CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
BLUE RIVER 13 TRI 3
GUERIN CATHOLIC 6 BREBEUF 2
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 3 WARREN CENTRAL 0
NORTH PUTNAM 2 PARKE HERITAGE 0
TAYLOR 3 TIPTON 2
MOORESTOWN 6 EDINBURGH 3
TRI-WEST 1 CRAWFORDSVILLE 0
CARMEL 6 ZIONSVILLE 4
BROWNSBURG 2 PLAINFIELD 1
MOUNT VERNON 10 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 6
WES DEL 8 SOUTHERN WELLS 1
RITTER 16 RIVERSIDE 0
PARK TUDOR 7 TRITON CENTRAL 0
DELTA 4 CENTERVILLE 1
TRADERS POINT14 PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY 2
NORTHEASTERN 5 KNIGHTSTOWN 4
WAPAHANI 17 MUNCIE BURRIS 0
EAST CENTRAL 8 COLUMBUS EAST 0
CONNERSVILLE 6 GREENSBURG 3
GREENWOOD 3 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 1
LINCOLN 11 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 2
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 13 EMINENCE 3
AVON 4 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 0
NOBLESVILLE 3 FISHERS 1
WESTERN BOONE 7 DANVILLE 6
LAPEL 16 MONROE CENTRAL 2
WHITELAND 6 SHELBYVILLE 0
MARTINSVILLE 2 MOORESVILLE 0
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/24/2023
BASEBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS:
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SECTIONAL SCORES
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 9 BREBEUF 1
LUTHERAN 13 PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY 0
NEW PALESTINE 20 MUNCIE CENTRAL 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 1 ZIONSVILLE 0
TRITON CENTRAL 3 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 0
LAWRENCE NORTH 4 N. CENTRAL 1
SOUTH DEARBORN 10 BATESVILLE 0
UNION COUNTY 6 EASTERN HANCOCK 5
TRI-WEST 10 LEBANON 0
AVON 13 BROWNSBURG 8
RONCALLIU 12 PERRY MERIDIAN 0
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 12 ANDERSON 1
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 17 CRISPUS ATTUCKS 0
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/24/2023
SECTIONAL BRACKETS:
INDIANA GIRLS REGIONAL TENNIS FINALS
CENTERVILLE 4 E. CENTRAL 1
SULLIVAN 5 BENTON CENTRAL 0
NORTHWOOD 4 CONCORD 1
FISHERS 3 N. CENTRAL 2
HOMESTEAD 3 FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 2
DELTA 4 MISSISSINEWA 1
CARMEL 4 HARRISON 1
CULVER ACADEMIES 3 WARSAW 1
PARK TUDOR 4 ZIONSVILLE 1
FRANKLIN 5 RONCALLI 0
NEW ALBANY 3 FLOYD CENTRAL 2
CASTLE 5 GIBSON SOUTHERN 0
CROWN POINT 3 MUNSTER 2
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 5 PENN 0
COLUMBUS NORTH 3 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 2
JASPER 5 S. KNOX 2
NHL PLAYOFFS
FLORIDA 4 CAROLINA 3
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
TEXAS 3 PITTSBURGH 2
MILWAUKEE 4 HOUSTON 0
MINNESOTA 7 SAN FRANCISCO 1
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 6 CLEVELAND 0
TAMPA BAY 7 TORONTO 3
BALTIMORE 9 NY YANKEES 6
DETROIT 6 KANSAS CITY 4
LA ANGELS 7 BOSTON 3
SEATTLE 6 OAKLAND 1
PHILADELPHIA 6 ARIZONA 5 (10)
CINCINNATI 10 ST. LOUIS 3
WASHINGTON 5 SAN DIEGO 3
ATLANTA 4 LA DODGERS 3
CHICAGO CUBS 4 NY METS 2
MIAMI 10 COLORADO 2
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 12 COLUMBUS 9
DAYTON 4 SOUTH BEND 1
FORT WAYNE 5 LANSING 3
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
NEBRASKA 9 RUTGERS 7
MICHIGAN 6 ILLINOIS 3
MID-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT
BALL STATE 7 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 6
STATE 6 WESTERN MICHIGAN 4
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
EVANSVILLE 7 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 3
BELMONT 10 VALPARAISO 9
INDIANA STATE 8 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 5
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 6 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 3
OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5 SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SUPER REGIONALS
BEST OF THREE SERIES
THURSDAY, MAY 25, THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 28
NO. 16 CLEMSON AT NO. 1 OKLAHOMA
NO. 14 GEORGIA AT NO. 3 FLORIDA STATE
NO. 13 TEXAS AT NO. 4 TENNESSEE
NO. 12 NORTHWESTERN AT NO. 5 ALABAMA
OREGON AT NO. 6 OKLAHOMA STATE
LOUISIANA AT NO. 7 WASHINGTON
SAN DIEGO STATE AT NO. 15 UTAH
NO. 9 STANFORD AT NO. 8 DUKE
TOP NATIONAL NEWS
NHL PLAYOFFS
TKACHUK SENDS PANTHERS TO STANLEY CUP FINAL, AFTER TOPPING HURRICANES 4-3 FOR SWEEP
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Matthew Tkachuk delivered for Florida, again. Sergei Bobrovsky denied Carolina, again.
The wait is over: After 27 years, the Florida Panthers – a hockey punchline no more – are again going to play for the game’s grandest prize.
Tkachuk got his second goal of the game with 4.9 seconds left, lifting the Panthers past the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 and into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996 after sweeping the Eastern Conference final.
The Panthers will play either Vegas or Dallas for the Stanley Cup starting sometime next week; Vegas currently leads the Western Conference title series 3-0.
“This was pure joy,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.
Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots to cap his stellar series – four games, four one-goal wins, three of them basically in sudden death, a .966 save percentage after stopping 174 of the 180 shots he faced. The first two wins were in overtime, and this one may as well have been.
The Panthers scored 10 goals in the series, and Bobrovsky ensured those were all they needed. They were the No. 8 seed, the last team in, the longest of long shots – which is consistent with their history, after not winning a single playoff series in 26 years, a drought that ended last season.
And now, beasts of the East. Tkachuk arrived last summer saying he wanted to bring Florida a Cup. He’s four wins away.
“It’s amazing,” Bobrovsky said. “We showed the resilience … and we’re lucky to have Chucky on our side. He knows how to score big goals.”
NHL Senior Vice President Brian Jennings was the one tasked with presenting the Prince of Wales Trophy. After some photos, Aleksander Barkov – the captain who had two assists, one of them on the game-winner – grabbed it, and skated it away. Some teams touch it. Some don’t. A few of the Panthers did, but Barkov didn’t pass it around.
That’ll wait for the big prize.
“It’s hard to explain right now. Everything just happened so quick,” Barkov said. “It means a lot. It definitely does. … It hasn’t been easy and nobody said it’s going to be easy.”
Added Tkachuk: “We earned that thing, and definitely didn’t do it the easy way. We earned it.”
Ryan Lomberg and Anthony Duclair had the other goals for Florida, which swept a series for the first time in franchise history.
Jordan Staal – his brothers Eric and Marc play for the Panthers – took a tripping penalty with 57 seconds left in regulation, setting up the power-play that Tkachuk finished off after getting into the slot and beating Frederik Andersen to set off a wild celebration.
“Eastern Conference champions,” Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “It’s really cool. No doubt about it. But you know, at the end of the day, we have our eyes on something different.”
Toy rats – the Panthers’ tradition, a nod to the unwanted locker room guests from Florida’s old arena in 1996 – sailed down from the stands, and the goal needed to survive an official review. But the rats were picked up, the goal was deemed good, and 27 years of waiting was officially over 4.9 seconds later.
Jesper Fast seemed like he might have saved the season for Carolina, getting a tying goal with 3:22 left in regulation. Paul Stastny and Teuvo Teravainen had the first two goals of the night for the Hurricanes, while Brady Skjei and Jordan Martinook each had two assists. Andersen stopped 21 shots.
“Everyone’s going to say, ‘You got swept.’ That’s not what happened,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I watched the game. I’m there. I’m cutting the games. We’re in the game. We didn’t lose four games. We got beat, but we were right there. This could have went the other way. It could have been four games the other way.”
That wasn’t sour grapes. He was right. A bounce here, a bounce there, a Bobrovsky not here, a Bobrovsky not there, and this series could have gone much differently.
But Bob was his best. Tkachuk was clutch, over and over. And Florida is as close to a Cup as it has ever been; the Panthers were swept by Colorado in the 1996 final.
Towels waved, strobe lights flashed, and the fans wasted no time letting the Panthers know that they were ready to a clincher.
Tkachuk made it 2-0 on the power play midway through the first. Carolina – a 113-point, division-championship-winning team in the regular season – made it 2-1 later in the first on Stastny’s goal, and Teravainen tied it early in the second.
Lomberg’s goal midway through the second gave Florida the lead again. It stayed that way until Fast got the equalizer with 3:22 left, and then Tkachuk finished it off – getting the Panthers to the title round in his first season.
“It’s been unbelievable since July since I got here,” Tkachuk said. “And hopefully we can cap off this amazing year.”
AROUND THE RINK
Panthers general manager Bill Zito was announced earlier Wednesday as a finalist for NHL GM of the year. … Tkachuk’s two goals gave him 21 points in the playoffs – extending his Florida single-season postseason record, which was 17 by Dave Lowry in 1996. … Slavin was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game after Bennett’s hit, with what the Hurricanes said was “an upper-body injury.” Slavin wobbled as he tried to get to his feet. … Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel – who has also been a regular at Miami Heat games during their playoff run this spring – banged the drum before the game. When done, without a mic to drop, he simply dropped the mallet instead.
TWO-GOAL EDGE
Tkachuk’s goal midway through the opening period put Florida up 2-0 – and marked the first time, in nearly 14 periods of play to that point, that a team had a two-goal lead in this series. Every bit of action came with the score tied or someone up by one in the first 272 minutes (including all the overtimes) of the series.
DALLAS STARS IN 0-3 HOLE VS. VEGAS, BENN SUSPENDED 2 GAMES AFTER CAPTAIN-ON-CAPTAIN HIT
DALLAS (AP) Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was suspended two games by the NHL on Wednesday after an ugly hit on Vegas captain Mark Stone in a Game 3 loss that left Dallas on the brink of being swept out of the Western Conference Final.
Benn will miss the must-win Game 4 for the Stars on Thursday night, and Game 5 as well if they win. If Dallas is swept, the suspension would extend to the opener next season.
Benn got a game misconduct for his cross-check less than two minutes into the Tuesday night’s game after the captains collided near the blue line. After Stone fell to the ice, Benn lunged forward with both hands on his stick and made contact near Stone’s neck as he was sliding over the center line.
In a video announcing the suspension, the league noted Benn is in control of the play and made the decision to cross-check Stone, who was in a vulnerable position.
“This is simply an unnecessarily dangerous decision by Benn, and it is delivered with sufficient intent and force to merit supplemental discipline,” the league said.
Benn had been fined four times but never suspended before in his 14 NHL seasons. Before his hearing Wednesday afternoon, Benn said he wished he hadn’t used his stick “as a landing point” during the play.
“Just heat of the moment. … I need to be more responsible with my body and my stick,” Benn said. “My first shift of a game on home ice when you’re pretty jacked up and down 1-0, so you want to try to get your team going. Emotions are high and, you know, it was just an unfortunate play.”
Vegas scored on the ensuing power play, doubling its lead, before going on to a 4-0 win to take a 3-0 series lead. With a win Thursday night, the Knights would advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in the franchise’s six seasons.
“I didn’t love what transpired, but it got handled the right way and we stayed focused as a team,” said Stone, who also spoke before the suspension was announced.
The Stars had hoped for a strong Game 3 but instead saw the Golden Knights score three times in the first 7 1/2 minutes to chase inconsistent goalie Jake Oettinger amid a series of ugly penalties and even fans pelting the ice with debris.
Stone said he was “a little bit surprised” at that kind of play happening when it did.
“It was early in the game, my first shift of the game,” he said. “I didn’t expect to get stomped on like that.”
Asked what he could have done differently in that moment, Benn said he obviously didn’t want to take a five-minute major penalty.
“But the game happens fast, emotions are high, and obviously would have liked to not fall on him and, I guess, use my stick as a landing point,” Benn said.
Dallas coach Pete DeBoer had said the Stars were prepared for the possibility that Benn wouldn’t be available for a game that they must win to extend their season.
“The bottom line is that there’s consequences for actions and he’s paying the consequences for that,” DeBoer said. “From our group’s perspective, I think everybody wants to see Jamie Benn play again. I think we all want to make sure his season doesn’t end on a note like that.”
DeBoer said that Oettinger would be back in net for Game 4, even after losing three starts in a row. He has lost four of five, but the win was in Game 7 over Seattle last week.
