Saturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pm

Sunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

Saturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jake Cronenworth drove in three runs in a nine-run eighth inning, Luis Arraez had four hits and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 11-8 on Friday night.

Cronenworth hit a two-run single in the eighth to give the Padres a 4-3 lead and added an RBI double to make it 11-3. He leads San Diego with 38 RBIs. Luis Arraez had his fifth four-hit game of the season.

“That was amazing,” Arraez said. “When we put the ball in play, good things happen, so we just need to continue to do that so we can win a lot of games."

San Diego took command in the eighth inning, getting seven straight singles before the Royals recorded an out. The Padres totaled 18 hits in the game and had 10 singles and 11 total hits in the eighth inning, a club record for an inning.

“That eighth inning was pretty special and you don’t see many of them,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We just put together professional at-bats throughout, so it was pretty exciting. The approach was good we were just taking what the game gave us. It was a great inning and we got contributions from all.”

Yuki Matsui (3-0) got the victory with a scoreless seventh.

Dylan Cease gave up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Cease made his 16th career start against the Royals, which is his most against any club in his career. He also added to his strikeout total against Kansas City, eclipsing 104 strikeouts, the most against one opponent.

“I think my outing was good enough to keep us in it, but it wasn’t very dominant," Cease said. “I am not thrilled with it, but I am happy we got the win, and the offense picked it up.”

Michael Wacha pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. It was his lowest strikeout total of the season and the fewest since June 19, 2023, while with San Diego. John Schreiber (3-1) gave up three runs in the eighth.

Nelson Velázquez hit a solo home run in Kansas City's five-run ninth.

“That’s the nature of baseball," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I wish we could explain the ins and outs of why, but a lot of it has to do with these guys never quitting. When their back is against the wall they know they have to go and keep fighting.”

San Diego reliever Jeremiah Estrada entered the game in the sixth inning, holding a major league record of 13 straight consecutive strikeouts, which came to an end on an intentional walk to Salvador Perez. The record dated to the Expansion Era in 1961 when play-by-play data was available and was broken by Jose Alvarado with 11 straight in 2023.

Royals: LHP Daniel Lynch IV was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the game on Thursday. In the corresponding move, the Royals recalled RHP Will Klein.

Padres: RHP Yu Darvish (left hamstring tightness) remained in San Diego to receive treatment after an early exit in his last start due to the hamstring tightness on Wednesday against Miami. No move has been made.

Joe Musgrove (3-4, 5.66 ERA) was set to start for San Diego on Saturday against Alec Marsh (4-2, 3.24 ERA).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717212665259.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a fly ball for the out on San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 31, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a fly ball for the out on San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 31, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jake Cronenworth drove in three runs in a nine-run eighth inning, Luis Arraez had four hits and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 11-8 on Friday night.Cronenworth hit a two-run single in the eighth to give the Padres a 4-3 lead and added an RBI double to make it 11-3. He leads San Diego with 38 RBIs. Luis Arraez had his fifth four-hit game of the season.“That was amazing,” Arraez said. “When we put the ball in play, good things happen, so we just need to continue to do that so we can win a lot of games."San Diego took command in the eighth inning, getting seven straight singles before the Royals recorded an out. The Padres totaled 18 hits in the game and had 10 singles and 11 total hits in the eighth inning, a club record for an inning.“That eighth inning was pretty special and you don’t see many of them,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We just put together professional at-bats throughout, so it was pretty exciting. The approach was good we were just taking what the game gave us. It was a great inning and we got contributions from all.”Yuki Matsui (3-0) got the victory with a scoreless seventh.Dylan Cease gave up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Cease made his 16th career start against the Royals, which is his most against any club in his career. He also added to his strikeout total against Kansas City, eclipsing 104 strikeouts, the most against one opponent.“I think my outing was good enough to keep us in it, but it wasn’t very dominant," Cease said. “I am not thrilled with it, but I am happy we got the win, and the offense picked it up.”Michael Wacha pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. It was his lowest strikeout total of the season and the fewest since June 19, 2023, while with San Diego. John Schreiber (3-1) gave up three runs in the eighth.Nelson Velázquez hit a solo home run in Kansas City's five-run ninth.“That’s the nature of baseball," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I wish we could explain the ins and outs of why, but a lot of it has to do with these guys never quitting. When their back is against the wall they know they have to go and keep fighting.”K STREAK ENDSSan Diego reliever Jeremiah Estrada entered the game in the sixth inning, holding a major league record of 13 straight consecutive strikeouts, which came to an end on an intentional walk to Salvador Perez. The record dated to the Expansion Era in 1961 when play-by-play data was available and was broken by Jose Alvarado with 11 straight in 2023.ROSTER MOVESRoyals: LHP Daniel Lynch IV was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the game on Thursday. In the corresponding move, the Royals recalled RHP Will Klein.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: RHP Yu Darvish (left hamstring tightness) remained in San Diego to receive treatment after an early exit in his last start due to the hamstring tightness on Wednesday against Miami. No move has been made.UP NEXTJoe Musgrove (3-4, 5.66 ERA) was set to start for San Diego on Saturday against Alec Marsh (4-2, 3.24 ERA).

⚾️ Cronenworth drives in 3 runs in 9-run 8th, Padres beat Royals

Friday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pm

Friday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pmSaturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers homered twice and Carlos Correa added a two-out, bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.

Reliever Chris Stratton (2-3) allowed pinch-hitter Max Kepler's RBI single and walked two batters to load the bases with two outs.

Correa lifted a 3-1 fastball down the right-field line to break a 4-4 tie. It was Correa's second triple of the season.

Jeffers’ first home run of the game, a two-run blast into the left-field bullpen in the bottom of the fourth, cut the Royals’ 4-0 lead in half. Jeffers, who leads the Twins with 12 home runs, had gone 5 for 43 since his previous homer on May 14.

Reliever Caleb Thielbar (2-1) got the win for the Twins, who took three of four in the series.

Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez each homered for Kansas City. Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV allowed two earned runs in five innings just hours after being called up from Triple-A Omaha.

Scheduled Kansas City starter Brady Singer was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-brady-singer-fdf2252d58ab6afb3e253495bbe20999">scratched</a>&nbsp;because of illness shortly before the 12:10 p.m. game. Lynch allowed five hits, including both Jeffers home runs, and struck out two in his second big-league start this season.

Back in the lineup two days after a first-base collision with Byron Buxton, Pasquantino smashed a 1-0 curveball into the second deck of right-field seats to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. added another run with a double to left-center field in the third, and Melendez homered off Twins starter Chris Paddack in the fourth inning over the right-field fence to make it 4-0.

Witt added a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth, but Twins closer Jhoan Duran retired Pasquantino on a grounder to the mound to earn his ninth save.

Paddack allowed four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Twins.

Royals: Optioned Carlos Hernández to Triple-A Omaha to make room on the roster for Lynch.

Royals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (4-5, 4.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease (5-4, 3.29) in the first of a three-game series in Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717102088823.jpeg" alt="Twins' Ryan Jeffers runs the bases on his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)" />
 <figcaption>Twins' Ryan Jeffers runs the bases on his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers homered twice and Carlos Correa added a two-out, bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.Reliever Chris Stratton (2-3) allowed pinch-hitter Max Kepler's RBI single and walked two batters to load the bases with two outs.Correa lifted a 3-1 fastball down the right-field line to break a 4-4 tie. It was Correa's second triple of the season.Jeffers’ first home run of the game, a two-run blast into the left-field bullpen in the bottom of the fourth, cut the Royals’ 4-0 lead in half. Jeffers, who leads the Twins with 12 home runs, had gone 5 for 43 since his previous homer on May 14.Reliever Caleb Thielbar (2-1) got the win for the Twins, who took three of four in the series.Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez each homered for Kansas City. Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV allowed two earned runs in five innings just hours after being called up from Triple-A Omaha.Scheduled Kansas City starter Brady Singer was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-brady-singer-fdf2252d58ab6afb3e253495bbe20999">scratched</a>&nbsp;because of illness shortly before the 12:10 p.m. game. Lynch allowed five hits, including both Jeffers home runs, and struck out two in his second big-league start this season.Back in the lineup two days after a first-base collision with Byron Buxton, Pasquantino smashed a 1-0 curveball into the second deck of right-field seats to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. added another run with a double to left-center field in the third, and Melendez homered off Twins starter Chris Paddack in the fourth inning over the right-field fence to make it 4-0.Witt added a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth, but Twins closer Jhoan Duran retired Pasquantino on a grounder to the mound to earn his ninth save.Paddack allowed four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Twins.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: Optioned Carlos Hernández to Triple-A Omaha to make room on the roster for Lynch.UP NEXTRoyals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (4-5, 4.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease (5-4, 3.29) in the first of a three-game series in Kansas City.

