INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMI-STATE
NORTH
CLASS 4A
AT ELKHART
CROWN POINT (20-5) VS. FISHERS (26-1), 10 A.M.
FORT WAYNE WAYNE (22-3) VS. MISHAWAKA (20-7), 11:45 A.M.
CHAMPIONSHIP, 7:30 P.M.
CLASS 3A
AT LOGANSPORT
PERU (16-10) VS. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (18-9), 10 A.M.
DELTA (22-6) VS. FAIRFIELD (20-6), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
CLASS 2A
AT LAFAYETTE JEFF
NORTH JUDSON (16-9) VS. WAPAHANI (24-2), 10:30 A.M.
WABASH (21-5) VS. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN (21-6), 12:30 P.M.
CHAMPIONSHIP, 7:30 P.M.
CLASS A
AT MICHIGAN CITY
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (17-9) VS. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (12-15), 10 A.M.
ELKHART CHRISTIAN (17-9) VS. FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY (16-9), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 7:30 P.M.
TOP CENTRAL INDIANA TOP SOFTBALL PLAYERS WATCH LIST
EMMA FEGAN, (42RBI, 3HR)….RONCALLI
AVERY CLARK, RONCALLI
CARLEY KELLER, (6-2, 3.62ERA 48K’S, .504, 21RBI)…. RONCALLI
GABBY FOWLER, NOBLESVILLE..…ALL-STATE
HAILEY THOMPSON, BROWNSBURG…. ALL-STATE
KATE MURRAY, (10-4, 2.83ERA, 138K’S, .349BA, 27RBI, 8HR)…. FISHERS…. ALL-STATE
BRYNN MEYER, (.516, 16RBI)…. CENTER GROVE
PAYTON SHIMANSKY (.388, 20RBI)…. CENTER GROVE
RILEY FUHR, (7-1, 35K’S)…. CENTER GROVE
RILEY HENSON, (11-1, 2.34 ERA, 96K’S)…. CENTER GROVE
HANNAH HABERSTROH, CENTER GROVE…. ALL-STATE
ANNA MOORE, CATHEDRAL…. (PURDUE)
SHELBY MESSER, (13-1, 2.71ERA)…. PENDELTON HEIGHTS
KAITLIN GOODWIN, (.337, 10HR, 45RBI) …..PENDLETON HEIGHTS
KIAH HUBBLE, (.413)…. PENDLETON HEIGHTS
MADISON POULSON, (.415, 15RBI, 15SB)….. MOORESVILLE
ZOEY KUGELMAN, (.407, 37RBI, 3HR, 11-0, 1.36ERA, 59K’S) ……MOORESVILLE
SOFIA GUY, (25RBI, 3HR)….. MOORESVILLE
REAGAN BAUER, (10-3, 1.88ERA, 110K’S)…… MOORESVILLE
KATE DOWDEN, (NORTHWESTERN) *INJURED-KNEE SURGERY…. LAWRENCE NORTH, ALL-STATE
ANNA MAUCK, (KENTUCKY)….. LAWRENCE NORTH…. ALL-STATE
GRACE SWEDARSKY, (12-5, 1.35ERA, 242K’S) ……HSE
AUDREY LOWRY, (OKLAHOMA) …..TRI-WEST….. ALL-STATE
CHLOE TANNER, (154K’S, 3.09ERA)…. WESTFIELD
ALLIE BLUM, (16SB) NEW PAL….. ALL-STATE
JERSI GROSS, (9SB)…. NEW PAL
COURTNEY STUDY, (17-2, 2.82 ERA, 63K’S)…. NEW PAL
HANNAH SUTTON, (.404, 47RBI, 15HR)…. AVON
LILLY HEATH, (.446)…. AVON
JAYLEE FANSLER, (29RBI) …..AVON
HANNAH SUTTON, AVON …..ALL-STATE
IZZY NEAL, (32SB)….. BROWNSBURG
HAILEY THOMPSON, BROWNSBURG
LILY ROUSH, (9-3, 1.00 ERA, 182K’S, .381, 26RBI, 112B) …..HAMILTON HEIGHTS
LILLI RINGER, (.443)….. EASTERN HANCOCK
ADDISYN TRACKWELL, (.420)….. EASTERN HANCOCK
SAMANTHA BOLDING, …..EASTERN HANCOCK …..ALL-STATE
BROOKLYN WILLIS, EASTERN HANCOCK…..ALL-STATE
GRACI HINES (4-3, 3.26ERA, 36K’S, INJURY SHORTENED SEASON)….. MT. VERNON
GRACE GREY, CASCADE….. ALL- STATE
MYSTIC MEANS, LUTHERAN….. ALL-STATE
LEYELA MILLER, LUTHERAN….ALL-STATE
MALONE MOORE, BEECH GROVE ……ALL-STATE
MEN’S TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#4 NORTH CAROLINA 92 FLORIDA STATE 67
#2 CONNECTICUT 87 XAVIER 60
#25 TEXAS TECH 81 #20 BYU 67
#18 UTAH STATE 87 FRESNO STATE 75 OT
#6 ARIZONA 70 USC 49
#1 HOUSTON 60 TCU 45
#15 SOUTH CAROLINA 80 ARKANSAS 66
PROVIDENCE 78 #8 CREIGHTON 73
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 74 #11 DUKE 69
#7 IOWA STATE 76 KANSAS STATE 57
DUQUESNE 65 #24 DAYTON 57
#22 WASHINGTON STATE 79 STANFORD 62
COLORADO STATE 85 #23 NEVADA 78
#10 MARQUETTE 71 VILLANOVA 65 OT
#14 BAYLOR 68 CINCINNATI 56
ELSEWHERE:
KENT STATE 67 TOLEDO 59
ST. JOE’S 66 RICHMOND 61
MICHIGAN STATE 77 MINNESOTA 67
EAST CAROLINA 84 TULSA 79
MISSISSIPPI STATE 70 LSU 60
BOWLING GREEN 66 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 56
VCU 73 MASSACHUSETTS 59
ST. JOHN’S 91 SETON HALL 72
PITTSBURGH 81 WAKE FOREST 69
WISCONSIN 87 MARYLAND 56
TEXAS SOUTHERN 73 JACKSON STATE 62
WICHITA STATE 71 MEMPHIS 65
AKRON 75 MIAMI OHIO 63
ST. BONAVENTURE 75 LOYOLA ILLINOIS 74 2
SAN DIEGO STATE 74 UNLV 71 OT
HOWARD 78 MORGAN STATE 65
OREGON 68 UCLA 66
OHIO 82 WESTERN MICHIGAN 55
UTEP 66 LIBERTY 57
OHIO STATE 90 IOWA 78
MARIST 65 NIAGARA 59
TEXAS A&M 80 OLE MISS 71
NORTH TEXAS 81 TULANE 71
DELAWARE STATE 71 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 58
WESTERN KENTUCKY 89 NEW MEXICO STATE 69
ST. PETER’S 50 RIDER 48
INDIANA 61 PENN STATE 59
HAWAII 75 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 68
VIRGINIA 66 BOSTON COLLEGE 60 OT
TEMPLE 75 SMU 60
FLORIDA 85 GEORGIA 80
NEW MEXICO 76 BOISE STATE 66
LONG BEACH STATE 86 UC RIVERSIDE 67
COLORADO 72 UTAH 58
TEXAS ARLINGTON 109 STEPHEN F AUSTIN 78
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCOREBOARD
BOSTON 127 PHOENIX 112
LA CLIPPERS 126 CHICAGO 111
HOUSTON 135 WASHINGTON 119
MILWAUKEE 114 PHILADELPHIA 105
OKLAHOMA CITY 126 DALLAS 119
NEW YORK 105 PORTLAND 93
NHL SCOREBOARD
PITTSBURGH 6 SAN JOSE 3
OTTAWA 3 COLUMBUS 2
BUFFALO 4 NY ISLANDERS 0
CAROLINA 4 FLORIDA 0
TAMPA BAY 6 NY RANGERS 3
BOSTON 2 MONTRÉAL 1 OT
ARIZONA 4 DETROIT 1
TORONTO 6 PHILADELPHIA 2
NEW JERSEY 6 DALLAS 2
MINNESOTA 2 ANAHEIM 0
CALGARY 4 VEGAS 1
WASHINGTON 2 SEATTLE 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
NY METS 0 ST. LOUIS 0
TORONTO 5 MINNESOTA 1
PHILADELPHIA 6 BOSTON 1
TAMPA BAY 3 ATLANTA 1
DETROIT 7 NY YANKEES 0
BALTIMORE 5 PITTSBURGH 2
CHICAGO CUBS 3 OAKLAND 1
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 5 LA ANGELS 1
CLEVELAND 13 COLORADO 7
KANSAS CITY 6 ARIZONA 0
SEATTLE 4 MILWAUKEE 2
WASHINGTON 5 HOUSTON 3
TEXAS 7 CINCINNATI 4
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
PENN STATE 3 UMASS LOWELL 2
BRADLEY 18 BUTLER 5
OHIO STATE 10 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8
NEBRASKA 6 NORTHERN COLORADO 5
SAN DIEGO 3 RUTGERS 2
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
OMAHA 4 PURDUE 3
OHIO STATE 10 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: FRIARS TOPPLE NO. 8 CREIGHTON IN BIG EAST TOURNEY
Big East Player of the Year Devin Carter had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead seventh-seeded Providence to a 78-73 victory over No. 8-ranked Creighton on Thursday in the Big East quarterfinals at New York.
The Friars fended off a late comeback attempt by the second-seeded Bluejays to hang on for the victory. Providence is headed to its second Big East tournament semifinals in three years. The Friars will oppose 10th-ranked and third-seeded Marquette on Friday.
Josh Oduro had 17 points and nine rebounds for Providence, while Jayden Pierre finished with 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
Ryan Kalkbrenner played a key role in the Bluejays’ comeback effort with his play on both ends, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. Trey Alexander also had 19 points for the Bluejays.
No. 1 Houston 60, TCU 45
Emanuel Sharp scored 14 points and Jamal Shead added 12 as the top-ranked Cougars put on a defensive display against the Horned Frogs in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City, Mo.
Houston, the No. 1 seed in the event, advances to play fourth-seeded Texas Tech in Friday’s semifinals. The Cougars’ stifling defense held TCU to just 23.3 percent shooting and 2 of 20 from beyond the arc.
Micah Peavy led the eighth-seeded Horned Frogs with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
No. 2 UConn 87, Xavier 60
Donavan Clingan scored 11 of his 13 points after halftime as the top-seeded Huskies recovered from a slow start to dominate ninth-seeded Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.
Tristen Newton also scored 13 points for the Huskies, who outscored Xavier 53-27 in the final 20 minutes. Alex Karaban, Cam Spencer and Samson Johnson added 12 points apiece and Stephon Castle contributed 10 as the Huskies shot 58.3 percent overall and scored 54 points in the paint.
Xavier finished with a losing record for the first time since 1995-96, when it was in its first season in the Atlantic 10. Quincy Olivari led the Musketeers with 17 points.
No. 4 North Carolina 92, Florida State 67
RJ Davis scored 18 points and Armando Bacot added 14 points and 10 rebounds as the top-seeded Tar Heels cruised past the Seminoles in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals in Washington, D.C.
Cormac Ryan added 14 points and reserve Seth Trimble had 12 points for the Tar Heels, who shot 52.3 percent. Harrison Ingram provided nine points and 10 rebounds. North Carolina will play in Friday night’s first semifinal against fourth-seeded Pitt, which beat No. 3 seed Wake Forest on Thursday.
Primo Spears came off the bench to lead ninth-seeded Florida State with 17 points.
No. 6 Arizona 70, Southern California 49
KJ Lewis scored a team-high 15 points off the bench and the No. 6-ranked Wildcats held the Trojans to their lowest score of the season in a Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal game in Las Vegas.
Oumar Ballo had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his 10th double-double in the past 11 games. Jaden Bradley scored 12, Caleb Love added 11, and Pelle Larsson had 10. No. 1 seed Arizona held the ninth-seeded Trojans to 16 first-half points and 35.7 percent shooting for the game. The Wildcats will play Friday against Oregon, which beat UCLA 68-66 on Thursday night.
Kobe Johnson led the Trojans with 14 points, and Isaiah Collier contributed 13. Boogie Ellis, who was averaging a team-high 16.9 points, shot 2 of 11 from the field and finished with six points before fouling out with 7:25 to go.
No. 7 Iowa State 76, Kansas State 57
Robert Jones led four Cyclones in double figures with 18 points as second-seeded Iowa State defeated the 10th-seeded Wildcats in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
The Cyclones advance to a semifinal against third-seeded and 14th-ranked Baylor. Iowa State also got 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals from Tre King.
Tylor Perry led Kansas State with 18 points. The Wildcats also received 13 points from Arthur Kaluma and 12 from Will McNair Jr.
No. 10 Marquette 71, Villanova 65 (OT)
Kam Jones scored 18 points, David Joplin provided six of his 14 points in overtime and the Golden Eagles survived a challenge from the Wildcats to prevail in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.
The third-seeded Golden Eagles advanced to face seventh-seeded Providence in the semis despite being without Tyler Kolek, last season’s Big East Player of the Year, due to an oblique injury. Stevie Mitchell put up 15 points, Chase Ross scored 11 and Joplin added a team-high eight rebounds for Marquette, which had to play five extra minutes to pull out the win after a would-be game-winning shot was waved off.
Eric Dixon had 19 points and 11 rebounds for sixth-seeded Villanova, which put up a fight one night after barely escaping last-place DePaul. Mark Armstrong tallied 15 points, TJ Bamba had 12 points and Justin Moore finished with four points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
NC State 74, No. 11 Duke 69
DJ Horne scored 18 points and the 10th-seeded Wolfpack continued their surprising run by knocking off the second-seeded Blue Devils to reach the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Washington.
Mohamed Diarra recorded career highs of 14 points and four blocked shots and also had 16 rebounds for the Wolfpack, who won their third game in three days during the tournament. Michael O’Connell scored 12 points for the Wolfpack, who will play Friday against third-seeded Virginia, which beat 11th-seeded Boston College 66-60 on Thursday.
Kyle Filipowski registered 28 points, 14 rebounds and three steals before fouling out for the second-seeded Blue Devils, who lost their second straight game. Mark Mitchell had 18 points and eight rebounds and Tyrese Proctor added 10 points but was just 4 of 16 from the field.
No. 14 Baylor 68, Cincinnati 56
RayJ Dennis scored 13 points for the Bears, who put it all together in the second half to defeat the Bearcats in the quarterfinals in the Big 12 Conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Jalen Bridges and Yves Missi added 12 points each for Baylor, the third seed in the tourney. The Bears made 19 of 22 free throws, outscoring Cincinnati by 12 points at the line.
Dan Skillings Jr. poured in a game-high 15 points for the Bearcats, with Jizzle James and John Newman III adding a dozen apiece.
No. 15 South Carolina 80, Arkansas 66
Collin Murray-Boyles scored 24 points on 11-for-15 shooting and the Gamecocks pulled away from the Razorbacks in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
B.J. Mack added 19 points and nine rebounds for No. 5 seed South Carolina, which earned its fourth win in its past five games. Ta’Lon Cooper added 11 points. The Gamecocks will play No. 4 seed Auburn in the quarterfinals Friday.
Khalif Battle scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 12 seed Arkansas. Makhi Mitchell contributed 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting off the bench for the Razorbacks, who fell short one day after outlasting No. 13 seed Vanderbilt for an overtime win.
No. 18 Utah State 87, Fresno State 75
Great Osobor had 29 points and 17 rebounds to help the top-seeded Aggies beat the ninth-seeded Bulldogs in a Mountain West Conference quarterfinal in Las Vegas.
Darius Brown II finished with 17 points and 11 assists for Utah State, which has won six in a row. The Aggies will play fifth-seeded San Diego State in the semifinals.
Jalen Weaver scored 19 points off the bench, Isaiah Hill had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Isaiah Pope finished with 12 points for Fresno State, which dropped eight of its last nine.
No. 22 Washington State 79, Stanford 62
Isaac Jones led a balanced scoring effort with 16 points as the Cougars advanced to the Pac-12 tournament semifinals with a win over the Cardinal in Las Vegas.
The second-seeded Cougars will play in a semifinal Friday against third-seeded Colorado, which beat sixth-seeded Utah 72-58 on Thursday night. Washington State’s Myles Rice had 14 points, six assists and six rebounds while Jaylen Wells finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Spencer Jones scored 22 points for 10th-seeded Stanford, and Brandon Angel tallied 15 points and six rebounds.
Colorado State 85, No. 23 Nevada 78
Jalen Lake scored 16 points and Isaiah Stevens added 15 as the seventh-seeded Rams upset the second-seeded Wolf Pack in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament in Las Vegas.
Nique Clifford added 14 points and 10 rebounds as Colorado State knocked off the No. 23 team in the nation and strengthened its case for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. In the tournament semifinals Friday, the Rams will face sixth-seeded New Mexico, which beat third-seeded Boise State 76-66 on Thursday night.
Jarod Lucas led Nevada with 18 points, and Kenan Blackshear added 16.
Duquesne 65, No. 24 Dayton 57
Jimmy Clark III scored a team-high 16 points while leading the Dukes to a win over the Flyers in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic-10 tournament Thursday in New York.
Dae Dae Grant added 11 points for sixth-seeded Duquesne , which advances to play St. Bonaventure in the semifinals Saturday. The Dukes won their sixth straight game.
DaRon Holmes II led third-seeded Dayton with 24 points and 13 rebounds. The Flyers, presumably still an at-large NCAA Tournament recipient, will await their seeding Sunday.
No. 25 Texas Tech 81, No. 20 BYU 67
Pop Isaacs scored 22 points as the Red Raiders knocked out the Cougars in a Big 12 quarterfinal game in Kansas City, Mo.
Chance McMillian added 17 points off the bench for the Red Raiders, who face No. 1-ranked Houston in the semifinals on Friday. Houston beat TCU 60-45 on Thursday.
Jaxson Robinson sank four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points for BYU.
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY PARTING WAYS WITH BASKETBALL COACH TRAVIS FORD AFTER EIGHT SEASONS
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Saint Louis University basketball coach Travis Ford is out after eight seasons.
Athletic Director Chris May announced Ford’s ouster Wednesday night, following the Billikens’ season-ending loss to Duquesne in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. SLU finished 13-20 overall and 5-13 in the A-10.
“For eight years, Travis led our men’s basketball program with passion and dignity,” May said in a statement. “This decision was not made lightly.”
Ford was the third-winningest coach in the program’s history, going 146-109, including a 72-64 conference record during his tenure. The Billikens made one NCAA tournament appearance in 2019 and played in the NIT twice.
“It is our expectation to regularly compete for conference championships and play in the NCAA Tournament,” May said. “Unfortunately, we have not met these expectations the last several years. We thank Travis for his dedication to SLU and wish him the best in the future.”
Ford didn’t comment directly on his job status after the loss to Duquesne, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. But he noted that he had “a good 27 years and won a lot of games, developed a lot of relationships.
REPORT: VANDERBILT PARTING WAYS WITH JERRY STACKHOUSE
Vanderbilt plans to sever ties with men’s basketball coach Jerry Stackhouse, CBS Sports reported Thursday.
The former NBA star’s buyout figure with the Commodores is believed to be more than $15 million, per the report.
Vanderbilt finished 9-23 this season, including 4-14 in the Southeastern Conference. The season ended Wednesday night with a 90-85 overtime loss to Arkansas in the first round of the SEC tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
Stackhouse, 49, has compiled a record of 70-92 (28-60 SEC) in five seasons at Vanderbilt with two appearances in the NIT (2022, 2023). The Commodores have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2017.
Stackhouse was asked about his future with Vanderbilt following Wednesday’s loss to the Razorbacks.
“We’re going to sit down and talk after the season, like we always do,” he said. “I think obviously it’s been a long season, not the season that we hoped for. Again, I’m so proud of my guys, so proud of how they competed and how they’ve grown. But we understand it’s a results business. The results haven’t been there. Obviously there’s some context behind those results. At the end of the day, I understand that. We have to take accountability for that. We’ll sit down and we’ll discuss that, we’ll figure out the best way going forward.”
Stackhouse was an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies before taking the reins at Vanderbilt in 2019-20.
Stackhouse was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft out of North Carolina and became a two-time All-Star during 18 seasons with eight teams. He averaged 16.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds across 970 games (564 starts).
REPORT: OKLAHOMA STATE FIRES MIKE BOYNTON AFTER 7 SEASONS
Oklahoma State fired men’s basketball coach Mike Boynton after seven seasons, ESPN reported Thursday.
The Cowboys finished 12-20 overall and 4-14 in the Big 12 this season, which ended Tuesday with a 77-62 loss to UCF in the first round of the conference tournament. Oklahoma State lost its last six games and eight of 10.
Boynton, 42, leaves Stillwater with a 119-109 record (51-75 Big 12) that included 20-win seasons in 2017-18, 2020-21 and 2022-23.
The Cowboys made the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed before losing in the second round. They played in the NIT in 2018 and 2023.
It was the first head coaching job for Boynton, who was an assistant for former Cowboys coach Brad Underwood in 2016-17. He was previously an assistant at Stephen F. Austin, his alma mater South Carolina, Wofford and Coastal Carolina.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CAITLIN CLARK HEADS NAISMITH AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
The 10 semifinalists for the women’s Naismith Award, given to the top player in college basketball each season, were revealed Thursday, with the result expected to be a foregone conclusion.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the 2023 winner of the honor, stands out among the Division I players who were recognized by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Also named finalists were Paige Bueckers (UConn), Cameron Brink (Stanford), Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech), Angel Reese (LSU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kamilla Cardoso (South Carolina), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), JuJu Watkins (Southern California) and Jacy Sheldon (Ohio State).
The 10 Naismith Coach of the Year semifinalists also were named, including Iowa’s Lisa Bluder. Other semifinalists included Jennie Baranczyk (Oklahoma), Kenny Brooks (Virginia Tech), Lisa Fortier (Gonzaga), Lindsay Gottlieb (Southern California), Felisha Legette-Jack (Syracuse), Kevin McGuff (Ohio State), Vic Shaefer (Texas), Dawn Staley (South Carolina) and Tara VanDerveer (Stanford).
Staley has won the coaches’ award in three of the past four seasons, including the past two.
Clark is a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year and stands out again this season by leading the nation with 31.9 points per game. Her exploits have led Iowa to score 92.8 points per game, also the best in the nation.
Clark not only became the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader this season, among women and men, she set the Division I record for 3-pointers in a season and the Big Ten record in assists.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
MAJORITY OF U.S. ADULTS ARE AGAINST COLLEGE ATHLETES JOINING UNIONS, ACCORDING TO AP-NORC SURVEY
As Dartmouth men’s basketball players move toward forming the first labor union in college sports, a majority of Americans say they are against college athletes unionizing — though younger respondents are more supportive.
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most adults, 55%, believe NCAA athletes should not be permitted to form unions that would allow them as employees to collectively bargain with their schools.
But younger Americans, Democrats and Independents are more open to unionization. About 6 in 10 adults under the age of 45 support allowing college athletes to form unions. That drops to 36% among those between the ages of 45-59 and 23% of adults ages 60 and older.
Across party lines, 56% of Democrats and about half of Independents say athletes should be permitted to form unions. Only 23% of Republicans are supportive.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, a former major college football coach and a harsh critic of unions in general, said athletes unionizing would “absolutely kill college sports.”
“You know, the last time I looked, they’re not employees. These students are student-athletes. And if you want the federal government involved and ruin something, you try to make the student-athletes employees,” said Tuberville, who has sponsored a college sports bill that would block employee status.
NCAA President Charlie Baker and other college sports leaders have been lobbying Congress for several years, asking for a federal law to regulate the way athletes can be compensated for use of their names, images and likenesses.
Tuberville and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia have sponsored one of several bills addressing NIL and other college sports reforms that have been put forth in both the House and Senate over the past four years. None have gotten any traction, with lawmakers focused on more pressing matters.
More recently, the emphasis from college sports leaders has shifted to NCAA antitrust protections that would prevent athletes from being deemed employees, thanks to looming lawsuits.
Baker and others contend the vast majority of the 1,100 NCAA member schools could not afford to treat their athletes as employees and would sponsor fewer teams if athletes were categorized this way.
According to the AP-NORC poll, 55% of non-white adults support college athletes being permitted to form unions. Only 34% of white adults say that unions should be permitted for college athletes.
“This country is not based on unions, but when unions got started, it secured everybody’s position in whatever their profession was, so to speak, especially the blue collars,” said 62-year-old Eric McWilliams, a Black man from Pennsylvania who’s been a part of a union and participated in the poll. “These college athletes aren’t making millions of dollars like the pros are. They have nothing really to fall back on. If they get injured, it’s over.”
Last month, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled Dartmouth’s men’s basketball players qualified for employee status, paving the way for team members to vote if they it wanted to join a union.
On March 5, the players voted 13-2 to join Service Employees International Union Local 560, which already represents some Dartmouth workers. The school has asked for a review — essentially appealing the regional director’s initial ruling — which could result in a lengthy process to determine if Dartmouth will ever be required to negotiate with the players.
Still, it was a significant milestone for those who have been advocating for some — if not all — college athletes to be recognized as employees and receive a greater share of the revenue that college football and basketball generate for schools and conferences that compete at the highest levels.
The media and marketing rights for the NCAA men’s Division I basketball tournament, which begins next week, generated $945 million in revenue for the association and its member schools last year.
“Now it’s time for the colleges to stop wasting their time and money fighting athletes in court and lobbying Congress to roll back athletes’ rights, and instead start negotiating with athletes on revenue-sharing, health and safety protections, and more,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said.
The survey found 53% of U.S. adults say colleges and universities with major athletic programs should provide athletes with a share of any revenue received from broadcast rights. However, less than half support giving athletes additional spending money, a salary or exemptions from certain academic courses that they need to graduate.
“I think that really the credit towards progress has always gone to athletes,” said Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the advocacy group the National College Players Association, which has pushed for college athletes in revenue-generating programs to be deemed employees. “This is brick by brick by brick.”
Huma helped organize a labor movement among Northwestern football players in 2015 that started similarly to the one at Dartmouth, with a regional NLRB director ruling the players could vote to join a union. The initial ruling was eventually dismissed.
