“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
ST. LOUIS 5 TAMPA BAY 2
BALTIMORE 5 HOUSTON 4
CLEVELAND 4 TORONTO 3
DETROIT 3 MINNESOTA 0
BOSTON 2 KANSAS CITY 0
PITTSBURGH 7 ATLANTA 5
PHILADELPHIA 6 WASHINGTON 2
LA DODGERS 2 COLORADO 1
BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/scoreboard.asp
STATS: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/index.asp
PLAYER NEWS: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/news.asp
NFL PRE-SEASON
HOUSTON 20 NEW ENGLAND 9
SEATTLE 24 MINNESOTA 13
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
NASHVILLE 8 INDIANAPOLIS 0
NASHVILLE 7 INDIANAPOLIS 1
SOUTH BEND 9 LAKE COUNTY 1
LANSING 7 FORT WAYNE 4
WNBA
INDIANA 91 MINNESOTA 73
PHOENIX 90 CONNECTICUT 84
SEATTLE 68 ATLANTA 67
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGES
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN AT BISHOP CHATARD, 7 P.M.
BEN DAVIS AND CARMEL AT WESTFIELD (THREE-TEAM JAMBOREE), 7 P.M.
CATHEDRAL AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL, 7 P.M.
BROWNSBURG AT CENTER GROVE, 6 P.M.
PERRY MERIDIAN AT MT. VERNON, 7 P.M.
NOBLESVILLE AT NORTH CENTRAL, 7 P.M.
KOKOMO AT ZIONSVILLE, 7 P.M.
LAWRENCE CENTRAL AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, 7 P.M.
MOORESVILLE AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS, 7:30 P.M.
AVON AT WARREN CENTRAL, 7 P.M.
LAWRENCE NORTH AT FISHERS, 7 P.M.
SCECINA AT NEW PALESTINE, 7 P.M.
COLUMBUS EAST AT MARTINSVILLE, 7 P.M.
WESTERN BOONE AT SPEEDWAY, 7 P.M.
BEECH GROVE AT INDIAN CREEK, 7 P.M.
PARK TUDOR AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN, 7 P.M.
LAFAYETTE JEFF AT PIKE, 7 P.M.
PLAINFIELD AT TRI-WEST, 6 P.M.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS AT ALEXANDRIA, 7 P.M.
DECATUR CENTRAL AT SOUTHPORT, 7 P.M.
MUNCIE CENTRAL AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL, 7 P.M.
RONCALLI AT FRANKLIN, 7 P.M.
COLUMBUS NORTH AT GREENWOOD, 7 P.M.
WEST LAFAYETTE AT DANVILLE, 7 P.M.
LEBANON AT BREBEUF JESUIT, 7 P.M.
LUTHERAN AT GUERIN CATHOLIC, 7 P.M.
COVENANT CHRISTIAN AT CARDINAL RITTER, 7:30 P.M.
SHELBYVILLE AND SALEM AT MADISON (THREE-TEAM JAMBOREE), 6:30 P.M.
EASTERN HANCOCK HOSTING JAMBOREE WITH SHENANDOAH, MONROE CENTRAL AND NORTH DECATUR, 7 P.M.
CASCADE AT PARKE HERITAGE, 7 P.M.
HOMESCHOOL CRIMSON KNIGHTS AT EDINBURGH, 7 P.M.
LAPEL AT HAGERSTOWN, 7 P.M.
MONROVIA AT BROWN COUNTY, 7 P.M.
MILAN AT TRITON CENTRAL, 7 P.M.
COVINGTON AT SHORTRIDGE, 7 P.M.
WASHINGTON AT PHALEN ACADEMY, 7 P.M.
IRVINGTON PREP VS. PURDUE POLY, AT HOWE, 7 P.M.
TINDLEY VS. TECH, AT BROAD RIPPLE, 7 P.M.
CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL AT TRI, 7 P.M.
CRAWFORDSVILLE AT SHERIDAN, 7 P.M.
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
| BOYLE COUNTY (KY.) | AT | GIBSON SOUTHERN | 6:00 PM | ||
| CENTER GROVE | VS. | ST. EDWARD (OHIO) | 12:05 AM | ||
| SOUTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL | AT | PHALEN ACADEMY | 5:00 PM |
BIG 10 WEEKLY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WEEK 2
MARYLAND VS. CHARLOTTE
PENN STATE VS. DELAWARE
MINNESOTA VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS AT KANSAS
INDIANA VS. INDIANA STATE
IOWA AT IOWA STATE
NEBRASKA AT COLORADO
PURDUE AT VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. RICHMOND
RUTGERS VS. TEMPLE
MICHIGAN VS. UNLV
NORTHWESTERN VS. UTEP
WISCONSIN AT WASHINGTON STATE
OHIO STATE VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
WEEK 3
MICHIGAN VS. BOWLING GREEN
WISCONSIN VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
INDIANA VS. LOUISVILLE (IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN)
MINNESOTA AT NORTH CAROLINA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN AT DUKE
ILLINOIS VS. PENN STATE
PURDUE VS. SYRACUSE
MARYLAND VS. VIRGINIA
RUTGERS VS. VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. WASHINGTON
IOWA VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY
WEEK 4
INDIANA VS. AKRON
ILLINOIS VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
PENN STATE VS. IOWA
NEBRASKA VS. LOUISIANA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MARYLAND
NORTHWESTERN VS. MINNESOTA
OHIO STATE AT NOTRE DAME
MICHIGAN VS. RUTGERS
PURDUE VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 5
PURDUE VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. INDIANA
MINNESOTA VS. LOUISIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
NORTHWESTERN VS. PENN STATE
RUTGERS VS. WAGNER
WEEK 6
NORTHWESTERN VS. HOWARD
OHIO STATE VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS VS. NEBRASKA
IOWA VS. PURDUE
WISCONSIN VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 7
MARYLAND VS. ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN VS. INDIANA
WISCONSIN VS. IOWA
RUTGERS VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. OHIO STATE
PENN STATE VS. UMASS
WEEK 8
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MINNESOTA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHWESTERN
OHIO STATE VS. PENN STATE
INDIANA VS. RUTGERS
ILLINOIS VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 9
PENN STATE VS. INDIANA
NORTHWESTERN VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
WISCONSIN VS. OHIO STATE
NEBRASKA VS. PURDUE
WEEK 10
MINNESOTA VS. ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN VS. IOWA (IN CHICAGO, IL)
MICHIGAN STATE VS. NEBRASKA
RUTGERS VS. OHIO STATE
MARYLAND VS. PENN STATE
MICHIGAN VS. PURDUE
INDIANA VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 11
ILLINOIS VS. INDIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MARYLAND
PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NORTHWESTERN
IOWA VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 12
IOWA VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. MICHIGAN
INDIANA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
OHIO STATE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NEBRASKA
NORTHWESTERN VS. PURDUE
PENN STATE VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 13
NEBRASKA VS. IOWA
FRIDAY, NOV. 24
PURDUE VS. INDIANA
RUTGERS VS. MARYLAND
ILLINOIS VS. NORTHWESTERN
MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN STATE VS. PENN STATE
MINNESOTA VS. WISCONSIN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 0
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
NOTRE DAME VS. NAVY (DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 2:30 P.M. | NBC
MERCER VS. NORTH ALABAMA (MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. UTEP | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. UMASS | 7 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. OHIO | 7 P.M. | FS1
VANDERBILT VS. HAWAI’I | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
JACKSON STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
USC VS. SAN JOSE STATE | 8 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
LOUISIANA TECH VS. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | 9 P.M. | CBSSN
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WAKE FOREST VS. ELON | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
UCF VS. KENT STATE | 7 P.M. | FS1
GEORGIA STATE VS. RHODE ISLAND | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. ST. FRANCIS (PA) | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UCONN VS. NC STATE | 7:30 P.M. | CBSSN
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA | 8 P.M. | FOX
MISSOURI VS. SOUTH DAKOTA | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH VS. FLORIDA | 8 P.M. | ESPN
TULSA VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
UAB VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA STATE VS. SOUTHERN UTAH | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1
EASTERN MICHIGAN VS. HOWARD | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) VS. MIAMI (OHIO) | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
GEORGIA TECH VS. LOUISVILLE (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
KANSAS VS. MISSOURI STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I VS. STANFORD | 11 P.M. | CBSSN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE | 12 P.M. | FS1
KENTUCKY VS. BALL STATE | 12 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
LIBERTY VS. BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE | 12 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SMU VS. LOUISIANA TECH | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
TENNESSEE VS. VIRGINIA (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. COLORADO | 12 P.M. | FOX
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
OKLAHOMA VS. ARKANSAS STATE | 12 P.M. | ESPN
OLE MISS VS. MERCER | 2 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
IOWA STATE VS. UNI | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TEMPLE VS. AKRON | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
OHIO VS. LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
AIR FORCE VS. ROBERT MORRIS | 2 P.M. | ALTITUDE SPORTS
OREGON VS. PORTLAND STATE | 3 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
AUBURN VS. UMASS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON | 3:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTH FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
WASHINGTON VS. BOISE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. TENNESSEE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | NBC
PITT VS. WOFFORD | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
CINCINNATI VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TEXAS VS. RICE | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
APPALACHIAN STATE VS. GARDNER-WEBB | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS VS. WESTERN CAROLINA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. SE LOUISIANA | 4 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS VS. CAL | 4 P.M. | ESPNU
SYRACUSE VS. COLGATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/ACCNX
GEORGIA VS. UT MARTIN | 6 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
CHARLOTTE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC VS. MONMOUTH | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. THE CITADEL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
JAMES MADISON VS. BUCKNELL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MARSHALL VS. ALBANY | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL VS. MAINE | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
USC VS. NEVADA | 6:30 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
TEXAS A&M VS. NEW MEXICO | 7 P.M. | ESPN
UL MONROE VS. ARMY | 7 P.M. | NFL NETWORK
VANDERBILT VS. ALABAMA A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
COLORADO STATE VS. WASHINGTON STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
BAYLOR VS. TEXAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON VS. UTSA | 7 P.M. | FS1
KANSAS STATE VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MEMPHIS VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN MISS VS. ALCORN STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TROY VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ALABAMA VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO | 7:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NORTH CAROLINA (CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
WYOMING VS. TEXAS TECH | 7:30 P.M. | CBS
LOUISIANA VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
VIRGINIA TECH VS. OLD DOMINION | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
TULANE VS. SOUTH ALABAMA | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP VS. UIW | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
BYU VS. SAM HOUSTON | 10:15 P.M. | FS1
UCLA VS. COASTAL CAROLINA | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. IDAHO STATE | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN | 12 P.M. | CBS
SAN JOSE STATE VS. OREGON STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
FLORIDA STATE VS. LSU (ORLANDO, FLORIDA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
MONDAY, SEPT. 4
DUKE VS. CLEMSON | 8 P.M. | ESPN
NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11
N.Y. GIANTS AT DETROIT, 7:00
GREEN BAY AT CINCINNATI, 7:00
ATLANTA AT MIAMI, 7:00
PITTSBURGH AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
WASHINGTON AT CLEVELAND, 7:30
DENVER AT ARIZONA, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
INDIANAPOLIS AT BUFFALO, 1:00
TENNESSEE AT CHICAGO, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT CAROLINA, 4:00
JACKSONVILLE AT DALLAS, 5:00
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE, 7:00
L.A. CHARGERS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13
KANSAS CITY AT NEW ORLEANS, 1:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 4:00
WEEK 2
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
CLEVELAND AT PHILADELPHIA, 7:30
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
CAROLINA AT N.Y. GIANTS, 7:00
CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA, 7:30
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
JACKSONVILLE AT DETROIT, 1:00
MIAMI AT HOUSTON, 4:00
BUFFALO AT PITTSBURGH, 6:30
CHICAGO AT INDIANAPOLIS, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
KANSAS CITY AT ARIZONA, 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
TENNESSEE AT MINNESOTA, 8:00
DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:30
LAS VEGAS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
DALLAS AT SEATTLE, 10:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
NEW ORLEANS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 7:05
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
BALTIMORE AT WASHINGTON (ESPN), 8:00
WEEK 3
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
PITTSBURGH AT ATLANTA, 7:30
INDIANAPOLIS AT PHILADELPHIA (PRIME VIDEO), 8:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
DETROIT AT CAROLINA (CBS), 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT TENNESSEE, 8:15
L.A. CHARGERS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
BUFFALO AT CHICAGO, 1:00
SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY, 1:00
CLEVELAND AT KANSAS CITY, 1:00
ARIZONA AT MINNESOTA, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT N.Y. GIANTS, 6:00
CINCINNATI AT WASHINGTON, 6:05
MIAMI AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:00
BALTIMORE AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
LAS VEGAS AT DALLAS, 8:00
L.A. RAMS AT DENVER, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
HOUSTON AT NEW ORLEANS (FOX), 8:00
WEEK 1 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
DETROIT LIONS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (THU) 7:20P (CT) 8:20P NBC
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
HOUSTON TEXANS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS 3:25P (CT) 4:25P FOX
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS 2:25P (MT) 4:25P CBS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P CBS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 4:25P (ET) 4:25P CBS
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P FOX
DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS (MON) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P ESPN/ABC
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: EX-RAY MATTHEW LIBERATORE CARRIES CARDS
Matthew Liberatore showed why he was once ranked among baseball’s top prospects, tossing eight shutout innings in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The 23-year-old Liberatore established career highs for innings and strikeouts in a start (seven) against the team that drafted him in the first round in 2018.
