Washburn men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured Tuesday night in a car crash in Topeka, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
The crash log placed the accident at mile marker 183 on Interstate 470, and said Ballard was wearing a seatbelt when he was taken to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. WIBW reported the crash was called in at 8:17 p.m. Tuesday along the Kansas Turnpike on I-470 just west of the Interstate 470-Interstate 70 split.
According to the crash log, Ballard was driving a Ford F-150 truck westbound on Interstate 70 when it left the roadway, moved to the left, hit a delineator post, the embankment and then a bridge pillar.
Washburn University President JuliAnn Mazachek addressed the accident in a statement Wednesday morning.
“We are deeply saddened to share that Coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured in a car accident last evening,” Mazachek said. “Our hearts are with Coach Ballard, his family, the men’s basketball program and all who are affected during this difficult time.
“We ask our community to keep them in their thoughts during this time of recovery and to respect the family’s privacy. The university will share additional information when appropriate.”
Ballard’s path through Kansas basketball runs deep. He played for the Jayhawks’ 2002 Final Four team under Roy Williams, then moved onto Bill Self’s staff at KU, climbing from volunteer student assistant to director of basketball operations. He later coached at Baker University and spent time on Danny Manning’s staffs at Tulsa and Wake Forest before Washburn hired him ahead of the 2017 season.
Since taking over the Ichabods, Ballard has guided the program to five NCAA postseason tournament appearances in eight seasons and compiled a 167-79 record.
In Other News...
Former Cardinal Miles Mikolas Ended Up In A Very Rare Spot
Miles Mikolas found himself in one of the rarest spots a pitcher can occupy during Washingtons extra-inning game against the Phillies. The former Cardinal, now with the Nationals, helped spark the 11th inning in a way that had nothing to do with his arm, collecting an RBI on a bunt before later crossing the plate himself as Washington kept pushing in the games final stretch.
For a pitcher, even being in position to matter offensively is unusual enough. Ending up as one of the only hurlers this season to both drive in a run and score one in the same inning puts Mikolas in a tiny club, with Shohei Ohtani the other name attached to the feat. It was the kind of odd little footnote that reminds you baseball still finds ways to surprise, even in the margins. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Watch Tink Hence's Prospect Rise Take Another Tough Turn
Tink Hences path through the Cardinals system has taken another detour, as the right-hander cleared waivers and was sent outright to the clubs Florida Complex League affiliate. He had been designated for assignment last week when St. Louis called up left-hander Quinn Mathews, a move that came after a stretch in which Hences stock has been weighed down by both injuries and inconsistent performance.
For a pitcher once viewed as one of the organizations more notable rising arms, the latest transaction is another reminder of how quickly a prospects trajectory can shift. Removing him from the 40-man roster gives the Cardinals more flexibility, but it also leaves Hence trying to reset in a much quieter setting while the club continues sorting out its pitching depth. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Finally Have A Real Reason To Watch Springfield
After the trade deadline sell-off, the Cardinals attention has shifted squarely to the future, and that has made Springfield one of the more interesting stops in the organization. With Chaim Blooms front office clearly building beyond the rest of the 2026 major league season, the Double-A club has suddenly become the most relevant team in the system for fans who want a real glimpse of what comes next.
Springfield is loaded with talent in a way that makes it worth following closely, with 12 of St. Louis top 30 prospects on the roster. Rainiel Rodriguez, Liam Doyle and Jurrangelo Cijntje give the affiliate a higher-end feel, and the recent additions and encouraging performances throughout the farm system have only added to the sense that the Cardinals may finally be stockpiling enough impact pieces to matter down the road. [Read more 🡒]