CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
HAGERSTOWN 10 UNION COUNTY 0
WES DEL 11 MONTOE CENTRAL 1
TRI 16 NORTH DECATUR 5
KNIGHTSTOWN 11 COWAN 4
SHENANDOAH 11 WAPAHANI 4
BLUE RIVER 10 DALEVILLE 5
INDY TECH 7 CRISPIS ATTUCKS 3
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 23 CHRISTEL HOUSE 0
MORRISTOWN 17 EDINBURGH 0
RITTER 10 IRVINGTON PREP 9
INDY LUTHERAN 10 MONROVIA 4
CONNERSVILLE 13 LAWRENCEBURG 3
UNIVERSITY 32 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 5
RONCALLI 3 CATHEDRAL 2
ANDERSON 4 WINCHESTER 1
GUERIN CATHOLIC 5 CARMEL 3
RICHMOND 4 LINCOLN 0
BROWNSBURG 4 AVON 3
YORKTOWN 7 NORTHEASTERN 3
WARREN CENTRAL 10 SOUTHPORT 4
WESTFIELD 3 NOBLESVILLE 2
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/?date=4/27/2023
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES
SHENANDOAH 3 WAPAHANI 1
HERRON 17 RITTER 7
HAGERSTOWN 4 TRI 2
COWAN 11 CENTERVILLE 1
WES DEL 19 MONROE CENTRAL 0
ANDERSON 16 MUNCIE CENTRAL 3
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 11 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 2
MT. VERNON 6 FISHERS 3
RUSHVILLE 6 FRANKLIN COUNTY 3
LAWRENCE NORTH 8 NORTH CENTRAL 3
EDINBURGH 8 MORRISTOWN 0
WHITELAND 13 INDIAN CREEK 3
CONNERSVILLE 12 KNIGHTSTOWN 1
INDY TECH 22 PURDUE POLY 3
BREBEUF 11 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 1
NEW PALESTINE 6 SHELBYVILLE 4
AVON 15 CATHEDRAL 4
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 13 NOBLESVILLE 11
BATESVILLE 11 GREENSBURG 6
RONCALLI 13 MARTINSVILLE 0
LAPEL 7 CHATARD 3
SCECINA 9 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 8
YORKTOWN 10 WESTFIELD 3
COLUMBUS 14 PERRY MERIDIAN 1
BROWNSBURG 11 BEN DAVIS 3
TRI WEST 7 CARMEL 0
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 9 SOUTHPORT 5
KOKOMO 15 LAFAYETTE JEFF 5
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/?date=4/27/2023
NBA PLAYOFFS
BOSTON 128 ATLANTA 120
NHL PLAYOFFS
TAMPA BAY 4 TORONTO 2
NEW JERSEY 4 NY RANGERS 0
VEGAS 4 WINNIPEG 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
PHILADELPHIA 1 SEATTLE 0
LA ANGELS 8 OAKLAND 7
BALTIMORE 7 DETROIT 4
TAMPA BAY 14 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 5
MINNESOTA 7 KANSAS CITY 1
NY YANKEES 4 TEXAS 2
MIAMI 5 ATLANTA 4
PITTSBURGH 6 LA DODGERS 2
CHICAGO CUBS 5 SAN DIEGO 2
ST. LOUIS 6 SAN FRANCISCO 0
NY METS 9 WASHINGTON 8
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
COLUMBUS 7 INDIANAPOLIS 0
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
Round 1
1. Carolina Panthers (from CHI) – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
2. Houston Texans – C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
3. Houston Texans (from AZ) – Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
5. Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
6. Arizona Cardinals (from LAR through DET) – Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
7. Las Vegas Raiders – Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
8. Atlanta Falcons – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
9. Philadelphia Eagles (from CAR through CHI) – Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
10. Chicago Bears (from NO through PHI) – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
11. Tennessee Titans – Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
12. Detroit Lions (from CLE through HOU and AZ) – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
13. Green Bay Packers (from NYJ) – Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (from NE) – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
15. New York Jets (from GB) – Will McDonald IV, LB, Iowa State
16. Washington Commanders – Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
17. New England Patriots (from PIT) – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
18. Detroit Lions – Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
20. Seattle Seahawks – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Round 1 Pick 21 – Choice Forfeited (Miami Dolphins)
21. Los Angeles Chargers – Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
22. Baltimore Ravens – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
23. Minnesota Vikings – Jordan Addison, WR, USC
24. New York Giants (from JAX) – Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
25. Buffalo Bills (from JAX through NYG) – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
26. Dallas Cowboys – Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (from BUF) – Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
28. Cincinnati Bengals – Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
29. New Orleans Saints (from SF through MIA and DEN) – Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
30. Philadelphia Eagles – Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia
31. Kansas City Chiefs – Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State
Round 2
32. Pittsburgh Steelers from Chicago Bears
33. Arizona Cardinals from Houston Texans
34. Detroit Lions from Arizona Cardinals
35. Indianapolis Colts
36. Los Angeles Rams
37. Seattle Seahawks from Denver Broncos
38. Las Vegas Raiders
39. Carolina Panthers
40. New Orleans Saints
41. Tennessee Titans
42. Green Bay Packers from New York Jets via Cleveland Browns
43. New York Jets
44. Atlanta Falcons
45. Green Bay Packers
46. New England Patriots
47. Washington Commanders
48. Detroit Lions
49. Pittsburgh Steelers
50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
51. Miami Dolphins
52. Seattle Seahawks
53. Chicago Bears from Baltimore Ravens
54. Los Angeles Chargers
55. Detroit Lions from Minnesota Vikings
56. Jacksonville Jaguars
57. New York Giants
58. Dallas Cowboys
59. Buffalo Bills
60. Cincinnati Bengals
61. Chicago Bears from Carolina Panthers from San Francisco 49ers
62. Philadelphia Eagles
63. Kansas City Chiefs
Round 3
64. Chicago Bears
65. Houston Texans
66. Philadelphia Eagles from Arizona Cardinals
67. Denver Broncos from Indianapolis Colts
68. Denver Broncos
69. Los Angeles Rams
70. Las Vegas Raiders
71. New Orleans Saints
72. Tennessee Titans
73. Houston Texans from Cleveland Browns
74. Cleveland Browns from New York Jets
75. Atlanta Falcons
76. New England Patriots from Carolina Panthers
77. Los Angeles Rams from Miami Dolphins from New England Patriots
78. Green Bay Packers
79. Indianapolis Colts from Washington Commanders
80. Pittsburgh Steelers
81. Detroit Lions
82. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
83. Seattle Seahawks
84. Miami Dolphins
85. Los Angeles Chargers
86. Baltimore Ravens
87. Minnesota Vikings
88. Jacksonville Jaguars
89. New York Giants
90. Dallas Cowboys
91. Buffalo Bills
92. Cincinnati Bengals
93. Carolina Panthers from San Francisco 49ers
94. Arizona Cardinals from Philadelphia Eagles
95. Kansas City Chiefs
96. Arizona Cardinals *
97. Washington Commanders *
98. Cleveland Browns *
99. San Francisco 49ers *
100. Las Vegas Raiders from New York Giants from Kansas City Chiefs *
101. San Francisco 49ers *
102. San Francisco 49ers *
Round 4
103. Chicago Bears
104. Houston Texans
105. Houston Texans from Arizona Cardinals
106. Indianapolis Colts
107. New England Patriots from Los Angeles Rams
108. Denver Broncos
109. Las Vegas Raiders
110. Atlanta Falcons from Tennessee Titans
111. Cleveland Browns
112. New York Jets
113. Atlanta Falcons
114. Carolina Panthers
115. New Orleans Saints
116. Green Bay Packers
117. New England Patriots
118. Washington Commanders
119. Minnesota Vikings from Detroit Lions
120. New England Patriots from Pittsburgh Steelers
121. Jacksonville Jaguars from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
122. Kansas City Chiefs from Miami Dolphins
123. Seattle Seahawks
124. Baltimore Ravens
125. Los Angeles Chargers
126. Cleveland Browns from Minnesota Vikings
127. Jacksonville Jaguars
128. New York Giants
129. Dallas Cowboys
130. Jacksonville Jaguars from Buffalo Bills
131. Cincinnati Bengals
132. Carolina Panthers from San Francisco 49ers
133. Chicago Bears from Philadelphia Eagles
134. Kansas City Chiefs
135. New England Patriots *
Round 5
136. Chicago Bears
Round 5 Pick 2 – Choice Forfeited (Houston Texans)
137. Buffalo Bills from Arizona Cardinals
138. Indianapolis Colts
139. Denver Broncos
140. Cleveland Browns from Los Angeles Rams
141. Las Vegas Raiders
142. Cleveland Browns
143. New York Jets
144. Las Vegas Raiders from Atlanta Falcons
145. Carolina Panthers
146. New Orleans Saints
147. Tennessee Titans
148. Chicago Bears from New England Patriots from Baltimore Ravens
149. Green Bay Packers
150. Washington Commanders
151. Seattle Seahawks from Pittsburgh Steelers
152. Detroit Lions
153. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
154. Seattle Seahawks
155. San Francisco 49ers from Miami Dolphins
156. Los Angeles Chargers
157. Baltimore Ravens
158. Minnesota Vikings
159. Detroit Lions from Atlanta Falcons from Jacksonville Jaguars
160. Jacksonville Jaguars from New York Giants
161. Houston Texans from Dallas Cowboys
162. Indianapolis Colts from Buffalo Bills
163. Cincinnati Bengals
164. San Francisco 49ers
165. New Orleans Saints from Philadelphia Eagles
166. Kansas City Chiefs
167. Los Angeles Rams *
168. Arizona Cardinals *
169. Dallas Cowboys *
170. New York Jets from Green Bay Packers *
171. Los Angeles Rams *
172. New York Giants *
173. San Francisco 49ers *
174. Las Vegas Raiders *
175. Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
176. Indianapolis Colts from Dallas Cowboys *
177. Los Angeles Rams *
Round 6
178. Kansas City Chiefs from Chicago Bears from Miami Dolphins
179. Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Houston Texans
180. Arizona Cardinals
181. Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Indianapolis Colts
182. Los Angeles Rams
183. Detroit Lions from Denver Broncos
184. New England Patriots from Las Vegas Raiders
185. Jacksonville Jaguars from New York Jets
186. Tennessee Titans from Atlanta Falcons
187. New England Patriots from Carolina Panthers
188. Houston Texans from New Orleans Saints
189. Los Angeles Rams from Tennessee Titans
190. Cleveland Browns
191. Los Angeles Rams from Green Bay Packers
192. New England Patriots
193. Washington Commanders
194. Detroit Lions
195. Denver Broncos from Pittsburgh Steelers
196. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
197. Miami Dolphins
198. Seattle Seahawks
199. Baltimore Ravens
200. Los Angeles Chargers
201. Houston Texans from Minnesota Vikings
202. Jacksonville Jaguars
203. Houston Texans from New York Giants
204. Las Vegas Raiders from Dallas Cowboys
205. Buffalo Bills
206. Cincinnati Bengals
207. Green Bay Packers from New York Jets via San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans
208. Jacksonville Jaguars from Philadelphia Eagles
209. New York Giants from Kansas City Chiefs
210. New England Patriots *
211. Minnesota Vikings *
212. Dallas Cowboys *
213. Arizona Cardinals *
214. Las Vegas Raiders *
215. Washington Commanders *
216. San Francisco 49ers *
217. Kansas City Chiefs *
Round 7
218. Chicago Bears
219. Philadelphia Eagles from Houston Texans from Minnesota Vikings
220. Las Vegas Raiders from Arizona Cardinals
221. Indianapolis Colts
222. San Francisco 49ers from Denver Broncos
223. Los Angeles Rams
224. Atlanta Falcons from Las Vegas Raiders
225. Atlanta Falcons
226. Jacksonville Jaguars from Carolina Panthers
227. New Orleans Saints
228. Tennessee Titans
229. Cleveland Browns
230. Houston Texans from Tampa Bay Buccaneers from New York Jets
231. Las Vegas Raiders from New England Patriots
232. Green Bay Packers
233. Washington Commanders
234. Los Angeles Rams from Pittsburgh Steelers
235. Green Bay Packers from Detroit Lions from Los Angeles Rams
236. Indianapolis Colts from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
237. Seattle Seahawks
238. Miami Dolphins
239. Los Angeles Chargers
240. Jacksonville Jaguars from New York Giants from Baltimore Ravens
241. Pittsburgh Steelers from Minnesota Vikings from Denver Broncos
242. Green Bay Packers from Jacksonville Jaguars
243. New York Giants
244. Dallas Cowboys
245. New England Patriots from Atlanta Falcons from Buffalo Bills
246. Cincinnati Bengals
247. San Francisco 49ers
248. Philadelphia Eagles
249. Kansas City Chiefs
250. Kansas City Chiefs *
251. Pittsburgh Steelers from Los Angeles Rams *
252. Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
253. San Francisco 49ers *
254. New York Giants *
255. San Francisco 49ers *
256. Green Bay Packers *
257. New Orleans Saints *
258. Chicago Bears *
259. Houston Texans *
PANTHERS NAB BRYCE YOUNG NO. 1 WITH PLANS TO WIN SUPER BOWLS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Panthers are desperate to win some Super Bowls, and owner David Tepper believes Bryce Young is the best man to help them reach that goal.
The Panthers selected the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Alabama with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, the first time the team has selected a QB with the top overall pick since Cam Newton in 2011.
Newton got the Panthers close in 2015, but couldn’t close the deal as Carolina lost to Denver 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
At a rain-drenched draft night party on the field at Bank of America Stadium, Tepper was asked in front of thousands of fans what the addition of Young means to the organization. He replied succinctly, “What I want to say – Super Bowls.”
Tepper made sure that was plural.
Later, Tepper doubled down, with the multibillionaire hedge fund owner who deals in probabilities and trades on a daily basis saying in a news conference “there is no sure thing here, but it’s a probability sort of (thing). And we thought he has the best probability of winning Super Bowls.”
Young knows there will be pressure on him to win, but that doesn’t seem to faze him.
“Whenever there’s a pressure situation, I look at that as an opportunity,” Young said when asked about Tepper’s comments. “It’s fun to be in those situations. That’s what we all dream of.”
Young was 30-4 as a starter during three seasons with the Crimson Tide, throwing for 8,356 yards with 80 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. He won the Heisman in 2021 after tossing 47 TD passes and helping Alabama go 13-2 and reach the College Football Playoff national championship game.
“The quarterback we are getting has been a winner forever,” coach Frank Reich said. “This guy is a winner. He has been a winner on the field, but he wins off the field as well. He’s our kind of guy. Make no mistake about it, we got the best quarterback in college football right here in this stadium.”
General manager Scott Fitterer said his staff had convictions about Young ever since a draft meeting in February, shortly after Reich came on board as head coach.
Those feelings were so strong the team traded up eight spots in March to get to No. 1, parting ways with four draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore as part of a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Bears. At the time, the Panthers were concerned the Las Vegas Raiders might try to move up to No. 1.
The 5-foot-10, 204-pound Young is considered small by NFL standards, and is just the third quarterback since the merger shorter than 6 feet to be selected in the first round, joining Kyler Murray and Johnny Manziel.
But the Panthers have repeatedly said they don’t have any reservations about his stature, noting he only had two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage last season.
“Those that doubt me, they are entitled to their opinion,” Young said. “I think that is the beauty of sports, we all come together and have argument on who you think is good or not. I choose to focus on what I can control. Put my energy into that and whatever external factors it may be positive or negative, that is stuff I can’t control. I choose to focus on being better day in and day out.”
The Panthers hope Young brings stability to a position that has been in flux since 2017, the last time the franchise reached the postseason.
Carolina has tried several options under center, including trading for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, signing free agent Teddy Bridgewater and drafting Matt Corral in the third round last year.
They even brought back Newton for a second stint and considered Deshaun Watson before he wound up with the Cleveland Browns.
But nothing has worked.
The Panthers are just 29-53 over the past five seasons and have yet to make the postseason since Tepper purchased the team for a then-NFL record $2.3 billion in 2018, leaving the league’s second-wealthiest owner craving a playoff contender.
Young has shown he can win games and comes to Carolina with a reputation for being a high-IQ quarterback who excels at making fast decisions. Young has mostly succeeded as a pocket passer, but can also make plays on the run.
Reich said it’s unclear whether Young will start right away, adding “he has to earn it.”
The Panthers signed veteran Andy Dalton as a stop-gap until Young is ready.
But at least for one night, the Panthers were reveling in the idea they may have finally found their franchise quarterback.
“He’s a guy that checks all of the boxes,” Fitterer said.
TEXANS GET FRANCHISE QB IN STROUD, TRADE UP FOR LB ANDERSON
HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Texans made a splash in the NFL draft Thursday night, getting their franchise quarterback by drafting C.J. Stroud at No. 2 and then trading with Arizona to get the third overall pick and beef up their defense with Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr..
The picks were greeted with elation from thousands of Texans fans who gathered in downtown Houston for a draft party featuring a rap concert Thursday night.
General manager Nick Caserio was quick to note that this was just one step on a long process.
“If the fans are excited, that’s great,” he said. “I think they’ll be more excited when we win games. We’re a long way away from playing our first game here in September.”
Stroud was a two-year starter for Ohio State, where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as the Buckeyes went 21-4. His 85 touchdowns over two seasons broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees.
“I know that it’s meant to be,” Stroud said. “And I know that, with this franchise, it’s going be something that I’m really going to take very, very seriously and I’m going to work my tail off to get some wins.”
Stroud joins a team that has failed to find a reliable quarterback in the two seasons since Deshaun Watson requested a trade before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. Davis Mills has started most of the last two seasons, going 5-22-1 in 28 games with 26 starts as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.
Caserio wouldn’t say that Stroud or Anderson would move into the starting lineup right away.
“In the future days here they have to earn the respect and the trust of their teammates,” he said. “They haven’t really earned anything to this point and they’re certainly not entitled to anything.”
But he did rave about the signal-caller.
“C.J. was a really productive player,” Caserio said. “He’s a player that has an edge about him in a good way. He loves football, wants to compete, wants to be great, good size, comes from a good program.”
Stroud was asked about dealing with the expectations of being a franchise quarterback.
“I don’t believe in pressure,” he said. “I think you either do it or you don’t.”
The Texans traded the 12th and 33rd picks in this year’s draft and a first- and third-round pick next year to the Cardinals to trade up to nab Anderson. Houston also received the 105th pick in this year’s draft in the deal. The 12th pick the Texans sent to Arizona was part of the deal for Watson.
“He was a player we thought very highly of,” Caserio said. “And we knew he wasn’t going to last.”