Andrew Knizner hit a two-run home run and Tommy Edman added a solo shot for the Cardinals, who took two of three in the series.
The Rays got on the board in the ninth on Wander Franco’s two-out, RBI triple off JoJo Romero. Franco scored Tampa Bay’s second run on a wild pitch.
Orioles 5, Astros 4
Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle each had a home run and two RBIs to lead Baltimore over visiting Houston.
Rutschman and James McCann had two hits apiece as the Orioles salvaged the finale of the three-game series and extended their streak to 76 straight series without getting swept. Dean Kremer (11-4) pitched seven solid innings for his first victory since July 14.
Jose Altuve homered among four hits and Yainer Diaz also went deep for the Astros. Starter Hunter Brown allowed five runs and eight hits over six-plus innings. He struck out seven and walked none.
Phillies 6, Nationals 2
Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto each hit a two-run home run to lift host Philadelphia Phillies past Washington.
Realmuto had two hits and two walks. The Phillies drew nine walks overall as they took three of four in the series. Starter Aaron Nola tossed five innings and allowed five hits and one run along with six strikeouts and one walk.
Ildemaro Vargas hit two doubles and knocked in two runs for the Nationals. Starter Patrick Corbin allowed one hit and one unearned run with seven walks and two strikeouts in five-plus innings.
Pirates 7, Braves 5
Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in three runs and Liover Peguero added two RBI singles as Pittsburgh posted a victory over visiting Atlanta to record a split of their four-game series.
Thomas Hatch (1-0), who made his Pirates debut in relief of Bailey Falter, scattered two hits in four scoreless innings to pick up the win. Falter surrendered four runs on eight hits in four innings. Colin Holderman allowed a run in the ninth before securing his second career save.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson hit his 40th homer and Orlando Arcia also went deep. Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI double and Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. added run-scoring singles for the Braves, who squandered a four-run lead for the second straight game.
Guardians 4, Blue Jays 3
Cleveland warded off a seventh-inning rally to back 5 2/3 strong innings from Noah Syndergaard en route to a victory over visiting Toronto.
Brayan Rocchio ripped a pair of RBI doubles for the Guardians, who were able to salvage a split of the four-game series. Syndergaard (2-5) allowed one run on six hits while walking two and striking out five to earn his first victory as a member of the Guardians.
George Springer doubled and singled and Merrifield also finished with a pair of hits for the Blue Jays, who lost for just the second time in their last seven games.
Tigers 3, Twins 0
Reese Olson recorded his second career win after tossing six strong innings, lifting Detroit to a shutout victory over visiting Minnesota.
Riley Greene hit a solo home run and Zach McKinstry had a two-run double to pace the Tigers to their third straight win. Olson (2-5) gave up two hits and walked three batters while recording eight strikeouts.
The American League Central-leading Twins were limited to two hits. Minnesota starter Kenta Maeda (3-7) gave up just three hits in six innings, but one of them was Greene’s homer.
Red Sox 2, Royals 0
James Paxton tossed 5 1/3 innings and combined with four Boston relievers to blank visiting Kansas City.
Paxton (7-3) allowed six hits, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. Relievers John Schreiber, Josh Winckowski, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen helped preserve the shutout. Alex Verdugo (sacrifice fly) and Adam Duvall (double) had the game’s only RBIs.
Maikel Garcia had two hits for the Royals. His single in the first inning extended his hitting streak to 14 games. The Royals had one hit in each of the first seven innings — and seven hits in the game — but were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
MEN’S GOLF
PHIL MICKELSON HAS WAGERED MORE THAN $1 BILLION, ACCORDING TO BOOK BY RENOWNED GAMBLER BILLY WALTERS
(AP) — Phil Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion over the last three decades and wanted to place a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup while playing for Team USA, according to a much-anticipated book by renowned gambler Billy Walters.
Mickelson denied ever betting on the Ryder Cup.
“While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game,” Mickelson said in a statement Thursday.
The stunning betting estimates Walters provides – from his own detailed record and from what he describes as two reliable sources – are detailed in an excerpt of Walters’ book, “Gambler: Secrets from a Life of Risk.”
The book is scheduled to be available on Aug. 22. The Fire Pit Collective obtained the excerpt.
Walters is widely regarded as America’s most famous gambler who claims to have a winning streak of more than 30 straight years.
He said he ended his betting partnership with Mickelson in 2014. Two years later, Walters was indicted in an insider trading case that partly involved stock tips prosecutors said he illegally passed to Mickelson. Mickelson was never charged but had to repay about $1 million he made off a stock deal. Walters was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. He claims he could have avoided prison if Mickelson had told a “simple truth.”
Walters said he never told Mickelson he had inside information on Dean Foods stock, and he believed that Mickelson could have helped him by testifying.
“All Phil had to do was publicly say it. He refused,” Walters wrote. “The outcome cost me my freedom, tens of millions of dollars and a heartbreak I still struggle with daily. While I was in prison, my daughter committed suicide – I still believe I could have saved her if I’d been on the outside.”
Walters said Mickelson told him he had two offshore accounts, and that Mickelson had limits of $400,000 on college games and $400,000 on the NFL.
He said based on his detailed record and additional records provided by sources, Mickelson’s gambling between 2010 and 2014 included:
– Betting $110,000 to win $100,000 on 1,115 occasions, and betting $220,000 to win $200,000 on 858 occasions. That alone comes out to just over $311 million.
– Mickelson in 2011 made 3,154 bets for the year and on one day (June 22) he placed 43 bets on Major League Baseball games that resulted in $143,500 in losses.
– He placed 7,065 bets on football, basketball and baseball.
“Based on our relationship and what I’ve since learned from others, Phil’s gambling losses approached not $40 million as has been previously reported, but much closer to $100 million. In all, he wagered a total of more than $1 billion during the past three decades,” Walters wrote.
“The only other person I know who surpassed that kind of volume is me.”
In his statement, Mickelson said he has been open about his gambling addiction. In an interview with Sports Illustrated last year, Mickelson referred to it reaching a point of being “reckless and embarrassing.”
“I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have gotten help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now,” Mickelson said.
Walters said they met for the first time at the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and formed a betting partnership two years later.
Most stunning to Walters, he writes in the excerpt, was a phone call from the Ryder Cup in 2012 at Medinah. He said Mickelson was so confident he asked Walters to bet $400,000 for him on the U.S. winning.
“I could not believe what I was hearing,” Walters wrote. “’Have you lost your (expletive) mind?’ I told him, ‘Don’t you remember what happened to Pete Rose?’ The former Cincinnati Reds manager was banned from baseball for betting on his own team. ‘You’re seen as a modern-day Arnold Palmer,’ I added. ‘You’d risk all that for this?’ I want no part of it.”
He said Mickelson replied, “Alright, alright.”
“I have no idea whether Phil placed the bet elsewhere. Hopefully, he came to his senses,” Walters wrote.
Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit on Sunday, staging the greatest comeback by a visiting team. Mickelson and Keegan Bradley won three straight matches before Mickelson urged U.S. captain Davis Love III to rest them Saturday afternoon. Mickelson lost his singles match to Justin Rose, a pivotal moment in Europe’s comeback.
Rory McIlroy, at odds with Mickelson over the divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, couldn’t resist a dig at Lefty over the claims in the book.
“At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won’t be part of it,” McIlroy said Thursday in Memphis, Tennessee, at the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The PGA Tour suspended Mickelson in early 2022 for helping Saudi-backed LIV Golf recruit PGA Tour players. He signed with LIV for a bonus reported to be upward of $150 million.
Walters was so successful with his gambling operation that bookmakers often limited the amount of his wagers. He would partner with others who had larger limits. He wrote his partnership with Mickelson was a 50-50 split.
“In all the decades I’ve worked with partners and beards, Phil had accounts as large as anyone I’d seen,” Walters wrote. “You don’t get those types of accounts without betting millions of dollars.”
JORDAN SPIETH KEEPS A CLEAN CARD IN THE MUD FOR A 63 TO LEAD THE PGA TOUR PLAYOFF OPENER
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Jordan Spieth kept a clean card and clean pants, even without having to roll them up to his calves on a rain-soaked course. He opened with a 7-under 63 on Thursday for a one-shot lead in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Spieth chipped in for eagle and made a key par putt on the 17th to take his first 18-hole lead on the PGA Tour since the Sony Open in January. He missed the cut the next day in Honolulu. That won’t be possible at the TPC Southwind – the 70-player field has no cut.
The start to the PGA Tour postseason was sloppy one. Storms dumped 2 inches of rain in the early morning that caused a delay of just over two hours and players sent off on both sides. The greens were soft but fast. The TPC Southwind was soggy and muddy.
It was not the best day to be wearing white pants.
Tom Kim, who knows a little about mud, probably should have known better. He decided to roll up his pants to make them look like capris. He was briefly tied with Spieth until a late bogey sent him to a 64.
“I didn’t want to get myself dirty,” Kim said. “Just don’t like it. I’ve had a really bad week once this year, so just trying to stay away from it, really.”
It was more like one bad day at Oak Hill for the PGA Championship. He went into a marshy area to look for his tee shot, slipped and emerged with his shirt and pants covered in mud.
Kim is packing light for the three-week stretch of FedEx Cup playoffs.
“I had to make sure I was able to use those pants for a really long time, so I had to make sure they stayed really clean,” he said.
Collin Morikawa had six birdies for a 65 to join Emiliano Grillo two shots behind. That’s $6,000 for relief efforts from the Hawaii wildfires – he has pledged $1,000 per birdie during the playoffs. Morikawa’s grandparents were born in Lahaina and once had a restaurant on Front Street, which closed many years ago.
Jon Rahm had dirty pants and a scorecard to match. The No. 1 seed in the chase for the $18 million FedEx Cup bonus, he was going along fine until hitting his tee shot out-of-bounds on the par-5 16th hole and had to salvage a bogey. Two holes later, he drove into the water and nearly found the water again on his third shot at the 18th. That was a double bogey.
His front nine – Rahm started on No. 10 – wasn’t much better with three bogeys that led to a 73. He ended with a three-putt bogey.
Rahm played alongside the next two top seeds, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, each posting a 67. Scheffler was 2 over early and responded with six birdies over his last 12 holes.
“It’s frustrating obviously when you see everybody is making birdies and you’re 2 over through four or five holes,” Scheffler said. “It was frustrating, but hung in there nicely and played some really good golf after that.”
McIlroy was disappointed he wasn’t lower the way he hit it off the tee, critical on a day when players could lift, clean and replace their golf balls from the short grass.
“I don’t know if I can remember a round where I’ve driven it that well, at least in recent memory,” McIlroy said. “I drove it really well today and gave myself so many looks from the fairway. Sort of walking off the course disappointed with 3 under.”
Spieth was good from start to finish. He had three birdies through five holes, had a few important par-saving putts and then saved his best for a chip-in for eagle on the 16th.
“The pivotal holes where you get wedge in your hand, if you hit a nice drive, you’re looking to attack,” Spieth said. “I did hit the fairways on those holes, and that was important. Then the really hard ones, you’re just trying to get it on the surface and tap in for par.”
Spieth is at No. 31 in the FedEx Cup, guaranteed to be among the top 50 from the 70-man field who advance to the BMW Championship next week. That assures players a spot in eight $20 million signature tournaments next year.
The ultimate goal is top 30 to reach the Tour Championship, so this becomes an important week for Spieth to get himself high enough in the standings.
Lucas Glover was at No. 112 until winning the Wyndham Championship last week, moving to No. 49. With that shot of confidence, he opened with a 66. Glover has never been a fan of the FedEx Cup playoffs or the points system. So he’s trying to keep it as simple as possible.
“I think the state of my game, if I take care of me, I’m going to be there,” he said. “That’s how I like it – it’s up to me. I’m not going to pull for or against the guy in 50th or 51st or whatever. I feel like if do my job, I’ll be in Chicago next week. I think that’s probably how it should be.”
