THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY MAY 7, 2024

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL RANKINGS

1 CENTER GROVE

2 NOBLESVILLE

3 MOORESVILLE

4 FLOYD CENTRAL

5 MCCUTCHEON

6 COLUMBUS NORTH

7 FISHERS

8 EVANSVILLE NORTH

9 VALPARAISO

10 NEW PALESTINE

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: ZIONSVILLE, SOUTH BEND ADAMS, LAWRENCE NORTH, RONCALLI, PENN

1 ANDREAN

2 GUERIN CATHOLIC

3 HANOVER CENTRAL

4 JASPER

5 NEW PRAIRIE/SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH

7 PRINCETON

8 WESTERN

9 INDIAN CREEK/TWIN LAKES

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: BISHOP CHATARD, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL, SILVER CREEK, BREBEUF, MISHAWAKA MARIAN, LAWRENCEBURG, VINCENNES LINCOLN, FAIRFIELD, NORTH MONTGOMERY, NORWELL

1 HAGERSTOWN

2 NORTH POSEY

3 FOREST PARK

4 TRITON CENTRAL

5 SEEGER

6 CASCADE

7 PARK TUDOR

8 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI

9 LAPEL/MANCHESTER

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: ILLIANA CHRISTIAN, MITCHELL, EASTERN GREENTOWN, PROVIDENCE, KNIGHTSTOWN, NORTH NEWTON, AUSTIN

1 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC

2 BARR REEVE

3 KOUTS

4 BLOOMFIELD

5 UNION CITY

6 SHAKAMAK

7 WES DEL

8 ROSSVILLE

9 SOUTH DECATUR

10 NORTH DAVIESS

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: BORDEN, NORTH DECATUR, NORTHEAST DUBOIS, TRI-COUNTY, WEST WASHINGTON, NORTHFIELD, INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN, MORGAN TWP., JAC CEN DEL, EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN

CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES

NATIONAL TRAIL 8 TRI 0

ALEXANDRIA MONROE 5 WES DEL 3

ANDERSON 7 SHENANDOAH 5

WAPAHANI 13 RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 2

DALEVILLE 8 SOUTHERN WELLS 4

TIPTON 7 TRI-CENTRAL 3

IRVINGTON PREP 16 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2

JAY COUNTY 11 MUNCIE CENTRAL 1

CLOVERDALE 5 EASTERN GREENE 4

INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 10 SOUTHWESTERN 0

MONROE CENTRAL 10 ELWOOD 5

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 10 LAPEL 7

CENTER GROVE 15 BROWNSBURG 11

INDIANAPOLIS TECH 12 INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 3

TAYLOR 12 PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 2

SHERIDAN 10 INDY GENESIS 5

FRANKLIN COUNTY 4 LAWRENCEBURG 0

EAST CENTRAL 6 GREENSBURG 5

BISHOP CHATARD 18 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 6

UNIVERSITY 24 MUNCIE BURRIS 2

EASTERN HANCOCK 13 SETON CATHOLIC 1

DELTA 5 BELLMONT 4

MCCUTCHEON 1 AVON 0

SOUTHPORT 4 COLUMBUS NORTH 2

JENNINGS COUNTY 4 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 3

TRINITY LUTHERAN 10 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 0

HAMILTON HEIGHTS 8 MADISON GRANT 1

WESTFIELD 6 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 1

WHITELAND 16 DECATUR CENTRAL 6

PLAINFIELD 4 BEN DAVIS 1

FISHERS 3 YORKTOWN 2

STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/6/2024

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL RANKINGS

1 LAKE CENTRAL

2 CASTLE

3 NEW PALESTINE

4 RONCALLI

5 MOORESVILLE

6 PENN

7 CATHEDRAL

8 SB ST. JOSEPH

9 CENTER GROVE

10 FLOYD CENTRAL

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: HARRISON, HAMILTON SE, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, AVON, BROWNSBURG

1 GIBSON SOUTHERN

2 WESTERN

3 NEW PRAIRIE

4 SILVER CREEK

5 TRI-WEST

6 LEO

7 CHARLESTOWN

8 YORKTOWN

9 HERITAGE HILLS

10 BOONE GROVE

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: SOUTH BEND RILEY, BEECH GROVE, HANOVER CENTRAL, FAIRFIELD, JIMTOWN

1 ANDREAN

2 CASCADE

3 SOUTH ADAMS

4 EASTSIDE

5 NORTH POSEY

6 LAPEL

7 ILLIANA CHRISTIAN

8 SOUTH CENTRAL

9 PIONEER

10 SULLIVAN

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: EASTERN HANCOCK, UNION COUNTY, BREMAN, HAUSER, FRANKTON

1 TECUMSEH

2 ROSSVILLE

3 CLAY CITY

4 RIVERTON PARKE

5 WEST WASHINGTON

6 RISING SUN

7 TRI-COUNTY

8 CASTON

9 SOUTHWOOD

10 LUTHERAN

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: WEST CENTRAL, WES-DEL, LANSEVILLE, BARR-REEVE, FREMONT

CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES

JAY COUNTY 19 NEW CASTLE 0

NORTHEASTERN 10 MONROE CENTRAL 0

CENTER GROVE 4 WHITELAND 3

MADISON GRANT 10 TIPTON 6

TRI 4 DALEVILLE 1

SHENANDOAH 10 HAGERSTOWN 0

WES DEL 6 CENTERVILLE 5

LAWRENCEBURG 4 FRANKLIN COUNTY 0

FRANKLIN COUNTY 3 LAWRENCEBURG 0

NORTH CENTRAL 8 BREBEUF 5

EAST CENTRAL 4 CONNERSVILLE 2

CARMEL 10 FISHERS 9

EMINENCE 12 PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY 0

FRANKTON 6 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 2

ALEXANDRIA MONROE 14 TAYLOR 0

SOUTHPORT 2 PIKE 1

GREENSBURG 4 RUSHVILLE 0

COVENANT CHRISTIAN 5 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 2

INDIANAPOLIS TECH 35 INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 17

MARTINSVILLE 12 EDGEWOOD 4

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 30 MUNCIE CENTRAL 16

TERRE HAUTE NORTH 4 GREENCASTLE 2

BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 22 INDIANA DEAF 7

CHRISTEL HOUSE 30 CRISPUS ATTUCKS 8

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 10 UNION CITY 3

COLUMBUS NORTH 5 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 3

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 5 ANDERSON 0

LAPEL 6 WAPAHANI 0

FRANKLIN CENTRAL 10 LAWRENCE NORTH 7

AVON 9 DANVILLE 0

MOORESVILLE 13 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 3

IRVINGTON PREP 21 RIVERSIDE 7

PENN 8 SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 2

STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/6/2024

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL TRACK RESULTS: https://in.milesplit.com/results

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS RANKINGS

1.SB ST. JOSEPH

2.FISHERS

3TJASPER

3TBREBEUF

5.PARK TUDOR

6.CARMEL

7.FRANKLIN COMMUNITY

8.NOBLESVILLE

9.ZIONSVILLE

10.LAFAYETTE HARRISON

11.LAWRENCE NORTH

12.NORTH CENTRAL

13.COLUMBUS NORTH

14.CENTER GROVE

15.CATHEDRAL

16.MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)

17.WESTFIELD

18.GUERIN CATHOLIC

19.EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL

20.DELTA

21.CASTLE

22.HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN

23.PENN

24.BISHOP CHATARD

25.FW CARROLL

26.PROVIDENCE

27.BROWNSBURG

28TSOUTH KNOX

28THOMESTEAD

30.WARSAW

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LAX RANKINGS

1 CARMEL

2 CATHEDRAL

3 HAMILTON SE

4 CULVER ACADEMY

5 CENTER GROVE

6 WESTFIELD

7 ZIONSVILLE

8 GUERIN CATHOLIC

9 CROWN POINT

10 NOBLESVILLE

11 BROWNSBURG

12 PENN

1 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL

2 BREBEUF

3 EVANSVILLE NORTH

4 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN

5 FW DWENGER

6 NORTHRIDGE

7 BISHOP CHATARD

8 MISHAWAKA MARIAN

9 CASTLE

10 BLOOMINGTON NORTH

11 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LAX RANKINGS

1 GUERIN CATHOLIC

2 CARMEL

3 ZIONSVILLE

4 NOBLESVILLE

5 HAMILTON SE

6 BISHOP CHATARD

7 CATHEDRAL

8 EVANSVILLE NORTH

9 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN

10 CULVER

11 WESTFIELD

12 BREBEUF

13 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL

14 PENN

15 CASTLE

16 FISHERS

CLASS 2A STATE GIRLS LAX TOURNAMENT

FIRST ROUND/FRIDAY MAY 10 AND SATURDAY MAY 11

#1 GUERIN CATHOLIC VS. #16 FISHERS

#9 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN VS. #8 EVANSVILLE NORTH

#4 NOBLESVILLE VS. #13 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL

#12 BREBEUF VS. #5 HAMILTON SE

#2 CARMEL VS. #15 CASTLE

#10 CULVER VS. #7 CATHEDRAL

#3 ZIONSVILLE VS. #14 PENN

#11 WESTFIELD VS. #6 BISHIP CHATARD

NBA PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME

(1) BOSTON VS. (4) CLEVELAND

• GAME 1: CAVALIERS VS. CELTICS, TUESDAY, MAY 7 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 2: CAVALIERS VS. CELTICS, THURSDAY, MAY 9 (7 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 3: CELTICS VS. CAVALIERS, SATURDAY, MAY 11 (8:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 4: CELTICS VS. CAVALIERS, MONDAY, MAY 13 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: CAVALIERS VS. CELTICS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 (TBD, TNT) *
• GAME 6: CELTICS VS. CAVALIERS, FRIDAY, MAY 17 (TBD, ESPN) *
• GAME 7: CAVALIERS VS. CELTICS, SUNDAY, MAY 19 (TBD, TBD) *
SERIES TIED 0-0

* = IF NECESSARY

(2) NEW YORK VS. (6) INDIANA

• GAME 1: KNICKS 121, PACERS 117
• GAME 2: PACERS VS. KNICKS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 (8 ET, TNT)
• GAME 3: KNICKS VS. PACERS, FRIDAY, MAY 10 (7 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 4: KNICKS VS. PACERS, SUNDAY, MAY 12 (3:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 5: PACERS VS. KNICKS, TUESDAY, MAY 14 (TBD, TNT) *
• GAME 6: KNICKS VS. PACERS, FRIDAY, MAY 17 (TBD, ESPN) *
• GAME 7: PACERS VS. KNICKS, SUNDAY, MAY 19 (TBD, TBD) *
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 1-0

* = IF NECESSARY

WESTERN CONFERENCE

ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME

(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. (5) DALLAS

• GAME 1: MAVERICKS VS. THUNDER, TUESDAY, MAY 7 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 2: MAVERICKS VS. THUNDER, THURSDAY, MAY 9 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 3: THUNDER VS. MAVERICKS, SATURDAY, MAY 11 (3:30 ET, ABC)
• GAME 4: THUNDER VS. MAVERICKS, MONDAY, MAY 13 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: MAVERICKS VS. THUNDER, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 (TBD, TNT) *
• GAME 6: THUNDER VS. MAVERICKS, SATURDAY, MAY 18 (8:30 ET, ESPN) *
• GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. THUNDER, MONDAY, MAY 20 (8:30 ET, TNT) *
SERIES TIED 0-0

* = IF NECESSARY

(2) DENVER VS. (3) MINNESOTA

• GAME 1: TIMBERWOLVES 106, NUGGETS 99
• GAME 2: TIMBERWOLVES 106, NUGGETS 80
• GAME 3: NUGGETS VS. TIMBERWOLVES, FRIDAY, MAY 10 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 4: NUGGETS VS. TIMBERWOLVES, SUNDAY, MAY 12 (8 ET, TNT)
• GAME 5: TIMBERWOLVES VS. NUGGETS, TUESDAY, MAY 14 (TBD, TNT) *
• GAME 6: NUGGETS VS. TIMBERWOLVES, THURSDAY, MAY 16 (8:30, ESPN) *
• GAME 7: TIMBERWOLVES VS. NUGGETS, SUNDAY, MAY 19 (TBD, TBD) *
MINNESOTA LEADS SERIES 2-0

* = IF NECESSARY

NHL PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NEW YORK RANGERS (METROPOLITAN 1) VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES (METROPOLITAN 2)

RANGERS LEAD SERIES 1-0

GAME 1: RANGERS 4, HURRICANES 3

GAME 2: TUESDAY, HURRICANES AT RANGERS, 7, ESPN

GAME 3: THURSDAY, RANGERS AT HURRICANES, 7, TNT, TRUTV

GAME 4: SATURDAY, RANGERS AT HURRICANES, 7, TNT, TRUTV

X-GAME 5: MAY 13, HURRICANES AT RANGERS, TBD

X-GAME 6: MAY 16, RANGERS AT HURRICANES, TBD

FLORIDA PANTHERS (ATLANTIC 1) VS. BOSTON BRUINS (ATLANTIC 2)

BRUINS LEAD SERIES 1-0

GAME 1: BRUINS 5, PANTHERS 1

GAME 2: WEDNESDAY, BRUINS AT PANTHERS, 7:30, ESPN

GAME 3: FRIDAY, PANTHERS AT BRUINS, 7, TNT, TRUTV

GAME 4: MAY 12, PANTHERS AT BRUINS, 6:30, TBS, TRUTV

X-GAME 5: MAY 14, BRUINS AT PANTHERS, TBD

X-GAME 6: MAY 17, PANTHERS AT BRUINS, TBD

X-GAME 7: MAY 19, BRUINS AT PANTHERS, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

DALLAS STARS (CENTRAL 1) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (CENTRAL 3)

GAME 1: TUESDAY, AVALANCHE AT STARS, 9:30, ESPN

GAME 2: THURSDAY, AVALANCHE AT STARS, 9:30, TNT, TRUTV

GAME 3: SATURDAY, STARS AT AVALANCHE, 10, TNT, TRUTV

GAME 4: MAY 13, STARS AT AVALANCHE, TBD, ESPN

X-GAME 5: MAY 15, AVALANCHE AT STARS, TBD

X-GAME 6: MAY 17, STARS AT AVALANCHE, TBD

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (PACIFIC 1) VS. EDMONTON OILERS (PACIFIC 2)

GAME 1: WEDNESDAY, OILERS AT CANUCKS, 10, ESPN

GAME 2: FRIDAY, OILERS AT CANUCKS, 10, TNT, TRUTV

GAME 3: SUNDAY, CANUCKS AT OILERS, 9:30, TBS, TRUTV

GAME 4: MAY 14, CANUCKS AT OILERS, TBD, ESPN

X-GAME 5: MAY 16, OILERS AT CANUCKS, TBD

X-GAME 6: MAY 18, CANUCKS AT OILERS, TBD

X-GAME 7: MAY 20, OILERS AT CANUCKS, TBD

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

PHILADELPHIA 6 SAN FRANCISCO 1

CLEVELAND 2 DETROIT 1

PITTSBURGH 4 LA ANGELS 1

TAMPA BAY 8 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2

KANSAS CITY 3 MILWAUKEE 2

MINNESOTA 3 SEATTLE 1

SAN DIEGO 6 CHICAGO CUBS 3

NY METS 4 ST. LOUIS 3

TEXAS 4 OAKLAND 2

LA DODGERS 6 MIAMI 3

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

COLLEGE BASEBALL RANKINGS-D1 BASEBALL

TENNESSEE
CLEMSON
TEXAS A&M
KENTUCKY
ARKANSAS
EAST CAROLINA
OREGON STATE
FLORIDA STATE
DUKE
VIRGINIA
NORTH CAROLINA
WAKE FOREST
SOUTH CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI STATE
GEORGIA
UC IRVINE
ARIZONA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA STATE
INDIANA STATE
TROY
LOUISIANA
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
OREGON
UC SANTA BARBARA

COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

UFL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

TOP NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS

NBA NEWS

JALEN BRUNSON GUIDES KNICKS TO GAME 1 WIN OVER PACERS

Jalen Brunson continued his postseason magic with 43 points for his fourth straight 40-point effort as the New York Knicks recorded a 121-117 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference second-round series on Monday night.

Donte DiVincenzo scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half and Josh Hart added 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for New York. Isaiah Hartenstein had 13 points and OG Anunoby added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks.

Myles Turner scored 23 points, Pascal Siakam added 19 and T.J. McConnell had 18 points for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin chipped in 12 points apiece and Andrew Nembhard scored 11 points.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in New York.

Brunson became the fourth player in NBA playoff history to score 40 or more points in four consecutive games. Jerry West reached that mark a record six straight times in 1965. Bernard King (1984) and Michael Jordan (1993) did it in four straight contests.

DiVincenzo drained a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 118-115 lead with 40.4 seconds remaining.

Indiana pulled within one on Siakam’s driving layup with 26.6 seconds to go.

The Pacers later had a chance to take the lead, but Turner was called for a moving screen with 12.7 seconds left.

Indiana made another mistake when Nembhard fouled Brunson before the ball was inbounded. Brunson made the ensuing free throw, and New York kept possession.

Brunson was fouled with 10.7 seconds to play and made two free throws to give New York a 121-117 advantage, and the Knicks closed it out.

New York shot 53.7 percent from the field, including 11 of 23 from 3-point range.

The Pacers made 52.3 percent of their attempts from the floor and were 10 of 26 from behind the arc.

Brunson scored seven points during a 9-0 run as New York took a fourth-quarter lead for the first time. Anunoby’s steal and dunk put the Knicks ahead with 3:11 left, and Brunson added a jumper to make it 113-109.

Nesmith’s two free throws and Siakam’s layup allowed the Pacers to knot the score at 113 with 2:10 remaining. Nembhard’s basket with 1:33 left gave Indiana a 115-113 lead, but Brunson hit a short turnaround to tie it 19 seconds later.

Earlier, Indiana led 94-85 after McConnell’s layup with 10:34 left in the game.

McConnell scored 10 points in the first half as the Pacers led 55-49 at the break. Brunson scored 18 points in the half for New York. Indiana led 87-82 after three quarters.

WOLVES DEMOLISH NUGGETS, HEAD HOME UP 2-0

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Anthony Edwards also had 27 points and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 106-80 on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference semifinal series.

Minnesota won without center Rudy Gobert, who was away from the team for the birth of his first child. The Timberwolves, holding a decisive edge on the reigning NBA champions, head back to Minneapolis for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.

Even without Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the Timberwolves held Denver to a season low in points. Jamal Murray scored eight points on 3-for-18 shooting but had a career-high 13 rebounds, and Nikola Jokic finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points, and Justin Holiday had 13 off the bench. Reggie Jackson left the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent injury.

Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 points each for the Timberwolves, who have started the playoffs with six straight wins.

Minnesota looked smooth on offense, led by Towns scoring 20 points in the first half and the team shooting 54.5 percent before the break. The Timberwolves used a dominant run spanning the first and second quarters to take control.

Leading 18-17, the Timberwolves outscored Denver 24-5 to lead by 20 after a Reid 3-pointer with 8:05 left in the half. The Nuggets got it within 43-28, but Minnesota had a strong finish to the second quarter to lead 61-35 at halftime.

Denver continued to struggle in the third quarter and the Timberwolves took advantage, leading by as much as 32 on Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer with 7:20 left in the period.

The Nuggets found some offensive rhythm late in the third to cut it to 82-60 heading into the fourth.

Jackson opened the final quarter with a 3-pointer to slice the deficit to 19, but Denver then missed a pair from deep. Towns made a pair of free throws and Alexander-Walker soon hit his fourth 3-pointer to make it 87-65 with 9:18 left.

Another burst pushed the gap to 97-72 as Minnesota closed it out.

SPURS’ VICTOR WEMBANYAMA NAMED NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AFTER A RECORD-SETTING SEASON

Victor Wembanyama had a year like no rookie in NBA history.

Others scored more points, others grabbed more rebounds, others had more blocks, others made more steals. But never had there been a player who, in Year 1 of his career, posted all these averages — at least 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.

Until now.

The long-expected result became reality on Monday, when the Spurs’ star from France was announced as the unanimous winner of the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. He’s the third San Antonio player to win it, joining David Robinson in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998 — both of whom, like Wembanyama, were No. 1 overall picks and instantly anointed as centers who would lead the Spurs to greatness.

“My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama said from San Antonio on TNT after the award was announced on the network’s NBA playoff pregame show. “I knew in order to do this I had to be individually good on the court and dominant. So, it was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It’s always been really important and I’m glad it’s finally official.”

Wembanyama is the sixth player since the award debuted in the 1952-53 season to get every first-place vote. He joins Houston’s Ralph Sampson (1984), Robinson (1990), the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin (2011), Portland’s Damian Lillard (2013) and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns (2016).

Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller were the other finalists for the award. Wembanyama got all 99 first-place votes from a panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league. Holmgren got 98 of 99 second-place votes, and Miller got the other second-place vote to finish third.

Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. was fourth, followed by Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski and Dallas’ Dereck Lively II. No other rookie got a second- or third-place vote.

There had been other near-unanimous selections in recent years: Orlando’s Paolo Banchero got 98 of 100 first-place votes last year, Memphis’ Ja Morant got 99 of 100 in 2020, Dallas’ Luka Doncic got 98 of 100 in 2019, and Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons got 90 of 101 in 2018.

