EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Men's Golf placed 16th&nbsp;at the Broncho Invitational, one of four MIAA designated events for the 2022-23 season held at Rose Creek Country Club.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;was the only Tiger to shoot in the 70s all three rounds, tying for 40th&nbsp;individually. The Tigers were ninth among the MIAA teams competing in the tournament. Fort Hays State as a team shot rounds of 322, 327, and 325 for a 974 total. Central Oklahoma won the event at +30 as a team, shooting 289, 305, and 300. Northeastern State was two strokes back in second place, while Washburn was the next MIAA team in the standings at fifth overall with a +49 total. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;carded rounds of 77, 79, and 78 to lead the Tigers. He had six birdies for the tournament. He tied four other golfers at +18 for the tournament at the par-72 venue.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/tanner-copeland/7103">Tanner Copeland</a>&nbsp;was next in the individual standings for the Tigers, tying for 62nd&nbsp;at +23. He had rounds of 75, 81, and 83. He had seven birdies for the tournament, including three in his 3-over par first round. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/parker-krob/7107">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;shot back-to-back rounds of 83 before an 81 to close out his tournament. He finished 80th&nbsp;and had four birdies for the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jacob-george/7105">Jacob George</a>&nbsp;finished 84th&nbsp;with rounds of 87, 84, and 83, carding two birdies in the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/august-nilsson/7111">August Nilsson</a>&nbsp;shot rounds of 90, 86, and 86 to finish in 88th. His lone birdie was in the final round. Bennett Baldwin of Central Oklahoma won the tournament at +3 overall with rounds of 69, 76, and 74. The Tigers return to action next week in Blue Springs, Mo. (Mar. 27-28) at the NSIC Conference Preview Invitational.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679479721452.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Men's Golf placed 16th&nbsp;at the Broncho Invitational, one of four MIAA designated events for the 2022-23 season held at Rose Creek Country Club.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;was the only Tiger to shoot in the 70s all three rounds, tying for 40th&nbsp;individually. The Tigers were ninth among the MIAA teams competing in the tournament. Fort Hays State as a team shot rounds of 322, 327, and 325 for a 974 total. Central Oklahoma won the event at +30 as a team, shooting 289, 305, and 300. Northeastern State was two strokes back in second place, while Washburn was the next MIAA team in the standings at fifth overall with a +49 total. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;carded rounds of 77, 79, and 78 to lead the Tigers. He had six birdies for the tournament. He tied four other golfers at +18 for the tournament at the par-72 venue.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/tanner-copeland/7103">Tanner Copeland</a>&nbsp;was next in the individual standings for the Tigers, tying for 62nd&nbsp;at +23. He had rounds of 75, 81, and 83. He had seven birdies for the tournament, including three in his 3-over par first round. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/parker-krob/7107">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;shot back-to-back rounds of 83 before an 81 to close out his tournament. He finished 80th&nbsp;and had four birdies for the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jacob-george/7105">Jacob George</a>&nbsp;finished 84th&nbsp;with rounds of 87, 84, and 83, carding two birdies in the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/august-nilsson/7111">August Nilsson</a>&nbsp;shot rounds of 90, 86, and 86 to finish in 88th. His lone birdie was in the final round. Bennett Baldwin of Central Oklahoma won the tournament at +3 overall with rounds of 69, 76, and 74. The Tigers return to action next week in Blue Springs, Mo. (Mar. 27-28) at the NSIC Conference Preview Invitational.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ Tiger men finish 16th at Broncho Invite

By DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jerome Tang was tearing around his property on
 an unseasonably warm spring day not long ago, just before Kansas State 
headed down Interstate 70 for the Big 12 Tournament, when he noticed his
 four-wheeler was running out of fuel.

So, the Wildcats' coach did
 what anyone would do in a small town: He steered that bad boy onto the 
road, conveniently forgetting that it wasn't exactly street legal, and 
headed off for the service station.

“So I'm zooming down and the 
college kids are outside. They're hollering at you, happy to see you. I 
mean, how great is that?" Tang recalled. “My wife was upset. She's like,
 'You're going to get arrested. It's going to be on the news!'”

Tang glances around furtively, his ever-present smile growing just a bit wider.

“I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”

Not these days. Not in Manhattan, Kansas.

One
 year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight 
losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play 
Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. They've <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">already taken down mighty Kentucky</a> and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans — a program synonymous with <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> success — under the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">bright lights of Madison Square Garden</a>.

The
 fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight 
straight sellouts to end the regular season. Chants of “Eff K-U” during 
home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward 
their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to 
the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players 
swear.

This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa
 delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the 
engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about 
their everyday lives.

“I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard.</a> “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.”

Tang
 kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a
 year ago. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how 
quickly, and how high, <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25/status/1637614896367140864?s=20">he would have the Wildcats soaring.</a>

“We
 surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview
 with The Associated Press. “But like, you don't enjoy this, you 
shouldn't be doing it, right? Our guys, our young people, our community 
deserves to have someone that really appreciates them and desires to be 
around them. They deserve this.”

The first thing to understand 
about Tang's winding road to the heartland of America is fortunate to be
 here. Not here, as in Kansas State. Here, as in alive.

Born in 
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Tang moved to St. Croix with his 
mother and three siblings while his father chased work in the oil 
industry. He was about 5 years old and playing marbles beneath a car in 
his aunt's driveway when his cousin, not knowing he was there, got 
behind the wheel and drove away.

“Drove right over him,” remembers Tang's older sister, Kim. “He's lucky. He was in the hospital for weeks.”

Perhaps
 that brush with death somehow infused in Tang his profoundly deep faith
 — “I believe my gift is ministry,” he explains, “and my passion just 
happens to be basketball." Or perhaps it somehow led to a 
preternaturally optimistic outlook on life, which has served him well as
 he tries to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sports-manhattan-mens-college-basketball-texas-8d2a90d1813be03b4a5a9d91f69c28f0">resurrect Kansas State's basketball program</a>.

“He treats people the right way,” says Baylor coach Scott Drew, his longtime friend. “He just always sees the good in people.”

Tang
 grew up playing cricket and soccer, and when his family moved to the 
Houston area, it became baseball and football — this was Texas, after 
all. But in 1979, while watching Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat 
Larry Bird and Indiana State in the title game that truly gave birth to 
March Madness, Tang fell in love with basketball.

It
 was a bible scholarship that got him to North Central College. He later
 attended junior college before dropping out, partly because of money, 
partly due to immaturity. (He would earn his degree from Charter Oak 
State College years later.)

Tang returned to Texas, intent on 
becoming a youth pastor. But when the founder of Heritage Christian 
Academy, Dr. Jennifer Cooper, was searching for a basketball coach, she 
turned to Mike Allard, Tang's own youth pastor at Green’s Bayou Assembly
 of God. He recommended this energetic kid with a devout faith in both 
Jesus and basketball.

“We drove around in, like, a Cheech-and-Chong van to get places,” Tang says. “It was the best place in the world.”

Tang
 soon built the small school into a national power, pumping out 
prospects such as Von Wafer, who played at Florida State and in the NBA.
 And he was still there in 2002 when Drew was hired to clean up <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-nfl-business-mens-college-basketball-bd83e9e43e464016b6e29d6d9ec98818">an inconceivable mess at Baylor.</a>

Drew
 needed someone with an unflinchingly positive attitude who could 
recruit in Texas, and over dinner one night, Tang won him over, earning a
 job that Drew had very nearly given to someone else.

Nearly two 
decades later, inside a quiet football stadium at the end of an NCAA 
Tournament played entirely inside a COVID-19 bubble, Drew and Tang 
celebrated the Bears <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-win-defeat-gonzaga-1st-ncaa-basketball-championship-1d53c12b04f50a9ea50110e787cc6567">winning the 2021 national championship</a>.

“Scott
 allowed us to make mistakes,” says Tang, who has Drew's book, “The Road
 to Joy,” prominently displayed above his otherwise haphazard desk. “I 
mean, we were young, so we could make mistakes. And sometimes in this 
business, you're not allowed to make mistakes. I'll never be able to 
thank him for that.”

Gene Taylor remembers a moment last year when
 the Wildcats still had just five players on their roster, and he was 
rightfully nervous. The athletic director had hired Tang after a pair of
 lengthy linterviews, one in Kansas City and one at Tang's home in Waco,
 Texas, and entrusted him with a program long on tradition but short on 
recent success.

“I asked, ‘Are we OK?’” Taylor recalled, "and he said, ‘Gene, we're fine. I don’t just want guys; I want the right guys.'”

The right guys turned out to be a motley crew carefully assembled during that hot summer in the Flint Hills.

Nowell
 is the 5-foot-8 sparkplug that Kentucky coach John Calipari couldn't 
get himself to call by name — “That little guy,” coach Cal said — after 
he'd minced up his own Wildcats in last weekend's second-round tourney 
game.

Keyontae Johnson, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-all-america-mens-basketball-team-2ab037abcde5157ad840f7dcd22cc8a4">voted an All-American alongside Nowell</a>,
 was playing for Florida when he collapsed on the court during a game in
 December 2020. Most schools were unwilling to clear Johnson to play, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-florida-gators-kansas-top-25-college-basketball-today-keyontae-johnson-6b738fc1685d1e9fdfade4e2a1afc6be">due to his underlying heart condition</a>, but Tang was willing to take every step and precaution necessary to get him back on the court.

Cam
 Carter came from Mississippi State, David N'Guessan from Virginia Tech.
 Desi Sills arrived from Arkansas State, Abayomi Iyiola from Hofstra. 
Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who never even played basketball in high school, signed
 out of junior college, and a pair of freshmen were sold on Tang's 
unwavering vision for the future.

“Nobody," Kansas coach Bill Self said, “has done a better job of assembling talent in a short amount of time.”

Picked
 to finish last in the Big 12, the Wildcats finished third. The reward 
was a No. 3 seed in March Madness, where the Wildcats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-montana-state-c73a1a3cad7f67d1db2b315deb5917eb">knocked off Montana State</a> in the first round before toppling Kentucky last weekend.

Now, they're just two more wins away from their first Final Four in nearly 50 years.

“I
 like doing first stuff, you know?” Tang says, leaning forward in a 
purple wingback chair in the corner of his office, where boxes still 
remain unpacked a year after moving in. “Players, you ask them, do you 
remember your first dunk? They all remember their first dunk. Do you 
remember your third dunk? They don’t. Do you remember your first 
girlfriend? My first girlfriend was Pam Hubbard. My last was Careylyen, 
and I married her.

