Sports – Page 45 – Hays Post Archive

Divis homer leads Larks past Denver

Posted on July 13, 2019

HAYS – Wyatt Divis hit a three-run homer to break a 3-3 tie in the third inning to lead the Hays Larks to a 7-3 win over the Denver Cougars Friday night at Larks Park.

Justin Lee had three of the Larks 12 hits and drove in two runs as the Larks (27-7) won their sixth straight.

After giving up three runs in the second, Ryan Ruder (5-1) pitched four scoreless innings and picked up the win. Ruder struck out four with one walk over six innings. Trevor Munsch, Drew Marrufo and Tommy Garcia combined to pitch three scoreless innings to close out the game.

The Larks continue their final weekend homestand of the season Saturday night with the first to two against the Boulder Collegians.

Maldonado, Soler hit home runs, Royals beat Tigers

Posted on July 13, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Martin Maldonado was as shocked as anyone by his tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning.

“No, I thought it was a pop up,” Maldonado said. “I’ve hit balls better than that and they’ve been caught, so I was happy to be rounding third base.”

Maldonado hit a solo homer off Detroit reliever Blaine Hardy that snapped a 5-all tie. Then, Whit Merrifield doubled, stole third and scored on a wild pitch, and Jorge Soler added an insurance run with his 24th homer in the eighth inning as the Royals beat the Tigers 8-5.

Bubba Starling was hitless in his long-awaited major league debut for Kansas City, and the Royals lost starter Danny Duffy to a bruised pitching hand.

Starling, a three-sport star from nearby Gardner-Edgerton (Kan.) High School who was taken by the Royals in the first round of the 2011 draft, ended his 7 ½-year pilgrimage through the minors. He was greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd of 25,059. He walked in his first at-bat in the second inning and scored on a throwing error. He struck out and grounded out twice.

“It was really, really special,” Starling said. “It kind of gave me goosebumps walking up to the box. I kind of settled in after that first at-bat but I definitely had nerves walking in there.”

Playing center field, Starling tried for a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Victor Reyes in the sixth inning, but it went off his glove for a run-scoring double.

“I thought I had a bead on it. Took a step back and then went in on it. But it hit the tip of my glove,” Starling said.

Reyes had three hits and scored twice for the Tigers.

Reyes opened the Tigers’ third with a liner off Duffy’s left hand for a single. Duffy was examined by a trainer and, after a practice toss, stayed in the game. But the left-hander immediately struggled.

Duffy threw a wild pitch and then walked Nicholas Castellanos. Miguel Cabrera followed with a run-scoring single and Brandon Dixon lined an RBI double to right center to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Duffy was then pulled in favor of right-hander Jorge Lopez.

Duffy sustained a contusion of the left hand, but the Royals reported that X-rays were negative and his status is day to day.

“It got me kind of on the thumb pad,” Duffy said. “It just went numb and if that’s how your hand feels on the baseball, it’s not going to work out too often. I hate coming out of the game but I’m really thankful with the way my guys picked me up.”

The Tigers scored another run when first baseman Cheslor Cuthbert made an error on a sharp grounder by Jeimer Candelario. Lopez got out of the inning with a strikeout and a double play and worked three scoreless innings. In fact, five Royals relievers combined for seven innings and surrendered just three hits and one run.

“The bullpen came in and did a wonderful job,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The bullpen was fantastic.”

Cuthbert redeemed himself in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run homer off Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull, giving the Royals a 5-4 lead. The 400-foot blast to left followed a walk to Alex Gordon and an RBI double by Soler.

Turnbull, a rookie, was making his first appearance since June 27 due to shoulder fatigue. He made 56 pitches and worked just three innings, giving up five runs.

“It’s a growing experience. He’s a little confused right now, I’m sure,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They made him work, they got him early on some breaking balls. He went just three innings, but that’s his first comeback after having the dead arm. His arm’s fine, he’s physically great. He was just out of gas. His legs were a little weak and he just kind of hit a wall.”

Jake Newberry (1-0) picked up the win; Ian Kennedy struck out two and earned the save.

