HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State head women's basketball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1136">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;has announced the signing of four transfers that join a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/news/2021/11/18/womens-basketball-signs-two-for-2022.aspx">pair of incoming freshmen</a>&nbsp;in the 2022 signing class. The group of transfers includes&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6853">Whitney Brown</a>&nbsp;(Grand Island, Neb./Nebraska),&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6855">Mallory Cowman</a>&nbsp;(Towanda, Kan./Butler CC),&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6854">Clary Donica</a>&nbsp;(Dickson, Okla./Central Oklahoma) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6852">Sasha Koenig</a>&nbsp;(West Branch, Iowa/Bradley). Included in the transfer class is two guards and two forwards. Three of the four come in with three years of eligibility remaining, while the fourth is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility. The six newcomers will join eight returners from last year's squad that lifted both the MIAA regular season and postseason tournament trophies while reaching 30 wins for the fourth time in program history. The 2022-23 season is slated to kick off in early November at the&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/news/2022/6/3/womens-basketball-womens-basketball-to-play-in-d2cca-tip-off-classic-in-november.aspx">D2CCA Tip-Off Classic</a>&nbsp;inside historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6853">Whitney Brown</a> 5-8 | Guard | Sophomore Grand Island, Neb. | Northwest HS | Nebraska <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6853">Whitney Brown</a>&nbsp;moves to Hays after two years as a Husker at the University of Nebraska. The Grand Island, Neb. native played in 45 games across those two seasons while only using one year of eligibility. She scored 112 points in a Nebraska uniform, averaging 2.5 per contest. The 5-8 guard also totaled 49 rebounds, 33 assists, 16 steals and 26 3-pointers. Brown scored a career-high 14 points in a victory over previously-unbeaten No. 15 Ohio State as a true freshman (1/16/21). She earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2021-22 and was twice listed on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. Before starting her collegiate career at Nebraska, Brown was a two-time All-Nebraska selection at Northwest High School in her hometown of Grand Island. She led the Lady Vikings to a pair of Class B state tournaments, winning the title as a junior in 2019 before reaching the semifinals as a senior in 2020. She was a Super-State second team selection by the&nbsp;Lincoln Journal Star&nbsp;in both 2019 and 2020 in addition to a pair of All-Nebraska honors from the&nbsp;Omaha World-Herald, including first team as a junior and second team as a senior. Brown was named first team Nebraska Class B All-State as a junior and senior and was listed on the Nebraska State Championship All-Tournament team as a junior. She was twice named captain of the All-Heartland Super Squad by the&nbsp;Grand Island Independent&nbsp;(2019, 2020). Brown finished her career with 1,387 points and 179 made 3-pointers while averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals as a senior. A three-sport athlete, Brown finished her high school career with 10 varsity letters, including four in both basketball and volleyball and two in track and field. She helped the volleyball team to three state tournament appearances and twice qualified for the state track meet in the 3,200m run. Brown was an Academic All-State selection in both basketball and volleyball and was president of both the student council and the National Honor Society.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6855">Mallory Cowman</a> 6-2 | Forward | Sophomore Towanda, Kan. | Circle HS | Butler CC <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6855">Mallory Cowman</a>&nbsp;makes the move across the state after two years of athletic competition at Butler (Kan.) Community College. Cowman spent her first season on the Grizzlies volleyball team before playing basketball at BCC in 2021-22. She appeared in all 31 games during the most recent basketball campaign, including eight starts. A 6-2 forward, Cowman averaged 13.5 minutes per game while scoring 5.3 points and grabbing 3.7 rebounds per contest. She totaled 165 points, 116 rebounds, 18 steals, 16 assists and 12 blocks while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor (66-of-151) and 70.2 percent from the free-throw line (33-of-47). Cowman scored in double figures six times, including a season-high 16 points against Friends JV (11/8/21). Before transitioning to the basketball program at BCC, Cowman played in 23 matches on the volleyball team in the spring of 2021. She totaled 96 kills (1.39 k/s), 40 blocks (0.58 b/s) and an attack percentage of .141. She was an NJCAA third team All-Academic honoree for her work in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year. Cowman was a two-time Class 4A All-State selection at Circle High School in her hometown of Towanda, Kan. She was a third team selection as a senior in 2020 after earning honorable mention status as a junior in 2019. She was a first team All-AVCTL Division II selection while averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Cowman was also a standout performer on the volleyball team at CHS, earning a spot as a Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star as a senior. She was a Best of Kansas Preps selection in both volleyball and basketball in 2019-20.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6854">Clary Donica</a> 6-0 | Forward | Graduate Student Dickson, Okla. | Dickson HS | Central Oklahoma No stranger to the MIAA,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6854">Clary Donica</a>&nbsp;has played the last three seasons at Central Oklahoma after opening her collegiate career at Oklahoma. Donica played in 79 games over three years with the Bronchos, including 27 starts. The 6-0 forward totaled 412 points, 326 rebounds, 45 assists, 32 steals and 14 blocks in that time, including a career-best 19 points behind 4-for-4 shooting from behind the arc inside Gross Memorial Coliseum against the Tigers (2/8/20). Donica recorded one double-double (12p, 10r, 12/7/19 at NSU) while scoring in double figures 12 times and recording at least 10 rebounds twice. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in kinesiology emphasizing in exercise/fitness management in the summer of 2022. Before transferring to UCO, Donica spent the 2018-19 season as a walk-on at Oklahoma. She played in three games as a Sooner, totaling two rebounds and two points. A native of Dickson, Okla., Donica was an All-State selection while at Dickson High School. She earned a trio of all-conference honors after averaging a double-double for her career. Donica scored 16.0 points per game as a senior. She also lettered in cross country, qualifying for state. Off the course, she was a member of the National Honor Society and finished with a 4.22 cumulative GPA to earn the honor of class valedictorian.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6852">Sasha Koenig</a> 5-7 | Guard | Sophomore West Branch, Iowa | West Branch HS | Bradley <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6852">Sasha Koenig</a>&nbsp;(pronounced CANE-ig) will play for the Tigers in 2022-23 after spending her freshman season at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. Koenig appeared in 15 games as a Brave, averaging 6.1 minutes per contest. The 5-7 guard totaled 11 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists on the year. She went 2-for-2 from behind the arc for a season-high six points at South Dakota (12/6/21). Koenig had a stellar high-school career at West Branch (Iowa) High School. She was a two-time Iowa Class 2A first team All-State selection from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association. Koenig wrapped up her time as a four-year starter with 1,445 points, 434 assists, 354 rebounds and 268 steals. She was one of two players state-wide to average more than 20 points and five assists in 2020-21, putting up 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game as a senior. She helped the Bears to Bears to back-to-back state tournament appearances in program history in 2020 and 2021, including the program's first ever victory at the state tournament in 2021 to reach the state semifinals. Koenig was named 2020-21&nbsp;Gazette&nbsp;Girls Basketball Player of the Year and finished second in voting for Female Athlete of the Year. She earned a trio of IGCA all-district selections and was an Academic All-State selection as a senior. Koenig earned a total of 10 varsity letters as a Bear, including four in track &amp; field and two in softball. She qualified for the Iowa state track meet as a member of five relays, including a pair of shuttle hurdle relays that earned third-place medals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The four will be joined by Andover Central senior Ellie Stearns and Huxley, Iowa senior Brooke Loewe in the Tigers incoming recruiting class.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655374213975.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State head women's basketball coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1136">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;has announced the signing of four transfers that join a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/news/2021/11/18/womens-basketball-signs-two-for-2022.aspx">pair of incoming freshmen</a>&nbsp;in the 2022 signing class. The group of transfers includes&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6853">Whitney Brown</a>&nbsp;(Grand Island, Neb./Nebraska),&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6855">Mallory Cowman</a>&nbsp;(Towanda, Kan./Butler CC),&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6854">Clary Donica</a>&nbsp;(Dickson, Okla./Central Oklahoma) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6852">Sasha Koenig</a>&nbsp;(West Branch, Iowa/Bradley). Included in the transfer class is two guards and two forwards. Three of the four come in with three years of eligibility remaining, while the fourth is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility. The six newcomers will join eight returners from last year's squad that lifted both the MIAA regular season and postseason tournament trophies while reaching 30 wins for the fourth time in program history. The 2022-23 season is slated to kick off in early November at the&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/news/2022/6/3/womens-basketball-womens-basketball-to-play-in-d2cca-tip-off-classic-in-november.aspx">D2CCA Tip-Off Classic</a>&nbsp;inside historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655374245742.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6853">Whitney Brown</a> 5-8 | Guard | Sophomore Grand Island, Neb. | Northwest HS | Nebraska <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6853">Whitney Brown</a>&nbsp;moves to Hays after two years as a Husker at the University of Nebraska. The Grand Island, Neb. native played in 45 games across those two seasons while only using one year of eligibility. She scored 112 points in a Nebraska uniform, averaging 2.5 per contest. The 5-8 guard also totaled 49 rebounds, 33 assists, 16 steals and 26 3-pointers. Brown scored a career-high 14 points in a victory over previously-unbeaten No. 15 Ohio State as a true freshman (1/16/21). She earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2021-22 and was twice listed on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. Before starting her collegiate career at Nebraska, Brown was a two-time All-Nebraska selection at Northwest High School in her hometown of Grand Island. She led the Lady Vikings to a pair of Class B state tournaments, winning the title as a junior in 2019 before reaching the semifinals as a senior in 2020. She was a Super-State second team selection by the&nbsp;Lincoln Journal Star&nbsp;in both 2019 and 2020 in addition to a pair of All-Nebraska honors from the&nbsp;Omaha World-Herald, including first team as a junior and second team as a senior. Brown was named first team Nebraska Class B All-State as a junior and senior and was listed on the Nebraska State Championship All-Tournament team as a junior. She was twice named captain of the All-Heartland Super Squad by the&nbsp;Grand Island Independent&nbsp;(2019, 2020). Brown finished her career with 1,387 points and 179 made 3-pointers while averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals as a senior. A three-sport athlete, Brown finished her high school career with 10 varsity letters, including four in both basketball and volleyball and two in track and field. She helped the volleyball team to three state tournament appearances and twice qualified for the state track meet in the 3,200m run. Brown was an Academic All-State selection in both basketball and volleyball and was president of both the student council and the National Honor Society.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655374294839.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6855">Mallory Cowman</a> 6-2 | Forward | Sophomore Towanda, Kan. | Circle HS | Butler CC <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6855">Mallory Cowman</a>&nbsp;makes the move across the state after two years of athletic competition at Butler (Kan.) Community College. Cowman spent her first season on the Grizzlies volleyball team before playing basketball at BCC in 2021-22. She appeared in all 31 games during the most recent basketball campaign, including eight starts. A 6-2 forward, Cowman averaged 13.5 minutes per game while scoring 5.3 points and grabbing 3.7 rebounds per contest. She totaled 165 points, 116 rebounds, 18 steals, 16 assists and 12 blocks while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor (66-of-151) and 70.2 percent from the free-throw line (33-of-47). Cowman scored in double figures six times, including a season-high 16 points against Friends JV (11/8/21). Before transitioning to the basketball program at BCC, Cowman played in 23 matches on the volleyball team in the spring of 2021. She totaled 96 kills (1.39 k/s), 40 blocks (0.58 b/s) and an attack percentage of .141. She was an NJCAA third team All-Academic honoree for her work in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year. Cowman was a two-time Class 4A All-State selection at Circle High School in her hometown of Towanda, Kan. She was a third team selection as a senior in 2020 after earning honorable mention status as a junior in 2019. She was a first team All-AVCTL Division II selection while averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Cowman was also a standout performer on the volleyball team at CHS, earning a spot as a Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star as a senior. She was a Best of Kansas Preps selection in both volleyball and basketball in 2019-20.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655374328111.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6854">Clary Donica</a> 6-0 | Forward | Graduate Student Dickson, Okla. | Dickson HS | Central Oklahoma No stranger to the MIAA,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6854">Clary Donica</a>&nbsp;has played the last three seasons at Central Oklahoma after opening her collegiate career at Oklahoma. Donica played in 79 games over three years with the Bronchos, including 27 starts. The 6-0 forward totaled 412 points, 326 rebounds, 45 assists, 32 steals and 14 blocks in that time, including a career-best 19 points behind 4-for-4 shooting from behind the arc inside Gross Memorial Coliseum against the Tigers (2/8/20). Donica recorded one double-double (12p, 10r, 12/7/19 at NSU) while scoring in double figures 12 times and recording at least 10 rebounds twice. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in kinesiology emphasizing in exercise/fitness management in the summer of 2022. Before transferring to UCO, Donica spent the 2018-19 season as a walk-on at Oklahoma. She played in three games as a Sooner, totaling two rebounds and two points. A native of Dickson, Okla., Donica was an All-State selection while at Dickson High School. She earned a trio of all-conference honors after averaging a double-double for her career. Donica scored 16.0 points per game as a senior. She also lettered in cross country, qualifying for state. Off the course, she was a member of the National Honor Society and finished with a 4.22 cumulative GPA to earn the honor of class valedictorian.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655374360631.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6852">Sasha Koenig</a> 5-7 | Guard | Sophomore West Branch, Iowa | West Branch HS | Bradley <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6852">Sasha Koenig</a>&nbsp;(pronounced CANE-ig) will play for the Tigers in 2022-23 after spending her freshman season at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. Koenig appeared in 15 games as a Brave, averaging 6.1 minutes per contest. The 5-7 guard totaled 11 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists on the year. She went 2-for-2 from behind the arc for a season-high six points at South Dakota (12/6/21). Koenig had a stellar high-school career at West Branch (Iowa) High School. She was a two-time Iowa Class 2A first team All-State selection from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association. Koenig wrapped up her time as a four-year starter with 1,445 points, 434 assists, 354 rebounds and 268 steals. She was one of two players state-wide to average more than 20 points and five assists in 2020-21, putting up 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game as a senior. She helped the Bears to Bears to back-to-back state tournament appearances in program history in 2020 and 2021, including the program's first ever victory at the state tournament in 2021 to reach the state semifinals. Koenig was named 2020-21&nbsp;Gazette&nbsp;Girls Basketball Player of the Year and finished second in voting for Female Athlete of the Year. She earned a trio of IGCA all-district selections and was an Academic All-State selection as a senior. Koenig earned a total of 10 varsity letters as a Bear, including four in track &amp; field and two in softball. She qualified for the Iowa state track meet as a member of five relays, including a pair of shuttle hurdle relays that earned third-place medals.&nbsp;&nbsp;The four will be joined by Andover Central senior Ellie Stearns and Huxley, Iowa senior Brooke Loewe in the Tigers incoming recruiting class.FHSU Athletics

