INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES
BOONVILLE 17 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 1
PARK TUDOR 4 LAPEL 1
PENN 2 CARROLL 1
UNIVERSITY 6 BALLARD 5
ZIONSVILLE 1 FISHERS 0
FISHERS 11 ZIONSVILLE 7
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 8 BROWNSBURG 5
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 6 BROWNSBURG 0
WESTFIELD 12 WHETSTONE 0
ROSSVILLE 10 MISHAWAKA MARIAN 3
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 6 TECUMSEH 2
LAPORTE 12 PORTAGE 0
COWAN 13 MUNCIE BURRIS 2
SWITZERLAND COUNTY 5 JAC-CEN-DEL 4
NORTH DECATUR 7 MORRISTOWN 2
PERU 7 EASTERN 6
ELKHART 10 FAIRFIELD 8
SOUTH ADAMS 5 BELLMONT 4
CROWN POINT 11 LAFAYETTE JEFF 1
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 6 W. WASHINGTON 2
HAUSER 10 EDINBURGH 0
GLENN 20 LAVILLE 0
NORTHWESTERN 12 TAYLOR 0
KOKOMO 10 MISSISSINEWA 7
AUSTIN 7 BROWN COUNTY 1
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN 16 TINDLEY 4
EASTSIDE 1 WAYNE TRACE 0
PRINCETON 4 N. POSEY 3
EVANSVILLE NORTH 11 S. SPENCER 1
PARKE HERITAGE 10 RIVERTON PARKE 2
CALUMET CHRISTIAN 17 LAKE STATION EDISON 0
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 9 BLUE RIVER 6
MISHAWAKA MARIAN 3 GREENBRIER 2
WEST LAFAYETTE 14 DELPHI 13
IRVINGTON PREP 3 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 1
TRITON CENTRAL 8 BEECH GROVE 4
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 1 TWIN LAKES 0
WESTERN 11 LOGANSPORT 7
UNIVERSITY 12 GREENON 0
CASCADE 11 SCECINA 1
NEW ALBANY 10 TRINITY LUTHERAN 4
LAKELAND 12 LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 1
WHITKO 7 TRITON 3
FOREST PARK 5 BARR REEVE 4
INDY GENESIS 12 CRISPUS ATTUCKS 7
SHELBYVILLE 1 NEW PALESTINE 0
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 7 CATHEDRAL 2
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 6 NEW CASTLE 5
BENTON CENTRAL 13 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 0
GREENWOOD 6 WHITELAND 5
WEST VIGO 14 NEWTON 3
NORTHEASTERN 7 MONROE CENTRAL 6
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 9 BEN DAVIS 2
WALDRON 7 S. RIPLEY 4
DELTA 5 MADISON GRANT 0
MITCHELL 2 BLOOMFIELD 1
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 4 MOORESVILLE 1
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 9 SOUTHPORT 2
NORTH DAVIESS 4 SHAKAMAK 3
COLUMBUS NORTH 13 DECATUR CENTRAL 3
LEBANON 6 PIKE 0
FLOYD CENTRAL 9 CORYDON CENTRAL 1
TERRE HAUTE NORTH 1 SULLIVAN 0
MCCUTCHEON 9 HUNTINGTON NORTH 0
SOUTHWESTERN 8 MADISON 5
LANESVILLE 9 EASTERN 8
JASPER 10 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 0
NORTHVIEW 6 MARTINSVILLE 4
RUSHVILLE 7 CENTERVILLE 1
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 8 EVANSVILLE REITZ 0
SOUTH-CENTRAL 12 ORLEANS 5
WARSAW 5 EDGEWOOD 2
GIBSON SOUTHERN 11 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 1
LAPORTE 4 PORTAGE 0
AUSTIN 10 BROWN COUNTY 0
BLUFFTON 4 ROSSVILLE 2
ROCHESTER 5 ADAMS CENTRAL 3
CLARKSVILLE ACADEMY 1 WESTFIELD 0
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES
NORTH JUDSON 7 WESTVILLE 3
HAST 29 LAKE STATION 6
NORTH CENTRAL 13 DUGGER UNION 0
HERITAGE HILLS 14 VINCENNES LINCOLN 4
RIVERTON PARKE 20 PARKE HERITAGE 0
MITCHELL 23 PAOLI 0
SPRINGS VALLEY 7 CRAWFORD COUNTY 0
UNION CITY 19 MONROE CENTRAL 2
HIGHLAND 10 HEBRON 7
SOUTH VERMILLION 14 N. VERMILLION 0
JAC-CEN-DEL 22 SWITZERLAND COUNTY 7
EVANSVILLE HARRISON 18 EVANSVILLE BOSSE 0
HAGERSTOWN 3 WAPAHANI 1
BELLMONT 14 GARRETT 0
KNOX 16 FRONTIER 2
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 15 PIKE 0
CARROLL 8 LEWIS CASS 6
SILVER CREEK 10 MADISON 0
NORTH MONTGOMERY 12 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 10
NEW PRAIRIE 12 LAVILLE 1
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 21 MUNCIE CENTRAL 0
WEST LAFAYETTE 14 TWIN LAKES 1
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 26 RITTER 3
CHARLESTOWN 9 CORYDON CENTRAL 6
ORLEANS 5 LANESVILLE 3
BISHOP CHATARD 10 SPEEDWAY 6
HARRISON 14 TRI-COUNTY 2
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 10 TAYLOR 1
BORDEN 3 EASTERN 2
GREENWOOD 7 WHITELAND 4
COLUMBUS EAST 8 BROWN COUNTY 2
MOUNT VERNON 5 BOONVILLE 1
ANGOLA 19 LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 9
EVANSVILLE NORTH 4 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 3
OAK HILL 10 NORTHWESTERN 0
PENN 17 FISHERS 4
NORTH DAVIESS 5 BLOOMFIELD 3
LEBANON 8 S. PUTNAM 7
CASTLE 15 PIKE CENTRAL 3
LAWRENCE NORTH 8 DECATUR CENTRAL 1
WEST VIGO 12 MARTINSVILLE 10
SULLIVAN 13 OWEN VALLEY 5
TRI-WEST 6 FLOYD CENTRAL 2
GIBSON SOUTHERN 4 DAVIESS COUNTY 3
CASCADE 5 EVANSVILLE REITZ 3
LINCOLN WAY CENTRAL 10 SHELBYVILLE 0
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 3 LIVING WATER 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 5 BEECH GROVE 3
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
FINAL FOUR-APRIL 6
6:09 P.M.
SEMIFINAL GAME 1
(11) NC STATE VS. (1) PURDUE
STATE FARM STADIUM
9:39 P.M.
SEMIFINAL GAME 2
(4) ALABAMA VS. (1) UCONN
STATE FARM STADIUM
DAILY SCHEDULE: https://www.ncaa.com/mens-final-four/schedule
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT FINAL FOUR
SOUTH CAROLINA 78 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 59
IOWA 71 CONNECTICUT 69
NBA SCOREBOARD
CHARLOTTE 124 ORLANDO 115
PORTLAND 108 WASHINGTON 102
INDIANA 126 OKLAHOMA CITY 112
BOSTON 101 SACRAMENTO 100
SAN ANTONIO 111 NEW ORLEANS 109
MEMPHIS 108 DETROIT 90
MIAMI 119 HOUSTON 104
CHICAGO 108 NEW YORK 100
TORONTO 117 MILWAUKEE 111
DALLAS 108 GOLDEN STATE 106
PHOENIX 97 MINNESOTA 87
LA CLIPPERS 131 UTAH 102
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/nba/standings
NHL SCOREBOARD
NY RANGERS 4 DETROIT 3
CAROLINA 4 WASHINGTON 2
BUFFALO 4 PHILADELPHIA 2
EDMONTON 6 COLORADO 2
SEATTLE 3 ANAHEIM 1
ARIZONA 7 VEGAS 4
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/standings
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
TORONTO 3 NY YANKEES 0
DETROIT 5 OAKLAND 4
CHICAGO CUBS 9 LA DODGERS 7
COLORADO 10 TAMPA BAY 7
BALTIMORE 5 PITTSBURGH 2
SAN FRANCISCO 3 SAN DIEGO 2
NY METS 3 CINCINNATI 2
PHILADELPHIA 4 WASHINGTON 0
ATLANTA 6 ARIZONA 5 (10)
KANSAS CITY 2 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
TEXAS 10 HOUSTON 2
MILWAUKEE 6 SEATTLE 5
BOSTON 8 LA ANGELS 6
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/standings
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 8 MEMPHIS 3
UFL SCORES:
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
STANDINGS: https://www.foxsports.com/ufl/standings
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
CLEMSON 7 NOTRE DAME 3
NEBRASKA 3 OHIO STATE 0
BUTLER 5 CREIGHTON 1
IOWA 3 MICHIGAN 2 (10)
PENN STATE 8 NORTHWESTERN 4
ILLINOIS 11 MINNESOTA 2
INDIANA 15 MARYLAND 4 (10)
PURDUE 5 RUTGERS 3
MICHIGAN STATE 9 NIAGARA 0
KENT STATE 20 EASTERN MICHIGAN 7
TOLEDO 7 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 2
WESTERN MICHIGAN 6 OHIO 5 (12)
BOWLING GREEN 7 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 4
WESTERN CAROLINA 7 AKRON 3
ILLINOIS STATE 11 VALPARAISO 1
EVANSVILLE 3 BELMONT 2
MURRAY STATE 5 INDIANA STATE 4 (12)
SOUTHERN INDIANA 9 LINDENWOOD 4
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
WISCONSIN 5 RUTGERS 2
PURDUE 3 IOWA 2
INDIANA 6 MICHIGAN STATE 2
NORTHWESTERN 9 MICHIGAN 1
MINNESOTA 9 OHIO STATE 1
VIRGINIA 9 NOTRE DAME 2
MARYLAND 8 ILLINOIS 0
PENN STATE 2 NEBRASKA 1
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
PURDUE’S ZACH EDEY IS THE OVERWHELMING CHOICE FOR 2ND STRAIGHT AP PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — The child who wanted Zach Edey’s autograph during his Purdue recruiting trip apparently saw something others missed.
Big Maple was destined to be a basketball star.
While many college coaches passed on the unpolished Canadian prospect as the basketball world became enamored with perimeter play and 3-point shooting, Purdue coach Matt Painter took a swing on his third center in the recruiting class and found a gem who led the Boilermakers to their first Final Four since 1980.
On Friday, Edey collected his second Associated Press Player of the Year award, becoming the first back-to-back winner since Ralph Sampson won three in a row at Virginia from 1981-83. Edey received 57 of 62 votes from journalists who vote in the weekly AP Top 25. Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht received three votes and Houston’s Jamal Shead got two.
Edey is the fifth player to win the award in consecutive seasons though Lew Alcindor also won the award twice in non-consecutive seasons.
“I get to pay him (coach Matt Painter) back. There were so many coaches that looked over me, like you could — name a program — I could name a coach that looked over me,” Edey said. “Tennessee, Rick Barnes is a great coach, but he was at our practice, looked over me. It’s kind of been the story of my life. People have doubted me. People looked past me. Can’t do that anymore.”
A dedicated work ethic and a fiery, steely-eyed determination has turned he 7-foot-4, 300-pound Edey from intriguing project into college basketball’s biggest star.
The truth is Painter, who routinely builds his team around big men, almost missed, too. His first two choices in that recruiting class were Hunter Dickinson, who chose Michigan, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, who wound up at Creighton. Dickinson became an All-American with the Wolverines and again at Kansas while Kalkbrenner was a two-time all-Big East selection.
Edey outplayed them all, becoming the first national scoring leader to take his team to the Final Four since Oscar Robertson in 1960.
He heads into Saturday’s matchup against North Carolina State averaging 25.0 points and 12.2 rebounds for a second straight double-double. He also had 2.2 blocks while shooting 62.2% from the field this season, virtually willing the Boilermakers past Tennessee 72-66 in the regional final with a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds after last March’s shocking first-round loss to 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson.
Edey grew up in Toronto playing hockey and baseball until the strike zone became too large. Eventually, he landed at IMG Academy in Florida where he played only one season on the school’s top basketball team. Still, Painter took a chance.
“We were fortunate, right? I didn’t know he was going to turn into a two-time national player of the year,” Painter said. “I did think he would be good, I just didn’t know when he would be good. But he had good hands, he had good feet, he just needed repetition and work so right away, I was like ‘We’re going to throw him the ball when he’s open.’ He’s always open.”
Edey wasn’t sure if Purdue was the right fit, either.
But his mother, Julia, remembers how that youngster at the Boilermakers’ scrimmage game made them feel welcomed. Edey explained he wasn’t even on the team, but the kid didn’t care. He just wanted the autograph.
“Zach and I were standing in the tunnel and we said, ‘That kid just got a signature from a nobody,’” Julia Edey recounted, drawing laughter from Edey, his parents and Purdue’s sellout crowd on Senior Day.
Now Edey will leave Purdue as perhaps the greatest player in school history.
He broke Rick Mount’s 54-year-old school scoring record and now has surpassed 2,400 points. He broke Joe Barry Carroll’s 44-year-old career rebounding mark. His jersey number, 15, hangs in the rafters alongside other All-Americans such as John Wooden and Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, even one of Edey’s former teammates, Jaden Ivey.
Edey and his teammates are two wins away from Purdue’s first national title since Wooden led the Boilermakers to the 1932 championship.
And he did it with an unforgettably powerful, selfless style that endeared him to fans and teammates without shedding the same humility he treated the young autograph seeker all those years ago.
“You can tell he loves the game, you can tell he respects the game and not every No. 1 person is like that,” fifth-year forward Mason Gillis said of his teammate. “I think a lot of people don’t respect the game, don’t respect people around him. He does. He looks out for everybody, he’s a good guy, he stays in the gym and I don’t think we could ask for a better national player of the year. He does it the right way.”
HOUSTON COACH KELVIN SAMPSON EDGES UCONN’S DAN HURLEY FOR AP COACH OF THE YEAR
There was a moment during the NCAA Tournament, when top-seeded Houston was well on its way to a 40-point rout of No. 16 seed Longwood, that helps to capture why the Cougars have become so dominant under Kelvin Sampson.
It was late in the game, and Mylik Wilson was late closing out on the Lancers’ DA Houston, who buried a 3-pointer over him.
“They were up 30,” Longwood coach Griff Aldrich recalled, “and I thought DA barely got the shot off. And Sampson’s screaming at Wilson like that’s an emergency. ‘Get out there!’ It’s like, damn. I thought he was out there.”
That’s the way Sampson coaches, demanding excellence no matter the score or time left in the game. And the results speak for themselves: Houston won the Big 12 regular-season title i n its first year in the league, earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament for the second straight year and advanced through the opening weekend for the fifth time in a row.
The superlative season, which ended with a Sweet 16 loss to Duke during which All-American guard Jamal Shead hurt his ankle, allowed Sampson to narrowly edge UConn’s Dan Hurley for his second Associated Press Coach of the Year award, which was announced Friday.
Sampson received 23 of 62 votes from the national panel that votes for the weekly AP Top 25; balloting closed before the start of the NCAA Tournament. Hurley, whose top-seeded Huskies will play Alabama in the Final Four on Saturday night as they chase a second consecutive national title, finished second with 21 votes.
“He coaches 40 minutes of a 40-minute game. I think that’s what makes us good,” Shead said of Sampson, who also earned AP coach of the year in 1995 with Oklahoma. “He holds us to the same standard, day-in, day-out, practice or game.”
Lamont Paris of South Carolina received eight votes to finish third. T.J. Otzelberger of Iowa State and Danny Sprinkle, who was recently hired away from Utah State by Washington, had four apiece. McNeese State’s Will Wade and Kyle Smith, who coached Washington State to the second round of the NCAA tourney before leaving for Stanford, each received a vote.
Sampson is the 10th coach to win AP coach of the year multiple times, among them Guy Lewis, who won it twice with Houston during its previous heyday. Sampson is only the fourth to do it at separate schools and the 29 years between his awards is more than double the next-longest gap.
Themes of accountability, consistency and hard work at Houston can be traced to Sampson’s upbringing in North Carolina.
His grandparents were products of the Depression. His father, Ned, was a high school teacher and coach who made ends meet by finding part-time jobs in the summer. His mother, Eva, was a nurse who put in 12-hour shifts. With four kids at home — Sampson had a twin sister, along with sisters older and younger — there was no alternative for them but to work.
“I didn’t realize what latchkey kids were until I started reading about it. ‘Hey, I was one of those!’” said Sampson, who often came home from school to find an empty house. “Back then, that’s how it was. You got up and you went to work.
“So when you ask me where I got that from,” Sampson said of his work ethic, “I got that from my mom and dad.”
He has passed it along to his players.
Starting with the first Monday in June, the Cougars are out on baseball fields, running 18 100-yard sprints for time. On Tuesday, they head into a parking garage, running up ramps with weighted vests — also for time. They have shooting practice Wednesday, hit the gym on Thursday and on Friday, their coach is out with a stopwatch to time them over a mile.
“When you go through stuff like that at 5:45, 6 in the morning,” Sampson said, “you learn to respect the guy beside you.”
Along the way, Houston has earned the respect of everyone in college basketball.
It had made one NCAA Tournament in 22 years before his 2014 arrival, and those heady days of Lewis and Phi Slama Jama had become a distant memory. Sampson’s first season was rough, too. The Cougars went 13-19, winning just four American Athletic Conference games, and some wondered whether he could still win in college after six years in the NBA.
Yet the groundwork was laid for all that has followed: four regular-season AAC titles in a five-year span, a trip to the Final Four in the one year they did not win it, and back-to-back 30-plus win seasons that ushered them into the Big 12.
There, they won the regular-season title with two games to spare and finished 32-5 this season.
“I’m so blessed to have coached that first team that went 13-19,” Sampson said. “That was the only team that my wife’s ever asked, ‘Could you get them to sign a basketball for me?’ We have a lake house in North Carolina, and I see it every summer. She has that ball displayed in a prominent position there, and that’s the only one.
“We’ve been to Final Fours, won a ton of conference championships,” Sampson added, “but she’s only got one ball. That’s from that 13-19 team. She appreciate that team because they never quit.”
Just like their coach. No matter the score or time left in the game.
PURDUE, NC STATE SEEK TITLE GAME RETURN AFTER 40-PLUS YEARS
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Purdue has reached the NCAA Tournament in 15 of coach Matt Painter’s 19 seasons on the bench, but one enormous goal — a trip to the Final Four — has eluded the Boilermakers in that span.
Purdue hasn’t reached the Final Four since 1980, in fact, but a big reason for their success this season is 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, the reigning Naismith national Player of the Year.
And he’ll take center stage Saturday in the first national semifinal when the Boilermakers, the No. 1 seed in the East Region, meet tournament Cinderella North Carolina State, who advanced despite being the No. 11 seed in the South Region.
On the line for Edey and Purdue (33-4) and DJ Burns Jr. and the Wolfpack (26-14) is a trip to Monday’s championship game against the winner of the semifinal between UConn and Alabama.
The 7-foot-4 Edey is averaging 30.0 points and 16.3 rebounds through four NCAA Tournament games for the Boilermakers. The 6-9 Burns has hit full stride at the perfect time of the season and was the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player and the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Both players are coming off big games. Edey turned in 40 points and 16 rebounds in Purdue’s Elite Eight win over Tennessee, and Burns had a season-high 29 points in the regional final against Duke last weekend.