Anderson was a three-year starter with the Crimson Tide, where he piled up 204 tackles, including 58 1/2 tackles for losses and 34 1/2 sacks, which ranked second on Alabama’s all-time list.
“It can’t say enough good things about Will just the person that he is, the human being that he is and his leadership,” Caserio said. “And unsolicited before the draft we received commentary about (him) and the praise was just incredible.”
The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Anderson was the second player in history to win the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player twice. He also won the Chuck Bednarik Trophy given to the nation’s top defender and the Rotary Lombardi Award, given to the best lineman in college football, last season.
Houston is the first team to make two of the first three picks in the draft since Washington selected linebacker LaVar Arrington second and offensive tackle Chris Samuels third in 2000.
The 6-3, 218-pound Stroud becomes the third quarterback Houston has selected in the first round, joining Watson, taken 12th in 2017 and David Carr, the team’s first draft pick who was the top overall pick in 2002.
The Texans hired former player DeMeco Ryans to coach the team this offseason as they try to turn things around after winning just 11 games combined in the past three seasons.
Anderson is excited to play for Ryans, who also starred as a linebacker Alabama.
“I’m just super blessed, super excited to be a part of something so special and a part of a lot of great defensive minds that just share the same mindset and mentality,” Anderson said. “To go from one coach like coach Saban to another coach that was at ‘Bama and knows the process and knows the standard and has the expectation, that’s exactly what I needed.”
RAVENS AGREE TO 5-YEAR, $260M DEAL WITH QB LAMAR JACKSON
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) Five years after he fell to the end of the first round, draft day was a huge payday for Lamar Jackson.
The Baltimore Ravens agreed in principle with Jackson on a five-year deal Thursday, making their star quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history.
The Ravens and Jackson agreed on a $260 million, five-year deal with $185 million in guaranteed money, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract hadn’t been signed.
The deal keeps the 2019 NFL MVP in Baltimore for the foreseeable future and ends a contract negotiation saga that was dominating the team’s offseason.
“Sometimes you just need time. These things develop,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “Sometimes these things can happen in two weeks, and sometimes it takes two years.”
Jackson’s contract tops the $255 million, five-year deal the Philadelphia Eagles gave Jalen Hurts earlier this month. Hurts got $179.3 million in guarantees.
DeCosta said the Ravens gave Jackson five or six different proposals over the past couple of years.
“You just try to make progress every single time and find that sweet spot,” DeCosta said. “Of course you look at every single deal that gets done, quarterback deals. That’s how you kind of build out the parameters of what you think is fair.”
Deshaun Watson still has the biggest guaranteed contract in NFL history. The Cleveland Browns gave Watson a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million extension last year to waive his no-trade clause and agree to join the team.
The Ravens announced the deal hours before the first round of the NFL draft. Then they took Boston College receiver Zay Flowers with the No. 22 pick, giving Jackson another playmaker with a lot of potential.
After playing out his rookie contract, Jackson’s future with the Ravens was in doubt. Baltimore put the franchise tag on Jackson last month, but the Ravens kept expressing confidence that they could keep him – even after Jackson made a trade request public.
The team’s tweet announcing the deal included a video of Jackson talking.
“For the last few months, there’s been a lot of he said, she said, a lot of nail biting, a lot of head scratching going on,” Jackson said. “But for the next five years, it’s a lot of flock going on.”
That was a reference to the term “Ravens Flock” used by the team’s fans.
“Let’s go baby. Let’s go, let’s go,” Jackson added. “Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T (Bank Stadium) for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”
It’s an interesting coincidence Jackson’s new contract was announced on draft day. Five years ago, he wasn’t one of the top players taken.
Baltimore landed him with the 32nd pick, and he was the fifth quarterback chosen. Of the four who went ahead of him, only Buffalo’s Josh Allen has enjoyed success comparable to Jackson. Allen signed a long-term deal with the Bills two offseasons ago.
Jackson’s deal brought one of the NFL’s biggest offseason stories to a conclusion – right as one of the league’s biggest annual events was about to start. The Ravens can now expect Jackson in the lineup for the first game of the season, without drama about whether he’ll report to camp. They’ve already boosted his wide receiving group by signing Odell Beckham Jr. Baltimore also has a new offensive coordinator after hiring Georgia’s Todd Monken.
“Todd Monken had a good day today. He’s pretty happy,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He seemed pretty happy. He better be happy.”
Jackson is already one of six quarterbacks in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 rushing. He’s been hurt at the end of the past two seasons, however. At age 26, his best days could well be ahead of him, and now he’ll remain in a Baltimore uniform.
Jackson, who was negotiating without an agent, stood to make $32.4 million this season if he played on the franchise tag, but that path had potential pitfalls for both sides. Jackson would have risked losing a lot of money long term if he was injured, and even if he stayed healthy, the team might have had an unhappy quarterback on its hands. Jackson’s contract situation didn’t seem too disruptive last offseason, but it took a different turn when he announced in late March that he’d requested a trade a few weeks earlier.
Whether that was out of frustration with the process or an attempt to draw more interest from other teams, Jackson and the Ravens now appear to be very much on the same page.
DeCosta, a Boston Celtics fan, said he watched them squander a big lead the other night in their playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
“These guys are really choking, and just as Trae Young hit that bomb, I got a text from Lamar that said, basically, ‘I think we can get a deal done. We’re getting close,’” DeCosta said. “I said back to him, ‘Lamar, you just saved my night.’”
NBA PLAYOFFS
CELTICS PULL AWAY, BEAT HAWKS 128-120 FOR 4-2 SERIES WIN
ATLANTA (AP) After letting the series go longer than it should have, Al Horford and the Boston Celtics were eager to finish off the Atlanta Hawks.
Horford made sure his former team didn’t force a Game 7.
The 36-year-old Horford hit a huge 3-pointer in a late run that carried the Celtics past the Hawks 128-120 Thursday night for a 4-2 triumph in the opening-round playoff series.
After squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 5, which cost them a chance to end the series in Boston, the Celtics were determined not to wilt again.
“We talked about finishing the game,” Horford said. “I felt the last game, for the most part, we were fine. But tonight there was that sense of urgency. We understood how important it was to not extend the series.”
Down by three, Boston ripped off an 11-0 run that included three straight 3-pointers, with Horford’s big shot sandwiched around 3s from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum capped the spurt with a dunk off a Horford miss, giving the Celtics a 121-113 lead with 2:07 remaining.
Given how close it had been all night, an eight-point lead seemed like 80 in a game that featured 22 lead changes and 15 ties.
Now, bring on Philly.
The second-seeded Celtics advanced to face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who’ve been resting since completing their four-game sweep of Brooklyn last Saturday.
Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.
Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, while Tatum had 30. Horford, who played in Atlanta from 2007-16, chipped in with 10 points, 12 rebounds two steals and three blocks.
“It was huge,” Brown said. “Al came through for us.”
After knocking down a 3 from the corner, which put the Celtics ahead to stay, Horford yapped back at an Atlanta fan who had been trash talking him from the sideline.
“I appreciated it because he got me going. He said some stuff that I wasn’t very pleased with. I took it to heart and I was able to get that shot,” Horford said. “I appreciate him for talking trash to me. Some people you can talk trash to. Talk trash to me – it’s probably not good for you.”
Marcus Smart also came up big for Boston, scoring 22 points and brilliantly running the offense down the stretch, including a drive and dish that set up Horford’s shot.
After carrying the Hawks to that improbable victory at TD Garden, Trae Young ran out of steam in the second half. He missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.
Young had 30 points and 10 assists, but he finished just 9 of 28 from the field.
Despite a largely disappointing season that included a coaching change and another first-round exit from the playoffs, Young is optimistic about the Hawks’ future.
He’s especially looking forward to a full season under Quin Snyder, who took over from Nate McMillan with 21 games left in the regular season.
“Quin is the future,” Young said. “I believe with him here, this city’s going to win a championship.”
Dejounte Murray returned to the Hawks lineup after serving a one-game suspension for bumping an official at the end of Atlanta’s Game 4 loss.
Murray seemed a bit out of sync, missing all five of his shots in the first half. He was better in the second half but still managed just 14 points.
The Hawks needed a few more to keep their season going.
“We were right there,” Snyder said.
Young forced the series back to Atlanta with a long 3-pointer that stunned the Celtics 119=117 in Boston, capping the Hawks’ comeback in the fourth quarter.
Coming off his 38-point, 13-assist effort, Young kept it going with 18 points in the first quarter.
But the Celtics finally clamped down on the Hawks star, whose heroics had forced Janet Jackson to postpone her scheduled Thursday concert until Friday to make room for Game 6.
Now, State Farm Arena is wide open for the summer.
GRANT STEPS UP
Boston forward Grant Williams didn’t even play in three of the first five games in the series.
But he got some big minutes in the clincher.
While the stat sheet didn’t show much – three points, two rebounds, one steal, one assist in 17 1/2 minutes – his teammates lauded his contribution. They also praised his professionalism for not complaining when he was planted on the bench earlier in the series.
“When his number was called, he stepped up,” Horford said. “We do not close this game if Grant doesn’t step up and play the way that he did.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston finished 18 of 42 from 3-point range. Every Boston starter made at least one from long range, as did three players off the bench. … Malcom Brogdon had 17 points. … Tatum led the Celtics with 14 rebounds.
Hawks: All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures. De’Andre Hunter had 20 points, John Collins added 16 and Clint Capela finished with 10. … Onyeka Okongwu grabbed 11 rebounds.
NHL PLAYOFFS
LIGHTNING SEND SERIES BACK TO TAMPA, BEAT MAPLE LEAFS 4-2
TORONTO (AP) Michael Eyssimont had a goal and an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Thursday night to force Game 6 in their first-round playoff series.
Anthony Cirelli also had a goal and an assist, Nicholas Paul scored and Alex Killorn got an empty net goal for Tampa. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves.
Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews scored for Toronto, which got 34 stops from Ilya Samsonov. John Tavares had two assists.
The Leafs still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Game 6 will be Saturday in Tampa. Game 7, if necessary, would be Monday back at Scotiabank Arena.
“It’s a game of inches this time of year,” said Rielly, who scored five minutes into the first period to give the Leafs an early lead.
Toronto, which has failed to advance in the post-season since 2004 and was eliminated by the Lightning in seven games in the first round last year, is now 0-10 since 2018 with a chance to eliminate a post-season opponent.
“Didn’t get the result,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “But I don’t think it has anything to do with the moment or anything like that. It’s a good hockey team we’re playing.
“They played as perfect a road game as you could probably ask.”
Tied at 1 after a spirited first period, the Lightning pushed ahead at 4:23 of the second when Eyssimont beat Samsonov through the pads from a tough angle for his first goal of the series.
“He’s almost one-on-one with me,” Samsonov said. “Good shot … good goal.”
The period ended in controversy when Pat Maroon crushed Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano from behind into the boards. The initial play went uncalled, but the bruising Tampa winger was assessed a roughing penalty for the ensuing scrum.
Giordano rejoined his teammates on the bench shortly after the restart after getting looked at by the trainer.
Paul made it 3-1 at 11:53 of the third with his first after the Leafs goaltender got bumped by teammate David Kampf.
The home side pulled within one with 3:34 left in regulation when Matthews banged home a loose puck for his fourth, and third in the last two games, with Samsonov on the bench for an extra attacker.
The Leafs continued to press desperately looking for the tie and send the teams to a third straight overtime before Killorn sealed it with five seconds left.
“Don’t bet against the guys – not that group,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I’m not saying we’ve won the series. We’ve won one game and still have so far to go.
“They dug their heels in tonight. And who really dug his heels in tonight was the goalie.”
Toronto, which has lost six straight series since 2017, opened the scoring at 4:46 of the first when Rielly – the longest-serving Leaf – scored his third of the series from the slot after Tavares beat three Lightning players to the puck to ignite the towel-waving crowd inside a frothing Scotiabank Arena.
Coming off Stanley Cup triumphs in 2020 and 2021 before falling in last year’s final to the Colorado Avalanche, and looking to keep their season alive, the Lightning responded just 26 seconds later when Cirelli scored his third off a scramble.
EYSSIMONT RETURNS
The Lightning forward suited up for the first time since getting knocked out of Game 1 on a hard hit by Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe. Eyssimont’s inclusion meant Tanner Jeannot watched from the press box.
BUNTING SITS
The gritty Toronto native was eligible to return to the lineup after serving his three-game ban, but Keefe elected to go with the same lineup for the fourth straight game. Michael Bunting registered 23 goals and 49 points in the regular season.
HAULA LEADS DEVILS PAST RANGERS 4-0 FOR 3-2 SERIES LEAD
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Ondrej Palat got the New Jersey Devils on the scoreboard early and they had shut down the New York Rangers the rest of the way to move one win away from advancing to the second round.
It’s been quite a remarkable turnaround after the Devils had two lopsided losses in the first two games.
Erik Haula had two goals and an assist, Akira Schmid stopped 23 shots, and the Devils beat the Rangers 4-0 Thursday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist to help New Jersey get its third straight win – and the first victory in the series by a home team.
“Tonight we did a lot of good things and that’s exactly how we got to play,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. We knew if we use our speed, that’s our strength. … That’s what makes us a dangerous team – if we play with our speed.”
Igor Shesterkin finished with 39 saves for the Rangers, who have been outscored 9-2 over the last three games after a pair of 5-1 wins to open the series.
“We just weren’t good enough,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “Jersey played their best game of the series. You’ve got to give them credit.”
Game 6 is Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Schmid had eight saves in the first period, 13 in the second and two in the third for his first career postseason shutout in his third straight start. The 22-year-old rookie has stopped 80 of 82 shots he’s faced after Vitek Vanecek gave up nine goals on 52 shots in the first two games.
Leading by three after two periods, the Devils controlled play in the third with a dominant 18-2 advantage on shots on goal over the final 20 minutes.
“The boys have been playing phenomenal in front of me,” Schmid said. “Not a lot of work for me. I can’t give the boys enough credit.”
The Rangers nearly got on the scoreboard but Vincent Trocheck’s poke attempt went off the left post and slid across the goal line. Schmid and Haula both punched the puck to the side and away from the goal with 6:25 left.
“You got to get lucky too to win games sometimes,” Schmid said. “Today we got lucky two or three times, and I got lucky having Haulsy there as well. Like I said, the boys have been helping me out a lot.”
Haula had a long empty-netter with 5:12 to go to cap the scoring with his third goal of the series.
The Devils went 1 for 5 on the power play while the Rangers were 0 for 2. New York has not scored on their last 10 chances over the last three games after going 4 for 10 in the first two.
Palat got the Devils on the scoreboard just 39 seconds into the game. Following a faceoff in the right circle, the puck rebounded off Shesterkin and came out to the left circle, where Palat fired a shot that deflected off the stick of Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and over Shesterkin’s glove. It was his second goal of the series and his 50th career postseason goal.
“When we got that first one, the momentum just kept going,” Mercer said. “We ran with and all game we had chances after chance. … From the goalie, defense to the forwards, we just really ran with it after that big goal off the start.”
Just as a penalty on the Rangers’ Patrick Kane was about to expire early in the second, Haula tipped a shot by Mercer in front through Shesterkin’s pads at 3:27 to push the Devils’ lead to 2-0.
“I heard him yelling there,” Mercer said. “I knew I was in the middle, usually guys come at you pretty quick there. I turned quick as I could to get it on the net, and Haulsy with a good tip.”
Mercer then added to New Jersey’s lead on a short-handed 2-on-1 rush as he got a cross-ice pass from Haula and fired a shot over Shesterkin’s right shoulder for the 21-year-old’s first career postseason goal with 6:28 left in the middle period.
Shesterkin made a sprawling save on a backhand try from Timo Meier with 3:19 left in the second to keep the Rangers’ deficit at 3-0.
Panarin had a shot on a 3-on-1 break but Schmid used his glove to knock down the shot from the left circle 9:10 into the first period. Schmid also stopped Vladimir Tarasenko’s shot from the left circle with 7:15 left in the period, and had a glove save on Ryan Lindgren’s attempt in front with just under two minutes remaining.
KNIGHTS TOP WINNIPEG 4-1, ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND
LAS VEGAS (AP) Chandler Stephenson scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Winnipeg Jets from their Western Conference opening-round series with a 4-1 victory on Thursday night.
The Golden Knights became the first team to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Vegas, which entered the league and went to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season in 2018, is now 42-29 in the postseason.
Mark Stone added a goal and two assists and William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights. Goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 30 saves. Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves for the Jets and Kyle Connor scored late in the third period to ruin Brossoit’s shutout bid.
Stephenson put Vegas on the board first just 50 seconds into the game when he took a feed from Stone and beat Hellebuyck before he could back to the right side of the crease.
Leading 1-0 after one period, the Golden Knights opened the floodgates with three second-period goals.
Stone, 42 seconds in, gathered a bouncing puck and ripped a wrist shot from the slot to double Vegas’ lead, 2-0.
Next, Karlsson finished Michael Amadio’s backhand pass between two Jets with a one-timer from the doorstep.
Stephenson grabbed his second goal of the game when he snapped a one-timer from the left circle during a power play midway through the second period.
Teams that hold a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series now hold a series record of 300-31 (.906).
ROSTER UPDATES: Nikolaj Ehlers, Karson Kuhlman and Kyle Capobianco made their 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff debuts for the Jets on Thursday night. Vegas was without Shea Theodore, Phil Kessel and Brayden McNabb, as all three sat out. Meanwhile, Vegas D Ben Hutton, 30, appeared in his first career Stanley Cup Playoff game.
CHAN, TO THE MAX: Stephenson recorded multiple points in each of Vegas’ last four games, joining former Golden Knight Max Pacioretty as the only players in franchise history to have a streak of four or more contests.
STONE COLD: After missing 39 games during the regular season, due to his second back surgery in less than a year, Stone made quite a return to the lineup. The 30-year-old registered two three-point games in the opening-round series. He previously had two games with at least three points in his playoff career. —
MLB NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: GERRIT COLE TO 5-0 AS YANKS WIN DESPITE AARON JUDGE INJURY
Gerrit Cole pitched 6 2/3 innings to become one of three five-game winners in the majors and the visiting New York Yankees took an early lead to beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 Thursday night in Arlington, Texas.
DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back homers in a three-run second off Texas starter Andrew Heaney (2-2). Rookie Anthony Volpe hit a bases-loaded RBI single before Heaney retired the next 13 hitters. New York scored its final run when Jose Trevino smacked a homer in the ninth.
The Yankees won their second straight in a game that Aaron Judge exited in the fourth inning due to right hip discomfort. The New York slugger appeared to grimace with some discomfort after striking out in his second at-bat after Volpe’s single in the second inning and was replaced two innings later
Cole (5-0) allowed two runs and six hits, striking out eight and walking one in a 92-pitch outing. Heaney allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one while throwing 97 pitches.