🏀 FHSU women add four transfers

TOPEKA, Kan. - On
April 29, 2022, the KSHSAA Board of Directors considered changes to KSHSAA Rule
5 – Classification of Senior High Schools.&nbsp; Following
discussion and deliberation, the Board supported the first step in a process to
change school classification. This proposal introduces a “multiplier” for
private schools which inflates their enrollment number for classification
purposes.&nbsp; Per Board approval, the next step in the process was to assess
the opinion of member schools in the Association.&nbsp; This was initiated on
May 6, 2022 , via a ballot distributed to all Principals and Superintendents of
member schools via e-mail.&nbsp; Ballot submission from each member school was
due June 14, 2022.&nbsp; KSHSAA Bylaw Article XII, Section 4 requires
the majority of the membership to approve a classification proposal (in this
case, 177 of the 353 member schools), and to be supported with by a majority of
schools from the majority of classifications impacted (in this case, 4 out of
the 6 enrollment classifications).&nbsp;

Results from the member school
voting follow:

Class 6A Yes = 6 (16.7%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 30

Class 5A Yes = 17 (47.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 19

Class 4A Yes = 30 (83.3%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 6

Class 3A Yes = 46 (71.9%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 18

Class 2A Yes = 43 (67.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 21

Class 1A Yes = 74 (63.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 43

Total Number of Member School Votes Yes = 216 (61.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 139

Accordingly, the proposal has
passed this step of the process.&nbsp;

Please note: &nbsp;With
this approval by member schools, a change must now be made to Kansas State
Statute to allow for more than just student attendance to affect KSHSAA
classifications. &nbsp;State of Kansas Identifying Statutes need to be approved
by both the State Board of Education and the State Legislature prior to
implementation.&nbsp; Without these approvals, the school approved amendment
would not be permissible.&nbsp; As previously written and proposed to the
KSHSAA Board of Directors, changes to K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 72-7114 will be
presented by KSHSAA staff to both groups for amendment in the days ahead.
&nbsp;&nbsp;

Excerpt from the April 29, 2022 KSHSAA Board of
Directors MINUTES:

A
motion was made by Hines, seconded by Whittaker, to modify Rule 5
Classification of Senior High Schools, Section 2, by adding an additional
Article 5:

NOTE: State of Kansas
Identifying Statutes would need to be approved by both the State Board of
Education and the State Legislature prior to implementation of any changes to
classification.&nbsp; Without these approvals, amendments to Rule 5 would not
be permissible.&nbsp;

State Of Kansas Identifying
Statutes &nbsp; K.S.A. 2014 SUPP. 72-7114. High school
activities association; board of directors, executive board, appeal
board; articles and bylaws; reports; classification system; executive director
and personnel; application of open meetings law and open records law. &nbsp; (a) Any association with a majority of the high schools of the
state as members and the purpose of which association is the statewide
regulation, supervision, promotion and development of any of the
activities defined in K.S.A. 72-7117, and amendments thereto, and in which any
public high school of this state may participate directly or indirectly shall: &nbsp; (1) On or before September 1 of each year make a full report of
its operation for the preceding calendar year to the state board of
education. The report shall contain a complete and detailed financial statement
under the certificate of a certified public accountant. &nbsp; (2) File with the state board a copy of all reports and
publications issued from time to time by such association. &nbsp; (3) Be governed by a board of directors which shall exercise the
legislative authority of the association and shall establish policy for the
association. &nbsp; (4) Submit to the state board of education, for its approval or
disapproval prior to adoption, any amendments, additions, alterations or
modifications of its articles of incorporation or bylaws. If any articles of
incorporation, bylaws or any amendment, addition or alteration
thereto is disapproved by the state board of education, the same shall not be
adopted. &nbsp; (5) Establish a system for the classification of member high
schools according to student attendance and other means. &nbsp; (6) Be subject to the provisions of the Kansas open meetings
law. &nbsp; (7) Be subject to the provisions of the open records law. &nbsp;

Rule 5&nbsp; Classification of Senior High Schools&nbsp; Section 2:
Senior High Regulations &nbsp;

Art. 5: Private schools will be subject to an enrollment multiplier
factor when determining classification numbers.&nbsp; Factors for determining
the multiplier include school location, socio-economic status, and championship
factor.&nbsp; To calculate the multiplier number, the following criteria will
be applied:&nbsp;

Any private
school that has won five or more state team championships in the most recent
five school years will have a multiplier applied to their classification
enrollment count. These select private schools will
begin with a 1.0 multiplier.&nbsp; The following factors will be added to the
multiplier for each select private school. &nbsp;

Championship
Factor - cumulative state championships over the
previous 5-year period (not activity specific, team activities only). &nbsp; 10+ championships:   +
0.30  &nbsp; 5-9 championships:  +
0.15  &nbsp; NOTE: If a
private school has won less than 5 championships in the previous five-year
period, the multiplier remains 1.0.&nbsp;

Geographic
Population Factor – public school attendance area in which
the private school is located.  &nbsp;" Within a 5A/6A community:  +
0.30 &nbsp; Within a 3A/4A community:  +
0.15  &nbsp; Within a 1A/2A community:  +
0 &nbsp; NOTE:  If a
private school does not meet the Championship Factor, the Geographic Population
Factor would not take effect.

Socio-Economic
Population Factor  &nbsp; 0-20%
Free/Reduced students reported:  + 0.15 &nbsp;  &gt;20%
Free/Reduced students reported:   + 0  &nbsp; NOTE:  If a
private school does not meet the Championship Factor, the Socio-Economic
Population Factor would not take effect.

NOTE: The multiplier
impacts classification for all school activities and will be applied to both
general and football classification numbers.
Schools cannot move up more than one classification based upon the multiplier.
The multiplier enrollment count will not force a school to move from 8-person
to 11-person football or from 6-person to 8-person football.&nbsp; Geographic
location is determined by the physical address of the private school. If
Free/Reduced data is not collected and/or reported, it is assumed to be
zero.&nbsp; There is no process for appeal to change a classification that has
already been changed by the multiplier.&nbsp;

The
proposal was approved by a vote of 43 in favor, 21 opposed.&nbsp; Note, as
classification issues are subject to Bylaw XII Classification of Senior
High Schools, this item will be forwarded to the member high schools for
approval (more than 50% of all classifications and more than 50% of the total
number of member schools must approve the recommendation) before it is passed
to the state.