Along with Benn, the Stars could also be without forward Evgenii Dadonov. He left with a lower-body injury in the first period, and DeBoer said he was doubtful for Game 4.
Max Domi, who got a 10-minute misconduct at the end of the second period, was fined $5,000 by the NHL for slashing Stone in the closing minutes of the game; no penalty was called.
The earlier misconduct came when Domi, after cross-checking Nicolas Hague, started throwing punches with 21 seconds left in the second.
Fans reacted to penalties being called on Domi by throwing water bottles, food and other items on the ice. With extended time needed to clean up the playing surface, officials sent both teams to their locker rooms early and finished those final seconds after the intermission before playing the third period.
Dallas Stars president Brad Alberts issued an apology to the Golden Knights and the NHL for “the actions of a few of our spectators at last night’s game. Their actions were unacceptable and put the safety of the players and fans at risk.
“We take pride in providing the best experience for everyone who enters our arena,” he said. “The actions of these individuals certainly do not reflect our great city, organization and loyal fan base.”
NBA NEWS
JA MORANT IS ‘FINE,’ TAKING A SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK, POLICE SAY AFTER WELFARE CHECK DUE TO CRYPTIC POST
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Police in Tennessee conducted a welfare check Wednesday on suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and say “he is fine” after cryptic messages appeared on his Instagram account and were later deleted.
The post from earlier Wednesday included messages and pictures saying “Love ya ma,” “Love ya pops” and “You da greatest babygirl love ya.” A fourth message simply read: “Bye.”
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Morris told The Associated Press in a phone call that deputies checked on Morant at his home Wednesday morning.
“He advised us that he is taking a break from social media,” Morris said.
Morant, 23, was suspended from all team activities following a video of him holding a gun that circulated May 13 on social media. The video was the two-time All-Star’s second display of a firearm within three months in a social media video.
The first video cost Morant an eight-game suspension and about $669,000 in forfeited salary in March. The second could be much more expensive with his five-year, $194 million max contract set to begin this coming season.
The video captured May 13 and widely shared online was streamed by an associate of Morant and showed him holding what appeared to be a gun as he sat in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The first video showed him flashing a gun in a strip club.
The Grizzlies suspended Morant from team activities on May 14, pending the league’s investigation.
Spotrac.com noted Morant is projected to be paid $33.5 million for the 2023-24 season if the NBA salary cap is $134 million. A suspension of 20 games or fewer would cost Morant $231,034 per game while more than 20 games would mean he loses $304,545 a game.
Powerade, the sports drink company, pulled an ad featuring Morant almost immediately after the March video.
MICHAEL WINGER LEAVING CLIPPERS TO TAKE OVER WIZARDS, SOURCE TELLS AP
(AP) — Michael Winger has been hired as the new president of Monumental Basketball, overseeing the NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Washington Mystics, a person with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.
Winger, who comes to Washington after serving as the general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers for six years, will also oversee the G League’s Capital City Go-Go as part of his new responsibilities, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Wizards had not announced the move.
ESPN first reported Winger’s hiring.
Winger is essentially replacing Tommy Sheppard, who was the Wizards’ president and general manager until getting fired last month after about two decades in the team’s front office.
The Wizards have gone 35-47 and missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis could be free agents this summer, so there are roster decisions awaiting Winger quickly, and Washington has three picks – No. 8, No. 42 and No. 57 – in next month’s NBA draft.
Winger has also worked for Cleveland and Oklahoma City before joining the Clippers, where he worked under Lawrence Frank.
MLB NEWS
A’S, NEVADA LEADERS REACH TENTATIVE BALLPARK AGREEMENT
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo announced Wednesday a tentative agreement with the Oakland Athletics and legislative leaders for a stadium funding plan after weeks of negotiations over how much the state will contribute to a $1.5 billion Las Vegas ballpark.
The tentative agreement outlined in a joint statement indicates a funding bill will be introduced in the Nevada Legislature in the coming days, giving lawmakers less than two weeks to consider it before the session ends.
The threat of a special legislative session looms if lawmakers can’t agree on the terms by June 5. The financing isn’t a sure thing either.
The announcement is on the heels of the Oakland Athletics’ agreement to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits – a pivot from an earlier agreement for a stadium nearby that came with a $500 million price tag that many lawmakers signaled was too high.
The statement Wednesday didn’t specify an amount for public assistance, though Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine said the private-public partnership would minimize risk to Nevada taxpayers. Public assistance would cover less than 25% of the total stadium cost, according to the release.
The governor’s office and Senate Democrats declined to provide specifics on the public assistance request. Conine and a representative for the A’s did not return messages seeking specific numbers.
Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal.
“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said in a statement.
The A’s have been looking for years for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront – all ideas that never materialized.
Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises. The team and the city are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit Las Vegas annually to help fill the stadium.
Earlier this month, the A’s reached a deal with the Culinary Union, Nevada’s most politically powerful union that represents more than 60,000 workers in the Las Vegas area, which guarantees that A’s workers would have the right to organize and negotiate union contracts.
MLB ROUNDUP: 8-RUN INNING LIFTS O’S PAST YANKEES
Pinch hitter Gunnar Henderson delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in Baltimore’s eight-run seventh inning as the Orioles stormed back for a 9-6 victory over the host New York Yankees on Wednesday night.
The Orioles won for the 10th time in 14 games by scoring five of their runs in the seventh against Nestor Cortes and Jimmy Cordero (3-2) before an out was recorded. The first six hitters reached base, and Adam Frazier knocked out Cortes with a three-run homer that clanged off the right field foul pole.
New York’s Gleyber Torres homered in consecutive at-bats in the third and fifth innings for the Yankees, who saw their five-game winning streak stopped. Cortes allowed four runs on five hits in six-plus innings.
Mike Baumann (4-0) pitched a 1-2-3 sixth ahead of Baltimore’s biggest inning this season. Felix Bautista fanned two in the ninth for his 12th save in 16 chances.
Rangers 3, Pirates 2
Marcus Semien homered in a three-run first inning as visiting Texas topped Pittsburgh in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Josh Jung added an RBI double for the Rangers, who have won five of six. Texas starter Martin Perez (6-1) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, and Will Smith got his first career five-out save, his ninth overall this season.
Jason Delay hit an RBI single for the Pirates, who have lost four of five. Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo (3-4) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Mariners 6, A’s 1
Bryce Miller continued the stellar start to his major league career with six scoreless innings of two-hit ball as Seattle defeated visiting Oakland, which lost its seventh consecutive game.
Miller (3-1) has made quality starts in all five of his outings since being called up on May 2. Teoscar Hernandez homered for the Mariners, who have won the first three games of the four-game series.
A’s left-hander Ken Waldichuk (1-4) gave up five runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. Aledmys Diaz had two hits and an RBI for Oakland.
Cubs 4, Mets 2
Marcus Stroman allowed two runs over a season-high eight innings for his ninth quality start in 11 outings this season as host Chicago defeated New York.
The Cubs’ Mike Tauchman had two hits, including a tiebreaking single that highlighted a three-run third inning. Stroman (4-4) allowed only Francisco Alvarez’s two-run homer and New York’s three other hits.
Nico Hoerner clubbed a solo homer in the sixth inning for Chicago. Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his second save. New York’s Kodai Senga (4-3) allowed three runs on six hits and five walks over five innings.
Angels 7, Red Sox 3
Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Zach Neto homered, Tyler Anderson pitched six strong innings and Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of Boston in Anaheim, Calif.
Trout and Ohtani homered in the same game for the 26th time. Trout socked his 362nd career long ball, moving him past Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio and into 85th place on the all-time list.
Anderson (2-0) gave up one run on five hits. Red Sox starter James Paxton (1-1) retired the Angels in order in the first inning, including strikeouts of Trout and Ohtani, but he gave four runs in the second and Ohtani’s homer in the third.
Brewers 4, Astros 0
Adrian Houser allowed two hits over 5 1/3 innings to help Milwaukee to a win against visiting Houston in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Houser (1-0) struck out three and walked one before Joel Payamps relieved him in the sixth and pitched out of a jam. Willy Adames, Owen Miller and Brian Anderson homered for the Brewers, who ended the Astros’ eight-game winning streak on Tuesday.
Astros starter Brandon Bielak (1-2) allowed four runs and five hits in a season-high 6 2/3 innings.
Twins 7, Giants 1
Joe Ryan earned his seventh win and Edouard Julien and Ryan Jeffers each homered to lead Minnesota to a victory over San Francisco in Minneapolis.
Willi Castro went 2-for-3 with a steal of home for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Ryan (7-1) grinded through five innings and allowed one run on six hits.
LaMonte Wade Jr. had two hits and a walk and Brandon Crawford had a double and two walks for San Francisco, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. The Giants finished 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 15 men on base.
Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 5 (10 innings)
Alec Bohm hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning as host Philadelphia overcame a two-run deficit in the ninth to earn a victory over Arizona.
Bohm sent the Phillies to their third win in 10 games after Trea Turner’s two-out, two-run homer in the ninth leveled things at 5-5. Craig Kimbrel (3-1) pitched a scoreless 10th to earn the victory.
The Diamondbacks’ Jose Ruiz came on for the ninth and got two quick outs but gave up Bryson Stott’s single before serving up Turner’s game-tying homer. Ruiz (1-1) also yielded Bohm’s game-winning single.
White Sox 6, Guardians 0
A five-run fourth inning gave Michael Kopech all the support he needed in a standout start, and Chicago won the rubber match of the three-game series by defeating host Cleveland.
Kopech (3-4) struck out nine in seven innings while allowing two hits and one walk. Kopech did not surrender his first hit until the fifth inning — and by then, had a six-run cushion thanks to the White Sox’s fourth-inning deluge.
Guardians starter Cal Quantrill (2-3) pitched four innings and allowed six runs on four hits — the only four hits Chicago had all game.
Rays 7, Blue Jays 3
Tampa Bay solved the mystery of Yusei Kikuchi, finally beating the Japanese left-hander en route to a victory over Toronto in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Rays were rude hosts to Kikuchi (5-2), chasing him after five innings after tagging him for five runs and eight hits, including a pair of home runs. Kikuchi had entered the game with a 4-0 record and a 1.80 ERA in his career against the Rays.
Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan (8-0) allowed just one run, four hits and no walks while striking out seven in seven innings. Luke Raley and Jose Siri homered for the Rays.
Nationals 5, Padres 3
Alex Call hit a two-run double and a single, Trevor Williams pitched into the sixth inning and host Washington beat San Diego to even the three-game series.
Dominic Smith also had two hits for the Nationals, who took an early 4-0 lead and held on for their third win in four games. Williams (2-2) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits. Kyle Finnegan worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save.
Rougned Odor had two hits, including a home run, and Ha-Seong Kim also went deep for the Padres, who had won their previous two games. San Diego starter Ryan Weathers (1-3) worked six innings and gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits.
Braves 4, Dodgers 3
Ozzie Albies hit a sacrifice fly to score Austin Riley with the winning run in the ninth inning, giving Atlanta a victory over visiting Los Angeles to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Riley opened the inning with a sharp double, his second of the game, against Phil Bickford (1-2) and went to third on Travis d’Arnaud’s groundout. The Dodgers intentionally walked Eddie Rosario before Albies plated Riley on the seventh pitch of his at-bat.
The winning pitcher was Raisel Iglesias (1-1), who allowed runners on the corners in the ninth before getting Max Muncy to pop out to end the threat.
Reds 10, Cardinals 3
Spencer Steer had a career-high four hits and drove in two while fellow rookie Matt McLain homered again to lead Cincinnati to a rout of visiting St. Louis.
The Reds, who rapped out a season-high 18 hits, finally managed to solve St. Louis starter and loser Steven Matz (0-6), who had been 4-0 with a 2.92 ERA in five appearances (four starts) against Cincinnati.
Cincinnati right-hander Ben Lively (2-2) earned his first win as a starter since Sept. 29, 2017, throwing six innings of two-run ball. McLain hit his second big-league homer in as many nights, after the ball popped out of Cardinals right fielder Oscar Mercado’s glove and into the stands.
Marlins 10, Rockies 2
Jonathan Davis homered among his three hits, Jorge Soler went deep for the second straight night and Miami clobbered Colorado in Denver.
Yuli Gurriel had four hits while Jacob Stallings and Soler added two hits apiece for the Marlins. Major league batting leader Luis Arraez, who earlier hit a two-run double, exited the game in the seventh inning due to a left leg cramp. Miami starter Sandy Alcantara (2-5) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings.
Elias Diaz homered for the Rockies. Colorado starter Karl Kauffmann (0-2) gave up five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Tigers 6, Royals 4
Pinch hitter Zack Short’s three-run homer led Detroit past host Kansas City.
Short’s second home run of the season — a one-out shot to left-center off Josh Taylor (1-2) — broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth. It was his first career pinch-hit homer and the Tigers’ third pinch-hit home run of the year, the top total in the majors.