“You remember your firsts and your lasts,” Tang says, "and I like firsts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679420939010.jpeg" alt="Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang celebrates with members of the pep band after defeating Kentucky in a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang celebrates with members of the pep band after defeating Kentucky in a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA Associated PressMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jerome Tang was tearing around his property on
 an unseasonably warm spring day not long ago, just before Kansas State 
headed down Interstate 70 for the Big 12 Tournament, when he noticed his
 four-wheeler was running out of fuel.So, the Wildcats' coach did
 what anyone would do in a small town: He steered that bad boy onto the 
road, conveniently forgetting that it wasn't exactly street legal, and 
headed off for the service station.“So I'm zooming down and the 
college kids are outside. They're hollering at you, happy to see you. I 
mean, how great is that?" Tang recalled. “My wife was upset. She's like,
 'You're going to get arrested. It's going to be on the news!'”Tang glances around furtively, his ever-present smile growing just a bit wider.“I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”Not these days. Not in Manhattan, Kansas.One
 year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight 
losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play 
Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. They've <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">already taken down mighty Kentucky</a> and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans — a program synonymous with <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> success — under the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">bright lights of Madison Square Garden</a>.The
 fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight 
straight sellouts to end the regular season. Chants of “Eff K-U” during 
home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward 
their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to 
the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players 
swear.This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa
 delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the 
engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about 
their everyday lives.“I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard.</a> “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.”Tang
 kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a
 year ago. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how 
quickly, and how high, <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25/status/1637614896367140864?s=20">he would have the Wildcats soaring.</a>“We
 surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview
 with The Associated Press. “But like, you don't enjoy this, you 
shouldn't be doing it, right? Our guys, our young people, our community 
deserves to have someone that really appreciates them and desires to be 
around them. They deserve this.”The first thing to understand 
about Tang's winding road to the heartland of America is fortunate to be
 here. Not here, as in Kansas State. Here, as in alive.Born in 
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Tang moved to St. Croix with his 
mother and three siblings while his father chased work in the oil 
industry. He was about 5 years old and playing marbles beneath a car in 
his aunt's driveway when his cousin, not knowing he was there, got 
behind the wheel and drove away.“Drove right over him,” remembers Tang's older sister, Kim. “He's lucky. He was in the hospital for weeks.”Perhaps
 that brush with death somehow infused in Tang his profoundly deep faith
 — “I believe my gift is ministry,” he explains, “and my passion just 
happens to be basketball." Or perhaps it somehow led to a 
preternaturally optimistic outlook on life, which has served him well as
 he tries to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sports-manhattan-mens-college-basketball-texas-8d2a90d1813be03b4a5a9d91f69c28f0">resurrect Kansas State's basketball program</a>.“He treats people the right way,” says Baylor coach Scott Drew, his longtime friend. “He just always sees the good in people.”Tang
 grew up playing cricket and soccer, and when his family moved to the 
Houston area, it became baseball and football — this was Texas, after 
all. But in 1979, while watching Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat 
Larry Bird and Indiana State in the title game that truly gave birth to 
March Madness, Tang fell in love with basketball.Except, well, he wasn't very good.It
 was a bible scholarship that got him to North Central College. He later
 attended junior college before dropping out, partly because of money, 
partly due to immaturity. (He would earn his degree from Charter Oak 
State College years later.)Tang returned to Texas, intent on 
becoming a youth pastor. But when the founder of Heritage Christian 
Academy, Dr. Jennifer Cooper, was searching for a basketball coach, she 
turned to Mike Allard, Tang's own youth pastor at Green’s Bayou Assembly
 of God. He recommended this energetic kid with a devout faith in both 
Jesus and basketball.“We drove around in, like, a Cheech-and-Chong van to get places,” Tang says. “It was the best place in the world.”Tang
 soon built the small school into a national power, pumping out 
prospects such as Von Wafer, who played at Florida State and in the NBA.
 And he was still there in 2002 when Drew was hired to clean up <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-nfl-business-mens-college-basketball-bd83e9e43e464016b6e29d6d9ec98818">an inconceivable mess at Baylor.</a>Drew
 needed someone with an unflinchingly positive attitude who could 
recruit in Texas, and over dinner one night, Tang won him over, earning a
 job that Drew had very nearly given to someone else.Nearly two 
decades later, inside a quiet football stadium at the end of an NCAA 
Tournament played entirely inside a COVID-19 bubble, Drew and Tang 
celebrated the Bears <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-win-defeat-gonzaga-1st-ncaa-basketball-championship-1d53c12b04f50a9ea50110e787cc6567">winning the 2021 national championship</a>.“Scott
 allowed us to make mistakes,” says Tang, who has Drew's book, “The Road
 to Joy,” prominently displayed above his otherwise haphazard desk. “I 
mean, we were young, so we could make mistakes. And sometimes in this 
business, you're not allowed to make mistakes. I'll never be able to 
thank him for that.”Gene Taylor remembers a moment last year when
 the Wildcats still had just five players on their roster, and he was 
rightfully nervous. The athletic director had hired Tang after a pair of
 lengthy linterviews, one in Kansas City and one at Tang's home in Waco,
 Texas, and entrusted him with a program long on tradition but short on 
recent success.“I asked, ‘Are we OK?’” Taylor recalled, "and he said, ‘Gene, we're fine. I don’t just want guys; I want the right guys.'”The right guys turned out to be a motley crew carefully assembled during that hot summer in the Flint Hills.Nowell
 is the 5-foot-8 sparkplug that Kentucky coach John Calipari couldn't 
get himself to call by name — “That little guy,” coach Cal said — after 
he'd minced up his own Wildcats in last weekend's second-round tourney 
game.Keyontae Johnson, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-all-america-mens-basketball-team-2ab037abcde5157ad840f7dcd22cc8a4">voted an All-American alongside Nowell</a>,
 was playing for Florida when he collapsed on the court during a game in
 December 2020. Most schools were unwilling to clear Johnson to play, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-florida-gators-kansas-top-25-college-basketball-today-keyontae-johnson-6b738fc1685d1e9fdfade4e2a1afc6be">due to his underlying heart condition</a>, but Tang was willing to take every step and precaution necessary to get him back on the court.Cam
 Carter came from Mississippi State, David N'Guessan from Virginia Tech.
 Desi Sills arrived from Arkansas State, Abayomi Iyiola from Hofstra. 
Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who never even played basketball in high school, signed
 out of junior college, and a pair of freshmen were sold on Tang's 
unwavering vision for the future.“Nobody," Kansas coach Bill Self said, “has done a better job of assembling talent in a short amount of time.”Picked
 to finish last in the Big 12, the Wildcats finished third. The reward 
was a No. 3 seed in March Madness, where the Wildcats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-montana-state-c73a1a3cad7f67d1db2b315deb5917eb">knocked off Montana State</a> in the first round before toppling Kentucky last weekend.Now, they're just two more wins away from their first Final Four in nearly 50 years.“I
 like doing first stuff, you know?” Tang says, leaning forward in a 
purple wingback chair in the corner of his office, where boxes still 
remain unpacked a year after moving in. “Players, you ask them, do you 
remember your first dunk? They all remember their first dunk. Do you 
remember your third dunk? They don’t. Do you remember your first 
girlfriend? My first girlfriend was Pam Hubbard. My last was Careylyen, 
and I married her.“You remember your firsts and your lasts,” Tang says, "and I like firsts.”

Jerome Tang has rising Kansas State feeling sweet again

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State sophomore guard Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;was named to the NABC All-District Second Team for the Central Region on Monday. Hammeke was one of 10 players named to the region's all-district team, joining three other players from the MIAA. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference had five named to the team, while the Great American Conference had one. Hammeke adds this honor to an All-MIAA First Team selection for the 2022-23 season. He averaged 16.4 points and 3.6 assists per game for the season, scoring in double figures 27 of 30 games. He scored 20 or more seven times and 30 or more twice. A 36-point performance against Northeastern State on December 1, 2022 was his season high and he nearly matched that on February 18, 2023 with 35 at Missouri Southern. Hammeke gives Fort Hays State a player on the NABC All-District Team for a third-straight year. Jared Vitztum&nbsp;was also a second-team selection in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. Below is the 2022-23 NABC All-District Team for the Central Region.

First Team Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri State Jake Hilmer – Upper Iowa Jordan Janssen – Wayne State Sam Masten – Northern State Jaden Wells – Central Oklahoma

Second Team Matt Cartwright – Sioux Falls Kaleb Hammeke– Fort Hays State Owen Long – Emporia State Tyler McGhie – Southern Nazarene John Sutherland – Bemidji State

Coach of the Year:&nbsp;Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri St.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679413966564.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State sophomore guard Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;was named to the NABC All-District Second Team for the Central Region on Monday. Hammeke was one of 10 players named to the region's all-district team, joining three other players from the MIAA. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference had five named to the team, while the Great American Conference had one. Hammeke adds this honor to an All-MIAA First Team selection for the 2022-23 season. He averaged 16.4 points and 3.6 assists per game for the season, scoring in double figures 27 of 30 games. He scored 20 or more seven times and 30 or more twice. A 36-point performance against Northeastern State on December 1, 2022 was his season high and he nearly matched that on February 18, 2023 with 35 at Missouri Southern. Hammeke gives Fort Hays State a player on the NABC All-District Team for a third-straight year. Jared Vitztum&nbsp;was also a second-team selection in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. Below is the 2022-23 NABC All-District Team for the Central Region.First Team Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri State Jake Hilmer – Upper Iowa Jordan Janssen – Wayne State Sam Masten – Northern State Jaden Wells – Central OklahomaSecond Team Matt Cartwright – Sioux Falls Kaleb Hammeke– Fort Hays State Owen Long – Emporia State Tyler McGhie – Southern Nazarene John Sutherland – Bemidji State Coach of the Year:&nbsp;Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri St.

🏀 FHSU's Hammeke named to NABC All-District Second Team

Colorado School of Mines (11-15) at Fort Hays State (16-10) Tuesday, March 21 - 2 PM (DH) Wednesday, March 22 - 12 PM (DH) Hays, Kan. - Tiger Stadium Radio - KAYS (94.3/1400)&nbsp;