But voters left no doubt — Wemby was the one. And he’s already working toward getting better.

“Physically, the work is never going to be done,” Wembanyama said. “I’ve had my plan for months ready for all of my body and we’re going to keep discovering new ways to get better and work on my body. For basketball, there’s a lot I want to work on.”

Wembanyama became the first international winner of the award since Doncic in 2019 and the fifth such winner in the last 10 seasons. Andrew Wiggins (Canada) won in 2015, Towns (Dominican Republic) won in 2016, Simmons (Australia) won in 2018 and Doncic followed the next season.

Wembanyama became just the fourth player, and first rookie, to finish a season with at least 1,500 points, 250 assists and 250 blocked shots. The others: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times, Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice and Robinson did it twice. Nobody had done it since 1993-94, when Olajuwon and Robinson both had such a season.

Wembanyama said his family has adapted to life in the U.S. and the change from France to Texas was not overwhelming.

“With no contest, it’s the best country in the world for an athlete,” Wembanyama said. “The culture, everything, the infrastructure, it’s made for us to thrive. I’m really in a bubble. I know I’m living a very privileged life as an NBA player and there’s a lot of people taking care of me every day. This award is also for them.”

The rookie award may be the start of a big week for Wembanyama, who will be in the top three finishers for Defensive Player of the Year as well. That award gets announced Tuesday, with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Miami’s Bam Adebayo the other finalists.

The NBA will reveal the MVP — either Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas’ Luka Doncic or Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — on Wednesday.

THE CELTICS AND CAVALIERS LAST MET IN PLAYOFFS IN 2018. THIS TIME BOSTON IS THE TEAM TO BEAT

BOSTON (AP) — One of the things Celtics forward Jaylen Brown remembers about his time inside the NBA’s Florida bubble in 2020 during the pandemic was his random sightings of Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell, then with the Utah Jazz, seemed to pop up in the common spaces of the bubble at the same time as Brown. It led to humorous fodder on social media between the pair and helped form a friendship between the young stars that continues today.

But none of that is on Brown’s mind this week as the East’s top-seeded Celtics prepare to open their second-round series with Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Ain’t no friends in the playoffs,” Brown said. “You’ve just got to get ready to play. That’s all I have to say on that.”

Mitchell, who also calls Boston All-Star Jayson Tatum a friend, said he stopped talking to them when the bracket was finalized.

“It’s all competition and I expect nothing but the best from them and vice versa,” he said. “And we got to go out there and take care of business in a hostile environment. … It’s going to be fun. And I’m excited.”

After dispatching the Miami Heat in five games in the first round, Boston will open Game 1 of its series with Cleveland on Tuesday night as heavy favorites, according to BetMGM.

The Celtics will be getting a Cavaliers team playing on just a day’s rest following a Game 7 win over Orlando in which they rallied from an 18-point deficit to advance.

That game saw Mitchell score 39 points, boosting his scoring average to 28.7 points this postseason. It includes a 50-point performance in Game 6 against the Magic. After not seeing Miami’s Jimmy Butler in the opening round, Mitchell will be the first dynamic scorer Boston has faced this postseason.

Cleveland’s resiliency came on the heels of a regular season that saw the Cavs have a 23-5 stretch before the All-Star break before finishing the season 12-17. It featured a swath of injuries, including a nagging left knee issue for Mitchell. Starting center and defensive anchor Jarrett Allen also missed the final three games of the Magic series with a painful rib injury.

Before getting hurt, Allen had been arguably Cleveland’s steadiest and most durable player since November. He missed five games to open the year before playing in 77 straight while averaging a career-high 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

Allen is questionable for Game 1, with reserve big man Dean Wade ruled out with a sprained right knee.

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes he saw his team’s true identity during their Game 7 win over Orlando.

“This group in particular has been through so much this year, a group who’s been left for dead multiple times by a lot of people this year,” he said. “For them to come together in this moment and figure it out, it’s more about the group than me. We’re most proud of that, but we’re not done.”

For the Celtics, 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis is also out for the series opener as he continues to rehab from the strained right calf that caused him to miss the finale of the Heat series.

While Allen seems likely to return at some point in this series, Porzingis could be out most, if not all, of this round.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said his team is ready to adjust as needed, just like it did to close out Miami.

“It really doesn’t matter what situation we’re in, what matters is making sure we’re ready to play,” Mazzulla said.

2018 MEMORIES

This will be the first meeting between the teams since Cleveland outlasted Boston in the 2018 Eastern Conference finals to secure their fourth straight Finals. The Cavs won Game 7 of that series at the Garden, led by LeBron James’ 35 points.

This will be the ninth time the teams have met in the playoffs and fourth since 2015.

The 2018 meeting was Brown’s second career playoff run and the first for Tatum.

Cleveland was the hunted team in the East then. Now the table’s been turned.

“That was a long time ago. 2018? Sheesh,” Brown said. “I feel like I’ve come a long way. Obviously, that was a great experience and journey being able to play in the playoffs. At that time they had LeBron. It still stings a little bit that we lost in the end in Game 7. I’ll make sure this series is a little different.”

ROAD REPAIRS

Cleveland hasn’t traveled well in the playoffs the past two years, losing all five road games by an average 19.4 points – and Boston won’t be rolling out the welcome mat.

The Cavs were clobbered in Game 1 at Orlando, losing by 38 points, the most lopsided loss in team playoff history. They got beat by 23 in Game 2 before keeping it relatively close and losing Game 3 by just 7.

The team’s road issues extend to the regular season as Cleveland dropped seven of its last eight in the regular season away from home.

The Cavs lost their two games in Boston — in a three-night span — in December.

It turned out to be a painful short stay as Darius Garland suffered a broken jaw in the Dec. 14 game when he bumped into Porzingis on a drive to the basket.

MAVS EXTEND COACH JASON KIDD’S CONTRACT IN MIDDLE OF PLAYOFFS, A YEAR AFTER CHAOTIC ENDING

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Kidd found a groove with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a season after a chaotic ending to the first two months together for the Dallas superstars.

The Mavericks coach has his team advancing in the playoffs for the second time in his three years in charge, and the 51-year-old now has a contract extension to go with it.

Kidd signed a multiyear deal Monday, the day before Dallas opens a second-round playoff series against Oklahoma City. The Mavs moved on by beating the Los Angeles Clippers in six games.

A year ago, Dallas missed the playoffs after reaching the 2022 Western Conference finals in Kidd’s debut as coach for the team he helped win a championship as a point guard in 2011.

The blockbuster trade for Irving in February 2023 wasn’t the catalyst the Mavs hoped for another postseason run. Instead, the team tanked at the end of the regular season to try to preserve a draft pick, even when there were still mathematical hopes of qualifying for the play-in tournament.

Kidd was the front man for all the tough questions in the final days of the regular season, and got a vote of confidence from then-owner Mark Cuban. Dallas kept the draft pick, and first-rounder Dereck Lively II had a significant impact as a rookie center.

“Last year, we learned a lot about character, about the team,” Kidd said. “At the time, everyone had their opinion. But understanding what the plan is internally, I thought we executed the plan. Being calm and not losing your mind or being offended of what others say turned out to be the right thing.”

Irving re-signed with Dallas, and after Cuban sold his majority stake to the casino-linked families of Patrick Dumont and Miriam Adelson, a late-season surge lifted the Mavs to fifth in the West at 52-30.

The extension for Kidd comes after his name surfaced in reports of the Lakers’ coaching search. Los Angeles fired Darvin Ham last week.

Terms of the deal weren’t released. Doncic and Irving are under team control together for one more season. Irving has a player option in his contract for 2025-26, Doncic the following season.

“We are excited to have coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension,” said Dumont, who is the team’s governor while Cuban has the role of alternate governor. “We are looking forward to his leadership in continuing to build and grow this already great franchise.”

A hall of famer as a player, Kidd ended his career second on the all-time list for assists behind John Stockton. He went into coaching immediately upon retirement, leading Brooklyn to the second round of the playoffs in his first season in 2013-14 before Milwaukee hired him away from the Nets.

The Bucks fired Kidd in the middle of his fourth season — with a pair of first-round playoff exits the first three years — and he spent two years as an assistant with the Lakers, including when LA won the NBA title in the 2020 playoff bubble.

Kidd, who replaced Rick Carlisle in Dallas, has a 140-106 regular-season record with the Mavs and is 323-296 overall.

After Kidd and NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs to the 2011 title, they didn’t win another playoff series until beating Utah in the first round under Kidd two years ago. Now Dallas has three series victories in three seasons.

“Jason brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role, which cannot be duplicated,” general manager Nico Harrison said. “He has earned the trust and respect of our players and that of so many across the league.”

COLLEGE SPORTS NEWS

PAYING COLLEGE ATHLETES APPEARS CLOSER THAN EVER. HOW COULD IT WORK AND WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY?

A settlement being discussed in an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA and major college conferences could cost billions and pave the way for a compensation model for college athletes.

An agreement has not been finalized and many questions remain unanswered. It is also unclear if new rules could withstand further legal scrutiny, but it appears college sports is heading down a revolutionary path with at least some schools directly paying athletes to participate. Here’s what is known and what still needs to be figured out:

THE CASE

House vs. NCAA is a class-action federal lawsuit seeking damages for athletes who were denied the opportunity to earn money from use of their name, image or likeness going back to 2016. The plaintiffs, including former Arizona State swimmer Grant House, are also asking the court to rule that NIL compensation should include billions of dollars in media rights fees that go to the NCAA and the wealthiest conferences (Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern), mostly for football and basketball.

HOW MUCH?

The settlement being discussed could have the NCAA paying nearly $3 billion in damages over 10 years, with help from insurance and withholding of distributions that would have gone to the four big conferences. Last year, NCAA revenue approached $1.3 billion and the association projects a steady rise in coming years, thanks mostly to increases baked into the television contract with CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery for the men’s basketball tournament. A new, eight-year deal with ESPN worth $920 million for the Division I women’s basketball tournament and other championship events takes effect in 2025.

The potential settlement also calls for a $300 million commitment from each school in those four conferences over 10 years, including about $20 million per year directed toward paying athletes. Administrators have warned that could lead to program cuts for the so-called non-revenue sports familiar to fans who watch the Olympics.

“It’s the Olympic sports that would be in jeopardy,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said during a March panel in Washington led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). “That’s men and women. If you look at the numbers for us at the University of Alabama, with our 19 sports outside of football and men’s basketball, we lost collectively almost $40 million.”

WHO GETS PAID?

Not entirely clear. Presumably, it would start with the athletes in sports that produce most of the revenue: football and men’s basketball players at the biggest and wealthiest programs. Women’s basketball is likely next in line, but it is possible athletes in all sports could see some benefit — but probably not at all schools.

What’s being considered is allowing schools to pay athletes, but not requiring those payments. Schools that don’t rake in millions in TV revenue wouldn’t necessarily be on the hook. There are also unanswered questions about whether the federal gender equity law Title IX would require equal funding for male and female athletes.

WHO MAKES THE CALL?

Getting the presidential boards of four conferences and the NCAA board of governors to approve a settlement is not a given, not to mention the plaintiffs in the House case. Still, the possibility of having to pay $4 billion in damages — and the NCAA has been on the losing end of many recent court cases — has spurred interest in a deal before trial begins in January.

The case is being heard in the Northern District of California by U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken, who has already ruled against the NCAA other landmark antitrust lawsuits and ordered the sides in House to seek a settlement.

EMPLOYMENT AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Settling existing cases is only one step. A new system for compensating college athletes would be needed to avoid similar challenges in the future; for example, anything that looks like a cap on compensation by, say, the four major conferences would be ripe for another lawsuit.

The NCAA has been asking Congress for some kind of antitrust exemption for years, but the emphasis has shifted lately from regulating NIL compensation to keeping the athletes from being deemed employees.

A ruling from an NLRB regional director paved the way for members of the Dartmouth men’s basketball team to vote to join a union after being deemed employees, and many have advocated for collective bargaining as a solution to college sports’ antitrust exposure.

Jason Stahl, executive director of the College Football Players Association advocacy group, says lawmakers should create a special status for college athletes that would give them the right to organize and collectively bargain without actual employee status.

Stahl said even though many college athletes are apprehensive about being employees and joining a union, they should have the right to decide that.

“My concern is there would be some type of one-two punch,” Stahl said of a lawsuit settlement followed quickly by federal legislation to codify a revenue-sharing plan that precludes athletes from employee status and the right to organize. “A lot of things I’m hearing about this cap are not things I want to be hearing.”

WHAT’S NEXT

There are so many moving parts that it is hard to say with certainty, though settling House seems to a priority for late spring or summer. The earliest for any true changes noticed on campus would be fall of 2025.

FORMER ALABAMA STAR PLAYER, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HOOTIE INGRAM DIES AT AGE 90

Cecil “Hootie” Ingram, a former Alabama football star and athletic director, died Monday. He was 90.

Ingram, who had been injured in a fall in March, died at a Birmingham hospital, an athletic department spokeswoman said, citing information from the family.

He was an All-Southeastern Conference defensive back who led the nation with 10 interceptions as a sophomore in 1952, a school and league single-season record that still stands.

“We will miss Hootie dearly,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “He was such a wonderful man and always greeted you with a big smile. Hootie left a lasting impact on The University of Alabama as both a student-athlete and administrator. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Ingram, a Tuscaloosa native who also played halfback, played alongside quarterback Bart Starr and was also an All-SEC second baseman.

He signed with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles but left and began a coaching career at Tuscaloosa-area high schools. Ingram spent three seasons as head coach at Clemson, going 12-21 from 1970-72 after stints as an assistant at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Arkansas.

Ingram then went into administrative roles. He was associate commissioner of the SEC, where he worked from 1972-81. Ingram went on to become athletic director at Florida State (1981-89) before returning to run his alma mater’s athletic department until his retirement in 1995.

He hired Gene Stallings as head football coach, and Stallings led the Crimson Tide to the 1992 national championship.

Ingram was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and was selected as a second-team defensive back on Alabama’s “Team of the Century.” In 2007, he won the National Alumni Association’s Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award, recognizing athletes whose accomplishments since leaving the university are “outstanding based on character, contributions to society, professional achievement and service.”

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS

MLB ROUNDUP: BRYCE HARPER CARRIES PHILLIES TO 6TH STRAIGHT WIN

Bryce Harper homered, singled and drove in three runs, Zack Wheeler tossed seven strong innings and the host Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-1 to complete a four-game series sweep on Monday.

Kyle Schwarber ripped a solo home run among his two hits and Nick Castellanos added two hits, two walks and an RBI for the Phillies, who have won six straight overall and 10 in a row at home. Whit Merrifield contributed an RBI single and J.T. Realmuto had two hits.

Wheeler (4-3) allowed four hits and one unearned run with 11 strikeouts and one walk. It was Wheeler’s 24th career game with at least 10 strikeouts.

LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jung Hoo Lee had two hits apiece for the Giants. Starter Mason Black (0-1) gave up eight hits and five runs with four strikeouts and three walks in 4 1/3 innings in his major league debut.

Pirates 4, Angels 1

Mitch Keller pitched his second career complete game and Edward Olivares hit his first career grand slam as Pittsburgh opened a three-game series against visiting Los Angeles with a victory.

Keller (3-3) allowed one run on five hits to go along with one walk and five strikeouts for Pittsburgh, which won its third straight after a five-game losing streak.

Zach Neto homered for Los Angeles, which has lost three straight games and nine of its past 11. Angels starter Tyler Anderson (2-4) allowed four runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings against his former team.

Rays 8, White Sox 2

Jonny DeLuca added to his torrid start with a homer and four RBIs and Tampa Bay beat Chicago in St. Petersburg, Fla., for its season-high fourth straight win.

A starter in every game during a three-game weekend sweep of the New York Mets, DeLuca went 2-for-4 on Monday as the Rays improved to 4-0 on their nine-game homestand. DeLuca has 10 RBIs in his four appearances for the Rays, who reached the .500 mark through 36 games.

Erasmo Ramirez (2-0) fired three scoreless innings to win for the second time in two days. Chicago’s Tommy Pham hit a two-run home run, but the club managed just four hits.

Twins 3, Mariners 1

Carlos Correa went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, and Minnesota held on for a win over Seattle in Minneapolis.

Christian Vazquez and Manuel Margot had one RBI apiece for the Twins, who won the opener of a four-game series. Minnesota has 13 wins in its past 14 games. Twins right-hander Griffin Jax (3-2) earned the win in relief despite allowing one run on two hits in one inning. Jax was the first pitcher out of the bullpen to follow starter Simeon Woods Richardson, who allowed one hit, walked one and struck out eight in six scoreless innings.

Mitch Garver went 1-for-2 with an RBI to lead Seattle. Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (3-5) took a hard-luck loss after giving up three runs on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out seven.

Padres 6, Cubs 3

Jurickson Profar delivered a two-run single and Luis Campusano added a three-run double to power an explosive sixth inning that propelled visiting San Diego past Chicago.

Campusano, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts and Donovan Solano each had two hits for the Padres. San Diego starter Yu Darvish (2-1) allowed three hits and a walk while striking out five over five shutout innings.

Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes each hit a home run for the Cubs, who left 10 runners on base.

Guardians 2, Tigers 1

Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking solo homer off the right-field foul pole in the sixth inning, and Cleveland sent visiting Detroit to a fourth straight defeat.

With one out in a 1-1 game and Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (0-2) still on the mound, Ramirez sent a 2-2 fastball high and deep to right field, where it banged off the foul pole to put the Guardians ahead with his seventh homer of the season.

The Tigers, who totaled six runs while being swept in three games at the New York Yankees over the weekend, stranded nine men and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Detroit had runners on first and second with one out in the eighth but failed to score.

Royals 3, Brewers 2

Maikel Garcia hit a go-ahead, two-run single up the middle in the seventh inning as host Kansas City rallied to beat Milwaukee in the opener of a three-game series.

Nick Anderson (2-1) struck out two in a hitless seventh to pick up the win for the Royals.

Gary Sanchez hit a two-run homer for the Brewers, who have lost three straight and six of their past nine.

Dodgers 6, Marlins 3

Shohei Ohtani hit a home run for the third consecutive game and Los Angeles beat visiting Miami for its fifth straight win.

Freddie Freeman, James Outman and Teoscar Hernandez also hit homers as the Dodgers improved to 4-0 on a six-game homestand. Los Angeles has 12 homers over its past three games and Ohtani has four in that span. Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler made his first appearance since June 2022 after undergoing elbow surgery and he showed some rust. He gave up three runs on six hits over four innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

Nick Gordon hit his fifth home run of the year for the Marlins. Right-hander Roddery Munoz (1-1) was touched for six runs on seven hits with four walks in 4 2/3 innings, his worst outing of his three career starts.

Mets 4, Cardinals 3

Brandon Nimmo hit a homer and scored twice to lead visiting New York past St. Louis.

The Mets snapped a three-game losing streak while the Cardinals lost for the fifth time in six games.

Ivan Herrera hit a two-run double and Willson Contreras had a RBI double to account for the Cardinals’ scoring.

Rangers 4, Athletics 2

Corey Seager launched a two-out, two-strike, three-run home run in the eighth inning, rallying visiting Texas to a victory over Oakland in the opener of a four-game series.

A pair of sacrifice flies had the A’s in front 2-0 in search of the seventh win in eight games before pinch hitter Josh Smith led off the Texas eighth by drawing a walk off Oakland’s third pitcher, Lucas Erceg (1-2). A’s left-hander Alex Wood went six innings. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three. Darell Hernaiz and Esteury Ruiz drove in runs for the A’s.

Jose Leclerc (3-2), who finished off a scoreless seventh after JJ Bleday doubled against Rangers starter Andrew Heaney, was credited with the win. Heaney yielded two runs (one earned) on seven hits in his six-plus innings. He struck out five and did not walk anyone.

NHL NEWS

BRUINS START REVENGE TOUR VS. PANTHERS WITH 5-1 VICTORY

Mason Lohrei scored once and added an assist and the Boston Bruins used a three-goal second period to claim a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday in the opener of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Morgan Geekie, Brandon Carlo, Justin Brazeau and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Bruins, who reached the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs thanks to Saturday’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of a first-round series.

Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 38 saves, and Pavel Zacha collected two assists. Swayman has surrendered two goals or fewer in all seven games he has played in the postseason.

Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers, who racked up 110 points in the regular season and finished atop the Atlantic Divisions standings, one point ahead of the Bruins. Florida needed only five games to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round of the playoffs.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be Wednesday in Sunrise.

The Bruins have won all five meetings between the teams in 2023-24 (regular season and postseason) after Florida knocked them out of last year’s playoffs in the first round.

Only 67 seconds after Boston fell behind 1-0, Geekie tied the clash with his third goal of the playoffs at 12:52 of the second period. A Florida turnover resulted in a scramble at the net, and Geekie pounced on the loose puck before sending it past Bobrovsky.

Lohrei’s first career playoff marker came at 16:17 of the middle frame, and it served as the go-ahead goal.

Carlo, whose wife delivered a baby boy earlier Monday, made it 3-1 with 21 seconds remaining in the second. Carlo joined a rush and found the mark from the right circle to net his second goal of the playoffs.