Will Vest (1-0) got four outs for the victory and Alex Lange earned his ninth save.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANS BASEBALL
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Behind home runs from Nick Gonzales, Miguel Andújar, Mark Mathias and Canaan Smith-Njigba, the Indianapolis Indians survived several comeback threats from the Columbus Clippers in a 12-9 win on Wednesday night at Huntington Park.
The power outburst in the victory was the most prolific home run display of the season, and the four long balls were the most hit by an Indians offense in a game since they clubbed five on September 26, 2021, in Omaha. Additionally, the 12-run performance was Indianapolis’ third game with 10 or more runs scored in their last nine.
Command woes from Indians starter Kent Emanuel plated the first run of the night for the Clippers (23-23), when Columbus first baseman Jhonkensy Noel drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first. In the next half inning, Indianapolis responded with a four-run frame against Clippers starter Daniel Norris (L, 1-3) with doubles from left fielder Cal Mitchell and right fielder Ryan Vilade, before Gonzales clubbed a two-run home run to straightaway left field.
The back-and-forth nature of the scoring continued throughout the entirety of the game. Columbus cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the second, but the Indians (22-24) plated two more in the third and one in the fourth to create separation. Aside from a scoreless top of the first and a dormant fifth, the Indians scored in every other offensive half-inning.
The greatest threat from the Clippers offense came in the bottom of the seventh, when Noel ripped a solo home run to left field and shortstop Brayan Rocchio’s third double of the night cut the Indians’ advantage to 10-9. However, Vilade responded with an RBI opposite-field single in the eighth, and Smith-Njigba’s solo homer off the scoreboard in right-center field in the ninth provided insurance.
With Smith-Njigba, Gonzales and Andújar all hitting their fourth home runs of the year in the win, the Indians now have eight players who share a team-leading four homer total. The trio joins left fielder Cal Mitchell, catcher Endy Rodríguez, third baseman Malcom Nuñez, infielder Aaron Shackelford and current Pirates outfielder Josh Palacios as the team leaders.
The Indians enjoyed a pair of excellent outings out of the bullpen. Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (W, 1-2) recorded five outs, four via strikeout, to get the Indians’ staff through the fifth inning. Reliever Cody Bolton (S, 1) finished the job with two no-hit innings, striking out three.
The Indians and Clippers play the third game of their six-game series on Thursday at Huntington Park at 7:05 PM ET. Left-hander Caleb Smith (2-4, 7.17) gets the ball for Indianapolis, while Columbus turns to MLB rehabber Triston McKenzie (0-0, 0.00) as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
INDY ELEVEN WOMEN’S SOCCER
CINCINNATI, OHIO (Wednesday, May 24, 2023) – in their second game of the week and second game on the road, Indy traveled to Cincinnati to face Kings Hammer FC for the first time this season. It would take 75 minutes and multiple balls off of the woodwork before Indy eventually scored the lone goal of the game and earned three points on Wednesday night.
Although Indy controlled the possession, both teams spent the majority of the first half feeling each other out. The Girls in Blue would have a handful of shots toward the frame, but nothing would end up in the back of the net, sending both teams into the locker room scoreless.
Making two subs early in the second half Indy would continue to put pressure on Kings Hammer, leading to multiple shots hitting the woodwork but nothing on the scoreboard.
After multiple chances and no goals, Maria Vanegas would be the eventual goal scorer in the 75th minute when she pounced on a loose ball in front of the Kings Hammer goal and buried it in the back of the net. After subbing off two of their starting forwards, Indy held the ball for the remaining minutes and hold on for a 1-0 win on Wednesday night.
The Girls in Blue will return home on Friday, June 2when they play the first of back-to-back games against Racing Louisville. Following their home opener on June 2, Indy will head to Louisville for the back half of the two-game season series on June 6.
2023 USL W League Regular Season
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – 7 p.m. ET
Corcoran Field – Cincinnati, Ohio
Indy Eleven: 3W-0L-0D, 9 pts
Kings Hammer FC: 1W-2L-0D, 3 pts
Scoring Summary:
IND – Maria Vanegas 75’
Indy Eleven lineup: Emily Edwards, Grace Bahr, Jenna Chatterton (R.Dewey 73’), Trinity Watson, Lizzie Sexton (Rafferty Kugler 62’), Greta Kraszula (Maisie Whitsett 46’), Hal Hershfelt, Ella Rogers, Katie Soderstrom (Madisyn Hunt 80’), Cassidy Lindley (Maria Vanegas 73’), Addie Chester (Marel Houweling 80’)
IND substitutes: Nona Reason
INDIANA TRACK
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tyler Carrel and Nathan Stone secured IU’s first two spots at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after finishing top-12 in the men’s pole vault at the NCAA East Prelims on Wednesday evening (May 24).
A series of close calls early in the competition, including Stone’s three attempts at 5.05m/16-6.75 and Carrel’s third-attempt clearance at 5.30m/17-4.5, made for an eventful evening before the duo settled in to secure their national bids with clearances at 5.40m/17-8.5.
Carrel will make his debut at the national meet while Stone makes his fourth national championship, the second outdoors. IU sends two men’s pole vaulters to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time since 2019 (Adam Coulon and Brock Mammoser).
Riley Johnston, IU’s third vaulter in the field, cleared a lifetime best of 5.20m/17-0.5. The first regional meet of his career saw him finish as the top-ranked freshman in the region. He finished 20th overall, putting three IU athletes in the top-20 of the region.
Not to be outdone on the night, Antonio Laidler bettered his own school record in the 100 meters. Now the sole owner of the title of fastest man in program history, Laidler dropped a 10.19 in the first round to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.
Laidler previously shared the record with Rikkoi Brathwaite (2022), having matched the program best mark of 10.20 at the Louisville Invitational in April. The Florida native was one of six time qualifiers with six entries advancing out of his heat (2nd).
Camden Marshall cruised to a big Q in the 800 meters and a lane in Friday’s quarterfinal. He ran a comfortable 1:49.21 and advances to the quarterfinals for the second-consecutive year. The Big Ten Champion will look for his first individual bid to a national meet when he toes the line on Friday (May 26).
Keefer Soehngen, who came into the meet seeded 45th, finished 30th in 1:50.34 at his NCAA East Prelims debut. Micah Camble finished 36th in the 400-meter hurdles, running 53.05 to close out his season.
Sean Mockler fell just six feet short of qualifying for the national meet after launching the hammer 64.27m/210-0. Battling injuries during the outdoor campaign, Mockler threw in just three competitions, eclipsing 64 meters in each outing.
Akron’s William Gross took the final qualifying spot out of the NCAA East Prelims with his mark of 65.97m/216-5. Mockler wraps up his sophomore season that featured a fifth-place finish in the weight throw at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Noah Koch, in his first of two events this weekend, finished 23rd in the shot put with a mark of 18.09m/4.25. The final qualifying spot in the east region was set at 18.75m/61-6.25 by Kennesaw State’s Isaiah Rogers. Koch will return to throw the discus on Friday evening (May 26).
INDIANA FOOTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University and Eastern Michigan University football programs announced on Wednesday (May 24) afternoon that the teams will play in Bloomington on Sept. 9, 2028.
IU defeated EMU, 37-6, at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 29, 1990, in the only meeting between the two programs.
Below are the Hoosiers future non-conference opponents:
2023
9.8 – Indiana State
9.16 – vs. Louisville @ Lucas Oil Stadium
9.23 – Akron
2024
8.31 – FIU
9.7 – at Louisville
9.21 – Charlotte
2025
8.30 – Old Dominion
9.6 – Louisville
9.13 – Indiana State
2026
9.5 – Colorado State
9.12 – Ball State
9.26 – at Connecticut
2027
9.4 – at Virginia
9.11 – Indiana State
2028
9.9 – Eastern Michigan
9.16 – Virginia
2029
9.15 – Western Kentucky
2030
8.31 – at Notre Dame
2031
9.27 – Notre Dame
PURDUE TRACK
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Purdue track & field team commenced the 2023 NCAA East Preliminary Round with one top-10 time in team history on Wednesday, May 24, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Freshman Connor Czajkowski entered the record books in the 200-meter event as he made his NCAA debut on Wednesday night. Fifth-year Johnny Vanos also competed at his first outdoor NCAA meet in the hammer throw early Wednesday afternoon after a rain-filled morning, while fifth-year Justin Becker joined Czajkowski in the 200m and raced at his fourth NCAA prelims but first in an individual event.
The Boilermaker trio are the first three of 11 entries at the four-day NCAA East Prelims at North Florida’s Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. In each event, Purdue is competing for a top-12 finish and a qualification to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
In the first heat of the 200m on Wednesday, Czajkowski ran a personal-best time of 20.80. That moved him into the top-10 list in school history for the first time in his career, in a tie at No. 10. As Czajkowski ran the fourth top-10 time in the last three seasons in the event, he matched Leo Settle’s mark set in 1995.
Czajkowski was 31st overall after he entered the meet as the No. 47 seed. The first-year Boilermaker bested his previous PR of 20.81-w, and his wind-legal PR 21.20, which was set less than two weeks ago at the Big Ten Championships.
Becker was right behind Czajkowski with a time of 20.84. He finished 34th overall. Becker has qualified for the NCAA prelims, and advanced to the NCAA Championships, each of his first three seasons in the 4×100 relay, though his berth in the 200m was his first-ever NCAA race in an individual event.
Both Czajkowski and Becker will return to the track on Friday to race in the 4×100 relay with a spot at the NCAA Championships on the line for the top 12 finishers.
Vanos opened the day, and the meet, in the hammer throw and placed 20th overall with a mark of 63.25 meters. It came on his third and final attempt and improved on his mark of 62.03m that was reached on his second throw.
The fifth-year made the NCAA prelims for the first time after he qualified for his first career NCAA Championships indoors in the weight throw and collected All-America accolades earlier in 2023. Vanos concludes an impressive career with top-10 marks in program history in both the weight throw (No. 2, 22.12m) and hammer throw (No. 6, 66.32m), both achieved in 2023.
The Boilermakers are represented by 18 competitors in 11 events, eight individual and three relays, at the four-day NCAA East Preliminary Round. Six women’s events and five men’s events for Purdue earned a spot at the regional meet for a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
The meet continues on Thursday, May 25 with the opening day for the women, while the men are back in action on Friday, May 26, and the women conclude the meet on Saturday, May 27. Thursday sees the Boilermakers race in the 400m first round at 7:25 p.m. ET. On Friday, the discus starts at 1 p.m., followed by the 4×100 relay at 5 p.m., the triple jump at 6 p.m. and the 200m quarterfinal at 7:50 p.m. Saturday’s action gets underway for the Old Gold and Black with the high jump at 2:30 p.m. and the 4×100 relay at 5 p.m. The triple jump is at 6 p.m., the 400m quarterfinal is at 6:50 p.m. and the meet concludes with the 4×400 relay at 8:45 p.m.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results, and watch all of the action live on ESPN+ (Thursday | Friday | Saturday), with live streams beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Additional East Prelims information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available at UNFOspreys.com and at NCAA.com. Updates from Jacksonville, including schedule adjustments should weather have an impact, can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Direct links to follow along also are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
The NCAA East Prelims, along with the West Prelims, feature 48 qualifiers in each individual event and 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers in every event from both the east and west will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
PURDUE SWIMMING
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Purdue alumnus Brandon Loschiavo ripped five 80-point dives as part of an impressive 500-point list, winning gold and another national title on 10-meter at the USA Diving Nationals Championships on Wednesday.
Loschiavo completed a gold-medal sweep of the 10-meter events at the national showcase and will represent USA Diving in both the individual and synchronized 10-meter events at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan this summer (July 14-30 in Fukuoka, Japan). The Olympian earned a bid to Worlds for the third time in his career.
Wednesday, Loschiavo won his second career individual USA Diving national title and seventh overall. He was also the champion on the tower at the NCAA Championships and U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2021.
Fellow Boilermakers Jordan Rzepka (4th on 10-meter), Daryn Wright (4th on 10-meter), Greg Duncan (5th on 3-meter) and Sophie McAfee (6th on 10-meter) also finished top six in an individual event this week. Like Loschiavo, all four moved up from their place in the cumulative scoring entering the final.
Loschiavo’s list score of 504.55 in the final is believed to be a career best at a USA Diving event. He also posted 500-point lists for Purdue while winning the on the tower at the 2018 and 2019 Big Ten Championships as well as the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in November 2018.
“I kind of wanted to feel that heat a little bit. I started the first cumulative round pretty badly, and so I wanted to lock in and feel like I was behind the whole time. I thrive under that pressure, and so I liked the challenge,” Loschiavo said. “The whole goal was just shutting my mind off for every single dive. I know how to do every single one, so putting all the pieces together was my goal.”