In the Dartmouth case, the players appeared to be acting on their own, though college sports leaders, including Baker, have said repeatedly the majority of athletes they interact with do not want to be employees of their schools.
Isaac Vance is a former college football at Kent State who served on the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years before ending his college career this past season.
Vance told AP recently that he fears a more professionalized model of college athletics that includes employee status, labor unions and collective bargaining would end up hurting college athletes.
“It just gets rid of the scholastic model that … so many great experiences have been built off of and then it turns into a semi-pro league, and truthfully at that point, it really becomes — especially in football, basketball — pay-for-play and also becomes a business,” Vance said.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: THUNDER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SHORT-HANDED MAVS
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Dallas Mavericks 126-119 on Thursday.
The Mavericks were without superstar Luka Doncic, who experienced left hamstring soreness in Dallas’ win over Golden State on Wednesday. Dallas had its four-game winning streak end.
Jalen Williams returned after missing the Thunder’s loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday with an ankle sprain. Williams finished with 27 points, including an emphatic dunk in the final minute that put the game away.
Without Doncic, the Mavericks had to rely on Kyrie Irving for much of their offense, and he nearly lifted them to a win. Irving had 36 points and 12 assists while committing four turnovers. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 points off the bench for Dallas, while Gafford finished with 19 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and 15 rebounds.
Rockets 135, Wizards 119
Jalen Green scored a season-high 37 points as Houston rolled over visiting Washington for a sixth win in seven games.
Green shot 15 for 23 from the floor, drilled five 3-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds. He was the focal point of a balanced offensive attack that yielded six scorers in double figures, including rookie Amen Thompson (20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals) and Fred VanVleet, who paired 27 points with nine assists.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 25 points — including 13 in the third — while Deni Avdija added 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 23 points.
Celtics 127, Suns 112
Jaylen Brown made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 37 points to help Boston extend its winning streak to four games with a victory against visiting Phoenix.
Jayson Tatum added 26 for Boston, which shot 25 of 50 from behind the 3-point arc. Al Horford tossed in six 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 24 points. The Celtics also received 10 assists and nine points from Jrue Holiday.
The Suns received 22 points from Bradley Beal plus 20 from both Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen. Jusuf Nurkic collected 20 rebounds, the top single-game total for a Celtics opponent this season.
Bucks 114, 76ers 105
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee over visiting Philadelphia.
Brook Lopez added 19 points for the Bucks, while Damian Lillard scored 17 points and dished out a game-high nine assists. AJ Green poured in 14 points off the bench. Milwaukee had lost three of its previous four games.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting. Tobias Harris put up 15, Cam Payne added 13 against his former team and Kyle Lowry contributed 12. The Sixers took their fifth loss in six games.
Clippers 126, Bulls 111
Paul George scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard added 27 to lead five players in double figures and boost visiting Los Angeles to a win against Chicago.
Los Angeles shot 60 percent compared to 47.7 percent for Chicago. George sparked the attack with an 11-for-12 effort, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Leonard, who was questionable before the game after back spasms kept him out of the final three quarters of Tuesday’s loss to Minnesota, went 12-for-17.
DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points to lead Chicago. Nikola Vucevic followed with 19 and Alex Caruso had 17 points, including five treys. Andre Drummond contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.
Knicks 105, Trail Blazers 93
Jalen Brunson scored 45 points and New York cruised past host Portland for its third win in four games.
Brunson was 14 of 30 from the field and 15 of 17 from the free-throw line while posting the 10th regular-season 40-point outing of his career. OG Anunoby added 12 points and nine rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo also scored 12 for New York.
Deandre Ayton recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double for the Trail Blazers, who went 2-4 on a six-game homestand. Dalano Banton added 16 points and four steals and Scoot Henderson had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Portland.
NFL NEWS
BENGALS BOLSTER DEFENSE, ADD SHELDON RANKINS AND VONN BELL, AP SOURCES SAY
The Cincinnati Bengals have bolstered their defense by agreeing on contracts with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and safety Vonn Bell, two people familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deals haven’t been finalized.
Rankins gets a $26 million, two-year deal. He had six sacks in 2023 in his only season with Houston. Rankins spent his first five seasons in New Orleans and two with the Jets before going to the Texans.
Bell receives a one-year, $6 million contract to return to Cincinnati after one season in Carolina. Bell spent three seasons with the Bengals after starting his career in New Orleans.
TITANS TO ADD LB KENNETH MURRAY, CB CHIDOBE AWUZIE
Linebacker Kenneth Murray and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Murray, a former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, signed a two-year, $18 million contract according to ESPN and NFL Network. He had 321 tackles in four seasons with the Chargers.
Awuzie played 32 games in three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he lined up across from coordinator Brian Callahan’s offense in practice. Callahan was named Titans head coach in January.
The Titans have had multiple swings and misses on cornerbacks in recent years in the draft and free agency.
Awuzie’s three-year deal is worth $25.5 million and runs through 2026, ESPN reported.
Awuzie was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 and left to join the Bengals as a free agent in 2021. He recovered from a torn ACL in 2022 to rejoin the Bengals in time for training camp last summer.
BEARS ACQUIRE WR KEENAN ALLEN FROM CHARGERS
The Chicago Bears acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick.
Allen, 31, was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl in 2023 when he had a career-high 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. However, he is entering the last season of a four-year contract and was scheduled to receive a $5 million roster bonus on Sunday.
The move continues the Bears’ offensive revamp this offseason. Chicago recently added former Chargers tight end Gerald Everett, who agreed to a two-year deal, and running back D’Andre Swift, who signed a three-year contract.
Allen, who was drafted 76th overall by the Chargers in 2013, provides a significant threat to the Bears’ passing game. He has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards six times in his career and 100 receptions five times.
“What Keenan Allen has meant to the Chargers for more than a decade cannot adequately be expressed through mere words,” Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said in a statement. “Keenan’s impact lives in the hearts of our fans, in the communities which he has served and amongst the countless teammates who have formed a brotherhood with him.
“There will only be one Keenan Allen, and we cannot thank him enough for the contributions he has made to our organization both on and off the field.”
Allen has played in 139 games in his career and has 904 receptions for 10,530 yards and 59 touchdowns in 11 seasons.
REPORTS: CHIEFS ADDING SPEEDY WR ‘HOLLYWOOD’ BROWN
The Kansas City Chiefs are adding Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in their bid to upgrade their wide receiver corps, multiple reports indicated late Thursday night.
The one-year contract is worth up to $11 million.
The speedy Brown, a five-year NFL veteran who spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, had his best season in 2021, his third year with the Baltimore Ravens. As quarterback Lamar Jackson’s top target, he had 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns.
The Ravens traded him to Arizona in 2022. He caught 67 passes for 709 yards and three touchdowns that season.
Last season, he slipped to 51 receptions for a career-low 574 yards and four scores.
While the Chiefs are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories, the team has appeared to lack a deep threat receiver for quarterback Patrick Mahomes since Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins after the 2021 season.
In 72 games, with 65 starts, Brown has 313 catches for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns.
RAVENS RELEASE WR ODELL BECKHAM JR.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is a free agent following his release by the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens signed Beckham to a one-year, $15 million contract last April that included automatically voidable seasons, which allowed them to spread his $11.068 salary cap charges over multiple seasons.
By designating Beckham as a post-June 1 release, the dead cap money can be split between 2024 and 2025.
Beckham, 31, appeared in 14 games (six starts) last season for the Ravens. He caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season and added four receptions for 34 yards in the playoffs.
The Ravens likely are to put an increased emphasis on the run in 2023 after signing free agent Derrick Henry, who has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in five of the past six seasons. That includes 2,027 yards in 2020.
Should Beckham play in 2024, it will be his fifth stop. The New York Giants selected him No. 12 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, and he also played for the Cleveland Browns (2019-21), Los Angeles Rams (2021) and Ravens.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Beckham missed the 2022 season as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in the Rams’ win in Super Bowl LVI.
Beckham has 566 career receptions for 7,932 receiving yards and 59 touchdowns in 110 games (97 starts).
JETS REACH 2-YEAR, $17.25M DEAL WITH LB C.J. MOSLEY
The New York Jets and linebacker C.J. Mosley agreed to a new two-year, $17.25 million contract, ESPN reported Thursday.
The deal includes $13.25 million guaranteed, including $9 million in 2024. It replaces the final year of his previous contract that had no remaining guarantees, per the report.
Mosley, 31, led the Jets in tackles for the third straight season with 152 in 17 starts in 2023, adding a pair of forced fumbles and one interception.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection has 1,066 tackles, 12 sacks, 12 interceptions and 10 forced fumbles in 129 games (all starts) with the Baltimore Ravens (2014-18) and Jets. The Ravens drafted him with the 17th pick in 2014.
New York announced Thursday it had re-signed offensive lineman Jake Hanson. Terms were not disclosed for the 26-year-old restricted free agent, who made four starts for the Jets in 2023.
REPORT: FALCONS TRADE RIDDER TO CARDINALS FOR MOORE
The Atlanta Falcons are trading quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals after signing Kirk Cousins in free agency, a source told CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Atlanta will receive wideout Rondale Moore in return, Jones reports.
Ridder started 13 games in 2023 but played in two additional contests. The 24-year-old was benched twice in favor of veteran Taylor Heinicke during the Falcons’ 7-10 campaign.
The 2022 third-rounder finished the season with 2,836 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He added 193 yards and five scores on the ground but had 12 fumbles.
Ridder owns an 8-9 record as a starter through two NFL seasons. He has completed 64% of his passes and posted an 84.1 passer rating.
Moore, meanwhile, has 1,450 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in 39 career games. The 2021 second-round pick has also contributed in the return game with 182 yards on 22 punt returns and 291 yards on 13 kick returns.
Moore is the latest weapon that the Falcons have added since signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal reportedly worth $180 million. Atlanta also reportedly agreed to a three-year, $39-million pact with wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
NEW RAVENS RB DERRICK HENRY HUNGRY TO PROVE HIS WORTH
Derrick Henry admitted he’s been angling to play in Baltimore longer than a few days, so he described himself as thankful the Ravens signed him to a two-year deal in free agency this week.
“It’s going to be fun this year, for sure,” Henry said Thursday after making his contract official.
The Tennessee Titans opted to change directions at running back, signing Dallas Cowboys free agent Tony Pollard to fill Henry’s spot under new coach Brian Callahan.
But the Ravens have been “chasing Derrick Henry for awhile,” according to general manager Eric DeCosta. Even Henry thought he was headed to Baltimore in the middle of last season.
“We tried to trade for Derrick before the (2023) trade deadline. We thought there was a reasonable chance,” DeCosta said. “When you evaluate the tape, watch the player, see the history of the player … it made all the sense in the world for us.”
Henry is the NFL’s active leading rusher with 9,502 yards and has six consecutive seasons with at least 10 rushing touchdowns.
This season, the 30-year-old will slot in alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson for the team that led the NFL in rushing in 2023.
Henry said “let them keep talking” when asked about playing the position at his age, generally considered the point of imminent decline for NFL running backs.
“Tell them to keep watching,” Henry said.
BRONCOS CONFIRM 3-YEAR DEAL WITH S BRANDON JONES
The Denver Broncos confirmed the signing of former Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones to a three-year deal on Thursday.
Terms were not disclosed, but earlier reports put the value at $20 million — up to $22.5 million with incentives — with $12.5 million guaranteed.
Jones played in 16 games (six starts) with Miami in 2023 and contributed two interceptions, four passes defensed and 48 tackles.
Jones, who turns 26 next month, was drafted in the fourth round by Miami in 2020 and tallied three interceptions, four forced fumbles, eight sacks and 238 tackles in 54 games (30 starts).
“Truly wouldn’t trade these last 4 years for anything. Forever grateful for the Dolphins organization for taking a chance on a kid from Nacogdoches, Texas that wanted nothing more than to live out his childhood dreams of playing in the NFL. Denver … LFG,” Jones posted Monday on X, confirming the move.
REPORTS: TE HAYDEN HURST TO SIGN WITH CHARGERS
Tight end Hayden Hurst plans to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
The Carolina Panthers released the 30-year-old veteran this month, avoiding a $1.85 million roster bonus.
Hurst finished the 2023 season on injured reserve following complications after sustaining a concussion.
He caught 18 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown in nine games (eight starts) prior to the injury on Nov. 9.
Hurst reportedly was diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia and went through a slow recovery before clearing concussion protocol in early January.
Hurst spent his first two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, who selected him No. 25 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, followed by two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has 195 catches for 1,902 yards and 15 touchdowns in 79 games (39 starts).
HOCKEY NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: BRAYDEN POINT’S 6 POINTS LEAD LIGHTNING PAST RANGERS
Brayden Point netted his fourth career hat trick during a career-high six-point night as the Tampa Bay Lightning roared back in the third period against the visiting New York Rangers, topping the visitors 6-3 on Thursday night.
Point produced three goals and three assists as the Lightning stormed back from a 3-2 third-period deficit with four unanswered goals.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov scored an empty-net goal and posted four assists. Steven Stamkos and Anthony Duclair also scored, Victor Hedman managed two helpers and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots as the Lightning improved to 5-2-1 in their past eight games.
New York received a goal and an assist from Jack Roslovic while Artemi Panarin and Braden Schneider also tallied, but the Rangers had their three-game winning streak end. Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves.
Hurricanes 4, Panthers 0
Evgeny Kuznetsov notched his first goal since joining Carolina in a victory against Eastern Conference-leading Florida in Raleigh, N.C.
Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes, who won for the fourth time in five games. Jaccob Slavin had two assists.
The Panthers lost for just the second time in 10 games despite 31 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. Florida suffered its sixth shutout of the season.
Coyotes 4, Red Wings 1
Clayton Keller and Nick Bjugstad each had a goal and an assist and visiting Arizona handed Detroit its seventh consecutive loss.
Logan Cooley and Michael Carcone had the other goals for the Coyotes, who defeated the Red Wings for the second time in less than a week. They blanked Detroit 4-0 in Arizona on Friday with Connor Ingram making 28 saves.
Detroit’s slide is its longest since a 10-game losing streak during November and December 2019. Lucas Raymond scored the Red Wings’ lone goal, while Alex Lyon made 23 saves.
Senators 3, Blue Jackets 2 (SO)
Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle each scored in the third period and again in the shootout to lift visiting Ottawa to a victory against Columbus.
Anton Forsberg made 35 saves for the Senators, who had lost seven of eight.
Boone Jenner and Alexander Nylander scored, Johnny Gaudreau had two assists and Elvis Merzlikins made 35 saves for the Blue Jackets, who blew a 2-0 third-period lead and lost for the fourth time in the past five games.
Sabres 4, Islanders 0
Victor Olofsson, Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson scored within a five-minute span in the second period as Buffalo blanked New York and inched closer to an Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
The 18-year-old Benson capped his first multi-goal game by adding an empty-netter late in the third for the Sabres, who haven’t made the playoffs in an NHL-record 12 consecutive seasons but closed within three points of the Islanders and Detroit Red Wings in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 21 shots he faced for the Sabres, who tied a season high by winning their third straight game. Ilya Sorokin recorded 33 saves for the Islanders, who have been blanked in consecutive losses after a season-high six-game winning streak.
Wild 2, Ducks 0
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 16 shots he faced and the Minnesota Wild held on for a 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Zach Bogosian and Kirill Kaprizov each scored a goal for the Wild, who improved to 5-0-1 in their past six games. Minnesota has not lost in regulation since March 2.
Anaheim was shut out for the seventh time this season and the first time since Feb. 13. The Ducks dropped their fourth consecutive game and fell to 1-5-0 in their last six.
Flames 4, Golden Knights 1
Blake Coleman scored twice, Yegor Sharangovich collected one goal and one assist and host Calgary rode four third-period goals to a victory over Vegas.
Matt Coronato also scored for the Flames, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf made 28 saves, and Dryden Hunt collected two assists.
Anthony Mantha scored for the Golden Knights, who saw their two-game winning streak end. Adin Hill stopped 33 shots.
Penguins 6, Sharks 3
Rookie John Ludvig had the go-ahead goal in the third plus an assist as Pittsburgh downed visiting San Jose.
Noel Acciari, Jeff Carter, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust also scored, and Drew O’Connor and Pierre-Olivier Joseph each had two assists for the Penguins, who had lost four straight (0-3-1). Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry made 29 saves.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Klim Kostin each had a goal and an assist, Fabian Zetterlund also scored, and Mikael Granlund added two assists for the Sharks, who are on a 1-9-2 slide. San Jose goaltender Magnus Chrona made 25 saves.
Capitals 2, Kraken 1
Connor McMichael scored on a breakaway at 11:36 of the third period, breaking a tie and giving Washington a victory against host Seattle.
T.J. Oshie, playing in front of his hometown fans, also scored for the Capitals and goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves. Washington snapped a two-game skid, winning for the first time on its five-game Western swing. The Capitals pulled within one point of the New York Islanders and Detroit in the chase for the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored and goalie Joey Daccord stopped 21 of 23 shots for the Kraken, who fell to 0-2-1 on their five-game homestand and dropped to sixth in the Western Conference’s wild-card race.
Bruins 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
Jake DeBrusk scored the game-winning goal 25 seconds into overtime as Boston beat host Montreal.
Danton Heinen scored his fourth goal against Montreal this season, helping Boston go 3-0-1 against the Canadiens. Linus Ullmark made 18 saves as the Bruins logged their third victory in four games.
Nick Suzuki scored Montreal’s lone goal, and Sam Montembeault stopped 22 shots.
Maple Leafs 6, Flyers 2
Tyler Bertuzzi, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Pontus Holmberg and Timothy Liljegren each had one goal and one assist to lift Toronto past host Philadelphia.
Matthew Knies contributed one goal for the Maple Leafs. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves.
Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster scored one goal each for the Flyers. Philadelphia goaltender Samuel Ersson allowed three goals in the first period and was then replaced by Felix Sandstrom, who allowed three more in the final two periods.
Devils 6, Stars 2
Jake Allen made 35 saves in his New Jersey debut and the visiting Devils beat Dallas.
Timo Meier and Chris Tierney each had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who scored three goals in the first 5:12 of the second period. Allen, acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, allowed goals on two of the first three shots he faced, but shut out the Stars over the final two periods, making 30 saves.
Wyatt Johnston and Craig Smith scored for the Stars, who have lost two in a row after winning five straight. Oettinger was pulled after allowing four goals on 10 shots. Scott Wedgewood stopped eight of the 10 shots he faced.
BASEBALL NEWS
BRAVES SIGN OF ADAM DUVALL TO ONE-YEAR, $3M CONTRACT
Outfielder Adam Duvall rejoined the Atlanta Braves on a one-year, $3 million contract Thursday.
The 35-year-old free agent spent parts of five seasons in Atlanta before suiting up for Boston in 2023.
Duvall batted .247 with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs in 92 games with the Red Sox.
He is a career .232 hitter with 184 homers and 536 RBIs in 922 games with five teams, including Atlanta (2018-22).
Duvall set career highs with 38 home runs and a National League-best 113 RBIs during a 2021 campaign split between the Braves (55 games) and Miami Marlins (91 games).
He was a 2016 All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds and won a Gold Glove and a World Series with Atlanta in 2021.
REPORTS: BREWERS CLOSER DEVIN WILLIAMS (BACK) OUT 3 MONTHS
Brewers closer Devin Williams will be sidelined for about three months with two stress fractures in his back, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The two-time All-Star pitched through soreness in his back last September and made only two appearances this spring, allowing four runs on two hits and four walks in 1 1/3 innings.
Williams, 29, went 8-3 with a career-high 36 saves and a 1.53 ERA in 61 relief appearances in 2023, striking out 87 batters in 58 2/3 innings.
The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year and two-time NL reliever of the year (2020, 2023) is 26-10 with 54 saves and a 1.89 ERA in 219 career games (zero starts) with Milwaukee.
Following an initial MRI in Arizona, Williams was examined Wednesday in California by spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, per multiple reports.
Williams and the Brewers avoided arbitration this offseason and settled on a one-year, $7.25 million contract in November. The deal includes a club option for 2025 that would raise his annual salary to $10.5 million.
With Williams out until midseason, candidates to fill the closer’s role include right-handers Bryce Wilson and Joel Payamps (each three saves in 2023), Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill.
BREWERS WILL OPEN SEASON WITHOUT THEIR ALL-STAR CLOSER. DEVIN WILLIAMS HAS STRESS FRACTURES IN BACK
PHOENIX (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers will open the season without All-Star closer Devin Williams, who won’t throw for six weeks and could miss at least three months while recovering from two stress fractures in his back.
Williams pitched through back soreness at the end of last season, when the Brewers were NL Central champions. The right-hander was feeling discomfort again this spring, and after an initial MRI in Arizona, was examined Wednesday by Dr. Robert Watkins in California. Watkins, a leading spine specialist, diagnosed the fractures.
“My understanding is it’s going to be six weeks of no throw just to shut him down, and then Devin will determine the pace beyond that,” Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Thursday. “We just want to be extra cautious with him, and make sure he gets the good treatment that he needs.”
Williams told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a story posted online Thursday that there was a difference in the initial diagnosis and what Watkins saw when the pitcher went for a second opinion.
After the MRI by the team, new Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated there was no reason for concern, telling reporters Sunday, “Felt like he could move forward with it and just treat it. … Give him some time off.”
GUARDIANS RELIEVER TREVOR STEPHAN TO UNDERGO UCL RECONSTRUCTION
The Cleveland Guardians’ pitching depth has taken a hit, with a pair of right-handers expected to miss the 2024 season.
Reliever Trevor Stephan has been bothered by discomfort to his pitching elbow and bony edema. With the symptoms ongoing, it was determined by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Keith Meister — the latter the team physician of the Texas Rangers and an expert in Tommy John surgery — that Stephan’s ulnar collateral ligament wasn’t “providing adequate stability,” the team said in a news release.
“As a result of these opinions, Stephan will undergo UCL reconstruction in the next 7-to-14 days,” the team said. “Our collective hope is that by addressing this issue surgically, he will be able to return to his prior level of performance and durability.”
The team did not label the procedure as Tommy John surgery or announce a timetable for his return.
Also visiting ElAttrache was right-hander Daniel Espino, a top pitching prospect who underwent surgery Wednesday to address injuries to his shoulder capsule and rotator cuff. ElAttrache performed the procedure in Los Angeles.
Espino is not expected to pitch this season. He missed the 2023 season due to shoulder surgery and last pitched in 2022 at Double-A Akron, throwing in only four games.
Espino, 23, was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2019, taken No. 24 overall.
Stephan, 28, was expected to be the set-up man this season for All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase. In three seasons in Cleveland, Stephan is 16-13 with a 3.73 ERA and six saves in 180 relief appearances. He has 232 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings.
In 2023, Stephan was 7-7 with a 4.06 ERA and two saves in 71 games.
WHITE SOX RHP MICHAEL KOPECH TO OPEN SEASON IN BULLPEN
One day after right-hander Dylan Cease was traded to the San Diego Padres, more changes were set in motion for the Chicago White Sox’s pitching staff with right-hander Michael Kopech set to start the season in the bullpen.
Kopech’s new role, after starting in 52 of the 55 games he appeared in the past two seasons, was announced by general manager Chris Getz on Thursday.
In three appearances this spring, all starts, Kopech had a 7.71 ERA in just seven innings. He had 10 strikeouts but also walked six batters.
In 30 appearances (27 starts) last season, Kopech was 5-12 with a 5.43 ERA. In four seasons with Chicago, he is 15-25 with a 4.33 ERA in 103 appearances (60 starts). In 2021, Kopech made 40 of his 44 appearances as a reliever.
Cease was traded to the Padres on Wednesday for a group of highly regarded prospects in right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte and outfielder Samuel Zavala. Right-handed reliever Steven Wilson also was acquired in the deal.
CARDINALS CF TOMMY EDMAN SHUT DOWN, IL STINT EXPECTED
St. Louis Cardinals projected starting center fielder Tommy Edman is expected to start the regular season on the injured list with continued wrist discomfort.
Edman, 28, had inflammation in his right wrist last season and underwent surgery in October. He will not participate in any hitting activity for at least a week, according to manager Oliver Marmol.
Able to play all over the field on defense, Edman has been used mostly as a second baseman in the major leagues but played 42 games in center field last season. He was expected to get a permanent outfield role with Masyn Winn and Brandon Crawford set to take over at shortstop.
In 596 career games, all with the Cardinals over the past five seasons, Edman is a .265 hitter with 53 home runs and 222 RBIs. He won a Gold Glove Award at second base in 2021.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST PREVIEW CAPSULES
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
2023: 100-62, first place, lost to Arizona in Division Series.
Manager: Dave Roberts (ninth season).
Opening Day: March 20 vs. San Diego in Seoul, South Korea.
He’s Here: DH Shohei Ohtani, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Tyler Glasnow, OF Teoscar Hernández, LHP James Paxton, INF/OF Kiké Hernández, INF Andre Lipcius.
He’s Outta Here: LHP Julio Urías, RHP Lance Lynn, DH J.D. Martinez, OF David Peralta, RHP Ryan Pepiot, LHP Caleb Ferguson, RHP Yency Almonte, LHP Victor González, RHP Wander Suero, INF Michael Busch, OF Jonny DeLuca, LHP Bryan Hudson.
Top Hitters: 1B Freddie Freeman (.331, 29 HRs, 102 RBIs, .976 OPS, 59 doubles), SS/2B Mookie Betts (.307, 33, 103, .893 OPS, 40 doubles), DH Shohei Ohtani (.304, 44, 95, 1.066 OPS, 91 BBs with Angels), C Will Smith (.261, 19, 76, .797 OPS), OF James Outman (.248, 23, 70, .790 OPS), OF Jason Heyward (.269, 15, 40, .813 OPS).
Projected Rotation: RH Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17-6, 1.16 ERA, 176 Ks, 2 CGs in Japan), RH Tyler Glasnow (10-7, 3.53 with Rays), RH Bobby Miller (11-4, 3.76), LH James Paxton (7-5, 4.50 with Boston), RH Emmet Sheehan (4-1, 4.92).
Key Relievers: RH Evan Phillips (2-4, 2.05, 24 saves), RH Brusdar Graterol (4-2, 1.20, 7 saves), LH Alex Vesia (2-5, 4.35, 1 save), RH Ryan Brasier (3-0, 3.02, 2 saves with Red Sox and Dodgers).