Brazeau added his first career playoff tally 7:13 into the third period by converting a backhanded deke on a breakaway, and DeBrusk added an empty-net goal to round out the scoring.

After a goalless opening period, Tkachuk broke through at 11:45 of the middle frame. Taking advantage of a Boston turnover, Tkachuk gained the puck in the high slot and used a screen to record his fourth goal of the postseason.

COLLEGE BASEBALL NEWS

DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPION LSU BOOSTS ITS POSTSEASON HOPES WITH SERIES WIN AGAINST TEXAS A&M

With two weeks left in the regular season, LSU is scrambling to avoid becoming the third straight defending national champion to miss the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers (31-18, 9-15) won two of three against then-No. 1 Texas A&M to take a giant step over the weekend, but they probably need to win four of their last six Southeastern Conference games to strengthen their status for an at-large bid.

LSU also could help itself with a good showing in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers are tied with Mississippi for the 12th and final spot in the conference tournament, two games ahead of Missouri.

“We’re still in the fight for a postseason bid,” coach Jay Johnson said, “and we’ve really improved over the last month. We’ve given ourselves a chance. In the last few weeks, we’ve put ourselves into the best position we possibly could to play postseason baseball. We’re just going to have to keep fighting.”

LSU understandably has struggled to replace the leadership, and performances, of pitcher Paul Skenes and center fielder Dylan Crews — the top two picks in the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft.

The Tigers weren’t expected to struggle as much as they have, though. They had bad nonconference losses to Stony Brook and Southern, and they lost five straight SEC series before winning two against the bottom teams in the league, Missouri and Auburn.

A pair of 6-4 victories locked up the series win over Texas A&M, which won Sunday’s game 14-4.

Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Alabama (29-18, 10-14) and then a home series against Mississippi (25-22, 9-15).

IN THE POLLS

Tennessee (39-9) took two of three at Florida for its seventh straight SEC series win and took over the No. 1 spot in the D1Baseball.com and Baseball America polls. The Volunteers’ 16-3 win Saturday was their fifth in SEC play that ended early because of the 10-run rule.

D1Baseball ranks Clemson (36-10) No. 2 and Texas A&M (40-8) No. 3. Baseball America has A&M second and Arkansas (40-9) third.

NEBRASKA NO-NO

Jackson Brockett’s no-hitter in an 8-0 home win over Kansas State on Wednesday was the first since 1954 by a Nebraska pitcher in a nine-inning game. It was the Huskers’ first individual no-hitter since Anthony Kelley’s gem in a seven-inning game against Oklahoma in 1981. Brockett struck out a career-high 12 on 107 pitches in his first start of the season.

THAT’S JUST SYC(AMORES)

Indiana State swept Belmont for its 17th straight Missouri Valley Conference series win. The Sycamores (34-10, 17-4) are 43-7-1 in MVC games since the series winning streak started in 2022. Their 12-game home run streak ended with Sunday’s 6-4 win.

GOOD TIME CHARLIE

National home run leader Charlie Condon of Georgia has gone deep in seven straight games, two behind the NCAA record set by Nevada’s Tyler Bosetti in 2021 and tied by Florida’s Jac Caglianone last month. Condon has 33 homers in 47 games.

CLEANUP SPOT

Georgia reliever Christian Mracna had a rough weekend after being caught on video allegedly doctoring the ball with a foreign substance during a dominant two innings against Texas A&M on April 27. Mracna gave up home runs to the first two Vanderbilt hitters he faced Saturday, with Jack Bulger connecting on his first pitch and Camden Kozeal on the third of his nine before he was pulled. He gave up three hits over five batters faced in two-thirds of an inning Sunday. … Travis Bazzana homered three times in Oregon State’s 10-6 win over Washington State on Sunday. Bazzana’s leadoff homer was his program-record 22nd of the season, and he went deep in the fourth and seventh innings. …Maryland-Eastern Shore narrowly missed ending its 43-game losing streak Saturday. Down 10-9 in the top of the ninth at Le Moyne, the Hawks had runners on the corners with two outs when Quentin Smith struck out to end the game. UMES’ last win was 18-4 over Delaware State on May 20, 2023.

MICHIGAN STATE AND NEBRASKA RECEIVE WEEKLY BASEBALL HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its baseball weekly awards for games played April 30-May 5.

Player of the Week
Jack Frank, Michigan State
Sr. – OF — Strongsville, Ohio — Strongsville

Compiled a slash of .471/.550/.941 along with a 1.491 OPS over four games
Helped Michigan State to its first series win against Michigan since 2016 while also bumping the Spartans above .500 in conference play for the first time this season
Hit a solo home run that gave MSU a 9-8 lead on Saturday in a game the Spartans won 12-8; homered twice during the week and amassed 16 total bases
Earns his first Big Ten Player Award of the season and the second of his career
Last Michigan State Player of the Week: Nick Williams (March 4, 2024)

Pitcher of the Week
Jackson Brockett, Nebraska
Jr. – S-LHP — Omaha, Neb. — Buford HS

Tossed the first nine-inning, no-hitter for Nebraska in 70 years in an 8-0 win over Kansas State on May 1
Struck out 12 batters against two walks issued, throwing 107 pitches on the evening
Recorded the first Nebraska individual no-hitter since 1981 and just the sixth in team history
The Academic All-Big Ten selection receives his first Big Ten Pitcher Award
Last Nebraska Pitcher of the Week: Mason McConnaughey (April 15, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Ryan McKay, Michigan State
Fr. – 2B — Clarkston, Mich. — Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

Batted .368 (7-for-19) while extending his hitting streak to 12 games — has not struckout during the streak
Went 6-for-15 (.400) with four RBI against Michigan as MSU took three of four games in the season series
Fielded 1.000 at second base, totaling four putouts, seven assists and a double play
Collects his second Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award on the year
Last Michigan State Freshman of the Week: Ryan McKay (March 4, 2024)

WESTERN MICHIGAN’S RICHMOND, BALL STATE’S BLAIN EARN WEEKLY BASEBALL HONORS

MAC Baseball Player of the Week
CJ Richmond, Western Michigan, DH
Junior, Indianapolis, Ind. (Park Tudor)
CJ Richmond had multiple hits in all four games on the way to a blistering .667 batting average (12-for-18) and 1.056 slugging percentage to help Western Michigan to a 3-1 week. He started the week with three hits and three RBIs in Tuesday’s 15-inning win over Valparaiso. In the 12th inning, the junior laced a triple to left center, and later scored to tie the game back up at 6-6 and keep the Broncos alive.

Richmond stayed hot in the weekend series at Bowling Green, going 9-for-13 (.692) and reaching base at a .714 clip against the Falcons. After picking up two hits and scoring a run in Friday’s series opener, the Indianapolis native tied his career high with four hits on Saturday, including RBI singles in each of the first two innings as Western Michigan jumped out to a 4-0 lead in an eventual 6-4 victory. Richmond capped his week with three more knocks, including a home run, and two more RBIs as WMU clinched the weekend series with an 11-0 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Nate Blain, Ball State, RHP
Senior, Canton, Mich. (Canton)
Blain sandwiched Ball State’s series win at Northern Illinois with his first wins of the year. The senior right-handed pitcher combined for 9.2 innings of three-run ball (none earned) after tossing 3.2 shutout frames in Friday’s 4-3 triumph and 6.0 innings in Sunday’s 13-10 decision. Blain struck out 12 batters over the weekend and shut down an NIU offense that scored 10 runs combined in the third and fourth innings for the final five innings on Sunday.

HCAC 2024 BASEBALL NOTEBOOK, WEEK 12

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) baseball teams competed in week twelve of the 2024 season.

Around the League:
HCAC Baseball Schedule

Athletes of the Week:
Hitter of the Week:
Gunner Gregg (Graytown, Ohio) Defiance College | Infield | Junior – Junior infielder Gunner Gregg completed the cycle in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against Earlham and homered in each game of DC’s sweep over the Quakers. Gregg led Defiance in hits (9), RBIs (8), and extra-base hits (5) as the Yellow Jackets won 3 of their last 4 contests of the season. Through five games over the week, Gregg went 9-for-21 (.429) with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, two walks, and scored six runs.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Dillon Fischer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Earlham College | Pitcher | Senior – Dillon Fischer threw a complete game win against No.22 Transylvania on Senior day for the Quakers. Fischer allowed just two runs on four hits with one walk for a .56 WHIP. In addition, he struck out eight batters.

Notable Performances:
Hitting Athletes:

Tyler Smitherman (Westfield, Ind.) Anderson University | First Base | Graduate – Tyler Smitherman went 8-for-14 with 3 doubles and a homer. He also provided 4 RBI and 3 runs. Smitherman posted a slashline of .615 AVG/.643 OBP/1.077 SLG.
Ezra Deitering (Ottawa, Ohio) Bluffton University | Utility | Senior – Deitering hit .500 (9-of-18) with 2 homers, 2 doubles, a triple, 8 RBI and 5 runs scored as Bluffton swept Franklin on Saturday and split with HCAC champion Hanover on Sunday. He stole 2 bases and slugged a whopping 1.056 with a .524 OBP.
Max Fries (Cleves, Ohio) Earlham College | Pitcher/Utility | Graduate – Max Fries was pivotal at the plate for the Quakers in his final week of collegiate action. The senior went 10-for-22 (.455) with a double and a homer and seven RBI. Fries launched a three-run shot into the parking lot to cap off a sweep of Transylvania on Saturday in the eighth inning of game two.
Jake Danneman (Edgewood, Ky.) Hanover College | Shortstop | Junior – Danneman helped lead the Panthers to a 2-2 week and their first HCAC Regular Season title since 2001. The junior went 5-of-17 at the dish with two doubles and two RBI. He helped Hanover secure the title in game two at Bluffton as he added a 12th inning RBI.
Joel Kennedy (Mooreland, Ind.) Manchester University | First Base/Designated Hitter | Sophomore – This past weekend, Joel Kennedy hit for a batting average of .444 in four conference games, Kennedy also drove in nine runs, had two doubles, and two home runs, one of those being a Grand Slam against Defiance college.
Kade Kline (Terre Haute, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Insitute of Technology | Leftfield | Junior – Kline helped lead Rose-Hulman to a 3 seed in the HCAC Tournament with 11 hits, 8 runs, 5 RBIs, and a pair of home runs. He finished the week with a .423 batting average and a 654 slugging percentage for a 1.077 OPS during the week. He also broke the school record for career triples and tied the school record for single-season triples.

Pitching Athletes:

Walker Stull (Pendleton, Ind.) Anderson University | Pitcher | Senior – Walker Stull earned the win following 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out 5 batters, issued 2 walks and allowed 1 hit.
Nathan Young (Copley, Ohio) Bluffton University | Pitcher | Junior – Young tossed 4.0 innings on Sunday against Hanover, allowing just 1 hit with 5 strikeouts. The Panthers batted just .071 as he earned a save in game one and then kept the Beavers alive with shutout frames in the 10th and 11th innings of game 2.
Logan Kunkel (Pickerington, Ohio) Defiance College | Pitcher | Junior – The junior right-hander picked up his first win since his freshman year, which included missing all of last season due to a shoulder injury, in his final outing of the season. He entered with Defiance trailing 8-1 and righted the ship to hold Earlham to just one run the rest of the way while the offense chipped away and completed the big comeback win. Kunkel pitched a career-best 7.1 innings and also set a career-high with six strikeouts.
Jackson Young (Greenwood, Ind.) Franklin College | Pitcher | Fifth Year – Jackson Young turned in a brilliant outing with his team needing it the most, tossing a complete game with a career-high 11 strikeouts on Sunday at Anderson. Young surrendered six hits and walked three with two earned run allowed as Franklin came from behind to win 4-3 and keep their HCAC post-season hopes alive.
John Girard (Richmond, Ky.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Sophomore – Girard helped lead the Panthers to their first HCAC Regular Season title since 2001. The sophomore picked up the game two win against Rose-Hulman throwing seven complete innings with 10 strikeouts. He added allowed just one run on five hits for a 1.29 ERA.
Michael Yager (Park Ridge, Ill.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | Senior – Yager led the Fightin’ Engineers to an 8-4 victory over the HCAC Champion Hanover Panthers on Saturday as he struck out 7 batters in 5.2 innings pitched with just one run allowed.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

NEBRASKA, MICHIGAN STATE AND NORTHWESTERN EARN BIG TEN SOFTBALL WEEKLY AWARDS

Player of the Week

Sydney Gray, Nebraska

Sr. – 3B – Tucson, Ariz. – Sabino – Major: Finance

Collected six hits, two home runs, seven RBI, a .545 batting average and 1.091 slugging clip during Nebraska’s 2-1 series victory at Minnesota
Had two hits, including a home run, to open the series
Batted .667, had a 1.667 slugging percentage and five RBI in game two
Connected on the game-winning three-run homer on Saturday
Was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI to close out the weekend
Last Nebraska Player of the Week: Billie Andrews (March 18, 2024)

Pitcher of the Week

Liv Grey, Michigan State

Gr. – RHP – Woodland, Wash. – Woodland – Master’s: Criminal Justice

Helped Michigan State go 4-0 on the week and record its first Big Ten series sweep since 2018
Tossed 15.1 innings on her way to a 2-0 record, 24 strikeouts and a 0.46 ERA against Oakland and Purdue
Pitched her first complete game shutout of the season in the series-opening win over Purdue on Friday
Had one inning of relief to earn her first save of the 2024 campaign on Saturday, combining for a shutout
Held opponents to a .115 batting average and just six hits over four games
Last Michigan State Pitcher of the Week: Liv Grey (March 4, 2024)

Freshman of the Week

Emma Raye, Northwestern

C/IF – Superior, Wis. – Superior Senior – Major: Undeclared

Homered in both of Northwestern’s wins over Indiana to help the Wildcats claim their third-straight Big Ten regular season crown
Knocked a solo dinger in Friday’s 6-3 win
Hit a two-run go-ahead homer to lock in a 4-2 victory on Sunday
Caught a pair of runners stealing from behind the plate
Last Northwestern Freshman of the Week: Izzy Cunnea (April 8, 2024)

BUTLER, UCONN SHARE FINAL #BIGEASTSB WEEKLY AWARDS

Player of the Week
Cate Lehner, So., OF, Butler
Lehner went 8-for-12 (.667) in the final campaign of the regular season, propelling Butler to a series victory over top-seeded Villanova and a berth in the 2024 BIG EAST Softball Championship. On the weekend, the sophomore registered two RBI and two runs while going 2-for-2 in stolen bases. In Friday’s 7-3 series-opening victory, Lehner posted three hits with an RBI in the fourth. On Saturday, she contributed an essential run on two hits as the Bulldogs bested the Wildcats, 2-1.

Pitcher of the Week
Payton Kinney, Sr., P, UConn
Kinney owned a 0.66 ERA over 10.2 innings of work, picking up a pair of wins as UConn swept Georgetown to conclude the regular season. In two starts, the senior gave up just one run and four hits while striking out 12, holding Hoya hitters to a .118 batting average. In Friday’s 2-1 victory, Kinney tossed six scoreless innings while striking out six. In Saturday’s series finale, the Florida native went 4.2 innings with six strikeouts before re-entering in the bottom of the seventh to fend off the advancing Hoyas and secure the one-run victory.

Freshman of the Week
Katie Petran, Fr., P, Butler
Petran tossed a complete-game one-run victory over top-seeded Villanova in Saturday’s series finale, effectively punching the Bulldogs’ ticket to the 2024 BIG EAST Softball Championship. During the contest, the freshman gave up just one earned run on four hits with a strikeout.

Honor Roll
Grace Jenkins, So., C, UConn
In just eight at-bats this weekend, Jenkins registered three RBI and two runs as UConn swept Georgetown to wrap the regular season. The sophomore produced a pair of multi-hit games, doing so to open and close the series, highlighted by two doubles and a home run.
Natalia Puchino, So., P, Creighton
Puchino pitched 16.2 innings this weekend, boasting a 2-1 record and 1.26 ERA as Creighton took the series from Providence. The sophomore struck out 10 overall.
Sydra Seville, Jr., OF, Creighton
Seville led the Bluejays’ offense, batting .625 with two runs and an RBI this weekend. In the series opener, the junior registered the first three-hit game of her career while also driving in a run in the 5-2 win.
Olivia Gilbert, Jr., INF, Seton Hall
Gilbert batted a team-best .625 over the weekend, hitting a home run and a pair of doubles as Seton Hall took two of three from DePaul. The junior went a perfect 2-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday’s 4-1 win over the Blue Demons.
Ava Franz, Jr., SS, Villanova
Franz had an impressive showing against Butler, going 6-for-9 (.667) with five extra base hits in just 10 plate appearances. The junior scored four times on the weekend, totaling three doubles and the team’s lone two home runs while accumulating 15 total bases and slugging 1.667.

HCAC 2024 SOFTBALL NOTEBOOK, WEEK 12

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) softball teams competed in week twelve of the 2024 season.

Around the League:
HCAC Softball Schedule

Athletes of the Week:
Hitting Athlete of the Week:
Brooke Silcox (Till City, Ohio) Defiance College | Third Base | Senior – Brooke Silcox recorded at least one hit in all five games during the week including a three-hit game against Manchester. Recorded a total of 6 RBIs for the week with two RBIs in three of the five games during the week.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Sophie Moshos (Brazil, Ind.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Sophomore – Jeter pitched a perfect game against Wilmington on Sunday to earn her 14th win this season. She finished the week with 3 wins and 1 save.

Notable Performances:
Hitting Athletes:

Molly Buck (Fortville, Ind.) Anderson University | Infield | Junior – Molly Buck went 7-for-15 with 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBI and 3 runs as Anderson went 3-3 on the week. Buck finished the week with a slashline of .467 AVG/.500 OBP/.800 SLG.
Taryn Hampton (Fostoria, Ohio) Bluffton University | First Year – Hampton hit .800 (4-of-5) with a double and 2 stolen bases. She slugged 1.000 and had an OBP of .667 with 3 RBI and 1 run scored in a Saturday split with Hanover.
Bo Shelton (Anderson, Ind.) Earlham College | Infield | First Year – Bo Shelton went 5-for-11 (.455) this week with a double, a triple and four RBI as Earlham went 2-2 on the week. Shelton posted a .727 slugging percentage with one run scored.
Jade Wims (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Sophomore – Wims helped lead the Panthers last weekend as they wrapped up the 2024 season. The sophomore posted a .667 slugging percentage going 2-for-6 at the dish with two doubles.
Kendal Rider (Otterbein, Ind.) Manchester University | Outfield | First Year – This past week Kendal Rider hit for three games straight posting a .454 batting average. Rider also had a stolen base and scored four runs.
Jessica Newsome (Lawrenceville, Ga.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Catcher | First Year – Newsom led Rose-Hulman at the plate with 6 total hits, 2 doubles and a home run. She added 5 RBIs and 3 runs scored with a .429 batting average, .438 on-base percentage, and .786 slugging percentage.

Pitching Athletes:

M.J. Harper (West Lafayette, Ind.) Anderson University | Pitcher | First Year – M.J. Harper went 2-0 in three starts for the Ravens. She struck out 11 batters, issued 4 walks and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 15 hits in 17 and two-thirds innings. Harper posted a 1.58 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
Morgan Cooksey (Williamsport, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher | First Year – Morgan Cooksey led the Quakers in the circle this week with 14 innings pitched through two complete games. Cooksey allowed 10 hits and one walk for a measly .79 WHIP and a 2.5 ERA. She recorded nine strikeouts with a 1-1 record.
Lauren Beaman (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Junior – Beaman led the Panthers as they wrapped up the 2024 season. THe junior pitched 14.2 innings with 12 strikeouts. She finished the week with a 3.34 ERA.

TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS

INDIANA PACERS

GAME REWIND: PACERS 117, KNICKS 121 (GAME 1)

Game Recap

If Game 1 served as any indication, the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup between the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers and No. 2 New York Knicks could prove to be another classic series.

After a tight 36 minutes, the Knicks dropped 39 points in the fourth quarter — while coming with some clutch late-game moments — to post a 121-117 win over the Pacers on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Game 2 will occur in New York on Wednesday before the series turns to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana’s Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

In Game 1, which featured 12 ties and eight lead changes, the Pacers trailed by three points after the first quarter, led by six at the half, and took a five-point advantage into the final frame.

The Knicks retook the lead with under three minutes left in the game, but the Pacers kept it close down the final stretch.

New York guard Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to make it 118-115 Knicks before Indiana’s Pascal Siakam scored a close-range bucket to cut it to one point with 27 seconds left.

Indiana then got the ball back by forcing a Jalen Brunson turnover, but on the next possession Pacers center Myles Turner was called for an offensive foul on a screen with 12 seconds left.

In the final ticks, Brunson made a trio of free throws and the Knicks got a defensive stop to clinch it.

“There are so many events in an NBA game. There’s always a sharp focus on the last minute, but there were things that happened with five or six minutes left that really hurt us,” Pacers head coach Rick Carilsle said. “ …It’s not just the last minute or two, it’s the whole game. The whole fourth quarter. This is a great experience for our guys. It comes at a cost – it’s no fun, but we’re going to have to learn some things for Game 2.”

