INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
STATE FINALS-SATURDAY MARCH 30
SESSION 1
PUBLIC GATES OPEN AT 9:30 AM ET
10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN (23-7) VS. FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY (18-9)
APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (27-4) VS. WAPAHANI (26-2)
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED
SESSION 2
PUBLIC GATES OPEN AT 5 PM ET
6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
SCOTTSBURG (24-5) VS. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (20-9)
APPROX. 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BEN DAVIS (23-5) VS. FISHERS (28-1)
STATE FINALS PREVIEW: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023-24%20Boys%20Basketball%20Preview.pdf
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR SATURDAY’S STATE FINALS
MARK ZACKERY IV, BEN DAVIS: 10.3 POINTS, 4.3 ASSISTS, 2.1 RPG AND 1.5 SPG
WYATT ZELLERS, SCOTTSBURG: 13.1 POINTS AND 6.0 RPG 60.4% FG AND 77% FT.
JACK MILLER, SCOTTSBURG: 14.9 POINTS, 4.5 REBOUNDS AND 1.9 APG
SAM MLAGAN, BETHESDA CHRISTIAN: 15.3 POINTS, 4.0 REBOUNDS 2.8 APG
JOHN PARENT, FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY: 10.3 PPG 4.4 PER GAME 48% FG
NICK SHREWSBERRY, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH: 34.5% FG-3
MARK WHITE, BEN DAVIS: 8.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG 1.4 APG AND 1.4 SPG
TAVION WILLIAMS, BEN DAVIS: 7.5 PPG 5.0 RPG 66% FG
K.J. WINDHAM, BEN DAVIS: 15.4 PPG 42.9% 3-FG
COOPER ZACKARY, FISHERS: 7.5 PPG 3.6 APG 40.9% 3-FG
TADEN METZGER, FISHERS: 8.8 PPG 43.4% 3-FG 90.9% FT
JAYCE LEE, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH: 15.5 PPG 5.0 RPG
DEVON LEWIS, FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY: 15.3 PPG 2.9 APG 3.6 RPG 36% 3-FG 80% FT
NATE LUCE, WAPAHANI: 8.3 PPG 3.2 APG 39% 3-FG
ELIJAH KING, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH: 8.6 PPG 2.4 RPG 2.1 APG 35.4% 3-FG
CHASE KONIECZNY, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH: 20.7 PPG 9.1 RPG 39.5% 3-FG 85.2% FT
KEENAN GARNER, FISHERS: 15.6 PPG 8.2 REB
COLBY HALL, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL: 10.6 PPG 6.8 REB 58% FG
JONANTHONY HALL, FISHERS: 11.3 PPG 3.8 REB 64.5% FG
PARKER HEHMAN, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL: 11.6 PPG 5.2 APG 41% 3-FG 87% FT
RAMONE ENIS, BEN DAVIS: 7.1 PPG AND 4.5 REB 50% FG
JASON GARDNER JR., FISHERS: 6.4 PPG 2.6 REB
KODY CLANCY, SCOTTSBURG: 20.6 PPG 46.2% 3-FG
CAMDEN BELL, WAPAHANI: 13.0 PPG 3.8 REB 2.5 APG 42.6% 3-FG
JACK BENTER, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL: 25.6 PPG 7.4 RPG 5.2 APG 55% FG 44% 3-FG 83% FT
ISAAC ANDREWS, WAPAHANI: 24.6 PPG 6.8 RPG 3.3 APG 44.9% 3-FG
CHACE COOMER, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL: 8.5 PPG 3.0 REB 40% 3-FG
TUCKER DAY, FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY: 11.3 PPG 5.7 REB 65% FG
LUKE DOUGLAS, BETHESDA CHRISTIAN: 14.2 PPG 3.2 REB 2.5 APG 45% 3-FG
DARE BOWLES, SCOTTSBURG: 7.6 PPG 2.4 APG 42.8% 3-FG
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES-REPORTED
GIBSON SOUTHERN 6 METAMORA 5
DEKALB 10 GLENBROOK NORTH 8
GIBSON SOUTHERN 11 MARSHALL COUNTY 2
ARDMORE 7 BOONE GROVE 3
ATHENS 17 DEKALB 3
WEST LAFAYETTE 5 KNOX 3
BREBEUF 20 RITTER 2
WESTVILLE 5 ARGOS 0
ANDREAN 3 WHEELER 2
CATHEDRAL 20 BISHOP CHATARD 1
SOUTH BEND CLAY 3 MICHIGAN CITY 2
BEECH GROVE 4 JENNINGS COUNTY 2
COLUMBIA CITY 3 HERITAGE 0
CARROLL 16 WHITKO 4
CENTRAL NOBLE 4 MANCHESTER 1
LIVING WATER HOMESCHOOL 18 EDINBURGH 6
SOUTHWESTERN 11 WASHINGTON 5
EVANSVILLE REITZ 4 EDWARDS COUNTY 0
AVON 12 PLAINFIELD 7
SOUTH BEND RILEY 10 W. NOBLE 0
EAST CENTRAL 6 RICHMOND 3
RIVERTON PARKE 15 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 0
CORNERSVILLE 11 DEKALB 4
CHARLESTOWN 14 PROVIDENCE 4
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 5 OWEN VALLEY 1
CARMEL 2 MOUNT VERNON 0
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES-REPORTED
DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 26 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 0
DELTA 5 COMMUNITY 0
ANDERSON 11 PURDUE POLY 1
NEW PRAIRIE 15 MICHIGAN CITY 9
PORTAGE 10 HAMMOND NOLL 0
EVANSVILLE NORTH 7 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 6
MITCHELL 12 BORDEN 5
SHERIDAN 6 COWAN 5
PROVIDENCE 5 N. HARRISON 4
ST. CHARLES NORTH 7 LAKE CENTRAL 3
FRANKLIN COUNTY 11 MILAN 7
CRAWFORD COUNTY 11 WASHINGTON 0
WARSAW 14 WESTVILLE 0
PRINCETON 14 W. VIGO 2
EDINBURGH 21 INDIANA DEAF 3
BISHOP CHATARD 8 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 6
MUNSTER 16 MURPHYSBORO 10
LEO 14 FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 7
CATHEDRAL 12 N. CENTRAL 2
MEADE COUNTY 17 CORYDON CENTRAL 3
FORT WAYNE LUERS 26 WOODLAN 3
SHELBYVILLE 12 HAUSER 1
SOUTHWESTERN 4 CHARLESTOWN 1
LAPEL 6 SHENANDOAH 1
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 12 FRANKTON 1
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 11 MOUNT VERNON 0
PENN 1 NORTHRIDGE 0
PLAINFIELD 6 TRI-WEST HENDRICKS 4
NORTHFIELD 15 FORT WAYNE NORTH 0
ANDERSON 14 PURDUE POLY 2
CONNERSVILLE 12 RICHMOND 5
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 11 RIVERTON PARKE 3
CARMEL 3 BREBEUF 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 8 NEW CASTLE 3
CENTER GROVE 17 COLUMBUS EAST 1
WESTFIELD 3 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 1
SIEGEL 5 LAKE CENTRAL 4
WHERE THE TOP INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PLAYERS ARE HEADED (D1)
Joe Trenerry, PENN RHP, 2024, Purdue
RJ Cromartie, PENN SS, 2024, Notre Dame
Hogan Denny, MOORESVILLE C/UTL, 2024, Indiana
Brendin Oliver, MOORESVILLE RHP, 2024, Cincinnati
Hudson Devaughan, MOORESVILLE RHP, 2026, Alabama
Griffin Tobias, LAKE CENTRAL RHP/SS, 2024, Indiana
Joshua Flores, LAKE CENTRAL RHP, 2025, Cincinnati
Alex Graber, HOMESTEAD RHP/INF, 2024, Northern Illinois
Mason Weaver, HOMESTEAD RHP/INF, 2024, Wofford
Luke Neiswonger, HOMESTEAD RHP/SS, 2025, Central Michigan
Luke Riha, HOMESTEAD RHP/OF, 2025, Toledo
Jack Brown, FISHERS RHP/OF, 2024, Louisville
Gavin Kuzniewski, FISHERS RHP/2B, 2024, Ohio State
Huston Dunn, FISHERS SS, 2025, Ball State
Aiden Reynolds, NOBLESVILLE INF, 2026, Indiana
Nolan Decker, NOBLESVILLE LHP/OF, 2024, Troy
Joe Glander, NOBLESVILLE RHP, 2025, Notre Dame
Hunter Snow, CARMEL OF, 2024, Baylor
Adam Buczkowski, CARMEL RHP, 2024, Cincinnati
Max Winders, RHP, CARMEL 2024, Western Kentucky
James Charland, CARMEL LHP/1B, 2024, Southern Indiana
Theo Nagy, CARMEL LHP, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Noah Coy, CENTER GROVE SS, 2024, Notre Dame
Conner Vander Luitgaren, CENTER GROVE RHP, 2024, Evansville
Drake McClurg, CENTER GROVE INF/OF, 2027, Indiana
Andrew Krupa, CENTER GROVE OF, 2025, Ball State
Brendan Ealy, CENTER GROVE RHP, 2024, Lindenwood
JT Stiner, C, CATHEDRAL 2024, UNC-Wilmington
Eli Bennett, CATHEDRAL 1B/LHP, 2025, Indiana
Patrick Mazur, CATHEDRAL OF, 2024, Marshall
Cole Decker, EVANSVILLE NORTH OF, 2024, Indiana
Brayden Huebner, EVANSVILLE NORTH SS, 2024, Ball State
Kellen English, EVANSVILLE NORTH RHP, 2025, Indiana
Nash Wagner, ZIONSVILLE RHP/DH, 2024, Alabama
Chase Wagner, ZIONSVILLE RHP, 2024, Ball State
Simon Wilkinson, ZIONSVILLE RHP, 2024, Xavier
Jackson Gilley, ZIONSVILLE LHP, 2026, TCU
Cameron Sullivan, MT. VERNON RHP, 2024, Notre Dame
Nick Heitman, MT. VERNON RHP, 2024, Iowa
DJ Scheumann, MT. VERNON C, 2024, Ball State
Blane Metz, FLOYD CENTRAL RHP, 2025, Indiana
Coen Evrard, FLOYD CENTRAL LHP, 2024, Louisville
Kayden Linares, FLOYD CENTRAL SS, 2024, Mercer
Brayden Hibler, WESTFIELD SS, 2024, Central Missouri
Ty Anderson, WESTFIELD RHP, 2024, Eastern Illinois
Nico Amodeo, RONCALLI C, 2025, Dayton
Caiden White, JEFFERSONVILLE RHP/SS, 2024, Indiana State
Logan Bingham, JEFFERSONVILLE RHP, 2024, Middle Tennessee State
Jaret Phillips, JEFFERSONVILLE 1B/OF, 2024, Western Kentucky
Sammy Swank, MCCUTCHEON RHP/INF, 2026, Kentucky
Sage Adams, MCCUTCHEON C, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Jack Wheeler, MORGAN TOWNSHIP RHP, 2024, Valparaiso
Isaac VanderWoude, ILLIANA CHRISTIAN SS, 2024, Virgina
Gavin Meyer, ILLIANA CHRISTIAN RHP/1B, 2025, Ohio State
Reid Howard, FOREST PARK SS/RHP, 2024, Western Kentucky
Sage Stout, FOREST PARK RHP/OF, 2024, Southern Indiana
Carter Hall, PARK TUDOR RHP/OF, 2024, Niagara
Cole Huett, PROVIDENCE OF, 2025, Virginia
Ryan Castetter, UNIVERSITY RHP/INF, 2026, Northwestern
Mason Barth, ANDREAN SS/RHP, 2025, Notre Dame
Tate Troxell, GUERIN CATHOLIC RHP/3B, 2026, Alabama
Matthew Fisher, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL RHP/INF, 2025, Indiana
Thomas Lynch, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL C, 2024, Purdue
Simon Schulz, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL SS/RHP, 2025, Evansville
Chase Bays, MISHAWAKA MARIAN SS/RHP, 2024, Eastern Illinois
Brayton Thomas, FW DWENGER LHP/1B, 2024, Indiana
Brandon Logan, FW SNIDER OF, 2025, Vanderbilt
Landen Fry, FW SNIDER INF/P, 2025, Indiana
Cannon Vandever, AVON 3B/RHP, 2024, Evansville
Caden McCoy, BLOOMINGTON NORTH LHP/1B, 2024, Texas A&M
Landen Smith, GREENWOOD SS, 2024, Ball State
Micah Vessely, GREENWOOD RHP, 2024, Indiana
Logan Crock, LAWRENCE NORTH SS/RHP, 2024, Butler
Brayden Stevenson, PENDLETON HEIGHTS C/P/1B, 2025, Ball State
Josh Feguson, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL RHP/INF, 2024, Marshall
Tyson Greenwood, NEW PRAIRIE LHP/1B, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Austin McNabb, PERRY MERIDIAN RHP, 2025, Dayton
Carter Orner, PLAINFIELD RHP, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Max Hotze, EAST CENTRAL RHP, 2024, Morehead State
Ahmaad Duff, LAWRENCE CENTRAL OF, 2024, Alabama
Joe Chrapliwy, GLENN INF/RHP, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Christian Klug, BISHOP CHATARD UTL, 2024, Navy
Ethan Lund, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN LHP, 2024, Oklahoma State
Alex Barr, KANKAKEE VALLY LHP/1B, 2025, Indiana
Will Jaisle, BATESVILLE RHP/OF, 2025, Notre Dame
Jack Grunkemeyer, BATESVILLE RHP/1B, 2024, Northwestern
Christian Forniss, BREBEUF LHP, 2024, Northwestern
Jayce Lee, SB ST. JOSEPH OF, 2024, Notre Dame
Tyson Greenwood, NEW PRIARIE LHP/1B, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Nolan Moore, CHARLESTON OF, 2024, Charleston
Kale Wemer, CRAWFORDSVILLE RHP/IF, 2024, Purdue
Corbin Snyder, EASTERN GREENE RHP/SS, 2024, Butler
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, MARCH 28 (SWEET 16)
(2) ARIZONA VS. (6) CLEMSON | 7:09 P.M. | CBS
(1) UCONN VS. (5) SAN DIEGO STATE | 7:39 P.M. | TBS/TRUTV
(1) NORTH CAROLINA VS. (4) ALABAMA | 9:39 P.M. | CBS
(2) IOWA STATE VS. (3) ILLINOIS | 10:09 P.M. | TBS/TRUTV
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 (SWEET 16)
(2) MARQUETTE VS. (11) NC STATE | 7:09 P.M. | CBS
(1) PURDUE VS. (5) GONZAGA | 7:39 P.M. |TBS/TRUTV
(1) HOUSTON VS. (4) DUKE | 9:39 P.M. | CBS
(2) TENNESSEE VS. (3) CREIGHTON | 10:09 P.M. |TBS/TRUTV
(NIT)
SETON HALL 91 UNLV 68
UTAH 74 VCU 54
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
MARCH 29 – SWEET 16
2:30 P.M. – ALBANY 1 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
5 P.M. – ALBANY 1 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 2, ESPN
7:30 P.M. – PORTLAND 4 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
10 P.M. – PORTLAND 4 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
MARCH 30 – SWEET 16
1 P.M. – ALBANY 2 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ABC
3:30 P.M. – ALBANY 2 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 2, ABC
5:30 P.M. – PORTLAND 3 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 1, ESPN
8 P.M. – PORTLAND 3 REGIONAL – SWEET 16 GAME 2, ESPN
MARCH 31 – ELITE 8
1 P.M. – ALBANY 1 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ABC
3 P.M. – PORTLAND 4 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ABC
APRIL 1 – ELITE 8
7:15 P.M. – ALBANY 2 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ESPN
9:15 P.M. – PORTLAND 3 REGIONAL – ELITE 8, ESPN
APRIL 5 – FINAL FOUR
7 P.M. – SEMIFINAL 1, ESPN/ESPN+
9:30 P.M. – SEMIFINAL 2, ESPN/ESPN+
APRIL 7 – CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NBA SCOREBOARD
CHARLOTTE 118 CLEVELAND 111
BROOKLYN 122 WASHINGTON 119 OT
GOLDEN STATE 101 ORLANDO 93
NEW YORK 145 TORONTO 101
ATLANTA 120 PORTLAND 106
LA CLIPPERS 108 PHILADELPHIA 107
CHICAGO 125 INDIANA 99
MINNESOTA 106 DETROIT 91
HOUSTON 132 OKLAHOMA CITY 126 OT
LA LAKERS 136 MEMPHIS 124
SAN ANTONIO 118 UTAH 111
PHOENIX 104 DENVER 97
NHL SCOREBOARD
OTTAWA 6 BUFFALO 2
TAMPA BAY 3 BOSTON 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
TODAY
LA ANGELS AT BALTIMORE
SAN FRANCISCO AT SAN DIEGO
ST. LOUIS AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS
PITTSBURGH AT MIAMI
TORONTO AT TAMPA BAY
WASHINGTON AT CINCINNATI
MINNESOTA AT KANSAS CITY
DETROIT AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX
NY YANKEES AT HOUSTON
CHICAGO CUBS AT TEXAS
CLEVELAND AT OAKLAND
BOSTON AT SEATTLE
COLORADO AT ARIZONA
MILWAUKEE AT NEW YORK METS POSTPONED
ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA POSTPONED
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
OAKLAND 11 MICHIGAN STATE 7
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
MIAMI OHIO 10 PITTSBURGH 6
OHIO STATE 6 DAYTON 2
MICHIGAN 12 TOLEDO 3
ILLINOIS 19 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE 9
WEDNESDAY’S TRANSACTIONS
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball
American League
HOUSTON ASTROS — Claimed RHP Penn Murfee off waivers from Atlanta. Placed RHP Kendall Graveman on the 60-day IL.
MLB — Announced a unanimous approval on the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to a new ownership group led by control person David Rubenstein.
National League
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Placed RHPs Sonny Gray and Keynan Middleton, LHP Drew Rom on the 15-day IL, OF/INF Tommy Edman, OFs Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson on the 10-day IL. Selected the contract of Victor Scott from Springfield (IL). Optioned INF Jose Fermin to Memphis (IL). Placed 1B/OF Jared Young on outright to Memphis.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES — Signed F T.J. Warren to a rest-of-season contract.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
CAROLINA PANTHERS — Re-signed S Sam Franklin. Agreed to terms with OLB Jadeveon Clowney on a two-year contract.
DENVER BRONCOS — Signed WR Josh Reynolds to a two-year contract.
HOUSTON TEXANS __ Re-signed LB Neville Hewitt to one-year contract.
LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed CB Tre’Davius White to a one-year contract.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS — Reassigned D Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm to Cincinnati (ECHL) from Cleveland (AHL).
NFL MOCK DRAFT 2.0
1. CHICAGO BEARS (FROM CAROLINA PANTHERS) – CALEB WILLIAMS, QB, USC
2. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS – JAYDEN DANIELS, QB, LSU
3. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – DRAKE MAYE, QB, NORTH CAROLINA
4. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (PROPOSED TRADE FROM ARIZONA CARDINALS) – J.J. MCCARTHY, QB, MICHIGAN
5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – MARVIN HARRISON JR., WR, OHIO STATE
6. NEW YORK GIANTS – MALIK NABERS, WR, LSU
7. TENNESSEE TITANS – JOE ALT, OT, NOTRE DAME
8. ATLANTA FALCONS – DALLAS TURNER, OLB, ALABAMA
9. BEARS – ROME ODUNZE, WR, WASHINGTON
10. NEW YORK JETS – BROCK BOWERS, TE, GEORGIA
11. CARDINALS (PROPOSED TRADE FROM VIKINGS) – BRIAN THOMAS JR., WR, LSU
12. DENVER BRONCOS – BO NIX, QB, OREGON
13. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS – TALIESE FUAGA, OT, OREGON STATE
14. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS – OLUMUYIWA FASHANU, OT, PENN STATE
15. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – QUINYON MITCHELL, CB, TOLEDO
16. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – TROY FAUTANU, OT/G, WASHINGTON
17. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – TERRION ARNOLD, CB, ALABAMA
18. CINCINNATI BENGALS – JC LATHAM, OT, ALABAMA
19. LOS ANGELES RAMS – JARED VERSE, DE, FLORIDA STATE
20. PITTSBURGH STEELERS – JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON, C, OREGON
21. MIAMI DOLPHINS – GRAHAM BARTON, G/C, DUKE
22. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – COOPER DEJEAN, CB, IOWA
23. CARDINALS (PROPOSED TRADE FROM CLEVELAND BROWNS VIA HOUSTON TEXANS AND VIKINGS) – BYRON MURPHY II, DT, TEXAS
24. DALLAS COWBOYS – TYLER GUYTON, OT, OKLAHOMA
25. GREEN BAY PACKERS – JORDAN MORGAN, OT, ARIZONA
26. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – LAIATU LATU, DE/OLB, UCLA
27. CARDINALS (FROM TEXANS) – NATE WIGGINS, CB, CLEMSON
28. BUFFALO BILLS – ADONAI MITCHELL, WR, TEXAS
29. DETROIT LIONS – KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, CB, ALABAMA
30. BALTIMORE RAVENS – AMARIUS MIMS, OT, GEORGIA
31. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – CHOP ROBINSON, DE, PENN STATE
32. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – LADD MCCONKEY, WR, GEORGIA
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLLEGE SPORTS
NCAA PRESIDENT CHARLIE BAKER URGES STATE LAWMAKERS TO BAN PROP BETTING ON COLLEGE ATHLETES
NCAA President Charlie Baker on Wednesday urged lawmakers in states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed,” Baker said in statement posted on social media. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”
Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game. The NBA has opened an investigation into Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations related to his own performance in individual games.
Ohio, Vermont and Maryland are among the states that have removed prop betting on college athletes. Baker said NCAA officials are reaching out to lawmakers in other states to encourage similar bans.
The NCAA is in the middle of the March Madness basketball tournaments and for the sixth straight year the number of states with legal gambling has increased, with North Carolina recently becoming the 38th.
The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments through legal sportsbooks.
Companies that monitor sports betting for irregularities have warned college sports administrators that prop betting on unpaid athletes elevates the potential risk for a scandal.
The NCAA conducted a survey after last year’s basketball tournaments that found 58% of 18- to 22-year-olds are gambling.
Baker has said the proliferation of legal sports gambling has increased stress on college athletes.
“All that chatter about who’s playing, who’s not playing. Who’s sore, who’s not sore. What’s going on with the team you’re playing? What do you think your chances are? Which is just classic chatter, where — in a world where people are betting — takes on a whole new consequence,” Baker said in January before his address to membership at the NCAA convention.
The NCAA has partnered with a data science company called Signify, which also works with the NBA Players Association and WNBA, to online identify threats made to athletes during championship events that are often linked to wagering.
“Basically tracks ugly, nasty stuff, that’s being directed at people who are participating in their tournaments and we’d use it the same way,” Baker said in January. “And it can shut it down or basically block it. And in some cases even track back to where it came from.”
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
HERE ARE SOME NUMBERS THAT WILL HELP YOU GET YOUR MARCH MADNESS FIX FOR THE SWEET 16
Sixteen may be sweet, but it isn’t the only relevant number as the NCAA Tournament heads into the regional semifinals.
Here are some other numbers worth knowing for each team. These statistics will help you learn more about each of the remaining teams and could explain how some of them got this far.
EAST REGION
UCONN: In UConn’s second-round victory over Northwestern, Donovan Clingan became just the third player in tournament history to get 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks in a game. The others to do it were Hakeem Olajuwon for Houston in 1983 and David Robinson for Navy in 1986. The blocks also were the most ever by a UConn player in a tournament game.
SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs’ Sweet 16 matchup with defending national champion UConn will mark the fourth time that two teams have faced each other in the tournament a year after meeting in the final. The losing team from the championship won the rematch in one of the three previous instances, when Duke beat UNLV in a 1991 semifinal. Cincinnati won two straight championship games over Ohio State in 1961-62. Florida beat UCLA in the 2006 championship game and in a 2007 semifinal.
ILLINOIS: Illinois has won six in a row, and Terrence Shannon Jr. has scored at least 25 points in each of those games. The 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 30.5 points and has shot 52.8% (56 of 106) from the floor during that stretch. He also shown an uncanny knack for drawing fouls during the streak. Over his last five games, Shannon has gone 51 of 58 on free-throw attempts.
IOWA STATE: Iowa State is allowing just 61.2 points per game to rank fourth among all Division I teams in scoring defense. Since falling 73-65 to Houston on Feb. 19, the Cyclones haven’t allowed any of their last 10 opponents to exceed 65 points. The Cyclones next face Illinois, which ranks ninth in points per game (84.6) and has averaged 91.3 points over its last four contests.
WEST REGION
ALABAMA: Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada were the first set of Division I teammates since 1996-97 to both have at least 410 points, 125 assists, 120 rebounds, 50 3-point baskets and 40 steals during the regular season. Sears is averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. Estrada has 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
NORTH CAROLINA: Armando Bacot had seven straight tournament double-doubles and six consecutive tourney games with at least 15 rebounds before he ended up with 18 points and seven boards in a second-round victory over Michigan State. His seven straight NCAA double-doubles matched Tim Duncan and Olajuwon for the NCAA record.
ARIZONA: Arizona’s first-round triumph over Long Beach State marked the 19th time this season the Wildcats had five different players score in double figures. No other Division I team had that many games this season in which five different players had at least 10 points.
CLEMSON: Each of Clemson’s first two tournament opponents has shot below 40% against the Tigers. Clemson won its first-round game by limiting New Mexico to 29.7% shooting, the lowest percentage the Tigers had ever allowed in an NCAA tourney game. Clemson now faces Arizona, which shot 52.8% in its second-round victory over Dayton.
MIDWEST REGION
CREIGHTON: Baylor Scheierman is the first Division I men’s player in history to have at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 3-point baskets. Scheierman, who is in his second season at Creighton after playing three seasons at South Dakota State, has 2,208 points, 1,250 rebounds, 578 assists and 352 3-pointers.
TENNESSEE: Tennessee is making its 10th Sweet 16 appearance – including its seventh in the last 18 years – but the Volunteers have never reached the Final Four and earned their lone regional final berth in 2010.
GONZAGA: Gonzaga is in the Sweet 16 for the ninth straight time, the longest active streak of any Division I team. Going back to 1975 – the first year that all teams had to win at least one game to reach the Sweet 16 – the record for consecutive Sweet 16 appearances is owned by North Carolina with 13 straight from 1981-93.
PURDUE: Zach Edey is the first player since Kareen Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) in 1968 to have at least 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field in his first two games of an NCAA Tournament. Edey has shot 67.9% (19 of 28) and has totaled 53 points and 35 rebounds in victories over Grambling State and Utah State.
SOUTH REGION
DUKE: Jared McCain has gone 10 of 17 from 3-point range through the first two rounds. In the Blue Devils’ second-round blowout of James Madison, McCain became the first freshman to score at least 30 points without committing a turnover in an NCAA Tournament game since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
HOUSTON: The Cougars showcased their depth by surviving a second-round matchup with Texas A&M in overtime even after four of their five starters fouled out. They became the first team to win an NCAA game while having at least four players foul out since 1987, when UTEP overcame foul trouble to beat Arizona.
MARQUETTE: Marquette owns a 75-29 record under coach Shaka Smart despite posting a negative rebound margin in each of his three seasons. The Golden Eagles have been outrebounded in each of their last eight games but have gone 5-3. They’re getting outrebounded by 3 boards per game this season. The only other Sweet 16 team with a negative rebound margin is North Carolina State (minus-0.8), which faces Marquette on Friday.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE: Mohamed Diarra has 6.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season, but he’s averaged 11.7 points and 13.5 rebounds over his last six. Michael O’Connell scored in double digits three times and totaled 14 3-point baskets in 31 regular-season games. He’s reached double figures in six of seven postseason games and has gone 12 of 22 from 3-point range during that stretch.
ARIZONA VS. CLEMSON GAME NOTES
(ARIZONA)
STARTING FIVE 1) Arizona improved to of 60-36 (.625) in 38 all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament. 2) This marks Arizona’s 20th appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and the second under Tommy Lloyd. Overall, the Wildcats are 11-8 in the previous 19 appearances. 3) Second Team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love has made 92 3-pointers this season, becoming the sixth Wildcat to make 90 or more in a season. He’s also one shy of tying his own personal single-season high. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists last weekend in Salt Lake City. 4) First Team All Pac-12 honoree Oumar Ballo has 19 double-doubles this season and 33 for his career, both totals rank fourth in Arizona history in their respective categories. He is 10th in school history with 815 career rebounds. 5) Arizona is 6-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played in Los Angeles; This will be the sixth appearance in L.A. in the tournament (1976, 1988, 1994, 2013, 2015, 2024).
Arizona is 3-0 all-time against Clemson, with the Wildcats winning the most recent meeting, a 66-54 decision on Dec. 8, 2012. • The two programs also met on Dec. 10, 2011 in Tucson and Arizona won that game, 63-47. • The first meeting between the two programs came in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, 1989 in Boise, Idaho. Arizona won, 94-68, behind 25 points from Sean Elliott and 19 points from Matt Muehlebach.
• Five players scored in double figures against LBSU, the 19th time Arizona has done that this season (leads NCAA). • Head coach Tommy Lloyd is 88-19 (.821) in his third season at Arizona. He is one win shy of tying the NCAA record for wins by a first time head coach in his first three seasons. • The Wildcats are 19-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed.
Arizona is one of two teams in the country with three players recording 120+ assists this season (Gonzaga). • The 651 assists by Arizona this season are tied for fifth in school history. Under Lloyd, Arizona has registered three of the top five seasons in team assists in program history. • Senior Pelle Larsson earned Second Team All Pac-12 honors and is 10 of 18 from the 3-point line over the last four games. He had 15 points vs. LBSU and 13 points vs. Dayton.
Senior Keshad Johnson keyed the Arizona offense to start the second half vs. LBSU, going on a personal 7-0 run to extend the lead. In the second round game against Dayton, Johnson finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals. He earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention accolades while also setting personal career highs in nearly every offensive category this season. Johnson has made 36 3FG this season after making a total of 28 in four years at San Diego State and is connecting at a 40.0% clip this season from behind the line. Johnson has scored in double figures 24 out of 35 games this season at Arizona. In his four seasons, and 113 games, at San Diego State, he scored in double figures 25 times.
Sophomore Kylan Boswell has 129 assists and just 61 turnovers this season. The native of Champaign, Ill., has scored in double figures 20 times this season, including a career-high 20 points against Long Beach State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. He is averaging 9.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 38.5% from the 3-point line. • Sophomore Jaden Bradley is in his first season in Tucson after playing his freshman year at Alabama. Coming out of high school, his final two schools were Alabama and Arizona. He was the most impactful player for Arizona in the win over Dayton, recording 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocked shots in 27 minutes of action. While his numbers for the season may not jump off the page (6.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists), it is his impact at the defensive end that is noteworthy. According to EvanMiya.com, Bradley is one of the top 10 players in the country in defensive impact on a game. His season high scoring output was a career-high 21 points against Arizona State on Feb. 17.
CLEMSON NOTES:
CLEMSON BASKETBALL HEADLINES • A win over No. 2 seed Arizona would be the highest seeded team Clemson has beaten in the NCAA Tournament. • Clemson defeated Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by a score of 72-64 on Sunday, March 24. It marked the fifth time that Clemson has advanced to the Sweet 16 and the second time under Head Coach Brad Brownell. • The Tigers were led once again by Chase Hunter who finished with 20 points and six assists. Despite leading by 15 points late in the second half, the No. 14 ranked and No. 3 seeded Bears made a run, but the Tigers never relinquished. • Clemson defeated New Mexico in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by a score of 77-56 on Friday, March 22. It marked the secondlargest margin of victory for a Clemson team in the NCAA Tournament. (Record is 31 vs. Auburn, 84-53, on 3/18/18). • The Tigers moved to 12-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with the victory over the Lobos. This tournament was the sixth in which the Tigers have recorded a victory. • Clemson limited New Mexico to just 29.7 percent shooting – the second lowest for a Clemson team in tournament history (Record is 25.8 percent vs. Auburn on 3/18/18). • The 29.7 percent shooting for New Mexico was its lowest of the 2023-24 season – by a considerable margin. Their previous low was 35.4 percent in a three point loss to UNLV on Feb. 10. • Clemson held New Mexico to 13 percent three point shooting on Friday, the best three point defense in Clemson history in an NCAA Tournament game. New Mexico was just 3-23 from distance in that game. • Clemson won points off turnovers in that game by a 19-6 margin. New Mexico came into the game with an average points off turnovers margin of 18-11. The six points off turnovers for Clemson rank as tied for the fewest against New Mexico this year. • Clemson held New Mexico to 56 points, the Lobos fewest points in a game all year. The previous low was 58 in a game against Boise State. • Clemson held Jamal Mashburn, Jr. (10th) and Jaelen House (11th), two of the top 11 scorers in New Mexico history, to a combined 18 points in 5-25 shooting from the field and 2-14 on three-point shooting. • Chase Hunter netted his third 20-point game of the year and second in a row after a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor against New Mexico and another 20-point outing against Baylor. • Ian Schieffelin totaled his 10th double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. PJ Hall (14) was the Tigers third scorer in double figures. With his 10th double-double, Schieffelin is just the second Clemson player to record double figures in double-doubles in a season since 2008-09. Hunter Tyson did it last year with 16, but that is the only other player to do it since Trevor Booker had 13 double-doubles in 2008-09. Schieffelin also now has 16 double-digit rebounding games this season and 18 for his career. • With 14 points in the game, PJ Hall moved into ninth on Clemson’s all-time scoring list. He passed Dale Davis and after 25 total points in the first and second rounds he now sits ninth with 1,671 career points. • Joseph Girard III saw his Clemson record free throw streak come to an end after he made 67 consecutive free throws from Jan. 13 to March 22. That broke the previous ACC mark of 66 in a row by Scott Wood of NC State during the 2011-12 season. Girard made the first of that oneand-one situation, then missed the second to end his streak at 67, one ahead of Wood’s record. • Girard made three more 3-pointers against the Lobos and Bears and is now just one away from breaking Terrell McIntyre’s single season record of threes made (99). Girard has 99 this season. For his career he has made 396 – the third most in ACC history. • The Tigers recorded their 10th and 11th wins away from home this season which is tied for the most in program history. Clemson is 5-1 on neutral floors and 6-6 in true road games. It’s the second time in school history Clemson has recorded 11 wins away from home. • With the win over New Mexico and Baylor, Brad Brownell set the Clemson record for NCAA Tournament victories in a career. It was his fourth and fifth NCAA Tournament wins. He had one in 2010-11, his first year, when the Tigers defeated UAB, 70-52 in a First Round game in Dayton. He then took the Tigers to the Sweet 16 in 2018 with wins over New Mexico State and Auburn. • Friday and Sunday was Clemson’s 12th and 13th all-time NCAA Tournament victories. Bill Foster had three in his only year in the tournament, a run to the Elite Eight in 1980, Cliff Ellis had three, one in 1989 and two in 1990 when he took the Tigers to the Sweet 16. Rick Barnes had two, both in 1997 when he took Clemson to the Sweet 16. Clemson is now 13-13 in the NCAA Tournament entering Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup with Arizona. • The win over Baylor was Head Coach Brad Brownell’s 23rd over a Top 25 team – one more than Cliff Ellis’ previous record. This is the first time since 1996-97 that Clemson has three wins over Top 25 teams away from home. (No. 22 Alabama, No. 3 North Carolina and No. 14 Baylor)
SERIES HISTORY VS. ARIZONA • Arizona holds a 3-0 advantage in the series with Clemson, including a victory in the 1989 NCAA Tournament. Arizona has one win at home against the Tigers, one at Clemson and one at neutral site. March 18, 1989 Arizona 94, Clemson 68 Pavilion, Boise, Idaho • Arizona defeated Clemson in the second round of the 1989 West Regional by a 94-68 score. The Wildcats were not only a No. 1 seed in the regional, they were ranked No. 1 in the nation in the AP poll entering this game. Arizona led 44-35 at halftime, but outscored Clemson 50-33 in the second half. Clemson shot 50 percent from the field and Arizona 53.2. • This Arizona team featured five future NBA players in Sean Elliott, Anthony Cook, Sean Rooks, Jud Buechler and Matt Othick. Those five players combined for 65 points vs. the Tigers. Elliott led the way with 25, Buechler had 15 and Cook had 14. • The team also featured point guard Kenny Lofton, who went on to play 17 years in the MLB and was a six-time all-star. He had eight points and four assists against Clemson. • The Tigers were led by center Elden Campbell with 24 points and guard Derrick Forrest with 21. Point guard Marion Cash had 13 points and five assists. Future NBA player Dale Davis was held to two points. December 10, 2011 Arizona 63, Clemson 47 at Tucson, Arizona • Clemson missed 10 of its first 11 shots and scored just 16 points in the first half. The Tigers trailed by 13 at 29-16 at halftime, but cut the margin to 49-42 with 4:27 left. Arizona closed on a 14-5 run to win by 16 points. Andre Young was the only Tiger in double figures with 17 points, while Nick Johnson led Arizona with 14 and Solomon Hill had 13 points and six assists. • Arizona went on to a 23-12 final record and a berth in the NIT. Clemson finished 16-15 that season December 8, 2012 #8 Arizona 66, Clemson 54 at Clemson, S.C. • A No. 8 Arizona team made the trip across country to Clemson, S.C. and came away with a 12 point win. The game was much closer than that, in fact Clemson led by six at 44-38 with 11:28 remaining. The Wildcats went on a 28-10 run to gain the victory. • Milton Jennings led Clemson with 15, while future NBA player KJ McDaniels had 13 and Adonis Filer added 11. Mark Lyons led Arizona with 20 points, while Nick Johnson added 13. • Arizona went on to a 27-8 record and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Clemson finished 13-18.
