LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold on Friday announced the addition of coaching veteran Sean Snyder to the staff as special Assistant to the Head Coach, according to a media release from KU Athletics.

Snyder, an experienced college football coach for more than 20 years spent the 2022 season as the special teams coordinator/specialists coach at Illinois. Snyder spent the previous two seasons as the special teams coordinator at USC.

Snyder spent more than two decades at Kansas State, where he served as special teams coordinator/associate head coach from 2011-18 and special teams analyst in 2019 before moving to USC.

Snyder began his career at Kansas State as a part-time assistant coach in 1994 and 1995, then served as director of football operations from 1996 to 1998, assistant athletic director for football operations in 1999 and 2000, associate athletic director in 2001 and senior associate athletic director from 2002 to 2010. He then moved into his role working with the program’s special teams.

During his tenure, Kansas State ranked in the Top 15 of the ESPN Special Teams Efficiency rating five times, including first in 2017, second in 2015 and third in 2012. The Wildcats also were in the Top 25 of the Football Outsiders Special Teams Rating six times since 2011, including first in 2017, third in 2014 and 2019 and sixth in 2012. Snyder was named the national Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2015 by FootballScoop and Phil Steele and in 2017 by Phil Steele.

In 2020, USC’s special teams were ranked No. 1 nationally by Football Outsider and the Trojans were in the national Top 25 in NCAA statistics in kickoff return defense (10th at 17.0) and net punting (25th at 40.8). &nbsp;True freshman Parker Lewis was 20th nationally in field goals (1.6), Gary Bryant Jr. (also a true freshman) was 22nd in kickoff returns (26.2), Ben Griffith’s 46.4 punting average was the highest by a Trojan since 2003 and snapper Damon Johnson was a Mannelly Award finalist.

Under Snyder, Kansas State’s special teams units set or tied eight team records and 20 individual marks. &nbsp;He coached four Big 12 Special Teams Players of the Year, including three consecutive (returners Tyler Lockett in 2013 and 2014, Morgan Burns in 2015 and Joshua Youngblood in 2019). Lockett, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks, was an All-American first team kickoff returner in 2011 and punt returner in 2014. &nbsp;Burns earned All-American first team honors in 2015 as a kick returner when he led the country in kickoff return touchdowns (4). Youngblood was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2019 when he ran back 3 kickoffs for TDs and helped Kansas State top the nation in kickoff return average (29.5).

Placekicker Matthew McCrane was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2014 and All-Big 12 first team pick in 2017, while kicker Jack Cantele made the All-Big 12 first team in 2015. &nbsp;Kick returner Byron Pringle was All-Big 12 first team in 2016 and returner D.J. Reed was so honored in 2017.

Snyder was a consensus All-American and All-Big Eight first team punter under his father, Bill Snyder, at Kansas State as a senior in 1992, averaging 44.7 yards per punt. &nbsp;He was the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a 1991 junior, with a 40.5 punting average. His 43.0 career punting average was a school record. &nbsp;He played in the 1992 Blue-Gray Game. He was inducted into Kansas State’s inaugural Ring of Honor Class in 2002 and into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

Snyder redshirted at Iowa in 1988, then saw action in two games for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt freshman in 1989 before transferring to Kansas State. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State in money and banking in 1994.

Snyder signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1993 and the San Diego Chargers in 1994. He and his wife Wanda raised a daughter Katherine and sons Tate and Matthew. They have five grandchildren: Katherine and her husband Colton have three kids, DJ, Declan, and Murphy, and Tate and his wife Nikki have two children, Pearce and Presley.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold on Friday announced the addition of coaching veteran Sean Snyder to the staff as special Assistant to the Head Coach, according to a media release from KU Athletics.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome to the Kansas Football family, Sean Snyder 🤝 More → <a href="https://t.co/O71LAPlBVL">https://t.co/O71LAPlBVL</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pq40OW0Y0H">pic.twitter.com/Pq40OW0Y0H</a>&mdash; Kansas Football (@KU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1641846037261238277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Snyder, an experienced college football coach for more than 20 years spent the 2022 season as the special teams coordinator/specialists coach at Illinois. Snyder spent the previous two seasons as the special teams coordinator at USC.Snyder spent more than two decades at Kansas State, where he served as special teams coordinator/associate head coach from 2011-18 and special teams analyst in 2019 before moving to USC.Snyder began his career at Kansas State as a part-time assistant coach in 1994 and 1995, then served as director of football operations from 1996 to 1998, assistant athletic director for football operations in 1999 and 2000, associate athletic director in 2001 and senior associate athletic director from 2002 to 2010. He then moved into his role working with the program’s special teams.During his tenure, Kansas State ranked in the Top 15 of the ESPN Special Teams Efficiency rating five times, including first in 2017, second in 2015 and third in 2012. The Wildcats also were in the Top 25 of the Football Outsiders Special Teams Rating six times since 2011, including first in 2017, third in 2014 and 2019 and sixth in 2012. Snyder was named the national Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2015 by FootballScoop and Phil Steele and in 2017 by Phil Steele.In 2020, USC’s special teams were ranked No. 1 nationally by Football Outsider and the Trojans were in the national Top 25 in NCAA statistics in kickoff return defense (10th at 17.0) and net punting (25th at 40.8). &nbsp;True freshman Parker Lewis was 20th nationally in field goals (1.6), Gary Bryant Jr. (also a true freshman) was 22nd in kickoff returns (26.2), Ben Griffith’s 46.4 punting average was the highest by a Trojan since 2003 and snapper Damon Johnson was a Mannelly Award finalist.Under Snyder, Kansas State’s special teams units set or tied eight team records and 20 individual marks. &nbsp;He coached four Big 12 Special Teams Players of the Year, including three consecutive (returners Tyler Lockett in 2013 and 2014, Morgan Burns in 2015 and Joshua Youngblood in 2019). Lockett, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks, was an All-American first team kickoff returner in 2011 and punt returner in 2014. &nbsp;Burns earned All-American first team honors in 2015 as a kick returner when he led the country in kickoff return touchdowns (4). Youngblood was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2019 when he ran back 3 kickoffs for TDs and helped Kansas State top the nation in kickoff return average (29.5).Placekicker Matthew McCrane was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2014 and All-Big 12 first team pick in 2017, while kicker Jack Cantele made the All-Big 12 first team in 2015. &nbsp;Kick returner Byron Pringle was All-Big 12 first team in 2016 and returner D.J. Reed was so honored in 2017.Snyder was a consensus All-American and All-Big Eight first team punter under his father, Bill Snyder, at Kansas State as a senior in 1992, averaging 44.7 yards per punt. &nbsp;He was the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a 1991 junior, with a 40.5 punting average. His 43.0 career punting average was a school record. &nbsp;He played in the 1992 Blue-Gray Game. He was inducted into Kansas State’s inaugural Ring of Honor Class in 2002 and into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.Snyder redshirted at Iowa in 1988, then saw action in two games for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt freshman in 1989 before transferring to Kansas State. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State in money and banking in 1994.Snyder signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1993 and the San Diego Chargers in 1994. He and his wife Wanda raised a daughter Katherine and sons Tate and Matthew. They have five grandchildren: Katherine and her husband Colton have three kids, DJ, Declan, and Murphy, and Tate and his wife Nikki have two children, Pearce and Presley.

Sean Snyder joins KU Football as Special Assistant to the Head Coach

The Kansas City Chiefs have extended their agreement with Missouri Western State University to make St. Joseph the home of Chiefs Training Camp&nbsp;through the 2024 season.

“We are thrilled to announce that we will return to Missouri Western State University and the St. Joseph community for another two years,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “Missouri Western and St. Joseph have warmly hosted our team and fans for the past 13 years – a welcome start to the NFL season.

"I want to thank President Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy and Director of Athletics Andy Carter for their leadership throughout this process, and we look forward to starting our 2023 season at Missouri Western again this summer.”

“We’re thrilled to have the Super Bowl Champions back on campus and look forward to providing a top-notch experience to the team and their fans as they prepare for another successful season," University president Elizabeth Kennedy said. "We’re grateful to the Chiefs for making us their summer training camp home and to the St. Joseph community for embracing the team and its fans.”

The Chiefs have held training camp on the Missouri Western campus every year since 2010 (excluding 2020 due to Covid-19). This will mark the 13th year of training camp at Missouri Western in St. Joseph.

Dates and additional details for 2023 Chiefs Training Camp presented by Mosaic Life Care will be announced in mid-June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680278355514.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Chiefs have extended their agreement with Missouri Western State University to make St. Joseph the home of Chiefs Training Camp&nbsp;through the 2024 season.“We are thrilled to announce that we will return to Missouri Western State University and the St. Joseph community for another two years,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “Missouri Western and St. Joseph have warmly hosted our team and fans for the past 13 years – a welcome start to the NFL season."I want to thank President Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy and Director of Athletics Andy Carter for their leadership throughout this process, and we look forward to starting our 2023 season at Missouri Western again this summer.”“We’re thrilled to have the Super Bowl Champions back on campus and look forward to providing a top-notch experience to the team and their fans as they prepare for another successful season," University president Elizabeth Kennedy said. "We’re grateful to the Chiefs for making us their summer training camp home and to the St. Joseph community for embracing the team and its fans.”The Chiefs have held training camp on the Missouri Western campus every year since 2010 (excluding 2020 due to Covid-19). This will mark the 13th year of training camp at Missouri Western in St. Joseph.Dates and additional details for 2023 Chiefs Training Camp presented by Mosaic Life Care will be announced in mid-June.

🏈 Chiefs agree to keep camp in St. Joseph through 2024

LOS ANGELES&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas redshirt-junior Jalen Wilson has been named one of five finalists for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year. The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced the All-American Team and the five finalists Thursday evening on ESPN2. &nbsp; Wilson becomes the 26th Jayhawk to be named a Wooden Award All-American all-time. Kansas has had back-to-back honorees with Ochai Agbaji earning the accolade in 2022. Wilson now seeks to become the third Kansas player to win the Wooden Award, joining Frank Mason III (2017) and Danny Manning (1988). &nbsp; Joining Wilson as finalists for the Wooden Award are Zach Edey (Purdue), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Marcus Sasser (Houston) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga). All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 47th annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala. &nbsp; One of four Naismith Trophy finalists, Wilson will be Kansas’ 32nd&nbsp;all-time Consensus All-America First Team honoree. The unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. The Denton, Texas, forward posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points scored this season, including each of his last seven contests. Wilson is the seventh player in Big 12 history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season, including the fourth Jayhawk to earn the distinction. &nbsp; On nearly every national player of the year watch list, Wilson is just the 10th player in Kansas men’s basketball history to record 1,400-plus career points and 800-plus career rebounds and the first since Perry Ellis (2013-16). Wilson’s 1,475 points rank 27th on the KU career list and his 802 rebounds are 14th in school history. Wilson’s 28 career double-doubles are ninth on the KU all-time list. &nbsp; The 47th annual John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Men’s Player of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, April 4th on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, this year given to Dawn Staley. The Gala will take place at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 7th. &nbsp; Kansas Wooden Award All-Americans 2023 – Jalen Wilson 2022 – Ochai Agbaji 2020 – Udoka Azubuike, Devon Dotson 2018 – Devonte’ Graham 2017 – Frank Mason III (Wooden Award recipient), Josh Jackson 2016 – Perry Ellis 2014 – Andrew Wiggins 2013 – Ben McLemore 2012 – Thomas Robinson 2011 – Marcus Morris 2010 – Sherron Collins 2008 – Brandon Rush 2007 – Brandon Rush 2005 – Wayne Simien 2003 – Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich 2002 – Drew Gooden 1998 – Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce 1997 – Raef LaFrentz, Jacque Vaughn 1996 – Jacque Vaughn 1988 – Danny Manning (Wooden Award recipient) 1986 – Danny Manning

