KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Chiefs weren't done when they signed star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a record-setting extension, or when they put together a pricey package to keep Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones on the line.

Now, they're shelling out more big money to keep tight end Travis Kelce in the fold.

The Chiefs and the two-time All-Pro agreed to a four-year, $57.25 million extension Thursday that will keep him with the Super Bowl champions through 2025, a person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

The deal came the same day the San Francisco 49ers and their All-Pro tight end, George Kittle, agreed to a five-year, $75 million extension, a person familiar with that contract told AP. Kittle and Kelce, who were on opposing sidelines during the Super Bowl in February, long ago established themselves as the clear-cut top two tight ends in the game.

The Chiefs rallied in the second half to win their first championship in 50 years. And as the Chiefs spent the offseason securing their core players by giving Mahomes a 10-year extension that could be worth a half-billion dollars, and Jones a four-year, $85 million deal, it left Kelce confident that it was merely the first of what could be many Super Bowls.

“The guys coming in this office, they know what this team is capable of,” he said as the Chiefs reported to training camp, which is being held at their practice facility because of the coronavirus pandemic. “It shows in what we did last year and who all we have coming back, which means we have just about every single leader that we had in this locker room.”

Kelce quickly grew into a leader after a standout college career marked by some off-the-field issues that caused his draft stock to plummet. The Chiefs selected him in the third round in 2013 and, after missing most of his rookie season because of a knee injury, he immediately moved into the lineup and became a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses.

The affable and outspoken Kelce has been voted to five consecutive Pro Bowls, and he's put together four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He also has excelled under the brightest of lights, catching 10 passes for 134 yards and three TDs in a playoff win over Houston, three more passes in an AFC championship win over Tennessee, and then grabbing six passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in helping the Chiefs to a 31-20 victory over the 49ers.

“He’s athletic. I think he’s instinctive. His routes don’t look like anybody else's routes,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. “I mean, the route is to get open at whatever depth the quarterback wants. He can freeze guys, and then burst across the field. He’s got great catch radius. I mean, he’s tall, he’s long, he’s athletic, he’s tough, and it’s a tough challenge.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Chiefs weren't done when they signed star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a record-setting extension, or when they put together a pricey package to keep Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones on the line.Now, they're shelling out more big money to keep tight end Travis Kelce in the fold.The Chiefs and the two-time All-Pro agreed to a four-year, $57.25 million extension Thursday that will keep him with the Super Bowl champions through 2025, a person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.The deal came the same day the San Francisco 49ers and their All-Pro tight end, George Kittle, agreed to a five-year, $75 million extension, a person familiar with that contract told AP. Kittle and Kelce, who were on opposing sidelines during the Super Bowl in February, long ago established themselves as the clear-cut top two tight ends in the game.The Chiefs rallied in the second half to win their first championship in 50 years. And as the Chiefs spent the offseason securing their core players by giving Mahomes a 10-year extension that could be worth a half-billion dollars, and Jones a four-year, $85 million deal, it left Kelce confident that it was merely the first of what could be many Super Bowls.“The guys coming in this office, they know what this team is capable of,” he said as the Chiefs reported to training camp, which is being held at their practice facility because of the coronavirus pandemic. “It shows in what we did last year and who all we have coming back, which means we have just about every single leader that we had in this locker room.”Kelce quickly grew into a leader after a standout college career marked by some off-the-field issues that caused his draft stock to plummet. The Chiefs selected him in the third round in 2013 and, after missing most of his rookie season because of a knee injury, he immediately moved into the lineup and became a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses.The affable and outspoken Kelce has been voted to five consecutive Pro Bowls, and he's put together four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He also has excelled under the brightest of lights, catching 10 passes for 134 yards and three TDs in a playoff win over Houston, three more passes in an AFC championship win over Tennessee, and then grabbing six passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in helping the Chiefs to a 31-20 victory over the 49ers.“He’s athletic. I think he’s instinctive. His routes don’t look like anybody else's routes,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. “I mean, the route is to get open at whatever depth the quarterback wants. He can freeze guys, and then burst across the field. He’s got great catch radius. I mean, he’s tall, he’s long, he’s athletic, he’s tough, and it’s a tough challenge.”

Chiefs, Kelce agree to 4-year, $57.25M extension

UNDATED (AP) - The NCAA will not conduct fall championship events - a move that does not affect major college football - because not enough schools are competing in sports such as men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

NCAA President Mark Emmert made the announcement in a video posted on Twitter, although it has been clear this was coming as conferences canceled fall sports seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision comes after The Big Sky, West Coast and Southern conferences announced Thursday that they are the latest Division I leagues to postpone its fall sports schedule.

Emmert said the NCAA would prioritize staging championships in winter and spring sports because those — including the NCAA basketball tournaments— were canceled when COVID-19 first spiked across the United States in March.

Last week the NCAA Board of Governors said championship events in a sport would canceled if fewer than 50% of the teams competing in that sports played a regular season.

UNDATED (AP) - The NCAA will not conduct fall championship events - a move that does not affect major college football - because not enough schools are competing in sports such as men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.NCAA President Mark Emmert made the announcement in a video posted on Twitter, although it has been clear this was coming as conferences canceled fall sports seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.The decision comes after The Big Sky, West Coast and Southern conferences announced Thursday that they are the latest Division I leagues to postpone its fall sports schedule.Emmert said the NCAA would prioritize staging championships in winter and spring sports because those — including the NCAA basketball tournaments— were canceled when COVID-19 first spiked across the United States in March.Last week the NCAA Board of Governors said championship events in a sport would canceled if fewer than 50% of the teams competing in that sports played a regular season.

NCAA cancels fall championships as major football marches on

Gary Garner joins this week's Defend the Fort Podcast to talk about his time as the Tiger's head men's basketball coach including the 1996 NCAA II undefeated national championship season.

Gary Garner joins this week's Defend the Fort Podcast to talk about his time as the Tiger's head men's basketball coach including the 1996 NCAA II undefeated national championship season.<div><iframe title="Gary Garner" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/awq6g-e6eef2?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&vjs=1&auto=0&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=7&pfauth="></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Gary Garner

CINCINNATI (AP) - Bases loaded, one out, another close game on the verge of slipping away. The strain showed on Mike Matheny's face in the ninth inning -- not that anyone could tell.

Salvador Perez had three more hits, and Kansas City's bullpen barely held on for a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday that had everyone's blood pressure up at the end.

"It got a little elevated, I'll admit," Matheny said. "The masks -- that's one of the benefits of these things. They hide how you're feeling at this time."

The Royals were squirming when Trevor Rosenthal walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth. Christian Colon -- whose single in the 12th inning sent the Royals over the Mets in the 2015 World Series -- grounded into a double play to end it.

The Royals have won five out of six, walking that tightrope much of the time. Kansas City has already played eight one-run games, going 3-5. Twelve of their 19 games have been decided by two runs or less.

"That inning is such a microcosm of how our last couple weeks have been going," said Rosenthal, who got his fourth save in as many chances. "We've just been fighting so hard."

The Reds wasted a chance to get back to .500 and had their only left-handed starter leave in the second inning again.

Wade Miley (0-2) signed a two-year, $15 million deal in the offseason. He retired only five batters during his Reds debut, giving up six runs in a loss to the Cubs on July 27, and went on the injured list with a strained groin afterward.