UCONN VS. SAN DIEGO STATE GAME NOTES
(UCONN NOTES)
BOSTON – The top-seed UConn men’s basketball team (33-3) heads north for the Sweet 16, taking on five-seed San Diego State (26-10) in a rematch of the 2023 National Championship game. Tip-off on Thursday for the East Regional Semifinals from the TD Garden is set for 7:39 p.m. and will air on TBS with Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy and Andy Katz on the call.
The Huskies are in the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season, a feat last accomplished by the program in a run of three-straight from 2002-04. The rematch with SDSU marks the fourth time in NCAA Tournament history that a title game rematch has occurred in the following tournament. UConn is 12-6 all-time in the Sweet 16.
UConn is 2-0 all-time against San Diego State, with both meetings coming in memorable NCAA Tournament fashion. In the first meeting in the 2011 Sweet 16, Kemba Walker tied the UConn single-game NCAA Tournament record with 36 points in a UConn win en route to the program’s third national title. Last season, Tristen Newton and Adama Sanogo both recorded double-doubles in the National Championship as Connecticut claimed its fifth national title.
Connecticut advanced to the Regional round with two wins last week in Brooklyn, taking down 16-seed Stetson on Friday and nine-seed Northwestern on Sunday. In the win over the Wildcats on Sunday, Newton had 20 points and 10 assists while Donovan Clingan recorded a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double with a career-high eight blocks. Clingan became one of three players in NCAA Tournament history to post such a statline, joining David Robinson in 1986 and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983.
UConn is led this season by Newton, a consensus First Team All-American who averages 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. His double-double against NU was his 11th of the season and he has also posted a pair of triple-doubles. Cam Spencer is second on the squad with 14.4 points per game and is one of the most efficient shooters from deep in America, ranking fifth in the country with a 44.0 percent mark from 3-point range. Alex Karaban adds 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Clingan adds 12.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per games on 64.8 percent shooting. BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Stephon Castle gives UConn five players averaging double-figures with 10.8 points per game.
San Diego State advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over 12-seed UAB and No. 13 Yale last week in Spokane. Jaedon LeDee leads the Aztecs with 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, earning AP Third Team All-America honors this year. Per Kenpom, San Diego State boasts one of the top-10 defenses in America and holds opponents to 66.2 points per game.
Should the Huskies advance, they will take on the winner of No. 3 Illinois and No. 2 Iowa State in the Regional final on Saturday.
TOURNAMENT TIME: Connecticut is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the 37th time in 2024. The defending national champions have won the title five times: 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2023. The Huskies are 67-32 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. They have advanced to the Final Four six times, the Elite Eight 12 times and the Sweet Sixteen 19 times. WE’RE NUMBER ONE: For the first time in program history, UConn was selected as the No. 1 Overall Seed in the NCAA Tournament. UConn has played as a 1-seed five other times: 1990, 1996, 1999, 2006 and 2009. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The Huskies went 18-2 in BIG EAST play this season, claiming their first outright league title since 1999 and the first overall regular season conference crown since 2006. Connecticut previously won BIG EAST regular season crowns in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
TOP DOGS: With its ascent to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Jan. 15, UConn has now held the No. 1 spot in the national rankings 10 times and 34 weeks across seven seasons in school history. Connecticut held the top spot for six-straight weeks, the longest run atop the polls for any team this season. The Huskies have played 61 games in their history as the No. 1 team in the nation, compiling a 51-10 record in those contests. UConn will play the entirety of the NCAA Tournament in the No. 1 spot, returning to the top of the polls LAST TIME OUT: Connecticut was last in action on Sunday in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, taking a wire-to-wire victory over Northwestern by a score of 75-58. Donovan Clingan and Tristen Newton both posted double-doubles in the win, with Clingan going for 14 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks while Newton scored a game-high 20 points and dished out 10 assists. Cam Spencer also finished in double-figures with 11 points and added four rebounds and four assists. The Huskies held Northwestern to 37.3 percent shooting from the floor and limited NU All-American Boo Buie to a 2-15 shooting day.
(SAN DIEGO STATE)
SAN DIEGO – Advancing to the NCAA tournament for a fourth consecutive season and the Sweet 16 for the second straight time under head coach Brian Dutcher, and fourth time in program history, fifth-seeded San Diego State will face 1-seeded Connecticut in a East Regional semifinal game at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on March 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs are making their 16th appearance in the Division I event, owning a 13-15 record and have won seven of its last eight games in the event. Head coach Brian Dutcher has been on the Aztec sidelines for 25 of the program’s 28 all-time tournament games and all 13 of the program’s victories.
This is the fifth NCAA appearance for Brian Dutcher, the two-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, in his seven seasons as head coach with a likely appearance in the 2019-20 event (San Diego State was 30-2 and a likely No. 1 or No. 2 seed), which was canceled because of the COVID pandemic.
The Aztecs appearance in the regional semifinal game is its fourth (2011, 2014, 2023 & 2024) and the eight for a Mountain West program since the inception of the league in the 1999-00 season.
This is the SDSU’s 11th tournament appearance in the last 14 seasons that a champion has been crowned. That total does not include the 2019-20 season when SDSU was 30-2 and ranked sixth in the AP poll when the season ended prior to the tournament.
San Diego State is competing in the East Region for the first time in program history. In first and second round games, SDSU has a 4-2 record in the South Region, a 4-5 mark in the West Region, are 0-5 in the Midwest Region and 2-0 in the East Region for an overall record in the first weekend of 10-12.
The Aztecs metrics rank among the best in the nation. Through the games of March 24, the Aztecs were ranked No. 20 in the NET, No. 16 in KPI, No. 17 in Kenpom, No. 24 in T-Rank and No. 27 in BPI. San Diego State’s NET strength of schedule is No. 25.
San Diego State owns a 134-33 record (80.2 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That’s the THIRD-BEST record in the nation, trailing Gonzaga’s 148-20 (88.1 percent), and Houston’s 148-26 (85.1 percent), and ahead of Baylor’s 128-35 (78.5 percent) and Kansas’ 134-37 (78.4 percent) records.
San Diego State owns the SIXTH-BEST record in the nation since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, 390-126 (.756), and is 177-100 (.639) road and neutral site contests in that time frame which is the SEVENTH BEST in the nation.
San Diego State and Connecticut are meeting for the third time with the Huskies taking the first two games in the series. The previous meetings came in the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut beat SDSU 74-67 on March 24, 2011 in the Sweet 16 & 76-59 on April 3, 2023 in last year’s national championship game.
San Diego State is 4-3 all-time against the current membership of the Ivy League, and lost its last game against the conference, 82-61, against Brown at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena.
With its win over No. 18 Utah State (March 15), San Diego State improved to 14-9 (.609) under Brian Dutcher against AP Top-25 teams. The Aztecs were 29-98 (.228) against AP Top-25 teams prior to Dutcher taking over as head coach in 2017-18. SDSU’s .609 winning percentage against AP Top-25 teams since the 2017-18 season is the highest in the country (min. 20 games). Rounding out the top 5 are Kansas (.602), Virginia (.591), Duke (.588) and Gonzaga (.587).
Seven of San Diego State’s 10 losses this season have come on the road against Quad 1 opponents, and six of those seven defeats have come by nine points or less. SDSU has lost Quad 1 road or neutral site games, eight in all, by 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 18 points. The other Quad 1 loss came in its last regular-season game, 77-79, vs. Boise State in Viejas Arena. The Aztecs lone other loss was a Quad 2 game at UNLV, 71-74, on the Rebels Senior Night.
San Diego State’s 36 conference tournament wins since the 2008-09 season are the most in the country over that span (Gonzaga is second at 33).
Senior forward Jaedon LeDee is averaging 29.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The All-American is shooting 66.7 percent from the field (20-of-30), 100.0 percent from distance (3-of-3) & 83.3 percent from the line (15-of-18).
Senior Guard Lamont Butler became the 38th Aztec to pass the 1,000-career point plateau with his nine points against Yale on March 24, and enters the regional semifinal game with 1,001 points.
Brian Dutcher is in his seventh season as San Diego State’s head coach and his 25th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his six-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to five conference titles, seven Mountain West championship game appearances, a 177-57 (.756) overall record, the 2023 NCAA national championship game, has been named the national coach of the year, and twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.
• Advancing to the NCAA tournament for a fourth consecutive season and the Sweet 16 for the second straight time under head coach Brian Dutcher, and fourth time in program history, fifth-seeded San Diego State will face 1-seeded Connecticut in a East Regional semifinal game at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on March 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET. • The Aztecs are making their 16th appearance in the Division I event, owning a 13-15 record and have won seven of its last eight games in the event. Head coach Brian Dutcher has been on the Aztec sidelines for 25 of the program’s 28 all-time tournament games and all 13 of the program’s victories. • This is the fifth NCAA appearance for Brian Dutcher, the two-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, in his seven seasons as head coach with a likely appearance in the 2019-20 event (San Diego State was 30-2 and a likely No. 1 or No. 2 seed), which was canceled because of the COVID pandemic. • The Aztecs appearance in the regional semifinal game is its fourth (2011, 2014, 2023 & 2024) and the eight for a Mountain West program since the inception of the league in the 1999-00 season. • This is the SDSU’s 11th tournament appearance in the last 14 seasons that a champion has been crowned. That total does not include the 2019-20 season when SDSU was 30-2 and ranked sixth in the AP poll when the season ended prior to the tournament. • San Diego State is competing in the East Region for the first time in program history. In first and second round games, SDSU has a 4-2 record in the South Region, a 4-5 mark in the West Region, are 0-5 in the Midwest Region and 2-0 in the East Region for an overall record in the first weekend of 10-12. • The Aztecs metrics rank among the best in the nation. Through the games of March 24, the Aztecs were ranked No. 20 in the NET, No. 16 in KPI, No. 17 in Kenpom, No. 24 in T-Rank and No. 27 in BPI. San Diego State’s NET strength of schedule is No. 25. • San Diego State owns a 134-33 record (80.2 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That’s the THIRD-BEST record in the nation, trailing Gonzaga’s 148-20 (88.1 percent), and Houston’s 148-26 (85.1 percent), and ahead of Baylor’s 128-35 (78.5 percent) and Kansas’ 134-37 (78.4 percent) records. • San Diego State owns the SIXTH-BEST record in the nation since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, 390-126 (.756), and is 177-100 (.639) road and neutral site contests in that time frame which is the SEVENTH BEST in the nation. • San Diego State and Connecticut are meeting for the third time with the Huskies taking the first two games in the series. The previous meetings came in the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut beat SDSU 74-67 on March 24, 2011, in the Sweet 16 & 76-59 on April 3, 2023 in last year’s national championship game.
NORTH CAROLINA VS. ALABAMA GAME NOTES
(NORTH CAROLINA NOTES)
UNC is 29-7 and No. 1 seed in the West Region.
• The Tar Heels play fourth-seeded Alabama (23-11) in the second regional semifinal at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 28 on CBS. The UNC-Alabama game is expected to tip at approximately 9:40 p.m. Eastern Time, 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Arizona-Clemson game.
• The Tar Heels defeated Wagner and Michigan State in Charlotte to advance to the Sweet 16. The Tide beat College of Charleston and Grand Canyon in Spokane, Wash.
• Carolina is one of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams to win both of its games in the field of 64 to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Six of the ACC’s wins were by double digits and the league compiled an average winning margin of 18.4 points per game.
• The Tar Heels won their first two games by 28 points over Wagner (90-62) and 16 over Michigan State (85-69).
• Hubert Davis has led the Tar Heels to a 7-1 NCAA Tournament record in his first three seasons as head coach (5-1 and an appearance in the title game in 2022 and 2-0 this season).
• Davis has led UNC to NCAA Tournament wins over three coaches who have won NCAA titles (Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Baylor’s Scott Drew and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo) and two others against coaches who have taken teams to the Final Four (Marquette’s Shaka Smart and UCLA’s Mick Cronin).
TAR HEELS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• This is Carolina’s 53rd NCAA Tournament appearance, second most all-time. The Tar Heels are 133-49 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Carolina has the most wins in NCAA Tournament history (133), most Final Fours (21), second-highest winning percentage (.731), second-most games (182) and third-most NCAA titles (6).
• The Tar Heels won NCAA titles in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017.
• Carolina played in the national championship game six other times (1946, 1968, 1977, 1981, 2016 and 2022).
• This is Carolina’s 18th No. 1 seed, most all-time. UNC is 65-12 as 1 seed.
• Carolina’s No. 1 seeds include 1979, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2024.
• Carolina advanced to the Final Four as a No. 1 seed 10 times (1982, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016 and 2017) and won NCAA titles as a No. 1 seed in 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017.
• The Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four out of the West Region in 1981.
• This is the eighth time UNC is playing in the West Region: 1978, 1981 (2 seed), 1986 (3 seed), 1988 (2 seed), 1999 (3 seed), 2015 (4 seed), 2018 (2 seed), 2024 (1 seed).
• Carolina is 28-9 in regional semifinals.
TAR HEELS IN LOS ANGELES
• The Tar Heels are 16-8 in California, including 5-6 in Los Angeles.
• Carolina is 3-0 in Palo Alto, 3-4 in the L.A. Sports Arena, 2-0 in Santa Clara, 2-1 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, 1-0 in Berkeley, Malibu, Long Beach, San Diego, Santa Barbara, 0-1 in Crypto.com Arena (when it was known as the STAPLES Center) and 0-2 in Oakland. The Tar Heels also defeated Michigan State in 2011 on the USS Carl Vinson, when it was docked in San Diego.
• This is Carolina’s first game in Los Angeles since the 2015 NCAA West Regional. The fourth-seeded Tar Heels lost to the top seed Wisconsin, 79-72, in the STAPLES Center. Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky combined for 42 points for the Badgers, who rallied after UNC led by two at the half and by seven points in the second half. Brice Johnson and Justin Jackson led UNC with 15 points apiece.
• Carolina is 2-3 in Los Angeles in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels beat Ohio State in the 1968 national semifinals and Louisville in the 1972 third-place game, and lost to UCLA in the ’68 title game, Florida State in the ’72 semifinals and Wisconsin in 2015 in the Sweet 16.
• This is Carolina’s first game in California since winning at Stanford on 11/20/2017.
MORE UNC & THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Carolina is the only team to play in the Final Four and a national championship in nine straight decades (the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s).
• Hubert Davis is the fourth Tar Heel head coach to lead a team to a No. 1 seed (Dean Smith eight times, Roy Williams eight times, Bill Guthridge once).
• The Tar Heels are 33-2 in the round of 64 and 25-8 in the round of 32 since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 and then 68 teams beginning in 1985.
CAROLINA AND ALABAMA
• Carolina is 8-5 all-time against the Tide.
• On 11/27/22, Alabama beat Carolina, 103-101, in four overtimes in Portland, Ore., in the Phil Knight Invitational.
• Armando Bacot had 20 points, 10 rebounds, six turnovers, three blocks and two assists in that game but injured an ankle in the third overtime and was unable to play in the fourth extra period.
• Caleb Love (34), Bacot (20), RJ Davis (19), Leaky Black (10) and Puff Johnson (10) scored in double figures for the Tar Heels. Mark Sears made 7 of 11 three-pointers and led Alabama’s six in double figures with 24.
• The Tar Heels led by six with under 8:00 to play and had the ball with an opportunity to win the game on the final possessions at the end of the first, third and fourth overtimes. Alabama took the lead for good on a Charles Bediako layup with 26 seconds to play in the fourth overtime.
• Alabama made nine more three-pointers (16-7), outrebounded Carolina, 58-54, and scored seven more points off turnovers (20-13). The Tar Heels were 18 for 20 from the free throw line, outscored the Tide by 14 in the paint and 24-15 on the break.
• The game featured 14 lead changes and 15 ties.
• Bacot also played against Alabama as a freshman in a 76-67 Carolina victory in the Bahamas on 11/27/2019. He had 12 points and 15 rebounds in his third straight double-double in just his fifth game as a Tar Heel.
• Carolina is 2-1 against Alabama in the NCAA Tournament (see above chart). Alabama beat Carolina in 1976 in the first round in Dayton, the Tar Heels edged the Tide in 1982 in Raleigh en route to winning the NCAA title and won a second round matchup in Cincinnati in 1992.
• Hubert Davis led the Tar Heels with 16 points in the ’92 game. James Robinson scored a game-high 22 points, leading an Alabama squad that also had Robert Horry (14 points) and Latrell Sprewell (5).
• Tar Heel assistant coach Pat Sullivan also played in the ’92 game, adding two points, five rebounds and three assists in 10 minutes.
QUICK NOTES FROM CHARLOTTE
• Carolina advanced to Los Angeles for the West Regional with a 90-62 win over Wagner and an 85-69 win over Michigan State at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
• The Tar Heels won by an average of 22 points, although UNC trailed the Spartans by a dozen midway through the first half.
• Carolina shot 50.8% from the floor, 43.2% from three and 81.0 from the line in the two games and held its opponents to 41.9% from the floor.
• RJ Davis averaged a team-high 21.0 points in the two games, scoring 22 in round one vs. Wagner and 20 vs. the Spartans. Davis shot 53.6% from the floor, including 7 of 14 from three.
• Armando Bacot averaged 19.0 points and 11.0 rebounds, shooting 52.2% from the floor and converting 14 of 17 from the line.
• Cormac Ryan (13.5), Harrison Ingram (13.0) and Jae’Lyn Withers (10.0) also averaged in double figures in the two wins.
• Ingram made 6 of 9 from three, including 5 of 7 vs. Michigan State. The five threes tied his career high.
• Michigan State jumped out to a 26-14 lead and led by 11 with 8:00 to play in the first half. The Tar Heels then went on a 17-0 run to take a six-point lead and took a nine-point advantage to the locker room after Ingram’s third 3FG of the half with eight seconds to play.
• Ryan nailed a three to begin the second half to give UNC its own 12-point lead but the Spartans pulled within two at 48-46 with 15:58 to play. UNC never trailed and the game was never tied in the second half as consecutive buckets by Withers, Elliot Cadeau and Ingram (his fifth three) pushed the margin back to a dozen.
• In round one, Davis scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, Bacot had 20 points and 15 rebounds and Withers, a Charlotte native, scored a season-high 16 points and added 10 rebounds to lead Carolina to its 33rd win in 35 games in the round of 64.
• Bacot tied Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan and Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon with his seventh consecutive double-double in an NCAA Tournament game. It was his sixth NCAA Tournament game in a row with 15 or more rebounds.
2023-24 GENERAL
• Carolina has won 29 games, extending its NCAA-record number of 25-win seasons to 41. It is the 64th season with 20 or more wins. A win over Alabama would give UNC its 14th season with 30 or more wins.
• Carolina was 17-3 in the ACC and won its record 33rd regular-season ACC title (22nd outright). The Tar Heels finished two games ahead of Duke.
• Three of the five teams the Tar Heels played home-and-home in ACC play (Clemson, Duke and NC State) are also playing in the Sweet 16.
• The 17 wins tied Virginia (17-1 in 2017-18) for the most in a season in ACC history and were the most since the league went to a 20-game schedule in 2019-20.
• Carolina won 17 regular-season ACC games for the first time since the league went to an 18-game slate in 2012-13 and 20 games in 2019-20. UNC’s previous high for wins was in 2018-19, when it went 16-2 to tie Virginia for the title.
• UNC is the second team to win 17 ACC regular-season games in one year. Virginia (17-1 in 2017-18) is the only other team to win 17 games since the ACC went to 18- and then 20-game schedules.
• Carolina’s previous best 20-game ACC record was 15-5 in 2021-22, Hubert Davis’ first season as head coach.
• The Tar Heels were No. 4 on the NCAA seed list and No. 5 in the AP and USA Today/Coaches polls entering the NCAA Tournament.
• Five was the highest Carolina entered the NCAA Tournament in the AP poll since 2019, when the Tar Heels were No. 3 in the final AP Poll (which up until this year was the final AP poll).
• The Tar Heels are 9-4 vs. teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament (2-0 vs. Duke, 2-1 vs. NC State, 1-0 vs. Michigan State, Tennessee, Virginia and Wagner, 1-1 vs. Clemson and 0-1 vs. UConn and Kentucky).
• Hubert Davis has 78 wins in three seasons, the second-most wins by a Carolina head coach in his first three seasons (Bill Guthridge won 80 from 1997-2000).
• Davis and Guthridge are the only Tar Heel head coaches to win 20 or more games in each of their first three seasons.
• The Tar Heels are 6-2 against AP-ranked opponents this season with wins over No. 20 Arkansas, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 16 Clemson, No. 7 Duke and No. 9 Duke (rankings when UNC played those teams).
• The Tar Heels lead the ACC in rebounding, offensive rebounds and rebound margin.
• Prior to the Michigan State game, Carolina had outrebounded its opponents in 24 straight games (+245), which included 20 wins.
• Carolina led by double digits 19 times in 23 ACC games (regular season and Tournament). Overall, UNC has led by double figures in 29 of 36 games and is 28-1 in those games (led by 11 in the loss at Georgia Tech on Jan. 30).
• The Tar Heels secured at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship with an 84-51 win over Notre Dame on March 5 and won the title outright with an 84-79 victory at Duke four nights later.
• The title is Carolina’s 33rd regular-season championship in 71 seasons of ACC Basketball. That is the most regular-season titles in ACC history. Duke is second with 20.
• Including seven Southern Conference first-place finishes, this was Carolina’s 40th regular-season conference championship. UNC has the third-most in college basketball history behind Kansas (64) and Kentucky (54).
• Carolina’s 75-68 win at Florida State on Jan. 27 was UNC’s 750th regular-season ACC win, becoming the first program to win 750.
• Carolina went 8-2 this season on the road (all in ACC play).
• The Tar Heels were one of five teams in the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC with eight or more road wins (UNC, UConn, Creighton, South Carolina and Tennessee).
• UNC’s road winning percentage (.800) was the highest among teams in the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC.
• From January 6-22, Carolina won seven straight ACC games by double digits, most since winning 10 straight in 1992-93. UNC had 10 double-digit nine wins in its 17 ACC wins and had a scoring margin of 10.5 in league play, the highest in the conference.
• Carolina has six players who have started 50 or more college games (167 by Armando Bacot, 120 by Cormac Ryan, 117 by RJ Davis, 97 by Harrison Ingram, 67 by Jae’Lyn Withers and 58 by Paxson Wojcik).
• The lineup UNC started vs. Michigan State has started the last 28 games (other than Senior Night vs. Notre Dame, when the three senior walk-ons joined Bacot and Davis in the starting lineup). Elliott Cadeau, Ryan, Davis, Ingram and Bacot have a combined 531 career starts.
• The Tar Heels went 6-1 in November, 3-2 in December, 8-1 in January, 5-2 in February and 7-1 thus far in March.
AP POLL NOTES
• Carolina was No. 5 in week 20 in the Associated Press poll (released on March 18). Note: this is the first time the AP will release its final poll after the NCAA Tournament.
• It was the 956th time the Tar Heels were ranked in the AP poll, the second most in college basketball history.
• It was the 15th time this season and 704th time (third most) in the AP top 10.
• It was the sixth time this season the Tar Heels were ranked in the top five (442nd top-five rankings all-time, second most in college basketball history).
• Carolina has played the No. 1 (UConn), 6 (Tennessee), 12 (Kentucky) and 13 (Duke) teams in current AP poll.
• From November 24-December 20, 2023, UNC played five consecutive non-conference games against ranked opponents for the first time in its history. The Tar Heels played Arkansas (20th), Tennessee (10th), UConn (5th), Kentucky (14th) and Oklahoma (7th).
MILESTONE WATCH
• Armando Bacot broke the ACC record for games played in his final home contest vs. Notre Dame, passing the 161-game mark set by Virginia’s Kihei Clark from 2018-23 (the NCAA record is 178 by Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon).
• The Alabama game will be Bacot’s 169th game and 168th start. Bacot has started more games than any other individual in ACC history has played.
• Bacot has scored 2,328 points, passing Phil Ford for the second most all-time by a Tar Heel. Tyler Hansbrough is first and the ACC record-holder with 2,872.
• With 18 points against Michigan State, Bacot passed NC State’s David Thompson, Virginia’s Jeff Lamp and Duke’s Mike Gminski for ninth in ACC career scoring … Duke’s Kyle Singler (2,392) is eighth.
• Bacot has 1,703 rebounds, most by a Tar Heel, second most in ACC history and eighth in NCAA history … needs 14 to pass UConn’s Art Quimby (1,716) for seventh … Bacot has the most rebounds by any player in college basketball since 1964.
• Bacot is second in ACC history and tied for third all-time with 86 double-doubles … Tim Duncan leads the ACC and is second all-time with 87 … Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried is tied with Bacot for third all-time with 86.
• Bacot has seven double-doubles in NCAA Tournament games (17/10 vs. Marquette in the 2022 first round, 15/16 vs. Baylor in the second round, 14/15 vs. UCLA in the Sweet 16, 20/22 vs. Saint Peter’s in the Elite 8, 11/21 vs. Duke in the national semifinal, 15/15 vs. Kansas in the championship game and 20/15 vs. Wagner in the 2024 first round).
• Bacot needs one double-double to tie Antawn Jamison (8) for the UNC record for most career double-doubles in NCAA Tournament games.
• RJ Davis has scored 768 points this season, the 13th 700-point season in UNC history, the first since Justin Jackson scored 731 in 2016-17 and the fourth most in Carolina history … the 768 points are the most since Tyler Hansbrough scored 882 in 2007-08.
• Davis’ 768 points are the most in a season in Carolina history by a guard.
• Davis has made 274 career three-pointers, the second most by a Tar Heel … assistant coach Marcus Paige is first with 299.
• Davis’ 113 threes are the ninth most in ACC single-season history … Georgia Tech’s Dennis Scott is eighth with 116 in 1988-89.
• Davis has broken the UNC single-season record for three-pointers. Davis has 113 3FGs this season, eight more than Jackson made in 2016-17.
• Davis is averaging 3.14 threes per game, which would eclipse the previous record of 2.71 per game set by Shammond Williams in 1996-97.
NAISMITH FINALIST
• RJ Davis, Purdue’s Zach Edey, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Houston’s Jamal Shead are the finalists for the Naismith Trophy, a National Player of the Year award presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
• All four finalists are competing this week in the Sweet 16.
• Three Tar Heels – Michael Jordan (1984) , Antawn Jamison (1998) and Tyler Hansbrough (2008) – have won the Naismith.
ALL-AMERICA HONORS
• RJ Davis is the 19th Tar Heel to earn consensus first-team All-America honors. Those 19 players have won consensus first-team All-America honors a total of 28 times.
• A consensus selection is one that made a majority of the NCAA’s four recognized All-America teams, and Davis was named by all four this year: Sporting News, Associated Press, NABC (coaches) and USBWA (media).
• Davis joins Lennie Rosenbluth in 1957, Phil Ford in 1978, Michael Jordan in 1983 and 1984, Kenny Smith in 1987, Jerry Stackhouse in 1995, Antawn Jamison in 1998, Joseph Forte in 2001, and Tyler Hansbrough in 2008 and 2009 as the only Tar Heels to make first-team All-America on each of the teams the NCAA recognizes to determine consensus first-team All-America.
• The Associated Press, USBWA, NABC and Sporting News have determined consensus All-Americas each year since 1997.
• The 19 Tar Heels are tied for the fifth most in NCAA history and the 28 total consensus first-team All-America seasons are second-most behind Kansas’ 32.
• Davis is the 40th Tar Heel to earn first-team All-America honors (a total of 64 times).
• He is UNC’s first consensus All-America since Justin Jackson in 2016-17.
• The USBWA named Armando Bacot a third-team All-America. He also earned third-team All-America honors by the AP, USBWA and Sporting News in 2023.
• Bacot is the first Tar Heel to earn at least third-team All-America honors by one of the major teams in consecutive seasons since Tyler Zeller in 2011 and 2012.
(ALABAMA NOTES)
No notes published as of Wednesday
ALABAMA’S LATRELL WRIGHTSELL JR. WILL BE GAMETIME DECISION VS. NORTH CAROLINA IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will be a gametime decision for Alabama’s NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina on Thursday night.
The senior guard continues to be evaluated for a head injury that he suffered during the first half of last Sunday’s 72-61 victory over Grand Canyon. Wrightsell was not on the court during the 15 minutes of practice open to reporters on Wednesday as the Crimson Tide (23-11) prepared for their West Regional semifinal game.
“Latrell is being re-evaluated by the medical staff every day, and he’s basically on a day-to-day basis now. I’m not sure if he’ll be available or not,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said after practice.
Wrightsell got elbowed in the head while trying to defend on a 3-point attempt with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half. He also was hit in the head during Alabama’s first-round win over Charleston and did not practice before the Grand Canyon game.
The 6-foot-2 transfer from Cal State Fullerton also missed four games earlier in the season due to a concussion.
Wrightsell is averaging 9.0 points and has started 11 of the last 12 games. He has scored at least 17 points though in two of the last four games.
“I think we’ll still have a great game plan, if he plays or not. We have a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches that can make adjustments and be able to make it happen,” forward Nick Pringle said.
Alabama, the fourth seed in the West, is trying to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008.
IOWA STATE VS. ILLINOIS GAME NOTES
(IOWA STATE)
Who: No. 4 Iowa State (29-7, 13-5 Big 12) vs. No. 10 Illinois (28-8, 14-6 Big Ten)
Where: TD Garden (19,156) – Boston, Mass.
When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 – roughly 9:09 p.m. CT
Tipping Off: No. 2 seed Iowa State is set to face No. 3 seed Illinois in the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal. This is the seventh time in program history the Cyclones have advanced to the Sweet 16, as the Cyclones are set to tie a program record with their 37th game of the year.
The Cyclones ran their winning streak to five over the weekend, picking up wins over No. 15 seed South Dakota State (82-65) and No. 7 seed Washington State (67-56) to advance to the seventh Sweet 16 in program history.
ISU took the lead for good at the start of the second half last time out against No. 25 Washington State, as it would go on to beat seventh-seeded Wazzu and advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the last three years under Coach Otzelberger.
With last Saturday’s win, the 2023-24 Cyclones claimed the second-most wins in a single season in program history. The school record of 32 was set in 1999-00 when the team made its last Elite Eight appearance.
A top 10 battle in the East Region Semifinals, the Cyclones will face an Illinois program that cruised to a pair of wins in its first two tournament games. The Illini have won both tournament games by an average of 21 points.
Iowa State is 3-1 against Big Ten schools under Coach Otz, and the program has defeated Illinois in the previous two meetings between the two Midwest schools.
Storylines:
With a victory on Thursday, No. 2 seed Iowa State would advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. The game would be played on Saturday at a time to be determined in Boston.
Iowa State cruised to the Big 12 Championship, winning all three games by an average of 20.3 points. Those wins included two over top 15 teams. Keshon Gilbert was named the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player, while Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic were named to the All-Championship Team.
ISU is 1-5 all-time in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Overall, the Cyclones are 23-22 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Otzelberger is the eighth coach at ISU to lead the team to the NCAA Tournament and just the second to do so in each of his first three seasons (joining Tim Floyd).
Coach Otzelberger is the only coach in Iowa State history to take two teams to the Sweet 16.
Keshon Gilbert has been Iowa State’s best player in the back half of the season, as he’s become the team’s leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game.
Gilbert recorded a triple-double against New Hampshire earlier this season, going for 10 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
His triple-double – the eighth in school history – puts him with Lipsey, Haliburton, Monté Morris, Royce White, Jamaal Tinsley, Curtis Stinson and Marc Urquhart as members of the illustrious club.
Gilbert is first in the Big 12 in free throws attempted (197) and third in FT made (144).
He is second on the team in assists (153) and steals (69).
Gilbert has two Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards to his name this season.
He’s recorded a team-best eight 20-plus point outings.
AP Honorable Mention All-American Tamin Lipsey is the heartbeat of the team, as the Ames native averages 12.5 points per game to go along with team-highs in assists (172) and steals (93).