Hardy (1-1) allowed two hits and two earned runs with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning for the loss.

DFA FOR GORE

To make room for Starling on the roster, the Royals designated fleet outfielder Terrance Gore for assignment. General manager Dayton Moore said he had this message for Gore: “We’ll try to find you a contending team so you can do your thing in October.” Moore said Gore has “made his mark by being an elite base stealer in some of the most high-pressure situations the game has to offer.”

In 37 games this season, Gore batted .275 (14-for-51) and stole 13 bases in 18 attempts. The 27-year-old Gore appeared in the 2014-15 postseasons for the Royals and had four steals in five tries.

PEREZ ON SCHEDULE

Catcher Salvador Perez, out for the season with Tommy John surgery, is due to test his right arm with some throwing by the end of the month, according to trainer Nick Kenney. “We wanted to get him at least to the 20-week mark to allow everything to set in,” Kenney said. “He’s right on schedule.”

UP NEXT

The Royals send RHP Brad Keller (4-9, 4.47 ERA) against the Tigers on Saturday night. The Tigers’ starter is LHP Matthew Boyd (6-6, 3.87), who ranks third in the American League, averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings.

DFA FOR GORE

In 37 games this season, Gore batted .275 (14-for-51) and stole 13 bases in 18 attempts. The 27-year-old Gore appeared in the 2014-15 postseasons for the Royals and had four steals in five tries.

PEREZ ON SCHEDULE

UP NEXT

La Crosse native, former Stockton coach named Okla. strength coach of the year

Posted on July 12, 2019July 12, 2019

La Crosse native Marty Barnett recently was named the Oklahoma High School Strength Coach of the Year. Shawn Hein / Owasso Reporter

By SHAWN HEIN
Owasso (Okla.) Reporter

OWASSO, Okla. — Marty Barnett recently made history when he was selected as the inaugural winner of the top high school strength coach of the year for Oklahoma.

It was an honor the Rejoice Christian coach humbled accepted last month at the National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

“That was pretty cool,” Barnett said. “I was just really blessed. We’ve got a really neat thing going.”

“He’s made a huge impact,” Marley said of Barnett, who also serves as an assistant coach on his football staff. “We talk about the process. He’s the process guy. His role as a strength coach, he takes that on very seriously and he understands it.”

Barnett’s award is another sign of his success at Rejoice. But, more importantly, the former high school football coach acknowledged the formal recognition and plaque were just another example of how a decision he made more than decade ago proved to be one of the best moves of his life.

Barnett is a native of La Crosse. He grew up in the Sunflower State and attained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Kansas. His wife, April, was raised in nearby Otis.

Barnett went on to be a head football coach at Stockton and later at Pratt Skyline, which was part of the smallest 11-man classification in the state.

Even leading a pair of football program during the early-to-mid 2000s, Barnett’s heart was pulling him in a different direction.

“I enjoyed being a strength coach more than I did being a head coach,” Barnett said. “I enjoyed the process of getting the kids ready. That’s the reason I became a head football coach. It wasn’t because I wanted to be the guy. It was because I wanted to run the weight room.”

Barnett continued to feel the tug to working as a strength coach. In 2006, he took action.

“I’m mowing the football field like every small school coach in Kansas does and I’m just praying about it,” he said. “I knew my heart. That’s where my heart was.”

So, Barnett began to do some research and eventually accepted an unpaid internship at the University of South Florida in Miami. He, his wife and their then 6-month-old son, Isaac, packed up and made the trek to an unfamiliar area and a vastly different environment.

During that year, Barnett completed his internship and April got her foot in the door on a new career path as well, in the human resources and recruiting industry. It paid off. She currently works as a senior recruiter for the Williams Companies in Tulsa.

“She found her niche when I found mine,” Barnett smiled.

Following the completion of Barnett’s internship at USF, the couple decided to move to Oklahoma in 2007. They took another leap of faith.

“Neither of us had a job offer there,” said Barnett, whose only connection to family in Oklahoma was an older brother in Chandler. “We just knew we didn’t want to stay in Florida. We wanted to get closer to family.”

