KCSN Weekly: Kansas Baseball Makes History, Chiefs Wrap OTAs and Royals Win Series Over Reds
A weekly look at everything happening across Kansas City sports.
The biggest story in Kansas City sports this week isn’t happening at Arrowhead or Kauffman Stadium.
For the first time in program history, Kansas Baseball is headed to the Super Regionals. The Chiefs wrapped up another round of OTAs, while the Royals continue searching for consistency after another difficult stretch. Here’s where things stand heading into the weekend.
Chiefs Check-in: OTA Wrap-up Notebook
The Chiefs wrapped up their second round of Organized Team Activities this week.
The biggest takeaway remains quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ continued participation just over five months removed from ACL and LCL surgery. Mahomes practiced with a brace on his left knee and, according to reports, participated in 7-on-7 work but not 11-on-11 drills, presumably to avoid unnecessary traffic around the recovering knee.
There wasn’t much in the way of major news, but several assistant coaches provided insight into some of the team’s newest additions.
New running backs coach DeMarco Murray had plenty of praise for second-round defensive end R Mason Thomas, whom he coached at Oklahoma, at least according to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Murray’s familiarity with Thomas appears to have reinforced Kansas City’s belief that they had landed the right player off the edge.
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub also offered a glimpse into how the Chiefs view some of their rookies. Toub said fourth-round defensive back Jadon Canady projects as a four-phase special teams contributor from day one and noted that fifth-round running back Emmett Johnson is already getting looks as a return specialist.
Speaking of the backfield, Murray praised the professionalism of newly acquired Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, while offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy described Walker as “a hard worker” and highlighted his competitive nature on the field, in his studies and in the weight room.
A few players were absent from practice. Tight ends Jake Briningstool and John Michael Gyllenborg, along with defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, did not participate. Safety Jaden Hicks and wide receiver Xavier Worthy were present but working in non-contact roles, according to reports.
The Chiefs will hold mandatory minicamp June 9-11 before breaking until training camp in St. Joseph later this summer.
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Royals Report: KC Salvages Sweep After Taking Reds Series
The Royals continue to battle uphill.
Since last Friday’s recap, Kansas City has gone 2-4 and now sits at 24-38 on the season.
After being swept by the Texas Rangers over the weekend, the Royals bounced back Monday with a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Bobby Witt Jr., Jac Caglianone, and Lane Thomas each collected two hits, while Caglianone and Thomas homered. Luinder Avila earned his first victory of the season after allowing just one run over five innings.
Tuesday looked like it would bring another win. Noah Cameron turned in seven innings of one-run baseball while striking out eight and exiting after only 87 pitches. Unfortunately for Kansas City, the game unraveled after he left, and the Royals suffered another loss, this one in extra innings after blowing a 3-1 lead.
The club responded Wednesday, however, securing a series victory behind Stephen Kolek’s seven innings of two-run baseball. Vinnie Pasquantino led the offense with two hits, including a home run, in a 5-2 victory.
Taking a series from a winning Cincinnati club certainly qualifies as a positive step, even if the overall record continues to lag behind.
KCSNU
Kansas Baseball Keeps Making History
The hottest team in the region remains Kansas Baseball.
After winning the Big 12 Tournament, the Jayhawks carried that momentum into the NCAA Tournament, sweeping through the Lawrence Regional.
Kansas opened with a 6-3 victory over Northeastern before defeating Arkansas twice, 5-3 and 13-10, to advance to the Super Regionals for the first time in school history.
The news got even better.
When Oklahoma eliminated No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech, it ensured the Jayhawks would host the Super Regional round in Lawrence.
Kansas now sits just two wins away from its first College World Series appearance since 1993. While the current Super Regional format did not exist at the time, this marks the deepest postseason run in modern program history.
The Jayhawks will host the Sooners, a former Big 12 rival, in a best-of-three series beginning Saturday.
What to Watch This Week
Chiefs
Mandatory minicamp: June 9-11
Royals (24-38)
Finish road trip with series against the Minnesota Twins (29-34)
Return home for six games against the Texas Rangers (30-32) and Houston Astros (28-35)
Kansas Baseball (45-16)
Super Regional vs. Oklahoma (36-22)
Saturday: 5 p.m. CT
Sunday: 5 p.m. CT
Monday: TBD, if necessary