By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributor

On Friday, the Salina Liberty announced in a statement that quarterback and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tyrie Adams had signed a contract with the Ottowa Redblacks of the CFL.

“Tyrie has represented the Salina Liberty Franchise exemplifying the championship mentality of the organization,” the statement read. “Tyrie as our Quarterback has delivered win after win for Liberty Nation. We pride ourselves as an organization to bring in class young men on and off the football field. Although we have big shoes to fill with Tyrie leaving our franchise, we are super proud that Tyrie is getting a chance to show his athletic talent at the next level.”

The Liberty are ecstatic for the opportunity presented to Adams, who becomes another Salina star to take his talents to the next level.

The statement from the team went on to say “We know Tyrie will work extremely hard with this opportunity and carry the torch for Salina Liberty and more importantly Liberty Nation. Our Franchise has now moved three players in the past three years to the next level of football. Tyrell Green, Kamalie Mathews, and now Tyrie Adams.&nbsp; Our Hall of Fame Coach Heron O’Neal is arguably the best Head Coach in the CIF for building championship-caliber Teams and moving more talented young men to the next level of football.”

The Liberty, who host the top team in the standings in the Sioux City Bandits this Saturday, will have to quickly find a replacement for Adams, especially with reigning MVP Tracy Brooks still out of commission.

“Rest assured we are already working to fill the absence of Tyrie at our QB position,” the statement read. “Our goal of winning the Championship does not change with the departure of Tyrie. Salina Liberty Organization is aggressively pursuing our next championship-caliber QB with an announcement coming in the very near future.

For more on the developing quarterback situation in Salina stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributorOn Friday, the Salina Liberty announced in a statement that quarterback and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tyrie Adams had signed a contract with the Ottowa Redblacks of the CFL.“Tyrie has represented the Salina Liberty Franchise exemplifying the championship mentality of the organization,” the statement read. “Tyrie as our Quarterback has delivered win after win for Liberty Nation. We pride ourselves as an organization to bring in class young men on and off the football field. Although we have big shoes to fill with Tyrie leaving our franchise, we are super proud that Tyrie is getting a chance to show his athletic talent at the next level.”The Liberty are ecstatic for the opportunity presented to Adams, who becomes another Salina star to take his talents to the next level.The statement from the team went on to say “We know Tyrie will work extremely hard with this opportunity and carry the torch for Salina Liberty and more importantly Liberty Nation. Our Franchise has now moved three players in the past three years to the next level of football. Tyrell Green, Kamalie Mathews, and now Tyrie Adams.&nbsp; Our Hall of Fame Coach Heron O’Neal is arguably the best Head Coach in the CIF for building championship-caliber Teams and moving more talented young men to the next level of football.”The Liberty, who host the top team in the standings in the Sioux City Bandits this Saturday, will have to quickly find a replacement for Adams, especially with reigning MVP Tracy Brooks still out of commission.“Rest assured we are already working to fill the absence of Tyrie at our QB position,” the statement read. “Our goal of winning the Championship does not change with the departure of Tyrie. Salina Liberty Organization is aggressively pursuing our next championship-caliber QB with an announcement coming in the very near future.For more on the developing quarterback situation in Salina stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.

Reigning OROTY Tyrie Adams signs CFL contract with Ottowa

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Victor Reyes and Austin Meadows had RBI singles in the seventh inning, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2. With the game tied 2-2, pinch-hitter Eric Haase hit the first of three straight two-out singles off reliever Jake Brentz, followed by Reyes and Meadows. Miguel Cabrera had three of the Tigers’ nine hits, leaving him six shy of 3,000 for his career. All of Detroit’s hits were singles. Joe Jimenez pitched a scoreless sixth, one of four Tigers relievers who combined to allow only one walk among the final 13 Kansas City batters. Gregory Soto worked the ninth for his second save.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Victor Reyes and Austin Meadows had RBI singles in the seventh inning, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2. With the game tied 2-2, pinch-hitter Eric Haase hit the first of three straight two-out singles off reliever Jake Brentz, followed by Reyes and Meadows. Miguel Cabrera had three of the Tigers’ nine hits, leaving him six shy of 3,000 for his career. All of Detroit’s hits were singles. Joe Jimenez pitched a scoreless sixth, one of four Tigers relievers who combined to allow only one walk among the final 13 Kansas City batters. Gregory Soto worked the ninth for his second save.

Royals fall to the Tigers

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Wednesday to discuss the final week of spring practice.&nbsp;

“Alright, good afternoon. Great to see everyone. Practice 13 Thursday. We'll have a full padded practice on 13, then we have 14 where we are back into just helmets and jerseys, clean some stuff up, get ready for the offseason or summertime for those guys, and then 15 on Saturday. Once again, due to our situation we have at the defensive line, we're just going to practice (on Saturday_. Probably the least amount of scrimmage that I have done in my time as a head coach from a spring ball session, simply because I think the other day, we were down to three defensive linemen and then we lost (Trevor) Stange, who was helping us out and Nelson Pipes was one of the three, and he's a long snapper. Pipes is doing a heck of a job. So, it's just been hard. Every time we have a drill offense versus defense, we have to supplement that with a special teams for five or six minutes to get those three kids a breath and they go hang out on the side. So, we probably will get one guy back tomorrow and Saturday to maybe get us up to four or five, but the max we've had is five. You can't function as a normal practice. So, I hope we're getting a lot better at special teams, and that was the emphasis during team period. Myself and another coach are down there doing special teams drills with everybody from old guys to young guys. Emphasizing an awful lot of things. Doing a lot of full group punt versus punt return, kick versus kick return, not to the ground but just full speed. That's an area that we know we need to improve upon. Even though we've been good, we want to be great. So, we feel good that we're getting better there. Then we'll finish up here and have those three days, and then coaches will be on the road and guys will finish up the semester.”

On the fear of losing stuff that they would do during a normal spring…

“No. You always are conscious that you are getting that, but with the amount of skill kids that we have returning, we're getting all of our 7-on-7 work. For the most part all but two guys, wide receiver, running back, quarterback, defensive back, linebacker are doing some things. The only area that really isn't is the defensive line. I know that Coach (Conor) Riley's a little bit concerned that we're not blocking Eli (Huggins) and we're not blocking Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) and Nate (Matlack) and (Jaylen) Pickle and Dee Hentz (Robert Hentz II) and all these guys. So, that's the area that's not getting it, but all those kids have played enough on defense. I know Cooper Beebe and I know Duff (Christian Duffie) and those guys are wishing those guys were out there just from a competition standpoint, but I think we'll be able to get that back in August.”

On figuring out the interior of the offensive line…

“We won't know till the fall. I mean, you can say a young man is getting better at being assignment sound and getting better with technique and those things, but we want to make sure we get through the fall where they're blocking a Pick (Jaylen Pickle) and Eli (Huggins) and Dee (Robert Hentz II). We've played Beebe more inside. We've been impressed with Andrew Leingang outside. He's been nicked up a little bit, but Taylor Poitier is not taking any of those snaps at all. So, it's still a work in progress. We know the guys that we're working with, but we have a long ways to go once we get to fall camp.”

On the backfield behind Deuce Vaughn…

“Getting better, but constant competition. Everybody will have a day here and there. Whether it's Jordan Schippers or whether it's DJ (Giddens) and Jax (Dineen), and we've even put Seth Porter back there a little bit. We were really excited about Devin Weathers, and he's missed all of spring with an injury that happened during bowl prep. So, it 'll be a work in progress throughout fall camp.”

On how much more they will go into the transfer portal after spring…

“We’ll know more by the end of April after all of our meetings go, because once we get done with spring ball, the coaches will meet with the players individually and then I'll meet with players throughout the rest of the month of April to see where we're at, but we have a few (scholarships) available. There's some position things that we're still looking at to see where we can maybe move a guy around internally on our roster, but we have a few that we're probably going to use, yes.”