ALLY EWING LEADS WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN AFTER 1ST ROUND IN BID TO BECOME LATEST AMERICAN MAJOR CHAMP
WALTON-ON-THE-HILL, England (AP) The United States is seeking its third female major champion of 2023 at the AIG Women’s British Open this week.
Few would have predicted Ally Ewing leading the charge.
Ewing made eagle from 5 feet at the par-5 16th to leapfrog a five-way tie for first place and parred the last two holes to shoot 4-under 68 for the solo lead at Walton Heath in the opening round of the year’s final major.
Ranked No. 39, Ewing missed the cut in two of the last three majors and her most recent top-10 finish in the biggest events in golf came at the Chevron Championship in early 2021.
“I set myself a little bit of a target, although this is probably conservative … finish the first round top 30 or better. That’s what I had in mind,” Ewing said. “That’s what I had in mind going into a major. That doesn’t mean that a top 30 is what I’m trying to shoot for.”
She has a long way to go to win her first major at the age of 30, even if she’ll be comforted that the names right behind her are hardly the biggest in the women’s game.
Only one of the five players to shoot 69 is a former major winner – Jeongeun Lee6, the Women’s U.S. Open champion from 2019 – and she has dropped to No. 94 in the rankings.
Also tied for second place were Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark, Perrine Delacour of France, Jaravee Boonchant of Thailand and Amy Yang of South Korea.
Of them, only Yang is in the world’s top 50. Boonchant is No. 148.
Allisen Corpuz, the U.S. Women’s Open champion at Pebble Beach last month, was in a 12-way tie for seventh place on 2 under on a day many of the most celebrated players in the women’s game struggled despite the pleasant conditions at Walton Heath, a heathland course southwest of London.
Rose Zhang, the new American sensation who only turned pro this year, battled all day and got up-and-down for par from a greenside bunker at No. 18 to shoot 72.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda and No. 2 ranked Jin Young Ko were 1 over, along with up-and-coming Swede Linn Grant.
Celine Boutier, the Frenchwoman coming off back-to-back wins including at the Evian Championship, couldn’t reproduce that form and needed birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 to escape with a 2-over 74. Former No. 1 Lydia Ko and recent British Open champions Georgia Hall and Ashleigh Buhai also had 74s.
NFL NEWS
NO. 2 PICK C.J. STROUD STRUGGLES IN HIS PRESEASON DEBUT AS THE TEXANS BEAT THE PATRIOTS 20-9
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) C.J. Stroud wouldn’t change much about stepping on the field for the first time against an NFL opponent.
Except for one play.
Stroud had a short and at times shaky debut that included an interception, Davis Mills threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tank Dell and the Houston Texans beat the New England Patriots 20-9 in the teams’ preseason opener Thursday night.
Stroud, drafted second overall out of Ohio State, played the first two series and went 2 of 4 for 13 yards. He rushed twice for 6 yards and was sacked once.
“I’m critical of myself,” Stroud said. “But that is what being a quarterback and a rookie quarterback is. I hold myself to a different standard and I know that the guys in the locker room aren’t going to hold me down for this. … One mistake on national television blows it all up. But, it’s cool, I’II just keep growing.”
Mills – who started 15 games last season – took over for Stroud and finished 9 of 12 for 99 yards while playing the balance of the opening half. His touchdown pass capped a seven-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Dell juggling and pulling in the score from his back.
Dalton Keene added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Case Keenum had a 5-yard TD pass to Alex Bachman in the fourth. Dell ended his night with five catches for 65 yards.
The Patriots gave most of their projected starters the night off, including quarterback Mac Jones.
Backup Bailey Zappe started in his place and went 12 of 14 for 79 yards, playing the entire first half and one series in the third quarter. His best throw of the night was a 27-yard dart to Tyquan Thornton.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said coming in with several offensive linemen dealing with injuries contributed to the offense being unable to finish some drives.
“It’s tough for the backs. It’s tough for the quarterback,” Belichick said. “We didn’t have a lot of space on the offense for the most part tonight.”
Rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham, who went undrafted out of Louisville, added a late 9-yard touchdown run. Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez had three tackles and forced a fumble.
Stroud is vying with Mills to be Houston’s starter. The Texans have mostly split first-team snaps between the two during training camp.
Mills, despite a record of just 5-29-1 as a starter the past two seasons, looked much more comfortable Thursday. Meanwhile, Stroud spent most of his limited snaps under nearly constant pressure from the Patriots defense.
Starting on his own 25 following a game-opening touchback, Stroud came out throwing and completed an 8-yard pass to Nico Collins on the Texans’ first play from scrimmage.
After a few short runs by Devin Singletary gave Houston a new set of downs, Stroud was dropped for a 15-yard sack when he was unable to avoid the grasp of Daniel Ekuale.
Stroud was flushed out of the pocket and scrambled for 4 yards on the next play. Facing third-and-21, he dropped back to pass again, throwing in the direction of Dell. But Jalen Mills read the play from the start, stepped in front and picked it off.
The Patriots took over on Houston’s 24. but wound up settling for a 44-yard Nick Folk field goal after their first drive of the night was stalled by Denzel Perryman’s sack after three plays.
Stroud’s second series was mostly a replica of his first.
He misfired on a throw to open the series, completed a short pass to Steven Sims and then had another short scramble before Houston was forced to punt again.
“I want to be perfect, but that is what this camp and preseason is for, just to make mistakes,” Stroud said. “So when it comes to regular season, I don’t make those anymore.”
ROOKIE WATCH
Gonzalez, the Patriots’ first-round pick, got a fast welcome to the NFL. He was setting up to tackle Collins after his reception on the first play from scrimmage. But Collins lowered his shoulder and sent Gonzalez stumbling backward.
Defensive lineman Keion White, New England’s second-round pick, was all over the field tallying three tackles and a quarterback hit.
Texans linebacker Will Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick out of Alabama, had a tackle in his first preseason game.
INJURIES
Texans: FB Andrew Beck limped off the field with an apparent leg injury following the opening kickoff of the second half.
Patriots: DL Carl Davis walked off under his own power following a collision in the second quarter. … OL Kody Russey was shaken up early in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Texans: Host Miami for joint practices on Aug. 16 and 17 before their preseason matchup Aug. 19.
Patriots: Travel to Green Bay for joint practices on Aug. 16 and 17 before their Aug. 19 preseason game.
SEAHAWKS WR CADE JOHNSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AS PRECAUTION FOLLOWING CONCUSSION
SEATTLE (AP) Seattle wide receiver Cade Johnson was taken to a hospital during halftime of the Seahawks’ preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night after suffering a concussion.
Johnson was placed on a backboard as a precaution and transported to Harborview Medical Center for evaluation of head and neck injuries.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said after the game that Johnson had suffered a concussion, but early tests showed no other findings beyond that.
Johnson had full movement in his extremities. It was unclear if he would be spending the night in the hospital.
Johnson was attended to in the medical tent behind the bench for several minutes late in the first half by Seattle’s training staff and medical personnel. He was placed on a backboard, loaded onto a stretcher, taken across the field and up a tunnel to where ambulances are parked during games at Lumen Field.
“They just went to the max precautions,” Carroll said.
Carroll said Johnson was hurt following a kickoff in the second quarter, although there was no obvious sign he was injured. Johnson had a 17-yard return on the kickoff. He also had one rushing attempt for 2 yards and was targeted twice with no catches.
Johnson is in his third season out of South Dakota State. He had two receptions over three games last season for the Seahawks.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
CYCLONES’ BROCK AND EX-HAWKEYE BRUCE ARE AMONG LATEST PLAYERS CHARGED IN GAMBLING INVESTIGATION
(AP) — Jirehl Brock and three other Iowa State football players along with three current or former Iowa football players and a student assistant were charged Thursday in connection with the state’s investigation into illegal sports wagering at the two schools.
A total of 15 football and basketball players and staffers with ties to the schools have been charged since last week in the ongoing investigation. Current athletes face a loss of eligibility for violating NCAA gambling rules.
Brock and ISU teammates Isaiah Lee, DeShawn Hanika and Jacob Remsburg were charged in Story County on suspicion of tampering with records to disguise that they were under the legal betting age of 21 at the time they placed wagers. Former Iowa players Arland Bruce IV and Reggie Bracy, current Iowa player Jack Johnson and student assistant Owen O’Brien face the same charge in Johnson County.
According to court documents:
– Brock, the Cyclones’ leading rusher last season, placed 1,327 illegal wagers totaling over $12,000 between February 2022 and February 2023. The bets were made on a FanDuel account controlled by him but registered under the name of Lindzey Paysen. Paysen’s relationship to Brock was unknown.
Brock is accused of making bets on three Iowa State football games, two in which he played, and 13 ISU basketball games.
– Lee, a defensive lineman, made 115 wagers totaling over $885 between September 2021 and January 2023 on FanDuel. Among them were 21 wagers on seven ISU football games in 2021 and five more games in 2022. He played in each of the games. His account was registered under the name of a woman described as his fiancee, Kayla Cameron.
– Hanika, a tight end, made 288 wagers totaling $1,262 between March 2022 and April 2023 through DraftKings, with 70 of the bets on ISU basketball games. His account was registered under the name of his mother, Kim Hanika.
– Remsburg, an offensive lineman, made 273 wagers totaling $1,108 between May 2022 and February 2023 through FanDuel. Six bets were on ISU basketball and football games. Remsburg’s account was registered under the name Keri Remsburg. The filing also referenced a DraftKings account registered under the name of his mother, Keri Meis. It was unclear whether Keri Remsburg and Keri Meis are the same person.
– Bruce, a receiver who started 12 of 25 games before transferring to Oklahoma State, made 132 bets totaling $4,342 with DraftKings. Among those were wagers on six Iowa football games in 2021 and six more games last season. Bruce played in each of the games. His account was registered under the name of Vincent Bruce, whose relationship to Arland was not listed.
– Bracy, a defensive back who is now at Troy, used the DraftKings accounted registered to Vincent Bruce to place 66 bets totaling $715 between February and November 2022. He made eight bets on Iowa sporting events, including two football games in which he played.
– Johnson, a walk-on receiver, made 480 bets totaling over $2,500 with DraftKings between September 2021 and January 2023. Of the bets, about 380 totaling $1,800 were made before he was of legal age. All were on an account registered under the name of his mother, Jill Johnson.
– O’Brien was a student assistant prior to becoming a graduate assistant in December. O’Brien made 350 wagers totaling over $3,047 with FanDuel between March 2021 and December 2022. All were on an account registered under the name of his mother, Audra O’Brien.
No attorneys were listed in the filings.
The Des Moines Register was first to report the latest charges.
“Since becoming aware of potential NCAA eligibility issues related to sports wagering by several of our student-athletes back in May, Iowa State University has been actively working to address these issues with the involved student-athletes, and that process remains ongoing,” Iowa State senior athletics director Nick Joos said in a statement. “We will continue to support our student-athletes as our compliance staff works with the NCAA to sort out questions surrounding their future eligibility for athletics competition.”
Iowa spokesman Matthew Weitzel said the university had no comment. He said he expected football coach Kirk Ferentz to address the issue at the team’s media day Friday.
Last week, charges were filed against Iowa State starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers, ISU offensive lineman Dodge Sauser, ISU wrestler Panioro Johnson, former ISU defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, former Iowa basketball player Ahron Ulis, Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen and Iowa kicker Aaron Blom.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: USC
2022 Record: 11-3 overall, 8-2 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley, 2nd year: 11-3, 7th year overall: 66-13
All things considered, what Lincoln Riley has done is come up with one of the best head coaching starts in the history of college football.
Except for the not winning anything massive thing.
It’s easy to forget that Riley is still so young – he’s going to turn 40 just as the season starts – and yet he already has five double-digit win seasons in his first six – and it would’ve been 6-for-6 but for 2020 going 2020 in a 9-2 campaign.
He has four Big 12 Championships, three College Football Playoff appearances, and there was an outside chance he could’ve had a fifth conference title and another CFP trip if his Heisman-winning superstar quarterback didn’t have to play on one leg in last year’s Pac-12 Championship.
No, really. Find the coach in the modern era with this kind of a consistent six-year run to start a career.
Barry Switzer. His first eight years were legendary, and there’s Chris Petersen at a slightly lower level, and Ryan Day is on his way after walking into a powerhouse. Other than that, when it comes to double-digit win seasons … Joe Paterno? 5-5 in 1966. Nick Saban? Michigan State. Bobby Bowden? No. Dabo? John Robinson? Phil Fulmer? Urban? Close, but not quite. Bob Stoops? Yeah, but after a 7-5 first season.
We can keep going – there are more – but you get the idea. Even without a national title, Lincoln Riley has been a fantastic so far with as much pressure as anyone could walk into at two separate places.
