The Junction City Lady Jay softball team will open the season with a triangular on Thursday at Cleary Field.

In the opening game at 2 p.m. Junction City will play Salina Central. Clay Center meets Salina Central at 4 p.m., and then Junction City and Clay Center will play the final game at 6 p.m.

Lady Jay coach Jeff Childs knows his team wants to play a game. “They’re getting tired of practicing, they’re ready to play. ”

The team scrimmaged last Friday, with the coach indicating it was not a true indication of how he believes the Lady Jays will play. “Our j-v pitchers struggled, and our varsity defense was playing on the field with the JV pitchers and catchers, and so they were kind of lulled to sleep there a little bit because of the struggling with the pitchers.” Childs added he was impressed by the performance of his varsity pitchers Katie Hollibaugh and Livi Diestlekamp.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Clayton Kershaw and Yorduna Ventura each had a final sharp outing in preparation for opening day, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals tied 4-4 Wednesday.

Kershaw, the 2014 National League MVP and Cy Young Award winner, threw 45 pitches while facing 11 batters and gave up one hit and an unearned run. He’ll next face the San Diego Padres on April 6.

Kershaw had a 1.61 ERA this spring. He gave up just 15 hits and struck out 22 in 22 1-3 innings this spring.

Brett Eibner homered twice for the Royals, including a two-run shot in the ninth to tie it. Eibner tops the club with five home runs, but will begin the season in the minors.

Ventura, who threw seven no-hit innings against Seattle in his previous start, yielded two runs, one earned, and four hits in four innings.

Darwin Barney doubled and tripled for the Dodgers and scored on A.J. Ellis’ third inning double.

The Dodgers played seven ties, a club spring training record.

 

On-field preparations for the 2015 football Kansas State football season begin Wednesday ( April 1 ). The Wildcats will hit the field for the first of 14 practices leading up to the Purple / White Spring Game on Saturday, April 25 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Beginning Wednesday, Kansas State will practice each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with the exception of a Thursday practice April 23, prior to the team traveling to Kansas City for the spring game.

The Wildcats return 46 letterwinners and 12 starters from a 9-4 2014 squad. Highlighting the list of returners are Honorable Mention All-American place kicker Matthew McCrane, First Team All-Big 12 fullback Glenn Gronkowski, a pair of second team all-conference defensive backs in Dante Barnett and Danzel McDaniel, and a second team all-conference offensive lineman in Cody Whitehair.

All non-premium public reserved and general admission seats for the Purple / White Spring Game have been sold, but three tickets 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.

Approximately 6,000 complimentary parking spaces are available and located at several lots in the KC Legends area, including Kansas Speedway and Community America Ballpark.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kansas State’s Tyler Lockett has been named winner of the Jet Award as the top return man in college football in 2014.

Lockett, who will be honored at a banquet in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday, led the nation with his 19.1-yard punt return average. He ran two punts back for touchdowns. Lockett also averaged 20.1 yards on kick returns.

The award is in its fifth year and is named for Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers, a wide receiver and return specialist who won the 1972 Heisman Trophy at Nebraska.

Rodgers and a panel of football writers and broadcasters select the winner.

 

Kansas State men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber has announced his 2015 summer camp schedule for area youths on the university campus.

Weber and his coaching staff will direct the camps which begin with the first two Father / Son Camps ( grades K-6th ) on Friday and Saturday June 5-6. There will be another Father / son Camp ( grade K-6th ) on Saturday and Sunday June 7-8. The Junior Wildcat ( grades K-2nd ) and Wildcat ( grades 3rd-6th ) Day Camps on Monday through Thursday June 8-11, the Powercat Camp Day Camp ( grades 4th – 9th ) on Monday through Thursday June 15-18, and concludes with a two-day Team Camp on Friday and Saturday June 27-28.

All camps will be played at Bramlage Coliseum and the Basketball Training Facility on the K-State campus. These camps are open to any and all entrants, limited only by number, age, and grade level. The camper’s grade level is the one heading into the 2015-16 school year.

You can register online at https://bruceweberbasketball.com./ or print off the camp brochure from the website and mail cash or check to Bruce Weber Summer Basketball Camps, 1800 College Avenue, Basketball Training Facility, Manhattan, KS, 665502. All checks should be made payable to Bruce Weber Enterprises.

The Junction City Lady Jays picked up their first soccer win of the season Monday evening.

Junction City defeated Highland Park 6-0 in the capitol city.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Mike Moustakas hit a grand slam in a seven-run first inning as the Kansas City Royals outslugged the Texas Rangers 11-7 Monday.

Alex Gordon, who also homered, and Eric Hosmer each had three of the Royals’ 15 hits.

Rangers starter Lisalverto Bonilla retired only one of eight batters he faced before being pulled after 37 pitches. He allowed five hits, walked one, hit a batter and balked home a run.

Gordon, who was held out of early games while rehabbing from December right wrist surgery, had only three singles in 24 at-bats, entering the game.

Adam Rosales, Leonys Martin, Jake Smolinski and Ryan Rua each hit solo home runs off Royals left-hander Jason Vargas.

Rua extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while Martin went 3 for 3 and has reached base safely in 11 straight games.

WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State guard Ron Baker has been named to the John R. Wooden Award All-America team.

The 10 honorees were announced Monday evening during a 30-minute selection show on ESPNU. Votes were tabulated from nearly 1,000 national college basketball media members and former Wooden Award winners.

Baker – a junior from Scott City, Kan. –helped lead the Shockers (30-5) to the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

The First Team All-MVC selection averaged a team-high 14.7 points to go with 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals. His 80 three-pointers led the conference and ranked as the second-highest single-season total in Shocker history.

Incoming Kansas State freshman Dean Wade, St. John, has been selected as Mr. Kansas Basketball by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

The honor is the second major one for Wade, who was selected as the 2014-15 Gatorade Kansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year on March 20. He was a finalist for the national award, which went to LSU signee Ben Simmons.

The 6-foot-9, 225 pound forward led St. John to a perfect 26-0 record and third consecutive Class 2S state title this past season.  For the season, Wade averaged 24.8 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Our D.E.L. Motors Royal’s Bus Trip is set for Saturday, May 2nd when Kansas City hosts the Detroit Tigers. We’ll depart 2:15 p.m. arriving at “The K” with plenty of time for you to enjoy the stadium attractions and the ballgame. We’ve priced it right at $50 dollars including your Coach Bus transportation and ticket to the game. Payment by cash, check or credit card here at our 1030 Southwind studios gets you signed up for our 7th Annual D.E.L. Motors Royal’s Bus trip May 2nd from 1420 KJCK.