“THE SCOREBOARD”
CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
WES DEL 16 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 4
SHENANDOAH 6 COWAN 0
MONROE CENTRAL 7 DALEVILLE 5
ANDERSON 9 LINCOLN 1
OAK HILL 1 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 0
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 10 PURDUE POLY 0
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 13 INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 0
PARK TUDOR 6 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 0
CASCADE 6 GREENCASTLE 4
UNION CITY 7 UNION COUNTY 6
GREENSBURG 3 S. DEARBORN 2
WAPAHANI 18 EASTERN HANCOCK 2
BATESVILLE 8 FRANKLIN COUNTY 4
PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 20 INDIANA DEAF 5
ZIONSVILLE 5 BROWNSBURG 0
EAST CENTRAL 9 CONNERSVILLE 0
LAWRENCEBURG 8 RUSHVILLE 4
COLUMBUS NORTH 5 JENNINGS COUNTY 2
AVON 8 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 4
NORTHEASTERN 6 CENTERVILLE 2
CLINTON PRAIRIE 8 RITTER 3
MOUNT VERNON 20 MUNCIE CENTRAL 1
FISHERS 6 WESTFIELD 3
NOBLESVILLE 11 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 0
STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/18/2024
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 9 OAK HILL 3
TRITON CENTRAL 25 IRVINGTON PREP 0
WINCHESTER 19 MUNCIE CENTRAL 0
DALEVILLE 8 MONROE CENTRAL 4
WES DEL 22 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 0
DELTA 4 NEW CASTLE 3
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 14 TIPTON 0
RITTER 12 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 10
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 18 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 8
GREENCASTLE 4 PARKE HERITAGE 1
DANVILLE 5 N. PUTNAM 1
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 19 RUSHVILLE 0
NEW PALESTINE 13 MOUNT VERNON 1
EMINENCE 15 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 0
SHELBYVILLE 5 FRANKLIN 1
FRANKLIN COUNTY 11 MILAN 0
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 5 RICHMOND 1
HORIZON CHRISTIAN 19 INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 9
GREENSBURG 3 LAWRENCEBURG 2
SOUTH DEARBORN 9 BATESVILLE 3
NORTHEASTERN 3 TRI 2
YORKTOWN 4 FISHERS 1
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 12 LAWRENCE NORTH 3
LAPEL 16 KNIGHTSTOWN 5
EASTERN HANCOCK 10 WAPAHANI 0
BROWNSBURG 6 MOORESVILLE 5
CENTER GROVE 3 AVON 1
NORTH CENTRAL 9 BEECH GROVE 4
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 2 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 1
TRI-WEST 1 PLAINFIELD 0
CENTERVILLE 10 UNION CITY 2
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 16 PERRY MERIDIAN 4
TERRE HAUTE NORTH 12 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 1
WESTERN 5 NOBLESVILLE 2
STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/18/2024
INDIANA TRACK RESULTS: HTTPS://IN.MILESPLIT.COM/RESULTS
INDIANA GIRLS TENNIS
DANVILLE 5 TRI-WEST 0
MARION 3 MISSISSINEWA 2
FRANKTON 4 LAPEL 1
INDIANA BOYS GOLF
FRANKLIN 162, FRANKLIN CENTRAL 173, WHITELAND 208
NORTH CENTRAL 164 KOKOMO 177
SHELBYVILLE 159, COLUMBUS NORTH 160, NEW PAL 160
TRI-WEST 168 CASCADE 211
INDIANA BOYS VOLLEYBALL
LAWRENCE NORTH 3 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 0
CHRISTEL HOUSE 3 HERTIAGE CHRISTIAN 1
NBA PLAYOFFS
8TH SEED: CHICAGO VS. MIAMI; FRIDAY, APRIL 19 (7 ET, ESPN)
8TH SEED: SACRAMENTO VS. NEW ORLEANS, FRIDAY, APRIL 19 (9:30 ET, TNT)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
(1) BOSTON VS. NO. 8 SEED**
• GAME 1: TBD VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (1 ET, ABC)
• GAME 2: TBD VS. CELTICS; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: CELTICS VS. TBD; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (6 ET, TNT)
• GAME 4: CELTICS VS. TBD; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 5: TBD VS. CELTICS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: CELTICS VS. TBD; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: TBD VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
** = WINNER OF GAME BETWEEN LOSER OF 7/8 GAME AND WINNER OF 9/10 GAME
* = IF NECESSARY
(2) NEW YORK VS. (7) PHILADELPHIA
• GAME 1: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20 (6 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 2: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; MONDAY, APRIL 22 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; THURSDAY, APRIL 25 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 4: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (1 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
* = IF NECESSARY
(3) MILWAUKEE VS. (6) INDIANA
• GAME 1: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 2: PACERS VS. BUCKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 23 (8:30 ET, NBA TV)
• GAME 3: BUCKS VS. PACERS; FRIDAY, APRIL 26 (5:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 4: BUCKS VS. PACERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: PACERS VS. BUCKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: BUCKS VS. PACERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
* = IF NECESSARY
(4) CLEVELAND VS. (5) ORLANDO
• GAME 1: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20 (1 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 2: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; MONDAY, APRIL 22 (7 ET, NBA TV)
• GAME 3: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; THURSDAY, APRIL 25 (7 ET, NBA TV)
• GAME 4: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (1 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
* = IF NECESSARY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. NO. 8 SEED**
• GAME 1: TBD VS. THUNDER; SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 2: TBD VS. THUNDER; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: THUNDER VS. TBD; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (3:30 ET TNT)
• GAME 4: THUNDER VS. TBD; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 5: TBD VS. THUNDER; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: THUNDER VS. TBD; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: TBD VS. THUNDER; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
** = WINNER OF GAME BETWEEN LOSER OF 7/8 GAME (PELICANS) AND WINNER OF 9/10 GAME (KINGS)
* = IF NECESSARY
(2) DENVER VS. (7) L.A. LAKERS
• GAME 1: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20 (8:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 2: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; MONDAY, APRIL 22 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: NUGGETS VS. LAKERS; THURSDAY, APRIL 25 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 4: NUGGETS VS. LAKERS; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (8:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: NUGGETS VS. LAKERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
* = IF NECESSARY
(3) MINNESOTA VS. (6) PHOENIX
• GAME 1: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; SATURDAY, APRIL 20 (3:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 2: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; TUESDAY, APRIL 23 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: TIMBERWOLVES VS. SUNS; FRIDAY, APRIL 26 (10:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 4: TIMBERWOLVES VS. SUNS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: TIMBERWOLVES VS. SUNS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
* = IF NECESSARY
(4) LA CLIPPERS VS. (5) DALLAS
• GAME 1: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (3:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 2: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; TUESDAY, APRIL 23 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; FRIDAY, APRIL 26 (8 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 4: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (3:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
* = IF NECESSARY
NHL SCOREBOARD
SEATTLE 4 MINNESOTA 3
WINNIPEG 4 VANCOUVER 2
CALGARY 5 SAN JOSE 1
COLORADO 5 EDMONTON 1
ANAHEIM 4 VEGAS 1
LOS ANGELES 5 CHICAGO 4 OT
NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (WC1)
GAME 1: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — SUNDAY 12:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS, BSSUN, BSFL)
GAME 2: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — APRIL 23, 7:30 P.M. ET (ESPN2, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 3: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — APRIL 25, 7 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 4: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — APRIL 27, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, TVAS, SNE, SNW, SNP)
GAME 5: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — APRIL 29, TBD
GAME 6: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 7: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE PANTHERS-LIGHTNING SERIES COVERAGE
BOSTON BRUINS (2A) VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3A)
GAME 1: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — SATURDAY 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 2: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — APRIL 22, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)
GAME 3: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — APRIL 24, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 4: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — APRIL 27, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 5: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE BRUINS-MAPLE LEAFS SERIES COVERAGE
NEW YORK RANGERS (1M) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (WC2)
GAME 1: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — SUNDAY, 3 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS, MSG, MNMT)
GAME 2: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — APRIL 23, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW)
GAME 3: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — APRIL 26, 7 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — APRIL 28, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
GAME 5: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE RANGERS-CAPITALS SERIES COVERAGE
CAROLINA HURRICANES (2M) VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (3M)
GAME 1: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — SATURDAY, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS, MSGSN, BSSO, SNW, SNE, SNP)
GAME 2: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — APRIL 22, 7:30 P.M. ET (ESPN2, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 3: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — APRIL 25, 7:30 P.M. ET (ESPN2, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — APRIL 27, 2 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE HURRICANES-ISLANDERS SERIES COVERAGE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DALLAS STARS (1C) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (WC2)
GAME 1: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — APRIL 22, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVAS, FX)
GAME 2: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — APRIL 24, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 3: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 27, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 29, TBD
GAME 5: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE STARS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES COVERAGE
WINNIPEG JETS (2C) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (3C)
GAME 1: AVALANCHE AT JETS — SUNDAY, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN2, SN, TVAS)
GAME 2: AVALANCHE AT JETS — APRIL 23, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, CBC, TVAS)
GAME 3: JETS AT AVALANCHE — APRIL 26, 10 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, CBC, TVAS)
GAME 4: JETS AT AVALANCHE — APRIL 28, 2:30 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: AVALANCHE AT JETS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: JETS AT AVALANCHE — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: AVALANCHE AT JETS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE JETS-AVALANCHE SERIES COVERAGE
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1P) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC1)
GAME 1: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — SUNDAY, 10 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 2: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — APRIL 23, 10 P.M. ET ( ESPN2, SN, TVAS)
GAME 3: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — APRIL 26, 7:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 4: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — APRIL 28, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE CANUCKS-PREDATORS SERIES COVERAGE
EDMONTON OILERS (2P) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (3P)
GAME 1: KINGS AT OILERS — APRIL 22, 10 P.M. ET (ESPN2, SN, CBC, TVAS)
GAME 2: KINGS AT OILERS — APRIL 24, 10 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 3: OILERS AT KINGS — APRIL 26, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 4: OILERS AT KINGS — APRIL 28, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, SN1, TVAS)
GAME 5: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: OILERS AT KINGS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE OILERS-KINGS SERIES COVERAGE
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
TEXAS 9 DETROIT 7
TAMPA BAY 2 LA ANGELS 1
CLEVELAND 5 BOSTON 4
SAN FRANCISCO 5 ARIZONA 0
MIAMI AT CHICAGO CUBS POSTPONED
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 6 ST. PAUL 5
FT. WAYNE 7 DAYTON 5
BELOIT 7 SOUTH BEND 2
UFL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
STANDINGS: https://www.theufl.com/standings
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
STANDINGS: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings/2024/conference#season=2024&live=true
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
TOLEDO 14 DETROIT MERCY 4
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
NBA NEWS
BUTLER, WILLIAMSON INJURIES ARE PART OF STORY FOR HEAT-BULLS AND KINGS-PELICANS PLAY-IN FINALES
MIAMI (AP) — When injuries affect the Miami Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra almost always delivers the same three-word outlook.
“We have enough,” he says.
That theory is about to be tested — and will be a theme in the NBA’s win-or-go-home finales of the play-in tournament on Friday night.
All four teams — Miami and Chicago in the Eastern Conference, New Orleans and Sacramento in the Western Conference — have serious injury concerns going into their matchups to decide the No. 8 seeds on the playoff bracket. Miami and New Orleans have home-court edges Friday; the winners will face No. 1 Boston and No. 1 Oklahoma City in Round 1, starting Sunday.
The Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (sprained right MCL) and Terry Rozier (neck) for their game against the Bulls, who had guard Alex Caruso go down to a sprained ankle in Wednesday’s win over Atlanta. Miami is hoping guard Duncan Robinson, who has missed 10 of the team’s last 15 games with a back injury, can play.
The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson because of a hamstring injury in their game against the Kings, a team that’s been without would-be starters Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk in recent weeks because of injuries.
“We will do this the hard way,” Spoelstra said. “That has to be the path right now. We’re going to rest up, treat up, rally around each other up and get ready for Friday and again, embrace these competitive games. It’ll be competitive in front of our home fans and we’re going to bring a hell of a game on Friday night lights and do this the hard way. That’s just the way the deal is right now.”
The Bulls-Heat game is a rematch of the East play-in finale last year, a game where Chicago led by three with 3:47 left and got outscored 15-1 the rest of the way.
“I remember that plane ride back home vividly,” Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan said. “Everybody was just frustrated. That feeling sucked. I know for me, that’s one thing that’s on my mind once I realized we were going back to Miami — to not have that same feeling.”
Sacramento got into the West play-in finale by ousting Golden State on Tuesday. New Orleans missed a chance to be the West’s No. 7 seed by falling to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
MATCHUPS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NO. 9 CHICAGO (39-43, 1-0) AT NO. 8 MIAMI (46-36, 0-1)
Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN
Season series: Split, 2-2
Play-in appearances: 2nd for Miami (2023), 2nd for Chicago (2023).
At stake: Winner plays No. 1 seed Boston in Round 1, series starting Sunday. Loser is eliminated.
Outlook: Here they go again. Just like last year, it’s Chicago at Miami with the No. 8 seed in the East on the line in an elimination game. The Heat have huge injury issues with Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson ailing, and the Bulls had to finish Wednesday’s game without Alex Caruso. No Bulls team has gone to the playoffs with a losing regular-season record since the 1986-87 team did it at 40-42. Miami made the finals last season after 44 regular season wins; this season, 46 wins might not even be enough for a playoff berth.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
NO. 9 SACRAMENTO (46-36, 1-0) AT NO. 7 NEW ORLEANS (49-33, 0-1)
Friday, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Season series: Pelicans, 5-0 (includes one In-Season Tournament win)
Play-in appearances: 1st for Sacramento; 3rd for New Orleans (2022, 2023).
At stake: Winner plays No. 1 seed Oklahoma City in Round 1, series starting Sunday. Loser is eliminated.
Outlook: One way or another, New Orleans will make history on Friday. Either the Pelicans will become the first team to go 6-0 in a season (without a playoff series) against an opponent since Denver against Minnesota in 1994-95, or will become the second team in NBA history to go 49-33 or better and not make the playoffs (joining the 1971-72 Phoenix Suns, who went 49-33). The Pelicans will be without the injured Zion Williamson (hamstring) and the Kings will still be without Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Malik Monk (knee). New Orleans has had leads of 15 points in all five games (15, 17, 23, 41 and 50) and the Kings led only one of the five matchups by more than nine points at any time.
HEAT STAR JIMMY BUTLER HAS SPRAINED LIGAMENT IN KNEE, WILL BE SIDELINED SEVERAL WEEKS
MIAMI (AP) — The results are in: Jimmy Butler is out.
Butler will not be able to play for the Miami Heat in a win-or-else game on Friday night against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA’s play-in tournament because of a right knee injury, one that will sideline him for several weeks.
An MRI exam on Thursday showed that he sprained the MCL ligament, an injury that typically takes at least four weeks or more to heal.
That means if Miami wins Friday, it still won’t have Butler for a Round 1 playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics — a daunting matchup even if Butler was healthy. Boston, the top playoff overall seed, finished 18 games ahead of Miami and went 3-0 against the Heat in the regular season.
“We will do this the hard way,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, when Butler played most of the game after getting hurt and Miami lost 105-104 — missing out on a chance to be the No. 7 seed in the East. “That has to be the path right now.”
The path gets much harder now for the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
Butler was injured in the first quarter of the game in Philadelphia, grabbing at the knee in obvious pain and limping throughout the remainder of the contest — but staying in the game most of the way. He played 40 minutes, finishing with 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and five steals.
His mobility appeared to get worse as the game went along, and Spoelstra said postgame that Butler’s knee kept getting stiffer and stiffer. Butler was 2 for 4 from the floor when he got hurt — then just 3 for 14 in the remainder of the game.
“I thought the adrenaline would kick back in and I’d be able to move,” Butler said after the game. “And it just wasn’t the case. I wasn’t able to do anything on either side of the ball and I think I hurt us more than I helped us, actually.”
Butler’s absence on Friday will only add to serious injury issues for the Heat.
Miami has been without starting point guard Terry Rozier for two weeks because of a neck injury, and will play without him again on Friday. Shooting guard Duncan Robinson has missed 10 of Miami’s last 15 games with a back problem, and in the five games he did play in that stretch he was clearly affected — shooting only 6 for 26 (23%) from 3-point range. For his career, he’s a 40% shooter from beyond the arc.
“We’ve had experience with that,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said of playing shorthanded. “The biggest thing for us is to rally around each other and get the W.”
KAWHI LEONARD FIGHTING ‘STUBBORN INFLAMMATION’ AND IS QUESTIONABLE FOR GAME 1 OF PLAYOFFS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard has been fighting “very, very stubborn inflammation” in his surgically repaired right knee for nearly three weeks and he’ll be listed as questionable for the Los Angeles Clippers’ playoff opener against the Dallas Mavericks.
The fourth-seeded Clippers host Luka Doncic and the fifth-seeded Mavs on Sunday.
“Progress has been made but the inflammation needs to continue to reduce so he can do functional basketball movements,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said Thursday. “We’re hopeful he’s going to get there.”
Leonard missed the final eight games of the regular season and hasn’t played since March 31.
He had an injection in his knee earlier this month, The Athletic reported Thursday, citing unspecified league sources.
“We don’t comment on any specific treatments,” Frank said. “He’s doing everything he can and we’re doing everything we can medically.”
Leonard has participated in film sessions and reviews of the Mavs’ personnel, but he hasn’t been able to have any contact on the court, Frank said.
The Clippers sent Frank to speak with reporters a day after coach Tyronn Lue apologized for getting visibly frustrated Wednesday by repeated questions about Leonard, who hasn’t been made available to media.
“I’m trying to be as transparent as possible,” Frank said. “It’s just very unpredictable. If things continue to get better and better, there’s a chance (he’ll play).”
Leonard had his healthiest regular season yet in four years with the Clippers, playing in 68 games. The All-Star forward averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
“This guy lives for these moments. He prepares himself to be his best when his best is needed,” Frank said. “If he’s not healthy to play at a certain moment, he won’t be out there. When Kawhi is healthy, he plays.”
Frank said Leonard’s current inflammation is unrelated to his previous medical issues with the same knee.
Last season, Leonard played in the first game of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns before missing the final three games with a torn meniscus in his right knee.
In the 2021 playoffs, Leonard sprained his knee against Utah in the Western Conference semifinals. The Clippers beat the Jazz and advanced to the Conference finals for the first time, losing to Phoenix in six games.
He then missed all of the 2021-22 season after recovering from a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee.
In January, Leonard signed a contract extension with the Clippers that will pay him $153 million over the next three years.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB SUSPENDS PIRATES LEFTY AROLDIS CHAPMAN 2 GAMES AND FINES HIM FOR ‘INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS’ VS METS
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Aroldis Chapman was suspended two games and fined an undisclosed amount Thursday for his “inappropriate actions” against the New York Mets three days earlier.
Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for on-field operations, made the announcement and said Chapman’s suspension begins Friday when the Pirates are scheduled to host Boston. Chapman could appeal, which would delay the punishment until that process is complete.
Chapman (0-1) was ejected by plate umpire Edwin Moscoso after Harrison Bader doubled in the eighth inning of the Pirates’ 6-3 loss to the Mets.
“He evidently said something that the umpire did not like,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.
MLB ROUNDUP: RANGERS HIT THREE HRS, OUTSLUG TIGERS
Jonah Heim hit a two-run home run, Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia delivered solo shots and the visiting Texas Rangers topped the Detroit Tigers 9-7 on Thursday.
Semien had three hits and scored twice for the Rangers, who won the series 3-1.
Texas starter Jack Leiter, the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft, allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in his major league debut. Jose Leclerc (1-2) picked up the win in relief, and Kirby Yates notched his second save.
Kerry Carpenter drove in two runs for the Tigers, while Riley Greene had two hits, two runs and an RBI. Detroit starter Kenta Maeda gave up six runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings. Shelby Miller (3-2) gave up an unearned run and took the loss.
Rays 2, Angels 1
Hot-hitting Amed Rosario went 2-for-4 with a triple, Ryan Pepiot fired six strong innings and Tampa Bay managed a split of its four-game series against Los Angeles in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Rosario produced his big hit in the first inning, tripling in a run and then scoring on a sacrifice fly. The offseason acquisition increased his hitting streak to 10 games and boosted his average to .339.
For the Angels, Mike Trout went 0-for-3 but stole two bases and scored. Miguel Sano singled, walked and had an RBI. Luis Rengifo had two hits.
Guardians 5, Red Sox 4
Andres Gimenez collected two hits and drove in two runs to help visiting Cleveland defeat Boston in the finale of a four-game series.
Carlos Carrasco (1-1) held Boston to two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Emmanuel Clase retired the side in order in the ninth to collect his fifth save as the Guardians won three games in the series.
Jarren Duran drove in two runs and scored twice for the Red Sox, who struck out 10 times. Cooper Criswell (0-1) surrendered four runs, one earned, in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Marlins at Cubs, ppd.
Chicago’s home game against Miami was postponed due to inclement weather. The contest will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Saturday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
KENTUCKY GUARD REED SHEPPARD ENTERS NBA DRAFT AFTER BEING NAMED TOP FRESHMAN BY SEC COACHES
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky reserve guard Reed Sheppard, who was voted the Southeastern Conference’s top freshman by coaches after leading the league in steals, says he will enter the NBA draft.
The London, Kentucky, native was considered one of the conference’s best playmakers and perimeter shooters. He said in a social media post that it was time to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA and asked fans “to go with me” in a one-minute video.
Sheppard’s father, Jeff, was the 1998 Final Four Most Outstanding Player and helped the Wildcats win two national championships, while his mother, Stacey, was a 1,000-point scorer for Kentucky’s women’s team.
Sheppard started just five of 33 games, but was Kentucky’s No. 3 scorer at 12.5 points per contest and averaged an SEC-best 2.5 steals that ranked eighth nationally.
Sheppard also ranked fourth in the SEC with 4.5 assists per game, averaged 4.1 rebounds and made 52% of his 3-point attempts. He earned the Wayman Tisdale Award as the nation’s top freshman as selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Sheppard is the second Wildcat to enter the draft along with fellow freshman Rob Dillingham, the SEC’s top sixth man who declared last week.
KANSAS ADDS AJ STORR AFTER HE LED WISCONSIN IN SCORING THIS PAST SEASON
AJ Storr is transferring to Kansas after leading Wisconsin in scoring this past season.
Storr said Thursday in a social media post that he was making this decision “with great excitement and humility.” Later Thursday, Kansas announced the additions of Storr and former South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo.
“Joining the Jayhawks is a dream realized, and I’m incredibly honored for this opportunity to be a part of the tradition and culture of Kansas Basketball,” Storr said in his post.
It was a busy day for transfer news involving Wisconsin, as Badgers point guard Chucky Hepburn announced on social media that he also was entering the portal. Tennessee announced the signing of Hofstra transfer guard Darlinstone Dubar.
Storr, who is 6-foot-7, averaged 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds for Wisconsin this past season while helping the Badgers go 22-14. Wisconsin earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but lost 72-61 to James Madison in the opening round.
Mayo already had announced on social media two weeks ago that he committed to Kansas. He was the Summit League’s player of the year this past season, as he averaged 18.8 points and helped South Dakota State earn the conference’s automatic NCAA bid. The Jackrabbits fell 82-65 to Iowa State in the
NHL NEWS
COYOTES OFFICIALLY LEAVING ARIZONA FOR SALT LAKE CITY FOLLOWING APPROVAL OF SALE TO UTAH JAZZ OWNERS
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City.
The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $1.2 billion sale from Alex Meruelo to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, clearing the way for the franchise’s move to Utah next season.
The deal includes a provision for Arizona to get an expansion team if a new arena is built within the next five years. The deal will be facilitated through the NHL, with $200 million going to league owners as a relocation fee.
“We expressed our interest publicly with the NHL,” Ryan Smith told The Associated Press. “It’s probably been two years where we’ve said, ‘Hey, look, we really believe Utah can be an incredible hockey town.’ You look at all the demographics, we were just talking about the Olympics and you think about the Olympics coming back. It all kind of made sense.”
Smith will take over the franchise’s hockey operations and Meruelo will maintain his business operations in Arizona in an effort to secure and develop a tract of land for a new arena in north Phoenix.
Meruelo also retains ownership of the Tucson Roadrunners, the franchise’s AHL affiliate, and hopes to move them to Mullett Arena, the Coyotes’ temporary home shared with Arizona State University the past two seasons. He plans to pay back the $1 billion once an expansion team is approved.
“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game.”
Meruelo will retain the Coyotes’ name, logo and trademark, so Smith’s group will have to rename the team. The team will play at Delta Center, home of the Jazz, until a new arena can be built.
“We’ll start with Utah on the jersey and we’ll figure out the logo and everything else, and what it is that we are, but that’s a one-way door,” Smith said. “You’ve got to do it once. And with this timeline, I think both the league feels better and we feel better to just run the process and then we’ll drop it when we drop it.”
The sale ends the Coyotes’ long-running bid to find a permanent home.
The franchise shared an arena with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns after relocating from Winnipeg, moved to Glendale and ended up at Mullett Arena when the city of Glendale backed out of a lease agreement.
Meruelo had been adamant about not wanting to sell the team despite receiving numerous offers since buying the team in 2019. When an auction for the land in north Phoenix got pushed back to June, the Coyotes had no guarantee a deal for a new arena would go through.
With the NHL and players’ association hesitant for the Coyotes to play at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena for a third season, Meruelo opted to sell the team, his focus shifting to the new arena and expansion team.
“I agree with Commissioner Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League, that it is simply unfair to continue to have our players, coaches, hockey front office, and the NHL teams they compete against, spend several more years playing in an arena that is not suited for NHL hockey,” Meruelo said in a statement. “But this is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona. I have negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years, and have retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name, brand and logo. I remain committed to this community and to building a first-class sports arena and entertainment district without seeking financial support from the public.”
The Coyotes played their final game in Arizona on Wednesday night, a 5-2 win over the playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers. The players celebrated on the ice with team personnel and a few handed their sticks over the glass to fans, who chanted “We love you Coy-otes!”
“It’s tough to take it all in,” Coyotes rookie forward Logan Cooley said. “A lot of noise, a lot of personal stuff and obviously the organization, you hear you’re going one spot then you’re going to the next spot. We’ve done a good job in this locker room focusing on keeping out the noise and getting better as a team, striving to be the team we want to be one day.”
Officials from Salt Lake City and the city’s 2034 Olympic bid supported Smith’s attempt to bring hockey to Utah, giving the state two major professional franchises.
“This announcement is about more than bringing an NHL team to Salt Lake City — it’s a defining moment in our trajectory, becoming a catalyst for a positive vision that integrates community, connection, and more possibilities for families, residents, and visitors to experience our capital city,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement. “I’m thankful for the close partnership with Ryan & Ashley Smith, and the entire SEG team. This is the beginning of a new era that will generate exciting opportunities for our communities, amplify pride and unlock new potential in our downtown core.”
THE DALLAS STARS HAVE A BIG AGE GAP WITH PLAYERS WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR NO. 1 SEED IN THE WEST
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars have quite an age gap.
Top goal scorer Wyatt Johnston is only 20 years old, and was a teenager for most of the playoffs last year. On the other end for the Western Conference’s top-seeded team is Joe Pavelski, who will turn 40 this summer and has more points this season than the kid who again is living in his house.
“Joe’s not an old 39-year-old. He stays pretty young with the youth in this group,” six-time All-Star forward Tyler Seguin said. “It’s just cool because we have so many different layers of age in here.”