<figure>
 <img src="https://mcusercontent.com/3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1/images/62889d5d-1494-4924-adf8-fe25509f009f.jpg" alt="Wilson Wooden Award Finalist" />
 <figcaption>Wilson Wooden Award Finalist</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas redshirt-junior Jalen Wilson has been named one of five finalists for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year. The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced the All-American Team and the five finalists Thursday evening on ESPN2. &nbsp; Wilson becomes the 26th Jayhawk to be named a Wooden Award All-American all-time. Kansas has had back-to-back honorees with Ochai Agbaji earning the accolade in 2022. Wilson now seeks to become the third Kansas player to win the Wooden Award, joining Frank Mason III (2017) and Danny Manning (1988). &nbsp; Joining Wilson as finalists for the Wooden Award are Zach Edey (Purdue), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Marcus Sasser (Houston) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga). All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 47th annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala. &nbsp; One of four Naismith Trophy finalists, Wilson will be Kansas’ 32nd&nbsp;all-time Consensus All-America First Team honoree. The unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. The Denton, Texas, forward posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points scored this season, including each of his last seven contests. Wilson is the seventh player in Big 12 history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season, including the fourth Jayhawk to earn the distinction. &nbsp; On nearly every national player of the year watch list, Wilson is just the 10th player in Kansas men’s basketball history to record 1,400-plus career points and 800-plus career rebounds and the first since Perry Ellis (2013-16). Wilson’s 1,475 points rank 27th on the KU career list and his 802 rebounds are 14th in school history. Wilson’s 28 career double-doubles are ninth on the KU all-time list. &nbsp; The 47th annual John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Men’s Player of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, April 4th on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, this year given to Dawn Staley. The Gala will take place at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 7th. &nbsp; Kansas Wooden Award All-Americans 2023 – Jalen Wilson 2022 – Ochai Agbaji 2020 – Udoka Azubuike, Devon Dotson 2018 – Devonte’ Graham 2017 – Frank Mason III (Wooden Award recipient), Josh Jackson 2016 – Perry Ellis 2014 – Andrew Wiggins 2013 – Ben McLemore 2012 – Thomas Robinson 2011 – Marcus Morris 2010 – Sherron Collins 2008 – Brandon Rush 2007 – Brandon Rush 2005 – Wayne Simien 2003 – Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich 2002 – Drew Gooden 1998 – Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce 1997 – Raef LaFrentz, Jacque Vaughn 1996 – Jacque Vaughn 1988 – Danny Manning (Wooden Award recipient) 1986 – Danny Manning

🏀 MBB: KU's Jalen Wilson Named Wooden Award Finalist

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez and four Minnesota relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 on a breezy opening day Thursday.

Trevor Larnach and pinch-hitter Donovan Solano each drove in a run. Lopez allowed both Kansas City hits while walking three and striking out eight in 5 1/3 innings, outpitching former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.

A trio of Twins relievers easily ushered the game to Jhoan Duran, who worked around a walk in the ninth to earn the save on an overcast afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Greinke, who also lasted 5 1/3 innings, delivered a solid start for Kansas City to begin his 20th season in the big leagues. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed both runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four.

The Twins won despite leaving the bases loaded three times and 12 on base in all.

Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel had the Royals' only hits.

Even though Greinke and Lopez matched scoreless innings through the fifth, both had to wiggle out of trouble.

The Twins had a pair of singles and a walk in the first inning, but Greinke rebounded to get Nick Gordon to ground out and end the threat. The Royals' erstwhile ace didn't allow another hit until Christian Vazquez singled with one out in the fifth.

Lopez, who arrived in a January trade with Miami, retired the first seven batters he faced and didn't allow a single until Perez's shattered bat went about as far as the ball in the fourth. Lopez later loaded the bases on a double, hit batter and walk in the fifth, but the righty got MJ Melendez to ground down the first-base line into an inning-ending double play.

The Twins finally broke though in the sixth. Larnach followed Byron Buxton's leadoff triple with a base hit, and Solano entered to face Royals reliever Amir Garrett, ripping a single up the middle to extend the lead.

Kansas City never really threatened the rest of the way.

The Royals made Perez, their seven-time All-Star catcher, the fourth captain in franchise history Thursday. He's the first to wear the “C” on his jersey since Mike Sweeney in 2007; the others were George Brett and Frank White.

Twins SS Carlos Correa singled in his first at-bat after a bizarre offseason. Lucrative deals with the Giants and Mets fell apart over concerns about his surgically repaired ankle and he returned to Minnesota on a six-year, $200 million deal.

Twins: RHPs Ronny Henriquez (elbow inflammation) and Josh Winder (shoulder strain), INF Jorge Polanco (knee inflammation) and OFs Gilberto Celestino (thumb surgery) and Alex Kirilloff (wrist surgery) went on the injured list before the game.

Royals: OF Drew Waters (oblique strain) and LHP Daniel Lynch (rotator cuff strain) went on the IL before the game.

Twins: INF/OF Willi Castro had his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul to provide depth with Polanco and Kirilloff out.

Royals: OFs Jackie Bradley Jr. and Franmil Reyes and INF Matt Duffy had contracts selected from Triple-A Omaha. LHP Richard Lovelady was traded to Atlanta and 1B Matt Beaty to San Francisco, both for cash.

After a day off Friday, Twins RHP Sonny Gray gets the start against Royals RHP Jordan Lyles on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680115673148.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez and four Minnesota relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 on a breezy opening day Thursday.Trevor Larnach and pinch-hitter Donovan Solano each drove in a run. Lopez allowed both Kansas City hits while walking three and striking out eight in 5 1/3 innings, outpitching former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.A trio of Twins relievers easily ushered the game to Jhoan Duran, who worked around a walk in the ninth to earn the save on an overcast afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.Greinke, who also lasted 5 1/3 innings, delivered a solid start for Kansas City to begin his 20th season in the big leagues. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed both runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four.The Twins won despite leaving the bases loaded three times and 12 on base in all.Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel had the Royals' only hits.Even though Greinke and Lopez matched scoreless innings through the fifth, both had to wiggle out of trouble.The Twins had a pair of singles and a walk in the first inning, but Greinke rebounded to get Nick Gordon to ground out and end the threat. The Royals' erstwhile ace didn't allow another hit until Christian Vazquez singled with one out in the fifth.Lopez, who arrived in a January trade with Miami, retired the first seven batters he faced and didn't allow a single until Perez's shattered bat went about as far as the ball in the fourth. Lopez later loaded the bases on a double, hit batter and walk in the fifth, but the righty got MJ Melendez to ground down the first-base line into an inning-ending double play.The Twins finally broke though in the sixth. Larnach followed Byron Buxton's leadoff triple with a base hit, and Solano entered to face Royals reliever Amir Garrett, ripping a single up the middle to extend the lead.Kansas City never really threatened the rest of the way.CAPTAIN SALThe Royals made Perez, their seven-time All-Star catcher, the fourth captain in franchise history Thursday. He's the first to wear the “C” on his jersey since Mike Sweeney in 2007; the others were George Brett and Frank White.CORREA'S RETURNTwins SS Carlos Correa singled in his first at-bat after a bizarre offseason. Lucrative deals with the Giants and Mets fell apart over concerns about his surgically repaired ankle and he returned to Minnesota on a six-year, $200 million deal.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: RHPs Ronny Henriquez (elbow inflammation) and Josh Winder (shoulder strain), INF Jorge Polanco (knee inflammation) and OFs Gilberto Celestino (thumb surgery) and Alex Kirilloff (wrist surgery) went on the injured list before the game.Royals: OF Drew Waters (oblique strain) and LHP Daniel Lynch (rotator cuff strain) went on the IL before the game.MAKING MOVESTwins: INF/OF Willi Castro had his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul to provide depth with Polanco and Kirilloff out.Royals: OFs Jackie Bradley Jr. and Franmil Reyes and INF Matt Duffy had contracts selected from Triple-A Omaha. LHP Richard Lovelady was traded to Atlanta and 1B Matt Beaty to San Francisco, both for cash.UP NEXTAfter a day off Friday, Twins RHP Sonny Gray gets the start against Royals RHP Jordan Lyles on Saturday.

⚾ Pablo Lopez, Twins' bullpen blank Royals on opening day

🏀 MBB: K-State selected to play in 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals made seven-time 
All-Star catcher Salvador Perez the fourth captain in franchise history 
before their opener against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, rewarding 
one of the club's most popular players with the rare title.

Unlike
 football or basketball, the captain title is bestowed upon players that
 have either achieved a tremendous amount or displayed exemplary 
leadership over a lengthy period of time.

Along
 with his near-annual trips to the All-Star game, the affable catcher 
has won four Silver Slugger awards, five Gold Glove awards and was the 
MVP of the 2015 World Series, when the Royals beat the Mets for their 
second championship.

He is also among the most popular players in 
the Royals clubhouse. Perez's gregarious nature immediately puts young 
players at ease, which is a good thing for a club in the midst of a 
major youth movement, and he's always willing to sign autographs and 
take photographs for fans that show up long before the first pitch.

"Salvy
 is a Royals icon, a Kansas City icon and a baseball icon,” Royals 
general manager J.J. Picollo said. “This honor reflects not just his 
place in Royals history but just as importantly the work he puts in and 
the leadership he provides our organization.”

Hall of Fame third 
baseman George Brett and longtime star Frank White were the first Royals
 captains. They both held the title from 1989-90, when White retired, 
and Brett carried it on until his own retirement after the 1993 season.

Mike Sweeney was the last Royals captain, holding the honor from 2003 until leaving for Oakland for the 2008 season.

Aaron Judge of the Yankees was the only other MLB player with a captain title heading into this season.

The
 32-year-old Perez was batting third and behind the plate for the 
Royals' opener against the Twins. He's coming off a season in which he 
hit .254 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs while playing just 114 games.

Perez
 was the club's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2001, and last
 year, he won the Lou Gehrig Award, which is presented annually to a 
Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the character of the 
late Yankees star.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630349197266.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals made seven-time 
All-Star catcher Salvador Perez the fourth captain in franchise history 
before their opener against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, rewarding 
one of the club's most popular players with the rare title.Unlike
 football or basketball, the captain title is bestowed upon players that
 have either achieved a tremendous amount or displayed exemplary 
leadership over a lengthy period of time.Perez fits both of those categories.Along
 with his near-annual trips to the All-Star game, the affable catcher 
has won four Silver Slugger awards, five Gold Glove awards and was the 
MVP of the 2015 World Series, when the Royals beat the Mets for their 
second championship.He is also among the most popular players in 
the Royals clubhouse. Perez's gregarious nature immediately puts young 
players at ease, which is a good thing for a club in the midst of a 
major youth movement, and he's always willing to sign autographs and 
take photographs for fans that show up long before the first pitch."Salvy
 is a Royals icon, a Kansas City icon and a baseball icon,” Royals 
general manager J.J. Picollo said. “This honor reflects not just his 
place in Royals history but just as importantly the work he puts in and 
the leadership he provides our organization.”Hall of Fame third 
baseman George Brett and longtime star Frank White were the first Royals
 captains. They both held the title from 1989-90, when White retired, 
and Brett carried it on until his own retirement after the 1993 season.Mike Sweeney was the last Royals captain, holding the honor from 2003 until leaving for Oakland for the 2008 season.Aaron Judge of the Yankees was the only other MLB player with a captain title heading into this season.The
 32-year-old Perez was batting third and behind the plate for the 
Royals' opener against the Twins. He's coming off a season in which he 
hit .254 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs while playing just 114 games.Perez
 was the club's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2001, and last
 year, he won the Lou Gehrig Award, which is presented annually to a 
Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the character of the 
late Yankees star.

