finale for the Giants. Webb is 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA in four starts at home. The Royals are undecided on their starter.

Birdsong pitches the Giants past the Royals 3-2 in his 1st start of the season

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Hayden Birdsong threw five sharp innings in his first start of the
season and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.
Birdsong allowed one unearned run, five hits and no walks to give the
Giants their fourth win in the last five games. Willy Adames hit an
RBI triple in the fourth inning against Michael Lorenzen and scored
on a single by Casey Schmitt to give San Francisco a 2-1 lead. The
Royals have been held to four runs or fewer in 42 of 50 games.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Riley Greene homered and hit the winning RBI double in the ninth
inning to help the Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4.
Zack McKinstry singled off Kyle Leahy (1-1) to lead off the ninth and
scored on Greene’s double to the right-field gap. Will Vest (4-0)
pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Tommy Kahnle pitched the ninth
to earn his sixth save in eight chances. Tigers starter Tarik Skubal
allowed three runs on five hits and a walk and struck out eight in 5
2/3 innings. Erick Fedde allowed four runs on five hits and struck
out two five innings for the Cardinals.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer, rookie Will Warren struck out a
career-high 10 and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 5-2.
Ben Rice also went deep for the Yankees in the opener of a three-game
series between the past two American League champions. Anthony Volpe
blooped an RBI double after Rice drove in the first two runs. New
York has won nine of 12 to move a season-best nine games over .500.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy was ejected by plate umpire Carlos Torres
with Judge batting in the sixth inning, and the Rangers lost for the
third time in four games following a six-game winning streak. Jonah
Heim’s two-run homer off Ian Hamilton with two outs in the ninth
prevented a shutout.

BOSTON (AP) — Mets
manager Carlos Mendoza wouldn’t get into specifics on any
conversion he had with slugger Juan Soto after a lack of hustle left
him with a single rather than extra bases in New York’s series
opener at Boston. Mendoza said frustration may have played a role in
Soto’s response to a line drive in the sixth inning Monday night
that bounced high off the Green Monster as Soto stood and watched
from the batter’s box in the Mets’ 3-1 loss. Mendoza sounded
somewhat more understanding Tuesday than he did after the game Monday
night, when he said he would have a chat with the $765 million star
who is in his first season with the Mets.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has mixed in
breaking pitches for the first time in a throwing session. The
right-hander had been limited to fastball and splitters previously as
he works to return to pitching this season following elbow surgery.
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Ohtani is getting closer to facing
live hitting for the first time since he underwent his second Tommy
John procedure in September 2023. Ohtani’s return to the mound has
been expected to come near the All-Star break in July

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points in the second
half, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota
Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, had nine assists. He made 8 of
14 field goals after halftime. Julius Randle scored 28 points for
Minnesota, but just eight in the second half. Anthony Edwards, who
had been averaging 26.5 points per game in the playoffs, was held to
18 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Oklahoma City was just two days
removed from eliminating Denver in Game 7 of the conference
semifinals. Minnesota hadn’t played since May 14.

GREENBURGH, N.Y.
(AP) — When Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton glared at each
other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer, it seemed like a fitting
next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York
Knicks that's already featured headbutts and chokes. The teams go at
it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks’ first
trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of
their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. The Knicks and
Pacers met six times in an eight-year span starting in 1993, then
again last year when Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in
the second round.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —
Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting
first-period goals while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net as
the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers beat the Carolina
Hurricanes 5-2 in Tuesday night’s opener of their Eastern
Conference final series. A.J. Greer added a goal by finishing off a
perfect 2-on-1 transition chance in the second period for Florida.
Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen scored in the third period.
Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake scored Carolina's lone goals in the
opener of a series that is a rematch of the 2023 Eastern final. Game
2 is Thursday night at Carolina.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) —
NFL owners unanimously approved player participation in flag football
for the 2028 Olympics at their spring meetings on Tuesday. The vote
authorized the league to negotiate safety provisions and scheduling
logistics with the NFL Players Association and relevant international
and national team governing bodies before it becomes reality during
the Summer Games in Los Angeles. No more than one player per NFL club
would be permitted. Olympic rosters will be selected by the national
committees for each country.

UNDATED (AP) —
Two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Zakai
Zeigler is suing the NCAA over rules limiting him to four seasons in
a five-year window. The lawsuit argues that rule is an unlawful
restraint of trade under both federal and Tennessee laws. Zeigler
played four seasons at Tennessee before graduating in May. He helped
the Vols to consecutive Elite Eight berths. A statement from his
attorneys says Zeigler has asked for an injunction allowing him to
start preparing for next season. The lawsuit estimates that Zeigler
could earn up to $4 million by playing a fifth season.