Outlook: After winning 100 games for the fourth consecutive full season and getting swept by Arizona in their NL Division Series, the Dodgers are favorites to win the World Series with the pricey additions of Ohtani ($700 million) and Yamamoto ($325 million). Ohtani will be limited to DH duties while not pitching this season as he recovers from right elbow surgery last fall. Betts, Ohtani and Freeman give the Dodgers a monstrous offensive punch at the top of the lineup. Betts will start the season at shortstop, leaving right field to Heyward. Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler won’t be on the opening-day roster while recovering from left shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery, respectively. But there’s plenty of strong arms to replace them. Glasnow and Yamamoto both had solid performances early in spring training. Miller returns for his sophomore season along with Sheehan, and Paxton also provides pitching depth.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
2023: 84-78, second place, lost to Texas in World Series.
Manager: Torey Lovullo (eighth season).
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Colorado.
He’s Here: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 3B Eugenio Suárez, OF/DH Joc Pederson, OF/DH Randal Grichuk.
He’s Outta Here: 3B Evan Longoria, OF/DH Tommy Pham.
Top Hitters: 1B Christian Walker (.258, 33 HRs, 103 RBIs, .830 OPS), 2B Ketel Marte (.275, 25, 82), OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.261, 24, 82), OF Corbin Carroll (.285, 25, 76, 54 SBs), C Gabriel Moreno (.284, 7, 50), 3B Eugenio Suárez (.232, 22, 96 with Mariners).
Projected Rotation: RH Zac Gallen (17-9, 3.47 ERA, 210 IP), RH Merrill Kelly (12-8, 3.29), LH Eduardo Rodríguez (13-9, 3.30 with Tigers), RH Brandon Pfaadt (3-9, 5.72), LH Tommy Henry (5-4, 4.15).
Key Relievers: RH Paul Sewald (3-2, 3.12 ERA, 34 saves with Seattle and Arizona), RH Kevin Ginkel (9-1, 2.48), LH Joe Mantiply (2-2, 4.62), RH Scott McGough (2-7, 4.73).
Outlook: The Diamondbacks had a solid season but then caught fire in the playoffs, knocking off the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies before losing to the Texas Rangers in a five-game World Series. Carroll won NL Rookie of the Year in a stellar debut season while Walker, Marte, Gurriel and Moreno provided a solid offensive foundation. Arizona should have good starting pitching with Gallen, Kelly and Rodriguez, but it remains to be seen how Gallen holds up after throwing nearly 250 innings last season when combining the regular season and postseason. Arizona was fairly busy during the offseason — the highlight was signing Rodríguez to an $80 million, four-year deal. The D-backs are still good, but it’s a tough division with the big-spending Dodgers, Giants and Padres in the mix.
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SAN DIEGO PADRES
2023: 82-80, third place.
Manager: Mike Shildt (first season).
Opening Day: March 20 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea.
He’s Here: RHP Dylan Cease, LHP Yuki Matsui, RHP Woo-Suk Go, LHP Wandy Peralta, RHP Michael King, C Kyle Higashioka, RHP Randy Vásquez, RHP Jhony Brito.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Bob Melvin, LHP Blake Snell, LF Juan Soto, LHP Josh Hader, LHP Tim Hill, RHP Steven Wilson, C Austin Nola, RHP Nick Martinez, DH/INF Matt Carpenter, RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Seth Lugo, CF Trent Grisham.
Top Hitters: 3B/DH Manny Machado (.258, 30 HRs, 91 RBIs), RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.257, 25, 78), 2B Xander Bogaerts (.285, 19, 58).
Projected Rotation: RH Yu Darvish (8-10, 4.56 ERA), RH Joe Musgrove (10-3, 3.05), RH Dylan Cease (7-9, 4.58 with White Sox), RH Michael King (4-8, 2.75 with Yankees), RH Jhony Brito (9-7, 4.28 with Yankees) or RH Matt Waldron (1-3, 4.35) or RH Randy Vásquez (2-2, 2.87 with Yankees).
Key Relievers: RH Robert Suarez (4-3, 4.23 ERA), LH Yuki Matsui (2-3, 1.57, 39 saves with Tohuku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan), RH Woo-Suk Go (3-8, 3.68, 15 saves with LG Twins in South Korea).
Outlook: There’s a much quieter vibe around the Padres following the November death of owner Peter Seidler, their high-priced flop in 2023 and Melvin’s departure after a falling out with GM A.J. Preller. Shildt was promoted to manager after serving in various capacities in the organization the last two years. Tatis had a remarkably successful transition from shortstop to right field, winning Gold Glove and Platinum Glove awards, after missing all of 2022 with injuries and a PED suspension. Machado had surgery for tennis elbow after last season and although he’s back, he might not be ready to play the field on opening day. Bogaerts moves to second base and Ha-Seong Kim will play shortstop. A number of prospects are expected to make their big league debuts, including Jackson Merrill as the starting center fielder and perhaps Graham Pauley at third base until Machado is ready to play the field. Preller made a splashy move March 13, giving the rotation a big boost by acquiring Cease from the White Sox for Wilson and three prospects: right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel Zavala. Cease finished second in 2022 AL Cy Young Award voting.
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SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
2023: 79-83, fourth place.
Manager: Bob Melvin (first season).
Opening Day: March 28 at San Diego.
He’s Here: OF Jung Hoo Lee, 3B Matt Chapman, DH Jorge Soler, RHP Jordan Hicks, C Tom Murphy, 3B Pablo Sandoval, SS Nick Ahmed, LHP Robbie Ray.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Gabe Kapler, SS Brandon Crawford, RHP Ross Stripling, OF Joc Pederson, 3B J.D. Davis, LHP Scott Alexander, LHP Alex Wood, OF Mitch Haniger, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, LHP Sean Manaea.
Top Hitters: CF Jung Hoo Lee (.318, 6 HRs, 45 RBIs, .860 OPS in 86 games in Korea), DH Jorge Soler (.250, 36, 75 for Marlins), 3B Matt Chapman (.240, 17, 54, 39 2Bs, Gold Glove for Blue Jays), C Patrick Bailey (.285, 7, 48), 1B LaMonte Wade Jr. (.256, 17, 45, .373 OBP).
Projected Rotation: RH Logan Webb (11-13, 3.25 ERA, 194 Ks), RH Jordan Hicks (3-9, 3.29 in 65 relief appearances for Cardinals and Blue Jays), LH Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.15 in 7 starts), RH Keaton Winn (1-3, 4.68 in 9 games), RH Mason Black (4-9, 3.71 at Double-A and Triple-A) or RH Spencer Howard (0-0, 10.80 in 3 games for Rangers; 1-2, 6.89 at Triple-A).
Key Relievers: RH Camilo Doval (6-6, 2.93 ERA, 39/47 saves), LH Taylor Rogers (6-4, 3.83, 2 saves), RH Tyler Rogers (4-5, 3.04, 2 saves).
Outlook: The Giants have had one winning season in the past seven years, leading to another change in leadership with Melvin coming in to replace Kapler, who was fired at the end of his fourth season. San Francisco once again aimed high in free agency but fell short of the biggest prize in Shohei Ohtani but did make some key additions in Lee, Chapman, Soler and Hicks. Webb anchors a rotation that hopes to get a boost from the 22-year-old Harrison and could get a midseason jolt if Ray and Alex Cobb can return from injuries. The offense still has questions but could take a big step forward if Lee can make a seamless transition from Korea, Bailey continues his development and Chapman gets back to his early career form in Oakland.
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COLORADO ROCKIES
2023: 59-103, fifth place.
Manager: Bud Black (eighth season).
Opening Day: March 28 at Arizona.
He’s Here: OF Sam Hilliard, RHP Cal Quantrill, RHP Dakota Hudson, LHP Jalen Beeks.
He’s Outta Here: LHP Brent Suter, RHP Chris Flexen, RHP Connor Seabold.
Top Hitters: OF Nolan Jones (.297, 20 HRs, 62 RBIs, 20 SBs, .931 OPS), 3B Ryan McMahon (.240, 23, 70, .753 OPS), C Elías Díaz (.267, 14, 72, .725 OPS), DH Charlie Blackmon (.279, 8, 40, .803 OPS), 1B Kris Bryant (.233, 10, 31 in 300 at-bats, .680 OPS).
Projected Rotation: LH Kyle Freeland (6-14, 5.03 ERA, 94 Ks in 155 2/3 IP), LH Austin Gomber (9-9, 5.50), RH Cal Quantrill (4-7, 5.24 with Cleveland), RH Dakota Hudson (6-3, 4.98 with Cardinals), RH Peter Lambert (3-7, 5.36), RH Ryan Feltner (2-4, 5.82).
Key Relievers: RH Daniel Bard (4-2, 4.56 ERA, 1 save), RH Justin Lawrence (4-7, 3.72, 11 saves), RH Jake Bird (3-3, 4.33), RH Nick Mears (0-1, 3.72), RH Tyler Kinley (0-4, 6.06).
Outlook: A second straight 100-loss season could be on deck for the Rockies after making no splashy offseason moves. They have a youthful nucleus led by Jones, who finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, and Brenton Doyle, a Gold Glove outfielder. Colorado will play Bryant at first base in an effort to keep him on the field. Bryant has 15 homers over two seasons with Colorado after signing a $182 million, seven-year contract in 2022. Starting pitchers Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela are working their way back from Tommy John surgery. Bard, one of the team’s top relievers, recently underwent knee surgery.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL PREVIEW CAPSULES
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
2023: 92-70, first place, lost to Arizona in Wild Card Series.
Manager: Pat Murphy (first season).
Opening Day: March 28 at New York Mets.
He’s Here: 1B Rhys Hoskins, DH/1B Jake Bauers, OF Jackson Chourio, INF/OF Christian Arroyo, C Eric Haase, LHP DL Hall, LHP Bryan Hudson, RHP Jakob Junis, INF Joey Ortiz, RHP Joe Ross, C Gary Sánchez.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Craig Counsell, RHP Corbin Burnes, INF Brian Anderson, OF Mark Canha, C Victor Caratini, LHP Andrew Chafin, 3B Josh Donaldson, RHP Adrian Houser, LHP Eric Lauer, 1B Carlos Santana, OF Tyrone Taylor, RHP Julio Teherán, 1B Rowdy Tellez, OF/DH Jesse Winker.
Top Hitters: LF Christian Yelich (.278, 19 HRs, 76 RBIs, 28 SBs, .818 OPS), C William Contreras (.289, 17, 78, .825 OPS), SS Willy Adames (.217, 24, 80, .717 OPS), 1B Rhys Hoskins (.246, 30, 79, .794 OPS with Philadelphia in 2022; missed 2023 with torn ACL), C/DH Gary Sánchez (.217, 19, 47, .780 OPS in 75 games with Mets and Padres).
Projected Rotation: RH Freddy Peralta (12-10, 3.86 ERA, 210 Ks in 165 2/3 IP), LH Wade Miley (9-4, 3.14, 79 Ks in 99 IP), RH Colin Rea (6-6, 4.55), LH DL Hall (3-0, 3.26, 23 Ks in 19 1/3 IP for Baltimore) or RH Joe Ross (hasn’t pitched since 2021 due to injuries) or RH Jakob Junis (4-3, 3.87, 96 Ks in 86 IP for Giants) or LH Aaron Ashby (2-10, 4.44, 126 Ks in 107 1/3 IP in 2022; missed last season with shoulder injury) or LH Robert Gasser (9-1, 3.79 at Triple-A Nashville).
Key Relievers: RH Devin Williams (8-3, 1.53 ERA, 36/40 saves, 87 Ks in 58 2/3 IP), RH Joel Payamps (7-5, 2.55, 77 Ks in 70 2/3 IP), LH Hoby Milner (2-1, 1.82, 59 Ks in 64 1/3 IP), RH Elvis Peguero (4-5, 3.38, 54 Ks in 61 1/3 IP), RH Abner Uribe (1-0, 1.76, 39 Ks in 30 2/3 IP), RH Bryse Wilson (6-0, 2.58).
Outlook: The defending NL Central champions will have a new look without Counsell and Burnes. Counsell, who guided the Brewers to the playoffs five of the last six years, left to manage the Chicago Cubs. The new manager is Murphy, who had served as Counsell’s bench coach since 2016. Burnes, a three-time All-Star and the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, was traded to Baltimore for Hall, Ortiz and a 2024 draft pick. The Brewers also probably will play the entire season without two-time All-Star pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. Burnes’ exit and Woodruff’s likely absence leave plenty of questions in the rotation. That could put more pressure on a normally strong bullpen anchored by Williams — but he’s expected to miss three months with stress fractures in his back. Milwaukee struggled offensively last year but could get a boost from the additions of Hoskins and Sánchez. The Brewers need to see growth from Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell and Brice Turang, who showed flashes of promise as rookies last year. Milwaukee also has one of baseball’s most intriguing rookies in the 20-year-old Chourio, the projected starter in center field.
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CHICAGO CUBS
2023: 83-79, second place.
Manager: Craig Counsell (first season).
Opening Day: March 28 at Texas.
He’s Here: LHP Shota Imanaga, RHP Héctor Neris, RHP Yency Almonte, INF Michael Busch.
He’s Outta Here: Manager David Ross, RHP Marcus Stroman, INF Jeimer Candelario, RHP Michael Fulmer.
Top Hitters: CF Cody Bellinger (.307, 26 HRs, 97 RBIs, 20 SBs, .881 OPS), RF Seiya Suzuki (.285, 20, 74, 31 2Bs, .842 OPS), LF Ian Happ (.248, 21, 84, 35 2Bs), SS Dansby Swanson (.244, 22, 80), 2B Nico Hoerner (.283, 9, 68, 98 runs, 43 SBs), INF Christopher Morel (.247, 26, 70, .821 OPS).
Projected Rotation: LH Justin Steele (16-5, 3.06 ERA), LH Shota Imanaga (7-4, 2.80 with Yokohama in Japan’s Central League), RH Jameson Taillon (8-10, 4.84), RH Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 3.74), LH Jordan Wicks (4-1, 4.41) or RH Javier Assad (5-3, 3.05).
Key Relievers: RH Adbert Alzolay (2-5, 2.67 ERA, 22/25 saves), RH Héctor Neris (6-3, 1.71, 2 saves with Astros), RH Mark Leiter Jr. (1-3, 3.50, 4 saves), RH Julian Merryweather (5-1, 3.38, 2 saves).
Outlook: Counsell was a surprise hire in November, taking over a club that made just one playoff appearance in the previous five years. His ability to get the most out of his Milwaukee teams was a major reason why he was brought in by Chicago. The former big league infielder inherits a solid group of position players, led by Swanson and Bellinger, and a rotation fronted by the rising Steele. Bellinger could experience some regression after his resurgent 2023 season, but Suzuki and Morel are capable of increased production. The durable Neris was an important addition in free agency after the bullpen faltered late last year. The minor league system is loaded, so the Cubs have some options in the event of injuries, or if they decide to go shopping for help at the trade deadline.
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CINCINNATI REDS
2023: 82-80, third place.
Manager: David Bell (sixth season).
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Washington.
He’s Here: 3B Jeimer Candelario, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Nick Martinez, LHP Brent Suter, RHP Emilio Pagán, INF/OF Josh Harrison.
He’s Outta Here: 1B Joey Votto, 3B/OF Nick Senzel, INF Matt Reynolds, RHP Ben Lively, OF Henry Ramos, OF T.J. Hopkins, C Curt Casali.
Top Hitters: OF/1B Spencer Steer (.271, 23 HRs, 86 RBIs, .820 OPS), CF TJ Friedl (.279, 18, 66, .819 OPS), 2B Jonathan India (.244, 17, 61, .745 OPS), C Tyler Stephenson (.243, 13, 56, .695 OPS), INF Matt McLain (.290, 16, 50, .864 OPS in 89 games).
Projected Rotation: RH Hunter Greene (4-7, 4.82 ERA), RH Frankie Montas (1-0, 0.00 with Yankees after missing most of season following shoulder surgery), RH Graham Ashcraft (7-9, 4.76), LH Andrew Abbott (8-8, 4.50), LH Nick Lodolo (2-1, 6.29; missed most of season after left tibia surgery).
Key Relievers: RH Alexis Díaz (9-6, 3.07 ERA, 37 saves, 86 Ks in 67 1/3 IP), RH Emilio Pagán (5-2, 2.99, 1 save with Twins), LH Brent Suter (4-3, 3.38 with Rockies), RH Nick Martinez (6-4, 3.43 with Padres).
Outlook: The rising Reds were written off by most last season, but an influx of exciting young rookies turned things around. They were back in contention in the NL Central and finished two games over .500 after losing 100 games in 2022. Bell has the happy dilemma of figuring out how to fit all the talented pieces together, including Steer, McLain and blazing-fast infielder Elly De La Cruz. The Reds went out and got Montas, Pagán, Suter and Martinez to bolster a pitching staff decimated by injuries and overwork last season. One major change will be the absence of Votto in Cincinnati for the first time since 2006 after the team declined to exercise his contract option. He became a free agent, and Toronto signed the 40-year-old longtime slugger to a minor league contract.
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PITTSBURGH PIRATES
2023: 76-86, fourth place.
Manager: Derek Shelton (fifth season).
Opening Day: March 28 at Miami.
He’s Here: LHP Martín Pérez, LHP Marco Gonzales, LHP Aroldis Chapman, C Yasmani Grandal, 1B/DH Rowdy Tellez.
He’s Outta Here: 3B/OF Miguel Andujar, RHP Andre Jackson, RHP Wil Crowe.
Top Hitters: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (.271, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs, .762 OPS), OF Bryan Reynolds (.263, 24, 84, .790 OPS), OF Jack Suwinski (.224, 26, 74, .793 OPS), DH Andrew McCutchen (.256, 12, 43, .776 OPS), C/OF Henry Davis (.213, 7, 24), 1B/DH Rowdy Tellez (.215, 13, 47 with Milwaukee), SS Oneil Cruz (.250, 1, 4 in 9 games).
Projected Rotation: RH Mitch Keller (13-9, 4.21 ERA), LH Martín Pérez (10-4, 4.45 with Texas), LH Marco Gonzales (4-1, 5.22 with Seattle), RH Luis Ortiz (5-5, 4.78), RH Quinn Priester (3-3, 7.74).
Key Relievers: RH David Bednar (3-3, 2.00 ERA, 39/42 saves), LH Aroldis Chapman (6-5, 3.09, 6 saves with Royals and Rangers), RH Colin Holderman (0-3, 3.86), LH Ryan Borucki (4-0, 2.45).
Outlook: The Pirates are optimistic the top-to-bottom overhaul general manager Ben Cherington began after taking over in the fall of 2019 is starting to pick up steam. Pittsburgh escaped the NL Central basement for the first time since 2018 last year, with Keller becoming an All-Star and Hayes winning his first Gold Glove while showing an uptick in power at the plate. Still, questions remain. The starting rotation beyond Keller, Pérez and Gonzales is a mystery, though there’s a chance hard-throwing right-hander Paul Skenes — the top pick in last year’s amateur draft — arrives by early summer. Davis, the top pick in 2021, will see a heavier workload behind the plate after spending most of his rookie season in the outfield. McCutchen begins his 16th season sitting on 299 career home runs and is coming off an Achilles injury. While Pittsburgh may still be a year away from having the pieces to contend into September, expectations internally and externally are beginning to rise.
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ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
2023: 71-91, fifth place.
Manager: Oliver Marmol (third season).
Opening Day: March 28 at Los Angeles Dodgers.
He’s Here: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP Lance Lynn, SS Brandon Crawford, RHP Keynan Middleton, RHP Andrew Kittredge, DH Matt Carpenter, RHP Nick Robertson.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Adam Wainwright, LF Tyler O’Neill, RHP Jake Woodford, RHP Dakota Hudson, 1B Juan Yepez.
Top Hitters: 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.268, 25 HRs, 80 RBIs), 3B Nolan Arenado (.266, 26, 93), 2B Nolan Gorman (.236, 27, 76), C Willson Contreras (.264, 20, 67), RF Jordan Walker (.276, 16, 51), 2B Brendan Donovan (.284, 11, 34), CF Lars Nootbaar (.261, 14, 46), LF Tommy Edman (.248, 13, 47, 27 SBs).
Projected Rotation: RH Sonny Gray (8-8, 2.79 ERA with Twins), RH Miles Mikolas (9-13, 4.78), RH Lance Lynn (13-11, 5.73 with White Sox and Dodgers), RH Kyle Gibson (15-9, 4.73 with Orioles), LH Steven Matz (4-7, 3.86).
Key Relievers: RH Ryan Helsley (3-4, 2.45 ERA, 14 saves), RH Giovanny Gallegos (2-4, 4.42, 10 saves), LH JoJo Romero (4-2, 3.68), RH Andre Pallante (4-1, 4.76), RH Andrew Kittredge (2-0, 3.09 with Rays), RH Keynan Middleton (2-2, 3.38 with White Sox and Yankees), LH Matthew Liberatore (3-6, 5.25).
Outlook: The Cardinals are far more accustomed to playing in the postseason than finishing 20 games below .500, so not surprisingly, their last-place flop in 2023 led to some lavish offseason spending to address their biggest shortcomings. At the top of the list was the rotation, where AL Cy Young Award runner-up Gray was signed along with Gibson and former Cardinals starter Lynn to reshape the front end. St. Louis already will need some depth, with Gray dealing with a hamstring injury that could cause him to miss opening day. The lineup returns plenty of power with Goldschmidt, who had a down year by his standards, and Arenado providing the most pop. Donovan followed a strong rookie season with an even better sophomore campaign, and his ability to handle second base frees up super-utility man Edman to play elsewhere. The Cardinals added Crawford for some experience at shortstop, but they would prefer if former top-50 prospect Masyn Winn lives up to expectations. He hit just .172 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 37 games after making his big league debut last season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST PREVIEW CAPSULES
ATLANTA BRAVES
2023: 104-58, first place, lost to Philadelphia in Division Series.
Manager: Brian Snitker (ninth season).
Opening Day: March 28 at Philadelphia.
He’s Here: LHP Chris Sale, RHP Reynaldo López, LHP Aaron Bummer, OF Jarred Kelenic, INF David Fletcher, INF Luis Guillorme.
He’s Outta Here: OF Eddie Rosario, SS Vaughn Grissom, OF Kevin Pillar, OF Sam Hilliard, LHP Brad Hand, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Collin McHugh, LHP Jared Shuster, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Kyle Wright, RHP Nick Anderson.
Top Hitters: OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (.336, 41 HRs, 106 RBIs, 149 runs, MLB-leading 73 SBs, 1.012 OPS, NL MVP), 1B Matt Olson (.283, MLB-high 54 and 139, 127 runs, .993 OPS), 3B Austin Riley (.281, 37, 97, 117 runs), 2B Ozzie Albies (.280, 33, 109), DH Marcell Ozuna (.274, 40, 100).
Projected Rotation: RH Spencer Strider (20-5, 3.86 ERA, MLB-high 281 Ks), LH Max Fried (8-1, 2.55), LH Chris Sale (6-5, 4.30 with Boston), RH Charlie Morton (14-12, 3.64), RH Reynaldo López (3-7, 3.27 in 68 relief appearance with White Sox, Angels and Guardians).
Key Relievers: RH Raisel Iglesias (5-4, 2.75 ERA, 33/37 saves), LH A.J. Minter (3-6, 3.76, 10 saves), RH Joe Jiménez (0-3, 3.04), LH Aaron Bummer (5-5, 6.79 in 61 appearances with White Sox).
Outlook: After winning the 2021 World Series, the Braves have been eliminated by the Phillies in the Division Series two consecutive years. They enter this season looking to extend their string of six straight NL East titles and determined to add another World Series championship. Acuña leads a potent lineup that topped the majors in hitting, hits, homers, runs and RBIs. He became baseball’s first player to hit at least 40 homers and steal at least 70 bases as he became the unanimous NL MVP. Then he shook off a spring training scare when soreness in his surgically repaired right knee was found to be irritation around the meniscus. He is expected to be ready for the start of the season. The major offseason additions were Sale and Kelenic, expected to assume the starting job in left field. The goal will be to have Sale healthy to claim one of the top three rotation spots in the postseason.
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PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
2003: 90-72, second place, lost to Arizona in NL Championship Series.
Manager: Rob Thomson (third season).
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Atlanta.
He’s Here: OF Whit Merrifield, RHP Spencer Turnbull, LHP Kolby Allard.
He’s Outta Here: 1B Rhys Hoskins, RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Michael Lorenzen.
Top Hitters: 1B Bryce Harper (.293, 21 HRs, 72 RBIs, .900 OPS), DH Kyle Schwarber (.197, 47, 104, 108 runs, 126 BBs, .817 OPS), RF Nick Castellanos (.272, 29, 106, .788 OPS), C J.T. Realmuto (.252, 20, 63, .762 OPS), SS Trea Turner (.266, 26, 76, 35 2Bs, 30 SBs, 102 runs, .778 OPS), 3B Alec Bohm (.274, 29, 97, .765 OPS).
Projected Rotation: RH Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46 ERA), RH Zack Wheeler (13-6, 3.61), RH Taijuan Walker (15-6, 4.38), LH Ranger Suárez (4-6, 4.18), LH Cristopher Sánchez (3-5, 3.44).
Key Relievers: LH José Alvarado (0-2, 1.74 ERA, 10 saves), RH Orion Kerkering (1-0, 3.00), LH Matt Strahm (9-5, 3.29), RH Jeff Hoffman (5-2, 2.41, 1 save), RH Seranthony Domínguez (5-5, 3.78, 2 saves), LH Gregory Soto (3-4, 4.62, 3 saves).
Outlook: The Phillies made few roster changes in the offseason and instead decided to run it back with a team that’s reached two straight NL Championship Series. Philadelphia re-signed Nola and gave Wheeler an extension to keep the top of the rotation intact. The Phillies would like to become more of a contender in the NL East and give the perennial champion Braves a run at the division title. But making the playoffs as a wild card has worked out fine in Philly. Harper, Turner and Schwarber are the heart of an offense that should help lead Philadelphia into the postseason for a third straight year.
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MIAMI MARLINS
2023: 84-78, third place, lost to Philadelphia in Wild Card Series.
Manager: Skip Schumaker (second season).