Marty found a job as a freshman football and basketball coach at Mustang High School. April continued her work in HR with INTEGRIS Health Care System.

In the summer of 2008, Marty had reached out to a connection from his college days at Kansas State University and found a way to sharpen his skills as a strength coach. This connection was working at the University of Tulsa at the time so Barnett drove back and forth that summer as free labor for Golden Hurricane athletics.

By that fall, the athletic department created a graduate assistant position for Barnett, which brought them to Tulsa. While working at TU, Barnett attended Victory Church. It was there, he struck up a friendship with another Victory attendee, Marley, who was then a coach at Victory Christian.

“Brent was needing a strength and conditioning guy at Victory,” Barnett said. “And, even though I was at TU at the time, I knew I wanted to work at the high school level again. I wanted to be able to have my cake and eat it too. I wanted to do what I love but I wanted to be home in time to tuck my kids in and see my wife.”

In 2009, Barnett went to work at Victory Christian. He stayed at the south Tulsa school until 2015 when Marley left to take over at as Rejoice’s head coach and athletic director. Even though Marley moved to Owasso, the new campus and facilities, which included a weight room, were a year away from being completed.

“The timing wasn’t right,” Barnett said. “They didn’t have a position for me, unless it was as assistant athletic director. And that’s not where I feel called to be.”

Instead, Barnett moved back to the Oklahoma City area, this time as a strength coach at Moore High School. He served in that capacity for a year before Marley reached out again in 2016.

While he and his family had been faced with tough decisions in the past, Barnett said the choice to move to Rejoice was a no-brainer.

“I loved the people and the vision,” he said. “Coach Marley has done an amazing job as an athletic director of setting the tone with the whole athletic department. I’ve been blessed that every coach has bought in and they see me as their head strength coach.”

Marley said the addition of Barnett has helped raise the level of athletics at Rejoice across the board.

“He knows what he needs and what we need as a school and what we need as a football program,” he said. “If our football program and athletic department was an automobile, he’d be the transmission. He definitely is the guy that makes it go on the inside.”

When Barnett reflects on his journey, he sees his path to Rejoice led by his faith.

“When you step out of the boat and step out in faith, hold on,” Barnett said. “We joke about it but God has been good. All along the way, he’s been there.

“I tell anybody that will listen, it took me 10 years but I’m in my dream job. Now I get what all that was about.”

— Republished with permission

Larks walk away with win over Denver

Posted on July 12, 2019July 12, 2019

HAYS – 12 of the first 14 pitches thrown to the Hays Larks Thursday night were balls. The three walks were the catalyst to an eight-run first inning and the Larks cruised to an 11-1, seven inning run-rule win over the Denver Cougars.

The Larks (26-7) drew six walks in the first inning and took advantage of two throwing errors to take control of the game early. Jimmy DeLeon, Palmer Hutchison, who was called in from the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion, and Justin Lee all drove in runs with hits.

Wyatt Divis drew three of the 13 walks to the Larks and drove in three runs. Lee and Hutchison drove in two runs as the Larks won their fifth straight.

Nash Neff allowed one run on three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts and two walks and picked up the complete game victory, his first of the season.

The same two teams play Friday night. It’s Pack the Pantry weekend with all fans are encouraged to bring a canned food or non-perishable food item. Admission is free courtesy of the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Hays Regional Airport.

Monarchs 17U sweeps Russell to close out regular season

Posted on July 12, 2019

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs 17U baseball team got their final tune up before next week’s Zone Tournament in Great Bend with a couple of one-run wins over Russell Post 99 Thursday night at the TMP Field. The Monarchs (12-8) extended their winning streak to six games victories of 5-4 and 9-8.

Noah Gibson’s bunt single scored Mark Rack in the bottom of the sixth for the walkoff win in the opener. Gibson singled with two outs in the fourth scoring Carter Newell to tie the game 3-3. Both teams scored in the fifth before the Monarchs pushed across the winning run in the sixth.

Newell, Tyson Dinkel and Gibson all had two of the Monarchs nine hits.

Jace Wentling, Nick Herrman and Carter Newell all pitched two innings and combined to strikeout five and walk five.