All he did was take over for Stoops – who’s still among the most underappreciated head coaches of all-time – and make Oklahoma stronger. All he did was walk into USC – no expectations there – and take the program from meh to amazing in a snap.
And people complained about the 2022 USC defense?
This wasn’t a given. It wasn’t obvious that just anyone could’ve stepped into the job and restored the glory. And what’s most amazing is how it all actually worked according to plan.
There’s no school – even Notre Dame or Alabama or Michigan – with the mixture of history, expectations, media market, national recognition, money, facilities, weather, bright lights, coolness, EVERYTHING that better fits the modern era of the sport.
Coaching staff, top-flight college, transfer portal, NIL, palm trees, and next year, a seat at the table in the biggest conference going business-wise- USC has a perfectly crafted college football program.
All that’s missing are the national championships.
USC Trojans Preview: Offense
Well thatworked. In came Lincoln Riley, in came offensive coordinator Josh Henson, and in came a college football all-star team of transfers that meshed together better than anyone could’ve dreamed of – seriously, don’t take for granted that there was zero continuity from 2021 – and KABOOM. If that wasn’t enough, now the attack has Kliff Kingsbury hanging around as a quarterbacks coach and offensive analyst.
No. 3 in the nation in total and scoring offense and passing. No. 1 in fewest turnovers. No. 2 in third down conversions, and it all came together by having the No. 1 player in college football.
Caleb Williams stepped into the Oklahoma offense in the middle of the Texas game two years ago, and that was it. He’s been brilliant ever since with a fascinating mixture of athleticism, smarts, cockiness, drive, and ultra-efficient passing that could make him Riley’s best quarterback ever.
Now the almost certain No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – collapse for Caleb – he has to stay healthy after throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns and five picks with ten touchdown runs. Star recruit Malachi Nelson and sophomore Miller Moss will battle it out for the No. 2 gig.
Yeah, there’s a chance the the USC receiving corps could be even better despite losing Jordan Addison to the Minnesota Vikings. Kyle Ford defected to UCLA, but four of the top six wideouts are back to go along Arizona transfer Dorian Singer – he isn’t Addison talent-wise, but he’s not terribly far off.
Veterans Tahj Washington, Mario Williams, Brendan Rice, and Michael Jackson are still in place, terrific prospect Duce Robinson is in the tight end mix with Lake McRee, and they all have a guy who should be starting for the Carolina Panthers pitching to them.
It’s hard to keep running the ball when 13 has a shot to make things happen, but the Trojans need to keep on getting their backs consistent work. Travis Dye is done, but Austin Jones and South Carolina transfer MarShawn Lloyd should provide a killer 1-2 punch. Williams will add at least 300 rushing yards, but the less he has to take off, the better.
The big overall stats for the offensive line are a bit off. With a playmaker like Williams there will be more sacks and more tackles for loss, but there were times when the line did its job by lining up and blasting away. Now it needs to do that a bit more, even with a ton of turnover up front.
Jarrett Kingston (Washington State) and Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming) are ready-to-roll guards coming in, and the pressure is on Michael Tarquin (Florida) to step in and protect the Heisman quarterback’s blind side.
USC Trojans Preview: Defense
Here was the task. Go out into the transfer portal and find the defensive parts to do for that side what all the new guys did last year for the offensive side.
It’s not like the D didn’t get its share of transfers last year, but that was more of a mish-mosh of guys than collection of killers like the offense had.
However, for all of the problems against the run, and the melt down against Tulane, and the major issues on third downs, the USC defense did two things really, really well: get to the quarterback, and take the ball away. It might have allowed a bazillion yards, but the defense was fifth in the nation in takeaways.
Now the big plays have to keep coming while becoming more than a speed bump for opposing ground attacks, so …
Welcome to the transfer portal. The defensive front isn’t totally starting over, but for all intents and purposes, it is. The overall production could change instantly if the tackle combination of Kyon Barrs (Arizona), Jack Sullivan (Purdue) and Bear Alexander (Georgia) does what it’s supposed to.
Barrs and Sullivan would’ve been the best players on their respective lines, and now they’re Trojans. The ends aren’t quite as good, but the scheme – and the work done but the terrific new tackles – should get Jamil Muhammad (Georgia State), Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M), and Solomon Tuliaupupu into the backfield.
The line should be better, but the biggest overall production improvement should come from the linebacking corps. Shane Lee was second on the team with 78 stops, Eric Gentry was third with 71, and coming in to eat up everything is Oklahoma State’s Mason Cobb. Flip a coin between Barrs and Cobb for who’s going to be the guy who takes over and becomes the new star of the Trojan D.
Outside of Arizona CB Christian Roland-Wallace, the USC secondary is mostly full of in-house talent from last year. S Max Williams led the team with 79 stops, and the combination of Bryson Shaw and Calen Bullock will be among the best in the Pac-12.
The corners are hardly a concern, but Roland-Wallace has to be the terrific four-year playmaker he was for the Wildcats, Tre’Quon Fegans (Alabama) is a big-time talent, and there are a ton of young corners on the other side led by sophomore Ceyair Wright.
WNBA NEWS
JEWELL LOYD LEADS LATE RALLY AS STORM EDGE DREAM
Jewell Loyd recorded 19 points and eight rebounds and converted the go-ahead three-point play with 13.8 seconds left as the Seattle Storm recovered from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to post a 68-67 victory over the visiting Atlanta Dream on Thursday night.
Ezi Magbegor had 17 points and 11 rebounds as Seattle (8-21) halted a six-game home losing streak in stunning fashion. The Storm are 3-13 at home this season.
Rhyne Howard had 20 points and three steals and Allisha Gray had 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Dream (15-14). Aari McDonald added 10 points for Atlanta, which has lost six of its last nine games.
Loyd was just 5-of-20 from the field but made the biggest shot to give Seattle a 66-64 lead.
Howard stepped on the sideline with 7.1 seconds left for the Dream and Sami Whitcomb made two free throws with 5.5 seconds left to give the Storm a four-point edge. Howard made a late trey to account for the final score.
Whitcomb added 11 points for Seattle, which made 33.3 percent of its shots and was 4 of 14 from behind the arc. The Storm have won four of their past six games.
The Dream shot 31.5 percent from the field, including 8 of 21 from 3-point range.
Atlanta led by 15 with 9:07 remaining before going scoreless for 7:03 and Seattle took advantage with a 16-0 surge to take the lead.
Magbegor scored six points early in the charge as the Storm moved within 62-54 with 5:53 to play. Loyd scored six of the next seven, including a four-point play that pulled Seattle within one with 3:03 remaining.
Magbegor’s driving hoop gave the Storm a 63-62 edge with 2:19 left. It marked Seattle’s first lead of the entire game.
Gray’s shot jumper with 2:04 left ended the Atlanta drought and put the Dream back ahead. McDonald later missed two free throws with 19.2 seconds to play to set the stage for Loyd.
Atlanta led 60-47 after three quarters. Gray scored nine points in the period.
Gray’s three-point play with 1:52 left in the quarter gave Atlanta a 16-point lead.
The Dream held a 34-27 advantage at halftime. Seattle missed its first 11 shots of the game and shot 27.3 percent (9-for-33) in the half. Atlanta shot 31.6 (12-for-38).
BRITTNEY GRINER SCORES 21 AS MERCURY DEFEAT SUN
Brittney Griner had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Moriah Jefferson added 17 points and the host Phoenix Mercury defeated the Connecticut Sun 90-84 on Thursday night.
Diana Taurasi added 16 points and Megan Gustafson had 10 as the Mercury (9-20) improved to 5-5 after the All-Star break.
Rebecca Allen scored 24 points, Alyssa Thomas had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and Tiffany Hayes scored 15 to lead the Sun (21-8).
Phoenix scored the first four points of the third quarter to take an eight-point lead before Thomas’ short jumper produced Connecticut’s first points of the period and ended a 3 1/2-minute scoring drought.
Phoenix increased the lead to as many as 12 points before holding a 70-60 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Hayes’ 3-pointer pulled the Sun within one point with 2:05 left, but Jefferson answered with a jumper. Connecticut got within two with 30 seconds left, but Jefferson answered with another basket and two free throws.
The Mercury set a WNBA record for points in a quarter as they took a 45-24 lead at the end of the first period.
The Mercury scored the first five points of the game and Taurasi added a 3-pointer as they took a 10-2 lead.
Taurasi made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 15-6 and she added another as the advantage grew to 23-6.
DiJonai Carrington made two 3-pointers and Connecticut trimmed the lead to 25-14, but Gustafson scored eight points during a 17-10 finishing run.
The Mercury made 16 of 17 field-goal attempts, including 6 of 7 3-pointers, in the record-setting first period.
The Sun scored the first five points of the second quarter before Cunningham’s 3-pointer produced Phoenix’s first points of the period.
Allen scored seven points as Connecticut finished with a 19-4 run to pull within 52-48 at halftime. The Sun outscored the Mercury 24-7 in the second quarter.
TOP INDIANA NEWS/RELEASES FROM ORGANIZATIONS
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS WILL START ROOKIE QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON IN PRESEASON OPENER AT BUFFALO
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) The Indianapolis Colts promised to wait patiently for rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson to develop into a starter.
Apparently, he’s a quick learner.
First-year coach Shane Steichen announced Thursday the No. 4 overall draft pick will start Saturday’s preseason opener at Buffalo after working mostly with Indy’s starters this week.
“We’ll start Anthony and then we’ll go from there,” Steichen said. “He’ll be out there with the first unit, yeah.”
Richardson and veteran Gardner Minshew have been battling for the No. 1 spot since offseason work began. Steichen has not said when, or if, he’ll announce a winner before Indy’s regular-season opener Sept. 10 against Jacksonville.
Still, Steichen intends to use each of Indy’s top two quarterbacks – Richardson and Minshew – about a quarter. Sam Ehlinger, who made three starts last season, his second in the league, will get whatever is left.
Steichen also knows Minshew well since they worked together in Philadelphia each of the previous two seasons, so giving Richardson more game-day snaps also makes sense.
Richardson now has a chance to show everyone how far he’s come in just a few months.
The talented 21-year-old dazzled scouts with what some described as the most athletic workout by a quarterback in NFL scouting combine history when he first arrived in Indy.
Over the past 2 1/2 weeks at training camp, Richardson has continued to demonstrate his arm strength, ability to throw from different angles and mobility. He’s also been inconsistent, a typical feature among rookie quarterbacks particularly one who went 6-7 as the starter at Florida. Next up for Richardson is facing a different defense with live tackling.
How does Richardson assess his own development ahead of his first NFL game?
“Honestly, I don’t know because I haven’t gone up against anybody yet,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a good spot. I think I’ve taken a big step whether it’s chemistry, play-calling or just recognizing the defense.”
Teammates believe Richardson earned the start.
Tight end Kylen Granson said he’s been impressed with Richardson’s speedy, seamless transition.
“We throw a lot at you right off the bat,” Granson said. “I know my head was spinning. That was tough. But I couldn’t even imagine a quarterback having to learn so much more.”
Minshew, a former NFL backup and starter, also believes it’s time to give Richardson a new challenge.
“He’s earned a lot of respect early on,” Minshew said. “He does that by how he prepares. He wants to learn how to do it the right way, so I think he’s doing everything he needs to right now.”
While Richardson will be Indy’s featured attraction this weekend, fans will be watching other names, too.
Steichen hasn’t said whether three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard would make even a cameo appearance Saturday after missing 14 games last season because of two back surgeries and a concussion. Leonard was finally cleared for full contact last Saturday and has continued to participate in padded workouts this week.
Running back Jonathan Taylor will not play. The 2021 NFL rushing champion remains on the physically unable to perform list following offseason ankle surgery and amid what has evolved into an ugly contract dispute that included a trade request.
Taylor wants a new deal before he starts the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and has reportedly left the Grand Park training camp facility in Westfield, Indiana, a 30-minute drive from the team headquarters, to continue rehabbing his ankle.
Indy has two practices next week at Grand Park, both joint practices with the Chicago Bears, and Steichen remains hopeful Taylor can return before Indy returns to its regular facility.
“I don’t have an answer for that and a timetable on that but really looking forward to getting him back and getting him healthy and getting him back out there playing with the guys,” Steichen said when asked if Taylor might practice next week.
So without Taylor and possibly Leonard, Colts fans will be eager to see if their quarterback of the future has what it takes to quickly emerge as their opening day starter.
“Consistency,” Richardson said when asked about this weekend’s goal. “I know I can run, and I know I can pass – whatever is called. I’m just trying to do my job the right way and be consistent with it.”
FEVER BASKETBALL
FEVER EARN RARE WIN OVER LYNX
Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 24 points Thursday night to lead five players in double figures as the Indiana Fever won for just the third time in 18 games, thumping the Minnesota Lynx 91-73 in Indianapolis.
