KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women's Soccer was picked third in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Friday (Aug. 16). The Tigers tied for third in the MIAA regular season standings last year and went on to make an NCAA Tournament appearance for the second-straight year.

Fort Hays State is coming off a 13-5-3 overall record in 2023. The Tigers have put together a strong 24-8-10 (.690) combined record over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/coaches/tyson-john/1307">Tyson John</a>'s first two seasons guiding the program. FHSU has seven of its 10 All-MIAA selections from the 2023 returning, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/emily-hutchings/8088">Emily Hutchings</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/sullivan-kelly/8090">Sullivan Kelly</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/allison-worley/8102">Allison Worley</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/ryan-mccabe/8096">Ryan McCabe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/montserrat-diaz/8081">Montserrat Diaz</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/kintzli-wagner/8099">Kintzli Wagner</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/megan-wiman/8101">Megan Wiman</a>. Hutchings, Kelly, and Worley also received all-region honors.

Washburn, the 2023 MIAA regular season champion and national runner-up, was picked as the favorite this year with nine first-place votes. Central Missouri finished second in the standings last year and is picked in the same spot this year. The Jennies received three first-place votes in the poll.

The conference features 13 teams this year with Pittsburg State entering its inaugural year of women's soccer. The Tigers will play a 12-match conference schedule with one against each school.

2024 MIAA WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1.&nbsp;Washburn [9] – 137 points 2. Central Missouri [3]&nbsp;– 131 points 3. Fort Hays State&nbsp;– 112 points 4. Northwest Missouri&nbsp;– 99 points 5. Emporia State&nbsp;– 98 points 6. Missouri Western [1]&nbsp;– 86 points 7. Central Oklahoma&nbsp;– 82 points 8. Northeastern State&nbsp;– 77 points 9. Rogers State&nbsp;– 58 points 10. Nebraska Kearney&nbsp;– 46 points 11. Pittsburg State&nbsp;– 39 points 12. Newman&nbsp;– 29 points 13. Missouri Southern&nbsp;– 20 points&nbsp; [#] - Number of First-Place Votes&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723833918329.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women's Soccer was picked third in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Friday (Aug. 16). The Tigers tied for third in the MIAA regular season standings last year and went on to make an NCAA Tournament appearance for the second-straight year.Fort Hays State is coming off a 13-5-3 overall record in 2023. The Tigers have put together a strong 24-8-10 (.690) combined record over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/coaches/tyson-john/1307">Tyson John</a>'s first two seasons guiding the program. FHSU has seven of its 10 All-MIAA selections from the 2023 returning, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/emily-hutchings/8088">Emily Hutchings</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/sullivan-kelly/8090">Sullivan Kelly</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/allison-worley/8102">Allison Worley</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/ryan-mccabe/8096">Ryan McCabe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/montserrat-diaz/8081">Montserrat Diaz</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/kintzli-wagner/8099">Kintzli Wagner</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/megan-wiman/8101">Megan Wiman</a>. Hutchings, Kelly, and Worley also received all-region honors.Washburn, the 2023 MIAA regular season champion and national runner-up, was picked as the favorite this year with nine first-place votes. Central Missouri finished second in the standings last year and is picked in the same spot this year. The Jennies received three first-place votes in the poll.The conference features 13 teams this year with Pittsburg State entering its inaugural year of women's soccer. The Tigers will play a 12-match conference schedule with one against each school.2024 MIAA WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1.&nbsp;Washburn [9] – 137 points 2. Central Missouri [3]&nbsp;– 131 points 3. Fort Hays State&nbsp;– 112 points 4. Northwest Missouri&nbsp;– 99 points 5. Emporia State&nbsp;– 98 points 6. Missouri Western [1]&nbsp;– 86 points 7. Central Oklahoma&nbsp;– 82 points 8. Northeastern State&nbsp;– 77 points 9. Rogers State&nbsp;– 58 points 10. Nebraska Kearney&nbsp;– 46 points 11. Pittsburg State&nbsp;– 39 points 12. Newman&nbsp;– 29 points 13. Missouri Southern&nbsp;– 20 points&nbsp; [#] - Number of First-Place Votes&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚽ FHSU women tabbed third in MIAA preseason coaches poll

Friday, August 16
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pm

Saturday, August 17
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, 2:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pm

Sunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

Friday, August 16
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSaturday, August 17
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, 2:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs' starters are expected to play most of the first half of their preseason game against Detroit on Saturday, though it's possible Carson Wentz will get some snaps with the first-team offense, too.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced his plan for the second preseason game Thursday, shortly after the defending Super Bowl champions wrapped up the final practice of their training camp at Missouri Western State University.

Mahomes was 3 of 4 for 27 yards against Jacksonville in the Chiefs' preseason opener, helping to set up a field goal on their first possession. He typically plays into the second quarter of the second preseason game before taking the third exhibition game off ahead of the season opener, which in this case comes Sept. 5 against Baltimore.

After playing the Lions, the Chiefs will conduct the rest of camp at their training facility in Kansas City.

“I think you've been able to see the growth,” said Reid, one of the few coaches left in the NFL who prefers to take his team away for camp. “We've added a ton in the last few days up here. The guys have digested it and been able to spit it back — retain it. That has been a positive. And then maybe most of all getting yourself in football shape, kind of re-amping up to our first game.”

“We still have a couple of weeks ahead of us here ’til that all takes place,” Reid added, “but we’ll keep working on it. We're not ready yet, but we'll keep working and sharpening ourselves up to play. I appreciate the attitude the guys have had.”

Reid said right tackle Jawaan Taylor would not play against the Lions after hurting his right shoulder during Thursday's practice, which means Lucas Niang will likely replace him. Niang was expected to compete with Kingsley Suamataeia for the starting job on the left side, but Suamataeia, a second-round pick out of BYU, seized the job early and never let go.

“(Taylor) won’t go this weekend,” Reid said, “but I think he’s going to be OK.”

Reid also said he would not “force it” to get veteran left guard Joe Thuney onto the field for a preseason game. Thuney recently came off the PUP list and began to practice after a pectoral injury that caused him to miss the Super Bowl.

Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed his fourth straight practice with an illness Thursday, though Reid said he was feeling better. Safety Bryan Cook also remained out of practice for personal reasons.

The biggest missing piece, of course, remained wide receiver Marquise Brown, who sustained a sternoclavicular posterior dislocation in the Chiefs' game in Jacksonville. Brown was fortunate the shoulder injury, similar to one that caused former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill to miss four games in 2019, did not require surgery.

“We're lucky it wasn't as bad as it could have been," Mahomes said Thursday. “He's in good spirits, doing well. Getting him back going again, moving around. Obviously we lost a little bit of that veteran-type receiver in that room. We have other guys that can replace a little bit, but to have that much talent and understand what I want — but he's in that room. That's important."

Reid was noncommittal this week when asked whether Brown could be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, the Chiefs have turned to veteran Justin Watson, who knows every wide receiver position in the offense.

“Very confident in him,” Mahomes said. “A guy that knows everything, can play all three (receiver) positions, can catch and block. Those guys have to step up while (Brown) is out. We're lucky it doesn't seem like it's going to be for too long.”

Much like Reid, Mahomes came away from the three-plus weeks in St. Joseph feeling good about the work Kansas City put it as it begins pursuit of a record third consecutive Super Bowl championship.

