HAYS – The Hays Larks used a pair of big innings to knock off the
Fort Collins Foxes Friday night in the first of two Rocky Mountain Baseball
League contests this weekend at Larks Park.

Hays got the scoring started in the bottom of the second
inning scoring five times.

The Larks loaded the bases to open the inning and then Kaleb
Duncan was hit by a pitch, driving in the first run of the game.

In the very next at bat Thomas Lyssy singled in a run making
it 2-0 Hays. The Larks added a third run on a passed ball and then Kaiden Ashton then capped
the five-run inning with a two-run single putting Hays up 5-0.

Will Carpenter’s solo homerun in the third made it 6-0
Larks.

The Foxes cut the deficit in half with a three-run homerun for
a 6-3 Hays lead through five and a half.

Carpenter got a run back for the Larks in the bottom of the six,
scoring on a passed ball with Hays leading 7-3.

In the seventh Lyssy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded
driving in the Larks eighth run of the night. They added two more on a Trent
Baker double for a 10-3 lead.

Fort Collins scored a single run in the top of the eighth
and Hays answered with one of their own on a RBI triple by Houston Russell.

The Foxes scored another single run in the top of the ninth but
the Larks closed out the 11-5 victory.

Larks starter Nolan Wilson allowed three earned runs on five
hits with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings for the win.

Ashton, Lyssy and Baker each drove in two runs. Russell
collected three hits.

Hays improves to 22-6 and 17-5 in the RMBL.

They will close out the two-game series with the Foxes Saturday
at Larks Park. 

Hays PostHAYS – The Hays Larks used a pair of big innings to knock off the
Fort Collins Foxes Friday night in the first of two Rocky Mountain Baseball
League contests this weekend at Larks Park.Hays got the scoring started in the bottom of the second
inning scoring five times.The Larks loaded the bases to open the inning and then Kaleb
Duncan was hit by a pitch, driving in the first run of the game.In the very next at bat Thomas Lyssy singled in a run making
it 2-0 Hays. The Larks added a third run on a passed ball and then Kaiden Ashton then capped
the five-run inning with a two-run single putting Hays up 5-0.Will Carpenter’s solo homerun in the third made it 6-0
Larks.The Foxes cut the deficit in half with a three-run homerun for
a 6-3 Hays lead through five and a half.Carpenter got a run back for the Larks in the bottom of the six,
scoring on a passed ball with Hays leading 7-3.In the seventh Lyssy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded
driving in the Larks eighth run of the night. They added two more on a Trent
Baker double for a 10-3 lead.Fort Collins scored a single run in the top of the eighth
and Hays answered with one of their own on a RBI triple by Houston Russell.The Foxes scored another single run in the top of the ninth but
the Larks closed out the 11-5 victory.Larks starter Nolan Wilson allowed three earned runs on five
hits with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings for the win.Ashton, Lyssy and Baker each drove in two runs. Russell
collected three hits.Hays improves to 22-6 and 17-5 in the RMBL.They will close out the two-game series with the Foxes Saturday
at Larks Park.

⚾Larks use big innings to take down Foxes

Saturday, July 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 2:30pm

Sunday, July 14
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 12:00pm

Saturday, July 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 2:30pmSunday, July 14
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 12:00pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

🎥 Meet the Larks Seth Lee

BOSTON (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez each had solo home runs, Cole Ragans allowed one run over seven innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1 on Friday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez (with two) all added RBIs for Kansas City, which opened the three-game series a game back of Boston for the AL’s final wild-card spot.

“Every win is huge, whether it's April or July,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “But when you're squarely right behind a team and you beat them, that's a good step forward for us.”

It was the 16th homer of the season for Witt, an All-Star who will be competing in Monday’s Home Run Derby. The ball, which landed in the center field portion of the seats atop the Green Monster, was claimed by a Royals' fan.

"I knew the wind was helping a little bit, luckily," Witt said. “I just try to put good swing on it.”

There was nothing happening by chance for Ragans (6-6). He struck out seven and allowed four hits to earn his first victory since June 24 at Miami.

“I thought overall I commanded it pretty well,” Ragans said. “I missed a few, but overall I thought it was pretty good.”

Ceddanne Rafaela had an RBI for the Red Sox.

Cooper Criswell (3-4) threw a career-high 104 pitches over six innings, yielding eight hits and five runs, but only two – including Witt’s home run – were earned.

In their last 27 games, the Red Sox are 1-8 against left-handed starting pitchers. That compares to 17-1 against right-handers. All-Stars Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran were a combined 1 for 8 on Friday.

“Obviously the production of Raffy and Jarren is lower. We've just got to find a way to do it,” manager Alex Cora said. “We've just got to be patient and keep working.”

The Royals opened the game with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs, and then took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Perez. But Criswell got Michael Massey on a groundout and Hunter Renfroe on a flyout to get out of the inning.

In the second inning Kansas City took advantage of a fielding error by first baseman Romy Gonzalez, plus a walk and hit batter by Criswell to add three unearned runs and increase the lead to 4-0.

Red Sox: Placed RHP Justin Slaten on the 15-day IL retroactive to July 9 with right elbow inflammation. The reliever is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 31 games this season. LHP Cam Booser was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take the roster spot.

Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (11-3, 2.21 ERA) has the lowest ERA by a Royal over his first 19 starts with the franchise. He is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career appearances against Boston.

Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (5-7, 3.24) is making his 19th start of the season. He’s lost both of his career starts against Kansas City, tallying an 8.64 ERA.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720869251855.png" alt="Photo KC Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez each had solo home runs, Cole Ragans allowed one run over seven innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1 on Friday night for their fourth consecutive victory.Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez (with two) all added RBIs for Kansas City, which opened the three-game series a game back of Boston for the AL’s final wild-card spot.“Every win is huge, whether it's April or July,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “But when you're squarely right behind a team and you beat them, that's a good step forward for us.”It was the 16th homer of the season for Witt, an All-Star who will be competing in Monday’s Home Run Derby. The ball, which landed in the center field portion of the seats atop the Green Monster, was claimed by a Royals' fan."I knew the wind was helping a little bit, luckily," Witt said. “I just try to put good swing on it.”There was nothing happening by chance for Ragans (6-6). He struck out seven and allowed four hits to earn his first victory since June 24 at Miami.“I thought overall I commanded it pretty well,” Ragans said. “I missed a few, but overall I thought it was pretty good.”Ceddanne Rafaela had an RBI for the Red Sox.Cooper Criswell (3-4) threw a career-high 104 pitches over six innings, yielding eight hits and five runs, but only two – including Witt’s home run – were earned.In their last 27 games, the Red Sox are 1-8 against left-handed starting pitchers. That compares to 17-1 against right-handers. All-Stars Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran were a combined 1 for 8 on Friday.“Obviously the production of Raffy and Jarren is lower. We've just got to find a way to do it,” manager Alex Cora said. “We've just got to be patient and keep working.”The Royals opened the game with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs, and then took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Perez. But Criswell got Michael Massey on a groundout and Hunter Renfroe on a flyout to get out of the inning.Criswell’s luck didn’t last.In the second inning Kansas City took advantage of a fielding error by first baseman Romy Gonzalez, plus a walk and hit batter by Criswell to add three unearned runs and increase the lead to 4-0.TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: Placed RHP Justin Slaten on the 15-day IL retroactive to July 9 with right elbow inflammation. The reliever is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 31 games this season. LHP Cam Booser was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take the roster spot.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Seth Lugo (11-3, 2.21 ERA) has the lowest ERA by a Royal over his first 19 starts with the franchise. He is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career appearances against Boston.Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (5-7, 3.24) is making his 19th start of the season. He’s lost both of his career starts against Kansas City, tallying an 8.64 ERA.

