Lots of games for Kansas City Royals, a parade in Lawrence and more in KC’s Next Play
After a bit of a wait for baseball thanks to the major-league lockout, it’s back in full force this week. Baseball, that is. Not the lockout, thank goodness.
The Royals are mostly home for games this coming week, and for the two they’ll play on the road, they’ll be playing a) pretty close to home, and b) an opponent of high interest. (More on both points in a moment.)
Elsewhere around the metro this week, it’s parade time for members of the 2021-22 KU Jayhawks men’s basketball team and their fans, and soccer is happening all over the place.
With no further delay, here’s this week’s edition of KC’s Next Play.
The lineup for baseball
After rallying to victory over the Cleveland Guardians in their Thursday season opener at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals have a full schedule this week.
They resumed their series against Cleveland this weekend, wrapping it up with a 1:10 p.m. first pitch today, then play two against the Redbirds in St. Louis (Tuesday, Wednesday), before returning for a meaty homestand against the Tigers and Twins.
An off-day on Monday, April 18 separates the Detroit and Minnesota series at The K before the Royals embark on a road trip that begins in Seattle.
Sunny with a chance of confetti
The celebration will be full-throated today (Sunday) as fans come from far and wide to toast the national champion Jayhawks.
The weather looks conducive to merry-making, with partly cloudy skies and a high of 78 in the forecast today. As Midwesterners, we’ll party in any weather, especially in honor of national titles, but it’ll be a whole lot more fun for everyone involved without a leaden sky dropping graupel (h/t local weatherman Gary Lezak for sharing this term).
Oh yeah — details. There’s a big KU parade today, and it will proceed down Mass Street in Lawrence starting at 2 p.m.
Games for Sporting, Current
The KC Current have had plenty of time to think about their home-opening 3-0 loss to Racing Louisville on April 2.
They’re no doubt eager to perform better as they play their second of three straight NWSL Challenge Cup matches in the friendly confines of Children’s Mercy Park. They’re scheduled to resume competition on Friday at 8 p.m. against the Houston Dash.
Sporting Kansas City, meanwhile, after this weekend’s home match against Nashville, gets a bit of extra rest of its own now ahead of a Sunday, April 17 road tilt at LAFC.
Comets in the playoffs
OK, one more local pro-soccer item to watch this week: the KC Comets’ at home in the Major Arena Soccer League playoffs.
After opening their two-game first-round MASL series in Texas against the Dallas Sidekicks this weekend, the division-champion Comets return to Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence for Tuesday evening’s Game 2.
Kickoff is 7 p.m., with the series’ winner advancing to the Ron Newman Cup semifinals.