On practicing some areas that might have been ignored…

“Oh, absolutely. Just getting better at technique things on special teams, which we always work on special teams, but we're sustained 15-20 minutes on drills rather than five minutes go to the next thing, five minutes go to the next thing. We would be a group doing team stuff and everybody else down with myself and Coach (Buddy) Wyatt for this 15-20 minutes and working the details of all these drills, and then we go when we go full group punt and punt return, kickoff and kickoff return, we're seeing some of the drill work carry over into the 11-on-11 setting. So, I'm really hopeful that the reps these guys are getting is going to pay off.”

On programs moving away from spring games…

“I think they are. It was always neat back in the day having a big spring game to finish it off. I was a part of 20 practices. So, you're really glad when it was done, and you'd have a spring game. I don't think people's roster sizes are big enough right now to do it. Some kids are mid-year enrollees. So, you get a few of those guys, but you know, with the revolving door of roster management, I think we have 98 guys on our roster right now. I would think 30 of those aren't practicing because of some kind of condition or surgery or something. So, you can't do much with 60 guys. It's great we've got a bunch of wide outs, but we don't have a bunch of defensive linemen so you can't scrimmage. We’ve got to be smart. We're trying to get everybody to the summer and everybody to the fall. You're going to win and lose the spring game no matter what. You’re going to be on the winning side and losing side. Want to make sure that we get everybody to August, as healthy as we can get.”

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Wednesday to discuss the final week of spring practice.&nbsp;CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Alright, good afternoon. Great to see everyone. Practice 13 Thursday. We'll have a full padded practice on 13, then we have 14 where we are back into just helmets and jerseys, clean some stuff up, get ready for the offseason or summertime for those guys, and then 15 on Saturday. Once again, due to our situation we have at the defensive line, we're just going to practice (on Saturday_. Probably the least amount of scrimmage that I have done in my time as a head coach from a spring ball session, simply because I think the other day, we were down to three defensive linemen and then we lost (Trevor) Stange, who was helping us out and Nelson Pipes was one of the three, and he's a long snapper. Pipes is doing a heck of a job. So, it's just been hard. Every time we have a drill offense versus defense, we have to supplement that with a special teams for five or six minutes to get those three kids a breath and they go hang out on the side. So, we probably will get one guy back tomorrow and Saturday to maybe get us up to four or five, but the max we've had is five. You can't function as a normal practice. So, I hope we're getting a lot better at special teams, and that was the emphasis during team period. Myself and another coach are down there doing special teams drills with everybody from old guys to young guys. Emphasizing an awful lot of things. Doing a lot of full group punt versus punt return, kick versus kick return, not to the ground but just full speed. That's an area that we know we need to improve upon. Even though we've been good, we want to be great. So, we feel good that we're getting better there. Then we'll finish up here and have those three days, and then coaches will be on the road and guys will finish up the semester.”On the fear of losing stuff that they would do during a normal spring…“No. You always are conscious that you are getting that, but with the amount of skill kids that we have returning, we're getting all of our 7-on-7 work. For the most part all but two guys, wide receiver, running back, quarterback, defensive back, linebacker are doing some things. The only area that really isn't is the defensive line. I know that Coach (Conor) Riley's a little bit concerned that we're not blocking Eli (Huggins) and we're not blocking Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) and Nate (Matlack) and (Jaylen) Pickle and Dee Hentz (Robert Hentz II) and all these guys. So, that's the area that's not getting it, but all those kids have played enough on defense. I know Cooper Beebe and I know Duff (Christian Duffie) and those guys are wishing those guys were out there just from a competition standpoint, but I think we'll be able to get that back in August.”On figuring out the interior of the offensive line…“We won't know till the fall. I mean, you can say a young man is getting better at being assignment sound and getting better with technique and those things, but we want to make sure we get through the fall where they're blocking a Pick (Jaylen Pickle) and Eli (Huggins) and Dee (Robert Hentz II). We've played Beebe more inside. We've been impressed with Andrew Leingang outside. He's been nicked up a little bit, but Taylor Poitier is not taking any of those snaps at all. So, it's still a work in progress. We know the guys that we're working with, but we have a long ways to go once we get to fall camp.”On the backfield behind Deuce Vaughn…“Getting better, but constant competition. Everybody will have a day here and there. Whether it's Jordan Schippers or whether it's DJ (Giddens) and Jax (Dineen), and we've even put Seth Porter back there a little bit. We were really excited about Devin Weathers, and he's missed all of spring with an injury that happened during bowl prep. So, it 'll be a work in progress throughout fall camp.”On how much more they will go into the transfer portal after spring…“We’ll know more by the end of April after all of our meetings go, because once we get done with spring ball, the coaches will meet with the players individually and then I'll meet with players throughout the rest of the month of April to see where we're at, but we have a few (scholarships) available. There's some position things that we're still looking at to see where we can maybe move a guy around internally on our roster, but we have a few that we're probably going to use, yes.”On practicing some areas that might have been ignored…“Oh, absolutely. Just getting better at technique things on special teams, which we always work on special teams, but we're sustained 15-20 minutes on drills rather than five minutes go to the next thing, five minutes go to the next thing. We would be a group doing team stuff and everybody else down with myself and Coach (Buddy) Wyatt for this 15-20 minutes and working the details of all these drills, and then we go when we go full group punt and punt return, kickoff and kickoff return, we're seeing some of the drill work carry over into the 11-on-11 setting. So, I'm really hopeful that the reps these guys are getting is going to pay off.”On programs moving away from spring games…“I think they are. It was always neat back in the day having a big spring game to finish it off. I was a part of 20 practices. So, you're really glad when it was done, and you'd have a spring game. I don't think people's roster sizes are big enough right now to do it. Some kids are mid-year enrollees. So, you get a few of those guys, but you know, with the revolving door of roster management, I think we have 98 guys on our roster right now. I would think 30 of those aren't practicing because of some kind of condition or surgery or something. So, you can't do much with 60 guys. It's great we've got a bunch of wide outs, but we don't have a bunch of defensive linemen so you can't scrimmage. We’ve got to be smart. We're trying to get everybody to the summer and everybody to the fall. You're going to win and lose the spring game no matter what. You’re going to be on the winning side and losing side. Want to make sure that we get everybody to August, as healthy as we can get.”

Coach Klieman talks about spring football 

Wednesday’s Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals game has been postponed because of inclement weather. The teams will make it up on Monday, May 2, at 3:15 p.m. Central time at Busch Stadium. 

The Cardinals won the first game 6-5 on Tuesday night as Albert Pujols (POO’’-hohlz) homered for the first time since returning to St. Louis.&nbsp;

Wednesday’s Kansas City Royals at St. Louis Cardinals game has been postponed because of inclement weather. The teams will make it up on Monday, May 2, at 3:15 p.m. Central time at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won the first game 6-5 on Tuesday night as Albert Pujols (POO’’-hohlz) homered for the first time since returning to St. Louis.&nbsp;

Cardinals - Royals are postponed

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Six Kansas State football seniors during the 2021 season were named members of the 2022 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF announced Wednesday.

The six Wildcats to earn the honor were&nbsp;Ross Elder,&nbsp;Ryan Henington,&nbsp;Noah Johnson,&nbsp;Logan Long,&nbsp;Reggie Stubblefield&nbsp;and&nbsp;Landry Weber, as they were members of an elite group of 1,559 players from 313 schools across all NCAA divisions and the NAIA who qualified for membership in the Society’s 16th year. It is the second-most K-State has had named to the list – which began in 2007 – behind the nine Wildcats named in 2020.

