Monarchs down Newton Rebels 8-6

The Hutchinson Monarchs defeated the Newton Rebels 8-6 Monday night at Klein-Scott Field-Centennial Park in a Jayhawk Collegiate League baseball game.

The Rebels scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Hutchinson improved to 17-7 overall and 6-2 in league play. Newton dropped to 4-20 overall and 1-6 in league play.

The Monarchs will travel to Augusta Tuesday night to play the Kansas Cannons.

Hutchinson hosts the Rebels Wednesday at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson’s Carey Park.

Remaining Hutchinson Monarchs 2024 Schedule

Tuesday — Kansas Cannons, at Augusta.

Wednesday — Newton Rebels, Hobart-Detter Field, Carey Park.

Friday — Diamond Kings, Hobart-Detter Field, Carey Park.

Saturday — Vintage Baseball Game, Hobart-Detter Field, Carey Park, 5:15 p.m.

July 15 — Wichita Black Sox, Hobart-Detter Field, Carey Park.

July 16 — Wellington Heat, Hibbs Hooton Stadium, Wellington.

July 18 — Kansas Cannons, Hobart-Detter Field, Carey Park.

July 19 — Kingman Islanders, Hobart-Detter Field, Carey Park.

July 20 — NBC Monarchs Autograph Session, 11 a.m. Scheel’s Sporting Goods Store, Wichita.

July 25-Aug. 3 — 90th National Baseball Congress Tournament, Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium (‘Round the Clock Baseball July 27).

Omma Tigres capture title at 76th Newton MAAC fastpitch softball tourney

The Newton Mexican American Athletic Club hosted its 76th Men’s Fastpitch Softball Tournament July 4-7 in Newton — billed as “America’s oldest Mexican-American fastpitch softball tournament.”

The Omma Tigres of Midland, Texas,  downed the host Newton Mexican-American Athletic Club 10-2 Sunday in five innings to claim the tournament championship.

The Tigres downed the Angels 25-0 in the first round, the Bluejays 8-0 in the second round, the Kansas City Bravos in the quarterfinals and NMAAC 6-0 in the semifinals.

According to the tournament’s website, “Newton’s first Annual Mexican American Men’s Fast Pitch Tournament was published in a small news announcement in the Evening Kansan-Republican on July 3rd, 1946.

“The article stated that a daylight softball tournament sponsored by the Mexican Catholics was scheduled for Thursday, July 4th at Athletic Park. Two Newton local clubs, (the Mexican Catholics and Wiley-McCalls), as well as teams from Topeka, Emporia, Wichita and Hutchinson, were expected to compete in the single elimination event.

“Reported in the subsequent July 5th news article stated, ‘Mexicans Win Own Tournament’ in the championship game against Topeka 15-5. Though the first tournament held would seem small in its inception, in the following 75 years it would grow, develop and eventually grant Newton the title ‘Home of the Oldest Men’s Fast Pitch Tournament in the Country.’”

Lawrence Vieyra of Hutchinson was inducted into the Newton Mexican American Athletic Club Fastpitch Hall of Fame in 2023.

Other MAAC Hall of Fame members from Hutchinson are Larry Ramos, Frank Raya and John Sallabedra, 1998; Vince Ramos, Hutchinson/Newton, 2007; and Alex Vieyra, 2016.

Four KC Royals selected for MLB All-Star Game

Kansas City Royals’ star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., one of four KC players selected to play in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, announced he will compete in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

In addition to Witt, catcher Salvador Perez, and starters Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans were all named to the American League All-Star roster. Perez is going to his ninth All-Star Game. Witt, Lugo and Ragans are going for the first time.

The T-Mobile Home Run Derby is at 7 p.m. Central time on Monday, July 15, on ESPN.

The All-Star Game is set for 7 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, July 16, on FOX.

Both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Witt grew up in Colleyville, Texas, just north of Arlington. His father Bobby Witt Sr. pitched for 11 of his 16 MLB seasons with the Texas Rangers.

Witt is the fourth MLB player to announce participation in the Home Run Derby. The others are Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson, Philadelphia third baseman Alec Bohm and two-time Derby champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.

