INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
BOONE GROVE 20 HAMMOND MORTON 0
HOBART 9 MORGAN TWP. 4
NEW HAVEN 7 FORT WAYNE NORTH 3
KANKAKEE VALLEY 6 HEBRON 2
SHENANDOAH 16 EASTERN HANCOCK 0
GIBSON SOUTHERN 4 TECUMSEH 0
MUNSTER 8 CHESTERTON 6
HAMMOND NOLL 9 RIVER FOREST 2
TELL CITY 4 N. POSEY 3
NOBLESVILLE 2 AVON 1
WHITKO 12 CULVER 0
CLINTON CENTRAL 10 PIONEER 5
HAUSER 11 EDINBURGH 1
SULLIVAN 1 LINTON STOCKTON 0
FRONTIER 2 W. CENTRAL 1
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 7 TAYLOR 1
WINCHESTER 4 S. ADAMS 3
DALEVILLE 5 WAPAHANI 2
SOUTHERN WELLS 8 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 3
LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 12 W. NOBLE 1
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN 11 WHEELER 0
HAMMOND CENTRAL 16 WHITING 3
BLUFFTON 15 BLACKFORD 10
WEST WASHINGTON 3 PAOLI 0
COWAN 4 WES DEL 3
BLUE RIVER 3 UNION COUNTY 1
SHAWE MEMORIAL 12 MILAN 2
MONROE CENTRAL 6 EASTBROOK 5
SOUTH KNOX 17 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 0
INDIANAPOLIS TECH 11 PURDUE POLY 0
BENTON CENTRAL 7 COVINGTON 4
VAN WERT 3 HERITAGE 1
RISING SUN 4 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 3
ANDERSON 10 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 0
CLAY CITY 3 CLOVERDALE 1
TRI COUNTY 8 N. NEWTON 3
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 7 BREBEUF 1
GREENWOOD 5 WHITELAND 3
DEKALB 13 FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 12
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 6 EDGEWOOD 3
GREENWOOD 10 LAWRENCEBURG 2
FRANKLIN COUNTY 6 E. CENTRAL 5
BEN DAVIS 4 SOUTHPORT 3
CALUMET CHRISTIAN 18 GRANT PARK 0
MACONAQUAH 8 MARIAN 5
BOONVILLE 10 MOUNT VERNON 0
JAY COUNTY 8 ELWOOD 0
SOUTH PUTNAM 16 EMINENCE 1
WABASH 14 MISSISSINEWA 4
BEECH GROVE 8 TRITON CENTRAL 0
PIKE 10 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 2
NORTH MONTGOMERY 8 FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 5
WASHINGTON 3 HERITAGE HILLS 1
NEW PALESTINE 12 SHELBYVILLE 2
SOUTHMONT 5 N. PUTNAM 4
PARKE HERITAGE 12 N. VERMILLION 2
RUSHVILLE 8 S. DEARBORN 6
CENTER GROVE 10 TRI WEST 0
NORTHEASTERN 13 MUNCIE CENTRAL 2
ZIONSVILLE 3 FISHERS 2
GREENCASTLE 6 WESTERN BOONE 4
BATESVILLE 7 CONNERSVILLE 3
BLOOMINGTON NORTH 8 COLUMBUS NORTH 2
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 3 SCOTTSBURG 0
SEYMOUR 9 COLUMBUS EAST 4
YORKTOWN 4 RICHMOND 1
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 1 BROWNSBURG 0
MOORESVILLE 11 MARTINSVILLE 4
FRANKLIN 12 PLAINFIELD 1
NOBLESVILLE 4 AVON 1
DANVILLE 3 INDIAN CREEK 2
HIGHLAND 15 MERRILLILLE 8
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
HIGHLAND 20 MERRILLVILLE 0
NORWELL 19 EASTBROOK 5
ANDREAN 4 LOWELL 2
MORGAN TWP. 8 HAMMOND MORTON 3
WHEELER 10 N. NEWTON 2
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 12 EASTERN 4
JAY COUNTY 14 DELTA 3
BLOOMFIELD 7 CLOVERDALE 2
NORTH POSEY 4 GIBSON SOUTHERN 1
EASTERN 13 OAK HILL 5
UNION COUNTY 11 HAGERSTOWN 2
NORTH HARRISON 14 CLARKSVILLE 0
WOOD MEMORIAL 28 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 2
SOUTH BEND CLAY 17 LAVILLE 3
SOUTH ADAMS 8 WINCHESTER 4
GRIFFITH 18 CALUMET TECH 2
WAPAHANI 8 DALEVILLE 4
COWAN 10 WES DEL 0
PIKE CENTRAL 10 LOOGOOTEE 0
WHITING 13 HAMMOND CENTRAL 6
CLAY CITY 11 N. KNOX 0
HANOVER CENTRAL 15 LAKE STATION 0
CASTLE 5 EVANSVILLE NORTH 2
KANKAKEE VALLEY 3 HOBART 2
BORDEN 10 AUSTIN 0
LOGANSPORT 9 PIONEER 3
ROCHESTER 16 PLYMOUTH 4
SALT FORK 10 COVINGTON 8
GLENN 13 TRITON 1
HAMMOND NOLL 13 RIVER FOREST 3
WESTERN 14 TIPTON 0
GREENCASTLE 3 EMINENCE 1
MADISON GRANT 12 TRI 2
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 18 CRAWFORDSVILLE 4
WEST LAFAYETTE 12 TWIN LAKES 2
NORTH DECATUR 20 MORRISTOWN 5
CHARLESTOWN 6 CORYDON CENTRAL 2
PRINCETON 9 RICHLAND COUNTY 0
RUSHVILLE 5 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 4
FRANKLIN COUNTY 26 RICHMOND 1
DANVILLE 7 MCCUTCHEON 2
JENNINGS COUNTY 10 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 4
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 14 CHRISTEL HOUSE 0
NORTHVIEW 5 LINTON STOCKTON 3
LAWRENCE NORTH 14 SPEEDWAY 0
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 6 S. PUTNAM 5
WESTERN BOONE 16 FAITH CHRISTIAN 0
LIVING WATER 25 RITTER 0
HARRISON 10 KOKOMO 0
RENSSELAER CENTRAL 7 N. WHITE 1
WINAMAC 10 ARGOS 0
CASCADE 11 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 4
EASTERN HANCOCK 15 SHENANDOAH 0
INDIANA DEAF 21 RIVERSIDE 2
COLUMBUS NORTH 1 SHELBYVILLE 0
DEKALB 13 PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 3
SEEGER 19 S. NEWTON 0
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 12 ANDERSON 4
KNIGHTSTOWN 5 UNION CITY 2
SOUTHRIDGE 13 FOREST PARK 10
FREMONT 16 LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 6
WEST CENTRAL 3 WESTVILLE 1
LEBANON 10 WARREN CENTRAL 5
SOUTH RIPLEY 13 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 1
LEBANON 10 WARREN CENTRAL 5
SCOTTSBURG 15 SALEM 1
MARTINSVILLE 4 MOORESVILLE 3
NEW PALESTINE 6 AVON 3
WHITELAND 13 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 4
MILAN 11 CENTERVILLE 1
PLAINFIELD 4 FRANKLIN 1
SOUTHPORT 9 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 6
LEWIS CASS 8 NORTHWESTERN 6
PERRY CENTRAL 3 ORLEANS 2
MADISON 16 TRIMBLE COUNTY 5
FLOYD CENTRAL 8 COLUMBUS EAST 2
WESTERN 11 TIPTON 1
JASPER 4 NE.DUBOIS 3
CALUMET CHRISTIAN 26 HAST 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
SAN FRANCISCO 16 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 6
BOSTON 6 DETROIT 3
TORONTO 6 KANSAS CITY 3
COLORADO 1 WASHINGTON 0
ATLANTA 7 SAN DIEGO 6
LA DODGERS 5 ARIZONA 2
HOUSTON AT MINNESOTA POSTPONED
NY YANKEES AT BALTIMORE POSTPONED
MIAMI AT NY METS POSTPONED
CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA POSTPONED
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS 5 LOUISVILLE 3
INDIANAPOLIS 1 LOUISVILLE 0
NBA SCOREBOARD
CLEVELAND 118 ORLANDO 94
MIAMI 129 PHILADELPHIA 101
SAN ANTONIO 129 PORTLAND 127
OKLAHOMA CITY 114 UTAH 98
PHOENIX 119 DENVER 115
NHL SCOREBOARD
BOSTON 2 TORONTO 1
BUFFALO 7 DETROIT 6
FLORIDA 7 OTTAWA 2
MONTRÉAL 6 WASHINGTON 2
NEW JERSEY 8 COLUMBUS 1
PITTSBURGH 4 MINNESOTA 1
NY ISLANDERS 6 TAMPA BAY 1
NASHVILLE 3 CAROLINA 0
ST. LOUIS 3 NY RANGERS 2
DALLAS 4 PHILADELPHIA 1
VANCOUVER 3 CHICAGO 0
VEGAS 5 LOS ANGELES 2
COLORADO 6 SAN JOSE 2
SEATTLE 4 ARIZONA 2
TOP INDIANA (RELEASES)
INDIANA HS BASKETBALL-HOOSIER GYM CLASSIC ROSTERS
GIRLS
Hailey Smith, Fishers
Olivia Smith, Fishers
Asia Donald, Hobart
Isabella Gizzi, New Palestine
Ashlynn Brooke, Pioneer
McKaya Porter, Mishawaka Marian
Nevaeh Foster, Mishawaka Marian
Saige Stahl, Columbus East
Renna Schwieterman, Jay County
Josie Trabel, East Central
Bailey Parham, Tri
Amiyah Reynolds, South Bend Washington
Linzie Wernert, Lanesville
Olivia Brown, Hamilton Southeastern
Karsyn Norman, Bedford North Lawrence
Riley Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern
Bailey Tabeling, Trinity Lutheran
Amber Tretter, Forest Park
Cristen Carter, Ben Davis
Kylee Edwards, Shelbyville
McKenna Layden, Northwestern
Rashunda Jones, South Bend Washington
Lizzie Graham, Triton Central
BOYS
Gavin Welch, New Castle
Zane Doughty, Ben Davis
Sheridan Sharp, Ben Davis
JQ Roberts, Bloomington North
Sam Orme, Carmel
Xavier Booker, Cathedral
Cooper Farrall, Culver Academy
Dylan Moles, Greenfield-Central
Myles Colvin, Heritage Christian
Joey Hart, Linton-Stockton
Jaylen Mullen, North Daviess
Jermaine Coleman, Park Tudor
Markus Burton, Penn
Mason Jones, Valparaiso
Nick Richart, Zionsville
A.J. Lux, Crown Point
Ian Raasch, NorthWood
Jaron Tibbs, Cathedral
Jake Davis, Cathedral
Ian Stephens, New Palestine
Ahmere Carson, Anderson
Landon Biegel, Oak Hill
Logan Imes, Zionsville
PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS PISTONS
The Pacers will take the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the final time this season on Friday night, when Indiana (34-46) hosts the Detroit Pistons (16-64).
Friday will also be the Blue & Gold’s last game against a Central Division rival. The Pacers are 2-1 against Detroit so far this season, beating the Pistons for their first win of the season on Oct. 22 and then splitting a pair of games in Detroit on March 11 and 13.
The Pacers are coming off a 138-129 loss to the Knicks on Wednesday. The story of that game was the disparity between how Indiana fared depending which unit was on the court.
Though all five starters scored in double figures, the first unit — which featured five players all 24 or younger — struggled to slow down New York defensively. The Blue & Gold fell into an early 21-7 hole and allowed three Knicks (Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, and Obi Toppin) to score 30 or more points.
Every Pacers starter had a negative plus/minus of -15 or worse, but the Blue & Gold got a huge lift from their bench. Veterans T.J. McConnell (18 points and 12 assists) and Buddy Hield (13 points and six assists) provided a significant spark with their energy on both ends of the floor. The Pacers were +13 with Hield on the floor, +18 with McConnell, +22 with two-way guard Gabe York, and +28 with reserve forward Oshae Brissett.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game that he hoped it could be a learning experience for his young starting five. With leading scorers Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner sidelined and Hield sliding to the bench, the Pacers have been relying heavily on rookie guards Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin, who have shown plenty of promise.
Though they combined for 10 turnovers on Wednesday, Nembhard and Mathurin did plenty of good things as well. Nembhard tallied 12 points and nine assists, while Mathurin had 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
It’s been a rough close to the season for the Pistons, who have dropped 11 straight and 22 of their last 23 dating back to before the All-Star break, with their lone win over that stretch coming against the Pacers on March 13.
While Detroit has shut down several key players, including leading scorer and former Pacer Bojan Bogdanovic (21.6 points per game), rookie guard Jaden Ivey is still playing and has been given the reins to Detroit’s offense.
The fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (one pick ahead of Mathurin), Ivey is averaging 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. The former Purdue All-American is having a strong close to his rookie season, averaging 23 points and 8.1 assists over his last seven games.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard, G – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Jordan Nwora, C – Isaiah Jackson
Pistons: G – Jaden Ivey, G – Killian Hayes, F – Eugene Omoruyi, F – Jalen Duren, C – James Wiseman
Injury Report
Pacers: T.J. McConnell – questionable (sore right hip), Jalen Smith – questionable (sore right knee), Myles Turner – questionable (sore left ankle), Kendall Brown – out (right tibia stress fracture), Chris Duarte – out (sore left ankle), Tyrese Haliburton – out (right ankle sprain/sore left elbow)
Pistons: Marvin Bagley III – probable (concussion protocol), Isaiah Livers – questionable (right ankle sprain), Eugene Omoruyi – questionable (left ankle sprain), Bojan Bogdanovic – out (left Achilles tendinopathy), Alec Burks – out (sore left foot), Cade Cunningham – out (left tibia stress fracture), Hamidou Diallo – out (right ankle sprain), Rodney McGruder – out (right foot sprain), Isaiah Stewart – out (left shoulder impingement)
Last Meeting
March 13, 2023: The Pistons (16-53) led by as many as 31 in the first half en route to a 117-97 victory at Little Caesars Arena to split a two-game set with Indiana. With the win, Detroit snapped an 11-game losing streak and picked up its first victory in a Central Division game after starting the season 0-12 against its four primary rivals.
Former Pacer Cory Joseph tallied a game-high 22 points and five assists off the bench, going 5-for-8 from 3-point range, to lead seven Pistons in double figures.
Jordan Nwora scored a team-high 20 points for Indiana to go along with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith added 15 points apiece in the loss.
Noteworthy
With a win on Friday, the Pacers would take the season series with Detroit and secure a .500 record in divisional games (Indiana is currently 7-8 against Central Division opponents).
Pacers guard Buddy Hield has made a franchise-record 278 3-pointers this season. He needs to make five over the final two games to surpass his previous career high of 282, set with Sacramento in 2020-21.
The Pacers set a new franchise record for total points scored in a season on Wednesday. Indiana now has 9,279 points on the season, breaking the previous record of 9,197 set in 1991-92.
Pistons guard Cory Joseph and forward Bojan Bogdanovic previously were teammates with the Pacers for two seasons from 2017-19.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Travis Swaggerty ripped a leadoff home run in the opener of a twin bill at Louisville to set the tone for an Indianapolis Indians sweep over the Bats on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field. Indy used a four-run sixth to take the first contest, 5-3, before four pitchers combined on a 1-0 shutout in the nightcap.
Off to its first 0-4 start since 2011 despite holding multi-run leads in three of the losses, Indianapolis (2-4) grabbed another early advantage in the first inning when Swaggerty homered to right-center for his third career leadoff blast in an Indians uniform.
Luis Ortiz cruised through four hitless innings with six punchouts to keep the 1-0 lead intact but endured trouble against the Bats (2-4) in the fifth. Nick Martini singled, and following a TJ Hopkins one-out knock, hustled home on a Chuckie Robinson RBI single.
In the top of the sixth, Tucupita Marcano – who prevented a potential big fifth frame for the Bats with a leaping catch in front of the left field wall – lined a two-run single to right to push the Indians back in front, 3-1. Endy Rodríguez padded the lead with a sacrifice fly ahead of a wild pitch that gave Indy its final run.
Robert Stephenson, making his third rehab appearance for Indianapolis, yielded a two-run home run to Matt McLain in the bottom of the sixth to complete the scoring. Yerry De Los Santos (SV, 1) logged a four-out save and stranded the potential winning run at the plate and on base in the final two innings. Daniel Zamora (W, 1-1) notched one out in relief while Silvino Bracho (L, 0-1) surrendered Marcano’s tiebreaking single.
Swaggerty and Marcano were at it again in the second affair, drilling consecutive triples to record the game’s only run.
Louisville had just two hits and struck out 10 times against Indy’s quartet of Game 2 pitchers – Osvaldo Bido (3.0ip, 1h, 3k), Cody Bolton (2.0ip, 1h, 2k), Yohan Ramirez (1.2ip, 4k) and Angel Perdomo (0.1ip, 1k). Bolton (W, 1-0) grabbed his first win, and Perdomo (SV, 1) secured the shutout. Randy Wynne (L, 0-1) scattered five hits in 3.0 innings pitched.
The pair of wins marked the Indians’ first doubleheader sweep over the Bats since Sept. 1, 2016 at Victory Field. It is also the club’s first road twin bill sweep in Louisville in at least the last 37 seasons dating back to the 1986 campaign.
Swaggerty went a combined 4-for-7 with a home run, triple, RBI and three runs atop the lineup. Marcano followed suit with a 3-for-7 showing that featured a double, triple, three RBI and one run.
The Indians and Bats continue their series with a 7:15 PM ET start on Friday at Louisville Slugger Field. LHP Caleb Smith (0-1, 15.43) gets the nod for Indy against LHP Brandon Williamson (0-0, 6.00).
INDY ELEVEN
CHICAGO/INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, April 6, 2023) – U.S. Soccer has announced the pairings and hosting scenarios for the Third Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The 24-game Third Round slate will include Indy Eleven heading east on I-70 to square off against Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew SC, which will host the second-ever meeting between the two sides on April 25 or 26.
Date, kickoff time, broadcast information, and ticketing details surrounding the Third Round affair will be announced in the coming days.
Indy Eleven will renew acquaintances with Crew SC for the first time in official competition since the Eleven’s initial U.S. Open Cup run during its inaugural 2014 season. That year on June 17, the Boys in Blue took their Fourth Round affair at FirstEnergy Stadium in Akron into added extra time, but Blake Smith’s 62nd minute equalizer was ultimately for naught as Indy fell 1-2 after conceding in the 112th minute.
The match will mark only Indy Eleven’s third against MLS competition in the U.S. Open Cup, and its first in nearly seven years dating back to a 4-3 penalty kick defeat at Chicago Fire FC following a 1-1 draw on June 16, 2016.
U.S. Open Cup Third Round games will be played across the country from April 25-26 and feature teams from every division of professional and amateur soccer in the United States, including 18 lower-seeded Division I (MLS) clubs. Teams in the Third Round were pooled geographically and with the Div. I clubs distributed as evenly as possible among the groups. All Div. I sides will be drawn to face a Second Round winner and not another Division I club.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It’s a showdown of two of the top teams in the Big Ten this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field, as the Indiana baseball program will host Iowa in a three-game series that begins on Friday (April 7) at 6 p.m.
Indiana (20-9, 5-1 B1G) has won each of its first two conference series with a sweep of Ohio State to open Big Ten play and a road series win at Penn State. Iowa (21-6, 1-2 B1G) played its final out of conference series on the opening weekend of B1G play and dropped two of three games to Maryland in Iowa City last weekend.
Gameday Info
Friday, April 7, 2023
IU: Ben Seiler, LHP, Sr.+
UI: Brody Brecht, RHP, So.
Live Video: bit.ly/3nUWknK
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3E0i0Db
Saturday, April 8, 2023
IU: Luke Sinnard, RHP, So.
UI: Marcus Morgan, RHP, So.
Quick Hitter
Indiana and Iowa are separate by just five games in the all-time series, with the Hawkeyes owning a slim 84-79 edge. Iowa swept the series last season, but Indiana has won five straight home series.
The Hoosiers have won 16 straight games at home, including a 15-game winning streak in 2023. It marks the longest home winning streak in Bart Kaufman Field history and the second-longest streak in program history.
During his 12-game reached base streak, sophomore Brock Tibbitts is hitting .489 with 16 RBIs, 16 runs scored and a .537 on-base percentage. Of his 22 hits, eight have gone for extra bases.
Sophomore Luke Sinnard struck out 13 Morehead State batters on March 17 to earn his third win of the season and earn national honors for his outing.
Senior Hunter Jessee carried a 34-game reached base streak between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, which marked a career long for the left-handed hitter and the second longest such streak since at least 2005.
Senior Phillip Glasser enters the weekend with a 29-game reached base and has 15 multi-hit games in that span.
Glasser is also among the top-50 active hitters in a bevy of categories, including No. 5 with 236 career hits.
After its first Big Ten series sweep since 2021, sophomore Brock Tibbitts and freshman Devin Taylor were honored by the Big Ten with Player and Co-Freshman of the Week accolades, respectively.
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.
Scouting the Opponent
Iowa enters the weekend with a 21-6 overall record and a 1-2 mark in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes dropped two of the three games to Maryland last weekend in Iowa City, but defeated Bradley on the road Tuesday.
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring (8.7 rpg) and ERA (4.37) to go a long with a conference-best 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Sophomore Brody Brecht leads the Big Ten in fewest hits per nine innings (5.08) and strikeouts (59) to go along with a 2.67 ERA over 33 2/3 innings of work.
Brecht, Zach Voelker and Jared Simpson are all tied for the team lead with three victories on the season.
Graduate transfer Brennen Dorighi leads the team with a .357 average and is tied for the lead with 32 runs scored and 30 RBIs.
Sophomore Keaton Anthony has hit six home runs to pace the team and his 13 doubles are tied atop the Big Ten charts.
Inside the Series
Friday’s meeting will mark the 164th in the all-time series and just five games separate the two teams, as Iowa owns an 84-79 edge.
The first meeting between the two programs came in 1913, a 4-2 win for the Hoosiers, and Indiana won the first three meetings in series history.
Indiana is 47-37 all-time against Iowa at home, with five straight series wins over the Hawkeyes in Bloomington.
Indiana’s longest winning streaks against the Hawkeyes is eight straight games. It occurred twice once from 2009-11 and against from 2012-14.
IU is 3-1-1 in the last five series versus Iowa, with the lone series loss a sweep at the hands of the Hawkeyes to end the 2022 regular season in Iowa City.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 19 Indiana softball (29-9, 8-0 B1G) travels to Bowling Green, Kent., for a midweek match up against Western Kentucky (21-14, 2-4 B1G) at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium this weekend.
LAST TIME OUT
The Indiana Hoosiers are coming off a 3-0 shutout win against Western Kentucky as they captured their 22nd straight win.
Sophomore Taylor Minnick hit .500 against the Hilltoppers recording two hits and one RBI.
Freshman Taryn Kern hit her 16th bomb against WKU for two RBI to extend the lead.
Junior Brooke Benson hit a team high .667 going 2-for-3 at bat with one double and one stolen base. She also held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage against the Hilltoppers.
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland pitched five innings with four strikeouts as she improved to 13-0 inside the circle.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Minnesota (21-14, 2-4 B1G) is coming off a five-day break after a series win against Penn State. The Gophers won the first game, 2-0, blanking the Nittany Lions before splitting the doubleheader on Sunday.