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KAYS">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Fort Hays State Softball will host Colorado School of Mines in a four-game non-conference series Tuesday and Wednesday (Mar. 21-22) in Hays. The Tigers enter the week at 16-10 overall, while the Orediggers come into the series at 11-15 overall. The teams will play doubleheaders each day with action set to begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and then 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Live stream and stats will be available for the entire series at the links provided above. FHSU won three of four games in Colorado last week in non-conference action, while CSM most recently took three of four games in a conference series at Chadron State. The Opponent Colorado School of Mines (11-15) -Fort Hays State leads the all-time series with Colorado School of Mines 20-13. The teams last met in a doubleheader during the 2016 season. CSM won both games of that doubleheader by scores of 1-0 and 5-4. -The teams are meeting in Hays for the first time since 2005, when FHSU was still a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The last 12 games between the teams have been played in Golden. -The Orediggers are just 1-5 in non-conference games this season, all played in the state of Florida back in February. They fell in both games of doubleheaders with Palm Beach Atlantic and Barry, but split with Nova Southeastern. The Orediggers have played 20 straight conference games since, going 10-10. -Sidney Wilson leads CSM in batting average at .389, while ranking second on the team in RBIs with 14. Kayleigh Kruger leads the team in RBIs with 17. -Sadriena Rodriguez leads CSM pitchers with a 2.61 ERA, a 5-2 record, and 74 strikeouts in 67 innings of work. Tiger Notes Tigers Sweep Thunderwolves Fort Hays State is coming off a doubleheader sweep of CSU Pueblo on March 15. The Tigers won by scores of 6-3 and 5-2.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany's</a>&nbsp;second career grand slam helped lift the Tigers to victory in the first game. Tiffany and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/loren-beggs/7075">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;drove in three runs for the Tigers in the third inning of game two to push the Tigers into the lead, which they did not relinquish. Tiffany had six RBIs in the doubleheader.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;each threw complete games for the Tigers. Tigers Nearly Sweep Roadrunners Fort Hays State fell just one out short of a doubleheader sweep at MSU Denver. The Tigers were up 11-10 with one out to get in game one, but unfortunately saw the Roadrunners score the tying run on an RBI single then win the game on a walk-off home run. The Tigers went on to win game two 3-1, which started their current three-game win streak. When the Tigers Score Four Fort Hays State is 10-2 this season when scoring at least four runs in a game. The only losses when scoring four or more were on walk-off home runs, a 7-6 loss to Southern Nazarene and a 13-11 loss to MSU Denver. FHSU is 6-8 when scoring three or less runs this season. Seven Shutouts Seven of Fort Hays State's 16 wins this season have been by shutout. The 7 shutouts this season ranks second in the MIAA – only one behind defending national champion Rogers State which has 8. It ranks 13th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II. The 7 shutouts are already the most by a Tiger team during&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>'s tenure as a head coach. The 2013 team set the record for most shutouts by a team with 19. The 2002 (10) and 2009 (11) squads were the only others in the program's NCAA Division II history to reach double figures in shutouts for a season. Shepard of Speed <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;ranks among the top 10 players in the MIAA in stolen bases (T-3rd), on-base percentage (9th), hits (T-3rd), and hit-by-pitch (7th). She has 14 stolen bases, a .500 on-base percentage, 35 hits, and has been hit by a pitch five times. She is a perfect 14-of-14 on stolen base attempts this season. Efficient Running <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;have combined for 22 stolen bases so far this season. They are both perfect in their attempts, Shepard with 14 and Tiffany with 8.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;is 2-of-2, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sydnee-hoffman/7083">Sydnee Hoffman</a>&nbsp;is the only Tiger to be caught stealing this season at 1-of-2. The Tigers are 25-of-26 as a team. Tiffany Heating Back Up <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;has the longest current hitting streak for the Tigers, standing at six straight games. She is hitting .381 (8-for-21) in that stretch, bringing her season batting average back up to .329. She had a 1-for-19 stretch at the plate prior to her six-game hit streak. Tough to Strikeout <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;has just one strikeout in 64 at bats this season. She ranks eighth in NCAA Division II for toughest to strikeout. Put the Ball in Play Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA for fewest strikeouts as a team with 86 for the season. Central Oklahoma has the fewest with 80. Nebraska-Kearney leads the MIAA in strikeouts with 162. Moving Your Teammate Up Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifice bunts/hits with 19, only behind Washburn's 22. FHSU is also second in the conference in total sacrifices with 26 when adding on their seven sacrifice flies. Washburn leads the MIAA in total sacrifices with 30. Central Oklahoma leads the sacrifice fly category with 15 for the season. Solid Pitching Fort Hays State has a team pitching ERA of 2.87, which ranks sixth in the MIAA. Three of four Tiger pitchers have ERAs lower than 3.10 for the season, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;at 2.05. The Tiger pitchers rank second in the MIAA in strikeouts with 173, only behind Washburn (226). All four Tiger pitchers have at least 25 strikeouts on the season, led by Egger with 77. FHSU is allowing just a .251 batting average to opponents, which is sixth in the MIAA. Strong in the Circle <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;has allowed two or less earned runs in nine of her 13 starts in the pitching circle this season. She had four consecutive shutouts from February 24 to March 4, which accounts for all of her shutouts this season. She ranks 11th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II for individual shutouts, and is tied for first in the MIAA with Hannah Harrison of Pittsburg State. She had a 32-inning scoreless streak snapped on March 6 against Northwestern Oklahoma State, but threw 38 shutout innings in a 41-inning stretch from February 24 to March 11. Pair of Complete Games for Carlson <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;threw a pair of complete games last week in Colorado. She went the full seven innings in a 3-1 win at MSU Denver and a 5-2 win at CSU Pueblo. The complete game at MSU Denver on March 14 was her first since a 14-0 run-rule win in five innings over Sioux Falls back on February 26. With a 1.50 ERA over the two games last week, she lowered her season ERA to 2.70.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679393387041.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Loren Beggs swings at a pitch in an NCAA softball game earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Loren Beggs swings at a pitch in an NCAA softball game earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsColorado School of Mines (11-15) at Fort Hays State (16-10) Tuesday, March 21 - 2 PM (DH) Wednesday, March 22 - 12 PM (DH) Hays, Kan. - Tiger Stadium Radio - KAYS (94.3/1400)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KAYS">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Fort Hays State Softball will host Colorado School of Mines in a four-game non-conference series Tuesday and Wednesday (Mar. 21-22) in Hays. The Tigers enter the week at 16-10 overall, while the Orediggers come into the series at 11-15 overall. The teams will play doubleheaders each day with action set to begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and then 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Live stream and stats will be available for the entire series at the links provided above. FHSU won three of four games in Colorado last week in non-conference action, while CSM most recently took three of four games in a conference series at Chadron State. The Opponent Colorado School of Mines (11-15) -Fort Hays State leads the all-time series with Colorado School of Mines 20-13. The teams last met in a doubleheader during the 2016 season. CSM won both games of that doubleheader by scores of 1-0 and 5-4. -The teams are meeting in Hays for the first time since 2005, when FHSU was still a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The last 12 games between the teams have been played in Golden. -The Orediggers are just 1-5 in non-conference games this season, all played in the state of Florida back in February. They fell in both games of doubleheaders with Palm Beach Atlantic and Barry, but split with Nova Southeastern. The Orediggers have played 20 straight conference games since, going 10-10. -Sidney Wilson leads CSM in batting average at .389, while ranking second on the team in RBIs with 14. Kayleigh Kruger leads the team in RBIs with 17. -Sadriena Rodriguez leads CSM pitchers with a 2.61 ERA, a 5-2 record, and 74 strikeouts in 67 innings of work. Tiger Notes Tigers Sweep Thunderwolves Fort Hays State is coming off a doubleheader sweep of CSU Pueblo on March 15. The Tigers won by scores of 6-3 and 5-2.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany's</a>&nbsp;second career grand slam helped lift the Tigers to victory in the first game. Tiffany and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/loren-beggs/7075">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;drove in three runs for the Tigers in the third inning of game two to push the Tigers into the lead, which they did not relinquish. Tiffany had six RBIs in the doubleheader.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;each threw complete games for the Tigers. Tigers Nearly Sweep Roadrunners Fort Hays State fell just one out short of a doubleheader sweep at MSU Denver. The Tigers were up 11-10 with one out to get in game one, but unfortunately saw the Roadrunners score the tying run on an RBI single then win the game on a walk-off home run. The Tigers went on to win game two 3-1, which started their current three-game win streak. When the Tigers Score Four Fort Hays State is 10-2 this season when scoring at least four runs in a game. The only losses when scoring four or more were on walk-off home runs, a 7-6 loss to Southern Nazarene and a 13-11 loss to MSU Denver. FHSU is 6-8 when scoring three or less runs this season. Seven Shutouts Seven of Fort Hays State's 16 wins this season have been by shutout. The 7 shutouts this season ranks second in the MIAA – only one behind defending national champion Rogers State which has 8. It ranks 13th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II. The 7 shutouts are already the most by a Tiger team during&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>'s tenure as a head coach. The 2013 team set the record for most shutouts by a team with 19. The 2002 (10) and 2009 (11) squads were the only others in the program's NCAA Division II history to reach double figures in shutouts for a season. Shepard of Speed <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;ranks among the top 10 players in the MIAA in stolen bases (T-3rd), on-base percentage (9th), hits (T-3rd), and hit-by-pitch (7th). She has 14 stolen bases, a .500 on-base percentage, 35 hits, and has been hit by a pitch five times. She is a perfect 14-of-14 on stolen base attempts this season. Efficient Running <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;have combined for 22 stolen bases so far this season. They are both perfect in their attempts, Shepard with 14 and Tiffany with 8.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;is 2-of-2, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sydnee-hoffman/7083">Sydnee Hoffman</a>&nbsp;is the only Tiger to be caught stealing this season at 1-of-2. The Tigers are 25-of-26 as a team. Tiffany Heating Back Up <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;has the longest current hitting streak for the Tigers, standing at six straight games. She is hitting .381 (8-for-21) in that stretch, bringing her season batting average back up to .329. She had a 1-for-19 stretch at the plate prior to her six-game hit streak. Tough to Strikeout <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;has just one strikeout in 64 at bats this season. She ranks eighth in NCAA Division II for toughest to strikeout. Put the Ball in Play Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA for fewest strikeouts as a team with 86 for the season. Central Oklahoma has the fewest with 80. Nebraska-Kearney leads the MIAA in strikeouts with 162. Moving Your Teammate Up Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifice bunts/hits with 19, only behind Washburn's 22. FHSU is also second in the conference in total sacrifices with 26 when adding on their seven sacrifice flies. Washburn leads the MIAA in total sacrifices with 30. Central Oklahoma leads the sacrifice fly category with 15 for the season. Solid Pitching Fort Hays State has a team pitching ERA of 2.87, which ranks sixth in the MIAA. Three of four Tiger pitchers have ERAs lower than 3.10 for the season, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;at 2.05. The Tiger pitchers rank second in the MIAA in strikeouts with 173, only behind Washburn (226). All four Tiger pitchers have at least 25 strikeouts on the season, led by Egger with 77. FHSU is allowing just a .251 batting average to opponents, which is sixth in the MIAA. Strong in the Circle <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;has allowed two or less earned runs in nine of her 13 starts in the pitching circle this season. She had four consecutive shutouts from February 24 to March 4, which accounts for all of her shutouts this season. She ranks 11th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II for individual shutouts, and is tied for first in the MIAA with Hannah Harrison of Pittsburg State. She had a 32-inning scoreless streak snapped on March 6 against Northwestern Oklahoma State, but threw 38 shutout innings in a 41-inning stretch from February 24 to March 11. Pair of Complete Games for Carlson <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;threw a pair of complete games last week in Colorado. She went the full seven innings in a 3-1 win at MSU Denver and a 5-2 win at CSU Pueblo. The complete game at MSU Denver on March 14 was her first since a 14-0 run-rule win in five innings over Sioux Falls back on February 26. With a 1.50 ERA over the two games last week, she lowered her season ERA to 2.70.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎🎙️ LISTEN - FHSU hosts Colorado School of Mines

🎥⚾️🥎 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

It's the first spring sports Tiger Talk with head softball coach Adrian Pilkington and new head baseball coach Justin Wichert.

Tiger Talk airs live from Big Smoke Barbecue in Hays on KAYS (1400/94.3) at noon.

It's the first spring sports Tiger Talk with head softball coach Adrian Pilkington and new head baseball coach Justin Wichert.Tiger Talk airs live from Big Smoke Barbecue in Hays on KAYS (1400/94.3) at noon.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (March 20, 2023)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=v8b2c-13c01aa-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (March 20, 2023)

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Markquis Nowell scored 23 of his 27 points after halftime, and Kansas State overcame a horrid start from outside by hitting a couple of clutch 3-pointers while topping Kentucky 75-69 in Sunday's second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The win sends the third-seeded Wildcats (25-9) to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018, and it came thanks to a series of big shots that finally pushed them through in a tight game.

They'll play the winner of the Michigan State-Marquette in the East Region semifinals.

Kansas State missed its first 13 3-pointers and sat at 2 for 17 for the game when the outside shots started falling. There was Nowell burying a step-back 3 against Cason Wallace to bring Kansas State within 60-59, followed a bit later by Ismael Massoud burying one from the right wing at the 2:21 mark that gave Kansas State the lead for good at 64-62.