⚾️ Ryan Jeffers homers twice as Twins rally for victory over Royals

Thursday, May 30
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30am

Thursday, May 30
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amFriday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pmSaturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

By BOYCE DURR FHSU University Communications

 Hayden Albright, a standout sprinter on the Fort Hays State University men’s track and field team, recently crossed the commencement stage, donning his cap and gown. Albright earned his bachelor's degree in&nbsp;Information Networking and Telecommunications, with a concentration in&nbsp;Cybersecurity. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Albright’s academic journey.

While many of his peers are venturing into the workforce, Albright has chosen a different path. He will return to FHSU after graduation to pursue a&nbsp;Masters of Professional Studies in Information Assurance Management while also completing his final year of eligibility for both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Hailing from Kingman, Albright’s college experience has included many challenges and triumphs. Despite the demands of his rigorous academic program, he maintained an impressive&nbsp;GPA of 3.78.

Beyond the classroom, Albright has achieved much success on the FHSU track team. His accolades include being a&nbsp;4-time All-American, earning honors in the indoor 400 meters in 2023, as well as being a member of the indoor distance medley relay team in 2024 and the outdoor 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams in 2021. Albright is also a 2-time MIAA Champion and a&nbsp;7-time All-MIAA&nbsp;athlete.

“Hayden’s story is uniquely inspirational, one I’ll share with high school and college athletes in the future,” said Kelly Meyer, FHSU online admissions advisor and assistant track and field sprints coach. “Hayden joined our team as a walk-on, but consistently gave his best every day. Because of his hard work and dedication, he continued to develop.”

“Of course, now, he's a 4x All-American and a key leader on our team,” Meyer said. “I'm so proud of the student, athlete, and person he has become.” &nbsp;

Albright credits much of his growth and success as an athlete to the FHSU athletics department and the great coaches he has worked with.

“My sprints coach, Kelly Meyer, has been a huge part of my life in Hays,” Albright said. “She was like having a second mom here at FHSU.”

Albright’s academic achievements include the&nbsp;CSC Academic All-District&nbsp;distinction in 2023. Additionally, he received the&nbsp;USTFCCCA All-Academic Award&nbsp;three times, the&nbsp;MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;five times, was named to the&nbsp;MIAA Academic Honor Roll&nbsp;on five occasions, and received the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award twice. His commitment to both athletics and academics exemplifies the well-rounded student-athlete.

Albright also credits his professors and instructors in the Informatics Department as key to his academic success.

“Kevin Shaffer (Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Informatics) was always willing to help; he has helped me out a lot,” Albright said. “He has helped me both in class and with choosing classes to make sure I got everything I needed.”

As Albright embarks on his post-graduation journey, he recognizes that hard work is the key to success.

“Sometimes,&nbsp;the only way to be successful was to put my head down, work hard, and make sacrifices,” Albright said. “This meant not hanging out with friends sometimes so that I could achieve my desired grade or put more work into track. However, I still had plenty of chances to have fun with friends and enjoy college.”

Hayden Albright’s story serves as an inspiration to all aspiring graduates. To paraphrase his own beliefs, dedication and perseverance pave the way to achievement, whether on the track or in the classroom.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716543712093.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Hayden Albright. Photo courtesy FHSU" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Hayden Albright. Photo courtesy FHSU</figcaption>
 </figure>By BOYCE DURR FHSU University Communications Hayden Albright, a standout sprinter on the Fort Hays State University men’s track and field team, recently crossed the commencement stage, donning his cap and gown. Albright earned his bachelor's degree in&nbsp;Information Networking and Telecommunications, with a concentration in&nbsp;Cybersecurity. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Albright’s academic journey.While many of his peers are venturing into the workforce, Albright has chosen a different path. He will return to FHSU after graduation to pursue a&nbsp;Masters of Professional Studies in Information Assurance Management while also completing his final year of eligibility for both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.Hailing from Kingman, Albright’s college experience has included many challenges and triumphs. Despite the demands of his rigorous academic program, he maintained an impressive&nbsp;GPA of 3.78.Beyond the classroom, Albright has achieved much success on the FHSU track team. His accolades include being a&nbsp;4-time All-American, earning honors in the indoor 400 meters in 2023, as well as being a member of the indoor distance medley relay team in 2024 and the outdoor 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams in 2021. Albright is also a 2-time MIAA Champion and a&nbsp;7-time All-MIAA&nbsp;athlete.“Hayden’s story is uniquely inspirational, one I’ll share with high school and college athletes in the future,” said Kelly Meyer, FHSU online admissions advisor and assistant track and field sprints coach. “Hayden joined our team as a walk-on, but consistently gave his best every day. Because of his hard work and dedication, he continued to develop.”“Of course, now, he's a 4x All-American and a key leader on our team,” Meyer said. “I'm so proud of the student, athlete, and person he has become.” &nbsp;Albright credits much of his growth and success as an athlete to the FHSU athletics department and the great coaches he has worked with.“My sprints coach, Kelly Meyer, has been a huge part of my life in Hays,” Albright said. “She was like having a second mom here at FHSU.”Albright’s academic achievements include the&nbsp;CSC Academic All-District&nbsp;distinction in 2023. Additionally, he received the&nbsp;USTFCCCA All-Academic Award&nbsp;three times, the&nbsp;MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;five times, was named to the&nbsp;MIAA Academic Honor Roll&nbsp;on five occasions, and received the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award twice. His commitment to both athletics and academics exemplifies the well-rounded student-athlete.Albright also credits his professors and instructors in the Informatics Department as key to his academic success.“Kevin Shaffer (Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Informatics) was always willing to help; he has helped me out a lot,” Albright said. “He has helped me both in class and with choosing classes to make sure I got everything I needed.”As Albright embarks on his post-graduation journey, he recognizes that hard work is the key to success.“Sometimes,&nbsp;the only way to be successful was to put my head down, work hard, and make sacrifices,” Albright said. “This meant not hanging out with friends sometimes so that I could achieve my desired grade or put more work into track. However, I still had plenty of chances to have fun with friends and enjoy college.”Hayden Albright’s story serves as an inspiration to all aspiring graduates. To paraphrase his own beliefs, dedication and perseverance pave the way to achievement, whether on the track or in the classroom.&nbsp;

FHSU men’s track and field standout sprinter graduates with honors

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Velázquez homered twice, Salvador Perez hit his team-leading 10th homer of the season and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game skid with a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.

Velázquez’s first homer came in Kansas City’s four-run third inning. After Minnesota jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the Royals countered with four runs off Twins starter Bailey Ober.

Perez drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left, and Veláquez knocked in Perez two batters later with a two-run shot to center for a 4-1 lead.

Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and Veláquez followed with his seventh homer of the season to give the Royals a 6-1 lead.

That was plenty of run support for Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (9-1), who earned his fourth win in as many starts. Lugo allowed one run on six hits in six innings, with his career-best ninth win.

It was the second time this season the Royals roughed up Ober (5-3). The Twins' right-hander also surrendered three homers and eight total runs against Kansas City in his first start of the season on March 31.

Ober allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings on Wednesday.

