MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Kennys Vargas and Kurt Suzuki each hit a two-run homer, powering the Minnesota Twins past the Kansas City Royals 8-5 Thursday for their first series win this season.

Tommy Milone (2-0) picked up his second straight victory for the Twins, recovering from a rough start to log 5 1-3 innings.

Lorenzo Cain put the Royals in front with his two-run shot in the first inning, but starter Jason Vargas (1-1) was shelled. He gave up 10 hits and a walk, failing to get an out in the fourth and leaving with a 5-3 deficit.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With anticipation growing for next Saturday’s special 2015 Purple/White Spring Game at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, K-State Athletics officials have announced numerous details surrounding the game, including former Wildcat letter winners Larry Brown and Clarence Scott serving as honorary captains.

 

Brown, a fullback from 1967-68, served mainly as a blocking back his first season before gaining more carries as a senior. In addition, he was part of the team that played the first game at then-KSU Stadium on Sept. 21, 1968, a 17-7 win over Colorado State. He later went on to play eight seasons for the Washington Redskins, leading the NFL in rushing in 1970 and being named NFL MVP in 1972.

 

A defensive back from 1968-70, Scott also played in the first game at the home of now-Bill Snyder Family Stadium. As a senior in 1970, he earned First Team All-America honors from Sporting News and Look Magazine in addition to being a First Team All-Big Eight honoree. Drafted 14^th overall in the 1971 NFL Draft by Cleveland, Scott played 13 seasons in the NFL and helped the Browns earn four playoff appearances, while he was a 1973 Pro Bowler. He also is a member of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame.

 

There are multiple activities available outside the stadium prior to the game, while fans unable to attend the game can watch live on K-StateHD.TV or listen on the K-State Sports Network. Details include:

 

Pregame Fan Zone

Located in the Sprint Plaza on the west stadium prior to the game, the Pregame Fun Zone will feature:

• Merchandise sales
• A live radio remote by Sports Radio 810 WHB
• Inflatable games
• Futsal court soccer game with K-State women’s soccer head coach Mike Dibbini and assistant coach Gabe Romo
• Various sponsorship tables, including a race car from Kansas Speedway
• Photo booths with free photo strips
• Various kids activities, including face painters, balloon twisters, games, crafts and putt-putt
• Tables from university units

 

K-StateHD.TV

Fans unable to attend the game can watch live on K-StateHD.TV with audio from the K-State Sports Network. Fans wishing to sign up to primarily watch the Purple/White Spring Game can purchase a monthly subscription for $9.95.

 

K-State Sports Network

A total of 11 K-State Sports Network affiliates (listed below) will carry the Purple/White Spring Game. A special pregame show will begin at 2:30 p.m., as the Voice of the Wildcats, Wyatt Thompson, and former K-State quarterback Stan Weber will call the action with Matt Walters providing updates from the sidelines.

 

Tickets/Parking

All non-premium public reserved and general admission seats for the game have been sold, but three ticket options remain available. Standing-room only tickets are on sale for $10 to the public, $5 for groups of 20 or more and $5 for K-State students. Also open is the Bud Light Landing in the southwest corner of the stadium priced at $75 per ticket, and the Field Club in the lower level of the west side priced at $150-$175 per ticket. Both of those premium options include food and drink service. In addition, there are a limited number of suites open. For information, fans can call the K-State Athletics Ticket office at 1-800-221-CATS.

 

Approximately 6,000 complimentary parking spaces are available and located at several lots in The KC Legends area, including Kansas Speedway and CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Lots will open at 12 p.m., and tailgating is permitted with the exception of the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela’s (Lot D) lots. Sporting Park stadium gates will open at 1 p.m.

 

Ahearn Fund members who received a voucher for the Boulevard Members Club at Sporting Park may access the club beginning at 2 p.m. Space is limited to the first 2,000 fans and the club will remain open throughout the game.

 

The 2015 Purple/White Spring Game is the culmination of 15 practices in the month of April. The Wildcats, who return 46 letterwinners and 12 starters, are looking to build off a 9-4 campaign in 2014 that ended with their third top-20 finish in the last four years.

 

K-State opens its 2015 home schedule on Saturday, September 5, against South Dakota. The other six home games are against five teams that advanced to bowl games in 2014, including a pair of top-10 foes in TCU (No. 3/3) and Baylor (No. 7/8).

 

The priority deadline for season-ticket purchases is next Friday, April 24. A limited number of single-game tickets go on sale online only on June 22, while fans can purchase by calling the ticket office beginning June 24. All seven home games are anticipated to sell out quickly and extend the Bill Snyder Family Stadium sellout streak to 27 games.