⚾️ Royals make Perez fourth captain in franchise history

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For Mammoth Design Director David Folsom, creating a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals was a passion project, dream come true, and homage to baseball’s rich history all at once.&nbsp;

The Royals have initial plans in place to bring the hometown team into the heart of the city. One option is to build at the site of the old Kansas City Star printing pavilion, stretching part of ballpark over I-35.&nbsp;

That’s where Folsom and Mammoth Sports Construction came in. A lifetime baseball fan and Kansas City native, Folsom poured unvarnished passion into the conception. Recycled copper from the KC Star building pays tribute to the site where it would stand. The brick facade incorporates the style of the iconic West Bottoms stockyards. The thoughtfully curved seating bowl preserves the present seating structure of Kaufman Stadium. And the U-shaped section design takes inspiration from Fenway Park and Camden Yards.

Altogether, it's a a timeless ballpark design, woven into its city, with all the history of yesterday and the features of tomorrow. Craftsman quality. Anchored to place. A city like this one deserves no less.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680173500141.jpeg" alt="Rendering" />
 <figcaption>Rendering</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For Mammoth Design Director David Folsom, creating a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals was a passion project, dream come true, and homage to baseball’s rich history all at once.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680173450042.jpeg" alt="Rendering&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Rendering&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The Royals have initial plans in place to bring the hometown team into the heart of the city. One option is to build at the site of the old Kansas City Star printing pavilion, stretching part of ballpark over I-35.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680173548977.jpeg" alt="Renering" />
 <figcaption>Renering</figcaption>
 </figure>That’s where Folsom and Mammoth Sports Construction came in. A lifetime baseball fan and Kansas City native, Folsom poured unvarnished passion into the conception. Recycled copper from the KC Star building pays tribute to the site where it would stand. The brick facade incorporates the style of the iconic West Bottoms stockyards. The thoughtfully curved seating bowl preserves the present seating structure of Kaufman Stadium. And the U-shaped section design takes inspiration from Fenway Park and Camden Yards.Altogether, it's a a timeless ballpark design, woven into its city, with all the history of yesterday and the features of tomorrow. Craftsman quality. Anchored to place. A city like this one deserves no less.&nbsp;

⚾ Mammoth Design releases downtown KC stadium renderings

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The Kansas City Royals announced several roster moves this morning to finalize their Opening Day Roster. The Royals have selected outfielders&nbsp;Jackie Bradley Jr.&nbsp;and&nbsp;Franmil Reyes&nbsp;and infielder&nbsp;Matt Duffy.

Additionally, left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Jake Brentz&nbsp;has been placed on the 60-day Injured List as he continues to recover from left elbow surgery, and outfielder&nbsp;Diego Hernandez&nbsp;has been recalled and placed on the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated right shoulder. Outfielder&nbsp;Drew Waters&nbsp;has been placed on the 10-day Injured List retroactive to March 27 with a left oblique strain, and left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Daniel Lynch&nbsp;has been placed on the 15-day Injured List retroactive to March 27 with a rotator cuff strain. Left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Angel Zerpa&nbsp;was placed on the 60-day Injured List on March 15 with left shoulder tendinopathy.

The Royals have 40 players on the Major League Reserve List.

Kansas City’s 26-man Opening Day roster includes 15 players who made the Opening Day roster in 2022, including pitchers&nbsp;Scott Barlow,&nbsp;Kris Bubic,&nbsp;Taylor Clarke,&nbsp;Dylan Coleman,&nbsp;Amir Garrett,&nbsp;Zack Greinke,&nbsp;Carlos Hernández,&nbsp;Brad Keller&nbsp;and&nbsp;Brady Singer; catcher&nbsp;Salvador Perez; infielders&nbsp;Hunter Dozier,&nbsp;Nicky Lopez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.; and outfielders&nbsp;Kyle Isbel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Edward Olivares.

Five Royals made the Opening Day roster for the first time, including pitcher&nbsp;Jose Cuas, catcher&nbsp;MJ Melendez&nbsp;and infielders&nbsp;Nate Eaton,&nbsp;Michael Massey&nbsp;and&nbsp;Vinnie Pasquantino.

Six players will be making their Royals debuts with their 1st&nbsp;appearance this season, including pitchers&nbsp;Aroldis Chapman,&nbsp;Jordan Lyles&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ryan Yarbrough, infielder&nbsp;Matt Duffy&nbsp;and outfielders&nbsp;Jackie Bradley Jr.&nbsp;and&nbsp;Franmil Reyes.

Zack Greinke&nbsp;made the Opening Day roster for the 17th&nbsp;time in his career and is making his 7th career Opening Day start today. This marks his 6th Opening Day start in the last eight seasons, which matches&nbsp;Max Scherzer,&nbsp;Aaron Nola&nbsp;and&nbsp;Madison Bumgarner&nbsp;for the most Opening Day starts by a pitcher in the Majors since 2016.

Salvador Perez&nbsp;is making his 9th&nbsp;career Opening Day start at catcher, most in franchise history at that position. His 9 career Opening Day starts (at any position) are tied with&nbsp;Mike Sweeney&nbsp;for the 7th most in franchise history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680192072477.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The Kansas City Royals announced several roster moves this morning to finalize their Opening Day Roster. The Royals have selected outfielders&nbsp;Jackie Bradley Jr.&nbsp;and&nbsp;Franmil Reyes&nbsp;and infielder&nbsp;Matt Duffy.Additionally, left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Jake Brentz&nbsp;has been placed on the 60-day Injured List as he continues to recover from left elbow surgery, and outfielder&nbsp;Diego Hernandez&nbsp;has been recalled and placed on the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated right shoulder. Outfielder&nbsp;Drew Waters&nbsp;has been placed on the 10-day Injured List retroactive to March 27 with a left oblique strain, and left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Daniel Lynch&nbsp;has been placed on the 15-day Injured List retroactive to March 27 with a rotator cuff strain. Left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Angel Zerpa&nbsp;was placed on the 60-day Injured List on March 15 with left shoulder tendinopathy.The Royals have 40 players on the Major League Reserve List.Kansas City’s 26-man Opening Day roster includes 15 players who made the Opening Day roster in 2022, including pitchers&nbsp;Scott Barlow,&nbsp;Kris Bubic,&nbsp;Taylor Clarke,&nbsp;Dylan Coleman,&nbsp;Amir Garrett,&nbsp;Zack Greinke,&nbsp;Carlos Hernández,&nbsp;Brad Keller&nbsp;and&nbsp;Brady Singer; catcher&nbsp;Salvador Perez; infielders&nbsp;Hunter Dozier,&nbsp;Nicky Lopez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.; and outfielders&nbsp;Kyle Isbel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Edward Olivares.Five Royals made the Opening Day roster for the first time, including pitcher&nbsp;Jose Cuas, catcher&nbsp;MJ Melendez&nbsp;and infielders&nbsp;Nate Eaton,&nbsp;Michael Massey&nbsp;and&nbsp;Vinnie Pasquantino.Six players will be making their Royals debuts with their 1st&nbsp;appearance this season, including pitchers&nbsp;Aroldis Chapman,&nbsp;Jordan Lyles&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ryan Yarbrough, infielder&nbsp;Matt Duffy&nbsp;and outfielders&nbsp;Jackie Bradley Jr.&nbsp;and&nbsp;Franmil Reyes.Zack Greinke&nbsp;made the Opening Day roster for the 17th&nbsp;time in his career and is making his 7th career Opening Day start today. This marks his 6th Opening Day start in the last eight seasons, which matches&nbsp;Max Scherzer,&nbsp;Aaron Nola&nbsp;and&nbsp;Madison Bumgarner&nbsp;for the most Opening Day starts by a pitcher in the Majors since 2016.Salvador Perez&nbsp;is making his 9th&nbsp;career Opening Day start at catcher, most in franchise history at that position. His 9 career Opening Day starts (at any position) are tied with&nbsp;Mike Sweeney&nbsp;for the 7th most in franchise history.

⚾ BSB: Royals set Opening Day roster

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that they have traded left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Richard Lovelady&nbsp;to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations.

Lovelady, 27, has spent his entire professional career with Kansas City after being selected by the Royals in the 10th&nbsp;round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. 

He made his Major League debut in 2019 but has pitched only 34.0 innings over the last three seasons (2020-22) due to injury.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that they have traded left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Richard Lovelady&nbsp;to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations.Lovelady, 27, has spent his entire professional career with Kansas City after being selected by the Royals in the 10th&nbsp;round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2019 but has pitched only 34.0 innings over the last three seasons (2020-22) due to injury.

⚾ BSB: Royals trade Lovelady to Braves for cash

A major shift in how Major League Baseball is played. About time, too.

Aaron Judge aiming at his own home run record, Shohei Ohtani trending with every pitch and swing, Dusty Baker trying to win another World Series ring.

All-Stars in different spots, a new scheduling concept featuring each team facing all 29 opponents.

If it sounds like these plot lines are from a movie — "Everything Everywhere All at Once” comes to mind — it's true.

Opening day is Thursday and the full slate includes games at Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium. And good news for fans — there's no snow in the forecast at any of them.

Manny Machado drew the first pitch clock violation in spring training and it was nuisance. A game between the Braves and Red Sox ended on a clock call and it was a novelty.

Chances are, if Max Scherzer or Nolan Arenado or some other intense star gets timed out in a key spot, it could go nuclear.

But MLB realized it had to do something to cut all the dead periods when absolutely nothing was happening. Well, except for hitters adjusting their batting gloves or pitchers pawing at the rubber. So with games routinely dragging on for more than three hours, the slowdown is getting sped up.

The sport that never had a clock suddenly has them all over the park. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and the rest of the pitchers get 15 seconds to throw with nobody on base, 20 seconds with runners on. Vladimir Guerero Jr., Mookie Betts and the hitters need to be ready.

The early returns were good, spring training games lasted nearly a half-hour less this year. But remember, that was in Clearwater, Tempe and Lakeland — it might be a lot different, especially early in the season, when umpires begin pointing to their wrists at Busch Stadium, Camden Yards and Petco Park.

NL home run champ Kyle Schwarber, 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager and a bevy of left-handed boppers should benefit hugely by this rule change. Because from now on, those pull hitters won't face a wall of three infielders on the right side.

Defensive shifts dominated the game in recent years, a big reason why batting averages plummeted so sharply. José Ramírez, Cody Bellinger and other lefties increasingly found themselves being thrown out from shallow-to-medium right field.

No longer. Realizing that shifts were a winning strategy on the field but a losing proposition with fans, MLB banned them. These days, two infielders must be standing on each side of second base. And no playing deep on the grass to rob hits, either — Dansby Swason, Jeremy Peña and other infielders need to be on the dirt.

One likely effect: With more grounders sneaking through for singles, look for the number of no-hitters and near-gems to drop.

All eyes will be on Shohei Ohtani when he starts for the Los Angeles Angels on opening day at Oakland. Here's what fans will really watch: Where will the two-way sensation wind up?

Quite possibly the most popular and talented player on the planet, Ohtani clinched the World Baseball Classic for Japan and earned the MVP trophy by striking out Angels teammate Mike Trout.

Ohtani can become a free agent after this year. He's never reached the postseason since joining the Halos in 2018 — Trout, a three-time MVP, has never won a single playoff game, but that's another matter.

At 28, it's hard to imagine Ohtani sticking around Anaheim after yet another lost season. If they don't start winning soon, the Angels can either trade him to a very ambitious team or risk letting him walk away for nothing.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom bolted New York for a greener field in Texas. Three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, a model of power pitching, now on the mound for the Mets.

Trea Turner smoothly slid over to join pal Bryce Harper on the Phillies. Xander Bogaerts livened up a San Diego lineup that already included sluggers Manny Machado, Juan Soto and the suspended Fernando Tatis Jr.

AL batting champion Luis Arraez was traded from Minnesota to Miami and former MVP José Abreu signed with the World Series champion Houston Astros.

Maybe the most intriguing newcomer: Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida. He powered Japan in the WBC and was penciled into the Boston cleanup spot even before his major league debut.

We get it: Stolen bases are for suckers, modern metrics show they're not worth the gamble. Miami's Jon Berti stole 41 last season and topped the majors; it was the lowest total for the MLB leader since 1963, when Maury Wills and Luis Aparicio each swiped 40.