Keyontae Johnson added one more from that side of the court in front of the Kansas State bench, pushing the lead to 67-62 with 1:23 left — sending a jolt with the kind of margin that felt massive considering nearly all of the second half had been played within four points.

The 5-foot-8 Nowell, a third-team Associated Press All-American, played a fearless floor game while making 7 of 14 shots and 10 of 11 free throws. He also hit three 3s, including the first one over Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe after an 0-for-13 start by Kansas State and another after halftime with his left foot on the “March Madness” logo near midcourt.

Tshiebwe had 25 points and 18 rebounds for sixth-seeded Kentucky (22-12), which shot 55% after halftime and led by eight early in the second half. But the Wildcats never could stretch that lead out, then couldn't make their own big outside shots (4 for 20 for the game) to answer when Kansas State made its move.

Consider it the latest chapter in a run of surprisingly fast success for Kansas State under first-year coach Jerome Tang, who left Baylor after a long stint on Scott Drew’s staff to take over in Manhattan. He inherited a program that hadn’t been to the tournament since 2019, was coming off three straight losing seasons and was picked to finish last in the Big 12.

Yet after a summer of reshaping the roster through the transfer portal, the Wildcats built early confidence and thrived right away — and now, that has them in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

And the bet paid off in a number of ways Sunday.

There was Johnson, who transferred from Florida after collapsing in a game in December 2020&nbsp;and hadn't played since before resuming his career with Kansas State.

There was Virginia Tech transfer big man David N'Guessan, who played multiple late possessions with his right heel out of his shoe — yet still had the tipout offensive rebound that led to Johnson's 3.

And there was Massoud, who transferred from Wake Forest to Kansas State before Tang's arrival and stuck around this year. Playing about a 30-minute drive from his first college stop, he hadn’t scored before hitting that huge 3.

For the other set of Wildcats, it marked another earlier-than-hoped-for exit from March Madness.

Tshiebwe had 25 rebounds in the first-round win against Providence&nbsp;for the most in any tournament game since 1977, and the two-time AP All-American was again a force inside. Wallace had 15 of his 21 points after halftime, including multiple times when the freshman guard used his 6-4 frame to score against Nowell inside.

But No. 2 scorer Antonio Reeves (14.6 points) managed five points on 1-for-15 shooting, including 1-for-10 from behind the arc with the lone 3 coming with 8 seconds left and Kansas State in control.

When it was over, Kansas State players began to hug each other at midcourt and celebrate, with guard Desi Sills — another transfer, fittingly — talking animatedly to nearly cameras as he walked around the court in victory.

Later, after most of the team had left the court, Johnson was still hanging around behind the bench to give high-fives and sign autographs for fans. And teammate Nae'Qwan Tomlin squeezed in one more high-five of his own before running toward the locker room while pointing triumphantly to another pocket of KSU fans.

Kentucky: The past year has been one of wild emotional swings, starting with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-saint-peters-upsets-kentucky-b0fdd8fbd0ea432a9b6150f0cd8e6b22">last March’s devastating first-round exit at the hands of 15-seed Saint Peter’s</a>. That hung over the team while a No. 4 preseason ranking evaporated with a 10-6 start. Kentucky beat Providence in the first round to get past that emotional hurdle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-calipari-e8d462e3f8d13a560891efbbc1853867">with coach John Calipari pushing his team to play loose and free</a>. Still, it wasn't enough to get Kentucky to the tournament's second weekend for the first time since an Elite Eight run in 2019.

Kansas State:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-montana-state-c73a1a3cad7f67d1db2b315deb5917eb">Friday's first-round win against Montana State</a>&nbsp;came in the program's first tournament appearance since 2019. Nowell was huge in that one with 17 points and 14 assists. In this one, Kansas State outscored Kentucky 19-9 down the stretch, with Nowell scoring 11 and going 8-for-8 at the line in a show of unflappable resolve.

Kansas State will face the Michigan State-Marquette winner Thursday in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679261737994.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Desi Sills celebrates a dunk by forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin against Kentucky during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Desi Sills celebrates a dunk by forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin against Kentucky during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON BEARD AP Basketball WriterGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Markquis Nowell scored 23 of his 27 points after halftime, and Kansas State overcame a horrid start from outside by hitting a couple of clutch 3-pointers while topping Kentucky 75-69 in Sunday's second round of the NCAA Tournament.The win sends the third-seeded Wildcats (25-9) to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018, and it came thanks to a series of big shots that finally pushed them through in a tight game.They'll play the winner of the Michigan State-Marquette in the East Region semifinals.Kansas State missed its first 13 3-pointers and sat at 2 for 17 for the game when the outside shots started falling. There was Nowell burying a step-back 3 against Cason Wallace to bring Kansas State within 60-59, followed a bit later by Ismael Massoud burying one from the right wing at the 2:21 mark that gave Kansas State the lead for good at 64-62.Keyontae Johnson added one more from that side of the court in front of the Kansas State bench, pushing the lead to 67-62 with 1:23 left — sending a jolt with the kind of margin that felt massive considering nearly all of the second half had been played within four points.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679310627232.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell (1) dribbles the ball up the floor in first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (Kansas State Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell (1) dribbles the ball up the floor in first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (Kansas State Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>The 5-foot-8 Nowell, a third-team Associated Press All-American, played a fearless floor game while making 7 of 14 shots and 10 of 11 free throws. He also hit three 3s, including the first one over Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe after an 0-for-13 start by Kansas State and another after halftime with his left foot on the “March Madness” logo near midcourt.Tshiebwe had 25 points and 18 rebounds for sixth-seeded Kentucky (22-12), which shot 55% after halftime and led by eight early in the second half. But the Wildcats never could stretch that lead out, then couldn't make their own big outside shots (4 for 20 for the game) to answer when Kansas State made its move.Consider it the latest chapter in a run of surprisingly fast success for Kansas State under first-year coach Jerome Tang, who left Baylor after a long stint on Scott Drew’s staff to take over in Manhattan. He inherited a program that hadn’t been to the tournament since 2019, was coming off three straight losing seasons and was picked to finish last in the Big 12.Yet after a summer of reshaping the roster through the transfer portal, the Wildcats built early confidence and thrived right away — and now, that has them in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.And the bet paid off in a number of ways Sunday.There was Johnson, who transferred from Florida after collapsing in a game in December 2020&nbsp;and hadn't played since before resuming his career with Kansas State.There was Virginia Tech transfer big man David N'Guessan, who played multiple late possessions with his right heel out of his shoe — yet still had the tipout offensive rebound that led to Johnson's 3.And there was Massoud, who transferred from Wake Forest to Kansas State before Tang's arrival and stuck around this year. Playing about a 30-minute drive from his first college stop, he hadn’t scored before hitting that huge 3.For the other set of Wildcats, it marked another earlier-than-hoped-for exit from March Madness.Tshiebwe had 25 rebounds in the first-round win against Providence&nbsp;for the most in any tournament game since 1977, and the two-time AP All-American was again a force inside. Wallace had 15 of his 21 points after halftime, including multiple times when the freshman guard used his 6-4 frame to score against Nowell inside.But No. 2 scorer Antonio Reeves (14.6 points) managed five points on 1-for-15 shooting, including 1-for-10 from behind the arc with the lone 3 coming with 8 seconds left and Kansas State in control.When it was over, Kansas State players began to hug each other at midcourt and celebrate, with guard Desi Sills — another transfer, fittingly — talking animatedly to nearly cameras as he walked around the court in victory.Later, after most of the team had left the court, Johnson was still hanging around behind the bench to give high-fives and sign autographs for fans. And teammate Nae'Qwan Tomlin squeezed in one more high-five of his own before running toward the locker room while pointing triumphantly to another pocket of KSU fans.BIG PICTUREKentucky: The past year has been one of wild emotional swings, starting with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-saint-peters-upsets-kentucky-b0fdd8fbd0ea432a9b6150f0cd8e6b22">last March’s devastating first-round exit at the hands of 15-seed Saint Peter’s</a>. That hung over the team while a No. 4 preseason ranking evaporated with a 10-6 start. Kentucky beat Providence in the first round to get past that emotional hurdle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-calipari-e8d462e3f8d13a560891efbbc1853867">with coach John Calipari pushing his team to play loose and free</a>. Still, it wasn't enough to get Kentucky to the tournament's second weekend for the first time since an Elite Eight run in 2019.Kansas State:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-montana-state-c73a1a3cad7f67d1db2b315deb5917eb">Friday's first-round win against Montana State</a>&nbsp;came in the program's first tournament appearance since 2019. Nowell was huge in that one with 17 points and 14 assists. In this one, Kansas State outscored Kentucky 19-9 down the stretch, with Nowell scoring 11 and going 8-for-8 at the line in a show of unflappable resolve.UP NEXTKansas State will face the Michigan State-Marquette winner Thursday in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

🏀 Late threes lift K-State past Kentucky for trip to Sweet 16

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State secured its first MIAA series win of the season with a 2-0 win over Central Oklahoma in the rubber match between the teams on Sunday. It marked the first shutout for the Tigers since March 4, 2022 (2-0 vs. Emporia State) and the first conference series win since May 8, 2021 vs. Newman. The Tigers improved to 11-16 overall and 4-9 in the MIAA, while UCO lost their second straight conference series falling to 17-8 overall and 7-6 in conference play. The series finale was a pitching battle from the very beginning as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-campbell/6805">Jake Campbell</a>&nbsp;and UCO starter Aiden Bagwell prevented any runs from crossing the plate through the first four innings. In that span, Bagwell allowed only two hits, while Campbell gave up three. UCO brought in reliever Jeb Jenkins in the fifth, who kept the scoreless string going into the sixth. The Tigers scored both of their runs in the sixth inning. A sacrifice bunt by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/colter-maldonado/7264">Colter Maldonado</a>&nbsp;moved&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey Felton</a>&nbsp;to second, setting up an RBI double by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;down the left field line. Before another pitch was thrown, the UCO pitcher made a throwing error on an unsuccessful appeal play allowing Scott to score all the way from second. Campbell (2-0) went an impressive 8.1 scoreless innings before yielding to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/spencer-maley/7265">Spencer Maley</a>&nbsp;with two runners on in the final frame. Maley allowed a hit to load the bases, but was able to escape the jam with a strikeout and groundout for his first save of the season and secure the win. Campbell struck out four and scattered six hits with just two walks, throwing 124 pitches. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Tigers in hits for the game, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zane-knox/7262">Zane Knox</a>&nbsp;each had hits aside from Scott's RBI double. The Tigers will be back at home this week when they host Rockhurst for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday (March 21).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679264338387.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Jake Campbell delivers a pitch earlier this season in an NCAA baseball game at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Jake Campbell delivers a pitch earlier this season in an NCAA baseball game at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State secured its first MIAA series win of the season with a 2-0 win over Central Oklahoma in the rubber match between the teams on Sunday. It marked the first shutout for the Tigers since March 4, 2022 (2-0 vs. Emporia State) and the first conference series win since May 8, 2021 vs. Newman. The Tigers improved to 11-16 overall and 4-9 in the MIAA, while UCO lost their second straight conference series falling to 17-8 overall and 7-6 in conference play. The series finale was a pitching battle from the very beginning as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-campbell/6805">Jake Campbell</a>&nbsp;and UCO starter Aiden Bagwell prevented any runs from crossing the plate through the first four innings. In that span, Bagwell allowed only two hits, while Campbell gave up three. UCO brought in reliever Jeb Jenkins in the fifth, who kept the scoreless string going into the sixth. The Tigers scored both of their runs in the sixth inning. A sacrifice bunt by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/colter-maldonado/7264">Colter Maldonado</a>&nbsp;moved&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey Felton</a>&nbsp;to second, setting up an RBI double by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;down the left field line. Before another pitch was thrown, the UCO pitcher made a throwing error on an unsuccessful appeal play allowing Scott to score all the way from second. Campbell (2-0) went an impressive 8.1 scoreless innings before yielding to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/spencer-maley/7265">Spencer Maley</a>&nbsp;with two runners on in the final frame. Maley allowed a hit to load the bases, but was able to escape the jam with a strikeout and groundout for his first save of the season and secure the win. Campbell struck out four and scattered six hits with just two walks, throwing 124 pitches. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Tigers in hits for the game, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zane-knox/7262">Zane Knox</a>&nbsp;each had hits aside from Scott's RBI double. The Tigers will be back at home this week when they host Rockhurst for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday (March 21).&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Tigers shutout Bronchos to claim series in Edmond

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas' national title defense ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday when Arkansas' Ricky Council IV made five free throws in the closing seconds and the eighth-seeded Razorbacks beat the No. 1 seed Jayhawks 72-71.

