NEW YORK (AP) — Sporting Kansas City assistant coach Mateus Manoel has been suspended one game and fined an undisclosed sum for entering the field during the 64th minute of Saturday’s game against FC Dallas.
Major League Soccer on Tuesday also fined FC Dallas midfielder Kyle Bekker for improper contact with Sporting Kansas City defender Kevin Ellis. He was cited for violating the policy of placing hands on an opponent’s head or neck.
STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Basketball Writer
The Big 12 again has seven teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Regular-season champion Kansas is a No. 2 seed, and the No. 3 seeds in three of the four regions are from the Big 12 — tournament champion Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor. The league also has the nation’s top cumulative RPI and five top-20 teams in this season’s final AP poll.
“We’re arguably the best conference in the country,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said Monday. “Still, we need to validate that with some tournament wins and some teams advancing.”
This is the second year in a row with seven NCAA teams, making the Big 12 the only league that can boast 14 bids in that span. But only Baylor and Iowa State made it past the opening weekend of the tournament last March, then both lost in the Sweet 16.
EMPORIA, Kan. – The Missouri Western softball team moved to 13-9 on the season, scoring 18 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Southeastern Oklahoma State in game played at Emporia State University.
GAME 1: MWSU 10, SEO 6
The Griffons got 10 runs on 10 hits, taking a 7-1 lead after three innings. Southeastern State added five in the sixth to close the gap but MWSU answered with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning to build a four-run lead.
Janie Smith went the distance, pitching seven innings and allowing six runs. Smith struck out two and walked one, wiggling herself out of a few jams after giving up 11 hits. Paige Shifflett homered for her one hit and RBI. Tiffany Gillaspy went 3-4 with one driven in and two runs scored and Shelbie Atwell went 2-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
GAME 2: MWSU 8, SEO 5
The Griffons scored their first six runs via home runs, getting a three-run homer from Shifflett in the first and a solo shot from Katie Klosterman in the first. In the second, Morgan Rathmann and Gillaspy hit back-to-back solo home runs to put MWSU up 6-1.
Southeastern Oklahoma added three in the bottom of the second and one in the third to tighten the gap, 6-5 and chase Shyanne Saladino from the game. Taylor Schaben entered in relief and got the Griffons out of a jam, completing the next five innings and allowing just three hits.
Rathmann went 3-4 in game two, driving in two and scoring two. Gillaspy was 3-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Shifflett finished with three RBIs on her one hit.
Missouri Western returns to action Tuesday when they host Northwest Missouri State in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The games will be broadcast on ESPN 1550 AM and here on StJosephPost.com.
— MWSU Sports Information —
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Yordano Ventura gave up four runs in the first two innings, but the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Monday.
Ventura gave up hits to the first four batters, with Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana contributing RBI singles in a three-run first. The right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in three innings. He struck out five. Ventura has a 10.29 ERA in three starts.
“I’m happy with my fastball, but they squared some up,” Ventura said through a translator.
Ventura’s fastball reached 100 mph on radar guns.
“Good stuff, got his pitch count (69) where we wanted it.” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s still refining his fastball command.”
Indians right-hander Shaun Marcum, who was limited to 17 1/3 innings in the minors last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, threw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits.
“As far as my arm, it’s night and day to where I was last year,” Marcum said. “I feel like I’m headed in right direction right now. I’ve still got to continue to build up arm strength, pitch count, endurance, mechanically in the pen.”
With Gavin Floyd set to have elbow surgery, Marcum is competing for a spot in Cleveland’s rotation. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013.
Matt Fields hit a two-run homer and Christian Colon had a two-run single for the Royals.
STARTING TIME
Indians: Marcum, who has an out clause near the end of March if not put on the big league roster, acknowledged he is “definitely” pitching for other clubs in spring training. “But the main thing is I want to pitch for these guys,” Marcum said. “They gave me the opportunity last year to come in and do my rehab. I want to show them that I can get people out in the big leagues still. I still feel like I’ve got a lot left in my arm. I definitely don’t want to end my career how it went in New York.”
He was 1-10 with a 5.29 ERA in 2013 with the Mets before surgery.
Royals: RHP Luke Hochevar, who had reconstructive elbow surgery last March, tossed a spotless seventh. “He is less than a year out from surgery so it’s pretty darn encouraging,” Yost said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Gavin Floyd will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured bone in his right elbow. … INF Mike Aviles is nursing a tender right shoulder.
Royals: LF Alex Gordon, who is recovering from December right wrist surgery, faced pitchers for the first time in batting practice Monday. “It went well,” Gordon said. “I’m not worried about results. I haven’t seen a pitch since October. I’m trying to get that rhythm back.”
ROYALS SIGN FURCAL
The Royals signed shortstop Rafael Furcal, 37, to a minor league contract as he rehabs a torn hamstring. Furcal was limited to nine games last year with Miami because of hamstring injuries. He missed 2013 after elbow surgery. He has a .281 batting average in 14 years in the majors.
HALL OF FAME HELP
RHPs Bret Saberhagen and Dennis Leonard, OF Willie Wilson and 1B John Mayberry, who are all in the Royals Hall of Fame, are assisting in camp. “They told me not to screw up too many minor league pitchers,” joked Saberhagen, a two-time AL Cy Young award winner.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber will make his second start Tuesday against the Reds.
Royals: Rookie LHP Brandon Finnegan is scheduled to go three innings Tuesday against the Cubs.
— Associated Press —
Hays, Kan. – Second-seeded Emporia State earned a trip to the Elite Eight with a 66-61 win over top-seeded Fort Hays State in the NCAA Division II Central Regional title game.
ESU trailed by as much as nine early before using an 11-0 run to take the lead at the 8:32 mark in the first half. The Lady Hornets would never trail by more than one point after than leading by as much as 13 points in the second half. ESU hit nine three-pointers as they shot .500 from behind the arch.
For the Lady Hornets Kelly Moten had a double-double as she scored 20 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Kathryn Flott also had a double-double scoring 13 points and pulling down 10 boards while Addie Lackey also finished with 13 points. For the Tigers Kate Lehman scored a game high 27 points while adding five blocked shots on the night. On the glass Keriann Shaw had 10 rebounds while Beth Bohuslavsky dished out a game high nine assists.
Emporia State will now face West Texas A&M in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight on March 24 at a time to be determined from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
— MIAA Press Release —
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — John Lackey pitched three perfect innings in his spring training debut, outpitching David Price in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
“There’s definitely some things to work on, but the main goal of throwing fastballs, building arm strength and locating it — that was pretty good today,” Lackey said.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny let the 36-year-old Lackey set his own pace during camp and it has paid off. The right-hander struck out four and needed only 37 pitches.
“We put the plan together based on what he wanted,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “For us to say this is what we think you should do, for a guy who has been around as long as he has, I think is counter-productive.”
In his third outing of the spring, David Price was nearly as efficient as Lackey, throwing four scoreless innings of one hit ball while striking out five and walking one.
That was a lot better than five days ago, and a lot better than 10 days ago,” Price said, referring to his first two spring starts. “It was good to get out there and to be able, not only be efficient but to execute, for the most part when I was out there on the mound.”
Yoenis Cespedes returned to the Tigers lineup after missing a couple games with a quadriceps injury, and showed little sign of rust. He sent a pitch from Lackey to the right field warning track in the second inning and doubled off Carlos Villanueva in the fifth.
Pete Kozma had an RBI single.
STARTING TIME
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright threw a three-inning simulated game on Monday morning and ran some sprints afterward. An abdominal strain has slowed the Cardinals ace thus far, but Wainwright could make his first Grapefruit League start of the season this weekend.
Tigers: Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his third start of the spring on Tuesday. Verlander has yet to allow a run in five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: Center fielder Jon Jay was among the hitters to take hacks against Wainwright in the simulated game. He had two singles off the big righty. Jay has yet to appear in an exhibition game following offseason wrist surgery but that could change by the end of the week.
