Phase two of a feasibility study for a proposed sports complex in Junction City and Geary County is expected to begin immediately.

The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has entered into a contract with Florida based The Sports Facilities Advisory to conduct the second phase. CVB Director Connie Hall explained that the study is called the pro-forma and economic impact study. “It not only will give us a detailed analysis which will encompass a whole lot of key elements in there, but then we can be able to step forward and not only for investors that choose to invest in it, as well as being able to give us a true document and a true layout of what w’re looking at.”

Hall added the study will outline such things as the size of the proposed complex.

CVB officials will have a conference call later this week with SFA to find out when the study will begin and when results will be released.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Rookie Roenis Elias pitched neatly into the seventh inning, Mike Zunino homered and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

Elias (7-5), a 25-year-old left-hander from Cuba, limited the Royals to one run and five singles over 6 2-3 innings. He struck out five, walked two and improved to 4-1 in June.

Zunino hit his ninth home run, tops among AL catchers. He connected off Yordano Ventura (5-6) leading off the seventh to break a 1-all tie.

Fernando Rodney, pitching for the fourth straight day, earned his 21st save in 23 chances.

Kansas City has lost four straight.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Brad Miller homered off Royals closer Greg Holland to break a ninth-inning tie, and the Seattle Mariners beat Kansas City 7-5 despite blowing an early five-run lead Friday night.

Charlie Furbush (1-4) inherited a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth, but the Mariners reliever calmly retired Mike Moustakas on a lazy popup to shallow right field. Furbush then struck out Alcides Escobar to silence a sellout crowd of 38,475 and keep the game tied 5-all.

Miller’s homer off Holland (0-2) came on the fifth pitch of his at-bat, and just skirted the foul pole in right field. Logan Morrison drove in another run later in the ninth.

Fernando Rodney allowed two singles in the ninth, but the veteran bounced back to retire pinch-hitter Nori Aoki on a groundout and Alex Gordon swinging to earn his 19th save.

Top prospect Joel Embiid had two screws placed in his right foot during surgery Friday to repair a stress fracture that could cause him to fall in next week’s NBA draft.

Dr. Richard Ferkel says in a statement that the surgery on the navicular bone went well and he is confident Embiid will be able to return to the court after “appropriate healing.” Ferkel did not put a timetable on the recovery, but it is expected to be a long process.

Embiid was widely considered one of the top three prospects in the draft and a serious candidate to be chosen No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the injury could turn some teams away from the versatile big man from Kansas.

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – The University of Kansas has announced plans to remove the track from Memorial Stadium, the first step in what the school hopes to be an eventual renovation of the football facility.

Earlier this year, the school unveiled the Rock Chalk Park track facility during the Kansas Relays. The new facility allowed the school to begin removal of the old track inside the stadium.

Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger said an anonymous donor provided the funding for the construction, which will begin Tuesday and take about six weeks. The track will be replaced by new artificial turf that will be safer and more aesthetically-pleasing.

Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1921, is among the oldest college stadiums still in use.

DETROIT (AP) – The Kansas City Royals finally lost, but slugger Billy Butler hopes their impressive push in the AL Central will go on.

“This doesn’t end anything,” he said. “We’ve got 10-1 in our last 11 games, and we’re going home in first place. We just have to keep playing the way we are right now.”

Anibal Sanchez pitched seven sharp innings, and the Detroit Tigers snapped Kansas City’s 10-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory Thursday. J.D. Martinez hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth for the Tigers, who avoided a four-game sweep and pulled within a half-game of the AL Central-leading Royals.

Sanchez (4-2) allowed five hits and a walk, keeping the Kansas City offense quiet even though he failed to strike out a batter.

Joba Chamberlain pitched the eighth, and struggling closer Joe Nathan struck out the side in the ninth for his 14th save in 18 chances.

Danny Duffy (4-6) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five.

“We just had a great road trip, Danny Duffy just pitched a great game, and we lost a game to a great pitcher and a home run where I have no idea how J.D. Martinez hit the ball out of the park,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “All I can do is tip my cap to him, because he killed us all series.”

Kansas center Joel Embiid, one of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA draft, has a stress fracture in his right foot and is scheduled to have surgery on Friday.

Embiid’s agent, Arn Tellem, made the announcement on Thursday, a week before the draft. Tellem says Embiid fractured the navicular bone in his right foot and will be unable to participate in any additional workouts. He also will not attend the draft in New York.

Embiid was widely considered to be the favorite for the No. 1 overall draft pick held by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But Embiid missed a chunk of last season with a back injury as well and that combined with the foot injury could cause him to slide some on draft night.

DETROIT (AP) – Anibal Sanchez pitched seven sharp innings, and the Detroit Tigers ended Kansas City’s 10-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory over the Royals on Thursday.

J.D. Martinez hit a tie breaking homer in the fourth for the Tigers, who avoided a four-game sweep and pulled within a half-game of the AL Central-leading Royals. Sanchez (4-2) allowed five hits and a walk, keeping the Kansas City offense quiet even though he failed to strike out a batter.

Joba Chamberlain pitched the eighth, and struggling closer Joe Nathan struck out the side in the ninth for his 14th save in 18 chances.

Danny Duffy (4-6) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs will head into training camp next month with plenty of questions.

Who will replace Brandon Flowers at cornerback? When will Pro Bowl linebacker Justin Houston show up? Will quarterback Alex Smith land a long-term contract? Who will earn the open spots along the offensive line? And for that matter, the defensive line?

The Chiefs had their final workout Thursday of a mandatory three-day minicamp.

Along with another no-show by Houston, who like Smith is opening for a long-term contract, the biggest news of the day was wide receiver Dwayne Bowe coming up lame. Bowe appeared to be slightly hobbled after making a catch in the end zone.

The Chiefs also waived defensive tackle Chas Alecxih.

DALLAS (AP) – The Big 12 Conference has given Commissioner Bob Bowlsby a two-year contract extension.

He has three years remaining on his original five-year deal. The extension runs through June 2019.

Bowlsby became commissioner in May 2012 after stints as athletic director at Stanford and Iowa. He took over the Big 12 not long after the conference nearly fell apart because of defections by Nebraska, Colorado, Texas A&M and Missouri to other leagues.

Under Bowlsby, the Big 12 signed a 13-year television deal with ESPN and Fox that has led to record revenue for conference members. The Big 12 recently announced $220.1 million in distributable revenue for its 10 members for the 2013-14 fiscal year.