The victory helped Kansas City avoid what would have been a season-high, four-game losing streak. The Royals have lost three straight games three times this season.

Twins third baseman Jose Miranda drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field. It was the third straight game in the series that Miranda had the first RBI of the game. He homered in the third inning of Monday’s series opener for a 2-0 lead, and had a two-run single to open the scoring in Tuesday’s win.

Kansas City will send RHP Brady Singer (4-2, 2.70 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Singer allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts. Minnesota counters with RHP Chris Paddack (4-2, 4.39), who earned no-decisions in his previous two outings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717035916046.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Velázquez homered twice, Salvador Perez hit his team-leading 10th homer of the season and the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game skid with a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.Velázquez’s first homer came in Kansas City’s four-run third inning. After Minnesota jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the Royals countered with four runs off Twins starter Bailey Ober.Perez drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left, and Veláquez knocked in Perez two batters later with a two-run shot to center for a 4-1 lead.Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and Veláquez followed with his seventh homer of the season to give the Royals a 6-1 lead.That was plenty of run support for Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (9-1), who earned his fourth win in as many starts. Lugo allowed one run on six hits in six innings, with his career-best ninth win.It was the second time this season the Royals roughed up Ober (5-3). The Twins' right-hander also surrendered three homers and eight total runs against Kansas City in his first start of the season on March 31.Ober allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings on Wednesday.The victory helped Kansas City avoid what would have been a season-high, four-game losing streak. The Royals have lost three straight games three times this season.Twins third baseman Jose Miranda drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field. It was the third straight game in the series that Miranda had the first RBI of the game. He homered in the third inning of Monday’s series opener for a 2-0 lead, and had a two-run single to open the scoring in Tuesday’s win.UP NEXTKansas City will send RHP Brady Singer (4-2, 2.70 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Singer allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts. Minnesota counters with RHP Chris Paddack (4-2, 4.39), who earned no-decisions in his previous two outings.___

⚾️ Velázquez hits 2 HRs as Royals snap skid with win over Twins

Wednesday, May 29
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pm

Wednesday, May 29
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 6:00pm Thursday, May 30
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, 11:30amFriday, May 31
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 6:30pmSaturday, June 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 2:30pmSunday, June 2
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Padres, 12:30pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first win in eight starts, Jose Miranda drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Minnesota, winners of six of their last seven games, got two hits apiece from Manuel Margot, Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana.

Jhoan Duran allowed the first two hitters he faced in the ninth to reach base, but helped by Christian Vazquez throwing out a runner trying to steal second, he didn't allow a run and earned his ninth save.

Kansas City tied a season-low with five hits to lose its third straight after winning eight in a row. The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 16 at Target Field.

Woods Richardson (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings for his first win since April 13.

He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts, and only once did he receive more than two runs of support. His 2.70 ERA is third among rookies with at least 35 innings pitched, trailing Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (0.84) and Luis Gil of the Yankees (2.11).

After cruising through four innings, Woods Richardson found trouble in the fifth. Nick Loftin walked, advanced to third on Hunter Renfroe's double, and scored on Garrett Hampson's single. Kyle Isbel's groundout plated Renfroe to make it 3-2.

Cole Ragans (4-4), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning last Wednesday, struggled early for Kansas City but got through five innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.

The left-hander gave up hits to Minnesota’s first two batters: Margot singled and Carlos Correa doubled. Both scored on Miranda's single to end Ragans' 13-inning scoreless streak.

Back-to-back doubles by Vazquez and Margot made it 3-0 in the fourth.

Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game in the third inning with a lower left leg contusion after fully extending to catch a high throw from 3B Maikel Garcia. He is considered day to day.

Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Diego Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul, RHP Justin Toba was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’s been out since March 25 with left patellar tendinitis.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first win in eight starts, Jose Miranda drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.Minnesota, winners of six of their last seven games, got two hits apiece from Manuel Margot, Byron Buxton and Carlos Santana.Jhoan Duran allowed the first two hitters he faced in the ninth to reach base, but helped by Christian Vazquez throwing out a runner trying to steal second, he didn't allow a run and earned his ninth save.Kansas City tied a season-low with five hits to lose its third straight after winning eight in a row. The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 16 at Target Field.Woods Richardson (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings for his first win since April 13.He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his past eight starts, and only once did he receive more than two runs of support. His 2.70 ERA is third among rookies with at least 35 innings pitched, trailing Shota Imanaga of the Cubs (0.84) and Luis Gil of the Yankees (2.11).After cruising through four innings, Woods Richardson found trouble in the fifth. Nick Loftin walked, advanced to third on Hunter Renfroe's double, and scored on Garrett Hampson's single. Kyle Isbel's groundout plated Renfroe to make it 3-2.Cole Ragans (4-4), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning last Wednesday, struggled early for Kansas City but got through five innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.The left-hander gave up hits to Minnesota’s first two batters: Margot singled and Carlos Correa doubled. Both scored on Miranda's single to end Ragans' 13-inning scoreless streak.Back-to-back doubles by Vazquez and Margot made it 3-0 in the fourth.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game in the third inning with a lower left leg contusion after fully extending to catch a high throw from 3B Maikel Garcia. He is considered day to day.Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Diego Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul, RHP Justin Toba was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’s been out since March 25 with left patellar tendinitis.UP NEXT

⚾️ Woods Richardson gets first win in 8 starts as Twins top Royals

By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">Western Athletic Conference</a>

By the middle of April, while many Western Athletic Conference schools were yet to play most of their conference baseball games, the Hays Indians had already wrapped up their 8-game slate.

With that timetable came an early 8-0 record that allowed the Indians to repeat their 2023 WAC championship and then focus on non-conference games the final month of the short spring season.

It was by plan that Hays baseball coach Dustin Dreher scheduled all the WAC games early.

“We played Dodge City on April 16, and it was just their second and third WAC games and it was our seventh and eighth,” Dreher said. “I think I wanted to get us into some three-game tournaments that would replicate what state might be like.”

The early celebration for the WAC title may have been tempered by an extremely tough non-conference schedule as the Indians went 8-10 against those teams. Still, Dreher wouldn’t change his schedule.

“It gave us a chance to see what some of our players could do, work on our pitching rotation and see who could play in different positions,” Dreher said.&nbsp;

One of his top players was his nephew, Nolan Dreher, a pitcher, and first baseman Lex Lummus. Both are seniors and were named to the WAC all-conference first team.

“One of our goals was to win WAC and we wanted to get that early and it just was fortunate to work out by design,” Dreher said. “This team was built on pitching, defense and speed. The pitching and defense certainly got us several wins.”

Dreher sometimes described his offense as scoring runs using “small ball.” That is getting runners on, stealing bases, bunting runners over.

“We just found a way to scrape around some runs and that was our biggest challenge,” said Dreher, whose team averaged 5.58 runs per game while limiting the opposition to just 2.85 runs a game. “We wanted to play the best teams in the state with the remainder of our schedule because you have to play the best if you want to be the best.”

Dreher said facing some of the top pitchers in the WAC early prepared the Indians for the tough schedule later.

“I think we saw everybody’s No. 1 pitcher when we played them in the WAC,” Dreher said. “That’s the caliber of pitcher we saw a lot of the rest of the season.”

Part of that non-conference schedule included three-day tournaments in DeSoto, Bonner Springs and one hosted by the Indians.

“All of these are set up to give us an opportunity to evaluate how we might schedule our pitchers if we make it to state,” Dreher said.

A pair of juniors earned second-team all-WAC this year in Jonathan Cano (utility) and Carter Graham, who pitched and played third base.

Dreher said he had to move some players around to new positions from the 2023 team. He will welcome back 10 seniors for the 2025 season, so things certainly appear bright for the Indians.

Joining Dreher and Lummus on the all-WAC first team was J. Brooks Kappelman, the Liberal pitcher-shortstop who repeated as WAC Player of the Year.

