Wichita Eagle: Sports

Gary rallies past Wingnuts in ninth inning

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:24 CDT

Gary SouthShore scored two runs in the ninth inning Tuesday afternoon to beat the Wingnuts 7-6 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Craig Maddox walked with the bases loaded to tie the game, then Zac Mitchell drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Closer Josh Dew (2-1) took the loss.

Wichita scored five first-inning runs to overcome Gary’s four-run top of the first.

Kansas State basketball more bullish on freshmen than rating services

Kellis Robinett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:40 CDT

The recruiting experts think Kansas State basketball is in trouble.

Rodney McGruder is out of eligibility. Angel Rodriguez is preparing for a new start at Miami. And the freshman class Bruce Weber assembled to replace the Wildcats’ top players enters college with little fanfare.

All four of K-State’s freshmen are three-star recruits ranked outside the national top 150, according to Rivals.com. On paper, at least, the Wildcats appear to be losing more talent than they are bringing in.

Royals are back at .500 after rallying for 2-1 victory over Indians

BOB DUTTON — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:36 CDT

And so it continues. The Royals’ attack, in support of James Shields, remains colder than a witch’s dreams. Yet somehow, recently, it all turns out well.

The Royals struck for two late runs Monday night in rallying for a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

It was notable for two reasons.

Chris Martin kicked off Kansas football team

Rustin Dodd — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:45 CDT

Charlie Weis gave Chris Martin a second chance. And maybe a third chance, really, depending on your perspective.

Martin was a 6-foot-5 athletic marvel, a defensive end with undeniable talent. And Weis, it appears, was smitten with the kid’s potential from the beginning, first recruiting Martin when Weis was still at Notre Dame.

So it was only natural, of course, that when Martin needed a landing spot after a tumultuous beginning to his college career, Weis was there to offer a hand. Martin signed with Kansas last December, a centerpiece of Weis’ heralded junior college class.

Link continues to dominate for Wingnuts

JEFFREY LUTZ — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:44 CDT

Scouts from three major-league franchises were in attendance to watch Wingnuts right-hander Jon Link pitch Monday night, and the prevailing thought is that Link is ready to return to affiliated baseball.

The independent level is becoming less of a challenge for Link every time he starts. Monday, he pitched a complete game in the Wingnuts’ 8-2 win over Gary SouthShore at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Link, who improved to 6-1 with a 1.74 ERA, arrived in Wichita this spring with a motivation to get back to the major leagues, where he pitched nine games for the Dodgers in 2010. He may share the belief that his return to affiliated ball is imminent, but he’s still approaching his time with the Wingnuts as a challenge.

Duncan's 25 gives Spurs halftime lead in Game 6

JON KRAWCZYNSKI — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:33 CDT

Tim Duncan scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lift the San Antonio Spurs to a 50-44 halftime lead over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night.

Duncan made 11 of 13 shots in a performance straight out of 2003 and Kawhi Leonard added 10 points and five boards as the Spurs looked to close out the Heat and win their fifth NBA title.

Mario Chalmers broke out of a shooting slump to score 14 points and LeBron James added nine points, five assists and three boards for the Heat, who trailed the best-of-seven series 3-2 and needed to win to keep their hopes of defending their championship alive.

Rask shuts down Blackhawks as Bruins take 2-1 lead

JIMMY GOLEN — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:40 CDT

The puck bounced off the post and rolled across the crease, away from the goal line. The red light flashed briefly, but replays would confirm that Tuukka Rask's shutout streak was intact.

For the last 122 minutes, 26 seconds of the Stanley Cup finals, the Bruins goalie has prevented Chicago from scoring.

Rask made 28 more saves in Game 3 on Monday night to earn his third shutout of the postseason, leading Boston to a 2-0 victory over the Blackhawks and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

K-State center fielder Jared King decides to turn pro

Kellis Robinett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:11 CDT

Kansas State center fielder Jared King has decided to turn pro, and will sign with the New York Mets on Tuesday.

“I wouldn’t call it a no-brainer, but I’m ready to start my pro career,” King said on K-State’s website. “It would be hard to imagine a better year to end my K-State career with. I think I’m ready physically and mentally. It’s my time to leave and go to the next level.”

King was selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft, and will forgo his senior season with the Wildcats. The Dublin, Ohio native was one of the team’s top players. He hit .335 with seven home runs and 53 RBIs.

Kansas State golfer wins Big 12 sportsmanship award

Kellis Robinett — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:50 CDT

When Whitney Pyle realized she had signed an incorrect scorecard following 36 holes of golf at the Westbrook Invitational last February, the Kansas State senior knew admitting the mistake to tournament officials would result in disqualification.

Still, she pointed out the error without hesitation.

Four months later, her sportsmanship has been rewarded. Pyle was named Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year on Monday.

Todd Butler says he’s ready to go as Wichita State baseball coach

Tony Adame — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:26 CDT

Todd Butler walked through Eck Stadium on Sunday and let the enormity of the task ahead of him sink in.

He took his time looking at the Ring of Honor out front. The giant mural of Wichita State’s greatest moments and players, which greets fans inside the front gate, stirred up memories.

He walked onto the field and looked back at the 7,851-seat stadium that has housed some of college baseball’s greatest players.

Parel wins Air Capital Classic

Scott Paske — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:23 CDT

Scott Parel sank into a folding chair underneath a large, greenside tree and waited for fellow golfers Steve Wheatcroft and Paul Claxton to finish the 14th hole Sunday afternoon at Crestview Country Club.

Parel, the 48-year-old from Augusta, Ga. — yeah, that Augusta — had just delivered the decisive blow in the Air Capital Classic, a 45-foot eagle putt that stretched his lead to four shots over Alex Aragon in the final round of the Web.com Tour event.

