HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State head baseball coach Jerod Goodale has announced 14 additions to his 2019 signing class, bringing the incoming group to 28 student-athletes. This year’s class includes players from six states and two countries and is made up of 11 freshmen and 17 transfers.

“I am so thrilled with the class our coaching staff has put together,” said Goodale. “It is an immensely talented group spanning all nine positions with a good mix of experience levels. We can’t wait to get everyone on campus and hit the ground running.

“We know that this group has a chance to do some special things during their time here in Hays. They will be pivotal in getting the program back to a level we all want it to be.

“Our coaching staff put in countless hours scouring the country to assemble a class this big and I can’t thank them enough.”

River Amos | Right-handed Pitcher/Outfielder | Holcomb, Kan. (Holcomb HS)
River Amos will be a true freshman from Holcomb High School in Holcomb, Kan. He earned honorable mention All-State honors as a junior pitcher in 2018 after helping the Longhorns to the Kansas 4A DII state championship in 2017. Amos was also a unanimous first team all-league selection as an outfielder while playing in the 2018 Kansas Select game and the 2019 Wild West High School All-Star Game. He also won state titles with the Longhorns in football and basketball.

Jace Armstrong | Outfielder | Hays, Kan. (Cloud County CC)
Jace Armstrong will enter his sophomore season in the fall after two seasons at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College. The outfielder redshirted the 2018 season before appearing in 21 games this last year, batting .306 with five extra-base hits in 36 at-bats. He was listed on the NJCAA All-Academic first team after the 2018-19 season. The Hays, Kan. native graduated from Hays High School after earning three letters on the ball field. Armstrong earned second team all-conference honors and was a Western Kansas all-star.

Jacob Bouzide | Infielder/Outfielder | Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Colby CC)
Jacob Bouzide is an incoming junior after playing two seasons at Colby (Kan.) Community College. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada native appeared in 65 games over his two years as a Trojan, racking up 62 hits, seven home runs, 34 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a .408 on-base percentage. He is a 2017 graduate of Bishop Carroll High School in Calgary.

Jacob Douglas | Right-handed Pitcher | Georgetown, Ontario, Canada (Garden City CC)
Jacob Douglas will be a junior in the fall of 2019 after two years at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. The pitcher made 40 appearances with the Broncbusters, accumulating a 12-8 record with 87 strikeouts over 113.1 innings. A native of Georgetown, Ontario, Canada, Douglas was a three-time team MVP at Christ the King Catholic Secondary School. He helped the Jaguars record their first ever win in the provincial tournament, picking up the victory in the process.

Jacob Ensz | Left-handed Pitcher | Wichita, Kan. (Barton County CC)
Jacob Ensz will be a junior with the Tigers after two seasons at Barton (Kan.) Community College. The pitcher appeared in 19 games with the Cougars, making five starts. He compiled a 3.92 ERA over 41.1 innings of work, racking up 43 strikeouts and finishing with a 2-2 record. He helped Barton win the 2018 Region 6 championship, advancing to the NJCAA Division I World Series. A native of Wichita, Kan., Ensz is a 2017 graduate of Bishop Carroll High School where he was the Kansas 5A State Pitcher of the Year as a senior. He was a two-time All-State selection while earning three letters with the Golden Eagles.

Isaac Linker | Infielder | Hillrose, Colo. (Fort Morgan HS)
Isaac Linker is an incoming freshman after graduating from Fort Morgan (Colo.) High School. He was named Fort Morgan High Male Athlete of the Year as a senior after earning All-State honors and leading the league in RBI. The infielder was a three-time all-conference performer, accumulating a .402 lifetime batting average with the Mustangs. A native of Hillrose, Colo., Linker was a three-sport athlete, lettering three times in baseball, four times in football and three times in football.

Cade Peters | Right-handed Pitcher | Salina, Kan. (Barton County CC)
Cade Peters will be a junior with the Tigers after spending two seasons with Barton (Kan.) Community College. The pitcher made eight appearances on the mound in his career, starting two games. He posted a 2-1 record alongside a 2.02 ERA over 13.1 innings of work, striking out 11 batters. The Salina, Kan. native was a two-time letterwinner at Salina South High School, earning first team all-league honors in 2017 after earning honorable mention all-league status in 2016.