Liberal’s other first team selection was pitcher/outfielder Zayden Martinez while WAC runner-up Great Bend led the way with three selections – pitcher/outfielder Carson Umphres, first baseman Ian Premer and utility player Trenton Kern.

Other first team selections included Remmington Miller of Dodge City (pitcher/second baseman); and Culden Plankenhorn of Garden City (catcher/third baseman).

J. Brooks Kappelman, Liberal, Sr., Player of the Year

Perhaps the best way to explain how effective Brooks Kappelman has been as a pitcher for the Liberal Redskins is to look at his earned-run-average.

This year, despite a modest 4-3 won-loss record (the Redskins were 3-5 in the WAC), Kappelman’s ERA was an impressive 1.34. He recorded 77 strikes against just 14 walks

“I think the game slowed down more for me and I was able to just play,” said Kappelman, who earned his second consecutive WAC Player of the Year honor by the conference’s coaches. “It just seemed easier to make the right decisions and I was a lot smarter about getting the right pitch to throw and was more patient.”

Kappelman said he worked more on better locating his fastball, which averages between 86 and 88 mph, but did hit 90 mph on a few occasions.

“I just was able to spot in better places, keeping it low and away from hitters,” Kappelman said.&nbsp;

While also throwing a curve ball, and an occasional change-up, Kappelman said he relies on the fastball as his go-to pitch.

When he was not on the mound, he was playing shortstop for the Redskins and he displayed his offensive skills throughout his senior campaign.

HIs batting average was a lofty .465 and he recorded 7 doubles and 6 triples with 23 RBIs in 23 games. He scored 28 runs and had 9 stolen bases.

“I worked on not swinging at so many curve balls and just the mental side of hitting improved for me,” Kappelman said. “I did a better job of waiting for my own pitch.”

In the field, Kappelman said he felt he improved his range to run down balls both to his left and right.

“I was able to get to a lot more balls,” he said. “We had a really good first baseman, so I knew I just throw it there and he’d scoop it up.”

Kappelman won two WAC awards in his final high school year, having been named the Football Player of the Year in the fall at quarterback to lead the Redskins to their best season in many years.

However, he will dispatch the helmet and pads and continue his baseball career at hometown Seward County Community College. He hopes to pitch and also play some in the field for the Saints.

Reaching this stage of his baseball career had Kappelman recalling his first exposure to the game&nbsp; when he was just 3 years old and playing on his older brother’s T-Ball team. He also served as the bat boy for the Semi-Pro Liberal BeeJays in the summer.

“I’ve just been around the game all my life,” said Kappelman, whose father, Brock, is the sports director at a local radio station and long-time voice of the Redskins and Saints.

Academically, Kappelman said he has not made up his mind but has interests in education and finance, perhaps leaning toward teaching and coaching.

WAC Baseball Standings TEAM&nbsp; WAC OVERALL 1. Hays 8-0&nbsp; 16-10 2. Great Bend&nbsp; 6-2&nbsp; 18-9 T3. Dodge City&nbsp; 3-5&nbsp; 9-16 T3. Liberal&nbsp; 3-5&nbsp; 13-11 5. Garden City&nbsp; 0-8&nbsp; 7-12

FIRST TEAM ALL WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POSITION - SCHOOL J. Brooks Kappelmann&nbsp; - Sr. - P/SS - Liberal Carson Umphres - Jr. - P/OF - Great Bend Remmington Miller - Sr. - P/2B - Dodge City Nolan Dreher - Sr. - P - Hays Ian Premer - So. - 1B - Great Bend Trenton Kern - So. - UTL - Great Bend Zayden Martinez - Sr. - P/OF - Liberal Culden Plankenhorn - So. - C/3B - Garden City Lex Lummus - Sr. - 1B - Hays Player of the Year: J. Brooks Kappelmann, Liberal Coach of the Year: Dustin Dreher, Hays

SECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POSITION - SHCOOL JJ Grove - So. - SS - Great Bend Arec Mendoza - Sr. - P/3B - Dodge City Ethan Gomez - Jr. - INF - Garden City Koehn Ribordy - So. - P/OF - Great Bend Chase McGraw - Sr. - P/SS - Garden City Jonathan Cano - Jr. - UTL - Hays Daxton Minton - So. - UTL - Great Bend Marco Alonso - Jr. - 1B - Liberal Carter Graham - Jr. - P/3B - Hays

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716979788177.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">Western Athletic Conference</a>By the middle of April, while many Western Athletic Conference schools were yet to play most of their conference baseball games, the Hays Indians had already wrapped up their 8-game slate.With that timetable came an early 8-0 record that allowed the Indians to repeat their 2023 WAC championship and then focus on non-conference games the final month of the short spring season.It was by plan that Hays baseball coach Dustin Dreher scheduled all the WAC games early.“We played Dodge City on April 16, and it was just their second and third WAC games and it was our seventh and eighth,” Dreher said. “I think I wanted to get us into some three-game tournaments that would replicate what state might be like.”The early celebration for the WAC title may have been tempered by an extremely tough non-conference schedule as the Indians went 8-10 against those teams. Still, Dreher wouldn’t change his schedule.“It gave us a chance to see what some of our players could do, work on our pitching rotation and see who could play in different positions,” Dreher said.&nbsp;One of his top players was his nephew, Nolan Dreher, a pitcher, and first baseman Lex Lummus. Both are seniors and were named to the WAC all-conference first team.“One of our goals was to win WAC and we wanted to get that early and it just was fortunate to work out by design,” Dreher said. “This team was built on pitching, defense and speed. The pitching and defense certainly got us several wins.”Dreher sometimes described his offense as scoring runs using “small ball.” That is getting runners on, stealing bases, bunting runners over.“We just found a way to scrape around some runs and that was our biggest challenge,” said Dreher, whose team averaged 5.58 runs per game while limiting the opposition to just 2.85 runs a game. “We wanted to play the best teams in the state with the remainder of our schedule because you have to play the best if you want to be the best.”Dreher said facing some of the top pitchers in the WAC early prepared the Indians for the tough schedule later.“I think we saw everybody’s No. 1 pitcher when we played them in the WAC,” Dreher said. “That’s the caliber of pitcher we saw a lot of the rest of the season.”Part of that non-conference schedule included three-day tournaments in DeSoto, Bonner Springs and one hosted by the Indians.“All of these are set up to give us an opportunity to evaluate how we might schedule our pitchers if we make it to state,” Dreher said.A pair of juniors earned second-team all-WAC this year in Jonathan Cano (utility) and Carter Graham, who pitched and played third base.Dreher said he had to move some players around to new positions from the 2023 team. He will welcome back 10 seniors for the 2025 season, so things certainly appear bright for the Indians.Joining Dreher and Lummus on the all-WAC first team was J. Brooks Kappelman, the Liberal pitcher-shortstop who repeated as WAC Player of the Year.Liberal’s other first team selection was pitcher/outfielder Zayden Martinez while WAC runner-up Great Bend led the way with three selections – pitcher/outfielder Carson Umphres, first baseman Ian Premer and utility player Trenton Kern.Other first team selections included Remmington Miller of Dodge City (pitcher/second baseman); and Culden Plankenhorn of Garden City (catcher/third baseman).<h2>J. Brooks Kappelman, Liberal, Sr., Player of the Year</h2>Perhaps the best way to explain how effective Brooks Kappelman has been as a pitcher for the Liberal Redskins is to look at his earned-run-average.This year, despite a modest 4-3 won-loss record (the Redskins were 3-5 in the WAC), Kappelman’s ERA was an impressive 1.34. He recorded 77 strikes against just 14 walks“I think the game slowed down more for me and I was able to just play,” said Kappelman, who earned his second consecutive WAC Player of the Year honor by the conference’s coaches. “It just seemed easier to make the right decisions and I was a lot smarter about getting the right pitch to throw and was more patient.”Kappelman said he worked more on better locating his fastball, which averages between 86 and 88 mph, but did hit 90 mph on a few occasions.“I just was able to spot in better places, keeping it low and away from hitters,” Kappelman said.&nbsp;While also throwing a curve ball, and an occasional change-up, Kappelman said he relies on the fastball as his go-to pitch.When he was not on the mound, he was playing shortstop for the Redskins and he displayed his offensive skills throughout his senior campaign.HIs batting average was a lofty .465 and he recorded 7 doubles and 6 triples with 23 RBIs in 23 games. He scored 28 runs and had 9 stolen bases.“I worked on not swinging at so many curve balls and just the mental side of hitting improved for me,” Kappelman said. “I did a better job of waiting for my own pitch.”In the field, Kappelman said he felt he improved his range to run down balls both to his left and right.“I was able to get to a lot more balls,” he said. “We had a really good first baseman, so I knew I just throw it there and he’d scoop it up.”Kappelman won two WAC awards in his final high school year, having been named the Football Player of the Year in the fall at quarterback to lead the Redskins to their best season in many years.However, he will dispatch the helmet and pads and continue his baseball career at hometown Seward County Community College. He hopes to pitch and also play some in the field for the Saints.Reaching this stage of his baseball career had Kappelman recalling his first exposure to the game&nbsp; when he was just 3 years old and playing on his older brother’s T-Ball team. He also served as the bat boy for the Semi-Pro Liberal BeeJays in the summer.“I’ve just been around the game all my life,” said Kappelman, whose father, Brock, is the sports director at a local radio station and long-time voice of the Redskins and Saints.Academically, Kappelman said he has not made up his mind but has interests in education and finance, perhaps leaning toward teaching and coaching.WAC Baseball Standings TEAM&nbsp; WAC OVERALL 1. Hays 8-0&nbsp; 16-10 2. Great Bend&nbsp; 6-2&nbsp; 18-9 T3. Dodge City&nbsp; 3-5&nbsp; 9-16 T3. Liberal&nbsp; 3-5&nbsp; 13-11 5. Garden City&nbsp; 0-8&nbsp; 7-12FIRST TEAM ALL WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POSITION - SCHOOL J. Brooks Kappelmann&nbsp; - Sr. - P/SS - Liberal Carson Umphres - Jr. - P/OF - Great Bend Remmington Miller - Sr. - P/2B - Dodge City Nolan Dreher - Sr. - P - Hays Ian Premer - So. - 1B - Great Bend Trenton Kern - So. - UTL - Great Bend Zayden Martinez - Sr. - P/OF - Liberal Culden Plankenhorn - So. - C/3B - Garden City Lex Lummus - Sr. - 1B - Hays Player of the Year: J. Brooks Kappelmann, Liberal Coach of the Year: Dustin Dreher, HaysSECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POSITION - SHCOOL JJ Grove - So. - SS - Great Bend Arec Mendoza - Sr. - P/3B - Dodge City Ethan Gomez - Jr. - INF - Garden City Koehn Ribordy - So. - P/OF - Great Bend Chase McGraw - Sr. - P/SS - Garden City Jonathan Cano - Jr. - UTL - Hays Daxton Minton - So. - UTL - Great Bend Marco Alonso - Jr. - 1B - Liberal Carter Graham - Jr. - P/3B - Hays