Marlins 5, Braves 4
Garrett Cooper’s two-out, two-run double in the ninth inning capped a five-run rally and gave visiting Miami a win over Atlanta, ending the Marlins’ four-game losing streak and salvaging a game in the four-game series.
Five Braves pitchers had combined to shut out Miami through eight innings. But the Marlins rallied against Atlanta closer A.J. Minter to win their first game of the season when trailing after the eighth inning.
Miami got run-scoring singles from Yuli Gurriel, Avisail Garcia and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Atlanta lifted Minter in favor of Jesse Chavez and Cooper doubled to center field on a 2-2 pitch to drive home the tying and go-ahead runs.
Mets 9, Nationals 8
Jeff McNeil scored New York’s first run and delivered the go-ahead hit in the eighth inning with his first triple of the season in a comeback win over visiting Washington.
The Mets snapped a season-high four-game losing streak. Brett Baty homered and collected a career-high three hits — in just his second game with multiple hits — while Francisco Lindor had three RBIs for the Mets.
C.J. Abrams hit a grand slam with one out in the top of the eighth to put the Nationals ahead 8-7 before the blown lead in the bottom of the inning. Alex Call also went deep for Washington, which finished 4-2 on a road trip to Minnesota and New York.
Cardinals 6, Giants
Alec Burleson homered to end a scoreless tie in the seventh inning, right-hander Miles Mikolas outlasted Logan Webb in a battle of zeroes and St. Louis avoided a four-game sweep at the hands of host San Francisco.
Mikolas (1-1) dueled Webb (1-5) through six scoreless innings. The Cardinals had three hits to that point, the Giants four. But after Webb retired Nolan Arenado to open the seventh, Burleson bombed his third homer of the season, igniting a Cardinals flurry. Paul DeJong also homered for the Cardinals.
Mikolas was pulled one out into the seventh, having thrown 95 pitches. He gave up four hits and two walks, striking out six. Webb was charged with two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings; he walked one and struck out seven.
Orioles 7, Tigers 4
Anthony Santander hit a two-run homer to cap a five-run seventh as visiting Baltimore defeated Detroit.
Joey Ortiz drove in three runs for the Orioles, who have won nine of their last 10 games. Bryan Baker (2-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief to get the win and Felix Bautista survived a shaky ninth to get his sixth save. Baltimore starter Kyle Gibson gave up three runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Eric Haase had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored for Detroit. Detroit starter Joey Wentz allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Pirates 6, Dodgers 2
Connor Joe and Rodolfo Castro hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to help lift Pittsburgh over visiting Los Angeles.
Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski each added RBI singles for the Pirates, who have won nine of their last 10 games. Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (3-0) picked up the win after tying a career high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.
David Peralta hit a two-run single for the Dodgers. Los Angeles starter Julio Urias (3-3) allowed six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Phillies 1, Mariners 0
Kody Clemens delivered an RBI single in the second inning for the only run of the game as host Philadelphia defeated Seattle.
Five Phillies pitchers combined to limit the Mariners to just three hits. Starter Matt Strahm (2-2) tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits, struck out five and walked none. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his third save in three chances as the Phillies took two of three in the series.
Mariners starter George Kirby (2-2) allowed four hits and one run, with seven strikeouts and one walk in eight strong innings. Tom Murphy had two of the Mariners’ three hits.
Cubs 5, Padres 2
Eric Hosmer and Nelson Velazquez hit back-to-back home runs, and five pitchers held visiting San Diego to six hits as Chicago won the rubber match of a three-game series.
Padres starter Seth Lugo (2-2) had a 1-0 lead and retired the first two Cubs in the second inning when Hosmer lined a full-count fastball 414 feet to center. Velazquez then hit the second pitch he saw from Lugo 404 feet into the seats in left center.
Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski (2-1) held the Padres to one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts over five innings to earn the win, lowering his ERA by almost a full run to 5.24. Brad Boxberger, who turned a comebacker into a double play, got his second save.
Angels 8, Athletics 7
Shohei Ohtani threw five nearly perfect innings and one bad one, was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle and led Los Angeles over Oakland in Anaheim, Calif.
Ohtani (4-0) was perfect through three innings, retiring all nine hitters while striking out five. He gave up five runs in the fourth inning when he lost control, allowing home runs to Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers, before finishing the day with three hits, five runs and eight strikeouts over six frames.
Brandon Drury remained the Angels’ hottest hitter, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and a three-run homer. In the four-game series against the A’s, Drury went 9-for-15 with four homers and 12 RBIs.
Rays 14, White Sox 5
Brandon Lowe broke an 0-for-15 slump with a homer and a triple, Isaac Paredes had five RBIs and visiting Tampa Bay rocked hapless Chicago.
Lowe, whose previous hit was a walk-off homer Friday against the White Sox, collected a triple, a homer and a single in the first five innings off Chicago starter Dylan Cease (2-1). Lowe went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBIs and a walk.
Chicago’s Jake Burger homered, doubled and had two runs and RBIs apiece, and Adam Haseley had two hits and an RBI, but Chicago’s skid hit a major league-high eight.
Twins 7, Royals 1
Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa blasted back-to-back homers in the fourth inning to help Minnesota pick up a convincing victory over Kansas City in the opener of a four-game series in Minneapolis.
Buxton cranked a three-run blast to center and Correa followed with a solo shot off Zack Greinke (0-4) to break the game open by putting Minnesota up by six. Brock Stewart (1-0) was credited with the win after taking over for Tyler Mahle, who exited the game after four innings due to elbow soreness.
Vinnie Pasquantino homered and Kyle Isbel doubled for Kansas City, which has dropped 11 of its last 13 games.
MEN’S GOLF
SMOTHERMAN POSTS 63 FOR ONE-SHOT LEAD IN MEXICO, RAHM 4 BACK
VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) Austin Smotherman already has his name on the Mexico Open trophy. He finished his round Thursday as though he’d love to see it on there again, closing with four straight birdies for an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Erik van Rooyen and Tano Goya.
Masters champion Jon Rahm, who won the Mexico Open at Vidanta for his only PGA Tour title a year ago, had five birdies on his last 11 holes to overcome a sluggish start for a 67.
Smotherman is winless on the PGA Tour. He won the Mexico Open in 2018 on a different golf course – it was held in Tijuana that year – and when it was part of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica schedule.
Even so, the Mexico Open dates to 1944. His name is on the trophy with Ben Crenshaw, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Bobby Locke and Roberto De Vicenzo.
“I mean, still get a little bit of some goosebumps thinking about it,” Smotherman said. “Just the reception, winning an event like that, the Mexico Open, which has such a deep history. There are names on that trophy that are in the Hall of Fame.
“A national open anywhere is very special.”
Smotherman played bogey-free at Vidanta Vallarta. He missed only three greens on a gorgeous morning. The last time was on his final hole, the par-3 ninth, and he chipped in for his eighth birdie of the round.
Van Rooyen also had a big finish, playing his final five holes in 4 under. That included an eagle on the par-4 15th when he holed out from 141 yards. He also had a pair of birdies on the pars 5 on the back nine.
His best moment might have been a par on the 10th. Standing over the shot with a 4-iron, the South African backed off and said, “Bees! Bees! Bees!” Before long, Chez Reavie and Francesco Molinari and the caddies hit the turf to avoid a swarm of bees.
“I just told my caddie, ‘Bees, bees, bees.’ And he looks at me like I’m crazy,” van Rooyen said. “So I dropped down, then he sees them, he dropped down. Frankie and Chez, they look at me like I’m nuts and then 30 seconds later the bees just went right at them. It’s funny, but certainly don’t want to get stung by those bad boys.”
Goya played bogey-free and finished with a birdie from left of the green on the par-5 18th.
Tony Finau was among five players at 65, and one of them felt just as good as Smotherman. Raul Pereda of Mexico, who played college golf at Jacksonville University, made his PGA Tour debut as a sponsor exemption in his national Open.
Pereda missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th but had no complaints about his first time playing on the PGA Tour.
His coach at Jacksonville, Mike Blackburn, sent him a text ahead of his first round to enjoy every shot as it comes. He followed the plan perfectly.
“I’m going to have a cold beer after this round today with my parents and just keep it very simple,” Pereda said. “I don’t think I need to get ahead of myself. It’s just like any other sanctioned tour event for me. It’s 18 holes a day, and just 18 chances for birdie, and just commit to every shot.”
Rahm is playing for the second time in three weeks since his Masters victory. His start was less than ideal in the best of the weather. He twice failed to get up-and-down from just off the green, missing par putts from the 6-foot range.
But his round started to turn when he took an aggressive line over the water and left of the pin to about 7 feet on the par-3 17th and holed the putt for one of only two birdies on that hole in the first round.
He finished with a 25-foot birdie putt, his third birdie putt of 15 feet or longer.
“Those first 13 holes we had virtually no wind, about as easy conditions as it can get. I wish I would have taken advantage of it more,” Rahm said. “I’m happy I played as good as I did on the back nine and capped it off with the putt on the last hole.”
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
COLTS FOOTBALL
Back in August, Colts general manager Chris Ballard checked his phone and saw a message from Morocco Brown.
“You should see the show that I’m watching on this practice field right now,” the Colts’ chief personnel executive texted.
Brown was in Gainesville, Fla. watching a Florida Gators practice – specifically, watching a quarterback who wasn’t on yet on the national radar. Anthony Richardson had thrown 66 passes at the college level when Brown caught a glimpse of him in the swamp – but the talent was as undeniable then as it was on Thursday, when the Colts made Richardson the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“He’s a pretty unique athlete and talent,” Ballard said.
The tape told one story, but the Colts were sold on Richardson after spending time with him in the pre-draft process, whether that was at a private workout in Florida or welcoming him to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on a top-30 visit. Head coach Shane Steichen puts a high value on football character and an obsession with the game, and through getting to know Richardson during those visits came to believe the 20-year-old has what it takes to excel as a quarterback in the NFL.
Again, beyond the outlandish physical traits and athleticism.
“His character – the vetting process that we did, calling around people that know him, that have been around him, that’s a big part of this thing,” Steichen said. “There are a lot of guys that I know that I trust that I talked to about him and everything was, you know, right at the top of the list as far as that (character).
“Then, just going through having him here, getting to know him as a person, talking football with him, I think he’s got a chance to be a really good player in this league.”
Ballard described Richardson as “smart” and a hard worker, too.
“We knew after we spent our time, worked him out, spent a lot of time with him, just felt really good about who he was as a person,” Ballard said. “Of course, he’s still young but just felt really good about who he was.”
One of the areas of growth for Richardson will be in his accuracy – he completed 54 percent of his passes in 2022, and while there’s more context to that number than meets the eye, it’ll have to improve at the NFL level.
Steichen, though, said earlier this year he believes accuracy can be improved through coaching and scheme; Ballard agreed with that belief on Thursday.
“One thing we’re seeing in the league now is guys you can work on and get them more accurate,” Ballard said. “Just footwork, fundamentals, there are certain things I think we can do and I think you’ve seen guys jump in our league. I think you’ll see him jump.”
Something else that’ll help with Richardson’s development, too: Playing more. But that doesn’t mean Richardson will walk into the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on Friday as the Colts’ starting quarterback; he’ll have to earn reps both in practice and games.
“The development of players comes with more experience,” Steichen said. “(Richardson had) 13 starts, I think when you play more, that’s how you develop. You know what I mean? So, with him playing and his experience as a player and getting more reps, practice reps, game reps, I think that’s how you develop.”
INDIANS BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Columbus Clippers plated seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to break up a pitcher’s duel between two MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects and defeat the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday afternoon at Victory Field, 7-0.
Indians starter Quinn Priester (L, 1-3) had allowed just one hit through the first four innings before being tagged for four runs in the fifth inning. The Clippers (11-13) sent 11 batters to the plate in the lone half inning of scoring.
Gavin Williams (W, 1-0) allowed three hits with three walks and six strikeouts through 5.1 shutout frames in his Triple-A debut with Columbus. All three of the Indians (9-15) hits were singles and occurred during the first four innings of the contest.
It was the first time the Indians have been shut out since Aug. 18, 2022 vs. Iowa.
Indianapolis will look to even the series tomorrow night in a 7:05 PM ET first pitch at Victory Field. RHP Osvaldo Bido (1-1, 2.81) will take the mound for the Indians against RHP Hunter Gaddis (0-0, -.–).
INDIANA BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It will be a matchup of the top two teams in the Big Ten as the Indiana baseball program looks to stay atop the conference standings when it hosts a three-game series with Maryland at Bart Kaufman Field. The series begins on Friday (April 28) with a 6 p.m. first pitch.
Indiana (31-11, 9-3 B1G) is riding an eight-game winning streak into the series and has won seven straight weekend series. Maryland (27-15, 8-4 B1G) has won four straight and has not dropped a Big Ten series since April 2021.
Promotions
Friday First Pitch: Indiana women’s basketball student-athlete Mackenzie Holmes will throw out the first pitch prior to the game.
Upland Craft Beer Day: Upland Brewing will host a sampling event on the right field terrace for fans over the age of 21 on Saturday (April 29). The event will feature eight different selections and start at Noon and run until 2:30 p.m. Fans wishing to participate must receive a red wristband to enter the right field terrace.
Saturday is Bark In The Park: Fans are allowed to bring dogs into Bart Kaufman Field. Any fan who brings their dog is required to sign a waiver to allow their dog into the stadium. Waivers will be located and collected at the marketing table.
Sunday is Baseball Bingo and Kids Run the Bases/Postgame Autographs: Bingo cards are available at the marketing table with prizes from Bucceto’s. After the game, all kids 12 and under are invited to come down to the field and run the bases.
Giveaways
Saturday – 2013 College World Series 10-Year Anniversary Trading Card Set to the first 250 fans.
Sunday – 2013 College World Series 10-Year Anniversary Poster to the first 250 fans.
Quick Hitter
Indiana Maryland will meet of the 22nd time overall and 21st as members of the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 13-8 all-time against the Terrapins.
The Hoosiers have won 22 of 23 home games in 2023. Its 15-straight to open the season marks the longest home winning streak in Bart Kaufman Field history and the second-longest streak in program history.
Freshman Devin Taylor began his 31-game reached base streak in his first career start at Texas (2/25), which is the longest streak for an IU freshman since at least 2005.
Taylor earned his third B1G Freshman of the Week award on April 17 and joined some exclusive company at IU and the Big Ten in the process.
Fellow freshmen Tyler Cerny (freshman) and Ethan Phillips (pitcher) each earned B1G “of the week” honors after their roles in a five-win week from April 17-23.
Sophomore Luke Sinnard struck out 12 Iowa batters over six scoreless innings for his second career double-digit strikeout game of the season.
Senior Phillip Glasser enters the week with a 42-game reached base and has 22 multi-hit games in that span. The 42-game reached base streak is the second-longest by a Hoosier since at least 2005.
Glasser is also among the top-50 active hitters in a bevy of categories, including No. 5 with 255 career hits.
Head coach Jeff Mercer became the eighth IU skipper to reach 100 victories in the cream and crimson with a series finale win at Auburn on February 19, 2023. He then won his 200th career game as a head coach at Illinois on April 15.
Scouting the Opponents
Maryland enters the weekend in second place in the Big Ten with an 8-4 overall record, just one game back of Indiana’s 9-3 mark. Overall, the Terrapins are 27-15, which includes a 13-6 mark in true road games.
Senior Nick Lorusso leads the Big Ten in RBIs (66) and total bases (123) and is tied for the conference lead in home runs (15), a total that is tied for No. 27 nationally.
Junior Matt Shaw is tied atop the conference charts with Lorusso at 15 home runs to go along with 45 RBIs and a team-high 14 stolen bases. Shaw’s 117 total bases rank No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 21 nationally.
The starting pitching trio of Nick Dean (2-1), Kyle McCoy (3-5) and Jason Savacool (4-4) have factored into 19 decisions with season with nine victories. Savacool is No. 6 in the Big Ten with 59 strikeouts in 60 innings over a team-best 10 starts.
In the bullpen, seven different Terrapin relievers have collected saves, led by Dave Falco’s six. Only two relievers that have logged more than 15 innings enter with an ERA of under 5.00.
Inside the Series
Indiana is 13-8 all-time against Maryland, which includes a 12-8 mark in Big Ten Conference contests, since the Terrapins joined the conference in 2014-15.
The first meeting came in DeLand, Florida, during the 1987 season as part of an early-season southern trip. Indiana won that contest 8-5 and finished its trip with a 9-3 record on the nine-day stay in Florida.
Neither team has carried much of a winning streak in the series with Indiana’s five-game surge between 2017-18 the longest in the series. Maryland preceded that with a four-game streak from 2015-17.
The two teams played a pair of extra-inning games at the 2022 Big Ten Tournament. Maryland won 6-5 in 11 innings to open the tournament and Indiana knocked the Terrapins out of the event with a 6-4 victory.
Three of the last five meetings between the two programs have needed extra innings to decide, with 12 of the 21 all-time meetings decided by three-or-fewer runs.
PURDUE BASEBALL
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Rutgers (25-16, 7-5 Big Ten) at Purdue (19-21, 8-7 Big Ten)
Friday to Sunday, April 28-30
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Series Opener: Friday, April 28 at 6 p.m. ET on B1G+
Middle Game: Saturday, April 29 at 5 p.m. ET on BTN
Series Finale: Sunday, April 30 at Noon on B1G+
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Rutgers leads 10-8
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 5-4
2022: Rutgers 10, Purdue 3 (May 26 at the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha)
Last Series: Rutgers won 2 of 3 (March 2021 in West Lafayette)
Purdue’s Last Series Win vs. RU: Purdue swept a 3-game set (April 2018 in West Lafayette)
First Meeting: Purdue 15, Rutgers 9 (March 1999 in Boca Raton, Fla.)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. RU’s Christian Coppola (Fr, RHP)
Saturday: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. RU’s Grant Besser (Jr, LHP)
Sunday: Kyle Iwinski (Jr, RHP) vs. RU’s Drew Conover (Jr, RHP)
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Friday: International Dance Night – Celebrating all styles of dance from around the world
Saturday: Purdue Baseball Alumni Day; Coasters Set 3 (of 4) Giveaway
Sunday: Bark in the Park Dog Day; Foldable Dog Bowl Giveaway; Kids Run the Bases Postgame
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball closes out its busy month of April and continues its season-long homestand by hosting Rutgers for a pivotal Big Ten series at Alexander Field.