Rookie Aliyah Boston added 15 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana (8-22), while Erica Wheeler contributed 17 points and 10 assists. Kristy Wallace chipped in 13 points and NaLyssa Smith came off the bench to tally 12.
The Fever, who have been frustrated by a lack of execution on both ends of the floor in key moments, made sure this wasn’t a close game with a good all-around performance. They shot 50 percent from the field, going 10-of-27 on 3-pointers, and controlled the boards 39-26.
Rachel Banham led Minnesota (14-16) with 18 points off the bench, while Jessica Shepard added 13, Diamond Miller 11 and Kayla McBride 10. But Napheesa Collier, the WNBA’s third-leading scorer at 21.9 ppg, didn’t score until the 5:34 mark of the third quarter and finished with only eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Indiana enjoyed a 34-18 advantage in points in the paint and also converted 13 Lynx turnovers into 18 points.
Indiana hinted at what was to come with an eight-point run that gave it a 17-11 lead at the 2:49 mark of the first quarter on Wheeler’s layup, although Minnesota rallied with 10 straight points to assume a 21-20 edge after 10 minutes.
The Fever created separation by dominating the final five minutes of the first half. Beginning with Victoria Vivians’ three-point play at the 5:06 mark, they ended the half with a 17-7 run. Mitchell’s layup before the buzzer made it 45-35 at intermission.
Indiana expanded the advantage to 59-41 with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter on Boston’s layup before the Lynx finally got Collier going. She scored eight points in less than 3 1/2 minutes to help them pull within 71-59 going to the fourth period.
INDIANS BASEBALL
INDIANS LOSE BOTH GAMES OF TWIN BILL AGAINST NASHVILLE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Nashville Sounds swept the Indianapolis Indians in Thursday night’s doubleheader at Victory Field, 8-0 and 7-1.
Indians (50-59, 17-18) pitchers held Nashville’s offense to just five hits and two walks through seven innings in the opening contest that went to extras in a scoreless tie. The Sounds broke open the game with eight runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure an extra-inning win in Game 1. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch by Yohan Ramirez (L, 1-1) plated the winning run. Nashville went on to add seven additional runs in the frame, in an inning that featured six walks, two hits, a hit-by-pitch and an error.
Nashville starter Eric Lauer pitched 3.0 scoreless innings with four punchouts. Trevor Megill (W, 1-0) fanned two batters in 2.0 perfect relief innings.
The eighth-inning error snapped the Indians 12-game errorless streak – which was the longest active error-free streak in all of professional baseball.
Nashville (59-50, 19-16) kept the pressure on early in the opening frame of the nightcap. The Sounds brought across five runs in the first inning to put the contest out of reach. The second bases-loaded walk issued by Jared Jones (L, 2-2) plated the contest’s winning run.
The Sounds tallied a run in the third and fourth inning, extending their lead to seven runs before the Indians brought across their first run of the night. Following a leadoff double by first baseman Mason Martin and subsequent groundout that advanced him to third, Grant Koch peppered a line-drive single down the left-field line to plate him. Koch’s RBI single was the only blemish for starter Evan McKendry (W, 9-4) who tossed 6.0 shutout innings.
Indians’ reliever Hunter Stratton earned three strikeouts in 2.0 scoreless innings. The right-hander has held opponents scoreless in four relief appearances (6.0ip) in August with 10 strikeouts.
The six-game series continues on Friday night with first pitch slated for 7:05 PM ET. In a battle of southpaws, Cam Alldred (7-4, 4.81) will take the mound for Indianapolis against Nashville’s Rober Gasser (6-1, 3.91).
INDIANA FOOTBALL
BUTKUS AWARD TABS CASEY TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football redshirt senior Aaron Casey is among the preseason candidates for the Butkus Award, awarded to the most impactful linebacker in college football.
An Indiana graduated with a degree in public financial management, Casey earned honorable mention All-Big Ten from the conference media panel and was a third-team All-Big Ten pick by Pro Football Focus in 2022 after a career-best 86 tackles. His 10.5 tackles for loss nearly doubled his 5.5 tackles for loss in the previous three years combined. He also forced his first two career fumbles.
Casey has started 13 games in his career – including 11 during the 2022 season – and appeared in 45 contests. He wears the No. 44, which honors IU great George Taliaferro, and has 131 career tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He has blocked one kick and forced two fumbles.
Instituted in 1985, The Butkus Award® is one of the elite individual honors, originally given each year to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game. In 2008, The Butkus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, took stewardship of the award to fully realize the original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community.
Since that time, the award has honored the nation’s best high school, college, and professional linebackers. An independent Butkus Award Selection Committee conducts the selection process each year. The committee is comprised of 51 experts, including professional, college, and high school scouts, and prominent sports journalists.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE BLITZES BG HESSING IN FOURTH QUARTER FOR 92-57 ROUT
MUNICH, Germany – Purdue outscored BG Hessing 27-8 in the fourth quarter to cruise to a 92-57 win over BG Hessing in the Boilermakers’ second game of their summer European tour.
The Boilermakers move to 2-0 on the trip, winning by a combined 52 points and averaging 90.0 points per game.
Purdue led 21-12 after one quarter and 45-32 at the halftime break. The lead was 65-49 after three quarters.
Purdue shot 49.2 percent (32-of-65) from the field, 12-of-30 (.400) from long distance and just 16-of-28 (.571) from the free throw line. Purdue had 13 turnovers and outrebounded BK, 37-26.
Freshman Myles Colvin led Purdue with 16 points, while going 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from long distance. Redshirt freshman Camden Heide added 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-3 from long range.
Trey Kaufman-Renn added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Fletcher Loyer had 13 points and four assists.
Braden Smith added 11 assists and in two games in Europe, has 23 assists against five turnovers.
Purdue will take on SKN St. Polten in St. Polten, Austria, at 1 p.m. ET on Friday.
BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER
PREVIEW 2023: MEN’S SOCCER TO MELD VETERANS WITH NEWCOMERS
Butler men’s soccer head coach Paul Snape just recently put the final pieces in place in assembling his 2023 side. Snape is beginning his 13th season at the helm of the program that is anticipating a challenging set of fixtures this fall.
The season opens with three exhibition matches. For these previews, a home contest vs. Huntington (Aug. 10) will be followed by a pair of road matches at Bradley (Aug. 13) and at Notre Dame (Aug. 19). The regular-season opener will take place on August 24 when Butler travels to St. Louis to take on the Billikens. The Bulldogs, who have qualified for seven of the previous ten BIG EAST tournaments, will be seeking their third-consecutive postseason appearance along with a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Forwards
Returning for Butler in 2023 are players who generated 73% of the team’s 2022 offensive points. Veteran forwards on the squad include redshirt-senior Kyle Hagerman, juniors Nick Okoro and Henri Kumwenda, and sophomore Palmer Ault. Ault led last year’s team in both goals and assists, earning All-BIG EAST First Team and All-Region honors and being named the 2022 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.
Out on the wings, redshirt-senior DJ Hooks and graduate student Jack Streberger were second and fourth, respectively, on the team last season in offensive points, combining for 13 goals and seven assists.
Newcomers on top are junior Ernesto Osornio, at transfer from Pima Community, and freshman Ryan Hannosh.
Midfielders
A core group of experienced midfielders return for the Bulldogs’ 2023 campaign. Veteran upperclassmen include fifth-year Hemi Nasser, redshirt-junior Nick Graziano, junior Joost de Schutter, and redshirt-sophomore Donovan Boone.
Newcomers in the center of the pitch are junior Jan Quispel, from the Netherlands, and freshman Luca Raso.
Defenders
The Bulldogs’ defensive line will feature a trio of experienced veterans, as redshirt-seniors Tommy Visser and Graham Rieg, along with sophomore Vygo Verkooijen, combined for 44 appearances last season. Also returning and expecting to contribute to the defensive effort are redshirt-junior Ben Minor, sophomores Lou-Kent Bosc and Nick Yono, and redshirt-freshman Peter Tolkin.
Four newcomers – Junior Alejandro Moroso-Maza (Spain) along with freshmen Josh Stewart (England), Nikolas Juarez, and Caleb Frakes – will also be competing for time on the field in the Butler back line.
Goalkeepers
A talented quartet will be competing in the preseason to secure the starting position in goal. Redshirt senior Caleb Norris the only candidate with match experience, made one save vs. Lindenwood in 2022. Also vying for playing time are redshirt sophomore Trevor Share and a pair of incoming freshmen, Brooks Boersman and Jameson Metz.
BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
ISGER SELECTED BIG EAST PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR; SOMMER ALSO RECOGNIZED; TEAM PICKED FOURTH
NEW YORK – The Butler women’s soccer team was tabbed to finish fourth in the 2023 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as announced by the conference office on Thursday, August 10. Redshirt-senior Abigail Isger was selected as the 2023 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. She and sophomore Talia Sommer are both representing the Bulldogs on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
The major awards and Preseason All-BIG EAST Team were voted on by the conference head coaches who could not cast ballots for their own team or their own student-athletes.
Georgetown garnered 10 of 11 first-place votes, finishing with 100 points. Xavier came in second, with 89 points and collected the remaining first-place nod. St. John’s landed in the third spot with 73 points, just ahead of Butler with 69. Creighton rounded out the top five with 67 votes.
Isgar, from Indianapolis, was named the 2022 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and was also a member of the All-BIG EAST First Team after leading the Bulldogs and the conference in points (20) and goals (8). She also tallied 4 assists which were second on the team. The forward had two game-winning goals and was twice selected BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week.
Sommer, from Tel Aviv, Israel, was a stalwart for Butler in the midfield during her rookie campaign, missing a few matches while playing in World Cup qualifiers for her native country. Her postseason awards included BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, All-BIG EAST Second Team, and All-Freshman Team. She accumulated 14 points (6th in the BIG EAST, 3rd on the team) on 5 goals and 4 assists. With 34 total shots and 19 on goal, her shot accuracy of .559 ranked 3rd in the BIG EAST and 54th nationally.
In addition to Butler’s pair of representatives on the preseason team, Georgetown and Xavier also had multiple selections. The conference-favorite Hoyas had three student-athletes placed on the preseason list, while Xavier joined Butler with two each. UConn, Creighton, Providence, and St. John’s had one each.
The BIG EAST sent two teams to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship in 2022. The conference also saw five schools receive United Soccer Coaches Honors last year, with Georgetown and Xavier represented with All-American honors, while 11 student-athletes from Butler, Creighton, Georgetown, St. John’s and Xavier were named to All-Regional Teams.
In addition to school-provided non-conference coverage, all regular-season BIG EAST matches not selected for national television will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network available on FloSports.
_____
BIG EAST Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown 100 (10)
2. Xavier 89 (1)
3. St. John’s 73
4. Butler 69
5. Creighton 67
6. UConn 63
7. Providence 47
8. Marquette 34
9. Villanova 33
10. DePaul 16
11. Seton Hall 14
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Abby Isger, Butler, R-Sr., F
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Grad., D*
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Allie Augur, Georgetown, Grad., GK*
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Abby Isger, Butler, R-Sr., F
Talia Sommer, Butler, So., F/M
Chioma Okafor, UConn, So., F
Lara Kazandjan, Creighton, Sr., M
Allie Augur, Georgetown, Grad., GK*
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Grad., D*
Eliza Turner, Georgetown, Jr., M
Meg Hughes, Providence, Sr., F
Jessica Garziano, St. John’s, Grad., F
Natalie Bain, Xavier, So., D
Ella Rogers, Xavier, Jr., M
*unanimous selection
IUPUI WOMEN’S SOCCER
JAGUARS ROAR PAST PANTHERS IN PRESASON OPENER, 4-1
CHARLESTON, Ill. – The IUPUI women’s soccer team put up a resounding 4-1 win in their preseason opener at Eastern Illinois on Thursday (Aug. 10) with all four goals coming from seniors. Sam Slimak scored a goal less than seven minutes into the match and netted the eventual winner in the 56th minute to fuel the IUPUI attack. Emma Antoine and Leah Shumate added insurance goals as the Jaguars outshot the hosts, 20-2 overall and 11-2 on goal. The Jags earned seven corner kicks and yielded just one in the victory.
The defense gave up a score in the 62nd minute, just moments after Antoine’s score had made it 3-0.
“I thought we came out with good energy and stuck to the game plan we wanted to execute,” head coach Chris Johnson said. “We had several players show that they can be very dangerous in the attacking end of the field and we did a good job of moving the ball around and giving them good looks. We need to be quicker switching the ball and a little more patient in the attack sometimes, but overall, it was a good start to the season.”