“I thought it was a competitive camp. That was the biggest thing,” he said. “More than just standouts every day, you didn't know if the offense or defense was going to win. That's when it's a great camp. There were days the defense got after us. There were days we had the advantage. I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best thing about it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723802623928.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks Ian Book, left, Carson Wentz (11), Patrick Mahomes (15) and Chris Oladokun (13) arrive at NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks Ian Book, left, Carson Wentz (11), Patrick Mahomes (15) and Chris Oladokun (13) arrive at NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs' starters are expected to play most of the first half of their preseason game against Detroit on Saturday, though it's possible Carson Wentz will get some snaps with the first-team offense, too.Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced his plan for the second preseason game Thursday, shortly after the defending Super Bowl champions wrapped up the final practice of their training camp at Missouri Western State University.Mahomes was 3 of 4 for 27 yards against Jacksonville in the Chiefs' preseason opener, helping to set up a field goal on their first possession. He typically plays into the second quarter of the second preseason game before taking the third exhibition game off ahead of the season opener, which in this case comes Sept. 5 against Baltimore.After playing the Lions, the Chiefs will conduct the rest of camp at their training facility in Kansas City.“I think you've been able to see the growth,” said Reid, one of the few coaches left in the NFL who prefers to take his team away for camp. “We've added a ton in the last few days up here. The guys have digested it and been able to spit it back — retain it. That has been a positive. And then maybe most of all getting yourself in football shape, kind of re-amping up to our first game.”“We still have a couple of weeks ahead of us here ’til that all takes place,” Reid added, “but we’ll keep working on it. We're not ready yet, but we'll keep working and sharpening ourselves up to play. I appreciate the attitude the guys have had.”Reid said right tackle Jawaan Taylor would not play against the Lions after hurting his right shoulder during Thursday's practice, which means Lucas Niang will likely replace him. Niang was expected to compete with Kingsley Suamataeia for the starting job on the left side, but Suamataeia, a second-round pick out of BYU, seized the job early and never let go.“(Taylor) won’t go this weekend,” Reid said, “but I think he’s going to be OK.”Reid also said he would not “force it” to get veteran left guard Joe Thuney onto the field for a preseason game. Thuney recently came off the PUP list and began to practice after a pectoral injury that caused him to miss the Super Bowl.Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed his fourth straight practice with an illness Thursday, though Reid said he was feeling better. Safety Bryan Cook also remained out of practice for personal reasons.The biggest missing piece, of course, remained wide receiver Marquise Brown, who sustained a sternoclavicular posterior dislocation in the Chiefs' game in Jacksonville. Brown was fortunate the shoulder injury, similar to one that caused former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill to miss four games in 2019, did not require surgery.“We're lucky it wasn't as bad as it could have been," Mahomes said Thursday. “He's in good spirits, doing well. Getting him back going again, moving around. Obviously we lost a little bit of that veteran-type receiver in that room. We have other guys that can replace a little bit, but to have that much talent and understand what I want — but he's in that room. That's important."Reid was noncommittal this week when asked whether Brown could be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, the Chiefs have turned to veteran Justin Watson, who knows every wide receiver position in the offense.“Very confident in him,” Mahomes said. “A guy that knows everything, can play all three (receiver) positions, can catch and block. Those guys have to step up while (Brown) is out. We're lucky it doesn't seem like it's going to be for too long.”Much like Reid, Mahomes came away from the three-plus weeks in St. Joseph feeling good about the work Kansas City put it as it begins pursuit of a record third consecutive Super Bowl championship.“I thought it was a competitive camp. That was the biggest thing,” he said. “More than just standouts every day, you didn't know if the offense or defense was going to win. That's when it's a great camp. There were days the defense got after us. There were days we had the advantage. I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best thing about it.”

🏈 Chiefs' starters to play first half against Lions after breaking camp in St. Joseph

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up another year of Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph today.

Head Coach Andy Reid started out his press conference by thanking St. Joseph and the university.

"We appreciate all their hospitality, what a great job they did taking care of us," Reid tells reporters following practice. "Whether it was the people that were making our beds to the people that were cooking the food to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here, everybody was just first class and on the ball we appreciate that, makes it a lot easier when we're all pulling in the same direction."

This wraps up the 14th year of Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.

Reid says he saw a lot of growth from his team through the four weeks at Missouri Western.

"We've added a ton into the last few days up here and the guys have digested it, been able to spit it back, retain it, that's a positive," Reid says. "And then maybe most of all is getting yourself into football shape and kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens."

The Chiefs wrapped up a light 10-10-10 practice after just over an hour, welcoming veterans onto the field for Military Appreciation Day.

Entering this year's Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph at Missouri Western, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had one goal; be better than he was last season.

And as training camp wrapped up today, Mahomes feels like he's taken the steps to do that.

"I've been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball downfield, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset, but at the same time finding that right balance," Mahomes explains. "There's been days where we connected on a lot of deep passes, there's days when we missed them, but that's what this is for, is for us to try and see what we can get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody's great at, and I thought we had a great camp like I said."

Kansas City's second preseason game against Detroit is on Saturday. Pregame will be at 2 p.m. with kickoff at 3 p.m. on 96.9, KFIX.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743620442.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets ready to take a snap from center Creed Humprey during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets ready to take a snap from center Creed Humprey during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up another year of Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph today.Head Coach Andy Reid started out his press conference by thanking St. Joseph and the university."We appreciate all their hospitality, what a great job they did taking care of us," Reid tells reporters following practice. "Whether it was the people that were making our beds to the people that were cooking the food to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here, everybody was just first class and on the ball we appreciate that, makes it a lot easier when we're all pulling in the same direction."This wraps up the 14th year of Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.Reid says he saw a lot of growth from his team through the four weeks at Missouri Western."We've added a ton into the last few days up here and the guys have digested it, been able to spit it back, retain it, that's a positive," Reid says. "And then maybe most of all is getting yourself into football shape and kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743897818.jpeg" alt="Head Coach Andy Reid waves to fans as he travels down to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Head Coach Andy Reid waves to fans as he travels down to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The Chiefs wrapped up a light 10-10-10 practice after just over an hour, welcoming veterans onto the field for Military Appreciation Day.Entering this year's Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph at Missouri Western, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had one goal; be better than he was last season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743945433.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>And as training camp wrapped up today, Mahomes feels like he's taken the steps to do that."I've been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball downfield, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset, but at the same time finding that right balance," Mahomes explains. "There's been days where we connected on a lot of deep passes, there's days when we missed them, but that's what this is for, is for us to try and see what we can get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody's great at, and I thought we had a great camp like I said."Kansas City's second preseason game against Detroit is on Saturday. Pregame will be at 2 p.m. with kickoff at 3 p.m. on 96.9, KFIX.

🏈 Chiefs wrap up another training camp in St. Joseph



RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer was tabbed third in the GAC/MIAA Preseason Men's Soccer Poll, released on Thursday. The Tigers were picked where they finished in the standings a year ago. Southern Nazarene, the 2023 conference champion, was picked first receiving all six first-place votes possible since coaches cannot vote for their own team. Rogers State received the other first-place vote.

The top four finishers in last year's standings were picked in the same positions, which also includes Rogers State (second) and Northeastern State (fourth). Newman, which finished sixth last year, was tabbed fifth, while Harding was picked sixth and Ouachita Baptist was picked seventh.