The Monarchs scored five in the first then after Russell tied the game, added four more in the fourth to take a 9-5 lead in the second game. Kirk Huser hit a three-run homer in the top of the fifth but Noah Gibson got the final three outs to end the game.

Tyson Dinkel and Mark Rack both had two hits with Rack driving in five runs.

Harris pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and picked up the win.

The Monarchs have won nine of the their last 10 and will have a first-round bye in next week’s Great Bend Zone Tournament. They will play the winner of Monday afternoon’s game between the Hays Junior Eagles and the Great Bend Braves Monday at 6 p.m.

Royals select Bubba Starling to Major League roster

Posted on July 11, 2019

Corresponding move to be made prior to Friday’s game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals today selected the contract of Bubba Starling from its Omaha (AAA) affiliate and placed him on the active 25-man roster. The ball club will make a corresponding 40-man roster move prior to Friday night’s 7:15 p.m. game against the Detroit Tigers.

Starling, 26, is enjoying his best overall minor league season, hitting .310 (81-for-261) in 72 games for Omaha, with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 38 RBI, his first full season at the AAA level. He has an on-base pct. of .358 and a slugging pct. of .448 for an OPS of .806. He has also swiped nine bases in 12 attempts.

Bubba earned a spot in the Triple-A All-Star Game, where he went 0-for-2 with a run scored last night as the Pacific Coast League squad defeated a team from the International League, 9-3 in El Paso, TX.

He has batted at a .355 clip (11-for-31) in his last eight games with the Storm Chasers, a stretch that included five straight two-hit games. Starling also had a 10-game hitting streak in early June in which he batted .436 (17-for-39)

A native of nearby Gardner, KS, Starling was a three-sport letterman at Gardner-Edgerton High School before being drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 2011 draft (fifth overall). As a senior, he was a First Team Rawlings Preseason All-America and batted .481 in his final high school season.

Royals media relations

Larks defeat Dodge City to increase division lead in KCLB

Posted on July 11, 2019July 11, 2019

DODGE CITY – The Hays Larks scored five runs in the sixth to break open a one-run game and beat the Dodge City A’s 8-2 Wednesday night at Cavalier Field.

The Larks (25-7, 24-7 KCLB, 9-5 KCLB Jayhawk West) first four batters singled to open the big inning. They scored a run on awild pitch then added two more singles. Skyler Luna, Jimmy DeLeon and Drake Angeron all drove in runs in the inning.

Justin Lee doubled and homered and finished with two RBI.

Starter Rustin Hays (4-1) allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings for the win. Tommy Garcia pitched two scoreless innings of relief as the Larks increase their lead to a game and-a-half over Liberal in the Jayhawk West Division.

The Larks return home Thursday night to play the Denver Cougars. They’ll play the Cougars again Friday then host the Boulder Collegians Saturday and Sunday before returning to Dodge City Monday where they can wrap up a share of the division title.

Senior Legion cruises to sweep in Colby

Posted on July 11, 2019

COLBY – The Hays Eagles Senior American Legion baseball team ran their winning streak to six games Wednesday night with a doubleheader sweep in Colby. The Eagles led 8-1 after three innings then scored five in the sixth to take the opener 14-3 in six innings. They scored 10 in the fourth to break open a one-run game and won the second game 19-4 in five innings.

Brady Kreutzer had four of the Eagles 18 hits in game one hits and Palmer Hutchison drove in four in the first contest. Kreutzer had one of Hays’ five triples in the game along with Hutchison, Justice Dotts and Dominic Bainter.

Colby Dreiling allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks for the complete game win.

Josh Haines doubled twice and drove in six in the second game.

Brady Kreutzer struck out eight with seven walks to win game two. He allowed only one earned run on two hits.

The Eagles have won 14 of their last 15 and improve to 28-6. They’re off until next Wednesday when they host Beloit at Larks Park.

Oklahoma favored to win 5th straight Big 12 title

Posted on July 10, 2019July 11, 2019

IRVING, Texas (AP) – Oklahoma is the favorite to win another Big 12 football title, according to the conference’s preseason media poll released Wednesday.