The 18-year, 10-month gap between the Stars’ youngest and oldest players is the widest among the Western Conference playoff teams by 2 1/2 years, with Edmonton at 16 years and four months. Toronto is the only team going into the postseason with a wider range.
Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano is the lone 40-year-old who will be part of these playoffs. He is 19 years older than teammate Matthew Knies, the forward who shares the same birth month.
Johnston (65 points, 32 goals) and Pavelski (67 points, 27 goals) are on a Stars roster that boasts a mix of proven veterans, three standouts from the same 2017 draft class and loads of promising youngsters. Dallas players are 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. Defenseman Ryan Suter, like Pavelski, is 39.
The 32-year-old Seguin jokes that they all have the same maturity, but maybe there is something to that on the ice and in the locker room. The young guys learn from the veterans, and the older guys are revived by exuberant youth during the grind of a long season.
“Everybody respects each other. Every line can contribute and nobody’s less than anybody else,” said Logan Stankoven, a 21-year-old forward who was the American Hockey League’s leading scorer before his callup in late February. “When the leaders are talking, everybody listens.”
Leading scorer Jason Robertson (80 points, 29 goals), standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen and goaltender Jake Oettinger were all taken by Dallas in the first 39 picks of the 2017 draft. Four players drafted by the Stars since are part of the current run: Ty Dellandrea, Thomas Harley and forwards Johnston and Stankoven, their top two picks in 2021 who now skate primarily on a line with captain Jamie Benn, a 2007 draft pick who is 34.
“Over the last two, three, four years, it’s been a good team. But there’s always going to be some change, and you hope it’s something that’s internal. And we’ve had that,” general manager Jim Nill said. “You start talking about Wyatt Johnston’s taken another step, Thomas Harley. Now Logan Stankoven’s come in. … And then we’ve added been lucky to add a couple of pieces.”
The newcomers this season include 26-year-old forward Sam Steel, a past first-round pick by Anaheim, 33-year-old Matt Duchene and a pair of 34-year-olds: forward Craig Smith in free agency and defenseman Chris Tanev in a trade at the end of February. Steele and Smith are on a line with 30-year-old center Radek Faksa, the Star’s first-round pick in 2012.
“Some of them don’t look like big moves, but they are big moves for our team because they play roles that are important and they play it the right way,” Nill said. “We’ve been able to supplement things in the last few years, and it’s come together pretty well for us.”
Dallas made it to the Western Conference Final last season and topped the West this year with 113 points after wrapping up its regular season with a 2-1 shootout win over St. Louis. The only time the Stars had more was in 1998-99, when they had 114 and won the franchise’s only Stanley Cup title.
“The part I’m most impressed is, look at some of the younger players, they’ve jumped right in and you could throw them in that tier of like players you trust out there,” Pavelski said. “Players that are looking to make the right play in the right situations, committed to winning, not cheating the game.”
All different ages, all good players.
NHL ROUNDUP: KINGS KO BLACKHAWKS 6 SECONDS INTO OT
Adrian Kempe scored six seconds into overtime — tied for the fastest OT goal in NHL history — to lift the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-4 win against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night in the regular-season finale.
Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals, including the game-tying tally during six-on-four play with 1:21 left, and he added an assist for the Kings, who leapfrogged the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division.
Kempe, Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist, Phillip Danault had three assists and Cam Talbot made nine saves for Los Angeles, which will face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for a third straight season.
Tyler Johnson, Joey Anderson and Ryan Donato scored five minutes apart early in the third period to give Chicago a 4-3 lead. Donato finished with two points. Lukas Reichel also scored and Arvid Soderblom made 30 saves for the Blackhawks, who ended the season on a six-game losing streak and with the second-fewest points in the NHL.
Ducks 4, Golden Knights 1
Frank Vatrano scored a hat trick and Lukas Dostal stopped 32 of 33 shots as Anaheim beat host Vegas.
The Golden Knights’ defeat, coupled with the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-4 overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks, dropped Vegas down to the second Western Conference wild card. Vegas will open the playoffs against the top-seeded Dallas Stars.
Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist, Ryan Strome registered two assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 32 shots for the Ducks. Jack Eichel scored and Adin Hill finished with 19 saves for the Golden Knights, who had a six-game home winning streak snapped.
Avalanche 5, Oilers 1
Valeri Nichushkin scored twice in Colorado’s four-goal first period, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to reach 140 points and the Avalanche beat Edmonton in Denver.
MacKinnon, who finished second in scoring in the NHL, set the franchise record for points in a season, topping Peter Stastny’s 139 points in 1981-82 with the Quebec Nordiques. Mikko Rantanen, Josh Manson and Zach Parise scored and Justus Annunen made 25 saves for Colorado.
Dylan Holloway scored and Calvin Pickard turned away 13 shots in relief of Stuart Skinner, who logged nine saves on 13 shots in the first period for the Oilers.
Jets 4, Canucks 2
Nikita Chibrikov scored the game-winner in his NHL debut as host Winnipeg earned its eighth victory in a row, defeating Vancouver.
The Jets’ Cole Perfetti scored twice and Gabriel Vilardi added a goal. Laurent Brossoit made 18 stops for the Jets, who will host the opener of their first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Conor Garland had a goal and an assist and Elias Lindholm also tallied for the Canucks, who had gone 3-0-1 in their previous four games. Thatcher Demko turned aside 22 shots for Vancouver, which will host the Nashville Predators to open the postseason on Sunday.
Flames 5, Sharks 1
Calgary enjoyed a milestone night as it concluded the season with a home-ice victory over San Jose.
Adam Klapka scored his first NHL goal, Blake Coleman reached 30 goals for the first time in his career in a two-point game and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar hit 20 goals for the first time. Kevin Rooney and Oliver Kylington also scored for the Flames, who missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Fabian Zetterlund notched a power-play goal with 8.9 seconds remaining for the Sharks.
Kraken 4, Wild 3
Tye Kartye scored the go-ahead goal with 2:40 remaining and Seattle held on to beat Minnesota in the season finale for both teams in Saint Paul, Minn.
Yanni Gourde scored two goals for Seattle, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Matty Beniers added a goal, while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Tanev each had two assists. Joey Daccord stopped 21 of 24 shots.
Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber scored one goal apiece for the Wild. Matt Boldy logged two assists, and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 23 of 26 shots.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
DEION SANDERS’ SONS SHILO AND SHEDEUR TAKE ON SOME RECRUITING DUTIES FOR COLORADO
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The trust Deion Sanders places in his sons, Shilo and Shedeur, extends well beyond the field and into the world of the transfer portal.
As leaders of the Colorado Buffaloes, Shilo, a defensive back, and Shedeur, the QB, wouldn’t have it any other way. They’ve made themselves reachable through social media to any player in the transfer portal who’s interested in Boulder. Although, Shilo did caution the Buffaloes aren’t “Last Chance U.”
“I think the most prominent players at every program are probably your best recruiters,” coach Deion Sanders said Thursday after a spring practice session. “I wish you could have a conversation with Shedeur and just tell him to just show you his (direct messages) one time. You would not believe the kids that call him and call Shilo, because they’re high-profile young men.
“That’s how the recruit thing works, man, for real, is players,” the coach added. “They know who the dogs are and who the cats are.”
Shilo Sanders created waves the other day with a post on his Instagram stories, which urged defensive transfers to message him and offensive players to reach out to Shedeur.
Being a recruiting coordinator, though, is just part of the new territory for standout players in this wild, wild West nature of college football. That’s perfectly fine with Shedeur Sanders, who wants as many decisions in his hands as possible.
“If it’s fourth down, you know the ball has to be in my hands,” said the Buffaloes quarterback who threw for a school-record 3,230 yards last season but was also sacked 52 times and resulted in Colorado overhauling its offensive line. “The final seconds of the game, it has to be in my hands.”
Shilo Sanders interrupted: “Buddy, you’re the quarterback. The ball is going to be in your hands every play.”
“You can hand the ball off also,” Shedeur Sanders quickly countered. “I like just having real control over everything.”
Oftentimes, potential recruits reach out to Shedeur Sanders because he can give them an honest assessment on what’s going on.
“They just want to make sure they have a home,” he said. “It’s just better from player-to-player rather than from coach-to-player because I’m able to tell you honestly, how we’re going to use you in our offense and stuff, and how I view you.”
The Buffaloes have officially seen 15 players hit the portal, including running back Alton McCaskill, the heralded transfer addition for Colorado last spring from Houston. Former five-star recruit Cormani McClain added his name to the list Thursday. He’s on his way out of Boulder after a limited role. Deion Sanders wished him well.
“I want the best for him, man. I really do. I want that kid to soar,” he said. “Sometimes you need to disconnect from something to reconnect to something else to restart you and re-energize you and stabilize you.”
As for the portal and all the turnover within the team, Deion Sanders urged everyone to do their homework on what sort of players were leaving his program (backups, mostly).
“We’re good. We’re good,” the coach said. “We’re making a big deal out of nothing. I want to say so much stuff but I can’t. I keep remembering I’m a head coach.
“I trust the recruiting team. I trust our coaches and please have some faith in me. We’re all right.”
After all, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders are on top of things as Colorado gets set to move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12.
“We’re good, but I just want to be the best, for sure. New guys bring new energy to practice,” said Shilo Sanders, who estimated he has recommended 50 potential players who’ve messaged him. “It’s not ever bad, giving guys an opportunity to come to the school.”
His brother felt the same way.
“I’ll tell (them) straight up, ’Look, we’re throwing the ball a lot. This is what we’re bringing you here for, this is what we see you in the offense, this is how I picture you being out there,” Shedeur Sanders explained. “Really, it’s just taking control of the team.”
NOTES: Colorado has sold around 21,000 tickets for the spring game on April 27 at Folsom Field. The Lil Wayne concert that night at CU Events Center is nearly sold out. … Deion Sanders took offense to a report that he wouldn’t want his kids to wind up with several NFL teams. “Whoever did that is a liar and that’s stupid,” the coach said. “Who was the first one who reported that?” From the doorway, Shilo Sanders cracked, “It was me, Coach.”
NFL NEWS
RAMS HAVE A FIRST-ROUND PICK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2016, BUT THERE’S NO GUARANTEE THEY’LL USE IT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The most recent time the Los Angeles Rams made a first-round pick in the NFL draft, Sean McVay was Washington’s offensive coordinator and Puka Nacua was a high school freshman.
That was way back in 2016, just after the Rams moved back home to Los Angeles from St. Louis. General manager Les Snead’s team was nothing special at that time following 12 consecutive non-winning seasons, and the Rams decided they needed to make a big splash in Hollywood by trading up for Jared Goff.
Boldly adding a solid quarterback — and eventually trading that quarterback for Matthew Stafford — put McVay in position to lead the Rams back from irrelevance and into near-annual playoff contention. They’ve racked up six winning seasons, five playoff berths, three NFC West titles, two Super Bowl appearances and one championship since the most recent time they picked in the first round.
The Rams have been annual Thursday nonparticipants in the draft for several very good reasons, in fact: McVay probably wouldn’t have enjoyed all of his success without Snead’s judicious use of his first-round picks as capital for improving his team with veterans.
The Rams’ first-round pick in 2017 went to Tennessee as part of the Goff deal. Their pick in 2018 went to New England to land receiver Brandin Cooks. Snead used his first-rounder in 2019 to trade back for more draft capital.
Los Angeles’ first-round selections in 2020 and 2021 then went to Jacksonville for star defensive back Jalen Ramsey, while his first-rounders in 2022 and 2023 went to Detroit in the deal for Stafford. Both players were vital to the Rams’ championship run in early 2022.
The Rams are finally back in the mix this year with the 19th overall pick, and their fan base is waiting to see whether they’ll actually have something to cheer on a Thursday in April.
MANY POSSIBILITIES
Snead’s philosophy around the value of his picks has been widely adopted at this point, to the point where it’s often more difficult to make the type of bold moves that landed Goff, Ramsey and Stafford in LA. Snead has kept open the possibility of trading out of the first round yet again, and he will probably keep listening to offers until the last minute.
In other words, everybody realizes the Rams’ first-round drought might not actually end this spring.
AFTER 99
Following last season’s impressive return to the playoffs, the Rams appear to be close to title contention again, perhaps only needing a couple of elite talents to be a serious contender. But the Rams also lost one of the NFL’s best players and a major portion of their franchise identity with the retirement of Aaron Donald last month.
The All-Pro left a massive hole in the roster, but also a more literal hole in the center of the defensive line. The Rams are short on bodies to line up alongside promising nose tackle Kobie Turner, let alone anybody with a fraction of Donald’s ability.
SO MANY PICKS
The Rams also kept their own second-round and third-round picks, and they get an extra pick at the back of the third round as compensation for losing defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to the Atlanta Falcons. Los Angeles has 11 total picks this month after making 14 picks in 2023.
NEEDS
Along with the vacancy on the interior defensive line, Los Angeles also needs another pass-rushing linebacker after failing to bolster an area of weakness in 2023 during free agency. McVay would always welcome another offensive playmaker, particularly a speedy receiver or a backup running back. The Rams probably need to address their long-term future at both offensive tackle spots soon, either in this draft or the near future.
DON’T NEED
The Rams look set at quarterback for 2024 with Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and possibly Stetson Bennett, although 2025 could be a different story. Their interior offensive line looks better than it has in years, while Los Angeles already bolstered its weak secondary with free-agent acquisitions Tre’Davious White, Kam Curl and Darious Williams.
THE 49ERS ARE SLATED TO PICK IN THE 1ST ROUND FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE 2021
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers will no longer be spectators on the opening night of the NFL draft.
After sitting out round one the past two years thanks to a pricey decision to trade up for quarterback Trey Lance in 2021, the 49ers will be in position to fill a hole on the roster on day one of the draft this year.
San Francisco holds the 31st overall selection in the draft, as well as nine additional picks the final two days, making the opening night far more entertaining for the Niners than the past two years.
“It’s pretty miserable not having a first-round pick, just watching and having nothing to do that first day,” coach Kyle Shanahan said last month at the NFL owners meetings. “We knew we weren’t going to have one the last (two) years, so we didn’t look as much at those top picks. We’ll be prepared for everybody this year. You never know whether we stay where we’re at or if we move around, but at pick No. 31, you have to be ready for anything.”
San Francisco gave up its first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 when the Niners traded up in 2021 from No. 12 to No. 3 to draft Lance. That moved backfired with Lance making just four starts in two seasons as he never got completely comfortable in Shanahan’s offense and then was usurped by Brock Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 draft.
The 49ers overcame the move by making it to the NFC title game in Lance’s first two seasons and then to the Super Bowl last season after trading Lance to Dallas before the season for a fourth-round pick.
NEEDS
San Francisco’s roster is one of the strongest in the league but isn’t without needs. Upgrading the right side of the offensive line that struggled in the Super Bowl could be a priority after the Niners did little to improve that group in free agency. San Francisco also could use a cornerback to team with Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir and is always interested in adding defensive line depth.
DON’T NEED
The quarterback position is set with Purdy still on his rookie deal and Joshua Dobbs added this offseason as a backup along with Brandon Allen. Linebacker isn’t a high priority either even with Dre Greenlaw working his way back from an Achilles tendon injury suffered in the Super Bowl. All-Pro Fred Warner anchors that group and free agent De’Vondre Campbell should be able to hold down the other starting spot until Greenlaw can return.
READY FOR RECEIVER
The Niners appear to be set at receiver with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings all under contract. But Aiyuk’s uncertain future could come into play. He is seeking a long-term deal to replace the fifth-year option his is set to play on this season but the two sides haven’t come to an agreement. San Francisco doesn’t want to trade Aiyuk, even if there is interest, but it could be tough to keep him and Samuel on high-priced deals. Drafting a receiver now would offer protection if the Niners can’t extend Aiyuk or opt to trade Samuel after this season.
PLANNING AHEAD
There are two other key spots on offense where San Francisco has no immediate need for a starter but could seek a rookie to develop as a long-term replacement. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams turns 36 in July and won’t be able to man that spot for too many more years. Drafting someone to step in as a starter at right tackle this year, who could eventually move to the left side could be an option. All-Pro tight end George Kittle turns 31 next season and finding a backup who could eventually take over could be a direction San Francisco goes this year.
BUSY DAY THREE
San Francisco only has its own picks the first two days, but has several extras on day three with three picks in the fourth round and two in the sixth round. Shanahan and GM John Lynch have had a good track record of finding gems on day three of the draft with picks such as Kittle, Greenlaw, Jennings, Lenoir, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and Purdy all playing a big role in San Francisco’s recent success.
BUCCANEERS EAGER TO USE THE NFL DRAFT TO NARROW THE GAP BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND OTHER TOP TEAMS
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers believe they’re close to being Super Bowl contenders again and hope to use the upcoming NFL draft to narrow the competitive gap between themselves and some of the league’s other top teams.
The Bucs have four picks in the first three rounds — seven overall — and are confident they’ll be able to upgrade the roster with prospects capable of taking advantage of opportunities to make a difference right away.
The three-time defending NFC South champions rebounded from a 4-7 start last season to win five of their last six games and earn a playoff berth for a club-record fourth consecutive year. They went on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a wild-card matchup before losing to the Detroit Lions in the NFC divisional round.
The team’s primary focus this offseason has been retaining as many of its own free agents as possible, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, franchise career receiving leader Mike Evans and veteran linebacker Lavonte David.
Negotiations aimed at a long-term deal for All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield and contract extension for left tackle Tristan Wirfs are ongoing.
Still, there are plenty of holes to fill.
“And that’s OK to have a lot of needs. I think it’s a good thing actually,” general manager Jason Licht said.
“We came very close to going to the NFC championship game last year, we signed our (key) guys back and we still have a lot of needs,” Licht added. “I think if we do this right, pretty soon, the next couple of years — or even this year — (we) could be competing.”
Three draft picks from a year ago were either full or part-time starters in 2023, including first-round defensive lineman Calijah Kancey and second-rounder Cody Mauch, who started every game on a re-tooled offensive line.
Third-round linebacker Yaya Diaby became a starter at midseason and finished with a team-leading 7½ sacks.
Licht said coach Todd Bowles’ willingness to develop and play young, inexperienced talent has been one of the keys to the Bucs remaining relevant since the Bucs lost seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady to retirement after the 2022 season.
“One of the things I love about Todd and his staff is that they’re not afraid to coach up a rookie and put him out there. We saw that last year,” Licht said. “It’s very comforting as a GM to know that your coaching staff loves the challenge of getting rookies ready to go.”
NEEDS
Edge rusher, cornerback, offensive line, running back, wide receiver.
DON’T NEED
Safety, inside linebacker, tight end.
BAKER’S OUR MAN
With Mayfield returning on a three-year, $100 million contract that could be worth up to $115 million, the Bucs aren’t necessarily looking for their QB of the future. Kyle Trask and John Wolford remain as backups, however that doesn’t mean the team will refrain from adding another QB in later rounds.
“I would never say that we wouldn’t take a quarterback because you could take one and be glad that you did at some point,” Licht said.
ON THE EDGE
The Bucs released OLB Shaquil Barrett in a salary cap-trimming move. Veteran Randy Gregory joined the team on a one-year deal in free agency, however bolstering the pass rush remains a priority. The team had 48 sacks last season, tied for seventh in the league.
“We wanted some depth there, but it’s not going to affect how we approach the draft,” Licht said of signing Gregory. “We could always use a higher-end pass rusher. I think every team can.”
SECONDARY HELP
Barrett isn’t the only starter the Bucs have to replace on defense. Inside linebacker Devin White, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft, was allowed to leave in free agency. Cornerback Carlton Davis III was traded to Detroit.
“If there’s a great cornerback that’s sitting there and he’s staring us in the face, and he’s clearly a better player than what we have at other positions, it would be hard to resist,” Licht said.
PANTHERS HAVE MANY NEEDS ENTERING NFL DRAFT, BUT NO FIRST-ROUND PICK AFTER TRADING FOR BRYCE YOUNG
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers had the worst record in the league last season, so they have a long laundry list of draft needs.
The problem is they don’t have a first-round pick.
The Panthers traded away that selection — which turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick — to the Chicago Bears a year ago when they got desperate for some stability at the quarterback position and moved up from the ninth spot to get Alabama quarterback Bryce Young at No. 1 overall.
Young struggled in his rookie season and the Panthers stumbled to a 2-15 record and now Carolina doesn’t have anything to show for its struggles after what looks like a lopsided trade in favor of the Bears, who got three other draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
Panthers owner David Tepper, who is not particularly known for his patience, ousted general manager Scott Fitterer and first-year head coach Frank Reich, so Carolina enters the draft with a new brain trust in place.
Former Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan is the GM and Dave Canales is head coach.
The Panthers have two picks early in the second round (No. 33 and 39), so there is always the chance they package those and move back into the first round. But Morgan has repeatedly downplayed the notion of wanting to trade up, and appears to be content to wait until the second round to make a move.
Carolina also has a third and fourth-round pick, two fifths and a seventh.
Which direction the team goes with those two second-round picks will largely depend on what’s still left on the draft board.
NEEDS
Edge rusher, wide receiver, cornerback and tight end.
The Panthers traded their best defensive player in outside linebacker Brian Burns to the New York Giants after being unable to agree to a long-term contract. They also lost playmaking OLB Frankie Luvu and primary backup Yetur-Gross Matos in free agency. Carolina added replacements in D.J. Wonnum, Jadeveon Clowney and K’Lavon Chaisson but this team could use a young pass rusher at some point in the draft.
Upgrading the wide receiver position is also a need.
Carolina added speedy Diontae Johnson in free agency to pair with veteran Adam Thielen, and last year’s second-round pick Jonathan Mingo has shown promise. But Carolina could use more speed and depth at the position and it wouldn’t come as a shock if they use one of their two second-round picks as more help for Young.
Cornerback is another big area of need with Donte Jackson and C.J. Henderson moving on, leaving injury-prone Jaycee Horn as the only proven player at that position outside of Troy Hill. The team added Dane Jackson in free agency, but it’s unclear if they view him as a starter. He got a two-year, $14.5 million deal.
DON’T NEED
The Panthers invested more than $150 million in guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis in free agency, hoping to give Young some better protection after he was sacked 62 times last season. Austin Corbett will move inside to center. The Panthers seem content with Ickey Ekwonu and Taylor Moton at offensive tackle, although Ekwonu had a rough second season. Carolina could select a center to develop at some point in the draft, but it’s highly unlikely that would be in round one.
PICK ’EM
It won’t come as a surprise if the Panthers add more help around Young in the form of a wide receiver or tight end. Texas WR Xavier Worthy would be an intriguing pick as would TE Ben Sinnott out of Kansas State. If they go cornerback, keep an eye on Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter.
SAINTS ENTER THE NFL DRAFT WITH QUESTIONS ALONG THE OFFENSIVE LINE
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints could have a hard time passing up a promising prospect at offensive tackle should one be available to them in the 2024 NFL draft.
New Orleans’ offensive line was among the club’s strengths for much of the past decade and a half. More recently, however, the unit has struggled with both health and performance.
Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, a 2019 All-Pro who missed last season’s final four games with a nagging knee injury, has had surgery in an effort to prolong his NFL career. But his status for next season, which would be his eighth, remains unclear.
“I don’t know that I’m seeing as much progress as I was hoping,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said during NFL owners meetings last month. “He just isn’t quite where I was probably hoping he’d be, and really, quite frankly, where he was hoping he’d be. But again, it’s a long time before we kick the ball off, so I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions right now.”
Even if Ramczyk’s prognosis improves, there are questions on the other side of the line.
Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-round draft choice, missed most of his rookie season with a foot injury before opening the 2023 season as the starting left tackle. But he was benched after six games.
Perhaps Penning will figure it out this season, when the Saints will be installing a new offensive under new coordinator Klint Kubiak, and when he’ll have a new offensive line coach (John Benton). But that’s no sure thing, and Andrus Peat, the veteran who moved over to left tackle in Penning’s place, has opted for free agency.
A couple of top offensive tackle prospects could be available when the Saints are slated to make their first pick at 14th overall, including Washington’s Troy Fautanu and Alabama’s JC Latham.
Meanwhile, the Saints also struggled to run the ball last season, ranking in the bottom third of the NFL in yards rushing per game.
That’s why bolstering the blocking up front has become a priority in New Orleans — but not the only one.
“All things are on the table in terms of how we want to fill out our roster,” Allen said.
NEEDS
In addition to offensive linemen, the Saints could consider some of their defensive counterparts.
The Saints ranked 22nd against the run in 2023 and have lost defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, who left in free agency to join the Denver Broncos and his former Saints head coach, Sean Payton.
A highly skilled edge rusher could help, too.
Veteran Cameron Jordan had just two sacks last season, the fewest since his rookie season and second fewest in his career. One of the Saints’ higher-profile free-agent acquisitions has been defensive end Chase Young, but the 2020 second overall draft choice has yet to fulfill expectations because of injuries early in his career.
“I don’t think you can ever have enough pass rushers in your building,” Allen said.
DON’T NEED
The Saints are in relatively good shape in the secondary.
Barring an attractive trade offer, the Saints appear content to retain high-paid veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore. They also have Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor at that position, and both of them have earned high praise from Allen, who oversees the defense.
The Saints also appear solid at linebacker with Demario Davis returning to anchor a unit that includes 2021 second-round draft choice Pete Werner and recent free agent signing Willie Gay.
WISH LIST
There’s hype surrounding Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who has the potential to improve an offense the way Rob Gronkowski once did for the New England Patriots, or as Travis Kelce has more recently for the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr had success throwing to tight ends with his former team — the Raiders — and that position group underperformed in the receiving game last season for New Orleans.
If Bowers drops outside the top 10, he could present the Saints with an intriguing option.
TRADE BAIT
The pressure is on the Saints to hit on their first- and second-round picks because the rest of their nine total picks come in rounds five through seven. But New Orleans could use some of its four fifth-rounders to trade up a few spots during the first or second rounds to get a player they covet. And general manager Mickey Loomis has been decisive about executing such trades in the past.
“We have an opportunity in this draft to add some players” who can contribute right away, Loomis said. “We’ll leave no stone unturned.”
WITH QB COUSINS JOINING STRONG FOUNDATION ON OFFENSE, FALCONS MAY TARGET EDGE RUSHER IN NFL DRAFT
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons’ offseason overhaul, highlighted by the additions of coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Kirk Cousins, add intrigue to the team’s NFL draft plans.
By signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed, the Falcons appear to have no need to join the competition for the top quarterbacks in the draft with their No. 8 overall pick. Desmond Ridder, who opened last season as the starter, was traded to Arizona for wide receiver Rondale Moore following the Cousins signing.
Taylor Heinicke, who shared the job with Ridder last season, returns as the probable backup.
Is there still a need for another quarterback? Cousins will be 36 when the 2024 season opens, and he is returning from a torn right Achilles tendon that ended his 2023 season after eight games.
While it’s possible the team could add another quarterback after the first round, the Falcons could focus on defense at the top of the draft. Atlanta may address a pressing need by looking for an edge rusher such as Alabama’s Dallas Turner in the first round.
OFFENSIVE FOUNDATION IN PLACE
A healthy Cousins should be a good fit for an offense which has focused on adding playmakers with recent first-round picks. Last year’s top rookie, running back Bijan Robinson, joined tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London as the most recent first-round selections, all taken in the top eight overall.
The Falcons gave Cousins another playmaker by signing former Chicago wide receiver Darnell Mooney to a three-year, $39 million deal with $26 million guaranteed.
NEEDS
The Falcons moved closer to the middle of the NFL team leaders with 42 sacks in 2023, a dramatic jump from 2022, when they had only 21 and 2021, when they were last with 18.