Execs hope bigger bases that are 18-inch squares, up from 15-inch squares, will help entice more speedsters to try. It cuts down the distance between the bags by a few inches. They “look like a pizza box,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. Pitchers also will be limited in how many pickoff throws they can make.

Note to MLB: If you really want to get Randy Arozarena, Bobby Witt Jr. and Ronald Acuña Jr. on the run, see Andrés Giménez and others drop down more surprise bunts, open up hitting lanes and just increase overall offense, here's a better idea — shorten the bases to 88 feet.

The NFL spruced up its game by moving back the extra-point line, making the PAT a more competitive play and prompting coaches to go for two. The NBA overhauled its sport way back by adding the 3-point arc. We know baseball has its hallowed distances — 90 feet and 60 feet, 6 inches — but they don't have to stay that way forever, especially not with younger audiences eager for more action.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680171143216.jpeg" alt="MLB starts today" />
 <figcaption>MLB starts today</figcaption>
 </figure>A major shift in how Major League Baseball is played. About time, too.Aaron Judge aiming at his own home run record, Shohei Ohtani trending with every pitch and swing, Dusty Baker trying to win another World Series ring.All-Stars in different spots, a new scheduling concept featuring each team facing all 29 opponents.If it sounds like these plot lines are from a movie — "Everything Everywhere All at Once” comes to mind — it's true.Opening day is Thursday and the full slate includes games at Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium. And good news for fans — there's no snow in the forecast at any of them.TICK-TOCKManny Machado drew the first pitch clock violation in spring training and it was nuisance. A game between the Braves and Red Sox ended on a clock call and it was a novelty.Chances are, if Max Scherzer or Nolan Arenado or some other intense star gets timed out in a key spot, it could go nuclear.But MLB realized it had to do something to cut all the dead periods when absolutely nothing was happening. Well, except for hitters adjusting their batting gloves or pitchers pawing at the rubber. So with games routinely dragging on for more than three hours, the slowdown is getting sped up.The sport that never had a clock suddenly has them all over the park. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and the rest of the pitchers get 15 seconds to throw with nobody on base, 20 seconds with runners on. Vladimir Guerero Jr., Mookie Betts and the hitters need to be ready.The early returns were good, spring training games lasted nearly a half-hour less this year. But remember, that was in Clearwater, Tempe and Lakeland — it might be a lot different, especially early in the season, when umpires begin pointing to their wrists at Busch Stadium, Camden Yards and Petco Park.VERY SHIFTYNL home run champ Kyle Schwarber, 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager and a bevy of left-handed boppers should benefit hugely by this rule change. Because from now on, those pull hitters won't face a wall of three infielders on the right side.Defensive shifts dominated the game in recent years, a big reason why batting averages plummeted so sharply. José Ramírez, Cody Bellinger and other lefties increasingly found themselves being thrown out from shallow-to-medium right field.No longer. Realizing that shifts were a winning strategy on the field but a losing proposition with fans, MLB banned them. These days, two infielders must be standing on each side of second base. And no playing deep on the grass to rob hits, either — Dansby Swason, Jeremy Peña and other infielders need to be on the dirt.One likely effect: With more grounders sneaking through for singles, look for the number of no-hitters and near-gems to drop.SHO OR GO?All eyes will be on Shohei Ohtani when he starts for the Los Angeles Angels on opening day at Oakland. Here's what fans will really watch: Where will the two-way sensation wind up?Quite possibly the most popular and talented player on the planet, Ohtani clinched the World Baseball Classic for Japan and earned the MVP trophy by striking out Angels teammate Mike Trout.Ohtani can become a free agent after this year. He's never reached the postseason since joining the Halos in 2018 — Trout, a three-time MVP, has never won a single playoff game, but that's another matter.At 28, it's hard to imagine Ohtani sticking around Anaheim after yet another lost season. If they don't start winning soon, the Angels can either trade him to a very ambitious team or risk letting him walk away for nothing.STAR SCRAMBLETwo-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom bolted New York for a greener field in Texas. Three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, a model of power pitching, now on the mound for the Mets.Trea Turner smoothly slid over to join pal Bryce Harper on the Phillies. Xander Bogaerts livened up a San Diego lineup that already included sluggers Manny Machado, Juan Soto and the suspended Fernando Tatis Jr.AL batting champion Luis Arraez was traded from Minnesota to Miami and former MVP José Abreu signed with the World Series champion Houston Astros.Maybe the most intriguing newcomer: Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida. He powered Japan in the WBC and was penciled into the Boston cleanup spot even before his major league debut.EXTRA BAGGAGEWe get it: Stolen bases are for suckers, modern metrics show they're not worth the gamble. Miami's Jon Berti stole 41 last season and topped the majors; it was the lowest total for the MLB leader since 1963, when Maury Wills and Luis Aparicio each swiped 40.Execs hope bigger bases that are 18-inch squares, up from 15-inch squares, will help entice more speedsters to try. It cuts down the distance between the bags by a few inches. They “look like a pizza box,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. Pitchers also will be limited in how many pickoff throws they can make.Note to MLB: If you really want to get Randy Arozarena, Bobby Witt Jr. and Ronald Acuña Jr. on the run, see Andrés Giménez and others drop down more surprise bunts, open up hitting lanes and just increase overall offense, here's a better idea — shorten the bases to 88 feet.The NFL spruced up its game by moving back the extra-point line, making the PAT a more competitive play and prompting coaches to go for two. The NBA overhauled its sport way back by adding the 3-point arc. We know baseball has its hallowed distances — 90 feet and 60 feet, 6 inches — but they don't have to stay that way forever, especially not with younger audiences eager for more action.

⚾ MLB opening day offers clocks, shift bans, Ohtani and Judge

<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=887943cbeb&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=85d0ce2438&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Postgame Notes</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=0f94e4eaff&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Stats</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks led for more than 33 minutes Wednesday night and dominated Washington 61-36 in the Fab 4 of the WNIT.

With the convincing win, the Jayhawks (24-11) will now host Columbia out of the Ivy League in the WNIT Championship Game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The contest will also be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network.

"I thought we got off to a slow start offensively, just because of nerves," said Head Coach Brandon Schneider. "We missed some shots that normally, we would make. You can't blame the girls in a setting like this, probably for the first time. Our defense was locked in and they were really good all night long. It was great to see us, even the last couple of minutes, really stay attentive and take pride in trying to get a stop."

Taiyanna Jackson posted her 22nd&nbsp;double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks, while Zakiyah Franklin led all scorers with 14 points and Holly Kersgieter and Wyvette Mayberry each had 11 points apiece.

Kansas will now appear in the WNIT Championship Game for the second time in program history after falling to South Florida in the 2009 title contest.

Wednesday’s game opened as a defensive battle on both ends of the court, with Washington taking a 6-2 lead at the first media timeout with 4:38 to play in the first quarter. The Jayhawks held the Huskies to a 3-for-9 start from the field and a 0-for-2 start from deep.

Kansas got hot out of the media timeout and immediately went on a 7-0 run over just a 54-second stretch. After a layup from Washington, a Sanna Strom three-pointer made it a 10-2 run for the Jayhawks and made the score 12-8 Kansas with just more than two and a half minutes to play in the opening quarter. Washington cut it to two, but a three-point play from Mayberry in the final minute made the score 15-10 at the end of the first.

The hosts extended their lead to open the second quarter. After a basket from Washington, Kansas went on a 6-0 run to extend its lead to nine at 21-12 and force a timeout for the Huskies with 5:37 to play in the first half. Kersgieter converted a fast break with a layup to force the Washington timeout and get the home crowd of 7,229 in a frenzy.

It turns out the Jayhawks were just getting started. Washington hit a layup out of the timeout to break the 6-0 run, but Kansas then went on a 9-0 run right after the bucket that ballooned the score to 30-14. The 9-0 run came via six points from Jackson and a three-point play from Kersgieter. Washington’s Hannah Stines converted on a jumper in the final minute of the half to make the score 30-16 at the break.

The intermission did nothing to cool off the Jayhawks, who kept their foot on the gas in the second half. Kansas began the third quarter on a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 42-18 with less than five minutes to play in the quarter. Kansas closed out the quarter, leading 48-28 to take a 20-point lead into the final quarter. The Jayhawks got six points from Mayberry in the third and held Washington to 4 of 13 shooting from the floor with five turnovers in the quarter.

The Jayhawks led by at least 21 points the entire fourth quarter and held Washington to 7 of 31 shooting in the second half with 11 turnovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680170522781.jpeg" alt="KU WBB atdvance to WNIT Championship" />
 <figcaption>KU WBB atdvance to WNIT Championship</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=887943cbeb&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=85d0ce2438&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Postgame Notes</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3846a6408b9536a51afeabac1&amp;id=0f94e4eaff&amp;e=33e05464a3" target="_blank">Season Stats</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks led for more than 33 minutes Wednesday night and dominated Washington 61-36 in the Fab 4 of the WNIT.With the convincing win, the Jayhawks (24-11) will now host Columbia out of the Ivy League in the WNIT Championship Game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The contest will also be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network."I thought we got off to a slow start offensively, just because of nerves," said Head Coach Brandon Schneider. "We missed some shots that normally, we would make. You can't blame the girls in a setting like this, probably for the first time. Our defense was locked in and they were really good all night long. It was great to see us, even the last couple of minutes, really stay attentive and take pride in trying to get a stop."Taiyanna Jackson posted her 22nd&nbsp;double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks, while Zakiyah Franklin led all scorers with 14 points and Holly Kersgieter and Wyvette Mayberry each had 11 points apiece.Kansas will now appear in the WNIT Championship Game for the second time in program history after falling to South Florida in the 2009 title contest.Wednesday’s game opened as a defensive battle on both ends of the court, with Washington taking a 6-2 lead at the first media timeout with 4:38 to play in the first quarter. The Jayhawks held the Huskies to a 3-for-9 start from the field and a 0-for-2 start from deep.Kansas got hot out of the media timeout and immediately went on a 7-0 run over just a 54-second stretch. After a layup from Washington, a Sanna Strom three-pointer made it a 10-2 run for the Jayhawks and made the score 12-8 Kansas with just more than two and a half minutes to play in the opening quarter. Washington cut it to two, but a three-point play from Mayberry in the final minute made the score 15-10 at the end of the first.The hosts extended their lead to open the second quarter. After a basket from Washington, Kansas went on a 6-0 run to extend its lead to nine at 21-12 and force a timeout for the Huskies with 5:37 to play in the first half. Kersgieter converted a fast break with a layup to force the Washington timeout and get the home crowd of 7,229 in a frenzy.It turns out the Jayhawks were just getting started. Washington hit a layup out of the timeout to break the 6-0 run, but Kansas then went on a 9-0 run right after the bucket that ballooned the score to 30-14. The 9-0 run came via six points from Jackson and a three-point play from Kersgieter. Washington’s Hannah Stines converted on a jumper in the final minute of the half to make the score 30-16 at the break.The intermission did nothing to cool off the Jayhawks, who kept their foot on the gas in the second half. Kansas began the third quarter on a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 42-18 with less than five minutes to play in the quarter. Kansas closed out the quarter, leading 48-28 to take a 20-point lead into the final quarter. The Jayhawks got six points from Mayberry in the third and held Washington to 4 of 13 shooting from the floor with five turnovers in the quarter.The Jayhawks led by at least 21 points the entire fourth quarter and held Washington to 7 of 31 shooting in the second half with 11 turnovers.

🏀 WBB: Jayhawks advance to WNIT Championship after dominating Washington

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first thing that Kansas City Royals owner
 John Sherman thinks about when he wakes up each morning is how the 
club, stuck in what seems like an interminable rebuild, will play on 
that particular day.

Not where they will play four or five years down the road.

