THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY MARCH 10, 2023

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL PAIRINGS

CLASS 4A

MICHIGAN CITY

CHESTERTON [20-5] VS. PENN [26-1]

HAMMOND CENTRAL [25-1] VS. MISHAWAKA [20-6]

LOGANSPORT

FORT WAYNE WAYNE [20-4] VS. NOBLESVILLE [19-6]

KOKOMO [21-4] VS. FORT WAYNE NORTH [16-9]

SOUTHPORT

NEW PALESTINE [23-2] VS. BROWNSBURG [20-4]

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL [19-5] VS. BEN DAVIS [29-0]

SEYMOUR

EVANSVILLE REITZ [19-6] VS. JENNINGS COUNTY [23-2]

BLOOMINGTON NORTH [18-5] VS. COLUMBUS NORTH [17-8]

CLASS 3A

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON

NORTHWOOD [24-2] VS. LAKE STATION [22-3]

JOHN GLENN [16-10] VS. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON [18-5]

NEW CASTLE

TWIN LAKES [10-14] VS. FORT WAYNE DWENGER [12-13]

DELTA [17-9] VS. PERU [17-7]

LEBANON (BROADCAST ON INDIANA SRN)

DANVILLE [18-7] VS. GUERIN CATHOLIC [17-8]

BEECH GROVE [16-6] VS. INDIAN CREEK [14-8]

WASHINGTON

GREENSBURG [20-6] VS. SCOTTSBURG [20-5]

NORTH DAVIESS [23-5] VS. GIBSON SOUTHERN [13-12]

CLASS 2A

NORTH JUDSON

NORTH JUDSON [23-3] VS. LEWIS CASS [18-7]

WESTVIEW [17-8] VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY [20-5]

LAPEL

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK [23-3] VS. TIPTON [18-6]

WAPAHANI [24-1] VS. CARROLL (FLORA) [22-4]

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (BROADCAST ON INDIANA SRN)

PARK TUDOR [16-8] VS. INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA [17-6]

PARKE HERITAGE [18-9] VS. NORTHEASTERN [21-5]

SOUTHRIDGE

FOREST PARK [9-17] VS. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL [22-4]

LINTON-STOCKTON [26-1] VS. NORTH DECATUR [21-5]

CLASS 1A

TRITON

TRI-COUNTY [12-12] VS. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC [19-7]

KOUTS [16-9] VS. BETHANY CHRISTIAN [16-10]

FRANKFORT

FOUNTAIN CENTRAL [22-4] VS. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN [15-9]

SOUTHWOOD [12-12] VS. BLUE RIVER [20-6]

MARTINSVILLE

BLOOMFIELD [24-3] VS. INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN [16-7]

JAC-CEN-DEL [17-9] VS. BETHESDA CHRISTIAN [21-4]

LOOGOOTEE

LOOGOOTEE [19-7] VS. NORTHEAST DUBOIS [14-10]

NEW WASHINGTON [13-13] VS. ROCK CREEK ACADEMY [10-14]

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

#2 UCLA 80 COLORADO 69

#3 KANSAS 78 WEST VIRGINIA 61

#6 MARQUETTE 72 ST. JOHN’S 70 OT

#7 TEXAS 61 OKLAHOMA STATE 47

#8 ARIZONA 95 STANFORD 84

IOWA STATE 78 #10 BAYLOR 72

#11 UCONN 73 PROVIDENCE 66

#22 TCU 80 #12 KANSAS STATE 67

#13 VIRGINIA 68 NORTH CAROLINA 59

#14 MIAMI FLORIDA 74 WAKE FOREST 72

#15 XAVIER 89 DEPAUL 84

#17 TENNESSEE 70 OLE MISS 55

#20 SAN DIEGO STATE 64 COLORADO STATE 61

#21 DUKE 96 PITTSBURGH 69

#24 CREIGHTON 87 VILLANOVA 74

RUTGERS 62 MICHIGAN 50

OHIO STATE 73 IOWA 69

PENN STATE 79 ILLINOIS 76

MARYLAND 70 MINNESOTA 54

TOLEDO 91 MIAMI OHIO 75

OHIO 90 BALL STATE 70

AKRON 101 BUFFALO 77

KENT STATE 76 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 57

MISSISSIPPI STATE 69 FLORIDA 68 OT

EAST CAROLINA 73 S. FLORIDA 58

ST. LOUIS 82 GEORGE MASON 54

CENTRAL FLORIDA 76 SMU 70

DAYTON 60 ST. JOSEPH’S 54

SAN JOSE STATE 81 NEVADA 77 OT

CAL STATE FULLERTON 62 HAWAII 60 OT

OREGON 75 WASHINGTON STATE 70

ARKANSAS 76 AUBURN 73

BOISE STATE 87 UNLV 76 OT

CLEMSON 80 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 54

VANDERBILT 77 LSU 68

ARIZONA STATE 77 USC 72

UTAH STATE 91 NEW MEXICO 76

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230309

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

#25 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 84 CHARLOTTE 53

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 81 INDIANA STATE 79

MURRAY STATE 88 EVANSVILLE 46

ILLINOIS CHICAGO 72 VALPARAISO 47

TCU 57 KANSAS 52

MISSOURI STATE 71 BRADLEY 53

KANSAS STATE 79 TEXAS TECH 69

EAST CAROLINA 46 HOUSTON 44

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230309

NBA SCOREBOARD

INDIANA 134 HOUSTON 125 OT

CHARLOTTE 113 DETROIT 103

UTAH 131 ORLANDO 124

MEMPHIS 131 GOLDEN STATE 110

MILWAUKEE 118 BROOKLYN 113

SACRAMENTO 122 NEW YORK 117

BOX SCORES:  http://hosted.stats.com/nba/scoreboard.asp

NHL SCOREBOARD

DALLAS 10 BUFFALO 4

CAROLINA 1 PHILADELPHIA 0

NY RANGERS 4 MONTRÉAL 3

NY ISLANDERS 4 PITTSBURGH 3

VEGAS 4 TAMPA BAY 3

NEW JERSEY 3 WASHINGTON 2

EDMONTON 3 BOSTON 2

ST. LOUIS 4 SAN JOSE 2

ARIZONA 4 NASHVILLE 1

LOS ANGELES 5 COLORADO 2

OTTAWA 5 SEATTLE 4

BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD

SAN DIEGO 6 CLEVELAND 4

OAKLAND 1 LA DODGERS 0

SAN FRANCISCO 5 MILWAUKEE 2

CHICAGO CUBS 8 CINCINNATI 6

BOSTON 11 NY YANKEES 7

PHILADELPHIA 7 BALTIMORE 6

DETROIT 10 PITTSBURGH 7

TAMPA BAY 6 TORONTO 1

TORONTO 3 ATLANTA 1

BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/MLB/SCOREBOARD.ASP

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES

NBA NEWS

FORMER NBA STAR SHAWN KEMP ARRESTED IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTING

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting in Tacoma, Washington, and was set to appear in court Thursday.

Online jail records show Kemp was booked for investigation of felony drive-by shooting shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday. Pierce County Superior Court records showed that Kemp, 53, was scheduled to make a court appearance Thursday afternoon.

Kemp was a six-time NBA all-star and played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.

Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He became known for his high-flying, athletic dunks.

Kemp owns two cannabis stores in Seattle.

RAPTORS’ VANVLEET HEAVILY CRITICIZES OFFICIATING AFTER LOSS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fred VanVleet tried to take a double breath before addressing reporters. But the Toronto Raptors guard was unable to suppress his frustration with referee Ben Taylor and his crew.

VanVleet was extremely critical of Taylor after the Raptors’ 108-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night — not only for being called for a technical foul, but for the disparity in fouls and free throws.

“I don’t mind it. I’ll take the fine. I don’t really care. I thought Ben Taylor was terrible tonight,” VanVleet said while using a profanity. “I think that most nights, you know out of the three, there’s one or two that just (mess) the game up. It’s been like that a couple of games in a row. Denver was tough, obviously.

“You come out tonight, competing pretty hard and I get a (lousy) tech that changes the whole dynamic of the game, changed the whole flow of the game.”

VanVleet, who is in his sixth year in the league, was called for his eighth technical of the season with 7:02 remaining in the third quarter. Paul George made the free throw to put the Clippers up 65-57.

VanVleet said the reason he picked up the technical was because he was imploring his team to play through what he thought were some questionable calls, albeit with more colorful language. He also said he understood there is a fine line on what he can say, but thought Taylor didn’t give him enough leeway.

Toronto was called for 23 fouls to Los Angeles’ 18, but the Clippers were 24 of 31 from the line while the Raptors were 13 of 14.

“We weren’t getting our money’s worth on a lot of those,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of the fouls. “Probably a little bit of contact. We didn’t adjust (to the style of play) because we were back in the same situation.”

VanVleet and the Raptors were already in a foul mood about officiating before Wednesday’s game. They lost Monday night at Denver 118-113 after Scottie Barnes was ejected by Scott Foster with 28.3 seconds left and the Raptors trailing by one.

The technical came after Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl was called for a foul. Denver made the three subsequent free throws to ice the game.

Of VanVleet’s eight technicals, three have been assessed by Taylor with one other coming from another official on a game Taylor was working. Taylor is in his 10th season as an NBA official.

“At a certain point as a player, you feel it’s personal and it’s never a good place to be,” VanVleet said. “That’s not why we lost tonight, we got outplayed, but it definitely makes it tougher to overcome.”