“Being in the Final Four was one of our team’s goals, but it wasn’t the final goal. I think all year we’ve talked about winning the national championship and now we have an opportunity to do that,” Edey said Thursday, two days after Purdue arrived in the Phoenix area to begin Final Four preparations. “Everybody’s going to take that seriously and really lock in here.”
Burns has captured college basketball fans with his outgoing personality, nifty moves in the post and ability to make all kinds of shots, and his passing ability has also been on display.
“I’m excited about DJ Burns. Great touch, lefty, willing passer,” NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. “Tremendous personality. Doesn’t really catch the ball in the post, but he ends up around the basket. I don’t know that there’s ever been a guy like that before. The guards get so mad at him because they don’t get assists, because he dribbles six times to get where he needs to be.”
Purdue is looking for its first national championship. The Boilermakers have played for the title just once, losing to John Wooden’s UCLA team 92-72 in 1969. Their last trip to the Final Four came in 1980, when they lost again to UCLA.
Purdue has won 21 consecutive non-conference, regular season or postseason games against power conference or nationally ranked teams. That equals the second longest such streak in NCAA history.
They will look to guard Braden Smith to get the ball inside to Edey. Smith is second on the Big Ten’s single-season assists list with 278 total.
North Carolina State has held six straight opponents to under 40 percent field goal shooting. They also have a key fifth year player in guard DJ Horne, who leads the Wolfpack in scoring at 16.8 points per game.
Horne played just across the valley from where the Final Four will take place — at Arizona State in nearby Tempe — before transferring to NC State prior to this season.
The Wolfpack were never ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 all season, yet the team finds itself in the Final Four only two games away from its second national championship.
The first came in 1983 with the late Jim Valvano as head coach.
This is NC State’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Final Four. In addition to 1983, the Wolfpack made the round in 1950 and 1974
REPORTS: SAINT LOUIS TO NAME JOSH SCHERTZ HEAD COACH
Saint Louis is hiring Indiana State’s Josh Schertz as its men’s basketball coach, multiple outlets reported Friday.
Schertz’s Sycamores fell 79-77 to Seton Hall in the NIT championship game Thursday, a matchup of No. 1 seeds. Seton Hall went on a 9-0 run in the final 2:50 to win.
After the game, Schertz, 48, said he would have a decision about his future very soon.
“It’s been a great run and I don’t want to leave anybody twisting in the wind any more than they have been,” Schertz said.
Indiana State finished the season 32-7 (17-3 Missouri Valley Conference).
Saint Louis has been seeking a replacement for Travis Ford, who was fired March 13 after eight seasons and a 146-109 record.
The Billikens finished 13-20 (5-13 Atlantic 10) in the 2023-24 season.
In three seasons as the head coach of Indiana State, Schertz had a 66-40 record and was named the conference’s Coach of the Year earlier this month.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
IOWA RETURNS TO NCAA FINAL WITH TIGHT WIN OVER UCONN
CLEVELAND — The battle between Iowa and UConn at the Final Four came down to its last crucial — and bizarre — moments.
In the end, the top-seeded Hawkeyes and national player of the year Caitlin Clark emerged with a 71-69 victory over the third-seeded Huskies on Friday night, sending Iowa to its second consecutive national final.
The Hawkeyes (34-4) will oppose another No. 1 seed, South Carolina (37-0) in the championship game on Sunday. It will be in a rematch of one of last season’s national semifinals.
With UConn down by one point and nine seconds left, the Huskies’ KK Arnold stole the ball. However, on the ensuing possession, the referees whistled UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards for an illegal screen with 3.9 seconds left, handing the ball back to Iowa.
Clark was fouled, hit the first free throw and missed the next, but Iowa got the rebound with 1.1 seconds to go. On the second of two inbounds plays, the Hawkeyes got a pass in to clinch the win.
Clark collected 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Hawkeyes over No. 3 UConn 71-69 on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
The scoring total tied Clark’s season low, posted previously when she played just 26 minutes in a November rout of Florida Gulf Coast. Against UConn, she shot just 7-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-11 from 3-point range. Hannah Stuelke picked up the scoring load for the Hawkeyes, tallying 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
The Huskies (33-6) were powered by 17 points apiece from Edwards and Paige Bueckers, while Arnold added 14 points.
UConn led by as much as 12 points in the first half and was effective early on at stifling and frustrating Clark, the all-time leading scorer among men and women in the history of Division I college basketball. The Iowa megastar finished the first half with just six points on 3-of-11 shooting, including an 0-for-6 mark on 3-point attempts.
In the third quarter, Stuelke took over for Iowa, scoring 11 points. Her offensive rebound late in the frame turned into second-chance points for Sydney Affolter, giving Iowa a brief two-point advantage. A layup by Edwards sent the game into the final period tied at 51-51.
Stuelke opened the fourth with a layup, and Clark then sent the crowd into a frenzy by swishing a step-back 3-pointer with a UConn defender guarding her closely. Those two baskets were the start of a 15-6 Iowa run, giving the Hawkeyes a nine-point lead with less than six minutes to go.
UConn charged back. Nika Muhl’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 41 seconds left trimmed Iowa’s lead to a single point. Then, after all the chaos, Clark’s free throw produced the final point of the game.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA PULLS AWAY FROM NC STATE TO REACH FINAL
CLEVELAND — Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and collected 11 rebounds and No. 1 South Carolina earned a spot in the national title game with a 78-59 rout of No. 3 North Carolina State on Friday night.
Ashlyn Watkins grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds for the Gamecocks (37-0), who are 73-1 over the past two seasons. Raven Johnson scored 13 points and Te-Hina Paopao added 10 points and six assists for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks, who outscored North Carolina State 29-6 in the decisive third quarter, will play in the championship game for the third time in the past seven NCAA Tournaments. They won the national crown in 2017 and 2022.
South Carolina will face either No. 1 Iowa or No. 3 UConn in Sunday’s championship contest.
Aziaha James scored 20 points for North Carolina State (31-7), which was part of the Final Four for just the second time. River Baldwin recorded 12 points and nine rebounds and Zoe Brooks added 10 points for the Wolfpack, who shot just 32 percent from the field and 6 of 23 (26.1 percent) from 3-point range.
The Gamecocks held a 46-32 rebounding edge and shot 50 percent from the field, including 8 of 19 (42.1 percent) from behind the arc.
South Carolina led 32-31 at halftime before delivering a fierce knockout punch in the third quarter.
Paopao and Johnson hit 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the quarter as the Gamecocks took a 42-32 lead.
Baldwin made two free throws as the Wolfpack crept within 44-36 with 7:08 left before South Carolina closed the period with a 17-1 burst. Paopao and Bree Hall sank treys in the final minute of the quarter to make it 61-37.
The Gamecocks made 12 of 20 shots in the period, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. NC State was 1 of 11 and missed all four of its shots from behind the arc.
The fourth quarter was a mere formality and Cardoso sat out the entire 10 minutes.
Cardoso scored 12 of her 16 first-half points in the second quarter, but NC State hung tough.
The Wolfpack led 16-13 late in the first quarter before MiLaysia Fulwiley drained a tying 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining.
Cardoso then scored South Carolina’s first 12 points of the second quarter. The Gamecocks led by six before NC State rallied to tie it at 30 on a 3-pointer by Mimi Collins with 1:04 to go before the break.
NBA NEWS
NBA FINES 76ERS $100,000 FOR VIOLATING INJURY REPORTING RULES IN THE GAME EMBIID RETURNED
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA fined the Philadelphia 76ers $100,000 on Friday for violating injury reporting rules by initially listing Joel Embiid as out in a game he later played in.
Embiid returned from a 29-game absence after left knee surgery Tuesday night, leading the 76ers to a 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. That came after the 76ers had listed him as being out in the initial injury report. He was upgraded to questionable by late afternoon.
Teams are required to list the status of a player whose participation may be affected by injury by 5 p.m. local time the day before a game, unless they are on a back-to-back. The injury report is then updated throughout the course of the day.
The league said it took into account the 76ers’ history of fines for violating the injury reporting rules. The Sixers had been penalized $75,000 on Feb. 1 for not accurately including Embiid on their report in a timely matter for their game against Denver on Jan. 27, just before he sustained a torn meniscus that required surgery.
NBA ROUNDUP: RAPTORS END 15-GAME SKID, ADD TO BUCKS’ WOES
Gary Trent Jr. finished 7-of-15 shooting from 3-point range en route to 31 points, and with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined, the visiting Toronto Raptors snapped the second-longest losing streak in franchise history with Friday’s 117-111 win.
Toronto had lost 15 straight heading into Milwaukee, two shy of matching the longest skid for the organization. But RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley went for 26 and 25 points, respectively, and Quickley also flirted with a triple-double, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing nine assists.
Quickley snared the last of his rebounds in traffic off a missed Khris Middleton 3-point attempt with 19 seconds remaining that would have given Milwaukee the lead.
The Bucks have lost three straight, all against opponents eliminated from playoff contention. Damian Lillard returned to the lineup and scored 36 points with six assists.
Mavericks 108, Warriors 106
P.J. Washington made a tiebreaking layup with 4.5 seconds remaining as Dallas overcame the absence of Luka Doncic to hold off visiting Golden State.
Washington, who went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, finished with a game-high 32 points and Kyrie Irving had 26 for the Mavericks, who avenged a 104-100 loss at Golden State on Tuesday, the only defeat in their past 10 games.
Stephen Curry scored a team-high 28 points for the Warriors, whose six-game winning streak ended. Thompson scored 16 points but missed a 3-point attempt for the win at the buzzer.
Suns 97, Timberwolves 87
Grayson Allen recorded 23 points and eight rebounds and Phoenix never trailed while dropping Minnesota into a tie for first place in the West.
Kevin Durant added 22 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Suns, who have won 11 of its past 16 games. Jusuf Nurkic contributed 11 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Anthony Edwards had 17 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota, which lost for just the third in 12 games. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 13 points as the Timberwolves fell into a tie with the idle Denver Nuggets.
Pacers 126, Thunder 112
Pascal Siakam scored 21 points to lift host Indiana over Oklahoma City.
Tyrese Haliburton had 11 assists to break Mark Jackson’s Pacers franchise record for assists in a season. Haliburton has 714, one more than Jackson’s total in 1997-98.
Luguentz Dort led the Thunder, who have dropped three consecutive games for the first time this season, with 22 points, while Kenrich Williams added 18 off the bench. Josh Giddey contributed 14 points and 12 assists.
Clippers 131, Jazz 102
James Harden delivered a triple-double, Terance Mann scored 19 points and Los Angeles overpowered visiting Utah to strengthen its hold on fourth place in the West.
Harden finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists as the Clippers improved to 2-1 without Kawhi Leonard (knee) this week. They won for the fifth time in their last six games.
Talen Horton-Tucker scored 17 points for the Jazz (29-48), who have lost 11 consecutive games and 14 of their last 15. Utah leading scorer Lauri Markkanen (shoulder), leading rebounder John Collins (back) and leading assist man Jordan Clarkson (pelvis) all remained out.
Trail Blazers 108, Wizards 102
Deandre Ayton collected 34 points and 13 rebounds to lift visiting Portland to a victory over Washington.
The double-double was the third in a row for Ayton, who made 13 of 25 shots from the floor and 8 of 9 attempts from the free-throw line. Dalano Banton recorded 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists off the bench. The Trail Blazers have won two in a row following a season-high 10-game skid.
Washington’s Deni Avdija collected 22 points and 12 rebounds and Jordan Poole added 20 points and nine assists. The Wizards have dropped five of their last six games to match the franchise record for losses in a season.
Celtics 101, Kings 100
Xavier Tillman’s pull-up jumper with 7.4 seconds left lifted Boston over visiting Sacramento.
The Celtics led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter, but a 16-1 run the opposite way — including two 3-pointers by De’Aaron Fox and another by Harrison Barnes — made it interesting down the stretch.
Fox hit seven 3-pointers and had a game-high 40 points for the Kings, who have lost four of their past six and are tied with the Lakers for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
Bulls 108, Knicks 100
Javonte Green had 25 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double, and Ayo Dosunmu added 24 points to boost host Chicago past New York.
The Bulls moved one game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage in a play-in tournament game. The Knicks remained tied with the Orlando Magic for fourth in the East.
The Bulls never trailed while overcoming the third straight double-double for New York’s Jalen Brunson, who had 35 points and 11 assists. DeMar DeRozan (20 points, 10 assists), Nikola Vucevic (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Andre Drummond (10 points, 16 rebounds) each posted double-doubles for Chicago.
Heat 119, Rockets 104
Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 22 points, Tyler Herro returned to action to contribute 17 points and visiting Miami defeated Houston.
Herro played 25 minutes off the bench for the Heat — his first action since Feb. 23. He missed 20 games due to a foot injury.
The Rockets, who lost their fourth straight game, were led by Jalen Green, who scored 21 points but shot just 2-for-9 from 3-point range. He made 6 of 18 shots overall.
Hornets 124, Magic 115
Rookie Brandon Miller shot 10-for-10 in the first half and finished with 32 points as Charlotte beat visiting Orlando for a rare victory.
Miles Bridges scored 23 points and Grant Williams poured in 18 points as the Hornets won for the second time in 11 games.
Paolo Banchero wound up with 32 points and Franz Wagner posted 22 points for the Magic, who had a three-game winning streak end.
Grizzlies 108, Pistons 90
Trey Jemison collected 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, helping Memphis to subdue visiting Detroit.
Maozinha Pereira also scored 17 points for the Grizzlies, who won their third straight game.
Jaden Ivey scored 31 points to lead the Pistons, who have dropped three in a row and 11 of 12.
Spurs 111, Pelicans 109
Devonte’ Graham scored 20 points, Victor Wembanyama finished one assist shy of a triple-double and visiting San Antonio defeated fading New Orleans.
Wembanyama finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists and five teammates finished with at least 14 points as the Spurs defeated the Pelicans for the first time after three losses this season.
CJ McCollum scored 31 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 26 for New Orleans, which lost its fourth straight game and fifth in its last six.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: GIANTS GET WALK-OFF WIN IN HOME OPENER
Thairo Estrada gave the San Francisco Giants a walk-off win in their home opener Friday afternoon, lacing a one-out double to left-center field to score Matt Chapman from first base for a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.
The win completed a happy homecoming for new Giants manager Bob Melvin, the former Padres skipper who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and played three of his 10 big-league seasons with the Giants. Chapman set the stage for Estrada’s heroics by getting hit on the left elbow on a 1-2 pitch from Padres reliever Enyel De Los Santos (0-1).
Estrada then swung through a changeup before sending a fastball to the wall in left-center, just far enough to allow Chapman to beat Fernando Tatis Jr.’s strong throw to the plate with a head-first slide.
Camilo Doval (1-0), the third Giants pitcher, got the win after escaping a jam in the top of the ninth.
Blue Jays 3, Yankees 0
Ernie Clement opened the seventh inning by hitting his first career pinch-hit home run and visiting Toronto shut out New York.
Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi and four relievers combined to hold the Yankees to six hits.
New York starter Marcus Stroman allowed three hits in six shutout innings while walking one and striking out six.
Tigers 5, Athletics 4
Gio Urshela drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the eighth as Detroit won its home opener against Oakland.
Matt Vierling and Mark Canha hit solo homers and Spencer Torkelson doubled twice and scored two runs for the Tigers.
Brent Rooker and Abraham Toro homered for the A’s, whose starter, JP Sears, allowed four runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Phillies 4, Nationals 0
Aaron Nola and three relievers combined on a two-hitter and visiting Philadelphia beat Washington.
Kyle Schwarber had a two-run single as part of a three-run second inning and walked twice for the Phillies. Bryce Harper had three hits including an RBI single, and J.T. Realmuto had two hits. Nola (1-1) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and four walks. He struck out four.
Patrick Corbin (0-1) became the first Nationals starter to go six innings, working six-plus and allowing four runs on nine hits. He struck out six and walked three.
Braves 6, Diamondbacks 5 (10 innings)
Travis d’Arnaud led off the 10th inning with a single that scored pinch runner Forrest Wall, giving Atlanta a come-from-behind win over Arizona in the home opener at Atlanta.
The Braves rallied from a 5-2 deficit, scoring once in the eighth and twice in the ninth. The winning pitcher was Pierce Johnson (2-0), who pitched a scoreless top of the 10th. Atlanta starter Spencer Strider was knocked out after pitching just four innings. He yielded five runs on seven hits while walking three and fanning four.
The losing pitcher was Scott McGough (0-2), whose only batter was d’Arnaud. Arizona starter Tommy Henry went five innings and allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He escaped trouble in the fourth and fifth innings, stranding a combined five runners in the two frames.
Brewers 6, Mariners 5
William Contreras drew a game-ending, bases-loaded walk, giving Milwaukee a victory over visiting Seattle in the opener of a three-game series.
Seattle’s Andres Munoz (0-1) relieved to start the inning and walked Sal Frelick, pinch-hitter Jake Bauers and Brice Turang — the bottom of the order. Rookie Jackson Chourio was called out on strikes, but Contreras drew a five-pitch walk to give Milwaukee its fifth win in six games.
The Mariners tied it 5-5 in the top of the ninth with two runs off Brewers closer Abner Uribe (1-0), who had saved his first three opportunities. Uribe wound up posting his first career win.
Cubs 9, Dodgers 7
Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch each homered while Seiya Suzuki supplied three RBIs as Chicago outlasted visiting Los Angeles.
Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly struck out five while allowing two runs on one hit over 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Kyle Hendricks. Julian Merryweather pitched a scoreless eighth and Adbert Alzolay worked around two singles in the ninth to secure his first save of the season and Chicago’s first 4-0 start at home since 1998.
Shohei Ohtani homered for the second straight game and finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the Dodgers. Will Smith had four hits and Teoscar Hernandez notched three singles and four RBIs.
Orioles 5, Pirates 2
Grayson Rodriguez (2-0) logged 6 1/3 strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out seven, as Baltimore spoiled Pittsburgh’s home opener.
Ryan O’Hearn, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Anthony Santander each had two hits for the Orioles.
Oneil Cruz went 3-for-4 with a home run for Pittsburgh, which lost for just the second time in eight games to start the season. Pirates starter Jared Jones (1-1) lasted six innings, giving up two runs and six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Michael A. Taylor saw a season-opening, seven-game hitting streak come to an end.
Royals 2, White Sox 1
Salvador Perez went 3-for-3 and Brady Singer turned in a sterling pitching performance as host Kansas City edged Chicago.
The Royals hustled to take the lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth against Chicago’s hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech (0-1). Singer gave up just two hits over 6 1/3 innings to Chicago, allowing one run.
Erick Fedde allowed just one run over five-plus innings with two walks and four strikeouts over 91 pitches for the White Sox.
Red Sox 8, Angels 6
Jarren Duran’s solo home run in the eighth inning snapped a tie and helped lift Boston to a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Duran’s home run was one of five by Boston hitters in the game, including two by Tyler O’Neill. Reese McGuire and Triston Casas also homered. Shortstop Trevor Story left in the fourth inning after injuring his left shoulder. Chris Martin (1-0), one of five Red Sox relievers, earned the victory.
The Angels made a game of it, thanks to a game-tying grand slam by Logan O’Hoppe in the sixth inning. Angels starter Griffin Canning threw a scoreless first inning, but the Red Sox rocked him in the second inning with three home runs. Canning yielded four runs on five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He fanned four.
Rockies 10, Rays 7
Ryan McMahon hit a walk-off grand slam, and Colorado rallied from blowing a four-run lead to beat Tampa Bay in Denver.