UNDATED (AP) — The
four biggest conferences in college sports are working to tie their
schools to the pending $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement and
could have drastic penalties for anyone refusing to comply. Officials
from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the
Southeastern Conference drafted a document intended to prevent their
members from using state laws to breach or subvert enforcement that
would come with the settlement. An AP source says the agreement would
bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws
are contradictory.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Former Pac-12 basketball rivals Arizona and UCLA will play each other
in the Hall of Fame Series at Intuit Dome. The game between the men’s
teams will be Nov. 14 and will honor late Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
Besides starring for the Bruins in college, his son Luke played for
the Wildcats and the elder Walton broadcast games involving both
schools. The teams most recently met in December, when UCLA won 57-54
in Phoenix. Last season, UCLA played in the first college basketball
game at Intuit Dome, beating Gonzaga 65-62.

Cleveland	at	Minnesota	1:10
p.m.	(Suspended)

Cleveland	at	Minnesota	2:10
p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739459822020.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Hayden Birdsong threw five sharp innings in his first start of the
season and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.
Birdsong allowed one unearned run, five hits and no walks to give the
Giants their fourth win in the last five games. Willy Adames hit an
RBI triple in the fourth inning against Michael Lorenzen and scored
on a single by Casey Schmitt to give San Francisco a 2-1 lead. The
Royals have been held to four runs or fewer in 42 of 50 games.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Riley Greene homered and hit the winning RBI double in the ninth
inning to help the Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4.
Zack McKinstry singled off Kyle Leahy (1-1) to lead off the ninth and
scored on Greene’s double to the right-field gap. Will Vest (4-0)
pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Tommy Kahnle pitched the ninth
to earn his sixth save in eight chances. Tigers starter Tarik Skubal
allowed three runs on five hits and a walk and struck out eight in 5
2/3 innings. Erick Fedde allowed four runs on five hits and struck
out two five innings for the Cardinals.NEW YORK (AP) —
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer, rookie Will Warren struck out a
career-high 10 and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 5-2.
Ben Rice also went deep for the Yankees in the opener of a three-game
series between the past two American League champions. Anthony Volpe
blooped an RBI double after Rice drove in the first two runs. New
York has won nine of 12 to move a season-best nine games over .500.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy was ejected by plate umpire Carlos Torres
with Judge batting in the sixth inning, and the Rangers lost for the
third time in four games following a six-game winning streak. Jonah
Heim’s two-run homer off Ian Hamilton with two outs in the ninth
prevented a shutout.BOSTON (AP) — Mets
manager Carlos Mendoza wouldn’t get into specifics on any
conversion he had with slugger Juan Soto after a lack of hustle left
him with a single rather than extra bases in New York’s series
opener at Boston. Mendoza said frustration may have played a role in
Soto’s response to a line drive in the sixth inning Monday night
that bounced high off the Green Monster as Soto stood and watched
from the batter’s box in the Mets’ 3-1 loss. Mendoza sounded
somewhat more understanding Tuesday than he did after the game Monday
night, when he said he would have a chat with the $765 million star
who is in his first season with the Mets.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has mixed in
breaking pitches for the first time in a throwing session. The
right-hander had been limited to fastball and splitters previously as
he works to return to pitching this season following elbow surgery.
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Ohtani is getting closer to facing
live hitting for the first time since he underwent his second Tommy
John procedure in September 2023. Ohtani’s return to the mound has
been expected to come near the All-Star break in JulyOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points in the second
half, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota
Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, had nine assists. He made 8 of
14 field goals after halftime. Julius Randle scored 28 points for
Minnesota, but just eight in the second half. Anthony Edwards, who