VanVleet was already facing a $3,000 fine for the technical. He will face a bigger one for going off on officiating.

“I think the jurisdiction and the power trip that we’ve been on this year with some of our officials in this league is getting out of hand and l’ll take my fine for speaking on it,” VanVleet said. “Most of the refs are trying hard, I like a lot of the refs, they’re trying hard, they’re pretty fair, and communicate well. And then you got the other ones who just want to be (idiots) and just kind of (screw) up the game. And no one’s coming to see that. They come to see the players.

“And I think we’re losing a little bit of the fabric of what the NBA is and was, and it’s been disappointing this season.”

MEMPHIS BIG MAN STEVEN ADAMS OUT AT LEAST A FEW MORE WEEKS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis center Steven Adams will be out for a few more weeks to recover from the sprained ligament in his right knee, the team said Thursday.

Adams hurt the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee on Jan. 22 in a game against Phoenix when diving for a loose ball in the final seconds.

Initially, the Grizzlies said he would miss three to five weeks. But Adams had a stem cell injection on Wednesday and will “be reevaluated in approximately four weeks,” the team said in a statement.

Adams was leading the NBA in offensive rebounds when he was injured and averaging 8.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

The Grizzlies are also without guard Ja Morant, who will not face charges in Colorado related to a livestreamed video in which he appeared to be displaying a gun in a strip club. The team said Wednesday that the earliest Morant could play is March 17 at San Antonio — and there’s no guarantee that’ll happen.

JONES, JACKSON HELP GRIZZLIES BEAT WARRIORS, 131-110

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Tyus Jones had 22 points and 11 assists, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points and nine rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors 131-110 on Thursday night.

The Grizzlies played their third game without Ja Morant, the star guard who is away from the team after posting a video last weekend in which he appeared to be displaying a gun at a Denver-area strip club. The Grizzlies have announced Morant will miss at least the next three games.

Demond Bane also had 21 points for Memphis.

Memphis, which saw a double-digit lead almost disappear before the fourth quarter, outscored Golden State 32-17 in the final frame.

“In the fourth quarter, we stayed disciplined on both ends of the floor,” Jones said. “Stayed locked into the game plan. … We continued to trust one another.”

Stephen Curry had 29 points and seven rebounds for Golden State. Jordan Poole had 22 points, Draymond Green added 16 points and seven assists and Klay Thompson had 14 points.

“I think we had multiple 20-point leads and they whittled it down to single digits,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I was proud of our guys just staying the course, playing connected basketball on both sides of the floor.”

The teams met in Memphis for the first time since their heated Western Conference postseason that Golden State won 4-2.

“They just played much better and we played much worse,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, referring to his team winning the first two games in the season series.

Memphis jumped out to an early lead, extending it to as many as 20 points before settling into a 77-59 lead at the half, the 77 points, the most by the Grizzlies in a first half this season. On several occasions in both halves, the Warriors carved into the Memphis lead only to let the Grizzlies have a burst to extend their advantage.

“I thought we fought back a couple of times,” Green said. “When you fight back, you’ve got to keep it going. You can’t allow the team to make another run. … Every time, we got back (into the game), we allowed them to make a run.”

The loss, the third straight for the Warriors, was also Golden State’s eighth consecutive defeat on the road. They are 7-26 away from home this season.

“It’s frustrating overall, not being able to win a game on the road or figure out the adjustments we need to make to do it,” Curry said, later adding: “We’re still trying to find our way on the road,”

TIP-INS

Warriors: C Kevon Looney played in his 200th consecutive game, including the playoffs. Looney was listed as probable on the injury report with back soreness. … Curry has at least one 3-pointer in 230 consecutive regular-season games.

Grizzlies: Memphis announced earlier Thursday that C Steven Adams will be re-evaluated in four weeks after he received a stem cell injection for a knee injury he suffered Jan. 22 in a loss to Phoenix. … Scored 48 points in the first quarter, the most scored in a quarter against a Kerr-coached team in the regular season.

MORANT CONCERNS

The Grizzlies said they tried to address problems with Morant before the incident last weekend near Denver.

“We have had conversation in the past trying to guide him and him continue to evolve as a person and a player,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Obviously, this came to a head the other day, so it put this process into action.”

UP NEXT

Warriors: Host Milwaukee on Saturday night.

Grizzlies: Host Dallas on Saturday night.

LOPEZ COMES UP BIG, BUCKS EDGE SHORT-HANDED NETS 118-113

MILWAUKEE (AP) Brook Lopez had 24 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks and the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the short-handed Brooklyn Nets 118-113 on Thursday night.

The nine blocks are most by an NBA player this season.

“It was a close game, and he made the plays that made the difference down the stretch,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Bobby Portis added a season-high 28 points to go along with 13 rebounds to

help the NBA-leading Bucks win for the 19th time in 20 games.

The Bucks were missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for a second straight game. Antetokounmpo didn’t play due to a sore right hand after sitting out a 134-123 victory at Orlando on Tuesday night because of a non-COVID illness.

Brooklyn’s injury situation was worse.

The Nets didn’t have Nic Claxton (right thumb sprain/left Achilles tendinopathy), Spencer Dinwiddie (rest), Cam Johnson (right knee soreness), Royce O’Neale (left knee soreness) and Ben Simmons (left back/knee soreness).

Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith were the only Nets available who started in their 118-96 victory at Houston two nights earlier. Neither of them played more than 12 minutes as Nets coach Jacque Vaughn opted to limit their workloads.

The Nets still made this one competitive, clawing back after the Bucks went 12 of 21 from 3-point range in the first 15 minutes to take a 46-24 lead.

“We picked up the energy,” said Cam Thomas, who scored 21 for Brooklyn. “We started getting on the glass and getting stops. That was the main key – getting stops, getting down and running and playing faster.”

Patty Mills led Brooklyn with 23 points. The Nets also got big contributions from Dru Smith and David Duke Jr., who are both on two-way contracts that shuttle them between Brooklyn and the NBA G League.

Smith had 17 points in his 10th career NBA game. His previous scoring high was five. Duke had a career-high 13 points.

Brooklyn trailed 99-97 and appeared to have a chance to tie it after officials ruled Lopez fouled Day’Ron Sharpe on a dunk attempt with 4:31 left.

But the Bucks challenged the call, and replays determined it was a clean block. Portis scored 15 seconds later to start an 8-2 run that extended the Bucks’ advantage to 107-99 with 2 1/2 minutes left.

“Great job by the arena, the guys in house putting it up on the board, because our bench didn’t have a great angle,” Budenholzer said. “It looked – obviously, it was successful so I feel fortunate – but it looked like it was clean up top. It looked like Brook went up and got all ball.”

Brooklyn cut it to 112-110 on Thomas’ driving layup with 46.7 seconds left, but Lopez delivered a putback of Jrue Holiday’s missed 3-point attempt with 30.6 seconds remaining.

Lopez then blocked Duke’s driving layup attempt to set up Jevon Carter’s basket with 16.1 seconds remaining.

“Brooklyn was out there shooting the ball,” Lopez said. “They were doing a great job shooting the ball, and so just in that last possession or those last couple possessions, they were doing a great job of sending those guys downhill. When they kind of give them that one option, I’m able to make the read and time it. If he’s going downhill with a full head of steam, I can time that pretty simply to get there at the right time.”

Mills made a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left before the Bucks sealed the victory with a pair of free throws from Grayson Allen, who had 19 points.

TIP-INS

Nets: Nerlens Noel was in the starting lineup in just his second game with the Nets. He signed a 10-day contract Monday. The Nets also started Bridges, Finney-Smith, Joe Harris and Seth Curry. … They opened the second half with Duke, Mills, Sharpe, Smith and Thomas on the floor.

Bucks: Lopez spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Nets. … Carter shot 2 of 12 and had just five points. He had scored at least 20 points in each of his last two games. … Wesley Matthews missed an eighth straight game with a strained right calf.

UP NEXT

Nets: At Minnesota on Friday night.

Bucks: At Golden State on Saturday night.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

PATRICK EWING FIRED BY GEORGETOWN; WENT 13-50 LAST 2 SEASONS

WASHINGTON (AP) Before coaching his first game at Georgetown – indeed, his first game as a head coach at any level of basketball – Patrick Ewing acknowledged that his tenure would be judged on one basis: his record.

“People could call me ‘the greatest Hoya ever,’ but as you know, if I don’t win, there will be another coach here, sooner or later,” Ewing said in 2017. “Every coach knows, as soon as … you dot the I’s and cross the T’s, the writing’s on the wall. At some point in your career, you’re going to be let go. That’s just life in coaching.”

Ewing’s time as coach of the Hoyas came to an end on Thursday, when he was fired after going 75-109 over six seasons at the school he led to an NCAA championship as a player in the early 1980s.

In a statement included with the news release about the change, school president Jack DeGioia called Ewing “the heart of Georgetown basketball” and described him as “tireless in his dedication to his team and the young men he coached.”

Ewing, meanwhile, thanked DeGioia “for giving me the opportunity to achieve my ambition to be a head basketball coach” and added: “I wish the program nothing but success. I will always be a Hoya.”

His last game was an 80-48 loss to Villanova on Wednesday night in the first round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, the arena where Ewing was a star for the NBA’s New York Knicks for so many years.

