The Kansas State Wildcats ended their season with a 9-8 loss to the Texas Longhorns Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan.

According to k-statesports.com the Wildcats erased a three-run deficit with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to force extra innings, but a pair of solo home runs by Texas in the top of the 10th proved to be the decisive runs in the loss.

Kansas State ended the season with a final record of 25-30, and 5-19 in Big 12 play.  Texas is 36-16 and had a 13-11 Big 12 record.

Grant Robbins is the new men’s golf coach at Kansas State University.

According to k-statesports.com Robbins is a 15-year head coaching veteran whose resume includes three coach of the year honors in two conference, guiding six teams to NCAA play and whose Memphis team won the 2012 Conference USA Championship. He led Memphis to five NCAA Regional appearances, including four consecutive berths.

KSU Athletics Director John Currie on Sunday announced the hiring of Robbins.

Robbins spent 11 seasons at Memphis. Prior to that he served as the head coach at UNC Wilmington for four seasons from 1999 until 2003.

Robbins succeeds Tim Norris, who retired after 17 years at the helm of the Kansas State program.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Alex Gordon went 4 for 4 with a pair of three-run homers and a career-high six RBIs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-6 on Sunday.

Gordon drove a 1-1 pitch from Ubaldo Jimenez out to right with two outs in the fifth with Nori Aoki and Billy Butler aboard. Gordon, who led the Royals with 20 home runs last year, had gone 134 at-bats without a home run.

Gordon homered in his next at-bat, a three-run shot off left-hander Troy Patton in the seventh after Eric Hosmer walked and Butler doubled for his third hit.

Adam Jones hit a three-run homer off Royals reliever Aaron Crow in the ninth. It was the first runs Crow allowed in 20 relief appearances and 17 innings.

Greg Holland got the final two outs for his 12th save in 13 appearances.

Fifty-two current or former Kansas State Wildcat athletes received degrees during KSU spring commencement.

Highlighting the list of graduates were 15 members of the equestrian team, 10 from the men’s and women’s track and field squads, nine football players, five from the rowing team, three from men’s basketball and women’s tennis, two each from men’s golf, volleyball, and baseball, and one from women’s golf.

“It has been a terrific year for all of our student-athletes with the success they have achieved and these 62 student-athletes now have degrees to add to their accomplishments, said Jill Shields, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Services.

K-State had another outstanding academic year in 2013-14. A total of eight student-athletes were Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award winners, which were the second most among all Big 12 schools, while 260 were named to the Fall 2013 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the most since 2008. Also, 101 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition this season.

The Junction City Blue Jays will travel west for their Class 6A Regional Tournament baseball games.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association pairings have Junction City ( 7-13 ) meeting Wichita East ( 11-9 ) Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Dodge City. The other half of the bracket pits Dodge City ( 13-7 ) against Wichita Southeast ( 5-14 ) at 4:30 p.m. The championship game will be played at 7 p.m.

The winner of the Regional will advance to the Class 6A State Tournament.

The Junction City Lady Jays ( 7-7-2 ) will play Topeka High ( 9-7 ) in a first-round postseason South Central Regional I soccer match Tuesday evening at Hummer Sports Complex in Topeka. The Kansas State High School Activities Association bracket shows the match begins at 5 p.m.  

The winner of that match will play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Maize against the winner of the first-round contest between Maize ( 15-1 ) and Haysville Campus ( 3-1-2-1 ). Maize and Haysville Campus will play Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Maize.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chris Tillman tossed his first career shutout, Nelson Cruz drove in two runs and the Baltimore Orioles grinded out a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Tillman (4-2) scattered five hits and a walk while striking out three. His dominant outing came one night after Wei-Yin Chen and four relievers combined to beat Kansas City 2-1.

Chris Davis homered and Steve Clevenger also drove in a run for the Orioles.

Jeremy Guthrie (2-3) bounced back from a lousy start to last eight innings against his former team. The Royals’ starter allowed four runs, eight hits and a walk while striking out two.

While falling to 0-3 with four no-decisions in his last seven starts, Guthrie at least was able to save a bullpen that had been chewed up in that close loss the previous night.

Meanwhile, Tillman lasted more than six innings for the first time since April 11, a span of five starts. The Orioles’ right-hander won for the first time in four starts this month.

The Wakefield Bombers captured first place in the Wheat State League Track Meet in Goessel on Thursday.