On the season, the Gophers hold a .271 batting average with 252 hits, 160 RBIs and 42 home runs.
Pitcher Autumn Pease holds a 1.64 ERA with a 14-5 record inside the circle. She has pitched 123.2 innings tallying 160 strikeouts.
Sophomore catcher Taylor Krapf leads the team in hitting with a .357 average on 34 hits, four doubles, one triple and a 10 home runs.
SERIES NOTES
Minnesota holds a 54-43 advantage in the series.
The Hoosiers split a doubleheader against the Gophers in Leesburg, Fla., with a 7-5 victory in game one before falling, 6-2, in the second game on Feb. 28, 2021.
(W)INDIANA
The Hoosiers win 22 straight setting a new program record for the longest win streak.
No. 19 Indiana moved up five spots in the D1 Softball poll and are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
SWEEP, SWEEP – HOOSIERS ARE CLEANIN’ UP
Indiana remains the only undefeated team in conference play as they swept the series against No. 22 Maryland, Purdue and Ohio State.
OUT OF THE PARK(ER)
Parker held a .500 batting average as the Hoosiers won 21 straight games setting a new program record, picking up wins against Butler and sweeping Purdue and Ohio State.
She held a 1.636 OPS with eight hits with two doubles and two home runs. Parker totaled seven RBI and scored eight runs on the week. Parker was perfect from the field and behind the plate with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
The Westfield, Ind., native had a team high .500 batting average scoring three runs on three hits and two RBI against archrival Purdue.
She ranks fourth in the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.721).
On the season, she holds a batting average of .378 with 34 hits. She has scored 29 runs, nine doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 30 RBI.
Parker hit her first career home run against Lipscomb. She added three more on the weekend, totaling eight RBI in Nashville, Tenn.
MONEY MINNICK
Minnick hit .500 on the week as the Hoosiers defeated Butler and swept Purdue and Ohio State as they made program history with 21 straight wins.
She totaled eight hits, two doubles, two home runs, six runs, eight free passes and seven RBI on the week.
The Bloomington, Ind., native hit a team high .750 against Ohio State with a 1.750 slugging percentage and a 2.555 OPS. She hit two home runs, four RBI with six hits and five runs scored against the Buckeyes.
In the Big Ten, she ranks second in OBS (.534), third in OPS (1.276), doubles (11) and batting average (.416).
TARYN IT UP
Teammate Taryn Kern collected two hits for two home runs with three RBI and two runs scored in her first games against archrival Purdue. The freshman also totaled four free passes and had a stellar performance in the field with five assists and six putouts.
Last weekend, Kern hit a team high batting average of .556 as they extended their win streak to 15 and swept the No. 22 ranked Maryland Terrapins earning herself Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third straight week. She totaled five hits with two doubles, two home runs with three RBI with an outstanding 2.111 OPS.
The San Jose, Calif., native leads the Big Ten in seven categories, slugging percentage (1.011), OBS (.595), OPS (1.606), RBI (42), home runs (15) and walks (27) and hit by pitch (11).
The IU freshman is second in conference in batting average (.435) and runs scored (41).
HOME RUN HISTORY
Kern is on pace to set a new single season record for most home runs in a season. She is currently tied with IU Hall of Famer and Olympian Michelle Venturella who totaled 16 bombs in the 1994 season.
COPELAND IN THE CIRCLE
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland is 12-0 inside the circle after earning wins against Purdue and Ohio State.
The Pelham, Ala., native holds a 2.81 ERA with 82.1 innings pitched and 82 strikeouts.
Offensively, Copeland is batting .350 on the season with 36 hits. She has 17 extra base hits and 31 RBI on the season.
HOOSIER BATS ON FIRE
Indiana leads the Big Ten in batting with a .333 average on the season. The cream and crimson have totaled 315 hits, 68 doubles, six triples, and 52 home runs.
They have tallied 254 RBI along with 130 free passes and 63 hit by the pitch.
THE NEXT 60 FEET
Indiana leads the conference with 80 stolen bases.
IU’s eight stolen bases against IUPUI is the most in a game from a Big Ten school this season.
Nationally, IU is tied 29th in stolen bases and rank second in the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers tallied 16 stolen bases at the Lady Bison Classic.
INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Hoosiers men’s golf program will be hosts of the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational at The Pfau Golf Course from April 8-9. The 14-team event will serve as the program’s lone home event of the 2022-23 season.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Hoosier Collegiate Invitational • Bloomington, Ind.
The Pfau Golf Course
Par 71 • 7,432 yards
Live Scoring via GolfStat
TEAMS COMPETING (14)
Butler, Central Arkansas, Central Michigan, Chattanooga, Dayton, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Indiana, IUPUI, Murray State, Southern Illinois, US Naval Academy, Valparaiso
INDIANA LINEUP
1. Drew Salyers
2. Mitch Davis
3. Noah Gillard
4. Eric Berggren
5. Harry Reynolds
Ind. Thomas Hursey
Ind. Robbie Bender III
TOURNAMENT NOTES
• No. 42 Chattanooga is the lone team ranked higher than Indiana (No. 64) in the latest GolfStat poll (April 4).
• Indiana junior Drew Salyers (29) is the highest ranked player in the field, per GolfStat. The next highest rated player is Indiana senior Mitch Davis (215). Chattanooga is the only other school represented by a player inside the top-250 of the individual rankings.
• The tournament marks the third-straight season in which the Hoosiers have played host. Indiana finished third in the Hoosiers Collegiate last season and second in the Hoosier Invitational in 2020-21.
• Indiana will be paired with Chattanooga and Illinois State for the first two rounds of action. Continuous play will begin at 9 a.m. ET off the first tee. The final round will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET on April 9.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Weekends at Bittinger Stadium return as Purdue softball is slated to host its first weekend series of the season beginning this Friday. The Purdue softball team (17-19, 2-5 B1G) will welcome Wisconsin (17-10, 4-2 B1G) for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 5 p.m. ET.
The series kicks off an eight-game homestand for the Boilermakers, the longest home stretch of the 2023 campaign. All games will be streamed on B1G+.
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
For the first time this season, Purdue will face just one opponent this week.
The series vs. Wisconsin will mark Purdue’s first home weekend at Bittinger Stadium.
Promotions include a mug giveaway on Friday, Strikeout Cancer/Riley Day on Saturday and Youth Day/Sunday Funday at Bittinger on Sunday.
TOP TAKEAWAYS: LAST WEEK VS INDIANA / AT RUTGERS
Last Wednesday’s attendance for Game 2 vs. Indiana was 805, ranking at the 7th largest crowd in Bittinger history.
The Boilermakers won its first Big Ten series of the year with a 2-1 decision at Rutgers, a team which was tied for No. 1 in the Big Ten standings. Results: W, 3-2, W 6-3 (8 IN) and L 0-9 (5).
Alex Echazarreta secured the game with a 2 RBI home run with two outs in the eighth inning. Freshman Rita Nuss followed it up with an insurance run with her first career RBI double.
SCOUTING THE WISCONSIN BADGERS
Wisconsin is ranked fourth in the Big Ten conference winning four out of their 6 conference games.
The Badgers have won six out of their last 10 games with a 17-10 overall record.
The Badgers defeated #13 ranked, Alabama 7-6 as well as Indiana 12-1 earlier this season.
Wisconsin’s pitching staff is second in the conference with an overall 2.26 ERA.
#15 Gabi Salo leads the Big Ten in pitching and is ranked seventh nationally with a 0.76 ERA. Following Solo, the Badgers pitching staff is led by #17 Patyn Monticelli with a 2.44 ERA and then by #15 Maddie Schwartz (2.44).
#18 Brooke Kuffel leads the Badgers in batting average (.340) followed by #12 Kayla Konwent (.338) and then #99 Rylie Crane (.329).
#11 Katie Keller leads the team with 18 runs followed by #21 Ellie Hubbard (15).
#22 Peyton Bannon is second in the Big Ten for triples with a total of three while #12 Kayla Konwent is seventh in the conference for homeruns with a total of seven.
OLIVIA MCFADDEN: HEATING UP
One of Purdue’s most consistent players, Olivia McFadden has stepped up during Big Ten play as she’s switched between third base and first base.
McFadden was selected as the team’s GFDF Player of the Week after a team-leading 6 hits last week.
The sophomore posted a career-high three hits in Purdue’s 6-3 (8 IN) victory at Rutgers last Saturday, an effort which included an RBI double by McFadden to put Purdue up 1-0 in the first inning.
Meanwhile, McFadden leads the team in Big Ten play with a .385 batting avg. and six RBI. She ranks second on the team in on-base % (.429), runs scored (3), doubles (2) and total bases (12).
KIARA DILLON
Centerfielder Kiara Dillon has played in 98 of the last 99 consecutive games, dating back to the 2021 season.
Dillon is one of the fastest players in the league, ranking #2 in stolen bases with 17 on 18 attempts.
The junior is also Purdue’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president.
PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
Six of Purdue’s eight Big Ten games have been decided by three runs or less.
In half of Purdue’s conference losses (3 of 6), the Boilermakers held the lead until the middle or end of the game: L 7-9 at Nebraska with the Husker game-winner coming in the 6th inning, L 4-5 vs. Indiana with the game-winner coming in the 7th inning and L 5-8 vs. Indiana with the game-winner coming in the 4th inning.
PURDUE BASEBALL
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (12-15, 3-3 B1G) at Minnesota (7-20, 2-1 B1G)
Friday to Sunday, April 7-9 / Watch B1G+
Siebert Field / Minneapolis, Minn.
Series Opener: Friday, April 7 at 4 p.m. ET
Middle Game: Saturday, April 8 at 3 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, April 9 at 2 p.m. ET
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Minnesota leads 118-58-2
All-Time in Minneapolis: Minnesota leads 67-27
Last Meetings: Split a Doubleheader (May 30, 2021 in West Lafayette)
Last Series: Purdue won 3 of 4 (May 20-23, 2021 in Minneapolis)
First Meeting: Minnesota 14, Purdue 9 (April 1901 in West Lafayette)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. MINN’s Tucker Novotny (So, LHP)
Saturday: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. MINN’s George Klassen (So, LHP)
Sunday: Kyle Iwinski (Jr, RHP) vs. MINN’s Richie Hoeltz (R-Sr, RHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball begins the second half of the regular season with another trip north, visiting the Twin Cities for the third time in the last four years for a three-game series at Minnesota.
First pitch at Siebert Field is slated for 4 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (all ET). Friday’s first pitch was moved up Wednesday evening to maximize daylight.
The Boilermakers have won five of their last seven games at Siebert Field – taking two of three to end the 2017 regular season and three of four in the penultimate weekend of the 2021 campaign. Prior to 2017, Purdue had gone without a series win in Minneapolis since 2000. The Boilermakers also played at Minnesota’s six-team Cambria College Classic inside U.S. Bank Stadium two weeks before the shutdown in 2020.
Purdue scored 46 runs over the four games at Siebert Field two years ago. Jake Parr hit the first of his two career grand slams, Cam Thompson connected for a three-run homer and Mike Bolton Jr.’s .526 on-base percentage led to five stolen bases and nine runs scored. Parr finished the series 6-for-15.
Three of Purdue’s first six Big Ten games this season have been one-run affairs, with the Boilermakers managing to win a pair of them. Khal Stephen and Aaron Suval have teamed up to lead Purdue to consecutive series-opening wins over the first two weekends of conference play, combining for 22 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings. The Boilermakers rallied for their Friday victories – overcoming a 4-0 deficit entering the fourth inning at Michigan State and a 2-1 deficit entering the seventh inning vs. Northwestern.
Jonathan Blackwell (11 2/3 IP, 12 H, 4 R, BB, 8 K) and Kyle Iwinski (10 1/3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, BB, 6 K) have very similar stat lines over their first two Big Ten starts, highlighted by a combined 14 strikeouts vs. two walks over 22 innings.
Purdue Starting Pitching Over the First 2 Weekends of Big Ten Play
• 35 IP, 34 H, 15 R, 6 BB, 29 K, 3.60 ERA, .258 B/Avg
WEEKEND #3 OF BIG TEN PLAY
• Illinois at Northwestern
• Purdue at Minnesota
• Nebraska at Michigan
• Iowa at Indiana
• Ohio State at Michigan State
• Rutgers at Maryland
• Delaware State at Penn State
Similar to Northwestern, Minnesota is battled test after playing a tough non-conference slate that featured games against UC Santa Barbara, Oregon State, New Mexico, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Houston and others. It showed last weekend when the Gophers won two of three at Ohio State to open Big Ten play. Minnesota surrendered only 10 runs in the series and overcame a 2-0 deficit in the ninth inning to win Friday.
The Gophers have played each of their first 11 home games indoors at the Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium. Their first two home dates outdoors at Siebert Field were postponed/canceled this week due to poor weather. Since Siebert Field reopened in 2013, Minnesota has played its Big Ten schedule outdoors at the on-campus facility.
The Gophers have the youngest roster in the Big Ten with an average age of 19.95. But they also have the league’s longest-tenured head coach, John Anderson, who is the winningest coach in Big Ten history with 1354 victories in as the leader of Minnesota’s storied program since the 1982 season.
The Gophers have a pair of lefties atop their rotation in Tucker Novotny and George Klassen. Purdue is 3-5 against lefthanded starting pitchers this season after winning two of their last three assignments. Similar to the Boilermakers with Kyle Iwinski, Sunday starter Richie Holetz has the best overall numbers (2.50 ERA, 31 strikeouts, 0 HR allowed in 36 innings) in the rotation.
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Jo Stevens – 10-game on-base streak
• Connor Caskenette – 6-game on-base, 5-game hit streaks; 6-game on-base streak in Big Ten play
TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
• Kyle Iwinski – 2nd in ERA (2.48), 7th in B/Avg (.203)
• Couper Cornblum – 2nd in Steals (15)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – T-2nd in Sac Bunts (4), T-4th in HBP (8), T-5th in Triples (2), T-3rd in Steals (12)
• Cam Thompson – T-3rd in Sac Flies (3), T-7th in Sac Bunts (3)
• Paul Toetz – T-4th in HR (8), T-5th in Triples (2), 3rd in RBI (37), 8th in Slugging (.670), 8th in OPS (1.155)
• Evan Albrecht – T-5th in Steals (11)
• Jake Parr – T-5th in Triples (2)
• Jake Jarvis – T-6th in OBP (.484), 9th in OPS (1.127), 10th in Slugging (.643)
• Jonathan Blackwell – 6th in Innings (37 1/3)
THREE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 10+ STEALS (Since 1970)
• Dave Scheitlin – 12 in 1989, 26 in 1990, 30 in 1991 /// 3-Year Total: 68
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 17 in 2021, 28 in 2022, 12 in 2023 // 3-Year Total: 57
• 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
PURDUE’S ALL-TIME LEADERS IN STOLEN BASES
1.) Dave Scheitlin (1988-91) – 70
2.) Jeff Allison (1984-87) – 69
3.) Chris Walker (1997-00) – 60
4.) Mike Bolton Jr. (2000-Pr) – 58
5.) Chris Detrick (1978-81) – 57
6.) Stephen Talbott (2010-13) – 55
7.) Harry Shipley (2015-18) – 51
8.) Craig Robertshaw (1988-91) – 50
T-9.) Eric Charles (2008-12) – 49
T-9.) Mitch Hilligoss (2004-06) – 49
11.) Jermaine Allensworth (1991-93) – 48
12.) Mark Tomsyck (1995-98) – 46
13.) Daniel Underwood (2000-03) – 45
14.) Evan Albrecht (2019-Pr) – 43
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will head to the Bahamas for Thanksgiving when for the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship Nov. 20-22 at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau.
Tip times, opponents and streaming information will be released at a later date.
The Boilermakers will play their third tournament in The Bahamas, following 2005 and 2014 trips to the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport. Purdue is 2-2 all-time in The Bahamas.
In its two previous Thanksgiving week tournaments under head coach Katie Gearlds, Purdue notched a win over No. 17 Florida State in 2021 at the St. Pete Showcase, before going 2-1 with wins over Oklahoma State and Harvard at the Cancun Challenge last year.
Purdue’s growth under Gearlds was on display in 2022-23, as the Boilermakers returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, finishing the year with a 19-11 record. Purdue posted its first winning record in Big Ten play since 2017-18.
The roster received a boost late last week when Jeanae Terry, Caitlyn Harper and Abbey Ellis announced they would return for their final season in West Lafayette next year. The trio and a slate of returners will welcome in the 21st-ranked recruiting class in Mary Ashely Groot, Rashunda Jones, McKenna Layden, Emily Monson and Sophie Swanson.
The Boilermakers will be a part of the 10-team field. Eight of the teams were announced on Thursday – Columbia, East Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Seton Hall and USC.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team dropped the opening game of a three-game BIG EAST series to Villanova by the final score of 5-3. The Bulldogs (14-22, 8-2 BIG EAST) and Wildcats (20-16, 6-4 BIG EAST) were tied, 3-3, after six innings, but Villanova put two across in the seventh and held on for the win.
How It Happened
Villanova struck early drawing a walk and using a double to take a 1-0 lead after one inning.
In the second, Monique Hoosen drilled a home run over the center field wall to tie the score at one.
The Wildcats scored two in the third to take a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Ellie Boyer hit an infield single. Cage Lehner then laid down a bunt single, and Boyer advanced to third on a Villanova error. Later, as Lehner attempted to steal second, Boyer ran home and beat the throw, pulling Butler to within one run.
One inning later, Ella White doubled to right center, and a Paige Dorsett (2-3) single, up the middle, sent White across. The game was tied, 3-3, after five innings.
In the top of the seventh, Villanova hit a double and two singles to take a 4-3 lead. The Butler infield made a great play to get one runner out at home, but the next batter put the ball in play and a second runner scored from third. The Wildcats, leading 5-3, continued to threaten with the bases loaded, but the Bulldogs forced an infield hit and retired the side.
In the bottom of the seventh, Butler was unable to rally.
Mackenzie Griman (7-9) pitched a complete game for Butler and took the loss. In 7.0 innings, she allowed five runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out four.
Bulldog Bits
Monique Hoosen’s home run was her 10th of the season and the 23rd of her career. She is now tied for third on Butler’s all-time list for career home runs.
Ella White’s double was her 8th of the season and the 19th of her career.
Sydney Carter’s stolen base was her third of the season and the fifth of her career.
Carter has at least one hit in the past five games, going 9-for-18 (.500).
Cate Lehner’s two stolen bases give her 11 for the season.
Up Next
Butler and Villanova continue their BIG EAST series with game two scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m. and game three for Saturday at 12 p.m.
BUTLER BASEBALL
CINCINNATI – Butler hit two home runs in the eighth inning to tighten up the score to 5-3, but the Musketeers would counter with three runs in the bottom half to secure an 8-3 win over the visiting Bulldogs.
Butler is now 7-21 overall with an 0-1 mark in conference. The Musketeers improve to 18-12 with their first BIG EAST win of the 2023 campaign.
Carter Dorighi gave Butler life in the top of the eighth inning with a two-run home run to get Butler on the scoreboard. Kollyn All followed in the order to hit a solo shot that made the game 5-3. The game started to slip moments later as DePrey came up with an RBI double to right and then Walker would homer to right to make the game 8-3.
BU used five arms on the day with Nick Miketinac getting the start. Miketinac, Cole Graverson and Gabe Pancratz would all toss two innings for BU. Cooper Robinson and Ben Whiteside also touched the rubber for the Bulldogs. The loss fell to Graverson moving him to 1-4 on the season.
Xavier ace Ethan Bosacker tossed 7.2 innings on Thursday to collect his fourth win of the season. He struck out seven and only walked two. Justin Loer came in for a single out and Jonathan Kelly would get the final three outs for Xavier.
The top of the BU order went 5-for-10 with three RBI and three runs scored, but BU would be limited to just five total hits. DePrey and Walker were also good at the top of the order for the Musketeers. That duo accounted for four RBI helping the home team come out on top.
These two teams will meet again in Cincinnati tomorrow for a 1 PM start. Cory Bosecker is slated to make the start for the Bulldogs.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
Butler’s home schedule will feature a match-up with Texas Tech as part of this season’s BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. The teams will meet at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday, Nov. 30.
The Big 12 and BIG EAST Conferences jointly announced the complete 2023 schedule for the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, the men’s basketball non-conference scheduling alliance which is in its fifth year, on April 6. Games for the upcoming season will be played from November 30 through December 5.
With each conference adding member schools since the start of the original agreement, the Battle will increase from 10 to 11 match-ups for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The Big 12 will host six games in 2023-24 while the BIG EAST will host six the following season.
The game time and television assignment will be announced at a later date. Broadcast arrangements for the contests will be determined by the national television rights holder of the home team, which is ESPN for the Big 12 and FOX Sports for the BIG EAST.
The Bulldogs and Red Raiders have met twice previously, with Butler taking wins in both contests. Butler defeated Texas Tech in the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament (by a score of 71-61 in Raleigh, N.C.). The Bulldogs captured the 2007 Great Alaska Shootout championship with a win over Texas Tech in the title game (81-71).
Butler is 2-1 in BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle contests, including a 76-64 win over Kansas State at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the most recent Battle. The Bulldogs also won at Oklahoma in 2021 and lost at Baylor in 2019.
Thad Matta returns in the second year of his second head coaching stint at Butler. He will match up with Texas Tech’s first-year coach Grant McCasland, who spent the last six seasons guiding the North Texas program.
Season tickets to cheer on the Butler men’s basketball team at Hinkle Fieldhouse during the 2023-2024 campaign will go on sale soon. The Bulldogs’ home schedule will feature 19 contests, including all 10 BIG EAST opponents.
BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle Schedule
November 30 Texas Tech at Butler
November 30 Creighton at Oklahoma State
December 1 Iowa State at DePaul
December 1 Houston at Xavier
December 1 Connecticut at Kansas
December 1 St John’s at West Virginia
December 2 TCU at Georgetown
December 5 Texas at Marquette
December 5 Providence at Oklahoma
December 5 Villanova at Kansas State
December 5 Seton Hall at Baylor
IUPUI SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI softball team will continue Horizon League play when they host the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons for a three-game series this weekend. The Jags will play one game on Friday, April 7 with first pitch at 3:00 PM and two games on Saturday, April 8 starting at 1:00 PM.
IUPUI is currently second in the Horizon League standings with a 5-2 conference record and 9-18 overall record. Kendal Calvert and Kennedy Cowan lead the Jaguar offense and are ranked among the top in the Horizon League. Calvert is second in the league in batting average (.380) and fifth with an on base percentage of .426. Freshman Cowan is third in batting average (.375), second in slugging percentage (.625) and third in on base percentage (.458). Cowan’s OPS of 1.083 ranks her at second in the league as well. Kayla Freiberg leads the team and sits in third in the league in doubles with eight.
The Jags have two pitchers who rank on the league’s strikeout board. Madison Bryant leads the team with the third-highest number of strikeouts in the league with 79 while Carly Metcalf sits at tenth with 47 K’s.
Purdue Fort Wayne enters the weekend on a six game win streak after sweeping Detroit Mercy. The Mastodons are currently 11-18 on the year with a 3-2 record in conference. Freshman Grace Hollopeter was named #HLSB Player of the Week after hitting .667 in the Mastodons last four games.
IUPUI has faced Purdue Fort Wayne 52 times with the Mastodons taking the 29-23 all-time series lead.
First pitch on Friday, April 7 will be at 3:00 PM while Saturday’s doubleheader will start at 1:00 PM at the IUPUI softball complex.