Davonte Davis scored 25 points and Council added 21 as Arkansas rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit. Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-4ad50feff4c6e12b4722de893edfc059">playing without ailing coach Bill Self,</a>&nbsp;became the second top seed not to escape the tournament's first weekend after Purdue lost on Friday night to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.

Arkansas (22-13) and coach Eric Musselman return to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. The Razorbacks will play either Saint Mary's or UConn in the West Region semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Musselman and his players rushed to a group of fans sitting courtside after the final buzzer. The 58-year-old coach ripped his polo shirt off, waved it over his head and shouted with joy.

“That’s such an unbelievable win for our program,” Musselman said. "I keep telling people that we’re getting better. Not many teams can get better this time of year. I’ve never been prouder of a team like tonight.”

Self has been with the Jayhawks (28-8) since they arrived in Des Moines and has attended practices and meetings, but he still didn't feel well enough to coach a game after having a heart procedure March 8 to clear clogged arteries.

Longtime assistant Norm Roberts was acting coach for a fifth straight game in Self’s absence.

Kansas, bidding to become the first repeat national champion since Florida in 2006-07, was ahead 35-27 at halftime and lost for the first time in 27 games when entering the second half with a lead. Kansas had been 47-0 in the NCAA Tournament when leading by eight points or more at the half.

Davis scored 21 of his points in the second half. He fouled out with 1:56 left, turning things over to the veteran Council, a transfer from Wichita State who scored nine of the Razorbacks’ final 11 points.

“This team was struggling and we figured it out,” Davis said. “I’m glad we did at the right time. Hopefully we continue to do it.”

Outside the locker room a few minutes later, a sobbing Musselman hugged Davis and shouted, "I (expletive) love you, man!”

Council's free throw put Arkansas ahead to stay, 68-67, with 24 seconds left. He then rebounded his own miss of the second free throw and made two more to give the Razorbacks a three-point lead.

The teams traded free throws, and Arkansas sent Kansas' Jalen Wilson to the line with 3 seconds left to prevent a potential tying 3-pointer. Wilson made the first free throw and appeared to try to miss the second intentionally, but it banked hard off the glass and in, and Kansas never regained possession.

Arkansas was playing a No. 1 seed for the third straight year. Last year, the Razorbacks knocked out Gonzaga on the way to their second straight Elite Eight.

Arkansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-illinois-arkansas-9c5294f8634c1fc2903b6e8b8b84df82">which beat Illinois in the first round,</a>&nbsp;was considered a scary matchup for the Jayhawks with its explosive transition game and ability to play lockdown defense.

But circumstances were less than ideal for the Razorbacks. Guard Anthony Black tweaked a nagging ankle injury early and went to the bench to get re-taped and change shoes, and fellow guard and projected high NBA first-round draft pick Nick Smith Jr. picked up two quick fouls and was limited to 10 minutes and no points in the first half. Also, big man Kamani Johnson was ill and played with a sore toe.

The Razorbacks were too eager to shoot 3-pointers early. They missed 8 of 9 in the first half and couldn’t get their running game going.

Kansas looked in full control early. The Jayhawks got their fans out of their seats with a series of electric plays that included Gradey Dick’s fast-break dunk off Dajuan Harris’ steal, Wilson’s contested inside basket on an and-one and his primal scream directed at Arkansas fans, and Joseph Yesufu’s high-arcing 3 from the logo to beat the shot clock.

Davis started a game-turning 11-0 Arkansas run in the middle of the second half and Jordan Walsh’s 3-pointer with eight minutes left gave the Razorbacks their first lead since their first basket of the game. Davis rushed over, chest-bumped Walsh and raised his arms to ask Arkansas fans for more noise.

Arkansas neutralized Wilson when it mattered most, allowing the All-American only two shots over a 15-minute stretch of the second half.

Arkansas is in the Sweet 16 for the 14th time. The only lower-seeded Razorbacks team to reach a regional semifinal was the 1996 squad, which was a No. 12.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679188809157.jpeg" alt="Kansas players watch from the bench in the second half of a second-round college basketball game against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas players watch from the bench in the second half of a second-round college basketball game against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC OLSON AP Sports WriterDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas' national title defense ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday when Arkansas' Ricky Council IV made five free throws in the closing seconds and the eighth-seeded Razorbacks beat the No. 1 seed Jayhawks 72-71.Davonte Davis scored 25 points and Council added 21 as Arkansas rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit. Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-4ad50feff4c6e12b4722de893edfc059">playing without ailing coach Bill Self,</a>&nbsp;became the second top seed not to escape the tournament's first weekend after Purdue lost on Friday night to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.Arkansas (22-13) and coach Eric Musselman return to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. The Razorbacks will play either Saint Mary's or UConn in the West Region semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday.Musselman and his players rushed to a group of fans sitting courtside after the final buzzer. The 58-year-old coach ripped his polo shirt off, waved it over his head and shouted with joy.“That’s such an unbelievable win for our program,” Musselman said. "I keep telling people that we’re getting better. Not many teams can get better this time of year. I’ve never been prouder of a team like tonight.”Self has been with the Jayhawks (28-8) since they arrived in Des Moines and has attended practices and meetings, but he still didn't feel well enough to coach a game after having a heart procedure March 8 to clear clogged arteries.Longtime assistant Norm Roberts was acting coach for a fifth straight game in Self’s absence.Kansas, bidding to become the first repeat national champion since Florida in 2006-07, was ahead 35-27 at halftime and lost for the first time in 27 games when entering the second half with a lead. Kansas had been 47-0 in the NCAA Tournament when leading by eight points or more at the half.Davis scored 21 of his points in the second half. He fouled out with 1:56 left, turning things over to the veteran Council, a transfer from Wichita State who scored nine of the Razorbacks’ final 11 points.“This team was struggling and we figured it out,” Davis said. “I’m glad we did at the right time. Hopefully we continue to do it.”Outside the locker room a few minutes later, a sobbing Musselman hugged Davis and shouted, "I (expletive) love you, man!”Council's free throw put Arkansas ahead to stay, 68-67, with 24 seconds left. He then rebounded his own miss of the second free throw and made two more to give the Razorbacks a three-point lead.The teams traded free throws, and Arkansas sent Kansas' Jalen Wilson to the line with 3 seconds left to prevent a potential tying 3-pointer. Wilson made the first free throw and appeared to try to miss the second intentionally, but it banked hard off the glass and in, and Kansas never regained possession.Wilson led the Jayhawks with 20 points.Arkansas was playing a No. 1 seed for the third straight year. Last year, the Razorbacks knocked out Gonzaga on the way to their second straight Elite Eight.Arkansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-illinois-arkansas-9c5294f8634c1fc2903b6e8b8b84df82">which beat Illinois in the first round,</a>&nbsp;was considered a scary matchup for the Jayhawks with its explosive transition game and ability to play lockdown defense.But circumstances were less than ideal for the Razorbacks. Guard Anthony Black tweaked a nagging ankle injury early and went to the bench to get re-taped and change shoes, and fellow guard and projected high NBA first-round draft pick Nick Smith Jr. picked up two quick fouls and was limited to 10 minutes and no points in the first half. Also, big man Kamani Johnson was ill and played with a sore toe.The Razorbacks were too eager to shoot 3-pointers early. They missed 8 of 9 in the first half and couldn’t get their running game going.Kansas looked in full control early. The Jayhawks got their fans out of their seats with a series of electric plays that included Gradey Dick’s fast-break dunk off Dajuan Harris’ steal, Wilson’s contested inside basket on an and-one and his primal scream directed at Arkansas fans, and Joseph Yesufu’s high-arcing 3 from the logo to beat the shot clock.Davis started a game-turning 11-0 Arkansas run in the middle of the second half and Jordan Walsh’s 3-pointer with eight minutes left gave the Razorbacks their first lead since their first basket of the game. Davis rushed over, chest-bumped Walsh and raised his arms to ask Arkansas fans for more noise.Arkansas neutralized Wilson when it mattered most, allowing the All-American only two shots over a 15-minute stretch of the second half.Arkansas is in the Sweet 16 for the 14th time. The only lower-seeded Razorbacks team to reach a regional semifinal was the 1996 squad, which was a No. 12.___

