HAYS
– Five titles in six years. The Hays Larks continued their dominance in the
Rocky Mountain Baseball League after clinching a tie for the RMBL championship
with a 10-0 rout of Liberal Tuesday at Larks Park and Dodge City’s 14-2 loss to
the Gameday Angels.

The
Larks (24-4-1, 16-4 RMBL) scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first. Taber Stokes led off the inning with a walk followed by a Lane Sparks single. Trent Baker then doubled to score Stokes. Sparks scored on Jackson Babcock’s sacrifice fly, the first of his three RBIs. Dylan LaRue then drove in Baker with another sacrifice fly. 

Pitchers Nolan Wilson and Brooks Jones combined on a
two-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Larks won their ninth straight overall and
ran their home winning streak to 11 games.

Meanwhile, Liberal (15-16, 10-12 RMBL) has lost three straight and four of their last five.

Starting pitcher Nolan Wilson (3-0) set the tone early by retiring the first seven Bee Jays he faced.
The only hit he allowed was a one out single in the third. The junior from the University
of Cumberlands struck out six and walked only one over five scoreless innings and picked up the win. 

Brooks Jones allowed only a one out single in the seventh with
four strikeouts and a walk over the final two frames.

The
Larks scored five n the fourth to blow the game open. CJ Reid singled which scored courtesy
runner Brady Kreutzer. Stokes singled which scored Thomas Lyssy who reached
when he was hit by a pitch. Babcock drove in two with hard hit single then
LaRue followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-0.

Kaleb
Duncan singled with one out in the fifth, stole second, moved to third on a Stokes
single then stole home. Sparks followed with a single to push the lead to 10-0.

Tuesday's victory was the Larks third run-rule win in their last four games and their seventh overall this summer.

Tuesday's win over the Bee Jays marked the 10th time this summer the Larks have won a game by 10 or more runs. It was also the 15th time this season they've scored 10 or more runs in a game, going 14-1 on those contests.

The
Larks and Bee Jays close out the two-game series on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at
Larks Park. Admission is free courtesy of Emprise Bank, Taco Shop, Nex-Tech and
Bright Minds Academy.



<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717183089670.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsHAYS
– Five titles in six years. The Hays Larks continued their dominance in the
Rocky Mountain Baseball League after clinching a tie for the RMBL championship
with a 10-0 rout of Liberal Tuesday at Larks Park and Dodge City’s 14-2 loss to
the Gameday Angels.The
Larks (24-4-1, 16-4 RMBL) scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first. Taber Stokes led off the inning with a walk followed by a Lane Sparks single. Trent Baker then doubled to score Stokes. Sparks scored on Jackson Babcock’s sacrifice fly, the first of his three RBIs. Dylan LaRue then drove in Baker with another sacrifice fly. Pitchers Nolan Wilson and Brooks Jones combined on a
two-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Larks won their ninth straight overall and
ran their home winning streak to 11 games.Meanwhile, Liberal (15-16, 10-12 RMBL) has lost three straight and four of their last five.Starting pitcher Nolan Wilson (3-0) set the tone early by retiring the first seven Bee Jays he faced.
The only hit he allowed was a one out single in the third. The junior from the University
of Cumberlands struck out six and walked only one over five scoreless innings and picked up the win. Brooks Jones allowed only a one out single in the seventh with
four strikeouts and a walk over the final two frames.The
Larks scored five n the fourth to blow the game open. CJ Reid singled which scored courtesy
runner Brady Kreutzer. Stokes singled which scored Thomas Lyssy who reached
when he was hit by a pitch. Babcock drove in two with hard hit single then
LaRue followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-0.Kaleb
Duncan singled with one out in the fifth, stole second, moved to third on a Stokes
single then stole home. Sparks followed with a single to push the lead to 10-0.END THE NIGHT EARLYTuesday's victory was the Larks third run-rule win in their last four games and their seventh overall this summer.DOUBLE DIGIT DOMINANCETuesday's win over the Bee Jays marked the 10th time this summer the Larks have won a game by 10 or more runs. It was also the 15th time this season they've scored 10 or more runs in a game, going 14-1 on those contests.UP
NEXTThe
Larks and Bee Jays close out the two-game series on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at
Larks Park. Admission is free courtesy of Emprise Bank, Taco Shop, Nex-Tech and
Bright Minds Academy.

⚾ Larks run-rule Liberal, clinch tie of RMBL title

ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber was nervous.

He had played in Game 7 of the World Series, homered for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

But he had never walked up to the plate in an All-Star Game swing-off.

“That’s kind of like the baseball version of a shootout,” he said after homering on all three of his swings, going down to his left knee on the final one, to overcome a two-homer deficit. That held up when Jonathan Aranda fell short on the American League’s final three swings, giving the National League a 4-3 swing-off win after a 6-6 tie Tuesday night in which it wasted a six-run, seventh-inning lead.

Schwarber earned the MVP award, going 0 for 2 with a walk as the NL won for the second time in its last 12 tries. He became the first non-pitcher MVP without a hit.

“It will be interesting to see where that goes,” said AL manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees. “There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.”

Concerned about running out of pitchers in an era where no All-Star throws more than one inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-new-york-mets-brian-snitker-38d3dc0ea869992ebcab83a4ef4c960b">Major League Baseball and the players’ association made the change in 2022</a>.

In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches.

Boone picked Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena and Aranda on Monday, and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts picked Eugenio Suárez, Schwarber and Pete Alonso for the NL. Because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eugenio-suarez-allstar-game-3a86937e6a6e74ade4399711717f1f9b">Suárez was hit</a>&nbsp;on the left hand by a fastball in the eighth inning, the NL turned to its alternate, Kyle Stowers.

Players from both teams stood outside their dugouts, some already in street clothes, jumping and shouting after each long ball from their side. Yankees coach Travis Chapman threw to the AL batters and Dodgers coach Dino Ebel to the NL hitters.

Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Stowers hit one. Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1.

Ebel had thrown BP to Schwarber two years ago at the WBC.

“He asked me right before, he was like, where do you want it?” Schwarber recalled “I’m like, just middle. And he’s like, `I gotcha.’”

He took two pitches and deposited the third just over the center-field fence. Schwarber took another, then hit a 461-foot drive over the right-center bullpen. After letting two more go by, he dropped to a knee while pulling the third, craned his neck and held his bat it the air as the ball landed in the fourth row of the Chop House seats.

“I didn’t hit it, obviously, my best, but I was thinking I got enough of it,” Schwarber said. “And I was just kind of down there, hoping, saying: go, go, go. And it went. And it was awesome.”

Aranda followed with a fly well short of the center-field warning track, drove a pitch about a foot shy of the top of the right-field wall and hit an opposite-field pop that dropped in medium left.

Alonso, a two-time Home Run Derby champion, didn’t have to bat and patted Schwarber on the head as fireworks went off at Truist Field.

“I felt like a closer like a closer going into a game,” Alonso said, “and then it’s like, wait, the guy in the field got a double play to end the inning. You’re not going in.”

MLB, after consulting with the Elias Sports Bureau,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-college-football-soccer-sports-baseball-3e3fc1fa9ba55a1ec4e563353e69db56">said in 2022</a>&nbsp;that All-Star Games ending in a swing-off would be listed as tied, with a notation of the game being decided in a swing-off. MLB’s official postgame notes listed Tuesday’s outcome as a 7-6 NL victory.

Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso’s three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll’s solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth.

The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI groundout. Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan’s infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run.

Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, reached 100 mph on four pitches in a perfect first. Jacob Misiorowski,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misiorowski-allstar-game-534280740b0ceafc9dcc10c011df6cbb">a controversial inclusion</a>&nbsp;after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph. There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year.

Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-allstar-game-uniforms-8f3891854c6aab41e02a8a08c4263ea2">Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys</a>&nbsp;— whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752638555921.png" alt="Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates after winning the tiebreaker at the MLB baseball All-Star game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)" />
 <figcaption>Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates after winning the tiebreaker at the MLB baseball All-Star game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber was nervous.He had played in Game 7 of the World Series, homered for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.But he had never walked up to the plate in an All-Star Game swing-off.No one had.“That’s kind of like the baseball version of a shootout,” he said after homering on all three of his swings, going down to his left knee on the final one, to overcome a two-homer deficit. That held up when Jonathan Aranda fell short on the American League’s final three swings, giving the National League a 4-3 swing-off win after a 6-6 tie Tuesday night in which it wasted a six-run, seventh-inning lead.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPhillies%2Fvideos%2F1417266409542562%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Schwarber earned the MVP award, going 0 for 2 with a walk as the NL won for the second time in its last 12 tries. He became the first non-pitcher MVP without a hit.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPhillies%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02XNpxrnGZ7iF5FMjnbLHBLNaARVvie18rfnjxQ4RMwadDvabWET3tRafAFsRC3nwul&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="590" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>“It will be interesting to see where that goes,” said AL manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees. “There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.”Concerned about running out of pitchers in an era where no All-Star throws more than one inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-new-york-mets-brian-snitker-38d3dc0ea869992ebcab83a4ef4c960b">Major League Baseball and the players’ association made the change in 2022</a>.In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches.Boone picked Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena and Aranda on Monday, and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts picked Eugenio Suárez, Schwarber and Pete Alonso for the NL. Because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eugenio-suarez-allstar-game-3a86937e6a6e74ade4399711717f1f9b">Suárez was hit</a>&nbsp;on the left hand by a fastball in the eighth inning, the NL turned to its alternate, Kyle Stowers.Players from both teams stood outside their dugouts, some already in street clothes, jumping and shouting after each long ball from their side. Yankees coach Travis Chapman threw to the AL batters and Dodgers coach Dino Ebel to the NL hitters.Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Stowers hit one. Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1.Ebel had thrown BP to Schwarber two years ago at the WBC.“He asked me right before, he was like, where do you want it?” Schwarber recalled “I’m like, just middle. And he’s like, `I gotcha.’”He took two pitches and deposited the third just over the center-field fence. Schwarber took another, then hit a 461-foot drive over the right-center bullpen. After letting two more go by, he dropped to a knee while pulling the third, craned his neck and held his bat it the air as the ball landed in the fourth row of the Chop House seats.“I didn’t hit it, obviously, my best, but I was thinking I got enough of it,” Schwarber said. “And I was just kind of down there, hoping, saying: go, go, go. And it went. And it was awesome.”Aranda followed with a fly well short of the center-field warning track, drove a pitch about a foot shy of the top of the right-field wall and hit an opposite-field pop that dropped in medium left.Alonso, a two-time Home Run Derby champion, didn’t have to bat and patted Schwarber on the head as fireworks went off at Truist Field.“I felt like a closer like a closer going into a game,” Alonso said, “and then it’s like, wait, the guy in the field got a double play to end the inning. You’re not going in.”<h2>What was the score?</h2>MLB, after consulting with the Elias Sports Bureau,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-college-football-soccer-sports-baseball-3e3fc1fa9ba55a1ec4e563353e69db56">said in 2022</a>&nbsp;that All-Star Games ending in a swing-off would be listed as tied, with a notation of the game being decided in a swing-off. MLB’s official postgame notes listed Tuesday’s outcome as a 7-6 NL victory.<h2>In earlier action</h2>Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso’s three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll’s solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth.The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI groundout. Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan’s infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run.<h2>Heat on the mound</h2>Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, reached 100 mph on four pitches in a perfect first. Jacob Misiorowski,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misiorowski-allstar-game-534280740b0ceafc9dcc10c011df6cbb">a controversial inclusion</a>&nbsp;after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph. There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year.<h2>Robot umpire debuts</h2>Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game<h2>Styling</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-allstar-game-uniforms-8f3891854c6aab41e02a8a08c4263ea2">Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys</a>&nbsp;— whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties.

⚾ Schwarber’s 3 homers in All-Star Game’s first tiebreaking swing-off lift NL over AL

The Hays Larks host the Liberal BeeJays in the first of a two-game series Tuesday at Larks.

The first pitch is set for 7 p.m. from Larks Park.

You can catch on the action on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hayslarksbaseball/streams">Larks YouTube channel.</a>

Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays
Larks. The broadcast is produced by the Hays Larks

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717183089670.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Larks host the Liberal BeeJays in the first of a two-game series Tuesday at Larks.The first pitch is set for 7 p.m. from Larks Park.You can catch on the action on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hayslarksbaseball/streams">Larks YouTube channel.</a>Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays
Larks. The broadcast is produced by the Hays Larks

⚾🎥 WATCH LIVE Hays Larks host Liberal

🎥 Meet the Larks Julio Ramos

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the deadline to sign franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith to a multiyear contract, agreeing to terms Tuesday on a $94 million deal, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.

The four-year contract includes $70 million guaranteed, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been announced.

Smith, 26, now has the highest average salary of any player at his position in the NFL at $23.5 million annually.

The Chiefs had until 3 p.m. CDT Tuesday to work out a deal beyond this season after giving Smith the franchise tag in March. Smith and franchised Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins each got a lucrative contract, though the agreements came roughly four months apart.

Smith has been a key part of the offensive line protecting two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes since entering the league in 2021 as a sixth-round draft pick out of Tennessee. Smith has started 67 regular-season and 13 playoff games, helping Kansas City win the Super Bowl twice and getting there last season before losing to Philadelphia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752661371312.jpeg" alt="FILE - Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith comes off the field after warmups before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith comes off the field after warmups before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports WriterThe Kansas City Chiefs beat the deadline to sign franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith to a multiyear contract, agreeing to terms Tuesday on a $94 million deal, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.The four-year contract includes $70 million guaranteed, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been announced.Smith, 26, now has the highest average salary of any player at his position in the NFL at $23.5 million annually.The Chiefs had until 3 p.m. CDT Tuesday to work out a deal beyond this season after giving Smith the franchise tag in March. Smith and franchised Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins each got a lucrative contract, though the agreements came roughly four months apart.Smith has been a key part of the offensive line protecting two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes since entering the league in 2021 as a sixth-round draft pick out of Tennessee. Smith has started 67 regular-season and 13 playoff games, helping Kansas City win the Super Bowl twice and getting there last season before losing to Philadelphia.

🏈 Chiefs beat franchise tag deadline, sign guard Trey Smith

🎥 Meet the Larks Jordan Stribling

AUSTIN, Texas – Emily Diercks of Fort Hays State cross country/track and field was named to the CSC Academic All-America Women's Track &amp; Field/Cross Country Team for 2024-25, released on Tuesday (July 15). She was a third-team selection. This award honors a combination of academic and athletic accomplishments of the individuals selected.

After a strong two years career at Colby Community College, Diercks burst on the scene in a big way for Fort Hays State in 2024-25. She was the MIAA Champion and a national qualifier in cross country, then earned All-America honors during the outdoor track and field season with a ninth-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championships.

Diercks won the 2024 MIAA Championship in cross country by covering the 6K course in a time of 21:30.9, giving FHSU the individual conference champion for a second-straight year after Regan Hodsden won the title in 2023. She went on to individually qualify for the NCAA Championships by placing seventh at the NCAA Central Regional with a time of 21:12.7, her fastest time of the year. At the NCAA Championships, she finished 71st in a time of 21:49.5.

During the track and field season, Diercks was a three-time All-MIAA performer. She earned the distinction both indoor and outdoor in the 5,000 meters, as well as the indoor 3,000 meters. By running a new school record 34:46.53 in the 10,000 meters during the outdoor season, she punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships where she finished ninth for USTFCCCA All-America Second Team honors.

Academically, Diercks earned the MIAA Scholar-Athlete honor for cross country, as well as indoor and outdoor track and field. She was also a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll for all three. She maintains a 3.82 cumulative GPA as a Health and Human Performance major.

Diercks gives FHSU its 77th CSC Academic All-America selection all-time for all sports. She is the sixth individual from FHSU to receive the distinction in 2024-25, joining Tadhg Walsh (men's soccer), Myles Menges and Josh Shaw (football), Katie DeGarmo (women's basketball), Cooper Scheck (men's golf).

Fort Hays State's first CSC Academic All-America selection occurred in 1975. FHSU now has 47 Academic All-America selections since joining the MIAA in 2006-07. The track and field program at FHSU has now received 20 CSC Academic All-America selections all-time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752691846937.png" alt="Image Courtesy FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsAUSTIN, Texas – Emily Diercks of Fort Hays State cross country/track and field was named to the CSC Academic All-America Women's Track &amp; Field/Cross Country Team for 2024-25, released on Tuesday (July 15). She was a third-team selection. This award honors a combination of academic and athletic accomplishments of the individuals selected.After a strong two years career at Colby Community College, Diercks burst on the scene in a big way for Fort Hays State in 2024-25. She was the MIAA Champion and a national qualifier in cross country, then earned All-America honors during the outdoor track and field season with a ninth-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championships.Diercks won the 2024 MIAA Championship in cross country by covering the 6K course in a time of 21:30.9, giving FHSU the individual conference champion for a second-straight year after Regan Hodsden won the title in 2023. She went on to individually qualify for the NCAA Championships by placing seventh at the NCAA Central Regional with a time of 21:12.7, her fastest time of the year. At the NCAA Championships, she finished 71st in a time of 21:49.5.During the track and field season, Diercks was a three-time All-MIAA performer. She earned the distinction both indoor and outdoor in the 5,000 meters, as well as the indoor 3,000 meters. By running a new school record 34:46.53 in the 10,000 meters during the outdoor season, she punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships where she finished ninth for USTFCCCA All-America Second Team honors.Academically, Diercks earned the MIAA Scholar-Athlete honor for cross country, as well as indoor and outdoor track and field. She was also a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll for all three. She maintains a 3.82 cumulative GPA as a Health and Human Performance major.Diercks gives FHSU its 77th CSC Academic All-America selection all-time for all sports. She is the sixth individual from FHSU to receive the distinction in 2024-25, joining Tadhg Walsh (men's soccer), Myles Menges and Josh Shaw (football), Katie DeGarmo (women's basketball), Cooper Scheck (men's golf).Fort Hays State's first CSC Academic All-America selection occurred in 1975. FHSU now has 47 Academic All-America selections since joining the MIAA in 2006-07. The track and field program at FHSU has now received 20 CSC Academic All-America selections all-time.