Miley appeared to hurt himself when he stepped awkwardly while covering first base in the second inning Wednesday. After talking to a trainer, Miley stayed in the game, walked the next batter and was removed after only 43 pitches.

Miley said he left because of how he was struggling with his control.

"I guess they thought I landed on the bag funny, but I was completely fine there," Miley said.

The Royals' offense has led the way during the surge. It scored one run at a time to keep it going, led by Perez's homer, double and single.

Brad Keller (2-0) allowed two singles in six shutout innings. He was acquired from Cincinnati in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft.

Jesse Winker, Freddy Galvis and Josh VanMeter homered in the seventh, cutting it to 5-4. Josh Staumont escaped a two-on threat in the eighth with a pair of called third strikes, and Rosenthal provided the final drama.

Perez connected for his fourth homer off Tyler Mahle, extending his hitting streak to 10 games -- his longest since 2017. He's batting .429 (18 for 42) during the streak.

The Royals are 17-10 all-time vs. the Reds, including 12-4 since the start of 2009. They're 8-4 at Great American Ball Park, the best mark by a team with at least 10 games.

Matheny's next win will be his 600th as a manager. He'll join Dusty Baker, Terry Francona, Joe Maddon, Bob Melvin, Ron Gardenhire, Joe Girardi, Bud Black and Don Mattingly as active managers with 600.

The game was delayed 17 minutes in the bottom of the first inning when plate umpire Chris Conroy took a foul off his right hand, breaking the ring finger. Crew chief Jeff Nelson moved behind the plate for the next two innings, and Conroy returned and worked third base with his finger bandaged.

Royals: Adalberto Mondesi was hit in the right arm by a pitch in the fourth but stayed in the game.

Reds: Miley was reinstated from the 10-day injured list pregame and right-hander Joel Kuhnel was optioned.

Royals: After a day off, KC opens a series in Minneapolis. Jakob Junis (0-0) faces the Twins for the second time in a week. He allowed two solo homers in 4 2/3 innings last Friday. Junis is trying for his first win in five starts.

Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (1-0) opens a four-game series against the Pirates. He's 0-4 in his last six starts against Pittsburgh, with the Reds losing all six games.

CINCINNATI (AP) - Bases loaded, one out, another close game on the verge of slipping away. The strain showed on Mike Matheny's face in the ninth inning -- not that anyone could tell.Salvador Perez had three more hits, and Kansas City's bullpen barely held on for a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday that had everyone's blood pressure up at the end."It got a little elevated, I'll admit," Matheny said. "The masks -- that's one of the benefits of these things. They hide how you're feeling at this time."The Royals were squirming when Trevor Rosenthal walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth. Christian Colon -- whose single in the 12th inning sent the Royals over the Mets in the 2015 World Series -- grounded into a double play to end it.The Royals have won five out of six, walking that tightrope much of the time. Kansas City has already played eight one-run games, going 3-5. Twelve of their 19 games have been decided by two runs or less."That inning is such a microcosm of how our last couple weeks have been going," said Rosenthal, who got his fourth save in as many chances. "We've just been fighting so hard."The Reds wasted a chance to get back to .500 and had their only left-handed starter leave in the second inning again.Wade Miley (0-2) signed a two-year, $15 million deal in the offseason. He retired only five batters during his Reds debut, giving up six runs in a loss to the Cubs on July 27, and went on the injured list with a strained groin afterward.Miley appeared to hurt himself when he stepped awkwardly while covering first base in the second inning Wednesday. After talking to a trainer, Miley stayed in the game, walked the next batter and was removed after only 43 pitches.Miley said he left because of how he was struggling with his control."I guess they thought I landed on the bag funny, but I was completely fine there," Miley said.The Royals' offense has led the way during the surge. It scored one run at a time to keep it going, led by Perez's homer, double and single.Brad Keller (2-0) allowed two singles in six shutout innings. He was acquired from Cincinnati in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft.The bullpen had two narrow escapes.Jesse Winker, Freddy Galvis and Josh VanMeter homered in the seventh, cutting it to 5-4. Josh Staumont escaped a two-on threat in the eighth with a pair of called third strikes, and Rosenthal provided the final drama."That was kind of fun, huh?" Perez said.Perez connected for his fourth homer off Tyler Mahle, extending his hitting streak to 10 games -- his longest since 2017. He's batting .429 (18 for 42) during the streak.LOVE THE PLACEThe Royals are 17-10 all-time vs. the Reds, including 12-4 since the start of 2009. They're 8-4 at Great American Ball Park, the best mark by a team with at least 10 games.ONE MOREMatheny's next win will be his 600th as a manager. He'll join Dusty Baker, Terry Francona, Joe Maddon, Bob Melvin, Ron Gardenhire, Joe Girardi, Bud Black and Don Mattingly as active managers with 600.UMP HURTThe game was delayed 17 minutes in the bottom of the first inning when plate umpire Chris Conroy took a foul off his right hand, breaking the ring finger. Crew chief Jeff Nelson moved behind the plate for the next two innings, and Conroy returned and worked third base with his finger bandaged.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: Adalberto Mondesi was hit in the right arm by a pitch in the fourth but stayed in the game.Reds: Miley was reinstated from the 10-day injured list pregame and right-hander Joel Kuhnel was optioned.UP NEXTRoyals: After a day off, KC opens a series in Minneapolis. Jakob Junis (0-0) faces the Twins for the second time in a week. He allowed two solo homers in 4 2/3 innings last Friday. Junis is trying for his first win in five starts.Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (1-0) opens a four-game series against the Pirates. He's 0-4 in his last six starts against Pittsburgh, with the Reds losing all six games.

Royals hold off Reds to split series

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics and the Big 12 Conference today unveiled the Wildcats’ new 10-game football schedule for the 2020 season, which includes a newly scheduled non-conference matchup and all nine conference games.

K-State will now open the season on September 12 by hosting Arkansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats are 2-0 all-time against the Red Wolves, while it will be the first meeting between the two schools in 40 years. K-State earned a 31-7 victory in Manhattan in 1980 and also defeated A-State, 37-6, in Manhattan in 1948.

The September 12 start date is the latest in the year that K-State will begin a season since 1992 (September 19 vs. Montana), while it is the first time in school history that K-State will play less than two non-conference games.

Following its first bye week of the season, Kansas State opens Big 12 play on September 26 when the Cats travel to Oklahoma. It will be the second-straight year the Wildcats open Big 12 play in the state of Oklahoma (at Oklahoma State in 2019), while it will be the first in Norman since a 24-19 victory over the sixth-ranked Sooners on September 22, 2012.

The Wildcats Big 12 home opener is slated for October 3 against Texas Tech before traveling to TCU on October 10. The second bye week of the season is on October 17 before K-State hosts Kansas on October 24 and travels to West Virginia – its original conference opener – on October 31.

The month of November opens with a visit from Oklahoma State on November 7 prior to the third bye of the schedule on November 14. From there, the Wildcats travel to Iowa State (November 21) and Baylor (November 28) before closing out the season on December 5 with a home contest against Texas. It will be the first home December game since defeating West Virginia, 24-23, in 2015.

The 2020 Big 12 Championship game will be held at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 12.