⚾ Four Indians named All-WAC, Dreher Coach of the Year

In many ways, the 2024 softball season for the Hays Lady Indians was eerily similar to their campaign of 2023.

They defended their Western Athletic Conference championship with an identical 11-1 record only to edge out Great Bend’s 10-2 mark in 2024 as compared to Garden City’s 10-2 record in 2023.

There, the similarity ends for the most part.

Coach Abby Gillan’s squad had to overcome the early season loss of standout pitcher Aubree Thomas, who suffered a fractured bone in her glove hand and missed the first month of the campaign.

“Winning WAC was one of the goals the senior girls set,” said Gillan. “It’s difficult to get to the top and it’s even harder to stay there. We always knew the road to the title would be through Great Bend and Garden City, but we were able to take care of business.”

With Thomas sidelined in April, it was left to Riley Dreher to take the mound and fill in for the injured senior, who would be voted Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches despite missing a good portion of the season.

“We were able to take two of the three games against Great Bend and heading into that series I felt that could be the determining factor as to who would win WAC,” Gillan said. “We played well and I think getting the first win, and following with a second took a lot of pressure off us.”

Taking 2-of-3 against Great Bend ended up being the difference as both Hays and Great Bend swept the remaining three-game series against Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal. Garden City, a perennial titleholder or contender, had its first down season under Coach Trina Mai in her decade-plus tenure with the Lady Buffaloes.

Gillan said there were notable differences between her 2023 and 2024 title teams.

“The personalities of the teams were different, but each team had seniors leading the way,” Gillan said. “The 2023 team was very level-headed and responsive and this year’s team had a little more intensity. We knew going into the season that with Aubree on the mound, we could get through some other growing pains with new players.”

Then, Thomas injured her hand prior to the season opener.&nbsp;

“Her status for the entire season was unsure,” Gillan said. “After surgery, she was able to work out and stay in shape and could continue to pitch. The fitness was important to her.”

Finally, after missing eight games, Thomas returned to the lineup just in time for the big series with Great Bend.

“For us, our pitching was a strength,” Gillan said. “Riley gave us some good innings and a good solid 1-2 punch on the mound. Our defense still struggled at times but our younger outfield was a bright spot.”

When in the lineup to hit, Thomas and Dreher provided the Indians with a powerful 1-2 punch, too.

In just 10 games at the plate, Thomas went 11-for-23, a .478 average with 4 doubles, 1 home run, 9 RBIs and 13 runs scored. Dreher, in her 27 games, collected a team-high 38 hits, battled .452 with 9 doubles, 8 triples, 3 home runs and 33 RBIs.

When not pitching, Dreher played third base, senior Dezarae Schmidt (another 1st team all-WAC selection) played shortstop, Lakyn Zimmerman, yet another senior, caught early in the season but played first base most of the year and junior Dani Willeford, a second-team all-WAC pick, completed the infield at second base.

On the mound, both players went 7-6 as the Indians played a super competitive non-WAC schedule. Thomas pitched 75.1 innings with 86 strikeouts and a 2.50 earned-run-average while Dreher pitched 78 innings, with 51 strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA.

“Riley had a great year at the plate and our offensive weapons allowed us to do different things,” Gillan said. “We hit the ball hard, we had more speed on the bases and we could also play small ball..”

Gillan said the graduating seniors have left a legacy of excellence that she hopes will carry through into the program’s future.

“They got better every year and from a coach’s perspective that’s what you look for,” Gillan said of her senior class. “A lot of time, a lot of hard work and dedication paid off for them.”

In addition to the three Hays players, the first team all-WAC selections included three Great Bend players who helped the Panthers to a 22-7 season record (10-2 in the WAC) and a berth in the Class 5A state playoffs. Those three were outfielder DeShawnna Bryant, and infielders Paige Thexton and Kya Behr. Garden City had two first teamers in repeat infielder Piper Harris and newcomer pitcher Kyleigh Whitehurst. Dodge City’s Tatum Steiner, a catcher, rounded out the first team picks.

Aubree Thomas, Hays, Sr./WAC Player of the Year

Prior to the beginning of the 2024 softball spring season, Hays HIgh’s Aubree Thomas had some lofty goals.

What she didn’t anticipate, however, was a preseason injury that resulted in a fractured bone in her glove hand that would keep her out of the Lady Indians’ lineup for the first month.

“When the injury occurred, I just knew I had to keep a positive outlook and was able to still work on pitching and staying in shape,” said Thomas, who was voted WAC Softball Player of the Year despite a limited campaign. “I had a great occupational therapist who was able to help with the rehabilitation process and gave me a better outlook.”

When she learned that she had been chosen WAC POY, she was mildly surprised but pleasantly pleased.

“It’s a great honor because there’s other really good players in the league,” Thomas said. “It felt amazing knowing it was my senior season and I could go out with a bang and hopefully leave a legacy for other girls to follow.”