The Jaguars dominated possession from the opening whistle, outshooting the hosts by a 7-1 margin and earning the only two corner kicks of the first 45 minutes. The lone shot allowed was a try from 20 yards out that sophomore goalkeeper Caitlynn Junk easily plucked for the lone save of the half.
The offensive floodgates finally opened early in the second half as Slimak, an All-Horizon Leaguer last season, netted in the 56th minute. She then assisted on Antoine’s goal in the 60th minute to extend the lead. Shumate capped the day’s scoring with a blast from distance in the 77th minute off an assist from Avery Bangert.
Johnson was able to spread minutes out as sophomore Sarah Henson played a team-high 69 minutes and Cassie Rodriguez played 50 off the bench. Twenty-three different Jaguars played double-digit minutes, including the goalkeeping trio of Junk, Ashton Kudlo and Arissa North.
Bangert and Slimak led the IUPUI attack with four shots apiece with the former putting three on target.
“This was a great start and an entire team effort,” Shumate said. “We will continue to mesh and grow as a group and increase our level of play in the upcoming games.”
IUPUI will cap the preseason slate at Toledo on Sunday (Aug. 13) at 1:00 p.m.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CARDINALS ADD TRENT MIDDLETON TO 2023 CLASS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State men’s basketball Head Coach Michael Lewis announced the addition of Trent Middleton to the 2023 recruiting class on Thursday.
Middleton is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is a 6-foot-3-inch guard and will come to Ball State as a freshman.
Last year, he played for Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. He helped lead Spire to a 34-6 record against an elite national prep school schedule. He and his squad won the 2023 Ohio Prep Conference Championships. He led the team with eight rebounds per game, 1.5 steals per game, and led the team in minutes played. He finished the year averaging 12 points per game and added three assists per contest. For the season, he shot 51 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range.
Middleton played his high school ball at Philadelphia Math, Civics, and Sciences Charter School. During his time there, he was named the Philadelphia Public League Player of the Year during his senior campaign. He was a two-time First Team All-Public League selection and a two-time city champion.
He joins He joins Jalin Anderson, Davion Bailey, Ethan Brittain-Watts, Joey Brown, Zane Doughty, Mason Jones, and Jurica Zagorsak as members of the 2023 class.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
J.D. BERTRAND, MARIST LIUFAU SELECTED FOR BUTKUS AWARD WATCH LIST
University of Notre Dame football seniors J.D. Bertrand and Marist Liufau have been selected for the 2023 Butkus Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the top collegiate linebacker in the nation.
Bertrand led the Irish with 82 total tackles in 2022, following up on his 101 team-leading total in 2021 when he became the first Irish defender in three seasons to post triple-digits in tackles. He piled up 8.5 tackles for loss in ‘22 as well and boasts 190 career tackles.
Liufau is one of the most athletic linebackers in the nation. He finished third on the team in tackles in ‘22 with 51, which included 4.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery. Entering his third season as a starting linebacker in 2023, Liufau has 73 career tackles to his credit.
The number of linebackers on the watch list, 51, is a nod to the storied “51” pro jersey worn by the award’s namesake, Dick Butkus, who was named by NFL Films as the greatest defensive player in football history.
Founded in 1985, the Butkus Award honors linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. Causes include the Butkus Takes Heart™ initiative encouraging early cardiovascular screening among adults, and the I Play Clean® initiative encouraging athletes to train naturally without performance-enhancing drugs.
A 51-member expert panel of coaches, scouts, and journalists guides the selection process. The award semifinalists are expected to be named Oct. 30 with finalists to follow Nov. 20. The winner will be named on or before Dec. 6. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award.
BENJAMIN MORRISON EARNS THORPE AWARD WATCH LIST SELECTION
University of Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison has been named to the 2023 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the top collegiate defensive back in the nation.
Morrison was one of the late-season breakout stars of college football in 2022, picking off two interceptions and returning one 96 yards for a touchdown in Notre Dame’s 35-14 romp over No. 5 Clemson.
The rookie then claimed a share of the Notre Dame single-game record with three interceptions in a shutout win over Boston College, including two interceptions in the first quarter. He then capped his outstanding freshman year with an interception in the Gator Bowl victory over South Carolina.
Morrison appeared in all 13 games in 2022, starting nine and finishing the year with 33 tackles, 22 solo stops and four pass break ups.
The preseason watch list is selected by a screening committee whose members compile a list of up to 50 players based on previous performance in NCAA Division I college football and preseason All-America lists. This list is not final, and players who have outstanding seasons may be added to the semi finalists and finalists lists as the season progresses.
The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935.
The award semifinalists will be announced on October 31, with the award finalists announced on November 28. The three finalists are submitted to a national panel of over 250 sports writers, sportscasters, former players and coaches who vote to determine the winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
USI HAS THREE SCRIMMAGES SCHEDULED
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer kicks off 2023 with a trio of open scrimmages in preparation for the regular season, beginning with a visit to third-ranked University of Kentucky Sunday at 2 p.m. (CDT) in Lexington, Kentucky.
USI will host the final two scrimmages at Strassweg Field, playing a pair of former Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals. The Eagles reach the midway portion of the preseason with a match against McKendree University August 16 and concludes the sprint to the regular season by playing NCAA Division II eighth-ranked Maryville University August 19. Both home scrimmages are set for 7 p.m. kickoffs.
The 2023 regular season begins for men’s soccer August 24 when the Eagles visit Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis for a 5 p.m. (CDT). USI, who begins play in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023, will host Mercer University for this fall’s home opener August 27 at 11 a.m.
The Eagles finished 2022 with a 2-12-3 record and a 2-5-1 record in the Summit League. USI would have earned a trip to the Summit post-season tournament had it been eligible in its return to NCAA Division I play last fall.
The Eagles are under the direction of Head Coach Mat Santoro, who enters his 15th season with the program and boasts a career record of 111-108-27.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Baltimore | 71 | 44 | .617 | – | 36 – 23 | 35 – 21 | 24 – 14 | 18 – 7 | 11 – 9 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Tampa Bay | 69 | 48 | .590 | 3 | 38 – 21 | 31 – 27 | 20 – 14 | 18 – 5 | 11 – 11 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| Toronto | 65 | 52 | .556 | 7 | 30 – 24 | 35 – 28 | 11 – 23 | 18 – 8 | 14 – 11 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Boston | 60 | 55 | .522 | 11 | 33 – 27 | 27 – 28 | 16 – 14 | 14 – 9 | 12 – 10 | 4 – 6 | W 2 |
| NY Yankees | 59 | 56 | .513 | 12 | 35 – 28 | 24 – 28 | 15 – 21 | 12 – 10 | 16 – 13 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 60 | 57 | .513 | – | 33 – 24 | 27 – 33 | 12 – 17 | 22 – 18 | 11 – 8 | 6 – 4 | L 3 |
| Cleveland | 56 | 60 | .483 | 3.5 | 31 – 28 | 25 – 32 | 9 – 10 | 18 – 18 | 13 – 12 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Detroit | 52 | 63 | .452 | 7 | 26 – 33 | 26 – 30 | 4 – 18 | 21 – 13 | 9 – 13 | 5 – 5 | W 3 |
| Chi White Sox | 47 | 69 | .405 | 12.5 | 25 – 30 | 22 – 39 | 8 – 17 | 19 – 17 | 9 – 17 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| Kansas City | 37 | 80 | .316 | 23 | 21 – 36 | 16 – 44 | 6 – 18 | 13 – 27 | 4 – 11 | 5 – 5 | L 2 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 68 | 47 | .591 | – | 40 – 20 | 28 – 27 | 14 – 11 | 17 – 5 | 19 – 14 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| Houston | 66 | 50 | .569 | 2.5 | 31 – 25 | 35 – 25 | 10 – 10 | 11 – 11 | 24 – 13 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| Seattle | 62 | 52 | .544 | 5.5 | 33 – 26 | 29 – 26 | 11 – 13 | 12 – 11 | 19 – 11 | 9 – 1 | W 7 |
| LA Angels | 58 | 58 | .500 | 10.5 | 31 – 28 | 27 – 30 | 12 – 11 | 14 – 8 | 16 – 18 | 3 – 7 | W 2 |
| Oakland | 33 | 82 | .287 | 35 | 18 – 41 | 15 – 41 | 7 – 19 | 7 – 11 | 6 – 28 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 72 | 41 | .637 | – | 37 – 20 | 35 – 21 | 22 – 6 | 16 – 6 | 11 – 9 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Philadelphia | 64 | 52 | .552 | 9.5 | 33 – 22 | 31 – 30 | 15 – 17 | 11 – 8 | 14 – 13 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| Miami | 60 | 56 | .517 | 13.5 | 34 – 24 | 26 – 32 | 14 – 19 | 13 – 10 | 10 – 12 | 3 – 7 | W 2 |
| NY Mets | 52 | 62 | .456 | 20.5 | 28 – 24 | 24 – 38 | 16 – 14 | 7 – 15 | 15 – 13 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Washington | 50 | 66 | .431 | 23.5 | 22 – 34 | 28 – 32 | 11 – 22 | 12 – 14 | 14 – 14 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 62 | 54 | .534 | – | 33 – 27 | 29 – 27 | 10 – 9 | 24 – 12 | 10 – 16 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 59 | 56 | .513 | 2.5 | 32 – 28 | 27 – 28 | 11 – 17 | 21 – 14 | 9 – 8 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Cincinnati | 60 | 57 | .513 | 2.5 | 29 – 31 | 31 – 26 | 13 – 16 | 14 – 22 | 16 – 9 | 2 – 8 | L 2 |
| Pittsburgh | 52 | 63 | .452 | 9.5 | 28 – 30 | 24 – 33 | 9 – 8 | 13 – 17 | 16 – 15 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| St. Louis | 51 | 65 | .440 | 11 | 25 – 33 | 26 – 32 | 10 – 9 | 13 – 20 | 10 – 16 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 68 | 46 | .596 | – | 35 – 20 | 33 – 26 | 11 – 7 | 16 – 14 | 20 – 12 | 9 – 1 | W 5 |
| San Francisco | 62 | 53 | .539 | 6.5 | 33 – 24 | 29 – 29 | 10 – 12 | 18 – 9 | 18 – 11 | 5 – 5 | L 2 |
| Arizona | 57 | 58 | .496 | 11.5 | 28 – 30 | 29 – 28 | 13 – 15 | 11 – 10 | 18 – 16 | 1 – 9 | L 8 |
| San Diego | 55 | 60 | .478 | 13.5 | 30 – 28 | 25 – 32 | 13 – 13 | 8 – 15 | 15 – 17 | 4 – 6 | L 4 |
| Colorado | 45 | 70 | .391 | 23.5 | 25 – 30 | 20 – 40 | 14 – 17 | 11 – 13 | 7 – 22 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1907 At Robison Field, Cardinal southpaw Ed Karger pitches a seven-inning perfect game in the nightcap of a doubleheader, beating the Boston Doves, 4-0. A prior agreement between the clubs shortened the contest, making the 24-year-old Texan’s gem the only major-league abridged perfect game or no-hitter that was not the result of weather or darkness.
1912 Shoeless Joe Jackson completes the stolen base cycle when he swipes home in the seventh inning of the Indians’ 8-3 victory over New York at Cleveland’s League Park. The 25-year-old outfielder made his way around the bases by stealing second and third base before his thievery of the plate to complete the deed.
1926 At Cleveland’s Dunn Field, Indian outfielder Tris Speaker hits his 700th career double in the third inning off James Edwards in a 7-2 loss to the White Sox. The ‘Grey Eagle’ will establish a major league mark for two-baggers, collecting 792 during his 22-year career.
1929 At League Park in Cleveland, Babe Ruth hits Willis Hudlin’s first delivery in the second inning over the right-field fence to record his 500th career home run. The Bambino has more than twice the number of round-trippers than the Phillies’ Cy Williams, who is #2 on the all-time list with 237.
1940 Bees hurler Nick Strincevich completes an unusual 1-1 unassisted twin killing when he doubles up Joe Vosmik, the runner trying to score on attempted squeeze play signaled by Dodger skipper Leo Durocher. The Boston southpaw catches Vito Tamulis’ bunt in the air and continues running until he steps on third base, completing the double play to end the top of the seventh inning in the team’s 3-0 loss to Brooklyn at Braves Field.
1942 At Cleveland Stadium, a quirky rule results in a doubleheader’s first game suspension due to darkness but allows the Tigers to beat the Indians in the nightcap, 3-2. The umpires halted the scoreless opener in the 14th inning because the major league edict states games started in daylight can not finish under artificial lights, with the rule not applying to the second game of the twin bill because the contest started after the sun went down.
1946 The Phillies snap their 18-home-game losing streak against the Dodgers, sweeping a doubleheader at the Shibe Park, 7-6 and 6-4. Brooklyn, who hadn’t lost in Philadelphia since May 5th, 1945, set a major league mark with their dominance in the City of Brotherly Love.