Although the number of fans able to attend games this fall remains unknown, the department continues to work with local county, city and University officials. Season ticket holders will be contacted via email as soon as capacity and ticket details are finalized.

September 12 Arkansas State September 26 at Oklahoma October 3 Texas Tech October 10 at TCU October 24 Kansas October 31 at West Virginia November 7 Oklahoma State November 21 at Iowa State November 28 at Baylor December 5 Texas

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics and the Big 12 Conference today unveiled the Wildcats’ new 10-game football schedule for the 2020 season, which includes a newly scheduled non-conference matchup and all nine conference games.K-State will now open the season on September 12 by hosting Arkansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats are 2-0 all-time against the Red Wolves, while it will be the first meeting between the two schools in 40 years. K-State earned a 31-7 victory in Manhattan in 1980 and also defeated A-State, 37-6, in Manhattan in 1948.The September 12 start date is the latest in the year that K-State will begin a season since 1992 (September 19 vs. Montana), while it is the first time in school history that K-State will play less than two non-conference games.Following its first bye week of the season, Kansas State opens Big 12 play on September 26 when the Cats travel to Oklahoma. It will be the second-straight year the Wildcats open Big 12 play in the state of Oklahoma (at Oklahoma State in 2019), while it will be the first in Norman since a 24-19 victory over the sixth-ranked Sooners on September 22, 2012.The Wildcats Big 12 home opener is slated for October 3 against Texas Tech before traveling to TCU on October 10. The second bye week of the season is on October 17 before K-State hosts Kansas on October 24 and travels to West Virginia – its original conference opener – on October 31.The month of November opens with a visit from Oklahoma State on November 7 prior to the third bye of the schedule on November 14. From there, the Wildcats travel to Iowa State (November 21) and Baylor (November 28) before closing out the season on December 5 with a home contest against Texas. It will be the first home December game since defeating West Virginia, 24-23, in 2015.The 2020 Big 12 Championship game will be held at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 12.Although the number of fans able to attend games this fall remains unknown, the department continues to work with local county, city and University officials. Season ticket holders will be contacted via email as soon as capacity and ticket details are finalized.September 12 Arkansas State September 26 at Oklahoma October 3 Texas Tech October 10 at TCU October 24 Kansas October 31 at West Virginia November 7 Oklahoma State November 21 at Iowa State November 28 at Baylor December 5 TexasKansas State Athletics

K-State, Big 12 announced updated 2020 football schedule

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas football’s revised Big 12 Conference schedule, which features four home games and five road trips, was released by the conference office on Wednesday. The Jayhawks will kick-off the 2020 conference schedule by travelling to Waco to face the Baylor Bears on Sept. 26.

“We are excited to be able to move forward with the updated schedule and compete this fall,” head coach Les Miles said. “We will continue to prepare for our season cautiously, while also relying on the direction and oversight of Kansas Team Health medical professionals to provide our players with a game plan that promotes their health and safety.”

Under the adopted schedule, the Jayhawks will still host Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Texas and TCU at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, while making trips to Baylor, West Virginia, K-State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Sept. 26 at Baylor Oct. 3 Oklahoma State Oct. 17 at West Virginia Oct. 24 at K-State Oct. 31 Iowa State Nov. 7 at Oklahoma Nov. 21 Texas Nov. 28 TCU Dec. 5 at Texas Tech

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas football’s revised Big 12 Conference schedule, which features four home games and five road trips, was released by the conference office on Wednesday. The Jayhawks will kick-off the 2020 conference schedule by travelling to Waco to face the Baylor Bears on Sept. 26.“We are excited to be able to move forward with the updated schedule and compete this fall,” head coach Les Miles said. “We will continue to prepare for our season cautiously, while also relying on the direction and oversight of Kansas Team Health medical professionals to provide our players with a game plan that promotes their health and safety.”Under the adopted schedule, the Jayhawks will still host Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Texas and TCU at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, while making trips to Baylor, West Virginia, K-State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.Sept. 26 at Baylor Oct. 3 Oklahoma State Oct. 17 at West Virginia Oct. 24 at K-State Oct. 31 Iowa State Nov. 7 at Oklahoma Nov. 21 Texas Nov. 28 TCU Dec. 5 at Texas TechKansas Athletics

Kansas releases revised 2020 football schedule

DALLAS (AP) - The Big 12 Conference is moving ahead with plans to play college football and other fall sports. They will join the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences in taking the field amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The move came one day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they would not play this fall. In the Big 12, fall sports will begin after Sept. 1 with the football schedule beginning league play Sept. 26. 

Schools also can play one non-conference opponent.

DALLAS (AP) - The Big 12 Conference is moving ahead with plans to play college football and other fall sports. They will join the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences in taking the field amid the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they would not play this fall. In the Big 12, fall sports will begin after Sept. 1 with the football schedule beginning league play Sept. 26. Schools also can play one non-conference opponent.

Big 12 moves ahead with fall sports beginning in September

CINCINNATI (AP) - Joey Votto doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning Tuesday night, and the Cincinnati Reds blew another late lead before rallying for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals tied it 5-5 in the eighth on Ryan McBroom's pinch-hit, two-run homer off Amir Garrett, but they couldn't keep their four-game winning streak going.

Votto saved the Reds from another rough ending.

"Joey came through as he has so many times in his career," manager David Bell said. "That was a great at-bat for us as a team."

With a designated runner on second base in the 10th, Josh Staumont (0-1) walked Nick Castellanos and Votto doubled off the wall in center, just over the glove of Brett Phillips.

"I imagine if you ask Brett he'll say that's a ball he'll catch nine times out of 10," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "The ball was hit pretty good though."

Lucas Sims (1-0) gave up a walk in the 10th with a designated runner on second base but escaped the threat.

Matt Davidson and Jesse Winker hit consecutive homers off left-hander Kris Bubic in his first road start as Cincinnati pulled ahead 5-3, but Cincinnati's leaky bullpen let another lead slip away.

Luis Castillo limited the Royals' resurgent offense to three runs -- one earned -- in six innings. The Royals loaded the bases three times in all but managed only one run out of all those chances.

Bubic failed again to get a win in his third big league start. The 40th overall pick in the 2018 draft jumped from Single-A to the majors.

Kyle Farmer hit a two-run double in the second. Davidson had a two-run shot in the third, and Winker followed with a solo shot, the Reds' first back-to-back homers of the season. Bubic gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.

"Honestly I thought I pitched better than what the linescore would look like," Bubic said.

The Royals repeatedly wasted bases-loaded chances and failed to take full advantage of three Reds errors.

"It's just a game that should have been ours," Matheny said.

Kansas City left the bases loaded in the second when Alex Gordon lined out. The Royals managed only one run out of a bases-loaded chance in the third, on Ryan O'Hearn's single.

The Royals loaded the bases again with one out in the seventh, but Farmer -- playing shortstop -- made a diving stop on O'Hearn's grounder up the middle and turned a double play to protect the 5-3 lead that slipped away two innings later.

Salvador Perez extended his hitting streak to nine games. Nicky Lopez and Maikel Franco extended theirs to seven games each.

The Reds fanned 11, giving them 196 through the first 17 games, a major league record. The 2018 Astros held the previous mark of 191.

The Royals are 11-4 against the Reds since 2009, including 7-4 all-time at Great American Ball Park.