Thomas, who plans to attend Hutchinson Community College and play (pitch) for the Blue Dragons, said she was able to work with her future coach in the off-season to improve her staple of pitches that includes a fastball, curve ball, riser, screwball and a change-up.

“My go-to pitch is probably my curve ball,” said Thomas. “It breaks a lot and it’s been really reliable for me. I still want to work on the consistency of all my pitches. I’d like to be able to get my change-up to where I can throw it at any time.”

For the most part, Thomas was held out of hitting after the hand injury, but in her limited 10 games at the plate, she was impressive. She battled .478 with 11 hits in 23 at-bats. She had four doubles, one home run, 9 RBIs and 13 runs scored. On the mound, she went 7-6 with a 2.50 earned-run-average and record 86 strikeouts in just 75.1 innings.

Thomas said the highlight of the regular season came in the three-game series with Great Bend (WAC runner-up by one game) in which the Indians won the first two in what proved to be the deciding series for the WAC title.

“They were so competitive and had a lot of good players,” Thomas said of the Lady Panthers. “It was a big week for us. I hope that our senior class set a standard for softball that you work hard in the off-season and will be the standard for the future of the program.”

Pitching has been her big thing from the time she began playing t-ball in the fifth grade.

“I like having the ball in my hand as much as possible and I want to be in control,” she said.

That has been a remedy for success for Thomas and Hays High over the last four years.

Thomas said she plans to become a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner.

“I just want to go and explore my options because they are somewhat similar pathways in academic curriculum,” Thomas said.&nbsp;

WAC SOFTBALL STANDINGS TEAM&nbsp; WAC&nbsp; Overall 1. Hays&nbsp; 11-1&nbsp; 15-12 2. Great Bend&nbsp; 10-2&nbsp; 22-6 3. Garden City&nbsp; 6-6&nbsp; 9-16 4. Dodge City&nbsp; 2-10&nbsp; 6-21 5. Liberal&nbsp; 1-11&nbsp; 6-18

FIRST TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POS - SCHOOL Aubree Thomas - Sr. - P - Hays Riley Dreher - Jr. - P - Hays DeShawnna Bryant - Jr. - OF - Great Bend Tatum Steiner - Jr. - C - Dodge City Paige Thexton - Sr. - INF - Great Bend Kya Behr - Fr. - INF - Great Bend Piper Harris - Jr. - INF - Garden City Dezarae Schmidt - Sr. - INF - Hays Kyleigh Whitehurst - Jr. - P - Garden City

Player of the Year: Aubree Thomas, Hays Coach of the Year: Abby Gillan, Hays

SECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POS - SCHOOL Lakyn Zimmerman - Sr. - INF - Hays Taylor Harding - Jr. - INF - Liberal Yasmin Angeles - Fr. - OF - Garden City Camdyn Post - Fr. - OF - Great Bend Dani Willeford - Jr. - INF - Hays Emma Bell - So. - INF - Dodge City Braelyn Turner - So. - P - Great Bend Kamryn Koelsch - So. - C - Great Bend Chayla Prendergast - Fr. - Great Bend

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716980242594.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">Western Athletic Conference</a>In many ways, the 2024 softball season for the Hays Lady Indians was eerily similar to their campaign of 2023.They defended their Western Athletic Conference championship with an identical 11-1 record only to edge out Great Bend’s 10-2 mark in 2024 as compared to Garden City’s 10-2 record in 2023.There, the similarity ends for the most part.Coach Abby Gillan’s squad had to overcome the early season loss of standout pitcher Aubree Thomas, who suffered a fractured bone in her glove hand and missed the first month of the campaign.“Winning WAC was one of the goals the senior girls set,” said Gillan. “It’s difficult to get to the top and it’s even harder to stay there. We always knew the road to the title would be through Great Bend and Garden City, but we were able to take care of business.”With Thomas sidelined in April, it was left to Riley Dreher to take the mound and fill in for the injured senior, who would be voted Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches despite missing a good portion of the season.“We were able to take two of the three games against Great Bend and heading into that series I felt that could be the determining factor as to who would win WAC,” Gillan said. “We played well and I think getting the first win, and following with a second took a lot of pressure off us.”Taking 2-of-3 against Great Bend ended up being the difference as both Hays and Great Bend swept the remaining three-game series against Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal. Garden City, a perennial titleholder or contender, had its first down season under Coach Trina Mai in her decade-plus tenure with the Lady Buffaloes.Gillan said there were notable differences between her 2023 and 2024 title teams.“The personalities of the teams were different, but each team had seniors leading the way,” Gillan said. “The 2023 team was very level-headed and responsive and this year’s team had a little more intensity. We knew going into the season that with Aubree on the mound, we could get through some other growing pains with new players.”Then, Thomas injured her hand prior to the season opener.&nbsp;“Her status for the entire season was unsure,” Gillan said. “After surgery, she was able to work out and stay in shape and could continue to pitch. The fitness was important to her.”Finally, after missing eight games, Thomas returned to the lineup just in time for the big series with Great Bend.“For us, our pitching was a strength,” Gillan said. “Riley gave us some good innings and a good solid 1-2 punch on the mound. Our defense still struggled at times but our younger outfield was a bright spot.”When in the lineup to hit, Thomas and Dreher provided the Indians with a powerful 1-2 punch, too.In just 10 games at the plate, Thomas went 11-for-23, a .478 average with 4 doubles, 1 home run, 9 RBIs and 13 runs scored. Dreher, in her 27 games, collected a team-high 38 hits, battled .452 with 9 doubles, 8 triples, 3 home runs and 33 RBIs.When not pitching, Dreher played third base, senior Dezarae Schmidt (another 1st team all-WAC selection) played shortstop, Lakyn Zimmerman, yet another senior, caught early in the season but played first base most of the year and junior Dani Willeford, a second-team all-WAC pick, completed the infield at second base.On the mound, both players went 7-6 as the Indians played a super competitive non-WAC schedule. Thomas pitched 75.1 innings with 86 strikeouts and a 2.50 earned-run-average while Dreher pitched 78 innings, with 51 strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA.“Riley had a great year at the plate and our offensive weapons allowed us to do different things,” Gillan said. “We hit the ball hard, we had more speed on the bases and we could also play small ball..”Gillan said the graduating seniors have left a legacy of excellence that she hopes will carry through into the program’s future.“They got better every year and from a coach’s perspective that’s what you look for,” Gillan said of her senior class. “A lot of time, a lot of hard work and dedication paid off for them.”In addition to the three Hays players, the first team all-WAC selections included three Great Bend players who helped the Panthers to a 22-7 season record (10-2 in the WAC) and a berth in the Class 5A state playoffs. Those three were outfielder DeShawnna Bryant, and infielders Paige Thexton and Kya Behr. Garden City had two first teamers in repeat infielder Piper Harris and newcomer pitcher Kyleigh Whitehurst. Dodge City’s Tatum Steiner, a catcher, rounded out the first team picks.<h2>Aubree Thomas, Hays, Sr./WAC Player of the Year</h2>Prior to the beginning of the 2024 softball spring season, Hays HIgh’s Aubree Thomas had some lofty goals.What she didn’t anticipate, however, was a preseason injury that resulted in a fractured bone in her glove hand that would keep her out of the Lady Indians’ lineup for the first month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716980294218.jpeg" alt="Aubree Thomas, WAC Player of the Year / Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Aubree Thomas, WAC Player of the Year / Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“When the injury occurred, I just knew I had to keep a positive outlook and was able to still work on pitching and staying in shape,” said Thomas, who was voted WAC Softball Player of the Year despite a limited campaign. “I had a great occupational therapist who was able to help with the rehabilitation process and gave me a better outlook.”When she learned that she had been chosen WAC POY, she was mildly surprised but pleasantly pleased.“It’s a great honor because there’s other really good players in the league,” Thomas said. “It felt amazing knowing it was my senior season and I could go out with a bang and hopefully leave a legacy for other girls to follow.”Thomas, who plans to attend Hutchinson Community College and play (pitch) for the Blue Dragons, said she was able to work with her future coach in the off-season to improve her staple of pitches that includes a fastball, curve ball, riser, screwball and a change-up.“My go-to pitch is probably my curve ball,” said Thomas. “It breaks a lot and it’s been really reliable for me. I still want to work on the consistency of all my pitches. I’d like to be able to get my change-up to where I can throw it at any time.”For the most part, Thomas was held out of hitting after the hand injury, but in her limited 10 games at the plate, she was impressive. She battled .478 with 11 hits in 23 at-bats. She had four doubles, one home run, 9 RBIs and 13 runs scored. On the mound, she went 7-6 with a 2.50 earned-run-average and record 86 strikeouts in just 75.1 innings.Thomas said the highlight of the regular season came in the three-game series with Great Bend (WAC runner-up by one game) in which the Indians won the first two in what proved to be the deciding series for the WAC title.“They were so competitive and had a lot of good players,” Thomas said of the Lady Panthers. “It was a big week for us. I hope that our senior class set a standard for softball that you work hard in the off-season and will be the standard for the future of the program.”Pitching has been her big thing from the time she began playing t-ball in the fifth grade.“I like having the ball in my hand as much as possible and I want to be in control,” she said.That has been a remedy for success for Thomas and Hays High over the last four years.Thomas said she plans to become a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner.“I just want to go and explore my options because they are somewhat similar pathways in academic curriculum,” Thomas said.&nbsp;WAC SOFTBALL STANDINGS TEAM&nbsp; WAC&nbsp; Overall 1. Hays&nbsp; 11-1&nbsp; 15-12 2. Great Bend&nbsp; 10-2&nbsp; 22-6 3. Garden City&nbsp; 6-6&nbsp; 9-16 4. Dodge City&nbsp; 2-10&nbsp; 6-21 5. Liberal&nbsp; 1-11&nbsp; 6-18FIRST TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POS - SCHOOL Aubree Thomas - Sr. - P - Hays Riley Dreher - Jr. - P - Hays DeShawnna Bryant - Jr. - OF - Great Bend Tatum Steiner - Jr. - C - Dodge City Paige Thexton - Sr. - INF - Great Bend Kya Behr - Fr. - INF - Great Bend Piper Harris - Jr. - INF - Garden City Dezarae Schmidt - Sr. - INF - Hays Kyleigh Whitehurst - Jr. - P - Garden CityPlayer of the Year: Aubree Thomas, Hays Coach of the Year: Abby Gillan, HaysSECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - POS - SCHOOL Lakyn Zimmerman - Sr. - INF - Hays Taylor Harding - Jr. - INF - Liberal Yasmin Angeles - Fr. - OF - Garden City Camdyn Post - Fr. - OF - Great Bend Dani Willeford - Jr. - INF - Hays Emma Bell - So. - INF - Dodge City Braelyn Turner - So. - P - Great Bend Kamryn Koelsch - So. - C - Great Bend Chayla Prendergast - Fr. - Great Bend