TOPEKA, Kan. - On
April 29, 2022, the KSHSAA Board of Directors considered changes to KSHSAA Rule
5 – Classification of Senior High Schools.&nbsp; Following
discussion and deliberation, the Board supported the first step in a process to
change school classification. This proposal introduces a “multiplier” for
private schools which inflates their enrollment number for classification
purposes.&nbsp; Per Board approval, the next step in the process was to assess
the opinion of member schools in the Association.&nbsp; This was initiated on
May 6, 2022 , via a ballot distributed to all Principals and Superintendents of
member schools via e-mail.&nbsp; Ballot submission from each member school was
due June 14, 2022.&nbsp; KSHSAA Bylaw Article XII, Section 4 requires
the majority of the membership to approve a classification proposal (in this
case, 177 of the 353 member schools), and to be supported with by a majority of
schools from the majority of classifications impacted (in this case, 4 out of
the 6 enrollment classifications).&nbsp; Results from the member school
voting follow:Voting Results were as
follows:Class 6A Yes = 6 (16.7%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 30Class 5A Yes = 17 (47.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 19Class 4A Yes = 30 (83.3%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 6Class 3A Yes = 46 (71.9%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 18Class 2A Yes = 43 (67.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 21Class 1A Yes = 74 (63.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 43Total Number of Member School Votes Yes = 216 (61.2%)&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No = 139Accordingly, the proposal has
passed this step of the process.&nbsp; Please note: &nbsp;With
this approval by member schools, a change must now be made to Kansas State
Statute to allow for more than just student attendance to affect KSHSAA
classifications. &nbsp;State of Kansas Identifying Statutes need to be approved
by both the State Board of Education and the State Legislature prior to
implementation.&nbsp; Without these approvals, the school approved amendment
would not be permissible.&nbsp; As previously written and proposed to the
KSHSAA Board of Directors, changes to K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 72-7114 will be
presented by KSHSAA staff to both groups for amendment in the days ahead.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Excerpt from the April 29, 2022 KSHSAA Board of
Directors MINUTES:A
motion was made by Hines, seconded by Whittaker, to modify Rule 5
Classification of Senior High Schools, Section 2, by adding an additional
Article 5:NOTE: State of Kansas
Identifying Statutes would need to be approved by both the State Board of
Education and the State Legislature prior to implementation of any changes to
classification.&nbsp; Without these approvals, amendments to Rule 5 would not
be permissible.&nbsp; State Of Kansas Identifying
Statutes &nbsp; K.S.A. 2014 SUPP. 72-7114. High school
activities association; board of directors, executive board, appeal
board; articles and bylaws; reports; classification system; executive director
and personnel; application of open meetings law and open records law. &nbsp; (a) Any association with a majority of the high schools of the
state as members and the purpose of which association is the statewide
regulation, supervision, promotion and development of any of the
activities defined in K.S.A. 72-7117, and amendments thereto, and in which any
public high school of this state may participate directly or indirectly shall: &nbsp; (1) On or before September 1 of each year make a full report of
its operation for the preceding calendar year to the state board of
education. The report shall contain a complete and detailed financial statement
under the certificate of a certified public accountant. &nbsp; (2) File with the state board a copy of all reports and
publications issued from time to time by such association. &nbsp; (3) Be governed by a board of directors which shall exercise the
legislative authority of the association and shall establish policy for the
association. &nbsp; (4) Submit to the state board of education, for its approval or
disapproval prior to adoption, any amendments, additions, alterations or
modifications of its articles of incorporation or bylaws. If any articles of
incorporation, bylaws or any amendment, addition or alteration
thereto is disapproved by the state board of education, the same shall not be
adopted. &nbsp; (5) Establish a system for the classification of member high
schools according to student attendance and other means. &nbsp; (6) Be subject to the provisions of the Kansas open meetings
law. &nbsp; (7) Be subject to the provisions of the open records law. &nbsp;Rule 5&nbsp; Classification of Senior High Schools&nbsp; Section 2:
Senior High Regulations &nbsp;Art. 5: Private schools will be subject to an enrollment multiplier
factor when determining classification numbers.&nbsp; Factors for determining
the multiplier include school location, socio-economic status, and championship
factor.&nbsp; To calculate the multiplier number, the following criteria will
be applied:&nbsp;Any private
school that has won five or more state team championships in the most recent
five school years will have a multiplier applied to their classification
enrollment count. These select private schools will
begin with a 1.0 multiplier.&nbsp; The following factors will be added to the
multiplier for each select private school. &nbsp;Championship
Factor - cumulative state championships over the
previous 5-year period (not activity specific, team activities only). &nbsp; 10+ championships:   +
0.30  &nbsp; 5-9 championships:  +
0.15  &nbsp; NOTE: If a
private school has won less than 5 championships in the previous five-year
period, the multiplier remains 1.0.&nbsp;Geographic
Population Factor – public school attendance area in which
the private school is located.  &nbsp;" Within a 5A/6A community:  +
0.30 &nbsp; Within a 3A/4A community:  +
0.15  &nbsp; Within a 1A/2A community:  +
0 &nbsp; NOTE:  If a
private school does not meet the Championship Factor, the Geographic Population
Factor would not take effect.Socio-Economic
Population Factor  &nbsp; 0-20%
Free/Reduced students reported:  + 0.15 &nbsp;  &gt;20%
Free/Reduced students reported:   + 0  &nbsp; NOTE:  If a
private school does not meet the Championship Factor, the Socio-Economic
Population Factor would not take effect.NOTE: The multiplier
impacts classification for all school activities and will be applied to both
general and football classification numbers.
Schools cannot move up more than one classification based upon the multiplier.
The multiplier enrollment count will not force a school to move from 8-person
to 11-person football or from 6-person to 8-person football.&nbsp; Geographic
location is determined by the physical address of the private school. If
Free/Reduced data is not collected and/or reported, it is assumed to be
zero.&nbsp; There is no process for appeal to change a classification that has
already been changed by the multiplier.&nbsp;The
proposal was approved by a vote of 43 in favor, 21 opposed.&nbsp; Note, as
classification issues are subject to Bylaw XII Classification of Senior
High Schools, this item will be forwarded to the member high schools for
approval (more than 50% of all classifications and more than 50% of the total
number of member schools must approve the recommendation) before it is passed
to the state.



KSHSAA

KSHSAA schools vote to approve classification change, moves to next step

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;– The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association had historic additions to its 2022 rookie class of full-time Division II college football officials. For the first time in MIAA history, a woman has been hired as a full-time football official.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Taylor Darr first entered the MIAA’s prestigious football officiating crew in the 2021 season. Darr was the Center Judge for week nine’s matchup between Missouri Southern and Missouri Western, becoming the Association’s first ever woman to officiate a MIAA football game. It was a memorable day for Darr as she explained, “The game was special for me for multiple reasons. I made history being the first female to work a game in the MIAA, as well as getting to work my first collegiate game with my husband. So, it was a very special day for me to be able to work a collegiate game with him." Darr’s husband, Gavin Darr, has been a member of the MIAA’s football officiating staff for the past three seasons. Darr graduated from Kansas State in 2018. After graduation, she moved to Wichita and began working a full high school varsity schedule and was hired by the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) as a swing official. The following year she was hired full time in the KJCCC and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and has been working there for the last three years. Following Darr’s first-time appearance on the MIAA’s football officiating crew, she shared that her goal was to get hired full-time by the Association. Not only has she achieved her goal, but she also hopes other women will follow her footsteps. “I hope that I can inspire other females to break barriers and do what they put their mind to,” Darr said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In addition to the hiring the Association’s first full-time female football official, the 2022 rookie class also features former MIAA student-athlete and Division II football national champion, Zac Dickey. As the Gorillas starting quarterback, Zac Dickey led Pittsburg State to its fourth NCAA national title in 2011. Dickey is all over the PSU record books. His 1,165 yards during the Gorillas national championships season still ranks second in PSU’s single-season records while his 2,066 career yards in just two seasons as a Gorilla rank fifth in the program. Dickey graduated from PSU with his bachelor’s degree in international/global studies in 2012. Following graduation, he continued his educational career at PSU, earning his master’s degree in health, human performance and recreation. He now works as an agency president at AssuredPartners in Wichita, Kan. No stranger to the MIAA, Dickey has been an MIAA Ambassador since 2018 advocating for the Association and helping build relationships with area business leaders. Dickey has also acted as the moderator for the MIAA Football Media Day for the past three seasons. Darr and Dickey are joined by 11 other football officials in the 2022 rookie class. The 2022 MIAA football season begins Thursday, September 1.&nbsp; &nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;– The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association had historic additions to its 2022 rookie class of full-time Division II college football officials. For the first time in MIAA history, a woman has been hired as a full-time football official.&nbsp;&nbsp;Taylor Darr first entered the MIAA’s prestigious football officiating crew in the 2021 season. Darr was the Center Judge for week nine’s matchup between Missouri Southern and Missouri Western, becoming the Association’s first ever woman to officiate a MIAA football game. It was a memorable day for Darr as she explained, “The game was special for me for multiple reasons. I made history being the first female to work a game in the MIAA, as well as getting to work my first collegiate game with my husband. So, it was a very special day for me to be able to work a collegiate game with him." Darr’s husband, Gavin Darr, has been a member of the MIAA’s football officiating staff for the past three seasons. Darr graduated from Kansas State in 2018. After graduation, she moved to Wichita and began working a full high school varsity schedule and was hired by the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) as a swing official. The following year she was hired full time in the KJCCC and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and has been working there for the last three years. Following Darr’s first-time appearance on the MIAA’s football officiating crew, she shared that her goal was to get hired full-time by the Association. Not only has she achieved her goal, but she also hopes other women will follow her footsteps. “I hope that I can inspire other females to break barriers and do what they put their mind to,” Darr said.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to the hiring the Association’s first full-time female football official, the 2022 rookie class also features former MIAA student-athlete and Division II football national champion, Zac Dickey. As the Gorillas starting quarterback, Zac Dickey led Pittsburg State to its fourth NCAA national title in 2011. Dickey is all over the PSU record books. His 1,165 yards during the Gorillas national championships season still ranks second in PSU’s single-season records while his 2,066 career yards in just two seasons as a Gorilla rank fifth in the program. Dickey graduated from PSU with his bachelor’s degree in international/global studies in 2012. Following graduation, he continued his educational career at PSU, earning his master’s degree in health, human performance and recreation. He now works as an agency president at AssuredPartners in Wichita, Kan. No stranger to the MIAA, Dickey has been an MIAA Ambassador since 2018 advocating for the Association and helping build relationships with area business leaders. Dickey has also acted as the moderator for the MIAA Football Media Day for the past three seasons. Darr and Dickey are joined by 11 other football officials in the 2022 rookie class. The 2022 MIAA football season begins Thursday, September 1.&nbsp; &nbsp;

🏈 MIAA welcomes historic additions to 2022 rookie officiating class

LAWRENCE,
Kan. —&nbsp;Dan Fitzgerald, an
elite recruiter, player developer, coach and ascending figure in college baseball,
has been named the Kansas Baseball Head Coach, Director of Athletics Travis
Goff announced today. Fitzgerald has signed a 6-year contract that will keep
him in Lawrence through the 2028 season.

“Dan Fitzgerald is a man of exceptional integrity, proven leader,
developer of men, tremendous baseball mind, elite recruiter and the perfect fit
for Kansas Baseball,” Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “When we set out
to find the next leader of this program, we talked to current student-athletes,
alumni, and baseball leaders across the nation to help inform our search.
&nbsp;In countless conversations, Dan Fitzgerald’s name and background – along
with the attributes in which he leads with every day – were highlighted as the
ideal fit for KU Baseball. Dan clearly articulated his vision for the future of
Kansas Baseball and passionately demonstrated his desire to be at the
University of Kansas. We could not be more excited about the outlook for our
program with Coach Fitzgerald at the helm. We are ecstatic to welcome Dan, his
wife, Kelly, and their three boys, Will, Max and Ben, to the Jayhawk family.”

