“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
ALL-STAR GAME
AMERICAN LEAGUE 5 NATIONAL LEAGUE 3
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SUMMER LEAGUE SCORES
INDIANA 98 PHOENIX 94
NEW JERSEY 92 NEW YORK 85
CHARLOTTE 80 DENVER 66
DETROIT 85 CHICAGO 77
PHILADELPHIA 92 MINNESOTA 90
PORTLAND 82 WASHINGTON 80
LA CLIPPERS 112 MILWAUKEE 97
SAN ANTONIO 90 NEW ORLEANS 85
WNBA SCORES
PHOENIX 96 WASHINGTON 87
SEATTLE 89 LOS ANGELES 83
NEW YORK 82 CONNECTICUT 74
CHICAGO 93 LAS VEGAS 85
MLS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NFL TRAINING CAMP DATES
ARIZONA CARDINALS
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
ATLANTA FALCONS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
ROOKIES: JULY 13. VETERANS: JULY 20.
BUFFALO BILLS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
ROOKIES: JULY 19. VETERANS: JULY 23.
CHICAGO BEARS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 19.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
ROOKIES: JULY 20. VETERANS: JULY 23.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
ROOKIES: JULY 22. VETERANS: JULY 23.
DALLAS COWBOYS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
DENVER BRONCOS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 23.
DETROIT LIONS
ROOKIES: JULY 20. VETERANS: JULY 23.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 21.
HOUSTON TEXANS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 17.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
ROOKIES: JULY 19. VETERANS: JULY 23.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 20.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
ROOKIES: JULY 21. VETERANS: JULY 23.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
ROOKIES: JULY 21. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
ROOKIES: JULY 19. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW YORK GIANTS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW YORK JETS
ROOKIES: JULY 18. VETERANS: JULY 23.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 23.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
ROOKIES: JULY 22. VETERANS: JULY 23.
TENNESSEE TITANS
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
ROOKIES: JULY 18. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
- BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
- GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
- NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
BASEBALL NEWS
JARREN DURAN’S 2-RUN HR GIVES AL A 5-3 WIN OVER NL IN ALL-STAR GAME STARTED BY ROOKIE PITCHER SKENES
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.
Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game, hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer for the American League and being awarded the MVP trophy named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.
“That’s an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”
The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.
Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.
Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.
“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.
Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.
The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.
Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.
“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”
Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.
“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”
When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.
Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.
Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.
“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”
The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.
Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.
The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League’s 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.
AL starter Corbin Burnes arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.
After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.
Quick game
Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.
Won in both leagues
Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL’s San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.
Up next
The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.
MLB WILL CONSIDER WHETHER TO RETURN TO CLUB UNIFORMS IN ALL-STAR GAME
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Major League Baseball will consider going back to having players wear their team uniforms for the All-Star Game.
Club uniforms were used by the American League from 1933-2019 and by the National League from 1934-2019. When the game resumed in 2021 following the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, MLB had started a uniform contract with Nike and Fanatics, and All-Stars were outfitted in specially designed league uniforms that drew criticism from traditionalists.
This year’s AL uniforms had a sandy base with red sleeves and lettering and the NL had a navy base with light blue sleeves and lettering.
“I’m aware of the sentiment on this issue,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “I think where my head is on it, it’s something we’re going to have a conversation about coming out of the All-Star Game. We’ve got a lot of uniform things going on. And, obviously, the conversations have to involve the players first and foremost but Nike, some of our partners. But I am aware of the sentiment, and I do know why people kind of like that tradition.”
MLB and Nike were criticized for club uniforms this year and said in May that 2025 club outfits will have larger lettering on the back of jerseys and individual pant customization. Players complained this year that white pants worn by some teams are see-through enough to show tucked-in jersey tops.
Regional sports networks
Manfred said a national steaming package of local television broadcasts is a future possibility.
“I could see a situation where we grow into a 30-club model. It might start on the digital side, where you have 14 or 15 clubs, and, you start with a digital product there as your first alternative,” he said.
“I was in Sun Valley last week and I did the whole speed-dating thing with everybody who’s ever streamed anything. When you talk to people in the streaming business, they’re not really interested in buying the state of Wisconsin and two counties in Michigan,” Manfred added. “They want to be able to stream quite frankly, all over the U.S. and Canada but more broadly internationally. So I think those conversations are a product of owners saying, holy cow, the RSN business is really deteriorating. We know the future’s going to be streaming. What we’re hearing from the streamers is they want a more national product, and we need to be responsive to what people want to buy.”
MLB took over production of Arizona and San Diego local television broadcasts last year following the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports’ Bally networks and said MLB will be available as an option for teams looking for new deals. He said Padres game are approaching 40,000 subscribers, which he called a good figure.
“Having said that, from a revenue perspective it is not generating what the RSNs did,” Manfred said. “The RSNs were a great business. Lots of people paid for programing they didn’t necessarily want. And it’s hard to replicate that kind of revenue absent that kind of bundling concept.”
Offense
While offense is near half-century lows, it has picked up from early in the season.
“The decline in offense is something that we’re paying a lot of attention to and we’ll continue to monitor to make a decision as to whether we think we need to do something. You do hear a lot of chatter about the dominance of pitching in the game. That’s absolutely true.”
Birmingham
After the success of the June 20 game between San Francisco and St. Louis at Rickwood Field, Manfred said MLB will return to the ballpark in Birmingham, Alabama, but the “exact form” had not been determined.
ROBOT UMPIRE CHALLENGE SYSTEM COULD BE TESTED NEXT SPRING TRAINING, 2026 REGULAR-SEASON USE POSSIBLE
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Major League Baseball could test robot umpires as part of a challenge system in spring training next year, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026.
MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 but is still working on the shape of the strike zone.
“I said at the owners meeting it is not likely that we would bring ABS to the big leagues without a spring training test. OK, so if it’s ’24 that leaves me ’25 as the year to do your spring training test if we can get these issues resolved, which would make ’26 a viable possibility,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday during a meeting with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “But is that going to be the year? I’m not going to be flat-footed on that issue.
“We have made material progress. I think that the technology is good to a 100th of an inch. The technology in terms of the path of the ball is pluperfect.”
Triple-A ballparks have used ABS this year for the second straight season, but there is little desire to call the strike zone as the cube defined in the rule book and MLB has experimented with modifications during minor league testing.
The ABS currently calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone was increased to 53.5% of batter height this year from 51%, and the bottom remained at 27%.
“We do have technical issues surrounding the definition of the strike zone that still need to be worked out,” Manfred said.
After splitting having the robot alone for the first three games of each series and a human with a challenge system in the final three during the first 2 1/2 months of the Triple-A season, MLB on June 25 switched to an all-challenge system in which a human umpire makes nearly all decisions.
Each team currently has three challenges in the Pacific Coast League and two in the International League. A team retains its challenge if successful, similar to the regulations for big league teams with video reviews.
“The challenge system is more likely or more supported, if you will, than the straight ABS system,” players’ association head Tony Clark said earlier Tuesday at a separate session with the BBWAA. “There are those that have no interest in it at all. There are those that have concerns even with the challenge system as to how the strike zone itself is going to be considered, what that looks like, how consistent it is going to be, what happens in a world where Wi-Fi goes down in the ballpark or the tech acts up on any given night.
“We’re seeing those issues, albeit in minor league ballparks,” Clark added. “We do not want to end up in a world where in a major league ballpark we end up with more questions than answers as to the integrity of that night’s game or the calls associated with it.”
Playing rules changes go before an 11-member competition committee that includes four players, an umpire and six team representatives. Ahead of the 2023 season, the committee adopted a pitch clock and restrictions on defensive shifts without support from players.
MANFRED OPEN TO MLB PLAYERS COMPETING AT 2028 OLYMPICS
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is open to players suiting up at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“When you’re in L.A., it is an opportunity we need to think about,” Manfred said Tuesday, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is among the notable players who have endorsed MLB participation in the Olympics, calling it “something you dream about.”
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said Monday it’d help generate new fans for the sport.
“In the Olympics especially, there will be more chances for people who normally don’t watch baseball to watch (baseball),” Ohtani said, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. “In that sense, I think it’s something that’s very important for baseball.”
Baseball was dropped from the Olympics following the Tokyo Games, but it’s expected to return in 2028.
MLB players have been able to participate in the World Baseball Classic on five occasions. The next edition of the WBC will be held in 2026.
