THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY MARCH 31, 2023

INDIANA HS BASEBALL

WEST WASHINGTON 13 CANNELTON 0

WASHINGTON 5 SULLIVAN 4

EDWARDSVILLE 9 UNIVERSITY 2

WILLOWBROOK 10 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 0

CRAWFORDSVILLE 10 WAUBONSIE VALLEY 7

CLAY CITY 6 BARR REEVE 3

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 6 LAKE CENTRAL 1

NEW PRAIRIE 4 HOBART 2

SOUTH-CENTRAL 8 PORTAGE 6

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 5 MERRILLVILLE 4

EVANSVILLE REITZ 13 NORTH POSEY 8

CROWN POINT 4 MUNSTER 2

MICHIGAN CITY 8 MORGAN TOWNSHIP 3

COWAN 15 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 5

ELKHART 10 GOSHEN 5

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 7 WARSAW 7

MARSHALL 7 NORTH CENTRAL 5

KNIGHTSTOWN 10 MUNCIE BURRIS 0

LAVILLE 3 OREGON DAVIS 1

GREENSBURG 8 NORTH DECATUR 2

NORTH KNOX 10 SULLIVAN 9

EASTSIDE 7 WOODLAN 4

COLUMBIA CITY 9 CHRUBUSCO 6

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 9 SPRINGS VALLEY 5

JIMTOWN 4 WESTVIEW 3

FAIRFIELD 11 TIPPECANOE VALLEY 1

NEW HAVEN 9 FORT WAYNE SOUTH 3

MANCHESTER 38 ARGOS 0

HAGERSTOWN 17 RICHMOND 2

WABASH 12 WAWASEE 8

NORTHEAST DUBOIS 4 HERITAGE HILLS 3

HUNTINGTON NORTH 10 FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 2

HANOVER CENTRAL 5 ST. RITA 3

INDIANAPOLIS TECH 17 TINDLEY 0

PRINCETON 13 VINCENNES RIVET 2

WESTFIELD 8 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 6

NOBLESVILLE 10 COLLIERVILLE 8

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 6 SOUTH CENTRAL 5

WEST VIGO 9 DONELSON CHRISTIAN 6

SHELBYVILLE CENTRAL 12 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 6

CRAWFORDSVILLE 5 COFFEE COUNTY CENTRAL 5

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

HANOVER CENTRAL 23 SOUTH NEWTON 2

CROWN POINT 3 ANDREAN 2

MICHIGAN CITY 5 TRI TOWNSHIP 4

HOBART 6 LAPORTE 1

CHESTERTON 9 GRIFFITH 1

BREMEN 11 LAVILLE 1

NORTHEAST DUBOIS 5 N. DAVIES 4

BARR REEVE 9 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 0

HERITAGE HILLS 3 EVANSVILLE REITZ 2

TECUMSEH 17 FOREST PARK 1

FAIRFIELD 9 CONCORD 4

HERITAGE 13 NEW HAVEN 0

FRANKLIN COUNTY 11 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 1

SHENANDOAH 8 HAGERSTOWN 3

EDGEWOOD 21 EASTERN GREENE 3

CENTRAL NOBLE 11 MANCHESTER 1

EASTSIDE 5 WOODLAN 4

WHITELAND 5 EDINBURGH 4

NORTH PUTNAM 8 EMINENCE 2

GREENFIELD CENTRAL 16 RICHMOND 6

SOUTH BEND RILEY 10 PLYMOUTH 0

MISHAWAKA MARIAN 6 TIPPECANOE VALLEY 2

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 13 NORTH KNOX 2

TRINITY LUTHERAN 18 SOUTHWESTERN 3

PENN 1 LAKE CENTRAL 1

PENDLETON HEIGHTS 11 WESTFIELD 6

SCOTTSBURG 3 SEYMOUR 0

LAKELAND 17 NORTHWOOD 6

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 5 LIVING WATER HOMESCHOOL 0

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 5 GOSHEN 1

CORYDON CENTRAL 5 LANESVILLE 2

COLUMBUS NORTH 11 EAST CENTRAL 1

GIBSON SOUTHERN 6 CARMI-WHITE COUNTY 4

CASEY WESTFIELD 10 PARKE HERITAGE 2

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

FINAL FOUR

SATURDAY APRIL 1

FLORIDA ATLANTIC VS. SAN DIEGO STATE 6:09PM (CBS)

UCONN VS. MIAMI 8:49PM (CBS)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

MONDAY APRIL 3 9:30PM

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL-FINAL 4

FRIDAY MARCH 31

LSU VS. VIRGINIA TECH 7:00PM ESPN

IOWA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA 9:00 ESPN

NBA SCOREBOARD

BOSTON 140 MILWAUKEE 99

NEW ORLEANS 107 DENVER 88

NHL SCOREBOARD

BOSTON 2 COLUMBUS 1

FLORIDA 5 MONTRÉAL 2

NEW JERSEY 2 NY RANGERS 1

OTTAWA 5 PHILADELPHIA 4

PITTSBURGH 2 NASHVILLE 0

TAMPA BAY 5 WASHINGTON 1

DETROIT 3 CAROLINA 2

ST. LOUIS 5 CHICAGO 3

EDMONTON 2 LOS ANGELES 0

SEATTLE 4 ANAHEIM 1

SAN JOSE 4 VEGAS 3

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE – THURSDAY

NY YANKEES 5 SAN FRANCISCO 0

TEXAS 11 PHILADELPHIA 7

TORONTO 10 ST. LOUIS 9

BALTIMORE 10 BOSTON 9

TAMPA BAY 4 DETROIT 0

MINNESOTA 2 KANSAS CITY 0

CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 HOUSTON 2

OAKLAND 2 LA ANGELS 1

SEATTLE 3 CLEVELAND 0

ATLANTA 7 WASHINGTON 2

CHICAGO CUBS 4 MILWAUKEE 0

PITTSBURGH 5 CINCINNATI 4

NY METS 5 MIAMI 3

COLORADO 7 SAN DIEGO 2

LA DODGERS 8 ARIZONA 2

TOP INDIANA (RELEASES)

INDIANA PACERS

PACERS SIGN GABE YORK TO TWO-WAY CONTRACT

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have signed guard Gabe York to a two-way contract.

The Pacers roster now stands at 17; and York will wear number 32.

GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS THUNDER

Two of the youngest, fastest-playing teams in the NBA will showcase their talents in downtown Indianapolis on Friday.

The Indiana Pacers (33-44) aim to end a four-game skid in the conclusion of a three-game homestand when hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-39) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Going into the 2022-2023 season, the Thunder had the youngest roster in the NBA with an average player age of just 23.14 years old. Indiana ranked 10th (25.08) in youth before the season tipped off.

Oklahoma City likes to play fast and attack inside, averaging the third-most points in the paint per game (55.2) and the second-fastest pace (102.0). The Pacers lead the NBA In fast-break points per game (18.3) and are tied with the Thunder for playing at the second-fastest speed, according to NBA.com.

After beating the Pacers in January, the Thunder hold a 1-0 season series lead going into the final meeting between the two teams.

During its recent losing streak, the Pacers have averaged 116.3 points per game but given up 134.8 on a nightly basis. On Wednesday, the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks (55-21) handed the Pacers a 149-136 Central Division loss.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Remaining Schedules, and More >>

Indiana has been without its top three leading scorers – Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Myles Turner – the last two games due to injuries and illness. Chris Duarte also has only played five minutes total since March 13 and missed seven of the last eight games entirely.

Despite the losing streak, Pacers standout rookies Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard have both put up solid numbers during the stretch.

Mathurin has scored at least 26 points in the last two games, including 29 points while pulling down nine rebounds in the loss to the Bucks.

Nembhard, taking over at the point for Haliburton, has averaged 12.5 points, 6.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds over the last four games.

Against Milwaukee, Nembhard posted a career-high 15 assists to pass Chuck Person (295) for second-most assists by a Pacers rookie in franchise history. Nembhard now has 299 assists, but will not be able to catch Jamaal Tinsley’s all-time rookie record of 647 assists during his rookie season in 2001-2002.

After starting the season 15-21, the Thunder have moved into a Play-In Tournament spot by going 23-18 since Jan. 3.

However, the Thunder may be without their star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, “SGA,” who ranks third in the NBA in scoring at 31.3 points per game while also putting up 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, due to a sprained ankle. Gilgeous-Alexander, considered among the favorites for the 2023 Most Improved Player award, has missed the last two games due to his injury.

Following Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, the No. 6 overall draft pick from 2021, is averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists while rookie Jalen Williams, the 2022 No. 12 pick, is putting up 13.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Thunder.

On Wednesday, the Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons (16-59) on the road 107-106. Jalen Williams scored 27 points in the victory to go along with eight rebounds and six assists, Luguentz Dort tallied 20 points, six rebounds and three steals and Aaron Wiggins added 19 points off the bench.

Both teams have Play-In Tournament hopes, but the Thunder have stronger chances.

On Wednesday night, the Thunder sat a half game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for 10th in the Western Conference standings. For the Pacers, they are four games behind the 10th-place Chicago Bulls (36-39) with just five games left on their schedule.

After taking on the Thunder, Indiana will hit the road to play the Cleveland Cavaliers (48-29) on Sunday.

Projected Starters

Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard, G – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Jordan Nwora, C – Isaiah Jackson

Thunder: G – Josh Giddey, G – Isaiah Joe F – Luguentz Dort, F – Jalen Williams, C – Jaylin Williams

Injury Report

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (right ankle sprain, left elbow soreness), Myles Turner – questionable (left ankle soreness), Buddy Hield – questionable (non-COVID illness) , Chris Duarte – questionable (left ankle soreness), Kendall Brown – out (right tibia stress fracture)

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – questionable (ankle sprain), Chet Holmgren – out (foot surgery), Lindy Waters III – out (plantar fasciitis), Kenrich Wiliams – out (wrist scapholunate ligament surgery)

Last Meeting

Jan. 18, 2023: Oklahoma City raced to a 17-1 lead to start the game and didn’t trail the rest of the way in a 126–106 win over Indiana at Paycom Center.

The Thunder led 36-20 after the first frame and the closest the Pacers got to the lead was at 43-39 with 4:43 left in the second quarter. After trailing 58-44 at intermission, the Thunder outscored the Pacers 68-62 in the second half.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Joe each scored 23 points for the Thunder and Dort finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. In the win, the Thunder dished out a franchise-record 41 total assists.

Six players scored in double figures for the Pacers. Nembhard led the way with 18 points, seven assists and five rebounds while Mathurin had 13 points and five rebounds.

Indiana shot 41.5 percent overall while the Thunder finished 50.5 percent shooting.

The Pacers were outrebounded 48-42 and matched a season-high 24 turnovers.

Noteworthy

The Pacers haven’t lost a season series against the Thunder since the 2017-2018 season.

In the Oklahoma City era, the Pacers have a 15-13 record against the Thunder. At home, the Pacers hold a 9-6 edge since the franchise moved from Seattle to OKC.

In games without Haliburton, the Pacers have a record of 5-16.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

Tickets

The Pacers conclude a three-game homestand at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against Josh Giddey and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, March 31 at 7:00 PM ET.

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MOREN IS RECIPIENT OF 2023 KAY YOW AWARD

BOSTON –Indiana head coach Teri Moren been named the 2023 Kay Yow Award winner, presented annually to the Division I women’s head college basketball coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.

“It’s impressive anytime you do something, which hasn’t happened in 40 years, but Teri Moren did a lot more than just lead the Indiana women to a Big Ten regular season title,” said Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider.com. “It was a season of firsts for Indiana women’s basketball and Coach Moren is a very deserving winner of National Coach of the Year honors.”

In her ninth season at the helm, she led her squad to a multitude of new program first and record setting numbers in the 2022-23 season. She guided the Hoosiers to a school record 28 wins with a 28-4 overall record and a first-place finish in the Big Ten. They claimed their first regular season title in 40 years, with a mark of 16-2 mark. Indiana posted wins over nine top 25 foes this season, five of which came against top 5 opponents.

Six players earned All-Big Ten honors this season including a pair of first team honors for senior forward Mackenzie Holmes and graduate student guard Grace Berger. The duo of Berger and Holmes also earned a variety of All-American awards this postseason including College Sport Communicator Academic All-American honors. Holmes was a first team All-American by The Athletic, USBWA and Associated Press along with being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year while Berger placed on the honorable mention team by the USBWA and Associated Press.

They ranked in the top 10 nationally in five team categories, highlighted by its 49.7 field goal percentage, which is second amongst all Division I teams. Indiana is also fourth in scoring margin (+18.8), sixth in scoring offense (80.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.45) and seventh in assists per game (18.2). The Hoosiers have been ranked in both national polls consecutively for the last three seasons, reaching as high as No. 2 in both national polls. They earned the program’s first ever No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

On Jan. 18 in a win at Illinois, Moren became the program’s all-time winningest coach with 189 career victories. She holds a current record of 200-93 (.682) in her nine seasons leading the program and eclipsed the 200-win mark at IU in the victory over Tennessee Tech in the NCAA First Round. Moren was also named the 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, her second league honor as she also earned the selection in 2016 and was a finalist for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year.

ABOUT THE KAY YOW AWARD

College Insider pays tribute to one of the true icons of women’s college basketball with the Kay Yow Award, which is presented annually to the Division I women’s head coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.

Yow, who lost a long battle with cancer in 2009, became the sixth head coach in the history of Division I women’s basketball to reach the 700-win plateau, finishing with a sterling record of 737–344 in her 34 seasons at NC State.

She was the first women’s coach in ACC history to eclipse 600 wins at the same school and directed NC State to 19 top-three finishes in the ACC standings. Her 1997-98 squad advanced all the way to the Final Four in Kansas City.

She was wildly successful in every forum in which she coached, leading gold medal winners at the 1981 World University Games, the 1986 Goodwill Games, 1986 World Championship Games and the 1988 Olympic Games.

As an assistant, Yow was on the Olympic gold medal winning 1984 coaching staff in Los Angeles. In addition, she was an assistant on the gold medal-winning teams at the 1979 World University Games, the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 R. Williams Jones Cup.

MOREN NAMED 2023 ASSOCIATED PRESS COACH OF THE YEAR

DALLAS – Indiana head coach Teri Moren been named the 2023 Associated Press Coach of the Year. Moren received the award in a ceremony at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Thursday afternoon.

The Seymour, Indiana native is the program’s first Associated Press Coach of the Year. In her ninth season at the helm, she led her squad to a multitude of new program first and record setting numbers in the 2022-23 season. She guided the Hoosiers to a school record 28 wins with a 28-4 overall record and a first-place finish in the Big Ten. They claimed their first regular season title in 40 years, with a mark of 16-2 mark. Indiana posted wins over nine top 25 foes this season, five of which came against top 5 opponents.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

JACKSON-DAVIS COLLECTS WOODEN AWARD ALL-AMERICA HONORS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was on of 10 players named to the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, presented annually by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, on Thursday. He also is one of five finalists for its Men’s Player of the Year Award which will be presented April 7 in Los Angeles, the organization announced.

Jackson-Davis, already a consensus All-America First Team selection, started 32 games this season and averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.9 blocks per game. He is the first Division I men’s basketball player to average at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks in a season in over 25 years. He led the Hoosiers in all four categories while also shooting 58.2% (262-of-450) from the floor and 69.5% (146-of-210) from the free throw line.

TJD has previously been honored as an All-America First Team player by the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News, and USBWA. He was honored as a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection by both the coaches and the media and was tabbed to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. Jackson-Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on five occasions during his senior campaign.

Jackson-Davis finished his Hoosier career third on the all-time program list for career points (2,258) and double-doubles (50). He holds the school record in both career rebounds (1,143) and blocked shots (270). TJD became the fifth player in Big Ten men’s basketball history to amass 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

He compiled 11 career 30-point games, 24 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, and 112 games with at least 10 points scored. He blocked at least one shot in 105 games and owns 78 multi-block games to his credit. He averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game over his four seasons with the Cream and Crimson.

Jackson-Davis is the 12th Hoosier to be named a Wooden Award All-American. He joins Steve Alford (1986, 87), Damon Bailey (1994), Kent Benson (1977), Calbert Cheaney (1992, 93), Jay Edwards (1989), Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (2016), A.J. Guyton (2000), Jared Jeffries (2002), Victor Oladipo (2013), Isiah Thomas (1981), and Cody Zeller (2013).

Cheaney (1993) is the only Hoosier to earn its Men’s Player of the Year accolade since the inception of the award in 1977.

Wooden Award All-America Team

Zach Edey*, Purdue

Trayce Jackson-Davis*, Indiana

Jaime Jaquez Jr, UCLA

Tyler Kolek, Marquette

Brandon Miller, Alabama

Jalen Pickett, Penn State

Marcus Sasser*, Houston

Drew Timme*, Gonzaga

Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky

Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona

Jalen Wilson*, Kansas

*Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Men’s Player of the Year Finalist

INDIANA WOMEN’S BB

HOLMES LANDS ON WBCA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM; BERGER NAMED HONORABLE MENTION

ATLANTA – Indiana senior forward Mackenzie Holmes becomes the program’s first Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America first team while graduate student guard Grace Berger earns a spot on the honorable mention team as announced by the organization on Thursday.

Holmes was an honorable All-American mention selection in 2021-22 and Berger makes her third All-America honorable mention honor appearance.

The Gorham, Maine native averaged a team-high 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and is one of the nation’s most accurate shooters by going 68.0 percent from the floor. She is second in the nation and leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage, fifth in field goals made (281), sixth in points scored (692), and seventh in points per game (22.3). Holmes led the Hoosiers in scoring on 25 occasions this season while posting double figures in 31 games, scoring 20 points 19 times and three 30-point scoring efforts. Her nine double-doubles led the team, as six of her double-doubles occurred in conference play which ranks eighth all-time in a single season. She led the league in blocks (58) and blocks per game (1.9) and averages 1.1 steals (35) per game. She set a season-high five blocks against Nebraska and Michigan while recording multiple blocks in 14 games. Holmes is now in the top five in scoring in school history (1,897) and second in all-time blocks (208). Other awards from Holmes this season included the program’s first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and is now a three-time All-Big Ten selection in her career. She has also been named a 2023 Lisa Leslie Award finalist and the first Hoosier to appear on the 2023 Wooden Award national ballot. She is also a candidate for a variety of other national player of the year awards including, 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, 2023 Wade Trophy and 2023 USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year.

Berger finished her IU career as a four-time All-Big Ten first team. In 24 games this season, the Louisville, Ky. native averaged 12.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 75.7 percent at the free throw line. She scored in double figures 18 times including a season-high 26 points in the win over Iowa. A player who does a little bit of everything, Berger has dished out multiple assists in 21 games and averages 1.0 steals per outing while holding a +2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. She collected three double-doubles this year including two on the road at then No. 11/4 Tennessee and in a win at Ohio State while also having the first point/assist double-double for the program since 2017.

HOLMES SELECTED AS 2023 JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD FINALIST

LOS ANGELES – Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes has been named a 2023 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s All-American team. The Wooden Award All American Team is comprised of five student-athletes who were the top vote-getters in the quest to earn college basketball’s most prestigious honor.

The five-player team, alphabetically, consists of: Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Cameron Brink (Stanford), Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana), and Maddy Siegrist (Villanova). All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 47th annual presentation for the 47th annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s Gala.

Voting took place from March 14-21, 2023. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the award’s creation 46 years ago, all players were certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the criteria of the John R. Wooden Award. The 20th annual John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s Women’s Player of the Year award will be announced on Monday, April 3rd, on SportsCenter on ESPN. The John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, this year given to Dawn Staley. The Gala will take place at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 7th.

Other awards for Holmes this season included the program’s first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and is now a three-time All-Big Ten selection in her career. She has also been named a 2023 Lisa Leslie Award finalist, a 2023 Wade Trophy finalist, 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy and 2023 USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year.

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

EDEY NAMED NABC NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR; WINS PETE NEWELL BIG MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior center Zach Edey’s record-breaking haul continued on Tuesday when the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) voted him their National Player of the Year, the organization announced on Tuesday morning.

Edey has now won two National Player of the Year accolades, previously being named the Sporting News’ National Player of the Year. The Wooden Award, Naismith Award, Associated Press Player of the Year and Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA) will all be announced at a later day.

Edey becomes the first Canadian native to win National Player of the Year honors and is the first Boilermaker since Glenn Robinson in 1994 to win National Player of the Year accolades.

In addition, the organization also announced Edey as the recipient of the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award, given to the nation’s top post player. Edey is the third Boilermaker to receive this award, joining JaJuan Johnson (2011) and the late Caleb Swanigan (2017) as Purdue recipients. Purdue and Duke are the only institutions to have three Pete Newell Big Man of the Year award winners.

Edey earned NABC Player of the Year honors after one of the most-dominating seasons in college basketball history. He was named a consensus first-team All-American, the second straight season that Purdue has had a consensus All-American (Jaden Ivey, 2022), after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.

He became the first player in NCAA history (since blocks became an official NCAA stat) to record at least 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season, ranking sixth nationally in scoring, second in rebounds, 19th in blocked shots and 21st in field goal percentage (.607), the only player in the NCAA database to rank in the top 25 of all four categories in the same season.

He finished the season ranking sixth on Purdue’s single-season chart for points (757), first in rebounds (438), fifth in field goals made (290), 14th in field goal percentage (.607), first in dunks (76) and second in double-doubles (27).

He has scored in double-figures in 51 straight games, the longest streak in the country, and fourth-longest streak in school history.

For his career in 99 games, he has 1,533 points, the most for a player through his junior season in school history, with 847 rebounds, 148 blocks and 106 assists.