⚾ Witt, Melendez both homer to help Royals beat Red Sox

The Hays Larks begin a two-game league series against the Fort Collins Foxes Friday night at Larks Park.

You can catch on the action on the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKlf1vJHp5Y">&nbsp;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 begin a two-game league series against the Fort Collins Foxes Friday night at Larks Park.First pitch is set for&nbsp;for 7 p.m.You can catch on the action on the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKlf1vJHp5Y">&nbsp;Larks YouTube channel.</a> Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays
Larks. The broadcast is produced by the Hays Larks

⚾🎥 WATCH LIVE Hays Larks host Fort Collins

Friday, July 12
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 5:30pm

Friday, July 12
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 5:30pmSaturday, July 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 2:30pmSunday, July 14
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 12:00pm

🎥 Meet the Larks Taber Stokes

PARK CITY, Utah - The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee approved Indianapolis as the host site for the 2026 Divisions II and III men’s basketball championship games, as well as the semifinals and finals of the National Invitational Tournament, with all five games scheduled the same weekend as the Men’s Final Four, which was previously awarded to the city.

The Final Four will take place April 4 and 6, 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium, an announcement that was first made in 2018. It will mark the ninth time that Indianapolis will serve as host of college basketball’s premier event. The Horizon League and IU Indy will serve as co-hosts. Today’s announcement means three additional champions will be crowned in the Circle City that weekend. The NIT will play its semifinals Thursday night, April 2 at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, with the title game scheduled for Sunday, April 5 at a time and venue to be announced.

Sunday’s schedule will also include the Divisions II and III championship games, which will be played downtown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This is the second time that the NCAA will conduct its three men’s basketball championships on one weekend in the same city. The first time it occurred was in Atlanta in 2013. The three NCAA women’s basketball championships were hosted in the same city on the same weekend in 2016 in Indianapolis, and again in Dallas in 2023.

“This will be a tremendous celebration of men’s college basketball across all three divisions in Indy,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. “When we did this in 2013, we had nearly 8,000 fans watching the Divisions II and III championship games, and the final two nights of this year’s NIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse featured sold-out crowds of more than 9,000 fans. It will be an awesome opportunity for student-athletes at the participating schools, as well as a showcase for the legendary college basketball fans in Indiana.”

The committee also spent considerable time discussing principles and procedures for selecting, seeding and bracketing teams, and affirmed that the 2025 championship will feature an automatic qualifier from each of the 31 conferences to go along with the best 37 at-large teams as determined by the committee. The evaluation of teams will be enhanced by the addition of two metrics as the committee voted to include the Torvik and Wins Against Bubble (WAB) rankings on the team sheets.

“The committee has always valued different data points and metrics to assist with their evaluation process, and these two metrics have increasingly been referenced by members in recent years,” Gavitt said. “Adding them to the team sheet ensures that all 12 members easily have access to this data. The Torvik rankings, along with BPI and KenPom, gives the committee three predictive ratings, while the WAB, Strength of Record and KPI gives them three results-based metrics, all of which, in addition to the NET, will be beneficial to the team evaluation process.”

The committee also selected Keith Gill, the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, as the vice chair of the committee for the 2024-25 season. He will also serve as chair for the 2025-26 season. Gill has been at the Sun Belt for five years and previously worked for the Atlantic 10 Conference, where he was executive associate commissioner. He also served as the director of athletics at both Richmond and American, spending five years on each campus. Gill also worked in the athletics departments at Oklahoma and Vanderbilt and had two stints working in the membership services department at the NCAA national office. A four-year football letterman at Duke, Gill graduated from the university in 1994 and later earned a master’s degree from Oklahoma.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve on this committee with a great group of colleagues who serve as stewards for the great game of college basketball,” Gill said. “I look forward to working with all of them, especially Bubba Cunningham, our chair for next season who I will support as vice chair. To be elected to serve in that role, and as chair for the 2026 championship, is one of the highlights of my professional career. It is especially satisfying to be able to do it in a year when we’ll conduct championships for all three divisions, plus the NIT, on what will be an incredible weekend.”

The committee also received updates from representatives from TNT and CBS Sports, and discussed several tournament operations and ticketing issues, future site selections, and officiating matters, including adopting referee push-to-talk microphone technology for the entire tournament, beginning in 2025, to better communicate results of video reviews to broadcast viewers and in-venue fans.

NCAAPARK CITY, Utah - The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee approved Indianapolis as the host site for the 2026 Divisions II and III men’s basketball championship games, as well as the semifinals and finals of the National Invitational Tournament, with all five games scheduled the same weekend as the Men’s Final Four, which was previously awarded to the city.The Final Four will take place April 4 and 6, 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium, an announcement that was first made in 2018. It will mark the ninth time that Indianapolis will serve as host of college basketball’s premier event. The Horizon League and IU Indy will serve as co-hosts. Today’s announcement means three additional champions will be crowned in the Circle City that weekend. The NIT will play its semifinals Thursday night, April 2 at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, with the title game scheduled for Sunday, April 5 at a time and venue to be announced.Sunday’s schedule will also include the Divisions II and III championship games, which will be played downtown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This is the second time that the NCAA will conduct its three men’s basketball championships on one weekend in the same city. The first time it occurred was in Atlanta in 2013. The three NCAA women’s basketball championships were hosted in the same city on the same weekend in 2016 in Indianapolis, and again in Dallas in 2023.“This will be a tremendous celebration of men’s college basketball across all three divisions in Indy,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. “When we did this in 2013, we had nearly 8,000 fans watching the Divisions II and III championship games, and the final two nights of this year’s NIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse featured sold-out crowds of more than 9,000 fans. It will be an awesome opportunity for student-athletes at the participating schools, as well as a showcase for the legendary college basketball fans in Indiana.”The committee also spent considerable time discussing principles and procedures for selecting, seeding and bracketing teams, and affirmed that the 2025 championship will feature an automatic qualifier from each of the 31 conferences to go along with the best 37 at-large teams as determined by the committee. The evaluation of teams will be enhanced by the addition of two metrics as the committee voted to include the Torvik and Wins Against Bubble (WAB) rankings on the team sheets.“The committee has always valued different data points and metrics to assist with their evaluation process, and these two metrics have increasingly been referenced by members in recent years,” Gavitt said. “Adding them to the team sheet ensures that all 12 members easily have access to this data. The Torvik rankings, along with BPI and KenPom, gives the committee three predictive ratings, while the WAB, Strength of Record and KPI gives them three results-based metrics, all of which, in addition to the NET, will be beneficial to the team evaluation process.”The committee also selected Keith Gill, the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, as the vice chair of the committee for the 2024-25 season. He will also serve as chair for the 2025-26 season. Gill has been at the Sun Belt for five years and previously worked for the Atlantic 10 Conference, where he was executive associate commissioner. He also served as the director of athletics at both Richmond and American, spending five years on each campus. Gill also worked in the athletics departments at Oklahoma and Vanderbilt and had two stints working in the membership services department at the NCAA national office. A four-year football letterman at Duke, Gill graduated from the university in 1994 and later earned a master’s degree from Oklahoma.“It is a tremendous honor to serve on this committee with a great group of colleagues who serve as stewards for the great game of college basketball,” Gill said. “I look forward to working with all of them, especially Bubba Cunningham, our chair for next season who I will support as vice chair. To be elected to serve in that role, and as chair for the 2026 championship, is one of the highlights of my professional career. It is especially satisfying to be able to do it in a year when we’ll conduct championships for all three divisions, plus the NIT, on what will be an incredible weekend.”The committee also received updates from representatives from TNT and CBS Sports, and discussed several tournament operations and ticketing issues, future site selections, and officiating matters, including adopting referee push-to-talk microphone technology for the entire tournament, beginning in 2025, to better communicate results of video reviews to broadcast viewers and in-venue fans.