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Pittsburgh.
Here: President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix, SS Tim Anderson, C Christian Bethancourt, OF Nick Gordon, INF Vidal Brujan.
Outta Here: GM Kim Ng, DH Jorge Soler, LHP Steven Okert, 1B Garrett Cooper.
Top Hitters: 2B Luis Arraez (MLB-best .354, 10 HRs, 69 RBIs, .861 OPS), 3B Jake Burger (.250, 34, 80, .828 OPS with White Sox and Marlins), OF Bryan De La Cruz (.257, 19, 78, .715 OPS), CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. (.250, 19, 51, .761 OPS), OF Jesús Sánchez (.252, 14, 52, .777 OPS).
Projected Rotation: LH Jesús Luzardo (10-10, 3.58 ERA), LH A.J. Puk (7-5, 3.97, 15 saves), RH Eury Pérez (5-6, 3.15), RH Edward Cabrera (7-7, 4.24), LH Trevor Rogers (1-2, 4.00, missed most of season with multiple injuries).
Key Relievers: LH Tanner Scott (9-5, 2.31 ERA, 12 saves), LH Andrew Nardi (8-1, 2.67, 3 saves), RH Anthony Bender (Tommy John surgery), RH Bryan Hoeing (2-3, 5.48).
Outlook: The Marlins will be without their ace and 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara for the entire 2024 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in October to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Still, the team boasts a pretty deep rotation that will be led by Luzardo. Bendix, newly in charge of baseball operations, did not add many flashy pieces during the offseason but did sign Anderson, a former AL batting champion, to a one-year contract. Miami made the postseason last year for the first time in a full season since 2003 thanks to Arraez’s hitting and Schumaker’s guidance.
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NEW YORK METS
2023: 75-87, fourth place.
Manager: Carlos Mendoza (first season).
Opening Day: March 28 vs. Milwaukee.
He’s Here: President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, RHP Luis Severino, LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Adrian Houser, CF Harrison Bader, OF Tyrone Taylor, INF Joey Wendle, LHP Jake Diekman, RHP Jorge López, RHP Shintaro Fujinami, RHP Michael Tonkin, RHP Yohan Ramírez, OF Trayce Thompson, INF Zack Short, RHP Max Kranick, LHP Kolton Ingram.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Buck Showalter, GM Billy Eppler, RHP Carlos Carrasco, DH Daniel Vogelbach, INF Luis Guillorme, RHP Trevor Gott, RHP Jeff Brigham, RHP Sam Coonrod.
Top Hitters: 1B Pete Alonso (.217, 46 HRs, 118 RBIs, .821 OPS), SS Francisco Lindor (.254, 31, 98, .806 OPS, 31 SBs, 108 runs in 160 games), LF Brandon Nimmo (.274, 24, 68, .829 OPS), C Francisco Álvarez (.209, 25, 63, .721 OPS), 2B Jeff McNeil (.270, 10, 55, .711 OPS).
Projected Rotation: LH José Quintana (3-6, 3.57 ERA in 13 starts), RH Kodai Senga (12-7, 2.98, 202 Ks in 166 1/3 IP), RH Luis Severino (4-8, 6.65 with Yankees), LH Sean Manaea (7-6, 4.44, 1 save in 37 games, 10 starts, with Giants), RH Adrian Houser (8-5, 4.12 with Brewers), RH Tylor Megill (9-8, 4.70 in 25 starts).
Key Relievers: RH Edwin Díaz (3-1, 1.31 ERA, 32/35 saves, 118 Ks, 18 BBs over 62 innings in 2022; missed last season following knee surgery), LH Brooks Raley (1-2, 2.80, 3 saves), RH Adam Ottavino (1-7, 3.21, 12 saves), LH Jake Diekman (0-2, 3.34, 64 Ks in 56 2/3 IP with White Sox and Rays), RH Drew Smith (4-6, 4.15, 3 saves), RH Jorge López (6-2, 5.95, 3 saves with Twins, Marlins and Orioles), RH Shintaro Fujinami (7-8, 7.18, 2 saves in 64 games, 7 starts, with Athletics and Orioles).
Outlook: After falling flat last season despite the biggest payroll in baseball history, this team is under new management. Mets owner Steve Cohen brought in Stearns, who hired a rookie manager in Mendoza — the former Yankees bench coach. Alonso’s impending free agency next winter will put him under a microscope all year. But the lineup could hinge on a bounce-back season at age 35 for All-Star right fielder Starling Marte, and the maturation of young hitters such as Álvarez, third baseman Brett Baty and DH Mark Vientos. A suspect rotation took a significant blow when Senga, runner-up for 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, went down early in spring training with a shoulder strain. He’s expected to be sidelined until at least late April or May. Díaz returns from his knee injury to anchor a much deeper bullpen. The defense should be improved, and the position-player nucleus from a 101-win playoff club in 2022 is still here. But this looks like a third- or fourth-place team in the NL East. With some touted prospects in the pipeline, New York is pointing toward 2025 while hoping to squeeze into the 2024 postseason behind several stopgap arms.
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WASHINGTON NATIONALS
2023: 71-91, fifth place.
Manager: Dave Martinez (seventh season).
Opening Day: March 28 at Cincinnati.
He’s Here: OF Eddie Rosario, INF Nick Senzel, 1B/OF/DH Joey Gallo, OF Jesse Winker, RHP Derek Law.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Cory Abbott, 1B Dominic Smith.
Top Hitters: OF Lane Thomas (.268, 28 HRs, 86 RBIs, .783 OPS), SS CJ Abrams (.245, 18, 64, 47 steals), C Keibert Ruiz (.260, 18, 67), OF Eddie Rosario (.255, 21, 74 with Braves), 1B/OF/DH Joey Gallo (.177, 21, 40 with Twins).
Projected Rotation: RH Josiah Gray (8-13, 3.91 ERA), LH MacKenzie Gore (7-10, 4.42), LH Patrick Corbin (10-15, 5.20), RH Trevor Williams (6-10, 5.55), RH Jake Irvin (3-7, 4.61).
Key Relievers: RH Kyle Finnegan (7-5, 3.76 ERA, 28/36 saves), RH Hunter Harvey (4—4, 2.82, 10 saves), RH Derek Law (4-6, 3.60, 2 saves with Reds), LH Joe La Sorsa (1-0, 4.41 with Rays and Nationals).
Outlook: The Nationals are still a work in progress, as Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo oversee the ongoing roster reconstruction. This season, like last, is not about any sort of win-loss expectations but rather whatever positive steps forward can be taken by the inexperienced bunch counted on to eventually end the run of futility — four last-place finishes in a row in the NL East — since the 2019 World Series championship. Will 2023 NL All-Star Gray, Gore, Abrams and Ruiz blossom? Could outfielders James Wood (who, like Gore and Abrams, arrived in the trade of Juan Soto to the Padres) and Dylan Crews (the No. 2 overall pick in June’s amateur draft) get some time in the majors? One thing no longer hanging over the franchise: The Lerner family has decided not to sell the club after nearly two years of looking for a buyer. Still up in the air as the season approaches: When and how will Stephen Strasburg, no longer able to pitch after a series of injuries and operations, announce that his playing days are done?
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: CASEY MIZE, TIGERS CRUISE PAST YANKS 7-0
Casey Mize outpitched Marcus Stroman as the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 7-0 victory over the visiting New York Yankees in spring training action Thursday in Lakeland, Fla.
Mize (2-1) allowed two hits, walked two and struck out four over four innings, while Stroman (0-2) gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits with three walks and four whiffs in 4 1/3 innings.
Kerry Carpenter paced Detroit’s offense, going 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs, including his first spring homer. The Tigers’ bullpen allowed just one hit over five innings.
Rays 3, Braves 1
Zack Littell tossed five shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six, as Tampa Bay held host Atlanta’s bats in check in North Port, Fla.
Isaac Paredes and Richie Palacios delivered RBI hits to back Littell (1-0), who hasn’t allowed a run in 10 innings this spring.
Atlanta starter Chris Sale (0-2) took the loss, yielding two runs and three hits while walking one and striking out six over 3 1/3 innings. Kade Kern drove in the Braves’ lone run with an RBI single while reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) returned to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 29 and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Phillies 6, Red Sox 1
Starter Ranger Suarez and six relievers shut down visiting Boston while recording 11 strikeouts in Clearwater, Fla.
Suarez (2-0) yielded one hit, walked four and struck out five in his 3 2/3 innings of work. Whit Merrifield finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Phillies took a six-run lead after four innings.
Red Sox starter Josh Winckowski (0-1) was touched for six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Jamie Westbrook’s first spring homer produced the visitors’ lone run.
Blue Jays 5, Twins 1
Bowden Francis delivered six sharp innings, allowing just an unearned run, and Toronto grabbed an early lead en route to a win over host Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Brian Serven’s two-run homer in the second backed Francis (2-1), who gave up four hits and struck out two with no walks.
For Minnesota, starter Bailey Ober (1-1) was charged with three runs (two earned) over 2 2/3 innings. Edouard Julien’s went 2-for-3 with RBI single that plated the Twins’ run.
Mets 0, Cardinals 0
Starters Jose Butto and Lance Lynn each tossed four strong innings as New York and host St. Louis played to scoreless tie in Jupiter, Fla.
Butto yielded two hits and two walks with three strikeouts for the Mets, while Lynn gave up just one hit and fanned four with no walks. The pitching staffs combined for 23 strikeouts (14 for New York, nine for St. Louis).
Zack Short collected two of the Mets’ three hits.
MEN’S GOLF
TOM KIM WITHDRAWS FROM THE PLAYERS
Tom Kim withdrew from The Players Championship eight holes into his opening round at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on Thursday.
The PGA Tour said Kim’s withdrawal was due to an unspecified illness. It came as Kim was 5-over par following a triple-bogey on the par-3 17th hole. He also had carded a pair of bogeys along with five pars after starting on the 10th hole.
The three-time winner on tour is No. 18 in the Official World Golf Ranking. The popular 21-year-old from South Korea most recently won at the Shriners Children’s Open in October to reach a career-best 11th in the world.
Kim had made six of seven cuts in 2024 entering this week. His best result of the year was a T17 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last month, and he’s coming off a T52 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
RORY MCILROY, XANDER SCHAUFFLE SHARE EARLY LEAD AT THE PLAYERS
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 6 Xander Schauffele shared the lead at 7-under par as the morning wave of the first round of The Players Championship was wrapping up Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Both took advantage of soft greens and light winds to card opening 65s at TPC Sawgrass, although they did it in distinctly different fashions.
McIlroy recorded 10 birdies, the most he has recorded in 41 career rounds at TPC Sawgrass. The Northern Irishman reached 8 under through 15 holes before finding the water left with his drive on the par-4 seventh hole, going on to record a double bogey.
McIlroy made up one of the strokes with a birdie on his final hole of the day at the par-5 ninth. Along with the 10 birdies and the double, he had a lone bogey and just six pars on his scorecard while finding the water twice.
“Much, much improved on the approach play today, which was nice to see,” McIlroy told reporters, adding that he chose to “grind” on the range rather than taking Monday off following a final-round 76 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “I needed to clean up the technique a little bit, needed to clean up some things. Honestly, just needed to put the time in.”
Schauffele’s bogey-less card was mundane by contrast with seven birdies and 11 pars. He was happy to be playing in the morning, with the wind starting to pick up as the afternoon wave teed off.
“I wouldn’t want to re-hit a few of those shots today, I can tell you that much,” Schauffele said. “I definitely need to clean it up.”
Canada’s Nick Taylor recorded six birdies in a bogey-free round to finish one stroke in back of McIlroy and Schauffele.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who entered the Top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time this week, eagled two of the four par-5s en route to a 5-under 67 in his first round at The Players. He added a pair of birdies against a lone bogey.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox hit the first hole-in-one of the week, recording just the 14th ace in the history of the event at the famed par-3 17th hole.
McIlroy downplayed what appeared to be a disagreement with playing partner Jordan Spieth about where McIlroy’s drive crossed into the water.
“I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing,” McIlroy said when asked if Spieth’s actions were needless. “I was pretty sure that my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. It’s so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence. I was adamant. But I think, again, he was just trying to make sure that I was going to do the right thing.
“If anything, I was being conservative with it. I think at the end of the day we’re all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well. I wouldn’t say it was needless. I think he was just trying to make sure that what happened was the right thing.”
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
LEAL PUTBACK PROPELS HOOSIERS OVER PENN STATE
MINNEAPOLIS – Anthony Leal hustled when others might have watched, scored when others might have faltered.
The result — Indiana’s Big Ten tourney title hopes remain alive with a Thursday night 61-59 victory over Penn State to set up a Friday night quarterfinal matchup with third-seed Nebraska (22-9).
Leal’s game-winning layup came off a Malik Reneau miss. The senior guard raced from the baseline corner past Big Ten defensive player of the year Ace Baldwin Jr. for the offensive rebound and score — his second game winner of the season — to end a game that featured 10 lead changes and nine ties.
“I thought our guys fought from the beginning to the end,” head coach Mike Woodson said.
Sixth-seeded IU (19-13), winners of five straight, faces a Cornhusker team that, like Penn State, swept them during the regular season. The Hoosiers have won 12 games by eight points or less. In this five-game streak, four wins have come by four or fewer points.
“It’s a culmination of the whole season and learning how to win together,” Leal said. “The final eight minutes are winning time. We trust each other to make plays.”
Leal finished with eight points, four rebounds, and multiple little plays that made a big difference.
“He’s a senior,” Woodson told the Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz in a post-game interview. “I’m trying to ride these seniors. He gives us a defensive lift and knows everything we’re doing from an offensive standpoint.”
Center Kel’el Ware controlled the paint with 18 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. He altered multiple shots.
Reneau added 12 points and eight rebounds. Forward Mackenzie Mgbako had 11 points.
The Hoosiers won with ferocious defense (Penn State shot just 28 percent from the field) and 14-for-18 free throw shooting, most in the second half with everything riding on it.
“We made the plays we needed to make coming down the stretch,” Woodson said.
Penn State (16-17) had swept IU during the regular season by making a combined 21 three-pointers. That was a major point of defensive emphasis on Thursday night and it paid off — the Nittany Lions were just 3-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half, and finished 7-for-27.
“Defensively, we executed the game plan,” Woodson said.
IU was without senior guard Trey Galloway, who hurt his knee last Sunday against Michigan State. That left Xavier Johnson and Gabe Cupps as the starting guards. Leal was the only other guard that played.
Johnson, still rounding into form after an elbow injury, played under control and ran the show, finishing with four points, six rebounds, and five assists.
“X’s presence on the court changes our team,” Woodson said.
Ware’s defensive prowess was a big reason why Penn State opened 1-for-11 from the field. IU capitalized for a 10-2 lead. The Nittany Lions rallied for a 10-10 tie. Cupps countered with a three-pointer. Leal added a three-pointer as the Hoosiers pushed ahead 20-12.
At one point, Penn State was 0-for-10 on layups and went five minutes without scoring. Still, IU only led 20-15 with 6:45 left in the half.
Then Johnson drove for a layup, Mgbako hit a jumper and the lead was nine points.
The Nittany Lions thrived at the line (10-for-11) to close within a point at 28-27 and offset 1-for-14 layup shooting.
Mgbako took and made the Hoosiers’ first two free throws of the half, then hit a jumper for a 32-27 lead halftime lead. IU led for all but 21 seconds. Penn State never led.
That changed two-and-a-half minutes into the second half on a Nittany Lion three-point play for a 35-34 lead. Reneau countered with a basket. The Nittany Lions countered back with consecutive three-pointers to push ahead by six as part of a 15-4 second-half-opening run.
IU wasn’t rattled. It ratcheted up the defensive intensity, threw in a 2-3 zone and got baskets from Ware and Johnson, and then a Cupps’ three-pointer, for a 43-42 lead.
A Ware basket and four straight Reneau free throws pushed IU ahead 54-49. Penn State tied it at 55-55, 57-57, and 59-59.
With 24 seconds left in regulation, the Hoosiers had the ball and a victory chance.
Leal made it pay off.
“I was blessed I was able to do that,” he said.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BASEBALL CENTRAL: BELMONT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (9-8) will look to snap a three-game losing streak as it welcomes Belmont to Bart Kaufman Field this weekend to close out a run of eight games in nine days.
Faced with a depleted bullpen and a strong weekend opponent, IU struggled on the mound in a pair of midweek defeats to No. 9 Vanderbilt and Illinois State.
IU’s pitching staff will be more aligned this weekend as weather should allow for games to be played as scheduled for the first time in weeks. Senior pitcher Jack Moffitt will make his first-career start for IU on Friday evening with a number of arms, including junior left-hander Ryan Kraft, expected to be available. Sophomore Connor Foley will continue his role as the Saturday starter.
The bats have started to pick up steam since an 8-1 loss last Saturday to Troy. Junior infielder Brock Tibbitts is riding a six-game hitting streak and has 12 hits in his past six contests. Sophomores Devin Taylor (27) and Tyler Cerny (26) are both top-five in the conference in hits.
All three games will be broadcasted on Big Ten Network Plus with scheduled first pitch times of 5:00 PM (Friday), 2:00 PM (Saturday) and 1:00 PM (Sunday) in Bloomington.
Gameday Info
Belmont (Friday, March 15th)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX
Belmont (Saturday, March 16th)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX
Belmont (Sunday, March 17th)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Belmont
• Friday – Jack Moffitt (IU) (1-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Will Pryor (BU) (1-1, 4.09 ERA)
• Saturday – Connor Foley (IU) (1-1, 2.95 ERA) vs. Dominic Baratta (BU) (1-1, 3.52 ERA)
• Sunday – TBD (IU) vs. Joe Ruzicka (BU) (2-1, 3.43 ERA)
Player and Stat Trends
Closing in on 200
• Josh Pyne (172) and Brock Tibbitts (168) are neck-in-neck as they try to become the next members of the 200-hit club at IU. They would be the first pair of teammates from the same recruiting class to reach the plateau since Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis (2012-14).
200 of His Own
• Ty Bothwell is also searching for 200 … strikeouts. He is 36 away from becoming the 10th member of the 200-strikeout club at IU.
Ironman Brock
• Brock Tibbitts is on a run of 136-straight starts without missing a contest. He is searching to become the third player since 2008 to have a stretch of at least 150-consecutive starts.
Racking Up Hits
• Devin Taylor (27) and Tyler Cerny (26) are both top-five in the league in hits and are two of just six players with at least 25 hits at this juncture.
Notable
Tough Schedule to Open
• IU’s schedule through the first month of the season has been nothing short of difficult. Its Tuesday matchup with No. 9 Vanderbilt was the fifth contest against a ranked opponent this season. It was also the seventh game against power five competition and the second game against an SEC foe.
• According to Warren Nolan.com, a baseball metrics website, IU has the No. 41 non-conference strength of schedule and the No. 51 overall strength of schedule. The most recent RPI update from Warren Nolan has IU at No. 71 after dropping three-straight games.
Mercer Challenging the Bats
• After a disappointing loss to Troy on Saturday (March 10), in which the IU offense mustered just one run, head coach Jeff Mercer challenged the bats to bring the intensity in the Sunday doubleheader. A veteran Hoosier lineup did just that, combining to score 21 runs on 24 hits in two games on Sunday.
• Josh Pyne recorded a four-hit game in the first game Sunday while Nick Mitchell contributed a double and triple in the second game out of the leadoff hole. Carter Mathison hit a pair of home runs while Tyler Cerny added four hits across the two games. The Hoosiers then combined for 18 hits in losses to Vanderbilt and Illinois State.
Recent Spring Break Success
• It was this time last year that IU kicked its season into top gear. After a midweek loss at Kentucky on March 14th, the Hoosiers went on to win 13 of their next 16 games, sweeping Morehead State and Ohio State in weekend series along the way.
• IU’s schedule sets up similarly this year as it welcomes Belmont (three-game series) with hopes to rattle off a number of wins heading into conference play. The Hoosiers begin Big Ten play against Illinois, sandwhiched between series against Belmont and Butler (four games).
Tibbitts on a Roll
• Tasked with a heavy defensive load for the Hoosiers, junior Brock Tibbitts got off to a shaky offensive start. However, over the past 10 games, he’s begun to pick up steam.
• The New Albany, Ohio native is riding a six-game hit streak into the weekend and is 12-26 over his past six contests. In the last 10 games, he is 16-39 (.410) with eight runs, four doubles and nine RBIs.
Staff Getting Settled
• IU’s relatively new pitching staff has taken some lumps after being thrown into the fire in the first weeks of the season, facing some of the top talent in the nation. The Hoosiers are without veterans Luke Sinnard, Ben Grable, Matthew Bohnert, forcing younger players to step up. Sixth-year senior transfer Ty Rybarczyk only just got back and has thrown just one inning.
• Transfers Jack Moffitt (1-0, 5 app., 1.93 ERA) and Julian Tonghini (1-0, 4 app., 2 SV, 3.48 ERA) have joined important IU pieces in Connor Foley (1-1, 2.95 ERA), Ty Bothwell (2-0, 4.32 ERA) and Ryan Kraft (1-0, 4.91 ERA) in being really good on the mound. Young arms Jacob Vogel, Ryan Rushing and Aydan Decker-Petty continue to get looks on the mound as well.
Scouting the Opponent
Belmont (10-7, 0-0)
• The Bruins make the trip to Bloomington as the two programs meet for the first time ever. Sam Slaughter (.349) leads the way offensively. Three different players have started all 17 games including Brodey Heaton and Mason Landers.
• The pitching has been strong all season for Belmont. It brings a 5.28 earned run average into the weekend led by starter Joe Ruzicka (2-1, 3.43 ERA) and reliever Bill Duby (6 app., 1.80 ERA).
• Belmont is 5-5 over its past 10 games but beat No. 21 South Carolina on the road in the Saturday contest of a three-game set in February.
Inside the Series
Indiana vs. Belmont
• These two teams have never played. This will be one of four Missouri Valley opponents that the Hoosiers play this season (Illinois State, Evansville and Indiana State).
PURDUE BASEBALL
PURDUE HOSTS SAMFORD FOR ANOTHER 4-GAME SERIES
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Samford (10-5) at Purdue (13-4)
Friday to Sunday, March 15-17 / Watch B1G+
Series Opener: Friday, March 15 at 4 p.m. ET
Doubleheader: Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, March 17 at 1 p.m. ET
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: Jordan Morales (Grad, LHP) vs. Samford’s Michael Ross (Sr, RHP)
Game 2: Luke Wagner (Sr, LHP) vs. TBA for Samford
Game 3: Kyle Iwinski (Sr, RHP) vs. TBA for Samford
Game 4: Jonathan Blackwell (Sr, LHP) vs. TBA for Samford
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Samford leads 6-3
All-Time in West Lafayette: First Meetings
Last Meeting: Samford 4, Purdue 3 (March 1, 2014 in Birmingham)
Last Series: Samford swept a 3-game set (March 2013 in Birmingham)
Purdue’s Last Win in the Series: Purdue 9, Samford 4 (February 2013 in Starkville, Miss.)
Purdue’s Last Series Win vs. Samford: Won 2 of 3 (March 2007 in Birmingham)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball’s final weekend series before Big Ten Conference play begins features a visit from a Samford team that represents the Boilermakers’ fourth opponent of the season (of eight) that played in an NCAA Regional a year ago.
The 13-game homestand at Alexander Field continues with another four-game series, Purdue’s fourth over the first five weekends. Making the trip up from Birmingham, the Samford Bulldogs are set to play their second four-game set of the season. They won the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles last season and have been to three NCAA Regionals since 2018.
First pitch at Alexander is set for Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. For Saturday’s doubleheader, one ticket is good for both games and reentry will be permitted. Sunday is another Bark in the Park game in which fans can bring their dog to the ballpark.
Samford was also scheduled to visit West Lafayette in April 2020 as part of an open weekend in the conference schedules for both teams. After the shutdown canceled that series and the majority of the season, the teams have not played each other in a decade. Longtime assistant coach Tony David was elevated to head coach in the summer of 2021 after Casey Dunn made the move across town to take over UAB’s program following Samford’s NCAA Regional appearance.
The Bulldogs’ six-game win streak was snapped Sunday as Charleston Southern avoided the sweep in Birmingham.
Purdue is 4-2 in games against 2023 NCAA Regional qualifiers, winning three of four vs. George Mason on Feb. 23-25 and splitting games vs. East Carolina (lost) and Cal State Fullerton (won) at ECU’s tournament the first weekend of March. Besides Samford, upcoming opponents Iowa (March 22-24), Indiana State (March 26, April 9), Ball State (April 16) and Indiana (May 3-5) also played in Regionals last season.
The Boilermakers have won the first five games of their season-long 13-game homestand, racking up 56 runs in the process. They’ve posted a double-figure run total in three consecutive games for the third season in a row, which is a first in the modern era of the program (since aluminum bats were introduced to college baseball in 1974). Purdue’s 1985 team scored 10-plus in six consecutive games early that season, marking the last time it happened in at least four straight contests.
Meanwhile, Luke Wagner (10) and Jonathan Blackwell (9) led the way as the pitching staff racked up 43 strikeouts in 32 innings in the four-game sweep of UAlbany. The Boilermakers’ 12.09 strikeouts per nine innings marked was their second-best showing in a four-game series since 2001.
After this weekend, Purdue will have played nine straight games vs. opponents with canine mascots.
