Kansas State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has announced the 2014-15 non-conference schedule for his first season with the Wildcats. It includes 10 home games, plus a trip to the 2014 Hardwood Tournament of Hope in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Nov. 25-27. The tournament field will include UTEP, LSU, and a final opponent to be determined.

K-State will open the 2014-15 season with a pair of exhibition games on Monday, Nov.3 and Monday, Nov. 10. The Wildcats will face Emporia State on Nov. 3 and conclude with a final tune-up against Newman University on Nov. 10.

The regular season will begin with a three-game home stand against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Friday, Nov.14, UMKC Tuesday, Nov. 18, and Hampton Friday, Nov.21.

Other non-conference home games include Oral Roberts, Grambling, Abilene Christian, and Samford. There will be a road game at Wichita State Friday, Dec. 12.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 is redesigning its logo, sticking with the same roman numerals for the 10-team conference.

The second rebranding since the league formed in 1996 features a rounded, modern-looking “XII” to replace a more traditional block design. The new look was unveiled Monday, a day before the July 1 start of the athletic year for colleges.

The league said earlier this year there were still no plans to change the name despite realignment that resulted in a net loss of two schools.

Conference officials have said they aren’t considering expansion but haven’t ruled it out.

The Junction City Brigade has announced which players they will be sending to the Mid-Plains League All-Star game.

The general manager for the Brigade, Cecil Aska, said each team in the league will be sending a pitcher and three position players. “And we’re sending Dalton Shalberg as our pitcher, Bret Nickle for first base, Max Brown and Cole Brecheisen for the outfield. And then also, Shane Sieben will be the assistant coach.”

The All-Star Game will be played at Rathert Stadium in Junction City Saturday ( July 5 ) night. The Mid-Plains League All-Stars will play the Kansas City Amateur Baseball Association All-Star team. The first pitch is scheduled at 7 p.m.

The Mid-Plains League will hold it’s first league All-Star Game on Saturday ( July 5 ) at 7 p.m. at Rathert Stadium in Junction City.

The Mid-Plains League All Stars will play the Kansas City Amateur Baseball Association All-Stars.

“We are excited about this event as it will showcase some of the top talent within our league, ” MPL Commissioner David Streeter said. “Rathert Stadium in Junction City is a fantastic venue and we encourage all fans of the league to come out.”

The coaches for the Mid-Plains League All-Stars are Cody Newman ( Midwest Athletics ) and Shane Sieben ( Junction City Brigade ). Newman will serve as head coach while Sieben will serve as assistant coach.

The Mid-Plains League All-Stars will be announced on Wednesday.

A former Kansas State baseball player and graduate assistant has been named the next head baseball coach at Junction City High School.

Drew Biery was a four year letter winner for the Wildcats from 2006-2009, and was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. He spent three years in the Giants organization where he reached the AA status.

Biery returned to K-State in 2012 to complete his Bachelors of Science in Education and was a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Wildcats during that time.

Matt Westerhaus, JCHS Athletic Director said in a press release,”His energy, knowledge of the game and work ethic will make him a great addition to the Blue Jay team.”

Biery is replacing Heath Gerstner, who resigned in June after accepting a teaching and head baseball coaching position at McPherson High School in McPherson, Ks.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Kansas City Royals have signed 42-year-old outfielder Raul Ibanez, nine days after he was released by the Los Angeles Angels.

The Royals made several moves Monday before their game at Minnesota. Ibanez and infielder Christian Colon were added to the roster, and infielder Pedro Ciriaco and outfielder Justin Maxwell were designated for assignment.

Ibanez batted just .157 in 57 games for the Angels, but 10 of his 26 hits were for extra bases. He spent three seasons with the Royals, starting in 2001. This is his fifth team since 2011. Ibanez hit 29 home runs just last year for Seattle.

Colon was recalled from Triple-A. The fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft was batting .296 with 48 runs, 14 doubles and 14 steals in 74 games for Omaha.

IRVING, Texas (AP) – The Big 12 is redesigning its logo, sticking with the same roman numerals for the 10-team conference.

The second rebranding since the league formed in 1996 features a rounded, modern-looking “XII” to replace a more traditional block design. The new look was unveiled Monday, a day before the July 1 start of the athletic year for colleges.

The league said earlier this year there were still no plans to change the name despite realignment that resulted in a net loss of two schools.

Conference officials have said they aren’t considering expansion but haven’t ruled it out.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals signed first-round draft pick Brandon Finnegan, a left-handed pitcher who helped lead TCU to the College World Series, on Saturday.

Finnegan signed for $2,200,600, the slotted money for the 17th overall pick. With Finnegan agreeing to terms, the Royals have signed all 12 of their picks in the first 10 rounds.

Finnegan, who went 9-3 with a 2.04 ERA while striking out 134 in 105 2-3 innings as a junior, will report Monday to the Royals’ High-A affiliate in Wilmington, Delaware.

He pitched for Team USA last summer and shut out Cuba 1-0, allowing three hits, striking out seven and walking one over seven innings.

The Rossville Rattlers pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Junction City Brigade on Saturday night at Rathert Field.

Rossville got a strong pitching performance from Jordan Floyd, who held Brigade hitters to six hits in the contest. One of those was an eighth inning home run by Brett Nickle.

There were only a small number, but for Junction City errors and base running mistakes still proved costly in the loss.  Justin Hersch turned in a solid performance on the mound for the Brigade. He went six innings and gave up only four hits and one run.

Junction City, 9-7, will play a makeup game against the Topeka Senators Sunday night at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.  It will be a makeup from a game earlier in the season that was rained out.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Albert Pujols and David Freese combined to drive in five runs as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Saturday for their seventh victory in eight games.

There were two rain delays with the second after the fourth inning lasting 3:58. The game didn’t end until nearly 7 hours after it started.

Pujols, who has 14 RBIs in his past 13 games, singled home runs in the third and sixth innings. Freese, who had three hits, drove in three runs, two in the four-run sixth and the other in fourth. He has six RBIs in his past seven games, after driving in only three in his previous 26 games.

Rookie right-hander Mike Morin (2-1), who went to high school at a Kansas City suburb, allowed two runs on two hits over two innings to pick up the victory.

Royals rookie Yordano Ventura (5-7) took the loss.