Below is the GAC/MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll for 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723749345894.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer was tabbed third in the GAC/MIAA Preseason Men's Soccer Poll, released on Thursday. The Tigers were picked where they finished in the standings a year ago. Southern Nazarene, the 2023 conference champion, was picked first receiving all six first-place votes possible since coaches cannot vote for their own team. Rogers State received the other first-place vote.The top four finishers in last year's standings were picked in the same positions, which also includes Rogers State (second) and Northeastern State (fourth). Newman, which finished sixth last year, was tabbed fifth, while Harding was picked sixth and Ouachita Baptist was picked seventh.Below is the GAC/MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll for 2024.<ol>
 <li>Southern Nazarene (6), 36 pts</li><li>Rogers State (1), 31 pts</li><li>Fort Hays State, 25 pts</li><li>Northeastern State, 22 pts</li><li>Newman, 16 pts</li><li>Harding, 11 pts</li><li>Ouachita Baptist, 6 pts</li>
 </ol>

⚽ Tiger men picked third in GAC/MIAA preseason coaches poll

Thursday, August 15Friday, August 16
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSaturday, August 17
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, 2:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.

Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.

Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.

DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel's groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.

Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.

Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana's fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.

Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.

Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.

Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.

Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.

Royals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn't play.

Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday's game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City's three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.

Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723667063976.jpeg" alt="Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)" />
 <figcaption>Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel's groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana's fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn't play.Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday's game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City's three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

⚾ Witt homers as Royals beat the Twins to avoid a sweep

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The first Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph for several Chiefs rookies is coming to an end.

Many of the young players have impressed during camp as they try to survive the roster cut to 53 players coming up on August 29th.

Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi says he's been impressed with the rookies that have been thrown right into the mix, like left tackle Kingsley Suamataia.

"Playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not an easy job and he's going to go through his ups and downs, but he's coachable, the consistency with him, all the rookies really," Borgonzi tells reporters following practice.

Borgonzi says he was also impressed with safety Jaden Hicks during Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars.

It was a bit of a disappointing season last year for Chiefs first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, though some of his biggest plays came in the Super Bowl.

But during this year's camp Anudike-Uzomah has shown he could be an impact player along the defensive line.

Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen says Anudike-Uzomah has entered this year's camp in better physical shape, and is more in tune with the defense.

"Just mentally, I mean he knows the playbook, he's playing faster, I was really pleased he did some really good things in the game against two of their better tackles in his pass rush and he's continuing to develop and get better," Cullen says.

Anudike-Uzomah also worked out this offseason with former Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali, something that was a tremendous help to George Karlaftis following his rookie year.

Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars gave the Chiefs special teams unit their first look at the new kickoff rule in game action.

While Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub has his guys working every day during training camp in St. Joseph at learning the details of the new rule, Toub says there was really nothing from the game to learn that hadn't been done in practice.

"Just the game speed and the guy's barrel assing down at you to tackle you makes a difference, and then you've got to make smart decisions out there," Toub explains. "It was a great learning experience for everybody, and I think we made a great training tape for the whole league really to be honest with you."

The Chiefs did have one miscue on the new kickoff when Mecole Hardman took the ball back into the endzone, resulting in a safety, which Toub says has been addressed.

The Chiefs will wrap up their time in St. Joseph Thursday with practice at 8:15 a.m. It's Military Appreciation Day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723663248924.jpeg" alt="Chiefs logo painted on hill at Missouri Western/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs logo painted on hill at Missouri Western/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The first Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph for several Chiefs rookies is coming to an end.Many of the young players have impressed during camp as they try to survive the roster cut to 53 players coming up on August 29th.Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi says he's been impressed with the rookies that have been thrown right into the mix, like left tackle Kingsley Suamataia."Playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not an easy job and he's going to go through his ups and downs, but he's coachable, the consistency with him, all the rookies really," Borgonzi tells reporters following practice.Borgonzi says he was also impressed with safety Jaden Hicks during Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969461905.jpeg" alt="Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>It was a bit of a disappointing season last year for Chiefs first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, though some of his biggest plays came in the Super Bowl.But during this year's camp Anudike-Uzomah has shown he could be an impact player along the defensive line.Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen says Anudike-Uzomah has entered this year's camp in better physical shape, and is more in tune with the defense."Just mentally, I mean he knows the playbook, he's playing faster, I was really pleased he did some really good things in the game against two of their better tackles in his pass rush and he's continuing to develop and get better," Cullen says.Anudike-Uzomah also worked out this offseason with former Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali, something that was a tremendous help to George Karlaftis following his rookie year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721674165746.jpeg" alt="The Chiefs defense huddles up during the first training camp practice at Missouri Western State University/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>The Chiefs defense huddles up during the first training camp practice at Missouri Western State University/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars gave the Chiefs special teams unit their first look at the new kickoff rule in game action.While Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub has his guys working every day during training camp in St. Joseph at learning the details of the new rule, Toub says there was really nothing from the game to learn that hadn't been done in practice."Just the game speed and the guy's barrel assing down at you to tackle you makes a difference, and then you've got to make smart decisions out there," Toub explains. "It was a great learning experience for everybody, and I think we made a great training tape for the whole league really to be honest with you."The Chiefs did have one miscue on the new kickoff when Mecole Hardman took the ball back into the endzone, resulting in a safety, which Toub says has been addressed.The Chiefs will wrap up their time in St. Joseph Thursday with practice at 8:15 a.m. It's Military Appreciation Day.

🏈 Chiefs coaches, front office impressed by rookies

Wednesday, August 14 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30am

Wednesday, August 14 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amThursday, August 15Friday, August 16
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSaturday, August 17
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, 2:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Zebby Matthews threw five crisp innings to win his major league debut for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>, who hit Seth Lugo hard to hand the All-Star right-hander his worst start of the season and beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;13-3 on Tuesday night.

Matthews (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts, the latest and most meaningful feat for the 24-year-old right-hander who started the season in Class A.

Matt Wallner and Jose Miranda led the barrage against Lugo (13-7) from the middle of the batting order, and Max Kepler had a three-run homer and Kyle Farmer hit a two-run shot once the Twins reached the bullpen. Minnesota kept pace with AL Central leader Cleveland, still trailing by 3½ games. Kansas City fell six games back.

The Twins (67-52) and Royals (65-55) control the second and third wild-card spots, respectively.

The first four batters reached against Lugo, the major league wins leader who endured by far the shortest of his 25 starts this year. Already trailing 5-2, he gave up three hits and a walk to start the fifth before being pulled. Lugo had logged at least six innings in all but four of his turns until this.

Lugo was charged with nine hits, eight runs, two walks with four strikeouts. One run was unearned due to a throwing error on third baseman Maikel Garcia that put Miranda on and gave the Twins a fourth consecutive batter to reach base to start their first inning.

Christian Vázquez also homered for the Twins, who got three hits and two RBIs from Miranda, and three runs plus two hits and a walk from Wallner in their 15-hit attack — eight for extra bases. Wallner started the game with a leaping catch against the left field wall to steal a home run from Michael Massey.

Matthews didn't need much help after that. The eighth-round 2022 draft pick out of Western Carolina induced a steady stream of routine groundballs and showed off his stellar control. In 102 combined innings over four levels this season, Matthews has just seven walks and 119 strikeouts.

The Twins have won 18 of their last 20 games against the Royals at Target Field, a stretch of dominance during which they’ve outscored them 123-56. The Twins are 7-2 against the Royals overall this year.