Tigers: Slugging third baseman Miguel Cabrera took batting practice with the team on the main field prior Monday’s game. It marked the first time Cabrera, who underwent offseason ankle surgery, has taken batting practice on the road this spring. The Tigers have yet to announce a timetable for his first spring game appearance. … Catcher Alex Avila, who has been dealing with back soreness, played in his first game since March 11. Avila stuck out in both plate appearances.
EARLY RETURNS
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny isn’t worried about second baseman Kolton Wong’s slow start to the spring. Wong has only two hits in 18 at-bats. “I don’t look at numbers right now,” Matheny said. “I look at at-bats and I’ve seen him take some really good at-bats.”
SHIFT BUSTER
With Detroit moving third baseman Nick Castellanos to short right field as part of a defensive shift against Matt Adams, the power hitting lefty attempted, unsuccessfully, to bunt the ball to the left side for a hit. After two strikes Adams slashed a line drive to the third base side that went foul, then struck out looking. Afterward, Matheny reiterated his desire to see Adams steal some hits via the bunt in those situations this season.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Marco Gonzales will get his third start of the spring, going against Miami’s Jarred Cosart.
Tigers: Verlander and the Tigers return to Lakeland to face Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals.
— Associated Press —
The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Monday that the club has signed defensive back Ron Parker.
“I am happy we were able to work out a deal with Ron and his agent to keep him in Kansas City,” Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey said. “He is a versatile player with a great attitude that’s made a positive impact on both defense and special teams. Right from the beginning of this process, we wanted Ron back in a Chiefs uniform.”
Parker (6-0, 206) has played in 42 games (16 starts) in four NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs (2013-14), Seattle Seahawks (2011, 2012), Carolina Panthers (2012) and Oakland Raiders (2011). His career numbers include 101 tackles (91 solo), 2.0 sacks (-17.0 yards), two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He owns three career interceptions returned for 39 yards along with 15 passes defensed and 10 special teams tackles.
Last season with the Chiefs, Parker played in all 16 games (15 starts), tallying 94 tackles (84 solo), 1.0 sack (-14.0 yards), one forced fumble and one interception. He joined the Chiefs on Sept. 1, 2013 after being waived by the Seahawks. He has seen action with Kansas City at both the safety and corner positions. The St. Helena Island, South Carolina, native, originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Seattle in 2011. He played collegiately at Newberry.
— Chiefs Media Relations —
The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team defeated Augustana College, 66-65, Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Northwest moves to 25-6 overall while Augustana ends the season at 31-3. The 25 wins is the most in coach McCollum’s career.
Augustana was the region’s top seed and the nations No. 2 ranked team. The Vikings were serving as host for the Central Regional Tournament.
Augustana scored the first nine points of the game and midway through the first half, the Bearcats fell behind, 23-13. But Northwest found Connor Crooker for a three and forced a Viking turnover on the next possession. Matt Wallace found Grant Cozad for a jumper to cut the lead to 23-18. After a steal from Zach Schneider, Wallace again found Cozad for a contested jumper to make it 23-20.
Northwest came out of the locker room down by eight but erased the deficit in an efficient 4 minute and 23 second run which included four three pointers, three coming from Schneider and one from Justin Pitts. After an Augustana free throw, Brett Dougherty gave Northwest its first lead of the game, 43-42, converting a layup.
After building an eight point lead midway through the second half, Augustana went on a 13-2 run to take a 59-56 lead with 6:15 left in the second half. After a nearly three minute scoring drought by both teams, Dougherty converted a layup with 3:16 left to bring Northwest to within one, 59-58.
Down by one with just over a minute to play, Crooker created space on a drive and hit a pull up jumper in the lane to give Northwest a 60-59 lead, prompting an Augustana timeout. The Vikings would miss a three pointer on the next possession but got the offensive rebound but again failed to convert as Northwest continued to lead, 60-59, with 39 seconds.
