May 22

KU shortstop Kuntz learns to love baseball nomad’s life

For years, the routine was the same. Baseball game. Then a phone call. Kevin Kuntz knew no other way.

His father, Rusty, would be on the road in some major-league city, coaching on another big-league staff, and the phone calls were the best way to share the game they both loved.

“I’d basically call him,” Kuntz says, “and we’d just talk to him about the games. It had to be good enough.”

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May 22

Former top Miami (Ohio) receiver transfers to Kansas

Sitting in the lobby of the Ramada Convention Center on Wednesday evening, Kansas football coach Charlie Weis was getting eager to announce his latest addition to the Kansas football program.

He was working on something big, he said, and he was hoping to unveil it before he finished a “Happy Hour” event with fans on KU’s annual spring football tour.

That addition, Weis would announce later, was receiver Nick Harwell, a transfer from Miami (Ohio) who completed his junior season last fall. And from a football standpoint, Harwell appears to be a perfect fit for a program plagued by a middling receiving corps. Harwell, 6-1 and 193 pounds, was the nation’s second-leading receiver in 2011, piling up 97 catches and 1,425 yards. He added 68 receptions for 870 yards last season while missing three games for a knee injury.

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May 22

Miami (Ohio) transfer adds to Weis’ extreme makeover

When Charlie Weis moved in, Kansas football was a house with foundation issues.

Weis spent his time concentrating on infrastructure, which isn’t necessarily the kind of thing that will fire up the crowd on a summer tour. This year, Weis has some above-ground improvements to sell, even if the Jayhawks are coming off of a painfully familiar 1-11 season.

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May 22

Pitching key to K-State’s Big 12 title

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kansas State has been one of the best hitting teams in the nation this season. The Wildcats were expected to have a potent offense, so their production hasn’t been surprising.

What has exceeded expectations is the development of the pitching staff. A young rotation has shown steady improvement throughout the season and, bolstered by a strong bullpen, the Wildcats won their first Big 12 Conference baseball championship.

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