Twins CF Byron Buxton was held out of the lineup with a discomfort in his right hip that prompted his early removal from the game on Monday, but an MRI test came back clean so the 10th-year veteran's status remained day to day.

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) will pitch on Wednesday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723628633213.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Zebby Matthews threw five crisp innings to win his major league debut for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>, who hit Seth Lugo hard to hand the All-Star right-hander his worst start of the season and beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;13-3 on Tuesday night.Matthews (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts, the latest and most meaningful feat for the 24-year-old right-hander who started the season in Class A.Matt Wallner and Jose Miranda led the barrage against Lugo (13-7) from the middle of the batting order, and Max Kepler had a three-run homer and Kyle Farmer hit a two-run shot once the Twins reached the bullpen. Minnesota kept pace with AL Central leader Cleveland, still trailing by 3½ games. Kansas City fell six games back.The Twins (67-52) and Royals (65-55) control the second and third wild-card spots, respectively.The first four batters reached against Lugo, the major league wins leader who endured by far the shortest of his 25 starts this year. Already trailing 5-2, he gave up three hits and a walk to start the fifth before being pulled. Lugo had logged at least six innings in all but four of his turns until this.Lugo was charged with nine hits, eight runs, two walks with four strikeouts. One run was unearned due to a throwing error on third baseman Maikel Garcia that put Miranda on and gave the Twins a fourth consecutive batter to reach base to start their first inning.Christian Vázquez also homered for the Twins, who got three hits and two RBIs from Miranda, and three runs plus two hits and a walk from Wallner in their 15-hit attack — eight for extra bases. Wallner started the game with a leaping catch against the left field wall to steal a home run from Michael Massey.Matthews didn't need much help after that. The eighth-round 2022 draft pick out of Western Carolina induced a steady stream of routine groundballs and showed off his stellar control. In 102 combined innings over four levels this season, Matthews has just seven walks and 119 strikeouts.The Twins have won 18 of their last 20 games against the Royals at Target Field, a stretch of dominance during which they’ve outscored them 123-56. The Twins are 7-2 against the Royals overall this year.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins CF Byron Buxton was held out of the lineup with a discomfort in his right hip that prompted his early removal from the game on Monday, but an MRI test came back clean so the 10th-year veteran's status remained day to day.UP NEXTRoyals: LHP Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) will pitch on Wednesday afternoon.

⚾ Twins clobber Royals to win in debut of pitcher Zebby Matthews

After spending most of Training Camp in St. Joseph recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson returned to practice last week.

Watson played through most of last season with a shoulder injury, choosing not to sit out.

Since returning from the physically unable to perform list near the end of camp, his first practice coming at the start of last week, Watson says it's been a challenge

"You know the coach is pushing me to get my conditioning back, get my legs back, so it's been going good as of late," Watson tells reporters following practice.

Watson is competing with players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson to earn the number two cornerback spot behind Trent McDuffie.

Watson says the competition has been fun, but it's nothing new.

"We've been doing this for three years, it's always been healthy competition, we always root for each other's success, and whoever is going to take the spot is going to be willing of it," Watson says.

On top of a battle for the second cornerback spot, another battle has caught the eyes of fans during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.

The battle for the starting left tackle between second year pro Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been one of the biggest camp battles.

Suamataia got his first bit of game action on Saturday against the Jaguars and says he feels good about his performance

"I went against one of the pass rushers in the league Josh Allen, he's a dog I've watched him since I was in college and high school, so it was a great experience," Suamataia says. "It's funny, I went against this guy, and I was like 'Ok I belong here, I can play with these guys', but I just can't wait for Detroit now."

With Morris currently injured, Suamataia has been getting most of the reps with the first team offense and does look poised to earn the starting job.

The Chiefs were on the practice fields for just over two hours today. They practice again Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574554305.jpeg" alt="Chiefs fans have been treated to several players competing to win a spot at their position during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs fans have been treated to several players competing to win a spot at their position during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostAfter spending most of Training Camp in St. Joseph recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson returned to practice last week.Watson played through most of last season with a shoulder injury, choosing not to sit out.Since returning from the physically unable to perform list near the end of camp, his first practice coming at the start of last week, Watson says it's been a challenge"You know the coach is pushing me to get my conditioning back, get my legs back, so it's been going good as of late," Watson tells reporters following practice.Watson is competing with players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson to earn the number two cornerback spot behind Trent McDuffie.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574620919.jpeg" alt="Joshua Wiliams, one player competing for the second cornerback spot, walks down the hill to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Joshua Wiliams, one player competing for the second cornerback spot, walks down the hill to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Watson says the competition has been fun, but it's nothing new."We've been doing this for three years, it's always been healthy competition, we always root for each other's success, and whoever is going to take the spot is going to be willing of it," Watson says.On top of a battle for the second cornerback spot, another battle has caught the eyes of fans during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721759260951.jpeg" alt="Kingsley Suamataia signs autographs for fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kingsley Suamataia signs autographs for fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The battle for the starting left tackle between second year pro Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been one of the biggest camp battles.Suamataia got his first bit of game action on Saturday against the Jaguars and says he feels good about his performance"I went against one of the pass rushers in the league Josh Allen, he's a dog I've watched him since I was in college and high school, so it was a great experience," Suamataia says. "It's funny, I went against this guy, and I was like 'Ok I belong here, I can play with these guys', but I just can't wait for Detroit now."With Morris currently injured, Suamataia has been getting most of the reps with the first team offense and does look poised to earn the starting job.The Chiefs were on the practice fields for just over two hours today. They practice again Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.

🏈 Chiefs fans see position battles play out during Training Camp in St. Joseph

Tuesday, August 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pm

Tuesday, August 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pmWednesday, August 14 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amThursday, August 15Friday, August 16
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSaturday, August 17
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, 2:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro had a three-run home run and Royce Lewis hit a two-run shot in a six-run second inning for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>&nbsp;on the way to an 8-3 victory over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;to open a key series between the division rivals and close wild card competitors on Monday night.

“If we keep playing like this, a game like today, we’re going to be a good spot at the end of the year,” Castro said.

Pablo López (11-8) finished six innings with two earned runs allowed for his third win in four starts for the Twins. He fell behind on a first-inning home run by Bobby Witt Jr. and an RBI single in the second by Kyle Isbel, who had three hits, but the Twins overwhelmed Royals starter Brady Singer (8-8) after that.

The Twins, who improved to 6-2 against the Royals this season, remained 3 1/2 games behind American League Central leader Cleveland after splitting a four-game series with the Guardians during the weekend. The third-place Royals dropped to five games back.

“We pay enough attention to it because it’s everywhere: it’s on social media, it’s in the MLB app, it’s on the scoreboard, it’s in every ballpark when you walk in and the scoreboard has standings,” López said. “So you’re aware of it, but we like to be in the mindset that we control our own destiny.”

The Twins (66-52) occupy the second AL wild card spot. The Royals (65-54) control the third spot, with a two-game cushion above the cut in their refreshing push to return to the playoffs for the first time since they won the 2015 World Series.

Six consecutive batters reached with two outs against Singer, whose first three starts out of the All-Star break were superb before some vulnerability for the fifth-year right-hander in his last two turns.

After Austin Martin started the onslaught with an RBI single, Castro hit his ninth homer to set a career high as his helmet tumbled off on the exuberant turn around second base. Lewis then unloaded to finish an eight-pitch at-bat for his 15th home run — in just 40 games — this season.

