“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS SEMI-STATE
CLASS 4A
NORTH (AT ELKHART)
SOUTH BEND RILEY (22-4) VS. FISHERS (28-0), 10 A.M.
HOMESTEAD (22-5) VS. CROWN POINT (22-2), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
SOUTH (AT NEW CASTLE)
TERRE HAUTE NORTH (21-5) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (21-6), 10 A.M.
JEFFERSONVILLE (21-5) VS. MT. VERNON (21-5), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
CLASS 3A
NORTH (AT LOGANSPORT)
MACONAQUAH (21-5) VS. SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (24-3), 10 A.M.
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (20-8) VS. DELTA (17-7), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
SOUTH (AT SOUTHPORT)
PRINCETON (24-2) VS. CRISPUS ATTUCKS (20-6), 10 A.M.
NEW PALESTINE (25-3) VS. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (24-2), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
CLASS 2A
NORTH (AT MICHIGAN CITY)
GARY 21ST CENTURY (20-6) VS. WAPAHANI (26-1), 11 A.M.
MANCHESTER (23-2) VS. JIMTOWN (16-10), 1 P.M.
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8:30 P.M.
SOUTH (AT WASHINGTON)
PARKE HERITAGE (24-4) VS. FOREST PARK (19-6), 10:30 A.M.
UNIVERSITY (18-9) VS. LINTON-STOCKTON (21-6), 12:15 P.M.
CHAMPIONSHIP, 7:30 P.M.
CLASS A
NORTH (AT LAFAYETTE JEFF)
KOUTS (23-4) VS. MONROE CENTRAL (19-6), 10 A.M.
TRITON (23-4) VS. CLINTON PRAIRIE (24-2), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
SOUTH (AT SEYMOUR)
ORLEANS (22-4) VS. HAUSER (24-3), 10 A.M.
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (18-8) VS. CLAY CITY (25-1), NOON
CHAMPIONSHIP, 8 P.M.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TV SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES ET
TUESDAY, MARCH 18
ALABAMA STATE 70 ST. FRANCIS 68
NORTH CAROLINA 95 SAN DIEGO STATE 68
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 (FIRST FOUR IN DAYTON, OHIO)
(16) AMERICAN UNIVERSITY VS. (16) MOUNT ST. MARY’S, 6:40 P.M. | TRUTV
(11) TEXAS VS. (11) XAVIER, 9:10 P.M. | TRUTV
THURSDAY, MARCH 20 (FIRST ROUND/ROUND OF 64)
(8) LOUISVILLE VS. (9) CREIGHTON, 12:15 P.M. | CBS
(4) PURDUE VS. (13) HIGH POINT, 12:40 P.M. | TRUTV
(3) WISCONSIN VS. (14) MONTANA, 1:30 P.M. | TNT
(1) HOUSTON VS. (16) SIU EDWARDSVILLE, 2 P.M. | TBS
(1) AUBURN VS. (16) ALABAMA ST., 2:50 P.M. | CBS
(5) CLEMSON VS. (12) MCNEESE, 3:15 P.M. | TRUTV
(6) BYU VS. (11) VCU, 4:05 P.M. | TNT
(8) GONZAGA VS. (9) GEORGIA, 4:35 P.M. | TBS
(2) TENNESSEE VS. (15) WOFFORD, 6:50 P.M. | TNT
(7) KANSAS VS. (10) ARKANSAS, 7:10 P.M. | CBS
(4) TEXAS A&M VS. (13) YALE, 7:25 P.M. | TBS
(6) MISSOURI VS. (11) DRAKE, 7:35 P.M. | TRUTV
(7) UCLA VS. (10) UTAH STATE, 9:25 P.M. | TNT
(2) ST. JOHN’S VS. (15) OMAHA, 9:45 P.M. | CBS
(5) MICHIGAN VS. (12) UC SAN DIEGO, 10 P.M. | TBS
(3) TEXAS TECH VS. (14) UNC WILMINGTON, 10:10 P.M. | TRUTV
FRIDAY, MARCH 21 (FIRST ROUND/ROUND OF 64)
(8) MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. (9) BAYLOR, 12:15 P.M. | CBS
(2) ALABAMA VS. (15) ROBERT MORRIS, 12:40 P.M. | TRUTV
(3) IOWA STATE VS. (14) LIPSCOMB, 1:30 P.M. | TNT
(5) MEMPHIS VS. (12) COLORADO STATE, 2 P.M. | TBS
(1) DUKE VS. (16) MOUNT ST. MARY’S/AMERICAN, 2:50 P.M. | CBS
(7) SAINT MARY’S VS. (10) VANDERBILT, 3:15 P.M. | TRUTV
(6) OLE MISS VS. (11) NORTH CAROLINA, 4:05 P.M. | TNT
(4) MARYLAND VS. (13) GRAND CANYON, 4:35 P.M. | TBS
(1) FLORIDA VS. (16) NORFOLK STATE, 6:50 P.M. | TNT
(3) KENTUCKY VS. (14) TROY, 7:10 P.M. | CBS
(7) MARQUETTE VS. (10) NEW MEXICO, 7:25 P.M. | TBS
(4) ARIZONA VS. (13) AKRON, 7:35 P.M. | TRUTV
(8) UCONN VS. (9) OKLAHOMA, 9:25 P.M. | TNT
(6) ILLINOIS VS. (11) XAVIER/TEXAS, 9:45 P.M. | TNT
(2) MICHIGAN STATE VS. (15) BRYANT, 10 P.M. | TBS
(5) OREGON VS. (12) LIBERTY, 10:10 P.M. | TRUTV
NIT SCORES
KENT STATE 75 ST. BONAVENTURE 56
JACKSONVILLE STATE 81 GEORGIA TECH 64
CHATTANOOGA 109 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 103 3OT
OKLAHOMA STATE 89 WICHITA STATE 79
ARKANSAS STATE 103 ST. LOUIS 78
STANFORD 87 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 70
SANTA CLARA 101 UC RIVERSIDE 62
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT TV SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 (FIRST FOUR)
(11) IOWA STATE VS. (11) PRINCETON, 7 P.M. | ESPNU
(16) UC SAN DIEGO VS. (16) SOUTHERN U., 9 P.M. | ESPNU
THURSDAY, MARCH 20 (FIRST FOUR)
(11) COLUMBIA VS. (11) WASHINGTON 7 P.M. | ESPN2
(16) HIGH POINT VS. (16) WILLIAM & MARY, 9 P.M. | ESPNU
FRIDAY, MARCH 21 (FIRST ROUND/ROUND OF 64)
(6) MICHIGAN VS. (11) IOWA STATE/PRINCETON, 11:30 A.M. | ESPN2
(4) KENTUCKY VS. (13) LIBERTY, 12 P.M. | ESPN
(8) UTAH VS. (9) INDIANA, 1:30 P.M. | ESPN2
(3) NOTRE DAME VS. (14) STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, 2 P.M. | ESPN
(5) KANSAS STATE VS. (12) FAIRFIELD, 2:30 P.M. | ESPNEWS
(4) BAYLOR VS. (13) GRAND CANYON, 3:30 P.M. | ESPNU
(2) TCU VS. (15) FDU, 3:30 P.M. | ESPN2
(1) SOUTH CAROLINA VS. (16) TENNESSEE TECH, 4 P.M. | ESPN
(7) VANDERBILT VS. (10) OREGON, 5:30 P.M. | ESPNEWS
(4) OHIO STATE VS. (13) MONTANA STATE, 5:30 P.M. | ESPN2
(5) OLE MISS VS. (12) BALL STATE, 6 P.M. | ESPNU
(7) LOUISVILLE VS. (10) NEBRASKA, 6 P.M. | ESPN
(8) RICHMOND VS. (9) GEORGIA TECH, 7:30 P.M. | ESPNEWS
(2) DUKE VS. (15) LEHIGH, 8 P.M. | ESPNU
(5) TENNESSEE VS. (12) SOUTH FLORIDA, 8 P.M. | ESPN
(1) UCLA VS. (16) UC SAN DIEGO/SOUTHERN U., 10 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, MARCH 22 (FIRST ROUND/ROUND OF 64)
(6) IOWA VS. (11) MURRAY STATE, 12 P.M.| ESPN
(2) UCONN VS. (15) ARKANSAS STATE, 1 P.M. | ABC
(5) ALABAMA VS. (12) GREEN BAY, 1:30 P.M. | ESPN2
(2) NC STATE VS. (15) VERMONT, 2 P.M. | ESPN
(6) WEST VIRGINIA VS. (11) COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON, 2 P.M. | ESPNEWS
(3) OKLAHOMA VS. (14) FGCU, 2:30 P.M. | ESPNU
(1) SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VS. (16) UNC GREENSBORO, 3 P.M. | ABC
(7) OKLAHOMA STATE VS. (10) SOUTH DAKOTA STATE, 3:30 P.M. | ESPN2
(4) MARYLAND VS. (13) NORFOLK STATE, 4 P.M. | ESPN
(3) NORTH CAROLINA VS. (14) OREGON STATE, 4:30 P.M. | ESPNU
(7) MICHIGAN STATE VS. (10) HARVARD, 4:30 P.M. | ESPNEWS
(8) CALIFORNIA VS. (9) MISSISSIPPI STATE, 5:30 P.M. | ESPN2
(8) ILLINOIS VS. (9) CREIGHTON, 7:15 P.M. | ESPNEWS
(6) FLORIDA STATE VS. (11) GEORGE MASON, 7:45 P.M. | ESPN2
(1) TEXAS VS. (16) HIGH POINT/WILLIAM & MARY, 9:45 P.M. | ESPN2
(3) LSU VS. (14) SAN DIEGO STATE, 10:15 P.M. | ESPN
INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
NOTRE DAME 18 BUTLER 4
PURDUE 12 MILWAUKEE 8
INDIANA 7 EVANSVILLE 4
ILLINOIS 8 INDIANA STATE 6
BALL STATE 14 VALPARAISO 10
BOWLING GREEN 19 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 18
INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD
INDIANA 3 NOTRE DAME 2
BALL STATE 7 BUTLER 0
AKRON 3 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 2
INDIANA COLLEGE MEN’S LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA COLLEGE WOMEN’S LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCOREBOARD
ATLANTA 134 CHARLOTTE 102
BOSTON 104 BROOKLYN 96
GOLDEN STATE 104 MILWAUKEE 93
LA CLIPPERS 132 CLEVELAND 119
NHL SCOREBOARD
CALGARY 2 NY RANGERS 1
MONTRÉAL 6 OTTAWA 3
WASHINGTON 4 DETROIT 1
NY ISLANDERS 4 PITTSBURGH 2
DALLAS 4 ANAHEIM 3 OT
ST. LOUIS 4 NASHVILLE 1
SEATTLE 6 CHICAGO 2
EDMONTON 7 UTAH 1
VANCOUVER 6 WINNIPEG 2
MLB SCOREBOARD
REGULAR SEASON
LA DODGERS 4 CHICAGO CUBS 1
SPRING TRAINING
BOSTON 4 NY YANKEES 4
PITTSBURGH 3 PHILADELPHIA 2
DETROIT 6 MINNESOTA 5
ST. LOUIS 4 MIAMI 4
CINCINNATI 1 LA ANGELS 0
SEATTLE 9 MILWAUKEE 3
BALTIMORE 8 TORONTO 2
WASHINGTON 4 HOUSTON 3
SAN FRANCISCO 4 SAN DIEGO 3
TEXAS 7 CLEVELAND 3
COLORADO 3 SAN FRANCISCO 1
MLS SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NCAA TOURNAMENT
UNC RESPONDS TO CRITICS WITH FIRST FOUR ROUT OF SAN DIEGO STATE
DAYTON, Ohio — RJ Davis connected on all six of his 3-point attempts and finished with a team-high 26 points to lead North Carolina to a 95-68 First Four rout of San Diego State on Tuesday.
Jae’Lyn Withers added 10 points and 10 rebounds for North Carolina (23-13), which advances as the No. 11 seed to play No. 6 Ole Miss on Friday in a first round Midwest Region game in Milwaukee.
Davis, who came out of the blowout with seven minutes left, hit his final trey of the game with 7:36 left, putting North Carolina up 82-42.
The six triples from Davis matched North Carolina’s single-game NCAA Tournament record, set four times previously by Shammond Williams, Marcus Paige and twice by Caleb Love.
Davis surpassed the Tar Heels’ record for best overall 3-point shooting effort in an NCAA Tournament game. Current North Carolina coach Hubert Davis went 5-for-5 in an East Region semifinal on March 22, 1991, in a 93-67 win over Eastern Michigan.
Nick Boyd and Wayne McKinney III finished with 12 points apiece for San Diego State (21-10), which finished the season in disappointing fashion one year after reaching the Sweet 16 and two years after losing in the national final to Connecticut.
San Diego State took its worst loss since a 30-point defeat in the Sweet 16 to eventual national champion UConn in March 2024.
North Carolina was under heavy scrutiny as the final team selected by the NCAA Tournament committee because of its poor record against Quad 1 competition and the fact its athletic director was the chair of the selection committee.
The Tar Heels spent most of the first half silencing those critics, building a lead that grew to 24 points. RJ Davis capped the first half in appropriate fashion, sinking a desperate 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring to send the Tar Heels to the locker room with a 47-23 advantage.
Davis came out of halftime and another trey to begin the scoring, starting a 6-0 run that put North Carolina up by 30. The margin topped out at 40.
The Tar Heels got 16 points from Seth Trimble and 12 from Ven-Allen Lubin. North Carolina shot 52.6 percent from the floor, including 14 of 24 (58.3 percent) from 3-point range.
San Diego State made 39.7 percent of its field-goal attempts and went 8 of 27 (29.6 percent) from long distance.
ALABAMA STATE STUNS SAINT FRANCIS FOR LAST-SECOND FIRST FOUR VICTORY
DAYTON, Ohio — Amarr Knox grabbed a loose ball on a length-of-the-court heave and put in the game-winning layup with one second remaining to lift Alabama State to a thrilling 70-68 win over Saint Francis Tuesday night in the First Four.
Knox scored a team-high 16 points and TJ Madlock, son of head coach Tony Madlock, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for Alabama State (20-15). The Hornets grabbed the No. 16 seed in the South Region and advanced to play Auburn, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, this Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
Saint Francis’ Daemar Kelly fouled Madlock on a scramble for the ball near the far sideline with 11.8 seconds remaining. Madlock missed the front end of the 1-and-1 free throw opportunity.
The miss led to a frantic scene at midcourt as Saint Francis clambered to get the ball downcourt for a chance to win the game in regulation. But Juan Cranford Jr. dribbled the ball out of bounds and Alabama State had one more chance to win the game. Micah Simpson (nine points) made the football-style pass from the Hornets’ baseline.
Cranford, a Dayton native, led Saint Francis (16-18) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Valentino Pinedo added 17 points and Riley Parker had 12.
The game was filled with many frenetic moments in the final three minutes.
Knox hit an acrobatic floating runner while falling out of bounds to break a 62-62 tie and give the Alabama State the lead with 2:07 remaining.
Saint Francis appeared to be on its way to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, building a nine-point first-half lead before Alabama State rallied in the second half.
Cranford scored 13 points in the first half, helping the Red Flash to a 39-34 halftime lead.
The Red Flash shot a torrid 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the floor in the first half while the Hornets made just 14 of their 33 attempts (42.4 percent).
Saint Francis saw its season end the way it began, losing on the same University of Dayton Arena court where the season opened with an 87-57 loss to Dayton on Nov. 4.
COOPER FLAGG, JOHNI BROOME LEAD AP ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg and Auburn senior Johni Broome were selected unanimously as first-team selections on the Associated Press All-America squad.
The first team, announced Tuesday, also is made up of Mark Sears of Alabama, Braden Smith of Purdue and Walter Clayton Jr. of Florida.
Broome, selected to the third team in 2024, and Flagg were voted among the first five on all 61 ballots submitted by national media members. Flagg is the 19th different player in Blue Devils history to be selected to the first team, while Broome is the first for Auburn.
Flagg averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Broome averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists, making him the only player in the country with at least 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks this season.
Sears was a second-team All-American last season and now is the second first-team selection in Alabama history, following Brandon Miller in 2023. He put up 18.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
Smith was an honorable mention last year as a complementary piece to first-team All-America selection Zach Edey. He finished the regular season with averages of 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.7 assists.
Clayton also marks his name in the record books as the first Gators player to be named a first-team All-America. He averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
Selected to the second team were JT Toppin (Texas Tech), John Tonje (Wisconsin), PJ Haggerty (Memphis), Kam Jones (Marquette) and RJ Luis Jr. (St. John’s).
On the third team are Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), Eric Dixon (Villanova) and LJ Cryer (Houston).