Indiana’s bench outscored New York’s second unit 46-3 in the game. Six Pacers players scored in double digits, as Turner topped the Pacers with 23 points, Siakam added 19, and T.J. McConnell supplied 18 off the bench for the Blue & Gold.

Brunson, who entered the night leading all scorers in the postseason at 35.5 points per game, finished with 43 points on 14-for-26 shooting (14-for-14 from the free throw line), DiVincenzo logged 25 points, and Josh Hart recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Overall, the Pacers shot 52.3 percent and the Knicks made 52.3 percent of their shots. New York won the rebounding margin 40-32.

The Pacers led 55-49 at halftime, as the Blue & Gold bench outscored the Knicks’ second unit 27-1 in the opening 24 minutes.

All nine players who played for the Pacers in the first half recorded a basket, led by McConnell’s 10 points off the bench and nine points from Turner. Brunson had 18 points for the Knicks on 6-for-12 shooting and Hart logged 11 points and seven rebounds at the break.

Indiana shot just 37.5 percent in the first quarter, but limited New York’s lead to 27-24 thanks to a late push by the bench unit.

Despite an early 8-0 run by the Pacers, where Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard each made 3-pointers, Brunson dropped 10 points in the first four and a half minutes of the game to help the Knicks to a 14-10 lead.

After Pacers forward Obi Toppin’s 3-pointer halted a 10-2 Knicks run, Hart hit a trey and went the length of the floor for a layup to put New York ahead 19-13, prompting a timeout by the visitors.

In the final 3:39 of the opening frame, the Pacers’ bench scored 11 points, with McConnell making a trio of baskets, rookie Ben Sheppard draining a 3-pointer, and Isaiah Jackson throwing down a transition dunk to make it a three-point game.

Indiana shot 53.8 percent in the second quarter, with Turner scoring nine points in the period on 4-for-6 shooting, to take a 55-49 lead into intermission.

A 3-pointer by Sheppard, two layups from Jackson, and a running layup by McConnell gave the Pacers a 33-32 lead before three straight baskets from Turner pushed the Pacers in front 40-36 with 5:41 on the clock.

Indiana and New York then kept the score within a possession until the Pacers mustered a 9-3 run in the final 1:58 to take a four-point lead into the break.

Both sides exchanged dramatic deep shots in the final ticks, as Haliburton hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds on the clock before Knicks 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein swished nothing but net at the buzzer from half-court to end the Blue & Gold run.

Turner added 13 points in the third quarter, and the Pacers shot 61.9 percent as a team in the frame, to lead 87-82 by the end of the period.

The Pacers and Knicks traded blows early in the third quarter until an 8-2 run by the Knicks evened the score at 62 with 8:18 on the clock.

Neither team could go ahead by more than four points over the next five minutes until the Pacers mustered a 16-4 run — where five players recorded a basket — to go up 84-77 with 43 seconds on the clock.

DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer and made a layup to cut it to two points before Turner drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pacers a five-point advantage going into the final 12 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks shot 65 percent from the field to outscore the Pacers 39-30. Brunson went 6-for-10 in the period for 21 points.

The Pacers opened the fourth quarter on a 7-3 run thanks to free throws by Siakam, a 3-pointer by Toppin and basket by McConnell to lead 94-85, but the Knicks answered with an 8-0 spree — capped by a DiVincenzo 3-pointer — to cut it to 94-93 with 8:56 left in the half.

A dunk by Jackson stopped the Blue & Gold bleeding before Aaron Nesmith threw down a posterizing dunk over Knicks 7-footer Mitchell Robinson, and then completed a layup, to go back in at 100-95 with 7:43 left on the clock.

Back-to-back baskets by Hart cut it to 104-103 with 5:52 left before the Knicks went on a 9-0 run, with Brunson accounting for seven points, to take a 113-109 lead with 2:42 left in the game.

Down the last stretch, the Knicks made enough plays to secure the victory.

“We take it on the chin and get ready for Game 2,” Turner of the loss. “The best thing about this is we play every other day.”

Inside the Numbers

Indiana went 15-for-19 from the free throw line and New York finished 22-for-26.

Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had six points on six shot attempts in Game 1.

In the paint, the Pacers outscored the Knicks 64-58.

Neither team led by double digits in the game.

The Knicks finished with 14 turnovers and the Pacers had seven.

New York made 11 3-pointers and Indiana had 10 threes.

The Pacers were outscored 20-18 in fastbreak points.

You Can Quote Me On That

“The boards were a big problem in the second half. Fouls were a problem in the second half. We allowed (the Knicks) to score with the clock stopped, didn’t do a good job with possession, and we had turnovers as well. Those are pretty big factors. We did a lot of good things throughout the game, but this is one we’re going to have to learn from.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the second half and the loss

“We’re not expecting to get calls in here. It would be nice if they laid off that one, but they didn’t. That’s just the way it goes. We challenged it, they reviewed it. They’ve got a bunch of people in New Jersey that agreed with them. That’s just the way it goes. We just have to learn from that, too. That’s a timing play … both guys were involved. We will just have to execute that better next time.” – Carlisle on the foul called on Turner with 12 seconds left

“This is New York’s pattern. As the game goes on, they get stronger with rebounding and they crash harder and harder. We talked about it coming in. It’s something that is a major factor. We had opportunities to come up with balls we didn’t come up with. In a game when it’s a one-possession game, it makes a difference.” – Carlisle on New York in the second half

“We know they are a hard-playing team. I think in the first half we did a good job controlling the boards but that got away from us in the second half. You give those guys opportunities to score, they’re going to take advantage of it. On the defensive glass, we have to be a lot better down the stretch.” – Myles Turner on the loss

“We knew they were coming in charged up. It’s a staple of the way they play.“ – Turner on the rebounding in the second half

“We have to make life a little more difficult on him. He’s a special player – he plays angles very well. I think just throwing fresh angles at him. We know he’s going to score his points when he’s shooting 25 or 30 times per game. We know he’s going to get to his shots. I think it’s more so about limiting their other role players. Someone like Josh Hart who had a great game tonight and really juiced them up. DiVincenzo hits some big shots at the end. It’s one of those things you have to tip your cap to Brunson and do your job on the other guys.” – Turner on what Indiana can do better on Brunson

“The rebounding really hurt us. It gave them extra possessions. DiVincenzo got hot from three. As a collective, we have to be better rebounding the ball on defense. That’s been a focal point for us. We know they’re a great rebounding team. We’ll get that fixed.” – T.J. McConnell on what caused problems defensively in the second half

“I’m sure they addressed it in the locker room at halftime. We knew that we did a good job on the glass and they came out and just had more effort on that part of the ball. We’ve just got to get that fixed.” -McConnell on why rebounding was an issue after halftime

“We can’t worry about the officiating. They’re just trying to do their job. There were many plays where we could have made where it didn’t even come down to that. That’s the stuff we’ve got to focus on…We can control plays that we could have made to not have it come down to that.” – McConnell on late-game calls

“I think he’s been a focal point for everyone’s defensive game plan all year. There hasn’t been a game where I’ve seen a team in drop coverage. He gets trapped every time he comes off the pick-and-roll. The best thing about Tyrese is he won’t force a bad shot. He gets others involved and we trust him whole-heartedly with the ball in his hands every time.” – McConnell on how the Knicks defended Tyrese Haliburton

Stat of the Night

After Indiana won the rebounding margin 24-21 in the first half, the Pacers lost the battle on the boards 19-8 in the second half.

Noteworthy

Indiana forward Pascal Siakam is two points short of reaching 1,000 career playoff points.
The Pacers are playing in their first Eastern Conference Semifinals since 2014.
Indiana and New York are playing their eighth ever playoff series against each other. The Pacers have won four of their seven series thus far against the Knicks all-time, including their last two (2000, 2013).
Indiana owns a 22-20 postseason record against New York.
The Pacers dropped Game 1 in their first round series against Milwaukee before taking the series 4-2.

Up Next

The Pacers will return to Madison Square Garden for Game 2 against the Knicks on Wednesday, May 8 at 8:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers will host the Knicks for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7:00 PM on Friday, May 10. Find Tickets >>

INDIANA BASEBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Midweek baseball returns to Bloomington for the final time this season. The Hoosiers have just four home games remaining including Tuesday’s game against Cincinnati. Michigan will come to town on the final weekend of the year.

IU has eight games in the regular season remaining as it looks to win a Big Ten title and cement its case to be an NCAA Tournament team for the second-straight season. IU went to West Lafayette last weekend and won a three-game series on rival soil for the first time since 2002.

The Hoosiers scored four in the ninth inning to complete a miracle comeback that featured three singles, three walks and a fielding error from the Purdue pitcher. The victory kept IU a game back in the Big Ten standings and boosted the all-important RPI ahead of a massive trip to Lincoln this week.

First, however, head coach Jeff Mercer‘s squad will look to complete a perfect regular season against Big 12 opposition. IU swept Baylor in February and welcomes Cincinnati on Tuesday (May 7) for a big midweek game.

Sophomore right hander Evan Whiteaker will take the start on the mound while his offense looks to add early offense to the board at Bart Kaufman Field. First pitch, barring weather, is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET.

Gameday Info
vs. Cincinnati (Tuesday, May 7th – 6:00 PM)
Live Video: t.ly/_fMBQ
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/DSDfX

Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Cincinnati
• Tuesday – Evan Whiteaker, RHP (IU) vs. Griffin Hugus, RHP (UC)

Player and Stat Trends
Tibbitts Chases 200
• Brock Tibbitts made his return to the lineup after missing a month with a lower-leg injury. He had four hits in the weekend series win over Purdue including the hit that kickstarted an amazing ninth-inning rally. Tibbitts now has 186 for his career and is 14 away from becoming the 25th member of the 200-hit club at Indiana.

Notable
Turned the Tables in West Lafayette
• Down to its final two outs on Sunday, the Indiana Baseball team pulled off a miraculous comeback, using three singles, three walks and a fielding error to score four runs in the ninth and take the lead. Jacob Vogel recorded the final three outs to secure the series win.

• IU scored 15 runs in the seventh inning or later this weekend, including all 10 in Saturday’s victory, taking the series in West Lafayette for the first time since 2002. Potentially a season-defining win, the Hoosiers remain just a game back of league leaders Illinois with six to play.

Massive Eight-Game Stretch in May
• Now comes the fun part of the schedule. Despite injuries, and a rough month of March, IU has kept its head above water with a chance at a conference title. The Hoosiers have eight games left, all against power five schools.

• Cincinnati comes to town this week off the heels of a weekend series win over West Virginia. The Hoosiers then head to Lincoln for a massive Big Ten road series against Nebraska, a fellow 12-6 team in the league.

DT Shines in Leadoff Role
• Head coach Jeff Mercer moved Devin Taylor to the leadoff role before the Rutgers series to spell the struggling Carter Mathison. Taylor, who hardly sees any pitches to hit, has made opposing pitchers pay in the last six games.

• In that stretch, the sophomore is hitting .462 (12-26) with four home runs, seven RBIs, nine runs, a double and a triple. Most of those outs have been hard hit balls right at defenders. He has his season average up to .356 and is seeing the ball with confidence right now.

How ‘Bout the Bullpen?
• IU’s bullpen, which has been forced into uncomfortable positions this season, has finally begun to turn the corner. Pitchers, who are in weekend roles due to injury, have taken big leaps including the likes of Aydan Decker-Petty, Drew Buhr and Jacob Vogel.

• In 26 innings this past weekend, the Hoosiers allowed just nine earned runs. Eight different pitchers threw. The bullpen threw 20.1 of those innings and only allowed five earned runs. Jacob Vogel gave IU four scoreless while Drew Buhr handed the Hoosiers 4.2 innings of no-run action.

Brothers Meet in Bloomington
• IU freshman Cal Sefcik will see a familiar face in the opposing dugout on Tuesday night. His older brother, Luke, has started 26 games for Cincinnati this year after transferring from Central Michigan. Luke is two years older than Cal and will take the field in the same game for the first time since Luke was a senior in high school and Cal, a sophomore.

Road Series Wins
• When IU heads to Nebraska this weekend, it will be looking to win its fourth and final Big Ten series on the road this year. IU hasn’t won all four Big Ten road weekends in the same year since dominating the league in 2014.

Big Ten Road Series Wins (Perfect 4/4 – Current Scheduling Format)
2024: at Maryland (2-1), at Minnesota (2-1) at Purdue (2-1), at Nebraska (TBD)
2014: at Ohio State (3-0), at Iowa (3-0), at Illinois (2-1), at Penn State (3-0)

Scouting the Opponent
Cincinnati (27-21, 13-11 Big 12)
• Cincinnati comes to town on the heels of a weekend series win over West Virginia. It’s the second Big 12 opponent that IU has played this year. The Hoosiers swept Baylor in Waco at the beginning of the season.

• Josh Hegemann leads the Bearcats offensively with a .354 average but the main weapon comes in the form of Josh Kross. He’s hitting .326 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. He also set a single-season school record with 22 hit by pitches. Tommy O’Connor is also in double digits with 12 home runs.

• Former Hoosier Hunter Jessee makes his return to Bloomington after playing three seasons for the cream and crimson. He’s hitting .250 with 3 home runs and 31 RBIs.

• Griffin Hugus makes just his second start of the season. He’s 0-2 with a 4.95 earned run average in nine appearances. He has 15 strikeouts but has allowed 13 walks and 11 earned runs. He will likely feature in a short-term opener role.

Inside the Series
Indiana vs. Cincinnati
• These two teams have met 35 times in program history but it’s the first time with the Bearcats in the Big 12 Conference and first with Jordan Bischel as the head man.

• IU won last year’s matchup in the Queen City 11-9. Brayden Risedorph started and went four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Devin Taylor and Tyler Cerny each hit home runs in the victory.

PURDUE WOMEN’S GOLF

LAS VEGAS – The Purdue women’s golf team began the NCAA Las Vegas Regional with a bang, firing a 284 (-4) to sit in third place, just one shot back of No. 19 Florida State (-5) in second and four shots behind clubhouse leader No. 9 Arkansas (-4). With 1-under 71s from the quartet of Jasmine Kahler, Natasha Kiel, Ashley Kozlowski and Momo Sugiyama, Purdue recorded the third-lowest NCAA Regional round in program history and the best since 2015. All four Boilermakers are tied for sixth on the individual leaderboard.

Through the opening round at Spanish Trail Country Club, Purdue is seven strokes ahead of No. 4 UCLA (+3), the top seed entering the tournament. Baylor (+4) rounds out the Top 5, while No. 16 Arizona and Oklahoma are tied for sixth at 6-over. Following three rounds of play, the Top 5 teams advance to play in the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California (May 17-22).

The Boilermakers dominated the par 5s, playing them 6-under Monday to pace the field in par-5 scoring. They also made 62 pars, tied for the most alongside No. 4 UCLA.

As the first Boilermaker on the course, Kiel set the tone with her under-par round. Following a double bogey at the par-4 16th, one of the toughest holes on the course, she rallied by playing the final 11 holes 3-under par and bogey free. Kiel bounced back with a birdie on No. 17 before birdies at No. 1 and No. 8 moved her into red figures.

Speaking of bouncing back, Kozlowski did just that after a tough start found the senior 3-over through five holes. An eagle from off the green at the par-5 18th sparked the comeback. Five straight pars followed, and she birdied another par 5 (No. 6) to get back to even par. Ending on the par-4 ninth, Kozlowski finished strong with another birdie. Playing the final 13 holes 4-under and bogey free resulted in her 1-under 71.

Kahler continued to thrive with a 71 of her own, one away from her career best. The Carlsbad, California, native made three birdies during her round, starting at the par-4 13th. She rolled in a 7-footer on No. 18 to head to the front side 1-under. The freshman’s final nine featured seven pars, a bogey at No. 4, and a lengthy birdie putt at the par-5 sixth.

Finishing off a great day for Purdue, Sugiyama carded a 71 as the last Boilermaker on the golf course. She made five birdies, second-best in the field, starting on her opening hole. A 15-foot birdie putt dropped on No. 10, and she nearly holed her approach at the 13th for her second birdie of the day. Another birdie was sandwiched in between a bogey at No. 14 and a double bogey at No. 16, but an up-and-down from just short of the green at the 18th led to Sugiyama’s fourth birdie on the back side. She birdied No. 1 for consecutive birdies before parring seven of the final eight holes to secure another under-par round.

Despite not counting, Jocelyn Bruch battled for a 76 (+4) due to one bad hole. The Boilermaker made 15 pars throughout her day, the most in the field, but a quadruple bogey at No. 16 prevented her from recording another low round for Purdue. She recovered by parring the final 10 holes.

Purdue begins the second round Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. ET off No. 1. As part of the leading trio, the Boilermakers will be paired with the Razorbacks and the Seminoles, looking to make a move to the top of the leaderboard.

For updates throughout the rest of the NCAA Las Vegas Regional, follow Purdue Women’s Golf on Twitter @PurdueWGolf.

BOILERMAKERS

T6. Momo Sugiyama: 71 (-1)

T6. Natasha Kiel: 71 (-1)

T6. Jasmine Kahler: 71 (-1)

T6. Ashley Kozlowski: 71 (-1)

T44. Jocelyn Bruch: 76 (+4)

TEAM LEADERBOARD

1. #9 Arkansas: 280 (-8)

2. #19 Florida State: 283 (-5)

3. Purdue: 284 (-4)

4. #4 UCLA: 291 (+3)

5. Baylor: 292 (+4)

T6. #16 Arizona: 294 (+6)

T6. Oklahoma: 294 (+6)

8. Colorado State: 298 (+10)

T9. Cal: 301 (+13)

T9. Kent State: 301 (+13)

11. Dartmouth: 302 (+14)

12. Xavier: 310 (+22)

PURDUE BASEBALL

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (31-17, 12-6 Big Ten) at UIC (31-13, 14-7 MVC)
Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. ET / ESPN+
Curtis Granderson Stadium / Chicago, Ill.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (Fr, RHP) vs. TBA for UIC

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 13-12
All-Time in Chicago: UIC leads 7-4
First Meeting of 2024: UIC 6, Purdue 5 – 14 Innings (March 20 in West Lafayette)
2023 in Chicago: UIC 7, Purdue 3 (May 10)
Purdue’s Last Win in the Series: Purdue 5, UIC 3 (April 2014 in West Lafayette)
First Meetings: Purdue swept a doubleheader 5-0 & 14-4 (May 1982 in West Lafayette)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As Purdue Baseball returns to Chicago 11 days after its thrilling win at Wrigley Field, the Boilermakers’ final non-conference game of the regular season is a midweek rematch with a UIC team that also has 31 wins on the season.

First pitch at Curtis Granderson Stadium is slated for 7 p.m. ET. Located just two miles southwest of the Loop, Granderson Stadium’s unobstructed view of the Chicago skyline makes for the most captivating and unique backdrop for any game the Boilermakers will play this season.

Purdue and UIC are a combined 62-30 this season. It will be the Boilermakers’ first game since the 2018 NCAA Chapel Hill Regional in which both teams have 30-plus wins. A May 5-6 weekend series at UCLA in 2012 marked the last time Purdue and its opponent both had 30 wins by May 7.

The Flames won a 14-inning thriller in West Lafayette on March 20, prevailing in the longest game in the history of Alexander Field in both time (5:03) and innings. Forty-three total players saw action in the game – 17 for UIC and 26 for Purdue. The Boilermakers had to go deeper into their bench due in part to losing the designated hitter to open the ninth inning. Purdue pitchers essentially threw a shutout in the marathon – nine consecutive scoreless innings from the fifth through 13th innings – but the Flames scored twice in the top of the 14th and hung on as the home side stranded the tying run at second base to end the game.

PURDUE’S LONGEST GAMES IN THE RECORD BOOK (By Inning)
Date	Opponent	Location	Innings	Time	Final Score
3/22/2014	at Southern Ill.	Carbondale, Ill.	16	4:00	L, 5-4
4/11/2004	Ohio State	Lambert Field	16	3:47	W, 5-4
3/19/2016	vs Ohio	Kokomo, Ind.	15	4:27	W, 5-4
3/20/2024	UIC	Alexander Field	14	5:03	L, 6-5
4/28/2012	Michigan State	Lambert Field	14	3:30	W, 4-3
3/05/2022	vs Longwood	Holly Springs, N.C.	13	4:45	W, 6-5
4/08/2018	at Indiana	Bloomington, Ind.	13	4:04	L, 7-5
4/25/2014	Ohio State	Alexander Field	13	2:58	W, 4-3

UIC has won all five meetings since the midweek series resumed from an eight-year hiatus in March 2022, with four of the five games being decided in the eighth inning or later. The Flames are 17-3 at home this season and a perfect 7-0 in midweek action, with two of their midweek wins coming in a home-and-home sweep of Northwestern. Both teams should enter Tuesday in the top 75 in the RPI – Purdue at 69, UIC at 73.

Northwestern was also the Boilermakers’ opponent at Wrigley on April 26, which became a Friday night to remember when they rode 10 singles and a quality start from Jordan Morales to a 9-3 victory. After beating Indiana this past Friday for its 11th consecutive Big Ten win, Purdue has won four consecutive series openers in Big Ten play. But after dropping Sunday’s rubber game in heartbreaking fashion, and thus the series, the Boilers enter the penultimate week of the regular season having lost consecutive games for the first time since March 29-30. That weekend also marked the last time UIC lost consecutive games, suffering a sweep in Terre Haute at the hands of common opponent Indiana State.