MLB DRAFT FINAL DAY
Ninth round
256. Athletics: Jared Sprauge-Lott, 3B, Arkansas
257. Royals: Canyon Brown, C, North Carolina A&T
258. Rockies: Tommy Hopfe, 1B, Fresno State
259. White Sox: Jack Young, P, Iowa
260. Nationals: Jackson Ross, 3B, Ole Miss
261. Cardinals: Cade McGee, 3B, Texas Tech
262. Angels: Derek Clark, P, West Virginia
263. Mets: Jaxon Jelkin, P, Houston
264. Pirates: Duce Gourson, SS, UCLA
265. Guardians: Sean Matson, P, Harvard
266. Tigers: Zach Swanson, P, Toutle Lake HS (WA)
267. Red Sox: Hudson White, C, Arkansas
268. Giants: Zane Zielinkski, SS, Illinois-Chicago
269. Reds: Ryan McCrystal, C, East Carolina
270. Padres: Zach Evans, INF, Lenoir-Rhyne
271. Yankees: Tanner Bauman, P, Auburn
272. Cubs: Brooks Caple, P, Lamar
273. Mariners: Aiden Butler, P, Polk State
274. Marlins: Dub Gleed, 3B, Cal-Irvine
275. Brewers: Griffin Tobias, P, Lake Central HS (IN)
276. Rays: Garrett Gainey, P, South Carolina
277. Blue Jays: Colby Holcombe, P, Mississippi State
278. Twins: Jason Doktorczyk, P, Nevada
279. Orioles: Jack Crowder, P, Illinois
280. Dodgers: Kole Myers, OF, Troy
281. Braves: Owen Hackman, P, Loyola Marymount
282. Phillies: Marcus Morgan, P, Iowa
283. Astros: Ryan Smith, P, Illinois-Chicago
284. Diamondbacks: Ben McLaughlin, 3B, Arkansas
285. Rangers: Keith Jones II, OF, New Mexico State
10th round
286. Athletics: Cameron Leary, OF, Boston College
287. Royals: Nate Ackenhausen, P, LSU
288. Rockies: Fisher Jameson, P, Florida
289. White Sox: Cole McConnell, OF, Louisiana Tech
290. Nationals: Luke Johnson, P, UMBC
291. Cardinals: Bryce Madron, OF, Oklahoma
292. Angels: Ryan Nicholson, 1B, Kentucky
293. Mets: Brendan Girton, P, Oklahoma
294. Pirates: Derek Berg, C, Army
295. Guardians: Chase Mobley, P, Durant HS (FL)
296. Tigers: R.J. Sales, P, UNC Wilmington
297. Red Sox: Devin Futrell, P, Vanderbilt
298. Giants: Cade Vernon, P, Murray State
299. Reds: Yanuel Casiano, C, Academia Deportiva Albergue Olimpico (PR)
300. Padres: Jack Costello, 3B, San Diego
301. Yankees: Joe Delossantos, OF, William & Mary
302. Cubs: Matt Halbach, 3B, UC-San Diego
303. Mariners: Anthony Donofrio, OF, North Carolina
304. Marlins: Michael Snyder, 3B, Oklahoma
305. Brewers: Ethan Dorchies, P, Cary-Grove HS (IL)
306. Rays: Trey Pooser, P, Kentucky
307. Blue Jays: Carter Cunningham, OF, East Carolina
308. Twins: Peyton Carr, 3B, High Point
309. Orioles: Christian Rodriguez, P, Cal State Fullerton
310. Dodgers: Seamus Barrett, P, Loyola-Marymount
311. Braves: Jacob Kroeger, P, Maryville
312. Phillies: Brady Day, SS, Kansas State
313. Astros: Ramsey David, P, Southeastern
314. Diamondbacks: Trent Youngblood, OF, Transylvania University
315. Rangers: Jake Jekielek, P, Northwood
11th round
316. Athletics: Kyle Robinson, P, Texas Tech
317. Royals: Zachary Cawyer, P, TCU
318. Rockies: Alan Espinal, C, Vanderbilt
319. White Sox: Blake Shepardson, P, San Francisco
320. Nationals: Merritt Beeker, P, Ball State
321. Cardinals: Jon Jon Gazdar, SS, Austin Peay
322. Angels: Trey Gregory-Alford, P, Coronado HS (CO)
323. Mets: Nick Roselli, 2B, Binghamton
324. Pirates: Jacob Bimbi, P, Western Kentucky
325. Guardians: Garrett Howe, SS, Samford
326. Tigers: Micah Ashman, P, Utah
327. Red Sox: Steven Brooks, P, Cal Poly
328. Giants: Andy Polanco, OF, Central Pointe Christian Academy (FL)
329. Reds: Edgar Colon, P, Felix Varela Senior HS (FL)
330. Padres: Sean Barnett, two-way player, Wingate
331. Yankees: Mack Estrada, P, Northwest Florida State
332. Cubs: Eli Lovich, OF, Blue Valley West HS (KS)
333. Mariners: Christian Little, P, LSU
334. Marlins: Jake Faherty, P, Arkansas
335. Brewers: Caedmon Parker, P, TCU
336. Rays: Cade Citelli, P, Houston
337. Blue Jays: Troy Guthrie, P, Parish Community HS (FL)
338. Twins: Michael Carpenter, P, Madison College
339. Orioles: Sebastian Gongora, P, Louisville
340. Dodgers: Aidan Foeller, P, Southern Illinois
341. Braves: Patrick Clohisy, OF, St. Louis
342. Phillies: Titan Hayes, P, Austin Peay
343. Astros: Jason Schiavone, C, James Madison
344. Diamondbacks: Bo Walker, OF, Starrs Mill HS (GA)
345. Rangers: Dalton Pence, P, North Carolina
12th round
346. Athletics: Ali Camarillo, SS, Texas A&M
347. Royals: Tommy Molsky, P, Oklahoma State
348. Rockies: Everett Catlett, P, Georgetown
349. White Sox: Nathan Archer, OF, Bowling Green
350. Nationals: Alexander Meckley, P, Coastal Carolina
351. Cardinals: Ian Petrutz, OF Alabama
352. Angels: Fran Oschell III, P, Duke
353. Mets: Ethan Lanthier, P, Kansas
354. Pirates: Camden Janik, C, Illinois
355. Guardians: Sean Heppner, P, University of British Columbia
356. Tigers: Jude Warwick, SS, Downers Grove North HS (IL)
357. Red Sox: Brady Tygart, P, Arkansas
358. Giants: Zander Darby, SS, UC Santa Barbara
359. Reds: Will Cannon, P, Auburn
360. Padres: Brandon Butterworth, SS, NC State
361. Yankees: Brendan Jones, OF, Kansas State
362. Cubs: Daniel Avitia, P, Grand Canyon
363. Mariners: Evan Truitt, P, Charleston Southern
364. Marlins: Conor Caskenette, C, Purdue
365. Brewers: Tyson Hardin, P, Mississippi State
366. Rays: Jack Lines, SS, TNXL Academy (FL)
367. Blue Jays: Carson Messina, P, Summerville HS (SC)
368. Twins: Christian Becerra, P, Cal
369. Orioles: Andrew Tess, C, Calvary Christian HS (FL)
370. Dodgers: Cody Morse, P, Weatherford College
371. Braves: Cayman Goode, P, Douglas S. Freeman School (VA)
372. Phillies: A.J. Wilson, P, UNC Charlotte
373. Astros: Ryan Verdugo, P, CSU Bakersfield
374. Diamondbacks: John West, P, Boston College
375. Rangers: Josh Springer, C, Corona Senior HS (CA)
13th round
376. Athletics: Riley Huge, P, Winthrop
377. Royals: Sam Kulasingam, 3B, Air Force
378. Rockies: Justin Loer, P, LSU
379. White Sox: Pierce George, P, Alabama
380. Nationals: Bryant Olson, P, Mercer
381. Cardinals: Nolan Sparks, P, University of Rochester
382. Angels: Fulton Lockhart, P, Central Florida
383. Mets: R.J. Gordon, P, Oregon
384. Pirates: Matt McShane, P, Saint Joseph’s
385. Guardians: Bennett Thompson, C, Oregon
386. Tigers: Lucas Elissalt, P, Chipola College
387. Red Sox: Shea Sprague, P, North Carolina
388. Giants: Drake George, P, Lewis-Clark State
389. Reds: Anthony Stephan, OF, Virginia
390. Padres: Matthew Watson, P, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
391. Yankees: Dillon Lewis, OF, Queens University of Charlotte
392. Cubs: Ethan Aschenbeck, P, Texas A&M
393. Mariners: Brandon Eike, 3B, VCU
394. Marlins: Cody Schrier, SS, UCLA
395. Brewers: Joey Broughton, P, Northville HS (MI)
396. Rays: Connor Hujsak, OF, Mississippi State
397. Blue Jays: Brock Tibbitts, C, Indiana
398. Twins: Xavier Kolhosser, P, St. John’s
399. Orioles: Brandon Downer, P, Cal Baptist
400. Dodgers: Mike Villani, P, Long Beach State
401. Braves: Colby Jones, SS, Northwest Florida St. College
402. Phillies: Tegan Cain, P, Kansas
403. Astros: Bryce Boettcher, OF, Oregon
404. Diamondbacks: Kyle Ayers, P, TCU
405. Rangers: Aidan Deakins, P, Wabash Valley College
14th round
406. Athletics: Ryan Magdic, P, Missouri
407. Royals: Kyle DeGroat, P, Wallkill Senior HS (NY)
408. Rockies: Sam Gerth, P, Navarro College
409. White Sox: Justin Sinibaldi, P, Rutgers
410. Nationals: Yoel Tejada Jr., P, Florida State
411. Cardinals: Mason Burns, P, Western Kentucky
412. Angels: Najer Victor, P, Central Florida
413. Mets: Tanner Witt, P, Texas
414. Pirates: Ian Farrow, OF, Florida Gulf Coast
415. Guardians: Ryan Cesarini, OF, Saint Joseph’s
416. Tigers: Preston Howey, P, St. Mary’s
417. Red Sox: Alex Bouchard, P, Lehigh
418. Giants: Jeremiah Jenkins, 1B, Maine
419. Reds: Adrian Areizaga, SS, Leadership Christian Academy (PR)
420. Padres: Brendan Durfee, C, UC Santa Barbara
421. Yankees: Austin Green, 2B, Texas Tech
422. Cubs: Cameron Sisneros, 1B, East Tennessee State
423. Mariners: Austin St. Laurent, 3B, Appalachian State
424. Marlins: Cam Clayton, SS, Washington
425. Brewers: James Nunnallee, C, Lightridge HS (VA)
426. Rays: Ryan Schiefer, P, Arizona State
427. Blue Jays: J.R. Freethy, 2B, Nevada
428. Twins: Jacob Kisting, P, Bradley
429. Orioles: Cohen Achen, P, Lindsey Wilson College
430. Dodgers: Will Gagnon, P, Reedley College
431. Braves: Mason Guerra, 1B, Oregon State
432. Phillies: Jared Spencer, P, Indiana State
433. Astros: Ryan Mathiesen, P, The Master’s University
434. Diamondbacks: Braden Quinn, P, UConn
435. Rangers: Ben Hartl, C, Kansas
15th round
436. Athletics: Blake Hammon, P, Santa Clara
437. Royals: Tyler Davis, P, Mississippi State
438. Rockies: Luke Thelen, P, Western Michigan
439. White Sox: Mason Moore, P, Kentucky
440. Nationals: Sir Jamison Jones, C, St. Rita HS (IL)
441. Cardinals: Sam Brodersen, P, Louisiana Tech
442. Angels: Bailan Caraballo, OF, Reborn Christian Academy (FL)
443. Mets: Owen Woodward, P, Houston
444. Pirates: Ethan Lege, 3B, Ole Miss
445. Guardians: Conner Whittaker, P, Florida State
446. Tigers: Zach MacDonald, OF, Miami (OH)
447. Red Sox: Joey Gartrell, P, Portland
448. Giants: Evan Gray, P, St. Louis
449. Reds: Jordan Little, P, Virginia Tech
450. Padres: Tanner Smith, P, Harvard
451. Yankees: Marshall Toole, OF, Wofford
452. Cubs: Hayden Frank, P, Lipscomb
453. Mariners: Thomas Higgins Jr., P, Georgia Southern
454. Marlins: Coen Niclai, C, Robert Service HS (AK)
455. Brewers: Travis Smith, P, Kentucky
456. Rays: Derek Datil, OF, Antonio Lucchetti HS (PR)
457. Blue Jays: Jonathan Todd, P, Western Carolina
458. Twins: Cole Peschi, P, Campbell
459. Orioles: Carter Rustad, P, Missouri
460. Dodgers: Erik Parker, SS, North Gwinett HS (GA)
461. Braves: Owen Carey, OF, Londonderry HS (NH)
462. Phillies: Luke Gabrysh, P, Saint Joseph’s
463. Astros: Drew Vogel, SS, Murray State
464. Diamondbacks: Rocco Reid, P, Clemson
465. Rangers: Brooks Folwer, P, Oral Roberts
16th round
466. Athletics: Connor Spencer, P, Ole Miss
467. Royals: Andrew Morones, P, Cal State Fullerton
468. Rockies: Kevin Fitzer, 1B, Cal State Northridge
469. White Sox: T.J. McCants, OF, Alabama
470. Nationals: Nolan Hughes, P, Xavier
471. Cardinals: Deniel Ortiz, 3B, Walters State CC
472. Angels: Will Gervase, P, Wake Forest
473. Mets: Josh Blum, P, USC
474. Pirates: Brian Curley, P, VCU
475. Guardians: Jacob Remily, P, Maryknoll HS (HI)
476. Tigers: Andson Seibert, P, Blue Valley Southwest HS (KS)
477. Red Sox: Griffin Kilander, P, Wayne St.
478. Giants: Tyler Switalski, P, West Virginia
479. Reds: Jimmy Romano, P, Duke
480. Padres: Kasen Wells, OF, Weatherford College
481. Yankees: Xavier Rivas, P, Ole Miss
482. Cubs: Christian Gordon, P, VCU
483. Mariners: Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, P, East Carolina
484. Marlins: Eric Rataczak, 1B, Niagara
485. Brewers: Jayden Dubanewicz, P, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
486. Rays: Brady Marget, 1B, Tulane
487. Blue Jays: Colby Martin, P, Southeastern University
488. Twins: Aidian Haugh, P, North Carolina
489. Orioles: Nate George, OF, Minooka Community HS (IL)
490. Dodgers: Evan Shaw, P, Kansas
491. Braves: Titus Dumitru, OF, New Mexico State
492. Phillies: Eli Trop, P, Penn
493. Astros: Bryce Mayer, P, Missouri
494. Diamondbacks: Dawson Brown, P, Georgia Tech
495. Rangers: Eric Loomis, P, Missouri State
17th round
496. Athletics: Aidan Layton, P, Seton Hill
497. Royals: Dane Burns, P, N/A
498. Rockies: Nolan Clifford, SS, Creighton
499. White Sox: Lyle Miller-Green, two-way player, Austin Peay
500. Nationals: Gavin Bruni, P, Ohio State
501. Cardinals: Brandt Thompson, P, Missouri State
502. Angels: Lucas Ramirez, OF, American Heritage School (FL)
503. Mets: Jacoby Long, OF, Miami (FL)
504. Pirates: Andrew Patrick, OF, Wright State
505. Guardians: Logan McGuire, P, Georgia Tech
506. Tigers: Gabriel Rosado, C, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy
507. Red Sox: Yan Cruz, OF, Academia Presbiteriana HS (PR)
508. Giants: Hunter Dryden, P, Whitworth University
509. Reds: Trent Hodgdon, P, South Carolina Upstate
510. Padres: Ryan Jackson, SS, USC
511. Yankees: JoJo Jackson, OF, Georgia State
512. Cubs: Ben Johnson, P, Georgia Southern
513. Mariners: Harrison Kreiling, P, Nebraska-Omaha
514. Marlins: Micah McDowell, OF, Oregon State
515. Brewers: Cooper Malamazian, SS, Narbeth Academy (IL)
516. Rays: Andres Galan, P, Cal
517. Blue Jays: Gavin Smith, SS, Valley Christian HS (AZ)
518. Twins: Jay Thomason, 3B, Air Force
519. Orioles: Iziah Salinas, P, Cowley County CC
520. Dodgers: Jackson Nicklaus, SS, Oklahoma
521. Braves: Jacob Shafer, P, UNC Wilmington
522. Phillies: Ryan Degges, P, UNC Charlotte
523. Astros: Ethan Wagner, OF, P27 Academy
524. Diamondbacks: Drake Frize, P, San Diego
525. Rangers: Joey Danielson, P, North Dakota St.
18th round
526. Athletics: Tucker Novotny, P, Minnesota
527. Royals: Corey Cousin, OF, Slidell HS (LA)
528. Rockies: Tyler Hampu, P, Austin Peay
529. White Sox: Liam Paddack, P, Gonzaga
530. Nationals: Teo Banks, OF, Tulane
531. Cardinals: Christian Martin, SS, Virginia Tech
532. Angels: David Mershon, SS, Mississippi State
533. Mets: Jace Hampson, P, Lynnwood HS (WA)
534. Pirates: Jake Shirk, P, Wright State
535. Guardians: Izaak Martinez, P, UC San Diego
536. Tigers: Bryce Alewine, P, Southern Union St. JC
537. Red Sox: Cole Tolbert, P, Ole Miss
538. Giants: Ryan Slater, P, Florida
539. Reds: Jalen Hairston, 3B, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota
540. Padres: Victor Figueroa, 1B, Florida Southwestern State
541. Yankees: Gus Hughes, P, High Point
542. Cubs: Thomas Mangus, P, Navarro College
543. Mariners: Matt Tiberia, P, Lynn
544. Marlins: Nate Payne, P, Central Dauphin HS (PA)
545. Brewers: Tyler Renz, P, Fox Lane HS (NY)
546. Rays: Dominic Niman, P, Kentucky
547. Blue Jays: Holden Wilkerson, P, VMI
548. Twins: Michael Ross, P, Samford
549. Orioles: Michael Caldon, P, Felician College
550. Dodgers: Isaac Ayton, P, Oregon
551. Braves: Jake Steels, OF, Cal Poly
552. Phillies: Kevin Warunek, P, Longwood
553. Astros: Grant Burleson, P, Western Kentucky
554. Diamondbacks: Jackson Hotchkiss, OF, Battle Ground HS (WA)
555. Rangers: Kadyn Leon, P, Lake Travis HS (TX)
19th round
556. Athletics: Gunner Gouldsmith, SS, Sacramento State
557. Royals: Dash Albus, P, Abilene Christian
558. Rockies: Nathan Blasick, P, New Orleans
559. White Sox: Nick Pinto, P, Cal-Irvine
560. Nationals: Ryan Minckler, P, Niagara
561. Cardinals: Brendan Lawson, SS, P27 Academy (SC)
562. Angels: Connor Gatwood, P, Baker HS (AL)
563. Mets: Frank Elissalt, P, Nova Southeastern
564. Pirates: Joe Vogatsky, P, James Madison
565. Guardians: Cam Schuelke, P, Mississippi State
566. Tigers: Chase Davis, P, Leon HS (FL)
567. Red Sox: D’Angelo Ortiz, 3B, Miami Dade CC
568. Giants: Ryan Ure, P, Oklahoma State
569. Reds: Owen Pote, P, N/A
570. Padres: Vicarte Domingo, P, University of British Columbia
571. Yankees: Brandon Decker, P, Oakland
572. Cubs: Owen Ayers, C, Marshall
573. Mariners: Brian Walters, P, Miami (FL)
574. Marlins: Luke Lashutka, P, St. Leo
575. Brewers: Noah Welch, P, Manitowoc Lincoln HS (WI)
576. Rays: Tony Santa Maria, 3B, Rutgers
577. Blue Jays: D’Marion Terrell, 1B, Thompson HS (AL)
578. Twins: Logan Whitaker, P, NC State
579. Orioles: Braylon Whitaker, OF, Cox Mill HS (NC)
580. Dodgers: Chase Williams, OF, Northwest State (FL)
581. Braves: Dalton McIntyre, OF, Southern Miss
582. Phillies: Erik Ritchie, P, East Carolina
583. Astros: Twine Palmer, P, Connors St.
584. Diamondbacks: Tyler Bayer, P, South Forsyth HS (GA)
585. Rangers: Cade Obermueller, P, Iowa
20th round
586. Athletics: Dylan Volantis, P, Westlake HS (CA)
587. Royals: Carter Frederick, OF, Oklahoma
588. Rockies: Hunter Omlid, P, Arizona State
589. White Sox: Myles Bailey, 1B, Lincoln HS (FL)
590. Nationals: Colby Shelton, 3B, Florida
591. Cardinals: Owen Rice, P, Milwaukee
592. Angels: Zachary Redner, P, Hillsborough CC
593. Mets: Adam Haight, SS, Cedar Park Christian HS (WA)
594. Pirates: Taylor Penn, P, Woodford County HS (KY)
595. Guardians: Cam Walty, P, Arizona
596. Tigers: Dawson Price, OF, Eastern Oklahoma St. JC
597. Red Sox: Ben Hansen, P, BYU
598. Giants: Fernando Gonzalez, C, Georgia
599. Reds: Mason Russell, P, Casteel HS (AZ)
600. Padres: Chase Fralick, C, McIntosh HS (GA)
601. Yankees: Cole Royer, P, Pierce County HS (GA)
602. Cubs: Brayden Risedorph, P, Indiana
603. Mariners: Ryan Picollo, OF, Saint Joseph’s
604. Marlins: Chase Centala, P, Central Florida
605. Brewers: Henry Brummel, P, Pontiac Township HS (IL)
606. Rays: Kaleb Corbett, P, Louisville
607. Blue Jays: Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, SS, UC San Diego
608. Twins: Merit Jones, P, Utah
609. Orioles: Evan Yates, P, Cal State Fullerton
610. Dodgers: Hunter Elliott, P, Ole Miss
611. Braves: Eric Hartman, OF, Holy Trinity Academy (CAN)
612. Phillies: Kyler Carmack, P, Ole Miss
613. Astros: Ky McGary, OF, Sandra Day O’Connor HS (AZ)
614. Diamondbacks: Hunter Carns, C, First Coast HS (FL)
615. Rangers: Mac Rose, C, McLennan CC
BASKETBALL NEWS
JOE ‘JELLYBEAN’ BRYANT, THE FATHER OF KOBE BRYANT, DIES AT 69
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died, his alma mater announced Tuesday.
Bryant, who spent eight seasons in the NBA with three different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant recently had a massive stroke.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the school said in a news release. “Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 in Calabasas, California, as the group was making its way to a basketball tournament.
Joe Bryant was the No. 14 pick by Golden State in the 1975 draft, and the Warriors wound up selling his rights to Philadelphia before the start of his rookie season. He played four years for the 76ers, three for the San Diego Clippers and one for the Houston Rockets, averaging 8.7 points in 606 games.
From there, he embarked on an international career, with stops in France and Italy. The years in Italy shaped Kobe Bryant; it was there that he started to truly develop a love for basketball as well as becoming fluent in Italian. The family moved back to the Philadelphia area around the time that Kobe Bryant was 13, he became a high school star and was drafted four years later.
Joe Bryant had a number of coaching stints, including for teams in Italy, Japan and Thailand, as well as stints with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks — meaning he was coaching in the same city as his son was playing for a number of years.
IN-GAME FLOPPING PENALTY NOW PERMANENTLY IN NBA RULES
The NBA is officially cracking down on flopping, as the league’s board of governors permanently implemented a penalty for the action into the playing rules on Tuesday.
In-game penalties for flopping were handed out during the 2023-24 campaign, but the NBA was using this past season as a trial year for the rule.
When a referee calls a flop, the player who committed the act will be given a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul. The opposing team then gets to shoot one free throw, and it can send any player who was on the floor at the time of the flop to the line.
Violations for flopping cannot lead to ejections.
The NBA Board of Governors also voted to make a change to the in-season tournament, and now any points scored in overtime will not factor into point differential and total points tiebreakers. That change will be installed for the 2024 in-season tournament, set to begin on Nov. 12.
Point differential and total points are the second and third tiebreakers, respectively, in the group stage of the in-season tournament.
LEBRON JAMES AT 39 STILL IS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION FOR USA BASKETBALL. THAT WON’T CHANGE IN PARIS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — This is how the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team took the floor for warmups before an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi: Stephen Curry opened with a layup, followed by ones from Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards and Derrick White, and then a short jumper from Devin Booker.
All were met with some cheers. And then LeBron James got the ball in his hands. The crowd got louder immediately, the volume rising until his dunk was met with the loudest roar the arena could muster.
“He’s still LeBron,” U.S. assistant coach Erik Spoelstra said.
At 39 years old, starting the 22nd season of his pro career, the all-time leader in NBA points, soon to become the first men’s player to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games in three different decades, he’s still LeBron. And that’s why USA Basketball so badly wanted him on this team that’s headed to the Paris Olympics later this month, because there is no question that he makes the team even more of a favorite for what would be a fifth consecutive gold medal.
“Listen, once I got the clearance from Savannah James, that’s the one I had to get the clearance from to give up my summer pretty much to play basketball at 39 years old,” James said, referring to his wife. “Once I got the clearance from her, I didn’t have to have much convincing.”
Not after last summer, that is.
James watched the U.S. World Cup team — another team with 12 NBA players, but not 12 players with the pedigree of those on this Olympic roster — struggle last summer in the Philippines and end up with a fourth-place finish. He didn’t like it. So, he started calling around, seeing if players like Curry would be willing to play in Paris with hopes of reminding the world that the U.S. is still pretty good at basketball. He didn’t have to twist a lot of arms.
“He was the first person I talked to in the fall about would this be something I would want to do,” said Curry, who’ll be making his Olympic debut. “And from there it was like, ‘Let’s get it.’”
LeBron’s Olympic history
James made his Olympic debut in 2004, fresh off his rookie season, on the team that finished third in the Athens Games. The Redeem Team followed in 2008 and won gold, then the team at the London Games in 2012 won yet again. James hasn’t played in the Olympics since. It was reasonable to ask if he ever would again.
The U.S. won Olympic gold at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo three years ago without him, and now tries for a fifth in a row with him back in the fold for presumably the final time.
“He’s just meant so much to the game of basketball, especially in my career since I was in high school following him and he’s almost 40 years old now,” said U.S. forward Kevin Durant, who is seeking a fourth Olympic gold. “He’s still playing at an elite level, which is inspiring to me as well. And so, every chance I get to be around LeBron, even if it’s just having a quick bite to eat or just seeing him just randomly for a couple of minutes, his energy is just contagious.”
It’s still there in bunches, too.
When the U.S. team opened camp in Las Vegas, coach Steve Kerr asked two of his assistants – Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue, both of whom have coached James in the NBA — if the intensity that he was practicing with was normal. They nodded.
He goes all out, all the time, even with four NBA titles, even with a Basketball Hall of Fame spot and perpetual place in the never-to-be-solved Greatest Of All Time conversation locked up and with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. He has nothing to prove and still runs himself through defensive slide drills like they’re going to decide Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Kerr sees plenty of similarities between James and Curry, who went head-to-head in four consecutive NBA Finals when Golden State and Cleveland ran the league from 2015 through 2018 — and now gets to watch them team up for real for the first time. Curry sees them as well.
“I know exactly what he’s about,” Curry said. “I get to see a little different side of him in the work that he puts in and how he approaches practice, the way he talks and communicates. I get to see that side of it, which is really, really, really dope. I guess he gets to see that from me as well.”
LeBron says ‘game is in great hands’
The team is a perfect blend of everything James would have wanted if he was putting the group together himself. Veteran experience with him, Durant and Curry, even though Curry hasn’t played the Olympics before. Plenty of bigs to protect the rim in Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid. Championship players — with three players from the current NBA champion Boston Celtics on the roster in Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and White. Young stars in Haliburton, Booker and Edwards.
James won’t have to play huge minutes. The idea is for the Americans to use their depth, use a lot of players, keep everyone as fresh as possible and know that no team has anything close to the top-to-bottom talent on their roster as the U.S. does.
And playing one Olympics with many who will be likely looked at for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 — like Haliburton and Edwards — is important for James as well.