🏀 Arkansas ousts defending champ Kansas from March Madness

EDMOND, Okla. - The Fort Hays State baseball team evened the series with Central Oklahoma with a 9-2 victory on Saturday. The Tigers held the Bronchos scoreless into the eighth inning while scoring at least one run five frames. The Tigers improve to 10-16 on the season and 3-9 in the MIAA while the Bronchos move to 17-7 overall and 7-5 in conference play. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-berg/6803">Zach Berg</a>&nbsp;made the start and retired the first six batters he faced. The Tigers got on the board in the third inning as a sacrifice fly from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trey-degarmo/7257">Trey DeGarmo</a>&nbsp;brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-davis/7256">Zach Davis</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;added to the Tiger lead in the fourth with a solo shot to right field, his second of the series. FHSU batted around in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and one UCO error.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/colter-maldonado/7264">Colter Maldonado</a>&nbsp;started off the inning by reaching base on a bunt before swiping second base. A single from DeGarmo moved Maldonado to third and a wild pitch by UCO brought him home. DeGarmo would score on the next play as the catcher mishandled a play at the plate on an infield hit from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>. Boies&nbsp;later picked up his second RBI of the day on a double down the left field line. After a pitching change by UCO, the Tigers loaded the bases on a pair of walks to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zane-knox/7262">Zane Knox</a>&nbsp;and Davis. In the next at bat,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey Felton</a>&nbsp;was hit by the pitch bringing the Tiger lead to 6-0. The Tigers plated two more runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;and another RBI double from Boies. The final run for the Tigers was scored in the eighth on a double down the left field line by Davis, scoring Ural and pushing the Tiger lead to 9-0. Berg (3-1) tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and six walks while striking out five batters.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/spencer-maley/7265">Spencer Maley</a>&nbsp;took the mound the eighth to relieve Berg and close out the game. The Bronchos managed to spoil the shutout with a two-out double down the right field line which plated two runs. Maley returned in the ninth and held UCO at bay to secure the win. Boies finished 3-for-5 with three RBI while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>, DeGarmo and Maldonado each recorded multi-hit games. The series will conclude with the rubber match slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679187999770.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Zach Berg gets ready to deliver a pitcher earlier this season at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Zach Berg gets ready to deliver a pitcher earlier this season at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. - The Fort Hays State baseball team evened the series with Central Oklahoma with a 9-2 victory on Saturday. The Tigers held the Bronchos scoreless into the eighth inning while scoring at least one run five frames. The Tigers improve to 10-16 on the season and 3-9 in the MIAA while the Bronchos move to 17-7 overall and 7-5 in conference play. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-berg/6803">Zach Berg</a>&nbsp;made the start and retired the first six batters he faced. The Tigers got on the board in the third inning as a sacrifice fly from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trey-degarmo/7257">Trey DeGarmo</a>&nbsp;brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-davis/7256">Zach Davis</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;added to the Tiger lead in the fourth with a solo shot to right field, his second of the series. FHSU batted around in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and one UCO error.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/colter-maldonado/7264">Colter Maldonado</a>&nbsp;started off the inning by reaching base on a bunt before swiping second base. A single from DeGarmo moved Maldonado to third and a wild pitch by UCO brought him home. DeGarmo would score on the next play as the catcher mishandled a play at the plate on an infield hit from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>. Boies&nbsp;later picked up his second RBI of the day on a double down the left field line. After a pitching change by UCO, the Tigers loaded the bases on a pair of walks to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zane-knox/7262">Zane Knox</a>&nbsp;and Davis. In the next at bat,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey Felton</a>&nbsp;was hit by the pitch bringing the Tiger lead to 6-0. The Tigers plated two more runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;and another RBI double from Boies. The final run for the Tigers was scored in the eighth on a double down the left field line by Davis, scoring Ural and pushing the Tiger lead to 9-0. Berg (3-1) tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and six walks while striking out five batters.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/spencer-maley/7265">Spencer Maley</a>&nbsp;took the mound the eighth to relieve Berg and close out the game. The Bronchos managed to spoil the shutout with a two-out double down the right field line which plated two runs. Maley returned in the ninth and held UCO at bay to secure the win. Boies finished 3-for-5 with three RBI while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>, DeGarmo and Maldonado each recorded multi-hit games. The series will conclude with the rubber match slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Berg and Boies lift Tigers to victory over Bronchos

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bill Self will miss top-seeded Kansas' second-round NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas on Saturday, the school announced.

Self, who is recovering from a heart procedure he received earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-norm-roberts-fbb2c52dc34fa02235d1dbc3177ced01">has been with his team since it arrived in Des Moines and attended meetings and practices.</a>

Self declined to comment Friday when he walked past reporters after practice, but said in a radio interview before the Jayhawks' first-round win over Howard that he is feeling better and getting stronger — just not yet ready to be on the bench for a game.

Norm Roberts, Self's longtime assistant, will serve as acting coach for a fifth game.

Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance, and the 60-year-old had two stents placed to help treat blocked arteries.

Kansas is 3-1 in Self’s absence, with the loss coming to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.

The 57-year-old Roberts is Self’s right-hand man, having been on Self’s staff at four coaching stops.

“We have been together for almost 25 years, so we probably do finish each other’s sentences in basketball terms,” Roberts said Friday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bill Self will miss top-seeded Kansas' second-round NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas on Saturday, the school announced.Self, who is recovering from a heart procedure he received earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-norm-roberts-fbb2c52dc34fa02235d1dbc3177ced01">has been with his team since it arrived in Des Moines and attended meetings and practices.</a>Self declined to comment Friday when he walked past reporters after practice, but said in a radio interview before the Jayhawks' first-round win over Howard that he is feeling better and getting stronger — just not yet ready to be on the bench for a game.Norm Roberts, Self's longtime assistant, will serve as acting coach for a fifth game.Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance, and the 60-year-old had two stents placed to help treat blocked arteries.Kansas is 3-1 in Self’s absence, with the loss coming to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.The 57-year-old Roberts is Self’s right-hand man, having been on Self’s staff at four coaching stops.“We have been together for almost 25 years, so we probably do finish each other’s sentences in basketball terms,” Roberts said Friday.

🏀 Bill Self to miss Kansas' NCAA game against Arkansas

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gradey Dick set the Kansas freshman record for 3-point field goals, recorded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-howard-a37482476123ba6f8f6c337deef99096">the first double-double of his career</a>&nbsp;in the Jayhawks' opener in the NCAA Tournament and is on track to be an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-nba-draft-picks-9fe43406a0d09256c7070c39c503805f">NBA lottery pick</a>&nbsp;in June.

His mom, a player of her own accomplishment, is proud of him, of course.

But Carmen Dick concedes nothing to him as a basketball player. That's not how their uber-competitive family operates.

Her son played the starring role in a first-round win over Howard on Thursday and next he'll lead the top-seeded and defending champion Jayhawks (28-7) into a Saturday game against No. 8 Arkansas (21-13).

No. 2 UCLA (30-5) plays No. 7 Northwestern (22-11) in Sacramento, California, in the other West game.

Kansas' opening tournament games are being played at Wells Fargo Arena, which is right across the street from Veterans Auditorium. That's where Carmen Dick — then Carmen Jaspers — built her legacy as one of Iowa's greatest high school players before she became a 1,000-point scorer at Iowa State.

Since the Jayhawks arrived in Des Moines, locals have regaled Gradey Dick with memories of his mom dominating the competition in the old six-girl game Iowa high schools played until 30 years ago.

“Yeah, he knows what I did. He's well aware,” Carmen Dick said Friday. “We have competitions, and he's got me on a few and I've got him on a few.”

Gradey is the better 3-point shooter, but Carmen notes there were no 3s in her day. For her part, she played in three straight state tournaments for Ackley-Geneva High at Veterans Auditorium (1983-85), averaged 40 points per game as a senior and still ranks 10th all-time with her 77.6% shooting in 1984.

As a collegian, she was Iowa State's female athlete of the year in 1989 and still holds the school single-game free-throw record by going 15 for 15 against Kansas in 1988.

“I haven’t gotten near to that, so she holds that over me,” said Gradey, who had 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in his first NCAA Tournament game.

Gradey said he admires his mom's accomplishments. Because she played under the basket in high school and college, she's even taught him a few inside moves.

“You never know when he might need to use those,” she said.

Carmen Dick is a personal trainer in Wichita, Kansas, where she and her husband, Bart, and raised Gradey as the youngest of four children. She said age has taken some of the luster off her game, but she doesn't back down from a challenge on the court.

“We all played a lot of games in the backyard,” she said, laughing, “and there was no mercy. No mercy.”

“Nowadays it's more H-O-R-S-E," he said. "Her mid-range game, she does not miss. Never.”

Kansas acting coach Norm Roberts said, “Gradey, he knows his mom is the best player in the house. We know all that. When you are coaching Gradey and talking to him about different things, his mom knows what’s going on.”

This marks the third straight year Arkansas will play a No. 1 seed. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-arkansas-defeats-gonzaga-bd0f1ba2407c81fe0eb2c2b23a50c451">Razorbacks knocked off Gonzaga 74-68</a>&nbsp;in San Francisco in the Sweet 16 last year and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-houston-cougars-mens-basketball-oregon-state-beavers-mens-basketball-baylor-bears-mens-basketball-michigan-wolverines-mens-basketball-7b2443c34b73af0856a21981a390a4c8">lost to Baylor 81-72 in the Elite Eight</a>&nbsp;in Indianapolis in 2021.

“We talked about the mentality that you need to have going into this particular game,” coach Eric Musselman said. “Not good luck to play three number ones in three years. I don’t know if that’s ever happened before. But if it has happened before, it certainly hasn’t happened with many programs.”

The Razorbacks were seeded Nos. 4 and 3 the past two years and are a No. 8 this time. Arkansas is a 3 1/2-point underdog to Kansas, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=march-madness">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>, after being a 2-point favorite against Illinois.

“I don’t think many people believed in us yesterday going into that game,” Musselman said. "Yeah, I think we need to play with a free mind. We need to not feel pressure. Our guys are smart. They’re on Twitter. They’re on Instagram. They know. They know what we’re playing against."

UCLA’s NCAA Tournament accolades are legendary with 11 national titles and 19 appearances in the Final Four.

The Bruins’ second-round opponent has just a bit less history on this stage. Northwestern is making only its second appearance. The Wildcats have never made it as far as the Sweet 16, losing in the second round in 2017 in their only other tournament trip.

“As a program, it would be huge,” forward Robbie Beran said. “I knew we had something special. Really just trying to make history. ... It will be a huge step for the program. But we’re just trying to focus on the game. We’re not really trying to look at how it affects Northwestern basketball legacy.”

UCLA coach Mick Cronin is focused less on that discrepancy in experience and more on an opponent with a tough defense that has endured a difficult Big Ten schedule.