👟 FHSU's Diercks named to CSC Academic All-America team

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

Patrick Surtain II became only the seventh cornerback to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, doing so last season.

His shutdown season also helped him earn the top cornerback spot in voting by a panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Surtain received five first-place votes and three seconds. Sauce Gardner got two first-place votes, finishing second. Cooper DeJean got the other first-place vote, appearing on only one of eight ballots.

Derek Stingley Jr. finished third, Trent McDuffie was fourth and DeJean placed fifth.

Jaylon Johnson, Marlon Humphrey, Charvarius Ward and DJ Reed also received votes.

Surtain had an outstanding season, allowing just 37 receptions and recording four interceptions to earn All-Pro honors.

Opposing quarterbacks had a 61.1 passer rating when targeting Surtain, who became just the second Broncos player to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

He received three second-place votes along with the five firsts.

After earning All-Pro honors his first two seasons in the NFL, Gardner had a down year by his standards. Still, he appeared on seven ballots to finish behind Surtain.

Gardner has forced a league-high 46 incompletions and allowed a league-low 0.60 yards per cover snap since his rookie season.

Stingley was a first-time All-Pro last season, emerging as one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks.

Selected one spot ahead of Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft, Stingley had a breakout season last year. He had five interceptions and gave up 40 catches for 382 yards and four TDs.

Stingley got three second-place votes and five fourths.

McDuffie earned All-Pro honors as a slot cornerback in 2023 and was second-team All-Pro after moving back outside last season.

While the Chiefs don’t use McDuffie to shadow opposing receivers, he is an elite cover guy.

McDuffie allowed 54 catches for 545 yards and four TDs in 2024.

He received one second-place vote, two thirds, one fourth and four fifth.

DeJean’s first career interception was a pick-6 against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, helping the Eagles dominate the Chiefs in a 40-22 victory.

A second-round pick in 2024, DeJean was a super sl

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752670132760.jpeg" alt="FILE - Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) returns interception during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) returns interception during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterPatrick Surtain II became only the seventh cornerback to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, doing so last season.His shutdown season also helped him earn the top cornerback spot in voting by a panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.Surtain received five first-place votes and three seconds. Sauce Gardner got two first-place votes, finishing second. Cooper DeJean got the other first-place vote, appearing on only one of eight ballots.Derek Stingley Jr. finished third, Trent McDuffie was fourth and DeJean placed fifth.Jaylon Johnson, Marlon Humphrey, Charvarius Ward and DJ Reed also received votes.<h2>1. PATRICK SURTAIN II, Denver Broncos</h2>Surtain had an outstanding season, allowing just 37 receptions and recording four interceptions to earn All-Pro honors.Opposing quarterbacks had a 61.1 passer rating when targeting Surtain, who became just the second Broncos player to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.He received three second-place votes along with the five firsts.<h2>2. SAUCE GARDNER, New York Jets</h2>After earning All-Pro honors his first two seasons in the NFL, Gardner had a down year by his standards. Still, he appeared on seven ballots to finish behind Surtain.Gardner has forced a league-high 46 incompletions and allowed a league-low 0.60 yards per cover snap since his rookie season.<h2>3. DEREK STINGLEY JR., Houston Texans</h2>Stingley was a first-time All-Pro last season, emerging as one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks.Selected one spot ahead of Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft, Stingley had a breakout season last year. He had five interceptions and gave up 40 catches for 382 yards and four TDs.Stingley got three second-place votes and five fourths.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752670169647.jpeg" alt="FILE - Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates an interception during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates an interception during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>4. TRENT MCDUFFIE, Kansas City Chiefs</h2>McDuffie earned All-Pro honors as a slot cornerback in 2023 and was second-team All-Pro after moving back outside last season.While the Chiefs don’t use McDuffie to shadow opposing receivers, he is an elite cover guy.McDuffie allowed 54 catches for 545 yards and four TDs in 2024.He received one second-place vote, two thirds, one fourth and four fifth.<h2>5. COOPER DEJEAN, Philadelphia Eagles</h2>DeJean’s first career interception was a pick-6 against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, helping the Eagles dominate the Chiefs in a 40-22 victory.A second-round pick in 2024, DeJean was a super sl

🏈 Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II voted NFL's top cornerback by AP

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KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)&nbsp; &nbsp;Tuesday, July 15
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KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected 17 players on the final day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.&nbsp;

In total, the Royals selected 13 pitchers (12 RHP, 1 LHP), five infielders, three outfielders and one catcher. Of their 22 picks, 16 were from the college ranks, including 2 from JUCO, and six were high school players. Of note, out of the nine position players selected, only No. 28 (PPI) Josh Hammond bats right-handed.

With the 128th overall pick in the 4th round, the Royals selected outfielder Nolan Sailors out of Creighton University (Neb.). Sailors, 22, slashed .389/.485/.584 (88-for-226, 1.069 OPS) with 28 extra-base hits, 44 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 59 games as a senior. In four seasons with the Bluejays, he played in 207 games and slashed .320/.422/.491 (251-for-784) with 19 home runs, 148 RBI and 63 stolen bases. He graduated from Ralston High School (Neb.), where he was named to the All-Nebraska and Super State First Teams after hitting .476 as a senior. He is a native of Omaha, Neb.

With the 158th overall pick in the 5th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Aiden Jimenez out of the University of Arkansas. Jimenez, 21, completed his redshirt sophomore season with the Razorbacks in 2025, going 4-1 with 40 strikeouts (8.5 K/9) in 42.1 innings pitched, posting a 3.40 ERA (16 ER) in a team-high 22 games (2 GS). He began his collegiate career at Oregon State in 2023, where he appeared in 22 games (1 GS) and struck out 35 batters in 38.0 innings of work (8.3 K/9). Jimenez graduated from Elk Grove High School (Calif.). His father, Jason Jimenez, appeared in 6 Major League games with Tampa Bay (5) and Detroit (1) in 2002, and was a 28th round pick by the Rays in 1997. Jason was teammates with Royals Manager Matt Quatraro and Bench Coach Paul Hoover in the Rays minor league system from 1998-2002. His grandfather, Ken Hottman, also played in 6 MLB games in 1971.

With the 188th overall pick in the 6th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyriq Kemp out of Baylor University (Texas). Kemp, 22, played in 55 games for the Bears this season, slashing .358/.446/.542 (72-for-201, .988 OPS) with 48 runs, 41 RBI and more walks (32) than strikeouts (27). He was also announced as a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award in 2025, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate shortstop. In two seasons at Baylor, he posted an .849 OPS and batted .305 (110-for-361), playing in 108 games. In 2024, he played for Curaçao Neptunus in the Dutch Major League, and he slashed .292/.400/.427 (28-for-96, .827 OPS) as a 21-year-old, while playing alongside his older brother, Dwayne, who signed with the Cubs in 2009. Prior to attending Baylor, he played two seasons at Western Oklahoma State College (the same school that notable Curaçaoan shortstop Andrelton Simmons attended), where he hit .375 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI as a sophomore. Kemp was raised in The Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch National Teams from ages U15 to U23, guiding the U23 team to a gold medal at the European Baseball Championship in 2021.

With the 218th overall pick in the 7th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Bryson Dudley out of Texas State University. Dudley, 21, just finished his first season with Texas State and earned CSC Academic All-District Team and Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team honors. He pitched in 24 games (2 GS) for the Bobcats, holding opponents to a .185 batting average that was a school record, paired with a 3.93 ERA (22 ER in 50.1 IP). He pitched in 2 games for Trenton in the MLB Draft League this year, striking out 13 batters in 7.0 innings. Spent two seasons at Blinn College (Texas) and helped the Buccaneers win the NJCAA National Championship as a sophomore in 2024.

With the 248th overall pick in the 8th round, the Royals selected catcher Brooks Bryan out of Troy University (Ala.). Bryan, who is celebrating his 21st birthday today, spent each of the last three seasons at Troy, and started all 60 games for them this season, slashing .279/.399/.533 (64-for-229, .931 OPS) with 18 doubles and 12 home runs. He earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors as a sophomore in 2024 and was named a semifinalist for both the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, after he posted a .970 OPS with 18 home runs and 85 RBI in 58 games. He was a part of the 2024 Team USA Collegiate National Team, appearing in 4 games, and hit a grand slam on July 3 vs. Chinese Taipei. He also played in 7 games for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League in 2024. He batted .380 with 8 home runs as a senior at Opelika High School (Ala.) in 2022, the alma mater of 10-year MLB vet Roy Lee Jackson.