First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Saturday’s game is set to be televised live by the Big Ten Network as Purdue’s third TV game of the conference season. Prior to Friday’s game, Mike Bolton Jr. will be presented with a commemorative base recognizing him as the team’s new stolen base record holder.
The Boilermakers have three conference weekends remaining and a home series against one of the four teams only a half-game ahead of them in the Big Ten standings is crucial in the race to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament (top eight). Illinois is one game behind Purdue for eighth place and also has only three league weekends left. The Boilermakers and Illini do not play each other in the regular season this year.
WEEKEND #6 OF BIG TEN PLAY
• Rutgers (7-5) at Purdue (8-7)
• Illinois (7-8) at Ohio State (3-12)
• Maryland (8-4) at Indiana (9-3)
• Iowa (7-5) at Penn State (5-7)
• Minnesota (4-8) at Nebraska (7-5)
• Northwestern (3-9) at Michigan State (7-5)
• Oklahoma State at Michigan (9-6) – Non-Conference
Rutgers has won six straight games and 10 of its last 11 dating back to April 9. Highlighted by a series sweep at Northwestern last weekend, the Scarlet Knights have won the first five games of their eight-game road stretch and now lead the Big Ten with 14 true road wins. Rutgers’ breakthrough 44-win season a year ago was powered by 22 true road wins. The Knights also won three straight games in Omaha in their debut at the Big Ten Tournament but lost to Michigan in the winner-take-all championship game. Their omission from the NCAA Tournament field was among the top headlines on Memorial Day a year ago.
Purdue has compiled an 8-8 record in April and this weekend marks the end of a stretch in which the team will have played 19 games in 29 days. The Boilermakers are idle from midweek play next week due to final exams on campus. After hosting South Dakota State on May 5-8 for their open weekend in Big Ten play, two more tough tests await over the final fortnight of the regular season. Indiana and Nebraska are a combined 53-26-1 this season and Purdue’s head-to-head records with those foes are not favorable in the locations where the series will be played – 2-12 vs. IU in Bloomington since 2013 and 0-6 vs. Nebraska at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers are at 8-7 in Big Ten play after five conference weekends, all of which have featured the series winner taking two of three. No sweeps for or against over five straight Big Ten weekends has not happened for Purdue since 2014. A fourth series win of the conference season this weekend would strength the Boilermakers’ Big Ten Tournament prospects and provide more margin for error in May. A home series win vs. Michigan from April 30 to May 2 last year did likewise for Purdue a year ago.
Rutgers has a roster loaded with New Jersey natives but one notable exception is Saturday’s probable starting pitcher, Indiana native Grant Besser (Berne/South Adams HS). The lefty moved into the weekend rotation April 7 at Maryland and has surrendered just seven hits over 13 innings over his three Big Ten starts. Freshman Christian Coppola is starting on Fridays and struck out 12 in a shutout win vs. Michigan on April 14.
Rutgers averages only six strikeouts per game at the plate (best in the Big Ten) and owns a solid .975 team fielding percentage. Over their first four conference weekends, the Knights have 55 walks vs. 56 strikeouts as a team. On the mound, RU’s .238 batting average against and 4.48 ERA are both second in the Big Ten.
ACTIVE NOTABLE STREAKS
• Connor Caskenette – 18-game on-base; 11-game hit; 13-game on-base in Big Ten play; 10-game hit at Alexander
• Jake Parr – 14-game on-base; 10-game hit in Big Ten play; 8-game run scored; 8-game on-base at Alexander
• Paul Toetz – 12-game on-base; 8-game on-base at Alexander/Big Ten play; 6-game hit in Big Ten play
• Couper Cornblum – 7-game hit, 6-game RBI (RBI streak is Purdue’s longest since Cam Thompson [13] in 2022)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 5-game on-base/stolen base/run scored
CASKENETTE’S 18-GAME ON-BASE STREAK (Since March 26)
• 20-for-66 (.303/.378/.515), 5 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 4 BB, 4 HBP, 11 R
PARR’S 14-GAME ON-BASE STREAK (Since April 2)
• 19-for-48 (.396/.482/.646), 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 13 R, SB
TOETZ’S 12-GAME ON-BASE STREAK (Since April 8)
• 17-for-45 (.378/.451/.511), 6 2B, 9 RBI, 5 BB, HBP, 9 R
CORNBLUM’S 7-GAME HIT STREAK (Since April 15)
• 11-for-30 (.367/.424/.500), 4 2B, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 5 R, 4 SB
IWINSKI’S FIRST 2 STARTS AT ALEXANDER FIELD
• March 2 vs. Northwestern: ND, 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, R, 0 BB, 5 K
• April 15 vs. Penn State: W, 8 IP, 6 H, R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Combined: 14 2/3 IP, 9 H, 2 R, ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 0.61 ERA, .180 B/Avg
STEPHEN SINCE THE HOME SEASON BEGAN (March 15)
• 4-1, 6 GS, 33 2/3 IP, 26 H, 13 BB, 37 K, 3.48 ERA, .208 B/Avg
CONSECUTIVE 20-STEAL SEASONS
• Dave Scheitlin – 26 in 1990, 30 in 1991 /// 2-Year Total: 56
• Jeff Allison – 23 in 1986, 33 in 1987 /// 2-Year Total: 56
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 28 in 2022, 25 in 2023 /// 2-Year Total: 53
• Chris Detrick – 21 in 1980, 25 in 1981 /// 2-Year Total: 46
• Chris Walker – 20 in 1998, 21 in 1999 /// 2-Year Total: 41
THREE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 10+ STEALS (Since 1970)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 17 in 2021, 28 in 2022, 25 in 2023 /// 3-Year Total: 70
• Dave Scheitlin – 12 in 1989, 26 in 1990, 30 in 1991 /// 3-Year Total: 68
• Chris Walker – 20 in 1998, 21 in 1999, 15 in 2000 /// 3-Year Total: 56
• Stephen Talbott – 17 in 2011, 15 in 2012, 18 in 2013 /// 3-Year Total: 50
• Jermaine Allensworth – 16 in 1991, 14 in 1992, 18 in 1993 /// 3-Year Total: 48
• Eric Charles – 15 in 2010, 11 in 2011, 16 in 2012 /// 3-Year Total: 42
• Daniel Underwood – 13 in 2000, 11 in 2001, 13 in 2002 /// 3-Year Total: 37
BUTLER BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Creighton and Butler will play a three-game series at Bulldog Park this weekend. Friday’s contest will stream at 4 PM on FloSports.com as a BIG EAST Digital Network production. Game two will begin at 1 PM and the finale on Sunday will feature an 11 AM start.
Probable Pitchers
RHP Nick Miketinac vs. Dominic Cancellieri (RHP)
LHP Cory Bosecker vs. Ryan Windham (RHP)
RHP Lukas Galdoni vs. TBA
Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 28 – 4 PM
Saturday, April 29 – 1 PM
Sunday, April 30 – 11 AM
Scouting Creighton
The Bluejays are 19-15 overall after hosting a pair of games vs. UNLV this week. CU lost 10-7 to the Rebels on Tuesday night, but regrouped for an 8-7 walk-off win on Wednesday. In conference action, Creighton swept St. John’s last weekend to move their BIG EAST record to 6-3. The conference schedule opened with Creighton hosting Villanova and winning two of three. Georgetown would then stand strong on their home diamond and record two wins against the visiting Bluejays.
Head Coach Ed Servais is in his 20th season at Creighton. He guided the team to a 31-win campaign in 2022 while collecting his 600th career win. The 2023 club is led by sophomore outfielder Nolan Sailors and Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Jack Grace. Sailors is batting .321 with 11 doubles, three triples and four home runs. Grace is a home run hitter at the DH spot with nine round-trippers in 2023 to lead the team. On the mound, Creighton came into the season with three all-conference talents on the roster. Ryan Windham is having the best year with a 4-1 record to go along with a 3.75 ERA. Over 50.1 innings, Windham has struck out 39 batters and has only issued 16 walks. The team strikeout leader is Dominic Cancellie and the closer is Tommy Steier.
Recent History vs. the Bluejays
Creighton has found success against Butler since the two teams joined the BIG EAST Conference in 2014. The Bluejays are 17-4 against BU and they have not lost to the Bulldogs since 2019. Inclement weather shortened the regular season series between the two clubs in 2021, 2018 and 2017. The 2018 series was shifted to SIUE due to heavy rainfall. Butler’s last win came in the final game of the 2019 series 5-0. They split the games at SIUE in 2018 and at Bulldog Park in 2017. Butler’s first conference win over CU was game two of the 2015 series.
BIG EAST Standings
Xavier 7-2, 26-15
UConn 6-3, 30-11
Creighton 6-3, 18-15
Seton Hall 5-4, 21-18
Georgetown 6-6, 23-18
Villanova 5-7, 10-28
St. John’s 2-7, 19-18
Butler 2-7, 9-31
Upcoming BIG EAST Schedule
Creighton at Butler
UConn at Villanova
Seton Hall at Xavier
St. John’s at Georgetown
BIG EAST Series Win
Butler won the first two games at Seton Hall to win their first BIG EAST series of the year. The Bulldogs ended the 2022 season by taking two of three vs. Seton Hall.
Last Week
Scott Jones hit .471 last week with a home run and four RBI. He was one of Bulldogs to hit over .300 during the five-game stretch. Kollyn All hit .400 with a double and a triple. Joey Urban led BU with three doubles and five RBI. Jake DeFries and Garret Gray also played well by supplying the ‘Dawgs with four RBI each. On the mound, wins went to Cole Graverson and Dawson Taylor.
Bulldog Bits
– 171 of Butler’s 306 hits this season are from newcomers (55.8%)
– Joey Urban leads the team in batting average, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs
– Urban and Carter Dorighi are the only Bulldogs to start in all 40 games this year
– Four of Butler’s five highest scoring games this year have been recorded in the last 15 days
– Butler hit three triples on Tuesday, marking the fifth time this season they have hit three in a single-game
– Scott Jones made the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday 4/24
– Jones went 4-for-4 at Seton Hall on Saturday with an RBI and two runs scored
– Jones leads the BIG EAST with four triples
– DeFries, Urban, and Dorighi are right behind him with three each
– Butler leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks 11th in the NCAA in triples with 17
– Billy Wurch ranks second in the BIG EAST in sacrifice bunts (6)
– Jake DeFries ranks third in the conference in sac flies (4)
– Joey Urban has 11 RBI over his last nine games
– Kollyn All has seven hits, five runs, and three RBI over Butler’s last five games
– Xavier Carter recorded 13 hits during February and March (23 games) and has 20 in April (15 games)
– Jake DeFries had four hits, two RBI and two runs scored in the Seton Hall series
– Ryan O’Halloran had a season-high three RBI in the Saturday win over Seton Hall
– Garret Gray hit the first triple of his collegiate career Saturday in New Jersey
– Cole Graverson struck out three and only allowed one hit in two appearances at SHU (2.1 IP)
– Clay Holzworth didn’t allow a run over 2.2 innings of work over the weekend
– Dawson Taylor hasn’t allowed a run over his last two outings
– Cory Bosecker has thrown 90+ pitches in each of his last three starts
– Bosecker leads the team in starts (10), innings pitched (51.2) and strikeouts (53)
– Graverson, Taylor and Jon Vore have all appeared in 14 games for BU
Streaks
Jake DeFries and Kollyn All are both on five-game hitting streak for BU. Joey Urban has reached base safely in 11-straight games!
Up Next
Butler will begin the month of May with a midweek game at Evansville on Wednesday. That contest will begin at 6 PM on ESPN+.
IUPUI SOFTBALL
DETROIT, Mich. – The IUPUI softball team completed the two dub day at Detroit Mercy on Thursday with the offense racking up 17 runs on 20 hits. Madison Bryant and Alexa Holman each earned wins on the day.
In game one, Bryant threw a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and just two walks while the Jaguar offense took care of the rest. The Jags were efficient at the plate totaling eight runs on nine hits.
IUPUI opened the game up in the third inning with four runs. Kendal Calvert hit a bunt single to score Kasie Keyes to put the Jags on the board first, 1-0. Jaida Speth followed with a single through the left side scoring Calvert. Kayla Freiberg continued the scoring with a two-run homer over the left field wall, 4-0.
In the top of the fifth inning, IUPUI added three more runs. Freiberg added to her RBI column with a double to right center to score Speth. Victoria Sivert then singled to left center to score Rachael Gregory and Freiberg giving the Jags the 7-0 lead.
The Jags ended the game an inning early with one more run in the sixth inning run ruling the Titans, 8-0. Speth reached on a fielding error which allowed Kennedy Cowan to score.
Bryant earned the win in the circle for the Jags with the complete game shutout. Freiberg went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs while Speth went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs.
IUPUI continued their impressive plate appearances in the second game totaling nine runs on 11 hits to earn the 9-3 win.
Detroit Mercy refused to be shut out in game two jumping on the scoreboard first with one run in the second inning and two runs in the third inning, 3-0.
IUPUI quickly fought back with three runs in the fourth inning. Freiberg continued her dominant day with her second two-run home run. Kinsey Pfeiffer singled to right field to score Gregory and tie the game at 3-3.
In the top of the sixth inning, IUPUI took a lengthy lead with six runs. Keyes singled through the right side to score Kelli Riordan and Gregory giving the Jags the lead, 5-3. With the bases loaded, Cowan was hit by pitch to score Sivert followed by Calvert with a sac fly to score Keyes. Speth then knocked a triple down the right field line to score Cowan and Maicey Bedrick sealing the Jags’ lead at 9-3.
Holman earned the win in the circle for IUPUI throwing a complete game giving up three runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Gregory recorded a 4-for-4 game with two runs while Speth, Freiberg and Keyes all collected two RBI.
IUPUI now sits in fifth in the Horizon League and will finish the three-game series with Detroit Mercy with one game on Saturday at noon.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team returns to the road for another Mid-American Conference matchup. The Cardinals are scheduled for a three-game series with the Bowling Green Falcons beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 11 a.m., while Sunday’s contest is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Cardinals are coming off a 9-8 loss against the Hoosiers on Tuesday. Ball State enters the weekend series with an overall record of 26-14 and a MAC mark of 13-5. Bowling Green boasts 14-23 overall record and is 8-13 in conference play.
Ryan Peltier was named MAC Players of the Week after he led Ball State five home runs and posted a team-high 12 RBIs. He recorded a .368 batting average and finished the week with seven runs scored and one triple. In the weekend series against NIU, he hit five home runs, a triple, and a single. He also drew one walk and was a perfect 1-for-1 on stolen base attempts. In Sunday’s 15-5 victory, he hit three home runs and became the 38th play to hit three home runs in a single game. Defensively, he produced a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with three putouts and five assists.
Gold Glove Peltier
At the conclusion of last season, Ryan Peltier was honored as the best defensive third baseman in the NCAA and received an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. After being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team for back-to-back seasons, Peltier was awarded the first Gold Glove in BSU history. He was a 2023 Preseason All-American honoree from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Peltier is second on the team with a .398 batting average, which is tied for 38th in the NCAA and second in the MAC. He has pelted a team-best 12 homers and has a team-high 43 RBIs. His 12 home runs are tied for 81st in the NCAA and are tied for fifth in the conference. He has a slugging percentage of .733, which is 48th in the country and second in the MAC. Peltier has scored 55 runs, which is tied for ninth in the NCAA and is first the MAC. He leads the team in doubles with 14 and he has added two triples. His 14 doubles are tied for 76th in the NCAA and are tied for fourth in the conference.
What Can Brown Do for You?
Ryan Brown was named the No. 49 prospect in college baseball by D1 Baseball. Brown was the only Mid-American Conference player selected to the top-100 list. He was also tabbed as one of the top mid-major prospects for the 2023 season. Brown also landed on the 2023 MLB Draft: Rising Righthanded Pitchers watch list. Last season, Brown earned recognition as a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American along with the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team.
Brown currently has 54 strikeouts, which is second on the team. He his 4-1 on the year and has thrown 27 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .170 against him for the season. He has a 4.88 ERA.
Don’t Mess with Tex
Trennor O’Donnell leads the team with a 2.89 ERA. His ERA is tied for the 63rd best in the country and is first in the MAC. His 63 strikeouts are tied for 89th in the NCAA and eighth in the MAC. He has a 3-2 record and has thrown 56 innings. Opponents are hitting just .235 against him.
Scouting the Cardinals
Decker Scheffler is second on the squad with .372 batting average, which is tied for 111th in the NCAA and is fourth in the MAC. He has 34 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 10 doubles, four homers, and three triples. His three triples are tied for 76th in the country and tied for second in the conference. Scheffler is tied for 119th as the toughest player to strikeout in the NCAA and is fourth in the MAC. Adam Tellier is third on the team with a .313 average. He has 40 runs scored, 25 RBIs, 20 walks, 10 doubles, four home runs, and three triples. His three triples are tied for 76th in the NCAA and are tied for second in the MAC. Justin Conant rounds out the .300 hitters with a .306 average. He has19 runs scored, 16 walks, 10 RBIs, four doubles, two triples, and one home run. Nick Gregory might only be hitting .257, but he leads the team with 38 walks. His 38 walks are tied for 19th in the NCAA and are second in the MAC. He has scored 35 runs and driven in 17 runs. Blake Bevis is second on the team with 10 home runs and is hitting .283 for the year.
Logan Schulfer is third on the team with 45 strikeouts. He as a 2-2 record with a 6.61 ERA. Ty Weatherly has 44 strikeouts on the season and is fourth on the staff. He has a 7.28 ERA in 38 1/3 innings of work and a 1-1 record. Ty Johnson is fifth on the team with 41 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings of work. He has a 3-2 record with a 3.78 ERA and has two saves. Tanner Knapp has 36 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He is 2-2 on the season with a 6.13 ERA. Sam Klein has 28 strikeouts. He is 4-1 on the season with a 3.92 ERA. Jacob Hartlaub is the remaining pitcher with more that 20 strikeouts, with 25. He has a 3-2 record with a 6.45 ERA.
Ball State vs. Bowling Green: The Series
The Cardinals and the Falcons will meet for the 134th time on Saturday. Ball State holds a 68-63-2 record against Bowling Green. BSU won all four meetings last season. Ball State are 21-33 at Bowling Green. The Cardinals are 34-14 all time against the Falcons under Head Coach Rich Maloney.
Scouting the Falcons
DJ Newman leads Bowling Green with a .355 batting average. He has scored 18 runs, driven in seven runs, has three doubles, and one home run. Kyle Gurney is the only other player above .300 with a .326 average. He has 23 runs scored, 22 RBIs, 10 doubles, and four home runs. Nathan Rose leads the team with 34 RBIs, 14 doubles, and has a team-best five home runs.