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State Cardinals proved they are still one of the best in the league tonight after pulling off the 3-0 upset over Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) leader Loyola Chicago Thursday night in Worthen Arena.
With the win, the Cardinals (17-8, 10-3 MIVA) have put themselves in contention still for at least a share of the MIVA regular season title with the Ramblers (21-5, 11-2 MIVA). A lot of scenarios would still have to fall in Ball State’s favor, but it does remain a possibility for BSU with one MIVA regular season contest remaining.
The win marked Ball State’s first over Loyola Chicago since the 2020 season.
The Cardinals were in charge pretty much from start to finish tonight. The closest set was frame three which consisted of eight ties and two lead changes.
After a back-and-forth start in the first set, Ball State ran out to a 20-16 lead after a kill by Kaleb Jenness. The advantage continued to grow to 24-21 which led to another Jenness kill which sealed set one for BSU, 25-21.
Ball State then dominated in set two taking an early 8-2 advantage over Loyola Chicago after a few attack errors by the Ramblers. The Cardinals then cruised to a 25-18 second set victory which was capped off by a Loyola Chicago service error.
Despite a close third set, the Cardinals remained consistent on both offense and defense. Vanis Buckholz, Jenness and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva came through in some clutch moments along with some smart plays from David Flores at the net which helped propel the Cardinals to a 27-25 third set and the 3-0 sweep.
All-in-all BSU turned in a strong performance with Ndavazocheva leading the way with 15 kills while Jenness had 11 kills tonight. As a team, the Cardinals hit .375 from the floor while totaling 10 blocks.
The Ball State men’s volleyball team will wrap up its MIVA regular season action Saturday, April 8 at 7 pm ET against its rival Purdue Fort Wayne. The Cardinals will also pay tribute to their seniors and welcome back their alumni to Worthen Arena.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Ball State baseball team returned to Charleston for the second time this season for game one of a four-game series against The Citadel. Decker Scheffler extended his hitting streak to 14 games and Ryan Peltier produced a 4-for-5 day at the plate as the Cardinals won, 3-2, in extra innings.
With the win, Ball State improved to 22-7 on the year, while The Citadel fell to 14-15 on the season.
Nick Gregory led off the top of the third with a seven-pitch walk and then stole second. Justin Conant grounded out to third on a sac bunt that moved Gregory to third with one out. Scheffler drew a six-pitch walk. Adam Tellier followed with a single to left field that drove in Gregory from third. Peltier produced an RBI single to left field as Scheffler scored from second. The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Ball State baseball team returned to Charleston for the second time this season for game one of a four-game series against The Citadel. Decker Scheffler extended his hitting streak to 14 games and Ryan Peltier produced a 4-for-5 day at the plate as the Cardinals won, 3-2, in extra innings.
With the win, Ball State improved to 22-7 on the year, while The Citadel fell to 14-15 on the season.
Nick Gregory led off the top of the third with a seven-pitch walk and then stole second. Justin Conant grounded out to third on a sac bunt that moved Gregory to third with one out. Scheffler drew a six-pitch walk. Adam Tellier followed with a single to left field that drove in Gregory from third. Peltier produced an RBI single to left field as Scheffler scored from second. The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 1-0 victory in the series opener over the Louisville Cardinals Thursday night at Ulmer Stadium. The Fighting Irish got a complete game from Payton Tidd in the circle, and Joley Mitchell hit her career-best seventh home run of the season in the victory. The Irish improve to 22-10-1 on the season, and 6-6-1 in ACC action.
Tidd worked the full 7.0 in the circle. She allowed six hits walked one and struck out two to earn her 11th victory of the season. That win is Tidd’s 70th of her career, tying former teammate Alexis Holloway for eighth all-time in program history. Louisville entered the weekend with the ACC’s offenses, hitting for a .316 team average with 32 home runs.
The offense had just three hits in the contest, led by Mitchell’s long ball. Karina Gaskins and Mickey Winchell each had a hit in the contest, with Gaskins’s being a double.
How It Happened
Mitchell put the Irish up in the top of the third inning, connecting on a two-out solo home run for the 1-0 advantage.
That proved to be the difference in the ball game. Tidd stranded six runners, and a double play in the fourth inning erased a threat. Down the stretch, Tidd was her best, retiring the final eight hitters of the contest.
Up Next
The Irish and Cardinals are back in action tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. in the second game of the three-game conference series.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
PITTSBURGH, PA – The Notre Dame baseball team (16-11) took home their sixth ACC win of the season as they defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers (13-14) on the road at Charles L. Cost Field on Thursday, April 6. The Irish take on Pitt in game two of the three-game series tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish offense was rolling early as Notre Dame posted a 6-0 lead after the first frame. Carter Putz got the party started with a double to left center and advanced to third on a passed ball with Brooks Coetzee up to the plate. Coetzee reached via a walk and after stealing second, the Irish had runners on both second and third with Vinny Martinez up.
A single from Martinez scored the first two runs of the day, as Putz and Coetzee were sent home on the base hit. DM Jefferson and Estevan Moreno recorded back-to-back singles as Moreno tallied his first RBI of the day as he scored Martinez to take the 3-0 lead.
Danny Neri would cap off the offensive outing as he sent it deep over the right field fence for his fourth home run of the year and the first homer of the day to make it a 6-0 ballgame heading into the bottom 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 to make it a score of 7-2.
It was a scoreless third for both the Irish and the Panthers, as Blake Hely recorded two more strikeouts in the bottom of the third.
Neri and Williams both recorded base hits to start off the fourth frame. Penney scored Neri on a sac fly to center field and Williams was sent home shortly after as Prajzner launched it out to left field for his third home run of the season and the third Irish home run of the game.
Notre Dame led 10-3 heading into the fifth inning as Radek Birkholz relieved Hely in the bottom of the fifth. Hely finished the day with five strikeouts across 4.0 innings pitched, allowing three runs on five hits.
Birkholz recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth as the Irish maintained the 10-3 lead heading into the seventh. Birkholz was relieved by Ryan Lynch in the bottom of the seventh after pitching 2.1 innings and recording three strikeouts. Despite the seven run deficit, the Panthers weren’t going anywhere as they closed the gap to three in the bottom of the seventh after a double, an RBI single, and a three-run home run. Will Mercer relieved Lynch to close the inning as it was a 10-7 ballgame heading into the eighth.
After a scoreless eighth for the Irish, Mercer was heating up on the mound as he struck out the side and recorded four strikeouts across 1.2 innings.
Notre Dame would finish their last offensive opportunity in the top of the ninth with another scoreless frame. Mercer started the bottom of the ninth with his fifth strikeout before the Panthers were able record a base hit and reach on an Irish fielding error. With runners on first and second, Pitt reached again via a walk to make it bases loaded with one out.
A hit by pitch scored another Panther to cut it to two at 10-8 with bases loaded again. 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.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball will host UNI for a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series which will begin on Friday at 3 p.m. ET at Price Field.
The Sycamores (18-17, 7-3) defeated Evansville 3-2 on Tuesday with a walk-off home run from Isabella Henning while UNI (20-10, 9-0) is fresh off a three-game sweep of Bradley last weekend in Cedar Falls.
There have been 100 games played between the two programs with the Panthers holding a 67-33 advantage in the all-time series.
Scouting the Panthers
Sitting atop the Valley standings, UNI comes into Terre Haute without a loss in conference play. Head coach Ryan Jacobs is in his 16th year at the helm of the Panthers and has amassed over 400 wins at UNI.
Offensively, the Panthers are led by Mya Dodge who is currently batting .405 with 32 hits including six home runs and a team-high seven doubles and 29 RBI. Alexis Pupillo is batting .348 and leads UNI with seven home runs. Third on the team in average is Madison Parks who is batting .310 and leads the team with 14 stolen bases.
Two of the top pitchers in the conference, Samantha Heyer and Kailyn Packard lead the Panthers pitching staff. Heyer has won four-straight MVC Pitcher of the Week awards and is 11-4 with a 1.95 ERA. Packard has a 2.41 ERA and is 7-4 on the season.
Scouting the Sycamores
Isabella Henning will enter the weekend with a conference best .420 batting average with 42 hits on the season. Henning recently recorded her 81st career RBI which put her in ninth place all-time in program history.
Kennedy Shade is batting .352 which ranks eighth in the MVC. She is second on the Sycamores with 31 hits and has driven in 16 runs.
Annie Tokarek leads ISU with 24 RBI and is batting .289 on the season which ranks third on the team.
Olivia Patton had her sixth multi-hit game of the year against Evansville on Tuesday. She now has 30 hits on the season and is batting .270 out of the leadoff spot.
The Sycamore pitching staff is led by Lexi Benko who has a 2.10 ERA in 86.2 innings this season. She has struck out 63 hitters and thrown four complete games.
Hailey Griffin is second on the team with a 2.97 ERA in 15 relief appearances. She improved to 3-1 on the season with a 3.1 inning outing against Evansville on Tuesday where she recorded three strikeouts.
Cassi Newbanks has a 3.02 ERA in 48.2 innings of work, recording 29 strikeouts in 15 appearances on the year.
Leading the team and conference with four saves, Lauren Sackett also has a team-high 68 strikeouts in 48 innings. She has a 3.35 ERA in 18 appearances.
Up Next
Indiana State will host Evansville on Tuesday, April 11 at 4 p.m. ET at Price Field.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State continues Missouri Valley play this weekend as the Sycamores welcome the Illinois State Redbirds to Bob Warn Field for a three-game series over April 7-9. First pitch in the series opener on Friday night is set for 6:30 p.m., while Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) close out the weekend.
All three games of the series will be streamed live on 105.5 The Legend, while live stats will be provided on GoSycamores.com.
Sunday Promo: $2 Popcorn will be available on Sunday at Bob Warn Field while supplies last.
Ticket Promo: 10th Man Ticket Vouchers are available now and throughout the 2023 season. Fans can purchase 10 chairback tickets that can be used for any one game for just $50. Call Austin Bishop at 812-237-8972 for more information.
Indiana State enters the weekend coming off one of their biggest wins of the season against in-state rival Indiana on Tuesday night. The Sycamores posted their first win over the Hoosiers at Bob Warn Field since 2015 and just the fourth shutout all-time over IU in the 4-0 midweek victory. The midweek win over the Hoosiers split the season series between Indiana State and IU.
Cameron Holycross (4.2 IP) turned in another dominant relief outing and Luis Hernandez and Randal Diaz both homered as the Sycamores never wavered in the win. Holycross was particularly effective as the redshirt junior was masterful utilizing 72 pitches and limiting the Hoosiers to three hits while striking out four in keeping the shutout intact.
The Sycamore defense turned double plays in both the eighth and ninth innings in support of reliever Jared Spencer. Adam Pottinger robbed an IU home run at the left field wall in the eighth and Spencer retired the final out on strikes to complete ISU’s fourth shutout of the Hoosiers in the all-time series between the two teams.
Indiana State enters the weekend winning seven of their last eight games since starting Missouri Valley competition with a three-game sweep over Valparaiso (Mar. 25-27). The stretch includes midweek wins over Purdue (8-2) and Indiana (4-0), while adding a weekend series win over UIC.
The win over Indiana just further enhanced the Sycamores’ non-conference strength of schedule as ISU enters the weekend boasting the toughest non-conference schedule in the NCAA Division I rankings entering the week. ISU has played or is scheduled to play against six teams currently ranked in the top 50 in the country in RPI. ISU has already lined up against Kentucky (1), Miami (14), Indiana (28) and Northeastern (29) in the top-50. The Sycamores will also travel to Vanderbilt (7) and Missouri (22) as the Sycamores currently sit 10-11 overall against non-conference competition.
ISU remains inside the NCAA RPI top 35 for the fourth consecutive week as the Sycamores sit as the top-ranked team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana State (23) is one of two Valley schools ranked in the top 100 joined by Evansville (66).
The Sycamores have showcased their power stroke over their six conference games against Valparaiso and UIC. ISU has combined to hit 15 home runs over the last two weekends powered by a pair of two, two-homer games from Mike Sears. Randal Diaz has also been hot over the stretch with three home runs to highlight eight different players who have done deep. For perspective, the Sycamores hit 20 home runs in Missouri Valley play last year over 21 conference games.
The ISU pitching staff has also taken a step forward in MVC action. The Sycamores have posted a 3.91 ERA in conference play go with a 5-1 record on the mound. Connor Fenlong (2-0, 4.72 ERA) has been the team’s pitching leader over the weekends, while Matt Jachec, Lane Miller, and Zach Davidson have all drawn conference starts. The Sycamores have posted a 45:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio and are only allowing conference opponents to hit .237 from the plate.
Mike Sears (23) and Luis Hernandez (20) are currently on 20-plus game on-base streaks heading into the weekend. The Sycamore duo became just the fourth ISU pair to post 20-game on-base streaks in the same season since 2015 and first since Romero Harris (31) and Jarrod Watson (22) achieved the feat in 2018.
Seth Gergely (.348) continues to be the Sycamore leader at the plate. The redshirt senior centerfielder boasts team-highs in hits (32), runs (20), and stolen bases (8), while also sitting second on the team in both walks (15) and hit-by-pitches (10). Keegan Watson is on a team-best 11-game hitting streak entering the weekend and raised his season average to .320 during the streak. Luis Hernandez (.302) is also hitting above .300 on the season.
Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with the Sycamores boasting a team 5.31 ERA and a 243:112 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Six different ISU pitchers have posted at least two wins in 2023, while Matt Jachec (40) and Connor Fenlong (31) are the team’s strikeout leaders. Cameron Holycross (0.47 ERA) and Lane Miller (1.69 ERA) are among the team’s ERA leaders on the year.
The Sycamores continue to be elite defensively. Indiana State entered the week ninth in the NCAA and first in the MVC in fielding percentage. The Sycamores are fielding at a .983 clip on the season with three players posting perfect 1.000 percentages with at least 20 chances, while three others are fielding at .990 or higher.
Scouting the Opposition
Illinois State Redbirds
Illinois State enters the weekend series with a 10-13 overall record on the year after taking the Tuesday night contest at Illinois, 12-9. The Redbirds are 2-4 overall in Missouri Valley play on the year falling in both series at Belmont (2-1) and at home against Missouri State (2-1). Illinois State won the series finale on both weekends. The Redbirds are currently 7-10 in 2023 away from home.
Shaydon Kubo (.322) leads an Illinois State offense that is hitting .259 from the plate in the 2023 season. The junior infielder leads the Redbirds with 28 hits while adding four doubles, 17 RBI, and 13 runs scored. Daniel Pacella has been the team’s power threat with a team-best eight home runs and 24 RBI, while Auggie Rasmussen leads the team on the base paths with 12 stolen bases.
The Illinois State pitching staff features the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Week in Jayson Hibbard while Derek Salata (2-2, 2.67 ERA) also returns to headline the weekend staff. The Redbirds have posted a 7.04 team ERA on the year with 16 different pitchers making appearances on the mound. Overall, the Illinois State staff has posted a 210:101 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season.
Illinois State was ranked seventh overall in the MVC preseason poll as announced by the conference office in early February. The Redbirds received 35 points overall in the standings as voted on by the conference’s head coaches. Reliever Jared Hart was named to the MVC’s preseason All-Conference team.
Indiana State and Illinois State have lined up against two common opponents so far in the 2023 season. Indiana State is 1-1 against Iowa and Illinois, while the Redbirds topped the then-No. 17 Hawkeyes (5-3) and the Fighting Illini (12-9) in the regular season.
Indiana State – Illinois State History
Indiana State leads the all-times series over Illinois State 113-84 dating back to the first contest between the two schools in 1948. The Sycamores won last season’s series in Terre Haute against Illinois State with ISU taking the first and third games at Bob Warn Field over April 1-3, 2022.
The Sycamores and Redbirds have lined up in Terre Haute 89 times throughout their respective program histories. Indiana State holds the 57-32 all-time edge in the series at home.
Indiana State has won the last three regular season series between the two opponents dating back to 2019 including taking two of the three games in 2022, three of four in 2021 and two of three in 2019.
Streaking On-Base
Mike Sears and Luis Hernandez became just the 12th and 13th Indiana State players since the 2011 season to post a 20-plus game in-season on-base streak this season. Sears’ streak currently sits at 23 games entering the week dating back to February 25 against Northeastern. Hernandez’s streak is at 20 games after reaching base safely twice this past Tuesday against Indiana also dating back to the Northeastern series (Feb. 26).
The Sycamore duo became just the fourth ISU pair to post a 20-game on-base streak in the same season since 2015 and first since Romero Harris (31) and Jarrod Watkins (22) achieved the feat.
Sears’ 23 game streak is currently ISU’s sixth-longest in-season streak since 2011. Harris (2018) posted the longest streak in recent history at 31 games, while Andy DeJesus (29, 2015) and Robby Ort (25, 2011) have also posted significant stretches. Andy Young is the lone player to record multiple 20-game on-base streaks hitting the mark in both 2015 (21) and 2016 (26).
Power Output in Conference
Indiana State’s bats have connected in conference play as the Sycamores have powered out 15 of their 35 home runs in Missouri Valley competition. The numbers were highlighted by nine home runs this past weekend against UIC, including two home runs each off the bats of Mike Sears and Randal Diaz.
Eight different Sycamores have homered in conference play highlighted by Sears’ five home runs, while both Diaz (3) and Seth Gergely (2) have also left the park multiple times in MVC action. Sears already has two two-homer games in conference play (Mar. 26 vs. Valparaiso & Apr. 2 at UIC), while Gergely added his first collegiate multi-homer game on March 25 against Valparaiso. ISU hit 45 home runs as a team in 2022 with 20 coming in conference action.
Hannahs hits 100
Head Coach Mitch Hannahs enters the weekend series sitting 100-76-1 all-time in Missouri Valley games. He became just the fourth active coach in the MVC to reach 100 conference wins joining Evansville’s Wes Carroll, Missouri State’s Keith Guttin, and Bradley’s Elvis Dominguez.
With Hannahs’ pair of wins over UIC, the ISU skipper became just the fifth Missouri Valley coach to hit the 100-win conference mark and have an above .500 record in conference play. He is also one of two active coaches to hit the mark joining Missouri State’s Keith Guttin (438-329, 1983-present). Dallas Baptist’s Dan Heefner (118-51-1, 2014-22), Creighton’s Ed Servais (144-89, 2004-13), and Wichita State’s Gene Stephenson (564-198, 1978-2013) all finished their time in the Missouri Valley with an above .500 record in the MVC.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE TRACK
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Invitational opened on Thursday (April 6) evening with the hammer throw.
On the men’s side, Asher Walden earned fourth with a school record of 53.34 meters. Zyler Johnson earned sixth (44.34 meters).
For the women, Lia Rivers was eighth with a toss of 48.57 meters. Ali Sparks was 16th (42.89 meters).
The meet kicks into high gear on Friday (April 7).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team dropped a MIVA match 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-15) to No. 13 Ohio State on Thursday (April 6).
Mark Frazier had a team-high eight kills, but Ohio State’s offense was rolling all night. The Buckeyes finished the match with a .365 hitting percentage, including a .452 opening frame and .524 third.
The Mastodons led at just 1-0 in the opening set. Shortly after, Ohio State had an 8-1 run that the Buckeyes used to go up 13-6.
After an ace from Frazier in set two tied it at six, OSU rattled off 12-of-13 to take a 10-point lead. The Mastodons showed some life behind Davey Singer’s service, which put them on a 6-0 run, but Ohio State’s lead was enough to coast to the finish off late service errors.
Set three was Ohio State’s from start to finish.
Player of the Year contender Jacob Pasteur had a match-high 14 kills with a .308 hitting clip.
Frazier finished with eight kills, three digs, three blocks and two aces.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 16-11 and 7-6 in the MIVA with just a match at Ball State on Saturday (April 8) left on the calendar. The Buckeyes move to 18-9 and 10-3 in the MIVA, keeping their chances at a share of the regular season championship alive.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
ROCHESTER, Mich. – Grant Thoroman knocked in four total runs thanks to two home runs, but it came in a losing effort for the Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team at Oakland 14-9 on Thursday (April 6).
The Mastodons opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning by Braedon Blackford. He now has a league leading nine home runs.
Thoroman hit a solo shot in the second and a three-run home run in the third. Thoroman has four home runs this season. This gave the ‘Dons a 6-1 lead. Tyler Nelson doubled in Dylan Stewart in the fourth to make it a 7-1 game.
Blackford, Ben Higgins and Caileb Johnson joined Thorman with two hits in the game.
Oakland took back control of the game with a four-run sixth, a five-run seventh and a four-run eighth.
Bryce Martens earned the loss. Sean Fekete picked up the win for Oakland. Brandon Decker tossed the final two innings for the save. The big hit in the game was a two-out grand slam by Lucas Loos to put Oakland up 10-9 in the eighth inning.
Mac Ayres started and allowed two runs on six hits in 5.0 innings with nine strikeouts for the ‘Dons.
Both teams are now 5-5 in the Horizon League. Purdue Fort Wayne is 8-22. Oakland is 11-17. Game two of the series will be played on Friday at 2:30 p.m. It will air on ESPN+.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team will hit the road again to play at IUPUI for a three-game Horizon League series this weekend.
Game Day Information
Who: IUPUI Jaguars
When: Friday, April 7-Saturday April 8 | Single game at 3 PM on Friday, Doubleheader at 1 PM on Saturday
Where: Indianapolis, Ind. | IUPUI Softball Complex
Watch: None
Know Your Foe
IUPUI is 9-18 this season and 5-2 in the early portion of Horizon League action. The Jaguars beat Oakland once, Cleveland State twice and Green Bay three times (once in non-league play). Kennedy Cowan has a.375 batting average, 1.083 OPS and .625 slugging percentage, leading the team in all three categories. Madison Bryant is the team’s best pitcher, owning a 3.54 ERA, tossing five complete games.
Series History
Purdue Fort Wayne leads the all-time series against IUPUI 29-23 and has a 15-8 advantage in Indianapolis. The Mastodons won two of three against the Jaguars last season on the road, with 5-2 and 2-1 wins and a 3-2 loss. Taryn Jenkins had a solo home run in the first inning of game one.
On a Streak
Purdue Fort Wayne is currently on a six-game winning streak for the first time since 2014, which saw the Mastodons win 11 in a row. This includes a three-game series sweep against Detroit Mercy, which is the first series sweep for the Mastodons since 2014.
Felling the Titans
Purdue Fort Wayne out-scored Detroit Mercy 23-3 in the three-game series against the Titans.
On the Brink-erhoff of Greatness
In Horizon League play, Gracie Brinkerhoff has the second-best opposing batting average of .156 and an ERA of 0.00. She is one of just two pitchers in the league with a 0.00 ERA in league play. Her five hits allowed is also second in the league.
Leading the League
Purdue Fort Wayne is leading the Horizon League with…
• 0.55 home runs per game
• .967 fielding percentage
• .352 slugging percentage
• 1.41 stolen bases per game
• 2.02 strikeout-to-walk ratio
Graced By Her Presence
Grace Hollopeter is the only freshman in the Horizon League to be named Player of the Week twice this year (Feb. 21, April 4). She is also the only Mastodon player in the program’s Division I history to be named Player of the Week twice as a freshman.
oK Queen!
Alanah Jones is second in the Horizon League with 93 strikeouts this season. This mark is also top-75 nationally.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons tamed the Western Michigan Broncos with a 10-2 road victory earlier this week. Sonia Solis had a two-RBI triple and Taryn Jenkins hit a two-run home run.
Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will welcome Cleveland State to the Summit City for a three-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 11-12), then quickly hit the road for a three-game series at Robert Morris on Friday and Saturday (April 14-15).
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Another home series is on tap for the Purple Aces with Southern Illinois coming to Tri-State Orthpopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium this weekend. Friday’s opener is set for a 5 p.m. start time with Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s finale starting at 12 p.m.. ESPN3 and ESPN+ will have coverage of the three games.
Looking at the Match-up
– Since 2017, the Salukis have had the upper hand in the series, going 13-2 against the Purple Aces
– Evansville’s last series win came in 2016 when UE took both games in Carbondale before SIU grabbed a single 3-2 win in nine innings
Last Time Out
– Evansville split its four MVC games over the last week with a series win over Belmont before an extra inning loss at Indiana State
– The Aces opened the series versus the Bruins last weekend with a 3-2 win as Zoe Frossard picked up the game-winning hit in the 11th inning
– After dropping a 6-5 decision in game two, UE responded with a 3-1 win in the finale to clinch the weekend series
– On Tuesday at Indiana State, Jess Willsey gave UE a 2-1 lead in the 9th before the Sycamores hit a walk-off 2-run home run to win by a 3-2 final
Getting back on Track
– Marah Wood enters this weekend on a 6-game hit streak that has seen her average rise from .195 to .236
– The recent streak has seen her record nine hits in 23 at-bats
– 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
Starters Excelling in the Circle
– Over the last 13 games, the starting pitching for the Purple Aces has been outstanding
– As a whole, the starters have tossed a total of 49 2/3 innings while allowing just 15 earned runs over that time
– That translates to a 2.11 ERA
Finding her Rhythm
– Sophomore Sydney Weatherford is on an absolute roll in the circle
– Over her last 30 1/3 innings of work, Weatherford has allowed just five earned runs while lowering her season ERA to 2.92
– Her ERA is 14th in the MVC
– After allowing five runs in 2/3 inning against Indiana on March 11, her ERA rose to 5.33
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The second half of the college baseball regular-season begins this weekend for the University of Evansville baseball team, as the Purple Aces will welcome in Valparaiso to German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium for a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series.
Evansville will begin the second-half of the season with a 17-11 overall record and 3-3 MVC mark, after rallying to beat Purdue, 12-10, on Tuesday night in West Lafayette. The Purple Aces hit three more home runs on Tuesday night to raise their season total to 42, as UE ranks 48th in the country in home runs entering this weekend’s action. Fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug went 3-for-4 on Tuesday night to raise his team-leading batting average to .410, while also launching his seventh home run of the year. Hug currently leads the MVC in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, and has hit a home run in five of UE’s seven weekend series so far.
Graduate outfielder Eric Roberts continues to lead UE and the MVC in both home runs (12) and RBI (35) this year. He is trying to join former teammate Tanner Craig as the only two UE players to lead the Valley in both home runs and RBI in a single season in the Purple Aces’ now 29 years in the Valley. Craig led the MVC in both categories in the COVID-shortened 2020 spring season.
Valparaiso will bring a 9-12 overall record and 1-5 Valley mark into the weekend series. The Beacons used solid pitching from scheduled Saturday and Sunday starters Nathan Chasey and Bobby Nowak on Monday afternoon to knock off visiting Murray State, 5-2, to earn Valpo’s first Valley win of the year. Sophomore infielder Nolan Tucker and junior outfielder Kyle Schmack currently lead the Valparaiso offense with .354 and .301 averages, respectively, with Schmack leading the team with four home runs.
The UE-Valparaiso series dates back to 1948, with the Beacons leading the all-time series, 40-25. UE has led the series, 7-5, since Valparaiso entered the MVC in 2018, though, and since UE made the move to Division I, Evansville has held a 14-8 advantage. The two teams split a weather-shortened series to close out the 2022 regular-season at Braun Stadium last May, with Evansville winning the opener, 9-2, before Valparaiso answered back with an 8-4 win.
Junior RHP Nick Smith (2-3, 5.35 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Valparaiso RHP Griffin McCluskey (1-4, 6.75 ERA) in Friday night’s series opener.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost the opening game of a three-game set with Southeast Missouri State University,13-4, Thursday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI watched its record go to 8-21 and 1-6 in the OVC, while SEMO goes to 17-15, 6-1 OVC.
USI spotted SEMO a run in the first inning before taking their only lead of the game in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs. Junior centerfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) knocked in the tying run with a single to left, while senior leftfielder/catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) gave USI a 2-1 lead with an RBI walk.
The Redhawks took the lead for good with eight unanswered runs between the fourth and sixth. SEMO scored four in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth to take a 9-2 advantage.
USI got two of the runs back in the eighth when junior first baseman Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana) dropped a two-run double into left center to cut the deficit to 9-4. That would be as close as USI would come in the game.
SEMO finished the scoring with four in the ninth before USI left a pair of runners on in the bottom half of the frame for the 13-4 final.
On the mound, freshman left-hander Will Kiesel (Wadesville, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles. Kiesel (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out a season-high four batters.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles and the Redhawks continue the three-game set Friday with a 6 p.m. contest at the USI Baseball Field.
VALPO BASEBALL
Valparaiso (9-12, 1-5 MVC)
at Evansville (17-11, 3-3 MVC)
Charles H. Braun Stadium (1,200) | Evansville, Ind.
Friday, April 7, 6 p.m. – RHP Griffin McCluskey
Saturday, April 8, 2 p.m. – RHP Nathan Chasey
Sunday, April 9, 1 p.m. – RHP Bobby Nowak
Next Up in Valpo Baseball: The Valparaiso University baseball team will hit the road for an Easter weekend series at Evansville as the Beacons and Purple Aces square off in a set that begins on Good Friday under the lights at Braun Stadium. Seven of the next eight will be away from home including consecutive road weekends in Valley play.
Last Time Out: Behind quality pitching from Bobby Nowak and Nathan Chasey, Valpo won the series finale on Monday against Murray State at Emory G. Bauer Field, salvaging a 5-2 victory after being swept 14-3, 14-5 in Sunday’s doubleheader. Matt Olive and Kyle Schmack had big hits in support of Nowak, who logged six solid innings of two-run, four-hit ball while striking out nine and walking one. Chasey earned the save by permitting just one hit over three scoreless innings. The doubleheader was highlighted by a Ryan Maka grand slam and back-to-back jacks by Olive and Spencer Warfield.
Following the Beacons: There will be no video streaming available of this weekend’s series. Links to Evansville’s radio broadcast and live stats are available on ValpoAthletics.com. For all the latest in Valpo Baseball, follow @ValpoBaseball on Twitter and Instagram.
Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (177-279) is in his 10th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he enters 2023 having skippered 435 Valpo games. He enters 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 holds a 40-25 lead in an all-time series that dates all the way back to 1948. The two teams closed out the regular season against one another last season in Evansville, a set that saw Valpo drop the opener 9-2 before bouncing back to take the second game 8-4. The two teams were scheduled to close out the series on Saturday, May 21, but the regular-season finale was wiped out by inclement weather and the Beacons got on the bus and made their way to Springfield for the conference tournament.
In the Other Dugout – Evansville
Picked to finish third of 10 in the MVC preseason poll.
Went 32-24 last season and posted a 14-6 mark in conference play.
Won two games in the MVC Tournament including a 21-2 victory over DBU last year.
Started this season’s league slate with a road sweep at Missouri State, but were on the other end of a road sweep when Belmont came into Braun Stadium and took all three last weekend.
ERA Leader
Nathan Chasey logged three scoreless innings in the April 3 win vs. Murray State, nailing down his second save of the season and the third of his career. He gave up just one hit and one walk while working the final three frames to preserve a 5-2 win.
In his last four outings, Chasey has allowed just one run on six hits in 12 innings while walking just two and striking out seven.
With an ERA of 1.90, Chasey leads the Missouri Valley Conference.
He ranks second in the league behind only Murray State’s Jacob Pennington with an opposing batting average of .185, a number that ranks 28th
Chasey has allowed just 5.70 hits per nine innings this season, leading the MVC and ranking 34th nationally in that category.
Bobby on the Bump
Bobby Nowak made his first career start on Monday vs. Murray State, pitching Valpo to a 5-2 victory thanks to six innings of two-run, four-hit ball while walking one and striking out nine.
That outing marked Nowak’s first career start as his previous 25 appearances all came out of the bullpen.
Prior to his six-inning outing, the longest of his Valpo career was his previous game, 3 1/3 innings of relief on March 28 vs. Milwaukee. Prior to that, he had logged no more than 2 1/3 innings in any one appearance.
The nine strikeouts against the Racers surpassed his previous career high of seven, which came in that outing against the Panthers. Six of those strikeouts came in succession as he struck out the side in back-to-back innings against Murray State.
Over his last two games, Nowak has 16 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings. Over his last four outings, he has yielded just two runs on five hits in 11 1/3 innings while walking three and striking out 18.
Nowak earned the win against Murray State to improve to 3-0 on the season. He has nine walks, 30 strikeouts and a batting average against of .161.
Nowak threw 3 1/3 shutout innings while yielding one hit and walking two in Valpo’s 11-inning victory over Milwaukee on March 28. He struck out seven and was the winning pitcher. He entered the game in a tight spot, with the contest tied at six and runners at second and third with nobody out in the eighth. He recorded a swinging strikeout to end the frame.
Beacon Blasts
Valpo launched three home runs during the April 2 doubleheader vs. Murray State, highlighted by a Ryan Maka grand slam, his third home run of the season and the eighth of his career.
Make became the second Beacon with a grand slam this season, joining Brady Renfro, who delivered Valpo’s big offensive blow in the March 10 upset of No. 22 Southern Miss. With the bases loaded in the seventh, Renfro belted a 409-foot grand slam featuring an exit velocity of 104 to stretch Valpo’s lead to 6-1.
Renfro’s slam was the first by a Valpo player since Sam Shaikin on March 3, 2019 at UNCW.
Maka and Renfro became the ninth and 10th Valpo players to hit a grand slam since Brian Schmack took over as head coach in 2014, joining Shaikin, Jayden Eggiman (April 11, 2018 vs. Milwaukee), Chase Dawson (March 16, 2018 at Arkansas Pine Bluff), James Stea (April 13, 2017 vs. Oakland), Nate Palace (May 15, 2016 vs. Oakland), Giovanni Garbella (April 25, 2016 vs. Purdue North Central), Dustin Beasley (March 2, 2015 at Western Carolina), and Nolan Lodden (March 1, 2015 at Gardner Webb).
The doubleheader against Murray State also saw Matt Olive and Spencer Warfield launch back-to-back jacks. Warfield’s big fly was the second of his career, both this season. Olive connected on his second home run of the season and the fourth of his collegiate career.
Renfro Reaching Regularly
Brady Renfro reached base in 21 consecutive games. He has boarded the bases in every game this season.
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.
Renfro now owns Valpo’s longest on-base streak since Sam Shaikin’s 23 gamer in 2017.
If he reaches base in every game this weekend, Renfro will own Valpo’s longest on-base streak since Nolan Lodden reached safely in 34 straight in 2016.
Part of Renfro’s success in getting on base has been thanks to his patience. He ranks second in The Valley and 54th nationally with 0.95 walks per game.
U OF INDY WLAX
LEBANON, Ill. – The UIndy women’s lacrosse team (11-2, 2-0 GLVC) picked up its second GLVC victory of the season on Thursday night after taking down the McKendree Bearcats by a final of 19-4. The Greyhounds outscored the Bearcats 11-0 in the second half in the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UIndy grabbed a slim 4-1 advantage after the opening period and proceeded to extend it to 8-4 at the half. From there, the team grabbed complete control by leading 13-4 after three and finally 19-4 at the final buzzer.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
A complete list of statistics will be made available for this match at a later time.
UP NEXT
The Hounds now have their sights set on No. 19 Marvyille on Saturday in St. Louis. Action is slated to begin at 1 p.m. ET.
U OF I BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis baseball team took game one of a four-game set against the Drury Panthers, plating 8 runs to the visitors one. The Greyhounds now move to 15-11 on the season, earning their third GLVC victory of the season.
The Greyhound pitching staff was dominant, allowing no earned runs, giving up only four hits. Offensively, Brandon DeWitt, Nick Lukac and Brady Ware all grabbed two RBIs in the matchup.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After three innings of efficient work by Spencer, the Greyhounds snatched the lead in the bottom of the third. After a double steal by Drew Donaldson and DeWitt, Caleb Vaughn lifted a ball just deep enough into centerfield for the sacrifice fly.
Easton Good went onto add to that lead in the fourth, beating out a weakly hit ball to second base making it 2-0. Good put himself in scoring position with a stolen base, an opportunity that DeWitt took full advantage of, slapping a ball up the middle scoring two.
The Panthers finally plated one in the sixth, but the Hounds answered back and more. Ware, needing a hit, crushed a ball into left, making it a five-run Greyhound lead. Doubles continued in the inning with Lukac using some opposite field pop to score Ware from second. Base running continued to shine with Jared Bujdos and Lukac combining for a first and third double steal, scoring the Hounds eighth run of the contest.
The top of the seventh saw the Panthers get their best opportunity against Spencer, loading the bases from a single, hit-by-pitch and a walk. Spencer, with ice in his veins, rifled a high and inside fastball to roll a 5-4-3 double play.
Austin Bestul came in to take the eighth, leaving Spencer with an impressive seven innings pitched with only one hit and no earned runs, striking out six. Bestul kept the lights-out pitching going, throwing only 14 pitches to close the innings, grabbing two Ks in the process. The offense rewarded Bestul’s gem with a run in the eighth via a Lukac sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Frankie Klemm came in to close the contest, rolling a double play and a 4-3 groundout to close the contest and give the Hounds the first game victory.
MARIAN BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian baseball team was unable to cool off the bats of St. Francis Thursday evening at MU Ballpark, as the Knights suffered a sweep against the Cougars from Fort Wayne. Marian’s pair of losses drop them back to 7-11 on the year in CL play, while falling to 13-17 overall.
Game 1 | Marian 2-8 St. Francis
The opening game of the evening opened as a pitcher’s dual, with Damien Wallace and Deron Swanson matching each other with perfect first innings. Wallace was perfect once more in the second inning and the Knights plated the first hit of the game with JJ Rivera’s lead-off double in the home half of the inning, but Marian was unable to get a run across as both Rivera and Dawson Estep were stranded on base.
Double plays in the third inning on both sides of the diamond kept the quick paced game moving as each starting pitcher got help from the defense, but in the fourth the shutout would see an end as David Miller belted a solo home run off of Wallace deep over the right field fence for the first run of the night. Wallace was able to get out of the inning and was near run support in the home side as a Caden Jones walk and Rivera single gave the Knights a pair of base runners, but the Knights were unable to score despite Estep loading the bases with a two-out walk.
The game would be decided in the top of the fifth inning, as Wallace struggled early in the frame allowing back to back lead-off doubles. St. Francis continued to fill the bases after the pair of hits as a walk and fielder’s choice would eventually put runners on the corners, with a failed stolen base defensive play from the Knights allowing another Cougar to cross the plate. Following a second walk in the frame the Cougars had two men on, giving Miller a chance for three RBI as the grad student for the Cougars took Wallace deep for a three-run home run, ending the scoring with St. Francis in front 6-0.
Marian left two men on the in the fifth as they were unsuccessful in their attempt to plate a run, but in the home half of the sixth would erase the goose egg as Estep singled for his first hit, while Caden Mason roped a triple to right field to bring in the home team’s first run. The Knights were unable to add to their total following the pair of two out hits, and left the bases loaded in the seventh as they were unable to capture momentum from Joe Nelan’s pair of strikeouts. Nelan would allow two runs in the eighth as Miller took the reliever deep for a solo home run that Rivera just missed at keeping in the yard, while a sacrifice fly brought in the eighth run. A Jackson Hogg RBI single in the bottom of the ninth would be the final score of the day, as the Knights fell 8-2.
Wallace allowed six runs with four crossing the plate as earned as he dropped to 4-2 on the year. Wallace managed to strikeout three in his five innings, while Nelan fanned three in his three innings of relief. Seth Risley tossed a perfect relief inning in the ninth to close the mound. At the plate Rivera had two of Marian’s eight hits, with Mason and Hogg notching the only RBI.
Game 2 | Marian 4-17 St. Francis
The second act of the night opened with an even first inning, with both team’s pushing a run across in the first inning. A lead-off hit and pair of stolen bases from Jayden Lepper put Craig Nixon in a tough spot to open, as the pitcher would allow a run with Miller grounding out. Nixon would allow two more Cougars to reach before getting out of the inning, keeping it a 1-0 score. Trey Heidlage led off the home half with a four-pitch walk as Marian looked to match the damage. The senior moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and an error, and scored one batter later on a passed ball tying the score after one complete.
In the second inning, Nixon was not as lucky on the hill as the Cougars piled on runs six total runs in the inning. Nixon gave up two walks, four base hits, and hit two batters, seeing six runs cross the plates as his day ended after making two outs in the frame. Taylor Soper ended the inning after allowing two hits, closing the frame with the score 8-1.
Soper stranded a pair of hits in the third inning to hold the score as is, but in the fourth the Marian bullpen struggled to find the zone, as three different pitchers combined to give up eight runs on three base hits. After four complete the score stood at 16-1, as Marian fell flat at the plate and were unable to respond against Blaine McRae. The Cougars would add a run off of Jace Stoops in the sixth to increase their lead, and in the bottom of the seventh Kameron Salazar and Donavan Shepherd earned later RBI wearing bases-loaded hit by pitches. Will Isom would score on a wild pitch to end the scoring, as the Knights fell 17-4.
JJ Rivera had the lone hit in the second game for Marian, and nine Knights in total reached base as the Cougars walked or hit eight others. Jace Stoops had the longest outing on the mound throwing 2.2 innings, collecting six strikeouts in his work. Justin Johnson finished the game on the hill, fanning a pair of batters in his seventh inning work.
Marian will start a six-game road trip on Monday afternoon as they look to get back in the win column, traveling to Grace College for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
MARIAN MEN’S TENNIS
Bourbonnais, Ill. – The Marian men’s tennis team earned a comfortable 6-1 victory Thursday afternoon, as they went on the road to take down Olivet Nazarene 6-1. Marian moves to 16-8 overall on the year.
The Knights won the doubles point to take a lead in the match, grinding a tie-breaker set at No. 1 doubles to take the point. Mark Griffin and Jona Henze suffered a loss at No. 3 doubles in the first match of the day that ended, losing 6-1 against Sanskar Choubey and Paul Saleh. Marian rebounded with a win at No. 2 doubles with a win to level the doubles score, with Ashwin Bhat and Jones McNamar winning 6-2 against Carlo Cota and Juan Banuls. With the point lying on the No. 1 court, Andrew Ilett and Shadi Al Tori rallied through a tie-break point, winning 7-6 (8-6) to give the Knights a 1-0 lead in the match.
Griffin rebounded in singles to score a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles over Cota, while Bhat won a three-set match at No. 4 singles to push Marian ahead 3-0 in the match. Bhat won by scores of 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-4) over Choubey. Marian earned the clinching point of the match at No. 5 singles with Henze defeating Brian Ayala 6-2, 6-0 to move the match score to 4-0.
Dmitrii Voshchenkov won in three sets over Davi Toledo at No. 2 singles, winning the final two sets to take a 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-2) win. The lone lost point of the match came at No. 3 singles as Ilett fell to Banuls 4-6, 6-2, 0-1 (12-10), but Marian would end with a victory at No. 6 singles with McNamar winning 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-7) as he defeated Saleh.
Marian will play next April 13 traveling to St. Louis to play against Missouri Baptist.
MARIAN WOMEN’S TENNIS
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Marian women’s tennis team defeated Olivet Nazarnee on the road on Thursday with a 6-1 decision, improving their record to 17-8 overall on the season.
Emma Chrome and Isadora Muller at No. 3 doubles started the Knights off on the right foot, winning their match against Claire Ott and Rachel Slattery 6-0. Also getting 6-0 decision was No. 2 doubles Dana Savarino and Tea Vrkic. Betija Dusele and Kathraina Bopst were leading 5-0 over Nirva Patel and Natasha Nieto at No. 1 doubles before the doubles point was clinched.
Marian stayed hot into the singles matches with Savarino defeating Ott 6-0, 6-0. The Knights went on to win the next four matches with Muller beating Audrey Zoetemann 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, Joelle Leihbacher taking down Slattery at the No. 6 spot 6-0, 6-0, Bopst trumping Nieto at No. 2 singles 6-3, 6-4, and Chrome downing Chieh-Yu Chen at No. 3 6-2, 7-5. The Tigers took their only point of the day in the final match with Dusele falling to Patel 4-6, 6-3, 0-1 (7-3) at the No. 1 spot.
The Knights will travel to Missouri Baptist on Thursday, April 13 for a 1 p.m. match.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Fans at MU Softball Diamond were on the edge of their seats in game two of the doubleheader as the Marian softball team took nine innings to pick up the 4-3 win against St. Francis (Ind.) to extend their win streak to 27. The pair of conference wins against the Cougars improves their record to 16-0 in league play, and 27-1 overall.
Game 1 | Marian 2-0 St. Francis
Once again it was Olivia Stunkel absolutely dealing through the first two innings, going one-two-three in both and picking up three strikeouts. The Marian offense helped Stunkel out in the bottom of the first as Savannah Harweger stole home on the wild pitch to put the Knights up 1-0 after one inning of play.
In innings two and three the Knights managed a pair of hits, but were unable to execute as runners were left on base. Marian’s defense continued to be strong, picking up the ground out and two pop outs to close out the top of the fifth, before the bottom of the fifth started to see a little more action.
Brooke Knox kicked things off for Marian with her single to right field before advancing to second on Anna Pritchett’s sacrifice bunt. Harweger continued the offense with her single up the middle to help advance Knox home, giving Marian the 2-0 lead after five innings of play.
St. Francis saw themselves with a chance to score after Aubrey Dunnick made her way to third. However, Stunkel stayed poised as she closed out the top half of inning six. Marian registered two hits in the bottom of the sixth, but were unable to add to their lead after two were left on base.
Holding the two-run lead, Stunkel put away the Cougars as she struck out two in her final three batters faced, guiding the Knights to the 2-0 victory.
Stunkel picked up her 13th win after the complete game, striking out eight and giving up only one hit. In Marian’s eight hits, Harweger led the way with three, while also registering an RBI. Knox picked up two hits, while Jenna Minnix, Abby Madere, and Brenna Fink all added a hit.
Game 2 | Marian 4-3 St. Francis | 9 Innings
After a scoreless first inning, St. Francis struck first by scoring the first run of the game. The visitors held the lead for an inning and a half as Marian went three up three down in the bottom of the second. A double by Knox in the bottom of the third and a single up the middle from Harweger allowed the Knights to put their first run on the scoreboard to even the game at 1-1 after three.
The Cougars had the quick answer with a single through the left side that brought another run in to take the one-run lead once again. Sydney Wilson managed to get out of the inning, leaving three stranded on base.
Marian tied things up after Sierra Norman homered to left center, before back-to-back doubles from Grace Meyer and Hayley Greene allowed the Knights to gather the 3-2 advantage. Neither team could produce in the fifth inning, but three hits by the Cougars in the top of the sixth helped them tie the game at 3-3.