Honorable mentions were awarded to Nique Clifford, Colorado State; Donovan Dent, New Mexico; Dylan Harper, Rutgers; Chucky Hepburn, Louisville; Tre Johnson, Texas; Curtis Jones, Iowa State; Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue; Chaz Lanier, Tennessee; Derik Queen, Maryland; Maxime Reynaud, Stanford; Javon Small, West Virginia; and Bennett Stirtz, Drake.
ALABAMA’S BENCH COULD BE KEY TO THE TIDE MAKING ANOTHER DEEP RUN IN THE NCAA TOURNEY
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — With versatile point guard Mark Sears and mustachioed forward Grant Nelson, Alabama has two of the more recognizable players in the NCAA Tournament.
The duo led the Crimson Tide to the Final Four last year and returned to school in hopes of delivering the program’s first national title. But Bama’s supporting cast — specifically its bench — might be the key to making another deep run, especially with Nelson dealing with a left knee injury.
The second-seeded Tide (25-8) open NCAA play against No. 15 seed Robert Morris in Cleveland on Friday, giving Nelson an extra day to recover from an injury sustained in the first half of a loss to Florida in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Saturday.
The good news? Alabama ranks seventh in the country in bench points, averaging 34.19 a game from its reserves. It’s the kind of diversified scoring that makes coach Nate Oats’ squad a daunting matchup for anyone in the field, especially on short notice.
“We have guys that have been battle-tested, and we have some guys that have some savvy about them to stay in those games and make plays, and we’re going to need that to make runs here in March,” Oats said.
Because of injuries, Alabama’s bench might not be quite as stout as Purdue coach Matt Painter insisted in November when he said the Tide’s backups could form their own team — and would be ranked.
But the group was more than solid down the stretch and in the SEC Tournament. Jarin Stevenson scored 16 points in 19 minutes in a win against Kentucky, and fellow sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Florida in the semifinals.
The Tide also got highly touted freshman Derrion Reid back after he missed nearly a month while recovering from a hamstring injury.
“We knew he was going to be rusty,” Oats said. “It’s hard when you don’t practice for a few weeks in a row. Only had a few practices. … I thought he was able to get a little flow, knock some of the rust off. We were able to get him almost 10 minutes. … He wasn’t bad in his minutes.”
With Sears and Nelson leading the team in minutes (and points), the Tide have the No. 1 scoring offense in the country at 91.4 points a game. Alabama has topped 100 points a whopping eight times, including five in SEC play.
Those five came without Latrell Whitesell Jr., who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in November, as well as Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette, another guard who played just six games in December and January before lingering knee issues sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Who stepped up? The bench.
Sophomore Aden Holloway, who traded sides in a fierce rivalry when he transferred from Auburn, is averaging 11.4 points while playing mostly in Sears’ shadow.
“I can’t get him aggressive enough, to be honest with you,” Oats said. “What kind of 3s do I want him to take? I want him to take every single one that’s open.”
Dioubate has more than doubled his points and minutes as a sophomore, averaging 7.1 points in 16 minutes a game.
“He’s always had it. He needed to learn how to do it with the correct spacing, when the opportunities are there,” Oats said. “He’s got opportunities because people are so concerned with our guards. His guy is jumping out to hedge a screen and he can just score.”
Alabama played nine consecutive ranked teams to end SEC play and went 4-5 in that stretch, with two losses to Florida and two more on the road at fellow NCAA Tournament teams Missouri and Tennessee.
The start of the tournament could provide some relief for the Tide — and a chance for the reserves to continue to prove their worth, especially if Nelson is slowed or unable to go.
“It’s ideal (that) you play the toughest schedule,” Alabama guard Chris Youngblood said. “Whoever you face in March, have to win six tough games. We’ve done it before. … Played a lot of tough teams. We’ll be ready.”
THIS NCAA TOURNAMENT COULD HAVE SOMETHING THE LAST TWO HAVE LACKED: A PROBABLE NO. 1 OVERALL PICK
The top two players selected in last year’s NBA draft and four of the top five picks in 2023 had never played in an NCAA Tournament before beginning their pro careers.
That trend figures to end this year with Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
Flagg sprained his ankle in Duke’s opening game at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and didn’t play the rest of the week. Duke has indicated Flagg will be available for March Madness. As the No. 1 seed in the East Region, Duke (31-3) plays its first tournament game Friday.
If Flagg is healthy enough to play, basketball fans will be able to watch the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft at this year’s NCAA Tournament. That’s something they weren’t able to experience the last couple of years.
The first two picks in last year’s draft were Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, international prospects who didn’t play college basketball. The only college player taken among the first five selections in the 2023 draft headed by San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was Alabama’s Brandon Miller, who went second overall to the Charlotte Hornets.
The last No. 1 pick with NCAA Tournament experience was Paolo Banchero, who led Duke to the 2022 Final Four before the Orlando Magic selected him first overall.
Flagg already was considered the likely No. 1 pick even before the 6-foot-9 swingman backed up the acclaim accompanying his arrival on campus by emerging as a national player of the year front-runner his freshman season. Flagg is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks.
While Flagg is one of the headline attractions in this year’s NCAA Tournament, two other likely top-five picks won’t be participating in March Madness despite playing college basketball this season. Rutgers went just 15-17 this season despite having Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, who could end up being the next two picks in the draft behind Flagg.
Even so, this year’s tournament field features plenty of NBA prospects beyond Flagg:
VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
Opening game: Friday vs. Mississippi State at Raleigh, North Carolina.
Notes: A guard from Baylor (19-12) has been selected in the first round of three of the first four drafts, with Davion Mitchell going ninth in 2021, Keyonte George 16th in 2023 and Ja’Kobe Walter 19th last year. Edgecombe figures to continue that trend. The 6-5 guard from the Bahamas was named the Big 12 freshman of the year by the league’s coaches. He averages 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
Opening game: Friday vs. Texas or Xavier at Milwaukee.
This 6-6 freshman from Lithuania scored at least 20 points in six straight games earlier this season, a stretch that included matchups with NCAA Tournament teams Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Missouri. Jakucionis’ scoring has leveled off a bit since then, but he still has been a stat stuffer with 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for Illinois (21-12).
Tre Johnson, G, Texas
Opening game: Wednesday vs. Xavier at Dayton, Ohio.
Notes: Johnson earned first-team Associated Press all-Southeastern Conference honors and was named the conference’s newcomer of the year this season. He has NBA size at 6-6 and clearly has scoring ability. He has averaged 19.8 points for Texas (19-15) as a freshman while playing in the nation’s toughest conference. He has shot 39.2% from 3-point range while making 2.7 3-pointers per game. He had a 39-point performance in an overtime loss at Arkansas and scored 32 in a victory over Kentucky.
Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
Opening game: Friday vs. Oklahoma at Raleigh, North Carolina.
Notes The AP Big East newcomer of the year had 18 points and 11 rebounds against St. John’s and 38 points and 10 rebounds at Creighton in back-to-back games last month. The 6-7 forward is averaging 14.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his freshman season with UConn (23-10). McNeeley will enter the NCAA Tournament looking to end a bit of a slump, as he has shot 15 of 52 overall and 4 of 19 from 3-point range over his last four games.
Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Opening game: Friday vs. Grand Canyon in Seattle.
Notes: The 6-10 freshman is a traditional post player who doesn’t have a 3-point shot at this point – he’s just 2 of 24 from beyond the arc this season – but he’s done great work around the basket. Queen is averaging 16.3 points and 9 rebounds for Maryland (25-8). He enters the NCAA Tournament with eight double-doubles in his last 10 games. He’s coming off a 31-point performance in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal loss to Michigan.
Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
Opening game: Friday vs. Bryant at Cleveland.
Notes: Richardson is the son of Jason Richardson, who was part of Michigan State’s 1999-2000 national championship team and played 13 seasons in the NBA. The 6-3 freshman has made an impression by shooting 51.2% overall and 41.2% from 3-point range. He’s only started 11 of 32 games for Michigan State (27-6) while averaging 12 points, but he’s come on strong lately. Richardson is averaging 19.5 points over his last four games and has scored at least 17 in each of them.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
IN MARCH MADNESS, THE WOMEN STILL HAVE MORE STARS AND PERHAPS MORE PEOPLE WATCHING TOO
It’s no stretch to say the two biggest names in college basketball these days will be playing in the women’s tournament when March Madness goes into full swing later this week.
Whether the presence of Juju Watkins of USC and Paige Bueckers of UConn will overcome the game’s loss of Caitlin Clark and drive a repeat of last year’s history-making surge in viewership is among the underlying questions over the next three weeks.
One of the surest signs of the growing popularity of the women’s game came last year, when the final of the tournament, featuring Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes against coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina juggernaut,drew more viewers than the men’s final between UConn and Purdue.
It was a first, driven in part by the fact that the men’s game wasn’t on an over-the-air network and the women’s was, but also thanks to the legion of Clark fans, many of whom have followed her to the WNBA.
“I’m hard-pressed to believe they’re going to reach the Caitlin Clark number again, because that was a comet that probably won’t be repeated this year,” Kevin Hull, a sports media professor at South Carolina, said of the 18.87 million who tuned into the women’s title game last year. “But they’re going to get a really good number again. It’s a great time to be in women’s sports.”
For the men, it’s Cooper Flagg and who?
Besides Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, there aren’t any men’s players who can rival the numbers Bueckers or Watkins put up in what might be the most important metric in today’s world – their social media followings. Last week, in a notable transaction, Watkins became the first woman college athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Fanatics.
It’s not to say there aren’t compelling story lines in the men’s tournament. But as has often been the case, they have more to do with coaches – think, Rick Pitino at St. John’s – or programs – think Duke or North Carolina — than with individual players.
Last year’s biggest name on the men’s side was Purdue’s Zach Edey, a well-spoken but generally quiet 7-foot-4 center from Canada whose old-school post-up game sparked a fascinating debate for hardcore hoops junkies, but didn’t bring the rest of the world in.
For decades, though, none of that ever prevented the men’s tournament from outdrawing the women. Among the advantages for the men: more backing from the NCAA, a longer history as a sport and a deeper, more competitive field from 1-68, which, in turn, spawns more upsets and Cinderella stories.
Women’s hoops rides a wave and creates a new one
Without some of those built-in advantages, the women’s game has had to embark on a slow, steady climb.
Hull believes one landmark moment was the success of the U.S. women’s soccer team in the 1990s, which “kind of changed the game when it came to all women’s sports.”
“And we’ve seen it in the years since, with the WNBA and all these other sports,” he said. “And Caitlin Clark was the right person at the right time, who just sort of turned the spark into a flame.”
The women’s tournament was already surging in popularity in 2021 (the first year ESPN broadcast every game nationally) when Sedona Prince lit a fuse with her viral video of the sparse weight room available to the players at their base in San Antonio.
It forced a reckoning with some of the longstanding inequalities between the men’s and women’s games. The most devastating was the huge disparity of the TV contracts but perhaps the best illustration of the imbalance came in the fact that the NCAA didn’t even use the “March Madness” title for the women’s tournament.
The renegotiation of the TV contract (some say for not enough), combined with Clark’s rise and a layering of some Magic-vs.-Bird-like racial tension between Clark and Angel Reese (who say they have no problem with each other) helped push popularity and viewership to the heights seen last year.
Len Elmore, the longtime player and TV analyst who now teaches sports management at Columbia, suggested the Clark vs. Reese vibe created a tension that many Americans can’t turn away from. He also said “some people like the women’s game better than the men’s game for a number of fundamental basketball reasons.”
Earlier this year, the NCAA announced that women’s teams, for the first time, would receive payments — known as “units” — for playing in March Madness.
“A lot of it has to do with us being treated like a sport now,” said Staley, whose Gamecocks are top seeded as they embark on their quest for back-to-back titles. “When you treat us like a sport, you will get a return on your investment.”
Ratings this year remain good even without Clark
Most signs point toward last year’s ratings as part of a sustainable trend.
A matchup between Watkins and Bueckers in December averaged 2.2 million viewers, making it the second-most watched women’s game ever on Fox, behind one last season in which Clark set the NCAA scoring record. ESPN’s regular-season ratings were up 3% from last year and 41% from two seasons ago.
Next comes March Madness, where Watkins and Bueckers could face a rematch in the regional finals, while Staley and South Carolina are positioned on the other side of the bracket, setting up a possible meeting with one of them in the final on April 6.
“I’m pretty confident in saying that the days of the men’s Final Four dwarfing the women’s — double, three-times viewership – those days are long gone,” Hull said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the women’s gets more. There’s buzz now, and the TV networks are treating it as a big deal.”
UCONN’S PAIGE BUECKERS HEADLINES LIST OF 2025 WNBA DRAFT PROSPECTS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
UConn’s Paige Bueckers established herself as the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft well before she put together a second straight outstanding season and was named Big East player of the year for a third time.
The only question is whether she wants to turn pro now or hold off for one more year.
Bueckers, a fifth-year senior guard, still has one more year of eligibility remaining if she wants to remain at UConn. Azzi Fudd, her UConn teammate and another potential first-round pick, will face a similar decision at the end of UConn’s NCAA Tournament run.
Bueckers arrived at UConn in 2020 amid huge expectations and responded by emerging as the consensus national player of the year pick her freshman season. She played just 17 games the following season and missed the entire 2022-23 campaign with a torn anterior cruciate ligament but has since responded with two straight banner seasons.
Now she has a chance to win the national title that has eluded her thus far. The 6-foot guard from Hopkins, Minnesota, has averaged 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2 steals this season while helping UConn (31-3) win 10 straight games. UConn (31-3) is a No. 2 seed and hosts Arkansas State (21-10) Saturday.
“There’s a lot of pressure on her, there’s a lot of demands on her from a lot of different sources,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma told reporters after Bueckers won her third Big East Tournament most outstanding player award. “It’s a heavy weight to carry around everywhere you go. It can be demoralizing at times. No matter what you do, more is expected from you. For her to be able to constantly come up with these kinds of performances time and time again, she just has that thing that those kinds of players have.”
Here’s a look at some other players in this year’s NCAA Tournament who figure to get taken early in next month’s WNBA draft:
Kiki Iriafen, F, Southern California
First-round game: Saturday vs. UNC Greensboro.
Notes: After averaging a double-double (19.4 points, 11 rebounds) for Stanford last season, Iriafen transferred to USC (28-3) and had similar production with 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-3 forward is shooting 49.9% this season after making over 53% of her shots each of her three years at Stanford, but she’s continued to show why she’s one of the top draft-eligible frontcourt players.
Olivia Miles, G, Notre Dame
First-round game: Friday vs. Stephen F. Austin.
Notes: Miles missed the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury but returned as a more complete player. The 5-10 guard had made just 24.6% of her career 3-point attempts before the injury. She’s making 40.9% of her attempts from beyond the arc this season. Miles already had made quite an impression on scouts with her playmaking ability. Her improved shooting makes here even more appealing. Miles isn’t the only player from Notre Dame (26-5) who figures to get selected early in the draft. Sonia Citron also is a likely first-round pick.
Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU
First-round game: Friday vs. San Diego State.
Notes: After putting up big numbers at DePaul her first two seasons, Morrow has maintained similar production while playing with more talent around her at LSU (28-5) the last couple seasons. The 6-1 forward has 13.6 rebounds per game to lead all Division I players and also has 18.5 points per game. She was a first-team all-Southeastern Conference selection who also made the league’s al-defense team. Morrow has averaged at least 2.5 steals each season.
Te-Hina Paopao, G, South Carolina
First-round game: Friday vs. Tennessee Tech.
Notes: Paopao is in her second season at South Carolina (30-3) after playing three seasons at Oregon. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has referred to the 5-9 Paopao as an “elevator” because she elevates the entire team. Paopao is averaging a career-low 9.8 points this season, but she has 1,692 career points and has showcased her shooting ability by making 40% of her career 3-point attempts.
Saniya Rivers, G, N.C. State
First-round game: Saturday vs. Vermont.
Notes: Rivers certainly impressed WNBA scouts last month when she collected 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists as N.C. State (26-6) pulled out a 104-95 double-overtime victory over a then-No. 1 Notre Dame team featuring the star-studded backcourt of Miles and Hannah Hidalgo. Rivers has averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season to earn first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors alongside teammate Aziaha James, a WNBA prospect in her own right. The 6-1 Rivers is four inches taller than James, which could enable her to get drafted earlier.
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
First-round game: Saturday vs. Norfolk State.
Notes: Sellers has been a first-team all-Big Ten selection from the league’s media each of the last three seasons and has earned that honor from the league’s coaches for two straight seasons. The 6-2 senior is the first player in Maryland history to have 1,500 career points along with 500 rebounds and 500 assists. She has 14.1 points per game for the Terrapins (23-7) this season after averaging 15.6 last season and 13.9 in 2022-23. She also is shooting a career-best 44.4% from 3-point range.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: NO STEPHEN CURRY, BUT WARRIORS STOP BUCKS
Jimmy Butler III scored a game-high 24 points, Brandin Podziemski returned from an injury to hit two key late 3-pointers and the host Golden State Warriors, playing without Stephen Curry, held off the Milwaukee Bucks 104-93 on Tuesday night.
