Kansas
Longhorns Notebook: Texas Dominates Kansas State, Avoids Elimination
One game at a time was the mantra the Texas Longhorns (44-13) adopted following their disappointing loss to the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday night. That loss sent them to the loser’s bracket and meant they’d need to rattle off three wins in a row to avoid losing the Austin Regional.
Well, they brought themselves one step closer to that goal with an absolutely dominant performance against the Kansas State Wildcats (32-26). It was all Longhorns from the jump, as they blasted out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first and never looked back, cruising until the final out and securing a 15-8 win to set up a rematch against UTSA in the regional championship.
Now, here are three key takeaways from the Longhorns’ win over the Wildcats.
Hello, Casey Borba
Postseason play is when players make a name for themselves and establish their place in school lore. Looking to do just that, Casey Borba was scorching hot for the Longhorns in their first two games. Against the Huskies on Friday he collected a hit, a walk and drove in one. Then against the Roadrunners he added two more doubles, another walk and another RBI.
That was just the warm up, though. Against the Wildcats he drove in seven runs in the first three innings. No, that isn’t a typo. He blasted a grand slam in the first and a three-run shot in the third, recording his first career multi-homer game. Finishing strong, he added another two singles and an RBI, bringing his total to a whopping eight for the day.
Ruger bounces back
Things had not been going well for Ruger Riojas entering his start against the Wildcats. Down the home stretch of the regular season he was tagged up on more than one occasion, looking far from the dominant ace that he had been for the Longhorns in the wake of the injury to Jared Spencer.
And it looked like that was what was going to happen again, as he gave up a three-run home run in the first inning. From there he buckled down. The right-hander made lightwork of the Wildcats’ lineup the rest of the way, gutting out a sensational 7.1 innings and only allowing four more runs, saving the Texas bullpen ahead of the regional final against UTSA.
Forget about Saturday
After dropping an absolute gut punch of a game to the Roadrunners on Saturday night it would have been easy for the Longhorns to roll over and give up on Sunday. Instead, they came ready to play and were firing on all cylinders from the very first batter en route to a insert here victory to avoid elimination.
Now, they must do it again. A win over the Wildcats was only the first step for the Longhorns, as they must beat the Roadrunners twice to avoid an early end to their season. They’ve shown they can put up runs in bunches, now they just need to to keep firing on all cylinders against UTSA on Sunday night.
What’s next for Texas?
The Longhorns are going to have a quick turnaround, as they are right back in action on Sunday evening against the Roadrunners in the regional final.
The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship today announced the recipients of the 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Awards, recognizing the outstanding leaders, organizations and programs that are driving innovation and expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities across the state.
“Our apprenticeship partners have played a tremendous role growing our workforce over the last several years,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These apprenticeship awards honor what truly is possible when bold leadership and strategic collaboration align — and how, together, we can continue reimagining the Kansas workforce of the future.”
Since 2022, the Kansas apprenticeship program has experienced remarkable growth, including a 240% increase in new apprentices. This momentum reflects the strength of Kansas’ statewide apprenticeship ecosystem — and the commitment of the employers, education partners and workforce leaders to build sustainable talent pipelines.
Honorees were chosen based on innovation, measurable growth and long-term impact, with particular emphasis on forward-thinking strategies and sustained apprentice engagement.
The 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Award recipients:
- Excellence in Kansas Apprenticeship Award – Dr. Joel Gillespie, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE): Recognized for his visionary leadership in expanding teacher apprenticeship programs to 391 participants, helping transform educator pathways and remove barriers to the profession.
- Kansas Business of the Year – Panasonic: Committed to workforce development through the Industrial Manufacturing Technician Registered Apprenticeship. The company has grown from 96 apprentices to 125.
- Outstanding New Program of the Year – HCA Midwest Health: Launched Kansas’ first pre-licensure Registered Nurse Apprenticeship program. The program has 146 active apprentices.
- Outstanding Program of the Year – Western Missouri & Kansas Laborers District Council: Recognized as one of the most robust apprenticeship models. The Council has 445 active participants, working to support an array of backgrounds and strengthen the workforce.
- Youth Apprenticeship Development Partner of the Year – City of Winfield: Honored for its leadership in youth apprenticeship, bringing together K-12 education and higher education partners to create classroom-to-career pipelines for Kansas students.
The 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Awards were presented during the state’s National Apprenticeship Week Celebration on April 29 in Topeka, highlighting the continued progress and future success of apprenticeship programs and opportunities in Kansas.
“Our apprenticeship partners are making a huge contribution to our state — and to our goal of connecting 10,001 apprentices by 2031,” Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship Director Shonda Anderson said. “Their contributions not only are changing the lives of individual Kansans but strengthening our state for generations to come.”
To view photos from the 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Awards event, click here.
For additional information about the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship, visit here.
Enter your email and we’ll send a secure one-click link to sign in.
FOX 4 Kansas City is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
FOX 4 Kansas City is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – The University of Kansas Medical Center is set to receive $5 million from the state to build a new network aimed at improving dementia diagnostic capabilities.
Officials at the University of Kansas Health System said the funding — which supporters intend to be annual if the state’s appropriation process allows — will help build the Kansas Brain Health Assessment Network.
The network will be located at KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and will begin this July. It will bring specialist-level dementia diagnostic capabilities into primary care practices across Kansas.
“Kansas has a unique responsibility here. Our geography creates barriers that other states don’t face the same way. We built the tools to address this at KU — and the legislature recognized that these proven care models should be implemented to benefit all Kansans across our state,” said Jeffrey Burns, M.D., co-director of KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Burns said the funding comes as, for the first time, clinicians have access to blood-based biomarker tests to accurately detect Alzheimer’s disease without an invasive procedure.
The KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is one of 35 centers designated by the National Institutes of Health and one of eight institutions in the world participating in the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative.
KU Medical Center said 55,000 Kansans are living with dementia and Wednesday’s announcement of funding will help specifically rural Kansans, who face months-long waits for specialist appointments.
“This initial investment reflects a thoughtful investment in both innovation and accessibility,” said Kansas State Sen. Jeff Klemp (R-Lansing), who supported the funding. “This investment leverages the strength of the University of Kansas Medical Center and extends that expertise across Kansas into our rural hospital network. This opportunity makes meaningful progress in how we approach brain health and ensures these advancements are available to all Kansans, not just those near major medical centers.”
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
-
Vermont15 seconds agoA Vermont bill meant to help music fans could do the opposite – VTDigger
-
Virginia6 minutes agoDevelopers seek to revive data center next to Virginia battlefield
-
Wisconsin18 minutes agoPowerball drawing makes six people in Wisconsin millionaires
-
West Virginia24 minutes agoState police investigating I-79 southbound crash in Monongalia County – WV MetroNews
-
Wyoming30 minutes agoWyoming Game and Fish rolls out new tool to monitor sage grouse
-
Crypto36 minutes agoGrok, ChatGPT, Claude — 11 AI Models Project Bitcoin Hits $84K to $118K by End of 2026
-
Finance42 minutes agoBessent wants Americans to avoid easy-money traps and invest in financial literacy
-
Fitness48 minutes agoHow Heidi Klum stays fit and strong at 52 – ‘I never exercise too much’