The Junction City Lady Jay soccer team lost to Emporia Friday night at Al Simpler Stadium 4-1.

The loss dropped the Lady Jays to 3-4 on the season.  They fell to Hays on Monday 2-0.

The Junction City Blue Jays had an undefeated Shawnee Heights baseball team on the ropes Friday night at Rathert Field.

Junction City ( 4-4 ) had jumped out to an 11-4 lead, but couldn’t hold it. The Thunderbirds rallied with six runs in the sixth inning and one in the 7th inning to tie the game 11-11, and then scored three in the top of the ninth to get a 14-11 victory over the Blue Jays.  Good hitting by Shawnee Heights was the key to the rally.

Blue Jay coach Drew Biery said the Thunderbirds were a good ballclub. “They got us on our heels and they took advantage. It seemed like every mistake we made it scored two or three runs.

Shawnee Heights ( 6-0 ) won the first game of the doubleheader 15-0 in four innings.

Biery noted when his team was up 11-4 in the third inning on the Thunderbirds in the second game he thought the Blue Jays believed they had it won. We had opportunities where we could score. In the third inning we got the hit that scored it. The rest of the game we just didn’t get those hits.”

The coach added he was tied of the way the Blue Jays responded after the big loss in the first game of the twinbill. “They came out and they did what they were supposed to do. They did what we asked them to do, and that is compete.” Biery added, “That is one of the best teams in the state, and I’m proud that we’re hanging with them, but to this point there’s no more moral victories, it’s only results. And those kids need to understand they’ve got to make the plays when the time comes.”

A key play occurred in the bottom of the 8th inning with the game tied 11-11 when Amir McFarthing tripled with two out for Junction City. The next hitter Bobby Khoury hit a hard shot down the first base line that got past the first baseman, but then bounced and  popped up in the air where it was caught with Shawnee Heights quickly stepping on the first base bag to make the final out of the inning,  preventing the Blue Jays from getting the win.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals and A’s picked up right where they left off.

In their first meeting since last September’s dramatic wild-card game, Paulo Orlando delivered a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning Friday night to help Kansas City to a 6-4 win over Oakland in another back-and-forth affair.

Omar Infante also drove in a pair of runs for the Royals, whose 12-inning victory over the Athletics last year ultimately spurred them all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.

Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis (2-0) each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of the Royals’ Jeremy Guthrie, and Greg Holland breezed through the ninth for his fourth save.

Dan Otero (0-1) gave up both runs in the eighth inning for Oakland.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior safety Dante Barnett was one of 42 players nationally to be named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation on Friday.

 

Barnett is the fourth Wildcat to be selected as a candidate for the award. Arthur Brown was one of four finalists in K-State’s Big 12 Championship season of 2012, while Ty Zimmerman was a preseason candidate in 2013 and Ryan Mueller was a quarterfinalist in 2014.

 

The criteria for selecting student-athletes for the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list is based on both athletic ability and character attributes. The acronym for IMPACT is Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. The nominees are considered for their academic standing at their university, community contributions, leadership skills and overall character.

 

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Barnett has started a K-State defensive-best 28 career games, including every game over the last two years. He is coming off a season in which he earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors after recording 77 tackles, including four for loss, three interceptions and 11 passes defended. He earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following the Texas game thanks to four passes defended.

 

Off the field, Barnett is a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, while he has volunteered for many community-service activities, including Cats in the Classroom, Senior Cats and Adopt-a-Family.

Ryan Lackey

Assistant Director – Athletic Communications

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber announced the signings of community college guard Carlbe Ervin(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma/Connors State College) on Friday.

 

“We are excited to welcome Carlbe to K-State,” said Weber. “He brings significant leadership and experience playing the point at the community college level, while also bringing a definite degree of toughness. He led his team to 30 consecutive wins and a No. 1 seed in the national tournament eventually finishing in the final eight. He is a versatile player who is a great distributor of the ball and has shown the ability to get to the basket and finish. Much like Kamau, he wants to do whatever it takes to help his team be successful.”

 

A 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from Oklahoma City, Ervin comes to K-State after spending the past two seasons at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma following a prep career at Edmond North High School. He helped the Cowboys to a combined 53-9 record during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, including a school-record 30-game winning streak and the top-seed in the 2015 National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Tournament this past March.

 

One of 10 NCJAA Division I First Team All-Americans, Ervin led the Cowboys to a 30-2 overall record in 2014-15, including a 15-0 mark in league play, en route to a Region II title and the No. 1 seed in the NJCAA National Team. The team fell in the Elite Eight to eventual national runner-up South Plains College, 81-65, on March 19. In addition to his All-America honors, he also garnered Region II Player of the Year and First Team Oklahoma Collegiate Athletics Conference honors.

 

Ervin averaged 16 points on 53 percent shooting (170-of-321), including 27.8 percent (15-of-54) from 3-point range, as a sophomore in 2014-15 to go with 8.2 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He ranked fourth in the NJCAA in both assists (246) and assists per game (8.2 apg.), while he led the Cowboys in assists, steals, assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3), free throws made (124) and attempted (186) and was second in scoring and field goals made.