“Experience always helps,” he said. “If you can have talent and experience, you got a better chance. But I’ll take talent.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679111050124.jpeg" alt="Kansas's Gradey Dick brings the ball up the floor during the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Kansas Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas's Gradey Dick brings the ball up the floor during the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Kansas Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC OLSON AP Sports WriterDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gradey Dick set the Kansas freshman record for 3-point field goals, recorded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-howard-a37482476123ba6f8f6c337deef99096">the first double-double of his career</a>&nbsp;in the Jayhawks' opener in the NCAA Tournament and is on track to be an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-nba-draft-picks-9fe43406a0d09256c7070c39c503805f">NBA lottery pick</a>&nbsp;in June.His mom, a player of her own accomplishment, is proud of him, of course.But Carmen Dick concedes nothing to him as a basketball player. That's not how their uber-competitive family operates.Her son played the starring role in a first-round win over Howard on Thursday and next he'll lead the top-seeded and defending champion Jayhawks (28-7) into a Saturday game against No. 8 Arkansas (21-13).No. 2 UCLA (30-5) plays No. 7 Northwestern (22-11) in Sacramento, California, in the other West game.Kansas' opening tournament games are being played at Wells Fargo Arena, which is right across the street from Veterans Auditorium. That's where Carmen Dick — then Carmen Jaspers — built her legacy as one of Iowa's greatest high school players before she became a 1,000-point scorer at Iowa State.Since the Jayhawks arrived in Des Moines, locals have regaled Gradey Dick with memories of his mom dominating the competition in the old six-girl game Iowa high schools played until 30 years ago.“Yeah, he knows what I did. He's well aware,” Carmen Dick said Friday. “We have competitions, and he's got me on a few and I've got him on a few.”Gradey is the better 3-point shooter, but Carmen notes there were no 3s in her day. For her part, she played in three straight state tournaments for Ackley-Geneva High at Veterans Auditorium (1983-85), averaged 40 points per game as a senior and still ranks 10th all-time with her 77.6% shooting in 1984.As a collegian, she was Iowa State's female athlete of the year in 1989 and still holds the school single-game free-throw record by going 15 for 15 against Kansas in 1988.“I haven’t gotten near to that, so she holds that over me,” said Gradey, who had 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in his first NCAA Tournament game.Gradey said he admires his mom's accomplishments. Because she played under the basket in high school and college, she's even taught him a few inside moves.“You never know when he might need to use those,” she said.Carmen Dick is a personal trainer in Wichita, Kansas, where she and her husband, Bart, and raised Gradey as the youngest of four children. She said age has taken some of the luster off her game, but she doesn't back down from a challenge on the court.“We all played a lot of games in the backyard,” she said, laughing, “and there was no mercy. No mercy.”Gradey said she still has game.“Nowadays it's more H-O-R-S-E," he said. "Her mid-range game, she does not miss. Never.”Kansas acting coach Norm Roberts said, “Gradey, he knows his mom is the best player in the house. We know all that. When you are coaching Gradey and talking to him about different things, his mom knows what’s going on.”ANOTHER NO. 1 FOR ARKANSASThis marks the third straight year Arkansas will play a No. 1 seed. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-arkansas-defeats-gonzaga-bd0f1ba2407c81fe0eb2c2b23a50c451">Razorbacks knocked off Gonzaga 74-68</a>&nbsp;in San Francisco in the Sweet 16 last year and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-houston-cougars-mens-basketball-oregon-state-beavers-mens-basketball-baylor-bears-mens-basketball-michigan-wolverines-mens-basketball-7b2443c34b73af0856a21981a390a4c8">lost to Baylor 81-72 in the Elite Eight</a>&nbsp;in Indianapolis in 2021.“We talked about the mentality that you need to have going into this particular game,” coach Eric Musselman said. “Not good luck to play three number ones in three years. I don’t know if that’s ever happened before. But if it has happened before, it certainly hasn’t happened with many programs.”The Razorbacks were seeded Nos. 4 and 3 the past two years and are a No. 8 this time. Arkansas is a 3 1/2-point underdog to Kansas, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=march-madness">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>, after being a 2-point favorite against Illinois.“I don’t think many people believed in us yesterday going into that game,” Musselman said. "Yeah, I think we need to play with a free mind. We need to not feel pressure. Our guys are smart. They’re on Twitter. They’re on Instagram. They know. They know what we’re playing against."EXPERIENCE GAPUCLA’s NCAA Tournament accolades are legendary with 11 national titles and 19 appearances in the Final Four.The Bruins’ second-round opponent has just a bit less history on this stage. Northwestern is making only its second appearance. The Wildcats have never made it as far as the Sweet 16, losing in the second round in 2017 in their only other tournament trip.“As a program, it would be huge,” forward Robbie Beran said. “I knew we had something special. Really just trying to make history. ... It will be a huge step for the program. But we’re just trying to focus on the game. We’re not really trying to look at how it affects Northwestern basketball legacy.”UCLA coach Mick Cronin is focused less on that discrepancy in experience and more on an opponent with a tough defense that has endured a difficult Big Ten schedule.“Experience always helps,” he said. “If you can have talent and experience, you got a better chance. But I’ll take talent.”

🏀 Jayhawks' March Madness star gets basketball genes from mom

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Markquis Nowell had 17 points and 14 assists and No. 3 seed Kansas State held off 14th-seeded Montana State 77-65 Friday night for its first NCAA Tournament win since knocking off Kentucky in 2018 to reach the Elite Eight.

Now the two Wildcat programs will meet again in a rematch on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum. Kentucky, the sixth seed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-providence-8e98ee16b0c81318780c871adf2365f7">defeated No. 11 Providence 61-53</a>&nbsp;in the earlier game.

Nowell and fellow third-team Associated Press All-American Keyontae Johnson, who had 18 points and eight rebounds, proved too much for the Bobcats to handle.

RaeQuan Battle had 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting for Montana State (25-10), which had its eight-game win steak snapped.

Kansas State (24-9) led Montana State 34-28 at the break, and the Wildcats stretched the lead to 13 with 11 minutes remaining when Desi Sills scoring on a layup off an inbounds pass under his own basket after a botched defensive assignment.

Montana State went to a 1-3-1 defense, which disrupted the Wildcats for a short time and helped cut the lead to eight before Nowell buried a deep 3-pointer from the left wing and Nae'Qwan Tomlin scored off a lob to push the lead back to 13.

Montana State wouldn't quit though, with Darius Brown knocking down a 3 with 2:44 left.

But Tomlin, who finished with 13 points, answered with another dunk off after Nowell threaded the needle with his 14th assist, the most ever by a Kansas State player in an NCAA Tournament game.

David N'Guessan added two two technical foul free throws and then scored on an inside layup. Sills punctuated the win with a breakaway left-handed dunk giving the Wildcats a 16-point lead.

Montana State: The Bobcats were looking for a better showing after losing by 35 points in the opening round of last year's tournament to Texas Tech and they got it. The Big Sky champions showed they can compete on the NCAA Tournament stage but in the end didn't have the size to compete with the Wildcats. Montana State was outscored 48-30 in the paint.

Kansas State: The Wildcats had some concerns coming into the tournament after back-to-back losses to West Virginia and TCU. It was a struggle at times, but the Wildcats finished with a flurry to seal the win.

Kansas State beat Kentucky 61-58 on March 22, 2018, for its first win over those Wildcats in 10 tries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679113928605.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell drives to the basket past Montana State guard Tyler Patterson during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell drives to the basket past Montana State guard Tyler Patterson during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE REED AP Sports WriterGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Markquis Nowell had 17 points and 14 assists and No. 3 seed Kansas State held off 14th-seeded Montana State 77-65 Friday night for its first NCAA Tournament win since knocking off Kentucky in 2018 to reach the Elite Eight.Now the two Wildcat programs will meet again in a rematch on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum. Kentucky, the sixth seed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-providence-8e98ee16b0c81318780c871adf2365f7">defeated No. 11 Providence 61-53</a>&nbsp;in the earlier game.Nowell and fellow third-team Associated Press All-American Keyontae Johnson, who had 18 points and eight rebounds, proved too much for the Bobcats to handle.RaeQuan Battle had 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting for Montana State (25-10), which had its eight-game win steak snapped.Kansas State (24-9) led Montana State 34-28 at the break, and the Wildcats stretched the lead to 13 with 11 minutes remaining when Desi Sills scoring on a layup off an inbounds pass under his own basket after a botched defensive assignment.Montana State went to a 1-3-1 defense, which disrupted the Wildcats for a short time and helped cut the lead to eight before Nowell buried a deep 3-pointer from the left wing and Nae'Qwan Tomlin scored off a lob to push the lead back to 13.Montana State wouldn't quit though, with Darius Brown knocking down a 3 with 2:44 left.But Tomlin, who finished with 13 points, answered with another dunk off after Nowell threaded the needle with his 14th assist, the most ever by a Kansas State player in an NCAA Tournament game.David N'Guessan added two two technical foul free throws and then scored on an inside layup. Sills punctuated the win with a breakaway left-handed dunk giving the Wildcats a 16-point lead.BIG PICTUREMontana State: The Bobcats were looking for a better showing after losing by 35 points in the opening round of last year's tournament to Texas Tech and they got it. The Big Sky champions showed they can compete on the NCAA Tournament stage but in the end didn't have the size to compete with the Wildcats. Montana State was outscored 48-30 in the paint.Kansas State: The Wildcats had some concerns coming into the tournament after back-to-back losses to West Virginia and TCU. It was a struggle at times, but the Wildcats finished with a flurry to seal the win.UP NEXTKansas State beat Kentucky 61-58 on March 22, 2018, for its first win over those Wildcats in 10 tries.

🏀 Kansas State tops Montana State for first March Madness win since 2018

EDMOND, Okla. -&nbsp;The Fort Hays State baseball team fell in their series opener with Central Oklahoma 11-4 on Friday. The Tigers were in control early, but a few big innings for the Bronchos put them in front for the win. FHSU falls to 9-16 overall and 2-8 in conference play while UCO improves to 17-6 overall and 7-4 in the MIAA. UCO took the lead in the opening frame on an RBI single, but the Tigers quickly tied the game with a leadoff solo home run from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;in the second inning. The Tigers took the lead with three runs in the top of the third. FHSU led off the inning with another solo shot as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;collected his second bomb of the season.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trey-degarmo/7257">Trey DeGarmo</a>&nbsp;reached on a bunt single before a throwing error by the catcher put him on second.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;doubled to the left-center gap to bring home DeGarmo before Boies blooped a single over the head of the Broncho shortstop,&nbsp;plating&nbsp;Ural. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-bebee/7252">Daniel Bebee</a>&nbsp;got his second start of the season on the mound for the Tigers. After allowing just one run through the first two innings, Bebee gave up two runs in the third closing the Tiger lead to 4-3. Bebee retired the side in order in the fourth, but another two-run homer gave the Bronchos a 5-4 lead in the fifth. He retired UCO in order again in the sixth but the Bronchos would score six runs over the next two frames to extend their lead to 11-4. Bebee threw his second consecutive complete game in the process, the only two complete games for the Tigers this season. Boies finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI while DeGarmo,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/tico-olivas/6823">Tico Olivas</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ridge-stephens/6828">Ridge Stephens</a>&nbsp;each drew a walk. The series will continue Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679110059774.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. -&nbsp;The Fort Hays State baseball team fell in their series opener with Central Oklahoma 11-4 on Friday. The Tigers were in control early, but a few big innings for the Bronchos put them in front for the win. FHSU falls to 9-16 overall and 2-8 in conference play while UCO improves to 17-6 overall and 7-4 in the MIAA. UCO took the lead in the opening frame on an RBI single, but the Tigers quickly tied the game with a leadoff solo home run from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;in the second inning. The Tigers took the lead with three runs in the top of the third. FHSU led off the inning with another solo shot as&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;collected his second bomb of the season.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trey-degarmo/7257">Trey DeGarmo</a>&nbsp;reached on a bunt single before a throwing error by the catcher put him on second.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;doubled to the left-center gap to bring home DeGarmo before Boies blooped a single over the head of the Broncho shortstop,&nbsp;plating&nbsp;Ural. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-bebee/7252">Daniel Bebee</a>&nbsp;got his second start of the season on the mound for the Tigers. After allowing just one run through the first two innings, Bebee gave up two runs in the third closing the Tiger lead to 4-3. Bebee retired the side in order in the fourth, but another two-run homer gave the Bronchos a 5-4 lead in the fifth. He retired UCO in order again in the sixth but the Bronchos would score six runs over the next two frames to extend their lead to 11-4. Bebee threw his second consecutive complete game in the process, the only two complete games for the Tigers this season. Boies finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI while DeGarmo,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/tico-olivas/6823">Tico Olivas</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ridge-stephens/6828">Ridge Stephens</a>&nbsp;each drew a walk. The series will continue Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Tigers drop series opener at Central Oklahoma

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Norm Roberts appears to have transitioned smoothly into his acting head coach role for top-seeded Kansas despite all the day-to-day uncertainty and chatter about Bill Self's status in the NCAA Tournament.

Roberts said Friday that Self was doing well in his recovery from the heart procedure he had less than two weeks ago but that it was unknown if Self would be on the bench for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-miss-game-482c51e6affea64f197c8dd9bbf13407">Saturday's second-round West Region game against Arkansas.</a>

The 57-year-old Roberts is Self's right-hand man, having been on Self's staff at four coaching stops. Backup guard Joseph Yesufu described Roberts as a “mirror image” of Self.

“We have been together for almost 25 years, so we probably do finish each other's sentences in basketball terms,” Roberts said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-howard-a37482476123ba6f8f6c337deef99096">The Jayhawks beat Howard 96-68 in the first round on Thursday.</a>&nbsp;Other than Self not being with the team on the bench, the Jayhawks' routine is mostly unchanged. The staff meets with Self twice a day to prepare for the next opponent, and Self has been at all the team's practices in Des Moines.

