University sports coming to KCK on Saturday

Two university sports events are scheduled on Saturday in Kansas City, Kan., and the local tourism bureau believes there will be more of these kinds of events here in the future.

Sporting Park will be the site of the Kansas State University purple-and-white spring football game on Saturday, while a few miles to the north, Wyandotte County Lake will be the site of a Big 12 – Big 10 dual women’s rowing match with the University of Kansas as the host.

As facilities continue to improve — citing the example of Sporting Park — Kansas City, Kan., and Wyandotte County can expect to have more collegiate-type activities, said Bridgette Jobe, executive director of the Kansas City, Kan., Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“The reason we like these is that not only the teams come and often stay here, but they bring along their fan base,” Jobe said. “So the fan base is coming to watch the event, and looking for hotels, restaurants and activities to do before and after the sports events. I anticipate this growing in the next few years.”

K-State to play its purple-white football game Saturday in KCK

There will be a lot of purple going on this Saturday at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., where Kansas State University will play its purple-white spring football game.

The game will start at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Sporting Park.

Regular tickets already are gone, but there may be standing-room-only tickets for sale for $10, according to the K-State football website.

The Wildcats were 9-4 in 2014, finishing in the top 20. Coming back from that team are 12 starters and 47 letter winners.

KU women’s rowing dual meet to be Saturday at Wyandotte County Lake

Meanwhile, a couple of miles north of the football game, the University of Kansas women’s rowing team will hold a Big 12-Big 10 dual meet at Wyandotte County Lake, 91st and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kan.

KU, along with Oklahoma, will represent the Big 12, facing Big 10 schools Iowa and Wisconsin.

Expect to see KU racing against Iowa in the morning and Wisconsin in the afternoon. The two sessions of rowing may begin about 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

KU will be the host team on May 2 at Wyandotte County Lake in the Sunflower Showdown against K-State.

There is a 30 percent chance of showers in the forecast for Saturday morning, April 25, but it may be clearing by noon, according to the weather forecast.

DAR to meet May 2

The Wyandot Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, will meet at 10 a.m. May 2 at the Lone Star Steakhouse, 1501 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, Kan.

The guest speaker will be Elizabeth Kelloff and one other member of the Capt. Jesse Leavenworth DAR.

The meeting topic will be the enactment of an 1850 interview with Caty Sage. Caty was kidnapped from her family in Elk Creek, Va., at 5 years old and grew up to become a Wyandot Indian queen. After 62 years she found a bloodline brother at the Wyandot Reservation, (then) Leavenworth County, Kan., according to the book, “The Legend of Caty Sage” by Ellie Kirby.

T-Bones sign rookie infielder Boddicker

T-Bones
The Kansas City T-Bones have signed rookie James Boddicker to a contract for the 2015 season.

Boddicker, 23 (4-8-92), is a 5-foot-11 and 190-pound infielder from Overland Park, Kan.

Playing collegiately at Tennessee Wesleyan last season, Boddicker batted .350 with a .493 slugging percentage in 58 games. He led the Bulldogs in hits (71), doubles (18) and total bases (100).

“I know our manager John Massarelli, coach Bill Sobbe and the rest of the staff wants to take a look at James because he’s a young guy who can hit, play several positions and plays the game the right way,” said T-Bones vice president and general manager Chris Browne. “Plus he’s a Kansas City kid who has a great background in and around the game.”

Boddicker, who went to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kan., is the son of long-time major-league pitcher Mike Boddicker, who played for the Royals during 1991 and 1992.

The T-Bones open the 2015 regular season at home on May 22 against Lincoln. Tickets for all games are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.
– Story from T-Bones