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🎥Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

Thursday, September 5 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 6:00pm

Friday, September 6 KKQY: Logan-Palco FB at Stockton, 6:15pm * KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 6:30pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Derby, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Russell, 6:30pm KJLS: Hoxie FB at Osborne, 6:45pm

Saturday, September 7 KAYS: Kansas FB at Illinois, 4:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Missouri Western State, 6:00pm

Sunday, September 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 12:30pm

Thursday, September 5 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 6:00pmFriday, September 6 KKQY: Logan-Palco FB at Stockton, 6:15pm * KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 6:30pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Derby, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Russell, 6:30pm KJLS: Hoxie FB at Osborne, 6:45pmSaturday, September 7 KAYS: Kansas FB at Illinois, 4:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Missouri Western State, 6:00pmSunday, September 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 12:30pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

WICHITA, Kan. – The 2024 National Baseball Congress All-Americans all played key roles in advancing their respective teams through the 90th NBC World Series, powered by Evergy. The Hays Larks claimed their first National Championship in franchise history in 2024, and Hays manager Frank Leo was named NBC Manager of the Year.

Pitcher - Team - Stats Cooper Garrison - Derby Twins (KS) - 0.87 ERA, 1-0 Record, 10 1/3 Innings, 9 Ks, 1 BB

Jaden Bahl - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - 1.42 ERA, 2-0 Record, 12 2/3 Innings, 12 Ks, 7 BB

Nolan Wilson - Hays Larks (KS) - 2.45 ERA, 1-0 Record, 11 Innings, 17 Ks, 6 BB

Garrett Hicks - Hays Larks (KS) - 0.00 ERA, 4 App, 4 Saves, 6 2/3 Innings, 9 Ks, 1 BB

Davis Luikart - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - 0.00 ERA, 4 App, 1 Save, 6 1/3 Innings, 4 Ks, 0 BB

Catcher - Team - Stats Kory Schmidt - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - .533 AVG, 8 Hits, 4 2B, 1 HR, 6RBO, 1.000 SLG%

Infielder - Team - Stats 1B – Garrett Gruell - Hays Larks (KS) - .385 AVG, 10 Hits, 2B, HR, 6 R, 10 RBI, .538 SLG%

2B – Will Carpenter - Hays Larks (KS) - .444 AVG, 8 Hits, 5 2B, 7 R, 6 RBI, .722 SLG%

SS – Camden Johnson - Hutchinson Monarchs (KS) - .414 AVG, 12 Hits, 2B, 3B, 7 R, 9 RBI, 5 SB

3B – Jarrett Flaggert - Hutchinson Monarchs (KS) - .308 AVG, 8 Hits, 4 R, 2 RBI

Outfielder - Team - Stats Isaiah Afework	Seattle Studs (WA)	.600 AVG, 9 Hits, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 6 R, 8 RBI, 1.133 SLG%

Jaden Gustafson - Hutchinson Monarchs (KS) - .423 AVG, 11 Hits, 4 2B, 2 3B, 7 R, 8 RBI, SB

Andre Jackson - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - .520 AVG, 13 Hits, 2B, 7 R, 2 RBI, 5 SB

Utility - Team - Stats Sage Sanders (1B/3B) - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - .333 AVG, 5 Hits, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, SB

Designated Hitter - Team - Stats Chase Diggins	Kansas Cannons (KS)	.600 AVG, 9 Hits, 7 2B, 10 R, 6 RBI, 1.067 SLG%, SB

Manager of the Year - Team Frank Leo - Hays Larks (KS)

National Baseball CongressWICHITA, Kan. – The 2024 National Baseball Congress All-Americans all played key roles in advancing their respective teams through the 90th NBC World Series, powered by Evergy. The Hays Larks claimed their first National Championship in franchise history in 2024, and Hays manager Frank Leo was named NBC Manager of the Year.Pitcher - Team - Stats Cooper Garrison - Derby Twins (KS) - 0.87 ERA, 1-0 Record, 10 1/3 Innings, 9 Ks, 1 BBJaden Bahl - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - 1.42 ERA, 2-0 Record, 12 2/3 Innings, 12 Ks, 7 BBNolan Wilson - Hays Larks (KS) - 2.45 ERA, 1-0 Record, 11 Innings, 17 Ks, 6 BBGarrett Hicks - Hays Larks (KS) - 0.00 ERA, 4 App, 4 Saves, 6 2/3 Innings, 9 Ks, 1 BBDavis Luikart - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - 0.00 ERA, 4 App, 1 Save, 6 1/3 Innings, 4 Ks, 0 BBCatcher - Team - Stats Kory Schmidt - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - .533 AVG, 8 Hits, 4 2B, 1 HR, 6RBO, 1.000 SLG%Infielder - Team - Stats 1B – Garrett Gruell - Hays Larks (KS) - .385 AVG, 10 Hits, 2B, HR, 6 R, 10 RBI, .538 SLG%2B – Will Carpenter - Hays Larks (KS) - .444 AVG, 8 Hits, 5 2B, 7 R, 6 RBI, .722 SLG%SS – Camden Johnson - Hutchinson Monarchs (KS) - .414 AVG, 12 Hits, 2B, 3B, 7 R, 9 RBI, 5 SB3B – Jarrett Flaggert - Hutchinson Monarchs (KS) - .308 AVG, 8 Hits, 4 R, 2 RBIOutfielder - Team - Stats Isaiah Afework	Seattle Studs (WA)	.600 AVG, 9 Hits, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 6 R, 8 RBI, 1.133 SLG%Jaden Gustafson - Hutchinson Monarchs (KS) - .423 AVG, 11 Hits, 4 2B, 2 3B, 7 R, 8 RBI, SBAndre Jackson - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - .520 AVG, 13 Hits, 2B, 7 R, 2 RBI, 5 SBUtility - Team - Stats Sage Sanders (1B/3B) - Lonestar Baseball Club (TX) - .333 AVG, 5 Hits, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, SBDesignated Hitter - Team - Stats Chase Diggins	Kansas Cannons (KS)	.600 AVG, 9 Hits, 7 2B, 10 R, 6 RBI, 1.067 SLG%, SBManager of the Year - Team Frank Leo - Hays Larks (KS)

⚾ Four Larks named NBC All-American, Leo top manager

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tommy Pham hit his first home run for Kansas City, a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run fourth inning, and the Royals stopped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.

Seth Lugo (15-8) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He is one win behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who are tied for the major league lead. Lugo is 11-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 15 starts with four days’ rest.

Kansas City (76-65) closed within one percentage point of Minnesota (75-64) for the second AL wild card spot. The Royals and Twins are both 4 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland (80-60).

Royals manager Matt Quatraro returned after missing two games following the death of his mother.

“Really happy for those guys,” Quatraro said. “Nobody wants to lose, and when you string a whole week of games together where you don’t win any of them, it wears on you, mentally, physically. It makes it tougher to believe in yourself, so however it had to happen ... it’s good to get a win.”

During the seven-game skid, the Royals had scored three runs or fewer in six straight games, the team’s longest such streak since Aug. 15-21, 2022. The Royals had scored two runs or fewer in five straight, their longest span since June 7-13, 2018.

Pham, claimed off waivers from St. Louis on Saturday, broke a 1-1 tie with his homer off Ben Lively (11-9), who allowed seven hits in four innings. The drive deep into the left-field seats was Pham’s eighth home run this season and gave Pham his first RBIs with the Royals.