Gage Schenk leads the pitching staff with 46 strikeouts. He has a 2-5 record with a team-best 4.25 ERA. Peyton Wilson is second on the squad with 38 strikeouts. He has a 1-5 record with a 7.63 ERA. Connar Penrod has a team-best record of 4-0 in 23 2/3 innings. He has 33 strikeouts.
MAC Standings
1. Kent State – 28-12, 13-5
2. Central Michigan – 27-13, 13-5
3. Ball State – 26-14, 13-5
4. Ohio – 16-20, 13-5
5. Western Michigan – 13-24, 10-7
6. Toledo – 20-21, 8-10
7. Miami – 14-29, 9-12
8. Bowling Green – 14-23, 8-13
9. Eastern Michigan – 18-21, 7-14
10. Akron – 14-27, 6-15
11. Northern Illinois – 7-32, 4-13
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Irish (23-16) are back at Frank Eck this weekend as they take on the Florida State Seminoles (14-25) in another ACC match up this weekend. The three-game series starts on Friday, April 28 at home as the Irish look to build on their momentum in conference play.
Florida State Heads to South Bend
The Fighting Irish resume ACC play with the Seminoles this weekend after sweeping No. 8 Virginia at home last weekend.
The Irish have yet to play a game at home on a Saturday. Notre Dame is looking to play their first home Saturday game this weekend as every weekend series at home so far this season has been moved to a Sunday doubleheader.
The Irish trail the overall series against Florida State 14-21, going 5-7 at home, 7-12 at FSU, and 2-1 at neutral sites.
The last Irish and Seminole match up was in the 2022 ACC Tournament as the Irish downed Florida State 5-3 in pool play.
In the regular season, Notre Dame swept the Seminoles on the road, winning game one 2-0 (12), winning game two 5-4, and winning game three 9-7.
Carter Putz led the Irish in game one with two hits and one run, led the Irish in game two with three hits and two runs, and finished game three with two hits, two RBI, and three runs. Aidan Tyrell took home his fourth win of the 2022 season in game three of the sweep.
Link Jarrett returns to Frank Eck for the first time after leading the Irish to their 2022 College World Series run in Omaha for the first time since 2002.
Irish Take on MSU for the Second Time This Season
The Irish fell to the Spartans for the second time this season on Tuesday, April 25 in East Lansing.
Tied at 5-5 in the sixth, Michigan State recorded a six-run inning in the seventh to take the lead 11-5. The Spartans would tack on one more run in the bottom of the eighth to take the win 12-5.
Carter Putz and Brady Gumpf led the Irish with two hits a piece and DM Jefferson recorded his first triple of the season.
The Irish fell to Michigan State in their first extra-inning game of the season at Frank Eck Stadium on Tuesday, April 11 in the first Irish-MSU matchup of the season.
TJ Williams went 3-4 on the day, recording four RBI and his third home run of the year. Zack Prajzner finished the day with two hits as he tallied homer number four of the season.
Falling 7-6 after a Spartan home run in the top of the 11th, the Irish were unable to get the offense rolling in the bottom frame and dropped their first midweek of the season.
Notre Dame Sweeps No. 8 Virginia
The Irish notched their first sweep of the season as they downed No. 8 Virginia at Frank Eck Stadium April 21-23, playing in their fifth doubleheader of the season.
The Irish recorded six home runs in the first win of the series on Friday night as Estevan Moreno led the way with three homers for the Irish. Jack Penney, DM Jefferson, and Brady Gumpf each recorded a home run as well in the 10-7 victory. Penney leads the Irish with nine home runs on the season.
Jefferson’s long ball was the first home run of his career as Gumpf tallied his first homer of the 2023 season.
The Irish finished with a season-high 17 hits in the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday, April 23 as they took home the series with a 10-2 win.
Jack Penney led the Irish with four hits, followed by Zack Prajzner and DM Jefferson who recorded three hits a piece. Carter Putz and Vinny Martinez finished with two hits, while TJ Williams, Danny Neri, and Estevan Moreno each finished with one hit in the win.
The Irish capped off their weekend sweep with a 5-4 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.
Blake Hely finished with a season-high 7.1 innings pitched and season-high eight strikeouts as he took home his second win of the season in the final game.
Vinny Martinez batted .700 in the series against No. 8 Virginia, finishing the weekend with seven hits, six RBI, three runs, two doubles, and one home run.
Valparaiso and Western Michigan Come to Frank Eck
The Irish defeated Valparaiso and Western Michigan in their home midweeks to advance to 8-4 at home.
Winning 7-3 over Valpo, the Irish were led by Vinny Martinez who finished the day with two home runs. He also recorded three hits, three runs, and two RBI.
The Irish defeated Western Michigan 2-1 on Wednesday at home as they were led by TJ Williams, who finished with two hits, including a double to left center field.
Irish Travel to Clemson
Notre Dame took game one of the three-game series at Clemson as the Irish offense was hot to start the series, recording 11 hits while winning 10-4 on Friday.
The 10-4 victory was sparked by a big third inning as Notre Dame picked up their eighth ACC win of the year.
Jack Penney and Brooks Coetzee each recorded three hits a piece in the win with Coetzee also recording three RBI and Penney recording two runs.
TJ Williams also tallied his fourth home run of the year in the fifth inning for a two-run home run that extended the lead 8-2.
The Irish fell 5-1 in game two on Saturday and 6-4 in game three on Sunday.
The Irish are now 8-10 in the ACC after dropping the Clemson series on the road.
Michigan State Matchup at Frank Eck
The Irish fell to Michigan State in their first extra-inning game of the season at Frank Eck Stadium on Tuesday, April 11.
TJ Williams went 3-4 on the day, recording four RBI and his third home run of the year. Zack Prajzner finished the day with two hits as he tallied homer number four of the season.
Falling 7-6 after a Spartan home run in the top of the 11th, the Irish were unable to get the offense rolling in the bottom frame and dropped their first midweek of the season.
Conference Play Resumes at Pitt
The Irish took the series at Pitt after winning games one and two on Thursday and Friday. After winning 10-8 in game one, the Irish took game two 11-2 after a big offensive frame in the ninth.
The Irish fell short of the sweep as they dropped Sunday’s game 9-5 against the Panthers.
A six-run first inning gave the Irish an early advantage in game one as Danny Neri capped off the scoring frenzy with his fourth home run of the year in the top of the first.
Jack Penney led off the second with his seventh home run of the season as he homered to right center to tack on another run for Notre Dame and make it a score of 7-2.
The Panthers were able to close the gap to 10-8 with just one out in the bottom of the ninth as Sammy Cooper would come in to close for the Irish.
Pitt chopped a ground ball to Penney at third who turned a double play to preserve the Irish lead. Cooper picked up his second save of the season as Notre Dame took home the 10-8 victory to open the series.
Jackson Dennies started on the mound in game two and finished the day pitching 4.2 innings, recording six strikeouts, and allowing no runs and just one hit.
Leading 4-1 heading into the top of the ninth, the Irish offense dominated in the final inning scoring seven runs off of six hits in the frame to go on and take the 11-2 win.
Irish Take on Northwestern
The Irish are now five-for-five in midweek matchups as they defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 12-0 on Tuesday, April 4 at Frank Eck.
Notre Dame is now 6-3 after their second shutout win of the season.
Jack Penney recorded his sixth homerun of the year in the bottom of the seventh and Joey Spence would record his first career home run in the bottom of the eight for a two-run homerun to extend the Irish lead 12-0 heading into the ninth.
The Irish will face the Wildcats again on the road on Tuesday, May 16.
UNC Heads to South Bend for Another ACC Series
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-11) dropped the three-game series at Frank Eck as they fell to No. 13 North Carolina (20-8) in games one and two of the series.
Looking for redemption after a tough loss to the Tar Heels on Friday night, the Irish fell 5-2 in the first game of day, but were able to take home the final game in a 9-1 victory on the home turf.
Jackson Dennies recorded a career-high seven strikeouts across 4.2 innings in the game three win. He also allowed just two hits, while giving up no runs and walking no batters.
Vinny Martinez had himself a weekend at the plate, recording five hits and five runs on the weekend, as well as three home runs and seven RBI.
Midweek Matchup at Frank Eck Against Butler
The Irish are 4-for-4 in their midweek matchups so far this season, with two neutral site wins over Saint Joseph’s in Holly Springs, a win over Valpo in the 2023 home opener, and a 4-0 win over Butler at Frank Eck.
Jackson Dennies started on the mound as he recorded a career-high six strikeouts across a career-high four innings pitched.
Irish Make History in Series Win Over No. 2 Louisville
The Notre Dame Fighting (12-9) Irish defeated the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals (19-4) in a historic fashion, taking the first game of the series on Friday, March 24 and the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday, March 26.
The 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon clinched the first-ever home series win over Louisville in program history. After falling 2-1 in the second game of the doubleheader, the Irish are now 4-5 in conference.
In game one, Notre Dame trailed 2-0 heading into the fifth.
The Irish held Louisville scoreless in the top of the inning, while the Irish offense really started to get hot in the bottom of the frame. The Irish led off with singles from DM Jefferson and TJ Williams, and a sac bunt from Jack Penney would put runners on second and third for Notre Dame.
Zack Prajzner scored both as he doubled down the left field line to add two Irish runs to the board and make it an even 2-2 ballgame. Zyska followed with a double of his own as he sent it to the wall in the left field gap to score Prajzner and take the lead 3-2.
The Cardinals would score another run in the top of the sixth to tie it up at 3-3.
The Irish immediately responded as Estevan Moreno ripped a home run to deep left, his second of the season, to put the Irish back on top at 4-3 and lead them to eventual 4-3 victory to take game one.
In Saturday’s doubleheader, the Cardinals would put their first run of the day on the board on the first pitch of the game as they opened up with a home run to right field to take an early 1-0 lead. And after leading off the top of the fifth with another home run, Louisville led 3-0.
Notre Dame wasn’t going anywhere, as the Irish bats started to get hot in the fifth. Notre Dame would score all five of their runs in the bottom of the inning. The Irish’s five runs would come off of just three three hits, all of which were home runs. Jack Penney would hit the first homer, followed by back-to-back home runs from Carter Putz and Brooks Coetzee.
The five-run inning lifted the Irish to a 5-4 win to clinch the series win over the Cardinals.
Notre Dame Opens up at Home Against Valparaiso
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took down the Beacons in the 106th matchup between Valpo and Notre Dame as the Irish lead the overall series 86-21 with the very first game taking place on May 14, 1918.
The Irish defeated Valpo in a 8-4 victory in their home opener on Tuesday, March 21 at Frank Eck.
Both graduate students, Zack Prajzner and Jack Zyska both recorded their first home runs of the season in Tuesday’s win. Prajzner’s homer to left field came in the bottom of the third and Zyska followed with his left field home run in the bottom of the fourth.
David Lally Jr. made his second career start on the mound, throwing 2.1 innings before he was relieved in the third inning by Carter Bosch. Bosch recorded a season-high six strikeouts across 3.2 innings and gave up no runs while allowing only two hits. Sammy Cooper came in to close in the top of the seventh, taking home his second win of the season.
Irish Resume Conference Play at No. 4 Wake Forest
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished the series 2-1 at no. 4 Wake Forest last weekend after falling in both doubleheader games on Saturday, but taking home Sunday’s game in a 3-1 victory.
The Irish are now 9-8 on the year and 2-4 in the ACC after the road series.
Due to Friday’s game being postponed for inclement weather, the Irish and Demon Deacons played a doubleheader on Saturday, March 18.
Wake Forest took game one 4-1 and game two 12-3.
Jackson Dennies started on the mound for the Irish in game one, finishing the day with three strikeouts while allowing two runs and five hits across 3.2 innings pitched.
Aidan Tyrell came in relief with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, throwing 3.1 innings, recording four strikeouts, and giving up just one run and one hit.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the third, Danny Neri led off for the Irish with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a sac bunt from TJ Williams. Estevan Moreno followed with his first hit of the day as he singled through the left side to score Neri for Notre Dame’s only run of the game
The Irish struggled to score in game two on Saturday. Trailing 12-1 heading into the top of the ninth, Connor Hincks singled to center field for his first career hit and was sent home on a two-run home run from Tony Lindwedel. Lindwedel’s first career home run would close the gap to 12-3 as Wake Forest took home the second game of the series.
Wake Forest was undefeated 14-0 at home so far this season until Notre Dame took game three with a score of 3-1.
The Irish offense sparked in the top of the second with a double to right center from Carter Putz, who scored after Jack Zyska hit a single to left field.
The Irish posted an early 1-0 lead, while Findlay continued to shut down the Demon Deacons from the mound as he closed the first two innings with three strikeouts.
DM Jefferson started the third with a lead-off single to center field and advanced to second on a passed ball with TJ Williams up to bat. Jefferson was able to score and tack on another run for the Irish as an RBI single from Brooks Coetzee brought Jefferson home for the 2-0 lead.
Coetzee led off the sixth with a double to right center field, which was followed by a walk from Putz. With runners on first and second and Jack Penney up to bat, Coetzee was able to steal third on a wild pitch. Penney reached on a fielder’s choice, recording an RBI as Coetzee ran home to give the Irish a 3-0 edge heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Findlay recorded his 10th strikeout of the day before he was relieved by Blake Hely with two outs in the sixth. Findlay absolutely dominated from the mound, throwing 10 strikes across 5.2 innings and allowing just two hits and no runs.
Midweek matchup in Holly Springs
The Irish took down the Hawks on Tuesday, March 14, and Wednesday, March 15, in their first midweek matchup of the year.
Notre Dame defeated Saint Joseph’s 6-3 on Tuesday and 10-9 on Wednesday at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs, NC..
Matt Bedford made his first start of the year in game one and freshman David Lally Jr. made his first career start on the mound in game two.
Carter Putz recorded his second home run of the year in game one with a 440’ rocket to right field in the game one win.
The Irish took game two in a close 10-9 win, finishing the game with a bases loaded walk-off HBP as Coetzee was hit by the pitch for the fourth time that game for the walk-off win.
Putz, Penney, and Neri each recorded their third home runs of the year in game two against Saint Joseph’s.
Conference Play Opens Up at Georgia Tech
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish start the 2023 conference season 1-2 in the ACC after falling in games one and two, but taking home game three against the Yellow Jackets on the road.
The Irish fell in a close one on Friday night (March 10) at Russ Chandler Stadium. While the Irish trailed 2-0 early, a strong fifth inning that included five singles allowed Notre Dame to put four runs on the board to take the lead 4-3. However, the bottom of the seventh inning would lift the Yellow Jackets to the 7-4 victory in game one.
Due to Sunday’s weather, a double header was played on Saturday where the Yellow Jackets took the first game of the day 15-2.
While the Irish struggled to find the strike zone, the Yellow Jackets were hot from the plate, bringing in nine runs in the first three innings.
The Fighting Irish scored their first run of the day in the top of the third after Estevan Moreno singled up the middle and was sent home from an RBI double down the right field line from Jack Penney.
The Yellow Jackets would tack on another two runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead 11-1 and wouldn’t score again until the bottom of the seventh.
Freshman Caden Spivey made his debut on the mound in the bottom of the fourth, striking out his very first batter faced. Spivey allowed only one hit and gave up no runs in his two innings pitched.
Norte Dame wasn’t going anywhere though, as they came out strong to start the second game of the day and went on to take the final game 17-4. The Irish finished with 16 hits, their best offensive outing of the season.
Zack Prajzner started the Irish offense with a double to left field, followed by a base hit from Brooks Coetzee. Nick Juaire reached first after being hit by a pitch and it was bases loaded for the Irish. Jack Zyska was walked in his first at bat of the game, which scored Prajzner and put Notre Dame on the board 1-0.
Jack Penney stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and two outs and crushed a ball down the right field line for a grand slam. Penney’s second home run of the season scored Coetzee, Juaire, and Zyska to give the Irish the 5-0 advantage after one.
Leading 5-2 heading into the third, Carter Putz led off and started the inning with his first home run of the season with a 418’ homer to deep center field. Juaire followed with a base hit to left field and scored on an RBI double from Penny, his fifth RBI of the game.
Jackson Dennies started on the mound for the Irish, pitching 2.2 innings, throwing three strikeouts, and giving up three runs.
Dennies would give up one run in the bottom of the third before he was relieved by Aidan Tyrell, who finished with a game-high five strikeouts. Tyrell allowed no runs and only gave two hits across four innings pitched.
Vinny Martinez kept the offense going with a 434’ rocket out to left field, his first home run of the season with the Irish in the top of the seventh. Notre Dame tacked on another five runs in the seventh to take home the 17-4 victory.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team plays host to the top team in the ACC this weekend as the Fighting Irish welcome No. 4 Florida State to Melissa Cook Stadium this weekend. The series is set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, playing at 6 p.m., 1 p.m., and noon, respectively. Friday night’s matchup will air live on ACC Network, with the final two games being streamed on ACC Network Extra. There will be recognitions of each of the senior class and our graduate students throughout the weekend, with the full senior day ceremony celebrating Brooke Marquez, Leea Hanks, Lexi Orozco, Macie Eck, Payton Tidd, Miranda Johnson and Joley Mitchell prior to first pitch of the final game of the series.
The Irish enter the weekend at 29-13-1 overall and 11-9-1 in the ACC. Notre Dame is tied for the league lead with 121 runs scored in conference play. Notre Dame has won the series against its last three conference opponents, taking two of three games at Louisville and Boston College, with a home series victory over nationally ranked Virginia Tech.
Notre Dame’s offense is one of the top in the ACC, hitting for a league-best .328 average. Joley Mitchell leads the Irish offense with a .388 average and 14 stolen bases. Mitchell has started every game at third base this season, connecting on 50 hits, seven doubles, nine home runs and bringing in 39 runs. Carlli Kloss adds a .372 average and a .435 on-base percentage at the top of the lineup. She’s tied for the team with 20 extra-base hits, with a team-best 14 doubles and 40 runs scored. Karina Gaskins and Lexi Orozco have traded the home run title throughout the season. Gaskins currently leads the team with 14 home runs, with another 39 RBI. Orozco leads the team with 42 RBI, having hit 13 home runs of her own.
Payton Tidd leads the pitching staff. The graduate student owns a 2.75 ERA in a team-best 26 appearances, with 21 starts. She’s logged 135.0 innings and ranks 10th in the conference with 99 strikeouts. With one more strikeout, it’ll be just the second time in her five-year career that she’s eclipsed the 100 strikeout plateau in a season, and the first time since her freshman season. Micaela Kastor owns a 2.16 ERA, ranking near the top in the conference. In her 23 appearances, she’s logged 71.1 innings, striking out 65 and holding opponents to a .218 average against. Shannon Becker adds seven wins in 25 appearances in the circle. She’s picked up a pair of saves as she’s thrown 70.2 innings. She adds 56 strikeouts and has thrown two complete games in her 12 starts.