Yet
 given the modest expectations for a team that lost nearly 100 games a 
year ago, it makes sense many Royals fans are just as interested — quite
 possibly more so — in the plans for a downtown ballpark than whether 
infielder Bobby Witt Jr. can double down on his brilliant rookie season 
or pitcher Brady Singer can truly become a staff ace.

That's why Sherman's second thought probably moves to the downtown ballpark, too.

“This
 is a huge decision, and I look at it as maybe the most important 
decision we'll make as long as we have the privilege of stewarding this 
team,” Sherman said before the Royals held a final workout Wednesday 
ahead of opening day. “I'm probably as anxious as you to get moving on 
that, but it's a complicated process.”

The Royals have called 
Kauffman Stadium home since the sister to Arrowhead Stadium, the home of
 the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, opened 50 years ago next 
month.

And while most stadiums are replaced because they have 
become outdated, the unique, space-aged look of Kauffman Stadium — built
 during an era in which teams trended toward impersonal, multisport 
concrete donuts for their homes — remains beloved by Royals fans and 
visitors alike.

The problem is that despite numerous renovations 
over the years, the very concrete holding the ballpark together has 
begun to crumble in places. The cost simply to repair and maintain the 
ballpark has become prohibitive.

So with the decision essentially 
made for them to build an entirely new stadium, the Royals revealed 
plans to build an entire development in the same mold of The Battery 
Atlanta, where the Braves built Truist Park, and the Ballpark Village in
 St. Louis, where the new Busch Stadium is merely the centerpiece of a 
whole entertainment district.

No site has been secured, but 
several of the most promising are in downtown Kansas City, where the 
Power &amp; Light District along with T-Mobile Center have spearheaded a
 successful era of urban renewal.

Sherman has said that private 
funds would cover the majority of the stadium cost and the entire 
village, each carrying a price tag of about $1 billion.

But if any
 public funding will be used, as it was to build and maintain Kauffman 
Stadium, then it would need to be voted upon, and the earliest that it 
could show up on a ballot would be August.

“You look at Atlanta, 
they took some raw ground — they started with 85 acres — and that has 
been a complete home run,” said Sherman, who purchased the Royals in 
August 2019, shortly before the pandemic wreaked havoc on team finances.

“This
 is one of the reasons we want to do this: That's helped the Braves 
become more competitive,” Sherman said of the vast potential for 
increased revenue for one of the smallest-market teams in baseball. 
“They have locked up and extended the core of their future, and the 
Braves are in a great position from a baseball standpoint.”

So perhaps the first two thoughts Sherman has each day — about performance and the future — are one and the same.

When it comes to the team itself, the Royals were largely quiet throughout the winter, though that was by design.

Rather
 than spending heavily on free agents that might help them win a few 
more games, they decided to stay the course with a promising young 
roster in the hopes that the development of those players would yield 
better results.

In fact, Sherman said, the club has been 
discussing extensions for some of the Royals' foundational pieces — 
presumably Witt, who was fourth in voting for AL rookie of the year, and
 Singer, who was 10-5 with a 3.23 ERA last season.

“We're having 
conversations about that as we speak," Sherman said. "We have a number 
of young players that we're trying to evaluate and we're talking to 
their representatives about what might work.”

Just because the 
Royals' roster largely looks the same, that doesn't mean nothing has 
changed. The Royals fired longtime general manager Dayton Moore in 
September and moved J.J. Picollo to the role, then fired manager Mike 
Matheny in October and replaced him with longtime Indians and Rays coach
 Matt Quatraro.

Sherman said the new voices created a palpable energy in spring training that he hopes carries into the regular season.

“When
 we acquired the team, we had three primary objectives,” Sherman said. 
"One was to win more games; we're working on that. The second was to 
secure the future; that's what (the stadium) is. And the third was to do
 good in the community.

“But the first priority,” he said, “is really the on-field product. That's what really lifts everything else up.”

Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first thing that Kansas City Royals owner
 John Sherman thinks about when he wakes up each morning is how the 
club, stuck in what seems like an interminable rebuild, will play on 
that particular day.Not where they will play four or five years down the road.Yet
 given the modest expectations for a team that lost nearly 100 games a 
year ago, it makes sense many Royals fans are just as interested — quite
 possibly more so — in the plans for a downtown ballpark than whether 
infielder Bobby Witt Jr. can double down on his brilliant rookie season 
or pitcher Brady Singer can truly become a staff ace.That's why Sherman's second thought probably moves to the downtown ballpark, too.“This
 is a huge decision, and I look at it as maybe the most important 
decision we'll make as long as we have the privilege of stewarding this 
team,” Sherman said before the Royals held a final workout Wednesday 
ahead of opening day. “I'm probably as anxious as you to get moving on 
that, but it's a complicated process.”The Royals have called 
Kauffman Stadium home since the sister to Arrowhead Stadium, the home of
 the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, opened 50 years ago next 
month.And while most stadiums are replaced because they have 
become outdated, the unique, space-aged look of Kauffman Stadium — built
 during an era in which teams trended toward impersonal, multisport 
concrete donuts for their homes — remains beloved by Royals fans and 
visitors alike.The problem is that despite numerous renovations 
over the years, the very concrete holding the ballpark together has 
begun to crumble in places. The cost simply to repair and maintain the 
ballpark has become prohibitive.So with the decision essentially 
made for them to build an entirely new stadium, the Royals revealed 
plans to build an entire development in the same mold of The Battery 
Atlanta, where the Braves built Truist Park, and the Ballpark Village in
 St. Louis, where the new Busch Stadium is merely the centerpiece of a 
whole entertainment district.No site has been secured, but 
several of the most promising are in downtown Kansas City, where the 
Power &amp; Light District along with T-Mobile Center have spearheaded a
 successful era of urban renewal.Sherman has said that private 
funds would cover the majority of the stadium cost and the entire 
village, each carrying a price tag of about $1 billion.But if any
 public funding will be used, as it was to build and maintain Kauffman 
Stadium, then it would need to be voted upon, and the earliest that it 
could show up on a ballot would be August.“You look at Atlanta, 
they took some raw ground — they started with 85 acres — and that has 
been a complete home run,” said Sherman, who purchased the Royals in 
August 2019, shortly before the pandemic wreaked havoc on team finances.“This
 is one of the reasons we want to do this: That's helped the Braves 
become more competitive,” Sherman said of the vast potential for 
increased revenue for one of the smallest-market teams in baseball. 
“They have locked up and extended the core of their future, and the 
Braves are in a great position from a baseball standpoint.”So perhaps the first two thoughts Sherman has each day — about performance and the future — are one and the same.When it comes to the team itself, the Royals were largely quiet throughout the winter, though that was by design.Rather
 than spending heavily on free agents that might help them win a few 
more games, they decided to stay the course with a promising young 
roster in the hopes that the development of those players would yield 
better results.In fact, Sherman said, the club has been 
discussing extensions for some of the Royals' foundational pieces — 
presumably Witt, who was fourth in voting for AL rookie of the year, and
 Singer, who was 10-5 with a 3.23 ERA last season.“We're having 
conversations about that as we speak," Sherman said. "We have a number 
of young players that we're trying to evaluate and we're talking to 
their representatives about what might work.”Just because the 
Royals' roster largely looks the same, that doesn't mean nothing has 
changed. The Royals fired longtime general manager Dayton Moore in 
September and moved J.J. Picollo to the role, then fired manager Mike 
Matheny in October and replaced him with longtime Indians and Rays coach
 Matt Quatraro.Sherman said the new voices created a palpable energy in spring training that he hopes carries into the regular season.“When
 we acquired the team, we had three primary objectives,” Sherman said. 
"One was to win more games; we're working on that. The second was to 
secure the future; that's what (the stadium) is. And the third was to do
 good in the community.“But the first priority,” he said, “is really the on-field product. That's what really lifts everything else up.”

Royals' Sherman optimistic about new ballpark, current team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Are you ready for Royals Opening Day? It's almost here! Join us at The K on Thursday, March 30th vs. the Minnesota Twins! With a brand-new bobblehead, exciting LIVE music, and the return of powder blues, this is a game you DO NOT want to miss! Tickets start at just $29, or save even more with a bundled ticket pack below. Bring your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, your cousin, your neighbor, your dog... well, don't bring your dog yet. Wait until Bark at the Park to do that. Anyway, we can't wait to see you!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679898458513.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Are you ready for Royals Opening Day? It's almost here! Join us at The K on Thursday, March 30th vs. the Minnesota Twins! With a brand-new bobblehead, exciting LIVE music, and the return of powder blues, this is a game you DO NOT want to miss! Tickets start at just $29, or save even more with a bundled ticket pack below. Bring your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, your cousin, your neighbor, your dog... well, don't bring your dog yet. Wait until Bark at the Park to do that. Anyway, we can't wait to see you!<h2>Game Day Activations</h2><ul>
 <li>Parking lots will open at 9:00 a.m. and stadium gates will open at 12 p.m.Parking must be purchased in advance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/ballpark/transportation">here</a>.</li><li>Parking must be purchased in advance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/ballpark/transportation">here</a>.</li><li>Bobby Witt, Jr. Bobblehead gate giveaway presented by Price Chopper</li><li>On it's 50th Anniversary, full powder blue uniforms return and make their debut at The K</li><li>Pre-game Concert by Grammy-award winning Country Rock duo Brothers OsborneLocated on the&nbsp;Miller Lite Fountain Bar Deck&nbsp;(above the left-center field fountains facing the field)Concert will take place from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.Must have an Opening Day game ticket to attend</li><li>Located on the&nbsp;Miller Lite Fountain Bar Deck&nbsp;(above the left-center field fountains facing the field)</li><li>Concert will take place from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.</li><li>Must have an Opening Day game ticket to attend</li><li>Pre-game Opening Day ceremonyCelebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kauffman Stadium FountainsMembers of the 1973 Royals Opening Day team will be in attendance. This was the first team to wear full powder bluesFlyover by aircraft from Whiteman Air Force Base</li><li>Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kauffman Stadium Fountains</li><li>Members of the 1973 Royals Opening Day team will be in attendance. This was the first team to wear full powder blues</li><li>Flyover by aircraft from Whiteman Air Force Base</li>
 </ul>

⚾ MLB: Opening day at the 'K'; Royals vs Minnesota

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson's</a>&nbsp;grand slam, 14 hits and eight unanswered runs led K-State to a 12-9 comeback victory over Air Force on Tuesday afternoon at Falcon Field. "Today showed great toughness for our program," said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>. "Coming from behind on the road with extremely difficult conditions builds toughness for our program." "We had some big hits from a lot of people, specifically&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>," Hughes said. After falling behind 9-4, Johnson launched his second grand slam of the season to trim the lead to one before Goodwin's two-run homer guided the Cats (18-8) to their fourth straight victory. Three Cats went deep on Tuesday with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;while six different players drove in an RBI led by Johnson with four. "Overall a real solid offensive performance but we don't win without&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyler-heyne/10982">Kyler Heyne</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;coming in and pitching as well as they did." Heyne, a right-hander from Frisco, Texas, picked up his first victory in relief with the Wildcats after he allowed just two runs (two earned) during his 3 1/3 innings. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;tossed two shutout innings to register his fourth save of the season. HOW IT HAPPENED K-State fell behind in the first frame when the Falcons' Jake Greiving hit into left field to plate a pair of runs. The Cats quickly responded in the top of half of the second led off by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dom-hughes/10952">Dom Hughes'</a>&nbsp;single through the right side before the junior came around on a sacrifice fly.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-jones/10954">Brendan Jones</a>&nbsp;doubled into left center to tie the game at 2-2 until a grounder to short gave the Cats the one-run lead. Air Force regained the lead with Jay Thomason's two-RBI double to shift momentum back in favor of the Falcons. AF scored four runs to expand their lead to five, 8-3, before&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;ended the drought with his fourth homer of the season. The Canada product drove the first pitch into right to keep the game within four. The Falcons tagged their ninth run to the board with a double from Greiving but was answered with Johnson's game-changing grand slam in the seventh to put the Cats back in the game. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/10947">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;roped double into center field before&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;was hit to place two Cats on base until a fielding error at third loaded the bases to bring Johnson to the plate. The senior from Southlake, Texas launched a bases-clearing homer into left field to trim the lead to one. With one out in the eighth, Jones hit his second double into center before scoring on a balk to level the game at 9-all. The Cats took control just one pitch later as Goodwin blasted his 27th&nbsp;career home run into left to give K-State the go-ahead 11-9 lead. INSIDE THE BOX

