DODGE
CITY - Jackson Babcock had three hits, Trent Baker drove in four runs and the
Hays Larks opened the 2025 season with a 9-2 non-league win over Dodge City
Wednesday night at Cavalier Field.

Baker’s
bases loaded double scored three in the top of the fourth inning and broke a
1-1 tie. The Larks (1-0) added four in the fifth on Thomas Lyssy’s RBI single to
center, back-to-back bases loaded walks and a groundout. They tacked on their
final run in the seventh on a Babcock single.

Braxton
Bjur (1-0), the only player out of high school on the Larks roster, allowed one
unearned run on three hits over three innings and was awarded the win. The lefty from Buckeye,
Ariz. and Pima Community College signee, struck out three and walked two.
Brooks Jones, Dalton Campbell and Julio Ramos all combined to allow one unearned
run on two hits over the final six innings.

The
Larks travel to Newton Thursday for a non-league game with the Rebels. First
pitch at scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Klein Scott Field.

The
Larks will host the Dodge City A’s on Saturday for their home and Rocky
Mountain Baseball League opener. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at
Larks Park.

The
directors of the NBC World Series will be on hand Saturday to present the 2024 NBC World
Series trophy prior to the game. Fans can get a photo with the trophy throughout the night. Laces, the
NBC mascot will also be in attendance and hamburgers and hot dogs will be $1
courtesy of Hays Med.

Hays Post SportsDODGE
CITY - Jackson Babcock had three hits, Trent Baker drove in four runs and the
Hays Larks opened the 2025 season with a 9-2 non-league win over Dodge City
Wednesday night at Cavalier Field.Baker’s
bases loaded double scored three in the top of the fourth inning and broke a
1-1 tie. The Larks (1-0) added four in the fifth on Thomas Lyssy’s RBI single to
center, back-to-back bases loaded walks and a groundout. They tacked on their
final run in the seventh on a Babcock single.Braxton
Bjur (1-0), the only player out of high school on the Larks roster, allowed one
unearned run on three hits over three innings and was awarded the win. The lefty from Buckeye,
Ariz. and Pima Community College signee, struck out three and walked two.
Brooks Jones, Dalton Campbell and Julio Ramos all combined to allow one unearned
run on two hits over the final six innings.UP
NEXTThe
Larks travel to Newton Thursday for a non-league game with the Rebels. First
pitch at scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Klein Scott Field.HOME
OPENERThe
Larks will host the Dodge City A’s on Saturday for their home and Rocky
Mountain Baseball League opener. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at
Larks Park.TROPHY PRESENTATIONThe
directors of the NBC World Series will be on hand Saturday to present the 2024 NBC World
Series trophy prior to the game. Fans can get a photo with the trophy throughout the night. Laces, the
NBC mascot will also be in attendance and hamburgers and hot dogs will be $1
courtesy of Hays Med.

⚾ Baker leads Larks to win in season opener

The Hays Larks open the 2025 season on the road against the Dodge City&nbsp;A’s at Cavalier Field in Dodge City.

The Larks are coming off winning their first NBC World Series title in program history.

First pitch is set for&nbsp;for 7 p.m at Larks Park.

You can catch on the action on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJXdFHkub4g">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 open the 2025 season on the road against the Dodge City&nbsp;A’s at Cavalier Field in Dodge City.The Larks are coming off winning their first NBC World Series title in program history.First pitch is set for&nbsp;for 7 p.m at Larks Park.You can catch on the action on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJXdFHkub4g">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 travel to Dodge City

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by rain.

The Cardinals said the I-70 rivals will finish their season series with a split doubleheader Thursday.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-cardinals-score-caglianone-e097941d2205aa261dbce617f18050f2">The Royals won the series opener</a>&nbsp;in St. Louis 10-7 on Tuesday. The Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City last month.

Royals top prospect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-royals-jac-caglianone-3f76d42e95c4b332e44d716b8211ff74">Jac Caglianone made his major league debut</a>&nbsp;in the series opener, going hitless in five at-bats.

The forecast called for rain to continue well past the scheduled start time Wednesday.

St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas had been set to face Royals lefty Noah Cameron before the postponement. The probable starters for the early game Thursday weren't immediately announced.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The game between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by rain.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/7n0CtMYIBD">pic.twitter.com/7n0CtMYIBD</a>&mdash; St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1930373568010821970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Cardinals said the I-70 rivals will finish their season series with a split doubleheader Thursday.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-cardinals-score-caglianone-e097941d2205aa261dbce617f18050f2">The Royals won the series opener</a>&nbsp;in St. Louis 10-7 on Tuesday. The Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City last month.Royals top prospect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-royals-jac-caglianone-3f76d42e95c4b332e44d716b8211ff74">Jac Caglianone made his major league debut</a>&nbsp;in the series opener, going hitless in five at-bats.The forecast called for rain to continue well past the scheduled start time Wednesday.St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas had been set to face Royals lefty Noah Cameron before the postponement. The probable starters for the early game Thursday weren't immediately announced.

⚾️Royals, Cardinals postponed; split doubleheader Thursday

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Highlighted by a marquee home matchup with UConn, a trip to North Carolina and an appearance at Madison Square Garden against Duke, Kansas men's basketball on Wednesday announced its loaded non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Additionally, KU will also face power conference foes Missouri and NC State and three more top programs in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.

Kansas will host a total of 16 games inside historic Allen Fieldhouse in 2025-26, including six non-conference matchups (Green Bay, Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UConn, Towson and Davidson). Season ticket renewal information for the 2025-26 season is available online by clicking here or by getting in touch with your account representative. Those interested in purchasing new season tickets can fill out a form here to be contacted by a ticket representative.

"Once again we have a non-conference schedule that should be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules that anyone will play," KU head coach Bill Self said. "We have a home game against UConn game in early December, away matchups at North Carolina and NC State and neutral games Duke in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, the three games at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and another with Missouri in Kansas City. Those, along with the Big 12 competition, make this a very tough and demanding schedule. Our non-conference slate should certainly prepare us for what will be considered another great Big 12 season."

Kansas will open the season at ACC foe Louisville in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 24, at the KFC Yum! Center. KU will then host Fort Hays State in an exhibition contest on Tuesday, Oct. 28 in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks will open regular season play on Monday, Nov. 3 against Green Bay. Four days later, Kansas will play at fellow blue blood North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since 2022 with KU claiming the last two contests – 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game and 92-89 in Allen Fieldhouse last November.

KU then returns home for a pair of contests against Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Nov. 11 and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Kansas and Duke will square off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden. Since 2020, KU has won its last five Champions Classic contests. In fact, beginning in 2016, KU has won eight of its last nine Champions Classic battles.

Kansas will make its debut in the Players Era, Nov. 24-27, in Las Vegas. KU will play three games in the event with details and opponents for the Players Era to be announced later.

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Kansas returns home to host UConn for the second time in the past three seasons. These two powers have won three of the last four NCAA National Championships with KU in 2022 and UConn in 2023 and 2024.

In the last meeting, then-No. 5 Kansas defeated then-No. 4 UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas will face Border Showdown foe Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will then travel to NC State on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a return game from last season where KU defeated NC State, 75-60, on Dec. 14, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas closes out non-conference play hosting Towson on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Davidson on Monday, Dec. 22.

Specific dates and times for the Big 12's 18-game league schedule, along with television details will be announced later. The Big 12 Championship will be March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday set for March 15.

In 2024-25, Kansas ranked 12th in NCAA Division I in strength of schedule, marking the 18th time under head coach Bill Self that the Jayhawks have recorded a top 20 toughest schedule in the nation with 14 of those in the top 10, and 10 in the top three.

Kansas Men's Basketball 2025-26 Schedule (Home games in ALL CAPS; Times and TV to be announced later) Oct. 24 (Fri.) – at Louisville (Exhibition) Oct. 28 (Tue.) – FORT HAYS STATE (EXHIBITION) Nov. 3 (Mon.) – GREEN BAY Nov. 7 (Fri.) – at North Carolina Nov. 11 (Tue.) – TEXAS A&amp;M-CORPUS CHRISTI Nov. 15 (Sat.) – PRINCETON Nov. 18 (Tue.) – vs. Duke (Champions Classic, New York City) Nov. 24-27 (Mon.-Thurs.) – at Players Era (Las Vegas) Dec. 2 (Tue.) – CONNECTICUT Dec. 7 (Sun.) – vs. Missouri (Kansas City, Mo.) Dec. 13 (Sat.) – at NC State Dec. 16 (Tue.) – TOWSON Dec. 22 (Mon.) - DAVIDSON