🏀 Division II title game to Indianapolis in 2026

🎥 Meet the Larks Thomas Lyssy

Former TMP-Marian standout Carson Jacobs has been promoted to the to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the Chicago White Sox organization. The 6-9 right-handed pitcher had been in the Arizona Complex League since signing with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent last July.

Jacobs had a 1-1 record with one save and a 3.22 ERA in 18 relief appearances this season with the ACL White Sox. He allowed 10 runs (8 earned) on 15 hits with 30 strikeouts and 14 walks over 22 1/3 innings with opponents hitting .188 against him.

The Cannon Ballers (A) are in Kannapolis, North Carolina and&nbsp; play in the Low A League East.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Jacobs played his at Newman his freshman year of college then transferred to&nbsp;Gateway Community College in Phoenix, Ariz. He finished up his collegiate career at North Dakota State.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720702556757.jpeg" alt="Courtesy MILB Central" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy MILB Central</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostFormer TMP-Marian standout Carson Jacobs has been promoted to the to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the Chicago White Sox organization. The 6-9 right-handed pitcher had been in the Arizona Complex League since signing with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent last July.Jacobs had a 1-1 record with one save and a 3.22 ERA in 18 relief appearances this season with the ACL White Sox. He allowed 10 runs (8 earned) on 15 hits with 30 strikeouts and 14 walks over 22 1/3 innings with opponents hitting .188 against him.The Cannon Ballers (A) are in Kannapolis, North Carolina and&nbsp; play in the Low A League East.&nbsp; &nbsp;Jacobs played his at Newman his freshman year of college then transferred to&nbsp;Gateway Community College in Phoenix, Ariz. He finished up his collegiate career at North Dakota State.

⚾ Former Monarch Jacobs promoted to Single-A

HAYS – The Hays Larks time
atop the Rocky Mountain Baseball League standings was short-lived. Robert Orr
hit a pair of three-run home runs and the Liberal Bee Jays beat the Larks 9-4 Wednesday
and split their two-game series at Larks Park. 

The Bee Jays have
won 15 of their last 17 games and lead the Larks by one game in the RMBL.

The Larks (21-6, 16-5 RMBL)
grabbed the early lead on a Kaleb Duncan two-run homer, his first of the season.

Liberal (19-4, 17-4 RMBL) took their first
lead on Orr’s first three-run blast in the third.

The Larks tied the game
a CJ Reid two-out RBI single in the sixth.

The Bee Jays answered
with five in the top of the seventh capped by Orr’s second three-run homer with
two outs.

The Larks got a run back
in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single by Houston Russell.

The Bee Jays tacked on a
run in the top of the eighth for the final margin.

The Larks out-hit the
Bee Jays 13 to 11 but stranded 10 baserunners.

Garrett Hicks (1-1) allowed
five unearned runs over four innings and suffered the loss.

Wednesday's loss ended the Larks 10-game home winning streak. It was their longest home win streak since winning 22 in a row from July 23, 2022 through July 18, 2023.,. The Larks are 14-2 at home this summer with the only other loss against Dodge City back on June 11.&nbsp;

The Larks and Bee Jays
will play twice in Liberal on Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17.&nbsp;

The Larks host the Fort
Collins Foxes in the first game of a two-game RMBL series Friday at 7 p.m.
Admission is free courtesy of the First United Methodist Church, Adams Brown, Equity
Bank and Oxford House Chapter XX.

Hays PostHAYS – The Hays Larks time
atop the Rocky Mountain Baseball League standings was short-lived. Robert Orr
hit a pair of three-run home runs and the Liberal Bee Jays beat the Larks 9-4 Wednesday
and split their two-game series at Larks Park. The Bee Jays have
won 15 of their last 17 games and lead the Larks by one game in the RMBL.The Larks (21-6, 16-5 RMBL)
grabbed the early lead on a Kaleb Duncan two-run homer, his first of the season.Liberal (19-4, 17-4 RMBL) took their first
lead on Orr’s first three-run blast in the third.The Larks tied the game
a CJ Reid two-out RBI single in the sixth.The Bee Jays answered
with five in the top of the seventh capped by Orr’s second three-run homer with
two outs.The Larks got a run back
in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single by Houston Russell.The Bee Jays tacked on a
run in the top of the eighth for the final margin.The Larks out-hit the
Bee Jays 13 to 11 but stranded 10 baserunners.Garrett Hicks (1-1) allowed
five unearned runs over four innings and suffered the loss.RARE HOME LOSSWednesday's loss ended the Larks 10-game home winning streak. It was their longest home win streak since winning 22 in a row from July 23, 2022 through July 18, 2023.,. The Larks are 14-2 at home this summer with the only other loss against Dodge City back on June 11.&nbsp;PART TWOThe Larks and Bee Jays
will play twice in Liberal on Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17.&nbsp;UP NEXTThe Larks host the Fort
Collins Foxes in the first game of a two-game RMBL series Friday at 7 p.m.
Admission is free courtesy of the First United Methodist Church, Adams Brown, Equity
Bank and Oxford House Chapter XX.

⚾ Bee Jays slug past Larks to retake first place in RMBL

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Salvador Perez homered in both games and MJ Melendez added a solo shot in the nightcap to help the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 for a sweep of a day-night doubleheader Wednesday.

Kansas City took the opener 6-4. The Royals have won three in a row to improve to 51-43 — a season after winning just 56 games.

Michael Wacha (6-6) went five innings for the victory in the second game. He pitched seven seasons in St. Louis (2013-2019) and was the MVP of the 2013 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was his first start in St. Louis since leaving five years ago.

“There were definitely some emotions there,” Wacha said. “It was hard to treat it like just another start.”

Lars Nootbaar homered for St. Louis in the second game to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the second.

Closer James McArthur picked up his 17th save of the season and second of the day. McArthur had not pitched over the previous six days and was ready for the two-game challenge.

“It was just one of those things where you just throw and see how you’re feeling,” McArthur said.

Perez led off the sixth with his 16th of season to pushed the lead to 6-4.

“He makes us go,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said about Perez. “The middle of the order is big for us and no one is bigger than Salvy.”

Perez was 3 for 7 with two homers and four RBI in the doubleheader. It was the second time in his career that he went deep in both games of the doubleheader. The first came on May 21, 2017 against Minnesota.

Melendez began the third with his 10th of the season.

Wacha gave up four runs on seven hits over over five innings. He had allowed two earned runs or fewer in his previous eight starts.