“As the National Football Foundation celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022, we are pleased to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year’s Hampshire Honor Society,” said NFF President &amp; CEO Steve Hatchell. “Over the last 16 years, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives.”

The Hampshire Honor Society recognizes college football players who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. They must have met all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements and been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2021 season/

Five of the six Wildcats named to the Hampshire Honor Society earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors this past season, and Stubblefield would have but was ineligible as a first-year transfer student. Elder, Henington and Weber each earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors all four years in which they were eligible for the award. K-State has led the Big 12 in Academic All-Big 12 honors since 2014 with a total of 234, which is 29 more than the next closest team.

Assistant Athletics Director for Communications

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Six Kansas State football seniors during the 2021 season were named members of the 2022 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF announced Wednesday.The six Wildcats to earn the honor were&nbsp;Ross Elder,&nbsp;Ryan Henington,&nbsp;Noah Johnson,&nbsp;Logan Long,&nbsp;Reggie Stubblefield&nbsp;and&nbsp;Landry Weber, as they were members of an elite group of 1,559 players from 313 schools across all NCAA divisions and the NAIA who qualified for membership in the Society’s 16th year. It is the second-most K-State has had named to the list – which began in 2007 – behind the nine Wildcats named in 2020.“As the National Football Foundation celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022, we are pleased to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year’s Hampshire Honor Society,” said NFF President &amp; CEO Steve Hatchell. “Over the last 16 years, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives.”The Hampshire Honor Society recognizes college football players who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. They must have met all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements and been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2021 season/Five of the six Wildcats named to the Hampshire Honor Society earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors this past season, and Stubblefield would have but was ineligible as a first-year transfer student. Elder, Henington and Weber each earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors all four years in which they were eligible for the award. K-State has led the Big 12 in Academic All-Big 12 honors since 2014 with a total of 234, which is 29 more than the next closest team.RYAN LACKEYAssistant Athletics Director for Communications

Six Wildcats Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols homered for the first time since returning to St. Louis and Andrew Knizner hit a three-run shot as the Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-5.

Nolan Arenado also went deep for St. Louis, which has won 20 of 27 interleague games against the in-state Royals since 2017.

Salvador Perez homered twice and Michael A. Taylor also connected for Kansas City, which has allowed 33 runs in losing its last three games.

The 42-year-old Pujols, who also singled twice in a 3-for-4 performance, signed with St. Louis on March 28 for his final season. The star slugger played for the Cardinals from 2001-11, helping them win two World Series.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols homered for the first time since returning to St. Louis and Andrew Knizner hit a three-run shot as the Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-5.Nolan Arenado also went deep for St. Louis, which has won 20 of 27 interleague games against the in-state Royals since 2017.Salvador Perez homered twice and Michael A. Taylor also connected for Kansas City, which has allowed 33 runs in losing its last three games.The 42-year-old Pujols, who also singled twice in a 3-for-4 performance, signed with St. Louis on March 28 for his final season. The star slugger played for the Cardinals from 2001-11, helping them win two World Series.

St. Louis defeats Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steven Kwan kept up an historic start to his big league career with a bases-loaded triple, Oscar Mercado added a two-run homer and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 10-7 to split their season-opening series. Kwan became the first player in big league history to begin his career by reaching base at least three times in each of his first four games. He was 9 of 13 for the series, reaching base in 15 of 19 plate appearances. Logan Allen earned the win for with two scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance of the season. Jake Brentz took the loss for the Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steven Kwan kept up an historic start to his big league career with a bases-loaded triple, Oscar Mercado added a two-run homer and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 10-7 to split their season-opening series. Kwan became the first player in big league history to begin his career by reaching base at least three times in each of his first four games. He was 9 of 13 for the series, reaching base in 15 of 19 plate appearances. Logan Allen earned the win for with two scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance of the season. Jake Brentz took the loss for the Royals

Cleveland earns split in series with Royals

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor

The Salina Liberty battled in Billings but came up just short as a fourth-quarter surge allowed the Outlaws to pull away with a 42-34 victory.

The Liberty remains in the top half of the league at 2-1 while Billings breaks even at 1-1.

Salina began the game with a bang, capping off their opening drive with a seven-yard touchdown run from Tre Griffin.

After stopping the Outlaw offense cold in their tracks, Tyrie Adams took the field once more but was hit as he threw and lost the ball in the end zone which was recovered by Billings to tie the game.

From there the teams traded punches until halftime, with Adams housing a touchdown run from six yards out to tie the game at 28 at the intermission.

Both defenses came out of the locker room with a renewed intensity as neither offense found the scoreboard in the third or most of the fourth.

Ultimately it would be the Outlaws who found paydirt first as Tyron Laughinghouse hauled in his second touchdown catch of the day with 3:00 to play.

The Liberty offense came out looking to tie the game but Tyrie Adams was once again hit as he threw and this time it was Jamario Benson who picked off the pass and took it to the house to put the game out of reach.

Adams would score one final time to close the gap but Salina would fall in their first loss of the 2022 season 42-34.

The Liberty will be back in action on Saturday as they return home to take on the Sioux City Bandits at 7:05 PM.

To purchase single-game or season tickets for Salina Liberty football, click <a href="https://salinaliberty.com/">HERE</a>.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617387097958.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Liberty battled in Billings but came up just short as a fourth-quarter surge allowed the Outlaws to pull away with a 42-34 victory.The Liberty remains in the top half of the league at 2-1 while Billings breaks even at 1-1.Salina began the game with a bang, capping off their opening drive with a seven-yard touchdown run from Tre Griffin.After stopping the Outlaw offense cold in their tracks, Tyrie Adams took the field once more but was hit as he threw and lost the ball in the end zone which was recovered by Billings to tie the game.From there the teams traded punches until halftime, with Adams housing a touchdown run from six yards out to tie the game at 28 at the intermission.Both defenses came out of the locker room with a renewed intensity as neither offense found the scoreboard in the third or most of the fourth.Ultimately it would be the Outlaws who found paydirt first as Tyron Laughinghouse hauled in his second touchdown catch of the day with 3:00 to play.The Liberty offense came out looking to tie the game but Tyrie Adams was once again hit as he threw and this time it was Jamario Benson who picked off the pass and took it to the house to put the game out of reach.Adams would score one final time to close the gap but Salina would fall in their first loss of the 2022 season 42-34.The Liberty will be back in action on Saturday as they return home to take on the Sioux City Bandits at 7:05 PM.To purchase single-game or season tickets for Salina Liberty football, click <a href="https://salinaliberty.com/">HERE</a>.

Two defensive touchdowns push Outlaws past Liberty

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians won for the first time with their new name as hot-starting rookie Steven Kwan went 5 for 5 in a 17-3 romp over the Kansas City Royals. Oscar Mercado hit a grand slam during a five-RBI performance and Owen Miller drove in a career-high four runs. Cleveland had lost its first two games since changing this season to the Guardians from the Indians, its name since 1915. Kwan had four singles and a double, was hit by a pitch and scored four runs. The 24-year-old outfielder made his major league debut on opening day and is 8 for 10 in three games so far. Mercado connected for his first career grand slam off Taylor Clarke in the first inning, capping a six-run burst.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians won for the first time with their new name as hot-starting rookie Steven Kwan went 5 for 5 in a 17-3 romp over the Kansas City Royals. Oscar Mercado hit a grand slam during a five-RBI performance and Owen Miller drove in a career-high four runs. Cleveland had lost its first two games since changing this season to the Guardians from the Indians, its name since 1915. Kwan had four singles and a double, was hit by a pitch and scored four runs. The 24-year-old outfielder made his major league debut on opening day and is 8 for 10 in three games so far. Mercado connected for his first career grand slam off Taylor Clarke in the first inning, capping a six-run burst.