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749071018878.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas AthleticsLAWRENCE, Kan. – Highlighted by a marquee home matchup with UConn, a trip to North Carolina and an appearance at Madison Square Garden against Duke, Kansas men's basketball on Wednesday announced its loaded non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.Additionally, KU will also face power conference foes Missouri and NC State and three more top programs in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.Kansas will host a total of 16 games inside historic Allen Fieldhouse in 2025-26, including six non-conference matchups (Green Bay, Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UConn, Towson and Davidson). Season ticket renewal information for the 2025-26 season is available online by clicking here or by getting in touch with your account representative. Those interested in purchasing new season tickets can fill out a form here to be contacted by a ticket representative."Once again we have a non-conference schedule that should be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules that anyone will play," KU head coach Bill Self said. "We have a home game against UConn game in early December, away matchups at North Carolina and NC State and neutral games Duke in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, the three games at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and another with Missouri in Kansas City. Those, along with the Big 12 competition, make this a very tough and demanding schedule. Our non-conference slate should certainly prepare us for what will be considered another great Big 12 season."Kansas will open the season at ACC foe Louisville in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 24, at the KFC Yum! Center. KU will then host Fort Hays State in an exhibition contest on Tuesday, Oct. 28 in Allen Fieldhouse.The Jayhawks will open regular season play on Monday, Nov. 3 against Green Bay. Four days later, Kansas will play at fellow blue blood North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since 2022 with KU claiming the last two contests – 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game and 92-89 in Allen Fieldhouse last November.KU then returns home for a pair of contests against Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Nov. 11 and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15.Kansas and Duke will square off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden. Since 2020, KU has won its last five Champions Classic contests. In fact, beginning in 2016, KU has won eight of its last nine Champions Classic battles.Kansas will make its debut in the Players Era, Nov. 24-27, in Las Vegas. KU will play three games in the event with details and opponents for the Players Era to be announced later.On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Kansas returns home to host UConn for the second time in the past three seasons. These two powers have won three of the last four NCAA National Championships with KU in 2022 and UConn in 2023 and 2024.In the last meeting, then-No. 5 Kansas defeated then-No. 4 UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse.Kansas will face Border Showdown foe Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will then travel to NC State on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a return game from last season where KU defeated NC State, 75-60, on Dec. 14, in Allen Fieldhouse.Kansas closes out non-conference play hosting Towson on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Davidson on Monday, Dec. 22.Specific dates and times for the Big 12's 18-game league schedule, along with television details will be announced later. The Big 12 Championship will be March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday set for March 15.In 2024-25, Kansas ranked 12th in NCAA Division I in strength of schedule, marking the 18th time under head coach Bill Self that the Jayhawks have recorded a top 20 toughest schedule in the nation with 14 of those in the top 10, and 10 in the top three.Kansas Men's Basketball 2025-26 Schedule (Home games in ALL CAPS; Times and TV to be announced later) Oct. 24 (Fri.) – at Louisville (Exhibition) Oct. 28 (Tue.) – FORT HAYS STATE (EXHIBITION) Nov. 3 (Mon.) – GREEN BAY Nov. 7 (Fri.) – at North Carolina Nov. 11 (Tue.) – TEXAS A&amp;M-CORPUS CHRISTI Nov. 15 (Sat.) – PRINCETON Nov. 18 (Tue.) – vs. Duke (Champions Classic, New York City) Nov. 24-27 (Mon.-Thurs.) – at Players Era (Las Vegas) Dec. 2 (Tue.) – CONNECTICUT Dec. 7 (Sun.) – vs. Missouri (Kansas City, Mo.) Dec. 13 (Sat.) – at NC State Dec. 16 (Tue.) – TOWSON Dec. 22 (Mon.) - DAVIDSON

🏀 KU unveils challenging non-conference slate

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)

Wednesday, June 4 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pm

Thursday, June 5 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pm

Friday, June 6 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 6:00pm

Saturday, June 7 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 2:30pm

Sunday, June 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 12:30pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Wednesday, June 4 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmThursday, June 5 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmFriday, June 6 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 6:00pmSaturday, June 7 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 2:30pmSunday, June 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 12:30pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

HAYS - The Hays Larks embark on another season of summer
collegiate baseball Wednesday with a non-league game against the Dodge City A’s
at Cavalier Field in Dodge City. The Larks play their home opener against the A’s on
Saturday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m.

The team reported late last week to begin preparations for
the 2025 season. The Larks are coming off their first NBC World Series
championship in 2024 and are led by veteran head coach Frank Leo who begins his
43rd season.

"We've got a great bunch of those guys back that can actually enjoy what we accomplished last year" Leo said.

Keith Harper is back for a 21st season as the team's pitching coach and Andy Lewton returns for a fourth season as an assistant coach.

The 2025 schedule
includes 34 dates, with 25 home games at Larks Park.

Click <a href="https://hayslarks.org/schedule/">here</a> to view complete schedule.

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	SPECIAL EVENT June 4	at Dodge City A’s	7:00pm	Cavalier Field June 5	at Newton Rebels	7:00pm	Klein Scott Field June 7	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 8	at Dodge City*	7:00pm	Cavalier Field June 10	 KANSAS CANNONS	7:00pm	Larks Park June 11	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 13	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	First Responders Night June 14	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Military Appreciation June 15	 DENVER COUGARS	6:00pm	Larks Park June 19	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 20	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Big Brothers/Big Sisters June 21	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Championship Celebration June 22	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	6:00pm	Larks Park June 24	at Liberal BeeJays*	7:00pm	Brent Gould Field June 25	at Liberal BeeJays*	7:00pm	Brent Gould Field June 26	at Liberal BeeJays*	7:00pm	Brent Gould Field June 28	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 29	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS	6:00pm	Larks Park	Stand UP 2 Cancer June 30	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 2	at Colorado Roughriders*	5:00pm	Regis Baseball Field	 July 3	at Gameday Angels	7:05pm	Double Angel Field July 5	at Gameday Angels*	7:05pm	Double Angel Field July 7	 NEWTON REBELS	7:00pm	Larks Park July 8 at Kansas Cannons 7:00pm Augusta HS July 10	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 11	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Lark	Educators Night July 12	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	McKids Day July 13	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS	7:00pm	Larks Lark July 15	 LIBERAL BEEJAYS*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 16	 LIBERAL BEEJAYS*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 18	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Pack the Pantry July 19	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Host Family/Pack the Pantry July 20	 DENVER COUGARS	7:00pm	Larks Park	Pack the Pantry July 21	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Pack the Pantry July 24-Aug 2	at NBC World Series	TBD * Rocky Mountain Baseball League

2025 Hays Larks Roster #	Player	Position	College	Year	Hometown 1	CJ Reid	INF	Hutchinson CC	SO	Colorado Springs, CO 2	Trent Baker	Outfield, RHP	Lamar	JR	Spring, TX 3	Ray Jesse	C	Pima CC	SO	Lockport, IL 5	Jackson Babcock	1B	Colorado School of Mines	FR	League City, TX 6	Taber Stokes	INF	Hutchinson CC	SO	Mustang, OK 7	Mason Hamlin	INF	Oklahoma	JR	Falcon, CO 8	Lane Sparks	Outfield	Wharton State CC	SO	Brenham, TX 9	Michael Chago Barham	OF/1B	Murray State CC	FR	Duncan, OK 12	Kaleb Duncan	Outfield	Wichita State	SO	Goodyear, AZ 14	Nick Gray	RHP	Angelo State	JR	Forney, TX 15	Thomas Lyssy	INF	Incarnate Word	JR	Harlingen, TX 16	Seth Lee	RHP	Pima CC	SO	Rio Rancho, NM 17	Adrian Najar	RHP	Lamar	JR	DeSoto, TX 18	Garrett Hicks	RHP	Arizona	JR	Buckeye, AZ 19	Aiden Schmidgall	RHP	Arizona Western CC	SO	Yuma, AZ 20	Braxton Bjur	LHP	Pima CC	FR	Buckeye, AZ 21	Lorenzo Rios	C	Rice	JR	Yorkville, IL 22	Julio Ramos	RHP	Lamar	JR	Nogales, AZ 26	Dylan LaRue	1B/C	Cumberland Univ	JR	Blanco, TX 27	Brooks Jones	LHP	Hutchinson CC	FR	Lawrence, KS 29	Jordan Stribling	LHP	Oklahoma	FR	Dallas, TX 30	Nolan Wilson	RHP	Univ of Cumberlands	JR	Hockley, TX 31	Keevyn Goss	LHP	Wharton State CC	SO	Rockwell, TX 32	Dalton Campbell	LHP	Oklahoma City	JR	Liberty Hill, TX &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Braxton Bjur	LHP	Pima CC FR	Buckeye, AZ

