By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

As the calendar turns to June, that means the summer
tradition of Hays Larks baseball is here.

The Larks open the 2024 campaign in Dodge City Tuesday before returning home for a rematch the following night. 

The Larks will play 36 games this
summer with 23 of them in the friendly confines of Larks Park.

Frank Leo begins his 42nd season as the Larks manager and
said he’s looking forward to the new team and season.

“I love the challenge of putting a team together and trying
to get them together as a team as quick as you can, particularly this season
with the World Series starting a week earlier it’s going to be bam, bam, bam.”
Leo said.

This year's squad boasts a mix of returning veterans from last year's team that finished 39-8 as well as some exciting newcomers. 

Injuries have ended the season of a couple of key position players before the season even started. Notably absent are standout outfielder
Damian Ruiz, who set a Larks single-season record for runs scored and stolen
bases last summer. Also missing is catcher Dylan LaRue, the younger brother of former
Larks standout Tyler LaRue. Both will miss the season due to injuries in the last month of their collegiate season.

Despite the setbacks, Leo feels this year’s squad will be
similar to last year's team which stole 152 bases in 46 games.

”We’re going to be guys who can run the bases. We had some
guys with 20 or better stolen bases (in college this spring).” Leo said. “Of
course, you have to get on base to make it happen, but I think the speed game
will be prevalent.” &nbsp;

Leo will once again be joined buy longtime assistant Keith Harper who will begin his 20th season as
Larks pitching coach,. The two are dealing with injuries to the pitching staff. 

Normally
they would carry 14 pitchers on the roster but will start the 2024 campaign
with only 11.

“What you’re going to get is young arms that are going need
some work in the summertime.” Leo said. “You’ve got to kind of develop your
staff. You’re hoping that when you get them in here, get them on the mound, fix
them a little bit and kind of piece games together.” Leo said.

The Larks were counting on returners Ben Baker-Livingston and
Kam Walton to lead the pitching staff this summer but both are out with labrum injuries.

Click <a href="https://hayslarks.org/roster/">here</a> for the 2024 Larks roster.

This will mark the Larks fifth season in the Rocky Mountain Baseball
League. They’ve won the league title in each of the previous four seasons. The
RMBL will have a slightly different look this summer. Liberal and Dodge City
are back for a second season. The Western Nebraska Pioneers, who played a league
schedule last summer, are now fully-fledged member. The Fort Collins Foxes are
also returning under new management.

Admission to Larks games will again be free this season thanks
to local businesses. Among the highlights are First Responders Night, Military Appreciation Night, Larkstoberfest, Educators Night and Stand Up 2 Cancer
Night.

Click <a href="https://hayslarks.org/schedule/">here</a> for the full schedule and game information.

The NBC World Series is scheduled for July 25-August 3 at Eck
Stadium in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717183089670.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostAs the calendar turns to June, that means the summer
tradition of Hays Larks baseball is here.The Larks open the 2024 campaign in Dodge City Tuesday before returning home for a rematch the following night. The Larks will play 36 games this
summer with 23 of them in the friendly confines of Larks Park.Frank Leo begins his 42nd season as the Larks manager and
said he’s looking forward to the new team and season.“I love the challenge of putting a team together and trying
to get them together as a team as quick as you can, particularly this season
with the World Series starting a week earlier it’s going to be bam, bam, bam.”
Leo said.This year's squad boasts a mix of returning veterans from last year's team that finished 39-8 as well as some exciting newcomers. Injuries have ended the season of a couple of key position players before the season even started. Notably absent are standout outfielder
Damian Ruiz, who set a Larks single-season record for runs scored and stolen
bases last summer. Also missing is catcher Dylan LaRue, the younger brother of former
Larks standout Tyler LaRue. Both will miss the season due to injuries in the last month of their collegiate season.Despite the setbacks, Leo feels this year’s squad will be
similar to last year's team which stole 152 bases in 46 games.”We’re going to be guys who can run the bases. We had some
guys with 20 or better stolen bases (in college this spring).” Leo said. “Of
course, you have to get on base to make it happen, but I think the speed game
will be prevalent.” &nbsp;Leo will once again be joined buy longtime assistant Keith Harper who will begin his 20th season as
Larks pitching coach,. The two are dealing with injuries to the pitching staff. Normally
they would carry 14 pitchers on the roster but will start the 2024 campaign
with only 11.“What you’re going to get is young arms that are going need
some work in the summertime.” Leo said. “You’ve got to kind of develop your
staff. You’re hoping that when you get them in here, get them on the mound, fix
them a little bit and kind of piece games together.” Leo said.The Larks were counting on returners Ben Baker-Livingston and
Kam Walton to lead the pitching staff this summer but both are out with labrum injuries.Click <a href="https://hayslarks.org/roster/">here</a> for the 2024 Larks roster.This will mark the Larks fifth season in the Rocky Mountain Baseball
League. They’ve won the league title in each of the previous four seasons. The
RMBL will have a slightly different look this summer. Liberal and Dodge City
are back for a second season. The Western Nebraska Pioneers, who played a league
schedule last summer, are now fully-fledged member. The Fort Collins Foxes are
also returning under new management.Admission to Larks games will again be free this season thanks
to local businesses. Among the highlights are First Responders Night, Military Appreciation Night, Larkstoberfest, Educators Night and Stand Up 2 Cancer
Night.Click <a href="https://hayslarks.org/schedule/">here</a> for the full schedule and game information.The NBC World Series is scheduled for July 25-August 3 at Eck
Stadium in Wichita.

⚾ Hays Larks open 2024 season with new faces, familiar goals

After hitting .538 with two home runs, two doubles, three
RBI’s and five runs scored, Tennessee sophomore and former Hays High Indians
Dylan Dreiling was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Knoxville Regional.


His efforts helped the top overall seed Tennessee Volunteers to their fourth
straight Super Regional.

Over the three game regional Dreiling finished 7-for-13 with
four extra base hits.

Dreiling was one of six Volunteers named to the All-Regional
team.

Tennessee will host either East Carolina or Evansville in next
weekend’s Super Regional. Those two teams play their regional finale Monday.

Hays PostAfter hitting .538 with two home runs, two doubles, three
RBI’s and five runs scored, Tennessee sophomore and former Hays High Indians
Dylan Dreiling was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Knoxville Regional.
His efforts helped the top overall seed Tennessee Volunteers to their fourth
straight Super Regional.Over the three game regional Dreiling finished 7-for-13 with
four extra base hits.Dreiling was one of six Volunteers named to the All-Regional
team.Tennessee will host either East Carolina or Evansville in next
weekend’s Super Regional. Those two teams play their regional finale Monday.

⚾ Hays native Dylan Dreiling named Regional’s Most Outstanding Player

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

John Linn's 35 years in education allowed him to serve in a number of roles and in several schools across Kansas, and all the while, he never lost the competitive fire and desire to be a coach.

When the head girls' basketball coach position at Thomas More-Prep Marian became available, he knew the time was right to return to coaching.

“When this opportunity came around this year, ‘I was like,
you know,’ I really want to get back into coaching again, and what a great
opportunity to do it,” Linn said. “I know most of the girls. I got to have them in the class. I know how competitive they are, so the timing was perfect.”

Linn, who serves as the TMP business teacher, takes over
after the school elected not to retain Rose McFarland after 12 seasons.

After finishing the season with no seniors, Linn says he
will lean on the five seniors who will be a part of the program next year as
they look to increase their numbers. 

“I look forward to them being great leaders for underclassmen
and being those people who continue to build upon the program and maybe
getting more girls excited about coming in and joining our program and building up
those numbers,” Linn said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717440334876.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostJohn Linn's 35 years in education allowed him to serve in a number of roles and in several schools across Kansas, and all the while, he never lost the competitive fire and desire to be a coach.When the head girls' basketball coach position at Thomas More-Prep Marian became available, he knew the time was right to return to coaching.“When this opportunity came around this year, ‘I was like,
you know,’ I really want to get back into coaching again, and what a great
opportunity to do it,” Linn said. “I know most of the girls. I got to have them in the class. I know how competitive they are, so the timing was perfect.”Linn, who serves as the TMP business teacher, takes over
after the school elected not to retain Rose McFarland after 12 seasons.TMP finished 11-12 last season. After finishing the season with no seniors, Linn says he
will lean on the five seniors who will be a part of the program next year as
they look to increase their numbers. “I look forward to them being great leaders for underclassmen
and being those people who continue to build upon the program and maybe
getting more girls excited about coming in and joining our program and building up
those numbers,” Linn said.You can here more from Linn below.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1836560880&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/6-3-2024-john-linn" title="6-3-2024 - John Linn" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">6-3-2024 - John Linn</a></div></div>

🏀 John Linn named TMP-Marian girls basketball coach

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former Fort Hays State Softball standout and FHSU Tiger Sports Hall of Fame member Maddie Holub has been selected for induction into the MIAA Hall of Fame on Monday, June 3, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. The induction will be part of the annual MIAA Awards Ceremony presented by Husch Blackwell that evening at the Kansas City Music Hall. A native of Hays, Kan., Holub is the most decorated player in FHSU Softball's NCAA Division II history, putting up mind-blowing accomplishments during her four-year career as a Tiger, especially her senior year of 2013.