Lipsey leads all Big 12 players in steals and steals per game.
He is fourth and fifth, respectively, in those categories nationally.
Lipsey set the school record for steals against PVAMU, picking the Panthers’ pockets eight times.
The previous record, seven, was held by Fred Hoiberg and Justus Thigpen.
He has recorded a steal in all but two games in his career.
Against DePaul, Lipsey recorded the seventh triple-double in school history, going for 15 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Lipsey became the first Cyclone since Tyrese Haliburton in 2020 to record a triple-double.
Cyclone freshman Milan Momcilovic has been a smooth scorer off the wing for ISU, averaging 11.2 points per contest.
He is one of five Cyclones to score at least 20 in a game this season.
Momcilovic is averaging the most points per game by an ISU true freshman since Lindell Wigginton’s 16.7 in 2017-18.
He is the second highest-scoring true freshman in the Big 12, behind Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter.
Sixth man Curtis Jones has been stellar off the bench for the Cyclones, starting the year as a defensive stopper and eventually coming into his own on offense where he now averages 10.6 points per game.
Jones is the only ISU player since 2012 to record double-figure scoring outputs in 13-straight games off the bench which he did earlier this season.
He’s been in double figures off the bench in 22-of-36 games for the Cyclones this season.
He had seven steals at TCU earlier this season in his lone start, tying him for the second-most steals in a single game in Iowa State history.
It’s the first time ever that two Cyclones recorded games with seven-plus steals in a single season.
Robert Jones leads the team in offensive rebounds (82) and blocks (34).
Tre King leads the team in rebounds, as the senior out of Lexington, Ky., averages 5.3 per game and has a total of 190 boards.
Hason Ward, C. Jones, Jackson Paveletzke, Demarion Watson and Omaha Biliew make up the bench unit for the Cyclones.
Iowa State forces the second-most turnovers per game (17.33) in the country – tops in the Big 12.
The Cyclones average 10.3 steals per game, also tops in the Big 12 and fourth in the country.
As a head coach, Otz is 169-97 overall and has led the Cyclones to a 70-34 record over the last three seasons.
From the Notes:
A trio of Cyclones earned honors from the Big 12. Lipsey was an All-Big 12 First Team selection, while Gilbert was named to the second team. Lipsey was a unanimous selection to the All-Defensive Team, while Gilbert was named to the All-Newcomer Team. Momcilovic was named to the All-Freshman Team.
Lipsey was named an AP Honorable Mention All-American and also earned a spot on the NABC All-District 8 Team.
Lipsey also recently earned CSC Academic All-District Honors.
Iowa State has won 18-straight games at Hilton Coliseum, the fifth longest active home winning streak in the country.
ISU, McNeese and Samford are the only undefeated teams in the country at home with at least 18 wins.
Iowa State has won six Big 12 Tournaments now in the last 11 seasons.
Iowa State ranks second in the nation in turnover percentage at 25.2 percent. ISU has been in the top six in the country in each of Otzelberger’s seasons, ranking sixth in 2022 (24.6%) and second in 2023 (25%).
Iowa State is one of four schools in the country, and the only Power Six school, to force 25 or more turnovers in multiple games against NCAA Division I opponents this season.
Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert each have triple-doubles to their names this season – making ISU the only team in the country with multiple players boasting a triple-double.
There are now eight in school history.
Only five players in the country are averaging at least 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game this season. Two of them reside in the Cyclone backcourt in Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert, with ISU being the only school in the nation with multiple players hitting those marks.
Lipsey had a school-record steal streak of 34-straight games snapped this season. It was the second longest streak in the country. He has a steal in 65 of the 68 games he has played.
The Cyclones are 31-1 under T.J. Otzelberger when four or more players score in double figures.
The six highest-scoring Cyclone outputs under Otzelberger have all come this season, including a pair of 100-point performances. Nine of the 10 highest under Otz have also come this season.
Otzelberger was named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year. There are four semifinalists for the award. Last year Otzelberger made it on to the late season watch list of 15.
The Cyclones have scored 90 or more points six times this season. It is the most times hitting that mark in a season since the 2016-17 team did so eight times.
As of Wednesday, the Cyclones are ranked No. 6 in the NET. The Cyclones slot in at No. 7 in the KenPom rankings and are No. 6 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.
Switching Sides:
Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. has done it all for the Illini, as he leads the team in scoring with 23.3 a contest and he has scored in double figures in all 30 contests he’s played in this season and his last 40 games total as an Illini.
Shannon is on the watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, was named an AP third-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Southern Illinois transfer Marcus Domask recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the team’s first round victory over Morehead State. It was just the 10th triple-double in NCAA Tournament history.
It was the sixth in program history.
The third head of the Illini attack is Coleman Hawkins. He is the only player in Illinois’ program history too record career totals of 900+ points, 500+ rebounds, 200+ assists, 100+ blocks, and 100+ steals.
Like Iowa State, Illinois has found success in its conference tournament, as the Illini have taken two of the last four Big Ten Tournament titles.
Illinois slots in at No. 10 in KenPom, No. 11 in ESPN’s BPI and No. 13 in the NET.
Illinois is 1-8 against top-two seeds in the NCAA Tournament with the lone win coming back in 1989.
Over the last five years, Illinois has the highest winning percentage (.690) of any Big Ten team in conference play.
The Illini are one of just five teams to post five-straight 20-or-more win seasons over the last five years.
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is in his seventh season at the helm of the Fighting Illini basketball program. The Illini are 142-87 during his tenure and he has helped lead them to the school’s first Sweet 16 since 2005.
Underwood is 194-112 in his 11-year career, as he had previous head coaching tenures at both SFA and Oklahoma State.
As a head coach, Underwood is 0-4 against Iowa State, dropping three contests to the Cyclones in his lone year at Oklahoma State before dropping a fourth against ISU at Illinois in Maui.
UTAH BRUSHES ASIDE VCU IN NIT QUARTERFINALS
Gabe Madsen scored 18 points and Branden Carlson added 17 to lead Utah to a 74-54 NIT quarterfinal victory over VCU on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
Deivon Smith tallied 15 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds for the Utes, earning his second straight triple-double and fifth overall this season. Utah (22-14) led wire to wire to advance to the NIT semifinals for the first time since 2018.
The Utes will face Indiana State in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The final is scheduled for April 4.
VCU (24-14) shot just 32.8 percent from the field and went 5-for-26 (19.2 percent) from 3-point range. Sean Bairstow led the Rams with 13 points.
The Utes seized control early, making seven of their first 11 shots to jump out to a 18-2 lead. Carlson and Madsen combined for five baskets — with four coming from 3-point range — to power Utah’s quick start. VCU missed nine of its first 10 shots and scored one basket over the opening seven minutes.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Alphonzo Billups III and Zeb Jackson ignited a 11-1 Rams run that cut Utah’s lead to 19-13. VCU eventually pulled within a basket before the Utes’ offense sprang to life again.
Consecutive 3-pointers from Carlson and Madsen extended Utah’s lead to 29-20. The Utes knocked down seven long-distance baskets on 16 attempts (43.8 percent) before halftime.
Utah’s second half start mirrored what the Utes did in the first half. Four straight baskets from Smith and Madsen produced an 11-0 run that put Utah up 47-28 with 16:13 remaining. The Utes were able to pull away after VCU missed 11 of its first 14 second-half shots.
Utah led by as many as 29 points after halftime, going up 71-42 on a 3-pointer from Hunter Erickson with 6:28 left.
SETON HALL SLAMS UNLV, MOVES INTO NIT SEMIS
Al-Amir Dawes scored 21 points to lead all five starters in double figures and host Seton Hall cruised past UNLV 91-68 in the NIT quarterfinals on Wednesday in South Orange, N.J.
Kadary Richmond racked up 16 points, 10 assists and five steals for the top-seeded Pirates (23-12), who will face Georgia in a semifinal game on Tuesday in Indianapolis. The championship game will be played April 4.
Seton Hall’s Dre Davis had 14 points and seven rebounds Wednesday, Dylan Addae-Wusu scored 12 points and Jaden Bediako had 11 points with four blocks.
The Pirates made 16 of 19 field-goal attempts over a 12:20 stretch spanning the halves. Seton Hall finished shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 44 percent (11 of 25) from 3-point range. The margin of victory was the Pirates’ largest in the tournament after an overtime win against Saint Joseph’s and a 14-point triumph over North Texas.
Kalib Boone scored 16 points and Justin Webster added 11 for UNLV (21-13), which had beaten No. 2 seed Princeton and Boston College to advance this far.
Seton Hall established an early 11-2 lead when Bediako breezed through the lane for a transition dunk, got fouled and sank the ensuing free throw.
Webster’s layup at the 9:35 mark brought UNLV within 19-14 while Seton Hall tried to rest some starters. The Pirates restored a 10-point lead, but Rob Whaley Jr. scored from the low block for the Rebels on back-to-back possessions to make it 24-18.
That’s when Seton Hall started to get separation. Richmond fueled a 9-2 Pirates run by scoring two baskets and assisting two others, the latter on an easy steal to get Dawes an open corner 3-pointer.
Richmond poured in the Pirates’ next seven points, and by the time Addae-Wusu picked off a UNLV pass and dunked at the first-half buzzer, Seton Hall had blown it open to a 44-26 lead.
Dawes ripped off three straight 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the second half to make it a 27-point game, and UNLV could only try to keep up from there.
UNLV pulled within 20 several times and got it within 71-52 on Kalib Boone’s open dunk with less than eight minutes to go. Addae-Wusu splashed a 3-pointer on Seton Hall’s next trip.
The Rebels found their shooting stroke late, with Webster and Keylan Boone making triples. Seton Hall reserves Sadraque NgaNga and Jaquan Sanders each answered with a 3-pointer.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CAITLIN CLARK OFFERED $5M TO PLAY IN BIG3 LEAGUE
Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark has a $5 million offer on the table to join the BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league.
TMZ Sports first reported the offer, which was later confirmed by rapper/actor Ice Cube, a Big3 founder.
“We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship,” Ice Cube posted to X on Wednesday. “But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3.”
The BIG3 recently announced that the seventh season of the league — an all-male circuit to this point — will tip off on June 15 on CBS and Paramount+.
Clark, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history (men and women), is the likely No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever in next month’s 2024 WNBA Draft.
Clark and the top-seeded Hawkeyes (31-4) return to action at the Women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday against No. 5 Colorado in a Sweet 16 contest in Albany, N.Y.
In a series of follow-up posts, Ice Cube said Clark has a chance to be a trailblazer for women in sports and still go to the WNBA.
“The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men’s pro team, and she won the championship in her first year. Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes.
“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet.
“And they should have more than just one professional option in the US at a time when American pro sports leagues are being infiltrated by autocratic, anti-women regimes such as Qatar. Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes.”
Clark, a 6-foot senior guard, is averaging 31.8 points, 8.8 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game this season. Her record total stands at 3,830 career points.
NBA NEWS
KEVIN DURANT, SUNS TURN BACK NUGGETS AGAIN
Kevin Durant had 30 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, Devin Booker had 17 points and nine assists in his first game against Denver his season, and the visiting Phoenix Suns beat the Nuggets 104-97 on Wednesday night.
Grayson Allen scored 13 points and Bradley Beal and Eric Gordon finished with 10 each for Phoenix (43-30).
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Denver (51-22), which lost for just the third time in 18 games. Two of those losses have been to the visiting Suns.
Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points each, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points and Reggie Jackson finished with 11 points for the Nuggets, who were without guard Jamal Murray (right knee inflammation) for the third straight game.
Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic was out with an ankle injury sustained in the Suns’ loss at San Antonio on Monday night.
Phoenix led by seven at halftime and the teams traded extended runs in the third quarter.
The Suns outscored Denver 10-0 to go ahead 71-56 on Booker’s two free throws with 9:14 left in the period. The Nuggets responded with 12 straight points, 10 by Jokic, to make it 71-68, but Phoenix answered with another 10-0 run to push the lead back to double digits.
Denver cut the deficit to 83-73 heading into the fourth.
The Suns opened the final 12 minutes with two quick buckets to lead by 14, but Peyton Watson’s tip got the Nuggets back within eight with just over seven minutes left. Royce O’Neale, Allen and Durant hit 3-pointers to give Phoenix a 98-83 lead.
Denver got within seven in the final minute but couldn’t get closer.
Durant had 14 points and seven rebounds in the first half when the Suns led by as many as 11. The Nuggets cut the deficit to two points on Porter’s 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the second, but Phoenix finished the half strong to take a 59-52 lead into intermission.
SPURS DEFEAT JAZZ, GET RARE CONSECUTIVE WINS
Devin Vassell scored 31 points and Victor Wembanyama contributed 19 points in his return to the lineup as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz 118-111 on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham each added 17 points as the Spurs won their second straight game. This marks only the fifth time all season that San Antonio (17-56) has won consecutive games.
Collin Sexton led Utah with 26 points and nine assists, but the Jazz (29-44) lost their seventh game in a row.
Lauri Markkanen added 25 points and John Collins scored 18 for Utah, which couldn’t recover after a rough start. The Jazz trailed 29-15 after the first quarter and fell behind by as many as 19 points in the second quarter.
The Jazz made one final push after Vassell hit two free throws with 6:26 remaining to give the Spurs a 109-92 lead. Utah went on a 9-0 run to pull within eight points with 4:16 left.
Sexton and Markkanen hit 3-pointers in the final minute to make it a four-point game with 23.9 remaining.
Tre Jones and Vassell sealed the Spurs’ win by hitting free throws in the final 20 seconds.
Utah went seven minutes without scoring in the first quarter while San Antonio reeled off an early 17-2 run. The Jazz were only 6-for-18 from the field in the rough first quarter.
The Jazz used a 10-0 run to tighten the game up in the second quarter, but the Spurs still led 59-48 at halftime.
Wembanyama added eight rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots after missing Monday’s victory over Phoenix with an ankle injury. Cedi Osman contributed nine points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Spurs. Jones had a team-high nine assists.
The Spurs outshot the Jazz 51.2 percent to 47 percent — thanks in part to a 16-for-33 night on 3-pointers — and won the battle of the boards 41-36.
Keyonte George added 14 points and eight assists for Utah.
ROCKETS TOP THUNDER IN OT FOR 10TH STRAIGHT WIN
Jalen Green scored 37 points to lift the Houston Rockets to a 132-126 overtime win over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
The Rockets have won 10 consecutive games, their longest winning streak since the 2017-18 season.
The Thunder have lost two of their last three.
Houston was 7 of 11 from the floor in overtime, scoring 20 points in the extra period.
Dillon Brooks started overtime with back-to-back 3-pointers after Oklahoma City came back to force overtime in the closing seconds of regulation.
Brooks was just 1 of 8 from beyond the arc in regulation.
The Thunder led by five with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth before the Rockets ripped off eight consecutive points to grab the lead.
But a missed free throw by Amen Thompson with eight seconds to go left the door open for Oklahoma City to tie.
The Thunder (50-22) took advantage as Jalen Williams drained a 3-pointer with less than five seconds remaining to tie it.
Green drove to the basket off a timeout but he layup at the buzzer rolled out to send the game to overtime.
Oklahoma City All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with a right quad contusion he suffered March 20 against Utah.
Gilgeous-Alexander played in the three games since but had struggled, averaging less than 20 points per game during that stretch.
Cason Wallace started in Gilgeous-Alexander’s place.
Josh Giddey picked up the offensive slack, tying his career high with 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting.
Williams added 23 points and 10 assists but was just 3 of 10 on 3-pointers.
Houston led by 13 early, jumping out to a 15-2 lead less than five minutes into the game as Oklahoma City started 0 for 6 from the field with four turnovers.
The Thunder didn’t hit a field goal until Gordon Hayward’s 3-pointer nearly six minutes into the game.
But Oklahoma City came back to take the lead with a 33-point second-quarter, thanks to 10 points off the Rockets’ seven turnovers.
Oklahoma City rookie Chet Holmgren fouled out for the first time this season, picking up his sixth foul with nearly nine minutes remaining.
Holmgren finished with just two points on 0-of-2 shooting.
RUI HACHIMURA PUTS UP 32 AS LAKERS TOP GRIZZLIES
Rui Hachimura scored a game-high 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds, helping lead the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to a 136-124 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
LeBron James, back after missing one game due to an ankle injury, logged 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for the Lakers (41-32), who won their fifth straight game. D’Angelo Russell also had 23 points, Taurean Prince scored 15 points, and Jaxson Hayes and Spencer Dinwiddie logged 14 points apiece.
Los Angeles’ Austin Reaves chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Desmond Bane led Memphis (24-49) with 26 points and 16 assists, while Jake LaRavia scored 25 off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 17, and Lamar Stevens and Scotty Pippen Jr. each had 11. GG Jackson scored 10 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost six of seven games.
Building on their eight-point halftime lead, the Lakers opened the second half on a 9-3 run, getting two 3-pointers from Hachimura and one from Russell for a 78-64 advantage.
Pippen’s free throw trimmed the Grizzlies’ deficit to 83-70, but a 15-1 Los Angeles run capped by a layup from James gave the Lakers a 98-71 lead with 4:17 to go in the third quarter.
However, the Grizzlies finished the quarter on a 15-0 run, with LaRavia’s triple cutting the Lakers’ lead to 102-92 heading into the fourth.
The run continued on the first play of the final quarter, as LaRavia hit another 3-pointer to trim the deficit to seven.
The Lakers then pulled away thanks to a 13-3 sequence, finished with a pair of James free throws with 8:53 renaming.
Back-to-back triples from GG Jackson and LaRavia got the lead down to 10 with 6:38 left, but a 7-0 Lakers run produced a 17-point lead with 5:08 remaining.
In the first quarter, Dinwiddie’s triple at the 3:37 mark gave the Lakers a 30-20 advantage before Memphis finished the quarter on a 16-7 run.
Stevens’ three-point play gave the Grizzlies a three-point lead with 9:26 left in the half.
From there, the Lakers went on a 12-2 run, capped with James’ free throw with 5:09 remaining.
Stevens’ jumper trimmed Los Angeles’ lead to 65-59, but four straight Reaves points gave the Lakers a 69-59 advantage with 54 seconds left. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s jumper cut Memphis’ halftime deficit to 69-61.
BULLS KNOCK OFF PACERS, END 3-GAME SKID
DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 27 points and Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond both had double-doubles to help the host Chicago Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers 125-99 on Wednesday to stop a three-game losing streak.
Six Bulls scored in double figures compared to five for Indiana, which has lost two of three.
Held under 100 points for the first time this season, the Pacers are two victories ahead of the idle Miami Heat for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana (41-33) has clinched a playoff spot and is aiming to avoid the play-in tournament by staying in the conference’s top six.
Chicago (35-38) stayed at ninth in the East, 1 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta, which occupies the final play-in spot.
Indiana opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run to trim the Chicago advantage to 14 points. The Bulls answered with their first field goal of the quarter on an Alex Caruso trey at the 9:33 mark and then continued to fight off the Pacers, who used a 12-2 run midway through the third to draw within seven.
The Bulls kept responding and led by as many as 29 late in the game.
Andrew Nembhard sparked Indiana with 18 points, while Pascal Siakam had 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Haliburton scored 13 points, and Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell chipped in 12 apiece.
Vucevic contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago. Drummond had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Coby White (18 points), Ayo Dosunmu (17) and Caruso (12) also scored in double figures.
A 55.6 percent shooting effort from the floor boosted the Bulls to a 64-43 halftime lead.
Javonte Green helped fuel the Bulls’ defensive tenacity in his first appearance with the team this season. Green, who spent parts of the past three seasons with the Bulls, had been playing for the Golden State Warriors’ G-League affiliate before signing a 10-day contract with the Bulls on Friday.
Chicago held the Pacers to 35 percent shooting before the break.
TIMBERWOLVES PULL AWAY FROM PISTONS WITH BIG RUN
Naz Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves used a late third-quarter run to take control in a 106-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
Jaden McDaniels had 20 points and Kyle Anderson supplied 14 points and five assists off the bench for Minnesota.
Rudy Gobert added 11 points with 14 rebounds and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also scored 11 points. All-Star Anthony Edwards was limited to nine points.
The Timberwolves (50-22), who are fighting for the top spot in the Western Conference, have won six of their last seven games. Minnesota reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2003-04 season. It is the fifth time since Minnesota entered the NBA in 1989 that the team has collected 50 wins during the regular season.
Cade Cunningham, who missed the previous two games with a sore knee, led the Pistons with 32 points. Detroit (12-61) has lost eight straight.
Malachi Flynn had 14 points and Jalen Duren, who sat out the previous three games due to back spasms, added 11 points and 11 rebounds. James Wiseman also chipped in 11 points.
Reid scored the last five points of the first half as Minnesota held a 47-45 halftime lead. Reid finished the half with 15 points and McDaniels had 10. Cunningham led the Pistons with 15 points.
A 7-0 spurt by the Pistons midway through the third quarter gave them a 60-55 lead. Minnesota regained the advantage at 66-64 on a McDaniels putback.
Later, the Timberwolves scored the last 12 points of the quarter for a 78-66 lead.
Anderson got the run going with back-to-back buckets, including a three-point play.
He then assisted on an Edwards layup. Alexander-Walker scored the last five points on a short-range jumper and a 3-pointer off a Gobert pass.
Flynn ended that run with a foul-line jumper 49 seconds into the second half. Mike Conley answered with a 3-pointer.
Alexander-Walker made it 87-72 with 8:22 remaining on another 3-pointer. The Pistons never got closer than 11 points the remainder of the game.
KAWHI LEONARD’S LATE HEROICS LIFT CLIPPERS PAST 76ERS
Kawhi Leonard converted a go-ahead three-point play with 15.7 seconds remaining to lift the Los Angeles Clippers past the host Philadelphia 76ers 108-107 on Wednesday.
The Clippers trailed by 15 points in the first half and by nine in the fourth quarter before rallying.
Paul George had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Leonard added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers (45-27), who snapped a two-game losing streak. James Harden, a former Sixer, contributed 16 points and 14 assists.
Los Angeles’ Terance Mann scored 14 points while Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac had 11 apiece. Amir Coffey chipped in with 10.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers (39-34) with 26 points and eight assists, and he also pulled down seven rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Oubre Jr. had a chance to win the game but couldn’t get a shot off as the final buzzer sounded.
Philadelphia’s Buddy Hield scored 17 points, Tobias Harris added 14 and Mo Bamba had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Maxey hit an 18-foot jump shot to open the fourth quarter and Harris made a 3-pointer from the corner as the Sixers grabbed an 84-75 lead.
Harden converted a difficult reverse layup and Leonard scored in the lane to close the Clippers within 91-89 with 6:27 remaining.
Leonard hit a short jump hook and the Clippers trailed 97-94 with 4:19 to go.
The Sixers built a 36-21 lead early in the second quarter. However, the Clippers chipped away and got within 40-31 when Harden dropped in a 3-pointer with 6:46 left in the half.
Oubre converted a three-point play and the Sixers led 45-35. The Sixers held a 50-46 edge at halftime thanks in large part to 11 points each from Maxey and Oubre. Philadelphia struggled from long distance prior to intermission, going 4-for-17.
Harden paced the Clippers with 11 before the break.
The Clippers came out aggressive in the third and took a 56-55 advantage when George hit a 3-pointer in the first two minutes.
Philadelphia responded with a quick run to go back ahead 61-56.
Leonard threw down a dunk with 3:27 left in the third and the Clippers led 67-66.
Maxey drove to the basket and scored, then followed with a 3-pointer to hand Philadelphia a 71-67 advantage.
Hield scored the Sixers’ final eight points for a 79-75 lead at the end of the third.
HAWKS PUT AWAY TRAIL BLAZERS FOR 3RD STRAIGHT WIN
Dejounte Murray scored 30 points and Garrison Mathews netted a season-high 21 to help the Atlanta Hawks get their third straight win,120-106 over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Murray has scored 28-plus points in three of his last four games. He was 13-for-20 from the field, including 4-for-8 on 3-pointers, with seven assists. It was his 11th game with 30-plus points and the 22nd time he has led the team in scoring.
Mathews made a season-high five 3-point baskets before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
The win earned the Hawks a split of the two-game season series. Atlanta has won the last five games against the Blazers in Atlanta. The Hawks, No. 10 in the Eastern Conference, remain 5 1/2 games ahead of Brooklyn for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Atlanta (33-39) also got 13 points and 10 rebounds from Clint Capela, who posted his 33rd double-double. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 points, including two 3-pointers, giving him 1,000 for his career.
Portland (19-54) lost for the eighth straight time. The Blazers were led by rookie Dalano Banton with a career-high 31 points to go with eight rebounds. Toumani Camara scored 17 points, 14 of those in the first half. Scoot Henderson scored 15 points and Duop Reath 13.
With the game tied at 51-51 at the 4:15 mark of the second quarter, the Hawks went on a 14-7 run and took a 65-58 lead at halftime.
Atlanta outscored Portland 11-2 to open the third quarter and take a 16-point lead. The Blazers never got closer than nine points the rest of the way, and the Hawks took a 100-86 lead into the final quarter.
Atlanta completes a home back-to-back on Thursday against the Boston Celtics. The Blazers continue their seven-game road trip on Friday at Miami.
KNICKS POWER TO 44-POINT VICTORY OVER RAPTORS
Miles McBride scored 29 points, Jalen Brunson added 26 points and the visiting New York Knicks demolished the Toronto Raptors 145-101 on Wednesday.
The Knicks (44-28) won for the seventh time in eight games while sending the Raptors (23-50) to their 12th consecutive loss.
McBride made six 3-pointers in the first quarter to match his career best for a game. He finished 9 of 14 from 3-point range.
Former Raptor Precious Achiuwa had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who swept the four-game season series with Toronto. Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 18 points, Donte DiVincenzo scored 16 points, Isaiah Hartenstein had 15 points, and Josh Hart finished with seven points and 10 assists.
Gradey Dick topped the Raptors with 23 points. Gary Trent Jr. put up 18 points, Garrett Temple had 15, Javon Freeman-Liberty scored 14 and Kelly Olynyk wound up with 13.
Toronto’s Ochai Agbaji (right hip contusion) was helped off the court after falling hard to the floor on a first-quarter play at the basket. He did not return.
New York’s Mitchell Robinson returned for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury on Dec. 8, an ailment that kept him out for 50 games. He had eight points, two rebounds and two blocks in 12 minutes off the bench.
The Knicks took a 31-point lead into the fourth quarter and soon led by 36. They went on a 15-0 run to go up by 44 with 5:46 to play.
The Knicks led 45-33 after one quarter.
Brunson’s 3-pointer put New York ahead 60-39 with 8:10 left in the second quarter. Dick’s 19-foot pullup jumper cut the lead to 15 with 2:10 remaining in the first half. McBride ended the half with a jump shot and New York led 80-59. It was the Knicks’ highest-scoring half of the season.
OG Anunoby (elbow) did not play for New York. Anunoby, traded by the Raptors to the Knicks in late December, received a video tribute and a standing ovation during the first quarter.
RJ Barrett (personal) and Immanuel Quickley (personal) were among the missing for the Raptors.
CAM THOMAS LEADS NETS PAST WIZARDS IN OT
Cam Thomas scored 38 points and hit two clutch baskets in overtime as the Brooklyn Nets hung on for a 122-119 victory over the host Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
After missing Monday’s eight-point win over the Toronto Raptors due to back spasms and being questionable for Wednesday’s game, Thomas made 14 of 27 shots, including his first two in the extra period.
With 3:29 left, Thomas converted a step back 21-footer after Kyle Kuzma lost him for a 116-112 lead. Following a Washington shot clock violation, Thomas sank a 16-footer by the foul line over Marvin Bagley III with 2:44 left.
After those hoops, Brooklyn (28-45) sweated out the finish. Kuzma’s hoop made it 120-118 with 1:14 left and Corey Kispert split a pair at the line with 13.5 seconds left. Dennis Schroder hit two free throws with nine seconds left, Jordan Poole missed an open 3 with 7.2 seconds left.
Following two missed free throws by Dorian Finney-Smith with 4.3 seconds left, the Wizards had a chance at the tying 3 but Deni Avdija lost the ball well before crossing midcourt and the game ended.
Schroder added 21 points and eight assists and Mikal Bridges contributed 19 for the Nets, who shot 48 percent and improved to 1-4 in overtime this season. Nic Claxton chipped in 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks — two in overtime and another on Avdija with 11.5 seconds left in regulation.
Poole led the Wizards with 38 points but Washington (14-59) saw a three-game winning streak stopped. Kuzma added 24, Bagley contributed 18 and Avdija finished with 17 points and 12 boards as the Wizards shot 50.5 percent.
Thomas scored 24 in the first half, which saw the Nets briefly take a 10-point lead before carrying a 61-54 edge into intermission and then a 92-91 lead into the fourth. Thomas sank a 17-footer to give Brooklyn a 104-99 lead with 6:28 left before Poole scored 10 straight Washington points and Kuzma’s triple forged a 112-112 deadlock with 1:12 seconds in regulation. Schroder missed a would-be game-winning 3 with 1.5 ticks left.
WARRIORS COMPLETE BACK-TO-BACK SWEEP, HOLD OFF MAGIC
Gary Payton II stalled an Orlando run with an interior hoop, Stephen Curry saved his only two fourth-quarter baskets for the final 1:09 and the Golden State Warriors overcame the early ejection of Draymond Green to hold off the host Magic 101-93 on Wednesday night.
Andrew Wiggins had 13 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors (38-34) followed up a win at Miami with a second Florida victory in two nights.
Cole Anthony had a game-high 26 points along with eight rebounds off the bench for the Magic (42-30), including a 15-footer that capped a 7-0 Orlando run that got the hosts within 94-93 with 2:41 remaining.
Wiggins then missed a 3-pointer, but the Magic turned the ball over on a 24-second violation. The Warriors capitalized on a second chance to extend the lead, as Trayce Jackson-Davis found Payton in the key for a short-range shot that made it a three-point game with 1:41 to go.
Curry and the Golden State defense did the rest.
The Golden State star banked in a driving basket at the 1:09 mark, then buried a 3-pointer with 33.8 seconds left, giving the visitors a 101-93 lead.
Meanwhile, the Magic didn’t score after Anthony’s hoop, missing three shots — one that was blocked by Wiggins.
Green was ejected just 3:36 into the game for disputing a foul call on Curry, drawing two rapid-fire technical fouls. Green had earlier voiced his displeasure over a foul called on him.
The ejection was his league-leading fourth of the season.
After Orlando’s Paolo Banchero split the two technical free throws, the Warriors responded with a flurry, scoring 17 of the game’s next 18 points to go up 23-9.
Down by as many as 17, the Magic got within 45-37 by halftime, 72-66 at third quarter’s end and then 94-93 before Golden State’s 7-0 finish.
Curry finished with 17 points and 10 assists as the Warriors, who won for the 20th time on the road this season. Jackson-Davis pulled a game-high 14 rebounds to go with eight points, while Klay Thompson chipped in with 15 points, Moses Moody 12 and Payton 10.
Banchero, held to 5-for-17 shooting, had 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Magic, who lost their second straight. Franz Wagner added 14 points.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB OWNERS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE SALE OF BALTIMORE ORIOLES TO A GROUP HEADED BY DAVID RUBENSTEIN
David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles was approved Wednesday by Major League Baseball owners, clearing the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team.
Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Rubenstein and his investor group were expected to close the purchase later Wednesday.
“To own the Orioles is a great civic duty,” Rubenstein, a Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder, said in a statement. “On behalf of my fellow owners, I want the Baltimore community and Orioles fans everywhere to know that we will work our hardest to deliver for you with professionalism, integrity, excellence, and a fierce desire to win games.”
The Orioles scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning with Rubenstein and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
Angelos and his family took control of the Orioles in 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos’ health took a turn for the worse in recent years — he died Saturday at age 94 — and his son John has been the team’s chairman, CEO and control person since 2019.
“I thank John Angelos and his family for all they have done to bring us to this point,” Rubenstein said. “John led a dramatic overhaul of the team’s management, roster, recruitment strategy, and farm system in recent years. Our job is to build on these accomplishments to advance a world-class professional sports agenda — with eyes on returning a World Series trophy to Baltimore.”
Rubenstein’s group, which includes Cal Ripken Jr. and Grant Hill, reached an agreement in January to buy the Orioles for an evaluation worth $1.725 billion.
Rubenstein, a Baltimore native, formed Carlyle in 1987. Before that, he practiced law in Washington. From 1977-81, he was a deputy assistant for domestic policy to President Jimmy Carter.
The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season and their first AL East title since 2014. Hopes are high after the team acquired ace right-hander Corbin Burnes in a trade with Milwaukee. Young stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have performed like franchise cornerstones, and Baltimore has another top prospect still in the minors in Jackson Holliday.
With all of that cost-controlled talent, the team’s payroll remains meager, and the question is whether Rubenstein will be a more aggressive spender as the Orioles try to make the most of their opportunity to win a World Series for the first time since 1983.
Before the sale, the big off-season story for the Orioles was securing a long-term lease to stay at Camden Yards. That happened in December with a deal extending the lease for 30 years, with an option to end it after 15 if the team does not receive approval from state officials for development plans next to the stadium.
“Capping our organizational turnaround with a championship in perhaps the toughest division in sports, while fulfilling my pledge that the O’s would forever play ball in Charm City, dovetails perfectly with the privilege to now pass stewardship of Baltimore’s iconic team to a Baltimore native, passionate American, and celebrated philanthropist in David Rubenstein,” John Angelos said Wednesday. “The Orioles are in great hands, and the club, as well as the city and state that it calls home, are well positioned for success into the future.”
MLB 2024 PREVIEW: DODGERS PEGGED TO WIN 46 MORE GAMES THAN A’S
As the 2024 major league season gets underway in earnest on Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers are already one game toward their projected total of 103.5 wins for the regular season.
That’s courtesy of a split of their two-game, season-opening Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers lead the 30 major league teams with an over/under win total of 103.5 games at both BetMGM and DraftKings. By contrast, the Oakland A’s open the season at 57.5 at both books.
That represents a 46-game differential — or 28 percent of an entire 162-game schedule.
While the Dodgers spent the offseason adding stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to an already loaded roster, the A’s have spent the past several months mired in limbo about where the franchise will even be playing this time next year.
Extravagant spending doesn’t guarantee regular-season success — just ask the New York Mets. And the Dodgers know all too well that even regular-season dominance doesn’t automatically translate to postseason success.
They have plenty of competition, namely in the form of National League rival Atlanta. The Braves are second with a projected win total of 101.5 games. They are followed by a trio of American League teams: Houston (92.5 at BetMGM), the New York Yankees (91.5) and Baltimore (90.5).
Ironically, the Yankees opened at 93.5 projected wins and are tied for the biggest decline since the lines became available at BetMGM.