ON DECK The Cats will finish their time in Colorado on Wednesday at Falcon Field at noon MT. The non-conference game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with radio coverage on KMAN (93.3FM/1350AM) and a free live audio available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jballard_kstatesports_com/Documents/Documents/2022-23/Baseball/Archives/kstatesports.com/watch">kstatesports.com/watch</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680075653147.jpeg" alt="K-State Baseball win at Air Force. K-State Sports" />
 <figcaption>K-State Baseball win at Air Force. K-State Sports</figcaption>
 </figure>

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson's</a>&nbsp;grand slam, 14 hits and eight unanswered runs led K-State to a 12-9 comeback victory over Air Force on Tuesday afternoon at Falcon Field. "Today showed great toughness for our program," said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/1939">Pete Hughes</a>. "Coming from behind on the road with extremely difficult conditions builds toughness for our program." "We had some big hits from a lot of people, specifically&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>," Hughes said. After falling behind 9-4, Johnson launched his second grand slam of the season to trim the lead to one before Goodwin's two-run homer guided the Cats (18-8) to their fourth straight victory. Three Cats went deep on Tuesday with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-johnson/10953">Cole Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;while six different players drove in an RBI led by Johnson with four. "Overall a real solid offensive performance but we don't win without&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyler-heyne/10982">Kyler Heyne</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;coming in and pitching as well as they did." Heyne, a right-hander from Frisco, Texas, picked up his first victory in relief with the Wildcats after he allowed just two runs (two earned) during his 3 1/3 innings. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyson-neighbors/10958">Tyson Neighbors</a>&nbsp;tossed two shutout innings to register his fourth save of the season. HOW IT HAPPENED K-State fell behind in the first frame when the Falcons' Jake Greiving hit into left field to plate a pair of runs. The Cats quickly responded in the top of half of the second led off by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/dom-hughes/10952">Dom Hughes'</a>&nbsp;single through the right side before the junior came around on a sacrifice fly.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/brendan-jones/10954">Brendan Jones</a>&nbsp;doubled into left center to tie the game at 2-2 until a grounder to short gave the Cats the one-run lead. Air Force regained the lead with Jay Thomason's two-RBI double to shift momentum back in favor of the Falcons. AF scored four runs to expand their lead to five, 8-3, before&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/raphael-pelletier/10960">Raphael Pelletier</a>&nbsp;ended the drought with his fourth homer of the season. The Canada product drove the first pitch into right to keep the game within four. The Falcons tagged their ninth run to the board with a double from Greiving but was answered with Johnson's game-changing grand slam in the seventh to put the Cats back in the game. <a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/kaelen-culpepper/10947">Kaelen Culpepper</a>&nbsp;roped double into center field before&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-goodwin/10950">Nick Goodwin</a>&nbsp;was hit to place two Cats on base until a fielding error at third loaded the bases to bring Johnson to the plate. The senior from Southlake, Texas launched a bases-clearing homer into left field to trim the lead to one. With one out in the eighth, Jones hit his second double into center before scoring on a balk to level the game at 9-all. The Cats took control just one pitch later as Goodwin blasted his 27th&nbsp;career home run into left to give K-State the go-ahead 11-9 lead. INSIDE THE BOX<ul>
 <li>Wildcats scored 12 runs on 14 hits with a pair of errors and seven left on base</li><li>K-State pitching staff combined for five strikeouts and five walks</li><li>Six different players recorded two hits</li><li>Pena went 2-for-4 with two RBI</li><li>Johnson led with four RBI on his second grand slam of the year</li><li>The Cats and Falcons combined for 13 extra-base hits</li><li>Thomason went 3-for-3 for the Falcons with two doubles and a home run</li><li>Goodwin was hit by a pitch twice</li><li><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-buss/10969">Mason Buss</a>&nbsp;earned his first collegiate start tossing 3 2/3 innings</li>
 </ul>NOTES<ul>
 <li>K-State leads the all-time series 14-4</li><li>Cats move to 5-2 in true road games against the Falcons</li><li>K-State improves to 7-4 on the road this season</li><li>The Wildcats have hit four grand slams this season; two from Johnson</li><li>Cats were 4-7 on the road at this time in 2022</li><li>Neighbors hasn't allowed a single run in his last four outings</li><li>Culpepper returned to the diamond for the first time since Feb. 24 against LSU</li><li>Cats have sent out 35 homers this season</li><li>Goodwin and Johnson lead the pack with six home runs this season</li>
 </ul>ON DECK The Cats will finish their time in Colorado on Wednesday at Falcon Field at noon MT. The non-conference game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with radio coverage on KMAN (93.3FM/1350AM) and a free live audio available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jballard_kstatesports_com/Documents/Documents/2022-23/Baseball/Archives/kstatesports.com/watch">kstatesports.com/watch</a>.

⚾ Johnson’s slam propels K-State to comeback win

By: D. Scott Fritchen At 3:55 p.m., Kansas State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/1856">Jerome Tang</a>&nbsp;held his last Sharpie and took his last selfie with three girls who giggled. It had been a long day of travel from the Big Apple to the Little Apple. The morning featured a bus ride through packed streets in downtown Manhattan, New York. The afternoon featured wide-open land as far as the eye could see as the charter jet sliced through low-hanging clouds over the Flint Hills. Saturday blurred into Sunday and every day seemed to slide into the next one along this march through March. But alas, this was the final stop, Manhattan Regional Airport, and the purple-clad welcoming party pressed against the black rope in the airport terminal, and they chanted "K-S-U!", and a boy held a sign that read "TANG GANG," and a girl held a sign that said "YOU'RE MY CHAMPIONS," and somebody else in the crowd held a sign that read: "WHEN YOU LOVE PEOPLE IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH."

The crowd reserved cheers for each player as he entered the terminal.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/markquis-nowell/9650">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;was the last one off the plane. Tang wrapped his arm around Nowell and they walked into the terminal together. The crowd went wild. "THANK YOUUUUU!!!" the crowd shouted in unison. And then the entire K-State basketball team, wary from the six-day trip to New York City for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, slid their backpacks from their shoulders, and began signing autographs. They had done this before. They took selfies and signed autographs after each game, after each game during this unbelievable season. They were tired. They were worn. After Saturday night's 79-76 loss to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight, they simply seemed spent. Yet they smiled and signed autographs for K-State faithful, who'd waited for an opportunity to thank the coaches and players for a wonderful season. "Love. Pride," said Cindy Neff of Junction City. "I'm proud of them, what Coach Tang and his guys have done in one year, it's been an awesome turnaround 100%." Mark Campfield of Manhattan has been a basketball season-ticket holder since 1985. "Absolutely amazing," Campfield said. "You start with two players and go to the Elite Eight — unachievable, unbelievable. I've followed K-State for 40 years. Season tickets for football and basketball forever. It's been an amazing year for Kansas State."K-State was the only school in the nation to have a football team in a New Year's Six bowl and a basketball team in an Elite Eight this year. When K-State football won the Big 12 Championship, things were just getting warmed up for the K-State basketball season — a five-month journey that featured a school-record eight wins against AP Top 25 teams, a No. 15 final ranking in the AP Poll, a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference, and an Elite Eight appearance in Madison Square Garden. "It's something to look forward to every week," Campfield said. "Things slow down, you get into the winter months and in past years things have gotten a little slow. It just kept going this year. Excitement every week." Longtime Arrow Stage Lines motor coach driver Bill Hassett knew it so well. "This season has been a blast," Hassett said. "It's just a dream come true. It really is. It's something that's just unbelievable because this is his first season. It can only go up from here. It's been a blast. I'm blessed to be their driver. I love Coach Tang's overall sense of family. It's unbelievable. He's like a dad to all these guys." Beth Weishaar posed for a photo with Tang. "Pretty exciting," she said as she stepped away with a photo and a lasting memory. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. I'm very appreciative for everything he's done for this program, and I'm really excited about the years ahead." K-State's NCAA Tournament run this year started with a 77-65 win over Montana State and a 75-69 win over Kentucky before a 98-93 overtime thriller against Michigan State. "Very fun," Weishaar said. "Our heart rates were a lot higher than they ever have been. It was great. Very proud of them."

Prior to stepping onto the New York City-bound plane for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight last Tuesday, Tang said, "We're going to win a national championship while we're here." Tang's first season ended one game shy of the Final Four. "It's more than I ever could've dreamed of as far as the joy the young fellas brought to my life," Tang said, "and how great it was to live life with them." There's more to come.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680076166594.jpeg" alt="K-State welcomed home" />
 <figcaption>K-State welcomed home</figcaption>
 </figure>

By: D. Scott Fritchen At 3:55 p.m., Kansas State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/1856">Jerome Tang</a>&nbsp;held his last Sharpie and took his last selfie with three girls who giggled. It had been a long day of travel from the Big Apple to the Little Apple. The morning featured a bus ride through packed streets in downtown Manhattan, New York. The afternoon featured wide-open land as far as the eye could see as the charter jet sliced through low-hanging clouds over the Flint Hills. Saturday blurred into Sunday and every day seemed to slide into the next one along this march through March. But alas, this was the final stop, Manhattan Regional Airport, and the purple-clad welcoming party pressed against the black rope in the airport terminal, and they chanted "K-S-U!", and a boy held a sign that read "TANG GANG," and a girl held a sign that said "YOU'RE MY CHAMPIONS," and somebody else in the crowd held a sign that read: "WHEN YOU LOVE PEOPLE IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH." <figure>
 <img src="https://www.kstatesports.com/images/2023/3/26/20230326_LC_MBB_Sweet-16-Coming-Home_002_WEB.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The crowd reserved cheers for each player as he entered the terminal.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/markquis-nowell/9650">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;was the last one off the plane. Tang wrapped his arm around Nowell and they walked into the terminal together. The crowd went wild. "THANK YOUUUUU!!!" the crowd shouted in unison. And then the entire K-State basketball team, wary from the six-day trip to New York City for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, slid their backpacks from their shoulders, and began signing autographs. They had done this before. They took selfies and signed autographs after each game, after each game during this unbelievable season. They were tired. They were worn. After Saturday night's 79-76 loss to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight, they simply seemed spent. Yet they smiled and signed autographs for K-State faithful, who'd waited for an opportunity to thank the coaches and players for a wonderful season. "Love. Pride," said Cindy Neff of Junction City. "I'm proud of them, what Coach Tang and his guys have done in one year, it's been an awesome turnaround 100%." Mark Campfield of Manhattan has been a basketball season-ticket holder since 1985. "Absolutely amazing," Campfield said. "You start with two players and go to the Elite Eight — unachievable, unbelievable. I've followed K-State for 40 years. Season tickets for football and basketball forever. It's been an amazing year for Kansas State."K-State was the only school in the nation to have a football team in a New Year's Six bowl and a basketball team in an Elite Eight this year. When K-State football won the Big 12 Championship, things were just getting warmed up for the K-State basketball season — a five-month journey that featured a school-record eight wins against AP Top 25 teams, a No. 15 final ranking in the AP Poll, a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference, and an Elite Eight appearance in Madison Square Garden. "It's something to look forward to every week," Campfield said. "Things slow down, you get into the winter months and in past years things have gotten a little slow. It just kept going this year. Excitement every week." Longtime Arrow Stage Lines motor coach driver Bill Hassett knew it so well. "This season has been a blast," Hassett said. "It's just a dream come true. It really is. It's something that's just unbelievable because this is his first season. It can only go up from here. It's been a blast. I'm blessed to be their driver. I love Coach Tang's overall sense of family. It's unbelievable. He's like a dad to all these guys." Beth Weishaar posed for a photo with Tang. "Pretty exciting," she said as she stepped away with a photo and a lasting memory. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. I'm very appreciative for everything he's done for this program, and I'm really excited about the years ahead." K-State's NCAA Tournament run this year started with a 77-65 win over Montana State and a 75-69 win over Kentucky before a 98-93 overtime thriller against Michigan State. "Very fun," Weishaar said. "Our heart rates were a lot higher than they ever have been. It was great. Very proud of them." <figure>
 <img src="https://www.kstatesports.com/images/2023/3/26/20230326_LC_MBB_Sweet-16-Coming-Home_014_WEB.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Prior to stepping onto the New York City-bound plane for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight last Tuesday, Tang said, "We're going to win a national championship while we're here." Tang's first season ended one game shy of the Final Four. "It's more than I ever could've dreamed of as far as the joy the young fellas brought to my life," Tang said, "and how great it was to live life with them." There's more to come.