The Sooners have won the league the last four years and 12 Big 12 championships overall. Oklahoma also made the College Football Playoff three of the past four seasons.

Texas was picked second by media covering the league. The top two teams will meet in the conference championship game on Dec. 7. The Longhorns lost to the Sooners in the title matchup in 2018.

Iowa State, TCU and Oklahoma State round out the top five picks.

The Big 12 will have four new head coaches in 2019 with Les Miles at Kansas, Chris Klieman at Kansas State, Matt Wells at Texas Tech and Neal Brown at West Virginia.

Elmore introduced as Colby CC’s new men’s basketball coach

Posted on July 10, 2019July 10, 2019

COLBY – Colby Community College announced their new men’s basketball coach Wednesday.

Coach Rusty Elmore comes to Colby after being an assistant to Pat Smith at Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Mo., for the past year. Prior to that, Elmore was at Vincennes University

Elmore arrived at Vincennes after being on the staff at Kentucky Wesleyan, where he helped the Panthers qualify for the 2015-16 NCAA Div. II National Tournament. Kentucky Wesleyan also claimed the Great Midwest Athletic Conference’s regular-season and tournament titles. The Panthers were ranked ninth nationally in last season’s final NCAA Div. II poll. At Kentcuky Wesleyan he worked for legendary coach Happy Osborne.

Prior to being named to the Kentucky Wesleyan staff, Elmore served in an assistant coaching capacity at Union College. During his one-year stint at Union, the Bulldogs racked up 30 wins to post the best season in the program’s history. That historic campaign included a NAIA National Tournament appearance, as well the Appalachian Athletic Conference’s regular-season and tournament crowns. Union completed the 2014-15 in the 11th slot in the NAIA national rankings.

Elmore began his college coaching career at Lindsey Wilson College from 2010-14. He contributed to the Blue Raiders reaching the 2012 and 2013 NAIA Div. I National Tournaments, plus a Final Four appearance and No. 3 national ranking in the final poll of 2012-13 (the program’s most successful season ever). Those seasons also held back-to-back Mid-South Conference regular season champions.

As a player at Shoals Community College, Elmore played for his father, Glen Elmore. During his prep playing career, he earned First-Team All-State honors at Florence Christian Academy. Coach Elmore then earned a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State and his master’s degree in athletic administration from Western Kentucky.

Elmore worked eight years as an executive with Chicago White Sox Radio Network, WGN-TV, NBC Atlanta and ABC Asheville before he started his coaching career.

Elmore is married to the former Katie Sheahan of Milwaukee. They have two daughters, Elise and Nora.

Royals top draft pick named national prep player of the year

Posted on July 10, 2019July 10, 2019

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — Bobby Witt Jr. realized a childhood dream, getting selected No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Royals in the major league baseball draft.

The younger Witt added another honor, too, when he and softball pitcher Kelley Lynch were named national prep athletes of the year on Tuesday night.

The son of former major league pitcher Bobby Witt, the Witts are the first father-son duo to be selected in the top three of the draft.

“He pretty much taught me the game since I was little,” said the younger Witt, who pitched and played shortstop. “It’s 90% mental and 10% physical and he’s always taught me that and instilled the hard work.”

Witt Jr. is skipping college to play in the Arizona rookie ball league with an eye on the major leagues.
“It’s been a goal of mine ever since I was little,” he said.

He received his trophy from retired NFL great Peyton Manning, a former winner.

Witt Jr., of Colleyville, Texas, batted .482 with 15 doubles, nine triples and 15 home runs, compiling 55 RBIs — 28 of which came with two outs. He led Colleyville Heritage High to a 39-3 record and the Texas Class 5A state title.

On the mound, Witt Jr. had a 1.80 ERA with five saves in 12 relief appearances, striking out 24 and issuing just three walks in 11 2/3 innings.

Witt’s 55-year-old father pitched 16 years in the majors for Texas, Oakland, the Florida Marlins, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Arizona. He had a 142-157 record with a 4.83 ERA and 1,955 strikeouts from 1986-2001.