The Orioles’ win total has increased the most since the market opened at 87.5 games. When it comes to the over, it has been the second-most bet total among all 30 teams behind only the Detroit Tigers, who have seen their projected win total increase from 79.5 to 81.5.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Miami Marlins have received the most under action on their 77.5-win projection. Second is the Boston Red Sox, also at 77.5 wins, followed by the Braves.
TEAM (OVER/UNDER WINS)*
Los Angeles Dodgers (103.5)
Atlanta Braves (101.5)
Houston Astros (92.5)
New York Yankees (91.5)
Baltimore Orioles (90.5)
Philadelphia Phillies (89.5)
Texas Rangers (88.5)
Minnesota Twins (86.5)
Seattle Mariners (86.5)
Tampa Bay Rays (85.5)
Toronto Blue Jays (85.5)
Arizona Diamondbacks (84.5)
Chicago Cubs (84.5)
St. Louis Cardinals (84.5)
San Diego Padres (83.5)
San Francisco Giants (83.5)
Cincinnati Reds (82.5)
Detroit Tigers (81.5)
New York Mets (81.5)
Cleveland Guardians (79.5)
Boston Red Sox (77.5)
Miami Marlins (77.5)
Milwaukee Brewers (76.5)
Pittsburgh Pirates (75.5)
Kansas City Royals (73.5)
Los Angeles Angels (72.5)
Washington Nationals (66.5)
Chicago White Sox (60.5)
Colorado Rockies (60.5)
Oakland Athletics (57.5)
*BetMGM
PHILLIES-BRAVES AND BREWERS-METS OPENERS POSTPONED A DAY TO FRIDAY DUE TO RAINY FORECASTS
NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball openers in New York and Philadelphia were postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both cities.
Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, a day featuring the first full slate of major league games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres started the season with a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea, last week.
But with wet weather expected much of Thursday in Queens, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was pushed back to Friday at 1:40 p.m.
Minutes later, the Philadelphia Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival Atlanta Braves was moved from Thursday at 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the same time due to anticipated rain.
“I’d rather play when it’s safe for the guys, obviously,” new Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “Our pitching is a moving target a little bit, you know what I mean? So it’s nicer to have those off days in between, to be honest. But you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
New York and Milwaukee both worked out Wednesday under a cloudy sky at Citi Field.
BANGED-UP YANKEES TO GET INFIELDER JON BERTI FROM MARLINS IN 3-TEAM TRADE SENDING RORTVEDT TO RAYS
HOUSTON (AP) — Jon Berti could be at third base for the banged-up Yankees in their opener against Houston on Thursday after New York agreed to acquire the infielder as part of a three-team trade with Miami and Tampa Bay.
New York agreed to send catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Tampa Bay Rays and minor league outfielder Juan Cruz to the Marlins, while outfielder Shane Sasaki would move from the Rays to Miami.
The 34-year-old Berti could fill in at third base while DJ LeMahieu is on the injured list because of a bone bruise in his right foot. The former batting champion has been sidelined since fouling a ball off his foot on March 16 and is to undergo more testing Friday. In addition, the Yankees said on March 9 that infielder Oswald Peraza wouldn’t throw for six to eight weeks because of a strained right shoulder.
“Obviously with DJ being down, he very much figures in at the third base mix,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said during a Zoom news conference on Wednesday. “Hopefully once we’re whole, serves as a guy that can play all over the infield, even play some outfield — quality hitter bat to ball, can steal a base.”
Boone said he wanted to wait until Berti arrived in Houston to determine whether he starts against the Astros and said Gleyber Torres likely will lead off. Oswaldo Cabrera is his other third base option.
The Yankees are coming off an 82-80 season, their poorest since 1992. The Yankees’ .227 batting average was 29th among the 30 teams.
“I’m hoping that the offense is more in line with what we expect it to be,” Boone said. “Tomorrow we get to go find out how good we think we are.”
Boone is entering the final season of his contract.
“All my energy and all my focus is trying to help us play my part in helping us be the best possible team we can be, and our goal is to be a world champion,” Boone said. “So I don’t know if I look at it as this has to happen for me to save this job.”
Berti hit .294 with seven homers, 33 RBIs and 16 stolen bases last year, down from a major league-high 41 steals in 2022. He batted .229 with one homer and six RBIs in spring training, striking out 12 times in 35 at-bats. Berti has a $3,625,000 salary and is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Rortvedt, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, was out of options and behind Jose Trevino and rookie Austin Wells in the Yankees’ catching plans. Trevino will start Thursday.
Acquired from Minnesota in a March 2022 trade along with third baseman Josh Donaldson, Rortvedt missed much of 2022 because a strained right oblique muscle and was limited to 48 minor league games that season. He had surgery during spring training last year to repair an aneurysm of the posterior artery near his left shoulder, delaying his minor league season debut until April 21. Rortvedt joined the Yankees on May 20 and hit .118 with two homers and four RBIs in 32 games.
Rortvedt could split time with right-handed-hitting René Pinto.
“In theory it kind of complements our catching situation and really our overall lineup, being a lefty hitter. We got a couple of lefties down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s coming from a really good organization. He’ll transition over here really well. … We don’t mess with too many guys that we don’t think are good defensively. And we do think highly of him defensively.”
Cash said infielder/outfielder Austin Shelton will be on the opening-day roster, putting the 26-year-old in position to make his big league debut.
Cruz, 18, signed with New York in 2022 for a $75,000 bonus. He hit .294 with 10 homers, 47 RBIs, nine steals and a .907 OPS last year for the Florida Complex League Yankees.
Sasaki, 23, was taken by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft with the 99th pick. A native of Hawaii, Sasaki hit .299 with seven homers, 39 RBIs and 16 stolen bases last year for Class A Bowling Green and the Florida Complex League Rays.
Juan Soto heads into his Yankees debut after going 5 for his last 28 (.179) in spring training with no RBIs.
Infielder Jorbit Vivas was to be examined by an ophthalmologist in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday and additional specialists on Friday after sustaining a left orbital fracture before Monday’s exhibition game against the New York Mets.
Outfielder Oscar González has been discharged from a Mexico City hospital after sustaining a right orbital fracture in Monday’s exhibition at Diablos Rojos. González also is to see an ophthalmologist Thursday and could return to Tampa this weekend, Boone said.
WILL SMITH, DODGERS REACH $140 MILLION, 10-YEAR DEAL. LA HAS SPENT $1.4 BILLION ON 5 KEY PLAYERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $140 million, 10-year contract Wednesday, raising the team’s spending to nearly $1.4 billion for five key players since December.
Smith’s deal supersedes an $8.85 million, one-year agreement reached in January.
He opened the last week by going 5 for 10 with two RBIs as the Dodgers split a two-game series against San Diego at Seoul, South Korea. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .261 with 19 homers and 76 RBIs.
Smith has a .263 average with 91 homers and 308 RBIs in six seasons with the Dodgers. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Los Angeles has committed $1,365,687,500 to two-way star Shohei Ohtani ($700 million for 10 years), right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million for 12 years) and Tyler Glasnow ($136,562,500 for five years), outfielder Teoscar Hernández ($23.5 million for one year) and Smith.
OPENING DAY 2024: WHAT TO WATCH FOR AS 28 OF 30 MLB TEAMS START THEIR SEASON
Here’s what to watch for on MLB’s opening day:
THE SHO GOES ON
Ohtani already made his Dodgers debut last week in South Korea, but all eyes will still be on the two-way sensation as LA hosts the Cardinals. The $700 million star is trying to play on after the firing of his longtime interpreter and friend Ippei Mizuhara, who Ohtani said Monday stole money from him to pay off gambling debts. Mizuhara was fired while the Dodgers were in Seoul last week for a two-game, regular-season opener against San Diego.
Ohtani, who won’t pitch this season while recovering from a second Tommy John surgery, was 3 for 10 with two RBIs as Los Angeles split the Seoul Series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts posited Tuesday that Mizuhara’s absence could be good for Ohtani, saying Mizuhara had been a “buffer” between the Japanese star and his new teammates.
BIG EAST BALL
Zack Wheeler and Spencer Strider square off in a juicy NL East opener between the Phillies and Braves in Philadelphia.
Wheeler is pitching with a new contract after agreeing to a $126 million, three-year deal for 2025-27 this spring. The 33-year-old could’ve become a free agent after this season, but instead he recommitted to Philadelphia, where he’s been among the game’s best since joining the club as a free agent for the 2020 season.
Strider, meanwhile, has a new pitch. The 25-year-old right-hander has been working on a curveball this spring to deepen his repertoire. A scary thought for batters — without that curve, Strider struck out a major league-high 281 in 186 2/3 innings last season, finishing fourth in NL Cy Young Award balloting.
Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Braves finished 14 games ahead of Philadelphia each of the past two years. But the Phillies ended Atlanta’s postseason in Game 4 of a Division Series at Citizens Bank Park both times.
NEW IN TOWN
Several stars are set to debut with new teams. Juan Soto, still just 25, was dealt from the Padres to the Yankees over the winter and will slot into the lineup along with Aaron Judge when New York faces Houston. Late in the game, the Astros might counter Soto with Josh Hader, a five-time All-Star closer who signed with Houston in January.
Corbin Burnes is on the mound for Baltimore against the Angels after a Feb. 1 trade from Milwaukee. Matt Chapman should be at third base for the Giants against San Diego, and Rhys Hoskins suits up for the Brewers against the Mets.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Two of baseball’s top hitting prospects — the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio and the Rangers’ Wyatt Langford — are set to make their big league debuts. Chourio, 20, signed an $82 million, eight-year deal this offseason, the most money guaranteed to a player with no major league experience. Langford, meanwhile, will reach the majors less than a year after Texas selected him fourth overall in the 2023 amateur draft from the University of Florida.
Neither Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday nor Nationals outfielder James Wood cracked their opening day rosters despite impressive spring trainings.
OPEN AND CLOSE
Several teams are expected to open the season without their injured closers, including the Arizona Diamondbacks (Paul Sewald), the Baltimore Orioles (Félix Bautista), the Milwaukee Brewers (Devin Williams), the Minnesota Twins (Jhoan Durán) and the Toronto Blue Jays (Jordan Romano).
Defending AL East champion Baltimore signed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel, eighth on the career list with 417 saves, to fill in for Bautista, who is expected to miss the entire season following Tommy John surgery and an additional elbow procedure.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets get back All-Star closer Edwin Díaz after he missed last season following knee surgery. Sound the trumpets at Citi Field.
THE REPLACEMENTS
The first pitch of the day is scheduled to be thrown at Citi Field, though rain is forecast in Queens for Milwaukee’s game against the New York Mets.
Pat Murphy takes over as manager of the defending NL Central champion Brewers after Craig Counsell bolted for the rival Chicago Cubs during the offseason.
New York turns to first-timer Carlos Mendoza — the former Yankees bench coach was hired to replace Buck Showalter by new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who used to run the Brewers after growing up a Mets fan in New York City.
After trading Burnes, a three-time All-Star and the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, Milwaukee gives Freddy Peralta his first career opening-day start.
Jose Quintana goes for the Mets, minus 2023 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Kodai Senga because of a shoulder injury.
WHEN IT COMES TO TOP PROSPECTS, BASEBALL IS IN AN ERA OF AGGRESSION; LANGFORD, OTHERS SET FOR DEBUTS
When the Texas Rangers begin defending their World Series title, the most fascinating person on their roster might be someone who had no part in last year’s title run.
Wyatt Langford, a first-round draft pick in 2023 who has played only 44 games in the minors, is set to be part of the big league club on opening day Thursday. In Langford and fellow outfielder Evan Carter, the Rangers have two of the game’s top six prospects according to MLB Pipeline — and both are already in the majors.
“I think it is a young players’ league right now,” said Chris Young, the former big league pitcher who is now Texas’ general manager. “I think that over the last few years, I think with player development and really the development that’s taking place on the amateur side, players are coming in more prepared for professional baseball. And certainly you’re seeing that with the way they’ve been able to step into the big leagues and have early success.”
The Rangers’ willingness to turn their top prospects loose — Carter came up last September and was an important postseason contributor — reflects an aggressiveness with young players that seems more common than it was nearly a decade ago, when the Chicago Cubs famously kept Kris Bryant in the minors long enough in his debut season of 2015 that his eventual free agency was delayed by a year. Bryant lost a grievance accusing the team of service time manipulation, but the most recent collective bargaining agreement in 2022 included provisions aimed at discouraging that practice.
Baseball executives have rarely acknowledged that service time impacts their decisions, so it’s unlikely they’ll rush to credit the new rules for altering call-up decisions. But Langford is in the majors, and so is Jackson Merrill, a 20-year-old outfielder who made his debut when San Diego began its season in South Korea last week. Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio and Detroit infielder Colt Keith are also set to be on opening day big league rosters. That’s less of a surprise because both signed lucrative contracts this offseason — $82 million for eight years for Chourio and over $28 million for six years for Keith — despite having no major league experience.
When Baltimore announced that infielder Jackson Holliday would start the season in the minors, it was newsworthy in part because that slower approach with a top prospect hasn’t been as prevalent lately.
“He’s going to be an incredible player,” said infielder Kolten Wong, who was in camp with the Orioles. “Sometimes, the business aspect, you know how the game gets run.”
Baltimore general manager Mike Elias cited Holliday’s adjustment to second base and his lack of reps against left-handed pitching when explaining the decision. Down the road in Washington, the Nationals will start the season without outfield prospect James Wood, who was sent to the minors despite an impressive spring at the plate. Wood hasn’t played above Double-A.
“I love watching them play, but sometimes I have to put the blinders on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of his team’s top prospects. “We just want to get them going, get them off to a quick start and then we’ll see where we’re at in a month, two months, three months, however long it takes.”
Not long ago, it felt like almost a foregone conclusion that top prospects, if they hadn’t already reached the majors, would be called up in mid-to-late April instead of for opening day. After the Cubs brought up Bryant on April 17, 2015, they called up Addison Russell four days later. The same day as Russell’s debut, Carlos Rodón pitched for the first time for the crosstown White Sox.
The following season, Blake Snell made his debut for the Tampa Bay Rays on April 23, and fellow pitcher José Berrios made his on April 27 with Minnesota. In 2017, Cody Bellinger was called up by the Dodgers on April 25. In 2018, it was Ronald Acuña Jr., (April 25), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (April 26) and Gleyber Torres (April 22) who had to wait a bit before getting a shot.
By then, service time was a sensitive topic — but not sensitive enough for Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather, whose 2021 comments to a Rotary Club in Washington included his belief that top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert likely would not start the season with the team as a way to keep them under club control longer. After that and other problematic comments became public, Mather resigned.
The following year, the new collective bargaining agreement included a provision allowing top prospects to receive a full year of service time — regardless of when they were actually called up — if they finish in the top two in the Rookie of the Year vote. The CBA also gives teams a chance to earn an additional draft pick if one of its prospects is promoted early enough to earn a full year of service time — and then goes on to place high enough in the voting for various awards.
When Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll won Rookie of the Year honors last season — beating out a historically strong group of rookie hitters — the Orioles and Diamondbacks each earned an extra pick.
It didn’t seem like a total coincidence that in 2022, under that new CBA, Kansas City put infielder Bobby Witt Jr. on its opening day roster. Seattle did the same with Julio Rodríguez. So did Detroit with Spencer Torkelson. Last year, Anthony Volpe of the Yankees and Jordan Walker of the Cardinals began the season in the majors.
Now Holliday has to wait, but Chourio, Langford, Merrill and Keith are in the majors at the start.
“I think it’s probably case by case — where certain teams are, what their future looks like,” said veteran outfielder Christian Yelich of the Brewers. “I think it’s a good thing that a lot more young guys are getting the opportunity to play earlier, and not have to wait until whenever the deadline is or when they get an extra year of service time. It’s definitely a positive.”
NFL NEWS
PANTHERS SIGN CLOWNEY TO REPORTED 2-YEAR DEAL
The Carolina Panthers announced Wednesday they signed veteran pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
Terms were not announced, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal is for two years and $20 million. It reportedly also includes $4 million in incentives.
Clowney – a South Carolina native – tied a career high with 9.5 sacks last season and was a key member of the Baltimore Ravens’ top-ranked defense. Baltimore was interested in bringing him back in 2024. The 31-year-old also recently visited the New York Jets, who have been looking to add to their pass-rushing rotation after losing Bryce Huff to free agency.
“He spoke with Ravens. He also liked his visit with (the) Jets. Both places were fits, but the Panthers pursued the hardest. This is a special day for us,” Clowney’s wife, Najah, told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
By signing Clowney, the Panthers addressed a major need this year. Carolina, which recently traded star pass-rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants, also tried to sign defensive end Chase Young before he joined the New Orleans Saints.
None of the Panthers’ three sack leaders in 2023 – Burns, Frankie Luvu, and Yetur Gross-Matos – will be back with the team in 2024. In addition to Clowney, Carolina has also signed edge rushers K’Lavon Chaisson and D.J. Wonnum.
The Panthers will be the sixth team of Clowney’s career. The former first overall pick has also had stints with the Houston Texans (2014-18), Seattle Seahawks (2019), Tennessee Titans (2020), and Cleveland Browns (2021-22).
Clowney, who’s a three-time Pro Bowler, has amassed 52.5 sacks in 126 appearances since entering the NFL. The South Carolina product has battled several injuries throughout his career but did manage to play all 17 games for Baltimore in 2023.
An established defender against the run, Clowney has never topped double-digit sacks in a single season. However, he’s now posted at least nine sacks in two of the last three campaigns.
REPORTS: WR JOSH REYNOLDS GETS 2-YEAR DEAL WITH BRONCOS
Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds is signing a two-year contract worth up to $14 million with the Denver Broncos, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday.
Reynolds joins a Broncos team that traded wideout Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns on March 9 in exchange for fifth- and sixth-round picks (135th and 202nd overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Denver wide receiver room includes Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Tim Patrick, Brandon Johnson, Phillip Dorsett and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Reynolds, 29, had 40 catches for 608 yards to go along with a career high-tying five touchdown receptions in 17 games (13 starts) with the Lions last season.
He has 220 catches for 2,933 yards and 19 touchdowns in 107 career games (53 starts) with the Los Angeles Rams (2017-20), Tennessee Titans (2021) and Lions (2021-23).
REPORT: TEXANS TO SIGN LB NEVILLE HEWITT
Free-agent linebacker Neville Hewitt is signing a one-year contract to rejoin the Houston Texans, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Hewitt, who led the NFL in special teams tackles (14) last season with the Texans.
Hewitt, who turns 31 on April 6, totaled 440 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 129 career games (44 starts) with the Miami Dolphins (2015-17), New York Jets (2018-20) and Texans.
He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
NHL NEWS
PINTO’S 4-POINT NIGHT LEADS SENATORS PAST SABRES
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists, and the Ottawa Senators enjoyed a five-goal first-period surge in cruising to a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.
Artem Zub opened the scoring 2:37 in an outing the Senators led 4-0 by the 8:49 mark of the opening period, and Pinto closed the scoring with an empty-net goal. Brady Tkachuk, Boris Katchouk, Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson each had a goal and assist in a matchup of two Atlantic Division teams all but mathematically out of playoff contention.
Joonas Korpisalo had 34 saves to improve to 5-1 in his past six starts.
“I thought we came out strong,” Pinto said, breaking into an uncontrollable laugh. “When you start like that, it’s just awesome. I think it was fun out there. We had a fun first period.”
It’s not often the Senators could discuss having fun in a season they’ve played well below expectations, and face the likelihood of missing the playoffs for a seventh straight year.
The outcome was another setback for the Sabres, who continue tumbling out of playoff contention and are in jeopardy of extending their NHL-record postseason drought to a 13th year.
“I was pretty shocked. I thought our season’s on the line,” defenseman Connor Clifton said. “They came in and they gave it to us and we had no answer.”
Clifton and JJ Peterka scored second-period goals for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was yanked after allowing four goals on nine shots. Devon Levi mopped up in allowing one goal on 32 shots.
The Sabres’ flat start was indicative of a team still attempting to get acclimated to playing at home after spending much of the past week on a western road swing that closed with a 4-1 win at Calgary on Sunday. Buffalo lost three of five on the trip and sits eight points out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Senators fourth line provided the early spark by scoring the first two goals.
Zub opened the scoring by sweeping in a loose puck that dribbled in behind Luukkonen, after he stopped Katchouk’s shot that was deflected in front by Mark Kastelic. Katchouk scored 2:19 later by deflecting in Parker Kelly’s shot from the right circle.
“Right off the bat, the first two goals, they were the ones that produced it, so I think it really helped,” Senators interim coach Jacques Martin said. “It doesn’t change things, but you need to have some production from different people on different nights. And, I think when you look at some of the wins that we’ve had lately, we’ve been getting some production from other people.”
Luukkonen was pulled after Chychrun made it 4-0 by blasting in a shot from the left circle. Tkachuk capped the surge in the final minute to mark the 17th time the Senators have scored at least five goals in one period — and first time since a five-goal second period in a 6-4 win against Montreal on April 23, 2022.
The team record is six, which came in the first period of a 7-1 win over Atlanta on March 21, 2000.
Martin said defenseman Thomas Chabot will be evaluated after leaving the game with an undisclosed injury in the third period.
UP NEXT
Senators: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
Sabres: Resume a five-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.
SURGING LIGHTNING STAY HOT WITH WIN OVER BRUINS
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden Point scored his 42nd goal of the season to break a second-period tie, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves, and the surging Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Tampa Bay also got goals from Mitchell Chaffee and Nikita Kucherov as the Lightning improved to 7-0-1 over their last eight games. The Lightning moved within two points of third-place Toronto in the Atlantic Division.
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and Point both returned after missing one game with lower-body injuries. Hedman had an assist to become the fourth active defenseman to have three 70-point seasons.
Linus Ullmark stopped 28 shots, and Danton Heinen scored for the Bruins. Boston was coming off a 4-3 win Tuesday night at Florida in a matchup for the division lead.
“I didn’t think either team was really on top of their game, to be honest,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “I think they were traveling back from the West Coast. so I don’t think they were as sharp as they’ve been. The intensity and the emotion in the game was not the same as it was for us last night.”
Point put the Lightning up 2-1 on a wraparound 6:50 into the second period. The center has 10 goals over his last seven games.
“Getting the lead for us was big tonight,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I thought it was big for us to take advantage of a team that, you know, emptied the tank the night before and I thought we did.”
Kucherov took over the NHL points lead with 124 on an empty-net goal with 27 seconds left. The right wing has a career-high 42 goals.
“They forechecked better than we did, which I think led to more o-zone time for them,” Montgomery said. “I mean, their second goal was a real nice breakout from them but it was a poor forecheck by us.”
Vasilevskiy won his 290th game to tie Ed Giacomin for 46th place on the career list. The goalie, who missed the first 20 games this season after having surgery to address a lumbar disc herniation, said physically he feels “not good, not bad.”
“Trying to take care of myself and I will work on myself,” Vasilevskiy said. “Again, it’s a different season for me, like surgery-wise and all that stuff.”
Tampa Bay appeared to go up 3-1 on what would have given Steven Stamkos his ninth 30-goal season at 5:44 of the third, but a video review found the play was offside.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Play the fourth of a six-game trip Saturday night at Washington.
Lightning: Host the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
AUTO RACING NEWS
BYRON FIRST TWO-TIME WINNER IN NASCAR. SAINZ ENDS VERSTAPPEN’S NINE-RACE F1 WIN STREAK
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Toyota Owners 400
Site: Richmond, Virginia.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 10:30 a.m., and qualifying, 11:15 a.m.; Sunday, race, 7 p.m. (FOX).
Track: Richmond Raceway.
Race distance: 400 laps, 300 miles.
Last year: Kyle Larson won after starting ninth.
Last race: William Byron became the first two-time winner of the year as he started from the pole and won on the Circuit of the Americas in Texas.
Fast facts: Byron’s victory was the 12th of his career. … He led by nearly three seconds with 10 laps to go, then held off Christopher Bell by 0.692 seconds to win. … Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Ty Gibbs, was third, his fifth top-10 finish in six races. … Byron’s victory was the fourth for Chevrolet in six races and ended a two-race Toyota winning streak. … Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman finished fourth, followed by defending champion Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing’s, the team owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA great Michael Jordan.
Next race: April 7, Martinsville, Virginia.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
ToyotaCare 250
Site: Richmond, Virginia.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 8:35 a.m., qualifying, 9:05 a.m., and race, 1:30 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Richmond Raceway.
Race distance: 250 laps, 187.5 miles.
Last year: Chandler Smith won after starting eighth.
Last race: Kyle Larson passed dueling leaders Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill on the final lap in the second overtime and won at the Circuit of the Americas road course.
Fast facts: Van Gisbergen, the pole-winner, was second in the No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevy but was assessed a 30-second penalty for exceeding track limits in the last-lap battle with Hill, which ultimately put him in 28th. So Hill was officially scored as the runner-up. … Larson had qualified for the pole but was penalized when his team had to replace a broken brake rotor before the race. … The victory was Larson’s 15th in the series.
Next race: April 6, Martinsville, Virginia.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
Last race: Corey Heim led 31 of the 46 laps and cruised to victory in overtime at the Circuit of the Americas, his first victory this year and the sixth of his career.
Next race: April 5, Martinsville, Virginia.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Last race: Carlos Sainz of Ferrari ended Max Verstappen’s nine-race winning streak dating to last year when Verstappen retired early with a fiery mechanical failure in Australia. The victory came two weeks after Sainz missed the race in Saudi Arabia after an appendectomy.
Next race: April 7, Suzuka, Japan.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Last race: Two-time and reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou won the Thermal $1 Million Challenge, leading all 20 laps of IndyCar’s first non-points race since 2008.
Next race: April 21, Long Beach, California.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Finals postponed in Pomona, California.
Next event: April 7, Phoenix, Arizona.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Next events: March 29, Muskogee, Oklahoma; March 30, Wichita, Kansas.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
MEN’S GOLF NEWS
2024 TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOUSTON OPEN: PREVIEW, PROPS, BEST BETS
The PGA Tour shifts from its Florida Swing to Texas for this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which begins Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler seeks his third consecutive victory against a solid field. Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.
TEXAS CHILDREN’S OPEN
Location: Houston, March 28-31
Course: Memorial Park Golf Course (Par 70, 7,435 yards)
Purse: $9.1M (Winner: $1.638M)
Defending Champion: Tony Finau (2022)
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3:30 p.m. (GC), 3:30-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @TXHouOpen
PROP PICKS
–The Field vs. Scottie Scheffler (-400 at BetMGM): There is little question that Scheffler is the best — and hottest — golfer on the planet. There’s also a good reason why it has been seven years since anyone has won three consecutive starts on tour — it’s really hard to do. It’s certainly not the strongest field of the year, but there is enough talent lurking around Memorial Park to believe Scheffler will have a difficult time making it three straight ahead of the Masters.
–Si Woo Kim to Beat Tony Finau (-110 at DraftKings): Kim is coming off a T6 at the Players in his most recent start and has a pair of other top-15 results in his past five starts overall. Finau is the defending champion, but that came in the Fall of 2022 on a much firmer golf course. He believes his hard work off the course will translate into quality results soon, but his recent track record includes a missed cut last week after a T45 at the Players.
–Wyndham Clark Top 10 (+130 at BetMGM): The only player better than Clark in each of his past two starts has been Scheffler, and he also won at Pebble Beach earlier this year. A career-best fourth in the world rankings, Clark is in excellent form and knows Memorial Park well from his T16 in the Fall of ’22.
2024 Prop Picks Record: 18-17-1
BEST BETS
–Scottie Scheffler (+275 at BetMGM) is trying to become the first player to win three consecutive events on tour since Dustin Johnson in 2017. He has a T2 and a T9 in Houston the past two seasons. He opened at +300, but those odds have shortened slightly with Scheffler third in both total bets (7.0 percent) and money (19.5 percent) backing him to win this week.
–Wyndham Clark (+1200) has finished runner-up to Scheffler in each of his past two events. He’s the second biggest liability at BetMGM, where Clark is second with 18 percent of the money supporting him to win.
–Sahith Theegala (+1600) is a Spring, Texas resident and has consecutive top-10s entering the week. Those factors have contributed to Theegala being the book’s biggest liability as he leads the field with 19.5 percent of the total money backing him since opening at +2200.
–Will Zalatoris (+1800) makes his tournament debut while coming off consecutive top-5s in his past two starts. He’s the third biggest liability at the book this week.
–Tony Finau (+2500) won by four shots in 2022 but has a lone top-10 in eight starts this season.
NOTES
–The event returns to a spring date after being contested in the fall each of the past four seasons. It was not played in the 2023 calendar year.
–This is the fourth playing at Memorial Park, which first hosted the tournament in 2020.
–The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking after this event will qualify for the Masters if not already exempt. The highest-ranked players in this week’s field who are not yet exempt are No. 57 Tom Hoge, No. 63 Mackenzie Hughes and No. 66 Alex Noren.
–Padraig Harrington, who won on the Champions Tour last week, is in the field on a sponsor exemption.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME REWIND: PACERS 99, BULLS 125
(PACERS RELEASE)
On the final leg of a five-game road trip, the Indiana Pacers’ high-powered offense ran out of gas.
The Chicago Bulls (35-38) led the Pacers (41-33) by 21 points at intermission, holding Indiana to a season-low 43 points in the first half, and the Blue & Gold never recovered in a 125-99 Central Division loss on Wednesday at United Center. The 99 points are the fewest by the Pacers in a game this season, and the team matched a season-worst 40 percent shooting.
With the win, the Bulls claimed their season series against Indiana 3-1 and ended a three-game losing streak. The Pacers finished their road trip 3-2.
Despite the loss, the Pacers remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of the Miami Heat (39-33) and Philadelphia 76ers (39-34). The Sixers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 108-107 on Wednesday.
The Bulls used a 22-5 run midway through the second quarter, outscoring the visitors 37-20 in the frame, to lead 64-43 at halftime. Indiana then managed two scoring sprees early in the third quarter to cut the deficit to single digits, but the Bulls ultimately led by 13 going into the fourth quarter and never looked back.
Overall, the Bulls made 49 of 98 shots (50 percent), while the Pacers shot 34-for-85 (40 percent). Chicago won the rebounding margin 54-40 and outscored Indiana 60-38 in the paint.
Chicago guard DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 27 points on 9-for-18 shooting, Nikola Vucevic recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds, Coby White posted 18 points and seven boards, and Andre Drummond notched 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Bulls.
Five Pacers scored in double figures, led by Andrew Nembhard’s 18 points, Pascal Siakam’s 14 points, and Tyrese Haliburton’s 13 points.
In a low-scoring first quarter, the Bulls used a 10-2 run late to edge the Pacers 27-23.
Indiana led 15-11 seven minutes into the game thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Haliburton and five points by Nembhard, but an Alex Caruso 3-pointer ignited the big Chicago run to make it 21-17 Bulls with 1:34 on the clock.
While the Pacers narrowed the deficit to two points shortly after, thanks to free throws by Siakam and a basket by Myles Turner, the teams traded baskets in the final 1:12 as the Bulls maintained the four-point lead.
The Bulls outscored the Pacers 37-20 in the second quarter, outshooting the visitors 70 to 35.3 percent, to push the lead to 21 points.
Chicago built its lead up to 38-31 with 9:18 left in the second frame thanks to an 8-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer from White, forcing a Pacers timeout.
After trading baskets for the next couple of minutes, the Bulls strung together a 14-2 run on five points by Vucevic and baskets by White, Caruso and Dosunmu to put the Bulls ahead 56-39 with 3:10 left in the half.
Siakam split free throws to end a 10-0 Bulls run, but the Bulls finished the half on a 7-3 run to lead 64-43.
The Pacers opened the third quarter on a 7-0 string before a 12-2 scoring spree, highlighted by seven straight points by Haliburton, cut the deficit to 71-64 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.
However, in the final 3:33 of the third quarter, the Bulls offense got rolling again, outsourcing the Pacers 16-7 to lead 87-74 going into the final frame.
Chicago started the fourth quarter with a 7-3 run to go back ahead by 11 points before an 11-2 run midway through the period, thanks to two baskets by White, gave the Bulls a 110-87.
Out of a timeout, with 5:27 to play, the Pacers emptied the bench.
Indiana returns home Friday to host the Los Angeles Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before welcoming the Brooklyn Nets to the Circle City on Monday, April 1.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana’s bench outscored Chicago’s reserves 36-29.
T.J. McConnell had 12 points off the bench for Indiana. He has scored in double digits in eight straight games.
Indiana’s largest lead was four points and Chicago’s was 29 in the game.
Isaiah Jackson recorded six points, six rebounds and two blocks in eight minutes for the Pacers.
The Pacers had 13 turnovers and the Bulls gave the ball up seven times.
The Pacers had 25 total assists in the game.
Indiana recorded 11 fast-break points to the Bulls’ nine.
No Pacers player recorded double-digit rebounds or assists.
You Can Quote Me On That
“The game was back and forth early, and then they just got a little bit of separation and we couldn’t maintain a compete level that was high enough.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the loss
“I don’t care about 100 points. What matters is our spirit and just learning how you have to compete against these teams that are desperate. Give Chicago a lot of credit, they were very determined.” – Carlisle on the loss
“In the third quarter, when we got some traction, it was happening because our intensity level defensively picked up and we were able to get downhill. We just need to get home and get ready for the next one.” — Carlisle on the loss
“I just felt like we didn’t make a lot of shots and didn’t play in transition. They kind of dictated the pace tonight. We need to do a better job of getting stops so we can run.” — Tyrese Haliburton on the loss
“I felt like they got a lot of offensive rebounds and that set the tone.” — Haliburton on the loss
“It’s the way they play their concepts. … They honestly have some pretty good individual defenders, too. It makes it easier to execute those coverages.” — Andrew Nembhard on the Bulls’ defense
Stat of the Night
The Pacers scored a season-low 43 points in the first half and 99 points overall in their loss to the Bulls on Wednesday. It’s the first time this season the Pacers have scored under 100 points this season, and the fewest since putting up 101 points against Boston on Jan. 6.
Noteworthy
Pacers starting forward Aaron Nesmith returned to the floor on Wednesday after missing Monday’s game in Los Angeles with a right knee bruise.
The Pacers played five games in nine days on the road. Five of their final eight games on the schedule are at home, including the next two.
Chicago has won three of their last four season series against Indiana.
Up Next
After a five-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, March 29 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDY FUEL HOCKEY
CAM GRAY SIGNS PTO WITH ROCKFORD ICEHOGS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indy Fuel announced today that goalie Cam Gray has signed a PTO with the Rockford IceHogs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. This will be Gray’s first-ever call-up to the AHL.
So far in his Fuel career dating back to last season, the 6-foot, 175-pound goaltender has played 16 games with the Indy Fuel, recording a record of 9-5-1. Most notably, Gray recorded an undefeated season during his final year of college hockey at Adrian College, finishing the season with a .913 save percentage and 2.23 GAA.