🏀 Prideful fanbase welcomes K-State home

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp;On the heels of K-State’s 2022 Big 12 football championship and 2023 men’s basketball run to the Elite Eight, Athletics Director Gene Taylor has been named the 2022-23&nbsp;Cushman &amp; Wakefield&nbsp;FBS AD of the Year by the&nbsp;National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Taylor’s K-State program has taken the college athletics world by storm in 2022-23 as Chris Klieman’s football team won the 2022 Big 12 Championship and played in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and Big 12 Coach of the Year Jerome Tang and his men’s basketball squad made a remarkable run to the Elite Eight following a preseason poll that picked the Wildcats to finish last in the league. Both coaches were hired at K-State by Taylor, who also currently serves on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and the LEAD1 Board of Directors.

Taylor will be recognized in conjunction with the 58th&nbsp;Annual NACDA &amp; Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Tuesday, June 13, starting at 4 p.m.

“I am very thankful and appreciative to be honored by my peers,” Taylor said. “The success that we have had at K-State is the direct result of the passion and hard work that our entire staff puts forth each and every day, and I am blessed to be a part of such a special place, at a special university, filled with very special people.” Named the eighth-best Athletic Director among FBS programs by Stadium in 2020, Taylor was named the Director of Athletics at K-State in April 2017. During his tenure, K-State has also seen the football program qualify for four bowls, the men’s basketball team win a Big 12 Championship, earn two Elite 8 appearances and advance to three NCAA tournaments, the women’s basketball team advance to two NCAA tournaments and the women’s track and field team win back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor Championships. &nbsp; Additionally, Taylor and staff have fundraised and begun to implement a department-wide facility master plan that will benefit all Wildcat teams, including the baseball and soccer projects in addition to Building Champions, an initiative focused on the South End Zone of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the new Morgan Family Arena for volleyball, an Olympic training Center and the Shamrock Practice Facility for football. From a fundraising perspective, overall pledges and cash gifts to the department during the 2022 fiscal year totaled $58.9 million, of which $20.4 million was designated for the Ahearn Fund annual giving program and surpassing its budgeted goal previous record of $18.9 Million in FY19.&nbsp;The department also received $42.6 million in cash giving, marking only the third time in history it has eclipsed the $40 million mark.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679953594597.png" alt="Gene Taylor named NACDA Athletic Cirector of the Year" />
 <figcaption>Gene Taylor named NACDA Athletic Cirector of the Year</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp;On the heels of K-State’s 2022 Big 12 football championship and 2023 men’s basketball run to the Elite Eight, Athletics Director Gene Taylor has been named the 2022-23&nbsp;Cushman &amp; Wakefield&nbsp;FBS AD of the Year by the&nbsp;National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Taylor’s K-State program has taken the college athletics world by storm in 2022-23 as Chris Klieman’s football team won the 2022 Big 12 Championship and played in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and Big 12 Coach of the Year Jerome Tang and his men’s basketball squad made a remarkable run to the Elite Eight following a preseason poll that picked the Wildcats to finish last in the league. Both coaches were hired at K-State by Taylor, who also currently serves on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and the LEAD1 Board of Directors.Taylor will be recognized in conjunction with the 58th&nbsp;Annual NACDA &amp; Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Tuesday, June 13, starting at 4 p.m. “I am very thankful and appreciative to be honored by my peers,” Taylor said. “The success that we have had at K-State is the direct result of the passion and hard work that our entire staff puts forth each and every day, and I am blessed to be a part of such a special place, at a special university, filled with very special people.” Named the eighth-best Athletic Director among FBS programs by Stadium in 2020, Taylor was named the Director of Athletics at K-State in April 2017. During his tenure, K-State has also seen the football program qualify for four bowls, the men’s basketball team win a Big 12 Championship, earn two Elite 8 appearances and advance to three NCAA tournaments, the women’s basketball team advance to two NCAA tournaments and the women’s track and field team win back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor Championships. &nbsp; Additionally, Taylor and staff have fundraised and begun to implement a department-wide facility master plan that will benefit all Wildcat teams, including the baseball and soccer projects in addition to Building Champions, an initiative focused on the South End Zone of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the new Morgan Family Arena for volleyball, an Olympic training Center and the Shamrock Practice Facility for football. From a fundraising perspective, overall pledges and cash gifts to the department during the 2022 fiscal year totaled $58.9 million, of which $20.4 million was designated for the Ahearn Fund annual giving program and surpassing its budgeted goal previous record of $18.9 Million in FY19.&nbsp;The department also received $42.6 million in cash giving, marking only the third time in history it has eclipsed the $40 million mark.

K-State’s Taylor named FBS Athletics Director of the Year

HOUSTON, Texas—A startling Connecticut show of force. A Florida Atlantic ride that hardly anybody saw coming. A foul that sent San Diego State to the Final Four and will live in Creighton infamy. An astonishing rally from 13 points down by a Miami team without a single 3-pointer in the second half.

Can it get any weirder in college basketball this season? Well, there’s still another week.

A most irregular season has given birth to a most unconventional Final Four, intriguing because of not only who will show up in Houston, but who won’t.

“It’s moments like that you can’t make up,” Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther said the other day, after his shot that beat UCLA. But he could have been talking about most of this entire tournament, from the palm trees of Boca Raton to the beaches of Miami to the golf courses of San Diego. The whole country gets involved in March and two of the survivors for the Final Four are not 50 miles away from one another on the Atlantic Ocean. If not for Connecticut, this list of teams would sound like a cruise ship itinerary.

Consider the climbs made by the finalists.

When the season began, Connecticut was nowhere to be found in the top 25 rankings. Nor Miami.

When March began, 237 schools in the nation could claim an NCAA tournament win in their history. Florida Atlantic wasn’t one of them.

MORE COVERAGE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-men/d1/mens-march-madness-upset-tracker?utm_campaign=inline-article" target="_blank">Upset tracker</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-men/d1/track-how-many-perfect-ncaa-brackets-are-left-2023?utm_campaign=inline-article" target="_blank">How each bracket was busted</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men?utm_campaign=inline-article" target="_blank">Latest highlights and previews</a>

When last Friday began, San Diego State had never won a Sweet 16 game, never beaten a No. 1 seed, never knocked off a top-ranked opponent. The Aztecs took care of all that in one night.

When last week began, Miami was faced with the scary task of probably facing both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Midwest, the one region where the big names had not keeled over. Houston first, then Texas.

But all four are&nbsp;going to the Final Four. What San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher called “the volatility of this tournament.”

None of the teams seeded Nos. 1 or 2 or 3 will be there, the first time since seeding was introduced 44 years ago. UConn is the ranking member of the foursome at No. 4 seed. Miami and San Diego State are No. 5, Florida Atlantic No. 9, and let the record show no fifth or ninth seed has ever won the national championship. Ever. For that matter, only one No. 4 has done it, and that was Arizona 26 years ago.

None of the top 18 in the preseason Associated Press rankings will be there.

Nobody who has ever been to a Final Four will be there, except for Connecticut. It has been 53 years since the Final Four had three first-timers.

No one who has been in the past eight Final Fours will be there.

The Big Ten won't be there, nor the Big 12, nor the SEC or Pac-12.

Who will be there is a pack of fresh faces who have taken a variety of paths to Houston.

Connecticut will roll into town like a thunderstorm, having won every tournament game by at least 15 points, establishing itself on paper as the most fearsome team in the land. The fact the Huskies — the fact that&nbsp;anyone —&nbsp;would ever be ahead of Gonzaga by 33 points suggests the momentum they are bringing with them. The 82-54 shellacking was the Zags’ worst loss in tournament history and the most lopsided Elite Eight game in 31 years.

“We didn’t have any answers,” Mark Few said, and how often has he said that? “They’re very different.”

Florida Atlantic has gotten there by winning four tournament games by a combined 19 points, engaging in a classic display of survive and advance, constantly shunning the Cinderella tag even as the Owls seem to fit it like a foot into a glass slipper. A team that plays its home games in an arena with fewer than 3,000 seats will this weekend be in front of 72,000.

“We don’t feel like we’re Cinderella,” Alijah Martin said. “We feel like we’re supposed to be here, doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

San Diego State will be there on a dramatic twist of fate, having escaped Creighton with a Darrion Trammell free throw with 1.2 seconds left Sunday.

“We’re making the next step and it’s something we’ve always talked about and I’m sure there were people that doubted we could do it, but we never doubted for a minute,” Dutcher said.

CHECK YOUR BRACKET:&nbsp;<a href="https://mml.smart.link/gwdaynct3?cid=mbcg_partner_ncaa_editorial_articles" target="_blank">2023 Bracket Challenge Game</a>

Miami will be there, outdefending a Houston team known for its defense and outshooting a Texas team known for its firepower. “No one wanted to go home,” said guard Jordan Miller, and apparently that included him. He made all seven of his field goal attempts, all 13 of his free throws.

In a way, the four have all been on curving roads, demanding reevaluation as this chaotic year careened along.

The Huskies were unranked before the season, and did&nbsp;that&nbsp;ever get their notice. “We have something on our shoulders," forward Adama Sanogo said, “Every time we play basketball we’re trying to show people wrong.”

A roaring 14-0 start carried them to No. 2 in the polls, but then they stalled in Big East play, losing six of eight. Had Connecticut flowed, and was now ebbing? Nah, just regrouping.

Now this team has steamrolled through its first four tournament wins. The Huskies trailed all of 47 seconds at the East Regional last weekend. They’ve allowed 35.4 percent shooting in the tournament, turning the nation’s top offense from Gonzaga into a 54-point water pistol, 33 points under the Zags’ average. They have had 82 assists on their 120 field goals and outscored four tournament opponents 123-54 just from the 3-point line.

Coach Dan Hurley traced some of the conference woes to Big East teams just knowing each other so well. “Sometimes when people are seeing us for the first time it’s overwhelming,” Hurley said.

If the Owls have been continually overlooked, it’s due to pedigree and not performance. Pretty hard to ignore a 35-3 record. And yet they continue to be driven by the fire of being taken lightly nationally.

“I expect the prognosticators to pick us fifth in the Final Four,” coach Dusty May said.

There is more than magic to Florida Atlantic, of course. The Owls have spent the past two weeks coming up with big plays, one after another. Let one of the victims explain how.

“When you draw up plays with X’s and O’s, on some teams, all the O’s don’t have to be guarded so you can put your X’s in the right spot to make it hard for the team to score on offense,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “Every one of their O’s can score the ball and that’s what makes them hard to guard.”

The Aztecs almost always have a good record but have not been large on the March radar screen, mostly because they never have lasted very long. How to explain them doing this now?

“Pretty good defense to begin with,” Dutcher said.