ACTVE STREAKS
• Connor Caskenette – 22-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 7-game on-base streak in all games
• Couper Cornblum – 18-game on-base streak at Home (since 4/15/23); 6-game on-base streak in all games
• Logan Sutter – 17-game on-base streak (every game of 2024)
• Camden Gasser – 15-game on-base streak (every game he’s played in 2024); 8-game hit streak
• Keenan Spence – 7-game on-base streak
• Luke Gaffney – 5-game hit streak
• Ty Gill – 5-game on-base streak
TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
• Luke Gaffney – 1st in Batting Avg (.468), 1st in Slugging (.806), 1st in OPS (1.335), 1st in RBI (23), 2nd in hits (29), 2nd in Runs (22), T-2nd in Triples (2), 3rd in Doubles (8), 3rd in OBP (.529)
• Logan Sutter – 1st in Doubles (11), 2nd in Slugging (.789), 2nd in OPS (1.282), T-4th in RBI (20), T-4th in Homers (4), T-5th in Runs (18), T-6th in Batting Avg (.386)
• Couper Cornblum – 1st in Triples (3)
• Jackson Dannelley – 1st in Saves (4)
• Camden Gasser – 2nd in OBP (.531), T-3rd in Steals (9), 4th in Batting Avg (.408), T-4th in Walks (14)
• Jordan Morales – T-2nd in Wins (3), 4th in Innings (23 1/3)
• Luke Wagner – T-2nd in Wins (3), 7th in ERA (2.70)
• Connor Caskenette – T-2nd in RBI (22), T-4th in HBP (8), T-5th in Runs (18)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – T-6th in Steals (8)
• Keenan Spence – 9th in Slugging (.614), T-9th in Runs (17)
PURDEUE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL FALLS SHORT VS. OMAHA
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Coming down to the final inning, Purdue softball fell to Omaha, 3-4, in the season’s home opener at Bittinger Stadium. The Boilermakers (11-12), led by senior Kiara Dillon’s two runs on two hits, including a triple in the seventh inning, came just shy of forcing extras or earning the walk-off victory after Dillon was called out at home with no outs on the board in the bottom of the seventh.
With a tied game heading into the final inning, Omaha scored two runs after stealing home and a double. The Boilermakers responded with a lead-off double by Hailey Hayes. Kiersen George, who entered to pinch run for Hayes, scored on the next at-bat when Dillon tripled to left center field.
The triple by Dillon was her second of the season.
Defensively, the Boilermakers caught the Mavericks’ stealing during the sixth inning with a throw from catcher Hailey Hayes to shortstop Tyrina Jones.
Additionally, the national leader in hit-by-pitch Sage Scarmardo earned her 14th walk of the season with the bases loaded in the third inning, which allowed Dillon the walk to home.
The Boilermakers were out-hit 6-11 in the matchup and committed one error.
Starting pitcher Madi Elish tossed the first 4.2 innings, registering three strikeouts and no walks allowed before being retired. Freshman Julia Gossett entered in relief, moving to 4-4 on the season as she closed out the game.
Purdue will be back at Bittinger Stadium tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET for Game 2 of the three game series. The clash will be streamed on B1G+.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL TRAVELS TO FLORIDA STATE
The (11-5) Irish will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., for a three-game series at Florida State March 15-17. Led by John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler in his second season with the Irish, Notre Dame welcomes 19 newcomers to the roster.
By The Numbers
2
Shawn Stiffler is in his second season with the Irish, after leading Notre Dame to a 30-24 season in 2023. He owns a 381-227 career record. Stiffler came to South Bend after spending the 10 seasons at the helm of the VCU program.
2
Entering this week, Notre Dame ranked second in the ACC and fourth among all Division I programs in home runs per game this season, with 2.57 per game. The Irish also ranked T-fourth in total home runs nationally, and with just 14 games, Notre Dame had played the least amount of games out of the Top 5 home-run hitting teams.
3
INF Estevan Moreno is the only player in Division I baseball to hit three home runs in two separate games this season. Moreno hit three home runs in the 15-11 Saturday win at Tennessee Tech and in the 11-2 midweek victory at home vs. Purdue. He tied a program record for home runs in a single game with both performances. He has achieved the feat three times, the most of any Irish player in program history (also hit three April 21, 2023 vs. Virginia).
3
Notre Dame pitchers have combined for five saves, which ranks tied for first in the ACC. RHP Nate Hardman owns three, which ranks third in the ACC, while RHP Bennett Flynn has earned two (T-fourth in the ACC).
3
Three Irish pitchers have been named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List: RHPs Radek Birkholz, Bennett Flynn and Nate Hardman. All three played major roles in the series sweep of Rice.
4
D1Baseball tabbed four Irish players among the top national players in their positions. Jack Penney enters 2024 ranked No. 32 among the nation’s shortstops, Simon Baumgardt ranked No. 50 amond third basemen, David Glancy ranked No. 97 among outfielders, and Jackson Dennies ranked No. 105 among starting pitchers.
4
The Irish are set to face four teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 in 2024, including No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 10 Clemson, No. 13 NC State and No. 15 North Carolina.
11
Eleven different Irish players have hit home runs this season. INF Estevan Moreno and OF David Glancy lead the team with six, INF Simon Baumgardt has five, and INF Jack Penney and OF T.J. Williams each have four. INF Connor Hincks, OF Tito Flores and INF Josh Hahn all own three each. OF Brady Gumpf has homered twice, and C Carson Tinney and C Joey Spence homered once.
15
Notre Dame’s 15 home runs in the weekend series at Tennessee Tech were more than any team in Division I baseball over the course of that week, and in fewer games than any of the other teams in the Top 10.
19
The Irish introduce 19 newcomers, featuring 10 freshmen and nine grad transfers, to the 2023 roster.
43
Notre Dame scored 43 runs in the series at Tennessee Tech (14-3 game one, 15-11 game two, 14-11 game three). It marked just the third time Notre Dame has scored 40 runs in three straight games against a single team since 2001 (the team scored 40 against Rutgers over three games in 2006 and 42 against Wake Forest over three games in 2022).
100
Perfect Game ranked two Irish players in their Top 100 Lists for each class. David Lally Jr. ranked No. 69 among the nation’s sophomores, and Jack Penney came in at No. 71 among juniors.
2024
.982
The Irish own a .982 fielding percentage on the season, ranking third in the ACC and 14th nationally.
2024
Following the series sweep at Rice, Notre Dame received votes in the National College Baseball Writers Association poll.
Notre Dame’s four wins to begin the season was the program’s best start since 2004, when the Irish opened the season 7-0.
Notre Dame split the four-game series at FIU, going 2-2 in Miami Feb. 23-25.
The Irish launched several comeback campaigns to earn the series sweep of Tennessee Tech March 1-3. The Irish posted 15 home runs over the weekend, the most of any Division I team that week and in fewer games than the rest of the Top 10. INF Estevan Moreno hit three home runs in Saturday’s contest, tying a program record, which he had already matched once before.
Notre Dame scored 43 runs in the series at Tennessee Tech (14-3 game one, 15-11 game two, 14-11 game three). It marked just the third time Notre Dame has scored 40 runs in three straight games against a single team since 2001 (the team scored 40 against Rutgers over three games in 2006 and 42 against Wake Forest over three games in 2022).
Notre Dame’s home opener was an 11-2 win over Purdue. Moreno set a program record for most career games with three home runs, hitting three bombs in the victory.
The Irish fell victim to a sweep to open ACC play at Virginia Tech. INF Connor Hincks had a standout weekend for Notre Dame, posting a .417 batting average with five hits, two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. Three of his hits, two RBI and one run came in Sunday’s game. He started all three games at first base for Notre Dame and played a role in two double plays, including an unassisted double play Saturday. In total, Hincks noted 22 putouts, two assists and zero errors on the weekend.
New Lineup in 2024
Notre Dame returns five regular starters from the 2023 lineup in DM Jefferson, Brady Gumpf, TJ Williams, Jack Penney and Estevan Moreno.
With the graduation of key pieces of the 2023 lineup (and 2022 College World Series team) in Carter Putz, Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, and Brooks Coetzee, new faces for the Irish have emerged in the lineup.
Notre Dame welcomes nine graduate transfers and 10 freshmen to the roster in the 2024 season.
The Outfield
Notre Dame returns three experienced outfielders in TJ Williams, DM Jefferson and Brady Gumpf. Williams, one of the top defensive centerfielders in college baseball, led the ACC in 2023 in sacrifice bunts (11).
The three are joined by graduate transfers Tito Flores and David Glancy. Flores is a two-time Big Ten all-tournament team selection, while Glancy led St. John’s with 13 home runs in 2023, and is ranked as one of D1Baseball’s Top 100 outfielders entering 2024.
No. 1 Jefferson: Has played most games as the starting DH for the Irish in 2024, and is T-fourth in the ACC in HBP (5) entering the week.
No. 2 Glancy: Ranks second in the ACC in homers per game (0.55) entering the week; Tied the team lead in home runs (6); Hit two home runs in three of the first four series of the season – at Rice, at FIU and at Virginia Tech. Was responsible for Notre Dame’s first home run of the season at Rice, a no-doubter into the wind.
No. 6 Williams: A four-year member of the Irish, and a leader on the team, Williams currently leads the Irish with a .396 batting average. He posted the first multi-home run game of his career with two home runs in the 13-4 win at FIU (2/23/24).
No. 7 Flores: Leads the team in RBI (21) on the season. Hit Notre Dame’s first grand slam of the season in the ninth inning of the Rice series finale, cementing the sweep.
No. 16 Bowen: Has appeared in three games and scored two runs this season; marked his first appearance for the Irish at Rice as a pinch runner, and took his first at-bat at Radford.
No. 21 Gumpf: Tied for the team lead in doubles on the season (5); Hit two doubles in a single game March 9 at Virginia Tech, a single-game career high for the senior; Hit his first home runs of the season at Tennessee Tech, with one homer on Friday (March 1) and one on Sunday (March 3).
The Infield
Jack Penney and Estevan Moreno will look to build off their success in the infield in 2023. Penney tied for the team lead with 10 home runs before being sidelined by an injury, while Moreno, in a breakout freshman season, became the first Irish player since 2016 to hit three home runs in a single game (4/21/23 vs. Virginia). He has again achieved the feat twice since then, setting a program record.
The Irish also return Connor Hincks, Casey Kmet, Nick DeMarco and Rory Fox, all of whom saw playing time last season.
Joining the infield are impact transfers Simon Baumgardt and Josh Hahn. Baumgardt is ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 50 third basemen entering 2024.
No. 3 Moreno: The only player in Division I baseball to have three home runs in two separate games this season; Hit three home runs in the 15-11 win at Tennessee Tech and the 11-2 win vs. Purdue, tying a program record for home runs in a single game. He has achieved the feat three times, the only Irish player in program history to do so (also hit three homers April 21, 2023 vs. Virginia).
No. 11 Penney: Leads the team with in runs scored (23) and walks drawn (14) this season.
No. 12 Hincks: Tied for the team lead in doubles (5) and ranks second in hits (22); Started 15 games throughout the infield for the Irish, ranking second on the team with a .367 batting average. Had a standout weekend for the Irish at Virginia Tech, posting a .417 batting average with five hits, two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI; started all three games at first base for Notre Dame and played a role in two double plays, including an unassisted double play.
No. 15 Hahn: Recorded the go-ahead RBI after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first game of the series at Rice.
No. 18 Baumgardt: Has started all 16 games at third base, and ranks third on the team with a .365 batting average.
Behind the Plate
With the departure of Vinny Martinez, the catcher position is open entering 2023-24 for the Irish, and multiple players could compete for playing time from the catchers group, which includes senior Tony Lindwedel, junior Joey Spence, and freshmen Carson Tinney, Troy Reader and Davis Johnson.
No. 8 Tinney: Started six games at catcher; hit the first homer of his career to score the go-ahead run in the series finale at Rice.
No. 13 Spence: Started four games at catcher, one at Tennessee Tech and one at FIU; posted his first home run of the season at Virginia Tech (March 10).
No. 28 Lindwedel: Started six games at catcher, posting his first hit of the season at Radford (March 12).
No. 55 Johnson: Saw first collegiate action as a pinch hitter on March 8 at Virginia Tech, and saw first action behind the plate on March 9 at Virginia Tech.
On the Mound
Senior Jackson Dennies leads a group with another year of collegiate experience under their belts. Dennies will be a mainstay started for the Irish, coming off a season in which he pitched 46.1 innings and posted 49 strikeouts. Dennies is ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 150 starting pitchers in the nation entering 2024.
Caden Spivey, David Lally and Matt Bedford all return for the Irish and will look to see significant time on the mound, in addition to Will Jacobsen, a Harvard transfer and 2023 second-team All-Ivy selection.
Radek Birkholz also returns for the Irish, and will join transfers Bennett Flynn and Nate Hardman in relief roles for Notre Dame.
Jack Findlay continues to recover from an injury.
Rice: The Irish started Spivey (Friday), Dennies (Saturday) and Bedford (Sunday). Birkholz (Friday), RHP Tobey McDonough (Saturday) and LHP Ryan Lynch (Sunday) earned the wins.
Hardman posted two saves on the weekend, a figure which was tied for the ACC lead after the first week.
FIU: The Irish started Spivey (Friday), Dennies (Saturday Game One), Bedford (Saturday Game Two) and McDonough (Sunday) at FIU. Flynn and RHP Jack Radel earned the two wins, and Bedford and Hardman absorbed the losses. Radel’s win was the first of his college career, while Flynn’s win was his first in an Irish uniform. Flynn also earned a save, his first at Notre Dame.
Tennessee Tech: The Irish started Bedford (Friday), Dennies (Saturday) and Spivey (Sunday) against the Golden Eagles. On Friday, Bedford went three full innings only allowing one hit. Birkholz entered to pitch for his second win, and Flynn got three innings of work, earning a save with an impressive seven strikeouts in nine batters faced. After a rocky start Saturday, Rory Fox secured the win, while Ricky Reeth pitched an impressive four innings with four strikeouts. The Irish got down early on Sunday, but a group effort including Jack Radel’s three full innings allowed the Irish to battle back. Keenan Mork secured his first-career win, and Hardman earned the save.
Purdue: Bedford earned the win via the bullpen day setup, going three innings and only allowing two hits and zero runs.
Virginia Tech: The Irish started Reeth (Friday), McDonough (Saturday) and Bedford (Sunday). All three shouldered losses. Fox and Flynn entered in their respective games for meaningful innings, but the Irish were unable to secure a lead.
Radford: Notre Dame took the bullpen approach at Radford, as 11 different pitchers saw action over the two-game span. Freshman RHP Jack Radel made his first-career start and earned the win on March 12, and RHP Nate Hardman posted a win, his first in an Irish uniform, in the March 13 contest.
John P. And Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach
Shawn Stiffler is in his second season with the Irish, and led Notre Dame to a 30-24 record in his first season. He owns a 381-227 career record.
Stiffler came to South Bend after spending the last 10 seasons at the helm of the VCU program where he accrued a 340-198 overall record, and dominated the Atlantic 10 with a record of 146-71.
He was a monumental piece in VCU’s success where he turned the Rams into one of the most consistent programs in the country, as it is one of just seven programs nationally to earn 34 or more wins in each of the last eight full seasons.
In Stiffler’s 10-seasons at the helm of the VCU program, the Rams won Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championships in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The 2017 A-10 Regular Season Championship was the first in program history at VCU.
Stiffler also led VCU to the NCAA Championship Tournament in 2015, 2021 and 2022.
Stiffler earned American Baseball Coaches’ Association (ABCA) East-Region Coach of the Year honors following the 2015 season in which he led VCU to the A-10 Championship and its first-ever Super Regional.
The 2019 A-10 Coach of the Year guided four Rams to All-American honors, five Freshman All-Americans, 20 ABCA All-Region honorees and 48 All A-10 selections.
Meet the Assistants
Assistant coach Logan Robbins (position players) enters his second season at Notre Dame and joined the Irish after spending seven seasons at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia.
Robbins led the Monarch offense to new heights as hitters finished second in Conference USA in 2021 and 2022, hitting a .301 and a .296 team average, respectively.
In 2021, the Monarchs finish second in the country with 105 home runs, smashing the previous home run record of 67, followed by a 2022 squad that hit 128 home runs as a team, finishing third nationally.
Robbins offense finished in the top 15 nationally in home runs, home runs per game, scoring and slugging percentage.
Robbins played at Western Kentucky University and was a 10th round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2011.
Assistant coach Seth Voltz (pitchers) begins his second season with Notre Dame, having joined the Fighting Irish after spending the 2022 season under Stiffler at VCU, and previously worked as an assistant coach at Wofford College.
Voltz led the Rams to the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship, winning 17-consecutive games `Hill Regional where they notched wins over North Carolina and Georgia.
VCU finished the 2022 campaign with a 42-20 record, and ranked in the top 20 in Division I in ERA (3.91 – 9th), WHIP (1.29 – 12th) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.12 – 10th).
Voltz was an assistant coach with the Wofford Terriers from 2017-20.
He helped the Terriers win the first Southern Conference Regular Season Championship in program history in 2021, after a 36-21 regular season and a 21-9 SoCon record.
The 492 strikeouts in the 2021 campaign is the second-most in SoCon history and the third-most in program history.
After graduating from VCU in 2012, where he was a four-year letterwinner under Stiffler, he began his coaching career as the Rams’ volunteer coach and then coached as an assistant at UT Martin from 2015-16.
Ryan Munger (position players/catchers) assumes an assistant coach role after serving as Notre Dame’s volunteer assistant coach in 2023. Munger served as an assistant coach at Davidson for the previous seven seasons, and was elevated to recruiting coordinator in July of 2018.
After joining Davidson in the fall of 2013, Munger worked primarily with the catchers and assisted with hitting. In 2022, he helped guide the Wildcats to a 43-13 overall mark, a 20-4 Atlantic 10 Conference record as Davidson earned the 2022 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship, finishing a game ahead of Stiffler’s VCU team.
In his time with Davidson, Munger helped lead the program to new heights, winning the most games in a season in program history in 2017, 2018 and further improving that total during the 2022 season. He led the Wildcats to their first-ever conference title in the program’s 115-year history in 2017, and was just the second four-seed to ever sweep an NCAA Regional.
Munger played baseball at Duke and was a team captain in 2012 and 2013.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX
GAME 6 PREVIEW: #18 MICHIGAN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 2 Notre Dame wraps up the Big Ten portion of its non-conference scheduled by welcoming No. 18 Michigan to Arlotta Stadium in an Irish Wear Green game at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 16. The game will air on ACCN.
GAME DETAILS
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Arlotta Stadium
Schedule: March 16 — 2 p.m. ET
TV: ACCN
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Twitter Updates: @NDlacrosse
For a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame
THE MICHIGAN SERIES
• Saturday will be the seventh meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Michigan. The Irish lead the series 5-1.
• The two teams met in Ann Arbor last season and the Irish cruised to an 18-8 victory at U-M Lacrosse Stadium.
• In the win, Pat Kavanagh tied his own program record for points in a game with 10, coming off four goals and six assists.
• Liam Entenmann was masterful in goal, making 13 saves while allowing just six goals.
• Notre Dame has scored at least 12 goals in every meeting with Michigan in the series and only allowed the Wolverines to reach double digits once.
VIDEO GAME NUMBERS
• The Irish enter Saturday’s matchup ranked third in the country in scoring offense (16.6 goals per game), third in points per game (27.2) andfsecond in assists per game (10.6).
• For the first time in program history Notre Dame recorded back-to-back 20+ goal performances, coming in its first two games of the season.
• The combined 46 goals over the two games shatter the previous program record for most goals in back-to-back games, as the 1992 squad previously held the record with 40 goals.
• The 22-goal win over Cleveland State, the 13-goal victory at Marquette and the five-goal win over Maryland represent the largest margin of victory for the Irish in the respective all-time series.
• The Irish have also played fairly clean games thus far, as they are averaging just 13.2 turnovers per game which is the second best mark in the country.
PICK YOUR POISON
• The Irish starting attack has combined for 64 points this seasons.
• Pat Kavanagh (5G, 18A), Chris Kavanagh (15G, 8A) and Jake Taylor (15G, 3A) are each off to great starts this season.
• The three attackman have a combined 443 points in their career off 247 goals and 196 assists.
• The Irish starting midfield also presents headaches for the opposition with Eric Dobson, Jordan Faison and Devon McLane each presenting different challenges to try to stop.
• McLane leads the unit with 15 points (10G, 5A) while Faison has 13 (10G, 3A) and Dobson has added nine (5G, 4A).
DOMINATING DEFENSE
• The Irish have allowed just 41 total goals over the course of the season, giving up tjust 8.2 goals per game, which enters the week second in the country.
• The Blue and Gold have held Cleveland State (3) and Maryland (9) to their lowest goal outputs of the season.
• Dating back to last season, which includes an NCAA Championship run, the Irish have held eight of theirl last 10 opponents to 10 or fewer goals.
• The unit allowed just three goals in the win over Cleveland State, which is tied for the second fewest given up by ND in a season opener in program history.
• The Irish finished 2023 allowing just 9.69 goals per game, leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the country, despite playing nine games against opponents that ranked in the top 10 in goals scored per game.
• Notre Dame led the ACC and ranked ninth in the country in caused turnovers per game last season, averaging 9.69.
CASHING IN ON THE EMO
• For the third-straight season, Notre Dame’s man-up offense is among the nation’s best, scoring on 76.5 percent of its opportunities.
• Notre Dame comes into the weekend 13-of-17 on man-up situations.
• Jeffery Ricciardelli leads the unit with four goals while Jake Taylor and Chris Kavanagh have each scored three goals for the Irish when having the player advantage this season.
• Ricciardelli’s four goals lead the ACC and ranke fourth in the country for EMO scoring.
• The Irish finished the 2023 season going 22-for-41 (.537) on the EMO ranking fifth in the country.
• Chris Kavanagh finished seventh in the nation in EMO goals with eight.
• The Irish EMO unit cashed in on 21-of-31 chances (.677) during the 2022 season.
THE CONDUCTOR
• Pat Kavanagh became the first Notre Dame player to be named a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist two times, earning the honor in 2021 and 2023.
• The attackman is the current NCAA DI active career leader in assists per game average (3.06) and is second for total career assists (153).
• Kavanagh is closing in on the Notre Dame all-time career points record, as he is currently 30 shy of breaking the record held by Randy Colley ‘95 (see table on left).
• The Rockville, New York, native broke the program record for points in a season in 2023 with 77 points off 25 goals and 52 assists.
• Kavanagh became the program record holder for career assists during the 2023 season and has 153 in his illustrious career.
• The attackman also shattered his own single-season program assists record in 2023, totaling 52 on the season. Kavanagh now holds the top three marks for assists in a season.
• Kavanagh is also the only player in program history to record 10 points in a single game, a feat which he has achieved three times in his career.
• The graduate student is off to a flying start in 2024, earning ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after his first week of play in which he totaled 12 points off two goals and 10 assists.
• Kavanagh has recorded two or more assists in every game this season.
THE STOPPER
• Grad student Liam Entenmann cemented his status as the top goalie in the country with his play in 2023, being named the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding Goalie by the USILA, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Goalie of the Year and NCAA Championships Most Valuable Player.
• The grad student leads the ACC and ranks third in the country this season in goals allowed per game with a mark of 8.49.
• The goalie had a big game against No. 3 Maryland this season, making 13 saves while limiting the Terrapins to just nine goals.
• Entenmann led the ACC and ranked sixth in the country in goals against average, allowing just 9.55 goals per game in 2023.
• Entenmann had a save percentage of .570 (196 saves, 148 goals allowed), ranking fourth in the country last season.
• Entenmann made double-digit saves in each of the final 13 games in 2023, including a season-high 18 in the win over No. 1 Duke to win the national title.
• Entenmann currently ranks fourth on the ND all-time saves list with 594 in his career.
THE SCORER
• Chris Kavanagh had one of the most prolific goal scoring seasons in program history in 2023, recording a career-high 46 goals to lead the Irish attack.
• Kavanagh hasn’t missed a beat so far in 2024, as the junior is tied with his brother for team leader in points (23) with 15 goals and eight assists
•The junior not only paced Notre Dame’s offense in 2023 but his 46 goals ranked third all-time in program history for a single season, just three behind Randy Colley’s record of 49 goals set in 1995.
• The attackman also added 16 assists to total 62 points, which ranks 10th all-time in Notre Dame men’s lacrosse history.
• Chris finished with 10 hat tricks during the 2023 campaign and has 15 in his career.
• The Rockville Centre, New York, native has 78 career goals.
THE FINISHER
• Jake Taylor has been one of the best crease finisher in the country this season, tied for the team with 15 goals on the season.
• His average of 3.0 goals per game is tied for fourth ACC.
• Taylor has recorded hat tricks in three of five games and has scored multiple goals in four of five outings.
• The grad student has 73 career goals, despite battling injury setbacks over the first four seasons in South Bend.
• Taylor came up clutch for the Irish in one of the biggest moments in program history, sending the 2023 NCAA Championship semifinal into overtime with a twister goal with under a minute left in regulation against Virginia.
LYNCH LEVELING UP
• Junior FOGO Will Lynch has gotten off to a great start in 2024, winning 64.8 percent of the faceoffs he hast taken, ranking fourth in the country.
• Lynch is 57-for-88 on the season at the dot, scooping up 33 ground balls.
• To make this number even more impressive, Lynch has faced four of the top 12 FOGOs in the country by faceoff winning percentage and won over 50 percent against each opponent.
• The junior had a remarkable performance in the win over No. 3 Maryland, winning 12-of-18 faceoffs against Luke Weirman, a 2024 preseason All-American.
• The FOGO also has added a goal this season, scoring in the win over Marquette.
THE ATTACK IS BACK
• The Irish returned a lot of firepower from the 2023 roster that claimed the national title, as the top five goal scorers are back in 2024.
• Notre Dame brings back 78.6 percent of its goals (195/248), 77.4 percent of its assists (103/133) and 78.2 percent of its points (298/381).
• Four players who recorded 30+ points last season are back, which include Pat Kavanagh (77), Chris Kavanagh (62), Eric Dobson (45) and Jake Taylor (33).
CHALLENGING SLATE AHEAD
• Notre Dame has never shied away from putting together a challenging schedule and the 2024 slate is no different.
• Of Notre Dame’s 11 regular-season opponents, eight are currently ranked in the top 20 in the USILA or Inside Lacrosse Top 20 Polls.
• All six of Notre Dame’s remaining regular season opponents are ranked in the current Inside Lacrosse and USILA polls.
FAISON’S FIRST IMPRESSION
• Jordan Faison has had an impressive start to his ND lacrosse career, as he ranks fourth on the team in goals (10) and fifth in points (13).
• The freshman has two hat tricks, including a five-point effort (3G, 2A) in the win over No. 3 Maryland.
• The midfielder has scored in every game this season.
• Faison wasted no time introducing himself to the college lacrosse world, scoring 38 seconds into the 2024 season for the first Notre Dame goal of the season in his debut.
• The freshman finished with a three-goal hat trick and an assist in the win over Cleveland State.
• The three goals in his first career game are the most by a Notre Dame midfielder in their debut since at least the 2000 season.
• The freshman has scored at least one goal in each game and has nine goals and three assists on the season.