Justin Pitts hit two free throws with 28 seconds remaining to give Northwest a 62-59 lead. But the Vikings again collected an offensive rebound off a missed three pointer and converted to make the score 62-61 in favor of the Bearcats. Pitts again knocked down a pair of free throws to make the cushion three again, 64-61 with 15 seconds left.
Augustana’s Spencer Jordan hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to bring the game to within one, 64-63, but Pitts was able to get free and was again fouled. After hitting both free throws, Northwest held a 66-63 lead. Alex Richter collected his sixth rebound on a missed three pointer and scored a layup with one second remaining but Northwest alertly threw the inbounds down the floor and time expired, giving the Bearcats a 66-65 victory.
Justin Pitts had a game-high 22 points, going 7-of-14 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. It was his seventh game with 20 or more points.
After scoring just three points in the first half, Zach Schneider found the range from long distance, knocking down four long range buckets in the second half to finish the game with 15 points.
Dougherty finished the game with 11 points, Matt Wallace set a career high with nine rebounds, scoring six points with six assists and three steals, while Conner Crooker had eight points with five rebounds and two assists.
Northwest will play Minnesota State-Moorhead on Tuesday, March 17, at 7 p.m. in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Moorhead defeated the Bearcats in the season opener back on November 14, 75-66.
— Northwest Sports Information —
PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Missouri Western baseball team wrapped up a four-game series at Pittsburg State by splitting a doubleheader in two extra-inning games Sunday. The two teams battled back and forth in all four games, each winning two. The Griffons return to St. Joseph, 13-7 overall and 9-3 in the MIAA.
GAME 1: MWSU 10, PSU 9 (8 innings)
Dylon Koch drove in six of the Griffons’ final seven runs in a comeback win during the first game of the doubleheader
In a seesaw battle, the Griffons trailed 8-3 going into the fifth. Koch hit a three-run home run in the fifth to make it an 8-6 Pittsburg State lead. He homered again in the seventh, this time a two-run shot that tied the game at eight. In the eighth, Andy Rieth hit a sacrifice fly that put MWSU up 9-8 and Koch drew a bases loaded walk that pushed the 10th run home. The Gorillas threatened to prolong, or win the game in the bottom of the eighth but bullpen specialist, Richard Peoples wiggled out of the jam, allowing one run, and picking up his fourth win of the year (4-0), all in relief.
The Griffons led 1-0 after one inning on Cody Childs’ solo home run in the first but Pitt took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the second. MWSU jumped back in front in the third, getting and RBI double from David Glaude and an RBI single from Cosimo Cannella that put the Griffons on top, 3-2. The Gorillas answered with three in the bottom of the third to jump ahead, 6-3, and made it a five run lead in the fourth.
Koch finished 2-3 with six RBIs and two runs scored. Childs was 2-4 with one batted in and three runs scored. Mitch Thorman was 2-4 with two runs scored. Peoples went the final two innings, allowing one run and one hit. A.J. Martinez got the start and went two and two thirds, allowing five runs on seven hits.
GAME 2: PSU 8, MWSU 5 (8 innings)
Peoples suffered his first loss of the season, allowing a one-out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth that gave the Gorillas an 8-5 win and a split in the doubleheader and four-game series.
In yet another back-and-forth game, MWSU took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh with a two-RBI double by Childs but PSU tied it in the bottom half of the inning to force extras. Buzz Verduzco was ejected in the bottom of the seventh after arguing balls and strikes. David Glaude put the Griffons up 5-4 in the top of the eighth with a solo home run, his sixth of the season. Andrew Ramirez drew a walk two batters later and advanced to second on a wild pitch during a Koch strikeout. Ramirez made it to third on another wild pitch with Ryan Degner at the plate but Degner would pop up the end the half inning.
Peoples struck out the leadoff batter but then gave up two straight singles and a passed ball allowed both runners to advance. After an intentional walk, Andrew Vogelbaugh ended the game with a grand slam.
No Griffon finished with more than one hit, totaling eight in the game as a team. Banks Born went the first four innings, giving up three runs – two of them earned – on five hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.