Loschiavo overcome a nine-point deficit in the cumulative scoring, moving up from third place to a 36-point victory while improving on his semifinal list score by 58 points. In the final, he ripped a forward 4 ½ (109C) for a big score of 94.35 and also earned marks of 86.40 in both the second and sixth rounds.
Rzepka finished strong with his best score of 85.50 on a forward 2 ½ 3-twister (5156B) to move into fourth place.
Wright had two excellent list scores in the women’s 10-meter competition. She won the prelim round (317.60) and had the second-best list score (313.70) in the final. But a slow start coupled with a missed dive in round 4 of the semifinal kept her off the podium. The cumulative-scoring format was based on the semifinal and final. Wright medaled in the event at both the 2021 and 2022 USA Diving Winter Nationals.
Duncan (3-meter) and Rzepka (10-meter) also qualified for the World Championships as part of the winning teams in the synchronized events at nationals.
PURDUE IN THE INDIVIDUAL EVENTS AT THE USA DIVING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WEDNESDAY
Men’s 10-Meter Final
Brandon Loschiavo – 950.90 2-List Total, 504.55 Final; Gold Medalist
Jordan Rzepka – 815.80 2-List Total, 405.75 Final; Finished 4th
TUESDAY
Men’s 3-Meter Final
Greg Duncan – 752.90 2-List Total, 380.40 Final; Finished 5th
Women’s 10-Meter Final
Daryn Wright – 583.70 2-List Total, 313.70 Final; Finished 4th
Sophie McAfee – 546.60 2-List Total, 277.35 Final; Finished 6th
MONDAY
Men’s 10-Meter Prelim & Semifinal
Brandon Loschiavo – 446.60 Prelim, 446.35 Semi; 3rd Place
Jordan Rzepka – 399.80 Prelim, 410.05 Semi; 5th Place
SUNDAY
Men’s 3-Meter Prelim & Semifinal
Greg Duncan – 341.80 Prelim, 372.50 Semi; 6th Place
Women’s 10-Meter Prelim & Semifinal
Daryn Wright – 317.60 Prelim, 270.00 Semi; 5th Place
Sophie McAfee – 281.55 Prelim, 269.15 Semi; 9th Place
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten and Big East Conferences have revealed that Purdue will host Xavier in Mackey Arena as part of the 2023 Gavitt Games, it was announced Tuesday afternoon.
The game will be played on Monday, Nov. 13, in Mackey Arena, with network times and designations announced at a later date.
Both squads are coming off outstanding seasons in 2022-23, recording at least 27 wins each and both posting 15-5 records in the Big Ten and Big East Conferences, respectively. Purdue won the Big Ten Tournament, while Xavier lost to Marquette in the Big East Tournament title game before reaching the Sweet 16, eventually falling to Texas.
It marks Purdue’s fifth appearance in the Gavitt Games and first against someone other than Marquette since hosting Villanova in Nov. 2016. The Boilermakers are 2-2 in the series between the Big Ten and the Big East, having lost to Villanova in 2016, defeating Marquette in 2017 and 2022 and losing to Marquette in 2019.
Purdue leads the series all-time with Xavier by a 9-6 margin, but the Musketeers have won five straight games against Purdue, dating to Dec. 2002. The last meeting came on Dec. 1, 2012, in Mackey Arena – a 63-57 Xavier victory.
The announced game is the fourth game on Purdue’s schedule, having previously been announced that Purdue will play in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational during Thanksgiving week (Chaminade, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee and UCLA).
BUTLER TRACK
Barry Keane has punched his ticket to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The graduate student finished second in the 10,000 meters Wednesday night at the NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, Fla., as the top 12 finishers qualified for next month’s NCAA Championships.
Keane was one of 48 entries in Jacksonville and entered with the third-best qualifying time. He crossed the line in 28:57.59, just behind Alabama’s Victor Kiprop (28:54.97).
Keane moved to the front of the pack midway through the race and then worked with the leaders to push the pace as a group of 12 runners pulled away.
His Butler teammate Jack McMahon placed 16th in a time of 29:44.52. Harvard’s Acer Iverson was the 12th and final qualifier for Austin, crossing the line in 29:18.85. McMahon finished significantly better than his qualifying time ranking in the field; he was ranked 39th among the 48 runners entering the race.
The 12 qualifiers from Jacksonville will be joined by the top 12 finishers from tonight’s NCAA West First Round 10,000 meters, which is being contested in Sacramento, Calif. Those 24 will toe the line in Austin, Texas at the NCAA Championships June 7-10.
Keane placed ninth at the NCAA Championships a year ago, earning second-team All-America honors.
Keane and McMahon are among eight Bulldogs who are competing over the next few days in Jacksonville as first round competition runs through Saturday. McMahon will turn around and run in the 5,000 meters Friday when the men return to the track.
Up next for the Bulldogs is Laure Bertrand, who will run in the women’s 10,000 meters Thursday night.
ESPN+ will stream a majority of the action from Jacksonville with links available on ButlerSports.com.
Remaining Schedule for the Bulldogs
Thursday
Women’s 10,000 Meters (9:10 p.m.): Laure Bertrand (34:06.93; 38th)
Friday
Men’s 3,000 Steeplechase (5:40 p.m.): Matthew Forrester (8:49.49; 22nd)
Men’s 5,000 Meters (8:10 p.m.): Simon Bedard (13:35.93, eighth), William Zegarski (13:47.10; 24th), Jack McMahon (13:55.55; 42nd)
Saturday
Women’s 3,000 Steeplechase (5:40 p.m.): Angelina Ellis (9:44.57; third)
Women’s 5,000 Meters (8:10 p.m.): Mia Beckham (15:58.52; 19th)
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
Butler will travel to Michigan State as part of the 2023 Gavitt Tipoff Games, a unique early-season series played between the BIG EAST and Big Ten and named in honor of Hall of Famer Dave Gavitt, founder of the BIG EAST and basketball visionary.
The game in East Lansing, Mich., is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17.
Butler and Michigan State last met Nov. 17, 2021 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. That match-up, a win by the Spartans, was part of the Gavitt Games that season. Michigan State becomes the first opponent that Butler will play for a second time as part of the annual event.
Only two current Bulldogs were part of that match-up 18 months ago: John-Michael Mulloy and Pierre Brooks II. However, Brooks was on the Michigan State roster at the time before transferring to Butler for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
There are several additional connections between the two rosters and coaching staffs. The game also matches up Butler’s Jahmyl Telfort and Michigan State’s Tyson Walker, who were teammates at Northeastern during the 2020-21 season. Butler head coach Thad Matta is familiar with the Michigan State program and coach Tom Izzo from Matta’s 13 seasons leading the Ohio State Buckeyes as the teams met annually in Big Ten play. Izzo’s Michigan State roster included current Butler assistant coach Maurice Joseph during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
The BIG EAST and Big Ten Conferences announced the eight matchups for the eighth annual Gavitt Tipoff Games Wednesday, May 24. The 2023 Gavitt Games run Nov. 13-17. All eight games will be televised on FS1. Game times will be announced at a later date.
Butler is 2-3 in the Gavitt Games, with home wins over Minnesota (2019) and Northwestern (2016). The Bulldogs’ losses have come at home to Michigan State in 2021 and on the road at Maryland (2017) and Penn State (2022).
Michigan State holds a slim 14-11 record in the all-time series between the two programs, one that stretches back to 1927. The most notable match-up came in the 2010 Final Four, a 52-50 Butler win over the Spartans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Gordon Hayward led the Bulldogs with 19 points and nine rebounds in that game, a win that put Butler in the national championship game against Duke. Prior to the 2010 game, the two teams had not met since 1971.
The road contest in East Lansing is another exciting addition to Butler’s 2023-24 schedule. The Bulldogs will also travel to take part in the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando over Thanksgiving. That eight-team field includes six teams that were part of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Season tickets for the 2023-24 Butler Basketball season are on sale now. The home schedule will feature an increase to 19 games this season, highlighted by all 10 BIG EAST rivals visiting Hinkle. Butler will also host Texas Tech Nov. 30 in the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, and the Pac 12’s Cal comes to Indianapolis Dec. 9. The home schedule will begin with an exhibition game on Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 27-29).
Gavitt Tipoff Games Schedule
Monday, November 13
Xavier at Purdue
Michigan at St. John’s (MSG)
Tuesday, November 14
Wisconsin at Providence
Marquette at Illinois
Iowa at Creighton
Wednesday, November 15
Georgetown at Rutgers
Friday, November 17
Maryland at Villanova
Butler at Michigan State
BALL STATE BASEBALL
KENT, Ohio – The Ball State baseball team return to action for day one of the Mid-American Conference Championship. Adam Tellier launches a three-run homer to lead the Cardinals defeated the Chippewas 7-6.
With the win, Ball State improved to 34-21 on the season, while Central Michigan fell to 33-22.
Ryan Peltier led off the game with a single to left field. Decker Scheffler reached on a fielder’s choice to first base and Peltier was safe at second as he was hit by the throw from first. Ahead in the count 0-1, Tellier launched a three-run home run to deep left field. Ball State took a 3-0 into the home half of the first.
Central Michigan cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the third with two runs on three hits and a Ball State error.
Blake Bevis led off the top of the fourth with a single to right center. Nick Gregory reached safely on a fielder’s choice as Bevis is out at second. Justin Conant recorded an infield single to the second baseman to give the Cardinals runners on first and second. Scheffler came up with a two-out double to left center that drove in Gregory and Conant. BSU extended its lead to 5-2 after 3.5 innings of play.
The Chippewas scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth and made the score 5-4, in favor of the Cardinals. Central Michigan tied it in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run off the bat of Garrett Navarra.
Scheffler recorded a two-out single to left field to start things in the top of the eighth. Tellier followed with a double to left center that scored Scheffler from first. Hunter Dobbins notched an RBI single to left center and drove in Tellier from second. The Cardinals took a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
Central Michigan scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, but Ryan Brown closed the door as Ball State claimed a 7-6 victory.
Ty Johnson got the start on the mound for Ball State and went four innings with six strikeouts. He gave up five runs, four earned, on eight hits. Sam Klein tossed 4 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. He got the win and improved to 7-2 on the season. He surrendered one earned run on three hits. Ryan Brown picked up his first save of the season in 2/3 of an inning of work. He recorded two strikeouts.
Adam Mrakitsch started the game on the mound for CMU. He went 5 1/3 innings and struck out one batter. He gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits. Ryan Palmblad threw 2 2/3 innings of relief. He gave up two earned runs on three hits and struck out two batters. Ryan Insco added an inning of relief and gave up one hit and struck out one batter.
Ball State returns to action on Thursday, May 25, for a matchup with regular season champs Kent State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
The University of Notre Dame football team has announced its slate of 2023 kickoff times, highlighted by prime time matchups against Ohio State and Southern Cal as NBC Sports presents its unprecedented 33rd consecutive season broadcasting Fighting Irish football.
The 2023 season will begin with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, against Navy. The contest will kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time in Dublin) on NBC and Peacock.
The ‘23 home slate begins with a historical meeting between Notre Dame and Tennessee State that will be broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game marks the first time the Irish will face a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
A two-game home stand will begin with Central Michigan on Saturday, September 16, at 2:30 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock followed by the highly anticipated conclusion to a two-game series with Ohio State on Saturday, September 23, at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC and Peacock).
The second prime time game of the home schedule is set for Saturday, October 14, when Southern Cal visits Notre Dame Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The home schedule will conclude with games against Pittsburgh (October 28) and Wake Forest (November 18) which will both be at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Throughout the 2023 season, Peacock will simulstream all Notre Dame football games aired live on NBC, including pre- and post game coverage. For the third-consecutive season, the Irish will stream one game exclusively on Peacock, the September 16, contest with Central Michigan.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S TENNIS
LAKE NONA, Fla. – The 2022-2023 season came to an end Wednesday afternoon at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida. The Fighting Irish’s top duo of Sebastian Dominko and Connor Fu fell in the opening round of the NCAA Doubles Championships. Dominko concluded singles play Tuesday in the second round.
Dominko came into the NCAA Singles Championships on Monday as a top-16 seed which guarantees his status as an All-American. He opened up play against Henry von der Schulenberg, a 2022 All-American representing Harvard. The match started with both players holding serve, often with ease, to get to 5-4 in the first set. But then the Irish player won a deuce point to secure the first break of serve and win the first set 6-4. The pair would trade holds again to begin the second set before a back injury forced the Crimson player to take a medical timeout. When play resumed, Dominko would take four of the next five games to clinch the match and a spot in the second round. The dominant serving performance saw the freshman go unbroken behind a flurry of a dozen aces.