• Faison also had an electric start to his Notre Dame football career, finishing with 19 catches for 322 yards and was second on the team with four touchdowns receptions despite playing in just seven games.
• The WR was named the 2023 Sun Bowl C.M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player after recording five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in the win over Oregon State.
FAMILY AFFAIR
• The Fighting Irish feature four pairs of brothers on the 2024 roster.
• The four sets of brothers are BJ and Gavin Burlace, Will and Andrew Donovan, Pat and Chris Kavanagh, and Jeffery and Thomas Ricciardelli.
CORRIGAN ALL-TIME DI PROGRAM WINS LEADER
• With the win over No. 1 Duke on April 10, 2021, Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan broke the NCAA record for most wins at a DI program with 311, passing Bob Shillinglaw (Delaware).
• Corrigan became just the third coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to reach the 300-win mark at a single school with the win over Marquette on April 10, 2019.
• Corrigan is one of just four active Division I coaches to reach the 300-win mark in his career.
• Corrigan has an overall record of 349-175 in his 38 seasons of coaching.
• The head coach is 339-160 in his 36 seasons at Notre Dame.
• Corrigan is the longest tenured men’s lacrosse coach at the DI level.
NOTRE DAME SWIMMING
SEVEN DIVERS SET FOR ZONE C CHAMPIONSHIPS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Seven Irish divers are in Louisville this week at the 2024 Zone C Championships, as they try to secure their spots in the 2024 NCAA Championships this month. Thursday and Friday’s sessions begin at 1 p.m., while Saturday starts at 11 a.m.
On the women’s side, Calie Brady, Grace Courtney, Claire Feick and Katie Raby are representing Notre Dame and looking to punch their tickets. Brady is seeking her third NCAA appearance, while Courtney is looking for appearance No. 2. At ACCs, Courtney placed fourth with a score of 325.55 on the 3-meter, and Brady took eighth with a score of 319.20. Courtney also placed fourth in the 1-meter (292.85), and Brady finished eighth (182.25).
Feick, a sophomore transfer from Villanova, competed at the Zone A Championships last year. Her best ACC finish earlier this season was 12th in the 3-meter (266.35).
Daniel Knapp, Carlo Lopez and Ben Nguyen are in Louisville representing the Irish men that recently posted a second-place finish at ACC Championships. Knapp made NCAAs last year as a rookie. Lopez competed in the meet for the last four years while at Missouri.
It is Nguyen, however, that had the best ACC meet a few weeks ago. He took third in the platform and shattered the previous school record with a score of 406.70. He also finished fifth in the 3-meter (379.25) and fourth in the 1-meter (357.40).
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH HIT THE ROAD FOR ACC SERIES AT GEORGIA TECH
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team is back in Atlantic Coast Conference action this weekend as it hits the road for a three-game series in Atlanta. The Fighting Irish will take on the #25/RV Georgia Tech Yellowjackets in a three-game set, scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 3 p.m.
The games Friday night and Sunday afternoon will be aired on the ACC Network, with Cheri Kempf and Danielle Lawrie on the call. Saturday’s game will be live streamed on the ACC Network Extra. Live stats will be available for all three games, with links to watch or follow on the Notre Dame softball schedule page.
The Irish enter the weekend having won six of its last seven, coming off of a 4-1 weekend at the Marshall March Madness Invitational and taking both ends of the home opening doubleheader against Bowling Green.
Georgia Tech enters as one of the hottest teams in college softball, having won 15 of its last 16, including six ACC games. Last time out, Georgia Tech was bested by the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Athens Wednesday evening.
For the latest in Irish softball news and information, follow the team on X (@ndsoftball) and Instagram (@notredamesoftball).
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HIDALGO NAMED ONE OF 10 NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS
ATLANTA — Hannah Hidalgo was named one of 10 finalists for the 2024 Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year, the organization announced on Thursday. She is one of three freshmen on the list in a loaded rookie class.
Hidalgo leads the ACC with 23.3 points per game and is pacing the nation with 4.6 steals per contest. She is the only player in the country averaging at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.
In last weekend’s ACC Tournament, Hidalgo averaged 19.3 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game. She was named the MVP after the Irish brought home the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL FACES ST. JOHN’S IN QUEENS FOR BIG EAST SERIES
Series Information – at St. John’s
DATE: Friday, Mar. 15 – Sunday, Mar. 17
LOCATION: Queens, N.Y. / Red Storm Field
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ Gm1 / Gm2 / Gm3
Full Notes
The Butler softball team plays its second BIG EAST series of the season, this time on the road at St. John’s. The Bulldogs (13-12, 2-1 BIG EAST) won 2-of-3 in a series with Providence earlier this week and then split on Wednesday, losing to Dartmouth and defeating Bellarmine. The Red Storm won 1-of-3 vs. Creighton last weekend and then split with Manhattan in a mid-week doubleheader.
Bulldog Bits
(as of 3-13-24)
Ella White’s ranks second in the BIG EAST in several categories, including: 26 RBI (37th nationally), 8 doubles (44th), 6 home runs (63rd), and .411 batting average. She is third (73rd) with a .767 slugging percentage.
Monique Hoosen is second in the BIG EAST (63rd nationally) with six home runs.
Kieli Ryan leads the BIG EAST (16th nationally) with 7 base runners caught stealing.
Katie Petran is second in the BIG EAST (31st nationally) with 8 wins in the circle and is fourth with 53 strikeouts.
Cate Lehner is second in the BIG EAST (28th nationally) with thirteen stolen bases.
BIG EAST coaches ranked Butler fifth in the 2024 Preseason Poll. Villanova (1st), UConn (2nd), and Seton Hall (3rd) each received at least two first-place votes. DePaul (4th) also ranked ahead of the Bulldogs.
vs. Dartmouth and Bellarmine (Mar. 13)
Hot bats for Butler over the two games were Leigh Vande Hei: 4-for-6 (.667) with 2B, 3SB, and Cate Lehner: 5-for-9 (.556) with 5SB.
Paige Dorsett and Ella White (4RBI) each hit a home run.
vs. Providence (Mar. 11-12)
Hot bats for the Bulldogs in the series were Ella White: 4-for-6 (.666) with 6RBI, Hailey Conger: 5-for-10 (.500), and Sydney Carter: 4-for-8 (.500).
Monique Hoosen hit Butler’s only home run of the series.
Katie Petran pitched 10 innings with a 2.70 ERA.
SCOUTING ST. JOHN’S (10-13, 1-2 BIG EAST)
Series- St. John’s leads: 16-10
The teams most recently met in the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament: St. John’s 9-6
2023 series (Indianapolis): (canceled)
2022 series (Queens): Butler 10-1, Butler 3-2, St. John’s 8-3
2021 series (Indianapolis): Butler 3-1, Butler 4-1, Butler 8-2
St. John’s won eight straight from 4-15-17 through 5-5-19
2024 BIG EAST series: vs. Creighton (L, L, W)
Wins this season include: Manhattan, Idaho St., Northern Colorado, UMass-Lowell (3)
Losses include: Cal Poly, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, NC State, Kansas, and Liberty.
ST. JOHN’S vs. (opponents) Butler
runs: 87-85 119
hits: 150-165 198
RBI: 77-79 105
SB: 33-33 29
ERA: 2.94-3.16 4.25
Batting leaders:
#57 London Jarrard (.329) 8-2B, 4HR, 28RBI
#3 Cassidy Stouffer (.328) 7-2B, 10RBI
#24 Jess Bianco (.299) 23H, 14 SB
#6 Elanna Lysiak (.245) 4-2B, 7RBI
Pitching leaders:
#12 Ana Serafinko (2-3) 2.20 ERA, 40K
#14 Loreley Francia (4-3) 2.64 ERA, 56K
#16 Hannah Mearns (3-4) 3.24 ERA, 27K
IUPUI WOMEN’S TENNIS
JAGUARS EARN THIRD STRAIGHT WIN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s tennis team earned their third straight victory on Thursday afternoon with a win over Bethune-Cookman, 4-1.
The Jags started in singles play where despite having to forfeit the number six singles match, the Jags were still able to secure the win. Elle Kotre took the number one singles match, 6-1, 6-1 while Chloe Bailey earned the point in the number two spot, 6-1, 6-0. Gabbie Orlando took the number four singles match, 6-4, 6-4 and Sofia Castillo clinched the win for the Jags in the number five spot, 7-5, 7-5.
Emma Dell was in the third set when her number three singles match went unfinished. Since IUPUI secured the win in singles play, they did not play the doubles matches.
IUPUI has now won three straight matches and will next travel to Kokomo on Friday, March 22 when they face IU Kokomo.
BALL STATE MEN’S VB
NO. 13 MVB WINS RIVALRY MATCH AT NO. 8 OHIO STATE TO STAY ATOP OF MIVA STANDINGS
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 13th-ranked Cardinals were able to pull off the 3-1 rivalry victory tonight on the road against the eighth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to stay atop of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association standings.
With the win, Ball State improves to 15-7 on the year and 8-1 in MIVA action while Ohio State drops to 15-6 overall and 8-3 in conference play.
Patrick Rogers led the Cardinals with nine kills to open the first set which helped push Ball State past its arch nemesis Ohio State to a 34-32 victory. The Cardinals trailed the Buckeyes at the start of the frame but then took a late 16-13 edge after a kill from Rodney Wallace. Of course, the Buckeyes rallied back as both teams traded points. Ball State was able to have back-to-back strong defensive plays to secure the early 1-0 match edge over Ohio State.
Ball State struggled to get things going in frame two after falling behind early to Ohio State. The Buckeyes prevailed throughout offensively and was able to even the match 1-1 with their 25-15 second set win.
The third period was tightly contested just like the previous two but this time the Cardinals came out on top by a score of 25-22. It was Ball State’s defense that held Ohio State to a .171 hitting percentage which helped the Cardinals take back the 2-1 advantage in the match.
The Cardinals continued to fight and were resilient to not let the match go to a fifth set. The frame was knotted 24-24, but a kill from Rogers and then a hitting error from Ohio State gave BSU the 26-24 advantage which sealed the victory.
For the match, Rogers tallied a career best 24 kills off 47 swings for a .383 hitting percentage while Tinaishe Ndavazocheva registered 16 kills. Lucas Machado turned in an impressive performance dishing out 41 assists.
The Ball State men’s volleyball team continues MIVA action when it returns to Worthen Arena Saturday against Lindenwood. First serve is at 7 pm ET.
BALL STATE TRACK
TRACK AND FIELD OPENS OUTDOOR AT USF ALUMNI INVITE
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Cardinals will open their outdoor season on Friday, March 15 in Tampa, Florida at the USF Alumni Invite. Events are scheduled to begin Friday morning at 10 a.m. and continue through Saturday.
The team is coming off a highly successful indoor season. They secured many top finishes and achieved many new personal and season bests. Through the post-season their success continued as they finished third at the indoor MAC Championships. Two Cardinals, Jenna Oriani and Jenelle Rogers, earned individual MAC Champion titles.
Following the MAC Championship meet, Jenelle Rogers qualified to represent the Cardinals at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships. Rogers was a stellar competitor, bringing home the silver medal in the pentathlon with a new Ball State record of 4,430 points.
As the Cardinals enter the outdoor season, they will look to build off their recent accomplishments.
The USF Alumni Invite will be streamed on ESPN+. Tune in to watch the Cardinals as they begin their outdoor season.
Ball State Entries in the USF Alumni Invite
Friday
3:00 p.m. – Hammer Throw
5:00 p.m. – 400m Hurdles
6:00 p.m. – Shot Put
6:20 p.m. – 200m Dash
Saturday
11:00 a.m. – Triple Jump
12:30 p.m. – 4x400m Relay
12:50 p.m. – 1500m Run
1:20 p.m. – 100m Hurdles
1:30 p.m. – High Jump
1:30 p.m. – Discus
2:00 p.m. – 400m Dash
2:30 p.m. – 100m Dash
3:00 p.m. – 2000m Steeplechase
BALL STATE SB
SOFTBALL SET TO WELCOME OHIO IN MAC & HOME OPENERS SATURDAY
» THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE SOFTBALL: The Ball State softball team opens both the home and Mid-American Conference portion of its 2024 schedule this weekend when it hosts Ohio for a three-game series … The Cardinals and Bobcats will play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a Noon single game Sunday at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
» HOME SWEET HOME: After playing its first 26 games of the season on the road, Ball State opens what is scheduled to be a seven-game homestand on Saturday … It would be BSU’s longest homestand since the COVID adjusted 2021 season which saw Ball State play 12 straight at home from April 23 to May 4 … Looking at the road numbers, the program record for consecutive road games to start a season is 33 games set in 2018.
» THE OVERALL RECORD: Ball State enters Saturday’s doubleheader versus Ohio with a 1161-1155-4 (.501) overall record dating back to 1975 … The Cardinals have tallied 30-or-more wins in 16 seasons, most recently a 37-18 mark in 2021 … Of the 16 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 11 have come in the past 16 years.
» A QUICK LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Led by first-year head coach Helen Peña, the Cardinals own a 13-13 overall record … Ball State maintains a .249 team batting average, led by redshirt junior utility player McKayla Timmons who ranks 12th in the MAC at .364 … Timmons ranks second in the MAC and third nationally with 13 home runs, while ranking second in the league and 11th nationally with 33 RBIs … Redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman is second on the squad in average (.333), RBI (21) and home runs (5) … In the circle, the Cardinals own a 4.01 ERA led by senior Francys King who boasts a 7-5 record and a 3.22 ERA over 80.1 innings of work … King has also tallied three complete game shutouts this season and is third on the squad with 37 strikeouts … Sophomore Bridie Murphy has a team-best .279 average against over 57.0 innings, to go along with a 5-5 record, one save and 34 strikeouts.
» CARDINALS VERSUS THE BOBCATS:
– Ball State owns a 51-43-1 lead in the all-time series versus Ohio, including a 31-18 mark in games played in Muncie … However, the Bobcats have won five of the past six meetings, including all three games last season in Athens.
» SCOUTING THE BOBCATS: Ohio enters the weekend with a 12-12 overall record after suffering a 9-2 setback at Marshall on Tuesday … Prior to that, the Bobcats went 1-3 last weekend at the Beach Chicken Brawl hosted by Coastal Carolina … Tori O’Brien currently leads the team with a .365 average, while Yasmine Logan has team-highs of 17 runs scores, 15 RBI and four home runs … Skipp Miller leads Ohio in the circle, owning a 2.75 ERA and a 6-7 record over 79.0 innings … Miller also has two saves and two complete game shutouts to her name, along with 44 strikeouts and a .222 average against.
BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:
» MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Ball State was picked to finish fourth among 11 teams in the Mid-American Conference’s annual preseason poll … The Cardinals, who finished fourth in the league last season with a 17-12 MAC record, are looking for a second consecutive MAC Softball Championship berth, with the league’s top six teams advancing to Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, for the three-day event which runs May 8-11.
» THE WYNN FACTOR: Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn has taken advantage of her extra year of eligibility, tying for first on the team with 28 hits so far this season … That raises her career total to 209 which is seventh in program history … Wynn has registered at least one hit in 19 of first 26 games of the season, including five home runs to up her career long ball total to 24 which is tied for 11th in program history.
» MORE ON WYNN: Haley Wynn is one of the most prolific batters in program history ranking 16th on Ball State’s career charts with a .331 career average … She is also 12th all-time in slugging percentage (.538) and 16th in on base percentage (.409) … In addition, her 154 career runs scored are fourth in program history and 29th among all active NCAA Division I players … She also ranks 29th among active DI players with 41 career doubles which is eighth in program history.
» TIMMONS CLIMBING THE CHARTS TOO: After leading the Ball State offense with a .364 batting average, a .922 slugging percentage and a .470 on base percentage through the first 26 games of the season, McKayla Timmons continued her climb up BSU’s career charts … She currently ranks fourth in program history in slugging percentage (.695), fifth in on base percentage (.449) and eighth in batting average (.347) … Timmons, who has blasted a team-leading 13 home runs so far this season, including her first collegiate grand slam at Georgia State (Feb. 24), is also one of the program’s top home run hitters with her 29 career long balls ranking sixth in BSU’s all-time list.
» RBI LEADER: McKayla Timmons enters the weekend ranked ninth nationally with her 33 RBI this season … The effort included seven RBIs in the 9-5 (9) win over Georgia State (Feb. 24) and six in the 13-9 victory at Marshall (March 7) … The program record for RBIs in a single game is eight by Stacy Payton versus Oakland on May 4, 2019.
» BALL STATE’S BEST THIEF: Senior outfielder Remington Ross enters MAC play as the greatest base thief in program history with a .963 (52-for-54) career stole base percentage at Ball State … Last season, she went a perfect 23-for-23 in stolen base attempts and ranked second in the MAC and 54th nationally with a 0.47 steals-per-game average … Ross, who is seventh in program history with 52 career stolen bases, had been successful in her previous 36 stolen base attempts before being caught stealing for just the second time in her Ball State career at Georgia State (Feb. 24) … She has since stolen three straight bases.
» A SLAMMING FIRST HIT: Redshirt sophomore Jessica Hoffman had just two career at bats when she stepped up to the plate with bases loaded in the 10-8 win over Fordham (Feb. 11) … She proceeded to blast her first career hit over the fence in right center field for her first career home run and Ball State’s first grand slam since April 6, 2022 … A regular in the lineup since, Hoffman has 23 career hits and is second on the team with a .333 average this season … Of her 23 hits, 11 have driven in at least one RBI and she currently ranks second on the squad with 21 RBIs.
» KING OF THE PEN: Senior Francys King leads the Ball State pitching staff with a 3.22 ERA over 80.1 innings of work this season … She has earned the victory in seven of BSU’s 13 wins, including all three of the team’s complete game shutouts … King has 16 career collegiate pitching victories, with 10 coming at Ball State and six coming in her two seasons at Tennessee State (2021-22).
» TRIPLING UP: The Ball State defense owns one of the nation’s three triple plays this season, turning what was a squeeze bunt attempt into a triple killing in the fifth inning of the 5-4 win over Jacksonville State on Feb. 17 … The bunt was fielded by Haley Wynn at third base, who threw to McKayla Timmons to get the out at first … The play then went to catcher Jazmyne Armendariz to get the runner out trying to advance home, who in turn threw to shortstop Maia Pietrzak to get the final out … It was just the second recorded triple play in program history, with the first coming in 1985.
BALL STATE SWIMMING
GARBERICK & KELLY LEAD SWIMMING AT CSCAA NIC
OCALA, Fla. – – Senior Joey Garberick and sophomore Payton Kelly picked up right where they left off at the Mid-American Conference Championships, opening the 2024 CSCAA National Invitational Championships with a pair of strong performances Thursday evening.
Garberick led the charge, earning the title of NIC Champion after taking top honors in the 50 breaststroke with a meet record time of 23.89 at the FAST (Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training).
A five-time individual MAC Champion, earning four titles in the 100 breaststroke and one in the 200 breaststroke over his career, Garberick shaved .51 off his prelim time which earned him the third seed heading into the championship heat.
Kelly added another podium finish to her resume as well, taking third in the 50 freestyle with a finals time of 22.59, just off her second-place time of 22.40 at the MAC Championships. Kelly entered the finals as the second seed after touching the wall in 22.81 in the prelims.
Along with the strong individual finishes, the Cardinals picked up a pair of top six finishes in the relays. The first came in the 200 freestyle relay when sophomore Benjamin Clarkston, Garberick, sophomore Jacob Siewers and junior Ethan Pheifer placed fifth in the 200 freestyle relay at 1:19.98.
Pheifer, Garberick, senior Bryce Handshoe and Siewers closed the opening day of the meet with a sixth-place time of 3:12.62 in the 400 medley relay.
Traveling north to the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, sophomore Porter Brovont placed 22nd on the 3M board with a score of 286.00 at the Ralph Wright Natatorium.
Ball State’s swimmers are slated to compete in 11 more events Friday at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships, while Brovont will compete on the 1M board at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships.
Swimming starts with prelims at 9:30 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m., while diving gets underway at 1 p.m.
Thursday’s NCAA Zone C Diving Results – MEN
PRELIMS
3M Diving
22nd – Porter Brovont – 286.00
Thursday’s NIC Results – MEN
FINALS
200 Freestyle Relay
5th – Benjamin Clarkston, Joey Garberick, Jacob Siewers, Ethan Pheifer – 1:19.98
50 Breaststroke
1st – Joey Garberick – 23.89
400 Medley Relay
6th – Ethan Pheifer, Joey Garberick, Bryce Handshoe, Jacob Siewers – 3:12.62
PRELIMS
50 Backstroke
43rd – Ethan Pheifer – 23.50
49th – Benjamin Clarkston – 23.77
500 Freestyle
32nd – Tommy Brunner – 4:41.47
50 Butterfly
27th – Bryce Handshoe – 22.31
50 Breaststroke
31st – Aidan Biddle – 25.63
42nd – Michael Burns – 26.15
50 Freestyle
45th – Jacob Siewers – 20.95
Thursday’s NIC Results – WOMEN
FINALS
200 Freestyle Relay
23rd – Natalie Marshall, Payton Kelly, Kiran Stauffer, Alexa Von Holtz – 1:34.49
50 Freestyle
3rd – Payton Kelly – 22.59
400 Medley Relay
32nd – Kiran Stauffer, Julia Ofman, Alexa Von Holtz, Natalie Marshall – 3:53.61
PRELIMS
500 Freestyle
41st – Kiran Stauffer – 4:59.65
52nd – Callie Tuma – 5:07.88
200 IM
41st – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:06.10
50 Breaststroke
40th – Julia Ofman – 29.57
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
PEARSON, KELLEY ADVANCE TO CSCAA FINALS; BETZER, SMITH POST TOP-15 SCORING DIVES AT NCAA ZONES
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS – Two Sycamores advanced to CSCAA National Invitational Championship finals, while Bailey Betzer and Zoe Smith both posted top-15 dives among their attempts at the NCAA Zone C Qualifiers to highlight Indiana State swimming & diving on Thursday.
Ali Pearson set the Indiana State record in the 50-yard Breaststroke in the morning’s preliminary sessions, and then topped her mark again in the evening to highlight ISU’s day, while Kaleigh Kelley set a new personal-best in the 50-yard Butterfly as to highlight the Sycamores in the pool at the CSCAA NIC held in Ocala, Fla.
Pearson and Kelley both qualified for CSCAA event finals marking the duo just the third and fourth athletes in program history to achieve the feat joining Madie Rutan (100 Backstroke, 2022), Marni Gray (50-, 100-, 200-Fly, 2023) to finish among the top-20 competitors in the pool in their respective events.
Betzer posted a top-10 dive in the sixth round of the NCAA Zone C Diving Qualifiers held in Louisville, Ky., while Smith had a pair of top-15 efforts over her first two rounds to highlight the Sycamore diving efforts in the preliminary rounds.
Thursday Evening Recap
Ali Pearson set the school record in the 50-yard Breaststroke for the third time in as many swims as the sophomore touched the wall in 28.64 to finish 17th overall in the event to highlight her first event final of the week. Pearson now holds the three fastest times in the event dating back to the 2024 MVC Championships and five of the top seven times all-time in ISU history following the event. She remains the only swimmer in program history to go sub-29 seconds in the event.
Kaleigh Kelley set a new personal record in the 50-Fly finals as the freshman competed in her first CSCAA event final. She posted a 24.98 to become the second swimmer in program history to go sub-25 seconds in the event on her way to finishing 15th overall in the field. It marked just the third swim in program history with a swimmer going under 25 seconds joining Marni Gray who went sub-25 seconds last season at the CSCAA’s including a program-record 24.76 in the event.
Thursday Evening Finals
50-yard Butterfly: Kaleigh Kelley (24.98, 15th – Personal Record)
50-yard Breaststroke: Ali Pearson (28.64, 17th – ISU School Record)
NCAA Zone C Diving – 1M Results
Bailey Betzer and Zoe Smith took on the field in the NCAA Zone C Diving Qualifiers on Thursday afternoon as the Sycamore duo competed at the Ralph Wright Natatorium in Louisville, Ky. ISU’s divers were among a group of 56 athletes overall who competed with six dives over the preliminary rounds.
Betzer paced Indiana State finishing 40th overall in the field with a six-dive score of 219.05. The senior saved her best dive of the night for last with her Forward 2 ½ Somersault Pike netting her 46.80 points from the judges and ranking as the 10th-best dive overall in the sixth round of the prelims.
Smith finished behind her teammate with the Raleigh, N.C. placing 45th overall in the field with a six-dive score of 209.55. Competing in her second zones with the Sycamores, Smith started off strong with her first dive, an Inward 1 ½ Somersault Pike netting her 46.80 points – the 15th-best dive of the opening round. Her second dive, a Forward 2 ½ Somersault Pike also scored 46.80 points and was the 11th-best dive among all divers on their second attempt to highlight her day.
Thursday Morning Recap
Indiana State started off the first day of the CSCAA National Invitational Championship putting the third and fourth swimmers in program history in event finals as Kaleigh Kelley (50 Fly) and Ali Pearson (50 Breast) both advanced to the evening’s event finals after placing in the top-20 in the field.
Kelley posted an 11th-place result as ISU’s top finisher in the 50-yard Fly event after touching the wall in 25.11. Pearson broke her ISU school record set at the MVC Championships after touching the wall in 28.87 in the 50-yard Breaststroke to place 20th overall in the field.
Claire Parsons (4:57.46) and Erin Cummins took on the field in the 500-yard Freestyle finishing 31st and 35th overall in the field. Dorotea Bukvic (2:03.79) and Alexandria Cotter (2:04.13) finished 22nd and 26th respectively in the 200-yard IM, while Alexa Szadorski (23.75) and Chloe Farro (23.81) both took on the field in the 50-yard Freestyle finishing 43rd and 45th respectively.
ISU’s 400-yard Medley Relay team finished on the Sycamores’ performance list to cap the morning’s events. The quartet of Cotter, Pearson, Kelley, and Szadorski finished in 3:44.35 to post the fifth-best time on the Sycamores’ all-time performance list on their way to finishing 11th overall in the field.