It’s a week of returning to familiar locales or states for selected Boilermakers. Transfers Breck Nowik (UIC) and Camden Gasser (Michigan) both play at their former teams’ home fields this week. Chicago native Mike Bolton Jr. rides his 27-game on-base streak into a return trip to the Windy City. Cole Van Assen (from Tinley Park, Illinois) is expected to get the ball again Tuesday and in doing so become Purdue’s starting pitcher in the final seven midweek games of the season. This weekend as part of the Boilers’ first trip to Ann Arbor since the April 2015, the team hotel is in nearby Ypsilanti. Michigan native Aaron Dolney played two seasons at Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti before joining Purdue as a grad transfer.

Beginning with Van Assen’s three shutout innings in the victory vs. DePauw last week, Purdue starting pitchers teamed up for 21 innings of four-run ball at Alexander Field. Van Assen, Morales, Luke Wagner and Kyle Iwinski compiled a combined 0.81 WHIP and 1.71 ERA with 13 strikeouts vs. three walks.

Since the first meeting on March 20, Purdue is 15-10 and UIC is 18-7.

TEAM RECORD WATCH
Statistical Category	Purdue Season Record	Team Total as of May 6
Runs	454 in 1986	404 (4th in Team History)
Runs Per Game	7.44 in 2022	8.42
RBI	397 in 1986	378 (T-3rd in Team History)
Doubles	124 in 2008	102
Home Runs	73 in 1987	60 (3rd in Team History)
Walks	310 in 1981	251
HBP	112 in 2022 (since 1981)	99
Total Bases	950 in 2010	782
On-Base Pct.	.405 in 2009 (Since 1982)	.417
Slugging Pct.	.498 in 1987	.485

GAFFNEY FRESHMAN RECORD WATCH
Statistical Category	Freshman Record Entering 2024	Luke Gaffney’s Total as of May 6
RBI	53 – Kevin Plawecki, 2010	60 (Broke Record April 20)
Run Scored	50 – Brett Roach, 1986	54 (Broke Record April 24)
Total Bases	119 – Perkins (2010)/Roach (1986)	120 (Broke Record April 27)
Home Runs	12 – Brett Roach, 1986	11
Doubles	17 – Cameron Perkins, 2010	13
Hits	74 – Cameron Perkins, 2010	68
Walks	33 – Brett Roach, 1986	25
Batting Average	.371 – Eric Charles, 2009	.391
On-Base Percentage	.461 – Eric Charles, 2009	.478
Slugging Percentage	.583 – Brett Roach, 1986	.690
Triples	5 – Eric Osborn, 2004	3
At-Bats	219 – Cameron Perkins, 2010	174

PURDUE’S SINGLE-SEASON LEADERBOARDS
RBI 1.) Mike Biltimier, 74 – 1993 2.) Brett Roach, 73 – 1987 3.) Dan Black, 70 – 2008 4.)Connor Caskenette, 66 – 2024 T-4.) Cameron Perkins, 61 – 2012 T-4.) Archi Cianfrocco, 61 – 1987 6.) Luke Gaffney, 60 – 2024	RUNS SCORED 1.) Mitch Hilligoss, 62 – 2006 2.) Brandon Haveman, 60 – 2008 3.) Dave Scheitlin, 57 – 1990 4.) Stephen Talbott, 55 – 2011 T-5.) Luke Gaffney, 54 – 2024 T-5.) Kevin Plawecki, 54 – 2012 7.) Three tied with 53 10.) Five tied with 52 15.) Camden Gasser, 51 – 2024

MULTIPLE 5+ RBI GAMES IN A SEASON (Since 2001)
Year	Boilermaker	5+ RBI Games	Game Scores
2024	Connor Caskenette	4/06 at Rutgers 4/16 vs Ball State (7) 4/28 at Northwestern (7) 5/03 vs Indiana	W, 8-6 W, 13-3 W, 11-3 W, 7-4
2024	Luke Gaffney	2/17 vs Stony Brook 4/14 vs Michigan State	W, 12-8 W, 21-1
2023	Jake Jarvis	2/19 vs Holy Cross (6) 4/08 at Minnesota	W, 12-2 W, 15-3
2023	Paul Toetz	2/18 vs Holy Cross (6) 3/04 vs Akron (6)	W, 14-4 W, 17-9
2022	Troy Viola	4/29 vs Michigan 5/13 at Northwestern	W, 18-4 W, 14-8
2022	CJ Valdez	4/19 at UIC 5/07 at Iowa	L, 9-6 W, 10-6
2016	Kyle Johnson	3/05 at ETSU (6) 3/22 at Ball State	W, 19-6 L, 9-8
2009	Dan Black	3/08 at Texas State 3/20 at Tenn-Martin 5/14 vs Illinois	L, 14-10 W, 11-7 (10) W, 12-5
2008	Dan Black	3/15 at Ohio (6) 4/19 at Ohio State (6) 5/16 at Illinois 5/22 vs Penn State (6) 5/24 vs Indiana	W, 9-4 W, 8-0 W, 14-4 W, 15-6 W, 11-7
2004	John Hunter	4/04 at Penn State 5/02 at Minnesota (9)	W, 18-2 W, 15-9
2003	Daniel Underwood	4/02 at Ball State (6) 5/11 at Indiana (6)	L, 17-14 W, 20-4

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Another top transfer portal target is headed to Notre Dame.

On Monday, the Irish announced forward and Marquette transfer Liza Karlen will spend her graduate season at Notre Dame.

Karlen averaged 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season and was unanimously selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team. She shot 49.7 percent from the floor, hit 60 of her 73 attempts from the charity stripe, and notched 10 double-doubles. A versatile frontcourt player, Karlen also went 25-70 from deep last year (35.7 percent).

“I would like to welcome Liza to our Notre Dame family!” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said. “She brings a wealth of experience and the depth to the forward position and has tremendous versatility offensively having shot 50 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep last season. Liza also has an incredible motor and is a relentless rebounder. I am so grateful and excited for what she will add to our team next season.”

Karlen’s numbers against ranked teams were even more impressive, as she posted 20.3 points and 8 boards per game in six ranked matchups.

The Minnesota native earned national recognition as well, as she was a Katrina McClain Award Top 10 finalist, a three-time BIG EAST Player of the Week, a two-time USBWA Player of the Week and the AP Player of the Week on Dec. 19, 2023.

Notre Dame has already added forward Liatu King to its 2024-25 roster. Karlen, King, Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Maddy Westbeld have all been named to first teams in their respective conferences at some point in their careers.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame has added its first student-athlete out of the transfer portal this offseason, and she’s a big get.

On Monday, 2024 First Team All-ACC forward Liatu King signed with the Irish after spending four years at Pittsburgh. She is one of just three players in the ACC who averaged a double-double last season, posting 18.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. King had 18 double-doubles during her senior year, including a pair of them against Notre Dame. She was the only player in the country who averaged at least 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

“Please welcome Liatu to our Notre Dame family!” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said. “One of the most improved players in the country, Liatu brings athleticism and efficiency to our front court. She is versatile and dynamic with an innate ability to score on multiple levels. With her smooth jumper, she can also dominate on the block. Liatu had 18 double-doubles last year and shot 52 percent from the floor. She will make an immediate impact on our team next season.”

Additionally, the Washington, D.C. native’s 52.3 field goal percentage ranked fourth in the conference and 51st in the nation. It was up 13.1 percent from her junior year (39.4). In addition to earning a spot on the All-ACC First Team, she was the conference’s Most Improved Award recipient.

King joins Maddy Westbeld in the power forward spot, creating one of the best post duos in the nation. Of note, King, Westbeld, Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles have all been named to the All-ACC First Team at some point in their careers.

NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL

SOUTH BEND, IND. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned the 10th and final seed for the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Tournament, hosted by the Duke Blue Devils. The Fighting Irish will begin tournament action Wednesday, May 8th at 3:30 p.m. against the seventh-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Irish concluded the 2024 regular season a week ago, earning a 26-22 overall record, and a 9-15 mark in ACC play. The road to an ACC Championship leads the Irish into a maximum of four more games against conference opponents in the single elimination tournament. For full details, visit the tournament website page here.

Notre Dame competed against the Tar Heels in a three-game series in March, with the Irish taking one of three games.

The host Blue Devils earned the top seed in 2024, winning the ACC Regular Season with a 20-4 record. Florida State is the two seed (19-5), followed by Virginia Tech, (18-6), Clemson (15-9), Virginia (15-9), Georgia Tech (12-12), North Carolina (10-14), Syracuse (9-15) and Boston College (9-15).

BUTLER BASEBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler baseball team will play at Ball State on Tuesday before hosting a 3 PM game at Bulldog Park against Eastern Illinois on Wednesday. Tuesday’s tilt in Muncie will stream on ESPN+ at 12 PM. Wednesday’s showdown was rescheduled after rain washed out the original date on April 2.

Scouting Ball State

The Cardinals won a MAC series at Northern Illinois over the weekend by recording wins in game one and game three. The victories move their overall record to 27-19-1. 14 of those 27 wins have been recorded against conference foes, placing BSU fifth in the Mid-American Conference standings.

Michael Halliquist is a player to watch on Tuesday. The senior from Fargo, North Dakota leads the team with a .332 batting average and is the league leader in total bases with 132. Hallquist has 15 doubles and 17 home runs to post a .684 slugging percentage. Hunter Dobbins is another player to keep an eye on. He has 15 doubles and 16 home runs this season.

Will Jacobson got the start for Ball State the last time the Cardinals played the Bulldogs. He struck out six batters and didn’t issue a walk over five full innings. Zach Kwasny threw 3.1 innings that day and Tanner Knapp recorded the final two outs to earn his fourth save of the season.

Scouting Eastern Illinois

The Panthers will play at Northwestern on Tuesday before traveling to Indianapolis on Wednesday. Currently, EIU has a 15-28 record that includes a 9-12 mark in the OVC. They recently won a game at Tennessee Tech, but would fall to the Golden Eagles in games two and three, losing by a combined three runs.

Lucas Loos is the star player in the Panther lineup. The senior is an Oakland transfer that ranks 10th in the NCAA this year with 20 doubles. Loos has the third highest batting average (.376) in the OVC and ranks eighth in total hits (64). Loos has 17 home runs in 2024 and 48 RBI. He leads the OVC in sac flies (5), ranks second in slugging percentage (.806) and is third in total bases (137).

On the mound, EIU used six pitchers against Butler in the first meeting. Mitch Alba got the start, but was unable to record an out before he was sent to the dugout. Christian Carew had the most success against the BU lineup. The right-hander struck out five over four full innings.

Last Week

Carter Dorighi hit .412 last week with two doubles and a home run to generate five RBIs. Kade Lewis nearly matched his production with seven hits to help post a team-best six RBIs. Evan Parks, Ian Choi and Ethan Vecrumba also hit over .300 while making multiple starts.

BIG EAST Standings

UConn 12-3, 27-19

St. John’s 11-4, 31-11-1

Georgetown 10-4, 29-16

Xavier 9-6, 25-22

Seton Hall 5-10, 22-26

Villanova 5-10, 15-29

Creighton 4-10, 31-14

Butler 3-12, 17-30

Bulldog Bits

– Carter Dorighi had seven hits over four games last week to raise his season total to 76

– Dorighi leads the BIG EAST and ranks ninth in the nation in hits

– Dorighi needs seven hits to break the Butler single-season record set by Harrison Freed in 2019 (82)

– Dorighi heads to Muncie on a 10-game hitting streak

– Dorighi is batting .434 this year with runners in scoring position and .483 with two outs in the inning

– Dorighi leads the BIG EAST in total bases (114)

– Kade Lewis ranks second in the BIG EAST in hits (64) and batting average (.374)

– Lewis leads the league in slugging percentage (.643) and triples (4)

– Joey Urban leads the BIG EAST in sacrifice flies (5)

– Butler ranks third in the conference in home runs with 54

– BU needs just three home runs to break the single-season team record set in 1998 (56)

– Jack Moroknek and Carter Dorighi have started in all 47 games this season

– Moroknek has reached base safely in 13-straight games

– Xavier Carter scored a run in each game vs. Xavier over the weekend

– Ian Choi recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season on Sunday vs. Xavier

– Cole Graverson threw a season-high 102 pitches in relief on Sunday

– Graverson struck out a season-high seven batters over 6.1 innings

– 6.1 innings is the longest outing of any BU pitcher this season

– Graverson has a team-high 50 strikeouts this year in 45 innings

– Nate Rosser threw 5.1 innings in his last start, setting a new season-high

– Rosser struck out a season-high six batters

– Evan Parks scored multiple runs in a game this weekend for the first time since March 2

– Parks walked four times vs. Xavier on Friday

– Ethan Vecrumba recorded a season-high four RBIs vs. Xavier

– Ball State won the first meeting 7-6 at Bulldog Park on March 20

– The Cardinals scored five runs in the first inning to build their lead

– BU scored three in the bottom of the ninth to make it a one-run game

– Moroknek and Lewis homered in the ninth

– Butler won 10-6 at Eastern Illinois on April 24

– Billy Wurch hit a grand slam in the first inning to put BU in front

– At least one Butler player has hit a double for the Bulldogs in 22-straight games

– The Bulldogs are 11-12 this season in away games

– 15 of Butler’s 17 wins have come against at right-handed starter

– Butler is 10-10 this year when they score first

– Blake Beemer was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Illinois from 2016-18

– Beemer had the same role with Ball State from 2019-2022 before coming to Butler

Up Next

Butler will play at Villanova this weekend. The three-game series will begin on Friday with a 3 PM start. All three contests will stream on FloSports.com.

BUTLER SOFTBALL

NEW YORK – The Villanova Wildcats earned the top seed in the upcoming 2024 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented by JEEP, scheduled for May 8 through 11 at Glay Field on the campus of Providence College.

Seeding was determined based on team winning percentage throughout the BIG EAST regular season. Villanova earned the premiere position with a 19-5 mark (.792) against league competitors.

UConn earned the second seed with a 16-8 record (.667) followed closely by Creighton who shared the 16-8 mark. The Huskies edged the Bluejays for the second seed behind a series victory over the latter in mid-April.

The reigning BIG EAST Champions, Seton Hall, earned the four-seed with a 14-10 result in conference play (.583). The Pirates will open the 2024 Championship, meeting No. 5 St. Johns (13-11, .542) in the tournament’s first game at 12 p.m. on Wednesday.

Butler clinched the sixth and final seed in the championship behind a 2-1 series victory over #1 Villanova during the final weekend of conference play.

Seeding

#1 Villanova

#2 Connecticut

#3 Creighton

#4 Seton Hall

#5 St. John’s

#6 Butler

2024 BIG EAST Softball Championship Schedule

all times eastern

Wednesday, May 8

Game 1 (12 p.m.): #4 Seton Hall vs. #5 St. John’s BEDN

Game 2 (3 p.m.): #3 Creighton vs. #6 Butler BEDN

Game 3 (6 p.m.): Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 BEDN

Thursday, May 9

Game 4 (12 p.m.): #1 Villanova vs. Winner of Game 1 BEDN

Game 5 (3 p.m.): #2 UConn vs. Winner of Game 2 BEDN

Game 6 (6 p.m.): Winner of Game 3 vs. Lower seed Loser of 4/5 seed BEDN

Friday, May 10

Game 7 (12 p.m.): Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 FS2

Game 8 (3 p.m.): Winner of Game 6 vs. Higher Seed Loser of 4/5 FS2

Game 9 (6 p.m.): Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 7 FS2

Saturday, May 11

Game 10 (4:00 p.m.): Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 FS2

Game 11 (6:30 p.m.): If Winner of Game 9 Wins Game 10 FS2

BALL STATE BASEBALL

The Ball State baseball team is set to host Butler on Tuesday at noon to begin a five-game homestand.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and links to the video and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.

The Cardinals (27-19-1, 14-10 Mid-American Conference) and Bulldogs (17-30, 3-12 Big East) met back on March 20 at Bulldog Park in Indianapolis when Ball State escaped with a 7-6 victory. Ball State has gone 15-9-1 and Butler 9-20 since the first meeting in mid March.

Butler boasts a 2-1 record against MAC teams this year featuring wins at Miami (OH) on March 19 (13-10) and Eastern Michigan on April 16 (16-10) with its lone setback being to the Cardinals.

Ball State collected its fifth straight MAC series over the weekend at Northern Illinois by taking the opener 4-3 on Friday and finale 13-10 on Sunday. Senior shortstop Michael Hallquist powered the Cardinals to victory on Friday with tying and go-ahead home runs while junior catcher Hunter Dobbins blasted two homers and six RBI during Sunday’s slugfest.

Senior right-handed pitcher Nate Blain was named the MAC Pitcher of the Week for his efforts during both wins. Blain closed out both games and was credited with the win in each, combining for 12 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched while not allowing an earned run.

The Ball State pitching staff leads the league and ranks No. 44 in NCAA Division I with 9.5 strikeouts per game while sporting a 6.07 ERA that ranks third in the MAC. Cardinal bats rank second in the conference with 84 doubles and a .483 slugging percentage and No. 52 nationally with 72 home runs.

Hallquist paces the MAC with 132 total bases (No. 36 nationally) and ranks third in doubles (15) and homers (17) and fourth in slugging (.684). Dobbins is tied with Hallquist in doubles while standing at second in the league in slugging percentage (.684) and fourth in home runs (16).

SCOUTING BUTLER: The Bulldogs went 12-43 (5-16 Big East) last year in head coach Blake Beemer’s first leading the program. Beemer is a former Ball State player and served as an assistant coach on Rich Maloney’s staff before landing the job in Indianapolis.

Butler ranks second in the Big East in total hits (443) and third in home runs (54) while ranking fourth in scoring (6.6 runs per game) while the Bulldog pitching staff is eighth in the eight-team conference in ERA (9.46).

Junior shortstop Carter Dorighi paces the league and ranks No. 9 nationally with 76 hits, while freshman infielder Kade Lewis ranks second in the Big East at 64 hits. Lewis and Dorighi are 2-3 in the conference in batting average with .374 and .369 marks, respectively. Dorighi leads the league in total bases with 114.

Up Next

The Cardinals are scheduled to host Central Michigan for a three-game set starting at 3 p.m. on Friday for the final home series of the year.

ALSO:

Nate Blain has been named the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week, the MAC office announced Monday morning.

The senior right-handed pitcher out of Canton, Mich., tossed 9.2 innings over the weekend without allowing an earned run and was the winning pitcher on Friday and Sunday in Ball State’s series win at Northern Illinois.

Blain fired 3.2 shutout innings out of the bullpen in Friday’s 4-3 triumph after entering in the sixth inning with the game tied 3-3.

The righty would then strike out seven in 6.0 innings of work during Sunday’s 13-10 series clincher against a Huskies offense that had combined for their 10 runs in the third and fourth innings. Blain limited NIU to one hit and no runs over the final five frames of the contest.

Blain now leads the Cardinals in ERA (4.53) and innings pitched (59.2) as a reliable swingman, making four starts and collecting three saves on the year.

This is Ball State’s fifth weekly conference recognition after Keegan Johnson (March 25 and April 8) and Merritt Beeker (April 1) took home MAC Pitcher of the Week honors and Hunter Dobbins (April 15) was named MAC Player of the Week.

The Cardinals (27-19-1) begin a five-game homestand at 3 p.m. against Butler.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State baseball remained ranked in all five national Division I polls for the third consecutive week as the various organizations announced their Top 25 rankings on Monday.

Indiana State (34-10, 17-4) was ranked in all five major NCAA Division I polls for the third time in the 2024 season as ISU climbed in the D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches, and NCBWA polls, while holding strong in the Baseball America and Perfect Game polls.

ISU moved up to No. 20 in the D1Baseball poll and climbed to No. 18 in the USA Today and No. 17 in the NCBWA polls. ISU remained No. 24 in the Baseball America poll for the third consecutive week, while sitting No. 14 in the Perfect Game poll for the fourth consecutive week.

The Sycamores also remained inside the top-10 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) standings sitting at No. 10 overall boasting the No. 21 non-conference strength of schedule and No. 62 overall strength of schedule through 43 games. The Sycamores boast a 14-1 mark at Bob Warn Field this season and a 20-9 record in road or neutral site games.

ISU looks to keep their momentum going as running their home winning streak to 12 consecutive games this past weekend with the series sweep against Belmont. The Sycamores took the Friday game, 14-4, before rallying back on Saturday (8-5) and Sunday (6-4) to claim their 17th consecutive MVC baseball series win.

Indiana State closes out their six-game home stand this weekend as the Sycamores welcome Evansville to Bob Warn Field for a three-game series over May 10-12. First pitch in Friday’s opener is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and 105.5 The Legend.

ALSO:

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State baseball’s Mike Sears was named this week’s Missouri Valley Baseball Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.

Sears becomes the second Sycamore to claim the conference’s weekly Player of the Week honor in the 2024 season following his performances against Illinois and Belmont over the last week. He joins Luis Hernandez (Mar. 25) who also earned the MVC’s weekly recognition this year.

Sears hit an impressive .615 on the week with eight hits over 13 at-bats with six hits going for extra-bases and driving in 10 RBI as the Sycamores posted a 3-1 week. The redshirt senior third baseman posted a .688 on-base percentage and a 1.538 slugging percentage as he connected on a trio of doubles and three home runs, while also drawing three walks.

Sears started the week going 1-for-3 with a double and run scored in the midweek contest against Big Ten leader Illinois. He followed up by posting a .700 batting average over the weekend series against Belmont including a pair of three-hit games as the Sycamores completed their third MVC sweep of the year and improved to 14-1 at Bob Warn Field.

Sears started the weekend with his third multi-homer game of the 2024 season as the third baseman connected on a three-run homer in the first inning, an RBI single in the second, and then a two-run shot in the sixth giving him a 3-for-3 day with six RBIs and two walks in the 15-5 win over Belmont on Friday. He followed up on Saturday afternoon with his third home run of the weekend as his two-run shot in the seventh inning turned a 6-5 lead into an insurmountable 8-5 advantage.

Sears was the difference-maker in Sunday’s series finale as he connected on the game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning, then connected on the go-ahead RBI double in the seventh scoring Parker Stinson. He scored the final run of the 6-4 win to cap a 3-for-4 day with two RBIs and two doubles in the Sycamore sweep.

Sears leads the Sycamores with 18 home runs and 12 doubles among his team-high 31 extra-base hits, while his .717 slugging percentage also paces Indiana State.

Sears’ recognition marked the seventh time an Indiana State player earned MVC weekly recognition with Jacob Pruitt (Feb. 19), Brennyn Cutts (Mar. 11 & Apr. 15), Cam Edmonson (Mar. 25), Luke Hayden (Apr. 22) all earning Pitcher of the Week honors, while Hernandez (Mar. 25) took home Player of the Week honors this year.

Indiana State closes out their six-game home stand next weekend as the Sycamores welcome Evansville to Bob Warn Field for a three-game series over May 10-12. First pitch in Friday’s opener is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and 105.5 The Legend.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time in his collegiate career, University of Evansville senior pitcher Shane Harris captured Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday, after helping UE post its first shutout of the 2024 season on Sunday in a 9-0 victory at Valparaiso.

Harris anchored UE’s first shutout since last May on Sunday by tossing a career-high 7.0 innings on the mound, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out a career-best eight men. Of the 21 outs that Harris recorded, 18 of them were either on the infield or via the strikeout, and after allowing a lead-off double to begin the game, Harris retired 14 of the next 15 Valparaiso hitters in order. He allowed just two base-runners to advance past second base on the afternoon.

With the shutout, Evansville improved to 27-20 overall and 14-7 in the MVC. The Purple Aces will return home briefly on Tuesday night to host crosstown rival Southern Indiana in a mid-week contest. First-pitch is set for 6 p.m. Both teams will enter the game red-hot, as Evansville has won 18 of its last 23 games overall, while USI (22-26) has won seven of its last 10 games.

Offensively, Evansville is led by graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger, who will bring an MVC-leading .391 batting average into Tuesday night’s game. Shallenberger has hit safely in each of his last eight games, while also owning an 18-game on-base streak. USI, meanwhile, is led offensively by senior outfielder Ren Tachioka, who will bring a team-best .400 batting average into Tuesday’s game. He currently ranks second in the OVC in hitting with his .400 average.

On the mound, Evansville will turn to freshman left-hander Kevin Reed (3-1, 6.96 ERA) against the Screaming Eagles. Reed is coming off his best start of the year, as he tossed a season-high 6.0 shutout innings in UE’s 7-6 win at OVC co-leader Southeast Missouri State last Tuesday. Reed, Harris and fellow starters Kenton Deverman and Donovan Schultz all posted “quality starts” (6.0 innings pitched or more and three or fewer earned runs) for UE last week in its four games, and combined, UE’s starting staff posted a 1.44 ERA last week.

Tickets are currently on sale in the UE athletic ticket office, and can be purchased by contacting Logan Belz by phone at 812-488-2623. Tuesday’s game can also be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on ESPN+.

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S GOLF

EAST LANSING, Mich. – University of Evansville sophomore Kate Petrova had an impressive start to the NCAA Division I East Lansing Regional on Monday, posting a 2-under 70 to sit among the leaders of the pack.

Day 1 Results

Petrova completed the opening day at Forest Akers West Golf Course tied for 4^th place on the leaderboard. Her 2-under 70 is tied with Jennifer Cai (Northwestern), Maddison Hinson-Tolchard (Oklahoma State), Marta Lopez Echevarria (Kentucky), Lauryn Nguyen (Northwestern), Catherine Park (USC), Hana Ryskova (Louisville) and Anna Zanusso (Denver).

Leading the individuals is Bailey Shoemaker of USC, who posted a 7-under 65. Lion Higo of Pepperdine is two behind in second while Lauren Beaudreau of Notre Dame is third, three off the lead pace.

The group that is tied for 4^th are just five shots behind Shoemaker’s pace. Petrova is competing as an individual at the event. On the team side, USC holds a 2-shot lead over Pepperdine with the first of three rounds complete.

On Tuesday, Petrova looks to keep things rolling in the second round of 18.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball begins its second consecutive appearance at the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship Tournament as the No. 4 seed Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. from Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois.

The tournament starts Wednesday morning with first-round play for the 5-8 seeds. The first round is single elimination, but the following rounds are double elimination. The championship round is Saturday, May 11.

USI gets a first-round bye and awaits the winner of the 5/8 matchup between the University of Tennessee at Martin and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The winner between USI and UTM/SIUE will go on to face Eastern Illinois University, who earned the regular season title and the No. 1 seed, on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

The Screaming Eagles’ postseason berth comes on the heels of their second transition season to Division I. Southern Indiana went 22-20 overall and 16-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play to earn the 4-seed, surpassing its overall and OVC win totals from last season. USI was projected fourth in the 2024 OVC preseason poll.

In Southern Indiana’s first appearance in the OVC Tournament a season ago, the Screaming Eagles were the 3-seed and captured their first-ever OVC postseason win against Tennessee State University before falling in back-to-back contests against Eastern Illinois and SIUE.

The Screaming Eagles concluded the 2024 regular season with a series win at Western Illinois University, the Eagles’ seventh OVC series victory of the season. USI opened the series with a 9-1 win in five innings before the Leathernecks took the middle game, 6-3, to split Saturday’s doubleheader. USI clinched the series with a 5-1 win in the finale on Sunday.

Overall, senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) leads the team with a .344 batting average and a .953 OPS. Fair also has a team-high 12 doubles with two home runs. The senior’s 25 RBIs is second on USI. Within the Ohio Valley Conference, Fair ranks top 10 in on-base percentage (.445), doubles, and hit-by-pitches (11). Fair was named OVC Player of the Week earlier this week after going 5-10 with three runs, two doubles, a home run, and four RBIs at Western Illinois.

Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) has hit .316 with a team-high five home runs, including two grand slams, and 29 RBIs. Kihega’s five home runs and 13 doubles are top 10 in the OVC. Sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) has batted .309 and has scored a team-best 24 runs.

Junior right-hander Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) leads the pitching staff with a 19-8 record and a 1.68 ERA. Newman’s 210 strikeouts and 195.2 innings pitched top the OVC and would rank top 10 in the nation, but USI does not qualify officially for NCAA stat rankings as a reclassifying program. Newman would also rank top 50 in ERA in the nation. Newman is a two-time OVC Pitcher of the Week this season. At the plate, Newman is batting .329 overall and .435 in the last seven games.

In USI’s last 10 games, Fair has hit .406, reached base at a .487 clip, and slugged .594 while cashing in six RBIs. The senior enters the OVC Tournament with an eight-game hitting streak and a 10-game on-base streak. Also hitting well in the last 10 games is Kihega and freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana). Kihega has batted .367 with two home runs and 11 RBIs during that span and has reached base in eight consecutive games, while Long has a .324 batting average with six RBIs in the last 10 outings.

Heading into this week’s tournament, multiple Screaming Eagles are climbing the all-time charts in USI Softball history. Fair is already the program’s all-time hit-by-pitch leader, but the senior is tied for fifth with 21 career home runs. Plus, Fair has 44 career doubles and is only four away from tying the all-time mark. Kihega has been walked 98 times in her career and is one walk away from tying the career mark. Senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) has swiped 66 bases and is three shy of fourth all-time, while her 134 runs scored are two away from entering the top five in USI history.

All games will be streamed with a subscription to ESPN+. All USI games can also be heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.

ALSO:

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week on Monday. The OVC’s weekly accolades are voted upon by the league’s communications directors.

The honor was the final OVC weekly accolade of the regular season and the first for Fair this season. Fair is the second Screaming Eagle to win a player of the week award on the campaign, as junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was named OVC Pitcher of the Week twice earlier this season.

In the final weekend of the OVC regular season, Fair helped lead Southern Indiana to its seventh OVC series win at Western Illinois University. At the plate, Fair went 5-10 with three runs, two doubles, a home run, and four RBIs. The senior had a .583 on-base percentage and slugged 1.000.

Fair collected a pair of hits with a run in the 9-1 series-opening win at Western Illinois before adding a double and another run in the middle game of the series. Fair concluded the series with an RBI double and a three-run home, totaling four RBIs in Sunday’s game. Fair also reached base via two hit-by-pitches in the series, increasing her USI all-time record.

Overall, Fair leads the team with a .344 batting average and a .953 OPS. Fair also has a team-high 12 doubles with two home runs. The senior’s 25 RBIs is second on USI. Within the Ohio Valley Conference, Fair ranks top 10 in on-base percentage (.445), doubles, and hit-by-pitches (11).

Fair and the Screaming Eagles are getting set for their second consecutive appearance at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament, which starts on Wednesday. USI is the 4-seed and will open its postseason appearance Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. against the winner of 5-seed University of Tennessee at Martin or 8-seed Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana freshman right-handed pitcher Grant Parson (Owensboro, Kentucky) was named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week after leading the Screaming Eagles to a victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville last week. Parson is the first Eagles’ pitcher to earn the honor since USI made the transition to Division I last season.

Parson was dominating versus SIUE last Friday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks in seven innings of work. He also struck out a season-high nine Cougars in the win.

For the season, Parson is 4-3 overall and has a 3.90 ERA in 60 innings of work. He also leads the Eagles with 60 strike outs and has held the opposing teams to a .215 batting average in 11 starts.

Parson and the Eagle continue action Tuesday when they visit the University of Evansville for a non-conference game. First pitch at UE is slated for 6 p.m.

Following the midweek game at UE, USI stays on the road with a trip to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a three-game OVC series. The first pitch of the series is schedule for Friday at 6 p.m. and continues Saturday at 4 p.m. before concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.

Links to follow the Eagles during the 2024 season can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and on the USI Baseball Schedule.

USI Baseball Notes

USI wins three of four for 2nd-straight week. The USI Screaming Eagles were 3-1 for the second-straight week, falling at Southern Illinois University before sweeping SIUE over the weekend. USI senior outfielder Ren Tachioka batted a team-best .529 last week with seven runs scored, two doubles, and five RBIs. Senior first baseman Tucker Ebest led USI in RBIs with six.

USI won 6th series of the year. USI won its sixth series of the season and its third in the OVC after sweeping SIUE last weekend. The Eagles won only four series all of last season.

Tachioka igniting Eagles’ bats. USI senior outfielder Ren Tachioka is on an 11-game hitting streak and has been igniting the Eagles’ offence. During the streak, Tachioka is hitting .468 (22-47) with 16 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, and 10 RBIs.

Van Grieken heating up. USI junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken has been heating up the last 10 games. Van Grieken has raised his batting average 29 points over the last week (.189 to .219) by hitting .343 (12-35) in the last 10 games. He also has scored eight runs, driven seven more, and banged four doubles.

Kapust the surprise hitter this spring. Senior catcher Tyler Kapust, who has played nearly as many games this season (25) as he has the first three seasons (31), is having a career year at the plate. Kapust is hitting .297 (19-64) this season, compared to the .188 career average (10-53) he entered the season with. He also has a career-high eight RBIs and one home run.

Comes down to pitching. USI’s 22 wins in 2024 (year two of the Division I transition) are five victories better than last season with eight regular season games to play and a lot of this year’s improvement has come down to pitching. The Eagles have a 5.79 ERA, 1.91 better than last season’s 7.70 ERA and the lowest since 2021.

One run games. The Eagles are battle tested in close games this spring, playing in nine one-run games, going 2-7, and 10 two-run games, going 4-6.

USI in the OVC. USI is tied for fifth in the OVC standing (11-10) after sweeping the series and tiebreaker with SIUE. Senior outfielder Ren Tachioka leads USI at the plate in conference play, batting .441 (30-68). Senior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-high 21 RBIs and four home runs in league action.

USI in non-conference. In the 27 non-conference games, senior outfielder Ren Tachioka leads the Eagles with a .366 average (30-82), while senior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-high 26 RBIs. Ebest also is tied with senior designated hitter Jack Ellis with a team-best four home runs outside of the OVC. Four pitchers have a team-best two victories each in the non-conference schedule.

Season leaders at the plate in 2024. Senior outfielder Ren Tachioka is hitting a team best .400 (60-150) in 38 of the 48 games, while senior infielder/designated hitter Tucker Ebest has hit a team-high eight home runs and driven in a team-best 47 RBIs.

Leaders on the mound in 2024. USI junior right-handers Gavin Seebold has recorded a team-best six wins this season (6-2). Freshman right-hander Grant Parson follows with four wins and has a team-high 60 strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Clayton Weisheit leads USI hurlers with a team-low 2.92 ERA in 37.0 innings this season.

At home versus the road. USI, as a team, is hitting .296 at the home (23 games), compared to .271 on the road (23 games). Senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka is hitting a team-high .444 at the USI Baseball Field, but team-high .359 on the road. On the opposite side, junior outfielder Adam Euler is batting .314 on the road, compared to .259 at the USI Baseball Field.

Multi-hit/Multi-RBI Games. USI junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen leads the Eagles with 22 multi-hit games (20 with 2; 2 with 3), followed by senior outfielder Ren Tachioka has 20 (13 with 2; 6 with 3; 1 with 4). Senior first baseman/designated hitter Tucker Ebest has a team-high 14 multi-RBI games. Sophomore infielder Caleb Niehaus has the top RBI game of the season with five versus Southeast Missouri State University.

In the OVC statistically. USI as a team is third in the OVC in pitching with a team 5.79 ERA and fifth in the league in hitting with a .282 team batting average. Senior outfielder Ren Tachioka is second in the OVC with a .400 batting average, while freshman right-hander Grant Parson is fourth with a 3.90 ERA and sixth with 60 strikeouts.

In OVC Games Only. USI is fourth in the league with a .303 team batting average and fourth with a 5.97 team ERA in OVC games only.

UE in 2024. The Aces are 27-20 overall in 2024 and are 17-4 in the last 22 games after starting 10-16.

USI vs. UE. Evansville leads the all-time series with USI, 33-20, but the Eagles won the last meeting in 2018, 5-3.

Little Rock in 2024. The Trojans of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 26-20 overall and 13-8 in the OVC after taking two of three from Western Illinois University. Little Rock has won six of the last 10 games, entering this week.

USI vs. Little Rock. Little Rock leads the all-time series with USI, 2-0, after taking both games of the series last season at the USI Baseball Field. The third game was rained out.

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program and head coach Roger Powell Jr. have announced the addition of Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (La Salle, Quebec, Canada / Orangeville Prep [Western Michigan]), a 6-foot-4 guard who joins the program as a transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.

“The biggest factor in my decision to come to Valpo was the coaching staff,” De La Cruz Monegro said. “Coach Powell and I have a connection because of our faith. He played my position and was similar to me. He’s done it as a player and he’s done it as a coach. He’s been able to coach and develop big guards, so I felt comfortable joining the program with hopes of turning the program around and bringing Valpo back to the top.”

De La Cruz Monegro played in 63 games and made 61 starts over two seasons at Western Michigan, so he brings significant experience as a Division-I starter to the Beacons.

“Jefferson is a huge addition to our program,” Powell said. “I was looking to add size at the guard spot as well as experience with someone who has done it at the Division-I level. He’s another person with amazing character and faith. He’s going to be an awesome representative of Valparaiso University and will help mentor some of the great young guards that we’ve signed.”

De La Cruz Monegro averaged 8.8 points, 3.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game this past season for the Broncos. During his freshman season in 2022-23, he was one of two players on the team to start all 31 games. He over doubled his scoring average from his freshman to his sophomore season.

“I’m a leader and a great facilitator,” De La Cruz Monegro said. “I play defense and I play with a lot of energy and pace. I played a lot at Western Michigan and got thrown into the fire as a freshman. Sophomore year, I got a better feel for the college game and was able to play better. I’m going to use my experience to help the young guys, not only on the court, but as a teammate.”

The newest Canadian-born Beacon spent his final two high school years at Orangeville Prep, where he averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. As a senior, he was a BioSteel All-Canadian selection and Second Team All-Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association honoree. He received the OSBA Sportsmanship Award. One of his favorite memories was winning the division championship and being the best school in the providence of Quebec.

De La Cruz Monegro, who will reunite with prep teammate Darius DeAveiro at Valpo, is well aware of Valpo’s tradition of successful Canadian-born players. He is connected with former Valpo standout Tevonn Walker, and the two are from the same area.

“My family has been a big support system in my career,” De La Cruz Monegro said. “Once I decided I wanted to be a basketball player, they were really supportive of that and molded me into what I am today. My parents and school instilled values in me and helped me become a leader.”

De La Cruz Monegro, who is pursuing a degree in communication, enjoys nature and fishing. He is laid back and keeps to himself, but also enjoys helping the community and being nice to people.

“If I can make a kid or anyone smile that day, that’s a good thing,” he said. “I want to get involved in the community and get to know the people in Valpo.”

The connection with Powell and Valpo as an institution comes back to his faith and values.

“I felt Coach’s energy and I felt really wanted by him and the staff,” De La Cruz Monegro said. “The more I talked with him, the more he explained why he wanted me. He had learned how big my faith was and he knew I was the type of guy he wanted leading his team. We built our relationship on faith. He mentioned that I’m a piece the team needs to get Valpo back on top. It was special that he mentioned that I’m the last piece to the puzzle.”

VALPO SOFTBALL

Valparaiso (9-39, 3-19 MVC)

at MVC Tournament (Normal, Ill.)

May 8 – vs. Bradley (28-26, 15-12 MVC) – 1 p.m.

May 9 – at Illinois State (22-30, 16-11 MVC) – 1 p.m.

May 10 – vs. Southern Illinois/UIC/Murray State – 1 p.m.

May 11 – MVC Title Game – 1 p.m.

Next Up in Valpo Softball: The Valpo softball team heads to the 2024 MVC Tournament this week in Normal, Ill. As the 12th seed, Valpo opens tournament play against fifth-seeded Bradley on Wednesday afternoon. The Beacons will have to win four games in a row in the single-elimination bracket to claim the tournament title.

Previously: Valpo acquitted itself well in a home series with MVC runner-up UNI in the final series of the regular season last weekend. After dropping the series opener 5-0, the Beacons rebounded with a come-from-behind 5-4 win on Saturday afternoon. Valpo then pushed the Panthers into extra innings on Sunday before the visitors came away 4-2 victors in nine innings.

Following Valpo Softball: Every game from the 2024 MVC Championship will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Scott Warmann and Kerri Blaylock on the call for Valpo’s first two games and Connor Onion and Laura Leonard for the final two games. Live stats for all of Valpo’s tournament games will also be available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Interim Head Coach Laney Jones: In her second season on staff, Laney Jones took over as interim head coach of the Valpo softball program on April 1, 2024. Jones came to Valpo in October 2022 after spending the 2022 season working as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. Jones pitched two seasons apiece collegiately at Ashland University (2018-19) and Marshall University (2020-21).

Series Records: Bradley – 9-14 overall, 8-10 since joining MVC; 1-2 this season

Illinois State – 2-19 overall; 2-17 since joining MVC; 0-3 this season; L16 streak (last win – 5/6/18 at ILS, W 4-1)

Hey, You’re Not Indiana State: It’ll be a sight for sore eyes when Valpo takes the field to open the MVC Tournament on Wednesday and doesn’t see Sycamores in the opposing dugout. In five MVC Tournaments since joining the Valley, Valpo’s first game has been against Indiana State on four occasions, including each of the previous three years.

Valpo in the MVC Tournament: Valpo holds a 2-5 record in the MVC Tournament in its five tournament appearances, with the 2020 tournament canceled due to the COVID pandemic.

2018 (#4 seed) – 1-1 – W 3-2 vs. Indiana State, L 2-0 at Drake

2019 (#10 seed) – 1-1 – W 5-0 vs. Evansville, L 4-1 vs. Illinois State

2021 (#10 seed) – 0-1 – L 9-5 vs. Indiana State

2022 (#10 seed) – 0-1 – L 9-5 vs. Indiana State

2023 (#12 seed) – 0-1 – L 4-1 vs. Indiana State

Record Book Watch: Senior Alexis Johnson tallied her 16th stolen base of the season on Saturday – third-most in the Valley – leaving her just one theft shy of cracking Valpo’s single-season top-10 chart. Meanwhile, senior pitcher Caitlyn Kowalski started the middle game of the UNI series, making the 107th appearance of her Valpo career – tied for fifth-most by a pitcher in program history.