Georgetown went 7-25 this season, including 2-18 in regular-season conference play, a schedule capped by a 40-point loss to Creighton. Ewing presided over a 29-game Big East losing streak that began in March 2021 and ended this January, the most consecutive defeats in league history.

The past two seasons were particularly poor: The Hoyas won a combined 13 games while losing 50, a winning percentage of .206.

Ewing’s tenure included only one winning season, zero victories in March Madness and just one appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It’s a far cry from the sort of success Georgetown enjoyed when the 7-foot Ewing patrolled the paint as an intimidating, shot-blocking force at center decades ago.

During his four years in uniform under coach John Thompson Jr., Georgetown went 121-23, won the 1984 NCAA title and appeared in the championship game two other times. Ewing went on to become the No. 1 overall pick following the NBA’s first draft lottery and starred as a pro, mainly for the Knicks.

“As successful as I was as a player,” Ewing said when he was hired to succeed Thompson’s son, John III, as the coach of the Hoyas after 15 years as an assistant in the NBA, “that’s how successful I want to be as a coach.”

Did not work out that way. Not even close.

He began, promisingly enough, by going 8-0. What followed was a harbinger of what was to come: Georgetown faded to 15-15 that season, a first-round loss in the Big East tournament and no postseason invitation.

During Ewing’s time in charge, a wave of transfers carried talent away from Georgetown, while strong defense – a hallmark of his teams when he was on the court – was rare.

The unquestioned highlight of his return to the Hilltop was the 2021 conference tournament at his old stomping grounds of MSG. The Hoyas surprisingly reeled off four victories in a four-day span to earn that title and the automatic NCAA berth that came with it; they were bounced by Colorado by 23 points in their opening game of the Big Dance.

A year later, with Georgetown on the way to sinking to 6-25 – breaking a mark that had stood for a half-century and setting a school record for most men’s hoops losses in a season, which was replicated this season – athletic director Lee Reed offered a public show of support for Ewing.

During last offseason, all three of Ewing’s assistant coaches were replaced and several new players were brought in, but that did not help matters. And speculation about Ewing’s future that already was whirring only grew louder as this season fell apart.

In January, Reed responded to a request for an interview by issuing a statement to The Associated Press that called Ewing’s stint a “challenging and frustrating time.” Reed also said then that Ewing “understands that it is imperative to get the program back on track.”

Hours later, with DeGioia in attendance, the Hoyas lost to Villanova, their record-setting 25th Big East setback in a row.

“My future is my future,” Ewing said after that defeat. “I’ll be the head coach at Georgetown until the president or the board decides for me to move on. … You know, a friend of mine sent me a quote today: ‘It’s not how many times you get knocked down; it’s how many times you get up.’ We got knocked down, so all we’re going to do is keep on getting up.”

Another loss to the Wildcats would become Ewing’s last game at his alma mater. Less than 24 hours later, Reed announced: “We will immediately launch a national search for our next coach.”

NO. 22 TCU ROUTS NO. 12 K-STATE 80-67 IN BIG 12 TOURNEY

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Everything seemed to be going against TCU entering the Big 12 Tournament. The Horned Frogs were coming off a lopsided loss to Oklahoma, they’d drawn a quarterfinal matchup against Kansas State for what felt like a road game, and some off-the-court issues threatened to become a distraction.

Mike Miles and Chuck O’Bannon made sure none of that mattered.

The duo hit four 3-pointers apiece and each had 22 points, silencing the heavily pro-Wildcats crowd and leading the No. 22 Horned Frogs to an 80-67 victory on Thursday night to reach the tournament semifinals.

TCU will face seventh-ranked Texas, which routed Oklahoma State in its quarterfinal, on Friday night.

“We all came together, knew what we needed to do,” Miles said. “When you make shots, everything is better. Chuck started to make shots. I started to make shots. And it gave us energy on the defensive end.”

TCU played without center Eddie Lampkin Jr., who posted screenshots on social media a day earlier of text messages that appeared to accuse coach Jamie Dixon of player mistreatment and “racial comments.” Dixon and the school have declined to comment on the posts other than to say Lampkin had stepped away from the team.

JaKobe Coles added eight points and Emanuel Miller seven for the sixth-seeded Horned Frogs (21-11), who had been beaten by the Wildcats in four of the past five tournaments but will now play for a spot in the title game.

“We didn’t really take any bad shots all game long. I would struggle to find one or two,” Dixon said. “We did a lot of shooting yesterday, we did a lot of shooting these last two days. The guys worked so hard, they focused, they were ready. My coaches came in after warmups and said, ‘They’re ready. They’re ready to play a good team.’”

Keyontae Johnson had 14 points and seven boards to lead the No. 3 seed Wildcats (23-9), though he fouled out with more than six minutes left in the game. Desi Sills also had 14 points and Markquis Nowell finished with 11.

“This is on me,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “I didn’t do a very good job of preparing these guys for how physical and with what force people play with in the Big 12 Tournament. And that will not happen again.”

The Wildcats got off to the the hot start, buoyed by a partisan crowd that had traveled down Interstate 70 to make its voice heard inside T-Mobile Center. But the Wildcats began to struggle with turnovers – 11 in the first half alone – and that allowed the Horned Frogs time enough to find their footing.

It was Miles who not only calmed them down but gave them a big offensive boost. The all-conference guard hit two early 3s and had 12 first-half points, helping TCU take a 37-32 lead into the locker room.

Johnson, the Wildcats’ leading scorer, took an inadvertent elbow to his right eye and went to the locker room in the closing seconds of the first half. The Florida transfer appeared to have sutures on his brow when he returned with the rest of the team for the start of the second, though they didn’t seem to bother him.

Good thing, too. Johnson’s 3-pointers were all that kept Kansas State in the game for a while.

Miles and O’Bannon simply wouldn’t miss, though. During one scorching stretch of five trips down the floor, Miles bookended a 3-pointer by O’Bannon with two 3s of his own, and after a miss by Micah Peavy, O’Bannon hit another 3 to give the Horned Frogs a 66-51 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game.

The Horned Frogs were never threatened the rest of the way.

“Every guy gave us good minutes and that’s hard to do against a really good team,” Dixon said, “so I’m proud of them and how they played. We did what we wanted to do. We played really unselfish and good basketball.”

THE TAKEAWAY

TCU had huge advantages in turnovers and second-chance points, and along with 11-of-25 shooting from the arc, the Wildcats simply couldn’t keep up. It was reminiscent of the Horned Frogs’ 82-68 win over Kansas State in January.

Kansas State can rarely overcome an off night from Nowell, its do-it-all guard. But he was just 1 of 9 on 3-pointers, missing several wild shots from well beyond the arc, and had an uncharacteristic five turnovers.

UP NEXT

The Horned Frogs play the second-seeded Longhorns on Friday night for a spot in the title game.

The Wildcats head home to await their NCAA Tournament seed on Sunday.

IOWA STATE KNOCKS OUT NO. 10 BAYLOR 78-72 IN BIG 12 QUARTERS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger’s main talking points heading into a quarterfinal against No. 10 Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament centered on the basics: rebounding and points in the paint.

The Cyclones must have taken the message to heart.

Sure, Gabe Kalscheur knocked down six 3-pointers and scoring 24 points. But everyone else wearing red had a hand in the huge advantage on the boards, including a 21-5 edge on the offensive glass, and that allowed the fifth-seeded Cyclones to beat the fourth-seeded Bears 78-72 on Thursday and advance to the semifinal round.

“The things we really focused on,” Otzelberger said with a hoarse voice, “our guys did a great job.”

Jaren Holmes added 17 points, Tamin Lipsey had 12 and Tre King 10 for the Cyclones (19-12), who followed up a win over the Bears on Saturday by beating them for the fifth time in six conference tournament games.

Iowa State will play third-ranked Kansas on Friday night for a spot in the title game. The Jayhawks, playing without ailing coach Bill Self, beat West Virginia 78-61 in their quarterfinal matchup.

As for Bears, well, the game plan for Iowa State to beat them was simple.

“Our coaches did a great job of telling us to take away their 3s,” Kalscheur said. “Jalen Bridges was knocking down 3s – a lot of them were open – but we kind of limited their other guards from going off.”

Bridges, who was held to five points on 1-for-9 shooting against Iowa State last weekend, went 10 of 11 from the field, topped his career high with a 3 early in the second half and finished with 28 points for Baylor (22-10).

It wasn’t enough against the Cyclones, who are trying to repeat their 2019 title as the No. 5 seed.

They outhustled the Bears to just about every loose ball. They crashed the offensive glass, often getting three or four shots in each trip down floor. And they had Kalscheur and Co. lighting it up from beyond the arc.

“It’s about rebounding. It’s about toughness. It’s about want-to,” Bridges said, “and right now, we don’t have that.”

The first of the four quarterfinal games, each featuring a pair of teams that could be in the NCAA Tournament next week, was mostly played before vast sections of empty seats at T-Mobile Center. Many of them finally filled in the closing minutes with Kansas fans that were eagerly waiting their game against the Mountaineers.

Those late arrivals missed a typical, physical Big 12 showdown: The Bears’ Adam Flagler was trapped near midcourt and hit the deck early, sending him limping off the floor, and fellow guard Dale Bonner was similarly trapped and raked across his face in the final seconds, leaving him writhing around in pain.

Flagler returned to hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave Baylor a 41-38 lead at the break.

