JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – R.J. Hunter’s 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining capped a comeback from a 12-point deficit and lifted 14th-seeded Georgia State to a 57-56 opening-game victory over third-seeded Baylor in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

With Ron Hunter, his father and coach, working the sideline in a rolling chair less than a week after tearing his left Achilles tendon celebrating the Panthers winning the Sun Belt Conference championship, R.J. shrugged off a poor shooting performance to come through when his team needed him most.

Baylor (24-10) did not score after going up 56-44 on two free throws with 2:54 remaining. Pesky Georgia State forced three turnovers and Hunter scored nine straight points, including a 3 that brought chants of “R.J. 3, R.J. 3, R.J. 3” from Panthers fans at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

When Taurean Prince’s desperation heave from beyond halfcourt bounced off the backboard at the buzzer, Ron Hunter fell off his chair amid a wild celebration.

Just five days after winning the Big 12 Tournament Iowa State was derailed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by University of Alabama at Birmingham 60-59.

Iowa State was a #3 seed in the South region of the bracket. UAB will now go on to face the winner of #6 SMU vs #11 UCLA.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Gerardo Parra and Khris Davis combined to drive in seven runs as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 Wednesday.

Parra, acquired in a July 31 trade with Arizona, hit a three-run homer in the fourth and had a sacrifice fly in the second.

Davis contributed a two-run double in the first and added another RBI double in the fifth.

Wily Peralta, who led the Brewers with 17 victories last season, allowed one run and struck out four in 3 1-3 innings. He stranded four runners, including three in scoring position, in the second and third innings.

Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez was roughed up for six runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings. Volquez has a 9.72 ERA in three starts, surrendering 16 hits in 8 1-3 innings.

Mike Moustakas homered and singled, driving in two runs for Kansas City. After winning 10 of their first 11 games, the Royals have lost four of five.

The boys basketball All-Centennial League teams have been released.

Three Junction City Blue Jays received honorable mention. They included Ricardo Erans, Tanner Lueker, and Raye Wilson.

Tez Scroggins, Shawnee Heights, was named Player of the Year in the conference. Jett Canfield, Hayden, was named Newcomer of the Year, and Benji George, Manhattan, was named Coach of the Year.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – With the help of a strong starting performance by Kyle Halbohn on the mound backed up by key relief pitching from Bryce Ward, the K-State baseball team held onto its advantage gained in the sixth inning and beat Stephen F. Austin, 3-2, on the road at Jaycees Field on Tuesday.

 

Making just his second start in a Wildcat uniform, Halbohn led K-State (11-9) by allowing just one run, via a solo home run in the second, over a career-high six innings to earn his second win of the season. The right-hander, who had not pitched more than three innings in a single outing this year, also struck out three while not walking any.

 

“We’ve been looking for someone to step forward,” said K-State head coach Brad Hill. “Our pitching had to pick us up tonight. We just weren’t good offensively, unfortunately.”

 

MESA, Ariz. (AP) – Jason Hammel threw four scoreless innings and Anthony Rizzo reached base three times on Tuesday as the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3.

Hammel came in with a 10.80 ERA in his previous two outings over five innings, but had good downward action and fastball command against the Royals.

The right-hander allowed two hits and struck out three in his longest outing of the spring after he allowed nine hits and walked three in his previous two appearances.

Royals starter Danny Duffy was nearly as good, other than a tough third inning in which he hit a batter and walked two, including Starlin Castro to force in the first run of the game.

Rizzo was hit by a pitch and singled twice, including a RBI shot to right-center off Royals reliever Wade Davis in the fifth.

Omar Infante had two singles in three at-bats for the Royals

Kansas State has accepted a bid to play in the 2015 Postseason WNIT, and will host Akron in the first round on Thursday at 7 p.m.

This will be K-State’s fifth appearance in the Postseason WNIT, and the first since reaching the semifinals of the 2013 WNIT.

The Wildcats ( 18-13 ) will be opposed by the Zips ( 22-8 ). This will be the first meeting between these two programs.

The winner of the Kansas State – Akron game will play the winner of the Missouri – Northern Iowa matchup on either March 21, 22, 23, or 24, at a site to be determined.

Tickets for the game with Akron are available by calling the K-State Ticket Office at ( 800 ) 221-CATS, visiting www.kstatesports.com, or by stopping by the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are $15 for chair backs, $10 for adult general admission, and $5 for students and children.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Yordano Ventura gave up four runs in the first two innings, but the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Monday.

Ventura gave up hits to the first four batters, with Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana contributing RBI singles in a three-run first. The right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in three innings. He struck out five. Ventura has a 10.29 ERA in three starts.

Indians right-hander Shaun Marcum, who was limited to 17 1-3 innings in the minors last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, threw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits.

With Gavin Floyd set to have elbow surgery, Marcum is competing for a spot in Cleveland’s rotation. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013.

Matt Fields hit a two-run homer and Christian Colon had a two-run single for the Royals.

The Big 12 again has seven teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Regular-season champion Kansas is a No. 2 seed, and the No. 3 seeds in three of the four regions are from the Big 12 – tournament champion Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor. The league also has the nation’s top cumulative RPI and five top-20 teams in this season’s final AP poll.

“We’re arguably the best conference in the country,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said Monday. “Still, we need to validate that with some tournament wins and some teams advancing.”

This is the second year in a row with seven NCAA teams, making the Big 12 the only league that can boast 14 bids in that span. But only Baylor and Iowa State made it past the opening weekend of the tournament last March, then both lost in the Sweet 16.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder and the Wildcat coaching staff have announced five football camps during the summer months for players of all ages.

Kicking off the 2015 summer events will be the Kicking Camp 1 session from June 3-4 for high school players, while the 7-on-7 and 5-on-5 Shootout for high school teams will begin on June 6. The following day, June 7, will be the annual Youth Camp for those players in grades 1-8.

Also beginning on June 7 and running through June 9 will be the High School Fundamental Camp for 9th-12th graders followed by Kicking Camp II on June 10-11.

More information regarding Kansas State’s 2015 football camps, including prices and registration info, is available at kansasstatefootballcamps.com. Questions regarding any of the camps should be directed to the K-State football office at 785-532-5876 or by email at footballcamps@kstatesports.com.

Kansas State Football Camps provide detailed instruction on fundamentals and techniques by the Kansas State football coaching staff and are open to any and all entrants, limited by number, age, grade level, and/or gender.