“The game is in great hands. … I mean it’s just super cool that we can not only show by example, but also just be around them,” James said. “They have their thing going as well, so we don’t step on their toes and nothing of that nature, but we just hope that we can continue to set a standard for them of what excellence is all about because they’re already excellent. I hope we’re just setting the standards for them.”
In Paris, there will be plenty of people wearing James jerseys, mostly Los Angeles Lakers ones, some USA ones, probably some Miami and Cleveland ones, too. Everything he does and says will make news. Even at this point in his career, the fascination with James hasn’t changed. Some love him, some don’t, but they’re all watching him. After all, like Spoelstra said, he’s still LeBron.
“I just feel incredibly honored to be coaching LeBron,” Kerr said. “And it’s definitely way better to coach him than coach against him.”
PATRICK BEVERLEY DEPARTING NBA TO PLAY IN ISRAEL
Patrick Beverley announced on his podcast Tuesday that he is leaving the NBA to play next season in Israel.
The 36-year-old free agent guard is a three-time NBA All-Defensive selection and a veteran of 666 regular-season games and 71 more playoff games.
Beverley said he plans to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC, which competes in the Israeli Premier League and EuroCup.
“They gave me everything I asked for,” he said. “I couldn’t refuse.”
Beverley split the 2023-24 season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 73 games (13 starts).
He owns career averages of 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in stints with the Houston Rockets (2012-17), Los Angeles Clippers (2017-21), Minnesota Timberwolves (2021-22), Los Angeles Lakers (2022-23), Chicago Bulls (2023), Sixers and Bucks.
Beverley has been traded seven times since 2017 and nine times in total.
MAVERICKS STAR KYRIE IRVING BREAKS LEFT HAND IN OFFSEASON WORKOUT, HAS SURGERY
DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving broke his left hand during an offseason workout and had surgery, and the Dallas Mavericks didn’t provide a timeline for his recovery in an announcement of the injury Tuesday night.
Irving and Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in their first full season together. Boston won the title series in five games.
The 32-year-old Irving averaged 25.6 points in 58 games during the regular season while dealing with foot, heel and thumb injuries.
Irving made his deepest playoff run since going to the finals with Cleveland in 2017, and helped the Mavs get that far for the first time since Dallas won its only championship in 2011.
The team said updates on Irving would be provided as necessary. Training camp opens in about 2 1/2 months.
NBA MOVES A BIG STEP CLOSER TO FINALIZING NEW 11-YEAR MEDIA RIGHTS DEALS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s next media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting Tuesday, moving the league one giant step closer to finalizing the 11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion.
Now comes the next, and possibly final, step: seeing if Warner Bros. Discovery will match one of the deals in an effort to extend a relationship with the NBA that dates to the late 1980s. WBD has five days to match, that clock starting to run when it receives the contracts from the league.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, citing the ongoing process, declined to offer specifics on when that five-day window starts or whether it has already started.
“Without getting into the specifics of the deal, I’d say philosophically we set out with certain goals in these negotiations and part of them were economic and part of them also led to what are the best ways we can serve our fans going forward,” Silver said. “Part of it was to get additional broadcast exposure, and hopefully we will have accomplished that. And also, to get more streaming connectivity with our fans, because in terms of traditional television — while still vital — there is a large portion of our fan base that no longer subscribes to those services.”
The new deals, which as currently constructed would keep the NBA on ESPN and ABC plus add NBC and Amazon to the mix, will begin in the 2025-26 season. This coming season marks the end of a nine-year, $24 billion deal that was record-setting for the NBA — and the new deal will shatter those records, both in terms of length and value.
“We wanted to make sure that going forward that our games will be accessible for our fans through various streaming services,” Silver said. “So, that’s something that we’ve been very focused on in these deals, and not just on reach in the United States, but reach globally as well.”
Much of the basic framework of the new deals, if they become reality, have already emerged. ESPN and ABC will keep the league’s top package, including the NBA Finals — which have been on ABC since 2003 — and one of the conference finals series, plus a slew of regular season contests.
NBC, which would return as a broadcast partner for the first time since 2002, would showcase games on Sunday night once the NFL season has ended, plus air games on Tuesdays throughout the regular season and stream a Monday night package on Peacock. Prime Video would have games on Thursday night after it is done carrying NFL games. Its other nights would be Friday and Saturday.
NBC and Prime Video would alternate who carries the other conference final.
NBA Cup Tiebreakers
A mild tweak has been made to the group play tiebreaker system for the in-season tournament, now called the Emirates NBA Cup.
Overtime scoring has been removed from the point differential and total points tiebreakers. Those are the second and third tiebreakers, after head-to-head record, in group play.
It doesn’t totally remove the differential, and that tiebreaker led to some weirdness last season. Boston was intentionally fouling Chicago up by 32 points with 7 minutes left in a group play game last season to try and ensure it would win any tiebreakers. And New York advanced to the quarterfinals on point differential over Cleveland, Orlando and Brooklyn.
“I understand the concept,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said last season of the point differential tiebreaker. “But it’s weird.”
Flopping Rule
The in-game flopping penalty is now permanent, after a one-year trial this past season convinced the league to go forward.
When flopping is called in-game now, the offending player is charged with a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul and the opposing team is awarded one free throw — to be attempted by any player who is in the game when the technical is assessed.
A player cannot be ejected from a game based on flopping violations.
Expansion
As Silver has said many times, once the league’s collective bargaining agreement and media deals get done, the next major project for the NBA will be looking at whether it’s time for expansion.
“I think we will engage this fall, in earnest, in the process of making those determinations — should we expand and if we were to expand, how many teams should we expand,” Silver said.
LINDSEY HARDING WILL BE THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS’ FIRST FEMALE ASSISTANT COACH, AP SOURCE SAYS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lindsey Harding is joining JJ Redick’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Lakers haven’t publicly announced Redick’s first coaching staff, which also includes former NBA head coaches Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks. Harding will be the 17-time NBA champion team’s first female assistant coach.
The 40-year-old Harding was the G League’s coach of the year last season with the Stockton Kings, becoming the first woman to win the award. The former No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick previously was an assistant coach, a player development coach and a scout for the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers.
Harding and Redick have been close since both collegiate stars played at Duke over the same four-year span. Harding was the Naismith College Player of the Year in 2007 before she embarked on a nine-year WNBA playing career, including two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Harding’s Stockton Kings went 24-10 and reached the G League’s conference finals last season.
ESPN, Redick’s former employer, first reported Harding’s addition to the Lakers.
WNBA NEWS
CHENNEDY CARTER, SKY STUN ACES IN VEGAS
Chennedy Carter scored eight of her game-high 34 points in a 1:11 stretch late in the fourth quarter Tuesday night and the visiting Chicago Sky surprised the Las Vegas Aces 93-85.
Marina Mabrey added 15 points for Chicago (10-14), while Angel Reese chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds for her 16th double-double in 17 games. The Sky snapped a seven-game losing streak against Las Vegas by making nearly 49 percent of their field goals and earning a 35-26 advantage on the boards.
A’ja Wilson scored 28 points and grabbed 14 points for the Aces (16-8), who lost for just the second time in 12 games. Tiffany Hayes came off the bench to add 19 points and Jackie Young tallied 17, but Kelsey Plum was held to eight points on 4-of-17 shooting.
Las Vegas erased a 21-point second-quarter deficit and took a 79-78 lead on two foul shots by Wilson with 3:34 remaining in the game. But Carter’s driving layup just 11 seconds later started a game-ending 15-6 run by the Sky.
Reese sealed the outcome by tipping home a missed shot for an 88-81 lead with 1:32 left, then she canned a pair of foul shots in the final minute.
A game that many assumed would be another Las Vegas win looked like anything but for most of the first three quarters as Chicago flew of the gate. The Sky led by double figures just over three minutes into the game and owned a 25-12 advantage after 10 minutes.
They pushed the margin as high as 42-21 with 4:07 left in the half when Isabelle Harrison converted a layup off Dana Evans’ feed. The Aces finally found traction, ending the half with a 16-2 run to pull within seven at intermission.
Chicago increased the cushion to 69-56 late in the third quarter when Mabrey drove for a three-point play, but Las Vegas rattled off seven straight points to end the period. Plum’s floater just before time expired drew it within 69-63.
SABRINA IONESCU GOES FOR 30 AS LIBERTY EARN THIRD WIN OVER SUN
Sabrina Ionescu scored 30 points to fuel the host New York Liberty to an 82-74 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.
Ionescu made 7 of 14 shots from the floor — including a season high-tying six from 3-point range — and all 10 attempts from the free-throw line. Her point total fell one short of her season high, set in New York’s 93-80 win over Los Angeles on June 20.
Courtney Vandersloot scored 10 points as the Liberty (21-4) overcame the absence of star Breanna Stewart (hamstring) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (knee surgery) to record their fourth straight victory.
Kennedy Burke had nine points and four steals and Leonie Fiebich added nine points and five rebounds to help New York improve to 12-1 at home this season. The Liberty have won all three meetings thus far against the Sun and hold a 2 1/2-game lead over Connecticut (18-6) for the best record in the WNBA.
New York held a decisive advantage from 3-point range. The Liberty made 11 of 27 shots from beyond the arc, while the Sun sank just 2 of 18 attempts.
Connecticut’s Brionna Jones scored 17 points and Alyssa Thomas collected 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists before sitting out much of the second half for an undisclosed reason. DiJonai Carrington scored 13 points for the Sun and Tyasha Harris had 11.
Jones made a layup to forge a 63-63 tie entering the third-quarter intermission before Ionescu drained her sixth 3-pointer to regain the lead for New York. Kayla Thornton also connected from beyond the arc and Burke and Ivana Dojkic each had a layup as the Liberty extended their advantage to 73-65.
Connecticut scored four quick points to halve the deficit before Jonquel Jones responded with a three-point play and an 18-foot jumper. Thornton added a basket to provide insurance for the Liberty.
Ionescu bolted out of the blocks by draining a pair of 3-pointers to stake New York to a 16-6 lead. She converted a four-point play to push the Liberty’s advantage to 28-19 before finishing with 12 points in the first quarter.
Connecticut trailed 42-32 before igniting a 10-3 run to end the second quarter.
SEATTLE’S NNEKA OGWUMIKE MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO LOS ANGELES
Nneka Ogwumike’s sensational performance with 23 points and 10 rebounds in her return to Los Angeles powered the Seattle Storm to an 89-83 defeat of the host Sparks on Tuesday.
Ogwumike, who played in Los Angeles from her rookie season in 2012 through 2023, also recorded six steals and four assists as the Storm won their third consecutive game. She started Tuesday’s matinee matchup slowly with misses on her first three field-goal attempts — including one blocked by the Sparks’ Dearica Hamby.
But her 15 second-half points fueled the Storm (17-8) as they gained some separation in what was a tightly contested game throughout.
Los Angeles (6-18) has lost three of its last four games after ending an eight-game losing skid on July 5. The Sparks got season-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds from Azura Stevens in just her fourth game back from offseason left-arm surgery. Rae Burrell scored 18 points off the bench, and rookie Rickea Jackson, with 16 points, scored in double figures in six of the Sparks’ last seven contests.
However, Los Angeles could not withstand the combination of Ogwumike and Jewell Loyd for Seattle. Loyd had game highs of seven assists and 30 points, including 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Her performance in the final period helped the Storm go on a difference-making, 11-0 run after a Stevens 3-pointer had given the Sparks a 73-71 lead with 6:29 remaining.
Jordan Horston added 14 points and eight rebounds for Seattle, which heads into the Olympics break with wins in four of its last five games. Skylar Diggins-Smith made up for a 2-of-12 day shooting from the floor with five assists and three steals.
Hamby scored 15 points for Los Angeles to go with nine rebounds and three assists. Aari McDonald scored eight points and passed for four assists, but she committed a team-high four turnovers in the loss.
BRITTNEY GRINER, KAHLEAH COPPER POWER MERCURY PAST MYSTICS
Brittney Griner collected 23 points and seven rebounds to fuel the Phoenix Mercury to a 96-87 road win over the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.
Kahleah Copper supplied 22 points and seven rebounds and Diana Taurasi added 18 points for the Mercury (13-12), who snapped a two-game skid.
Natasha Cloud paired 12 points with 10 assists for Phoenix and finished one rebound shy of a triple-double in her first game in Washington since leaving in free agency.
Myisha Hines-Allen’s 18 points and 12 rebounds led the Mystics (6-19), who lost their second straight game. Julie Vanloo scored 17 points, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough had 15 and Ariel Atkins added 14.
The Mercury scored the final 13 points of the third quarter to enter the fourth up with a 71-63 lead.
Washington led 57-49 with 7:12 left in the third after Vanloo’s third 3-pointer of the half capped an 8-0 Mystics run. Phoenix chipped away until Copper’s three-point play pushed the Mercury ahead 64-63 with 1:34 left. Sophie Cunningham supplied six points over Phoenix’s run, including her 3-pointer that sparked the surge at the 2:44 mark.
Washington closed to 74-72 in the fourth quarter on Stefanie Dolson’s trey with 7:45 to play before the visitors pulled away. Copper scored the game’s next six points to power an 8-0 Mercury run, which Cloud capped with a layup that made it 82-72 with 5:09 left.
Phoenix engineered one final spurt after the Mystics pulled within 89-85 at the 2:16 mark. Copper hit a jumper on the Mercury’s next possession and Cunningham followed with a 3-pointer to make it 94-85 with 1:16 to play.
Phoenix made 18 free throws compared to Washington’s 11 and held a 23-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Mystics ended the second quarter on a 14-5 run to lead 46-44 at halftime.
Griner led all scorers with 15 points in the opening half, while Taurasi made 3-of-3 treys and scored 12 points. Atkins netted nine to lead Washington.
Both teams relied on their frontcourt scoring throughout the first quarter. Griner scored nine points in the post for the Mercury, while forward Aaliyah Edwards netted six for the Mystics. Washington closed the period on a 12-3 run to lead 19-17.
FOOTBALL NEWS
GEORGIA GRAPPLES WITH DRIVING VIOLATIONS AS SMART SAYS PLAYERS ARE BEING FINED FROM NIL PAYMENTS
DALLAS (AP) — Georgia players who have been arrested or cited for driving violations have been disciplined with suspensions and fines through the collective that provides name, image and likeness payments to the school’s athletes, coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday.
Football players at the school have been involved in 24 driving-related violations (DUI, reckless driving or speeding), The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has reported, including a crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer in January 2023.
“The incidents that have been happening off the field are not something we condone,” Smart told a small group of reporters before taking the stage at SEC Media Days. “It’s very unfortunate, disappointing, I guess is the best word.”
Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash in Jan. 15, 2023, just days after the Bulldogs won the national title game.
Police said LeCroy had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit and was racing another Georgia player, Jalen Carter, at about 104 mph when the SUV swerved off the road and struck two utility poles and a tree before slamming into another tree on the driver’s side, where both LeCroy and Willock were sitting.
Last week, Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. was arrested on reckless driving charges and defensive back Demello Jones was cited for street racing in Athens, Georgia.
On March 24, Athens-Clarke County police arrested running back Trevor Etienne on charges of drunken driving, failure to maintain a lane or improper driving as well as affixing materials that reduce visibility through the windows or windshield.
The DUI charges against Etienne, a transfer from Florida, were dismissed Wednesday during a hearing in Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court when he pleaded no contest to reckless driving, underage possession of alcohol and two other driving offenses.
“I always talk about processing outcomes in wins and losses. We try not to base things on outcomes. In this case, the outcomes are very disappointing,” Smart said.
Georgia announced Tuesday that safety David Daniel-Sisavanh has been dismissed from the team. The senior was charged with reckless driving in Atlanta in February after leading police on a pursuit.
Smart declined to reveal other specific punishments for specific players, but he did say that receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was suspended last season for a traffic violation.
“We don’t talk about the suspensions; we have them,” Smart said. “I think it’s pretty obvious that we’ve done them in the past. You guys know when we do them, but each of those cases are very different, and they’ll be handled in different ways.”
Smart also said players have been fined from the Classic City Collective for breaking the law, which is part of the contract players enter into with the organization. He called the fines substantial but did not give details.
“That’s something that’s been ongoing outside of my jurisdiction that they decided to implement and have done for a considerable amount,” Smart told reporters.
Smart said the school and program have aggressively tried to address the dangers of not being responsible behind the wheel with players through education, citing 162 instances in which the team has heard from coaches, administrators and speakers.
“But if people go say, ‘Well, it falls on deaf ears, you got to have discipline, you’ve got to discipline someone,’” Smart said. “Well, we have, and we will continue to do so. If the actions require that, we’ll do what’s necessary to do that. But I do think the effective way in curtailing some things is when you go to their wallet and you fine them because these fines have been substantial, and it’ll make you think twice about the mistakes you make.”
QB CARSON BECK BRINGS CALM TO STORM AWAITING GEORGIA IN 2024
There is comfort knowing what you have at quarterback, and Georgia coach Kirby Smart can only smile at just how settled the Bulldogs are at the position entering the 2024 season.
Carson Beck started every game last season, ending an apprenticeship behind Stetson Bennett, and went undefeated in the regular season to establish himself as the No. 1 quarterback for the Bulldogs.
“The day and age when you go somewhere and you jump school to school, it’s a popular trend. This kid stuck it out,” Smart said at SEC Media Days in Dallas on Tuesday. “He didn’t get the starting job in a tough moment when the starter went down, and he lost the starting job to Stetson Bennett the week of the UAB game two years ago, and then said, ‘You know what? I’m sticking with it. I’m going to persevere. I am going to show resiliency,’ which is one of our core traits, and he did that. He was able to monetize that as well by staying and succeeding where his feet are.
“He is a great elder for us and a great example of resiliency in college football. Please visit with him today, as he’s one of the leaders of our team.”
Beck is listed among Heisman Trophy favorites by oddsmakers and college football analysts, with NFL pundits counting him as one of the early potential possibilities for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
Beck’s only loss last season — 27-24 to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game — might be the one he and some critics point to entering the 2024 season, where Georgia is again predicted to be the SEC favorite and a College Football Playoff frontrunner.
But Smart said one of the primary themes he’s preaching to the Bulldogs entering fall camp came from an offseason study of Nike’s success story.
“One of the first things we studied was the belief of assume nothing. I think that’s so important in football, because when you assume something or you assume you know someone or that you know somebody’s name that you’re in the room with, you can take things for granted,” Smart said. “Just like starting over from a previous year, assume nothing. Assume nothing. Start from ground zero and build the team different than every other team; Nike did that. Assume nothing. Where does a name come from? If you assume you know everybody’s name you may not know what that name means.”