Wilson held St. Francis scoreless in the top half of the seventh inning, giving Marian the chance to win the game in the bottom half of the inning. However, the Knights struggled to get the bats going as they would head into extra innings. With runners on first and second to start the top of the eighth, Stunkel was called upon to help the Knights hold off the scrappy St. Francis squad. The Cougars put away Marian in the bottom of the eighth to send the game into nine innings. Stunkel walked her first batter faced in top half, but struck her next and forced the fly out to Minnix in centerfield to give the Knights the opportunity to put away the game in the bottom half of the ninth.
Mackenzie Dalton singled to right field to build some momentum for Marian before a sacrifice bunt from Pritchett advanced Dalton to second. Dalton made her way to third after Harweger hit the single up the left side before Minnix was walked to load the bases. Grace Meyer played hero as she put one in play, allowing Dalton to score, giving Marian the 4-3 win.
Norman had the Knights’ lone homerun on the day, while Meyer, Greene, and Knox all recorded a double. Harweger led Marian with four hits and Knox posted two. Stunkel picked up the win after coming in for the relief, allowing no hits and throwing two strikeouts.
Marian will have a three-day break before returning to action on Monday, April 10 when they host Spring Arbor for at 1 p.m.
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
NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES
MEN’S GOLF NEWS-THE MASTERS
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Brooks Koepka carved out a new identity that sure looked familiar Thursday in the Masters.
This wasn’t about his surprising defection last year to LIV Golf, or even his victory four days ago that made him the Saudi-funded circuit’s first multiple winner. He just looked like “Big Game Brooks,” the player who built a reputation for playing his best in the majors.
Koepka was in full flight in the opening round at Augusta National, and he had company. He birdied his last two holes for a 7-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
Koepka couldn’t stoop to read putts two years ago at the Masters when he tried to return from knee surgery in three weeks. He felt so hobbled last year he had reason to believe his run in the majors – four wins over three years – was about to be a memory.
He is getting his swagger back.
“Once you feel good, everything changes,” Koepka said.
As for Rahm, he never went away. Never mind that he dropped from a sure-fire No. 1 in the world to No. 3 in the span of a month. The Spaniard overcame a four-putt double bogey on the opening hole with a sublime display of shotmaking.
Hovland played bogey-free to join them atop a leaderboard filled with red numbers and the ominous “weather warning” signs that figure to play a big role this week.
A bad forecast has been talked about almost as much as how 18 players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf would perform amid the high-stakes pressure of a major over 72 holes with a cut.
Koepka carried the flag, though he was more thrilled with having healthy legs.
Rahm had a cool head. He took four putts from 40 feet, and on his way to the second tee thought of the famous quote from his Spanish idol, Seve Ballesteros, who once four-putted at Augusta and said, “I miss, I miss, I miss, I make.”
“If you’re going to make a double or four-putt, it might as well be the first hole – 71 holes to make it up,” Rahm said.
That he did. The Spaniard followed with seven birdies and an eagle, and his 65 was the lowest score in Masters history by anyone who started with a double bogey.
Koepka won the 2019 PGA Championship – his fourth major in a span of three years – that gave him a five-year exemption to the Masters. That runs out next year, and with LIV not getting any world ranking points, his path to Augusta is limited.
“If you win, you’re fine,” he said, bluntly and unbothered.
Hovland was among the early starters. The highlight was a 25-foot eagle putt on the second hole and being 7 under through 13 holes until he cooled at the end. The Norwegian star also stood out for other reasons. The azaleas are starting to lose their color from an early bloom. Hovland made up for it with his shirt.
“It’s definitely a little bit out there,” Hovland said. “But I think I’d rather take these than the pink pants I had last year. So we’re making progress.”
The warm, muggy air and relatively soft greens allowed for good scores for just about everyone. Cameron Young and Jason Day were at 67.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back, was in the group at 68 that included major champions Shane Lowry, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland, along with Xander Schauffele and U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett.
Missing from the red numbers was Tiger Woods, who now has to worry about a chance to don that Sunday red shirt. He has never missed the cut as a pro in the Masters and will have some work to do if he wants to keep that streak alive.
Woods had a few lip-outs and a lot of limping. Woods saw plenty of birdies – he played with Hovland and Schauffele – but made only one himself over 14 holes. He had a late spark until finishing with a bogey for a 74.
It was his highest start in the Masters since 2005. He wound up winning that year, but this is a 47-year-old Woods with hardware holding his right leg together and a back that has gone through five surgeries. He said he was sore. He looked the part.
“Most of the guys are going low today. This was the day to do it,” Woods said. “Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be a little bit better, a little bit sharper, and kind of inch my way through it.”
Woods wasn’t the only one who failed to take advantage. Rory McIlroy, needing a Masters green jacket to complete the career Grand Slam, took a double bogey from the trees on the par-4 seventh and had three more bogeys to offset his good play. He wound up with a 72, already seven shots behind a world-class leaderboard.
Rahm only a month ago was playing so well he looked unstoppable – three wins on the PGA Tour over his first five starts, all against strong fields. And then he dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 in no time as Scheffler and McIlroy surged.
Consider his opening round – even the four-putt double bogey – to be a reminder that his game is sharp and his passion is burning hot to be the next Spaniard to win the Masters.
That he could recall a funny line from Ballesteros so soon after a crushing start was a good sign. He thought his putting stroke was good on all of them. So he moved on. Rahm hit every fairway and missed only one green.
He hammered a 4-iron from 249 yards on the par-5 eighth that caught the ridge side of the green and fed down to 4 feet for eagle. He birdied four of his last six holes, finishing with an 8-iron to 3 feet on the 18th.
“The one on 18 takes the cake,” Rahm said. “The one on 18 was just perfect drive, great second shot and tap-in for birdie. You don’t usually get a walk-off birdie over here, and those two swings were about as good as they could feel.”
For Koepka, it’s all about feeling good.
His health – not to mention a nine-figure signing bonus – is one reason he went from supporting the PGA Tour to making the leap to LIV. Koepka says he started to feel healthy again toward the end of last year. He arrived in Augusta off a win.
“Get myself in contention with nine to go on Sunday,” he said. “That’s the whole goal.”
FULL LEADERBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/GOLF/FINAL.ASP?TOUR=PGA
NFL NEWS
RAVENS GM: JACKSON’S STATUS DOESN’T AFFECT DRAFT PREP
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta said Lamar Jackson’s situation isn’t causing the Ravens to look at quarterbacks differently in the upcoming draft, although he did say the team could conceivably take one in the first round.
DeCosta, coach John Harbaugh and director of player personnel Joe Hortiz hosted a pre-draft news conference Wednesday, and reporters were told to keep questions focused on the draft. Of course, Jackson’s status affects all aspects of the team’s future, and if he’s not a part of it, then Baltimore would need a quarterback.
“It just depends on the board,” DeCosta said when asked if taking a quarterback in the first round is a consideration. “I guess I’d have to say yes because we have quarterbacks in our top 31. So just based on that alone, simple math, I would have to say yes.”
As of now, the Ravens have the 22nd pick in the first round.
The Ravens put the franchise tag on Jackson last month, so if he were to reach an agreement with another team and Baltimore decided not to match it, the Ravens could receive two first-round picks in return. Jackson also announced recently that he’d requested a trade, and DeCosta wouldn’t comment Wednesday on the ramifications of that.
“I understand those questions,” he said. “I think we’ve spoken about this situation probably five different times this spring, in various different press conferences and stuff, so we’re going to try to just kind of defer to those questions and move forward to the draft.”
DeCosta said Jackson’s situation isn’t causing the team to look at quarterbacks differently than usual.
“I don’t think we really are,” DeCosta said. “We go into every draft trying to take any kind of bias out, any kind of need-based situation out of the draft equation. We really do try to build a board that’s really best player available, and that process involves really nine months, starting in early August.”
Of course, if Jackson were traded or signed with another team, that could add to Baltimore’s meager total of five picks in this month’s draft, but if DeCosta is hoping for a resolution on Jackson’s status before the draft, he wasn’t saying.
“I think the things that we can control are really getting the list, the draft board set, evaluating players as best as possible,” he said.
Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are the quarterbacks getting the most attention in the leadup to the draft. Richardson was impressive at the combine, and his running ability makes him an interesting option as a potential replacement for Jackson.
“Richardson’s got just raw physical talent, strong arm, athletic, big, physical,” Hortiz said. “Probably the least experienced of the four of them, but has a chance to really blossom and develop.”
NFL DRAFT PREVIEW-TOP 5 RUNNINGBACKS
This RB class is loaded with potential starters, many of whom could come off the board in the middle rounds, given the devaluation of the position in the draft hierarchy. As the undisputed RB1 of the class, Robinson is a five-star player with top-10 talent and potential. The Texas standout is an old-school runner with the vision, balance, body control and power to run through or around defenders, and he flashes the ability to score from anywhere on the field. Gibbs is a jitterbug with dangerous stop-start quickness and burst. The Georgia Tech/Alabama product is a big-play machine with diverse skills to immediately excel as a change-of-pace/third-down back in the NFL. Charbonnet is a super-sized back with a throwback game. The UCLA star is a punishing runner with the vision, balance and body control to weave through traffic as a classic RB1. Achane is a lightweight playmaker with explosive quickness, acceleration and long speed. Although he lacks the size to handle a heavy workload in the NFL, the Texas A&M product could make a profound impact as a third-down back in a spread offense. Spears is the electric backfield playmaker that every offense could use. The Tulane star displays stellar stop-start quickness, as well as ballerina-like balance and body control with the ball in his hands.
BIJAN ROBINSON-TEXAS
Robinson was twice named the top high school football player in Arizona, ranking as one of the top recruits in the country after putting up three 2,000-yard seasons. Texas won the battle to secure his services for 2020 and he came through as a true freshman, leading the Longhorns with 703 rushing yards. He broke the school record, averaging 8.2 yards on 86 carries (15-196-13.1, two TDs receiving). Robinson started 10 games in 2021, garnering first-team All-Big 12 honors by again leading Texas with 1,127 yards and 11 scores on the ground and ranking eighth in the FBS with 142.2 all-purpose yards per game. His final season in Austin was memorable, as he won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Robinson was also a first-team Associated Press All-American and All-Big 12 selection after ranking sixth in the FBS with 1,580 rushing yards (258 carries, 6.1 per) and tying for fifth with 18 rushing touchdowns (19-314-16.5, two TDs receiving) in 12 starts. Robinson opted out of the Alamo Bowl.
Overview
Full-menu back blending a smorgasbord of position-specific traits that allow him to affect games. Robinson is well-built with a compact lower half and pairs a low center of gravity with agile feet. There are elements of both fight and flight in his running style, but defenders can never be quite sure what they are going to get. He’s a capable inside/outside runner with unique footwork to stack moves and reset pathways, but can plow into tacklers at a moment’s notice using elite contact balance to keep the run rolling. He might need to dial back efforts to search out big runs so frequently and take what is there a little more often to keep from getting bogged down. His pass-catching talent ensures the opportunity for Robinson to see a high number of touches. He has a chance to become one of the more productive runners in the league very quickly.
Strengths
- Three-down back with exceptional talent in all phases.
- Owns a variety of footwork tools to alter pace, direction and power.
- Feet are fast and fully connected with his vision for optimal results.
- Resets run track with sudden jump-cuts against penetration.
- Runs low to the ground and possesses rare contact balance.
- Ability to stack moves adds a level of unpredictability to his carries.
- Pinballs off of angle strikes and can rip through leg tackles.
- Pairs instant burst with solid top-end speed.
- Finishes runs with authority.
- Soft hands and a nightmare to deal with on wheel routes.
Weaknesses
- Might need to quicken operation time against speedy NFL defenses.
- Occasionally looks to better deal run lanes when he should be finishing.
- Needs to run with a more decisive plant-and-go mentality.
- Needs more consistent urgency in pass protection duties.
JAHMYR GIBBS-ALABAMA
Gibbs, a four-star recruit and one of the top 75 prospects nationally, committed to Georgia Tech. He was the Georgia 6-A Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-state pick as a senior at Dalton High School. The 2020 honorable mention All-ACC kick returner (8-205-25.6) started six of seven appearances that season (89-460-5.2, four TDs rushing; 24-303-12.6, three TDs receiving). Gibbs was a third-team all-conference running back (143-746-5.2, four TDs rushing; 36-470-13.1, two TDs receiving) as well as a second-team kick returner (23-589-25.6, one TD) as a sophomore in 2021. He transferred from Georgia Tech to Alabama for 2022, where he garnered second-team All-SEC honors as the Tide’s top running back (151-926-6.1, seven TDs in 12 games, 11 starts) and third-team Associated Press All-American honors as an all-purpose player after leading the team with 44 receptions (444 yards, 10.1 per, three TDs) and returning kicks (13-258-19.8).
Overview
While Gibbs might not be the engine of an NFL running game, he’s more than capable of adding juice to the offense. He’s a slasher who can stretch defenses wide, and he has the wiggle to elude tacklers in space. However, he could see his effectiveness diminished inside. Gibbs might be better off with a more measured carry count as an RB2, but his versatility and pass-catching prowess will give creative play-callers an opportunity to exploit certain personnel groupings and find mismatches in space.
Strengths
- Speed creates ability to widen field for play-callers.
- Runs with instant acceleration and gliding strides.
- Light, quick feet for sudden, lateral cuts.
- Opens the corner by altering tempo and stride to stall pursuit.
- Wiggle results in low success rate for open-field tacklers.
- Mismatch weapon in the passing game.
- Route running makes him a tough cover in man.
- Hands are natural, soft and sure.
- Above average potential as a kick returner.
Weaknesses
- Flashes of indecisiveness processing inside runs.
- Looks for cuts when the track lacks traffic.
- Below average feel for blocking development.
- Missing contact power to get tough yards.
- Might lack the frame for consistent blitz pickup.
ZACH CHARBONNET-UCLA
Charbonnet (pronounced SHAR-buh-nay) was a top five running back recruit nationally out of Oaks Christian High School in California and signed with the Michigan Wolverines for the 2019 season, garnering honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and the team’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award by leading the squad with 726 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 149 carries, 4.9 per. He also added eight catches for 30 yards in 13 games. He transferred from Michigan to UCLA after receiving only 19 carries (124 yards, 6.5 per, one TD; 6-41-6.8 receiving) in five games during the 2020 season. The Bruins made good use of his talents, giving him the ball 203 times for 1,137 yards and 13 scores in 12 games in 2021. The team’s leading rusher and a second-team All-Pac-12 selection also caught 24 passes for 197 yards (8.2 per). Charbonnet was even better in 2022, earning second-team Associated Press All-American honors as an all-purpose player and first-team All-Pac-12 accolades as the team’s leading rusher (195-1,359-7.0, 14 TDs; 37-321-8.7 receiving in 10 starts) despite missing three games due to injury. He ranked fourth in the FBS with 6.97 yards per carry.
Overview
Upright runner with outstanding body composition and consecutive seasons of impressive production for the Bruins. Charbonnet is a bit of a long-strider with slightly below average foot quickness. He is much more effective when allowed to open up and build downhill momentum. He can slip tackles in the open field but lacks the first-level wiggle to get too cute. He’s inconsistent in processing defensive fronts quickly but can be a hammer into and through contact when he has a clear point of entry. Charbonnet is a talented third-down option as both a blocker and pass-catcher. He could be viewed as a Day 2 value with three-down potential.
Strengths
- Carries weight comfortably across powerful build.
- Patient waiting for blocks to develop inside the scheme.
- Surprising build-up speed as an outside runner.
- Picks up a head of steam as the run progresses.
- Can slip one tackler and run through the next one.
- Above average ball security.
- Runs a variety of routes with a plus catch radius.
- Will throw heavy hits at blitzers.
Weaknesses
- Hip tightness forces a more upright gait.
- Average acceleration getting between tackles.
- Below average instincts on inside runs.
- Can be a little indecisive reading stretch plays.
- Lacks gather quickness for quick cuts.
- Struggles to hit the gas when feet are forced to slow.
DEVON ACHANE-TEXAS A&M
Devon Achane (pronounced duh-vaughn A-chain) was the Houston Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year as a senior at Fort Bend Marshall High School before signing with A&M. He played in eight games as a reserve his first year at College Station (43-364-8.5, four TDs rushing; 5-97-19.4, one TD receiving), topping off the season by winning the Orange Bowl Most Outstanding Player award with 140 yards and two scores on the ground in the team’s win over North Carolina. Though Achane only started one of 12 games played in 2021, he led the FBS with 7.0 yards per carry and garnered the team’s Offensive Skill and Most Impactful Special Teams Player Awards (130-910, nine TDs rushing; 24-261-10.9, one TD receiving; 9-301-33.4, one TD kick returns). He missed two games with a foot injury in 2022 but still led the Aggies in rushing (196-1,102-5.6, eight TDs in 10 starts) and contributed as a receiver (36-196-5.4, three TDs) and kick returner (11-312-28.4, one TD) on his way to first-team All-SEC honors as a running back and all-purpose player. Achane ran indoor and outdoor track for Texas A&M and was part of an All-American 4×100-meter relay team in 2021 and won the 60-meter dash at the 2022 Don Kirby Open (6.63 seconds).
Overview
Finding a player comparison for Achane is challenging because he has blazing speed and is fearless as an inside runner, but is very small by NFL standards. He has the creativity and burst to create chunk plays but durability concerns will likely limit the amount of carries a team is willing to give him. Achane can be a complementary slasher with the ability to mismatch coverage out of the backfield or from the slot. However, he’s simply too talented and explosive as a runner to be confined to gadget duty. History does not favor backs his size, but his playmaking potential could be too tough to pass up on Day 2 of the draft.
Strengths
- Trusts his feet, allowing for additional calm early in the run.
- Runs hard between the tackles.
- Quick cuts across the grain can ruin linebacker reads.
- Puts together disappearing acts in tight quarters.
- Finds his own pathways if it’s not blocked for him.
- Sprinter’s speed to out-pace pursuit wide and hit long runs.
- Able to stack cuts without losing momentum.
- Can line up in the slot and beat coverage with routes.
Weaknesses
- Muscular but small by NFL standards.
- Size and playing style could create durability concerns.
- Can be a little too patient at times.
- Will drop passes that are outside his frame.
- Willing but smallish to match up against linebackers in protection.
TYJAE SPEARS-TULANE
Spears gained 1,800 yards of total offense and scored 18 touchdowns his senior season at Ponchatoula High School. He redshirted at Tulane in 2019, playing in five games as a reserve (32-192-6.0, one TD rushing; 5-133-26.6, one TD receiving). Spears started the first three games of 2020 (37-274-7.4, two TDs rushing; 2-30-15.0 receiving) but missed the rest of the year with a knee injury. He played in all 12 games in 2021, leading the Green Wave with 863 rushing yards and nine scores (129 carries, 6.7 per; 19-145-7.6 receiving) in 12 games. Spears took his game to another level in 2022, earning the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award by rushing for 1,581 yards and 19 scores (229 carries, 6.9 per) and catching 22 passes for 256 yards (11.6) and two touchdowns in 14 starts. He finished his college career by winning the Cotton Bowl MVP Award (17-205-12.1, four TDs rushing; 1-14-14.0 receiving) in the comeback win over USC.
Overview
Spears has the size of a change-of-pace back, but he needs to play with more consistent explosiveness, as he’s unlikely to offer the versatility typically expected from a player in that role. He’s coming off an extremely productive and consistent season as Tulane’s RB1, though. He runs with good bend, average vision and the patience to use lead blockers to his advantage. Spears possesses modest creativity and power through the line of scrimmage but becomes more elusive once he’s up to the second level.
Strengths
- Averaged seven yards per carry during his Tulane career.
- Finished 2022 season with 21 total touchdowns.
- Runs with good bend and smooth change of direction.
- Adequate field vision through the line of scrimmage.
- Can make sharp cuts on the second level.
- Runs defenders into his blockers.
- Makes cuts off the hip of blockers with good timing.
Weaknesses
- Average recognition and imagination as a runner.
- Tends to lack early pace and decisiveness.
- Doesn’t have much run-through power in his legs.
- Hands are slippery and unsure as pass-catcher.
- Significant knee injury history will require examination.
NBA NEWS
GREEN, OSMAN LEAD CAVALIERS TO 118-94 WIN OVER MAGIC
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Danny Green scored 21 points, Cedi Osman added 19 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 118-94 on Thursday night in a game in which both teams rested their starters.
Isaiah Mobley came off the bench with 18 points for the Cavaliers, who had clinched the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Magic on Tuesday night.
Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 22 points in their home finale. Bol Bol added 18 points and eight rebounds in his first start since Dec. 30.
The 35-year-old Green, who signed as a free agent with the Cavaliers on Feb. 14 after being waived by Houston, played 26 minutes and shot 5 for 9 from behind the arc.
“It was fun to have the roles reversed a little bit,” said Green, who had played only 45 minutes in six games with Cleveland. “The starters did a great job of taking care of business and getting us home court (in the first round), and they got a chance to rest. They earned it, and we’ve got to hold the fort down by continuing to play good basketball and build good habits.”
Cavs forward Dean Wade was the only one of the 10 players who started Tuesday night’s game to start again on Thursday.
The Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, who scored 43 points Tuesday to become the only NBA player this season to score 40 or more points in four straight games, sat out the game along with Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro.
All five regular starters and sixth man Cole Anthony did not play for the Magic, who were mathematically eliminated Tuesday night.
Suggs hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the Magic’s 42-point first quarter, in which Orlando shot 16 for 23 (59.5%) and led by nine.
“We didn’t have to say much. They knew we weren’t playing with the purpose necessary on that end of the floor,” said Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “Our guys always take the challenge, and they did a better job in the second quarter.”
Isaiah Mobley and Wade hit 3-pointers in a 12-0 Cleveland run early in the second quarter and the Cavs led by 10 at halftime.
Osman opened the second half with a couple of 3s, quickly pushing Cleveland’s lead to 77-57.
The Magic shot 17 for 60 (28.3%) over the final three quarters and fell behind by as many as 33 points in the final minutes.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Officially listed injuries for players who did not play: Mitchell (finger), Allen (groin), Garland (lower leg), LeVert (knee), Okoro (knee). … It was the fifth straight game missed by Okoro. … The Cavs finished 20-21 on the road, winning seven of their final nine
Magic: Rookie Paolo Banchero missed his first game since November, when he missed seven games with a sprained left ankle. … Officially listed injuries for players who did not play: Banchero (back), Franz Wagner (ankle), Wendell Carter Jr. (hip), Gary Harris (hip), Markelle Fultz (knee). … The Magic finished 20-21 at home.
EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY THE STARTERS DID NOT PLAY
“It’s an opportunity for them to keep getting better, to continue to be evaluated,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Once we were eliminated from that playoff position, I think what you have to look at now is: How do we help these guys get better? How do we help them grow?”
Bickerstaff: “Just because other guys are getting an opportunity, this isn’t a free-for-all. There’s a purpose behind the minutes they’re getting – expecting them to get reps and opportunities at their roles of being helpful to us as we close out the season and move into the playoffs.”
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Charlotte on Sunday.
Magic: Play at Brooklyn on Friday night.
JIMMY BUTLER, TYLER HERRO HELP HEAT ROUT 76ERS 129-101
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 24 points and the Miami Heat kept alive their hopes of avoiding the NBA’s play-in tournament with a 129-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Max Strus and Bam Adebayo both added 14 points. Miami started fast, leading 41-31 after a quarter and recorded 39 assists, tying the franchise record for most in a game originally set on Feb. 15, 1997, against Philadelphia.