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717183089670.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsHAYS - The Hays Larks embark on another season of summer
collegiate baseball Wednesday with a non-league game against the Dodge City A’s
at Cavalier Field in Dodge City. The Larks play their home opener against the A’s on
Saturday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m.The team reported late last week to begin preparations for
the 2025 season. The Larks are coming off their first NBC World Series
championship in 2024 and are led by veteran head coach Frank Leo who begins his
43rd season."We've got a great bunch of those guys back that can actually enjoy what we accomplished last year" Leo said.Keith Harper is back for a 21st season as the team's pitching coach and Andy Lewton returns for a fourth season as an assistant coach.The 2025 schedule
includes 34 dates, with 25 home games at Larks Park.Click <a href="https://hayslarks.org/schedule/">here</a> to view complete schedule.DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	SPECIAL EVENT June 4	at Dodge City A’s	7:00pm	Cavalier Field June 5	at Newton Rebels	7:00pm	Klein Scott Field June 7	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 8	at Dodge City*	7:00pm	Cavalier Field June 10	 KANSAS CANNONS	7:00pm	Larks Park June 11	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 13	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	First Responders Night June 14	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Military Appreciation June 15	 DENVER COUGARS	6:00pm	Larks Park June 19	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 20	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Big Brothers/Big Sisters June 21	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Championship Celebration June 22	 GAMEDAY ANGELS*	6:00pm	Larks Park June 24	at Liberal BeeJays*	7:00pm	Brent Gould Field June 25	at Liberal BeeJays*	7:00pm	Brent Gould Field June 26	at Liberal BeeJays*	7:00pm	Brent Gould Field June 28	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Park June 29	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS	6:00pm	Larks Park	Stand UP 2 Cancer June 30	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 2	at Colorado Roughriders*	5:00pm	Regis Baseball Field	 July 3	at Gameday Angels	7:05pm	Double Angel Field July 5	at Gameday Angels*	7:05pm	Double Angel Field July 7	 NEWTON REBELS	7:00pm	Larks Park July 8 at Kansas Cannons 7:00pm Augusta HS July 10	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 11	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Lark	Educators Night July 12	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	McKids Day July 13	 COLORADO ROUGHRIDERS	7:00pm	Larks Lark July 15	 LIBERAL BEEJAYS*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 16	 LIBERAL BEEJAYS*	7:00pm	Larks Park July 18	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Pack the Pantry July 19	 DENVER COUGARS*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Host Family/Pack the Pantry July 20	 DENVER COUGARS	7:00pm	Larks Park	Pack the Pantry July 21	 DODGE CITY A’s*	7:00pm	Larks Park	Pack the Pantry July 24-Aug 2	at NBC World Series	TBD * Rocky Mountain Baseball League2025 Hays Larks Roster #	Player	Position	College	Year	Hometown 1	CJ Reid	INF	Hutchinson CC	SO	Colorado Springs, CO 2	Trent Baker	Outfield, RHP	Lamar	JR	Spring, TX 3	Ray Jesse	C	Pima CC	SO	Lockport, IL 5	Jackson Babcock	1B	Colorado School of Mines	FR	League City, TX 6	Taber Stokes	INF	Hutchinson CC	SO	Mustang, OK 7	Mason Hamlin	INF	Oklahoma	JR	Falcon, CO 8	Lane Sparks	Outfield	Wharton State CC	SO	Brenham, TX 9	Michael Chago Barham	OF/1B	Murray State CC	FR	Duncan, OK 12	Kaleb Duncan	Outfield	Wichita State	SO	Goodyear, AZ 14	Nick Gray	RHP	Angelo State	JR	Forney, TX 15	Thomas Lyssy	INF	Incarnate Word	JR	Harlingen, TX 16	Seth Lee	RHP	Pima CC	SO	Rio Rancho, NM 17	Adrian Najar	RHP	Lamar	JR	DeSoto, TX 18	Garrett Hicks	RHP	Arizona	JR	Buckeye, AZ 19	Aiden Schmidgall	RHP	Arizona Western CC	SO	Yuma, AZ 20	Braxton Bjur	LHP	Pima CC	FR	Buckeye, AZ 21	Lorenzo Rios	C	Rice	JR	Yorkville, IL 22	Julio Ramos	RHP	Lamar	JR	Nogales, AZ 26	Dylan LaRue	1B/C	Cumberland Univ	JR	Blanco, TX 27	Brooks Jones	LHP	Hutchinson CC	FR	Lawrence, KS 29	Jordan Stribling	LHP	Oklahoma	FR	Dallas, TX 30	Nolan Wilson	RHP	Univ of Cumberlands	JR	Hockley, TX 31	Keevyn Goss	LHP	Wharton State CC	SO	Rockwell, TX 32	Dalton Campbell	LHP	Oklahoma City	JR	Liberty Hill, TX &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Braxton Bjur	LHP	Pima CC FR	Buckeye, AZ

⚾ Larks open season Wednesday in Dodge City

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nick Loftin homered to start a six-run fifth inning, Bobby Witt Jr. also homered and the Kansas City Royals erased a five-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Tuesday night in the major league debut of top Royals' prospect Jac Caglianone.

Caglianone, recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Monday, went hitless in five at bats.

Daniel Lynch IV, Steven Cruz (2-0), Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber and Taylor Clarke combined to pitch 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief before Carlos Estévez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.

Vinnie Pasquantino hit a game-tying two-run double off Cardinals reliever Steven Matz (3-2), and Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single to give Kansas City an 8-7 fifth inning lead.

Loftin hit his first home run since last June 18 to start the rally. After Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India singled, Witt hit a two-run single to right field to cut Kansas City’s deficit to 7-5 ending Cardinals starter Andre Pallante’s night.

Pallante allowed a career high-tying seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Alec Burleson hit a two-run home run to center field to cap off a five-run third inning and chase Michael Lorenzen (3-7) from the game after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Witt hit his seventh home run of the season to give Kansas City a 2-0 first inning lead.

Caglianone stepped up to the plate for the first time to lead off the top of the second inning. He lined a 2-2 pitch to the warning track in right-center field where Victor Scott II ran 92 feet to rob him of his first career hit.

St. Louis lost for the first time in eight games when scoring at least four runs in Pallante's starts.

Royals LHP Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90) Wednesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749009929991.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nick Loftin homered to start a six-run fifth inning, Bobby Witt Jr. also homered and the Kansas City Royals erased a five-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Tuesday night in the major league debut of top Royals' prospect Jac Caglianone.Caglianone, recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Monday, went hitless in five at bats.Daniel Lynch IV, Steven Cruz (2-0), Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber and Taylor Clarke combined to pitch 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief before Carlos Estévez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.Vinnie Pasquantino hit a game-tying two-run double off Cardinals reliever Steven Matz (3-2), and Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single to give Kansas City an 8-7 fifth inning lead.Loftin hit his first home run since last June 18 to start the rally. After Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India singled, Witt hit a two-run single to right field to cut Kansas City’s deficit to 7-5 ending Cardinals starter Andre Pallante’s night.Pallante allowed a career high-tying seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.Alec Burleson hit a two-run home run to center field to cap off a five-run third inning and chase Michael Lorenzen (3-7) from the game after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.Witt hit his seventh home run of the season to give Kansas City a 2-0 first inning lead.<h2>Key moment</h2>Caglianone stepped up to the plate for the first time to lead off the top of the second inning. He lined a 2-2 pitch to the warning track in right-center field where Victor Scott II ran 92 feet to rob him of his first career hit.<h2>Key stat</h2>St. Louis lost for the first time in eight games when scoring at least four runs in Pallante's starts.<h2>Up next</h2>Royals LHP Noah Cameron (2-1, 1.05 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90) Wednesday night.

⚾ 5th inning rally helps Royals beat Cardinals in Jac Caglianone's debut

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball announced today that Royals left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic has been named American League Pitcher of the Month for May. He’s the 10th different Royals pitcher (17th instance) to be named American League Pitcher of the Month, and the first since Cole Ragans in August 2023.

Bubic, 27, went 3-0 in 5 starts last month with an American League-best 0.56 ERA (2 ER in 32.1 IP), which was the best mark in the month of May in Royals history (min. 5 starts) and was the 3rd best in any month, trailing only Zack Greinke’s 0.50 ERA (2 ER in 36.0 IP) in April 2009 and Greinke’s 0.55 ERA (2 ER in 33.0 IP) in September 2009. The only runs Bubic allowed in May came on a solo HR by Houston’s Jeremy Peña on May 13 and an RBI single by Ty France on May 25.

Bubic continued his brilliant start to the 2025 season with 7.0 innings of 1-run ball on Sunday, June 1 vs. Detroit, his 8th start out of 12 this season vs. teams who made the playoffs in 2024.

For the season, Bubic leads Major League Baseball with a 1.43 ERA (12 ER in 75.1 IP), which is the best mark through 12 starts in franchise history. It’s the 3rd-lowest ERA through 12 starts by an American League pitcher in the Wild Card Era (since 1995), trailing only Pedro Martínez (0.99 ERA in 2000) and Justin Verlander (1.11 ERA in 2018).

The complete list of Royals to win American League Pitcher of the Month is below.