McMahon finished with three hits and Ezequiel Tovar and Kris Bryant also went deep for Colorado. Harold Ramirez had three hits, including one in the Rays’ five-run ninth inning. Amed Rosario also had three hits, and Isaac Paredes and Yandy Diaz added two hits apiece.
The Rockies trailed 7-6 entering the bottom of the ninth, but Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks (0-1) walked the bases loaded with no outs. Jason Adam relieved Fairbanks and struck out Bryant, but McMahon homered to right on the first pitch he saw to end it. It was his first of the season. Rockies reliever Jalen Beeks (1-0) got the final two outs of the top of the ninth.
Mets 3, Reds 2
Pete Alonso drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded grounder and Jeff McNeil homered to lead visiting New York past Cincinnati.
Alonso came up against Fernando Cruz (0-1) with the bases loaded. He hit a chopper that Elly De La Cruz didn’t handle cleanly, allowing Harrison Bader to score in the seventh. Drew Smith (1-0) worked his way out of a jam he inherited from starter Jose Quintana in the sixth inning to earn the win.
Jonathan India reached to open the ninth on a fielding error by Mets closer Edwin Diaz. Spencer Steer, who earlier homered, worked a walk. Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a chopper up the middle that Francisco Lindor was unable to turn into a double play and settled for one out. After Jeimer Candelario’s sacrifice fly made it a one-run game, Diaz struck out Jake Fraley to end the game for his first save. The Reds stranded 12 runners and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Rangers 10, Astros 2
Cody Bradford pitched into the eighth inning, Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien each hit three-run homers, and host Texas routed Houston in the opener of a four-game series.
Garcia also singled in a run and Semien finished with three hits and three runs scored for the Rangers, who collected 16 hits and received a stellar outing from Bradford.
The Astros scored their lone run with two outs in the eighth inning when Yerry Rodriguez replaced Bradford with Pena at first base and allowed Jake Meyers’ two-run homer to right field.
BRAVES’ SPENCER STRIDER SET FOR MRI ON AILING ELBOW
Braves star right-hander Spencer Strider, who left his Friday start against the Arizona Diamondbacks after four innings due to elbow discomfort, will have further testing on Saturday, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.
Strider, who finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting last season, led the majors with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings. In his first two starts this year, however, he has gone just nine total innings, and his velocity has been down a few miles per hour. He struck out four and walked three on Friday.
Snitker said he didn’t realize Strider was hurt initially.
“I thought it was just one of those nights, (but) he came in and he was complaining about his elbow, so he’s going to get an MRI in the morning and find out what’s going on,” Snitker said following the Braves’ 6-5, 10-inning win.
In his two starts, Strider has an ERA of 7.00, more than double his career mark of 3.47.
Strider underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in 2019 while at Clemson, and a second such procedure would likely sideline him for at least a year.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: SIX UNANSWERED GOALS PUSH COYOTES PAST KNIGHTS
Michael Carcone scored twice while Alex Kerfoot added one goal and one assist as the Arizona Coyotes scored six unanswered goals in the third period to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 7-4 Friday night in Tempe, Ariz.
Josh Doan, Nick Bjugstad, Josh Brown and Logan Cooley also tallied for the Coyotes (32-39-5, 69 points), who trailed 4-1 eight minutes into the third period before mounting an incredible comeback against the defending Stanley Cup champs. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 20 saves.
William Karlsson scored once in a two-point performance while Jack Eichel, Anthony Mantha and Chandler Stephenson added singles for Vegas (42-26-8, 92 points). Goalie Logan Thompson stopped 25 shots for the Golden Knights, who sit third in the Pacific Division and saw their three-game winning streak end.
The Coyotes netted three goals in 67 seconds in the middle of the third to tie the clash. Carcone followed with the go-ahead goal with 5:13 remaining thanks to a shot that bounced off a defender, and Arizona added two more.
Hurricanes 4, Capitals 2
Sebastian Aho scored the winning goal within the final two minutes as Carolina tallied four unanswered goals to beat Washington in Raleigh, N.C.
Jake Guentzel scored twice in a three-point performance and Martin Necas scored once for the Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov made 14 saves, and Jaccob Slavin logged two assists.
Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Dylan Strome collected two assists for the Capitals, who have fallen out of a playoff position due to a five-game swoon (0-4-1). Darcy Kuemper stopped 41 shots.
Kraken 3, Ducks 1
Shane Wright had two goals and an assist as Seattle defeated host Anaheim, completing a four-game season sweep of its Pacific Division rivals.
Matty Beniers also scored, Oliver Bjorkstrand contributed two assists and Philipp Grubauer made 16 saves for the Kraken, who have won four of their past six games.
Rookie Leo Carlsson scored an unassisted goal and Lukas Dostal stopped 24 of 27 shots for the Ducks, who have lost 13 of their past 15 games (2-12-1).
Rangers 4, Red Wings 3
Barclay Goodrow scored two goals to lead New York to a road win over Detroit, padding the Rangers’ lead atop the Eastern Conference.
Will Cuylle and Chris Kreider each added goals for the Rangers, who won their fifth straight road game. Jonny Brodzinski and Jimmy Vesey each had two assists.
Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher and Dylan Larkin each scored for the Red Wings, who remained one point out of a playoff position. David Perron logged two assists.
Oilers 6, Avalanche 2
Connor McDavid and Evander Kane each scored twice, leading host Edmonton to a win over Colorado.
Corey Perry and Mattias Ekholm scored the other goals for the Edmonton Oilers , who officially clinched a playoff spot for a fifth consecutive season. Cody Ceci, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod each had two assists, and Stuart Skinner made 21 saves in the win.
Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton scored for the Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 41 shots for Colorado, which lost for just the third time in 15 games.
Sabres 4, Flyers 2
Jack Quinn had two goals and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist to lead Buffalo to a win over visiting Philadelphia.
The Sabres have won two straight games, and are still alive in their pursuit of an Eastern Conference wild-card playoff berth. Rasmus Dahlin scored Buffalo’s other goal. Alex Tuch and Zach Benson each had two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 of 34 shots to earn his 26th win of the season.
The Flyers are 0-4-2 in their last six games. In his first NHL start and just his second NHL game, Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov stopped 15 of 19 Buffalo shots. Owen Tippett had a goal and an assist and Noah Cates scored Philadelphia’s other goal.
NFL NEWS
PANTHERS SIGN BROWN TO REPORTED 4-YEAR, $96M EXTENSION
The Carolina Panthers signed defensive tackle Derrick Brown to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.
Financial details weren’t confirmed, but it’s a new four-year, $96-million deal that includes $63.165 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Brown, who had one year remaining on his rookie deal, is now contracted through the 2028 season. His $24-million average salary is tied for fourth among all defensive tackles, while his guaranteed money ranks fifth, according to Spotrac.
The 2020 first-round pick earned his first Pro Bowl berth in 2023 after setting an NFL record for a defensive lineman with 103 total tackles. He added two sacks and 15 quarterback hits.
Brown has appeared in 66 games in four years with the Panthers, racking up 245 tackles, eight sacks, and 48 quarterback hits.
The 25-year-old is the key player on Carolina’s defense after the club traded star pass-rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants in March.
NFL DRAFT PROFILES
BO NIX
OREGON · QB · SENIOR
Nix is an experienced quarterback (61 starts at Oregon and Auburn) with outstanding accuracy and toughness. He has average height and a thick/sturdy frame. He is at his best in the quick-rhythm passing game. He has quick feet in his setup, scans the field with urgency and accurately delivers the ball. He has a compact release and generates velocity to drive the ball to all three levels. He shows touch to layer the ball over linebackers and under safeties. He is accurate on designed rollouts. He does need to improve habits under duress, though, as he occasionally fails to feel back-side run-throughs and also falls off some throws when faced with interior pressure. He’s an urgent athlete and is effective as a runner, especially on zone reads. His coaches rave about his leadership and toughness. Overall, Nix’s combination of competitiveness, intelligence and experience reminds me of Jalen Hurts coming out of college.
JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON
OREGON · IOL · JUNIOR
Powers-Johnson has experience at all three interior offensive line spots and has spent time at defensive tackle, as well. He was outstanding at the center position in 2023, and that’s where I expect him to play at the next level. He has good size, exceptional quickness and steady balance. In pass pro, he sets vertically and is able to catch and absorb versus power rushers. He does an excellent job reworking his hands to maintain position and is a nasty helper when uncovered. In the run game, he uses his upper-body power to torque/turn defenders, generating a lot of movement at the point of attack. He is quick working up to the second level and takes good angles. Overall, there aren’t many holes in his game. I love his bulldog playing style.
NATE WIGGINS
CLEMSON · CB · JUNIOR
Wiggins is a tall, thin and long cornerback with outstanding speed. He is effective in press coverage. He gets his hands on receivers, but he’ll need to let go earlier at the next level. He is a fluid mover and has plenty of deep speed. He can locate and play the ball down the field. He will have concentration lapses at times, trying to peek back at the QB, which makes him lose position. From off coverage, he is efficient in his transition, and he closes in a hurry. I was a little disappointed in his lack of aggression against the run. He is content to hang on blocks at times, and his effort to chase from the back side is spotty, at best. Some of this could be due to high play counts, but it’s still bothersome. Overall, Wiggins is dripping with athleticism and physical traits, but he needs to be more invested in the run game.
JER’ZHAN NEWTON
ILLINOIS · DT · SENIOR
Newton is a slightly undersized defensive tackle with quick and powerful hands. As a pass rusher, he has shock in his mitts to jolt blockers. He mixes up his moves to generate sacks/pressures, routinely employing a violent club/swim and a quick-swipe maneuver. He also incorporates a Houdini-like move where he sticks his hand out and gets OTs to lunge at it before pulling it away and clearing the block. He isn’t a loose, nimble rusher due to some hip tightness. Against the run, he generates knock-back at the point of attack and gives effort to chase plays down the line. Overall, Newton lacks ideal lower-body flexibility, but he’s a very skilled rusher and holds up versus the run.
MICHAEL PENIX JR.
WASHINGTON · QB · SENIOR
Penix has exceptional arm strength and toughness. He has a unique, whippy, three-quarters delivery from the left side, and the ball explodes out of his hand. He can hang on his back foot and effortlessly drive the ball 55 yards. He excels driving throws outside and tosses a beautiful, lofting deep ball. He does have issues getting throws up and down in the middle of the field. His ball can stay flat. He is quick to process and consistently gets to No. 3 in the route progression. He flashed the ability to avoid, escape and create against Texas in the College Football Playoff. He’s been through a litany of injuries during his career, but he managed to overcome them and led Washington to the national title game. Overall, durability is a legitimate concern, but I believe in his combination of vision, accuracy and arm strength.
LADD MCCONKEY
GEORGIA · WR · JUNIOR (RS)
McConkey is a slightly undersized receiver with excellent speed, quickness and polish. He lines up both outside and in the slot. He is quick off the line, and he understands how to attack the leverage of his man. He changes speed throughout the route and is efficient getting into and out of breaks. He will utilize head nods to sell routes and create separation. He has an excellent feel to settle in space versus zone coverage. He has strong hands to pluck balls thrown away from his frame, and he is quick to transition up the field. After the catch, he relies on his quickness to make defenders miss. Overall, McConkey isn’t quite as physical as former Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, but I see a lot of similarities in their route running and instincts. I could see McConkey having a similar career.
GOLF NEWS
AKSHAY BHATIA STAYS IN CONTROL AT VALERO TEXAS OPEN
Akshay Bhatia used two late birdies to shoot a second-round 70 on Friday, giving him a healthy lead heading into the weekend at the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
Bhatia is at 11-under 133 after firing a 63 in the opening round. He’s five shots clear of the field after Denny McCarthy bogeyed the par-5 18th to drop into a tie for second at 6 under with Russell Henley (69) and Brendon Todd (72).
Bhatia, 22, could qualify for his first major if he turns in a strong weekend. The Texas Open champion will receive the final berth into next week’s Masters, if not already qualified.
Starting his day on the back nine, Bhatia opened birdie-bogey and picked up another bogey at the par-4 15th hole after three-putting from 62 feet. But a birdie at the par-5 second got him back on the right track.
He followed a 9-foot birdie putt at the par-3 seventh with a stellar save at the par-5 eighth, where he got out of a greenside bunker on his third shot and made a 5-footer for birdie.
Rory McIlroy is alone in fifth at 5 under after a 70 (three birdies, one bogey). The World No. 2 from Northern Ireland is tuning up before Augusta, where he will try to complete the career Grand Slam and end a nearly 10-year major championship drought.
Webb Simpson (67) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (69) are part of a tie for sixth at 4 under. Jordan Spieth bounced back from a 73 with a Friday 68 to get to 3 under.
Notable names missing the cut of 1 over par include Matt Kuchar (3 over), Rickie Fowler (4 over) and Tom Kim of South Korea (7 over).
SERGIO GARCIA AMONG THREE CO-LEADERS AT LIV GOLF MIAMI
Sergio Garcia of Spain shot a bogey-free, 5-under 67 to grab a share of the lead at LIV Golf Miami after the first round Friday at Trump National Doral.
Garcia, Talor Gooch and Peter Uihlein head into the weekend with a one-shot lead on four players at 4-under 68 — Bubba Watson, Matthew Wolff, South Africa’s Dean Burmester and Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent.
Garcia, 44, was one of the first players to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022, but he has yet to win on his new circuit. He lost a playoff at the season opener at Mayakoba to Chile’s Joaquin Niemann.
“I’ve just got to keep giving myself chances. It’s as simple as that,” said Garcia, who birdied three of his final five holes. “I think that some weeks you feel better than others, and I’ve been close a couple of times. Obviously a couple of times very close, and then another three or four times I’ve been fairly close, around the lead.”
With Garcia one of 13 LIV players headed to Augusta National next week for the Masters, it isn’t a bad time to find form.
“Obviously if you play nicely, it gives you a little bit of confidence for sure, but every week is different, and you never know how Augusta is going to play, the conditions you’re going to get,” Garcia said. “Augusta is very, very tricky, and it can be a little bit tough to swallow sometimes. Just got to keep your feet on the ground, and even if you win this week, you’ve got to go out there with your feet on the ground and just try to do the best possible.”
Gooch does not have an exemption into the Masters, but the outspoken golfer said he’s done trying to “influence people” with his words.
“I’m going to keep doing what I did last year. Even though it didn’t work, I’m going to keep trying to shoot good scores,” Gooch said. “The rule of 67 worked today and I’m going to keep trying to shoot as many 67s as I can and eventually all of that will take care of itself.”
Uihlein’s team, RangeGoats GC, earned a healthy lead in the team competition as Uihlein’s 67 combined with the 68s from Wolff and captain Watson. At 13 under, they’re five shots ahead of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII.
“Played really well, putted nice and just kind of felt like I was just kind of plotting my way around there, which was good,” Uihlein said. “Wedged it close a few times and took advantage of holes that I had when I had the opportunity.”
Rahm, the defending Masters champion, opened his week with a 3-under 69, part of a large tie for eighth that includes fellow major champs Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.
LEONA MAGUIRE CRUISES, NELLY KORDA SURGES INTO MATCH PLAY QUARTERS
Ireland’s Leona Maguire cruised into the weekend while the rest of the field scrambled to advance out of stroke play on Friday in the third round of the T-Mobile Match Play at Las Vegas.
Maguire responded to a bogey on the second hole with four birdies and no bogeys the rest of the round for a 3-under-par 69. That left her at 6-under 210 for the tournament to clear the field by three strokes in windy and cold conditions at Shadow Creek Golf Course.
“Today was a big mental win for me,” Maguire said. “I think going out we knew the conditions were going to be tough. It was going to be windy, it was going to be swirling, the greens were going to get firm in the afternoon.”
The field was cut to the top 65 players and ties after 36 holes on Wednesday and Thursday, then trimmed to the top eight after stroke play on Friday. Saturday morning will begin the single-elimination match-play bracket, with the semifinals taking place Saturday afternoon and the championship match contested on Sunday.
Angel Yin (1-over 73 on Friday), Rose Zhang (73) and Japan’s Minami Katsu (72) tied for second at 3 under. Yin and Zhang were co-leaders after Thursday with first-round leader Sei Young Kim of South Korea, who wound up alone in fifth at 2 under after a 74.
Another co-leader going into Friday, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, blew up with a 13-over 85 and and fell to a tie for 32nd place. Ciganda carded one triple bogey, three double bogeys and four bogeys with the remainder pars.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda made a huge rise up the leaderboard with 69 on Friday, moving from a tie for 20th to sixth place to earn a spot in match play and preserve her chance for a fourth consecutive LPGA Tour victory.
She posted four birdies on the front nine, with then had two bogeys and one birdie on the back nine.
“We thought that maybe 1 over to 2 over would kind of get in,” Korda said, “so wasn’t focused too much on a score with the tough conditions and just taking it shot by shot and just seeing — this golf course is already hard enough without any wind, without it dropping in temperature as well.
“So just focused on really one shot at a time and it worked today.”
Korda shot 73 in each of the first two rounds. She is attempting to be the first LPGA player to win four straight starts since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.
“Nelly is the best player in the world right now,” Maguire said. “She’s playing great golf, so no surprise she’s in the match play. The conditions on the golf course brings out the best in everybody, and it’s no surprise to see some of the best players in the world up near the top of the leaderboard.
“I’m sure Nelly is going to be a tough match for whoever she plays. She’s been on quite a roll and very impressive to watch.”
Narin An of South Korea fired a 72 and made Friday’s cut at even par.
Four players — Japan’s Yuka Saso, Canada’s Brooke Henderson, — South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn — finished tied for eighth at 2 over and went to playoff for the final berth.
Ryu bogeyed the first extra hole and was eliminated before the remaining three players parred the second playoff hole. On the third extra hole, the par-4 No. 12, Jutanugarn made a birdie to book her place in the match-play bracket.