Guardians cruise by the Royals

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributor

Following a dominant non-league win last week, the Salina Liberty will resume CIF play on Sunday evening in Billings as they get their first look at the expansion Outlaws.

The Outlaws have just one league game under their belt coming into week five but will be playing their first-ever home game in front of what is expected to be a rowdy crowd.

This game will also be the first missed by Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal as part of a two-game suspension from the league. In his stead, defensive coordinator Jorge Martinez and assistant coach Carlos Cavanaugh will take over the helm.

Billings is not your traditional expansion team, giving Sioux City a run for their money in a 57-44 loss at the hands of the 2-0 Bandits last week.

“Billings is a very talented, very well-coached team that’s trying to find their identity and settle into what they’re doing,” Martinez said. “They have top-notch athletes up and down that roster and this will be a hostile environment. They have a point to prove tonight.”

The biggest test for the Liberty defense will be in trying to slow Outlaw quarterback Charles McCullum, who completed 72% of his passes in the season opener, tossing five touchdowns and no picks.

“We have to play disciplined defense and we need to execute our game plan,” Martinez said. “Big plays are going to happen and we’re up against one of the best quarterbacks in indoor football history so we’ll have our hands full but if we execute our game plan this should be a good game.”

On the other side of the ball, the Liberty will look to heat up the offense after scoring just 33 and 36 in the team’s first two games.

“We have to stay focused offensively and we have to keep everything in front of us,” he said. “It’s about taking things one play at a time and one first down at a time and if we stay in character our guys can make the plays.”

While the skill players for both sides will be primed to put on a show, the dirty work on the front lines will set the tone, especially for a Liberty offense that can explode at any moment when reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tyrie Adams has time to work his magic.

“The battle in the trenches between our O-Line and their D-Line is going to be huge,” Martinez said. “They’re very good there and they have two D-Ends that are NFL caliber but we’ve got some guys like that too so that matchup will be one to watch.”

Kickoff between the Liberty and Outlaws is set for 5:00 MST and will be the only Sunday game of a busy weekend for the CIF.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617387097958.png" alt="Coverage of Salina Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Salina Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>Following a dominant non-league win last week, the Salina Liberty will resume CIF play on Sunday evening in Billings as they get their first look at the expansion Outlaws.The Outlaws have just one league game under their belt coming into week five but will be playing their first-ever home game in front of what is expected to be a rowdy crowd.This game will also be the first missed by Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal as part of a two-game suspension from the league. In his stead, defensive coordinator Jorge Martinez and assistant coach Carlos Cavanaugh will take over the helm.Billings is not your traditional expansion team, giving Sioux City a run for their money in a 57-44 loss at the hands of the 2-0 Bandits last week.“Billings is a very talented, very well-coached team that’s trying to find their identity and settle into what they’re doing,” Martinez said. “They have top-notch athletes up and down that roster and this will be a hostile environment. They have a point to prove tonight.”The biggest test for the Liberty defense will be in trying to slow Outlaw quarterback Charles McCullum, who completed 72% of his passes in the season opener, tossing five touchdowns and no picks.“We have to play disciplined defense and we need to execute our game plan,” Martinez said. “Big plays are going to happen and we’re up against one of the best quarterbacks in indoor football history so we’ll have our hands full but if we execute our game plan this should be a good game.”On the other side of the ball, the Liberty will look to heat up the offense after scoring just 33 and 36 in the team’s first two games.“We have to stay focused offensively and we have to keep everything in front of us,” he said. “It’s about taking things one play at a time and one first down at a time and if we stay in character our guys can make the plays.”While the skill players for both sides will be primed to put on a show, the dirty work on the front lines will set the tone, especially for a Liberty offense that can explode at any moment when reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tyrie Adams has time to work his magic.“The battle in the trenches between our O-Line and their D-Line is going to be huge,” Martinez said. “They’re very good there and they have two D-Ends that are NFL caliber but we’ve got some guys like that too so that matchup will be one to watch.”Kickoff between the Liberty and Outlaws is set for 5:00 MST and will be the only Sunday game of a busy weekend for the CIF.

Liberty look to wrangle expansion Outlaws in Billings

By TYLER HENRY JC Post contributor

JR Bond, the owner of the Topeka Tropics, has been fined and suspended for three weeks following an incident at a non-league game on March 26.

In a statement released to the Tropics Facebook page on April 6, Bond said that he exchanged words with officials and was disrespectful to their position.

“I apologize to all officials who work CIF games and understand it is a difficult task,” his statement read. “We are fortunate as a league to have officials with experience.”

Bond, who is also the commissioner of the league and the GM of the Sioux City Bandits, said in his statement that his three-week suspension would be taken “as an owner.”

He concluded his statement by saying “It is important for all of those involved in professional sports, from owners, to coaches, to players, to fans to understand we are accountable for our actions.”

The Tropics' next league game will take place on April 9th as they prepare to host the Southwest Kansas Storm.

By TYLER HENRY JC Post contributorJR Bond, the owner of the Topeka Tropics, has been fined and suspended for three weeks following an incident at a non-league game on March 26.In a statement released to the Tropics Facebook page on April 6, Bond said that he exchanged words with officials and was disrespectful to their position.“I apologize to all officials who work CIF games and understand it is a difficult task,” his statement read. “We are fortunate as a league to have officials with experience.”Bond, who is also the commissioner of the league and the GM of the Sioux City Bandits, said in his statement that his three-week suspension would be taken “as an owner.”He concluded his statement by saying “It is important for all of those involved in professional sports, from owners, to coaches, to players, to fans to understand we are accountable for our actions.”The Tropics' next league game will take place on April 9th as they prepare to host the Southwest Kansas Storm.

Tropics owner fined, suspended for comments made to officials

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>

Emporia State (18-18, 7-5 MIAA) at Fort Hays State Saturday, Apr. 9 - 12 &amp; 2 pm Hays, Kan. - Tiger Stadium Radio: KFIX (96.9-FM)