had been averaging 26.5 points per game in the playoffs, was held to
18 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Oklahoma City was just two days
removed from eliminating Denver in Game 7 of the conference
semifinals. Minnesota hadn’t played since May 14.GREENBURGH, N.Y.
(AP) — When Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton glared at each
other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer, it seemed like a fitting
next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York
Knicks that's already featured headbutts and chokes. The teams go at
it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks’ first
trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of
their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. The Knicks and
Pacers met six times in an eight-year span starting in 1993, then
again last year when Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in
the second round.RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —
Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting
first-period goals while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net as
the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers beat the Carolina
Hurricanes 5-2 in Tuesday night’s opener of their Eastern
Conference final series. A.J. Greer added a goal by finishing off a
perfect 2-on-1 transition chance in the second period for Florida.
Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen scored in the third period.
Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake scored Carolina's lone goals in the
opener of a series that is a rematch of the 2023 Eastern final. Game
2 is Thursday night at Carolina.EAGAN, Minn. (AP) —
NFL owners unanimously approved player participation in flag football
for the 2028 Olympics at their spring meetings on Tuesday. The vote
authorized the league to negotiate safety provisions and scheduling
logistics with the NFL Players Association and relevant international
and national team governing bodies before it becomes reality during
the Summer Games in Los Angeles. No more than one player per NFL club
would be permitted. Olympic rosters will be selected by the national
committees for each country.UNDATED (AP) —
Two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Zakai
Zeigler is suing the NCAA over rules limiting him to four seasons in
a five-year window. The lawsuit argues that rule is an unlawful
restraint of trade under both federal and Tennessee laws. Zeigler
played four seasons at Tennessee before graduating in May. He helped
the Vols to consecutive Elite Eight berths. A statement from his
attorneys says Zeigler has asked for an injunction allowing him to
start preparing for next season. The lawsuit estimates that Zeigler
could earn up to $4 million by playing a fifth season.UNDATED (AP) — The
four biggest conferences in college sports are working to tie their
schools to the pending $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement and
could have drastic penalties for anyone refusing to comply. Officials
from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the
Southeastern Conference drafted a document intended to prevent their
members from using state laws to breach or subvert enforcement that
would come with the settlement. An AP source says the agreement would
bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws
are contradictory.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Former Pac-12 basketball rivals Arizona and UCLA will play each other
in the Hall of Fame Series at Intuit Dome. The game between the men’s
teams will be Nov. 14 and will honor late Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
Besides starring for the Bruins in college, his son Luke played for
the Wildcats and the elder Walton broadcast games involving both
schools. The teams most recently met in December, when UCLA won 57-54
in Phoenix. Last season, UCLA played in the first college basketball
game at Intuit Dome, beating Gonzaga 65-62.TUESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Boston	2	N.Y.
Mets	0	Final	Toronto	3	San
Diego	0	Final	Detroit	5	St.
Louis	4	Final	Milwaukee	5	Baltimore	2	Final	San
Francisco	3	Kansas City	2	AMERICAN LEAGUECleveland	at	Minnesota	1:10
p.m.	(Suspended)Cleveland	at	Minnesota	2:10
p.m.	(Postponed)Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Texas	2	Final	Tampa
Bay	3	Houston	2	Final	Chicago White
Sox	1	Seattle	0	Final	L.A.
Angels	7	Athletics	5	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	1	Cincinnati	0	Final	Washington	5	Atlanta	3	Final	Chicago
Cubs	14	Miami	1	Final	Philadelphia	7	Colorado	4	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	4	Arizona	3	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Oklahoma
City	114	Minnesota	88	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Florida	5	Carolina	2