With Curry resting his 36-year-old back and knees, Golden State rebounded from a home loss to the Denver Nuggets one night earlier to win for a 15th win in 18 games since acquiring Butler from the Miami Heat. Draymond Green chipped in with a game-high 10 rebounds to go with four assists, four blocks, two steals and three points.
Kyle Kuzma had a team-high 22 points for the Bucks, who could not overcome off shooting nights by Giannis Antetokounmpo (5-for-16, 20 points) and Damian Lillard (6-for-18, 16 points). Antetokounmpo, who did half his scoring by going 10-for-15 at the line, paced the Bucks with nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
After seeing what was once a 17-point lead disappear in the third quarter, the Warriors went in front for good by scoring the period’s last eight points. Buddy Hield sank a 26-footer 3-pointer, Jonathan Kuminga made two foul shots, and Butler, fouled on a 3-point attempt with 1.5 seconds left, nailed three free throws for a 78-76 advantage.
Clippers 132, Cavaliers 119
Ivica Zubac scored 28 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard added 33 points and Los Angeles extended its winning streak to four games with a victory over Cleveland in Inglewood, Calif.
James Harden posted 22 points and nine assists and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 20 points while shooting 8-for-8 from the floor as the Clippers (39-30) improved their home winning streak to seven games. Zubac’s third 20-20 performance of the season came on his 28th birthday.
Max Strus scored a season-high 24 points and Donovan Mitchell added 18 points and 11 assists for the Cavaliers. Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter each scored 17 points for Cleveland (56-12), which fell into a tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA.
Hawks 134, Hornets 102
Trae Young poured in 31 points and Atlanta took control early and fired away from 3-point range in romp past host Charlotte.
The Hawks’ Dyson Daniels shot 10-for-12 from the field while compiling 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Zaccharie Risacher notched 21 points and eight boards as Atlanta made 22 of 45 3-point shots (48.9 percent) and shot 53.8 overall from the field. Onyeka Okongwu added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Seth Curry and DaQuan Jeffries both scored 19 points for the Hornets, who committed 17 turnovers. Marcus Garrett had 12 points, while Damion Baugh, Jusuf Nurkic, Wendell Moore Jr. and Nick Smith Jr. all had 11 points.
Celtics 104, Nets 96
Rookie Baylor Scheierman came off the bench to toss in a career-high 20 points and Kristaps Porzingis finished with a team-high 25 to help short-handed Boston defeat visiting Brooklyn.
Scheierman made 7 of 8 shots from the field, including 6 of 7 attempts from 3-point territory. Porzingis collected a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked three shots. Derrick White (18 points), Jrue Holiday (12) and Payton Pritchard (10) also scored in double figures for the Celtics, who were without Jayson Tatum (knee) and Jaylen Brown (knee).
D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 18 points. Williams scored 15, Keon Johnson added 13, and Cameron Johnson and Trendon Watford had 11 apiece.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: CANADIENS SCORE 5 IN 3RD TO HALT SENS’ WIN STREAK
Nick Suzuki’s tiebreaker with 4:37 remaining in regulation highlighted a five-goal third period for the Montreal Canadiens, who cooled off the visiting Ottawa Senators with a 6-3 victory on Tuesday night.
Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson scored tying goals in the third, before Suzuki was in the right spot amid a net-front scrum to break a 3-3 tie with his 18th point in 11 games.
Brendan Gallagher, who had two assists, and Anderson added empty-net goals for the Canadiens (33-27-7, 73 points), who are in the mix for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference while amid an 8-1-2 stretch and winners of five straight at home.
Christian Dvorak had a goal with three assists for Montreal, which has won the first three meetings this season against the Senators (36-26-5, 77 points).
Veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic had a goal with an assist for Ottawa, which had won six in a row.
Capitals 4, Red Wings 1
Washington scored three times in the third period to break a tie and defeat visiting for the Capitals’ seventh win in their last eight games.
Dylan Strome had a goal and an assist and Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael also scored for the Capitals, who lead the Eastern Conference with 98 points. Logan Thompson made 23 saves.
Dylan Larkin supplied the goal for the Red Wings, who have lost eight of their last 10 and suffered a huge blow to their playoff chances. Petr Mrazek stopped 22 shots.
Stars 4, Ducks 3 (OT)
Mikael Granlund scored his second goal of the game at 2:32 of overtime as Dallas edged visiting Anaheim.
Thomas Harley had a goal and two assists, Wyatt Johnston also scored and Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for the Stars (43-21-3, 89 points), who improved to 2-2-1 since the March 7 trade deadline.
Leo Carlsson scored two goals, including a penalty shot in the second period, and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves for the Ducks (29-31-8, 66 points), who have lost four of five (1-3-1).
Flames 2, Rangers 1
Matt Coronato scored the tiebreaking power-play goal with 1:57 remaining in the first period as Calgary dominated play throughout to beat host New York.
A New York native, Coronato scored nearly eight minutes after Nazem Kadri scored the tying goal as the Flames bounced back nicely after arriving at 2 a.m. from their 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs the night before.
MacKenzie Weegar collected two assists and Kadri added an assist for Calgary, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the third time in its past 10 games (3-4-3). Artemi Panarin reached 30 goals for the fifth time in his career early in the first period, but the Rangers tallied only 13 shots on goal.
Islanders 4, Penguins 2
Pierre Engvall scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:52 left for New York, which mounted a multi-goal third-period comeback for the second straight game and boosted its wild-card hopes with a win over host Pittsburgh.
With the Islanders down 2-0 after two periods, Kyle Palmieri scored 17 seconds into the third. Noah Dobson tied the game at 5:34 for the Islanders, who sit three points behind the Montreal Canadiens in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves.
Joona Koppanen scored his first career goal early in the opening period and Sidney Crosby doubled the lead late in the first for the Penguins, whose four-game winning streak was snapped. Tristan Jarry recorded 34 saves for the Penguins, who are seven points back of the final wild-card slot.
Blues 4, Predators 1
Jordan Kyrou scored twice to lead St. Louis past host Nashville for the Blues’ third straight victory.
Justin Faulk and Jake Neighbours each had a goal and an assist for St. Louis, which is 10-2-2 in its last 14 games. Dylan Holloway had three assists and Joel Hofer made 22 saves.
Brady Skjei scored and Juuse Saros made 18 saves for the Predators, who are 0-2-1 in their last three games.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
SHOHEI OHTANI, JAPAN’S OTHER BASEBALL STARS SHOOK THEIR NERVES AND DELIVERED IN MLB’S TOKYO OPENER
TOKYO (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a little extra zip on his fastball. Shohei Ohtani even admitted to some nerves.
There was little doubt this was no ordinary baseball game.
But the Japanese players who were playing in front of their home country at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night handled any jitters they had quite well, delivering in clutch moments as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in Major League Baseball’s season opener.
“I was actually pretty nervous,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “It’s been a while since I was nervous, but today, definitely felt it.”
Ohtani finished with two hits in the Dodgers’ win, including a single in the fifth and a double in the ninth. Both hard-hit balls brought roars from the roughly 42,000 fans at a packed Tokyo Dome and were instrumental in helping the Dodgers get off to a good start this season.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shohei nervous,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “One thing I did notice is how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. That was something very telling.”
Yamamoto pitched five quality innings to earn the win, giving up just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out four. The right-hander’s fastball touched 98 mph and consistently sat in the 96-97 range, which is a few ticks higher than last year.
It was the first time Yamamoto had been on the mound in a regular season game since his fantastic performance in Game 2 of the World Series, and the results carried over to the Tokyo Dome
“What I experienced in October, I learned a lot of things,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “What I should and what I shouldn’t do in certain situations. Based on that, I feel more confident.”
Yamamoto said he wasn’t trying to overthrow on his fastball. Instead, he said better mechanics have allowed him to throw a little harder. Roberts said there’s no reason the 26-year-old can’t compete for the NL Cy Young award if he pitches like he did against the Cubs and stays healthy.
“Great outing, I thought he commanded the baseball really well tonight,” Roberts said. “The fastball was as good as we’ve seen. Competed really well. There was some soft contact in there and he just navigated the game really well.”
Even in a losing effort, Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga was fantastic through four scoreless innings, giving up no hits while walking four. The Imanaga vs. Yamamoto matchup was the first all-Japanese starting pitching duel on opening day in MLB history.
“Imanaga and Yamamoto did a really good job handling the nerves of the start of the game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
Imanaga said he was pleased with his outing, even if the final result wasn’t what he wanted. The lefty retired Ohtani twice, once on a groundout and another time on a lineout. He said the experience from Tuesday’s game should serve him well throughout the season.
“One of the lessons regarding the fastball was it felt really good,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “Once I go back to the US — obviously there’s differences in humidity, environment and how far the ball goes — but bottom line if I can throw the fastball I did today all the time and have confidence in it, I’ll be good.”
The only Japanese player who had a quiet night was Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki, who finished 0 for 4 at the plate. With a runner on second in the eighth inning, he hit the ball fairly hard, but Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was there to snag the line drive.
Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki will make his MLB debut on Wednesday night when the teams meet against at the Tokyo Dome for the finale of the two-game set.
SKENES HIGHLIGHTS MLB OPENING DAY STARTER LIST AS YOUNGEST SINCE ’14 TO TAKE MOUND TO BEGIN SEASON
Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year award winner, will be the youngest pitcher in 11 years to start a season opener when he takes the mound for the Pirates next week.
Skenes will be 22 years and 302 days old on March 27 when Pittsburgh plays at Miami. José Fernández of the Marlins was 21 years and 243 days old when he opened the 2014 season. In its annual announcement of the opening day starters, most of which had been already informally confirmed by their clubs during spring training, Major League Baseball also revealed Tuesday that Skenes will be the fastest first overall draft pick to make an opening day start.
Skenes was drafted by the Pirates in 2023. Mike Moore was the first selection by Seattle in 1981 and started opening day for the Mariners in 1984, and Stephen Strasburg was the top pick by Washington in 2009 and made his first opening day start for the Nationals in 2012.
Three natives of Japan got the nods for their openers, the most in MLB history. Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers were the starters for the grand opener in Tokyo earlier Tuesday, a 4-1 win for Yamamoto and the Dodgers. Yusei Kikuchi will also start for the Los Angeles Angels on March 27 against the Chicago White Sox. Seven other Japanese-born players have previously started season openers: Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Kenta Maeda, Masahiro Tanaka, Hiroki Kuroda, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideo Nomo.
Two teams have yet to declare their opening day starter: Arizona and Cleveland. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he’s deciding between newcomer Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen for the road game against the Cubs. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has yet to commit, but all signs point to Tanner Bibee, who pitched in a Cactus League exhibition game on Monday that lines up his rest schedule to be ready for the March 27 game against Kansas City.
With the Cubs and Dodgers getting a head start, the 28 other teams will open on March 27. Four of the opening day starters will make their debuts with a new team: Garrett Crochet with Boston, Clay Holmes with the New York Mets, Luis Severino with the Athletics and Kikuchi with the Angels.
The others are Carlos Rodón (New York Yankees), Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee), José Berríos (Toronto), Zach Elfin (Baltimore), Nathan Eovaldi (Texas), MacKenzie Gore (Washington), Zach Wheeler (Philadelphia), Cole Ragans (Kansas City), Framber Valdez (Houston), Hunter Greene (Cincinnati), Logan Webb (San Francisco), Michael King (San Diego), Chris Sale (Atlanta), Sean Burke (Chicago White Sox), Sandy Alcantara (Miami), Sonny Gray (St. Louis), Pablo López (Minnesota), Tarik Skubal (Detroit), Logan Gilbert (Seattle), Shane McClanahan (Tampa Bay) and Kyle Freeland (Colorado).
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: PIRATES CHARGE PAST PHILLIES
Javier Rivas hit a walk-off solo home run to complete a three-run uprising and hand the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in spring-training action on Tuesday in Bradenton, Fla.
Scoreless through eight, the Pirates got on the board with a pair of RBI sacrifice flies by Nick Yorke and Bryce Johnson before Phillies reliever Josh Hejka (0-1) replaced Devin Sweet and Rivas blasted the game-winner to left center.
Joey Bart and Adam Frazier finished with two hits apiece for Pittsburgh. Wilkin Ramos (1-0) pitched the eighth and ninth innings and fanned two without a hit.
Nick Castellanos drove in the Phillies’ runs on a solo shot in the first and an infield single in the sixth. Starter Cristopher Sanchez lasted five innings, with two strikeouts and four hits.
Tigers 6, Twins 5
Detroit scored three in the top of the ninth and dug out of a 5-0 hole to beat host Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Thayron Liranzo worked an 11-pitch walk to load the bases in the top of the ninth against Jhoan Duran (0-1) and, after a pitching change, Ben Malgeri pushed across one run with a walk. Brady Allen’s grounder was booted to score two runners.
Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a two-run single to get the Tigers’ offense going, and reliever Troy Watson (1-0) threw a hitless eighth for the win. Edouard Julien had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs to lead the Twins’ offense.
Red Sox 4, Yankees 4
Anthony Volpe hit two RBI singles for New York as it drew with visiting Boston in Tampa, Fla.
Volpe’s second single scored an additional runner thanks to a fielding error in center by Trayce Thompson, which made it 4-2 Yankees. Roman Anthony poked a run-scoring single in the seventh and Rob Refsnyder tied the game with a sac fly in the eighth.
Masataka Yoshida hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox while Walker Buehler worked five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, fanning four. Max Fried threw 4 1/3 scoreless frames with two hits and struck out three for the Yankees.
Marlins 4, Cardinals 4
Connor Caskenette’s pinch-hit RBI single tied the game in the top of the ninth as Miami finished all square with host St. Louis in Jupiter, Fla.
Nick Fortes had an RBI double and Xavier Edwards added a run-scoring single for the Marlins. Starter Connor Gillispie went four innings and yielded one run on two hits and two walks.
The Cardinals turned a two-run deficit into a 4-3 lead with an RBI groundout followed by Pedro Pages’ and Jose Fermin’s back-to-back homers. Miles Mikolas tossed six innings and allowed three runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four.
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS. MAVERICKS
The Indiana Pacers (38-29) return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday following a spectacular performance in Minnesota. The shorthanded Pacers defeated the Timberwolves in overtime, 132-130, behind a season-high scoring performance by Obi Toppin.
Toppin hit seven of his 10 attempts from 3-point range, and nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with less than five seconds to play. His 34-point night led the Pacers to a win without four starters. Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, and Myles Turner were all sidelined due to injuries. Pascal Siakam was out due to personal reasons.
The Dallas Mavericks (33-36) await the Pacers in Indianapolis, albeit with a depleted roster. 10 Mavericks are featured on the injury report, and seven of those 10 are out. Anthony Davis, Dallas’ most notable acquisition in its trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, suffered an adductor strain in his first game as a Maverick. He’s missed 16 games with that injury, and Dallas has since lost Kyrie Irving for the season with a torn ACL.
Now 2-8 in their last 10 games, the Mavericks are hungry for a victory. Dallas owns the NBA’s 28th-ranked defensive rating in that span, and its offense ranks 22nd in the league.
Indiana is 5-5 in its last 10 games, but looks to capitalize on a five-game homestand that features three games against teams with losing records. As the Pacers continue to jockey with the Bucks for playoff positioning, every game pulls significant weight in the race for home court advantage.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Potential Matchups, and More >>
After the matchup with the Mavericks on Wednesday, the Pacers will host the Brooklyn Nets for two games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Mavericks: G – Brandon Williams, G – Klay Thompson, F – Naji Marshall, F – P.J. Washington, C – Kessler Edwards
Injury Report
Pacers: Johnny Furphy – questionable (illness), Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (sore lower back), Pascal Siakam – questionable (personal reasons), Jarace Walker – questionable (right ankle sprain), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon)
Mavericks: Jaden Hardy – questionable (right ankle sprain), Kai Jones – questionable (left quad strain), Brandon Williams – questionable (left hamstring tightness), Anthony Davis – out (left adductor strain), Dante Exum – out (fractured left hand), Daniel Gafford – out (right knee sprain), Kyrie Irving – out (left knee sprain/ACL tear), Dereck Lively II – out (right ankle stress fracture), Caleb Martin – out (right hip strain), Olivier-Maxence Prosper – out (right wrist surgery)
Last Meeting
Nov. 4, 2024: Myles Turner’s 30-point, 11-rebound double-double lifted the Pacers past the Mavericks in Dallas, 134-127. Tyrese Haliburton also contributed a double-double as he recorded 25 points and 12 assists.