Thursday CSCAA Prelim Results
500-yard Freestyle: Claire Parsons (4:57.46, 31st), Erin Cummins (4:57.94, 35th)
50-yard Fly: Kaleigh Kelley (25.11, 11th)
200-yard IM: Dorotea Bukvic (2:03.79, 22nd), Alexandria Cotter (2:04.13, 26th),
50-yard Breaststroke: Ali Pearson (28.87, 20th – ISU School Record)
50-yard Freestyle: Alexa Szadorski (23.75, 43rd), Chloe Farro (23.81, 45th)
400-yard Medley Relay: Alexandria Cotter, Ali Pearson, Kaleigh Kelley, Alexa Szadorski (3:44.35, 11th)
The NCAA Zone C Diving Events schedule:
Friday, March 15
Prelims/Quarterfinals (10 a.m.) – Women’s 3M Diving
Finals – Women’s 3M Diving
The CSCAA Events schedule:
Friday, March 15
Prelims (9:30 a.m.): 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay
Finals (6 p.m.): 200 Medley Relay, 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay
Saturday, March 16
Prelims (9:30 a.m.): 100 IM, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 400 Freestyle Relay, 1000/1650 Freestyle
Finals (6 p.m.): 1000/1650 Freestyle, 100 IM, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 400 Freestyle Relay
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GLANTON’S CAREER DAY POWERS SYCAMORES TO OPENING ROUND MVC TOURNAMENT WIN
MOLINE, Ill. – Mya Glanton led all players with a career-high 30 points Thursday afternoon, propelling Indiana State to a 66-54 win over Southern Illinois in the first round of Hoops in the Heartland.
Glanton’s 30-point performance came on an efficient 12-for-16 shooting clip. Ella Sawyer added 12 points for the ninth-seeded Sycamores, including a perfect 10-for-10 mark from the free throw line, while Kiley Bess was also in double-figures for the Sycamores with 10.
Trailing by one entering the second quarter, Indiana State came alive with consecutive 3-pointers from Bella Finnegan and Bess and never trailed from the midway point of the second on. The Sycamores went down low early and often to Glanton, who had 19 in the first half, building a double-digit lead by halftime. Southern Illinois cut Indiana State’s lead down to three by the end of the third quarter, but the Sycamores never wavered. Glanton outscored Southern Illinois on her own in the fourth quarter 11-9, as the Trees advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three seasons.
First Half
Glanton made her mark felt early with an open layup on the opening possession, and Sawyer added a jumper to put the Sycamores ahead early. Southern Illinois pulled ahead midway through the quarter, but six straight points from Glanton, who had 10 in the opening period, saw the Sycamores go ahead 12-11 late. Indiana State entered the second quarter facing a 13-12 deficit.
Baskets from Chelsea Cain and Bess helped the Sycamores tie things up at 16-all near the midway point of the quarter, and the Trees found their groove not long after. Back-to-back threes from Finnegan and Bess put the Sycamores up 22-19 with 4:36 to go in the quarter, and the Blue and White never trailed from that point forward. Glanton went on a personal 7-0 run, as Indiana State closed the half on a 17-4 run to take a 33-23 lead at the half.
Second Half
Bess got things started for the Sycamores in the third quarter with a 3-pointer, and a jumper from Chelsea Cain extended Indiana State’s lead out to 39-28. Southern Illinois cut into Indiana State’s lead in the third quarter, but Sawyer and Saige Stahl combined to go 6-for-6 from the charity stripe inside the last two minutes of the frame to keep the Sycamores in front. Bess added a late basket for the Sycamores, who led 48-45 entering the fourth quarter.
Indiana State went back to what had worked early in the game to start the fourth, as consecutive baskets from Glanton saw the Sycamores go up 52-45. Asia Donald took full advantage of an extra possession with a layup, and Glanton added another layup to make it 57-50 in favor of the Trees. Indiana State used a 12-2 run to ice the game, with Glanton and Sawyer accounting for 11 of the 12 points for the Sycamores in that span. Glanton outscored Southern Illinois 11-9 in the last 10 minutes of the game to seal a 66-54 opening round win for Indiana State.
News and Notes
Mya Glanton’s 30 points were a career-high, and marked the first 30-point game for a Sycamore since Del’Janae Williams had 30 against Bradley in March 2023.
Ella Sawyer’s 10-for-10 mark from the free throw line was a career-best, and her 12-point outing marked her 10th game scoring in double-figures this season.
Indiana State was plus-15 in rebound margin (39-24) Thursday and had 14 offensive rebounds, the most for the Sycamores since registering 19 against Murray State on Jan. 11.
Saige Stahl played a massive role in the Sycamores’ opening round win with three points, a career-high seven rebounds and two assists. She was plus-eight, the best of any non-starter on either team, and played a career-high 21 minutes.
Mya Glanton has a tendency to show up in big moments for the Sycamores. Her two highest-scoring games in her career have both come in first round wins at the MVC Tournament (26 vs. Evansville in the 2022 first round, 30 vs. Southern Illinois in the 2024 first round).
Despite having more turnovers Thursday (27-23), Indiana State had a 24-19 advantage in points off turnovers.
After being eliminated from the MVC Tournament by Southern Illinois in each of the last three seasons, Indiana State exacted revenge Thursday by knocking out the Salukis. Indiana State went 2-1 against Southern Illinois this season after not recording a win in the series since 2019 prior to this season.
Indiana State advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three seasons, after going from 2015-21 without a win in the conference tournament. Indiana State is 2-2 in its last four conference tournament games.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
FEATURE STORY – NAIA WALK-ON TO PROFESSIONAL GOALKEEPER: THE STORY OF SAMANTHA CASTANEDA
“All these dreams I had of playing with my children, walking down the aisle, walking across the stage for graduation, all of these things are going to change now.”
That was the thought running through Samantha Castaneda’s mind prior to her sophomore year of high school.
Safe to say those thoughts had altered for the better when she signed a professional soccer contract in March 2024.
This came nearly a decade after being bound to a wheelchair as a result of a life-changing injury.
One day during the soccer player’s training, Castaneda and her team were doing yoga for a recovery session. Her instructor urged her to push a little deeper into a stretch and she felt something pop. Pain shot through her hips and back and before long, she was unable to walk.
“That was a really low point in my life,” Castaneda said.
She had so much curvature in her spine that it was crushing her spinal nerves.
The Castaneda family did what any family would do in that moment: look for a way… ANY way … to fix their daughter.
The moment Castaneda and her family visited a chiropractor in South Bend, things started to change for the better.
“I instantly felt so much relief,” Castaneda said. “I knew then that I was going to be okay, it was just going to take some time.”
It was a start, but there was a long journey ahead. She continued to visit the chiropractor, went to physical therapy and taught herself how to walk again. She had to almost entirely rebuild the muscles in her legs and back she had lost while in her wheelchair.
She missed the first few weeks of school while spending time in the hospital and the soccer season at Penn High School was clearly out of the picture.
“Luckily, I had a really good support system with my parents, who were willing to drop everything to take care of me,” Castaneda said.
Not only her parents, but the friends around her helped lift her up.
“I’m very fortunate that things played out the way they did, that I had parents that would not stop until they found an answer, to take me wherever I needed to go, that I had friends to hold my books and push me around,” Castaneda said. “I never felt alone. I didn’t have time to because I had so many people around me loving on me.
“It changed the way I viewed things in people. I don’t think people understand the struggles of those with disabilities or those that aren’t able to move like others. It made me an advocate and just being a little bit more compassionate. That experience helped put me in other peoples’ shoes. That experience really changed my life.”
She progressed from wheelchair to crutches, then to just one crutch, and was eventually able to walk entirely on her own. After seven months of recovery, Castaneda finally made her way back to the soccer field. She chose not to play competitively at Penn for a multitude of reasons, but the foremost of which was falling out of love with the game.
It did not stay that way.
Despite not having played high school soccer since she was a freshman, when Castaneda transferred to Homestead High School, it seemed as good a time as any to reignite that love for the game.
Homestead needed a keeper, but Castaneda was not a keeper by trade. She had spent the better part of the decade prior playing defender. But she didn’t care.
“I just wanted to have fun again,” Castaneda said. “I didn’t care what was going to happen that season. I didn’t care was going to happen after. I just wanted to fall in love with the game again. I couldn’t live without it.”
Homestead was the state runner-up with a senior Castaneda between the sticks.
She was not heavily recruited coming out of high school, but she had a connection and a path to college soccer.
Her sister, Ali, was on Indiana Wesleyan’s squad, a team that had gone 10-7-1 the year before. On February 17, 2019, Indiana Wesleyan announced that Castaneda would be joining her sister as a Wildcat as a walk-on goalkeeper.
“I loved what Indiana Wesleyan was doing with their program, not only their soccer program but how they developed people and their culture as well,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda had only been playing goalkeeper competitively for about a year, but she was determined to be successful as a keeper.
“That summer, I was up at five in the morning at any patch of grass with a goal just going out there and training,” Castaneda said. “I was doing a lot of catch-up. It’s a different type of fitness level, it’s a different type of positioning required, a different level of mentality needed to be in between the sticks there.”
Playing with her sister was the perfect stepping stone as Castaneda transitioned to college.
“It was good to wrap up that chapter of our lives,” Castaneda said. “She was wrapping up her collegiate career and I was just starting mine. We didn’t get the chance to play together in high school, so it was nice to get that.We had this unspoken connection and bond on the field where I didn’t have to know where she was on the field. She would be where she needed be for me to pass it to her.”
In her freshman season, Castaneda had more success than most have in a career. She helped IWU to a 19-3-2 record and led the Wildcats to the NAIA National Championships quarterfinal for the first time in program history.
“First time in program history” could be the mantra of Castaneda’s career. But we’ll get back to that.
The hard work was starting to pay off, as Castaneda’s historical run with IWU ticked a box in her mind.
“That showed that if I worked really hard, I could put myself in positions to succeed,” Castaneda said. “Whether things go my way or not, I can walk away knowing I tried my hardest.”
The following year, Castaneda made the decision to transfer to Purdue Fort Wayne for academics and to return to her home city. A quick call to head coach Jason Burr later, Castaneda was trying out for the Mastodons.
She went into the tryout with the mindset of “I’m just going to play.” She did so, and earned a spot on the team, even despite wearing her bright red Indiana Wesleyan shorts to try out for the gold and black Mastodons.
Once again, Castaneda was offered a walk-on spot.
“I knew the step from NAIA to Division I was going to be a whole other challenge,” Castaneda said. “But I knew I would be able to hang on the soccer field. I have a good soccer IQ and I get along with quite a few people. Everybody here is just bigger, faster and stronger.”
In her first season at Purdue Fort Wayne, she played in two matches in the spring of 2021, the dubbed “COVID Season.” She came off the bench behind a fifth-year who had started 31 games over the prior two seasons for the Mastodons.
Steadily improving from her first season back in her hometown, two years later as a true senior, Castaneda was apart of the best season in program history.
On September 9, 2022, Castaneda was thrust into the national spotlight.
In a road game at Valparaiso, the Mastodons led 1-nil late in the game despite being outshot 27-5. A late foul call put that in jeopardy as the officials awarded Valparaiso with a penalty kick with no time left on the clock. Castaneda stood one-on-one with Kelsie James and smothered the PK with a diving save to her right side. Castaneda punted the ball out of the box moments before her team swarmed her to celebrate the win.
A few days later, she was the first Mastodon ever to be selected for the College Soccer News National Team of the Week.
“I’ll always love that Valpo game,” Castaneda said. “That was really a bounce-back game for me.”
True. The Mastodons had suffered a 2-1 loss at Southern Illinois five days earlier.
“I could be down in the dumps, I could say that I suck, but I just decided to get back to work,” Castaneda said. “I told [goalkeeper coach Josh Routte] that we’ll have our match day minus one, so that’ll be a little lighter, but I wanna work all week.
“The Valpo game helped me realize that you confidence can take a hit, but you’re going to be okay.”
A little over a month later, Castaneda and the Mastodons finished the regular season as the Horizon League runners-up.
In the Purdue Fort Wayne weight room on October 28, 2022, the team huddled around a phone to read the All-League awards.
The voice of then-sophomore Bella Reitano read: Second Team – Lizzie Haub and Morgan Reitano. First Team – Gabrielle Fanning and Samantha Castaneda. Coach of the Year – Jason Burr.
The team erupted in celebration.
And finally…
Goalkeeper of the Year – Samantha Castaneda.
An even louder cheer burst through the halls of the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.
“It was a nice sense of relief and a very special moment to have that and celebrate it with my team and it’s something I hold really dear to my heart.” Castaneda said. “I’m my own toughest critic. I always feel like I’m not where everybody else is and that I can’t hang. When I got that award I felt like I could hang and I was where other people were.”
She had her moment. But just a short one before she said “let’s finish our lift and look ahead to the tournament.”
The January following her senior season, Castaneda attended a pro day in Kentucky. She got feedback that it would be beneficial for her to return to school and work on the details of her game.
“I tell myself every day I have to do something to get better,” Castaneda said. “Whether it be active recovery to take care of my body, or do my physical therapy, or be out on the field physically working or studying film… Every day I have to do something because that little anxious part of me knows that other people are out there working and getting better.”
The following summer, Castaneda played for Racing Louisville FC’s W-League team over the summer.
A year later, the chance to play professionally became a reality.
In March of 2024, Castaneda signed a contract to play professional soccer for Medyk Konin in Poland.
She had joined the family business. Her dad played college and semipro and grandpas on both sides played professionally in Peru.
“I’m super excited to be joining a club with such a rich history,” Castaneda said. “It’s been my childhood dream to play professional soccer and no words can express how grateful I am. I’m very fortunately to have spent four years at Purdue Fort Wayne and train in a competitive environment to prepare. I’m looking forward to developing my game and learning from the players and coaches at Medyk.”
Castaneda became the third Mastodon in program history to play professional soccer when she signed her contract.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MASTODONS SET FOR #HLBASE OPENER AT YSU
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Mastodons (6-12, 0-0 Horizon League) open the Horizon League slate this weekend with a trip to Youngstown State (1-15, 0-0 Horizon League).
Game Day Information
When:
Friday, March 15 | 5 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 16 | 3 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 17 | 1 p.m. ET
Where: Eastwood Field | Niles, Ohio
Live Stats:Link
Listen:Link
Series History: Purdue Fort Wayne took two of three games in their 2023 trip to Youngstown State. Overall, the ‘Dons are 7-17 against the Penguins.
Weather:
Friday – High of 54/low of 34, 84% chance of rain
Saturday – High of 57/low of 42 7% chance of rain
Sunday – High of 48/low of 31, 71% chance of rain
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres, RHP Carter Sabol, TBD
Youngstown State: RHP Jacob Gehring, LHP Sloan Ulrich, TBD
‘DONS & ENDS
– Grant Thoroman (23) is fifth in the Horizon League in hits. Jacob Walker (22) and Justin Osterhouse (22) are tied for sixth.
– Justin Osterhouse is tied for second in the league in home runs with seven. His .746 slugging percentage is fifth and his OPS (1.169) is sixth.
– Justin Osterhouse is tied for fourth in the league with RBIs (21).
– Nick Sutherlin is tied for second in the league in doubles with seven.
– Grant Thoroman has eight mult-hit games this season.
– Nick Sutherlin (third base), Grant Thoroman (center field) and Ben Higgins (left field) have started all 18 games for the ‘Dons.
Scouting the Penguins: Youngstown State defeated Pitt on Wednesday 7-6 for their first win of the season. Trey Law leads the team in hitting at .356 with a team-best 12 runs. Derrick Tarpley Jr. had two multi-hit games last weekend against Georgia Tech. He is hitting .328. The Penguins own a team batting average of .237 and a team ERA of 17.76 this season.
Young Slugger:Justin Osterhouse hit four home runs last week and another on Tuesday against Ball State. That gives the freshman seven homers through the season’s first 18 games and gives him the most for a freshman in the D1 era. Ronald Dull owns the program freshman record with 14 home runs in the 1981 season.
High Leverage:Kevin Fee has been the Mastodons’ go-to reliever so far this season. He’s made the second most mound appearances in the country with nine. Last week, he picked up two saves in wins over Butler and Missouri and got the win in Friday’s win over Missouri as well. With 70 career appearances, Fee needs just nine more to break the school record of 78.
One Week, Two Awards:Kevin Fee (Pitcher of the Week) and Justin Osterhouse (Batter of the Week) earned honors from the Horizon League last week.
Smashing Success: In the Mastodons’ three wins last week, Justin Osterhouse and Nick Sutherlin led the team at the plate with some eye-popping numbers. Osterhouse hit .500 with a .545 on-base percentage while slugging 1.200 with four homers and 10 RBI. Sutherlin had a 1.667 OPS, going 9-of-15 with a home run, triple and two doubles.
Three Over Five: The ‘Dons have three wins over Power Five schools this season for the first time in program history. The ‘Dons topped No. 20 Indiana 9-6 and won at Missouri twice by identical 9-7 scores.
Up Next: Purdue Fort Wayne will look to pick up another Big 10 win next week with Wednesday’s (Mar. 20) trip to Michigan State.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ENDS SEASON WITH 85-64 LOSS TO ILLINOIS STATE
MOLINE, Ill. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome the Illinois State Redbirds in the first round of Hoops in the Heartland.
The Purple Aces saw their season come to an end in the first round of the MVC Hoops in the Heartland postseason tournament. UE struggled to stop Illinois State’s offense and find consistent offense in the loss. But three Evansville players found their way into double figures while freshman forward Nevaeh Thomas led the team with 23 points and a season-high four steals.
“I’m really proud of my team,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells following the loss. “We fought really hard. We didn’t always execute everything exactly how we hoped for going into this game. But it’s been a tough season with a lot of different injuries and a lot of different lineups for us.
“I think our team showed an amount of toughness throughout the season as they fought to get better. And I think they have. It doesn’t always show up in the win column. But this is a really young team and I’m so proud of them. I think we’re laying a really good foundation for our future,”.
Freshman forward Maggie Hartwig kicked off the game with a bang for the Aces, sinking a three-pointer in the first minute and a half. But UE’s offense struggled to get going after a three-minute cold spell. Evansville wasn’t able to string a run together in the first quarter, falling behind by 12 points following the first 10 minutes of play.
The Aces started clicking in the second frame as they opened the quarter going shot-for-shot with the Redbirds. UE strung together a four-point run early that Illinois State responded to with a five-point run. But a big three from guard Lexie Sinclair with under five to go cut Evansville’s deficit into single digits. The Redbirds tore off on a seven-point run to put the Aces down by 16 points.
A foul got UE back into the game on offense as guard Kynidi Mason Striverson hit two at the line. She hit an open three just over a minute later to end Evansville’s scoring in the first half. The Aces headed into the locker room down by 18 after the second.
UE put up the first five points of the second half as Sinclair hit a second three in the first minute thirty. Illinois State put together two small scoring runs but Evansville continued to break up the runs with field goals. But five straight points over 30 seconds for the Redbirds had the Aces trailing by 22. UE broke out onto one of their largest runs of the day with six straight points to get back within 16. But only two free throws over the final two minutes of the third quarter had Evansville facing a 23-point deficit with only 10 minutes to play.
It was a back-and-forth pace early in the fourth but down by over 20 matching shots didn’t get the Aces within striking distance of Illinois State. Midway through the quarter, neither team was able to make a basket for almost three minutes. The Redbirds broke the scoreless streak but UE had four straight points from Thomas at the free throw line. But a late three from Illinois State ended Evansville’s brief run, stopping any potential comeback in the 85-64 loss.
Thomas led the Aces on offense while Hartwig added 16 points and graduate center Barbora Tomancova had 10 before fouling out early in the fourth. Thomas and Hartwig also led UE on defense with five rebounds each. Thomas also had Evansville’s only block of the game.
The Aces end the season with a 4-28 record while going 2-18 during Missouri Valley Conference play. UE says goodbye to Tomancova and Sinclair as the seniors graduate from the University of Evansville in the spring.
SO. INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI HOSTS MOREHEAD STATE IN HOME-OPENING SERIES
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball hosts its home-opening series this weekend at USI Softball Field when the Screaming Eagles welcome in Morehead State University for a three-game series in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The series begins Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The series finale on Sunday is scheduled for Noon. Fans will be able to pick up a 2024 USI Softball magnet schedule on both days of the weekend series. Single-day and season-ticket options are available upon arrival at USI Softball Field and through the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189.
Southern Indiana (7-11, 1-2) opened the Ohio Valley Conference ledger last Sunday and Monday at Tennessee Tech University. On Sunday, Tennessee Tech came out with a doubleheader sweep to claim a series win, but USI responded on Monday with a series finale victory. After being outscored 7-1 in Sunday’s double-dip, USI won 6-3 on Monday.
The Screaming Eagles hit .247 as a team last weekend at Tennessee Tech. Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) went 4-8 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs in the series. Junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) and senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) each tallied three hits and two doubles. Gotshall led USI on the weekend with three RBIs, which all came in Monday’s series finale victory. In the pitching circle, junior Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) went 1-1 in two complete games, posting a 1.62 ERA across 13 innings of work with seven strikeouts.
Prior to the Tennessee Tech series, Southern Indiana was 6-9 and winners of three straight games going back to the end of USI’s trip to The Spring Games in Florida. In fact, USI had held opponents scoreless for 19 consecutive innings before Tennessee Tech’s second-inning run in the series opener last Sunday.
On the season, sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) leads the team with a .357 batting average and eight runs scored. Kihega is also hitting above .300 with a .320 clip while pacing USI with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) is batting .302 with five runs and nine stolen bases. Bedrick and Stapleton each have an on-base percentage above .400. Collectively, USI is hitting .247 with 49 runs, 26 extra-base hits, and 13 stolen bases. Newman tops the pitching staff with a 6-5 record and a 2.27 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 12 starts and 77 innings pitched. The right-hander also has two shutouts and 11 complete games. As a staff, USI has a 3.86 ERA.
Morehead State (7-8, 1-2) opened its OVC schedule last weekend at home against Tennessee State University, falling two games to one in the series. Morehead State won the series opener, 6-1, before dropping the last two games by a combined total of 19-6.
Junior outfielder Darlene Montoya fronts the offensive attack for Morehead State, hitting .386 with a team-best 10 RBIs. Montoya also leads the squad with six doubles and is tied for the team high with 11 runs. The Eagles are hitting .234 as a team with 30 extra-base hits, 64 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases.
Morehead State’s two starting pitchers are freshman Addie Stem and sophomore Jessie Begley, who have posted ERAs of 4.03 and 5.49, respectively. Stem is 3-7 this season in seven starts and 48.2 innings pitched, while Begley is 4-1 in eight starts and 44.2 innings tossed. Morehead State has a team ERA of 4.63 with 58 strikeouts.
The all-time series between USI and Morehead State is tied, 4-4, but Southern Indiana won two of three games last season at Morehead State in what was USI’s OVC debut in 2023.
In that series last season, USI won the first game, 6-4, before falling 6-5 in the second game to create a rubber match in the series finale. The Screaming Eagles came out on top in the rubber match, 9-5. At the plate, junior outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) went 3-6 toward a .500 average, and Fair picked up four hits to bat .364 in the series. USI batted .333 as a team with nine extra-base hits. Newman notched both wins for the Screaming Eagles, going the distance in both starts. The right-hander struck out 16 and posted a 3.50 ERA.
All three games this weekend against Morehead State can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription and heard on 95.7 The Spin. Live stats and coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO WOMEN’S BB
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON COMES TO END THURSDAY EVENING
The 10th-seeded Valpo women’s basketball team got out to a strong start to its first-round matchup against seventh-seeded UIC in the opening round of Hoops in the Heartland Thursday evening in Moline, Ill., leading by as many as 13 points, but the Flames rallied to edge the Beacons, 79-77, and end Valpo’s season.
How It Happened
The offense was clicking early on, as four different players scored on the Beacons’ first four possessions to give Valpo a quick 9-4 lead three minutes into the ballgame.
It took Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) less than eight minutes into the game to reach double figures in scoring, as her 3-point play at the 2:18 mark of the opening quarter pushed Valpo’s lead to 20-11.
The advantage hit double figures for the first time less than a minute later as Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) knocked down a 3-pointer.
The Beacons’ lead was 26-17 at the end of the opening period as they enjoyed their highest-scoring first quarter of the season.
Another triple by Tecca less than 90 seconds into the second quarter bumped Valpo’s advantage up to 31-18.
Valpo scored just two points over the next five minutes as the Flames rallied to within six. UIC got to as close as four multiple times late in the half before the Beacons scored the final three points to go into intermission leading, 41-34.
It was more of the same out of the locker room, as Earnest and Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) sandwiched 3-pointers around a Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) driving layup to score eight points in a span of just over a minute and force a UIC timeout with the score 49-36 90 seconds into the second half.
It was over five minutes until the Beacons scored again, as UIC went on an 11-0 run to close to within two — a run snapped thanks to a 3-pointer from Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]).
UIC drew within one at the 3:35 mark of the third quarter before Saniya Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) hit a 3-pointer and converted a 3-point play on back-to-back possessions to push the lead back out to seven.
The Flames again closed to as close as one with just seconds remaining in the period, but Brown connected on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Valpo a 66-62 edge with 10 minutes to play.
Valpo’s first point of the fourth quarter came on a free throw 3:39 into the period, while its first basket did not come until nearly seven minutes into the quarter — a Saniya Jackson layup which snapped an 11-1 UIC run, a spurt which had turned the Beacons’ four-point lead into a six-point deficit.
The Beacons got the Flames’ lead down to three points twice in the final 90 seconds, but were unable to secure a defensive stop either time to get the ball back with a chance to tie the game.
Inside the Game
Earnest led all players on Thursday with 23 points — on 10-of-17 shooting — and eight rebounds. It was the ninth time this year Earnest has hit the 20-point mark.
With her performance Thursday, Earnest jumped into 14th place in program history in career scoring with 1,099 points. She also owns 641 rebounds, just one shy of 11th place all-time at Valpo.
Saniya Jackson posted 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, her 16th double-figure scoring effort of her freshman season.
Brown made it three Beacons in double figures in the scoring column, tallying 12 points off the bench.
Gold hit 4-of-6 from the floor for a season-best nine points and was one shy of her season best with six rebounds. Tecca matched her season high as well with eight points.
Valpo hit at a 54.7% clip from the field Thursday, going 29-of-53 — the program’s best single-game shooting percentage since hitting at a 55.8% clip against Illinois State Feb. 12, 2022.
The Beacons went 9-of-20 from 3-point range, the third time in their last four games they’ve shot at least 40% from deep.