🥎 HHS' Thomas claims WAC POY award, Gillum COY

The Hays High girls' soccer team lands four players on the All-Western Athletic Conference team.&nbsp;Kinslee Newell and Arely Maldanado are on the All-WAC Soccer first team. Annie Humphrey and Keira Wagstaff are second team picks.

The Indians went 3-3 and finished third in the WAC while going 10-7-1 overall and advanced to the 5A regional finals.

FIRST TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - SCHOOL Jasmine Ruiz - Jr. - Dodge City Ashley Alonso - Jr. - Dodge City Naomy Parra - Sr. - Dodge City Ariel Martinez - Sr - Garden City Wendy Zamudio - Sr. - Garden City Alessandra Tovar - Sr. - Garden City Kinslee Newell - So. - Hays Arely Maldonado - Sr. - Hays Ashley Acevedo - Sr. - Liberal Hailey Contreras - Sr. -Liberal Jillian Reimer - Jr. - Great Bend

Player of the Year: Jasmine Ruiz, Dodge City Coach of the Year: Abraham Rosales, Dodge City

SECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - SCHOOL Kelly Morales - Jr. - Dodge City Karime Rueda - So. - Dodge City Kathia Ramirez - Jr. - Dodge City Isabel Espino - Jr. - Garden City Aniya Merjil - Jr. - Garden City Annie Humphrey - So. - Hays Keira Wagstaff - Sr. - Hays Nicole Catalan - Jr. - Liberal Isabela Gutierrez - Jr. - Liberal Emelyn Luna - Jr.&nbsp; - Great Bend Teegan Guerra - Fr. - Great Bend

Hays PostThe Hays High girls' soccer team lands four players on the All-Western Athletic Conference team.&nbsp;Kinslee Newell and Arely Maldanado are on the All-WAC Soccer first team. Annie Humphrey and Keira Wagstaff are second team picks.The Indians went 3-3 and finished third in the WAC while going 10-7-1 overall and advanced to the 5A regional finals.FIRST TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - SCHOOL Jasmine Ruiz - Jr. - Dodge City Ashley Alonso - Jr. - Dodge City Naomy Parra - Sr. - Dodge City Ariel Martinez - Sr - Garden City Wendy Zamudio - Sr. - Garden City Alessandra Tovar - Sr. - Garden City Kinslee Newell - So. - Hays Arely Maldonado - Sr. - Hays Ashley Acevedo - Sr. - Liberal Hailey Contreras - Sr. -Liberal Jillian Reimer - Jr. - Great BendPlayer of the Year: Jasmine Ruiz, Dodge City Coach of the Year: Abraham Rosales, Dodge CitySECOND TEAM ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NAME - YEAR - SCHOOL Kelly Morales - Jr. - Dodge City Karime Rueda - So. - Dodge City Kathia Ramirez - Jr. - Dodge City Isabel Espino - Jr. - Garden City Aniya Merjil - Jr. - Garden City Annie Humphrey - So. - Hays Keira Wagstaff - Sr. - Hays Nicole Catalan - Jr. - Liberal Isabela Gutierrez - Jr. - Liberal Emelyn Luna - Jr.&nbsp; - Great Bend Teegan Guerra - Fr. - Great Bend

⚽ HHS' girls lands four on All-WAC team

By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">wacathletics.com</a>

When he was planning his entry list for the 2024 Western Athletic Conference track and field championship on May 9 in Dodge City, Hays High coach Tony Crough knew he would have to get a significant amount of points from his field event athletes.

In order to defend their 2023 title, Crough was relying on the seven field events.

His troops didn’t disappoint as they scored points in all seven that propelled them to another dominating WAC championship with 121 points to easily outdistance runner-up Garden City’s 86 points.

“It was pretty clear that we would need to score the bulk of our points from the field events, and our kids really excelled,” Crough said.

In addition to earning Coach of the Year honors, Hays junior Kamani Jones won the Track Athlete of the Year award by winning the high jump (6-02), taking second in the triple jump (44-00), third in the long jump (20-01) and running a leg of the third-place 4×100-meter relay team.

“A lot of good things have to happen to win the WAC because of the scoring and how fast the track events take place,” Crough said. “The WAC track meet is just so different from every other meet.”

The biggest difference comes on the track as there are no preliminaries in the dashes and the hurdle races, so each race is a final. That does not leave much time for recovery for those athletes who are competing in multiple events on the track.

“You just try to get as many kids in as many events as possible,” Crough said. “You get points where you can. Teams that are not filled up with entries will have a difficult time scoring enough points.”

In the WAC meet, points are awarded to the top 5 finishers on an 8-6-4-2-1 basis unlike most meets where points are awarded on a 10-8-6-4-2-1 basis.