The Best Against the Braves: Some of Kowalski’s best performances over the last two years have come against Bradley. She threw a no-hitter last season as a junior in Peoria, and this year appeared in all three games of the series between the two programs, posting a 1.24 ERA and a 1-0 record in 11.1 innings of work as the Braves hit just .190 off of her. Freshman pitcher Sydney McDermott stood out in the circle as well against Bradley, carrying a shutout into the 10th inning of her one start in the series. She ended up posting a 1.85 ERA and a .128 opponents’ batting average in 11.1 innings this year against the Braves. At the plate, senior Regi Hecker was 4-for-9 and reached base at a .583 clip, while Kayla Skapyak was 3-for-7 and Emily Crompton was 3-for-10 with a pair of RBIs.

So Close…: While Valpo’s final record in MVC regular season play was 3-19, there were a number of opportunities for the Beacons to pick up wins in those defeats if just one or two things break differently. Of Valpo’s 19 Valley losses, three came at home in extra innings, three were walk-off losses in the bottom of the 7th on the road and two others came in games decided by two runs or less.

Battling the Panthers: The record might have been just 1-2 last weekend, but Valpo acquitted itself well against MVC regular season runner-up UNI to close the regular season. The Beacons took the middle game of the series, the first time since 2018 that Valpo has plucked a win off of one of the Valley’s top two teams. The Beacons then pushed the Panthers into extra innings on Sunday as well before falling. Valpo actually outhit UNI over the three-game series, 21-19.

Stunning Rally: Entering the sixth inning of the middle game of the UNI series, Valpo trailed 4-0 and had not pushed a run across the plate in the last 23 innings. Which made what ensued over the next two frames even more stunning, as the Beacons scored two in the sixth and then walked off with a three-run seventh inning to pick up the 5-4 win. It was the program’s first win when trailing by at least four runs after five innings since March 21, 2009 against Detroit – that game saw Valpo overcome a 4-0 deficit with one run in the sixth and four in the seventh.

Seniors Closing Strong: Valpo’s seniors brought their home careers to a close in strong fashion last weekend. Senior Caitlyn Kowalski started in the circle on Senior Day Saturday. Three seniors were then instrumental in the Beacons’ seventh-inning rally for the upset of UNI – Kayla Skapyak scored the game-tying run and Alexis Johnson scored the walk-off run, driven in by classmate Regi Hecker. The lone senior position player not involved in Saturday’s seventh-inning rally, Emily Crompton made up for it on Sunday as she recorded a three-hit game – the second of her career.

Flashing the Leather: The Beacons played flawless defense last week, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage over their four games, tallying 87 putouts and 29 assists without an error while also making a number of sparkling plays. It is the second straight season Valpo has had a run of four consecutive errorless games – prior to last year, the program had not had such a run since 2013. Highlights of the week included second baseman Alexis Johnson handling 20 chances (10 PO, 10 A) perfectly and center fielder Kayla Skapyak tallying nine putouts in Valpo’s Saturday win over UNI – the second-most by a D-I outfielder this season in a single game, and the most in a game by a Valpo outfielder in at least 25 years.

Queen AJ: Johnson’s final regular season weekend defensively was just a microcosm of what she has brought to the field for the Beacons this year as she figures to be among the frontrunners for MVC Defensive Player of the Year. Playing mainly at second base, with a couple brief stints at shortstop, Johnson posted a .990 fielding percentage in MVC play, tallying 53 putouts and 47 assists while committing just a single error. To put it in perspective, of the 13 players with more assists than Johnson in MVC action, only one other committed fewer than six errors, while none of them had more putouts than she did.

Finishing Hot at the Plate: Johnson’s bat has been a bright spot this season as well, and the senior closed with perhaps her best week of the regular season. Johnson closed out her final week of regular season play by tallying at least one hit in all four games, going 5-for-11 at the plate with a walk and three runs scored. She was perfect in three plate appearances in the series opener against UNI, going 1-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice. In the middle game against the Panthers, Johnson contributed to Valpo’s seventh-inning rally in the upset win with a bunt single and eventually scored the walk-off run. In the final game of her home career, Johnson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. On the year, Johnson is hitting .276, leads the team in runs scored and stolen bases, and ranks second in hits and RBIs.

Hecker Hacking: Senior Regi Hecker has led the Beacons at the plate all season long this year after a strong close to last season. Hecker paces Valpo with a .319 batting average, good for 16th in the MVC. She also leads the Beacons in on base precentage, slugging percentage, hits, home runs and walks, while ranking second in walks as well. A member of the MVC All-Defensive Team a season ago, Hecker has been solid in right field all year this year, committing just two errors.

Freshman Hurler: Freshman pitcher Sydney McDermott had a trio of strong pitching performances to close the regular season last week. She opened the week with a complete game against UIC, scattering seven hits while allowing just two runs and striking out five. McDermott next toed the rubber in relief in the middle game of the series against UNI, and after surrendering two runs in her first inning of work, shut the Panthers out over the final five innings on just four total hits as Valpo earned the come-from-behind win. She returned in the series finale against UNI in a starting role, and after giving up two first-inning runs, kept the Panthers off the board for the next seven innings to help keep Valpo in contention.

Bright Moments: McDermott has had bright moments throughout the season, including games against Bradley and UIC which she shut out the opposition through regulation before allowing runs in extra innings. In the Bradley game, she held the Braves off the board into the 10th inning, in the process becoming the first pitcher in Valpo history to throw nine consecutive shutout innings within the same game. Saturday’s win over the Panthers marked the sixth time this season that McDermott has tossed at least six innings and surrendered two runs or fewer.

Who’s Back: Valpo returns 11 of 16 letterwinners from last year’s squad for the 2024 season. In all, 69.2% of Valpo’s plate appearances are back for this season and 43.1% of last season’s innings pitched return.

Who’s New: A group of nine newcomers joined the Beacons for the 2024 season. Kam Utendorf transferred in after playing her freshman season at Black Hawk College, joining eight true freshmen on this year’s team.

A Large Roster: The combination of 11 returnees and nine newcomers gives Valpo a 20-player roster for the 2024 campaign. That’s a four-player increase over last season’s group of 16 players, and it is the largest roster the softball program has had since fielding 21 players for the 2008 season.

International Experience: Sophomore infielder Kim Rodas continued her international career playing for Mexico over the summer, as she earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. Rodas previously medaled with Team Mexico at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, where her squad claimed the silver.

UINDY SOFTBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – For the 16th consecutive season, the UIndy softball team will be among the 64-team field at the NCAA Division II Softball Championship. The Greyhounds (53-4) earned the top seed in the Midwest and will host the first of two Midwest Regionals this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May 9-11.

The Hounds will open the regional on Thursday versus eight-seeded Missouri S&T. UIndy is looking for revenge against the Miners, who defeated the Greyhounds in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship game Sunday. On the other side of the bracket is the 4/5 matchup featuring GLVC-rival Lewis and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-champ Saginaw Valley.

All seven games of the regional will be streamed at NCAA.com. The other Midwest regional will be hosted by No. 2-seeded Trevecca Nazarene (43-13). The Trojans will face G-MAC-champ Northwood, Ohio Dominican, and Grand Valley State.

Both double-elimination Midwest Regionals will be played concurrently this week, with the winners facing off in a best-of-three showdown at the Midwest Super Regional May 14-15 for the right go to the NCAA DII Championships in the Longwood, Fla., May 19-25.

UINDY ATHLETICS

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis announced today the addition of two new NCAA varsity women’s sports.

Interim Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. D. Scott Gines stated, “We are pleased to immediately add women’s triathlon and women’s bowling to our athletic offerings as we evolve our department to fully align with the University of Indianapolis’ new strategic plan.”

UIndy will add women’s bowling and women’s triathlon, effective for the 2024-25 academic year. The additions increase UIndy Athletics to 25 NCAA-sponsored programs, 13 for women.

UINDY WOMEN’S TRIATHLON

“We are excited about the addition of women’s triathlon alongside our renowned championship cross country and swimming programs,” President Dr. Tanuja Singh announced. “Women’s triathlon continues to enjoy dynamic growth as an emerging NCAA sport throughout the country.”

The addition of women’s triathlon was made possible through a grant from the USA Triathlon Foundation. The USA Triathlon Foundation Women’s Emerging Sport Grant is awarded to select NCAA membership institutions to develop, implement and sustain women’s triathlon programs at the varsity level. UIndy Triathlon becomes the 43rd team across all three NCAA divisions and 26 states. UIndy joins Drury as the first two GLVC members sponsoring the sport.

“We are excited The University of Indianapolis has added varsity women’s triathlon to their NCAA programs,” USA Triathlon Chief Sport Development Officer Tim Yount commented. “UIndy Athletics has a proven track record of success, and we anticipate the Greyhounds becoming one of our top programs.”

UINDY WOMEN’S BOWLING

The addition of women’s bowling allows UIndy to field teams in all 24 sports sponsored by the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). UIndy becomes the seventh GLVC school to sponsor women’s bowling.

President Singh noted, “Collegiate Women’s bowling enjoys great momentum, and it represents the only GLVC championship sport we do not currently sponsor. It’s time, and we embrace the opportunity to join our GLVC colleagues and create new competitive opportunities to engage, enrich and empower these future student-athletes.”

“The GLVC is pleased to welcome the University of Indianapolis as the seventh program competing in women’s bowling,” said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich. “The addition of the Greyhound team will increase competition opportunities for the other six schools that currently sponsor the sport in the league and enhance the championship experience for all the student-athletes during our post-season tournament.”

Andrea Walker, Senior Woman Administrator for the University of Indianapolis, welcomed these additions. “This is an exciting time at the University of Indianapolis – an opportunity to bring Women’s sports further to the forefront. Today’s addition of Women’s Triathlon and Women’s Bowling — our first two program additions in a decade — offers an even broader selection of opportunities, now and into the future. We are in a great location to help bring these emerging sports to the national stage and provide increased athletic opportunities for women at UIndy. Today is a very special day to be a Greyhound!”

UIndy will begin a national search for a head coach in each sport immediately.

UINDY WOMEN’S GOLF

CARMEL, Ind. – The UIndy women’s golf team is well positioned after Monday’s opening round of the NCAA DII East Regional. With four student-athletes in the top 11, the Greyhounds combined for an even 300—a single stroke back of team-leader Findlay and eight ahead of third-place Ashland.

The 15-team, 81-golfer tournament is being held at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., with the Hounds playing as hosts. Play continues tomorrow with the second of three rounds. Tee times are scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. ET. Live results will be available here.

The top five teams after 54 holes along with the top two individuals not on an advancing team will move on to the 2024 DII Women’s Golf Championships May 21-25 at Orange County National Golf Center in Orlando, Fla.

MONDAY

Senior Matilda Cederholm topped the team with a one-over 73 to finish play in fourth place—three back of leader Brook Herbstreit (-2) of Saginaw Valley. Cederholm carded five birdies on the day, including one on the par-5 18th to finish the round.

Freshman Jess Haines (+3) sits at T-8, while junior Anci Dy and freshman Caroline Whallon share 11th at +4. Sophomore Macey Brown (+10) rounded out at the team scoring at T-47.

UINDY WOMEN’S TENNIS

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis women’s tennis team is the No. 1-seed in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional once again, earning hosting rights and an automatic bid after capturing their fifth-straight GLVC Championship.

The Hounds will start their tournament, much like they did last year, with a bye in the first round, facing the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in Findlay and Grand Valley State. The Hounds have already battled both squads that journey to the Circle City, with both bouts resulting in 7-0 sweeps for the Greyhounds.

On the bottom side of the bracket, Tiffin will welcome in Northwood, Wayne State and Ferris St. to Ohio. The Hounds hold decisive victories over three of those teams as well.

More details will be announced as they become available. Stay tuned to UIndyAthletics.com for a full preview later this week.

MARIAN MEN’S GOLF

Laconia, Ind. – The Marian men’s golf team put up historic numbers on in the first two rounds of the Crossroads League Championships on Monday, as the Knights hold a commanding 32-stroke lead over the field while holding all five members of the lineup in the top-seven individually. Augie Mann is the individual leader after 36 holes of golf.

Marian opened the championship with a commanding opening 18 holes of golf, firing a 275 in the first round on Monday. The Knights’ opening score of 275 breaks the previous 18-hole record by eight strokes, a mark set in 2002. Marian continued to go even lower as they turned onto the second set of 18 holes, carding a 270 in round two, ending the day with a total score of 545, 32-strokes better than second place Taylor. Marian went 31-under par as a team on Monday through 36 holes, and enter the final round over Taylor with a commanding lead.

Marian’s 545 through two rounds is a current 36-hole record, shattering the previous mark recorded in 2019 of 566.

Individually, Augie Mann paced Marian through 36 holes as he fired two rounds of 67, ending the day in the lead with a -10 on his scorecard. Mann’s 134 is the lowest 36-hole total in program history, as he was one of three Knights to break the 36-hole record. Lane Zedrick ended the opening day with a 135 total, one shot behind his teammate. Zedrick fired a 67 in round one and a 68 in round two. Weston Ogden is also one of the three under the school record, as he shot a 138 in the first two rounds, carding a 72 in round one and 68 in round two.

Brandon Heffner sits behind his teammates in fourth place, firing a 139 in two rounds of golf. Heffner shot a 70 in his first round and 69 in his second, tying with Austin Davis on the leaderboard after day one. Nolan Potter rounds out the lineup in seventh place, firing a 142 with a pair of rounds at a score of 71.

Marian’s record-setting round of golf excluded Ogden’s first round 72 and Potter’s second-round 71.

The Knights will tee off in their second day and final round of the conference championships on Tuesday, with the Knights first group leaving the tee box at 9:20 AM, as they aim to complete their performance with a second-consecutive Crossroads League Championship.

MARIAN BASEBALL

UPLAND, Ind. – The Marian baseball season came to an untimely end Monday afternoon, as the Knights fell in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinal to Franciscan rival St. Francis in a 7-5 contest. Marian’s season ends with a 25-27 overall record.

Marian wasted no time finding the scoreboard, driving in a run in the top of the first inning as a single from Josh Lamb and walk to Kameron Salazar set up the offense, as Rylan Huntley was able to deliver an RBI single. Marian would end the inning with two men on base, and in the home half the Cougars capitalized off Marian’s pitching, as two walks from Chris Adams allowed an single from Ayden Lichtensteiger to bring home two runs. Adams would get a strikeout to get out of the inning, but in the third walks hurt the Knights’ starter again, as an unearned run would score on a passed ball.

St. Francis led 3-1 after two innings, but would see their edge evaporate in the top of the third as Lamb and Salazar reached to begin the inning, flipping their ways on base from the first inning. Pierson Barnes would walk to load the bases, and Marian picked up RBI in each of their next two trips as Bryce Davenport drew a bases loaded walk and Johnny Roeder recorded a sacrifice fly. Jayson Cottrell would come in to relieve Adams in the bottom of the third as he inherited a two-man on situation, and got three consecutive outs, including an inning-ending strikeout to hold the score at 3-3.

Marian would go in front in the top of the fourth inning as Lamb reached base for a third time, walking and then stealing to get into scoring position, as an RBI single from Rylan Huntley would put Marian on top 4-3. Cottrell stranded three men on base in the bottom of the fourth inning, but in the fifth was unable to hold the Cougars scoreless as three errors would plague Marian. St. Francis scored two runs to take a lead in the fifth, and held tightly to their edge in the after the top of the sixth as base hits from Lamb and Huntley were left on board.

Jace Stoops came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning, and struggled with command as he hit two batters and walked two more, allowing St. Francis to expand their lead by a run. Marian would trail 6-4, and continued to do so entering the bottom of the eighth inning as the Knights were retired in order in innings seven and eight. The Cougars added a run in the bottom of the eighth off of Deacon Spencer to make it a 7-4 game, putting Marian in a three-run deficit entering the final inning. With their final three outs Marian was able to get one more run on a Bryce Davenport solo home run, but were unable to continue the rally as they saw their season end in a 7-5 defeat.

Cottrell was the losing pitcher in the game, allowing two unearned runs and four hits in three innings of relief. Adams recorded three strikeouts in two innings of work, and Stoops allowed zero hits in 1.2 innings of work. Deacon Spencer pitched the final four defensive outs, allowing one run with two strikeouts.

At the plate, Josh Lamb led the team with a 2-3 game, walking twice and scoring three of the five runs. Huntley went 3-5 with two RBI in his final collegiate game, and Davenport had two RBI going 1-3 at the plate. Roeder and Salazar were the only other Knights with hits in the game.

Marian’s season ends with a 25-27 overall record, setting a pair of team records as the team finished third in the Crossroads League Tournament. Marian broke the team record for stolen bases and home runs in a single season.

MARIAN TRACK

JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league’s top individual performances from April 29 through May 5. Sports Information Directors from the league institutions nominate student-athletes for the awards and vote on each week’s winners.

Tristian Trevino scored individual victories in the 800-meters and the 4×800-meter-relay for Marian during its charge to the Crossroads League Championship. Trevino’s times were good for a new Marian University program record in each event.

Trevino’s time of 1:50.28 in the 800m claimed not only the new school record that stood for seven years but also was an NAIA A standard. The 4x800m relay ran by the team of, Mason Piatt, Owen Pittman, Tristian Trevino, and Andrew McDade claimed a time of 7:31.81 and not only broke the school record but also hit the NAIA A standard.

Isaiah Tipping was named the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete of the Crossroads League Championships after leading Marian to a dominate team title. Tipping took home individual titles in the hammer and discus and also was top-three in shot put.

Tipping hit the NAIA A standard in all three events with, the hammer hitting a mark of 63.97, shot put hitting a mark of 16.09, and claiming his new PR in the discus with a mark of 55.14.

MARIAN SOFTBALL

Jackson, Mich. – After helping lead Marian to their second consecutive Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Friday, the Crossroads League announced Marian softball’s Savannah Harweger as the Player of the Week and Olivia Stunkel as the Pitcher of the Week. Harweger’s honor is her first this season, while Stunkel has now won the honor three times.

Stunkel led No. 8 Marian to the CL Tournament Championship by earning three wins in the circle for the Knights. Stunkel ended the week 3-0 with a 3.11 earned-run average over 18 innings of work. The junior ace for Marian ended the tournament with a complete game shutout of Indiana Wesleyan, downing the No. 16 team in the NAIA for a second time in as many days.

Harweger hit .615 for No. 8 Marian during its run to the CL Tournament Championship. The senior shortstop reached based at a .667 clip over MU’s four games, scoring eight runs and adding one homer and four RBI. Harweger’s grand slam against Indiana Wesleyan on Thursday lifted Marian to the title game, and in the 1-0 win over the Wildcats on Friday the shortstop scored the game’s only run.

Marian finds out their draw for the NAIA Tournament tomorrow afternoon at 5:00 p.m.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS

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

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

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

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

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

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

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

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

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

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“SPORTS EXTRA”

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

3 – 51 – 34

May 7, 1917 – Babe Ruth was an outstanding hitter right? Well he was a pretty good pitcher too. On this day in history, as a member of the Boston Red Sox, the Bambino won a 1-0 decision on the hill against the Washington Senators and their ace hurler, Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.

Johnson had a great game pitched too. He retired the Red Sox in just 19 pitches in the first two innings and held them scoreless until the seventh inning.

May 7, 1925 – Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, Glenn Wright made an unassisted triple play against the St Louis Cardinals. The Cards with men on first and second in the ninth inning and Jim Bottomley at the plate, smacked a line drive to the young shortstop, who caught it cleanly, touched second base before the runner could get back and then tagged out the runner who had been on first.

May 7, 1960 – The LA Dodgers put brothers Larry Sherry, Number 51 and Norm Sherry, Number 34 as a pitcher and catcher duo in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The siblings baseball’s 10th brother battery. It was catcher Norm Sherry’s Home Run in the 11th inning HR that won the game for brother Larry in a 3-2 Dodgers dramatic victory.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Football History Headlines for May 7

Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the day comes from the San Francisco Examiner on May 8, 1982 said “Raiders look south for a fresh start”

May 7, 1982 – Californian federal jury rules NFL violates antitrust laws in preventing Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles Coliseum. Yes the Al Davis who owned the Raiders wanted to move his franchise to Los Angeles but the League spearheaded by Commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to keep them in Oakland. The Federal jury was composed of 6 women unanimously voted in favor of Mr Davis clearing the hurdles for the team’s planned move to the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Raiders called Los Angeles their home from 1982 all the way through the 1994 season when they again returned to play in Oakland until 2019.

If you want to be able to be able to read through some old articles like the San Francisco Examiner, you need to check out Newspapers.com. At Newspapers.com, you can get access to over 640 million pages’ worth of news from the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and more dating back from 1798 to yesterday. Get a free one week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you’ll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows.

Hall of Fame Birthdays for May 7

Here are the bios on some birthday boys that are either in the College Football Hall of Fame or the Pro Football Hall of Fame that were born on this day. There is plenty more about them to read by either clicking their high-lighted name or at the top of this page clicking the “On This Day in Football History” and going to May 7 Football History.