He finished the year with eight games of at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, the most for a major-college player in the last 20 years, and his 11 games of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most for a Big Ten player in the last 20 years by four games over Luka Garza (Iowa; 7). The 438 rebounds are the fourth most by a player in Big Ten history behind three seasons by Ohio State great Jerry Lucas (1960-62).

Edey became just the second player in Big Ten history to lead the league in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage and is one of just nine players (Blake Griffin, Ike Diogu, Antawn Jamison, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor, Gary Bradds) to lead a major-college conference in all three categories in NCAA history. Griffin was the last to do so in 2009.

Edey also earned Big Ten Player of the Year accolades after helping Purdue to a Big Ten regular-season title, a No. 1 national ranking for seven weeks and the Big Ten Tournament title. He has been named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation’s top center.

Earlier this season, Edey joined an exclusive list of Boilermakers to win the Big Ten Player of the Year, joining the late Caleb Swanigan (2017), JaJuan Johnson (2011), Glenn Robinson (1994) and Steve Scheffler (1990) as winners of the league’s top honor.

Edey was also named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award and earned a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Defensive team.

COLVIN TO COMPETE IN ROCKET MORTGAGE HIGH SCHOOL SLAM DUNK CHAMPIONSHIP IN HOUSTON

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Incoming Purdue men’s basketball freshman Myles Colvin will compete in the Rocket Mortgage High School Slam Dunk Championship as part of Final Four festivities in Houston.

The Slam Dunk Championship and 3-Point Championship, won previously by Purdue recruits Ryan Cline (2015) and Fletcher Loyer (2021) will be held on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, at the Bayou Music Center in Houston. CBS will air the event on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Colvin will be joined by Michigan State recruit Coen Carr, Michigan recruit George Washington and Oklahoma recruit Kaden Cooper.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.houstonhoopshouse.com or at the Bayou Music Center box office on the day of the event.

Numerous current professional and college hoops stars have introduced themselves to the basketball world as part of the High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, including a trio of current Houston Rockets in Jabari Smith, Jalen Green (committed in 2020 before the its cancellation) and Kevin Porter Jr. Additionally, all-stars like Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Ariel Atkins and Jordin Canada have competed in the event.

Ranked No. 50 nationally by the 247Sports recruiting rankings, Colvin brings an electrifying style of basketball to West Lafayette next season. The 6-foot, 6-inch guard with a 6-foot, 10-inch wingspan from Indianapolis’ Heritage Christian High School averaged 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a senior, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field with 45, 3-pointers. He scored 35 points in a loss to 2A state champion Blackhawk Christian in February.

Colvin competed in the 2022 3×3 U18 World Championships with USA Basketball and turned eyes at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June 2022. Colvin will be just 17 years old when he arrives in campus in June.

PURDUE BASEBALL

BASEBALL HOSTS NORTHWESTERN FOR FIRST HOME WEEKEND; FRIDAY NOW AT 1 PM

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Northwestern (2-17, 0-0 B1G) at Purdue (10-13, 1-2 B1G)

Friday to Sunday, March 31-April 2 / Watch B1G+

Series Opener: Friday, March 31 at 1 p.m. ET (Updated)

Middle Game: Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. ET

Series Finale: Sunday, April 2 at 1 p.m. ET

Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana

SERIES HISTORY

All-Time: Purdue leads 118-96-2

All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 62-43-1

2022: Purdue won 2 of 3 (May 13-15 in Evanston)

Last Series in West Lafayette: Purdue swept a 3-game set (May 2018)

First Meeting: Northwestern 10, Purdue 3 (May 1900 in Evanston)

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. NU’s Matt McClure (Jr, RHP)

Saturday: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. NU’s Michael Farinelli (Jr, RHP)

Sunday: Kyle Iwinski (Jr, RHP) vs. TBA for NU

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS

Friday: Purdue Baseball Blanket Giveaway (First 100 Fans)

Saturday: Coasters Set 1 Giveaway; Autism Awareness Day

Sunday: Bark in the Park Dog Day; Kids Run the Bases Postgame; $12 Family 4-Pack Tickets

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Another opponent from Chicagoland visits Alexander Field as Purdue baseball hosts Northwestern for its first home weekend of the season and first home series vs. the Wildcats since May 2018.

First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Friday’s game time was moved up Thursday evening due to thunderstorms in the forecast.

The Boilermakers begin a busy stretch of 21 games in 31 days Friday – they’re scheduled to take the field on 20 of April’s 30 days. After playing their first six weekends on the road, Purdue is slated to be the home team at Alexander for four of the next six weekends. Beginning this weekend, the Boilermakers enter a stretch in which they will play 19 of their next 25 and 22 of their final 32 regular-season games at home.

The last two Purdue-Northwestern series have been played in Evanston, with the visitors winning two of three in both March 2019 and May 2022. The Boilermakers have won seven of the last nine games in the series since 2018. A COVID pause for the Wildcats canceled a series between the teams in May 2021.

While it may seem like a long stretch since NU’s last appearance in West Lafayette, Big Ten expansion (and later the pandemic) led to numerous schedule quirks in the last dozen years that caused five other Big Ten rivals to go much longer without making the trip to Purdue’s campus. Nebraska has not played at Alexander Field since the opening weekend of Big Ten play in 2016. That’s a streak that ends in May this year.

LONGEST STRETCHES WITHOUT VISITING WEST LAFAYETTE

• Minnesota – 5 Full Seasons: April 2010 (at Lambert Field) to May 2016 (at Alexander Field)

• Indiana – 5 Full Seasons: April 2011 (at Lambert Field) to April 2017 (at Alexander Field)

• Illinois – 5 Full Seasons: May 2011 (at Lambert Field) to April 2017 (at Alexander Field)

• Nebraska – 5 Full Seasons: March 2016 to May 2023

• Maryland – 5 Full Seasons: April 2015 to May 2022

• Northwestern – 3 Full Seasons: May 2018 to April 2023

Northwestern joins Michigan and Ohio State as the Big Ten teams under the guidance of new head coaches this season. Jim Foster came to Evanston after a successful run at both Army (2017-22) and Rhode Island (2006-14). As an associate head coach, he also helped Boston College win an NCAA Regional in 2016. Like Purdue, the Wildcats have been on the road quite frequently over the first seven weeks of the season, with 16 of their first 19 games being true road dates. They’ve played a number of quality opponents – Texas State, Louisiana Tech, Saint Louis, TCU, Houston and others. Both Purdue and NU have split midweek games against Northern Illinois and UIC.

Northwestern featured a potent lineup last season but lost a few key players to the transfer portal. Starters from last year’s team are now playing at Ole Miss, Virginia, Duke, Wake Forest and Kentucky. Michael Farinelli, Stephen Hrustich, Vincent Bianchina, Tony Livermore and Coby Moe are among the notable holdovers. Farinelli pitched a complete game vs. Purdue in Evanston last season, limiting a lineup that scored 22 runs in the series to just one run on six hits.

WEEKEND #2 OF BIG TEN PLAY

• Northwestern (0-0) at Purdue (1-2)

• Michigan (3-0) at Illinois (1-2)

• Indiana (3-0) at Penn State (0-3)

• Michigan State (2-1) at Rutgers (0-0)

• Minnesota (0-0) at Ohio State (0-3)

• Maryland (0-0) at Iowa (0-0)

• Nebraska (2-1) vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi & Abilene Christian in Abilene (Non-Conference)

ACTIVE STREAKS

• Mike Bolton Jr. – 14-game on-base streak, 10-game on-base streak at Alexander, 10-game on-base streak in B1G play

• Couper Cornblum – 10-game on-base streak

• Jo Stevens – 6-game on-base streak

• Jake Jarvis – 5-game hit streak

• Cam Thompson – 23-game on-base streak at Alexander Field, 5-game on-base streak in B1G play

BEST STRETCH OF THE SEASON ON THE MOUND

• Khal Stephen, Aaron Suval and Jonathan Blackwell teamed up for 13 innings of one-run ball over the first half of the Michigan State series, accounting for a combined 12 zeros from the third inning of game 1 through the sixth inning of game 2. Considering it came on the road against a potent lineup that scored 16 runs over the final 10 innings of the series, it certainly ranks as Purdue’s finest stretch of the season on the mound.

• The 13 innings of one-run ball is a feat the Boilermakers have now accomplished five times under head coach Greg Goff (2020-present). Purdue did it twice last year and also achieved a stretch of 15 innings of one-run ball vs. Michigan State in 2021. Calvin Schapira led the way in 2021 with eight innings of one-run ball in a 2-1 pitcher’s duel Purdue won on an 11th-inning walk-off in Champaign.

• In the Akron series the first weekend of March, Kyle Iwinski’s seven-inning complete-game shutout buoyed a stretch in which Purdue had 10 consecutive scoreless innings and allowed just two runs over 14 frames.

BUTLER BASEBALL

EASTERN ILLINOIS AND BUTLER FLEX WEEKEND SCHEDULE

INDIANAPOLIS – Inclement weather has altered the weekend schedule for the Butler baseball team. The Bulldogs will now play a single game on Saturday at Bulldog Park and a doubleheader in Charleston on Sunday beginning at 1 PM. The Saturday tilt will feature a 3 PM start and will no longer be available on FloSports due to the date change. Each game of the doubleheader at EIU will stream on ESPN+.

Weekend Schedule

Saturday, April 1 – 3 PM at Bulldog Park

Sunday, April 2 – 1 PM Doubleheader at Coaches Stadium

Projected Starters

Saturday: LHP Cory Bosecker vs. RHP Tyler Conklin

Sunday Game 1: RHP Lukas Galdoni vs. RHP Ky Hampton

Sunday Game 2: TBD vs. RHP Blake Malatestinc

Scouting Eastern Illinois

The Panthers are 14-7 overall after going 1-2 at UT Martin to open up their conference slate. EIU split a Sunday doubleheader against the Skyhawks winning 10-4 in game one, but falling 12-4 in game two. Midweek games for Eastern Illinois included single games vs. Bradley and Illinois Wesleyan. They lost 8-5 at Bradley on Tuesday, but won 24-7 in their home opener Wednesday. Head Coach Jason Anderson enters his eighth season in Charleston in 2023. The team highlighted the non-conference slate with a 12-3 win at No. 9 Arkansas on Feb. 26. The Panthers have a high-powered offense that leads the OVC in hits, runs, batting average and on-base percentage. Cole Gober leads the team in hits with 27. He holds a .318 batting average and is near the team lead with 16 RBI.

About Butler

The Bulldogs are 5-19 overall as they approach the BIG EAST portion of the schedule. BU is 3-4 over their last seven games with wins over Northwestern, Eastern Michigan and Cincinnati. Butler leads the conference in triples (9) and are led in the category by Joey Urban (3). Urban also leads the team in hits, average, doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage and runs scored. On the mound, Cory Bosecker leads BU in starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts. On the back end, Aaron Barokas, Jon Vore and Lukas Galdoni all have saves this season.

Bulldog Bits

– Xavier Carter has scored three runs over Butler’s last five games

– Kollyn All has recorded seven of his 10 RBIs this year in just two games (2/26, 3/26)

– Aaron Barokas recorded a save at Cincinnati and then started game two of the DH (3/26)

– Cory Bosecker has 40 strikeouts this season and has only issued 14 walks

– Jake DeFries had one RBI in three-straight games at Cincinnati

– Lukas Galdoni threw a season-high 77 pitches in his last start (3/26)

– Clay Holzworth has struck out two batters in five of his six appearances this season

– Jon Vore made his first start of the season at Notre Dame (3/28)

– Eight different Bulldogs have hit cleanup this year

– Butler has an extra base hit in five-straight games

Last Year vs. Eastern Illinois

Butler and Eastern Illinois played a four-game series at Bulldog Park last year. Butler opened the weekend with a 1-0 win over the Panthers on Friday. EIU came back with a 3-2 win over BU on Saturday. Sunday’s doubleheader featured a seven-inning game followed by a 10-inning contest. BU swept the day with 2-0 and 2-1 victories.

Vore Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll

Jon Vore posted a win and a save on the mound for the Bulldogs last week, striking out seven batters in six total innings. Overall, he ended the week with a 0.00 ERA, while limiting the opposition to just two hits.

All-Right

Kollyn All had four RBIs in the win over Cincinnati on March 26. The BU slugger homered to left center in the fifth and repeated that result in the eighth with two runners on to give Butler an 8-5 win. All is the only Bulldog this season to have multiple home runs in a single game.

Hitting Streak

Joey Urban heads into the EIU series with a four-game hitting streak. Urban also opened the season with a hit in seven-straight games from Feb. 17-26.

Up Next

BIG EAST play opens up next weekend with Butler playing a three-game series at Xavier. Games will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Easter landing on Sunday, April 9. First pitch on Thursday is set for 3 PM. The conference rivals will play at 1 PM on both Friday and Saturday.

BUTLER SOFTBALL

BUTLER SOFTBALL TRAVELS TO CREIGHTON FOR BIG EAST SERIES

The Butler softball team travels to Creighton this weekend for a three-game BIG EAST series from Friday, Mar. 31 – Sunday, Apr. 2. The Bulldogs (12-19, 6-0 BIG EAST) just saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end at No. 24 Indiana. The BlueJays (13-19, 0-6 BIG EAST) most recently dropped a nonconference game to Drake, 9-1.

Bulldog Bits

(as of 3/26/23)

Kieli Ryan has thrown out 10 runners attempting to steal. She sits atop the BIG EAST and is 8th nationally in that category. With 7 doubles, she ranks fifth in the conference in doubles per game.

Monique Hoosen is third in the BIG EAST (74th nationally) with 7 home runs. With 20 for her career, she is 6th on Butler’s all-time list. Her slugging percentage (.620) ranks eighth in the conference.

Ella White ranks sixth in the BIG EAST with 5 home runs.

Paige Dorsett ranks 11th in the BIG EAST with a .586 slugging percentage.

Kaylee Gross ranks fifth in the BIG EAST (95th nationally) with 12 stolen bases.

Mackenzie Griman was named BIG EAST Softball Pitcher of the Week on Monday, 3/27. She pitched two complete games against Providence, winning both with an overall ERA of 1.08.

Ella White was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, 3/27. Against Providence, she hit 3 home runs in the three-game series, amassing 10 RBI. She batted .455, going 5-for-11, and also tallied a triple and a double.

Kaylee Gross is 16-for-29 (.552) in the past nine games, with three hits in three of them.

Paige Dorsett is 14-for-28 (.500) in the past nine games with at least one hit in each.

SCOUTING CREIGHTON (13-19, 0-6 BIG EAST)

Series: Creighton leads, 11-10

Butler swept the 2022 series in Indianapolis, 2-1, 3-1, and 3-0.

Creighton won 2-of-3 in the 2019 series (Omaha) and in the 2018 series (Indianapolis).

The teams did not meet in 2020 or 2021.

BIG EAST series: at Villanova L, 0-3 | vs. Seton Hall L, 0-3

The BlueJays have wins that include: Detroit Mercy, Northern Colorado, UTEP, Bethune-Cookman, and Penn.

Losses include: Akron, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Coastal Carolina, and Southern Indiana.

CREIGHTON vs. (opponents)

runs: 142-113

hits: 237-203

RBI: 133-102

SB: 9-34

ERA: 3.18-3.90

Batting Leaders:

Cayla Nielsen (.415) 8 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI

Kailey Willson (.286) 9 2B, 6 HR, 21 RBI

Emma Rosonke (.269) 7 2B, 5 HR, 21 RBI

Pitching Leaders:

Payton Akers (4-5) 2.24 ERA, 52 K

Natalie Puchino (7-7) 3.04 ERA, 50 K

Alexis Wiggins (2-4) 3.52 ERA, 42 K

IUPUI SOFTBALL

IUPUI SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER AT GREEN BAY

GREEN BAY, Wisc. – The IUPUI softball team won game one of the doubleheader at Green Bay in five innings with 15 hits, 11-0, then fell in game two 11-8. Madison Bryant shut down the Phoenix offense in game one throwing a five-inning shutout with ten strikeouts while Kendal Calvert knocked her first homer of the season.

Calvert opened game one with her first home run of the season over the right field wall giving the Jags the early 1-0 lead in the first inning.

IUPUI then tacked on four runs in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Calvert singled through the right side to score Maicey Bedrick and Kasie Keyes. Rachael Gregory then grounded out to shortstop to score Kennedy Cowan followed by a double from Kayla Freiberg to score Calvert extending the Jaguar lead to 5-0.

In the top of the fifth inning IUPUI scored six runs on seven hits and two Phoenix errors. Bedrick singled to third with Keyes and Victoria Sivert scoring on the play. Cowan doubled to left field to score Bedrick then Gregory reached on a fielding error allowing Cowan to score. Jordan Jenkins then singled to left center to score Gregory and Sivert singled up the middle scoring Freiberg, giving IUPUI the 11-0 lead.

Bryant sat down the Green Bay offense, one, two, three to end the game in five innings. Bryant earned her third win of the season giving up only two hits with ten strikeouts in five innings of work. Keyes went 3-for-3 in game one with two runs while Calvert collected three RBI. Cowan, Calvert, Jenkins, Sivert and Bedrick all recorded two hits each.

In game two, the Jags fell 11-8. IUPU stole the lead first with Jaida Speth stealing home in the top of the third inning, 1-0. Sivert singled to right field to score Kennedy Warbritton in the fourth inning to extend the Jags’ lead to 2-0.

Green Bay took the lead in the fourth inning with three runs on three hits, 3-2. In the top of the fifth inning, IUPUI retook the lead with two runs on two hits. Gregory doubled to left field to score Cowan to tie it up. Then Freiberg singled to left center to score Gregory to take the lead, 4-3.

The Phoenix answered in the bottom half of the fifth frame with three runs on three hits, 6-4. IUPUI wouldn’t answer until the seventh inning but not before Green Bay added a few insurance runs. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Phoenix added five runs on six hits extending their lead to 11-4.

Down seven, the Jags fought to stay alive in the top of the seventh inning with four runs on three hits but it wasn’t enough as Green Bay closed out the game, 11-8.

Freiberg went 4-for-4 at the plate with one run and one RBI while Sivert collected three RBI in game two. Calvert, Gregory, Kinsey Pfieffer and Speth all recorded a hit in the loss.

IUPUI is now 7-18 overall and 4-2 in Horizon League play. They will close out the three-game series against Green Bay tomorrow with one game at 2:00 PM.

BALL STATE GYMNASTICS

TETER’S 9.900 ON FLOOR LEADS GYMNASTICS IN NCAA SECOND ROUND

NORMAN, Oklahoma – – Led by a 9.900 from senior Megan Teter in her final collegiate event, the Ball State gymnastics team turned in a solid effort Thursday evening in the second round of the NCAA Norman Regional.

“They did awesome coming in competing a second night in a row,” head coach Joanna Saleem said about tonight’s competitors. “They wanted to come out and have fun, and they were doing that in a different environment with the rest of their team in the stands cheering them on. I am proud of how they came out and did the gymnastics they normally do.”

Teter’s score, her fifth of 9.900-or-higher this season, was strong enough to finish tied for fifth in the second session which included No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 16 Ohio State, Arkansas, and NC State. In addition, Teter opened her night with a 9.875 on bars to tie for 10th overall in the event.

“Megan is the definition of what you want in a student-athlete,” Saleem added. “She came in and built and grew every year. She committed to the program and to herself, continuing to push herself every day. She’s been an amazing leader for our team and did it again tonight, coming back and finishing strong.”

Overall, the Cardinals had an individual representative on each event at the Lloyd Noble Center Thursday evening, along with junior Hannah Ruthberg in the all-around.

Ruthberg would close out her junior campaign finishing sixth overall in the all-around with a score of 39.100, including a 9.875 on floor in the last routine of the session. She also scored 9.800s on both vault and bars.

Also turning in a 9.875 on the night was sophomore Grace Sumner who tied for seventh overall on beam.

“Grace had an amazing beam routine,” Saleem said. “I am so happy for her. Her balance was great and she looked so confident.”

On vault junior Suki Pfister ended her season with a 9.825, while junior Victoria Henry added a 9.725.

ROTAION HIGHLIGHTS:

Rotation 1

– In her first event of the day, senior Megan Teter earned a 9.875 on bars which tied as the second-highest score of the opening rotation with Arkansas and placed her in a tie for 10th overall.

– Junior Hannah Ruthberg started her all-around effort with a 9.800 on vault, which tied as the second-highest score of the opening rotation with NC State.

Rotation 2

– Sophomore Grace Sumner led the way for the Cardinals in the second rotation, landing a 9.875 on beam, which tied as the second-highest score of the rotation with Arkansas and tied for seventh overall.

– Junior Suki Pfister earned a 9.825 on vault in her second appearance as an individual at NCAA Regionals.

– Ruthberg turned in another solid effort on bars, scoring a 9.800 to raise her all-around score to 19.600.

Rotation 3

– Teter tuned in Ball State’s best score of the night on floor, once again finishing second in the rotation with Arkansas by scoring a 9.900. It was her fifth score of 9.900-or-higher on floor this season.

– Ruthberg raised her all-around score to 29.225 by scoring a 9.625 on beam.

Rotation 4

– Junior Victoria Henry closed her junior campaign with a score of 9.725 on vault.

– Ruthberg closed the meet with her best performance of the night, scoring a 9.875 to tie for 12th overall on floor, raising her all-around score to 39.100.

All-Around:

– Ruthberg closed the season with a 39.100 in the all-around, led by a 9.875 on floor. She also scored 9.800s on vault and bars.

Next Time Out:

With tonight’s performance in the second round of the NCAA Norman Regional, a record-setting 2023 season came to an end for the Ball State gymnastics program.

The Cardinals broke the team scoring record twice, tallied nine of the top 10 team scores in program history, and qualified as a team for NCAA Regionals for just the second time.

BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MVB OPENS TOUGH MIVA ROAD WEEKEND WITH 3-0 SWEEP AT MCKENDREE

LEBANON, Ill. – The Ball State men’s volleyball team opened its last Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season road weekend with a 3-0 sweep at McKendree Thursday night at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.

The all-around team effort from the Cardinals (15-8, 8-3 MIVA) caused the Bearcats (6-12, 1-10 MIVA) to have problems on both sides of the net.

“Really proud of our team and how we got off to a fast start in set one,” Ball State head men’s volleyball coach Donan Cruz said. “Our intensity set the tone for the match, and we sustained the energy and discipline throughout. Mckendree is a good team and for us to play as clean and consistent as we did is a testament to our trust within the team and our guys training hard.

As a team, Ball State hit .444 percent from the floor after throwing down 42 kills off 72 attempts. Tinaishe Ndavazocheva led the Cardinals with 12 kills while Kaleb Jenness turned in an 11-kill performance and had owned a .563 hitting percentage.

For the most part, Ball State controlled the tempo of the contest in all three frames.

Ball State seemed to breeze through set one after jumping ahead 19-12 off a kill from Jenness. The Cardinals continued to stay on pace, taking the opening frame over the Bearcats, 25-18.

Frames two and three were slightly closer throughout their entirety but Ball State was able to find an offensive rhythm that allowed setter David Flores to use multiple Cardinals to get the job done.

A kill from Ndavazocheva would claim set two for Ball State, 25-21 and Vanis Buckholz’s kill up the middle would clinch match point and set three, 25-20.

The Ball State men’s volleyball team will close out its two-match weekend at Lewis Saturday. First serve is at 6 pm ET at Neil Carey Arena.

BALL STATE BASEBALL

CARDINALS RETURN TO THE ROAD FOR MAC SERIES AGAINST THE ZIPS

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team is back on the road for another Mid-American Conference series, this time against Akron. The Cardinals and Zips are scheduled for a three-game series with one game on Friday at 3 p.m., one on Saturday at 2 p.m., and the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Cardinals are coming off a series sweep against the Eastern Michigan Eagles over the weekend and a midweek win against the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana. Ball State enters with an overall record of 18-6 and an 8-1 mark in league games, while Akron boasts an overall mark of 11-13 and are 4-5 in MAC action.

Gold Glove Peltier

At the conclusion of last season, Ryan Peltier was honored as the best defensive third baseman in the NCAA and received an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. After being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team for back-to-back seasons, Peltier was awarded the first Gold Glove in BSU history. He was a 2023 Preseason All-American honoree from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Peltier leads the Cardinals with a .415 batting average. He has pelted a team-best seven homers and has a team-high 27 RBIs. His seven home runs are tied for 118th in the NCAA and tied for fifth in the conference. He has a slugging percentage of .745, which is 62nd in the country and second in the MAC. Peltier has scored 33 runs, which is tied for 17th in the NCAA and is first the MAC. He is tied for the team lead in doubles with eight and he has added one triple.

What Can Brown Do for You?

Ryan Brown was named the No. 49 prospect in college baseball by D1 Baseball. Brown was the only Mid-American Conference player selected to the top-100 list. He was also tabbed as one of the top mid-major prospects for the 2023 season. Brown also landed on the 2023 MLB Draft: Rising Righthanded Pitchers watch list. Last season, Brown earned recognition as a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American along with the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team.

Brown is currently tied for 32nd in the NCAA with 44 strikeouts. He his 4-1 on the year and has thrown 23 innings. Opponents are hitting just .167 against him for the season.

Scouting the Cardinals

Decker Scheffler is second on the squad with a .383 batting average. He has 18 RBIs, 17 runs scored, five doubles, two homers, and two triples. Scheffler is tied for the 85th toughest player to strikeout in the NCAA and is fourth in the MAC. Adam Tellier is third on the team with a .366 average. He has 25 runs scored, 14 walks, 12 RBIs, eight doubles, three triples, and one home run. His three triples are tied for 20th in the NCAA and are the most in the MAC. Justin Conant is fourth on the team with a .313 average. He has added 13 runs scored, 11 walks, nine RBIs, three doubles, one triple, and one home run. Blake Bevis is hitting .304. He is second on the team with 19 RBIs and is tied for second in home runs with four. He has scored 15 runs and has eight doubles. Nick Gregory might only be hitting .219, but he leads the team with 21 walks. He has scored 21 runs and driven in seven runs.

The Cardinal pitching staff is led by Trennor O’Donnell with a 1.82 ERA, which is tied for 32nd in the NCAA and leads the MAC. He has 39 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings of work. Tanner Knapp as added 20 1/3 innings in seven relief appearances for the Cardinals. Logan Schulfer is third on the team with 26 strikeouts. Ty Johnson is fourth on the squad with 25 strikeouts. Jacob Hartlaub and Ty Weatherly both have 24 strikeouts. Tanner Knapp closes out the pitchers with more than 20 strikeouts, with 22.

Ball State vs. Akron: The Series

The Cardinals and Zips will meet for the 64th time on Friday. BSU leads the overall series 38-24. Ball State is 19-13 on the road against the Zips. The Cardinals are 24-10 versus the Zips under Head Coach Rich Maloney.

Scouting the Zips

Jack Firestone leads Akron with 10 home runs, which is tied for 18th in the NCAA and tied for first in the MAC. He is hitting .280 on the season with a team-best 23 runs score and a team-best 21 RBIs. He has added three doubles and two triples. Jack Poist leads the Zips with a .309 average. He has 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, eight doubles, one triple, and one home run.

Sammy Tortorella leads the pitching staff with a 3.38 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. He has a team-high 32 strikeouts with a record of 2-1. Anthony Fett has a record of 4-1, which leads the team, in 20 2/3 innings of work. He as 14 strikeouts and a 6.53 ERA. Joe Roth is second on the team with a 5.40 ERA and has 20 strikeouts. He is 0-2 on the season.

MAC Standings

1. Ball State – 18-6, 8-1

2. Kent State – 16-8, 4-2

3. Central Michigan – 13-10, 4-2

4. Toledo – 12-11, 5-4

5. Ohio – 7-14, 5-4

6. Eastern Michigan – 11-10, 4-5

7. Akron – 11-13, 4-5

8. Bowling Green – 9-13, 4-5

9. Miami – 6-20, 3-6

10. Western Michigan – 5-17, 2-4

11. Northern Illinois – 5-18, 2-7

NOTRE DAME TRACK AND FIELD

O’BRIEN TAKES HEPTATHLON TITLE AT TEXAS RELAYS

AUSTIN, TX. – The heptathlon athletes of the Fighting Irish track and field team wrapped up a successful visit to Austin, Texas at the 2023 Texas Relays.

Jadin O’Brien posted a new personal best and took first place in the heptathlon with 5942 points. O’Brien took first in the shot put with her best throw of 13.77 meters. She also finished in the top three in the long jump (6.06 meters), javelin throw (38.73), and the 800 meter race (2:15.62). Not only did her finish earn her first, she also is now ranked first nationally.

Alaina Brady also represented the Irish in the heptathlon where she posted 5650 points and earned a new personal best. Her finish earned her a ranking of fifth place nationally. Brady finished in the top five in three events; 100 meter hurdles (13.71), shot put (12.93 meters), and javelin throw (39.57 meters).

The Irish return to competition next week on April 8 when they travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan for the Jack Shaw Invite hosted by Western Michigan.

NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

PREVIEW: NORTH CAROLINA

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Fighting Irish (13-9, 4-5 ACC) are back into ACC play as they host the No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels (18-7, 4-3 ACC) at Frank Eck for a three game series this weekend. The Irish are coming off of a 4-0 win over Butler on Tuesday, and a historic series win over No. 2 Louisville at Frank Eck last weekend.

UNC Heads to South Bend for Another ACC Series

Notre Dame has won five of their last six games as they head into the weekend series against UNC.

This will be the 20th matchup between the Irish and Tar Heels as Notre Dame leads the overall series 12-7. The Irish are 7-2 at home, 4-2 at UNC, and 1-3 at neutral sites.

The last matchup between the two was in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, NC, as Notre Dame fell 7-2 to the eventual ACC Tournament champs in the semifinals.

Prior to the loss in the ACC Tournament, Notre Dame had won the last seven games against the Tar Heels from 2019-2021.

This is the first regular season game between the two squads since a three-game series in South Bend on April 30, 2021 – May 2, 2021. The Irish swept the series with a 4-0 win in game one, 13-12 win in game two, and 19-5 win in game three.

Midweek Matchup at Frank Eck Against Butler

The Irish are 4-for-4 in their midweek matchups so far this season, with two neutral site wins over Saint Joseph’s in Holly Springs, a win over Valpo in the 2023 home opener, and a 4-0 win over Butler at Frank Eck.

Jackson Dennies started on the mound as he recorded a career-high six strikeouts across a career-high six innings pitched.

Irish Make History in Series Win Over No. 2 Louisville

The Notre Dame Fighting (12-9) Irish defeated the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals (19-4) in a historic fashion, taking the first game of the series on Friday, March 24 and the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday, March 26.

The 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon clinched the first-ever home series win over Louisville in program history. After falling 2-1 in the second game of the doubleheader, the Irish are now 4-5 in conference.

In game one, Notre Dame trailed 2-0 heading into the fifth.

The Irish held Louisville scoreless in the top of the inning, while the Irish offense really started to get hot in the bottom of the frame. The Irish led off with singles from DM Jefferson and TJ Williams, and a sac bunt from Jack Penney would put runners on second and third for Notre Dame.

Zack Prajzner scored both as he doubled down the left field line to add two Irish runs to the board and make it an even 2-2 ballgame. Zyska followed with a double of his own as he sent it to the wall in the left field gap to score Prajzner and take the lead 3-2.

The Cardinals would score another run in the top of the sixth to tie it up at 3-3.

The Irish immediately responded as Estevan Moreno ripped a home run to deep left, his second of the season, to put the Irish back on top at 4-3 and lead them to eventual 4-3 victory to take game one.

In Saturday’s doubleheader, the Cardinals would put their first run of the day on the board on the first pitch of the game as they opened up with a home run to right field to take an early 1-0 lead. And after leading off the top of the fifth with another home run, Louisville led 3-0.

Notre Dame wasn’t going anywhere, as the Irish bats started to get hot in the fifth. Notre Dame would score all five of their runs in the bottom of the inning. The Irish’s five runs would come off of just three three hits, all of which were home runs. Jack Penney would hit the first homer, followed by back-to-back home runs from Carter Putz and Brooks Coetzee.

The five-run inning lifted the Irish to a 5-4 win to clinch the series win over the Cardinals.

Notre Dame Opens up at Home Against Valparaiso

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took down the Beacons in the 106th matchup between Valpo and Notre Dame as the Irish lead the overall series 86-21 with the very first game taking place on May 14, 1918.

The Irish defeated Valpo in a 8-4 victory in their home opener on Tuesday, March 21 at Frank Eck.

Both graduate students, Zack Prajzner and Jack Zyska both recorded their first home runs of the season in Tuesday’s win. Prajzner’s homer to left field came in the bottom of the third and Zyska followed with his left field home run in the bottom of the fourth.

David Lally Jr. made his second career start on the mound, throwing 2.1 innings before he was relieved in the third inning by Carter Bosch. Bosch recorded a season-high six strikeouts across 3.2 innings and gave up no runs while allowing only two hits. Sammy Cooper came in to close in the top of the seventh, taking home his second win of the season.

Irish Resume Conference Play at No. 4 Wake Forest

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished the series 2-1 at no. 4 Wake Forest last weekend after falling in both doubleheader games on Saturday, but taking home Sunday’s game in a 3-1 victory.

The Irish are now 9-8 on the year and 2-4 in the ACC after the road series.

Due to Friday’s game being postponed for inclement weather, the Irish and Demon Deacons played a doubleheader on Saturday, March 18.

Wake Forest took game one 4-1 and game two 12-3.

Jackson Dennies started on the mound for the Irish in game one, finishing the day with three strikeouts while allowing two runs and five hits across 3.2 innings pitched.

Aidan Tyrell came in relief with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, throwing 3.1 innings, recording four strikeouts, and giving up just one run and one hit.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the third, Danny Neri led off for the Irish with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a sac bunt from TJ Williams. Estevan Moreno followed with his first hit of the day as he singled through the left side to score Neri for Notre Dame’s only run of the game

The Irish struggled to score in game two on Saturday. Trailing 12-1 heading into the top of the ninth, Connor Hincks singled to center field for his first career hit and was sent home on a two-run home run from Tony Lindwedel. Lindwedel’s first career home run would close the gap to 12-3 as Wake Forest took home the second game of the series.

Wake Forest was undefeated 14-0 at home so far this season until Notre Dame took game three with a score of 3-1.

The Irish offense sparked in the top of the second with a double to right center from Carter Putz, who scored after Jack Zyska hit a single to left field.

The Irish posted an early 1-0 lead, while Findlay continued to shut down the Demon Deacons from the mound as he closed the first two innings with three strikeouts.

DM Jefferson started the third with a lead-off single to center field and advanced to second on a passed ball with TJ Williams up to bat. Jefferson was able to score and tack on another run for the Irish as an RBI single from Brooks Coetzee brought Jefferson home for the 2-0 lead.

Coetzee led off the sixth with a double to right center field, which was followed by a walk from Putz. With runners on first and second and Jack Penney up to bat, Coetzee was able to steal third on a wild pitch. Penney reached on a fielder’s choice, recording an RBI as Coetzee ran home to give the Irish a 3-0 edge heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Findlay recorded his 10th strikeout of the day before he was relieved by Blake Hely with two outs in the sixth. Findlay absolutely dominated from the mound, throwing 10 strikes across 5.2 innings and allowing just two hits and no runs.

Midweek matchup in Holly Springs

The Irish took down the Hawks on Tuesday, March 14, and Wednesday, March 15, in their first midweek matchup of the year.

Notre Dame defeated Saint Joseph’s 6-3 on Tuesday and 10-9 on Wednesday at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs, NC..

Matt Bedford made his first start of the year in game one and freshman David Lally Jr. made his first career start on the mound in game two.

Carter Putz recorded his second home run of the year in game one with a 440’ rocket to right field in the game one win.

The Irish took game two in a close 10-9 win, finishing the game with a bases loaded walk-off HBP as Coetzee was hit by the pitch for the fourth time that game for the walk-off win.

Putz, Penney, and Neri each recorded their third home runs of the year in game two against Saint Joseph’s.

Conference Play Opens Up at Georgia Tech

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish start the 2023 conference season 1-2 in the ACC after falling in games one and two, but taking home game three against the Yellow Jackets on the road.

The Irish fell in a close one on Friday night (March 10) at Russ Chandler Stadium. While the Irish trailed 2-0 early, a strong fifth inning that included five singles allowed Notre Dame to put four runs on the board to take the lead 4-3. However, the bottom of the seventh inning would lift the Yellow Jackets to the 7-4 victory in game one.

Due to Sunday’s weather, a double header was played on Saturday where the Yellow Jackets took the first game of the day 15-2.

While the Irish struggled to find the strike zone, the Yellow Jackets were hot from the plate, bringing in nine runs in the first three innings.

The Fighting Irish scored their first run of the day in the top of the third after Estevan Moreno singled up the middle and was sent home from an RBI double down the right field line from Jack Penney.

The Yellow Jackets would tack on another two runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead 11-1 and wouldn’t score again until the bottom of the seventh.

Freshman Caden Spivey made his debut on the mound in the bottom of the fourth, striking out his very first batter faced. Spivey allowed only one hit and gave up no runs in his two innings pitched.

Norte Dame wasn’t going anywhere though, as they came out strong to start the second game of the day and went on to take the final game 17-4. The Irish finished with 16 hits, their best offensive outing of the season.

Zack Prajzner started the Irish offense with a double to left field, followed by a base hit from Brooks Coetzee. Nick Juaire reached first after being hit by a pitch and it was bases loaded for the Irish. Jack Zyska was walked in his first at bat of the game, which scored Prajzner and put Notre Dame on the board 1-0.

Jack Penney stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and two outs and crushed a ball down the right field line for a grand slam. Penney’s second home run of the season scored Coetzee, Juaire, and Zyska to give the Irish the 5-0 advantage after one.

Leading 5-2 heading into the third, Carter Putz led off and started the inning with his first home run of the season with a 418’ homer to deep center field. Juaire followed with a base hit to left field and scored on an RBI double from Penny, his fifth RBI of the game.

Jackson Dennies started on the mound for the Irish, pitching 2.2 innings, throwing three strikeouts, and giving up three runs.

Dennies would give up one run in the bottom of the third before he was relieved by Aidan Tyrell, who finished with a game-high five strikeouts. Tyrell allowed no runs and only gave two hits across four innings pitched.

Vinny Martinez kept the offense going with a 434’ rocket out to left field, his first home run of the season with the Irish in the top of the seventh. Notre Dame tacked on another five runs in the seventh to take home the 17-4 victory.

Irish Travel to UAB

The Irish took home their second series win of the season after taking down the Blazers 2-1 last weekend in Birmingham, AL.

Danny Neri led the Irish against UAB, batting .500 (4-8 at the plate) and scoring three runs. Neri finished with a triple, a home run, and three RBI.

Zack Prajzner batted .333 on the weekend recorded three hits and two runs. Pinch hitter Nick Juaire came in and went 2-2 at the plate and scored one run while also recording two RBI.

The Irish took home game one of the series 7-2 on Friday, March 3 at Young Memorial Field after tallying runs in each of the first three innings and out-hitting the Blazers 10-5 on Friday. Jack Findlay (2-0) took home his second win of the season, finishing with six strikeouts on the day.

Game two went to the Irish 7-3 after trailing 3-0 to start the top of the sixth. Notre Dame scored six runs in the top of the sixth, including a first career home run from Estevan Moreno. Will Mercer took home his first win of the season in game two.

The Irish fell 5-2 in game three, falling to 5-4 on the season.

Notre Dame Wins First Series of the Year at UNCG

The Notre Dame baseball team won their first series of the 2023 season after taking down UNCG on the road.

Carter Putz led the way for the Irish, batting .400 on the weekend, finishing with four hits and three runs.

The Irish took home game one on Friday, Feb. 17 in a 6-5 win after Danny Neri stepped up to the plate and homered to right field. After an even ballgame at 4-4 heading into the top of the ninth, Neri’s homerun scored Putz and added two more runs to the board.

Findlay’s three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth closed out Notre Dame’s game one win.

Despite falling 12-0 to UNCG on Saturday, the Irish responded with a game three win 7-4 over Sunday to take the series.

The Irish struck first as grad students Zack Prajzner and Brooks Coetzee got the Notre Dame offense rolling. Coetzee recorded an RBI single to send Prajzner home and put the Irish on the board. Notre Dame held the Spartans scoreless the first three innings and led 1-0 to start the fourth.

Notre Dame scored another four runs in the top of the fourth with runs from Prajzner, Putz, Penney, and Martinez.

Bedford, who got the win for Notre Dame, dominated at the hill for the Irish. He threw four strikeouts over three innings and allowed no runs and only one hit.

Irish Open Campaign at Lipscomb

The Notre Dame baseball team took on the Lipscomb Bisons for just the second time in program history Feb. 17-19 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Irish fell 5-4 in game one despite scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to close the gap within one.

Norte Dame bounced back in game two, defeating the Bison 8-4 after a big seven-run inning in the top of the seventh.

Despite taking home game two, the Irish struggled to connect at the plate and fell in game three 4-2, falling to 1-2 to start the 2023 season.

With only 10 hits as a team on the weekend, TJ Williams and Jack Penney both hit their first home runs of the 2023 season.

Freshmen Rory Fox and David Lally Jr. made their debuts on the mound on Sunday, as well as graduate transfers Carter Bosch and Blake Hely who pitched in an Irish uniform for the first time.

NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL

IRISH HOST PITT DURING STRIKEOUT CANCER WEEKEND

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball program is set to host its 12th annual Strikeout Cancer weekend, hosting the University of Pittsburgh in a weekend full of softball and fundraising activities. Games are scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday with the finale Sunday at noon, all weather permitting. Friday’s game time was moved up from its originally scheduled 6:00 start time due to inclement weather in the forecast.

The Fighting Irish are also hosting a pair of fundraising events with a trivia night Saturday at 6 p.m. at the South Bend Cubs Training Center, and a home run derby following Sunday’s game. Fans have their chance to see how many home runs they can hit out of Melissa Cook Stadium by donating $10 for 10 swings using the like here, or by donating cash at the site. For those interested in attending Saturday night’s trivia event, reach out to associate head coach Kris Ganeff (kmcclear@nd.edu) for a chance to book your table. Cost is $250 and up to 10 people at a table.

Notre Dame enters having won eight of its last 10, with just one loss in that run. Of those eight wins, five have been via the mercy rule as the Irish offense has come alive. Overall, the Irish are 19-8-1, and 4-4-1 in ACC action.

The Irish offense is hitting for a .318 average as a team, led by a .351 mark by lead-off hitter Carlli Kloss. Kloss also leads the team with 15 extra-base hits, 10 of which have been two-baggers. She adds 16 RBI and scored a team-best 23 runs. Lexi Orozco and Karina Gaskins provide the pop in the lineup, each hitting seven home runs. Orozco leads the team with 26 RBI, and the tandem of Payton Tidd and Joley Mitchell have each driven in 22 runs.

Payton Tidd anchors the pitching staff, leading the team with 12 starts, and is tied with Shannon Becker and Micaela Kastor with 17 appearances. Tidd has thrown 84.1 innings, striking out 73 while earning 10 wins. Kastor adds a 1.58 ERA with 10 relief appearances. She leads the team with three saves and limits opponents to a .204 average against. Shannon Becker adds 52.1 innings, striking out 39 and earning five wins on the season.

Pittsburgh enters the weekend with a 14-14 overall mark, and are currently 0-6 in league action. The Panthers were swept at home by the Virginia Cavaliers, and bring with them an eight-game losing streak.

As a team, Pittsburgh hits at a .268 clip, led by shortstop Yvonne Whaley. Whaley has a .447 average with 12 extra-base hits and four stolen bases. She adds a team-best 17 runs to go with 18 RBI. Sarah Seamnas equals Whaley in runs scored, but adds 15 RBI, six home runs and stole a team-best 10 bases this season.

The tandem of Abby Edwards and Dani Drogemuller lead the charge in the circle. Drogemuller leads the team with 73.0 innings pitched, earning a 3.74 ERA with eight complete games in 12 starts. Edwards owns a 3.42 ERA in 17 appearances. In her 59.1 innings, she’s struck out 63 hitters and holds opponents to a .231 average against. Andraina Romano, Julia Grobman and Kendall Brown all work primarily out of the bullpen, with none throwing more than 25 innings.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

SYCAMORES CONTINUE MVC PLAY WITH WEEKEND SERIES AT UIC

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns to conference play this weekend as the Sycamores make the trip to conference newcomer UIC for a three-game series at Curtis Granderson Stadium over March 31-April 2.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: Friday’s opener has been moved up to a 1 p.m. ET first pitch. Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) are also set for afternoon contests. All three games are set to be streamed live via ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend, while live stats will be provided on GoSycamores.com. Follow us on Twitter at @IndStBaseball for all schedule updates this weekend.

The Sycamores enter the conference weekend sitting in a three-way tie atop the Missouri Valley standings following their opening weekend sweep over Valparaiso. ISU, Evansville, and Southern Illinois all sit 3-0 after the first weekend of conference play.

Indiana State also boasts a four-game winning streak following their midweek 8-2 win over Purdue. The Sycamores utilized a strong pitching performance from Lane Miller (8.0 IP, 5 K) and Luis Hernandez’s two-double game on their way to winning their fifth consecutive contest against the Boilermakers.

Miller made his first start since 2020 one to remember as the redshirt senior needed just 100 pitches to go into the ninth inning against the Boilermakers. He surrendered eight hits and two runs while posting career-highs in both innings pitched and strikeouts. The victory also marked his first win in the Sycamore Blue & White.

Hernandez added to his career-best on-base streak sophomore connected on RBI doubles in both the first and third innings to mark 16 consecutive games on base. Miguel Rivera and Keegan Watson also drove in two runs apiece as the Sycamores went ahead 6-0 after three innings in cruising to the non-conference win.

The Sycamores’ win moved Indiana State to 9-11 against non-conference competition as ISU continued one of the nation’s toughest slates on the year. ISU enters the weekend competition sitting 26th overall in RPI sitting as one of three MVC schools in the top 100 in RPI in the country joined by Evansville (32) and Bradley (95).

Indiana State’s strength of schedule continues to also be one of the toughest in the country. ISU is currently second overall in non-conference strength of schedule sitting behind Florida State (1), while Charlotte (3), Florida A&M (4), and Clemson (5) round out the top five. Factoring in conference games, ISU boasts the third-toughest schedule in the country trailing only Florida State (1) Charlotte (2). Oregon (4) and UCLA (5)

The Sycamores have proven they will face anyone this season in the schedule. Two teams currently sitting in the top 10 in the country in RPI in Kentucky (1) and Vanderbilt (9). Other opponents in the top-35 include Miami (14), Northeastern (21), Indiana (27), Missouri (28), Evansville (32), and Illinois (34).

Indiana State looks to build off the momentum from their conference opening weekend as the Sycamores began MVC play with a 3-0 record for just the fifth time in program history and first since 2016. Indiana State hit .316 from the plate as a team with 10 extra-base hits over the three-game stretch. From the mound, the ISU pitching staff combined for a 1.67 ERA with a 23:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27.0 innings against Valparaiso.

Seth Gergely continues to lead Indiana State’s hitting efforts on the year. The redshirt senior boasts a team-best seven-game hitting streak on his way to posting a .338 batting average. He’s second on the team in doubles (5), home runs (3), and RBI (17), while also leading the Sycamores with eight stolen bases. Keegan Watson is also on a seven-game hitting streak in putting his average to .324, while Luis Hernandez (.293, eight doubles), and Mike Sears (.265, seven home runs, 21 RBI) are also among the team hitting leaders.

Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with the Sycamores boasting a team 5.43 ERA and a 214:96 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Four different ISU pitchers have posted two wins in 2023, while Matt Jachec (35) and Jared Spencer (28) are the team’s strikeout leaders. Cameron Holycross (0.66 ERA) and Spencer (3.12 ERA) are among the team’s ERA leaders on the year.

The Sycamores continue to be elite defensively. Indiana State entered the week fourth in the NCAA and first in the MVC in fielding percentage. The Sycamores are fielding at a .986 clip on the season with four players posting perfect 1.000 percentages with at least 20 chances.

Scouting the Opposition

UIC Flames

UIC enters the weekend series with a 9-11 overall record on the year, 0-3 mark in Missouri Valley play. The Flames are coming off a midweek win against Western Illinois as UIC snapped a three-game skid after falling in all three games of their MVC opening series at Southern Illinois. UIC is a perfect 3-0 at home in 2023 with wins over Northwestern, Milwaukee, and WIU.

AJ Henkle (.333) is the team’s hitting leader on the season as the redshirt sophomore paces a UIC offense that is hitting .249 from the plate as a team. Charlie Szykowny (.329) is also among the team leaders, while Carson Robert (.292) is just shy of a .300 mark on the year. Szykowny is the team leader in hits (27), home runs (5) and RBI (17), while Henkle has four homers and 15 RBI on the season. Cole Conn is the team’s stolen base leader going a perfect 9-for-9 on the season. UIC’s pitching staff has posted a team 7.19 ERA on the season with 14 different pitchers making appearances on the mound. Six different pitchers have earned starts on the year including Kade Lancour (3-2, 5.72 ERA) and Brandon Bak (0-3, 5.72 ERA), while Matt Zahora has a team-high nine appearances on the season. The Flames have posted a 112:88 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season and have allowed opponents to hit .297 from the plate on the season.

UIC was selected eighth overall in the Missouri Valley preseason poll as voted on by the league’s head coaches. The Flames received 25 total points in their first season in the MVC. UIC welcomed back Freshman All-American Breck Nowik (.335) to the roster, while Rayth Petersen (.330) was also one of the top hitters in the lineup in 2022. Tyler Ingram was the lone returning weekend starter entering the year after a 4-4 mark and 58 strikeouts in 71.1 innings.

UIC’s 2023 schedule features two common non-conference opponents with the Sycamores. The Flames have home-and-home series with Purdue (Mar. 21 & May 10) and Iowa (Apr. 18 & May 16). UIC topped Purdue on March 21 in West Lafayette, 6-4.

Indiana State – UIC History

Indiana State and UIC have only met twice in their respective program histories dating back to the first matchup in 2012. The Sycamores won the inaugural contest held in Chicago on April 3, 2012, 8-7, in 12 innings. UIC returned the favor the following season in Terre Haute with a 6-2 win on March 27, 2013.

Chasing 100

Head Coach Mitch Hannahs enters the weekend series sitting 98-75-1 all-time in Missouri Valley games. The Sycamore skipper is looking to become the fourth active coach in the MVC to reach 100 conference wins joining Evansville’s Wes Carroll, Missouri State’s Keith Guttin, and Bradley’s Elvis Dominguez.

If Hannahs hits 100 wins this weekend, he will be just the fifth Missouri Valley coach to hit the 100-win conference mark and have an above .500 record in conference play. He would be one of two active coaches to hit the mark joining Missouri State’s Keith Guttin (436-328, 1983-present). Dallas Baptist’s Dan Heefner (118-51-1, 2014-22), Creighton’s Ed Servais (144-89, 2004-13), and Wichita State’s Gene Stephenson (564-198, 1978-2013) all finished their time in the Missouri Valley with an above .500 record in the MVC.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MASTODONS GROUND HAWKS WITH 3-1 WIN

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team picked up a MIVA win on Thursday night (March 30) on the Arnie Ball Court, defeating the Quincy Hawks 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21).

On the final point of the match, Sergio Carrillo recorded the 3,000th assist of his career. He is one of three active players of any level in the NCAA to reach the milestone.

Quincy came out with lots of firepower, in large part due to Raje Alleyne, who leads the MIVA in kills per set. He had an 8-0-11 performance in the opening set and was phenomenal offensively all night. He finished the night with 20 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. QU took set one 25-17 behind his stellar offensive play.

Bryce Walker was subbed into the match in set two after not playing in the opening frame. He got the offense and defense settled down, as the junior middle blocker offered up kills, blocks and pressure from the service line. The ‘Dons hit .392 with him on court and -.091 without. Set two went to the ‘Dons after a 5-1 run closed the frame, which was capped off by an ace from Walker.

The Mastodons blitzed the Hawks in the third set with a ridiculous .650 hitting clip. The ‘Dons’ only attack error in the frame came when they were already up nine. Jon Diedrich had six of his kills on just seven swings in the third set.

Set four saw the Mastodons jump out to a 7-3 lead after a kill and ace from Sergio Carrillo. The ‘Dons led 20-13 after a 4-0 run that included two kills from Diedrich. He was, of course, the Mastodons’ go-to option on match point after the Hawks turned away two opportunities, but Diedrich did not miss on his last swing of the night, picking up kill number 16 and the match.

Diedrich finished with 16 kills and 10 digs for his first double-double of the season. Walker finished with nine kills on a .429 hitting clip. Diedrich, Walker, Carrillo and Mark Frazier all had two aces apiece. The Mastodons’ service pressure evened the playing field, as they led in aces 9-2, while only committing 12 errors from the service line.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 15-10 and 6-5 in MIVA play. Quincy falls to 7-16, 0-11 MIVA. The Mastodons will return to the Arnie Ball Court on Saturday (April 1) when Lindenwood comes to the Summit City. The Mastodons will honor Noah Melendez, Sergio Carrillo and Carlos Mercado prior to the match for Senior Night.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL

‘GUINS AND ‘DONS BATTLE THIS WEEKEND

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Horizon League baseball play continues this weekend when the ‘Dons travel to Youngstown State to play the Penguins.

Game Day Information

Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (6-19, 3-3 Horizon League) vs. Youngstown State (5-18, 2-3 Horizon League)

When:

Friday, March 31 | 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 1 | 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 2 | 1 p.m.

Where: Niles, Ohio | Eastwood Field

Weather: Friday: 57, rain | Saturday: 62, rain | Sunday: 50, partly cloudy

Live Stats:Link

Series History: YSU leads 13-5. The Penguins defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 6-0 in the Horizon League Championship last season.

Probable Starters:

Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres (1-1), LHP Jacob Myer (0-2), RHP Owen Willard (0-1)

Youngstown State: RHP Travis Perry (3-1), RHP Nick Perez (0-3), RHP Aidan English (1-3)

Scouting the Penguins: Youngstown State split two games with Milwaukee last week before the third was canceled due to weather. Travis Perry allowed one unearned run in 7.0 innings of a 2-1 win over the Panthers. Trey Law leads the team in hitting at .355.

Back in Black:Braedon Blackford owns a Horizon League-best eight home runs. He is fourth in the league in slugging (.617), fifth in RBIs (22) and fifth in OPS (.991).

Over The Last Five Games…: Starting with last week’s road Bowling Green game, Cade Nelis has seven hits with four doubles over the last five games.

Strong Up The Middle:Cade Nelis has been nearly flawless this season at second base. He has started 24 games and owns a .990 fielding percentage with 59 assists and 43 putouts. He has only one error on the season, and that came in the first game of the year at Alabama State.

About Last Week:JD Deany earned a save in game one vs. Northern Kentucky and the win in game two vs. Northern Kentucky. He threw five shutout innings in the win over NKU in game two. On the entire week he allowed just one run with 12 strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work.

Mac Attack:Mac Ayres hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings. This is a span of 11.0 innings, including 5.1 shutout innings vs. Northern Kentucky on March 24.

Masto-Slams: The ‘Dons hit grand slams in back-to-back games against Northern Kentucky last week. On March 24 Ben Higgins hit a grand slam and then in game one on March 26 Jarrett Bickel hit a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of a 9-5 win.

Record Within Striking Distance: The 2023 season is Justin Miller’s fifth as a Mastodon. Miller owns 189 career strikeouts, the second most in program history for a career. He will look to pass Jason Horvath (2001-04) for the most in program history this season. Horvath recorded 210 strikeouts.

Save X4: Four different Mastodons have recorded a save this season. Brody Fine, Mac Ayres, JD Deany and Justin Miller own saves for the ‘Dons.

‘Dons Dig The Long Ball: Eight different Mastodons have hit a home run this season.

Turn It!: The Mastodons are 30th in the nation double in plays turned with 21 this season.

Multi-verse: 12 different Mastodons have had a multi-hit game this season.

Hey Batter Batter (of the Week): Braedon Blackford hit .429 and slugged 1.357 with four home runs in 14 at bats over four games played in Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 3-5). He also recorded one double, seven RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and 19 total bases to earn the Horizon League Batter of the Week honor.

D1Baseball Top 30:Braedon Blackford was named a Top 30 Hitter of the day for his two-run home run game vs. Cornell. He was ranked No. 11. JD Deany was selected as a Top 30 pitcher for his five shutout innings vs. Cornell.

Up Next: The ‘Dons will host Toledo on Tuesday (April 4) in a 3 p.m. start.

SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL

EAGLES CONTINUE OVC ACTION AT LINDENWOOD

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball resumes Ohio Valley Conference action this week when it hits the road to play at Lindenwood University for a three-game series in St. Charles, Missouri. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m. before continuing Saturday at 1 p.m. and concluding Sunday at 1p.m.

The Screaming Eagles (7-18) are coming off a tough three game series with Morehead State University and a heartbreaking loss to Ball State University Tuesday in Muncie, Indiana. Links to follow USI at Lindenwood this weekend can be found on the Eagles’ baseball schedule at USIScreamingEagles.com.

Weekend Schedule Note: With the forecast of heavy rains around the St. Louis area this weekend, fans can track any schedule changes on Twitter (@USIAthletics), Facebook (USI Athletics), and USIScreamingEagles.com.

USI Baseball Notes:

Eagles loses heartbreaker to Ball State: The USI Screaming Eagles lost a heartbreaker to start the week, falling in 11 innings to Ball State University. USI had the lead four times, only to see Ball State rally to tie or take the lead before winning on a walk-off home run in the 11th.

Good relief against Ball State: On a staff day on the mound, the Eagles received strong relief pitching performances from junior right-hander Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky), who allowed a single run in three innings of work; junior right-hander Corey Anderson (Linton, Indiana), who posted two-plus scoreless innings; and junior right-hander Matthew Moore (Newburgh, Indiana), who struck out four and allowed an unearned run in three innings of action.

Eagles go 0-4 last week: The Eagles were 0-4 last week, 0-3 to start OVC play. USI had a chance to win three of the four games late, allowing three in the bottom of the eighth in the 6-3 loss to Belmont University; left the tying and winning runs on second and third in the 3-2 loss to Morehead State University to open the three-game series; and the winning run on third in the extra-inning 5-1 loss to Morehead in the series finale.

Leading at the plate last week. Junior outfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) led USI last week at the plate, hitting .400 (6-15) with a run scored, a triple, and two RBIs. Junior pinch hitter Gavin McLarty (Buckner, Kentucky) came off the bench to drive in a team-high three RBIs in the four games.

Morris was strong last week on the mound: USI sophomore right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) made a pair of strong starts last week, getting a no-decision in both games. Morris blanked Belmont over three-inning in a staff-day start, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out two. He followed with a strong start versus Morehead, giving up one run on two hits and three walks, while reaching a career-best six innings and six strikeouts.

Hutson reaches career-bests vs. Morehead State: USI sophomore right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) threw a career-best seven innings and struck out a career-high seven batters in the series opener with Morehead State to start OVC play.

Leading hitters: Sophomore outfielder Drew Taylor (Jeffersonville, Indiana) leads USI this season with a .357 batting average (15-42). Sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) (16-46) follows with a .348 batting average, while junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) has a team-best 22 RBIs and four home runs.

Taylor has the hottest bat: Sophomore outfielder Drew Taylor has the hottest bat for the Eagles over the last 10 games. Taylor is hitting .417 over the last 10 games (10-24) with two doubles and four RBIs.

McNew climbing the USI All-Time charts: Senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) is sixth all-time at USI in home runs (21); tied for ninth in RBIs (141) and tied for 10th in doubles (44).

USI in longest losing streak since 2006. USI has lost nine-straight games, the longest streak since the Eagles lost 10-in-a-row during the 2006 season.

Lindenwood in 2023: Lindenwood is 3-22 overall and also began its OVC schedule with three-straight losses at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Lion started their week with a 7-5 loss to the University of Missouri Wednesday and have lost eight-straight games.

USI vs. Lindenwood: USI trails the all-time series with Lindenwood, 4-1, with all of the meeting in Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season and tournament action. In the only series meeting between the two schools, the Lions captured three of the four games at the Lou Brock Complex in 2021.

VALPO BASEBALL

MURRAY STATE COMES TO TOWN FOR FIRST HOME SERIES

Next Up in Valpo Baseball: The Valparaiso University baseball team will continue a four-game homestand this weekend with the team’s first home series of the season as Murray State comes to town for a three-game Missouri Valley Conference set. The slate has been altered to one game on Saturday and two on Sunday due to Friday’s weather forecast, and there could be an additional adjustment if weather wreaks havoc on Saturday’s plans.

Last Time Out: Valpo began the home portion of the season in style on Tuesday night, walking off with a 7-6 victory thanks to Kaleb Hannahs’ third double of the game in the bottom of the 11th. That capped a seesaw affair that saw the teams go back and forth throughout. Bobby Nowak delivered 3 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief while striking out a career-high seven to earn the win.

Following the Beacons: Saturday’s game will air on ESPN3 and both of Sunday’s contests will be available on ESPN+. Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brian Jennings (analyst) will have the call. Links to live video and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (176-277) is in his 10th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he enters 2023 having skippered 435 Valpo games. He enters the season with 168 victories, one of four coaches in program history with over 150. The former big-league pitcher led Valpo to 25 wins in his inaugural campaign in 2014, a school record for victories by a first-year skipper. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.

Series Notes: Valpo and Murray State have split eight all-time matchups, including a four-game nonconference series last season in Murray, Ky. The Racers won the first game 8-1 and the third game 5-1, while Valpo prevailed 7-2 in Game 2 and 6-1 in the series finale to earn the road split. This will mark Murray State’s first-ever trip to Valpo.

In the Other Dugout – Murray State

Picked to finish ninth of 10 in the MVC preseason poll, one spot ahead of the Beacons.

Dropped two of three in the first MVC series of the season vs. Bradley, but the middle game was a tight 4-3 defeat and the series finale was a lopsided 11-1 victory.

Coming off a 12-6 midweek win at Austin Peay.

Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Dan Skirka.

Two-Bagger Tidbits

The game-ending double by Kaleb Hannahs sent Valpo to a 7-6 victory over Milwaukee on March 28 and represented Hannahs’ third double of the game.

The Valpo third baseman became just the second MVC player with a three-double game this year, joining Missouri State’s Taeg Gollert (Feb. 18 vs. Cal Poly).

All three of Hannahs’ hits were two baggers, helping him become the first Valpo player since Zack Leone on April 25, 2018 at Notre Dame with three doubles in a game.

Valpo had five doubles in the contest, the team’s highest single-game total since April 16, 2022 at Illinois State.

Kaleb Calls Game

The third and final double of Kaleb Hannahs’ big day on March 28 vs. Milwaukee lifted the Beacons to their first walk-off win since April 23, 2021, when Valpo walked off to beat Southern Illinois in both games of a doubleheader, 7-6 in Game 1 and 4-3 in Game 2.

Jonathan Temple delivered a walk-off home run in Game 1, and Riley Dent lashed a walk-off single in Game 2 in the aforementioned sweep of the Salukis.

The win over the Panthers was Valpo’s second extra-inning game of the season and first since Feb. 25 at UT Martin, a 5-4, 10-inning triumph.

This was the first time the team played 11 innings since March 20, 2021 at Western Kentucky.

Valpo improved to 3-0 this season in one-run games. The team’s previous one-run affair was also decided by the exact score of 7-6 on March 4 at Little Rock.

No-Run Nowak

Kaleb Hannahs eventually played the role of hero in the March 28 walk-off win over Milwaukee, Valpo would not have reached that point without the right arm of Bobby Nowak.

He threw 3 1/3 shutout innings while yielding one hit and walking two. He struck out seven and was the winning pitcher to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Nowak entered the game in a tight spot, with the contest tied at six and runners at second and third with nobody out in the eighth. He recorded a swinging strikeout to end the frame.

Over his last three outings, Nowak has thrown 5 1/3 innings and allowed no runs on one hit while striking out nine.

Nowak allowed two runs on March 12 at No. 22 Southern Miss, but has not permitted any runs in his other seven outings this season.

Nowak holds a microscopic 1.64 ERA this season in eight games, working 11 innings.

The Northwest Indiana native is slated to make first Valpo start in his 26th appearance with the Brown & Gold this weekend. He is set to become the sixth different Valpo pitcher to start a game this season.

Two for the Price of One

Valpo has had a knack for turning two so far this season, as the team has turned 18 twin-killings in 18 games.

The Beacons are tied for 13th nationally in double plays per game and are one of just 17 teams in the country who have averaged at least one defensive double play per game played this season.

Several other Missouri Valley Conference members are among the national leaders in turning two. UIC ranks ninth with 1.05 DPs per game, while Southern Illinois leads the nation at 1.44.

Renfro Reaching Regularly

Brady Renfro reached base in 18 consecutive games. He has boarded the bases in every game this season.

This marks the longest on-base streak by a Valpo player since Kaleb Hannahs reached in the final 20 games of the 2021 season.

Part of Renfro’s success in getting on base has been thanks to his patience. He ranks second in The Valley and 25th nationally with 1.06 bases on balls per game.

Other Notes Wrapping Up March 28 (Valpo 7, Milwaukee 6; F/11)

Brady Renfro launched his third home run of the season and his 14th in a Valpo uniform.

Alex Thurston had his first triple of the season and the sixth of his career.

The Panthers trotted out eight different pitchers. Valpo starter Ryan Mintz was able to go five and issued no walks.

Each team had 12 hits, the fourth time in the last five games that Valpo has outhit the opponent or been tied in the hit column.

Home at Last

On March 28 vs. Milwaukee, Valpo finally lifted the lid on the home portion of the season after 17 straight away from home.

The Beacons have won three consecutive home openers.

Here’s a look at home opener dates and results during the Brian Schmack Era, during which time the program holds a 5-4 mark in home lidlifters.

Year Date Opponent Result

2023 March 28 Milwaukee W 7-6 (F/11)

2022 March 25 St. Bonaventure W 8-5

2021 April 23 SIU W 7-6

2019 March 23 Butler L 6-4

2018 March 26 Ball State L 13-5

2017 April 8 NKU W 8-7

2016 March 25 Wright St L 9-6

2015 March 20 YSU W 9-5

2014 April 2 NIU L 10-6

Pencil Them In

The top of the Valpo lineup has featured very little movement this season, and seven players have started all 18 games.

Seven of Valpo’s nine regular starters have been in the program three years or more, with the only exceptions being Ryan Maka (second season) and Jake Skrine (first season).

On the Board Early

Valpo has struck first in 12 of the team’s 18 games this season.

The first frame has been a prosperous one for the Beacons, who have jumped on the board in the opening inning in nine of their 18 contests. Valpo was 6-1 in those games before scoring in the first inning and eventually dropping both games of the March 26 doubleheader at Indiana State.

Other Notes Wrapping Up the Sycamore Series

Friday’s game was postponed due to rain and made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday.

Saturday’s series opener saw Indiana State prevail 10-1 behind ace Matt Jachec, a first-team all-conference pitcher from last season. He allowed one run on four hits while walking none and striking out eight to earn the win.

Brady Renfro and Kade Reinertson reached base twice each in the series opener. Half of Valpo’s four hits went for extra bases as Renfro and Alex Ryan both doubled. Renfro doubled and scored in the top of the seventh, allowing the Beacons to extend the game and narrowly dodge the implementation of the 10-run rule.

Indiana State won the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader 7-2 with Jake Skrine accounting for Valpo’s lone multi-hit effort. Each team had eight hits, but the Sycamores strung together hits in their one big inning (a five-run sixth) and had four extra-base knocks to Valpo’s one.

Valpo dropped the series finale and the second game of Sunday’s double dip 4-2 as the hit column once again failed to tell the game’s story. Valpo outhit Indiana State 10-8.

Kyle Schmack and Ryan Maka both had multi-hit games in the series finale. Maka had his fifth of the year, while Schmack had his team-leading eighth.

The bullpen was a bright spot in Sunday’s series finale as Nathan Chasey (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB), Grant Jablonski (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB) and Bobby Nowak (1 IP, all zeros) combined for five innings of two-hit, shutout ball while walking one.

Indiana State extended its head-to-head winning streak over Valpo to 22 games. The Beacons have yet to beat the Sycamores since joining the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2018 season with their last win over their instate rivals coming in 2007.

Notes Wrapping Up March 21: Notre Dame 8, Valpo 4

Valpo outhit the opposition for the ninth time this season. This was just the second time the Beacons dropped a game in which they outhit the opponent, something that would do two more times later that week at Indiana State.

Valpo has consistently been competitive in matchups with Notre Dame over the years, but has struggled to get over the hump and win the game. Seven of the last eight matchups have been decided by four runs or fewer, but Notre Dame owns a 14-game head-to-head winning streak.

Nolan Tucker had three hits, his sixth multi-hit game in the team’s 14 contests this season. This marked his third game with three or more hits.

Also boasting two hits was Ryan Maka, his fourth multi-hit contest.

Kyle Schmack and Brady Renfro drove in two runs apiece. Schmack upped his team-leading RBI total to 17, while Renfro beefed up his total to 13.

Bobby Nowak pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth.

Nathan Chasey allowed one run on two hits and no walks in three innings. He made his first career start in his 41st appearance with the Brown & Gold.

Strong Start

Prior to its recent 0-4 week at Notre Dame and Indiana State, Valpo stood at 7-6 through 13 games. That marked the program’s best record at this juncture of the season since Paul Twenge’s group won eight of its first 13 in 1997.

Through nine games, the Valpo baseball program was off to its best start since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and way before Nirvana as the team’s 6-3 record was its best at this point in the season since 1985. Head coach Rick Ferchen’s team began 1985 with a 7-2 mark through nine games.

The highlight of the sizzling start was a five-game winning streak that was snapped in Sunday’s series finale at Little Rock. That marked the team’s longest winning streak since recording six straight from May 15-25, 2016. That stretch featured wins over Oakland, Youngstown State and Northern Kentucky.

U OF I ATHLETICS

UINDY VAULTS INTO DIRECTORS’ CUP TOP 10

CLEVELAND– Fresh off winning the program’s first-ever men’s swimming & diving national title, the University of Indianapolis climbed to No. 6 in the latest LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Division II standings, released Thursday. The Greyhounds springboarded 91 spots from the final fall standings, jumping from 97th all the way into the top 10.

The Directors’ Cup honors institutions maintaining a broad-based athletics program, achieving success in many sports, both men’s and women’s, with points awarded based on each institution’s finish at NCAA Championships. UIndy is one of only three Division II institutions in the country that can claim an active streak of 14 consecutive top-20 finishes in the final Cup standings.

Adding to the 25 points apiece earned by the football and men’s soccer teams in the fall, UIndy piled on 341.5 points in the winter – its second-highest ever combined point total from the winter sports. In addition to the 100 points earned by men’s swimming & diving, the Greyhound women’s swimming & diving team notched its second straight runner-up finish at the NCAA DII Championships while wrestling placed seventh, women’s indoor track & field finished 19th at Nationals, and men’s basketball earned hosting rights for the NCAA DII Midwest Regional.

UIndy’s current overall score of 391.5 points puts it first among all GLVC schools, followed by McKendree University (296.5 pts, 24th place), Drury University (273, 29th) and Missouri-St. Louis (255, 35th), et al. Colorado School of Mines sits in first place with 763.25 points.

U OF I SOFTBALL

REES, SMITH NAMED TO NATIONAL PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—UIndy softball student-athletes Lexy Rees and Kenzee Smith earned inclusion on the 2023 Tucci/NFCA DII Player & Pitcher of the Year Watchlist, released by the coaches association Thursday. The list was compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee, with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions.

New in 2023, the list is broken down by region – Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West – with up to 15 student-athletes represented in each. Voted on by the aforementioned All-American Committee, the 2023 Tucci/NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year will be announced on June 1. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award, and do not have to be on this list to be considered.

Lexy Rees ranks second on the team in batting average (.359) and doubles (8). The senior catcher enters the weekend with 27 career home runs and 134 career RBIs, good for seventh and eighth, respectively, in the UIndy annals.

Her battery-mate, Kenzee Smith, is having another stellar season in the circle. The junior hurler from Indianapolis ranks in the top 25 in Division II in wins, strikeouts and hits allowed per 7 IP. Last season, Smith was a top 25 finalist for the NFCA Player & Pitcher of the Year award.

MIDWEST REGION HONOREES

Kendall Andrews, Trevecca Nazarene, C, Jr.

Hannah Beatus, Grand Valley State, P, Gr.

Anna Bennett, Trevecca Nazarene, OF, Jr.

Joanna Cirrincione, Grand Valley State, OF, Gr.

Lydia Goble, Grand Valley State, SS, Sr.

Lauren Harris, McKendree, IF, Fr.

Hailey Leister Northwood, P, Sr.

Megan Matheis, Kentucky Wesleyan, IF, Fr.

Ellie Quaethem, McKendree, P, Jr.

Lexy Rees, UIndy, C, Sr.

Avery Shepherd, Findlay, IF, Jr.

Kenzee Smith, UIndy, P, Jr.

Olivia Stansbury, McKendree, UT, Sr.

Irene Travis, Missouri-St. Louis, SS, Sr.

Morgan Wagner, Grand Valley State, UT, Sr.

MARIAN SOFTBALL

MARIAN TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS AGAINST HUNTINGTON

INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian softball team picked up two more wins after the sweep of Huntington on Thursday afternoon. The pair of wins extends the Knights’ win streak to 21, improving their overall record to 21-1 and 10-0 in Crossroads League play.

Game 1 | Marian 4-0 Huntington

Marian took a little bit to get going in game one, registering only two hits through the first four innings. Olivia Stunkel and her defense were on it to keep the visiting Foresters scoreless until the bats started to heat up for the Knights.

A single by Abby Madere got the offense flowing for Marian in the bottom of the fifth inning as Savannah Harweger singled down the middle two at bats later to advance Madere to second. A deep ball to center field by Jenna Minnix allowed Madere and Harweger to score, putting the Knights up 2-0 going into the sixth inning.

Stunkel continued her tear in the circle, going three up thee down in the top of the sixth. Marian’s offense continued to produce in inning six as Mackenzie Dalton stepped in to pinch hit, singling to right field to give the Knights more cushion with the 4-0 lead going into the final inning of play.

The Knights had no issues finishing out as Stunkel worked through the Foresters’ lineup yet again. Stunkel struck out the first batter before a pop up and ground out ended game one with Marian picking up the 4-0 victory.

In Marian’s seven hits, Madere led the way with two, while also picking up a double and two RBI. Five different Knights notched one hit in the win. Sierra Norman also had herself a double, and Madere added two RBI. Stunkel improved her record to 10-0 after her five strikeouts, giving up no runs, and allowing only three hits.

Game 2 | Marian 5-3 Huntington

Huntington came out firing the bats to start the game as they got bases loaded, but Sydney Wilson stayed calmed and managed to force the ground out to third base to get out of the inning. Marian responded in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Hayley Greene starting the action before Minnix scored on the next play.

Wilson worked quick in inning two, facing only three batters before the Knights tacked on another run off a Grace Meyer double to go ahead 2-0. Huntington got their first two runs of the day after a fielder’s choice and a single through the left side.

With the one-run lead, Marian extended their advantage to two after Brenna Fink came in to pinch hit, where she picked up the RBI.

After a scoreless fourth inning for both sides, the Foresters found themselves another run after an RBI double to right field. However, it was the Knights answering once again with Harweger sending in Anna Prtichett on her double to give Marian the 5-3 lead going into inning six.

Marian’s defense continued to prove successful as they allowed just one hit in the final two innings, guiding them to the 5-3 win.

Harweger, Madere, and Anna Pritchett all recorded two hits in the Knights’ 11 total hits, with Harweger, Meyer and Madere all recording a double. Wilson pitched all seven innings, allowing three runs to improve to 9-0 on the season.

Marian will travel to Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday for their next game, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.

MARIAN BASEBALL

STRONG PITCHING, TIMELY HITTING FUEL MARIAN’S SWEEP OVER MT. VERNON NAZARENE

INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian baseball team snapped their 12-game losing streak against Mt. Vernon Nazarene and vaulted back into the win column Thursday afternoon, sweeping the Cougars in a pair of Crossroads League games. The Knights took game one 6-5, while sealing the sweep with a 5-3 victory in game two. Marian moves to 13-15 on the year following the wins, while leaping to 7-9 in league play.

GAME 1 | Marian 6-5 Mt. Vernon Nazarene

The opening game of the series opened as a pitcher’s dual, with Damien Wallace matching Jarin Bertke in the opening frame, as neither starter allowed a runner to reach scoring position. The strong pitching continued with strikeouts taking five of the six outs in the second, as Wallace stranded a double while Bertke shrugged off a JJ Rivera walk.

In the third inning the zero’s were finally removed from the board, as Wallace was tagged for three base hits in the frame, allowing the Cougars to bring in a pair of runs. Wallace notched a strikeout to end the frame and get out of the inning, brining his offense to the plate in the home half with Josh Lamb leading the charge with a one-out single. A double from Trey Heidlage brought in the catcher’s courtesy runner AJ Bordenet, while Heidlage was able to score two batters later on an RBI base hit from Caden Jones, tying the game at 2-2. Mount Vernon would rally back in the fourth and score a run after getting a pair of hits against the Knights ace, as they held a 3-2 lead after four complete.

The Cougars would continue their scoring run in the top of the fifth inning, picking up two runs as the Knights made a pair of errors in the field to allow the guests to plate two more. Wallace was able to close the fifth and end his day with a flyout, and the offense responded in the fifth as Caden Mason and Lamb roped back to back singles to start the frame. The Knights executed a double steal with runners on the corners as Mason stole home, and a Kameron Salazar single followed the play to score Bordenet, making it a 5-4 game after the fifth.

The offense would keep rolling in the sixth after Joe Nelan came on in relief and shut Mt. Vernon down in the top half of the frame, as a pair of walks and single from JJ Rivera loaded the bases. Lamb kept his hot bat alive with two outs against Marian, driving in two runs on a shallow single to give Marian a 6-5 lead. The two RBI base hit for the catcher would stand as the final runs of the game, as Nelan closed strong getting a pair of strikeouts in a perfect seventh, while retiring the side after stranding a walk in the eighth. The southpaw pitcher ended the game by stranding two base runners in the ninth, closing his first win as a Knight with the 6-5 victory.

Wallace earned a no-decision throwing five innings, striking out seven batters on the day. Nelan (1-1) struckout four batters in his win, allowing one hit over his four innings of work. At the plate, Marian had 10 hits, with Lamb leading the way as he went 3-4 with a pair of RBI in the win. Mason and Rivera each had two hits for Marian, and Jones had a 1-2 game while walking twice.

GAME 2 | Marian 5-3 Mt. Vernon Nazarene

In the second act both Marian and Mt. Vernon scored their first runs of the game in the first inning, with both teams playing small ball to bring in their first run of the contest. Jones’ RBI single allowed Marian to tie the score in the home half of the first, and in the second inning the offense scratched out two more runs, with Lamb recording an RBI single after a Mason walk and stolen base. The designated hitter Jones came up clutch again for the Knights in the bottom of the second after a Kameron Salazar single, pushing a base hit through the right side to add to the Marian lead.

The 3-1 lead was a good omen as Craig Nixon turned in one of his best outings of the season, working off the run allowed in the first inning to strand a pair of base runners in the second with two strikeouts. Nixon was near flawless in the third as he faced the minimum, and in the fourth the senior picked up two more strikeouts in a perfect frame. Marian added one more run to their ledger in the home half of the fourth as Jones hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center field, driving home Heidlage.

Leading 4-1 after the senior’s third RBI of the game, Nixon was again flawless in the fifth as he retired the side in order. The sixth inning was not as desirable for the senior as he allowed a pair of base hits over the first three batters faced, giving up the Cougars second run. Mt. Vernon would load the bases on a double and walk, but the righty pitcher dug in, getting his eighth strikeout of the game as he retired Brady Wallace to end the frame.

A fourth RBI hit of the game from Caden Jones in the bottom of the sixth inning pushed Marian’s lead back to three runs entering the seventh, as Daniel Brenneman came in to lock down the win. Brenneman would yield a run as Mt. Vernon worked the count and managed a pair of hits, but the senior would end the game with a strikeout and flyout, stranding three Cougar base runners to lock down the 5-3 win.

Marian had seven hits in the game two win, with three going to Jones as he batted 3-3 with four RBI in the win. Salazar had two of Marian’s seven hits, with Heidlage and Lamb taking the other two. Heidlage would score three of Marian’s four runs in the win. On the mound, Nixon (2-2) picked up his second win of the season, going 6.0 innings with eight batters struckout. Nixon would allow just two runs on five hits, and the closer in game two, Brenneman, claimed his first save of the year, striking out two in his inning of work.

Marian will take on the Cougars Saturday afternoon as they close their season series, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

TOP NATIONAL NEWS

MLB OPENING DAY

MLB ROUNDUP: AARON JUDGE HOMERS IN YANKEES’ OPENING WIN

Aaron Judge homered in his first at-bat, Gerrit Cole struck out 11 in six sharp innings and the host New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants 5-0 on the Thursday in the season opener for both teams.

After hitting an AL-record 62 home runs last season to break Roger Maris’ record, Judge homered against the team he grew up rooting for and the team who courted him in free agency.

In his first appearance since signing a nine-year, $360 million contract, Judge lifted an 0-1 sinker from Logan Webb over the center field fence atop the netting above Monument Park. The 422-foot drive was Judge’s first career Opening Day homer.

In his fourth straight Opening Day start, Cole (1-0) allowed three hits and surpassed Tim Leary (1991) for the team strikeout record in a season opener. Webb (0-1) allowed four runs on four hits in six-plus innings. He struck out a career-high 12.

ROCKIES 7, PADRES 2

C.J. Cron hit a pair of homers and drove in five runs as Colorado defeated host San Diego.

Right-hander German Marquez (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits and no walks with five strikeouts over six innings to earn the win for the Rockies.

Padres starter Blake Snell (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

A’S 2, ANGELS 1

Tony Kemp and Aledmys Diaz spoiled Shohei Ohtani’s impressive season debut with RBI hits in a two-run, eighth-inning rally that delivered host Oakland a victory over Los Angeles.

Ohtani didn’t get a decision in the game despite leaving with a 1-0 lead after six innings, during which he limited the A’s to two hits and three walks. The star right-hander struck out 10, a figure he reached 10 times in 28 starts last season.

Rookie left-hander Kyle Muller, making his A’s debut, kept Oakland within striking distance, allowing just one run in his five innings, setting the stage for his teammates’ late heroics. Angels lefty Aaron Loup (0-1) took the loss while the A’s fourth pitcher, Trevor May (1-0), worked a scoreless eighth for the win.

MARINERS 3, GUARDIANS 0

Ty France hit an opposite-field, three-run homer with one out in the eighth inning as Seattle opened the season by beating visiting Cleveland.

Seattle’s Paul Sewald (1-0) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and fellow right-hander Andres Munoz worked the ninth for the save.

The starting pitchers, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber and Seattle’s Luis Castillo, battled through six scoreless innings. Castillo allowed one hit and no walks while striking out six. Bieber didn’t walk a batter and fanned three.

DODGERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 2

Will Smith had three hits and drove in four runs, Julio Urias went six innings in his first Opening Day start and Los Angeles defeated visiting Arizona.

Rookie James Outman hit a home run while J.D. Martinez and David Peralta each had RBI singles in their Dodgers debuts. Urias (1-0) gave single runs in each of the first two innings but settled down to yield four hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno each drove in a run for the Diamondbacks. Zac Gallen (0-1) gave up five runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.

WHITE SOX 3, ASTROS 2

Yasmani Grandal slugged a game-tying home run in the eighth inning and Andrew Vaughn delivered a two-run double in the ninth as Chicago beat host Houston.

Vaughn plated Tim Anderson and Luis Robert Jr. with his one-out hit off Astros closer Ryan Pressly (0-1). Grandal struck an inning earlier off Rafael Montero, erasing a one-run deficit with his solo blast to right-center field with two outs.

White Sox starter Dylan Cease allowed one run and fanned 10 in 6 1/3 innings. Astros starter Framber Valdez fired five scoreless innings. Houston had its modern-day record of 10 consecutive Opening Day wins snapped.

BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 2

Travis d’Arnaud had four hits and drove in two runs and Atlanta used six pitchers in a victory at Washington.

The reigning NL East champion Braves were boosted by three-run spots in the second and ninth innings, helping mitigate the impact of leaving 12 runners on base. Braves starter Max Fried left in the fourth inning with hamstring tightness. Atlanta led 4-1 when he exited after working 3 1/3 innings.

Joey Meneses, Kiebert Ruiz and newcomer Dominic Smith all had two hits for the Nationals, who were messy in the field and gave up three unearned runs.

CUBS 4, BREWERS 0

Marcus Stroman struck out eight over six strong innings and Dansby Swanson had three hits and an RBI as Chicago opened its season with the victory over Milwaukee.

Stroman (1-0) was brilliant to begin his second campaign as a Cub, allowing three of the Brewers’ four hits and walking three on 90 pitches.

The Cubs did all their scoring in the bottom of the third off Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes (0-1), who yielded all four runs and four hits while walking three and striking out just three — after leading the NL with 243 punchouts last season.

ORIOLES 10, RED SOX 9

Adley Rutschman’s 5-for-5 Opening Day helped Baltimore to a win over host Boston.

Rutschman set the tone with a first-inning homer as Baltimore logged 15 hits, stole five bases and drew nine walks in the win.

Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida had two hits in his major league debut. Alex Verdugo, Rafael Devers and Justin Turner had two hits and scored two runs apiece for the Red Sox, who trailed 10-4 after seven innings before scoring three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth.

RAYS 4, TIGERS 0

Shane McClanahan hurled six shutout innings, Jose Siri homered in his first at-bat and Tampa Bay started its campaign with a win over Detroit in St. Petersburg, Fla.

McClanahan (1-0) allowed just four hits and five baserunners in his season debut. He fanned six and walked one. Siri slugged a third-inning homer and Wander Franco went deep leading off the eighth, while Randy Arozarena and pinch hitter Luke Raley notched RBI singles in the sixth.

Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits. He struck out five and walked two. Austin Meadows was 3-for-4 with a double.

RANGERS 11, PHILLIES 7

Robbie Grossman and Brad Miller homered and Texas exploded for nine runs in the fourth inning in a victory over visiting Philadelphia at Arlington, Texas.

Grossman went 1-for-3 with a three-run blast and a walk, while Miller’s lone hit in four at-bats was a two-run shot. Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim each had two hits and two RBIs with Marcus Semien adding two hits and a run for Texas.

Alec Bohm went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double, two runs and three RBIs for the Phillies. J.T Realmuto had three hits and Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh each added two for Philadelphia, which saw Trea Turner go 1-for-4 with an RBI triple and a run in his Phillies debut.

METS 5, MARLINS 3

Brandon Nimmo’s three RBIs backed Max Scherzer’s quality start, leading New York to an Opening Day victory over Miami.

Nimmo lined a sacrifice fly in the third for the Mets’ first run and delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh. David Robertson, making his Mets debut, earned the save with a scoreless ninth. Scherzer (1-0) did not give up a run before the sixth. He allowed three runs on four hits in six innings.

Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, was left with a no-decision after allowing three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Garrett Cooper hit a two-run homer off Scherzer and made two stellar catches, including one that saved a run.

PIRATES 5, REDS 4

Ji Hwan Bae went 2-for-3 and started a go-ahead rally with a walk and a stolen base as visiting Pittsburgh edged Cincinnati in the opener for both clubs.

Oneil Cruz, who earlier hit a 425-foot homer, drove a sacrifice fly to deep left in the eighth inning off Buck Farmer (0-1), scoring Bae to snap the 4-4 tie. Rob Zastryzny (1-0) earned the win, coming on to finish the sixth and pitching a perfect seventh. Pirates closer David Bednar pitched around a double in the ninth for the save.

Reds starter Hunter Greene allowed five hits and three runs over 3 1/3 innings, striking out eight and walking one. Spencer Steer swatted a 435-foot solo shot and Jason Vosler ripped a two-run triple in front of a Great American Ball Park-record crowd of 44,063.

TWINS 2, ROYALS 0

Pablo Lopez and four relievers combined on an Opening Day two-hitter as visiting Minnesota blanked Kansas City.

Byron Buxton, Trevor Larnach and Christian Vazquez each had two hits for Minnesota, which spoiled the managerial debut of Kansas City’s Matt Quatraro. Lopez (1-0) made a strong first impression with his new club, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing two hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Minnesota broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the sixth inning. Buxton hit a leadoff triple off Zack Greinke (0-1) and scored on Larnach’s single. After Jose Miranda flied out, Amir Garrett replaced Greinke and walked Kyle Farmer. Pinch hitter Donovan Solano singled home Larnach.

BLUE JAYS 10, CARDINALS 9

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in a two-run ninth and had three RBIs as visiting Toronto defeated St. Louis.

George Springer had five hits and Bo Bichette added four hits for Toronto. Tyler O’Neill and Brendan Donovan hit two-run home runs for the Cardinals. It was O’Neill’s fourth consecutive Opening Day with a homer, tying a major league record.

Each starter allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Toronto’s Alek Manoah gave up nine hits, including two homers, and had three strikeouts. Miles Mikolas yielded 10 hits and struck out six for the Cardinals.

METS PLACE VERLANDER ON IL WITH MUSCLE STRAIN ON OPENING DAY

MIAMI (AP) The New York Mets placed Justin Verlander on the injured list with a strained upper back muscle on opening day, sidelining the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before his first appearance with the team.

The Mets announced that Verlander has a low-grade teres major strain a few hours before the club’s 5-3 opening-day win over the Miami Marlins Thursday. Verlander will continue throwing at moderate intensity and will undergo more scans in a week.

“Not the way I wanted my Mets tenure to start. That’s for sure,” Verlander said. “I’ve put in a ton of work to not have things like this happen.”

Verlander said he had been dealing with some discomfort in his upper arm and armpit area throughout spring training.

“I think looking back it’s something that was kind of lingering but it was spring training and it’s very normal to have to work through some stuff,” he said. “I didn’t give it much credence.”

He said the biggest warning sign was a drop in his velocity by “one or two miles an hour.”

Mets general manager Billy Eppler said Verlander reported the injury to the club Wednesday night and underwent an MRI Thursday morning.

The club said it would have an update on the three-time Cy Young Award winner after the additional testing.

Max Scherzer (1-0) threw six solid innings with six strikeouts in his first opening-day start with the Mets. He said after the game that the news of Verlander’s injury caught him off guard.

“I didn’t realize he was dealing with something,” Scherzer said. “But seems like it was minor in what it is. Hopefully he can get in front of that, nip it in the bud and get back out there as soon as possible.”

Verlander was slated to pitch Saturday against the Marlins and in the Mets’ home opener on April 6.

Right-hander Tylor Megill is expected to start in Verlander’s place Saturday.

“The fact that I’ll continue to throw is showing how minor the injury is. But still there’s something there,” Verlander said. He added that he doesn’t anticipate missing much time.

“If it’s a different point in the season, late in the year, pitching is definitely on the table. But being the beginning of the season, coming off spring training, it makes too much sense to not push it right now.”

Verlander, 40, signed an $86.67 million, two-year deal with the Mets during the offseason and pitched well during spring training.

He is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, helping the Astros win the World Series with an 18-4 record and 1.75 ERA. He missed nearly all of the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.

New York manager Buck Showalter said he wasn’t very concerned with the team’s ability to have success without Verlander in the rotation.

“It’s kind of one of the things that good clubs are able to do,” he said. “We did it last year, overcame a lot of this stuff, and whether it’s the first part of the season or later on, I don’t think it’s a real hot topic right now in our locker room.”

NBA NEWS

TATUM, BROWN HELP CELTICS DEMOLISH NBA-LEADING BUCKS 140-99

MILWAUKEE (AP) Whether or not Boston catches the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics will have reason to feel confident if the teams meet in the playoffs for a second straight season.

Jayson Tatum scored 40 points, Jaylen Brown added 30 and the Celtics steamrolled the NBA-leading Bucks 140-99 on Thursday night. The Celtics (53-24) shot 22 of 43 from 3-point range and moved within two games of the Bucks (55-22).

“It does matter,” Brown said about the possibility of earning the No. 1 seed. “We want to finish out the season strong and see what happens.”

Boston won the season series with the Bucks 2-1, which would give the Celtics the tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same record. Boston beat the Bucks in seven games in last season’s East semifinals.

The Celtics trounced the Bucks 139-118 in Boston on Christmas Day and lost 131-125 in overtime on Feb. 14. The Celtics didn’t play Brown, Tatum, Marcus Smart or Al Horford in that overtime loss.

Boston’s players downplayed the notion that their lopsided victory would send any sort of message to the Bucks in case they meet again in the postseason. They noted the Bucks were playing for a second straight night and shot just 37.6%, well below their norms.

“This don’t really mean much,” Brown said. “If we play them again, we’ve got to be ready to take their best shot.”

The Bucks didn’t provide anything close to their best shot Thursday.

“We know what the deal is,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks with 24 points. “If you’re not focused and you don’t play hard, they are going to kick our (butt). Simple as that. There is no level of concern. It’s a fact. If we play the same way, we’ll have the same outcome. We’ve got to have some pride.”

Milwaukee took a hit on the floor as well as in the standings. Bucks forward Khris Middleton left midway through the third quarter after taking an elbow to the face from Brown, who was called for charging. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game that Middleton got “three or four stitches” on his upper lip.

Boston built a 114-74 lead through three periods, causing most of the starters for both teams to sit out the entire fourth quarter.

The Bucks were playing one night after a 149-136 victory at Indiana in which they shot a season-high 62.4% from the floor with Jrue Holiday scoring 51 points and Antetokounmpo having 38 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. This marked the first time an NBA team had one player score at least 50 points and another have a triple-double with at least 35 points in the same game.

Milwaukee found the going quite a bit tougher Thursday.

Antetokounmpo shot just 11 of 27, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range. Holiday started his night by sinking a 3-pointer, but went 1 of 7 the rest of the way and finished with just six points.

After the first 8½ minutes of the game featured nine lead changes and five ties, the Celtics seized control by going on a 29-9 over the last seven-plus minutes. Boston capped that spurt by scoring 13 straight points.

Boston didn’t let up the rest of the night as the Celtics shot 56% and bounced back from a 130-111 loss at Washington two nights earlier.

“We responded well from the jump,” Tatum said. “That’s all that I wanted and we wanted as a team, regardless of if we won or not, just to respond and play better than we did last game.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Boston outscored Milwaukee 41-21 in the second period and matched its highest second-quarter point total of the season. … Payton Pritchard didn’t play due to left heel pain.

Bucks: Milwaukee’s Thanasis Antetokounmpo was ejected with 1:25 left for head-butting Boston’s Blake Griffin. The head-butting came after Griffin committed a flagrant-1 foul against Antetokounmpo. … This matched the Bucks’ most lopsided loss of the season. They fell 142-101 at Memphis on Dec. 15.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Bucks: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

INGRAM HAS TRIPLE-DOUBLE TO HELP PELICANS ROUT NUGGETS

DENVER (AP) Brandon Ingram had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double of the season and the New Orleans Pelicans took advantage of Nikola Jokic’s absence to beat the Denver Nuggets 107-88 on Thursday night.

Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 12 rebounds and CJ McCollum scored 23 points for New Orleans. The Pelicans tied Minnesota for seventh in the West with their sixth victory in seven games.

Jokic was in street clothes due to lingering calf tightness that bothered him Monday night in a victory over Philadelphia.

Jamal Murray had 21 points for Denver, and Bruce Brown added 19. The Nuggets lead in the Western Conference dropped to three games over Memphis with six to play.

Denver’s offense struggled without its leading scorer, rebounder and assist man, managing just 40 points in the first half on 34.8% shooting. The Nuggets were 4 of 28 from 3-point range on the night.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: F Zion Williamson missed his 40th consecutive game with a hamstring injury. He will be re-evaluated Wednesday. … New Orleans committed five fouls in the first half and 11 in the third quarter.

Nuggets: Missed their first nine shot attempts before Gordon’s layup with 7:42 left in the first quarter. … Michael Porter Jr. was 0 for 7 from 3-point range. … G Reggie Jackson, signed after he was bought out by Charlotte in February, has not played in the last four games.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

Nuggets: At Phoenix on Friday night.

KNICKS’ RANDLE OUT REST OF REGULAR SEASON WITH ANKLE SPRAIN

NEW YORK (AP) Julius Randle will miss the rest of the regular season with a sprained left ankle, and his availability for the playoffs – if the New York Knicks make it – is in doubt.

Randle was hurt Wednesday in a victory over Miami, and the Knicks said Thursday that the All-Star forward would be re-evaluated in two weeks. That would be two days before the postseason is scheduled to open on April 15.

The Knicks are in good shape to qualify for the postseason at fifth in the Eastern Conference with five games to play. But it’s hard to imagine they would be a threat to advance without Randle, who leads them with 25.1 points and 10 rebounds per game.

He was hurt in the second quarter Wednesday when Bam Adebayo landed on him after Randle grabbed an offensive rebound and pump-faked the Heat center into the air. Randle stayed in to shoot free throws but then immediately left the game, limping directly to the locker room.

He has started all 77 games this season.

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: MATT BOLDY’S HAT TRICK LEADS WILD OVER KRAKEN

Matt Boldy scored his second hat trick in nine days as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-1 Monday night in St. Paul, Minn.

Jake Middleton and Ryan Hartman also scored and Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon and Joel Eriksson Ek had two assists apiece for the Central Division-leading Wild, who improved to 15-1-4 in their past 20 games and pulled within three points of Western Conference-leading Vegas. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 35 saves.

Jaden Schwartz scored for the Kraken, who lead the West’s wild-card race. Goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 9 of 13 shots before being pulled early in the third after Boldy scored to make it 4-0. Martin Jones stopped 6 of 7 shots the rest of the way as Seattle had an eight-game road point streak snapped (7-0-1).

Boldy completed the hat trick 50 seconds into the third. Eriksson Ek stole a clearance attempt and passed to Boldy for a one-timer from the slot. Boldy also had three goals in a 5-3 victory against Washington on March 19.

CANADIENS 4, SABRES 3 (SO)

Brendan Gallagher’s 200th career goal tied things up just before the midway point of the third period, and Montreal eventually won in a shootout against host Buffalo.

With the Canadiens down 3-2, Gallagher leveled things when he rang the post via his milestone goal with 11:25 remaining in regulation. Jordan Harris and Alex Belzile also had goals, and Michael Pezzetta’s score in the sixth round of the shootout was the difference for the Canadiens.

Lukas Rousek scored on his first NHL shot and added an assist in his league debut for the Sabres. JJ Peterka and Riley Stillman also scored, while Eric Comrie made 38 saves for Buffalo, which played without star Tage Thompson (upper-body injury).

SENATORS 5, PANTHERS 2

Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist, Mads Sogaard made 32 saves and Ottawa scored three power-play goals to beat visiting Florida.

The win moved the Senators closer in their pursuit of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who were idle on Monday, are in the second wild-card slot with 82 points, while the Panthers are just behind them despite being on a season-high, four-game losing streak.

Ottawa’s Alex DeBrincat, Tim Stutzle and Erik Brannstrom all scored on the power play, with each score coming near the end of each period. After its 3-for-4 performance on Monday, the Senators’ streaking power-play unit is 10-for-28 over the past eight games. Gustav Forsling scored both of the Panthers’ goals.

ISLANDERS 5, DEVILS 1

Kyle Palmieri scored twice against his former team for New York, which earned a pivotal victory by beating New Jersey in Elmont, N.Y.

Pierre Engvall scored in the first period and Bo Horvat and Zach Parise each scored empty-netters late in the third for the Islanders, who stopped a two-game losing streak and lengthened their lead in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves.

Erik Haula scored in the second period for the Devils, who lost for the sixth time in eight games (2-4-2) and missed a chance to move within one point of the idle first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. New Jersey goalie Vitek Vanecek recorded 31 saves.

OILERS 5, COYOTES 4

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a third-period tiebreaking goal, Leon Draisaitl netted the 300th of his career and Edmonton prevailed in Tempe, Ariz.

By scoring in his 630th game, Draisaitl used the fourth-fewest games to reach 300 goals among active players. Evan Bouchard had a goal and an assist, and Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse scored for the Oilers. Jack Campbell made 29 saves for the win.

Arizona got two goals apiece from Matias Maccelli and Barrett Hayton. Lawson Crouse dealt three assists and Jack McBain and Nick Schmaltz each had two.

AVALANCHE 5, DUCKS 1

Nathan MacKinnon and Bowen Byram each had a goal and an assist as visiting Colorado cruised past Anaheim for its third consecutive win.

Valeri Nichushkin, Jack Johnson and Samuel Girard also scored goals and Cale Makar added two assists for Colorado, which is one point behind first-place Minnesota in the Central Division ahead of a Wednesday game vs. the Wild in Denver. Jonas Johansson stopped 29 of 30 shots.

Derek Grant scored for Anaheim, which took its fifth straight loss. John Gibson made 39 saves for the Ducks, who finished an eight-game homestand with just a 1-6-1 record to fall to 12-22-3 at the Honda Center this season.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

AP SOURCE: ALABAMA’S BRANDON MILLER DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT

(AP) — Alabama All-American forward Brandon Miller is heading to the NBA after displaying versatile talent and athleticism in a lone season of college ball that was blemished by revelations he was present at a fatal shooting in January near campus.

ESPN first reported on Miller’s decision, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the report to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Miller hadn’t yet made an official declaration for the draft.

The 6-foot-9, 200-pound freshman, who was one of the nation’s top high school recruits, is projected as a potential top 5 draft pick.

Miller displayed his accurate 3-point shooting and athleticism in the most productive season of any freshman in Alabama history. He led the Tide to their first No. 1 ranking in 20 years and first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.

Miller averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while hitting 38% from 3-point range. But he was scoreless in his first March Madness game, and went 3 of 19 and scored just nine points in a Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State.

Miller was described as a cooperating witness after the Jan. 15 shooting and was never charged with a crime.

But he and the Tide were dogged by off-court questions for the final two months of the season. Former Alabama player Darius Miles and another man were charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Jamea Harris, who was killed in early on Jan. 15.

Miller and fellow freshman Jaden Bradley were placed at the scene as well. According to police testimony, Miller brought Miles his gun. Miller’s attorney said the Tide forward was on his way to pick Miles up when Miles texted asking him to bring the weapon, but that Miller never handled the gun and didn’t know any criminal activity was intended.

Miller received threats after the news came out, and was accompanied by a university-provided security guard. “It doesn’t bother me,” Miller said of the threats at the NCAA regional in Birmingham, Alabama, “I send it to the right people and they handle it.”

Alabama finished the season 31-6 and won the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

MITCHELL RETURNS

The Blue Devils came into the offseason with several players needing to decide on their future. So far, we know that point guard Tyrese Proctor will return for another season while wing Dariq Whitehead is off to the NBA. The latest move came from freshman Mark Mitchell, who’ll return for the 2023-24 campaign.

MEN’S GOLF NEWS

VETERANS HARRINGTON, KUCHAR SHARE EARLY LEAD AT TEXAS OPEN

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Veterans Padraig Harrington and Matt Kuchar each shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to share the early lead with MJ Daffue and Roberto Diaz in the weather-delayed first round of the Valero Texas Open.

Daffue eagled the par-5 18th hole at TPC San Antonio and Diaz made birdie on 18 to join the 51-year-old Harrington – who has played on the PGA Tour, European tour and PGA Tour Champions this year – and the 44-year-old Kuchar atop the leaderboard.

“I’m an optimistic, pretty enthusiastic person,” Harrington said. “I wake up and the minute I hit a golf shot I’m dreaming I’m going to find the secret. Even though there isn’t one, you’re always hopeful, dreaming. Let’s see if I really am better out there with the kids.”

Play was delayed by fog in the morning, which prevented the afternoon half of the field from finishing their rounds on Thursday. Among the late starters, Justin Lower was 5 under through eight holes and Patrick Rodgers was 4 under through 13 when play was suspended because of darkness.

Matt Wallace – a winner last week in the Dominican Republic – shot 69 along with Garrick Higgo, Harry Higgs, Chez Reavie and Nick Taylor.

Daffue had the biggest finish. He holed a 27-foot putt for birdie on the par-4 17th hole. He hammered a 291-yard second shot to the back edge of the green on 18, and converted a 14-footer from the fringe for a 5-under 31 on the back nine.

“It was a jumper lie (on 18),” Daffue said, “and it was right at the max of my 7-wood and I said ‘I’m going to hit it. I’m feeling this one.’ It was a good day.”

The 34-year-old Daffue is seeking his first PGA Tour victory. Diaz, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, finished with a 14-foot birdie.

Harrington and Kuchar are both seeking their first win this decade. Kuchar won twice in 2019. Harrington, who won four times last year on the over-50 tour, hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since the Honda Classic in 2015. The three-time major champion’s most recent European tour victory was the Portugal Masters in 2016.

This month, Harrington was announced as an inductee in the 2024 class to the World Golf Hall of Fame. The last time he was in the top three after his first round was at PGA National eight years ago, when he went on to win.

A victory this week would also get Harrington into the Masters for the second time since 2015; he missed the cut at Augusta National last year.

Harrington started on the back nine and ran off three straight birdies around the turn and two more on the fourth and fifth holes before closing with four straight pars.

Kuchar opened with a bogey on No. 10, then sat for more than two hours before the fog lifted. He made three birdies on the final five holes of his first nine, then converted 3-footers for birdie on Nos. 5 and 8.

“If you start playing some indifferent golf, this course can jump up and bite you,” Kuchar said. “I was lucky to get away with a couple of loose ones today. For the most part, my game is in some pretty good form and I enjoy this golf course a lot.”

WOMEN’S GOLF

MI HYANG LEE LEADS LPGA TOUR EVENT AT PALOS VERDES WITH 65

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. (AP) Mi Hyang Lee shot a 6-under 65 in her first LPGA Tour event of the year for a one-stroke lead in the opening round of the DIO Implant LA Open on Thursday.

Lee, a South Korean who earned her spot in a Monday qualifier, hit all 18 greens in regulation, played bogey-free and closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th hole in challenging conditions at Palos Verdes. Players endured intermitted rain and hail with temperatures in the 40s.

Lee turned 30 on Thursday and called it “the best birthday round I’ve ever had.”

Lee, ranked 378th in the world, has two career LPGA Tour victories, the more recent at the Ladies Scottish Open in 2017. She was runner-up at the ANA Inspiration, a major, in 2019 to reach a career-best 31st in the ranking but has struggled the past three years. She’s coming off a tie for sixth in an Epson Tour event last week.

Megan Khang and Hyo Joo Kim – a close friend of Lee’s – each shot 66. Nasa Hataoka, Lucy Li and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc were another shot behind.

“You know, I’ve come pretty close here and there,” said Khang, winless in eight years on the LPGA Tour. “I tell myself the more I give myself chances and opportunities the easier – quote-unquote – easier it’s going to get in those situations and trying to get my foot through the door. … I know I’m capable of doing it and it’s just a matter of time.”

Second-ranked Nelly Korda and her sister, Jessica, were among the group at 3 under.

This is the fifth playing of the LA Open and the first at Palos Verdes, which hosted a different event, the Palos Verdes Championship, last year – won by Marina Alex, who shot a 1-over 72 on Thursday.

NASCAR NEWS

APPEALS PANEL RESCINDS PENALTY AGAINST 3 HENDRICK DRIVERS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) A NASCAR appeals panel rescinded the hefty points penalties levied against Hendrick Motorsports drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron and Kyle Larson for an illegally modified part on their Chevrolets discovered earlier this month.

It was only a partial victory for Hendrick Motorsports, though: although the three-person panel restored 100 points to each of the three drivers following Wednesday’s hearing, it upheld fines and suspensions for four Hendrick crew chiefs.

NASCAR initially hammered Hendrick Motorsports with the largest combined penalties for a single organization in series history. HMS was docked 100 regular-season points and 10 playoffs for the three driver for modifying air-deflecting pieces at Phoenix Raceway earlier this month.

Hendrick was issued a combined $400,000 in fines – $100,000 to each of its four crew chiefs, along with four-race suspensions for the quartet. Although NASCAR has issued larger monetary fines and suspensions, the Hendrick penalties were the largest combined punishment for one organization.

With the restoral of the points, Bowman moves to the top spot in the Cup Series standings. Byron is now third and Larson is ninth. Chase Elliott is out with a broken leg and his replacement driver, Josh Berry, was not penalized because he’s not racing for Cup points.

“We are grateful to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel for their time and attention,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in a statement. “Today’s outcome reflects the facts, and we’re pleased the panel did the right thing by overturning the points penalty. It validated our concerns regarding unclear communication and other issues we raised.

“We look forward to focusing on the rest of our season, beginning with this weekend’s race at Richmond (Raceway).”

NASCAR expressed disappointment in part of the panel’s decision.

“We are pleased that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel agreed that Hendrick Motorsports violated the rule book,” the sanctioning body said in a statement. “However, we are disappointed that the entirety of the penalty was not upheld. A points penalty is a strong deterrent that is necessary to govern the garage following rule book violations, and we believe that it was an important part of the penalty in this case and moving forward.

“We will continue to inspect and officiate the NASCAR garage at the highest level of scrutiny to ensure a fair and level playing field for our fans and the entire garage.”

The appeals panel consisted of former driver Bill Lester, truck/trailer retailer Kelly Housby and former racing marketing executive Dixon Johnston.

HMS appealed on the basis of:

– Louvers provided to teams through NASCAR’s mandated single-source supplier do not match the design submitted by the manufacturer and approved by NASCAR;

– Documented inconsistent and unclear communication by the sanctioning body specifically related to louvers;

– And recent comparable penalties issued by NASCAR have been related to issues discovered during a post-race inspection.

NASCAR confiscated the Hendrick teams’ louvers after practice at Phoenix Raceway on March 10. The louvers sit atop the radiator ducts and direct air out of the hood. Any modifications could impact downforce. The points penalties dropped Bowman from first to 23rd in the Cup standings, Byron from fourth to 29th and Larson from fifth to 32nd.

SPORTS EXTRA

NBA STANDINGS

Eastern Conference

Pct

Conf GB

Home

Road

Div

Conf

Last 10

Streak

1 xy-Milwaukee

.714

—

30-8

25-14

10-5

32-16

7-3

1 L

2 x-Boston

.688

2.0

28-9

25-15

9-4

31-17

7-3

1 W

3 x-Philadelphia

.658

4.5

27-11

23-15

7-6

30-16

6-4

1 W

4 x-Cleveland

.623

7.0

30-8

18-21

12-3

31-16

7-3

1 L

5 New York

.571

11.0

22-17

22-16

8-8

29-19

5-5

2 W

6 Brooklyn

.539

13.5

20-16

21-19

7-8

27-21

4-6

1 W

7 Miami

.519

15.0

25-14

15-23

9-5

21-27

5-5

3 L

8 Atlanta

.500

16.5

22-16

16-22

7-8

24-23

5-5

1 W

9 Toronto

.500

16.5

26-14

12-24

4-9

23-23

6-4

3 W

10 Chicago

.474

18.5

20-18

16-22

6-8

25-23

6-4

2 L

11 Washington

.447

20.5

18-19

16-23

7-6

20-27

3-7

1 W

12 Indiana

.429

22.0

19-19

14-25

7-7

23-25

3-7

4 L

13 Orlando

.421

22.5

19-19

13-25

6-8

18-28

5-5

1 L

14 Charlotte

.338

29.0

13-24

13-27

7-9

14-34

5-5

3 W

15 Detroit

.211

38.5

9-30

7-30

1-13

7-40

1-9

7 L

Western Conference

Pct

Conf GB

Home

Road

Div

Conf

Last 10

Streak

1 xy-Denver

.671

—

32-7

19-18

10-5

32-14

5-5

1 L

2 xy-Memphis

.632

3.0

33-6

15-22

13-2

28-20

8-2

1 L

3 x-Sacramento

.605

5.0

23-16

23-14

9-6

30-16

6-4

1 W

4 Phoenix

.539

10.0

25-12

16-23

9-5

26-20

4-6

3 W

5 LA Clippers

.532

10.5

21-18

20-18

7-7

24-23

7-3

2 W

6 Golden State

.519

11.5

31-8

9-29

6-9

26-21

6-4

1 W

7 New Orleans

.506

12.5

24-13

15-25

10-5

27-21

7-3

1 W

8 Minnesota

.506

12.5

21-17

18-21

8-7

27-21

5-5

1 L

9 LA Lakers

.500

13.0

21-18

17-20

5-9

22-24

6-4

1 W

10 Oklahoma City

.494

13.5

23-16

15-23

8-7

23-25

6-4

1 W

11 Dallas

.481

14.5

22-16

15-24

9-6

27-23

3-7

1 L

12 Utah

.474

15.0

22-16

14-24

5-9

23-25

5-5

1 W

13 Portland

.421

19.0

17-22

15-22

6-9

22-24

1-9

4 L

14 San Antonio

.250

32.0

13-26

6-31

2-13

7-39

2-8

5 L

15 Houston

.234

33.5

12-26

6-33

4-12

11-39

3-7

7 L

Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.

X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference

NHL STANDINGS

*Eastern Conference*
	GP	W	L	*OTL*	*Pts*	*ROW*	GF	GA	*Home*	*Road*	*L10*
*1 xyz-Boston Bruins*	75	58	12	5	*121*	55	*278*	*160*	*31-4-3*	*27-8-2*	*8-2-0*
*2 x-Carolina Hurricanes*	74	47	18	9	*103*	43	*243*	*195*	*25-10-3*	*22-8-6*	*4-5-1*
*3 x-New Jersey Devils*	75	47	20	8	*102*	45	*259*	*207*	*21-13-4*	*26-7-4*	*4-4-2*
*4 x-Toronto Maple Leafs*	74	44	20	10	98	43	*253*	*206*	*25-7-6*	*19-13-4*	*5-3-2*
*5 x-New York Rangers*	75	44	21	10	98	40	*254*	*202*	*22-12-4*	*22-9-6*	*7-2-1*
*6 Tampa Bay Lightning*	76	44	26	6	94	41	*262*	*231*	*26-7-5*	*18-19-1*	*5-5-0*
*7 New York Islanders*	76	39	28	9	87	38	*226*	*207*	*22-13-3*	*17-15-6*	*6-3-1*
*8 Pittsburgh Penguins*	75	37	28	10	84	36	*241*	*243*	*21-11-5*	*16-17-5*	*4-6-0*

*9 Florida Panthers*	76	38	31	7	83	36	*265*	*260*	*21-12-4*	*17-19-3*	*5-4-1*
*10 Ottawa Senators*	75	37	33	5	79	35	*241*	*244*	*22-13-3*	*15-20-2*	*4-5-1*
*11 Buffalo Sabres*	73	35	31	7	77	34	*261*	*271*	*14-20-4*	*21-11-3*	*3-4-3*
*12 Washington Capitals*	76	34	33	9	77	32	*238*	*238*	*17-14-6*	*17-19-3*	*3-5-2*
*13 Detroit Red Wings*	74	33	32	9	75	30	*219*	*244*	*19-15-4*	*14-17-5*	*4-6-0*
*14 Philadelphia Flyers*	74	29	32	13	71	27	*202*	*243*	*17-16-5*	*12-16-8*	*5-3-2*
*15 Montreal Canadiens*	76	30	40	6	66	25	*219*	*281*	*16-18-3*	*14-22-3*	*4-6-0*
*16 Columbus Blue Jackets*	74	23	43	8	54	22	*199*	*293*	*14-20-2*	*9-23-6*	*3-6-1*

*Western Conference*
	GP	W	L	*OTL*	*Pts*	*ROW*	GF	GA	*Home*	*Road*	*L10*
*1 Vegas Golden Knights*	75	46	22	7	99	42	*249*	*216*	*22-15-1*	*24-7-6*	*7-2-1*
*2 Minnesota Wild*	75	44	22	9	97	37	*228*	*201*	*24-11-3*	*20-11-6*	*7-1-2*
*3 Edmonton Oilers*	76	44	23	9	97	44	*300*	*254*	*21-12-6*	*23-11-3*	*8-1-1*
*4 Los Angeles Kings*	75	43	22	10	96	37	*259*	*240*	*25-9-4*	*18-13-6*	*6-2-2*
*5 Dallas Stars*	74	40	20	14	94	37	*255*	*205*	*18-10-9*	*22-10-5*	*6-3-1*
*6 Colorado Avalanche*	74	44	24	6	94	38	*247*	*205*	*20-13-5*	*24-11-1*	*8-2-0*
*7 Seattle Kraken*	74	41	25	8	90	41	*258*	*237*	*17-15-4*	*24-10-4*	*4-4-2*
*8 Winnipeg Jets*	75	41	31	3	85	40	*221*	*212*	*22-12-2*	*19-19-1*	*5-5-0*

*9 Calgary Flames*	75	34	26	15	83	32	*237*	*232*	*18-15-4*	*16-11-11*	*5-3-2*
*10 Nashville Predators*	74	37	29	8	82	32	*206*	*219*	*18-14-4*	*19-15-4*	*4-5-1*
*11 St. Louis Blues*	75	35	34	6	76	32	*247*	*276*	*16-16-5*	*19-18-1*	*6-3-1*
*12 Vancouver Canucks*	74	34	34	6	74	29	*255*	*273*	*17-18-1*	*17-16-5*	*7-2-1*
*13 Arizona Coyotes*	75	27	35	13	67	24	*211*	*262*	*20-12-4*	*7-23-9*	*4-3-3*
*14 San Jose Sharks*	75	21	39	15	57	20	*216*	*289*	*8-20-10*	*13-19-5*	*2-5-3*
*15 Anaheim Ducks*	75	23	42	10	56	20	*191*	*306*	*12-22-3*	*11-20-7*	*2-7-1*
*16 Chicago Blackhawks*	75	24	45	6	54	22	*183*	*271*	*14-21-3*	*10-24-3*	*2-8-0*

Eight teams in each conference qualify for the divisional playoff format. The top three teams from each division make up the first six spots. The two remaining teams with the highest points, regardless of division, qualify for the final two wild card spots.

X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1948 At Ebbets Field No. 2, the Dodgers play their first exhibition game at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, which will remain the team’s home for 61 years. Amidst much fanfare, including Governor Millard Caldwell throwing the ceremonial first pitch, Jackie Robinson homers in the first inning when Brooklyn beats its top farm club, the Montreal Royals, 5-4.

1958 Larry Doby returns to the Indians when the Orioles trade him to Cleveland, along with Don Ferrarese, in exchange for Gene Woodling, Dick Williams, and Bud Daley. The 34-year-old veteran outfielder, who broke in with the Tribe in 1947 as the American League’s first black player, will have a solid season, hitting .284 in a part-time role with the fourth-place team.

1961 The Professional Baseball Rules Committee rejects the Pacific Coast League’s proposal to use a designated hitter for the pitcher by a vote of 8-1. The first use of the DH will occur in the American League in 1973.

1968 The American League’s new franchise in Seattle chooses Pilots as the team’s nickname. The name originated from the coastal seaport city’s association with the airplane industry and co-owner Dewey Soriano’s part-time job as a harbor pilot.

1982 The Rangers trade outfielder/first baseman Al Oliver to the Expos for outfielder/third baseman Larry Parrish and minor league first baseman Dave Hostetler. Hitting .335 this season, Oliver will capture the National League batting crown, compiling a .315 batting average during his two seasons north of the border.

1984 On a televised episode of ABC’s Sports Beat, Howard Cosell informs interviewee Roger Maris of the Yankees’ plan to retire the slugger’s number 9 in July at the Old Timers’ Game ceremonies. At first, the former Bronx Bombers’ reaction is disbelief, followed by his genuine pleasure for the recognition of his achievements during his seven years with the team.

1993 Bill White, the first black to serve as a league president, resigns from his National League post. The former Cardinal first baseman will remain at the job until next March, replaced by Leonard S. Coleman, MLB’s director of market development.

1994 The Mets trade hard-luck right-hander Anthony Young to the Cubs for shortstop Jose Vizcaino. While with New York, A-Yo dropped 27 consecutive decisions, 14 as a starter and 13 as a reliever, establishing the major league record for the most consecutive losses by a pitcher.

1994 The White Sox assign NBA superstar Michael Jordan to the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern League. Before returning to the NBA, the 31-year-old outfielder will play just one season of professional baseball, hitting .202 in 134 games for the minor league team.

1995 A crowd of 47,536 attend the first game ever played at Coors Field. The exhibition contest played with replacement players due to the strike, ends with the Rockies beating the Yankees, 4-1.

1996 At the Kingdome, the Mariners beat the White Sox in 12 innings, 3-2, marking the first time a season begins with a game played in March. In 2018, except for international openers, Opening Day for all 30 teams will be March 29, becoming the earliest start in major league history.

1998 On Opening Day at Cinergy Field, Pokey Reese, filling in for shortstop Barry Larkin, who is on the DL, makes four errors on his first three chances in the Reds’ 10-2 loss to San Diego. The 25-year-old infielder will win the Gold Glove as a second baseman in 1999 and 2000.

1998 In the longest scoreless opener in National League history, pinch-hitter Alberto Castillo’s 14th-inning single with two outs and the bases loaded gives the Mets a 1-0 victory over the Phillies. The most extended Opening Day game in major league history occurred in 1926 when the Senators blanked the Philadelphia A’s in 15 innings, 1-0.

1998 In front of a sellout crowd of 47,484 at Bank One Ballpark, the Arizona Diamondbacks lose to the Rockies, 9-2. The seven-run difference matches the ’62 Mets and the ’77 Mariners for the most-lopsided loss by an expansion team in its first game.

1998 The Tigers spoil the Devil Rays’ major league debut, beating the American League’s newest team, 6-2 at Tampa’s Tropicana Field. After Hall-of-Famers Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Al Lopez, and Monte Irvin throw out ceremonial first pitches, Wilson Alvarez, the losing pitcher, hurls the first pitch in franchise history – a ball to Detroit’s center fielder Brian Hunter.

1998 With a rare on-the-field appearance, Hank Aaron helps to mark Milwaukee’s historic return to the Senior Circuit as the Brewers play their inaugural game as a National League team, losing to the Braves at Turner Field, 2-1. Milwaukee is the first team since the inception of the American League in 1901 to switch leagues.

1998 Mark McGwire hits the first of his historic seventy home runs when he goes deep off Ramon Martinez in the fifth inning of the Cardinals’ 6-0 victory over L.A. at Busch Stadium. The Redbirds’ first baseman becomes the first player in franchise history to hit a grand slam on Opening Day.

2003 On Opening Day, MLB.com, the Major League Baseball website, has more than 10 million hits, setting a new record. The previous mark, set last season on the final day of online voting for All-Star Game starters, attracted 3.6 million visitors to the site.

2003 Substituting for his son, a former Yale left-handed first baseman named George Bush throws the ceremonial first pitch when the Reds play the first game in their new home, Great American Ball Park. The former president and the sellout crowd of 42,263 flag-waving fans enjoy the patriotic pregame ceremonies and then watch the Pirates rout Cincinnati, 10-1.

2003 🇵🇷 At Shea Stadium, the Mets Opening Day lineup includes the first regular starting double-play combination in major league history featuring natives from Puerto Rico. Second baseman Roberto Alomar and shortstop Rey Sanchez combine to make two twin killings as the Cubs drub New York, 15-2.

2004 With a 12-1 defeat of the Devil Rays in Tokyo, Kevin Brown becomes the second pitcher in history to have defeated all thirty major league teams. The 39-year-old right-hander joins Al Leiter, who accomplished the feat with the Mets last season.

2005 The Orioles and MLB agree on a deal that allows the televising Nationals games. A joint venture backed by MLB will let fans in the Baltimore-Washington area enjoy both franchises’ telecasts, ensuring the Orioles fans in the nation’s capital will still have an opportunity to watch their ‘Birds.’

2007 In the MLB’s inaugural Civil Rights Game, the Cardinals beat the Indians at AutoZone Park in Memphis, 5-1. The preseason exhibition, becoming a regular season game in 2009, is designed to celebrate and honor baseball’s historical role in the nation’s civil rights movement.

2008 On Opening Day, the Reds pay tribute to Joe Nuxhall by wearing the number 41 on their uniforms. The team’s beloved broadcaster, who spent over 60 years with the organization, including his major debut as a 15-year-old hurler, died during the off-season at the age of 79.

2008 Outside of Wrigley Field, the Cubs unveil the seven-foot bronze sculpture of Ernie Banks by 46-year-old Lou Cella, a passionate fan who idolized Mr. Cub as a kid. The typographical error on the statue’s granite base, “Lets play two,” is quickly corrected when the sculptor comes down to the ballpark two days later and carves the needed apostrophe.

2009 The Tigers unexpectedly release Gary Sheffield despite having $14 million left on the $28 million, two-year contract extension given to the DH/outfielder after being acquired from the Yankees in a trade for prospects. The 40-year-old nine-time All-Star needing one more dinger to become the 25th major league player to hit 500 career home runs, reaches the milestone as a pinch-hitter in a Mets uniform on April 17 at Citi Field.

2010 In the first inning of an exhibition game in Tampa, Denard Span hits a hard foul line drive that strikes his mother while watching him play. The Twins’ stunned leadoff batter runs into the crowded stands, staying with his mom while paramedics treat her until she returns to her seat, slightly shaken but intact.

2011 Down to their final out on Opening Day, Cameron Maybin, acquired by the Padres in the offseason from the Marlins for Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb, hits a game-tying homer off Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin. San Diego wins the game two innings later on three successive two-out hits, including their new centerfielder’s knock for the go-ahead run in the team’s eventual 5-3 victory at Busch Stadium.

2013 Shintaro Fujinami, a first-round draft selection, sets a record for players drafted out of high school when he makes his first professional start, a game sooner than Daisuke Matsuzaka (1999) and Hideaki Wakui (2005), pitching for the Hanshin Tigers just three games into the season. The 18-year-old Japanese rookie right-hander will allow two runs in six innings, taking the loss in the team’s 2-0 loss against Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium.

2013 In their American League debut, the Astros beat the Rangers, 8-3, victory in a nationally televised game at Minute Maid Park. After 51 years of playing in the National League, Houston agreed to move from the NL Central to the AL West to give each league 15 teams with an equal number of teams in each division as a condition for the approval of the sale of the team to Jim Crane.

2014 Pittsburgh native Neil Walker sends the largest regular-season crowd in the 14-year history of PNC Park home happy when he hits a Carlos Villanueva change-up over the fence, giving the Pirates a 1-0 walk-off victory over the Cubs. The tenth-inning homer marks the first time since 1965, when Bob Bailey went deep off Giants’ right-hander Juan Marichal that a Buc player ended a scoreless Opening Day contest with a solo round-trip.

2014 A video review overturns an umpire’s decision using MLB’s expanded replay system for the first time. Brewers’ outfielder Ryan Braun, initially called safe by first base by ump Greg Gibson, on a sixth-inning leadoff infield single, is ruled out after the Braves manager Freddi Gonzalez challenges the play.

2014 On Opening Day, Anaheim’s hitting coach Don Baylor suffers a freak accident, fracturing his right femur while backhanding the low and away ceremonial first pitch from Vladimir Guerrero, the team’s former outfielder who had just signed a one-day contract on the field much to crowd’s delight. Guerrero spent six seasons of his 16 major league tenure with the Halos and was named the AL MVP in 2004, his first year with the team, joining Baylor (1979) as the only other player to win the award in franchise history.

2018 Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who goes 3-for-4 in the team’s 3-2 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field, becomes the first American Leaguer to have multiple extra-base hits in the first three games of the season. In 2015, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez also accomplished the feat, collecting at least two safeties in LA’s first three contests when he compiled ten hits in his first 14 at-bats of the season.

BASEBALL’S BEST

ROY CAMPANELLA

“To play this game good, a lot of you has to be a little boy.” – Roy Campanella

It was a career started late due to the color of his skin, and ended early after a tragic auto accident.

In between, Roy Campanella blazed across the baseball landscape with 10 years of catching perfection.

“Nobody discovered Campanella,” said Dodgers scout Clyde Sukeforth, who recommended Campanella to the Dodgers. “We looked at him and there he was.

“There was never any question about his ability.”

Born Nov. 19, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pa., Campanella began playing professional baseball at the age of 15 and went on to star for the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League. He spent eight years in the Negro Leagues before the Dodgers signed him to a contract in 1946 after Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier in organized baseball.

He played for Nashua in the Class B New England League that summer, then made the jump to Triple-A Montreal in 1947. In 1948, Campanella began the season in the American Association with St. Paul, hitting 11 home runs in his first 24 games. By midseason, he was the Dodgers’ regular catcher.

“More than one observer has likened Campanella’s quickness behind the plate to that of a cat,” wrote Tom Meany of the New York World-Telegram. “He can pounce on bunts placed far out in front of the plate and he gets his throws away with no wasted motion.”

At the plate, Campanella quickly established himself as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. In his first full season with the Dodgers in 1949, Campanella hit 22 home runs and drove in 82 runs en route to the first of eight straight All-Star Game selections.

In 1951, Campanella won the National League Most Valuable Player Award while hitting .325 with 33 home runs and 108 RBI. He won his second MVP in 1953 while driving in a record (since broken) 142 runs as a catcher, then grabbed a third MVP award in 1955 while leading the Dodgers to their first World Series title.

His production dropped during the 1956 and 1957 seasons, but Campanella appeared energized by the Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. Shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 28 of that year, however, Campanella lost control of a rented car on a patch of ice on an S-curve near his home of Glen Cove, N.Y.

Campanella suffered a broken fifth vertebra in his back, costing him almost complete use of his body below the shoulders.

He finished his 10-year career with the Dodgers with 242 home runs, 856 RBI and five postseason appearances. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969, and passed away on June 26, 1993.

ROD CAREW

“He has no weakness as a hitter. Anything you throw he can handle.” – Catfish Hunter

For a generation of American League baseball fans, Rod Carew was the definition of “batting champion.”

The owner of a .328 career average and 3,053 hits to go along with seven batting titles and 18 All-Star Game selections, Carew tormented pitchers with a smooth swing from a crouched stance, using incredible hand-eye coordination developed as a youth in Panama.

Born Oct. 1, 1945, on a train in the Canal Zone and named for the doctor who delivered him, Rodney Cline Carew used a broomstick and bottle caps as his first bat and balls before moving to New York City as a teenager. Carew did not play high school baseball, but was spotted by Minnesota Twins scouts on a semi-pro team and was signed as an amateur free agent in 1964.

As a big league rookie second baseman in 1967, Carew hit .292 with 51 RBI, earning an All-Star Game selection and winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The next season, Carew hit .273 – the last season Carew would finish under .300 for 15 years.

Carew hit .332 in 1969 en route to his first batting title, helping Minnesota win the inaugural AL West crown. He was hitting .366 in 51 games in 1970 before a knee injury sidelined him for three months.

After hitting .307 in 1971, Carew reeled off four straight batting titles – missing a fifth in 1976 by .002. The next year, Carew had his best season – flirting with the magic .400 mark for most of the year before ending up at .388 with 239 hits, 128 runs scored, 100 RBI and the AL Most Valuable Player Award.

Carew hit .333 in 1978 to win his seventh and final batting crown, then was traded to the California Angels prior to the 1979 season. In seven years in California, Carew – who moved to first base in 1976 – led the Angels to their first two AL West titles in 1979 and 1982, batting .294 in the ALCS for California.

Carew remained an active player through the 1985 season, reaching the 3,000-hit milestone that summer, becoming the 16th player to join that exclusive club. In 1991, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.

“He doesn’t have to prove anything,” said Twins manager Gene Mauch during that magic summer of 1977. “All he has to do is retire and wait for the Hall of Fame to call.”

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW

1928 AMERICAN LEAGUE

Off the field…

On June 18^th, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean during a historic flight that lasted twenty-four hours and forty-nine minutes. The first woman to obtain pilot’s certification from the National Aeronautic Association, Earhart flew as a passenger aboard a Fokker F.VIIb-3m flown by Wilmer Stultz and Slim Gordon. She later made the first solo flight by a woman from Hawaii to California in 1935, but her plane was later lost somewhere in the Pacific in 1937 as she was attempting to circumnavigate the globe. The exact circumstances of her (presumed) crash are still unknown today.

The Kellogg-Briand Pact was developed as an international effort to outlaw war. The declaration originally started as a bilateral French-American accord, but fourteen nations registered immediately, and sixty-two nations eventually signed. Although unsuccessful, the treaty marked the high point of idealism in the pursuit of peace. The proclamation stated “Whereas a Treaty between the President of the United States Of America, the President of the German Reich, His Majesty the King of the Belgians, the President of the French Republic, His Majesty the King of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India, His Majesty the King of Italy, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, the President of the Republic of Poland, and the President of the Czechoslovak Republic, providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy.”

In the American League…

On May 1^st, the Cleveland Indians outfield tied a Major League record with five assists in a game against the St. Louis Browns. Rookie Sam Langford also tied another Major League mark after posting four of them himself. It was the tenth time (once in extra innings) that the record was equaled in the major leagues, and the last time the century. Although the “Tribe” was out-hit 12-10, they managed to hold on for the 4-3 victory.

Forty-one year-old Detroit Tiger veteran Ty Cobb stole home on June 15^th against the Cleveland Indians for the fiftieth (and final time) in his twenty-four year career to extend another one of his ninety Major League records.

Washington Senators pitcher Milt Gaston set another unusual American League record after surrendering fourteen hits en route to a 9-0 shutout over the Cleveland Indians on July 10^th.

In the National League…

The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals combined on June 2^nd to set a Major League record with a 2-1 effort that was the result of three pinch-hit home runs.

Following a Labor Day doubleheader rainout, the Boston Braves went on to play a record nine consecutive doubleheaders between September 4^th and the 15^th: First, the Brooklyn Dodgers on the 4^th and 5^th; then Philadelphia Phillies on the 7^th and 8^th; followed by the New York Giants on the 10^th, 11^th, 13^th, and 14^th; and finally the Chicago Cubs on the 15^th. Starting with Philadelphia, the Braves also went on to set an unwanted record by dropping five consecutive games including all four against the Giants.

On September 18^th, the Boston Braves and Chicago Cubs combined to set a National League record with eight double plays between them.

Around the League…

After voters in Massachusetts finally approved Sunday baseball in Boston (provided that the ballpark is more than 1,000 feet from a church), Pennsylvania was left as the only state in the major leagues with no Sunday baseball.

Alfred J. Reach, founder of A.J. Reach Sporting Goods, died on January 14^th at the tender age of eighty-seven. Reach had become the first ballplayer ever to receive a regular salary after signing as a catcher with the Philadelphia Athletics at $25 a week (for expenses) in 1865.

On December 11^th, National League President John Heydler first proposed (see newspaper story at bottom of page) the concept of a designated hitter (also known as the tenth regular). Heydler contended that the fans were tired of seeing weak hitting pitchers come up to bat and the incorporation of a designated hitter would improve the quality of play and speed up the game.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

March 31, 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) is formally established. In 1910 the IAAUS was renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association or NCAA according to the Library of Congress. Early football games often resulted in injury and even death, prompting some colleges and universities to close their football programs. The reforms were encouraged by President Roosevelt in 1905. Some of the revisions to the rules from the IAAUS were the institution of the legal forward pass as well as some rules making certain formations illegal.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR MARCH 31

March 31, 1938 – Elizabeth, New Jersey – The great Army halfback of 1957 to 1959, Bob Anderson was born.

There are two Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined men named Jimmy Johnson with connections to Dallas. Head Coach Jimmy Johnson was just recently placed in the Hall as a contributor but his date of birth is July 16. Today we celebrate the great player James Johnson.

March 31, 1938 – Dallas, Texas – Jimmy Johnson the great two way player as a halfback and defensive back of the San Francisco 49ers was born. As a matter of fact according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame he was the top pick of the Niners in the 1961 NFL Draft.

March 31, 1950 – New York City, New York – The top Cornell running back from 1969 to 1971, Ed Marinaro celebrated his date of birth. Marinaro according to his bio on the FootballFoundation.org had a higher rushing yards per game than collegiate greats and Tony Dorsett, O.J. Simpson and even Hershel Walker! Ed’s 174.6 yards per game on the ground in 27 games is truly a remarkable feat! Marinaro had 10 games in which he exceeded 200 yards; this includes, in 1969, 245 against Rutgers, 281 against Harvard; in 1970, 260 against Lehigh; in 1971, 272 against Columbia, 260 against Colgate. Ed’s average yards on the ground in 1971 was an astounding 209 yards per game, an NCAA record that lasted 10 years until broken. Marinaro was an All- America selection twice and in 1971 won the Maxwell Trophy and was named Player of the Year by Columbus, Cleveland and Washington Touchdown Clubs. He was named to the Ivy League Silver Anniversary Team.. The College Football Hall of Fame celebrated the arrival of Ed Marinaro’s collegiate gridiron accomplishments into their hall of legends in 1991. After college he enjoyed a six year pro career with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets. He then budded into a television acting star having been on hit shows Laverne and Shirley and Hill Street Blues.

THE BEST

CHAMP BAILEY

The Washington Redskins selected Champ Bailey, a consensus All-American out of Georgia, seventh overall in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Bailey quickly established himself as one of the league’s best defensive backs and over the next 15 years he excelled at the highest level on the field.

Bailey started in all 16 games he played during his rookie season and earned the reputation as a dominant lockdown cornerback. He became the youngest player in NFL history to record three interceptions in a game when he accomplished the feat against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 17, 1999. He finished his rookie campaign with five interceptions, one of which he returned as a touchdown. He also recorded 19 passes defensed and one sack.

Just prior to the 2004 season, Bailey was traded to the Denver Broncos where he spent the remainder of his career. An impact player, Bailey set the record for the longest non-scoring play in NFL history during a divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots on Jan. 14, 2006. He intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it for 100 yards before being tackled at the Patriots’ one-yard line.

In all, Bailey played in 215 career games with the Redskins (1999-2003) and the Broncos (2004-2013) starting in all but three games. He amassed a total of 908 tackles (812 solo), intercepted 52 passes which he returned for 464 yards and four touchdowns, recorded three sacks, made six fumble recoveries and had 203 passes defensed. Bailey led the NFL in interceptions in 2006 (10 for 162 yards and one TD).

Bailey’s 12 Pro Bowl selections are the most elections by a defensive back in NFL history. He was named All-Pro five times, tabbed for the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s, and chosen to the Broncos 50th Anniversary Team.

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

4 – 22 – 23 – 19

March 31, 1973 – Bobby Orr, Number 4 of the Boston Bruins scored his 3rd career hat trick in a 7-3 loss at Toronto to become the first player in NHL history to score 100 points for 4 straight seasons. The amazing thing about it is Bobby played as a defenseman!

March 31, 1984 – New York Islanders star Mike Bossy, Number 22 becomes the first player in NHL history to complete 7 consecutive seasons where he scored at least 50 goals. He actually tallied number 51 on the season as well in his multi goal game against Washington as the Isles topped the Caps 3-1.

March 31, 1987 – Indiana Guard Keith Smart, Number 23 nails a buzzer beater to propel the Hoosiers to the National Championship title as they overcame the strong competition of Syracuse, 74-73. Smart also picked off the last ditch pass by the Orange in the final seconds to preserve the victory in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

March 31, 1990 – Quebec Nordiques’ center Joe Sakic, Number 19 scored a goal in a 3-2 loss to Hartford to become the youngest player in NHL history (20 years old) to score 100 points in a season.

TV FRIDAY

*COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S*	*TIME ET*	TV
*NCAA Women’s Final Four*	*7:00pm*	*ESPN*
*NCAA Women’s Final Four*	*9:00pm*	*ESPN*
*GOLF*	*TIME ET*	TV
*PGA: Valero Texas Open*	*4:00pm*	*GOLF*
*LPGA: DIO Implant LA Open*	*7:00pm*	*GOLF*
*MLB REGULAR SEASON*	*TIME ET*	TV
*NY Mets at Miami*	*6:40pm*	MLBN SNY Bally Sports
*Chi. White Sox at Houston*	*8:10pm*	MLBN ATTSN-SW NBCS-CHI
*Colorado at San Diego*	*9:40pm*	MLBN Bally Sports ATTSN-RM
*Arizona at LA Dodgers*	*10:10pm*	Bally Sports Sportsnet
*Cleveland at Seattle*	*10:10pm*	Bally Sports Root Sports
*NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Chicago at Charlotte*	*7:00pm*	NBCS-CHI Bally Sports
*Oklahoma City at Indiana*	*7:00pm*	*Bally Sports*
*Orlando at Washington*	*7:00pm*	NBCS-WSH Bally Sports
*Toronto at Philadelphia*	*7:00pm*	NBCS-PHI Sportsnet
*Utah at Boston*	*7:30pm*	NBCS-BOS ATTSN-RM
*Atlanta at Brooklyn*	*7:30pm*	Bally Sports YES
*New York at Cleveland*	*7:30pm*	Bally Sports MSG
*LA Lakers at Minnesota*	*8:00pm*	NBATV Spectrum Bally Sports
*Detroit at Houston*	*8:00pm*	ATTSN-SW Bally Sports
*LA Clippers at Memphis*	*8:00pm*	*Bally Sports*
*San Antonio at Golden State*	*10:00pm*	NBCS-BAY Bally Sports
*Sacramento at Portland*	*10:00pm*	Root Sports NBCS-CA
*Denver at Phoenix*	*10:30pm*	NBATV ALT Bally Sports
*NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES*	*TIME ET*	TV
*NY Rangers at Buffalo*	*7:00pm*	NHLN MSGSN MSG-BUF
*Detroit at Winnipeg*	*8:00pm*	Bally Sports Sportsnet
*Calgary at Vancouver*	*10:00pm*	*Sportsnet*
*Dallas at Arizona*	*10:30pm*	*Bally Sports*
*SOCCER*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bochum*	*2:30pm*	*ESPN+*
*La Liga: Mallorca vs Osasuna*	*3:00pm*	*ESPN+*
*Ligue 1: Olympique Marseille vs Montpellier*	*3:00pm*	*beIN Sports*
*Argentina Primera División: Rosario Central vs Gimnasia La Plata*	*6:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*Argentina Primera División: River Plate vs Unión Santa Fe*	*8:30pm*	*Paramount+*
*Liga MX: Juárez vs Puebla*	*11:00pm*	*ESPN+*
*XFL*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Seattle at Arlington*	*7:00pm*	FX

TV SATURDAY

*COLLEGE BASKETBALL – MEN’S*	*TIME ET*	TV
*NCAA Final Four: San Diego State vs. Florida Atlantic*	*6:00pm*	*CBS*
*NCAA Final Four: UConn vs. Miami (FL)*	*8:30pm*	*CBS*
*GOLF*	*TIME ET*	TV
*PGA: Valero Texas Open*	*1:00pm*	*GOLF*
*LPGA: DIO Implant LA Open*	*6:00pm*	*GOLF*
*MLB REGULAR SEASON*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Chi. White Sox at Houston*	*2:10pm*	ATTSN-SW NBCS-CHI
*Toronto at St. Louis*	*2:15pm*	Sportsnet Bally Sports
*Milwaukee at Chi. Cubs*	*2:20pm*	Bally Sports MARQ
*Atlanta at Washington*	*4:05pm*	Bally Sports MASN/2
*Philadelphia at Texas*	*4:05pm*	NBCS-PHI Bally Sports
*San Francisco at NY Yankees*	*4:05pm*	NBCS-BAY YES
*LA Angels at Oakland*	*4:07pm*	NBCS-CA Bally Sports
*Baltimore at Boston*	*4:10pm*	MASN/2 NESN
*Detroit at Tampa Bay*	*4:10pm*	*Bally Sports*
*Minnesota at Kansas City*	*4:10pm*	*Bally Sports*
*NY Mets at Miami*	*4:10pm*	SNY Bally Sports
*Pittsburgh at Cincinnati*	*4:10pm*	Bally Sports ATTSN-PIT
*Colorado at San Diego*	*8:40pm*	MLBN Bally Sports ATTSN-RM
*Arizona at LA Dodgers*	*9:10pm*	MLBN Bally Sports Sportsnet
*Cleveland at Seattle*	*9:40pm*	Bally Sports Root Sports
*MOTORSPORTS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Xfinity: ToyotaCare 250*	*1:00pm*	*FS1*
*NASCAR Truck: SpeedyCash.com 250*	*4:30pm*	*FS1*
*NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Dallas at Miami*	*7:00pm*	NBATV Bally Sports
*LA Clippers at New Orleans*	*8:30pm*	*Bally Sports*
*NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES*	*TIME ET*	TV
*St. Louis at Nashville*	*1:00pm*	NHLN Bally Sports
*Boston at Pittsburgh*	*3:00pm*	*ABC*
*Buffalo at Philadelphia*	*7:00pm*	MSG-BUF NBCS-PHI
*Carolina at Montréal*	*7:00pm*	Sportsnet Bally Sports
*Florida at Columbus*	*7:00pm*	*Bally Sports*
*NY Islanders at Tampa Bay*	*7:00pm*	MSGSN Bally Sports
*Toronto at Ottawa*	*7:00pm*	*Sportsnet*
*New Jersey at Chicago*	*8:00pm*	*ESPN2*
*Dallas at Colorado*	*9:00pm*	Bally Sports ALT
*Los Angeles at Seattle*	*10:00pm*	Bally Sports Root Sports
*Minnesota at Vegas*	*10:00pm*	Bally Sports ATTSN-RM
*San Jose at Arizona*	*10:00pm*	Bally Sports NBCS-CA
*Anaheim at Edmonton*	*10:00pm*	Bally Sports Sportsnet
*SOCCER*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Women’s Super League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United*	*6:30am*	*CBSSN*
*English Premier League: Manchester City vs Liverpool*	*7:30am*	*Peacock*
*La Liga: Girona vs Espanyol*	*8:00am*	*ESPN+*
*Serie A: Cremonese vs Atalanta*	*9:00am*	*Paramount+*
*Bundesliga: Schalke 04 vs Bayer Leverkusen*	*9:30am*	*ESPN+*
*Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs Augsburg*	*9:30am*	*ESPN+*
*Bundesliga: Freiburg vs Hertha BSC*	*9:30am*	*ESPN+*
*Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs Stuttgart*	*9:30am*	*ESPN+*
*Bundesliga: RB Leipzig vs Mainz 05*	*9:30am*	*ESPN+*
*English Premier League: Arsenal vs Leeds United*	*10:00am*	*USA*
*English Premier League: AFC Bournemouth vs Fulham*	*10:00am*	*Peacock*
*English Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Brentford*	*10:00am*	*Peacock*
*English Premier League: Crystal Palace vs Leicester City*	*10:00am*	*Peacock*
*English Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Wolverhampton Wanderers*	*10:00am*	*Peacock*
*La Liga: Athletic Club vs Getafe*	*10:15am*	*ESPN+*
*Ligue 1: Auxerre vs Troyes*	*11:00am*	*beIN Sports*
*Serie A: Internazionale vs Fiorentina*	*12:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*English Premier League: Chelsea vs Aston Villa*	*12:30pm*	*USA*
*La Liga: Cádiz vs Sevilla*	*12:30pm*	*ESPN+*
*Bundesliga: Bayern München vs Borussia Dortmund*	*12:30pm*	*ESPN+*
*NWSL: Kansas City Current vs Portland Thorns*	*12:50pm*	*CBS*
*NWSL: Chicago Red Stars vs Houston Dash*	*2:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*Argentina Primera División: Barracas Central vs Boca Juniors*	*2:30pm*	*Paramount+*
*Serie A: Juventus vs Hellas Verona*	*2:45pm*	*Paramount+*
*La Liga: Elche vs Barcelona*	*3:00pm*	*ESPN+*
*Ligue 1: Rennes vs Lens*	*3:00pm*	*beIN Sports*
*NWSL: Racing Louisville FC vs Washington Spirit*	*3:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*Argentina Primera División: San Lorenzo vs Independiente*	*6:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*Liga MX: Pachuca vs Cruz Azul*	*7:00pm*	*FS2*
*NWSL: NJ/NY Gotham FC vs OL Reign*	*7:30pm*	*Paramount+*
*Argentina Primera División: Racing Club vs Huracán*	*8:30pm*	*Paramount+*
*MLS: LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders FC*	*8:30pm*	*FOX*
*MLS: Cincinnati vs Inter Miami*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Columbus Crew vs Real Salt Lake*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Atlanta United vs New York RB*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: New England vs New York City*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Orlando City SC vs Nashville SC*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Philadelphia Union vs Sporting KC*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Toronto FC vs Charlotte*	*8:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*Liga MX: Monterrey vs Tijuana*	*9:05pm*	*FS2*
*Liga MX: América vs León*	*9:05pm*	*Univision*
*MLS: Dallas vs Portland Timbers*	*9:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: St. Louis City vs Minnesota United*	*9:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Chicago Fire vs DC United*	*9:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*NWSL: San Diego Wave vs North Carolina Courage*	*10:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*MLS: Colorado Rapids vs Los Angeles FC*	*10:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*Liga MX: Atlas vs Guadalajara*	*11:10pm*	*Univision*
*MLS: SJ Earthquakes vs Houston Dynamo*	*11:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs CF Montréal*	*11:30pm*	*MLS Pass*
*XFL*	*TIME ET*	TV
*San Antonio at Vegas*	*3:00pm*	*ESPN2*
*D.C. at Orlando*	*6:00pm*	*ESPN*