“It just seems like we’ve had some chances and we just couldn’t come through with the big hit until tonight,” Pham said. “It felt very good because I’ve been having a hard time barreling up balls to the pull side, and today it was something I worked on, and it’s even better to see it translate into the game.”

Quatraro said it was a relief to have someone come through.

“Somebody’s got to let the pressure off, and he did,” Quatraro said. “It was nice to tie it up ... but you’re trying to play for a big inning there. It took till two outs to do it but that was a big, big hit for Tommy."

Paul DeJong reached on an infield single, Robbie Grossman singled for his first Royals hit since he was claimed from Texas on Saturday, and Michael Massey hit a tying single.

Lugo got help from DeJong when the third baseman made a diving grab on Daniel Schneeman’s sharp grounder in the hole in the fifth. Lugo also benefited from three double plays, one started by the pitcher

“It looked he really had a good curveball. He got in on the lefties with the cutter and when they were looking in, he softened it up away,” Quatraro said. “Pretty good soft contact night, I would say, the double plays, just had it all going.”

Lugo had a loss and no-decision since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 19.

“I thought I threw the ball well,” Lugo said. “I thought I was using both sides of the plate with my fastball and breaking balls and kept the hitters off balance. I used a pretty good mix out there tonight.”

José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead 1-0 in the third with a two-out bloop single.

Kris Bubic struck out the side in the eighth and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save and sixth with the Royals.

Guardians: 1B Josh Naylor did not play after leaving Tuesday’s game with a back spasm.

Royals: OF Hunter Renfroe (hamstring) was 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly as began a rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 25.

Royals INF CJ Alexander was claimed off waivers by Oakland. He was designated for assignment on Saturday.

Guardians: LHP Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.38) starts Friday’s series opener at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (10-9, 3.46) starts Friday’s series opener against Minnesota and RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2, 7.41).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725502875509.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tommy Pham hit his first home run for Kansas City, a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run fourth inning, and the Royals stopped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.Seth Lugo (15-8) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He is one win behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who are tied for the major league lead. Lugo is 11-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 15 starts with four days’ rest.Kansas City (76-65) closed within one percentage point of Minnesota (75-64) for the second AL wild card spot. The Royals and Twins are both 4 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland (80-60).Royals manager Matt Quatraro returned after missing two games following the death of his mother.“Really happy for those guys,” Quatraro said. “Nobody wants to lose, and when you string a whole week of games together where you don’t win any of them, it wears on you, mentally, physically. It makes it tougher to believe in yourself, so however it had to happen ... it’s good to get a win.”During the seven-game skid, the Royals had scored three runs or fewer in six straight games, the team’s longest such streak since Aug. 15-21, 2022. The Royals had scored two runs or fewer in five straight, their longest span since June 7-13, 2018.Pham, claimed off waivers from St. Louis on Saturday, broke a 1-1 tie with his homer off Ben Lively (11-9), who allowed seven hits in four innings. The drive deep into the left-field seats was Pham’s eighth home run this season and gave Pham his first RBIs with the Royals.“It just seems like we’ve had some chances and we just couldn’t come through with the big hit until tonight,” Pham said. “It felt very good because I’ve been having a hard time barreling up balls to the pull side, and today it was something I worked on, and it’s even better to see it translate into the game.”Quatraro said it was a relief to have someone come through.“Somebody’s got to let the pressure off, and he did,” Quatraro said. “It was nice to tie it up ... but you’re trying to play for a big inning there. It took till two outs to do it but that was a big, big hit for Tommy."Paul DeJong reached on an infield single, Robbie Grossman singled for his first Royals hit since he was claimed from Texas on Saturday, and Michael Massey hit a tying single.Lugo got help from DeJong when the third baseman made a diving grab on Daniel Schneeman’s sharp grounder in the hole in the fifth. Lugo also benefited from three double plays, one started by the pitcher“It looked he really had a good curveball. He got in on the lefties with the cutter and when they were looking in, he softened it up away,” Quatraro said. “Pretty good soft contact night, I would say, the double plays, just had it all going.”Lugo had a loss and no-decision since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 19.“I thought I threw the ball well,” Lugo said. “I thought I was using both sides of the plate with my fastball and breaking balls and kept the hitters off balance. I used a pretty good mix out there tonight.”José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead 1-0 in the third with a two-out bloop single.Kris Bubic struck out the side in the eighth and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save and sixth with the Royals.TRAINER’S ROOMGuardians: 1B Josh Naylor did not play after leaving Tuesday’s game with a back spasm.Royals: OF Hunter Renfroe (hamstring) was 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly as began a rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 25.ROSTER MOVESRoyals INF CJ Alexander was claimed off waivers by Oakland. He was designated for assignment on Saturday.UP NEXTGuardians: LHP Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.38) starts Friday’s series opener at the Los Angeles Dodgers.Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (10-9, 3.46) starts Friday’s series opener against Minnesota and RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2, 7.41).___

⚾ Pham homers and Royals end 7-game losing streak

We're joined by Fort Hays State men's soccer coach Alex Nichols, volleyball coach Jessica Wood-Atkins and football coach Chris Brown.

We're joined by Fort Hays State men's soccer coach Alex Nichols, volleyball coach Jessica Wood-Atkins and football coach Chris Brown.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (September 4, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5aic2-16c379d-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (September 4, 2024)

Class 6A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Derby (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gardner-Edgerton (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blue Valley Northwest (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lawrence (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lawrence Free State (0-0)

Class 5A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mill Valley (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blue Valley (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Goddard-Eisenhower (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Great Bend (0-0)

Class 4A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bishop Miege (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Andover Central (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kapaun Mt. Carmel (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wamego (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Louisburg (0-0)

Class 3A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Andale (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cheney (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Topeka Hayden (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wichita Collegiate (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Scott City (0-0)

Class 2A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nemaha Central (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Norton (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Southeast of Saline (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hoisington (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; St. Marys (0-0)

Class 1A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Conway Springs (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rossville (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Medicine Lodge (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jackson Heights (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sedgwick (0-0)

Class 8M-I Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wichita Co. (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hoxie (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Little River (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ell-Saline (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; West Elk (0-0)

Class 8M-II Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Axtell (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Frankfort (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Victoria (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dighton (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Burlingame (0-0)

Class 6M Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cunningham (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ingalls (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; South Barber (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Weskan (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Northern Valley (0-0)

Class 6A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Derby (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gardner-Edgerton (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blue Valley Northwest (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lawrence (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lawrence Free State (0-0)Class 5A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mill Valley (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blue Valley (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Goddard-Eisenhower (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Great Bend (0-0)Class 4A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bishop Miege (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Andover Central (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kapaun Mt. Carmel (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wamego (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Louisburg (0-0)Class 3A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Andale (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cheney (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Topeka Hayden (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wichita Collegiate (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Scott City (0-0)Class 2A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nemaha Central (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Norton (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Southeast of Saline (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hoisington (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; St. Marys (0-0)Class 1A Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Conway Springs (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rossville (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Medicine Lodge (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jackson Heights (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sedgwick (0-0)Class 8M-I Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wichita Co. (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hoxie (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Little River (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ell-Saline (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; West Elk (0-0)Class 8M-II Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Axtell (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Frankfort (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Victoria (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dighton (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Burlingame (0-0)Class 6M Rankings 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cunningham (0-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ingalls (0-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; South Barber (0-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Weskan (0-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Northern Valley (0-0)

🏈Kpreps.com week 1 HS football rankings

Wednesday, September 4 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pm

Wednesday, September 4 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pmThursday, September 5 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 6:00pmFriday, September 6 KKQY: Logan-Palco FB at Stockton, 6:15pm * KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 6:30pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Derby, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Russell, 6:30pm KJLS: Hoxie FB at Osborne, 6:45pmSaturday, September 7 KAYS: Kansas FB at Illinois, 4:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Missouri Western State, 6:00pmSunday, September 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 12:30pm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio drove in four runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 7-1 Tuesday night, extending the Royals’ losing streak to a season-high seven.