May 7, 1881 – Alpena, Michigan – The big tackle from the Army teams of 1899 to 1902, Paul Bunker was born. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Paul Bunker into their legendary museum in 1969.

May 7, 1896 – Hamilton, New York – Belford West the great Colgate University tackle of 1914 to 1916 & 1919, arrived to celebrate his birth. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Belford West into their legendary museum in 1954.

May 7, 1930 – Rochester, Pennsylvania – Babe Parilli the legendary University of Kentucky quarterback was born. Babe Parilli was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982 after the National Football Foundation tabulated up their votes. Parilli was selected in the first round as the number 4.overall pick of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, and he played professional football for 18 seasons for a variety of teams.

May 7, 1933 – Quarterback Johnny Unitas grew up in a working-class section of Pittsburgh. Playing for the Louisville Cardinals in college, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him into the NFL and then cut him. He eventually joined the Baltimore Colts, became their starting QB and led them to greatness. Unitas was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

May 7, 1953 – Villa Park, California – Harvard University’s talented wide receiver from 1972 through the 1974 season, Pat McInally arrived into this life. The National Football Foundation selected Pat McInally for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

May 7

1917 — Babe Ruth of the Red Sox allowed two hits as he outdueled Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators 1-0. Ruth knocked in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

1922 — Jesse Barnes of the New York Giants pitched the only no-hitter of the year, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0.

1925 — Pittsburgh shortstop Glenn Wright made an unassisted triple play in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals when he caught Jim Bottomley’s line drive, stepped on second to double Jimmy Cooney, and tagged Rogers Hornsby coming from first. The Cardinals, trailing 9-4, scored six runs in the eighth inning to win 10-9 at Forbes Field.

1957 — Cleveland pitcher Herb Score was hit on the right eye by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald in the first inning. The ball broke Score’s nose and damaged his eye; he missed the rest of the season.

1959 — A crowd of 93,103 came to the Los Angeles Coliseum on “Roy Campanella Night” to show its affection for the paralyzed Dodger catcher. The Dodgers were beaten by the New York Yankees 6-2 in an exhibition game that followed the ceremonies.

1960 — Norm Sherry, a replacement catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a home run in the 11th inning to give his brother, relief pitcher Larry Sherry, a 3-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies in Los Angeles.

1970 — Wes Parker of Los Angeles Dodgers hit for the cycle in a 7-4, 10-inning win over the New York Mets.

1973 — The Pittsburgh Pirates became the first team to score their five runs on five solo homers in a 5-4 win over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. Willie Stargell, Dave Cash, Richie Hebner, Manny Sanguillen and Al Oliver homered.

1986 — Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Garry Maddox announces his retirement at the age of 36. Properly nicknamed “Secretary of Defense”, the slick-fielding Maddox won eight Gold Gloves.

1997 — The Montreal Expos scored 13 runs to set an NL record for runs in a sixth inning during their 19-3 win over the San Francisco Giants.

1999 — Tampa Bay’s first baseman Fred McGriff sets a major league record by homering in his 34th major league ballpark.

1999 — Carlos Lee becomes the first player in Chicago White Sox history to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat in the Sox’s 7-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

2005 — Julio Franco of the Atlanta Braves goes 3 for 4, including his first home run of the season, in a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros. Franco, who turns 47 on August 23rd, becomes the second-oldest player in major league history to homer at 46 years, 257 days. Jack Quinn, a pitcher who accomplished the feat when he was 100 days older, hit a home run for the Philadelphia Athletics on June 27, 1930; Franco will eventually pass him as well.

2008 — Carlos Gomez became the first Minnesota player to hit for the cycle in 22 years in a 13-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

2009 — New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera gave up home runs to consecutive batters for the first time in his major league career, with Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria connecting in the ninth inning of Tampa Bay’s 8-6 victory. Rivera had not given up back-to-back homers in 862 games coming in.

2009 — The Boston Red Sox tied a modern major-league record with 12 runs in an inning before making an out in a 13-3 win over Cleveland. The Red Sox tied the mark set by the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 24, 1953.

2009 — The Dodgers’ star outfielder, Manny Ramirez, is suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance. He is the most prominent player yet caught under Major League Baseball’s PED policy implemented in 2005.

2010 — Starlin Castro hit a three-run homer in his first major league at-bat and drove in a record six runs during the Chicago Cubs’ 14-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Castro added a bases-loaded triple, sliding headfirst into the record books with six RBIs, the most ever in a modern day debut — one more than the previous mark shared by four players.

2011 — Justin Verlander threw his second career no-hitter, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The only runner Verlander allowed came with one out in the eighth inning when J.P. Arencibia walked on a full count.

2011 — Andre Ethier’s 30-game hitting streak ends in a 4-2 Dodgers loss to the Mets. Ethier, who goes 0 for 4, ends up one game short of the franchise record of 31 games held by Willie Davis since 1969.

2016 — Aaron Hill hit a grand slam in Milwaukee’s seven-run 10th inning for his third homer of the game, and the Brewers beat Cincinnati 13-7.

2016 — New York’s Bartolo Colon became the oldest player to hit his first major league home run, connecting less than three weeks before his 43rd birthday, to help the Mets to a 6-3 victory over the Padres.

2018 — George Springer ties an Astros team record by going 6 for 6 in a 16-2 win over the Athletics. He has a double, homer and single by the end of the 4th inning, but fails in his next three at-bats to get the triple that would have completed the cycle as he hits a single each time.

2019 — Mike Fiers pitches his second career no-hitter as the Athletics defeat the Reds, 2-0.

2022 — Less than two weeks after getting his 3,000th hit, Miguel Cabrera reaches another milestone with his 600th career double, only the 18th player to that total. Only two others – Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols – have compiled his combination of 3,000 hits, 600 doubles and 500 home runs.

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1996 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..

Off the field…

After years of investigation, federal law enforcement officials finally captured the Unabomber otherwise known as Ted Kaczynski. The anti-social academic, who developed mail bombs, was captured in a remote cabin after his own brother recognized his writing style in a lengthy manifesto that he anonymously submitted to the Washington Post.

The Summer Olympic Games celebrated its Centenary in Atlanta Georgia as a record-setting seventy-nine nations won medals and fifty-three won gold. Unfortunately, the festivities were interrupted after a terrorist bomb was detonated in Centennial Olympic Park killing one person and injuring one-hundred ten more.

After capturing an unprecedented third straight U.S. Amateur in August, twenty year-old Tiger Woods turned pro and promptly won two tourneys for $790,594. Sports Illustrated selected Woods as the 1996 Sportsman of the Year and he was only getting started.

In the American League…

The Texas Rangers showed no mercy in running up the largest score in the American League in forty-one years while massacring the league-leading Baltimore Orioles, 26-7. Sixteen of the runs came in the fifty-six minute eighth resulting in the largest eighth inning tally in baseball history.

As the Seattle Mariners hosted the Cleveland Indians on May 2nd, an earthquake, measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale, rattled the Kingdome causing the officials to suspend the game. The incident occurred in the seventh inning as the Tribe led 6-3 and after the stadium’s structure was thoroughly inspected, play resumed the following day.

The Oakland Athletics’ Pedro Munoz hit the longest home run in the five-year history of Camden Yards on the way to a 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The 463-foot blast to dead center field came in the sixth inning (with two on) breaking through a 2-2 tie.

In the National League…

New York Mets closer John Franco recorded his 300th save in a 3-2 win over the division-leading Montreal Expos. The left-handed reliever became the first to reach the 300-save mark exactly twelve years to the day (April 29th) after his first one, for the Cincinnati Reds, in 1984.

Los Angeles Dodger, Chan Ho Park became the first South Korean pitcher to win in the majors. The right-handed sensation from Kongju tossed four scoreless innings in relief of injured starter Ramon Martinez for the 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Eric Davis belted his second grand slam in as many games leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 12-6 triumph over the home team San Francisco Giants. In doing so, the outfielder became the fifteenth player in Major League history to slam round-trippers in back-to-back outings and he went on to add a third slam later in the month.

Around the League…

Prior to the start of the season, major league baseball’s Rules Committee announced that the strike zone would be enlarged, dropping it from the top of the knees to just below them. The change came in response to a series of recommendations to help speed up play and increase the television viewing audience that was rapidly depleting.

Popular umpire John McSherry died of a massive heart attack after calling time from behind home plate seven pitches into a Reds-Expos game at Riverfront Stadium. The twenty-one year veteran had been suffering from a series of medical problems that was aggravated by his obesity.

Roberto Alomar set off a national debate after spitting in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck following an argument and ejection over a called strike in the first inning of Baltimore’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. U.S. District Judge Edmund W. Ludwig later prevented other umpires from sitting out the playoffs in protest of the incident, citing a no-strike clause in their contract.

Milt Gaston, a former American League pitcher who played for five teams in the 1920s and 1930s (Yankees, Browns, Nationals, Red Sox, White Sox) died at age one-hundred. Gaston boasted eighteen Hall of Fame teammates and managers, more than any player in history of the game.

HISTORY OF THE METS (BASEBALL ALMANAC)

It should not be a surprise the New York Mets needed almost a decade to find their footing in the National League, considering they were born in an atmosphere of contentiousness. They had to fill the spikes of two storied franchises, and they had to compete for fans and media time in the same city as the Yankees, the game’s most successful franchise.

When the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants vacated New York City for the west coast in the late 1950s, it left America’s largest city with no National League team. When baseball’s hierarchy showed no urgency in filling this gap, a New York attorney named Bill Shea teamed with notables including Branch Rickey and proposed a third major league called the Continental League, featuring an anchor franchise in New York City.

After more than a year of rancorous negotiations, Major League Baseball suppressed the potential competition of a new league by agreeing to award a franchise to New York City as part of a four-team expansion. In return, Shea agreed to shut down the Continental League.

Thus in this turmoil was born the New York Mets in 1962. The team immediately tapped into nostalgia by populating its roster with veteran New York baseball stalwarts including Casey Stengel as manager, Gil Hodges, Gene Woodling, Don Zimmer, and eventually Duke Snider (in 1963) and Yogi Berra (1965).

These past-their-prime players combined with an unimpressive first generation of prospects to drag the Mets to a 40-120 inaugural season, still a record for futility. While their second season record of 51-111 could be seen as equally dismal, it was a 10 game improvement in the standings.

After these two seasons in the creaky Polo Grounds, the Mets moved to Shea Stadium in 1964. A few seasons later, a glimmering batch of pitching prospects began making their way to the major league roster and eventually turned the Mets from laughing stock to prime stock.

Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman were the vanguard of the Mets’ pitching armada, which also included Gary Gentry, Jim McAndrew and a fire-balling rookie named Nolan Ryan. In 1969, they led the Mets to an improbable world championship, forever earning them the moniker “Miracle Mets.” The team stayed in contention through the first half of the year, and then went 44-18 in their last 62 games to leave the favored Chicago Cubs in the dust. Incredibly, 17 of those wins were shutouts.

The Mets swept the Atlanta Braves out of the first ever National League Championship Series in three straight and humbled the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series in five games. Seaver (25-7, 2.21 ERA), and Koosman (17-9, 2.28) led the pitchers, and Cleon Jones (.340) led the hitters. Mid-season pickup Donn Clendenon added much needed punch to the middle of the batting order and he delivered key hits in the Series.

During the next few seasons the Mets hovered around the .500 mark, boasting superior pitching but hampered by an anemic offense. In 1973, their mediocre performance (82-79) was enough to steal the 1973 National League East crown, with Seaver (19-10, 2.03) leading the way and veteran George Stone (12-3, 2.80) making the critical difference. The underdog Mets took out the Reds in a rousing five game NLCS, but lost to Oakland in a seven game World Series.

The Mets followed with three middle-of-the-pack seasons, and when ownership decided it did not want to dole out the dollars required to attract and retain pennant-contending talent, stars such as Seaver, Koosman and slugger Dave Kingman (73 home runs in two seasons) were traded away, condemning the Mets to a miserable run of five last place and two fifth place finishes in seven seasons.

The Mets rebirth began in 1980 when Fred Wilpon and Frank Cashen took over the team. Soon, the Mets had a new stellar crop of pitching arms in Dwight “Doc” Gooden, Ron Darling, Ed Lynch, Jesse Orosco and Sid Fernandez. Gooden went 17-9 as a 19-year-old rookie in 1984 and won the 1985 Cy Young Award with a 24-4 record and microscopic 1.53 ERA.

This Mets staff had plenty of firepower to back it up, turning the team into a National League powerhouse in 1986 winning a franchise-best 108 games with manager Davey Johnson. Homegrown prospects such as Darryl Strawberry (27 home runs and 93 runs batted in), Wally Backman (.320) and Mookie Wilson (.289) mixed effectively with acquired veterans Keith Hernandez (.289, 13 home runs and 83 runs batted in), Ray Knight (.298) and Gary Carter (.255, 24 homers and 105 RBI).

The Mets had all they could handle in the postseason, first defeating the Houston Astros with the series-clinching 16 inning sixth game considered a postseason classic. The Mets had a bumpy time in the World Series against the Red Sox, but the infamous Bill Buckner error allowed them to steal an improbable win in Game Six, and they won the franchise’s second world title in Game Seven two days later.

This impressive roster, which was soon bolstered by the addition of Kevin McReynolds and the emergence of slugger Howard Johnson, never reached the World Series again. Gooden and Strawberry were rendered ineffectual by drug problems, while age, bad trades and poorly conceived free agent signings (Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla) relegated the Mets to bottom feeders in the early 1990s.

Dallas Green helped lead the team back to respectability in 1994-95 and Bobby Valentine took it to the next step, returning the Mets to contender status with a second place finish in 1998, and wild card wins in 1999 and 2000, the latter resulting in a World Series appearance against the cross-town rival New York Yankees. The Mets lost a subway series to the Yanks in five game. These teams were led by catcher Mike Piazza (40 homers, 124 runs batted in and.303 average in 1999; 38 home runs, 113 RBI and a .324 average in 2000).

Led by pitchers Tom Glavine (15-7, 3.92 ERA) and Billy Wagner (40 saves, 2.24 ERA), and hard-hitting first baseman Carlos Delgado (38 homers, 114 RBI, .265 average), the Mets won the 2006 NL East Division crown and a division series playoff before losing a seven-game NLCS to St. Louis on a ninth inning home run.

The Mets have used their first half century to establish their own traditions and a firm set of roots in New York. Though they have not won as frequently as their fans would like, their spirited teams and tradition of pitching excellence have helped New York wash away the bitter taste left by the defection of the Dodgers and Giants.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

May 7

1938 — Lawrin, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Kentucky Derby by one length over Dauber.

1945 — Branch Rickey announces formation of the US Negro Baseball League.

1951 — International Olympic committee allows Russia to participate in 1952 Olympics.

1955 — Swaps, ridden by Willie Shoemaker, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Nashua.

1969 — 2nd ABA championship: Oakland Oaks beat Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 1.

1972 — The Los Angeles Lakers win their first NBA championship with a 114-100 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5.

1977 — Heavily favored Seattle Slew, ridden by Jean Cruguet, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths over Run Dusty Run.

1982 — A federal jury rules the NFL violated antitrust laws when it unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles.

1986 — 30th European Cup: Steaua Bucuresti beats Barcelona (0-0, 2-0 on penalties) at Seville.

1988 — Winning Colors, ridden by Gary Stevens, leads from start to finish to win the Kentucky Derby by a neck, becoming the first roan and the third filly to win the race.

1989 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan hits an 18-foot shot over the outstretched fingertips of Craig Ehlo to give the Bulls a 101-100 victory in the deciding Game 5 of their 1989 Eastern Conference first round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

1993 — Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings scores his 100th and 101st playoff goals in a 7-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

1994 — The Denver Nuggets, with a 98-94 overtime win against the No. 1-seeded Seattle SuperSonics, become the first eighth-seeded playoff team to win a series. The Nuggets come back from an 0-2 deficit in the best-of-5 series.

1995 — Reggie Miller scores eight points in the last 16 seconds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 107-105 win over the New York Knicks in the second-round opener of the NBA playoffs.

2005 — Giacomo, a 50-1 shot, wins the Kentucky Derby, running down a game Afleet Alex in the final strides and generating a huge payoff. Closing Argument, a 70-1 shot, finishes second with Afleet Alex third.

2005 — Dallas’ 116-76 victory over Houston is the most lopsided Game 7 score in NBA history. The Mavericks are the third team in playoff history to win a seven-game series after losing the first two games at home.

2010 — Before a record hockey crowd of 77,803, the U.S. loses to Germany 2-1 in the opening game of the world hockey championships. Felix Schutz scores the winning goal 21 seconds into overtime at Veltins Arena, ordinarily the home of the Schalke soccer team.

2014 — Russell Westbrook has a triple-double, Kevin Durant falls one assist short and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-101 to tie their Western Conference semifinal series at one win apiece. Westbrook has 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Durant has 32 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists before leaving the game with 1:21 remaining.

2016 — Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/4 lengths, improving to 8-0 in his career as the fourth consecutive favorite to win the race. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist finished in 2:01.31. The 3-year-old colt became the eighth unbeaten winner in the race’s 142-year history.

2017 — Bradley Beal scores 29 points and Washington Wizards used a 26-0 third-quarter run to beat the Boston Celtics 121-102 to tie the second-round series at two games apiece. John Wall, who adds 27 points and 12 assists, has seven points, three assists and two steals during the third-quarter spree.

2021 — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley no-hits Cleveland Indians, 3-0 at Progressive Field, Cleveland.

TV SPORTS TUESDAY

*MLB REGULAR SEASON*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Texas at Oakland*	*3:37pm*	Bally Sports-Southwest NBC Sports-California
*Detroit at Cleveland*	*6:10pm*	Bally Sports-Detroit Bally Sports-Great Lakes
*LA Angels at Pittsburgh*	*6:40pm*	Bally Sports-West ATTSN-Pittsburgh
*Toronto at Philadelphia*	*6:40pm*	Sportsnet NBC Sports-Philadelphia
*Arizona at Cincinnati*	*6:40pm*	YurView Bally Sports-Ohio
*Baltimore at Washington*	*6:45pm*	MASN2 MASN
*Chi. White Sox at Tampa Bay*	*6:50pm*	NBC Sports-Chicago Bally Sports-Sun
*Houston at NY Yankees*	*7:05pm*	TBS SCHN YES
*Boston at Atlanta*	*7:20pm*	NESN Bally Sports-South
*Milwuakee at Kansas City*	*7:40pm*	Bally Sports-Wisconsin Bally Sports-Kansas City
*Seattle at Minnesota*	*7:40pm*	Root Sports Bally Sports-North
*San Diego at Chi. Cubs*	*7:40pm*	Padres.TV MARQ
*NY Mets at St. Louis*	*7:45pm*	SNY Bally Sports-Midwest
*San Francisco at Colorado*	*8:40pm*	NBC Sports-Bay Area Rockies.TV
*Miami at LA Dodgers*	*10:10pm*	Bally Sports-Florida SNLA
*NBA PLAYOFFS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*East Semifinals Game 1: Cleveland at Boston*	*7:00pm*	TNT Fubo
*West Semifinals Game 1: Dallas at Oklahoma City*	*9:30pm*	TNT Fubo
*NHL PLAYOFFS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*East Semifinals Game 2: Carolina at NY Rangers*	*7:00pm*	*ESPN*
*West Semifinals Game 2: Colorado at Dallas*	*9:30pm*	*ESPN*
*SOCCER*	*TIME ET*	TV
*UEFA Champions League: PSG vs Borussia Dortmund*	*7:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*Copa Libertadores: Rosario Central vs Atlético Mineiro*	*10:00pm*	*beIN Sports*
*Copa Libertadores: Caracas vs Peñarol*	*10:00pm*	*beIN Sports*
*US Open Cup: Caracas vs Peñarol*	*11:00pm*	*MLSsoccer.com*
*US Open Cup: Atlanta United vs Charlotte Independence*	*11:00pm*	*MLSsoccer.com*
*COLLEGE BASEBALL*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Central Michigan vs Michigan*	*4:00pm*	*B1G+*
*Eastern Illinois vs Northwestern*	*4:30pm*	*B1G+*
*Bowling Green vs Michigan State*	*6:00pm*	*B1G+*
*Campbell vs North Carolina*	*6:00pm*	*ACCNX*
*Cincinnati vs Indiana*	*6:00pm*	*B1G+*
*Eastern Michigan vs Ohio State*	*6:00pm*	*B1G+*
*Jacksonville vs Florida State*	*6:00pm*	*ACCNX*
*Norfolk State vs NC State*	*6:00pm*	*ACCNX*
*South Florida vs Florida*	*6:30pm*	*SECN+*
*Auburn vs Georgia Tech*	*7:00pm*	*ACCN*
*Belmont vs Austin Peay*	*7:00pm*	*ESPN+*
*Incarnate Word vs Abilene Christian*	*7:00pm*	*ESPN+*
*Louisville vs Vanderbilt*	*7:00pm*	*ESPN2*
*Rice vs Texas A&M*	*7:00pm*	*SECN+*
*Northwestern State vs LSU*	*7:30pm*	*SECN+*
*TENNIS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Internazionali BNL d’Italia Tennis*	*5:00am*	*TENNIS*

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY MAY 7, 2024

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