Defending champion Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand tied for 62nd at 14 over after a 77 on Friday.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
TOP 60 WORKOUT PARTICIPANTS
ISAAC ANDREWS, WAPAHANI
PAYTON BAIRD, SOUTH BEND RILEY
ZAYVION BAKER, TERRE HAUTE SOUTH
JAXSON BELL, NORTH CENTRAL
JACK BENTER, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
MAX BOOHER, GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN
NIC BOOK, WESTFIELD
KOBI BOWLES, LAWRENCE NORTH
TREY BUCHANAN, WESTFIELD
JALEN BUNDY, CENTER GROVE
DREW BUSICK, GREENSBURG
REIS BUTCHER, BREBEUF JESUIT
CLEM BUTLER, INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON
KODY CLANCY, SCOTTSBURG
JOSIAH COX, TRI
DAVID CUNDIFF, MUNSTER
MICAH DAVIS, FRANKLIN
JOSIAH DUNHAM, EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN
ELI ELLIS, PLAINFIELD
TILLMAN ETCHISON, HAMILTON HEIGHTS
KEENAN GARNER, FISHERS
ISAAC GAYLER, FOUNTAIN CENTRAL
JOSIAH GUSTIN, PENDLETON HEIGHTS
MASON HARVEY, SETON CATHOLIC
EVAN HAYWOOD, BREBEUF JESUIT
PARKER HEHMAN, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
D’AMARE HOOD, DELTA
TARAY HOWELL, EVANSVILLE BOSSE
JAELYN JOHNSON, PORTAGE
DREW KEGERREIS, RONCALLI
KYLER KRULL, WHITKO
JADEN LEE, HAMMOND MORTON
DEVON LEWIS, FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY
JAMISON LEWIS, SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)
JEVON LEWIS, FORT WAYNE WAYNE
MASON LEWIS, CRISPUS ATTUCKS
JORDAN LOMAX, BROWNSBURG
NOAH LOVAN, PROVIDENCE
MALACHI MCNAIR, EVANSVILLE HARRISON
TADEN METZGER, FISHERS
JACK MILLER, SCOTTSBURG
SAM MLAGAN, BETHESDA CHRISTIAN
QUADE MORTON, PIKE CENTRAL
KADEN MUCKERHEIDE, NORTH DECATUR
KASYM NASH, BORDEN
JAXON PARDON, CARROLL (ALLEN)
CALEB PARKS, HAMMOND NOLL
TYLER PARRISH, CHESTERTON
GRANT PORATH, BROWNSBURG
PHILIP RANDOLPH, INTERNATIONAL
JAEDIN REYNA, HAMMOND NOLL
MATTHEW ROETTGER, PERU
KARSON ROGERS, KOKOMO
RON RUTLAND III, CRISPUS ATTUCKS
JOEY SCHMITZ, CENTER GROVE
ISAAC SCHULTZ, ADAMS CENTRAL
JACOB SCRUGGS, SOUTH DECATUR
JUSTIN SIMS, CHESTERTON
ISAAC SMITH, FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK
JAKE SMITH , LAKE CENTRAL
JACK SVETICH, CROWN POINT
NOLAN SWAN, TIPTON
ZEKE TANOOS, WEST VIGO
TUCKER TORNATTA, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
ROBERT WALKER, WARREN CENTRAL
BRADEN WALTERS, TERRE HAUTE NORTH
AJANI WASHINGTON, NEW HAVEN
MARK WHITE, BEN DAVIS
IZAAK WRIGHT, WABASH
WYATT ZELLERS, SCOTTSBURG
INJURED:
AARON FINE, NOBLESVILLE
DONNIE MILLER, BARR-REEVE
ROBERT SORENSEN, GUERIN CATHOLIC
ETHAN WOLFE, NORTHWOOD
SELECTED BUT NOT ATTENDING
FLORY BIDUNGA, KOKOMO
JAXSON FUGATE, FORT WAYNE NORTH
IAN HALL, ORLEANS
COLE HAYWORTH, FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
REID HOWARD, FOREST PARK
DYLAN MURANS, GUERIN CATHOLIC
MICHAEL ROBERSON, KNIGHTSTOWN
COLLIN SCHMIDT, PLAINFIELD
K.J. WINDHAM, BEN DAVIS
HUNTER WALSTON, NOBLESVILLE
INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME REWIND: PACERS 126, THUNDER 112
The Pacers’ path to the playoffs is simple. Win their final five regular season games and they’ll lock in a top-six seed and an automatic playoff berth.
They’re one win closer to the postseason after handling their business on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the undermanned Thunder. Six Pacers scored in double figures as Indiana (44-34) outlasted Oklahoma City (52-25), 126-112.
With the win, Indiana remains in sixth place in the East standings, a half-game up on seventh place Miami heading into a showdown with the Heat on Sunday. The winner of that game will pick up the all-important head-to-head tiebreaker.
Pascal Siakam led the Blue & Gold with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while T.J. McConnell recorded a double-double off the bench with 16 points and 10 assists.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton made franchise history in the victory, dishing out 11 assists to give him 714 on the season, surpassing the franchise single-season record of 713 set by Mark Jackson in 1997-98.
“It’s a really cool achievement for me,” Haliburton said in the postgame locker room. “I think it speaks to the high-octane offense we’ve been able to create here. And my teammates hitting shots I think is the biggest thing. There’s no such thing as assists if guys aren’t making shots. I’m just blessed to play with a great group of guys and it makes things like this easy.”
Luguentz Dort had 22 points and rookie center Chet Holmgren tallied 15 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who were without their two leading scorers.
All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not travel to Indiana as he deals with a right quad contusion, while second-year wing Jalen Williams did not dress due to a sprained left ankle.
The Thunder surged ahead midway through the opening frame, using a 13-2 run to open up a 22-13 lead.
The visitors led 32-22 following Cason Wallace’s layup with 2:08 remaining in the first quarter. But the Pacers — playing with an all-bench lineup — closed the quarter with nine unanswered points. Obi Toppin’s corner three in the closing seconds of the frame capped the scoring and the Blue & Gold entered the second quarter trailing by just one.
The second unit’s strong play carried over to the ensuing frame, as Indiana opened the second quarter with a 16-5 run. T.J. McConnell scored four points early in that stretch to give the Pacers the lead, then set up Doug McDermott and Ben Sheppard for threes to stretch the margin.
“After a rocky start to the game, our second unit did a great job coming in the first quarter and help turn it around and we were able to sustain a lot of that momentum, which was key,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said.
Oklahoma City responded with a 9-0 run of their own to get back within one, but the Pacers starters’ checked back in and Haliburton took over.
After a Thunder turnover, the Pacers’ All-Star guard threw a full-court dime past the defense to Andrew Nembhard for a wide open three in front of the Indiana bench. On Indiana’s next two possessions, Haliburton drove and then tossed the ball back over his head to Myles Turner, who drilled a pair of treys from the top of the key.
Just like that, the Pacers led by 10 once again. That’s where the margin remained at the intermission, as Indiana took a 69-59 lead into the break.
The Thunder cut into the deficit in the third quarter, using a 12-2 run to get within two with 4:43 remaining in the frame. But Haliburton promptly answered with a 3-pointer (his first points of the night) that triggered a 15-4 run by the Blue & Gold.
That put Indiana in front 97-84 entering the final minute of the third quarter. Oklahoma City scored five straight points to seemingly trim the deficit to single digits entering the fourth, but Haliburton had other ideas, racing up the court and swishing a fadeaway three from the right wing as the buzzer sounded to push the lead back to 100-89.
The Pacers’ all-bench lineup once again made a positive impact at the start of the fourth quarter, pushing the the lead to as many as 18 points, and handing off a 111-98 lead to the starters with 6:53 remaining.
The Thunder never seriously threatened the rest of the way as Indiana pulled away for an important victory.
Aaron Nesmith scored 17 points while going 4-for-7 from 3-point range in the victory. Toppin tallied 15 points and six rebounds off the bench, while fellow reserve Jalen Smith registered 12 points and six boards despite exiting in the third quarter with a sprained ankle.
Turner finished with 16 points in just 18 minutes on Friday, going 6-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range despite having his right index finger taped after dislocating it on Monday against Brooklyn.
Josh Giddey narrowly missed out on a triple-double for the Thunder with 14 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists. Kenrich Williams scored 18 points off the bench on 7-of-7 shooting, while Lindy Waters III tallied 12.
The Pacers host the Heat on Sunday before embarking on their final road trip of the regular season next week, with visits to Toronto on Tuesday and Cleveland on Friday. They will close out the regular season by hosting Atlanta on Sunday, April 14.
“Every single game matters,” Siakam said ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Miami. “Every possession, we’ve got to go out, give it everything we got. At the end of the day, it’s just about going out there and hooping. We’ve got to be the hardest-playing team.
“We know the energy that they’re going to have, knowing the type of team that they are, they’re going to come in ready and we’ve got to do the same. It’s going to be fun. We’ve got to enjoy it. You want to be in those situations.”
Inside the Numbers
The Pacers shot 52.5 percent from the field, 15-for-34 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range, and 19-for-21 (90.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Siakam has scored 20 or more points 22 times since being acquired by the Pacers on Jan. on Jan. 17, including seven of his past nine games.
The Pacers entered the night leading the league in bench points at 46.3 points per game and their reserves outscored the Thunder’s bench 61-44 on Friday night.
McConnell recorded his fourth double-double of the season.
The Thunder outscored Indiana 62-50 in points in the paint.
The Pacers are 39-13 this season when six or more players reach double figures.
You Can Quote Me On That
“Mark was a great player. Mark was top two or three all-time in assists for a while. He was a real master. And Tyrese has a lot of the same qualities. He has the vision. He knows his personnel. He has a great sense for timing, when to deliver the ball, how to deliver it. That record stood for a long time. Mark Jackson was that good a player here.” -Carlisle on Haliburton breaking Jackson’s franchise record
“One of if not the most elite passers I’ve ever played with or seen. I mean, I can’t wrap my mind around it. The guy gets 10-plus assists in his sleep. I can’t really relate to that. I expend all my energy trying to get 10 assists and the guy does it at will. He’s just such a willing and elite passer and just makes our team so much better.” -McConnell on Haliburton setting the franchise assists record
“It’s so easy for him. He’s got that vision and he’s able to make those passes — the simple ones, the difficult ones, the spectacular ones. He can do all of them well. It’s super impressive.” -Siakam on Haliburton’s passing
“Really just trying to let the game come to me. I feel like when I drive, a lot of teams are staying home on our shooters and bigs, so it kind of opens up the lane for me. Just trying to get downhill and create a problem. And if that’s getting to the rim or pulling up from the midrange and shooting the open three, that’s what I’ve got to do.” -McConnell on his increased scoring input over the last month
“The ball just pops when they play. They play random basketball, they defend, they get the ball moving, they’ve got guys flying around. I think Shepp and Obi are two of our best guys offensively (in the halfcourt with how they) do a good job of getting off the ball, moving without the ball. I think having those two guys with how T.J.’s been playing and you’ve got (Jackson) and (Smith) interchangeable (at the five), that really helps us. Those guys just really run and play our brand of basketball really well.” -Haliburton on the second unit’s impact on Friday’s win
“I feel like one through five, all of our motors are elite. We get up and down really well. When we sit down and get stops, I think that takes us to another level. And tonight we did that. We’re aware that we weren’t as good as we should have been (on Wednesday) against Brooklyn…To respond the way that we did shows our maturity.” -McConnell on the bench making an impact
Stat of the Night
Haliburton is now the franchise’s single-season record holder, dishing out 714 assists in just 65 games. Jackson needed 82 games to record 713 assists in 1997-98.
Noteworthy
With Friday’s win, the Pacers swept the season series with the Thunder for the third time in the last five seasons.
Brownsburg native and former Butler star Gordon Hayward got the start for the Thunder and tallied seven points in 13 first-half minutes, but did not play in the second half due to left lower leg soreness.
Smith sprained his left ankle with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter. He limped off the court and briefly went to the locker room before returning and riding the exercise bike in the tunnel. Carlisle said after the game Smith was available to go back in if needed, though he would be reevaluated on Saturday.
Up Next
The Pacers host Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in a game with major playoff implications on Sunday, April 7 at 5:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS BASEBALL
PEGUERO AND LAMB COMBINE FOR SIX RBI, SKENES STRIKES OUT SIX IN INDIANS’ 8-3 WIN OVER REDBIRDS
INDIANAPOLIS – Paul Skenes steamed through 3.0 one-hit innings with six strikeouts, Liover Peguero collected three RBI and set a new career high with five hits, and Jake Lamb drilled a three-run home run to propel the Indianapolis Indians past the Memphis Redbirds, 8-3, on Friday night at Victory Field.
Making his second Triple-A start and first at Victory Field, Skenes needed just 12 pitches to strike out the side of César Prieto, Thomas Saggese and major league rehabber Lars Nootbaar in the first inning. Lamb’s second long ball of the season in the bottom half scored Canaan Smith-Njigba and Peguero, who walked and singled, giving Indianapolis (3-3) the lead for good.
In the second inning, Skenes yielded a leadoff single to Luken Baker and two-out walk to José Fermín during a 10-pitch at-bat but put away Matt Koperniak on three straight fastballs to escape the threat. He ended the night with a 10-pitch third and froze Saggese for his sixth punchout on a 100.5 mph four-seamer. He threw 32 of 44 pitches for strikes, topped 100 mph 13 times and maxed out at 101.3 mph during the battle with Fermín.
The Indians poured on runs in four of their next five trips to the plate. Consecutive singles by Peguero, Lamb and Malcom Nuñez in the third resulted in Indy’s fourth run, and Peguero tacked on a run-scoring double in the fourth and two-run single in the sixth to extend Indianapolis’ lead to 7-0. Following a Matt Gorski RBI single in the seventh, Peguero singled in his eighth-inning plate appearance for the 17th five-hit game by an Indian in the Victory Field era and first since Ryan Vilade on Sept. 19, 2023, vs. Rochester.
Eric Lauer (W, 1-0) took over for Skenes in the fourth and dazzled through 4.0 scoreless innings. He retired his first seven batters faced, surrendered one hit and struck out four. Major league rehabber Colin Holderman posted a scoreless eighth.
Memphis (3-3) broke through in the ninth to avoid the shutout. Former Pittsburgh Pirate Alfonso Rivas III laced a three-run double to complete the scoring.
Michael McCreevy (L, 0-1) gave up five earned runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings pitched.
Nick Gonzales singled in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to six games.
The Indians and Redbirds continue the series with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch for Game 1 is at 5:05 PM, and the nightcap will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest. Only one ticket is needed to attend both games. RHP Quinn Priester (1-0, 1.59) is the probable starter for Indy in the opener against RHP Adam Kloffenstein (0-0, 4.50). Memphis will send RHP Gordon Graceffo (0-1, 1.80) to the bump in Game 2 while Indy has yet to name its starter.
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
PREVIEW #LOUVIND
Louisville City FC vs Indy Eleven
Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 4 p.m. ET
Lynn Family Stadium – Louisville, Kentucky
Follow Live
Watch: CBS
Stream: Paramount+
Radio: SiriusXM Channel 157
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive
Stats: #LOUvIND MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2024 USL Championship Records
Louisville City FC: 3-0-0 9 pts (+8); 1st Eastern Conference
Indy Eleven: 1-2-1 4 pts (-1); 9th Eastern Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: A. Quinn (knee), C. Chapman-Page (hamstring), D. Sanchez (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: None
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue head south Saturday for the first installment of the LIPAFC rivalry in 2024.
Indy is coming off a 2-1 loss to Detroit City FC to fall to 1-2-1 on the season, while Louisville defeated Birmingham Legion FC 5-0 to sit perfect atop the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference standings at 3-0-0.
LIPAFC
The Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest dates back to 2015 with Louisville holding the 10-5-6 advantage. Nineteen of the 21 matches have taken place since Indy joined the USL Championship in 2018 (2 playoff), with Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches in 2015 and 2016 making up the remaining two. The Boys in Blue were 1-1 in those match-ups. Indy is looking for its first road win since a 2-1 victory on May 29, 2021.
SERIES VS. LOUISVILLE
Saturday marks the 22nd overall meeting between the sides all-time, with Louisville leading 10-5-6.
Louisville Leads 10-5-6 | GF 20, GA 33
Game-By-Game
July 29, 2023 L, 2-0 Away
May 27, 2023 L, 1-0 Home
Aug. 31, 2022 W, 2-1 Home
March 26, 2022 D, 1-1 Away
Oct. 16, 2021 W, 1-0 Home
Sept. 18, 2021 L, 2-0 Home
June 26, 2021 D, 3-3 Away
May 29, 2021 W, 2-1 Away
Sept. 16, 2020 L, 2-0 Home
Sept. 5, 2020 L, 3-1 Home
Aug. 26, 2020 L, 1-0 Away
Aug. 8, 2020 D, 1-1 Away
Nov. 9, 2019 * L, 3-1 Home
Aug. 30, 2019 D, 1-1 Away
June 29, 2019 D, 1-1 Home
Oct. 20, 2018 * L, 4-1 Away
Oct. 13, 2018 L, 1-0 Away
Aug. 5, 2018 D, 2-2 Away
May 5, 2018 W, 1-0 Home
June 1, 2016 ^ W, 2-1 Home
May 27, 2015 ^ L, 2-0 Home
*USL Championship Playoff Match | ^ U.S. Open Cup Match
LAST TIME OUT
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, March 30, 2024) – Indy Eleven fell, 2-1, to Detroit City FC in their first game against an Eastern Conference opponent.
Indy opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Younes Boudadi megged a Detroit defender to set up Sebastián Guenzatti to snatch the lead in the opening half. The tally was the first of the season for Gunezatti and Boudadi’s helper gives him a team-high two.
Shortly into the second half, Maxi Rodriguez sent a ball to Ali Coote who leveled the match for Detroit in the 55th minute. The match winner followed in the 88th minute off a late penalty. Detroit sent the free kick into the box where Yazeed Matthews found Rodriguez in the 88th minute for the goal.
Jack Blake led the Boys in the Blue with three total shots and Adrián Diz Pe lead the team in shots on target with two. Detroit outshot Indy 16-8 in the match and led in total time of possession.
Scoring Summary
IND – Sebastián Guenzatti (Younes Boudadi) 24’
DET – Ali Coote (Maxi Rodriguez) 55’
DET – Maxi Rodriguez (Yazeed Matthews) 88’
Discipline Summary
IND – Younes Boudadi (caution) 15’
DET – Abdoulaye Diop (caution) 42’
IND – Adrián Diz Pe (caution) 87’
DET – Stephen Carroll (caution) 90’
A FAMILIAR FOE
A heated rivalry no matter who is on the field, two players on the pitch Saturday have added motivation having played for both Indy and Louisville. Tyler Gibson suited up for the Boys in Blue from 2019-20 before a move to Louisville for the 2021-23 seasons. On the other side of the ball, Indiana Hoosier Dylan Mares had stints with Indy from 2014-16 and in 2018 and joined Louisville for the 2023 season. Aodhan Quinn (2015-16 at Louisville, out knee) has also seen action with both sides.
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS DROPS FRIDAY MATCH AT MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. –––– Despite going up early with a win at doubles, Indiana fell short at Michigan on Friday night, losing the match 6-1.
Indiana picked up wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles from the duos of Sam Landau/Carson Haskins and Facundo Yunis/Luc Boulier, respectively to put Indiana up 1-0.
Michigan swept play in singles, though to make it a 6-1 match.
With the loss, Indiana is now 13-7 overall with a 2-2 mark in Big Ten play.
The Hoosiers will next play at Michigan State on Sunday, April 7 for a noon match.
Final Results
MICHIGAN 6, INDIANA 1
Singles Competition
1. No. 17 Gavin Young (UM) def. No. 69 Sam Landau (IU) 2-6, 6-3, 10-6
2. No. 124 Jacob Bickersteth (UM) def. Facuno Yunis (IU) 7-5, 6-1
3. Bjorn Swensom (UM) def. Michael Andre (IU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Patorn Hanchaikul (UM) def. Jagger Saylor (IU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Will Cooksey (UM) def. Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Nicholas Steiglehner (UM) def. Luc Boulier (IU) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. No. 23 Young/Bickersteth (UM) def. No. 61 Andre/Tiraspolsky (IU) 6-2
2. Landau/Carson Haskins (IU) def. Alex Cairo/Cooksey (UM) 7-6 (8-6)
3. Yunis/Boulier (IU) def. Swenson/Oral (UM) 7-5
Order of Finish:
Singles: 4, 5, 6, 2, 3, 1
Doubles: 1, 3, 2
INDIANA BASEBALL
MIDDLE OF ORDER LEADS OFFENSIVE OUTBREAK IN MARYLAND
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Led by the middle of its order, the Indiana Baseball team (17-14, 2-2 B1G) opened the floodgates in final three innings enroute to a 15-4 win over Maryland on Friday (April 5) night at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
The Hoosiers tallied 19 hits on the day including four-hit days from junior outfielder Nick Mitchell and redshirt freshman infielder Joey Brenczewski. Infielders Josh Pyne and Tyler Cerny and catcher Jake Stadler all recorded three-hit efforts.