The second round contest on Tuesday morning would be against a familiar foe from the ACC, fellow freshman and fellow lefty Pedro Rodenas of Duke. The first set would be similar to the previous day as both players would hold serve until late in the set. But this time, Dominko would be the one broken at 4-4 and the Blue Devil would consolidate and win the first set 6-4. Responding right away, a hold followed by a break and hold would put Dominko up 3-0. He would carry that momentum through and runaway to a 6-1 second set win to force a decider. In the third, the Irish fell behind early and found himself down 4-1 but battled back to pull within one game at 3-4. After getting broken and arriving at match point against, Dominko came up with some incredible tennis including a forehand passing shot winner to stay in the match. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain it further and would lose the contest 6-4 in the final set to end his outstanding freshman singles campaign.
First round doubles action was scheduled to start on Tuesday but as has been a theme all week, rain changed that schedule and would push the match to Wednesday afternoon. Finally getting on the court outdoors, Dominko and senior captain Connor Fu would hold as expected and only need one break of serve to win the opening set 6-4. An early lull by the Irish and a raised level from their Illini opponents saw the Irish pair fall behind in the second set and they could not recover, dropping the second set 6-1. With a spot in the second round on the line, a 10-point match tiebreak would be played to determine the winner. It was back and forth the entire way as Notre Dame took the early lead 4-2 at the first change of ends. Illinois would respond in the next frame and take a 7-5 lead at the next switch. The blue and orange would extend the lead to 8-5 before Fu hit two devastating forehands on back-to-back points to earn the error from the opposing volleyer. At 8-8, the Illini would win to put themselves a point from victory and on their first match point hit a mis-hit volley winner to clinch the match and end the season.
Singles
Round of 64 Dominko(ND) def. von der Schulenberg(HARV) 6-4, 6-3
Round of 32 Rodenas(DUKE) def. Dominko(ND) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Doubles
Heck/Ozolins(ILL) def. Dominko/Fu(ND) 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(8)
INDIANA STATE TRACK
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Indiana State pole vaulter William Staggs secured a spot in the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships Wednesday night, leading the way for the Sycamores on a strong opening day at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
Staggs cleared an outdoor career-best 5.30m (17-04.50), advancing to the national championships as one of the top 12 finishers in the field. He became the second men’s pole vaulter in program history to advance to an NCAA National Championship, joining Tony Mescall (1996 Indoor).
Also making a statement on the opening day of competition for the Blue and White was JaVaughn Moore in the 100m. Competing in an extremely fast heat that featured four of the top seven times, Moore clocked a time of 10.07 to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal in seventh.
Four Sycamore throwers also took to the ring Wednesday, with Wyatt Puff posting the top result of the group in the shot put. Puff’s top mark of 18.14m (59-06.25) placed him 21st in the event, while Brett Norton had a top mark of 17.66m (57-11.25) to finish 33rd. Noah Bolt and Elias Foor also competed for the Trees in the discus, with Bolt placing 37th (58.70m/192-07) and Foor coming 42nd (53.15m/174-04).
Up Next
Selene Weaver takes to the pole vault pit Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. on the second day of the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Matt Jachec went seven strong innings and Grant Magill drove in four RBIs as No. 1 Indiana State held off the challenge from No. 6 UIC on Wednesday afternoon at Bob Warn Field, 8-5.
The Sycamores (39-14) and Flames (28-24) traded runs over the first four innings before ISU took firm control of the game in the bottom of the fifth. UIC led 4-3 heading into the Sycamore at-bats thanks to a pair of early home runs from Cole Conn before ISU utilized clutch hitting to pull away.
UIC walked the bases loaded to open the bottom of the fifth inning as Luis Hernandez, Adam Pottinger, and Keegan Watson all drew free passes from reliever Peter Newton (2-2). Mike Sears was hit by a pitch bringing home Hernandez to tie the game up for the fourth time in the contest at 4-4.
Three batters later, Magill connected on a 2-2 offering from UIC reliever Matt Zahora and connected on a line drive down the left field line. The ball was initially ruled foul, but upon review the call was reversed giving Magill a three-run double and ISU the 7-4 lead as Pottinger, Watson, and Sears all scored on the play.
Jachec (7-3) took over from there as the redshirt junior retired the final six batters he faced in recording the third MVC tournament win of his collegiate career. Jachec allowed six hits and four runs (three earned), while striking out seven before turning the ball over to the bullpen.
Cam Edmonson went 0.2 innings in relief for the Sycamores, while Simon Gregersen (S, 1) recorded his first save of the season going the final 1.1 innings with a strikeout.
Magill added a late RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Sycamores. UIC’s AJ Henkle responded with an RBI single in the top of the eighth to provide the final 8-5 margin.
Randal Diaz, Hernandez, Watson, and Sears all had multi-hit games for the Sycamores as ISU connected on 10 hits in the game. Diaz added his team-leading third trip of the year to leadoff Indiana State’s at-bats in the game.
Conn was UIC’s star at the plate in the contest as the catcher went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double, and three runs scored. Henkle added two hits in the loss.
Brandon Bak went the first 3.0 innings allowing six hits and three runs in the no decision. Newton surrendered four runs over his 1.0-inning of work, while Zahora went the final four innings in closing out the contest.
How They Scored
Randal Diaz jumped on the first pitch of the ISU at-bats in the bottom of the first for a leadoff triple and Luis Hernandez followed up two batters later with an RBI single to center field to give the Sycamores the early 1-0 lead.
UIC responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning as the Flames took advantage of a Sycamore error to go ahead 2-1. Breck Nowik singled home AJ Henkle and Carson Roberts scored Ryan Nagelbach on a groundout to short to put the Flames up early.
ISU strung together a rally in the bottom of the second as Mike Sears singled and Parker Stinson walked, before Henry Brown delivered the RBI single through the left side of the infield to tie the game up at 2-2.
Cole Conn put UIC back in the lead in the top of the third with a leadoff solo home run over the right field wall to give the Flames the 3-2 advantage.
The Sycamores tied it up again in the bottom of the third inning as Keegan Watson singled through the left side scoring Luis Hernandez to make it a 3-3 game.
Conn put the Flames back in the lead in the top of the fifth inning as the junior catcher connected his second solo home run of the game to put UIC ahead 4-3.
Grant Magill came through with the clutch two-out, three-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning as the ball skipped off the left field line scoring Mike Sears, Keegan Watson, and Adam Pottinger to give ISU the 7-4 lead. Sears brought home the first run of the four-run inning getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded scoring Hernandez.
Magill added another RBI with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning as the redshirt junior catcher connected on a sacrifice fly scoring Watson to give ISU the 8-4 lead.
UIC cut into the Sycamore lead on Henkle’s two-out RBI single scoring Conn in the top of the eighth inning to make it an 8-5 ballgame.
News & Notes
Indiana State opened the Missouri Valley Championship Tournament with a win for the sixth consecutive season as the Sycamores took their opening contest on Wednesday afternoon.
ISU’s 8-5 win over UIC in the postseason came in the two team’s first postseason competition against each other.
The Sycamores won their third postseason game in Terre Haute dating back to the 1982 season and first since 2016 when ISU topped Wichita State, 7-1, back on May 26, 2016.
ISU improved to 3-1 against UIC in the 2023 season as the Sycamores won their third consecutive contest against the Flames dating back to the series over March 31-April 2.
The Sycamores continued their streak of winning at least one MVC Tournament game every season since 2014 with Tuesday’s victory.
Although technically it is considered a neutral site win, Tuesday’s contest marked ISU’s 16th win at Bob Warn Field in 2023 marking the most by the program since the Sycamores went 17-8 in Terre Haute back in 2015.
Grant Magill posted the third four-RBI game of his collegiate career and second in 2023. He previously drove in four runs after connecting on a grand slam back on March 10 at Memphis.
Matt Jachec saw his postseason scoreless streak snapped in the second inning on Tuesday afternoon. The streak was at 13.2 innings dating back to 2021 season. The streak spanned a 3.0 scoreless relief stint against SIU on May 29, 2021, 1.2 against Georgia Tech on June 6, 2021, and 8.0 scoreless against Valparaiso last season on May 25, 2022.
Adam Pottinger reached base safely three times in Wednesday afternoon’s game to run his on-base streak to 29 consecutive games. His on-base streak is tied for the second-longest in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era with Andy DeJesus (2015) and trails only Romero Harris (31, 2018).
Indiana State is at an even 100 hit-by-pitches in the 2023 season after Keegan Watson and Mike Sears were both plunked on Wednesday afternoon. It marked the third time in recent history ISU has been hit by at least 100 pitches in the same season and most since the Sycamores were hit 105 times in 2018.
Up Next
Indiana State will continue the MVC Tournament on Thursday afternoon with the Sycamores lining up at 4 p.m. ET. Their opponent will be the winner of Thursday morning’s 9 a.m. contest between No. 3 Southern Illinois and No. 7 Belmont. The game will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend and ESPN+.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
DAYTON, Ohio – Sixth-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne fell to third-seeded Northern Kentucky 6-3 on Wednesday (May 24) during the first day of the 2023 Horizon League Baseball Championship. It was a one-run game until the Norse scored two runs in the eighth.
Northern Kentucky scored in the first inning before the Mastodons tied the game in the third. Jarrett Bickel singled up the middle and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacob Walker. The ‘Dons threatened for more in the inning, but left the bases loaded.
Northern Kentucky took a 4-1 lead in the fourth with a three spot. The big hit was a bases loaded two-RBI double by John Odom.
It became a 4-2 game the next half inning on a Ben Higgins two-out RBI single to score Cade Nelis. The ‘Dons chipped at the deficit again in the eighth when Tyler Nelson doubled in Higgins. Purdue Fort Wayne put two more on but couldn’t get the tying run home in the eighth. Wright State extended their lead in the eighth with two runs.
Cade Nelis had a single to finish the season with an on-base streak of 37 games.
Walker had two walks, a hit and one RBI. Higgins had two hits with a double a run scored and one RBI.
Mac Ayres took the loss. He gave up four runs in four innings. JD Deany came in relief and didn’t give up a run until the eighth. Ben Gerl got the win for NKU with three runs allowed in 7.1 innings.
Northern Kentucky improves to 30-25. The ‘Dons end the 2023 season 13-43.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – University of Evansville junior RHP Nick Smith tossed eight strong innings on Wednesday morning, and the Purple Aces used a four-run seventh inning to knock off the No. 3 seed Southern Illinois, 7-3, in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament opener for both teams at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“What a start today from Nick Smith to give us a chance to win today,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “In order to be able to dogpile on Saturday, you usually have to win the first game, and Nick went out today and really battled after SIU scored a run in the first inning against him, and was able to give us a quality start on the mound.
“Offensively, I thought that we had a lot of different guys step up for us today and come through, but I was especially happy to see what the guys in the bottom of the order did for us. Evan Waggoner coming through with a big two-run home run in the second inning was huge, and I thought that Danny Borgstrom had a great at-bat in the seventh inning, and Ty Rumsey coming through with two hits and three quality at-bats. When those guys go well, we can be a really tough team to try and beat.”
SIU was able to strike first on a solo home run by second team all-MVC outfielder Pier-Olivier Boucher in the first inning, but Waggoner immediately answered for Evansville in the second inning with a two-run home run to right field to give UE a 2-1 lead.
The Salukis would scratch across single runs in the fourth and sixth innings against Smith to grab a 3-2 lead, but Evansville once again answered back with four runs in the seventh inning to grab a lead it would never lose. The Purple Aces took advantage of some wildness from SIU in the frame, as UE loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch and two walks to open the inning.
With two strikes against him, Borgstrom came through with a run-scoring fielder’s choice ground ball to tie the game at 3-3. Rumsey then delivered a sharp single to center field to give UE a 4-3 lead. A pair of walks would re-load the bases and end up scoring a run, before junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse drove in another run with a two-strike ground ball that SIU’s third baseman couldn’t handle to give UE a 6-3 lead.
Fougerousse would then tack on an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI single to provide the final margin of victory.
Waggoner went 2-for-3 with a home run, a run scored and two RBI on his birthday to lead UE. Rumsey also went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Fougerousse drove in a pair of runs. Smith (5-3) earned the victory for UE on the mound, giving up three runs on seven hits in a career-high 8.0 innings of work with a trio of strikeouts.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 34-22 overall. Evansville will now move on to face the winner of the game between No. 2 Missouri State and No. 5 Murray State on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. central. Every game of the MVC Tournament can be seen live on ESPN+, with every UE game also being available in the Tri-State area on the radio on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
MARION, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold onto a lead late and lost to Eastern Illinois University, 5-4, in opening game of the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Championship at Mt. Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. USI, the eighth seed, finishes the year 17-38 overall, while EIU, the fifth seed, goes to 34-18.
USI had the early momentum behind arm of junior left-hander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) and the bat of freshman third baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana).
Niehaus gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead after four innings with a RBI-single in the second inning and a two-RBI single in the fourth. The freshman third baseman finished the day two-for-five with the three RBIs.