“More than anything, it’s great to come out and get a victory,” said Butler, who had five assists and four rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting. “It’s hard to beat us when we come out and make shots.”
The Heat (43-37) would have to win both of their remaining games (at Washington and home against Orlando) and have Brooklyn lose both home games this weekend (to Orlando and Philadelphia) to move into the No. 6 spot and avoid the play-in round. Miami took the Southeast Division title with the win.
“It sets us up for the playoffs and builds momentum,” said Herro, who was 7-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from beyond the 3-point line. “I feel like we’re trending in the right direction on both ends of the floor and going in the right direction heading into the playoffs.
Philadelphia (52-27) has already secured the third spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. A win Thursday night would have sealed a first-round matchup against Brooklyn. Joel Embiid scored 21 points despite not playing in the fourth quarter. James Harden chipped in 14 in limited minutes.
“We didn’t come to play tonight,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “We had no energy. It was a difficult game to have energy – it was an exercise tonight.”
The Heat shot 46.1% from beyond the 3-point arc thanks to an inside out game that had the Sixers scrambling to retreat after collapsing into the paint. Miami had spent a large portion of the season as one of the poorer 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, averaging 34.1% coming into Thursday night for the fourth-worst percentage.
“Our game is built on being an attack team offensive and getting into the paint,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But our 3-point shooting has been good for the last 16 or 17 games. I know that’s not a season long sample size, but that’s more of the vision of what we were expecting. We’re taking the right shots and being aggressive. We had the right balance of points at the rim, free throw shooting and 3-point shooting. That’s when we are at our best.”
SCORING RACE WATCH
With Embiid’s 21 points Thursday, his 33.1 point per game average is still ahead of Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who sits second at 32.7 points a game. Jokic was listed as out on Denver’s injury report Thursday night at Phoenix.
Embiid was the 2021-22 scoring champion, beating out Jokic for the honor of being the first foreign-born player to win the scoring title.
TIP-INS
Heat: Kyle Lowry was in the lineup despite being listed as questionable with left knee soreness, scoring 11 points in 22 minutes. Lowry has not played more than 30 minutes in a game since recording 36 in an overtime game against Orlando on March 11.
76ers: Tyrese Maxey was held out with neck stiffness. … De’Anthony Melton suffered a right calf strain in the third quarter and did not return. .”It was nothing serious,” Rivers said after the game. ..Prior to the game, Rivers said that the Sixers have a plan on how to manage the workload of their starter heading into the final weekend and a pair of road games, but wanted to balance it with not having too much rust caused by the week between the end of the regular season and the start of the first round April 15.
UP NEXT
Heat: At Washington on Friday night.
76ers: At Atlanta on Friday night.
BATES-DIOP LEADS SPURS PAST BLAZERS IN INAUGURAL AUSTIN GAME
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Keita Bates-Diop had 25 points, Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson added 24 points each and the San Antonio Spurs beat the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 129-127 on Thursday night in the first NBA game in Texas’ capital city.
The victory ensured San Antonio (21-59) will not finish with the franchise’s worst record. The Spurs finished 20-62 in 1997, the season prior to drafting Tim Duncan with the No. 1 pick.
Bates-Diop and Johnson made a triumphant return to the city that fueled their development. Teammates at times on the G League’s Austin Spurs, the duo shot a combined 17 for 35 and 3 for 12 on 3-pointers to lead San Antonio to just its second win in nine games.
The Spurs are playing their final two home games at the Moody Center in Austin as part of what the franchise has deemed a regional outreach.
“I think it’s a great arena,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “I said that earlier. It is really situated well. That fans are up on top of you, you can hear them, you can feel them, great venue.”
San Antonio erased a seven-point deficit in the final five minutes, hitting three straight 3-pointers in taking a 123-119 lead with 3:09 remaining.
Bates-Diop, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, had 12 points in the final quarter.
“He’s carving out an NBA career,” Popovich said. “In the beginning, it didn’t look like that, but he’s worked on his skills, his confidence, his aggressiveness, everything. Really proud of him.”
Tre Jones had 18 points and 10 assists for San Antonio, which is guaranteed to finish with one of the NBA’s three-worst records. Zach Collins added 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Knox had 24 points to lead Portland and Drew Eubanks added 23 points against his former team. The Trail Blazers have lost seven of eight.
Portland was without Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons while San Antonio did not have Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell.
While the game lacked star power, it did not lack enthusiasm.
The largest crowd ever at the Moody Center on the campus of the University of Texas, roared in appreciation. The sellout crowd of 16,023 was its loudest when Jones hit a 3-pointer followed by consecutive 3s by Bates-Diop to give the Spurs a lead in the final three minutes.
“You kind of feel the crowd getting more and more into it after Tre hit the 3,” Bates-Diop said. “Then I hit mine and you feel that moment coming so I just wanted to knock it down.”
San Antonio finished 10 for 35 on 3-pointers.
TIP-INS
Trail; Blazers: Lillard (right calf), Nurkic (right knee) and Simmons (right foot) all sat out due to soreness. Grant had a bruised left quadriceps.
Spurs: Popovich would prefer having Sochan and Vassell in the lineup, “but at this point of the year, with their injuries, it doesn’t make any sense.” … San Antonio honored former Longhorns point guard T.J. Ford following the first quarter. Ford played nine seasons in the NBA, closing out his career in 2012 with the Spurs.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Spurs: Host Minnesota in Austin on Saturday.
THUNDER BEAT JAZZ 114-98, STRENGTHEN PLAY-IN HOPES
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and the Oklahoma City strengthened their hopes of reaching the play-in tournament with a 114-98 victory over the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
“We were aware of the situation. We are aware that we can control our own destiny,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Josh Giddey had 17 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Aaron Wiggins scored 15 for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak. They are 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas, and are guaranteed to reach the play-in by beating Memphis in their finale Sunday.
“If we win, we’re in,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’m excited, a great opportunity. If you asked me if I wanted to be in this position at the beginning of the year, I’d say yes.”
Kris Dunn had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who were eliminated from postseason contention.
“It’s a hard moment to know that you’re out. But, again, I don’t think our team should walk out of here or think about this season in any other way than with their heads up and their shoulders pulled back with a lot of pride,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.
The Jazz played a 1-3-1 zone that flustered Oklahoma City in the first half, but the Thunder attacked it with patience later on and got plenty of open looks.
With most of their shooters on the bench with injuries, the Jazz made a season-low five 3-pointers on 31 attempts.
When the Jazz trimmed the lead to 75-74, Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first seven of a 19-2 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take command of the game.
“With guys out, they had some players that seemed uncertain so we were able to read some of those plays,” said Wiggins, who had three steals as the Thunders converted 19 Utah turnovers into 26 points.
Kelly Olynyk, who had 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and Dunn were the only Utah players available averaging 10 or more points.
“Ten years in this league, I’ve played in the playoffs and been to the Finals. That’s what it’s about. … Obviously, it’s a ((lousy) feeling being officially eliminated,” Olynyk said.
Jordan Clarkson (finger), Rudy Gay (back), Talen Horton-Tucker (ankle), Walker Kessler (concussion) and Lauri Markkanen (hand) were all injured. Even Collin Sexton, who returned after missing 18 games with a strained hamstring Tuesday against the Lakers, sat out.
“I think it’s easy when teams are sitting their best players to relax and take it easy, but I think tonight we were ready from the jump,” Giddey said.
Both teams had modest expectations this season but have chalked up surprising wins along the way and stayed competitive in most games.
The Thunder are still very young but further down the rebuilding road than the Jazz and have 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren returning next season. The Jazz have a bevy of draft picks in the coming years to similarly build back toward contention.
The Thunder led by as many as 16 in the first half before the Jazz closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 55-52 after the second of Olynyk’s two three-point plays in the surge.
“We didn’t necessarily have our fastball tonight but I thought we showed good poise and resilience through the ups and downs of the game,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s a great opportunity for a young team as a lot of our experiences are new experiences we can grow from.” TIP-INS
Thunder: Despite playing without anyone over 6-foot-8 for much of the game, the Thunder gathered 17 offensive rebounds. … OKC shot 26 free throws to Utah’s 16. … Dario Saric had a season-high two blocks, his first rejections since coming from Phoenix in a Feb. 9 trade.
Jazz: Juan Toscano-Anderson fell hard just before the end of the third quarter and left the court holding his right elbow, but came back to play in the fourth. … Utah outscored Oklahoma City 36-16 in the paint in the first half. … The inexperienced Jazz had 19 turnovers, including seven by Olynyk who was forced to play the point.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Finish the regular season at home Sunday against Memphis.
Jazz: Host Denver on Saturday.
PAUL MAKES 7 3S, SUNS BEAT NUGGETS FOR 7TH STRAIGHT WIN
PHOENIX (AP) Chris Paul made a career-high seven 3-pointers and the Phoenix Suns won their season-best seventh game in a row, holding off the short-handed Denver Nuggets 119-115 on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant added six 3s and led the Suns with 29 points in 40 minutes, while Paul scored 25. Durant also had seven rebounds as the Suns improved to 8-0 with the 13-time All-Star in their lineup. But it wasn’t easy even though the Nuggets were missing all five normal starters.
Devin Booker made just 3 of 12 shots, but still scored 15 as he was 8 for 8 from the free throw line. Booker also had eight assists, while Deandre Ayton scored 16 points and reserve Torrey Craig had 11 for the Suns (45-35), who made 17 3-pointers to eight for Denver.
“It was a weird game, sort of up and down,” Paul said. “I think every game we play is still a learning experience.”
Paul’s final 3-pointer of the night with 3:07 to play made it 114-107, the biggest lead of the night for either team at that point. Paul made 7 of 12 from behind the arc.
“I should have made more,” Paul said. “That’s why these games are important. This is a new way, I never really played with guys getting doubled like this. You need to use these games.”
Durant said: “We just need CP to read the game like he has since college, high school. Whatever the game tells him to do, he’s going to go out there and do it.”
As for playing 40 minutes, Durant was glad to get that opportunity.
“I felt good, but it’s always good to log in to late-game minutes,” he said. “Forty is a number I love; I like to hover around that number. We had to make some meaningful plays in the fourth so it was good for us.”
Bruce Brown led Denver (52-28) with 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Reggie Jackson had 20 points and six assists, Christian Braun had 15 points, Jeff Green scored 14 and DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic had missed three games with a calf injury before returning to play 25 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Houston. He was sidelined again Thursday, as were Aaron Gordon (right shoulder), Michael Porter Jr. (left heel), Jamal Murray (right thumb) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (illness).
Nuggets coach Michael Malone was pleased that his team gave the full-strength Suns a game all the way.
“I am happy and almost a little (ticked) because I thought we should have won,” Malone said. “Our guys fought, competed, played their hearts out and gave us a chance to win.
“If you take away the 3-point line I think our defense was pretty good for most of the night.”
MANAGING THE WORKLOAD
The Nuggets clinched the No. 1 seed in the West on Wednesday when Memphis lost to New Orleans. They’re also dealing with enough injuries that the entire starting five was out Thursday.
Two-time MVP Jokic is averaging 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
“We’re just trying to be smart about managing those injuries as we move forward,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said before the game. “Speaking to the players individually and speaking to our training staff, having played 79-80 games to this point, those guys have been dealing with these injuries for a while. We want to be smart about what kind of positions we put them in.”
The Suns also are locked in to the No. 4 seed, but with Durant having so few games with his new Suns teammates, Williams is trying to strike a balance with what’s best for everyone entering the postseason.
“I think we have to try to use these games to get guys to a place that we think is comfortable for them,” Williams said.
NOTES
The Suns were without G T.J. Warren (illness). … Thursday’s crowd of 17,071 at the Footprint Center was the 66th sellout in a row with one regular-season home game remaining. … Phoenix won three of the four games between the teams this season.
NEXT
Nuggets: At Utah Saturday.
Suns: At Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. —
FORMER NBA GUARD BEN GORDON ARRESTED ON WEAPONS CHARGE
STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former NBA guard Ben Gordon was arrested on weapons and threatening charges after he began behaving erratically in a Connecticut juice shop, police said.
The episode started just before 10 a.m. Tuesday when several 911 callers reported “a male acting aggressively and in a bizarre manner” inside a juice shop in Stamford, the city’s assistant police chief, Richard Conklin, said Thursday.
The man, identified as Gordon, continued to act erratically when officers arrived and tried to take him into custody, Conklin said.
The officers eventually subdued Gordon and placed him under arrest. They found a folding knife clipped to Gordon’s pocket, and a stun gun and brass knuckles in his backpack, Conklin said.
Gordon was arrested on charges including carrying a dangerous weapon, second-degree threatening and interfering with an officer.
The former basketball star, who played for the University of Connecticut before a decade-long NBA career that ended with the 2014-2015 Orlando Magic, was taken to the police detention center and then to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, Conklin said.
Gordon was released late Tuesday on $10,000 bond, he said. A message seeking comment was left with Gordon’s attorney.
It’s not Gordon’s first brush with the law. Last October, he was charged with punching his son at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. And in November, he was charged with a misdemeanor in Chicago for allegedly punching a McDonald’s security guard.
This week’s arrest came hours after Gordon’s alma mater, UConn, defeated San Diego State University 76-59 to win the school’s fifth NCAA championship. Gordon was on the UConn team that won the championship in 2004.
Tuesday, the day Gordon was arrested, was also his 40th birthday.
NBA DENIES MAVERICKS’ PROTEST OF LOSS TO WARRIORS
The NBA on Thursday rejected the protest filed by the Dallas Mavericks surrounding their loss to the Golden State Warriors on March 22, the league announced.
Dallas argued that referees erred during an out-of-bounds call late in the third quarter that resulted in an open basket for Golden State. However, the league ruled that Dallas was not “deprived of a fair opportunity to win the game” as nearly 14 minutes remained in the contest, during which the Mavericks took the lead twice.
During the incident in question, Dallas thought it’d be inbounding the ball following a timeout and had lined up all of its players on the opposite end of the court. However, referees actually awarded Golden State possession, resulting in a quick inbound under the Mavericks’ basket and an uncontested dunk by Kevon Looney.
The confusion supposedly stemmed from the signals gestured by the referee immediately following the out-of-bounds call made prior. The official first gestures for possession to the Warriors but then quickly points to the Mavericks’ bench for a timeout.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban publicly alleged after the game that referees had initially called Mavs ball but changed it to the Warriors during the timeout. However, the NBA refuted that notion in its statement Thursday, stating that the Mavericks acknowledged in their protest “that the referee signaled possession to Golden State.”
JAZZ ALL-STAR MARKKANEN TO SERVE IN FINNISH MILITARY DURING OFFSEASON
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will return to his native Finland during the offseason in order to complete mandatory military service.
“It’s mandatory, we have to do it, but at the same time we take pride in it, too,” he told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “I think it sets an example to serve. And I’m confident I can do it in a way that it’s not going to affect my preparation for next season, either.”
Finland requires all of its male citizens to complete military service by the time they turn 30.
The arguable favorite for the Most Improved Player award has excelled in his first season in Utah, posting a career-high 25.6 points per contest and making his first All-Star Game. The six-year pro is also registering 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists while hitting 39.1% of his threes and helping keep the No. 12 Jazz within 1.5 games of the play-in race.
If Utah can make an extended postseason run, Markkanen plans to push his reporting date back to July. However, he’d report as soon as April 17 if the Jazz are eliminated soon.
The former seventh overall pick doesn’t believe the service will entirely derail his usual offseason training.
“Of course I’d rather be working out like I normally do, but I’ve heard they do a good job of combining the two,” Markkanen added. “You’re able to do your job working as an athlete and your basic training at the same time.”
MLB NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: BRAVES EARN WALK-OFF WIN IN HOME OPENER
Orlando Arcia drove home pinch-hitter Eddie Rosario with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night to give Atlanta a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres in the Braves’ home opener at Truist Park.
After a two-out double to right field off Padres reliever Nabil Crismatt, Rosario easily scored on Arcia’s liner to center. The winning run was the fifth the Braves have scored with two outs this season.
Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win. Crismatt, whose early-season ERA is 16.20, took the loss. The teams combined for 14 walks in a game that saw five pitchers work for each team.
DODGERS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 2
Dustin May delivered a second consecutive strong start and Los Angeles earned a victory over host Arizona in the opener of a four-game series in Phoenix.
Freddie Freeman hit a home run and J.D. Martinez hit an RBI double as the Dodgers improved to 3-2 against the Diamondbacks this season. May (1-0) gave up one run on two hits over six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts — six days after he went seven scoreless innings against Arizona.
Josh Rojas had an RBI double for the Diamondbacks, while right-hander Merrill Kelly (0-1) gave up four runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and four strikeouts. Kelly, 34, recorded his 500th career strikeout in the fourth inning when he fanned former teammate David Peralta.
RED SOX 6, TIGERS 3
Adam Duvall smashed a go-ahead, three-run homer during a four-run sixth and Rafael Devers had a solo homer and RBI double as Boston spoiled Detroit’s home opener.
Chris Sale gave up three runs and four hits in five innings while striking out seven for the Red Sox, who snapped a three-game losing streak. The win is his first in the regular season for Sale since September 2021. Kenley Jansen got the last three outs for his first save.
Jake Rogers hit a two-run homer and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI single for Detroit. Spencer Turnbull was charged with five runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
BLUE JAYS 6, ROYALS 3
Kevin Gausman worked six-plus scoreless innings before Toronto was forced to ward off a feverish comeback attempt in a victory over host Kansas City.
The Blue Jays led 6-0 entering the bottom of the eighth, but a solo home run from Bobby Witt Jr., an RBI single from Vinnie Pasquantino and Edward Olivares’ RBI double pulled the Royals within 6-3. Kansas City had runners on second and third with no outs but left them stranded.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finished with three hits, including a home run, for the Blue Jays, who won the final three games of the series after a 9-5 loss on Monday.
ROCKIES 1, NATIONALS 0
Kyle Freeland tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings, Elehuris Montero had three hits and Colorado beat Washington in its home opener in Denver.
Kris Bryant extended his hitting streak to seven games with an RBI single and a double for Colorado, which took the first of the four-game series. Freeland (2-0) scattered four hits and has yet to yield a run this season in 12 2/3 innings. Pierce Johnson got the final three outs for his second save of the season.
Washington’s CJ Abrams had two hits and Josiah Gray (0-2) allowed one run on eight hits and struck out six in six innings.
GIANTS 16, WHITE SOX 6
Michael Conforto, Blake Sabol, Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis homered to boost San Francisco in a rout of host Chicago.
The Giants punctuated their power surge, drilling 13 home runs to win the interleague series 2-1. Thairo Estrada joined Sabol, Conforto and Davis (5 RBIs) with three-hit games for San Francisco, which outhit Chicago 20-11.
White Sox starter Lane Lynn (0-1) spaced eight runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts. Four of the hits Lynn allowed went for extra bases, with three leaving the ballpark.
GIANTS’ MCCLURE CALLS TATIS A ‘CHEATER’ AFTER ALLOWING HR DURING AAA GAME
San Francisco Giants right-hander Kade McClure isn’t a fan of San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis took McClure deep during Thursday’s game as part of a rehab assignment with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate.
Tatis is eligible to return from an 80-game suspension for a positive PED test April 20, and McClure made sure to reference that fact following the game.
Tatis tested positive for Clobestol, an anabolic steroid last August. He didn’t appear in a game for the Padres in 2022 as he also dealt with wrist and shoulder injuries, which both required surgery.
The 24-year-old is off to a hot start on his rehab assignment with one home run, two RBIs, and four walks over his first two games with the El Paso Chihuahuas.
NHL NEWS
THATCHER DEMKO STOPS 33 SHOTS, CANUCKS BEAT BLACKHAWKS 3-0
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Thatcher Demko stopped 33 shots for his first shutout of the season and third overall in the Vancouver Canucks’ 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
“He’s just solid,” coach Rick Tocchet said of his goalie. “Even some of the saves he made, I think they were grade-A saves, but they’re routine. He just looked big in the net tonight, like nothing was going to get by him.
“Even when they had a couple of backdoor chances, he was there, post to post.”
The last time Demko and the Canucks (35-36-7) had a shutout was Dec. 6, 2021 when they beat the L.A. Kings 4-0 in their first game under then-head coach Bruce Boudreau.
Asked Thursday if he realized how long ago that result was, Demko smiled and answered simply.
“No,” he said. “I try to stop them all every night. It doesn’t always work out that way but it feels good.”
Andrei Kuzmenko, Vitali Kravtsov and J.T. Miller – into the empty net – scored and defenseman Akito Hirose had two assists to help the Canucks end a four-game losing streak.
Alex Stalock stopped 26 shots for the Blackhawks. They were coming off a 4-3 victory at Calgary on Tuesday night, but have lost nine of 10.
“We still kept plugging to the end and that’s kind of been the way we work all year,” said Chicago coach Luke Richardson. “We’ll just keep staying positive and know that we’ve had a couple of stale games earlier in the year, and we usually come back and get some goals the next game.”
The Canucks went up 2-0 early in the second period after Jonathan Toews was called for hooking. Kravtsov fired a one-timer into the net for his first goal for Vancouver 3:53 into the frame. The Canucks acquired the 23-year-old winger from the New York Rangers at the end of February.
Kuzmenko opened the scoring with a long-range blast 16:16 into the game.
Stationed at the point, the Russian winger fired a rocket through traffic and past Stalock’s glove for his 38th goal of the season.
Canucks defenseman Cole McWard made his NHL debut. The 21-year-old signed a two-year, entry-level deal with Vancouver on Tuesday after completing his second season at Ohio State.
SWEPT UP
Vancouver won all three meetings between the two sides this season. Thursday’s result followed a 5-2 victory at Rogers Arena on Jan. 24 and a 4-2 win in Chicago on March 26.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: At Seattle on Saturday night.
Canucks: Host Calgary on Saturday night.
THOMPSON, COZENS LEAD SABRES PAST RED WINGS 7-6 IN SHOOTOUT
DETROIT (AP) Tage Thompson scored his 45th goal of the season, Dylan Cozens had two goals and the Buffalo Sabres outlasted the Detroit Red Wings 7-6 in a shootout Thursday night.
Henri Jokiharju, Zemgus Girgensons and Jordan Greenway also scored for the Sabres, and Devon Levi made 26 saves.
“One-on-one against Dylan Larkin is a pretty crazy way to finish up your first shootout,” Levi said. “The guys played a great game and I just wanted to give them an opportunity to get the win. Even when they got the late goal to tie it, I knew we still had a chance to win in overtime..
“And when we didn’t get a goal there, I knew we had an opportunity in the shootout.”
Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn scored in the shootout.
“Every game takes on a life of its own, and that one took on a monstrous life tonight,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “I’m just trying to manage everything and keep guys positive. You obviously can’t afford to dwell on mistakes in a game like that.”
Thompson is the first Sabres player to reach 45 or more goals in a single season since Alexander Mogilny (76) and Pat LaFontaine (53) did so in 1992-93. Thompson also has 91 points, becoming the first Sabres player to reach that mark since Daniel Brière had 95 in 2006-07.
Larkin, Austin Czarnik, Alex Chiasson, Simon Edvinsson, Jonatan Berggren and David Perron scored in regulation for the Red Wings. Lucas Raymond scored the only shootout goal for Detroit, and Ville Husso made 30 saves.
But with Florida and the New York Islanders winning Thursday night, the Red Wings were eliminated from playoff contention.