Kyle Isbel added a solo homer leading off the ninth for the Royals, who were playing their first day-night doubleheader since July 15, 2023.

Isbel says the group proved a point with the road sweep.

“It shows what kind of team that we have,” Isbel said. “It was a long day and you just have to stay locked in at all times.”

Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted Kansas City’s a two-run outburst in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly.

St. Louis rookie Gordon Graceffo (0-1) allowed four hits and three runs over 3 1/3 innings in his first start and second big league appearance.

Nootbaar returned to the lineup on Monday after missing 36 games with an oblique strain.

“At the end of the day, the wins would make you feel a lot better,” Nootbaar said.

Garrett Hampson drove in two runs with a double in the opener, while Hunter Renfroe added two hits for the Royals. Nolan Arenado, Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Cardinals in the first game.

Alec Marsh (7-6) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings to earn the victory. He struck out eight and walked one. Marsh retired the last 11 batters he faced

McArthur got the save after giving up a one-out solo home run to Goldschmidt and a two-out single to Arenado in the ninth inning.

Andre Pallante (4-4) pitched 6 1/3 innings, his longest outing this season. He took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Perez, who will play in the All-Star Game next week, hit a 424-foot homer onto the grass in center field with one out in the sixth, giving the Royals a 4-3 lead.

Royals: Recalled left-hander Walter Pennington from Triple-A Omaha to serve as their 27th man for the doubleheader. The 26-year-old made his big-league debut last week in Colorado, retiring both batters he faced.

Cardinals: Recalled right-hander Gordon Graceffo from Triple-A Memphis to serve as their 27th man for the doubleheader.

Cardinals: C Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) caught a full nine innings Tuesday at Triple-A Memphis. He also hit a home run.

Royals: Will open a three-game series at Boston on Friday. Neither team has announced a starter.

Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.30) will open a four-game series at home against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720690844164.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino (9) and Freddy Fermin celebrate an 8-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino (9) and Freddy Fermin celebrate an 8-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Salvador Perez homered in both games and MJ Melendez added a solo shot in the nightcap to help the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 for a sweep of a day-night doubleheader Wednesday.Kansas City took the opener 6-4. The Royals have won three in a row to improve to 51-43 — a season after winning just 56 games.Michael Wacha (6-6) went five innings for the victory in the second game. He pitched seven seasons in St. Louis (2013-2019) and was the MVP of the 2013 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was his first start in St. Louis since leaving five years ago.“There were definitely some emotions there,” Wacha said. “It was hard to treat it like just another start.”Lars Nootbaar homered for St. Louis in the second game to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the second.Closer James McArthur picked up his 17th save of the season and second of the day. McArthur had not pitched over the previous six days and was ready for the two-game challenge.“It was just one of those things where you just throw and see how you’re feeling,” McArthur said.Perez led off the sixth with his 16th of season to pushed the lead to 6-4.“He makes us go,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said about Perez. “The middle of the order is big for us and no one is bigger than Salvy.”Perez was 3 for 7 with two homers and four RBI in the doubleheader. It was the second time in his career that he went deep in both games of the doubleheader. The first came on May 21, 2017 against Minnesota.Melendez began the third with his 10th of the season.Wacha gave up four runs on seven hits over over five innings. He had allowed two earned runs or fewer in his previous eight starts.Kyle Isbel added a solo homer leading off the ninth for the Royals, who were playing their first day-night doubleheader since July 15, 2023.Isbel says the group proved a point with the road sweep.“It shows what kind of team that we have,” Isbel said. “It was a long day and you just have to stay locked in at all times.”Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted Kansas City’s a two-run outburst in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly.St. Louis rookie Gordon Graceffo (0-1) allowed four hits and three runs over 3 1/3 innings in his first start and second big league appearance.Nootbaar returned to the lineup on Monday after missing 36 games with an oblique strain.“At the end of the day, the wins would make you feel a lot better,” Nootbaar said.Garrett Hampson drove in two runs with a double in the opener, while Hunter Renfroe added two hits for the Royals. Nolan Arenado, Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Cardinals in the first game.Alec Marsh (7-6) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings to earn the victory. He struck out eight and walked one. Marsh retired the last 11 batters he facedMcArthur got the save after giving up a one-out solo home run to Goldschmidt and a two-out single to Arenado in the ninth inning.Andre Pallante (4-4) pitched 6 1/3 innings, his longest outing this season. He took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.Perez, who will play in the All-Star Game next week, hit a 424-foot homer onto the grass in center field with one out in the sixth, giving the Royals a 4-3 lead.EXTRA PLAYERSRoyals: Recalled left-hander Walter Pennington from Triple-A Omaha to serve as their 27th man for the doubleheader. The 26-year-old made his big-league debut last week in Colorado, retiring both batters he faced.Cardinals: Recalled right-hander Gordon Graceffo from Triple-A Memphis to serve as their 27th man for the doubleheader.TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: C Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) caught a full nine innings Tuesday at Triple-A Memphis. He also hit a home run.UP NEXTRoyals: Will open a three-game series at Boston on Friday. Neither team has announced a starter.Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.30) will open a four-game series at home against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

⚾ Perez homers in both games of doubleheader, Royals sweep Cardinals

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels said he would be ready to play a game now.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-football-leipold-92bd6282cf0243bea1272b9b482ca582">Coach Lance Leipold</a>&nbsp;and the Jayhawks just need him to be ready for the season.

Daniels missed most of last season because of a back injury, playing in only three games before the end of September.

“I try not to ask Jalon Daniels more than once a week how is he doing because I know everybody asks him that,” Leipold said Wednesday during Big 12 media days. “He wouldn’t be here today if we didn’t think he was going to be ready to go for this season. I can tell you that.”

The Jayhawks were picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll, much of that certainly based on the expectation of Daniels being healthy. They open the season Aug. 29 at home against FCS team Lindenwood.

Daniels threw for 2,014 yards with 18 touchdowns and ran for another seven scores in 2022, but was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-ed83b2e988c159502b12ed83dea7e3d9">limited to 705 yards and five TDs passing with none on the ground last season</a>.

“I’m excited to see what Jalon will do this season for us," Leipold said. “He’s doing everything that doctors, trainers, strength coaches are having him do, and I can’t wait to get to August.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720691377305.jpeg" alt="Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels answers questions from the media during Big 12 NCAA college football media days in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels answers questions from the media during Big 12 NCAA college football media days in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)</figcaption>
 </figure>LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels said he would be ready to play a game now.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-football-leipold-92bd6282cf0243bea1272b9b482ca582">Coach Lance Leipold</a>&nbsp;and the Jayhawks just need him to be ready for the season.Daniels missed most of last season because of a back injury, playing in only three games before the end of September.“I try not to ask Jalon Daniels more than once a week how is he doing because I know everybody asks him that,” Leipold said Wednesday during Big 12 media days. “He wouldn’t be here today if we didn’t think he was going to be ready to go for this season. I can tell you that.”The Jayhawks were picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll, much of that certainly based on the expectation of Daniels being healthy. They open the season Aug. 29 at home against FCS team Lindenwood.Daniels threw for 2,014 yards with 18 touchdowns and ran for another seven scores in 2022, but was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-ed83b2e988c159502b12ed83dea7e3d9">limited to 705 yards and five TDs passing with none on the ground last season</a>.“I’m excited to see what Jalon will do this season for us," Leipold said. “He’s doing everything that doctors, trainers, strength coaches are having him do, and I can’t wait to get to August.”