“I would like to thank Travis Goff and the leadership team at KU
for entrusting me with this amazing opportunity to be the head baseball coach
at the University of Kansas,” Fitzgerald said. “In my conversations with Travis
and the search committee, it became crystal clear that our visions aligned
regarding the future of this program. There is a passion for KU that permeated
from each individual I met with and that shared partnership will be vital to
the program’s future success. I have been very diligent in waiting for the
right opportunity to lead a program and this was the perfect destination for me
and my family. I look forward to developing these student-athletes as baseball
players as well as men, and putting a program together that all Jayhawks can be
proud of.”

Fitzgerald arrives at Kansas following one year at LSU, where he
served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, helping lead the
Tigers to a 40-win season and an NCAA Regional final appearance. His time in
Baton Rouge was preceded by a successful nine-year tenure at Dallas Baptist as
both an assistant coach, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

At DBU, Fitzgerald had a major hand in bringing unprecedented
success to the Patriots program. In his nine seasons with the program, Dallas
Baptist played in seven NCAA Regionals, won three regular-season conference
championships and won three conference tournaments.

Fitzgerald comes to Lawrence with a sterling reputation in
player development and recruiting, along with deep Midwestern ties, having
served as a head coach at Des Moines Area Community College for five seasons
and spending five seasons as an assistant in the region.

During his nine seasons at Dallas Baptist (2012-21), Fitzgerald
played a major role in the Patriots developing and recruiting some of the top
talent in the country. He helped recruit and develop 30 Major League Baseball
Draft picks, 11 of those being Top-10 picks, nine All-Americans, eight freshman
All-Americans, 69 all-conference selections and two conference players of the
year.

Dallas Baptist tallied 270 victories from 2015-21, which was the
fifth-most by a Division I baseball program during that span. The Patriots,
known best for their explosive offense, ranked in the top 25 nationally in home
runs in each season during Fitzgerald’s time at Dallas Baptist. The team held a
top 25 ranking in a total of 51 offensive categories across his nine seasons.

With the Patriots proving to be one of the top programs
nationally, Fitzgerald was promoted from assistant coach to associate head
coach in June 2016. Dallas Baptist posted a 341-168 (.670) record during his
tenure with six seasons of at least 40 wins. Fitzgerald helped land some of the
top prep players nationally, by being able to recruit throughout the country,
thanks to his trusted relationships and proven track record, which he now
brings to Kansas.

Fitzgerald has earned respect among his peers. In a survey of 90
head coaches conducted by Baseball America in 2020, Fitzgerald was rated No. 7
on a list of assistant coaches from across the nation that will one day make
the best head coach. Baseball America also rated Fitzgerald as the No. 7
assistant coach in the nation in 2018, while D1Baseball ranked him as the 17th-best
recruiter in the country in 2016.

Prior to his time at LSU and Dallas Baptist, Fitzgerald was the
head coach at Des Moines Area Community College (2008-12). In his five years at
DMACC, Fitzgerald was awarded Coach of the Year honors by 13 different
publications. His team’s won five consecutive conference championships and
advanced to the Junior College World Series on four separate occasions.

Fitzgerald also had 36 players sign with Division I programs,
nine student-athletes be named Junior College All-Americans, including the 2009
National Player of the Year.&nbsp; His program finished with at least 40 wins
in every season and compiled a 249-73 (.773) record over the five-year stretch.

Fitzgerald’s coaching career began in 2000 at Iowa as a
volunteer assistant coach. He then interned with the Minnesota Twins scouting
department (2002) before returning to coaching as an assistant at North Iowa
Area Community College (2003-04), Flagler College (2005-06) and Des Moines Area
Community College (2007-08).

In addition to coaching at schools, Fitzgerald has spent time as
a head coach in top summer leagues around the country. That includes a stint in
2004 as the Field Manager for Athletes in Action in Alaska, the sport ministry
of Campus Crusade for Christ.

A native of Edina, Minnesota, Fitzgerald attended and played
baseball at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the
University of Wisconsin-River Falls before graduating with a degree in English
from the University of Minnesota in 2000. Most recently, he earned a Masters of
Education in Kinesiology from Dallas Baptist in 2016. Fitzgerald and his wife,
Kelly, have three sons – Will, Max and Ben.

The
Fitzgerald File 
Alma Mater: Minnesota, 2000 (Masters, Dallas Baptist, 2016) 
Wife: Kelly 
Children: Will, Max, Ben 
Coaching Experience: 
2022-present:&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Head Coach 
2021-22: LSU,&nbsp;Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 
2016-21: Dallas Baptist, Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 
2012-16: Dallas Baptist, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 
2008-12: Des Moines Area Community College, Head Coach 
2007-08: Des Moines Area Community College, Assistant Coach 
2004-06: Flagler College, Assistant Coach 
2003-04: North Iowa Area Community College, Assistant Coach 
2002: Minnesota Twins, Scouting Intern 
2000-01: Iowa, Volunteer Assistant Coach 
Postseason Experience: 
2014: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Fort Worth Regional 
2015: Dallas Regional 
2016: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Lubbock Regional 
2017: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Fort Worth Regional 
2018: Fayetteville Regional 
2019: Lubbock Regional 
2021: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Columbia Super Regional 
2022: Hattiesburg Regional 
Top 10 Round MLB Draft
Picks: 
2nd Round - Burl Carraway (Chicago Cubs – 2020) 
2nd Round - Jimmy Glowenke (San Francisco Giants – 2020) 
2nd Round - Jameson Hannah (Oakland Athletics - 2018) 
4th Round - Seth Elledge (Seattle Mariners - 2017) 
5th Round - Chance Adams (New York Yankees - 2015) 
6th Round - Devlin Granberg (Boston Red Sox - 2018) 
6th Round - MD Johnson (Miami Marlins - 2019) 
6th Round - David Martinelli (Philadelphia Phillies - 2016) 
7th Round - Dalton Higgins (New York Yankees - 2017) 
9th Round - Matt Duce (St. Louis Cardinals - 2018) 
9th Round - Camden Duzenack (Arizona Diamondbacks - 2017)

LAWRENCE,
Kan. —&nbsp;Dan Fitzgerald, an
elite recruiter, player developer, coach and ascending figure in college baseball,
has been named the Kansas Baseball Head Coach, Director of Athletics Travis
Goff announced today. Fitzgerald has signed a 6-year contract that will keep
him in Lawrence through the 2028 season.“Dan Fitzgerald is a man of exceptional integrity, proven leader,
developer of men, tremendous baseball mind, elite recruiter and the perfect fit
for Kansas Baseball,” Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “When we set out
to find the next leader of this program, we talked to current student-athletes,
alumni, and baseball leaders across the nation to help inform our search.
&nbsp;In countless conversations, Dan Fitzgerald’s name and background – along
with the attributes in which he leads with every day – were highlighted as the
ideal fit for KU Baseball. Dan clearly articulated his vision for the future of
Kansas Baseball and passionately demonstrated his desire to be at the
University of Kansas. We could not be more excited about the outlook for our
program with Coach Fitzgerald at the helm. We are ecstatic to welcome Dan, his
wife, Kelly, and their three boys, Will, Max and Ben, to the Jayhawk family.”“I would like to thank Travis Goff and the leadership team at KU
for entrusting me with this amazing opportunity to be the head baseball coach
at the University of Kansas,” Fitzgerald said. “In my conversations with Travis
and the search committee, it became crystal clear that our visions aligned
regarding the future of this program. There is a passion for KU that permeated
from each individual I met with and that shared partnership will be vital to
the program’s future success. I have been very diligent in waiting for the
right opportunity to lead a program and this was the perfect destination for me
and my family. I look forward to developing these student-athletes as baseball
players as well as men, and putting a program together that all Jayhawks can be
proud of.”Fitzgerald arrives at Kansas following one year at LSU, where he
served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, helping lead the
Tigers to a 40-win season and an NCAA Regional final appearance. His time in
Baton Rouge was preceded by a successful nine-year tenure at Dallas Baptist as
both an assistant coach, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.At DBU, Fitzgerald had a major hand in bringing unprecedented
success to the Patriots program. In his nine seasons with the program, Dallas
Baptist played in seven NCAA Regionals, won three regular-season conference
championships and won three conference tournaments.Fitzgerald comes to Lawrence with a sterling reputation in
player development and recruiting, along with deep Midwestern ties, having
served as a head coach at Des Moines Area Community College for five seasons
and spending five seasons as an assistant in the region.During his nine seasons at Dallas Baptist (2012-21), Fitzgerald
played a major role in the Patriots developing and recruiting some of the top
talent in the country. He helped recruit and develop 30 Major League Baseball
Draft picks, 11 of those being Top-10 picks, nine All-Americans, eight freshman
All-Americans, 69 all-conference selections and two conference players of the
year.Dallas Baptist tallied 270 victories from 2015-21, which was the
fifth-most by a Division I baseball program during that span. The Patriots,
known best for their explosive offense, ranked in the top 25 nationally in home
runs in each season during Fitzgerald’s time at Dallas Baptist. The team held a
top 25 ranking in a total of 51 offensive categories across his nine seasons.With the Patriots proving to be one of the top programs
nationally, Fitzgerald was promoted from assistant coach to associate head
coach in June 2016. Dallas Baptist posted a 341-168 (.670) record during his
tenure with six seasons of at least 40 wins. Fitzgerald helped land some of the
top prep players nationally, by being able to recruit throughout the country,
thanks to his trusted relationships and proven track record, which he now
brings to Kansas.Fitzgerald has earned respect among his peers. In a survey of 90
head coaches conducted by Baseball America in 2020, Fitzgerald was rated No. 7
on a list of assistant coaches from across the nation that will one day make
the best head coach. Baseball America also rated Fitzgerald as the No. 7
assistant coach in the nation in 2018, while D1Baseball ranked him as the 17th-best
recruiter in the country in 2016.Prior to his time at LSU and Dallas Baptist, Fitzgerald was the
head coach at Des Moines Area Community College (2008-12). In his five years at
DMACC, Fitzgerald was awarded Coach of the Year honors by 13 different
publications. His team’s won five consecutive conference championships and
advanced to the Junior College World Series on four separate occasions.Fitzgerald also had 36 players sign with Division I programs,
nine student-athletes be named Junior College All-Americans, including the 2009
National Player of the Year.&nbsp; His program finished with at least 40 wins
in every season and compiled a 249-73 (.773) record over the five-year stretch.Fitzgerald’s coaching career began in 2000 at Iowa as a
volunteer assistant coach. He then interned with the Minnesota Twins scouting
department (2002) before returning to coaching as an assistant at North Iowa
Area Community College (2003-04), Flagler College (2005-06) and Des Moines Area
Community College (2007-08).In addition to coaching at schools, Fitzgerald has spent time as
a head coach in top summer leagues around the country. That includes a stint in
2004 as the Field Manager for Athletes in Action in Alaska, the sport ministry
of Campus Crusade for Christ.A native of Edina, Minnesota, Fitzgerald attended and played
baseball at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the
University of Wisconsin-River Falls before graduating with a degree in English
from the University of Minnesota in 2000. Most recently, he earned a Masters of
Education in Kinesiology from Dallas Baptist in 2016. Fitzgerald and his wife,
Kelly, have three sons – Will, Max and Ben.The
Fitzgerald File 
Alma Mater: Minnesota, 2000 (Masters, Dallas Baptist, 2016) 
Wife: Kelly 
Children: Will, Max, Ben 
Coaching Experience: 
2022-present:&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Head Coach 
2021-22: LSU,&nbsp;Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 
2016-21: Dallas Baptist, Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 
2012-16: Dallas Baptist, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 
2008-12: Des Moines Area Community College, Head Coach 
2007-08: Des Moines Area Community College, Assistant Coach 
2004-06: Flagler College, Assistant Coach 
2003-04: North Iowa Area Community College, Assistant Coach 
2002: Minnesota Twins, Scouting Intern 
2000-01: Iowa, Volunteer Assistant Coach 
Postseason Experience: 
2014: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Fort Worth Regional 
2015: Dallas Regional 
2016: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Lubbock Regional 
2017: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Fort Worth Regional 
2018: Fayetteville Regional 
2019: Lubbock Regional 
2021: Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions; Columbia Super Regional 
2022: Hattiesburg Regional 
Top 10 Round MLB Draft
Picks: 
2nd Round - Burl Carraway (Chicago Cubs – 2020) 
2nd Round - Jimmy Glowenke (San Francisco Giants – 2020) 
2nd Round - Jameson Hannah (Oakland Athletics - 2018) 
4th Round - Seth Elledge (Seattle Mariners - 2017) 
5th Round - Chance Adams (New York Yankees - 2015) 
6th Round - Devlin Granberg (Boston Red Sox - 2018) 
6th Round - MD Johnson (Miami Marlins - 2019) 
6th Round - David Martinelli (Philadelphia Phillies - 2016) 
7th Round - Dalton Higgins (New York Yankees - 2017) 
9th Round - Matt Duce (St. Louis Cardinals - 2018) 
9th Round - Camden Duzenack (Arizona Diamondbacks - 2017)Kansas Athletics