Jacob Pryor | First Baseman | Rantoul, Kan. (Allen CC)
Jacob Pryor is an incoming junior after playing at Allen (Kan.) Community College for three years. After redshirting in 2017, Pryor appeared in 36 games with the Red Devils. The first baseman totaled 10 extra-base hits and 17 RBI in 63 at-bats, posting a slash line of .333/.458/.571. He made just one error in the field, posting a .991 fielding percentage. Pryor was twice named on the NJCAA All-Academic team. A native of Rantoul, Kan., Pryor is a 2016 graduate of Central Heights High School. He was a three-sport athlete, earning four letters in baseball, two in football and two in basketball.

Grant Schmidt | Outfielder | Hastings, Neb. (Cloud County CC)
Grant Schmidt will be a junior after spending two seasons as a Thunderbird at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College. He was a KJCCC West All-Conference selection as a sophomore, earning honorable mention accolades after leading the squad with 13 home runs and 51 RBI. The outfielder appeared in 77 games in his career, compiling 58 hits, including 17 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs. Schmidt scored 52 runs while driving in 60 RBI, recording a .366 on-base percentage and a .577 slugging percentage. He did not commit an error in the outfield during his sophomore season, converting on all 65 of his chances. He was a three-sport athlete at St. Cecilia High School in his hometown of Hastings, Neb. Schmidt was a four-time letterwinner in football, basketball and golf while playing summer legion baseball due to a lack of a baseball program in high school.

Brayden Smith | Left-handed Pitcher | Great Bend, Kan. (Butler CC)
Brayden Smith will be a sophomore at FHSU after spending one year at Butler (Kan.) Community College and one year at Emporia State University. The pitcher redshirted in 2018 at ESU before making one appearance with the Grizzlies at BCC in 2019. The Great Bend, Kan. native lettered four times at Great Bend High School, picking up all-conference honors as a junior and senior. He also played football and basketball for the Panthers.

Garrett Stephens | Catcher | Lenexa, Kan. (Southeast Missouri State)
Garrett Stephens will be a senior for the Tigers after transferring from Southeast Missouri State. The catcher appeared in 21 games as a junior with the Redhawks, making nine starts behind the dish. He totaled three extra-base hits, driving in four runs and scoring seven. Before SMSU, Stephens was a two-year student-athlete at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. The Lenexa, Kan. native appeared in 74 games with the Blue Dragons, posting a .446 slugging percentage while recording nine home runs, 10 doubles and 60 RBI. He was named the Most Inspirational Athlete at HCC and earned the Frank White Fielding Excellence Award in the Ban Johnson League in 2018. Stephens earned three baseball letters at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School before graduating in 2016.

Ridge Stephens | Catcher | Tushka, Okla. (Eastern Oklahoma State College)
Ridge Stephens heads to Hays as a redshirt sophomore after two seasons at Eastern Oklahoma State College. The catcher redshirted the 2018 season before appearing in 39 contests this last year. He recorded a .321 on-base percentage, totaling 23 hits, 16 RBI and 15 runs while gunning down 14 would-be base stealers (14-of-40). The Tushka, Okla. native was a four-time letterwinner at Tushka High School, where he helped the Tigers to one state title. He was a Southeast Oklahoma all-star, named Native American All-State and participated in the Oklahoma state games.

Kade Wallace | Utility | Clay Center, Kan. (Cloud County CC)
Kade Wallace is an incoming junior after spending two years at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College. He was a second team all-conference performer as a sophomore after leading the Thunderbirds with a .328 batting average. The utility player added 13 extra-base hits, 41 runs and 30 RBI in 2019. For his career, Wallace appeared in 79 games at CCCC, batting .342 with a .434 on-base percentage, 76 hits and 48 runs scored. A native of Clay Center, Kan., Wallace is a 2017 graduate of Clay Center Community High School. He was a first team all-league selection all four years with the Tigers while also playing four years of football and two years of basketball.

Traelon Yarbrough | Infielder | Atoka, Okla. (Atoka HS)
Traelon Yarbrough will be a freshman for the Tigers after playing four years of baseball and basketball at Atoka High School in his hometown of Atoka, Okla. The infielder was named a Kiamichi all-star and was named the Atoka Stuteville Player of the Year.