1950 Vern Bickford, throwing just 97 pitches, no-hits the Dodgers at Braves Field, 7-0. The 29-year-old right-hander hurls the first hitless game for Boston since Jim Tobin accomplished the feat, also against Brooklyn, on April 27, 1944.
1951 WCBS-TV televises the first baseball game broadcast in color, a Dodgers’ 8-1 victory over the visiting Braves in the first game of a twin bill. Brooklyn’s announcers Red Barber and Connie Desmond provide the play-by-play commentary for the Ebbets Field contest, detailing Ralph Branca’s victory over eventual 20-game winner Warren Spahn.
1951 At Texas League Park in Tulsa, OK, Bob Turley of the San Antonio Missions strikes out 22 Oilers in a 16-inning game called due to darkness with the score tied 3-3. When the Class-AA minor league season ends, the 20-year-old right-hander will join the Browns, making his major league debut for the last-place team on September 29th.
1955 Ted Williams collects his 2000th career hit with a first-inning bloop single off Bob Turley in the team’s 5-3 loss at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox outfielder will finish his 19-year Hall of Fame career with 2654 hits.
1959 Gil Carter, a pitcher for the Carlsbad, New Mexico entry in the Sophomore Baseball League, reportedly hits a ball that travels 730 feet from home plate. The left-field blast may be the longest home run ever hit.
1961 In front of packed County Stadium in Milwaukee, Warren Spahn scatters six hits to beat the Cubs, 2-1, for his 300th victory. *The 40-year-old Braves’ southpaw, who finishes his career with 363 wins, the most of any left-hander in the game’s history, is the thirteenth major league hurler to reach the milestone.
1963 In the second game of a doubleheader, Auburn’s Paul Alspach strikes out 24 New York-Penn League Pirate batters en route to a 1-0 victory at Batavia’s MacArthur Stadium. The 21-year-old Mets farmhand’s performance breaks the NYPL’s strikeout record of 20, previously shared by Jerry Kleinsmith (Jamestown, 1948) and Ron Owen (Hornell, 1955).
1967 Al Downing, en route to a 5-3 complete-game victory at Cleveland Stadium, strikes out the side in the second frame on nine consecutive pitches. The Yankee southpaw’s immaculate inning victims are clean-up batter Tony Horton, Don Demeter, and Duke Sims.
1968 As a pinch-hitter, Gates Brown has two walk-off hits in Detroit’s twin bill sweep of the Red Sox at Tiger Stadium. His pinch home run off Lee Stange in the 14th inning ends the opener, 5-4, and the first game hero, coming off the bench in the ninth frame of the nightcap, singles to right off Sparky Lyle, scoring Mickey Stanley to give the team from the Motor City a 6-5 victory.
1970 With a 6-5 victory over the Astros, Phillies’ right-hander Jim Bunning becomes the first pitcher since Cy Young to win 100 games in both leagues. During his nine years with the Tigers, the future U.S. Senator compiled a 118-87 record in the American League.
1970 With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Carl Taylor’s walk-off grand slam caps a five-run rally, giving the Cardinals a dramatic comeback victory over San Diego, 11-10. The pinch-hitter delivers his ‘sayonara slam’ on the first pitch he sees from Ron Herbel.
1973 During the Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Game, Mickey Mantle homers off his old teammate and best buddy, Whitey Ford. After launching a shot that lands foul in the Bronx ballpark’s upper deck, the slugger sends the southpaw’s next pitch over the fence, much to the delight of the large crowd.
1979 Joining Ted Williams (four seasons) and Jimmie Foxx (five seasons), Red Sox slugger Jim Rice becomes the third player in franchise history to hit 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons. The Red Sox outfielder’s first-inning homer isn’t enough when Milwaukee beats Boston at Fenway Park, 9-6.
1980 In the third inning of a 3-1 Yankee victory over the White Sox, Reggie Jackson connects off Britt Burns for his 400th career home run. Mr. October will finish his 21-year career with 563 dingers, placing him sixth on the all-time list when he retired in 1987.
1981 Ray Searage gets credit for the win when he pitches two-plus innings of hitless relief in New York’s 4-2 victory over Chicago at Wrigley Field. With his eighth-inning single, the southpaw is the only Met player to have compiled a 1.000 batting average (1-for-1) and a 1.000 winning percentage (1-0) while playing with the team.
1982 Terry Felton’s career record drops to 0-14 when the right-hander takes the loss when the Twins drop a 6-3 decision to the Angels. The 24-year-old right-hander, who will not win a game in 55 major league appearances, establishes a new mark for the worst individual start in baseball history, surpassing Guy Morton’s 1914 record of 13 consecutive losses from the beginning of a career.
1986 Breaking Max Carey’s mark, Cincinnati Reds’ Pete Rose sets a National League record with the tenth five-hit game of his career. ‘Charlie Hustle’ singles four times and doubles in the 13-4 loss to San Francisco.
1987 Oakland A’s first baseman Mark McGwire breaks Al Rosen’s American League rookie record, established in 1950, and ties the major league mark shared by Frank Robinson (1956) and Wally Berger (1930) when he hits his 38th homer of the season. The unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year will finish the season with 49 homers, smashing the existing major league record.
1991 In only his second big league start, 21-year-old White Sox southpaw Wilson Alvarez becomes the 16th rookie to throw a no-hitter, beating the Orioles, 7-0. Only Browns’ hurler Bobo Holloman, who threw a no-no in his first major league start in 1953, accomplished the feat in fewer starts.
1994 Randy Johnson’s pitch to strike out A’s Ernie Young will become the last ball thrown in the major leagues for seven and a half months. The longest work stoppage in baseball history will cancel the remaining games on the schedule, including the postseason, and will impact the start of the 1995 campaign.
1994 Tony Gwynn raises his average to .394, going 3-5 in the Padres’ 8-6 victory against Houston at the Astrodome. Tomorrow, a work stoppage prematurely ends the season, making the San Diego right fielder the closest to bat .400 since Ted Williams accomplished the feat, hitting .406 for the Red Sox in 1941.
1998 When 26,472 fans attend the Devil Rays’ 2-1 walk-off win over Baltimore at Tropicana Field, the team surpasses the two-million mark in home attendance in their inaugural season. Tampa Bay joins the Rockies, Marlins, and Diamondbacks as the only expansion teams to reach this mark.
1998 Observance of a moment of silence in memory of Detective John Gibson takes place at Fenway Park. The Waltham, Massachusetts resident, one of the police officers killed at the U.S. Capitol last month, was a lifelong Red Sox fan.
2001 For the third and final time, Jason and Jeremy Giambi homer in the same game when both brothers go deep off Sterling Hitchcock in Oakland’s 8-6 victory over New York at Network Associates Coliseum. The A’s teammates first accomplished the feat last season and again in June.
2001 En route to his 11th victory when the Giants beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 9-4, Livan Hernandez goes 4-for-4, including a home run. The Cuban right-hander has collected eight consecutive hits, enjoying a 3-for-3 performance against the Phillies on August 5 and 2-for-3 against the Pirates on the last day in July.
2001 For the first time in his 16-year career, Barry Bonds, en route to establishing a new big league single-season record with 73, hits his 50th homer of the season. The 36-year-old Giants outfielder reaches the milestone in his 117th game, the fewest since 1999 when Sammy Sosa attained the mark in 121 contests.
2002 Keeping with the tradition of commemorating former players in the Hall of Fame, the Cardinals unveiled the 11th statue outside Busch stadium – an airborne Ozzie Smith. The bronze likeness, created by sculptor Harry Weber, captures the former shortstop stretched horizontally to the ground, trying to field a grounder in the hole.
2002 Sammy Sosa’s grand slam and a run-scoring double against the Rockies give the Cubs’ slugger 14 RBIs over two games, establishing a new National League record. The previous mark was 13, shared by Nate Colbert (Padres-1972) and Mark Whiten (Cardinals-1993).
2003 By fanning Jeff Kent in the seventh inning at Wrigley Field, Kerry Wood became the fastest major leaguer to record his 1,000th career strikeout, needing only 134 games to reach the milestone. The 26-year-old All-Star right-hander surpasses Roger Clemens, who needed 143 games to accomplish the feat.
2003 Pawtucket’s right-hander Bronson Arroyo throws the second perfect game in three years for the team and fourth in the 120-year history of the International League, beating Buffalo at McCoy Stadium, 7-0. In 2001, Tomo Ohka, a member of the Expos two seasons later, set down 27 consecutive batters for the PawSox in a 2-0 victory over the Charlotte Knights in the same Rhode Island ballpark.
2004 During the memorial service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in front of pews packed with Mets fans, team owner Fred Wilpon and former broadcast partner Gary Thorne deliver eulogies remembering the late Hall of Famer Bob Murphy. At the age of 79, ‘Murph’ after supplying 42 years of Happy Recaps for the Mets and a half-century broadcasting big-league games that included stints with the Red Sox and Orioles, lost his battle with lung cancer.
2005 Mets outfielders Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron, running at full speed in an attempt to catch David Ross’ seventh-inning short fly to short right-center, dive head-first into each other, causing a horrific on-field collision. Right fielder Cameron, who suffers a broken nose and multiple fractures of both cheekbones, will undergo facial surgery in San Diego, with his teammate faring a bit better, suffering a concussion and a small fracture in his cheekbone.
2008 The Reds trade pleasantly surprised Adam Dunn to the Diamondbacks for minor league right-hander Dallas Buck and two players to be named. Cincinnati continues unloading the team’s marquee players with Dunn, the major league leader in home runs (tie), and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. dealt for prospects as the team begins rebuilding.
2010 In an 8-2 victory over Milwaukee at Miller Park, the Diamondbacks become the seventh team to hit four consecutive home runs in an inning. In the top of the fourth inning, Adam LaRoche, Miguel Montero, Mark Reynolds, and Stephen Drew connect off Dave Bush, making the right-hander only the third hurler in major league history to yield four straight round-trippers.
2014 Much to the delight of the 21,479 hometown fans at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals, who haven’t made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 1985, beat Oakland, 3-2, to take a half-game lead in the AL Central. South Korean first-time visitor Sung Woo, the team’s recent good luck charm, well known to Royals fans for his long-time enthusiastic support for the Kansas City club thanks to his active participation on Twitter under the handle @Koreanfan_Kansas City, hangs the “W” on the outer wall of the Royals Hall of Fame.
2015 The Blue Jays, Rays, Marlins, Mets, Indians, Cubs, Royals, White Sox, Twins, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers, and Giants all win, marking the first time every home team is victorious in a full slate of games. The unique occurrence became a reality when the last two completed games ended in extra innings in Cleveland and Seattle, with the host clubs enjoying a walk-off victory.
2015 The Blue Jays equal a franchise record with their eleventh straight victory, a 4-2 win over the A’s at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The streak is their second 11-game run, making the team the first since 1954 Indians to achieve the feat twice in the same season.
2016 Rockies rookie outfielder David Dahl singles to right field off Rangers starter Lucas Harrell, extending his hit streak to 17 straight games to start his big league career. The 22-year-old freshman’s streak, in which he is batting .365 (23-of-63), equals the mark established by Reds’ third baseman Chuck Aleno, who also hit in his first major league 17 games in May of 1941.
2020 Although considered the home team in some of the 13 short-season away contests to start the season, the Blue Jays play their ‘home’ opener at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, necessitated due to Canada’s COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Toronto closer Anthony Bass gives up a game-tying three-run homer to Marlins’ backstop Francisco Cervelli on a 3-0 pitch, but the team prevails in the bottom of the 10th when Travis Shaw delivers a bases-loaded single for a walk-off 5-4 victory.
2020 For the first time in over a century, games are played at three different New York major league ballparks when the Toronto Blue Jays face the Marlins at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, joining contests at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium. The last time this happened in the Empire State occurred on September 8, 1915, with the Polo Grounds (Yankees), Ebbets Field (Dodgers), and Federal League Park (Buffalo Blues) hosting big-league teams.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
JOHN SCHUERHOLZ
Executive
John Schuerholz entered the world of big league baseball with a letter to a man he did not know. But after a lifetime in baseball, Schuerholz became known to everyone in the game as one of the National Pastime’s great team builders.
Born Oct. 1, 1940, Schuerholz was raised in Baltimore. His father, John, was a minor league second baseman in the Philadelphia A’s organization before a broken leg derailed his career.
Schuerholz followed his father’s footsteps in high school as a second baseman, but received no offers after graduating and instead enrolled at nearby Towson University. There, Schuerholz was an all-conference selection in both baseball and soccer and was named Athlete of the Year during his senior season.