Georgia is a name everyone knows in college football and on the 2024 schedule, which sets up as a minefield for the Bulldogs right out of the gate against Clemson. They’ll also take the show on the road for most of their anticipated key matches this season, playing at Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas and Kentucky.
“Initially I was wondering how I got that draw, but we’re not one to complain,” Smart said. “We’re one to be excited. I think when you step into the shoes of a University of Georgia football player, you accept that challenge is going to be there.
“I mean, we kind of embrace that and we love it.”
Especially on the road, there is comfort in college football in knowing you have a battle-tested quarterback.
Beck credited his offensive line for keeping him healthy and boosting his confidence last season. When he glances back, he sees a totally different quarterback than the one who put two feet on the ground in Dallas on Tuesday.
“As far as the quarterback goes, I think over the course of last year, if you go look at Game 1 and then you look at Game 14, it’s not even the same quarterback,” said Beck. “Making the decision to come back this year, I’m excited to see what the progression from Game 15 to whatever X amount of games we might play this year is going to look like. Each game more confidence gets built, and that repetition continues to happen, you just become more comfortable within your offense and with your teammates and during the game. Very excited to see that progression continue to unfold.”
One of those teammates, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Kelton Smith Jr., will not be on the field with Beck and the Bulldogs. The school announced Tuesday that the former four-star prospect from Columbus, Ga., will no longer play football due to a pre-existing medical condition.
5-STAR POTENTIAL: OKLAHOMA QB JACKSON ARNOLD AND TENNESSEE QB NICO IAMALEAVA ARE SEC WILD CARDS
DALLAS (AP) — Southeastern Conference quarterbacks fall into a few categories this year.
There are the cover boys: Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Georgia’s Carson Beck and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe who are all featured on the deluxe version of the new EA Sports College Football video game.
The experienced entrenched starters: Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart, Missouri’s Brady Cook and Florida’s Graham Mertz are in that group.
There are the new transfers such as Taylen Green at Arkansas and Brock Vandagriff at Kentucky and high-upside veterans like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman, who have shown glimpses of star potential.
And then there are maybe the biggest wild cards, a couple of former five-stars who have been handed the reins to blue blood programs: Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold and Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava have the potential to turn their teams into College Football Playoff contenders.
The Sooners made their SEC Media Days debut on Tuesday and Arnold was the main attraction, drawing a three-deep crowd of reporters around his dais.
“What I feel best about and have the most peace about is his ability to be able to handle the highs and the lows, the challenges, the success, the failure that a season will bring you,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “Nobody is more competent or more ready, even though he’s a young player, and we’ve got to, in some ways, be the headlights for him.”
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel decided to leave his first-year starter at home, but don’t mistake that for a lack of confidence for Iamaleava.
“We want him to hit the ground running,” Heupel said. “He’s a young quarterback. Played really well in the bowl game. He’s going to continue to grow. Through all of his experiences here throughout the course of the season, he’s only going to continue to get better from all of those. But we expect him to play at a really high level from the very beginning, and we need that from him.”
The excitement among Volunteers fans about the Long Beach, California, quarterback was stoked by his performance in a 35-0 victory against a strong Iowa defense in the Citrus Bowl.
“I think it’s built a little bit of aura of confidence around him,” Tennessee center Cooper Mays said.
The 6-foot-6 Iamaleava ran for three touchdowns and threw a TD pass against the Hawkeyes.
“I knew he could throw it. I just didn’t realize he had as much twitch as he does,” former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said. “And for a guy that’s that long, I didn’t anticipate that type of quickness and lateral agility, so that was surprising. Really bullish on his potential.”
Heupel said Iamaleava has a magnetic personality that has made his transition to team leader smooth.
“He’s a humble guy, humble kid, you know, a guy that came in ready to work … and just was picking everybody’s brain,” Mays said. “And for a kid to come out of high school like that, five-star, whatever many followers on Instagram. People probably aren’t that humble. And that’s a kid that came in and was ready to go and ready to work.”
Arnold also started a bowl game last season after Dillon Gabriel read the room in Norman, Oklahoma, and went back into the transfer portal. Gabriel will be QB1 at Oregon.
The Sooners got a look at their future against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl and it was a wild ride. Arnold threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but also had three passes intercepted in a 38-24 loss to the Wildcats.
Arnold, from Denton, Texas, said the experience helped boost his confidence while also giving him a dose of reality.
“The turnovers are unacceptable, especially coming into the SEC,” he said.
Arnold spent the offseason trying to assert himself on the field and off.
“I think my biggest part of leadership that I focused on this offseason was being a vocal leader, stepping up through conditioning or working out or whatever. Just being vocal for those guys and picking them up,” he said.
Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman is bought in. The senior said he worked out with the offense early Tuesday before leaving for media days and was impressed with how Arnold was first in the gym and the first guy to speak up.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s everything that we need,” Stutsman said.
Arnold and Iamaleava meet Sept. 21 when the SEC era at Oklahoma begins with a home game against Tennessee.
BRANDON AIYUK REQUESTS TRADE FROM 49ERS, AP SOURCE SAYS
Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers because the two sides haven’t made progress on a new contract, a person familiar with the star wide receiver’s decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because contract discussions are private. NFL Network first reported Aiyuk’s request for a trade.
Aiyuk is scheduled to make $14.1 million this season in the final year of his rookie contract. The 2020 first-round pick was a second-team All-Pro last season when he had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
The 49ers dealt with a trade request from another star wideout, Deebo Samuel, in 2022. Samuel ended up getting a $71.5 million, three-year deal with $58.1 million guaranteed.
Aiyuk has thrived in San Francisco’s offense since Brock Purdy became the starting quarterback. He has eight 100-yard receiving games in 26 games catching passes from Purdy. Aiyuk had three 100-yard receiving games in 45 games with other QBs.
The NFC champions selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall from Florida with the 31st pick in the draft.
BEARS WR ROME ODUNZE SIGNS 4-YEAR, $22.7M DEAL
Wide receiver Rome Odunze signed his four-year rookie contract with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday.
All contracts involving first-round selections include a fifth-year team option. He will receive approximately $22.7 million fully guaranteed and a $13.3 million signing bonus, per Spotrac.
Odunze was selected by the Bears with the ninth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Washington. He is set to join Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore atop Chicago’s wide receiver ranks.
Odunze, 22, recorded 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final season with the Huskies. His yardage total led all FBS receivers and were the most in school history as Washington finished runner-up in the College Football Playoff after losing to Michigan in the national title game.
In four seasons at Washington, Odunze had 214 receptions for 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns.
BEARS AGREE TO DEAL WITH QUARTERBACK CALEB WILLIAMS, AP SOURCE SAYS; RECEIVER ROME ODUNZE SIGNED
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears locked in their top two rookies on Tuesday, agreeing to four-year contracts with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams and No. 9 selection Rome Odunze and avoiding any training camp drama with their prized quarterback and receiver.
A person familiar with the deal confirmed the agreement with Williams to The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the contract. Williams gets a slotted $39.49 million fully guaranteed deal, with a $25.5-million signing bonus.
The Bears announced Odunze signed. The club has options for 2028 on both players.
Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is widely viewed as a generational talent. The Bears are banking on him to become the sort of franchise quarterback Chicago has craved for decades.
Williams put up huge numbers in college, with 93 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions during three seasons at Oklahoma and Southern California. He followed coach Lincoln Riley from Norman to Los Angeles and threw for 72 TDs and just 10 interceptions in two years with the Trojans.
In Chicago, he has two veteran playmaking receivers in DJ Moore and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, in addition to Odunze, who starred at Washington.
Odunze played four seasons with the Huskies and was an All-American last year when he led the nation with a school-record 1,640 yards. Washington advanced to the national championship game, losing to Michigan. Odunze had 3,272 yards receiving and 24 touchdown receptions in his college career.
Bears rookies were due to report for training camp on Tuesday, with veterans arriving on Friday. The first practice is Saturday.
Chicago has just three playoff appearances since the 2006 team reached the Super Bowl, and failed to advance in the postseason twice in that span. The Bears are 10-24 in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But they see themselves as a playoff contender after going from three wins in 2022 to finishing 7-10 last season.
PATRIOTS RECEIVER WON’T FACE PROSECUTION OVER ONLINE GAMBLING WHILE AT LSU
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte will not be prosecuted on charges related to illegal online gaming that police said took place while he was underage and still a player at Louisiana State University, a Baton Rouge prosecutor said Tuesday.
First Assistant District Attorney Tracey Barbera said the decision was made in part because Boutte has completed a “gambling awareness” mitigation program. Barbera also stressed that Boutte did not bet against himself or his team — and that his conduct did not cause others financial losses.
“Betting against himself would be the only way that he could control the bet,” Barbera told The Associated Press. “He can guarantee a dropped ball, but he can’t guarantee a reception or a touchdown.”
Boutte also has agreed to a ban from gaming in Massachusetts and on the FanDuel and BET99 online sites.
“In light of his mitigatory actions, we do not believe a felony prosecution is appropriate,” said Barbera, who also praised the Louisiana State Police investigation which led to the charges.
The NFL still could choose to suspend or fine Boutte, but that remains unclear.
“We have been following developments in the matter, which remains under review,” the NFL said Tuesday in a statement provided by league spokesman Brian McCarthy. “He may continue to participate in all team activities.”
The Patriots declined to comment on Tuesday’s development.
Boutte was arrested in January after state police said he created an online betting account under a fake name and placed thousands of illegal bets, including 17 on NCAA games, six involving LSU games — and even bet on himself in one game. Those bets violated state laws against bets being placed by a “prohibited player.”
A native of New Iberia and a graduate of Westgate High School, Boutte spent three years with LSU as a wide receiver, appearing in 27 games with 21 starts.
Boutte was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Patriots in 2023.
He played sparingly as a rookie last season, appearing in only five games and catching two passes for 19 yards. He is expected to be in tough competition to make the Patriots’ roster when they open training camp next week.
Boutte was in attendance during the Patriots’ offseason working program this spring. Coach Jerod Mayo said in May that they were waiting to see what, if anything, the NFL had to say about his case.
“Right now, he is out here. We will wait to hear from the league going forward, but he’s out here,” Mayo said. “He is doing a good job for us.”
TRAINING CAMP QUESTIONS: HOUSTON TEXANS
Turnarounds are a thing of the past for the Houston Texans.
That’s the message from second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans as the AFC South champions race into training camp as the first of the NFL’s 32 teams to report for the start of formal preparations for the 2024 season.
Ryans’ first season in Houston couldn’t have gone much better.
Houston went three seasons without a playoff appearance, spanning three coaches, 38 losses and almost 1,500 days, before Ryans and rookies C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. altered the direction the Texans with a division title and wild-card playoff win over the Cleveland Browns.
Ryans wasn’t content with the breakthrough.
Houston kept adding with aggressive moves from the front office to follow up general manager Nick Caserio’s swings — and big hits — that helped land quarterback Stroud and defensive end Anderson with back-to-back picks in the 2023 draft. The Texans acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills and signed former Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter as the headline moves designed to help Houston keep its arrow pointing upward.
Houston’s early report date is the byproduct of being featured in the annual preseason kickoff game in Canton, the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1. The Texans face the Chicago Bears, whose veterans report Friday.
A former linebacker at Alabama and with the Texans, Ryans said he still gets first-day-of-school vibes when camp starts.
“To start back from ground zero, I love that,” Ryans said. “Going back to our Day 1 fundamentals, installs, and seeing guys truly grow and seeing how far we can get before the Hall of Fame Game, see our young players get better and compete against each other. That’s what I enjoy most.”
Ryans said he helped counter some of the hyperbole in Houston this offseason by sharing a few statistical facts and self-witnessed realities of the NFL.
He said he told player, “I know we won some games, but guys, look, we had 10 games within one score, and these games were down to the wire and we had to find a way at the end.’ That doesn’t change. That’s the NFL.”
–Here are three training camp questions for the Texans:
1. Will there be enough targets to go around with the addition of WR Stefon Diggs?
Diggs was traded out of Buffalo because of a beefy contract — which Houston restructured to allow Diggs to enter free agency in 2025 — and a bristly personality that former quarterback Josh Allen dismissed as competitiveness.
Diggs was targeted 160 times last season (and 154 in 2022) but still wanted the ball more when it mattered. Nico Collins was the No. 1 target in Houston last season and led the team with 109 targets.
Stroud was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year because he was insanely accurate and efficient. He threw only five interceptions (three came in one game) by not forcing the ball and gaining early mastery of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s system. A vocal veteran demanding the ball isn’t a concern for Ryans, he insists, but will Stroud respond otherwise in the heat of the battle?
2. Is there a star on the roster deserving of more attention?
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. began to live up to the billing as a blue-chip talent last season and only seems to be hindered by durability questions. When he’s on the field, he’s an elite playmaker. Note his December production, when Stingley was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month with 19 tackles, nine passes denied, three interceptions and a tackle for loss. Working against receivers Collins, Diggs and Tank Dell on a daily basis shouldn’t hold him back.
3. C.J. Stroud was sacked multiple times in 10 of his 15 games played as a rookie. Can this become worrisome for the Texans?
Stroud missed two games with a concussion last season, but following a dreadful start for the offensive line, the Texans were better than average in pass protection. Stroud was sacked 11 times in his first two NFL games and that was well before the Texans turned to a heavier dose of play-action. Adding Diggs as a reliable slot option and increased usage of tight ends all helped calm the heat in the pocket.
Remember, Slowik came with Ryans from the San Francisco 49ers and his approach won’t be entirely predictable. But he does want to lean more heavily on power, and give the ball to the running back, to keep defenses guessing.
When teams went hyper-aggressive last season, Stroud won consistently.
See the wild-card playoff victory over the Browns, when Stroud was 5-for-5 against the blitz for 126 yards and a touchdown for a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
AUTO RACING
TEAM PENSKE AIMS TO FOLLOW UP NASCAR-INDYCAR SWEEP IN INDY OVAL RETURN, TORONTO STREETS
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Brickyard 400
Indianapolis
Schedule: Friday practice, 2:35 p.m.; Saturday qualifying, 1:05 p.m.; Sunday race, 2:30 p.m. (NBC).
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 160 laps, 400 miles.
Last year: Michael McDowell dominated the 200-mile Cup race on the 2.439-mile road course, leading 54 of 82 laps in a Ford before holding off Chase Elliott’s Chevy by 0.937 seconds.
Last race: Team Penske driver and reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney led the final 44 laps, a race high, to win Pocono Raceway’s 400-mile event for his second victory in five starts and 12th in his career. Denny Hamlin led 31 laps and finished second with Alex Bowman third, a week after winning on the Chicago street course.
Fast facts: NASCAR resumes racing on Indy’s iconic 2.5-mile oval for the first time since 2020 after three years on the road course. … Kevin Harvick, who’s retiring after this season, claimed the previous oval win. … Fords have won the past oval starts. … Chase Elliott finished ninth to take over the points lead by three over Kyle Larson (13th), 15 over Tyler Reddick and 20 over Hamlin. Blaney is 76 points back in seventh place.
Next race: Aug. 11, Richmond, Virginia.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Pennzoil 250.
Site: Indianapolis.
Schedule: Friday practice, 1:05 p.m., Saturday qualifying, 12:05 p.m., Saturday race, 3:30 p.m. (USA).
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 100 laps, 250 miles.
Last year: Ty Gibbs started fourth and dominated by leading 28 of 62 laps on the road course, including the final 17 to win by nearly eight seconds over Sam Mayer with pole winner A.J. Allmendinger third. The race featured 10 lead changes.
Last race: Cole Custer grabbed the lead from Justin Allgaier with nine laps remaining after a restart and held on to win by 0.670 seconds in a Ford for his elusive first victory this season at Pocono. The defending series champion clinched a playoff spot with his 14th career victory and became the first series driver to win multiple races at the track.
Fast facts: The series returns to IMS for the first time since Kyle Busch won from the pole in 2019 and led 46 laps in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. … Custer’s first win among eight top-fives and 15 top-10s has provided a 51-point series lead over Justin Allgaier (Chevy) with Chandler Smith (Toyota) 59 back.
Next race: Aug. 17, Brooklyn, Michigan.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
TSport 200.
Site: Indianapolis.
Schedule: Friday practice, 3:30 p.m., qualifying, 4:05 p.m., race 8:30 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Race distance: 200 laps, 137.2 miles.
Last year: Ty Majeski started second and ran away with the race after seizing the lead on lap 40, leading the final 161 circuits for his lone victory last season. Christian Eckes and Layne Riggs were next in Chevys.
Last race: Corey Heim emerged from a weather delay with 10 remaining and won the CRC Brakleen 175 at Pocono, the series’ first Friday race at the track. Heim’s Toyota dominated, leading 55 of 70 laps and the final 34 after starting second. Grant Enfinger and Christian Eckes were next in Chevys in a race that featured just three lead changes.
Fast Facts: Chevys have won three of the past five at IRP. … Eckes leads Heim by 32 points in the standings with Nicholas Sanchez 113 behind. The three drivers have combined to win 10 of 14 races this season, topped by Heim’s five victories.
Next race: Aug. 10, Richmond, Virginia.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Hungarian Grand Prix.
Site: Mogyorod, Hungary.
Schedule: Friday practices, 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.; Saturday practice, 6:30 a.m., qualifying 10 a.m.; Sunday race, 9 a.m. (ESPN).
Track: Hungaroring.
Race distance: 70 laps, 306.63 kilometers (190.531 miles).
Last year: Max Verstappen started second and led all 70 laps for the victory by 33.731 seconds over Lando Norris.
Last race: Lewis Hamilton held off points leader Max Verstappen at Silverstone for his record ninth British Grand Prix victory, the most by an F1 driver at any track. The seven-time champion also earned his 104th career win to snap a career-long drought of more than 50 races dating back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Lando Norris was third, followed by Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz Jr.
Fast facts: Haas has extended its engine partnership with Ferrari through the 2028 season. … Verstappen has won 51 of the past 78 F1 races and leads Norris by 84 points and Charles Leclerc by 106 as he seeks his fourth consecutive series title.
Next race: July 28, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Indy Toronto
Site: Toronto, Ontario.