Right-handed pitcher Carlos Hernandez and lefty Asa Lacy were added to the 60-man roster. Hernandez pitched at three levels of the minors last year. Lacy, 21, was the fourth overall selection in this year's first-year player draft from Texas A&amp;M.

Royals: Outfielder Franchy Cordero had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right wrist. He went on the injured list Sunday. Cordero was acquired from the Padres on July 16 and played in 11 games.

Reds: Reliever Pedro Strop went on the 10-day injured list with a groin injury. Infielder Josh VanMeter was recalled.

Royals: Brad Keller (1-0) makes his first road start of the season and first career start against the Reds.

Reds: Left-hander Wade Miley is expected to come off the injured list and make his second start. He suffered a groin injury in his Reds debut against the Cubs on July 27.

CINCINNATI (AP) - Joey Votto doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning Tuesday night, and the Cincinnati Reds blew another late lead before rallying for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.The Royals tied it 5-5 in the eighth on Ryan McBroom's pinch-hit, two-run homer off Amir Garrett, but they couldn't keep their four-game winning streak going.Votto saved the Reds from another rough ending."Joey came through as he has so many times in his career," manager David Bell said. "That was a great at-bat for us as a team."With a designated runner on second base in the 10th, Josh Staumont (0-1) walked Nick Castellanos and Votto doubled off the wall in center, just over the glove of Brett Phillips."I imagine if you ask Brett he'll say that's a ball he'll catch nine times out of 10," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "The ball was hit pretty good though."Lucas Sims (1-0) gave up a walk in the 10th with a designated runner on second base but escaped the threat.Matt Davidson and Jesse Winker hit consecutive homers off left-hander Kris Bubic in his first road start as Cincinnati pulled ahead 5-3, but Cincinnati's leaky bullpen let another lead slip away.Luis Castillo limited the Royals' resurgent offense to three runs -- one earned -- in six innings. The Royals loaded the bases three times in all but managed only one run out of all those chances.Bubic failed again to get a win in his third big league start. The 40th overall pick in the 2018 draft jumped from Single-A to the majors.Kyle Farmer hit a two-run double in the second. Davidson had a two-run shot in the third, and Winker followed with a solo shot, the Reds' first back-to-back homers of the season. Bubic gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings."Honestly I thought I pitched better than what the linescore would look like," Bubic said.The Royals repeatedly wasted bases-loaded chances and failed to take full advantage of three Reds errors."It's just a game that should have been ours," Matheny said.Kansas City left the bases loaded in the second when Alex Gordon lined out. The Royals managed only one run out of a bases-loaded chance in the third, on Ryan O'Hearn's single.The Royals loaded the bases again with one out in the seventh, but Farmer -- playing shortstop -- made a diving stop on O'Hearn's grounder up the middle and turned a double play to protect the 5-3 lead that slipped away two innings later.STREAKINGSalvador Perez extended his hitting streak to nine games. Nicky Lopez and Maikel Franco extended theirs to seven games each.LOT OF KsThe Reds fanned 11, giving them 196 through the first 17 games, a major league record. The 2018 Astros held the previous mark of 191.LOPSIDED HISTORYThe Royals are 11-4 against the Reds since 2009, including 7-4 all-time at Great American Ball Park.NEW ROYALSRight-handed pitcher Carlos Hernandez and lefty Asa Lacy were added to the 60-man roster. Hernandez pitched at three levels of the minors last year. Lacy, 21, was the fourth overall selection in this year's first-year player draft from Texas A&amp;M.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: Outfielder Franchy Cordero had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right wrist. He went on the injured list Sunday. Cordero was acquired from the Padres on July 16 and played in 11 games.Reds: Reliever Pedro Strop went on the 10-day injured list with a groin injury. Infielder Josh VanMeter was recalled.UP NEXTRoyals: Brad Keller (1-0) makes his first road start of the season and first career start against the Reds.Reds: Left-hander Wade Miley is expected to come off the injured list and make his second start. He suffered a groin injury in his Reds debut against the Cubs on July 27.

Royals fall to Cincinnati in 10 innings

UNDATED (AP) - And then there were three.

The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference were still moving forward Tuesday with plans for a fall college football season even as two other Power Five leagues, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, called things off.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said he wanted to learn more about the factors that led the Big Ten and Pac-12 decisions. Sankey said he remained comfortable with the 14-member conference’s approach.

“We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day,” Sankey said in a statement.

The ACC said it would continue to make decisions based on advice from its medical advisers and state and local health officials.

“We will continue to follow our process that has been in place for months and has served us well. We understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information and the landscape evolves,” the league said in a statement.

The Big 12 Board of Directors met Tuesday evening and will continue moving forward with the intent of playing fall football.

The Big Ten’s announcement that it was postponing all fall sports and hoping to make them up in the second semester came first. An hour later, the Pac-12 said all sports in its conference would be paused until Jan. 1, including basketball.

UNDATED (AP) - And then there were three.The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference were still moving forward Tuesday with plans for a fall college football season even as two other Power Five leagues, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, called things off.SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said he wanted to learn more about the factors that led the Big Ten and Pac-12 decisions. Sankey said he remained comfortable with the 14-member conference’s approach.“We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day,” Sankey said in a statement.The ACC said it would continue to make decisions based on advice from its medical advisers and state and local health officials.“We will continue to follow our process that has been in place for months and has served us well. We understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information and the landscape evolves,” the league said in a statement.The Big 12 Board of Directors met Tuesday evening and will continue moving forward with the intent of playing fall football.The Big Ten’s announcement that it was postponing all fall sports and hoping to make them up in the second semester came first. An hour later, the Pac-12 said all sports in its conference would be paused until Jan. 1, including basketball.

SEC, Big 12, ACC still hope to play football this fall

INDIANAPOLIS (August 11, 2020) -&nbsp;The MIAA led NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball for the 12th straight season in total attendance with 185,458 fans attending games and an average attendance of 1,085 fans per game during the 2019-2020 season. It is also the ninth consecutive season the Association surpassed 185,000 fans for a season. The MIAA also landed seven members in the top 11 of total attendance led by Fort Hays State, which ranked second nationally with an average of 2,465 fans. Washburn finished sixth and Central Missouri came in seventh. The Ichabods had an attendance average of 1,558 fans and the Jennies had a figure of 1,551.&nbsp; Emporia State and Missouri Southern ranked eighth and ninth respectively. The Lady Hornets recorded an average of 1,512&nbsp; fans as the Lions drew an average of 1,392 fans. In 10th was Missouri Western with an average of 1,282 fans. Pittsburg State finished just outside of the top 10 with an average of 1,231 fans. The 2020 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship game between Central Missouri and Emporia State was the highest attended single-game in NCAA Division II for the season with a crowd of 6,455. To see the complete attendance number for all three NCAA Divisions and how MIAA members compare,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/services/go.ashx/62a83d83-61f1-4951-92d5-0bc464bbd701?elinkdata=149164" target="_blank">click here</a>.&nbsp;