Kansas City was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth straight game and managed just four hits. The Royals’ losing streak is its longest since a 10-game skid from June 5-16 last year.

Since tying Cleveland for the AL Central lead on Aug. 27, the Royals (76-65) have dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Guardians (80-59), who have won five of six. Kansas City maintained a 4 1/2-game lead for the final AL wild card.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro missed his second game after the death of his mother Dorann Stagnitta. Bench coach Paul Hoover served as acting manager.

Cleveland first baseman Josh Naylor left for a pinch runner after singling in the eighth inning because of lower back tightness.

Steven Kwan had a two-run single for the Guardians and Kyle Manzardo had three hits.

Tanner Bibee (11-6) allowed one run and two hits in six innings — just the 39th time a Cleveland starter pitched six or more innings.

“I thought he was great, just attacking, throwing a lot of strikes," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "Especially after the third, he settled in and threw a ton of strikes, kept them off balance.”

Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. had his big league-best 57th multihit game of the season.

Brady Singer (9-10) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Rocchio’s sacrifice fly in the second and Andrés Giménez’s bloop RBI single in the fifth built a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but Tommy Pham failed to tag up at third on Salvador Perez’s line drive to left. Paul DeJong followed with a sacrifice fly and Bibee struck out MJ Melendez.

“He can make pitches in big-time moments,” Vogt said. “Tanner is a big-time pitcher. He wants those moments, and for him to be able to slow down and execute in that situation was huge.”

Bibee is 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 14 road starts, and the Guardians are 20-7 in his outings this year.

“I was just trying to execute the next pitch,” Bibee said of the sixth inning. “When I get into a lot of trouble, I feel like it’s trying to do way too much. I think one goal for me today was just to execute one pitch at a time.”

Rocchio hit his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, a two-run drive against Sam Long that was just inside the left-field foul pole. The 23-year-old rookie homered after failing on a pair of bunt attempts.

“When I missed the first two bunts, I’m trying to stay calm and be patient to move the runner to second base. But I put a good swing on it," Roochio said. “Awesome, because I know if I don’t do anything, maybe he’s mad at me” in a reference to Vogt.

“It’s really easy when you don’t do your job or don’t get the job done to get down on yourself and just give away and at-bat, but he got pitch up and he crushed it,” Vogt said.

Rocchio added a bases-loaded walk in the eighth against James McArthur for a career-best four RBIs.

“What you saw in the sixth is probably what we need to do hopefully from inning one, just stringing a couple at-bats together, passing the baton and the next guy up hopefully can do the job,” Hoover said. “We want to be successful, but sometimes we want it so bad that we try to do a little too much.”

Royals: 1B-3B Yuli Gurriel, acquired from Atlanta on Sunday, is listed as day to day with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced after doubling in the eighth inning Monday and did not play Tuesday.

Cleveland RHP Ben Lively (11-8, 3.92) starts Wednesday’s series finale against Royals RHP Seth Lugo (14-8, 3.12).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio drove in four runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 7-1 Tuesday night, extending the Royals’ losing streak to a season-high seven.Kansas City was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth straight game and managed just four hits. The Royals’ losing streak is its longest since a 10-game skid from June 5-16 last year.Since tying Cleveland for the AL Central lead on Aug. 27, the Royals (76-65) have dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Guardians (80-59), who have won five of six. Kansas City maintained a 4 1/2-game lead for the final AL wild card.Royals manager Matt Quatraro missed his second game after the death of his mother Dorann Stagnitta. Bench coach Paul Hoover served as acting manager.Cleveland first baseman Josh Naylor left for a pinch runner after singling in the eighth inning because of lower back tightness.Steven Kwan had a two-run single for the Guardians and Kyle Manzardo had three hits.Tanner Bibee (11-6) allowed one run and two hits in six innings — just the 39th time a Cleveland starter pitched six or more innings.“I thought he was great, just attacking, throwing a lot of strikes," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "Especially after the third, he settled in and threw a ton of strikes, kept them off balance.”Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. had his big league-best 57th multihit game of the season.Brady Singer (9-10) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.Rocchio’s sacrifice fly in the second and Andrés Giménez’s bloop RBI single in the fifth built a 2-0 lead.Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but Tommy Pham failed to tag up at third on Salvador Perez’s line drive to left. Paul DeJong followed with a sacrifice fly and Bibee struck out MJ Melendez.“He can make pitches in big-time moments,” Vogt said. “Tanner is a big-time pitcher. He wants those moments, and for him to be able to slow down and execute in that situation was huge.”Bibee is 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 14 road starts, and the Guardians are 20-7 in his outings this year.“I was just trying to execute the next pitch,” Bibee said of the sixth inning. “When I get into a lot of trouble, I feel like it’s trying to do way too much. I think one goal for me today was just to execute one pitch at a time.”Rocchio hit his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, a two-run drive against Sam Long that was just inside the left-field foul pole. The 23-year-old rookie homered after failing on a pair of bunt attempts.“When I missed the first two bunts, I’m trying to stay calm and be patient to move the runner to second base. But I put a good swing on it," Roochio said. “Awesome, because I know if I don’t do anything, maybe he’s mad at me” in a reference to Vogt.“It’s really easy when you don’t do your job or don’t get the job done to get down on yourself and just give away and at-bat, but he got pitch up and he crushed it,” Vogt said.Rocchio added a bases-loaded walk in the eighth against James McArthur for a career-best four RBIs.Hoover said the Royals are pressing.“What you saw in the sixth is probably what we need to do hopefully from inning one, just stringing a couple at-bats together, passing the baton and the next guy up hopefully can do the job,” Hoover said. “We want to be successful, but sometimes we want it so bad that we try to do a little too much.”TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B-3B Yuli Gurriel, acquired from Atlanta on Sunday, is listed as day to day with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced after doubling in the eighth inning Monday and did not play Tuesday.UP NEXTCleveland RHP Ben Lively (11-8, 3.92) starts Wednesday’s series finale against Royals RHP Seth Lugo (14-8, 3.12).

⚾ Guardians extend Royals losing streak to season-high 7

SMITH
CENTER – The TMP-Marian volleyball team went 0-2 at a triangular in Smith
Center Tuesday. The Monarchs lost in two sets to Smith Center (18-25, 23-25)
and in two sets to Norton (22-25, 20-25).

Hays PostSMITH
CENTER – The TMP-Marian volleyball team went 0-2 at a triangular in Smith
Center Tuesday. The Monarchs lost in two sets to Smith Center (18-25, 23-25)
and in two sets to Norton (22-25, 20-25).TMP
is now 3-4 on the season.