Schedule: Friday practice, 3 p.m.; Saturday practice, 10:30 a.m., qualifying, 2:45 p.m.; Sunday race 1:30 p.m. (Peacock).
Track: Streets of Toronto.
Race distance: 85 laps, 151.1 miles.
Last year: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Christian Lundgaard won from the pole, leading three times for 54 of 85 laps including the final 24. Alex Palou, Colton Herta, Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden rounded out the top five.
Last race: Will Power rallied to win Sunday’s Hy-Vee One-Step 250 oval race at Iowa Speedway, his first on the track in 18 attempts, to complete a weekend sweep for Team Penske. Power crossed the finish line as a scary four-car, last-lap crash unfolded behind him, injuring Sting Ray Robb. Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter and Kyle Kirkwood were also involved. Palou, pole winner Scott McLaughlin, Dixon and Herta rounded out the top five. The day before, McLaughlin earned his first IndyCar oval win in Iowa’s doubleheader opener, leading 164 of 250 laps after starting second. Pato O’Ward was a half-second behind in second, followed by Newgarden, Dixon and Rinus VeeKay. Power finished 18th despite starting fourth.
Fast facts: Robb was examined and released from a hospital on Sunday night. … IMSA and 2023 Indy NXT series runner-up Hunter McElrea will make his IndyCar debut in the No. 18 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing. … Sunday will mark IndyCar’s final event before breaking for the Paris Olympics and closing the season on ovals. … Palou leads Power by 35 points in the standings, with O’Ward 52 behind and Dixon 57 back.
Next race: Aug. 16, Madison, Illinois.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Northwest Nationals.
Site: Kent, Washington.
Last event: Antron Brown won in Top Fuel and Bob Tasca III won in Funny Car at Norwalk, Ohio, on June 30.
Fast facts: Brittany Force announced she will return to her John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster with her father, Funny Car legend John Force, responding positively to treatment for a traumatic brain injury following a fiery crash in Virginia on June 23. The 75-year-old Force left a Richmond hospital last week to begin neurological rehab. … Doug Kalitta leads Top Fuel by 134 points over Justin Ashley and 136 over Shawn Langdon. Austin Prock leads Funny Car by 178 points over Tasca and 181 over Matt Hagan.
Next event: July 26-28, Sonoma, California.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Last events: Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz won weekend events at Wilmot, Wisconsin. Macedo dominated Friday’s event for his third consecutive win at the track. Schatz rebounded from sixth on Friday to dominate on Saturday for his second Badger 40 victory. The 10-time champion’s third win this season snapped a 20-race drought dating back to April.
Fast facts: The Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic is being held Tuesday night in Attica, Ohio. … David Gravel leads Schatz by 58 points and Macedo by 64 in the standings.
Next events: Friday and Saturday at Rossberg, Ohio.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
GOLF NEWS
ANALYSIS: TIGER WOODS IS PLAYING ALL THE MAJORS. BUT FOR HOW MUCH LONGER?
TROON, Scotland (AP) — Tiger Woods is playing all four majors for the first time since 2019, which at the start of the year would have been cause for great optimism.
The results paint a different picture.
He set a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut at Augusta National. And then he was gone by the weekend at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. He hasn’t broken par since a 69 in the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship, and he needed that simply to make the cut.
His performance is starting to raise questions of how much longer he will play — how much longer he should play — to avoid lasting memories of a great champion slapping it around.
Leave it to Colin Montgomerie to put those thoughts into words found in a Times of London interview ahead of the British Open, when he said at one point, “What the hell is he doing?”
The entirety of what Montgomerie told the Times: “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him. There is none of that now. At Pinehurst he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon and he won’t enjoy it there, either.”
Woods already has enjoyed one aspect of his stay at Royal Troon. That came Tuesday when he was asked about Montgomerie’s comments. Woods relishes a chance to push back on criticism, particularly when the source is someone known for never winning a major.
“Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60,” Woods said, speaking to his time at the British Open. “Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do.”
It brought up memories of an Open tradition some 20 years ago. Stewart McDougal was the press officer at the time, and he would ask Open champions who came into the press center to sign the table. At the end of the week, McDougal auctioned off the table for charity.
Montgomerie came in one day, saw all the signatures on the table and reached for pen.
“I’m sorry, Colin,” McDougal told him. “It’s only for Open champions.”
Poor Monty.
The questions are fair enough, but there is something to be said about golfers being able to decide when their time is done. And given all that Woods has done in the game, it’s probably not the best idea to show him the door no matter what numbers he is posting.
His 82 in the third round of the Masters was his highest in a major. The 78 on the Old Course two years ago in what likely will be his final time at St. Andrews.
He still draws the biggest crowd and generates the loudest buzz. And two numbers worth remembering are four and 15. He had four surgeries on his lower back, the last one to fuse his spine, and two years later he won his 15th major at the Masters.
Another number worth noting is 59 — the age of Tom Watson when he was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open at Turnberry in 2009. The year before, Greg Norman was 53 when he had the 54-hole lead at Royal Birkdale.
Courses for the U.S. majors might be getting too big for the 48-year-old Woods, whose body is held together by hardware. But there is something about links golf that is timeless.
“The older you get, the less you can carry the golf ball,” Woods said. “But over here, you can run the golf ball 100 yards if you get the right wind and the right trajectory. … You can play on the ground. You can burn it on the ground with a 1-iron, 2-iron, 3-wood, whatever.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why you see older champions up there on the board because they’re not forced to have to carry the ball 320 yards.”
Woods always will be linked with Augusta National because of his watershed win at age 21 when he won the 1997 Masters by 12 shots, and it is the major he has won the most times. But for all his power as a younger man, no one hit irons like Woods. The flight of his shots was ideal for the links golf. It still is.
Woods showed up Tuesday wearing shorts, with a black compression sleeve covering his right leg. That was a clear reminder that age isn’t as big an issue as health. Woods has been forthright in explaining his dilemma. His body won’t allow him to play a full schedule, and when he shows up at the majors, he has to deal with competitive rust.
He could play more and risk not playing where it matters. That’s something he will have to sort out. And it was telling that the PGA Tour created an exemption category exclusively for him to play in the $20 million signature events by adding him to the field — he wouldn’t be taking a spot away from another player.
How much he plays next year will be worth watching.
In the meantime, Woods has been at Royal Troon since Sunday. He has high hopes. Maybe they are unrealistic based on the scores he is positing, but they are his hopes.
“There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go,” Montgomerie said. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
The truth is probably somewhere in between. But perhaps Woods still feels he can win because unlike Montgomerie, he has done it before.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER TAKES CREATIVE APPROACH TO OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Scottie Scheffler opted against testing his mettle at The Scottish Open last week in favor of teeing off at various other courses in Scotland in preparation for this week’s Open Championship.
Scheffler, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, looks to shed the rust of nearly a month’s absence on Thursday when he plays in the Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
“That’s why my preparation was a little bit different this year, focusing more on this golf course than last week, getting over here and feeling a bit more rested,” Scheffler said on Tuesday. “As far as getting used to this place, the links golf is obviously different than what we play at home, so getting used to the firmness of the fairways, getting used to the bunkering and the speed of the greens is obviously different as well.”
Scheffler said he is spending a considerable amount of time in addressing play in the bunkers.
“One of the things I liked that the R&A changed this year from last year was the bunkering. Last year I thought it was a bit silly how they flattened out each bunker,” Scheffler said. “The bunkers are still a penalty enough when the ball isn’t up against the lip. It was a bit of luck whether or not your ball would bury into the face because you have a flat bunker and a wall that’s going to go right into it.”
Scheffler enters Troon bidding for his seventh victory of the season. Golf historians point out that Arnold Palmer also had six wins under his belt in 1962 before emerging victorious at the Open Championship at Troon.
Scheffler, 28, admitted he was unaware of that fact despite his love of the history of the game.
“There’s certain things that I know and certain things that I don’t. That was something that for some reason I just never stumbled across,” Scheffler said. “So I had no idea that that was a thing.”
Scheffler will look to take the first step in that direction on Thursday, his first event since winning the Travelers Championship on June 23.
HOCKEY NEWS
JOE PAVELSKI OFFICIALLY RETIRES AFTER 18 SEASONS
Joe Pavelski has officially called it a career after 18 NHL campaigns.
The veteran forward – who turned 40 on Thursday – appeared in 1,332 regular-season games, split between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. He tallied 476 goals and 1,068 points, the sixth most among American players in league history.
Though Pavelski never lifted the Stanley Cup, he was a prolific playoff producer. His 74 goals in 201 postseason contests are the most by a U.S.-born player (Brett Hull scored 103 and, though he represented America internationally, he was born in Canada). Pavelski advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and 2020 and made the conference finals on five more occasions.
Pavelski became the oldest player to score four goals in a single playoff game in 2023 at 38 years old. Almost three years earlier, he netted the first postseason hat trick in Stars history since their relocation from Minnesota.
The Wisconsin native was leaning toward retirement when the Stars were eliminated in the Western Conference Final during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“I didn’t want to use the ‘R’ word, I guess, right away. … I wanted just a little bit of extra time (after the season) to think about it,” Pavelski told SiriusXM’s “NHL Morning Skate” on Tuesday, according to NHL.com. He added, “I was pretty comfortable with that plan then so I didn’t want to keep people hanging and thinking and talking about certain things, but it’s a pretty clear outlook.
“Over the last month, we’ve given it some more thought. … It’s just a great time for us as a family, as a career.”
Pavelski became the 25th player to appear in 200 postseason games this past spring, but he’s the only one without a ring.
San Jose selected Pavelski in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft. He ranks second in franchise history in goals (355), third in points (761), and fourth in games played (963). He lit the lamp 41 times in 2013-14, becoming the fourth Sharks player to reach the single-season milestone.
Pavelski donned the ‘C’ for the last four years of his tenure in San Jose and signed with the Stars as an unrestricted free agent in 2019.
He enjoyed a spectacular second act in Dallas, including a career year in 2021-22 in which he potted 81 points in 82 outings. Pavelski spent most of his five-year stint with the Stars on the top line, forming a fearsome trio with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.
Internationally, Pavelski won a silver medal with the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
2024 INDIANA SRN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WATCH LIST
LAST SEASON’S STATS
RB’S
RB Alijah Price Ben Davis 5’6 165: 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns
RB Jalen Bonds Cathedral 6’0 205: 1,194 yards and eight TDs (6.3 yards per carry) and caught six passes for 65 yards.
RB Joliba Brogan II Mt. Vernon 5’8” 185: 1,733 rushing yards and 21 rushing TDs
RB Jazz Coleman Speedway 5’11” 200: 888 yards and eight TDs and catching 29 passes for 253 yards and two TDs.
RB N’po DoDo Decatur Central 6’0” 180: 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 315 yards and five TDs
RB CJ Harris Brebeuf 5’7” 170: 1,285 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 27 passes for 164 yards and two TDs
RB Austin Hennessy Center Grove 6’2” 195
RB Mark Kube Eastern Hancock 6’0” 185: 1,746 yards and 28 TD
RB Jeremiah Lee Beech Grove 6’0” 185: 1,648 yards and 20 TD, 6.8ypc
RB Alex Leugers Franklin 6’0” 200: 1,389 rushing yards and 14 rushing TDs
RB Jaylan McMoore Warren Central 5’9” 200: 926 yards and 8TD
RB Kendall Garnett Warren Central: 1,119 yards and 12 TDs (at Westfield)
RB Izayveon Moore Lawrence North 5’8” 175: 1,127 yards and 9TD
RB Caron Parks Lawrence Central 5’7” 170: 577 yards and 3 TD
RB Elijah Pimental, Heritage Christian 5’9” 160: 1,382 yards and 12 TD
RB Toby Savini Cascade 5’10” 170: 1,055 yards and 12 TD
RB Brendan Shockley Lebanon 5’10” 185: 1,105 yards and 12 TD
RB Luke Starnes, Plainfield 5’8” 185: 952 yards and 12 TDs
RB Darrell Taylor, Crispus Attucks 5’8” 200: 2,111 yards and 23 TD
RB Azariah Wallace, Hamilton Southeastern 5’11” 195: 595 yards and 9TD
RB Slate Valentine, Whiteland 5’9” 170: 587 yards and eight TDs
RB Novell Miller Mishawaka 5’10 195: 551 yards, 9TD
RB Brian Osman, Mishawaka Marian 5’4” 150: 919 yards, 9TD
RB Slate Valentine Whiteland 5’10 156: 1,940 yards, 20TD, 6.8ypc
RB Ryan Mingus East Central 5’11” 210: 411 yards, 4TD (as a freshman)
RB Matthew McKitrick Western 5’11 190: 1,645 yards, 13TD, 7.6ypc
RB Seth Pruitt West Noble 5’9 185: 1,454 yards, 25TD, 6.7ypc
RB Caiden Verrett Hanover Central 6’0 190: 1,743 yards, 15TD, 8.7ypc
RB Jed Galvin North Posey 5’11 180: 1,323 yards, 26TD, 7.8ypc
RB Landon Terry Tell City 5’11 205: 606 yards, 8TD, 11.4ypc
RB Jerimiah Ullom Monroe Central 5’9 210: 821 yards, 15TD, 11.2ypc
RB Brock Benson North Judson 6’0 225: 1,469 yards, 19TD
RB Christen Ferguson Harrison 6’1 185: 659 yards, 10TD
RB Jaron Thomas Concord 6’1 195: 1,207 rushing yards, 14TD, 8.7ypc…(Committed to Purdue)
RB Mark Kube Eastern Hancock 6’0 180: 1,746 yads, 28TD, 7.0 ypc
RB Brant Beck Rochester 5’7 170: 1,082 yards, 13TD, 11.4ypc
RB Corbin Johnson South Decatur 5’7 175: 1,277 yards, 19TD, 11.2ypc
RB Coltyn McNabb North Daviess 6’1 195: 1,426 yards, 16TD, 10.1ypc
RB Marco Castro Kankakee Valley 6’2” 205: 1,718 yards, 19TD
RB Diego Hernandez-Reyes Rensselaer Central 5’9” 165: 1,688 yards, 24TD
RB Gage Pohlman Batesville 6’2” 195: 1,583 yards, 16TD
RB Brock Benson North Judson 5’11” 220: 1,469 yards, 19TD
RB Estil Pruitt West Noble 5’10” 190: 1,454 yards, 25TD
RB Jake Conroy Knox 5’11” 165: 1,434 yards, 20TD
RB Brayden Jones Eastern 6’1” 225: 1,336 yards, 15TD
RB Cian Moore Covington 5”8” 170: 1,332 yards, 13TD
RB Jonathan Pearson Tri-County: 1,327 yards, 21TD
RB Zyeiar White Terre Haute South 5’7” 165: 1,287 yards, 12TD
RB Caiden Hinkle DeKalb 6’3” 225: 1,270 yards, 14TD
ATH Noah Ehrlich Crown Point 6’2 190
ATH Larry Ellison Crown Point 5’10 170
RB Myles McLaughlin Knox 5’10” 180: 2,584 yards, 35TD
RB Darrell Taylor Crispus Attucks 5’8” 200: 2,111 yards, 23TD
RB Frank Luzadder Frankton 5’6” 175: 1,458 yards, 13TD
RB Linkin Carter Eastside: 1,439 yards 19TD
RB Aiden Weathehead Winchester: 1,392 yards, 21TD
RB Elijah Pimental Heritage Christian 5’9” 160: 1,382 yards, 12TD
RB Jett Goldsberry Heritage Hills 6’0” 190: 1,351 yards, 20TD
RB Landon Shuck Scottsburg 5’9” 172: 1,209 yards, 8TD
MLB DRAFT OF PLAYERS WITH INDIANA TIES
2nd round: No. 59, P Khal Stephen, Seeger/Mississippi State (Toronto)
3rd round: No. 82, Nate Dohm, Zionsville/Mississippi State (N.Y. Mets)
3rd round: No. 99, P Luke Sinnard, IU (Atlanta)
4th round: No. 136, OF Nick Mitchell, Carmel/IU (Toronto)
5th round: No. 141, SS Randal Diaz, Indiana State (Washington)
5th round: No. 147, SS Jack Penney, Notre Dame (Detroit)
5th round: No. 162, OF Carter Mathison, Homestead/IU (Philadelphia)
5th round: No. 164 P Connor Foley, Jasper/IU (Arizona)
6th round: No. 172, P Peyton Olejnik, Hanover Central/Miami-Ohio (L.A. Angels)
7th round: No. 201, P Andrew Dutkanych IV, Brebeuf Jesuit/Vanderbilt (St. Louis)
7th round: No. 205, P Cameron Sullivan, Mt. Vernon (Cleveland)
7th round: No. 213, P Brock Moore, University/Oregon (Seattle)
8th round: No. 231, P Jack Findlay, Notre Dame (St. Louis)
8th round: No. 239, P Luke Hayden, Edgewood/Indiana State (Cincinnati)
9th round: No. 275, P Griffin Tobias, Lake Central (Milwaukee)
11th round: No. 320, P Merritt Beeker, Ball State (Washington)
12th round: No. 364, C Connor Caskenette, Purdue (Miami)
13th round: No. 397, C Brock Tibbitts, IU (Toronto)
14th round: No. 432, P Jared Spencer, Indiana State (Philadelphia)
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 98, SUNS 94 (SUMMER LEAGUE)
Indiana came out hot against the Summer League Suns and overpowered the winless Phoenix squad 98-94 to earn their first win this summer.
The Pacers jumped out to a quick 15-7 lead early in the first quarter behind efficient starts from rookie Johnny Furphy and second-year forward Jarace Walker. Furphy, a Kansas product, tallied seven points in the first frame as he hit two of his five shots, but Indiana trailed Phoenix by two at the close of the quarter, 26-24.
Phoenix opened the second quarter on an 8-0 scoring run, but the Pacers rallied and rode the hot hand of Oscar Tshiebwe to get back within two points Phoenix with five minutes to play in the half. Phoenix went on to outscore the Pacers 15-7 to close the half in the lead, 54-44.
Though Indiana trailed by 10 points at the break, both Furphy and Tshiebwe finished the half in double figures – Furphy with 12 points and Tshiebwe adding 11 – to lead the Blue and Gold at halftime. Furphy also grabbed six rebounds in the first two frames, including four offensive boards.
The Pacers flipped the momentum in the third quarter as they opened the second half on a 12-4 scoring run. Eight third-quarter points from Kendall Brown and seven from Walker kept the Blue & Gold competitive down the stretch of the third, a statement quarter for Indiana as they outscored the Suns 29-18 to recapture the lead going into the fourth.