A snapshot of Holub's accomplishments include All-America First Team honors in 2013 as a pitcher by both the NFCA and Daktronics, the 2013 Daktronics Central Region Pitcher of the Year, the first-ever player to be named both the MIAA Pitcher of the Year and MIAA Player of the Year for the same season in 2013, an all-region performer three of her four years, a five-time All-MIAA selection, and seven career no-hitters as a pitcher.

Holub is part of a class of 11 individuals that will be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame this year. She will be the first athlete from FHSU to go into the MIAA Hall of Fame, as the school's history with the conference started in 2006-07.

MIAA Hall of Fame Induction Class Jackie Bishop - Missouri Western Softball, Nate Dreiling – Pittsburg State Football, David Fisher – Missouri Southern Baseball, Jennifer Harris – Washburn Women's Basketball, Maddie Holub – Fort Hays State Softball, Jerry Hughes – Central Missouri Administrator, Russ Jewett – Pittsburg State Cross Country/Track and Field Coach, Andy Vogelsberg - Emporia State Track and Field, Kasey Waterman – Missouri Western Football. Legacy – Dani Fronabarger Robinson – Pittsburg State Women's Basketball.

First-Ever MIAA Pitcher and Player of the Year The 2013 season was a special year for Tiger Softball as the program won a record 47 games on its way to the No. 1 seed in the Central Region of the NCAA Tournament. Maddie Holub was an absolute force of nature in her senior campaign, so much that coaches voted her both the MIAA Pitcher of the Year and MIAA Player of the Year, a first for the conference in softball that still has not been repeated to this day. Holub was among the nation's elite on both sides of the ball, one of the most dominant pitchers in the country as evidenced by a pair of All-America First Team selections at the position, but among the best with a bat in her hands as well with numbers good enough to be an All-America caliber hitter. It was a rare occasion where it was hard to nominate her for honors on just one side of the ball, and coaches made that clear by honoring her with both titles. She was the MIAA Pitcher of the Week seven times that season and nabbed Hitter of the Week honors once as well, while also earning NFCA National Pitcher of the Week honors twice in 2013 and even once the season before.

A Senior Season for the Ages Here was the Holub senior season stat line in 2013… Pitching – 1.03 ERA, 29-4 record, 345 strikeouts in 224 innings pitched, 6 no-hitters, 2 perfect games, 26 complete games, 13 shutouts, 3 saves, .129 opponent batting average for the season.

Hitting - .426 batting average, 19 home runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 56 RBIs, 62 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, .841 slugging percentage, .516 on-base percentage.

Career Stat Line Pitching – 1.97 ERA, 974 strikeouts in 727.2 innings pitched, 77 wins, 93 complete games, 25 shutouts, 7 no-hitters, 7 saves, .189 opponent batting average.

Hitting - .372 batting average, 255 hits, 46 home runs, 42 doubles, 7 triples, 160 RBIs, 183 runs scored, 35 stolen bases.

7 Career No-Hitters, 6 as a Senior – Including Back-to-Back Perfect Games After throwing her first career no-hitter as a junior in 2012 at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo., Holub took her dominance in the pitching circle to the next level as a senior. She threw an MIAA record six no-hitters in 2013, including a pair in the MIAA Tournament that helped FHSU to the conference tournament title and the No. 1 seed and ranking in the Central Region.

Truman was the first victim that season on March 29 in Kirksville, Mo. Holub produced a nine-strikeout performance with just one walk allowed and one hit batter. The Tigers won the game 1-0, thanks to Holub helping her own cause with a solo homer in the third.

Holub went through probably her most dominant stretch in the circle as a Tiger in early April, when she put together a string of performances that is stuff of legend. The build up to accomplishing something no other pitcher had ever done in NCAA history started on Friday, April 5, 2013 when Holub went toe-to-toe with Jackie Bishop of Missouri Western (also going into the MIAA Hall of Fame this year) in an all-out pitcher's duel in Hays. It wasn't one of Holub's no-hitter performances of the season, but rather an all-out test of endurance in the pitching circle. Neither pitcher blinked through nine innings as FHSU and MWSU were scoreless in the first contest of a doubleheader. With two extra innings already in the books, MIAA rules at the time placed runners at second from the 10th inning onward in games not decided by playing straight up through nine innings. MWSU broke through by scoring their free runner in the 10th, but FHSU matched it on a key two-out hit in the bottom of the 10th. Holub held MWSU from scoring the next two innings and FHSU ended the epic battle with a run in the bottom of the 12th. Why mention this game…because Holub would start her claim to a piece to NCAA history the next day, on the heels of throwing a 12-inning complete game with a school-record 17 strikeouts on 195 pitches.

Most pitchers would probably be fatigued from throwing a 12-inning complete game a day prior, but Holub found yet another gear on Saturday, April 6, 2013, when Northwest Missouri State came to Hays. She mowed through the first six NWMSU batters, all by strikeout. She struck out two batters in both the third and fourth innings, only interrupted by foul pop ups for outs in each frame. In the bottom of the fourth, like her no-hitter earlier in the season at Truman, Holub helped her own cause by driving it FHSU's only run of the game with a double. In the fifth, she punched out three more batters to reach 13 for the game. The first ball put in play in fair territory for NWMSU occurred in the sixth on a weak ground out to first base, then Holub punched out two more to reach 15. NWMSU started the seventh with another infield pop up, then Holub put the finishing touches on her first career perfect game with two more strikeouts to match her school record, set just the day before, with 17 again. She did not allow a ball out of the infield the entire game.

With one perfect game in hand, Holub's next start came against Missouri Southern the following week in Hays on April 12, 2013. The magic returned to Tiger Stadium as Holub had the stadium buzzing once again with nine strikeouts through her first 12 batters faced. FHSU picked up its first run in the fourth and then tacked on four more in the sixth to give Holub more breathing room this time. She helped in the four-run sixth by blasting a two-run homer and then went on to complete a second-straight perfect game, striking out the final batter of the game for a 14-strikeout performance in a 5-0 FHSU win. With that, she became the first player in NCAA history (any NCAA level) to throw perfect games in back-to-back starts.

The following weekend on the road, Holub notched her fourth no-hitter of the season in a 7-0 win at Southwest Baptist (4/20/13), nearly perfect again as she unfortunately hit one batter with two outs in the third inning. She retired the final 13 batters of that game and finished with 13 strikeouts. She nearly had back-to-back no-hitters for the second time of the season the following day, only to see her no-hit bid at Central Missouri spoiled on a hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. She allowed just one walk and one hit in a 12-strikeout performance at UCM.

After garnering MIAA Pitcher and Player of the Year honors, Holub backed it up by tossing two no-hitters in the MIAA Tournament in early May. She blanked Pittsburg State in an 8-0 win for her fifth no-hitter of the season in the opening round with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of a run-rule abbreviated game, pitching through cold and misty/sleeting conditions. She returned the following day to throw a 2-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts against Missouri Western, then vaulted the Tigers into the championship with a five-strikeout no-hitter against conference regular-season champ Central Oklahoma. FHSU went on to claim the tournament title against Emporia State and the No. 1 seed in the Central Region of the NCAA Tournament.

Following the magical run of 2013, Holub still owns the MIAA record for most no-hitters in a season (6) and for a career (7).

An impressive note from within the stretch where Holub threw perfect games in consecutive starts, she threw 21 consecutive no-hit innings overall. The run consisted of holding Missouri Western hitless in the final two innings of that 12-inning win on April 5, then threw the 7-inning perfect game and the final two innings of game two against Northwest Missouri State on April 6. She threw the second 7-inning perfect game in her start against Missouri Southern on April 12 and then held Pittsburg State hitless for the first three innings of her start on April 13.

Holub was very close to throwing eight no-hitters in 2013, allowing just one hit in two other complete-game performances. She allowed just two hits in six of her other complete games of 2013.

Big Numbers at the Plate Holub had 95 extra-base hits in her career at FHSU, producing a career slugging percentage of .655. She recorded at least 50 hits all four of her seasons at FHSU, including 70 or more as a freshman and senior. She hit over .300 in all four years and over .400 her senior year. Holub drove in at least 30 runs in three of four seasons and 50 or more in two seasons. She hit at least eight home runs all four seasons and at least 10 her final two seasons. In 2013, she had the game-winning RBI in five of FHSU's wins by one run, helping her own pitching cause in all five. On the day she threw her first perfect game (April 6), she picked up a win in two innings of relief in game two and delivered the walk-off RBI single in an extra-inning victory for FHSU.