FUEL FALL TO TOLEDO ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS- The Fuel hosted the Toledo Walleye on Wednesday Night. Despite heading into the third period tied, the Fuel ultimately fell to the Walleye 3-2 in regulation.
1ST PERIOD
At 3:15, Toledo struck first with a goal by Brandon Kruse to give the Walleye a 1-0 lead.
Jacob Graves added to their lead at 18:03 to make it 2-0 despite the Fuel outshooting them 9-5 and leading possession of the puck.
2ND PERIOD
Toledo’s Matt Anderson took the game’s first penalty at 5:14 for slashing to give the Fuel a power play opportunity.
Just two seconds before the penalty expired, Jon Martin scored to make it 2-1. Cam Hausinger and Ross MacDougall claimed assists on that goal.
At 10:09, Sam Craggs took an interference penalty giving Indy another power play.
While they didn’t score on the power play, a few seconds after it ended, Kyle Maksimovich scored to tie the game 2-2. MacDougall and goaltender Mitchell Weeks claimed assists on that goal.
At 19:23, Hillis sat for high sticking. That penalty would carry over to the third frame. By the end of the second period, the Fuel were outshooting the Walleye, 17-8.
3RD PERIOD
Chris Cameron took the period’s first penalty with a high stick at 5:34 but the Fuel were able to kill off the penalty.
At 13:50, Hillis took a hooking call that resulted in a goal for Toledo’s Trenton Bliss at 14:08 to give them a 3-2 lead.
With three minutes to go, the Fuel pulled Weeks from goal and had a few good scoring attempts but ultimately could not tie the game and lost to the Walleye, 3-2.
The Indy Fuel are back in action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Wednesday, April 3 against the Wheeling Nailers.
INDIANA SWIMMING
INDIANA FINDS PODIUM TWICE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of Indiana relays reached the podium during the opening night of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships Wednesday (March 27) inside the IU Natatorium.
Indiana sits fourth in the team standings with 52 points after its relay both placed sixth. Both quartets dropped time from their marks at Big Ten Championships, where they swept the opening night relays. IU placed top-8 in both opening night relays for the second-straight season – prior to 2023, the Hoosiers had not reached the podium in both events since 2018.
“A solid start for the Hoosiers here on day one,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “We’ll take two top-eight relays any day of the week. It wasn’t perfect. If we can get to a place where we can string together all four splits, we will be able to move up from where we were today in terms of the relay. Tomorrow will be really important for us to have four really good split since the 200 freestyle relay is our lowest seeded.
“But, overall, a solid start for the Hoosiers. We put ourselves on the board, and we’ll move on from here.”
Indiana’s 200-yard medley relay dropped seven hundredths of a second off its season best to post the second-best time in program history – a 1:22.10 – and finish No. 6 in the nation.
Senior Brendan Burns led off in 20.79, followed by junior Finn Brooks’ 23.00 in the 50-yard breaststroke split. Senior Tomer Frankel posted the fourth-best 50-yard butterfly split in 19.56, and freshman Mikkel Lee anchored the Hoosiers in 18.75.
Junior Rafael Miroslaw dropped 1.13 seconds off his 200-yard freestyle personal best to lead off IU’s sixth-place 800-yard freestyle relay and moved into third in program history in the 200. Indiana finished in 6:08.26, 2.6 seconds faster than its previous season-best set at Big Tens. That time ranks No. 4 in program history.
Burns dropped 1.25 from the conference meet, anchoring IU in 1:32.00. Frankel dropped 13 hundredths to go 1:32.19, and junior Kai van Westering went 1:33.31.
RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
6. Brendan Burns, Finn Brooks, Tomer Frankel, Mikkel Lee – 1:22.10 (All-America)
800 FREESTYLE RELAY
6. Rafael Miroslaw, Tomer Frankel, Kai van Westering, Brendan Burns – 6:08.26 (All-America)
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Finn Brooks (200 medley relay)
Brendan Burns (200 medley relay, 800 freestyle relay)
Tomer Frankel (200 medley relay, 800 freestyle relay)
Mikkel Lee (200 medley relay)
Rafael Miroslaw (800 freestyle relay)
Kai van Westering (800 freestyle relay)
* – Denotes second-team All-America
UP NEXT
The 2024 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships resume Thursday for day two, the first full day of action. Athletes will compete in the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 1-meter dive and 200 freestyle relay, with preliminaries beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Finals are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BASEBALL CENTRAL: BUTLER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – One final non-conference weekend awaits the Indiana Baseball team (13-12, 1-2 B1G) as it preps for a four-game set with in-state foe Butler. The two teams will play in Indianapolis at Bulldog Park on Thursday before the final three games move to Bloomington on Friday and Saturday.
IU is looking to close the month out strong after struggling through the opening three weeks of March. A 12-5 win over Middle Tennessee, sparked by four home runs, could be the kick start the Hoosiers need for this season.
This is the first, and only, four-game slate against the same opponent that IU will play all season. Sophomore right-hander Aydan Decker-Petty will take the ball as an opener on Thursday before turning back to a more traditional rotation to see out the final three games of the series.
Junior outfielder Nick Mitchell and freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver are riding nine and seven-game hit streaks respectively to lead the offense. Junior infielder Brock Tibbitts recorded his 50th career multi-hit game with a three-hit day against the Blue Raiders on Tuesday.
IU’s pitching staff struck out 18 batters on Tuesday, tied for the most in the Jeff Mercer era. Challenged to attack the zone with its best stuff, the Hoosier rotation will once again look to do that this weekend.
The three home games will be broadcasted on BTN+ with the Thursday contest in Indianapolis available via Flo Sports.
Gameday Info
at Butler (Thursday, March 28th – 4:00 PM)
Live Video: t.ly/TnXmY
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/BDEF0
Butler (Friday, March 29th – 5:00 PM)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX
Butler (Saturday, March 30th – 2:00 PM)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX
Butler (Saturday, March 30th – 6:00 PM)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Butler
• Thursday – Aydan Decker-Petty, RHP (IU) vs. Ben Whiteside, LHP (BU)
• Friday – Ty Bothwell, LHP (IU) vs. Tyler Banks, RHP (BU)
• Saturday (Game 1) – Connor Foley, RHP (IU) vs. Grant Brooks, RHP (BU)
• Sunday (Game 2) – TBD vs. Nate Rosser, RHP (BU)
Player and Stat Trends
Closing in on 200
• Brock Tibbitts (179) and Josh Pyne (178) are neck-in-neck as they try to become the next members of the 200-hit club at IU. They would be the first pair of teammates from the same recruiting class to reach the plateau since Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis (2012-14). 23 players in program history, which dates back to the 1890’s, have recorded 200-career hits. Only nine players have ever reached 200 hits in their first three years on campus.
200 of His Own
• Ty Bothwell is also searching for 200 … strikeouts. He is 26 away from becoming the 10th member of the 200-strikeout club at IU. He is currently third on the team with 25 punchies this season behind only Connor Foley’s 45 and Brayden Risedorph’s 29.
Ironman Brock
• Brock Tibbitts is on a run of 144-straight starts without missing a contest. He is searching to become the third player since 2008 to have a stretch of at least 150-consecutive starts. Jerrud Sabourin made a 220-straight starts from 2008-11 while Craig Dedelow had 175-consecutive starts (2015-17).
Racking Up Hits
• Devin Taylor (35), Tyler Cerny (35) and Brock Tibbitts (35) are all top-10 in the Big Ten in hits this season and could be chasing special numbers in Bloomington this season. Only once at IU has a pair of teammates (Alex Dickerson and Jerrud Sabourin, 2010) each had 92+ hits respectively in the same campaign. Only one player ever (Alex Smith, 1985) has had 100+ hits in a season.
Notable
Stepping out of Conference
• Under the Big Ten’s current scheduling format, each team in the conference plays eight Big Ten series across a nine-weekend timeframe. IU’s slotted non-conference series in that stretch comes this weekend against Butler. The two teams will play four games with one at Butler and three at IU.
• IU swept Ohio in its non-conference gap weekend in 2023 and played Evansville in 2022. After the series against Butler, IU will head back into Big Ten play for the final seven weekends of the year. During the midweek, IU handled Middle Tennessee 12-5 behind four home runs.
Mitchell Takes His Bases
• Nick Mitchell, a transfer from Western Illinois, has been phenomenal for IU since returning from a hand injury in the Baylor series. He’s got 25 hits in 19 games with 24 runs in that period. He’s hitting .352 (25-71) while reaching with 19 additional walks.
• The junior has seven multi-hit and seven multi-run games and matched a career high with four RBI’s against Illinois (March 24). Heading into the Butler series, Mitchell is riding a team-best nine-game hitting streak.
Cerny Swinging a Big Bat
• Despite going hitless in the first three games last week, sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny responded with a massive three-hit, two-run day in the weekend finale against Illinois. He’s got hits in eight of his last 11 games.
• He’s second on the team in multi-hit games (11) and is tied for the team lead in base hits (35) this season. He’s scored 23 times and has 24 RBI’s and nine doubles this year. He’s only struck out 18 times in 107 at-bats this year.
Foley Shoves Against Illinois
• Sophomore right-hander Connor Foley turned in the best performance of his young career against Illinois (March 23) to pick up the team’s first Big Ten win of the year.
• He provided seven scoreless innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts, scattering just two hits in the outing. Foley turned up the intensity after junior Josh Pyne provided him a two-run lead in the third inning.
Back-to-Back-to-Back
• Needing some insurance runs in the eighth inning against Middle Tennessee, freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver hit a two-run home run, his second of the game, to extend IU’s lead. That kickstarted a run of three-straight home runs with senior outfielder Sam Murrison and junior outfielder Carter Mathison following with a pair of solo shots.
• It was the first run of three-straight home runs by IU hitters since Kyle Schwarber, Sam Travis and Scott Donley did so on April 5, 2014 at Iowa. Murrison’s home run was the first official at-bat of the season and came in his 100th career appearance for the Hoosiers.
Scouting the Opponent
Butler (10-12, 0-0 Big East)
• Butler is heavily anchored by the top of its lineup. Carter Dorighi (.441), Kade Lewis (.402) and Jack Moroknek (.337) are all hitting north of .330 on the season and have appeared in all 22 contests. The trio has also combined for 14 home runs this year.
• Sophomore outfielder Joey Urban was the 2023 Big East Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American last season. He is still looking to get his bat going this year but provides an outstanding option in the Butler lineup. He led the Bulldogs in nearly every statistical category last season.
• Much like IU, Butler has struggled to keep runs off the board this year. The Bulldogs’ staff boasts a 9.97 earned run average. Ben Whiteside, Thursday’s starter, leads the team with 10 appearances this year. Brett Sherrard is 2-0 with a 2.84 earned run average over six innings this year.
• Former Hoosier and Bloomington native Ethan Vecrumba transferred to Butler and has appeared in 18 games as an outfielder this season.
Inside the Series
Indiana vs. Butler
• These two sides, separated by just an hour, have met 126 times, beginning with the first matchup in 1896. IU holds the all-time edge 96-30. With a sweep, it would have 100 wins against a team for just the fifth time in program history. IU doesn’t have 100 wins against a non-conference division one team in its program history.
• IU and Butler last played at Bulldog Park in 2013. Ty Bothwell earned the win in last year’s contest, a 13-2 victory for the Hoosiers.
INDIANA TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK AND FIELD OPENS OUTDOOR SEASON AT LSU, NC STATE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana track and field returns to competition after two weeks off as they gear up for the 2024 outdoor season.
The distance group along with the throwers will head to the Raleigh Relays from March 28-30th while rest of the squad competes in Baton Rouge at LSU’s Battle on the Bayou meet on March 29-30th.
MEET INFO
Battle on the Bayou (All times ET)
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Venues: Bernie Moore Track Stadium
Livestats (LSU)
Raleigh Relays (All times (ET)
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Venue: Paul Derr Track & Field Facility
Livestats / ESPN+ (NC State)
Coverage: Follow Indiana T&F at iuhoosiers.com and on social media at @IndianaXCTF.
THE HOOOSIER LINEUP
RALEIGH RELAYS
Distance
Indiana will open up the outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays with the 5000 meters.
Six Hoosiers including Lily Myers, Claire Overfelt, Grace Tyson, Mariah Wehrle, Katelyn Winton and Emma Everhart-Deckard will represent the women’s side.
Austin Haskett, Brayden Henkle, Garrett Hicks and Aidan Lord will look to take care of business on the men’s side.
Tori Schmidt, Abe Eckman and Skylar Stidam will go the long distance in the 10,000 meters.
Throws
Bridget Beyer will compete in her first collegiate Hammer Throw competition with experienced Sean MocklerHunter Smith and Tyler Reyna are entered on the men’s side.
Drew Franklin will make his collegiate debut inside the ring for the discus throw with teammates Smith and Reyna joining him.
LSU BATTLE AT THE BAYOU
Sprints
Symone Adams and Kristina Vincic will double up in the 100- and 200-meter sprints.
Long sprinters Ryann Parrish, Morgan Snow and Cambell Wamsley will run the 400 Meter.
Olivia Gee will race the 100-meter hurdles and will be joined by Parrish and Kai Snell in the 400-meter hurdles.
John Colquitt, Max Grangier and Garrett Messer will run the 110 meter hurdles. Colquitt will double up in the 400 Meter hurdles with Micah Camble and David Olowookere to open the outdoor season.
Trelee Banks, Otto De St Jeor will double up in the 100- and 200-meter. Antonio Laidler, Novo Onovwerosuoke, and Gage Pratt will also run the 200.
Freshmen Jasmine Klopstad, Amelia Dodds and Maddie Russin will double up in the 800 and 1500 meters. Alyssa Shope will also make her first outdoor season debut in the 1500 meters.
The Hoosiers are stacked in the 800-meter event on the men’s side with seven Hoosiers in Jaylen Castillo, Nico Colchico, Keelan Grant, Andrew Mangum, Nolan Satterfield, Martin Segurola, and Keefer Soehngen set to compete.
Five of the Hoosiers will also compete in the 1500 meters including Castillo, Grant, Mangum, Satterfield and Segurola.
Andi VanMeter and Allie Latta will run the 5k. Cole Raymond will be the sole runner on the men’s side.
Relays
The Hoosiers will enter two 4×400 meter relays with Snow, Vincic, Wamsley and Russin on the A relay team and Parrish, Adams, Dodds, and Phillips on the B relay team.
On the men’s side, Banks, Colquitt, De St Jeor, and Onovwerosuoke are set to pass the paton around the circle in the 4×100 relay. Pratt and Laidler are listed as alternatives.
The Hoosiers have also entered two 4×400 relay squads with Camble, Onovwerosuoke, Laidler and Vincent Graiani on the A team and Colchico, Soehngen, Grant and Olowookere on the B squad.
Jumps
Serena Bolden will participate in three events including the long and triple jumps and the 100m sprint.
Mahogany Jenkins will also double up as she competes in the Triple Jump and High Jump.
Taylor Schoonveld and Deepak Laungani will compete in the field in the High Jump while Max Grangier, Garrett Messer and Alex Smith participate in the Long Jump. Smith will also join the Hoosiers on the starting line for the 100 meters.
Throws
Messer will also throw the discus in his first collegiate competition.
Shanna Esters is set to compete in the Javelin as she makes her season debut.
Pole Vault
Tyler Carrel, Riley Johnston and Nathan Stone will vault this weekend for the Hoosiers.
INDOOR RECAP
Graduate student Kenisha Phillips also won silver in the 400 meters with a time of 51.72 to break her own school record set earlier this season. The Georgetown, Guyana, native earns a spot in the event with the No. 9 seed to make her first NCAA Indoor appearance.
In her final season of eligibility, graduate student Jessica Mercier finished eighth on the national stage and a First-Team All-American honor. At the Big Ten Championships, she finished runner-up in the Pole Vault with a mark of 4.45m/14-7.25 as she shattered the school record for the second time this season to score the Hoosiers eight points. Mercier held the sixth highest mark in the nation as she qualified for her second NCAA Indoor Championships after qualifying in 2022 with Michigan.
Junior Camden Marshall won his first Big Ten Indoor Title in the 800 meters. He was named the outdoor champion in the 2023 outdoor season.
OUTDOOR PRIMER
The outdoor season will add 10 outdoor-specific events including the 4×100 relay, the 1500 meters, the Steeplechase, the 10,000 meters, the 400-meter hurdles, the Discus, the Hammer and the Javelin. The Heptathlon (W)/Decathlon (M) will also introduce new events.
Returning 800 Meter Big Ten Champion Camden Marshall looks to improve his time to hold the title this season.
Nathan Stone is the reigning Big Ten Outdoor Pole Vault Champion. He currently holds five Big Ten Titles after claiming the 2024 Indoor title. Stone also made his fourth NCAA Championship appearance outdoors last season. He finished as a Second-Team All-American, finishing 13th in the nation.
Teammate Tyler Carrel also earned a bid to the NCAA Outdoor Championships where he finished 19th. He also claimed the bronze medal in the 2024 Big Ten Championships.
Shanna Esters will throw the Javelin this season after great progression in the off season while Freshman Drew Franklin will compete in his first collegiate competition in the discus.
Outdoor School Records
Antonio Laidler holds the 100-meter record with a time of 10.19.
Sean Mockler set the Hammer Throw school record in 2022 with a mark of 68.68m/225-7.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE BATTLES GONZAGA IN SWEET 16 SHOWDOWN IN DETROIT
GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 36 /// NCAA TOURNAMENT SWEET 16
[1 Seed] Purdue (31-4) vs. [5 Seed] Gonzaga (27-7)
Friday, March 29, 2024
7:39 p.m. ET | Detroit, Michigan
Little Caesar’s Arena (20,332)
TELEVISION: TBS / TruTV (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Evan Washburn)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• The Purdue Boilermakers, the Midwest Region’s top seed, aims for their second Elite 8 appearance in the last five tournaments, when it battles No. 18-ranked and fifth-seeded Gonzaga in Friday’s Sweet 16 showdown in Detroit. It’s the first game against the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament since 2000, when the Boilermakers defeated Gonzaga to reach the Elite 8 that season.
• This marks the first time since the 2000 Elite 8 that Purdue will play a team in the NCAA Tournament that it faced during the regular season. Purdue and Wisconsin met four times in 2000, with the Badgers going 3-1 (two games in regular season, one in Big Ten Tounament).
• If Purdue’s path to the Final Four looks eerily familiar, it’s because it is. In November, Purdue won three games at the Maui Invitational playing Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette in order. The Boilermakers face Gonzaga on Friday in the Sweet 16, could possibly face Tennessee in the Elite 8 on Sunday and then could still play Marquette in the Final 4 on April 6.
• Since the 2016-17 season, Gonzaga (7), Purdue (5) and Houston (5) have made the most Sweet 16 appearances. Purdue has made the Sweet 16 seven times under Matt Painter (2009, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024).
• Purdue has set a school record for most wins in a season with 31, surpassing the 30 victories accomplished by the 2017-18 team (30-7). Purdue has won at least 26 games 11 times under Matt Painter, including in seven of the last nine seasons (2020, 2021).
• Purdue (29, 29, 31) and Houston (32, 33, 32) are the only schools in America to have at least 29 wins in each of the last three seasons.
• Purdue is 8-0 against nationally-ranked teams this season, with seven of the victories coming against teams ranked in the AP top 12. Gonzaga enters Sunday’s game ranked No. 18 in the final Associated Press Top 25. So far, Purdue (8-0) and the 2011-12 Kentucky team (10-0) are the only teams in the last 15 years to play at least eight games against nationally-ranked teams without a loss.
• Purdue owns a 7-0 record against the other members of the Sweet 16, defeating six different teams. No other team in the field is unbeaten against the Sweet 16 field or has defeated more than four Sweet 16 opponents (Connecticut, North Carolina – 4 each).
• Purdue has won 19 straight non-conference, regular-season and postseason games against power-conference OR nationally-ranked teams, the fourth-longest streak in NCAA history. Gonzaga falls in the above category, ranked No. 18 in the AP poll. It’s the longest streak since Duke won 20 straight from March 1991 to Feb. 1993.
• Purdue enters the Sweet 16 as one of six teams to rank in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency via KenPom.com (Purdue, Connecticut, Arizona, Duke, Houston, North Carolina).
• Purdue’s 67-point margin in the first two rounds are the largest margin of victory in the first two rounds since 2009 Connecticut (+82).
• Purdue is shooting 42.7 percent from 3-point range in the last 12 games (97-of-227), ranking second nationally in that span (Mount St. Mary’s, .432). Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith and Mason Gillis are a combined 58-of-121 (.479) from deep in that span.
• With his 30 points and 21 rebounds against Grambling, Zach Edey became just the second player in the last 50 years to record a 30-20 game in the NCAA Tournament, joining Maryland’s Joe Smith vs. Texas (March 18, 1995) as the only players to do so in the last 50 years.
• Zach Edey became the first player in NCAA history with 800 points, 400 rebounds, 50 assists and 50 blocks in a season, entering the Sweet 16 matchup with 859 points, 422 rebounds, 79 blocked shots and 73 assists. He needs three rebounds to become the fourth player in NCAA history with at least two seasons of 750 points and 425 rebounds (Elvin Hayes – 3; Rick Barry – 2; Oscar Robertson – 2).
• Braden Smith needs became the fifth player in NCAA history with 425 points, 250 assists and 200 rebounds in a season (UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth, Cal’s Jason Kidd, Michigan State’s Magic Johnson).
• Purdue is looking for its second Elite 8 appearance in the last five tournaments, last making the Elite 8 in 2019. Prior to the 2019 appearance, Purdue’s last Elite 8 was in 2000.
• Purdue scored 57 points in the second half against Utah State with Zach Edey scoring just two points after halftime.
• In addition, Braden Smith picked up his second foul with Purdue leading 25-24 in the first half. Purdue outscored Utah State 24-9 for the remainder of the half (7:17 of game time).
• Purdue is averaging 83.9 points per game, an increase of 11.2 points per game from a year ago, the Boilermakers’ highest increase in scoring average since the 1992-93 to 1993-94 season (+13.5).
• Purdue ranks 11th nationally in scoring offense, its highest NCAA ranking in the 19 years under Matt Painter.
• The Boilermakers rank second nationally in rebound margin (behind Saint Mary’s) at +11.5. Purdue led the country a year ago (+10.8).
• Purdue is second nationally behind Kansas (66.9) in assist rate, assisting on 65.4 percent of all its made field goals.
• Two of the nation’s best offenses will face off Friday. The Boilermakers are third nationally in offensive efficiency, while Gonzaga is seventh.
• In NCAA play. Purdue is second among remaining teams in scoring (92.0 PPG; behind Houston) and first in assists (26.0 APG) and rebound margin (+24.5). The Boilermakers are fourth in scoring defense (58.5 PPG) behind Duke, Tennessee and UConn.
• Purdue is 25-0 when it has 13 or fewer turnovers on the season. The Boilermakers are 6-4 when they have 14 or more turnovers.
• Purdue has started the same starting five in all 35 games. Purdue has never had a season where it started the same five all season.
• A year ago, Purdue shot 32.2 percent from 3-point range, a number that ranked 281st nationally. This year, Purdue is at 40.9 percent, leading the country in 3-point percentage. Purdue had one player (Braden Smith) shoot over 36.0 percent from deep a year ago. This year, Purdue has seven players over 36.0 percent and another (Lance Jones) at 35.8 percent.
• Purdue is 39-1 (Nebraska; Jan. 2024) in its last 40 games when making 10 or more 3-pointers. Purdue made 11 in the win over Utah State.
• During this senior group’s career (since 2010-11), Purdue is 48-2 when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field (losses to Indiana – Feb. 4, 2023; Michigan State – Feb. 26, 2022).
• Since the 2020-21 season, Purdue is 38-4 when having single-digit turnovers. In the four losses, Purdue is 20-of-82 (.244) from deep.
• Zach Edey’s assist-to turnover ratio over his four years (FR – 0.26; SOPH – 0.69; JR – 0.68; SR – 0.95).
• Zach Edey has scored at least 22 points in 12 straight games. He has grabbed at least 12 rebounds in eight of those games. He has dished out at least two assists in eight straight games.
• Zach Edey became the first player since Lew Alcindor (1967-68) to have at least 50 points, 35 rebounds and to shoot better than 65.0 percent from the field in the first two NCAA Tournament games.
• Zach Edey became the first player since Memphis’ Larry Kenon in 1975 to have at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 assists in an NCAA Tournament game.
• Zach Edey is trying to become the first player to lead the country in scoring and reach a Final Four since Oscar Robertson in 1960.
• Over the last 25 games, Fletcher Loyer has the nation’s third-best 3-point percentage at 49.4 percent (42-of-85). Only North Texas’ John Buggs (.511) and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard (.500) are higher. Coincidentally, Mason Gillis is ninth in that span (.468).
• Mason Gillis’ 40.8 career 3-point percentage (146-of-358) is the sixth-best percentage in school history. His season 3-point percentage of 47.8 (54-of-113) is third in school history. Fletcher Loyer’s 44.9, 3-point percentage (57-of-127) is 10th in school history.
• Lance Jones’ 73, 3-pointers this season are tied for the 15th most in a season in Purdue history.
GONZAGA NOTES:
THE TIP OFF
– Gonzaga meets top-seeded Purdue Friday in the Midwest Regional semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Detroit, Mich. It’s the fifth meeting between the programs, and the Boilermakers own the series at 4-0.
– GU is making its 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance and 26th overall. The 25 straight berths to the field is the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas 34 and Michigan State 26).
– The Zags are 46-25 all-time in the 25 previous NCAA Tournament appearances with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, six trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.
– Gonzaga is the five seed, for the first time in program history, in the Midwest Region.
– The Zags are 43-23 in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mark Few with a berth in all 25 seasons.
– Gonzaga is one of only two teams to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 15 tournaments, Kansas is the other at 17. The Zags are the only program to appear in the last nine Sweet 16s.
– The Bulldogs have the most wins in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, going 22-6, Kansas is next at 17-5. GU’s 27 wins in the tournament since 2015 is also the most, with North Carolina second at 23.
– Gonzaga has earned more NCAA Tournament “units” than any program in the country in the last six seasons.
– The Zags are 21-0 this season when scoring 80 points and 21-0 when shooting 50 percent from the field. GU is 24-0 this season when shooting 30 percent from behind-the-perimeter and 20-1 when making six or more threes.
– The Bulldogs are 16-2 (88.9 percent) since Jan. 18, tied for the third-best win percentage in the nation.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
– Gonzaga is making its 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 26th overall.
– The 25 straight berths to the field are the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas and Michigan State), and the sixth-longest in NCAA Div. 1 history.
The Zags are 46-25 all-time in their 25 NCAA Tournament appearances with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, six trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.
– GU is 43-23 in the NCAA Tournament under Few with a berth in all 25 seasons of his head coaching career.
– The Bulldogs have the most wins in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, going 22-6, Kansas is next at 17-5. GU’s 27 wins in the tournament since 2015 is also the most, with North Carolina second at 23.
– Gonzaga is one of only two teams to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 15 tournaments, Kansas is the other at 17.
– The Zags are 37-19 all-time as a single-digit seed, with a 17-2 record in first round games as a single-digit seed.
– Gonzaga is the five seed, for the first time in program history, in the Midwest Region.
– GU plays in Detroit in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
– In the 2023 NCAA Tournament, third-seeded Gonzaga defeated 14th-seeded Grand Canyon (82-70) and sixth-seeded TCU (84-81) in Denver. The Zags then advanced to the Sweet 16 in Las Vegas, where it beat second-seeded UCLA (79-76), before falling to eventual national champion and fourth-seeded UConn (82-54).
FACT CHECKING
– During Few’s coaching career, his GU teams are 32-9 (.775) as the higher seed, including a 25-5 mark since 2009.
– Since 2009, the Zags have lost only five games against a lower-seeded team, a span of 14 NCAA Tournaments.
– Few’s teams have also pulled eight upset wins in his 24 previous NCAA Tournaments.
ABOUT THE BOILERMAKERS
– Purdue rolled through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament beating Grambling 78-50 and Utah State 106-67.
– In the win over Utah State, the Boilermakers had 29 assists on 38 made shots from the field. Zach Edey had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Fletcher Loyer added 15 points and six assists.
– In the two tournament wins, Edey has 53 points on 19-of-28 shooting from the field. He’s grabbed 35 rebounds with 21 coming against Grambling.
– Edey, the defending national player of the year, is a consensus First Team All-American selection.
– Edey tops the nation in points per game (24.5), total points (859), field goals (289), free throws (280), free throw attempts (392), and offensive rebounds per game (4.71). He is second in rebounds per game (12.1) and total rebounds (422). His 26 double-doubles are third.
– Braden Smith leads the country in assists (256). He adds 12.3 points per game and a team-high 1.57 steals.
– Purdue tops the nation in three-point percentage (40.9) and second in rebound margin (11.5) and assists per game (18.8). The Boilermakers are eighth in scoring margin (14.5) and ninth in rebounds per game (40.8).
– Purdue won the Big Ten regular season title for the second straight season.
SERIES INFO
– This is the fifth all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Purdue, with the Boilermakers winning all four previous matchups.
– Purdue won the meeting earlier this season, rallying to beat the Zags 73-63 in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 20. Edey had 25 points and 14 rebounds. Graham Ike led GU with 14 points and seven rebounds. Ryan Nembhard had 11 points and six assists.
– The programs met in the PK Legacy semifinals last season in Portland. The Boilermakers won 84-66. Edey scored 15 of his 23 points in the final 15 minutes, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer each added 14. Nolan Hickman had 15 points and five assists.
– Purdue won the first all-time meeting, 83-68, in West Lafayette on Nov. 18, 1998. The Boilermakers were ranked No. 15 at the time.
– In the second meeting, No. 25 Purdue held off Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament West Regional semifinal in Albuquerque, N.M., 75-66, March 23, 2000.
– Gonzaga has won six of its last nine games against current Big Ten foes.
UP NEXT
– With a victory, Gonzaga would advance to the program’s seventh Elite Eight.
– The Midwest Regional Final is Sunday.
– The Zags would play the winner of the second Midwest Regional semifinal second-seeded Tennessee and third-seeded Creighton.
AMONG THE ELITE
– Gonzaga’s Mark Few has won 43 NCAA Tournament games, which ranks among the all-time greats.
– It ranks fourth among active head coaches John Calipari (56), Bill Self (56), and Tom Izzo (54).
SWEET 16 ALL OVER AGAIN
– Gonzaga is the only program in the country to appear in each of the last nine Sweet 16s.
– Per ESPN stats, the Zags are the fourth program ever to reach nine straight Sweet 16s. They join UCLA, Duke, and North Carolina.
– Since the field expanded in 1985, North Carolina and Duke had streaks of nine straight Sweet 16s, which rank as the longest.
– The Bulldogs’ 14 Sweet 16 appearances in program history, ranks 18th in NCAA history.
– All 14 appearances have been since 1999, which ranks second in the nation over that span.
– Houston owns the next closest active streak of Sweet 16s at five.
ELITE FEAT
– The Zags have six appearances in the Elite Eight.
– GU has made the Elite Eight five times in the last seven tournaments. (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023)
GROUNDING THE JAYHAWKS
– The Bulldogs cruised to an 89-68 win over Kansas in the round of 32, behind a dominant second half.
– After trailing by one at halftime, GU outscored the Jayhawks 46-24 in the second half.
– The Zags opened the second half on a 32-4 run, making 23 of 30 from the field during a stretch, while holding Kansas to 4 of 27 from the field.
– Gonzaga used a 15-0 run to pull away. The Bulldogs made 11 of their first 12 shots from the field in the second half.
– The Zags outscored Kansas 37-6 until the six-minute mark in a flurry that included a 14-0 run and a 13-0 run.
– In the second half, GU shot 67 percent, hit five of six from behind-the-arc and scored 1.438 PPP. At one point, the Bulldogs hit eight straight.
– Gonzaga went 26:16 of game clock without missing consecutive shots from the field.
THE TURNAROUND
– Gonzaga is 16-2 (88.9 percent) since Jan. 18, tied for the third-best win percentage in the country. The two losses were to Saint Mary’s.
– Since Jan. 18, the Zags are fourth in the nation in offensive efficiency, first in effective field goal percentage (60.3), third in two-point percentage (60.0), and sixth in three-point percentage (40.5).
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE HOSTS DUQUESNE IN WNIT SUPER 16 THURSDAY NIGHT
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will play for a spot in the WNIT Great 8 on Thursday night when it hosts Duquesne in the Super 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on B1G+.
Tim Newton and Jane Schott will be on the call for the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (14-18) vs. Duquesne (21-12)
Thursday, March 28
Time: 7 PM
TV/Stream: B1G+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers knocked off Butler 62-51 on Monday night in the second round of the WNIT. Mila Reynolds paced Purdue with a career-high 15 points with four made 3-pointers. Jayla Smith added 11 points off the bench, as the Boilermakers outscored the Bulldogs 33-16. On the defensive end, Purdue held Butler to 31.3 shooting and just 4-of-22 from distance.
NOTES
• Purdue and Duquesne will meet for the first time on Thursday. The Dukes will be the Boilermakers’ 210th unique opponent.
• Purdue is making its fifth appearance in the WNIT and second under head coach Katie Gearlds, playing in the event in 1988, 2010, 2018 and 2022 before this season.
• Purdue has reached the postseason each of the last three seasons for the first time since 2015-16 to 2017-18.
• The Boilermakers’ freshman class will get its first taste of the postseason after leading the Big Ten with 23.5 points per game in the regular season, the third highest by a freshman class in Purdue history (34.7 – 1993-94, 28.5 – 1988-89).
• After reaching 1,000 points earlier this season, Jeanae Terry crossed the 1,000-rebound plateau against Butler. The fifth-year senior became the first player in men’s or women’s Big Ten history to reach 1,000 points (1,020), 1,000 rebounds (1,010) and 700 assists (758).
• Terry is the first Boilermaker since Whitney Bays (9) in 2014-15 to grab 10 rebounds or more in five straight games.
• Terry passed herself for second in Purdue single-season history with 193 assists. She is eight away from tying Lisa Jahner’s record of 201 set during the 1987-88 season, which featured Purdue’s first postseason appearance.
• Big Ten Freshman of the Year (media) Mary Ashley Stevenson became just the fourth Purdue freshman in the last 15 years to top 300 points in a season. She joined Shereka Wright as the only Boilermaker rookies in program history with 300 points and 140 rebounds.
• Abbey Ellis has a nine-game streak of double-figure scoring, averaging 17.8 points during the stretch. The fifth-year senior is 31 points away from 2,000 for her career.
• Sophie Swanson set the Purdue freshman single-game record with seven 3-pointers against Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament to score a career-high 25 points. Swanson, Stevenson and Courtney Moses (2010-11) are the only Boilermaker freshmen to score 25 points in the last 15 years.
• Rashunda Jones made her first career start in the second round against Butler. Joining Mary Ashley Stevenson, they were the first freshman duo to start for Purdue since 2017-18.