Certainly this was the defining moment for a pro who didn’t play college golf, left his job as a computer programmer 17 years ago and began chasing a PGA Tour dream that, until this calm, sun-splashed day, had remained just out of reach.

Wichita State confirms hiring of Todd Butler as baseball coach

PAUL SUELLENTROP — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:26 CDT

James McCann arrived in Fayetteville, Ark., in the fall of 2009 as a self-described light-hitting catcher. A desire to play baseball dropped the freshman from California into the land of the Hog call, Sam Walton and the Southeastern Conference.

“I went into it completely blind,” he said. “It took a day or two of fall baseball to realize that Coach (Todd) Butler was the heartbeat of the Razorback baseball program.”

Butler, 46, is now the heartbeat of Wichita State baseball, a program in need of a new direction after five disappointing seasons signaled the end of coach Gene Stephenson’s history-making tenure. Wichita State announced his hiring on Sunday morning, giving him a salary of $300,000 (plus bonuses) for seven years.

Spurs turn back Heat, are one win from NBA title

MIKE BRESNAHAN — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:27 CDT

LeBron James won four of the last five MVP awards, carried the Miami Heat to a near-historic 27-game winning streak and shot a sublime 57 percent this season.

Now he's one loss away from another humbling failure, the San Antonio Spurs sticking it to Miami, 114-104, Sunday to take a 3-2 edge in the NBA Finals.

James had another ragged game, Manu Ginobili completely stole the stage and Miami never led in Game 5 at AT&T Center.

Wade Davis beats former club as Royals top Rays 5-3

BOB DUTTON — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:22 CDT

What happens in the future might change everyone’s perspective, but right now — today — it’s hard for Tampa Bay to believe it didn’t get snookered by the Royals in that big off-season deal.

Ex-Ray Wade Davis survived a shaky start Sunday in working six strong innings in a 5-3 victory over his former club at Tropicana Field. And ex-Ray Elliot Johnson ignited a tie-breaking, two-run sixth inning with a double.

And ex-Ray James Shields, you might remember, beat Tampa Bay when the teams met earlier this season at Kauffman Stadium, (OK, Shields hasn’t won since — despite pitching well.)

Justin Rose invokes Ben Hogan, wins US Open

JOSEPH WHITE — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:26 CDT

Justin Rose walked the 18th fairway and thought of Ben Hogan, and a chance to emulate one of the most famous shots in golf.

That very moment Sunday made the U.S. Open's return to Merion Golf Club worth all the bother.

It was about history, about putting up with extra shuttle rides and wicker baskets on top of hole pins to enjoy the charm and legacy of this compact course tucked away in a Philadelphia suburb.

Air Capital Classic making moves for future

SCOTT PASKE — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:23 CDT

While Air Capital Classic golfers worked on the greens to earn prize money at Crestview Country Club, Jack Pelton and others maneuvered through crowded corporate sky boxes to try to secure the financial future of the Web.com Tour event.

Pelton, the retired Cessna Aircraft Co. CEO and co-chairman of the Air Capital Charities, Inc. board, said Sunday he is confident a community-based approach to the tournament’s sponsorship will allow the week-long event to reach its 25th anniversary in 2014 and beyond.

“For me, it’s real personal,” Pelton said after participating in a champagne toast for tournament champion Scott Parel with Crestview members. “For our community, I think it’s just critical. Since I’m retired, I’ve got some time to make sure we get it done.”

Wingnuts’ offense pounds out 18 runs in latest win

Jeffrey Lutz — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:57 CDT

After a weekend of getting battered by Wingnuts hitters, St. Paul finally threw in the towel Sunday.

Infielder Donald Blunt pitched the bottom of the eighth inning of Wichita’s 18-6 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, and the Wingnuts were about as welcoming to him as they were to the other pitchers who tried to hold down the league’s best offense.

The Wingnuts scored 38 runs during the four-game, three-day series and had an inning of at least six runs every day. Their six-run seventh didn’t stand out as much because Wichita scored in six other innings, notching a season-high in runs and with 22 hits.

Arkansas aide Todd Butler will be Wichita State’s baseball coach

Paul Suellentrop — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:26 CDT

Wichita State will announce Todd Butler as its baseball coach within the next day or two, according to a source close to the search.

Butler, 46, spent the past eight seasons as an assistant coach at Arkansas and was promoted to associate head coach after the 2012 season. He is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, regularly helping Arkansas rank among the top classes as evaluated by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. Baseball America ranked the 2010 class ranked No. 8, one of five classes in the top 10 during his time at Arkansas. He also served as hitting instructor and outfield coach.

Butler replaces Gene Stephenson, who was fired after 36 seasons earlier this month. Stephenson’s tenure ended with a 3-1 loss to Arkansas in the Manhattan Regional on June 1.

Veteran Parel takes one-stroke lead at Air Capital Classic

Scott Paske — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:09 CDT

Scott Parel made one of the Air Capital Classic’s most dramatic shots Saturday afternoon, an 8-foot eagle putt that hovered on the lip of the 14th hole before disappearing.

One month to the day after his 48th birthday, the putt put Parel above all others on a chaotic leaderboard at Crestview Country Club.

Not that the Augusta, Ga., native was searching out a scoreboard for confirmation.

New pitchers give Wingnut teammates time to score in 11-4 win over Saints

Jeffrey Lutz — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:25 CDT

The Wingnuts signed pitcher Josh Stone on Friday, and a little more than 24 hours later he became the latest of Wichita’s dependable relievers.

In his first professional appearance since signing this week out of Tabor College, where he was an All-KCAC pitcher, Stone earned his first win by working out of a sixth-inning jam to prevent St. Paul from taking the lead.

Wichita’s hitters were energized by Stone’s performance, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to beat the Saints 11-4 Saturday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.