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Category: Sports

Royals sign Designated Hitter

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RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have finalized a $17 million, two-year deal with veteran slugger Kendrys Morales.

Morales gives the Royals a new designated hitter after Billy Butler agreed to a free agent deal with Oakland. Kansas City will hope last season was an aberration for Morales, who hit .218 with eight homers and 42 RBIs in 98 games with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners.

Two years ago, Morales hit .277 with 23 homers for Seattle.

The 31-year-old Morales will get $6.5 million next year and $9 million in 2016. The deal includes an $11 million mutual option for 2017 with a $1.5 million buyout.

Morales can make an additional $750,000 in performance bonuses in each of the first two seasons based on plate appearances.

Source: Alex Rios, Kansas City Royals agree to $11 million deal

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Outfielder Alex Rios and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to an $11 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Monday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to Rios passing a physical.

Rios would take over in right field from Nori Aoki, who became a free agent after helping the Royals win their first AL pennant since 1985.

Rios, who turns 34 in February, had been with Texas since August 2013 and hit .280 this year with four homers and 54 RBIs. He set career highs with the Chicago White Sox in 2012 with 25 homers and 91 RBIs.

Selected by Toronto with the 19th overall pick in the 1999 amateur draft, Rios has .278 average in 11 big league seasons with 165 homers.

His agreement was first reported by CBS.

Rios is the second bat added by the Royals this month following a $17 million, two-year agreement with designated hitter Kendrys Morales that has not been announced. Morales would replace Billy Butler.

Kansas City still may seek a starting pitcher to join a starting rotation projected to have Jordano Ventura, Jason Vargas, Jeremy Guthrie and Danny Duffy following the loss of James Shields, who became a free agent. Possible fifth starters include left-hander Brandon Finnegan, who pitched in relief in the postseason, and Luke Hochevar, who missed the 2014 season following elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

Also Monday, the Royals agreed to a contract with former Twins right-hander Yohan Pino and designated reliever Casey Coleman for assignment. The 30-year-old Pino went 2-5 with a 5.07 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota last season. He made his debut June 19 against the White Sox and earned his first win against Seattle on July 10.

Pino, who also has pitched for the Indians, Blue Jays and Reds organizations, spent most of last season at Triple-A Rochester. He went 10-2 with a 2.47 ERA for the Red Wings.

Coleman went 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in 10 appearances for the Royals last season. He was 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA for their Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.

— Associated Press —

Northwest Missouri State tennis signs Kearney’s Laura Bartig

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NWMSUNorthwest Missouri State University head tennis coach Mark Rosewell has announced the addition of Laura Bartig to the 2015-16 women’s roster.

Bartig finished second in district play last season for Kearney High School in Kearney, Mo.

“I am really looking forward to having such a high level player from this area join our team next season,” said Rosewell. “She is someone who I think can come in and immediately help our team and our depth.”

The Bearcats begin the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 27, against Maryville University in St. Joseph, Mo.

— Northwest Sports Information —

K-State’s Lockett added to Senior Bowl roster

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KSUKansas State record-setting wide receiver Tyler Lockett was one of 12 players added to the Reese’s Senior Bowl roster today as the senior will participate in the most highly regarded collegiate all-star game next month.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl has invited 110 players to fill the rosters of the North and South squads for this year’s game. Practices are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, while the game is set to kickoff at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 24, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. All of the practices and the game will be televised by NFL Network.

Lockett, the 41st player in K-State history to play in the game and first since 2012, will go down in the record books as arguably the best wide receiver in school history. The first four-time All-American in school history, he currently holds K-State career records for receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and 100-yard receiving games. He is a four-time All-Big 12 performer who was also named the 2013 and 2014 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year.

Lockett, who has accumulated a 3.24 cumulative GPA in business management which was buoyed by a 3.43 GPA in the 2013-14 academic year, is also an Academic All-Big 12 and Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll scholar who earned his K-State degree last weekend. More notably, Lockett was named the Big 12 Football Scholar Athlete of the Year in addition to being one of 16 NFF National Scholar Athletes and Campbell Trophy finalists.

No. 11 K-State will take on No. 14 UCLA in the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl on Friday, January 2, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game, which kicks off at 5:45 p.m., will be televised nationally by ESPN.