Even so, Atlanta hasn’t had a player with as many as 10 sacks since 2016, when Vic Beasley had 15 1/2. Defensive tackle Calais Campbell and linebacker Bud Dupree, who each had 6 1/2 sacks to share the team lead, are free agents. Campbell may retire.
If selected, Turner could move into the outside linebacker role in the 3-4 base scheme to be installed by Morris and new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake.
The Falcons’ other needs include cornerback, defensive tackle and offensive tackle. The offensive line under former coach Arthur Smith was perceived to be a strength, but the unit excelled in run blocking while allowing 40 sacks.
Also, there is room for a deep threat to serve as a complement to London, Mooney and Moore at wide receiver.
DON’T NEED
Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and Avery Williams give new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson a strong foundation at running back, even after Cordarrelle Patterson signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. Tight end also looks deep with Pitts, Charlie Woerner, John FitzPatrick and Tucker Fisk.
BIJAN BALL
There is much expectation that Bijan Robinson’s skills as a receiver out of the backfield will be better utilized by Cousins and Zac Robinson. While on the Rams staff in 2022, Zac Robinson saw Bijan Robinson show his diverse skills at Texas against Oklahoma State.
“Bijan had about 180 yards of total offense,” Zac Robinson said. “It seemed like every time he touched the football, something good was going to happen. That was my first exposure to him. … Seeing him play in person up close, I was like, ‘This guy is unbelievable.’ Then you study him throughout the draft and you realize what a special player he is. With the ball in his hands, there are so many things he can do. There’s nothing he can’t do. That’s what gets you excited.”
FAN OF FONTENOT
General manager Terry Fontenot’s recent first-round draft picks received a thumbs-up from Morris in his introductory news conference.
When asked what he liked about the Falcons’ roster, Morris said “That’s real easy. Drake London, Bijan Robinson.”
Added Morris of Fontenot: “This man has acquired some really good pieces and tools.”
LIONS ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A STARTER IN THE NFL DRAFT FOR A CHANGE, COMING OFF SUCCESSFUL SEASON
DETROIT (AP) — The NFL draft is coming to Detroit and for a change, the Lions are coming off a successful season and have appeared to address every need with seemingly sound moves.
Detroit has the No. 29 pick overall and if it doesn’t make a move to pick sooner, it will mark the latest the franchise has made a first-round pick.
The three-day event, which is expected to draw fans from all over to the Motor City, will be more of a showcase for the city than a chance for the Lions to add a desperately needed player in the draft.
About 150,000 people, many of them Lions fans, are expected to fill the streets around Campus Martius Park in the heart of downtown.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes is prepared to potentially disappoint Detroiters who show up Thursday morning or afternoon on April 25 waiting for their favorite team to be on the clock at the end of the night only to find out he traded out of the first round with an offer too good to refuse.
“Hopefully, our fans will forgive us,” Holmes said with a grin Thursday, a week before the draft.
Holmes has done enough in Detroit to earn the benefit of the doubt.
He has led one of the more impressive turnarounds in the league. Holmes, whose contract was extended during the offseason, took over a laughingstock of a franchise three years ago and turned it into one of the NFL’s best last season.
In large part, he has done it by hitting more than missing on draft picks.
The former Los Angeles Rams executive chose Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with his first selection, No. 7 overall, and had perhaps the steal of the 2021 draft in the fourth round by taking USC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Sewell and St. Brown each earned a spot on the 2023 All-Pro team.
Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, drafted No. 2 overall two years ago, has proven to be a good pick. With a pair of first- and second-round selections last year, Holmes landed four players who played key roles on the franchise’s best team in generations.
All-Pro tight end Sam LaPorta, dynamic running back Jahmyr Gibbs, sturdy linebacker Jack Campbell and savvy defensive back Brian Branch will be tough quartet for any group of rookies to top this season in Detroit.
And that’s OK for the Lions, who will go into the draft not expecting to take a player projected to start this upcoming season.
“Free agency is the time to pull out the depth chart and start plugging holes and all that kind of stuff,” Holmes said.
Detroit didn’t make a big splash in free agency, but retained and added some players to fill holes.
Defensive tackle DJ Reader, cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson along with edge rusher Marcus Davenport should improve the team’s shaky pass defense.
Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler was signed and Graham Glasgow was re-signed, handling the top priorities for an offense that was among the league’s best last season.
NEEDS
The Lions can use some help at cornerback, defensive end and guard.
Even though Detroit added two veterans at cornerback and retained one (Emmanuel Moseley), they cut one when Cameron Sutton was being sought — and later turned himself in on a domestic violence warrant. The Lions also signed Davenport to play opposite Hutchinson, but he was healthy enough to play just four games last season for Minnesota.
Finding a young guard to develop behind the 34-year-old Zeitler and Glasgow, who turns 32 in July, or to play in case they get banged up would be a good idea.
DON’T NEED
Detroit’s offense has what it needs and on defense, the interior of the line and middle linebacker appear to be positions of strength.
PICK ’EM
Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter, projected as a first-round pick during his junior season, may be the best player available who also improves what might be the team’s weakness.
PACKERS COULD STILL LOOK TO UPGRADE SECONDARY IN NFL DRAFT EVEN AFTER ADDING XAVIER MCKINNEY
The Green Bay Packers made a big investment in their secondary by signing safety Xavier McKinney from the New York Giants.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Packers address that area again early in the draft.
Safety was one of Green Bay’s biggest weaknesses last season, and the Packers haven’t kept any of the three guys who earned the most playing time at that position for them a year ago. Jonathan Owens joined the Chicago Bears, Darnell Savage signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Rudy Ford remains a free agent.
The only safety remaining on Green Bay’s roster who played at least four defensive snaps for the Packers last season is 2023 seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson Jr.
The Packers must restock the position even after signing the 24-year-old McKinney to a four-year, $68 million contract.
“I think it’s a pretty good safety class this year,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL owners’ meetings. “The draft’s unpredictable. It’s how those things fall, and whether that comes to you. But it’s a pretty good safety class. But I don’t think going into the draft it’s anything you can ever count on, just because you never know how it’s going to fall.”
The Packers also need help at cornerback as they try to take the next step after going 10-9 and losing in the NFC divisional playoffs last season.
They return two-time Pro Bowl selection Jaire Alexander and nickel back Keisean Nixon and hope 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine builds upon his impressive rookie season. But they lack depth there because of the uncertainty surrounding 2021 first-round selection Eric Stokes, who played just three games last season and nine in 2022 because of injuries.
NEEDS
Along with their issues in the secondary, the Packers need to make up for offseason losses on the offensive line and at linebacker. The Packers released tackle David Bakhtiari and allowed guard Jon Runyan Jr. (New York Giants) and tackle Yosh Nijman (Carolina) to leave via free agency. The Packers also released 2021 All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who has since signed with San Francisco.
DON’T NEED
The Packers have plenty of young talent at receiver after drafting Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in 2022 and Jayden Reed and Dontavyion Wicks last year. They also selected two tight ends — Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft — in the first three rounds last year. Green Bay seems set at quarterback with 2023 fifth-round pick Sean Clifford backing up Jordan Love. But with 11 total draft picks, the Packers still could give Love more playmakers or add quarterback depth.
RESTOCKING THE LINE
Last year marked the first time since 2015 that the Packers didn’t draft any offensive linemen. They probably will add multiple linemen this year after losing much of their depth at that spot. Rasheed Walker, a 2022 seventh-round pick, performed capably at left tackle in place of the injured Bakhtiari last season. The Packers must decide whether to stick with him as the starter or target a tackle in the first round. Green Bay did address its offensive line depth Thursday by signing tackle Andre Dillard, who was released by the Tennessee Titans after starting 10 games for them last season.
DEFENSE FIRST
Green Bay traditionally focuses on defense in the first round. The Packers’ selection of Love with the 26th overall pick in 2020 was the only time in the past 12 drafts that they used their first pick on an offensive player.
PICK ‘EM
The Packers have one pick in the first round (No. 25 overall), two in the second (No. 41 and No. 58), two in the third (No. 88 and No. 91), one in the fourth (No. 126), one in the fifth (No. 169), two in the sixth (No. 202 and No. 219) and two in the seventh (No. 245 and No. 255). The extra second-round selection results from the trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets and the additional third-round pick comes from sending cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills.
THE CHICAGO BEARS ARE POISED TO DRAFT CALEB WILLIAMS WITH THE NO. 1 OVERALL PICK IN THE NFL DRAFT
CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams might want some deep dish recommendations.
The Chicago Bears are poised to select the USC quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft and bank on the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner to stabilize a position that has long haunted the founding NFL franchise.
They made their intentions clear when they traded Justin Fields to Pittsburgh last month. And barring a major surprise, commissioner Roger Goodell will call Williams’ name when the pick is made.
“It’s Caleb Williams all the way,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said.
Williams checks all the boxes for the Bears with his arm strength and ability to avoid defenders. He can make throws on the run and in the pocket, an area where Fields struggled.
Williams threw 72 touchdown passes with only 10 interceptions the past two seasons at USC after a year at Oklahoma. He followed coach Lincoln Riley from Norman to Los Angeles and became the Trojans’ seventh Heisman winner in 2022.
The Bears finished 7-10 in their second season under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus after going 3-14 in 2022 and setting a franchise record for losses.
They have the first pick thanks to their blockbuster trade with Carolina a year ago for receiver DJ Moore. Chicago dealt the No. 1 pick in 2023 to the Panthers and got their 2024 first-rounder. With Carolina finishing a league-worst 2-15, Chicago wound up in the top spot.
Williams would have playmakers to work with in Chicago, with a pair of elite receivers in Moore and recently acquired Keenan Allen and two productive tight ends in Cole Kmet and newcomer Gerald Everett.
What’s not clear is what the Bears will do with their pick at No. 9, whether they go for a receiver or maybe an edge rusher. Chicago’s only other picks are a third-rounder (75) and a fourth-rounder (122).
NEEDS
In addition to quarterback, the Bears could use another receiver as well as an edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat. They also need help on the offensive line.
DON’T NEED
The Bears seem set at tight end and a secondary led by cornerback Jaylon Johnson appears is in a good spot.
THE NINTH SPOT
This is where the intrigue is.
Though the Bears already have two playmaking receivers, Allen is on an expiring contract. Adding another pass catcher at No. 9 is a likely possibility. If Chicago goes that route, Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU’s Malik Nabers could be options assuming Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is off the board.
Then again, the Bears need to boost their pass rush. The Monsters of the Midway finished 31st in sacks despite getting a big lift from Sweat in a midseason trade with Washington. Florida State defensive end Jared Verse and Alabama’s Dallas Turner might be possibilities.
“If (Odunze) is there, you gotta take him,” Kiper said. “If he’s not, do you trade down? … They have some defined need areas. It’s gonna be interesting to see once they get Caleb, what do they do at 9 if Odunze is gone.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
Another thought: The Bears could choose to protect Williams’ blind side and draft a left tackle at No. 9, particularly if the top three receivers are off the board.
Notre Dame’s Joe Alt might be the pick in that scenario. The 6-foot-9, 321-pounder is the son of a two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman. His brother played in the NHL.
The Bears drafted Darnell Wright with the No. 10 pick a year ago. The Tennessee product started all 17 games as a rookie.
PICKING FIRST
The Bears are poised to take a player with the first overall pick for the first time since 1947, when George Halas gambled on Oklahoma A&M halfback Bob Fenimore despite a knee injury that cut short his senior season. The former All-American lasted just one year in the NFL.
Chicago’s only other No. 1 pick was Michigan halfback Tom Harmon in 1941.
The 1940 Heisman Trophy winner declined to sign with the Bears, saying he was finished with football. Harmon served as a pilot in World War II and eventually played two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams before moving on to a career in broadcasting.
VIKINGS HAVE THE 11TH AND 23RD PICKS IN THE NFL DRAFT AND A NEED FOR A QB. CAN THEY GET THEIR GUY?
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The NFL draft is not so much a marathon weekend as it is a season of speculation and subterfuge, a made-for-TV mystery unfolding team by team across the league.
Minnesota’s motive has been clear, actually, for two years. The Vikings are as poised as ever to take a quarterback in the first round.
From the day Kevin O’Connell was hired as head coach, following the arrival of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in the momentous leadership change they made in 2022, the Vikings have been pointed in this direction for this draft.
When they last year declined to give quarterback Kirk Cousins an extension beyond the 2023 season, the path straightened further. Then after Cousins departed as a free agent this spring for Atlanta, the Vikings acquired an additional first-round pick in a trade with Houston to take the 11th and 23rd overall selections into the draft for potential fuel to move up. They even hired Josh McCown, the 18-year NFL veteran, as their new quarterbacks coach.
O’Connell has led an intensive process since the season ended of scouring through a promising crop of prospects, including Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Drake Maye (North Carolina) and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) with Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) and Bo Nix (Oregon) also in the mix.
“When you select a quarterback,” Adofo-Mensah said, “It’s a marriage. It’s that serious, and that level of commitment and work should go into it.”
Williams will almost certainly be taken by Chicago with the first pick. Washington (No. 2) and New England (No. 3) each have glaring needs for a quarterback. At least two other clubs ahead of Minnesota (No. 11) do, too.
“Just because something’s risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right?”
With Penix and Nix widely considered to be in a second tier, frequently projected as late first round or early second-round options, the Vikings will likely face an intense series of decisions next Thursday about whether to accept the steep cost of a top-four selection for a quarterback they’re wild about or stay put and find an elite player to upgrade another position.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Am I going to regret not doing this trade? If that player gets picked in this spot, whatever this spot is, and I was willing to give up this, can I sleep at night?’” Adofo-Mensah said. “That’s how we’ve got to look at the board in every place.”
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
The highest the Vikings have ever drafted a quarterback was Daunte Culpepper at No. 11 in 1999. They’ve used a first-round pick on a quarterback only four times in the franchise’s 63-year history, with Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32) in 2014, Christian Ponder (No. 12) in 2011 and Tommy Kramer (No. 27) in 1977 the others. Pro Football Hall of Fame member Fran Tarkenton was a third-rounder in 1961, though he was the 29th overall pick at that pre-merger time when the NFL had only 14 teams.
NEEDS
While the other positions may be a distant second, third and fourth to quarterback, the Vikings have glaring holes at cornerback, guard and defensive tackle.
Signing Shaquill Griffin as a free agent to give defensive coordinator Brian Flores another veteran cornerback alongside Byron Murphy Jr. helped their depth, but Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon and Andrew Booth Jr. remain largely unproven. Ed Ingram has been the starter at right guard since he was drafted in the second round in 2022, but he’s hardly entrenched. Dalton Risner left as a free agent, leaving Blake Brandel as the left guard for now.
DON’T NEED
Boasting the duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, first-round picks in 2020 and 2023, the Vikings will likely pass on a deep class of wide receivers other than a late-round flier for depth. The same goes for safeties and tight ends.
PICK ’EM
The Vikings don’t currently own any second-day selections, minimizing their opportunity to add starting-caliber players and increasing the pressure to hit a home run in the first round.
Their second-round pick this year — and in 2025 — went to the Texans for the extra first-rounder. Their third-round choice belongs to Detroit for the T.J. Hockenson trade last year. The Vikings got an additional fourth-rounder this year from the Lions in that deal.
The Vikings have seven picks on the final day, with two in each round except the sixth.
GIANTS MAY CONSIDER QB IN NFL DRAFT AS DANIEL JONES RECOVERS FROM ACL INJURY
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The previous time the New York Giants had the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft was in 2019 and they surprised many by taking Daniel Jones of Duke to become the heir apparent to two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Eli Manning.
Five years after the pick and a little more than a year after giving Jones a $160 million contract extension, the Giants are again wondering about their quarterback situation.
Jones is coming off a major knee injury (ACL), and the reality is the soon-to-be 27-year-old has led New York to one playoff berth (2022) since taking over as the starter early in his rookie season.
General manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll have a lot to think about coming off a 6-11 season, and co-owner John Mara conceded taking a quarterback high in the draft is a possibility.
This is a quarterback-rich draft in which the first four picks conceivably might be QBs. There are also three outstanding receivers whose production in college has experts extolling their potential.
The options seem simple for the Giants. If they are that concerned about Jones, jump up and grab a quarterback — which will be costly. The other is to wait and take one of the “can’t miss” wide receivers.
If the Giants take a quarterback, they can opt out of Jones’ deal after this upcoming season, provided they eat $22.2 million in dead salary cap space. However, they would save $19.4 million on the cap for the 2025 season if they do so.
“I don’t know if a mock draft has ever been 100% in terms of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, so you trust your work of your evaluation, the people in your building, and then make the best decision for yourself,” Daboll said Monday.
NEEDS
There has been no home run hitter in the lineup since Odell Beckham Jr. was catching 90 to 100 passes for 1,300-plus yards and 35 TDs combined in 2014-16 span.
Receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State, Malik Nabers of LSU and Rome Odunze of Washington have that potential.
The other five picks can be best available talent with the focus of cornerback, running back, tight end and maybe safety.
DON’T NEED
Schoen used free agency to revamp an offensive line that allowed 85 sacks last season, the second most in NFL history. The only returning players slotted into starting spots are left tackle Andrew Thomas and center John-Michael Schmitz.
Joining them through free agency are tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (Las Vegas), Jon Runyan Jr. (Green Bay) and Aaron Stinnie (Tampa Bay). The Giants also added linemen Austin Schlottmann (Minnesota) and Matt Nelson (Detroit). Evan Neal, the No. 7 overall pick in 2022, may move from tackle to guard this season while Josh Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan are back for a third season.
Acquiring Brian Burns from Carolina in a trade took away any need for another edge rusher opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux.
MISSING PIECES
Star running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney won’t be around. Barkley, the 2018 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, signed a three-year contract with the rival Philadelphia Eagles, while McKinney, who played every defensive down last season and finished second in tackles, was signed by Green Bay.
The Giants signed running back Devin Singletary, who played at Houston, to take over for Barkley and they have recent draft picks Eric Gray and Gary Brightwell as backups. Drafting a running back who can catch passes wouldn’t be a surprise. Former Eagle and Patriot safety Jalen Mills was signed as a free agent and may replace McKinney.
PENDING DECISION
Veteran tight end Darren Waller, who was acquired from Las Vegas in March 2023, has been considering retirement. The 31-year-old had 52 catches last season for 552 yards and a touchdown in another injury-filled season. While New York added a couple of tight ends in free agency, this is a good draft for tight ends and Schoen and Daboll might want to add one.
OTHER OPTIONS
While Deonte Banks could take another step in his second season, the Giants could use help at more cornerback after not re-signing Adoree Jackson.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WANT DRAFT PICKS TO PLAY WELL, DO THE RIGHT THING AND RETIRE WITH THE FRANCHISE
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Howie Roseman wants Philadelphia Eagles draft prospects to take a lesson out of the recent retirements of franchise stalwarts Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox.
The Eagles general manager wants potential Eagles to see the likes of DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson and Brandon Graham continue to earn contract extensions and big money years after they’re drafted by the team.
The lesson in both instances?
“It’s a great success story for us to be able to draft guys and sign them to extensions,” Roseman said. “I think it’s a great message to our team that if you come here and do the right thing, you don’t have to leave. Unfortunately we’ve lost two players, two of the greatest Eagles in the history of our franchise who retired, but they played with one franchise.
“I think that’s legacy. To be able to have players that are able to do that, when other players see that, I think that’s a big part of building culture.”
And building a steady winner.
Roseman and the scouts have hit more often than they have missed in recent drafts — one reason the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season and followed with a 10-1 start last season before a late-season meltdown.
Jalen Hurts is already an all-time franchise steal, the second-round QB picked at No. 53 overall in 2020. Smith, who signed an extension with $51 million in guaranteed money this week, is still a 2021 first-round bargain. Jordan Mailata went from an Australian ruby player to a seventh-round pick in 2018 to one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was the No. 9 pick last season and finished second in the voting for 2023 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Eagles expect to hit often when the draft begins April 25. The Eagles hold the 22nd pick in the first round and the 50th and 53rd overall picks in the second round. They have five other draft picks — for now. Roseman loves to trade picks and he has the depth needed to pull off more draft-night maneuvering for, well, future draft picks.
NEEDS
Offensive line depth.
With Cam Jurgens set to replace Kelce at center, the Eagles need help at right guard. Veteran guards Lane Johnson (2026) and Mailata (2025) both have contracts that expire within the next few years and a deep, punishing line has spurred the Eagles’ success. Think of the tush push. Or Hurts’ combined 28 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons.
Yes, Smith and A.J. Brown are one of the best wideout tandems in the NFL. But finding a No. 3 receiver has been tough in recent years for the Eagles and they could look to pluck an overlooked prospect in the later rounds. The Eagles could also use another tight end behind Dallas Goedert.
“This is the only profession where you take someone out of college and you expect them to be great,” Roseman said. “And if they’re not great, you criticize them for not being great. We believe strongly that we have to develop these players. They come in here with a skillset but they’re unfinished products. We have a great coaching staff, great player development staff, we have great support staff to help develop these guys.”
DON’T NEED
The Eagles are set at quarterback with Hurts and backup Kenny Pickett.
They also don’t need a top running back after they signed free-agent running back Saquon Barkley away from the Giants.
“GEORGIA” EAGLES
Eagles fans, keep an eye on tight end Brock Bowers, offensive tackle Amarius Mims, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and wide receiver Ladd McConkey.
Why?
They all starred at Georgia, a favorite collegiate target of late for the Eagles.
The Eagles have drafted 26 Georgia players since 1943 — including three last season and two more in the 2022 draft.
The Eagles were the first team to select five defensive players from the same school over a two-year span in the modern draft era.
A RESET AT RUNNING BACK MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT FOR THE COWBOYS 8 YEARS AFTER DRAFTING EZEKIEL ELLIOTT
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys had to reset at running back eight years ago, when they drafted Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall and watched him lead the NFL in rushing twice in his first three seasons.
They won’t be drafting a running back that high in their first reset at the position since 2016, in part because they don’t have a pick until late in the first round April 25. Dallas is at No. 24.
Another part is the Cowboys aren’t so sure a dominant back is the way to go, particularly after Elliott’s expensive extension in 2019 was never matched by his production.
“You have complementary backs in this league,” executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said. “It’s become the norm. I see us not just fixing it with one player … but more than one player.”
In 2016, the Cowboys were coming off a season in which they struggled to replace their lead back from the previous year.
Joseph Randle was the choice after DeMarco Murray left in free agency, and didn’t even make it to the end of 2015. Veteran castoff Darren McFadden had to fill the void.
Elliott’s replacement in 2023, Tony Pollard, was a much better option, but not the impact player the Cowboys hoped with their 2019 fourth-round pick playing on the $10.1 million franchise tag. Pollard signed with Tennessee in free agency.
McFadden was still around when Dallas drafted Elliott, and had more than 5,000 yards rushing for his career.
At the moment, the four running backs on the Dallas roster who saw the field for the Cowboys last season have 163 carries for 605 yards and four touchdowns combined for their careers.
A reunion with Elliott, who played for New England last season, is possible for Dallas, although the odds got steeper with the free agent signing of journeyman Royce Freeman this week.
The draft should still be in play at running back for the Cowboys, who are coming off a third consecutive 12-win playoff season but have just one postseason victory in that stretch.
Texas’ Jonathan Brooks, who is recovering from a major knee injury, is the highest-rated running back in the draft, according to nfl.com, and the only one among the top 30 prospects.
“We don’t have an established back in the organization right now,” Jones said. “Certainly something that we’ll be looking at there in terms of getting young there again and going again.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Conventional wisdom has the Cowboys taking an offensive lineman after the free agency departures of eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith to the New York Jets and center Tyler Biadasz to Washington.
Dallas doesn’t necessarily have to target a position on the offensive front. Tyler Smith, who filled in for Tyron Smith as a rookie when the elder Smith was hurt in 2022, could go back to left tackle. He played left guard last season.
The Cowboys believe they have some solid internal candidates at center, where T.J. Bass filled in when Biadasz was hurt last season.
Duke’s Graham Barton, who spent most of his college career at left tackle, and Jackson Powers-Johnson, the Rimington Trophy winner as the nation’s best center with Oregon, show up more than once apiece on mock drafts on nfl.com.
NEEDS
Quarterback has been fertile ground for offseason sports talk shows as it relates to the Cowboys. With Dak Prescott not under contract past 2024 — the same is true for backup Cooper Rush and third-teamer Trey Lance — it makes sense for Dallas to target QB in the draft. It would be a stretch to call it a need.
DON’T NEED
The Cowboys have two promising young tight ends from the past two drafts in Jake Ferguson (2022 fourth round) and Luke Schoonmaker (2023 second round). They still like 2022 undrafted free agent Peyton Hendershot despite an injury-shortened second season.
COMMANDERS ARE IN LINE TO TAKE A QUARTERBACK WITH THE NFL DRAFT’S 2ND PICK
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The previous time Washington had the second pick in the NFL draft, the previous regime passed on taking a quarterback in favor of a pass rusher who as a local product could have been the face of the franchise.
That did not work out, and now the Commanders are back at No. 2 with different people in charge and a big decision to make. Expecting Chicago to take USC’s Caleb Williams with the first pick, the Commanders are expected to draft their QB of the future Thursday night, choosing between LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s national champion J.J. McCarthy in the hopes of finally finding the organization’s solution at the most important position in football.
“We’re real close (to deciding),” new general manager Adam Peters said Thursday. “I will say this also: You don’t really need to make a decision until you need to make a decision, so there’s no rush with that. But I think we’ll have a pretty good idea what we’re doing early next week.”
Trading down and stockpiling assets could have been an option for Washington given the holes to fill all over a roster being overhauled from top to bottom, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
“We feel great about staying at No. 2,” Peters said. “I don’t see a whole lot of scenarios where we trade down, to be honest with you. Yeah, we feel great about sticking there.”
Whether it’s a rookie, veteran backup Marcus Mariota or journeyman Jeff Driskel, Washington will have an eighth different Week 1 starting QB in as many seasons, following the trade of Sam Howell to Seattle. Daniels is the favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, with Maye next and longer odds for McCarthy.
“If they choose quarterback, we’ll get one of the elite guys,” top receiver Terry McLaurin said. “Obviously, I don’t know. They don’t ask me. My job is when they get here to kind of help bring them along as much as I can because we’ll go as far as the quarterback goes.”
NEEDS
This is a crucial draft for the short and long-term future, given the Commanders’ many needs all over offense and defense.
Offensive line, particularly left tackle, is the biggest void after the release of two-year starter Charles Leno. Trading up for a second first-round pick, which Peters acknowledged was possible, could help Washington get Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Alabama’s JC Latham or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu — all considered first-round prospects.
“I think it’s pretty universally known it’s a really good tackle class, a deep tackle class,” Peters said. “We got a chance to visit with a lot of them. … We’re really excited about that group.”
But even if Washington uses the second pick on a QB, it has five more on Day 2: Nos. 36 and 40 in round 2 and Nos. 67, 78 and 100 in round 3.
“The quality of the picks, at the top of the rounds, just the real high quality level of the picks, especially those top six, really allow us to make a dramatic impact on our roster right away,” assistant GM Lance Newmark said.
Wide receiver with Curtis Samuel gone, cornerback with Kendall Fuller gone and safety with Kam Curl gone are all positions worth watching for. Oh, and trading 2020 No. 2 pick Chase Young and Montez Sweat last season left the Commanders with a dearth of talent on the edge.
DON’T NEED
Defensive tackle is set with Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and 2022 second-round pick Phidarian Mathis providing plenty of bulk inside on the trenches. Peters has said he’s not interested in trading Allen, a respected veteran and captain who’s signed for just two more years and has expressed a desire not to go through another rebuild.