Florida State enters the weekend as the top dog in the ACC, and one of the top teams in the nation. The Seminoles at 16-2 in league action, having won all six conference series to this point, and are coming off of a sweep of No. 22 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. FSU has dropped conference games to Virginia at home and Duke on the road, both of which game in the second game of the series, and each were decided by a single run.
The offense hits for a .308 team average, led by Jahni Kerr. Kerr owns a .364 clip in 45 games. She adds 10 doubles, eight homers and has driven in 28. Kaley Mudge, Hallie Wacaser and Katie Dack each have a .333 average. Mudge adds 18 extra-base hits, Dack leads the team with 10 home runs and Wacaser has 10 doubles. The Seminoles exercise a patient approach up and down the lineup, drawing 203 walks, tops in the ACC and ranking second nationally behind a team that Notre Dame defeated earlier this season, UNC Greensboro (217).
FSU’s pitching staff is one of the best in the country, owning a 1.66 ERA across seven pitchers. Freshman Makenna Reid is 10-0 in her rookie season, owning a 1.01 ERA. She’s thrown 55.2 innings, allowing just eight earned runs and recording four saves. Kathryn Sandercock is the workhorse on the Seminole staff, recording 117.1 innings, allowing just 18 earned runs and opponents hit .185 against her. She leads the FSU staff with 18 wins and six saves while owning a 1.07 ERA. Allison Royalty, Ali DuBois and Mack Leonard each have over 10 appearances on the season. Every FSU pitcher has made a minimum five appearances out of the bullpen. In 48 games, Sandercock is the only pitcher to have gone this distance with six complete games.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball will welcome the Missouri State Bears to Price Field this weekend for a three-game MVC series set to begin Friday, April 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
Friday and Sunday’s contests will be streamed live on ESPN+ while Saturday’s game will be on ESPN3.
Indiana State’s seven seniors: Olivia Patton, Lexi Benko, TeAnn Bringle, Cassie Thomerson, Annie Tokarek, Kaylee Barrett and Maeve McDonough will be honored before Sunday’s game for Senior Day.
The Sycamores (24-23, 12-9 MVC) got back in the win column on Tuesday, defeating Evansville 6-1 on the road to take the season series over the Aces. Missouri State (28-16, 18-3 MVC) defeated Southern Illinois 4-3 on Wednesday.
The Bears lead the all-time series 71-29 over the Sycamores.
Scouting the Bears
Head coach Holly Hesse is in her 35th season at the helm in Springfield, recently capturing her 900th career win, becoming just the 18th active D1 coach to reach that mark.
McKenzie Vaughan leads the Missouri State offense with a .329 average at the plate, launching 11 home runs on the year. Olivia Krehbiel has a team-high 40 hits including 12 doubles, three triples and five home runs. She also leads the Bears with 28 runs scored and 31 runs driven in. As a team, Missouri State leads the MVC with 96 stolen bases, led by Abby Ford who is 25-for-30 on stolen base attempts this season.
Mackenzie Chacon leads the Missouri State pitching staff with a 2.01 ERA in 69.2 innings. She has a 9-3 record with three complete games and 42 strikeouts. Gracie Johnston has a 3.03 ERA in a team-high 92.1 innings, racking up an 11-6 record with seven complete games and 56 strikeouts. While also leading the Bears in batting average, McKenzie Vaughan also leads the pitching staff with 62 strikeouts in 75 innings in the circle.
Sycamore Stats and Notes
Sitting at third in the MVC in batting average, Isabella Henning leads the Sycamores with a .396 clip at the plate. Her 55 hits rank second in the conference which includes 12 doubles and six home runs. Henning has put herself into the ISU record book this season, currently sitting fifth all-time for home runs (21), fifth for doubles (37), fifth for walks (58) and sixth for RBI (93).
Kennedy Shade enters the weekend with a .341 batting average, which is second on ISU and good for 10th among MVC hitters. Her 43 hits are second on the team and includes nine doubles and four home runs. Shade has driven in 25 runs and is 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts this season.
Annie Tokarek owns a .292 average, collecting 40 hits and 29 RBI on the season. She enters the weekend sitting at 25 home runs for her career which is tied for second-most in program history. She also ranks fifth all-time at ISU with 98 career runs batted in. Tokarek currently has a six-game hit streak.
Danielle Henning is hitting .282 on the year with 42 hits including seven doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with 19 RBI. She has scored the second most runs on ISU with 24 and has hit safely in 12 out of the last 14 games.
Olivia Patton, batting .268 this season leads ISU with eight stolen bases. She has 42 hits on the year, recording eight multi-hit contests on the year. Patton ranks tied for fourth all-time for games played with 207.
Abi Chipps comes into the weekend batting .253 and is a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts. Chipps is first in the nation for the toughest to strikeout, punching out just once in 87 at-bats.
In the circle, Lexi Benko has a 2.41 ERA, going 11-7 with five complete games and 81 strikeouts so far. Benko ranks fifth all-time for wins with 34, eighth for strikeouts with 253 and eighth for appearances in a career with 91.
Cassi Newbanks currently owns a 2.72 ERA in 67 innings. She has struckout 36 hitters and has a 4-5 record on the season. Newbanks has recorded 7.2 consecutive scoreless innings in relief.
The pitching staff leader in saves (4), complete games (6) and strikeouts (105), Lauren Sackett is 6-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 81 innings this season.
Hailey Griffin has a 3-2 record on the year and two saves, owning a 3.85 ERA in 40 innings with 25 strikeouts.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns to the road in Missouri Valley play this weekend as the Sycamores make the trip to Evansville, Ind. to take on the University of Evansville Purple Aces for a three-game series on Friday-Sunday, April 28-30.
First pitch on Friday night’s game at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET. Saturday (3 p.m. ET) and Sunday (2 p.m. ET) round out the weekend series. All three games will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend, while live stats will be available on the schedule at GoSycamores.com.
Indiana State enters the weekend boasting the nation’s longest current winning at 14 consecutive games dating back to April 2 in a doubleheader sweep over UIC. The Sycamores are one of three teams currently boasting double-digit winning streaks including Central Michigan (10) and South Dakota State (10). Additionally, the Sycamores have won seven consecutive road games sitting with the third-longest current winning streak on the road behind Army (10) and Penn (9) heading into the weekend.
ISU’s 14-game stretch is the longest in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era and currently sits as the fourth-longest in Indiana State history and is the longest since the 1987 season when the Sycamores won 16 consecutive games from March 17-31 that year.
The Sycamore winning streak has resulted growing national acclaim for Indiana State as ISU moved up to No. 14 in the Collegiate Baseball Division I poll and debuting at No. 21 in the Perfect Game poll this week. ISU also received votes in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the NCBWA poll this week.
Entering the weekend, ISU’s RPI is at a season-best No. 9 in the ranking as announced by WarrenNolan.com on Wednesday. The Sycamores have been in the top-35 in the rankings for the seven consecutive weeks. ISU remains the Missouri Valley leader in RPI with Evansville (71), Missouri State (86), Valparaiso (88), and Southern Illinois (92) all sitting among the top 100 in the country heading into the weekend.
The Sycamores have earned the high RPI mark this year with ISU playing the toughest non-conference strength of schedule in the country to date according to WarrenNolan. The Sycamores are back in the top spot entering the weekend for the second consecutive weekend and have held the mark since early March after a grueling early slate.
ISU has played or is scheduled to play against top-50 RPI opponents in Kentucky (2), Vanderbilt (8), Indiana (13), Miami (24), Northeastern (38), Missouri (39), and Iowa (41). Additional top-100 opponents on the schedule include the above mentioned MVC schools, as well as Michigan State (59), Florida Gulf Coast (70), and Ball State (99).
The Sycamores enter the weekend with a 14-1 mark in Missouri Valley play this weekend following their three-game sweep of the Salukis. ISU held off SIU in the opener with a walk-off 6-5 win in the 10th inning on Saturday. The Sycamores run-ruled the Salukis on Sunday, 10-0, on ESPNU, and then completed the sweep with a 7-2 win over SIU on Monday afternoon.
Adam Pottinger (.667), Keegan Watson (.667), and Seth Gergely (.545) led the Sycamore offense over the weekend against Southern Illinois as ISU hit .398 as a team against the Salukis. Indiana State out-scored SIU 23-7 over the three games at Bob Warn Field with the pitching staff combining for a 2.42 ERA and a 24:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio against one of the top offenses in the MVC.
The early season tests have sharpened the Sycamores heading into conference play. Indiana State currently leads the Missouri Valley in both batting average (.319) and ERA (2.69) over the first 15 conference games. ISU leads the Valley in conference games in overall hits (167) and sits second in total home runs (24) while adding a .512 slugging percentage and .394 on-base percentage.
From the mound, ISU’s pitchers have combined for an ERA that sits over a full run below second-place Missouri State (4.35) in MVC action, while the Sycamores have limited opposing hitters to a .211 batting average. The Sycamores are third in strikeouts (117) and first in hits (102) and walks (39) allowed over the 15 games.
These qualities remain evident over the current 14-game winning streak as Indiana State boasts a .312 batting average with 48 extra-base hits to date in the month of April. Adam Pottinger has come to life with a .423 batting average over the streak with a team-high 14 RBI, while Randal Diaz is hitting .322 with nine extra-base hits and 10 RBI. The pitching staff has combined for a 2.00 ERA on the mound over the last 126.0 innings allowing opponents to hit just .202 from the plate.
The recent success by the Sycamores was highlighted this past weekend as ISU swept the Valley’s weekly baseball honors for the first time in 2023. Gergely (.727 BA) and Connor Fenlong (CG Shutout) took home the MVC Player of the Week honors following key performances throughout the week against Vanderbilt and SIU.
Gergely remains ISU’s top hitter on the season entering the weekend as the redshirt senior is hitting a team-best .346 from the plate highlighting three Sycamores hitting .300 or better on the year. Gergely boasts a pair of 15-game on-base streaks and has reached base safely in 36 of the 38 contests to date. He leads the team with 47 hits and 31 runs scored, while adding his fourth home run of the year this past weekend against SIU.
Watson (.316) and Pottinger (.308) continued their recent hot streak at the plate to move above .300 heading into the weekend. Watson is tied for the team lead with 10 doubles with 13 of his 25 hits this season going for extra bases. Pottinger has homered in back-to-back games, including his first grand slam of the season to sit tied for second on the team with seven homers on the year, while adding 27 runs scored and 24 RBI.
Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with the Sycamores boasting a team 4.30 ERA and a 329:139 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Connor Fenlong became the first Sycamore to five wins on the mound this weekend, while Cameron Holycross and Lane Miller are both a perfect 4-0 on the bump this season. Holycross (1.20 ERA) and Miller (2.12 ERA) boast two of the top ERAs in the MVC this season, while Matt Jachec (63 strikeouts) is among the Valley leaders in strikeouts.
The Sycamores continue to be elite defensively. Indiana State enters the weekend sixth in the NCAA and first in the MVC in fielding percentage. The Sycamores are fielding at a .983 clip on the season with two players posting perfect 1.000 percentages with at least 20 chances, while four others are fielding at .990 or higher.
Scouting the Opposition
Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville enters the weekend with a 24-16 overall record and 8-7 mark in Missouri Valley play through the first five conference weekends. Evansville has won four of their last five games including a midweek victory over Lipscomb this past Tuesday to go into the weekend with some momentum. UE also boasts a 12-6 record at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in 2023.
Chase Hug (.340) is the team’s hitting leader on the season as the Purple Aces have hit .258 at the plate as a squad this year. Hug leads the team in a majority of the major offensive statistical categories including hits (53), doubles (11), and triples (3). Eric Roberts is the team’s leader in home runs (15) and RBI (43), while also posting a team-high 13 stolen bases.
Donovan Schultz (5-2, 3.40 ERA) and Nick Smith (3-3, 4.69 ERA) have headlined the pitching rotation this season for Evansville, while Tyler Denu (2-3, 4.73 ERA) has also posted nine starts on the year. Overall, Evansville has posted a team ERA of 5.00 on the year with a 324:157 strikeout-to-walk ratio. UE is allowing opponents to hit .256 from the plate on the year.
Evansville was slotted third overall in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason baseball poll this spring. The Purple Aces received 79 total points in the poll after a year that featured UE finishing second in the Valley with five All-MVC selections returning from 2022. Simon Scherry (SS), Brent Widder (3B), Mark Shallenberger (OF), and Nick Smith (SP) were all honored on the MVC Preseason All-Conference squad.
Evansville and Indiana State have lined up against several common non-conference opponents this season. Evansville has taken on Kentucky (0-1), SEMO (1-1), Vanderbilt (0-1), and Purdue (3-0) so far in 2023 and still has a game against Indiana (May 16) on the schedule.
Indiana State – Evansville History
Indiana State holds the 106-71 all-time advantage between the two programs dating back to their inaugural contest back on May 6, 1946, according to current records on hand. The Sycamores hold the 40-26 edge in Evansville and last won the series on the road back in 2019. Evansville has won five of the last eight games between the two teams, including topping the Sycamores last season in the MVC Championships to send ISU to an elimination game.
Indiana State is 16-13 overall against Evansville since 2014. ISU won four consecutive regular season series from 2016-19, before going 2-2 in 2021 and falling in two of the three games in 2022.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Horizon League slate rolls on this weekend for the Mastodon baseball team. This week’s stop is in Highland Heights, Kentucky to face the Northern Kentucky Norse. Northern Kentucky is in second place in the Horizon League.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (10-32, 6-12 Horizon) vs. Northern Kentucky (23-16, 12-6 Horizon)
When:
Friday, April 28 | 2 p.m. | Bill Aker Baseball Complex
Saturday, April 29 | 1 p.m. | Bill Aker Baseball Complex
Sunday, April 30 | noon | Bill Aker Baseball Complex
Weather: 66, rain | 69, rain | 64, rain
Live Stats: Link
Series History: Northern Kentucky leads 18-16. The ‘Dons took 2-of-3 over the Norse earlier this season.
Probable Pitchers:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres (2-1), TBD, TBD
Northern Kentucky: RHP Clay Brock (4-2), LHP Ben Gerl (4-3), RHP Kaden Echeman (5-1)
Scouting the Norse: Northern Kentucky lost 2-of-3 from the Milwaukee Panthers (April 21-23) last weekend. Colton Kucera is hitting .402 with a 1.028 OPS. Noah Fisher has 10 home runs. Casey Maniglia owns four saves for the Norse. They have a team ERA of 5.58.
Miller is the Strikeout King:Justin Miller owns 215 career strikeouts, passing Jason Horvath (2001-2005) for most career strikeouts. Horvath recorded 210. Miller broke the record against Dayton on Wednesday (April 26). Additionally, Miller is averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, the best for a career in program history during the Division I era.
Down Goes Sparty: The Mastodons defeated Michigan State on April 19th 3-2. It is the Mastodons’ second straight season with a win over a Big 10 opponent. Last season the ‘Dons defeated eventual league champion Michigan.
Return of the SAC: Dylan Stewart is tied for the league lead with seven sacrifice bunts.
Put His Name in Ink: Jarrett Bickel has started all 42 games at shortstop.
Grant is Fly: In league play only, Grant Thoroman is tied for second in the Horizon League in sacrifice flies with four.
Back in Black: Braedon Blackford is second in the league with 11 home runs. He is in third in RBIs (42) and fourth in slugging (.573).
Double-Digits: Braedon Blackford’s 11 home runs has him tied for fifth in program history for home runs in a season. The all-time single season record is Shaun VanDriessche’s 18 in 2010.
Cade Gets on Base: Cade Nelis has a current 23 game on-base streak. It is the longest for a Mastodon since Jackson Boyce reached base in 37 consecutive games in 2017. Nelis owns 27 walks, third best in the league.
HL is BH Time: In league play lay only, Ben Higgins is second in the league slugging (.793), OPS (1.232) and RBIs (22).
Walk This Way…: Jacob Walker has a current 10-game hitting streak. He hit his first home run of the season on Sunday (April 23) vs. Wright State.
Masto-Slams: The ‘Dons hit grand slams in back-to-back games against Northern Kentucky. On March 24 Ben Higgins hit a grand slam and then in game one on March 26 Jarrett Bickel hit a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of a 9-5 win.
Save X4: Four different Mastodons have recorded a save this season. Brody Fine, Mac Ayres, JD Deany, and Justin Miller own saves for the ‘Dons.
Closing Time: Justin Miller owns eight career saves, fourth most in Mastodon history for career saves.
‘Dons Dig The Long Ball: 11 different Mastodons have hit a home run this season, it is the most since 2013 when 11 different ‘Dons hit a home run. The 2003 season saw 13 Mastodons hit a home run, the most during the Mastodon Division I era.
Multi-verse: 14 different Mastodons have had a multi-hit game this season.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week):Braedon Blackford hit .429 and slugged 1.357 with four home runs in 14 at bats over four games played in Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 3-5). He also recorded one double, seven RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and 19 total bases to earn the Horizon League Batter of the Week honor.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week) X2: Ben Higgins was named the Horizon League Batter of the Week on April 4 for his play the prior weekend. His play was highlighted by his thee home run performance at Youngstown State on March 31). Higgins was the first Mastodon to hit three big flys in a game since 2016.
D1Baseball Top 30: Braedon Blackfordwas named a Top 30 Hitter of the day for his two-run home run game vs. Cornell. He was ranked No. 11. He also earned the No. 12 spot on the list after his five-hit, six-RBI doubleheader against Milwaukee (April 15). JD Deany was selected as a Top 30 pitcher for his five shutout innings vs. Cornell. Ben Higgins was named the No. 3 hitter of the day by DIBaseball.com for his three dinger day against Youngstown State.
Up Next: The ‘Dons will host Youngstown State May 5-7 in Horizon League play.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball program has added Valparaiso transfer Maximus Nelson (Appleton, Wis. / Appleton North HS / Valparaiso).
Nelson (6-8, 215) played in 31 of Valpo’s 32 games last season with 22 starts as a freshman. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. The Appleton, Wisconsin native shot 34.2 percent (38-of-111) from three. He scored a season-high 18 points including six 3-pointers on Feb. 4 vs. Drake. In high school he had a 44-point performance in the Wisconsin state playoffs during his junior season, establishing a career high and hitting the game-tying shot to send it to overtime. Nelson played for Wisconsin Playground AAU.