“That’s the inning that messed up the whole night," said Singer, who hadn't given up a homer since July 14. "Obviously I would like to have that back.”

Witt was hit by a 95 mph fastball on the forearm by López, but the major league batting leader — who also has the most games, hits and runs in baseball — was able to stay in.

Royals: 2B Michael Massey batted leadoff after being scratched from the lineup with tightness in his back two days ago. The team had a rare Sunday off after a two-game series against interleague rival St. Louis. Massey had two different stints on the injured list this season with back trouble.

Twins: CF Byron Buxton departed after the fifth inning with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">discomfort in his right hip</a>.

Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (13-6, 2.72 ERA) will pitch on Tuesday night. Lugo, who leads MLB in wins and is second in innings, is 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 12 starts on the road this season.

Twins: RHP Zebby Matthews, who began the year in Class A, is scheduled to make his major league debut in the middle game of the series as the rotation gets reshuffled following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-injuries-joe-ryan-fc233dd9caf207f75bb976e31b19fe07">injury to Joe Ryan</a>.

Matthews had yet to be added to the roster but was in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon after being summoned from Triple-A St. Paul. The native of North Carolina, an eighth-round draft pick in 2022, was expecting family and friends in a group of at least 20 people to be at Target Field on Tuesday.

“Most of them were kind of in shock. They couldn’t believe this was actually happening because of where I started, but they’re really excited for me,” Matthews said. "They’ve all played a big piece in my journey along the way, so being able to tell them and then having them up here tomorrow will be special.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723542270059.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro runs the bases on his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro runs the bases on his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro had a three-run home run and Royce Lewis hit a two-run shot in a six-run second inning for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a>&nbsp;on the way to an 8-3 victory over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-royals">Kansas City Royals</a>&nbsp;to open a key series between the division rivals and close wild card competitors on Monday night.“If we keep playing like this, a game like today, we’re going to be a good spot at the end of the year,” Castro said.Pablo López (11-8) finished six innings with two earned runs allowed for his third win in four starts for the Twins. He fell behind on a first-inning home run by Bobby Witt Jr. and an RBI single in the second by Kyle Isbel, who had three hits, but the Twins overwhelmed Royals starter Brady Singer (8-8) after that.The Twins, who improved to 6-2 against the Royals this season, remained 3 1/2 games behind American League Central leader Cleveland after splitting a four-game series with the Guardians during the weekend. The third-place Royals dropped to five games back.“We pay enough attention to it because it’s everywhere: it’s on social media, it’s in the MLB app, it’s on the scoreboard, it’s in every ballpark when you walk in and the scoreboard has standings,” López said. “So you’re aware of it, but we like to be in the mindset that we control our own destiny.”The Twins (66-52) occupy the second AL wild card spot. The Royals (65-54) control the third spot, with a two-game cushion above the cut in their refreshing push to return to the playoffs for the first time since they won the 2015 World Series.Six consecutive batters reached with two outs against Singer, whose first three starts out of the All-Star break were superb before some vulnerability for the fifth-year right-hander in his last two turns.After Austin Martin started the onslaught with an RBI single, Castro hit his ninth homer to set a career high as his helmet tumbled off on the exuberant turn around second base. Lewis then unloaded to finish an eight-pitch at-bat for his 15th home run — in just 40 games — this season.“That’s the inning that messed up the whole night," said Singer, who hadn't given up a homer since July 14. "Obviously I would like to have that back.”Witt was hit by a 95 mph fastball on the forearm by López, but the major league batting leader — who also has the most games, hits and runs in baseball — was able to stay in.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: 2B Michael Massey batted leadoff after being scratched from the lineup with tightness in his back two days ago. The team had a rare Sunday off after a two-game series against interleague rival St. Louis. Massey had two different stints on the injured list this season with back trouble.Twins: CF Byron Buxton departed after the fifth inning with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">discomfort in his right hip</a>.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Seth Lugo (13-6, 2.72 ERA) will pitch on Tuesday night. Lugo, who leads MLB in wins and is second in innings, is 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 12 starts on the road this season.Twins: RHP Zebby Matthews, who began the year in Class A, is scheduled to make his major league debut in the middle game of the series as the rotation gets reshuffled following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-injuries-joe-ryan-fc233dd9caf207f75bb976e31b19fe07">injury to Joe Ryan</a>.Matthews had yet to be added to the roster but was in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon after being summoned from Triple-A St. Paul. The native of North Carolina, an eighth-round draft pick in 2022, was expecting family and friends in a group of at least 20 people to be at Target Field on Tuesday.“Most of them were kind of in shock. They couldn’t believe this was actually happening because of where I started, but they’re really excited for me,” Matthews said. "They’ve all played a big piece in my journey along the way, so being able to tell them and then having them up here tomorrow will be special.”

⚾ Twins beat Royals with 6-run 2nd inning

 WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State received votes in the preseason release of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The MIAA has three teams ranked among the Top 25, including two in the Top 10, and FHSU joins Emporia State among the receiving votes list to give the MIAA five teams referenced in the first release of the poll.

The Tigers will take on a nationally ranked opponent in their season opener on August 29 in Hays, facing No. 24 ranked Angelo State. The Rams finished last year at 7-3 overall and were in the NCAA Division II playoffs in both 2021 and 2022. The Thursday night kickoff is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Representing the MIAA in the Top 10 are 2023 conference co-champions Central Missouri and Pittsburg State. Central Missouri will begin the 2024 season ranked No. 2 in the nation, led by 2023 D2CCA Offensive Player of the Year and Harlon Hill Trophy Award winner Zach Zebrowski. Pittsburg State is tabbed No. 6 in the preseason poll. Both teams finished at 11-2 overall after going 10-1 in the regular season. Northwest Missouri State gives the MIAA three teams inside the Top 25, ranked No. 22 in the poll coming off a 7-4 season in 2023.

Emporia State and Fort Hays State are among the receiving votes section. The Hornets received 18 votes and the Tigers received six. ESU finished 9-3 overall in 2023, winner of the Corsicana Bowl in Texas. FHSU finished at 7-4 overall in 2023.Fort Hays State has been in the receiving votes section of the AFCA Top 25 Poll three out of the last four seasons, going back to 2019 (no season in 2020). The last time the Tigers were ranked in the Top 25 of the AFCA poll was during the 2019 season on September 9, when they were tabbed No. 25. They started at No. 8 in the poll that season.

The Tigers play in Super Region 3, which opens the year with five of the top six teams in the country including defending national champion Harding. Colorado School of Mines at No. 5 is the only school that breaks the group up. The Orediggers fell to Harding in the 2023 Division II national title game.