Linebacker also could be set after signing six-time All-Pro Bobby Wagner and bringing in Frankie Luvu, though depth at the position with a late-round selection is certainly possible, especially to help on special teams.
MOVING ON FROM RUSSELL WILSON DEBACLE LEAVES DENVER BRONCOS IN REBUILD MODE WITH QB AMONG MANY NEEDS
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are in the market for a quarterback again.
And a tight end. And a cornerback. And a tackle. And an edge rusher.
You name it, they need it.
The Broncos lack the draft capital to meet all their needs in the NFL draft, where they have the 12th overall pick in Round 1.
They aren’t slated to make their second selection until the 72nd overall choice in the third round because they sent their second-rounder this year along with last year’s first-rounder to New Orleans so they could hire former Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Although their fanbase is pining for a quarterback at No. 12, the Broncos could go in any direction to fill one of the numerous holes on a roster still reeling from the team’s calamitous connection with Russell Wilson.
Wilson’s acquisition from Seattle in 2022 cost the Broncos four premium draft picks and his departure from Denver this spring after he went just 11-19 carries its own hefty price tag.
The Broncos parted with first- and second-round picks in 2022 and ‘23 in the Wilson trade. So, they haven’t picked in the first round since 2021, when they took Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II ninth overall.
Parting with four premium picks in the Wilson deal is a recurring cost for the Broncos, one that’s produced a paucity of depth on Denver’s roster.
Their first selection in 2022 was outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, the 64th overall pick, and their top choice a year ago was wide receiver/returner Marvin Mims with the 63rd overall selection.
Surtain is the Broncos’ only bona fide star after they cut safety Justin Simmons this spring to save $15 million in salary, something Payton blamed on the enormous ramifications of moving on from Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency.
The Broncos are on the hook for $37.79 million of Wilson’s $39 million salary this upcoming season because the one-year deal he signed with Pittsburgh was for the veteran’s league minimum of $1.21 million.
So, Wilson will again be their highest-paid player even though he’s no longer on the roster — and that’s on top of the $85 million in dead cap the Broncos take over the next two seasons.
PAUCITY OF HIGH PICKS
Aside from Surtain, eighth-year left tackle Garett Bolles is the only player on Denver’s roster whom the Broncos selected in the first round. Denver’s three first-round picks before Surtain have all been traded (wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland, tight end Noah Fant to Seattle and outside linebacker Bradley Chubb to Miami).
WHAT IF NO QB IS SELECTED
Payton has said he’d like to sign another veteran quarterback before camp. If he doesn’t draft a QB, journeyman Jarrett Stidham, who went 1-1 after Wilson was benched last season, will be the incumbent. Stidham is Denver’s 13th starting QB since Peyton Manning retired a month after winning Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
NEEDS
Quarterback. Tight end. Tackle. Cornerback. Edge.
DON’T NEED
Despite the new kickoff rule putting a premium on returners, the Broncos are pretty much set on special teams with Mims making second-team All-Pro as a rookie last year. They re-signed K Wil Lutz and have one of the league’s top punters in Riley Dixon.
PICK ’EM
Payton didn’t expect he’d be picking this high when he took over last summer and declared he’d be ticked if the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs. They not only extended their playoff drought to eight years, but they had their seventh straight losing season.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
PROPOSAL WOULD ASSURE SCHOOLS THAT COOPERATE FULLY IN NCAA INVESTIGATIONS AVOID POSTSEASON BAN
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Schools facing NCAA infractions cases could ensure they avoid postseason bans if they show “exemplary cooperation” with investigators under a proposal before the NCAA Division I Council.
The NCAA announced Thursday that the Division I board of directors infractions process committee had introduced that proposal. The proposal would define the term “exemplary cooperation” more clearly while establishing its impact on possible penalties.
The NCAA said that impact would include removing a postseason ban from the table for the majority of schools found to have demonstrated extensive cooperation.
The policy would take effect Aug. 1 if the council approves it in June.
“Full cooperation is already an expectation of all members of our association,” said Geoffrey S. Mearns, the president of Ball State University and chair of the committee that introduced the proposal. “But by providing specific information about how an institution can demonstrate exemplary cooperation, and by providing clear incentives for that cooperation, we will expedite the fair resolution of infractions cases, which remains a priority for all Division I members.”
Some of the factors the infractions committee would consider in determining whether a school has provided “exemplary cooperation” would be volunteering all pertinent school and personal information that could be reasonably expected to help the process; identifying individuals to be interviewed who the enforcement staff might otherwise not know about; expending “substantial resources” to expedite the gathering of information; addressing violations through self-imposed penalties or corrective measures; and informing the enforcement staff of violations that might otherwise not be known.
If the infractions committee decides a school or party has demonstrated exemplary cooperation, the panel would reduce the case by one classification level. That would in turn reduce the potential penalty.
For all cases in which a school or party that isn’t a repeat violator shows exemplary cooperation, the panel wouldn’t hand out a postseason ban.
GOLF NEWS
WESLEY BRYAN SHOOTS 9-UNDER 63 FOR CORALES PUNTACANA LEAD
Wesley Bryan fired a 9-under 63 to storm out to the lead at the Corales Puntacana Championship on Thursday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Bryan had an eagle, eight birdies and just one bogey on his card at Puntacana Resort & Club to establish a three-shot lead on the field.
The 34-year-old with one PGA Tour victory has had only one top-10 finish since 2017 — and that came at last year’s Puerto Rico Open, which like the Corales Puntacana Championship is an alternate event while the sport’s elite are playing a signature event elsewhere.
“Looking at what we get to look at here, it makes us like appreciate just how amazing our job is whether you shoot 63, 73, 83,” Bryan said. “Coming to a place like this, it’s beautiful, and getting to play golf … it’s an opposite-field event, but still having the opportunity to come out here and do what we love and do it on a venue like this, it’s pretty special.”
Bryan chipped in for eagle at the par-5 fourth hole and made another chip-in for birdie at the par-3 17th. A birdie putt at No. 18 capped off his stellar round.
“Those were fun moments,” he said. “… It’s nice just seeing the ball go straight off the tee, a few putts go in, a few chips go in, it’s a good day.”
Five players were tied for second at 6-under 66: Charley Hoffman, Troy Merritt, Chan Kim, Justin Lower and Parker Coody.
Hoffman, a 47-year-old tour vet who last won in 2016, finished a bogey-free round with three straight birdies at Nos. 7-9.
“I obviously got off to a good start this year, struggled a little bit,” Hoffman said. “I didn’t struggle, just missed a couple cuts by a few shots, and I know how important it is. I mean, late in my career every event means a ton and obviously trying to get a ‘W’ is the most important thing this week, and then obviously put myself in position for the playoffs.”
Coody’s twin brother, Pierceson Coody, is in a large tie for seventh at 5-under 67, as is Billy Horschel.
LAUREN COUGHLIN IN FRONT, NELLY KORDA RIGHT BEHIND AT CHEVRON
Lauren Coughlin posted a bogey-free, 6-under 66 Thursday to take the early lead at the Chevron Championship, but white-hot World No. 1 Nelly Korda is right behind after one round of the first women’s major of the year in The Woodlands, Texas.
Korda, who has won her past four LPGA starts, birdied four of her final six holes at The Club at Carlton Woods to shoot 4-under 68, tied for second with Marina Alex and Japan’s Minami Katsu.
Korda may be the star on the leaderboard, but everyone is looking up at Coughlin — a 31-year-old ranked No. 94 in the world. Coughlin has only three top-10 finishes in her LPGA career, including a T8 at the Ford Championship last month.
“It was really hard to keep going in the beginning,” Coughlin said of her career. “But it’s been really fun. I just keep trying to get better every year is my goal, improve on things, a little here or there, and keep things I do well well but also fix some of the things or improve on some of the things that I can, and that’s been what I’ve been focusing on, and it’s been awesome.”
With her husband on the bag this week, Coughlin started the tournament birdie-birdie at Nos. 10-11 and wound up carding three birdies on each side.
Coughlin was asked who she saw as her “main competition” entering this week.
“I mean, Nelly, of course,” Coughlin said. “She’s everybody’s competition.”
After opening with a bogey at No. 10, Korda picked up two birdies before making the turn. She was back to even par after another bogey at No. 2, but she rolled in birdie putts at Nos. 4, 6, 8 and 9 as the afternoon wave drew to a close.
“Two of them were par-5s, so I got to take advantage of that with my length,” Korda said. “Hit a really good tee shot, and then I was just on the front of the green on 17, and the other one I was just on the fringe, too. I two-putted pretty much for birdie on those. Then I had wedge shots in on the other two, too. Taking advantage of my length and hitting good tee shots.”
Korda, 25, is looking for her elusive second major title this week. Her only major breakthrough so far came at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship.
Now she and the rest of the field are navigating The Club at Carlton Woods in its second year staging the tournament. The major formerly known as the Nabisco Dinah Shore and the ANA Inspiration was played in Rancho Mirage, Calif., before 2023.
“I think of it as I would say every girl is kind of adjusting to it this year that played last year, and the girls that didn’t play are playing this for the first time, as well,” Korda said. “I always try to take a golf course how it’s playing right now, not how it was playing maybe last year, because if you do that, then you’re just kind of reminiscing about the past. That never kind of leads you anywhere.”
Alex overcame a bogey on the second hole by birdieing No. 4, then catching fire at the turn and draining four more birdies in a five-hole stretch.
“Does a lot for my confidence,” Alex said. “I think I had a really nice opening round here last year and didn’t carry it through for four rounds, so I would like to improve upon that and build into tomorrow and the weekend and find myself in contention, which would be wonderful.”
Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Gabriela Ruffels of Australia, Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, South Korea’s Jin Hee Im and China’s Xiyu Lin are tied for fifth at 3-under 69.
English amateur Lottie Woad, who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur earlier this month, shot a 1-under 71 and is tied for 18th.
Lilia Vu, last year’s champion, withdrew just before her tee time due to an ongoing back injury.
TENNIS NEWS
WTA ROUNDUP: IGA SWIATEK REMAINS PERFECT IN STUTTGART
No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland swept past Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
Swiatek — the two-time defending champion who has never lost a match in Stuttgart — saved 5 of 7 break points while going 4-for-6 in breaking Mertens.
The four-time Grand Slam champion’s next opponent will be 2021 U.S. Open winner Emma Raducanu of Great Britain. Raducanu, who is on the comeback trail after wrist and ankle surgeries this time last year, beat Czech teenager Linda Noskova 6-0, 7-5.
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk saved five match points in the 10th game of the third set while rallying to vanquish Chinese fifth seed Qinwen Zheng 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini upset No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 7-6 (8), 6-4, while No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and No. 6 Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic both advanced.
Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole
Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands toppled No. 1 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the Round of 16 in Rouen, France.
Rus won 7 of 13 break points, broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve seven times and capitalized on six double faults from her opponent.
No. 2 seed Caroline Garcia of France had a much easier time than her seeded counterpart, beating Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-1, 6-0 in just 48 minutes. No. 3 seed Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine beat Italy’s Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-3.
No. 4 seed Yue Yuan of China survived a two-hour, 47-minute encounter with France’s Varvara Gracheva, prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) after saving two straight match points in the third-set tiebreaker. Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse upset No. 7 seed Clara Burel of France 6-0, 2-6, 6-3.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT BUCKS
It’s good to be back in the championship race.
Returning to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in four years, the 2023-2024 Indiana Pacers are eager to cause some disruptions in the Eastern Conference.
On Sunday at Fiserv Forum, the sixth-seeded Pacers (47-35) will open a seven-game First Round series against the No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks (49-33).
Indiana went 4-1 against Milwaukee during the regular season, claiming the season series against their Central Division rival for the first time since 2018.
While the Pacers have had success against the Bucks this season, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has maintained that previous results should be taken with a grain of salt.
“There’s going to be a lot of external noise,” Carlisle said. “ We’ve got to ignore the noise and focus on ourselves and what we need to compete at our best level.”
All the matchups between the Central Division foes were must-see TV, with the Blue & Gold pulling off multiple clutch performances, including a win in the In-Season Tournament Semifinals in Las Vegas.
However, each team has undergone significant changes since they last played on Jan. 3.
On Jan. 18, the Pacers traded for starting power forward Pascal Siakam, and on Jan. 23, the Bucks fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin and replaced him with Doc Rivers.
A month later, the Bucks acquired guard Patrick Beverley, and in early March, Indiana lost Bennedict Mathurin for the season on March 9 after a tear in his right shoulder required surgery.
RELATED: Pacers, Bucks Set to Renew Rivalry with New Faces on Both Sides >>
In addition to those major adjustments, the Bucks could be without the face of their franchise going into Sunday.
A significant storyline entering Game 1 is the injury status of two-time NBA MVP and 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks’ superstar forward will likely play in the First Round but is expected to miss the start of the series due to a calf injury.
Milwaukee is 4-5 in games without Antetokounmpo this season. He played in all five games against Indiana during the regular season.
The Pacers enter the playoffs surging, finishing 10-5 over their last 15 games and winning four of their final five. During that same stretch, the Bucks went 6-9, including dropping their final two.
Both teams have ranked in the top five for points per game this season, with Indiana finishing first at 123.3 per game and Milwaukee fourth at 119.0.
Indiana’s big three, Tyrese Haliburton, Siakam, and Myles Turner, have led the Pacers into the playoffs.
Haliburton, recently named to the Team USA roster for the 2024 Olympics, has played some of his best games of the season against the Bucks. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin, native has averaged 28 points, 11 assists, and 5.8 rebounds through five games against Milwaukee and has come through in big moments, including draining a dagger 3-pointer in the In-Season Tournament Semifinals.
Since joining the squad, Siakam has been an excellent fit with his new teammates, helping the Blue & Gold to a 23-18 record. He’s averaging 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists across 41 games and has been a big part of helping the Pacers go from the bottom to the middle of the league on the defensive end.
Turner, now the all-time franchise leader in blocks, has averaged 16.4 points and 6.5 rebounds over the last 15 games while serving as the defensive anchor.
The Pacers’ league-leading bench has hummed right along to the finish, thanks in part to the play of veteran point guard T.J. McConnell. McConnell has been superb this season, averaging a career-best 10.2 points to go along with 5.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds with the reserves.
Also, Obi Toppin has remained a threat in the second unit thanks to his dunking, 3-point shooting abilities, and improved defense. Over the last 10 games, Toppin has averaged 11.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.
If Antetokounmpo sits out any games, it could prove a massive break for the Pacers.
The “Greek Freak” averaged 42.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists across five games against the Blue & Gold in the regular season. Antetokounmpo recorded a double-double in all four games, including one triple-double, and scored a franchise-record 64 points in the Dec. 13 contest.
Bobby Portis, a 6-10 forward averaging 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, would likely start in Antetokounmpo’s stead.
First-year Buck Damian Lillard may be called on to pick up his team’s offensive load if Antetokounmpo sits. Lillard put up 20.3 points, 5.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in five games against the Pacers but also brings extensive postseason experience. In 61 career playoff games with Portland, Lillard averaged 25.7 points, 6.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
Khris Middleton, who is putting up 15.1 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting, will also remain a key player to watch along with Beverley’s defensive assignment on Haliburton.
Second-year guard Andrew Nembhard and starting forward Aaron Nesmith will likely draw the assignments for guarding Lillard and Middleton.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Bucks: G – Damian Lillard, G – Patrick Beverley, F – Khris Middleton, F – Bobby Portis, C – Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo – doubtful (calf)
Last Meeting
Jan. 3, 2024: A 47-point third quarter propelled the Pacers to a 142-130 win over the Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana shot 55.6 percent for the game to the Bucks’ 50 percent, and seven players recorded double-digit points for the Blue & Gold.
Tyrese Haliburton had a terrific night, scoring 31 points and dishing out 12 assists for the Blue & Gold, while Bennedict Mathurin supplied 16 points off the bench. Bruce Brown, Myles Turner, and Obi Toppin each scored 15 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists across 36 minutes, and Damian Lillard logged 23 points on 6-for-18 shooting.
The Pacers outrebounded the Bucks 44-42 and had 11 turnovers to the visitors’ 13 giveaways.
Noteworthy
The Pacers are seeking their first playoff victory since 2018. Indiana was swept in both the 2019 and 2020 playoffs.
Indiana and Milwaukee have only ever played twice in the postseason. In 1999, the Pacers swept the Bucks 3-0. In 2000, which many remember for the Game 5 game-winner by Travis Best, the Blue & Gold won the series 3-2.
Indiana has not won a playoff series since the 2013-14 season. In 2014, the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Bucks have an overall record of 17-19 since Doc Rivers became head coach.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: TNT – Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Grant Hill (analyst), Jared Greenberg (sideline reporter)
Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers will host the Bucks in Game 3 on Friday, April 26 at 5:30 PM ET, the first playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since 2019.
INDIANS BASEBALL
SKENES STRIKEOUT COUNTER SKYROCKETS IN INDIANS ONE-RUN VICTORY
INDIANAPOLIS – Minor League Baseball’s No. 3 prospect Paul Skenes matched his career-high in strikeouts as the Indianapolis Indians defeated the St. Paul Saints in a nailbiter on Thursday evening at Victory Field, 6-5.
In his highly-anticipated fourth Triple-A start after fanning 19 through his first three, Skenes worked another masterpiece with 3.1 innings of one-hit baseball and eight punchouts. The right-hander had everything working, with his fastball reaching triple-digits on 34 of 65 total pitches. Skenes’ four-seamer topped out at a season-high 102.1 mph.
The Indians (9-9) jumped out to an early lead to back Skenes in the first inning and never trailed, scoring four runs before the Saints could get on the board. Leading off the game for Indy, Nick Gonzales drew a five-pitch walk to extend his league-leading on-base streak to a career-high 17 games dating back to March 29. With runners on the corners, Gonzales was driven in when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. robbed Jake Lamb of extra bases with a leaping catch against the center field wall.
The offense picked up again in the fourth with back-to-back doubles by Liover Peguero and Malcom Nuñez. One frame later, a run-scoring groundout by Yasmani Grandal and RBI single by Lamb plated an additional pair, extending the lead to 4-0.
St. Paul (7-10) broke up a one-hit shutout bid by Indians pitching in the seventh with an RBI bases-loaded infield single to Matt Wallner. J.C. Flowers (W, 2-2) then entered the game with two outs and struck out Yunior Severino swinging as the go-ahead run at home plate.
The Indians offense wasn’t done in the eighth inning, with Nuñez and Celestino each driving in insurance runs that would prove useful come the ninth. With Brent Honeywell on the mound and the bases loaded, the first out of the frame was recorded on a sacrifice fly. Wallner then stepped to the plate and continued to do damage, launching a three-run homer to tighten the score to 6-5. Honeywell closed the game by freezing Tony Kemp on a called third strike.
Joe Gunkel (L, 0-2) got the start for St. Paul and gave up two runs in 4.0 innings as Skenes, Fineas Del Bonta-Smith and Kyle Nicolas combined to hold the Saints offense scoreless.
The Indians and Saints continue the six-game series on Friday at 7:05 PM ET. Pitching for St. Paul is RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-1, 7.56), the Minnesota Twins No. 24 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Indianapolis has yet to name a starter.
INDY ELEVEN
INDY ELEVEN TO HOST SAN ANTONIO FC IN LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP ROUND OF 32
CHICAGO (Thursday, April 18, 2024) – Indy Eleven will play host to USL Championship side San Antonio FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be held at The Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Indy is coming off a 1-0 Third Round win over MLS NEXT Pro side Chicago Fire FC II. Douglas Martinez scored off a Jack Balke assist in the fourth minute to propel the Boys in Blue into the Round of 32. The win was the first U.S. Open Cup road victory for Indy and brought its overall tournament record to 5-7-1.
San Antonio enters the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 after finishing the 2023 USL Championship season as one of the league’s top eight teams. In the 2023 edition, San Antonio fell in the Third Round to Nashville SC.
The meeting will be the third all-time between the two sides, with Indy holding the 1-0-1 advantage. The most recent meeting was a 3-3 draw in San Antonio on Oct. 14, 2023.
Two of the teams in the U.S. Open Cup’s Onstad Division, the other side of the group will see defending U.S. Open Cup Champion Houston Dynamo (MLS) host Detroit City FC (USLC). The winners of the two Round of 32 matches will face each other in the Round of 16 May 21 or 22.
Onstad Division
Indy Eleven (USLC) vs. San Antonio FC (USLC)
Wed., May 8 | 7:00 p.m. ET | The Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl (Butler University) in Indianapolis, Ind.
Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) vs. Detroit City FC (USLC)
Tues., May 7 | 8:00 p.m. ET | Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas
Broadcasts of all matches will stream live on usopencup.com, mlssoccer.com, and uslsoccer.com. This unparalleled access to the tournament ensures soccer fans across the country will have access to every action-packed match – including the entrance of USL Championship and Major League Soccer sides – in the nation’s oldest and most prestigious soccer competition.
Round of 32 Pairings – 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Home teams listed first; visit usopencup.com for full schedule details including venues and times
Alonso Division
May 8: Charleston Battery (USLC) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL1)
May 7: Atlanta United (MLS) vs. Charlotte Independence (USL1)
Gonsalves Division
May 8: Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (USLC)
May 7: FC Dallas (MLS) vs. Memphis 901 FC (USLC)
Hakala-Nolan Division
May 8: Union Omaha (USL1) vs. Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
May 7: Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USLC) vs. FC Tulsa (USLC)
LeToux Division
May 8: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) vs. Louisville City FC (USLC)
May 8: North Carolina FC (USLC) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (USLC)
Lopez Division
May 7: Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs. Monterey Bay F.C. (USLC)
May 7: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) vs. Oakland Roots SC (USLC)
Mark Division
May 8: Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) vs. Los Angeles FC (MLS)
May 7: Orange County Soccer Club (USLC) vs. Loudoun United FC (USLC)
Onstad Division
May 8: Indy Eleven (USLC) vs. San Antonio FC (USLC)
May 7: Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) vs. Detroit City FC (USLC)
Watson Division
May 8: NYCFC II (MLSNP) vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC)
May 8: New Mexico United (USLC) vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Remaining U.S. Open Cup Schedule
Round of 32 | Tuesday, May 7 – Wednesday, May 8
Round of 16 | Tuesday, May 21 – Wednesday, May 22
Quarterfinal | Tuesday, July 9 – Wednesday, July 10
Semifinal | Tuesday, Aug. 27 – Wednesday, Aug. 28
Final | Wednesday, Sept. 25
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship and has crowned a champion annually since 1914 (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19). The historic tournament is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer and is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the world’s third-longest continuously run national cup tournament.
Indy travels west this Saturday for an 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT USL Championship match with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The match will stream on ESPN+.
IU FOOTBALL
IU FOOTBALL SPRING GAME – GAMEDAY DETAILS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football program will host the IU Football Spring Game on Thursday (April 18) inside Memorial Stadium. Admission and parking for the event is FREE and stadium gates open at 6:30 p.m. in preparation for the fans first look at the Hoosiers under first year head coach Curt Cignetti.
Broadcast/Scoring
The 2024 edition of the IU Football Spring Game will air on the Big Ten Network with Matt Schumacker (pbp), Rhett Lewis (analyst) and Pat Boylan (sideline) calling the game for the network. The contest will feature two 15-minute periods in an offense vs. defense format with each side accumulating points based on the following scoring system.
Touchdown – 6 points
Extra Point – 1 point
Field Goal – 3 points
Turnover Gained – 4 points
Defensive Stop – 3 points
Safety – 2 points
The offense (red uniforms) will occupy the west sideline and the defense (white uniforms) will have the east sideline. The teams will take the field for warmups starting at 7:20 p.m.
General Information/Entry/Parking
Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. with free food and assorted beverages provided while supplies last and performances by the Marching Hundred Pep Band. Fans can also pick up 2024 Indiana Football posters and schedule cards, enter to win various prizes, compete in various games, and take advantage of the 360 Photo Booth.
Fans attending can sit in the east stands only and park in any of the lots surrounding Memorial Stadium, with ADA parking available at Gate 4. Entry into the stadium will be through Gate E2 and E4 only with the Clear Bag Policy in effect. Limited concession stands and beer sales will also be available.The IU Team Store open its locations on the East Concourse and in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, with both locations available for printing of custom uniforms. As a reminder the team store and all concessions are cashless.
The marketing team will also offer special behind-the-scenes tours of Memorial Stadium. Fans can sign-up for tours in pregame on the east concourse (stadium tours booth near entry 26). For more information about fan activities at the Spring Game, e-mail IU Athletics Marketing at sptmarkt@indiana.edu.
IU WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF TO COMPETE IN BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana women’s golf team will begin postseason play with the 2024 Big Ten Championship at the Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre De Grace, Md. Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, April 19, and run through Sunday, April 21.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
2024 Women’s Big Ten Championship • Havre De Grace, Md.
Bulle Rock Golf Course
Par 72 • 6,314 yards
Live Results: GolfStat.com
TEAMS COMPETING (14)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
INDIANA LINEUP
1. Caroline Craig
2. Dominika Burdová
3. Faith Johnson
4. Chloe Johnson
5. Caroline Smith
6. Maddie May
TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Northwestern is the highest-ranked team in the field at No. 9 in the latest Scoreboard Rankings powered by clippd. Indiana ranks 74th with an overall record of 51-60-3.
• Ohio State (30), Michigan State (32), Purdue (33), Michigan (37), Maryland (41), Minnesota (58), Illinois (67), Wisconsin (69), Nebraska (71), Rutgers (85), Iowa (93), and Penn State (100) round out the remainder of the field.
• The Hoosiers will be paired with Nebraska for the first round on Friday with rolling tee times.
• Indiana’s has won seven Big Ten Tournament titles (1986, ’87, ’90, ’92, ’95, ’96, and ’98). IU last finished inside the top-5 at the conference tournament in 2019 (t-2nd).
PURDUE BASEBALL
RED-HOT PURDUE HOSTS ETSU FOR OPEN WEEKEND IN B1G PLAY
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
East Tennessee State (22-12, 6-6 SoCon) at Purdue (24-13, 8-4 Big Ten)
Friday to Sunday, April 19-21 / Watch B1G+
Series Opener: Friday, April 19 at 6 p.m. ET
Middle Game: Saturday, April 20 at 5 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, April 21 at 1 p.m. ET
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Jordan Morales (Grad, LHP) vs. ETSU’s Carter Fink (Jr, RHP)
Saturday: Luke Wagner (Sr, LHP) vs. ETSU’s Kenny Keller (Jr, LHP)
Sunday: Jonathan Blackwell (Sr, LHP) vs. ETSU’s Michael Harpster (Fr, RHP)
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: East Tennessee State leads 3-1
All-Time in West Lafayette: First Meetings
Previous Series: ETSU won 3 of 4 (March 2016 in Johnson City)
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Friday: Stars of Honor Kids Game #2
Saturday: Grand Prix Winner Recognized Pregame; Baseball Alumni Events & Recognition
Sunday: PUDM/Riley Family Day & BP Jersey Auction; Bark in the Park Dog Day
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball’s nine-game April homestand continues with the annual open weekend in Big Ten Conference play and features a matchup with another 20-game winner as East Tennessee State makes its first appearance at Alexander Field.
First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The Boilermakers will be wearing special uniform tops for Sunday’s pregame batting practice session and the hooded warmups are available for purchase via an online auction, which closes Sunday at 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit Riley Children’s Hospital as part the annual Purdue University Dance Marathon/Riley Family Day at the ballpark.
With Purdue Softball and Soccer also playing at home on Saturday, coupled with the annual Grand Prix race at the track adjacent to Alexander Field, parking will be at a premium. Fans are invited to park in the R Lot north of Ross-Ade Stadium and ride the free shuttle to the stadium.