Kris Bubic (May 2025) Cole Ragans (August 2023) Zack Greinke (April 2009) Jose Lima (July 2003) Kevin Appier (June 1995) David Cone (May 1994) Kevin Appier (July 1992) Bret Saberhagen (September 1989) Bret Saberhagen (August 1989) Mark Gubicza (June 1989) Mark Gubicza (June 1988) Bret Saberhagen (April 1987) Charlie Leibrandt (September 1985) Bret Saberhagen (July 1985) Charlie Leibrandt (April 1985) Larry Gura (September 1981) Larry Gura (July 1980)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747217395170.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball announced today that Royals left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic has been named American League Pitcher of the Month for May. He’s the 10th different Royals pitcher (17th instance) to be named American League Pitcher of the Month, and the first since Cole Ragans in August 2023.Bubic, 27, went 3-0 in 5 starts last month with an American League-best 0.56 ERA (2 ER in 32.1 IP), which was the best mark in the month of May in Royals history (min. 5 starts) and was the 3rd best in any month, trailing only Zack Greinke’s 0.50 ERA (2 ER in 36.0 IP) in April 2009 and Greinke’s 0.55 ERA (2 ER in 33.0 IP) in September 2009. The only runs Bubic allowed in May came on a solo HR by Houston’s Jeremy Peña on May 13 and an RBI single by Ty France on May 25.Bubic continued his brilliant start to the 2025 season with 7.0 innings of 1-run ball on Sunday, June 1 vs. Detroit, his 8th start out of 12 this season vs. teams who made the playoffs in 2024.For the season, Bubic leads Major League Baseball with a 1.43 ERA (12 ER in 75.1 IP), which is the best mark through 12 starts in franchise history. It’s the 3rd-lowest ERA through 12 starts by an American League pitcher in the Wild Card Era (since 1995), trailing only Pedro Martínez (0.99 ERA in 2000) and Justin Verlander (1.11 ERA in 2018).The complete list of Royals to win American League Pitcher of the Month is below.Kris Bubic (May 2025) Cole Ragans (August 2023) Zack Greinke (April 2009) Jose Lima (July 2003) Kevin Appier (June 1995) David Cone (May 1994) Kevin Appier (July 1992) Bret Saberhagen (September 1989) Bret Saberhagen (August 1989) Mark Gubicza (June 1989) Mark Gubicza (June 1988) Bret Saberhagen (April 1987) Charlie Leibrandt (September 1985) Bret Saberhagen (July 1985) Charlie Leibrandt (April 1985) Larry Gura (September 1981) Larry Gura (July 1980)

⚾ Royals' Bubic named AL Pitcher of the Month

Tuesday, June 3 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Tuesday, June 3 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmWednesday, June 4 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmThursday, June 5 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmFriday, June 6 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 6:00pmSaturday, June 7 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 2:30pmSunday, June 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 12:30pm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State women's basketball student-athlete Katie Wagner DeGarmo repeated as the MIAA Women's Ken B. Jones Award winner, presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group, on Monday at the MIAA Awards Celebration in Kansas City, Mo. The Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the MIAA's top female and male student-athletes from the academic year, combining an individual's athletic, academic and service accomplishments.

DeGarmo was one of five women's finalists for the award invited on-site at the annual awards celebration in Kansas City, where she was announced as the winner once again. Myles Menges of FHSU football was one of the five male finalists for the award, which went to Tyler Kahmann of Emporia State.

A 15-member panel of athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors - including a representative from each member institution – vote to create the group of finalists, and then vote again on the final five for each gender. Each nominee is judged in three areas, including 2024-25 athletic accomplishments, career academic accomplishments and 2024-25 campus/community service.

DeGarmo is the fourth women's student-athlete in the history of the award to repeat as winner and the first to do so since Natalie O'Keefe of Southwest Baptist in 2017. She joins Deandra Doubrava of Emporia State (track and field/volleyball, 1997 and 1999), Lindsay Lettow of Central Missouri (track and field, 2011 and 2012) and O'Keefe (track and field/basketball, 2016 and 2017). There has been only one male repeat winner of the award, that being Brian Moorman of Pittsburg State football who went on to a successful career in the NFL, in 1998 and 1999. Levi Wyrick of Pittsburg State (football/track and field) and Ryan Stanley of Fort Hays State (track and field) each have the distinction of winning a Ken B. Jones Award and being a seasonal Student-Athlete of the year when sports seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years.

Ken B. Jones Award History can be found <a href="https://themiaa.com/sports/2012/5/31/kenbjonesaward.aspx?id=26">HERE</a>.

DeGarmo had another elite year in her storied basketball career at Fort Hays State, averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She was the MIAA Player of the Year for a second-straight season, the first to repeat for that honor since 2003, then raked in All-America honors from both the WBCA (first team) and D2CCA (third team). She was an All-MIAA First Team selection for the third-straight year and a four-time all-conference selection overall. DeGarmo broke both the FHSU and MIAA records for rebounds in a career with 1,248 and she finished her career second all-time in scoring at both FHSU and in the MIAA with 2,299 points. The Tigers played in the NCAA Tournament for a fourth time in her five-year career and helped the program continue its NCAA Division II-leading streak of 14 straight years with at least 20 wins. It was the ninth time in the last 11 seasons FHSU reached the NCAA Tournament.

DeGarmo rewrote the MIAA Tournament record book as the new career leader in scoring (227 points), rebounds (117), field goals made (88), and field goals attempted (182) at the event. She tied the records for double-doubles in points and rebounds (5) games played (14). For a career at FHSU, she also ranks first in field goal attempts (1,830) and second in field goals made (865), free throws made (512), free throws attempted (661), and steals (236). She is fourth in FHSU history for assists (408).

Academically, DeGarmo was a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection, a four-time recipient of the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award, and five-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. She was named a CSC Academic All-America selection in 2025, one of only 16 players nationally to receive the honor which combines athletic and academic performance. Ten of the 16 CSC Academic All-America selections this year were performance All-America selections by either the WBCA or D2CCA. DeGarmo held a perfect 4.0 GPA in her graduate studies and graduated in the spring of 2025 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Her first degree was in Accounting when she graduated magna cum laude back in December of 2023 with a 3.87 GPA.

Back in 2024, DeGarmo was nominated for the Accounting Student of the Year by the FHSU Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting. She was also nominated and selected by accounting faculty for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship following her December 2023 graduation. She also held a summer accounting/analyst internship at Koch industries in Wichita.

DeGarmo served on a leadership team for Encounter Young Adults, a Christian ministry affiliated with Celebration Community Church. She was a volunteer for the annual Night to Shine event in Hays, honoring individuals in the community with special needs, and a volunteer at Bethesda Place, which is a residential community for individuals with disabilities. For the second-straight year, DeGarmo and teammates from women's basketball partnered with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization matching children with serious illness and disabilities with college sports teams. She also helped instruct and facilitate during the Tigers for IDD Sports and Fitness Night, hosted by FHSU student-athletes for local Special Olympic athletes. The NCAA chose Fort Hays State as a finalist for the 2025 Division II Award of Excellence for that event.

Two of Fort Hays State's three winners of the Ken B. Jones award have been women's basketball student-athletes, which includes Kate Lehman (2015) and DeGarmo (2024, 2025). Lehman (now Bremerman) was also honored Monday night, along with FHSU track and field athlete Darcie Schmitz (now Riordan) at the celebration as one of 11 MIAA Hall of Fame inductees for 2025. Ryan Stanley (track and field) was the only male from FHSU to win the award back in 2023, so DeGarmo gave FHSU a winner of this prestigious award for a third-straight year.

Each institution may nominate one female and one male student-athlete for the Ken B. Jones Award. The nominees must have completed at least their junior season of athletic eligibility by June 1 of the academic year of nomination. A nominee must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average through the previous full semester term through February 1 of the academic year of nomination at the certifying member institution.