Wakefield finished the meet with 140 points, while Peabody-Burns was second with 87, and Goessel third with 81 points. Solomon had 80, Hope 49, White City 49, Little River 30, Centre 23, and Elyria 7 points.

For Wakefield Ethan Hammond won the pole vault with an 11-foot vault, Zack Melius won the 100 meter dash in 11.50, 200 meter dash in 23.60, and Dylan Murphy finished firt in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles in 46.00. Blake Otto finished second in the 1600 meter run in 5:05.00.

The 4 x 400 meter relay team of Brandon Taylor, Zack Melius, John Yenni, and Dylan Murphy finished first in 3:36.40, and the 4 x 800 meter relay team of John Yenni, Brock Barrett, Brandon Taylor, and Blake Otto captured first place in 8:26.40, and set a new league record in that event.

The Wakefield girls finished second in the team standings with 115 points. Goessel captured first place with 120.  Little third was third with 100 points, followed by Centre with 62, White City 55, Solomon 49, Elyria 20, Peabody-Burns 16, and Hope 4 points.

For Wakefield Sara Casaus captured first place in the 100 meter dash in 13.20, first in the 200 meter dash in 27.71, and first in the 400 meter dash in 1:09.10. Tristan Gernhard was second in the pole vault with a vault of seven feet, Chy Riggs second in the shotput with a throw of 34’01, Sara Casaus second in the long jump with a leap of 15′ 1/4, and Sierra Otto third in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles in 56.40. The 4 x 400 relay team of Siarra Taylor, Kenzy Barrett, Sara Casaus, and Katie Yarrow finished second in 4:37.50, and the 4 x 800 relay team of Leah Loredo, Sierra Otto, Katie Yarrow, and Siarra Taylor first in 11:55.40.

The Junction City Lady Jays finished fifth and the Blue Jays seventh in their brackets of competition at the Centennial League Track Meet in Topeka on Thursday.

For the Lady Jays Deisjambra Bisio captured first place in the 400 meter dash in 1:01.31. Rosie Hollis was second in the 800 meter run in 2:28.57, and fourth in the 1600 meter run in 5:35.95. Autumn Sifuentes finished third in the 3200 meter run in 12:25.80, and Myrissa Humphreys third in the 300 meter hurdles in 48.90.

The Lady Jays ran strong in the relay events. The 4 x 800 relay team of Myrissa Humphreys, Deisjambra Bisio, Brianna Pace, and Rosie Hollis finished first in 10:08.64, the 4 x 400 relay team of Humphreys, Tykayius Roberson, Bisio, and Nashdia Nixon first in 4:13.31, and the 4 x 100 relay team of Samonte Jones, Raynell Wilson, Le’Minnie Garrison, and Nashdia Nixon second in 51.44.

Manhattan won the team title with 138 pints. They were followed by Emporia with 133.5, Topeka High 101, Shawnee Heights 87.5, Junction City 87, Seaman 60, Washburn Rural 33, Hayden 30, Highland Park 19, and Topeka West 11 points.

For the Blue Jay boys Raye Wilson finished sixth in the 400 meter dash in 53.07, Jeff Dorval fifth in the 100 meter hurdles 16.50 and sixth in the 300 meter hurdles in 44.08. Tje 4 x 100 meter relay team of Danny Thornton, Raye Wilson, Trey Mays, and Jovan Baldwin finished fifth in 44.66.

Manhattan won the team championship with 173 points. The Indians were followed by Shawnee Heights with 108.5, Seaman 102.5, Emporia 85, Topeka High 83, Washburn Rural 70.5, Junction City 27.5, Hayden 18, Topeka West 15, and Highland Park 11 points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals selected the contract of right-hander Casey Coleman from Triple-A Omaha and designated outfielder Justin Maxwell for assignment before Friday night’s game against Baltimore.

The 26-year-old Coleman was released by the Cubs on April 14 and signed the next day by the Royals. He appeared in seven games for Omaha, going 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA.

Coleman is the son of former big league pitcher Joe Coleman, who won 142 games in the 1960s and ’70s, and the grandson of Joe Coleman Sr., who won 52 games in the 1940s and ’50s.

Maxwell was acquired last July in a trade with Houston. He was just 4 of 29 this season, and had been squeezed out of the outfield rotation by more productive hitters.