“This team could have easily – and maybe should have – just quit,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “They actually went the other way. That’s points in five of our last six and we’re going through playoff teams, teams that are playing for their lives and a couple of the best teams in the league.
“That’s a credit to the guys and I think it’s very important going into next year.”
Larkin’s goal was his 32nd, tying his career high, originally set in the 2018-19 season.
“I think there’s certainly more hope for next season,” Larkin said. “Again, tonight’s game we had the message where we’re gonna be battling with these guys. We weren’t good against them this year, but tonight was certainly better. It was certainly a better battle level. We were much more engaged tonight.”
With three assists Thursday, Owen Power has six in the last five games. He’s the first Sabres rookie defenseman with six or more assists in a five-game stretch since Nikita Zadorov did from Jan. 18-Feb. 8, 2015.
NOTES: Cozens became the 10th Sabres player to score 30 or more goals in his age 21 season or earlier and is the first to do so since Mogilny (30) and Pierre Turgeon (32) both did it in 1990-91. … Jokiharju’s goal was his first since Nov. 22 at Montreal and marked his second in his last three games against Detroit. … Power is one of just six Buffalo defensemen to record three or more assists in a single game, joining Doug Barrie, Phil Housley, Calle Johansson, Timo Julia and Tyler Myers. … Raymond’s three assists gave him 101 points for the season and he is the third-youngest Red Wings player to reach the 100-point mark at 21 years, nine days. Current Detroit executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman was 19 years, 274 days old and Gordie Howe was 20 years, 350 days old when they hit 100 points.
UP NEXT
Sabres: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
Red Wings: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. –
DEVILS HAVE BIGGEST NIGHT SINCE 2019, ROUT BLUE JACKETS 8-1
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Instead of looking at possible first-round playoff opponents, the New Jersey Devils are focusing on finishing the NHL regular season on a roll.
That’s exactly what they did Thursday night, as Jack Hughes scored two goals and set up two by Timo Meier in an 8-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team’s biggest offensive output in more than four years.
“We have three more games before the playoffs start and we want to be perfect and ready to go,” Meier said after scoring his 39th and 40th goals of the season.
Tomas Tatar, Erik Haula, Damon Severson and Ryan Graves also scored as the Devils earned their 50th win of the season, one off tying the franchise record set in 2008-09. Vitek Vanecek made 16 saves in his 32nd win and the Devils’ third in three meetings with Columbus this season.
The Devils’ franchise record is nine goals in a game.
Finnish rookie Joona Luoto scored his first NHL goal for injury-riddled Columbus, which is in contention for the league’s worst record (24-26-8) this season with Chicago and Anaheim. Blue Jackets starting goaltender Michael Hutchinson gave up five goals on 24 shots before being lifted in the third period.
The Devils won the game with their special teams, killing off all five Columbus power plays while scoring twice with the man-advantage (Hughes, Meier) and once short-handed (Severson).
Hughes gave New Jersey the lead for good, scoring an unassisted goal nine seconds after New Jersey killed off a Michael McLeod penalty. It was his 41st of the season and his 200th career point.
“It’s fun to watch him play,” Tatar said. “He’s such a tremendous talent and plays so fast and with such skills. Hockey seems so easy to him.”
For the past few weeks, it seemed the Devils would face the rival Rangers in the first round of the postseason. However, the win pulled New Jersey within a point of first-place Carolina (109 points) in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes, who have four games left, were beaten 3-0 by Nashville on Thursday.
“I think a lot of guys would be really excited to play the Rangers,” Hughes said. “We can’t really control that. We got three more hockey games and we’d like to win them all.”
Tatar, Hughes and Meier pushed the lead to 4-1 after two periods and New Jersey piled on four more in the third period.
“For us, not a lot of positives in that one,” said Columbus forward Sean Kuraly, who had the primary assist on Luoto’s goal. “We have guys in here we think are capable. That’s disappointing. They’re a good team and this league is full of them. You can’t take nights off in this league. You can’t take shifts off.”
Blue Jackets leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau left the game after three shifts in the first period because of illness.
“He’s dealing with an illness,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “He couldn’t get through that. He’s a big part of our team.”
NOTEBOOK: The Boqvist brothers, Jesper of the Devils and Adam of the Blue Jackets, were in the starting lineups for the opening faceoff. … Devils D Jonas Siegenthaler didn’t play for two second time this season. Coach Lindy Ruff said he just wanted to get fellow D Brandan Smith into a game … Graves played in his 300th NHL game. Devils D John Marino had a career-high three assists, all in the third period.
NO GOALS:
Both teams had a goal waved off in the first period. Tartar scored with 12:10 left in the period on a shot from the inside of the left circle. Larsen challenged, saying the play was offside, and Tartar was. … Josh Dunne was stopped on a breakaway by Vanecek with 5:03 left in the period. His momemtum carried him into the goaltender and the puck crossed the goal line after the net came odd its moorings.
UP NEXT:
Blue Jackets: Return home to face the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Devils: At Boston on Saturday night.
PENGUINS KEEP PACE IN PLAYOFF CHASE WITH 4-1 WIN OVER WILD
PITTSBURGH (AP) The pregame hype video that plays inside PPG Paints Arena before every Pittsburgh Penguins home game starts with the lyrics: “Nobody said it would be easy.”
A prophetic choice for a team for which things used to come so easily. Dazzling goals. Victories. Playoff berths. Stanley Cups.
Not anymore. Not for this team. Not during this trying season, anyway. Yet with their postseason hopes flickering, the Penguins responded with the kind of responsible, selfless borderline boring hockey they’ll need to rely on if they want to reach the playoffs for a 17th straight year.
Tristan Jarry stopped 27 shots, Kris Letang scored at the expense of good friend Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins kept pace in the chase for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots with a 4-1 win over Minnesota on Thursday night.
The Penguins bounced back from a miserable performance in a loss to New Jersey on Tuesday by putting together three complete periods, a rarity for most of the last three months.
“If you look at the last game, we didn’t have a start at all,” Letang said. “We never really gave ourselves a chance in Jersey and tonight we started really well. It sets (us) up for success.”
Pittsburgh’s second victory in three games kept it one point behind the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders, who both won easily Thursday. All three teams have three contests remaining.
If Pittsburgh wants to extend the longest active playoff streak in major North American sports, it will need to find a way to replicate what it did against the Wild. Jarry was solid. The special teams were, too. And the bad habits that have crept into the Penguins’ play far too often over the last three months largely vanished.
“I thought we played a really good game,” Jarry said. “We knew what was on the line and we have to keep it going.”
Two nights after getting drilled in New Jersey, Pittsburgh took it to Minnesota early and never really let up.
Letang finished off an excellent first period with a wrist shot over Fleury’s glove that gave the Penguins a lead they never threatened to give up.
Still, five-plus years after Fleury left in the Vegas expansion draft, shooting against a longtime teammate who won three Cups in Pittsburgh is still sort of strange to his former teammates.
“It’s getting a little bit more natural to shoot on him now, but still kind of weird,” Letang said. “Yeah. Just weird.”
Fleury is already assured of a 17th consecutive trip to the postseason – a record for goaltenders – after the Wild wrapped up a spot earlier this week. While his return to a city where he’s still beloved isn’t the same emotional reunion it was five years ago, the fans – some of whom came wearing his familiar No. 29 Penguins jersey – did chant his name in the final seconds.
“It’s always a special place to come play,” Fleury said. “I wish I would’ve done better, put on a better show, keep it closer, give a chance to our team to stay in a bit more. As a team, maybe it wasn’t our best, but it is what it is.”
Minnesota’s bid to chase down first-place Colorado in the Central Division took a hit when the Wild struggled to generate much traffic in front of Jarry until they fell too far behind. Fleury stopped 27 shots while falling to 4-4 all-time against the team for which he played from 2003-17.
Marcus Johansson scored on the two-man advantage midway through the third period to spoil Jarry’s bid for a shutout, but couldn’t stop Minnesota from losing in regulation for just the third time in its last 24 games.
“I thought it was a much more calculated game and that’s the game we have to emulate night in and night out,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.
NOTES: Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek left in the second period after getting hit in the left leg by a Letang slap shot. Oskar Sundqvsit also left with a lower-body injury. … Pittsburgh D Jan Rutta skated 16:31 in his return from a 10-game absence.
UP NEXT
Wild: Host St. Louis on Saturday.
Penguins: Visit Detroit on Saturday. The Red Wings blew out Pittsburgh 7-4 last week.
LIGHTNING’S KILLORN, RANGERS’ FOX FINED $5,000 FOR SLASHING
NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Killorn of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers were fined $5,000 apiece for separate slashing incidents in the teams’ game at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The NHL’s department of player safety announced the supplemental discipline Thursday.
Killorn was fined for spearing Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin midway through the second period. Fox was fined for slashing Lightning winger Corey Perry a few minutes earlier.
The $5,000 amount is the maximum allowed under the league and players union’s collective bargaining agreement. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Each player was penalized for slashing on the play. The feisty game, won by the Rangers 6-3, featured four fights and 80 combined penalty minutes.
New York and Tampa Bay met in the Eastern Conference final last year. Both have qualified for the playoffs this season, but could not meet until the third round.
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | – | 3 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 6 – 0 | W 6 |
| NY Yankees | 4 | 2 | .667 | 2 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | W 1 |
| Toronto | 4 | 3 | .571 | 2.5 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 3 | W 3 |
| Baltimore | 3 | 3 | .500 | 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 3 – 3 | L 1 |
| Boston | 3 | 4 | .429 | 3.5 | 2 – 4 | 1 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 1 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Cleveland | 5 | 2 | .714 | – | 0 – 0 | 5 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 2 | 5 – 2 | W 1 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 2 | .667 | 0.5 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | L 2 |
| Chi White Sox | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 2 | 3 – 4 | L 1 |
| Detroit | 2 | 5 | .286 | 3 | 0 – 1 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 2 – 5 | L 2 |
| Kansas City | 1 | 6 | .143 | 4 | 1 – 6 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 3 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 6 | L 3 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Angels | 4 | 2 | .667 | – | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 4 – 2 | W 1 |
| Texas | 4 | 2 | .667 | – | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | W 1 |
| Houston | 3 | 4 | .429 | 1.5 | 3 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | W 1 |
| Oakland | 2 | 4 | .333 | 2 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 4 | L 1 |
| Seattle | 2 | 5 | .286 | 2.5 | 2 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 3 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 5 | L 1 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 6 | 1 | .857 | – | 1 – 0 | 5 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 3 – 0 | 1 – 0 | 6 – 1 | W 4 |
| Miami | 3 | 4 | .429 | 3 | 3 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | W 2 |
| NY Mets | 3 | 4 | .429 | 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 3 – 1 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | L 3 |
| Philadelphia | 1 | 5 | .167 | 4.5 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 5 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 5 | L 1 |
| Washington | 1 | 6 | .143 | 5 | 1 – 5 | 0 – 1 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 1 | 1 – 6 | L 4 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 5 | 1 | .833 | – | 3 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 3 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 1 | W 5 |
| Pittsburgh | 4 | 2 | .667 | 1 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 4 – 2 | W 3 |
| Cincinnati | 3 | 2 | .600 | 1.5 | 3 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 2 | L 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 2 | 3 | .400 | 2.5 | 1 – 2 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 3 | W 1 |
| St. Louis | 2 | 4 | .333 | 3 | 2 – 4 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 4 | L 3 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 5 | 2 | .714 | – | 4 – 2 | 1 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 5 – 2 | 5 – 2 | W 3 |
| San Francisco | 3 | 3 | .500 | 1.5 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | W 1 |
| Arizona | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2 | 0 – 1 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 4 | 3 – 4 | L 1 |
| Colorado | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2 | 1 – 0 | 2 – 4 | 1 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 4 | W 1 |
| San Diego | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 | 3 – 4 | L 2 |
NBA STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 xyz-Milwaukee | 58 | 22 | .725 | — | 32-8 | 26-14 | 11-5 | 35-16 | 8-2 | 3 W | ||
| 2 xy-Boston | 55 | 25 | .688 | 3.0 | 30-9 | 25-16 | 10-5 | 32-18 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 3 x-Philadelphia | 52 | 28 | .650 | 6.0 | 29-12 | 23-16 | 9-6 | 32-18 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 4 x-Cleveland | 51 | 30 | .630 | 7.5 | 31-9 | 20-21 | 13-3 | 34-17 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 5 x-New York | 47 | 33 | .588 | 11.0 | 23-17 | 24-16 | 8-8 | 32-19 | 7-3 | 5 W | ||
| 6 Brooklyn | 44 | 36 | .550 | 14.0 | 22-17 | 22-19 | 7-8 | 29-21 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 7 xy-Miami | 43 | 37 | .538 | 15.0 | 26-14 | 17-23 | 9-5 | 23-27 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| 8 Atlanta | 41 | 39 | .513 | 17.0 | 24-16 | 17-23 | 8-8 | 26-24 | 6-4 | 3 W | ||
| 9 Toronto | 40 | 40 | .500 | 18.0 | 26-14 | 14-26 | 4-11 | 25-25 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 10 Chicago | 38 | 42 | .475 | 20.0 | 21-19 | 17-23 | 6-9 | 26-25 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 11 Indiana | 34 | 46 | .425 | 24.0 | 20-20 | 14-26 | 7-8 | 23-27 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| 12 Washington | 34 | 46 | .425 | 24.0 | 18-21 | 16-25 | 7-8 | 20-31 | 2-8 | 4 L | ||
| 13 Orlando | 34 | 46 | .425 | 24.0 | 20-21 | 14-25 | 7-8 | 20-30 | 6-4 | 2 L | ||
| 14 Charlotte | 26 | 54 | .325 | 32.0 | 13-27 | 13-27 | 7-9 | 14-37 | 4-6 | 3 L | ||
| 15 Detroit | 16 | 64 | .200 | 42.0 | 9-32 | 7-32 | 1-13 | 7-43 | 0-10 | 11 L | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 xyz-Denver | 52 | 28 | .650 | — | 33-7 | 19-21 | 10-5 | 33-17 | 5-5 | 2 L | ||
| 2 xy-Memphis | 50 | 30 | .625 | 2.0 | 35-6 | 15-24 | 13-3 | 30-21 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 3 xy-Sacramento | 48 | 32 | .600 | 4.0 | 23-17 | 25-15 | 9-6 | 32-18 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 4 x-Phoenix | 45 | 35 | .563 | 7.0 | 28-12 | 17-23 | 9-5 | 30-20 | 7-3 | 7 W | ||
| 5 LA Clippers | 42 | 38 | .525 | 10.0 | 22-18 | 20-20 | 8-7 | 25-25 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 6 Golden State | 42 | 38 | .525 | 10.0 | 33-8 | 9-30 | 6-9 | 28-22 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 7 LA Lakers | 41 | 39 | .513 | 11.0 | 21-18 | 20-21 | 5-10 | 25-25 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 8 New Orleans | 41 | 39 | .513 | 11.0 | 26-14 | 15-25 | 11-5 | 29-22 | 8-2 | 1 W | ||
| 9 Minnesota | 40 | 40 | .500 | 12.0 | 21-19 | 19-21 | 8-8 | 27-23 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 10 Oklahoma City | 39 | 42 | .481 | 13.5 | 23-17 | 16-25 | 9-7 | 24-27 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 11 Dallas | 38 | 42 | .475 | 14.0 | 23-16 | 15-26 | 9-6 | 28-23 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 12 Utah | 36 | 44 | .450 | 16.0 | 22-18 | 14-26 | 5-10 | 23-27 | 2-8 | 4 L | ||
| 13 Portland | 33 | 47 | .413 | 19.0 | 17-23 | 16-24 | 7-9 | 23-27 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| 14 San Antonio | 21 | 59 | .263 | 31.0 | 14-26 | 7-33 | 2-13 | 9-41 | 3-7 | 1 W | ||
| 15 Houston | 20 | 60 | .250 | 32.0 | 14-27 | 6-33 | 4-12 | 12-40 | 2-8 | 1 W | ||
Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.
X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference
NHL STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 xyz-Boston Bruins | 78 | 61 | 12 | 5 | 127 | 57 | 288 | 167 | 32-4-3 | 29-8-2 | 9-1-0 | |
| 2 x-Carolina Hurricanes | 78 | 50 | 19 | 9 | 109 | 46 | 251 | 201 | 27-10-3 | 23-9-6 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 x-New Jersey Devils | 79 | 50 | 21 | 8 | 108 | 48 | 279 | 218 | 23-13-4 | 27-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 x-New York Rangers | 79 | 46 | 21 | 12 | 104 | 42 | 269 | 213 | 23-12-4 | 23-9-8 | 6-2-2 | |
| 5 x-Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 46 | 21 | 11 | 103 | 45 | 263 | 215 | 26-8-6 | 20-13-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 6 x-Tampa Bay Lightning | 79 | 45 | 28 | 6 | 96 | 42 | 271 | 243 | 27-7-5 | 18-21-1 | 4-6-0 | |
| 7 Florida Panthers | 79 | 41 | 31 | 7 | 89 | 39 | 281 | 263 | 23-12-4 | 18-19-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 8 New York Islanders | 79 | 40 | 30 | 9 | 89 | 39 | 233 | 215 | 23-13-3 | 17-17-6 | 6-3-1 | |
| 9 Pittsburgh Penguins | 79 | 39 | 30 | 10 | 88 | 38 | 253 | 255 | 23-12-5 | 16-18-5 | 5-5-0 | |
| 10 Buffalo Sabres | 77 | 38 | 32 | 7 | 83 | 36 | 278 | 284 | 15-20-4 | 23-12-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 11 Ottawa Senators | 79 | 37 | 35 | 7 | 81 | 35 | 248 | 261 | 22-14-3 | 15-21-4 | 4-4-2 | |
| 12 Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 35 | 33 | 10 | 80 | 32 | 237 | 259 | 19-15-5 | 16-18-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 13 Washington Capitals | 78 | 34 | 35 | 9 | 77 | 32 | 242 | 249 | 17-15-6 | 17-20-3 | 2-6-2 | |
| 14 Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 29 | 36 | 13 | 71 | 27 | 210 | 261 | 17-17-5 | 12-19-8 | 4-4-2 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 79 | 31 | 42 | 6 | 68 | 26 | 225 | 291 | 17-20-3 | 14-22-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 78 | 24 | 46 | 8 | 56 | 23 | 206 | 315 | 15-21-2 | 9-25-6 | 3-6-1 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 x-Vegas Golden Knights | 79 | 49 | 22 | 8 | 106 | 44 | 264 | 225 | 24-15-1 | 25-7-7 | 7-1-2 | |
| 2 x-Colorado Avalanche | 77 | 47 | 24 | 6 | 100 | 41 | 262 | 212 | 21-13-5 | 26-11-1 | 8-2-0 | |
| 3 x-Edmonton Oilers | 79 | 47 | 23 | 9 | 103 | 47 | 312 | 256 | 22-12-6 | 25-11-3 | 9-0-1 | |
| 4 x-Dallas Stars | 78 | 43 | 21 | 14 | 100 | 40 | 271 | 214 | 20-10-9 | 23-11-5 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 x-Los Angeles Kings | 79 | 45 | 24 | 10 | 100 | 39 | 269 | 250 | 25-10-4 | 20-14-6 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 x-Minnesota Wild | 78 | 44 | 24 | 10 | 98 | 37 | 233 | 213 | 24-11-4 | 20-13-6 | 5-3-2 | |
| 7 x-Seattle Kraken | 78 | 44 | 26 | 8 | 96 | 44 | 276 | 245 | 19-16-4 | 25-10-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 8 Winnipeg Jets | 78 | 43 | 32 | 3 | 89 | 42 | 234 | 218 | 24-13-2 | 19-19-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 79 | 37 | 27 | 15 | 89 | 35 | 253 | 245 | 19-16-4 | 18-11-11 | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 78 | 40 | 30 | 8 | 88 | 35 | 219 | 227 | 21-14-4 | 19-16-4 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 St. Louis Blues | 79 | 37 | 35 | 7 | 81 | 34 | 258 | 290 | 18-16-6 | 19-19-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 12 Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 77 | 30 | 265 | 287 | 18-20-2 | 17-16-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| 13 Arizona Coyotes | 79 | 27 | 39 | 13 | 67 | 24 | 218 | 286 | 20-14-4 | 7-25-9 | 1-7-2 | |
| 14 San Jose Sharks | 78 | 22 | 40 | 16 | 60 | 21 | 228 | 301 | 8-21-11 | 14-19-5 | 3-4-3 | |
| 15 Chicago Blackhawks | 78 | 25 | 47 | 6 | 56 | 23 | 190 | 283 | 14-22-3 | 11-25-3 | 1-9-0 | |
| 16 Anaheim Ducks | 78 | 23 | 45 | 10 | 56 | 20 | 196 | 320 | 12-23-3 | 11-22-7 | 1-9-0 | |
Eight teams in each conference qualify for the divisional playoff format. The top three teams from each division make up the first six spots. The two remaining teams with the highest points, regardless of division, qualify for the final two wild card spots.
X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1873 Future Hall of Famer John McGraw, an excellent player best known for managing the Giants for 31 seasons, is born in Truxton (NY), a town named after one of America’s first Navy commanding officers. The 5-feet-7 inch fiery ‘Little Napoleon’ played a vital role as an infielder on the pennant-winning 1890s NL’s Baltimore Orioles before winning ten pennants, three World Series championships, with 11 second-place finishes while posting only two losing seasons during his three decades as New York’s skipper.
1925 During spring training play, Joe Hauser shatters his kneecap, an injury that causes the A’s left-handed-hitting first baseman to miss the entire season, effectively derailing his promising career. After batting .323 and blasting 27 homers, second only to Babe Ruth’s total last season, he eventually returns to the minor leagues following a three-year comeback, becoming a prodigious home run hitter before a batted ball breaks a kneecap again in 1934.
1948 The Phillies trade infielder Ralph LaPointe and give the Cardinals $30,000 to obtain first baseman Dick Sisler. The son of Hall of Famer George Sisler will hit .287 during his four-year tenure in Philadelphia, playing a pivotal role in the team’s 1950 National League championship.
1969 Bill Singer becomes the first major league reliever to officially record for a save, a new stat that will be kept starting this season, in the Dodgers’ 3-2 win over Cincinnati in the season-opener at Crosley Field. The ‘Singer Throwing Machine’ does not allow a hit, hurling three scoreless innings en route to saving Don Drysdale’s victory
1969 After throwing just two pitches to start the season, Don Drysdale finds himself and his team trailing by two runs when Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan hit back-to-back homers. The 32-year-old right-hander settles down, and the Dodgers come back to win the Crosley Field contest, 3-2.
1969 At Washington’s RFK Stadium, Ted Williams makes his managerial debut in front of President Nixon and a crowd of 45,113, a franchise attendance record for Opening Day. The Commander-in-Chief throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees’ 8-4 defeat of the ‘Splendid Splinter’s’ Senators.
1970 The team formerly known as the Seattle Pilots plays their first home game in Milwaukee as the Brewers in front of 36,107 enthusiastic fans at County Stadium. Behind Andy Messersmith’s four-hit complete game, the Angels rout the transplanted Brew Crew, 12-0.
1970 After eight consecutive Opening Day defeats, the Mets finally win the first game of the season by beating the Pirates at Forbes Field in 11 innings, 5-3. New York becomes the first team to have won a World Series (1969) before prevailing in a season debut.