“We are excited to add Maximus to our already talented recruiting class,” Mastodon head coach Jon Coffman said. “He is an ideal fit into our style of play and really stretches the floor like some of our past big wings—Bobby Planutis, Matt Holba, Joe Edwards and DeAngelo Stewart! He is an experienced, tough, physical, skilled and versatile forward. He can guard multiple positions, has a great basketball IQ and can really, really shoot the basketball. He brings great experience having logged 22 starts during a productive freshman year in the Missouri Valley Conference.”
Nelson joins a group of newcomers for 2023-24 that also features Jalen Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Northrop High School / UIC), Rasheed Bello (Chicago, Ill. / DePaul Prep / UW-Parkside), Khoi Thurmon (Akron, Ohio / Buchtel HS), CJ Hadnot (Houston, Texas / Cypress Creek HS) and Jermaine Coleman (Indianapolis, Ind. / Park Tudor HS).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team will host Green Bay this weekend for a trio of Horizon League contests. Prior to Saturday’s doubleheader, the Mastodons will honor seniors Taryn Jenkins, Thais Uyema, Taylor Warne and Sonia Solis.
Game Day Information
Who: Green Bay Phoenix
When: Friday, April 28-Saturday, April 29 | Single game on Friday at 3 PM, Doubleheader on Saturday at Noon
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Purdue Fort Wayne Softball Field
Live Stats: Link
Watch: None
Know Your Foe
Green Bay is 16-28 and 7-9 in the Horizon League. The Phoenix have won just one Horizon League series this year, but it was the most recent, a trio of game against Youngstown State. The Phoenix are coming off a pair of eight-inning games against St. Thomas, which they split. Green Bay is 4-14 away from home. Tiffany Giese is batting a team-best .338. Brittany Baneck is tossing a team-best 2.88 ERA from the circle for the season, but that mark is 3.86 in league play.
Series History
The Phoenix hold a 7-4 edge over the Mastodons in the all-time series. In the last eight meetings, the two teams have an even 4-4 split. The ‘Dons won the last meeting, which came earlier this season in a non-league game, 2-1 in Bloomington, Indiana. Taylor Warne had a two-RBI double in the third inning.
League-Only Batters
Five Purdue Fort Wayne players are batting over .300 in Horizon League play: Brooke Wintlend (.375), Sonia Solis (.370), Taryn Jenkins (.350), Bailey Manos (.333) and Tori Countryman (.313).
Safe!
Taryn Jenkins had a streak of 25 games in a row that she reached base safely that ended last weekend. This was the longest streak for a Mastodon since 2013 when Larissa Franklin had a streak of 37 games.
And She’s Fast Too!
Taryn Jenkins is the Horizon League leader with 20 stolen bases this season. That is a top-60 mark in the country.
And a Slugger!
Taryn Jenkins is in the top-100 in the country with 0.28 doubles per game, which is fourth in the Horizon League. Her .576 slugging percentage is in the top-300 in the country and is second-best in the HL.
Leading the League
Purdue Fort Wayne is leading the Horizon League with 1.63 stolen bases per game and a 2.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
oK Queen!
Alanah Jones is leading the Horizon League with 155 strikeouts this season. This mark is also top-35 nationally. Her 7.3 strikeouts per seven innings is also in the top-100 in the country.
Last Time Out
Northern Kentucky took three games from the Mastodons in a Horizon League series.
Next Time Up
The Mastodons will head to Oakland for the final Horizon League series of the regular season.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will try to slow down one of the nation’s hottest teams this weekend at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium, as the Purple Aces will welcome nationally-ranked Indiana State to Evansville for a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series beginning on Friday night at 6 p.m.
Indiana State will enter this weekend’s series riding the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 games. The Sycamores are 26-12 overall and 14-1 in the MVC and rank as high as #14 in the various collegiate baseball polls, as they are ranked No. 14 in the Collegiate Baseball poll. It will mark the first time in which UE has hosted a nationally-ranked team since 2015, when UE hosted both nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist and Missouri State. Playing a nationally-ranked team is nothing new to UE though, as Evansville narrowly lost a 2-1 decision in 17 innings at nationally-ranked Vanderbilt earlier this year, and the Purple Aces have played a nationally-ranked team every year since 2012.
Evansville will bring a 24-16 overall record and 8-7 MVC mark into this weekend’s series after knocking off Lipscomb, 9-3, on Tuesday night. The Purple Aces have won four out of five games overall, and junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse has helped lead the charge of late, as he will bring a season-best nine-game hitting streak into the weekend series. Fougerousse has hit .467 (14-for-30) with three home runs and 13 RBI during his nine-game hitting streak, as he has raised his batting average to .291 overall. Graduate outfielder/RHP Eric Roberts also launched his 15th home run of the year on Tuesday night, and continues to lead the MVC in both home runs and RBI (43).
Redshirt senior outfielder Seth Gergely leads a potent Indiana State attack this year with a .346 average. Gergely is the current MVC Player of the Week after hitting .727 in three ISU wins last week, including a 10-2 triumph at Vanderbilt. Fellow redshirt senior pitcher Connor Fenlong is the Valley’s Pitcher of the Week this week after tossing a complete-game, one-hit shutout over Southern Illinois on Sunday.
The Evansville-Indiana State rivalry is one of the oldest active series in UE baseball history, as it dates back to 1911 when Evansville was still known as Moores Hill College. Since UE entered the MVC in 1995, ISU holds a slim 52-50 edge in the all-time series over UE. The Purple Aces won three out of four meetings with Indiana State last year, including a convincing 9-1 win in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The inaugural season at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium comes to a close this weekend when the University of Evansville softball team plays host to Illinois State for a 3-game series. Game one is set for Friday at 5 p.m. with the teams competing on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m. with all three games set to be on ESPN+/ESPN3. Two seniors – Hannah Hood and Erin Kleffman – are set to be recognized during Senior Day festivities following Saturday’s game. Alyssa Barela, who completed her playing career in 2022, will also be recognized.
Looking at the Match-up
– Illinois State has had the upper hand in the series, winning 14 in a row over the Purple Aces dating back to the 2016 MVC Tournament
– In the 2016 regular season, UE took two out of three games versus the Redbirds in Normal marking the last wins against ISU
Last Time Out
– Scoring four runs in the third inning, Indiana State picked up the cushion that it needed to take a 6-1 victory over the Aces on Tuesday at Cooper Stadium
– Lacy Smith belted her second collegiate home run to end the shutout
Finishing Strong
– Freshman Jess Willsey is batting .411 over the last five games and has shown great patience at the plate, holding a .323 (21-of-65) average since March 19
– The recent streak has lifted Willsey’s season average to .273, which is second ont he squad
– In game two against Southern Illinois, Willsey was a perfect 3-3 with four RBI in a 4-0 win for the Aces; the win came less than a day after SIU opened the series with a 17-1 victory
– Her RBI single against Belmont on April 2 proved to be the game-winner and on April 4 at Indiana State, she hit a solo home run in the 9th inning that temporarily gave UE the lead
– Willsey has six home runs on the season, which is tied for the team lead
9-Game Hit Streak
– Marah Wood begins the weekend with a 9-game hit streak, which is the longest for the team in 2023
– During the streak, Wood has recorded 13 hits in 30 at-bats (.433) while raising her average to .264 while picking up multiple hits in four of the nine outings
– Wood checks in with 19 RBI and 17 runs scored
– In the April 1 opener against Belmont, she went 3-4 with two RBI and two doubles while adding a walk, run and steal
– She followed that up with her second home run of the season and two more RBI in the second game of the series
Flexing Her Muscle
– Two home runs over the last week of play has improved Jenna Nink’s season tally to five, which is third on the team
– She connected on a 2-run shot in the finale at UIC to give UE a late advantage
– Batting .333 (5-15) over the last four games, Nink has lifted her average to a team-best .274
– In the April 8 victory over Southern Illinois, Nink scored three of UE’s four runs while reaching base with two walks and a hit; a week earlier, Nink recorded two solo home runs in the Belmont series
– With three triples, Nink is tied for fourth in the MVC
– She tied her career-high with three RBI in win over Kansas City in home opener
Home Run #2
– Lacy Smith hit the second home run of her freshman season on Tuesday versus Indiana State
– While she has just eight hits in 47 at-bats since February 25, Smith has been improving at the plate, going 4-for-12 in her last four games while scoring four runs in that time
– Smith scored career-high three runs in Feb. 24 win over St. Thomas and went 1-3 with three runs, two RBI, a triple and walk in the game
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball begins a four-game road swing in Illinois when it visits Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.. First pitch of the series in Edwardsville, Illinois, is Friday at 5 p.m. before continuing Saturday and concluding Sunday at 1 p.m. each day.
The four-game road trip concludes Tuesday when the Screaming Eagles visit Southern Illinois University for a 6 p.m. contest in Carbondale, Illinois. Following the road trip, USI comes home for a four-game homestand that starts April 3 with Miami University (OH) and concludes May 5-7 with a three-game series with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Links to follow all of the action during the homestand can be found on the Eagles’ baseball schedule at USIScreamingEagles.com.
USI Baseball Notes:
USI finishes homestand 4-1. The USI Eagles were 4-1 during the five-game homestand with a 17-7 victory over McKendree University. USI was led to the victory by junior first baseman Tucker Ebest, junior catcher Parker Stroh, and freshman third baseman Caleb Niehaus with three RBIs each in the victory.
USI averages double-digit runs during homestand: USI had the offense going in the latest homestand, averaging 17.0 runs per game. Junior catcher Parker Stroh led the way at the plate with a .647 batting average (11-17) with two home runs and nine RBIs. Freshman third baseman Caleb Niehaus had a team-best 12 RBIs during the homestand, while junior first baseman Tucker Ebest and junior first baseman/outfielder Jack Ellis followed with 11 RBIs and 10 RBIs, respectively.
USI wins first OVC series: USI posted its first OVC series win with a 15-8 win over Eastern Illinois University Sunday. USI had split the first two games of the series with a win, 26-6, in the opening game Saturday and a loss, 22-12, in the nightcap of the doubleheader.
Bats heat up during homestand: USI hitters blasted 10 home run during the five-game homestand with four players hitting two round-trippers each.
Stroh heating up: Junior catcher Parker Stroh has heated up at the plate over the last 10 games (making six starts), hitting .619 (13-21) with 11 runs scored, three home runs, and 12 RBIs. Stroh also leads the Eagles in hitting with a .385 average (15-39) for the season, raising his average .177 points during the 10 games.
Kahre returns from injury: Senior centerfielder Evan Kahre has been producing at the plate since returning from a knee injury. Kahre is batting .450 (9-20) with 10 runs scored, two doubles, a home run, and nine RBIs.
Leading hitters: Junior catcher Parker Stroh leads USI this season with a .385 batting average (15-39). Junior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-best 41 RBIs and eight home runs.
McNew climbing the USI All-Time charts: Senior catcher/infielder Lucas McNew is fifth all-time at USI in home runs (24); fifth in RBIs (158) and seventh in doubles (49).
SIUE this spring: The SIUE Cougars, who started their week with an 8-3 loss to the University of Missouri, enters the weekend with a 22-18 overall mark, 5-7 in the OVC. SIUE, currently, is in the middle of a four-game losing streak and has lost six of the last eight games.
USI vs. SIUE: USI trails the all-time series with SIUE, 56-44, but is .500 over the last 30 meetings (2001-08) and has won seven of the last 10 games (2007-08). In the final series between the Eagles and Cougars in GLVC play, USI took three of four from SIUE Roy E. Lee Field.
VALPO BASEBALL
Valparaiso (16-16, 7-8 MVC)
at Missouri State (23-16, 11-4 MVC)
Emory G. Bauer Field (500) | Valparaiso, Ind.
Friday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. CT – RHP Griffin McCluskey
Saturday, April 29, 2 p.m. CT – RHP Nathan Chasey
Friday, April 30, 1 p.m. CT – RHP Bobby Nowak
Next Up in Valpo Baseball: After earning conference series wins each of the last two weekends, the Valparaiso University baseball team will look to continue its recent stretch of solid play with this weekend’s visit to Missouri State. After this series, Valpo will be on its home field for two of the final three conference weekends. This weekend starts a challenging stretch of six straight conference games against the top two teams in the league’s preseason poll.
Last Time Out: Valpo took two of three in a home Missouri Valley Conference series with UIC, winning the series opener 12-9 on Friday before clinching the series with a 5-4 win on Saturday thanks to an eighth-inning run that snapped a 4-4 tie. In the series opener, Valpo scored six times in the bottom of the eighth, insurance runs that proved pivotal when UIC pushed across four in the top of the ninth. The guests salvaged the series finale by the football score of 21-7 on Sunday. The Beacons were slated to make a midweek visit to Big Ten foe Purdue, but the game was rained out.
Following the Beacons: The Friday and Sunday games this weekend will stream on ESPN+, while Saturday’s contest will be streamed on ESPN3. Links to live video, audio and stats – all courtesy of Missouri State Athletics – are available on ValpoAthletics.com. For all the latest in Valpo Baseball, followed @ValpoBaseball on Twitter and Instagram.
Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (184-283) is in his 10th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he entered 2023 having skippered 435 Valpo games. He entered the season with 168 victories, one of four coaches in program history with over 150. The former big-league pitcher led Valpo to 25 wins in his inaugural campaign in 2014, a school record for victories by a first-year skipper. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.
Series Notes: Valpo is just 1-16 all-time against Missouri State and has lost all 13 regular-season matchups with the Bears since joining the Missouri Valley Conference including a three-game sweep at Emory G. Bauer Field last season. However, Valpo did notch a victory over the Bears on May 25, 2021 at the MVC Tournament in Carbondale, winning 6-4 in 10 innings in an elimination game. Valpo will seek its first ever win at Missouri State this weekend as the Beacons enter the weekend with an 0-7 record in Springfield since joining The Valley.
In the Other Dugout – Missouri State
Coming off a top-10 win on Tuesday, beating No. 7 Arkansas 8-4.
Have won nine straight conference games with sweeps over Bradley, UIC and Belmont.
Also own a series win over Illinois State, making it four straight conference series victories after being swept by Evansville to open the season.
Picked to finish second in the preseason poll.
Renfro’s Impressive Streak Snapped
Brady Renfro reached base in the first 30 games of the 2023 season before his streak was snapped on April 22 vs. UIC.
He became the first Valpo player to reach in 20 straight since Kaleb Hannahs did so in the final 20 games of the 2021 season.
On April 9 at Evansville, Renfro surpassed Sam Shaikin’s 23 gamer from 2017.
Renfro owned Valpo’s longest on-base streak since Nolan Lodden reached safely in 34 straight in 2016.
Turning Two
The Beacons have turned 31 double plays in 32 games this season, an average of 0.97 double plays per game.
That ranks 11th nationally but only third in the Missouri Valley Conference as three of the top 12 teams in the nation in turning two are MVC members. SIU leads the nation at 1.20 DPs per contest.
In the doubleheader sweep of Bradley on April 15, Valpo turned six double plays – three in each game.
Notes Wrapping Up UIC (April 21-23)
Three different Beacons had multiple home runs in the three-game series as Valpo totaled seven long balls as a team.
Ryan Maka, who hit .571 in four games during the week with four extra-base hits, eight RBIs and seven runs scored, had two big flies against the Flames. He lifted his season home run total to six and his career total to 11.
Jake Skrine had a multi-homer series and has now gone yard in five of his last seven games. He has seven total home runs this year after joining Valpo as a graduate transfer from Indiana.
After entering the weekend having missed the previous six games with a hamstring injury, Matt Olive homered in each of the first two games of the series. He now has four home runs this season and six in his career.
In the series opener, Josh Cottrill earned the win in relief, the first decision of his collegiate career. He worked four innings of five-run, five-hit ball while walking four and striking out three.
Valpo batters struck out just twice in the series opener, tying a season best set on March 5 at Little Rock. This was the fewest times Valpo batters had struck out in a league game since the team struck out just once on May 16, 2021 vs. Evansville.
The team banged out 17 hits in the series-opening win, tying a season high set twice in late February during a series at UT Martin. That marked the team’s highest hit total in Valley play since May 1, 2021 vs. Illinois State (18).
The second game in the series – a 5-4 win on Saturday – saw Ryan Mintz earn his first win of the season and his second in a Valpo uniform after logging three scoreless innings of two-hit ball while issuing no walks.
The Saturday game represented Valpo’s seventh one-run game of the season with the Beacons upping their record to 5-2 in such contests.
Redshirt freshman Patrick Ilitch had his first collegiate hit in Sunday’s series finale.
The 21 runs scored by UIC in the series finale were the most allowed by Valpo in a game since San Diego State scored 22 times on Feb. 14, 2015.
Notes Wrapping Up April 18: Notre Dame 7, Valpo 3
Kyle Schmack had two hits, his 13th multi-hit game of the season.
Schmack launched a home run, the 15th of his career and his sixth this season.
After the Schmack solo shot in the top of the first, the remainder of the Valpo scoring came on a two-run double by Alex Ryan in the second.
Redshirt freshman Patrick Ilitch made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.
Valpo had its four-game winning streak come to an end while Notre Dame’s head-to-head winning streak extended to 15. This was the eighth time in the last nine matchups that a game between the two instate foes has been decided by four runs or fewer.
Weekly Awards Sweep
Valpo earned its first sweep of the Missouri Valley Conference weekly awards since joining the league when Jake Skrine was named MVC Player of the Week and Bobby Nowak was tabbed MVC Pitcher of the Week on Monday, April 17.
The last time Valpo swept the weekly awards in any conference was May 16, 2016, when Jake Hanson was named Horizon League Batter of the Week and Ellis Foreman achieved Horizon League Pitcher of the Week status.
Skrine became the fourth member of the program to win MVC Player of the Week honors since joining the league and the first this season. He joined Sam Shaikin, Kaleb Hannahs and Nolan Tucker.
Nowak became the third Beacon to earn MVC Pitcher of the Week this season, joining Jacob Rosenkranz and Connor Lockwood. Prior to this year, Valpo had won MVC Pitcher of the Week accolades on four occasions since joining the league – Jake Miller, Colin Fields (twice) and Easton Rhodehouse.
U OF I WOMEN’S LAX
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 5-ranked and top-seeded UIndy women’s lacrosse team (15-2, 6-0 GLVC) will be looking to defend its GLVC title this week at Key Stadium as the Hounds will host the conference tournament on Friday and Sunday on campus.
The Greyhounds are preparing to battle fourth-seeded Missouri Western on Friday at 4 p.m. ET in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, No. 2-seeded Maryville and No. 3-seeded Rockhurst will play at 7 p.m. ET. From there, the winner of each contest will battle for the conference championship on Sunday at noon ET.