🏐 TMP-Marian swept in Smith Center

HAYS
– The TMP-Marian girls’ golf team finished second and Hays High third at the
Hays High Lady Indians Invitational Tuesday afternoon at Smoky Hill County
Club.

Hays
High’s Jaycee Oakley was tied for the lead after nine holes with a 41 but lost on
the first playoff hole to finish second behind Atwood’s Amelia Bowles.

The
Monarchs had three golfers finish in the top-10. Brynn Schoeph is fifth (48), Jenna
Brull seventh (51) and Ava Schumacher 10th (52).

Garden
City won the team title with a 195, 13 shots better than the Monarchs who fired
a 208. Hays High finished with a 212.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725451921045.jpeg" alt="The TMP-Marian girls' golf team finished second at the HHS Lady Invitational on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>The TMP-Marian girls' golf team finished second at the HHS Lady Invitational on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostHAYS
– The TMP-Marian girls’ golf team finished second and Hays High third at the
Hays High Lady Indians Invitational Tuesday afternoon at Smoky Hill County
Club.Hays
High’s Jaycee Oakley was tied for the lead after nine holes with a 41 but lost on
the first playoff hole to finish second behind Atwood’s Amelia Bowles.The
Monarchs had three golfers finish in the top-10. Brynn Schoeph is fifth (48), Jenna
Brull seventh (51) and Ava Schumacher 10th (52).Garden
City won the team title with a 195, 13 shots better than the Monarchs who fired
a 208. Hays High finished with a 212.

⛳ TMP second, HHS third at Hays High Lady Indians Invitational

Fort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, runnin back Shane Watts and linebacker Makel Williams spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers host Missouri Western State University on Saturday.

Hays PostFort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, runnin back Shane Watts and linebacker Makel Williams spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers host Missouri Western State University on Saturday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bxnMqOhUvl4?si=kbv9220V9v14yxPL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Fr7v7GQZI0?si=JVRoR5M4kY8wHx3t" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/prFbGfMPx8M?si=mXW80nJTl9H4bG-E" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏈📹 FHSU weekly press conference 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior defensive back Benyon Williams&nbsp;was named MIAA Co-Defensive Athlete of the Week on Tuesday for his efforts in the season-opening 21-7 win over Angelo State. Williams shared the honor this week with Thomas Cook of Pittsburg State. Both FHSU and PSU picked up wins over nationally ranked teams last week.

Williams, a native of Tampa, Fla., finished with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in the 21-7 win over No. 24 ranked Angelo State. He matched his career high for tackles in a game, which he also accomplished against Averett in 2021 at his former school of North Carolina Wesleyan. Williams had a team-high seven solo tackles, including one on special teams. Five of his 11 tackles were on plays resulting in one yard or less gained by the Rams. Four of his stops were on third downs, with three forcing the Rams to punt and the fourth coming just before a turnover on downs late in the game. Williams helped the Tiger defense limit Angelo State to just 203 total yards.

Cook enjoyed a career day in helping No. 6 ranked Pitt State to a 19-3 season-opening win over No. 3 ranked Ferris State. The senior from Overland Park, Kan., made five tackles, including a quarterback sack. He also forced a fumble and recovered another as the Gorillas created four takeaways in the contest while limiting the Bulldogs to 38 net rushing yards and 171 total yards. Cook's forced fumble came with 7:18 to play in the third quarter and the Gorillas leading 9-3. Pitt State cashed in with the game's only touchdown five plays later to expand the margin to 16-3.Williams and Cook joined Gunnar Gundy of Emporia State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Austin Schmitt (Special Teams Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the MIAA office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725397021746.png" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior defensive back Benyon Williams&nbsp;was named MIAA Co-Defensive Athlete of the Week on Tuesday for his efforts in the season-opening 21-7 win over Angelo State. Williams shared the honor this week with Thomas Cook of Pittsburg State. Both FHSU and PSU picked up wins over nationally ranked teams last week.Williams, a native of Tampa, Fla., finished with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in the 21-7 win over No. 24 ranked Angelo State. He matched his career high for tackles in a game, which he also accomplished against Averett in 2021 at his former school of North Carolina Wesleyan. Williams had a team-high seven solo tackles, including one on special teams. Five of his 11 tackles were on plays resulting in one yard or less gained by the Rams. Four of his stops were on third downs, with three forcing the Rams to punt and the fourth coming just before a turnover on downs late in the game. Williams helped the Tiger defense limit Angelo State to just 203 total yards.Cook enjoyed a career day in helping No. 6 ranked Pitt State to a 19-3 season-opening win over No. 3 ranked Ferris State. The senior from Overland Park, Kan., made five tackles, including a quarterback sack. He also forced a fumble and recovered another as the Gorillas created four takeaways in the contest while limiting the Bulldogs to 38 net rushing yards and 171 total yards. Cook's forced fumble came with 7:18 to play in the third quarter and the Gorillas leading 9-3. Pitt State cashed in with the game's only touchdown five plays later to expand the margin to 16-3.Williams and Cook joined Gunnar Gundy of Emporia State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Austin Schmitt (Special Teams Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the MIAA office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 FHSU's Benyon Williams MIAA Defensive Player of the Week

Fort Hays State moved into the D2Football.com Top 25 rankings on Monday after its season-opening 21-7 win over Angelo State last week. It's Fort Hays State's first appearance in the D2Football.com Top 25 since the 2019 season.

Fort Hays State's last appearance in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll was on November 5, 2019 before it took on a No. 12/14 ranked Northwest Missouri State team in Hays. The Bearcats won that matchup 36-33 in double overtime, which knocked the Tigers out of the rankings the following week. FHSU went on to win the following week and finished the 2019 season at 8-3 overall.

Fort Hays State is one of three schools from the MIAA represented in the September 2 edition of the poll, joining No. 2 Central Missouri and No. 3 Pittsburg State. Central Missouri was idle last week, while Pittsburg State claimed a 19-3 win in a Top 10 matchup against Ferris State.

Fort Hays State was among the teams receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll.