— KSU Sports Information —

Kansas’ Shepherd recognized with the Haier Achievement Award

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riggertKUJaCorey Shepherd, a senior football player at the University of Kansas, has been selected as a recipient of the Haier Achievement Award, which is presented to deserving student-athletes for their accomplishments beyond sports. The announcement of the second of eight Haier Achievement Awards being presented this year was made by John Homlish, senior vice president, Digital Living Business Unit for Haier America, one of the world’s leading television and appliance manufacturers, and Doug Vance, Executive Director of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

“The Haier Achievement Award program creates a platform that helps bring to light those student-athletes who are reaching incredible heights in their non-athletic endeavors and serving as role models for all young people,” said Homlish. “We are excited to recognize inspiring student-athletes like JaCorey to further motivate other young people to achieve and succeed beyond their chosen sport. We commend JaCorey on all he has accomplished on the field, in the classroom and in his community.”

Shepherd, a native of Mesquite, Texas, is on schedule to graduate in May 2015 with a Bachelors degree in management and leadership with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. He is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree and a four-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll member. He recently was named the Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award winner and is a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. He took home the Rock Chalk Choice Award for Best Jayhawk in a Supporting Role and was the University of Kansas nominee for the 2013-14 Big 12 Conference Male Sportsperson of the Year. Shepherd is also active in the community through Big Brothers, Big Sisters where he has established a relationship with a “little brother” Christopher and at local schools where he volunteers as a reader and at carnivals, field days and football clinics.

On the field, the 5-foot-11 190-pound cornerback earned First Team All-Big 12 honors this season. He started all 12 games for the second straight season and led the Big 12 with 19 passes defended while also recording 30 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions, while only allowing two touchdown passes. Additionally, he averaged 20.9 yards on 33 kick returns.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Haier Achievement Award,” said Shepherd. “During my Jayhawk career it has been very important to me to be as well-rounded of a student-athlete as I could be and to be recognized for my efforts is very humbling. I am proud to represent Kansas football both on and off the field and would like to share this award with my teammates who have supported me throughout my time at KU.”

Haier will officially recognize Shepherd with a plaque and certificate at an upcoming ceremony. In addition, Haier will donate $2,000 to the University of Kansas general scholarship fund and award a Haier 48-inch LED HD television to the school’s athletic department.

The first Haier Achievement Award winner was Elisha Hande, a three-year letter winner on the women’s tennis team at NC State University who maintains a 4.0 GPA with a major in economics and a minor in German. She was a finalist for the 2014 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, and received the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) community service award in 2012 and 2013 for her work.

Student-athletes from all sports, all schools, and all divisions are eligible for the Haier Achievement Award. Members of CoSIDA and fans can nominate student-athletes at http://achieve.haieramerica.com. Haier will announce eight (8) honorees throughout the year and in mid-March invite fans to vote online for the Haier Ultimate Achievement Award winner. The winner will earn his/her school a $5,000 donation to the general scholarship fund and a Haier 40-inch LED HD television. Additionally, all fans who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a Haier 48-inch LED HD TV.

— KU Sports Information —

Williams earns Big 12 Player of the Week honors

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior Nino Williams earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career on Monday after averaging a near unnamed (4)double-double in a pair of Kansas State wins last week.

Williams becomes the first Wildcat to earn the Big 12’s Player of the Week accolade since Angel Rodriguez won the team’s fifth weekly honor of the 2012-13 season on Feb. 18, 2013. It marks the school’s 22nd league Player of the Week honor since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997.

Williams averaged 17.0 points on 56.3 percent shooting (9-of-16) to go with 9.5 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game in helping the Wildcats to home wins over Bradley (50-47) and Savannah State (73-53). He also shot a stellar 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the free throw line, including an 8-of-8 effort against Savannah State. He has now scored in double figures in six of his eight games played this season, including four consecutive games.

Williams opened the week with his second career double-double and first of the season against Bradley, as he led the team in both scoring (14) and rebounding (12) in 33 minutes of action. He connected 8-of-10 free throws, including four in a row in the last 6:40 of the contest. He followed with his second career 20-point effort in the win over Savannah State, as he went 6-of-8 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, for a career-tying 20 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds in 32 minutes. It marked just his second 20-point game and the first since also scoring 20 in a double-overtime loss at Baylor on Feb. 15, 2014.

In registering four consecutive double-digit scoring games for the first time in his career, Williams is currently averaging 12.8 points on 52.2 percent shooting with a team-high 5.1 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game with seven starts in eight games played. He ranks second on the team in scoring, double-digit scoring games (6), field goals (36), free throws (29), free throws attempted (38), free throw percentage (76.3) and minutes played. He missed the exhibition and the first two regular season games due to a knee injury. He has led the team in scoring a team-best three times and grabbed the rebound lead in three contests.