UIndy has won back-to-back GLVC titles and will be looking to claim the third total in program history since joining the conference in 2020.
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Elaine Jones talks about what it will take to win another conference championship…
“When we lost Christina Sato to an injury a third of the way into our season, that left us with only one returning consistent offensive starter on the field from a year ago. As the season has progressed, we’ve worked diligently with our offense to integrate the new and older players and the strengths they both bring to the table. To win another conference title will be a challenge, but if the team plays together, trusts each other and the process, and is able to execute, we will find a way to win.”
Jones talks about the balance of the team and the chemistry…
“We don’t rely on 1-2 scorers or just one draw taker. We have worked very hard to make all our attackers threats and to develop different draw takers. Also, I did a variety of team bonding/team building exercises and special sessions with the team at the start of the season and periodically throughout the season to help team chemistry. These exercises gave the players the opportunity to interact with and learn more about each other off the field in a relaxed setting. Overall, the growth of our fundamentals and ability to play together with different combinations, as well as the continual development of our team chemistry has helped make us stronger.”
Jones discusses the leadership of the captains and seniors so far this season…
“Our captains and seniors have been committed and dedicated all season. Their leadership and belief in our vision, continuous development, and goals has been unwavering. They have done a great job of leading by example, putting in the work on a daily basis, challenging their teammates to do the same, and really showing the underclassmen the mental and physical steps you need to take to become a national champion.”
MARIAN FOOTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Coming off of a successful spring football season with new head coach Ted Karras Jr., the Marian football team has released their 2023 schedule. The Knights are coming off of a season with a 9-2 record, reaching the NAIA FCS Quarterfinals.
The Knights will play 10 regular season games in 2023, featuring an even split of five home games and five road games.
“We are looking forward to a big 2023 season,” said head coach Ted Karras Jr. “Our schedule is loaded with tough opponents and great rivalries. The west side will be rocking this fall with St. Xavier and St. Francis coming to town.
The MSFA always represents top notch competition year in and year out, and we are looking forward to the Marian Knight Nation coming out in full force!”
Game 1 | at Judson | Sept. 2 | 2:00 p.m.
The Knights will kick off their 2023 season at Judson University, meeting the Eagles for the first time in program history. Marian won last season’s opener by a whopping 86-0 margin over Madonna University, setting a tone of four consecutive wins.
Game 2 | HOME vs St. Xavier | Sept. 9 | 6:05 p.m. | Football Alumni Day
The lone game under the lights in 2023 comes in the home opener, as Marian host long-standing rival St. Xavier in a rematch of last year’s NAIA FCS First Round game. Marian won last season’s contest 41-7 against the Cougars with Zach Bundalo lighting up the field with four touchdown strikes to Ben Stevens. This will be the first matchup between the two teams in the regular season since 2018, when Marian rolled to a 52-7 win in the season opener.
Game 3 | HOME vs Olivet Nazarene | Sept. 16 | 1:05 p.m.
The Knights will play their final MSFA Crossover game on September 16, taking on Olivet Nazarene. The Knights hold a 6-0 record all-time against the Tigers, having last met in 2018 at St. Vincent Field. Marian won the most recent matchup 24-6, which proved as the closest margin of victory in the one-sided series history.
Game 4 | HOME vs Lawrence Tech | Sept. 30 | 1:05 p.m. | Homecoming/Family Weekend
After a week four bye, Marian will play their third consecutive game at home as they host Lawrence Tech. Marian dominated last year’s contest against Lawrence Tech to move to 3-0 in the all-time series, claiming a 45-14 victory in Michigan. This will be the third time Lawrence Tech has made the trip to Indianapolis in the series’ history.
Game 5 | at Madonna | Oct. 7 | 1:00 p.m.
Marian goes back on the road after spending four weeks at home, traveling to Livonia to play the Madonna Crusaders. Marian has averaged 83 points per game in the short-lived series between the two schools, and hold a 3-0 all-time record against Madonna.
Game 6 | at Concordia | Oct. 14 | 1:00 p.m.
For the second consecutive year, Marian will travel to Ann Arbor, finishing a pair of road contests in Michigan as they take on Concordia. The Knights ended a two-game losing streak against the Cardinals last year in Ann Arbor with a 24-7 win, and will look to make it three-consecutive wins in the series in October.
Game 7 | HOME vs St. Francis (Ind.) | Oct. 21 | 1:05 p.m. | Franciscan Bowl
Marian’s longest standing rival comes to Indianapolis on October 21, as the Knights host St. Francis in the Franciscan Bowl. Marian has won the last five matchups in the series against to set the longest winning streak in the series, and are 11-7 all-time against the Cougars. Last year, Marian won the mid-season contest in Fort Wayne by a comfortable 37-10 score.
Game 8 | at Taylor | Oct. 28 | 1:00 p.m.
Marian will head back on the road on October 28, traveling to Taylor to close the month. Marian won with ease last season in a 67-7 homecoming win, and hold a 15-1 overall record against the Trojans. Marian is 8-0 all-time on the road against Taylor.
Game 9 | at Indiana Wesleyan | Nov. 4 | 1:00 p.m.
Marian’s final road game of the regular season will be an in-state matchup, as the Knights begin the month of November at Indiana Wesleyan. The blooming rivalry between the two schools sits with an even 2-2 all-time record, with the Wildcats winning each of the last two meetings against Marian.
Game 10 | HOME vs Siena Heights | Nov. 11 | 1:05 p.m. | Senior Day
The Knights polish off their regular season slate on November 11 hosting Siena Heights, taking on the Saints on senior day. In their history, Marian is undefeated against Siena Heights, holding a dominant 10-0 record. Marian won last year’s contest 24-2 at St. Vincent Field, and will host Siena Heights in consecutive matchups for the first time since 2014-15.
The NAIA FCS Playoffs is scheduled to begin on November 18, and will conclude on December 18 in Durham, North Carolina. The NAIA playoff field in the 2023 season will see an expanded field, as the tournament grows to 20 teams. With the additional teams, the tournament format has changed, with teams ranked 13-20 playing in the First Round on November 18, with the Second Round featuring 16 final teams on November 25. The NAIA Quarterfinals will kick off on December 2, and the NAIA Semifinals on December 9. All games leading up to the NAIA Championship will be held at campus sites throughout the NAIA.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
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/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 21 | 5 | .808 | – | 14 – 2 | 7 – 3 | 5 – 2 | 7 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Baltimore | 17 | 8 | .680 | 3.5 | 9 – 4 | 8 – 4 | 4 – 5 | 6 – 1 | 5 – 2 | 9 – 1 | W 2 |
| Toronto | 16 | 9 | .640 | 4.5 | 7 – 2 | 9 – 7 | 4 – 2 | 8 – 2 | 3 – 3 | 6 – 4 | W 4 |
| NY Yankees | 15 | 11 | .577 | 6 | 9 – 7 | 6 – 4 | 3 – 3 | 5 – 5 | 3 – 1 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| Boston | 13 | 13 | .500 | 8 | 7 – 6 | 6 – 7 | 3 – 7 | 5 – 1 | 3 – 1 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 15 | 11 | .577 | – | 8 – 5 | 7 – 6 | 5 – 5 | 6 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Cleveland | 12 | 13 | .480 | 2.5 | 4 – 8 | 8 – 5 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Detroit | 9 | 15 | .375 | 5 | 4 – 5 | 5 – 10 | 1 – 12 | 2 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| Chi White Sox | 7 | 19 | .269 | 8 | 3 – 7 | 4 – 12 | 1 – 9 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 2 | 1 – 9 | L 8 |
| Kansas City | 6 | 20 | .231 | 9 | 1 – 12 | 5 – 8 | 1 – 3 | 0 – 4 | 2 – 7 | 2 – 8 | L 2 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Houston | 14 | 11 | .560 | – | 6 – 7 | 8 – 4 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| Texas | 14 | 11 | .560 | – | 8 – 5 | 6 – 6 | 1 – 3 | 5 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 5 – 5 | L 4 |
| LA Angels | 14 | 12 | .538 | 0.5 | 8 – 5 | 6 – 7 | 3 – 7 | 2 – 1 | 7 – 3 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| Seattle | 11 | 14 | .440 | 3 | 7 – 9 | 4 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| Oakland | 5 | 21 | .192 | 9.5 | 2 – 10 | 3 – 11 | 1 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 3 – 7 | 2 – 8 | L 3 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 17 | 9 | .654 | – | 7 – 7 | 10 – 2 | 5 – 2 | 6 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| NY Mets | 15 | 11 | .577 | 2 | 5 – 4 | 10 – 7 | 6 – 4 | 0 – 3 | 6 – 4 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Miami | 13 | 13 | .500 | 4 | 7 – 6 | 6 – 7 | 5 – 9 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Philadelphia | 13 | 13 | .500 | 4 | 8 – 5 | 5 – 8 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 3 – 1 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| Washington | 9 | 15 | .375 | 7 | 2 – 9 | 7 – 6 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 2 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Pittsburgh | 18 | 8 | .692 | – | 9 – 4 | 9 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 7 – 4 | 5 – 1 | 9 – 1 | W 2 |
| Milwaukee | 16 | 9 | .640 | 1.5 | 7 – 5 | 9 – 4 | 3 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 3 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 14 | 10 | .583 | 3 | 8 – 8 | 6 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | 5 – 5 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Cincinnati | 10 | 15 | .400 | 7.5 | 9 – 6 | 1 – 9 | 3 – 7 | 3 – 6 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 6 | W 3 |
| St. Louis | 10 | 16 | .385 | 8 | 5 – 8 | 5 – 8 | 0 – 3 | 3 – 4 | 4 – 6 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Arizona | 14 | 12 | .538 | – | 8 – 6 | 6 – 6 | 1 – 2 | 4 – 2 | 7 – 7 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| LA Dodgers | 13 | 13 | .500 | 1 | 6 – 6 | 7 – 7 | 1 – 2 | 5 – 5 | 7 – 6 | 5 – 5 | L 2 |
| San Diego | 13 | 14 | .481 | 1.5 | 5 – 8 | 8 – 6 | 5 – 5 | 2 – 5 | 6 – 4 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| San Francisco | 11 | 14 | .440 | 2.5 | 7 – 7 | 4 – 7 | 3 – 4 | 3 – 1 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Colorado | 8 | 18 | .308 | 6 | 3 – 7 | 5 – 11 | 3 – 5 | 1 – 5 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1901 At Chicago’s South Side Park, the Cleveland Blues (Indians) collect 23 singles as the team coasts to a 13-1 victory over the White Sox. Pale Hose hurler Bock Baker gives up all of the one-base hits, a major league record.
1922 At Ebbets Field, Lee King drives in seven runs in the Phillies’ 10-7 win over the Robins. The Philadelphia outfielder will collect only 15 RBIs playing with Philadelphia and the Giants this season.
1929 The Red Sox lose to the A’s, 7-3, in their first-ever Sunday home game. Due to Fenway’s proximity to a church and the resulting protesters, the historic contest takes place one mile west of its home to its crosstown rival’s ballpark, Braves Field.
1930 The A’s score four runs without the benefit of a base hit, thanks to a lack of control and a pair of Red Sox errors, the ninth inning Boston meltdown accounts for Philadelphia’s 5-4 comeback victory at Fenway Park.
1934 At Navin Field, Goose Goslin grounds out into four consecutive double plays. The Tiger outfielder’s lack of offense doesn’t matter, as Detroit beats the visiting Indians, 4-1.
1946 The Braves sweep a twin bill from the Phillies played at Fenway Park, the home of the American League’s Red Sox, because the seats in the reserved grandstand in their Boston ballpark are still tacky after the team’s Opening Day debacle due to wet paint. The Red Sox, who play all day games at home, are offered Braves Field for night games as a thank-you, but the team declines the invitation.
1950 Jim Martin, the Pampa Oilers’ catcher, is struck by lightning behind the plate during a Class C West Texas-New Mexico League contest played at Abilene’s Blue Sox Stadium. The 20-year-old backstop, who will return to the lineup tomorrow, is knocked unconscious by the bolt of electricity that propels his mask 20 feet beyond the pitcher’s mound.
1960 At a night game against Cleveland, the White Sox unveil the ‘Monster,’ their new exploding scoreboard at the Comiskey Park. The $300,000 brainchild of Chicago owner Bill Veeck will produce fireworks and accompanying sound effects whenever a hometown player hits a home run.
1961 Five days past his 40th birthday, Warren Spahn becomes the second-oldest pitcher, only behind Cy Young’s performance at the age of 41-years and three months, to throw a no-hitter. Hank Aaron knocks in the game’s only run when the Braves beat the Giants at County Stadium, 1-0.
1965 With Houston fans cheering their pregame ascent, Mets announcer Lindsey Nelson and a radio engineer climb into the Astrodome’s gondola and are hoisted 208 feet above second base to broadcast the game. The umpiring crew determines that any ball hitting the pair will be playable following an existing ground rule that calls a ball striking any part of the dome in play.
Courtesy of the Houston Astros network
via Astrosdaily.com
1985 After dismissing Yogi Berra when the team gets off to a 6-10 start, the Yankees hire Billy Martin for the fourth time to manage the club. The fired skipper vows not to return to Yankee Stadium for as long as George Steinbrenner is the team’s owner, and it will take 14 years for the two to reconcile.
1985 Dodger southpaw Fernando Valenzuela sets an MLB mark with 41 consecutive scoreless innings at the start of a season without allowing an earned run when he blanks the Padres through eight innings. In the top of the ninth, Tony Gwynn snaps the southpaw’s scoreless streak with a solo home run, giving the Friars an eventual 1-0 victory at Chavez Ravine.
1987 Mike Boddicker tosses his second career one-hitter when the Orioles beat Kansas City at Royals Stadium, 3-0. The only hit given up by the 29-year-old right-hander is a sixth-inning single to Willie Wilson.
1988 The Orioles finish the day 16 games out of first place, extending their major league mark of season-starting losses to 21 when the Twins defeat the team, 4-2. The Metrodome loss marks the seventh consecutive time the opponents sweep a series from Baltimore.
1989 Entering the game against Padres with two outs in the ninth inning, Cubs’ closer Mitch Williams records a save without throwing a pitch. The 24-year-old reliever picks off Carmelo Martínez at second base, giving Chicago a 3-1 victory in the Wrigley Field contest.
1995 With one out in the top of the fourth inning, three fans, showing their displeasure at the recent baseball strike, jump a Shea Stadium fence and begin scattering dollar bills at the Mets’ players’ feet. As a finale to their defiant act, the trio stands on second base with arms raised, showing the Opening Day crowd their T-shirts stenciled with the word Greed.
1998 Juan Gonzalez establishes a new major league record for April by driving in 35 runs during the month. The Rangers’ right-fielder sets the mark with two RBIs in the 7-2 victory over the Twins at the Metrodome.
2000 Ranger reliever Jeff Zimmerman takes his third loss of the young season when he balks home the winning run in the team’s 4-3 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards. The walk-off balk, scoring pinch-runner Mark Lewis, is called by home plate umpire Ian Lamplugh when the right-hander starts his motion but steps off the rubber without delivering a pitch.
2010 Phillies slugger Ryan Howard agrees to a $125 million, five-year contract extension that could keep the infielder with the team until 2017. The 30-year-old first baseman’s $25-million guaranteed average salary during the new deal is the second-highest amount in the major leagues, trailing behind only Alex Rodriguez’s ten-year contract with the Yankees, which averages $27.5 million per season.
2010 David Wright surpasses Ed Kranepool to become the Mets’ all-time leader in doubles. The 27-year-old third baseman, who collected his 1,000th career hit yesterday, strokes his 226th two-bagger in the second inning of the Mets’ 7-3 victory over Los Angeles at Citi Field.
2010 Changes recommended by baseball’s special committee for on-field matters, including expanding All-Star rosters to 34 players, including 13 pitchers, will be implemented for this season’s Midsummer classic scheduled for Anaheim’s Angel Stadium. Other adopted rules include:
Using a designated hitter every year.
Making a pitcher who starts on the final Sunday before the break ineligible to play.
Allowing re-entry into a game if the last available position player at any position is injured.
2010 Luke Hughes becomes the fifth player in Twins’ history to homer in his first at-bat in the major leagues when he goes deep off Detroit’s Max Scherzer in Minnesota’s 11-6 loss at Comerica Park. The Australian-born rookie third baseman joins Rick Renick (1968), Dave McKay (1975), Gary Gaetti (1981), and Andre David (1984) in accomplishing the feat.
2011 Ben Zobrist breaks the Rays’ RBIs record of seven established in 2007 by Carlos Pena when he drives in eight runs with an RBI single, a three-run homer, along with a pair of two-run doubles. The All-Star infielder’s offensive output helps Tampa Bay trounce the Twins 15-3 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Target Field.
2012 Bryce Harper makes his much-anticipated debut in the Nationals’ 4-3 loss to Los Angeles at Chavez Ravine. The 19-year-old rookie center fielder, who drives in the potential go-ahead run in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly, doubles in the top of the seventh off Chad Billingsley for his first major league hit.
2012 Adam Jones, who is currently leading the Orioles in both homers and RBIs and has a 17-game hitting streak, has agreed to the richest contract in franchise history. The 26-year-old center fielder comes to terms with the team on a six-year, $85.5-million no-trade deal, keeping the All-Star flychaser in Baltimore through the 2018 season.
2012 Frank Robinson’s likeness, created by sculptor Antonio Mendez, becomes the second of a series of six bronze statues, with skipper Earl Weaver being the first, unveiled at Camden Yards’ Legends Park this season. In his first season with the Orioles, the future Hall of Fame outfielder won the Triple Crown (.316 average, 49 homers, 122 RBIs) and both the American League and World Series MVP awards, en route to leading Baltimore to the Fall Classic four times during his six seasons with the team.
2013 In the first game of a day-night doubleheader, Jeremy Guthrie ties a franchise record by going 16 consecutive starts without a loss for the Royals. The 34-year-old right-hander works 6.2 innings without giving up a run in Kansas City’s 9-0 victory over Cleveland at Kauffman Stadium.
2013 🇩🇴 The Blue Jays become the first team to start six players from the Dominican Republic in a game. The sellout crowd of 45,260 at the Rogers Centre is delighted when Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Juan Francisco, and Moises Sierra help Toronto bounce Boston 7-1.
2019 Matt Adams’ walk-off home run in the 11th inning becomes the decisive blow when Washington overcomes a six-run deficit to beat the Padres at Nationals Park, 7-6, with round-trippers by Juan Soto, Victor Robles, and Carter Kieboom contributing significantly to the comeback victory. According to Elias, the youngsters become the first trio of teammates 21 years old or younger to homer in the same game.