Sixth-year senior Ty Bothwell (W, 4-1) gave IU six productive innings, limiting a potent Maryland offense to just six hits and four runs (three earned). He struck out seven batters and now has 189 for his career. IU’s bullpen, which called upon four arms, held the Terrapins scoreless over the final three frames.
IU’s 19 hits are the second most this season behind last weekend’s 20-hit effort against Butler. It’s the most hits in a conference game since putting up 25 against Purdue in May of 2023.
Freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. He’s had at least two hits in his past four games. Brenczewski joined Oliver and Andrew Wiggins as the third freshman with a four-hit game this year. All of those games have come in the past two weeks.
Since Maryland joined the Big Ten, it has allowed 15-plus runs at home just three times. All three times have come at the hands of Jeff Mercer and IU (2019 (2); 2024). Tonight’s win was the first Friday win of the year since beating Baylor on February 23rd.
Sophomore right-hander Connor Foley gets the ball tomorrow afternoon (2:00 PM) as IU goes for its first series victory in College Park since 2019. Maryland hasn’t lost a home conference series since getting swept by Michigan in May of 2019.
Scoring Recap
Bottom First
Eddie Hacopian hit a solo home run to open the scoring.
Maryland 1, Indiana 0
Top Second
Joey Brenczewski answered right back, singling to the left side to drive in Tyler Cerny.
Indiana 1, Maryland 1
Top Third
The Hoosiers tacked on four in the third behind good hitting from the middle of the lineup. Nick Mitchell doubled to center field to score Jasen Oliver. Brenczewski followed up with another one-run single. Mitchell came around to score after a passed ball from the Maryland catcher. Jake Stadler doubled into left field as Brenczewski came in to put another run on the board.
Indiana 5, Maryland 1
Bottom Fourth
IU struggled defensively in the fourth, allowing Maryland back into the game. Jacob Orr singled through the right side to drive in Sam Hojnar. The first was unearned as Hojnar reached on a dropped third strike. Alex Calarco hit a sacrifice fly and Jordan Crosland singled to center field to close the lead to just one. Ty Bothwell induced a fly ball to get out of the jam.
Indiana 5, Maryland 4
Top Fifth
Brenczewski continued his hot day in the fifth. He took the second pitch of the at-bat the opposite way, down the left field line for an RBI double. The hit gave him three base knocks and three RBIs in as many at-bats.
Indiana 6, Maryland 4
Top Seventh
Stadler added insurance with another clutch hit. With the infield playing in, Stadler laced a single through the right side as Mitchell came around to score and extend the lead to three.
Indiana 7, Maryland 4
Top Eighth
IU began to break things open in the eighth. Mitchell and Stadler provided a pair of one-run singles before Pyne doubled past two converging outfielders to bring a pair of runs in.
Indiana 11, Maryland 4
Top Ninth
Mitchell tacked on two more with a double off the wall in center field. Pyne laced another ball into the outfield, singling and bringing Brenczewski and Mitchell in to score.
Indiana 15, Maryland 4
Top Hoosier Performers
#8 Cerny, Tyler
3-4, 4 R
#20 Mitchell, Nick
4-5, 5 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB
#23 Brenczewski, Joey
4-5, 3 R, 3 RBI
Notes to Know
• Joey Brenczewski became the third IU freshman in the past two weeks to record a four-hit effort. Jasen Oliver had four against Middle Tennessee (3/26) and Andrew Wiggins had four against Butler (3/30).
• Oliver extended his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest by any IU player this season. It’s the longest by a freshman since Josh Pyne in 2022 (15). Since 2010, Oliver is one of six IU freshmen with a hitting streak of 13 games or longer in his debut season.
• Josh Pyne had three hits in Friday’s winning effort. He’s now got 185 for his career, moving him 15 away from passing 200 in his time in Bloomington.
• The 15 runs scored against Maryland are the most by a Big Ten opponent at Bob Smith Stadium since Jeff Mercer’s IU team hung 20 and 19 runs respectively on back-to-back days in 2019. The only team to score 15-or-more runs in College Park since Maryland joined the league is IU (three times).
• Ty Bothwell moves to 4-1 on the season with a 4.87 earned run average. He’s thrown 40.2 innings and walked just 11 batters while striking out 40. He’s got 189 strikeouts for his career, moving just 11 away from 200 all-time punchouts.
Up Next
IU will go for the series victory tomorrow against Maryland at 2:00 PM. The game will be streamed on BTN+ or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
STONE LEADS THE WAY IN INDIANA’S 6-2 WIN OVER MICHIGAN STATE
EAST LANSING, Mich. –––– After seven innings of a gridlocked game where both Indiana and Michigan State couldn’t break a 1-1 tie, the Hoosiers took the lead in the eighth inning when junior Sarah Stone hit a three-run home run to put the Hoosiers in front.
Indiana would add on a couple of insurance runs later in the eighth to pull away with a 6-2 win in East Lansing.
With the win, Indiana improves its season record to 24-12 and 1-6 in the Big Ten.
INDIANA 6, MICHIGAN STATE 2 (F/8)
KEY MOMENTS
• Michigan State opened the game with a 1-0 lead on an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the first inning.
• Indiana tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second when junior Sarah Stone hit a solo home run to left field.
• Neither team would score another run through seven innings.
• In the top of the eighth Cora Bassett opened the inning with a walk, followed by a single through the right side by Taylor Minnick to put two runners on.
• After that, Sarah Stone would hit another home run, this one to put Indiana up 4-1.
• Indiana would get Aly VanBrandt and Cassidy Kettleman on base following Stone’s home run, freshman Alex Cooper laced an RBI single to right field to score VanBrandt and make it 5-1.
• Then, Indiana executed a double steal to get Kettleman safe at home and Cooper safe at second, bringing Indiana’s lead to 6-2.
NOTABLES
• Stone’s four hits in the game are a single-game career high.
• It was the third time in her career that Stone had two home runs in a game.
• Indiana has now won four straight games over Michigan State, dating back to the 2023 season.
• Five different Hoosiers scored a run: Cora Bassett, Sarah Stone, Aly VanBrandt, Cassidy Kettleman and Aaliyah Andrews.
• Brianna Copeland’s four strikeouts brings her season count to 107.
UP NEXT
Indiana will stay in East Lansing for the second game of the series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
PURDUE BASEBALL
MORALES, SUVAL STAR IN 10-INNING WIN AT RUTGERS
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Jordan Morales conceded just three hits over seven shutout innings and Aaron Suval induced a game-saving double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, starring on the mound in Purdue Baseball’s 5-3 victory in 10 innings Friday at Rutgers.
The Boilermakers (18-12, 3-4 Big Ten) scored twice in the top of the 10th despite putting the ball in play just twice and not hitting the ball out of the infield until an inning-ending fly out. They won an extra-innings game on the road in Big Ten play for the first time since April 2018 at Maryland.
In his return to the East Coast, Morales (Souderton, Pa.) rolled through a trio of 1-2-3 innings and struck out five in his finest outing as a Boilermaker, limiting the Big Ten’s league leader in batting average to five base runners. The lefty retired 11 in a row early in the game and later the final six batters he faced.
But it was Suval that prevented Purdue from suffering a devastating defeat in walk-off fashion for the second weekend in a row. Rutgers’ first four batters reached base safely to begin the ninth inning and the home team had the winning run at third base with one out when the Boilermakers brought Suval into the game.
Nine-hole hitter Cameron Love had homered to lead off the previous inning and Purdue opted to intentionally walk him to load the bases. It brought RU’s top power hitter, Tony Santa Maria, to the plate. Suval won the battle, inducing a ground ball to second base that Thomas Green and Camden Gasser turned into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. It was the 33rd double play turned by the Boilermakers this season as they continue to rank among the top three nationally.
Purdue won the game with nine free passes (8 walks, 1 HBP) and six hits (all singles). It was the program’s first game without an extra-base hit this season and its first victory without an XBH since a Friday win at Minnesota nearly one year ago to the day (April 7, 2023).
After Suval’s heroics helped swing the momentum back to the visitors, Rutgers’ bullpen imploded with four walks and a run-scoring hit by pitch in the top of the 10th. Couper Cornblum ignited the rally with his third walk of the night and scored what proved to be the game-winning run. Luke Gaffney and Connor Caskenette also drew walks to load the bases. Jo Stevens was plunked on a 1-2 pitch to force home the go-ahead run. Logan Sutter worked another walk to force home the second run, accounting for the final margin.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Jo Stevens – 16-game on-base streak; 10-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 13-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 9-game on-base streak in all games
• Luke Gaffney – 8-game on-base streak; 7-game on-base streak in Big Ten play
Mike Bolton Jr. singled twice, scored the first run of the night and delivered a crucial insurance run with a two-out RBI hit in the top of the ninth. His speed generated the game’s first run. He connected for a leadoff single in the top of the sixth, took second when RU’s first baseman failed to catch a pickoff throw, moved into third on a ground out to shortstop and was safe at the plate on a head-first dive as Purdue used the contact play to steal a run on a ground ball to second base with the Scarlet Knights’ infield drawn in. Bolton’s RBI single plated pinch runner Corbin Malott in the ninth inning after a leadoff walk to Keenan Taylor set the stage.
Rutgers (19-10, 1-3 Big Ten) had its first four batters of the bottom of the ninth reach base safely and the situation turned extremely dire when closer Jackson Dannelley threw the ball away down the right field line after fielding a sacrifice bunt. RJ Johnson Jr. followed with a game-tying single. But Suval induced his fourth ground ball double play of the season to extend the game into the 10th.
Suval (3-0) should have been credited with stranding three inherited runners, but had to settle for solely the win after Purdue opted to not issue the intentional walk to Love until after making the pitching change. In Sunday’s win at Ohio State, Carter Doorn became the first Boilermaker this season to inherit the bases loaded and strand all three runners. Suval’s escape act Friday was equally thrilling for the visitors.
The series continues Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH SUFFER COME-FROM-BEHIND LOSS TO NO. 2 CLEMSON, 7-3
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (14-13, 2-11 ACC) suffered a loss with an eighth-inning comeback by No. 2 Clemson (26-3, 8-2 ACC) Friday, 7-3. The Irish held the Tigers to one run through seven innings, but four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth gave Clemson the win.
RHP Matt Bedford pitched a career-high 4.2 innings to start the game, earning five strikeouts giving up zero runs. RHP Ricky Reeth (1-4) absorbed the loss for Notre Dame. INF Estevan Moreno led the Irish at the plate with two doubles and two RBI, while OF David Glancy added his tenth home run of the season, a solo shot in the first inning. Glancy is now three home runs away from tying his most in a season (13).
Moreno and INF Connor Hincks turned Notre Dame’s 26th double play of the season this evening. The Irish entered the weekend tied for first in the ACC with 25 double plays. Notre Dame is now averaging 0.96 double plays per game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Clemson led off with a single, but Bedford struck out the second batter, and Notre Dame held the Tigers scoreless in the first. After a leadoff groundout in the bottom of the inning, Glancy took the first pitch he saw to right field for his tenth homer of the season, putting the Irish up 1-0.
Bedford posted a six-pitch second inning, allowing one hit as the Irish again held Clemson off the board. The Irish would not allow another hit until the sixth inning. INF Jack Penney led off the bottom of the second with a single, and after a popup, C Joey Spence singled to push Penney to third. After a strikeout, Spence took second on a passed ball. Moreno notched his first double of the day to score both Penney and Spence, giving the Irish a 3-0 lead.
Both teams went three up, three down in the third, and were held scoreless and hitless in the fourth and fifth. RHP Nate Hardman entered to secure the third out of the fifth for Notre Dame.
In the sixth, Clemson led off with a single, but the Irish then turned their 26th double play of the season, as Moreno snagged a grounder at second and threw to Hincks at first. After a HBP and a single, Clemson posted another single to score its first run of the day. The Irish were unable to extend the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Reeth took the mound to start the seventh, sitting the Tigers down in order. C Carson Tinney entered to lead off the bottom of the seventh, taking a HBP. After a flyout, Moreno hit his second double of the day, pushing Tinney to third. After a strikeout, Glancy was intentionally walked to load the bases, but a strikeout stranded all three on base.
Clemson led off the eighth with a single, the runner reaching second on a wild pitch. A double scored the Tigers’ second run of the day, and a groundout pushed the runner to third. A double scored the tying run for Clemson, and a subsequent homer added two more. The Irish went up to bat down 5-3. INF Simon Baumgardt led off the bottom half with a single, and after a flyout, OF Tito Flores singled to push Baumgardt to second. DM Jefferson entered to pinch hit, and hit into a fielder’s choice to push Baumgardt to third with Flores tagged out on the play. A strikeout ended the Irish push to score.
Clemson led off with a walk in the ninth, and a home run gave the Tigers two more insurance runs. After two lineouts to Glancy in left, Clemson added a single before RHP David Lally entered. C Tony Lindwedel and Moreno caught the Clemson runner stealing to send the Irish to bat.
Notre Dame went three up, three down in the bottom of the ninth, giving No. 2 Clemson its 26th win of the season.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and No. 2 Clemson return to Frank Eck Stadium for the second game of the series on Saturday at 5:30 pm. ET. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S TENNIS
SENIOR DAY SUCCESSFUL AS IRISH DEFEAT CLEMSON
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On a Friday afternoon in the Eck Tennis Pavilion, the University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team had their senior night match and came away with a 4-1 win against Clemson.
The doubles point would see back and forth matches at the top two spots. The #2 team of Chase Thompson and Nil Giraldez got the first match win of the day for the Irish with a 7-5 victory after being down 5-4 and winning three straight games. Since the visiting team took the match at #3, all eyes turned to the #11 ranked team in the country, Sebastian Dominko and Jean-Marc Malkowski, at the top spot in the lineup. After being broken earlier in the set, the Irish duo fought back to get on serve behind some great returning and a pair of backhand returns down the line by Malkowski. At 6-5 up, the duo would break at deuce to win the match against their nationally ranked opponents and send Notre Dame into the singles portion of play with a 1-0 lead.
In singles, Clemson took a quick victory on the #4 court to even the match. But then Notre Dame took control of the match with dominating play by the Irish battling on the east side of the building on courts #1, #3 and #5. Dominko, taking on another ranked singles player, would go down an early break before winning seven of the final eight games of the match and taking the match 6-4, 6-1.
Kyran Magimay won his first set 6-2 at #5 singles. After dropping the first two games of the second set, the freshman from England dug in and won six-straight games to put another tally next to the Notre Dame name, leaving the Irish a point away from victory. Magimay’s classmate, Thompson, would seal the conference win with a 6-1, 6-3 match win at #3.
After the match, the Notre Dame men’s team recognized their two graduating players, senior Jean-Marc Malkowski and graduate student Nil Giraldez. Malkowski is graduating with a finance degree from the Mendoza College of Business while Giraldez is graduating from Mendoza with a master’s degree in finance.
Up Next:
The men will take to the courts again on Sunday at noon for their penultimate home match of the season as they host #35 ranked Georgia Tech. Then a rare mid-week match against Louisville on Wednesday will wrap up dual match play at home.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH DROP SERIES OPENER WITH VIRGINIA
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team dropped a 9-2 contest to the visiting Virginia Cavaliers Friday evening at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Fighting Irish fall to 21-13 overall and 6-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia improves to 25-10 overall and 8-5 in league action.
Alexis Laudenslager started in the circle, throwing 2.2 innings. The graduate student allowed six hits, six earned runs and struck out five. Micaela Kastor came on in relief, throwing 2.1 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs to go with a strikeout. Kami Kamzik finished the game out, throwing 2.0 innings, allowing a hit and an unearned run to go with four strikeouts.
The Irish offense managed just four hits in the contest. A double from Anna Holloway was the lone extra-base hit, with Addison Amaral, Karina Gaskins and Mickey Winchell each recording a hit. Holloway and Emily Tran drove in runs.
How It Happened
The Cavaliers struck first in the second inning, scoring three runs. Three singles loaded the bases with one out. After a strikeout, Jade Hylton tripled to right field to go up 3-0.
Notre Dame answered for a run in the bottom of the frame. Kronenberger drew a walk and took second on a wild pitch before Holloway drove her in with a double to right center.
Virginia tacked on three more in the top of the third. Back-to-back one-out singles put two on before a two-out walk loaded them up. A walk and a single drove in three as Cavaliers took a 6-1 lead.
With two outs in the fifth, Virginia hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 8-1.
The Irish scored a solo run in the bottom of the fifth, getting a sacrifice fly from Tran to cut the lead down to 8-2 before Virginia tacked on an unearned run in the seventh.
Up Next
The Irish and Cavaliers will return to the diamond Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. for the second game of the series at Melissa Cook Stadium.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
2024 DAWN STALEY AWARD GOES TO HIDALGO
PHILADELPHIA — For the second time in Notre Dame history, the Dawn Staley Award is headed to South Bend.
On Friday, Hannah Hidalgo was named the 23-2024 award winner, joining former Irish guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who won the award 2012-13. The honor is named for Hall of Famer and current South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and is given to the nation’s best guard.
“The Dawn Staley Award goes to the player who demonstrates exceptional skills, leadership and performance at the guard position,” Staley said. “Hannah’s court vision, passing ability, ball-handling and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates combined with her relentless defense is unmatched. She is the embodiment of a two way force on the basketball court and the essence of what the award represents. In a season where there are several deserving candidates, Hannah has separated herself from the group.”
Since its inception in 2012, all of the award winners have been drafted in the First Round of the WNBA Draft.
Hidalgo will add the honor to her lengthy list of accolades, one which includes ACC Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, AP First Team All-American and Wooden Award finalist. The rookie averaged 22.6 points and 4.6 steals per game, and the latter mark leads the nation. Both numbers are Irish program records.
Hidalgo will be honored in a virtual ceremony on April 11.
BUTLER BASEBALL
BULLDOGS BEAT CREIGHTON 5-1 IN BIG EAST OPENER
OMAHA, NEB. — Butler kicked off the BIG EAST play with a 5-1 victory over Creighton in the first of a three-game series this weekend.
Kade Lewis opened up the scoring in the fourth inning with a two-run home run to earn his team-high ninth home run of the season.
The Bulldogs added three more runs to their lead in the fifth inning. With runners on second and third, Carter Dorighi swung at the first pitch he saw and singled up the middle to drive in two more runs.
After a fielding error by the Blue Jays helped Dorighi advance to second base, Jack Moronek singled to center field to bring the runner in to score, giving Butler a 5-0 lead.
Creighton ended the shutout in the sixth inning after Blue Jays hitter Teddy Deters drove in a run with a double.
Butler’s bullpen would then settle in after Cole Graverson stepped on the mound and closed out the last seven outs to win the game.
Tyler Banks picked up the win after pitching five scoreless innings while tallying three strikeouts and only three hits. Andrew Crumbley allowed the only run but added in three K’s during his outing. Graverson collected three strikeouts over seven outs to earn his sixth save of the season.
The Bulldogs will kick off the second game of a three-game series with the first pitch slated for Saturday at 2 p.m.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL HOLDS OFF DEPAUL FOR SERIES-OPENING WIN
CHICAGO – The Butler softball team came from behind, and then held off DePaul in the final frame, for a 2-1 victory in game one of a three-game BIG EAST series. The Blue Demons (7-24, 2-8 BIG EAST) held a one-run lead after five innings, but the Bulldogs (16-19, 5-8 BIG EAST) used a two-run sixth and stellar pitching to secure the win.
Game 1: Butler 2, DePaul 1 (7 innings)
In the bottom of the second inning, DePaul connected on four hits but was only able to plate one. The 1-0 lead held through five complete.
In the top of the sixth, an Ella White single allowed Kaylee Gross to score, tying the game. One batter later, Paige Dorsett hit a double that sent White home. Butler took the lead, 2-1.
The Blue Demons loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth but could not score.
In the bottom of the seventh, with DePaul runners on the corners, Katie Petran struck out the Blue Demons’ top hitter to end the game.
Petran (11-4) threw a complete game. In 7.0 innings, she allowed one run on seven hits and three walks while striking out four.
Bulldog Bits
Paige Dorsett’s double was her eighth of the season and 20th of her career.
Erin Clark’s stolen base was a career-first.
Katie Petran’s complete-game win was her ninth of the season.
Up Next
Butler will play games two and three of the DePaul series, back-to-back, on Saturday, April 6. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m.
IUPUI TRACK
SHAPPELL BREAKS 800M RECORD AT BELLARMINE’S JIM VARGO INVITE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – IUPUI freshman Luke Shappell broke the program’s 800m school record to highlight the men’s track team’s efforts at Bellarmine’s Jim Vargo Invitational on Friday (Apr. 5). Shappell clocked a third-place time of 1:53.01 in his heat of the 800m event to shave nearly a full second off IUPUI Hall of Famer Robert Murphy’s previous mark. Shappell was one of eight Jaguars to record a new personal best on Friday.
“The goal was to go out there and compete and see what I could run, but breaking the school record and running a personal best was beyond exciting,” Shappell said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity and all the gifts God has given me that allowed me to race how I did.”
Shappell had already put his named among IUPUI’s all-time leaders in the 1,500m event this outdoor season before breaking the 800m record. Behind his third-place effort, fellow freshman Noah Price ran a personal best time of 1:59.86 and senior Alex Alba ran 2:00.50.
Earlier in the day in the 1,500m event, Will Clark led the way with a personal best time of 3:58.00 and Price was just off his pace at 4:06.59. Solomon Barket finished at 4:08.48 and Connor Murphy spun a time of 4:16.40. New roster additional Ethan Walsh made his IUPUI debut on Friday with a personal best 1,500m time of 4:18.78, eclipsing his prior best by five seconds.
All four of IUPUI’s entries in the 3,000m steeplechase set new personal bests, paced by Jack Acton’s third-place finish of 9:38.60, taking 15 seconds off his prior best. Nolan King shaved 11 seconds off his prior best at 9:52.39 and Jay Pillai took 22 seconds off his former best at 10:04.57. Nic Probst also set a new personal best, running 10:05.00 to take 14 seconds off his previous best mark.
Later in the evening, Grant Moon led IUPUI’s entries in the 5,000m event with a time of 14:48.29, placing fifth overall. Behind him, Mitchell Rans clocked a time of 14:54.22.
The Jaguars will return to action next weekend when they send selected athletes to California for either the Bryan Clay Invitational or Leopard Distance Carnival.
HOWARD SETS NEW SCHOOL RECORD AT JIM VARGO INVITE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Competing close to home, freshman Journey Howard put her name in the IUPUI record books on Friday (Apr. 5) by setting the program’s high jump mark at the Jim Vargo Invitational. Howard put up a best jump of 1.60m (5′ 3”) to nudge past the previous mark.
“Today was chilly but that didn’t discourage me. I remained focused on the goal, despite the cold, and focused on clearing heights, taking it a step at a time,” Howard said.
Behind Howard, freshman Paige Laffoon jumped 1.50m (4′ 11”) as part of her busy afternoon. Earlier in the day, sophomore Modupe Awosanya won the long jump with a best mark of 5.71m (18′ 8.75”) and Laffoon finished fifth with a best jump of 5.31m (17′ 5”).
The 1,500m event saw senior Hannah Sale run a personal best time of 4:49.35 and Sophie Reichard clock a time of 4:53.00. Sophomore Laci Spore set a new personal best in the 400m event with a time of 1:00.96 as the Jaguars’ lone entrant.
Sophomore Karis Davis topped the IUPUI entries in the 100m dash with a wind aided time of 12.25 seconds and Awosanya ran a time of 12.36. Laffoon paced IUPUI’s entries in the 200m event with a time of 27.80 and Morgan Hoard ran 28.63 as part of her similarly busy day.
In the 800m event, Wini Barnett ran a time of 2:19.33 and Sale ran 2:22.76, just missing a new personal best. Jada-Marie Davis edged Howard in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:07.24 and the latter ran 1:08.33. In the triple jump, sophomore Reese McCuan jumped 10.98 (36′ 0.25”) in a fourth-place finish and Shelby McGee jumped 9.87m (32′ 4.5”) to place eighth.
The Jaguars capped the meet by winning the 4×400 relay as McCuan, Barnett, Paige Schulte and Awosanya combined on a time of 3:59.17.
IUPUI will compete next weekend at Ball State’s We Fly Track and Field Challenge in Muncie.
BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
CARDINALS CRASH NATIONALLY RANKED GOLF PARTY AT MASON RUDOLPH CHAMPIONSHIP
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Sophomore Carter Smith fired a 69 on Friday afternoon and is tied in fifth place through 18 holes at the Mason Rudolph Championship. He was one of just seven golfers to card a score of at least two strokes under par in the first round of play at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.
Playing in the top spot of Ball State’s golf lineup, Smith paces a Cardinals team that is exceeding its national ranking and currently sits in a tie for eighth place. Ball State, ranked as high as No. 93 this season but currently listed outside the top 100, enters Saturday’s second round of the MRC among eight other programs all ranked in the country’s top 85.
“I’m pretty pleased with today’s play,” said Cardinals coach Mike Fleck. “To be ahead of teams like Alabama and Kentucky speaks about how our guys hung in there today and battled as the winds picked up out of the north and temps cooled off. What a great pace-setting round for Carter Smith! He played some really good golf today.”
Rankings may be premature, but in the most competitive field Ball State has faced this year, the Cardinals and their current ranking at 103 – dampened by a tough course and high scores at Auburn three weeks ago – are playing above that ranking through 18 holes. Tournament host and No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt (276) leads the 13-team field, followed by 85th-ranked UNC-Wilmington (283) and 70th-ranked Charlotte (284). No. 5-ranked Ole Miss (285) and 69th-ranked Middle Tennessee State (285) are tied for fifth. Furman (288), ranked 84th, is one stroke ahead of 58th-ranked College of Charleston (289) and two ahead of the Cardinals (290) and 77th-ranked Cincinnati (290).
Smith played the steady hand for the Cardinals, navigating the 7,112-yard South Course by shooting par or better on 17 of 18 holes. He bogeyed the par-3 16th hole but stayed among the leaders when he finished his round with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Braxton Kuntz (72), golfing in Ball State’s No. 5 position after finishing third in Butler’s Don Benbow Invitational last Monday, finished at 1-over par with four birdies that offset five bogeys. The junior transfer sits in a 12-player tie for 20th place after his final bogey, on the par-3 16th, moved him above par. Prior to that point, he and Smith were among the tournament’s top 20 golfers, all at par or better.
Nearly as steady as Smith was Ball State’s No. 3 golfer, junior Ali Khan (73), who finished with 14 of 18 holes at par or better. He overcame four bogeys with a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at 2-over par. Junior Kash Bellar (76) finished at 5-over par and freshman Alec Cesare (80) was 9-over after shooting six-over-par on the final nine holes.
“If we can get a little more efficient as a team in par-5 scoring and clean up a few things on the greens, we will be in good shape,” added Fleck. “I’m excited to compete again tomorrow!”
Second-round play begins at 9:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, as Ball State launches with the first group of golfers after playing in the last group on Friday. The final round of 18 holes begins Sunday morning.
Ball State Individual Results, Round 1
No. 1 Carter Smith (69): 34-35—69 (-2, 5th)
No. 5 Braxton Kuntz (72): 34-38—72 (+1, 20th)
No. 3 Ali Khan (73): 36-37—73 (+2, 32nd)
No. 2 Kash Bellar (76): 38-38—76 (+5, 57th)
No. 4 Alec Cesare (80): 38-42—80 (+9, 69th)
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL TAKES TIGHT SERIES OPENER AT MIAMI
OXFORD, Ohio – The Ball State baseball team got productive pitching performances from Merritt Beeker and Nate Blain and clutch hitting in a two-run sixth inning on its way to a 3-2 win over Miami (OH) in the series opener at McKie Field.
The Cardinals (19-12, 6-7 Mid-American Conference) struck first with a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Blake Bevis that scored Nick Gregory for a 1-0 Ball State lead in the first inning.
After the RedHawks (12-15, 7-6 MAC) evened the score at 1-1 in the fifth, the visiting Cardinals responded with a two-out, two-run rally in the sixth inning featuring back-to-back RBI singles by Matthew Kamins and Hunter Dobbins. Miami scored once in the bottom half of the sixth for the day’s final offense.
Beeker worked 6.0 innings of two-run ball and struck out four to improve his record to 4-2, while Blain got two strikeouts in 3.0 scoreless frames to close out the game for his first save of the year.
“Our boys won a close one behind solid pitching, defense and timely hitting,” head coach Rich Maloney said. “Beeker and Blain were excellent. Good team win!”
Miami starting pitcher Patrick Mastrian IV (1-2) gave up two runs in 5.2 innings to suffer the loss, while the RedHawks’ bats could only put up two runs on five hits against the duo of Beeker and Blain.
The Cardinals and RedHawks are scheduled to play the second game of the set on Saturday at 1 p.m.
BALL STATE MEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS’ FOUR-MATCH WINNING STREAK SNAPPED AT WMU
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Ball State men’s tennis team’s winning streak of four matches was snapped with a 5-2 setback at Western Michigan on Friday afternoon.
The Cardinals (11-8, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) took one doubles match and won at the No. 5 and No. 6 singles spots, but the Broncos (14-5, 6-2 MAC) got revenge from a March 22 Ball State win in Muncie by taking the first four singles matches.
The duo of Eli Herran and Sajin Smith won their match 6-2 at No. 3 doubles, but the Broncos claimed 6-4 decisions at the top two spots to get the doubles point.
Jacks Lancaster won in straight sets (6-3, 6-3) over Western’s Matej Kajzer at No. 5 singles for Ball State’s first team point of the day. Sajin Smith got by Adrian Quiros (2-6, 6-4, 6-4) at No. 6 singles for the Cardinals’ other win of the afternoon.
Herran and Tran took their opponents at No. 4 and No. 5 to a third set but couldn’t finish them off. The Broncos clinched the match on Jackson Boone’s win at No. 4 singles.
The Cardinals fell to third in the MAC standings with the loss.
Ball State’s next match is scheduled for Friday, April 12 at Northern Illinois.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S TENNIS
WOMEN’S TENNIS SWEEPS BOWLING GREEN FOR A BIG CONFERENCE VICTORY
PERRYSBURG, Ohio – The Ball State women’s tennis team (6-11, 3-2 MAC) swept the Bowling Green Falcons (7-10, 0-5 MAC) in 7-0 fashion Friday afternoon at the Perrysburg Tennis Center.
The Cardinals were strong from the start after winning the doubles point. The team of Sarah Shahbaz and Isabel Tanjuatco kept their opponents Lucy Furness and Hannah Neuman scoreless, beating them 6-0. On court No. 2, Annika Planinsek and Ella Hazelbaker also had a dominant performance with a 6-1 defeat over Bowling Green’s Isabella Baker and Leticia Fonseca.
Shahbaz stayed strong in singles, earning the Cardinals’ second point with straight golden sets.
The team collected three more singles points with Planinsek, Tanjuatco, and Hazelbaker each winning in two.
On court No. 4, Sydney Hrehor had a strong start, but the score fell even in the second frame. Hrehor fought back, however, taking the third 6-1 to win the point for the Cardinals.
Elena Malykh had a close three-frame battle but was able to secure the No. 3 point.
The Cardinals will return home Sunday, April 7 to take on the Miami Redhawks. Competition is set to begin at 1 pm ET.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
INDIANA STATE DEFEATS MURRAY STATE IN GAME ONE OF THE SERIES IN EXTRA INNINGS
MURRAY, KY.- The Sycamores won game one of the three-game series against Murray State in eight innings on Friday afternoon.
The Racers took the lead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning when Courtney Sandy scored on a wild pitch by Lauren Sackett.
Abi Chipps led the Sycamores in game one where she went 3-4 while Haley Webb, Isabella Henning, Bri Marx, and Kennedy Shade (2) all connected on hits against Murray State’s Jenna Veber.
Lauren Sackett started in the circle for the Sycamores where she went the first 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and one run scored, while striking out three. Hailey Griffin (4-4) took the victory against Murray State in the circle when she took over the ball in the fifth inning with one out and bases loaded, and Griffin and the Sycamores defense stopped the Racers from scoring any runs in the fifth inning. Griffin allowed only one hit and zero runs scored in the 2-1 victory, while striking out three.
Bri Marx tied up the game 1-1 in the fifth inning when she went in as pinch hitter, and drove in a run from Sophie Esposito. Esposito recorded her fifth stolen base of the 2024 season in game one of the series.
The Sycamores took the lead 2-1 in the eighth inning when Kennedy Shade connected on an RBI single to drive in a run from Chipps. Indiana State held the Racers from scoring any runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Murray State left two stranded on base.
Up Next:
Due to weather on Sunday, Indiana State will now play a doubleheader tomorrow against Murray State to finish up the three-game series. First game will start at 2 p.m ET, with the second to follow at 4:30 p.m ET. Both games will have live stats available as well as streamed on ESPN+.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
RACERS WALK-OFF THE SYCAMORES IN THE 12TH INNING ON FRIDAY NIGHT
MURRAY, Ky. – Drew Vogel led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a walk-off solo home run to left field as Indiana State fell in the series opener at Johnny Reagan Field on Friday evening to host Murray State, 5-4.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Indiana State and Murray State will close out the weekend series on Saturday, April 6, with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. ET. Both games will be streamed live on 105.5 The Legend as the teams moved up the series ahead of forecasted storms in Murray on Sunday afternoon.
The Sycamores (21-7, 5-2) took the 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning as Dom Krupinski scored on a wild pitch giving Indiana State the one-run advantage late in the game. Murray State (20-10, 4-3) knotted the game up for the third time in the bottom of the inning on Dan Tauken’s leadoff solo home run to right field to even the game at 4-4.
Thomas McNabb pitched around a pair of Indiana State runners on the bases in the top of the ninth to keep the Sycamores off the board. Simon Gregersen responded for the Sycamores setting the Racers down in order in the bottom of the frame to send the game into extra innings.
Indiana State put runners on the bases in both the 10th and the 12th innings, but were unable to put the go-ahead run across the plate against McNabb and Nathan Holler (2-0). Gregersen matched the Murray State pitching duo striking out four of the final six batters he faced in the 10th and 11th innings, before turning the ball over to Jacob Spencer to start the bottom of the 12th.
Spencer (1-2)’s first pitch to Vogel was put over the left field wall for the walk-off solo home run to end the series opener between the two teams.
Randal Diaz went 3-for-5 from the plate with a home run and two RBIs in pacing the Sycamore offense on Friday evening. Dominic Listi and Grant Magill both recorded multi-hit contests in the loss, while Mike Sears was hit by three pitches in the loss.
Jared Spencer made his first start since the 2022 season in going 3.2 innings on the mound. The junior left-hander allowed five hits and two runs (one earned), while striking out four in the no decision. Cameron Holycross went 2.0 innings striking out four, while Zack Davidson posted six strikeouts over 2.1 innings of work. Gregersen posted five strikeouts over 3.0 innings late in the contest.
Vogel, Jonathan Hogart, and Tauken all finished with multi-hit games on Friday evening as the Racers took the Friday night contest from the Sycamores for the second consecutive season. Riley Hawthorne added a double in the win.
Cade Vernon went the first 6.0 innings allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out seven in the no decision. Alex Elsing added 2.0 innings in relief, while McNabb posted 2.0 scoreless frames while striking out three. Holler went the final 2.0 innings facing one batter over the minimum in recording the win.
How They Scored
Randal Diaz scored the first run of the ballgame as the Sycamores scored on a double play in the top of the first inning to take the early 1-0 lead.
The Racers answered in the bottom of the first on Jonathan Hogart’s RBI single to left field scoring Dustin Mercer to even the game at 1-1.
Murray State took the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second as Dan Tauken scored on a wild pitch.
The Sycamores retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning as Randal Diaz connected on a two-run home run over the left field wall scoring Grant Magill to put Indiana State ahead 3-2.
Drew Vogel tied it up again in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI single through the left side scoring Ethan Krizen to make it a 3-3 ballgame.
Dom Krupinski put the Sycamores ahead 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning scoring on a wild pitch.
Tauken tied the game up in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run over the right field wall to make it a 4-4 contest.
Vogel connected on the walk-off solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 12th inning to secure the 5-4 win for the Racers.
News & Notes
Dominic Listi extended his on-base streak to 28 games on Friday night after his single in the top of the first inning. He finished the game 2-for-5 from the plate with a pair of singles in the loss.
Luis Hernandez saw his 26-game on-base streak end on Friday evening as the first baseman failed to reach in six plate appearances in the opener against the Racers. It tied his longest career on-base streak equaling his 26-game stretch last season.
Josue Urdaneta extended his on-base streak to 17 consecutive games on Friday night after getting hit by a pitch and drawing a walk over five plate appearances.
Indiana State continued its 2024 hit-by-pitch streak on Friday night with six different Sycamores getting hit by the Racers’ staff. Mike Sears was plunked a season-high three times in the contest.
The Sycamores were hit by a season-high eight pitches on Friday afternoon surpassing the previous game-high of seven set back at Florida A&M back on March 10.
Indiana State’s extra-inning winning streak ended at seven games dating back to March 15, 2023, when ISU topped Illinois, 10-7.
The Sycamores also had their five-game extra-inning winning streak in Valley play come to an end. The streak dated back to April 22, 2022, against Evansville (7-6, 10).
Up Next
Indiana State and Murray State will close out the weekend series on Saturday, April 6, with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. ET. Both games will be streamed live on 105.5 The Legend as the teams moved up the series ahead of forecasted storms in Murray on Sunday afternoon.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE TRACK
MORRIS SETS SCHOOL RECORD IN 200 AT TENNESSEE INVITE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Jonas Morris set a new school record in the 200 meters at the Tennessee Invitational on Friday (April 5) for the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s track and field team.
Jonas Morris finished the 200 meters in 21.91. He set a school record and finished eighth place in the event. Isaiah Smith (22.20) was 15th with a PR.
In the field, Viktor Ertelt took third in the javelin with a throw measuring 59.74m. Aaron Martin was fifth at 59.90m and Kai Auernheimer was seventh at 53.87m. In the discus, Zyler Johnson finished eighth with a throw of 45.50m.
Kehinde Oladapo turned in a PR of 3:58.79 in the 1500 meters.
The ‘Dons will continue competition at the Tennessee Invite on Saturday (April 6).
SPARKS’ TOP 10 FINISHES HIGHLIGHT FRIDAY AT TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Ali Sparks finished in the top 10 of two events at the Tennessee Invitational on Friday (April 5) for the Mastodon women’s track and field team.
Sparks took fourth in the hammer throw with a mark measuring 49.60m. She also finished ninth in the discus with a personal best mark of 39.96m. Behind Sparks in the hammer was Nakia Harris-Campbell who threw 48.02m to place seventh.
Ellie Zagel turned in a javelin throw measuring 36.44m to take sixth.
On the track, Marissa Van De Weg finished ninth in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.80.
The ‘Dons will continue competition at the Tennessee Invite on Saturday (April 6).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
ROBERT MORRIS WINS NAIL-BITER 3-2 OVER MASTODON SOFTBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne softball dropped its series opener against Robert Morris 3-2 on Friday (April 5) at Warrior Park.
All the scoring in the contest happened in the first two innings. The Mastodons got three hits in the first inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead. From the lead-off spot, Bailey Manos singled then stole second to get into scoring position. Grace Hollopeter sent a long ball into right center for a double, then Aglaia Rudd did the same. Manos scored on the second double, then Epiphany Hang brought Hollopeter home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Mastodon lead did not last long, as the Colonials responded with all three of their runs in the next half-inning. It was all chip damage against the ‘Dons. The Colonials had four singles and a sacrifice bunt. RMU scored the go-ahead run on an error.
From that point on, no player from either team made it past second base.
Manos stole two bases in her two attempts.
Jaimee Hardy got the victory in the circle to move to 4-0 and Madison DeVault got her second save of the season in 2.1 innings of relief. Alanah Jones threw all 7.0 innings for the Mastodons and struck out five Colonials.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 5-24, 0-7 in the Horizon League. RMU improves to 10-13, 5-2. The two teams will meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader at Warrior Park at 1 p.m.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
PITCHING POWERS BASEBALL PAST BELMONT, 3-2, IN SERIES-OPENER
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – University of Evansville freshman starter Kenton Deverman and senior reliever Shane Harris combined to limit the red-hot Belmont Bruins to just two runs on five hits on Friday afternoon, as the visiting Purple Aces picked up a 3-2 series-opening victory at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tennessee.
“What an effort today on the mound!” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “I thought that Kenton Deverman was outstanding in his five innings of work, and then the job that Shane Harris did today out of the bullpen was special. He got some very big outs for us, especially in that ninth inning.
“Offensively, we were able to do enough to get the win. The top of the order didn’t do much today, but other guys stepped up, and that was great to see. It’s great to get a win on a Friday night, and hopefully, this will set the tone for the weekend for us.”
Evansville scored the game’s first run in the second inning on a lead-off double by senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse and a one-out RBI single by junior second baseman Cal McGinnis to take a 1-0 lead.
Belmont would answer back in the third inning with its two runs courtesy of a Jack Rando two-run home run to left field. Belmont would plate the two runs on four hits in the frame, but Deverman and Harris combined to allow just one hit, one walk, and one base runner via an error the rest of the way.
Evansville would quickly tie the game in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run to left field by graduate third baseman Brent Widder, his team-leading seventh home run of the year. UE would then take the lead for good in the fifth inning, as lead-off man Harrison Taubert worked a walk, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Fougerousse.
After Deverman worked a scoreless fifth inning, working around a walk, Harris came on and retired the first nine men he faced in order until a runner reached on a throwing error to lead off the ninth inning. The runner did not bother Harris though, who got a pair of ground outs to first base and a fly out to left field to slam the door and earn his first save of the year.
Deverman (3-1) earned the victory, allowing just two runs on five hits in 5.0 innings of work. Harris did not allow a hit or a walk in 4.0 scoreless innings to earn the save. They combined to strike out seven Belmont hitters.
Offensively, McGinnis led Evansville by going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Fougerousse also had two hits, scored a run, and drove in another run. Six of Evansville’s eight hits came from Fougerousse, Widder and McGinnis in the heart of the UE batting order.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 13-16 overall and 3-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while the Purple Aces pick up their third win in a row. Belmont, meanwhile, falls to 16-14 overall and 4-3 in the MVC with the loss, as the Bruins see their four-game winning streak snapped. Belmont had scored 51 runs in its four-game winning streak prior to Friday’s game.
The series will continue on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. as graduate left-hander Donovan Schultz (0-1, 8.64 ERA) will get the start for UE. Saturday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live online on ESPN+.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
ACES OPEN SERIES IN DES MOINES
DES MOINES, Iowa – Friday’s Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against Drake saw the Bulldogs take both contests against the University of Evansville softball team. UE fell by a 3-0 final in game one before dropping a 9-2 game in the second contest.
Game 1 – Drake 3, UE 0
Drake scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and earn a 3-0 win over the Purple Aces in Friday’s opener. Evansville recorded just two hits in the game while the Bulldogs finished with eight.
Jenna Nink picked up UE’s first hit in the top of the second while Drake posted hits in each of the first three frames while stranding two runners in the third. Jess Willsey notched the second hit of the game for UE in the top of the sixth, but the game remained scoreless.
In the bottom of the frame, the Bulldogs broke through with three consecutive singles. Addie Lightner picked up an RBI single to break the scoreless tie before Destiny Lewis added a 2-run double to make it a 3-0 game. In the top of the 7th, the Aces were retired in order to finish the game.
Molly Hoekstra fanned 10 batters and allowed two hits in the complete game win. Sydney Weatherford had another strong game, allowing just three earned runs in six frames.
Game 2 – Drake 9, UE 2
After a pitcher’s duel in the first game, the Bulldogs recorded two runs in the bottom of the first with consecutive RBI hits to center field. Evansville countered with its first run of the day in the top of the second. Hannah Hood singled to bring in Brooke Voss, who reached on a leadoff hit.
Drake got the run right back in the bottom of the frame, but Jess Willsey quickly cut the deficit back to a single run as she hit a solo home run in the top of the third to make it a 3-2 game.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs extended the lead with three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it an 8-2 game. They added a ninth run in the bottom of the sixth and that would be the final score of the day.
Zoe Frossard registered two of the Aces six hits in the game while three Bulldogs notched two hits apiece. Carey Koenig had the top performance, going 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Megan Brenton suffered the loss, going 3 1/3 innings with six runs, three earned, scoring. Elle Jarrett allowed three runs with just one earned in 2 2/3 frames.
Saturday’s series finale is set for a 2 p.m. start time.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S GOLF
MEN’S GOLF SET FOR FINAL TWO REGULAR SEASON EVENTS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In its final two events before the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, the University of Evansville men’s golf team will take part in the Hoosier Collegiate and the Big Blue Intercollegiate.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Purple Aces will be in Bloomington for the Hoosier Collegiate. Pfau Golf Course is the host with par set for 71 and the yardage coming in at 7,355. Butler, DePaul, Eastern Kentucky, High Point, Indiana, IUPUI, Michigan, Michigan State, Murray State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue Fort Wayne, Rice, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso join UE in the event.
Hermitage Golf Club in Hermitage, Tenn. will be the host of the Big Blue Intercollegiate, which is hosted by Tennessee State. Action will take place on Monday and Tuesday. Full tournament information has not been released at this time.
Earlier this week, the Aces competed at the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational in Indianapolis. Inclement weather limited the tournament to two rounds with UE coming in 7th.
Isaac Rohleder led the way with a score of 141, tying for 22nd in the individual standings. One stroke behind him was Daniil Romashkin who tallied a 142. He tied for 28th after posting identical scores of 71 in each round.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EAGLES SCORE EARLY TO DEFEAT LIONS, 9-4
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball scored six runs in the first two frames to Lindenwood University, 9-4, Friday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 14-16 overall and 4-3 OVC, while Lindenwood goes to 8-21, 2-5 OVC.
The Screaming Eagles erased a 1-0 first inning deficit with two runs in the first and four in the second to build a 6-1 lead. USI loaded the bases before senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana) walked to force in USI’s first run to tie the game, 1-1.
USI junior catcher Logan Mock (Livermore, California) gave the Eagles the lead, 2-1, with a sacrifice fly to end the first.
The USI rally continued into the second when the Eagles plated four more runs. The first two runs scored on double to right by senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas). Following a base hit by Ellis, Ebest and Ellis came across the plate when Mock reached on a pair of Lindenwood errors.
After Lindenwood closed the gap to 6-3 with a pair of runs in the sixth, USI got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the frame. Junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) scored the Eagles’ seventh run of the game and a four-run lead on a RBI-single by junior leftfielder Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana).
USI would seal the victory with two runs in the eighth inning after Lindenwood cut the margin to three in the top half of the inning. Thompson-Allen made the score 8-4 with a bases loaded RBI-single, while Ebest finished the scoring by dashing home on a wild pitch for the 9-4 victory.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Grant Parson (Owensboro, Kentucky) was outstanding on the mound to earn the victory. Parson (3-0), who set down 17-straight batters after allowing a first inning run, allowed the one run on four hits and two walks, in addition to striking out six in seven innings.
Freshman right-hander Clayton Weisheit (Ferdinand, Indiana) got the Eagles out of an eighth inning jam and earned his second save of the year after throwing a scoreless ninth.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI and Lindenwood continue the three-game series Saturday at 3 p.m. and concludes the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI WINS SERIES OPENER AT UT MARTIN BEHIND NEWMAN’S 17 STRIKEOUTS
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened a three-game road series at the University of Tennessee at Martin on Friday with a 2-0 shutout victory behind the arm of junior starting pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana), who matched a career mark of 17 strikeouts against the Skyhawks.
With the victory, Southern Indiana improved to 15-13 overall and 9-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. With first-place Eastern Illinois University not in action on Friday, the Screaming Eagles head into Saturday’s slate of games within a half-game of the Panthers. UT Martin moved to 20-16 this season and 6-7 within the OVC.
Both starting pitchers were dialed in early, shutting down the offenses. Southern Indiana’s Newman and UT Martin senior pitcher Brooklyn Linneman matched each other in the circle in the early innings.
Southern Indiana got a runner into scoring position in the second inning after a pair of walks, but Linneman held the Screaming Eagles in check the rest of the inning.
Both teams were held hitless through four innings. USI recorded the game’s first hit in the fifth inning off the bat of freshman infielder Alyssa Mumaw (Greenfield, Indiana). The Skyhawks also tallied their first hit in the bottom half of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Screaming Eagles’ offense broke through on the scoreboard. Senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) drove in the first run of the game on an RBI double. Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) followed and made it a 2-0 lead for USI with an RBI single.
Newman continued to deal, striking out the side in innings four through six. It was only suiting that the right-hander finished the shutout win with a strikeout in the seventh inning.
For Newman, the 17 strikeouts matched her career high from March 2022 in an outing against Drury University. The 17 strikeouts were also the most that the UT Martin Softball program has ever incurred. The dominant start led to Newman’s 13th win of the season. The Skyhawks could only muster three hits and one walk off Newman on Friday.
As a reclassifying program to NCAA Division I, USI does not qualify for the official NCAA statistical rankings, but Newman would rank second in the nation with 152 total strikeouts this season through Friday’s action.
At the plate, USI plated its two runs with five hits from five different Screaming Eagles.
Newman’s starting opposition, Linneman from UT Martin, dropped to 7-4 on the season with the loss. Linneman tossed the first six frames, allowing two runs with three strikeouts.
The Screaming Eagles and Skyhawks will square off twice more on Saturday in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. from Martin, Tennessee. Both games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO BASEBALL
MAKA HOMERS IN SERIES-OPENING SETBACK
The Valparaiso University baseball team fell to Illinois State 11-1 in seven innings on Friday in the opening game of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series in Normal, Ill. Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) homered to provide a bright spot for the Beacons.
How It Happened
Valpo sent down the first two Redbird batters in the opening inning, but after an infield single and a walk, Auggie Rasmussen drilled a three-run homer to start the game’s scoring.
Catcher Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw [Wabash]) cut down an Illinois State runner attempting to steal third in the second, helping lead to a scoreless frame from Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley). The runner was called safe initially, but the play was overturned on replay review.
Illinois State scored six in the third to expand the lead to 9-0.
Valpo cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fifth thanks to a solo shot by Maka that traveled upward of 400 feet.
Illinois State added a run in the sixth to extend the lead back to nine at 10-1. A game-ending double in the bottom of the seventh invoked the 10-run rule.
Inside the Game
Maka’s home run was his first of the season as he missed 16 games due to an injury. This marked his 13th career home run, seven of which came last season.
Senior Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo) saw his season-long on-base streak come to an end. His 26-game streak was halted with an 0-for-3 day.
Maka was joined in the hit column by Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) and Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd [Wisconsin Oshkosh]), both of whom singled.
Up Next
Valpo (10-17, 2-5 MVC) and Illinois State will face off at 3 p.m. on Saturday for Game 2 in the series. The contest will air on ESPN+.
UINDY BASEBALL
PITCHING DOMINATES AS HOUNDS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER AT UIS
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Facing the GLVC leader in runs scored, the University of Indianapolis baseball team’s pitchers went to work, limiting the Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars to just five runs over 16 innings of action. Coming into the doubleheader, UIS had only been held to three or less runs in three games of their total 29 games played, the Hounds added two to that total, taking both games of their Friday doubleheader by scores of 4-3 and 4-2.
Diego Cardenas and Carter Nowak were the Hounds’ starters on the day, combining for 11 innings of work with both picking up the wins in their respective games. The bullpen is where it was truly electric. EJ White and Austin Bestul worked 4 & 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. White earned his sixth save of the year in game one, while Bestul etched his second in the second affair.
GAME 1 | UIndy 4, UIS 3
The P-Stars in the series opener looked to do as they had done to so many, attack early. After Cardenas loaded the bases, he was able to escape relatively unscathed, giving just a run to the home team after eliciting a clutch 6-4-3 double play. The Hounds took until the fourth to repay Cardenas for his excellence where Luis Vegara and Easton Good drove home a combined four runs, which ended up being the decider.
That injection of energy from the Hounds was all that Cardenas needed to continue to shove, as the redshirt sophomore put up goose eggs in the fourth, fifth and sixth. UIS were able to scratch across a pair in the seventh off him, with Bestul coming in to calm the storm with just three pitches.
White went to work from there, using 31 pitches to tally six outs and secure the victory.
GAME 2 | UIndy 4, UIS 2
Fresh off a big GLVC-baseball victory, the Hounds turned to Nowak, but not before the offense gave him some cushion to work with. Cole Hampton, with runners at the corners, laid down a beauty of a bunt to allow Drew Donaldson to score from third in a textbook squeeze play. Caleb Vaughn, making his return from injury, grabbed his first hit in over two weeks, ripping a ball into center that allowed Zack Williams to score from third and make it 2-0 early.
With the lead, Nowak recorded four scoreless, punching out three. His day ended in the bottom of the fifth where UIS, once again, refused to go away quietly as they cracked two across home. Bestul mopped up the last batter of the fifth and then proceeded to silence the Stars, giving up just one baserunner in the final frames for the save.
DON’T MESS WITH THE SIDEARMER!
With the save in game one, White retook the lead for saves in the GLVC, sitting one above Jaren Guck of Truman. He’s now tied for sixth in program history for career saves with ten, matching Clay Davis from the 1996-96, 98 season and Matt Hayes from the 2004, 06 seasons. His current mark of six this campaign sets him at just one from cracking the top 10 for single-season saves, with his next bringing him into a four-way tie with Dennis Nisbet (2001), Chris Saroff (2011) and Dylan Stutsman (2018).
UP NEXT
After moving to 16-3 in conference play, the Hounds will look to make it 18-3 with two more wins in Springfield, Ill. The Hounds and Prairie Stars kick off the second half of the series at 1 p.m. ET with the series finale set to take place thirty minutes after the first game’s conclusion.
UINDY WOMEN’S LAX
HOUNDS ROLL BY HAWKS IN CHILLY FRIDAY VICTORY
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 14 UIndy women’s lacrosse team dominated Rockhurst on Friday at Key Stadium, earning a 21-6 victory to remain undefeated in conference action.
The Greyhounds blanked the Hawks in two quarters, finishing the game on a 16-2 run after a tight opening period.
Five different players recorded 4+ points, led by a game-high seven from Megan Dunn.
INS & OUTS
UIndy flew past Rockhurst in the final 45 minutes, scoring eight unanswered in the middle frames to start the running clock. Sage Da Silva, Joey Fowler, and Mackenzie Winn all scored twice during stretch, with Olivia Bladon capping the massive run less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Fowler finished her hat trick with 7:50 remaining in the contest, while Emily Ghazal finished in the scoring column for the second straight contest with a netter at the 1:05 mark.
The Greyhounds caused six turnovers on the ride, including four in the fourth quarter. Hollis Rang recorded a pair of caused turnovers in the final 15 minutes, while Ella Fornek added one.
Dunn tallied a point in each frame, with her final assist coming early in the fourth on a goal from Bladon.
INSIDE THE BOX
– Malaena Michielin dominated the draw circle, securing 13 wins. As a team, UIndy went 25-for-30 in the center.
– Dunn has now recorded seven or more points on six occasions this spring, including last Saturday at Lewis.
– Freshman netminder Ava Graham made two saves in three quarters of action.
– Mariah Whitfield earned her first career caused turnover after entering the game in the final period.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds host first-year program William Jewell on Sunday for an 11 a.m. start.
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
21 – 4 – 9
April 6, 1973 – The Pittsburgh Pirates officially retired Roberto Clemente’s Number 21 posthumously after he passed away in a plane crash.
April 6, 1979 – Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver, Number 4 won his 1,000th game as a skipper, a 5-3 Orioles victory over the Chicago White Sox
April 6, 1980 – Legendary skater Gordie Howe, Number 9 completed his record 26th season in the NHL.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
April 6 Football History Headlines
April 6, 1901 – Meridian, Mississippi – The awesome Alabama halfback/quarterback from 1922 through the 1925 season, Pooley Hubert was born. Alabama Coach Wallace Wade commented that Pooley was, “undoubtedly one of the greatest football players of all time!” Pooley Hubert received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964.
April 6, 1934 – Muskegon, Oklahoma – Aurealius Thomas the two-way star guard/linebacker of the Ohio State University arrived into this life. Thomas was not the largest interior lineman on the team weighing in at a smidge over 200 pounds also making him undersized for his play in the middle of the defense of the Buckeyes. But Aurealius great lateral footspeed as well as his excellent technique proved to outmatch nearly all of the opponents he faced on both sides of the ball therefore just after the 1957 season he was named as an All-American guard. His bio on the NFF website states that in his senior season of 1957, he averaged 52 minutes a game in playing time. He was always able to out- manoeuvre opponents who were bigger with those gifts of mobility and leverage. The National Football Foundation selected Aurealius Thomas for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Soon after he graduated, Thomas joined Coach Woody Hayes’ staff and coached an assistant on the Woody Hayes staff at Ohio State. Then Aurealius moved on to coach East High School in Columbus for six seasons. His last team at East, in 1964, had a 9-0 record.
April 6 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
April 6, 1944 – Notre Dame’s quarterback of the 1962 to 1964 era, John Huarte celebrated his date of birth. Huarte has an amazing collegiate story. His sophomore season was somewhat of an unmemorable injury plagued year for the signal caller therefore he was used sparingly the next season in 1963. Then in 1964 his football fortunes changed according to the Football Foundation. Irish first-year head coach Ara Parseghian named Huarte the starting quarterback going into that 1964 season. Parseghian’s trust in Huarte paid huge dividends, as Huarte broke virtually every Notre Dame single-season passing record, won the Heisman Trophy and led the Irish to a 9-1 record. John Huarte’s collegiate football accomplishments and records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2005. John ended up becoming a 2nd round pick by the AFL’s New York Jets in 1965. Huarte stayed in the Pros as a backup quarterback with Boston, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Kansas City and Chicago from 1965-72.
April 6, 1965 – Chicago, Illinois – Sterling Sharpe the powerful wideout from the University of South Carolina from 1983 to 1987 was born. As a matter of fact he is most likely the best receiver to ever come out of the Gamecock program. The NFF states that Sharpe was a First-Team All-America selection in 1987 and set a variety of USC records. Sterling’s 74 single-season receptions, 169 career catches, 1106 receiving yards in one year and career receiving yards of 2,497 will be a tall task to ever unseat. The high water marks Sterling accomplished where he caught at least one reception in a record 34 consecutive games as well as tallying 10 games of 100-plus yards receiving show the legendary status of how good he truly was at South Carolina! The individual plays this man made are stories all to themselves like the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Duke in 1985 and the many crucial catches he made. Sterling Sharpe was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes. The Green Bay Packers used the seventh overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft to have Sharpe join their franchise. In just 7 NFL seasons with the Pack Sterling was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro! Sharpe led the NFL in receptions three times in the seasons 1989 and 1992-1993 as well as in receiving touchdowns both in 1992 and 1994 according to NFL.com. In just Hall of Famer Brett Favre’s first season with the Packers in 1992, Sharpe led the NFL in receptions with 108, 1461 receiving yards and 13 passes caught for touchdowns. We might just see his name added to a museum exhibit in Canton, Ohio someday to join his brother Shannon.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1971 — Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits a home run on Opening Day, marking the start of a historic streak. Mays will hit home runs in each of the Giants’ first four games.
1972 — For the first time in history, the major leagues failed to open on schedule because of a player strike, which started on April 1. The traditional season opener between Houston and Cincinnati was canceled and a total of 86 games were lost before the strike was settled.
1973 — Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the first major league designated hitter. With the bases loaded in the first inning, he was walked by pitcher Luis Tiant, but the Red Sox won 15-5.
1973 — At the Oakland Coliseum, Tony Oliva became the first designated hitter to homer. The Twins DH hit a two-run shot in the first inning off of Catfish Hunter to Minnesota to an 8-3 win.
1974 — Due to renovations at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees’ home opener took place at Shea Stadium. It was their first home game outside Yankee Stadium since 1922.
1977 — The Seattle Mariners played their first regular-season game and lost 7-0 to the California Angels at the Kingdome.
1982 — A freak storm that brought subfreezing temperatures and dumped heavy snow from the Northeast to the Midwest forced the postponement of American League openers in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and Milwaukee, and National League openers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
1989 — The consecutive scoreless innings streak of Los Angeles Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser comes to an end at 59.
1992 — The Baltimore Orioles play the first game in Oriole Park at Camden Yards history.
1996 — Chan Ho Park of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes the first pitcher born in South Korea to win a major league game.
2001 — On Opening Day at Veterans Stadium, Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning’s number 14 jersey is retired.
2002 — Highly-touted Japanese pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii makes his major league debut and pitches 5 1/3 scoreless innings‚ striking out 10‚ in Los Angeles’s 9 – 2 win over the Rockies.
2005 — Brad Wilkerson hit for the cycle to lead Washington over Philadelphia 7-3.
2009 — Tony Clark and Felipe Lopez each homered from both sides of the plate to lead Arizona to a 9-8 victory over Colorado.
2009 — Emilio Bonifacio hit the majors’ first inside-the-park homer on opening day since 1968, swiped three bases and had four hits in Florida’s 12-6 victory over Washington.
2009 — Alfonso Soriano hit his 50th career leadoff home run as Chicago beat Houston 4-2.
2012 — Adam Dunn tied a major league record with his eighth opening-day home run. He led off the sixth inning for the Chicago White Sox when he pulled a ball into the second deck of seats in right field off Texas starter Colby Lewis. Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr. are the other major leaguers who have eight homers in openers.
2014 — Texas P Yu Darvish becomes the fastest starting pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts.
2016 — Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda homered in the second at-bat of his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers and beat the Padres 7-0, making San Diego the first team in major league history to be shut out in its first three games. The Padres were outscored 25-0 in the opening three games by their biggest rivals and set MLB marks for futility.
2016 — Rookie Trevor Story made baseball history by hitting a home run in each of his first three major league games and Colorado beat Arizona 4-3. Story also became the first player in baseball history to hit a home run for each of his first four hits. Story’s two-run homer off Patrick Corbin in the first inning gave him four for the season.
2021 — A few days after withdrawing the organization of the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta, Ga., Major League Baseball identifies Denver, CO’s Coors Field as the game’s new site.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1966 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
After murdering both his wife and mother, serial sniper Charles Whitman ascended to the observation deck at Austin’s University of Texas tower killing fourteen people and injuring thirty-one others during a ninety-minute shooting spree. He was eventually shot and killed himself after a civilian and two police officers stormed the tower and overpowered him.
Media icon Walt Disney, who turned the whimsical cartoon world of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck into a million dollar a year entertainment empire, died of cancer at the age of sixty-five. The pioneering animator had produced the first fully animated motion picture and had invented the original concept of theme parks with his final masterpiece, Disneyland in California.
The first U.S. manned space flights, Gemini 8 thru 12, were launched in preparation for man’s eventual trip to the moon. Following the pioneering Mercury program and preceding the Apollo missions, Gemini flights were specifically developed to learn how to maneuver a spacecraft into orbit and rendezvous with other docking vehicles.
In the American League…
On July 29th, Mickey Mantle hit his four-hundred ninety-fourth homerun off of Chicago White Sox ace Bruce Howard moving himself ahead of fellow Yankee Lou Gehrig for sixth place on the all-time list. Teammate Al Downing sweetened the deal with a clutch 2-1 performance on the mound.
Baltimore Orioles slugger “Boog” Powell astonished the crowd at Fenway Park after hitting not one, not two, but three, opposite-field homers OVER the “Green Monster” on the way to a 4-3, victory in which he totaled thirteen bases himself. Powell would also go on to become the first player ever to appear in the Little League World Series as well as the Major League version.
Teammate Frank Robinson was unanimously voted as the American League MVP becoming the first player to win the title in both the American and National Leagues since the Baseball Writers Association took it over in 1931. Robinson, who also won the American League Triple Crown, was also voted most valuable player in 1961 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.
In the National League…
Tony Cloninger, of the recently transplanted Atlanta Braves, became the first National League pitcher to ever hit two grand-slams in a single game during a July 3rd, 17-3 triumph over the San Francisco Giants. Cloninger’s first slam came off of rival pitcher Bob Priddy in the first, and then in the fourth he added another off of Ray Sadecki.
Willie Mays moved up to #2 (behind Babe Ruth) on the all-time list with his five-hundred thirty-fifth career home run, off of Ray Washburn, as the San Francisco Giants topped the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on August 17th.
On October 2nd, Sandy Koufax tallied his last Major League victory with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League pennant. The Los Angeles Dodgers ace completed his twelve-year career with an amazing 165-87 record with a 2.76 ERA, forty shutouts and two-thousand three-hundred ninety-six strikeouts. Koufax also held the National League single-season strikeout record with three-hundred eighty-two K’s (1965) and compiled an astounding 0.95 ERA in World Series starts.
Around the League…
Major League Baseball’s first African-American umpire, Emmett Ashford made his debut on Opening Day as the American League’s Washington Senators lost to the visiting Cleveland Indians 5-2.
Ted Williams used a portion of his Hall of Fame induction speech to plead for the inclusion of Negro League players including Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The infield at Houston’s Astrodome became the first to be replaced by the new experimental surface known as “Astroturf”. In the first game ever to be played on the artificial grass, the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed over the home team 6-3.
Dan Topping sold his remaining shares of interest in the New York Yankees to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) for a reported $1.4 million dollars. In the end, the television dynasty paid a total of $14 million for total control of the franchise. Topping initially looked to come out on top in the deal as three days later, only four-hundred thirteen fans showed up at Yankee Stadium for a game against the Chicago White Sox.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1896 — The first modern Olympic Games begin in Athens, Greece. James B. Connelly wins the first event — the hop, step and jump.
1936 — Horton Smith edges Harry Cooper by one stroke to win the Masters.
1941 — Craig Wood beats Byron Nelson by three strokes to win the Masters.
1947 — Jimmy Demaret wins the Masters for the second time with two-stroke victory over Byron Nelson and Frank Stranahan.
1952 — Sam Snead wins his second Masters, beating Jack Burke Jr. by four shots.
1958 — 22nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Arnold Palmer wins the first of his 4 Masters titles.
1973 — Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees becomes the first major league designated hitter, in an opening-day game against Boston.
1973 — Roberto Clemente Day, Pittsburgh Pirates retire his #21.
1979 — Baltimore manager Earl Weaver wins his 1,000th game.
1980 — Gordie Howe completes a record 26th NHL season.
1982 — Largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Minnesota 52,279.
1987 — Sugar Ray Leonard returns to the ring after a three-year layoff to upset Marvelous Marvin Hagler in a 12-round split decision for the middleweight title, becoming boxing’s 10th triple champion.
1991 — Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona suspended for 15 months by Italian League for testing positive for cocaine use.
1992 — Duke becomes the first team in 19 years to repeat as NCAA champion with a 71-51 victory over Michigan’s Fab Five freshmen, the youngest team to vie for the title.
2004 — Led by Diana Taurasi, UConn beats Tennessee 70-61 for its third straight women’s title. This is the first time one school sweeps the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball crown in the same year.
2008 — Lorena Ochoa continues her dominance of women’s golf with a five-shot victory in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
2008 — Keith Tkachuk scores his 500th career goal and adds an assist to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 in the season finale.
2009 — Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson help send North Carolina to a national championship, ending Michigan State’s inspirational run with a 89-72 rout. The Tar Heels take a 55-34 at halftime, breaking a 42-year-old title-game record for biggest lead at the break and setting the mark for most points at the half.
2010 — New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur gets his 600th career win with his second straight shutout in a 3-0 win over Atlanta. The shutout is Brodeur’s league-leading ninth of the season and the 110th of his career.
2010 — Maya Moore scores 23 points to help Connecticut rally from a horrible first half to beat Stanford 53-47 for its second straight undefeated championship season and its seventh national title. UConn (39-0) won its 78th straight, extending its women’s NCAA record for consecutive victories.
2013 — Rick Adelman becomes the eighth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Detroit Pistons 107-101.
2015 — Duke’s star freshmen — Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen, Jahlil Okafor — turn a nine-point deficit into an eight-point lead with 1:22 left to grit out a 68-63 victory over Wisconsin for the Blue Devils’ fifth national title.
2017 — Charley Hoffman finishes with the largest first-round lead at Augusta National in 62 years. Hoffman shoots a 7-under 65 in the wind for a four-shot edge over William McGirt. That’s the largest lead since the 1955 Masters, when Jack Burke Jr. opened with 67 and was four shots ahead of Julius Boros and Mike Souchak.
2019 — Tampa Bay Lightning beats Boston Bruins, 6-3 in the season finale for their 62nd regular season win, tying the NHL record held by Detroit Red Wings.
TV SPORTS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
1 a.m. (Sunday)
FS2 — AFL: St. Kilda at Richmond
AUTO RACING
4:30 p.m.
FS2 — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.
7:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The DUDE Wipes 250, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.
12:55 a.m. (Sunday)
ESPN — Formula 1: The MSC Cruises Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan
BASKETBALL
11 a.m.
ESPN2 — Basketball Hall of Fame Class Announcement Show
BOWLING
1:30 p.m.
FS1 — PBA: Elite League – Day 1, Allen Park, Mich.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
5:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Clemson at Notre Dame
6 p.m.
ESPNU — SC-Upstate at Winthrop
8 p.m.
SECN — Georgia at Mississippi St.
8:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine
10 p.m.
PAC-12N — Oregon at UCLA
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
TBS — NCAA Tournament: NC State vs. Purdue, Final Four, Glendale, Ariz.
TNT — NCAA Tournament: NC State vs. Purdue, Final Four, Glendale, Ariz.
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: NC State vs. Purdue, Final Four, Glendale, Ariz.
8:30 p.m.
TBS — NCAA Tournament: Alabama vs. UConn, Final Four, Glendale, Ariz.
TNT — NCAA Tournament: Alabama vs. UConn, Final Four, Glendale, Ariz.
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: Alabama vs. UConn, Final Four, Glendale, Ariz.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
CBSSN — WNIT Tournament: Minnesota vs. Saint Louis , Championship, Edwardsville, Ill.
3:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — All-Star Game: Team Lieberman vs. Team Miller, Cleveland
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
2 p.m.
ACCN — NC State Spring Game: From Raleigh, N.C.
COLLEGE GYMNASTICS (MEN’S)
BTN — Big Ten Championships: From Champaign, Ill.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
Noon
ESPNU — North Carolina at Virginia
2 p.m.
ESPNU — Penn St. at Johns Hopkins
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
11:30 a.m.
ACCN — Virginia at Louisville
3 p.m.
PAC-12N — Southern Cal at Oregon
6 p.m.
BTN — Northwestern at Maryland
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Noon
BTN — Wisconsin at Rutgers
SECN — Georgia at Tennessee
2 p.m.
SECN — Mississippi St. at South Carolina
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Longwood at SC-Upstate
SECN — Kentucky at Texas A&M
5 p.m.
PAC-12N — UCLA at Oregon St.
6 p.m.
ACCN — Pittsburgh at Boston College
ESPN — LSU at Florida
SECN — Mississippi at Alabama
8 p.m.
ESPN — Oklahoma at Texas
PAC-12N — Washington at Oregon
GOLF
Noon
NBC — The Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Final Round, Retreat Golf Club, St. Simons Island, Ga.
1 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Second Round, Trump National Doral, Miami
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Valero Texas Open, Third Round, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
3:30 p.m.
GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Club Car Championship, Third Round, The Landings Club – Deer Creek Course, Savannah, Ga.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Valero Texas Open, Third Round, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The T-Mobile Match Play – Semifinals, Shadow Creek, Las Vegas
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (BOY’S)
Noon
ESPN2 — Chipotle High School Nationals: TBD, Championship, Brownsburg, Ind.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (GIRL’S)
10 a.m.
ESPN — Chipotle High School Nationals: TBD, Championship, Brownsburg, Ind.
HORSE RACING
11:30 a.m.
FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
1:30 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
3:30 p.m.
FS2 — The Wood Memorial Stakes: From Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York
7 p.m.
CNBC — 1/ST RACING TOUR: The Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Calif.
IIHF (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
NHLN — World Championship Group Stage: Japan vs. Germany, Group B, Utica, N.Y.
7 p.m.
NHLN — World Championship Group Stage: Finland vs. U.S., Group A, Utica, N.Y.
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Oakland at Detroit
4 p.m.
FS1 — LA Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
7 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Houston at Texas OR Toronto at NY Yankees
10 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Boston at LA Angels (9:35 p.m.) OR San Diego at San Francisco (9:05 p.m.)
NHL HOCKEY
12:55 p.m.
ABC — Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Florida at Boston
SOCCER (MEN’S)
7:30 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Crystal Palace
9 a.m.
CBSSN — Serie A: Lecce at AC Milan
10 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Brentford at Aston Villa
12:30 p.m.
USA — Premier League: Arsenal at Brighton & Hove Albion
4 p.m.
CBS — USL Championship: Indy Eleven at Louisville City FC
7:30 p.m.
FOX — MLS: LA Galaxy at LAFC
11 p.m.
FS2 — Liga MX: Club América at Santos Laguna
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
12:30 p.m.
TNT — SheBelieves Cup: U.S. vs. Japan, Semifinal, Atlanta
TRUTV — SheBelieves Cup: U.S. vs. Japan, Semifinal, Atlanta
TENNIS
8 a.m.
TENNIS — Marrakech-ATP, Estoril-ATP Semifinals
1 p.m.
TENNIS — Charleston-WTA Semifinals
UFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — San Antonio at Memphis
8 p.m.
ABC — Arlington at St. Louis
VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Pro Volleyball Federation: Orlando at Grand Rapids
_____
Sunday, Apr. 7
AUTO RACING
10 a.m.
CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MX2 of Sardegna, Riola Sardo, Italy
10:30 a.m.
FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, Firebird Motorsports Park, Chandler, Ariz. (Taped)
11 a.m.
CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MXGP of Sardegna, Riola Sardo, Italy
3 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: The Cook Out 400, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.
6:30 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: The NHRA Arizona Nationals, Firebird Motorsports Park, Chandler, Ariz. (Taped)
BOWLING
Noon
FS1 — PBA: Elite League – Day 2, Allen Park, Mich.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Noon
SECN — Alabama at Kentucky
2 p.m.
ACCN — Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
4 p.m.
CBS — HBCU All-Star Game: Team Rick Mahorn vs. Team Ben Wallace, Phoenix
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: TBD, National Championship, Cleveland
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, National Championship, Cleveland (The Bird & Taurasi Show)
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — Notre Dame at Duke
2 p.m.
ESPNU — Penn St. at Johns Hopkins
7 p.m.
BTN — Rutgers at Michigan
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Penn at Yale
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
11 a.m.
ESPN2 — Georgia at Tennessee
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — LSU at Florida
3 p.m.
BTN — Ohio St. at Minnesota
PAC-12N — Washington at Oregon
SECN — Missouri at Arkansas
5 p.m.
ACCN — Virginia Tech at NC State
PAC-12N — Arizona St. at Stanford
7 p.m.
ACCN — North Carolina at Duke
CYCLING
9 a.m.
CNBC — UCI: The Paris-Roubaix, 161 miles, Compiègne to Roubaix, France
GOLF
8 a.m.
GOLF — Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals: From Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.
1 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Final Round, Trump National Doral, Miami
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Valero Texas Open, Final Round, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
2:30 p.m.
GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Club Car Championship, Final Round, The Landings Club – Deer Creek Course, Savannah, Ga.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Valero Texas Open, Final Round, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The T-Mobile Match Play – Finals, Shadow Creek, Las Vegas
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
IIHF (WOMEN’S)
11 a.m.
NHLN — World Championship Group Stage: Sweden vs. Japan, Group B, Utica, N.Y.
3 p.m.
NHLN — World Championship Group Stage: Canada vs. Czech Republic, Group A, Utica, N.Y.
MARATHON
Noon
CNBC — The Paris Marathon: From Paris (Taped)
MLB BASEBALL
1:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Toronto at NY Yankees OR Arizona at Atlanta
4:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Boston at LA Angels (4:05 p.m.) OR San Diego at San Francisco (4:05 p.m.)
7 p.m.
ESPN — Houston at Texas
NBA BASKETBALL
3:30 p.m.
NBATV — Houston at Dallas
7 p.m.
NBATV — New York at Milwaukee
10 p.m.
NBATV — Minnesota at LA Lakers
NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Eastern Conference Final: TBD
9 p.m.
ESPNU — Western Conference Final: TBD
NHL HOCKEY
1 p.m.
TNT — Buffalo at Detroit
10 p.m.
ESPN — Dallas at Colorado
RODEO
Noon
CBS — PBR: Bucking Battle, Sioux Falls, S.D. (Taped)
4 p.m.
CBSSN — PBR: Round 3 & Championship Round, Sioux Falls, S.D.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
6:55 a.m.
CBSSN — SPFL: Celtic at Rangers
10:30 a.m.
NBC — Premier League: Liverpool at Manchester United
12:30 p.m.
NBC — Premier League: Chelsea at Sheffield United
1 p.m.
USA — Premier League: Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur
1:30 p.m.
FOX — MLS: Portland Timbers at Sporting Kansas City
TENNIS
10 a.m.
TENNIS — Marrakech-ATP, Estoril-ATP Finals
Noon
TENNIS — Charleston-WTA Double Final
2:30 p.m.
TENNIS — Charleston-WTA Singles Final
5 a.m. (Monday)
TENNIS — Monte Carlo-ATP Early Rounds
6 a.m. (Monday)
TENNIS — Monte Carlo-ATP Early Rounds
UFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — Birmingham at Michigan
4 p.m.
FOX — Houston at D.C.