Drake has won six Pioneer Football League championships but non since the league starting getting an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in 2013. With more than a dozen starters back from last year’s team that finished 7-4 third-year coach Rick Fox says they hope to change that this season.

Fox has put together a schedule to prepare for an eventual playoff berth. The Bulldogs play South Dakota and South Dakota State out of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Fox says the Bulldogs learned how they need to play at the end of last season. Drake won its final four games after falling out of the PFL title chase.

Drake is talented and deep on both sides of the ball on the line of scrimmage and Fox feels this team has a lot of potential. Drake opens at home against South Dakota on September 2.

(Learfield Sports)

Freshman center Luka Garza continues to shine on Iowa’s trip to Europe. Garza poured in 24 points in just 11 minutes of action as the Hawkeyes rolled to a 125 to 56 win over the Swiss All-Stars.

Garza says the four-game trip is a great experience.

Iowa travels to Italy today (Friday), and will play the Milan All Stars on Saturday. Hawkeye coach Fran McCaffery will continue to rotate starting lineups.

(Learfield Sports)

The Cardinals completed a four-game season sweep of the Royals to pull within one game of the NL Central-leading Cubs. Dexter Fowler crushed a grand slam in the seventh inning to send St. Louis past Kansas City, 8-5. Fowler also supplied an RBI double that sparked a game-tying, three-run sixth in the Redbirds’ sixth consecutive win.

The Twins vaulted over Kansas City in the AL Central standings by earning their fifth consecutive win, 7-2 at Milwaukee. Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer had three hits apiece and combined for three RBIs to help Minnesota complete a sweep of the home-and-home, four-game set with the Brewers. Zach Davies was tagged for seven runs and a career-high 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings as the Brewers dropped their fifth in a row to fall two games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals will play the Omaha Storm Chasers in an exhibition next March to kick off the 50th year of the Royals having their top farm club in the Omaha area. The Storm Chasers announced on Thursday that the game is March 26 at Werner Park. It will be the first time the Royals have visited their Triple-A affiliate since 2000. The Storm Chasers franchise has been Kansas City’s top farm club since 1969. No other major-league team has had its Triple-A affiliate in the same location as long. Tickets for the exhibition go on sale Sept. 1.

The Atlantic Trojan Football team is hoping to take another step forward in 2017. Second-year Head Coach Mike McDermott said practice has been going well to prepare for the season and he’s proud of the work the team has done in the off-season.

Atlantic went a disappointing 1-8 in 2016 but lost two games by 4 points or less and return a number of experienced players for this season.  Coach McDermott thinks they have the skill and speed to open up the offense a bit more in 2017.

John McConkey will be a key leader on the line on both sides of the ball. The recent UNI wrestling commit has been an impact player since his freshman year and will be sliding over to Center for this season.  Jaxson Eden is back at the Quarterback spot after throwing for 675 yards and two touchdowns last season. Noah Bruckner and Chase Mullenix will bring experience into the backfield. On defense Gratt Reed, Zade Niklasen, Dillon Sonntag, and Mullenix all return to a fast secondary that should be a strength for Atlantic. Coach McDermott said a number of guys that didn’t get a ton of varsity time last year have already impressed in practice as well.

McDermott said he feels good about the guys they have and a big emphasis of the preseason is to build depth, especially up front.

Atlantic will open up the season on August 25th at Clarinda. Chris Parks and Mike Smith will have the call of that game for you on KJAN. Listen in for the full season preview interview with Coach McDermott Saturday morning at 8:30am on KJAN.

The 59th Annual Tournament of Champions golf tournament will begin it’s three day run on Friday at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club.  The tournament is an invite only event for club champions and runners-up around the state, along with past champions of the event, and returning top finishers.  Three different divisions will be contested again this year with an Open division, Senior division (50+), and Super Senior division (65+).

A number of local players compete in the tournament each year and a local golfer will be back to defend his title from last year. Alex Bireline of the Atlantic Golf and Country Club was the 2016 Open division winner, firing a (-1) 206 total with rounds of 69-67-70 on the par 69 course. 2016 Runner-Up Zac Christensen of the Atlantic Golf and Country Club will be back in the field as well.

Past Champion Del Miller of West Liberty was the 2016 Senior Division Champion with a 220 (+13) total and he will be back to defend his title as well.

Past Champion Arnie Leistad of Atlantic was the Super-Senior Division Champion in 2016 with a 217 (+10) total and he will also be playing again this year.

Spectators are welcome to come out and support the golfers all weekend long at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club with food and drink available throughout the weekend. The first tee time on Friday is set for 8:30am.  Check out the tee times and pairings here: Round 1 2017 Pairings

We’ll have full coverage of the Tournament of Champions on KJAN. Tune in for reports throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, and hole-by-hole coverage on Championship Sunday.  Scores will also be continuously posted online.

Listen to Tournament Coordinator Matt Mullenix talk about this year’s event with Jim Field on our Heartbeat Today program below.

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Atlantic senior-to-be Cooper McDermott announced earlier this week that he will attend Dakota State University next year and play baseball for the Trojans.  Cooper will be following in his father’s footsteps. Current Atlantic Head Football Coach Mike McDermott played football and baseball at Dakota State.

Dakota State is a member of the NAIA’s North Star Athletic Association and are coming off a 2-30 season. Geoff Schaab was promoted from interim to full-time Head Coach of the Trojans this spring.

McDermott is being recruited as a pitcher and infielder at the next level.  McDermott went 2-2 on the mound this season with a 4.30 ERA. He recorded 16 strikeouts, 8 walks, and 7 hit batters. At the plate McDermott recorded 20 hits with 3 RBI’s and a .282 average.

Cooper has a full year of activities left with Atlantic beginning with the recently started football season.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina hit a grand slam one pitch after a cat ran onto the field in the sixth inning, helping the St. Louis Cardinals rally to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Wednesday night. Melky Cabrera hit his 15th home run, a two-run shot, that had given the Royals a 5-4 lead in the fifth.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Cardinals have a friendly feline to thank for their rally against the Royals. With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth on Tuesday night, the game was delayed for a couple minutes when a small, feisty cat sprinted onto the field at Busch Stadium. On the first pitch after play resumed, Yadier Molina hit a grand slam off Peter Moylan to give the Cardinals an 8-5 lead. The cat was instantly dubbed #RallyCat on Twitter.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two teams from Nebraska are ranked in the top 10 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll. The Nebraska Cornhuskers are No. 5 and the Creighton Bluejays are No. 9 in the poll released Wednesday.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — William Byron will replace Kasey Kahne next season at Hendrick Motorsports, the latest teenager to earn a promotion to NASCAR’s top level. The 19-year-old Byron will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in the Cup series. Kahne and Hendrick announced their split earlier this week.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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The Iowa basketball team opened a trip to Europe with a victory. The Hawkeyes outscored the German All-Stars 51-21 in the second half in a 99-65 win. Iowa finished with four players in double figures. Freshman center Luka Garza showed he will be an impact player for the Hawkeyes with 17 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.

The Hawkeyes travel to Switzerland where they will play the Swiss All-Stars on Thursday.

(Learfield Sports)