D2Football.com Top 25 (September 2, 2024) Rank - Team - Record - Previous Rank 1. Harding - 0-0 - 1 2. Central Missouri - 0-0 - 2 3. Pittsburg State - 1-0 - 4 4. Grand Valley State - 0-0 - 5 5. Valdosta State - 1-0 - 6 6. Colorado School of Mines - 0-0 - 7 7. Central Washington - 0-0 - 8 8. Minnesota State - 1-0 - 11 9. Ferris State - 0-1 - 3 10. Kutztown - 0-0 - 9 11. Slippery Rock - 0-0 - 10 12. Delta State - 1-0 - 14 13. Lenoir-Rhyne - 0-0 - 12 14. West Florida - 0-0 - 13 15. UT Permian Basin - 1-0 - 16 16. Indianapolis - 0-0 - 15 17. Ouachita Baptist - 0-0 - 17 18. Virginia Union - 1-0 - 18 19. Western Colorado - 0-0 - 19 20. Bemidji State - 1-0 - 20 21. Augustana - 0-0 - 21 22. Henderson State - 0-0 - 23 23. Minnesota Duluth - 1-0 - 25 24. Fort Hays State - 1-0 - NR 25. Charleston - 1-0 - 24&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725444757949.png" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State moved into the D2Football.com Top 25 rankings on Monday after its season-opening 21-7 win over Angelo State last week. It's Fort Hays State's first appearance in the D2Football.com Top 25 since the 2019 season.Fort Hays State's last appearance in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll was on November 5, 2019 before it took on a No. 12/14 ranked Northwest Missouri State team in Hays. The Bearcats won that matchup 36-33 in double overtime, which knocked the Tigers out of the rankings the following week. FHSU went on to win the following week and finished the 2019 season at 8-3 overall.Fort Hays State is one of three schools from the MIAA represented in the September 2 edition of the poll, joining No. 2 Central Missouri and No. 3 Pittsburg State. Central Missouri was idle last week, while Pittsburg State claimed a 19-3 win in a Top 10 matchup against Ferris State.Fort Hays State was among the teams receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll.D2Football.com Top 25 (September 2, 2024) Rank - Team - Record - Previous Rank 1. Harding - 0-0 - 1 2. Central Missouri - 0-0 - 2 3. Pittsburg State - 1-0 - 4 4. Grand Valley State - 0-0 - 5 5. Valdosta State - 1-0 - 6 6. Colorado School of Mines - 0-0 - 7 7. Central Washington - 0-0 - 8 8. Minnesota State - 1-0 - 11 9. Ferris State - 0-1 - 3 10. Kutztown - 0-0 - 9 11. Slippery Rock - 0-0 - 10 12. Delta State - 1-0 - 14 13. Lenoir-Rhyne - 0-0 - 12 14. West Florida - 0-0 - 13 15. UT Permian Basin - 1-0 - 16 16. Indianapolis - 0-0 - 15 17. Ouachita Baptist - 0-0 - 17 18. Virginia Union - 1-0 - 18 19. Western Colorado - 0-0 - 19 20. Bemidji State - 1-0 - 20 21. Augustana - 0-0 - 21 22. Henderson State - 0-0 - 23 23. Minnesota Duluth - 1-0 - 25 24. Fort Hays State - 1-0 - NR 25. Charleston - 1-0 - 24&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 FHSU tabbed No. 24 in D2Football.com Top 25 poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women's cross country team was picked third in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, while the Tiger men rank eighth in the preseason ranks.

The Tiger women accumulated 114 points in the balloting process, just 14 behind second-ranked Missouri Southern. Pittsburg State grabbed 11 of 13 first-place votes to lead the way with 143 points.

The Tiger men totaled 54 points, two behind seventh-ranked Emporia State. Pittsburg State also tops the men's poll by just three points over Northwest Missouri State, 113 to 110.The women's team features seven returners, two transfers and eight freshmen. The Tigers return one All-Region performer in&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/jaycee-vath/8137">Jaycee Vath</a>&nbsp;and a pair of All-MIAA performers in Vath and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/darian-hudgeons/8133">Darian Hudgeons</a>, who has claimed All-MIAA honors each of the last two seasons. Five of the seven returners placed in the top scoring five for the Tigers at least twice last season, including three that were in the top five in all six races (Vath, Hudgeons and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/abbye-hudson/8134">Abbye Hudson</a>), one that was in the top five three times (<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/brenna-murphy/8135">Brenna Murphy</a>) and one that was in the top five twice (<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/madison-sutterfield/8136">Madison Sutterfield</a>).

The men's squad returns 13 student-athletes from last year's squad, including five different competitors that contributed to the team scoring at least once last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jaret-pfizenmaier/8157">Jaret Pfizenmaier</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/corbin-ricke/8158">Corbin Ricke</a>&nbsp;were both in the Tiger top five at all six meets last year, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/noah-morenz/8156">Noah Morenz</a>&nbsp;was in the scoring five at five different races. The Tigers added 10 newcomers this year, including seven freshmen and three transfers.

The Tigers will open the 2024 season at the 76th Annual JK Gold Classic Saturday morning (Sept. 7) at Clapp Golf Course in Wichita, Kan. The race, hosted by Wichita State University, will begin at 8 a.m. with the men's 6K and will conclude with the women's 5K at 9 a.m.

This is FHSU's first competition in Wichita since 2009 when the Tigers traveled down interstate 135 to compete at the Friends Invitational.

The Tigers will then host the FHSU Tiger Open on Friday, September 13 beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the Rolling Ridge Cross Country Course.

2024 MIAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1. Pittsburg State [11] – 143 points 2. Missouri Southern – 128 points 3. Fort Hays State – 114 points 4. Nebraska Kearney [1] – 108 points 5. Rogers State [1] – 99 points 6. Northwest Missouri – 87 points T7. Missouri Western – 76 points T7. Washburn – 76 points 9. Central Missouri – 54 points 10. Newman – 47 points 11. Emporia State – 42 points 12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 21 points 13. Central Oklahoma – 19 points [#] - Number of First-Place Votes

2024 MIAA MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1. Pittsburg State [7] – 113 points 2. Northwest Missouri [4] – 110 points 3. Washburn – 93 points 4. Missouri Southern [1] – 91 points 5. Nebraska Kearney – 86 points 6. Central Missouri – 71 points 7. Emporia State – 56 points 8. Fort Hays State – 54 points 9. Missouri Western – 49 points 10. Newman – 30 points 11. Rogers State – 25 points 12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 14 points [#] - Number of First-Place Votes&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725389152241.png" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women's cross country team was picked third in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, while the Tiger men rank eighth in the preseason ranks.The Tiger women accumulated 114 points in the balloting process, just 14 behind second-ranked Missouri Southern. Pittsburg State grabbed 11 of 13 first-place votes to lead the way with 143 points.The Tiger men totaled 54 points, two behind seventh-ranked Emporia State. Pittsburg State also tops the men's poll by just three points over Northwest Missouri State, 113 to 110.The women's team features seven returners, two transfers and eight freshmen. The Tigers return one All-Region performer in&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/jaycee-vath/8137">Jaycee Vath</a>&nbsp;and a pair of All-MIAA performers in Vath and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/darian-hudgeons/8133">Darian Hudgeons</a>, who has claimed All-MIAA honors each of the last two seasons. Five of the seven returners placed in the top scoring five for the Tigers at least twice last season, including three that were in the top five in all six races (Vath, Hudgeons and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/abbye-hudson/8134">Abbye Hudson</a>), one that was in the top five three times (<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/brenna-murphy/8135">Brenna Murphy</a>) and one that was in the top five twice (<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/madison-sutterfield/8136">Madison Sutterfield</a>).The men's squad returns 13 student-athletes from last year's squad, including five different competitors that contributed to the team scoring at least once last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jaret-pfizenmaier/8157">Jaret Pfizenmaier</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/corbin-ricke/8158">Corbin Ricke</a>&nbsp;were both in the Tiger top five at all six meets last year, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/noah-morenz/8156">Noah Morenz</a>&nbsp;was in the scoring five at five different races. The Tigers added 10 newcomers this year, including seven freshmen and three transfers.The Tigers will open the 2024 season at the 76th Annual JK Gold Classic Saturday morning (Sept. 7) at Clapp Golf Course in Wichita, Kan. The race, hosted by Wichita State University, will begin at 8 a.m. with the men's 6K and will conclude with the women's 5K at 9 a.m.This is FHSU's first competition in Wichita since 2009 when the Tigers traveled down interstate 135 to compete at the Friends Invitational.The Tigers will then host the FHSU Tiger Open on Friday, September 13 beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the Rolling Ridge Cross Country Course.2024 MIAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1. Pittsburg State [11] – 143 points 2. Missouri Southern – 128 points 3. Fort Hays State – 114 points 4. Nebraska Kearney [1] – 108 points 5. Rogers State [1] – 99 points 6. Northwest Missouri – 87 points T7. Missouri Western – 76 points T7. Washburn – 76 points 9. Central Missouri – 54 points 10. Newman – 47 points 11. Emporia State – 42 points 12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 21 points 13. Central Oklahoma – 19 points [#] - Number of First-Place Votes2024 MIAA MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1. Pittsburg State [7] – 113 points 2. Northwest Missouri [4] – 110 points 3. Washburn – 93 points 4. Missouri Southern [1] – 91 points 5. Nebraska Kearney – 86 points 6. Central Missouri – 71 points 7. Emporia State – 56 points 8. Fort Hays State – 54 points 9. Missouri Western – 49 points 10. Newman – 30 points 11. Rogers State – 25 points 12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 14 points [#] - Number of First-Place Votes&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏃‍♀️ FHSU women third, men eighth in MIAA preseason poll