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">LISTEN LIVE</a> Fort Hays State will play 12 of its next 14 games at home, starting with a pair of doubleheaders against Washburn and Emporia State this weekend (Apr. 8-9). The Tigers face the Ichabods at 2 pm on Friday, then face the Hornets at 12 pm on Saturday. FHSU enters the weekend at 16-19-1 overall, 2-6 in the MIAA. Washburn comes in at 28-11, 10-2 in the MIAA, while Emporia State enters the weekend at 18-18, 7-5 in the MIAA. Both doubleheaders will be streamed live on The MIAA Network and live stats will be available for all games. The games against Emporia State on Saturday will be broadcast on local radio (96.9 FM KFIX), but can still be streamed through a device at the link provided above and will be used as the audio for the live streams on Saturday. Fort Hays State went 2-2 in conference play on the road last weekend, sweeping a doubleheader at Pittsburg State before falling twice in a doubleheader at Missouri Southern. The Tigers scored a combined 14 runs in the pair of wins at Pittsburg State, but generated just one run the next day at Missouri Southern. The Tigers scored at least five runs in both of their conference wins so far this season, but three or less in their six MIAA losses. All eight conference games the Tigers played so far this season were on the road. Fort Hays State is 3-1 so far at home this season, all in non-conference play. The Tigers split a doubleheader with Oklahoma Baptist on March 16 and then swept a doubleheader with Bethany College on March 20. The Tigers scored 10 or more runs in two of those wins and averaged 8.5 runs per game in those four contests. At .344 for the season,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6344">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;leads a group of five regular starters that enter the weekend hitting north of .300.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6339">Sara Breckbill</a>&nbsp;is one of those five at .305 for the season, while leading the team in extra-base hits (12), home runs (6), and RBIs (24). Breckbill is the national leader in sacrifice flies with seven for the season.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6635">Regan Curry</a>&nbsp;has been hot in run-scoring situations for the Tigers with nine RBIs in the last nine games and she has 23 for the season. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6352">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;leads the Tiger pitching staff in ERA (2.97), complete games (11), saves (3), innings pitched (101.1), and strikeouts (97). She ranks second in the MIAA in saves, fourth in strikeouts and fifth for innings pitched.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6345">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;holds a 3.85 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6351">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;has 57 strikeouts in 55.1 innings of action. The Tigers have played Washburn 55 times in their NCAA Division II history. Washburn holds a 32-23 advantage in the all-time series. The Tigers and Ichabods split their doubleheader last year in Topeka. Both games were shutouts with Washburn winning 2-0 in Game 1 and FHSU winning 4-0 in Game 2. The Tigers scored all four runs in one inning of that game as Tiffany, Breckbill, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6338">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;all had hits in that contest. Jaycee Ginter, the current MIAA leader in strikeouts, threw a no-hitter in Game 1 with just two strikeouts and one walk in seven complete innings. The Tigers have played Emporia State 53 times in their NCAA Division II history. The Hornets hold a 33-20 advantage. The Tigers and Hornets also split their doubleheader last year in Emporia. Emporia State won 5-0 in Game 1 before FHSU held on for a 7-5 win in Game 2. FHSU led 7-0 through three and a half innings of their win before seeing ESU score five over their final four frames at the plate. Breckbill had three hits over the two games, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6340">Elise Capra</a>&nbsp;notched two.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>Emporia State (18-18, 7-5 MIAA) at Fort Hays State Saturday, Apr. 9 - 12 &amp; 2 pm Hays, Kan. - Tiger Stadium Radio: KFIX (96.9-FM)<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">LISTEN LIVE</a> Fort Hays State will play 12 of its next 14 games at home, starting with a pair of doubleheaders against Washburn and Emporia State this weekend (Apr. 8-9). The Tigers face the Ichabods at 2 pm on Friday, then face the Hornets at 12 pm on Saturday. FHSU enters the weekend at 16-19-1 overall, 2-6 in the MIAA. Washburn comes in at 28-11, 10-2 in the MIAA, while Emporia State enters the weekend at 18-18, 7-5 in the MIAA. Both doubleheaders will be streamed live on The MIAA Network and live stats will be available for all games. The games against Emporia State on Saturday will be broadcast on local radio (96.9 FM KFIX), but can still be streamed through a device at the link provided above and will be used as the audio for the live streams on Saturday. Fort Hays State went 2-2 in conference play on the road last weekend, sweeping a doubleheader at Pittsburg State before falling twice in a doubleheader at Missouri Southern. The Tigers scored a combined 14 runs in the pair of wins at Pittsburg State, but generated just one run the next day at Missouri Southern. The Tigers scored at least five runs in both of their conference wins so far this season, but three or less in their six MIAA losses. All eight conference games the Tigers played so far this season were on the road. Fort Hays State is 3-1 so far at home this season, all in non-conference play. The Tigers split a doubleheader with Oklahoma Baptist on March 16 and then swept a doubleheader with Bethany College on March 20. The Tigers scored 10 or more runs in two of those wins and averaged 8.5 runs per game in those four contests. At .344 for the season,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6344">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;leads a group of five regular starters that enter the weekend hitting north of .300.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6339">Sara Breckbill</a>&nbsp;is one of those five at .305 for the season, while leading the team in extra-base hits (12), home runs (6), and RBIs (24). Breckbill is the national leader in sacrifice flies with seven for the season.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6635">Regan Curry</a>&nbsp;has been hot in run-scoring situations for the Tigers with nine RBIs in the last nine games and she has 23 for the season. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6352">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;leads the Tiger pitching staff in ERA (2.97), complete games (11), saves (3), innings pitched (101.1), and strikeouts (97). She ranks second in the MIAA in saves, fourth in strikeouts and fifth for innings pitched.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6345">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;holds a 3.85 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6351">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;has 57 strikeouts in 55.1 innings of action. The Tigers have played Washburn 55 times in their NCAA Division II history. Washburn holds a 32-23 advantage in the all-time series. The Tigers and Ichabods split their doubleheader last year in Topeka. Both games were shutouts with Washburn winning 2-0 in Game 1 and FHSU winning 4-0 in Game 2. The Tigers scored all four runs in one inning of that game as Tiffany, Breckbill, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6338">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;all had hits in that contest. Jaycee Ginter, the current MIAA leader in strikeouts, threw a no-hitter in Game 1 with just two strikeouts and one walk in seven complete innings. The Tigers have played Emporia State 53 times in their NCAA Division II history. The Hornets hold a 33-20 advantage. The Tigers and Hornets also split their doubleheader last year in Emporia. Emporia State won 5-0 in Game 1 before FHSU held on for a 7-5 win in Game 2. FHSU led 7-0 through three and a half innings of their win before seeing ESU score five over their final four frames at the plate. Breckbill had three hits over the two games, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6340">Elise Capra</a>&nbsp;notched two.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 LISTEN - Tigers host Hornets Saturday

<a></a><a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– First-year Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;announced another member of his staff on Friday (April 8) with the addition of&nbsp;Austin Carpenter&nbsp;as Director of Player Development.

<a></a><a>“I’m excited to be able to add another outstanding individual to the staff like Austin,” said Tang. “He is someone that I got to know the past two years at Baylor, and he played a big part in the success we had there as a graduate assistant</a>. He is a super-talented individual who has great experience in recruiting strategy and operations as well as in the total development of the student-athlete. He will play a significant role in the evaluation of the entire program. I’m happy for him to take this next step in his career with us at K-State.”

Carpenter is the fourth announced member of Tang’s inaugural coaching staff at K-State, joining associate head coach&nbsp;Ulric Maligi, assistant coach&nbsp;Jareem Dowling&nbsp;and Chief of Staff&nbsp;Marco Borne.

Carpenter arrives at K-State after spending the last two seasons (2020-22) working as a graduate assistant at Baylor, where he worked alongside Tang.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I am thrilled to be joining the Kansas State family after spending the past two seasons with Coach Tang in Waco,” said Carpenter. “Coach Tang firmly believes in developing people beyond the game of basketball, and I look forward to continuing to serve alongside him with our staff. This is a historic program that helps student-athletes succeed both on and off of the court that I feel blessed and excited to be a part of.&nbsp;

Tom Gilbert - Director for Men's Basketball Communications, K-State Athletics

<a></a><a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– First-year Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;announced another member of his staff on Friday (April 8) with the addition of&nbsp;Austin Carpenter&nbsp;as Director of Player Development.<a></a><a>“I’m excited to be able to add another outstanding individual to the staff like Austin,” said Tang. “He is someone that I got to know the past two years at Baylor, and he played a big part in the success we had there as a graduate assistant</a>. He is a super-talented individual who has great experience in recruiting strategy and operations as well as in the total development of the student-athlete. He will play a significant role in the evaluation of the entire program. I’m happy for him to take this next step in his career with us at K-State.”Carpenter is the fourth announced member of Tang’s inaugural coaching staff at K-State, joining associate head coach&nbsp;Ulric Maligi, assistant coach&nbsp;Jareem Dowling&nbsp;and Chief of Staff&nbsp;Marco Borne.Carpenter arrives at K-State after spending the last two seasons (2020-22) working as a graduate assistant at Baylor, where he worked alongside Tang.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am thrilled to be joining the Kansas State family after spending the past two seasons with Coach Tang in Waco,” said Carpenter. “Coach Tang firmly believes in developing people beyond the game of basketball, and I look forward to continuing to serve alongside him with our staff. This is a historic program that helps student-athletes succeed both on and off of the court that I feel blessed and excited to be a part of.&nbsp;Tom Gilbert - Director for Men's Basketball Communications, K-State Athletics

