FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State head track and field/cross country coach Dr. Jason McCullough has announced the hiring of Jonathan Graupmann as assistant track and field coach. Graupmann will work primarily with sprinters and hurdlers while actively participating in the recruiting process.

“What a thrill it is to come alongside such a great program,” said Graupmann. “The facilities and resources available here in Hays are outstanding; I am very excited for this opportunity and I can’t wait to hit the ground running.

I want to thank Dr. McCullough, associate athletic director Brad Haynes and all the staff at Fort Hays State for their assistance in the transition process and to everyone at Central College for helping me get to this point in my career.”

Graupmann spent the past five seasons at Central College, where the team won 28 Iowa Conference championships in horizontal jumps and sprinting events. In addition to having his athletes earn All-American status 10 times, he coached 90 All-Iowa Conference performers in his events.

Prior to Central College, Graupmann coached the 2013 season at Texas Lutheran University as an assistant women’s track and field coach. He previously coached for two seasons at Tiffin University after spending time on the coaching staff at Marietta College in Ohio (2009-11). Graupmann directed the Northern Kentucky Track Club for a year after graduating from college, while also serving as assistant track and field and cross country coach at Dixie Heights (Ky.) High School.

“We are excited to have coach Graupmann join the Tiger track and field/cross country staff,” said McCullough. “Jon has extensive experience recruiting and developing young talent in numerous events. We look forward to a great 2018-19 season and beyond.”

A 2007 graduate of Division III Ohio Northern University, Graupmann was a five-time Ohio Athletics Conference sprint champion and earned All-America distinction in the 4×100-meter relay in 2005.

Graupmann has also had extensive training through USA Track and Field (USATF) and has earned USATF Level 3 certification in sprints/hurdles/relays while receiving Level 2 training in endurance events and jumps. He also attained International Association of Athletics Federations Level 5 coach distinction.

Graupmann received a Master of Humanities with a concentration in creative writing and English literature from Tiffin University (Ohio) in 2016. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Ohio Northern University in 2007.

HAYS – Liberal rallied for one run in the top of the 11th to beat the Hays Larks 6-5 Tuesday at Larks Park.

Hays rallied from a deficit three different times in the game and scored two in the eighth to tie the game at 5. But in the top of the 11th Liberal’s leadoff man reach on a walk and two batters later scored on a sacrifice fly to take the 6-5 win.

Hays’ Sam Slusser allowed one run over four innings but suffered the loss.

Ryne Randall, RJ Williams, Wyatt Divis and Easton Kirk each drove in a run.

Hays is 34-10 and 26-9 in the Jayhawk League and will go for the series win Wednesday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Burch Smith picked up his first win in nearly five years, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez homered, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Smith (1-1) gave up just one hit – a single by Niko Goodrum to leadoff the fourth – and walked two while striking out six in 6 1/3 innings. He got his second career win, and first since Sept. 15, 2013, for San Diego against Atlanta.

Injuries limited the right-hander’s career to just 5 1/3 innings the next three seasons. The Royals obtained Smith in the Rule 5 draft last December. He was making his third start of the year after beginning the season with 24 relief appearances.

Smith retired nine straight after Goodrum’s single before walks to Nicholas Castellanos and Jeimer Candelario with one out in the seventh ended his night.

Tim Hill came on and gave up a three-run homer to Victor Martinez, the only batter he faced, in a 10-pitch at-bat as Detroit pulled to 5-3. Kevin McCarthy retired all five batters he faced, and Wily Peralta gave up at triple to Castellanos and a run-scoring grounder to Candelario in the ninth before finishing up for his fifth save.

Whit Merrifield doubled to open the first and scored on Moustakas’ 20th homer, into the Royals’ bullpen, in the first off Jordan Zimmermann (4-2).

Perez, who finished with three hits, had an RBI single in the third, a solo homer in the fifth, and a double in the eighth.

Jorge Bonifacio doubled and scored on Jose Iglesias’ fielding error on Brian Goodwin’s grounder in the sixth to make it 5-0.

Zimmermann, who had not worked in 13 days and had two cortisone shots for back pain, gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings. He lost to the Royals for the first time after coming in 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA in seven career appearances against Kansas City.

BRETT WELCOMES TRUMP

Royals Hall of Fame 3B George Brett welcomed President Donald Trump on Tuesday to Kansas City, meeting him at the airport. Trump was in town to speak to the VFW national convention and for a fundraiser for Republican senatorial candidate Josh Hawley.

The day also marked the 35th anniversary of Brett’s Pine Tar Game at Yankee Stadium.

MOUSTAKAS JOIN POWER ELITE

Moustakas joins six other Royals with four seasons of 20 or more home runs. The others are Brett, Carlos Beltran, Steve Balboni, Bo Jackson, Mike Sweeney and John Mayberry.