Bridges was the one giving Iowa State the most fits, though. He drilled a couple of his 3-pointers early in the second half, and was 9 of 9 from the field and 6 of 6 from the arc before missing his first shot with 11:45 to go. But when he finally missed, the Cyclones were there to capitalize on his missed jumper.

Holmes dropped a 3 of his own from the top of the key at the other end, giving the Cyclones a 54-53 lead and forcing Bears coach Scott Drew to call a timeout, and Iowa State kept drawing away down the stretch.

“We tried to get Jalen going on that matchup, and that worked. Twelve assists and 11 turnovers, that worked,” Drew said. “It came down to rebounding. Period. That’s it. Simple thing. Football, it’s turnovers. Basketball, you got to rebound. Normally we always win second-chance points. Even if we break even, we win the game. It’s that simple.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: Finished with a 44-17 advantage on the glass, and that translated to a 36-14 edge on points in the paint. That gave the Cyclones, who are known for their 3-point shooting, a balanced attack that Baylor couldn’t match.

Baylor: Didn’t get enough offensive efficiency to help Bridges out. Star freshman Keyonte George scored 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting before fouling out, Flagler had 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting and LJ Cryer was 3 for 10 for 10 points.

UP NEXT

Iowa State: Plays the No. 1 seed Jayhawks in Friday night’s semifinal round.

Baylor: Awaits its NCAA Tournament seed on Sunday.

KOLEK RALLIES NO. 6 MARQUETTE PAST PESKY ST. JOHN’S IN OT

NEW YORK (AP) With the regular-season champs in danger of a quick knockout at the Big East Tournament, Tyler Kolek wouldn’t let it happen.

The conference player of the year scored all 19 of his points after halftime, including the tiebreaking free throws with 15.8 seconds left in overtime, and No. 6 Marquette rallied for a 72-70 victory against scrappy St. John’s in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 16 points, several on highlight-reel dunks, and the top-seeded Golden Eagles (26-6) advanced to play 11th-ranked UConn in the first semifinal Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The fourth-seeded Huskies held off No. 5 seed Providence, 73-66.

“We faced a lot of adversity today, and the guys stared down the adversity. They stayed connected,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said.

Kolek also had nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in his team’s largest comeback victory of the season.

“I feel like it’s our resiliency. That’s what we’re about,” Prosper said.

Marquette has won seven straight and 12 of 13, reaching the Big East semifinals for the fourth time overall and first since 2019.

But this one was anything but easy in a back-and-forth battle.

“I wouldn’t say we’re inexperienced anymore just because of everything we’ve gone through this year, all the experiences we’ve had, all the close games we’ve won and lost,” said Kolek, a left-handed point guard. “And that’s just made us better. I think coming into the postseason we’re as prepared as we can be.”

The Golden Eagles, who trailed by 14 late in the first half, turned up their defensive intensity to avoid an upset. They escaped when Posh Alexander’s good look at a 3-pointer for St. John’s glanced off the front rim at the overtime buzzer.

Oso Ighodaro had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Marquette, making several key plays down the stretch. Kam Jones added 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

Dylan Addae-Wusu and David Jones each scored 16 to lead eighth-seeded St. John’s (18-15), which beat No. 9 seed Butler 76-63 in the first round Wednesday.

Although the Red Storm have won a Big East Tournament game in six of the past seven years, St. John’s still hasn’t reached the semifinals since winning the school’s third championship in 2000 – even though the event is held on one of its home courts.

Addae-Wusu, a major thorn in Marquette’s side during all three meetings this season, scored nine straight Red Storm points down the stretch and 11 of their last 14 in regulation.

His layup tied it 61-all with 4.6 seconds remaining, aided by a terrific screen from big man Joel Soriano.

Kolek scored seven of Marquette’s 11 points in the extra period – five at the free-throw line.

“I thought he took over,” St. John’s coach Mike Anderson said.

St. John’s was 0 for 7 from the field in OT, getting all nine of its points at the foul line.

Soriano finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for his 25th double-double this season, most in the nation. But he hobbled off with an apparent leg injury with 3.9 seconds to go in OT following a scramble for an offensive rebound, and the senior center wasn’t on the floor for the Red Storm’s final play.

“What a game. Just proud of our guys,” Anderson said. “The guys are hurting in there right now.”

BIG PICTURE

St. John’s: It was another heartbreaking Big East quarterfinal defeat for the underdog Red Storm, who led second-seeded eventual champion Villanova by 17 in the second half last year before losing by one. St. John’s also lost in overtime in the 2021 quarterfinals, to Seton Hall.

Marquette: The top seed for the first time, Marquette has never been to the Big East championship game since joining the league in 2005. … Improved to 6-0 against St. John’s in this event.

KING MAKER

Kolby King’s career high was five points before the freshman guard scored eight straight off the bench – including a pair of 3s – during a 16-0 run that helped St. John’s open a 34-20 lead late in the first half.

SIDELINED

St. John’s guard Andre Curbelo missed his third consecutive game in concussion protocol. The junior transfer from Illinois is averaging 9.6 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game. … Red Storm reserve Rafael Pinzon, suspended indefinitely, sat out his sixth straight game.

UP NEXT

St. John’s: Following a rocky season, Anderson said his team would like to play in the NIT if invited. St. John’s hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament under Anderson, leading to speculation about his job security after four years at the helm. He said he would definitely like to be back. “Without a doubt. I look forward to this team, guys,” Anderson said.

Marquette: Split two regular-season meetings with UConn. The Golden Eagles haven’t lost since an 87-72 setback Feb. 7 at Connecticut.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL WIRE:

March 10, 2023

• No. 20 SDSU gets upstart SJSU in Mountain West semis
• Xavier needs defense to step up vs. Creighton in Big East semis
• Texas A&M eager to return to action vs. Arkansas
• Utah State beats New Mexico 91-76 in Mountain West quarters
• Despite Bill Self’s absence, Kansas ready for Iowa St. in Big 12 semis
• No. 2 UCLA looks to freshman as Bruins get third look at Oregon
• UC Riverside tops UC Davis 68-52 in Big West quarterfinal
• Southern Utah edges Utah Tech 76-75 in WAC quarterfinal
• Northwestern, Penn State battle for Big Ten semifinal spot
• Arizona State upsets 3-seed USC in Pac-12 quarterfinals
• No. 8 Arizona pulls away from Stanford, reaches Pac-12 semis
• 13th-seeded Buckeyes top Iowa, win again in Big Ten tourney
• Niagara holds off Siena 71-65 in MAAC quarterfinals
• No. 24 Creighton beats Villanova 87-74 in Big East quarters
• Alabama A&M tops Southern 77-63 in SWAC Tournament
• UAB rolls past Rice 87-60 in C-USA quarterfinals
• No. 22 TCU routs No. 12 K-State 80-67 in Big 12 tourney
• Boise State tops UNLV 87-76 in overtime in MWC quarterfinal
• No. 13 Virginia beats UNC; Tar Heels could miss NCAA tourney
• No. 7 Texas routs Oklahoma State 61-47 in Big 12 quarters
• Clemson runs away from NC State, 80-54 in ACC quarterfinal
• UCSB beats Cal Poly 64-54, advances to Big West semifinal
• Scott leads North Texas over Louisiana Tech 74-46 in C-USA
• No. 15 Xavier rallies to beat DePaul, reach Big East semis
• Lawrence leads Vanderbilt over LSU 77-68 in SEC Tournament

BIG 10 TOURNEY

MEN’S BASKETBALL DEFEATS MICHIGAN 62-50 IN 2ND ROUND OF BIG TEN TOURNAMENT

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Scarlet Knights pulled off the victory they needed at the United Center on Thursday.

Rutgers held Michigan to just one field goal in the first 18 minutes of the second half to secure the 62-50 win in the second rounds of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament against No. 8 seeded Michigan.

The 50 points allowed by the Rutgers defense is a school record for the best defensive performance by RU ever in a Big Ten Tournament game.

Rutgers limited Michigan to 19 percent shooting. Senior guard Cam Spencer scored 18 points, and freshman guard Derek Simpson added 13 for the 9th-seeded Scarlet Knights.

Simpson started his fourth game of the season replacing forward Aundre Hyatt in the starting lineup.

Fifth-year wing Caleb McConnell collected three steals and is now three away from tying Eddie Jordan for first on Rutgers all-time list.

A key 9-to-1 run to start the second half put the Scarlet Knights up 34-29. Another 12-0 Rutgers run finished off with a Simpson fast break layup gave the Scarlet Knights their largest lead of the night to bring the score to 52-39.

Up next Rutgers will take on the No. 1 seeded Purdue Boilermakers at noon on the Big Ten Network.

BUCKEYES WINS BACK-AND-FORTH BATTLE WITH IOWA 73-69

CHICAGO, Ill. – In a game that featured 18 lead changes, Ohio State had the last push, as the Buckeyes took down No. 5 seed Iowa 73-69 on Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Ohio State is now just the third 13-seed to reach the quarterfinals and it will face No. 4-seed Michigan State on Friday afternoon. Tip-off will be approximately 2:30 p.m. ET.

Freshman point guard Bruce Thornton shined once again, finishing with a team-high 17 points. He also had a game-high six assists with zero turnovers in 33:30 minutes of action.

Fellow freshman Brice Sensabaugh added 16 points while Justice Sueing knocked-down two big three-pointers en route to finishing with 14 points. Sean McNeil made three three-pointers for the second consecutive game and he finished with 13 points.