Carpenter Named Director of Player Development

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. capped his highly anticipated big league debut with his first hit, a go-ahead double with two outs in the eighth inning, sending the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians. Andrew Benintendi drove in Witt after his clutch hit, giving Royals reliever Scott Barlow a cushion. And after a perfect eighth, Barlow struck out Myles Straw with runners on the corners in the ninth to end it. In a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners, Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and erstwhile Royals star Zach Greinke dueled to a 1-all stalemate before turning the game over to the bullpens on a cold day at Kauffman Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. capped his highly anticipated big league debut with his first hit, a go-ahead double with two outs in the eighth inning, sending the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians. Andrew Benintendi drove in Witt after his clutch hit, giving Royals reliever Scott Barlow a cushion. And after a perfect eighth, Barlow struck out Myles Straw with runners on the corners in the ninth to end it. In a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners, Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and erstwhile Royals star Zach Greinke dueled to a 1-all stalemate before turning the game over to the bullpens on a cold day at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals win on opening day

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State fans will have a couple of additional incentives to order or renew their 2022 football season tickets before the priority deadline of April 22, as K-State has announced that all season ticket accounts will receive one free Collin Klein and Arthur Brown dual&nbsp;bobblehead&nbsp;– celebrating the 10th&nbsp;anniversary of the 2012 Big 12 Championship – while K-State will also have 12 days of prize drawings beginning on Monday, April 11.

Every day from April 11 to April 22, fans who have reserved their season tickets for the 2022 slate will be entered to win that day’s prize, and the schedule of giveaways can be viewed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/feature/22FBPriority" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. Prizes include official team gear, a recruit-style photoshoot, seat upgrades, a shopping spree and more.

Fans will be notified via email if they have won that day’s prize, while a running list of winners will be kept at the link above. Fans can only win once during the 12-day period and are encouraged to order or renew now to be included in all 12 prize drawings.

The April 22 priority deadline is the final day for 2021 season ticket holders to keep their seat and parking locations, for all season ticket holders to be part of the online seat upgrade process in May and to request additional single-game tickets. It is also the last day for the five-month payment plan.

​Fans can order or renew season tickets – starting at just $150 – via the link above, by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://www.k-statesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.k-statesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by calling 1-800-221-CATS.

By Ryan Lackey - Assistant Athletic Director for Communications

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State fans will have a couple of additional incentives to order or renew their 2022 football season tickets before the priority deadline of April 22, as K-State has announced that all season ticket accounts will receive one free Collin Klein and Arthur Brown dual&nbsp;bobblehead&nbsp;– celebrating the 10th&nbsp;anniversary of the 2012 Big 12 Championship – while K-State will also have 12 days of prize drawings beginning on Monday, April 11.Every day from April 11 to April 22, fans who have reserved their season tickets for the 2022 slate will be entered to win that day’s prize, and the schedule of giveaways can be viewed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/feature/22FBPriority" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. Prizes include official team gear, a recruit-style photoshoot, seat upgrades, a shopping spree and more.Fans will be notified via email if they have won that day’s prize, while a running list of winners will be kept at the link above. Fans can only win once during the 12-day period and are encouraged to order or renew now to be included in all 12 prize drawings.The April 22 priority deadline is the final day for 2021 season ticket holders to keep their seat and parking locations, for all season ticket holders to be part of the online seat upgrade process in May and to request additional single-game tickets. It is also the last day for the five-month payment plan.​Fans can order or renew season tickets – starting at just $150 – via the link above, by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://www.k-statesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.k-statesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by calling 1-800-221-CATS.By Ryan Lackey - Assistant Athletic Director for Communications

Bobblehead and Twelve Days of Drawings Highlight K-State Football Season Ticket Priority Deadline

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Not since the Kansas City Royals were winning back-to-back American League pennants in 2014 and ’15 under former manager Ned Yost, and went on to win their first World Series in three decades, has the long-suffering, small-market franchise begun a season with the same amount of optimism that they carry into Thursday’s opener against Cleveland at Kauffman Stadium. Zach Greinke will be back on the mound, the game's No. 1 prospect will be at third base and manager Mike Matheny and the young, exciting club will take the first step toward what they hope is a return to the playoffs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Not since the Kansas City Royals were winning back-to-back American League pennants in 2014 and ’15 under former manager Ned Yost, and went on to win their first World Series in three decades, has the long-suffering, small-market franchise begun a season with the same amount of optimism that they carry into Thursday’s opener against Cleveland at Kauffman Stadium. Zach Greinke will be back on the mound, the game's No. 1 prospect will be at third base and manager Mike Matheny and the young, exciting club will take the first step toward what they hope is a return to the playoffs.

Royals open their season Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr., widely considered the best prospect in baseball, has made the Kansas City roster and will start at third base in the Royals’ season opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. The move with the 21-year-old infielder was widely expected, especially after he hit well in spring training. 

Witt hit .290 with 33 homers and 29 steals across Double-A and Triple-A last season.

You can listen to the Royals on 107.9 FM / 1420 KJCK AM.&nbsp; The pregame broadcast on Thursday begins at 2:30 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr., widely considered the best prospect in baseball, has made the Kansas City roster and will start at third base in the Royals’ season opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. The move with the 21-year-old infielder was widely expected, especially after he hit well in spring training. Witt hit .290 with 33 homers and 29 steals across Double-A and Triple-A last season.You can listen to the Royals on 107.9 FM / 1420 KJCK AM.&nbsp; The pregame broadcast on Thursday begins at 2:30 p.m.

Witt will start for the Royals

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Stan Parrish, the 31st&nbsp;head coach in K-State football history who was at the helm of the Wildcat program from 1986 to 1988, passed away Sunday at the age of 75.

Nicknamed “Air Parrish” for his multiple, pass-oriented offensive strategy, Parrish came to Manhattan in 1986 after serving the previous two seasons as the head coach at Marshall.

Parrish’s career began at Windham High School in Windham, Ohio, before serving as a graduate assistant for two years at Purdue and one season as an assistant coach at Division III Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He quickly took over as head coach of the Little Giants in 1978, putting together a 42-3-1 record over five seasons, which included a perfect 10-0 mark in his final season in 1982.

Following his time at K-State, Parrish worked for six years at Rutgers before serving as the quarterbacks coach at Michigan from 1996 to 2001. While in Ann Arbor, he tutored future NFL quarterbacks Brian Griese and Tom Brady, while he helped the Wolverines win a national championship in 1997.

Parrish moved on to the NFL, serving as the quarterbacks coach for Tampa Bay in 2002 and 2003, helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVI. He moved back to the college ranks in 2005 to coach at Ball State, a place he stayed for six seasons, which included the final three years as head coach. His last stint as a football coach came at Eastern Michigan, where he was the offensive coordinator and later the interim head coach in 2013.