🏈 Kansas QB Jalon Daniels ready to play after missing most of '23 with back injury

The Hays Larks close out a two-game home series against the Liberal Bee Jays&nbsp; Wednesday at Larks Park.

After the Larks blowout win in the matchup between the two teams on Tuesday, they are now tied a top the RMBL standings heading into Wednesday's game.

You can catch on the action on the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pStEXOmSPU0">&nbsp;Larks YouTube channel.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717183089670.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Larks close out a two-game home series against the Liberal Bee Jays&nbsp; Wednesday at Larks Park.After the Larks blowout win in the matchup between the two teams on Tuesday, they are now tied a top the RMBL standings heading into Wednesday's game.First pitch is set for&nbsp;for 7 p.m.You can catch on the action on the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pStEXOmSPU0">&nbsp;Larks YouTube channel.</a> Hays Larks baseball on HaysPost.com is courtesy of the Hays
Larks. The broadcast is produced by the Hays Larks

⚾🎥 WATCH LIVE Hays Larks host Liberal

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women's Soccer announced an additional four signings for the 2024 season. The latest group includes three transfers and one high school signing. FHSU will have 13 newcomers with the team in the fall.

Transfers include Jiselle Batres, Mackenzie Caldwell and Kiera Hanna, while Isabelle Mull&nbsp;of Bishop Carroll High School in Wichita signed with the Tigers. Below is more on each of the newcomers.

Jiselle Batres, 5-1, Sr., D, Porterville, Calif. / Monache HS / Alcorn State Alcorn State: Played in a total of 16 matches during the 2023 season, recording three goals…Had the game winning goal in a 1-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Reedley College: Played in 34 matches over two seasons…All-Central Valley Conference First Team selection at center back as a sophomore in 2022, serving as team captain…Helped team to the second round of the CCCAA state playoffs…Also played tennis at Reedley.

Monache HS: All-league first team selection and Team MVP…Two-time team captain…Played on varsity all four years.

Mackenzie Caldwell, 5-10, Gr., GK, Troy, Mo. / Troy-Buchanan HS / Missouri-Kansas City Missouri-Kansas City: Played at UMKC for four years from 2020-2023, appearing in a total of 44 matches…Logged 3,841 minutes in goal and recorded 234 saves…Picked up eight wins between the pipes over four years with four as her season best in 2021…Had a season-best 1.44 goals against average in 2022 and recorded a season-best 98 saves in 2021.

Troy-Buchanan HS: Played just one year as a goalkeeper in high school and played the other three as an attacking center midfielder…Scored eight goals in her prep career…Three-sport athlete, also competing in basketball and volleyball.

Kiera Hanna, 5-4, Jr., D, Orange, Calif. / El Modena HS / Santiago Canyon College Santiago Canyon College: Played in a total of 30 matches over three years…As a sophomore in 2023, earned an All-Orange Empire League First Team selection and helped team to a second-place finish in league play and a CCCAA State Regional playoff appearance.

Isabelle Mull, 5-5, Fr., F, Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll HS Bishop Carroll HS: Helped team to a Kansas Class 5A state tournament semifinal appearance as a senior in 2024 and a state runner-up finish in 2023…Played club soccer with Wichita United FC Select.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720692746183.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women's Soccer announced an additional four signings for the 2024 season. The latest group includes three transfers and one high school signing. FHSU will have 13 newcomers with the team in the fall.Transfers include Jiselle Batres, Mackenzie Caldwell and Kiera Hanna, while Isabelle Mull&nbsp;of Bishop Carroll High School in Wichita signed with the Tigers. Below is more on each of the newcomers.Jiselle Batres, 5-1, Sr., D, Porterville, Calif. / Monache HS / Alcorn State Alcorn State: Played in a total of 16 matches during the 2023 season, recording three goals…Had the game winning goal in a 1-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.Reedley College: Played in 34 matches over two seasons…All-Central Valley Conference First Team selection at center back as a sophomore in 2022, serving as team captain…Helped team to the second round of the CCCAA state playoffs…Also played tennis at Reedley.Monache HS: All-league first team selection and Team MVP…Two-time team captain…Played on varsity all four years.Mackenzie Caldwell, 5-10, Gr., GK, Troy, Mo. / Troy-Buchanan HS / Missouri-Kansas City Missouri-Kansas City: Played at UMKC for four years from 2020-2023, appearing in a total of 44 matches…Logged 3,841 minutes in goal and recorded 234 saves…Picked up eight wins between the pipes over four years with four as her season best in 2021…Had a season-best 1.44 goals against average in 2022 and recorded a season-best 98 saves in 2021.Troy-Buchanan HS: Played just one year as a goalkeeper in high school and played the other three as an attacking center midfielder…Scored eight goals in her prep career…Three-sport athlete, also competing in basketball and volleyball.Kiera Hanna, 5-4, Jr., D, Orange, Calif. / El Modena HS / Santiago Canyon College Santiago Canyon College: Played in a total of 30 matches over three years…As a sophomore in 2023, earned an All-Orange Empire League First Team selection and helped team to a second-place finish in league play and a CCCAA State Regional playoff appearance.Isabelle Mull, 5-5, Fr., F, Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll HS Bishop Carroll HS: Helped team to a Kansas Class 5A state tournament semifinal appearance as a senior in 2024 and a state runner-up finish in 2023…Played club soccer with Wichita United FC Select.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚽ FHSU women and four more for 2024

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Salvador Perez drove in two runs with a homer and a single, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Garrett Hampson drove in two runs with a double while Hunter Renfroe added two hits and a run scored for the Royals.

Nolan Arenado, Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Cardinals.

Alec Marsh (7-6) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings to earn the victory. He struck out eight and walked one.

James McArthur earned his 16th save despite giving up a one-out solo home run to Goldschmidt and a two-out single to Arenado in the ninth inning.

The Royals added two runs off reliever Chris Roycroft in the eighth. Vinnie Pasquantino drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Perez singled home Bobby Witt Jr., who had singled and took second on a wild pitch.

Kansas City scored three runs and four hits in the fifth to tie it at 3-3. MJ Melendez hit a run-scoring double and Hampson drove in two runs with another double.

Arenado gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead when he hit a one-out home run 411 feet into the left-field bleachers in the second inning. It was the fifth consecutive game going back to Aug. 13, 2020, that he has homered against the Royals.

Burleson hit a two-run homer into the right-field bullpen in the third inning.

Royals: Recalled left-hander Walter Pennington from Triple-A Omaha to serve as their 27th man for Wednesday’s doubleheader. The 26-year-old made his big-league debut last week in Colorado, retiring both batters he faced.

Cardinals: Infielder Tommy Edman (wrist surgery) began a rehab assignment Tuesday night at Double-A Springfield. He singled in three at-bats. He is scheduled for five innings playing center field Wednesday. … Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) caught a full nine innings Tuesday at Triple-A Memphis. He also hit a home run.

Royals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74), who pitched for the Cardinals from 2013-19, has held opponents to three runs and 12 hits while striking out 19 batters in 16 1/3 innings in his past three starts. It will be Wacha’s third career start against the Cardinals. He is 2-0 with 2.19 ERA against St. Louis.