The Panthers cut into the lead with a tally in the fifth before USI got the run back in the sixth on a RBI-single by junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) for a 4-1 advantage.
Ciuffetelli cruised through the first six innings before exiting the game with a 4-2 lead in the seventh. The junior left-hander finished the game with a no-decision, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits, while striking out five in a career-best 6.1 innings of work.
EIU concluded its seventh inning comeback with a run-scoring hit-by-pitch, a sacrifice fly, and a bases-loaded error to take its first lead of game, 5-4. USI was set down in the eighth before putting runners at second and third with one out in the ninth but could not get the tying run to cross the plate in the loss.
USI sophomore right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) took the loss, allowing one unearned run in a third of an inning, while junior right-hander Carter Stamm (Jasper, Indiana) finished the final 1.1, giving up a hit and a walk.
U OF I SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Junior Kenzee Smith joined an exclusive group Wednesday, picking up her third consecutive All-America nod. The hometown product was included on a pair of All-America Teams, earning second-team accolades from the NFCA and third-team from the D2CCA. She becomes one of five players in program history to garner at least three All-America accolades from the coaches and one of just three to do so from the sports information directors.
Smith led UIndy to one of its most successful seasons ever in 2023, as the Greyhounds racked up 53 wins, a GLVC regular season title and an NCAA DII Super Regional appearance. The junior pitcher and Decatur Central High School grad ranked highly in Division II in a number of statistical categories, including wins (2nd), shutouts (4th), strikeouts (7th) and hits allowed per game (9th). Also voted the GLVC Pitcher of the Year, Smith tossed two no-hitters in the regular season and later threw all 45 innings of the Greyhounds’ five-game NCAA Tournament run.
U OF I TRACK
INDIANAPOLIS – It is almost time for the UIndy outdoor track & field teams to compete at the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Neta & Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl in Pueblo, Colo. The Greyhounds will have student-athletes competing on both Thursday and Saturday at this year’s competition.
Treyton Arnold is set to kick things off for the Greyhounds on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. ET for the men’s pole vault. Zoe Pentecost will gear up for the women’s hammer throw on Thursday as well beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.
UIndy will return to action on Saturday with Sabrina Robison and Brittney Clark taking the runway in the women’s pole vault at 1 p.m. ET. Finally, Keeton Adams will close things out on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET with the men’s shot put.
HOUND BYTES
Assistant head coach Brad Robinson discusses the upcoming DII Championships…
“For everyone that’s going, they’ve got nothing to lose. We think everyone at least has a chance to be a Second Team All-American so it keeps competition interesting, exciting and engaging across the board.”
Robinson talks about Arnold ahead of the men’s pole vault on Thursday…
“Treyton has been a guy that has been trending in the right direction this year, similar to indoor season. He has that experience from the indoor national championships and his focus is to be as clean as possible on the first two jumps so he can put himself in position to make the podium or top 12 for a Second Team All-American spot.”
Robinson talks about Pentecost ahead of the women’s hammer throw on Thursday…
“This will be the first major outdoor championship experience for Zoe. She’s been incredibly consistent over her entire career and has shown up during the big meets and she really thrives in bigger atmospheres and competitions. She’s battled some injuries which is why she has had limited outdoor national experience, so for her she’s in a good spot and she ready to work towards a chance at the podium.”
Robinson talks about Clark and Robison ahead of the women’s pole vault on Saturday…
“Brittney [Clark] has been our veteran and has been to the national championships most frequently while Sabrina [Robison] joined her at the championships during the indoor season this year which helped her calm some nerves. They’re both fierce competitors, and the cleaner you can be early on in pole vault gives you a higher chance of making the podium. Both Brittney and Sabrina have a chance to do that.”
Robinson talks about Adams ahead of the men’s shot put on Saturday…
“Keeton has been with us for six years now and it’s been a lifelong dream of his to make it to the national championships considering he never qualified for a state championship in high school. He has battled and been pretty resilient through his career, especially this year when he missed indoor nationals by one centimeter. It’s been an exciting and humbling journey for him and he’s got nothing to lose on Saturday.”
U OF I BASEBALL
ST. LOUIS – The red-hot University of Indianapolis baseball team is continuing to rack in the positive news as Drew Donaldson, Brady Ware and Caleb Vaughn being named to the 2023 D2CCA Baseball All-Midwest Region Team as it was announced Wednesday. The pair of Donaldson and Ware were selected to the first team as the second base and utility pitcher honorees, while Vaughn was one of three selections for the outfield on the second team.
Donaldson has put up a season that many can only wish for, batting .427 with an OPS of 1.244. That OPS mark was second in the GLVC with him being third in batting average and leading the conference in hits with 93. Donaldson found himself a spot in the record books as well, nabbing seven triples which makes him the second UIndy baseball player to ever hit seven or more triples in a season. His seven three baggers also place him fifth in the country in that stat.
Ware is the name that millions have heard, being the first ever pitcher to hit for the cycle and throw a no-hitter in the same contest, which earned him a plethora of awards this season including NCBWA National Ptcher of the Week, Golden Spikes national performance of the week and GLVC Pitcher of the Week. Outside of the historic performance, ware has been a solid pitcher and DH for the Hounds, carrying a .909 OPS with a 4.80 ERA. He most recently had a dominant appearance at the NCAA Midwest Regional versus Maryville where he sat down nine batters on seven innings of work with only one run given up.
For Vaughn, his electric year has come on the basepaths, setting a new single season record for stolen bases and becoming the first Greyhound to ever swipe 40 bags in a season. That 43 stolen base mark (and counting) placed him among some of the best base thieves in the country, landing him in the top-ten in that category. Outside of his blazing speed, Vaughn was quality from the plate, batting .359 with a 1.060 OPS, with a trio of three-baggers, 14 doubles and eight dingers.
The Hounds are set to battle the No. 6-ranked Quincy Hawks in the NCAA DII Midwest Super Regional starting this Friday in Quincy, Ill.
MARIAN TRACK
MARION, Ind. – The Marian women’s track and field team kicked off the NAIA National Championships on a high note, with Erin Oleksak headlining the day with her Runner-Up finish in the long jump.
Erin Oleksak ended Marian’s day one of the NAIA National Championships with a stellar performance in the long jump. Oleksak was in the first heat of the day, where she started with a scratch before jumping her best jump of the day at 5.90m, just 0.02m off her PR. Oleksak’s second jump would hold all the way into the finals where she tied William Carey’s Machaeda Linton, who eventually edged out Oleksak by 0.01m after going to the pair’s second-best jump. The senior jumper picked up her third outdoor NAIA Runner-Up title and still has more in store for the week.
Arriana Benjamin began her week with a great performance in the hammer throw. Benjamin launched a PR with a distance of 52.40m. Benjamin’s throw would be good for 10th overall, missing the finals by 0.12m.
Ali Ray wrapped up day one on the track, as the senior runner competed in the 10,000m race. Ray turned in a time of 38:11.37 to finish in 20th. The Knights’ 4x100m relay group of MaKayla Melvin, Erin Oleksak, Hanna Reuter, and Giorgia Mameli were in a good spot before being disqualified on a handoff dispute.
Competing on Thursday will be Oleksak in the 100m hurdles, Benjamin in the shot put, Jai-Lyn Norwood and Naomi Walters in the triple jump, and the women’s 4x400m relay.
ALSO:
MARION, Ind. – The Marian men’s track and field team began the NAIA National Championships with a bang on Wednesday, earning a pair of NAIA All-American honors in the hammer throw. Marian’s Christian Rios and Isaiah Tipping headlined day one, claiming fifth and seventh to garner All-American honors.
Marian’s NAIA Championship experience began with the men’s hammer throw, seeing Christian Rios and Isaiah Tipping both competing. Rios threw 59.95m meter to mark his best throw of the day, sending him to the finals before tossing 58.47m meter in the finals to finish fifth, earning All-American honors. Tipping earned a place on the podium after throwing a 58.49m.
The men’s 4x100m relay hit the track in Marian’s second event of the meet, as the group of Will Osafo, Olivier Lifrange, Connor Maple, and Manny Manneh blazed the track in 40.80 seconds, setting the third all-time record in Marian program history. The Knights missed out on the finals by 0.12 seconds, finishing 13th overall in their prelim race.
In the 4x800m relay, Marian’s squad of Howard Hendricks, Andrew McDade, Own Pittman, and Drew Thornton placed second in their heat in the prelims after finishing in a 7:38.93 time to qualify for the finals tomorrow evening.
Robin Aguilar-Gonzalez ran his way to a first-place finish in the second heat of the 3000m steeplechase after crossing the finish line in a 9:20.30 time. Aguilar-Gonzalez’s time placed him at fourth overall and will advance him to the finals on Friday.
Otto De St Jeor had a strong start in the 200m, but halfway through suffered an injury that led him to not finish the race.
Marian will begin day two of the championship with the men’s long jump at 2:30 p.m, with the action on the track starting around 6:30 p.m., with the 4x800m relay running for an NAIA National Championship.
MARIAN WOMEN’S GOLF
Silvis, Ill. – The Marian women’s golf team saw their 2022-23 season come to an end on Wednesday afternoon, as the Knights finished their second round at the NAIA National Championships. Marian fell one spot on the overall leaderboard, and will end the tournament in 26th position overall.
The Knights were unable to dig their scorecards back over the cut line during Wednesday’s second round, as Marian carded a 341 team score. Marian equaled William Penn’s round score at 341, with Marian’s total for the two days holding at 676.
Keara Eder led Marian with the top overall score in the final round, as she was +13 on the day with an 84 score. Eder finished +26 for the two rounds in the tournament. Ava Hedrick shot a +14 in the second round, scoring an 85. Hedrick is the lone Marian golfer to finish in the top-100, ending her day tied for 80th overall. Eder finished 104th overall.
Elizabeth Hedrick and Mackendzie Dresbaugh both shot +15 in the final round, carding an 86 in their final round of the season. Hedrick ended the two rounds +30, while Dresbaugh was +36 for the two days. Sidney Parmer took the final place in Marian’s team score, carding an 88 in the final round. Parmer finished +33 for the two rounds in the tournament.
Marian will aim to repeat their magical 2022-23 season next year, as the Knights will bring back their entire lineup as they look to make a third trip to the NAIA Championships in four years.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Marian softball team is back in the NAIA Softball World Series for the first time since 2019, and are gearing up for their first game of the tournament as the Knights take on Midland University in the opening game. Below is a matchup breakdown as the Knights begin their fifth trip to the NAIA World Series in program history.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Marian reached the NAIA World Series by winning an improbable three games in one day to win the Indianapolis Bracket in the NAIA Opening Round. Marian scored a win over Middle Georgia State as they faced elimination for the first time, while in the championship games of the bracket the Knights pulled off back to back wins over Columbia, winning 1-0 and 8-1.
Midland was the No. 2 seed in the Oklahoma City Bracket, and pulled off an impressive run to the NAIA World Series by taking down the defending NAIA Champion Oklahoma City. Midland won their first game of the tournament by a 2-1 score over Mount Mercy in nine innings, and proceeded to advance to the championship game by taking down OKC 2-1. In the first championship game the Warriors would fall 3-1 against the Stars, but rebounded in the if necessary game with a 2-1 win to advance to their fourth NAIA World Series appearance.
SCOUTING MIDLAND
Midland enters the NAIA World Series with a 39-13 overall record, and entered the NAIA postseason receiving votes in the final NAIA rankings. Midland earned an automatic bid into the NAIA Tournament by winning the GPAC Tournament, finishing as the runner-up to Northwestern in the GPAC Regular Season.
The Warriors enter the NAIA World Series with team slash line of .296/.362/.442, and have 45 home runs as a team. The Warriors rank fourth in the NAIA in home runs this season, while their offense ranks in the top-40 in multiple categories including runs and total bases. Defensively, Midland has a team fielding percentage of .962, and their pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.33.
The Warriors top pitcher entering the World Series is Aliyah Rincon, who has made 35 appearances and pitched over 200 innings, holding a record of 23-6 this season with a 1.40 ERA. Midland’s top offensive threat comes from the bats of Roni Foote and Carly Pfitzer, who have combined for 30 home runs and 104 RBI. Emily Prai is also a threat in the Warriors lineup, as she enters the NAIA World Series with a team-leading batting average of .438.
COMPARING THE NUMBERS
In comparison to Midland, Marian holds the upper hand over the Warriors in multiple statistical categories, as Marian holds a slash line of .329/.390/.467, scoring 351 runs. Marian is the NAIA’s sixth-best hitting team with 515 hits, while ranking top-15 this season in runs scored, RBI, home runs, and total bases. Marian’s defense holds a .970 fielding percentage and the pitching staff enters the final stage of the season with a 1.96 team ERA.