The Pacers had all five starters score in double figures as they put together a 71-point second half to seal the win against the Mavericks. Indiana recorded a field goal percentage greater than 50 percent, including 13-for-32 from 3-point range. The Pacers led by as many as 13 points in the contest despite Luka Doncic’s 34 points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists.
Kyrie Irving added another 27 points for Dallas, and Naji Marshall notched 20 more off the Mavericks bench. Dallas’ largest lead in the contest was just two points.
Noteworthy
Rick Carlisle is 5-2 against the Mavericks since returning to Indiana. He coached Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2011.
Obi Toppin recorded a season-high 34 points on Monday.
Tyrese Haliburton has nine straight double-doubles. That ties his franchise record for consecutive points/assists double-doubles.
The Toronto Raptors’ loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday guaranteed the Pacers to clinch at least a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
WTHR/FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
INDY IGNITE
RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE EARNS IGNITE’S TEALER PVF PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
FISHERS, Ind. (March 18, 2025) – Paced by her record-setting performance in a match last Thursday, Indy Ignite opposite hitter Azhani Tealer was today named Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week presented by Franklin Sports.
Tealer set PVF single-match records for kills (31) and points (35) in the five-set battle with league-leading Omaha. She connected on a kill percentage of 52% and kill efficiency of .350, while also registering nine digs, three blocks and a service ace. The second-year PVF player was particularly lethal in the final set, single-handedly keeping the Ignite in the match with eight kills and an ace to score nine of Indy’s 13 points.
Tealer credited teammate and setter Sydney Hilley for putting her in great position to eclipse the league records for kills and points in a match, adding she wasn’t aware she scored so many points in the decisive set.
“That’s what great setters do and Syd’s a great setter,” Tealer said. “I had the hot hand for sure and she found me. I was just in a great rhythm; we were passing well so it was easy to spread the ball around. Once I kind of felt unconscious a little bit and my teammates backed me up really well, so they made it really easy on me.”
Tealer followed up that amazing showing two days later with 11 kills, three blocks and three digs in a four-set Ignite triumph over Grand Rapids. She now ranks in the top four in five PVF statistical categories: third in points (292) and kills (244), fourth in kill percentage (44.4%), blocks (40) and blocks per set (0.60).
Tealer is the second Ignite player to earn PVF Player of the Week honors, following outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh taking the award on the opening week of the 2025 season. Both players will receive a Kendra Scott Volleyball Pendant Necklace in white mother-of-pearl, part of PVF’s partnership with Kendra Scott to advance a mutually shared goal of empowering girls and young women and supporting organizations with that same mission.
The Ignite will return to action Thursday with a home match against Columbus that streams free on the Roku Channel. Tickets are available for the 7 p.m. ET match via the Ignite website.
INDY ELEVEN
BLAKE & HOGAN EARN USLC “TEAM OF THE WEEK” HONORS
(Mar. 18, 2025) Tampa, Fla. – Indy Eleven midfielder Jack Blake and defender Pat Hogan have been named to the USL Championship “Team of the Week” for Week 2 of the regular season after they both scored goals in the Boys in Blue’s 3-1 road victory at Miami FC in the season opener on Saturday.
Blake converted a penalty in the third minute for his 32nd career USLC goal to give Indy Eleven a 1-0 lead. Blake has made seven consecutive penalties, going 6-6 last season on his way to a career-high 10 goals. He earned “Team of the Week” recognition eight times in 2024, including following the opening match of the campaign.
Blake recorded the 12th multi-goal-contribution match of his pro career with a goal and an assist. In the match, Blake totaled nine duels won, five fouls won, four shots on target, three chances created, and three completed long passes.
In the 35th minute at Miami, Blake took a free kick in the deep left corner, curling it into the six, where Hogan flicked it into the far side of the net to score in his debut for Indy Eleven. The goal was the fourth of Hogan’s pro career. In his first match with the Boys in Blue, Hogan recorded 10 clearances, nine completed passes, and eight duels won.
Hogan earned “Team of the Week” accolades twice last season when he played for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
Indy Eleven travels to Lexington SC on Saturday at 7 p.m. in a game streamed on ESPN+.
The Boys in Blue host 2024 Champion Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Carroll Stadium to open the home slate on Saturday, March 29 at 7 pm. Single-game tickets are available for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA HIRES WEST VIRGINIA’S DARIAN DEVRIES AS COACH
Indiana named Darian DeVries its next head basketball coach on Tuesday, selecting the highly-regarded coach of West Virginia as it tries to restore the program into a national contender.
DeVries, 49, spent one season coaching the Mountaineers after a strong six-year stint at Drake.
Indiana announced in February that coach Mike Woodson would step down at the end of the Hoosiers’ season after four seasons in the role. Indiana went 82-53 in Woodson’s tenure and missed the past two NCAA Tournaments.
DeVries was born and raised in Iowa and was thought to be a candidate for the Hawkeyes’ opening, but he expressed high regard for the Hoosiers in a statement Tuesday.
“This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America,” DeVries said. “As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I’ve always admired the IU Basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition and fan support. There’s a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s a desire that as a coach I share.
“On top of that, the alignment is there on a department and university level to make that happen. I’m excited for this opportunity and am ready to work relentlessly to assemble a staff and a roster that competes for championships.”
In his lone season at West Virginia, DeVries coached the team to a 19-13 record featuring surprise wins over Gonzaga, Kansas and Iowa State. It was a shock to many that the Mountaineers were listed as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament field (Indiana was the second team out).
DeVries took over in Morgantown after leading Drake to six straight 20-win seasons, including two Missouri Valley tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament bids in his last four years there.
As a Division I head coach, DeVries is 169-68.
“We went into this coaching search with some very specific things we were looking for in our next head coach, and Darian emerged as someone who, on paper, met and often exceeded our criteria,” Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. “Once we had a chance to talk to him, we knew we had the right person.
“Darian has a plan for building a championship culture that can compete at the highest level on a year-in, year-out basis. He has extensive D-1 coaching experience that includes 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach or as an assistant. … We are excited to welcome Darian and the entire DeVries family to our Hoosier family.”
Tucker DeVries, son of the coach, is expected to follow his father to Indiana. Tucker DeVries’ season was cut short at West Virginia due to a shoulder injury. He was a two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year at Drake before following his dad to West Virginia.
INDIANA LOSES TWO PLAYERS TO THE PORTAL
Forward Malik Reneau has entered the transfer portal according to multiple reports. Reneau led the team in scoring this season (13.3 points per game) and was second in rebounding (5.5). Indiana guard Gabe Cupps entered the transfer portal Tuesday morning.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
INDIANA TOPS NOTRE DAME IN SOUTH BEND
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ––– Indiana got back to its winning ways on Tuesday night as the team won at Notre Dame, 3-2, at Melissa Cook Stadium.
The Hoosiers led 2-0 through the majority of the game before Notre Dame tied it at 2-2 in the fifth inning. Avery Parker broke the tie in the top of the seventh with a first-pitch home run over the right field wall for the go-ahead run.
With the win, Indiana’s season record now stands at 20-7.
INDIANA 3, NOTRE DAME 2
KEY MOMENTS
• Indiana scored right off the bat, as Taylor Minnick and Melina Wilkison executed a double steal with Minnick taking second and Wilkison coming home to score.
• The Hoosiers extended the lead in the top of the second inning when Wilkison reached on a fielder’s choice and the Irish made an error at third, allowing Aly VanBrandt to get home and make it a 2-0 game.
• Notre Dame threatened in the bottom of the third with two runners on and Rachel Allen up to bat. Allen hit a ball to deep left field, but Minnick was there to make the catch at the wall to keep Indiana in front, 2-0, and get the team out of the inning.
• Notre Dame got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Jane Kronenberger scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.
• The Irish tied it up on another wild pitch when Avery Houlihan came home in the bottom of the fifth.
• Avery Parker broke the tie in the top of the seventh on the first pitch of her at bat and the inning as she crushed a ball over the right field wall to push Indiana to a 3-2 advantage.
NOTABLES
• Parker’s home run was her eighth of the season.
• Indiana has defeated Notre Dame in back-to-back years now. The Hoosiers won 5-3 in Bloomington in 2024.
• Copeland threw five strikeouts in five innings of work in her fifth win of the season.
• VanBrandt went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
UP NEXT
Indiana will return to Big Ten play and to Bloomington this weekend when it hosts Penn State for a home series at Andy Mohr Field from Friday to Sunday (March 21-23).
INDIANA BASEBALL
CLUTCH HOME RUNS DECIDE MIDWEEK TILT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Brilliant bullpen work and big home runs helped the Indiana Baseball team (12-9, 4-2 B1G) overcome a slow offensive day on Tuesday (March 18) evening at Bart Kaufman Field. IU got home runs in the seventh and eighth innings to finish off a 7-4 midweek win over Evansville.
After Evansville came back to tie the game, junior outfielder Devin Taylor immediately responded in the home half of the seventh inning. He hit a solo home run to the opposite field on a pitch that tailed away from him across the plate. That gave IU the lead but freshman third baseman Cooper Malamazian put the game to bed in the eighth with a 414-foot, two-run blast.
Redshirt junior pitcher Pete Haas (SV, 1) continued to impress in his relief role. He racked up four strikeouts by peppering change ups past the Evansville hitters. He’s the third IU pitcher to record a save this season. Redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Grant Holderfield (W, 1-0) did a great job of inducing weak contact in his two innings of work.
Taylor and junior shortstop Tyler Cerny combined for five of the seven IU hits. Cerny continued to show brilliance in the field. His over-the-head diving catch in shallow center field kept runs off the board and preserved the IU lead in the sixth inning. After earning the No. 2 play on SportsCenter this past weekend, he should find himself among the top-10 plays in sports again on Tuesday evening.
IU won its fifth-straight game on Tuesday, its longest winning streak since putting together six-straight victories in February of 2024. The Hoosiers will get a stiff test this weekend as they head to Los Angeles to face Big Ten newcomers UCLA. After the west coast swing, IU will play its next nine games at Bart Kaufman Field.
Scoring Recap
Bottom Third
IU put runs on the board in the second inning thanks to an Evansville error that prolonged the inning. Devin Taylor came around to score after the shortstop fumbled a routine ball. Korbyn Dickerson added another run to the tally when he laced a ball off the left field wall that came off the bat at 112 miles per hour.
Indiana 2, Evansville 0
Top Fifth
The visitors got onto the board in the fifth inning. Aaron Nehls led off the inning with a triple off the wall in center field. He came around to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Evan Waggoner.
Indiana 2, Evansville 1
Bottom Fifth
The Hoosiers added a pair of runs to the board in the fifth inning. Taylor split the shift for a RBI single before Jake Hanley walked with the bases loaded.
Indiana 4, Evansville 1
Top Sixth
Evansville got a pair of runs back on a tough outing from reliever Seth Benes. Ty Rumsey scored on a wild pitch after reaching on an infield single to begin the inning. Charlie Longmeier drove home a run on a sacrifice fly to the center fielder.
Indiana 4, Evansville 3
Top Seventh
On a tough break for the Hoosiers, the visitors were able to tie the game. Grant Holderfield induced a jam shot single that landed in no man’s land. IU avoided any further damage when Hanley covered second base to tag out the runner trying to advance.
Indiana 4, Evansville 4
Bottom Seventh
Taylor immediately responded, hitting his 43rd career home run. It was a solo shot to left field to give IU the lead.
Indiana 5, Evansville 4
Bottom Eighth
IU got insurance in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run blast from Cooper Malamazian.
Indiana 7, Evansville 4
Top Hoosier Performers
#51 Haas, Pete
2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K
#5 Taylor, Devin
3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B
#8 Cerny, Tyler
2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Inside the Box Score
• IU had just seven hits – its fewest number of hits in a win since April 26, 2024 (vs. Rutgers).
• The Hoosiers walked just three batters on the mound.
• Devin Taylor was the only player in the entire game to record three hits.
• IU’s pitchers allowed just two extra-base hits.
• The IU pitching staff had 10+ strikeouts in the third-straight ballgame.
Notes to Know
• Junior outfielder Devin Taylor hit his 43rd career home run with a solo blast in the seventh inning. He moves into a tie for fourth all-time in program history. His next long ball will move him into sole possession of fourth place on IU’s all-time charts. Three players (Last: Alex Dickerson) hold the IU home run record at 47.
• The Hoosiers have settled in on the mound after some early peaks and vallies. IU has allowed seven-or-fewer earned runs in seven-straight contests. In five of those seven games, Dustin Glant’s pitching staff has given up fewer than five runs.
• Redshirt junior pitcher Pete Haas has found extreme success with his changeup as the season has progressed. The veteran reliever has pitched five times in the past 10 games with a 2.70 earned run average. In his 10 innings during that span, he’s recorded 15 strikeouts to just two walks.
Up Next
IU heads west to meet UCLA for the first time as a member of the Big Ten. First pitch Friday is tentatively scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET. All three games will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA SWIMMING
NO. 7 HOOSIERS SEEK HISTORY AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Having earned program-record seventh place national finishes the last two seasons, No. 7-ranked Indiana looks to keep climbing to new heights this week at the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Washington.
The four-day meet will run Wednesday (March 19) through Saturday (March 22) inside the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. Final sessions will kick off at 9 p.m. ET each evening. Preliminary heats will begin at 10 a.m. every morning beginning Thursday. Fans can stream the competition via the ESPN+ digital platform.
Fourteen Hoosiers combine to compete in every event. Six seniors lead the way for Indiana in what will be their final collegiate meet: Brearna Crawford, Mariah Denigan, Ching Hwee Gan, Skyler Liu, Kacey McKenna and Anna Peplowski.
Peplowski can end her collegiate career emphatically as the No. 1-seed in the 200-yard freestyle. Her 1:40.69 relay split from Big Ten Championships makes her the event’s only entrant under 1:41.00. That time also made Peplowski the joint Big Ten record holder as well as the ninth-fastest swimmer ever. Peplowski told Swimming World Magazine that she aims to become just the fourth swimmer to break the 1:40 barrier in the 200 free.
Should Peplowski capture the title, she would become Indiana’s first women’s freestyle champion ever and first swimming champion since Lilly King won four straight in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke from 2016-19.
The top three swimmers in the event all come from the Big Ten after Peplowski, Michigan sophomore Stephanie Balduccini (1:41.16) and USC sophomore Minna Abraham (1:41.29) battled for the Big Ten crown, with the Wolverine coming out on top on that occasion. Peplowski is the lone swimmer of the three that has ever swum under 1:41 and has done it twice – other than that relay, Peplowski went 1:40.97 during last year’s NCAA final to place second by seven hundredths to Florida’s Bella Sims. Sims elected to swim the 100 back over the 200 free at this year’s meet.
Peplowski will get her first chance to swim a 200 free leading off Wednesday’s 800-yard freestyle relay. She also ranks No. 5 in the 500 free – which she placed third in a year ago – and ninth in the 100 free. She owns the program records in all three of her events.
Liu’s momentum, repeating as Big Ten Champion in both the 3-meter and platform events, could push Indiana to similar diving success its seen in recent championships with a medalist in each of the last four championships. The Big Ten diving finals may look like the NCAA finals as Liu defeated three Olympians in the 3-meter springboard and two on platform.
A two-event finalist for Texas A&M last season, sophomore transfer Miranda Grana is ranked top 10 in each of her events. Grana finished 25th in the 100-yard butterfly a year ago but comes into the 2025 national meet as the No. 6 seed with her Big Ten title-winning 50.80. She also won silver in both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events and will look to repeat A final finishes from a year ago as the No. 7 and No. 9 seed, respectively.
Joining Grana in the backstroke events are McKenna and junior Mya DeWitt. McKenna placed sixth in front of Grana in the 100 back at last year’s NCAA Championships and comes into this meet as the No. 13-seeded swimmer. Grana and McKenna earned silver and bronze medals at Big Tens and are the only Hoosiers ever under 51 seconds in the event.
Indiana’s senior distance duo of Denigan and Gan will vie to reach the podium for a third consecutive season. Gan is a two-time NCAA medalist and Big Ten Champion in the event, and Saturday’s swim will represent one last opportunity to break Lindsay Vrooman’s 11-year-old program record; Gan posted a personal best 15:46.22 at Big Tens, and Vrooman’s standard sits at 15:44.45.
Junior and Bloomington native Kristina Paegle can continue to lower her 50-yard freestyle program record, which she reclaimed on her way to her first Big Ten individual title last month.
Ashley Turak’s 21.73 captured the record at last year’s NCAA meet, but Paegle’s 21.63 in March took back the distinction and placed her ninth in the country coming into the NCAA meet. Paegle also ranks No. 17 in the 100 free, needing a top 16 finish to score for the Hoosiers.