Walk Off in the 2013 NCAA Regional In the 2013 NCAA Central Regional hosted in Hays at Tiger Stadium, Holub produced the final storybook moment in her collegiate career when she hit a walk-off 3-run home run against Minot State. Holub fanned 12 batters in her pitching performance in the circle through seven innings, then with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a 2-2 game, launched the first pitch she saw over the left field wall to send the Tigers into the region championship game. It was the final win for the Tigers that magical season.

34 Records Set at FHSU By the end of her four-year playing career at FHSU, Holub owned 34 school records (19 pitching and 15 hitting) for career, season, and single-game combined and still owns a good majority of those records today. In just 2013 alone, Holub broke 12 single-season marks at FHSU which included appearances, wins, winning percentage, fewest hits allowed per innings pitched, strikeouts, and lowest ERA as a pitcher, along with runs scored, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, and walks as a batter.

Impressive in the Classroom Holub was not only well decorated for her accomplishments on the field, but also in the classroom. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection in 2013. Holub was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, a four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete, a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, and a three-time recipient of the NFCA Scholar-Athlete award. In 2013, she was a finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award and an FHSU Torch Award nominee for her outstanding student academics and leadership.

Perfect in Her First Start as a Pro Holub took the opportunity to play professionally in Italy her first year removed from collegiate softball. She threw a perfect game in her first professional pitching start in 2014 with Labadini Collecchio and went on to throw a second no-hitter and post an 0.74 ERA that season.

Continuing Her Career in Softball Following her professional stint in Italy, Holub became an assistant coach for former FHSU head coach Erin Kinberger at St. Leo University in Florida. She was an assistant at St. Leo for four years before moving on to the Pitching Coach role at Marshall University from 2018-2023 under head coach Megan Smith Lyon. In the summer of 2023, Megan Smith Lyon became head coach at the University of North Carolina and Holub joined her as the Pitching Coach there, where she is in her first year with the Tar Heels.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717419859242.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former Fort Hays State Softball standout and FHSU Tiger Sports Hall of Fame member Maddie Holub has been selected for induction into the MIAA Hall of Fame on Monday, June 3, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. The induction will be part of the annual MIAA Awards Ceremony presented by Husch Blackwell that evening at the Kansas City Music Hall. A native of Hays, Kan., Holub is the most decorated player in FHSU Softball's NCAA Division II history, putting up mind-blowing accomplishments during her four-year career as a Tiger, especially her senior year of 2013.A snapshot of Holub's accomplishments include All-America First Team honors in 2013 as a pitcher by both the NFCA and Daktronics, the 2013 Daktronics Central Region Pitcher of the Year, the first-ever player to be named both the MIAA Pitcher of the Year and MIAA Player of the Year for the same season in 2013, an all-region performer three of her four years, a five-time All-MIAA selection, and seven career no-hitters as a pitcher.Holub is part of a class of 11 individuals that will be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame this year. She will be the first athlete from FHSU to go into the MIAA Hall of Fame, as the school's history with the conference started in 2006-07.MIAA Hall of Fame Induction Class Jackie Bishop - Missouri Western Softball, Nate Dreiling – Pittsburg State Football, David Fisher – Missouri Southern Baseball, Jennifer Harris – Washburn Women's Basketball, Maddie Holub – Fort Hays State Softball, Jerry Hughes – Central Missouri Administrator, Russ Jewett – Pittsburg State Cross Country/Track and Field Coach, Andy Vogelsberg - Emporia State Track and Field, Kasey Waterman – Missouri Western Football. Legacy – Dani Fronabarger Robinson – Pittsburg State Women's Basketball.First-Ever MIAA Pitcher and Player of the Year The 2013 season was a special year for Tiger Softball as the program won a record 47 games on its way to the No. 1 seed in the Central Region of the NCAA Tournament. Maddie Holub was an absolute force of nature in her senior campaign, so much that coaches voted her both the MIAA Pitcher of the Year and MIAA Player of the Year, a first for the conference in softball that still has not been repeated to this day. Holub was among the nation's elite on both sides of the ball, one of the most dominant pitchers in the country as evidenced by a pair of All-America First Team selections at the position, but among the best with a bat in her hands as well with numbers good enough to be an All-America caliber hitter. It was a rare occasion where it was hard to nominate her for honors on just one side of the ball, and coaches made that clear by honoring her with both titles. She was the MIAA Pitcher of the Week seven times that season and nabbed Hitter of the Week honors once as well, while also earning NFCA National Pitcher of the Week honors twice in 2013 and even once the season before.A Senior Season for the Ages Here was the Holub senior season stat line in 2013… Pitching – 1.03 ERA, 29-4 record, 345 strikeouts in 224 innings pitched, 6 no-hitters, 2 perfect games, 26 complete games, 13 shutouts, 3 saves, .129 opponent batting average for the season.Hitting - .426 batting average, 19 home runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 56 RBIs, 62 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, .841 slugging percentage, .516 on-base percentage.Career Stat Line Pitching – 1.97 ERA, 974 strikeouts in 727.2 innings pitched, 77 wins, 93 complete games, 25 shutouts, 7 no-hitters, 7 saves, .189 opponent batting average.Hitting - .372 batting average, 255 hits, 46 home runs, 42 doubles, 7 triples, 160 RBIs, 183 runs scored, 35 stolen bases.7 Career No-Hitters, 6 as a Senior – Including Back-to-Back Perfect Games After throwing her first career no-hitter as a junior in 2012 at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo., Holub took her dominance in the pitching circle to the next level as a senior. She threw an MIAA record six no-hitters in 2013, including a pair in the MIAA Tournament that helped FHSU to the conference tournament title and the No. 1 seed and ranking in the Central Region.Truman was the first victim that season on March 29 in Kirksville, Mo. Holub produced a nine-strikeout performance with just one walk allowed and one hit batter. The Tigers won the game 1-0, thanks to Holub helping her own cause with a solo homer in the third.Holub went through probably her most dominant stretch in the circle as a Tiger in early April, when she put together a string of performances that is stuff of legend. The build up to accomplishing something no other pitcher had ever done in NCAA history started on Friday, April 5, 2013 when Holub went toe-to-toe with Jackie Bishop of Missouri Western (also going into the MIAA Hall of Fame this year) in an all-out pitcher's duel in Hays. It wasn't one of Holub's no-hitter performances of the season, but rather an all-out test of endurance in the pitching circle. Neither pitcher blinked through nine innings as FHSU and MWSU were scoreless in the first contest of a doubleheader. With two extra innings already in the books, MIAA rules at the time placed runners at second from the 10th inning onward in games not decided by playing straight up through nine innings. MWSU broke through by scoring their free runner in the 10th, but FHSU matched it on a key two-out hit in the bottom of the 10th. Holub held MWSU from scoring the next two innings and FHSU ended the epic battle with a run in the bottom of the 12th. Why mention this game…because Holub would start her claim to a piece to NCAA history the next day, on the heels of throwing a 12-inning complete game with a school-record 17 strikeouts on 195 pitches.Most pitchers would probably be fatigued from throwing a 12-inning complete game a day prior, but Holub found yet another gear on Saturday, April 6, 2013, when Northwest Missouri State came to Hays. She mowed through the first six NWMSU batters, all by strikeout. She struck out two batters in both the third and fourth innings, only interrupted by foul pop ups for outs in each frame. In the bottom of the fourth, like her no-hitter earlier in the season at Truman, Holub helped her own cause by driving it FHSU's only run of the game with a double. In the fifth, she punched out three more batters to reach 13 for the game. The first ball put in play in fair territory for NWMSU occurred in the sixth on a weak ground out to first base, then Holub punched out two more to reach 15. NWMSU started the seventh with another infield pop up, then Holub put the finishing touches on her first career perfect game with two more strikeouts to match her school record, set just the day before, with 17 again. She did not allow a ball out of the infield the entire game.With one perfect game in hand, Holub's next start came against Missouri Southern the following week in Hays on April 12, 2013. The magic returned to Tiger Stadium as Holub had the stadium buzzing once again with nine strikeouts through her first 12 batters faced. FHSU picked up its first run in the fourth and then tacked on four more in the sixth to give Holub more breathing room this time. She helped in the four-run sixth by blasting a two-run homer and then went on to complete a second-straight perfect game, striking out the final batter of the game for a 14-strikeout performance in a 5-0 FHSU win. With that, she became the first player in NCAA history (any NCAA level) to throw perfect games in back-to-back starts.The following weekend on the road, Holub notched her fourth no-hitter of the season in a 7-0 win at Southwest Baptist (4/20/13), nearly perfect again as she unfortunately hit one batter with two outs in the third inning. She retired the final 13 batters of that game and finished with 13 strikeouts. She nearly had back-to-back no-hitters for the second time of the season the following day, only to see her no-hit bid at Central Missouri spoiled on a hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. She allowed just one walk and one hit in a 12-strikeout performance at UCM.After garnering MIAA Pitcher and Player of the Year honors, Holub backed it up by tossing two no-hitters in the MIAA Tournament in early May. She blanked Pittsburg State in an 8-0 win for her fifth no-hitter of the season in the opening round with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of a run-rule abbreviated game, pitching through cold and misty/sleeting conditions. She returned the following day to throw a 2-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts against Missouri Western, then vaulted the Tigers into the championship with a five-strikeout no-hitter against conference regular-season champ Central Oklahoma. FHSU went on to claim the tournament title against Emporia State and the No. 1 seed in the Central Region of the NCAA Tournament.Following the magical run of 2013, Holub still owns the MIAA record for most no-hitters in a season (6) and for a career (7).An impressive note from within the stretch where Holub threw perfect games in consecutive starts, she threw 21 consecutive no-hit innings overall. The run consisted of holding Missouri Western hitless in the final two innings of that 12-inning win on April 5, then threw the 7-inning perfect game and the final two innings of game two against Northwest Missouri State on April 6. She threw the second 7-inning perfect game in her start against Missouri Southern on April 12 and then held Pittsburg State hitless for the first three innings of her start on April 13.Holub was very close to throwing eight no-hitters in 2013, allowing just one hit in two other complete-game performances. She allowed just two hits in six of her other complete games of 2013.Big Numbers at the Plate Holub had 95 extra-base hits in her career at FHSU, producing a career slugging percentage of .655. She recorded at least 50 hits all four of her seasons at FHSU, including 70 or more as a freshman and senior. She hit over .300 in all four years and over .400 her senior year. Holub drove in at least 30 runs in three of four seasons and 50 or more in two seasons. She hit at least eight home runs all four seasons and at least 10 her final two seasons. In 2013, she had the game-winning RBI in five of FHSU's wins by one run, helping her own pitching cause in all five. On the day she threw her first perfect game (April 6), she picked up a win in two innings of relief in game two and delivered the walk-off RBI single in an extra-inning victory for FHSU.Walk Off in the 2013 NCAA Regional In the 2013 NCAA Central Regional hosted in Hays at Tiger Stadium, Holub produced the final storybook moment in her collegiate career when she hit a walk-off 3-run home run against Minot State. Holub fanned 12 batters in her pitching performance in the circle through seven innings, then with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a 2-2 game, launched the first pitch she saw over the left field wall to send the Tigers into the region championship game. It was the final win for the Tigers that magical season.34 Records Set at FHSU By the end of her four-year playing career at FHSU, Holub owned 34 school records (19 pitching and 15 hitting) for career, season, and single-game combined and still owns a good majority of those records today. In just 2013 alone, Holub broke 12 single-season marks at FHSU which included appearances, wins, winning percentage, fewest hits allowed per innings pitched, strikeouts, and lowest ERA as a pitcher, along with runs scored, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, and walks as a batter.Impressive in the Classroom Holub was not only well decorated for her accomplishments on the field, but also in the classroom. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection in 2013. Holub was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, a four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete, a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, and a three-time recipient of the NFCA Scholar-Athlete award. In 2013, she was a finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award and an FHSU Torch Award nominee for her outstanding student academics and leadership.Perfect in Her First Start as a Pro Holub took the opportunity to play professionally in Italy her first year removed from collegiate softball. She threw a perfect game in her first professional pitching start in 2014 with Labadini Collecchio and went on to throw a second no-hitter and post an 0.74 ERA that season.Continuing Her Career in Softball Following her professional stint in Italy, Holub became an assistant coach for former FHSU head coach Erin Kinberger at St. Leo University in Florida. She was an assistant at St. Leo for four years before moving on to the Pitching Coach role at Marshall University from 2018-2023 under head coach Megan Smith Lyon. In the summer of 2023, Megan Smith Lyon became head coach at the University of North Carolina and Holub joined her as the Pitching Coach there, where she is in her first year with the Tar Heels.