1973 The Indians break their Opening Day American League attendance record when a crowd of 74,420 watches Gaylord Perry go the distance in the team’s 2-1 victory over the Tigers at Cleveland Stadium. The Tribe had set the previous mark in the 1948 season opener against the Browns.
1976 The Reds trade utility player Terry Crowley to the Braves in exchange for Mike Thompson, who will never throw another pitch in the major leagues. After appearing in just seven games, Crowley, who Atlanta will release, returns to the Orioles, the team that drafted him, playing seven more seasons in Baltimore as a DH/1B, before finishing his career with Montreal.
1977 Frank Sinatra keeps his promise to Tommy Lasorda by singing the Star-Spangled Banner on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. ‘Old Blue Eyes’ had told the team’s new skipper he would perform the National Anthem if his friend ever became the L.A. manager.
1977 Gary Thomasson starts the game by blasting the first pitch in the Dodgers’ opener for a home run off Don Sutton, who had deliberately thrown a gopher ball. Unbeknownst to the Giants’ leadoff hitter, the ball, scheduled to be sent to Cooperstown, was to be taken for a pitch and then handed to the home plate umpire to take it out of play.
1977 In his first major league at-bat, Al Wood becomes the first player to pinch-hit a home run on Opening Day. The round-tripper contributes to the Blue Jays’ 9-5 win over the White Sox, giving the team its first victory in franchise history.
1977 After a lengthy snow delay on Opening Day at Exhibition Stadium, Doug Ault, acquired in the expansion draft, hits two home runs in his first two at-bats in a Blue Jay uniform. The rookie first baseman’s pair of round-trippers, the first two of only the 17 he will hit during his four-year big league career, helps Toronto beat Chicago, 9-5, giving the franchise a victory in the first game it plays in its history.
1979 Ken Forsch, who almost didn’t make the start due to swelling in his right arm caused by an insect bite, holds the Braves hitless, throwing the earliest no-hitter in baseball history. The Astros hurler’s no-no makes the Forsch brothers the first siblings to accomplish the feat, with Bob, as a member of the Cardinals, throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies last season.
1984 On NBC’s nationally televised Game of the Week, Detroit right-hander Jack Morris throws a no-hitter, blanking the White Sox at Comiskey Park, 4-0. The 29 -year-old becomes the first Tiger hurler to accomplish the feat since Jim Bunning held Boston hitless at Fenway Park in 1958.
1984 Dwight Gooden gives up three hits and one run in five innings in his major league debut, earning the victory when the Mets beat Houston, 5-3. The 19-year-old rookie right-hander, anxious to get to the Astrodome before his start, arrives so early that he had to jump a fence to gain entry into the closed ballpark.
1986 Boston outfielder Dwight Evans becomes the first player to hit the first pitch of the season for a home run when he goes deep on Opening Day. Jack Morris throws the gopher ball but gets the win when Detroit edges the Red Sox at Tiger Stadium, 6-5.
1986 Tom Seaver, extending his major league record, makes his 16th Opening Day start when he gets the honor for the second time with the White Sox. The 41-year-old future Hall of Fame right-hander has also pitched the first game of the season for the Mets (11) and Reds (3).
1987 Rick Mahler blanks the Phillies, 6-0, for his third Opening Day shutout. The Braves’ right-hander ties a National League record with his trio of whitewashes, shared by Rip Sewell (Pirates, 1943, 1947, 1949) and Chris Short (Phillies – 1965, 1968, 1970).
1988 Chris Sabo ties a major league record in his second big-league game, handling eleven assists at third base in the Reds’ 8-1 victory over the Cardinals at Riverfront Stadium. The Cincinnati freshman infielder will beat out Chicago’s Mark Grace for Rookie of the Year this season.
1993 The Phillies sweep the season’s opening series against Houston with a ten-inning 6-3 victory at the Astrodome. The comeback victory, which will become a trademark of the eventual National League champs, marks the first time the franchise had won its first three away games since 1915, when Pat Moran’s men won their first six games on the road, playing in Boston and New York.
1997 The Brewers’ home opener has two lengthy delays as the ground crew needs to clear baseballs thrown by fans from the playing field. The promotion marks the last time the team will give away souvenir baseballs.
1999 Bob Cranmer, chairman of the Allegheny County Commissioners, announces the Sixth Street Bridge, which joins downtown Pittsburgh to the North Side at Federal Street by crossing the Allegheny River, will now be known as the Roberto Clemente Bridge. During home games at PNC Park, the 995-foot suspension bridge, constructed in 1928, will serve as a pedestrian walkway, allowing Pirates fans to enter the new ballpark directly from the span.
2000 In 15 games, a record total of 57 home runs is hit in the major leagues – two more than the August 13th, 1999 mark established in 17 games. The 36 American League homers set the one-day record, surpassing the previous mark by six.
2000 Houston hosts a regular-season game outdoors at home for the first time since 1964 when the team played in Colt Stadium as the .45s, losing the Enron Field debut to the Phillies, 4-1. The 19th-century replica locomotive atop the left-field wall makes its maiden voyage when Richard Hidalgo hits the Astros’ first home run in their new ballpark.
2000 Berley W. Visgar is sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $1,000 by Circuit Judge Michael Brennan for jumping onto the back of Astros’ outfielder Bill Spiers last season after going onto the field at County Stadium. Although the 23-year-old has no prior criminal record, the judge believes the harsh sentence will discourage other fans from similar actions in the future.
2000 In a ceremony before the team’s home opener, the Devil Rays retire Wade Boggs’ uniform number 12. Although the former Red Sox and Yankees infielder spent only two years with Tampa Bay, he hit the first home run in franchise history and collected his 3000th hit with the team.
2002 ESPN becomes the first network to ask players, coaches, and umpires to wear a microphone during a game. During the nationally televised Sunday night contest, the innovative concept starts with micing A’s catcher Ramon Hernandez during a 6-5 Oakland victory over Seattle at Safeco Field.
2003 With the team exercising Pedro Martinez’s option for the 2004 season seven months before a November deadline, the Red Sox make the Dominican hurler the highest-paid pitcher for a season in major league history. The 31-year-old three-time Cy Young winner will earn $17.5 million playing for Boston next year.
2004 At the main entrance of their fields in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, the Soo Minor Baseball Association unveils the world’s largest baseball. The 8,620-pound ( 3,910 kg) double-walled steel sphere with a diameter of ten feet ( 3.0 m) is proportional to the bat at the Louisville Bat Company in Kentucky, being almost 2000 times larger than a real baseball.
2004 Adam LaRoche collects the first two hits of his career in one inning. En route to an 18-10 win over the Mets, the rookie first baseman singles and doubles during the Braves’ thirty-three minute, 11-run fourth inning.
2006 The Mets beat Washington at Shea Stadium, 10-5, in the 7,000th game in franchise history. The Amazins’ have compiled a 3,314-3,678 record (.474) and eight ties during their 42 years of existence.
2009 Ninety-seven years after his grandfather, Boston mayor ‘Honey Fitz’ Fitzgerald, threw the first pitch at the first major league game played at Fenway Park, Ted Kennedy tosses the ceremonial first pitch for the Red Sox at a season opener. The sellout crowd enthusiastically cheers the 77-year-old long-time U.S. Senator, diagnosed last spring with a malignant brain tumor, when he tosses the ball from in front of the mound to a nearby Jim Rice, a newly elected member of the Hall of Fame.
2010 According to its annual report, Forbes Magazine estimates the Yankees’ value to be worth approximately $1.6 billion, nearly twice as much as any other major league franchise. The World Champs, who moved into a new ballpark last season, made $441 million in net revenue after adjustments for its payment to baseball’s revenue-sharing program and the costs of financing its new stadium.
2012 In his 1,000th major league game, Prince Fielder, with his two homers off Josh Beckett in the Tigers’ 10-0 rout of Boston at Comerica Park, ends the day with 232 career round-trippers. The Detroit first baseman’s dad, Cecil, also had the exact total of big-league home runs after playing in the same number of games.
2012 Octavio Dotel, playing for his 13th team, breaks a major league record he previously shared with Mike Morgan, Matt Stairs, and Ron Villone. The 39-year-old Tiger reliever, who throws 1.1 scoreless innings against Boston, has also appeared with the Mets, Astros, A’s, Yankees, Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Rockies, Blue Jays, and Cardinals.
2015 Tyler Olson’s first big league outing takes only five seconds when he throws just one pitch, inducing Erick Aybar to ground into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play in the top of the ninth in the Mariners’ 2-0 loss to the Angels at Safeco Field. The 25-year-old rookie southpaw is most likely the first hurler in history to retire two hitters throwing only one pitch in his major league debut.
BASEBALL’S BEST
NESTOR CHYLAK
Nestor Chylak recovered from a World War II accident that nearly rendered him blind to become the model umpire of the post-war era.
Chylak, a son of Ukrainian immigrant parents, was serving in the United States Army during the infamous Battle of the Bulge when he was wounded by shrapnel from an exploding shell. He was hospitalized for eight weeks with bandages over his eyes before recovering with his eyesight intact. He was later awarded both the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his courage in battle.
Less than two years after the explosion, Chylak began umpiring amateur baseball and eventually moved up to call minor league games. In 1954, Chylak made his major league debut as an American League umpire.
Over the next 25 years, Chylak served as an important figure in many of the game’s memorable moments, including five All-Star Games, three League Championship Series and five World Series. He was behind the plate for Sandy Koufax’s final game in the 1966 World Series and the Toronto Blue Jays’ first home game in 1977.
“I umpired for 25 years and can honestly say I never called one wrong in my heart,” Chylak once said. “The way I see it, an umpire must be perfect on the first day of the season and then get better every day.”
On June 4, 1974, Chylak was the crew chief for the infamous “10-Cent Beer Night” promotion in Cleveland that ultimately resulted in forfeit by the Indians and Chylak being hit over the head with a chair.
In addition to his skill as an arbiter, Chylak was admired by players, managers and executives for his quick wit.
“This must be the only job in America that everybody knows how to do better than the guy who is doing it,” Chylak said.
“The big thing about Nestor is that I respected him not only for his ability but for his enthusiasm at all times,” said White Sox broadcaster Jimmy Piersall. “Every day was a challenge for him to be good.”
Following his retirement in 1978, Chylak became a member of Sports Illustrated’s Speakers’ Bureau and gave speeches about the lessons he learned from baseball.
Chylak passed away on Feb. 17, 1982. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999.
“Very few of us reach what Nestor reached – the best at his job,” said longtime Tigers player and coach Dick Tracewski. “And he was absolutely the best.”
FRED CLARKE
Twenty-four year-olds are not often found in leadership positions. But at that age, Fred Clarke fit right in as a player and skipper of a major league club.
As one of the first “boy-managers”, Clarke starred in left field and led his teams to win from the field and the dugout.
“I tell you managing a team from the bench is far different from directing from the field,” he said. “I would much rather be a playing manager not only because I like to play ball, but because when I am in there playing my mind is on the game, and not filled with the perplexities and troubles of the manager.”
Born on Oct. 3, 1872 in Winterset, Iowa, Clark spent a lot of time on a ball diamond as a youngster.
“I thought I was pretty good if I caught half the fly balls that came to me,” Clarke said.
He signed with the Louisville Colonels in 1894 and hit .347 in his first full season in 1895. Winning over fans and fellow players alike, Clarke was named manager in 1897 and saw limited success leading the team. But when the Colonels ceased play in 1900, Pittsburgh Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss brought several of the best Louisville players to Pittsburgh – including Clarke and Honus Wagner.
Dreyfuss immediately named Clarke captain/manager. The team went from a seventh place finish in 1899 to second place in Clarke’s first season in in Pittsburgh in 1900. Clarke led the Pirates to pennants from 1901-1903 and 1909 and a World Series championship in 1909.
“You’ve got to love baseball and want to play it above all else,” Clarke said. “You have to take every opportunity to practice and play. And not be discouraged. The most important thing is desire.”
Clarke batted better than .300 11 times, stole more than 30 bases seven times and led NL left fielders in fielding percentage twice. As a manager, Clarke won 1,602 games with a .576 winning percentage.
“As a player, Clarke’s name will go down in history as one of the greatest in the game. In his prime, he was a remarkable batsman,” said sportswriter William Slocum.
Clarke was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945. He passed away on Aug. 14, 1960.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW
1935 AMERICAN LEAGUE
Off the field…
American political leader Huey Long was assassinated in Louisiana. Known as “The Kingfish”, Long narrowly defeated for governor of Louisiana in 1924 and moved into office four years later. When the state legislature obstructed his program of economic and social reform, he established control of the state through extensive use of patronage. Long was responsible for the building of badly needed roads and bridges, the expansion of state-owned hospitals, and the extension of the school system into remote rural regions. He also increased the taxes of large businesses in Louisiana, especially those of the big oil companies. In September, he was assassinated by Dr. Carl A. Weiss, who was also slain by Long’s bodyguards. Despite his untimely death, Long’s administration continued to prosper for several years and the Long family remained an important political power in the state.
In the American League…
Jo-Jo White of the Detroit Tigers and Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees both tied an American League record after tallying five walks each in a single game.
The Cleveland Indians set a new American League marathon mark (forty-one innings) on April 21st after playing in their third consecutive extra-inning game: fourteen innings against the St. Louis Browns, then a fourteen inning contest and thirteen inning contest versus the Detroit Tigers.
On August 31st, Chicago White Sox ace Vern Kennedy tossed the first no-hitter (5-0) ever at Comiskey Park as well as the first no-no in Major League Baseball since 1931.
In the National League…
Blondy Ryan of the Philadelphia Phillies tied a Major League record (for an individual) on April 21st after turning five separate double plays against the New York Giants. After collectively adding a sixth, the Phillies themselves tied the National League record (for a team) with six double plays.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi tied the Major League record for most consecutive doubles after hitting four straight (off of four different pitchers) en route to a 15-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on May 8th.
Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder Lloyd Waner set a still-standing Major League record with eighteen put outs during a doubleheader sweep against the Boston Braves on June 26th.
Around the League…
Babe Ruth, who was recently released by the New York Yankees, signed a short-term contract with the National League’s Boston Braves that included $20,000 and a substantial share in the team’s profits.
The Cincinnati Reds hosted the Philadelphia Phillies for the first ever night game on May 24th. Under the lights, the home team prevailed 2-1 before a Crosley Field crowd of 24,422.
On May 25th, Babe Ruth hit the last three homeruns of his career (712, 713, 714) during an 11-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. “The Sultan”, who had a previously boasted a three-homer game in the American League (May 21, 1930), became the first Major League player ever to turn a “hat trick” in both leagues.
In November, the National League temporarily assumed control over the bankrupt Boston Braves after several failed attempts to sell the club. Finishing the season with one-hundred fifteen losses, (a record that remained until the 1962 expansion New York Mets lost one-hundred twenty) the fledgling franchise had barely managed a winning percentage of .248, which remained a twentieth century low.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
THE BEST
CHUCK BEDNARIK
No National Football League player in the 1950s was immune to bone-jarring contact with the Philadelphia Eagles’ Chuck Bednarik because the 233-pounder played on both the offensive and defensive units long after the two-way player had largely faded from the scene.
Bednarik didn’t really get into football until he returned from World War II (after a 30-mission tour as a B-24 waist gunner with the Army Air Corps that saw him win the Air Medal). He showed up unheralded at the University of Pennsylvania, where he went on to win All-America honors as a center his last two seasons.
Chuck was selected first overall in the 1949 NFL Draft as the Eagles’ bonus draft choice and earned a starter’s spot as a center on offense and linebacker on defense. As an offensive center, big Chuck was a bulldozing blocker, both on rushing and passing plays. On defense, he was a true scientist in his field and the kind of tackler who could literally stop even the finest enemy runners “on a dime.”
In 1950, Bednarik received All-NFL recognition as a center. Although he frequently played both offense and defense right up through the 1956 season, it was as a bone-jarring linebacker that he drew the most attention. He was named All-NFL as a linebacker 1951 through 1957 and again in 1960.
His athletic abilities and inspirational play was particularly evident in 1960 when injuries forced the Eagles to ask their 12-year veteran to again play both sides of the line. The 35-year-old was sensational. He finished the campaign with a 58-minute performance, capped by a game-saving tackle in the Eagles’ NFL championship victory over Green Bay. With just seconds remaining, the Packers’ Jim Taylor appeared to be heading for a winning touchdown until the last Eagle in his path, Bednarik, bear-hugged him to the ground as time ran out.
HISTORY
April 7, 1859 – New Britain, Connecticut – Walter Camp the great player and coach from Yale was born.
April 7, 1899 – La Porte, Indiana – The stellar center from 1917 to 1920 at Washington and Jefferson and in 1921 through the 1924 season for the Army team, Edgar Garbisch arrived in life to claim his date of birth. Garbisch received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
April 7, 1954 – Rochester, Pennsylvania – The great University of Pittsburgh halfback from 1973 to 1976, Tony Dorsett was born. The National Football Foundation shares that Tony set a Pitt record by becoming anAll-America halfback three times! As a freshman in 1973 he set a NCAA single-game record with 265 yards on the ground against Northwestern. It was astounding to look back at where he ranked in the national echelon of collegiate rushers. As a freshman he was second, 20th in his sophomore season, as a junior he finished second but in his final year of college eligibility Dorsett was positioned first on the list. In his four seasons as a Panther he amassed 6,082 yards, setting an NCAA record. In the Heisman voting Tony was in the top 13 all four of his seasons winning the coveted trophy in 1976. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of TD Tony Dorsett into their legendary museum in 1994. The Dallas Cowboys used some clever trades to work themselves into the position to take Dorsett with the number one pick in the 1977 NFL Draft. Tony repaid the franchise with a splendid career where he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and 1981 first-team All-Pro. Doresett helped the Cowboys emerge as Super Bowl XII champions per an NFL.com article. His career rushing yards of 12,036 rush yards and 72 rushing touchdowns are both the second-most in Cowboys history behind Emmitt Smith. Tony was the 1977 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He spent 11 seasons in the NFL with Dallas and a final year as a member of the Denver Broncos. Tony Dorsett was one of the newly enshrined honorees at the 1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies.
April 7, 1961 – Crystal City, Texas – Gabe Rivera the standout defensive tackle from Texas Tech celebrated his arrival into the world. His bio on the NFF’s website tells us that his nickname was “Señor Sack” as Rivera averaged 80 tackles per season from his defensive tackle spot. He compiled 62 solo tackles, 43 assists, 10 TFL, five sacks, 25 quarterback pressures and eight pass breakups during his All-America campaign in 1982 alone! Gabe was also on the honorable mention All-America list in both 1980 and 1981. The National Football Foundation selected Gabe Rivera for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Gabe was taken with the 21st overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rivera played six games for Pittsburgh but tragically had his career cut short when he was left a paraplegic by injuries suffered in a car accident midway through his rookie season.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
12 – 40 – 43
April 7, 1928 – Here is something you won’t see happen in today’s NHL. New York Rangers General Manager, Lester Patrick suited up and skated on to the ice to replace his injured goaltender in a Stanley Cup game. The 44-year old Lester held his own too as the Rangers doubled up the Montreal Maroons, 2-1 in Overtime. it was a key voctory too as it propelled the Rangers go on to win series, 3 games to 2.
April 7, 1956 – At NBA Championship finals Fort Wayne Pistons forward George Yardley, Number 12 fired in 30 points however his efforts were not enough as the Philadelphia Warriors beat Fort Wayne, 99-88 and wrapped up the Championshp series, 4 games to 1.
April 7, 1969 – One for the record books. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bill Singer, Number 40 was credited with first official save, against the Cincinnati Reds. The Save was a brand new statistic in 1969 and well the first one recorded brand new after the rule revision was this one. It was MLB’s first new major statistic since the run batted in was added in 1920. Singer would only have 2 saves ont he 1969 season and Ron Perranoski lead the Majors with 31 saves on the season for the Minnesota Twins. Fred Gladding of the Astros led the NL with 29.
April 7, 1979 – Houston Astro Ken Forsch, Number 43 pitches a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves, in a 6-0 victory. The this Ken became, with his brother Bob, the only MLB siblings to accomplish the feat.
TV FRIDAY
| COLLEGE BASEBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| NEBRASKA AT MICHIGAN | 4:00PM | BTN |
| FLORIDA AT TENNESSEE | 7:00PM | SECN |
| KANSAS STATE AT TEXAS | 7:30PM | LHN |
| VIRGINIA TECH AT DUKE | 8:00PM | ACCN |
| OKLAHOMA STATE AT TCU | 9:00PM | ESPNU |
| COLLEGE SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| FLORIDA ST. AT CLEMSON | 7:00PM | ESPN2 |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| MASTERS | 3:00PM | ESPN |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| MIAMI AT NY METS | 1:10PM | BALLY SPORTS SNY |
| TEXAS AT CHI. CUBS | 2:20PM | MARQ BALLY SPORTS |
| SEATTLE AT CLEVELAND | 4:10PM | MLBN ROOT SPORTS BALLY SPORTS |
| CHI. WHITE SOX AT PITTSBURGH | 4:12PM | MLBN NBCS-CHI ATTSN-PIT |
| KANSAS CITY AT SAN FRANCISCO | 4:35PM | NBCS-BAY BALLY SPORTS |
| OAKLAND AT TAMPA BAY | 6:40PM | NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS |
| SAN DIEGO AT ATLANTA | 7:20PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| ST. LOUIS AT MILWAUKEE | 8:10PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| WASHINGTON AT COLORADO | 8:40PM | MLBN MASN/2 ATTNS-RM |
| TORONTO AT LA ANGELS | 9:38PM | MLBN SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS |
| LA DODGERS AT ARIZONA | 9:40PM | SPECTRUM BALLY SPORTS |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| HOUSTON AT CHARLOTTE | 7:00PM | ATTSN-SW BALLY SPORTS |
| DETROIT AT INDIANA | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| MIAMI AT WASHINGTON | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS NBCS-WSH |
| PHILADELPHIA AT ATLANTA | 7:30PM | NBCS-PHI BALLY SPORTS |
| ORLANDO AT BROOKLYN | 7:30PM | BALLY SPORTS YES |
| TORONTO AT BOSTON | 7:30PM | SPORTSNET NBCS-BOS |
| MEMPHIS AT MILWAUKEE | 8:00PM | NBATV BALLY SPORTS |
| NEW YORK AT NEW ORLEANS | 8:00PM | MSG BALLY SPORTS |
| CHICAGO AT DALLAS | 8:30PM | NBCS-CHI BALLY SPORTS |
| GOLDEN STATE AT SACRAMENTO | 10:00PM | NBCS-BAY NBCS-CA |
| PHOENIX AT LA LAKERS | 10:30PM | ESPN BALLY SPORTS SPECTRUM |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| SERIE A: SALERNITANA VS INTERNAZIONALE | 11:00AM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| SERIE A: LECCE VS NAPOLI | 1:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| LA LIGA: SEVILLA VS CELTA DE VIGO | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| SERIE A: MILAN VS EMPOLI | 3:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| LIGUE 1: LENS VS STRASBOURG | 3:00PM | BEIN SPORTS |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: LANÚS VS ARSENAL | 6:00PM | PARAMOUNT |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: PLATENSE VS INSTITUTO | 6:00PM | PARAMOUNT |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: VÉLEZ SARSFIELD VS BANFIELD | 8:30PM | PARAMOUNT |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: TALLERES CÓRDOBA VS BARRACAS CENTRAL | 8:30PM | PARAMOUNT |
| LIGA MX: TIJUANA VS QUERÉTARO | 11:00PM | ESPN+ |