Indiana ranks top 10 in all five relays, highlighted by its No. 5-ranked 400-yard medley relay. If the Hoosiers can improve to finish top eight in each race, it would mark the first time in program history that every relay reached the podium.
MEET INFO
Wednesday, March 19 – Saturday, March. 22 • 1 p.m. ET (prelims), 9 p.m. (finals)
Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center • Federal Way, Washington
Live Results (Swimming): https://bit.ly/4iZNufF
Live Results (Diving): divemeets.com
Live Stream: ESPN+
SCHEDULED EVENTS (Finals)
Wednesday (5 p.m. ET) – 200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay
Thursday (5 p.m. ET) – 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 1-Meter Dive, 200 Freestyle Relay
Friday (5 p.m. ET) – 100 Butterfly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 3-Meter Dive, 400 Medley Relay
Saturday (5 p.m. ET) – 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, Platform Dive, 400 Freestyle Relay
INDIANA SWIMMING AND DIVING QUALIFIERS
2025 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships
Mary Kate Cavanaugh – 1-meter, platform
Brearna Crawford – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke
Mariah Denigan – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle
Mya DeWitt – 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Ching Hwee Gan – 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle
Miranda Grana – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly
Skyler Liu – 3-meter, platform
Kacey McKenna – 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Kristina Paegle – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Anna Peplowski – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
Ella Roselli – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
Reese Tiltmann – 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, 400 IM
Ava Whitaker – 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly
Lily Witte – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform
200 freestyle relay
400 freestyle relay
800 freestyle relay
200 medley relay
400 medley relay
PURDUE SOFTBALL
PURDUE TO FACE WISCONSIN AND MARYLAND AT DEVON PARK
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After taking on the No. 6 Bruins of UCLA during Big Ten opening weekend, the Boilermakers head to Oklahoma City, Okla. to take on Wisconsin and Maryland at the home of USA Softball, Devon Park.
After falling in three tightly-contested games in Los Angeles, Purdue is looking to earn its first Big Ten victory of the season. The Boilers head into the two match ups with a 15-12 overall record, and an 0-3 conference record.
DEVON PARK SCHEDULE
Thursday, Mar. 20 – Purdue vs Wisconsin (Away) – 5:00 p.m. ET (BTN)
Friday, Mar. 21 – Purdue vs Wisconsin (Away) – 5:00 p.m. ET (B1G+)
Saturday, Mar. 22 – Purdue vs Maryland (Home) – 3:00 p.m. ET (B1G+)
Sunday, Mar. 23 – Purdue vs Maryland (Home) – 10:00 a.m. ET (BTN)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Wisconsin is currently 18-9 in the 2025 season and 2-1 in conference, taking the series against Illinois during the opening weekend. Wisconsin is sixth in the Big Ten, trailing Oregon in fifth. The Badgers scored 15 runs in the opening game of the series, defeating the Fighting Illini 15-4 in five innings. In the second game of the series, Wisconsin fell to Illinois 9-6, but came back to take the series in game three winning 8-6 in Champaign. The Badgers have taken victories over other power four foes in the preseason including Kansas and Louisville. The team is led by Alivia Bark, who has 32 hits with a .390 average, and Gabi Salo on the mound, who boasts a 1.44 ERA.
Maryland is 13-12 overall in 2025, and 2-1 in conference, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. The Terps took the series victory over Rutgers during the opening weekend, after dropping the first game of the three. Maryland scored 16 runs in the opening weekend, defeating Rutgers 4-1 and 11-7, after falling 5-1 in game one. The Terps gained momentum earlier in the week, taking a 9-0 mercy-rule victory over Colgate in five innings. Maryland is set to take on Michigan in a pair of games before battling with Purdue over the weekend.
SERIES HISTORY
Purdue leads the all-time series against Wisconsin 35-31. The Boilermakers took the inaugural victory against the Badgers in 1996, with a 2-0 victory in Madison. In the 2023 season, Wisconsin swept Purdue during Big Ten play, but the teams did not face one another in the most recent season. Purdue’s 35 wins against Wisconsin is tied for the most wins against a single opponent in Purdue softball history (35, Wisconsin & Michigan State).
The Terps and the Boilermakers have a shorter history, only facing one another a total of ten times in their histories. In 2024, Purdue took the series victory over the Terps in College Park, winning the final game 7-1 after falling 5-4 in ten innings during game two. The first match up between the teams was back in 2000, where Purdue shutout Maryland 2-0. Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014, but the teams did not face each other until 2021 during the COVID era games in Leesburg, Fla, where Maryland defeated Purdue in a three-game series.
For updates on Purdue Softball, follow the Boilermakers on Twitter (@PurdueSoftball), Instagram (@purduesoftball), and Facebook (Purdue Softball).
PURDUE BASEBALL
SPENCE HITS 498-FOOT HR AS PURDUE SCORES A DOZEN IN VICTORY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Lukas Cook posted his first collegiate four-hit game and Keenan Spence hit a 498-foot home run as Purdue Baseball scored in six of its eight innings at the plate in a 12-8 victory vs. Milwaukee on Tuesday at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers improved to 4-0 at home and won for the eighth time in their last nine games overall. At 18-2, Purdue matched its best 20-game start in team history (2022).
Cook reached base safely in each of the first three innings and had a hit in four straight at-bats while extending his career-best hit streak to 10 consecutive games. He raised his Big Ten-leading batting average to .462.
Spence connected for what is believed to be the longest home run in Alexander Field history. He barreled up for the 498-foot bomb to lead off the sixth inning, with the ball hitting Cherry Lane beyond the left field wall on the fly and bounding into the woods north of the stadium. It was Spence’s fifth homer of the season and 18th in 68 games as a Boilermaker.
The Boilermakers drew 13 free passes – seven hit by pitch and six walks. Five of those came in the first two innings as Purdue raced out to a 7-1 lead while sending 17 men to the plate. Cook’s RBI double was the first of four consecutive hits in the second inning as a four-spot went up on the board.
Logan Sutter delivered an RBI single in each of the first two innings to increase his RBI total to 35. Aaron Manias also drove in a run in each of the first two frames.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Albert Choi: 20-game on-base (as a Boilermaker)
• Brandon Anderson: 19-game on-base
• Lukas Cook: 10-game hit
• Brandon Rogers: 7-game on-base, 6-game hit
Milwaukee (3-16) did not go quietly, putting the tying run on base in the top of the eighth while loading the bases in consecutive innings. The Panthers registered five singles in the eighth inning, including four consecutive hits, before Avery Cook was able get out of the jam and ultimately finish off a six-out save, his fourth of the season.
As the first Boilermaker out of the bullpen, Michael Vallone escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning. He struck out MKE’s 3-hole hitter and then induced (and started) an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play. The twin killing came off the bat of cleanup hitter Charlie Marion, who had doubled in each of his first two plate appearances. The following frame, Vallone struck out a pair to pitch over an inning-opening sun ball to RF that dropped for a double.
Starter Cole Van Assen enjoyed efficient 1-2-3 innings in the first and fourth but allowed eight base runners vs. the other 13 batters he faced. The sophomore’s streak of 10 consecutive scoreless innings came to an end on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second.
Brandon Anderson reached base safely four times and came around to score in each of the first two innings. He drew a two-out bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning after the visitors had made it a three-run game with their three-spot in the top of the frame.
Albert Choi (.500), Sutter (.549), Anderson (.516) and Cook (.507) give Purdue four regulars with on-base percentages of at least .500. Anderson has 24 free passes (12 walks, 12 HBP) vs. just six strikeouts in 93 plate appearances.
The Boilermakers resume Big Ten Conference play this week when they host Michigan for weekend No. 2 of their season-long 12-game homestand. The first pitch Friday is set for 4 p.m. ET.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
FOURTH-SEEDED BOILERMAKERS FACE HIGH POINT IN NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 34
[4 seed] Purdue (22-11) vs. [13 seed] High Point (29-5)
Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 12:40 p.m. ET
Providence, Rhode Island | Amica Mutual Pavilion (11,648)
TELEVISION: TruTV (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Evan Washburn)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
ABOUT GAMEDAY
• The Midwest’s No. 4 seed, Purdue, begins its March Madness quest on Thursday afternoon, when it battles Big South Champion and No. 13 seed High Point in the NCAA Tournament first round. The Boilermakers are looking for their second straight apperance in the Final Four, but for starters, must get by a high-powered High Point offense in the first round.
THE NOTES TO KNOW
BACK OUT EAST: Purdue begins its NCAA Tournament journey away from the Midwest for the first time since the 2019 NCAA Tournament, when the Boilermakers face High Point in Providence in the opening round on Thursday.
• Purdue last ventured out of the Midwest for the NCAA Tournament opening rounds in 2019, when it traveled to Hartford, Connecticut, for the first two rounds. The Boilermakers would defeat Old Dominion and Villanova and eventually reached the Elite Eight.
STREAKING: Purdue will be making its 10th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, the fourth-longest streak in America. During the last eight tournaments, Purdue has been a top-four seed, the longest streak in the country by four years.
BEEN THERE BEFORE: Prior to the 2021-22 season, the Purdue basketball team scrimmaged Providence in October at Amica Mutual Pavilion before the season tipped off. Purdue last played an official game in the state of Rhode Island in Dec. 1998, an 87-82 loss to Providence.
THE WINNING WAYS: Since the 2016-17 season, Purdue has won 14 NCAA Tournament games, tied for the fifth most nationally.
• In every season since 2016-17 that Purdue has won a first-round game, it advanced to at least the Sweet 16.
DON’T LOOK PAST ANYONE: Since the 2020-21 tournament, Purdue owns a 4-1 record against high-major programs. In the same span, Purdue is 3-3 against mid-major programs.
POLL POSITION: With its No. 22 ranking in this week’s AP poll, Purdue is 1-of-10 teams nationally, and the only Big Ten team, to be ranked in every week of the AP top 25 poll.
• Purdue has been ranked in 58 straight Associated Press top-25 polls, the third-longest streak in America (Houston, Tennessee).
SHOOTING STARS: Thursday’s first-round game with High Point will be one of two first-round contests that features two top-25 offenses nationally via KenPom (UConn vs. Oklahoma).
• It also features the only matchup with both teams in the top 25 nationally in field goal percentage (High Point – 7; Purdue – 11).
HOW SWEET IT IS: Purdue is aiming for its sixth Sweet-16 appearance in the last eight seasons, advancing the second weekend in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024.
WE’RE USED TO MARCH MADNESS: Purdue will be making its 36th appearance in March Madness, tied for the 15th-most appearances in NCAA history. Purdue’s 49 victories are the 16th most in the country.
THE RECORD-SETTERS: Purdue players have set long-standing career records in the three major statistical categories during the last two seasons.
• Zach Edey broke a 54-year scoring record a year ago, previously set by Rick Mount in 1970. Edey broke a 44-year rebounding record a year ago, previously set by Joe Barry Carroll in 1980. And Braden Smith broke a 48-year assists record, previously set by Bruce Parkinson in 1977.
ONE OF ONE: Braden Smith became the first player in NCAA history to have scored at least 1,300 points, dish out 700 assists and grab 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
• Smith needs one steal to become the first player since Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson (1989-90) to have at least 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season.
PAINTER AMONG ELITE: Matt Painter is one of five coaches in America to have at least 16 NCAA Tournament berths in the last 18 tournaments (Few, Self, Izzo, Calipari, Painter).
QUICK HITTERS
• Matt Painter is dancing again for the 17th time in 21 seasons as a head coach (1 at Southern Illinois; 16 at Purdue). Purdue has only missed three NCAA Tournaments since Painter’s watch started in the 2005-06 season (2006, 2013, 2014).
• In his first nine NCAA Tournaments of his career, Matt Painter went 8-9. In his last seven NCAA Tournaments, Painter is 14-7.
• Purdue is one-of-six schools nationally with two Elite Eight apperances in the last five seasons (Arkansas, Duke, Gonzaga, Miami, UConn). During that span, the rest of the Big Ten has combined for three Elite Eight showings (Michigan, MSU, Illinois).
• Since 2016-17, Purdue has five trips to the Sweet 16, while Michigan also has five. The rest of the Big Ten has four (Wisconsin – 2; MSU – 1; Illinois – 1).
• C.J. Cox is from Lexington, Massachusetts, just a 59-minute drive to Providence. It will be the closest game from Cox’s hometown this season.
• Myles Colvin was born in Providence, back when his father, Rosevelt Colvin, was winning Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
• With Braden Smith earning first-team All-America honors, a Purdue player has earned at least one first-team accolade in four straight seasons (Jaden Ivey – 2022; Zach Edey – 2023, 2024; Braden Smith – 2025). Houston and Kansas have two first-team All-Americans in that span.
• Braden Smith has just four games this year (Marshall, Penn State, Auburn, Indiana) in which he didn’t score at least 10 points or dish out at least 10 assists.
• When Braden Smith has a double-double during his career, the Boilermakers are 18-1 (losing to Illinois in the regular-season finale).
• Smith has had at least six assists in all seven NCAA Tournament games, including two games of 10 or more (15 vs. Gonzaga; 10 vs. Grambling).
• When Fletcher Loyer makes at least three 3-pointers this season, the Boilermakers are 13-0. During his career, Purdue is 26-3.
• When Trey Kaufman-Renn has at least three assists, Purdue is 10-2. When he has two or fewer assists, Purdue is 12-9.
• Purdue is 14-3 when having more free throw attempts than its foe. When its foe has more (or the same) attempts, Purdue is 8-8.
SMITH NAMED FIRST-TEAM AP ALL-AMERICAN
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior guard Braden Smith has been named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP), the organization announced today.
Smith was joined on the first team by Auburn’s Johni Broome, Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., and Alabama’s Mark Sears.
It is the second first-team All-America selection for the Westfield, Indiana, native, as The Sporting News named him a first-team honoree last week. The United States Basketball Writers Associations (USBWA) and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) will be announced on Wednesday.
With Smith’s first-team accolade, a Boilermaker has been named a first-team All-American by at least one of the four entities in each of the last four years. In 2022, Jaden Ivey was a first-team selection by the NABC, while Zach Edey earned consensus first-team accolades in both 2023 and 2024. Smith’s first-team honors by The Sporting News and Associated Press give Purdue four straight years of first-team All-Americans. No other team has more than two first-team All-American honors in that span.
Smith and the Boilermakers will face High Point in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament first round at 12:40 p.m. ET, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Associated Press First-Team All-American – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
Named the Big Ten Player of the Year and first-team All-American by the Sporting News.
Averages 16.1 points, 8.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, but saw his averages increase to 17.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during Big Ten play.
Set the Big Ten record for assists in conference play only with 175, smashing the previous record set by Michigan State’s Cassius Winston (157) by 18 assists – almost a full assist per game.
Became the second player in Big Ten history, joining Michigan State’s Magic Johnson, to register 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. Smith has reached those numbers in each of the last two seasons.
Became the school’s career assists leader, now with 732 assists in just 107 career games.
Needs one steal to become the second player in NCAA history to have 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season, joining Georgia Tech standout Kenny Anderson (1989-90) as members of that group.
Is on pace to be the first player since California’s Jason Kidd (1993-94) to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Smith’s 732 assists (and counting) are the sixth most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season. He already ranks fifth in Big Ten conference history in career assists.
Recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games this season. Prior to this year, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist games in school history – the last one coming in the 1987-88 season.
His nine point-assist double-doubles are the third most for a high-major player in the last 20 seasons (14 – Oklahoma’s Trae Young, 2018; 10 – Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, 2023).
Smith has posted two games of 30 or more points this season (34 vs. Toledo; 31 vs. Iowa).
Has 12 games of 10 or more assists this season, and 22 games of 10 or more assists for his career. His 22 career games of 10 or more assists are the most in Big Ten history. The 22, 10-assist games are the fourth most by a player in his junior season or younger in the last 20 years (Kay Felder – 32; Kendall Marshall – 23; Ja Morant – 23).
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
LATE HOMER SPOILS IRISH HOME OPENER
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – In the 2025 home opener, the Notre Dame Softball team dropped a heartbreaker to Indiana, losing 3-2 after the Hoosiers hit a home run that served as the winning run in the top of the seventh. Notre Dame is now 12-16 on the season.
Micaela Kastor had a terrific night once again for the Irish. The junior threw a complete game, giving up only two earned runs and striking out seven. It was the third complete game of the season for the right hander.
Indiana struck first to start off the game. After back-to-back singles to open up the game, the Hoosiers used strategic base running to steal a couple bases and push across the first run.
Notre Dame got a couple base runners in the bottom of the first after back-to-back walks from Sydny Poeck and Addison Amaral, but both runners were left on base.
The Hoosiers got an unearned run in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead.
Notre Dame got its first run of the home season courtesy of Jane Kronenberger. After a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, she advanced on two wild pitches, first to third and then to cross home. One inning later, Avery Houlihan scored in similar fashion, tying the game at two after five.