⚾ Dan Fitzgerald named Kansas head coach

GARDEN CITY – The HBC Hammer 18U
baseball team split their doubleheader with the Garden City Blues Tuesday night
at Clint Lightner Field. The Blues used a couple of big innings to take the
opener 12-5 but the Hammer pulled away late and won the nightcap 8-1.

The Hammer is now 6-5 on the
season. They will play at a wood bat tournament in Topeka starting Friday
night.

Game 1: Garden City 12, Hays 5 The Blues scored five in the second and seven in the third in a game called after six innings due to time limit.

Tied 5-5, Hays walked three-straight Garden City batters to open the bottom of the third. The Blues followed it up up with
three straight hits to blow the game open. 

The Hammer walked six and hit a batter
in the decisive fourth inning.

Hays had taken the early 2-0 lead in the first. Tyson Jimenez opened the game with a triple to right field and scored on a Garrett Wellbrock single. Bradyn Dreher drove in Wellbrock with a
one-out single to left.

The Hammer scored three runs with two outs in the third to tie the game 5-5. Bradyn Dreher drove in the first run on a groundout. The other two runs scored
on a Carson Spray single and Jack Fields double.

Tyson Jimenez and Garrett Wellbrock
each had two of the Hammer’s nine hits. Bradyn Dreher drove in two runs.

Dreher (0-1) allowed seven runs on four hits
with four walks and no strikeouts in 2/3 inning of relief.

Game 2: Hays 8, Garden City 1 The Hammer broke open a one-run game
with six runs in the top of the sixth. Jack Fields started the rally when he
was hit by a pitch with one out. He scored on a double off the bat of Lex Lummus.
With two outs, Gage Porter drove in a run with a double to left. After two
walks and two hit batters drove in two more runs, Carson Spray closed out the
scoring with a single to left.

Three Hammer pitchers combined to
hold to Blues to two hits. Starter Carson Spray went three scoreless innings with
four strikeouts and two walks. Garrett Wellbrock (3-1) allowed one unearned run in
two hitless innings of relief and gets the win. Dalton Dale got the final three
outs.

Tyson Jimenez, Carson Spray and Lex Lummas
each had two of the Hammer’s nine hits

The Braves scored four runs in the fourth and beat the 16U 5-4. Hays (6-3) scored a run in the bottom of the fourth then added another in the sixth and had the tying run on in the seventh but a double play and strikeout ended the comeback bid.

The 15U Hammer (6-4) scored three in
the third and three in the fourth and won 8-2. Jonathan Cano and Landon Hardman
both had two hits. Hardman drove in four runs.

GARDEN CITY – The HBC Hammer 18U
baseball team split their doubleheader with the Garden City Blues Tuesday night
at Clint Lightner Field. The Blues used a couple of big innings to take the
opener 12-5 but the Hammer pulled away late and won the nightcap 8-1.The Hammer is now 6-5 on the
season. They will play at a wood bat tournament in Topeka starting Friday
night.Game 1: Garden City 12, Hays 5 The Blues scored five in the second and seven in the third in a game called after six innings due to time limit.Tied 5-5, Hays walked three-straight Garden City batters to open the bottom of the third. The Blues followed it up up with
three straight hits to blow the game open. The Hammer walked six and hit a batter
in the decisive fourth inning.Hays had taken the early 2-0 lead in the first. Tyson Jimenez opened the game with a triple to right field and scored on a Garrett Wellbrock single. Bradyn Dreher drove in Wellbrock with a
one-out single to left.The Hammer scored three runs with two outs in the third to tie the game 5-5. Bradyn Dreher drove in the first run on a groundout. The other two runs scored
on a Carson Spray single and Jack Fields double.Tyson Jimenez and Garrett Wellbrock
each had two of the Hammer’s nine hits. Bradyn Dreher drove in two runs.Dreher (0-1) allowed seven runs on four hits
with four walks and no strikeouts in 2/3 inning of relief.Game 2: Hays 8, Garden City 1 The Hammer broke open a one-run game
with six runs in the top of the sixth. Jack Fields started the rally when he
was hit by a pitch with one out. He scored on a double off the bat of Lex Lummus.
With two outs, Gage Porter drove in a run with a double to left. After two
walks and two hit batters drove in two more runs, Carson Spray closed out the
scoring with a single to left.Three Hammer pitchers combined to
hold to Blues to two hits. Starter Carson Spray went three scoreless innings with
four strikeouts and two walks. Garrett Wellbrock (3-1) allowed one unearned run in
two hitless innings of relief and gets the win. Dalton Dale got the final three
outs.Tyson Jimenez, Carson Spray and Lex Lummas
each had two of the Hammer’s nine hits<h2>16U and 15U Hammer Split with Great
Bend</h2>The Braves scored four runs in the fourth and beat the 16U 5-4. Hays (6-3) scored a run in the bottom of the fourth then added another in the sixth and had the tying run on in the seventh but a double play and strikeout ended the comeback bid.The 15U Hammer (6-4) scored three in
the third and three in the fourth and won 8-2. Jonathan Cano and Landon Hardman
both had two hits. Hardman drove in four runs.

⚾ HBC Hammer 18U splits with Garden City

Photo courtesy of Ken's Photography of Hays

<div><div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/VideoObject"><meta itemprop="uploadDate" content="Mon Jun 13 2022 10:40:53 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time)"/><meta itemprop="name" content="Christopher Echavarria"/><meta itemprop="duration" content="P0Y0M0DT0H0M15S" /><meta itemprop="thumbnailUrl" content="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/UFQjj2Vv-720.jpg"/><meta itemprop="contentUrl" content="https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/UFQjj2Vv-25NauLGk.m4a"/><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/UFQjj2Vv-oVs1oZUT.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Christopher Echavarria" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></div>Photo courtesy of Ken's Photography of Hays

⚾ MEET THE LARKS: Christopher Echavarria

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Logan Webb pitched five-hit ball over seven scoreless innings to win for the first time in a month, and the San Francisco Giants stretched their winning streak to five with a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Webb (6-2) struck out a season-high nine and walked three. He had been 0-1 in five starts since a May 13 win at St. Louis.

“That’s what we expect,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “That’s where he put the bar, and now we expect him to meet it.”

Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances. After a nine-pitch walk to Carlos Santana leading off, Doval retired Kyle Isbel on a lineout, then struck out Ryan O’Hearn and Nicky Lopez, topping 100 mph with seven of 22 pitches.

The Giants have not allowed more than two runs in any game during their winning streak.

“This is something I know I talked a lot about last year,” Webb said. “We feed off of that.”

Kansas City has lost the first two games of the three-game series and 12 of 16 overall. At 20-41, the Royals have the worst record in the major leagues.

Kris Bubic (0-4) remained winless in eight starts this season, though he lowered his ERA from 9.13 to 8.36.

“You feed off your confidence, especially early on,” Bubic said. “Once you get into a good rhythm early on, then you just try to keep that as consistent as you can.”

Bubic gave up three runs, five hits and two walks in 5.1 innings.

“Some of the best stuff we've seen from him, the whole mix,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “One of the best fastballs we've seen from him all year, not just velocity-wise but location. Curveball was sharp, getting the swing and miss.”

San Francisco took a 3-0 lead in the sixth. Luis González doubled and scored on Wilmer Flores' single. Darin Ruf added an RBI single and Tommy La Stella hit the first of two sacrifice flies.

Webb didn't allow a runner to reach scoring position until the seventh. With two on and two outs, Michael A. Taylor singled to right and González made a one-hop throw to catcher Austin Wynns, who tagged out a sliding MJ Melendez. González’s 97.4 mph throw was the Giants’ second-fastest for an outfield assist since Statcast started tracking in 2015, trailing only Austin Slater’s at 99.6 mph on July 24, 2018.

“We’ve been working hard on my fundamentals and getting good reads,” Gonzalez said of his work with outfield coach Antoan Richardson.

Kansas City closed to 3-2 in the eighth against Tyler Rogers on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Witt Jr. — playing on his 22nd birthday — and Salvador Perez's RBI single.

La Stella hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half against Scott Barlow.

Royals: LHP Gabe Speier and RHP Matt Peacock (both COVID-19) are scheduled to begin injury rehabilitation assignments with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Speier, whose uncle is former Giants shortstop Chris Speier, hasn't pitched since May 28. Peacock has been sidelined since May 29.

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (right knee) was activated from the 10-day IL and was expected to rejoin the lineup Wednesday. Belt pinch hit in the eighth inning and was grazed by the first pitch he saw from Scott Barlow. INF Donovan Walton was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. ... RHP Alex Cobb (neck) threw the equivalent of three innings of batting practice to minor leaguers. Cobb last pitched for the Giants on May 29, when he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in a no-decision at Cincinnati.