Walker followed his strong third-quarter with a similar fourth as he notched seven more points and a game-sealing free throw to lead Indiana to victory with a game-high 19 points on 71% shooting.
“We thought he did a great job of being up in our defensive pressure,” coach Jannero Pargo said of Walker. “We also tried to put him in pick-and-rolls to see if he can make plays, not only for himself but for others as well. We thought he did a good job.”
Walker paired five assists, a steal and a block with his 19-point performance. He grabbed four rebounds as well.
Indiana boasted six double-digit scorers – Furphy (18), Tshiebwe (16), Walker (19), Tristen Newton (10), Brown (10) and Dakota Mathias (11). Phoenix was led by Quinndary Weatherspoon’s 17 points off the bench and David Roddy’s 16-point effort.
“Johnny’s been solid,” Pargo said. “You’ve got to know what you’re getting out of him at a very young age. A guy that can shoot the ball, and defensively the way that he’s moving his feet, talking and competing on all levels.”
All three of Indiana’s new draftees had solid outings, but were led by Furphy’s 18 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a block in just under 33 minutes of action. Newton’s 10 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals showed the all-around potential of the UConn product, while Enrique Freeman’s five points and nine rebounds helped the Pacers dominate the glass.
The Pacers will be back in action at 4:30 PM ET on Thursday as they meet up with the 0-2 Denver Nuggets on ESPN2.
INDY ELEVEN
INDY ELEVEN WILL PLAY AT SPORTING KC TUESDAY, AUG. 27 AT 8 P.M. ET
CHICAGO/INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, July 15, 2024) – Following a 2-1 victory over MLS side Atlanta United in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals, Indy Eleven advanced to the Semifinals for the first time and will play at Sporting Kansas City (MLS) on Tuesday, August 27 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
Indy Eleven continued to make history in the U.S. Open Cup, defeating Atlanta United and advancing to the Semifinals in the tournament for the first time since opening action in 2014. The victory was also the first for the Boys in Blue over an MLS opponent in its fourth match-up. This will be the first meeting between the Boys in Blue and Sporting KC.
Indy is now 8-7-1 all-time in U.S. Open Cup action and picked up its second road victory in tournament history, with the first coming in this season’s Third Round at Chicago Fire II. The Boys in Blue have outscored opponents, 8-1, in this season’s edition.
Indy’s leading goal scorer in U.S. Open Cup action, Augi Williams, opened the scoring in the 31st minute off an assist from Douglas Martinez, his second helper of the tournament. The tally was the third for Williams in the Cup, scoring in the third consecutive match, while the goal was the first Atlanta had given up after opening the tournament with a pair of shutouts.
The insurance goal, and what proved to be the match winner for Indy, was another product of Williams, who played a dangerous cross into the Atlanta box intended for Elliot Collier, but was errantly touched in for an own goal.
2024 Tournament Results
Third Round | April 17, 2024 | Chicago Fire FC II (MLS NEXT Pro) 0:1 Indy Eleven (USLC)
Round of 32 | May 8, 2024 | Indy Eleven (USLC) 2:0 San Antonio FC (USLC)
Round of 16 | May 22, 2024 | Indy Eleven (USLC) 3:0 Detroit City FC (USLC)
Quarterfinals | July 9, 2024 | Atlanta United (MLS) 1:2 Indy Eleven (USLC)
Indy Eleven All-Time U.S. Open Cup Records
Overall Record: 8W-7L-1D (21 GF/16 GA)
Home Record: 6W-2L-0D (16 GF/8 GA)
Away Record: 2W-5L-1D (5 GF/8 GA)
Fans can watch both semifinal matches for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The match will take place at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, with tickets scheduled to go on sale to the public at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday via SeatGeek.
Semifinal Round Pairings – 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Tuesday, August 27
Sporting Kansas City (MLS) vs. Indy Eleven (USL Championship) | 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT/local)
Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. | WATCH LIVE ON APPLE TV
Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) vs. LAFC (MLS) | 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT/local)
Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. | WATCH LIVE ON APPLE TV
For more details on this year’s competition, including schedule details, features, and more, visit usopencup.com.
INDIANA BASEBALL
TIBBITTS, RISEDORPH ROUND OUT HOOSIER SELECTIONS IN MLB DRAFT
ARLINGTON, Texas – Junior catcher Brock Tibbitts and sophomore right-handed pitcher Brayden Risedorph were the final members of IU’s roster to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. The pair of Hoosiers were taken in the 13th round (397th overall) by Toronto and 20th round (602nd overall) by Chicago (NL) respectively on Tuesday (July 16) afternoon.
Tibbitts was the second Hoosier (Nick Mitchell, 4-C) to be picked by Toronto in this year’s draft while Risedorph is the first selection by the Cubs since shutdown reliever Scott Effross (2015). The pair of players join four fellow teammates that were picked in the top-five rounds on day two of the draft.
Tibbitts was instrumental in IU’s success over the past three seasons which included back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and 76 combined wins in 2023 and 2024. After missing a month due to injury, Tibbitts returned to the lineup in May and started the final 16 games at first base.
Over 168 career games played, Tibbitts hit .313 with 137 runs scored and 199 hits. He slugged 23 home runs and finished 14th all-time in program history with 154 RBIs. Before his injury, Tibbitts had started 149-consecutive games for the Hoosiers; the longest streak since head coach Jeff Mercer took over in 2019.
Risedorph has been IU’s most used bullpen arm in his first two seasons on campus, appearing 46 times and throwing 100 innings the last two years. He’s racked up 117 strikeouts while walking just 47 batters. He was a Freshman All-American selection in 2023.
The East Noble, Ind. native joins classmate Connor Foley (RHP, Jasper, Ind.) as the draft-eligible sophomores from IU taken in the 2024 MLB Draft. The Hoosiers’ other four selections were all from the junior class.
This weekend’s draft also featured a trio of high school signees picked by the Milwaukee Brewers. Griffin Tobias (RHP, 9th Round), Cooper Malamazian (SS, 17th Round) and Henry Brummel (RHP, 20th Round) were selected by the Brewers in this year’s proceedings. The trio of Midwest talent will have the option to sign professionally or begin their careers in Bloomington this year.
IU’s six draft picks were the most in a single season since 2021. The six picks were also the most of any school in the Big Ten Conference. Since head coach Jeff Mercer took over in 2019, no conference team has more selections in the draft than IU (24). It’s the third time in six years that IU has had six-or-more players picked in the same draft.
PURDUE BASEBALL
CASKENETTE DRAFTED BY MIAMI MARLINS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An All-Big Ten performer, league leader in RBI and Buster Posey Award semifinalist, Purdue Baseball’s Connor Caskenette has now added MLB Draft pick to his senior season honor roll after the catcher was selected in the 12th round Tuesday.
Caskenette was selected with the 19th pick in the 12th round and 364th overall. He’s the fifth Boilermaker since 2006 to be drafted by the Marlins. Pitchers Jay Buente (drafted in 2006, MLB debut in 2010) and Nick Wittgren (drafted in 2012, MLB debut in 2016) both reached the big leagues with the Marlins.
Caskenette was a two-year starter at catcher for Purdue, playing in 99 games and making 91 starts after arriving on campus in the fall of 2022 as a junior college transfer from Cochise College in Arizona. He started 46 of the 48 Big Ten games in his two seasons, including all 24 as a third-team All-Big Ten honoree as a senior. His development also powered a Purdue lineup that set seven team records while enjoying a nine-win improvement in 2024, headlined by his 69 RBI that were tops in the Big Ten and fourth most in program history. In the process, Caskenette became the first Boilermaker to be a semifinalist for the Buster Posey/Johnny Bench Award since 2014.
Forgoing summer ball in 2023, Caskenette opted to remain on campus to continue the team’s weight training program under strength coach Tony Webb while continuing to have full-time access to the hitting facilities at Alexander Field. It aided his development and helped provide the next level of conditioning that allowed him to start 49 of Purdue’s 57 games behind the plate in 2024, including the final 17 during the stretch run. Caskenette’s offensive numbers also improved across the board year 2 at Purdue.
2023: .279/.355/.469, .824 OPS, 16 XBH, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 8.3 K%
2024: .309/.429/.574, 1.003 OPS, 24 XBH, 13 HR, 69 RBI, 10.1 K%
Miami’s five draft picks of Boilermakers are tied with Arizona for the most ever by any MLB franchise. And it was the Diamondbacks that last drafted a Purdue catcher, selecting Nick Dalesandro in the 10th round after his All-Big Ten season for the Boilermakers’ 2018 NCAA Regional team.
While Dalesandro (2016-18) was Purdue’s last catcher to be drafted, Caskenette’s Canadian countryman and predecessor behind the plate Zac Fascia (2019-21) is also currently playing pro ball in the Cleveland Guardians system. Fascia signed with Cleveland after the draft in 2021 (the first year it was reduced to 20 rounds) after he had previously been drafted in the summer of 2018.
Caskenette is in line to officially earn his bachelor’s degree in sociology next month. He joins Davis Pratt as players on the 2024 team to already move on to pro ball. Pratt signed with the Chicago Dogs of the independent American Association in June, becoming teammates with Dalesandro. Players not selected in the draft this week are now eligible to sign with organizations as free agents.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FINALIZED
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With the announcement earlier this week of a home-and-home series with SEC power Auburn, the Purdue men’s basketball non-conference scheduled has been finalized.
A year after owning the nation’s toughest non-conference schedule among power-conference teams, Purdue has once again loaded up, facing as many as four teams that finished in the NET’s top 15 from a year ago. The schedule features as many as seven games against KenPom top-100 teams and just one opponent that finished outside the top 200 from a year ago.
Seven opponents reached the NCAA Tournament last season, including two that reached the Final Four (Alabama and North Carolina State – possible). Another foe, Toledo, won its conference regular-season title (MAC) before bowing out in its conference tournament. Six of Purdue’s opponents finished first or second in their conference’s regular-season standings, respectively.
The Boilermakers are coming off a spot in the 2024 National Championship game and a 34-5 record. Three starters are scheduled to return in addition to three other players that played at least 31 games this past season. Head coach Matt Painter also welcomes a five-member recruiting class that is ranked among the top 10 nationally.
OPPONENT CAPSULES (LAST YEAR’S RECORDS / RANKINGS)
Oct. 30 – Grand Valley State (EXH); 16-15 overall, 11-7 GLIAC (4th); L – Conf. Tournament Finals
Nov. 4 – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; 21-12 overall, 14-4 Southland (2nd); 179 NET, 182 KenPom
Nov. 8 – Northern Kentucky; 18-15 overall, 12-8 Horizon (5th); 183 NET, 186 KenPom
Nov. 11 – Yale; 23-10 overall, 11-3 Ivy League (2nd); 83 NET, 90 KenPom
Nov. 15 – Alabama; 25-12 overall, 13-5 SEC (2nd); 9 NET, 14 KenPom
Nov. 19 – Marquette; 27-10, 14-6 Big East (2nd); 14 NET, 13 KenPom
Nov. 23 – Marshall; 13-20 overall, 7-11 Sun Belt (10th); 245 NET, 238 KenPom
Nov. 28 OR 29 (POSSIBLE) – BYU; 23-11 overall, 10-8 Big 12 (5th); 12 NET, 18 KenPom
Nov. 28 OR 29 (POSSIBLE) – North Carolina State; 26-15 overall, 9-11 ACC (10th); 63 NET, 45 KenPom
Nov. 28 OR 29 (POSSIBLE) – Ole Miss; 20-12 overall, 7-11 SEC (10th); 90 NET, 86 KenPom
Dec. 14 – Texas A&M; 21-15 overall, 9-9 SEC (7th); 45 NET, 35 KenPom
Dec. 21 – Auburn; 27-8 overall, 13-5 SEC (2nd); 5 NET, 4 KenPom
Dec. 29 – Toledo; 20-12 overall, 14-4 MAC (1st); 130 NET, 139 KenPom
Beginning with last season, Purdue’s schedule’s strength has ranked 2nd (2023-24), 32nd (2022-23), 33rd (2021-22), 17th (2020-21), 6th (2019-20) and 4th (2018-19) over the last six seasons.
BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER ADDS SIX NEWCOMERS FOR FALL 2024 SEASON
Co-head coaches Tari St. John and Rob Alman have announced the anticipated arrival of a talented incoming class as six new standouts will join the program for the upcoming fall season.
Incoming Bulldogs
Piper Wilkison – Newport Beach, California (West Coast FC)
Ceilidh Whynott – Saint Paul, Minnesota (Salvo Soccer Club)
Macie Mietz – Bethel, Connecticut (Connecticut Football Club)
Léa Larouche – Quebec, Canada (CF Montréal)
Macy Malecki – Northville, Michigan (Michigan Jaguars)
Gemma Gillespie – Rolling Meadows, Illinois (Eclipse Select Soccer Club)
The newcomers join an experienced core of twenty returning players and a Bulldog squad that has qualified for postseason play in nine consecutive seasons.
Piper Wilkison
Newport Beach, California/Mater Dei (West Coast FC) 5′-7″, GK
Wilkison’s West Coast FC side won the 2023 Surf Cub without allowing a goal. The team also won the 2022 West Coast Fútbol Classic and was third in the nation in the 2021 Girls Academy League. In 2019, it was a National Cup Finalist. Wilkison graduated summa cum laude from Mater Dei where she was a National Honor Society member and a CSF Sealbearer.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler University for its academics as well as its competitive women’s soccer program. What had the biggest impact on my decision was the combination of the women’s soccer coaching staff, the other women’s soccer players, and the broader Butler community. With the head coaches having been at Butler for so long, one could sense the cumulative effort they have put into the program and in shaping a very unique team culture. I immediately noticed the competitive focus and the strong connections that the coaches had formed with their athletes, which were unique compared to any other program. After meeting the girls on the team, I instantly felt the very special culture among athletes who come from all over the country and the world—they are connected, collaborative, and caring. The broader Butler University campus and community are special in so many ways. I am continuously impressed with the carefully curated curriculum that is tightly integrated with industry, serving as a powerful springboard into professional life.”
Wilkison is the daughter of Pat and Janell Wilkison and has two siblings, Taylor and Kent. She plans to major in Marketing.
Ceilidh Whynott
Saint Paul, Minnesota/Woodbury (Salvo Soccer Club) 5′-7″, F
Whynott was a team captain who received All-State and All-Conference honors at Woodbury, finishing first or second in team scoring in each of her final three seasons. Her high school program was an undefeated in conference champion in 2023, also winning the Great Northern Shootout. Her Salvo SC side qualified for the Girls Academy Summer Playoffs in 2023-24. Whynott was a two-time GA Mid-America Talent ID invitee and was a team/club representative to the GA Advisory Panel. the forward tallied 33 goals and 11 assists over her final three seasons. At Woodbury High School, Whynott was a National Honor Society board member and President of Royal Connections Club which assists students with special needs. The AP Scholar graduated magna cum laude.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because of everything it offers academically and personally, the beautiful campus, and the great soccer program with amazing teammates and coaches.”
Whynott is the daughter of Bruce Whynott and Shauna MacDougall and has one sibling, Breckin. She plans to major in Health Science.
Macie Mietz
Bethel, Connecticut/Bethel HS (Connecticut Football Club) 5′-7″, D
Mietz was a four-year varsity starter and letterwinner at Bethel High School, racking up 55 goals and 58 assists over her career. Earning All-New England, All-State, and All-Conference recognition over multiple seasons, the team captain was also named to the 2023 GameTimeCT All-State First Team and was a two-time Top-25 CIAC Player to Watch. In club competition, her Connecticut FC side reach the Sweet 16 at the 2023 ECNL National Championship. Mietz also ran track at Bethel, setting school records in the indoor 600m and the outdoor 4x800m. She was named to the High Honor Roll and All-Conference Academic Team over multiple years.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because I felt it was a great fit for me, both athletically and academically, to meet my goals as a player and a student. The style of play, along with the experience of the coaching staff, put me in the position to be the best version of myself.”
Mietz is the daughter of Abbie and Geoff Mietz and has three siblings, Lauren, Kendall, and Holli. She plans to major in Exploratory Business.
Léa Larouche
Québec, Canada/École Saint-Gabriel (CF Montréal) 5′-7″, F
Larouche’s CF Montreal side won the 2023 Québec Cup as well as the 2023 Ligue1 Québec summer season, qualifying for the Ligue1 Canada Interprovencial Championship. In the Niagara 2022 Canada Games, she represented Québec and brought home a silver medal. In 2021, she won a Golden Boot when she scored 22 goals over 15 matches playing up with U16 AAA in the LSEQ League. Larouche maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school.
On choosing Butler: “From my first conversation with the coaching staff, I could see myself evolving and growing to become the best version of myself, athletically and as a human being, at Butler. On my official visit, I immediately felt at home, and that just confirmed my decision to become a Bulldog!”
Larouche is the daughter of France Dupont and Martin Larouche and has one sibling, Alexandre. She plans to major in Neurosciences.
Macy Malecki
Northville, Michigan/Northville HS (Michigan Jaguars) 5′-9″, midfield
Malecki was invited to the Girls Academy Mid-America Talent ID event and was a GA team rep over multiple seasons. She also competed at the 2021 U.S. YNT Regional Identification Center. The center-midfielder was a multiple-year team captain for a Michigan Jaguars club team that was the 2024 Mid-America Conference Champion, 2023-24 Girls Academy playoff qualifier, and 2019 Midwest Regional Champion. At Northville High School, Malecki was a National Honor Society member during all four years.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because I knew it would be the best fit for me with the highly competitive and top-notch academics and athletic programs. In terms of the soccer program, as soon as I stepped on campus, I felt at home. The entire coaching staff and girls on the team made me feel welcome and respected. I know that the coaches care about me not only as an athlete, but as a person, and will do everything to help me be the best I can be on and off the soccer field.”
Malecki is the daughter of Nicole Malecki and Randy Malecki and has one sibling, Brandon. She plans to major in Software Engineering.
Gemma Gillespie
Rolling Meadows, Illinois/Fremd (Eclipse Select Soccer Club) 5′-8″, D
Gillespie received All-State, All-Sectional, and All-Conference honors over multiple seasons at Fremd High School, a program that finished third in the 2023 IHSA State Championship. The center-back played club for Eclipse Select SC.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because it fosters a fantastic environment to grow as a player and person. The coaches are amazing, and I love the campus. Go dawgs!”
