Kansas

Former Kansas City Royals Prospect Looking Like a Find for A’s

Published

11 months ago

April 5, 2025

Former Kansas City Royals Prospect Looking Like a Find for A’s

The Ahtletics and Kansas City Royals have had some overlapping players over the past year or so, partially because of the trade they made at last year’s deadline. The A’s sent Lucas Erceg over to the Royals in exchange for right-hander Mason Barnett, outfielder Jared Dickey, and the since-departed Will Klein.

CJ Alexander made his MLB debut with the Royals last season, but ended up on waivers late in the year, where the A’s scooped him up. He’s now with Triple-A Las Vegas. Ross Stripling also signed a minor-league deal with Kansas City during the offseason, but ended up not making their roster.

But the key guy for the A’s at the moment is Rule 5 draftee, Noah Murdock. The 26-year-old righty has made three appearances for the A’s thus far, including his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners. In the third game of the season, Murdock came on with runners on first and second, one run already in, and one out recorded.

He proceeded to get Ryan Bliss to line out, and earned his first MLB strikeout, getting J.P. Crawford looking. Murdock would also work a scoreless seventh against the top of the Mariners’ lineup.

His second outing was less than ideal.

In Monday night’s home debut for the A’s in Sacramento, nobody on the A’s was able to locate their pitches, and with the A’s ultimately losing the game 18-3, Murdock was out there to wear it a bit to try and conserve the bullpen.

He ended up providing one inning of work, giving up six earned on four hits and three walks, striking out one. His ERA skyrocketed to 20.25 after that outing.

Yet, he was back in the mix on Friday in Colorado, and pitched in a key spot. With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, Murdock came in and worked an eight-pitch inning to send it to extras. He appeared to be in complete control out there pitching in the snow.

With the A’s failing to pull ahead in the top of the tenth, Murdock was used for a second inning of work, this time with the zombie runner starting the inning on second base, adding an extra level of difficulty.

Again, Murdock was able to navigate the frame without allowing a run to score. He ended up going two innings, didn’t allow a hit, walked a pair (along with two intentional walks), and struck out three.

Without his efforts, the A’s don’t win that game.

Maybe it’s because the A’s late inning options are a bit limited right now with Michel Otañez on the IL and José Leclerc not inspiring a ton of confidence early on, but Murdock seems like he’ll be in that late-inning mix before long. In the two games that he’s been thrust into a big spot, he’s responded. It was the blowout game that inflated his ERA.

Meanwhile, Leclerc, granted he’s a veteran arm, has blown two saves thus far, and his ERA has rebounded while pitching in the blowout losses to the Cubs.

Of course, it’s still early, and when the A’s are at full strength, they’ll have veteran options to take on the key situations in big innings, but with the way that Murdock has looked in those spots so far, he could work his way into a big role with the Athletics as the season goes on.

Not only is he coming up big in big spots, but his sinker is also a ground ball machine, which could be huge while pitching in Sacramento. He can also go after punch-outs, which also play in any park. His mix just feels suited for where the A’s are right now.

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

22 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

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Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

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Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.

According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.

Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.

On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

No further information has been released.

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