Fort Hays State football opens the 2024 season at home against #24 Angelo State.

Fort Hays State football opens the 2024 season at home against #24 Angelo State.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind: FB vs. #24 Angelo State (Aug. 30, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=xsjyu-16c15af-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind - FB vs. A#24 Angelo State

Tuesday, September 3 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pm

Tuesday, September 3 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pmWednesday, September 4 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pmThursday, September 5 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 6:00pmFriday, September 6 KKQY: Logan-Palco FB at Stockton, 6:15pm * KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 6:30pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Derby, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Russell, 6:30pm KJLS: Hoxie FB at Osborne, 6:45pmSaturday, September 7 KAYS: Kansas FB at Illinois, 4:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Missouri Western State, 6:00pmSunday, September 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 12:30pm

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football injury list, which removes him from the active 53-man roster and means he will be out for at least the first four games of the season. Kansas City plays Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Chargers during that span.

Edwards-Helaire has been dealing with PTSD and vomiting after a 2018 incident when he was in college at LSU.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football injury list, which removes him from the active 53-man roster and means he will be out for at least the first four games of the season. Kansas City plays Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Chargers during that span.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Living With PTSD is no small feat, its hard and very overwhelming . Within the last month Ive Had many flare ups and the Amazing staff here at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a> have been helping me get through some tough times. I’ll be back rolling next Practice! All Love , Glydro ❤️💛&mdash; GLYDE (@Clydro_22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Clydro_22/status/1817926604770906578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Edwards-Helaire has been dealing with PTSD and vomiting after a 2018 incident when he was in college at LSU.

🏈 Edwards-Helaire out for first four Chiefs games

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gavin Williams pitched seven sharp innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Monday.

Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor each hit a two-run homer for AL Central-leading Cleveland, which won for the fourth time in five games.

Williams (3-7) allowed one run and one hit in an encouraging September performance after he went 1-4 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts last month. The right-hander retired his last 16 batters.

The Guardians began the day with a 3 1/2-game lead over Minnesota and Kansas City in the division.

The Royals finished with two hits in their season-high sixth consecutive loss.

Thomas' ninth homer of the season lifted Cleveland to a 2-1 lead in the fifth. It was Thomas’ first homer since he was acquired in a July 29 trade with Washington.

José Ramírez led off the sixth with an infield single off Kris Bubic. Naylor followed with his 29th homer, a 420-foot drive to center on a 1-0 fastball.

In his last five games, Naylor has eight RBIs and 11 hits, three for extra bases.

Emmanuel Clase handled the ninth for his 41st save. He has converted 28 consecutive save chances.

Maikel Garcia doubled home Yuli Gurriel in the second for Kansas City, and Kyle Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Garcia started at shortstop as Bobby Witt Jr. served as the designated hitter. It was Witt’s first game away from shortstop since last Sept. 4, a span of 161 games.

Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha (11-7) permitted two runs and five hits in five innings in his first loss since June 22.

Royals: 1B Gurriel left in the eighth because of right hamstring tightness.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gavin Williams pitched seven sharp innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Monday.Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor each hit a two-run homer for AL Central-leading Cleveland, which won for the fourth time in five games.Williams (3-7) allowed one run and one hit in an encouraging September performance after he went 1-4 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts last month. The right-hander retired his last 16 batters.The Guardians began the day with a 3 1/2-game lead over Minnesota and Kansas City in the division.The Royals finished with two hits in their season-high sixth consecutive loss.Thomas' ninth homer of the season lifted Cleveland to a 2-1 lead in the fifth. It was Thomas’ first homer since he was acquired in a July 29 trade with Washington.José Ramírez led off the sixth with an infield single off Kris Bubic. Naylor followed with his 29th homer, a 420-foot drive to center on a 1-0 fastball.In his last five games, Naylor has eight RBIs and 11 hits, three for extra bases.Emmanuel Clase handled the ninth for his 41st save. He has converted 28 consecutive save chances.Maikel Garcia doubled home Yuli Gurriel in the second for Kansas City, and Kyle Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.Garcia started at shortstop as Bobby Witt Jr. served as the designated hitter. It was Witt’s first game away from shortstop since last Sept. 4, a span of 161 games.Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha (11-7) permitted two runs and five hits in five innings in his first loss since June 22.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: 1B Gurriel left in the eighth because of right hamstring tightness.UP NEXT

⚾Williams pitches 7 sharp innings as the Guardians beat the Royals

Monday, September 2 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 3:30pm

Monday, September 2 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 3:30pmTuesday, September 3 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pmWednesday, September 4 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6:00pmThursday, September 5 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 6:00pmFriday, September 6 KKQY: Logan-Palco FB at Stockton, 6:15pm * KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 6:30pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Derby, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Russell, 6:30pm KJLS: Hoxie FB at Osborne, 6:45pmSaturday, September 7 KAYS: Kansas FB at Illinois, 4:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Missouri Western State, 6:00pmSunday, September 8 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 12:30pm

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered twice and Jon Singleton added a two-run shot as the Houston Astros completed a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-2 win Sunday.

It’s Houston’s fifth straight win overall and comes after the Royals swept a three-game series against the AL West leaders at home in April.

“They kicked our butts early in the season in Kansas City when we were not playing our best,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But that's why you play 162 and we are a different club. We're getting closer to our goal and we're playing with a different type of intensity and focus and we demonstrated that this series.”

Kansas City lost a season-high fifth straight game to fall into a tie with Minnesota for second in the AL Central, 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Cleveland. The losing streak comes after the Royals won the first of three games of a four-game set against the Guardians and moved into a tie for the division lead. Cleveland and the Royals open another three-game series in Kansas City on Monday.

“The whole series was frustrating,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We didn’t come out of here with any wins. That’s what we play for, is to win every day. So that stinks.”

It’s the sixth multi-homer game for Alvarez this season and his second this week after the Cuban slugger tied a career high with three home runs in Wednesday’s 10-0 rout of the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Alvarez connected off Alec Marsh (7-8) in the fourth inning before Singleton’s shot made it 3-0. Alvarez belted his 30th home run of the season off Sam Long to start the sixth. He joins Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as the only players in franchise history with at least four consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs.