Freshman Roddy Gayle Jr. stepped up big time down the stretch. Trailing by two, Gayle scored on a jumper in the paint and then knocked-down a huge three-pointer to put the Buckeyes up 64-61 with 3:23 to play. They would not relinquish that lead. He finished the day with nine points after shoving the lead to four on a pair of free throws with :33 seconds remaining.

The first half was much slower paced than the first two games between the teams this season. Iowa grabbed as much as a five-point lead and the Buckeyes led by as many as six. Other than those leads, the half featured eight lead changes. Thornton and Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes with nine and eight points, respectively. Filip Rebraca led Iowa with 10 points.

The second half was just as back-and-forth. Iowa took a four-point lead on a pair of occasions but the Buckeyes answered each time. McNeil canned a three-pointer the first time and Sueing knocked-down a three the second time with 8:40 to play. That’s when Gayle stepped up and played his best minutes of the season. He scored seven of the next nine OSU points to put the Buckeyes ahead for good.

The sequence that seemed to sum of the game came in the final 20 seconds. After two Iowa free throws, the Hawkeyes seemed to have gotten a steal but no one on either side could corral the ball. Eventually, the ball ended up in Thornton’s hands who again lost it under his own basket. It was then knocked-out of bounds by an Iowa player and the Buckeyes would be fouled on the ensuing inbounds. The wild sequence went the Buckeyes way, and because of that, they are headed to the quarterfinals.

NITTANY LIONS ADVANCE TO BIG TEN TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS WITH GUTSY 79-76 WIN OVER ILLINOIS

CHICAGO – The Penn State men’s basketball team used a 14-3 run in a 4:26 stretch late in the second half to pull away before holding on for a 79-76 win over Illinois Thursday night in the Big Ten Tournament Second Round at the United Center.

The Nittany Lions now advance to the Big Ten Quarterfinals for the second-straight year and will face second-seeded Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT Friday.

Andrew Funk led Penn State with 20 points behind a 6-for-9 showing from 3-point range. Camren Wynter tallied 18 points and five rebounds, while Seth Lundy had a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards. Jalen Pickett orchestrated all night long, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Illini opened with a slight 7-4 lead, but the Nittany Lions turned in a 10-2 run over 4:16 to take a 14-9 advantage at the 12:24 mark of the opening half. Camren Wynter caught fire, scoring eight of the Nittany Lions’ ten points over the stretch.

Penn State kept adding to its lead, with five points by Seth Lundy and four by freshman Kanye Clary pushing the Nittany Lions’ lead up to 27-17 with 8:22 left in the first half.

Illinois ended the first half on a 13-4 run to get back within one at 31-30. Lundy (11) and Wynter (10) each cracked double figures in the first half to lead the way for Penn State.

Andrew Funk began the second half with a triple for the Nittany Lions, but the Illini responded with a 16-8 run over 5:25 to take their first lead in over 17 minutes. Illinois led 46-42 with 14:18 left to play.

Funk responded with a triple to cut the lead down to one and an Illinois turnover led to a Jalen Pickett bucket that gave Penn State the lead back once again.

The squads traded buckets over the next five minutes, with neither team leading by more than two over the stretch until a 12-3 spurt by the Nittany Lions put them up by seven at 67-59 with 3:42 left in the game.

Penn State extended its lead to a game-high 12 points at the 1:51 mark with a dagger three by Funk, and the Nittany Lions locked down the Illini the rest of the way as they secured the 79-76 win and a matchup with No. 2 seed Northwestern in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament.

GAME NOTES

The Nittany Lions advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals for the second-straight year.

With the win, the Nittany Lions have secured the 12th 20-win season in the 127-year history of Penn State men’s basketball. Penn State is now 20-12 on the season.

The Nittany Lions completed the three-game season sweep of the Illini.

Penn State earned its first-ever win over Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions were previously 0-3 against the Illini in the counference tourney.

Penn State had four players score in double figures in the game. Andrew Funk (20), Seth Lundy (17), Camren Wynter (15), and Jalen Pickett (12) all reached double digits in the win.

Lundy’s 17-point, 10-rebound double-double is the first double-double for Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament since John Harrar scored 15 points and grabbed 12 boards against Purdue on March 11, 2022.

TERPS ADVANCE TO BIG TEN QUARTERFINALS WITH 70-54 WIN OVER MINNESOTA

CHICAGO – Donta Scott scored 20 points to lead No. 6 seed Maryland to a 70-54 victory over No. 14 Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament Second Round on Thursday night at the United Center. With the win, the Terps (21-11 overall) advance to play No. 3 seed and 19th-ranked Indiana on Friday night at approximately 9 p.m. The Terps won the only meeting between the teams, 66-55, on Jan. 31 in College Park.

Scott, who scored just one point in the Terps’ last game at Penn State, knocked down 4-of-8 on three-pointers, and made 6-of-13 overall. His 16 first-half points were over half of the Terps’ scoring in the first 20 minutes of action. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Jahmir Young scored 15 points for his 17th game in the last 18 with double-figures. Julian Reese also scored 10 points.

As a team, Maryland knocked down 8-of-21 three-pointers with Scott leading the way. Don Carey added three triples, totaling 11 points for his fifth game in a row scoring in double figures.

The Terps beat the Golden Gophers three times this season, marking the first time Maryland has beaten a team three times in a season since defeating Wake Forest three times in the 2012-13 season.

Minnesota (9-23) was led by Pharrel Payne, who had 17 points and nine rebounds.

Willard’s Takes

We just wanted to stay home on Garcia and Battle. I thought over the last three games they’ve been really finding each other, playing well off each other…It was more or less just stay at home and not get in scramble situations and just make them score over us.”

“I think the last couple days I’ve just — we’ve had a lot of fun in practice. We watched film for a little bit on Penn State, and then we had two good days where I kind of — we just have fun in practice. I just wanted these guys to be a little bit loose coming into this week, going into next week. I wanted them to enjoy it. I didn’t want them — I can handle the pressure. I want them to enjoy this moment. We have four or five guys that are never going to play college basketball again. I want them to be able to sit back and realize this a lot of fun this time of year. This is what you work for.”

From The Guys

“My teammates really found me early on, and they all had faith in my shot, just like Coach had faith in my shot,” Scott said of his big night. Even though it wasn’t falling, they told me to keep shooting, and I felt like I got hot early on, and they just found a way to find me, and I kept giving them assists.”

“Really just excited to be here, ready to play and ready to compete with the guys that I’ve been playing with all year. It was just an exciting moment,” Young said of his Big Ten tournament debut.

“We pride ourselves on defense,” Scott said. “It’s all about defense. Defense wins games. We really get after each other when we have practice, and we take that mindset into the game. And we know once we lock in defense, there’s not really much you can do to really disrupt our connection on that defensive end, because then we know our offense is going to flow once our defense starts flowing.”

Breaking Down The Action

The Terps used an 8-0 run early thanks to five quick points from Donta Scott and a triple from Hakim Hart taking an 8-2 lead at the 15:44 mark.

After Minnesota came back to briefly retake the lead, Jahari Long and Ian Martinez provided a spark off the bench with back-to-back lay-ups putting the Terps back up 15-12 at the 10:33 mark.

Scott carried the offense in the first half with a barrage of three pointers as he tied his season high with four to lead the Terps with 16 points at the intermission. Maryland was up 31-24 at halftime as seven different Terps scored in the first 20 minutes.

The Terps scored 10 of the first 12 points in the second half as they opened up a 38-24 lead. On three consecutive possessions, Carey canned a three-pointer, made a sweet dish for a Patrick Emilien dunk and then knocked down another triple.

Maryland reeled off seven points in a row to take a 56-41 lead with 7:17 left in the game.

Three-Game Sweep

Maryland beat Minnesota three times this season, beating them 81-46 on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis, 88-70 on Feb. 23 in College Park and tonight in Chicago.

The Terps won three games against a team in the same season for the first time since beating Wake Forest three times in 2012-13 season. That season, Maryland beat the Demon Deacons 86-60 on Feb. 2, 2013, 67-57 at Wake Forest on March 2, 2013 and 75-62 in the ACC Tournament on March 14, 2013.

Big Ten Tournament History

Since joining the conference in 2014-15, the Terps are now 4-7 all-time in Big Ten Tournament games with this victory.

The Terps are now 2-2 in the second round, 2-2 in quarterfinals, and 0-2 in the semifinals. The Terps reached the semifinals in both 2015 and 2016.

This is the first time Maryland is a No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

Neutral Court Success

The Terps are now 3-1 on neutral courts this season. The Terps defeated Saint Louis (95-67) and Miami (88-70) (currently ranked 16th nationally) at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena and fell by three against then-No. 7 Tennessee at Barclays Arena in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational.

Double-Figure Update

Donta Scott (20) posted double-figure scoring for the 18th time this season and the 63rd time of his career. It was also his third 20-point game of the season.

Jahmir Young (15) recorded double figures points for the 28th time this season and the 17th time in the last 18 games. This marked the 103rd time in his career that he has tallied double figures.

Don Carey (11) hit double figures for the 14th time this season and the 79th time in his career. He’s hit double figures in each of the last five games.

Julian Reese (10) notched double figures for the 20th time this season and 27th of his career. He has scored 10-plus in 15 of his last 17 games.

Fear the Jahmir

With 15 points, Young now has 1,940 points, 611 rebounds and 361 assists in 117 career games. He is one of 10 active players nationally to have 1,900 career points, 600 rebounds and 350 assists.