Ryan Lackey

Assistant Director — Athletic Communications

 

On Wednesday night, the Blue Jay tennis team followed up their dominate team performance at Manhattan on Tuesday, with a runner up team finish at the Topeka Seaman Tennis Invitational.   

Eight teams participated in the Invite.  The Blue Jays had runner up finishes from Kyle Hand in the top singles flight and Jordan Bailey and Ken Trammell teamed up to also place 2^nd  in the second doubles flight.  Neil Glaser and Dave Graham placed third in the top doubles flight.  Rounding out play for the Blue Jays, was Angeleau Scott who also placed third in the second singles bracket.  Each of the Blue Jays tennis players posted a 2-1 record for the day.  The Blue Jays now prepare for their own tennis tournament held at the Junction City High School on Saturday, April 25.  It will be an all day tournament.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Seniors Thomas Gipson and Nino Williams were named co-winners of the Rolando Blackman Team Most Valuable Player award to highlight festivities at the annual Kansas State men’s basketball banquet held Wednesday night at the Colbert Hills Clubhouse.

 

It marked the third time in the nine-year history of the award that there were co-winners of the MVP award, as Gipson shared the honor for the second consecutive season. In addition to their co-MVP trophies, Gipson was selected as the winner of the Jack Hartman Top Defensive Player and Bob Boozer Courage awards, while Williams was named the winner of the Ernie Barrett Play Hard and Tex Winter Top Offensive Player awards.

 

Along with Gipson and Williams, junior walk-on Brian Rohleder also captured three awards, including the Fort Riley Never Broken, Keith Amerson Academic and Porky Morgan Most Inspirational Player trophies. Other award winners included Justin Edwards (Dean Harris Newcomer of the Year), Wesley Iwundu (Mitch Richmond Mr. Basketball) andShawn Meyer(Ed Nealy Most Improved Player).

Release and Photo courtesy of Tom Gilbert – Associate director Athletic Communications

 

DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kansas City became the last team in the majors to lose this season, as Kyle Gibson pitched into the seventh inning and Oswaldo Arcia hit a two-run homer for the Minnesota Twins in a 3-1 victory over the Royals on Wednesday night.

The Royals (7-1) were chasing the 2003 team’s 9-0 start as the best in franchise history, but Gibson (1-1) used 12 groundball outs and three strikeouts to keep the highest-scoring team in the majors quiet for a night.

The Twins (2-6) went 1-8 to begin the 1994 season, the only other time in the club’s 55-year history they started with seven losses in their first eight games. Glen Perkins pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.

Edinson Volquez (1-1) struck out seven in 7 2-3 innings, with five hits and one walk allowed. He loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but he escaped with only Brian Dozier’s sacrifice fly as the damage.

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weberannounced the signing of prep school point guard Kamau Stokes(Baltimore, Maryland/Fork Union Military Academy) on the first day of the Spring National Signing Period on Wednesday.

 

“We are excited to welcome Kamau to K-State,” said Weber. “Aside from his abilities as a basketball player, I think the biggest positive he brings our program is his great competitive spirit. He has a natural drive to be successful and he wants to do anything to help his team win. As a player, he has very good quickness with the ability to knock down shots especially from long range. We look forward to him getting to campus and starting working our guys.”

 

A 5-foot-10, 160-pound point guard from Baltimore, Stokes comes to K-State after playing a postgraduate year at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia for head coach Matt Donohue. He starred at the 2014 National Prep Showcase in Nov. 21-22 in New Haven, Connecticut, where he averaged 30.5 points, 5 assists and 2.5 steals in games vs. No. 2 Notre Dame Prep and St. Thomas More. He scored a game-high 33 points in the loss to Notre Dame Prep on 9-of-14 field goals before posting a 28-point effort in a win over St. Thomas More.

 

Similar to K-State’s three fall signings, Stokes enjoyed a stellar prep career where he guided teams to two state championships and two Catholic League titles. As a senior in 2014, he helped City College High School in Baltimore to a perfect 27-0 record and a Class 3A state title playing for head coach Daryl Wade. The Knights finished the season with the No. 18 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 High School poll. He averaged 15 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds as a senior en route to earning First Team All-Metro honors from the Baltimore Sun.

 

Stokes guided Dunbar High School to the a 26-2 record and a Class 1A state championship and Baltimore City title as a junior in 2013, playing alongside West Virginia’s Daxter Miles. He averaged 14 points as a junior, earning Second All-Metro honors from the Baltimore Sun. Prior to his stint at Dunbar, Stokes played at John Carroll High School as a freshman and sophomore, helping the Patriots to a combined 56-20 record and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference Championship in 2012.

 

Stokes joins 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 21-8 record as a senior.