• Jeanae Terry became the only player in Big Ten history to record 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 700 assists in a career.
• Mila Reynolds stepped up to hit four 3-pointers against Butler, after making just three in her entire career.
• Head coach Katie Gearlds picked up her 50th win back home at her alma mater.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH HEAD TO CHAPEL HILL FOR ACC SERIES
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team is back on the road this week as it heads to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The series will begin Thursday evening at 5 p.m., followed by a Friday game at 1 p.m. and the series will wrap up Saturday at noon.
The Fighting Irish enter the series at 20-10 overall, and 5-4 in the ACC. North Carolina is currently 22–8 and 4-5 in league play. The Irish have won nine of the last 10, and currently own the conference’s longest active winning streak at six games.
North Carolina took the series against Georgia Tech last weekend, winning two of three in Chapel Hill. Other ACC series for the Tar Heels include dropping three games at Clemson, and taking two of three from Virginia at home. At Anderson Softball Field this year, UNC is 16-4, with losses to Lipscomb, Rutgers, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
Fans can catch all the action this week as all three games are streamed on the ACC Network Extra, with live stats also available on the Notre Dame softball schedule page.
For the latest in Irish softball news and information, follow the team on X (@ndsoftball) and Instagram (@notredamesoftball).
BUTLER BASEBALL
BULLDOGS TO END MARCH WITH FOUR-GAME SERIES AGAINST INDIANA
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler and Indiana will play a four-game series this week, beginning with a single game at Bulldog Park on Thursday afternoon. Action will shift to Bloomington on Friday and Saturday will feature a doubleheader at Bart Kaufman Field.
Schedule vs. the Hoosiers
Thursday – 4 PM First Pitch at Bulldog Park
Friday – 5 PM First Pitch at Bart Kaufman Field
Saturday – 2 PM Doubleheader at Bart Kaufman Field
Projected Starters
Game One: LHP Ben Whiteside vs. TBD
Game Two: RHP Tyler Banks vs. LHP Ty Bothwell
Game Three: RHP Grant Brooks vs. RHP Connor Foley
Game Four: RHP Nate Rosser vs. TBD
Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers are 13-12 overall after recording a 12-5 victory over Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday night. Freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver hit two of IU’s four home runs in the game and Ty Rybarczyk was credited with the win on the mound.
Indiana opened the year playing three games in Myrtle Beach. They lost to #12 Duke (6-3), but won against #18 Coastal Carolina 7-2. Yet another win against a ranked opponent came in early March with IU defeating #25 Dallas Baptist in Frisco 9-7. IU also swept a three-game series vs. Baylor earlier this season in Waco.
Ty Bothwell and Connor Foley are each slated to get a start vs. Butler. Bothwell is 2-1 on the mound but has not started in a game so far this season. The left-hander has tossed 26.2 innings and holds a 5.74 ERA. He has struck out 25 and has only walked nine. Saturday’s game one starter is IU ace Connor Foley. He has 45 strikeouts over 30.1 innings and is 2-1 over six starts. Foley has the opposition batting just .151 and has a 3.56 ERA.
The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten and rank fifth in the country in sacrifice flies (19). Brock Tibbitts is the team leader with four. Tibbitts is batting .361 this year with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. Devin Taylor has the highest average on the team at .368 and Carter Mathison is the home run leader with six.
All-Time Series vs. Indiana
The Hoosiers lead the all-time series against Butler 96-30. The first meeting between the two programs went down as an Indiana win back in 1896! The last time Indiana played at Bulldog Park was on April, 21, 2013. It was a split series with the teams playing two games in Bloomington before traveling to Indianapolis. Butler’s last win over Indiana was a 7-5 victory at Indiana on April 19, 2017.
Last Meeting vs. IU
Indiana hosted Butler last year on Feb. 28 and won 13-2. Bothwell got the win and Grant Brooks was hit with the loss. IU scored four runs in the bottom of the first and added four more in the bottom of the third to build their lead. BU scored a run in the third off a Carter Dorighi RBI and added a solo run in the sixth.
Dorighi Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Over six games last week, Carter Dorighi led Butler’s offense with five runs, six RBI, three doubles, one triple, a homerun and four walks. The junior shortstop also stole three bases, while batting .462 (12-for-26).
Last Week
Butler went 3-3 last week to move their overall record to 10-12. On Tuesday the went to Oxford to beat Miami 13-10. The following day, BU lost a close one to Ball State at Bulldog Park 9-7. The team stayed in Indianapolis over the weekend to play four games in just two days against Dayton. The Flyers won game one 9-7 and game two 8-2. Butler battled back to sweep the Sunday doubleheader 11-9 and 9-8.
Keegan Connors, Kade Lewis and Carter Dorighi posted huge numbers over the six-game stretch. Connors hit .583 in two starts at DH. He had seven total hits including two doubles and two home runs to generate seven RBI. He also scored five runs for BU. Lewis and Dorighi each started in all six games and recorded 12 hits. Lewis had three doubles and a homer, scoring six runs, and posting five RBI. Dorighi had three doubles, one triple, and one home run.
Two of Butler’s three wins on the mound went to reliver Brett Sherrard. The freshman right-hander only gave up one hit over 2.2 innings. Andrew Crumbley also earned a win on the mound. He struck out six over 4.1 innings of action last week.
National Leader
Carter Dorighi leads the nation in hits per game (2.05) and heads into Thursday ranked third overall in total hits with 45. He had a six-hit game earlier this year at Morehead State on March 3 and leads Butler with 14 multi-hit games this season.
BIG EAST Standings
Creighton 17-4
St. John’s 17-5
Georgetown 16-8
Seton Hall 14-11
Xavier 12-13
Butler 10-12
UConn 9-14
Villanova 7-15
Bulldog Bits
– Butler leads the BIG EAST in home runs per game (1.50)
– The Bulldogs and the Red Storm are tied for the conference lead in sac flies (13)
– BU ranks second in the BIG EAST in runs (191) and scoring (8.7)
– Carter Dorighi leads the conference and ranks 13th in the nation with his .441 BA
– Kade Lewis has reached base safely in all 22 games this year
– Lewis and Jack Moroknek each carry a nine-game hitting streak into the IU series
– Moroknek is tied with Billy Wurch for the team lead in multiple RBI games (7)
– Joey Urban delivered a walk-off single to help Butler defeat Dayton on Sunday
– The day prior, BU set a new season-high by hitting five doubles vs. Dayton
– Keegan Connors had eight total bases vs. the Flyers on March 24
– Butler has recorded 10 or more hits in seven of their last eight games
– The ‘Dawgs have hit multiple doubles in eight-straight games
– Butler has outscored their opponent 22-5 in the ninth inning this year
– BU is also +17 vs. foes in the third inning
– Ian Choi is batting .417 with runners in scoring position
– Carter Dorighi his batting .528 with two outs in the inning
– Ethan Vecrumba transferred to Butler this year from Indiana
– Tyler Banks tossed six full innings against Dayton last weekend
– Banks, Brooks and Whiteside are three Bulldogs to throw over 20 innings this year
– Banks is the strikeout leader with 25; Cole Graverson is second with 23.
– Graverson has a team-high four saves this year; Whiteside is second with two
– Brett Sherrard has the lowest ERA on the team at 2.84
– Sherrard, Crumbley and Nate Rosser all have two wins this year
– Ben Whiteside has appeared in more games than any other Bulldog (10)
– Whiteside has only issued six walks in 21.1 IP
Up Next
Butler will host Eastern Illinois at Bulldog Park on Tuesday, April 2. The contest will begin at 4 PM and be the final tune-up before BIG EAST action.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL HOSTS SETON HALL FOR BIG EAST SERIES
Series Information – vs. Seton Hall
DATE: Thursday-Saturday, March 28-30
LOCATION: Indianapolis / Butler SB Field
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports (Fri. Gm2 & Sat. Gm3)
Full Notes
The Butler softball team hosts Seton Hall for a three-game BIG EAST series beginning this Thursday. The Bulldogs (14-17, 3-6 BIG EAST) are coming off a conference series with UConn in which they went 1-2, winning the third game in walk-off fashion. The Pirates most recently beat Stony Brook in a mid-week contest after going 2-1 in their most recent BIG EAST series vs. Creighton.
Bulldog Bits
(as of 3-24-24)
Ella White leads the BIG EAST with four sacrifice flies. Addition conference (national) rankings include: 10 doubles-2nd (37th), 30 RBI-2nd (64th), .693 slugging %-3rd, and 6 HR-4th.
Paige Dorsett leads the BIG EAST (79th nationally) with 38 hits.
Monique Hoosen is second in the BIG EAST (89th nationally) with 7 home runs.
Kieli Ryan leads the BIG EAST (8th nationally) with 10 base runners caught stealing.
Katie Petran is second in the BIG EAST (56th nationally) with 9 wins in the circle and is seventh with 65 strikeouts.
Cate Lehner leads the BIG EAST (46th nationally) with 0.23 sacrifice bunts per game and is second in the conference (33rd nationally) with 15 stolen bases.
vs. UConn (Mar. 22-24)
Paige Dorsett and Cate Lehner each had 4 hits in the series, and Olivia Moxley and Hailey Conger each had 3. Dorsett and Ella White each had 3 RBI.
Dorsett’s two doubles gave her six for the season and 18 for her career.
Moxley’s home run was her first of the season and fourth of her career.
Sydney Cammon led the pitching staff with 7.2 innings pitched and a 4.70 ERA.
Katie Petran’s win vs. UConn was her second BIG EAST win of the season (Providence).
SCOUTING Seton Hall (14-12, 5-4 BIG EAST)
Series- Butler leads, 16-12
2023 (South Orange): SH 2-1 / SH 6-2 / Butler 7-2
2022 (Indianapolis): SH 8-5 / Butler 4-3 / Butler 4-1
2021 (South Orange): Butler 5-4 / Butler 4-2 / SH 5-4
Butler has won 5-of-9 in the last three series
2024 BIG EAST series: Villanova (L-L-L), Georgetown (W-W-W), Creighton (W-L-W)
Wins for the Pirates this season include: New Mexico State, UIC, and Rider.
Losses include: Michigan, Louisville, Arizona State, Grand Canyon, and FIU.
Seton Hall vs. (opponents) Butler
runs: 116-110 137
hits: 187-172 235
RBI: 112-104 123
SB: 9-24 33
ERA: 3.83-3.87 5.04
Batting leaders:
#33 Taylor Hill (.322) 29H, 8-2B, 5HR, 12RBI
#4 Kelsey Carr (.289) 5-2B, 6HR, 18RBI
#13 Olivia Gilbert (.288) 4-2B, 4HR, 21RBI
#26 Katey Brennan (.280) 4-2B, 2HR, (19 RBI)
Pitching leaders:
#12 Kyra Kreuscher (6-1) 2.27 ERA, 24K
#5 Sydney Babik (3-5) 4.23 ERA, 25K
#4 Kelsey Carr (5-6) 4.42 ERA, 70K
IUI TRACK
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS TO EMBARK ON BUSY WEEKEND
Marian Open: Meet Schedule I Meet Program I Live Results
WashU. Distance Carnival: Meet Schedule I Meet Program I Live Video I Live Results
Raleigh Relays: Meet Schedule I Meet Program I Live Results
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI men’s and women’s track and field teams will embark on a busy weekend as Jaguar student-athletes will compete at three different meets on Thursday (Mar. 28) and Friday (Mar. 29). The men’s team will have athletes at NC State’s Raleigh Relays while the women’s team will compete at the nearby Marian University Open. Both the men’s and women’s teams will have competitors at the WashU. Distance Carnival in St. Louis as well.
Seniors Eric Petersen and Andrew Whitinger will travel to the Raleigh Relays, chasing elite distance marks. Petersen, the reigning #HLTF Outdoor Runner of the Week, will compete in the 5K while Whitinger will run the 10K. Both will take aim at new school records against elite fields.
In St. Louis, three other Jaguars – Mitchell Gits, Nick Perkins and Mitchell Rans – will also compete in the 10K under the lights. A deep group of Jaguars will run the 5,000m event, including Jack Acton and Grant Moon, while true freshman Luke Shappell is earmarked for the 1,500m event. Shappell clocked a debut time of 3:52.94 at Miami’s Blizzard Buster last week, landing squarely among the program’s top-10 all-time.
A group of women will compete at nearby Marian on Thursday morning as Morgan Hoard, Paige Laffoon and Shelby McGee will make their season debuts in the javelin. Karis Davis leads the four entries in the 400m event having run 58.63 and sophomore Jada-Marie Davis tops the two entrants in the 400m hurdles, having run 1:05.06. Another sophomore, Kyla Kante, will run her first 200m dash of her outdoor career.
As WashU., Madison Fry and Laci Provenzano will run the 10,000m event and seniors Kara Krol and Rebecca Orvis lead the 5,000m entries. Sophomore Wini Barnett will run the 800m event late on Friday.
A full recap and results from each day’s events will be posted to IUPUIJags.com immediately afterwards.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
CARDINALS HOSTING OHIO FOR THREE-GAME SET STARTING THURSDAY
The Ball State baseball team is scheduled to host a three-game series with Ohio beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The Cardinals (14-12, 2-7 Mid-American Conference) are riding a two-game winning streak into the Easter weekend set with the Bobcats (8-13, 4-5 MAC).
Friday (3 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) games are scheduled to follow Thursday’s opener, while each contest will be broadcast on ESPN+. Links to the video stream and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.
Ball State most recently beat Southern Indiana 12-5 on Tuesday afternoon following a 4-2 decision in Sunday’s series finale at Toledo.
Ohio went 1-2 during last weekend’s set with Central Michigan including winning the second game of a Saturday doubleheader 18-3. The Bobcats went 2-1 vs Kent State (March 15-17) and 1-2 against Northern Illinois (March 8-10) in earlier conference play.
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats went 19-30 (15-15 MAC) last year in the third under the direction of head coach Craig Moore. Ohio finished fifth in the conference standings and miss out on the MAC Tournament by one spot.
Ohio’s batters rank second in the MAC in doubles per game (1.90) and third in batting average (.289) and total hits (215).
Senior outfielder Gideon Antle leads the league and ranks in the Top 50 in NCAA Division I in hits per game (1.95, No. 2), batting average (.438, No. 15), doubles (10, No. 33), RBI per game (1.45, No. 31), slugging percentage (.787, No. 42) and total bases (70, No. 43).
ROTATION ROUNDING INTO FORM: The trio of Nate Blain, Merritt Beeker and Keegan Johnson combined for a 3.42 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 21.0 innings pitched in last weekend’s series at Toledo.
Blain tossed Ball State’s first complete game of the year on Friday against the Rockets while not allowing a hit or run in his final six innings on the mound, while Beeker notched his third double-digit strikeout game as a Cardinal and Johnson was named the Mid-American Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week after 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings of 1-run ball on Sunday to improve his record to 3-0.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK BLASTS ROUND 2: Blake Bevis, Clay Jacobs and Hunter Dobbins hit consecutive home runs in the first inning of Tuesday’s 12-5 win over USI to get the Cardinals an early 4-0 edge.
Michael Hallquist, Dobbins and Decker Scheffler hit three straight long balls in the second inning of the March 12 win against Purdue Fort Wayne. Dobbins and Matthew Gonzalez hit back-to-back shots in the season-opening 8-4 win over Lehigh.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Ball State offense leads the Mid-American Conference in total home runs (37, No. 41 in NCAA Division I), doubles (48) and hits (243), while the Cardinals pitching staff paces the MAC and ranks No. 25 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5).
Hallquist leads the league in home runs (eight) and total bases (70) while ranking third in hits (36) and fifth in RBI (27). Tanner Knapp (four saves, No. 22 in Division I) and Merritt Beeker (15.92 strikeouts per nine innings, No. 7) pace the MAC in pitching categories.
WINNING TRADITION: The Ball State baseball program has finished first or second in the Mid-American Conference regular season standings every year since the MAC did away with divisions in 2018 (five years in a row).
The Cardinals won the league tournament in 2023 a year after claiming the regular season crown in 2022. Ball State has finished in the Top 3 of the division or overall standings every year under Rich Maloney except for his first in 1996.
MIDWEEK MASHERS: The Cardinals have averaged 10.0 runs per game across seven midweek contests in 2024 to lead to a 6-1 record in such games this year.
Ball State has gone 3-1 on Tuesday and 3-0 on Wednesday so far this season, while the Cardinals’ best record in weekend games has been on Sunday (4-2).
ON DECK: Decker Scheffler has reached base safely in 19 straight games and has secured at least one base hit in 17 of them.
The senior has raised his batting average 139 points since the beginning of the streak.
Up Next
Ball State travels to Louisville to face Bellarmine at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
BALL STATE TRACK
CARDINALS REPRESENTED IN TWO MEETS THIS WEEKEND
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Cardinals will represent Ball State Track and Field at two meets this weekend. Jenelle Rogers and Malina Miller will compete in Austin, Texas at the Texas Relays March 27th-30th. Distance runners, Shelby Christman, Sarah Mahnensmith and Carly Spletzer will compete at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 28th.
Rogers will compete in her first heptathlon of the outdoor season. She is coming off an impressive second-place finish in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Miller will participate in the high jump competition. In her last outing, she took a first-place finish with a mark of 1.71m.
In Raleigh, Christman and Mahnensmith will race in the 5,000m run. Mahnensmith opened her outdoor season at the USF Alumni Invite where she hit a new personal best in the 1,500m. She finished in a time of 4:33.10, good for 14th place. At the same meet, Christman started her outdoor season in the 2,000m steeplechase where she finished eighth with a time of 7:22.52.
Spletzer will compete in the 10,000m at the Raleigh Relays. She also opened her season at the USF Alumni Invite in the 1,500m run, achieving a new personal best and finishing 23rd with a time of 4:38.38.
The Texas Relays will be live streamed on ESPN each day of the meet.
Ball State Entries in the Texas Relays
Wednesday
11:30 a.m. ET – Heptathlon Day 1
100m Hurdles
High Jump
Shot Put
200m Dash
Thursday
11:30 a.m. ET – Heptathlon Day 2
Long Jump
Javelin
800m
Friday
11:00 a.m. ET – High Jump (Section B)
Saturday
12:00 p.m. ET – High Jump (Section A)
Ball State Entries in the Raleigh Relays
Friday
6:25 p.m. ET – 5,000m
9:57 p.m. ET – 10,000m
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL VISITS TOLEDO FOR WEEKEND SERIES
» THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE SOFTBALL: The Ball State softball team continues Mid-American Conference play Friday, when it opens a three-game series at Toledo with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Scott Park … The teams are also slated to play a single game at 3 p.m. Saturday.
» HOME SWEET HOME: After playing its first 26 games of the season on the road, Ball State saw its first homestand of the season cut to six games when Tuesday’s contest versus Butler was rained out … The six-game run tied as the longest homestand since the COVID adjusted 2021 season which saw Ball State play 12 straight at home from April 23 to May 4 … Looking at the road numbers, the program record for consecutive road games to start a season is 33 games set in 2018.
» THE OVERALL RECORD: Ball State enters its weekend series at Toledo with a 1163-1159-4 (.501) overall record dating back to 1975 … The Cardinals have tallied 30-or-more wins in 16 seasons, most recently a 37-18 mark in 2021 … Of the 16 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 11 have come in the past 16 years.
» A QUICK LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Led by first-year head coach Helen Peña, the Cardinals own a 15-17 overall record … Ball State maintains a .245 team batting average, led by redshirt junior utility player McKayla Timmons who ranks 14th in the MAC at .359 … Timmons ranks third both in the MAC and nationally with 15 home runs, while ranking third in the league and 19th nationally with 37 RBIs … Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn is second on the squad in average (.318), home runs (6) and runs scored (24) … In the circle, the Cardinals own a 4.04 ERA led by senior Francys King who boasts an 8-7 record and a 3.49 ERA over 100.1 innings of work … King has also tallied three complete game shutouts this season and leads the team lead with 47 strikeouts … Sophomore Bridie Murphy has a team-best .273 average against over 69.1 innings, to go along with a 6-6 record, one save and 41 strikeouts … Murphy picked up her first complete game shutout of the season in last Saturday’s 5-0 victory over Ohio.
» CARDINALS VERSUS THE ROCKETS:
– Ball State owns a 65-52-1 lead in the all-time series versus Toledo, with the teams deadlocked at 28-28-1 in games played on the Rockets’ home field … Last season, Toledo took the first two of a three-game set in Muncie, with the Cardinals closing the series with a 6-1 win on April 8 … UT scored a 5-1 win on April 7, while shutting out BSU, 5-0, in the opener the next day.
» SCOUTING THE ROCKETS: Toledo entered the week with a 13-12 overall recorded and were scheduled to play at Michigan Wednesday afternoon … Eli Enriquez currently leads the team with a .424 average and has scored a team-high 21 runs … Riley Mohr is right behind with a .408 average and has a team-high 20 RBI … Sophia Knight leads the Rockets in the circle with a 9-4 record and 1.96 ERA over 92.2 innings of work … She has limited opposing batters to a .227 average and has a team-high 65 strikeouts.
BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:
» MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Ball State was picked to finish fourth among 11 teams in the Mid-American Conference’s annual preseason poll … The Cardinals, who finished fourth in the league last season with a 17-12 MAC record, are looking for a second consecutive MAC Softball Championship berth, with the league’s top six teams advancing to Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, for the three-day event which runs May 8-11.
» THE WYNN FACTOR: Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn has taken advantage of her extra year of eligibility, leading the team with 35 hits so far this season … That raises her career total to 216 which is seventh in program history … Wynn has registered at least one hit in 23 of first 32 games of the season, including six home runs to up her career long ball total to 25 which is tied for ninth in program history.
» MORE ON WYNN: Haley Wynn is one of the most prolific batters in program history ranking 15th on Ball State’s career charts with a .332 career average … She is also 12th all-time in slugging percentage (.545) and 16th in on base percentage (.410) … In addition, her 156 career runs scored are third in program history and 31st among all active NCAA Division I players … She also ranks 24th among active DI players with 43 career doubles which is eighth in program history.
» TIMMONS CLIMBING THE CHARTS TOO: After leading the Ball State offense with a .359 batting average, a .902 slugging percentage and a .484 on base percentage through the first 32 games of the season, McKayla Timmons continued her climb up BSU’s career charts … She currently ranks fourth in program history in slugging percentage (.700), fourth in on base percentage (.454) and eighth in batting average (.347) … Timmons, who has blasted a team-leading 15 home runs so far this season, including her first collegiate grand slam at Georgia State (Feb. 24), is also one of the program’s top home run hitters with her 31 career long balls tying for fifth on BSU’s all-time list.
» RBI LEADER: McKayla Timmons enters the Toledo series ranked 19th nationally with her 37 RBIs this season … The effort included seven RBIs in the 9-5 (9) win over Georgia State (Feb. 24) and six in the 13-9 victory at Marshall (March 7) … The program record for RBIs in a single game is eight by Stacy Payton versus Oakland on May 4, 2019.
» BALL STATE’S BEST THIEF: Senior outfielder Remington Ross enters the Toledo series as the greatest base thief in program history with a .965 (55-for-57) career stole base percentage at Ball State … Last season, she went a perfect 23-for-23 in stolen base attempts and ranked second in the MAC and 54th nationally with a 0.47 steals-per-game average … Ross, who is seventh in program history with 55 career stolen bases, had been successful in her previous 36 stolen base attempts before being caught stealing for just the second time in her Ball State career at Georgia State (Feb. 24) … She has stolen six straight bases since.
» SPEAKING OF STOLEN BASES: Ball State enters the weekend ranked second in the league and 24th nationally with 57 stolen bases this season … Haley Wynn and Remington Ross are tied for the team lead with 10 apiece, while McKayla Timmons and senior outfielder Kaitlyn Mathews are right behind with nine … Overall, 10 different Cardinals have stolen at least one base this season … Ball State’s 57 stolen bases in 2024 are already tied as the 17th-most in a season in program history … The program record is 151 set by the 2008 squad.
» A SLAMMING FIRST HIT: Redshirt sophomore Jessica Hoffman had just two career at bats when she stepped up to the plate with bases loaded in the 10-8 win over Fordham (Feb. 11) … She proceeded to blast her first career hit over the fence in right center field for her first career home run and Ball State’s first grand slam since April 6, 2022 … A regular in the lineup since, Hoffman has 24 career hits and is third on the team with a .282 average this season … Of her 24 hits, 11 have driven in at least one RBI and she currently ranks second on the squad with 21 RBIs.
» KING OF THE PEN: Senior Francys King leads the Ball State pitching staff with a 3.49 ERA over 100.1 innings of work … She has earned the victory in eight of BSU’s 15 wins, including three of the team’s four complete game shutouts … King has 17 career collegiate pitching victories, with 11 coming at Ball State and six coming in her two seasons at Tennessee State (2021-22).
» TRIPLING UP: The Ball State defense owns one of the nation’s three triple plays this season, turning what was a squeeze bunt attempt into a triple killing in the fifth inning of the 5-4 win over Jacksonville State on Feb. 17 … The bunt was fielded by Haley Wynn at third base, who threw to McKayla Timmons to get the out at first … The play then went to catcher Jazmyne Armendariz to get the runner out trying to advance home, who in turn threw to shortstop Maia Pietrzak to get the final out … It was just the second recorded triple play in program history, with the first coming in 1985.
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL PLAYS TWO-MATCH MIVA ROAD SERIES AT LEWIS THIS WEEKEND
No. 12 Ball State (17-8, 10-2 MIVA) | No. 14 Lewis (14-11, 7-5 MIVA)
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Lewis 0 (4/9/23)
Series History: Ball State leads the all-time series 38-34
Setting the Scene:
Coach Cruz: Ball State head coach Donan Cruz enters his third season at the helm of the Cardinals and owns an overall record at BSU of 60-21 (.746) along with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament Championship, two MIVA regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Match Recap: Ball State defeated in-state MIVA rival Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday in a five-set thriller in Fort Wayne, Ind. The Cardinals charge was led by Tinaishe Ndavazocheva who had a season best 25 kills. Ndavazocheva registered six kills off seven swings while hitting .857 from the floor in the fifth set to help BSU seal the win over PFW allowing the Cardinals to stay atop of the MIVA standings. Currently, the Cardinals own a 10-2 MIVA mark and are two wins ahead of Ohio State and Loyola Chicago. Both the Buckeyes and the Ramblers own a 9-4 conference record currently.
Scouting Lewis: Lewis rides a three-match win streak into Thursday’s contest against Ball State with wins over Quincy and Queens. Max Roquet leads the Flyers offensively with a total of 319 kills while hitting .304 from the court. Roquet averages 3.54 kills per set. A well balanced player, Roquet also is strong defensively owning a team high total of 65 blocks this season.
Fun Fact: The Cardinals’ assistant coach Mike Iandolo was a former standout player at Lewis. During his career as a Flyer, Iandolo was a three-time Delahnty Award and MIVA Academic All-Conference selection at the setter position. He was also a two-time All-MIVA First Team selection. After his playing days with the Flyers, Iandolo spent the 2012-13 campaign as a graduate assistant coach for his alma mater.
Ndavazocheva Earns MIVA Offensive Player of the Week: Ndavazocheva led the Cardinals to a 3-0 victory over Quincy. The junior outside hitter had 15 kills on 22 attempts with just one error, working out to a .636 hitting percentage. He added an ace in the win. His 15 kills averaged to 5.00 per set.
Rogers MIVA Offensive Player of the Week: Patrick Rogers led No. 13 Ball State to a pair of wins over Purdue Fort Wayne and then-No. 10 Loyola Chicago. The sophomore outside hitter totaled 40 kills in eight sets for a 5.00 average per set while hitting .395 for the week. Against the Mastodons, he had 22 kills in three sets on a blistering .515 hitting clip then followed it up with 18 kills on .302 hitting in five sets against the Ramblers. He added an ace against the Mastodons.
Preseason All-MIVA: The 2024 roster is a good mixture of some familiar faces along with several newcomers. One of the Cardinals returnees is sophomore outside hitter Tinaishe Ndavazocheva who was recently named to the 12-member preseason All-MIVA conference team. Ndavazocheva turned in quite the rookie season for the Cardinals last year. He earned MIVA Offensive Player of the Week honors and Off the Block National Honors on Feb. 7. He turned in a career high 27 kills against Lewis (2/9) and had 22 double digit kill performances in 2023. Ndavazocheva ended the season ranked second on the team in kills (342) and in points (397.5). He also received All-MIVA First Team honors and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American.
The Legend Don Shondell: The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association has announced changes to the MIVA Tournament format. The conference has also announced that future tournament winners will receive the Don Shondell MIVA Championship Trophy.
The MIVA Tournament has been played after every regular season since 1980 except 2020 and was also played from 1964-69. The new format for the MIVA Tournament will reward the highest seeds, providing an advantage for a path to the NCAA tournament via the MIVA’s automatic bid.The opening round of the eight-team tournament will be played at the higher four seeds. No. 1 will host No. 8, No. 2 will host No. 7, No. 3 will host No. 6, and No. 4 will host No. 5.
The semifinal and final rounds will be hosted by the highest remaining seed in the field. The field will also re-seed. The highest remaining seed will host the lowest remaining seed and the other two teams will play in the other semifinal. The two winning teams will play in the final match for the Don Shondell MIVA Championship Trophy.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S GOLF
SYCAMORE GOLF 7TH; HOBBS, MORROW TOP-20 FINISHES AT OZARKS
HOLLISTER, Mo. – Indiana State golf wraps up the Ozarks National Invitational in seventh place, highlighted by top-20 finishes by Kristen Hobbs and Chelsea Morrow.
Hobbs tied for 15th to pace the Sycamores with a score of 155 (+11), shooting a 76 on day two. The senior birdied back-to-back holes on the front nine and finished with 11 pars. Morrow recorded the best round of the day for ISU, shooting one-over for the second round. Tying in 20th place, she scored 11 pars and three birdies and finished one-under on the front nine.
Briana LeMaire tied for 27th place with a two-day score of 157 (+13), shooting a 74 on day two. LeMaire finished with three birdies on the day and finished even on the back nine.
Yang Tai and Sophia Florek each finished tied in 55th with a tournament score of 165. Tai on day two finished with a 77 and Florek with an 82.
The individual player for Indiana State, Eliza Baker, shot 79 on both days for a score of 154 in the tournament.
ISU finished the Ozarks National Invitational fifth in total team pars.
Up Next
The Sycamores return to Terre Haute for the next tournament for the ISU Spring Invite, held at the Country Club of Terre Haute on April 7-8.
INDIANA STYATE BASEBALL
DIAZ, HERNANDEZ NAMED IN THE D1BASEBALL WEEK 6 POSITIONAL RANKINGS
D1BASEBALL – Indiana State’s Randal Diaz and Luis Hernandez were named among the top players in their position by D1Baseball as the organization announced their Week 6 Positional Rankings this week.
Diaz was named the No. 20 shortstop in the NCAA Division I, while Hernandez checked in as the No. 46 first baseman through the opening part of the 2024 season. Diaz moved up one position from his preseason ranking of No. 21 announced by the organization back on February 5.
Diaz has been among the top hitters on the Sycamores this season serving as the primary leadoff batter for the Indiana State offense. The Toa Alta, Puerto Rico native is hitting .313 from the plate sitting second on the team with 30 hits, while tying for the team lead with six doubles. He’s added five home runs and 20 RBIs, while posting a .531 slugging percentage and .393 on-base percentage.
Diaz is second on the team with nine multi-hit games and posted a 12-game on-base streak this season and has reached base safely in all but two games in 2024. The Sycamore shortstop is one of four players on the ISU roster to start all 23 games on the season and also leads the way with 57 assists in the field.
Hernandez bounced back from a tough opening day to post a 22-game hitting streak marking the longest such streak in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era. The Gurabo, Puerto Rico native is third in the Missouri Valley with a .396 batting average, while adding a team-high 38 hits and a .625 slugging percentage. Hernandez paces the Sycamores in runs (23) while sitting third in home runs (6) and second in RBIs (27).
Hernandez leads the team with 10 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI contests on the season, including a two-homer, 5-RBI contest against Xavier. He has also adjusted to playing first base this season after spending parts of the previous two years at both catcher and the corner outfield spots. Hernandez has posted a .991 fielding percentage over 117 chances on the field.
The Sycamores continue Missouri Valley play this weekend with a three-game series against UIC. First pitch in Friday’s opener at Bob Warn Field is set for 3 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES WELCOME BELMONT FOR THREE-GAME MVC SERIES
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State will host Belmont this weekend, March 29-31 for a three-game series. Game times are listed below with Saturday and Sunday’s games being streamed on ESPN+.
Friday, March 29- 3 p.m ET
Saturday, March 30- 2 p.m ET- First 50 fans will receive a rally towel
Sunday, March 31- 12 p.m ET
The Sycamores (13-15, 2-3) are currently eighth in the MVC and their scheduled three-game series against UNI was canceled last weekend due to cold temperatures and inclement weather in Northern Iowa. Indiana State has a team batting average of .272 which is third in the conference, which consists of 200 hits, 32 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 106 RBIs, 270 total bases and 122 runs scored.
The Bruins (19-9, 5-2) are ranked third in the MVC where they recently swept Evansville in their three-game series last weekend, limiting the Purple Aces to two runs throughout the weekend series. Belmont is first in the conference in batting averages with a .290, which consists of 211 hits, 42 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs, 122 RBIs, 295 total bases, and 122 runs scored.
Indiana State leads the all time series 7-5 over Belmont which dates back to 2004. The Sycamores won the most recent series over the Bruins last year 2-1.
Sycamore Standouts:
Three Sycamores are ranked within the top eight in batting averages in the Missouri Valley Conference. Kennedy Shade is ranked fourth with a .380 average, Abby Robakowski is ranked sixth with a .367 average, and Abi Chipps is ranked eighth with a .359 average.
Kennedy Shade continues to lead the Sycamores offensively, where she records 30 hits, six doubles, 16 runs scored, three home runs, and is tied for second in the MVC with 23 RBIs. Shade has ten multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games this season for the Sycamores where she has reached the base in her last 10 at bats.
Abi Chipps records the most hits on the season for Indiana State, with 33, where she is ranked third in the conference in hits, as well as third in stolen bases, with 11. In 92 at bats at lead off, Chipps has only struck out three times this season.
Isabella Henning is ranked second in the MVC in doubles, with 10. I. Henning has a .318 batting average with a .438 on base percentage.
Abi Chipps and Danielle Henning are tied for third place in the conference with 21 runs scored this season.
In the circle:
Hailey Griffin (3-3) leads the Sycamore pitching staff with a 3.27 ERA in 60.0 innings pitched. She recorded her first collegiate no hitter in the 4-0 victory on March 1 against IUPUI. Griffin has started in six games this season, where she has struck out 39 batters.