RHP Jonathan Heasley (1-3, 3.62) starts Wednesday for Kansas City, and LHP Sam Long (0-1, 1.96) appeared to be San Francisco's most likely candidate to start.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Logan Webb pitched five-hit ball over seven scoreless innings to win for the first time in a month, and the San Francisco Giants stretched their winning streak to five with a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.Webb (6-2) struck out a season-high nine and walked three. He had been 0-1 in five starts since a May 13 win at St. Louis.“That’s what we expect,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “That’s where he put the bar, and now we expect him to meet it.”Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances. After a nine-pitch walk to Carlos Santana leading off, Doval retired Kyle Isbel on a lineout, then struck out Ryan O’Hearn and Nicky Lopez, topping 100 mph with seven of 22 pitches.The Giants have not allowed more than two runs in any game during their winning streak.“This is something I know I talked a lot about last year,” Webb said. “We feed off of that.”Kansas City has lost the first two games of the three-game series and 12 of 16 overall. At 20-41, the Royals have the worst record in the major leagues.Kris Bubic (0-4) remained winless in eight starts this season, though he lowered his ERA from 9.13 to 8.36.“You feed off your confidence, especially early on,” Bubic said. “Once you get into a good rhythm early on, then you just try to keep that as consistent as you can.”Bubic gave up three runs, five hits and two walks in 5.1 innings.“Some of the best stuff we've seen from him, the whole mix,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “One of the best fastballs we've seen from him all year, not just velocity-wise but location. Curveball was sharp, getting the swing and miss.”San Francisco took a 3-0 lead in the sixth. Luis González doubled and scored on Wilmer Flores' single. Darin Ruf added an RBI single and Tommy La Stella hit the first of two sacrifice flies.Webb didn't allow a runner to reach scoring position until the seventh. With two on and two outs, Michael A. Taylor singled to right and González made a one-hop throw to catcher Austin Wynns, who tagged out a sliding MJ Melendez. González’s 97.4 mph throw was the Giants’ second-fastest for an outfield assist since Statcast started tracking in 2015, trailing only Austin Slater’s at 99.6 mph on July 24, 2018.“We’ve been working hard on my fundamentals and getting good reads,” Gonzalez said of his work with outfield coach Antoan Richardson.Kansas City closed to 3-2 in the eighth against Tyler Rogers on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Witt Jr. — playing on his 22nd birthday — and Salvador Perez's RBI single.La Stella hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half against Scott Barlow.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: LHP Gabe Speier and RHP Matt Peacock (both COVID-19) are scheduled to begin injury rehabilitation assignments with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Speier, whose uncle is former Giants shortstop Chris Speier, hasn't pitched since May 28. Peacock has been sidelined since May 29.Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (right knee) was activated from the 10-day IL and was expected to rejoin the lineup Wednesday. Belt pinch hit in the eighth inning and was grazed by the first pitch he saw from Scott Barlow. INF Donovan Walton was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. ... RHP Alex Cobb (neck) threw the equivalent of three innings of batting practice to minor leaguers. Cobb last pitched for the Giants on May 29, when he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in a no-decision at Cincinnati.UP NEXTRHP Jonathan Heasley (1-3, 3.62) starts Wednesday for Kansas City, and LHP Sam Long (0-1, 1.96) appeared to be San Francisco's most likely candidate to start.

⚾ Royals drop fourth straight despite out-hitting Giants

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes walked onto the field for the start of the Kansas City Chiefs’ mandatory three-day minicamp with his right tackle standing off to the side in a bucket hat and his Pro Bowl left tackle nowhere to be found.

That wasn’t the only thing Mahomes found different Tuesday.

Three of his longtime targets, including Tyreek Hill, also were gone amid free agency and offseason dealings. In their place was a bunch of new faces — former Packers deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling, former Steelers star JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore. They will have big shoes to fill.

It didn’t take long for them to learn that life with Mahomes at quarterback is just a little bit different.

“Today he did the no-look pass and he got me, and I was on the sideline,” Smith-Schuster said with a smile. “I thought I was the only one who saw it. It got a linebacker, threw him off. I was just like, ‘Wow.’”

The practice was only about 90 minutes, shortened a bit from a regular minicamp because of temperatures that threatened to hit triple digits in Kansas City. But it was a crucial step after three weeks of voluntary workouts for what has long been one of the NFL’s dynamic offenses but is suddenly trying to reinvent itself with new personnel.

Valdes-Scantling may have been the star of the workout, catching a couple of deep balls during a team period, and Smith-Schuster also had a couple nice catches. Moore is still getting up to speed after an offseason injury but was involved in both the first- and second-team offenses’ work, getting a much-needed indoctrination before training camp starts in August.

“I think we’re going to be a great offense. We still have the best quarterback in the NFL, the best tight end in the NFL. We’re going to lean on them,” said receiver Mecole Hardman, who also is being counted upon to pick up some of the slack this season.

“We know they’re going to play every Sunday,” Hardman said. “The new guys, they’re learning the playbook, learning how we play here, the standard we have, so I think we’re going to be good.”

That’s assuming Mahomes can stay on his feet this season.

The Chiefs completely revamped their offensive line prior to last season with overwhelmingly positive results. The new-look bunch is due back with a year of experience behind them.

Two of them were missing from Tuesday’s workout. Right tackle Lucas Niang watched from the side as he continues recovery from knee surgery. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. was not required to attend the because he has not signed his franchise tender.

The Chiefs and Brown, who recently hired new representation, are working on a long-term deal and there is optimism on both sides that it will be finished before the July 15 deadline. Otherwise, he would be due $16.7 million on the franchise tag.

“We love Orlando here. He’s a good human being and he’s a good professional,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said last week. “I think he’s got good counsel, so we just have to work through it. I don’t see anything that’s going to get in the way. Just have the guys working together, keeping everything open, like any other opportunity that you have to do deals with players.

“They normally don’t have overnight,” Reid added, “so you work through it and you come up with something.”

Defensive end Frank Clark also was absent from practice on his 29th birthday, though a team spokesman said he had been excused. Clark signed a new two-year, $29 million contract in March to remain with the Chiefs.

Others that missed the workout were tight end Blake Bell, defensive end Malik Herring, cornerback Rashad Fenton, wide receiver Justyn Ross and offensive lineman Darryl Williams. The Chiefs did not say whether any of them were excused from the workout. Players can be fined about $90,000 for missing the entire minicamp if they are not excused.

Rookie cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, the No. 21 overall pick, and Joshua Williams, a fourth-round selection, left the field with trainers during the workout. The Chiefs did not provide any updates on injured players.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes walked onto the field for the start of the Kansas City Chiefs’ mandatory three-day minicamp with his right tackle standing off to the side in a bucket hat and his Pro Bowl left tackle nowhere to be found.That wasn’t the only thing Mahomes found different Tuesday.Three of his longtime targets, including Tyreek Hill, also were gone amid free agency and offseason dealings. In their place was a bunch of new faces — former Packers deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling, former Steelers star JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore. They will have big shoes to fill.It didn’t take long for them to learn that life with Mahomes at quarterback is just a little bit different.“Today he did the no-look pass and he got me, and I was on the sideline,” Smith-Schuster said with a smile. “I thought I was the only one who saw it. It got a linebacker, threw him off. I was just like, ‘Wow.’”The practice was only about 90 minutes, shortened a bit from a regular minicamp because of temperatures that threatened to hit triple digits in Kansas City. But it was a crucial step after three weeks of voluntary workouts for what has long been one of the NFL’s dynamic offenses but is suddenly trying to reinvent itself with new personnel.Valdes-Scantling may have been the star of the workout, catching a couple of deep balls during a team period, and Smith-Schuster also had a couple nice catches. Moore is still getting up to speed after an offseason injury but was involved in both the first- and second-team offenses’ work, getting a much-needed indoctrination before training camp starts in August.“I think we’re going to be a great offense. We still have the best quarterback in the NFL, the best tight end in the NFL. We’re going to lean on them,” said receiver Mecole Hardman, who also is being counted upon to pick up some of the slack this season.“We know they’re going to play every Sunday,” Hardman said. “The new guys, they’re learning the playbook, learning how we play here, the standard we have, so I think we’re going to be good.”That’s assuming Mahomes can stay on his feet this season.The Chiefs completely revamped their offensive line prior to last season with overwhelmingly positive results. The new-look bunch is due back with a year of experience behind them.Two of them were missing from Tuesday’s workout. Right tackle Lucas Niang watched from the side as he continues recovery from knee surgery. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. was not required to attend the because he has not signed his franchise tender.The Chiefs and Brown, who recently hired new representation, are working on a long-term deal and there is optimism on both sides that it will be finished before the July 15 deadline. Otherwise, he would be due $16.7 million on the franchise tag.“We love Orlando here. He’s a good human being and he’s a good professional,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said last week. “I think he’s got good counsel, so we just have to work through it. I don’t see anything that’s going to get in the way. Just have the guys working together, keeping everything open, like any other opportunity that you have to do deals with players.“They normally don’t have overnight,” Reid added, “so you work through it and you come up with something.”Defensive end Frank Clark also was absent from practice on his 29th birthday, though a team spokesman said he had been excused. Clark signed a new two-year, $29 million contract in March to remain with the Chiefs.Others that missed the workout were tight end Blake Bell, defensive end Malik Herring, cornerback Rashad Fenton, wide receiver Justyn Ross and offensive lineman Darryl Williams. The Chiefs did not say whether any of them were excused from the workout. Players can be fined about $90,000 for missing the entire minicamp if they are not excused.Rookie cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, the No. 21 overall pick, and Joshua Williams, a fourth-round selection, left the field with trainers during the workout. The Chiefs did not provide any updates on injured players.

🏈 Chiefs’ new-look offense misses pieces in mandatory minicamp

PARKER, Colo. – The Hays Larks opened their four-game road swing through Colorado with a loss to the Gameday Angels Friday night. Monday night they avenged their only Rocky Mountain Baseball League loss with a 12-8 win over the Angels at Double Angle Ballpark.

The Larks (7-2, 4-1 RMBL) took a 6-1 lead into the
bottom of the eighth. Gameday (3-2, 3-2 RMBL) scored four in the inning to pull within a run, but
the Larks answer with six in the top of the ninth. The Angels score three in
the bottom of the ninth.

Dylan Dreiling and Palmer Hutchison
both hit home runs and both drove in three. Hutchison hit a two-run shot in the
sixth which pushed the Larks lead to 5-1. Dreiling hit a three-run shot in the
ninth give the Larks a 9-5 lead. 

Hutchison added two doubles to
finish with three hits as did Tyler Larue.

Starter Luuk Ter Beek (1-0) allowed
one run on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks and was awarded the win. 

The Larks open a six-game homestand
Wednesday against the Colorado Roughriders.

PARKER, Colo. – The Hays Larks opened their four-game road swing through Colorado with a loss to the Gameday Angels Friday night. Monday night they avenged their only Rocky Mountain Baseball League loss with a 12-8 win over the Angels at Double Angle Ballpark.The Larks (7-2, 4-1 RMBL) took a 6-1 lead into the
bottom of the eighth. Gameday (3-2, 3-2 RMBL) scored four in the inning to pull within a run, but
the Larks answer with six in the top of the ninth. The Angels score three in
the bottom of the ninth.Dylan Dreiling and Palmer Hutchison
both hit home runs and both drove in three. Hutchison hit a two-run shot in the
sixth which pushed the Larks lead to 5-1. Dreiling hit a three-run shot in the
ninth give the Larks a 9-5 lead. Hutchison added two doubles to
finish with three hits as did Tyler Larue.Starter Luuk Ter Beek (1-0) allowed
one run on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks and was awarded the win. The Larks open a six-game homestand
Wednesday against the Colorado Roughriders.