Bohm is the first former Shocker to participate in the MLB Home Run Derby and is the first former Shocker to be named an All-Star since Joe Carter in 1996. Two other Shockers played in All-Star Games — Tyler Green in 1995 and Ken Berry in 1967.

Witt is the fifth Royal to participate in the Home Run Derby. Perez competed in the Derby in 2021. He belted a KC-record 28 homers in the first round but lost to eventual champion Alonso.

The other Royals who have competed in the Home Run Derby are Bo Jackson (1989) Danny Tartabull (1991) and Mike Moustakas (2017). 

It’s the first time since 2016 that the Royals have four All-Star representatives, and Ragans and Lugo are the first Royals pitchers to be named to an All-Star Game since Jason Vargas in 2017.

This marks the first time in franchise history that the Royals will have two All-Star starting pitchers in the same season.

Witt, Lugo and Ragans are all first-time All-Stars, while Perez is heading to his ninth Midsummer Classic.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be represented by relief pitcher Ryan Helsley. The Colorado Rockies will be represented by third baseman Ryan McMahon.

Wichita Wind Surge’s Luke Keaschall to play in MLB Futures Game

Less than a week out from MLB All-Star Week, Luke Keaschall becomes the new Minnesota Twins representative for the 2024 MLB All-Star Futures Game Sunday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Keaschall takes over for former Wind Surge infielder Brooks Lee, who ascended to the big leagues for his MLB Debut with the Minnesota Twins on July 3 against the Detroit Tigers.

Keaschall is the fourth Wind Surge player selected for the Futures Game in team history, alongside David Festa (2023), Matt Wallner (2022) and Josh Winder (2021).

Kansas City will be represented in the Futures Game by right-handed pitcher Ben Kudrna of the A+ Quad Cities River Bandits and outfielder Gavin Cross from the AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Kudrna is from Shawnee Mission and attended Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park. He was the Kansas City Royals’ Round 2 43rd overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Cross, from Bristol, Tenn., and Virginia Tech University, was the Royals’ Round 1 ninth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Five Big 12 football teams ranked in 247sports.com preseason Top 25

Five Big 12 Conference football teams are ranked in the 247sports.com preseason Top 25 poll released on Monday.

Newcomer Utah is ranked 13th, Kansas State 18th, Oklahoma State 19th, Kansas 21st and newcomer Arizona is 22nd.

Former Big 12 schools Texas and Oklahoma, which moved to the Southeastern Conference this year, are ranked third and 14th.

Georgia is ranked first and Ohio State second. Oregon (now in the Big 10) and Mississippi are fourth and fifth. Sixth though 10th are Alabama, Notre Dame, Missouri, defending national champion Michigan and Penn State,

LSU and Florida State are 11th and 12th. Nos. 15-17 are Clemson, Tennessee and Miami. No. 20 is North Carolina State. Nos. 23-25 are Texas A&M, Southern California and Louisville.

Teams that just missed the cut are Iowa, Kentucky and Tulane.

Klieman, Leipold on Dodd Trophy watch list for football coaches

Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman and Kansas head football coach Lance Leipold have been named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list, the organization announced on Monday.

Klieman and Liepold are two of 21 college football coaches selected to the preseason list.

Klieman is 39-24 in five seasons as the head coach in Manhattan and has a career record of 111-37 (he was 69-6 at North Dakota State for five years). Klieman helped guide the Wildcats to a 9-4 record in 2023.

Entering his fourth season leading the Jayhawks, Leipold has put his track record as a proven program builder on full display during his time at Kansas. He has a 17-21 record at Kansas, including a 9-4 record in 2023 and 6-7 in 2022. He has a career record of 163-60.

He has guided the Jayhawks to back-to-back bowl games, including a 49-36 victory over UNLV in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, which was KU’s first bowl victory since 2008. 

Prior to Leipold’s arrival, Kansas had only made consecutive bowl game appearances once in program history (2007 and 2008).

Other Big 12 Conference coaches on the list are Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham.

Also on the watch list are Ohio State’s Ryan Day, who has been on the Dodd Trophy preseason watch list in each of the last four offseasons. He is joined by three other Big Ten coaches: Penn State’s James Franklin, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz and USC’s Lincoln Riley.

Other notable names include Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel, LSU’s Brian Kelly, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Miami’s Mario Cristobal, NC State’s Dave Doeren, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry.