“THE SCOREBOARD”
CENTRAL INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES
MONROE CENTRAL 12 MUNCIE CENTRAL 9
PIKE 12 MUNCIE BURRIS 2
PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 12 CROTHERSVILLE 5
DECATUR CENTRAL 5 BROWNSBURG 3
CASCADE 13 WESTERN BOONE 1
EASTERN HANCOCK 13 TRI 0
HAGERSTOWN 8 NEW CASTLE 2
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 7 MARTINSVILLE 4
COLUMBUS NORTH 3 CATHEDRAL 2
TERRE HAUTE NORTH 5 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 3
LEBANON 11 FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 1
FLOYD CENTRAL 14 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 0
FISHERS 9 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3
YORKTOWN 9 CONNERSVILLE 6
BISHOP CHATARD 2 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 0
WEST VIGO 16 GREENCASTLE 6
NEW PALESTINE 2 E. CENTRAL 0
UNIVERSITY 18 SETON CATHOLIC 2
NOBLESVILLE 8 WESTFIELD 4
NORTH MONTGOMERY 12 PARKE HERITAGE 8
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 8 SPEEDWAY 2
GREENSBURG 11 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 3
PERRY MERIDIAN 6 RONCALLI 4
STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/26/2024
CENTRAL INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
INDIANA DEAF 6 CALIFORNIA DEAF 5
INDIANA DEAF 10 CSDR 3
CENTERVILLE 13 TRI-COUNTY NORTH 3
RIVERTON PARKE 9 SOUTHMONT 3
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 13 CLOVERDALE 5
EAST CENTRAL 16 HARRISON 8
WINCHESTER 13 MONROE CENTRAL 4
CENTRAL NOBLE 6 FAIRFIELD 3
GREENCASTLE 3 N. MONTGOMERY 1
INDIAN CREEK 4 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 3
NORTH DAVIESS 6 LINTON STOCKTON 0
CARMEL 14 GUERIN CATHOLIC 0
EMINENCE 13 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 12
SHELBYVILLE 5 TRITON CENTRAL 4
PERRY MERIDIAN 12 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 2
IRVINGTON PREP 20 PURDUE POLY 5
RONCALLI 13 BREBEUF 2
MOUNT VERNON 14 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 13
NORTHEASTERN 7 KNIGHTSTOWN 5
GREENWOOD 16 PIKE 1
LAWRENCE NORTH 16 WARREN CENTRAL 5
SOUTHRIDGE 1 HERITAGE HILLS 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3 PENDLETON HEIGHTS 1
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 6 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 3
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 2 COLUMBUS EAST 1
WESTFIELD 4 TRI-WEST 2
FISHERS 4 ZIONSVILLE 0
TRI-COUNTY NORTH 15 CENTERVILLE 14
BEECH GROVE 8 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 7
WESTERN BOONE 8 SPEEDWAY 0
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 13 N. PUTNAM 9
STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/26/2024
INDIANA TRACK RESULTS: HTTPS://IN.MILESPLIT.COM/RESULTS
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LAX
BISHOP CHATARD 9 BREBEUF 7
NBA PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
• GAME 1: CELTICS 114, HEAT 94
• GAME 2: HEAT 111, CELTICS 101
• GAME 3: CELTICS VS. HEAT; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (6 ET, TNT)
• GAME 4: CELTICS VS. HEAT; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (TBD, TNT)
• GAME 5: HEAT VS. CELTICS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: CELTICS VS. HEAT; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: HEAT VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
SERIES TIED 1-1
* = IF NECESSARY
(2) NEW YORK VS. (7) PHILADELPHIA
• GAME 1: KNICKS 111, 76ERS 104
• GAME 2: KNICKS 104, 76ERS 101
• GAME 3: 76ERS 125, KNICKS 114
• GAME 4: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (1 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TNT)
• GAME 6: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 2-1
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: BUCKS 109, PACERS 94
• GAME 2: PACERS 125, BUCKS 108
• GAME 3: PACERS 121, BUCKS 118 (OT)
• GAME 4: BUCKS VS. PACERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: PACERS VS. BUCKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 6: BUCKS VS. PACERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
INDIANA LEADS SERIES 2-1
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: CAVALIERS 97, MAGIC 83
• GAME 2: CAVALIERS 96, MAGIC 86
• GAME 3: MAGIC 121, CAVALIERS 83
• GAME 4: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (1 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 6: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
CLEVELAND LEADS SERIES 2-1
* = IF NECESSARY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. (8) NEW ORLEANS
• GAME 1: THUNDER 94, PELICANS 92
• GAME 2: THUNDER 124, PELICANS 92
• GAME 3: THUNDER VS. PELICANS; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (3:30 ET TNT)
• GAME 4: THUNDER VS. PELICANS; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 5: PELICANS VS. THUNDER; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (8:30 ET, NBA TV)*
• GAME 6: THUNDER VS. PELICANS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: PELICANS VS. THUNDER; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
OKLAHOMA CITY LEADS SERIES 2-0
* = IF NECESSARY
(2) DENVER VS. (7) L.A. LAKERS
• GAME 1: NUGGETS 114, LAKERS 103
• GAME 2: NUGGETS 101, LAKERS 99
• GAME 3: NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105
• GAME 4: NUGGETS VS. LAKERS; SATURDAY, APRIL 27 (8:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; MONDAY, APRIL 29 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 6: NUGGETS VS. LAKERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
DENVER LEADS SERIES 3-0
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: TIMBERWOLVES 120, SUNS 95
• GAME 2: TIMBERWOLVES 105, SUNS 93
• GAME 3: TIMBERWOLVES 126, SUNS 109
• GAME 4: TIMBERWOLVES VS. SUNS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (TBD, TNT)*
• GAME 6: TIMBERWOLVES VS. SUNS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
MINNESOTA LEADS SERIES 3-0
* = IF NECESSARY
(4) LA CLIPPERS VS. (5) DALLAS
• GAME 1: CLIPPERS 109, MAVERICKS 97
• GAME 2: MAVERICKS 96, CLIPPERS 93
• GAME 3: MAVERICKS 101, CLIPPERS 90
• GAME 4: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; SUNDAY, APRIL 28 (3:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
DALLAS LEADS SERIES 2-1
* = IF NECESSARY
NHL PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (WC1)
FLORIDA LEADS SERIES 3-0
GAME 1: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2
GAME 2: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2 (OT)
GAME 3: PANTHERS 5, LIGHTNING 3
GAME 4: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — APRIL 27, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, TVAS, SNE, SNW, SNP)
GAME 5: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — APRIL 29, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS)
GAME 6: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 7: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE PANTHERS-LIGHTNING SERIES COVERAGE
BOSTON BRUINS (2A) VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3A)
BOSTON LEADS SERIES 2-1
GAME 1: BRUINS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 1
GAME 2: MAPLE LEAFS 3, BRUINS 2
GAME 3: BRUINS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2
GAME 4: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — APRIL 27, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 5: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — APRIL 30, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN)
GAME 6: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE BRUINS-MAPLE LEAFS SERIES COVERAGE
NEW YORK RANGERS (1M) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (WC2)
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 3-0
GAME 1: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 1
GAME 2: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 3
GAME 3: RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 1
GAME 4: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — APRIL 28, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
GAME 5: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE RANGERS-CAPITALS SERIES COVERAGE
CAROLINA HURRICANES (2M) VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (3M)
CAROLINA LEADS SERIES 3-0
GAME 1: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 1
GAME 2: HURRICANES 5, ISLANDERS 3
GAME 3: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 2
GAME 4: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — APRIL 27, 2 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — APRIL 30, 7:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX)
GAME 6: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE HURRICANES-ISLANDERS SERIES COVERAGE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DALLAS STARS (1C) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (WC2)
VEGAS LEADS SERIES 2-0
GAME 1: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, STARS 3
GAME 2: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, STARS 1
GAME 3: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 27, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 29, TBD (ESPN, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE STARS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES COVERAGE
WINNIPEG JETS (2C) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (3C)
COLORADO LEADS SERIES 2-1
GAME 1: JETS 7, AVALANCHE 6
GAME 2: AVALANCHE 5, JETS 2
GAME 3: AVALANCHE 6, JETS 2
GAME 4: JETS AT AVALANCHE — APRIL 28, 2:30 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: AVALANCHE AT JETS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: JETS AT AVALANCHE — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: AVALANCHE AT JETS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE JETS-AVALANCHE SERIES COVERAGE
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1P) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC1)
VANCOUVER LEADS SERIES 2-1
GAME 1: CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 2
GAME 2: PREDATORS 4, CANUCKS 1
GAME 3: CANUCKS 2, PREDATORS 1
GAME 4: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — APRIL 28, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — APRIL 30, 10 P.M. ET
GAME 6: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE CANUCKS-PREDATORS SERIES COVERAGE
EDMONTON OILERS (2P) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (3P)
EDMONTON LEADS SERIES 2-1
GAME 1: OILERS 7, KINGS 4
GAME 2: KINGS 5, OILERS 4 (OT)
GAME 3: OILERS 6, KINGS 1
GAME 4: OILERS AT KINGS — APRIL 28, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, SN1, TVAS)
GAME 5: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: OILERS AT KINGS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE OILERS-KINGS SERIES COVERAGE
NFL DRAFT TRACKER: HTTPS://WWW.NFL.COM/DRAFT/TRACKER/PICKS/
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
KANSAS CITY 8 DETROIT 0
OAKLAND 3 BALTIMORE 2 (10)
LA DODGERS 12 TORONTO 2
WASHINGTON 3 MIAMI 1
CHICAGO CUBS 7 BOSTON 1
ST. LOUIS 4 NY METS 2
ATLANTA 6 CLEVELAND 2
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 9 TAMPA BAY 4
TEXAS 2 CINCINNATI 1
MILWAUKEE 7 NY YANKEES 6 (11)
MINNESOTA 5 LA ANGELS 3
PHILADELPHIA 9 SAN DIEGO 3
SEATTLE 6 ARIZONA 1
SAN FRANCISCO 3 PITTSBURGH 0
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS AT OMAHA POSTPONED
SOUTH BEND 7 QUAD CITIES 4
GREAT LAKES 5 FORT WAYNE 3
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 10 BALL STATE 2
WAKE FOREST 4 NOTRE DAME 3
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 3 INDIANA STATE 2
SETON HALL 7 BUTLER 3
ILLINOIS 7 MARYLAND 4
PENN STATE 7 MINNESOTA 3
MICHIGAN STATE 11 OHIO STATE 4
MICHIGAN 14 LONG BEACH STATE 7
INDIANA 8 RUTGERS 3
NEBRASKA 7 IOWA 4
PURDUE 9 NORTHWESTERN 3
WRIGHT STATE 5 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
WESTERN MICHIGAN 10 AKRON 4
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 1
MIAMI OHIO 12 EASTERN MICHIGAN 10
OHIO 6 TOLEDO 3
KENT STATE 6 BOWLING GREEN 5
ILLINOIS CHICAGO 8 VALPARAISO 6
EVANSVILLE 4 MISSOURI STATE 1
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
NORTHWESTERN 6 NEBRASKA 5
RUTGERS 3 MICHIGAN STATE 0
MICHIGAN 2 PENN STATE 0
OHIO STATE 3 ILLINOIS 1
PURDUE 2 MARYLAND 1
INDIANA 6 WISCONSIN 5
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 9 GREEN BAY 0
GREEN BAY 11 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 10
TOLEDO 1 WESTERN MICHIGAN 0
WESTERN MICHIGAN 7 TOLEDO 6
OHIO 3 BUFFALO 1
OHIO 4 BUFFALO 1
AKRON 4 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 0
AKRON 7 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 6
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 7 BOWLING GREEN 0
MIAMI OHIO 8 KENT STATE 6
EVANSVILLE 6 MISSOURI STATE 5
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 8 INDIANA STATE 0
UFL
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS
NFL NEWS
EX-NFL LINEMAN KOREY CUNNINGHAM FOUND DEAD
Former NFL offensive lineman Korey Cunningham has died at age 28.
The New York Giants, one of three teams he played for in his NFL career, confirmed his death in a statement Friday.
“We are saddened to hear of the passing of Korey Cunningham,” the Giants said in a statement Friday morning. “He was a vital part of the spirit and camaraderie of the locker room. Our thoughts are with Korey’s family, friends and teammates.”
The team did not disclose a cause of death. ESPN reported he was found dead in his Clifton, N.J., home, and a police spokesperson told the network foul play was not suspected “at this time.”
Cunningham, who played collegiately at Cincinnati, was a seventh-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and was plagued by foot issues throughout his career. He appeared in 31 games with the Cardinals (2018), New England Patriots (2019-20) and Giants (2021-22). The Giants released him last summer.
Former teammate Justin Pugh recalled his time with Cunningham when they were both in Arizona, and shared on X, “Quick story: We would invite him to the OL dinner every week even though he wasn’t on the team which doesn’t happen…ever. Team dinners are for players on the team only. Except for Korey….solely because he was beloved by all the guys regardless if you knew him or not! He’d tell stories and we’d laugh our asses off all night.
Today is a sad day but I’ll always remember the good times and the laughs. Everyone who knew Korey Cunnigham was better for it. The world lost a great soul.”
BILLS, CHARGERS PICK RECEIVERS TO OPEN ROUND 2 OF DRAFT
One day after offense dominated the first round of the NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers selected a pair of wide receivers back-to-back to start the second round Friday night in Detroit.
The Bills used the first pick of Round 2 (No. 33 overall) to select Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman. It marked the first selection of the draft for the Bills, who hope that Coleman will provide quarterback Josh Allen with a deep threat after the team traded wideout Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans earlier this month.
The Chargers picked Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey moments later with the 34th overall pick. McConkey also could fill a void after Los Angeles sent veteran Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears last month.
Four of the next five picks were defensive linemen. The Atlanta Falcons took Clemson’s Ruke Orhorhoro, the Washington Commanders drafted Illinois’ Johnny Newton, the Tennessee Titans turned to Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat and the Los Angeles Rams nabbed Florida State’s Braden Fiske.
The only team that did not beef up its defensive line in that five-pick stretch was the New England Patriots, who drafted Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk at No. 37 overall. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound receiver will team up with rookie quarterback Drake Maye, whom the Patriots took at No. 3 overall on Friday night.
Four consecutive cornerbacks went off the board in picks No. 40-43. The Philadelphia Eagles started the run by drafting Cooper DeJean, an All-American out of Iowa whom many had projected as a first-round pick.
The next three picks were Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry to the New Orleans Saints, Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter to the Texans and Rutgers’ Max Melton to the Arizona Cardinals.
Texas’ Jonathon Brooks was the first running back to be selected this year. The Carolina Panthers picked Brooks at No. 46 overall after he rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games with the Longhorns in 2023.
Another Longhorns skill player, wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, went to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 52. Mitchell, who hauled in 11 touchdowns among his 55 catches last season, will pair with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis.
The Detroit Lions, the host team of the draft this season, selected a cornerback for the second day in a row. The Lions chose Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at No. 61 one day after they tabbed Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold at No. 24 in Round 1.
The San Francisco 49ers closed out the second round by selecting Florida State cornerback Renardo Green. He was the third Seminoles player to be selected in the second round, joining Coleman and Fiske.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: TYRESE HALIBURTON, PACERS DROP BUCKS IN OT
Tyrese Haliburton converted a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 121-118 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Indianapolis.
Haliburton gained separation after using a nifty crossover on Patrick Beverley before sinking a shot from the foul line. He added a free throw to complete his 18-point, 16-assist, 10-rebound performance and overcome a scintillating 42-point effort by Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton.
Myles Turner collected 29 points and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 17 points and nine rebounds to help the sixth-seeded Pacers seize a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Sunday in Indianapolis.
Damian Lillard, slowed by an ailing Achilles tendon, overcame an apparent left leg injury late in the first quarter to finish with 28 points, eight assists and three steals. Bobby Portis collected 17 points and 18 rebounds for the third-seeded Bucks, who played their sixth straight game without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain).
Mavericks 101, Clippers 90
Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help Dallas beat visiting Los Angeles in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his 21 points in the final 14 minutes for the Mavericks, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is set for Sunday in Dallas.
Norman Powell and James Harden each had 21 points for the Clippers, who committed 19 turnovers. Ivica Zubac added 19 points and eight rebounds.
Timberwolves 126, Suns 109
Anthony Edwards recorded 36 points and nine rebounds as Minnesota beat host Phoenix to take a 3-0 playoff series lead for the first time in franchise history.
The Timberwolves will aim for a sweep in Game 4 of the best-of-seven, first-round Western Conference series on Sunday night at Phoenix. Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 boards for third-seeded Minnesota.
Bradley Beal scored 28 points, Kevin Durant added 25 and Devin Booker registered 23 points and eight assists for the sixth-seeded Suns.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
REPORT: 5-STAR RECRUIT BILLY RICHMOND FOLLOWS JOHN CALIPARI TO ARKANSAS
Five-star recruit Billy Richmond is following coach John Calipari to Arkansas, The Athletic reported Friday.
The 6-foot-6 small forward from Camden, N.J., initially committed to Calipari and Kentucky in December.
Richmond requested his release after Calipari departed for Arkansas and Kentucky hired Mark Pope.
Richmond averaged 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season.
He is ranked No. 25 nationally and No. 2 in the state of New Jersey in the Class of 2024 by the 247 Sports Composite.
ALABAMA TRANSFER RYLAN GRIFFEN COMMITS TO KANSAS
One of the best shooters in the portal has decided to become a Jayhawk.
Former Alabama guard Rylan Griffen announced his commitment to Kansas on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.
“I chose Kansas because coach (Bill) Self and the coaching staff are going to push me to be the best player I can be,” Griffen said, according to ESPN. “I think I fit in because they said they needed shooting. I think I can help them in that area. I think I can help them with perimeter defense and help get stops and help carry on the same winning culture they’ve always had.”
Griffen helped lead Alabama to the Final Four, where they lost in the national semifinal to eventual champion UConn.
In two years with the Crimson Tide, Griffin averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 73 games (33 starts, all as a sophomore). He’s a 35.4 percent career 3-point shooter, including shooting 39.2 percent from the arc in his sophomore season.
The Dallas native will be a junior when the transfer class takes the floor for Kansas next season with Wisconsin’s AJ Storr, South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo and Florida’s Riley Kugel also new to the Jayhawks.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: AVS RALLY PAST JETS WITH 5 GOALS IN 3RD
Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin scored power-play goals 2:28 apart early in a five-goal third period, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series in Denver on Friday night.
Colorado took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference quarterfinal series, with Game 4 in Denver on Sunday afternoon.
Devon Toews and MacKinnon each had a goal and an assist, Ross Colton, Zach Parise and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, Casey Mittelstadt had three assists, Mikko Rantanen registered two assists and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 22 shots for the Avalanche.
Josh Morrissey and Tyler Toffoli scored and Connor Hellebuyck had 34 saves for the Jets.
Rangers 3, Capitals 1
Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist as New York beat host Washington to close in on a berth in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Chris Kreider and Barclay Goodrow added goals, Mika Zibanejad had two assists and Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves for the Rangers, who lead the best-of-seven first-round series 3-0.
John Carlson scored for the Capitals and Charlie Lindgren made 19 saves. Washington played with five defensemen for 2 1/2 periods after Trevor van Riemsdyk was injured at 12:08 of the first on a hit from New York forward Matt Rempe.
Oilers 6, Kings 1
Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid scored in the first period and visiting Edmonton finished with the three power-play goals in a victory over Los Angeles in Game 3 of a first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Hyman and Draisaitl each finished with two goals, and Draisaitl also had an assist as the Oilers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series while rebounding from a 5-4 defeat at home in Game 2. McDavid wound up with three points, Evander Kane contributed a goal and an assist, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins notched three assists and Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for Edmonton. Edmonton now has seven power-play goals in the series.
Drew Doughty scored a goal for the Kings, while Cam Talbot made 34 saves. The Kings get a chance to even the series in Game 4 at home on Sunday.
Canucks 2, Predators 1
Casey DeSmith made 29 saves for his first career playoff win as visiting Vancouver beat Nashville.
The Canucks grabbed a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round playoff series. Game 4 of the best-of-seven set is set for Sunday in Nashville.
Luke Evangelista scored with 3:12 remaining in the third period to pull the Predators within a goal, but the hosts could not manage an equalizer.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: BREWERS WIN ON JOEY ORTIZ’S HIT IN 11TH
Joey Ortiz delivered a walk-off single with one out in the 11th inning, giving the Milwaukee Brewers a 7-6 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
Pinch runner Owen Miller advanced to third on Brice Turang’s leadoff flyout to open the 11th against Michael Tonkin (1-3), who was claimed on waivers by the Yankees from the Mets on Thursday. Ortiz then lined the game-winner to left.
The Yankees failed to score in the top of the 11th when pinch runner Jahmai Jones was thrown out trying to come home from third on a one-out comebacker to the mound.
Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees ahead 6-5 by leading off the 10th with a pinch-hit RBI double. The Brewers tied it in the bottom half when William Contreras advanced to third on a passed ball and Willy Adames followed with an RBI single.
Giants 3, Pirates 0
Patrick Bailey crushed a walk-off, three-run homer with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, producing the only scoring of San Francisco’s victory over Pittsburgh.
After Camilo Doval (2-0) had pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the inning, Pirates closer David Bednar (1-2) walked Michael Conforto and served up a single to Matt Chapman to start off the bottom of the inning. Giants starter Kyle Harrison shut out Pittsburgh on five hits over the first six innings.
The Pirates threatened in the top of the ninth against Doval, loading the bases on singles by Oneil Cruz and Michael Taylor and a one-out walk by Andrew McCutchen. Doval turned a comebacker from Bryan Reynolds into a 1-2-3 double play to preserve the tie. Pirates starter Quinn Priester allowed just three singles in his six shutout innings.
Athletics 3, Orioles 2 (10 innings)
Brent Rooker hit an RBI double to drive in the go-ahead run in extra innings as visiting Oakland rallied past Baltimore in 10 innings to open a three-game series.
Rooker finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Shea Langeliers hit a home run and Lawrence Butler added a double for Oakland. Mason Miller pitched a perfect 10th inning and struck out Gunnar Henderson with the tying run on third to secure his seventh save of the season and the Athletics’ second straight win.
Ryan O’Hearn had two singles and an RBI, and Cedric Mullins hit his sixth home run of the season for the Orioles, who led 2-1 entering the ninth inning.
Cubs 7, Red Sox 1
Michael Busch went 3-for-4 while rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong recorded his second straight multi-RBI game to help visiting Chicago beat Boston.
Cubs rookie Shota Imanaga (4-0) struck out seven and allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings. Crow-Armstrong, Christopher Morel and Dansby Swanson had two hits apiece in Chicago’s fourth straight win.
Tyler O’Neill went 2-for-4 and drove in the Red Sox’s lone run with a fourth-inning homer. Kutter Crawford (1-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in six innings.
Dodgers 12, Blue Jays 2
Max Muncy hit a three-run home run, right-hander Gavin Stone pitched seven strong innings and visiting Los Angeles defeated Toronto.
Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith added solo homers for the Dodgers, who won the opener of the three-game series to extend their winning streak to five games. Smith had four hits and Muncy had three to lead the Dodgers’ 19-hit attack.
Danny Jansen hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who have lost four straight.
Nationals 3, Marlins 1
Joey Meneses lined a go-ahead, two-run single to center in the eighth inning as Washington defeated host Miami.
The Nationals also got two hits each from Trey Lipscomb and Jacob Young — their eighth and ninth hitters in the lineup — and four scoreless innings from their bullpen.
Anthony Maldonado made his major league debut for the Marlins, starting the game and pitching three scoreless innings. He had been Miami’s closer at Triple-A this year.
Royals 8, Tigers 0
Seth Lugo pitched seven dominant innings and visiting Kansas City scored seven ninth-inning runs to notch a shutout victory over Detroit.
Lugo (4-1) allowed only three hits and tied his career-best with nine strikeouts. John Schreiber and Will Smith completed the shutout. Bobby Witt Jr. drove in three runs and Maikel Garcia knocked in a pair during the opener of the three-game series. Adam Frazier scored two runs, drove in another and made a sparkling defensive play.
Detroit starter Reese Olson (0-4) limited the Royals to one run and three hits in seven innings.
Cardinals 4, Mets 2
Miles Mikolas combined with three relievers to lift visiting St. Louis over New York in the opener of a three-game series.
Mikolas (2-3) allowed two runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. Alec Burleson and Willson Contreras homered for the Cardinals, who have won three of four.
Tomas Nido had two hits, including a homer, for the Mets, who have lost four of five. J.D. Martinez had an RBI double among two hits in his Mets debut. Martinez, a lifetime .287 hitter with 315 career homers, was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse prior to the game.
Twins 5, Angels 3
Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs as Minnesota held on for a win over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Willi Castro finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs for Minnesota, which won its fifth game in a row. Bailey Ober (2-1) allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings. Caleb Thielbar escaped a jam in the ninth for his first save.
Zach Neto was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for the Angels, who lost for the seventh time in their past eight games. Patrick Sandoval (1-4) gave up four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
Braves 6, Guardians 2
Chris Sale threw seven masterful innings and Ozzie Albies returned from the injured list to get two hits and help Atlanta beat visiting Cleveland in the opener of a three-game series.
The Braves have won four in a row and 10 of their past 11. Atlanta and Cleveland are now tied with a major-league-best 18 wins.
Guardians starter Logan Allen (3-1) pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five.
White Sox 9, Rays 4
Martin Maldonado and Eloy Jimenez homered and Chris Flexen pitched effectively into the sixth inning as host Chicago Sox beat Tampa Bay to stop a seven-game losing streak.
The White Sox won for just the fourth time in 26 games while sending Tampa Bay to its fourth loss in five games.
Zach Eflin (1-3) scattered five runs, four earned, and nine hits in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts for the Rays.
Rangers 2, Reds 1
Marcus Semien hit a go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to lead Texas past Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Evan Carter also homered and had two hits and Leody Taveras had a double and two hits for the Rangers, who won for just the third time in their past seven games.
Jonathan India had two hits and Elly De La Cruz had two walks, two stolen bases and a run scored for the Reds, who suffered their second straight loss.
Phillies 9, Padres 3
Kyle Schwarber led off the game with the first of five Philadelphia homers and Aaron Nola worked eight solid innings as the Phillies rolled to a road rout of San Diego.
Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto also went deep for the Phillies, who earned their second win in a row and improved to 9-2 in their past 11 games. Alec Bohm and Marsh each had three hits, and Realmuto went 2-for-4.
Rookie Graham Pauley homered and Luis Campusano collected two hits for the Padres, who took their second loss in three games.
Mariners 6, Diamondbacks 1
Mitch Haniger hit a grand slam and Emerson Hancock pitched six quality innings as Seattle defeated visiting Arizona in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Josh Rojas and Mitch Garver added solo shots for the American League West-leading Mariners, who have won eight of their past 10 games.
Kevin Newman hit a solo homer for the Diamondbacks, who lost for the sixth time in nine games.
GOLF NEWS
GRACE KIM EXTENDS LEAD AT LA CHAMPIONSHIP
Grace Kim expanded her lead to four strokes on Friday as the JM Eagle LA Championship reached its midpoint in Los Angeles.
The Australian shot the best round of the day for the second consecutive round at Wilshire Country Club, carding a 5-under-par 66 to go to 12-under 130, four shots better than second-place Maja Stark. The Swede is at 8 under following a 69 on Friday.
Defending champion Hannah Green of Australia (second-round 69) and Germany’s Esther Henseleit (68) are tied for third at 6 under.
Auston Kim (71) and Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen (67) share fifth place at 5 under. Tied for seventh at 4 under are Rose Zhang (69), Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen (73) and South Koreans Haeran Ryu (72) and Sei Young Kim (73).
Grace Kim started her day on the back nine, and she bogeyed the par-3 12th hole. That was her final mistake of the day. She immediately rebounded with an eagle on the par-5 13th hole, then birdied the par-4 14th hole, and she added three more birdies on the front nine.
“I think majority of (the birdies) were more putting close to the pin,” Grace Kim said. “I did have one long putt that I holed, but other than that, yeah, just got to try and keep it close to the pins so then you have more of a chance of not having to bump across too many bumps.”
The 23-year-old said of entering the weekend with a lead, “I think I’ve got to breathe a little bit. I did get a little bit nervous on my probably back nine, so making sure I don’t rush too much and, yeah, just staying in the present probably.”
Stark had a relatively steady day, making one birdie and one bogey on the front nine, then adding consecutive birdies at Nos. 12 and 13.
“My shorter putting has been better these past two weeks,” she said. “But just I feel way more comfortable on the greens right now. Just like from 6 through 15 feet, it’s kind of where I’ve taken a big step up.”
Green’s wild round featured six birdies and four bogeys.
Green said of returning as the defending champion, “Everyone is coming up to me and (saying), ‘Hey, champ, hey defending champ,’ which is really nice. … Obviously I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. The scores are not quite what I thought they were.”
Henseleit charged into contention with two sets of back-to-back birdies on either side of her lone bogey.
AUTO RACING
FORD DRIVERS VIE FOR 2024 BREAKOUT WIN AT DOVER
Ford Motorsports came tantalizingly close to winning its first NASCAR Cup Series race of the season last weekend at Talladega, but neither Michael McDowell nor Brad Keselowski could make it happen at the end.
The two blue oval drivers will look to break the drought Sunday afternoon when they compete in the Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Del., the 11th race on the 2024 schedule.
And what a 2024 it’s been so far for Ford Motorsports, huh?
While the most casual glance at the win column reveals a bad start for the teams — 0-for-10 — taking the whole season into consideration is even worse.
Ford failed to win in the season-opening exhibition race in California — The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum — at the legendary Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as Denny Hamlin walked away with a win.
At Daytona during Speedweeks, the blue-clad teams fared no better: Toyota’s Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell won the Duels, the Daytona 500’s qualifying races.
So really 0-for-13.
As for the point standings, only one Ford — the No. 12 driven by reigning series champion Ryan Blaney at No. 7 — graces the top 11, and four of its drivers have combined to record just five stage wins thus far.
That’s a whole lot of time being any place other than at the front of the field.
When they were running 1-2 Saturday on the 188th lap at Talladega, one had to figure McDowell, a Daytona 500 winner, or Keselowski, a six-time Talladega winner, would manage to make it to Victory Lane with his Dark Horse Mustang in good shape.
However, neither could be blamed for what ensued: A chaotic melee that ended with Reddick roaring through the mess, stealing the checkers for his first victory at Talladega and crowding the trophy case for 23XI team owner/NBA icon Michael Jordan even more.
But neither Ford driver was finger-pointing afterward, even though a win would have likely put the winner into the playoffs and given either McDowell his third career Cup win or snapped Keselowski’s 107-race winless streak.
“Nobody did anything wrong there, not Michael, not Brad, not anyone,” said FOX analyst Larry McReynolds. “What (Ford) has to hang their hat on is they had a fast Ford Mustang. The superspeedways, the road courses — and we’ve got a lot more of those coming up — that’s obviously their best opportunity to go to Victory Lane and maybe punch their ticket to the playoffs.”
On the high banks of the one-mile Dover Motor Speedway, the last two victories for Ford were in cars driven by current booth analyst Kevin Harvick (2018, 2020). Since the 2009 season, the manufacturer has won just three times in 27 races.
Keselowski does have a win there — a 2012 triumph — but it was while he was driving for Dodge Motorsports during his title-winning season.
Nicknamed “The Monster Mile,” DMS might be too monstrous of a chunk of concrete for Ford to bust through.
RORY MCILROY, SHANE LOWRY STILL PART OF 4-WAY LEAD AT ZURICH
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry combined to make a pair of crucial late birdies and hung onto a share of the lead after 36 holes of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Friday in Avondale, La.
The Ulsterman and Irishman posted a 2-under 70 in foursomes (alternate shot) in the second round. That moved them to 13-under 131, where they’re tied with Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard (70), David Lipsky and England’s Aaron Rai (70) and Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak (69).
The team event will move back to a four-ball (best ball) format on Saturday before foursomes are played for the final round at TPC Louisiana.
McIlroy and Lowry, playing the event together for the first time, started their second round on the back nine and had two birdies and two bogeys on their card before sinking consecutive birdies at the par-5 seventh and par-4 eighth. Lowry’s bunker shot at No. 8 rolled to within a few feet of the hole to set up the final birdie.
A more experienced pairing is part of a tie for fifth one shot behind the leaders. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele shot the round of the day, a 5-under 67, to move to 12 under for the tournament; they’d be part of the lead had they not taken their only bogey of the day at the 18th hole.
Cantlay and Schauffele won the tournament in 2022 and tied for fourth in 2023.
The cut line was 8 under, just five shots off the lead, as 41 of the 80 teams in the field made the weekend. Notables to miss the cut included Sahith Theegala/Will Zalatoris (6 under) and two sets of twin brothers, Pierceson and Parker Coody (5 under) and Denmark’s Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard (5 under).
DOUG BARRON, STEVEN ALKER SHARE MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC LEAD
Doug Barron and New Zealand’s Steven Alker are tied for the first-round lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic after shooting 7-under 65s on Friday in Duluth, Ga.
Barron and Alker birdied their way through TPC Sugarloaf but have just a one-stroke lead over Shane Bertsch and Tim Petrovic, each of whom turned in bogey-free 66s.
Barron was bogey-free, as well, until making his only misstep at the par-4 17th. He got the stroke back at the par-5 18th with his eighth birdie.
“You see the scores, people don’t realize this is a hard golf course. It demands a lot off the tee,” Barron said. “And I’m driving it really well, so pretty happy with that.”
The 54-year-old, who last won on the PGA Tour Champions in 2020, is making his fifth start since missing most of a year due to two elbow surgeries.
“I live with the pain. The doctors tell me I can’t hurt it any worse,” Barron said. “It’s still torn. They did more of a noninvasive procedure. But it is very sore. I have to rehab it every single day.”
Alker, 52, won the 2022 Charles Schwab Cup, ended his 2023 season with a tournament win and kicked off 2024 with a win in Hawaii. But this week marks his first time at TPC Sugarloaf.
“The course is in great shape,” Alker said. “Good solid par 4s out there. You’ve got to have your wits about you on a lot of holes.”
Alker started on the back nine and birdied five of his first six holes. He finished with two bogeys, but they were easily counteracted by his nine birdies.
Tied for fifth at 5-under 67 are Englishman Paul Broadhurst and Australians Richard Green and John Senden. Broadhurst won last week’s Invited Celebrity Classic.
Defending champion Stephen Ames of Canada opened with a 1-under 71.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS ENCOURAGED BY WEAPONS, PROTECTION AROUND ANTHONY RICHARDSON AFTER SELECTING ADONAI MITCHELL, MATT GONCALVES ON DAY 2 OF 2024 NFL DRAFT
Chris Ballard has been clear all offseason about the Colts’ strategy in building around second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson.
“When you’ve got a young quarterback – you’ve got to protect him,” the Colts’ general manager said a week ago. “That’s one. … (And) you want to continue to add playmakers around him.”
The Colts accomplished both of those goals during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday – just in reverse order.
After trading back six spots with the Carolina Panthers – picking up two fifth-round picks in the process – the Colts selected Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round (No. 52 overall). Then in the third round, the Colts shipped a sixth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals to move up three spots and ensure they got the offensive linemen they coveted in Pitt’s Matt Goncalves.
Ballard said head coach Shane Steichen and wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne were “beating the drum” for Mitchell, who at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds ran a smoldering 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine two months ago. Mitchell’s pure speed, go-up-and-get-it ball-winning ability and route-running fluidity made him a touchdown machine in college – he caught 11 touchdowns with Texas in 2023 and consistently showed up on the sport’s biggest stages over his three collegiate seasons.
Mitchell, who spent his first two years at Georgia before transferring to Texas, played in five College Football Playoff games and caught a touchdown in each of them. His physical 40-yard touchdown snag in the fourth quarter of 2022’s championship game gave Georgia the lead over Alabama for good, and it just so happened that game was played at his new home field of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
A year later, Mitchell caught the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning touchdown with under a minute left in Georgia’s high-scoring win over C.J. Stroud and Ohio State in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinal.
“Five touchdowns in championship games – think about that,” Ballard said. “The guy has played in what four or five games and (had) five touchdowns. So, he shows up the big moments when it matters.”
Mitchell said he envisions his get-behind-the-defense speed and substantial catch radius as allowing Richardson to not feel like he has to be perfect on every play, and the Colts see Mitchell as a strong complement to the pass-catchers they already have for Richardson.
“I think he will help us – we are not expecting him to be Superman right away,” Ballard said. “I think he expects himself to be Superman right away, but we don’t expect that. We expect him to come in and develop. We’ve got a good group. (Michael) Pittman (Jr.) is back and he’s hungry. You’ve got Josh Downs in year two who we thought had a great rookie year. We’ve got (Alec) Pierce who we think is going to take another step. We get Ashton Dulin back. We think we’ve got a really good group.”
Add in a tight end room Ballard emphasized the Colts feel good about and an expected big season from running back Jonathan Taylor – Ballard’s mentioned that a few times now – and the Colts are confident in the state of their skill position players surrounding Richardson (with the potential for more talent to be added on Day 3 and in undrafted free agency). Dropping Mitchell into that group on Friday only added to those encouraging vibes.
“He’s got work to do, but he is really skilled,” Ballard said. “He’s a really skilled athlete. Like any wideout that comes in this league, it’s an adjustment period because the coverage is tighter. You have to be better and more detailed on your route running. He’s extremely skilled – there’s not a lot he can’t do athletically. We’ll see how he comes along.”
“That was probably one of the most fun calls I’ve had now – it was fun,” Ballard said. “He’ll fit in now.”
More tangibly, the Colts see the 6-foot-6, 317 pound Goncalves as possessing the versatility to play at least four – maybe all five – offensive line positions. He started 14 games at left tackle and 10 games at right tackle during his college career at Pitt, and according to Pro Football Focus he did not allow a sack in his final two seasons with the Panthers.
Ballard didn’t know exactly where Goncalves would step in and compete with an incumbent starter on the Colts’ offensive line just yet, but was confident adding the rookie would make the entire line better.
“He’s got a lot of position flexibility,” Ballard said. “He’s started at left tackle, started at right tackle. We think he can play guard. We’re not so sure he can’t play center. Excited to get him.”
“… You can never have enough good linemen. I think he’ll come in and he’ll compete. He’ll compete and put some heat on guys. I think guys get better when there’s great competition. We have some really good players up front, but he just adds to the group.”
As the Colts shift their attention to their five Day 3 picks to close out the 2024 NFL Draft, they’ll stick to the same strategy that landed them Laiatu Latu on Thursday, and Mitchell and Goncalves on Friday: Focus more on the player instead of the need.
On Friday, the players worked out to be important pieces to put around Richardson.
“Of course you’re going to start trying to fill some needs, especially in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh round – but then you don’t ever want to pass up a guy that you really like,” Ballard said. “Hey, this guy is a good player, and it might not be a position of need but like, if we pass him and watch him play for somebody else when we take a lesser player – we don’t want to do that. We can’t keep our eye on the need and who’s up on the board.”
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 121, BUCKS 118 (GAME 3)
Playing his first ever playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Tyrese Haliburton conjured up memories of Reggie Miller, hitting a game-winning shot in overtime to lift the Pacers to a 121-118 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of their best-of-seven series.
Tied at 118 with 6.7 seconds remaining after another heroic three from Bucks forward Khris Middleton, the Pacers ran a play that saw Haliburton sprint from the sideline into the backcourt, where he took an inbound from Andrew Nembhard.
That allowed the All-Star guard to get a get a head of steam as he sprinted towards the basket, burying a runner through contact from Patrick Beverley with 1.6 seconds to play. After sending the sell-out crowd into hysterics, he knocked down the ensuing free throw.
“I just knew I was shooting it no matter what,” Haliburton said. “Didn’t know what I was going to get to, it was just kind of based off of feel out there. Khris pushed Pascal (Siakam) up to tell Patrick to go under, so as soon as I saw Patrick kind of turn his head I just rejected and that opened everything up across the middle.”
Haliburton’s heroics gave Indiana the victory and a 2-1 series lead over the third-seeded Bucks.
It was the fitting end to a memorable night for Haliburton, who recorded just the fourth postseason triple-double in franchise history, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists.
Haliburton was just 7-for-21 from the field and 1-for-12 from 3-point range before his final attempt, but he got a shot to fall when the Pacers needed it most.
“I finally made a shot,” he quipped in his postgame press conference. “I couldn’t buy a bucket today.”
Haliburton had to wait until his fourth NBA season to get his first taste of playoff basketball, but once he did, he didn’t wait long to add his name to Pacers postseason lore.
“I live for these moments,” Haliburton said. “That’s why I’m here. They have a lot of trust in me, this organization does. I felt like with six seconds, it was enough time for me to get a good look and it happened.”
The Pacers appeared to have Game 3 won in regulation, but Middleton’s last-second 3-pointer sent the game into overtime.
In the extra session, Middleton and Myles Turner traded jumpers before a wild Pacers possession that began with 3:23 on the clock and ended with 1:42 and somehow ended with no points. Indiana missed six shots in that sequence, managing to come up with five offensive rebounds before Damian Lillard pulled down a missed three by Haliburton and dished ahead to Middleton, who was fouled on the break.
Two free throws from the veteran put Milwaukee up 115-113 with 1:35 remaining, but Andrew Nembhard answered with a jumper to tie the game with 1:03 remaining.
After Middleton missed a contested shot on the other end, the Pacers ran down the shot clock. As the seconds ticked down, Haliburton dished to Pascal Siakam at the free throw line, who immediately passed to Aaron Nesmith in the left corner. Nesmith buried a three in front of the Bucks’ bench to put the Pacers in front with 14.4 seconds to play.
The Bucks called timeout, then ran a play that got Middleton a look at the top of the arc, which he somehow banked in with 6.7 seconds remaining.
That’s when Haliburton stepped into the hero’s role, hitting a dramatic basket that proved to be the game-winner.
On the other end, Middleton didn’t have an answer this time, as his 3-point heave from left wing came up short at the buzzer and the Pacers held on for a dramatic victory.
Turner led Indiana with 29 points and nine rebounds in the victory, going 10-for-21 from the field and 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Siakam added 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
The Pacers led by as many as 19 in the first half and didn’t trail until under 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. There were five lead changes and four ties over the next six minutes and the two teams were tied at 104 with four minutes to play on Friday.
Middleton banked in a fadeaway with 3:53 remaining, but the Pacers countered on the other end, with Haliburton driving and dishing to Turner for a slam.
Neither team scored over the next two minutes. After Nembhard missed a long three, Middleton corralled the rebound but stepped out of bounds on the sideline with 1:30 remaining while trying to push the ball up the floo.
After a timeout, the Pacers ran the shot clock down. Nesmith had to hoist a contested jumper at the buzzer. It missed, but Siakam came up with the rebound and Nembhard was fouled by Beverley with 56 seconds remaining.
The Pacers were in the bonus, so the second-year guard headed to the free throw line. He missed the first, but made the second to give Indiana a 107-106 lead.
On the other end, Lillard missed a jumper. Haliburton ran the shot clock down before hoisting a three from the right wing. He missed, but once again Siakam was in the right place, gathering the rebound and putting it back up through contact from Lillard with 19.8 seconds left. After a replay review confirmed the call, the 30-year-old forward missed a free throw that would have made it a two-possession game.
Middleton’s layup with 9.6 seconds left kept Milwaukee’s hopes alive and the visitors fouled Nesmith with 6.9 seconds remaining. The fourth-year forward ignored some barking from the Bucks’ bench and confidently knocked down both shots from the charity stripe.
After a timeout, the Bucks inbounded to Brook Lopez at the top of the key who handed to Middleton. The four-time All-Star dribbled right and launched a deep three, that fell through the net to tie the game at 111 with 1.4 seconds remaining.
“We did have a scenario to foul and we just didn’t do it,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He was so far out on the first one, we laid off and didn’t lunge at him. And then the second one was a similar situation. I know that question will come up. When those things go wrong, it’s on me. I take responsibility for that.”
The Pacers took a timeout and inbounded to Siakam, but he couldn’t get a three to fall from the left wing, sending the game into the extra session.
Middleton, who wasn’t even cleared to play in Game 3 until a little over an hour before the game because of a sprained right ankle, was sensational for Milwaukee in the loss, finishing with 42 points on 16-of-29 shooting (4-of-9 from 3-point range), 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Lillard added 28 points and eight assists for the Bucks. The eight-time All-Star went just 6-for-20 from the field, but was 12-for-12 from the free throw line.
The Pacers jumped in front on their very first possession of Game 3, with Turner knocking down a three from the top of the key and the Blue & Gold methodically built their lead over the opening frame.
Haliburton attacked the basket on two straight possessions a few minutes in, first throwing down a two-handed dunk and then converting a tough finish in traffic to put Indiana up 14-8.
Obi Toppin checked in off the bench immediately after that sequence and made an immediate impact of his own, scoring 11 of Indiana’s next 15 points while converting his first five shots.
The Bucks — already without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a calf injury — seemed to suffer another blow late in the first quarter when Lillard fell to the ground after converting a layup with 2:32 remaining in the frame. Lillard immediately grabbed his left knee and remained down as Toppin converted an alley-oop on the other end. He was helped to the locker room, but somehow returned to start the second quarter.
Still, the Pacers took advantage of Lillard’s brief absence, extending their lead to as many as 19 points and taking a 39-22 lead into the second quarter.
Milwaukee mounted a charge in the second quarter, gradually chipping away at the margin and getting it to 49-39 on Brook Lopez’s layup with 6:28 remaining in the first half. The Pacers responded on the next two possessions, with Haliburton finding Toppin for a three and then rookie guard Ben Sheppard converting a three-point play to push the lead back to 16.
But the Bucks kept coming, reeling off an 11-2 run capped by Middleton banking in a jumper to make it a 57-50 game with 3:22 to play before halftime.
The Pacers closed the half with a 10-5 spurt to build back some breathing room, capped by a memorable play by Haliburton, who flew in for a putback slam of an Nembhard miss to cap the scoring the first half.
It was a fitting close to a half where the Blue & Gold dominated the hustle categories, outscoring Milwaukee 20-6 in second-chance points.
Nembhard scored the first five points of the second half to push the lead to 17, but the Bucks once again clawed back. The visitors closed the frame with a 17-9 spurt — capped by a midrange jumper from Middleton at the buzzer — to trim their deficit to 90-83 entering the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee continued its surge in the fourth quarter, with Lillard drilling a deep three to make it 92-90 with 10:23 to play. That forced a timeout from Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who went back to his starters, but Lillard swished another three on the Bucks’ next possession to give them their first lead all night.
Bobby Portis’ putback pushed Milwaukee’s lead to 95-92 before Pascal Siakam righted the ship with four straight points to put Indiana back in front with 7:24 remaining.
The Bucks retook the lead briefly on a Middleton floater, but Haliburton answered with a stepback three with 6:01 remaining. On the other end, Lillard drew a foul and hit both free throws to tie the game at 99, but once again, Haliburton answered, this time with a runner at 5:14.
Lillard drew contact once again, converting both free throws to tie the game once again with 4:59 remaining. Portis and Turner then traded threes over the next minute, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
“It was a lot of fun,” Haliburton said. “A lot of energy in the building. Just a really fun game. Playing in overtime, like what more could you ask for? Really fun atmosphere and I look forward to playing another game here in a couple days.”
Six Pacers finished in double figures in the win. Nembhard tallied 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Toppin scored 15 points off the bench. Nesmith had 13 points, eight boards, and three steals.
Portis finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee. Lopez tallied 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Beverley had 11 points, but fouled out on Haliburton’s game-winner.
Neither team will have much time to rest, as they return to action on Sunday night at 7:00 PM ET for Game 4.
“We still have lofty goals in mind,” Turner said. “I think that we’re excited about this win, but we also know that this game went into overtime on our home turf and anything is possible in this series. We have to be ready for all scenarios. We’re a very confident group, but I think we’re very realistic as well. We know the task we have at hand.
“We’re excited about the win, we’ll celebrate it tonight, but we’re literally right back to work tomorrow.
Inside the Numbers
Turner’s 29 points were a new playoff career high. He had scored 22 twice previously, including in Game 2 on Tuesday.
After scoring 36 and 37 in Games 1 and 2, Siakam only tallied 17 on Friday, but 11 came in the second half.
Middleton’s 42 points were a new playoff career high. He previously scored 40 in Game 4 of the 2021 NBA Finals against Phoenix on July 14, 2021.
The Pacers finished with 19 offensive rebounds to the Bucks’ 11 and outscored Milwaukee 32-15 in second-chance points. Haliburton had five offensive rebounds, Siakam and Nesmith each had four, and Nembhard grabbed three.
Indiana’s bench outscored Milwaukee’s reserves 28-4. In addition to Toppin’s 15 points, T.J. McConnell scored seven points and Sheppard added six for the Pacers.
Despite playing an extra five minutes, the Pacers had only eight turnovers all night.
Both teams struggled from 3-point range, with Indiana going 13-for-49 (26.5 percent) and Milwaukee finishing 10-for-31 (32.3 percent).
You Can Quote Me On That
“That was unreal, bro. Don’t get me started. That was everything I hoped for. I wouldn’t say worth the five-year wait — I wish it was here sooner, but it was definitely just an amazing atmosphere to play in. Just for my family to be able to experience that this time of year, it was really cool. For the guys that haven’t been here for the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, this was a great introduction for them. It’s only going to get crazier. It was amazing. Just energetic the entire game, never really was any lows. It was cool.” -Turner on getting to play a playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time since 2019
“It’s big. Being able to defend your home court and give the fans what they want to see. We couldn’t have done it tonight without them, and we’ll need it again on Sunday. It’s good to get this momentum and carry it forward.” -Nesmith on the fans
“I give our guys a lot of credit. As they gathered momentum, our guys stayed the course, they stayed strong, they kept battling. The offensive rebound count is the reason we were able to win the game. We had 19 offensive rebounds, which is a great number. Our guards were in their battling and Ty had five. There was some real guts to win this game.” -Carlisle on the Pacers finding a way to win
“I think just the feel of the game and the energy within the crowd. Like I felt like we had a lot of energy, especially in that first half. Shots weren’t falling, so I knew I had to impact the game a different way. Today that was just rebounding. I want to put my imprint on the game any way I can.” -Haliburton on his offensive rebounds
“It’s easy to check out of a game. I don’t care if it’s the playoffs, if you’re missing shots and you don’t feel involved, that’s when I think things can start to go badly. He never once gave into that…He just stayed the course. Those shots weren’t going in. I’ve never seen him crash the glass like this ever. He got up, he had a couple crazy dunks. I think he understands what time of year this is. Even defensively, he’s really moving, he’s very active, he’s using his length.” -Turner on Haliburton’s impact
“Tyrese does what he does. We need him to be who he is, and that’s the player that he is. That’s the player that he can be. We’re just happy to have him on our side.” -Nesmith on Haliburton
“I do a lot of film work, a lot of film study. We played these guys five times this year. I’ve watched every single game, just watched how they’ve guarded me on different occasions, even when they had Giannis out there guarding me. I looked at all scenarios and just tried to put myself in the best position to be successful. I made some shots these past couple games.” -Turner on his strong offensive performance
“I haven’t been shooting the ball well, but I trust my work. I know I can shoot the ball. I’m going to continue to shoot it with confidence. That’s what happens when you trust your work – you make shots when it matters.” -Nesmith on his three late in overtime
Stat of the Night
Haliburton became just the fourth player in Pacers NBA franchise history to record a triple-double in the playoffs. The three previous players to do it were Mark Jackson (May 13, 1998 against New York), Paul George (April 21, 2013 against Atlanta), and Victor Oladipo (April 27, 2018 against Cleveland).
Haliburton’s 16 assists were also the second-most ever by a Pacer in the playoffs, trailing only Jackson’s 17 at Cleveland on April 27, 1998.
Noteworthy
Friday’s game was the first playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse a 110-106 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of their first round series on April 21, 2019. It was the Blue & Gold’s last home playoff victory was a 121-87 Game 6 rout of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 27, 2018.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the number-one pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, “revved up” the crowd at the start of Game 3, receiving a standing ovation from the sellout crowd.
In addition to Clark, the entire Fever team attended Game 3 (they open training camp on Sunday), as did former Pacers Derrick McKey and Metta World Peace, former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, and Colts players Anthony Richardson, Kenny Moore II, and E.J. Speed.
Up Next
The Pacers and Bucks will meet again at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 4 on Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDY ELEVEN
PREVIEW #INDVNC
#INDvNC Preview
Indy Eleven vs North Carolina FC
Saturday, April 27, 2024 – 7 p.m. ET
Michael A. Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis, Indiana
Follow Live
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #INDvNC MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2024 USL Championship Records
Indy Eleven: 1-4-2, 5 pts (-5); 11th Eastern Conference
North Carolina FC: 1-3-3, 6 pts (-3); 9th Eastern Conference
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to The Mike Saturday to host USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent North Carolina FC. North Carolina returns to Championship action in 2024 after three seasons at the USL League One level, which included a 2023 league title.
Indy is coming off a 1-1 draw at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC to move to 1-4-2 on the season. North Carolina is coming off a 3-2 loss to New Mexico United and sits at 1-3-3.
SERIES VS. NORTH CAROLINA
Saturday marks the 19th meeting all-time between the clubs with Indy holding the 10-4-4 advantage. The Boys in Blue won the most recent match up 2-1 and had a four-match win streak from Oct. 15, 2016-Sept. 13, 2017.
Indy Leads 10-4-4 | GF 29, GA 23
Recent Meetings
Aug. 3, 2019 | W, 2-1 | Away
May 4, 2019 | D, 0-0 | Home
Aug. 15, 2018 | W, 3-2 | Home
April 7, 2018 | W, 1-0 | Away
Oct. 29, 2017 | D, 2-2 | Home
LAST TIME OUT
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Saturday, April 20, 2024) – Indy Eleven went on the road to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and picked up at 1-1 draw.
Colorado Springs set the tone early in the match with Ronaldo Dumas finding the back of the net in just the third minute for the early lead.
The momentum shifted, however, over a 15-minute stretch in the first frame that saw five yellow cards between the two sides. Indy registered nearly 70% of possession during that period and capped it off with a 31st-minute tally from Augi Williams. The play started with a Jack Blake ball into team assist leader Aedan Stanley, who found Williams for a header inside the six for his third helper of 2024. The goal was the second for Williams.
The teams went into the locker room knotted at one, with Indy holding the possession battle at 56% and the Switchbacks taking the advantage in shots (10-5) and shots on frame (3-2).
Indy played a dominant second half against a 10-man Colorado Springs squad following Wahab Ackwei’s 58th-minute red card for violent conduct, but was unable to find the match winner.
The home team saw its last shot of the match in the 53rd minute, while Indy managed eight shots, with two on frame, and held 64% of the possession in the second half.
Blake led the visitors with four shots, while goal scorer Williams added three. In his first start of the season, Hunter Sulte registered a pair of saves off three shots faced.
The Boys in Blue have now scored in seven straight matches to open the season, the longest stretch to open a USL Championship campaign since six games to open the 2019 season and a longer streak than at any point in 2023.
Scoring Summary
COS – Ronaldo Damus 3’
IND – Augi Williams (Aedan Stanley) 31’
Discipline Summary
IND – Callum Chapman-Page (caution) 14’
IND – Cam Lindley (caution) 14’
COS – Aidan Rocha (caution) 15’
IND – Douglas Martinez (caution) 18’
COS – Juan Tejada (caution) 20’
COS – Yosuke Hanya (caution) 45’
COS – Wahab Ackwei (ejection) 58’
COS – Maalique Foster (caution) 70’
IND – Benjamin Ofeimu (caution) 87’
TOTW X3
Jack Blake earned his third USL Championship Team of the Week honor of the 2024 season following a two-goal performance against Louisville City FC (4.6). Blake also earned back-to-back team of the week accolades following his performances in weeks one and two. Blake leads Indy Eleven with four goals in six matches after scoring a pair against LouCity, already besting his season total (3) from 2023.
Indy opened the season with back-to-back weeks with two players on the USL Championship Team of the Week. Blake and Younes Boudadi were honored after the week one match at Oakland, while Blake repeated alongside Aedan Stanley after the win over Memphis week two.
TOP-10 TEAMMATES
Sebastian Guenzatti (T6th, 72) and Augi Williams (9th, 68) serve as the only pair of active teammates in the USL Championship’s top 10 for all-time regular season goals.
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO MICHIGAN STATE IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– The Indiana Men’s Tennis team’s 2024 came to a close Friday night in Evanston, falling to No. 3 seed Michigan State, 4-1, in the Big Ten Tournament.
In doubles play, Facundo Yunis and Luc Boulier found success, taking thw win at No. 3 doubles, 7-5. The duos efforts would not be enough however, as Michigan State would take the win at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to secure the lead heading into singles play.
In singles play, Facundo Yunis would earn himself a win at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Michigan State would take wins at No. 1, 3, and 4 singles to win the match, 4-1.
With the Loss, Indiana finishes the season with a 16-11 record on the year, and a 4-6 record in conference play.
Final Results
INDIANA 1, MICHIGAN STATE 4
Singles competition
1. Aristotelis Thanos (MSUM) def. #100 Sam Landau (IND) 6-4, 6-1
2. Facundo Yunis (IND) def. Sebastien Collard (MSUM) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
3. Max Sheldon (MSUM) def. Michael Andre (IND) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
4. David Saye (MSUM) def. Jagger Saylor (IND) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
5. Taym Alazmeh (MSUM) vs. Ilya Tiraspolsky (IND) 7-5, 3-6, 4-4, unfinished
6. #124 Graydon Lair (MSUM) vs. Deacon Thomas (IND) 4-6, 6-0, 5-6, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Aristotelis Thanos/Ozan Baris (MSUM) def. Jagger Saylor/Ilya Tiraspolsky (IND) 6-3
2. Graydon Lair/Max Sheldon (MSUM) def. Sam Landau/Carson Haskins (IND) 7-6 (7-1)
3. Luc Boulier/Facundo Yunis (IND) def. Sebastien Collard/Taym Alazmeh (MSUM) 7-5
Order of finish
Singles: 1, 2, 3, 4, unfinished
Doubles: 1, 3, 2
INDIANA TRACK
INDIANA TRACK & FIELD FINISHES DAY ONE OF TEXAS INVITATIONAL
AUSTIN, Texas – Indiana Track and Field finished day one of the Texas Invitational on Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Antonio Laidler placed in the top-three in the 200m dash posting a wind aided time of 20.57. Morgan Snow was the top-finisher in the women’s 200m with a time of 23.34.
Alex Smith advanced to the Long Jump finals with his furthest jump of 7.51m/24-7.75. Kelly Moran set a new personal best in the event with a leap of 5.71m/18-8.75.
Micah Camble finished fifth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.97.
On the distance side, Cole Raymond finished second in the 3000m Steeplechase. Grace Tyson ran her first 1500m race with a time of 4:39.97.
Up next, Indiana will compete on the final day of the Texas Invitational and the one-day Sycamore Open meet in Terre Haute, Ind.
Texas Invitational: April 26
Time Event: Athletes
Long Jump (M) 9. Alex Smith: 7.51m/24-7.75
Long Jump (W) 11. Kelly Moran: 5.71m/18-8.75 | Personal Best
200 Meters (M) 3. Antonio Laidler: 20.57w
16. Otto De St Jeor: 21.20w
20. Trelee Banks: 21.35w
26. Novo Onovwerosuoke: 21.52w
200 Meters (W) 23. Morgan Snow: 24.34
32. Kristina Vincic: 24.65w
49. Cambell Wamsley: 26.40w
400mH (M) 5. Micah Camble: 51.97
12. John Colquitt: 54.34
400mH (W) 13. Ryann Parrish: 1:02.94
16. Kai Snell: 1:04.95
3000 MeterS (M) 2. Cole Raymond: 9:57.04
1500 Meters (W) 9. Grace Tyson: 4:39.97
INDIANA SOFTBALL
HOOSIERS COMPLETE COMEBACK TO BEAT WISCONSIN
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After trailing early, Indiana scored six runs in the last three innings capped off by a walk-off single from Alex Cooper to defeat Wisconsin, 6-5, on Friday night at Andy Mohr Field.
With the win, Indiana is now 36-13 on the season, and 11-7 in Big Ten play.
INDIANA 6, WISCONSIN 5
KEY MOMENTS
• Wisconsin started off the game with a home run in the top of the first inning from Girardot.
• The Badgers would extend their lead to 5-0 after two home runs and a double across the fourth and fifth innings.
• Indiana would make ground in the bottom of the fifth inning. Junior Taylor Minnick singled through the right side to score senior Brooke Benson and make it a 5-1 game.
• Two at bats later, sophomore Avery Parker hit a groundout to shortstop to score junior Brianna Copeland and make it 5-2.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Benson hit a two-run home run to bring Indiana closer, only trailing 5-4.
• In the bottom of the seventh, the Hoosiers had the bases loaded when freshman Alex Cooper hit a walk-off single to left field center, scoring freshman Aly VanBrandt and redshirt senior Cora Bassett to win the game, 6-5.
NOTABLES
• Copeland went 3-for-4 from the plate.
• Eight Hoosiers recorded a hit.
• IU outhit Wisconsin, 13-7.
• Four Hoosiers had multiple hits: Copeland (3), Minnick (2), Andrews (2), Benson (2).
• Cooper and Brooke Benson each recorded two RBIs in the game.
INDIANA BASEBALL
THREE HOME RUNS, OUTSTANDING PITCHING SECURES OPENER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A scheduled bullpen day turned into one of the best outings on the mound this year for the Indiana Baseball team (23-18-1, 8-5 B1G). The Hoosiers rode three innings a piece from juniors Brandon Keyster (W, 1-0) and Julian Tonghini and sophomore Brayden Risedorph (SV, 2) to an 8-3 win on Friday (April 26) night at Bart Kaufman Field.
Seven of eight Hoosier runs came via the long ball. Redshirt freshman Joey Brenczewski set the tone in the first inning, taking a hanging breaking ball into the left field bullpen for a three-run home run. Freshman Cal Sefcik hit his first career home run in the seventh and junior Nick Mitchell put the game on ice with a long ball of his own in the same inning.
The victory on Friday night was the first series-opening win at Bart Kaufman Field this season. IU beat Butler on a Friday night but it was the second game of the four-game set. The Hoosiers will look for the series win tomorrow (2:00 PM ET) afternoon with sixth-year senior Ty Bothwell taking the bump. IU has won its previous three series in the month of April and will look to keep pace with Illinois in the Big Ten standings.
Scoring Recap
Bottom First
Joey Brenczewski set the tone early, hammering a two-strike slider into the bullpen in left field for a three-run home run. Josh Pyne (walk) and Tyler Cerny (single) both scored on the play.
Indiana 3, Rutgers 0
Top Fourth
Ty Doucette hit a ground-rule double to left-center field to bring home Tony Santa Maria. Johnny Volpe followed that up with a single into right field to bring home Josh Kuroda-Grauer.
Indiana 3, Rutgers 2
Bottom Fifth
Jasen Oliver led the inning off with a triple to center field. In the next at-bat, he came around to score on a wild pitch.
Indiana 4, Rutgers 2
Bottom Seventh
Cal Sefcik hit a mammoth 429-foot home run to dead center field, a ball that left the bat at 109 miles per hour. Nick Mitchell followed that up with a two-run home run to left field.
Indiana 8, Rutgers 2
Top Eighth
Volpe recorded an RBI on a hard-hit ball at the shortstop. Tyler Cerny gloved it and made the force out at second base, trading the run for an out.
Indiana 8, Rutgers 3
Top Hoosier Performers
#23 Brenczewski, Joey
2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
#45 Tonghini, Julian
3.0 IP, 1 H, 6 K
Notes to Know
• Redshirt freshman Joey Brenczewski had his 14th multi-hit game of the season. He now leads the team in batting average (.351) and is hitting .447 (21-47) in 12 conference starts this year.
• Freshman Cal Sefcik hit his first career home run with a massive two-run shot in the seventh inning. He’s the 15th different player to hit a home run this year for IU and the fourth freshman to hit one.
• An equally strong performance on both sides of the ball, IU did a great job in limiting walks on the mound and strikeouts at the plate. IU only struck out five times in 31 at-bats and walked just one batter across nine innings against the Scarlet Knights.
Up Next
The Hoosiers turn their focus to Saturday in hopes of taking the series a day early with Ty Bothwell heading to the bump. The game, with a first pitch of 2:00 PM, will be streamed on BTN+ and can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SHAY CIEZKI SIGNS WITH INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball has announced the addition of Shay Ciezki to its 2024-25 roster. Ciezki arrives in Bloomington after two seasons at Penn State and will have two seasons of eligibility at IU.
“We have seen firsthand in the Big Ten how explosive Shay can be,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. “She is a great perimeter player with quickness to make plays off the bounce. Shay is going to be a great addition to our backcourt. Getting to know Shay and her family we know she will fit in well with our system and culture and look forward to getting her to Bloomington.”
Ciezki played in 65 career games with the Lady Lions, making 59 starts while averaging 11.6 points, 2.4 assists, 2.2 rebounds and shot 42.5 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc in two seasons. As a sophomore in 2023-24, the Buffalo, N.Y. native was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection where she knocked down 74 3-pinters while averaging 11.5 points per game to help Penn State to the inaugural WBIT semifinals. She started in 30 games and scored in double figures in 19 games including a career-high 40 points against Central Connecticut State where she hit eight 3-pointers.
In her freshman season, she finished with the third most 3-pointers made by a freshman at Penn State (64) and the fourth-best 3-point field goal percentage amongst rookies (46.1) in school history, which also ranks third in the program’s history in a single season. Ciezki started in 29 of 30 games as a freshman, averaging 11.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game while finishing second in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage that season. She collected 18 double figure scoring games and led Penn State in 3-point percentage. Ciezki rated as the No. 56 player out of high school and No. 14 point guard in 2022 by ESPN Hoopgurlz as she led St. Mary’s High School to a Class A State championship and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee.
PURDUE BASEBALL
BOILERS FLY THE W AT WRIGLEY, WIN 8TH STRAIGHT IN BIG TEN PLAY
CHICAGO – A four-hit night from Luke Gaffney and quality start from Jordan Morales carried Purdue Baseball to a memorable 9-3 victory vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Friday, the Boilermaker’s eighth consecutive win in Big Ten Conference play.
Purdue (27-15, 9-4 Big Ten) led wire to wire and has not trailed in a Big Ten game since the top of the ninth of the April 6 victory at Rutgers, good for a streak of 45 consecutive innings. The eight-game win streak in conference play remains the program’s longest since the 2018 team won nine in a row.
Gaffney singled in his final four at-bats, registering his second four-hit game of the season. He plated insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings, finishing with three or more RBI in a game for the ninth time this year. The redshirt freshman has 67 hits and 59 RBI in 41 games and an identical .411 batting average in all games and Big Ten play.
Morales (6-4) worked six innings of two-run ball in his fifth quality start of the season, including his third in his last four outings. The lefthander retired eight of the final nine batters he faced. Purdue pitching put seven zeros on the board Friday, retiring 17 of Northwestern’s final 19 batters. The Wildcats’ only hit after the fourth inning was a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth. The Boilermakers had already opened up a 7-2 lead at that point.
Mike Bolton Jr. and Camden Gasser were all over the bases as Purdue’s 1-2 combination at the top of the lineup. The speedsters reached base safely a combined six times and scored five of the Boilermakers’ nine runs. Bolton led off the game with his 100th career walk, becoming the first Purdue player to reach the century mark since Harry Shipley in 2018. Bolton’s two-out single ignited a four-run rally in the top of the eighth inning as the Boilermakers battered the NU bullpen to blow open a one-run affair.
Gasser reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances, raising his league-leading on-base percentage to .532. He plated Bolton with an RBI single in the first inning, recorded the first of three consecutive two-out hits in the top of the third and came around to score after drawing a free pass in each of the final two frames.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 21-game on-base streak; 19-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 7-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Luke Gaffney – 13-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 6-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Jo Stevens – 10-game hit streak in Big Ten play; 16-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Camden Gasser – Reached base safely multiple times in 8 consecutive games
• Connor Caskenette – 10-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 6-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Couper Cornblum – 10-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 95 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Jo Stevens’ two-out, two-run single capped the scoring in the top of the eighth as the sixth consecutive Boilermaker to reach base safely. Stevens now has a 10-game hit streak in Big Ten play after posting hit streaks of 10 and 12 games (in all games) earlier this season.
Fellow Australian Keenan Spence had an eventful night in right field. He made a leaping catch in front of the ivy-covered wall for the final out of the first inning. Two innings later a pop up into short right center found its way into the Bermuda Triangle and dropped for a hit. After initially losing the ball in the twilight, Spence recovered and easily threw the batter out at third base.
Avery Cook struck out four of the seven batters he faced over two innings of one-hit relief. CJ Backer closed out the victory with Purdue’s fourth true 1-2-3 inning of the night.
Purdue has won 10 of the last 13 vs. Northwestern since 2018. The Boilermakers also handed NU its first loss in three games at Wrigley dating back to 2013.
The three-game weekend series shifts to Rocky and Berenice Miller Park in Evanston for the final two games. Saturday’s middle game is slated for 2 p.m. ET.
PURDUE TRACK
BOILERMAKERS CONTINUE DRAKE RELAYS
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Purdue track & field team continued competition at the Drake Relays on a rainy, weather-impacted Friday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Boilermakers had several field events compete on the second day of the nationally-renowned meet. The day was delayed by severe weather throughout the morning.
In the final weekend of the regular season, Purdue’s distance runners, throwers and jumpers are at the Drake Relays from April 25-27 and the sprinters and jumpers are at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona, on April 27.
Friday in Des Moines was highlighted by sophomore Seth Allen, who was third in the discus championship event. Allen registered a mark of 57.46 meters on his fourth throw, which moved him up from sixth place.
Earlier, in the open discus, fellow sophomore John Hanson had a season-best throw of 50.14m on his third attempt.
On Thursday to begin the weekend, a pair of record-book marks in the steeplechase, by senior Caleb Williams and junior Jaelyn Burgos, was followed by a top-10 time in the 10,000-meters from senior Caroline Jordan. Junior Jason Polydoris won the 10,000m to conclude the night. The Boilermakers earned four top-five finishes and registered five personal-best times.
The Drake Relays conclude for Purdue on Saturday with two field events, beginning at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Arizona’s Drachman Stadium also will host the Desert Heat Classic on Saturday. The Boilermakers are scheduled to begin competition at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT, and the one-day meet will wrap up shortly after 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results (Drake | Arizona) and the meet schedules (Drake | Arizona). There also will be a live stream of the Drake Relays. Additional updates can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
HAYES RECORDS 2-RUN HOMER FOR COMEBACK VICTORY
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Just one strike away from Maryland taking Game One of the series, Hailey Hayes recorded a two-run home run for the Purdue softball team (24-22, 10-8 Big Ten) to come from behind and take the game, 2-1, at Maryland (19-28, 4-14 Big Ten).
Hayes’ dinger came on a 1-2 count, scoring Sage Scarmardo, who reached first on a fielding error by the third baseman.
The pitcher’s dual saw just three hits by Purdue and four by Maryland, with half of the Terrapins’ coming in the first inning. In total, six runners were left stranded between the two teams, with each tallying three apiece.
Relief pitcher Emma Bailey received the win, the second of her career, as she improved to 2-4 this season. Meanwhile, Julia Gossett, who entered for Bailey and faced the final two batters, earned her third save. Bailey tossed one inning, allowing one hit, before Gossett came in and closed the game with a strikeout.
Maryland had its chance in the bottom of the seventh, placing the game-tying run on third base with two outs remaining, however a fly ball and a strikeout looking sealed the Boilermaker victory.
Starting pitcher Kendall Klochack tossed the first 5.1 innings, allowing three hits along the way. The junior registered three strikeouts, each of which came as the final out of the first, second and fifth inning.
Purdue left two runners stranded in scoring position in the third inning, after a double by McFadden and a single, then steal put Banks on second.
The Boilermakers are now 11-4 over their last 15 games and will look to clinch the series tomorrow in Game 2. The game will begin at 2 p.m. ET and be streamed on B1G+.
PURDUE MEN’S GOLF
PURDUE IN THE HUNT AFTER DAY ONE AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 28-ranked Purdue men’s golf team put itself in position for a league title after one day at the Big Ten Championships held at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.
The Boilermakers totaled an 8-over par 288 to finish round one in third place, eight shots behind leader Northwestern and two shots behind Michigan State. Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin are all tied for fourth at 10-over par, while Ohio State (+11) is seventh and Rutgers is eighth at 12-over par.
After the leaders, there are 10 teams within eight shots of second place.
“We were very solid from tee to green today on a difficult course. This is a very demanding course that requires a lot of patience and a really good game plan,” said head coach Rob Bradley. “We need to do a much better job on the greens on Saturday and Sunday, but these guys know how to compete and we fully expect to be there in the mix on Sunday.”
Purdue is in the top three after 18 holes for the first time since leading after 18 holes in the 2019 Big Ten Championships, held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The Boilermakers finished that year second by just five shots.
The Boilermakers were paced by Kent Hsaio after an opening-round, even-par 70. Hsiao’s only slip-up came on the difficult par-4 eighth hole, where he hit the ball in the water on his approach shot and recorded a double bogey. However, he played the back nine in 1-under par and is one of just seven golfers to record an even-par round or better.
Peyton Snoeberger also had a solid round, sitting in T-8 after a 1-over par 71. Snoeberger bogeyed his second hole of the day, but played the final 16 holes in even-par.
Herman Sekne is tied for 23rd after a 3-over par 73. Sekne was 3-over par after five holes, got to 1-under back with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7, but double-bogeyed No. 8 to give the birdies back. He then recorded eight pars, one birdie and a bogey on his final hole for his 73.
Nels Surtani and Sam Easterbrook both recorded front-nine eagles, but posted no combined birdies on the back nine and are tied for 32nd at 4-over par 74.
The Boilermakers will tee off in Saturday’s final grouping, starting at 10:40 a.m. ET, off hole No. 1, while being paired with Michigan State and Northwestern.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX
IRISH FALL IN ACC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The University of Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team fell in the ACC Tournament semifinals, 9-7, Friday night in a strong defensive effort between the Irish and the Boston College Eagles.
Madison Ahern got the scoring started after a strong defensive stand on both ends of the field early in the first quarter. The graduate attacker fired a shot low on the BC goalkeeper, giving the Irish the 1-0 lead with 10:22 to play in the opening frame.
The Eagles tied it up over two minutes later to make it a 1-1 contest as they reached the first media break of the night.
BC won the ensuing draw, their first of the night, but the Irish came up with the ground ball off a blocked Eagles shot and regained possession. The Irish could not convert on the opportunity and the Eagles reclaimed the ball. While killing off the yellow card, the Eagles eventually capitalized to take their first lead of the game with 3:13 to play as the Irish found themselves down 2-1.
The Eagles extended their lead moments later off a free position goal to make it a 3-1 game with just over two minutes to play in the frame.
Kasey Choma and Jackie Wolak connected on a highlight reel play late in the first quarter with Wolak finding Choma in front of the crease who buried it past Dolce to make it a 3-2 game. The score would hold through the first horn signaling the end of the first quarter.
A series of caused turnovers by both the Irish and the Eagles kept the score stagnant through 10 minutes of the second stanza. The Eagles eventually broke the scoring drought when they were awarded a free position shot with 4:25 to play in the second quarter.
Winning the draw control following the BC tally, Kelly Denes became the stand alone program leader at the circle, recording her 368th career control with the Irish and etching her name in the history books.
The Irish drew within a goal with 1:53 remaining in the half after MK Doherty capitalized on a free position shot while on the powerplay to make it a 4-3 contest.
Notre Dame drew a foul late in the first half but the clock expired before they could capitalize and they went into the halftime break trailing by one.
Jackie Wolak scored her first of the day to tie the contest up 4-4 at 12:11 of the third quarter.
The Eagles took advantage of a free position shot shortly after to retake the lead and capitalized once more on the FPS late in the third quarter to take the two-goal lead as the Irish trailed 6-4 with 4:04 to play in the frame.
Wolak’s second of the contest came off the free position to draw the Irish within one of the Eagles with 1:55 to play in the third quarter.
BC answered shortly after with a shot that beat Callahan up top to make it a 7-5 contest with under 10 seconds to play in the frame.
Despite forcing a turnover and gaining possession in the waning seconds, the Irish were unable to get down field before the end of the quarter and headed into the fourth quarter trailing by two.
The Eagles opened the fourth quarter scoring as the Irish faced their largest deficit of the game to that point, trailing 8-5 early in the frame. Boston College scored again with 13:00 left to take the 9-5 lead over the Irish.
Ahern’s second of the day got the Irish back in the scoring column and made it a 9-6 contest with 8:55 to play.
On the other end of the field, Ali McHugh came up with a ground ball after an Eagles’ shot ricocheted off the post. With under eight minutes to play and trialing by three, the Irish called timeout on the recovery.
Kathryn Morrissey found the scoreboard with 5:19 to play in regulation to draw the Irish back within two goals.
With 1:30 left in regulation Madison Ahern intercepted a pass in the Irish offensive end on a failed clear attempt for the Eagles to keep the second-seeded team’s hopes alive as ND trailed 9-7.
The Irish put up a valiant effort in the final 90 seconds of play, attempting multiple shots as time wound down but were unable to convert and ultimately fell to the Eagles, 9-7, in the ACC semifinal matchup.
The second-ranked Irish move to 15-3 on the season and are forced to wait another season for their chance at the first ACC Championship berth in program history.
KEY STATS
Starting in the midfield for the Irish Friday night Kasey Choma officially broke the program record for games played, dressing in her 83rd consecutive contest for the Blue and Gold.
With her second draw of the first half, Kelly Denes became the program’s all-time leader at the circle as she recorded her 368th career draw control. The senior draw specialist finished the day with four draw controls and improved to 131 on the season. She is now four shy of tying her career best in a single season, set last year during the 2023 campaign.
The Irish forced seven turnovers in the contest, two of which were courtesy of Olivia Dooley who led the team in the category for the second straight tournament game. With three ground balls, Dooley also boasted a team-best in the category and finished her time in the 2024 ACC Tournament with eight ground balls and six caused turnovers.
Lilly Callahan picked up five saves in the contest and recorded one ground ball.
With two goals and an assist, the team’s leading scorer Jackie Wolak now owns 54 goals and 38 assists on the season for 92 points.
UP NEXT
The Irish will now have a week before learning of their NCAA postseason fate. The No. 2 Irish team are in the hunt to host and await the committee’s selection show on Sunday, May 5 at 9 p.m.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH EDGED OUT BY NO. 8 WAKE FOREST, FALLING 4-3
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (20-20, 5-17 ACC) came up just short against No. 8 Wake Forest (27-14, 12-10 ACC) in the first of a three-game weekend series Friday.
RHP Matt Bedford had an impressive start on the mound, holding the Demon Deacons to just two hits and no earned runs in five and two-thirds innings of work. RHP Bennett Flynn (1-2) struck out four, but ultimately shouldered the loss.
Offensively, the Irish saw two batters homer in the game – INF Connor Hincks hit a solo shot to put the Irish up early, and INF Simon Baumgardt smashed a two-run bomb to regain the lead in the seventh. Notre Dame did not trail in the game until the eighth inning.
Notre Dame entered the day tied for the ACC lead in fielding double plays (37) and Hincks led all ACC players by a large margin in fielding double plays with 36. He added one Friday with a double play to end the first inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wake Forest started off fast with a single, but Bedford dealt his first strikeout of the day in response. On the next batter, the Irish turned a double play courtesy of infielders Estevan Moreno, Jack Penney and Hincks. After two strikeouts for the Irish in the bottom of the inning, Penney slammed a double to the outfield, but a flyout ended the inning.
Bedford and the Irish sat Wake down in order in the second, with Bedford adding another strikeout. Hincks led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to put the Irish on top, 1-0. The next three batters sat down in order.
The Demon Deacons added a single to lead off the third, but the runner was unable to come home before the Irish went to bat. C Joey Spence drew a walk to lead off, but did not advance from first, and the game went to the fourth.
Wake Forest’s first two batters were retired in the fourth, and after a walk, Penney made an impressive cross-body play for the third out. Notre Dame went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning.
The Irish defense held strong in the fifth, forcing a groundout on the Deacon’s leadoff batter. After drawing a walk, Wake grounded into the second out. The next batter managed to draw another walk, but one more groundout to Bedford sent the Irish back to the plate. Notre Dame was unable to generate any offense, with all three batters retired in order to remain at 1-0.
Leading off in the sixth inning, the Irish forced a lineout to sit the first batter. The next Wake Forest batter forced a fielding error on a fly ball to reach second. The Irish were able to grab another groundout, but the Wake Forest runner advanced to scoring position. Turning to the bullpen after five and two-thirds innings, Flynn came into the game for Bedford. A wild pitch walked the batter and allowed Wake Forest to score from third, tying the game at 1-1. Flynn then delivered a three-pitch strikeout to push the game to the bottom of the sixth. After a flyout and a strikeout, Penney earned a walk, but in a close attempt to steal second on the next at-bat, he was called out.
Moving into the seventh, Flynn delivered back-to-back strikeouts to sit the first two batters in order. A groundout on the ensuing at-bat quickly sent the Irish back up to bat. Moreno sent a double down the left field line to lead off the bottom of the seventh. After a strikeout, Baumgardt crushed a two-run homer to put the Irish back on top, 3-1. A lineout and strikeout ended the inning with the Irish leading by two.
The Irish forced two quick outs to start the eighth inning including another three-pitch strikeout for Flynn. After drawing a walk on a full count, the next Demon Deacons batter then hit a homer to knot the game at 3-3. After a walk, RHP Tobey McDonough took the mound for Flynn. The Wake Forest runner then stole second, and the next batter drew a walk. A double on the next play scored one more for the Demon Deacons, putting them up 4-3. A foul-out got the Irish out of the half-inning, but they were then held to another three up, three down at the plate.
In the top of the ninth, McDonough wasted no time striking out Wake Forest’s leadoff batter. A groundout on the next play recorded the second out of the inning. Though the Deacons managed to draw another walk, a popup to Baumgardt sent the game to the bottom of the ninth. Notre Dame was unable to respond as a trio of strikeouts closed out the game.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and Wake Forest meet for the second of the three-game series on Saturday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network. Saturday’s game will also be the Bark in the Park game, with the first 50 dogs to receive a Bark in the Park leash. Fans must sign a waiver to be allowed admittance into the dog seating area. The waiver can be found at https://app.fightingirish.com/BSB24.
BUTLER BASEBALL
HOMERS HELP SETON HALL WIN GAME ONE AT BUTLER
INDIANAPOLIS – Seton Hall hit four home runs at Butler on Friday afternoon to collect a 7-3 win over the Bulldogs. BU led SHU 1-0 through three innings, but a four-run fourth followed by two more Pirate runs in the fifth would be the deciding factor.
The game opened on a high note as Carter Dorighi drove the first ball he saw over the wall to the deepest part of the park in right center. Butler added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Joey Urban hit an RBI double to left center and Ian Choi would score on a wild pitch.
SHU home runs went to Zak and Pokrovsky in the fourth, Sylvester in the fifth and a second home run from Sylvester came in the ninth.
Pirate starter Jackson Balzan picked up the win on the mound (2-0) and Michael Gillen threw three innings to get the save (2). Butler used three arms on Friday. Starter Tyler Banks tossed five innings and former Pirate Christian Finnigan threw one frame against Seton Hall. The final three innings went to Grant Brooks. Brooks struck out four to lead the ‘Dawgs in that column.
Game two of the series will be played at 2 PM tomorrow.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL FALLS IN SERIES OPENER AT NO. 24 NC STATE
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Ball State baseball team couldn’t overcome an early offensive onslaught from No. 24 NC State who won 10-2 on Friday night at Doak Field.
The Cardinals (25-16-1) got an RBI double in the fourth inning off the bat of Dylan Grego and a solo homer in the sixth by Blake Bevis, but the Wolfpack (23-16) scored eight of their runs in the game’s first four frames, including a grand slam by Alec Makarewicz in the fourth, to build an 8-1 advantage and cruise to the series-opening win.
NC State put up single tallies in the first and second innings followed by two runs in the third for the early 4-0 edge. Grego’s two-bagger plated Bevis, who had doubled two batters prior, to get the visiting Cardinals within three runs following the Top of the 4th.
Ball State’s offense got four extra-base hits on the night as Hunter Dobbins punched a double to right center in the eighth inning.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Sam Highfill (4-1) earned the win by tossing 6.0 innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts, while Ryan Marohn threw three scoreless innings to get his first save of the year. Ball State starter Merritt Beeker (6-3) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) in 3.0 innings of work.
Lucas Letsinger (two runs in 3.0 innings) and Zach Kwasny (one run in 2.0 innings) finished the game on the mound for the Cardinals, who suffered their first Friday setback since March 22 at Toledo.
The two teams are scheduled to play at 3 p.m. on Saturday for the middle game of the set.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS WISCONSIN TRANSFER TESSA TOWERS FOR 2024-25 SEASON
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team, under the direction of head women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee, will welcome its second Big Ten transfer and third Power Five player as Wisconsin’s Tessa Towers (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) will become a Cardinal for the 2024-25 season.
“We are so excited to provide Tessa a real chance to realize her potential,” Sallee Said. “Cleary her size is special. But her hands and agility separate her from her competitors. She will demand double teams and coupled with the talent that will surround her, will force opponents to pick their poison when it comes to defending us.”
Towers, a 6-5 center out of Batavia, Ill., has been a part of the Badgers program for two seasons. She made her collegiate debut for Wisconsin on Nov. 13, 2022, against North Florida. Since her freshman season, she has also seen playing time as a sophomore as well.
Prior to arrival with the Badgers, Towers attended Batavia High School where she was a highly decorated player earning Second-Team All-State in 2021-22 and All-State Special Mention in 2020-21.
A three-time all-conference selection, Towers aided her team to a regional championship in 2022. She also was awarded the 2022 Beacon-New/Courier-News All-Area for coach Kevin Jensen.
Towers finished her high school career with 1,000-plus points and added 691 rebounds along with 122 blocks. As a senior, Towers averaged 14.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Towers is one of three transfers that will join the Cardinals this season along with Texas A&M transfer, Maliyah Johnson, Michigan transfer Elise Stuck as well as early signees Grace Kingery (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville) and Zuri Ransom (Evanston, Ill./Evanston) for the 2024-25 season.
BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
BALL STATE TIED IN FIRST PLACE AFTER FIRST ROUND AT MAC MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Three Ball State golfers are tied at 2-under par after first-round play in the Mid-American Conference Championship, conducted Friday at The Club at Chatham Hills. Bolstered by first-round production from Carter Smith, Kash Bellar and Ali Khan, Ball State (283) sits in a first-place tie with Miami University (283), through 18 holes.
The Cardinals, seeking their first title at the MAC Championships since 1986, are hoping to take one step upward from last year’s runner-up finish to Northern Illinois.
“I’m really proud of the patience we displayed today as a team, and the collective effort from all five guys,” said 26th-year head coach Mike Fleck who has guided the Cardinals program to nine top-three and five runner-up finishes at the MAC Championships. “We weren’t making the birdies early today that some of the teams were posting, but credit our guys for turning it up on in the back half of the round.”
Playing in the Cardinals’ No. 1 position, Smith (70) fired par on 12 straight holes to open the tournament, then he eagled the par-5 13th hole and birdied the par-3 14th to sit at 3-under with four holes to play. He bogeyed the 16th hole and finished 2-under par to tie in sixth place with teammates Bellar and Khan.
Bellar (70), a junior who finished fourth in last year’s event, countered three bogeys with five birdies to tie among the leaders. Khan (70), another junior, had just one blemish – a double-bogey on the ninth hole. But he shot par on 13 holes and added four birdies.
The trio of Cardinals sits in a five-way tie in sixth place, sitting three strokes behind defending MAC champion Barend Botha (67), of Toledo. Miami’s Danny Fisher (68) is in second place at 4-under, with three golfers knotted at 3-under.
Ball State’s Braxton Kuntz (73) and Alec Cesare (73) both are tied in 17th place at 1-over par.
“We stuck to our game plan,” added Fleck, “did a much better job on the par 5s and posted the low back-nine team total. All five guys combined to go -7 on the closing nine holes and it was fun to watch. I’m really excited to get back after it tomorrow and compete!”
Second-round play begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, with a final round of 18 holes scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Ball State Individual Results, through First Round
No. 1 Carter Smith (70): 36-34—70 (-2, 6th)
No. 2 Kash Bellar (70): 36-34—70 (-2, 6th)
No. 3 Ali Khan (70): 37-33—70 (-2, 6th)
No. 4 Braxton Kuntz (73): 37-36—73 (+1, 17th)
No. 5 Alec Cesare (73): 37-36—73 (+1, 17th)
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
LATE RALLY FROM EVANSVILLE DEFEATS SYCAMORES ON WEDNESDAY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State softball fell to Evansville in the series finale with a score of 3-0. The Purple Aces took the series 2-1.
The Sycamores bats were quiet on Wednesday afternoon, where they picked up three hits against Evansville’s Weatherford (7-6). Abi Chipps led the Sycamores in game three, going 2-3, and picking up her 12th stolen base of the season. Chipps was put in scoring position in the first inning, but was left stranded for the Sycamores. Kenzie Cornwell also recorded a hit in the loss.
The final game of the three-game MVC series against Evansville was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Purple Aces picked up one run to take the 1-0 lead when the Sycamores recorded a throwing error, allowing Howe to score.
Evansville advanced their lead to 3-0 in the seventh inning, when they recorded four hits and drove in two runs with a 2 RBI single by Bode. Hailey Griffin took over the ball in the seventh, with one out, and got two quick outs, which left three stranded.
Lauren Sackett (8-12) took the loss in the circle for Indiana State, allowing six hits and three runs, while striking out four. Griffin closed out inning seven for the Sycamores to prevent the Purple Aces from advancing their lead.
Up Next:
Indiana State will host Southern Illinois for a three-game MVC series, where play begins on Friday, April 26 at 5 p.m ET. Game times are listed below with all three being streamed on ESPN+.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES DROP SERIES OPENER TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State Softball fell to Southern Illinois in five innings on Friday evening, with a score of 8-0.
The Salukis took game one of the three-game MVC series over the Sycamores, where Indiana State picked up three hits by Shade, Chipps, and Cornwell against Saluki’s Eberle. Maddia Groff (24-3) took the win in the circle for the Saluki’s where she allowed no hits and no runs scored.
Southern Illinois took the early lead 1-0 in the first inning, when they recorded back to back doubles by Warwick and Lis to take the lead over the Sycamores.
Solo home runs by Lis and Johnson in innings three and four advanced the Saluki’s lead to 3-0. Southern Illinois drove in five more runs in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single, two sacrifice flies, and two runs walked in, to build the SIU lead to 8-0 over the Sycamores.
The Sycamores were put in scoring position in the fourth inning when Abi Chipps and Kennedy Shade each recorded hits, but were left stranded. Chipps continues to rack up hits for Indiana State as she went into today’s game second overall in the MVC in hits, with 50. Kenzie Cornwell also picked up a hit for Indiana State, which records her fourth double of the 2024 season.
Hailey Griffin (6-6) took the loss in the circle for the Sycamores, and in 3.0 innings of work, Griffin allowed seven hits, five runs scored, while striking out three. Cassi Newbanks took over in the circle for the Sycamores in the fourth inning, allowing two hits and two runs scored in the 8-0 loss against SIU. Megan Asher closed out game one against Southern Illinois where she faced three batters and struck out two.
Up Next:
Indiana State will travel to Springfield, Missouri next weekend to compete in their final three-game MVC series against Missouri State. Game times are listed below.
Friday, May 3 @ 6 p.m ET
Saturday, May 4 @ 3 p.m ET
Sunday, May 5 @ 1 p.m ET
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MASTODONS DROP FRIDAY MATCHUP AT WRIGHT STATE
Fort Wayne, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne dropped the opener of their Horizon League series with Wright State 5-1 on Friday (April 26).
Wright State scored runs in each of the first three innings of the game. The Raiders pushed across one run in the first, two in the second, and added another in the third.
The Mastodons responded in the third inning with a two out RBI single from Jackson Micheels that plated Grant Thoroman. It was one of Micheels’ two hits on the day as he joined Ben Higgins, who walked twice, in reaching base multiple times.
The ‘Dons had chances in this one including leaving two runners on in the first and third innings. In the first inning, Jacob Walker was hit by a pitch and Higgins legged out an infield single, but were left at the corners as the inning ended.
Jake Shirk (4-3) got the win for Wright State after throwing six innings and allowing four hits with four strikeouts. Mac Ayres (1-5) took the loss for the ‘Dons after five innings on the mound with three walks and one strikeout. Garrett Peters picked up his fourth save of the season by getting nine outs and surrendering just one hit.
The ‘Dons meet the Raiders in game two on Saturday (April 27).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
MASTODON SOFTBALL SCORES 19 RUNS IN DOUBLEHEADER AT GREEN BAY
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team picked up a win over Green Bay on Friday (April 26) thanks to an offensive explosion that saw the Mastodons score 19 runs in the two contests.
GAME 1: Purdue Fort Wayne 9, Green Bay 0
From the opening at bat, Purdue Fort Wayne jumped out in front and never looked back in a 9-0 victory in the first game of the weekend.
Grace Hollopeter ripped a home run over the left center wall in the first at bat of the contest. She has done this in four of the last five games.
Later on in the frame, the ‘Dons added another run when Bailey Manos scored off the bat of Brooke Wintlend. Two innings later, Aglaia Rudd reached on a fielding error and Hollopeter scored her second run of the day. After that, Brooke Lickey grounded out, but Manos scored to give the ‘Dons a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth, Hollopeter had another RBI on a single to the left side to bring Brayden Lickey home. Two innings later, Brayden Lickey did the same for McKenna Minton to score.
To put the icing on the proverbial cake, Kennedy Peckinpaugh her first home run of her career in a pinch hit in the seventh inning. Brayden Lickey added another run with a single to right field to score her sister.
Alanah Jones put together another impressive pitching performance to pick up the win. She struck out 14 batters in 6.0 innings pitched and gave up just three hits. Alyson Quinlan finished up the game with eight pitches in the seventh inning, finishing with a line of one strikeout in 1.0 inning without yielding a hit.
Ava Schill took the loss for Green Bay in just 2.0 innings pitched.
GAME 2: Green Bay 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 10
Green Bay used three runs over the final two innings to take game two against the Mastodons.
Green Bay jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, but Purdue Fort Wayne evened it up an inning later behind the bat of Hollopeter. With bases loaded after Gwen McMenemy’s single scored Brayden Lickey, Hollopeter ripped a grand slam over the left center wall.
The fun of the game did not stop there. Green Bay scored two in the second, but then the Mastodons scored four in the fourth. Rudd doubled to score Hollopeter, Wintlend singled to score Manos, then Brayden Lickey singled to bring Rudd home. Lickey found her way home on a ground out shortly after to give the ‘Dons a 10-8 lead.
Green Bay responded with a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly then two in the seventh thanks to two Mastodon errors.
Jones was credited with the loss despite not allowing an earned run. There were only three earned runs given up by the Mastodon pitching staff. Martha Miller got the win despite eight earned runs.
Purdue Fort Wayne moves to 13-30 and 8-12 in the Horizon League with the split while Green Bay moves to 8-35, 3-17. The two teams will meet again on Saturday for the rubber game of the series.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
DEVERMAN’S GEM POWERS BASEBALL PAST MISSOURI STATE, 4-1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville freshman starter Kenton Deverman tossed a complete-game four-hitter on Friday night, as the host Purple Aces knocked off the visiting Missouri State Bears, 4-1, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
“What a special performance tonight by Kenton Deverman on the mound,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “He certainly did not look like a freshman tonight, as he went out and battled against a very good lineup in Missouri State.
“Tonight was a classic Friday night pitcher’s duel in the Missouri Valley Conference. I thought that their guy (Brandt Thompson) was really good tonight as well, and we were just able to scratch across enough runs to get the win and set us up for a situation to win another series on a Saturday.”
Deverman was strong from the start, allowing just a single hit through the first four innings. Missouri State would strike first against him in the fifth inning on a one-out RBI single by catcher Dylan Leach, but Deverman’s teammates quickly answered back to tie the game, and he retired 13 of the final 15 men he faced, not allowing a base runner past first base after the fifth inning.
UE tied the game for Deverman in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a hustle double by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert and a Missouri State error. Graduate third baseman Brent Widder then gave UE the lead for good in the sixth inning with a line-shot home run to left field for his ninth home run of the year. Senior shortstop Simon Scherry followed two batters later with an RBI double down the left-field line to move UE’s lead to 3-1. Another double by Taubert and an RBI single by graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger in the seventh inning capped the scoring for UE.
Deverman improved to 6-1 with the victory, striking out six in a complete-game effort. Taubert went 3-for-5 with three doubles, while Shallenberger added two hits.
With the victory, Evansville improved to 23-18 overall and 11-5 in the MVC. Missouri State, meanwhile, dropped to 17-23 overall and 6-10 in the MVC with the loss. The series will continue on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., with UE graduate left-hander Donovan Schultz (2-1, 6.29 ERA) scheduled to get the start for the Purple Aces. Saturday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
NINK’S WALK-OFF HOME RUN GIVES ACES 6-5 WIN OVER BEARS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the 7th inning, Jenna Nink launched a walk-off 3-run home run to give the University of Evansville softball team a 6-5 win over Missouri State at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
Nink’s home run was the fourth of the game for the Purple Aces, who continued to battle throughout the game. Alexa Davis, Marah Wood and Niki Bode also hit homers in the win. Nink finished the night going 2-4 with three RBI and a run while Hannah Hood was 2-2 with a walk. Sydney Weatherford had another strong start, giving up five runs, three earned, in 6 2/3 innings. Megan Brenton recorded the final out in the top of the 7th and was credited with the win.
Missouri State took an early lead as a 2-run home run by Annie Mueller in the top of the first put the Bears in front. In the top of the fourth, a solo shot by Kenzie Derryberry made it a 3-0 game.
UE drew a pair of walks in the opening three frames before notching its first hit in the bottom half of the fourth. Jenna Nink singled through the left side before a bloop single by Hannah Hood put two runners on with one out. MSU starter Gracie Johnson picked up the final two outs to keep UE off the board.
Lacy Smith made a stellar defensive play in the top of the fifth, securing a catch against the outfield wall to keep a sure run from scoring. That work paid off as the offense came through in the bottom of the inning. Alexa Davis picked up a solo home run to get her squad on the board.
Back-to-back solo shots by Marah Wood and Niki Bode in the bottom of the 6th tied the game heading into the 7th. Missouri State rallied back with two scores to retake a 5-3 lead in the top half of the 7th, but UE staged a 2-out rally in the bottom of the frame. Brooke Voss drew a walk before Jess Willsey singled to right. That brought Nink to the plate and she came through with her second long ball of the season to secure the win.
On Saturday, the squads meet up at 2 p.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
HARRISON SIGNS WITH USI
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball announced the signing of junior guard/forward Damoni Harrison (Atlanta, Georgia) for the 2024-25 season. Harrison is the second player to sign with USI and Head Coach Stan Gouard this spring.
“Damoni has the ability to spread teams out with his shooting and a mid-range jump shot,” said Gouard. “His work ethic will fit in great with our team culture here at USI.
“(Damoni) figures out ways to impact the game however his team needs him,” continued Gouard. “We are ecstatic he’s a Screaming Eagle.”
Harrison comes to USI after a two-year stint at Tallahassee Community College where he was named second-team All-Panhandle Conference in 2023-24. The second-team Florida College System Activities Association All-State performer posted 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists during his second season with Tallahassee. He also recorded a season-high 22 points versus South Georgia Technical College and 11 assists versus Gordon State College.
During his freshman season with Tallahassee, Harrison posted 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 37 games. He recorded a season-high 17 points in a win at South Georgia State College and grabbed a season-best six rebounds three times.
Prior to playing at Tallahassee, Harrison lettered in basketball at Archer High School (Lawrenceville, Georgia). He was named first-team All-State, All-Conference, and All-County as a senior, averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
The Screaming Eagles reached the Ohio Valley Conference Championship post-season in 2023-24 marking the second-straight season since USI made the transition to NCAA Division I.
VALPO BASEBALL
UNLUCKY BOUNCE COSTS BEACONS IN SERIES OPENER AT UIC
The Valparaiso University baseball team got home runs from Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]) and Alex Ryan, (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) but host UIC prevailed 8-6 at Curtis Granderson Stadium in Chicago on a rainy Friday afternoon. An unlucky bounce changed the complexion of the game as Valpo would have tied the game at seven on a double by Husmann in the eighth, but the ball hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double and the runner from first was forced to hold at third, where he was eventually stranded.
How It Happened
The scoring began in the top of the second, when Husmann drilled a skyscraper of a home run to left to put the guests ahead 1-0.
Valpo starting pitcher Kaleb Krier (Altoona, Iowa / Southeast Polk [DMACC]) did not yield a run over the first two frames, including a perfect second. The Flames capitalized on a pair of walks in the third, producing a run on a sacrifice fly, but Krier prevented further damage as UIC stranded two in scoring position.
UIC’s AJ Taylor tripled high off the left-field fence to lead off the bottom of the fourth. He crossed the dish on a ground ball to short to give the Flames their first lead of the afternoon at 2-1.
UIC scored three times in the fifth with help from two walks, three stolen bases, a wild pitch and an error including a stolen base, wild pitch and error all on the same play, scoring two runs.
Valpo got one back in the top of the sixth when Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) lifted a sacrifice fly to help take advantage of a frame that started with consecutive singles. That shrunk the lead to three at 5-2.
UIC tacked on two in the seventh to extend the gap to 7-2.
Valpo trimmed the deficit to four when Ryan belted a 392-foot blast to left to cut the lead to 7-3 in the seventh.
After Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) worked a scoreless bottom of the seventh, Valpo put together a surge in the top of the eighth. A string of three straight singles including a two-run knock yanked into right by Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) chased the UIC bullpen man from the game.
Husmann greeted the new pitcher with a drive that one-hopped over the centerfield fence, plating the third run of the inning to make it 7-6. However, the bounce proved to be an unlucky one, as Maka was forced to stop at third although he would have scored the tying run if the ball had stayed in play. UIC got out of the inning with a strikeout as Valpo stranded men at second and third.
An insurance run scored in the bottom of the eighth and UIC held on for the win.
Inside the Game
Husmann’s home run was his seventh of the season and the 30th of his collegiate career.
Ryan’s round tripper was his seventh this season and the 10th of his career.
Ryan and Husmann each had multi-hit games.
This was Valpo’s 15th game this season decided by two runs or fewer. Valpo is 4-11 in those close contests.
Valpo owned an 11-10 edge in the hit column. The Beacons suffered their fourth loss when outhitting the opponent this year, falling to 8-4 in those games.
Up Next
Valpo (12-27, 4-12 MVC) will continue the three-game series in the Windy City on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+.
UINDY WOMEN’S GOLF
GREYHOUNDS, CEDERHOLM LEAD AFTER BRUTAL DAY 1 AT GLVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
COAL VALLEY, Ill. – The UIndy women’s golf team grinded out a challenging opening day at the 2024 GLVC Championships, hosted at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Ill. Battling cold, rainy and windy conditions—as well a lengthy lightning delay—the Greyhounds earned a five-stroke advantage through 18 holes of stroke play.
Friday’s scheduled originally included 36 holes, but Mother Nature had other plans. The field will now look to get in two rounds tomorrow, starting with an 9 a.m. ET shotgun start. The top four teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance to the medal/match play semifinals on Sunday. Meanwhile, the top five finishers after stroke play will be named All-GLVC.
INS & OUTS
The Hounds got off to a slow and found themselves in the bottom half of the leaderboard early. UIndy clawed back with a strong back nine, as Caroline Whallon shot even par on the back and Anci Dy strung together five straight pars coming in.
But it was Matilda Cederholm that had the most consistent round, finishing with a six-over 77 to lead the field by two strokes. Whallon and fellow-freshman Jess Haines sit at +9 to share ninth place. Macey Brown sits at T-20, while Dy’s late push positioned her in a tie for 26th.
UINDY TENNIS
GREYHOUNDS TRAMPLE SAINTS IN ROAD TILT
ST. LOUIS – It’s now a five-match streak for the UIndy women’s tennis team. The No. 30 Greyhounds started their road trip in St. Louis with a solid 4-0 victory versus the Saints.
After playing out doubles to a perfect sweep for the UIndy side, the Hounds kept their foot on the pedal, going a perfect 6-0 on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Saints fared solid in doubles, forcing deep matches at the No. 1 and No. 3 courts, but were unable to chip away one against the Hounds.
Tyffaine Pais, coming in at No. 52, kept that action rolling with a 6-3, 6-0 effort at the top of the card. From there it was quick as Benedetta Sensi and Ana Hollweg worked sweeps to finish the match.
UP NEXT
Short rest in the Gateway to the West as the Hounds hit again, this time against the UMSL Tritons on Saturday.
#7 MEN’S TENNIS BLANKS MARYVILLE
ST. LOUIS – The No. 7-ranked UIndy men’s tennis team kept to their winning ways on Friday, dropping the Maryville Saints by a clean 4-0 sweep.
The Hounds have now won their last six in a row, including a clean 4-0 mark in GLVC action.
HOW IT HAPPENED
David Simeonov and Pedro Franca set the table for the Hounds, working a 6-1 victory out of the No. 3 doubles slot. The “top-dawgs” in Tom Zeuch and Matthieu Derache finished the job, fighting through a tough 7-6 match to secure the doubles point.
From there, it was squeaky clean in the Mound City for the Greyhounds. Straight-sets wins at No. 1-3 singles iced the match. Erwan Momo Andre, who didn’t get to finish his match at No. 2 doubles, finished the job this time, going 6-4, 6-3 for the win.
UP NEXT
Short rest in the Gateway to the West as the Hounds hit again, this time against the UMSL Tritons on Saturday.
UINDY WOMEN’S LAX
HOUNDS RETURN TO GLVC TITLE GAME WITH 11-5 VICTORY OVER GRIFFONS
ST. LOUIS – The No. 14 UIndy women’s lacrosse advanced to its fourth consecutive GLVC title game on Friday, defeating third-seeded Missouri Western in the league semifinal on the campus of Maryville University.
The Greyhounds battle top-seeded and No. 6 Maryville on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET for the 2024 conference crown. UIndy has won all three GLVC championships in league history.
It was a balanced effort for the Hounds in the win, with 11 different players recording a ground ball and eight with a caused turnover. Freshman netminder Ava Graham was impressive in her postseason debut, finishing with seven saves, five scoops, and two caused turnovers.
INS & OUTS
As it has much of this spring, the UIndy defense was a force of its own amidst weather factors on Friday afternoon. Once the Griffons evened the score at two apiece with 2:34 left in the opening quarter, the Greyhounds outscored their counterparts, 7-0, over the next 36+ minutes to pull away for good.
Megan Dunn and Joey Fowler each scored twice during that stretch, with Sage Da Silva finding the back of the cage immediately after halftime with an exclamation point.
Dunn and Fowler capped off their respective hat tricks in the fourth quarter, the latter of which was assisted from Mackenzie Winn for her third of the contest.
The Griffons coughed up possession 11 times in the middle frames, with the Greyhounds scoring five times off those turnovers.
INSIDE THE BOX
– Ella Fornek led the team with three draw controls, while adding two ground balls and one caused turnover.
– With three more points, Dunn now sits 13 from tying the single-season program record of 118 held by Abigail Lagos in 2022.
– Winn now has 99 points this season, sharing the team lead at 49 assists with Dunn.
– Caroline Krauch opened the scoring with a goal less than three minutes into the contest.
– Both teams were whistled for 20 fouls each, with UIndy drawing nine cards compared to Missouri Western’s eight.
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 6-0 … there was a 35-minute lightning delay with more than 11 minutes left in the game.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds seek their fourth straight GLVC title on Sunday, as well as revenge after the Saints snagged hosting honors after a close 13-11 victory at Key Stadium last weekend.
UINDY MEN’S GOLF
MEN’S GOLF NABS TWO SEED AMONG MIDWEST REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men’s golf team will make its return to the NCAA DII Midwest/Central Regional next month. The Greyhounds have qualified for the postseason 18 of the past 19 years, with last season marking the team’s only absence in that span.
Sporting an all-freshman lineup, the young and hungry Hounds earned an automatic bid to the regional with a title-winning performance at the GLVC Championships last week. UIndy earned the No. 2 seed in the Midwest and will be among 20 teams competing in the Midwest/Central Regional at Kickingbird Golf Club in Edmund, Okla., May 9-11.
The Greyhounds are one of four GLVC teams to make the cut, joining third-seeded Missouri S&T, No. 8-seed Missouri-St. Louis and ninth-seeded McKendree. Conference champs Findlay (G-MAC) and Ferris State (GLIAC) will also make the trip, as well as top-seeded Grand Valley State.
At a minimum, the top three teams and the top two student-athletes not with a team from each regional will advance to the finals May 21-25 at the Orange County National Golf Club in Winter Garden, Fla. Based on the region’s represented in last year’s head-to-head medal play portion of the championships, the top five teams at the Midwest/Central Regional will advance.
Stay tuned to UIndyAthletics.com and UIndy Athletics on social media for more information.
MIDWEST TEAMS
1. Grand Valley State
2. UIndy [Great Lakes Valley Conference]
3. Missouri S&T
4. Ferris State [Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]
5. Wayne State
6. Findlay [Great Midwest Athletic Conference]
7. Tiffin
8. Missouri-St. Louis
9. McKendree
10. Davenport
MIDWEST INDIVIDUALS
1. Bryson Oots, Wiliam Jewell
2. Gunnar McCollins, Malone
3. Kyle Buzaki, Walsh
4. Evan Johnson, Northwood
CENTRAL TEAMS
1. Central Oklahoma
2. Henderson State [Great American Conference]
3. Missouri Southern State [Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association]
4. Harding
5. Southern Arkansas
6. Rogers State
7. Central Missouri
8. Winona State
9. Minnesota State Mankato [Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference]
10. Northeastern State
CENTRAL INDIVIDUALS
1. Jeffrey Johnston, Missouri Western
2. Jackson Cole, Arkansas Tech
3. Brandon Sperling, Concordia- St. Paul
4. Dalton McGinnis, Southeastern Oklahoma State
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3 – 4 – 5 – 32 – 12 – 11 – 30
April 27, 1926 – Mel Ott, who during his career wore Numbers 3, 4 and 5 (but not until 1932), made his first appearance a game in the New York Giants’ 9-8 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
April 27, 1930 – This sounds crazy! Chicago White Sox 1st baseman Bud Clancy didn’t handle ball at all in a 9 inning game vs St Louis Browns. The Sox won the game 2-1 with not one defensive touch by their first baseman. Pitchers Alphonse Thomas and McKain recorded 8 strikeouts while the rest of the defense of the Sox created the rest of the outs.
April 27, 1961 – The NFL officially recognized the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History for April 27
April 27, 1961 – NFL officially recognizes the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Our Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the day comes from Dover, Ohio’s Daily Reporter who posted the eye catcher of “ Canton Selected Site for Pro Football’s Hall of Fame by NFL.” the day after on April 28. The Canton area celebrated their place in NFL history as the birthplace of the League on September 17, 1920 in an automobile showroom when the NFL granted the Ohio city the right to host the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A group from Canton placed their bid with the League months earlier and had set aside a 14 acre tract of land should they receive the approval. The then already existing highschool venue Fawcett Stadium would be a part of the HOF campus for many decades to come. To learn more on the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame check out our interview with George Bozeka a football historian who grew up within walking distance of the HOF. https://pigskindispatch.com/home/Inspiration-Sensations/PFRA Also here is a link where you can get up close and personal with the museum at the Pro Football Researchers Association Convention taking place at the Hall of Fame in June 2021!
April 27, 1982 – The League’s annual disbursement of college players kicked off in New York for the 1982 NFL Draft. University of Texas defensive end Kenneth Sims was the first pick by the New England Patriots. There were some good players in this draft class as according to the Pro Football Reference website four standouts so far have been enshrined in Canton. The Houston Oilers selected Mike Munchak the former Penn State guard as the eighth player taken and two spots later the Raiders placed the name of USC running back Marcus Allen on their card given to the Commissioner to read. The Patriots chose at number 41 of linebacker Andre Tippett Iowa as well as fellow future bronze bust poser Michigan State product, kicker Morten Anderson going to the New Orleans Saints with the 86th overall pick in the fourth round.
April 27, 2017 – At the opening rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett was the first pick by the Cleveland Browns. Chicago surprised many when they took North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubiski as the second player taken per Pro Football Reference. The 49ers grabbed Solomon Thomas the defensive end from nearby Stanford followed by the selection of LSU running back Leonard Fournette by the Jaguars. The sixth selection was that of the Tennessee Titans who locked up the rights to wideout Corey Davis then came the pick of Safety Jamal Adams of LSU by the Jets and Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams going to the Chargers. Carolina held the eighth pick in the Draft and they took Christian McCaffrey the running back from Stanford, while the Bengals swooped right behind them and signed John Ross the receiver from the University of Washington. Then things got interesting… as the Chiefs traded up to acquire Patrick Mahomes 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Chiefs traded the 27th overall pick, a third-round pick and a 2018 first-round pick to the Bills in exchange for the 10th pick in the draft. The Bills used the 27th pick they acquired to take Tre’davious White a corner from LSU and in the 2018 pick they got to get the rights of inside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds from the University of Virginia.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 27
April 27, 1887 – Macon, Georgia – Frank Juhan who played for Sewanee as a center was born. Frank according to the National Football Foundation’s website bio he was a center on offense and first player in the South to play the then new position of roving linebacker on defense. The great all-around athlete also competed at track, boxing and baseball. In his football years 1908-10 Sewanee went 18-4-3 with victories over Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Louisiana State. Frank Juhan was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.
April 27, 1941 – Excel, Alabama – The Alabama Crimson Tide’s center from 1960 to 1962, Lee Roy Jordan arrived into this life. The National Football Foundation shares that Lee Roy arrived at the school a year after legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant started his head coaching duties for the Tide. The two helped take “Bama into football prominence as in 1960, Jordan’s sophomore year, Alabama went 8-1-2 with a 3-3 tie against Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and Jordan was voted the Most Valuable Player in that game. During Lee Roy’s senior season of 1962, he became a unanimous All-America. Alabama sported a 10-1 record with a 17-0 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl as Jordan made 30 tackles in the contest. Lee Roy Jordan’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1983.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
April 27
1909 — The Chicago White Sox win their third straight 1-0 game over St. Louis in three days.
1918 — The Brooklyn Dodgers finally win after a major league record 0-9 start, with a 5-3 victory over the New York Giants in the opening game of a doubleheader.
1929 — Brooklyn relief pitcher Clise Dudley homered on the first major league pitch he saw at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl.
1930 — Chicago White Sox first baseman Bud Clancy had no chances in a nine-inning game against St. Louis.
1944 — Jim Tobin of the Braves pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers in Boston, winning 2-0. He also hit a homer.
1947 — Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium drew a crowd of more than 58,000 to honor the ailing great. In the game, Sid Hudson of the Washington Senators beat Spud Chandler 1-0.
1963 — Two two-sport players pitched in the fourth inning in a game at Fenway park. NBA players, Gene Conley of the Celtics and Red Sox and Dave DeBusschere of the Knicks and White Sox. The Red Sox won 9-5.
1968 — Tom Phoebus of the Orioles no-hit the Boston Red Sox 6-0 at Baltimore.
1973 — Kansas City’s Steve Busby pitched his first of two career no-hitters with a 3-0 victory over the Tigers at Detroit.
1983 — Walter Johnson’s record of 3,508 career strikeouts was eclipsed by Houston’s Nolan Ryan — a record that stood for 56 years. Ryan fanned Montreal pinch-hitter Brad Mills in the eighth inning as the Astros beat the Expos 4-2.
1994 — Scott Erickson, who allowed the most hits in the majors the previous season, pitched Minnesota’s first no-hitter in 27 years as the Twins beat Milwaukee 6-0. Last season Erickson led the majors in losses (19), hits (266) and runs (138).
1996 — Barry Bonds became the fourth major leaguer with 300 homers and 300 steals when he homered in the third inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 victory over the Florida Marlins. His father, Bobby Bonds, godfather Willie Mays, and Andre Dawson are the only other players to reach 300-300.
2000 — Chicago White Sox shortstop Jose Valentin hit for the cycle and drove in five runs in a 13-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Valentin hit the cycle in order: single, double, triple, home run.
2002 — Derek Lowe, who struggled to keep his job as a closer last season, pitched a no-hitter against Tampa Bay. Brent Abernathy was the only baserunner Lowe allowed in Boston’s 10-0 victory.
2003 — Kevin Millwood pitched a no-hitter to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Francisco Giants 1-0. Millwood struck out 10 and walked three.
2004 — Chad Moeller of the Milwaukee Brewers hit for the cycle in a 9-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
2005 — Mark Grudzielanek hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats in St. Louis’ 6-3 victory over Milwaukee.
2009 — West Virginia State’s Bo Darby hit home runs in five consecutive at-bats over two games, including four in one contest. The sophomore outfielder homered in his first four trips to the plate against Salem International. He also connected in his final at-bat two days earlier against the University of Charleston. Darby homered twice more in the second game of the doubleheader, giving him six for the day with 14 RBIs.
2011 — Chipper Jones drives in three runs in Atlanta’s 7-0 win over San Diego, moving past Mickey Mantle on the all-time RBI list with 1,512.
2012 — Scott Hairston of the New York Mets hit for the cycle in an 18-9 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
2014 — José Abreu sets a record for most RBIs by a rookie in April when he drives in 4 runs in a 9 – 2 win over the Rays, giving him 31 ribbies for the month.
2015 — Today’s scheduled game between the Orioles and the White Sox is postponed because of violent protests in downtown Baltimore, MD, following the death of a black man in police custody a week earlier.
2016 — Trevor Story of the Rockies sets a new National League rookie mark with his 9th homer of April, breaking the record of 8 set by Albert Pujols in 2001.
2021 — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has the first three-homer game of his career and drives in 7 runs in the Blue Jays’ 9-5 win over the Nationals.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1987 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..
Off the field…
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the I.N.F. (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) treaty marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War. As a result, Soviets were able to quicken the pace of what was known as “glasnost” (openness and reform), which ultimately caused the end of the Soviet empire.
The largest stock-market drop in Wall Street history occurred on October 19, otherwise known as “Black Monday” when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508.32 points, losing 22.6% of its total value. That fall far surpassed the one-day loss of 12.9% that began the great stock market crash of 1929 and foreshadowed the Great Depression.
The Iraqi Air Force attacked the U.S.S. Stark, a United States Navy ship in the Persian Gulf, initiating an ongoing hostile relationship that would eventually result in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
In the American League…
A high school outfielder named Ken Griffey, Jr. was selected by the Seattle Mariners as their first overall pick in the 1987 Amateur Draft.
After hitting a meager .220 with fifteen home runs for the Oakland Athletics, forty-one year old Reggie Jackson finally retired. “Mr. October” had played twenty-one years in the Major Leagues and totaled five-hundred sixty-three home runs, one-thousand seven-hundred two runs batted in and a .262 batting average. He also held the all time record for strikeouts with two-thousand five-hundred ninety-seven and the best slugging average in World Series play with .755.
At an exhibition game in Toronto, the Blue Jays became the first team ever to hit ten home runs in a single game as they bombed the Baltimore Orioles 18-3. The previous team record was originally set by the Yankees in 1939 and equaled by several other teams over the years. The combined eleven home runs in the contest also tied a two-team Major League record.
In the National League…
The New York Mets’ Dwight “Doc” Gooden entered a twenty-eight day drug rehabilitation program at the Smithers Alcoholism Treatment Center. The 1985 Cy Young Award winner had tested positive for cocaine use and would not return to start the season until June 5th.
On April 18th, Mike Schmidt, of the Philadelphia Phillies, launched a three-run blast over the wall at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium for his 500th career home run. The historic shot put the All-Star third baseman in the company of just thirteen other players in Major League history.
The Cincinnati Reds’ Eric Davis set two National League records in April and May with three grand slam home runs in a single month as well as nineteeen home runs in two months.
Around the league…
The Major League Players Association filed a grievance accusing the owners of acting together to restrict player’s salaries. The association cited the lack of offers to free agents from 1985-1987, which resulted in them returning to their original teams. In a study from the 1985 season, it was estimated that free agents lost between $70 and $90 million dollars.
The “Rookie of the Year Award” was renamed “The Jackie Robinson Award” in both the American and National Leagues.
On October 17th, the Minnesota Twins welcomed the St. Louis Cardinals to the Metrodome for the first World Series game ever played indoors. The home team dominated the visitors 10-1 in front of a capacity crowd of 55,171.
Major League attendance reached an all-time high in 1987 with a combined 52,029,664 people going out to the ballparks.
HISTORY OF THE CINCINNATI REDS (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
The onset of professionalism was no small step for baseball: players received a small but growing degree of financial stability, and fans were treated to an ever higher standard of play. The cradle for this groundbreaking practice was Cincinnati, where the first openly professional baseball team was founded. The current Reds franchise dates back to 1881, but its ancestry begins four years after the Civil War.
The Cincinnati Red Stockings became baseball’s first professional team in 1869. They began with a 45-9 thumping of a team called the Great Western of Cincinnati, then proceeded to win nearly every one of its more than 70 games against overmatched amateur teams in the Midwest. They finally lost a game in 1870, when the Brooklyn Atlantics bested them 8-7 in extra innings.
It was a 19th century no-brainer the Red Stockings would be a charter member of the National League in 1876. However, Cincinnati’s start in the League was rocky to say the least. The Red Stockings didn’t fare as well as their 1869 predecessors, finishing 9-54. After four seasons Cincinnati was kicked out of the National League for playing games on Sunday and for selling beer during games. Both were National League no-no’s at the time.
In 1881, the Reds were re-initiated with an exhibition series in St. Louis. This new franchise, which still exists today, became a charter member of the American Association the following year. The AA, nicknamed ‘The Beer and Whiskey League’ for its liberal approach to ballpark libations, was reviled by the more puritanical National League owners from the start. As the only AA charter member pre-existing the young league, the Reds became the oldest baseball club — and possibly the oldest currently-existing professional sports club — to actively accommodate the blue-collar tendencies regarding spectator sport. Cincinnati finally accepted reinstatement to the National League in 1890, with their Sunday baseball and beer sales intact. The only thing to change was their name, from Red Stockings to Reds.
While with the American Association, the Red Stockings opened League Park in 1884. The Cincinnati team would play at this same location for the next 86 years. League Park had a tragic beginning, as part of its grandstand collapsed during its first-ever opening day, killing one and injuring many. A fire devastated the park and a new stadium was built, opening in 1902. Christened the Palace of the Fans, it suffered its own devastating fire in 1911, which led to the construction of a park originally known as Redland Field. It opened in 1912 and was renamed Crosley Field after team owner Powell Crosley in 1934. The Reds played there until moving to Riverfront Stadium (a.k.a. Cinergy Field) in 1970.
For the 30 years following their readmission to the National League, the Reds fared poorly, never finishing higher than third. Then came the 1919 pennant winners led by Hall of Famer Edd Roush, a .321 hitter that year and probably Cincinnati’s best player up to that time. They had a 20 game winner (Slim Sallee) and two 19 game winners (Hod Eller and Dutch Ruether) on the pitching staff.
The baseball world was shocked when the Reds upset the heavily favored White Sox in the World Series, but that shock turned to horror for some, dismay for others when it was revealed the White Sox (or Black Sox) lost the Series on purpose. Players on the 1919 Reds always professed a frustration that the scandal prevented them from getting their due as World Champions.
The Reds would not be heard from again until they built a quality pitching staff in the 1930s. Paul Derringer, Bucky Walters and Johnny Vander Meer (of back-to-back no-hitter fame in 1938) teamed with catching great Ernie Lombardi to win pennants in 1939-40, and the latter World Series against Detroit. Walters won 49 games and Derringer 45 in those two seasons.
During the next two decades the only interest the Reds created was their politically-tinged decision to change names from the Reds to Redlegs to avoid association with Communists. However, players, sportswriters and fans continued to refer to the team as the Reds, and the Redlegs moniker fell by the wayside.
The Reds climbed the National League pinnacle again in 1961, led by the bats of Frank Robinson (37 home runs and 124 RBI’s) and Vada Pinson (208 hits and a .343 average), although they were beaten by the Yankee juggernaut in the World Series.
Two years later the first cog in the Big Red Machine joined the team when a hardnosed, crew-cut infielder named Pete Rose was called up from the minors. A decade later, he would be the leadoff batter and igniter for one of the National League’s most dominant dynasties.
Managed by Sparky Anderson, the Reds of the 1970s were a virtual Hall of Fame gallery with Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez. This team won back-to-back world championships (1975-76), four pennants and six division titles. Four Reds won Most Valuable Player awards. The highlight of their domination was in 1976, when the Reds led the National League in all 12 major offensive categories.
Rose’s departure for Philadelphia as a free agent after 1978 signaled the end of the Big Red Machine, although the team won the 1979 division title (but lost the National League Championship Series to Pittsburgh). Rose returned as player-manager in 1984 and closed out his career with a record 4,256 hits. However, he was later banned for life from the game for betting on baseball.
Lou Piniella then guided the Reds to a pennant in 1990 behind the bats of Eric Davis, Chris Sabo, Paul O’Neill and Barry Larkin, and a shutdown bullpen featuring Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers. They capped the season with a four game sweep of Oakland in the World Series.
The Reds have mostly floundered since 1990, although they finished first in the strike shortened 1994 season, won the Central Division title in ’95 and missed the 1999 postseason by one game. One highlight for the franchise was the opening of another of baseball’s retro parks, The Great American Ballpark in 2003.
The club won the Central Division crown in 2010 before being eliminated in the first round. In 2012, another division title, another loss in the Division Series. In 2013, a Wildcard loss. Those struggles have worsened as the team now fights its way up from the cellars.
Following six seasons of missing the postseason, the Reds reached the playoffs in 2020. Carried by Trevor Bauer, the 2020 Cy Young winner, the Reds faced the Braves in the Wildcard series. After two games, the Reds ended its season in the Wildcard round.
However, regardless of when the Reds add to their five world championships, nine pennants and 10 division titles, they will always have a strong franchise lineage. One that traces back to the dawn of the professional game and their role as keeper of the historic flame they lit by birthing the Red Stockings in 1869.
BASEBALL GREATS
HAROLD BAINES
One of the finest pure hitters of his time, Baines was a 12-year-old little leaguer in Easton, MD when he caught the eye of White Sox owner Bill Veeck. When Chicago made him the first pick in the June 1977 draft, GM Paul Richards said Baines “was on his way to the Hall of Fame. He just stopped by Comiskey Park for 20 years or so.”
The expectations placed much pressure on the soft-spoken 20-year-old when he became a regular in 1980. It wasn’t until 1982 that he began to produce (hitting 25 home runs with 105 RBI) and he soon developed a reputation that would follow him throughout his career as one of the game’s best clutch performers and a lethal hitter with men on base.
In 1983, the sweet-swinging lefty with a batting style reminiscent of Mel Ott led the AL with a then-major-league record 22 game-winning RBI. Surrounded by a powerful lineup that also featured Greg Luzinski, Carlton Fisk and Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle, Baines’s 99 runs batted in that season matched the White Sox’ major-league-leading win total. The Sox ran away with the Western Division Crown, but fell to the eventual World Champion Baltimore Orioles in the LCS. During the four-game series, Baines registered just two hits in sixteen at bats.
In the years that followed, Baines would post steady numbers for White Sox teams that never recaptured their success in 1983. From 1984 (when he slammed a career high 29 home runs) through 1987, Baines never hit below .293 or failed to drive in more than 88 runs or hit 20 homers.
On May 9, 1984, his home run off Milwaukee’s Chuck Porter ended the major leagues’ longest game ever by time (8:06) and the AL’s longest game by innings (25). The bat went to the Hall of Fame.
In 1986 a serious knee injury would require two operations and force Baines onto the disabled list. It was the first of a series of knee problems that would plague him throughout his career and force him to be used almost exclusively as a designated hitter.
But leaving the outfield never hindered Baines’ effectiveness at the plate. In 1987, his 155th career home run set a White Sox record (since broken by Frank Thomas) and in June of that season he set another Chicago record with 36 RBIs in one month. After slipping to .277 with 13 homers in 1988, Baines rebounded with a vengeance in 1989. But on July 29th the rebuilding White Sox (who would finish in last place with a woeful 69-92 record) dealt Baines and his .321 average to Texas for shortstop Scott Fletcher, left-handed hurler Wilson Alvarez, and a slender young Dominican outfielder named Sammy Sosa. The Rangers had used twenty-five players in the DH slot since they released Larry Parrish in the middle of the 1988 season.
For Baines, the trade marked the beginning of the second half of his career, one that saw him enjoy a series of productive seasons for a number of teams. Traded to Oakland in late August of 1990, he got his first taste of post-season action since 1983, batting .357 as Oakland swept Boston in the playoffs. In Game Three of the World Series, Baines launched a two-run homer in a futile effort to prevent the Reds from pulling off a surprising sweep of the A’s. The following year — the first since 1988 spent entirely with one team — Baines rapped out a .295 average and added 20 homers and 95 RBIs season for the fourth-place A’s. Although he posted the lowest average in his career (.253) in 1992, Oakland returned to the ALCS. Baines stung the ball at a .440 clip and belted a ninth-inning homer off Jack Morris to win Game One, but the Athletics lost to Toronto in six games.
Before the 1993 season, the 34-year-old DH returned to his native Maryland when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for minor-league pitchers Bobby Chouinard and Allen Plaster. In three seasons with Baltimore, neither age nor persistent knee problems could slow his offensive production. It was said that Baines could hit .300 with both knees broken; at times when he could barely run the bases, his sharp eye, quick bat and level swing still posted impressive numbers. In the three years from 1993 through 1995, Baines batted .313, .294 and .299, while his 24 home runs in 1995 were the third-highest total of his career.
Baines returned to the White Sox as a free agent in 1996, where he enjoyed another banner year, blasting 22 homers and driving in 95 runs while batting .311. On his way to similar numbers the next season, Baines found himself traded back to Baltimore in July of 1997 to pad the lineup of the AL East leading Orioles. Reaching the postseason for the fourth time in his career, Baines again distinguished himself, hitting .400 with a home run off Seattle’s Jamie Moyer in the Division Series, and .353 with a homer off Jaret Wright during the Orioles’ six-game loss to Cleveland in the League Championship Series. In 1998, the 39-year-old Baines hardly missed a beat, driving in 57 runs while batting an even .300 in 104 games for the Orioles. However, the normally placid Baines was ejected from a game for the first time in his long career.
Although he played his first six seasons as an outfielder, Baines has driven in more runs as a designated hitter than anyone in American League history. Entering the 2000 season, Baines’ 373 career homers were second only to Al Kaline‘s 399 among players without a thirty-homer season.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
April 27
1929 — Ryder Cup Golf, Moortown GC: Great Britain beats U.S., 7-5.
1956 — Rocky Marciano retires as the undefeated heavyweight boxing champion. He finished with a 49-0 record, including six title defenses and 43 knockouts.
1960 — The Minneapolis Lakers announce they will relocate to Los Angeles.
1961 — NFL officially recognizes Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
1968 — Jimmy Ellis wins the heavyweight boxing title with a 15-round decision over Jerry Quarry in Oakland, Calif. This is the final bout of an eight-man elimination tournament to fill Muhammad Ali’s vacated title.
1982 — NFL Draft: University of Texas defensive end Kenneth Sims first pick by New England Patriots.
1983 — Walter Johnson’s record of 3,508 career strikeouts was eclipsed by Houston’s Nolan Ryan — a record that stood for 56 years. Ryan fanned Montreal pinch-hitter Brad Mills in the eighth inning as the Astros beat the Expos 4-2.
1994 — Scott Erickson, who allowed the most hits in the majors the previous season, pitches Minnesota’s first no-hitter in 27 years and the Twins beat Milwaukee 6-0.
1996 — Barry Bonds became the fourth major leaguer with 300 homers and 300 steals when he homered in the third inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 victory over the Florida Marlins. His father, Bobby Bonds, godfather Willie Mays, and Andre Dawson are the only other players to reach 300-300.
1994 — Dave Hannan scores 5:43 into the fourth overtime to keep the Buffalo Sabres going in the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils, the sixth-longest game in NHL history.
2002 — Derek Lowe pitches a no-hitter against Tampa Bay. Brent Abernathy is the only baserunner Lowe allows in Boston’s 10-0 victory.
2003 — Kevin Millwood pitches his first career no-hitter to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Francisco Giants 1-0.
2007 — Kirk Radomski, a former New York Mets clubhouse employee, pleads guilty to distributing steroids to major league players for a decade and agrees to help baseball’s steroids investigators.
2008 — Ashley Force becomes the first woman to win a national Funny Car race. The 25-year-old beats her father, drag racing icon John Force, in the final round of the 28th annual Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals to deny him his 1,000th winning round in his 500th NHRA tour event.
2009 — The Denver Nuggets match the biggest victory in playoff history with their 121-63 rout of New Orleans in Game 4 of their first-round series. The Minneapolis Lakers had the other 58-point postseason victory, beating the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956.
2011 — Nathan Horton scores 5:43 into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series. Boston had never won a playoff series after trailing 0-2 in 26 tries.
2011 — Dwayne Roloson makes 36 saves and Tampa Bay completes a big series comeback and eliminates Pittsburgh with a 1-0 win in Game 7. Roloson becomes the second goalie to go 6-0 in elimination games. He allowed only four goals in winning the final three games as the Lightning erased a 3-1 series deficit.
2013 — The Detroit Red Wings make the playoffs for the 22nd straight season after Henrik Zetterberg had two goals and an assist in a 3-0 victory over Dallas. The Red Wings own the longest active playoff streak in major professional sports, six years longer than the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs’ stretch of postseason play.
2014 — Three-time Olympic champion Kerri Walsh wins her record 47th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour title, teaming with April Ross to beat Brazil’s Juliana Felisberta Silva and Maria Antonelli in the Fuzhou Open final.
2014 — Lydia Ko, three days after her 17th birthday, birdies the final hole for her third LPGA Tour victory and first as a professional, holding off Stacy Lewis and Jenny Shin in the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.
2017 — Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is picked first overall by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL draft. Chicago sends a third-round pick, a fourth and a 2018 third to San Francisco to switch and selects quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who started only 13 games for North Carolina. The 49ers take defensive end Solomon Thomas from just down the road at Stanford.
TV SPORTS SATURDAY/SUNDAY
Saturday, April 27
AUTO RACING
8:30 a.m.
CBSSN — FIA Formula E: The Monaco EPrix, Monaco
10:30 a.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Dover Motor Speedway, Dover, Del.
Noon
CBS — FIA Formula E: The Monaco EPrix, Monaco
1:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The BetRivers 200, Dover Motor Speedway, Dover, Del.
3 p.m.
NBC — AMA Supercross Series: Round 15, Philadelphia
BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE
1 p.m.
NBATV — Bangui SC vs. Al Ahly, Cairo
BOWLING
4 p.m.
FS1 — PBA: The Elite League – Round 14, Fairlawn, Ohio
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Noon
SECN — Missouri at Tennessee
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — Florida at Arkansas
2:15 p.m.
BTN — Iowa at Nebraska
3 p.m.
SECN — Alabama at Mississippi
4 p.m.
ACCN — Florida St. at Duke
6 p.m.
SECN — Kentucky at South Carolina
7 p.m.
ACCN — Wake Forest at Notre Dame
9 p.m.
ESPN2 — Oregon at Oregon St.
10 p.m.
ESPNU — Cal St.-Fullerton vs. UC Santa Barbara
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
BTN — Nebraska Spring Game: From Lincoln, Neb.
3 p.m.
PAC-12N — Colorado Spring Game: From Boulder, Colo.
4 p.m.
PAC-12N — Oregon Spring Game: From Eugene, Ore.
6 p.m.
PAC-12N — Washington St. Spring Game: Fro, Pullman, Wash.
9 p.m.
PAC-12N — Arizona Spring Game: From Tucson, Ariz.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — Duke at North Carolina
2 p.m.
ESPNU — Notre Dame at Virginia
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
Noon
FS2 — UConn at Georgetown
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
11 a.m.
ESPN2 — Florida at Georgia
2 p.m.
ACCN — Duke at NC State
4 p.m.
ESPNU — North Carolina at Florida St.
6 p.m.
FS1 — Villanova at UConn
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Tennessee at Alabama
SECN — Mississippi St. at Missouri
GOLF
12:45 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans, Third Round, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La.
1 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Second Round, Grange Golf Club, Adelaide, Australia (Taped)
2:45 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Second Round, TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.
3 p.m.
CBS — PGA Tour: The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans, Third Round, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La.
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The JM Eagle LA Championship, Third Round, Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles
10:30 p.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The ISPS Handa Championship, Final Round, Taiheiyo Club Minori Course, Omitama, Japan
HORSE RACING
2 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
IIHF HOCKEY (MEN’S)
11 a.m.
NHLN — IIHF U-18 World Championship Group Stage: Norway vs. U.S., Group A, Espoo, Finland
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
ESPNU — NLL Playoffs: Georgia at Buffalo, Quarterfinal
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — UFC Fight Night Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Las Vegas
7 p.m.
ESPN — UFC Fight Night Main Card: Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez (Flyweights), Las Vegas
MLB BASEBALL
4 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Cincinnati at Texas OR St. Louis at NY Mets
6 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Houston vs. Colorado, Mexico City OR NY Yankees at Milwaukee (7:10 p.m.)
9:30 p.m.
FS1 — Arizona at Seattle
NBA BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
TNT — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Cleveland at Orlando, Game 4
3:30 p.m.
TNT — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Oklahoma City at New Orleans, Game 3
6 p.m.
TNT — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Boston at Miami, Game 3
8:30 p.m.
ABC — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Denver at LA Lakers, Game 4
NFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — 2024 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7, Detroit
ESPN — 2024 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7, Detroit
NFLN — 2024 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7, Detroit
NHL HOCKEY
2 p.m.
TBS — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Carolina at NY Islanders, Game 4
TRUTV — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Carolina at NY Islanders, Game 4 (BetCast)
5 p.m.
TBS — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Florida at Tampa Bay, Game 4
TRUTV — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Florida at Tampa Bay, Game 4 (BetCast)
8 p.m.
TBS — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Boston at Toronto, Game 4
TRUTV — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Boston at Toronto, Game 4 (BetCast)
10:30 p.m.
TBS — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Dallas at Vegas, Game 3
TRUTV — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Dallas at Vegas, Game 3 (BetCast)
RUGBY (MEN’S)
10 a.m.
FS2 — Premiership: Harlequins at Northampton
SOCCER (MEN’S)
7:30 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Liverpool at West Ham United
10 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Luton Town at Wolverhampton
12:30 p.m.
NBC — Premier League: Brentford FC at Everton
1:30 p.m.
FOX — MLS: LA Galaxy at Austin FC
7 p.m.
FS2 — Liga MX: León at Juárez
7:30 p.m.
CBSSN — USL Championship: New Mexico United at Tampa Bay
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
7:30 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Portland Thorns FC at Chicago Red Stars
10 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Bay FC at San Diego Wave FC
TENNIS
5 a.m.
TENNIS — Madrid-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Madrid-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
5 a.m. (Sunday)
TENNIS — Madrid-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
6 a.m. (Sunday)
TENNIS — Madrid-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
TRACK AND FIELD
1 p.m.
CNBC — IAAF World Athletics Diamond League: The Yangtze Delta Athletics Diamond Gala, Suzhou, China (Taped)
3 p.m.
CBSSN — USATF: The Drake Relays, Des Moines, Iowa
UFL FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: San Antonio at Arlington OR Birmingham at Houston
_____
Sunday, April 28
AUTO RACING
7:30 a.m.
TRUTV — FIM MotoGP: The Spanish Grand Prix – Round 4, Cádiz, Spain
11 a.m.
FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, zMAX Dragway, Concord, N.C. (Taped)
1:30 p.m.
NBC — NTT IndyCar Series: The Children’s Of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.
2 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: The Würth 400, Dover Motor Speedway, Dover, Del.
6 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Concord, N.C. (Taped)
BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE
1 p.m.
NBATV — City Oilers vs. Al Ahly Ly, Cairo
BOWLING
1 p.m.
FOX — PBA: The Tournament Of Champions Finals, Fairlawn, Ohio
COLLEGE BASEBALL
11 a.m.
BTN — Rutgers at Indiana
3 p.m.
SECN — Kentucky at South Carolina
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — Clemson at Louisville
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Indiana St. at S. Illinois
PAC-12N — California at Stanford
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Championship, Charlotte, N.C.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
11 a.m.
ESPNU — Oklahoma at UCF
Noon
ESPN2 — Florida at Georgia
1 p.m.
SECN — Auburn at Mississippi
2 p.m.
ACCN — Boston College at Notre Dame
BTN — Illinois at Ohio St.
ESPN2 — Tennessee at Alabama
3 p.m.
PAC-12N — Stanford at Washington
4 p.m.
ACCN — Duke at NC State
5 p.m.
PAC-12N — Arizona at UCLA
6 p.m.
SECN — Mississippi St. at Missouri
GOLF
12:45 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans, Final Round, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La.
1 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Final Round, Grange Golf Club, Adelaide, Australia (Taped)
2:45 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Final Round, TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.
3 p.m.
CBS — PGA Tour: The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans, Final Round, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La.
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The JM Eagle LA Championship, Final Round, Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
IIHF HOCKEY (MEN’S)
8 a.m.
NHLN — IIHF U-18 World Championship Group Stage: Sweden vs. Czech Republic, Group B, Vantaa, Finland
11 a.m.
NHLN — IIHF U-18 World Championship Group Stage: U.S. vs. Latvia, Group A, Espoo, Finland
MLB BASEBALL
1:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: LA Dodgers at Toronto OR St. Louis at NY Mets
4 p.m.
ESPN — Houston vs. Colorado, Mexico City
7 p.m.
ESPN — Chicago Cubs at Boston
NBA BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
ABC — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: New York at Philadelphia, Game 4
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Western Conference First Round Playoff: LA Clippers at Dallas, Game 4
7 p.m.
TNT — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: Milwaukee at Indiana, Game 4
9:30 p.m.
TNT — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Minnesota at Phoenix, Game 4
NHL HOCKEY
2:30 p.m.
TNT — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Winnipeg at Colorado, Game 4
TRUTV — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Winnipeg at Colorado, Game 4 (BetCast)
5 p.m.
TBS — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Vancouver at Nashville, Game 4
TRUTV — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Vancouver at Nashville, Game 4 (BetCast)
8 p.m.
TBS — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: NY Rangers at Washington, Game 4
TRUTV — Eastern Conference First Round Playoff: NY Rangers at Washington, Game 4 (BetCast)
10:30 p.m.
TBS — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Edmonton at Los Angeles, Game 4
TRUTV — Western Conference First Round Playoff: Edmonton at Los Angeles, Game 4 (BetCast)
RODEO
1:30 p.m.
CBS — PBR: Bucking Battle, Louisville, Ky. (Taped)
8 p.m.
CBSSN — PBR: Round 2 & Championship Round, Louisville, Ky.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur
11:30 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Nottingham Forest
TENNIS
5 a.m.
TENNIS — Madrid-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Madrid-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
5 a.m. (Monday)
TENNIS — Madrid-WTA Round of 16; Madrid-ATP Early Rounds
6 a.m. (Monday)
TENNIS — Madrid-WTA Round of 16; Madrid-ATP Early Rounds
TRACK AND FIELD
4 p.m.
NBC — USATF: The Bermuda Grand Prix, Devonshire, Bermuda
UFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — St. Louis at D.C.
3 p.m.
FOX — Michigan at Memphis
VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
2 p.m. CBSSN — Pro Volleyball Federation: Vegas at Atlanta