Cardinals: Right-hander Gordon Graceffo (0-0, 2.00) last month made his MLB debut for his only appearance. He pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720645899690.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Salvador Perez drove in two runs with a homer and a single, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.Garrett Hampson drove in two runs with a double while Hunter Renfroe added two hits and a run scored for the Royals.Nolan Arenado, Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Cardinals.Alec Marsh (7-6) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings to earn the victory. He struck out eight and walked one.James McArthur earned his 16th save despite giving up a one-out solo home run to Goldschmidt and a two-out single to Arenado in the ninth inning.Andre Pallante (4-4) pitched 6 1/3 innings, his longest outing this season. He took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.Perez, who will play in the All-Star Game next week, hit a 424-foot homer onto the grass in center field with one out in the sixth, giving the Royals a 4-3 lead.The Royals added two runs off reliever Chris Roycroft in the eighth. Vinnie Pasquantino drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Perez singled home Bobby Witt Jr., who had singled and took second on a wild pitch.Kansas City scored three runs and four hits in the fifth to tie it at 3-3. MJ Melendez hit a run-scoring double and Hampson drove in two runs with another double.Arenado gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead when he hit a one-out home run 411 feet into the left-field bleachers in the second inning. It was the fifth consecutive game going back to Aug. 13, 2020, that he has homered against the Royals.Burleson hit a two-run homer into the right-field bullpen in the third inning.EXTRA PLAYERSRoyals: Recalled left-hander Walter Pennington from Triple-A Omaha to serve as their 27th man for Wednesday’s doubleheader. The 26-year-old made his big-league debut last week in Colorado, retiring both batters he faced.Cardinals: Recalled right-hander Gordon Graceffo from Triple-A Memphis to serve as their 27th man for the doubleheader.TRAINER'S ROOMCardinals: Infielder Tommy Edman (wrist surgery) began a rehab assignment Tuesday night at Double-A Springfield. He singled in three at-bats. He is scheduled for five innings playing center field Wednesday. … Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) caught a full nine innings Tuesday at Triple-A Memphis. He also hit a home run.UP NEXTRoyals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74), who pitched for the Cardinals from 2013-19, has held opponents to three runs and 12 hits while striking out 19 batters in 16 1/3 innings in his past three starts. It will be Wacha’s third career start against the Cardinals. He is 2-0 with 2.19 ERA against St. Louis.Cardinals: Right-hander Gordon Graceffo (0-0, 2.00) last month made his MLB debut for his only appearance. He pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run.

⚾Salvador Perez leads Royals to victory over Cards in opener of doubleheader

🎥 Meet the Larks Trent Baker

Wednesday, July 10
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pm

Wednesday, July 10
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:00pmFriday, July 12
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 5:30pmSaturday, July 13
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 2:30pmSunday, July 14
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, 12:00pm

LAS VEGAS&nbsp;– Kansas State hit the media circuit on Tuesday afternoon during the first day of the 2024 Big 12 Football Media Day held at Allegiant Stadium. Linked above is Coach Klieman's press conference and breakout with ESPNU, in addition to Avery Johnson's&nbsp;Interview with ESPNU. A transcript of Coach Klieman's press conference is below. For more content, please visit the K-State Football social media pages on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/kstatefb">X (formerly Twitter)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kstatefb">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/kstatesports">YouTube</a>)

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's great to be out here in Vegas. Thanks to Commissioner Yormark for getting this all set up, and we're excited to get things started here at the end of July.

We're excited about our football team. We've got a lot of returning guys, but as everybody does, we've got a lot of new guys as well. So it will be nice to mesh those guys together come August.

Competitive league, as usual. Great parity with the amount of schools and new schools we have, especially the ones we play. We're excited about the challenge.

Q. You obviously came from North Dakota State. There's been a few other notable coaches that have come from FCS, Division II, even NAIA with Kalen DeBoer and his success after his time at Sioux Falls. What does it mean to see these guys getting these opportunities, and do you think those guys tend to be overlooked sometimes?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I've said this since the day I arrived in Manhattan, and football is football, and you just need opportunities, and when you get opportunities, and if you're having success, you're going to get those opportunities. And I've known Kalen for a while. I was so excited for him with the run they made last year.

There's a lot of good football coaches at all different levels. And I think you're going to continue to see coaches from NAIA, Division II, FCS, so forth, get opportunities.

Q. The esteemed voters of the Big 12 preseason poll picked you guys second but they put none of your guys on the All-Conference team. How do you rectify those two decisions?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Don't pay a whole lot of attention to it, to be honest with you. Everybody sees it, but it's not something that we talk about an awful lot. I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are and how important our players are as far as if you're a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come.

I'm sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls, and I don't know if they're excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams, but you still have to perform, and we've got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.

Q. Hiring Matt Wells, comes in as co-offensive coordinator, huge history with quarterbacks, specifically 2018 Jordan Love at Utah State. What does he bring to Avery Johnson, and what led you to bring him in?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Matt and I have been friends for more than a decade, always talked, even when he was at Tech and I was here at K-State, when he went to Oklahoma. He and I have always stayed in contact.

It was maybe the right time for him to get back on the field and truly coach. We talked all through&nbsp; that bowl prep, and he was the one who I wanted to hire. He was just trying to get through that bowl time, and it worked out.

But a wealth of experience and a wealth of knowledge with quarterbacks, and I've already seen, in a short period of time, just the second semester, the value of him being with Avery.

There's a great mesh there. There's a great comfort between the two guys. They are on the same page an awful lot. And I know that Avery, as well as our offensive staff, coaches, Coach Riley, our offensive coordinator, are excited about some of the things that Coach Wells will bring to K-State, especially the pass game. And everybody wants to know what the heck we'll do, but we'll wait until the fall to unveil that.&nbsp;But super excited to have Matt and his family in Manhattan.

Q. The secondary returns a lot of talent this past year. How important is it as you transition into the season with a fairly similar defensive structure?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's really important. There's such talented offenses in this league and skilled players, for us to have bookend corners back in Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish is really important for us. Those guys have played a lot of football. And then to have most of our safeties, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle played a lot of football, Colby McCalister&nbsp;has played a lot.

And then we've got some freshmen that are ready to step up as redshirt freshmen, a couple of transfers, a kid named Jordan Riley&nbsp;that I think people will learn and know an awful lot about by the end of the season.

But you need to have great depth in the secondary, and we feel that that's an area that we have done a really good job of recruiting and developing talent and then sprinkling in a transfer because you need to be really good in the secondary in this league.

Q. You kind of have the unique nature of playing 10 conference games with the Arizona game not counting towards it. Was there any discussion of pushing that off because of the fact that they're in the league now

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I think it was probably too late when everything got finished up with scheduling. And I'm glad that we're playing Arizona. They're a terrific football program, and it's a great early-season game for the Big 12 to get on national TV on a Friday night. So that excites us, and I know it excites Arizona. There's really good talent on both teams.

I'm hoping that we ultimately get to an even number of conference games so that we're not in the nine, five away, four at home, that it's more of a four and four split of eight games, or even a ten, because if you have to play a Power Five, you might as well play it in your league and get five and five. But, no, it's going to be a great game. It's going to be a great showcase for the Big 12 in early September.