2019 Fort Hays State Baseball Signing Class
Name Pos. B/T Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)
River Amos RHP/OF R/R 6-3 190 Fr. Holcomb, Kan. (Holcomb HS)
Drake Angeron OF L/R 5-10 175 So. Morgan City, La. (Dodge City CC)
Jace Armstrong OF R/R 6-0 195 So. Hays, Kan. (Cloud County CC)
Zach Berg RHP R/R 5-11 180 Jr. Parker, Colo. (Western Nebraska CC)
Jacob Bouzide INF/OF L/R 5-9 170 Jr. Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Colby CC)
Griffin Brunson UT R/R 5-10 170 Jr. Garden City, Kan. (Garden City CC)
Jacob Callaway C R/R 5-9 170 Fr. Broomfield, Colo. (Holy Family HS)
Jake Campbell RHP R/R 6-1 185 Fr. Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS)
Jacob Douglas RHP R/R 6-1 190 Jr. Georgetown, Ontario, Canada (Garden City CC)
Jacob Ensz LHP L/L 5-11 180 Jr. Wichita, Kan. (Barton County CC)
Cade Flaherty RHP/INF R/R 6-2 175 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Burke HS)
Hunter Igo INF R/R 6-0 165 Fr. Derby, Kan. (Derby HS)
Isaac Linker INF R/R 6-2 220 Fr. Hillrose, Colo. (Fort Morgan HS)
Tanner Lukowski UT/RHP R/R 6-1 190 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic HS)
Jordon McFarland RHP R/R 6-2 180 Fr. Brighton, Colo. (Holy Family HS)
Hunter Parker RHP R/R 6-2 180 Jr. Aurora, Colo. (Western Nebraska CC)
Cade Peters RHP R/R 6-2 175 Jr. Salina, Kan. (Barton County CC)
Jacob Pryor 1B L/L 6-2 230 Jr. Rantoul, Kan. (Allen CC)
Jason Robertson OF/RHP R/R 6-0 180 Fr. Flower Mound, Texas (Marcus HS)
Grant Schmidt OF R/R 6-3 215 Jr. Hastings, Neb. (Cloud County CC)
Brayden Smith LHP L/L 6-5 215 R-So. Great Bend, Kan. (Butler CC)
Garrett Stephens C R/R 6-0 200 Sr. Lenexa, Kan. (Southeast Missouri State)
Ridge Stephens C R/R 6-1 190 R-So. Tushka, Okla. (Eastern Oklahoma State College)
Corbin Truslow 1B L/R 6-1 245 Jr. Georgetown, Texas (Garden City CC)
Kade Wallace UT R/R 5-11 180 Jr. Clay Center, Kan. (Cloud County CC)
Padraic Walsh RHP R/R 6-6 180 Jr. Aurora, Colo. (Dodge City CC)
Jaxson Webb OF/RHP R/R 6-4 190 Fr. Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence Free State HS)
Traelon Yarbrough INF S/R 5-9 180 Fr. Atoka, Okla. (Atoka HS)

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Former Hays High standout Tradgon McCrae’s run at the Kansas Amateur golf tournament at Milburn Country Club in Overland Park came to an end Thursday first round of match play.

McCrea, in the round of 64, lost to Pete Krsnich of Wichita two and one in 17 holes.

McCrea birdied the first hole to go 1 up, but bogeys on three and six would allow Krsnich, the former Kansas Jayhawk, to go 1 up and he led by one after a first-round 36.

Another bogey for McCrea on 11 put Krsnich 2 up through 11. Krsnich added a birdie on 15 and was 3 up before giving a shot back with a bogey on 16.

Heading to the 17th, McCrea trailed 2 up and need to win the hole to extend the match, but both McCrea and Krsnich recorded a par on the par-5 17 giving Krisnich the win.

Cheslor Cuthbert and Jorge Soler homered in a five-run third inning and the Kansas City Royals stayed hot Thursday, completing a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 6-5 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Cheslor Cuthbert and Jorge Soler homered in a five-run third inning and the Kansas City Royals stayed hot Thursday, completing a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 6-5 win.

Ian Kennedy gave up a run in the ninth, but struck out A.J. Reed looking with the tying run on second base to clinch the win and earn his 16th save in 19 opportunities.