ETSU won its 22nd game of the season, and 17th at home, Wednesday vs. Radford. The Buccaneers have a potent lineup that has compiled a .322/.425/.521 team slash line for the season, putting up 8.2 runs per game. They rank ninth nationally in batting average.
Purdue is also averaging over eight runs per game this season and has been on a tear offensively over the last four games, scoring 55 runs. The Boilermakers have scored 10-plus in three consecutive games for the second time this season. They’ve also put up 50-plus over the last five for the third time in 2024.
Both teams are equals in fielding percentage, making Purdue’s advantage this weekend on the mound. The Boilermakers have a 4.53 team ERA and issue 3.4 walks per nine innings. ETSU’s team totals in those categories are 6.50 and 3.9. Two of the Bucs’ scheduled starters this weekend began the season in the bullpen before graduating to the weekend rotation.
Fresh off his seven-RBI game in Tuesday’s win vs. Ball State, the most RBI by a Boilermaker since 2015, Connor Caskenette was named to the Buster Posey Award Watch List on Thursday. The award recognizes the nation’s top catcher. Caskenette has been one Purdue’s most valuable players this season, serving as the backbone of the team behind the plate while anchoring the lineup as the cleanup hitter. He’s second in the Big Ten with 46 RBI, trailing only teammate Luke Gaffney (47). He’s started 31 of the 37 games behind the plate, including 11 straight and each of the first 12 conference games.
Couper Cornblum’s first hit this weekend will be the 200th of his collegiate career. He continues to close in on the century mark for 100 consecutive games started.
While amassing seven hit by pitch in the sweep of Michigan State and reaching base safely in 10 consecutive plate appearances across Purdue’s wins on April 14 and 16, Mike Bolton Jr. has moved into second place in program with 56 career hit by pitch. He broke Harry Shipley’s career HBP record in Big Ten play (32) Sunday. Shipley’s overall Purdue record (78) is likely safe, but Bolton (97) can become the first Boilermaker since Shipley (2015-18) to draw 100 career walks. With Bolton sporting a .650 on-base percentage since March 31 as Purdue has won eight of its last nine game, the century mark could be reached before the current homestand wraps up Tuesday.
At the midpoint of their conference season, the Boilermakers have emerged with Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan as the frontrunners for the Big Ten title. All three conference rivals play at home this weekend. Only Michigan has yet to have its open weekend in league play. The Illini play three of their next four series at home, where they are 11-1 this season. But they come to Alexander Field for the final weekend of the regular season. The Huskers opened an eight-game homestand Tuesday before playing two of their final three conference weekends on the road. After this weekend, Michigan’s only home Big Ten series the rest of the way is against Purdue (May 10-12).
WEEKEND #5 OF BIG TEN PLAY
• Ohio State (5-4) at Michigan (8-4)
• Maryland (5-7) at Nebraska (6-3)
• Northwestern (2-7) at Illinois (7-2)
• Indiana (5-4) at Minnesota (3-6)
• Rutgers (3-6) at Iowa (6-6)
• Penn State (5-7) at Michigan State (3-6)
• East Tennessee State at Purdue (8-4) – Non-Conference
OPEN WEEKENDS IN BIG TEN PLAY
Non-conference series during Big Ten season since league expanded before 2011-12 school year
• 2012: Lost 2 of 3 at No. 11 UCLA (May 5-6)
• 2013: Swept a 3-get set vs. Southern Illinois (May 3-5)
• 2014: Lost 2 of 3 at Southern Illinois (March 21-23)
• 2015: Lost all 3 games of a split-site series with Butler (March 28-29)
• 2016: Won 3 of 4 vs Cal State Northridge (May 19-22)
• 2017: Swept a 2-game set vs. Saint Louis (April 28-29)
• 2018: Split a doubleheader vs. Lipscomb (March 23)
• 2019: Won 2 of 3 vs. Southeast Missouri State (April 26-28)
• 2020: Was scheduled to play home series vs. Samford (April 17-19)
• 2021: N/A – conference-only season featured 3-team pod weekends
• 2022: Lost all 3 game vs. Belmont (April 22-24)
• 2023: Won 2 of 3 vs. South Dakota State (May 5-7)
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Jo Stevens – 23-game on-base streak; 12-game hit streak; 16-game on-base streak at home
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 16-game on-base streak; 8-game hit streak; 9-game on-base streak at home
• Luke Gaffney – 15-game on-base streak; 7-game hit streak; 8-game on-base streak at home
• Connor Caskenette – 13-game on-base streak; 6-game on-base streak at home
• Keenan Spence – 10-game on-base streak; 6-game on-base streak at home
• Logan Sutter – 8-game on-base streak
• Couper Cornblum – 90 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
• Carter Doorn – 18 consecutive scoreless innings at home; 12 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in all games
• Jackson Dannelley – 15 consecutive inherited runners stranded (since 5/20/23)
TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
• Luke Gaffney – 1st in RBI (47), 1st in Runs (45), 2nd in hits (60), 2nd in Batting Avg (.417), 3rd in OPS (1.198), 3rd in Slugging (.701), 5th in OBP (.497), T-5th in Doubles (13), T-5th in Triples (2), T-8th in HR (8)
• Camden Gasser – 1st in Walks (37), 2nd in Sac Bunts (7), 4th in OBP (.500), 7th in Steals (13)
• Couper Cornblum – T-1st in Triples (3), 10th in At-Bats (147)
• Jackson Dannelley – 2nd in Saves (5)
• Connor Caskenette – 2nd in RBI (46), T-8th in HR (8), T-8th in HBP (11)
• Jordan Morales – T-3rd in Wins (5), 5th in Innings (52 2/3), 6th in ERA (3.76), 9th in Strikeouts (49)
• Luke Wagner – T-3rd in Wins (5)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – T-3rd in HBP (14), T-5th in Steals (14)
• Logan Sutter – 4th in Doubles (14), T-8th in Slugging (.625), 10th in OPS (1.080)
• Jo Stevens – T-5th in Triples (2), T-5th in HBP (12), 10th in OBP (.474)
PURDUE WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF SET TO COMPETE AT B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Postseason play is here for Purdue Women’s Golf, as the Boilermakers travel to Havre de Grace, Maryland this week for the 42nd Big Ten Conference Women’s Golf Championships. The 54-hole stroke play tournament determines the conference champion and the automatic qualifier to an NCAA Regional. Contested in the state of Maryland for the first time in Big Ten history, the battle for the conference crown takes place over three rounds at Bulle Rock Golf Course.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, April 19: Round 1 (Tee Times starting at 8:30 a.m. ET)
Saturday, April 20: Round 2 (Tee Times starting at 8:30 a.m. ET)
Sunday, April 21: Round 3 (Tee Times starting at 8 a.m. ET)
THE LINEUP
Momo Sugiyama – Jr.
Making her 23rd appearance as a Boilermaker after playing in all 12 tournaments a season ago and all 10 tournaments so far this season
Led Purdue at the 2023 B1G Championships, tying for 13th after sharing the clubhouse lead with an opening round 69
Holds a team-best 72.34 stroke average and is No. 143 in the national rankings
Has four Top 10 finishes, including a tie for fourth last time out at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (72-75-70—217) for her best placing of the season
Has finished in the Top 20 in five of the six spring tournaments, including a tie for seventh at the Briar’s Creek Invitational (74-71-70—215)
Her two-round 145 (75-70) at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational was the seventh-best 36-hole total in school history
Began the spring by leading the Boilermakers at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic, placing eighth with a career-low 211 (67-73-71) that featured a personal-best round of 67 (-5)
Tied for ninth at the Boilermaker Classic with a 1-under 215 (73-69-73) to help Purdue claim the tournament title to start the season
Second Team All-Big Ten a season ago
Tied Purdue’s single-season record with six rounds in the 60s last year, while leading the team in stroke average (73.31), team-low round (14), rounds in the 60s (6) and pars (410)
Held a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout the 2022-23 school year, collecting several academic accolades: WGCAA All-American Scholar Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten
Ashley Kozlowski – Sr.
Playing in her 39th tournament as a Boilermaker, totaling 109 rounds, more than anyone on the current team
Leads the team with a 72.34 stroke average and is the highest nationally ranked Boilermaker at No. 126
Making her fourth appearance in the conference tournament; tied for 20th at the 2023 B1G Championships
Has appeared in the lineup in all 10 tournaments this season and has led the Boilermakers in five different events, a team high
Has recorded a team-best 91 birdies
Last time out, tied for seventh at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (74-74-70—218) for her team-high fourth Top 10 of the season
Finished fifth to pace the Boilermakers at the Briar’s Creek Invitational, which featured a final round 67 (-5) to end the tournament 4-under par (73-72-67—212)
Tied for seventh to lead Purdue at The Show (73-70-71—214); led the field in par-4 scoring (-4) and ranked second in birdies (13)
Paced the Boilermakers with a 208 (72-70-66) at the Schooner Fall Classic, the seventh-best 54-hole total in program history; her final round 66 was a new career low and the fifth-lowest for a Boilermaker
Led Purdue to a win in the Mary Fossum Invitational, finishing runner-up individually for the second time in her career with a 214 (73-71-70)
Stars in the classroom as an aeronautical and astronautical engineering major, earning several academic honors: WGCAA All-American Scholar Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten
Jasmine Kahler – Fr.
Making her ninth collegiate tournament appearance but cracking the Purdue lineup for the second time
Holds a 74.79 stroke average
In her debut in the Boilermaker lineup, tied for 19th at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (78-74-72—224)
Competing as an individual, tied for 6th at The Bruzzy, her best finish as a Boilermaker, with a career-low 213 (73-70-70); the 213 was the eighth-best 54-hole total be a freshman in program history
Tied for 25th at the Briar’s Creek Invitational (72-71-77—220)
Tied for seventh at the Saluki Invitational (71-73-82—226)
In her Purdue debut, tied for 22nd as an individual in the Boilermaker Classic (73-72-76—221)
In high school, won the San Diego Section CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) at Torrey Pines and led her team to a fifth-place finish at the CIF State Championship to become the 2022 CIF San Diego Player of the Year
Natasha Kiel – Jr.
Making her 11th appearance as a Boilermaker, but playing in her 23rd collegiate tournament
Has made four of Purdue’s nine eagles this season
Holds a 74.00 stroke average
Has appeared in the lineup in all 10 tournaments this season
Last time out, tied for 19th at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (75-74-75—224) for her third Top 20 of the season
Tied for 20th at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational (76-70—146)
Tied for 29th at the Schooner Fall Classic with a 213 (71-72-70), her best 54-hole total as a Boilermaker
Ranked second in par-4 scoring (-1) and tied for ninth (73-72-73—218) to help the Boilermakers win the Mary Fossum Invitational
Transferred to Purdue after two seasons at Vanderbilt
Last season, played in eight tournaments and produced a 74.4 stroke average
Jocelyn Bruch – Sr.
Making her 31st appearance as a Boilermaker, second most on the team
Holds a 74.45 stroke average
Has appeared in the lineup in all 10 tournaments this season
Playing in the B1G Championships for the third time in her career
Fired a career-low 209 (69-70-70) at the Schooner Fall Classic for the 10th-best three-round total in school history
Eight of her 29 rounds have been par-or-better, including three rounds in the 60s
Paced the field in par-4 scoring (-3) to help the Boilermakers win the Mary Fossum Invitational, tying for seventh on the individual leaderboard for her second career Top 10 (76-70-71—217)
Cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career, tying for sixth with a 4-under 212 (69-69-74) to help Purdue win the Boilermaker Classic
Two-time Academic All-Big Ten
Jade Gu – Jr.
Competing in her 16th tournament as a Boilermaker, cracking the lineup for the fifth time this season
Has played in seven tournaments throughout this season, including three as an individual
Holds a 76.00 stroke average
Tied for 39th at the Briar’s Creek Invitational (70-71-82—223) which included a team-low 70 (-2) in the opening round
Tied for third at the Saluki Invitational with the help of a final round 69 (73-78-69—220)
Played in eight tournaments last season, cracking the lineup five times and tallying a 76.54 stroke average
Was a star in the classroom last year, earning several academic honors: WGCAA All-American Scholar Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten
THE FIELD
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
#9 Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers
Wisconsin
THE COURSE
Bulle Rock Golf Course opened in 1998 and was listed by legendary golf architect Pete Dye as one of his Top 12 designs.
The par 72 course will measure 6,314 yards for the conference championships.
Bulle Rock hosted the Women’s PGA Championship from 2005-09, one of the LPGA majors; winners at the course include Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng and Anna Nordqvist.
BOILERMAKERS B1G SUCCESS
Purdue has been one of the most successful programs in Big Ten history, winning six conference championships to go along with nine Boilermakers becoming medalists of the tournament.
The Boilermakers captured its six titles in a 14-year span (2000-13), which includes a three-peat from 2008 to 2010.
The lowest individual scores in conference championship history have been by Boilermakers. Laura Gonzalez-Escallon holds the 72-hole low with a 280 (71-70-70-69) in 2010. Also that year, Purdue broke the 72-hole team record to capture its third straight Big Ten title (289-292-294-294—1,158)
In 2016, August Kim set the 54-hole mark at 207 (69-71-67), which now ranks third all-time. The Big Ten Championship has been decided by a 54-hole stroke play format since 2012.
RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Purdue enters the tournament ranked 33rd in the national rankings thanks to a pair of tournament titles and five Top 3 finishes throughout this season.
Two Boilermakers, Ashley Kozlowski (No. 126) and Momo Sugiyama (No. 143), are ranked in the Top 200 of the national rankings.
LAST TIME OUT
Behind 70s (-2) from Momo Sugiyama and Ashley Kozlowski, Purdue fired a 1-under 287 in the final round of the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational to move two spots up the leaderboard into sole possession of third place.
The Boilermakers became the only team aside from host Ohio State to record an under-par round on OSU Golf Club’s Scarlet Course throughout the weekend.
Purdue earned its fifth Top 3 finish of the season, defeating eight other Big Ten teams. The Boilermakers ranked second in the field in birdies (38) and par-4 scoring (+34) over 54 holes.
Sugiyama matched her best finish as a Boilermaker, tying for fourth. She ended the tournament 1-over (72-75-70—217) with the help of playing the par 4s 3-under to rank second in the field in par-4 scoring.
100 ROUNDS AS A BOILERMAKER
Ashley Kozlowski reached a milestone completing The Show last month. The senior played her 100th round as a Boilermaker, firing a 1-under par 71 to pace the Boilermakers and secure a Top 10 finish (T-7th) on the individual leaderboard.
Kozlowski’s 109 career rounds are a team high, with 35 of those rounds at par-or-better.
Her lowest round was a 66 at this year’s Schooner Fall Classic, tied for the fifth-best round by a Boilermaker in program history.
Kozlowski has played in 38 tournaments (and counting) throughout her Purdue career, producing 13 Top 20 finishes and nine Top 10 performances.
TOP 20 MOMO
Since the flip of the calendar to 2024, Momo Sugiyama has been a fixture in the Top 20 of tournaments.
The junior placed eighth at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic to begin the spring before tying for 16th at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational. She led Purdue in both events.
Sugiyama finished 13th at The Show and tied for seventh at the Briar’s Creek Invitational for her fourth consecutive Top 20.
Last week, she led the Boilermakers at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (72-75-70—217) for her best finish of the season, tying for fourth.
Sugiyama has cracked the Top 20 in seven of Purdue’s 10 tournaments this season, a team high.
FLYING HIGH WITH BYRD
Victorious in two of their four fall tournaments, the Boilermakers have won multiple tournaments in a season for the first time in seven years.
Winning the Boilermaker Classic and the Mary Fossum Invitational, Purdue won back-to-back tournaments for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The last time Purdue won its first two tournaments of the season was the start of the 2005-06 campaign.
Purdue already has three tournament titles in just the second season under head coach Zack Byrd; the Boilermakers won three tournaments over the previous six seasons before Byrd’s arrival.
Thirteen of the 50 lowest team rounds in program history have occurred under Byrd, including the school record 270 (-18) at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic as well as the second-best round, a 274 at the Schooner Fall Classic.
This season, the Boilermakers have produced two of the lowest five team totals (54 holes) in school history, a program-best 837 at the Schooner Fall Classic and an 852 (fifth) at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic.
SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON
Entering the final round eight shots back of host Michigan State, Purdue flipped the script and fired a final round 284 (-4) to win the Mary Fossum Invitational by 10 strokes.
Purdue was 6-under (290-284-284—858) on the par 72 West Course at Forest Akers GC, the only team to finish under par and just one shot off the tournament record. The Boilermakers defeated a field of 14 other teams that included five Big Ten programs. The three-round total also cracked the Top 10 for one of the lowest 54-hole scores in program history.
The Boilermakers played the par 4s a combined 5-over to lead all teams, including 16 shots better than Michigan State. Purdue also paced the field in par-3 scoring (-2) and birdies (47).
Four Boilermakers finished in the Top 10 of the individual leaderboard. Ashley Kozlowski led the way, ending the tournament at 2-under to place runner-up for the second time in her career. Jocelyn Bruch tied for seventh (+1) for her second Top 10 of the 2023-24 campaign.
HOME COURSE PROTECTED
Purdue protected its home course, starting the 2023-24 season by beating 14 other teams to win the Boilermaker Classic (Sept. 4-5).
The Boilermakers finished the 54-hole event 12-under par (296-270-286—852) on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Complex, six shots ahead of runner-up Alabama.
fired a 270 (-18) in the second round to break the program record for team-low round by five strokes, besting the previous record of 275 shot by the 2011 Boilermakers at the Administaff Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate.
Jocelyn Bruch cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career. She placed sixth with a 212 (69-69-74).
Momo Sugiyama finished another tournament in red figures, firing a 215 (-1) with a 69 sandwiched in between rounds of 73. Starting her second season as a Boilermaker, she tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard.
POSTSEASON ON THE HORIZON
Sitting at No. 33 in the national rankings, the Boilermakers plan to see their name on next week’s NCAA Selection Show (April 24, 2 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel).
NCAA Regional play will take place at six sites (May 6-8).
Auburn, Alabama – Auburn University Club
Bermuda Run, North Carolina – Bermuda Run Country Club
Bryan, Texas – The Traditions Club
Las Vegas, Nevada – Spanish Trail Country Club
East Lansing, Michigan – Forest Akers Golf Course
Cle Elum, Washington – Tumble Creek Club
The top five teams and the low individual not on an advancing team from each regional site will advance to play in the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California (May 17-22).
NOTRE DAME MEN’S TENNIS
TEAM SEASON COMES TO AN END AT THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS
CARY, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team saw their team dual match season come to an end Thursday afternoon as they dropped the opening round contest against the Clemson Tigers 4-1.
The #2 team of Nil Giraldez and Chase Thompson were first off the court today with a 6-4 win, their 10th win of the season as a doubles tandem. After Malkowski and Dominko fell to ranked opponents in a rematch of their doubles match from a few weeks ago, eyes turned to court #3. Evan Lee and Yu Zhang found themselves serving from behind at 4-5, 0-40 before the pair saved four match points behind great serving from Zhang. Despite saving a 5th match point two games later, it would not be enough as the Tigers would take the match and the doubles point by a 7-5 score.
In singles, five of the six contests would go to third sets. Clemson extended their lead to 2-0 with the only straight set match of the day at #2. But the sophomore from Slovenia, Dominko, would get the Irish on the board with their first point almost 3 hours into the contest. He defeated the #95 ranked player in the country by a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(6) scoreline. Unfortunately, it was not enough as the next two matches to finish at #3 and #5 would be third set victories in favor of the team from South Carolina and the match secured.
The matches at #4 singles by Jamie Corsillo and #6 Yu Zhang would be abandoned with both players late in the final set of their own.
Up Next:
The team will be represented by two players at the NCAA Individual Championships at the end of May. Sebastian Dominko and Jean-Marc Malkowski, who check in this week at #8 in the national rankings, will participate in the ITA Doubles Championships are a pair. Dominko will also qualify for the ITA Singles Championships for the second straight year. Last year, he won his opening match before falling in three sets in the second round. This year’s tournament will be held in Stillwater, Oklahoma where Oklahoma State will be hosting.
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Box Score
#47 Notre Dame 1 – #54 Clemson 4
Doubles
#55 Vukadin/Smith(CLEM) def. #8 Dominko/Malkowski(ND) 6-3
Giraldez/Thompson(ND) def. Abderrhman/Damm(CLEM) 6-4
Mesarovic/Pitts(CLEM) def. Lee/Zhang(ND) 7-5
Order of Finish(2, 1, 3)
Singles
#40 Dominko(ND) def. #95 Azuma(CLEM) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(6)
#102 Abderrhman(CLEM) def. Giraldez(ND) 7-6, 6-2
Vukadin(CLEM) def. Thompson(ND) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Corsillo(ND) vs. Mesarovic(CLEM) 2-6, 6-2, 5-5 DNF
Aronson(CLEM) def. Magimay(ND) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Zhang(ND) vs. Smith(CLEM) 6-4, 4-6, 2-5 DNF
Order of Finish(2, 1, 3, 5)
NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX
GAME 10 PREVIEW: NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 1 Notre Dame has another top-10 showdown this weekend, traveling to Brookville, New York, for a non-conference matchup against No. 10/8 Cornell in a Sunday matinee at 12:30 p.m. ET at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. The game will air on ESPN+.
GAME DETAILS
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Arlotta Stadium
Schedule: April 20 — 11:30 a.m. ET
TV: ACCN
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Twitter Updates: @NDlacrosse
For a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame
SETTING THE STAGE
• No. 1 Notre Dame wraps up the home portion of its regular-season schedule this weekend, taking on North Carolina in an ACC showdown at Arlotta Stadium at 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 20. The game will air on ACCN.
THE UNC SERIES
• Saturday will be the 24th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and UNC.
• The Irish lead the Tar Heels in the series with at a mark of 12-11 in the matchup.
• The matchup has historically been extremely competitive, as 15 of the 23 games in the series have been decided by two goals or less.
• The Irish enter this weekend’s matchup winners of three straight in the series and four of the last five, dating back to the 2019 season.
• Notre Dame won the most recent matchup by a score of 18-9 in Chapel Hill. The Kavanagh brothers combined for 13 points while Jake Taylor and Eric Dobson recorded hat tricks.
• Dobson has had a hat trick in each of his last three outings vs. the Tar Heels, scoring a combined 10 goals.
VIDEO GAME NUMBERS
• The Irish enter Saturday’s matchup leading the country in scoring offense (16.56 goals per game), points per game (26.0) and fourth in assists per game (9.44).
• Notre Dame has reached double-digit scoring in every game this season.
• Five of ND’s nine opponents have allowed their most goals in a game this season to the Irish (Cleveland St., Marquette, Maryland, Michigan, Duke).
• The 22-goal win over Cleveland State, the 13-goal victory at Marquette and the five-goal win over Maryland represent the largest margin of victory for the Irish in the respective all-time series.
• The Irish have also played fairly clean games thus far, as they are averaging just 13.56 turnovers per game which is the fourth best mark in the country.
PICK YOUR POISON
• The Irish starting attack has combined for 117 points this season.
• Pat Kavanagh (15G, 28A), Chris Kavanagh (22G, 20A) and Jake Taylor (29G, 3A) are each having great seasons.
• The three attackman have a combined 496 points in their career off 278 goals and 218 assists.
• The Irish starting midfield also presents headaches for the opposition with Eric Dobson, Jordan Faison and Devon McLane each presenting different challenges to try to stop.
• McLane leads the unit with 22 points (15G, 7A) while Faison has 19 (15G, 4A) and Dobson has added 18 (12G, 6A).
CASHING IN ON THE EMO
• For the third-straight season, Notre Dame’s man-up offense is among the nation’s best, scoring on 72.0 percent of its opportunities.
• Notre Dame comes into the weekend 18-of-25 on man-up situations.
• The mark of 72.0 percent is on pace to be the best single-season percentage in NCAA history.
• Jeffery Ricciardelli leads the unit with six goals while Jake Taylor, Chris Kavanagh and Devon McLane have each scored three goals for the Irish when having the player advantage this season.
• The Irish finished the 2023 season going 22-for-41 (.537) on the EMO ranking fifth in the country.
• The Irish EMO unit cashed in on 21-of-31 chances (.677) during the 2022 season.
DOMINATING DEFENSE
• The Irish have allowed just 91 total goals over the course of the season, giving up 10.11 goals per game despite playing some of the top attacks in the country.
• Not only has the Irish defense been stingy but they have also been disruptive, averaging 9.33 caused turnovers per game, which is the 13th best mark in the country.
• Dating back to last season, which includes an NCAA Championship run, the Irish have held nine of their last 13 opponents to 10 or fewer goals.
• The unit allowed just three goals in the win over Cleveland State, which is tied for the second fewest given up by ND in a season opener in program history.
• The Irish finished 2023 allowing just 9.69 goals per game, leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the country, despite playing nine games against opponents that ranked in the top 10 in goals scored per game.
• Notre Dame led the ACC and ranked ninth in the country in caused turnovers per game last season, averaging 9.69.
THREES ARE WILD
• The Irish have faced the No. 3 ranked team in the country on three occasions this season, going 3-0 in the matchups.
• Notre Dame racked up wins over No. 3 Maryland, No. 3 Syracuse and No. 3 Duke.
• Each win represents the largest defeat of the season for the respective opponent.
• The Irish have scored at least 14 goals in each of the three contests.
THE CONDUCTOR
• Pat Kavanagh became the first Notre Dame player to be named a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist two times, earning the honor in 2021 and 2023.
• The attackman is the current NCAA DI active career leader in assists per game (3.02) and is second for total career assists (163).
• Kavanagh is closing in on the Notre Dame all-time career points record, as he is currently 10 shy of breaking the record held by Randy Colley ‘95 (see table on left).
• The Rockville, New York, native broke the program record for points in a season in 2023 with 77 points off 25 goals and 52 assists.
• Kavanagh became the program record holder for career assists during the 2023 season and has 161 in his illustrious career.
• The attackman also shattered his own single-season program assists record in 2023, totaling 52 on the season. Kavanagh now holds the top three marks for assists in a season.
• Kavanagh is also the only player in program history to record 10 points in a single game, a feat which he has achieved three times in his career.
• Kavanagh has recorded three or more points in every game this season.
THE STOPPER
• Grad student Liam Entenmann cemented his status as the top goalie in the country with his play in 2023, being named the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding Goalie by the USILA, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Goalie of the Year and NCAA Championships Most Valuable Player.
• Entenmann became the all-time program saves leader in the win over Cornell, surpassing Joey Kemp (633 saves) for the top spot. The shot stopper enters the weekend with 646 saves.
• As the weather is heating up, so is Entenmann. The goalie had a big game against No. 3 Maryland this season, making 13 saves while limiting the Terrapins to just nine goals and made a season-high 15 saves in the win over No. 18 Michigan.
• Entenmann led the ACC and ranked sixth in the country in goals against average, allowing just 9.55 goals per game in 2023.
• Entenmann had a save percentage of .570 (196 saves, 148 goals allowed), ranking fourth in the country last season.
• Entenmann made double-digit saves in each of the final 13 games in 2023, including a season-high 18 in the win over No. 1 Duke to win the national title.
LYNCH LEVELING UP
• Junior FOGO Will Lynch is having the best season of his career in 2024, winning 60.1 percent of the faceoffs he has taken, ranking 10th in the country.
• Lynch is 104-for-173 on the season at the dot, scooping up 56 ground balls.