Below is the 2024 AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll. Rank - School - Record - Pts. - Rank* 1. Harding (Ark.) (25) - 15-0 - 672 - 1 2. Central Missouri - 11-2 - 620 - 6 3. Ferris St. (Mich.) (1)&nbsp; - 8-3 - 590 - 9 4. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1)&nbsp; - 11-2 - 566 - 3 5. Colorado School of Mines&nbsp; - 14-1 - 564 - 2 6. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) - 11-2 - 540 - 5 7. Valdosta St. (Ga.) - 12-2 - 516 - 8 8. Central Washington - 9-4 - 418 - 17 9. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) - 13-2 - 416 - 4 10.Kutztown (Pa.) - 12-3 - 413 - 7 11. Slippery Rock (Pa.) - 12-2 - 384 - 10 12. West Florida - 8-4 - 330 - 23 13. Minnesota St. - 9-3 - 232 - 21 14. Augustana (S.D.) - 11-2 - 231 - 13 15.	Western Colorado - 10-2&nbsp; - 230 - 15 16. Indianapolis (Ind.) - 9-2 - 216 - 22 17. Minnesota Duluth - 9-2 - 214 - 25 18. Delta St. (Miss.) - 10-2 - 212 - 11 19. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) - 9-2 - 209 - NR 20. Virginia Union - 10-2 - 183 - 20 21.Texas-Permian Basin - 10-2 - 169 - 18 22. Northwest Missouri St. - 7-4 - 167 - NR 23. Charleston (W.Va.) - 10-2 - 102 - 19 24. Angelo St. (Tex.) - 7-3 - 89 - NR 25. Bemidji St. (Minn.) - 9-3 - 70 - 16

Others Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7;&nbsp;Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723544754779.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Jaxson Webb" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Jaxson Webb</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;FHSU Athletics WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State received votes in the preseason release of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The MIAA has three teams ranked among the Top 25, including two in the Top 10, and FHSU joins Emporia State among the receiving votes list to give the MIAA five teams referenced in the first release of the poll.The Tigers will take on a nationally ranked opponent in their season opener on August 29 in Hays, facing No. 24 ranked Angelo State. The Rams finished last year at 7-3 overall and were in the NCAA Division II playoffs in both 2021 and 2022. The Thursday night kickoff is set to begin at 7 p.m.Representing the MIAA in the Top 10 are 2023 conference co-champions Central Missouri and Pittsburg State. Central Missouri will begin the 2024 season ranked No. 2 in the nation, led by 2023 D2CCA Offensive Player of the Year and Harlon Hill Trophy Award winner Zach Zebrowski. Pittsburg State is tabbed No. 6 in the preseason poll. Both teams finished at 11-2 overall after going 10-1 in the regular season. Northwest Missouri State gives the MIAA three teams inside the Top 25, ranked No. 22 in the poll coming off a 7-4 season in 2023.Emporia State and Fort Hays State are among the receiving votes section. The Hornets received 18 votes and the Tigers received six. ESU finished 9-3 overall in 2023, winner of the Corsicana Bowl in Texas. FHSU finished at 7-4 overall in 2023.Fort Hays State has been in the receiving votes section of the AFCA Top 25 Poll three out of the last four seasons, going back to 2019 (no season in 2020). The last time the Tigers were ranked in the Top 25 of the AFCA poll was during the 2019 season on September 9, when they were tabbed No. 25. They started at No. 8 in the poll that season.The Tigers play in Super Region 3, which opens the year with five of the top six teams in the country including defending national champion Harding. Colorado School of Mines at No. 5 is the only school that breaks the group up. The Orediggers fell to Harding in the 2023 Division II national title game.Below is the 2024 AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll. Rank - School - Record - Pts. - Rank* 1. Harding (Ark.) (25) - 15-0 - 672 - 1 2. Central Missouri - 11-2 - 620 - 6 3. Ferris St. (Mich.) (1)&nbsp; - 8-3 - 590 - 9 4. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1)&nbsp; - 11-2 - 566 - 3 5. Colorado School of Mines&nbsp; - 14-1 - 564 - 2 6. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) - 11-2 - 540 - 5 7. Valdosta St. (Ga.) - 12-2 - 516 - 8 8. Central Washington - 9-4 - 418 - 17 9. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) - 13-2 - 416 - 4 10.Kutztown (Pa.) - 12-3 - 413 - 7 11. Slippery Rock (Pa.) - 12-2 - 384 - 10 12. West Florida - 8-4 - 330 - 23 13. Minnesota St. - 9-3 - 232 - 21 14. Augustana (S.D.) - 11-2 - 231 - 13 15.	Western Colorado - 10-2&nbsp; - 230 - 15 16. Indianapolis (Ind.) - 9-2 - 216 - 22 17. Minnesota Duluth - 9-2 - 214 - 25 18. Delta St. (Miss.) - 10-2 - 212 - 11 19. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) - 9-2 - 209 - NR 20. Virginia Union - 10-2 - 183 - 20 21.Texas-Permian Basin - 10-2 - 169 - 18 22. Northwest Missouri St. - 7-4 - 167 - NR 23. Charleston (W.Va.) - 10-2 - 102 - 19 24. Angelo St. (Tex.) - 7-3 - 89 - NR 25. Bemidji St. (Minn.) - 9-3 - 70 - 16Others Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7;&nbsp;Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 1.

🏈 Tigers receive votes in AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Saturday's preseason game gave Chiefs rookies their first taste of game action after several weeks of training camp in St. Joseph.

One rookie that stood out among the rest was undrafted running back Carson Steele, who has been a hidden gem of sorts through camp.

Steele has run this camp as both a running back and a fullback, and says his goal coming into camp was to be a Swiss army knife

"Try to do it all type of deal and wherever they need to put me in is where I can get in," Steele tells reporters following practice. "So, like implementing the fullback in there as well, being able to block, especially being able to catch out of the backfield too, not only run."

Steele scored the lone Chiefs touchdown in the game against Jacksonville, rushing four times for 29 yards.

Steele has been that do it all back and has the potential to give the Chiefs an actual fullback, their first fullback since the retirement of Anthony Sherman.

Head Coach Andy Reid says Steele has been working out at the fullback position as needed.

"We used Noah (Gray) there last year who can still do that, but he's (Steele) got to be a good special teams player, if he's going to make the team, he's got to be a good special teams player, he's to to be able to carry the football and stay aggressive like he's doing right now," Reid explains. "But he had a productive day."

Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy also got his first bit of actual game action in Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars.

And after an early injury to receiver Hollywood Brown, Worthy's role in the offense could expand even more, at least for the first few weeks.

Worthy though says even with the injury to Brown, his mindset does not change, and his mindset is to just be the best

"Hollywood's definitely one of the leaders, he shows me a lot, teaches me a lot, but I feel like him just being there regardless is going to help me a lot," Worthy says. "But my mindset is to just be the best regardless."

Worthy was held without a catch or a target in the first preseason game but could be used more this Saturday against Detroit.

It was a lighter 10-10-10 practice today for the Chiefs. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 in St. Joseph.

A handful of injured Chiefs returned to practice on Monday, but there was also a handful that sat out with injuries.