Asked if he tries to channel Self when making in-game decisions, Roberts said he does.

“I do try to think of what he would want to do,” Roberts said. “If it's a situation of getting the ball inside, if it's a situation of trapping the ball screen, where we would want to attack. Those are things we talk about a lot before the game begins on ... what we want to do, how we want to play the game. So I just revisit that in my head and coach that way.”

Before the Jayhawks' win over Howard, Self said in an interview with the team's radio network that he is feeling stronger but that he didn't think he was to the point he could run the team during a game.

Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blll-self-kansas-basketball-9caa1ce7e5a5add246ab127c0c252655">The 60-year-old had two stents placed to help treat blocked arteries.</a>

Kansas is 3-1 in Self's absence, with the loss coming to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.

Players said Roberts is intense in practice and as competitive as Self in game situations.

“His pregame speeches get you pretty pumped up,” Kevin McCullar said. “You want to go out there and run through a brick wall sometimes.”

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, a former NBA coach, said Self allowed him to attend practices and meetings when he was looking at getting into the college game.

“Certainly we all want Coach to be as healthy as possible and to get back to coaching as quick as he can,” Musselman said. “But having said that, they’re a well-oiled machine in how they go about their business and how they execute.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679110676020.jpeg" alt="Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts shouts instructions to the Jayhawks in the Big 12 Tournament on Friday, March 10. 2023 in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts shouts instructions to the Jayhawks in the Big 12 Tournament on Friday, March 10. 2023 in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC OLSON AP Sports WriterDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Norm Roberts appears to have transitioned smoothly into his acting head coach role for top-seeded Kansas despite all the day-to-day uncertainty and chatter about Bill Self's status in the NCAA Tournament.Roberts said Friday that Self was doing well in his recovery from the heart procedure he had less than two weeks ago but that it was unknown if Self would be on the bench for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-miss-game-482c51e6affea64f197c8dd9bbf13407">Saturday's second-round West Region game against Arkansas.</a>The 57-year-old Roberts is Self's right-hand man, having been on Self's staff at four coaching stops. Backup guard Joseph Yesufu described Roberts as a “mirror image” of Self.“We have been together for almost 25 years, so we probably do finish each other's sentences in basketball terms,” Roberts said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-howard-a37482476123ba6f8f6c337deef99096">The Jayhawks beat Howard 96-68 in the first round on Thursday.</a>&nbsp;Other than Self not being with the team on the bench, the Jayhawks' routine is mostly unchanged. The staff meets with Self twice a day to prepare for the next opponent, and Self has been at all the team's practices in Des Moines.Asked if he tries to channel Self when making in-game decisions, Roberts said he does.“I do try to think of what he would want to do,” Roberts said. “If it's a situation of getting the ball inside, if it's a situation of trapping the ball screen, where we would want to attack. Those are things we talk about a lot before the game begins on ... what we want to do, how we want to play the game. So I just revisit that in my head and coach that way.”Before the Jayhawks' win over Howard, Self said in an interview with the team's radio network that he is feeling stronger but that he didn't think he was to the point he could run the team during a game.Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blll-self-kansas-basketball-9caa1ce7e5a5add246ab127c0c252655">The 60-year-old had two stents placed to help treat blocked arteries.</a>Kansas is 3-1 in Self's absence, with the loss coming to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.Players said Roberts is intense in practice and as competitive as Self in game situations.“His pregame speeches get you pretty pumped up,” Kevin McCullar said. “You want to go out there and run through a brick wall sometimes.”Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, a former NBA coach, said Self allowed him to attend practices and meetings when he was looking at getting into the college game.“Certainly we all want Coach to be as healthy as possible and to get back to coaching as quick as he can,” Musselman said. “But having said that, they’re a well-oiled machine in how they go about their business and how they execute.”

🏀 March Madness without Self: Roberts has KU running smoothly

The Hays Wrestling Club competed in the USAWKS State Championships in Topeka at the Stormont Vail Event Center March 10 to 12. HWC had 42 participants and placed 20 in the top 6 with four state champions. The team placed sixth out of 181 teams competing. State Champion 10U Girls 85 Avryn Beiker 14U Boys 205 Jaxson Chartier HS Girls 115 Sarah Zimmerman HS Boys 138 Harley Zimmerman 3rd Place 8U Boys 125 Riggens Pfanenstiel 10U Girls 100 Dynasty Connally 14U Boys 80 Gaven Deneault 14U Girls 145 Lexia Barnett HS Girls 120 Tionna Napue 4th Place 14U Girls 101 Alyssa Harding HS Boys 113 Elijah McCullough HS Girls 140 Katie Gutierrez 5th Place 12U Girls 115 Chloe Hearld 14U Girls 110 Shea Augustine 14U Girls 136 Timber Lovewell 6th Place 10U Girls 65 Prestigious Connally 12U Girls 130 Ayva Silva-Thomas 12U Boys 150 Brian Prough 14U Girls 97 Kenlee Vehige 14U Boys 175 Jonathan Rigler Team Place 6th out of 181 teams

State Qualifiers 8U Boys 58 Jaxon Jacobs 8U Boys 58 Breck Simon 8U Girls 65 Zoie Ruiz 10U Girls 60 Addyson Harding 10U Boys 70 Walker Hobbs 10U Boys 76 Braxton Delzeit 10U Boys 95 Andy Klein 10U Boys 110 Damian Chartier 10U Boys 110 George Stecklein 10U Boys 130 Braylan Witt&nbsp; 12U Girls 80 Lily Balandran 12U Boys 84 Kade Simon 12U Girls 85 Chassidy Carlisle 12U Girls 95 Shaely Shuck 12U Boys 190 Athan Witt 14U Girls 105 Kylah Clingingsmith 14U Girls 119 Madison Polson 14U Boys 120 Jace Myers HS Boys 120 Tacoma Augustine HS Girls 125 Addison Otte HS Girls 140 Ava Ruiz HS Boys 190 Israel Zimmerman

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678815469618.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HWCThe Hays Wrestling Club competed in the USAWKS State Championships in Topeka at the Stormont Vail Event Center March 10 to 12. HWC had 42 participants and placed 20 in the top 6 with four state champions. The team placed sixth out of 181 teams competing. State Champion 10U Girls 85 Avryn Beiker 14U Boys 205 Jaxson Chartier HS Girls 115 Sarah Zimmerman HS Boys 138 Harley Zimmerman 3rd Place 8U Boys 125 Riggens Pfanenstiel 10U Girls 100 Dynasty Connally 14U Boys 80 Gaven Deneault 14U Girls 145 Lexia Barnett HS Girls 120 Tionna Napue 4th Place 14U Girls 101 Alyssa Harding HS Boys 113 Elijah McCullough HS Girls 140 Katie Gutierrez 5th Place 12U Girls 115 Chloe Hearld 14U Girls 110 Shea Augustine 14U Girls 136 Timber Lovewell 6th Place 10U Girls 65 Prestigious Connally 12U Girls 130 Ayva Silva-Thomas 12U Boys 150 Brian Prough 14U Girls 97 Kenlee Vehige 14U Boys 175 Jonathan Rigler Team Place 6th out of 181 teams State Qualifiers 8U Boys 58 Jaxon Jacobs 8U Boys 58 Breck Simon 8U Girls 65 Zoie Ruiz 10U Girls 60 Addyson Harding 10U Boys 70 Walker Hobbs 10U Boys 76 Braxton Delzeit 10U Boys 95 Andy Klein 10U Boys 110 Damian Chartier 10U Boys 110 George Stecklein 10U Boys 130 Braylan Witt&nbsp; 12U Girls 80 Lily Balandran 12U Boys 84 Kade Simon 12U Girls 85 Chassidy Carlisle 12U Girls 95 Shaely Shuck 12U Boys 190 Athan Witt 14U Girls 105 Kylah Clingingsmith 14U Girls 119 Madison Polson 14U Boys 120 Jace Myers HS Boys 120 Tacoma Augustine HS Girls 125 Addison Otte HS Girls 140 Ava Ruiz HS Boys 190 Israel Zimmerman

🤼‍♂️ Hays Wrestling Club brings home four state titles from Topeka

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self missed the defending national champion's first-round NCAA Tournament game against Howard, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-howard-a37482476123ba6f8f6c337deef99096">96-68 victory</a>&nbsp;by the Jayhawks on Thursday.

Assistant coach Norm Roberts served as acting head coach with Self continuing to recover from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-24e6cfc119fe6ed60f35e7662563c73b">a heart procedure performed last week.</a>&nbsp;The school announced about three hours before tipoff that Self would skip the game.

“He’s doing good. It’s all day-to-day on how he feels, the doctors' decisions,” Roberts said after the game “He’s been able to spend time with the guys and practice and that type of stuff.”

Players found out in the morning that Self would stay away from the arena.

“Hopefully we get back and hear from him first thing — what he liked out there and what he didn’t like," freshman Gradey Dick said.

Self traveled to Des Moines with the Jayhawks and led the team's practice on Wednesday. He did not attend the team's media availability. Roberts said Self had returned to the hotel to rest.

Self’s status for the second-round game Saturday was not yet known.

“I’m doing better," Self said in a pregame interview on the team's radio network. "I’m feeling stronger and everything. I don’t think I’m at the point where I could be very good for our team if I was out there.”

Self added that he has been watching as much video as he usually does to prepare for games and that Roberts and the rest of the staff have been doing their jobs well.

Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance.

Dr. Mark Wiley, the chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Kansas Health System, said the 60-year-old Self underwent a standard heart catheterization and had two stents placed to help treat the blocked arteries.

Roberts coached the Jayhawks in the Big 12 Tournament. He also served as acting coach earlier in the season, while Self was serving a school-imposed four-game suspension.

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports WriterDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self missed the defending national champion's first-round NCAA Tournament game against Howard, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-howard-a37482476123ba6f8f6c337deef99096">96-68 victory</a>&nbsp;by the Jayhawks on Thursday.Assistant coach Norm Roberts served as acting head coach with Self continuing to recover from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-bill-self-24e6cfc119fe6ed60f35e7662563c73b">a heart procedure performed last week.</a>&nbsp;The school announced about three hours before tipoff that Self would skip the game.“He’s doing good. It’s all day-to-day on how he feels, the doctors' decisions,” Roberts said after the game “He’s been able to spend time with the guys and practice and that type of stuff.”Players found out in the morning that Self would stay away from the arena.“Hopefully we get back and hear from him first thing — what he liked out there and what he didn’t like," freshman Gradey Dick said.Self traveled to Des Moines with the Jayhawks and led the team's practice on Wednesday. He did not attend the team's media availability. Roberts said Self had returned to the hotel to rest.Self’s status for the second-round game Saturday was not yet known.“I’m doing better," Self said in a pregame interview on the team's radio network. "I’m feeling stronger and everything. I don’t think I’m at the point where I could be very good for our team if I was out there.”Self added that he has been watching as much video as he usually does to prepare for games and that Roberts and the rest of the staff have been doing their jobs well.Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance.Dr. Mark Wiley, the chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Kansas Health System, said the 60-year-old Self underwent a standard heart catheterization and had two stents placed to help treat the blocked arteries.Roberts coached the Jayhawks in the Big 12 Tournament. He also served as acting coach earlier in the season, while Self was serving a school-imposed four-game suspension.