• To make this number even more impressive, Lynch has faced seven of the top 25 FOGOs in the country by faceoff winning percentage and won over 50 percent against six of the seven.
• Lynch had one of the best games of his career in the victory over No. 3 Syracuse, finishing 19-of-26 while adding 11 ground balls and a goal.
• The junior had a remarkable performance in the win over No. 3 Maryland, winning 12-of-18 faceoffs against Luke Weirman, a 2024 preseason All-American.
• The FOGO also has added two goals this season, scoring in wins over Marquette and Syracuse.
THE SCORER
• Chris Kavanagh had one of the most prolific goal scoring seasons in program history in 2023, recording a career-high 46 goals to lead the Irish attack.
• Kavanagh hasn’t missed a beat so far in 2024, as the junior is second on the team in points (42) with 22 goals and 20 assists
•The junior not only paced Notre Dame’s offense in 2023 but his 46 goals ranked third all-time in program history for a single season, just three behind Randy Colley’s record of 49 goals set in 1995.
• The attackman also added 16 assists to total 62 points, which ranks 10th all-time in Notre Dame men’s lacrosse history.
• Chris finished with 10 hat tricks during the 2023 campaign and has 15 in his career.
• The Rockville Centre, New York, native has 90 career goals.
THE FINISHER
• Jake Taylor has been one of the best crease finishers at the collegiate level this season, ranking seventh in the country with 3.22 goals per game.
• Taylor has recorded hat tricks in five of nine games and has scored multiple goals in eight outings.
• The attackman nearly tied his own program record for goals in a game in the win over Michigan, scoring seven goals in the contest to garner ACC Offensive Player of the Week, Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week and USILA Team of the Week honors.
• Taylor is canning 47.5 percent of his shot attempts and is 10th in the country in shooting percentage.
• The grad student has 87 career goals, despite battling injury setbacks over the first four seasons in South Bend.
• Taylor came up clutch for the Irish in one of the biggest moments in program history, sending the 2023 NCAA Championship semifinal into overtime with a twister goal with under a minute left in regulation against Virginia.
CHALLENGING SLATE AHEAD
• Notre Dame has never shied away from putting together a challenging schedule and the 2024 slate is no different.
• Of Notre Dame’s 11 regular-season opponents, six are currently ranked in the top 11 in the USILA or Inside Lacrosse Top 20 Polls.
• Three of Notre Dame’s 2024 opponents are currently ranked in the top five in the country.
• The Irish have three wins against teams ranked No. 3 in the country at the time of the matchup (Maryland, Syracuse and Duke).
• Notre Dame is 4-1 against teams currently ranked.
FAISON’S FIRST IMPRESSION
• Jordan Faison has had an impressive start to his ND lacrosse career, as he ranks fourth on the team in goals (15) and fifth in points (19).
• The freshman has three hat tricks, including a five-point effort (3G, 2A) in the win over No. 3 Maryland.
• The midfielder has scored in eight of nine games this season.
• The freshman made a huge play at the end of the Cornell game, causing a turnover around midfield with a wrap check to give the Irish the final possession of the game which set up the game-winning goal.
• Faison wasted no time introducing himself to the college lacrosse world, scoring 38 seconds into the 2024 season for the first Notre Dame goal of the season in his debut.
• The freshman finished with a three-goal hat trick and an assist in the win over Cleveland State. The three goals in his first career game are the most by a Notre Dame midfielder in their debut since at least the 2000 season.
• Faison also had an electric start to his Notre Dame football career, finishing with 19 catches for 322 yards and was second on the team with four touchdowns receptions despite playing in just seven games.
• The WR was named the 2023 Sun Bowl C.M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player after recording five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in the win over Oregon State.
CORRIGAN ALL-TIME DI PROGRAM WINS LEADER
• With the win over No. 1 Duke on April 10, 2021, Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan broke the NCAA record for most wins at a DI program with 311, passing Bob Shillinglaw (Delaware).
• Corrigan became just the third coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to reach the 300-win mark at a single school with the win over Marquette on April 10, 2019.
• Corrigan is one of just four active Division I coaches to reach the 300-win mark in his career.
• Corrigan has an overall record of 353-175 in his 38 seasons of coaching.
• The head coach is 343-160 in his 36 seasons at Notre Dame.
• Corrigan is the longest tenured men’s lacrosse coach at the DI level.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX
EXPLOSIVE THIRD QUARTER LEADS IRISH TO UNDEFEATED ROAD SLATE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Irish closed out the regular season with their ninth consecutive victory and an unblemished road record following a convincing 23-10 victory at Louisville Thursday afternoon.
The Irish got the opening draw, courtesy of Kelly Denes and the visitors went on the attack. Despite opportunity, the Irish were unable to convert on their opening possession and Louisville had a chance. Lilly Callahan came up with a save from point-blank range to keep it scoreless early in the opening quarter.
After successfully carrying the ball through the neutral zone, the Irish attack got set with Wolak capitalizing on a pass from behind the net for the 1-0 tally.
Madison Ahern extended the Irish lead to 2-0 with a bouncing shot from deep that beat the goalkeeper at 3:06 of the first frame.
The Cardinals cut the Irish lead in half with a shot that just beat Callahan before winning the ensuing draw and knotting it up 2-2 with 8:08 to play in the first.
With 3:55 to play in the opening quarter, the Cardinals took the lead as the shot beat Callahan in the top corner for the 3-2 tally.
The Irish tied it up with 1:58 to play in the first quarter off a shot from Abby Maichin before Kasey Choma’s first goal of the day put Notre Dame up by one just 13 seconds later. The Irish would hold the 4-3 lead through the first 15 minutes of play against the Cardinals.
Louisville tied it up just 39 seconds into the second quarter after Callahan came up with the save on the free position attempt but could not control the ball in her stick and a Cardinals’ attacker snatched the loose ball out of the air and quickly shot it into the back of the net.
Choma gave the Irish the lead back after a pass from Ahern through traffic to make it a 5-4 game.
The Irish reclaimed the two-goal lead with just under 10 to play in the half as MK Doherty found Meghan O’Hare out front who buried her shot to give Notre Dame the 6-4 lead.
Ahern found the back of the net for the second time Thursday afternoon with 7:54 to play in the second. The goal marked her third point of the day and 300th career with the Irish.
Louisville got one back with just over seven minutes to play in the half, cutting the Irish lead back to two as the visitors held onto the 7-5 score halfway through the second quarter.
Kathryn Morrissey set up at the free position after drawing a foul, capitalizing on the opportunity to give Notre Dame the 8-5 lead.
The Cardinals capitalized on a free position shot of their own shortly after the Morrissey tally to make it 8-6 with 5:01 to play in the first half.
Choma registered her third of the day with a free position shot late in the half to make it a 9-6 contest. The score would hold through the horn as the Irish took the three-goal lead into the second half.
Louisville got the first goal of the half to cut the Irish lead to 9-7 with 13:21 to play in the third quarter. The Irish broke up a breakaway from the Cardinals but were flagged on the play and were sent to the box for two minutes. A free position attempt by the Cardinals beat Callahan in the crease to make it a 9-8 game and bring the Irish back to even strength.
Ahern got the Irish in the second half scoring column with a shot off the free position. The Irish won the ensuing draw and MK Doherty found herself on the fast break, burying a shot just 10 seconds after Ahern’s to make it 11-8. The senior midfielder then won the next draw and raced in for her second consecutive tally. The second goal from Doherty was the team’s third tally in just 21 seconds and gave the visitors a 12-8 lead with 12:23 to play in the third quarter.
Arden Tierney extended the scoring streak to four with a goal off the free position to give the Irish their largest lead of the day, up 13-8.
Ahern kept her storybook outing rolling with a highlight reel behind-the-back goal with 3:58 to play in the third, her fourth goal of the afternoon. Her classmate Choma then scored her fourth tally of the day less than a minute later to give Notre Dame the 15-8 lead with just over three minutes to play in the frame.
Choma and Maichin added to the Irish tally before the end of the quarter as Notre Dame leapt out to a 17-8 lead behind an eight goal frame.
The Irish returned from the quarter break with Choma scoring her first sock trick of the season to make it an 18-8 game and extend the Notre Dame scoring streak to nine goals.
The Cardinals snapped the streak with 11:25 to play in the fourth, cutting the Irish lead to nine, 18-9.
The Irish answered with five consecutive goals to take the 23-9 lead before Louisville scored its 10th of the game with three seconds left to force the 23-10 final.
After just nine goals forced in the first half, the Irish offense exploded to record 14 goals in the final 30 minutes of play while holding the Cardinals’ attack to just four goals in the final two quarters.
With the win, the Irish closed out the regular season on a nine-game winning streak and were undefeated on the road, boasting an unblemished 8-0 record away from home in 2024.
KEY STATS
For the first time in program history, the Irish have two individuals with 300+ career points on the roster at once time. Madison Ahern’s third point of the day, and second goal, marked her 300th career point at Notre Dame. She joins fellow attacker Jackie Wolak on the exclusive list and the duo marks the only set of teammates to own 300 points a piece.
The Irish recorded eight goals in the third quarter to jump out to the 17-8 lead after holding the three-goal lead, 9-6, through the first 30 minutes of play.
With 10 saves on the day, Lilly Callahan recorded her fourth double-digit save count of the season.
A seven-goal performance and two additional assists for Kasey Choma led the team on the afternoon while both were season highs for the graduate.
Kelly Denes’ nine draw controls on the day led the team in the category and now boasts 357 career controls and is within 10 of tying the program record (367).
UP NEXT
With the win, the Irish have secured the second-seed in the ACC tournament and await their opponent, to be determined Sunday following first round games at campus sites. The quarterfinals are set for Wednesday, April 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH HOST #21/20 CLEMSON IN ACC WEEKEND SERIES
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team will host the 21/20th ranked Clemson Tigers this weekend in a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Melissa Cook Stadium. Two of the games will be nationally televised, with Friday’s game being played on ESPNU and Sunday’s finale on the ACC Network.
The Fighting Irish enter the weekend on a cold streak, dropping their last four games. This season, the Irish have won games in four ACC series, including a sweep of NC State at home. At Melissa Cook Stadium in conference play, the Irish have gone 4-2.
Clemson enters the weekend after getting right with a midweek win against Winthrop at home. Prior to that, the Tigers dropped a three-game ACC series to the conference-leading Duke Blue Devils.
As a team, the Tigers are hitting for a .293 average, ranking seventh in the league, just behind the Irish who own a .298 team batting average, led by Carlli Kloss’s .355 mark. The teams manufacture runs differently as the Irish have hit 24 homers this season, compared to Clemson’s 47 on the year.
Along with the two linear television broadcasts, the Saturday game will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra. Live stats will be available for all three games, with links available on the Notre Dame softball schedule page.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
THE 93RD EDITION OF THE BLUE-GOLD GAME SET FOR SATURDAY
BLUE-GOLD GAME HISTORY
Saturday will mark the 93rd edition of the Blue Gold Game presented by Meijer and the third spring game of the Marcus Freeman era. The team conducted a draft on Thursday, April 18 to select the rosters for both squads during the scrimmage. This is the third year that the team has conducted a draft to select the Blue-Gold Game roster.
This game marks the ‘rubber match’ between acting head coaches Al Washington (Blue) and Deland McCullough (Gold). Washington’s Gold Team won in 2023 after McCullough’s Gold earned a last-second victory in 2022.
BLUE-GOLD GAME FORMAT
The game will be played with traditional scoring, there is no offense vs. defense scoring system that has been used for some previous editions of the spring game.
There will be four 15-minute quarters with normal timing in the first half. The second half will feature a running clock and there is head coach discretion to return to normal clock rules if the game score is close at the end.
There will be one live kickoff to start the game. All other change of possessions after a score will be ball placement.
The teams were drafted by members of the program on Thursday, April 20. There will be some selected players who will wear green jerseys and can compete for both teams.
There will be no punts in the game. If a team decides to punt, the ball will be moved 40 yards down field and possession of the ball will change.
Field goals and PATs will be live.
PERSONNEL NOTES
Injured players unable to compete on Saturday afternoon – TE Kevin Bauman, CB Charles Du, TE Mitchell Evans, DL Aiden Gobaira, WR Jayden Harrison, QB Riley Leonard, CB Benjamin Morrison, DL Armel Mukam, OL Style Prescod, RB Jadarian Price, WR Leo Scheidler, WR Jayden Thomas, DL Loghan Thomas, WR Cam Williams and RB Kedren Young.
There will be players in green uniforms that can compete for both teams. Freshman QB CJ Carr will play quarterback for both teams.
Quarterback Steve Angeli will be in a red jersey and cannot be tackled. Quarterbacks Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr will be live and can be tackled.
Wide receiver Jordan Faison has been designated a member of the Blue Team, but will be competing as a member of the top-ranked Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team against North Carolina at Arlotta Stadium at 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
BUTLER BASEBALL
ST. JOHN’S SET TO HOST BUTLER THIS WEEKEND
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler and St. John’s will go head-to-head at Kaiser Stadium this weekend in Queens, N.Y. All three games will stream on ESPN+. The opener will be under the lights with a 6 PM start.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 19 – 6 PM
Saturday, April 20 – 3 PM
Sunday, April 21 – 1 PM
Scouting St. John’s
The Red Storm lost at home for the first time this season on Tuesday night by taking an 11-9 setback to visiting Columbia. The Lions moved the Johnnies overall record to 23-8-1 and 14-1-1 at Jack Kaiser Stadium. In conference action, STJ is 4-2 heading into the weekend. They swept Villanova and went 1-2 at UConn. Head Coach Mike Hampton was an All-American at Clemson before being drafted in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Reds. He spent 18 seasons on Ed Blankmeyer’s staff before becoming the leader of the program in 2020. Hampton guided the Red Storm to a signature win at the start of the 2024 campaign by defeating No. 2 Florida 9-5 in Gainesville in the season opener.
The Johnnies lead the BIG EAST in batting average (.309), scoring (8.7), triples (15), sac flies (19), and shutouts (4). Blake Mayberry leads the team, the conference and ranks 40th in the nation with his .402 batting average. Jimmy Keenan is another dangerous bat in the St. John’s lineup. A sophomore catcher from White Plains, Keenan leads the team with 48 hits. He leads the team in doubles (14), home runs (8) and RBIs (39).
Kyle Chase, Evan Chaffee, and Mario Pesca are probable starters for the Red Storm this weekend. Pesca and Xavier Kolhosser have been great on the mound for STJ this season. Each member of that duo have struck out 29 batters over 40+ innings of action. Pesca is 4-0 on the mound and Kolhosser is 7-1. Louis Mariano is the strikeout leader at St. John’s with 33. Evan Chaffee has 24 K’s over six starts. He is 3-0 on the mound with a 5.51 ERA. Kyle Chase is the wildcard of the group. The right-handed freshman has only tossed 7.1 innings this year. He is 0-1 overall with a 6.14 ERA.
All-Time Series
Butler is 4-24-1 against St. John’s since the two programs became conference rivals in 2014. The Johnnies have won five-straight with the lone tie of the series coming in the 2022 finale. Butler’s last win came on May 15, 2021 by the final score of 4-1. BU won game two of the series in 2019 and clinched a spot in the conference tournament with a 3-0 win at St. John’s in 2018. BU’s first win over STJ came in 2016. They won the finale 13-5.
On the Mound
Butler will likely start Tyler Banks and Ben Whiteside this weekend with the third spot still up in the air. Banks has an 8.24 ERA over nine starts. In BIG EAST action he earned a win at Creighton, but recently took a loss vs. Georgetown. He threw 96 pitches in his last outing vs. the Hoyas, his second-highest pitch count of the season. Whiteside got the start on Wednesday and threw an inning against Miami Ohio. His last five appearances have been in a starting role. His longest, and best, outing was against Georgetown on April 13. The lefty threw 83 pitches over 5.1 innings. He limited the Hoyas to two runs off five hits.
BIG EAST Standings
Georgetown 8-1, 25-10
St. John’s 4-2, 23-8-1
UConn 4-2, 17-18
Creighton 3-3, 27-7
Xavier 3-3, 18-18
Villanova 3-6, 12-22
Seton Hall 1-5, 18-18
Butler 1-5, 14-21
Bulldog Bits
– Carter Dorighi had two hits vs. Miami giving him a team-high 20 multi-hit games this season
– Dorighi has five multi-hit games over Butler’s last seven games
– Kade Lewis was out of the lineup Wednesday but takes a seven-game hitting streak to New York
– Joey Urban has reached base safely in 11-straight games
– Urban is batting .478 in BIG EAST games and .410 during the month of April
– Butler took a season-high 46 at-bats in the game at Eastern Michigan
– The ‘Dawgs came up with a season-high 19 hits against the Eagles
– BU also recorded 33 total bases to set a new season-high total
– Jack Moroknek became the fourth player in program history to hit three home runs in a game at EMU
– Moroknek had 13 total bases on Tuesday and scored four runs
– Evan Parks has gone 4-for-9 this week with three RBIs, a double and a triple
– The Bulldogs have hit a double in 11-straight games
– BU has seven doubles over their last three games, giving them 60 this season
– Butler needs 11 more home runs to set the team single-season record (56 – 1998)
– Xavier Carter has walked at least one time in six of Butler’s last seven games
– Ethan Vecrumba got the start at DH at EMU and went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs scored
– Billy Wurch has scored a run in four-straight games
Up Next
Butler will play a midweek game at Eastern Illinois next Tuesday and jump back into BIG EAST action with a home series vs. Seton Hall.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
@BUTLER SOFTBALL HOSTS CREIGHTON IN FINAL HOME BIG EAST SERIES
The Butler softball team hosts Creighton this weekend in its final home BIG EAST series of the season. The Bulldogs (19-23, 8-10 BIG EAST) are coming off a midweek loss to Indiana State and, the previous weekend, a 2-1 series victory over Georgetown. The Bluejays (25-18, 9-6 BIG EAST) most recently last their series with UConn, 2-1, picking up a win in the second game.
Bulldog Bits
(as of 4-17-24)
Ella White is second in the BIG EAST with four sacrifice flies (26th nationally) and with 38 RBI (71st). Addition conference (national) rankings include: 12 doubles-3rd (73rd), .648 slugging %-4th, and 8 HR-6th.
Monique Hoosen leads the BIG EAST (80th nationally) with 10 home runs.
Kieli Ryan leads the BIG EAST (12th nationally) with 12 base runners caught stealing.
Katie Petran is second in the BIG EAST (68th nationally) with 12 wins in the circle.
Cate Lehner leads the BIG EAST (63rd nationally) with 0.19 sacrifice bunts per game and is third (32nd) with 20 stolen bases.
vs. Georgetown (Apr. 12-14)
Monique Hoosen hit a home run in each of the three games, tallying nine RBI.
Hailey Conger led the Bulldogs with five hits over the series.
Makena Alexander connected on her first two doubles of her career.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON (25-18, 9-6 BIG EAST)
Series- tied, 12-12
2023 (Omaha): Butler 10-2 / Butler 10-0 / Creighton 9-1
2022 (Indianapolis): Butler 2-1 / Butler 3-1 / Butler 3-0
2019 (Omaha): Creighton 3-0 / Creighton 4-3 / Butler 8-0
Creighton won the most recent game, but Butler won six straight prior to that.
The teams did not meet in 2020 or 2021.
2024 BIG EAST series results:
St. John’s (W-W-L), Seton Hall (L-W-L), Georgetown (W-W-W), Villanova (W-L-W), UConn (L-W-L)
Wins for the Bluejays this season also include: Illinois State, Loyola, Colgate, and South Dakota.
Losses include: SIU, Kansas, Drake, and Omaha.
Creighton vs. (opponents) Butler
runs: 180-167 181
hits: 292-247 310
RBI: 165-157 164
SB: 18-23 49
ERA: 3.74-3.49 5.29
Batting Leaders:
#19 Madeline Vejvoda (.350) 43H, 26RBI
#23 Cayla Nielsen (.343) 49H, 12-2B, 3HR
#13 Ella Dalton (.320) 2HR, 5SB
#18 Sydney Potter (.231) 9HR, 28RBI
Pitching Leaders:
#20 Natalia Puchino (18-4) 1.98 ERA, 117K
#16 Kenzie Schopfer (4-7) 4.31 ERA, 55K
#24 Jena Lawrence (2-4) 4.34 ERA, 14K
BUTLER WOMEN’S TENNIS
BULLDOGS FALL TO MARQUETTE, 4-2, IN BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
Butler’s 2024 season came to a close Thursday morning in Cayce, S.C., as the Bulldogs fell to Marquette in the opening round of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament.
Marquette, the No. 8 seed in the tournament, pulled out a tightly-contested 4-2 result over the ninth-seeded Bulldogs. Marquette advances to play No. 1 seed Xavier Friday.
The Golden Eagles won the doubles point and took straight-set wins in singles on the third and sixth courts. Butler’s Delaney Schurhamer countered with a straight-set win at No. 2 singles over Emma Davis (7-5, 6-3).
The remaining three matches would each go to a third set. Norah Balthazor won 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 at No. 4 singles over Sarah Badawi for Butler’s second win of the morning. Natalie Boesing’s match at No. 1 singles was still in progress in a third set as the team result was decided.
The clincher for Marquette came on the fifth court as Tiana Windbuchler took a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 win over Elle Martin.
The Bulldogs, under the leadership of first-year coach Stephanie Wooten-Quijada, finished the 2024 season with a 12-11 overall record. Boesing and Schurhamer will graduate, but the team returns a talented young nucleus for 2025 and beyond.
Results
SINGLES
1. Natalie Boesing (BUT) vs. Emilijia Kojcic (MU), unfinished
2. Delaney Schurhamer (BUT) def. Emma Davis (MU), 7-5, 6-3
3. Andie Weise (MU) def. Chase Metcalf (BUT), 6-1, 6-3
4. Norah Balthazor (BUT) def. Sarah Badwai (MU), 2-6, 7-5, 6-0
5. Tiana Windbuchler (MU) def. Elle Martin (BUT), 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
6. Tiera Jarmond (MU) def. Katie Beavin (BUT), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
DOUBLES
1. Kaiser/Weise (MU) def. Boesing/Metcalf (BUT), 6-3
2. Davis/Windbuchler (MU) def Schurhamer/Schildcrout (BUT), unfinished
3. Jarmond/Kojcic (MU) def. Balthazor/Cook (BUT), 6-1
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO LINDENWOOD IN MIVA TOURNEY SEMIFINALS
MUNCIE, Ind. – It was a five-set thriller that unfortunately saw the win column go the other direction as the top seeded Ball State men’s volleyball team (21-10) fell in the semifinals of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament against fourth seeded Lindenwood (16-11) by a score of 3-2 Thursday night in Worthen Arena.
Junior Tinaishe Ndavazocheva led the Cardinals offensively with 20 kills while teammate Braydon Savitski-Lynde finished the night with 11. Ndavazocheva recently earned All-MIVA First Team honors just a week ago.
Statistically, the Lions were more efficient from the floor hitting a .358 while their defense was also on point totaling 17 blocks.
Ball State came out of the gates strong and breezed through the first frame winning 25-20. Patrick Rogers made his return after a minor injury and would earn set point for the Cardinals.
Set two turned out to be a back-and-forth affair that saw four lead changes and 10 ties. The second period was knotted 21-21 before Lindenwood took the next four points to take the frame, 25-21.
The Cardinals best set was the third frame as Ball State hit .400 from the floor off 17 kills and 35 swings. BSU opened the third with a 6-1 run after kills from Ndavazocheva and Savitski-Lynde. The Lions put together a late rally to come within one-point of Ball State, 23-22. The Cardinals were able to prevail with a 25-23 third set win which was capped off by a kill from Will Patterson.
After that, Lindenwood dominated the last two sets despite Ball State’s best efforts to stop them. The Lions went on to take set four (25-19) and five (15-11).
Despite the loss, the No. 10 nationally ranked Cardinals ended the season winning their third-straight MIVA regular season title and tallied yet another 20 plus win season. Ball State also saw third-year head coach Donan Cruz earn MIVA Coach of the Year honors while Ndavazocheva, Rogers and Lucas Machado were named to MIVA postseason squads.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES HOST ILLINOIS STATE FOR THREE-GAME MVC SERIES
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State will host Illinois State for a three-game MVC series this weekend, where play begins on Friday, April 19 at 3 p.m ET. All three games will have live stats available and streamed on ESPN+. Game times for the weekend are listed below.
Friday, April 19 @ 3 p.m ET
Saturday, April 20 @ 2 p.m ET (Alumni Day)
Sunday, April 21 @ 12 p.m ET
The Sycamores (17-22, 5-9) are coming off a 1-2 weekend where they dropped their three-game series to UIC. The Sycamores defeated Butler on Wednesday afternoon in a five inning run-rule, with a score of 14-0. Indiana State connected on a season high hits, RBIs, runs scored, and doubles in the victory. Indiana State is fourth in the MVC with a .271 batting average, which consists of 282 hits, 162 runs, 44 doubles, 2 triples, 15 home runs, and 143 RBIs.
The Redbirds (17-26, 11-7) are coming off of a 3-0 weekend where they swept Valparaiso in a three-game MVC series. Illinois State played the finale of the three-game MVC series against Bradley on Wednesday evening, where they claimed the series 3-0. Illinois State is fifth in the MVC with a .263 batting average, which consists of 303 hits, 187 runs, 44 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, and 163 RBIs.
Illinois State leads the all time series over Indiana State, 94-18, which dates back to 1980. The Redbirds won the most recent matchup in March of 2022, with a score of 4-2 in the MVC tournament.
Sycamore Standouts:
Indiana State totaled a season high of 18 hits, 14 RBIs, 14 runs scored, and five doubles. Nine Sycamores recorded hits over Butler and seven recorded RBIs.
Shade, Chipps and I. Henning combined for nine hits, four doubles, one home run, 10 RBIs, and nine runs scored in the victory over Butler.
Abi Chipps leads the Sycamores with a .364 batting average and is tied for first in the conference in most hits, with 48.
Abby Robakowski and Kennedy Shade both recorded their fourth home runs this week against UIC and Butler.
In the Circle:
Hailey Griffin (6-4) took the shutout win over Butler on Wednesday allowing only two hits and zero runs scored. Griffin has a .366 ERA, in 86.0 innings of work, where she has struck out 64 batters this season.
Scouting Illinois State:
Adisyn Hopkins is third in the MVC with a .371 batting average, which consists of 36 hits, six doubles, one home run, 17 RBIs.
Paige McLeod (10-9) has a 2.57 ERA and 2 saves in 136.0 innings of work, where she has struck out 56 batters this season.
Up Next:
Indiana State will host Evansville at Price Field on Wednesday, April 24 at 4 p.m ET for the series finale, which is tied 1-1.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
INDIANA STATE STARTS SEVEN-GAME ROAD TRIP AT ILLINOIS STATE
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State heads back on the road this weekend as the Sycamores embark on a seven-game road trip starting with a three-game Missouri Valley weekend series at Illinois State as ISU continues conference play. All three games set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Game times for the weekend start with a 6 p.m. ET first pitch on Friday night, while Saturday’s contest features a 4 p.m. ET first pitch. The series finale is set for 2 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon at Duffy Bass Field as Indiana State makes the trip to Normal for the first time since the 2021 season.
The Sycamores (27-7, 10-2) head into the weekend series looking to extend a 14-series conference winning streak dating back to the end of the 2022 season. Indiana State also enters on its fourth winning streak of six games or more this weekend as the Sycamores come off their second MVC sweep of 2024 after taking all three games from Bradley at Bob Warn Field.