INDIANAPOLIS (August 11, 2020) -&nbsp;The MIAA led NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball for the 12th straight season in total attendance with 185,458 fans attending games and an average attendance of 1,085 fans per game during the 2019-2020 season. It is also the ninth consecutive season the Association surpassed 185,000 fans for a season. The MIAA also landed seven members in the top 11 of total attendance led by Fort Hays State, which ranked second nationally with an average of 2,465 fans. Washburn finished sixth and Central Missouri came in seventh. The Ichabods had an attendance average of 1,558 fans and the Jennies had a figure of 1,551.&nbsp; Emporia State and Missouri Southern ranked eighth and ninth respectively. The Lady Hornets recorded an average of 1,512&nbsp; fans as the Lions drew an average of 1,392 fans. In 10th was Missouri Western with an average of 1,282 fans. Pittsburg State finished just outside of the top 10 with an average of 1,231 fans. The 2020 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship game between Central Missouri and Emporia State was the highest attended single-game in NCAA Division II for the season with a crowd of 6,455. To see the complete attendance number for all three NCAA Divisions and how MIAA members compare,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/services/go.ashx/62a83d83-61f1-4951-92d5-0bc464bbd701?elinkdata=149164" target="_blank">click here</a>.&nbsp;MIAA Release

MIAA women's basketball leads Division II in attendance

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals announced today that right-handed pitcher Carlos Hernández and left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy have been added to the alternate site camp, part of the club’s 60-man roster.

Hernández, 23, pitched at three different minor league levels with the organization last year and was added to the 40-man roster last November. Lacy, 21, was Kansas City’s first selection (4th overall) in this year’s First-Year Player Draft out of Texas A&amp;M University.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals announced today that right-handed pitcher Carlos Hernández and left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy have been added to the alternate site camp, part of the club’s 60-man roster.Hernández, 23, pitched at three different minor league levels with the organization last year and was added to the 40-man roster last November. Lacy, 21, was Kansas City’s first selection (4th overall) in this year’s First-Year Player Draft out of Texas A&amp;M University.Royals Release

Royals' pitchers Carlos Hernandez, Asa Lacy added to alternate camp

(AP) - The Big Ten Conference won't be playing football this fall because of concerns about COVID-19. 

The move comes six days after the conference that includes historic programs such as Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State had released a revised conference-only schedule that it hoped would help it navigate a fall season with potential COVID-19 disruptions.

(AP) - The Big Ten Conference won't be playing football this fall because of concerns about COVID-19. The move comes six days after the conference that includes historic programs such as Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State had released a revised conference-only schedule that it hoped would help it navigate a fall season with potential COVID-19 disruptions.

Big Ten pulls plug on fall football amid COVID-19 concerns

TOPEKA, Kan. – Former Fort Hays State basketball standout Jonathan Raney has joined the coaching staff at Washburn.

Raney has spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence where they went 22-2 before having this season cut short due to COVID-19. He's also spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach with the KC Run GMC summer program.

While at Bishop Seabury he led the team to a 51-18 record with two state high school tournament appearances coaching four all-state players en route to 2A coach of the year honors. Raney spent three seasons as the assistant coach to former Kansas Jayhawk Billy Thomas at The Barstow School in Kansas City (Mo). Raney helped the team to a 76-12 record and back to back MSHSAA state championship games, including the 2015 State championship.&nbsp; Raney spent three seasons as the head coach at Labette Community College going 50-43 coaching six all-conference players sending 12 players to four-year schools including five NCAA Division I signees. Raney also served as a graduate assistant at Fort Hays State from 2009-11 and was an assistant men's coach at Cowley County during the 2006-07 school year and at Hill Junior College during the 2004-05 season. Raney played the 2001-03 seasons at Fort Hays State going 44-15 overall with an NCAA Tournament appearance his senior year en route to all-RMAC honors. He played his first two seasons at Cowley County collecting a two-year record of 49-14. Raney earned his master's degree in health and human performance in 2011 from Fort Hays State and his bachelor's degree in information networking and telecommunications in 2004. Raney lives in Lawrence his wife, Fernanda, with their two children, Jackson and Gabriela.&nbsp;&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kan. – Former Fort Hays State basketball standout Jonathan Raney has joined the coaching staff at Washburn.Raney has spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence where they went 22-2 before having this season cut short due to COVID-19. He's also spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach with the KC Run GMC summer program.While at Bishop Seabury he led the team to a 51-18 record with two state high school tournament appearances coaching four all-state players en route to 2A coach of the year honors. Raney spent three seasons as the assistant coach to former Kansas Jayhawk Billy Thomas at The Barstow School in Kansas City (Mo). Raney helped the team to a 76-12 record and back to back MSHSAA state championship games, including the 2015 State championship.&nbsp; Raney spent three seasons as the head coach at Labette Community College going 50-43 coaching six all-conference players sending 12 players to four-year schools including five NCAA Division I signees. Raney also served as a graduate assistant at Fort Hays State from 2009-11 and was an assistant men's coach at Cowley County during the 2006-07 school year and at Hill Junior College during the 2004-05 season. Raney played the 2001-03 seasons at Fort Hays State going 44-15 overall with an NCAA Tournament appearance his senior year en route to all-RMAC honors. He played his first two seasons at Cowley County collecting a two-year record of 49-14. Raney earned his master's degree in health and human performance in 2011 from Fort Hays State and his bachelor's degree in information networking and telecommunications in 2004. Raney lives in Lawrence his wife, Fernanda, with their two children, Jackson and Gabriela.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Former Tiger Raney joins Washburn staff

INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Men's Basketball ranked third nationally in average attendance for the 2019-20 season, averaging 2,350 fans per game. Northern State (S.D.) led the nation in attendance for the 13th&nbsp;consecutive year, while Dixie State (Utah) ranked second. Fort Hays State was fourth in total attendance with 30,545 passing through the gates of Gross Memorial Coliseum in 2019-20. Fort Hays State helped the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association lead the nation in attendance as a conference for the 11th&nbsp;straight year. Fort Hays State held 13 home contests in 2019-20. The Tigers saw their average home attendance rise from 2,325 per game in 2018-19 to 2,350 per game in 2019-20. The Tigers ranked in the top five nationally for attendance in six of the last seven years and this is the 11th-straight season the Tigers have been inside the top 10. Fort Hays State led the way in attendance among MIAA schools for the fourth straight year. The MIAA led the nation with an average of 1,286 fans per game with eight of its 14 members inside the top 30. Missouri Southern (7th) and Missouri Western (9th) joined FHSU among the Top 10. Fort Hays State moved to 385-66 (.854) overall inside Gross Memorial Coliseum since joining NCAA Division II. FHSU has achieved at least 10 wins at home in 41 of its 47 seasons overall inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, which opened in 1973. The Tigers have had winning seasons at home in 45 of the 47 years inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.&nbsp;&nbsp;

INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Men's Basketball ranked third nationally in average attendance for the 2019-20 season, averaging 2,350 fans per game. Northern State (S.D.) led the nation in attendance for the 13th&nbsp;consecutive year, while Dixie State (Utah) ranked second. Fort Hays State was fourth in total attendance with 30,545 passing through the gates of Gross Memorial Coliseum in 2019-20. Fort Hays State helped the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association lead the nation in attendance as a conference for the 11th&nbsp;straight year. Fort Hays State held 13 home contests in 2019-20. The Tigers saw their average home attendance rise from 2,325 per game in 2018-19 to 2,350 per game in 2019-20. The Tigers ranked in the top five nationally for attendance in six of the last seven years and this is the 11th-straight season the Tigers have been inside the top 10. Fort Hays State led the way in attendance among MIAA schools for the fourth straight year. The MIAA led the nation with an average of 1,286 fans per game with eight of its 14 members inside the top 30. Missouri Southern (7th) and Missouri Western (9th) joined FHSU among the Top 10. Fort Hays State moved to 385-66 (.854) overall inside Gross Memorial Coliseum since joining NCAA Division II. FHSU has achieved at least 10 wins at home in 41 of its 47 seasons overall inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, which opened in 1973. The Tigers have had winning seasons at home in 45 of the 47 years inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

FHSU men's basketball 3rd nationally in attendance for 2019-20

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Hunter Dozier hit a two-run single in his first at-bat since testing positive for COVID-19, prized prospect Brady Singer earned his first major league win and the Kansas City Royals swept the Minnesota Twins 4-2 Sunday.