Absent from practice today were Hollywood Brown (shoulder), Bryan Cook (personal), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (sickness), McKade Mettauer, BJ Thompson. Also sitting out practice, but still at the fields were Jaaron Hayek, Chris Jones (shoulder), Wanya Morris (knee), Charles Omenihu (PUP list)

A positive sign for Chiefs fans was the return of safety Justin Reid from the non-injured list, Reid spent most of training camp just out at the fields in a jersey and shorts. Nick Bolton also returned, though he wore the yellow non-contact jersey and also had his left elbow heavily taped. Kadarius Toney was also back at practice on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723347239799.jpeg" alt="Running back Carson Steele, who scored a touchdown in the Chiefs first preseason game, catches a pass during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Running back Carson Steele, who scored a touchdown in the Chiefs first preseason game, catches a pass during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Saturday's preseason game gave Chiefs rookies their first taste of game action after several weeks of training camp in St. Joseph.One rookie that stood out among the rest was undrafted running back Carson Steele, who has been a hidden gem of sorts through camp.Steele has run this camp as both a running back and a fullback, and says his goal coming into camp was to be a Swiss army knife"Try to do it all type of deal and wherever they need to put me in is where I can get in," Steele tells reporters following practice. "So, like implementing the fullback in there as well, being able to block, especially being able to catch out of the backfield too, not only run."Steele scored the lone Chiefs touchdown in the game against Jacksonville, rushing four times for 29 yards.Steele has been that do it all back and has the potential to give the Chiefs an actual fullback, their first fullback since the retirement of Anthony Sherman.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723488521662.jpeg" alt="Carson Steele/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Carson Steele/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Head Coach Andy Reid says Steele has been working out at the fullback position as needed."We used Noah (Gray) there last year who can still do that, but he's (Steele) got to be a good special teams player, if he's going to make the team, he's got to be a good special teams player, he's to to be able to carry the football and stay aggressive like he's doing right now," Reid explains. "But he had a productive day."Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy also got his first bit of actual game action in Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars.And after an early injury to receiver Hollywood Brown, Worthy's role in the offense could expand even more, at least for the first few weeks.Worthy though says even with the injury to Brown, his mindset does not change, and his mindset is to just be the best"Hollywood's definitely one of the leaders, he shows me a lot, teaches me a lot, but I feel like him just being there regardless is going to help me a lot," Worthy says. "But my mindset is to just be the best regardless."Worthy was held without a catch or a target in the first preseason game but could be used more this Saturday against Detroit.It was a lighter 10-10-10 practice today for the Chiefs. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 in St. Joseph.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723488441351.jpeg" alt="Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy makes a catch against rookie cornerback Miles Battle/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy makes a catch against rookie cornerback Miles Battle/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Injury ReportA handful of injured Chiefs returned to practice on Monday, but there was also a handful that sat out with injuries.Absent from practice today were Hollywood Brown (shoulder), Bryan Cook (personal), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (sickness), McKade Mettauer, BJ Thompson. Also sitting out practice, but still at the fields were Jaaron Hayek, Chris Jones (shoulder), Wanya Morris (knee), Charles Omenihu (PUP list)A positive sign for Chiefs fans was the return of safety Justin Reid from the non-injured list, Reid spent most of training camp just out at the fields in a jersey and shorts. Nick Bolton also returned, though he wore the yellow non-contact jersey and also had his left elbow heavily taped. Kadarius Toney was also back at practice on Monday.

🏈 Undrafted rookie making name known during Chiefs Training Camp

RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer

Georgia is No. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press Top 25</a>&nbsp;preseason college football poll for the second straight year as the superconference era begins with the SEC and Big Ten dominating the top 10 of the rankings.

The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten.

New Big Ten member Oregon is No. 3, receiving one first-place vote from the panel of 62 media members who cover college football. Texas, which joins Georgia in the Southeastern Conference this season, is fourth.

The Big Ten and SEC each have four teams in the top 10.

Conference realignment has reduced the Power Five to the Power Four, with the Pac-12 whittled to just two schools. The Big Ten now has 18 schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference has 17 football teams, and the SEC and Big 12 each have 16.

All the movement created an unprecedented preseason poll with just four conferences represented: The SEC leads with nine ranked teams. The Big Ten has six, the Big 12 has five and the ACC has four.

Alabama, in its first season without coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six.

Independent Notre Dame is the highest ranked team from outside the SEC and Big Ten at No. 7.

No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan give the Big Ten four top-10 teams. Florida State from the ACC is No. 10.

The defending national champion Wolverines said goodbye to coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and 12 other players who were selected in April’s NFL draft. All that attrition led to Michigan receiving the lowest preseason ranking for a defending national champion since 2011, when Auburn was No. 23 after the departure of Cam Newton.

Before that, the last time a defending national champion was ranked worse than No. 7 in the following preseason poll was Colorado at No. 13 in 1991.

Washington, which lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff championship game, took an even bigger fall after losing its head coach (Kalen DeBoer replaced Saban at Alabama), star quarterback and a mountain of talent to the draft and transfer portal. The Huskies are the first team to reach the CFP and be unranked the following season.

Georgia started last season at No. 1 in pursuit of a record third straight national championship. Coach Kirby Smart's Bulldogs stayed there the whole regular season, and then missed the four-team playoff by losing the SEC title game to Alabama.

“We’re dealing with new challenges this year,” Smart said at SEC media days. "We don’t have a chip on our shoulder in terms of people trying to use that as motivation. I’ve never used a failure from the previous year as motivation and never used the success of a previous year as motivation; we won’t do that this year. That’s not who we are. We want to recreate ourselves to stay in the best light we can.”

There will be more room for error this season with the playoff expanding from four to 12 teams.

The Bulldogs are 42-2 over the last three seasons and loaded again. Quarterback Carson Beck leads the offense and edge rusher Mykel Williams is in line to be the next defensive star at Georgia.

Beck is a rarity in college football these days, a star quarterback in his fifth season with the same school who waited three years to become starter. Beck completed 72% of his passes last year, with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.

“He is a great elder for us and great example of resiliency in college football,” Smart said.

Repeating as preseason No. 1 is a recent trend. Going back eight seasons, Alabama had separate streaks of three (2016-18) and two (2021-22) years as preseason No. 1. Clemson was top-ranked in the 2019 and '20 preseason rankings.

Georgia will try to become the 12th team since the AP preseason poll started in 1950 to start No. 1 and finish No. 1. The last was Alabama in 2017.

RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football WriterGeorgia is No. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press Top 25</a>&nbsp;preseason college football poll for the second straight year as the superconference era begins with the SEC and Big Ten dominating the top 10 of the rankings.The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten.New Big Ten member Oregon is No. 3, receiving one first-place vote from the panel of 62 media members who cover college football. Texas, which joins Georgia in the Southeastern Conference this season, is fourth.The Big Ten and SEC each have four teams in the top 10.Conference realignment has reduced the Power Five to the Power Four, with the Pac-12 whittled to just two schools. The Big Ten now has 18 schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference has 17 football teams, and the SEC and Big 12 each have 16.All the movement created an unprecedented preseason poll with just four conferences represented: The SEC leads with nine ranked teams. The Big Ten has six, the Big 12 has five and the ACC has four.Alabama, in its first season without coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six.Independent Notre Dame is the highest ranked team from outside the SEC and Big Ten at No. 7.No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan give the Big Ten four top-10 teams. Florida State from the ACC is No. 10.<h2>Title game finalists</h2>The defending national champion Wolverines said goodbye to coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and 12 other players who were selected in April’s NFL draft. All that attrition led to Michigan receiving the lowest preseason ranking for a defending national champion since 2011, when Auburn was No. 23 after the departure of Cam Newton.Before that, the last time a defending national champion was ranked worse than No. 7 in the following preseason poll was Colorado at No. 13 in 1991.Washington, which lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff championship game, took an even bigger fall after losing its head coach (Kalen DeBoer replaced Saban at Alabama), star quarterback and a mountain of talent to the draft and transfer portal. The Huskies are the first team to reach the CFP and be unranked the following season.<h2>Top-ranked 'Dawgs</h2>Georgia started last season at No. 1 in pursuit of a record third straight national championship. Coach Kirby Smart's Bulldogs stayed there the whole regular season, and then missed the four-team playoff by losing the SEC title game to Alabama.“We’re dealing with new challenges this year,” Smart said at SEC media days. "We don’t have a chip on our shoulder in terms of people trying to use that as motivation. I’ve never used a failure from the previous year as motivation and never used the success of a previous year as motivation; we won’t do that this year. That’s not who we are. We want to recreate ourselves to stay in the best light we can.”There will be more room for error this season with the playoff expanding from four to 12 teams.The Bulldogs are 42-2 over the last three seasons and loaded again. Quarterback Carson Beck leads the offense and edge rusher Mykel Williams is in line to be the next defensive star at Georgia.Beck is a rarity in college football these days, a star quarterback in his fifth season with the same school who waited three years to become starter. Beck completed 72% of his passes last year, with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.“He is a great elder for us and great example of resiliency in college football,” Smart said.Repeating as preseason No. 1 is a recent trend. Going back eight seasons, Alabama had separate streaks of three (2016-18) and two (2021-22) years as preseason No. 1. Clemson was top-ranked in the 2019 and '20 preseason rankings.Georgia will try to become the 12th team since the AP preseason poll started in 1950 to start No. 1 and finish No. 1. The last was Alabama in 2017.