⚾ Larks end road trip with a win over Gameday

<div><div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/VideoObject"><meta itemprop="uploadDate" content="Mon Jun 13 2022 10:40:54 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time)"/><meta itemprop="name" content="Cade Brown"/><meta itemprop="duration" content="P0Y0M0DT0H0M15S" /><meta itemprop="thumbnailUrl" content="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/rUrIJADZ-720.jpg"/><meta itemprop="contentUrl" content="https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/rUrIJADZ-25NauLGk.m4a"/><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/rUrIJADZ-oVs1oZUT.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Cade Brown" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></div>Photo courtesy of Ken's Photography of Hays

⚾ MEET THE LARKS: Cade Brown

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Wood pitched four-hit ball over six innings for his first win in more than a month, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.

Thairo Estrada hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth and Brandon Crawford doubled in two runs, lifting the Giants to their fourth straight win and sixth in eight games. Austin Slater walked twice and scored twice.

The Giants were limited to five hits but drew a season-high nine walks, four of which scored.

"When we're at our best offensively we're seeing a lot of pitches," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. "I think there were some easier takes for us tonight but I thought we did a nice job of sticking with our game plan and our approach."

Coming off his best start of the season when he went seven innings against the Rockies, Wood (4-5) had five strikeouts and one walk. The left-hander retired his final 10 batters after Bobby Witt Jr.'s RBI single in the third, ending his night after 80 pitches.

It came less than two weeks after Wood was upset and complained when Kapler removed him in the sixth inning from a game in Miami after throwing 90 pitches. The Giants trailed 1-0 at the time and lost 3-0.

This time Kapler said he made the change because Wood sat for an extended period in the sixth when the Royals made a pitching change mid-inning.

"We just felt like it was the right time to go to a clean inning for our bullpen right there," Kapler said.

"I think it had been 15-20 minutes before they made the pitching change, and I was going to go back out," Wood said. "I didn't know much longer that inning was going to go so we just figured give (a reliever) enough time to warm up and get a clean inning and take it down from there. I thought it made sense. Glad it worked out."

Mauricio Llovera, Jake McGee and Camilo Doval each retired three batters to complete the six-hitter.

Estrada lined a 2-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (1-1) into left-center to drive in Slater. Slater led off the inning with a pinch-hit walk and took second on a wild pitch.

Crawford, who struck out before Estrada's tiebreaking hit, hit a two-run double off Arodys Vizcaíno in the seventh.

The Giants scored their first two runs after Royals starter Brady Singer lost control and walked four consecutive batters in the third - two with the bases loaded.

"Not a ton of hits but a lot of good at-bats which led to walks and a couple hits at the right time," Crawford said.

Singer, who had only walked four batters all season, finished with five and allowed two hits over five innings.

The Royals led 2-0 on Whit Merrifield's sacrifice fly and an infield RBI single by Witt that glanced off Wood's glove and trickled away.

The Giants optioned OF Heliot Ramos to Triple-A Sacramento and recalled Llovera.

Royals: RHP Zack Greinke (right flexor strain) pitched one-hit ball over five innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Omaha. OF Edward Olivares (right quad strain) had a hit and drew three walks in the same game. ... RHP Joel Payamps was placed on the Injured List with an undisclosed injury. RHP Daniel Mengden was selected from Omaha to replace Payamps.

Giants RHP Logan Webb (5-2, 3.77 ERA) has one victory over his previous five starts. Royals LHP Kris Bubic (0-3, 9.13) has two wins in 10 interleague starts.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Wood pitched four-hit ball over six innings for his first win in more than a month, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.Thairo Estrada hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth and Brandon Crawford doubled in two runs, lifting the Giants to their fourth straight win and sixth in eight games. Austin Slater walked twice and scored twice.The Giants were limited to five hits but drew a season-high nine walks, four of which scored."When we're at our best offensively we're seeing a lot of pitches," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. "I think there were some easier takes for us tonight but I thought we did a nice job of sticking with our game plan and our approach."Coming off his best start of the season when he went seven innings against the Rockies, Wood (4-5) had five strikeouts and one walk. The left-hander retired his final 10 batters after Bobby Witt Jr.'s RBI single in the third, ending his night after 80 pitches.It came less than two weeks after Wood was upset and complained when Kapler removed him in the sixth inning from a game in Miami after throwing 90 pitches. The Giants trailed 1-0 at the time and lost 3-0.This time Kapler said he made the change because Wood sat for an extended period in the sixth when the Royals made a pitching change mid-inning."We just felt like it was the right time to go to a clean inning for our bullpen right there," Kapler said.Wood agreed."I think it had been 15-20 minutes before they made the pitching change, and I was going to go back out," Wood said. "I didn't know much longer that inning was going to go so we just figured give (a reliever) enough time to warm up and get a clean inning and take it down from there. I thought it made sense. Glad it worked out."Mauricio Llovera, Jake McGee and Camilo Doval each retired three batters to complete the six-hitter.Estrada lined a 2-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (1-1) into left-center to drive in Slater. Slater led off the inning with a pinch-hit walk and took second on a wild pitch.Crawford, who struck out before Estrada's tiebreaking hit, hit a two-run double off Arodys Vizcaíno in the seventh.The Giants scored their first two runs after Royals starter Brady Singer lost control and walked four consecutive batters in the third - two with the bases loaded."Not a ton of hits but a lot of good at-bats which led to walks and a couple hits at the right time," Crawford said.Singer, who had only walked four batters all season, finished with five and allowed two hits over five innings.The Royals led 2-0 on Whit Merrifield's sacrifice fly and an infield RBI single by Witt that glanced off Wood's glove and trickled away.MOVESThe Giants optioned OF Heliot Ramos to Triple-A Sacramento and recalled Llovera.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Zack Greinke (right flexor strain) pitched one-hit ball over five innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Omaha. OF Edward Olivares (right quad strain) had a hit and drew three walks in the same game. ... RHP Joel Payamps was placed on the Injured List with an undisclosed injury. RHP Daniel Mengden was selected from Omaha to replace Payamps.UP NEXTGiants RHP Logan Webb (5-2, 3.77 ERA) has one victory over his previous five starts. Royals LHP Kris Bubic (0-3, 9.13) has two wins in 10 interleague starts.

⚾ Walks cost Royals series opener in San Francisco

Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame announces their inaugural class of inductees. The 2022 class is comprised of four teams, nine athletes, two coaches and one athletic director. The list includes: &nbsp;- 1944 state champion boys basketball team &nbsp;- 1953 football team (8-0-1) &nbsp;- 1954 football team (9-0, #4 in final poll, no playoffs a that time) &nbsp;- 1989 girls track state championship team &nbsp;- Willard Schmidt - Baseball (1946) &nbsp;- Dale Alexander- Track (1959) &nbsp;- Gene Rider - Basketball, Baseball (1964) &nbsp;- Carmen Ginther - Tennis (1978) &nbsp;- Marla Powell - Volleyball, Basketball, Track (1981) &nbsp;- Terrie Sargent - Volleyball, Basketball, Track(1981) &nbsp;- Tamara Munsch - Golf (2000) &nbsp;- Jeff Bieker - Baseball (2001) &nbsp;- Marcus Watts - Football, Basketball, Track (2002) &nbsp;- Coach Jim Maska &nbsp;- Coach Bob Kuhn &nbsp;- Athletic Director Mike Karl A banquet to honor the inductees will be held Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Tickets are available online at&nbsp;<a href="https://event.auctria.com/25e8b3bb-8e0f-4d7e-a893-15ee1dba95f9/">https://event.auctria.com/25e8b3bb-8e0f-4d7e-a893-15ee1dba95f9/</a> . A small number of tickets are available to purchase in person by visiting American Family Insurance/Brian Ruder Agency at 1601 E 27th. The tickets are $40 and include a meal, dessert, and tea or water. A cash bar will be available. There are a total of 450 tickets available for the event and attendance will be limited to this amount. The newly formed Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame committee began working towards their inaugural class earlier in 2022 with the intent of having the induction in the same calendar year. This first class is larger than what future classes will be. Viewing of the Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame and their accomplishments will be made available on a website currently being built and also at a kiosk to be located inside of Hays High School in the future. With so many more deserving individuals and teams, nominations for potential inductees will be accepted after the banquet in August. A website will be made available for nominations at that time. Questions about the Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame or about the banquet can be sent to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hayshighhof@gmail.com" target="_blank">hayshighhof@gmail.com</a>

Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame announces their inaugural class of inductees. The 2022 class is comprised of four teams, nine athletes, two coaches and one athletic director. The list includes: &nbsp;- 1944 state champion boys basketball team &nbsp;- 1953 football team (8-0-1) &nbsp;- 1954 football team (9-0, #4 in final poll, no playoffs a that time) &nbsp;- 1989 girls track state championship team &nbsp;- Willard Schmidt - Baseball (1946) &nbsp;- Dale Alexander- Track (1959) &nbsp;- Gene Rider - Basketball, Baseball (1964) &nbsp;- Carmen Ginther - Tennis (1978) &nbsp;- Marla Powell - Volleyball, Basketball, Track (1981) &nbsp;- Terrie Sargent - Volleyball, Basketball, Track(1981) &nbsp;- Tamara Munsch - Golf (2000) &nbsp;- Jeff Bieker - Baseball (2001) &nbsp;- Marcus Watts - Football, Basketball, Track (2002) &nbsp;- Coach Jim Maska &nbsp;- Coach Bob Kuhn &nbsp;- Athletic Director Mike Karl A banquet to honor the inductees will be held Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Tickets are available online at&nbsp;<a href="https://event.auctria.com/25e8b3bb-8e0f-4d7e-a893-15ee1dba95f9/">https://event.auctria.com/25e8b3bb-8e0f-4d7e-a893-15ee1dba95f9/</a> . A small number of tickets are available to purchase in person by visiting American Family Insurance/Brian Ruder Agency at 1601 E 27th. The tickets are $40 and include a meal, dessert, and tea or water. A cash bar will be available. There are a total of 450 tickets available for the event and attendance will be limited to this amount. The newly formed Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame committee began working towards their inaugural class earlier in 2022 with the intent of having the induction in the same calendar year. This first class is larger than what future classes will be. Viewing of the Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame and their accomplishments will be made available on a website currently being built and also at a kiosk to be located inside of Hays High School in the future. With so many more deserving individuals and teams, nominations for potential inductees will be accepted after the banquet in August. A website will be made available for nominations at that time. Questions about the Hays High School Athletics Hall of Fame or about the banquet can be sent to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hayshighhof@gmail.com" target="_blank">hayshighhof@gmail.com</a>

HHS Athletics HOF announces inaugural class and banquet

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. - The Hays Larks scores 12 runs in the second inning and cruised to a 20-3 six inning run-rule win over the Colorado Roughriders Sunday.