Indeed, the Aztecs have made shooting a maddening and frustrating ordeal for the opponents, especially from the outside. Creighton expired with 2-for-17 shooting from behind the 3-point arc, including 0-for-10 the second half. Two nights before it was Alabama going 3-for-27.&nbsp;

Still, San Diego State needed one critical whistle to clinch advancement, Ryan Nembhard bumping Trammell as he drove the lane in the final seconds of a 56-56 tie. The foul depended upon perspective. There was certainly contact. But there had been a lot of that all day, and up to that moment the two teams had shot only 15 free throws.

Trammell: “I think I got fouled but that’s up to the refs to decide.”

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k4heS0vNcbI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>HOUSTON, Texas—A startling Connecticut show of force. A Florida Atlantic ride that hardly anybody saw coming. A foul that sent San Diego State to the Final Four and will live in Creighton infamy. An astonishing rally from 13 points down by a Miami team without a single 3-pointer in the second half.Can it get any weirder in college basketball this season? Well, there’s still another week.A most irregular season has given birth to a most unconventional Final Four, intriguing because of not only who will show up in Houston, but who won’t.“It’s moments like that you can’t make up,” Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther said the other day, after his shot that beat UCLA. But he could have been talking about most of this entire tournament, from the palm trees of Boca Raton to the beaches of Miami to the golf courses of San Diego. The whole country gets involved in March and two of the survivors for the Final Four are not 50 miles away from one another on the Atlantic Ocean. If not for Connecticut, this list of teams would sound like a cruise ship itinerary.Consider the climbs made by the finalists.When the season began, Connecticut was nowhere to be found in the top 25 rankings. Nor Miami.When March began, 237 schools in the nation could claim an NCAA tournament win in their history. Florida Atlantic wasn’t one of them.MORE COVERAGE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-men/d1/mens-march-madness-upset-tracker?utm_campaign=inline-article" target="_blank">Upset tracker</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-men/d1/track-how-many-perfect-ncaa-brackets-are-left-2023?utm_campaign=inline-article" target="_blank">How each bracket was busted</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men?utm_campaign=inline-article" target="_blank">Latest highlights and previews</a>When last Friday began, San Diego State had never won a Sweet 16 game, never beaten a No. 1 seed, never knocked off a top-ranked opponent. The Aztecs took care of all that in one night.When last week began, Miami was faced with the scary task of probably facing both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Midwest, the one region where the big names had not keeled over. Houston first, then Texas.But all four are&nbsp;going to the Final Four. What San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher called “the volatility of this tournament.”None of the teams seeded Nos. 1 or 2 or 3 will be there, the first time since seeding was introduced 44 years ago. UConn is the ranking member of the foursome at No. 4 seed. Miami and San Diego State are No. 5, Florida Atlantic No. 9, and let the record show no fifth or ninth seed has ever won the national championship. Ever. For that matter, only one No. 4 has done it, and that was Arizona 26 years ago.None of the top 18 in the preseason Associated Press rankings will be there.Nobody who has ever been to a Final Four will be there, except for Connecticut. It has been 53 years since the Final Four had three first-timers.No one who has been in the past eight Final Fours will be there.The Big Ten won't be there, nor the Big 12, nor the SEC or Pac-12.Who will be there is a pack of fresh faces who have taken a variety of paths to Houston.Connecticut will roll into town like a thunderstorm, having won every tournament game by at least 15 points, establishing itself on paper as the most fearsome team in the land. The fact the Huskies — the fact that&nbsp;anyone —&nbsp;would ever be ahead of Gonzaga by 33 points suggests the momentum they are bringing with them. The 82-54 shellacking was the Zags’ worst loss in tournament history and the most lopsided Elite Eight game in 31 years.“We didn’t have any answers,” Mark Few said, and how often has he said that? “They’re very different.”Florida Atlantic has gotten there by winning four tournament games by a combined 19 points, engaging in a classic display of survive and advance, constantly shunning the Cinderella tag even as the Owls seem to fit it like a foot into a glass slipper. A team that plays its home games in an arena with fewer than 3,000 seats will this weekend be in front of 72,000.“We don’t feel like we’re Cinderella,” Alijah Martin said. “We feel like we’re supposed to be here, doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.”San Diego State will be there on a dramatic twist of fate, having escaped Creighton with a Darrion Trammell free throw with 1.2 seconds left Sunday.“We’re making the next step and it’s something we’ve always talked about and I’m sure there were people that doubted we could do it, but we never doubted for a minute,” Dutcher said.CHECK YOUR BRACKET:&nbsp;<a href="https://mml.smart.link/gwdaynct3?cid=mbcg_partner_ncaa_editorial_articles" target="_blank">2023 Bracket Challenge Game</a>Miami will be there, outdefending a Houston team known for its defense and outshooting a Texas team known for its firepower. “No one wanted to go home,” said guard Jordan Miller, and apparently that included him. He made all seven of his field goal attempts, all 13 of his free throws.In a way, the four have all been on curving roads, demanding reevaluation as this chaotic year careened along.Connecticut, for instance.The Huskies were unranked before the season, and did&nbsp;that&nbsp;ever get their notice. “We have something on our shoulders," forward Adama Sanogo said, “Every time we play basketball we’re trying to show people wrong.”A roaring 14-0 start carried them to No. 2 in the polls, but then they stalled in Big East play, losing six of eight. Had Connecticut flowed, and was now ebbing? Nah, just regrouping.Now this team has steamrolled through its first four tournament wins. The Huskies trailed all of 47 seconds at the East Regional last weekend. They’ve allowed 35.4 percent shooting in the tournament, turning the nation’s top offense from Gonzaga into a 54-point water pistol, 33 points under the Zags’ average. They have had 82 assists on their 120 field goals and outscored four tournament opponents 123-54 just from the 3-point line.Coach Dan Hurley traced some of the conference woes to Big East teams just knowing each other so well. “Sometimes when people are seeing us for the first time it’s overwhelming,” Hurley said.Or take Florida Atlantic.If the Owls have been continually overlooked, it’s due to pedigree and not performance. Pretty hard to ignore a 35-3 record. And yet they continue to be driven by the fire of being taken lightly nationally.“I expect the prognosticators to pick us fifth in the Final Four,” coach Dusty May said.There is more than magic to Florida Atlantic, of course. The Owls have spent the past two weeks coming up with big plays, one after another. Let one of the victims explain how.“When you draw up plays with X’s and O’s, on some teams, all the O’s don’t have to be guarded so you can put your X’s in the right spot to make it hard for the team to score on offense,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “Every one of their O’s can score the ball and that’s what makes them hard to guard.”Take San Diego State.The Aztecs almost always have a good record but have not been large on the March radar screen, mostly because they never have lasted very long. How to explain them doing this now?“Pretty good defense to begin with,” Dutcher said.Indeed, the Aztecs have made shooting a maddening and frustrating ordeal for the opponents, especially from the outside. Creighton expired with 2-for-17 shooting from behind the 3-point arc, including 0-for-10 the second half. Two nights before it was Alabama going 3-for-27.&nbsp;Still, San Diego State needed one critical whistle to clinch advancement, Ryan Nembhard bumping Trammell as he drove the lane in the final seconds of a 56-56 tie. The foul depended upon perspective. There was certainly contact. But there had been a lot of that all day, and up to that moment the two teams had shot only 15 free throws.Trammell: “I think I got fouled but that’s up to the refs to decide.”Nembhard: “I tried to make a rearview contest. Called a foul. So yeah, it’s a tough feeling.”Trammell missed the first free throw to increase the tension. That included for the folks up in the stands, where Diema Adams-Parham and Lester Parham — his mother and step-father — were anxiously watching.“I’ve been doing this for 22 years and it never gets any easier,” she would say later. But that moment after the first miss? “The hardest. It was the most pivotal moment of his career.”Lester bit on the towel he was holding before the second attempt.At the line, Trammell had his own thoughts, which he mentioned later: “That the moment was not too big for me.”He made the second.“When you play defense like that,” Lester Parham said later, “all you need is one.”The way it ended was an echo from Dutcher’s past. “This is not the first time fouls have been called at the end of NCAA tournament games,” he said. He should know. He was an assistant on the Michigan bench in the 1989 national championship game when Rumeal Robinson was fouled with three seconds left in overtime and the Wolverines behind a point, a call the Seton Hall camp contests to this day and always will. Robinson made both free throws to win 80-79. So Dutcher is on a roll with timely tournament whistles.What a way for a losing team to exit, but Creighton coach Greg McDermott took the high road out of town.“All the credit goes to San Diego State and it’s on us that we didn’t quite get it done,” he said. “Not anyone else.”But that call? “We’re not going to go there.”The last to come aboard was Miami.Jim Larrañaga is 73 years old and recent films suggest he might have lost a step on his locker room dancing, but certainly not his coaching.The Hurricanes were supposed to be on the periphery of the ACC race, and so it seemed in January when they went 3-4 in a stretch, Later, they even blew a 25-point lead and lost at home to 9-23 Florida State. Hardly the look of a team destined for late March. But they ended up sharing the ACC season title.Larrañaga understands this road. It was 17 years ago he led George Mason to a shocking Final Four bid. Know who his team upset along the way? Connecticut, same team the Hurricanes will be facing Saturday.“It's the same exhilaration, just the jubilant attitude, because you just love when your players accomplish a goal they set out before the season,” Larrañaga said of then and now. “What we said the first day of practice, we've got to start visualizing right now what we want to accomplish and be working toward that every single day. And that's what these guys have done.”All five starters scored in double figures in both the Houston and Texas wins and the Hurricanes shot over 50 percent against both. They outscored Texas 37-17 the last 13 minutes of the 88-81 victory. For the weekend in Kansas City, Miami shot 51 free throws against Houston and Texas. The Hurricanes missed seven. And that’s how they took care of the state of Texas teams who wanted so badly to get to Houston.What this quartet creates is a Final Four rainbow of tradition.Florida Atlantic, San Diego State and Miami are first-timers. There is something powerful about a sense of destiny in March, when it is a team’s chance at last.“I still remember being a child watching the ’87 Hoosiers (national champions on Keith Smart’s famed late shot) and because of that, I became a fan forever,” said Florida Atlantic’s May, whose journey started in small-town Indiana. “So we’ve never had our moment. And when we made the tournament this year we felt like this could be our moment to really captivate an area, a fan base, a student body. And I think we’ve exceeded that moment but there’s no reason why we wouldn’t just continue to ride this wave.”Dutcher spent much of his career at Steve Fisher’s right hand, both at Michigan and San Diego State, and credits Fisher’s vision for starting the path to this high spot.“We recruited and told people this is what we were going to do,” he said. “They all thought it was recruiting talk, but here we sit.”Miami didn’t even have a basketball team for 14 years through the 1970s and ‘80s, dropping the sport before deciding to revive the program. Now look at the Hurricanes.“Last week I went through the lobby of the hotel, and our cheerleaders and dance team were all there studying,” Larrañaga said. “Two of them are going to be doctors. One of them is going to be a lawyer. I sat and talked with them because to be at the University of Miami is a very, very special place. It's like a resort.”Well, maybe not at practice.Connecticut is the outlier here, both in climate and a glorious Final Four past. Four national championships in the past 25 years and no other program in America can say that. Not Duke, not North Carolina, not Kentucky. Three of those four titles, incidentally, came in the state of Texas. Same as where this Final Four will be.“We sold it to these guys. We’ve done it here before, we can do it again,” Hurley said. “But I think it becomes a little bit of a mental hurdle, especially like early rounds of the NCAA tournament where you feel maybe the burden of the history and the tradition.“So the climb to get to this point has been real and it’s been more challenging than I thought.”But they have taken these last steps to the Final Four in a single bound.&nbsp;“UConn’s back,” guard Jordan Hawkins said at the post-Gonzaga bashing press conference.“Back,” guard Andre Jackson Jr. agreed sitting next to him. “But we never left.”The Connecticut men have even lasted a week longer than the Connecticut women and that hadn’t happened in 24 years. This season just keeps putting stranger and stranger. And now there is one week to go.