Gillespie is the daughter of Mike and Terri Gillespie and has three siblings, Gia, Tommy, and Joey. She plans to major in Marketing.
BUTLER BASEBALL
DORIGHI SIGNS FREE AGENT DEAL WITH THE SEATTLE MARINERS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Seattle Mariners signed Butler shortstop Carter Dorighi to a free agent deal moments after the conclusion of the 2024 MLB Draft on Tuesday evening. The junior from Cherry Hills Village, Colorado will join an organization that is currently in first place of the AL West standings and that has six minor league affiliates.
“Carter is everything a coach looks for, not only as a player, but as a person and a teammate,” Head Coach Blake Beemer said. “Carter worked hard and played every game like it was his last. He put together one of the best seasons in school history and we can’t wait to watch him do great things at the professional level.”
Dorighi hit .370 as the Bulldog lead-off man and was one of just two unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selections. He led the BIG EAST and set a new school record with 90 hits in 2024. Dorighi ranked 32nd in the nation in total hits and 80th in batting average.
A starter in all 55 games, Dorighi had 16 doubles, three triples and seven home runs during his junior campaign to record 133 total bases and 48 RBIs. He scored 55 runs and set a new school record with 243 at-bats. Dorighi was the league leader in at-bats, total plate appearances, runs, and total bases.
Single-game highlights from 2024 includes Dorighi tying the school record with a six-hit game in the finale at Morehead State on March 3. He had a season-high six RBIs vs. Bradley two weeks later and went 5-for-6 at Villanova in May with a double and a home run. Dorighi led BU with 28 multi-hit games and recorded multiple RBIs in 12 games.
Over his two-year Bulldog career, Dorighi came up with 155 hits in 110 games giving him a .333 average.
IU-INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER ANNOUNCES EIGHT SIGNEES FOR 2024 SEASON
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis Department of Athletics and the women’s soccer program announced the additions of eight student-athletes for the 2024 fall campaign. The eight additions, combined with the previously announced graduate transfers Emily Keck (Charlotte) and Maia Ransom (Eastern Kentucky), bring head coach Chris Johnson’s recruiting class to 10 newcomers for the 2024 season.
All eight of the most recent additions will have four seasons of eligibility, beginning this fall.
Below are the eight newcomers, listed alphabetically.
Mia Bilinski – 5-foot-5 / MF/D
Lockport, Ill. / Providence Catholic
-Led Providence Catholic in goals and assists each of her final three seasons
-Helped her club team to the Illinois State Cup and Presidents Cup finals
-Also helped her club team to a USYS Midwest Conference championship
-Named among the area’s top players by The Chicago Tribune
Ella Green – 5-foot-5 / MF
St. Louis, Mo. / Lindbergh
-Attended Mizzou and St. Louis Community College last year, but did not compete in soccer
-Earned All-District and Second Team All-Conference honors as a senior in 2023 at Lindbergh High School
-Earned the team’s Sportsmanship Award as a junior in 2022
-Team won Midwest Conference and State Cup and was semifinalist in USYS Nationals
-Also earned the Renaissance Award in 2023
Bethany Hartigan – 5-foot-10 / MF
Bromley, England / Ravenswood
-Played for Tottenham Hotspur Women’s U21s in the WSLA, making eight appearances (one start)
-Named the Players Player of the Season in 2022
-Helped her team to the Regional School Kent Championships in 2019 and 2020
-Also played with Dulwich Hamlet FC
Maggie Mattek – 5-foot-9 / F
Muskego, Wisc. / Muskego
-Helped Muskego to three consecutive Wisconsin State Championships
-Led Muskego in assists each season of her career
-Scored goals in the state semifinals in 2022, 2023 and 2024
-Had an assist in the state championship game her senior year
-Three-time honorable mention all-conference selection
-Earned honorable mention Academic All-State and Classic 8 Scholar-Athlete honors her senior year
-Four-year scholar athlete and nominated for the 2024 Women of Will Award
Ava Mau – 5-foot-6 / MF
Kaukauna, Wisc. / Kaukauna
-Earned honorable mention Fox Valley Association (FVA) All-Conference honors as a senior
-Also served as kicker on the football team, becoming the first girl in school history to score points in a football game
-Played club soccer with Electric City U19 Classic
Ella McDonnell – 5-foot-4 / MF
Morris, Ill. / Morris Community
-Two-time All-Conference and All-Regional performer in soccer
-Set the school record (boys and girls) for most goals in a single season (33)
-Named All-Sectional as a junior after totaling 22 goals and 19 assists
-Also a two-time All-Conference, All-Sectional and All-State honoree in wrestling
-Was a two-time fourth-place finisher at the state championships in wrestling
Keilah Muldrow – 5-foot-3 / D
Hilliard, Ohio / Hilliard Darby
-Three-year letterwinner in soccer at Hilliard Darby High School
-Played for Ohio South 2018 ODP
-Earned a spot in the ODP Regional pool in Boca Raton, Fla.
Bernadette Wismann – 5-foot-4 / MF
Dillsboro, Ind. / South Dearborn
-Four-year All-Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference (EIAC) and Team MVP in soccer
-Named to The Cincinnati Enquirer All-Star Soccer Team all four seasons
-Was a four-year All-County selection and three-time County Offensive Player of the Year
-Finished her career as South Dearborn’s single-season (32) and career (85) goals leader, as well as single-season (17) and career (54) record holder in assists as well
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BEEKER SELECTED IN THE 11TH ROUND BY THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Junior left-handed pitcher Merritt Beeker was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 11th round (No. 320 overall) of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft early on Wednesday as the fifth pick of the day.
Beeker was voted the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-MAC after punching out 128 in 81 innings of work and going 9-3 with a 4.11 ERA in his 15 starts. The Lexington, N.C., native culminated his campaign with 12 strikeouts in a complete game one-hitter against Toledo in the conference tournament.
“I’m so happy for Merritt,” Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. “What a year he had, and this opportunity is well-deserved. He continued our great run of outstanding pitchers! His best days are ahead! Go Cardinals, Go Merritt and Go Nationals!”
Beeker is the 76th MLB Draft selection among Ball State baseball players and first by the Washington franchise.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SPENCER SELECTED BY PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES IN THE 14TH ROUND OF THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State left-hander Jared Spencer was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Spencer (Pick: 432) marks the 17th Indiana State baseball player drafted since 2014 and 93rd Sycamore to be taken in the MLB Draft since 1965. He joins fellow draftees Randal Diaz (Washington Nationals – 5th Round, Pick 141) and Luke Hayden (Cincinnati Reds – 8th Round, Pick 239) as the third Sycamore picked on over the three-day draft.
Spencer wrapped up the 2024 season as one of the top arms in the Missouri Valley Conference finishing among the Valley leaders in wins (6) over his 18 appearances and nine starts on the mound. He posted a 72:33 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the season allowing opponents to hit .216 from the plate.
Highlighting his 2024 season included a 5.1-inning, four-hit game allowing one run while striking out 10 batters against Valparaiso. He added a 5.1-inning start allowing three hits and a run while striking out seven against Illinois State on April 19. He wrapped up the season with wins over Michigan State, Southern Miss, Xavier, Purdue, UIC, and Valparaiso, while adding saves against Louisville and Missouri State.
The Centreville, Mich. native was a 2023 MVC All-Conference First Team reliever making a team-high 25 appearances on the mound while serving as the team’s primary closer to the NCAA Super Regional Round. He posted a 3-2 record over 37.1 innings while recording a team-high seven saves.
Spencer posted a career 11-5 record over his 59 appearances over his three seasons at Indiana State. He added 11 starts and nine saves among his 122.1 innings on the mound with a 4.41 ERA. Spencer posted a 149:71 strikeout-to-walk ratio and allowed opponents to hit .229 from the plate.
INDIANA STATE GOLF
SYCAMORE GOLF ANNOUNCES FALL 2024 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head golf coach Greg Towne announced the fall 2024 golf schedule on Tuesday morning.
The Sycamores will head to five tournaments this fall, competing each weekend in September and wrapping up the fall with one tournament in October.
ISU kicks off its fall schedule at the Redbird Invitational on Sept. 8-9 for the fifth time in six years, dating back to the start of the 2019-2020 season (ISU didn’t play a fall 2020 schedule due to the coronavirus). The Sycamores then travel one state south to Paducah, Ky. for The Velvet on Sept. 16-17.
The third tournament the Sycamores will play is the Roseann Schwartz Invitational in Boardman, Ohio, followed the next weekend by the Butler Invitational on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. ISU concludes the fall seeking back-to-back tournament wins in Evansville at the Braun Intercollegiate, which the Sycamores won last season.
The Sycamores return a top-12 finisher from last spring’s MVC Championship in Briana LeMaire and a top-30 finisher in Yang Tai. Coach Towne brings in three signees to the squad who will look to compete for the opening tournament’s lineup in September.
MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER
MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER UNVIELS 2024 NEWCOMERS
INDIANAPOLIS – With less than a month remaining on the calendar before reporting for fall camp, the Marian women’s soccer program and head coach Justin Sullivan have announced their 13-member class of newcoming players for the 2024 season.
Marian’s incoming class features three transfers and 10 incoming freshman, with members of the transferring Knights having joined the program during the spring semester. Below is a quote from head coach Justin Sullivan on each player in the class and a quote from the head coach on where this class will have an impact within the Marian program. Each player also has their commitment post from the team’s social media page tagged for additional thoughts and details on the new faces of Marian women’s soccer.
“Our 2024 class of incoming players is a mix of exciting, talented attackers, composed tidy midfielders, and ball playing, hard-nosed defenders,” said Sullivan. “The most exceptional part of this class is the level of character associated to each of them individually. This is a class of real commitment and respect for the process of being a superb student-athlete. Obviously, we’ve had a taste of real success at a national level over the course of the last eight years and have had various classes come in and impact our program at a high level. I think the quality and depth of this class rates as one of the best. Time will tell.”
#9 | Layla Brown | 5th-Year Sr. | F | 5’9 | Fishers, Ind. | Hamilton Southeastern HS | Samford University | FC Pride | Committed
“We’re lucky to have Layla join us in her final year of eligibility. Layla had a solid career at Samford University and wanted to come home to potentially do something special at Marian! Layla is a strong, electric attacker who has already added a punch to our attack during the semester she’s been enrolled. We’re excited to see how Layla adapts to the Crossroads League and NAIA.”
#10 | Sammie King | So. | M | 5’6 | Indianapolis, Ind. | North Central HS | Bowling Green State University | FC Pride | Committed
“Like Layla, Sammie joined us at semester after spending one semester at Bowling Green State. She is a clever, clinical central midfielder with a calming presence, but don’t let that deceive you, she certainly tends to add to the goals as well. We’re excited to have Sammie for the final three years of her collegiate career and think that she has the potential to be a top player.”
#17 | Lizzie Chlystun | 5th-Year Sr. | M | 5’2 | Zionsville, Ind. | Zionsville HS | Central Michigan University | FC Pride | Committed
“We’re excited to have Lizzie on board for her last year of collegiate eligibility. Lizzie had a fine career at Central Michigan, and like Layla, wanted to come closer to home to potentially be a part something she didn’t have the opportunity to accomplish CMU. Don’t let Lizzie’s size deceive you, she is a quick and energetic wide player that could pop up in several different positions for us this fall. We’re lucky to have someone of Lizzie’s pedigree join our program!”
#16 | Sienna Mullen | Fr. | M | 5’8 | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers HS | FC Pride | Committed
“As a senior in high school, Sienna was an All-State player in Indiana. After knowing Sienna for the past three years, that potential has always been there. Sienna is an exciting talent that will add to our attack in wide areas and her fitness level will allow her to help us defensively as well. We hope that Sienna will be someone who can develop into a prominent role within our program for years to come.”
#11 | Lauren Maresh | Fr. | M | 5’6 | Noblesville, Ind. | Noblesville HS | FC Pride | Committed
“I’ve had the opportunity to coach Lauren for a few years now. I think Lauren was one of the most underrated players in Indiana over the past couple of years. She has worked exceptionally hard on her craft and developed herself into one of the best attacking-minded, creative dribblers in Indiana. She’s the type of player that makes you sit on the edge of your seat when she gets the ball because you know something fun is about to happen!”
#1 | Cassidy Nowlan | Fr. | GK | 5’3 | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers HS | FC Pride | Committed
“Like Sienna, Cass has developed into an All-State goalkeeper over her past couple years. She is a remarkably athletic and technically sound goalkeeper and has surprised teammates and opposing coaches with what she can do. Cass’s work rate and level of teammate is unparalleled. She will push our goalkeeping unit to a new level.”
#3 | Erin Reilly | Fr. | D | 5’6 | Indianapolis, Ind. | Roncalli HS | Indiana Fire Academy | Committed
“The Reilly’s are true Marian Knights, and Erin is no exception. Over the last few years, Erin has developed into an All-State defender in Indiana, but what’s always stood out to me about Erin is her character. She is a true, compassionate, and thoughtful leader. I will enjoy working with Erin to see her potential maximized.”
#21 | Cathy Hoff | Fr. | D | 5’6 | Macomb, Mich. | Utica HS | Michigan Stars | Committed
“Cathy was one of our first commits in this class, and after watching her mature after her commitment, I think we hit a home run. She will have to keep working to prove me right. Cathy played at a smaller club in Michigan, but has always been loyal, allowing her to take center stage and developing at her own pace. She has become a versatile player bouncing back and forth between centerback and holding midfielder, both allowing her to showcase her distribution over distance.”
#41 | Ceceila Kostick | Fr. | D | 5’9 | Andover, Minn. | Andover HS | St. Croix SC | Committed
“Cece is a free spirit and exciting talent from the Twin Cities. What Cece brings is rare in our game, a left footed centerback. While so many centerbacks who play on that side don’t have the confidence to play with their left foot or get caught in possession because of it, Cece has no program. I’ve watched Cece play in matches where she hasn’t put a foot wrong. I know she’ll be quick to adapt to the speed of play and I can’t wait to see what her future holds with us.”
#7 | Erin Kelly | Fr. | D | 5’7 | Libertyville, Ill. | Libertyville HS | FC 1974 | Committed
“We first noticed Erin after watching her play in an All-Star match at a Florida showcase. Obviously, her play is at a high level, but once we got to know her a bit better, we became enamored with her bright personality. Erin has a chance to be a special player for us after a club career with one of the best club teams in the country at FC 1974. She is another left-sided player who could play a few different positions in our shape.”
#36 | Grace Goecke | Fr. | D | 5’7 | Spencerville, Ohio | Spencerville HS | Fort Wayne United | Committed
“Grace might be the best athlete in the freshman class. The Ohio native played for multiple State Cup winning side Ft. Wayne United, and just wrapped up her club career in the USYS National Championships. Grace has loads of potential as a defender knowing that she can cover acres of space quickly and recover at an exceptional rate. Grace will also be an 800 runner with our women’s track and field team.:
#37 | Rebeca Quezada | Fr. | F | 5’4 | Yucatan, Mexicon | Land O’ Lakes HS (Fla.) | Tampa Bay United | Committed
“Like quite a few of our incoming student-athletes, Becky’s character showed through more than anything else. She is a pacey attacking player coming from Tampa Bay United, and will join her sister Niky in our program. Becky will also be running track at Marian.”
#35 | Leila Ramirez-Noon | Fr. | M | 5’4 | Kent, Wash. | Kentwood HS | Pac NW | Committed
“I had a chance to watch Leila play at an event in Florida and noticed an exceptional level of composure in her game. She is a central midfielder that likes to dictate the tempo of matches with a bit of change of pace. When she came up to visit Marian, she fit right in, and will certainly be someone that can reach her potential with us. During my time with the program, we haven’t had anyone from the Pacific Northwest, and I’m excited to see what Leila brings to Marian Women’s Soccer.”
Marian reports for fall camp on August 5, with their first friendly of the preseason taking place on August 9.
ROSE HULMAN ATHLETICS
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AYANNA TWEEDY EARNS NIKE DIII EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR FROM WOMEN LEADERS IN SPORTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo.– Rose-Hulman Athletic Director Ayanna Tweedy has been named the 2024 recipient of the Nike Division III Executive of the Year Award by Women Leaders in Sports.
Women Leaders is a nationally recognized professional membership organization whose mission is to develop, connect, and advance women leaders working in sports. Women Leaders provides career and leadership training, access to a powerful network, and the resources to advance women at every stage of their careers. The organization is committed to recognizing the achievements and successes of women working in sports
The Executive of the Year Award recipients have been nominated by their peers and selected by the Women Leaders Awards Committee.
Over the past year, Tweedy has made a strong impact on the Rose-Hulman athletic department. She has served on the planning committee for the $5.1 million facility upgrades that include the addition of a recruiting room, seven new office spaces, a locker room, and a new meeting room space.
Additionally, she was an advocate for the $350,000 Rose-Hulman baseball and softball netting installment project. She also serves on the NCAA Division III Track and Field championships committee and was named a Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) board member.
During her tenure at Rose-Hulman, Tweedy has elevated more women to senior staff roles and increased women’s assistant coaches by four percent, fought for equity in pay, received the Women and Ethnic Minority grant for an assistant volleyball coach, and expanded hiring pools to increase coaches of color by eight percent.
Tweedy and the other award recipients will be recognized at the Women Leaders National Convention on October 13-15 in Baltimore, Maryland.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3 – 5 – 45 – 20
July 17, 1900 – It was the start of a great era on the mound for the New York Giants eventhough it may not have felt like it. Rookie hurler Christy Mathewson began his career that day but lost the game to the Brooklyn Superbas. Mathewson would enjoy the better part of 16 seasons in New York winning 373 games and holding a career ERA of 2.13.
July 17, 1902 – The Baltimore Orioles forfeited a game to the St Louis Browns for having only 5 players available to play. they then forfeited their franchise back to the AL. Apparently this was the final dominoes to fall in a wild transaction. John Mahon the Orioles owner at the beginning of the 1902 season, sold his interest in the Orioles to Andrew Freedman, principal owner of the Giants, and John T. Brush, principal owner of the Cincinnati Reds, also of the NL. These fellas had some ulterior motives in the purchase of the franchise that was in dire financial straights. It all started when Mahon and his then manager John McGraw feuded making McGraw resign and take a position with the New York Giants (see our July 16 post). The transaction of buyout was reported to have been in the range of $20,000 ($626,385 in current dollar terms). That day, Freedman and Brush released Joe Kelley, Joe McGinnity, Roger Bresnahan, Jack Cronin, Cy Seymour, and Dan McGann from their Oriole contracts. Brush then signed Kelley and Seymour to the Reds, while Freedman signed McGinnity, Bresnahan, Cronin, and McGann, joining McGraw, his new player-manager, on the Giants. This initial version of the Orioles franchise in utter shambles moved to New York in 1903 when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct team and rebranded them as the New York Highlanders and they of course eventually became the New York Yankees.