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Softball -Game 1- Great Bend 13 Andover Central 1 -Game 2- Topeka-Seaman 7 Great Bend 6

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Softball -Game 1- Great Bend 13 Andover Central 1 -Game 2- Topeka-Seaman 7 Great Bend 6<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/puwmp1sw/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Great Bend Sports on B104 3 The Point sponsored by USD #428, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance Agency, Equity Bank, The 10th Street Eyecare Center, People's Bank and Trust, Comfort Pro, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Great Bend Rec, Edward Jones, Damm Pipe Testing, University of Kansas Health System, The Fieldhouse, Scott's Welding Service, American Plains COOP, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, Innovative Livestock Services, Marmie Auto Group, Mpire Realty, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, GB Tarp Company, Freedom Claims Management, Coldwell Banker - Megan Wells, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Nextech, Stone Sand Company/Stone Waste Management, Rosenberg Family Denistry, Sutherlands, Great Bend Redi Mix, Kern Floor Service, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, Shelter Insurance - Chris Ramsey, and Mitchell K Haney and Associates.

Larned Sports on Hits 106.9 brought to you in part by USD #495, Beckwith Mortuary, Equity Bank, Smith Dental, Eakin Concrete, Santa Fe Liquor Mart, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust in Larned, Farm Bureau Financial Services Leigh Anne Seeman, Clock Realty &amp; Insurance, Pawnee Plaza, Innovative Livestock Services, Titan Building Systems, Pawnee County COOP, Progressive Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Frick Veterinary, Services, H&amp;H Roofing, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, Fusion Bank, Doerr's Ace Hardware, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, Larned Veterinary Clinic, Heart of Kansas Family Health, Barton Community College, and Off Broadway Boutique.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695238768373.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Softball -Game 1- Buhler 2 Larned 0<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/vgweqrwb/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Larned Sports on Hits 106.9 brought to you in part by USD #495, Beckwith Mortuary, Equity Bank, Smith Dental, Eakin Concrete, Santa Fe Liquor Mart, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust in Larned, Farm Bureau Financial Services Leigh Anne Seeman, Clock Realty &amp; Insurance, Pawnee Plaza, Innovative Livestock Services, Titan Building Systems, Pawnee County COOP, Progressive Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Frick Veterinary, Services, H&amp;H Roofing, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, Fusion Bank, Doerr's Ace Hardware, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, Larned Veterinary Clinic, Heart of Kansas Family Health, Barton Community College, and Off Broadway Boutique.

Softball -Game 1- Buhler 2 Larned 0

- The Great Bend baseball Panthers begin play in the 5A Regional Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. We'll talk about their first round matchup with head coach Randy Beck.

- Great Bend Lady Panther swimming coach Jade Winter previews this weekends 5A state meet in Topeka. She'll be joined by the 6 Panther state qualifiers, Darcy Feist, Clarise Snapp, Jo Mazouch , Braylee Carper, Emma Snapp, and Meredith Mazouch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Brant Daughtry" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Brant Daughtry</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/heds-NHI8vQ?si=t1GtcW7jmsUgDWJL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- The Great Bend baseball Panthers begin play in the 5A Regional Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. We'll talk about their first round matchup with head coach Randy Beck.- Great Bend Lady Panther swimming coach Jade Winter previews this weekends 5A state meet in Topeka. She'll be joined by the 6 Panther state qualifiers, Darcy Feist, Clarise Snapp, Jo Mazouch , Braylee Carper, Emma Snapp, and Meredith Mazouch.- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Tuesday on Sports Day (Watch)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kris Bubic’s no-hit bid for the Kansas City Royals ended with an official scoring change Monday night.

The left-hander hardly let that bother him.

Bubic made a run at an historic homecoming before settling for seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kris Bubic’s no-hit bid for the Kansas City Royals ended with an official scoring change Monday night.The left-hander hardly let that bother him.Bubic made a run at an historic homecoming before settling for seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.“I knew it was happening, but I wasn’t nervous about it,” Bubic said. “I wasn’t really thinking about it. In my head I was just thinking, hey, keep attacking guys. Keep getting ahead of guys."Bubic initially got through six innings without allowing a hit — only to have an error charged to Royals second baseman Michael Massey changed to a single before the start of the seventh.With two outs in the sixth, Wilmer Flores hit a grounder toward second base. Massey moved to his left and was in position to make the play but slipped to the ground at the edge of the grass as the ball rolled past him into the outfield.The play was initially ruled an error by official scorer Michael Duca, and Bubic then struck out Jung Hoo Lee to end the inning.But moments later, after reviewing video, Duca changed his call to a base hit for Flores.Casey Schmitt’s clean double down the left-field line with one out in the seventh was the only other hit off Bubic (5-2). He struck out five, walked three and lowered his ERA to 1.47.That’s the second-lowest mark for a Royals pitcher through his first 10 starts of a season. Zack Greinke was at 0.84 in 2009, when he won the AL Cy Young Award.Vinnie Pasquantino, who hit a two-run homer off reliever Tyler Rogers (2-2) to break a scoreless tie in the eighth, raved about Bubic.“Hitters getting to first base, talking about how frustrating it is facing him,” Pasquantino said. “That’s what you’re looking for. He was ridiculous again tonight.”In his past four starts, Bubic has permitted one run over 25 1/3 innings.This outing came in the ballpark where Bubic grew up rooting for the Giants. He went to Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose and then to college at Stanford.“I’ve probably sat in every area in this ballpark,” he said.The 27-year-old Bubic estimated he had 30-40 family members and friends in attendance.“You always want to do well in front of them. It makes life a little easier for everybody,” Bubic joked.He referenced the fact that he had made two previous starts at Oracle Park, including when he pitched six scoreless innings in a 3-1 loss on April 9, 2023. Bubic said that experience kept away the jitters Monday.“I treated this like any other game,” he explained. “It’s cool to be able to pitch in front of friends and family and I’m glad they got to see a win.”Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and was strictly a reliever in 27 appearances last season.He made one start with a longer no-hit bid: On Aug. 21, 2021, Bubic threw six hitless innings against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.After a weather delay, he allowed a walk and then a home run to Patrick Wisdom. Bubic gave up just that one hit over 6 1/3 innings in the Royals’ 4-2 win.