The younger Witt had a 4.0 grade point average.

Retired soccer player Abby Wambach presented the girls’ trophy to Lynch.

“I just want you women, you ladies, to understand I stood on the shoulders of giants and so will you,” Wambach said, invoking the names of women’s World Cup champions Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.

“What Megan and Alex have done in terms of celebrating their victories, being confident, being badass, you all take that into every step of your career because the world is ready for you.”

Lynch, of Sharpsburg, Georgia, is the first softball player to win national athlete of the year honors in the program sponsored by Gatorade.

She led East Coweta High to a 32-2 record and the program’s second straight Class 7A state title last season. She was 17-0 with a 0.27 ERA along with a .436 batting average.

Lynch singled out her mother for “playing two roles the last six years.” Her father, who dreamed of Lynch playing Division I softball, died of cancer when she was 12. She has his date of death — March 7, 2011 — tattooed on the inside of her right arm.

“I felt still attached when I’m on the field,” Lynch said. “I think for sure he’s probably smiling right now. I definitely think of him.”

Witt Jr. and Lynch will appear on the cover of next week’s Sports Illustrated.

The other boys’ finalists were: Jake Smith, football, Scottsdale, Arizona; Liam Anderson, cross country, Larkspur, California; James Wiseman, basketball, Memphis, Tennessee; Omar Hernandez, soccer, Dalton, Georgia; Matthew Boling, track and field, Houston.

The other girls’ finalists were: Ellie Holzman, volleyball, New Orleans; last year’s winner Katelyn Tuohy, cross country, Thiells, New York; Azzi Fudd, basketball, Washington, D.C.; Sophie Jones, soccer, Atherton, California; Jasmine Moore, track and field, Mansfield, Texas.

The winners and nominees will walk the red carpet at The ESPYS on Wednesday night.

Quick starts carries Larks past Dodge City

Posted on July 10, 2019

HAYS – George Sutherland hit a first inning grand slam and Michael Gilliland pitched six solid innings to lead the Hays Larks to an 11-3 win over Dodge City Tuesday night at Larks Park. The victory gives them a one-game lead over Liberal in the KCLB Jayhawk West with three division games to play.

Frank Leo Postgame

Game Highlights

Sutherland’s blast over the right field wall put the Larks (24-7, 23-6 KCLB, 8-5 KCLB Jayhawk West) put the Larks up 4-0. Alex Strachen added a two-run homer to kick start a seven-run third. Skyler Luna, Jimmy DeLeon and Wyatt Divis all added RBI singles in the big inning which was capped by a Justin Lee two-run double.

Gilliland (3-1) allowed three runs on five hits with a season-high eight strikeouts and two walks over six innings for the win. He allowed a second inning two-run homer to Antonio Andrade and a fourth inning solo shot to Brett Graber.

The Larks bullpen retired all nine that they faced to close out the game. Trevor Munsch went two innings in his Larks debut. The Wichita State signee out of McLennan (Texas) CC struck out two. Drew Marrufo worked a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Larks and Dodge City play again tonight at Cavalier Field in Dodge City.

Big 12’s preseason best: Ehlinger, Murray, Hurts top awards

Posted on July 10, 2019July 9, 2019

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Texas junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger has been tabbed the Big 12 preseason offensive player of the year, with Oklahoma junior linebacker Kenneth Murray taking the defensive honor.

Jalen Hurts, the former Alabama quarterback who is at Oklahoma as a graduate transfer, was picked as the league’s newcomer of the year in voting by media representatives who cover the league.

The awards were announced Tuesday in advance of the league’s football media days next week at AT&T Stadium, the NFL home of the Dallas Cowboys where the Big 12 championship game is played.

Ehlinger is the Big 12’s top returning passer after throwing for 235 yards a game with 25 touchdowns and five interceptions in 14 games last season. Murray had 155 tackles (11.1 per game) for the Sooners, with 4 ½ sacks and 12 ½ tackles for loss.

Hurts had 5,626 yards and 48 touchdowns passing and 1,976 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing the past three seasons at Alabama.