He nearly had another three homer game Sunday, but Tommy Pham caught his fly ball in the eighth inning on the track, just in front of the bullpen.

Sunday was the first time since June 22 that Alvarez homered at Minute Maid Park.

“When I hit the ball, there was like a stress that just left me,” Alvarez said in Spanish through a translator. “Obviously, there had been a while where I hadn’t been hitting the ball for homers here. So I hit that one, then came the other one and then almost the third one came. So hopefully that bad streak is gone."

Houston starter Ronel Blanco (10-6) allowed three hits and struck out three in five innings for his first win since July 9.

Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single for Kansas City in the sixth and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for a second straight game with a solo shot in the seventh. Gurriel made his debut with the Royals on Sunday after being acquired from Atlanta on Saturday for cash considerations.

The Astros led by three runs when MJ Melendez walked with one out in the sixth and Freddie Fermin singled. Gurriel then singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Melendez and cutting the lead to 3-1.

Witt collected his 30th home run of the season with one out in the seventh, when he connected off Héctor Neris for a second straight game. Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, was 0 for 11 in the series before his home run on Saturday.

The Astros padded the lead in the eighth when Yainer Diaz hit an RBI double and Jeremy Peña scored two more on a single to make it 7-2.

Marsh permitted four hits and three runs in five innings.

Astros: OF Kyle Tucker, who has been out since fouling a ball off his shin June 3, continues to improve and could return next week. … 3B Alex Bregman missed a third straight game with elbow inflammation Sunday. But manager Joe Espada said the swelling is almost gone and he should return to the lineup Monday.

Gurriel, who spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Astros, was given a big ovation when he was introduced before the game. Houston fans also cheered loudly for him each time he came to the plate.

The 40-year-old helped the Astros to two World Series titles and won a Gold Glove Award and the AL batting title in 2021.

Gurriel played his first game in the majors this season on Sunday after spending the year in Atlanta’s minor league system.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.50 ERA) opposes Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (2-7, 4.99) when Kansas City opens a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.16) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cincinnati on Monday. The Reds haven’t released their rotation for the series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725236998008.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a line drive hit by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez catches a line drive hit by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered twice and Jon Singleton added a two-run shot as the Houston Astros completed a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-2 win Sunday.It’s Houston’s fifth straight win overall and comes after the Royals swept a three-game series against the AL West leaders at home in April.“They kicked our butts early in the season in Kansas City when we were not playing our best,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But that's why you play 162 and we are a different club. We're getting closer to our goal and we're playing with a different type of intensity and focus and we demonstrated that this series.”Kansas City lost a season-high fifth straight game to fall into a tie with Minnesota for second in the AL Central, 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Cleveland. The losing streak comes after the Royals won the first of three games of a four-game set against the Guardians and moved into a tie for the division lead. Cleveland and the Royals open another three-game series in Kansas City on Monday.“The whole series was frustrating,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We didn’t come out of here with any wins. That’s what we play for, is to win every day. So that stinks.”It’s the sixth multi-homer game for Alvarez this season and his second this week after the Cuban slugger tied a career high with three home runs in Wednesday’s 10-0 rout of the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.Alvarez connected off Alec Marsh (7-8) in the fourth inning before Singleton’s shot made it 3-0. Alvarez belted his 30th home run of the season off Sam Long to start the sixth. He joins Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as the only players in franchise history with at least four consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs.He nearly had another three homer game Sunday, but Tommy Pham caught his fly ball in the eighth inning on the track, just in front of the bullpen.Sunday was the first time since June 22 that Alvarez homered at Minute Maid Park.“When I hit the ball, there was like a stress that just left me,” Alvarez said in Spanish through a translator. “Obviously, there had been a while where I hadn’t been hitting the ball for homers here. So I hit that one, then came the other one and then almost the third one came. So hopefully that bad streak is gone."Houston starter Ronel Blanco (10-6) allowed three hits and struck out three in five innings for his first win since July 9.Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single for Kansas City in the sixth and Bobby Witt Jr. homered for a second straight game with a solo shot in the seventh. Gurriel made his debut with the Royals on Sunday after being acquired from Atlanta on Saturday for cash considerations.The Astros led by three runs when MJ Melendez walked with one out in the sixth and Freddie Fermin singled. Gurriel then singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Melendez and cutting the lead to 3-1.Witt collected his 30th home run of the season with one out in the seventh, when he connected off Héctor Neris for a second straight game. Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, was 0 for 11 in the series before his home run on Saturday.The Astros padded the lead in the eighth when Yainer Diaz hit an RBI double and Jeremy Peña scored two more on a single to make it 7-2.Marsh permitted four hits and three runs in five innings.TRAINER'S ROOMAstros: OF Kyle Tucker, who has been out since fouling a ball off his shin June 3, continues to improve and could return next week. … 3B Alex Bregman missed a third straight game with elbow inflammation Sunday. But manager Joe Espada said the swelling is almost gone and he should return to the lineup Monday.WELCOME BACKGurriel, who spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Astros, was given a big ovation when he was introduced before the game. Houston fans also cheered loudly for him each time he came to the plate.The 40-year-old helped the Astros to two World Series titles and won a Gold Glove Award and the AL batting title in 2021.Gurriel played his first game in the majors this season on Sunday after spending the year in Atlanta’s minor league system.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.50 ERA) opposes Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (2-7, 4.99) when Kansas City opens a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.16) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cincinnati on Monday. The Reds haven’t released their rotation for the series.___

⚾ Alvarez homers twice as Astros complete 4-game sweep of Royals 

Sunday, September 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros, 12:30pm

Sunday, September 1
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros, 12:30pm

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes and Kansas State got contributions from all three phases of the game to lead the No. 18 Wildcats to a season-opening 41-6 win over UT Martin on Saturday night.

The Wildcats’ defense dominated early and often, allowing the Wildcats’ offense to find its footing. Kansas State limited the Skyhawks to 134 total yards (2.4 yards per play).

K-State also befuddled UT Martin's passing attack by sacking Kinkead Dent three times. The Wildcats finished with four sacks, led by sophomore defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi’s 1 1/2.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ offense had its moments behind Johnson, a sophomore who became K-State’s second-youngest quarterback to start a season opener.

He made his mark in the first quarter when he connected with tight end Brayden Loftin for a 23-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 80-yard drive that gave K-State an early 7-0 lead.

Johnson finished 14 of 21 for 153 yards and two TDs with an interception. He also ran for 37 yards on three carries.

DJ Giddens gouged UT Martin’s defense with a team-high 124 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. As a team, the Wildcats totaled 283 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

K-State’s special teams took center stage in the first half when the Skyhawks were forced to punt deep in their own territory. Ty Bowman burst through the right side of the line of scrimmage at the snap and blocked UT Martin’s Jaren Van Winkle’s punt. Colby McCalister scooped the loose ball at the 2-yard line and took it into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.

Dent got the Skyhawks moving on their fifth possession. He took advantage of a missed sack opportunity by the K-State defense on the drive. Facing a third-and-19 situation, Dent slipped a tackle attempt and rolled to his left before throwing across his body to an open Trevonte Rucker, who got behind the Wildcats defense for a 45-yard gain.