With 519 points this season, Young is now 40th on the single-season scoring chart for the Terps. Next at 39th is Terence Morris, who had 521 in 1998-99.

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

OHTANI LEADS JAPAN IN WORLD CLASSIC, BOGAERTS LIFTS DUTCH

TOKYO (AP) Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run double off the left-field wall, allowed one hit over four innings and got the win, leading Japan over China 8-1 on Thursday night in its opener at the World Baseball Classic.

The Los Angeles Angels two-way star, struck out five and walked none in the Group B game at the Tokyo Dome. His fourth-inning double off Weiyi Wang gave Japan a 3-0 lead.

Ohtani retired his first 10 batters before Weiyi Wang’s single in the fourth. Ohtani threw 32 of 49 pitches for strikes.

In the other Group B game, Robbie Perkins and Robert Glendinning hit three-run homers to lead Australia over South Korea 8-7. In Group A, Xander Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar homered as the Netherlands beat Panama 3-1 and Italy beat Cuba 6-3 behind Nicky Lopez’s two-run single that capped a four-run 10th inning.

Before a crowd of 41,616 in the Tokyo Dome, Japan went ahead in the first when the St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbar singled leading off and loser Xiang Wang walked three straight batters, including two-time Central League MVP Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded.

Nootbar made a sprawling catch in center on Jinjun Luo in the second.

Pei Liang cut the gap to 3-1 with a sixth-inning homer off Shosei Togo, but Shugo Maki homered in the seventh against Changlong Su and Takuya Kai capped a four-run eighth with a two-run double after Tetsuto Yamada hit an RBI single and Sosuke Genda walked with the bases loaded.

Japan, the 2006 and 2009 champion, plays South Korea on Friday while China takes on the Czech Republic.

AUSTRALIA 8, SOUTH KOREA 7

TOKYO (AP) – Perkins gave Australia an 8-4 lead with an eighth-inning homer off Hyeon-Jong Yang, who threw only seven pitches and got no one out.

Logan Wade’s second-inning sacrifice fly and Kennelly’s solo homer off Young Pyo Ko in the fifth built a 2-0 lead but Euiji Yang hit a three-run homer against Daniel McGrath in the bottom half.

ByungHo Park had RBI double in the sixth that made it 4-2, a play originally called a home run before an umpire review. Glendinning homered off loser Won Jung Kim in the seventh and Perkins against Hyeon-Jong Yang in the eighth

Steven Kent, Will Sherriff and Sam Holland combined for five walks and a hit batter in a three-run bottom of the eighth, when Holland struck out Sung Bum Na to strand two runners.

Jon Kennedy, the fourth of nine Australia pitchers, got the win.

NETHERLANDS 3, PANAMA 1

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (AP) – The Netherlands, after beating Cuba in the opener, won its second game in two days.

Bogaerts homered in the third off loser Jaime Barría, and Profar went deep in the fifth against Alberto Guerrero.

Erasmo Caballero’s RBI single in sixth against Mike Bolsenbroek pulled Panama to 2-1, and Bogaerts doubled in the eighth and scored on a Alberto Baldonado’s wild pitch.

Winner Shairon Martis allowed three hits in 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

ITALY 6, CUBA 3, 10 innings

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (AP) – Cuba dropped to 0-2.

Brett Sullivan hit a go-ahead sacrifice fy in the sixth off Naykel Cruz and Miles Mastrobuoni added an RBI double in the seventh against Liván Moinelo.

Lorenzo Quintana pulled Cuba to 2-1 in the bottom half with an RBI single against Vinny Nittoli, and Erisbel Arruebarrena hit a tying single in the eighth off winner Matt Festa that drove in Alfredo Despaigne.

John Valente hit a tiebreaking single in the 10th off loser Raidel Martínez.

Italy is 1-0 and faces winless Taiwan on Friday. Cuba plays Panama. —

SHOHEI OHTANI AND JAPAN: IT’S MUCH MORE THAN JUST BASEBALL

TOKYO (AP) — He’d paid about $80 for his ticket. He wore a Japan cap above a blue Los Angeles Angels jersey. And as he enthused about the sensation that is Shohei Ohtani, baseball fan Hotaru Shiromizo was talking about far more than sports.

Shiromizu, 23, was part of the quilt of thousands of colorfully dressed fans outside the Tokyo Dome on Thursday afternoon. They paced, they camped out, and they discussed their hopes of seeing Ohtani pitch — and hit — against China in Japan’s opening game in the World Baseball Classic.

“He’s a legendary player, but he’s more than just a good player,” Shiromizu said, using his translator app to help clarify a few thoughts in English. “His aspirations — his achievements — have had a positive influence on all Japanese people.”

He added: “All the kids want to be like Ohtani.”

These days, Japanese culture and politics feel more tenuous than a few decades ago. The economy is stagnant. The birthrate is among the world’s lowest. A former prime minister was assassinated a few months ago on the street. And despite the “Cool Japan” image abroad, the nation faces uncertainty on many fronts, a corruption scandal surrounding the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and a giant Asian rival in neighboring China.

For many, Ohtani is the antidote.

PART OF AN EVOLUTION

He does things modern players don’t do. He’s a throwback who pitches, bats and can play in the field. Many call him the finest player in the major leagues. If that’s the case, then he’s better than Americans — Latin Americans, too — at what they consider their own game.

He’s the culmination — so far, at least — of an evolution in Japanese baseball that began when the game was introduced to the country in 1872 by an American professor. And his fame has now surpassed that of players like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideo Nomo, who came before him.

One of them could hit really well. One could pitch the same way. But Ohtani? He does both, and with more power — on the pitcher’s mound and at bat — than either Ichiro or Nomo.

“I suppose the idolization of Ohtani in Japan reflects its own inferiority complex vis a vis the fatherland of baseball that is the U.S.,” said Koichi Nakano, who teaches politics and culture in Tokyo at Sophia University.

“Baseball is so major here, but it has long been said that Japanese baseball, called yakyu, is different from `real’ baseball in America. Books have been written and published on the topic,” Nakano said. “So each time where there is a Japanese `export’ that was hugely successful in MLB, the Japanese are enthralled.”

The wait to see Ohtani play again in Japan is also driving the buzz around him — and the sellouts at the Tokyo Dome.

It had been almost 2,000 days since Ohtani played his last inning in Japan on Oct. 9, 2017, for the Nippon Ham-Fighters before leaving for California. That appearance drought ended in a practice game on Monday when Ohtani hit a pair of three-run homers off the Hanshin Tigers.

Keiichiro Shiotsuka, a businessman waiting outside the stadium, called Ohtani “a treasure of Japan.”

“I don’t know if such a player like him will ever exist in the future, so I’m happy he’s now playing in Japan,” he said.

TALENT AND CHARACTER

Atop all the talent, Ohtani has a sterling reputation. No scandals. No tabloid stories about his social life. He’s overflowing with $20 million in endorsements, more than any other major leaguer. And he could sign the largest contract in baseball history — the number $500 million has been kicked around — when he becomes a free agent after this season.

“He is very authentic,” said Masako Yamamoto, standing in a ticket line outside the Tokyo Dome with her 12-year-old son Shutaro and other family members. Facing her was a pulsating billboard with Ohtani’s image flashing.

“As a human, he’s polite and very charming and good to people,” she said. “He’s special. His personality is so even. He seems to make the atmosphere.”

Ohtani came out of Japan’s regimented baseball system at Hanamaki Higashi High School in largely rural Iwate prefecture in northeastern Japan. Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi attended the same high school a few years earlier. The military-like system has its critics, but Ohtani is making it look good.

“Ohtani was raised in this Japanese, martial arts-inspired training system where you join a baseball team and you play year-round,” Robert Whiting, who has written several books on Japanese baseball and lived here off and on for 60 years, said in an interview last year with The Associated Press.

“Ichiro, in his first year in high school was probably the best player on the team, but he couldn’t play. He had to do the laundry and cook the meals. He’d get up in the middle of night and practice his swing,” Whiting said. “The same thing with Ohtani. He was cleaning toilets in high school during his first year.”

Ohtani is the polar opposite of Ichiro, who had an edge. The Japanese phrase “deru kugi wa utareru’” captures Ichiro: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”

In explaining how baseball took root in Japan, Whiting and others have pointed to the importance of a game in 1896 in Yokohama between Japanese and Americans. Japan won 29-4, and many of the players were from Samurai families.

The result was front-page news in Japan. The victory is thought to have given Japan confidence as it was modernizing, coming out of centuries of isolation, and showed it could compete against the industrially advanced West.

On Thursday night, so many years later, Japan got itself more front-page baseball news. Ohtani allowed one hit in the four innings he pitched and struck out five, ending up as the winning pitcher in an 8-1 Japan victory. He also doubled off the left field wall in the fourth to score two. So fans like Shiromizu got what they came for — Ohtani pitching, hitting and not disappointing the 41,616 who showed up.

“Ohtani is the latest of these idols, but he might be even bigger than any before him,” said Nakano, the political scientist. He noted that only Ohtani hits and pitches both — just like the old-timers used to, which gives him a unique profile. “He is ‘Made in Japan,’ but more real now than America players.”

MLB NEWS

YANKEES LHP CARLOS RODÓN TO START SEASON ON INJURED LIST

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Carlos Rodón’s debut for the New York Yankees is going to have to wait.

The veteran left-handed pitcher will begin the season on the injured list due to a left forearm strain.