Fort Hays State has had 20 finalists for the Ken B. Jones Award or season-specific student-athlete of the year honors since joining the MIAA in 2006-07. FHSU has had at least one finalist for each of the last 13 awards given since 2014-15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748946393702.png" alt="Fort Hays State's Katie DeGarmo receives the Ken B. Jones Award as the MIAA's top female student-athlete at the MIAA Awards Celebration on Monday, June 2, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Katie DeGarmo receives the Ken B. Jones Award as the MIAA's top female student-athlete at the MIAA Awards Celebration on Monday, June 2, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State women's basketball student-athlete Katie Wagner DeGarmo repeated as the MIAA Women's Ken B. Jones Award winner, presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group, on Monday at the MIAA Awards Celebration in Kansas City, Mo. The Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the MIAA's top female and male student-athletes from the academic year, combining an individual's athletic, academic and service accomplishments.DeGarmo was one of five women's finalists for the award invited on-site at the annual awards celebration in Kansas City, where she was announced as the winner once again. Myles Menges of FHSU football was one of the five male finalists for the award, which went to Tyler Kahmann of Emporia State.A 15-member panel of athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors - including a representative from each member institution – vote to create the group of finalists, and then vote again on the final five for each gender. Each nominee is judged in three areas, including 2024-25 athletic accomplishments, career academic accomplishments and 2024-25 campus/community service.DeGarmo is the fourth women's student-athlete in the history of the award to repeat as winner and the first to do so since Natalie O'Keefe of Southwest Baptist in 2017. She joins Deandra Doubrava of Emporia State (track and field/volleyball, 1997 and 1999), Lindsay Lettow of Central Missouri (track and field, 2011 and 2012) and O'Keefe (track and field/basketball, 2016 and 2017). There has been only one male repeat winner of the award, that being Brian Moorman of Pittsburg State football who went on to a successful career in the NFL, in 1998 and 1999. Levi Wyrick of Pittsburg State (football/track and field) and Ryan Stanley of Fort Hays State (track and field) each have the distinction of winning a Ken B. Jones Award and being a seasonal Student-Athlete of the year when sports seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years.Ken B. Jones Award History can be found <a href="https://themiaa.com/sports/2012/5/31/kenbjonesaward.aspx?id=26">HERE</a>.DeGarmo had another elite year in her storied basketball career at Fort Hays State, averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She was the MIAA Player of the Year for a second-straight season, the first to repeat for that honor since 2003, then raked in All-America honors from both the WBCA (first team) and D2CCA (third team). She was an All-MIAA First Team selection for the third-straight year and a four-time all-conference selection overall. DeGarmo broke both the FHSU and MIAA records for rebounds in a career with 1,248 and she finished her career second all-time in scoring at both FHSU and in the MIAA with 2,299 points. The Tigers played in the NCAA Tournament for a fourth time in her five-year career and helped the program continue its NCAA Division II-leading streak of 14 straight years with at least 20 wins. It was the ninth time in the last 11 seasons FHSU reached the NCAA Tournament.DeGarmo rewrote the MIAA Tournament record book as the new career leader in scoring (227 points), rebounds (117), field goals made (88), and field goals attempted (182) at the event. She tied the records for double-doubles in points and rebounds (5) games played (14). For a career at FHSU, she also ranks first in field goal attempts (1,830) and second in field goals made (865), free throws made (512), free throws attempted (661), and steals (236). She is fourth in FHSU history for assists (408).Academically, DeGarmo was a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection, a four-time recipient of the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award, and five-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. She was named a CSC Academic All-America selection in 2025, one of only 16 players nationally to receive the honor which combines athletic and academic performance. Ten of the 16 CSC Academic All-America selections this year were performance All-America selections by either the WBCA or D2CCA. DeGarmo held a perfect 4.0 GPA in her graduate studies and graduated in the spring of 2025 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Her first degree was in Accounting when she graduated magna cum laude back in December of 2023 with a 3.87 GPA.Back in 2024, DeGarmo was nominated for the Accounting Student of the Year by the FHSU Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting. She was also nominated and selected by accounting faculty for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship following her December 2023 graduation. She also held a summer accounting/analyst internship at Koch industries in Wichita.DeGarmo served on a leadership team for Encounter Young Adults, a Christian ministry affiliated with Celebration Community Church. She was a volunteer for the annual Night to Shine event in Hays, honoring individuals in the community with special needs, and a volunteer at Bethesda Place, which is a residential community for individuals with disabilities. For the second-straight year, DeGarmo and teammates from women's basketball partnered with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization matching children with serious illness and disabilities with college sports teams. She also helped instruct and facilitate during the Tigers for IDD Sports and Fitness Night, hosted by FHSU student-athletes for local Special Olympic athletes. The NCAA chose Fort Hays State as a finalist for the 2025 Division II Award of Excellence for that event.Two of Fort Hays State's three winners of the Ken B. Jones award have been women's basketball student-athletes, which includes Kate Lehman (2015) and DeGarmo (2024, 2025). Lehman (now Bremerman) was also honored Monday night, along with FHSU track and field athlete Darcie Schmitz (now Riordan) at the celebration as one of 11 MIAA Hall of Fame inductees for 2025. Ryan Stanley (track and field) was the only male from FHSU to win the award back in 2023, so DeGarmo gave FHSU a winner of this prestigious award for a third-straight year.Each institution may nominate one female and one male student-athlete for the Ken B. Jones Award. The nominees must have completed at least their junior season of athletic eligibility by June 1 of the academic year of nomination. A nominee must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average through the previous full semester term through February 1 of the academic year of nomination at the certifying member institution.Fort Hays State has had 20 finalists for the Ken B. Jones Award or season-specific student-athlete of the year honors since joining the MIAA in 2006-07. FHSU has had at least one finalist for each of the last 13 awards given since 2014-15.

FHSU's DeGarmo repeats as MIAA women’s Ken B. Jones Award winner

The Hays High girls soccer team had four players named to the All-Western Athletic Conference team. Senior Dani Willeford was named to the first team. Juniors Annie Humphrey, Kinslee Newell and Sienna Lummus were named second team.The Indians finished the season 9-9, losing to Goddard-Eisenhower in the regional finals.&nbsp;ALL CONFERENCE GIRLS SOCCER – 2025 FIRST TEAM Jarica Hutcheson So. Garden City Trinicia Garcia Jr. Garden City Jasleen Ortega Jr. Garden City Isabel Espino Sr. Garden City Karime Rueda Jr. Dodge City Kathia Ramirez Sr. Dodge City Yakeline Zetino Jr. Dodge City Ashley Alonso Jr. Dodge City Lily Guy Fr. Liberal Nicole Catalan Sr. Liberal Dani Willeford Sr. Hays

Player of the Year: Jarica Hutcheson, Garden City Coach of the Year: Jose Vital-Castro, Garden City

SECOND TEAM Cecilia Garcia Sr. Garden City Jocelyn Guerrero Fr. Garden City Kelly Morales Sr. Dodge City Annie Humphrey Jr. Hays Kinslee Newell Jr. Hays Sienna Lummus Jr. Hays Ashley Batista Fr. Liberal Liliana Santiago So. Liberal Ljill Reimer Sr. Great Bend Araceli Aguilera So. Great Bend Xali Arias Fr. Great Bend

Hays Post SportsThe Hays High girls soccer team had four players named to the All-Western Athletic Conference team. Senior Dani Willeford was named to the first team. Juniors Annie Humphrey, Kinslee Newell and Sienna Lummus were named second team.The Indians finished the season 9-9, losing to Goddard-Eisenhower in the regional finals.&nbsp;ALL CONFERENCE GIRLS SOCCER – 2025 FIRST TEAM Jarica Hutcheson So. Garden City Trinicia Garcia Jr. Garden City Jasleen Ortega Jr. Garden City Isabel Espino Sr. Garden City Karime Rueda Jr. Dodge City Kathia Ramirez Sr. Dodge City Yakeline Zetino Jr. Dodge City Ashley Alonso Jr. Dodge City Lily Guy Fr. Liberal Nicole Catalan Sr. Liberal Dani Willeford Sr. HaysPlayer of the Year: Jarica Hutcheson, Garden City Coach of the Year: Jose Vital-Castro, Garden CitySECOND TEAM Cecilia Garcia Sr. Garden City Jocelyn Guerrero Fr. Garden City Kelly Morales Sr. Dodge City Annie Humphrey Jr. Hays Kinslee Newell Jr. Hays Sienna Lummus Jr. Hays Ashley Batista Fr. Liberal Liliana Santiago So. Liberal Ljill Reimer Sr. Great Bend Araceli Aguilera So. Great Bend Xali Arias Fr. Great Bend

⚽ Four Indians named to All-WAC team

Coming off regional championships and trips to their respective state tournament's, one member of the Hays High baseball team and four TMP-Marian Monarchs were all-state selections in their respective classes by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.

Hays High senior Carter Graham was named first team in Class 5A at third base. TMP-Marian's Ty Schmeidler was named a first team pitcher in Class 2-1A. Caden Dinkel was named second team catcher, Grant Nehls a second team middle infielder and Carson Liles was an honorable mention pitcher.

Graham led the Indians with a .398 batting average, .462 on-base percentage and .636 slugging percentage in 29 games. The senior had 35 hits which were the ninth most in a single season at HHS. His four home runs are tied for ninth most in a single season and his 35 RBI's was fourth most in a single season at HHS.

Schmeidler made 12 appearances with eight starts and went 5-2 with one save with a 1.86 ERA for the Monarchs. He pitched 41 1/3 innings and allowed only 21 hits and 18 runs (11 earned) with 78 strikeouts and 22 walks. The sophomore fanned a career-high 15 batters in TMP's state quarterfinal game with eventual state champ St. Mary's Colgan.

Dinkel, a junior, played in all 30 games for the Monarchs and finished with a .384 batting average with 33 hits, one home run and 26 RBIs.

Nehls played in 28 games and led the Monarchs with .440 batting average, 4 home runs and 34 RBIs. The freshman had six doubles and five triples.

Liles made 10 appearances with seven starts and went 5-1 with a 0.71 ERA. The junior who was coming off a hand injury suffered during the basketball season pitched allowed only four earned runs and 31 hits over 39 1/3 innings with 45 strikeouts and only 10 walks.

Three members from Russell/Victoria were honored in Class 3A.Junior Sam Thielen was selected to the first team as an outfielder, senior Mason Rohr was honorable mention at catcher and junior Max Evans was an honorable mention as a middle infielder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685535233177.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsComing off regional championships and trips to their respective state tournament's, one member of the Hays High baseball team and four TMP-Marian Monarchs were all-state selections in their respective classes by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.Hays High senior Carter Graham was named first team in Class 5A at third base. TMP-Marian's Ty Schmeidler was named a first team pitcher in Class 2-1A. Caden Dinkel was named second team catcher, Grant Nehls a second team middle infielder and Carson Liles was an honorable mention pitcher.Graham led the Indians with a .398 batting average, .462 on-base percentage and .636 slugging percentage in 29 games. The senior had 35 hits which were the ninth most in a single season at HHS. His four home runs are tied for ninth most in a single season and his 35 RBI's was fourth most in a single season at HHS.Schmeidler made 12 appearances with eight starts and went 5-2 with one save with a 1.86 ERA for the Monarchs. He pitched 41 1/3 innings and allowed only 21 hits and 18 runs (11 earned) with 78 strikeouts and 22 walks. The sophomore fanned a career-high 15 batters in TMP's state quarterfinal game with eventual state champ St. Mary's Colgan.Dinkel, a junior, played in all 30 games for the Monarchs and finished with a .384 batting average with 33 hits, one home run and 26 RBIs.Nehls played in 28 games and led the Monarchs with .440 batting average, 4 home runs and 34 RBIs. The freshman had six doubles and five triples.Liles made 10 appearances with seven starts and went 5-1 with a 0.71 ERA. The junior who was coming off a hand injury suffered during the basketball season pitched allowed only four earned runs and 31 hits over 39 1/3 innings with 45 strikeouts and only 10 walks.Three members from Russell/Victoria were honored in Class 3A.Junior Sam Thielen was selected to the first team as an outfielder, senior Mason Rohr was honorable mention at catcher and junior Max Evans was an honorable mention as a middle infielder.