🥎Maddie Holub to be Inducted into MIAA Hall of Fame

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin hit a walk-off sacrifice fly, Nelson Velázquez hit two RBIs and the Kansas City Royals defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Sunday.

Loftin's sacrifice fly came after Velázquez pinch-hit a game-tying, two-run triple with no outs in the ninth. Velázquez finished the series with four RBIs.

“It is a huge win; we had to battle all weekend against a good team,” Loftin said. “It is big to get this win before we go into a big series this week. In that last at-bat, I just wanted to get a pitch up, something I could handle. I got to pitch up, and I was able to do enough.”

The Padres won the series, but Kansas City avoided the sweep. The Royals have not been swept this season and ended a three-game skid.

Cole Ragans allowed one run on five hits in six innings with six strikeouts and two walks. It was the ninth time this season Ragans had six or more strikeouts in an outing this season. Will Klein (1-0) earned his first-career win with a scoreless ninth inning.

“It felt great. I thought I commanded my stuff today," Ragans said. “I don’t think I changed anything. Just sticking to the process and going out there and executing that is the biggest thing. In late innings, we put together good bats. These guys are relentless. It is so fun to watch and be a part of.”

Vinnie Pasquantino hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead. It was his fifth RBI of the series.

Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an RBI single in the eighth to give the Padres a 2-1 lead. Manny Machado followed up with an RBI single. This season, San Diego has scored 121 runs in the eighth inning, more than any other inning. Luis Arraez tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth.

Michael King pitched seven innings of one-run ball on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was the fourth time this year that King had pitched seven or more innings. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos tossed a scoreless eighth. Yuki Matsui (3-1) was tabbed with the loss.

“That’s a good team, let’s not kid ourselves," San Diego manager Mike Shildt said. “They do a heck of a job, and it was a good series, and credit to them for Friday night’s comeback because they compromised their bullpen. They got us at the end today.”

The series featured the hit leaders in the National and American leagues. Arraez recorded six hits in the series, extending an eight-game hitting streak. Bobby Witt Jr. had five hits in the series. Arraez leads the majors in the category.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (left foot fracture) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 1. Wacha was struck by a comebacker on the fourth pitch of his start on Friday night.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/padres-royals-score-0a330acde8416b9e8accdb9c1dcb026d">He stayed in the game</a>&nbsp;and pitched 5 1/3 innings. Daniel Lynch IV was recalled from Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move.

Royals: Kyle Isbel (nonconcussive head and neck injury) left the game in the fifth inning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746301/video/cole-ragans-in-play-no-out-to-jose-azocar">after a collision with Witt</a>&nbsp;in centerfield. Isbel had to exit in the seventh inning on May 24 after fouling a ball off his face.

Padres:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746301/video/cole-ragans-in-play-run-s-to-luis-arraez">Arraez exited the game</a>&nbsp;in the sixth inning after getting called out after a headfirst slide into second on an RBI single to end the inning. He was looked at by trainers in the middle of the inning but stayed in before being replaced in the next inning. After the game, Shildt said the substitution was just a precaution.

“He jammed his shoulder on that play at second base and a little bit of his neck," Shildt said. "Nothing looks overly serious, just a precaution to take him out. Things are as positive as they can be right after the game.”