🏈 Georgia tops preseason poll, K-State No. 18, KU No. 22

Monday, August 12
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pm

Monday, August 12
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pmTuesday, August 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pmWednesday, August 14 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amThursday, August 15Friday, August 16
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSaturday, August 17
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions, 2:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 5:00pmSunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

HAYS – When Tom Ross was let go with the rest of the Morehead
State (Ky.) coaching staff this past December, he never could have imagined that
he’d be an offensive coordinator in his next job, but that’s the case for the
first year FHSU assistant.

Ross spent four seasons at the NCAA Division I FCS program
where he was most recently the quarterbacks coach and director of video. The Gilbert,
Ariz. native who was originally from Omaha, was hired by FHSU head coach Chris
Brown to be the Tigers quarterbacks coach but was promoted to offensive coordinator
when that position became available. 

“You never know when an opportunity is gonna come about, and
you always have to be ready.” Ross said following practice Saturday morning at
Lewis Field. “I got a little lucky and here we are. And you know, that's kind
of the message I preach to, to my quarterbacks, to the whole team, you never
know what's going to happen in front of you, so if you got to prepare like
you're the starter, you got to be ready. And so it's always next guy up. And,
you know, sometimes in the coaching world, it's the same thing.

The Tigers have 20 of their 22 starters returning from their
7-4 season a year ago. Ross inherits an offense that finished third in the MIAA
in passing and fourth in total yards per game.

“We've got a lot of returning players who have made it
really, really easy on me.” Ross said. “I think they're playing really, really
hard. We've got really good leaders on this football team, and we try and be a
player led team, a player led offense and that's exactly what we've got.”

Ross and the Tigers closed out their first week of practice Saturday
morning under an overcast sky and unseasonably cool temperatures. That’s where
the former Adams State quarterback shared his offensive philosophy.

“We want to push the tempo a little bit, and we want to
control the tempo. We want to dictate. We want to run what we want to run, and
we want to make the defense defend us. And it's kind of a fine line between
playing fast and still creating matchups and letting our guys play free. We want
to spread the field a little bit. We've got some good defenses in the
conference, but we feel like we've got some pretty good skills, and so we're
going to try and utilize them the best that we can.”

Jack Dawson is the incumbent at the quarterback position.
The Arlington, Texas redshirt junior was third in the MIAA in passing yards per
game (257.5) and touchdown passes (27) but his 12 interceptions tied for second
most in the conference. The two-year starter is being pushed by redshirt sophomore
Caleb Heavner who saw action in three games last season.

“It's been a blessing and a curse to some extent.” Ross said.
“We're gonna have a tough decision here in about two weeks to name the starter,
but we've got two guys that are playing really, really well. I can't speak highly
enough of those guys. They're setting the tone for this football team and it's
a good problem to have.”

Regardless of who is named the starting quarterback for the
season opener against Angelo State on August 29, Ross says they won’t see a big
change from what they’re used to. 

“I didn't want to come in and just change everything,
because it's only one guy learning it, compared to 70 guys learning it. There
will be a few new wrinkles here and there, but for the most part, it's not fair
for me to change everything for them. We had a lot of success offensively last
year, they all were part of that success. Now it's my job to try and improve
and into trying and increase the success rate and the productivity.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723332192548.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross gives instruction during practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross gives instruction during practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostHAYS – When Tom Ross was let go with the rest of the Morehead
State (Ky.) coaching staff this past December, he never could have imagined that
he’d be an offensive coordinator in his next job, but that’s the case for the
first year FHSU assistant.Ross spent four seasons at the NCAA Division I FCS program
where he was most recently the quarterbacks coach and director of video. The Gilbert,
Ariz. native who was originally from Omaha, was hired by FHSU head coach Chris
Brown to be the Tigers quarterbacks coach but was promoted to offensive coordinator
when that position became available. “You never know when an opportunity is gonna come about, and
you always have to be ready.” Ross said following practice Saturday morning at
Lewis Field. “I got a little lucky and here we are. And you know, that's kind
of the message I preach to, to my quarterbacks, to the whole team, you never
know what's going to happen in front of you, so if you got to prepare like
you're the starter, you got to be ready. And so it's always next guy up. And,
you know, sometimes in the coaching world, it's the same thing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723332326149.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross observes practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross observes practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Tigers have 20 of their 22 starters returning from their
7-4 season a year ago. Ross inherits an offense that finished third in the MIAA
in passing and fourth in total yards per game.“We've got a lot of returning players who have made it
really, really easy on me.” Ross said. “I think they're playing really, really
hard. We've got really good leaders on this football team, and we try and be a
player led team, a player led offense and that's exactly what we've got.”Ross and the Tigers closed out their first week of practice Saturday
morning under an overcast sky and unseasonably cool temperatures. That’s where
the former Adams State quarterback shared his offensive philosophy.“We want to push the tempo a little bit, and we want to
control the tempo. We want to dictate. We want to run what we want to run, and
we want to make the defense defend us. And it's kind of a fine line between
playing fast and still creating matchups and letting our guys play free. We want
to spread the field a little bit. We've got some good defenses in the
conference, but we feel like we've got some pretty good skills, and so we're
going to try and utilize them the best that we can.”Jack Dawson is the incumbent at the quarterback position.
The Arlington, Texas redshirt junior was third in the MIAA in passing yards per
game (257.5) and touchdown passes (27) but his 12 interceptions tied for second
most in the conference. The two-year starter is being pushed by redshirt sophomore
Caleb Heavner who saw action in three games last season.“It's been a blessing and a curse to some extent.” Ross said.
“We're gonna have a tough decision here in about two weeks to name the starter,
but we've got two guys that are playing really, really well. I can't speak highly
enough of those guys. They're setting the tone for this football team and it's
a good problem to have.”Regardless of who is named the starting quarterback for the
season opener against Angelo State on August 29, Ross says they won’t see a big
change from what they’re used to. “I didn't want to come in and just change everything,
because it's only one guy learning it, compared to 70 guys learning it. There
will be a few new wrinkles here and there, but for the most part, it's not fair
for me to change everything for them. We had a lot of success offensively last
year, they all were part of that success. Now it's my job to try and improve
and into trying and increase the success rate and the productivity.”