Missouri Western will return to the Spring Sports Complex for a single game with Central Missouri on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. Due to MIAA scheduling, the contest will be considered a non-conference game.
— MWSU Sports Information —
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Selected as a No. 2 seed, the Kansas men’s basketball team will make its 26th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The nation’s longest-active streak in the Big Dance will start against No. 15 seed New Mexico State in the Midwest Region on Friday, March 20, at 11:15 a.m. (Central) on CBS.
Kansas (26-8, 13-5) extended its unprecedented run of 11-straight Big 12 titles to conclude the regular season and, on Sunday, the Jayhawks lengthened their NCAA Tournament streak to 26 seasons in a row – the longest streak in the nation. The unveiled bracket paired Kansas against Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State (23-10, 13-1) in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
This marks the sixth-straight season that the Jayhawks have earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. In head coach Bill Self’s 12 seasons, KU has never been seeded lower than fourth. Kansas has been a two-seed seven times, including each of the last two seasons (1990, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2012, 2014, 2015).
The Jayhawks and Aggies have played twice previously, with the Jayhawks coming away with victories in each (102-51, Dec. 7, 1965; 100-79, Dec. 3, 2008).
ABOUT KANSAS (26-8, 13-5 Big 12)
Overall, the Jayhawks are making their 44th NCAA Tournament appearance. KU is 96-42 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 30 Sweet 16 appearances and 14 trips to the Final Four.
The Jayhawks finished the 2014-15 regular season with a 26-8 record against the nation’s toughest schedule, which included a program-best 10 victories against ranked opponents. In conference tournament action, Kansas defeated TCU and Baylor to advance to the Phillips Big 12 Championship finals against Iowa State. The Cyclones won their second-consecutive conference tournament to hand Kansas a 26-8 record to begin postseason play. Against the No. 1 RPI conference and the nation’s toughest strength of schedule, Kansas won the Big 12 Conference regular-season outright on March 3.
Kansas is one of seven Big 12 Conference teams to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, marking just the sixth time in NCAA history that 70 percent of a league was selected. The seven teams tied the Big Ten for the conference with the most teams represented in the tournament. In all, KU faced 10 NCAA Tournament teams in 2014-15.
Led by the Associated Press Big 12 Coach of the Year, Self guided his Jayhawks through a non-conference schedule that included the No. 1 overall seeded and undefeated Kentucky, as well as, Michigan State, Utah and Georgetown. All-Big 12 First Team junior forward Perry Ellis set the tone for Kansas and is the only player in the Big 12 that ranks in the top-10 in the league in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage. As a team, KU averages 71.2 points per game and outscores opponents by a +6.8 margin.
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE (23-10, 13-1 WAC)
The Aggies head to the NCAA Tournament after claiming their fourth-consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournament title, an impressive addition to their 2015 WAC regular-season championship. The tourney title, which NMSU won handily over Seattle on Saturday, marked the team’s fifth in the last six years under 2015 WAC Coach of the Year Marvin Menzies.
Redshirt freshman forward Pascal Siakam leads an otherwise veteran Aggie lineup. He shoots 57.7 percent from the floor and averages 13.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, earning himself WAC Freshman of the Year honors. Senior forward Remi Barry leads the team with a 13.3 scoring average and is one of four Aggies to average double-figures. Senior guard Daniel Mullings was named to the All-WAC First Team, while fellow senior Tshilidzi Nephawe earned WAC Tournament MVP honors. Running the floor, sophomore guard Ian Baker leads the team with a 47.2 three-point field goal percentage (58-of-123) and dishes 2.8 assists per game.
Aside from a 13-1 conference slate, New Mexico State will enter postseason play on a 13-game win streak. The Aggies’ last loss came on Jan. 17 at Seattle, which they avenged with an 80-61 win in the WAC Tournament championship game.
UP NEXT
The winner of (2) Kansas vs. (15) New Mexico State will advance to play the winner of (10) Indiana and (7) Wichita State on Sunday, March 22.
— KU Sports Information —