Rodón will be shut down for 7-10 days, squashing any chance he’ll will be ready by opening day, New York general manager Brian Cashman told reporters Thursday.

The Yankees signed Rodón to a six-year, $162 million deal in the offseason to join a starting rotation that includes Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino.

Rodón struggled in his first spring training appearance, allowing five runs on six hits in two innings of work against Atlanta on Sunday.

Cashman said Rodon’s elbow is fine.

The 30-year-old is coming off a spectacular season with San Francisco, going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 178 innings while making the All-Star game for the second consecutive year.

NHL NEWS

WILD STAR KAPRIZOV TO MISS 3-4 WEEKS WITH LOWER-BODY INJURY

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) All-Star left wing Kirill Kaprizov is expected to miss the next three to four weeks with a lower-body injury, the Minnesota Wild announced on Thursday.

Kaprizov was hurt in the game on Wednesday at Winnipeg, when 6-foot-7 Jets defenseman Logan Stanley collided with him as he protected the puck and Stanley delivered a check. Stanley’s momentum carried all of his weight on top of the back of Kaprizov, who then fell to the ice as his left knee bent awkwardly and his legs spread apart in a scissors-kick motion.

In his third year with the Wild, Kaprizov has played in 214 of a possible 216 games including the playoffs, but this injury will likely cost him most of the remainder of the regular season.

The Wild have 17 games left. Their win at Winnipeg moved them into a first-place tie with Dallas for the Central Division lead, with the Stars having played one fewer game.

Kaprizov leads the Wild with 39 goals, which was tied for sixth in the league as of Thursday. The Wild are just 26th in the NHL with an average of 2.75 goals per game, and with a team-leading 74 points Kaprizov has had a hand in more than 41% of their goals.

The Wild, who are 9-0-2 in their last 11 games, recalled forward Sammy Walker from their AHL affiliate in Iowa. They play next at San Jose on Saturday night.

VRANA SCORES 1ST WITH ST. LOUIS AS BLUES BEAT SHARKS 4-2

ST. LOUIS (AP) Jakub Vrana scored his first goal with St. Louis and highlighted the Blues’ 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Vrana made his debut with the Blues in Tuesday night’s 6-2 loss at Arizona. He was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for for Dylan McLaughlin and a 2025 seventh-round pick on March 3.

“Overall, this group is awesome,” Vrana said. “It’s nice to get that win at home too, the first win. It felt good.”

Robert Thomas, Sammy Blaise and Torey Krug also scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 32 saves in his 50th start of the season and improved to 1-5-2 in his last eight starts.

The Blues have two wins in their last nine games, both against the Sharks. St. Louis is 3-0 against San Jose this season and 8-0-0 against the Sharks since Nov. 19, 2021.

Blues coach Craig Berube was happy with the win. However, there’s a lot to be done.

“There’s really good signs of good things. But I’d like to see more. I’m maybe too demanding,” Berube said with a chuckle. “But like tonight, I just want to see more urgency and intensity at the start of a game.”

Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson scored for San Jose. Kaapo Kahkonen made 26 saves and slipped to 1-5-0 against the Blues in his career. The Sharks fell to 2-9-1 their past 12 games.

Vrana poked in the puck from the side of the net at 2:53 of the third period, giving St. Louis a 3-2 lead. Pavel Buchnevich, who had two assists, sent it to the post and Vrana was there to tap it past Kahkonen, where it caromed off Karlsson for the goal.

Berube likes what Vrana brings to his team.

“He looks to shoot. He’s got some good hands, good skill with his hands,” Berube said. “He skated better tonight than he did last game for me.”

Thomas scored on the power play at 15:02, making it 4-2. The Blues’ power play went 1-5 in the game and is 3 for 40 since the Ryan O’Reilly trade on Feb. 17. All three power-play goals came against the Sharks.

Each team scored one goal in each of the first two periods. St. Louis went up 2-1 when Blais scored at 10:06 of the second. Colton Parayko dove on the ice and poked a loose puck ahead for Blais, who scored with a high shot on a breakaway.

A turnover by Calle Rosen let San Jose come back to knot it at 2. Hertl scored on a snap shot at 14:31.

Karlsson scored on a wrist shot at 10:30 of the first period that beat a screened Binnington. A turnover by Thomas in the Blues’ end began the play that ended with Karlsson’s 20th goal this season. St. Louis tied it at 1-all on a goal by Krug at 12:31. Thomas raced down the right wing with the puck and passed back to the trailing Krug in the slot. It was Krug’s first goal since Dec. 1.

The Sharks didn’t convert any of their four power-play chances.

“Our power play was struggling here with Timo (Meier) before he got traded,” coach David Quinn said. “It’s frustrating. We need to get more pucks on the net. It’s really that simple. Nobody likes a simple answer, but sometimes that’s what it comes down to.” ICE CHIPS

The game marked the only time this season the Blues wore their 1990s red and blue vintage jersey inspired by the sweaters worn by Brett Hull and Chris Pronger. … Vrana is one goal shy of 100 for his NHL career. … Hertl is one goal shy of 200 in his NHL career.

INJURIES

Sharks: D Jacob MacDonald (undisclosed) day to day; LW Andreas Johnsson (upper-body injury) day to day.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Host Wild on Saturday night.

Blues: At Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

BENN HAS GOAL, 2 ASSISTS IN STARS’ 10-4 ROUT OF SABRES

Bolstered by the recent additions of forwards Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov, the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars flexed their four-line offensive muscle in a 10-4 rout of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment had a goal and two assists each, and Radek Faksa scored twice in a game the Stars enjoyed their best offensive output in 14 years.

Dadonov, Joe Pavelski, Joel Kiviranta, rookie Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz and Ryan Suter also scored on a night Dallas had all but two of 18 skaters earn at least a point. Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots and Dallas improved to 5-1-1 in its past seven and 4-0-1 in its past five road games.

“Everyone’s doing their part. You can’t just rely on Roope’s line every night,” Benn said. “We need guys pitching in. And we had a good effort tonight.”

Suter credited GM Jim Nill for bringing in Dadonov (acquired in a trade with Montreal) and Domi (Chicago) for upgrading the Stars before the NHL trade deadline.

“I think Jim’s done a great job putting pieces together to complement each other,” Suter said. “And like he said a couple of days ago, now all he can do is watch and it’s up to us to perform.”

The extra depth could prove necessary after forward Tyler Seguin did not return when he was cut along the left leg after getting tangled up with Buffalo’s Jordan Greenway 11 minutes into the first period. Seguin was spotted walking on crutches with his left leg heavily wrapped following the game.

Coach Peter DeBoer declined to provide the severity of the injury except to say: “He got stitched up. We’ll see how he is tomorrow.”

The Sabres have dropped five of six to find themselves sliding out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, and in jeopardy of extending their NHL-record playoff drought to a 12th consecutive season.

Jeff Skinner and Greenway had a goal and assist each, and Kyle Okposo and Victor Olofsson also scored. Eric Comrie stopped 39 shots in having a four-game winning streak snapped.

Coach Don Granato acknowledged Buffalo showed signs of frustration, which was a carryover from a disappointing 3-2 loss at the New York Islanders two night earlier.

“That didn’t look like our team. We weren’t sharp,” Granato said. “I didn’t feel our confidence was there at the start. We were a little hesitant at times.”

This marked the sixth straight outing in which the Stars have scored at least four times, including a 5-4 loss to Calgary on Monday.

Their 10 goals are tied for second-most in a game in franchise history, and most since a 10-2 win over the New York Rangers on Feb. 2, 2009. Dallas also matched a franchise record for most goals in a road game set two previous times when the Stars were based in Minnesota.

Dallas took advantage of numerous Sabres miscues in building a 3-0 lead with 35 seconds left in the first period when Pavelski and Benn scored 18 seconds apart. Though Greenway scored 10 seconds later, the Stars dominated a second period in which they scored twice and out-shot Buffalo 18-5.

The turning point came midway through the second period when Okposo sneaked in a shot past Oettinger to cut Dallas’ lead to 4-2 at the 9:51 mark. The Stars answered 47 seconds later when Suter capped a 2-on-1 break by converting Marchment’s rebound in front.

The game turned into a rout in the third period. After Skinner scored 3:49 in to cut the Stars lead to 5-3, Dallas scored four unanswered goals over a span of 3:03.

UP NEXT

Stars: Continue six-game road trip with consecutive games at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and Monday.

Sabres: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday.

OILERS ESCAPE MCDAVID SCARE, WIN 3-2 TO SNAP BRUINS’ STREAK

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins shut down NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid. They kept Leon Draisaitl off the scoresheet, too. It still wasn’t enough to beat the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

The Oilers escaped a scare when McDavid limped off the ice late in their 3-2 win over the Bruins – minutes after Darnell Nurse scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:49 remaining.

McDavid returned, but was held without a point for just the seventh time all season. It was the first time since New Year’s Eve, when McDavid was scoreless and Draisaitl didn’t play, that neither registered a point.

“I can’t believe they didn’t get a point. I mean, they should get a point every night, right?” said goalie Stuart Skinner, who made 26 saves to snap Boston’s 10-game winning streak and deprive the Bruins of a chance to become the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth this season.

“Our top dogs here, I think they did a unbelievable job defensively,” Skinner said. “They’ve been doing such a good job in our end lately and, obviously they’re still a massive threat offensively.”