Parrish is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Purdy, son Andrew and daughter Libby. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Heidelberg in 1969, where he played defensive back from 1965-68.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649178626591.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Stan Parrish, the 31st&nbsp;head coach in K-State football history who was at the helm of the Wildcat program from 1986 to 1988, passed away Sunday at the age of 75.Nicknamed “Air Parrish” for his multiple, pass-oriented offensive strategy, Parrish came to Manhattan in 1986 after serving the previous two seasons as the head coach at Marshall.Parrish’s career began at Windham High School in Windham, Ohio, before serving as a graduate assistant for two years at Purdue and one season as an assistant coach at Division III Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He quickly took over as head coach of the Little Giants in 1978, putting together a 42-3-1 record over five seasons, which included a perfect 10-0 mark in his final season in 1982.Following his time at K-State, Parrish worked for six years at Rutgers before serving as the quarterbacks coach at Michigan from 1996 to 2001. While in Ann Arbor, he tutored future NFL quarterbacks Brian Griese and Tom Brady, while he helped the Wolverines win a national championship in 1997.Parrish moved on to the NFL, serving as the quarterbacks coach for Tampa Bay in 2002 and 2003, helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVI. He moved back to the college ranks in 2005 to coach at Ball State, a place he stayed for six seasons, which included the final three years as head coach. His last stint as a football coach came at Eastern Michigan, where he was the offensive coordinator and later the interim head coach in 2013.Parrish is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Purdy, son Andrew and daughter Libby. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Heidelberg in 1969, where he played defensive back from 1965-68.By Ryan LackeyAssistant Athletics Director for Communications

Former K-State Head Coach Stan Parrish Passes Away

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Great Kansas Comeback is about more than just one scintillating, stifling 20-minute stretch of Jayhawks basketball. The championship KU captured Monday night had roots back in 2020, when the Jayhawks were a team that looked headed for the program’s fourth national title. Instead, it was KU’s come-from-behind 72-69 victory over North Carolina on Monday that brought that fourth championship banner back to Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks insisted they’d share it with the 2020 team, too.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649155572347.png" alt="Fans at Allen Fieldhouse celebrate the Jayhawk victory Monday night" />
 <figcaption>Fans at Allen Fieldhouse celebrate the Jayhawk victory Monday night</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Great Kansas Comeback is about more than just one scintillating, stifling 20-minute stretch of Jayhawks basketball. The championship KU captured Monday night had roots back in 2020, when the Jayhawks were a team that looked headed for the program’s fourth national title. Instead, it was KU’s come-from-behind 72-69 victory over North Carolina on Monday that brought that fourth championship banner back to Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks insisted they’d share it with the 2020 team, too.

Kansas Jayhawks are the national champions

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — David McCormack muscled his way to 25 points, Ochai Agbaji added 21 and hot-shooting Kansas withstood every Villanova run for a 81-65 victory Saturday night that sent the Jayhawks back to the national title game .

Christian Braun also had 10 points for the Jayhawks, including a key 3-pointer to ward off a comeback late in the game. Now, they hope to follow a familiar pattern against North Carolina in the national championship game on Monday night. The Tar Heels defeated Duke 81-77.

The last three times that Kansas and Villanova have met in the tournament, the winner has gone on to win it all. Collin Gillespie had 17 points and Brandon Slater had 16 for the Wildcats, who struggled early without injured guard Justin Moore and never could come all the way back.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — David McCormack muscled his way to 25 points, Ochai Agbaji added 21 and hot-shooting Kansas withstood every Villanova run for a 81-65 victory Saturday night that sent the Jayhawks back to the national title game .Christian Braun also had 10 points for the Jayhawks, including a key 3-pointer to ward off a comeback late in the game. Now, they hope to follow a familiar pattern against North Carolina in the national championship game on Monday night. The Tar Heels defeated Duke 81-77.The last three times that Kansas and Villanova have met in the tournament, the winner has gone on to win it all. Collin Gillespie had 17 points and Brandon Slater had 16 for the Wildcats, who struggled early without injured guard Justin Moore and never could come all the way back.

Jayhawks will go to the national championship game

The Salina Liberty manhandled the Sioux City Asylum in the team's non-league exhibition on Saturday, turning in a resounding 50-18 victory.

Offensively, the Liberty didn’t miss a beat, even without reigning MVP Tracy Brooks, striking on the first play of the game with a 22-yard connection from Tyrie Adams to Ed Smith and never looking back.

Tre Griffin, who has done an excellent job filling in for the injured Brooks, looked unstoppable again, punching in two more scores as part of a run that put Salina up 35-0 at halftime.

On defense, the Liberty looked just as good, locking up the Asylum offense with two picks and a safety in the first half alone.

With a big lead and little to lose, Salina began experimenting with different personnel on both sides of the ball, giving Anthony Love a chance to run the offense, and Travis Taylor some touches in the backfield.

The test run was a resounding success as each would add a touchdown before the end of the contest.

“Travis is a guy that said he wanted to run the football and to get him three carries and a rushing touchdown was really cool to see,” Liberty HC Heron O’Neal said. “Seeing Anthony Love get some reps at quarterback was important for us as well.”

While the offense and defense put on a show, the special teams lagged behind just a bit and will remain the biggest focal point for Salina heading into week five.

“We had a couple of kickoffs that got away from us and we need to get that fixed up and be ready to go,” O’Neal said. “On kick return, we still aren’t taking anything to the house so we’ll look to make some corrections moving forward.”

The Liberty will return to the road next weekend for a Sunday game in Billings as Salina gets set to take on the Outlaws.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617387097958.png" alt="Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Liberty manhandled the Sioux City Asylum in the team's non-league exhibition on Saturday, turning in a resounding 50-18 victory.Offensively, the Liberty didn’t miss a beat, even without reigning MVP Tracy Brooks, striking on the first play of the game with a 22-yard connection from Tyrie Adams to Ed Smith and never looking back.Tre Griffin, who has done an excellent job filling in for the injured Brooks, looked unstoppable again, punching in two more scores as part of a run that put Salina up 35-0 at halftime.On defense, the Liberty looked just as good, locking up the Asylum offense with two picks and a safety in the first half alone.With a big lead and little to lose, Salina began experimenting with different personnel on both sides of the ball, giving Anthony Love a chance to run the offense, and Travis Taylor some touches in the backfield.The test run was a resounding success as each would add a touchdown before the end of the contest.“Travis is a guy that said he wanted to run the football and to get him three carries and a rushing touchdown was really cool to see,” Liberty HC Heron O’Neal said. “Seeing Anthony Love get some reps at quarterback was important for us as well.”While the offense and defense put on a show, the special teams lagged behind just a bit and will remain the biggest focal point for Salina heading into week five.“We had a couple of kickoffs that got away from us and we need to get that fixed up and be ready to go,” O’Neal said. “On kick return, we still aren’t taking anything to the house so we’ll look to make some corrections moving forward.”The Liberty will return to the road next weekend for a Sunday game in Billings as Salina gets set to take on the Outlaws.

Liberty lock down Asylum in non-CIF exhibition

The Salina Liberty will host the Queen City Asylum on Saturday, April 2nd in their one non-league game of the season.

Kickoff is set for 6:35 PM as one of just two remaining undefeated CIF teams prepares to take on the pride of Springfield Missouri, fresh off a 64-6 win over the Missouri Monarchs.

The Liberty enter this game on a roll with wins of 54-33 over the Topeka Tropics and a 36-31 come from behind victory over the Omaha Beef in hand.

“If I had to sum up what I was most proud of in that Omaha game in one word it would be perseverance,” Liberty HC Heron O’Neal said. “To deal with all of the things that went on and a back and forth game, it showed that we have that clutch gene.”

Salina will have to cope without their reigning league MVP in Tracy Brooks, who will be sidelined with an arm injury sustained on the opening drive against Omaha for at least six weeks.

In Brooks’ stead, the Liberty will turn to Tre Griffin, who has put on a show in his first two CIF games with four touchdowns on the ground already, to add to his prowess as a pass-catcher.

“I’m very comfortable with Tre taking that mantle,” O’Neal said. “He’s established himself as one of the most dangerous guys with the ball in his hands through these first few games.”

While this game will not count towards the CIF standings, it does provide Salina with an opportunity to iron out a few things in their game before league play resumes next week.