The Royals won their fourth in a row overall. The Twins lost all three at Kauffman Stadium and have dropped four straight.

Dozier, who hit 26 home runs last year and tied for the big league lead with 10 triples, hadn't played this season while recovering from the virus. He quickly delivered, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 in the first inning.

"Each guy just keeps getting better and I'm really impressed," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "Dozier was in here pretty early today and we are happy he is back."

Singer (1-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. A 24-year-old righty, the Royals' first-round draft pick in 2018 struck out four and walked two in his fourth start in the majors.

"I'm really happy about it, but hopefully it's just the start," Singer said. "I felt good the whole outing and my body felt strong."

The Kansas City bullpen threw four shutout innings, striking out six and allowing just two hits. After Greg Holland and Josh Staumont blanked the Twins, Scott Barlow closed for his first save.

"We're always ready to go," Staumont said. "We've been fighting so the clubhouse was negative, but we knew we needed to change it."

Jose Berrios (1-2) went 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs. He allowed Maikel Franco's leadoff homer in the sixth.

A wild pickoff throw by Singer helped the Twins score twice in the third, keyed by Max Kepler's RBI double.

"In general, the offense is probably a little flat," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Why that is, couldn't give you an exact answer. But I think that's probably a point of emphasis and something we can focus on."

Salvador Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the Royals third for a 3-2 lead.

Royals: OF Franchy Cordero was placed on the IL (right wrist sprain) and Dozier was reinstated.

Twins: RHP Randy Dobnak (2-1, 0.60 ERA) takes the mound in Milwaukee on Monday.

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic makes his third start of the season, facing Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Hunter Dozier hit a two-run single in his first at-bat since testing positive for COVID-19, prized prospect Brady Singer earned his first major league win and the Kansas City Royals swept the Minnesota Twins 4-2 Sunday.The Royals won their fourth in a row overall. The Twins lost all three at Kauffman Stadium and have dropped four straight.Dozier, who hit 26 home runs last year and tied for the big league lead with 10 triples, hadn't played this season while recovering from the virus. He quickly delivered, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 in the first inning."Each guy just keeps getting better and I'm really impressed," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "Dozier was in here pretty early today and we are happy he is back."Singer (1-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. A 24-year-old righty, the Royals' first-round draft pick in 2018 struck out four and walked two in his fourth start in the majors."I'm really happy about it, but hopefully it's just the start," Singer said. "I felt good the whole outing and my body felt strong."The Kansas City bullpen threw four shutout innings, striking out six and allowing just two hits. After Greg Holland and Josh Staumont blanked the Twins, Scott Barlow closed for his first save."We're always ready to go," Staumont said. "We've been fighting so the clubhouse was negative, but we knew we needed to change it."Jose Berrios (1-2) went 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs. He allowed Maikel Franco's leadoff homer in the sixth.A wild pickoff throw by Singer helped the Twins score twice in the third, keyed by Max Kepler's RBI double."In general, the offense is probably a little flat," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Why that is, couldn't give you an exact answer. But I think that's probably a point of emphasis and something we can focus on."Salvador Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the Royals third for a 3-2 lead.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: OF Franchy Cordero was placed on the IL (right wrist sprain) and Dozier was reinstated.UP NEXTTwins: RHP Randy Dobnak (2-1, 0.60 ERA) takes the mound in Milwaukee on Monday.Royals: LHP Kris Bubic makes his third start of the season, facing Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

Royals complete sweep of Twins with win Sunday

By SHAWN LINENBERGER <a href="http://www.tonganoxiemirror.com">Tonganoxie Mirror</a>

TONGANOXIE — Educators and administrators are getting ready for an unprecedented school year.

Witte is the new activities director at Tonganoxie High School. He 
also serves as a new assistant principal, taking over for Brandon 
Mellen, who stepped down to take on another job at an American academy 
in Peru.

Witte comes to THS from Jackson Heights, a Class 2A school near 
Holton. He was there three years and served as high school and middle 
school athletics director at Jackson Heights.

“There’s been no slowly getting the ball rolling,” Witte said of his new post. He started at THS on July 1.

Originally from Udall near Wichita, he eventually played football at 
Winfield High School and continued his football career at Fort Hays 
State University where he played as a wide receiver for the Tigers.

He got into coaching as a Rule 10 coach at LaCrosse while he finished up his degree at FHSU in 2008.

His first job was at Chisholm Trail Middle School in Newton.

After two years there, he taught in the Auburn-Washburn school 
district and then taught strength and conditioning and physical 
education at Mission Valley, also near Topeka. 

He served as head coach of football and track during his four years at MVHS.

From there it was on to Jackson Heights and the home of the Cobras.

Now he takes on his next challenge while navigating more situations with COVID-19 pandemic precautions and regulations.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association has approved 
keeping the start of fall practices at Aug. 17. Competition schedules 
for some sports might be pushed back and other changes might be 
implemented, but the first day of practices is at least one constant 
right now.

“There’s been no slowly getting the ball rolling,” Witte said last 
week. “It’s not what you really want, but it has given us the ability to
 really get in and get going right off the bat.

“It’s that sense of urgency from Day 1 and really getting to work.”

Witte said there are many modifications the THS athletics department 
is working on to help minimize the risk of getting COVID-19. 

“We’re taking a lot of measures to keep doing everything as safely as possible with those changes,” Witte said.

There also will be fall sports parents meeting on Aug. 13, but those 
meetings will be conducted  virtually. Head coaches of fall sports — 
boys soccer cross country, football, girls golf and volleyball will lead
 those virtual meetings.

He noted that conversations also were taking place as far as what 
competition events might look like with fans and the various pandemic 
precautions, but those are still in the works. 

Like any planning during the pandemic, it’s a moving target.

“We’ve had no positive cases this summer and that’s allowed us to continue to have our workouts,” he said last week.

As for his philosophies as an activities director, Witte said it’s 
important to shape the students’ lives as best educators and 
administrators can.

“For me, I feel strongly that we as a school need to provide as many 
opportunities we can for our students to be successful,” he said, adding
 that includes helping develop good life skills for the rest of their 
lives and having the focus on both academics and activities.

He said he’s eager to interact with the many new faces at THS.

“I do enjoy getting to work with our coaches and student-athletes and
 being part of the experiences also of debate, band and choir and 
scholars bowl,” he said. “The list goes on.”