For the Indians, the field events had Jones racking up his points in the three specialty jumps. Then, Gus Corsair (152-05) and Parker McGuire (139-09) went 1-2 in the discus; Jace Myeres took second in the pole vault (12-06); Dalton Meyers (178-00), Wyatt Kirkpatrick (161-10) and Derek Quach (156-10) swept the top three spots in the javelin and Maximo Luna led a 1-3-4 finish in the shot put with a winning throw of 46-08.50.

“We’re fortunate that we’ve been able to develop a lot of depth in the field events, and that’s been our key to the WAC meet,” Crough said.

But one other key element in this year’s title run came when Elijah McCullough took first in the 3200-meter run in 9:59.81 and Carson Avery won gold in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.17.

“We’ve been compiling more kids in three to four events,” Crough said. “The years that other teams won WAC, they did it because they had the numbers.”

Despite being one of the smallest schools in the WAC (5A a long with Great Bend), the Indians had about 100 kids out for the track squad this season.

“Hays has had a good track tradition and the kids enjoy the sport,” said Crough. “There is a certain amount of camaraderie with that many kids. They take a lot of pride in both individual and team accomplishments.”

Crough, who also serves as the school’s football coach, said that other fall and winter sports serve as feeders for the track program.

“We’ve got football players, volleyball players (girls), basketball, wrestlers, cross country kids,” Crough said. “They all come to the track program with different skills and talent. We have teachable kids and they have a lot of competition in practice.”

Kamani Jones, Hays High, Jr./Boys’ Track Athlete of the Year

Hays High junior Kamani Jones was just as surprised as anybody when he heard his name over the public address system at Dodge City on May 9 when he was declared the winner of the Western Athletic Conference boys’ track and field athlete of the year.

The award goes to the individual who scores the most points in the one-day WAC championship.

He did so by winning the high jump (6-02), placing second in the triple jump (44-00), third in the long jump at 20-01, and then running one leg of the third-place 4×100-meter relay. All totaled to 19 points which eclipsed a few other double winners in the meet.

“I just try to do as much as I can to help the team,” said Jones, in an interview a week after the conference meet. “Essentially, a lot of hard work goes into this.”

Of his three specialty jumps events, Jones said the high jump is likely his best, having cleared 6-06 earlier in the season at a meet in Salina.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716978885337.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">wacathletics.com</a>When he was planning his entry list for the 2024 Western Athletic Conference track and field championship on May 9 in Dodge City, Hays High coach Tony Crough knew he would have to get a significant amount of points from his field event athletes.In order to defend their 2023 title, Crough was relying on the seven field events.His troops didn’t disappoint as they scored points in all seven that propelled them to another dominating WAC championship with 121 points to easily outdistance runner-up Garden City’s 86 points.“It was pretty clear that we would need to score the bulk of our points from the field events, and our kids really excelled,” Crough said.In addition to earning Coach of the Year honors, Hays junior Kamani Jones won the Track Athlete of the Year award by winning the high jump (6-02), taking second in the triple jump (44-00), third in the long jump (20-01) and running a leg of the third-place 4×100-meter relay team.“A lot of good things have to happen to win the WAC because of the scoring and how fast the track events take place,” Crough said. “The WAC track meet is just so different from every other meet.”The biggest difference comes on the track as there are no preliminaries in the dashes and the hurdle races, so each race is a final. That does not leave much time for recovery for those athletes who are competing in multiple events on the track.“You just try to get as many kids in as many events as possible,” Crough said. “You get points where you can. Teams that are not filled up with entries will have a difficult time scoring enough points.”In the WAC meet, points are awarded to the top 5 finishers on an 8-6-4-2-1 basis unlike most meets where points are awarded on a 10-8-6-4-2-1 basis.For the Indians, the field events had Jones racking up his points in the three specialty jumps. Then, Gus Corsair (152-05) and Parker McGuire (139-09) went 1-2 in the discus; Jace Myeres took second in the pole vault (12-06); Dalton Meyers (178-00), Wyatt Kirkpatrick (161-10) and Derek Quach (156-10) swept the top three spots in the javelin and Maximo Luna led a 1-3-4 finish in the shot put with a winning throw of 46-08.50.“We’re fortunate that we’ve been able to develop a lot of depth in the field events, and that’s been our key to the WAC meet,” Crough said.But one other key element in this year’s title run came when Elijah McCullough took first in the 3200-meter run in 9:59.81 and Carson Avery won gold in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.17.“We’ve been compiling more kids in three to four events,” Crough said. “The years that other teams won WAC, they did it because they had the numbers.”Despite being one of the smallest schools in the WAC (5A a long with Great Bend), the Indians had about 100 kids out for the track squad this season.“Hays has had a good track tradition and the kids enjoy the sport,” said Crough. “There is a certain amount of camaraderie with that many kids. They take a lot of pride in both individual and team accomplishments.”Crough, who also serves as the school’s football coach, said that other fall and winter sports serve as feeders for the track program.“We’ve got football players, volleyball players (girls), basketball, wrestlers, cross country kids,” Crough said. “They all come to the track program with different skills and talent. We have teachable kids and they have a lot of competition in practice.”<h2>Kamani Jones, Hays High, Jr./Boys’ Track Athlete of the Year</h2>Hays High junior Kamani Jones was just as surprised as anybody when he heard his name over the public address system at Dodge City on May 9 when he was declared the winner of the Western Athletic Conference boys’ track and field athlete of the year.The award goes to the individual who scores the most points in the one-day WAC championship.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716978920792.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>He did so by winning the high jump (6-02), placing second in the triple jump (44-00), third in the long jump at 20-01, and then running one leg of the third-place 4×100-meter relay. All totaled to 19 points which eclipsed a few other double winners in the meet.“I just try to do as much as I can to help the team,” said Jones, in an interview a week after the conference meet. “Essentially, a lot of hard work goes into this.”Of his three specialty jumps events, Jones said the high jump is likely his best, having cleared 6-06 earlier in the season at a meet in Salina.&nbsp;“It’s the most technical of the three jumps,” Jones said. “The triple jump is probably my favorite, though, because it’s an event I started in middle school. The long jump is something that I didn’t do until high school.”Jones said the multiple aspects of the triple jump require specific training in each phase (hop, skip and jump).“The first phase is my strongest of the three,” Jones said. “The second part is where I need to improve the most and the last phase I can do a better job on my landing. It’s a work in progress and there’s always one of those three that can be better.”Despite having a favorite in the three jumps, Jones said he likes doing all of them.“It’s great that I’ve been able to do all three,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, it’s about helping our team do well. Running the 4×100 or in some cases the open 400, those are not my best events. They all take a lot of grit.”Jones said managing workouts for all three events is simply making a good game plan on how much time to spend on each one.“I just listen to the coaches who help me manage the jumps in each when we’re competing,” Jones said. “You have to play your cards right to know that you only have so many good jumps with your legs before you get tired. I’m just grateful that I’ve been healthy and able to compete at the level I can.”ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM EVENT - NAME - SCHOOL - MARK 100m - Tochi Okoro - Dodge City - 10.78 200m - Tochi Okoro - Dodge City - 22.32 400m - Cesar Pavia - Liberal - 50.38 800m - Cesar Pavia - Liberal - 2:01.98 1600m - M.J. Foster - Liberal - 4:29.343 200m - Elijah McCullough - Hays - 9:59.81 110m hurdles - Carsen Avery - Hays - 15.17 300m hurdles - Carter Williams - Dodge City - 38.71 4x100m relay - Dodge City - 43.11 4x400m relay - Liberal - 3:24.05 4x800m relay - Great Bend - 8:25.66 High jump - Kamani Jones - Hays - 6-02 Long jump - Cooper Ohnmacht - Great Bend - 21-09.25 Triple jump - Cooper Ohnmacht - Great Bend - 45-04 Pole vault - Ivan Rivas - Garden City - 13-00 Discus throw - Gus Corsair - Hays - 152-05 Javelin throw - Dalton Meyers - Hays - 178-00 Shot put - Maximo Luna - Hays - 46-08.50Athlete of the Year: Kamani Jones, Hays, Jr. Coach of the Year: Tony Crough, Hays

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