On the first pitch of the top of the seventh, Indiana catcher Avery Parker hit a solo home run to right, just out of the outstretched glove of Kronenberger, for the game winning run.
Notre Dame is set to host Western Michigan tomorrow at 4 p.m. after being moved up an hour due to potential weather. The Irish are a dominant 33-6 overall against the Broncos and have won 10-straight against them. That game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Admission to all Notre Dame Softball games is free at Melissa Cook Stadium. Parking around the stadium is free after 4 p.m. on weekdays and all day on the weekends.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
OFFENSE ERUPTS, MORENO GOES FOR THE CYCLE IN WIN OVER BULLDOGS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team tallied 18 runs on 17 hits and earned an 18-4 win in seven innings over Butler in the home opener for the Irish on Tuesday evening.
Butler got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third, but the Irish used a double play with bases loaded to limit the Bulldogs’ offense in the frame. Notre Dame came right back in the bottom half of the inning. Noah Coy reached on an error, and Bino Watters laced a home run over the right field fence to put the home side up 2-1. Estevan Moreno then punched a single through the left side and stole second base to get into scoring position. Davis Johnson bounced a single up the middle, and Moreno came around to score from second for a 3-1 advantage.
The Bulldogs drew even in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs to knot the score at 3-3.
The bottom of the fourth saw DM Jefferson draw a walk before stealing second, and Noah Coy drew a four-pitch walk to put a pair on base for the Irish. Jared Zimbardo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bino Watters punched a single through the left side of the infield to beat the shift and drive in a pair for the Irish. Estevan Moreno then laced a double to the right-center gap to plate Zimbardo for the 6-3 lead. Davis Johnson blasted an opposite-field three-run home run to continue the scoring onslaught for the Irish. Connor Hincks nearly went yard as a triple hit off the wall in the right-center gap to drive in Brady Gump, and a wild pitch allowed Hincks to score for an 11-3 advantage after four innings.
The defense made quick work of Butler in the top of the fifth, and the offense put six runs on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning to pull away. Bino Watters and Estevan Moreno blasted back-to-back home runs to start the inning for the Irish. Davis Johnson notched a single and moved to second on a passed ball. Nick DeMarco drove in Johnson with a single, and DM Jefferson added a single to move DeMarco to second. Noah Coy drove a double to the right-center gap to drive in the pair, and Jared Zimbardo laced a single to left field to drive in Coy for the 17-3 lead.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the top of the sixth with a home run, but the Irish responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Estevan Moreno led the inning off with a triple to complete the cycle. Moreno scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to make the score 18-4.
Jack Walker closed out the game by striking out three of the four batters he faced in the inning to end the game in seven innings.
Dylan Heine had a no-decision after going 3.1 innings with four strikeouts and just one earned run. Brady Koester earned the win in relief after posting 1.2 innings of work with a strikeout and no hits allowed. Sammy Cooper went an inning and struck out a batter, and Jack Walker posted an inning on the mound and struck out three.
Every starter in the lineup for the Irish registered at least one hit and scored at least once in the victory.
Estevan Moreno became the first player to hit for the cycle since Zak Kutsulis accomplished the feat on March 11, 2016 at No. 4 Louisville. Moreno went 4-for-4 with two RBI, four runs scored, and was hit by a pitch. He collected the cycle with a single, double, home run, and triple. Bino Watters went 3-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI, and three runs. Davis Johnson added a 3-for-5 effort with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. DM Jefferson was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs. Connor Hincks had a triple, and Noah Coy picked up the first extra-base hit of his career with a double.
The Irish (12-6) return to ACC action this weekend when they host Georgia Tech for a three-game series starting on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
BUTLER BASEBALL
BULLDOGS FALL TO FIGHTING IRISH AT FRANK ECK STADIUM
Notre Dame picked up an 18-4 win against Butler on Tuesday night to improve to 12-6 on the season. With the setback, BU moves to 6-14.
The Irish broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fourth by scoring eight runs. They added six more in the fifth to finish the contest after seven frames.
The home run by Will Burgess to right field was a highlight in the game for Butler. Burgess went 3-for-3 in South Bend with two RBI and two runs scored. His solo shot in the sixth left the yard on a one-one count.
The first run of the game for BU came home on a Jack Moroknek sacrifice fly that scored Burgess in the third inning.
Butler plated two more runs in the fourth with Burgess singling through the right side to score Ryan Drumm. Freshman Gunnar Duncan would then single down the right field line to send Barbero around to touch home plate.
Butler ended the game with nine hits while the Irish recorded 17. Bino Watters and Davis Johnson combined for nine RBIs in the victory.
The win on the mound went to Brady Koester (1-0) while the loss fell to Gabe Pancratz (1-1). Colin Dailey got the start on Tuesday and tossed three full innings before handing the ball off to Pancratz. Four other Bulldogs touched the rubber at Notre Dame. Overall, the Bulldogs struck out 10 and only walked five.
Butler will have a quick turnaround as they head to Ball State tomorrow for more midweek action. First pitch in Muncie was moved up to 1:30 p.m. to avoid a rain threat. The contest will stream on ESPN+.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL DROPS MIDWEEK GAME TO BALL STATE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team faced Ball State in a non-conference midweek game and suffered a 7-0 loss in seven innings. The Cardinals (16-7, 2-1 MAC) scored a single run in each of the second, fourth, and sixth innings before adding four in the seventh. The Bulldogs (16-8, 5-1 BIG EAST) were most threatening in the fourth and fifth innings when they stranded five total baserunners.
Rylyn Dyer (5-2) started in the circle for Butler and took the loss. In 3.2 innings, she allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while notching one strikeout. Relief, through the end of the game, came from Kayla Noerr (2.0-IP, 1R, 3H, 3BB), Paige Lillie (0.2-IP, 4R, 1H, 3BB, K), and Gwen Baker (0.2-IP, 1H, 1BB).
Bulldog Bits
Paige Lillie saw her first collegiate action in the pitching circle.
Ella White and Sydney Carter each had a pair of hits to lead the Dawgs at the plate.
Cate Lehner’s stolen base was her 20th of the season and the 63rd of her career. She is 20-for-21 this season in attempts.
Up Next
Butler hosts St. John’s for a three-game BIG EAST series Friday through Sunday, March 21-23.
IU INDY MEN’S GOLF
BOSWELL EARNS THIRD-PLACE FINISH AT ECU INTERCOLLEGIATE AT BROOK VALLEY
GREENVILLE, N.C. – IU Indianapolis men’s golf sophomore Titus Boswell finished tied for third among the 100-player field at this week’s ECU Intercollegiate at Brook Valley, closing the event at even par 216 (75-68-73) and a spot on the All-Tournament Team. The Jaguars finished seventh of 16 teams at 907 (307-293-307) for the week.
The Jaguars’ second round 293 was the second-best effort after IU Indy sat in 11th-place after the opening 18. Head coach Jamie Broce’s team closed with a final round 307 with Boswell carding 1-over 73 and Noah Kirsch finishing at 3-over 75. Both Morgan Tournemire and Sam McWilliams were countable at 79 and 80 respectively, while Harry Ward had a final round, 2-over 74 while playing as an individual.
“I have been putting in a massive amount of work the past four months,” Boswell said. “To see all of it finally start to pay off a little bit is an amazing feeling. I just kept a positive attitude all week and tried to just enjoy the challenge of this course.”
Tournemire finished the event tied for 46th overall at 231 (78-74-79) and McWilliams, Kirsch and Ward all closed at 234. McWilliams had a second round 75 as part of the Jags’ 293 while Kirsch and Ward closed strong.
Sophomore Brady Schier had an opening round 75 and second round 76 before a final round 84 on Tuesday.
Boswell fueled a climb up the leaderboard in round two, getting to 4-under with five birdies and a bogey as the round was cut early due to darkness. He regained form when play resumed, finishing off his round with a string of pars to start the day Tuesday.
UCF won the team title at 872, clearing second-place ECU by 12 shots and third-place UConn by 22 strokes. ECU’s Nathan O’Neal earned medalist honors at 5-under 211 for the week and Auburn’s Reed Lotter finished at 1-under 215. Boswell closed the tournament tied with Auburn’s Billy Davis, who entered play ranked No. 56 nationally.
The Jaguars will return to action at month’s end when they compete in Butler’s Don Benbow Invitational at Highland Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL PICKS UP TUESDAY WIN AT BUTLER
INDIANAPOLIS – – Led by a pair of RBI from sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak and a complete game shutout by freshman Breanna Severino, the Ball State softball team earned a 7-0 victory over Butler Tuesday afternoon at the Butler Softball Field.
Pietrzak provided all the run support Severino would need in the top of the second, slashing a two-out, 1-2 pitch down the left field line to bring home senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson for the game’s first run.
The Cardinals (16-7) would double its lead in the top of the fourth inning, courtesy of another two-out RBI from Pietrzak. This time, she doubled down the left field line on a 1-2 count to bring home redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland.
The lead remained two runs until the top of the sixth when redshirt junior center fielder Hayley Urban drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to three. Urban would also cap the scoring in a four-run seventh with a bases loaded sac fly to left.
Prior to Urban’s second RBI of the game, redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons would drive in the first two runs of the inning with a double to center field. The effort extended her current hitting streak to 15 games and went along with two walks and a hit by pitch in the game. Three batters later senior right fielder Maddie Weaver drew a bases loaded walk to bring home another.
Meanwhile, Severino picked up her first collegiate compete game shutout, limiting the Bulldogs (16-8) to just seven hits over her 7.0 innings of work. She also struck out one batter and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth. With the win, Severino improved to 3-4 on the season.
NOTES:
– In addition to extending her active hitting streak to 15 games with her two-run double in the seventh inning, Timmons has now reached base safely in 49 consecutive games dating back to last season … She also raised her current on base percentage to .655, which as of right now, ranks third nationally.
– After being hit by a pitch for the 10th time this season in the top of the first inning, Timmons responded by stealing her MAC-leading 12th stolen base of the year … Timmons has now stolen 12 bases in 13 attempts.
– Junior designated player Ella Whitney picked up three of the Cardinals’ 11 hits on the day and was also walked twice for a 1.000 on base percentage for the game … It was her fourth three-hit game of the season and extended her active hitting streak to six games and her streak of reaching base safely to 11.
– With her two hits, two RBI and one run scored versus Butler, Pietrzak is second on the squad over the last 10 games in each category with 13 hits, 14 runs scored and seven RBI … Only Timmons has more in each category, with 18 hits, 16 runs scored and 21 RBI.
– It was another errorless game for the Ball State defense which leads the Mid-American Conference with a .977 fielding percentage this season … The Cardinals have committed just 15 errors over its first 23 games, including no errors in 12 games.
– Ball State was right on average Tuesday, scoring seven total runs in the win over Butler … The Cardinals entered the game ranked 25th nationally at 7.00 runs per game.
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team will make a second attempt to host its home opener Friday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader versus league rival Toledo. The teams will conclude their three-game series Saturday with another 1 p.m. first pitch. All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN+
BALL STATE BASEBALL
THREE HOME RUN DAY FROM DAVIS POWERS BASEBALL TO 14-10 WIN OVER VALPO
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ty Davis hit three home runs in his first three at bats to help lead the Ball State baseball team to a 14-10 win over Valparaiso on Tuesday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.
The Cardinals (15-6) led 3-0 after the third inning following a Davis two-run homer to left in the second and Clay Jacobs scoring on a passed ball in the third. After the Beacons (4-12) plated a run in the fourth, Davis struck again in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot to right to give the hosts a 4-1 edge.
Valpo scored seven times in the fifth inning, but Ball State responded with four runs of its own in the bottom half of the frame starting with an RBI triple by Dylan Grego. Blake Bevis next brought home Grego on a fielder’s choice before Davis mashed another two-run homer to left to tie the score at 8-8.
Alex Richter hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning to take a 10-8 lead and Nick Husovsky walked with the bases loaded for an 11-8 advantage for the Cardinals. Ball State tacked on three insurance runs in the eighth inning and cruised to its 11th win in 13 tries.
Davis was the first Ball State player since Ryan Peltier on April 23, 2023 to hit three home runs in a game. The junior upped his season totals to five home runs and 12 RBI with the performance.
Richter knocked in three runs and Clay Jacobs went 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
Zach Leduc (3-0) was credited with the win after working 2.2 innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen, while John Chambers got his second save of the year by coming on with two runners on in the ninth and notching the final three outs of the game. Valpo’s Kolt Davis (0-1) surrendered three runs in two-thirds of an inning to be hit with the loss.
“Ty Davis had an amazing day to carry us,” Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. “We had timely hitting and turned a couple of key double plays. A lot of guys contributed.”
The Cardinals finish a nine-game homestand at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday against Butler.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
ILLINOIS HOLDS OFF INDIANA STATE, 8-6, IN MIDWEEK BASEBALL ACTION
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Indiana State was not able to fully complete the comeback on Tuesday night at Illinois Field as the Sycamores fell to the host Fighting Illini in nonconference play, 8-6.
Eli Gipson homered twice, while Carlos Pena and Carter Beck also went deep as Indiana State (9-12) brought the power bats to the ballpark on Tuesday night. However, Illinois (11-7) utilized a Jack Zebig’s three-run home run in a six-run second inning and Jacob Schroeder added a solo shot in the third inning as the Illini held off the Sycamores in a rematch of the NCAA Lexington Regional matchup from the 2024 season.
Beck homered to lead off the game and the Sycamores added a second run on a play that featured two of Illinois’ four errors in the contest as Indiana State looked to seize control of the game early. Illinois responded in the bottom of the second inning off Sycamore starter Breyllin Suriel (0-2) with a six-run second inning in which the Illini sent 10 batters to the plate highlighted by Zebig’s three-run home run to take control of the game early.
The Sycamores continued to battle back in the contest as Gipson homered twice and Pena added a solo shot of his own, while strong pitching out of the bullpen from Jack Armstrong and Zac Laird kept the game within reach in the late innings.
Indiana State put runners on base in each of the final four innings highlighted by Carter Beck’s sixth-inning single and Jackson Taylor’s two-out double in the eighth, but the Sycamores were unable to string together the rally to complete the comeback in the midweek defeat to the Illini.
Beck, Pena, Gipson, and Taylor all posted multi-hit games in the loss highlighted by Gipson’s pair of hoem runs, while Taylor recorded his first collegiate two-double game. Zach Henderson added an infield single as the Sycamores connected on nine hits in the loss.
Suriel took the loss, allowing seven hits and six runs over 1.2 innings in his third start of the 2025 season. Colby Morse worked 1.2 innings in relief allowing three hits and two runs, before turning the ball over to Armstrong in the fourth. Armstrong worked 3.1 scoreless innings with a trio of strikeouts, while Laird went the final 1.1 frames with two additional strikeouts to give Indiana State the chance to keep the game in play late.
Zebig, Valicius, and Collin Jennings all had multi-hit games for the host Illini as all nine batters in the starting lineup reached base in the contest. Jennings and Coltin Quagliano both doubled, while Zebig and Schroeder homered in the win.
Jake Swartz (1-0) picked up the win allowing two hits and two runs while striking out two in relief. Ryan Daly went the first 4.0 innings allowing four hits and four runs (three earned), while striking out four. Evan Clark, Zach Bates, and Luke Weber all turned scoreless innings on the mound before Reed Gannon (S, 1) went a scoreless ninth inning in his first save of the season.
How They Scored
Carter Beck homered on the first pitch of the game as the Sycamore centerfielder connected on the opening offering and put it over the wall in left center to give Indiana State the early 1-0 lead.
The Sycamores made it 2-0 in the top of the first as Carlos Pena scored on Zach Henderson’s fielder’s choice to give Indiana State the early two-run lead.
Illinois responded with six runs in the bottom of the second inning highlighted by Jack Zebig’s three-run home run over the left field wall. Nick Groves, Grant Ross, and Coltin Quagliano all drove in RBIs in the inning to give the Illini the 6-2 lead.
Indiana State responded in the top of the third inning as Eli Gipson connected on a solo home run over the wall in left center to cut the deficit down to 6-3.
Jacob Schroeder answered for the Illini in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run down the left field line to put the margin at 7-3.
Jackson Taylor doubled in the top of the fourth and then came around to score on a wild pitch to put the score at 7-4 after the Sycamore at-bats in the frame.
Vytas Valincius singled home Ross in the bottom of the fourth to give Illinois the 8-4 lead.
The Sycamores tallied their final two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Carlos Pena connected on a shot deep over the wall in right center for a solo home run to make it an 8-5 ballgame.
Gipson followed two batters later with his second home run of the game, this one to left center, to provide the final 8-6 scoring margin.
News & Notes
Eli Gipson became the second Sycamore with a multi-homer game this season joining Keegan Garis (Mar. 14 vs. Pacific).