He and his wife, Rebecca, who is the public information officer with 
the Department of Corrections in Topeka, have two children: a son, 
Layton, who is 8, and daughter, Logan, who is 6.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596829654129.jpeg" alt="Cody Witte is the new activities director at Tonganoxie High School. He started the new post July 1. He comes to THS from Jackson Heights near Holton. Photo by Shawn Linenberger" />
 <figcaption>Cody Witte is the new activities director at Tonganoxie High School. He started the new post July 1. He comes to THS from Jackson Heights near Holton. Photo by Shawn Linenberger</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHAWN LINENBERGER <a href="http://www.tonganoxiemirror.com">Tonganoxie Mirror</a>TONGANOXIE — Educators and administrators are getting ready for an unprecedented school year.Cody Witte is doing so at new school.Witte is the new activities director at Tonganoxie High School. He 
also serves as a new assistant principal, taking over for Brandon 
Mellen, who stepped down to take on another job at an American academy 
in Peru.Witte comes to THS from Jackson Heights, a Class 2A school near 
Holton. He was there three years and served as high school and middle 
school athletics director at Jackson Heights.“There’s been no slowly getting the ball rolling,” Witte said of his new post. He started at THS on July 1.Originally from Udall near Wichita, he eventually played football at 
Winfield High School and continued his football career at Fort Hays 
State University where he played as a wide receiver for the Tigers.He got into coaching as a Rule 10 coach at LaCrosse while he finished up his degree at FHSU in 2008.His first job was at Chisholm Trail Middle School in Newton.After two years there, he taught in the Auburn-Washburn school 
district and then taught strength and conditioning and physical 
education at Mission Valley, also near Topeka. He served as head coach of football and track during his four years at MVHS.From there it was on to Jackson Heights and the home of the Cobras.Now he takes on his next challenge while navigating more situations with COVID-19 pandemic precautions and regulations.The Kansas State High School Activities Association has approved 
keeping the start of fall practices at Aug. 17. Competition schedules 
for some sports might be pushed back and other changes might be 
implemented, but the first day of practices is at least one constant 
right now.“There’s been no slowly getting the ball rolling,” Witte said last 
week. “It’s not what you really want, but it has given us the ability to
 really get in and get going right off the bat.“It’s that sense of urgency from Day 1 and really getting to work.”Witte said there are many modifications the THS athletics department 
is working on to help minimize the risk of getting COVID-19. “We’re taking a lot of measures to keep doing everything as safely as possible with those changes,” Witte said.There also will be fall sports parents meeting on Aug. 13, but those 
meetings will be conducted virtually. Head coaches of fall sports — 
boys soccer cross country, football, girls golf and volleyball will lead
 those virtual meetings.He noted that conversations also were taking place as far as what 
competition events might look like with fans and the various pandemic 
precautions, but those are still in the works. Like any planning during the pandemic, it’s a moving target.“We’ve had no positive cases this summer and that’s allowed us to continue to have our workouts,” he said last week.As for his philosophies as an activities director, Witte said it’s 
important to shape the students’ lives as best educators and 
administrators can.“For me, I feel strongly that we as a school need to provide as many 
opportunities we can for our students to be successful,” he said, adding
 that includes helping develop good life skills for the rest of their 
lives and having the focus on both academics and activities.He said he’s eager to interact with the many new faces at THS.“I do enjoy getting to work with our coaches and student-athletes and
 being part of the experiences also of debate, band and choir and 
scholars bowl,” he said. “The list goes on.”He and his wife, Rebecca, who is the public information officer with 
the Department of Corrections in Topeka, have two children: a son, 
Layton, who is 8, and daughter, Logan, who is 6.

FHSU alum with La Crosse ties takes reins as Tonganoxie AD

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - One of these days, Royals manager Mike Matheny hopes to see Jorge Soler smile when he trots around the bases.

It didn't happen after either of Soler's two homers Saturday night.

Maybe if he didn't just miss on another one that was caught at the warning track.

The slugging outfielder's big power output included a three-run shot during ago-ahead six-run fourth inning, when Nicky Lopez and Salvador Perez also went deep, and helped to push Kansas City to a 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins that clinched its first winning series against the AL Central rivals since September 2018.

"It's my goal to get him to smile one time when he comes around. That has to be fun to be able to do that," said Matheny, whose club has won three straight on the heels of a six-game slide. "I'm sure he must be smiling on the inside."

Soler and Perez went back-to-back for the second time this season, and it was the first time the Royals hit three homers in an inning since Aug. 19, 2018, against the White Sox. Lopez's two-run shot came off Lewis Thorpe (0-1) and tied the game.

Tyler Zuber (1-1) earned the win in relief of Danny Duffy. Trevor Rosenthal got four outs for his second straight save.

"The bullpen once again came in and did a fantastic job for us," Matheny said, "but that inning where we give up four and we come right back and take six, that's special, and that sort of thing can carry a club for a while, knowing you have that kind of talent and that kind of ability. The three home runs are huge right there."

Nelson Cruz, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler went deep for the Twins, who lost the series opener in a 3-2 pitching duel.

Soler began the show with his homer leading off the third against former Royals pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was making his season debut for Minnesota after dealing with a sore muscle in his ribs. That gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead.

The Twins answered with a pair of homers in the fourth. Cruz hit the first leading off, the ninth time the 40-year-old slugger has gone deep in his last 12 games against Kansas City. Buxton's three-run shot was the second, giving him homers in three consecutive games after a slow start to the season.

"To put up those runs, it was big inning for us," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It was a big moment the next half-inning when they put up some runs, too."

The Royals' big rally in the fourth began with a simple single by Maikel Franco, but Lopez immediately followed with his third career homer to tie the game. Brett Phillips and Whit Merrifield continued the charge with singles, and Soler added a three-run shot for his first multi-homer game since -- coincidentally -- facing the Twins last September.

Perez added his homer to cap the six-run inning. That's more than the Royals had scored in all but two games this season.

The Twins got a run back on Buxton's single in the sixth, and another when Kepler went deep in the seventh, before the Kansas City bullpen closed down the last two innings to raise the possibility of a series sweep.

"We decided to go out there and fight. We put a bunch of hits together," Soler said. "That was a big stand."

CF Nick Heath (strained left hamstring) was placed on the injured list and RHP Chance Adams recalled prior to the game. Heath hurt his hamstring on a stolen base attempt in the series opener Friday night.

Twins: 2B Luis Arraez (sore right knee) was back in the starting lineup after missing the past two games. ... 1B Miguel Sano started despite a sore right wrist. His glove was knocked off trying to tag a runner Friday night.

Royals: 1B Ryan O'Hearn fouled a pitch off his right shin in the fourth inning. He was checked by manager Mike Matheny and trainer Nick Kenney but stayed in the game until the fifth, when he was replaced by Franchy Cordero.