Lauren Sackett (6-7) records the most strikeouts for the Indiana States pitching staff, with 43. Sackett has made 16 appearances and 13 starts in the 2024 season where she holds a 4.65 ERA and records one save for the Sycamores.
Scouting Belmont:
Coached by Laura Matthews who is in her fourth season as head coach for the Belmont Bruins.
Nicole Hughes is ranked second in the MVC in batting averages where she leads the Bruins offensively with a .378 average, which consists of 35 hits, eight doubles, four home runs, 22 RBIs, and 20 runs scored.
Maya Johnson (8-3) leads the pitching staff with a 1.67 ERA in 67.0 innings of work where she is ranked second in the conference in strikeouts, with 91. Johnson picked up her eighth win in the circle in the 7-1 victory over Evansville last weekend allowing six hits, two walks, one run scored, while striking out eleven.
Up Next:
Indiana State will travel to the University of Illinois on April 3 to compete in a non-conference midweek matchup. First pitch is set for 6 p.m ET and will be live streamed on ESPN+.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODONS FALL TO NORFOLK STATE IN CIT TITLE GAME
NORFOLK, Va. – Anthony Roberts scored a game-high 18 points but it came in a losing effort on Wednesday (March 27) as Norfolk State defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 75-67 in the championship game of The 2024 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, presented by BSN SPORTS.
Roberts added eight rebounds and three assists to his final collegiate box score. The senior finished his career with 2,028 NCAA points.
Norfolk State out-scored the ‘Dons 44-26 in the second half as the Spartans erased a Mastodon lead which was as large as 41-23 in the first half. The ‘Dons made nine first half 3-pointers to take a 41-31 lead to the break.
Norfolk State took their first lead of the game at 51-49 on a 3-pointer by Allen Betrand with 11:40 remaining. A Roberts dunk followed to knot the game at 51. Norfolk State was ahead 61-58 with 5:17 left following a pair of Jalen Jackson free throws. But for the ‘Dons, it would be the final time they would be within a possession. An 8-0 Spartan run followed to give the trophy to the home squad.
Christian Ings had a team-high 17 points for NSU as the Spartans finished the season a perfect 15-0 at home.
Rasheed Bello recorded 13 points, eight assists and three steals. Quinton Morton-Robertson drained four 3-pointers for 12 points. Eric Mulder scored 10 points.
The Mastodons finish the season 23-13 for the third most wins in a season in program history.
Norfolk State wraps up the season 24-11.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
‘DONS OPEN SERIES AT MILWAUKEE ON THURSDAY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Mastodons travel to Milwaukee for their next Horizon League series this week. The series runs Thursday – Saturday.
Game Day Information
When:
Thursday, March 28 | 4 p.m. ET
Friday, March 29 | 3 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 30 | 2 p.m. ET
Where: Franklin Field | Franklin, Wis.
Video & Live Stats:Link
Series History: Purdue Fort Wayne is 11-12 all time against Milwaukee and 5-5 at Franklin Field. The ‘Dons took two of three in their last visit to Milwaukee with multi RBI games from Braedon Blackford, Grant Thoroman and Ben Higgins lifting the ‘Dons to a series victory.
Weather:
Thursday: High of 48/low of 25, 2% chance of rain
Friday: High of 48/low of 37, 11% chance of rain
Saturday: High of 56/low of 33, 64% chance of rain
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne: TBD, RHP Mac Ayres, RHP Carter Sabol
Milwaukee: RHP Luke Hansel, LHP Adrian Montilva, LHP Owen Rice
Scouting the Panthers: Milwaukee will play their first home games this weekend after 21 straight road games to begin their season. The Panthers won two of their first 20 games and are 1-5 after their first two Horizon League series. Carson Hansen has been the heavy hitter for the Panthers this season with 10 doubles and two home runs. The Panthers own the best team ERA in the league at 7.52, but in league play their team ERA is 10.22 over six games.
‘Dons & Ends:
– Justin Osterhouse leads the team with 12 multi hit games.
– Justin Osterhouse enters the series on a 14-game hitting streak and 18 game on-base streak.
– Justin Osterhouse (.739), Jacob Walker (.585), and Grant Thoroman (.571) each own a slugging percentage above .500.
– In six Horizon League games, Jacob Walker has 12 hits with an on-base percentage of .563.
– The ‘Dons are 35-of-39 in stolen base attempts this season.
– In three trips to the mound in league play, Jake Paymaster has yet to allow an earned run in 4.0 innings.
– 10 Mastodons have thrown 10 or more innings this season.
Fee Time:Kevin Fee owns 74 pitching appearances in his Mastodon career, third in program history. Adam Feris (2002-05) has the record with 78 trips to the mound for the ‘Dons. Matt Ransbottom (2007-11) is second with 76 appearances.
Strong Start Sabol:Carter Sabol struck out 10 in 6.1 innings in the win over Wright State on Saturday. In addition to his 10 K’s, Sabol gave up just four hits and no walks. After that start, he’s now the top of the Horizon League in ERA, strikeouts and wins in HL play only.
Justin Time:Justin Osterhouse leads the team in batting average (.413), slugging percentage (.739), and on base percentage (.476). He ranks in the top 10 of the Horizon League in each of those categories as well and is one of only two hitters in the league hitting above .400. The freshman is also a threat on the bases as he’s tied for the fourth-most steals in the Horizon League with nine.
Last Time Out: Purdue Fort Wayne dropped two-of-three this past weekend against Wright State. The ‘Dons took Saturday’s game 11-2 and worked a Division I era program record 13 walks in the game.
Up Next: The ‘Dons will host Western Michigan next week on Tuesday (Apr. 2) in Fort Wayne.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BASEBALL OPENS VALLEY SERIES WITH SIU ON THURSDAY NIGHT
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will return to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend beginning on Thursday, as the Purple Aces will open a three-game Valley series with Southern Illinois at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville. First-pitch for the series-opener is set for 6 p.m.
Evansville will bring a 9-15 overall record into Thursday’s opener. The Purple Aces will be trying to snap a six-game losing streak this weekend, the longest for UE since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Evansville and Southern Illinois split four games last season, including a 7-3 UE victory in the 2023 MVC Tournament opener for both schools.
Evansville’s offense will be buoyed by the return to graduate first baseman Chase Hug this weekend. Hug, who missed 20 games after straining his biceps on a swing in the second game of the year, officially returned to the UE lineup on Sunday against Murray State, and he picked up his first hit since returning Tuesday night with a three-run home run against SIUE. Hug was a first-team all-MVC selection last year, and was a preseason all-Valley player in a vote of the league’s coaches. Overall, Evansville is hitting .293 this year, led by graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger’s .375 batting average.
Southern Illinois will bring a 17-8 overall record and 3-0 MVC mark into this weekend’s series after dropping an 8-7 decision to UT Martin on Tuesday night in 10 innings. The Salukis opened Valley play by sweeping Valparaiso at home last weekend. The Salukis will bring a .295 team batting average into the series, with senior Nathan Bandy leading the way with a .426 average in part-time action this year. Bandy went 3-for-4 on Tuesday night against UT Martin, driving in five runs for SIU. Outfielder Mathieu Vallee is next for the Salukis with a .333 average.
All three games of the weekend series can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS, with the Voice of the Aces Jevin Redman providing the play-by-play. The games on Thursday and Friday night (both 6 p.m. starts) can be seen live on ESPN+. The series is moved up a day to Thursday, Friday and Saturday to accommodate the Easter holiday on Sunday. Senior RHP Shane Harris (1-4, 5.12 ERA) is expected to get the start for UE in Thursday’s opener.
EVANSVILLE TRACK
ACES TRACK AND FIELD RUNNERS TO SPLIT WEEKEND IN RALEIGH AND ST. LOUIS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A small group of runners from the University of Evansville’s track and field program will compete over the weekend in two different meets.
The Purple Aces will be sending eight runners to the prestigious Raleigh Relays hosted by NC State starting on Thursday, March 28. Along with eight runners in Raleigh, two runners will participate in the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis on Friday, March 29. UE’s runners events will be spread out over three days in both Raleigh and St. Louis with one race on Thursday, five races on Friday, and three races on Saturday.
Evansville’s lone race on Thursday is freshman Tommaso Losma (Lombardia, Italy) in the men’s 1,500 meters at the Raleigh Relays at 3:40 p.m. CT. Friday kicks off for the Aces with the women’s 400-meter race in Raleigh with freshmen Eilen Brenne (Skien, Norway) and Nicole Prauchner (Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria) at 1:40 p.m. CT followed by the men’s 400-meter race with Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS) at 2:10 p.m.
Also competing in Raleigh on Friday for UE is freshman Nayla Martin (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada) and Kalina Urbaniak (Suchy Las, Poland) at 3:20 p.m. Evansville’s two runners participating in the WashU Distance Carnival, freshman Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) and Sonja Inzinger (Mautern an der Donau, Austria) will race Friday evening in the men’s and women’s 5K at 9:20 and 9:40 p.m. CT.
The Aces will wrap up the weekend on Saturday in Raleigh starting with the women’s 800-meter race at 12:45 p.m. with Brenne, Martin, Prauchner, and Urbaniak all competing in the event. Also on Saturday, UE will have runners in the men’s 200-meter race at 2:55 p.m. with Felton III. Evansville’s final race of the weekend will be the men’s 800-meter with Losma, Alvaro Monfort (Castile Y Leon, Spain), and Rafael Rodrigeuz (Segovia, Spain) running at 3:20 p.m.
Last weekend the Aces competed in their first meet of the outdoor season in the Margaret Simmons Invite hosted by Murray State. UE’s men’s team finished third out of 12 teams while the women finished sixth of 11 teams. Evansville had a strong showing with 13 podium finishes among 22 scored events including six first-place finishes.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
EAGLES BATTLE REDHAWKS AT HOME FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball returns home to USI Softball Field Friday and Saturday before the Easter holiday when the Screaming Eagles face off against Southeast Missouri State University in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday with the series finale Saturday at Noon. Friday is Giving Friday at USI Softball Field – bring three (3) canned goods or non-perishable food items to donate to Archie’s Closet to receive free admission.
Entering the weekend slate around the Ohio Valley Conference, Southern Indiana (12-12, 6-3 OVC) finds itself in a four-way tie for second in the league standings alongside Southeast Missouri, Tennessee Tech University, and Tennessee State University.
USI has won six of its last seven games. Last weekend, the Screaming Eagles took two of three on the road at Lindenwood University. The series win brought Southern Indiana back to .500 on the season. USI won a 3-2, nine-inning thriller in the opener at Lindenwood; fell 8-0 in five innings in game 2; and won the rubber match 2-1 in the series finale.
The Screaming Eagles hit .241 as a team at Lindenwood, led by junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) who went 5-10 against the Lions. Gotshall had three of her five hits go for extra bases. Gotshall has hit safely in five straight games entering the series against SEMO. Junior outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) also hit over .400 at Lindenwood, while freshman Kate Satkoski (Lanesville, Indiana) had three hits including her first career home run.
Earlier this week junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was named OVC Pitcher of the Week following her performance in the series at Lindenwood. Newman went 2-0 in two complete games, posting a 1.31 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 16 innings of work. Plus, the junior walked only one batter all weekend and pitched all nine innings in Saturday’s extra-inning victory. The award was Newman’s first of the season and fourth OVC Pitcher of the Week accolade in her career.
On the season, Newman is 10-5 with a 1.93 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 16 starts and 105 innings of work. The right-hander also has three shutouts and 15 complete games. Newman is fourth in the OVC in ERA while topping the league in innings pitched and strikeouts. The junior is one of two pitchers in the conference with over 100 strikeouts. In league action, Newman is second in ERA (1.20), opposing batting average (.187), innings pitched (41.0), and strikeouts (49).
At the plate, sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) leads the team with a .328 batting average and 11 runs scored. Senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and Gotshall are not too far behind in batting average, hitting .324 and .313, respectively. Both are tied for a team-best seven doubles. Fair leads the Screaming Eagles with 14 RBIs and ranks top 10 in OVC play in batting average (.458), slugging percentage (.708), on-base percentage (.581), OPS (1.289), and RBIs (9). Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) is also hitting above .300 for USI this season with two home runs and 11 RBIs.
Southeast Missouri (11-18, 6-3 OVC) is coming off a series win last weekend, taking two of three against Tennessee State. The Redhawks have been trending upward like the Screaming Eagles, winning seven of the last 10 games and 5-1 in the last two OVC series.
SEMO has three key hitters in its lineup, featuring senior infielder Abigail Rickermann, junior infielder Aubrie Shore, and senior catcher Marissa Peek. Rickermann leads the squad in batting average at .367 and is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak entering the weekend. Shore is hitting .326 and tops the team with 19 RBIs. Peek is batting .311 with a team-high four home runs and 11 RBIs. All three are batting above .400 in conference play.
Senior pitcher Paytience Holman leads the SEMO pitching staff with a 7-6 record and a 2.99 ERA in 13 starts and 75 innings pitched. Holman has 44 strikeouts this season. Last time out, Holman went seven innings in her longest outing of the season.
The Redhawks lead the all-time series 20-2, including nine consecutive wins. SEMO swept USI in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, last season. Southern Indiana’s only wins in the series’ history came in the first all-time meeting in 1984, a 2-0 win, and in 1990, a 3-0 victory.
All three 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.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
SCREAMING EAGLES MAKE A VISIT TO MOREHEAD STATE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball continues a five-game road swing this weekend with a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Morehead State University. The series start Thursday with a 4 p.m. (CDT) first pitch before continuing Friday at 4 p.m. (CDT) and concluding Sunday at noon (CDT).
Links to follow the Eagles during the opening weekend of 2024 can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and on the USI Baseball Schedule.
USI concludes the five-game road swing with a visit to Murray State University April 2 before starting a four-game homestand. The homestand includes the second half of a series with Murray State April 3 and a three-game OVC set with Lindenwood University April 5-7.
USI Baseball Notes:
USI Eagles open road trip with loss. The USI Screaming Eagles lost the opening game of a four-game road swing, 12-5, at Ball State University Tuesday. Four of USI’s five runs came via the long ball, including a two-run shot and a pair of solo blasts.
Ellis leads Eagles in homers. Senior designated hitter Jack Ellis leads the USI Eagle with four this season. He had a two-run homer Tuesday at Ball State.
USI won series with TTU. The USI Screaming Eagles won the first series of the OVC season, taking two of three from Tennessee Tech University over the weekend. USI lost the opening game in 10 innings, 9-7, but bounced back to win on a walk off three-run homer, 7-5, and took the series finale, 8-1.
USI has won four series in 2024. The Eagles have won four season series this year, matching the total for all of last year.
USI leaders last week. USI senior designated hitter Jack Ellis led USI last week with a .500 average (8-16) in four games. Freshman outfielder Cameron Boyd posted a team-best five RBIs and had the Eagles’ lone home run of the week, a three-run walk off bomb versus TTU.
Best outing of last week. USI junior right-hander Gavin Seebold had the Eagles’ best outing of the week, throwing six scoreless innings to earn the victory in comeback win over TTU. He also had a career-high tying six strikeouts in the game and was the runner-up in the OVC Pitcher of the Week voting.
The Last 10 Games for USI. USI, which is 5-5 in the last 10 games, is led by senior designated hitter Jack Ellis. Ellis is hitting .500 (18-36) with 11 runs scored, three doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI. Senior catcher Tyler Kapust also is hitting .500 (4-8) in five of the last 10 games. Junior right-hander Gavin Morris leads the Eagles on the bump with a 3-0 mark, posting a 2.00 ERA (18 innings) and 12 strikeouts.
Leaders at the plate in 2024. Senior designated hitter Jack Ellis is hitting a team-high .463 and four home runs this season, while senior outfielder Ren Tachioka follows with a .403 mark.
Leaders on the mound in 2024. USI junior right-hander Gavin Seebold and Gavin Morris lead the team with three victories each. Freshman right-hander Clayton Weisheit had a team-low 2.29 ERA in 11 games and 19.2 innings pitcher, recording one save, while junior right-hander Tyler Hutson has a team-best three saves. Morris also has a team-high 31 strikeouts.
Morehead in 2024. The Eagles of Morehead State University are 14-11, 1-2 in the OVC, this season after losing two of three with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock last weekend and defeating Bellarmine on Tuesday. MSU is 7-3 in its last 10 games but has lost three of five entering the series.
USI vs. MSU. The Screaming Eagles were blanked in the season MSU last season in the OVC series, 3-0.
Murray State in 2024. The Racers of Murray State University are 18-6 overall in 2023-24 and take a seven-game winning streak into the weekend series at home versus Belmont University.
USI vs. Murray State. Murray State leads the all-time series, 9-3-1, after sweeping a three-game series from USI last year in Murray, Kentucky.
VALPO BASEBALL
VALPO TO HOST FIRST HOME SET OF SEASON VS. BRADLEY
Bradley (8-14, 2-1 MVC)
at Valparaiso (8-15, 0-3 MVC)
Emory G. Bauer Field (500) | Valparaiso, Ind.
Friday, March 29, 3 p.m. CT – RHP Adam Guazzo
Saturday, March 30, 1 p.m. CT – RHP Connor Lockwood
Sunday, March 31, 1 p.m. CT – TBD
Next Up in Valpo Baseball: The Valparaiso University baseball team will host its first home weekend series of the season as the league portion of the Emory G. Bauer Field docket gets underway when the Beacons welcome Bradley for an Easter Weekend set. Valpo will attempt to repeat its success from last season against the Braves and get back on track after the opening weekend of conference play at Southern Illinois. Valpo will play four straight at home after having played just one home game out of 23 contests thus far.
Last Time Out: Valpo dropped all three games of a road series at Southern Illinois to open Missouri Valley Conference play this past weekend. They fell 6-4 in Friday’s series opener despite creating numerous scoring chances and stranding a dozen aboard. After a 13-1, eight-inning victory for the hosts on Saturday, Valpo fell despite outhitting the opposition for the second time in the series on Sunday, dropping the game 9-5 in spite of a 10-7 edge in the hit column. Valpo followed the series at SIU with a narrow 3-2 setback at one of the nation’s premier college baseball programs on Tuesday, playing at No. 7 Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.
Following the Beacons: All three games this weekend will air on ESPN+. Todd Ickow (play-by-play), Brian Jennings (analyst, Friday) and Sam Michel (analyst, Saturday and Sunday) will have the call. In addition, WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso is scheduled to have the radio call on Friday and Saturday. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com. For in-game updates, follow @ValpoBaseball on X.
Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (196-309) is in his 11th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he coached his 500th game on March 17, 2024 at Campbell. He entered the season with 188 victories, the third most in program history. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.
Series Notes: Valpo holds a 19-21 record against Bradley in a series that dates all the way back to 1991. Most recently, the Beacons swept the Braves in a three-game series on April 14-15 of last year in Peoria, winning 4-3 in 10 innings, 12-8 and 10-0 in seven innings. Bradley won the most recent Emory G. Bauer Field series by taking two of three in May 2022. Valpo is 8-9 against the Braves since joining The Valley in 2017.
In The Other Dugout: Bradley
Had Tuesday’s scheduled home opener against Lindenwood canceled.
Coming off winning two of three to open league play at Illinois State last weekend, beating the Redbirds 9-8 and 12-6 before falling 12-3.
Picked to finish 10th of 10 in the MVC Preseason Poll, one spot behind the Beacons.
Missed the MVC Tournament and finished behind Valpo in the standings a year ago.
Led by Beau Durbin, who is hitting .342 with a home run and 10 RBIs. Logan Delgado (.338 average) and Cole Luckey (.333) are among other offensive standouts.
Noah Edders has the team’s top ERA at 4.66 to go along with a 3-2 record.
Under the direction of longtime head coach Elvis Dominguez.
Valpo outfielder Carson Husmann and assistant coach Adam Brian both played for Bradley last season.
Facing the Best
Valpo ranks 80th nationally in strength of schedule as opponents own a .584 winning percentage (284-202).
The Beacons are third in the league in strength of schedule behind Missouri State and Belmont.
In part due to the strong slate, Valpo ranks 103 in the latest RPI data. Four Missouri Valley Conference teams rank in the top 100.
Notes Wrapping Up March 26: No. 7 Vanderbilt 3, Valpo 2
Playing its seventh game against top-25 competition this season, Valpo dropped its second one-run cliffhanger against a ranked opponent.
The Beacons went toe-to-toe with a Vanderbilt team that won the national title as recently as 2019, was the College World Series runner-up in 2021 and went 42-20 last season.
Valpo slipped to 0-7 against top-25 teams and owns a .500 record at 8-8 against all other opponents.
The Beacons played their fifth one-run game of the season, dropping to 1-4 in such contest.
Valpo pitchers racked up 12 strikeouts, tying a season high that was set in the Feb. 17 game at Alabama State. Freshman lefty Lucas Foley accounted for half of those strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.
Kaleb Hannahs stretched his season-long on-base streak to 23 games by notching a hit. Connor Giusti also had a hit for the Brown & Gold.
VALPO SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL OPENS HOME SLATE THIS WEEKEND VERSUS BRADLEY
Valparaiso (6-18, 0-3 MVC)
March 29 – Bradley (15-14, 5-1 MVC) – 3 p.m.
March 30 – Bradley – noon DH
Next Up in Valpo Softball: The long wait is over – the Valpo softball team will finally step on the field for 2024 regular season action at the Valpo Softball Complex this weekend. The Beacons welcome Bradley to town for a three-game set, with one game Friday afternoon and then a twinbill Saturday afternoon ahead of Easter Sunday.
Previously: Precipitation and cold temperatures combined to completely wipe out the Beacons’ scheduled three-game series at Drake last weekend.
Looking Ahead: The eight-game homestand continues next weekend when Belmont comes to Valpo for a three-game series.
Following Valpo Softball: This weekend’s games will not have video streams. All games will have live stats available, linked at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Meaggan Pettipiece: Meaggan Pettipiece was hired in September 2022 as head coach of the Valpo softball program and enters her second season in 2024. Pettipiece is in her 15th season overall as a collegiate head coach, most recently spending three seasons at Akron prior to coming to Valpo. Pettipiece, who owns 264 career coaching victories, was an All-American on the diamond and helped California University of Pennsylvania to a D-II national title in 1998 collegiately before playing internationally for Team Canada, including at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Series Notes: Valpo owns an 8-12 record all-time against Bradley, but it’s been a closer series since Valpo joined the Valley, as the Braves hold just an 8-7 edge since 2018. This will be the third series between the two programs in Valpo: Valpo earned a three-game sweep in 2018, while Bradley swept three games in 2022. Last season, the Beacons took two of three games in Peoria, as Easton Seib opened the series with a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 win, followed by Caitlyn Kowalski tossing the 12th no-hitter in program history in a 1-0 win. Bradley salvaged the third game of that series by a 3-2 final.
Scouting the Opposition: The Braves enter the week at 15-14 overall and 5-1 in MVC play, with a midweek twinbill against Illinois State before they travel to Valpo. Most recently, Bradley swept a three-game series from Missouri State last weekend – a sweep which included a no-hitter from Sydney Kennedy, who was named MVC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Week. Kennedy is 11-4 on the year with a 1.53 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 100.1 innings of work. Kennedy also owns the team’s highest batting average (.386) in part-time action at the plate, while four regular starters are above the .300 mark as well.
Who’s Back: Valpo returns 12 of 16 letterwinners from last year’s squad for the 2024 season. In all, 69.2% of Valpo’s plate appearances are back for this season and 49.4% of last season’s innings pitched return.
Who’s New: A group of nine newcomers joined the Beacons for the 2024 season. Kam Utendorf transferred in after playing her freshman season at Black Hawk College, joining eight true freshmen on this year’s team.
A Large Roster: The combination of 12 returnees and nine newcomers gives Valpo a 21-player roster for the 2024 campaign. That’s a five-player increase over last season’s group of 16 players, and it is the largest roster the softball program has had since fielding 21 players for the 2008 season.
Finally Home: Seven straight weekends on the road means Valpo’s home opener this weekend has been a long time coming. Originally scheduled to play 30 games over trips to Texas A&M, Presbyterian, Chattanooga, Indiana, Omaha, Evansville and Drake, the Beacons got 24 of those games in. Now the script flips, as over the regular season’s final six weeks, Valpo is slated for 18 home games and just seven road games.
Simply Hitting: In her first season of D-I softball, sophomore Kam Utendorf has been tremendous from the left side of the plate. Utendorf is 57 points clear atop the Valley in batting average, entering this weekend hitting at a .455 clip – good for 20th nationally. She is on pace to become the fourth player in Valpo softball history to hit .400 in a season, while her current batting average would break the school record by 25 points. In Valpo’s MVC-opening series, Utendorf reached base in six of nine plate appearances at Evansville, going 4-for-7 with a pair of walks. In the second weekend of play this year, Utendorf became Valpo’s first MVC Newcomer of the Week since May 2019, slashing .643/.708/.786 in action at Presbyterian.
Wily Wilming: Freshman Anna Wilming enjoyed her best start of the year in the circle in Valpo’s series finale at Evansville. Wilming went the distance for the first complete game of her career and carried a shutout into the sixth inning before eventually taking the tough-luck loss. She surrendered just six hits and two runs, while striking out a season-best six batters.
Hecker Hacking: Senior outfielder Regi Hecker has carried her form from the end of the 2023 season into the 2024 campaign. Hecker, who paced Valpo last year in batting average, hits, doubles, RBIs and stolen bases, closed 2023 by hitting .412 (14-for-34) with four multi-hit games over the Beacons’ final 12 games of the regular season. To date this season, Hecker ranks second on the team with a .348 batting average – good for 10th in the Valley – and has driven in a team-high 13 runs.
Using Her Speed: Defenses can’t rest this year when senior Alexis Johnson gets on the basepaths. Johnson, who had swiped just six bases over her first three seasons, is already 12-for-15 in the stolen base department this year, just five thefts shy of Valpo’s single-season top-10 chart. Her 12 stolen bases are tied for second-most among Valley players, while she also paces the Beacons with 13 runs scored this year. In Valpo’s MVC-opening series, Johnson had a pair of multi-hit games against Evansville to boost her season batting average above the .300 mark.
Runners on the Move: Led by Johnson, the Beacons have been notably more aggressive on the basepaths this year. After going just 21-for-36 in the steals department in 2023, Valpo is already 30-for-38 this season. Johnson leads the way with her 12 steals, while fellow senior Kayla Skapyak is a perfect 6-for-6 on the basepaths this year as well.
Cementing Her Spot: Through the first 14 games of the season, freshman Kayden Krug was just 1-for-7 at the plate. But Krug has started each of the last 10 games, and starting with a 2-for-3, 2-RBI performance Feb. 25 against Ohio, the rookie has stood out. In that stretch, Krug is 11-for-28 at the plate with three runs scored, six RBIs, a double, a triple and three walks. Her .343 average this year ranks 11th in the Valley.
Preconference Improvement: Entering Valley play, this year’s squad had seen marked improvement over last year’s squad in terms of preconference performance. In 2023, Valpo posted a 3-15 record prior to the start of conference play, while the 2024 team was 6-15 entering MVC action, a 119-point improvement in winning percentage. The Beacons’ batting average was 40 points better in preconference play this year as compared to last year, while the pitching staff’s ERA was 1.21 runs lower.
Offensive Bests: This year’s team put together a number of strong offensive performances in preconference play:
– 13 runs Feb. 16 in win over Morehead State, the program’s largest scoring output since March 2019
– 13 hits Feb. 18 in win over Youngstown State, the program’s highest single-game hits total since Feb. 2022
– 6 runs March 2 at Indiana, the program’s largest scoring output against a Power Five team since March 2012
– 12-4 run-rule win over Bowling Green March 3, the program’s first run-rule win since closing the 2022 regular season with a 10-0 win over Evansville
McDermott Mows Them Down: Freshman Sydney McDermott came to Valpo after earning Ohio All-State honors each of her last three years of high school, and has showcased that form in a number of starts this season. McDermott became the first Valpo player to throw complete games in three straight starts and surrender three or fewer hits in all three since Andrea Zappia in 2008, throwing a three-hitter against Texas A&M-CC, a eight-inning two-hitter versus Georgetown and a three-hitter against Bowling Green – a game which featured her retiring 15 Falcons hitters in a row.
Making Debuts: All nine of Valpo’s newcomers made their debuts in the Beacon uniform in the opening weekend of play, eight of those coming on opening day. Four of those debuts came in the season opener against Tulsa, as Kam Utendorf started at shortstop, Anna Wilming pitched in relief and Cici Wilson & Natalie Bush both appeared as pinch-hitters. Four more debuts came against Texas A&M, as Sydney McDermott started in the circle, Kayden Krug entered as a pinch-hitter and Carson Kuhlmann & Madison Stamper were both defensive replacements. Lana Tellez made her collegiate debut in the nightcap of the twinbill with Lehigh the next day as a defensive replacement.
International Experience: Sophomore infielder Kim Rodas continued her international career playing for Mexico over the summer, as she earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. Rodas previously medaled with Team Mexico at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, where her squad claimed the silver.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
SCHWIEGER NAMED KYLE MACY FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN BY COLLEGEINSIDER.COM
Valparaiso University men’s basketball freshman Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Link Year]) added yet another feather to his crowded cap on Wednesday as he was named to the 2023-24 Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team and a finalist for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year Award by CollegeInsider.com.
The award is named after a guard who starred as a freshman for Purdue. The 1975 Indiana Mr. Basketball, Kyle Macy went on to become a three-time All-American after a strong freshman campaign.
Schwieger was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, becoming just the fourth Valpo rookie to win a league Newcomer/Freshman of the Year Award, joining Lubos Barton (1998-99), Bryce Drew (1994-95) and Lance Barker (1991-92). He was the first to do so in a quarter of a century and the last two are members of the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame. Schwieger is just the fourth MVC freshman since 1992-93 to average at least 13.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, joining three other Freshmen of the Year – Southern Illinois’ Marcus Domask (2019-20), Creighton’s Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Tulsa’s Shea Seals (1993-94).
Also a member of the MVC All-Freshman Team, Schwieger led all MVC rookies in the following categories – overall points per game (13.2), overall rebounds per game (5.4), MVC-only points per game (14.6) and MVC-only rebounds per game (5.7). He also had 11 steals, 28 blocks and 31 assists while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3 and 78.9 percent from the free-throw line. In league play, he shot 51.9 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from 3 and 82.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Schwieger finished the season as the only freshman in the nation averaging double figures in scoring and shooting 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line in league play. He was one of only six players in the MVC to average double figures in scoring and shoot at least 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line in league play, joining Robbie Avila (All-MVC First Team), Malevy Leons (All-MVC First Team), Cade Tyson (All-MVC Second Team), Jayson Kent (All-MVC Second Team) and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (All-MVC Second Team). He finished the season with 409 points, tied with Belmont’s Cade Tyson’s 2022-23 season for the 23rd most points by a freshman in the long and proud history of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Schwieger was one of nine freshmen nationally to average 13.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He became just the third Valpo freshman to average over 13.0 points per game since 1992-93, joining Lubos Barton (13.8, 1998-99) and Bryce Drew (13.4 ppg, 1994-95), both Valpo Athletics Hall of Famers. Schwieger became the third Valpo freshman since 1992-93 to average over 5.0 rebounds per game, joining Raitis Grafs (1999-00, 5.8) and Lubos Barton (1998-99, 5.6), both Valpo Athletics Hall of Famers. He was named the MVC Freshman of the Week a league-high five times – Nov. 27, Jan. 15, Jan. 24, Feb. 12 and March 4.
Schwieger scored in double figures 20 times and had six games with 20+ points including a season-high 28 points in a March 3 win over Illinois State, the highest scoring output by a Valpo freshman since Alec Peters in March 2014. He had back-to-back double-doubles on Jan. 14 at Illinois State and Jan. 17 at Evansville including a season-high 13 boards in the Jan. 14 win in Bloomington-Normal. The rookie ranked 19th in the MVC in scoring average at 13.2 ppg, 20th in rebounding at 5.4 rpg, ninth in field-goal percentage at 50.2, ninth in blocked shots per game at 0.9 and 10th in offensive rebounds per game at 1.94. In league-only play, he ranked 14th in scoring average at 14.6, 19th in rebounding average at 5.74, seventh in field-goal percentage at 51.9, tied for 14th in blocks per game at 0.74 and tied for ninth in offensive rebounds per game at 2.0.
2024 KYLE MACY NATIONAL FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Xavier Amos 6-8 Northern Illinois
Juslin Bodo Bodo 7-0 High Point
Xzayvier Brown 6-2 Saint Joseph’s
Markus Burton 5-11 Notre Dame
Elliot Cadeau 6-1 North Carolina
Carlton Carrington 6-5 Pittsburgh
Stephon Castle 6-6 Connecticut
Isaiah Collier 6-5 USC
Rob Dillingham 6-3 Kentucky
David Douglas Jr. 6-5 Green Bay
PJ Haggerty 6-3 Tulsa
Barrington Hargress 6-0 UC Riverside
Josh Hubbard 5-10 Mississippi State
Malik Mack 6-1 Harvard
Sebastian Mack 6-3 UCLA
Jared McCain 6-3 Duke
Baye Ndongo 6-9 Georgia Tech
Kevin Overton 6-5 Drake
Josh Pascarelli 6-3 Marist
Myles Rice 6-3 Washington State
Cooper Schwieger 6-9 Valparaiso
Jackson Shelstad 6-0 Oregon
Reed Sheppard 6-3 Kentucky
Javan Simmons 6-7 Toledo
Deywilk Tavarez 6-2 Delaware State
Dedan Thomas Jr. 6-1 UNLV
JT Toppin 6-9 New Mexico
D.J. Wagner 6-4 Kentucky
Ja’Kobe Walter 6-5 Baylor
Cody Williams 6-8 Colorado
UINDY WRESTLING
BLUBAUGH TABBED SUPER REGION IV WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced the 2024 Division II Men’s Super Region Wrestlers of the Year with reigning 197 national champion Derek Blubaugh finding himself as the Super Region IV recipient.
The National Champion at 197 – just the second in program history – Blubaugh was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the National Championships and was also the Great Lakes Valley Conference Wrestler of the Year. He was 34-2 on the season, the Super Region 4 Runner Up and counted 23 bonus point wins en route to finishing 9th Most Dominant in DII.
Following a vote of the coaches, the 2023-24 NCAA Division II National Wrestler of the Year will be announced by the NWCA next week.
UINDY TRACK
HOUNDS OPEN OUTDOOR SEASON IN INDIANAPOLIS, CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men’s and women’s track and field teams open their 2024 outdoor campaign this weekend at Marian and Cincinnati. The Greyhounds will first compete in the local Marian University Open on Thursday then will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to compete in the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational.
Returning stars for the Greyhounds include Zoe Pentecost (hammer throw), Sabrina Robison (pole vault), and Treyton Arnold (pole vault) all competed in last year’s National Championship. Other notable mentions include Ellie Lengerich (multi), Ailliyah Reese (hurdles), Hallie Montgomery (sprints), Ndubisi Eze (hurdles/jumps), and Tom Saint-Juvin (distance).