The Padres will head to Anaheim for another interleague series with the Angles starting Monday. Matt Waldron (3-5, 4.26 ERA) will take the mound for San Diego. Kansas City travels to Cleveland for a three-game road trip. Seth Lugo (9-1, 1.72) will open the series for the Royals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717365505784.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin hit a walk-off sacrifice fly, Nelson Velázquez hit two RBIs and the Kansas City Royals defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Sunday.Loftin's sacrifice fly came after Velázquez pinch-hit a game-tying, two-run triple with no outs in the ninth. Velázquez finished the series with four RBIs.“It is a huge win; we had to battle all weekend against a good team,” Loftin said. “It is big to get this win before we go into a big series this week. In that last at-bat, I just wanted to get a pitch up, something I could handle. I got to pitch up, and I was able to do enough.”The Padres won the series, but Kansas City avoided the sweep. The Royals have not been swept this season and ended a three-game skid.Cole Ragans allowed one run on five hits in six innings with six strikeouts and two walks. It was the ninth time this season Ragans had six or more strikeouts in an outing this season. Will Klein (1-0) earned his first-career win with a scoreless ninth inning.“It felt great. I thought I commanded my stuff today," Ragans said. “I don’t think I changed anything. Just sticking to the process and going out there and executing that is the biggest thing. In late innings, we put together good bats. These guys are relentless. It is so fun to watch and be a part of.”Vinnie Pasquantino hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead. It was his fifth RBI of the series.Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an RBI single in the eighth to give the Padres a 2-1 lead. Manny Machado followed up with an RBI single. This season, San Diego has scored 121 runs in the eighth inning, more than any other inning. Luis Arraez tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth.Michael King pitched seven innings of one-run ball on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was the fourth time this year that King had pitched seven or more innings. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos tossed a scoreless eighth. Yuki Matsui (3-1) was tabbed with the loss.“That’s a good team, let’s not kid ourselves," San Diego manager Mike Shildt said. “They do a heck of a job, and it was a good series, and credit to them for Friday night’s comeback because they compromised their bullpen. They got us at the end today.”HITS, HITS, HITSThe series featured the hit leaders in the National and American leagues. Arraez recorded six hits in the series, extending an eight-game hitting streak. Bobby Witt Jr. had five hits in the series. Arraez leads the majors in the category.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: RHP Michael Wacha (left foot fracture) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 1. Wacha was struck by a comebacker on the fourth pitch of his start on Friday night.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/padres-royals-score-0a330acde8416b9e8accdb9c1dcb026d">He stayed in the game</a>&nbsp;and pitched 5 1/3 innings. Daniel Lynch IV was recalled from Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Kyle Isbel (nonconcussive head and neck injury) left the game in the fifth inning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746301/video/cole-ragans-in-play-no-out-to-jose-azocar">after a collision with Witt</a>&nbsp;in centerfield. Isbel had to exit in the seventh inning on May 24 after fouling a ball off his face.Padres:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/746301/video/cole-ragans-in-play-run-s-to-luis-arraez">Arraez exited the game</a>&nbsp;in the sixth inning after getting called out after a headfirst slide into second on an RBI single to end the inning. He was looked at by trainers in the middle of the inning but stayed in before being replaced in the next inning. After the game, Shildt said the substitution was just a precaution.“He jammed his shoulder on that play at second base and a little bit of his neck," Shildt said. "Nothing looks overly serious, just a precaution to take him out. Things are as positive as they can be right after the game.”UP NEXTThe Padres will head to Anaheim for another interleague series with the Angles starting Monday. Matt Waldron (3-5, 4.26 ERA) will take the mound for San Diego. Kansas City travels to Cleveland for a three-game road trip. Seth Lugo (9-1, 1.72) will open the series for the Royals.

⚾️ Nick Loftin lifts Royals over Padres in a walk-off win

Sunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

Sunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ha-Seong Kim hit a go-ahead three-run double, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Higashioka homered and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Saturday.

Randy Vásquez (1-3) started after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/padres-yu-darvish-joe-musgrove-injured-list-bab334b52c06d354d6d0fe7c0832f935">Joe Musgrove was scratched</a>&nbsp;hours before the first pitch with right elbow inflammation and went five innings, allowing three runs and four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

With the Padres trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning, Kim cleared cleared the bases with a double to left field off Royals starter Alec Marsh (4-3).

Marsh gave up five earned runs and seven hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out three.

Tatis Jr. hit a solo homer in the top of the first to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. But Vinnie Pasquantino, who went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning to put the Royals ahead.

Pasquantino had another chance to get Kansas City closer in the seventh when he came up with two outs and the bases loaded, but Jeremiah Estrada struck him out.

Higashioka homered in the top of the ninth for his second of the season.

The Padres will look for their first sweep of the season Sunday, while the Royals will try to avoid being swept for the first time this year.

Padres: Placed RHPs Musgrove and Yu Darvish (left groin strain) on the 15-day injured list and recalled Vásquez and RHP Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A El Paso.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717284217439.jpeg" alt="San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim hits a three-run double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim hits a three-run double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ha-Seong Kim hit a go-ahead three-run double, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Higashioka homered and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Saturday.Randy Vásquez (1-3) started after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/padres-yu-darvish-joe-musgrove-injured-list-bab334b52c06d354d6d0fe7c0832f935">Joe Musgrove was scratched</a>&nbsp;hours before the first pitch with right elbow inflammation and went five innings, allowing three runs and four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.With the Padres trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning, Kim cleared cleared the bases with a double to left field off Royals starter Alec Marsh (4-3).Marsh gave up five earned runs and seven hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out three.Tatis Jr. hit a solo homer in the top of the first to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. But Vinnie Pasquantino, who went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning to put the Royals ahead.Pasquantino had another chance to get Kansas City closer in the seventh when he came up with two outs and the bases loaded, but Jeremiah Estrada struck him out.Higashioka homered in the top of the ninth for his second of the season.The Padres will look for their first sweep of the season Sunday, while the Royals will try to avoid being swept for the first time this year.ROSTER MOVESPadres: Placed RHPs Musgrove and Yu Darvish (left groin strain) on the 15-day injured list and recalled Vásquez and RHP Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A El Paso.UP NEXT

⚾️ Kim's 3-run double helps lead Padres past Royals

Saturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pm

Saturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jake Cronenworth drove in three runs in a nine-run eighth inning, Luis Arraez had four hits and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 11-8 on Friday night.

Cronenworth hit a two-run single in the eighth to give the Padres a 4-3 lead and added an RBI double to make it 11-3. He leads San Diego with 38 RBIs. Luis Arraez had his fifth four-hit game of the season.

“That was amazing,” Arraez said. “When we put the ball in play, good things happen, so we just need to continue to do that so we can win a lot of games."

San Diego took command in the eighth inning, getting seven straight singles before the Royals recorded an out. The Padres totaled 18 hits in the game and had 10 singles and 11 total hits in the eighth inning, a club record for an inning.

“That eighth inning was pretty special and you don’t see many of them,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We just put together professional at-bats throughout, so it was pretty exciting. The approach was good we were just taking what the game gave us. It was a great inning and we got contributions from all.”

Yuki Matsui (3-0) got the victory with a scoreless seventh.

Dylan Cease gave up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Cease made his 16th career start against the Royals, which is his most against any club in his career. He also added to his strikeout total against Kansas City, eclipsing 104 strikeouts, the most against one opponent.

“I think my outing was good enough to keep us in it, but it wasn’t very dominant," Cease said. “I am not thrilled with it, but I am happy we got the win, and the offense picked it up.”

Michael Wacha pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. It was his lowest strikeout total of the season and the fewest since June 19, 2023, while with San Diego. John Schreiber (3-1) gave up three runs in the eighth.

Nelson Velázquez hit a solo home run in Kansas City's five-run ninth.

“That’s the nature of baseball," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I wish we could explain the ins and outs of why, but a lot of it has to do with these guys never quitting. When their back is against the wall they know they have to go and keep fighting.”

San Diego reliever Jeremiah Estrada entered the game in the sixth inning, holding a major league record of 13 straight consecutive strikeouts, which came to an end on an intentional walk to Salvador Perez. The record dated to the Expansion Era in 1961 when play-by-play data was available and was broken by Jose Alvarado with 11 straight in 2023.

Royals: LHP Daniel Lynch IV was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the game on Thursday. In the corresponding move, the Royals recalled RHP Will Klein.

Padres: RHP Yu Darvish (left hamstring tightness) remained in San Diego to receive treatment after an early exit in his last start due to the hamstring tightness on Wednesday against Miami. No move has been made.

Joe Musgrove (3-4, 5.66 ERA) was set to start for San Diego on Saturday against Alec Marsh (4-2, 3.24 ERA).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717212665259.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a fly ball for the out on San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 31, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a fly ball for the out on San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 31, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jake Cronenworth drove in three runs in a nine-run eighth inning, Luis Arraez had four hits and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 11-8 on Friday night.Cronenworth hit a two-run single in the eighth to give the Padres a 4-3 lead and added an RBI double to make it 11-3. He leads San Diego with 38 RBIs. Luis Arraez had his fifth four-hit game of the season.“That was amazing,” Arraez said. “When we put the ball in play, good things happen, so we just need to continue to do that so we can win a lot of games."San Diego took command in the eighth inning, getting seven straight singles before the Royals recorded an out. The Padres totaled 18 hits in the game and had 10 singles and 11 total hits in the eighth inning, a club record for an inning.“That eighth inning was pretty special and you don’t see many of them,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We just put together professional at-bats throughout, so it was pretty exciting. The approach was good we were just taking what the game gave us. It was a great inning and we got contributions from all.”Yuki Matsui (3-0) got the victory with a scoreless seventh.Dylan Cease gave up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Cease made his 16th career start against the Royals, which is his most against any club in his career. He also added to his strikeout total against Kansas City, eclipsing 104 strikeouts, the most against one opponent.“I think my outing was good enough to keep us in it, but it wasn’t very dominant," Cease said. “I am not thrilled with it, but I am happy we got the win, and the offense picked it up.”Michael Wacha pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. It was his lowest strikeout total of the season and the fewest since June 19, 2023, while with San Diego. John Schreiber (3-1) gave up three runs in the eighth.Nelson Velázquez hit a solo home run in Kansas City's five-run ninth.“That’s the nature of baseball," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I wish we could explain the ins and outs of why, but a lot of it has to do with these guys never quitting. When their back is against the wall they know they have to go and keep fighting.”K STREAK ENDSSan Diego reliever Jeremiah Estrada entered the game in the sixth inning, holding a major league record of 13 straight consecutive strikeouts, which came to an end on an intentional walk to Salvador Perez. The record dated to the Expansion Era in 1961 when play-by-play data was available and was broken by Jose Alvarado with 11 straight in 2023.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: LHP Daniel Lynch IV was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the game on Thursday. In the corresponding move, the Royals recalled RHP Will Klein.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: RHP Yu Darvish (left hamstring tightness) remained in San Diego to receive treatment after an early exit in his last start due to the hamstring tightness on Wednesday against Miami. No move has been made.UP NEXTJoe Musgrove (3-4, 5.66 ERA) was set to start for San Diego on Saturday against Alec Marsh (4-2, 3.24 ERA).