Valpo was just 10-of-15 from the foul line, compared to UIC’s 23-of-34 night at the charity stripe.
While the Beacons were only outrebounded by a 34-29 final margin, the Flames grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and converted those into 18 second-chance points.
Valpo also committed 19 turnovers to the Flames’ 10. UIC held a 23-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Inside the Season
Valpo’s nine triples Thursday bumped its team season total to 230 3-pointers, fourth-most in a single season in program history.
Earnest moved into Valpo’s single-season record book in a trio of categories. Her 494 points are fifth-most by a single player in program history and the second-most since 1994.
Earnest’s 16.5 points/game clip is seventh-best in a single season in program history, while her 180 field goals made ranks sixth.
Earnest became the first Valpo player since Debbie Bolen in 1991-92 to pace Valpo in scoring, rebounds and assists in the same year.
Inside the Careers
The careers of four Valpo players came to an end with Thursday’s loss.
Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) made 78 appearances in her four years at Valpo, tallying 292 points and 138 rebounds.
Brown saw action in 86 games over her three years on campus, scoring 809 points. She surpassed the 1,000-point overall milestone for her collegiate career earlier this season.
Brown finished up her time at Valpo 138-of-341 from 3-point range, her 40.5% clip second-best in program history. She also ranks 10th on Valpo’s career field goal percentage chart (46.0%).
Tecca took the court 50 times for Valpo over her two seasons, scoring 151 points.
Jill Harris (Navarre, Fla./Crestview [Johnson C. Smith]) saw action in 12 games in an injury-plagued season this year with the Beacons, scoring 78 points. She finished out her overall collegiate career with 527 points.
UINDY SWIMMING
TWO RUNNERS-UP AMONG TOP FINISHES ON DAY 3 OF NATIONALS
GENEVA, Ohio—The UIndy swimming & diving teams racked up nine more All-America performances, including two runner-up swims, on day three of the NCAA DII Championships Thursday. The national meet is being held at the SPIRE Institute Aquatics Center just outside of Cleveland Tuesday through Saturday.
Action continues tomorrow with morning prelims at 10 a.m. ET, followed by diving at 1 p.m. and evening finals at 5:30 p.m. Through 20 events, the defending-champion UIndy men currently sit third on the team standings, while the Greyhound women a positioned fourth.
THURSDAY
Cedric Buessing was in the national-championship hunt was once. One day after the winning the 1000 free title, Buessing came just short of capturing another event championship in the 400 IM. The German speedster bested the previous Division II record with a time of 3:40.23, but Colorado Mesa’s Ben Sampson was a hair faster, out-touching Buessing by a mere .01 to earn the win.
Andrea Gomez also earned a runner-up finish, taking second in the women’s 400 IM. She was joined on the podium by sixth-place-finisher Celina Schmidt, as both set personal bests while etching their names in the UIndy top 10.
Both the UIndy 400 medley relay teams earned fourth-place points later in the night. The men’s team of Buessing, Brayden Cole, Oskar Sawicki and Joao Silva set a school record with a time of 3:08.57 to finish just 11 hundredths behind third place. Each of the top four men’s teams hailed from the GLVC.
The UIndy women’s team of Isabella Revstedt, Schmidt, Stefanie Markwardt and Kirabo Namutebi combined for a time of 3:40.31.
On the boards, Alexis Lumaj earned her first career All-America First Team nod on the 3-meter. After a 12th-place finish last year, Lumaj earned a podium spot with 410.20 points, good for eighth.
OTHE NOTABLES
9th- Silas Buessing, men’s 400 IM
10th- Mihir Ambre, men’s 100 fly
12th- Oskar Sawicki, men’s 100 fly
IUNDY SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL FINISHED THE SPRING GAMES UNDEFEATED
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The No. 7 UIndy Softball team completed its time in Florida undefeated at THE Spring Games. The Greyhounds capped the invitational with wins over American International and Saint Michael’s. Improving their win streak to 12, the Hounds are 21-2 entering conference play this weekend.
GAME 1 | UIndy 12, American International, 10
In this high-scoring showdown, the Greyhounds struck first with a gigantic first inning. All nine Greyhound hitters crossed the plate in the frame, highlighted by three-run homers from both Emily O’Connor and Dominique Proctor.
By the end of the third UIndy was up 12-0, but the Yellow Jackets came roaring back with 10 unanswered runs, including nine in the top of the fifth. However the established lead created by the Greyhounds was too large for AIC to conquer.
Starter Kenzee Smith pitched both the first three innings, as the Hounds built the lead, and the final 2 2/3, helping the Hounds keep it. She moves to 10-0 on the season
Braxton Downs was the third Hound to send one over the fence with a third-inning solo shot. Jocelyn Calvin added a double.
GAME 2 | UIndy 6, Saint Michael’s 0
Jayden Casebolt threw a two-hitter for her second shutout of the year and UIndy’s 11th. After facing 26 batters, Casbeolt struck out six and only walked only two.
After being up 1-0, the Greyhounds made their impact in the second inning. Shelby Cook and Sydnee Perry started the rally with a single, while Calvin singled up the middle and brought both women home. O’Connor added another RBI with a single to left field. The Hounds’ rally ended with a double steal, with Calvin swiping home in the process.
O’Connor also stole a base during the contest. Sydnee Perry was another Greyhound to make an impact with two hits and an RBI.
UP NEXT
UIndy will begin GLVC play with a doubleheader against Southwest Baptist. Action is slated for Saturday, March 16 in Bolivar, Mo., with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
UINDY MEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS DROPS RANKED BATTLE WITH #38 MOCS
LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 1-ranked University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team dropped their first contest of their Florida Spring Break tour, losing a 4-2 bout with the No. 38-ranked Florida Southern Mocs. The Greyhounds handled business in doubles, winning both matches convincingly, but tight losses at three of the singles courts secured the upset victory for the home team.
INS & OUTS
The No. 11 pair of Erwan Momo Andre and Louis Picaud were firing on all cyllinders out of the No. 2 spot, winning 6-1. It was just as easy for David Simeonov and Pedro Franca out of the No. 3 slot, winning 6-3.
The Hounds extended their lead quickly in singles as Manuel Lanteri secured a straight-sets win at the No. 5 spot. The Mocs fired back hard, however, earning a straight-sets win of their own at court two over Simeonov. That win was the beginning of the end as it seemed as Florida Southern rattled off three more wins in a row, the clinch coming after a tough double-tiebreak victory at court four.
UP NEXT
The Hounds will look to bounce back tomorrow in Florida as they head to face No. 3 Saint Leo in sunny Tampa, Fla. The two DII-powerhouses will square off at 11 a.m.
UINDY MEN’S BB
HOST GREYHOUNDS EYE REDEMPTION IN MIDWEST QUARTERFINAL
vs. William Jewell (21-10, 12-8 GLVC)
Saturday | March 16 | 5 p.m.
Indianapolis | Nicoson Hall
The UIndy men’s basketball team opens NCAA DII Midwest Regional action against a familiar foe in William Jewell on Saturday from Nicoson Hall, seeking redemption on multiple levels beginning at 5 p.m.
UIndy had its seven-game winning streak snapped in the GLVC semifinals against none other than William Jewell. The Cardinals are making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, while the Greyhounds earned a bid for the 14th time. Additionally, UIndy has earned the top seed and hosting rights for the fourth time in program history, including its third instance in the past five seasons.
The Greyhounds saw their historic season come to a screeching halt one year ago as the top seed in the Midwest, falling to eighth-seeded McKendree in the regional quarterfinal on their home floor.
The Hounds earned back-to-back GLVC regular season titles (and top seeds in the postseason bracket) with their victory over Missouri-St. Louis on the final Thursday of league action, marking the first time since 1997-00 a league program has repeated. UIndy heads into the weekend not only as the No. 1 seed, but ranked 21st in the country in the final NABC poll of the season.
LAST TIME OUT
The then-No. 23 UIndy men’s basketball team dropped a heartbreaker last Saturday, falling to fifth-seeded – and eventual GLVC champion – William Jewell in overtime, 93-89, in the GLVC semifinals from Hyland Arena on the campus of Lindenwood University.
Jesse Bingham poured in a career-high 33 points, including 23 in the second half and extra session. The Indy native was named to the All-Tournament team for his efforts in UIndy’s two games on the weekend.
UIndy leads the all-time series, 13-3.
MARIAN MEN’S GOLF
KNIGHTS WIN THIRD TOURNAMENT OF 2023-24 SEASON WITH BIG CAT COLLEGIATE VICTORY
Sunset Beach, N. C. – The Marian men’s golf team earned their third victory of the 2023-24 season and their first of the spring season, as Marian rolled to a victory at the IU-East Big Cat Collegiate. Marian had three players reach the all-tournament team in their win.
Marian carded a total of 591 over their two rounds, putting together a strong performance in their second outing of the spring season. Nolan Potter, Weston Ogden, and Brandon Heffner all made the All-Tournament Team, with each of the three golfers piecing together two strong rounds. Potter carded a 77 and 68 for his two rounds for a 145, Ogden shot a 70 and 77 to total 147, while Heffner also shot a 147 with his 74 and 73 round scores.
Augie Mann shot a 76 and 78 to total 152, Lane Zedrick shot a 77 and 81 on the day to score a 158, and Seth Kestranek shot a 79 and 80, totaling 159. Luke Beetz shot a 79 and 82, ending the day with a final scorecard of 161.
Marian will next compete on March 25 and 26 at the Garn Championship, played in Kentucky with Spring Arbor serving as the host.
MARIAN FOOTBALL
MARIAN FOOTBALL ADDS MACKLIN COLEMAN TO 2024 COACHING STAFF
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian University football program has a new member on their sidelines, as head coach Ted Karras Jr. has announced that Macklin Coleman has joined the offensive staff. Coleman comes to Marian with five seasons of collegiate experience under his belt.
Coach Coleman comes to Marian University from Notre Dame College, where he roamed the sidelines during the 2022 and 2023 seasons as the special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and tight ends coach. Coleman led a special teams unit in 2022 that led all of NCAA DII football in blocked punts, and as leader of the specialists coached two All-Conference kickers/punters who garnered four total honors. Coleman also coached two separate First Team All-Conference tight ends in his two seasons. The multi-faceted coach was in charge of film and recruiting for the Falcons during his two seasons on staff.
Prior to joining Notre Dame College, the 2018 Walsh University graduate spent over three years and three seasons as a member of the Cavalier staff. Coleman served as the inside linebackers coach and run-game coordinator for Walsh in the 2021 season and leading up to his departure for Notre Dame, developing the linebacker core during the latter part of his tenure. From 2019 through the end of the fall of 2020, Coleman served as a graduate assistant and outside linebackers coach.
Coleman finished his collegiate playing days at the end of the 2018 season, graduating from Walsh University with a B.S. in Sociology. Coleman played tight end at Walsh while obtaining his undergraduate degree, and in his senior season caught 22 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. After finishing undergrad, Coleman than pursued his Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, earning his second degree from Walsh in December of 2021.
Coleman will coach on the offensive staff for Marian, working with new offensive coordinator Matt King as the tight ends coach.
Marian has concluded their first week of spring practices, leading up to the spring football game on April 13.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
FOOTBALL HISTORY
March 15, 1898 – Wakefield, Nebraska – Clarence Swanson the fantastic end from the The University of Nebraska arrived into the world. Read more about this superstar end by clicking his name above.
March 15, 1926 – Parade, South Dakota – The legendary Oregon Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin also known as “the Dutchman” was born. We have so much more on this legend, you know how to get there, click his name above.
March 15, 1937 – Osage, Iowa – The Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Randy Duncan was born. College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. The National Football Foundation has a great biography on Duncan where they say that after sitting behind starter Kenny Ploen in 1956 who led the Hawkeyes to the Big 10 Championship and a Rose Bowl victory, Duncan was Iowa’s starting quarterback in 1957 and 1958. The team had a record of 15-2-2 and in 1958 won the Big Ten championship and beat California 38-12 in the Rose Bowl. Duncan piled up these honors in 1958: Helms Foundation Player of the Year, Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year, first in the nation in passing yardage, first in the nation in percentage of passes completed, co-leader in the nation in touchdown passes, and unanimous All-America. He was also runner-up to Pete Dawkins of Army in the Heisman Trophy voting. The voting members of the National Football Foundation selected Randy Duncan for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
14 – 12 – 19 – 1
March 15, 1869 – The Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional baseball team in history.
March 15, 1912 – Legendary Baseball Pitcher Cy Young retired from the game with an amazing with 511 wins to his credit.
March 15, 1958 – NBA star of the Cincinnati Royals, the great Oscar Robertson, Number 14 scored 56 points in a single playoff game to set a League record at the time. During that contest teammate Maurice Stokes, Number 12 collapsed due to encephalitis. He tragically went into a coma and became permanently disabled.
March 15, 1962 – Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors became the first player in NBA history to score 4000 points in a single season.
March 15, 1979 – Bryan Trottier, Number 19 of the New York Islanders scored his fifth career hat trick.
March 15, 1989 – The New York Rangers retired the Number 1 of goalie Eddie Giacomin
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1869 The Cincinnati Red Stockings become the sport’s first professional team when the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) permits compensated players to participate this season. English-born Harry Wright puts together a ten-man team, all on salary through November, that posts a 57–0 record, marking the only perfect season in professional baseball history.
1945 Former minor leaguer Bert Shepard, who had his right leg amputated after the Germans gunned down his fighter plane east of Hamburg on his 34th mission as a WW II P-38 fighter pilot, begins a successful tryout with the Senators. Although the southpaw will pitch in only one game for Washington, the retired Army Air Force pilot will hurl an impressive 5⅓ innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox in August, striking out the first batter he faces and giving up just three hits.
1960 The floundering Southern Association announces the New Orleans Pelicans, for the first time since 1901, will not be part of the Double-A circuit. After a two-year absence, the Little Rock Travelers rejoins the league, replacing the Crescent City club, playing two seasons before the loop disbands after completing the 1961 campaign.
1971 Bernice Gera files a civil rights suit against MLB when her contract to umpire in the New York-Penn League becomes void after six days without an explanation. In an eventual landmark 5-2 decision, the New York Court of Appeals will uphold a previous court’s ruling, agreeing with the 39-year-old housewife’s contention that she had been discriminated against unlawfully.
1974 In Yuma (AZ), Ron Bryant, a 24-game winner for the Giants last year, is hurt in a pool accident during spring training. The promising southpaw’s record will drop to 3-15 this season, and the Redlands, California native’s career will end in 1975 after a brief 0-1 stint with St. Louis.
1975 The Dodgers sign their once arch-nemesis Juan Marichal as a free agent. After two-regular season starts, lasting six innings and giving up nine runs, the former Giants’ superstar and future Hall of Famer will retire in mid-April.
1977 The A’s send Phil Garner, Chris Batton, and Tommy Helms to the Pirates for Tony Armas, Mitchell Page, and four pitchers, including Doc Medich and Dave Giusti. Pittsburgh’s acquisition of infielder Phil Garner, the key player in the nine-player spring training swap, will move a very disappointed Bill Robinson back into a utility role after working diligently to get ready to be the team’s everyday third baseman.
1999 The Yankees name Don Zimmer as the club’s interim manager while Joe Torre receives prostate cancer treatments. During his managerial stints with San Diego, Boston, Texas, and Chicago, the bench coach compiled an 885-858 (.508) record.
2000 Six Red Sox pitchers combine for a perfect game in a spring training contest, beating the Blue Jays in Fort Myers, 5-0. Boston starter Pedro Martinez pitched the first three innings, and Fernando De La Cruz tossed the next two frames, with Dan Smith, Rheal Cormier, Rich Garces, and Rod Beck all going one inning apiece.
2008 🇨🇳 In front of 12,224 fans, a near-sellout at the new Olympic venue in Beijing, the Dodgers and the Padres played to a 3-3 tie in the first major league game ever played in mainland China. In the seventh inning, the crowd hears “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but not knowing the lyrics, listens without singing.
2008 Five days after unilaterally renewing his contract for the upcoming season, the Pirates sign Ian Snell (9-12, 3.76) to a three-year deal reported to be worth $8 million. The 26-year-old right-hander, eligible for salary arbitration after the 2009 season, has compiled a 24-26 record with the struggling ball club over the past three seasons.
2012 Baseball-Reference.com leaves a blank space next to 2011 on its National League MVP list instead of identifying Ryan Braun as the award’s winner. The Brewers outfielder, who received a 50-game suspension scheduled for the start of the 2012 season, became the first player to successfully challenge a drug test result when an arbitration panel overturned the ruling due to the improper handling of the specimen taken last Fall.
(Ed. Note: Baseball-Reference.com now lists Ryan Braun as the National League’s MVP for 2011. -LP)
2014 The Yankees begin a two-game spring training series against the Marlins at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama to honor Mariano Rivera’s legacy, a native of the nearby fishing village of Puerto Caimito. The contests are the first to be played in the isthmus nation by major league teams since the Bronx Bombers faced the Dodgers in exhibition games in 1947.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1942 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
Under Executive Order 9066, more than 120,000 Japanese and persons of Japanese ancestry living in western U.S. were moved to “relocation centers,” (some for the duration of the war). After voluntary evacuation was prohibited, the Army forcibly moved approximately 110,000 evacuees, most of whom were American citizens, to ten relocation centers in the Western states. Smaller numbers of Germans, Italians, and other nationalities were also forcibly relocated. Although food and shelter was provided and wages were paid to those who wished to work, living conditions were poor and induced several uprisings.
The worst nightclub fire disaster in history occurred when the infamous Coconut Grove of Boston caught fire claiming the lives of four-hundred ninety-two patrons and injuring one-hundred sixty-six others. It is believed that the fire originally started in the Melody Lounge when a sixteen-year-old bar boy named Stanley Tomaszewski, lit a match to replace a light bulb that had been removed by a patron. What exactly happened next is still unclear, but artificial palm trees and drapery quickly caught fire and it took only fifteen minutes for flames to engulf the entire building.
In the American League…
Boston Red Sox slugger and American patriot Ted Williams enlisted in the military as a Naval aviator on June 2nd. He was able to finish the season, as did many other players who enlisted or were awaiting the draft, which moved at a very slow pace despite the early discouragements of the war. American League regulars who were also enlisted at the time included Johnny Rigney, Joe Grace, Johnny Berardino, Cecil Travis, Bob Feller, Pat Mullin, Buddy Lewis, Sam Chapman and Johnny Sturm.
On June 6th, Gene Stack of the Chicago White Sox became the first Major League draftee to die on active duty after suffering a heart attack following an Army ball game.
The New York Yankees infield combined to turn seven double plays (a Major League record) during an August 14th, 11-2 massacre over the Philadelphia Athletics. All-Star catcher Bill Dickey gunned down two runners following third strikes and Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Murphy and Red Rolfe combined on five others. The Yankees went on to finish the season with one-hundred ninety double-plays just missing their previous record of one-hundred ninety-four that was set in ’41.
In the National League…
Boston Braves ace Jim Tobin became the only Major League pitcher ever to hit three successive home runs during a May 13th, 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Braves Field. His last round tripper (in the eighth) broke a 4-4 tie and set the momentum for a win.
On June 19th, Boston Braves slugger Paul Waner joined Cap Anson and Honus Wagner as the only National League players to tally over three-thousand hits. The deciding mark came courtesy of visiting pitcher Rip Sewell of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On the same day his wife gave birth to a son, Chicago Cubs shortstop Lennie Merullo set a Major League record with four separate errors in the second inning of a nightcap against the Boston Braves. Despite the new father’s poor play, the Cubs went on to win 12-8 after losing the first 10-6.
Around the League…
President Roosevelt granted Major League Baseball the go-ahead to play despite the travel and material restrictions of WW II. In his famous “Green Light” letter FDR stated that he honestly felt that it would be in the best interests of the country to keep baseball going. He also encouraged more night baseball games so that war workers could attend, as a well needed distraction.
Major League owners met to discuss the impact of wartime regulations on the 1942 season. Later, it was agreed that each team would be granted fourteen night games with one exception in Washington who was granted twenty-one. It was also determined that two All-Star Games would be played (one with a military All-Star team) and that all curfews for night games would be set with no inning to start after 12:50.
On March 18th, two black players Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland requested a walk-on tryout with the Chicago White Sox during a spring training session in Pasadena. Manager Jimmie Dykes reluctantly allowed them to work out with the ball club, but dismissed both without an offer.
Baseball’s top magazine publication “The Sporting News” published a controversial editorial calling for continued segregation on the ball field and in the stands. The racial column stated that members of each race “prefer to draw their talents from their own ranks and both groups know their crowd psychology and do not care to run the risk of damaging their own game.”
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
March 15, 1991
Moses Malone of Atlanta picked up his 15,000th career rebound in the NBA during the Hawks’ 127-117 win over Dallas at Reunion Arena.
March 15, 1992
Cleveland coach Lenny Wilkens became only the fifth coach in NBA history (joining Red Auerbach, Jack Ramsay, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch) to record 800 career victories after the Cavs defeated Denver 100-91 at Richfield Coliseum.
March 15, 2002
Miami Heat broadcaster Eric Reid reaches a career milestone as he broadcasts his 1,000th regular season game as Miami faces the New Jersey Nets in New Jersey.
March 15, 2011
JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards blocks 12 shots in a 98-79 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1869 — The Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first pro baseball team, is organized by George Ellard and Harry Wright.
1940 — Colorado, led by Bob Doll’s 15 points, beats Duquesne 51-40 for the NIT championship.
1958 — Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson scores a NCAA Midwest region-record 56 points in a 97-62 rout of Arkansas.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain is 1st to score 4,000 pts in an NBA season.
1985 — Larry Holmes scores a 10th-round knockout of David Bey in Las Vegas to retain the world heavyweight title.
1997 — North Carolina’s Dean Smith becomes the career victory leader when the Tar Heels beat Colorado 73-56. Smith, with 877 victories, passes Kentucky coaching legend Adolph Rupp.
2001 — The NCAA men’s basketball tournament opens with a series of close calls and upsets, with 15th-seeded Hampton beating second-seeded Iowa State 58-57 in the biggest surprise of the day.
2004 — Alexander Mogilny has three assists in Toronto’s 6-5 overtime victory at Buffalo, becoming the second Russian to reach the NHL’s 1,000-point plateau.
2008 — Georgia Southern sets an NCAA record for all Divisions, hitting 14 home runs in a 26-8 win over Columbia. In all, 12 different Eagles hit a home run.
2009 — Detroit beats Columbus 4-0 to become the first team in NHL history to top 100 points in nine straight seasons. The Stanley Cup champion Red Wings, the NHL leader with 101 points, break a tie with Montreal (1974-75 through 1981-82).
2012 — Syracuse avoids becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 when it rallies for a 72-65 victory over North Carolina-Asheville in the East Regional. The Bulldogs were up 34-30 at halftime — the seventh 16 seed to lead at the break.
2016 — Stephen Curry has 27 points, five rebounds and five assists on his 28th birthday, and the Golden State Warriors beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-107 for their record 49th straight regular-season home victory. The Warriors (60-6), who are 31-0 at Oracle Arena this season, become the fastest team to 60 wins in NBA history.
2016 — Dallas Seavey wins his third straight Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and his fourth overall title in the last five years. Seavey completes the nearly 1,000-mile race in a record time of 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes, 16 seconds.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL
4:20 a.m.
FS2 — AFL: Sydney at Collingwood
5 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL: Adelaide at Gold Coast
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, vs. Purdue, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
12:30 p.m.
CBSSN — Conference USA Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Huntsville, Ala.
1 p.m.
ESPN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD vs. Tennessee, Quarterfinal, Nashville, Tenn.
ESPN2 — American Athletic Tournament: TBD vs. South Florida, Quarterfinal, Fort Worth, Texas
2:30 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, vs. Northwestern, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
3 p.m.
CBSSN — Conference USA Tournament: TBD vs. MTSU, Semifinal, Huntsville, Ala.
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD vs. Auburn, Quarterfinal, Nashville, Tenn.
ESPN2 — American Athletic Tournament: TBD vs. UAB, Quarterfinal, Fort Worth, Texas
5 p.m.
CBSSN — Mid-American Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Cleveland
5:30 p.m.
FOX — Big East Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, New York
6:30 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, vs. Illinois, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
ESPNEWS — Metro Atlantic Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Atlantic City, N.J.
7 p.m.
ESPN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Washington
ESPN2 — Big 12 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Kansas City, Mo.
ESPNU — American Athletic Tournament: TBD vs. FAU, Quarterfinal, Fort Worth, Texas
SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD vs. Kentucky, Quarterfinal, Nashville, Tenn.
CBSSN — Mid-American Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Cleveland
8 p.m.
FS1 — Big East Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, New York
PAC-12N — Pac-12 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Las Vegas
9 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, vs. Nebraska, Quarterfinal, Minneapolis
ESPNEWS — Metro Atlantic Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Atlantic City, N.J.
ESPNU — American Athletic Tournament: TBD vs. Charlotte, Quarterfinal, Fort Worth, Texas
9:30 p.m.
CBSSN — Mountain West Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Las Vegas
ESPN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Washington
ESPN2 — Big 12 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Kansas City, Mo.
SECN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD vs. Alabama, Quarterfinal, Nashville, Tenn.
10:30 p.m.
FS1 — Pac-12 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Las Vegas
11:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Big West Tournament: TBD vs. UC Davis, Semifinal, Henderson, Nev.
ESPNU — Western Athletic Tournament: TBD vs. Tarleton St., Semifinal, Las Vegas
Midnight
CBSSN — Mountain West Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Las Vegas
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
5 p.m.
ESPNU — America East Tournament: Vermont at Maine, Championship
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
6 p.m.
ACCN — Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech
8 p.m.
ACCN — Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
GOLF
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The PLAYERS Championship, Second Round, TPC Sawgrass (The Players Stadium Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
HORSE RACING
3 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
2 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: Miami Prospects vs. St. Louis Prospects, Jupiter, Fla.
4 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: San Diego Prospects vs. Seattle Prospects, Peoria, Ariz.
NBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
NBATV — Phoenix at Charlotte
9:30 p.m.
NBATV — Atlanta at Utah
NHL HOCKEY
8:30 p.m.
NHLN — Los Angeles at Chicago
TENNIS
4:30 p.m. TENNIS — Indian Wells-ATP Doubles Final; Indian Wells-WTA Semifinals