Sydney Wilson and Olivia Stunkel enter the final stretch of the season with a combined 46 wins, with each pitcher seeing action in 31 or more games this season. Both Stunkel and Wilson have logged over 163 innings in the circle this season. Offensively, Savannah Harweger enters the NAIA World Series as the top hitter in the NAIA, leading all players with a .490 batting average, while Sierra Norman and Abby Madere follow the senior in batting average.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can watch each game of the NAIA Tournament on the NAIA Network, with each game of the tournament charged at a pay-per-view price of $9.95. There is a tournament pass available for a price of $34.95. All games of the tournament can be found here. The semifinals and national championship game will be aired on ESPN+.
Live stats for Marian’s game against Midland can be found here. Stat links for the remainder of the tournament will be updated on the Marian softball schedule page.
WATCH PARTY
Knights fans not making the trip to Georgia will be able to watch the game on Marian’s campus, as a watch party will be held in the Marian dining commons. The schedule of Marian’s games will dictate what games are being aired, so be sure to follow @MUKnights on Twitter for updates of potential watch parties.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Knights path goes in one of two directions pending the result of their contest against Midland. With a win over Midland, Marian would advance in the winner’s bracket, taking on Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) in the second round, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday night. If Marian were to lose, they would drop to the elimination bracket, where they would play the loser of either the University of the Cumberlands or the University of Science and Arts (USAO) on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.
First pitch for the 2023 NAIA World Series comes at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning, as the Knights take on the Warriors.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 36 | 15 | .706 | – | 23 – 5 | 13 – 10 | 12 – 8 | 9 – 1 | 4 – 2 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Baltimore | 32 | 17 | .653 | 3 | 15 – 8 | 17 – 9 | 10 – 7 | 10 – 3 | 7 – 4 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| NY Yankees | 30 | 21 | .588 | 6 | 17 – 11 | 13 – 10 | 10 – 9 | 7 – 6 | 6 – 4 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| Boston | 26 | 24 | .520 | 9.5 | 15 – 11 | 11 – 13 | 7 – 7 | 7 – 2 | 5 – 5 | 4 – 6 | L 4 |
| Toronto | 26 | 24 | .520 | 9.5 | 13 – 9 | 13 – 15 | 6 – 14 | 8 – 2 | 5 – 4 | 2 – 8 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 26 | 24 | .520 | – | 15 – 10 | 11 – 14 | 5 – 5 | 10 – 6 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| Detroit | 22 | 25 | .468 | 2.5 | 10 – 10 | 12 – 15 | 2 – 14 | 6 – 3 | 3 – 3 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Cleveland | 21 | 28 | .429 | 4.5 | 10 – 14 | 11 – 14 | 3 – 6 | 6 – 9 | 8 – 5 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| Chi White Sox | 21 | 30 | .412 | 5.5 | 12 – 13 | 9 – 17 | 2 – 11 | 11 – 8 | 3 – 4 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| Kansas City | 15 | 36 | .294 | 11.5 | 7 – 19 | 8 – 17 | 2 – 5 | 5 – 12 | 3 – 9 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 31 | 18 | .633 | – | 16 – 8 | 15 – 10 | 4 – 3 | 5 – 1 | 11 – 5 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| Houston | 28 | 21 | .571 | 3 | 14 – 11 | 14 – 10 | 4 – 2 | 6 – 7 | 7 – 5 | 8 – 2 | L 2 |
| LA Angels | 28 | 23 | .549 | 4 | 15 – 10 | 13 – 13 | 8 – 9 | 5 – 4 | 9 – 7 | 7 – 3 | W 4 |
| Seattle | 25 | 24 | .510 | 6 | 13 – 12 | 12 – 12 | 2 – 4 | 5 – 5 | 10 – 5 | 5 – 5 | W 3 |
| Oakland | 10 | 41 | .196 | 22 | 5 – 20 | 5 – 21 | 1 – 9 | 3 – 3 | 4 – 19 | 1 – 9 | L 7 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 30 | 19 | .612 | – | 13 – 12 | 17 – 7 | 10 – 3 | 6 – 0 | 4 – 6 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Miami | 25 | 25 | .500 | 5.5 | 14 – 11 | 11 – 14 | 8 – 12 | 5 – 4 | 8 – 7 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| NY Mets | 25 | 25 | .500 | 5.5 | 12 – 9 | 13 – 16 | 9 – 8 | 1 – 7 | 7 – 6 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| Philadelphia | 23 | 26 | .469 | 7 | 14 – 10 | 9 – 16 | 1 – 2 | 6 – 4 | 6 – 10 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Washington | 21 | 28 | .429 | 9 | 11 – 16 | 10 – 12 | 5 – 8 | 4 – 3 | 6 – 6 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 27 | 22 | .551 | – | 15 – 9 | 12 – 13 | 3 – 0 | 5 – 4 | 6 – 10 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| Pittsburgh | 25 | 24 | .510 | 2 | 12 – 13 | 13 – 11 | 2 – 1 | 7 – 4 | 7 – 5 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| Chi Cubs | 22 | 26 | .458 | 4.5 | 13 – 11 | 9 – 15 | 6 – 9 | 3 – 5 | 5 – 5 | 3 – 7 | W 2 |
| St. Louis | 22 | 29 | .431 | 6 | 11 – 15 | 11 – 14 | 0 – 3 | 8 – 8 | 7 – 10 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Cincinnati | 21 | 28 | .429 | 6 | 14 – 13 | 7 – 15 | 7 – 9 | 5 – 7 | 2 – 4 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 31 | 20 | .608 | – | 17 – 7 | 14 – 13 | 6 – 3 | 11 – 9 | 12 – 7 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Arizona | 29 | 21 | .580 | 1.5 | 14 – 10 | 15 – 11 | 6 – 6 | 6 – 3 | 12 – 9 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| San Francisco | 24 | 25 | .490 | 6 | 15 – 11 | 9 – 14 | 9 – 7 | 5 – 2 | 2 – 7 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| San Diego | 22 | 27 | .449 | 8 | 12 – 15 | 10 – 12 | 6 – 6 | 4 – 6 | 9 – 9 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| Colorado | 21 | 29 | .420 | 9.5 | 12 – 13 | 9 – 16 | 8 – 9 | 8 – 7 | 3 – 6 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1901 During a fluke snowstorm in Cleveland, Ted Lewis becomes the first Boston American (Red Sox) hurler to throw a shutout when he blanks the Blues at League Park, 5-0. The 28-year-old right-hander from Wales will become the president of Massachusetts State College and the University of New Hampshire.
1903 The court arraigned the entire Schenectady Frog Alleys squad for playing baseball on a Sunday after the team hosted the Albany Senators yesterday in a New York State League contest played at Island Park. When the jury acquits Captain Ben Ellis, the plaintiff of a test case for the charges against the Class D team, county officials discharged the detained players for violating blue laws.
1906 The Americans (Red Sox) halt a twenty-game losing streak, with 19 of the losses occurring at home, when Jesse Tannehill goes the distance, blanking Chicago at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, 3-0. Boston will finish last in the American League with a woeful 49-105 record.
1910 In the nightcap of a twin bill in Chicago, Jack Coombs’ scoreless streak ends at 53 innings during a 5-2 loss in a game shortened by darkness. The A’s right-hander will throw 13 shutouts in 38 games he starts and will finish the season with a 31-9 record and an ERA of 1.30.
1917 Trailing 5-0 at the start of the bottom of the ninth at League Park, the Indians come back to beat the Yankees, 6-5. After Tris Speaker steals home on an 0-2 count to tie the score, New York hurler Alan Russell throws the next pitch to the backstop, plating Bill Wambsganss with the winning run in Cleveland’s incredible walk-off victory.
1919 Casey Stengel, traded by the Dodgers in the off-season to the Pirates, calls time and steps out of the batter’s box to give the razzing Ebbets Field fans the ‘bird.’ The Pittsburgh right fielder doffs his hat, allowing a sparrow to fly out, much to the amazement and amusement of the fans.
1922 After being called out for trying to stretch a single into a double, Babe Ruth throws dirt into the umpire’s eye, goes after a heckler in the stands, and finishes his tirade by standing on the dugout roof, calling the crowd “yellow” cowards. These actions will result in a one-game suspension and a $200 fine and cost the ‘Bambino’ his Yankee captaincy, which he has held for less than a week.
1923 Crossing the plate for the 1,741st time, Ty Cobb surpasses Honus Wagner’s record for most runs scored in a career. The ‘Georgia Peach’ will tally 2,245 runs during his 24-year tenure in the major leagues, which stands until 2001, when Rickey Henderson breaks the record.
1935 At Forbes Field, Boston Braves outfielder Babe Ruth hits three homers and a single in the team’s 11-7 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The Sultan of Swat’s seventh-inning solo shot off Gary Bush, a blast that clears the ballpark’s roof, will be the Bambino’s 714th and final home run.
1937 Future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane’s career ends after Yankee hurler Bump Hadley beans him with a 3-1 inside fastball. Near-death at first, the Tiger catcher/manager will spend six weeks in the hospital and returns to the team only as its skipper.
1941 In a 10-3 victory over New York at Yankee Stadium, Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams goes 4-for-5 to raise his batting average to over .400 for the first time this season. The ‘Splendid Splinter’ will finish the campaign batting .406.
1945 Leon Culberson completes a rare unassisted double play in the Red Sox’ 5-0 loss to the Browns at Fenway Park. After making a running catch of a short fly to center, the Boston outfielder races into the infield and steps on second base to double up Vern Stephens.
1951 At Shibe Park, the much-heralded Giant rookie Willie Mays makes his major league debut against the Phillies. The 20-year-old outfielder, who hit .477 in 35 games with the Minneapolis Millers before being called up, goes hitless in five trips to the plate but makes two outstanding defensive plays to contribute to New York’s 8-5 victory.
1953 En route to a 10-3 Braves victory over Cincinnati at County Stadium, Max Surkont establishes a major league record by striking out eight consecutive batters, a feat not matched until future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver mows down ten straight San Diego hitters in 1970. After his streak reaches seven, the Milwaukee moundsman endures a thirty-five-minute rain delay before getting Andy Seminick, leading off in the fifth inning, to look at a third strike to set the mark.
1960 At Busch Stadium, George Crowe’s two-out ninth-inning pinch-hit home run to deep right field gives the Cardinals a 5-3 walk-off victory over Milwaukee. The round-tripper is “Big George’s” major league-leading 11th career homer coming off the bench, breaking the mark he shared with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial when the season began.
1968 Tigers right fielder Al Kaline suffers a broken arm when struck by a pitch thrown by Lew Krausse in the top of the sixth inning in the team’s 2-1 victory over the A’s at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer will miss 37 games for the eventual World Champions.
1979 The umpires stop the game when Pirates left fielder Bill Robinson loses Joel Youngblood’s fly ball in the mist at Shea Stadium. Due to the fog, the 11-inning contest ends after a 73-minute delay in a 3-3 tie.
1981 Joining Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski becomes the fourth major leaguer to appear in 3,000 games. Yaz makes it memorable by scoring the winning run in the Red Sox’ 8-7 victory over Cleveland at Fenway Park.
1982 Future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins reaches the 3,000 strikeout plateau when he whiffs Gary Templeton in the third frame of the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. Next season, the 39-year-old Canadian-born right-hander will finish his 19-year major league career with 3,192 K’s in 4,500.2 innings.
1983 In the third inning of an eventual 6-0 loss to the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Pirates’ starter Jim Bibby (4) and reliever Jim Winn (3) combine to walk seven consecutive batters to tie a major league mark. In 1909, Senators’ southpaw hurler Dolly Gray, who would win only 15 games of his 66 career decisions during his three big league seasons, established the dubious record in his rookie year.
1984 The Cubs trade 35-year-old Bill Buckner to the Red Sox for infielder Mike Brumley and right-hander Dennis Eckersley, who will compile a 27-26 record over three seasons as a starter for Chicago. Boston’s new first baseman will enjoy five solid years with the club, although the Fenway Faithful best remembers him for his Game 6 error in the 1986 World Series.
1989 The Mariners trade their ace, Mark Langston, along with minor leaguer Mike Campbell to the Expos for Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and 6′ 10″ southpaw Randy Johnson. The left-handed ‘Big Unit’ will become a mainstay in Seattle’s rotation for a decade, compiling a 130-74 (.637) record, and next season will throw the first no-hitter in franchise history.
1998 Cardinals’ first baseman Mark McGwire becomes the first player in major league history to hit 25 home runs before June 1 when he connects off John Thomson in the bottom of the first frame for the team’s lone run in the team’s 6 1 loss to the Rockies at Busch Stadium. Last season, Mariner outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit 24 home runs before the year’s sixth month.
1999 The Diamondbacks tie a 68-year-old major league record when their catcher, Damian Miller, starts three double plays. Arizona’s 3-2 victory over San Diego at Bank One Ballpark also features two 100-mph pitches thrown by southpaw Randy Johnson.
2000 The Devil Rays release 35-year-old Dwight Gooden (2-3, 6.63) after acquiring the 1985 Cy Young Award winner from the Astros on April 13 for cash considerations, allowing the right-hander to pitch for his hometown team. Next month, Doc signs as a free agent with the Yankees, posting a 4-2 record for the Bronx Bombers in the final season of his 16-year tenure in the major leagues.
2001 At Fenway Park, Hideo Nomo strikes out 14 en route to a 4-0 one-hitter against Toronto. The 32-year-old Japanese right-hander faces one batter over the minimum of 27, yielding a leadoff double to Shannon Stewart in the fourth inning.
2001 Kerry Wood gives up only one hit, a seventh-inning leadoff single to Mark Loretta, in the Cubs’ 1-0 victory over Milwaukee. The 24-year-old right-hander strikes out 14 batters in the Wrigley Field gem.
2002 With four homers on Thursday (5/23), one on Friday (5/24), and two more on Saturday (5/25), Shawn Green becomes the first major leaguer to hit seven round-trippers in three games. The Dodger outfielder’s nine big flies in a week also break a National League record, established by Ralph Kiner with eight and tied by Ted Kluszewski and Nate Colbert.
2002 Getting his 3,509th K, Diamondback southpaw Randy Johnson passes Walter Johnson to become seventh on the all-time career strikeout list. After fanning Shawn Green in the first to catch the ‘Big Train,’ Dodger outfielder Brian Jordan swings and misses a 2-2 pitch in the second inning to become the Big Unit’s historical victim.
2002 The YES cable network hires former major league pitcher David Cone as a part-time television analyst. The assignment also includes
serving as a studio analyst on selected pregame and postgame shows covering five games for the Staten Island Yankees (Class A) being a WCBS announcer for the June 14 Yankees-Mets game.
2003 Buddy Groom throws two-thirds of a scoreless eighth inning in the Orioles’ 13-10 victory over Texas at The Ballpark in Arlington. The outing is the 38-year-old southpaw’s 638th major league contest with zero plate appearances, surpassing Bob Stanley’s mark for the most games pitched without coming to bat.
2005 In a game against the Orioles, the Mariners starting battery consists of a pair of veterans when southpaw Jamie Moyer and backstop Pat Borders appear in the same lineup. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the age of the players marks the first time in major league history that the starting pitcher and catcher for a team has consisted of two players 42 years or older.
2006 At Tokyo’s Jingu Stadium, California-born Rick Guttormson becomes the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in interleague play in Japan. The former Padres minor league pitcher of the year holds the Golden Eagles hitless as the Yakult Swallows beat Rakuten, 6-0.
2006 After having a 6-0 lead over the Tigers in the first inning, the Royals lose, 13-8, when the bullpen gives up eight runs in the last two innings. The defeat is the 13th consecutive loss for Kansas City.
2007 Mark Reynolds, batting cleanup for the first time in his brief career, goes 5-for-5 in the Diamondbacks’ 13-3 victory over the Astros. The Arizona Rookie third baseman falls a double shy of the cycle, hitting a home run in his last at-bat, which barely clears the right-field fence at Chase Field.
2008 Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez, signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1991, is killed by lightning standing on a dock in western Venezuela. The 33-year-old right-hander, who compiled a 30-35 record, also hurled for the Devil Rays, Red Sox, Mets, and the Brewers before being released by Milwaukee in 2006.
2009 The Indians, trailing by ten runs in the fourth, rally to beat the Rays, 11-10. Victor Martinez’s walk-off, two-out, two-run single off Jason Isringhausen in the bottom of the seven-run ninth inning puts the finishing touch on the incredible comeback at Progressive Field.
2011 Paul Splittorff, the winningest pitcher in Royals history, dies at 64 of complications from skin cancer. The likable left-hander became a popular broadcaster for the team, serving as an analyst for the FOX Sports affiliate in Kansas City.
2011 Jo-Jo Reyes makes his 28th straight start without recording a victory, tying the major league record shared by Cliff Curtis (1910-11, Braves, Cubs, Phillies) and Matt Keough (1978-79, A’s). The Blue Jays southpaw, who leaves the game trailing 5-0 to the Yankees after just three innings of work, hasn’t won a start since June 13, 2008.
2011 In the 12th inning of an eventual 7-6 loss to Florida, the Giants lose catcher Buster Posey for the season after a brutal collision at home plate with Scott Cousins, who scores the go-ahead run. An MRI will confirm last season’s Rookie of the Year has a fractured left fibula and three torn ligaments in his left ankle and will need season-ending surgery to repair the damage.
2011 Yankee closer Mariano Rivera becomes the first pitcher to appear in 1,000 games for the same team. The 41-year-old Panamanian right-hander, who has compiled 572 saves and 75 wins during his 17 seasons with the Bronx Bombers, is closing in on the all-time saves record established by Trevor Hoffman with 601.
2013 Angel Pagan becomes the first Giant to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run since Bill Terry accomplished the feat at the Polo Grounds in 1931. The center fielder’s tenth-inning, two-run round-tripper gives San Francisco a dramatic 6-5 victory over Colorado.
2015 Jeremy Guthrie becomes the second starter since 1914 to give up 11 earned runs without recording at least one out in the second inning when he gives up nine hits, including four homers, and issues four walks in the Royals’ 14-1 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium. In 2007, Astros right-hander Jason Jennings allowed 11 earned runs while lasting just two-thirds in a contest against the Padres at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
2017 Drew Pomeranz, who whiffs 11 batters in six innings, and four Red Sox relievers tie a major league record, combining to strike out 20 batters in the team’s 6-2 win over the Rangers at Fenway Park. After Nomar Mazara strikes out but reaches first base on the strike-three wild pitch, Boston’s closer Craig Kimberly proceeds to mow down the next three hitters, two swinging and one looking, to record four strikeouts in the final frame to equal the mark.
2019 En route to their 19–4 blowout of the Blue Jays, the Padres hit a franchise-record seven home runs, breaking their previous mark of six established in 1998 against the Reds at Cinergy Field. The Rogers Centre contest, in which the Friars scored multiple runs in seven different innings, features Wil Myers (2), Hunter Renfroe (2), Ian Kindler, Eric Hosmer, and Austin Hedges also going deep, setting the new team standard.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
May 25, 2005 – The NFL owners make a resolution approving the purchase of the Minnesota Vikings by New Jersey real-estate developer Zygmunt Wilf. Wilf and his group paid $600 million for the franchise and vowed not to move the team from the twin cities area. The property magnate did say though he would push for a new stadium to replace the aging Metrodome to be the homefield of the Vikes for future generations. Wilf apparently set skeptical Minnesota fans minds at ease about possible relocation by stating, ” To me, this is not a matter of economics. This is a matter of passion. I’ve always been a strong NFC fan.” the long time New York Giants fan went on to add, “We will be in the Minneapolis area forever. Look I am not changing that at all.” WIlf purchased the team from Red McCombs in June of 2005. McCombs had owned the team since 1998. At this same owner’s meeting the teams awarded Tampa Bay the rights to host Super Bowl XLIII scheduled for Feb 1, 2009.
BIRTHDAYS OF HALL OF FAMERS FOR MAY 25
May 25, 1911 – Larksville, Pennsylvania – Joe Skladany the University Pittsburgh end from 1931 to 1933 was born. The National Football Foundation says Skladany struck fear into the hearts of enemy runners, as an immovable defender whose crunching tackles tore at the spirit of opposing ball carriers. As a matter of fact they report that scouts at Pitt Panther games of the early 1930’s would walk away from games muttering “Stay away from Skladany!” In 1933, Joe’s senior campaign, “Mugsy” held Pitt opponents to a net minus six yards around his right end as he tore into opposing rushers with an unusually strong leg drive which sent them reeling backward. During his three varsity seasons, Pitt rolled to a 24-3-2 record. He is credited as being the one man who most helped coach Jock Sutherland build a winning tradition at Pitt. In 1931, the Panthers were 8-1-0, losing only to Notre Dame, 25-12. The next season, the Panthers raced to an 8-0-2 mark before losing to Southern California in the Rose Bowl, 35-0. It was as though the Panthers were determined to erase that bowl defeat from their minds as they entered the 1933 campaign, Skladany’s last at Pitt. The nine-game season was marred only by a loss to national power Minnesota, 7-3, and the Gophers had managed to score one of only two touchdowns the Panther defense surrendered that year (Navy scored the other TD). Joe was an All-America choice in each of his two final campaigns. Mugsy Skladany’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1975.
May 25, 1978 – Brian Urlacher is a Pro Football Hall of Fame Middle Linebacker that played for the NFL’s Chicago Bears. This “Modern Monster of the Midway” played college ball at the University of New Mexico and is recongnized as one of the school’s most outstanding athletes as he was a Consensus All American for the team and was entered into the College Hall of Fame in the 2017 selection class. His NFL career spanned 13 seasons and he was voted All Pro 8 times and won the honor of being the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. In 2018, his 1st year of eligibility, he was voted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
3 – 9 – 14
May 25, 1922 – New York Yankees star, Number 3, Babe Ruth was handed down a suspension 1 day and fined $200 for throwing dirt on an umpire
May 25, 1935 – Babe Ruth was in the news again. The Bambino hit his last 3 home runs in Pittsburgh, but he and his Boston Braves teammates still lost the game 11–7 to the Pirates.
May 25, 1941 – Ted Williams, Number 9 for the Boston Red Sox raised his batting average over .400 for the first time in his career.
May 25, 1951 – New York Giants future Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Mays wearing Number 14 that season had his first start for the Giants. New York bettered the Philadelphia Phillies that day 8-5 despite the “Say-Hey kid” going 0-5 in his debut. Mays actually had some experience in the Big Leagues coming in as he played the 1948 season in the Negro American League.
TV THURSDAY
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| Senior PGA Championship | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA: Charles Schwab Challenge | 4:00pm | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Bank of Hope | 7:00pm | GOLF |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| St. Louis at Cincinnati | 12:35pm | MLBN Bally Sports |
| Toronto at Tampa Bay | 1:10pm | MLBN Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| Miami at Colorado | 3:10pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-RM |
| San Diego at Washington | 4:05pm | MASN/2 Bally Sports |
| Chi. White Sox at Detroit | 6:40pm | NBCS-CHI Bally Sports |
| Baltimore at New York | 7:05pm | MASN/2 YES |
| Philadelphia at Atlanta | 7:20pm | MLBN NBCS-PHI Bally Sports |
| San Francisco at Milwaukee | 7:40pm | NBCS-BAY Bally Sports |
| NY Mets at Chi. Cubs | 7:40pm | MLBN SNY MARQ |
| Oakland at Seattle | 9:40pm | Root Sports NBCS-CA |
| NBA PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| East Finals Game 5: Miami at Boston | 8:30pm | TNT |
| NHL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| West Finals Game 4: Vegas at Dallas | 8:00pm | ESPN |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| La Liga: Mallorca vs Valencia | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Manchester United vs Chelsea | 3:00pm | Peacock |
| La Liga: Osasuna vs Athletic Club | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs Guadalajara | 9:35pm | Univision |
TV FRIDAY
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| Senior PGA Championship | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA: Charles Schwab Challenge | 4:00pm | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Bank of Hope | 7:00pm | GOLF |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Cincinnati at Chi. Cubs | 2:20pm | MLBN Bally Sports MARQ |
| LA Dodgers at Tampa Bay | 6:40pm | Spectrum Bally Sports |
| Chi. White Sox at Detroit | 6:40pm | NBCS-CHI Bally Sports |
| San Diego at NY Yankees | 7:05pm | YES Bally Sports |
| Texas at Baltimore | 7:05pm | MLBN MASN/2 Bally Sports |
| St. Louis at Cleveland | 7:10pm | Bally Sports |
| Philadelphia at Atlanta | 7:20pm | MLBN NBCS-PHI Bally Sports |
| Toronto at Minnesota | 8:10pm | Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| San Francisco at Milwaukee | 8:10pm | NBCS-BAY Bally Sports |
| Washington at Kansas City | 8:10pm | MASN/2 Bally Sports |
| NY Mets at Colorado | 8:40pm | SNY ATTSN-RM |
| Miami at LA Angels | 9:38pm | Bally Sports |
| Boston at Arizona | 9:40pm | NESN Bally Sports |
| Houston at Oakland | 9:40pm | ATTSN-SW NBCS-CA |
| Pittsburgh at Seattle | 10:10pm | Root Sports ATTSN-PIT |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR Truck: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 | 8:30pm | FS1 |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Salernitana vs Udinese | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Sampdoria vs Sassuolo | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| NWSL: Kansas City Current vs Houston Dash | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Atlético Tucumán vs Arsenal | 8:30pm | Paramount+ |
| NWSL: San Diego Wave vs Portland Thorns | 10:00pm | Paramount+ |