Gipson and Pena’s home runs in the fifth inning marked the fourth time this season Indiana State has had multiple players homer in the same inning and first since Garis and Gipson both went deep in the sixth inning on March 14 against Pacific.
Gipson’s pair of home runs at Illinois Field marked the second consecutive season an Indiana State player has hit multiple home runs in the same game against the Illini. Parker Stinson achieved the feat last season on April 30, 2024, with a two-run home run and a grand slam in the Sycamores’ 21-11 loss to the Illini.
Indiana State’s four home runs on the day equaled their single-game high in 2025 set back on February 16, 2025, against Wagner.
Carlos Pena ran his team-leading on-base streak to 15 consecutive games on Tuesday evening.
Jack Armstrong worked a season-best 3.1 innings in relief on Tuesday.
Up Next
Indiana State returns home to Bob Warn Field for the start of Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend. The Sycamores welcome Valparaiso for a three-game series starting Friday, March 21, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. All three games will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
OSTERHOUSE HITS THREE HOMERS AT BOWLING GREEN
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Purdue Fort Wayne’s Justin Osterhouse hit three home runs on Tuesday (March 18) at Bowling Green but the Falcons rallied for a 19-18 victory over the Mastodons.
Osterhouse hit a solo home run in the first, a grand slam in the second and another solo shot in the fourth inning. The sophomore was intentionally walked the next three plate appearances to reach base six times in the contest. He finished the day with six RBIs and four runs.
He is the fifth Mastodon in the Division I era of the program to hit three home runs in a game. Cade Fitzpatrick was the last to do it, recording three home runs last season at Northern Kentucky.
He wasn’t the only Mastodon to knock one over the fence on Tuesday, with Jackson Micheels hitting a three-run shot in the seventh inning. Osterhouse, Micheels, Dylan Chargo, and Kevin Hall each had three hits. Micheels also walked twice
Bowling Green scored the final seven runs of the game. They tallied five in the eighth inning and two in the ninth with two outs. Garrett Wright knocked in four for the Falcons in the game. DJ Newman hit two home runs. Sam Seidel had a walk-off single for the Falcons.
Connar Penrod got the win for Bowling Green. Carter Orner was handed the loss.
The ‘Dons continue play this weekend in Horizon League action at Youngstown State.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
AKRON TOPS PURDUE FORT WAYNE IN EXTRA INNINGS
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The home opener for the Purdue Fort Wayne softball team went to Akron on Tuesday (March 18) with a 3-2 final score in nine innings.
The perfect weather for a game on March 18 in the Midwest led to a positive start for the Mastodons. They went up 1-0 in the second inning thanks to Brooke Lickey’s single that scored Addison Zimpleman.
Alanah Jones gave up just three hits in the first four innings, but Akron got two in the fifth to jump ahead. A bunted single and a home run from Sydney Selker put the Zips up 2-1.
The Mastodons answered in the bottom of the sixth when Grace Hollopeter got a single then worked around to second on a wild pitch. McKenna Minton sent the fourth pitch she saw up the middle to bring Hollopeter home.
From there, the two teams traded scoreless seventh and eighth innings. In the ninth, Akron strung together a single, sacrifice bunt and another single to score the go-ahead run that proved to be the eventual game-winner.
Jones threw all 9.0 for the Mastodons, giving up three earned runs and striking out five. She fell to 4-8. Three Zips split the pitching duties, with Mallory Herwerden picking up the win after tossing the final 3.1 without allowing a hit. She moved to 1-0.
The Mastodons had eight hits, including two from Hollopeter.
Purdue Fort Wayne fell to 5-15 while Akron improved to 14-13. The Mastodons are scheduled to play their last non-league contest of the season next Tuesday (March 25) at Ohio State.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
ACES BASEBALL BATTLES AT INDIANA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was a close game on Tuesday night between the University of Evansville baseball team and the Indiana Hoosiers in their first of two meetings this season.
The Purple Aces kept things close with the Hoosiers at Bart Kaufman field. But two long balls late in the game were the deciding factor in the 7-4 Indiana win on Tuesday. Five different UE batters had a hit in 32 at-bats as junior Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) led Evansville with two hits.
It was a pitcher’s duel early in Bloomington as there was only one hit in the first two innings from either team. Each team had at least a runner on base, but the defenses stepped up as the Aces turned their ninth double play of the season. It was the Hoosiers who struck first in their own park as a lead off bunt in the third turned into a run on a fielding error later in the inning. Indiana’s only other hit of the third also scored a run making it a 2-0 game.
Both teams made pitching changes on the mound in the third as the bullpens got plenty of work on Tuesday. Each team threw at least six pitchers in their midweek contest. Right-hander Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) struck out three of the four batters he faced for UE in just under two innings to keep the score at 2-0 heading into the top of the fifth.
Evansville’s first hit of the night was a leadoff triple from designated hitter Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) to begin the fifth inning. Nehls scored two batters later as catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS) put a ball into the infield, giving Nehls time to beat the throw at home. The Hoosiers were able to answer in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on a single and a walk for a 4-1 lead.
The Aces offensive spark from the fifth continued into the top of the sixth with back-to-back hits. A wild pitch from IU pitcher Seth Benes, son of former Evansville pitcher Adam Benes, scored center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) to cut the Indiana lead in half. UE quickly made it only a one-run game as a sacrifice fly to center field from Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) scored right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC).
Evansville’s defense was able to hold off the Hoosiers in the bottom of the sixth with its 10th double play of the year to end the inning. Howard led off the seventh with a bunt to reach first base and got to third in the next two at-bats on a ground out and a fly out. Indiana walked Taubert to put runners at the corners for the Aces with two outs on the board.
Second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) put a single into center field to score Howard tying the game up at four runs apiece. But the top of the seventh ended shortly after as McGinnis tried to stretch his single to a double and was tagged for the third out just before second base. The game didn’t remain tied for long as IU led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to make it 5-4 as their next three batters went down in order.
UE’s offense went down in order in the top of the eighth as the Hoosiers returned to a multi-run lead in the bottom of the inning. After walking the first Indiana batter relief pitcher RJ James (Toronto, Canada) got the next two on pop-outs. But the fourth batter James faced hit a home run out to center field making it a 7-4 game. Evansville got a strikeout on the next batter ending the inning for their last chance on offense.
Howard connected on his second hit of the night for the Aces in the ninth with a single through the right side. The speedy infielder stole his fourth base of the season getting to second with two outs on the board. But a tipped third strike ended the game at Bart Kaufman Field in Indiana’s favor 7-4.
UE begins Missouri Valley Conference action this week. Evansville will start conference play at Murray State on Friday evening for three matchups with the Racers. First pitch from Johnny Reagan Field on March 21 is set for 5 p.m. and will be the Aces’ first game on the radio heard on WJPS.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF STAGES LATE RALLY IN FINAL DAY
PROSPECT, Ky. – A furious rally saw the University of Evansville women’s golf team stage a late rally before finishing in second place, just three strokes behind the winner in the second round of the Nevel Meade Collegiate at Nevel Meade Golf Course.
Trailing by 12 strokes following the first round, the Purple Aces stormed back to finish just three behind eventual tournament champion Lindenwood. The Lions posted a 609 while UE finished with a 612.
Leading the way for UE was Louise Standtke who carded a 1-over 73 in the second round of the tournament to finish the weekend with a 146 on the way to a runner-up finish. Taking third place on the final leaderboard was Mallory Russell. A 5-over 77 on Tuesday gave her a 150 for the tournament.
Kate Petrova came home in a tie for 5th place. After recording a 75 on Monday, Petrova shot a 78 in the final round to post a 153. Elizabeth Mercer tied for 16th place. She improved from an 82 in round one to an 81 in the final 18 holes. Jane Grankina tied for 29th with a 174. She wrapped up Tuesday’s round with a score of 85.
Trinity Dubbs was Evansville’s top individual finisher. Following an 82 in the opening 18, Dubbs posted an 80 in the last round to finish in a tie for 13th with a 162. Destynie Sheridan wrapped up the weekend in 35th place with a score of 179.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
BANNISTER PLACES FOURTH OVERALL AS THE EAGLES FINISH SIXTH AT TWIN OAKS INTERCOLLEGIATE
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf starts strong, but finishes sixth among talented 12-team field at the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate, hosted by Missouri State University.
The Screaming Eagles shot a team score of 871 (287, 292, 292) over the two-day tournament of three rounds. Senior Jason Bannister was locked in on the first day, leading the Eagles with a fourth-place finish at even par, scoring a 213 (69, 69, 75). Senior Sam Vertanen climbed 29 spots in the final round to finish tied for 12th, scoring a 217 (71, 77, 69).
The final order of finish included Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (+2), Missouri State (+11), University of Northern Iowa (+16), University of Nebraska-Omaha (+16), Western Illinois University (+18), USI (+19), Southern Utah University (+22), Bradley University (+23), University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (+33), Lindenwood University (+34), Evangel University (+51), and Eastern Illinois University (+55).
Round 1
USI came prepared in the first round the Eagles have played at this tournament. The squad finished three over par at 287, tied for third place. The four top scores finished the round with eight birdies, 53 pars, and only 11 bogeys.
Bannister started the tournament shooting a 69, marking the sixth time the senior has broke 70 in the 2024-25 season. The round featured three birdies, 14 pars, and only one bogey.
Vertanen trailed right behind in 11th, shooting an even round of 71. Junior Carter Goebel used a six-hole par streak to total a strong score of 73, while freshman Alex Peck tied his career best round with a 74.
Round 2
The afternoon round saw a small regression for the Eagles, falling to sixth place after shooting a 292 (+9). Bannister finished two rounds at second overall after shooting another 69, only five strokes outside of the leader. The senior only committed three bogey’s, breaking 70 for the seventh time in 19 rounds this season.
Goebel turned in another 73, totaling five birdies, six pars, and seven bogey’s. Peck delivered a massive round two as a freshman for the Eagles with a 73, breaking his career best. Vertanen rounded out the scoring with a 77.
Round 3
The Eagles bounced around the leaderboard on Tuesday’s final round. USI concluded play with a 292 (+9), finishing behind Ohio Valley Conference foe, Western Illinois by one stroke.
Vertanen jumped 29 participants on Tuesday, securing the third Eagles score below par of the weekend with a 69.
USI leaves Springfield, placing third among five competing conference schools which they will see at the end of the season. The Eagles will use this as fuel only two competitions into the spring season.
What’s Next
The squad heads to Pawleys Island, South Carolina on Mar. 31-Apr.2. USI will compete in the Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
SCREAMING EAGLES BACK ON THE ROAD THIS WEEK
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball is back on the road this week and starts a five-game road swing by visiting Austin Peay State University Wednesday in Clarksville, Tennessee. The first pitch is scheduled for a new start time of NOON.
Following the midweek game at APSU, the Screaming Eagles open the Ohio Valley Conference slate for 2025 by going to Western Illinois University for a three-game series. The series starts Friday in Macomb, Illinois, with a 2 p.m. first pitch; continues Saturday at 1 p.m.; and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
The five-game road swing ends next week when Ball State University hosts USI for a 3 p.m. game on March 25.
The next time the Eagles are at the USI Baseball Field is March 28-30 when they host the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a three-game series. The USI-Little Rock series is the start of a seven-game homestand at the USI Baseball Field.
With the ever-changing weather in March, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.
Links to follow the Eagles all season can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and the USI Baseball Schedule.
USI Baseball Notes:
USI salvages series finale vs. Murray State. The USI Screaming Eagles salvaged the series finale with Murray State University in thrilling fashion Sunday, winning the nightcap of a doubleheader, 11-8, in 11 innings. Sophomore infielder Anthony Umbach knocked in the game-winning run with a two-out single in the 11th. The Racers took the first two games of the series, winning on Friday, 5-4, and in the first game of the doubleheader Sunday, 17-6.
USI last week. The Eagles were 2-3 last week, beginning with a 6-4 win over Austin Peay State University before losing two of three to Murray State. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens led USI at the plate, hitting .500 (11-22) with two doubles, a triple, and four RBIs.
Kitchens has the hot stick. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens has had the big bat for USI the last 10 games, hitting .543 (19-35) with seven runs scored, four doubles, a triple, one home run, and seven RBIs.
Umbach picks it up in the last 10 games. Sophomore infielder Anthony Umbach picked it up in the last 10 games. Umbach has made six appearances with five starts and is hitting .471 (8-17) with three RBIs.
Overall Eagle leaders at the plate. USI junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens is the top hitter at USI and the OVC with a .443 batting average (27-61). He also is tied for first in home runs (2) and RBIs (14); and second in doubles (7).
On the mound: Junior right-hander Blake Kimball led the USI starters in the opening weeks with a 2-3 record and a team-best 4.40 ERA. Junior right-hander Andres Gonzalez has a team-best 17 strikeouts this season. Kimball and Gonzalez are eighth and 10th in the OVC in ERA, respectively, through March 16.
USI in the OVC. USI ranks second in the OVC with a .312 team batting average and fifth with 103 runs scored. On the bump, the Eagles are eighth in the league with a 7.32 ERA.
USI visits APSU. USI will try to make it a two-game sweep of APSU on Wednesday after winning the first meeting last week. The Governors, who are 13-7 overall and visit Tennessee Tech University Tuesday, have won nine of the first 10 meetings with the Eagles.
USI opens OVC schedule at WIU: USI finishes this week by opening the 2025 OVC schedule on the road at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. WIU is 5-11 this year and is predicted to place last in the OVC this year. The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Leathernecks, 6-3, after sweeping last year’s conference games (3-0). WIU visits Southern Illinois University Tuesday before hosting USI.
VALPO BASEBALL
BASEBALL FALLS IN HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR AT BALL STATE
The Valparaiso University baseball team tied a season high in the hit column and enjoyed a seven-run inning for the second time in the last three games, but host Ball State prevailed by a football score of 14-10 with the wind blowing out on Tuesday afternoon at Shebek Stadium in Muncie, Ind.
How It Happened
After starting pitcher Joe Seiber (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport) worked 1-2-3 in the opening inning, Ball State’s Ty Davis homered in the bottom of the second to start the game’s scoring.
Ball State picked up an unearned run in the third on a passed ball / dropped third strike, but Ryan Kruse (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) struck out three in the frame to keep the damage to the minimum.
On the first pitch of the top of the fourth, Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) lifted an opposite-field home run to left, putting Valpo on the board and cutting the Ball State lead to 3-1.
Ball State’s Ty Davis hit his second home run of the game in the fourth, extending the lead to 4-1.
Playing in his first game since Feb. 28 after missing the previous seven with an injury, Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) led off the fifth inning with a first-pitch home run to left, getting Valpo back within two at 4-2.
A bloop single by Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) plated Valpo’s second run of the fifth, pulling the Beacons within a run at 4-3 and bouncing the Ball State starting pitcher from the contest. The inning continued as Maka drove in the tying run, then Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) grounded a two-run, go-ahead double down the left-field line to make it 6-4 in favor of the Beacons. Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) capped the seven-run fifth inning with a two-run double of his own.
The high-scoring affair continued in the bottom of the fifth, when Ball State scored four times to tie the game at eight including Davis’ third home run of the game.
Ball State scored three times in the seventh to take an 11-8 lead.
Maka’s third hit of the game came with two outs in the eighth, driving in a run to shrink the lead to two at 11-9.
Ball State added three in the bottom of the eighth to expand the lead to five at 14-9. Denty’s third hit of the game drove in a run in the top of the ninth, making it 14-10, which stood as the final.
Inside the Game
Maka has reached base safely in every game he’s played this season, extending his streak to 15 on Tuesday.
Maka’s home run was the 20th of his career, one away from cracking the program’s all-time top 10.
Cooper homered for the second time this season and in his career. This marked his first home run since Feb. 22 at Memphis.
Valpo scored nine runs or more for the third time in the last four games.
Sullivan, Maka, Patton and Denty all had multiple hits including Maka and Denty leading the way with three apiece.
The Beacons outhit the Cardinals 14-10 as the Beacons tied a season high for hits that was set on Feb. 28 vs. Niagara. This marked Valpo’s third double-figure hit total in the last four games.
Free bases plagued the Beacons as Valpo walked 10, hit a batter and made three errors.
Up Next
The Beacons (4-12) will start up Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday at 5:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m. ET in Terre Haute. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
The Valparaiso University Department of Athletics has announced that the University and women’s basketball head coach Mary Evans have mutually agreed to part ways.
The program compiled a 73-135 record (.351) in Evans’ seven seasons as head coach.
“I am thankful for Mary and the hard work she has put in to lead our women’s basketball program over the last seven seasons,” Director of Athletics Laurel Hosmer said. “She thrived on her players becoming well-rounded young women who grew not only athletically, but in all facets of their life during their time at Valpo. We wish Mary all the best in her career moving forward.”