With the 278th overall pick in the 9th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Shane Van Dam out of North Carolina State University. Van Dam, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, pitched in just 3 games (1 start) at the end of this season. The 21-year-old pitched in 16 games and covered 37.1 innings as a sophomore in 2024, striking out 38 batters (9.2 K/9). He played both baseball and football at SUNY Cortland in 2023, striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings (13.2 K/9) while playing quarterback for the Red Dragons, but not appearing in a game. He graduated from Cranford High School (N.J.) in 2022, where he was a three-year member of the football team and a two-year starter on the baseball team. He was teammates with Kansas City’s 2025 5th rounder Aiden Jimenez and their 2024 12th rounder Tommy Molsky on the 2023 Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League.

With the 308th overall pick in the 10th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Max Martin out of the University of California-Irvine. Martin, 21, finished his junior season with 14 saves, tied for 4th among all Division I pitchers this season, as well as a 3.29 ERA (14 ER in 38.1 IP) and 39 strikeouts. In three seasons at U.C. Irvine, he struck out 83 batters in 84.1 innings and earned 19 saves. Pitched in 8 games for the Pulaski River Turtles of the Appalachian League in 2024, and allowed just 2 runs (1 ER) across 15.0 innings (0.60 ERA), striking out 17 and walking just 3. He graduated from Sierra Canyon School (Calif.), where he was teammates with Kehden Hettiger, Philadelphia’s 11th round pick in 2023.

With the 338th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Hunter Alberini out of the University of Arizona. Alberini, 23, pitched in one season at Arizona, going 1-0 with 33 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) to just 7 walks (3.0 BB/9) and a 3.48 ERA (8 ER in 20.2 IP) in 18 games. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he spent two seasons at Umpqua Community College (Ore.) from 2021-22 and two seasons at the College of Southern Nevada (2023-24), the alma mater of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper. In 2024, he pitched in 7 games for State College in the MLB Draft League and struck out 10 in 12.0 IP. He graduated from Centennial High School (Nev.) in 2020, where he earned two baseball letters.

With the 368th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Matthew Hoskins out of the University of Georgia. Hoskins, 21, made 18 appearances (2 starts) for the Bulldogs as a junior this year, and struck out 39 batters in just 27.1 innings (12.8 K/9), earning 1 win and 2 saves. After the season, he also pitched once for Trenton in the MLB Draft League, where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 7th round selection this year, Bryson Dudley. While at Georgia, he earned three SEC Academic Honor Roll nominations and struck out 67 batters across 50.2 innings (11.9 K/9). He graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School (Ga.) in 2022, where he went 4-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 62 strikeouts as a senior. He also batted .382 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs and 24 RBI as a senior, playing primarily as an outfielder when he wasn’t pitching. He was rated as the No. 11 prospect in the state of Georgia coming out of high school, per Perfect Game.

With the 398th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyson Moran out of the F.E. Madill Secondary School (Ontario, CAN). Moran, 19, is currently committed to play at North Dakota State University. He plays for the Great Lakes Canadians amateur baseball program, and is coached by former big leaguer Jamie Romak, who played in 27 games for the Dodgers (2014) and Diamondbacks (2015).

With the 428th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected infielder JC Vanek out of Chipola College (Fla.). Vanek, 20, slashed .395/.512/.631 (62-for-157, 1.143 OPS) with 9 home runs, 50 runs scored, 43 RBI and more walks (30) than strikeouts (27). Was named to the Panhandle All-Conference First Team in 2024 after leading Chipola in average (.366), hits (53) and RBI (47). He has since committed to Florida State University. After the season, he played in 16 games for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League and posted a .712 OPS with 2 home runs, 13 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 16 games. He graduated from Alfred M. Barbe High School (La.) in 2023.

With the 458th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected infielder Connor Rasmussen out of Tulane University (La.). Rasmussen, 21, has spent each of the last two seasons at Tulane, and has slashed .321/.425/.485 (141-for-439, .910 OPS) in 120 games for the Green Wave, driving in 96 runs while scoring 92. He also drew more walks (71) than he had strikeouts (58). Prior to transferring to Tulane, he spent his freshman season at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he appeared in 17 games. He graduated from Fort Mill High School (S.C.) in 2022, where his .418 average as a senior guided his team to a state championship runner-up finish. His brother, Cole, was a long snapper for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks from 2021-24.

With the 488th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Randy Ramnarace out of the University of New Haven (Conn.). Ramnarace, 20, went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA (9 ER in 32.1 IP) and 45 strikeouts (12.5 K/9) in 12 games (1 GS), earning 3 saves. He has spent three seasons with the Chargers, amassing a 9-5 record and a 4.28 ERA (56 ER in 117.2 IP) with 146 strikeouts. This summer, he pitched in 5 games for Bristol in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, his second consecutive summer in the NECBL after pitching in 5 games for Danbury in 2024. He graduated from Brentwood High School (N.Y.), where he was the team captain as a senior.

With the 518th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected outfielder Luke Nowak out of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nowak, 22, just finished his senior season at UIC, and he posted a .387/.455/.559 (86-for-222, 1.014 OPS) slashline, leading the Missouri Valley Conference in average (.387), while ranking among qualified leaders in hits (3rd, 86), triples (T-4th, 3) and OBP (5th, .455). He spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 15th rounder Connor Rasmussen. In three seasons at ECU, he slashed .268/.382/.362 (71-for-265) with 17 extra-base hits and 49 RBI in 118 games (71 starts). He graduated from Menomonee Falls High School (Wis.), where he earned seven letters (3 in baseball, 4 in track and field), and was a two-time conference and regional champion in baseball as well as a four-time state qualifier in track.

With the 548th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Grayson Boles out of St. Augustine High School (Calif.). Boles, 18, is committed to the University of Texas, and is ranked the 9th-best right-handed pitcher in the state of California by Perfect Game. Per his Maxpreps.com page, he posted a 2.92 ERA (71 ER in 170.1 IP) in high school, including a 1.95 mark (17 ER in 61.0 IP) this year, with 81 strikeouts to just 22 walks. As a hitter, he batted .335 (55-for-164) in four years, and he hit 2 home runs while batting .393 (11-for-28) this season. He started the High School All-American Game on Aug. 15, 2024 at Petco Park, and finished the 1st inning with a strikeout.

With the 578th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Wood out of Franklin High School (Calif.). Wood, 18, went 8-0 as a senior while posting a 1.65 ERA (14 ER in 59.1 IP) with 100 strikeouts. He is ranked as the No. 102 prospect and No. 25 RHP nationally and as the No. 20 prospect and No. 6 RHP in California by Perfect Game. He pitched in 3 games for Team USA’s 18U National Team, allowing 1 run in 6.1 innings, and earned the win in the gold medal game at the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier with 1.1 hitless innings. He is committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona.