⚾️ Cronenworth drives in 3 runs in 9-run 8th, Padres beat Royals

Friday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pm

Friday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pmSaturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers homered twice and Carlos Correa added a two-out, bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.

Reliever Chris Stratton (2-3) allowed pinch-hitter Max Kepler's RBI single and walked two batters to load the bases with two outs.

Correa lifted a 3-1 fastball down the right-field line to break a 4-4 tie. It was Correa's second triple of the season.

Jeffers’ first home run of the game, a two-run blast into the left-field bullpen in the bottom of the fourth, cut the Royals’ 4-0 lead in half. Jeffers, who leads the Twins with 12 home runs, had gone 5 for 43 since his previous homer on May 14.

Reliever Caleb Thielbar (2-1) got the win for the Twins, who took three of four in the series.

Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez each homered for Kansas City. Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV allowed two earned runs in five innings just hours after being called up from Triple-A Omaha.

Scheduled Kansas City starter Brady Singer was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-brady-singer-fdf2252d58ab6afb3e253495bbe20999">scratched</a>&nbsp;because of illness shortly before the 12:10 p.m. game. Lynch allowed five hits, including both Jeffers home runs, and struck out two in his second big-league start this season.

Back in the lineup two days after a first-base collision with Byron Buxton, Pasquantino smashed a 1-0 curveball into the second deck of right-field seats to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. added another run with a double to left-center field in the third, and Melendez homered off Twins starter Chris Paddack in the fourth inning over the right-field fence to make it 4-0.

Witt added a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth, but Twins closer Jhoan Duran retired Pasquantino on a grounder to the mound to earn his ninth save.

Paddack allowed four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Twins.

Royals: Optioned Carlos Hernández to Triple-A Omaha to make room on the roster for Lynch.

Royals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (4-5, 4.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease (5-4, 3.29) in the first of a three-game series in Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717102088823.jpeg" alt="Twins' Ryan Jeffers runs the bases on his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Twins' Ryan Jeffers runs the bases on his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers homered twice and Carlos Correa added a two-out, bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.Reliever Chris Stratton (2-3) allowed pinch-hitter Max Kepler's RBI single and walked two batters to load the bases with two outs.Correa lifted a 3-1 fastball down the right-field line to break a 4-4 tie. It was Correa's second triple of the season.Jeffers’ first home run of the game, a two-run blast into the left-field bullpen in the bottom of the fourth, cut the Royals’ 4-0 lead in half. Jeffers, who leads the Twins with 12 home runs, had gone 5 for 43 since his previous homer on May 14.Reliever Caleb Thielbar (2-1) got the win for the Twins, who took three of four in the series.Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez each homered for Kansas City. Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV allowed two earned runs in five innings just hours after being called up from Triple-A Omaha.Scheduled Kansas City starter Brady Singer was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-brady-singer-fdf2252d58ab6afb3e253495bbe20999">scratched</a>&nbsp;because of illness shortly before the 12:10 p.m. game. Lynch allowed five hits, including both Jeffers home runs, and struck out two in his second big-league start this season.Back in the lineup two days after a first-base collision with Byron Buxton, Pasquantino smashed a 1-0 curveball into the second deck of right-field seats to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. added another run with a double to left-center field in the third, and Melendez homered off Twins starter Chris Paddack in the fourth inning over the right-field fence to make it 4-0.Witt added a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth, but Twins closer Jhoan Duran retired Pasquantino on a grounder to the mound to earn his ninth save.Paddack allowed four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Twins.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: Optioned Carlos Hernández to Triple-A Omaha to make room on the roster for Lynch.UP NEXTRoyals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (4-5, 4.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease (5-4, 3.29) in the first of a three-game series in Kansas City.

⚾️ Ryan Jeffers homers twice as Twins rally for victory over Royals

Thursday, May 30
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30am

Thursday, May 30
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amFriday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pmSaturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

By BOYCE DURR FHSU University Communications

 Hayden Albright, a standout sprinter on the Fort Hays State University men’s track and field team, recently crossed the commencement stage, donning his cap and gown. Albright earned his bachelor's degree in&nbsp;Information Networking and Telecommunications, with a concentration in&nbsp;Cybersecurity. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Albright’s academic journey.

While many of his peers are venturing into the workforce, Albright has chosen a different path. He will return to FHSU after graduation to pursue a&nbsp;Masters of Professional Studies in Information Assurance Management while also completing his final year of eligibility for both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Hailing from Kingman, Albright’s college experience has included many challenges and triumphs. Despite the demands of his rigorous academic program, he maintained an impressive&nbsp;GPA of 3.78.

Beyond the classroom, Albright has achieved much success on the FHSU track team. His accolades include being a&nbsp;4-time All-American, earning honors in the indoor 400 meters in 2023, as well as being a member of the indoor distance medley relay team in 2024 and the outdoor 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams in 2021. Albright is also a 2-time MIAA Champion and a&nbsp;7-time All-MIAA&nbsp;athlete.

“Hayden’s story is uniquely inspirational, one I’ll share with high school and college athletes in the future,” said Kelly Meyer, FHSU online admissions advisor and assistant track and field sprints coach. “Hayden joined our team as a walk-on, but consistently gave his best every day. Because of his hard work and dedication, he continued to develop.”

“Of course, now, he's a 4x All-American and a key leader on our team,” Meyer said. “I'm so proud of the student, athlete, and person he has become.” &nbsp;

Albright credits much of his growth and success as an athlete to the FHSU athletics department and the great coaches he has worked with.

“My sprints coach, Kelly Meyer, has been a huge part of my life in Hays,” Albright said. “She was like having a second mom here at FHSU.”

Albright’s academic achievements include the&nbsp;CSC Academic All-District&nbsp;distinction in 2023. Additionally, he received the&nbsp;USTFCCCA All-Academic Award&nbsp;three times, the&nbsp;MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;five times, was named to the&nbsp;MIAA Academic Honor Roll&nbsp;on five occasions, and received the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award twice. His commitment to both athletics and academics exemplifies the well-rounded student-athlete.

Albright also credits his professors and instructors in the Informatics Department as key to his academic success.

“Kevin Shaffer (Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Informatics) was always willing to help; he has helped me out a lot,” Albright said. “He has helped me both in class and with choosing classes to make sure I got everything I needed.”

As Albright embarks on his post-graduation journey, he recognizes that hard work is the key to success.

“Sometimes,&nbsp;the only way to be successful was to put my head down, work hard, and make sacrifices,” Albright said. “This meant not hanging out with friends sometimes so that I could achieve my desired grade or put more work into track. However, I still had plenty of chances to have fun with friends and enjoy college.”