With his degree in hand, Schuerholz became a junior high teacher in the Baltimore suburb of Dundalk. But in 1966, Schuerholz took one last shot at a baseball career – sending a letter of inquiry to Jerold Hoffberger, the president of the National Brewing Company and chairman of the Orioles.
The letter found its way to Orioles president Frank Cashen, who personally replied to every letter he received. That brought Schuerholz to the attention of Orioles director of player development Lou Gorman, who hired Schuerholz as a personal assistant.
Two years later, Gorman joined the front office of the expansion Kansas City Royals, and Schuerholz went with him.
“The very first day I started in that job (with the Orioles), my goal was to become a general manager of a Major League Baseball team,” Schuerholz said. “I gave myself five years, after which I would assess where I was in my career – because I felt I could always go back to teaching if I didn’t succeed.”
Five years into his baseball career, Schuerholz was still working for Gorman – helping lay the foundation for the talented Royals teams of the late 1970s that featured homegrown stars Frank White, Al Cowens and future Hall of Famer George Brett. Gorman was named the Royals’ general manager in the fall of 1975, and Schuerholz became the team’s farm director.
Then in early 1976, Gorman left to run the expansion Seattle Mariners – and Schuerholz was promoted to director of scouting and player development for the Royals. In 1979, Schuerholz was named Vice President of Player Personnel.
In 1981, Schuerholz took over for Joe Burke as the Royals’ general manager when Burke was promoted to team president.
“Unless you’ve ever been on the inside and worked with him, there’s no way you can appreciate (Schuerholz’s) baseball intelligence,” said former Braves executive Paul Snyder.
Schuerholz took over a Royals franchise that won four American League West titles in five years (1976-78, 1980) and an AL pennant (1980), but seemed to be in transition. By 1985, Schuerholz had re-tooled much of the team with younger talent – especially pitchers like Bret Saberhagen, Danny Jackson and Bud Black. In 1985, the Royals won their first World Series title – defeating the Cardinals in a classic seven-game battle.
Following the 1985 season, Schuerholz was named the Executive of the Year by the Sporting News.
“I want to be here. I like it here,” said Schuerholz in 1985. “I have a lot of my blood and sweat in this organization.”
But by 1990, Schuerholz – who signed a “lifetime” contract with the Royals in 1985 – was looking for a different challenge. He found one with the Braves, who had posted losing records from 1984-90 and were searching for a new general manager when Bobby Cox went back to the dugout after a stint as GM. Schuerholz immediately helped the Braves go from worst to first, winning the National League pennant in 1991 after finishing last in the NL West the year before.
Schuerholz inherited talent like Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, but added to the mix by acquiring Greg Maddux, Terry Pendleton and Fred McGriff over the next few seasons.
“(Schuerholz) knows what he wants,” said former Indians general manager John Hart. “He’s always prepared (during trade negotiations), and he doesn’t mince words.”
Under Schuerholz, the Braves embarked on a run unseen in big league history. For 14 seasons from 1991-2005, the Braves finished first in their division in every completed season. Atlanta advanced to the World Series four times in that stretch, winning the 1995 Fall Classic title.
He became the first general manager to lead teams to World Series titles in both the American League and National League.
“We could have been a one-shot wonder,” Schuerholz said during the Braves’ run. “The consistency of or success is a great source of pride for me.”
Schuerholz spent 17 years as the Braves’ general manager, then took over as team president following the 2007 season.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2017.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
August 11, 1919 – During the first of what would be two meetings in the editorial rooms of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the preliminary plans to organize a Green Bay professional football team are laid. In essence the Green Bay Packers were partially founded by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. Lambeau received $500 from his employer, the Indian Packing Company, on the condition that the team be named after their sponsor. The Packers have played in their original city longer than any other NFL team and the only small market team which is community owned in the U.S. that remains from the league’s early beginnings. The Packers have won 13 league championships and 4 Super Bowls, the most Titles in NFL history per Yahoo.com. The group planned the second meeting for
August 14, 1919 – to finalize. August 11, 1950 – In front of a paid attendance of 88,835 at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the 17th annual NFL Chicago Charities All-Star Game is played and in stunning fashion the College All-Stars triumphed over the Champion Philadelphia Eagles squad 17-7. Collegian Charlie “Choo-Choo” Johnson powered a decisive offensive on slaught on the Eagles as he ran well and even caught a 35 yard strike from quarterback Eddie LeBaron, who escaped several would be Philly tacklers in the effort to launch the strike down the field. Running back Steve Van Buren punched the ball over the goal line a late run for the Eagle’s only score. Johnson was voted the game’s MVP.
August 11, 1951 – North of the border the NFL’s NY Giants invade Ottawa, Canada and overcome the host Roughriders of the CFL 38-6 in an exhibition game. August 11, 1954 – In more CFL action, the British Columbia Lions play their first game, resulting in a loss to the Montreal Alouettes, 22-0.
August 11, 1969 – The NFL goes into Canadian territory once again as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the NY Giants 17-13 in Montreal in a preseason exhibition.
August 11, 1990 – Football indoors plays a championship as Arena Bowl IV is played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan as the Dallas Texans fall to the home team, Detroit Drive 51-27. Art Schlichter is the MVP of the contest.
Not Yet in the Hall of Fame Birthdays
August 11, 1942 – Otis Taylor was a wide receiver/ flanker that played college ball at Prairie View College.
August 11, 1977 – Cooper Carlisle was a offensive lineman from Florida who played for the Broncos and the Raiders in the NFL for a total of 13 seasons.
August 11, 1967 – Detroit, Michigan – Defensive tackle Mike Lodish formerly of the UCLA Bruins from 1986-89 was born. Mike was the 265th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 1990 NFL Draft and later also played for the Denver Broncos.
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
STEVE BARTKOWSKI
Position: Quarterback
Years: 1972-74
Place of Birth: Des Moines, Iowa
Date of Birth: Nov 12, 1952
Jersey Number: 10
Height: 6-4
Weight: 213
High School: Buchser (Santa Clara, Calif.)
Another legend in a long line of prolific Pac-12 passers, Steve Bartkowski becomes the 16th California Golden Bear to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Bartkowski earned consensus All-America honors by leading the nation in passing with 2,580 yards in 1974. The gunslinger also set school single-season records during his senior campaign by attempting 325 passes and accumulating 2,387 yards of total offense. He was universally named the best quarterback in the West following his senior year after being named team MVP, First Team All-Pac-10, an All-Coast Team selection and the NorCal Player of the Year. His four 300-yard passing games set a school record and still rank among the top five in Golden Bears history.
The first pick of the 1975 NFL Draft, Bartkowski played 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and one year with the Los Angeles Rams. He was named the 1975 NFL Rookie of the Year, appeared in two Pro Bowls and compiled 24,124 career passing yards.
In addition to his football exploits, Bartkowski was an All-American first baseman for the Golden Bears baseball team in 1973. He became a member of the California Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Bartkowski also hosted the outdoors shows Backroad Adventures with Steve Bartkowski on TNN and Suzuki’s Great Outdoors with Steve Bartkowski on ESPN. The Atlanta native serves on the board of directors for multiple organizations and is a member of the Christian Sportsmen Fellowship.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
11 – 3 – 24 – 21 – 29 – 53 – 14 – 44 – 5 – 8 – 21 – 10
August 11, 1907 – St Louis Cardinals pitcher Ed Karger throws a perfect game vs Boston Doves; wins 4-0 in 7 innings at Robison Field, St. Louis
August 11, 1919 – Green Bay Packers football club founded by George Calhoun and Curly Lambeau – named after sponsor Indian Packing Company. As a matter of fact the early Packers jerseys in 1921 had the word “ACME Packers” across the front of them.
August 11, 1926 – Cleveland Indians future Baseball HOF outfielder Tris Speaker hits his 700th double in 7-2 loss to Chicago White Sox at Dunn Field, Cleveland
August 11, 1928 – NY Giants future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell, who would evetually wear Number 11 registered his first MLB victory, a 4-0 shutout of Philadelphia Phillies at the Polo Grounds, NYC
August 11, 1929 – New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth, Number 3 became the first MLB player to hit 500 home runs on a pitch from off Cleveland’s Willis Hudlin in 6-5 loss to the Indians at League Park, Cleveland.
August 11, 1950 – Boston Braves pitcher Vern Bickford, Number 24 tossed a no-hit gem against the Brooklyn Dodgers registering a 7-0 victory for his club at Braves Field
August 11, 1950 – In a 4 for 38 slump, New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio, wearing Number 5 is benched for first time; replacement Cliff Mapes hits a HR in 7-6 win over Philadelphia Athletics
August 11, 1961 – Milwaukee Braves future Baseball HOF pitcher Warren Spahn, Number 21 records career victory #300; beats Cubs, 2-1 at County Stadium, Milwaukee
August 11, 1962 – LA Dodgers protest as San Francisco manager Alvin Dark orders Candlestick Park ground crew to water down base paths to hinder MLB All-Star Maury Wills’ base-stealing attempts; Giants win 5-4
August 11, 1968 – Satchel Paige, Number 29 at the age 62 and needing 158 days on a MLB payroll to qualify for a pension, is signed by Atlanta Braves; doesn’t pitch and becomes coach
August 11, 1969 – Future Baseball HOF’er Don Drysdale, Number 53, the last LA Dodger to play in Brooklyn, retires because of damage to his right pitching shoulder
August 11, 1970 – Future Baseball HOF pitcher Jim Bunning, Number 14 became the 2nd Cy Young Award winner to win 100 games in both NL and AL. In the game the Phillies defeated Houston 6-5 at Astrodome
August 11, 1980 – New York Yankees Reggie Jackson, Number 44 smacked his 400th career home run off of Chicago’s Britt Burns
August 11, 1984 – Cincinnati Reds retire Johnny Bench’s Number 5 uniform
August 11, 1988 – It was worth the wait for catcher Gary Carter, Number 8. It took 225 at bats after he smacked his 299th career home run, that the New York Mets Carter became the 59th MLB player to reach 300 HR milestone.
August 11, 1993 – Red Sox Roger Clemens, Number 21 registered his 2,000th career strike out on Danny Tartabul, Number 45 of the NY Yankees.
August 11, 2021 – Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi, Number 10 confirmed his signing a rich 2-year contract with French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain after leaving FC Barcelona
TV FRIDAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Friday, August 11
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL
5:30 a.m.
FS2 — AFL: Geelong at Collingwood
11:30 p.m.
FS2 — AFL: Gold Coast at Sydney
5:15 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL: Melbourne at Carlton
AUTO RACING
3:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Qualifying, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis
6 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR ARCA Menards Series: The Reese’s 200, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis
9 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: The TSport 200, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
12 p.m.
NBATV — Exhibition: Southern Cal vs. Mega MIS, Mykonos, Greece
FISHING
4 p.m.
CBSSN — SFC: The White Marlin Open, Ocean City, Md.
GOLF
6 a.m.
USA — LPGA: The AIG Women’s Open, Second Round, Walton Heath Old Course, Tadworth, England
2 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The FedEx St. Jude Championship, Second Round, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.
6 p.m.
GOLF — USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur: Quarterfinals, Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash.
10 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Boeing Classic, First Round, The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie, Wash. (Taped)
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — Saratoga Live: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
8 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
1 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Midwest Regional – Championship, Whitestown, Ind.
3 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional, Bristol, Conn.
5 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional, San Bernardino, Calif.
7 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional, Bristol, Conn.
9 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional, San Bernardino, Calif.
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 17, Greenville, N.C.
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 18, Greenville, N.C.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
10 p.m.
SHO — Bellator 298 Main Card: Logan Storley vs. Brennan Ward (Welterweights), Sioux Falls, S.D.
MLB BASEBALL
7 p.m.
NESN — Detroit at Boston
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Atlanta at NY Mets OR Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
7:05 p.m.
APPLETV+ — Chicago Cubs at Toronto
10 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Seattle OR Colorado at LA Dodgers
10:15 p.m.
APPLETV+ — Texas at San Francisco
NFL FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Green Bay at Cincinnati
10 p.m.
NFLN — Preseason: Denver at Arizona
SOCCER (MEN’S)
3 p.m.
USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Burnley
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
3:30 a.m.
FOX — FIFA World Cup: Japan vs. Sweden, Quarterfinal, Auckland, New Zealand
3 a.m. (Saturday)
FOX — FIFA World Cup: Australia vs. France, Quarterfinal, Brisbane, Australia
6:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FOX — FIFA World Cup: England vs. Colombia, Quarterfinal, Sydney
TENNIS
12:30 p.m.
TENNIS — Canadian Open-ATP/WTA Quarterfinals
7 p.m.
TENNIS — Canadian Open-ATP/WTA Quarterfinals
WNBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.
ION — Chicago at New York
10 p.m.ION — Washington at Las Vegas