July 17, 1922 – Ty Cobb clobbered 5 hits in a single game for record 4th time in a one year period. His at bats that day against the Boston Red Sox, included a home run, a double and three RBIs. Not a bad day at all for the Georgia Peach.
July 17, 1924 – St Louis Cardinals ace Jesse Haines no-hit the Boston Braves line-up, in 5-0 blanking.
July 17, 1925 – Tris Speaker, became the fifth MLB player to reach the 3,000 hit milestone. Speaker who was playing for the Cleveland Indians then led the AL with a .479 On-Base-Percentage that season.
July 17, 1934 – New York Yankees Number 3, Babe Ruth drew his 2,000th base on balls at Cleveland. The Great Bambino walked a grand total of 2062 times in his 22 year career.
July 17, 1941 – New York Yankee Number 5, Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak ended in Cleveland as the Indians kept him off of the basepaths, at least through hits.
July 17, 1974 – Bob Gibson, Number 45 for the St Louis Cardinals became just the second pitcher to strike-out 3,000 batters when he sat down Cesar Geronimo, Number 20 of the Cincinnati Reds to reach the MLB milestone.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
ABC takes a subtle approach to the USFL’s historic title game
July 17, 1983 – The very first USFL Championship game was played as the Michigan Panthers defeated the Philadelphia Stars 24-22. Bobby Hebert and Anthony Carter led the Panther attack on offense. Quarterback Hebert went 20 of 39 for 314 yards and three touchdowns to garner the Most valuable Player honors of the then nameless summer time bowl game. Nine of Bobby’s pases were caught by Carter who posted a very impressive 179 yards of receiving including a 48 yard scoring play with just 3;01 remaining in the game to seal off what looked like it may be another Stars comeback. Philly was coming off a rally from three scores back to knock off Chicago in the semi-final just a week earlier. Keith Jackson and Lynn Swann were in the broadcast booth while they used the expertise of Tim Brant on the sidelines to get the scoop from players on many things including injuries. As for the Michigan Panthers they had some great talent on the roster beside Anthony Carter and Bobby Hebert. According to the StatCrew.com website their leading rusher that season was Ken Lacy who carried the ball for a team-best 1,180. John Corker topped the defensive unit with 28.5 quarterback sacks, part of an overall team total of 74 sacks. The had a strong leader patrolling the sidelines too as Jim Stanley coached the team. The Stat Crew site tells us that the ’83 Stars were loaded too. Besides being coached by Jim Mora the Philly team featured running back extraordinaire, Kelvin Bryant who carried the ball for a team-leading 1,442 yards. Signal caller, Chuck Fusina threw for 2,718 yards while wideout Willie Collier added 771 receiving yards.
The USFL was founded in 1982 and played for (3) seasons (1983 through 1985). It now looks like after more than 30 some odd years that the Spring League may return as the USFL in 2022.
Prime Foils Bo’s 4th Wall Beater
July 17, 1990 – NY Yankee and NFL legend Deion Sanders, hits an Inside the Park Homerun. “Prime Time” Sanders was the most recent 2 sport star in American Sports history. This homerun stopped an opportunity for another NFL player that had the second job playing on the diamond during the summer from hitting a fourth ball over the fence. Bo Jackson, suited up for the Kansas City Royals belted three round trippers against the Yanks that day in a 10-7 Royals win. So you may ask how did Sanders foil Bo’s final attempt at an HR? Well according to the NY Daily News when Prime Time cracked his shot to the gap Jax dove for the ball missing it and as Sanders raced around the diamond touching all of the bases the camera panned back to Jackson who played prone in the outfield. Bo had to leave the game with a separated shoulder and could not take his final at bat. Yes once again NFL Football history on the diamond!
Art Monk Retires
July 17, 1997 – The prolific NFL wide receiver, Art Monk retired after playing 16 NFL seasons. According to NFL.com Monk was a three time Super Bowl Champion with the Washington franchise. Art played in three Pro Bowls, was a 1984 1st-Team All-Pro when he was tops in NFL receptions that season with 106 catches and even made it to the Hall of Fame’s 1980’s All-Decade Team. His 888 receptions and 12026 receiving yards place him first in the record books in Washington Football Team history.
Counting Pigskin Benjamins
July 17, 2018 – Bloomberg Media publishes an estimate that the NFL made $14 billion in revenue in 2017 and distributed a record $255 million to each of the League’s 32 franchises. Reports say that more than half of the League’s revenue comes from lucrative television deals while the balance is from merchandising, ticket sales etc…
Hall of Fame Birthday for July 17
July 17, 1927 – Garden City, Kansas – Thurman “Fum” McGraw was a tackle from Colorado State, which at the time was known as Colorado A&M, who was selected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. “Fum” was a former boxer and wrestler and these sports gave him unique foot work and arm strength that made it a real challenge for opposing defenders to get by. Before he attended Colorado State though he served a tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corp in World War II according to the National Football Foundation. The first couple of seasons for McGraw at Colorado State were brutal at best, but things turned for the better in 1948 as everything came together for the squad as the Rams posted surprising upsets over rivals Utah State, Wyoming, Brigham Young and arch rival Colorado. The 1949 campaign, McGraw’s last as a four- year letterman, was even better for the Rams as they logged an impressive 9-1-0 record marred only by a loss to Wyoming. Mr. McGraw joined the Detroit Lions after graduation and he won the Rookie of the Year award and All-Pro honors.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 17
1924 — Jesse Haines of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.
1925 — Tris Speaker is the 5th player to reach 3,000 hits.
1936 — Carl Hubbell’s 24-game winning streak over two years began as he beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 on five hits.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56 games was stopped by Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Indians before 67,000 at Cleveland. The Yankees still won, 4-3.
1956 — In the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City, Ted Williams hit his 400th career home run. Williams connected in the sixth inning off Tom Gorman to give the Red Sox a 1-0 win over the A’s.
1966 — Chicago’s Billy Williams hit for the cycle to lead the Cubs to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader. Williams singled in the first inning, doubled in the third, had an RBI-triple in the fifth, homered to center in the seventh and popped out to third baseman in foul territory. The Cardinals took the opener 4-3 in 11 innings.
1969 — Jim Kaat, Gold Glove winner for seven straight years, was charged with three errors, leading to three unearned runs against the Chicago White Sox. Nevertheless, he won the game at Minnesota 8-5.
1974 — Bob Gibson struck out Cesar Geronimo of the Reds in the second inning to become the second pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts. Cincinnati beat St. Louis, 6-4.
1978 — Doc Medich of the Texas Rangers saved the life of a 61-year-old fan who had a heart attack just before a scheduled game at Baltimore. Medich, a medical student, administered heart massage until help arrived.
1987 — Don Mattingly became the first AL player to hit at least one home run in each of seven consecutive games as the New York Yankees disposed of the Texas Rangers 8-4.
1990 — Minnesota became the first team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in one game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Boston as the Red Sox beat the Twins 1-0.
2007 — Ryan Garko hit a game-tying pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning and singled home the winning run in the 11th to give Cleveland a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.
2011 — Dustin Pedroia singled with two outs in the top of the 16th inning, snapping a scoreless tie and giving the Red Sox a 1-0 victory over the Rays. It was the longest 1-0 game in the major leagues since the Brewers at Angels on June 8, 2004 went 17 innings.
2016 — Starling Marte hit a solo home run in the 18th inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 in a marathon game that lasted almost six hours. Pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy homered with two outs in the ninth inning for Washington.
2022 — Second-generation players take the first two spots in the 2022 amateur draft as SS Jackson Holliday, son of Matt Holliday, goes first overall to the Orioles, while OF Druw Jones, son of Andruw Jones, is selected second by the Diamondbacks. P Kumar Rocker, who had been the #10 pick in 2021 but had failed to come to an agreement with the Mets following a disagreement over the health of his pitching arm, goes #3 to the Rangers, who sign him mere hours after his selection. Rocker is coming off a brilliant stint of pitching in the independent Frontier League.
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July 18
1882 — Ambidextrous pitcher Tony Mullane of Louisville pitched with both hands in a major league game at Baltimore. Normally a right-hander, Mullane switched to the left hand in the fourth inning. He eventually lost 9-8.
1912 — The Chicago Cubs had 21 hits in 11 innings but still lost to the Philadelphia Phillies when Gavvy Cravath stole home.
1921 — Babe Ruth achieves 139 home runs and becomes the all-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, taking the title from Roger Connor.
1927 — Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics doubled off the glove of Harry Heilmann for his 4,000th hit.
1948 — Pat Seerey of the Chicago White Sox hit four home runs in a 12-11, 11-inning victory over the Philadelphia A’s in the opener of a doubleheader. Seerey hit two mammoth shots off Carl Scheib, one off Bob Savage and the game-winner off Lou Brissie in the top of the 11th.
1962 — Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins each hit grand slams in the first inning of a 14-3 rout of the Cleveland Indians.
1970 — Willie Mays bounced career hit number 3,000 through the left side of the infield off Mike Wegener in the second inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 10-1 romp over the Montreal Expos. Mays becomes the 10th player to get 3,000 hits.
1987 — New York’s Don Mattingly tied Dale Long’s 31-year-old major league record when he hit a home run for the eighth consecutive game in the Yankees’ 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
1999 — With Don Larsen on hand to help celebrate Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium, David Cone pitched a perfect game. Cone dazzled the Montreal Expos, throwing the 14th perfect game in modern history to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 victory.
2001 — Roger Cedeno was 4-for-5 with a double, triple, two homers and six RBIs in Detroit’s 12-4 win over the New York Yankees in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.
2006 — Atlanta became the first team since the 1930 New York Yankees to score 10 or more runs in five straight games following a 14-5 victory over St. Louis. The Braves have scored 65 runs during their offensive explosion that included two 15-run games.
2016 — A federal judge sentenced the former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals to nearly four years in prison for hacking the Houston Astros’ player personnel database and email system in an unusual case of high-tech cheating involving two Major League Baseball clubs. Christopher Correa had pleaded guilty in January to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer from 2013 to at least 2014, the same year he was promoted to director of baseball development in St. Louis.
2018 — As has been rumored for some time, the Dodgers trade for All-Star SS Manny Machado, who will become a free agent at the end of the season. The price is steep for what amounts to a short-term rental: five prospects, including AA OF Yusniel Diaz, one of the stars of the most recent Futures Game. The Dodgers have a gaping hole to fill, however, having recently lost SS Corey Seager for the remainder of the season.
July 17
1939 — Henry Picard beats Byron Nelson 1-up in 37 holes to win the PGA championship.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56 games is stopped by Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Indians before 67,000 at Cleveland.
1955 — Beverly Hanson beats Louise Suggs by three strokes in a playoff to capture the first LPGA championship.
1966 — Jim Ryun becomes the first American to hold the record in the mile since 1937. With a time of 3:51.3 at Berkeley, Calif., Ryun shatters Michel Jazy’s mark of 3:53.6 by 2.3 seconds.
1974 — Bob Gibson strikes out Cesar Geronimo of the Reds in the second inning to become the second pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts.
1979 — Sebastian Coe breaks the world record in the mile with a time of 3:48.95 in Oslo, Norway. The time is rounded up to 3:49.
1983 — Bobby Hebert passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Michigan Panthers to a 24-22 win over the Philadelphia Stars in the first USFL championship game.
1983 — Tom Watson wins his second straight and fifth career British Open title. Watson shoots a 9-under 275 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England to finish one stroke ahead of Andy Bean and Hale Irwin.
1990 — Minnesota becomes the first team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in one game, but it isn’t enough to overcome Boston as the Red Sox beat the Twins 1-0.
1994 — Brazil wins a record fourth World Cup soccer title, taking the first shootout in championship game history over Italy.
2005 — Tiger Woods records another ruthless performance at St. Andrews, closing with a 2-under 70 to win the British Open for his 10th career major. He wins by five shots, the largest margin in any major since Woods won by eight at St. Andrews five years ago. He joins Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the career Grand Slam twice.
2006 — Stacey Nuveman and Lovieanne Jung each homer to power the United States to the World Cup of Softball title with a 5-2 victory over Japan.
2011 — Japan stuns the United States in a riveting Women’s World Cup final, winning 3-1 on penalty kicks after coming from behind twice in a 2-2 tie. Goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori makes two brilliant saves in the shootout. Japan, making its first appearance in the final of a major tournament, hadn’t beaten the Americans in their first 25 meetings.
2011 — Darren Clarke gives Northern Ireland another major championship, winning the British Open by three strokes over Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
2016 — Henrik Stenson shoots an 8-under 63 to beat Phil Mickelson by three strokes, becoming the first man from Sweden to win the British Open.
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July 18
1896 — James Foulis wins the U.S. Men’s Open golf championship at Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, N.Y.
1921 — Babe Ruth achieves 139 home runs and becomes the all-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, taking the title from Roger Connor.
1927 — Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics doubles off the glove of Harry Heilmann for his 4,000th hit.
1951 — Jersey Joe Walcott, at 37, becomes the oldest fighter to win the world heavyweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Ezzard Charles at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
1970 — San Francisco’s Willie Mays gets career hit number 3,000 off Montreal’s Mike Wegener in the second inning.
1975 — The trial of Dave Forbes, the first pro athlete to be indicted for a crime committed during play, ends in a hung jury. Forbes, of the Boston Bruins, was indicted for excessive force used on an opponent. Forbes’ victim was Henry Boucha in a game on Jan. 4 against the North Stars at Minnesota. The prosecution decides not to seek a retrial.
1987 — New York’s Don Mattingly ties Dale Long’s 31-year-old major league record when he homers for the eighth consecutive game in the Yankees’ 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
1993 — Greg Norman shoots a 64 on the final day to set a record with a 13-under 267 and wins the British Open. Norman wins by two strokes over defending champion Nick Faldo.
1995 — Britain’s Jonathan Edwards breaks the 10-year-old world triple jump record, leaping 59 feet in the Salamanca Provincial meet. Edwards tops the previous mark of 58-11½ set in 1985 by Willie Banks of the United States.
1999 — Jean Van de Velde’s triple bogey on the 72nd hole sets the stage for Paul Lawrie to become the first Scotsman to win the British Open in his native land since Tommy Armour in 1931. Lawrie, 10 strokes behind when the final round began, wins the four-hole playoff over Van de Velde and Justin Leonard, making birdies on the last two holes to complete the biggest comeback in a major.
1999 — David Cone dazzles the Montreal Expos, throwing the 14th perfect game in modern history to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 victory.
2005 — In Oklahoma City, the United States loses a tournament title game for the first time since 1997, falling 3-1 to Japan in the championship of the inaugural World Cup of Softball. The Americans, which lost to Canada earlier in this tournament, lost to Australia 1-0 in the championship game of the 1997 Superball, held in Ohio.
2010 — Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa shoots a 1-under 71 for a seven-stroke victory at 16-under 272 in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Lee Westwood of England finishes second.
2021 — Colin Morikawa wins the Open Championship 15-under par at Royal St. George’s by two strokes over Jordan Speith. It was Morikawa’s second major championship win following his 2020 The Masters win.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
| NBA SUMMER LEAGUE | TIME ET | TV |
| Miami vs Dallas | 3:00pm | ESPN2 ESPN+ |
| Sacramento vs New York | 3:30pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| Toronto vs Utah | 5:00pm | ESPN2 ESPN+ |
| Boston vs Charlotte | 5:30pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| Memphis vs Orlando | 7:00pm | ESPN3 ESPN+ |
| Phoenix vs Oklahoma City | 8:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| LA Lakers vs Atlanta | 9:30pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| Golden State vs Cleveland | 10:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| MLS: Atlanta United vs New York City | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Columbus Crew vs Charlotte | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Inter Miami vs Toronto FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: New York RB vs CF Montréal | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Philadelphia Union vs New England | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Cincinnati vs Chicago Fire | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Dallas vs Austin | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Minnesota United vs DC United | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC | 8:30pm | FS1 MLS Season Pass |
| Liga MX: Juárez vs Pumas UNAM | 9:00pm | FS2 Fubo |
| MLS: LA Galaxy vs Colorado Rapids | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: SJ Earthquakes vs Houston Dynamo | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Seattle Sounders FC vs St. Louis City | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Sporting KC | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| MLS: Los Angeles FC vs Real Salt Lake | 10:30pm | FS1 MLS Season Pass |
| WNBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Atlanta vs Minnesota | 1:00pm | PeachtreeTV Bally Sports North |
| Indiana vs Dallas | 7:30pm | ESPN |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Newport-ATP, Hamburg-ATP, Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Budapest-WTA & Palermo-WTA Early Rounds | 4:30am | TENNIS |
| Newport-ATP, Hamburg-ATP, Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Budapest-WTA & Palermo-WTA Early Rounds | 12:30pm | TENNIS |
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| NBA SUMMER LEAGUE | TIME ET | TV |
| Indiana vs Denver | 4:30pm | ESPN2 ESPN+ |
| Memphis vs New Orleans | 6:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| Washington vs Sacramento | 7:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| Orlando vs Brooklyn | 8:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| LA Lakers vs Cleveland | 9:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| LA Clippers vs Utah | 10:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| Minnesota vs Houston | 11:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| The Open Championship | 4:00am | USA |
| LPGA Tour: Dana Open | 12:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Barracuda Championship | 5:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Primera División: Argentinos Juniors vs Tigre | 5:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Canadian Premier League: HFX Wanderers vs Valour | 6:00pm | FOX Soccer Plus |
| Primera División: Independiente Rivadavia vs Gimnasia La Plata | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Primera División: Instituto vs Independiente | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Newport-ATP, Hamburg-ATP, Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Budapest-WTA & Palermo-WTA Early Rounds | 4:30am | TENNIS |
| Newport-ATP, Hamburg-ATP, Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Budapest-WTA & Palermo-WTA Early Rounds | 12:30pm | TENNIS |