 

The Spring Signing period runs until Wednesday, May 20.

 

–www.kstatesports.com–

The Wakefield Bombers track and field teams competed in the Washington County Invitational Tuesday.

The 1st and 2nd place finishers are listed below.

Wakefield Boys:

300 Meter Hurdles: Dylan Murphy, 2nd place, 46.58.

400 Meter Dash: Preston McCollum, 2nd place, 54.76.

3200 Meter Run: Cody Pollman, 1st place, 12:07.76. Cole Barber, 2nd place, 13:05.33.

4×400 Meter Relay: Brock Barrett, John Yenni, Sammy Finnegan, Preston McCollum, 2nd place, 3:38.17.

As a team the boys finished 2nd overall with 84 points, behind Washington County who finished in 1st with 149 points.

Wakefield Girls:

Long Jump: Sara Casaus, 1st place, 15′ 5.25″.

400 Meter Run: Sierra Taylor, 2nd place, 1:10.07.

800 Meter Run: Katie Yarrow, 2nd place, 2:40.52.

4×100 Meter Relay: Siarra Taylor, Joanna Wright, Kenzy Barrett, Sara Casaus, 2nd place, 54.21.

4×800 Meter Relay: Siarra Taylor, Katie Yarrow, Haley Bonea, Sierra Otto, 2nd place, 12:01.68.

As a team the girls finished in 5th place with 45 points. Linn placed 1st with 100 points.

 

The Junction City High School Junior Varsity Track and Field Teams competed in Abilene Tuesday. The 1st place finishers for JCHS are listed below.

JCHS Boys 1st place Finishers

Boys Triple Jump: Ricardo Erans, 1st, 39′-5.25″.

Boys 4×400 Meter Relay: Luca DeNovellis, Davante King, Derrick Diggs, Alan Martin, 3:50.

Boys 110 Meter Hurdles: Randy Stokes, 18.58.

Boys 300 Meter Hurdles: Jaquan Roberts, 46.50.

Boys 4×100 Meter Relay: Luca DeNovellis, Davante King, Charles Winchester, Ian Sanchez, 45.29.

Boys 400 Meter Dash: Ricardo Erans, 55.21.

Boys 100 Meter Dash: Ian Sanchez, 11.67.

Boys 200 Meter Dash: Ian Sanchez, 24.0.

JCHS Girls 1st place Finishers

Girls High Jump: Emily Buckland, 4′ 8″.

Girls 100 Meter Dash: Nateshia Smith, 13.76.

Girls 200 Meter Dash: Nateshia Smith, 28.90.

Girls 800 Meter Run: Kailey Koomen, 2:57.46.

Girls 1600 Meter Run: Beth Arneson, 6:20.77.

Girls 3200 Meter Run: Beth Arneson, 14:54.

Girls 4×100 Meter Relay: Destiny lemons, Angelica Cartwright, Loraine Rodriquez, Josceylin McDonald, 57.25.

Girls 4×400 Meter Relay: Sadie Halk, Brooke Brunnell, Abigail Weisler, Kezian Marbury, 4:41.

As a team the girls placed 2nd with 152 points behind Marysville who finished in 1st with 160 points. On the boys side the boys finished in 1st with 192 points, Abilene came in 2nd with 111.25 points.

The Junction City High School Varsity Boys and Girls Track and Field teams competed Tuesday in the Salina-South Invitational.

In girls competition Junction City’s Ayi-Lissa Dotson finished in 1st in girls high jump with a jump of 5′ 4″.

The girls 4×800 Meter Relay also brought home a gold medal. The 4×800 Relay team is made up of Kaitlyn Cross, Myrissa Humphreys, Bisio Deisjambra and Brianna Pace. They finished with a time of 9:59.13 beating the second place team by more than 19 seconds.

In the team standings the JCHS Girls finished in 3rd place with 57 points behind Garden City in 2nd with 119 points and Newton in 1st with 120 points.

The JCHS Boys finished in 7th overall as a team with 40.66 points.

SMITH CENTER — The Collegiate Barnstorming Tour 2015 basketball game will be Saturday at Smith Center High School.

The game will be between senior college basketball players from the state of Kansas and senior high school basketball players from the north-central Kansas area, including Plainville, Stockton, Phillipsburg and Smith Center.

Also expected to play on the college team with the current senior players will be former Kansas State players Rodney McGruder and Jordan Henriquez, Nino Williams, Thomas Gipson and Martavious Irving. Former Smith Center and K-State alum and former Chief Braden Wilson also is expected.

An autograph session will be between 5 to 6 p.m. The game will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

For more information, contact Joe Burgardt at (785) 620-7078, Ed Fritz at (913) 219-4518 or David Devaney at (816) 786-2319.