With the 608th overall pick in the 20th and final round of the 2025 Draft, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Kamden Edge out of Northern Oklahoma Junior College. Edge, 20, pitched in 14 games this year for the Mavericks, logging a 3.25 ERA (19 ER in 52.2 IP) and 74 strikeouts (12.7 K/9). After the season, he made 2 appearances for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League, striking out 7 in 4.0 innings. In the summer of 2024, he pitched in 9 games for the Hutchinson Monarchs in the Jayhawk Collegiate League, striking out 37 batters across 20.0 innings pitched (16.7 K/9).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591095847004.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected 17 players on the final day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.&nbsp;In total, the Royals selected 13 pitchers (12 RHP, 1 LHP), five infielders, three outfielders and one catcher. Of their 22 picks, 16 were from the college ranks, including 2 from JUCO, and six were high school players. Of note, out of the nine position players selected, only No. 28 (PPI) Josh Hammond bats right-handed.With the 128th overall pick in the 4th round, the Royals selected outfielder Nolan Sailors out of Creighton University (Neb.). Sailors, 22, slashed .389/.485/.584 (88-for-226, 1.069 OPS) with 28 extra-base hits, 44 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 59 games as a senior. In four seasons with the Bluejays, he played in 207 games and slashed .320/.422/.491 (251-for-784) with 19 home runs, 148 RBI and 63 stolen bases. He graduated from Ralston High School (Neb.), where he was named to the All-Nebraska and Super State First Teams after hitting .476 as a senior. He is a native of Omaha, Neb.With the 158th overall pick in the 5th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Aiden Jimenez out of the University of Arkansas. Jimenez, 21, completed his redshirt sophomore season with the Razorbacks in 2025, going 4-1 with 40 strikeouts (8.5 K/9) in 42.1 innings pitched, posting a 3.40 ERA (16 ER) in a team-high 22 games (2 GS). He began his collegiate career at Oregon State in 2023, where he appeared in 22 games (1 GS) and struck out 35 batters in 38.0 innings of work (8.3 K/9). Jimenez graduated from Elk Grove High School (Calif.). His father, Jason Jimenez, appeared in 6 Major League games with Tampa Bay (5) and Detroit (1) in 2002, and was a 28th round pick by the Rays in 1997. Jason was teammates with Royals Manager Matt Quatraro and Bench Coach Paul Hoover in the Rays minor league system from 1998-2002. His grandfather, Ken Hottman, also played in 6 MLB games in 1971.With the 188th overall pick in the 6th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyriq Kemp out of Baylor University (Texas). Kemp, 22, played in 55 games for the Bears this season, slashing .358/.446/.542 (72-for-201, .988 OPS) with 48 runs, 41 RBI and more walks (32) than strikeouts (27). He was also announced as a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award in 2025, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate shortstop. In two seasons at Baylor, he posted an .849 OPS and batted .305 (110-for-361), playing in 108 games. In 2024, he played for Curaçao Neptunus in the Dutch Major League, and he slashed .292/.400/.427 (28-for-96, .827 OPS) as a 21-year-old, while playing alongside his older brother, Dwayne, who signed with the Cubs in 2009. Prior to attending Baylor, he played two seasons at Western Oklahoma State College (the same school that notable Curaçaoan shortstop Andrelton Simmons attended), where he hit .375 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI as a sophomore. Kemp was raised in The Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch National Teams from ages U15 to U23, guiding the U23 team to a gold medal at the European Baseball Championship in 2021.With the 218th overall pick in the 7th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Bryson Dudley out of Texas State University. Dudley, 21, just finished his first season with Texas State and earned CSC Academic All-District Team and Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team honors. He pitched in 24 games (2 GS) for the Bobcats, holding opponents to a .185 batting average that was a school record, paired with a 3.93 ERA (22 ER in 50.1 IP). He pitched in 2 games for Trenton in the MLB Draft League this year, striking out 13 batters in 7.0 innings. Spent two seasons at Blinn College (Texas) and helped the Buccaneers win the NJCAA National Championship as a sophomore in 2024.With the 248th overall pick in the 8th round, the Royals selected catcher Brooks Bryan out of Troy University (Ala.). Bryan, who is celebrating his 21st birthday today, spent each of the last three seasons at Troy, and started all 60 games for them this season, slashing .279/.399/.533 (64-for-229, .931 OPS) with 18 doubles and 12 home runs. He earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors as a sophomore in 2024 and was named a semifinalist for both the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, after he posted a .970 OPS with 18 home runs and 85 RBI in 58 games. He was a part of the 2024 Team USA Collegiate National Team, appearing in 4 games, and hit a grand slam on July 3 vs. Chinese Taipei. He also played in 7 games for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League in 2024. He batted .380 with 8 home runs as a senior at Opelika High School (Ala.) in 2022, the alma mater of 10-year MLB vet Roy Lee Jackson.With the 278th overall pick in the 9th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Shane Van Dam out of North Carolina State University. Van Dam, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, pitched in just 3 games (1 start) at the end of this season. The 21-year-old pitched in 16 games and covered 37.1 innings as a sophomore in 2024, striking out 38 batters (9.2 K/9). He played both baseball and football at SUNY Cortland in 2023, striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings (13.2 K/9) while playing quarterback for the Red Dragons, but not appearing in a game. He graduated from Cranford High School (N.J.) in 2022, where he was a three-year member of the football team and a two-year starter on the baseball team. He was teammates with Kansas City’s 2025 5th rounder Aiden Jimenez and their 2024 12th rounder Tommy Molsky on the 2023 Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League.With the 308th overall pick in the 10th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Max Martin out of the University of California-Irvine. Martin, 21, finished his junior season with 14 saves, tied for 4th among all Division I pitchers this season, as well as a 3.29 ERA (14 ER in 38.1 IP) and 39 strikeouts. In three seasons at U.C. Irvine, he struck out 83 batters in 84.1 innings and earned 19 saves. Pitched in 8 games for the Pulaski River Turtles of the Appalachian League in 2024, and allowed just 2 runs (1 ER) across 15.0 innings (0.60 ERA), striking out 17 and walking just 3. He graduated from Sierra Canyon School (Calif.), where he was teammates with Kehden Hettiger, Philadelphia’s 11th round pick in 2023.With the 338th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Hunter Alberini out of the University of Arizona. Alberini, 23, pitched in one season at Arizona, going 1-0 with 33 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) to just 7 walks (3.0 BB/9) and a 3.48 ERA (8 ER in 20.2 IP) in 18 games. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he spent two seasons at Umpqua Community College (Ore.) from 2021-22 and two seasons at the College of Southern Nevada (2023-24), the alma mater of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper. In 2024, he pitched in 7 games for State College in the MLB Draft League and struck out 10 in 12.0 IP. He graduated from Centennial High School (Nev.) in 2020, where he earned two baseball letters.With the 368th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Matthew Hoskins out of the University of Georgia. Hoskins, 21, made 18 appearances (2 starts) for the Bulldogs as a junior this year, and struck out 39 batters in just 27.1 innings (12.8 K/9), earning 1 win and 2 saves. After the season, he also pitched once for Trenton in the MLB Draft League, where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 7th round selection this year, Bryson Dudley. While at Georgia, he earned three SEC Academic Honor Roll nominations and struck out 67 batters across 50.2 innings (11.9 K/9). He graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School (Ga.) in 2022, where he went 4-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 62 strikeouts as a senior. He also batted .382 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs and 24 RBI as a senior, playing primarily as an outfielder when he wasn’t pitching. He was rated as the No. 11 prospect in the state of Georgia coming out of high school, per Perfect Game.With the 398th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyson Moran out of the F.E. Madill Secondary School (Ontario, CAN). Moran, 19, is currently committed to play at North Dakota State University. He plays for the Great Lakes Canadians amateur baseball program, and is coached by former big leaguer Jamie Romak, who played in 27 games for the Dodgers (2014) and Diamondbacks (2015).With the 428th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected infielder JC Vanek out of Chipola College (Fla.). Vanek, 20, slashed .395/.512/.631 (62-for-157, 1.143 OPS) with 9 home runs, 50 runs scored, 43 RBI and more walks (30) than strikeouts (27). Was named to the Panhandle All-Conference First Team in 2024 after leading Chipola in average (.366), hits (53) and RBI (47). He has since committed to Florida State University. After the season, he played in 16 games for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League and posted a .712 OPS with 2 home runs, 13 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 16 games. He graduated from Alfred M. Barbe High School (La.) in 2023.With the 458th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected infielder Connor Rasmussen out of Tulane University (La.). Rasmussen, 21, has spent each of the last two seasons at Tulane, and has slashed .321/.425/.485 (141-for-439, .910 OPS) in 120 games for the Green Wave, driving in 96 runs while scoring 92. He also drew more walks (71) than he had strikeouts (58). Prior to transferring to Tulane, he spent his freshman season at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he appeared in 17 games. He graduated from Fort Mill High School (S.C.) in 2022, where his .418 average as a senior guided his team to a state championship runner-up finish. His brother, Cole, was a long snapper for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks from 2021-24.With the 488th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Randy Ramnarace out of the University of New Haven (Conn.). Ramnarace, 20, went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA (9 ER in 32.1 IP) and 45 strikeouts (12.5 K/9) in 12 games (1 GS), earning 3 saves. He has spent three seasons with the Chargers, amassing a 9-5 record and a 4.28 ERA (56 ER in 117.2 IP) with 146 strikeouts. This summer, he pitched in 5 games for Bristol in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, his second consecutive summer in the NECBL after pitching in 5 games for Danbury in 2024. He graduated from Brentwood High School (N.Y.), where he was the team captain as a senior.With the 518th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected outfielder Luke Nowak out of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nowak, 22, just finished his senior season at UIC, and he posted a .387/.455/.559 (86-for-222, 1.014 OPS) slashline, leading the Missouri Valley Conference in average (.387), while ranking among qualified leaders in hits (3rd, 86), triples (T-4th, 3) and OBP (5th, .455). He spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 15th rounder Connor Rasmussen. In three seasons at ECU, he slashed .268/.382/.362 (71-for-265) with 17 extra-base hits and 49 RBI in 118 games (71 starts). He graduated from Menomonee Falls High School (Wis.), where he earned seven letters (3 in baseball, 4 in track and field), and was a two-time conference and regional champion in baseball as well as a four-time state qualifier in track.With the 548th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Grayson Boles out of St. Augustine High School (Calif.). Boles, 18, is committed to the University of Texas, and is ranked the 9th-best right-handed pitcher in the state of California by Perfect Game. Per his Maxpreps.com page, he posted a 2.92 ERA (71 ER in 170.1 IP) in high school, including a 1.95 mark (17 ER in 61.0 IP) this year, with 81 strikeouts to just 22 walks. As a hitter, he batted .335 (55-for-164) in four years, and he hit 2 home runs while batting .393 (11-for-28) this season. He started the High School All-American Game on Aug. 15, 2024 at Petco Park, and finished the 1st inning with a strikeout.With the 578th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Wood out of Franklin High School (Calif.). Wood, 18, went 8-0 as a senior while posting a 1.65 ERA (14 ER in 59.1 IP) with 100 strikeouts. He is ranked as the No. 102 prospect and No. 25 RHP nationally and as the No. 20 prospect and No. 6 RHP in California by Perfect Game. He pitched in 3 games for Team USA’s 18U National Team, allowing 1 run in 6.1 innings, and earned the win in the gold medal game at the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier with 1.1 hitless innings. He is committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona.With the 608th overall pick in the 20th and final round of the 2025 Draft, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Kamden Edge out of Northern Oklahoma Junior College. Edge, 20, pitched in 14 games this year for the Mavericks, logging a 3.25 ERA (19 ER in 52.2 IP) and 74 strikeouts (12.7 K/9). After the season, he made 2 appearances for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League, striking out 7 in 4.0 innings. In the summer of 2024, he pitched in 9 games for the Hutchinson Monarchs in the Jayhawk Collegiate League, striking out 37 batters across 20.0 innings pitched (16.7 K/9).

⚾ Royals select 17 players on final day of First-Year Player Draft

🎥 Meet the Larks Hank Corsair

🎥 Meet the Larks Garrett Gruell

🎥 Meet the Larks Frank Leo

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)&nbsp; &nbsp;Monday, July 14
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 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Miami Marlins, 5:30pmSaturday, July 19
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Miami Marlins, 2:30pmSunday, July 20
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Miami Marlins, 12:00pm

Andy Reid remains the standard for NFL coaches.

Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs fell short in their quest to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and were dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFL title.

Still, Reid was a near-unanimous choice for the NFL’s No. 1 coach by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.

A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at quarterback, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Reid, who has three Super Bowl rings and leads two different franchises in victories, received seven first-place vote and one second. Nick Sirianni, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40-22 victory over Reid and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, got the other first-place vote.

Baltimore’s John Harbaugh finished one point ahead of Sirianni for second place on the list. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay came in fourth and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott was fifth.

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, Denver’s Sean Payton, Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, New England’s Mike Vrabel and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin also received votes.

Reid was the most successful coach in the history of the Eagles before going to Kansas City and turning the Chiefs into a dynasty.

Under Reid, the Chiefs have had 12 straight winning seasons, made 11 playoff appearances, won nine consecutive AFC West titles and reached five Super Bowls in the past six years.

Reid guided the Eagles to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl between 1999-2012. He is fourth on the career list with 301 victories.

Harbaugh has led the Ravens to 15 winning seasons in 17 years and beat his brother to earn his only Super Bowl ring following the 2012 season.

Baltimore is 4-7 in the playoffs since that victory and twice failed to advance to the Super Bowl despite earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Harbaugh is 179-113. He got three second-place votes, four thirds and one fifth.

Sirianni has led the Eagles to the playoffs in each of his four seasons and became the second coach to guide the franchise to a Super Bowl victory.

He’s 54-23 and his .701 winning percentage is fourth best all time.

Despite his success, Sirianni has been a lightning rod for criticism through his tenure in Philadelphia. Critics called for his firing when the Eagles started 2-2 last season. But Sirianni led the Eagles to 10 straight wins and 16 of 17, capped by a dominant performance against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl when Philadelphia jumped out to a 34-0 lead.

Sirianni got two second-place votes, two thirds and one fourth, appearing on seven of eight ballots.

After leading the young, rebuilding Rams to 10 wins and a playoff appearance in 2023, McVay guided Los Angeles to an NFC West title and a playoff win over 14-win Minnesota.

The Rams were 13 yards away from scoring a go-ahead touchdown against Philadelphia in the divisional round before a sack and incomplete pass ended their season.

McVay has six double-digit win seasons in eight years and has won and lost a Super Bowl.

He received two second-place votes, two thirds and one fourth.

The Bills have won five straight AFC East titles since Tom Brady left New England they’ve reached the playoffs seven times in eight seasons under McDermott.

McDermott’s .624 winning percentage is fifth best among active coaches with a minimum of four seasons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738010218728.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid holds the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid holds the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>Andy Reid remains the standard for NFL coaches.Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs fell short in their quest to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and were dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFL title.Still, Reid was a near-unanimous choice for the NFL’s No. 1 coach by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at quarterback, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.Reid, who has three Super Bowl rings and leads two different franchises in victories, received seven first-place vote and one second. Nick Sirianni, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40-22 victory over Reid and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, got the other first-place vote.Baltimore’s John Harbaugh finished one point ahead of Sirianni for second place on the list. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay came in fourth and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott was fifth.Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, Denver’s Sean Payton, Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, New England’s Mike Vrabel and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin also received votes.<h2>1. ANDY REID, Kansas City Chiefs</h2>Reid was the most successful coach in the history of the Eagles before going to Kansas City and turning the Chiefs into a dynasty.Under Reid, the Chiefs have had 12 straight winning seasons, made 11 playoff appearances, won nine consecutive AFC West titles and reached five Super Bowls in the past six years.Reid guided the Eagles to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl between 1999-2012. He is fourth on the career list with 301 victories.<h2>2. JOHN HARBAUGH, Baltimore Ravens</h2>Harbaugh has led the Ravens to 15 winning seasons in 17 years and beat his brother to earn his only Super Bowl ring following the 2012 season.Baltimore is 4-7 in the playoffs since that victory and twice failed to advance to the Super Bowl despite earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed.Harbaugh is 179-113. He got three second-place votes, four thirds and one fifth.<h2>3. NICK SIRIANNI, Philadelphia Eagles</h2>Sirianni has led the Eagles to the playoffs in each of his four seasons and became the second coach to guide the franchise to a Super Bowl victory.He’s 54-23 and his .701 winning percentage is fourth best all time.Despite his success, Sirianni has been a lightning rod for criticism through his tenure in Philadelphia. Critics called for his firing when the Eagles started 2-2 last season. But Sirianni led the Eagles to 10 straight wins and 16 of 17, capped by a dominant performance against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl when Philadelphia jumped out to a 34-0 lead.Sirianni got two second-place votes, two thirds and one fourth, appearing on seven of eight ballots.<h2>4. SEAN MCVAY, Los Angeles Rams</h2>After leading the young, rebuilding Rams to 10 wins and a playoff appearance in 2023, McVay guided Los Angeles to an NFC West title and a playoff win over 14-win Minnesota.The Rams were 13 yards away from scoring a go-ahead touchdown against Philadelphia in the divisional round before a sack and incomplete pass ended their season.McVay has six double-digit win seasons in eight years and has won and lost a Super Bowl.He received two second-place votes, two thirds and one fourth.<h2>5. SEAN MCDERMOTT, Buffalo Bills</h2>The Bills have won five straight AFC East titles since Tom Brady left New England they’ve reached the playoffs seven times in eight seasons under McDermott.McDermott’s .624 winning percentage is fifth best among active coaches with a minimum of four seasons.

🏈 Andy Reid is voted the NFL’s top head coach by AP writers

Patrick Mahomes still stands on top among NFL quarterbacks.

The three-time Super Bowl MVP was voted the NFL’s No. 1 quarterback by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.

This time, he had more competition for the top spot after being a unanimous choice in 2023 and 2024.

Mahomes, who led the Kansas City Chiefs to consecutive Super Bowl titles in the 2022-23 seasons, finished with five first-place votes in the latest poll. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen got two, finishing second. Joe Burrow received the other first-place vote and came in third.

Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson finished fourth and Jalen Hurts, who outplayed Mahomes in Philadelphia’s dominant Super Bowl victory over Mahomes and the Chiefs, was fifth. Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud also received votes.

Mahomes had a career-low 3,928 yards passing and tied for his fewest touchdown passes with 26, but still led the Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl appearance and fifth in his seven years as the starting QB.

Mahomes, who turns 30 in September, has a chance to become only the fourth quarterback to win four Super Bowls.

He received two second-place votes and one fourth.

Allen led Buffalo to a fifth straight AFC East title and edged Jackson for the MVP award last season. But Allen and the Bills again were knocked out of the playoffs by Mahomes and the Chiefs, losing in the AFC title game.

Allen threw for 3,731 yards, 28 TDs and had six picks for a 101.4 passer rating. He ran for 531 yards and 12 scores, becoming the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns.

He got three second-place votes, one third and two fourths.

Burrow set career highs last season in nearly every passing category, including yards (4,918), TD passes (43) and QB rating (108.5). He earned his second AP Comeback Player of the Year award but the Bengals couldn’t overcome another slow start and missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record.

Burrow, who started 17 games last season for the first time in his career, received a second-place vote, two thirds and three fourths.

Jackson is coming off his third All-Pro season and the best all-around year of his career. He threw for 4,172 yards, 41 TDs and only four interceptions, and led the NFL with a 119.6 passer rating. He also ran for 915 yards and four scores.

But Jackson and the Ravens fell short in the playoffs again, losing to the Bills in the divisional round.

Jackson got one second-place vote, four thirds, two fourths and one fifth.

The Super Bowl MVP appeared on just four of eight ballots despite leading the Eagles to their second NFC championship victory in three years.