Indiana State enters the weekend sitting with a three-game lead atop the Missouri Valley standings after sweeping the Braves by scores of 14-2, 11-1, and 17-6, at Bob Warn Field. The Sycamores sit ahead of UIC (7-5), Illinois State (7-5), Belmont (7-5), and Evansville (7-5), with Murray State (6-6) sitting one game back of the quartet in sixth with five weekends to play.
The Sycamore bats were working early in the series against the Braves as ISU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in Friday’s opener against Bradley. Luis Hernandez connected on an early three-run home run, while Randal Diaz capped the night with a walk-off three-run blast in the eighth to highlight a day where eight players posted multi-hit efforts in the 14-2 win.
The big bats came to play on Saturday afternoon as Adam Pottinger and Sears connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning to stake Indiana State to the 4-0 lead. Brennyn Cutts went the distance with a complete-game effort, while Luis Hernandez added his second home run of the weekend series in ISU’s 11-1 seven-inning win.
Indiana State continued to leave the ballpark on Sunday afternoon as Pottinger (twice), Sears, Hernandez, and Joe Kido combined to hit five home runs as the Sycamores completed the series sweep over the Braves. Pottinger, Sears, and Kido went back-to-back-to-back marking the first time ISU accomplished the feat since 2017, while Pottinger and Hernandez both connected on grand slams in the 10-run eighth inning to secure the 17-6 eight-inning win.
The Sycamores hit .434 as a team over the series against the Braves paced by Diaz (.538), Pottinger (.538), and Hernandez (.538) highlighting an offense that outscored Bradley 42-9 over the three run-ruled games. Dominic Listi (.455) was also among the team leaders over the weekend as the Sycamores posted 46 hits, 24 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs over the series.
The ISU pitching staff was also on point throughout the weekend with Cutts posting the Sycamores’ first complete game of the 2024 season to pace a unit that recorded a 3.52 ERA over 23.0 innings. ISU posted 26 strikeouts in the contest while limiting Bradley to a .200 batting average over the series.
The Sycamores six-game winning streak continued ISU’s ascent into the national rankings as Indiana State enters the weekend ranked in three different NCAA Division I polls for the first time in the 2024 season. ISU climbed to a season-high No. 14-ranking in the Perfect Game poll, while re-entering the NCBWA poll after a one-week hiatus to move into No. 22 in the organization’s standings. ISU also made its 2024 debut in the USA Today poll sitting No. 25 as voted on by the panel of 31 head coaches across the country.
Indiana State also remained inside the top-10 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) standings boasting the No. 36 non-conference strength of schedule and No. 59 overall strength of schedule in the 2024 season. ISU remains the lone team not in the SEC or ACC inside the top-11 in the standings and is one of two teams inside the top-10 with double-digit road wins on the year.
ISU continues Valley play this weekend looking to keep several trends going. The Sycamores are on their fourth winning streak of six or more games in 2024. Indiana State has won at least seven games twice on the year coming in the first seven games of the season, while equaling the streak over March 3-16 against Southern Miss, Florida A&M, Illinois, and Xavier.
ISU is also 36-5-1 overall in conference play dating back to the end of the 2022 season including sweeping both UIC and Bradley at Bob Warn Field, while taking two of three each from Missouri State and Murray State.
Listi continues to find a way to get on base this season and paces the Indiana State offense on the year with a .376 batting average and a .525 on-base percentage. The fifth-year senior is tied for the ISU lead with 11 doubles on the season while leading the Sycamores in walks (22) and hit-by-pitches (17).
Hernandez (.361) leads ISU with 52 hits, 32 runs, and 48 RBIs on the season while also becoming the second player on the Sycamore roster with double-digit home runs (11) after connecting in each of the three games this weekend against Bradley. Diaz (.331) is connecting at a season-high clip, while tying Listi for the team lead with 11 doubles. Pottinger (.301) has also breached the .300 mark on the season while driving in 12 of his 24 RBI over the last week.
Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have combined to post a 4.27 team ERA over 297.0 innings in the 2024 season. Brennyn Cutts (4-1, 2.76 ERA), Luke Hayden (4-1, 3.30 ERA), and Jared Spencer (5-0, 3.70 ERA) have taken over the weekend rotation spots for the Sycamores over the last two weeks, while Cam Edmson (5-0, 3.90 ERA), Zach Davidson (1-1, 4.28 ERA), and Simon Gregerseon (0-0, 3.20 ERA) have also posted double-digit appearances on the mound this season.
The Sycamores have posted a 352:147 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season paced by Cutts (48) and Hayden (48) both pacing Indiana State’s strikeout totals on the year. Four additional Sycamores have also posted 30-plus strikeouts on the season, while ISU has allowed opponents to hit .236 from the plate on the season.
Scouting Illinois State
Illinois State has posted an 18-15 overall record heading into the weekend including a 7-5 overall record in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Redbirds saw their seven-game winning streak in conference play come to an end this past weekend as Illinois State fell in all three contests at Evansville. Illinois State dropped the three contests by scores of 9-1, 6-5, and 13-1, to fall into a four-way tie for second place in the Valley regular season standings.
The Redbirds were selected seventh overall in the MVC’s 2024 preseason poll as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Illinois State received 39 total points after a 2023 season that saw the Redbirds finish with a 20-30 overall record and a 9-18 mark in MVC play.
The Illinois State offense returned 86% of the team’s hits, 85% of the team’s at-bats, and 88% of the team’s RBIs from last season. The Redbirds also return a total of 46 home runs, including nine players with multiple HRs, from the 2023 squad.
On the mound, Illinois State returned 39% of its innings pitched from 2023, anchored by returning senior Cameron Mabee. The Temecula, Calif. native pitched 52.1 innings in 2023, making 14 appearances for the ‘Birds. Mabee was top-10 across all MVC pitchers last season in earned runs allowed (35), runs allowed (40), triples allowed (1), and led the MVC in walks allowed with 16 in 2023.
The 2024 home schedule has been favorable to Illinois State with the Redbirds posting a 6-2 overall mark at Duffy Bass Field. ILS picked up midweek wins over SIUE and Northern Illinois and a weekend sweep over Valparaiso at home, while dropping two of three against Bradley to highlight the home schedule.
Daniel Pacella leads Illinois State’s hitting efforts at the plate with a .359 batting average with a team-high seven home runs and 44 RBIs. Luke Lawrence (.336) is the team’s hits leader with 49 on the year to go with nine doubles, while JT Sokolove (.308) and Judah Morris (.303) are also hitting above the .300 mark on the season. Sokolove paces the Redbirds with a team-high 15 stolen bases on the season.
Sixteen different Illinois State pitchers have taken the mound this season with Tyrelle Chadwell (3-2, 4.60 ERA), Tanner Perry (4-4, 5.40 ERA), and Cameron Mabee (4-2, 5.96 ERA) the primary starters to date. The Redbirds have posted a team 6.18 ERA and a 237:141 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while allowing opponents to hit .294 from the plate.
Series History
Indiana State leads the all-time series over Illinois State with a 116-84 record dating back to the first contest between the two schools in 1948. The Sycamores have won each of the last two season series against the Redbirds in Terre Haute taking five of the six contests over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Sycamores and Redbirds have lined up in Normal, Ill. 92 times over the course of the series history with Illinois State holding the 48-44 edge. ISU took three of the four contests at Duffy Bass Park in their last meeting in 2021.
The Sycamores claimed the doubleheader on April 9, 2021, winning 4-2 and 6-1 on the opening day of the four-game series. Illinois State claimed the third game of the series with a 5-0 win on April 10, before the Sycamores took the extra-inning contest with an 8-7 win in the 10th frame against the Redbirds on April 11, 2021.
Indiana State has won the last four regular season series between the two opponents dating back to 2019.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MASTODONS HOST PENGUINS THIS WEEKEND
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Purdue Fort Wayne (13-23, 7-8) welcomes Youngstown State (5-30, 3-12) to Mastodon Field this weekend beginning on Friday (April 19).
Game Day Information
When:
Friday, April 19 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 20 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 21 | 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Mastodon Field | Fort Wayne, Ind.
Live Stats:Link
Weather:
Friday: High of 57/low of 39, 2% chance of rain
Saturday: High of 49/low of 32, 3% chance of rain
Sunday: 56 of 56/low of 34, 8% chance of rain
Series History: Purdue Fort Wayne took 2-of-3 games earlier this year at Youngstown State. Overall, the ‘Dons are 9-18 against the Penguins.
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne:Mac Ayres, Carter Sabol, TBD
Youngstown State: Jacob Gehring, Brandon Mikos, Sloan Ulrich
Scouting the Penguins: Youngstown State enters the weekend 5-30 with three of those wins coming in Horizon League games. They broke a six-game losing streak with a win over Milwaukee last Sunday. Alejandro Covas and Trey Law lead the team with averages over .350.
‘Dons & Ends:
– Jacob Walker leads the team with 49 hits and 13 doubles.
– Carter Sabol (4.40) is one of only three pitchers in the Horizon League with an ERA under 5. Sabol is also one of eight pitchers in the league holding opposing hitters below a .300 average.
– Sabol and Kevin Fee are tied with three other pitchers for the league lead in wins with four.
– Jacob Walker leads the team with 16 multi hit games and is one of five Mastodons with double digit multi hit games. Justin Osterhouse and Nick Sutherlin have 14, Grant Thoroman has 13, and Ben Higgins has 11.
– Jackson Micheels has reached base in nine straight games.
– The ‘Dons are 46-of-53 in stolen base attempts this season.
– Seven Mastodons have thrown 20 or more innings this season.
– Seven Mastodons have hit a home run this season.
– In league play only, Ben Higgins owns a team-best .585 slugging percentage.
– In league play only, Carter Sabol has a 3.25 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.
Answering the Call: As Kevin Fee finished Sunday’s game on the mound for the Mastodons, he set the program record for career pitching appearances at 79. Fee moved ahead of Adam Feris (2002-05) on the pitching appearance leaderboard. Feris finished his career with 78 visits to the mound.
And the Masty goes to: Four Mastodons were honored at the annual Masty awards, which honor the athletic and academic achievements of Purdue Fort Wayne’s sports teams during the 2023-24 academic year. Justin Osterhouse was named outstanding Freshman of the Year, Kevin Fee was given the David R. Skelton Award, Brody Fine was honored at the Top Sports Performance, and Jacob Walker won Best Facial Expression.
Last Time Out: Nick Sutherlin and Ben Higgins each had a multi-hit game in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 15-5 loss to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Up Next: The ‘Dons host Toledo on Wednesday (April 24) at Mastodon Field.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BASEBALL BACK IN VALLEY PLAY AT BRADLEY THIS WEEKEND
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team returns to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, as the Purple Aces head to Peoria, Illinois for a three-game series against the Bradley Braves. The series kicks off on Friday night at 6 p.m. in a game that can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and can be seen live on ESPN+.
Evansville will bring a 19-17 overall record and 7-5 MVC mark into this weekend’s series after knocking off Indiana, 5-4, on Tuesday night. The Purple Aces will bring a five-game winning streak into this weekend’s series, and UE has won nine of its last 10 games overall. Evansville is currently in a four-team tie for second-place in the MVC standings entering the weekend, three games back of league-leading Indiana State.
This weekend’s series will mark the return to Peoria for UE junior infielder Cal McGinnis. McGinnis began his collegiate career at Bradley, and was a career .262 hitter for the Braves over 78 games the past two seasons. McGinnis transferred to Evansville in the off-season, and he has taken off while at UE, as he will bring a .321 average, eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 20 RBI into this weekend’s series. McGinnis has already posted single-season career-highs for hits, doubles, triples and RBI this year at UE.
McGinnis is part of a UE offense which will bring a .295 team batting average into this weekend’s series. The Purple Aces rank seventh in NCAA Division I baseball this year with 94 doubles, and UE is just one double shy of last year’s season total of 95, which was set in 61 games.
Bradley will bring a 10-24 overall record and 4-8 MVC mark into this weekend’s series. The Braves will be trying to snap a six-game losing streak in Friday’s series opener, after dropping mid-week contests at Eastern Illinois and Iowa this week. The Bradley offense is led by one of the league’s top newcomers in sophomore infielder Beau Durbin. Durbin currently ranks fourth in the Valley with a .376 batting average, nine doubles, a triple, two home runs and 16 RBI. Senior catcher Logan Delgado is not far behind in average at .333.
All-time, Evansville leads the series with Bradley, 63-45. Last year, UE won two out of three games from the Braves, and since 2019, UE leads the all-time series over Bradley, 10-2.
Evansville will send freshman LHP Kenton Deverman (4-1, 3.98 ERA) to the mound for Friday’s opener. Bradley has not yet officially announced a Friday starter, but right-hander Noah Edders (4-4, 5.30 ERA) has been the typical Friday starter for Bradley this year.
EVANSVILLE SWIMMING
WILSON STEPS DOWN AS UE SWIMMING & DIVING HEAD COACH
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Evansville Director of Athletics Dr. Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried has announced that Stuart Wilson has stepped down as head coach of the UE swimming and diving program to pursue other professional opportunities. A search for the new UE swimming and diving coach will begin immediately.
“Coach Wilson has done a tremendous job with our swimming and diving program over the last five years,” said Siegfried. “He has placed an emphasis on providing a positive student-athlete experience, he has maintained a strong relationship with our swimming and diving alumni, and he has been a pleasure to work with for everyone in our department.
“Additionally, Coach Wilson is someone who is extremely talented at coaching, as seen by the number of records that have been broken at UE during his time. We wish Coach Wilson and his family the best in their future endeavors. He will truly be missed!”
“This has been an incredible journey, especially coaching the student-athletes here at UE,” said Wilson. “They helped make my time here special. I want to thank UE swimming and diving for trusting me, and for the opportunity to help them achieve greater things. Go Aces!”
Wilson was hired as UE’s swimming and diving coach on June 1, 2019. During his tenure, Evansville rewrote the school record book, breaking a school record 45 times. The Purple Aces also competed in the CSCAA National Invitational Championships for the first time ever in 2023, in a year in which UE broke over 25 school records. This past year, two UE divers also competed in the NCAA Zone Regional Diving Championships.
UE also excelled in the classroom under Wilson, as the Purple Aces have captured CSCAA Scholar All-America team honors on both the men’s and women’s sides in every semester in which Wilson has been head coach.
Evansville has the potential to return 29 members of its swimming and diving program next year, as both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in the Missouri Valley Conference next season for the first time in over 20 years. The UE women have competed in the Valley every year since 1994, including hosting the MVC Swimming & Diving Championship at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in downtown Evansville this past February. The UE men, though, have not competed in the Valley since 2003, but the league recently announced that it will sponsor the sport of men’s swimming and diving once again, beginning next fall.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
FERRARINI AND NEGRAIL EARN FIRST ALL-OVC HONORS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis freshman Anais Negrail (Maisons-Alfort, France) and Antonia Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) were announced to the Ohio Valley Conference Second Team on Thursday night at championship banquet. Negrail also earned OVC Freshman of the Year.
Negrail and Ferrarini played massive roles in the Screaming Eagles second year leap in NCAA Division I play helping USI finish the regular season at 10-10 overall and 4-2 in the OVC. The honors mark the Eagles first All-OVC tennis honorees in program history.
“Antonia and Anais have been great players the moment they walked on campus in January,” said head coach Chris Crawford. “These girls do everything the right way on and off the court. I couldn’t be more proud of both of them and their dedication to USI and the women’s tennis team. These awards are just the start of their career.”
Negrail first stepped on campus in January making an immediate impact as a freshman stemming from her hard-work and passion for the game earning Second Team All-OVC and Freshman of the Year for rightful reasons. She finished the regular season with a singles record of 9-6. Negrail turned on a different gear in conference play winning an impressive five of six singles matches in clutch moments adding a 3-3 doubles record.
Ferrarini has also shown zero fear of the big moments since arriving at USI. Her consistent play and competitive nature are what earned her a spot on the All-OVC Second Team. Ferrarini finished the regular season with ten singles victories at 10-8 and ten doubles victories at 10-7. She also locked in during OVC play with a 4-2 singles and doubles record.
Ferrarini earned two OVC weekly awards including the OVC Doubles Team of the Week with junior Madison Windham (Clarksville, Tennessee) and OVC Singles Player of the Week in the last week of the regular season.
Negrail and Ferrarini shift their focus to leading the Eagles to an OVC conference championship this weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. The Eagles open play in the quarterfinal on Friday at 3 p.m. as the three-seed taking on the sixth-seeded Eastern Illinois University Panthers.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI LOOKS TO REBOUND IN ROAD SERIES AT SIUE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball looks to get back on track and return to the win column when the Screaming Eagles hit the road this weekend for a three-game set at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s game are slated for 1 p.m. first pitches.
Entering the weekend, Southern Indiana (16-17, 10-8 OVC) sits in fifth place in the Ohio Valley Conference, while SIUE (14-27, 6-12 OVC) is eighth with only three weekends left in the regular season.
USI looks to rebound in the series against the Cougars after getting swept earlier in the week against Eastern Illinois University. The series loss to Eastern Illinois put USI back below .500 on the season for the first time since March 24 and is also the first three-game skid since late February in non-conference play for the Screaming Eagles.
Against the Panthers, Southern Indiana was outscored 11-1, getting shut out in the first games before tallying a run in the series finale. USI was limited to only four hits in each of the first two contests before totaling eight hits in the last game, which saw freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) make a return to the lineup with two hits and an RBI. Sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) also had two hits in the series finale.
Pitching had the upper hand for most of the series. For USI, junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) pitched a complete game with only one earned run allowed in the series opener, and in the second game, junior hurler Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) tossed her second complete outing of the season after settling in following three first-inning runs by Eastern Illinois.
On the season, the top five in USI’s batting order are all batting at least .290 with junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana), senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), and senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) each registering 12-plus RBIs on the campaign. In the last 10 games, Gotshall, Fair, Kihega, and Stapleton are hitting over .300. Overall, Stapleton leads USI with a .326 batting average and 17 runs, Kihega paces the team with three home runs, and Fair tops the squad with 19 RBIs this season. While the top five in the lineup have produced, the Screaming Eagles will be looking to string it all together and try to find that big inning with a crooked number.
SIUE goes into the weekend matchup having dropped four straight games, which includes a 4-1 midweek loss at the University of Missouri on Wednesday and a three-game sweep at the hands of Tennessee State University last weekend. Prior to the four-game skid, SIUE had won two consecutive OVC series against Western Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University.
The Cougars are solid offensively, batting .279 as a team with 71 extra-base hits and 178 total runs. SIUE is led by the OVC’s leading hitter in junior infielder Paige Rocha, who is hitting .445 at the plate. Rocha is first in the OVC with 67 hits and 19 doubles while second with 67 runs. Senior infielder Grace Lueke is the leading run producer for the Cougars with 26 RBIs and four home runs. Lueke is batting .317 this season. In the pitching circle, senior Kelsey Ray and senior Sydney Baalman have been the primary starters. Ray is 7-6 with a 2.88 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 92.1 innings of work, and Baalman is 3-13 with a 4.30 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched.
The Screaming Eagles and Cougars will be adding another chapter to their longtime rivalry, which stretches to 1984. SIUE leads the all-time series 54-23-1, winning three of four contests last season in 2023. In last year’s regular season meeting at USI Softball Field, USI won the series opener before SIUE took the last two games toward the series win. The final game went to 10 innings. USI and SIUE also met in an elimination game at the 2023 OVC Tournament. The Cougars went on to a 10-3 victory and ended up as the tournament runner-up.
The series can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO FOOTBALL
VALPO FOOTBALL SET FOR 2024 SPRING GAME
The first official glimpse of the 2024 Valparaiso University football team will come on Sunday as the Beacons host their annual spring game at 1 p.m. at Brown Field.
Plenty of dates are circled on the 2024 calendar including the Aug. 31 season opener at UNI, the Sept. 14 home opener vs. Indiana Wesleyan, the Sept. 28 conference opener at Morehead State, the Oct. 5 Homecoming game vs. Drake and of course the Hoosier Helmet rivalry game on Nov. 9 at Brown Field. Those dates will arrive before you know it, but right now it’s the 15th and final spring date that has the team’s focus.
“Spring is an opportunity for the guys to go out and play football,” head coach Landon Fox said. “A goal as a program is to develop those guys during the winter and put them into some adverse and tough situations where they can develop physically and mentally. In the spring, they get to do what they came here to do, and that’s play football. Spring is also exciting because it’s your first chance to get a look at the football team that you’re going to have in the fall.”
With the spring season yet to wrap up, an entire summer of development on the horizon and fall camp still to come, it’s too early for any public distribution of a potential depth chart as plenty of opportunities to compete for spots remain. However, that doesn’t mean that those competitions aren’t well underway with Fox and his staff carefully observing the 14 spring practices leading into Sunday’s spring game.
“Spring gives the players an opportunity to put themselves in positions on the depth chart going into fall camp,” Fox said. “No depth chart is set in the spring or even in the fall; those battles are won and lost on the field. We have some really good position battles, and as everyone knows, that starts at the quarterback position. We have a trio of guys who have the potential to be the starting quarterback for us. Those types of competitions bring out the best in each individual, which obviously helps our football team.”
Over the last four seasons, Valpo has picked up 14 Pioneer Football League victories, the most in a four-year period in program history. This stretch marks Valpo’s most league wins in a four-year period in any conference since 1961-1964. During the 2023 campaign, the defense ranked among conference and national leaders in scoring defense (24.8, second PFL, 50th FCS), total defense (318.5, second PFL, 22nd FCS) and rushing defense (123.3, first PFL, 28th FCS). The team paced the conference in several special teams categories as well – kickoff return average (23.16, 12th FCS), blocked punts (four, fourth FCS) and punting average (38.22, 25th).
“We’ve spent time evaluating what we did well last year,” Fox said. “We were able to play some good defense at times. We’re going to have to challenge ourselves to do that with some different faces in there. Players on our defense will have to reach the standards of what we’ve come to expect from that unit within our football team.”
The 2023 season featured seven games decided by seven points or fewer, the program’s most since 1976. Through the 2023 campaign, 25 of Fox’s 52 games as Valpo head coach have been decided by seven points or fewer.
“Our emphasis on offense is on becoming a lot more efficient,” Fox said. “We need to have the ability to score more than 17.8 points per game. We are working on making sure that we’re executing at a more consistent level. Consistency is always an emphasis for us on both sides of the ball as we try to eliminate points and score points.”
Special teams is also an area with open competition after the graduation of two-year all-league punter Evan Matthes, and competition is also open for field-goal kicking duties.
Sunday’s spring game will feature a modified scoring system. The defense will start with a 21-0 lead and there will be four quarters of a 12-minute running clock with the exception of the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters, which will feature normal clock stoppages. The offense will get six points for a touchdown, one for an extra point, two for a two-point conversion and three for a field goal. The defense can score by forcing a turnover (three points) or by scoring a touchdown (six points). The clock will stop on special teams plays.
“The game itself is exciting for the players,” Fox said. “This is the first time that the 2024 team will take the field together in a game situation. The reality is that what we look at as coaches is the 14 practices that you had before that. How consistent are you over those 14 practices? How do you practice for a long period of time? The biggest compliment you can give a player is that you know exactly what he will do when he steps on the field.”
The experience of competing in a game environment for the current team is one of three facets for the spring game. The second is the incoming freshmen having the opportunity to come together for the first time as they observe the game.
“This is the first time that they’re coming together as a whole group and we get to introduce them to the team as a whole,” Fox said. “Our Big Brother/Little Brother program is an important part of our football program, and the Spring Game offers the incoming freshmen the chance to spend time with their Big Brothers.”
The third phase of the spring game is the Junior Day component. A large number of juniors who are considering Valpo will attend Sunday’s game.
“We’ll have future Valpo football players coming to campus as part of that group,” Fox said. “This is an opportunity to build relationships as you move forward in recruiting.”
ValpoAthletics.com will have a summary of Sunday’s game, photo coverage from the event and a special spring edition of Valpo Football Weekly with Head Coach Landon Fox next week to wrap up the game.
UINDY MEN’S TENNIS
LOWER-LINEUP PROWESS LIFTS #9 HOUNDS TO SWEEP OF DRAGONS
GREENWOOD, Ind. – Depth is king and, in the No. 9-ranked University of Indianapolis men’s tennis teams contest with the No. 37 Tiffin Dragons, that was proved true with the No. 4, 5, 6 spots in the lineup working to secure the sweep for the Greyhounds.
David Simeonov, Manuel Lanteri and Matthieu Derache were electric out of the bottom half of the lineup for the Greyhounds as they swept their fourth-straight win on Thursday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
When the Hounds win doubles, it’s going to be a long day for the opposition and that was the story early as the No. 1-ranked pair of Tom Zeuch and Derache claimed a 6-2 win over the No. 23 pair of Michael Gurtner and Matthew Telford. Simeonov and Pedro Franca secured the doubles point with their own 6-4 win at court three.
From there, Simeonov, Lanteri and Derache went to work, all winning in straight sets. Lanteri, who has to be a top-candidate for Freshman of the Year in the GLVC, kept to his winning ways with a 6-1, 6-3 win. While for Simeonov and Derache, it was return to form as both played lights out tennis under the bright sun.
UP NEXT
The final – regular season – home match is here and that means senior day is here as well. With the McKendree Bearcats in town, the Hounds will celebrate their seniors and hopefully pick up their fourth-straight win. The action is set to take place in Greenwood, Ind. at the Center Grove High School tennis facilities. Senior day approximately will start at 11:30 a.m. with tennis to follow at noon.
UINDY WOMEN’S TENNIS
#37 WOMEN’S TENNIS SLAYS #25 DRAGONS
GREENWOOD, Ind. – Facing their first ranked foe in over a month, the No. 37 women’s tennis team was up to the challenge, downing the No. 25-ranked Tiffin Dragons by a score of 4-2.
The Hounds, who came into the matchup 6-5, played the ultimate spoiler in the afternoon battle, handing the Dragons just their second loss of the season, the only other team to best them being Embry-Riddle. UIndy, in what was described as a “strategic victory” by Head Coach Malik Tabet, douched the fire of the Dragons’ 17-game win streak heading into the bout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles was as tight as it has been all year, with all three affairs being sent to tiebreak. Tyffaine Pais and Ana Hollweg, the youth movement, down at court three found victory. At the top it was upset city as the un-ranked duo of Maissane Aik and Maria Fiacan got the job done versus the No. 29-ranked pair of Maeva Maxch and Anaelle Lepinay.
With a lead, the Hounds cooked the Dragons in singles. Pais and Fiacan both secured straight-set wins, while Tiffin secured their own wins at No. 1 and No. 4. The defining moment came from Benedetta Sensi, who is no stranger to physical matches, came out in a comeback victory at court three to secure the win. Valentin Colin was beaten to the punch by minutes, holding control in her match at No. 6.
UP NEXT
The final – regular season – home match is here and that means senior day is here as well. With the McKendree Bearcats in town, the Hounds will celebrate their seniors and hopefully pick up their fourth-straight win. The action is set to take place in Greenwood, Ind. at the Center Grove High School tennis facilities. Senior day approximately will start at 11:30 a.m. with tennis to follow at noon.
MARIAN BASEBALL
MARIAN SWEPT BY NO. 18 TAYLOR IN SERIES OPENER
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian baseball team fell in back-to-back games on Thursday, as No. 18 Taylor swept the series-opening doubleheader. Marian’s record on the season falls to 21-20 after the pair of games, while moving to 16-14 in the Crossroads League.
GAME 1 | Marian 2-12 Taylor | 8 Innings
The Knights started the game strong through two innings as they opted for a bullpen game on the mound, with Kayden Cain throwing two hitless innings to open the game. Marian’s offense had a productive start to match the pitcher’s efforts, loading the bases in the first inning, but coming up short with a pair of infield outs. In the second inning the bats struck for the game’s first run, as a Johnny Roeder single and stolen base came home on Rylan Huntley’s RBI single.