Dylan Dreiling, Jackson Halter and Hunter Rosson homered in the second. Dreiling hit an opposite field blast to left to start the inning. Halter and Rosson went back-to-back to push the lead to 4-0.&nbsp;

Leo Jiminian had three of the Larks 17 hits, all doubles. Halter drove in five runs.

Starting pitcher Austin Puett didn't allow a hit but walked five and allowed one earned run over three innings for the win.

The Larks wrap up their four-game Colorado road swing Monday night at the Gameday Saints.

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. - The Hays Larks scores 12 runs in the second inning and cruised to a 20-3 six inning run-rule win over the Colorado Roughriders Sunday.Dylan Dreiling, Jackson Halter and Hunter Rosson homered in the second. Dreiling hit an opposite field blast to left to start the inning. Halter and Rosson went back-to-back to push the lead to 4-0.&nbsp;Leo Jiminian had three of the Larks 17 hits, all doubles. Halter drove in five runs.Starting pitcher Austin Puett didn't allow a hit but walked five and allowed one earned run over three innings for the win.The Larks wrap up their four-game Colorado road swing Monday night at the Gameday Saints.

⚾ Larks cruise past Roughriders

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Rougned Odor hit solo home runs, leading the Baltimore Orioles over the Kansas City Royals 10-7 on Sunday.

Hunter Dozier, Michael A. Taylor and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for the Royals.

Baltimore jumped on Brad Keller (1-8) with three homers in the first two innings.

Santander hit a 455-foot drive into the right-field fountains in the first.

Mountcastle and Odor hit back-to-back home runs to start a four-run second inning. It was the fifth time this season and the third in June that the Orioles hit back-to-back homers.

“We swung the bat well all day," Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. "We had really good at-bats and it started early, which is great to see, we haven’t done that a ton. Putting five runs up in the first couple of innings and hitting a few homers, that was nice.”

Cedric Mullins had four hits and drove in two runs for Baltimore. Richie Martin and Austin Hays each had three hits and two RBIs.

Dean Kremer (1-1) tossed five innings and allowed one earned run and four hits. He won his first game since his major league debut in September 2020, snapping an 0-9 stretch in 17 starts and claiming his first career win on the road.

“You can't complain about getting some early run support,” Kremer said. “It is a lot more relaxing pitching with a good lead.”

Cionel Pérez notched his first career save with a scoreless ninth.

Keller gave up five runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. The three home runs he allowed tied a career-high set in 2019 and it was his shortest outing of the season.

"I just felt like I didn’t have much command of anything out there," Keller said. “It was tough and I felt like they all kept flying out of my hand and not going anywhere I wanted it to go. We had a good gameplan going in but didn’t execute the pitches.”

“Brad just didn’t have a feel for anything," Matheny said. “When you can’t control the fastball it’s going to be a long one. He never got in a groove.”

Taylor and Witt hit solo home runs in the eighth inning.

Royals: LHP Jake Brentz (left flexor strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Brentz was initially placed on the 10-day IL on April 30.

Royals: LHP Amir Garrett was reinstated from the injured list. LHP Angel Zerpa was optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in a corresponding move.

Orioles: Baltimore released INF Chris Owings.

Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish (1-3, 6.45 ERA) starts on the road against Toronto.

Royals: Begin a nine-game West Coast swing against San Francisco with RHP Brady Singer (3-1, 4.33 ERA) set to start.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Rougned Odor hit solo home runs, leading the Baltimore Orioles over the Kansas City Royals 10-7 on Sunday.Hunter Dozier, Michael A. Taylor and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for the Royals.Baltimore jumped on Brad Keller (1-8) with three homers in the first two innings.Santander hit a 455-foot drive into the right-field fountains in the first.Mountcastle and Odor hit back-to-back home runs to start a four-run second inning. It was the fifth time this season and the third in June that the Orioles hit back-to-back homers.“We swung the bat well all day," Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. "We had really good at-bats and it started early, which is great to see, we haven’t done that a ton. Putting five runs up in the first couple of innings and hitting a few homers, that was nice.”Cedric Mullins had four hits and drove in two runs for Baltimore. Richie Martin and Austin Hays each had three hits and two RBIs.Dean Kremer (1-1) tossed five innings and allowed one earned run and four hits. He won his first game since his major league debut in September 2020, snapping an 0-9 stretch in 17 starts and claiming his first career win on the road.“You can't complain about getting some early run support,” Kremer said. “It is a lot more relaxing pitching with a good lead.”Cionel Pérez notched his first career save with a scoreless ninth.Keller gave up five runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. The three home runs he allowed tied a career-high set in 2019 and it was his shortest outing of the season."I just felt like I didn’t have much command of anything out there," Keller said. “It was tough and I felt like they all kept flying out of my hand and not going anywhere I wanted it to go. We had a good gameplan going in but didn’t execute the pitches.”Royals manager Mike Matheny agreed.“Brad just didn’t have a feel for anything," Matheny said. “When you can’t control the fastball it’s going to be a long one. He never got in a groove.”Taylor and Witt hit solo home runs in the eighth inning.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: LHP Jake Brentz (left flexor strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Brentz was initially placed on the 10-day IL on April 30.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: LHP Amir Garrett was reinstated from the injured list. LHP Angel Zerpa was optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in a corresponding move.Orioles: Baltimore released INF Chris Owings.UP NEXTOrioles: RHP Kyle Bradish (1-3, 6.45 ERA) starts on the road against Toronto.Royals: Begin a nine-game West Coast swing against San Francisco with RHP Brady Singer (3-1, 4.33 ERA) set to start.

⚾ Royals comeback bid falls short against Orioles

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Nevin hit a three-run homer, rookie Adley Rutschman had his first three-hit game and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Saturday.

Nevin's second homer this season was a 425-foot drive to center that gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead in the sixth. The home run drove in Ryan Mountcastle and Rutschman, who raised his average to .190 and showed speed when he scored on an eighth-inning wild pitch.

A son of new Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin, Tyler Nevin was selected by Colorado with the 38th overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft and was traded to Baltimore in 2020. He drove in a run for the first time since he was recalled from Triple-A on June 3.

“We just locked it in and picked up the intensity in that inning,” Nevin said. “I feel like the last 30 at-bats I'm feeling really comfortable. The numbers aren't quite there because of the slower start.”

Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays drove in runs for the Orioles.

Kansas City's three-game winning streak was stopped. The Royals have not won four in a row this season.

Royals starter Daniel Lynch (2-6) gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, tying a career-high with seven strikeouts.

“Really, really frustrating,” Lynch said.

Tyler Wells (3-4) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.

“It certainly felt good to go deep into a game,” Wells said. “Being able to give our team a chance to win that was the big thing for me. I just wanted to go out there and compete despite not having my best stuff.”

Salvador Perez had an RBI double in the third as the Royals scored in the first inning for the third time in four games. Perez is batting .400 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in his last eight games.

Kyle Isbel, Emmanuel Rivera and Michael A. Taylor added RBIs for the Royals.

“We had five really good innings,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “In the sixth, everything hit the wall and it happened really fast. That home run turns the game over, but up to that point I thought it was really good."

Former Royal Jorge López worked around Bobby Witt Jr.'s one-out single in the ninth for eighth save in 10 chances.

“I thought we were flay early and didn't really like how we came out of the game offensively,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We got the bats going and swung them a lot better the second half of the game.”

Orioles: INF Ramón Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list (left oblique strain) and INF Richie Martin's contract was selected from Triple-A.

The Orioles send RHP Dean Kremer (0-1, 6.23 ERA) to the mound against RHP Brad Keller (1-7, 4.19 ERA).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Nevin hit a three-run homer, rookie Adley Rutschman had his first three-hit game and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Saturday.Nevin's second homer this season was a 425-foot drive to center that gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead in the sixth. The home run drove in Ryan Mountcastle and Rutschman, who raised his average to .190 and showed speed when he scored on an eighth-inning wild pitch.A son of new Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin, Tyler Nevin was selected by Colorado with the 38th overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft and was traded to Baltimore in 2020. He drove in a run for the first time since he was recalled from Triple-A on June 3.“We just locked it in and picked up the intensity in that inning,” Nevin said. “I feel like the last 30 at-bats I'm feeling really comfortable. The numbers aren't quite there because of the slower start.”Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays drove in runs for the Orioles.Kansas City's three-game winning streak was stopped. The Royals have not won four in a row this season.Royals starter Daniel Lynch (2-6) gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, tying a career-high with seven strikeouts.“Really, really frustrating,” Lynch said.Tyler Wells (3-4) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.“It certainly felt good to go deep into a game,” Wells said. “Being able to give our team a chance to win that was the big thing for me. I just wanted to go out there and compete despite not having my best stuff.”Salvador Perez had an RBI double in the third as the Royals scored in the first inning for the third time in four games. Perez is batting .400 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in his last eight games.Kyle Isbel, Emmanuel Rivera and Michael A. Taylor added RBIs for the Royals.“We had five really good innings,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “In the sixth, everything hit the wall and it happened really fast. That home run turns the game over, but up to that point I thought it was really good."Former Royal Jorge López worked around Bobby Witt Jr.'s one-out single in the ninth for eighth save in 10 chances.“I thought we were flay early and didn't really like how we came out of the game offensively,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We got the bats going and swung them a lot better the second half of the game.”TRAINER’S ROOMOrioles: INF Ramón Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list (left oblique strain) and INF Richie Martin's contract was selected from Triple-A.UP NEXTThe Orioles send RHP Dean Kremer (0-1, 6.23 ERA) to the mound against RHP Brad Keller (1-7, 4.19 ERA).

⚾ Royals can't hold early lead, lose to Orioles

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. - Palmer Hutchison hit three home runs to carry the Hays Larks to a 19-12 win over the Denver Cougars Saturday afternoon.

Hutchison homered in the second, fifth and sixth innings then added a single in the ninth. His two-run shot in the second on a 3-2 pitch gave Hays the early lead.&nbsp;

The Larks (5-2, 2-1 RMBL) had 21 hits including four home runs in the slugfest.

The Larks scored six in the ninth on RBIs from Brady Evans, Leo Jiminian, Tanner Rice and Austen Jaslove.

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. - Palmer Hutchison hit three home runs to carry the Hays Larks to a 19-12 win over the Denver Cougars Saturday afternoon.Hutchison homered in the second, fifth and sixth innings then added a single in the ninth. His two-run shot in the second on a 3-2 pitch gave Hays the early lead.&nbsp;The Larks (5-2, 2-1 RMBL) had 21 hits including four home runs in the slugfest.The Larks scored six in the ninth on RBIs from Brady Evans, Leo Jiminian, Tanner Rice and Austen Jaslove.Hunter Marshall picked up the win for Hays, allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk over 3 2/3 innings.The Larks continue their four-game swing through Colorado Sunday evening against the Colorado Springs Roughriders.

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