The Wildcats stiffened, however, and the Skyhawks settled for Van Winkle’s 34-yard field goal. Van Winkle added a 31-yarder in the third quarter.

But outside of the 45-yard gain, the Wildcats limited UT Martin’s big plays and kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone en route to the win.

Young’s interception came on a play during which he stared down his intended receiver — Giddens — down the middle of the field. Young’s pass resulted in Chris Martin easily picking off the ball to end a Wildcats drive in Skyhawks territory.

UT Martin had no semblance of a run game. A total of nine Skyhawks rushers combined for 36 yards on 38 carries, averaging a paltry 0.9 yards per attempt.

K-State’s season is off to a good start with a win against a team they should beat. The victory, however, isn’t likely to see the Wildcats make a move up the polls.

K-State: On the road on Sept. 7 to play Tulane.

UT Martin: Travels to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sept. 7 to take on Southeast Missouri State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725157501496.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes and Kansas State got contributions from all three phases of the game to lead the No. 18 Wildcats to a season-opening 41-6 win over UT Martin on Saturday night.The Wildcats’ defense dominated early and often, allowing the Wildcats’ offense to find its footing. Kansas State limited the Skyhawks to 134 total yards (2.4 yards per play).K-State also befuddled UT Martin's passing attack by sacking Kinkead Dent three times. The Wildcats finished with four sacks, led by sophomore defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi’s 1 1/2.Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ offense had its moments behind Johnson, a sophomore who became K-State’s second-youngest quarterback to start a season opener.He made his mark in the first quarter when he connected with tight end Brayden Loftin for a 23-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 80-yard drive that gave K-State an early 7-0 lead.Johnson finished 14 of 21 for 153 yards and two TDs with an interception. He also ran for 37 yards on three carries.DJ Giddens gouged UT Martin’s defense with a team-high 124 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. As a team, the Wildcats totaled 283 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.K-State’s special teams took center stage in the first half when the Skyhawks were forced to punt deep in their own territory. Ty Bowman burst through the right side of the line of scrimmage at the snap and blocked UT Martin’s Jaren Van Winkle’s punt. Colby McCalister scooped the loose ball at the 2-yard line and took it into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.Dent got the Skyhawks moving on their fifth possession. He took advantage of a missed sack opportunity by the K-State defense on the drive. Facing a third-and-19 situation, Dent slipped a tackle attempt and rolled to his left before throwing across his body to an open Trevonte Rucker, who got behind the Wildcats defense for a 45-yard gain.The Wildcats stiffened, however, and the Skyhawks settled for Van Winkle’s 34-yard field goal. Van Winkle added a 31-yarder in the third quarter.But outside of the 45-yard gain, the Wildcats limited UT Martin’s big plays and kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone en route to the win.THE TAKEAWAYYoung’s interception came on a play during which he stared down his intended receiver — Giddens — down the middle of the field. Young’s pass resulted in Chris Martin easily picking off the ball to end a Wildcats drive in Skyhawks territory.UT Martin had no semblance of a run game. A total of nine Skyhawks rushers combined for 36 yards on 38 carries, averaging a paltry 0.9 yards per attempt.POLL IMPLICATIONSK-State’s season is off to a good start with a win against a team they should beat. The victory, however, isn’t likely to see the Wildcats make a move up the polls.UP NEXTK-State: On the road on Sept. 7 to play Tulane.UT Martin: Travels to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sept. 7 to take on Southeast Missouri State University.

🏈 No. 18 Kansas State cruises to win over UT Martin

HOUSTON (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi struck out 12 in seven innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Kikuchi (7-9) improved to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA since he was acquired by Houston a day before the trade deadline. He gave up five hits, only allowing Kansas City a run on a fielder’s choice grounder that followed two singles in the seventh. He threw 101 pitches, including 75 for strikes and walked none.

“He was really, really, really good,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He had all his pitches working, both sides of the plate. Our starting pitching has been phenomenal for a while, and Kikuchi just adds another level of quality of starts that we’ve been getting from these guys.”

Kikuchi pumped his fist following his 12th strikeout to end the seventh.

“The last couple of games, the starters have been doing really well so I wanted to do my part,” Kikuchi said. “The defensive plays behind me, especially (Ben) Gamel there in right, that was a huge play. Just watching that, I got pumped up today.”

HOUSTON (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi struck out 12 in seven innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.Kikuchi (7-9) improved to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA since he was acquired by Houston a day before the trade deadline. He gave up five hits, only allowing Kansas City a run on a fielder’s choice grounder that followed two singles in the seventh. He threw 101 pitches, including 75 for strikes and walked none.“He was really, really, really good,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He had all his pitches working, both sides of the plate. Our starting pitching has been phenomenal for a while, and Kikuchi just adds another level of quality of starts that we’ve been getting from these guys.”Kikuchi pumped his fist following his 12th strikeout to end the seventh.“The last couple of games, the starters have been doing really well so I wanted to do my part,” Kikuchi said. “The defensive plays behind me, especially (Ben) Gamel there in right, that was a huge play. Just watching that, I got pumped up today.”Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.Kikuchi had no run support until the Astros chased Royals starter Cole Ragans (10-9) in a five-run sixth inning. Yainer Diaz hit a two-run single, and Jeremy Peña hit a two-run triple during the inning, before Peña scored on a wild pitch.Ragans looked dominant for much of the first five innings, allowing just one hit and matching a Royals franchise record with eight consecutive strikeouts. The record was set by Blake Stein in 2001 at Milwaukee.“I was good for five and terrible for one,” Ragans said. “I mean, the record’s cool, but all I want to do is win. That’s all I want to do. Obviously, I didn’t get that done tonight, and I feel like I let the guys down."Ragans finished with 10 strikeouts, pushing his season total to 197, which is the most by a Royals lefty in a single season.“He was extremely sharp early,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Then, in the fifth, it was an 0-2 hit, a hit batter, a tough walk, and then things just kind of unraveled.”Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 29th home run of the season in the eighth inning off reliever Hector Neris, who the Astros signed on Aug. 24 after he was released by the Cubs on Aug. 20.Witt, who leads the major leagues in hits, batting average and runs, had previously had a rough time in Houston, going 0 for 11 this series. He entered Saturday 0 for 19 in his home state of Texas.“You just wake up tomorrow and move on,” Witt said. “We can’t really do anything now so we just learn what we did and prepare for tomorrow.”Later in the eighth, Royals right fielder Garrett Hampson robbed Alvarez of what would have been his 29th homer of the season. Hampson leaped at the wall and had to fully extend his left arm well above the yellow home run line to bring it back.ROYALS’ NEW ADDITIONSKansas City claimed a pair of veteran outfielders off waivers on Saturday in Robbie Grossman, 35, and Tommy Pham, 36. Grossman was claimed from Texas, where he won the World Series last year, while Pham was claimed from St. Louis. The Royals also acquired former Astros 1B Yuli Gurriel from Atlanta on a minor league deal for cash considerations.TRAINER’S ROOMAstros: 3B Alex Bregman is “still sore” but was “much better” as he missed Saturday’s game with elbow soreness that has sidelined him for several games in recent weeks.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Alec Marsh (7-7, 4.67 ERA) will start against Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (9-6, 3.14) as Houston goes for a four-game sweep on Sunday.___

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