The four-game winning streak is Kansas City’s longest of the season and just the Royals’ second series sweep this year.

The White Sox, on the other hand, have lost seven in a row since coming back from the All-Star break and drop a season-worst nine games under .500.

Royals starter Brad Keller (6-9) got off to a rocky start, allowing the first four batters of the game to reach base on a pair of infield hits, an error and a walk, leading to a pair of unearned runs. But Keller settled down after that and battled through 6 1/3 innings, allowing just a couple of runs after the first inning. Keller gave up nine hits, struck out seven and walked two.

Yoan Moncada matched his career high, set last year, with his 17th home run in the top of the third to make it 3-0 before the Royals scored.

Cuthbert led off the inning with a shot to left-center and Soler hit a two-run homer a couple of batters later to draw the Royals even. Billy Hamilton’s two-run single later in the inning put the Royals ahead for good.

Cuthbert finished with three hits.

Bubba Starling had the best game of his young career. The 26-year-old had two hits, his first multi-hit day as a big leaguer, including his first extra-base hit when he doubled in the fifth inning and first career stolen base. Starling also scored twice, the second coming on Cam Gallagher’s bunt single in the fifth inning, putting the Royals up 6-3. After going hitless in his debut, Starling has a hit in five straight games.

White Sox starter Ross Detwiler (1-1) lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up five runs and eight hits. In the four games this series, Chicago starters gave up 20 runs, 18 earned, in 19 innings and had an 8.53 ERA.

STATS AND STREAKS

Whit Merrifield had his 15-game hitting streak end, going 0-for-5 at the plate. He extended his on-base streak to 24 games when he reached on an error in the fifth inning. … Brad Keller made his fifth start this season and ninth in his career (out of 41 starts) against the White Sox.

The Royals swept the White Sox for the first time since July 21-23, 2017, and the first time in a four-game series since July 25-28, 1994.

UP NEXT

Kansas City: The Royals head to Cleveland for a three-game set with the Indians beginning Friday. Mike Montgomery (1-2) will make his Kansas City debut in his first start of the season. Montgomery made 20 relief appearances with the Chicago Cubs before being traded earlier this week. The plan is for Montgomery to throw around 45 pitches. Shane Bieber (8-3) will get the ball for Cleveland.

Chicago: The White Sox open a three-game set with Tampa Bay on Friday. Reynaldo Lopez (4-8) will get the start for Chicago looking to build on one of his best outings of the season on Sunday, when he allowed just one unearned run and three hits over six innings. Tampa Bay has yet to announce a starter.

GREAT BEND – Neither the Hays Junior Eagles or the TMP-Marian Junior Monarchs could beat Great Bend Wednesday night. The Braves beat the Eagles 10-5 then knocked off the Monarchs 16-10 to secure the second spot out of their own Zone Tournament to the Class A American Legion state tournament next week in Topeka.

The Braves scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Monarchs had rallied with four in the top of the inning to pull within two. Great Bend scored six in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good then added two in the fourth and another run in the fifth to go up 11-5.

Jacob Pfeifer had three of the Monarchs 12 hits. Jace Wentling added two RBIs. Kade Harris pitched three innings and suffered the loss.

In the first game of the night against the Junior Eagles, the Braves scored three in the second and three in the third to go up 6-2 but the Eagles answered with three in the bottom of the third to pull within one. They had the potential tying run thrown out at the plate on a double steal attempt.

Keatyn Barnett wiggled his way out of bases loaded jams in the fifth and sixth without giving up a run but the Braves got a three-run double an inning later to blow the game open.

Dawson VonFeldt and Dominic Bainter both had two of the Eagles eight hits with Bainter driving in two runs.

The Junior Monarchs end their season with a 13-10 record while the Junior Eagles finish 14-17-1.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Former Hays High standout Tradgon McCrae has advanced to match play at the 109th Kansas Amateur at Milburn Country Club in Overland Park.

McCrae shot rounds of 73 and 76 to finish 5-over in his two qualifying rounds and is one of 64 golfers to advance to Thursday’s first round of match play where he is paired with Pete Krsnich of Wichita.