Brad Robinson will be at the helm for UIndy. Robinson recently had the interim removed from his name and became the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country.
“We are excited to officially start our Outdoor season this weekend and build off the success we accomplished during the indoor season,” said Robison. “Outdoor season brings the addition of events not offered during the indoor season, which we feel confident will benefit us!”
MARIAN WOMEN’S LAX
KNIGHTS WIN IN HIGH SCORING MATCHUP AGAINST AQUINAS COLLEGE
Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Marian women’s lacrosse increase their conference win streak with a 21-10 win over the Aquinas College Saints. The Knights are now 6-3 overall and 4-0 in conference.
The first 10 minutes of the first quarter was filled with goals traded back and fourth for the Knights and the Saints with Katie Murphy and Katelynn Gray scoring the two goals for the visitors, and Rings and Schmader scoring the goals for the home team to bring the score 2-2 at the 9:28 mark. Marian pushed three unanswered goals two from Murphy and one from Chase Searcy to bring the score 5-2 to allow the Knights the lead.
The opponents weren’t done trading goals in the first quarter, with Aquinas’ Reynoso and Marian’s Ruby Mason scoring consecutive goals. Shortly after the Saints and the Knights traded goals once more with Sullivan scoring for the Saints and Tori Farkas scoring a goal for the Knights. Marian ended the quarter off with Murphy scoring her third goal on the day to end the quarter 8-4 in favor of the visitors.
The second quarter opened up the same as the first with four goals traded between teams, with Farkas and Mason scoring for the Knights, and Rings and Hall scoring for the Saints to bring the score 10-6 at the 9:56 mark. Taleah Nool got her hand in the mix scoring her first goal for the game to increase the Knights lead. Aquinas was quick to follow up with another goal off of a free position shot to decrease the Knights lead back down to four. Noll and Ashlynn Gray finished up the quarter with back-to-back goals to bring the score 13-7 into the half.
Ella Grace Giedd started off the third quarter with a goal within 30 seconds of play to increase the Knights lead. Aquinas answered four minutes later with a goal bring the score 14-8 in favor of the Knights. Mason and Murphy tallied up more goals for Marian with Mason scoring one and Murphy scoring two to increase the lead to nine. The Saints followed up with another goal which was quickly answered by A. Gray to bring the score 18-9 at the end of the third quarter.
The goals slowed down in the fourth quarter for both sides. Aquinas got their last goal of the game at the 13:47 mark to decrease Marian’s lead down to eight. Lizzie Piercy, Emily Blackburn, and Rylie Boezeman scored the last three goals of the game for the Knights with Blackburn’s being a free position shot to finish off the game and secure the 21-10 win for the Knights.
The Knights shined offensively with Murphy leading in goals with six and also tallying two assists. Ashlynn Gray and Giedd lead the team on assists with three. Defensively the Gray sisters shined with Ashlynn leading in draw controls with six and Katelynn not far behind with four. Giedd also lead the team in caused turnovers and recovered ground balls, with three caused turnovers and five recovered ground balls.
Katherine Hirsch played majority of the time in the goal taking the win with four saves. Grace Coyne finished off the game in goal for the last 11 minutes with one save tallied.
The Knights are back in action on Saturday, March 30th on the road against Indiana Tech with the first draw set at 12:00 p.m.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
HARWEGER SETS MARIAN CAREER HITS RECORD AS KNIGHTS SPLIT TWIN BILL AGAINST INDIANA TECH
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian softball team split their final non-conference doubleheader of the season Wednesday afternoon, as the Knights scored a run-rule win over Indiana Tech in game one before suffering a 12-7 loss in game two. Marian’s Savannah Harweger broke the program’s career record for hits in the doubleheader, as Marian slides to 22-4 overall this season.
Game 1 | Marian 9-1 Indiana Tech | 5 Innings
The opening game of Wednesday’s act started out with a scoreless battle, as Olivia Stunkel tossed a scoreless pair of innings to open the game. The junior faced the minimum in the first frame as a bunt single was caught stealing by Grace Meyer, while in the second she stranded a single and walk. Marian’s offense opened the game with a single from Savannah Harweger, but the senior was left stranded at second, as Indiana Tech followed their scoreless first with a three-up, three-down effort from Savannah Bravo in the second.
Stunkel would keep a zero on the board after three innings as she made quick work of the Warriors in the third, and in the home half saw the run support fly in with an Anna Pritchett single sparking the offense. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Abby Madere pushed in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and following her at bat Sierra Norman plated two more runs with a two-RBI single. An error in the outfield prolonged the inning, and on a double steal play Sierra Norman scored the team’s fourth run, capping the 4-0 scoring burst.
Indiana Tech would respond in the top of the fourth as Katie O’Drobinak slammed a towering solo home run off of Stunkel, but after shaking off the run the junior settled in to retire the next three batters. Marian loaded in the bases in the fourth as they looked to end the game quickly, but managed just one run with Brooke Knox driving an RBI single to left field. Leading 5-1 after Stunkel faced four batters in the fifth, the Knights closed strong racking up three hits against Bravo and relief pitcher Jayme Koning. Abbey Hofmann and Brenna Fink singled to start the charge, and after a walk to Grace Meyer, Savannah Harweger drew a bases-loaded walk to score the sixth run. Knox ended the game with a strong three-RBI double to the center field fence, capping the run-rule win as 9-1 victors.
Knox starred in the game at the plate, going 2-2 with four RBI, adding a sacrifice hit and one walk. Harweger scored twice and had two hits in the win, and Anna Pritchett finished the game going 2-3. Sierra Norman had a pair of RBI in the win. In the circle, Stunkel moved to 12-0 on the season, allowing just three hits and one run in the win.
Game 2 | Marian 7-12 Indiana Tech
Indiana Tech wasted no time trying to wash the loss out of their mouths in the second act, as they ripped a single and home run off of the Knights starter Jaylah Guilliam in the first inning. Trailing 2-0, Marian responded with a pair of walks to open the game, drawing level on the scoreboard with Sierra Norman’s two RBI double. Guilliam settled in in the second and retired the side in order, and the Knights added three runs to their lead in the home half inning, with singles from Jenna Minnix and Savannah Harweger starting the party. Harweger’s first hit of the game allowed the fifth year senior to break the Marian career hits record, as she passed Logan Personett for the all-time mark.
After the record was posted in the book, a two-RBI double from Abby Madere pushed Marian’s lead to a pair of runs, while an RBI single from Norman ended the second inning with the Knights on top 5-2. The lead would not last long however, as Indiana Tech retaliated for three runs in the top of the third, as a pair of errors and base hits allowed the Warriors to level the score. Marian would still go on to end the third inning with a lead, as Raegan Hiatt recorded an RBI groundout to make the game a 6-5 score.
The third inning would be the last time Marian led in the game, as Indiana Tech pounded four more hits, with a three-run home run from Katie O’Brobinak ending Guilliam’s outing. The Warriors led 8-6 after four complete innings as Marian was retired in order, and in the top of the fifth the guests added two more runs off of reliever Katie Lackman. Still trying to fight in the game, Marian attempted to rally in the fifth as Grace Meyer drove in Abbey Hofmann with an RBI double, while the bases loaded as Caroline Roop and Jenna Minnix drew walks. Reliever and game one starter Savannah Bravo was able to keep the Knights playing from behind however, as the Indiana Tech pitcher got Savannah Harweger to fly out to left, ending the inning with the bases full.
Trailing 10-7, Marian called on Macy Coan to keep her team in the game, with the freshman coming on in the sixth and throwing a perfect inning. Marian was unable to do anything with their trip to the plate in the sixth, and in the seventh Coan allowed three hits, two of which were RBI singles that extended Indiana Tech’s lead to five runs. Marian was unable to manufacture the offensive counter-punch in the home half inning, as they were retired in order, falling 12-7 in game two.
Harweger ended the game going 1-3 at the plate, recording her school record 337th career base hit. Harweger, already the record holder for career stolen bases, is on pace to set records for walks, at bats, and batting average this season for a career. Norman finished the game 2-4 with three RBI, and Meyer also had two base hits.
In the circle, the Knights allowed 14 hits as a staff, with Guilliam allowing six as she took her second loss. The senior threw 3.1 innings, giving up eight runs, six of which were earned. Lackman tossed 1.2 innings in relief giving up five hits and two runs, and Coan allowed three hits and two runs in her two innings in the circle.
Marian will look to avenge their loss when they jump back into Crossroads League play on Saturday, hosting Mount Vernon Nazarene at 1:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on the ISC Sports Network.
WABASH BASEBALL
BASEBALL SNAPS 21-YEAR ROAD DROUGHT WITH 8-2 WIN AT ROSE-HULMAN
The last time the Wabash College baseball team earned a win at Rose-Hulman was in 2003 when Jake Martin was a pitcher and outfielder for the Little Giants. Wednesday evening Martin, the head coach of the 2024 Wabash team, saw his squad end a 21-year drought with an 8-2 victory over the Fightin’ Engineers.
Wabash (9-7) ended a nine-game road losing streak against Rose-Hulman (11-7) dating back to an 11-8 win on April 15, 2003. The Little Giants posted three home wins in the 17 games since that win.
Trailing 1-0, the Little Giants scored their first run in the fifth inning. Wabash got on the board thanks to Reece Bauer’s RBI double with one out. The Engineers then scored one run to retake their advantage heading into the seventh inning, when the Little Giants responded by getting back on the scoreboard themselves.
The Little Giants fought back after trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning. The Wabash offense exploded for five runs in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Camden Scheidt, to put the Little Giants in front 6-2.
Wabash kept Rose-Hulman scoreless before building their lead to 8-2 the following inning. The Little Giants picked up two runs when a single from Kamden Earley scored Evan Neukam and Scheidt. Wabash held Rose scoreless over the final two innings to secure the win.
Gavin Pierson (1-1) got the win out of the bullpen for Wabash (8-7). The left-hander went 2.2 shutout innings without giving up a hit. He surrendered two walks while striking out three. Nicklaus Wangler started the ballgame and went 4.1 innings, surrendering two runs, one earned, on three hits, walking six, and striking out six.
GAME NOTES
» Scheidt compiled three base hits in the game for Wabash.
» Wangler struck out six Engineers hitters.
» Every Wabash starter reached base safely in the win.
» Wabash’s highest-scoring inning was the seventh when it scored five runs.
» Four Little Giants had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Little Giants out-hit the Engineers at an 11-4 clip.
» Wabash went 4-for-13 (.308) with runners in scoring position.
» Wabash pitchers limited Rose-Hulman to just 2-for-14 (.143) with runners in scoring position.
» Wabash pitchers faced 43 Rose-Hulman hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out 11.
» The Little Giants drew six walks from Rose-Hulman pitching.
» Scheidt led the Little Giants at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
» Wabash begins North Coast Athletic Conference play this weekend with a Saturday home doubleheader against Denison University. The Big Red are ranked fourth in the latest D3baseball.com top-25 poll.
ANDERSON WOMEN’S LAX
WOMEN’S LACROSSE: ANDERSON BLANKS ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN
The Anderson University women’s lacrosse team recorded the first shutout in program history, blanking Rochester Christian University by a score of 15-0 on Wednesday at the Michigan Stars Sports Center in Washington, Mich.
Kiki Jose saved each of the five shots she faced.
Riley Tull notched six goals, seven draw controls and three caused turnovers, leading the Ravens in each category.
Lauren Brown recorded one goal and a team-high three assists for five points. Caitlin Stewart contributed two goals and an assist for three points. Avery Jarosinski and Nicole Patton turned in two goals apiece. Katte Escobar provided one goal and one assist while Priscilla Sandoval added a goal.
Anderson opens the Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference (HCLC) season with a matchup against Franklin College (1-4, 0-0) on Wednesday, April 10 at 6 p.m. in Franklin.
TAYLOR MEN’S LAX
RV TAYLOR SLUGGISH EARLY IN LOSS TO NO. 9 INDIANA TECH
UPLAND, Ind. – A disastrous first period of action cost RV Taylor a chance at a fifth-straight win and a 2-0 start in WHAC play, as the Trojans fell in a 6-0 hole to No. 9 Indiana Tech and never recovered in the eventual 17-8 defeat at Wheeler Field on Wednesday.
Taylor struggled out of the gates, getting outshot by a 17-2 margin in the opening 15 minutes of play, with Indiana Tech (2-5, 1-1 WHAC) dominating possession and putting 12 shots on frame in the early onslaught. TU committed eight turnovers in the uncharacteristically slopping start and did not muster a good shot on goal in the first period.
The Trojans got their feet under them early in the second and netted three of the first four goals of the stanza to draw within 7-3, but the Warriors closed the half with the final two strikes to maintain their six-goal cushion at the break.
That remained the spread through much of the final 30 minutes, until a trio of man-up goals by the guests in the closing minutes pushed the final margin to nine.
After the rocky start, Taylor held Indiana Tech to just 25 shots over the final three periods, actually out-shooting ITT by two over that span.
Caleb Williams and Aidan Craig were the bright spots for the offense, with Williams netting three goals on a team-leading 10 shots and Craig dishing out five assists to move within 12 of the all-time WHAC career record of 175.
Ethan Massey anchored the Taylor defense with seven caused turnovers and six ground balls and Carlton Best added seven ground balls.
RV Taylor (4-5, 1-1 WHAC) will look to get back on track when it travels to Lawrence Tech (1-4, 0-1 WHAC) on Saturday, March 30 for a 1:00 pm 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/
MNCHESTER 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
12 – 22 – 13 – 23
March 28, 1942 – At the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship it was the Cardinal of Stanford University crushing Dartmouth, 53-38. Cardinal forward Howie Dallmar, Number 12 was named tournament Most Outstanding Player
March 28, 1944 – Utah defeated Dartmouth, 42-40 at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game. It marked the Utes’ first title as their forward Number 22, Arnie Ferrin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player.
March 28, 1972 – It was nearing the end of an era and a legendary basketball career when Number 13, Wilt Chamberlain suited up to play NBA basketball in what would be one of his last games. Chamberlain who was playing for the LA Lakers that season helped his club defeat the Chicago Bulls 95-80 in the first round of the NBA playoffs by scoring 10 points. The Lakers would move on to the finals that year but fall to the New York Knicks in 5 games in the championship series.
March 28, 1990 – Chicago Bulls Guard Michael Jordan, Number 23 poured in 69 points as the Bulls outlasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113 in Overtime. It was a career high for Jordan and the fourth time he had scored over 60 points in one game.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
The Gridiron Headlines of March 28
March 28, 1953 – The Sports world loses one of history’s greatest athletes as Jim Thorpe passes away at the age of 65 years old in Lomita, California. Thorpe most famously won Gold in the 1912 Olympic games only to be stripped of them due to playing a bit of minor league baseball in 1910 (See our January 26 post) They posthumously returned the Medals to Thorpe’s credit in 1983. (See our January 18 post) But his football prowess is what we most remember this legend for. (Visit our May 28 blog article on the subject) The Native American played famously for Pop Warner at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and then when the early NFL formed Thorpe became the American Professional Football Association’s first president and as we know the APFA later changed its name to the NFL. As a pro football player Jim played for the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Oorang Indians, Rock Island Independents and the New York Giants.
March 28, 1963 – Sonny Werblin leads group that purchases the AFL’s New York Titans from original owner Harry Wismer. According to the Jets Insider web story Werblin and company promptly changed the team name to the New York Jets on April 15.
March 28, 1984 – The Colts relocated from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. Reports say that franchise owner, Bob Irsay moved the Colts in the middle of the night after renovations were not made to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore as he thought they should be. A Baltimore Sun article by Jon Morgan in 1997 says that Mr. Irsay became a nemesis of then City mayor, William Donald Schaefer and when he later became Maryland’s governor, converted the outrage into the political will to build Camden Yards. Irsay had acquired the club in 1972, a year after they won Super Bowl V when he traded his rights to the LA Rams to former Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom. The Colts had a new stadium in place in the RCA Dome which was originally called the Hoosier Dome, which is where they called home for 24 seasons in Indianapolis before Lucas Oil Stadium was built. Since in Indy the Colts have made 2 Super Bowl appearances and even won Super Bowl XLI with Tony Dungy as coach and Peyton Manning under center.
March 28, 2012 – Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Defensive End Melvin Ingram & Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery participated at South Carolina’s Pro Day in 2012. Gilmore was really impressive in the drills for the DB position and went tenth overall to Buffalo. Ingram left the green room as the 18th pick of the first round by San Diego. Allshon Jeffery’s 40-yard dash in the high 4.4 range helped dispel some myths of a receiver of his size struggling with speed and he was taken in the second round by the Bears per NFL.com. The trio of former Gamecocks have made the Pro Bowl for a collective 8 times.
March 28, 2017 – According to NFL.com a representative of each of the NFL’s 32 teams attended the 2017 Florida State pro Day. One of the main reasons was to evaluate the talented Runningback Dalvin Cook who per the report had an “exceptional workout” per NFL Network analyst Gil Brandt. Brandt said, “In my mind, he’s the No. 2 RB prospect in the draft behind Leonard Fournette… he’s explosive & catches the ball well.” Cook was selected 41st overall (2nd Round) in 2017 NFL Draft and in just his rookie season he recorded 88.5 rush yards per gameg in 4 games .
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1913 The Browns trade Buzzy Wares to the Montgomery Rebels for the rent-free use of the minor league’s team stadium during spring training. The Southern Association Class-A team will return the 26-year-old infielder to St. Louis later in the season.
1970 Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the return of the All-Star selection to the fans. The over-exposure of the Midsummer Classic, two games each season between 1959-1962, and the lack of fan input prompted the MLB Promotion Corporation to modernize the game’s marketing by restoring fan balloting for the starting eight position players.
1977 Upset about losing his second base job to Bump Wills, Ranger Lenny Randle attacks and fractures his manager Frank Lucchesi’s cheekbone. The Ranger skipper may have triggered the episode just before the team’s exhibition game against Minnesota by once again calling the usually even-tempered infielder a punk.
1978 Dick Allen’s fifteen-year career ends when the A’s release the aging superstar. The Wampum, Pennsylvania native finishes his stormy relationship with major league baseball with 351 HRs, 1,192 RBIs, and a .292 batting average.
1981 The White Sox trade southpaw Ken Kravec to the Cubs for Dennis Lamp, who will post a 25-21 (.543) record during his three seasons with the South Side club. With the departure of Kravec, the recently acquired Carlton Fisk has an opportunity to return to his iconic uniform #27 but chooses to stay with his new reverse digits of 72, which Chicago will retire in 1997.
1985 Sports Illustrated’s April 1st edition tricks the nation when author George Plimpton weaves a fictitious tale of The Curious Case Of Sidd Finch, a Mets rookie phenom who throws a 168 mph fastball. Staged photographs and quotes from current players help give the story a realistic edge.
1986 The Red Sox trade designated hitter Mike Easler to the Yankees for DH Don Baylor, who will provide valuable veteran leadership for the eventual AL champs while hitting only .238. Easler, known as the ‘Hit Man,’ will live up to his nickname, batting .302 in his only full season with the second-place Bronx Bombers.
1988 Four days shy of his 47th birthday, Phil Niekro’s 24-year Hall of Fame career ends when the Yankees put him on waivers at the end of spring training. The right-handed knuckleballer, best known for his tenure with the Braves, compiled a 318-274 record and a 3.35 ERA while hurling for four teams, including the Yankees, Indians, and Blue Jays.
1999 At Havana’s Estadio Latinoamericano, the Orioles edge the Cuban National team, 3-2, thanks to Harold Baines’ eventual game-winning hit in the 11th inning. The contest marks the first time a U.S. team had played in Cuba since 1959 when the Dodgers played the Reds in two exhibition games on the island.
2003 The commissioner’s office announces teams will pay tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces during the seventh-inning stretch of all home openers by having God Bless America performed. Although the song has been part of all games since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the fans will now hear the tune only in major league ballparks at the home openers, Sunday, and holidays games.
2003 Three days before Opening Day, the YES Network claims Cablevision has nixed a proposed deal signed 17 days ago that would have provided televised Yankee games to nearly three million cable subscribers in the NYC metropolitan area. According to a YES Network press release, the giant cable company failed to sign a finalized version of the hand-written document that both parties exchanged on March 12 when Cablevision president James L. Dolan took exception to unacceptable alterations in the typewritten draft.
2006 The insurance claim filed by the Astros in January to get back approximately $15.6 million of Jeff Bagwell’s $17 million guaranteed contract is denied by the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. The insurers cite no adverse change in the 37-year-old first baseman’s condition between the end of last season and the Jan. 31, 2006 policy.
2008 The decision to have manager Manny Acta catch the ceremonial first pitch from President Bush at the Nationals’ home opener is reported not to have been made by the White House. Traditionally, the honor goes to the game’s starting catcher, today being Paul Lo Duca, cited in the Mitchell Report on drug use in baseball, who watches his manager catch the toss from the Commander-in-Chief.
2008 The 24,663 fans at Chase Field give opposing Rockies left-hander Doug Davis an ovation as he walks off the mound after appearing in an exhibition game against the Diamondbacks. Before the game, Colorado announces the very popular 32-year-old hurler will have his thyroid removed after a biopsy revealed a lump in his throat to be cancerous.
2013 Mets GM Sandy Alderson announces an MRI has revealed 34-year-old Johan Santana has re-torn his surgically repaired left shoulder capsule and indicates additional surgery is a “strong possibility” for the left-hander. The Venezuelan southpaw, who missed the entire 2011 season due to the injury, will probably never pitch again for the team, finishing his six-year, $137.5 million contract with the team, a deal he signed upon his trade to the team in early 2008, on the disabled list.
2014 Mike Trout and the Angels come to terms on a $144.5 million, six-year deal, keeping the 22-year-old outfielder on the team through 2020. The five-tool phenom from Millville, N.J., the American League’s MVP runner-up in his first two seasons in the majors, was the unanimous choice for the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2012.
2017 In the first year of his presidency, Donald Trump has declined the Nationals’ invitation to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Nationals Park, citing a scheduling conflict according to club officials. Since William Taft’s toss in 1910, every President has participated in the tradition at some point in their term in office, except for Jimmy Carter, who tossed the CFP before Game 7 of the 1979 Fall Classic.
2019 At Dodger Stadium, en route to a 12-5 victory over the Diamondbacks, Los Angeles slams eight home runs, surpassing the Opening Day record of six, previously shared by the 1998 Mets (vs. Expos) and 2018 White Sox (vs. Royals). The long ball barrage, which includes multiple dingers in three different innings, features round-trippers by Joc Peterson (2), Kike Hernandez (2), Austin Barnes, Corey Seaver, Max Muncy, and Cody Berlinger.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1956 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and approximately one-hundred other participants in the “Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott” were indicted for conspiracy to conduct an illegal boycott and sentenced to prison. All cases were eventually settled by $100 fines and the Supreme Court later ruled that segregation on any form of public transportation was unconstitutional.
After Colonel Tom Parker negotiated the sale of Elvis Presley’s Sun Records contract to RCA, the future “King of Rock and Roll” had his first recording session at their studio in Nashville. Among the songs recorded was “Heartbreak Hotel” which was released as a single and sold over 300,000 copies in its first three weeks. It quickly climbed to number one on Billboard’s pop singles chart for eight weeks, hit number one on the country chart, number five on the R&B chart and became the first Elvis single to sell over one million copies, earning him his first gold record.
Prince Rainier III of Monaco married film actress Grace Kelly. A civil ceremony was held in the throne room in the Palace of Monaco and was attended by the couple’s close family and friends. The Prince, who still rules the country today, succeeded his grandfather Louis II in 1949 to become Monaco’s thirty-first ruler. Unfortunately, Princess Grace was killed in a car crash on September 14, 1982 after her car went off a road over a cliff in Monaco.
In the American League…
The New York Yankees and Washington Senators combined to set a Major League record after each hit three home runs on Opening Day. Bronx Bomber Mickey Mantle hit two tape measure blasts himself (both over five-hundred feet) off pitcher Camilo Pascual en route to a 10-4 win.
Boston lefthander Mel Parnell tossed a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park on July 14th. The 4-0 triumph was the first “no-no” for the Red Sox since 1923. Unfortunately Parnell went on to a mediocre 4-4 record before tearing a muscle in his pitching arm that ultimately ended his career as Boston’s winningest lefty.
Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw ninety-seven pitches for the only perfect game in World Series history while defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 2-0 in Game 5.
In the National League…
On May 2nd, twenty-five Giants and twenty-three Cubs participated in a seventeen-inning marathon setting a Major League record for the most player appearances in a single game. New York eventually prevailed over Chicago 6-5 as both teams combined to intentionally walk eleven batters (another Major League record) with the home team “Cubbies” contributing seven.
Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates connected against the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Carl Erskine at Forbes Field on May 28th for his eighth home run in as many games. His consecutive record for round trippers would stand for thirty-one years until New York Yankee Don Mattingly finally equaled it in 1987.
Despite losing 13-6 to the St. Louis Cardinals on July 21st, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Junior Gilliam made twelve assists at second base to set a modern Major League record, while team captain Pee Wee Reese tallied his two-thousandth Major League hit – one of only five active players to reach the plateau.
Around the League…
The Major League owners voted to establish the Cy Young Memorial Award for outstanding pitcher of the year. Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers (who won the 1949 Rookie of the Year Award) became the first recipient and also went on to win the National League Most Valuable Player title.
Pitching legend Satchel Paige signed a new contract with the Birmingham Black Barons (Negro League) at age fifty to both play and manage. His frequent successful duels against such barnstorming Major Leaguers as Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby, and Bob Feller helped boost the credibility of black baseball and established him as one of the greatest aces ever to take the mound.
Former National Football League tackle (New York Giants) turned American League umpire Frank Umont became the first Major League official to wear glasses while calling a game. Many fans hoped that it would start a “trend” across the league as many umpires had been accused of needing spectacles.
The National Braille Press presented Boston Red Sox manager Pinky Higgins with their 1956 schedule, printed in Braille for the first time. All other Major League teams would soon follow with Braille printed season calendars for the sight impaired.
BASEBALL’S GREAT PITCHERS
GAYLORD PERRY
Gaylord Perry, one of the premier pitchers of his generation, won 314 games and struck out 3,534 batters, but his place in baseball history rests mainly with his notorious use of the spitball, or greaseball, which defied batters, humiliated umpires, and infuriated opposing managers for two decades. But make no mistake: he was also a brilliant craftsman with several excellent pitches in his repertoire, a hurler whose mastery of the spitter provided the batter yet another thing to think about as the pitch sailed toward the plate. After the game, he sheepishly denied any wrongdoing, slyly grinning like a poker player who knows he’s one step ahead of everyone else.
READ MORE: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/gaylord-perry/
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
March 28, 1944
Rick Barry was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
March 28, 1973
Wilt Chamberlain’s then NBA record streak of 1,045 games without disqualification ended with his retirement. In a career spanning 14 seasons, Chamberlain did not foul out of a single game. Moses Malone, who fouled out of only five games in his NBA career, later had a string of 1,212 games without fouling out.
March 28, 1982
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the 15th man in NBA history to play in 1,000 regular season games, as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host Kansas City Kings 109-96.
March 28, 1987
Dallas coach Dick Motta became the third coach in NBA history to reach 800 victories as his Mavericks defeated the Washington Bullets 114-107 at Capital Centre.
March 28, 1990
Chicago’s Michael Jordan scored a regular season career-high 69 points, during the Bulls’ 117-113 road win at Cleveland.
March 28, 1995
Boston’s Dominique Wilkins scored 19 points in a 126-115 win at Miami, moving past Jerry West and into eighth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 25,207 points.
March 28, 2006
The Milwaukee Bucks set a then NBA single-game record for most 3-pointers in one quarter. They hit 11 in the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns.
March 28, 2018
Against the Charlotte Hornets, LeBron James scores in double-figures for the 866th straight game. In doing so, he ties Michael Jordan for the longest such streak in NBA history.
March 28, 2018
On a layup with 20 seconds left in the game, Charlotte’s Kemba Walker scores to pass Dell Curry as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. Curry had scored 9,839 points in his career, which Walker surpassed with the layup to give him 9,841 points.
March 28, 2018
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns scores a team-record 56 points in a 126-114 home win against the Atlanta Hawks. He shot 19 of 32 from the field and 12 of 15 from the free throw line, dropping in 30 points and 11 rebounds in the second half.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1939 — The barnstorming Renaissance Five beat the NBL champion Oshkosh All-Stars, 34-25, to win the first annual World Professional Basketball Tournament in Chicago. Sports reporters of the day make no mention of the fact that all the Rens are black and the All-Stars are all white.
1942 — Stanford beats Dartmouth 53-38 for the NCAA basketball championship.
1944 — Arnold Ferrin’s 22 points leads Utah to a 42-40 victory over Dartmouth for the NCAA basket championship.
1950 — CCNY beats Bradley 71-68 in the NCAA basketball final to become the only team to win the NIT and NCAA titles in the same year. CCNY beat Bradley 69-61 in the NIT on March 18.
1971 — Gail Goodrich of the Los Angeles Lakers sets an NBA playoff record for most free throws (17) without a miss in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals. Goodrich leads all scorers with 39 points in the 106-98 loss at Chicago.
1972 — Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.
1977 — Marquette beats North Carolina 67-59 for the NCAA basketball title.
1982 — Louisiana Tech beats Cheyney State 76-62 in the NCAA’s first women’s basketball championship. The tournament replaces the AIAW championship which had been held since 1972.
1989 — Southwestern Louisiana pitchers Cathy McAllister and Stefni Whitton pitch back-to-back perfect games against Southeastern Louisiana, a first in NCAA Division I softball history. McAllister strikes out 10 in a 5-0 victory and Whitton has 14 strikeouts in a 7-0 triumph.
1990 — Michael Jordan scores 69 points to help Chicago beat Cleveland 117-113 in overtime and clinch a playoff spot. 4th time he scores 60 pts in a game.
1992 — Christian Laettner hits a 15-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer to give defending champion Duke a 104-103 overtime victory over Kentucky and a fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four.
1992 — Eric Forkel posts a 217-133 victory over Bob Vespi in the title match of the $300,000 PBA National Championship. Vespi’s 133 sets a record for the lowest in tournament final history.
1993 — Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets scores his 69th and 70th goals of the season in a 3-3 tie with Los Angeles Kings. Selanne is the eighth player, and first rookie, to have a 70-goal NHL season.
1995 — Michael Jordan, playing in his fifth game in 22 months, scores 55 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 113-111 victory over the New York Knicks.
2006 — Oklahoma center Courtney Paris is the first freshman selected for The Associated Press All-America team in women’s basketball. Paris averaged 21.4 points and led the nation in rebounding (15.1). She is the first NCAA women’s player with 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season.
2012 — The NFL’s new rule for postseason overtime is expanded to cover the regular season on a 30-2 vote by the NFL owners. All games that go into overtime cannot end on a field goal on the first possession.
2015 — Breanna Stewart has 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to help UConn rout Texas 105-54, earning coach Geno Auriemma his 100th NCAA Tournament win. Auriemma is the second coach to reach the century mark, joining Pat Summitt, who finished with 112 victories in her career.
2015 — Kentucky escapes with a 68-66 win against Notre Dame to go to 38-0 and advance to the Final Four. Wisconsin tops Arizona 85-78 to reach consecutive Final Fours for the first time.
2016 — Rodney Hood scores 30 points and the Jazz turn Kobe Bryant’s last visit to Utah into the worst loss of his career with a 123-75 victory that matches the Lakers’ largest defeat in franchise history.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL
4:30 a.m.
FS2 — AFL: Collingwood at Brisbane
COLLEGE BASEBALL
7 p.m.
ACCN — Clemson at Miami
ESPN2 — LSU at Arkansas
8 p.m.
SECN — South Carolina at Alabama
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
CBSSN — NCAA Division II Tournament: CS San Bernardino vs. Nova Southeastern, Semifinal, Evansville, Ind.
4:30 p.m.
CBSSN — NCAA Division II Tournament: West Texas A&M vs. Minnesota St., Semifinal, Evansville, Ind.
7 p.m.
CBS — NCAA Tournament: Clemson vs. Arizona, Sweet Sixteen, Los Angeles
7:30 p.m.
TBS — NCAA Tournament: San Diego St. vs. UConn, Sweet Sixteen, Boston
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: San Diego St. vs. UConn, Sweet Sixteen, Boston
9:30 p.m.
CBS — NCAA Tournament: Alabama vs. North Carolina, Sweet Sixteen, Los Angeles
10 p.m.
TBS — NCAA Tournament: Illinois vs. Iowa St., Sweet Sixteen, Boston
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: Illinois vs. Iowa St., Sweet Sixteen, Boston
COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: UMass vs. Denver, Regional Semifinal, Springfield, Mass.
5 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: Rochester vs. Boston U., Regional Semifinal, Sioux Falls, S.D.
5:30 p.m.
ESPNEWS — NCAA Tournament: Cornell vs. Maine, Regional Semifinal, Springfield, Mass.
8:30 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: Omaha vs. Minnesota, Regional Semifinal, Sioux Falls, S.D.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
BTN — Penn St. at Ohio St.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
6 p.m.
SECN — Florida at Mississippi St.
7 p.m.
PAC-12N — California at Utah
10 p.m.
PAC-12N — Oregon at UCLA
GOLF
3:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Hero Indian Open, First Round, DLF Golf & Country Club – The Gary Player Course, New Delhi, India
4 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Texas Children’s Houston Open, First Round, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston
7 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Ford Championship, First Round, Seville Golf and Country Club, Gilbert, Ariz.
3:30 a.m. (Friday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Hero Indian Open, Second Round, DLF Golf & Country Club – The Gary Player Course, New Delhi, India
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (BOY’S)
3 p.m.
NBATV — The Throne National Championship: TBD, Quarterfinal, East Rutherford, N.J.
4:30 p.m.
NBATV — The Throne National Championship: TBD, Quarterfinal, East Rutherford, N.J.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (GIRL’S)
11:45 a.m.
NBATV — The Throne National Championship: Desert Vista (Ariz.) vs. Bishop Ireton (Va.), First Round, East Rutherford, N.J.
1:15 p.m.
NBATV — The Throne National Championship: McDonough (Md.) vs. Lad Vikings (N.Y.), First Round, East Rutherford, N.J.
HORSE RACING
3 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
4 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: St. Louis at LA Dodgers OR Toronto at Tampa Bay
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Chicago Cubs at Texas
10:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Colorado at Arizona OR Boston at Seattle (Joined in Progress)
NBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.
NBATV — Milwaukee at New Orleans
RUGBY (MEN’S)
4:55 a.m. (Friday)
FS2 — NRL: North Queensland at Brisbane
TENNIS
1 p.m.
TENNIS — Miami-WTA Semifinal; Miami-ATP Quarterfinal
7 p.m. TENNIS — Miami-WTA Semifinal; Miami-ATP Quarterfinal