 

Ervin scored in double figures in 26 of 30 games played, including nine 20-point outings, with a season-high 29 points against Northern Oklahoma-Enid on 11-of-17 field goals. He also registered two triple-doubles (points/rebounds/assists) during the season, including 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a win at Seminole State and 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Eastern Oklahoma State. In all, he recorded nine double-doubles (points/assists) and dished out double-digit assists on 10 occasions.

 

As a freshman in 2013-14, Ervin averaged 12 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game en route to helping Connors State to a 23-7 record and a 13-5 mark in conference play.

 

A product of Edmond North High School in Oklahoma City, Ervin averaged 19.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 4.0 steals and 1.5 blocks as a senior in 2012-13 en route to earning First Team Big All-City honors.

 

Ervin is the second player to ink with the Wildcats during the Spring Signing Period, joining prep school guard Kamau Stokes (Baltimore, Maryland/Fork Union Military Academy) who was announced on Wednesday. Stokes, who spent a postgraduate year at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia in 2014-15, won two state titles and two Catholic League championships while in high school.

 

Ervin is the first player from the state of Oklahoma since Clent Stewart(Tulsa) in 2007-08, including the first Oklahoma City native since Steve Mitchell (Northwest Classen) in 1972-73, while he is the second player from the community college ranks under Weber, joining new teammateStephen Hurt (Murfreesboro, Tennessee/NW Florida Junior College).

 

Ervin and Stokes join the three-man Fall Signing Class, which includes Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year Dean Wade (St. John, Kansas/St. John), Barry Brown (St. Petersburg, Florida/Gibbs) and Dante Williams(Arlington, Texas/Bowie).

 

Wade, who helped St. John collect a 76-1 record and three consecutive Class 2A state championships in his high school career, became the seventh Wildcat recruit to be named Mr. Kansas Basketball by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) on March 30. Brown, who totaled 1,787 points his prep career, led Gibbs High School to a 21-9 record and a trip to the semifinals of the Class 5A state championships as a senior in 2015. Williams, the two-time District 4-6A Defensive Player of the Year, guided Bowie High School to a 25-10 record as a senior.

 

The Spring Signing period runs until Wednesday, May 20.

 

–www.kstatesports.com–

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TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals have recalled outfielder Reymond Fuentes from Triple-A Omaha and optioned outfielder Terrance Gore to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Kansas City announced the moves before opening a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

The 24-year-old Fuentes was acquired from San Diego last November for minor league pitcher Kyle Bartsch. He was 8 for 18 with a double in his first six games in Omaha.

The Royals were seeking a little more offensive production after losing outfielder Alex Rios to a broken finger. Gore was called up to replace him, but he is known primarily for his speed and not his production. He didn’t appear in a game while with the Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas will play Team Canada in a pair of exhibition games at Sprint Center in June before heading to South Korea as Team USA for the World University Games.

The Jayhawks, who will be allowed to use incoming recruits, will play the Canadian team on June 23 and June 26 in Kansas City. The tournament is scheduled for July 3-14.

Kansas was selected by the U.S. International Sports Federation to represent the United States at the tournament. The exhibition games, just like those in the tournament, will use FIBA rules that include 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock.

The Jayhawks, bounced by Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament, will not have Kelly Oubre Jr. or Cliff Alexander, who have declared for the NBA draft after their freshmen seasons.

The Kansas City Royals plan some special events during this weekend’s home stand against the Oakland Athletics.

Every Friday, fans at Kauffman Stadium can enjoy “Buck Night,” featuring hot dogs and peanurs for just one dollar.

A pregame on-field ceremony tonight will honor the three Royals who received Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for the 2014 season: first baseman Eric Hosmer, catcher Salvador Perez and left fielder Alex Gordon.

The Royals will recognize the return of former Royal Billy Butler by presenting him with his 2014 American League Championship ring.

One Saturday, the first 10,000 fans will receive an American League Champions replica trophy courtesy of Pepsi.

Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber has announced that freshman forward Malek Harris has been

dismissed from the men’s basketball program.

“We have high standards for the players in our program,” said Weber. “Unfortunately, Malek could not live up to those expectations. We wish him the best as he continues his basketball career.”

A 6-fot-8 215 pound guard from Orland Park, Illinois, harris averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 27 games as a true freshman in 2014-15.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Due to the forecast of rain and possible thunderstorms on Friday evening and night, the first pitch time of the series opener between K-State and No. 19 Texas Tech on April 17 at Tointon Family Stadium has been moved to 3 p.m., K-State Athletics officials announced.

 

The remaining start times for the series will be remain unchanged at this point, but officials will continue to monitor the forecasts. Saturday’s game is set for 2 p.m. while the series finale on Sunday is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.

 

For fans unable to attend Friday’s game due to the change in start time, tickets can be redeemed for any remaining game this season.

Chris Kutz, Assistant Director, Athletics Communications

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