⚾ HHS's Graham, 4 Monarchs earn KABC All-State honors

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Monday, June 2 noneTuesday, June 3 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmWednesday, June 4 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmThursday, June 5 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmFriday, June 6 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 6:00pmSaturday, June 7 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 2:30pmSunday, June 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 12:30pm

By DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are calling up top prospect Jac Caglianone, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press, and the slugging first baseman and outfielder could make his debut Tuesday night in St. Louis.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the move had not been announced. The Royals will have to make a corresponding roster move once Caglianone is officially added to the 40-man roster.

The move comes on the heels of a second straight 1-0 game for Kansas City — it split them with the Tigers — and amid a season in which the Royals have struggled mightily to score runs. They have hit a big league worst-34 home runs and they have scored 194 runs in all, tied with Pittsburgh ahead of only lowly Colorado heading into Monday night's games.

The 22-year-old Caglianone was the sixth overall pick in last year's first-year player draft, where he was considered a two-way player because of his strong left arm. But his future is in the field, where his immense power had the potential to give the long-floundering Kansas City offense the kind of immediate production they have not had in years.

In just 50 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Caglianone has hit 15 homers with 56 RBIs. He also has been hitting .322, holding that average steady even after moving up a level, to alleviate some of his swing-and-miss concerns.

Caglianone has primarily played first base, but Vinnie Pasquantino typically holds down that job for Kansas City, and veteran catcher Salvador Perez plays there occasionally when not behind the plate. Where the Royals have a pressing needs is in their outfield, where they finally designated for assignment Hunter Renfroe after another season of little production.

As a whole, Kansas City outfielders are hitting .237 with seven homers and 46 RBIs in 663 plate appearances.

The Royals are still 31-29 heading into Monday's day off thanks to a pitching staff that has allowed just 201 runs, second-fewest in the majors behind the Mets. They open a three-game set in St. Louis on Tuesday night, then play three against the White Sox in Chicago, before Caglianone would potentially make his home debut against the Yankees on June 10.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748833311334.jpeg" alt="Top Royals prospect Jac Caglianone was the club’s first-round draft selection, No. 6 overall, in 2024. Jason Hanna/Contributed photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Top Royals prospect Jac Caglianone was the club’s first-round draft selection, No. 6 overall, in 2024. Jason Hanna/Contributed photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are calling up top prospect Jac Caglianone, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press, and the slugging first baseman and outfielder could make his debut Tuesday night in St. Louis.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the move had not been announced. The Royals will have to make a corresponding roster move once Caglianone is officially added to the 40-man roster.The move comes on the heels of a second straight 1-0 game for Kansas City — it split them with the Tigers — and amid a season in which the Royals have struggled mightily to score runs. They have hit a big league worst-34 home runs and they have scored 194 runs in all, tied with Pittsburgh ahead of only lowly Colorado heading into Monday night's games.The 22-year-old Caglianone was the sixth overall pick in last year's first-year player draft, where he was considered a two-way player because of his strong left arm. But his future is in the field, where his immense power had the potential to give the long-floundering Kansas City offense the kind of immediate production they have not had in years.In just 50 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Caglianone has hit 15 homers with 56 RBIs. He also has been hitting .322, holding that average steady even after moving up a level, to alleviate some of his swing-and-miss concerns.Caglianone has primarily played first base, but Vinnie Pasquantino typically holds down that job for Kansas City, and veteran catcher Salvador Perez plays there occasionally when not behind the plate. Where the Royals have a pressing needs is in their outfield, where they finally designated for assignment Hunter Renfroe after another season of little production.As a whole, Kansas City outfielders are hitting .237 with seven homers and 46 RBIs in 663 plate appearances.The Royals are still 31-29 heading into Monday's day off thanks to a pitching staff that has allowed just 201 runs, second-fewest in the majors behind the Mets. They open a three-game set in St. Louis on Tuesday night, then play three against the White Sox in Chicago, before Caglianone would potentially make his home debut against the Yankees on June 10.

⚾ The Royals are calling up top prospect Jac Caglianone

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zach McKinstry hit a leadoff triple in the third inning and scored on Kris Bubic's wild pitch to lift the Detroit Tigers over the Kansas City Royals 1-0 on Sunday.

Riley Greene had two of Detroit's five hits as the Tigers bounced back from a 1-0 loss to Kansas City on Saturday that ended their five-game winning streak. They took two of three from their AL Central rivals for their 14th series win this season.

Detroit entered June with the best record in the majors for the first time since 2006.

Tigers starter Keider Montero permitted seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Chase Lee (2-0) got four outs for the win, and Will Vest earned his ninth save.

Bubic (5-3) tied a career high with nine strikeouts in seven innings, giving up four hits with two walks. The left-hander has fanned nine batters in three of his last four starts.

Salvador Perez had three of Kansas City's nine hits, but the Royals stranded eight runners. They have scored four or fewer runs in 50 of 60 games this season.

Kansas City infielder Maikel Garcia was scratched from the starting lineup with right thumb soreness.

McKinstry scored when Bubic's sweeper in the dirt deflected off Perez and rolled near the Royals' dugout on the first-base side.

In the last 12 games between the division foes, 10 have been decided by two or fewer runs.

RHP Jack Flaherty (3-6, 3.94 ERA) starts Monday night when the Tigers continue their seven-game trip against the Chicago White Sox.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748859163449.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zach McKinstry hit a leadoff triple in the third inning and scored on Kris Bubic's wild pitch to lift the Detroit Tigers over the Kansas City Royals 1-0 on Sunday.Riley Greene had two of Detroit's five hits as the Tigers bounced back from a 1-0 loss to Kansas City on Saturday that ended their five-game winning streak. They took two of three from their AL Central rivals for their 14th series win this season.Detroit entered June with the best record in the majors for the first time since 2006.Tigers starter Keider Montero permitted seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Chase Lee (2-0) got four outs for the win, and Will Vest earned his ninth save.Bubic (5-3) tied a career high with nine strikeouts in seven innings, giving up four hits with two walks. The left-hander has fanned nine batters in three of his last four starts.Salvador Perez had three of Kansas City's nine hits, but the Royals stranded eight runners. They have scored four or fewer runs in 50 of 60 games this season.Kansas City infielder Maikel Garcia was scratched from the starting lineup with right thumb soreness.<h2>Key moment</h2>McKinstry scored when Bubic's sweeper in the dirt deflected off Perez and rolled near the Royals' dugout on the first-base side.<h2>Key stats</h2>In the last 12 games between the division foes, 10 have been decided by two or fewer runs.<h2>Up next</h2>RHP Jack Flaherty (3-6, 3.94 ERA) starts Monday night when the Tigers continue their seven-game trip against the Chicago White Sox.

⚾ McKinstry scores on wild pitch as MLB-leading Tigers top Royals 

Sunday, June 1 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers, 12:30pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Sunday, June 1 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers, 12:30pm

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

Great Bend’s Umphres voted Player of Year

It was by the slimmest of margins, but that’s all that matters when it comes to wins and losses to determine the Western Athletic Conference baseball champion.

This year, it was a razor-thin battle between the Hays Indians and Great Bend Panthers, the two most successful programs in the conference’s four decades of existence.

Hays prevailed, winning two of three in the newly formatted schedule in which teams play each other three times, one at home and two on the road or vice-versa.

In the early portion of the schedule, Hays won the first game on April 1, 5-4, then added a 4-2 triumph on April 15 as part of the doubleheader before Great Bend broke through and won the finale, 10-3.

At the end of the 12-game conference slate, it was Hays atop the standings at 11-1 and Great Bend a game behind at 10-2. Overall, Hays finished the regular season 16-8 and Great Bend 19-5.

“One of the main things for us this year was our solid senior class,” said Hays Coach Dustin Dreher. “Quite a few of them gained a lot of experience as juniors and some played varsity as sophomores.”

Another contributor to the team’s success was its collection of pitchers.

“We’re fortunate in that we have had a lot of good arms,” Dreher noted. “I don’t think we have a lot of high-powered arms, but they do a good job of keeping the ball over the plate and then let our defense do its job. I think we have one of the best defenses in the state.”

Since he became the head coach (2020), Dreher said he has tried to strengthen the team’s schedule outside the WAC.

That includes playing tournaments in DeSoto, Bonner Springs and other schools that are among the top Class 4-5-6A schools.

“It’s a measuring stick for us to see where we are,” Dreher said of the tough slate. “We want to be able to see what it’s like to compete against the best.”

“I think it shows that when we are playing at a high level, we can compete with the best teams,” Dreher said. “

Dreher likes his lineup in the 1 through 9 positions, citing that all of them make good contact when at the plate.

“We’ve got guys who compete, and our offense is exciting to watch,” Dreher said. “We put stress on other team’s defenses by running the bases. We do a lot bunting, hitting to the gaps and getting a lot of singles. We don’t have a lot of big innings, but we just keep trying to advance runners.

“When you do all of those little things, you find ways to win.”

Many of Dreher’s players have had him as the coach since they were in the second, third and fourth grade.

“It’s a close-knit team,” Dreher said. “They are friends, like family and teammates and they get together in the offseason. We have a nice indoor facility that they use in the offseason and that helps tremendously.”

This year’s Hays team split a doubleheader with 4A No. 5 Rock Creek; lost two games to No. 6 4A Clay Center; lost 2-0 to 5A No. 7 seed Kansas City-Piper and lost to No. 4 6A Manhattan and to No. 3 2-1A Thomas More Prep.&nbsp;

Perhaps Great Bend as the WAC runner-up complements the Hays squad by employing many of the same strategies especially when it comes to scheduling.

This year’s non-conference schedule included losses to 5A power Wichita-Bishop Carroll (10-5); a split with No. 1-seeded Class 4A McPherson (Won 15-0, Lost 5-0); wins over Lee’s Summit North, Mo. (5-4) and Gardner Edgerton (2-1) and a lost to Class 5A No. 1 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0).

Both teams then swept through their respective Class 5A regional tournaments to win two games and advanced to the state tournament at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium. Great Bend’s wins in regional came against Arkansas City, 10-0, and Wichita-Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 5-4. Hays’s victories were one-run thrillers – 6-5 over Salina South and 2-1 over Andover High.

Versatile Carson Umphres voted WAC Baseball Player of the Year

If there is one description of Carson Umphres when it comes to his role with the Great Bend Panthers’ baseball team, it could be that he likes to be in the middle of things.

Depending on the opponent and other factors, the senior can be found pitching the bulk of innings for his squad. When he’s not throwing on the mound, he will be either in centerfield or shortstop (when Daxton Minton is pitching – the usual shortstop).

“It’s been a great season, and everyone is competitive on the team,” said Umphres who was voted by the conference coaches as the 2025 Player of the Year. “I think we’ve got a great collection of athletes and it’s a real credit to the coaches. It says a lot about how they get people to come out and then develop them in all the sports we have at the school.”

The POY award was a bit of a surprise to Umphres when he was notified.

“It’s a great honor because there are many other outstanding players in the league,” he said.&nbsp;

Umphres finished the regular season and regionals with a 7-2 won-loss record, he saved two other wins for the Panthers in relief and pitched a team-high 58.2 innings. His earned-run-average was a miniscule 1.67, giving up only 14 earned runs all season. He recorded 61 strikeouts and walked just 15 batters.

“I think my velocity improved quite a lot this year,” Umphres said. “I was able to work on my arm strength (increasing fastball from 85 to 90mph).”

Umphres utilizes a variety of pitches, and the repertoire includes a slider, change-up, knuckle ball and fastball.&nbsp;

“I’ve been throwing the knuckle ball since I was 10, and it is my favorite pitch,” Umphres said. “Not too many hitters in high school see a knuckle ball and I think that’s why I like it so much. I don’t throw a curve because I couldn’t control it and I’ve got my change-up to throw to the other side (of the plate).”

When he is hitting, Umphres is in the lead-off spot with the goal of getting on base any way possible.

“Last year I didn’t hit a lot of hard balls for base hits and this year the ball got to the outfield a lot quicker, so I had to find ways of getting to second base,” Umphres said.&nbsp;

That translated into stealing bases, and he had 31 of those. He batted .450, had 36 hits including six doubles, three triples, five home runs that produced 31 RBIs, and 44 runs scored.

“I opened up my spray chart for hitting this year,” Umphres said. “I had a lot of hits to the gaps and had many more hits to the right side.”

Defensively, when he’s playing centerfield and shortstop, he’s usually in the middle of most plays.

“At shortstop you’re like the commander of the defense, making sure the ball gets where it needs to. You just put it all on the line.”

2025 WAC All-Conference Teams FIRST TEAM	 Carson Umphres - 12 - OF/P - Great Bend Carter Graham - 12 - INF/P - Hays Cooper Johnson - 12 - INF/P - Hays Daxton Minton - 11 - INF/P - Great Bend Jakobe Rathbun - 10 - INF/P - Garden City Ian Premer - 11 - 1B - Great Bend Max Gonzales - 10 - 1B/P - Dodge City Koehn Ribordy - 11 - OF/P - Great Bend Alex Schwindt - 12 - OF/P - Liberal

Player of the Year: Carson Umphres - Great Bend Coach of the Year: Dustin Dreher - Hays

SECOND TEAM Trace Jacobs - 12 - OF/P - Hays Landon Martinez - 12 - OF - Liberal Johnny Cano - 12 - INF/P -Hays Hunter Herrman - 12 - OF/P - Great Bend Jace Gifford - 11 - P - Dodge City Kyler Metzen - 12 - UTL - Garden City Culden Plankenhorn - 11 - UTL - Garden City Ian McGuire - 12 - OF - Hays Trenton Kern - 11 - INF - Great Bend

By BRETT MARSHALL <a href="https://www.wacathletics.com/">Western Athletic Conference</a><h2>Great Bend’s Umphres voted Player of Year</h2>It was by the slimmest of margins, but that’s all that matters when it comes to wins and losses to determine the Western Athletic Conference baseball champion.This year, it was a razor-thin battle between the Hays Indians and Great Bend Panthers, the two most successful programs in the conference’s four decades of existence.Hays prevailed, winning two of three in the newly formatted schedule in which teams play each other three times, one at home and two on the road or vice-versa.In the early portion of the schedule, Hays won the first game on April 1, 5-4, then added a 4-2 triumph on April 15 as part of the doubleheader before Great Bend broke through and won the finale, 10-3.At the end of the 12-game conference slate, it was Hays atop the standings at 11-1 and Great Bend a game behind at 10-2. Overall, Hays finished the regular season 16-8 and Great Bend 19-5.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748865982460.png" alt="Courtesy Hays High School" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Hays High School</figcaption>
 </figure>“One of the main things for us this year was our solid senior class,” said Hays Coach Dustin Dreher. “Quite a few of them gained a lot of experience as juniors and some played varsity as sophomores.”Another contributor to the team’s success was its collection of pitchers.“We’re fortunate in that we have had a lot of good arms,” Dreher noted. “I don’t think we have a lot of high-powered arms, but they do a good job of keeping the ball over the plate and then let our defense do its job. I think we have one of the best defenses in the state.”Since he became the head coach (2020), Dreher said he has tried to strengthen the team’s schedule outside the WAC.That includes playing tournaments in DeSoto, Bonner Springs and other schools that are among the top Class 4-5-6A schools.“It’s a measuring stick for us to see where we are,” Dreher said of the tough slate. “We want to be able to see what it’s like to compete against the best.”“I think it shows that when we are playing at a high level, we can compete with the best teams,” Dreher said. “Dreher likes his lineup in the 1 through 9 positions, citing that all of them make good contact when at the plate.“We’ve got guys who compete, and our offense is exciting to watch,” Dreher said. “We put stress on other team’s defenses by running the bases. We do a lot bunting, hitting to the gaps and getting a lot of singles. We don’t have a lot of big innings, but we just keep trying to advance runners.“When you do all of those little things, you find ways to win.”Many of Dreher’s players have had him as the coach since they were in the second, third and fourth grade.“It’s a close-knit team,” Dreher said. “They are friends, like family and teammates and they get together in the offseason. We have a nice indoor facility that they use in the offseason and that helps tremendously.”This year’s Hays team split a doubleheader with 4A No. 5 Rock Creek; lost two games to No. 6 4A Clay Center; lost 2-0 to 5A No. 7 seed Kansas City-Piper and lost to No. 4 6A Manhattan and to No. 3 2-1A Thomas More Prep.&nbsp;Perhaps Great Bend as the WAC runner-up complements the Hays squad by employing many of the same strategies especially when it comes to scheduling.This year’s non-conference schedule included losses to 5A power Wichita-Bishop Carroll (10-5); a split with No. 1-seeded Class 4A McPherson (Won 15-0, Lost 5-0); wins over Lee’s Summit North, Mo. (5-4) and Gardner Edgerton (2-1) and a lost to Class 5A No. 1 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0).Both teams then swept through their respective Class 5A regional tournaments to win two games and advanced to the state tournament at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium. Great Bend’s wins in regional came against Arkansas City, 10-0, and Wichita-Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 5-4. Hays’s victories were one-run thrillers – 6-5 over Salina South and 2-1 over Andover High.<h2>Versatile Carson Umphres voted WAC Baseball Player of the Year</h2>If there is one description of Carson Umphres when it comes to his role with the Great Bend Panthers’ baseball team, it could be that he likes to be in the middle of things.Depending on the opponent and other factors, the senior can be found pitching the bulk of innings for his squad. When he’s not throwing on the mound, he will be either in centerfield or shortstop (when Daxton Minton is pitching – the usual shortstop).“It’s been a great season, and everyone is competitive on the team,” said Umphres who was voted by the conference coaches as the 2025 Player of the Year. “I think we’ve got a great collection of athletes and it’s a real credit to the coaches. It says a lot about how they get people to come out and then develop them in all the sports we have at the school.”The POY award was a bit of a surprise to Umphres when he was notified.“It’s a great honor because there are many other outstanding players in the league,” he said.&nbsp;Umphres finished the regular season and regionals with a 7-2 won-loss record, he saved two other wins for the Panthers in relief and pitched a team-high 58.2 innings. His earned-run-average was a miniscule 1.67, giving up only 14 earned runs all season. He recorded 61 strikeouts and walked just 15 batters.“I think my velocity improved quite a lot this year,” Umphres said. “I was able to work on my arm strength (increasing fastball from 85 to 90mph).”Umphres utilizes a variety of pitches, and the repertoire includes a slider, change-up, knuckle ball and fastball.&nbsp;“I’ve been throwing the knuckle ball since I was 10, and it is my favorite pitch,” Umphres said. “Not too many hitters in high school see a knuckle ball and I think that’s why I like it so much. I don’t throw a curve because I couldn’t control it and I’ve got my change-up to throw to the other side (of the plate).”When he is hitting, Umphres is in the lead-off spot with the goal of getting on base any way possible.“Last year I didn’t hit a lot of hard balls for base hits and this year the ball got to the outfield a lot quicker, so I had to find ways of getting to second base,” Umphres said.&nbsp;That translated into stealing bases, and he had 31 of those. He batted .450, had 36 hits including six doubles, three triples, five home runs that produced 31 RBIs, and 44 runs scored.“I opened up my spray chart for hitting this year,” Umphres said. “I had a lot of hits to the gaps and had many more hits to the right side.”Defensively, when he’s playing centerfield and shortstop, he’s usually in the middle of most plays.“At shortstop you’re like the commander of the defense, making sure the ball gets where it needs to. You just put it all on the line.”2025 WAC All-Conference Teams FIRST TEAM	 Carson Umphres - 12 - OF/P - Great Bend Carter Graham - 12 - INF/P - Hays Cooper Johnson - 12 - INF/P - Hays Daxton Minton - 11 - INF/P - Great Bend Jakobe Rathbun - 10 - INF/P - Garden City Ian Premer - 11 - 1B - Great Bend Max Gonzales - 10 - 1B/P - Dodge City Koehn Ribordy - 11 - OF/P - Great Bend Alex Schwindt - 12 - OF/P - LiberalPlayer of the Year: Carson Umphres - Great Bend Coach of the Year: Dustin Dreher - HaysSECOND TEAM Trace Jacobs - 12 - OF/P - Hays Landon Martinez - 12 - OF - Liberal Johnny Cano - 12 - INF/P -Hays Hunter Herrman - 12 - OF/P - Great Bend Jace Gifford - 11 - P - Dodge City Kyler Metzen - 12 - UTL - Garden City Culden Plankenhorn - 11 - UTL - Garden City Ian McGuire - 12 - OF - Hays Trenton Kern - 11 - INF - Great Bend

⚾ HHS' Graham, Johnson named to All-WAC first team

Hays High seniors Riley Dreher and Avery Solida have been named to the first team of the All-Western Athletic Conference softball team released over the weekend. Dreher as an infielder and Solida at catcher. Fellow senior Alyse Zimmerman was named second team outfielder and junior Jaylee Summers a second team pitcher.

Western Athletic Conference 2025 Team Standings 1. Great Bend, 12-0 2. Garden City, 8-4 3. Hays, 7-5 4. Liberal, 3-9 5. Dodge City, 0-12

ALL CONFERENCE SOFTBALL – 2025 FIRST TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Chayla Prendergast - 10 - P - Great Bend Kyleigh Whitehurst - 12 - P - Garden City Alyssa McCauley - 11 - INF - Great Bend Riley Dreher - 12 - INF - Hays Kya Behr - 10 - INF - Great Bend Piper Harris - 12 - INF - Garden City DeShawnna Bryant - 12 - OF - Great Bend Yasmin Angeles - 10 - OF - Garden City Avery Solida - 12 - C - Hays

Player of the Year: Chayla Prendergast Coach of the Year: Carrie Minton

SECOND TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Alyse Zimmerman - 12 - OF - Hays Katherine Mazouch - 11 - INF - Great Bend Haiden Lyon - 9 - C - Liberal Tatum Steiner - 12 - C - Dodge City Taylor Harding - 12 - INF - Liberal Jaylee Summers - 11 - P - Hays Camdyn Post - 10 - OF - Great Bend Marisol Angeles - 9 - INF - Garden City Kamryn Koelsch - 11 - C - Great Bend

Hays Post SportsHays High seniors Riley Dreher and Avery Solida have been named to the first team of the All-Western Athletic Conference softball team released over the weekend. Dreher as an infielder and Solida at catcher. Fellow senior Alyse Zimmerman was named second team outfielder and junior Jaylee Summers a second team pitcher.Western Athletic Conference 2025 Team Standings 1. Great Bend, 12-0 2. Garden City, 8-4 3. Hays, 7-5 4. Liberal, 3-9 5. Dodge City, 0-12ALL CONFERENCE SOFTBALL – 2025 FIRST TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Chayla Prendergast - 10 - P - Great Bend Kyleigh Whitehurst - 12 - P - Garden City Alyssa McCauley - 11 - INF - Great Bend Riley Dreher - 12 - INF - Hays Kya Behr - 10 - INF - Great Bend Piper Harris - 12 - INF - Garden City DeShawnna Bryant - 12 - OF - Great Bend Yasmin Angeles - 10 - OF - Garden City Avery Solida - 12 - C - HaysPlayer of the Year: Chayla Prendergast Coach of the Year: Carrie Minton SECOND TEAM NAME - CLASS - POS - SCHOOL Alyse Zimmerman - 12 - OF - Hays Katherine Mazouch - 11 - INF - Great Bend Haiden Lyon - 9 - C - Liberal Tatum Steiner - 12 - C - Dodge City Taylor Harding - 12 - INF - Liberal Jaylee Summers - 11 - P - Hays Camdyn Post - 10 - OF - Great Bend Marisol Angeles - 9 - INF - Garden City Kamryn Koelsch - 11 - C - Great Bend

🥎 HHS Dreher, Solida named first team All-WAC

WICHITA – The Ellis girls brought home eight individual medals, including
four first-place finishes.

Avery Boydston earned a pair of first-place finishes and a third-place
finish.

Boydston earned gold in the 1A 1600 meter and 3200 meter
runs. She also finished third in the 800 meter.

Natalee North also earned a pair of first-place finishes.

Isabella Eck finished fourth in the high jump.

You can find a complete list of the finals results for
both the girls and boys below.

Aron Bencze placed eight in both the boys discus and shot
put.

Hays Post SportsWICHITA – The Ellis girls brought home eight individual medals, including
four first-place finishes.Avery Boydston earned a pair of first-place finishes and a third-place
finish.Boydston earned gold in the 1A 1600 meter and 3200 meter
runs. She also finished third in the 800 meter.Natalee North also earned a pair of first-place finishes.She won both the discus and shot put.Isabella Eck finished fourth in the high jump.You can find a complete list of the finals results for
both the girls and boys below.Aron Bencze placed eight in both the boys discus and shot
put.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748844029128.png" alt="Ellis finals results" />
 <figcaption>Ellis finals results</figcaption>
 </figure>

👟 Ellis girls win 1A state track and field team title

WICHITA – TMP’s Paige Schlyer earned gold in the 2A girls discus this past
weekend with a throw of 129 feet and 10 inches, or her final attempt, helping the
Monarchs to an eighth-place finish at the KSHSAA Track and Field Championship
in Wichita. 

Schlyer also earned a third-place finish in the 2A shot put.

In all, the Lady Monarchs earned six top-eight finishes.

Piper Simpson earned a second-place finish in the pole
vault. She matched the school record, clearing 10 feet six inches. That marked
tied the best in 2A, but the first-place finisher cleared that height on her
first attempt, giving her the first-place finish.

Hays Post SportsWICHITA – TMP’s Paige Schlyer earned gold in the 2A girls discus this past
weekend with a throw of 129 feet and 10 inches, or her final attempt, helping the
Monarchs to an eighth-place finish at the KSHSAA Track and Field Championship
in Wichita. Schlyer also earned a third-place finish in the 2A shot put.In all, the Lady Monarchs earned six top-eight finishes.Piper Simpson earned a second-place finish in the pole
vault. She matched the school record, clearing 10 feet six inches. That marked
tied the best in 2A, but the first-place finisher cleared that height on her
first attempt, giving her the first-place finish.You can find a complete list of the finals results for
both the girls and boys below.For the TMP boys, Jackson Gillespie was the only Monarchs to
earn a top-eight finish.He finished eighth in the 2A boys 100 meter dash.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1748841041170.png" alt="TMP finals results" />
 <figcaption>TMP finals results</figcaption>
 </figure>