In the last four games, Williams is averaging 15.8 points on 60 percent shooting (21-of-35) and 7.8 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game while helping K-State to three wins during that span.

K-State (6-4) will take the week off for semester exams before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 20 against former Big 12 foe Texas A&M (7-2) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri for the Wildcat Classic. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and will air nationally on ESPNU.

Release by Tom Gilbert, K-State Associate Director/Athletics Communications

Former Kansas high school standout Ojeleye leaving Duke

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Semi Ojeleye - courtesy photo
Semi Ojeleye – courtesy photo

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke says forward Semi Ojeleye is leaving the program.

School officials said Sunday that Ojeleye received a full release and is expected to transfer to another Division I school. Ojeleye is a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward from Ottawa, Kansas, who averaged three points and 2.3 rebounds in six games for the second-ranked Blue Devils (8-0).

Coach Mike Krzyzewski called Ojeleye “an excellent student and a great representative of our school and basketball program.”

Duke hosts Elon on Monday night.

Griffons dominate Baptist Bible College Sunday 97-57

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MWSUThe Missouri Western men’s basketball team rolled to a 97-57 victory against Baptist Bible College on Sunday at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

12 Griffons played in the game and all 12 players scored en route to the team’s first 40-point win since 2011.

Baptist Bible scored the first six points of the game and led 10-9 early on, but Missouri Western used a 15-2 run to take the lead and cruised the rest of the way.

Cortrez Colbert scored all 15 of his points in the first half as MWSU led 47-24 at halftime.  After a Currie Byrd free throw to start the second half, Ryan Devers scored the next 14 points for the Griffons to extend the lead as Western led by as many as 46 points in the second half.

Devers led all scorers with 24 points on 9-13 shooting from the field. Devers was one of four Griffons in double-figures, including Colbert with 15. Wes Mitter scored a career-high 11 and also had a career-high six assists off the bench. Dareon Jones added 11 points and Byrd led the way with 11 rebounds.

MWSU shot 53 percent from the field, 36 percent from three-point range and 57 percent from the free throw line. The Griffons scored 48 points in the paint to the Patriots 16.

The win moves Missouri Western to 4-4 on the season and they’re back in action Thursday when they get back into MIAA play.  The Griffons host Northeastern State at 7:30 and the game will be broadcast on 680 KFEQ AM.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri State names Mizzou DC Dave Steckel new football coach

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MUSPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Missouri State has hired Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel as its head coach.

The 57-year-old Steckel is a long-time aide of Gary Pinkel and replaces Terry Allen, who was 37-64 in nine seasons and 4-8 last season. The school announced last month that it would not renew Allen’s contract, set to expire at the end of January.

Missouri led the SEC in total defense in conference. Steckel was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the top assistant in the nation and this will be his first head coaching job.

“He’s wanted to be a head coach for a long time now, and it’s exciting for all us that he’s got his chance,” Pinkel said in a statement. “We’ve worked together for close to 20 years and it’s going to be strange to not have him around.

“Missouri State is getting a guy who is an outstanding coach, an even better family man, and someone who really cares about people.”

Steckel was on the sideline for Missouri’s practice earlier Sunday in preparation for the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl and left the field without talking with reporters. At a news conference streamed by the school, Steckel said he’d finalized the decision 15 minutes earlier and added he’d coach Missouri through the Jan. 1 bowl game before joining the Bears full-time.

“This isn’t lip service — we’re going to graduate our players,” Steckel said. “We are going to be very, very competitive on the field, we’re going to build this through hard work. We’re going to be the meanest Bears in the woods.”

After practice, several Missouri players spoke in glowing terms about Steckel, saying he was a big reason they chose Missouri.

“If you don’t want to play for Coach Stec, you don’t want to play for anybody,” defensive end Markus Golden said.

“It’s bittersweet if he leaves,” linebacker Shane Ray said. “Whatever coach Stec does, I’m still one of his guys and I’ll support whatever he does.”

Steckel has coached linebackers for all of Pinkel’s 14 seasons at Missouri and was defensive coordinator the last five.

Assistant coach Cornell Ford said he wouldn’t be the only coach interested in filling Steckel’s shoes at Missouri.

“Coach Pinkel makes those decisions and I just roll with it,” Steckel said. “Whoever he decides will be the guy, will be the guy. But we all want to be it.”

— Associated Press —

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