“We still need to work on our focus and on playing a full game,” he said. “We haven’t done that in any of the three elements of the game and we have a lot of things we need to clean up and work on.”

This game will also take place at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center, which has become one of the best atmospheres in the CIF for football games this year.

“Our crowd is a huge benefit,” O’Neal said. “The crowd in the Omaha game was the biggest that we’ve ever had and we’ve seen so much growth in our fanbase over the years. It’s great to have that energy and for them to be so loud that it affects the ballgame.”

Kickoff is set for 6:35 pm in Salina, and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.

To purchase single game or season tickets to Liberty football games, click <a href="https://salinaliberty.com/">HERE</a>.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617387097958.png" alt="Coverage of Salina Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Salina Liberty football is presented by Ryan Roofing</figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Liberty will host the Queen City Asylum on Saturday, April 2nd in their one non-league game of the season.Kickoff is set for 6:35 PM as one of just two remaining undefeated CIF teams prepares to take on the pride of Springfield Missouri, fresh off a 64-6 win over the Missouri Monarchs.The Liberty enter this game on a roll with wins of 54-33 over the Topeka Tropics and a 36-31 come from behind victory over the Omaha Beef in hand.“If I had to sum up what I was most proud of in that Omaha game in one word it would be perseverance,” Liberty HC Heron O’Neal said. “To deal with all of the things that went on and a back and forth game, it showed that we have that clutch gene.”Salina will have to cope without their reigning league MVP in Tracy Brooks, who will be sidelined with an arm injury sustained on the opening drive against Omaha for at least six weeks.In Brooks’ stead, the Liberty will turn to Tre Griffin, who has put on a show in his first two CIF games with four touchdowns on the ground already, to add to his prowess as a pass-catcher.“I’m very comfortable with Tre taking that mantle,” O’Neal said. “He’s established himself as one of the most dangerous guys with the ball in his hands through these first few games.”While this game will not count towards the CIF standings, it does provide Salina with an opportunity to iron out a few things in their game before league play resumes next week.“We still need to work on our focus and on playing a full game,” he said. “We haven’t done that in any of the three elements of the game and we have a lot of things we need to clean up and work on.”This game will also take place at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center, which has become one of the best atmospheres in the CIF for football games this year.“Our crowd is a huge benefit,” O’Neal said. “The crowd in the Omaha game was the biggest that we’ve ever had and we’ve seen so much growth in our fanbase over the years. It’s great to have that energy and for them to be so loud that it affects the ballgame.”Kickoff is set for 6:35 pm in Salina, and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.To purchase single game or season tickets to Liberty football games, click <a href="https://salinaliberty.com/">HERE</a>.

Liberty look to tame Asylum in non-league exhibition

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Former Kansas State men’s basketball coach&nbsp;Bob Huggins&nbsp;was officially announced as one of 13 individuals in the Class of 2022 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Although Huggins spent just one season (2006-07) as the Wildcats’ head coach, he helped resuscitate a program that had not enjoyed a 20-win season or postseason appearance in eight years upon his arrival. He guided K-State to a 23-12 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in Big 12 play, and to the second round of the NIT. The 23 wins in 2006-07 were the most in a single season since the 1987-88 team had a then school-record 25 victories.

Currently sitting with 916 career victories in his 40-year head coaching career, Huggins is one of only six Division I coaches all-time with 900 or more career victories, which includes stints at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-2005), K-State and West Virginia (2007-present).

Huggins is one of 13 members of the Class of 2022, including NBA stars&nbsp;Manu Ginobili&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tim Hardaway, WNBA icons&nbsp;Swin Cash&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lindsay Whalen, former longtime NBA head coach&nbsp;George Karl, standout college and WNBA head coach&nbsp;Marianne Stanley&nbsp;and longtime NBA official&nbsp;Hugh Evans.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Former Kansas State men’s basketball coach&nbsp;Bob Huggins&nbsp;was officially announced as one of 13 individuals in the Class of 2022 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.Although Huggins spent just one season (2006-07) as the Wildcats’ head coach, he helped resuscitate a program that had not enjoyed a 20-win season or postseason appearance in eight years upon his arrival. He guided K-State to a 23-12 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in Big 12 play, and to the second round of the NIT. The 23 wins in 2006-07 were the most in a single season since the 1987-88 team had a then school-record 25 victories.Currently sitting with 916 career victories in his 40-year head coaching career, Huggins is one of only six Division I coaches all-time with 900 or more career victories, which includes stints at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-2005), K-State and West Virginia (2007-present).Huggins is one of 13 members of the Class of 2022, including NBA stars&nbsp;Manu Ginobili&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tim Hardaway, WNBA icons&nbsp;Swin Cash&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lindsay Whalen, former longtime NBA head coach&nbsp;George Karl, standout college and WNBA head coach&nbsp;Marianne Stanley&nbsp;and longtime NBA official&nbsp;Hugh Evans.

Huggins Named to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

KU prepares for Villanova in the Final Four

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– First-year Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;made another addition to his coaching staff on Friday (April 1) with the selection of veteran assistant coach&nbsp;Ulric Maligi&nbsp;(pronounced&nbsp;YUR-ick MAL-uh-ghee) as the program’s associate head coach.

<a>“We are excited to welcome Ulric, his wife Courtney and son JJ to the K-State Family,” said Tang. “When I began the process of building my staff, Ulric was at top of my list. He is not only one of the best recruiters that I have ever been around, but he is one of the top basketball minds in the country, having learned from some of the best in the business. In addition to his talents as a coach, he is also an outstanding husband and father and will be a perfect fit in helping me and the rest of the staff elevate this program.”</a>

Maligi is the third announced member of Tang’s inaugural coaching staff at K-State following&nbsp;Jareem Dowling, who was named an assistant coach on Tuesday (March 29) and&nbsp;Marco Borne, who was named Chief of Staff on Wednesday (March 30). Other additions will be announced as they become official.

An assistant coach with 15 years of experience and deep ties to the state of Texas, Maligi arrives at K-State after spending the last three seasons on staff with head coach&nbsp;Chris Beard&nbsp;at both Texas Tech (2019-21) and Texas (2021-22). In addition to his time with the Red Raiders and Longhorns, he has also been an assistant at UT-Arlington (2006-07), Stephen F. Austin (2007-10), Houston (2010-12), SMU (2012-15) and Texas A&amp;M (2016-19).

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– First-year Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;made another addition to his coaching staff on Friday (April 1) with the selection of veteran assistant coach&nbsp;Ulric Maligi&nbsp;(pronounced&nbsp;YUR-ick MAL-uh-ghee) as the program’s associate head coach.<a>“We are excited to welcome Ulric, his wife Courtney and son JJ to the K-State Family,” said Tang. “When I began the process of building my staff, Ulric was at top of my list. He is not only one of the best recruiters that I have ever been around, but he is one of the top basketball minds in the country, having learned from some of the best in the business. In addition to his talents as a coach, he is also an outstanding husband and father and will be a perfect fit in helping me and the rest of the staff elevate this program.”</a>Maligi is the third announced member of Tang’s inaugural coaching staff at K-State following&nbsp;Jareem Dowling, who was named an assistant coach on Tuesday (March 29) and&nbsp;Marco Borne, who was named Chief of Staff on Wednesday (March 30). Other additions will be announced as they become official.An assistant coach with 15 years of experience and deep ties to the state of Texas, Maligi arrives at K-State after spending the last three seasons on staff with head coach&nbsp;Chris Beard&nbsp;at both Texas Tech (2019-21) and Texas (2021-22). In addition to his time with the Red Raiders and Longhorns, he has also been an assistant at UT-Arlington (2006-07), Stephen F. Austin (2007-10), Houston (2010-12), SMU (2012-15) and Texas A&amp;M (2016-19).

Sports