Hurts, who got one second-place vote, one third and two fifths, had 2,903 yards passing, 18 TDs and only five picks last season. He ran for 630 yards and 14 scores.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737253012551.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles during the first half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles during the first half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>Patrick Mahomes still stands on top among NFL quarterbacks.The three-time Super Bowl MVP was voted the NFL’s No. 1 quarterback by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.This time, he had more competition for the top spot after being a unanimous choice in 2023 and 2024.A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at quarterback, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.Mahomes, who led the Kansas City Chiefs to consecutive Super Bowl titles in the 2022-23 seasons, finished with five first-place votes in the latest poll. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen got two, finishing second. Joe Burrow received the other first-place vote and came in third.Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson finished fourth and Jalen Hurts, who outplayed Mahomes in Philadelphia’s dominant Super Bowl victory over Mahomes and the Chiefs, was fifth. Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud also received votes.<h2>1. PATRICK MAHOMES, Kansas City Chiefs</h2>Mahomes had a career-low 3,928 yards passing and tied for his fewest touchdown passes with 26, but still led the Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl appearance and fifth in his seven years as the starting QB.Mahomes, who turns 30 in September, has a chance to become only the fourth quarterback to win four Super Bowls.He received two second-place votes and one fourth.<h2>2. JOSH ALLEN, Buffalo Bills</h2>Allen led Buffalo to a fifth straight AFC East title and edged Jackson for the MVP award last season. But Allen and the Bills again were knocked out of the playoffs by Mahomes and the Chiefs, losing in the AFC title game.Allen threw for 3,731 yards, 28 TDs and had six picks for a 101.4 passer rating. He ran for 531 yards and 12 scores, becoming the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns.He got three second-place votes, one third and two fourths.<h2>3. JOE BURROW, Cincinnati Bengals</h2>Burrow set career highs last season in nearly every passing category, including yards (4,918), TD passes (43) and QB rating (108.5). He earned his second AP Comeback Player of the Year award but the Bengals couldn’t overcome another slow start and missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record.Burrow, who started 17 games last season for the first time in his career, received a second-place vote, two thirds and three fourths.<h2>4. LAMAR JACKSON, Baltimore Ravens</h2>Jackson is coming off his third All-Pro season and the best all-around year of his career. He threw for 4,172 yards, 41 TDs and only four interceptions, and led the NFL with a 119.6 passer rating. He also ran for 915 yards and four scores.But Jackson and the Ravens fell short in the playoffs again, losing to the Bills in the divisional round.Jackson got one second-place vote, four thirds, two fourths and one fifth.<h2>5. JALEN HURTS, Philadelphia Eagles</h2>The Super Bowl MVP appeared on just four of eight ballots despite leading the Eagles to their second NFC championship victory in three years.Hurts, who got one second-place vote, one third and two fifths, had 2,903 yards passing, 18 TDs and only five picks last season. He ran for 630 yards and 14 scores.

🏈 Patrick Mahomes is voted the NFL’s top quarterback by AP writers

HAYS – Dylan LaRue hit a two-run homer and four Hays Larks pitchers combine to hold the Collegiate Roughriders to one run and the Larks finish off a four-game sweep with a 6-1 victory in a non-league game Sunday evening at Larks Park.

LaRue’s two-run shot to right proved to be all the Larks (23-4-1) needed as they ran their winning streak to eight games and 10-straight at home. The Roughriders (9-20) have lost six straight. LaRue’s sixth homer of the season came with two outs, two batters after Trent Baker doubled.

The Larks scored four in the bottom of the fourth. Lorenzo Rios singled and scored on a wild pitch. Brady Kreutzer walked and scored on a passed ball, Baker later added a two-run single.

The Roughriders lone run came on a solo homer to lead off the sixth.

Four Larks pitchers combined to allow the one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts an no walks. It’s the first time the Larks didn’t walk a better since July 26, 2022 versus the Gameday Angels.

Seth Lee started and went five innings with two hits and two strikeouts, Adrian Najar allowed one hit and fanned four over two innings and picked up the win. Ryan Hanks allowed the one run on three hits with two strikeouts and Dylan pitched the final two frames with one hit and one strikeout.

The Larks continue their homestand Tuesday with the first of two against the Liberal Bee Jays beginning at 7:00 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717183089670.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsHAYS – Dylan LaRue hit a two-run homer and four Hays Larks pitchers combine to hold the Collegiate Roughriders to one run and the Larks finish off a four-game sweep with a 6-1 victory in a non-league game Sunday evening at Larks Park.LaRue’s two-run shot to right proved to be all the Larks (23-4-1) needed as they ran their winning streak to eight games and 10-straight at home. The Roughriders (9-20) have lost six straight. LaRue’s sixth homer of the season came with two outs, two batters after Trent Baker doubled.The Larks scored four in the bottom of the fourth. Lorenzo Rios singled and scored on a wild pitch. Brady Kreutzer walked and scored on a passed ball, Baker later added a two-run single.The Roughriders lone run came on a solo homer to lead off the sixth.Four Larks pitchers combined to allow the one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts an no walks. It’s the first time the Larks didn’t walk a better since July 26, 2022 versus the Gameday Angels.Seth Lee started and went five innings with two hits and two strikeouts, Adrian Najar allowed one hit and fanned four over two innings and picked up the win. Ryan Hanks allowed the one run on three hits with two strikeouts and Dylan pitched the final two frames with one hit and one strikeout.UP NEXTThe Larks continue their homestand Tuesday with the first of two against the Liberal Bee Jays beginning at 7:00 p.m.

⚾ LaRue homer, solid pitching leads Larks to win over Roughriders

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected five players on the first day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.

With the 23rd overall pick in the 1st round, the Royals selected outfielder Sean Gamble out of IMG Academy (Fla.). An advisory with information regarding a Zoom call with Gamble will be shared shortly.

The Royals were awarded the 28th overall selection in this year’s Draft—dubbed the Prospect Promotion Incentive pick—due to Bobby Witt Jr. being named the American League MVP runner-up last season, and with that pick they selected infielder Josh Hammond out of Wesleyan Christian Academy (N.C.). More info on the PPI program can be found at the end of this release.

With the 61st overall pick in the 2nd round, the Royals selected RHP Michael Lombardi out of Tulane University (La.). They used the 71st pick selection in the Competitive Balance Round B to select LHP Justin Lamkin from Texas A&amp;M University. With their final selection on Night 1 of the Draft, they selected RHP Cameron Millar out of Alhambra High School (Calif.) with the 97th pick in Round 3.

Gamble, 19, is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, who left home at the age of 14 to attend IMG Academy. He is currently committed to play baseball at Vanderbilt University (Tenn.). According to Maxpreps.com, he batted .374 (74-for-198) across three seasons with IMG, including .413 (31-for-75) with 4 home runs, 6 triples, 8 doubles, 29 runs and 30 RBI as a senior, a 1.324 OPS. He only struck out 6 times in 91 plate appearances this season, while drawing 10 walks.

Hammond, 18, was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect by Perfect Game and is currently committed to play baseball at Wake Forest University (N.C.). He slashed .471/.613/.882 (40-for-85, 1.495 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 28 RBI, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 6 home runs as a senior, polishing off a 4-year career as a starter at Wesleyan Christian, according to Maxpreps.com. He also pitched in high school, logging 255 strikeouts in 155.1 innings pitched. Hammond earned NCISAA All-State honors after leading Wesleyan to a Class 4A championship and was named to the MaxPreps All-American Second Team. He pitched in 2 games for Team USA’s 18U squad in 2024, including 3.0 innings of 1-run ball vs. Panamá in the gold medal game.

Lombardi, 21, pitched in parts of three seasons at Tulane University (La.), where he posted a 3.82 ERA (48 ER in 113.0 IP) and 154 strikeouts, while earning 8 wins and 16 saves. As a junior this season, he appeared in 23 games (6 starts) and earned 11 saves while pitching to a 2.14 ERA (10 ER in 42.0 IP), as well as 73 strikeouts (12.3 K/9). He earned Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State Team Honorable Mention as well as a selection to the All-AAC Second Team as a sophomore after striking out 53 batters in 41.2 innings of work, an 11.4 K/9. He also hit during all three of his seasons at Tulane, and was a career .258 hitter, including a .273/.392/.453 slashline in 2025. He graduated from Fox Lane High School (N.Y.), where he was a National Honor Society member as well as a two-year letterwinner in basketball. Some of his accolades on the diamond included three All League selections, two All Section selections, two League MVPs and a pair of First Team All-County honors. He had a career .425 batting average, and had more career intentional walks than strikeouts.

Lamkin, 21, started 15 games at Texas A&amp;M University this season and posted a 3.42 ERA (32 ER in a team-high 84.1 IP) with 98 strikeouts (10.5 K/9), just 19 walks (2.0 BB/9) and a team-best 7 quality starts. In three seasons (53 games, 41 starts) with the Aggies, he struck out 260 batters across 209.1 innings (11.2 K/9). Prior to attending Texas A&amp;M, he graduated from Calallen High School (Texas), where he recorded all 21 outs via the strikeout in a no-hitter over Kerrville Tivy on March 11, 2022, and later that year was named to the Class 4A All-State Third Team by the Texas Sportswriters Association.

Millar, 18, just finished his senior season at Alhambra High School (Calif.), where he went 7-1 with a 0.11 ERA (1 ER in 64.0 IP) with 117 strikeouts (49.8 K%) and just 18 walks (7.7 BB%), per his Maxpreps.com page. He didn’t allow an extra-base hit, scattering 23 singles throughout his final year. Over three seasons, he went 20-8 with a 0.45 ERA (12 ER in 187.0 IP) and 268 strikeouts (37.5 K%) and just 53 walks (7.4 BB%). He did bat as well, mostly through his sophomore and junior seasons, combining to hit .221 (19-for-86) with 2 home runs. Only one player from Alhambra High School has made it to the Majors, and that was current Angels reliever Robert Stephenson. Millar is committed to the University of Arizona.