Evans coached six All-Missouri Valley Conference selections in her time as head coach at Valpo, including three First Team honorees, and had 11 players earn MVC Scholar-Athlete recognition. Her 2019-20 squad, which won 17 games, had accepted a postseason berth in the Women’s Basketball Invitational prior to the tournament’s cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a bittersweet day, as I’ve invested heavily in Valpo since I arrived on campus in 2018,” Evans said. “I’m grateful for what we’ve achieved and the lasting connections made with my staff and student-athletes. My family and I look forward to our next chapter and wish Valpo nothing but the best.”
A nationwide search for the program’s next head coach will begin immediately. Assistant coach Jon Hill will serve as interim head coach to oversee the program’s day-to-day operations until the search for the program’s next head coach is complete.
IU INDY WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF ENDS SOUTH CAROLINA TRIP AT OLDFIELD CLASSIC
OAKTIE, S.C. – The UIndy women’s golf team tied for third at the Oldfield Intercollegiate on Tuesday as the team ends their spring break trip on the Atlantic coast. Hosted by USC Beaufort, the tournament took place at the Oldfield Golf Club.
The Hounds tied with Carson-Newman, finishing +60 (315-309-300). UIndy and Carson-Newman had the best finish out of the NCAA DII schools competing. NAIA Member SCAD Savannah won the team competition at +43.
Macey Brown had the best score out of the Greyhound squad, placing fifth overall. Brown finished +9 (78-76-71), ending the tournament with -1 final round. Teammate Caroline Whallon was right behind Brown at +10 (76-77-73). Whallon was able to grab a share of sixth place.
Ava Ray was the next for the Greyhounds, finishing t-20th. Ray completed the three rounds at +16 (78-77-78). Abby Stone was +24 (83-79-78) and earned a share of 37th place.
Ellen Caton rounded out the UIndy lineup in t-81st. Caton finished 53 over par (88-86-95).
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds are set to co-host the Indianapolis Intercollegiate with the University of Findlay on Mar. 31 and Apr. 1. In its second year, the tournament features both men’s and women’s teams and returns to Chariot Run Golf Club in Laconia, Ind.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
OFFENSIVE RAMPAGE FUELS MARIAN’S ONE-SIDED SWEEP OVER GRACE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian softball team cruised to a pair of wins on Tuesday afternoon, as the Knights racked up 27 runs over two games in a sweep of Grace College. Marian won game one 12-4 and the second 15-1, taking two run rule wins to move to 17-3 on the season.
GAME 1 | Marian 12-4 Grace | 5 INNINGS
A dominant first inning fueled the Knights commanding win in game one, as Marian drove home 10 runs in the first inning of the game. Following a scoreless inning pitched by Olivia Stunkel in the top half inning, the Marian offense went to work as each of their first four batters reached base safely. Grace Meyer drove in the first two runs of the game with her single to center field, and following the senior’s hit Hayley Greene and Ally Malone followed with back to back doubles. Brooke Knox would walk to join Malone on the bases, setting up Jenna Minnix who hammered the first pitch she saw in the game to deep left-center, leaving the yard for the second time this season. Abbey Hofmann and Anna Pritchett would each single as the inning progressed, bringing Abby Madere’s dangerous bat to the plate. The junior outfielder finished the scoring with her own set of fireworks, launching a pitch beyond the center field wall, as her three-run home run capped the 10-0 frame.
Marian was able to put the game on cruise control after jumping out to their 10-0 lead, as Stunkel pitched a scoreless second inning, and gained a run of support on Ally Malone’s RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom half. Stunkel would leave a pitch on the plate in the third inning for Sami Lemler, who capitalized with a solo home run, but Grace was unable to keep their rally going as the senior pitcher finished her outing with three straight outs. Lily Wendt would record a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning, giving Marian a commanding 12-1 lead.
Alayna Tesnar was called on in relief of Stunkel over the final two innings, and would allow three runs in the final two innings as Grace produced some late game offense. After allowing the Lancers’ fourth run of the game, the freshman reliever stood tall in the circle, getting a strikeout and two ground balls to short to put a bow on the game, sealing the five-inning 12-4 victory.
Anna Pritchett enjoyed a 3-3 outing in the game one win, scoring three times. Madere and Minnix each had three RBI and two hits in the victory, while Hayley Greene and Grace Meyer each went 2-3 with a double. As a team, the Knights had 13 base hits in the win, scoring 12 runs. Olivia Stunkel (8-0) earned the win in the game, allowing three hits and one run in her three innings of work. Tesnar yielded five hits over her two innings of relief, striking out two.
GAME 2 | Marian 15-1 Grace | 5 INNINGS
The second game started nearly identical to the first, as Macy Coan got the Knights started with a quick three-up, three-down first inning. In the bottom of the first inning, the offense got rolling with a single from Anna Pritchett, with the outfielder scoring two batters later on Lily Wendt’s RBI single. Jenna Minnix drove in two runs with a single to right field, and Ally Malone laid the monster hit of the inning, recording her first career home run to score three runs for the Knights. Marian would continue to attack after the home run, as Abbey Hofmann scored two runs with a double, and Abby Madere singled in a run, putting a stamp on the nine-run first.
Like her teammate, Coan cruised through her next two innings of work, allowing a single in the second inning, while pitching a perfect third. Marian drove in their 10th run on an Ally Malone RBI single in the second inning, and in the bottom of the third Emily Phillips scored two runs with her pinch-hit single. Malone would again strike as she flared an RBI single to left, pushing Marian on top 13-0 after three complete innings.
Katie Lackman pitched a scoreless fourth inning, and in the bottom half Marian tacked on two more runs, as Mystic Means produced an RBI single and Emily Collins scored an RBI fielder’s choice. Marian led 15-0 after four complete, coming one out away from a shutout in the top of the fifth inning as Grace slammed a two-out single off Lauren Mayer to produce their lone run of the day. Mayer pitched into a jam as runners stood on second and third, however the junior was able to avoid future harm as she got an inning-ending groundout to complete the 15-1 victory.
Coan (6-2) picked up win number six on the season, allowing one hit in three innings of work. Lackman pitched a perfect inning, and Mayer allowed three hits in her relief inning. Offensively, 10 Knights had one or more hits, as the team recorded 16 while scoring their 15 runs. Malone had the top game with her five RBI and home run as part of a 3-3 day, and Minnix went 3-3 with two RBI. Lily Wendt and Anna Pritchett each had two hits in the win.
Marian will resume their league schedule on Friday afternoon, as they open an eight-game road trip at Bethel University. Friday’s doubleheader begins at 3:00 p.m.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1951 In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Fred Hutchinson, the American League player representative, says the players should have a voice in selecting the new commissioner to replace A. B. Happy Chandler, who the owners recently ousted. The Tigers’ right-hander suggests that the major leaguers, if not given input, would be inclined to hire and pay their own commissioner, with Chandler being their first choice.
1961 The Red Sox announce that Carl Yastrzemski will be the team’s left fielder this season, replacing Boston legend Ted Williams. The 21-year-old from Southampton (NY) spends 23 seasons with Boston, becoming a Hall of Famer like his predecessor.
1961 The Yankees signal opposition to any plan enabling the new National League franchise to share their Bronx ballpark, with team owner Dan Topping citing his former GM George Weiss, now in a similar position with the expansion team, vehemently against the idea during his last two seasons with the club. William Shea, chairman of the Mayor’s Baseball Committee, does not believe the Polo Grounds or Roosevelt Field in Jersey City are viable venues for the new team until the completion of the new stadium in Flushing Meadows.
1965 During spring training, Jack Quinlan, best known for doing play-by-play for the Cubs on WIND (1955-56) and WGN (1957–64), dies in an auto accident after leaving a golf outing. The popular 38-year-old broadcaster’s partners included Lou Boudreau and Charlie Grimm.
1970 During a spring training game against Oakland, Indians’ first baseman Ken Harrelson fractures his leg and will not play until September, appearing in only 17 games. Next season, after losing his starting position to Chris Chambliss, the eventual AL Rookie of the Year, the ‘Hawk’ will retire in June to pursue a professional golf career.
1989 The Yankees, hoping to replace the injured Dave Winfield, trade catcher Joel Skinner and minor leaguer Turner Ward to the Indians for outfielder Mel Hall, who will hit .273 during his four years with the Bronx Bombers. The future Hall of Fame outfielder will miss the entire season due to back surgery.
2002 The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) launches at noon today with a half-hour introductory show, then will broadcast the evening exhibition against the Reds as its first game. The team-owned regional cable TV channel, modeled after NESN of the Red Sox, will carry Bronx Bombers games and air New Jersey Nets NBA contests.
2005 After avoiding salary arbitration by signing a one-year $10.5 million deal in the offseason, Lance Berkman agrees to a six-year, $85 million contract. The three-time All-Star outfielder will be an Astro until 2010, with the club holding the option for an additional year.
2007 Texas announces their home stadium will now be called Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The subprime mortgage industry crisis caused Ameriquest to give up its naming rights last month after reaching a 30-year deal with the team in 2004, reportedly worth about $75 million.
2008 In a protest of their coaches not receiving the same $40,000 stipend negotiated by the players union, the Red Sox players boycott their exhibition game, scheduled to be televised nationally from the City of Palms Park, and tomorrow’s flight to Japan for the season-opening game against the A’s. The delayed game starts an hour later when MLB consents to pay the managers, coaches, and trainers $20,000 each from management’s proceeds, with the difference to be paid by the team.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
March 19
1942 — The Thoroughbred Racing Associations of the United States is formed, with John C. Clark president.
1950 — Babe Didrikson Zaharias shoots a record 298 and beats Clair Doran by eight strokes to capture the U.S. Women’s Open.
1950 — The Rochester Royals win their 15th consecutive game, 97-66 over the Baltimore Bullets to set an NBA record for consecutive victories to close a season.
1955 — San Francisco wins the NCAA basketball championship with a 77-63 victory over La Salle.
1955 — Dick Ricketts and Si Green combine for 56 points to lead Duquesne to a 70-58 triumph over Dayton in the NIT championship.
1956 — The Minneapolis Lakers defeat the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 for the biggest rout in NBA playoff history.
1960 — Ohio State wins the NCAA basketball title with a 75-55 victory against California.
1960 — Mach Herndon’s 26 points leads Bradley to a 88-72 triumph over Providence for the NIT title. Lenny Wilkens scores 25 points for the Friars.
1966 — Texas Western, starting five black players, wins the NCAA basketball championship with a 72-65 upset of all-white Kentucky.
1966 — BYU beats New York University 97-84 for the NIT championship.
1972 — The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women holds its first basketball championship and Immaculata beats West Chester State 52-48.
1972 — The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 162-99 for the most lopsided victory in NBA history.
1987 — Bonnie Blair skates ladies’ world record 500 m (39.43 sec)
1994 — Hartford’s Brian Propp reaches the 1,000-point mark with a goal in a 5-3 win over Philadelphia.
1995 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan returns from his 17-month retirement. Wearing No. 45, he shoots 7-of-28 from the field and scores 19 points in the Bulls’ 103-96 overtime loss at Indiana.
1998 — The U.S. women’s soccer team sustains the worst loss in its 13-year history, falling 4-1 to reigning World Cup champion Norway in the Algarve Cup.
2006 — Tennessee’s Candace Parker is the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game, jamming one-handed on a breakaway 6:12 into the second-seeded Lady Vols’ 102-54 victory against an Army team that was making its NCAA tournament debut.
2011 — Duke gives coach Mike Krzyzewski his 900th career victory, a 73-71 win over Michigan, and the Blue Devils advance to the round of 16 for the 12th time in 14 years.
2014 — Chris Eversley scores 19 points to help Cal Poly become the first team in 59 years with 19 losses to win an NCAA Tournament game, beating Texas Southern 81-69 on in the First Four.
2015 — Lindsey Vonn wins the final super-G of the season and with it her 19th crystal globe trophy — equaling the record of Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.
2015 — R.J. Hunter’s 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining caps a comeback from a 12-point deficit and lifts 14th-seeded Georgia State over third-seeded Baylor 57-56 in the NCAA Tournament.
2015 — William Lee scores the last four points for 14th-seeded UAB in its 60-59 upset of Iowa State.
2019 — Houston Rockets guard James Harden becomes first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points against all 29 opponents in a single season with 31 in a 121-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
2022 — LeBron James moves past Karl Malone (36,909) into second on NBA’s all-time scoring list with 38 points in LA Lakers’ 127-119 loss to Washington Wizards.
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March 20
1897 — Yale beats Penn 32-10 in New Haven, Conn., in the first men’s intercollegiate basketball game.
1918 — The Toronto Arenas (who would become the Maple Leafs) are the first NHL team to play in the Stanley Cup Final. Toronto’s Reg Noble scores two goals with an assist in the first period of a 5-3 win over Vancouver of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.
1939 — In a game of unbeaten teams, Long Island U. defeats Loyola of Chicago 44-32 to win the National Invitation Tournament title.
1954 — In the first televised NCAA championship game, La Salle defeats Bradley 92-76 and sets a record for most points in the title game.
1965 — Gail Goodrich’s 42 points lead UCLA to a 91-80 victory over Michigan in the NCAA basketball championship.
1965 — St. John’s sends Joe Lapchick out a winner, as the Redmen beat Villanova 55-51 to win their fifth National Invitation Tournament championship.
1965 — Bill Bradley scores 58 points to lead Princeton to a 118-82 rout of Wichita State in the NCAA third-place game. UCLA beats Michigan 91-80 to win its second National championship.
1968 — Dave Bing of the Detroit Pistons finishes the season with a league-leading 27.1 average, becoming the first guard in 20 years to lead the NBA in scoring.
1969 — Less than two months after she becomes the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race in America, Diane Crump rides her first winner at Gulfstream Park.
1976 — Boston’s John Havlicek becomes the first NBA player to score more than 1,000 points per season for 14 consecutive years.
1988 — Mike Tyson knocks out Tony Tubbs in the second round to retain his world heavyweight title in Tokyo.
2005 — Liz Johnson becomes the first woman to advance to the championship match of a Professional Bowlers Association tour event, but loses by 27 pins to Tommy Jones in the final of the PBA Banquet Open.
2005 — LeBron James, 20, becomes the youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game, when he scores 56 in the Cavaliers’ 105-98 loss to the Raptors.
2006 — Japan beats Cuba 10-6 in the title game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
2010 — Northern Iowa pulls off one of the biggest NCAA upsets in years by knocking No. 1 overall seed Kansas with a 69-67 win. Ali Farokhmanesh buries an open 3-pointer with the shot clock still in the 30s to give the Panthers a four-point lead with 35 seconds left.
2014 — Bernard Tomic loses the shortest completed ATP match on record, lasting only 28 minutes at the Sony Open in his first tournament since having surgery on both hips. Ending a two-month layoff, Tomic wins just 13 points and loses to Jarkko Nieminen 6-0, 6-1. It’s the quickest match since the ATP started keeping such records in 1991.
2020 — After 20 years with the New England Patriots, six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady officially agrees to move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
| MLB | TIME ET | TV |
| Regular Season: LA Dodgers vs Chi. Cubs (Tokyo) | 6:10am | FS1 MARQ |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Houston Rockets vs Orlando Magic | 7:00pm | SCHN FanDuel Sports FL |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Indiana Pacers | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports IND KFAA |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 7:30pm | ESPN GCSN FanDuel Sports North |
| Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports DET FanDuel Sports Sun |
| New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | MSG FanDuel Sports SW |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 8:00pm | NBCS-PHI FanDuel Sports OKC |
| Washington Wizards vs Utah Jazz | 9:00pm | KJZZ MNMT |
| Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00pm | ESPN ALT Spectrum |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | Rip City FanDuel Sports MEM |
| Chicago Bulls vs Phoenix Suns | 10:00pm | CHSN AFSN |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Sacramento Kings | 10:00pm | FanDuel Sports Ohio NBCS-CA |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Colorado Avalanche vs Toronto Maple Leafs | 7:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Seattle Kraken vs Minnesota Wild | 9:30pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| NCAA First Four: (16) American University vs. (16) Mount St. Mary’s | 6:40pm | truTV |
| NIT First Round: Dayton vs. Fla. Atlantic | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| NIT First Round: George Mason vs. Samford | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NIT First Round: Saint Joseph’s vs. UAB | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NIT First Round: North Texas vs. Furman | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NIT First Round: Bradley vs. North Ala. | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NIT First Round: SMU vs. UNI | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| NCAA First Four: (11) Texas vs. (11) Xavier | 9:10pm | truTV |
| NIT First Round: UC Irvine vs. Northern Colorado | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NIT First Round: San Francisco vs. Utah Valley | 11:00pm | ESPNU |
| NIT First Round:San Jose State vs. Loyola Chicago | 11:00pm | ESPN2 |