Hayden Albright’s story serves as an inspiration to all aspiring graduates. To paraphrase his own beliefs, dedication and perseverance pave the way to achievement, whether on the track or in the classroom.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716543712093.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Hayden Albright. Photo courtesy FHSU" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Hayden Albright. Photo courtesy FHSU</figcaption>
 </figure>By BOYCE DURR FHSU University Communications Hayden Albright, a standout sprinter on the Fort Hays State University men’s track and field team, recently crossed the commencement stage, donning his cap and gown. Albright earned his bachelor's degree in&nbsp;Information Networking and Telecommunications, with a concentration in&nbsp;Cybersecurity. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Albright’s academic journey.While many of his peers are venturing into the workforce, Albright has chosen a different path. He will return to FHSU after graduation to pursue a&nbsp;Masters of Professional Studies in Information Assurance Management while also completing his final year of eligibility for both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.Hailing from Kingman, Albright’s college experience has included many challenges and triumphs. Despite the demands of his rigorous academic program, he maintained an impressive&nbsp;GPA of 3.78.Beyond the classroom, Albright has achieved much success on the FHSU track team. His accolades include being a&nbsp;4-time All-American, earning honors in the indoor 400 meters in 2023, as well as being a member of the indoor distance medley relay team in 2024 and the outdoor 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams in 2021. Albright is also a 2-time MIAA Champion and a&nbsp;7-time All-MIAA&nbsp;athlete.“Hayden’s story is uniquely inspirational, one I’ll share with high school and college athletes in the future,” said Kelly Meyer, FHSU online admissions advisor and assistant track and field sprints coach. “Hayden joined our team as a walk-on, but consistently gave his best every day. Because of his hard work and dedication, he continued to develop.”“Of course, now, he's a 4x All-American and a key leader on our team,” Meyer said. “I'm so proud of the student, athlete, and person he has become.” &nbsp;Albright credits much of his growth and success as an athlete to the FHSU athletics department and the great coaches he has worked with.“My sprints coach, Kelly Meyer, has been a huge part of my life in Hays,” Albright said. “She was like having a second mom here at FHSU.”Albright’s academic achievements include the&nbsp;CSC Academic All-District&nbsp;distinction in 2023. Additionally, he received the&nbsp;USTFCCCA All-Academic Award&nbsp;three times, the&nbsp;MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;five times, was named to the&nbsp;MIAA Academic Honor Roll&nbsp;on five occasions, and received the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award twice. His commitment to both athletics and academics exemplifies the well-rounded student-athlete.Albright also credits his professors and instructors in the Informatics Department as key to his academic success.“Kevin Shaffer (Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Informatics) was always willing to help; he has helped me out a lot,” Albright said. “He has helped me both in class and with choosing classes to make sure I got everything I needed.”As Albright embarks on his post-graduation journey, he recognizes that hard work is the key to success.“Sometimes,&nbsp;the only way to be successful was to put my head down, work hard, and make sacrifices,” Albright said. “This meant not hanging out with friends sometimes so that I could achieve my desired grade or put more work into track. However, I still had plenty of chances to have fun with friends and enjoy college.”Hayden Albright’s story serves as an inspiration to all aspiring graduates. To paraphrase his own beliefs, dedication and perseverance pave the way to achievement, whether on the track or in the classroom.&nbsp;

FHSU men’s track and field standout sprinter graduates with honors

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Velázquez homered twice, Salvador Perez hit his team-leading 10th homer of the season and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game skid with a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.

Velázquez’s first homer came in Kansas City’s four-run third inning. After Minnesota jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the Royals countered with four runs off Twins starter Bailey Ober.

Perez drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left, and Veláquez knocked in Perez two batters later with a two-run shot to center for a 4-1 lead.

Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and Veláquez followed with his seventh homer of the season to give the Royals a 6-1 lead.

That was plenty of run support for Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (9-1), who earned his fourth win in as many starts. Lugo allowed one run on six hits in six innings, with his career-best ninth win.

It was the second time this season the Royals roughed up Ober (5-3). The Twins' right-hander also surrendered three homers and eight total runs against Kansas City in his first start of the season on March 31.

Ober allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings on Wednesday.

The victory helped Kansas City avoid what would have been a season-high, four-game losing streak. The Royals have lost three straight games three times this season.

Twins third baseman Jose Miranda drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field. It was the third straight game in the series that Miranda had the first RBI of the game. He homered in the third inning of Monday’s series opener for a 2-0 lead, and had a two-run single to open the scoring in Tuesday’s win.

Kansas City will send RHP Brady Singer (4-2, 2.70 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Singer allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts. Minnesota counters with RHP Chris Paddack (4-2, 4.39), who earned no-decisions in his previous two outings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717035916046.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Velázquez homered twice, Salvador Perez hit his team-leading 10th homer of the season and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game skid with a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.Velázquez’s first homer came in Kansas City’s four-run third inning. After Minnesota jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the Royals countered with four runs off Twins starter Bailey Ober.Perez drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left, and Veláquez knocked in Perez two batters later with a two-run shot to center for a 4-1 lead.Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and Veláquez followed with his seventh homer of the season to give the Royals a 6-1 lead.That was plenty of run support for Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (9-1), who earned his fourth win in as many starts. Lugo allowed one run on six hits in six innings, with his career-best ninth win.It was the second time this season the Royals roughed up Ober (5-3). The Twins' right-hander also surrendered three homers and eight total runs against Kansas City in his first start of the season on March 31.Ober allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings on Wednesday.The victory helped Kansas City avoid what would have been a season-high, four-game losing streak. The Royals have lost three straight games three times this season.Twins third baseman Jose Miranda drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field. It was the third straight game in the series that Miranda had the first RBI of the game. He homered in the third inning of Monday’s series opener for a 2-0 lead, and had a two-run single to open the scoring in Tuesday’s win.UP NEXTKansas City will send RHP Brady Singer (4-2, 2.70 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Singer allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts. Minnesota counters with RHP Chris Paddack (4-2, 4.39), who earned no-decisions in his previous two outings.___

⚾️ Velázquez hits 2 HRs as Royals snap skid with win over Twins

Wednesday, May 29
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pm

Wednesday, May 29
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pm Thursday, May 30
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amFriday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pmSaturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first win in eight starts, Jose Miranda drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Minnesota, winners of six of their last seven games, got two hits apiece from Manuel Margot, Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana.

Jhoan Duran allowed the first two hitters he faced in the ninth to reach base, but helped by Christian Vazquez throwing out a runner trying to steal second, he didn't allow a run and earned his ninth save.

Kansas City tied a season-low with five hits to lose its third straight after winning eight in a row. The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 16 at Target Field.

Woods Richardson (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings for his first win since April 13.

He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts, and only once did he receive more than two runs of support. His 2.70 ERA is third among rookies with at least 35 innings pitched, trailing Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (0.84) and Luis Gil of the Yankees (2.11).

After cruising through four innings, Woods Richardson found trouble in the fifth. Nick Loftin walked, advanced to third on Hunter Renfroe's double, and scored on Garrett Hampson's single. Kyle Isbel's groundout plated Renfroe to make it 3-2.

Cole Ragans (4-4), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning last Wednesday, struggled early for Kansas City but got through five innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.

The left-hander gave up hits to Minnesota’s first two batters: Margot singled and Carlos Correa doubled. Both scored on Miranda's single to end Ragans' 13-inning scoreless streak.

Back-to-back doubles by Vazquez and Margot made it 3-0 in the fourth.

Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game in the third inning with a lower left leg contusion after fully extending to catch a high throw from 3B Maikel Garcia. He is considered day to day.

Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Diego Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul, RHP Justin Toba was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’s been out since March 25 with left patellar tendinitis.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first win in eight starts, Jose Miranda drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.Minnesota, winners of six of their last seven games, got two hits apiece from Manuel Margot, Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana.Jhoan Duran allowed the first two hitters he faced in the ninth to reach base, but helped by Christian Vazquez throwing out a runner trying to steal second, he didn't allow a run and earned his ninth save.Kansas City tied a season-low with five hits to lose its third straight after winning eight in a row. The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 16 at Target Field.Woods Richardson (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings for his first win since April 13.He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts, and only once did he receive more than two runs of support. His 2.70 ERA is third among rookies with at least 35 innings pitched, trailing Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (0.84) and Luis Gil of the Yankees (2.11).After cruising through four innings, Woods Richardson found trouble in the fifth. Nick Loftin walked, advanced to third on Hunter Renfroe's double, and scored on Garrett Hampson's single. Kyle Isbel's groundout plated Renfroe to make it 3-2.Cole Ragans (4-4), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning last Wednesday, struggled early for Kansas City but got through five innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.The left-hander gave up hits to Minnesota’s first two batters: Margot singled and Carlos Correa doubled. Both scored on Miranda's single to end Ragans' 13-inning scoreless streak.Back-to-back doubles by Vazquez and Margot made it 3-0 in the fourth.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game in the third inning with a lower left leg contusion after fully extending to catch a high throw from 3B Maikel Garcia. He is considered day to day.Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Diego Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul, RHP Justin Toba was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’s been out since March 25 with left patellar tendinitis.UP NEXT

⚾️ Woods Richardson gets first win in 8 starts as Twins top Royals

By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">Western Athletic Conference</a>

By the middle of April, while many Western Athletic Conference schools were yet to play most of their conference baseball games, the Hays Indians had already wrapped up their 8-game slate.

With that timetable came an early 8-0 record that allowed the Indians to repeat their 2023 WAC championship and then focus on non-conference games the final month of the short spring season.

It was by plan that Hays baseball coach Dustin Dreher scheduled all the WAC games early.

“We played Dodge City on April 16, and it was just their second and third WAC games and it was our seventh and eighth,” Dreher said. “I think I wanted to get us into some three-game tournaments that would replicate what state might be like.”

The early celebration for the WAC title may have been tempered by an extremely tough non-conference schedule as the Indians went 8-10 against those teams. Still, Dreher wouldn’t change his schedule.

“It gave us a chance to see what some of our players could do, work on our pitching rotation and see who could play in different positions,” Dreher said.&nbsp;

One of his top players was his nephew, Nolan Dreher, a pitcher, and first baseman Lex Lummus. Both are seniors and were named to the WAC all-conference first team.

“One of our goals was to win WAC and we wanted to get that early and it just was fortunate to work out by design,” Dreher said. “This team was built on pitching, defense and speed. The pitching and defense certainly got us several wins.”