As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2022, the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented as a way to encourage teams to promote their best young players to the Majors as early as possible. Part of this, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza, states: “Players who made an Opening Day roster and accrued the service time but didn’t factor in any awards that year retain PPI eligibility. They need to place in the top three for MVP or Cy Young (Award voting) before hitting arbitration. Witt Jr. became the first player to achieve this in 2024, when his top-3 AL MVP finish earned Kansas City a PPI pick in the 2025 Draft. Witt retained his eligibility from 2022, when he made his MLB debut for Kansas City on Opening Day.”

The Draft will conclude tomorrow beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT with rounds 4-20, exclusively on MLB.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752488306528.png" alt="Image courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected five players on the first day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.With the 23rd overall pick in the 1st round, the Royals selected outfielder Sean Gamble out of IMG Academy (Fla.). An advisory with information regarding a Zoom call with Gamble will be shared shortly.The Royals were awarded the 28th overall selection in this year’s Draft—dubbed the Prospect Promotion Incentive pick—due to Bobby Witt Jr. being named the American League MVP runner-up last season, and with that pick they selected infielder Josh Hammond out of Wesleyan Christian Academy (N.C.). More info on the PPI program can be found at the end of this release.With the 61st overall pick in the 2nd round, the Royals selected RHP Michael Lombardi out of Tulane University (La.). They used the 71st pick selection in the Competitive Balance Round B to select LHP Justin Lamkin from Texas A&amp;M University. With their final selection on Night 1 of the Draft, they selected RHP Cameron Millar out of Alhambra High School (Calif.) with the 97th pick in Round 3.Gamble, 19, is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, who left home at the age of 14 to attend IMG Academy. He is currently committed to play baseball at Vanderbilt University (Tenn.). According to Maxpreps.com, he batted .374 (74-for-198) across three seasons with IMG, including .413 (31-for-75) with 4 home runs, 6 triples, 8 doubles, 29 runs and 30 RBI as a senior, a 1.324 OPS. He only struck out 6 times in 91 plate appearances this season, while drawing 10 walks.Hammond, 18, was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect by Perfect Game and is currently committed to play baseball at Wake Forest University (N.C.). He slashed .471/.613/.882 (40-for-85, 1.495 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 28 RBI, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 6 home runs as a senior, polishing off a 4-year career as a starter at Wesleyan Christian, according to Maxpreps.com. He also pitched in high school, logging 255 strikeouts in 155.1 innings pitched. Hammond earned NCISAA All-State honors after leading Wesleyan to a Class 4A championship and was named to the MaxPreps All-American Second Team. He pitched in 2 games for Team USA’s 18U squad in 2024, including 3.0 innings of 1-run ball vs. Panamá in the gold medal game.Lombardi, 21, pitched in parts of three seasons at Tulane University (La.), where he posted a 3.82 ERA (48 ER in 113.0 IP) and 154 strikeouts, while earning 8 wins and 16 saves. As a junior this season, he appeared in 23 games (6 starts) and earned 11 saves while pitching to a 2.14 ERA (10 ER in 42.0 IP), as well as 73 strikeouts (12.3 K/9). He earned Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State Team Honorable Mention as well as a selection to the All-AAC Second Team as a sophomore after striking out 53 batters in 41.2 innings of work, an 11.4 K/9. He also hit during all three of his seasons at Tulane, and was a career .258 hitter, including a .273/.392/.453 slashline in 2025. He graduated from Fox Lane High School (N.Y.), where he was a National Honor Society member as well as a two-year letterwinner in basketball. Some of his accolades on the diamond included three All League selections, two All Section selections, two League MVPs and a pair of First Team All-County honors. He had a career .425 batting average, and had more career intentional walks than strikeouts.Lamkin, 21, started 15 games at Texas A&amp;M University this season and posted a 3.42 ERA (32 ER in a team-high 84.1 IP) with 98 strikeouts (10.5 K/9), just 19 walks (2.0 BB/9) and a team-best 7 quality starts. In three seasons (53 games, 41 starts) with the Aggies, he struck out 260 batters across 209.1 innings (11.2 K/9). Prior to attending Texas A&amp;M, he graduated from Calallen High School (Texas), where he recorded all 21 outs via the strikeout in a no-hitter over Kerrville Tivy on March 11, 2022, and later that year was named to the Class 4A All-State Third Team by the Texas Sportswriters Association.Millar, 18, just finished his senior season at Alhambra High School (Calif.), where he went 7-1 with a 0.11 ERA (1 ER in 64.0 IP) with 117 strikeouts (49.8 K%) and just 18 walks (7.7 BB%), per his Maxpreps.com page. He didn’t allow an extra-base hit, scattering 23 singles throughout his final year. Over three seasons, he went 20-8 with a 0.45 ERA (12 ER in 187.0 IP) and 268 strikeouts (37.5 K%) and just 53 walks (7.4 BB%). He did bat as well, mostly through his sophomore and junior seasons, combining to hit .221 (19-for-86) with 2 home runs. Only one player from Alhambra High School has made it to the Majors, and that was current Angels reliever Robert Stephenson. Millar is committed to the University of Arizona.As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2022, the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented as a way to encourage teams to promote their best young players to the Majors as early as possible. Part of this, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza, states: “Players who made an Opening Day roster and accrued the service time but didn’t factor in any awards that year retain PPI eligibility. They need to place in the top three for MVP or Cy Young (Award voting) before hitting arbitration. Witt Jr. became the first player to achieve this in 2024, when his top-3 AL MVP finish earned Kansas City a PPI pick in the 2025 Draft. Witt retained his eligibility from 2022, when he made his MLB debut for Kansas City on Opening Day.”The Draft will conclude tomorrow beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT with rounds 4-20, exclusively on MLB.com.

⚾ Royals select five players on first day of MLB draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin delivered his second game-winning hit in less than a week, driving in Tyler Tolbert from second base with a single in the ninth inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Tolbert singled off Sean Manaea, who had been dominant in relief in his season debut for the Mets. And when the speedster stole second base, that gave Loftin the chance to deliver another winner after his deciding single Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

Manaea (0-1), who had been out after straining an oblique in spring training and then developing an elbow issue during his rehab outings, allowed that lone run and five hits while striking out seven in 3 1/3 innings.

Noah Cameron delivered another brilliant start for Kansas City, scattering seven hits while matching a career best with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. And the rookie left-hander was in line for his fourth win when John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg shepherded a 2-0 lead — courtesy of John Rave's second-inning double — to All-Star closer Carlos Estévez.

Ronny Mauricio led off the ninth with a double off Estévez (4-2). Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI triple off the center-field wall, and fellow pinch hitter Jared Young delivered a sacrifice fly moments later to tie the game.

Clay Holmes allowed two runs and five hits and a walk over five innings for New York.

Tolbert entered the game in the eighth for Jac Caglianone for his defense. It wound up being his offense that mattered, helping the Royals avoid a three-game sweep heading into the All-Star break.

The Mets went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight in the game.

The Mets will be represented at the All-Star Game in Atlanta this week by LHP David Peterson, RHP Edwin Diaz, SS Francisco Lindor and 1B Pete Alonso. The Royals will have INF Maikel Garcia, Estévez, SS Bobby Witt Jr. and LHP Kris Bubic there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752446547726.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin delivered his second game-winning hit in less than a week, driving in Tyler Tolbert from second base with a single in the ninth inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.Tolbert singled off Sean Manaea, who had been dominant in relief in his season debut for the Mets. And when the speedster stole second base, that gave Loftin the chance to deliver another winner after his deciding single Tuesday against Pittsburgh.Manaea (0-1), who had been out after straining an oblique in spring training and then developing an elbow issue during his rehab outings, allowed that lone run and five hits while striking out seven in 3 1/3 innings.Noah Cameron delivered another brilliant start for Kansas City, scattering seven hits while matching a career best with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. And the rookie left-hander was in line for his fourth win when John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg shepherded a 2-0 lead — courtesy of John Rave's second-inning double — to All-Star closer Carlos Estévez.Ronny Mauricio led off the ninth with a double off Estévez (4-2). Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI triple off the center-field wall, and fellow pinch hitter Jared Young delivered a sacrifice fly moments later to tie the game.Clay Holmes allowed two runs and five hits and a walk over five innings for New York.<h2>Key moment</h2>Tolbert entered the game in the eighth for Jac Caglianone for his defense. It wound up being his offense that mattered, helping the Royals avoid a three-game sweep heading into the All-Star break.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Mets went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight in the game.<h2>Up next</h2>The Mets will be represented at the All-Star Game in Atlanta this week by LHP David Peterson, RHP Edwin Diaz, SS Francisco Lindor and 1B Pete Alonso. The Royals will have INF Maikel Garcia, Estévez, SS Bobby Witt Jr. and LHP Kris Bubic there.