Cain was unable to keep the 1-0 lead through the third inning, as Taylor opened the frame with a single and three walks to score their first run. Jayson Cottrell came on in relief to hold the damage one one, but a sacrifice fly and gimmick two-out single drove in Cain’s three runners. Marian ended the inning trailing 4-1, as a Josh Lamb single was left on base.
Cottrell matched Taylor’s Gabel Pentacost with a perfect fourth inning, but in the fifth was unable to find the same success as four hits increased the Trojan lead by three runs. Seth Risley entered the 7-1 game in the sixth inning after Marian stranded a two-out walk, and allowed two Taylor runs to score as two of his three walks allowed crossed the plate. Justin Johnson held the score at 9-1 after he was tasked with pitching the seventh inning, but in the eighth was unable to hold the lead, as a pitch left over the plate, giving up a three-run home run to Brennan Frickel.
With Taylor leading 12-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Marian worked to extend the game as Josh Lamb singled and reached second on a wild pitch. Pierson Barnes poked a base hit to right-center to score the team’s second run of the game, but the rally would halt there, as Dawson Estep groundout out to end the game in a 12-2 run-rule loss.
Lamb led Marian’s offense in the loss with a three-hit game, while Johnny Roeder had two base knocks. Barnes and Huntley had Marian’s only other hits, each driving in a run. On the mound, Cain took the loss allowing four runs and one hit. Cottrell threw three innings and yielded three runs on five hits, his first runs allowed in three games. Johnson and Risley combined for five runs in three innings.
GAME 2 | Marian 5-10 Taylor
Walks plagued the second game, as a tight strike zone affected the pitching for both teams. Marian’s starter Chris Adams issued four walks in a hitless first inning that saw Taylor take a 1-0 lead, while Marian drew three walks against Nick Crabtree in the home half, but came up empty in the score column. In the second inning Adams fell victim of three more walks after picking up the first two outs, yielding a double to the left field corner to Brayden Manning that cleared the bases.
Marian stayed competitive after Taylor made the game a 4-0 contest, taking their time at the plate as Jacob Dill, Caden Mason, and Rylan Huntley each drew a walk. The final walk forced a pitching change to Jacob Boyer, who was unable to shut down the Knights as Josh Lamb pelted a two-RBI single to the left side. Huntley would cross the plate before the inning ended on a wild pitch, making it a 4-3 game after two innings.
The third inning leaned in favor of Taylor, as the Trojans broke the game open with five runs. Adams issued two walks before being relieved for Jace Stoops, and like the starter before him, Stoops struggled with the zone as he walked his first two batters. A two-RBI single and sacrifice fly drove in Taylor runs before the end of the frame, pushing the Knights in an 8-3 deficit. Stoops would go on to give up a solo home run to Brennan Frickel in the fourth inning, as he exited the game after the half inning in a 9-3 contest.
Marian’s offense saw runner’s reach base in both the third and fourth innings, but came up empty of a timely hit as they left a runner in scoring position in the fourth. Mitchell Porter relieved Stoops in the fifth and closed the game on the mound, opening his outing with the contest’s first three-up, three-down frame. The Knights would respond in the bottom of the fifth, getting singles from Callan Gick and Jacob Dill that followed a walk to Bryce Davenport. Johnny Roeder added two runs with a base hit through the left side, ending the inning in a 9-5 game.
The Knights were unable to stack their fifth-inning momentum into the final two frames, getting just one base runner in their final six outs. Porter would allow a run to score in the sixth inning as he gave up a solo home run that capped the scoring, seeing the game end in a 10-5 contest.
Davenport, Gick, Lamb, Dill, and Roeder each had a base hit in the game, with Lamb and Roeder each recording two RBI. Adams suffered the loss on the mound giving up six runs, walking nine batters in two complete innings. Stoops allowed two hits and three runs in two innings of work, and Porter allowed one run over three innings, walking one with three strikeouts.
Marian and Taylor will complete their series on Saturday, with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m. Saturday is senior day for Marian, with festivities taking place following the series finale.
MARIAN WOMEN’S LAX
KNIGHTS FALL TO INDIANA TECH IN WHAC SEMIFINALS
Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Marian women’s lacrosse team fell in the WHAC Tournament Semifinals to Indiana Tech 17-5. Marian is now 9-6 on the year.
The Warriors started off the first quarter with five unanswered goals by the 5:58 mark to claim the early 5-0 lead over the Knights. Shortly after Ruby Mason shot back with a free position shot to chip the Warriors lead down to two goals. Indiana Tech increased their lead once again in the first quarter with two more goals to end the quarter with a score of 7-1 in favor of the Warriors.
Marian opened up the second quarter with an early goal at the 13:45 mark by Mason to decrease Indiana Tech’s lead down to five. A minute later the Warriors shot back with a free position shot to bring their lead 8-2. Indiana Tech continued to push their lead with a goal scored by Farrell at the 7:01 mark to increase the lead to seven. The Warriors ended off the quarter with three unanswered goals to increase their lead 12-2 going into halftime.
To open up the third quarter the Warriors increased their lead by two to force the Knights to take a time out with the score 14-2. Indiana Tech continued to increase their lead with two more goals to increase their lead to 14. The Knights fired back with Rylie Boezman scoring a goal to chip at the Warriors lead. Indiana Tech finished off with another goal to bring the score 17-3 at the end of the quarter.
The Knights opened up the fourth quarter with a goal by Mason to chip away at the Warriors lead. Shortly after Tori Farkas shot a free position shot to bring the score 17-5 at the 7:11 mark. The Marian defense held back Indiana Tech from scoring another run for the game but ended up falling 17-5 in the end.
Offensively Mason led the team in goals with three and Ashlynn Gray led the team in assists with three. Defensively Katelynn Gray led the team in ground ball recoveries with eight. Ashlynn Gray led the team in both caused turnovers and draw controls with, three caused turnovers and five draw controls. Katherine Hirsch took the loss with five saves and Grace Coyne claimed time in goal and had three saves.
The Knights will await to see if they are given an at large bid to the NAIA national tournament.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
20 – 33 – 38 – 65 – 66 – 21 – 35 – 4 – 6 – 13 – 2 – 21 – 7
April 19, 1938 – At the legendary venue of the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, the Phillies infielder, Heinie Mueller, Number 20 and Brooklyn Dodger outfielder, Ernie Koy, Number 33 both home hit home runs in their first MLB at bats.
April 1, 1944 – The 1944 NFL Draft commenced as Angelo Bertelli, the Heisman Trophy winner from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks. Bertelli was known to have worn Number 65 as a member of the AAFC’s Los Angeles Dons and Number 66 as a member of the Chicago Rockets.
April 19, 1986 – Oakland Athletics pitcher Number 38, Jose Rijo sets a club record with 16 strikeouts in eight innings as Oakland beats the Seattle Mariners, 7 – 2. The two clubs combine for 30 strikeouts overall, setting the modern major league record for a nine-inning game. Courtesy of This Day in Baseball.
Basketball Hall of Fame Moments for April 19
The website of NBA.com offers these nuggets of history for the day.
April 19, 1986 – Atlanta hawks guard Number 4, Spud Webb set an NBA rookie record for assists in a playoff game with 18, as the Hawks defeated Detroit 137-125 at the Omni in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first round series.
April 19, 1988 – The Philadelphia 76ers honored Julius Erving prior to a home game against the Bucks, retiring his Number 6 uniform and unveiling a larger-than-life Dr. J statue.
April 19, 1991 – Atlanta’s Number 2, Moses Malone set an NBA record for playing in the most consecutive games without fouling out in the Hawks’ 126-120 loss to Detroit at the Omni. It was Malone’s 1,046th straight game without a disqualification, breaking Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain’s mark.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines
Newspapers.com headline of the day Boston Yanks Pick Bertelli in the Grid Draft! Was New York’s Daily News Sports headline the day after the draft.
April 19, 1944 – At the 1944 NFL Draft Angelo Bertelli from University of Notre Dame first picked by Boston Yanks. Bertelli was the 1943 Heisman Trophy winner. The Daily News article goes on to say that since Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were combined as the Steagles in the prior season, they would subsequently pick fifth and tenth in this draft. The Steelers had to settle for the tenth pick because for the upcoming season they again would have to combine with another franchise, the Chicago Cardinals due to player shortages caused by World War II. There were a handful of future Hall of Famers to come out of this class too according to the Pro Football Reference. Otto Graham was the fourth pick by Detroit although he did not ever play for them as he served in the US Navy during WWII, had a stint in Pro Basketball and then signed on with the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC. The Eagles took Steve Van Buren with the fifth overall selection and the Rams chose Bob Waterfield with pick number 42 in the fifth round.
If you want to be able to be able to read through some old articles like the NY Daily News, you need to check out Newspapers.com. At Newspapers.com, you can get access to over 640 million pages’ worth of news from the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and more dating back from 1798 to yesterday. Get a free one week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you’ll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows.
April 19, 1997 – During the 1997 NFL Draft the first pick was taken by the St. Louis Rams who chose Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace. Pace who entered into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 was followed later in the Draft by the pick of another HOF tackle in Walter Jones at number 6 by the Seahawks according to the Pro Football Reference website. Possibly the steal of this Draft is the KC picking another guy with a Gold Jacket as they took Tony Gonzalez with the thirteenth player taken. Another fella with his head shot in Canton taken in 1997 was Jason Taylor the brilliant defensive end that was chosen with the 73rd overall selection.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 19
April 19, 1883 – Fort Wayne, Indiana – The top notch University of Michigan center from 1904 to 1908, Germany Schulz was born. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Germany Schulz into their legendary museum in 1951. We have so much more on Schulz when you click his name.
April 19, 1907 – Columbus, Ohio – The University of Notre Dame’s prolific guard from 1927 to 1929, Jack Cannon arrived into this life. Jack was one of the last players to not collegiately and not wear a helmet. In fact he refused to wear the protective headgear. The Football Foundation’s bio excerpt on Cannon says he had a bad habit of playing hard when he felt like it, but then letting his foot off of the gas whenever the Irish were well ahead and a game became uninteresting for him. Coach Knute Rockne was on Jack’s case constantly for this practice, until Cannon’s performances returned to their usual aggressive levels. During that perfect nine-game championship season of 1929, Notre Dame played every game on the road, making the unbeaten and untied record all the more impressive. The National Football Foundation selected Jack Cannon for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965.
April 19, 1936 – Exira, Iowa – Jack Pardee the Texas A&M two-way fullback/linebacker was born. Pardee had enough passion to overcome odds throughout his life. Early on living in a remote part of Texas, Jack’s experience with the gridiron was only afforded the luxury of playing 6-man football. With hardwork and hustle the youngster soon found himself as a two-way starter for A&M. The National Football Foundation claims that as a 20-year-old senior in 1956 he was co-captain of an undefeated team, Academic All-America, picked by the Southwest Conference as all-league linebacker and by Look Magazine as All-America fullback. An example of one of his highlight reel plays made was an 85-yard run against Houston. The Aggies coach at the time, Bear Bryant in 1956 proclaimed, “Jack Pardee is the best linebacker I ever had.” Jack Pardee was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes. Jack went on to make it in the NFL as he spent eight great seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before on his 28th birthday he received some devastating news. The doctors had told him that he was diagnosed with cancer! Though life altering information indeed this did not stop Jack. Pardee played another 7 seasons in the NFL with the Rams and Washington and then went on into coaching! He looked right in the eyes of cancer and not only played while fighting the disease but then also coached the Washington Redskins, the Chicago Bears, and teams in the World and U. S. Football Leagues. He became head coach at the University of Houston for the 1987 season and at his first meeting told the players, “There is a time to work and a time to play. Don’t miss your chance to do both.” Pardee coached three years at the University of Houston, 1987-89, with a record of 22-11-1, then returned to pro football as coach of the Houston Oilers. Now that is a determined gridiron man if I have ever heard of one!
April 19, 1964 – Sandy Springs, Georgia – Harris Barton, the big offensive tackle of the North Carolina Tarheels celebrates his day of birth. Barton was not only one of the most dominant offensive linemen in North Carolina history but he was also a great student. The NFF tells us that Harris First Team All-American in 1986, Barton was named the ACC’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman after helping the Tar Heels finish sixth in the nation and first in the conference with 436 yards of total offense per game. In addition to these gridiron achievements Harris was an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, an Academic All-ACC selection, and he received the 1987 Jim Tatum Award as the conference’s top football scholar-athlete! The National Football Foundation selected Harris Barton for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021. The highly acclaimed tackle was taken in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and subsequently spent his entire career with the franchise from 1987-98. A 1993 Pro Bowler, he led the team to victories in Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV and XXIX.
April 19, 1965 – Little Rock, Arkansas – The sure handed tight end of the 1984 to 1987 Oklahoma Sooners, Keith Jackson entered into life. The FootballFoundation.org credits Jackson as being a unanimous All-America in 1986 and 1987 for his outstanding blocking and key catches with the Sooners. During Keith’s time with Oklahoma the team had a 42-5-1 record and won the national championship in 1985. Career numbers for the big tight end were 62 pass receptions for 1470 yards, an average of 23.7. Jackson was a great student to boot as he was awarded with NCAA top six award for academics. Keith Jackson was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes. Jackson had a memorable NFL career too playing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers.
April 19, 1981 – Garden Grove, California – The free roaming safety of Southern Cal known as the “Tasmanian Devil” Troy Polamalu was born. The National Football Foundation tells us that Polamalu was two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 2002 and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in the nation. One of his top collegiate moments was at the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl, where he set a Las Vegas Bowl record with 20 tackles! Troy led Southern Cal in tackles with 118 as well with 3 interceptions in 2001 after topping the team in interceptions with two and 7 deflections in 2000. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Troy Polamalu into their legendary museum in 2019. Troy was a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2003. He became the centerpiece of the highly touted Pittsburgh defense during his career making opposing quarterback account to where exactly he was before each and every play according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For his career he registered 32 interceptions taking 3 of them back for scores but his impact of open field tackles, stuffing runners at the line and pass breakups helped the Steelers win games too! Polamalu was selected to eight Pro Bowls and named first-team All-Pro four times. The two-time Super Bowl champion (Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII) and 2010 AP Defensive Player of the year played for the Steelers from 2003 to 2014. Troy Polamalu was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
April 19
1900 — The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Boston Braves 19-17 in 10 innings to set a major league record for most runs scored by two clubs on opening day. The Braves scored nine runs in the ninth inning to put the game into extra innings.
1920 — Al Schacht, who later became the “Clown Prince of Baseball,” was all business in pitching the Senators to a 7-0 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.
1938 — Emmett Mueller of the Phillies and Ernie Koy of the visiting Dodgers each homered in their first major league at-bats as Brooklyn defeated Philadelphia 12-5.
1949 — The New York Yankees unveil a granite monument to Babe Ruth.
1956 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 in 10 innings at Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium, the first major league game held in New Jersey.
1960 — Roger Maris makes his New York Yankees debut.
1981 — In an International League night game, the Rochester Red Wings and Pawtucket Red Sox played to a 2-2 tie through 32 innings before play was suspended at 4:07 a.m. The game was completed later in the season with Pawtucket scoring the winning run in the 33rd inning of the longest game in professional baseball history.
1987 — Rob Deer hit a three-run homer to tie the score and Dale Sveum won the game with a two-run shot as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied for five runs in the ninth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 and set an American League record with their 12th straight victory to start the season.
1996 — Juan Gonzalez homered and drove in six runs as Texas beat Baltimore 26-7. The Rangers scored 16 runs in the eighth inning — one short of the modern major league mark — and scored the most runs by an AL team in 41 years.
1997 — A major league game is played in Hawaii for the first time.
2002 — Jeff Cirillo of the Seattle Mariners ties a major league record with 99 consecutive errorless games played at third base.
2004 — Seattle became the third team since 1974 to win a game on a balk in extra innings, edging Oakland 2-1. With runners on first and third and two out in the bottom of the 14th inning A’s reliever Justin Duchscherer was called for a balk to score Quentin McCracken from third.
2012 — Curtis Granderson hit three home runs in the first four innings and matched a career high with five hits, sending the New York Yankees to a 7-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
2012 — The Houston Astros set a franchise record by hitting three triples in a five-run first inning on the way to an 11-4 victory over Washington. Jose Altuve, Brian Bogusevic and Matt Downs had the triples off Edwin Jackson.
2022 — The Padres are the first team to announce a deal to have advertisements on their uniforms, as they will sport the logo of Motorola on their jersey sleeves starting next season.
2023 — The Oakland Athletics sign a binding agreement to buy a plot of land near the famous strip in Las Vegas, NV, with the plan of building a $1.5 billion ballpark with a partially retractable roof there. The A’s lease with the city of Oakland, CA for the aging Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season, and negotiations to find a new site for a ballpark in the East Bay area over the past decade have proved futile. The new digs could be ready by 2027.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1979 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..
Off the field…
The construction of nuclear power plants in the United States temporarily came to a halt after a nuclear accident occurred at the Three Mile Island facility near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After several tense days of emergency cleanup, the leak was completely contained, but raised the concern about the safety of people living near such volatile energy sources. After a media frenzy erupted, the facility was toured by President Jimmy Carter in an effort to calm the panic stricken public.
On July 26th, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the Trade Act Bill in response to trade negotiations with Tokyo. The bill reduced further tariffs on a wide range of items, and introduced a new policy to handle unfair trade practices.
Militant Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Teheran (taking fifty-two Americans hostage) in protest after the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran. The hostages were subjected to four-hundred forty-four days of brutal conditions amidst repeated negotiation failures. A rescue attempt called “Operation Desert One” was aborted in the Iranian desert the following year resulting in the deaths of eight Americans.
In the American League…
On April 5th, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-3 giving Earl Weaver his one-thousandth career win as a Major League skipper.
Thurman Munson, the team captain of the New York Yankees, died when the Cessna Citation twin-engine jet he was piloting crashed outside of Canton, Ohio two-hundred feet short of the Akron Airport runway. The thirty-two year-old catcher was a three-time Golden Glove winner, the 1976 American League MVP and a seven-time All-Star. His lifetime batting average was .292 and included an incredible .529 average in the 1976 World Series.
On July 24th, Red Sox sensation Carl Yastrzemski hit his four-hundredth career home run off of the Oakland A’s Mike Morgan at Fenway Park. On September 12th, “The Yaz” totaled his three-thousandth hit becoming the first American League player to tally both numbers.
In the National League…
St. Louis Cardinal Gary Templeton became the first player in Major League history to have one-hundred hits from each side of the plate in the same season. The switch hitter batted strictly right-handed in his last nine games to aid his own cause in setting the record.
Pete Rose, then with the Philadelphia Phillies, totaled over two-hundred hits for the tenth season in his career breaking Ty Cobb’s record of nine years.
Willie Stargell hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning of Game 7 to push the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead for good in a 4-1 World Series victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The championship title capped off a Cinderella season in which “Pops” and his “Family” brought fun back to baseball.
Around the League…
On May 17th, the forty-five day umpires strike concluded after fourteen hours of negotiation. The official’s new agreement included a pay increase of approximately $7,000, a heightened cap on maximum salaries from $40,000 to $50,000, two weeks of vacation during the regular season and improved pension benefits. One controversial issue remained though as the league presidents voted to add some of the replacement umpires to the regular roster.
WLUP-FM’s promotional “Disco Demolition Night” at Chicago’s Comiskey Park went terribly wrong as 50,000 fans turned up to receive a $.98 ticket for the doubleheader with records and eventually rioted on the field. After a delay of one hour and sixteen minutes, the umpires determined that the field was unplayable and called the second game between the White Sox and visiting Detroit Tigers. The following day, American League President Lee MacPhail awarded the Tigers a 9-0 forfeit win.
Walter O’Malley, the man who moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, died at the Mayo Clinic on August 9th at the age of seventy-five. The team’s still acting Chairman of the Board was still considered a sellout in New York and was quoted as saying that, “Baseball wasn’t a business, but more like a disease.”
Writer Daniel Okrent drew up the first set of official rules for a new pastime based on the actual day-to-day statistical play of real major leaguers. The “rotisserie league” would eventually evolve into the phenomenon known as “Fantasy Baseball”.
BASEBALL’S GREATS
DICK ALLEN
Talented, controversial, charming, and abusive, Allen put in 15 major league seasons, hitting prodigious homers and paying prodigious fines. Called “Richie” at first, in mid-career he became, adamantly, “Dick.” He was praised as a money player and condemned as a loafer. He made 41 errors at third base (which he had not played in the minors) for the Phillies in 1964, but his 29 home runs, 91 RBI, 201 hits, and .318 BA earned him Rookie of the Year honors. A deep cut on his right hand, which he reported having suffered while pushing a stalled car, affected his throwing and the Phillies made him a first baseman/outfielder in 1967. He hit 40 home runs in 1966 and 177 through 1969, but off-the-field behavior brought him a 28-day suspension, a $500-a-day fine, and a trade to the Cardinals at the end of ’69. The swap proved doubly controversial when Curt Flood refused to report to the Phillies and challenged the reserve clause in court, forcing St. Louis to substitute Willie Montanez. The Cardinals passed Allen on to the Dodgers after one year, and they traded him to the White Sox a year later. Each trade added to Allen’s reputation as an unmanageable loner. In 1972, with easygoing Chuck Tanner as his White Sox manager, he led the AL in homers (37), RBI (113), walks (99), and slugging percentage (.603) and was named MVP. In 1974, he was on his way to a similar year when he “retired” with a month left to play, giving no reason. Despite his vacation, he led the AL with 32 home runs. The Sox traded him to Atlanta for cash and a player to be named later in December 1974, but before he could play for the Braves they sent him to the Phillies in May 1975 for Barry Bonnell, Jim Essian, and cash. When Essian was turned over to Chicago as Atlanta’s player to be named later, he’d been swapped for Allen twice in less than half a year. After two sub-par years in Philadelphia and one in Oakland, Allen retired for good, still an enigma. His brothers Ron and Hank played in the majors.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
April 19
1897 — John J. McDermott wins the first Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 55 minutes, 10 seconds.
1930 — Clarence DeMar wins the Boston Marathon for a record seventh time, in 2:34:48.2.
1944 — 1944 NFL Draft: Angelo Bertelli from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks.
1947 — The Toronto Maple Leafs post a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens to take the NHL Stanley Cup in six games.
1948 — Gerard Cote of Canada wins his fourth Boston Marathon with a time of 2:31:02.
1950 — Nineteen-year-old Ham Kee Yong becomes the youngest to win the Boston Marathon with a 2:32:39 clocking.
1965 — The Boston Celtics have five players score 20 or more points in a 129-123 victory over Los Angeles in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. It’s the first time in Finals history there are five 20-point scorers on one team. John Havlicek leads Boston with 24 points, Tom Sanders and Bill Russell each score 23, Tommy Heinsohn adds 22 and Sam Jones finished with 20. Jerry West leads the Lakers with 45.
1986 — Michael Spinks wins a split decision against Larry Holmes to retain the world heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
1990 — Pistons & 76’ers get into a fight accruing $162,500 fines (NBA record).
1991 — Evander Holyfield retains the heavyweight title with a unanimous 12-round decision over 42-year-old challenger George Foreman in Atlantic City, N.J.
1992 — Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls wins his sixth straight NBA scoring title with a 30.1 average.
1992 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Lee Trevino beats Mike Hill by 1 stroke for his 3rd seniors major title.
1997 — NFL Draft: Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace first pick by St. Louis Rams.
1998 — San Antonio beats Denver 96-82 to set an NBA record for the largest single-season turnaround. The Spurs improve by 36 games from 20 wins in 1997.
1998 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan scores 44 points to lead the Bulls over the Knicks, 111-109, in the final game of the regular season, securing his record 10th NBA scoring title with a 28.7-point average.
1998 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin makes it 3 straight titles in the event.
2009 — Rafael Nadal becomes the first player to win five straight Monte Carlo Masters titles by beating Novak Djokovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. The top-ranked Spaniard, however, loses a set at the clay court tournament for the first time since the 2006 final against Roger Federer.
2010 — Kenya’s Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot wins the Boston Marathon, breaking the course record with a time of 2:05:52. Ethiopia’s Teyba Erkesso wins the women’s race in a time of 2:26:11, outsprinting Russia’s Tatyana Pushkareva to win by three seconds.
2017 — James Harden scores 35 points and the Houston Rockets overcome 51 points from Oklahoma’s Russell Westbrook in the highest-scoring triple-double in playoff history. The Rockets win 115-111 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series. Westbrook sets a franchise playoff scoring record and adds 13 assists and 10 rebounds. It’s the sixth career playoff triple-double for Westbrook, who had an NBA-record 42 in the regular season. But he shoots just 4 for 18 in the fourth quarter as the Rockets clawed back from a double-digit deficit to surge ahead before holding on.
2021 — San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau breaks Gordie Howe’s NHL record for most games played.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
5:25 a.m.
FS2 — AFL: Essendon at Adelaide
11:30 p.m.
FS1 — AFL: Port Adelaide at Collingwood
2:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL: Greater Western Sydney at Carlton
5:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL: Geelong at Brisbane
AUTO RACING
3:25 a.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Sprint Qualifying, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
5:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala.
10:55 p.m.
ESPNU — Formula 1: Sprint Shootout, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
2:55 a.m. (Saturday)
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
COLLEGE BASEBALL
1 p.m.
PAC-12N — Washington at Utah
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Florida at Vanderbilt
7:30 p.m.
ESPNU — TCU at Texas
8 p.m.
BTN — Penn St. at Michigan St.
SECN — LSU at Missouri
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
ACCN — Louisville Spring Game: From Louisville, Ky.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
BTN — Penn St. at Rutgers
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Loyola (Md.) at Navy
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
5 p.m.
ESPNU — Clemson at Notre Dame
6 p.m.
PAC-12N — Washington at California
SECN — LSU at Tennessee
7 p.m.
FS1 — Nebraska at Michigan
8 p.m.
PAC-12N — Arizona St. at Arizona
10 p.m.
PAC-12N — UCLA at Stanford
GOLF
8 a.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Corales Puntacana Championship, Second Round, Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales Golf Club), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
10 a.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Chevron Championship, Second Round, The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas
2 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The RBC Heritage, Second Round, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, S.C.
9 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Invited Celebrity Classic, First Round, Las Calinas Country Club, Irving, Texas (Taped)
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
9:30 p.m.
ESPN — PFL Main Card: Welterweights & Featherweights, Chicago
MLB BASEBALL
2 p.m.
MLBN — Miami at Chicago Cubs
7:20 p.m.
APPLETV+ — Texas at Atlanta
8 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Milwaukee at St. Louis OR Detroit at Minnesota
10:15 p.m.
APPLETV+ — Arizona at San Francisco
11 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: NY Mets at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m.) OR Toronto at San Diego (9:40 p.m.)
NBA BASKETBALL
7:10 p.m.
ESPN — Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: Chicago at Miami
9:30 p.m.
TNT — Western Conference Play-In Tournament: Sacramento at New Orleans
TRUTV — Western Conference Play-In Tournament: Sacramento at New Orleans (BetCast)
OLYMPIC TRIALS
6:30 p.m.
USA — 2024 U.S. Summer Olympic Trials: Wrestling Challenge Tournament, San Jose, Calif.
RUGBY (MEN’S)
5:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FS1 — NRL: Canberra at Brisbane
SOCCER (MEN’S)
10:45 a.m.
FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Al-Fayha FC at Al-Nassr FC
TENNIS
5 a.m.
TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Quarterfinals
6 a.m.TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Quarterfinals