ROSTER MOVES

Royals: INF Adalberto Mondesi was reinstated from the family medical emergency leave list. To make roster space, the Royals optioned OF Paulo Orlando, who hit .167 in 25 games, to Triple-A Omaha.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Johnny Barbato (rotator cuff tendinitis) allowed three runs on one hit and two walks, while retiring only two in a rehab start with Class-A Lakeland. … Highly-touted prospect RHP Kyle Funkhouser, 24, fractured his right foot fifth metatarsal while walking home after a game. Funkhouser, a 2016 fourth round pick out of Louisville, was recently promoted to Triple-A Toledo.

Royals: RHP Blaine Boyer (lower back strain) made 13 pitches and retired two batters in a minor league rehab start Tuesday for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He walked one and struck out one. RHP Jesse Hahn (elbow strain) threw one scoreless inning in the second game of the doubleheader against Arkansas. He allowed one hit, throwing six strikes in 10 pitches.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd is 0-2 with a 3.46 ERA in two starts against KC this season.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy is 5-2 with a 2.58 ERA in his past 11 starts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jim Adduci delivered a two-run double in the ninth and scored the go-ahead run on James McCann’s double as the Detroit Tigers rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

After Adduci’s double off Brandon Maurer tied it, Jason Hamel replaced Maurer and gave up a first-pitch RBI double to McCann, his third hit, to put the Tigers ahead.

Maurer (0-4) faced three batters in the ninth and all scored.

Alex Wilson (1-3) picked up the win. Shane Greene gave up a two-out single in the ninth before earning his 20th save in 23 chances.

Heath Fillmyer, who was making his second Royals start, allowed two runs, one unearned, on three singles, while striking out six and walking two in 6 2/3 innings.

He had retired 15 in a row before walking Victor Martinez with two outs in the seventh. After Adduci dumped a single down the third-base line, Kevin McCarthy replaced Fillmyer. McCann and Jose Iglesias delivered run-producing singles.

Francisco Liriano, who threw 50 pitches in the first two innings, yielded three runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Liriano is winless in his last 11 starts since an April 28 victory.

Left-handed hitters entered the game hitting .088 against Liriano, so Royals manager Ned Yost stacked his lineup with eight right-handed hitters.

Lucas Duda, the lone lefty, laced a two-out, two-run single in the first and singled home Jorge Bonifacio in the fifth to chase Liriano.

Mike Moustakas’ pinch double in the seventh scored Salvador Perez from first base, giving the Royals a 4-2 lead.

PEREZ PLAYS FIRST

All-Star C Perez made his second start of the season and his fifth career appearance at first base. He also made an unwitting web gem. Perez fumbled Adduci’s grounder to lead off the fifth before making a back-handed flip to Fillmyer covering the bag. Perez smiled and tipped his cap to the crowd after the play.

NEW ARRIVAL

Manager Ned Yost said OF Brian Goodwin, who the Royals acquired in a trade with the Nationals, would “mostly” be used in center. Goodwin had an infield pinch single in the seventh and singled again the ninth in his Royals debut. The Royals optioned IF Ramon Torres to Triple-A Omaha to make room.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Blaine Boyer (back strain) reports Tuesday to Double-A Northwest Arkansas to begin a minor league rehab assignment. . LHP Eric Skoglund (elbow strain) allowed one earned run and three hits over four innings in a rehab start Monday for Northwest Arkansas. He struck out two, walked none and threw 42 pitches.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann, who is 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in six career starts at Kansas City, is the probable for the second game of the series.

Royals: Rule 5 pick RHP Burch Smith will make his third start and his first at home.

FHSU University Relations

COLBY, Kan. – The Hays Monarchs Senior American Legion will have a chance to defend their state title from a year ago. The Monarchs scored four runs in the fourth inning to break open a one-run game then added three in the sixth to go up seven and beat Hoisington 12-7 to win the Colby Zone Tournament Thursday night.

Chase Werth had three of the Monarchs 11 hits and drove in four. He also picked up the win allowing five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and four walks over five innings.

The Monarchs improve to 15-4-1 on the season and will play sometime Wednesday at the AA State Tournament in Sabetha.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – There’s good starts then there are good starts. Thursday the Hays Eagles Junior American Legion scored 14 runs in the first inning then added eight in the second for good measure and rolled past host Leavenworth 24-0 to move to 2-0 in pool play at the A State Tournament.

Josh Haynes went 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Tyson Dinkel had a couple of hits and drove in foru while Remington Cox and Blake Herman both had three RBIs.

Andrew Moore and Tyson Dinkel combined on a three hitter.

The Junior Eagles close out pool play Friday night against Clay Center. The top two from each pool advance to Saturday’s semifinals.