Krsnich finished at 1-over par in his two qualifying rounds.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Glenn Sparkman pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game, Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier both had three hits including a home run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White sox 11-0 Tuesday night.

Sparkman (3-5) walked one and had a career-high eight strikeouts in the Royals’ first complete-game shutout since June 2, 2017, when Jason Vargas beat Cleveland 4-0.

Kansas City improved to 4-1 since the All-Star break and dropped the White Sox to 0-5.

Merrifield, hitting .379 (22 for 58) in a 14-game hitting streak, raced to an inside-the-park homer down the right-field line in the fourth inning after Cam Gallagher doubled. Plate umpire Tom Hallion initially called Merrifield out on the play at home, but it was overturned after a quick replay review. That made the score 6-0 and gave Merrifield the 100th inside-the-park homer in Royals history.

Dozier hit a two-run, 447-foot homer to left field in the eighth inning to cap a four-run inning and finish the scoring.

Chicago starter Dylan Cease (1-1) gave up six runs – four earned – and eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

The White Sox had a rocky first inning as the Royals scored twice. Merrifield led off with long fly that was caught by center fielder Charlie Tilson as he collided with left fielder Eloy Jimenez who went down in pain next to the wall. Jimenez was taken out with a sore right elbow.

Adalberto Mondesi followed with a single, and took second on Cease’s errant pickoff attempt. Mondesi then stole third and continued home when Yoan Moncada missed catcher James McCann’s throw. Alex Gordon followed with a single and scored on Hunter Dozier’s triple to right for a 2-0 lead.

A third White Sox error contributed to the Royals’ two-run third inning. After Mondesi singled, shortstop Leury Garcia fielded Gordon’s grounder, but threw wildly past second base, allowing Mondesi to score and Gordon to advance to third. Gordon was thrown out at the plate by second baseman Yolmer Sanchez but Bubba Starling’s single drove in Jorge Soler to push the lead to 4-0.

ROYALS CATCHING PLANS

Manager Ned Yost says plans to use both Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria in relatively equal parts after the trade that sent Martin Maldonado to the Cubs for pitcher Mike Montgomery. Gallagher, who started 25 games as Maldonado’s backup, was in the lineup against the White Sox on Tuesday night while Viloria just arrived from Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

“We’ll just kind of mix it up,” Yost said. “But I think on average, one will play four games one week and the other will play four games a week the next.”

Last year Viloria jumped from Class-A Wilmington to the majors on Sept. 1 and played 10 games, including seven starts as catcher.

“To be able to handle himself the way he did at the big league level behind the plate was pretty impressive,” Yost said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: C Wellington Castillo (strained left oblique) returned from a five-game minor league rehab, replacing Zack Collins on the roster. “Swinging was the hardest thing to do, because I can catch, I can do all the other things. Hitting was the toughest to do,” Castillo said. … There’s no timetable for the return of shortstop Tim Anderson, out for three weeks with a right ankle sprain, according to manager Rick Renteria. “His strength is improving. He’s swinging, he’s taking BP on the field. He’s actually taking some ground balls, still in a controlled environment. He’s getting better every day,” Renteria said.

Royals: Mondesi left with an injuruy after a futile dive for a foul popup in the fifth inning. He left with a trainer cradling his left arm.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Ivan Nova (4-8, 5.60 ERA) will make his 20th start of the season.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (3-5, 4.64 ERA) will make his first start since last Friday night when he left in the third inning after being bruised on the pitching hand by a line drive.

GREAT BEND – The TMP-Marian Monarchs outhit Larned Tuesday night but the Indians scored more runs and beat the Monarchs 9-3 to secure a spot in the Class A State American Legion Tournament. Larned scored five runs in the third inning to take the lead for good and end the Monarchs seven-game win streak.

Mark Rack had two of the Monarchs seven hits and Jacob Pfeifer drove in two.

TMP can still advance to state with a win Wednesday night. They’ll play the winner of the Hays Junior Eagles and Great Bend. Both stayed alive with wins Tuesday.

Brady Kreutzer had three hits and drove in four runs, and Garrett Wellbrock allowed only two hits in a 10-0, four-inning run-rule win over Russell.

Great Bend knocked off the Salina Eagles 15-5, setting up a rematch of the tournament’s first game Wednesday at at 6 p.m.