Dreher sometimes described his offense as scoring runs using “small ball.” That is getting runners on, stealing bases, bunting runners over.

“We just found a way to scrape around some runs and that was our biggest challenge,” said Dreher, whose team averaged 5.58 runs per game while limiting the opposition to just 2.85 runs a game. “We wanted to play the best teams in the state with the remainder of our schedule because you have to play the best if you want to be the best.”

Dreher said facing some of the top pitchers in the WAC early prepared the Indians for the tough schedule later.

“I think we saw everybody’s No. 1 pitcher when we played them in the WAC,” Dreher said. “That’s the caliber of pitcher we saw a lot of the rest of the season.”

Part of that non-conference schedule included three-day tournaments in DeSoto, Bonner Springs and one hosted by the Indians.

“All of these are set up to give us an opportunity to evaluate how we might schedule our pitchers if we make it to state,” Dreher said.

A pair of juniors earned second-team all-WAC this year in Jonathan Cano (utility) and Carter Graham, who pitched and played third base.

Dreher said he had to move some players around to new positions from the 2023 team. He will welcome back 10 seniors for the 2025 season, so things certainly appear bright for the Indians.

Joining Dreher and Lummus on the all-WAC first team was J. Brooks Kappelman, the Liberal pitcher-shortstop who repeated as WAC Player of the Year.

Liberal’s other first team selection was pitcher/outfielder Zayden Martinez while WAC runner-up Great Bend led the way with three selections – pitcher/outfielder Carson Umphres, first baseman Ian Premer and utility player Trenton Kern.

Other first team selections included Remmington Miller of Dodge City (pitcher/second baseman); and Culden Plankenhorn of Garden City (catcher/third baseman).

J. Brooks Kappelman, Liberal, Sr., Player of the Year

Perhaps the best way to explain how effective Brooks Kappelman has been as a pitcher for the Liberal Redskins is to look at his earned-run-average.

This year, despite a modest 4-3 won-loss record (the Redskins were 3-5 in the WAC), Kappelman’s ERA was an impressive 1.34. He recorded 77 strikes against just 14 walks

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716979788177.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">Western Athletic Conference</a>By the middle of April, while many Western Athletic Conference schools were yet to play most of their conference baseball games, the Hays Indians had already wrapped up their 8-game slate.With that timetable came an early 8-0 record that allowed the Indians to repeat their 2023 WAC championship and then focus on non-conference games the final month of the short spring season.It was by plan that Hays baseball coach Dustin Dreher scheduled all the WAC games early.“We played Dodge City on April 16, and it was just their second and third WAC games and it was our seventh and eighth,” Dreher said. “I think I wanted to get us into some three-game tournaments that would replicate what state might be like.”The early celebration for the WAC title may have been tempered by an extremely tough non-conference schedule as the Indians went 8-10 against those teams. Still, Dreher wouldn’t change his schedule.“It gave us a chance to see what some of our players could do, work on our pitching rotation and see who could play in different positions,” Dreher said.&nbsp;One of his top players was his nephew, Nolan Dreher, a pitcher, and first baseman Lex Lummus. Both are seniors and were named to the WAC all-conference first team.“One of our goals was to win WAC and we wanted to get that early and it just was fortunate to work out by design,” Dreher said. “This team was built on pitching, defense and speed. The pitching and defense certainly got us several wins.”Dreher sometimes described his offense as scoring runs using “small ball.” That is getting runners on, stealing bases, bunting runners over.“We just found a way to scrape around some runs and that was our biggest challenge,” said Dreher, whose team averaged 5.58 runs per game while limiting the opposition to just 2.85 runs a game. “We wanted to play the best teams in the state with the remainder of our schedule because you have to play the best if you want to be the best.”Dreher said facing some of the top pitchers in the WAC early prepared the Indians for the tough schedule later.“I think we saw everybody’s No. 1 pitcher when we played them in the WAC,” Dreher said. “That’s the caliber of pitcher we saw a lot of the rest of the season.”Part of that non-conference schedule included three-day tournaments in DeSoto, Bonner Springs and one hosted by the Indians.“All of these are set up to give us an opportunity to evaluate how we might schedule our pitchers if we make it to state,” Dreher said.A pair of juniors earned second-team all-WAC this year in Jonathan Cano (utility) and Carter Graham, who pitched and played third base.Dreher said he had to move some players around to new positions from the 2023 team. He will welcome back 10 seniors for the 2025 season, so things certainly appear bright for the Indians.Joining Dreher and Lummus on the all-WAC first team was J. Brooks Kappelman, the Liberal pitcher-shortstop who repeated as WAC Player of the Year.Liberal’s other first team selection was pitcher/outfielder Zayden Martinez while WAC runner-up Great Bend led the way with three selections – pitcher/outfielder Carson Umphres, first baseman Ian Premer and utility player Trenton Kern.Other first team selections included Remmington Miller of Dodge City (pitcher/second baseman); and Culden Plankenhorn of Garden City (catcher/third baseman).<h2>J. Brooks Kappelman, Liberal, Sr., Player of the Year</h2>Perhaps the best way to explain how effective Brooks Kappelman has been as a pitcher for the Liberal Redskins is to look at his earned-run-average.This year, despite a modest 4-3 won-loss record (the Redskins were 3-5 in the WAC), Kappelman’s ERA was an impressive 1.34. He recorded 77 strikes against just 14 walks“I think the game slowed down more for me and I was able to just play,” said Kappelman, who earned his second consecutive WAC Player of the Year honor by the conference’s coaches. “It just seemed easier to make the right decisions and I was a lot smarter about getting the right pitch to throw and was more patient.”Kappelman said he worked more on better locating his fastball, which averages between 86 and 88 mph, but did hit 90 mph on a few occasions.“I just was able to spot in better places, keeping it low and away from hitters,” Kappelman said.&nbsp;While also throwing a curve ball, and an occasional change-up, Kappelman said he relies on the fastball as his go-to pitch.When he was not on the mound, he was playing shortstop for the Redskins and he displayed his offensive skills throughout his senior campaign.HIs batting average was a lofty .465 and he recorded 7 doubles and 6 triples with 23 RBIs in 23 games. He scored 28 runs and had 9 stolen bases.“I worked on not swinging at so many curve balls and just the mental side of hitting improved for me,” Kappelman said. “I did a better job of waiting for my own pitch.”In the field, Kappelman said he felt he improved his range to run down balls both to his left and right.“I was able to get to a lot more balls,” he said. “We had a really good first baseman, so I knew I just throw it there and he’d scoop it up.”Kappelman won two WAC awards in his final high school year, having been named the Football Player of the Year in the fall at quarterback to lead the Redskins to their best season in many years.However, he will dispatch the helmet and pads and continue his baseball career at hometown Seward County Community College. He hopes to pitch and also play some in the field for the Saints.Reaching this stage of his baseball career had Kappelman recalling his first exposure to the game&nbsp; when he was just 3 years old and playing on his older brother’s T-Ball team. He also served as the bat boy for the Semi-Pro Liberal BeeJays in the summer.“I’ve just been around the game all my life,” said Kappelman, whose father, Brock, is the sports director at a local radio station and long-time voice of the Redskins and Saints.Academically, Kappelman said he has not made up his mind but has interests in education and finance, perhaps leaning toward teaching and coaching.WAC Baseball Standings TEAM&nbsp; WAC OVERALL 1. Hays 8-0&nbsp; 16-10 2. Great Bend&nbsp; 6-2&nbsp; 18-9 T3. Dodge City&nbsp; 3-5&nbsp; 9-16 T3. Liberal&nbsp; 3-5&nbsp; 13-11 5. Garden City&nbsp; 0-8&nbsp; 7-12FIRST TEAM ALL WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POSITION - SCHOOL J. Brooks Kappelmann&nbsp; - Sr. - P/SS - Liberal Carson Umphres - Jr. - P/OF - Great Bend Remmington Miller - Sr. - P/2B - Dodge City Nolan Dreher - Sr. - P - Hays Ian Premer - So. - 1B - Great Bend Trenton Kern - So. - UTL - Great Bend Zayden Martinez - Sr. - P/OF - Liberal Culden Plankenhorn - So. - C/3B - Garden City Lex Lummus - Sr. - 1B - Hays Player of the Year: J. Brooks Kappelmann, Liberal Coach of the Year: Dustin Dreher, HaysSECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POSITION - SHCOOL JJ Grove - So. - SS - Great Bend Arec Mendoza - Sr. - P/3B - Dodge City Ethan Gomez - Jr. - INF - Garden City Koehn Ribordy - So. - P/OF - Great Bend Chase McGraw - Sr. - P/SS - Garden City Jonathan Cano - Jr. - UTL - Hays Daxton Minton - So. - UTL - Great Bend Marco Alonso - Jr. - 1B - Liberal Carter Graham - Jr. - P/3B - Hays