Q. I believe you play five teams that are either new to the conference or second year in the Big 12. To what extent, if any, did that mean any extra work in preparation for your coaching staff?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Yeah, it definitely gave us a lot more work in the summer. The month of June is already busy enough with recruiting and camps, and now we don't have the database like you'd have with a Tech or a Baylor or a TCU. We've got five new schools, or even BYU and Cincinnati have been in our league, but we didn't play them last year, so we don't have much data on them. Then we've got the two Arizona schools and Colorado.

So a lot of extra work. I think it's excitement, though, for the fans, for both schools, as far as whether it's us going to Provo and seeing a great environment, because I've been there and I know it's a phenomenal environment, to us going to Boulder and seeing a great environment, or those other schools potentially coming to our place and seeing a great environment in Manhattan.

I think the fan base of all the schools are going to be excited because they're going to see really good football, and they're going to see some different teams that they haven't seen throughout the year.

Q. You lose a lot of senior leadership in (Cooper) Beebe, what he meant to the offensive line, and the offensive line, the quarterback's best friend. How have you kind of just this offseason tried to get the O-line to embody his spirit, and when will he be put in the ring of honor?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I don't probably make that decision, but Beebs had a phenomenal career. He'll be in the ring of honor for sure.But it's interesting, we lost four really good senior offensive linemen, but we have four really good senior offensive linemen returning.

And that's something that maybe goes overlooked a little bit, the value of what Conor Riley&nbsp;does for our offense and for our program and for that room and the offensive line room, to lose the amount of seniors that we had and then still return the amount of seniors. Hadley Panzer, Taylor Poitier, Carver Willis&nbsp;have really taken over the reins from those guys that have left and have tried to kept that engine running.

And we've always been really, really good up front, and it's due to Coach Riley. But it's those guys that have been in the program that want to stay and want to be developed and not want to get in the transfer portal just because they don't play in their first year.

The offensive line is a different deal. It takes sometimes a few years to develop. We've got Hadley and Carver back that have played a lot. T.P. has played a lot. Andrew Leingang&nbsp;is going to play a lot of football that's been around. Sam Hecht&nbsp;will play a lot of football that's been around.

We have experienced guys that have been with our program, they're just going to gain on-field experience quickly in the non-con.

Q. Going from the offensive line to the defensive line here, how important will the physicality and experience up front defensively be, given the talent of the ground games in this conference as well as the importance of the pass rush?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;We've been really fortunate that we've always had a lot of depth in our defensive line. Coach Tui and Coach Wyatt do a great job, and we're probably going to have eight or nine deep on the defensive line, and we've always rotated guys really well.

But we've got two six-year defensive ends in Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean&nbsp;coming back that have been in the program for a long time. And those young kids will play a lot to a high standard, to high expectations.

But I'm really comfortable and excited about the amount of defensive linemen we have that have played a lot of Big 12 football, as well as some of the new guys we have coming on, some freshmen that will be redshirt freshmen that I think can really be effective pass rushers. And there's no doubt about it, you've got to be able to stop the run, and you've got to be able to get a good rush on the passer.

Q. You guys played Oklahoma State last year when Ollie Gordon was just getting going. You obviously know what really good running backs look like at K-State. I'm curious, just what impresses you about him, and obviously in Manhattan this year, what's the challenge of handling him?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;He's a tremendous talent. He's got really good speed. He's a home run hitter, as well as he can run through arm tackles. He a breakout season and it started around our game and he continued to elevate. He's a terrific football player, and we're glad we play him in Manhattan and not Stillwater.

We've struggled in Stillwater and we've played better in Manhattan. But that's the nature of our league. You're going to face really talented running backs each week. You'll face talented quarterbacks, and you've got to stay healthy and you've got to do a great job of trying to eliminate explosive plays and last year Ollie got us on a couple of big ones, and we've got to prevent that.

Q. You have one of the most talented running backs in this league in DJ Giddens. Last season he split carries with Treshaun Ward.&nbsp;Do you plan on giving him more of a workload this year or how will that work out?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It will probably be similar in the fact that DJ can carry it 30 times, and he did that a few times for us last year. He can carry it 20 times. DJ is an every-down back and underrated in our league.DJ is just a phenomenal football player that's a great kid, great pass protection, great out of the backfield catch the ball. He's going to have a dynamite year for us. We've surrounded him now with some more talent that we don't have to rely on him that much. There are some games we are. We're going to give it to him, and he'll be ready for it. There's other games where we've got to spread it around more. We've got to throw the ball a little more so that the offensive or the running game does open up.

So we've got another tailback in Dylan Edwards&nbsp;that's a really good complement to DJ with some speed as well as electricity elusiveness in the open field that's probably the thing that excites us the most offensively we have a lot of guys around Avery.

Q. For the four new teams to the conference that maybe aren't familiar with Kansas State. How would you describe your brand of football?

CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Consistent. Don't beat themselves. Try to play really good defense. Try to rush the football. Try to not turn the ball over and hit the explosive plays when you have the opportunity. But hopefully a physical brand of well-disciplined kids that play the game the right way, and I'm excited because of all those teams, we're going to find out a lot about them, too, because there's really talented football teams coming into this league, and that's why it's so hard to predict how any order of finish could be with all the new teams that are coming in.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720572550247.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsLAS VEGAS&nbsp;– Kansas State hit the media circuit on Tuesday afternoon during the first day of the 2024 Big 12 Football Media Day held at Allegiant Stadium. Linked above is Coach Klieman's press conference and breakout with ESPNU, in addition to Avery Johnson's&nbsp;Interview with ESPNU. A transcript of Coach Klieman's press conference is below. For more content, please visit the K-State Football social media pages on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/kstatefb">X (formerly Twitter)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kstatefb">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/kstatesports">YouTube</a>)CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's great to be out here in Vegas. Thanks to Commissioner Yormark for getting this all set up, and we're excited to get things started here at the end of July.We're excited about our football team. We've got a lot of returning guys, but as everybody does, we've got a lot of new guys as well. So it will be nice to mesh those guys together come August.Competitive league, as usual. Great parity with the amount of schools and new schools we have, especially the ones we play. We're excited about the challenge.Q. You obviously came from North Dakota State. There's been a few other notable coaches that have come from FCS, Division II, even NAIA with Kalen DeBoer and his success after his time at Sioux Falls. What does it mean to see these guys getting these opportunities, and do you think those guys tend to be overlooked sometimes?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I've said this since the day I arrived in Manhattan, and football is football, and you just need opportunities, and when you get opportunities, and if you're having success, you're going to get those opportunities. And I've known Kalen for a while. I was so excited for him with the run they made last year.There's a lot of good football coaches at all different levels. And I think you're going to continue to see coaches from NAIA, Division II, FCS, so forth, get opportunities.Q. The esteemed voters of the Big 12 preseason poll picked you guys second but they put none of your guys on the All-Conference team. How do you rectify those two decisions?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Don't pay a whole lot of attention to it, to be honest with you. Everybody sees it, but it's not something that we talk about an awful lot. I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are and how important our players are as far as if you're a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come.I'm sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls, and I don't know if they're excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams, but you still have to perform, and we've got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.Q. Hiring Matt Wells, comes in as co-offensive coordinator, huge history with quarterbacks, specifically 2018 Jordan Love at Utah State. What does he bring to Avery Johnson, and what led you to bring him in?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Matt and I have been friends for more than a decade, always talked, even when he was at Tech and I was here at K-State, when he went to Oklahoma. He and I have always stayed in contact.It was maybe the right time for him to get back on the field and truly coach. We talked all through&nbsp; that bowl prep, and he was the one who I wanted to hire. He was just trying to get through that bowl time, and it worked out.But a wealth of experience and a wealth of knowledge with quarterbacks, and I've already seen, in a short period of time, just the second semester, the value of him being with Avery.There's a great mesh there. There's a great comfort between the two guys. They are on the same page an awful lot. And I know that Avery, as well as our offensive staff, coaches, Coach Riley, our offensive coordinator, are excited about some of the things that Coach Wells will bring to K-State, especially the pass game. And everybody wants to know what the heck we'll do, but we'll wait until the fall to unveil that.&nbsp;But super excited to have Matt and his family in Manhattan.Q. The secondary returns a lot of talent this past year. How important is it as you transition into the season with a fairly similar defensive structure?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It's really important. There's such talented offenses in this league and skilled players, for us to have bookend corners back in Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish is really important for us. Those guys have played a lot of football. And then to have most of our safeties, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle played a lot of football, Colby McCalister&nbsp;has played a lot.And then we've got some freshmen that are ready to step up as redshirt freshmen, a couple of transfers, a kid named Jordan Riley&nbsp;that I think people will learn and know an awful lot about by the end of the season.But you need to have great depth in the secondary, and we feel that that's an area that we have done a really good job of recruiting and developing talent and then sprinkling in a transfer because you need to be really good in the secondary in this league.Q. You kind of have the unique nature of playing 10 conference games with the Arizona game not counting towards it. Was there any discussion of pushing that off because of the fact that they're in the league nowCHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I think it was probably too late when everything got finished up with scheduling. And I'm glad that we're playing Arizona. They're a terrific football program, and it's a great early-season game for the Big 12 to get on national TV on a Friday night. So that excites us, and I know it excites Arizona. There's really good talent on both teams.I'm hoping that we ultimately get to an even number of conference games so that we're not in the nine, five away, four at home, that it's more of a four and four split of eight games, or even a ten, because if you have to play a Power Five, you might as well play it in your league and get five and five. But, no, it's going to be a great game. It's going to be a great showcase for the Big 12 in early September.Q. I believe you play five teams that are either new to the conference or second year in the Big 12. To what extent, if any, did that mean any extra work in preparation for your coaching staff?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Yeah, it definitely gave us a lot more work in the summer. The month of June is already busy enough with recruiting and camps, and now we don't have the database like you'd have with a Tech or a Baylor or a TCU. We've got five new schools, or even BYU and Cincinnati have been in our league, but we didn't play them last year, so we don't have much data on them. Then we've got the two Arizona schools and Colorado.So a lot of extra work. I think it's excitement, though, for the fans, for both schools, as far as whether it's us going to Provo and seeing a great environment, because I've been there and I know it's a phenomenal environment, to us going to Boulder and seeing a great environment, or those other schools potentially coming to our place and seeing a great environment in Manhattan.I think the fan base of all the schools are going to be excited because they're going to see really good football, and they're going to see some different teams that they haven't seen throughout the year.Q. You lose a lot of senior leadership in (Cooper) Beebe, what he meant to the offensive line, and the offensive line, the quarterback's best friend. How have you kind of just this offseason tried to get the O-line to embody his spirit, and when will he be put in the ring of honor?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;I don't probably make that decision, but Beebs had a phenomenal career. He'll be in the ring of honor for sure.But it's interesting, we lost four really good senior offensive linemen, but we have four really good senior offensive linemen returning.And that's something that maybe goes overlooked a little bit, the value of what Conor Riley&nbsp;does for our offense and for our program and for that room and the offensive line room, to lose the amount of seniors that we had and then still return the amount of seniors. Hadley Panzer, Taylor Poitier, Carver Willis&nbsp;have really taken over the reins from those guys that have left and have tried to kept that engine running.And we've always been really, really good up front, and it's due to Coach Riley. But it's those guys that have been in the program that want to stay and want to be developed and not want to get in the transfer portal just because they don't play in their first year.The offensive line is a different deal. It takes sometimes a few years to develop. We've got Hadley and Carver back that have played a lot. T.P. has played a lot. Andrew Leingang&nbsp;is going to play a lot of football that's been around. Sam Hecht&nbsp;will play a lot of football that's been around.We have experienced guys that have been with our program, they're just going to gain on-field experience quickly in the non-con.Q. Going from the offensive line to the defensive line here, how important will the physicality and experience up front defensively be, given the talent of the ground games in this conference as well as the importance of the pass rush?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;We've been really fortunate that we've always had a lot of depth in our defensive line. Coach Tui and Coach Wyatt do a great job, and we're probably going to have eight or nine deep on the defensive line, and we've always rotated guys really well.But we've got two six-year defensive ends in Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean&nbsp;coming back that have been in the program for a long time. And those young kids will play a lot to a high standard, to high expectations.But I'm really comfortable and excited about the amount of defensive linemen we have that have played a lot of Big 12 football, as well as some of the new guys we have coming on, some freshmen that will be redshirt freshmen that I think can really be effective pass rushers. And there's no doubt about it, you've got to be able to stop the run, and you've got to be able to get a good rush on the passer.Q. You guys played Oklahoma State last year when Ollie Gordon was just getting going. You obviously know what really good running backs look like at K-State. I'm curious, just what impresses you about him, and obviously in Manhattan this year, what's the challenge of handling him?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;He's a tremendous talent. He's got really good speed. He's a home run hitter, as well as he can run through arm tackles. He a breakout season and it started around our game and he continued to elevate. He's a terrific football player, and we're glad we play him in Manhattan and not Stillwater.We've struggled in Stillwater and we've played better in Manhattan. But that's the nature of our league. You're going to face really talented running backs each week. You'll face talented quarterbacks, and you've got to stay healthy and you've got to do a great job of trying to eliminate explosive plays and last year Ollie got us on a couple of big ones, and we've got to prevent that.Q. You have one of the most talented running backs in this league in DJ Giddens. Last season he split carries with Treshaun Ward.&nbsp;Do you plan on giving him more of a workload this year or how will that work out?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;It will probably be similar in the fact that DJ can carry it 30 times, and he did that a few times for us last year. He can carry it 20 times. DJ is an every-down back and underrated in our league.DJ is just a phenomenal football player that's a great kid, great pass protection, great out of the backfield catch the ball. He's going to have a dynamite year for us. We've surrounded him now with some more talent that we don't have to rely on him that much. There are some games we are. We're going to give it to him, and he'll be ready for it. There's other games where we've got to spread it around more. We've got to throw the ball a little more so that the offensive or the running game does open up.So we've got another tailback in Dylan Edwards&nbsp;that's a really good complement to DJ with some speed as well as electricity elusiveness in the open field that's probably the thing that excites us the most offensively we have a lot of guys around Avery.Q. For the four new teams to the conference that maybe aren't familiar with Kansas State. How would you describe your brand of football?CHRIS KLIEMAN:&nbsp;Consistent. Don't beat themselves. Try to play really good defense. Try to rush the football. Try to not turn the ball over and hit the explosive plays when you have the opportunity. But hopefully a physical brand of well-disciplined kids that play the game the right way, and I'm excited because of all those teams, we're going to find out a lot about them, too, because there's really talented football teams coming into this league, and that's why it's so hard to predict how any order of finish could be with all the new teams that are coming in.&nbsp;&nbsp;