Royals RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 4.80 ERA) makes his fourth start and the first of his career at Kauffman Stadium when the rookie takes the hill in Sunday's series finale. The Twins counter with RHP Jose Berrios (1-1, 4.80), who allowed one run on four hits in six innings in a win Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - One of these days, Royals manager Mike Matheny hopes to see Jorge Soler smile when he trots around the bases.It didn't happen after either of Soler's two homers Saturday night.Maybe if he didn't just miss on another one that was caught at the warning track.The slugging outfielder's big power output included a three-run shot during ago-ahead six-run fourth inning, when Nicky Lopez and Salvador Perez also went deep, and helped to push Kansas City to a 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins that clinched its first winning series against the AL Central rivals since September 2018."It's my goal to get him to smile one time when he comes around. That has to be fun to be able to do that," said Matheny, whose club has won three straight on the heels of a six-game slide. "I'm sure he must be smiling on the inside."Soler and Perez went back-to-back for the second time this season, and it was the first time the Royals hit three homers in an inning since Aug. 19, 2018, against the White Sox. Lopez's two-run shot came off Lewis Thorpe (0-1) and tied the game.Tyler Zuber (1-1) earned the win in relief of Danny Duffy. Trevor Rosenthal got four outs for his second straight save."The bullpen once again came in and did a fantastic job for us," Matheny said, "but that inning where we give up four and we come right back and take six, that's special, and that sort of thing can carry a club for a while, knowing you have that kind of talent and that kind of ability. The three home runs are huge right there."Nelson Cruz, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler went deep for the Twins, who lost the series opener in a 3-2 pitching duel.This one was decided by the long ball.Soler began the show with his homer leading off the third against former Royals pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was making his season debut for Minnesota after dealing with a sore muscle in his ribs. That gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead.The Twins answered with a pair of homers in the fourth. Cruz hit the first leading off, the ninth time the 40-year-old slugger has gone deep in his last 12 games against Kansas City. Buxton's three-run shot was the second, giving him homers in three consecutive games after a slow start to the season."To put up those runs, it was big inning for us," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It was a big moment the next half-inning when they put up some runs, too."The Royals' big rally in the fourth began with a simple single by Maikel Franco, but Lopez immediately followed with his third career homer to tie the game. Brett Phillips and Whit Merrifield continued the charge with singles, and Soler added a three-run shot for his first multi-homer game since -- coincidentally -- facing the Twins last September.Perez added his homer to cap the six-run inning. That's more than the Royals had scored in all but two games this season.The Twins got a run back on Buxton's single in the sixth, and another when Kepler went deep in the seventh, before the Kansas City bullpen closed down the last two innings to raise the possibility of a series sweep."We decided to go out there and fight. We put a bunch of hits together," Soler said. "That was a big stand."ROYALS MOVESCF Nick Heath (strained left hamstring) was placed on the injured list and RHP Chance Adams recalled prior to the game. Heath hurt his hamstring on a stolen base attempt in the series opener Friday night.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: 2B Luis Arraez (sore right knee) was back in the starting lineup after missing the past two games. ... 1B Miguel Sano started despite a sore right wrist. His glove was knocked off trying to tag a runner Friday night.Royals: 1B Ryan O'Hearn fouled a pitch off his right shin in the fourth inning. He was checked by manager Mike Matheny and trainer Nick Kenney but stayed in the game until the fifth, when he was replaced by Franchy Cordero.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 4.80 ERA) makes his fourth start and the first of his career at Kauffman Stadium when the rookie takes the hill in Sunday's series finale. The Twins counter with RHP Jose Berrios (1-1, 4.80), who allowed one run on four hits in six innings in a win Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.

Royals defeat Twins for third straight win

WICHITA - Hutchinson's No. 9 hitter Clayton Chadwick hit a solo homer and a grand slam to highlight a seven-run fifth inning to lead the Monarchs to an 11-3, seven inning run-rule victory over the Hays Larks late Friday night, ending the Larks run at the 86th NBC World Series.

Corbin Truslow's tw0-run homer in the top of the first gave the Larks (22-10) the early lead.&nbsp;

It would stay that way until the bottom of the third, when Chadwick hit a lead-off solo homer off the Larks starter Ryan Ruder.&nbsp;

Ruder would get Chadwick to fly out to center with the bases-loaded to end the fourth but Zach Curry would not be as lucky. The Larks third pitcher of the night gave up a two-out grand slam to center.

Trevor Munsch (2-2) came in relief of Ruder in the fifth. With runners at second and third and one out, he induced a ground ball to shortstop Cameron Pehrson who tried to throw a runner out at the plate. The throw was off line and the Monarchs tied the game 2-2.

Back-to-back walks gave Hutch (31-7) a 3-2 lead. First baseman Garrett McGowan bobbled a grounder which allowed another run to score. Following a strikeout, Chadwick hit a 1-2 fastball over the center field wall to blow the game open.

After the Monarchs added a run in the sixth, the Larks scored in the top of the seventh after Sean Cooper doubled with two outs then came around on a Leo Jiminian single to center.

Hutchinson lead off the bottom of the seventh with a double then back to back singles and a steal of home scored two runs to end the game by run-rule.

Munsch took the loss allowing four runs (two earned) on one hit in 1/3 of an inning.

Monarchs starter, Jake Hamilton, a weekend starter for Wichita State picked up the win allowing two runs on two hits over six innings.

The Monarchs, who have won three straight in the loser's bracker, plays the Houston (TX) Express Saturday at 8:30 p.m.. The Express stayed alive with a 5-4 win over Liberal in the Friday's first game.

WICHITA - Hutchinson's No. 9 hitter Clayton Chadwick hit a solo homer and a grand slam to highlight a seven-run fifth inning to lead the Monarchs to an 11-3, seven inning run-rule victory over the Hays Larks late Friday night, ending the Larks run at the 86th NBC World Series.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/872245531&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/8-7-2020-larks-interview" title="Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080720" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Frank Leo Postgame Interview 080720</a></div></div>Corbin Truslow's tw0-run homer in the top of the first gave the Larks (22-10) the early lead.&nbsp;It would stay that way until the bottom of the third, when Chadwick hit a lead-off solo homer off the Larks starter Ryan Ruder.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/872245552&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/8-7-2020-larks-highlights" title="Hays Larks vs. Hutchinson Monarchs highlights 080720" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays Larks vs. Hutchinson Monarchs highlights 080720</a></div></div>Ruder would get Chadwick to fly out to center with the bases-loaded to end the fourth but Zach Curry would not be as lucky. The Larks third pitcher of the night gave up a two-out grand slam to center.Trevor Munsch (2-2) came in relief of Ruder in the fifth. With runners at second and third and one out, he induced a ground ball to shortstop Cameron Pehrson who tried to throw a runner out at the plate. The throw was off line and the Monarchs tied the game 2-2.Back-to-back walks gave Hutch (31-7) a 3-2 lead. First baseman Garrett McGowan bobbled a grounder which allowed another run to score. Following a strikeout, Chadwick hit a 1-2 fastball over the center field wall to blow the game open.After the Monarchs added a run in the sixth, the Larks scored in the top of the seventh after Sean Cooper doubled with two outs then came around on a Leo Jiminian single to center.Hutchinson lead off the bottom of the seventh with a double then back to back singles and a steal of home scored two runs to end the game by run-rule.Munsch took the loss allowing four runs (two earned) on one hit in 1/3 of an inning.Monarchs starter, Jake Hamilton, a weekend starter for Wichita State picked up the win allowing two runs on two hits over six innings.The Monarchs, who have won three straight in the loser's bracker, plays the Houston (TX) Express Saturday at 8:30 p.m.. The Express stayed alive with a 5-4 win over Liberal in the Friday's first game.

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