McDavid struggled to the bench after a knee-on-knee collision with teammate Derek Ryan. But the two-time league MVP returned to help the Oilers hold on when Boston pulled goalie Jeremy Swayman for an extra skater in the final minutes.

Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said he didn’t see the collision, but was glad McDavid was able to return.

“My mind was on the play,” he said. “But he felt good enough to finish the game, so I felt good about that.”

Boston led 2-0 after one, but Evan Bouchard scored in the second and Ryan McLeod tied it six minutes into the third. Nurse scored the game-winner on a wrist shot past a screened Swayman to give the Oilers their fourth win in five tries.

“I just said to myself, ‘I’ve got to lock it down for the next 40 (minutes). And if I do that, it will at least give the guys a chance to win,'” Skinner said. “If I’m going to be honest, I was very excited after the game. … This one, this one feels really good.”

Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak scored, and Swayman stopped 19 shots for the Bruins (49-9-5), who could have set an NHL record as the fastest-ever to 50 wins.

McDavid leads the NHL with 54 goals – nine more than Pastrnak, who is second – as well as 70 assists and 124 points. Draisaitl is fifth in the league with 41 goals and second with 96 points.

It was the first time all season the Oilers won a game without either of them recording a point.

“It felt like a playoff game,” Woodcroft said. “In playoff games sometimes there’s a ‘saw-off’ between the best players on both teams and other people have to find ways to to contribute. If you look up and down our roster, we have numerous people that can find the back of the net and that’s what you need as you come down the stretch here.”

UP NEXT

Oilers: Visit Toronto on Saturday.

Bruins: Host Detroit on Saturday. 

NELSON’S OT GOAL LIFTS ISLANDERS TO 4-3 WIN OVER PENGUINS

PITTSBURGH (AP) Brock Nelson can’t explain why the New York Islanders have fallen behind the last three times they’ve played the Pittsburgh Penguins – only to come from behind late for a win against their division rival.

Nelson capped the latest rally, scoring on a breakaway in overtime to lead the Islanders to a 4-3 victory Thursday night.

“I don’t know what the reason for that is, but we’ve found ourselves in that situation a few times,” Nelson said, “and we’ve been able to come out with victories.”

Nelson beat Tristan Jarry to the blocker side at 2:13 of the extra period as the Islanders – who trailed 3-1 late in the third – swept the season series against the Penguins for the first time in franchise history. New York also solidified its first winning record on the road at Pittsburgh since the 2014-15 season.

Nelson scored five goals and had nine points in four games against Pittsburgh this season.

Anders Lee had two goals and Hudson Fasching also scored for the Islanders, who scored twice in the final 5:29 of regulation to force overtime. Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots and assisted on the winning goal for New York, which is two points ahead of Pittsburgh for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Islanders, who won their eighth game when trailing through two periods, have outscored opponents 17-1 in the third period in their last 10 games.

“It sounds easy, but it’s a tight game,” Nelson said. “You have to stick with it. In the third, I thought we did a better job of that.”

Jake Guentzel, Jason Zucker and Josh Archibald scored for Pittsburgh. Jarry made 24 saves for the Penguins, who have lost two of three following a four-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has lost 10 of its last 11 against division opponents.

“It’s tough to swallow,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I feel badly for the players because I felt for the majority of the night, we were the better team. We had some momentary lapses and they got back in the game.”

The Islanders blasted Pittsburgh 5-1 at home on Dec. 27 before a pair of come-from-behind regulation wins against the Penguins last month that mirrored Thursday’s rally. Pittsburgh led twice, but lost in regulation both times last month.

Fasching started the latest Islanders comeback against Pittsburgh with his second goal in as many games. He made it a 3-2 game at 14:31 of the third on a feed from Casey Cizikas.

Lee tied it at 3 with 1:15 to play in regulation. It was his 26th goal of the season and seventh in four games against Pittsburgh. Lee redirected Noah Dobson’s point shot between Jarry’s legs from the top of the crease.

“It’s a huge character win to be able to come out and do that in the third period,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said.

Evgeni Malkin took an interference penalty at 4:44 of the first period, setting the franchise record for career penalty minutes with 1,050, surpassing Kevin Stevens.

Lee and the Islanders took advantage with a power-play goal at 5:23.

Guentzel tied it at 11:07 when he redirected Marcus Pettersson’s point shot behind Sorokin for his 26th goal. The assist was Pettersson’s 100th NHL point. He became the 37th member of the 2014 NHL draft class to reach 100 points and the sixth defenseman.

Zucker gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead at 18:24. Archibald made it 3-1 at 10:49 of the second.

But the Islanders rallied in the third period for another win against Pittsburgh.

“You’re going to have nights where you’re a little bit off,” Lambert said. “The key to a good hockey team is to find a way to win a game like that, and we did.”

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Washington on Saturday before a three-game West Coast trip.

Penguins: Continue a season-long five-game homestand Saturday against Philadelphia. –

NFL NEWS

REPORT: JETS OPTIMISTIC OF ACQUIRING AARON RODGERS

The New York Jets are optimistic they will acquire quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a trade, sources told Dianna Russini of ESPN.

Jets officials, including owner Woody Johnson, met with Rodgers on Tuesday, and Johnson left the meeting excited and satisfied with the potential match, Russini adds.

The Green Bay Packers and New York are currently engaged in talks about potential trade compensation, and the conversations reportedly started before Tuesday’s meeting.

Rodgers signed a three-year, $150-million contract with the Packers last offseason. If the Packers were to trade the former first-team All-Pro, it would result in a $40.3-million dead cap hit for 2023, according to Over The Cap.

The 39-year-old Rodgers threw for 3,695 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He started all 17 games for the Packers, finishing the season with an 8-9 record.

Green Bay is expected to roll with quarterback Jordan Love if Rodgers is moved. The former first-round pick has played in 10 games since entering the NFL, totaling 632 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Rodgers has not publicly announced his plans for the 2023 season.

AP SOURCE: JETS AGREE ON DEAL WITH RAVENS TO ACQUIRE S CLARK

The New York Jets are acquiring veteran safety Chuck Clark from the Baltimore Ravens, according to a person with knowledge of the trade.

New York agreed Thursday to send a seventh-round draft pick in 2024 to Baltimore, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because teams can’t announce trades until the NFL’s new year begins next Wednesday.

NFL Network first reported the trade of Clark to New York.

While the Jets await word from quarterback Aaron Rodgers on his future and whether he wants to join them in a trade, New York addressed its secondary.

With Lamarcus Joyner scheduled to be a free agent after starting 14 games in his second season with the Jets, Clark would appear to be his replacement opposite Jordan Whitehead at safety. New York appears set at cornerback with Sauce Gardner, the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and veteran D.J. Reed.

The 27-year-old Clark has played all six of his NFL seasons with the Ravens since being drafted in the sixth round in 2017 out of Virginia Tech.

MEN’S GOLF

RAMEY GRABS PLAYERS LEAD IN HIS DEBUT AT GOLF’S FICKLE TEST

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Chad Ramey managed to avoid stress and bogeys Thursday in The Players Championship for an 8-under 64, making him an unlikely leader on a TPC Sawgrass course that rarely fails to deliver a surprise.

Ramey had a one-shot lead over two-time major champion Collin Morikawa in mild conditions. Roughly half the field was at par or better.

That doesn’t mean it was devoid of drama.

Hayden Buckley made an ace on the famed island green at the 17th, a hole he had only seen on TV until he arrived this week for his Players Championship debut.

Aaron Wise lost four balls in a span of two holes – in the water on the 17th, and then three straight tee shots in the drink left of the 18th fairway, where he closed with a 10, one short of the record for highest score on the closing hole.

Rory McIlroy had his highest score in just over a year. The 2019 Players champion opened with a 6, closed with a 6 and was pretty ordinary in between on his way to a 76.

Ramey had no such problems, putting for birdie on all but two holes during the slightly more peaceful morning conditions.

“I might have made it look that way but it wasn’t easy at all,” Ramey said. “It was fun. First time to shoot a score on such an iconic course like this. You can’t ask for any more.”

Ramey qualified for his first Players Championship by winning in the Dominican Republic last year against a weak field held opposite the Dell Match Play.

He believes he belongs and can beat anyone, even the strongest field of the year so far. His record wouldn’t suggest that, even with the victory. In his 28 starts since then, Ramey has missed 18 cuts and failed to finish in the top 20 in the other tournaments.

“The game has felt really close,” Ramey said. “I know the scores haven’t showed it, but it’s felt really close. I just made one little tweak in my swing, and it really seems to be paying off. I kind of hit the ball where I was looking most of the day, and then whenever I did get out of position, I did a pretty good job getting back in.”

Morikawa has missed two cuts in his last three starts, rare for him, and spent extra time in his days off trying to find that fade that has carried him to so much early success. He thinks he is swinging it now as well as he did a few years ago.

His signature shot was a 4-iron to 3 feet for eagle on the par-5 second hole, his 11th of the day, and it came during an eight-hole stretch he played in 6-under par. Morikawa also played without a bogey, key on a course that can strike without notice.

“The game feels really good, and I’m just going to take that into the next few days and just kind of use that momentum to hopefully play three more really good rounds,” he said.

Taylor Pendrith and Ben Griffin were at 67, while Justin Suh also was at 5 under with three holes to finish before darkness suspended play.

Scottie Scheffler led the group at 68. He was part of the marquee group that featured the top three players in the world – Jon Rahm at No. 1 had a 71 and McIlroy is at No. 3. All of them have a chance to end up at No. 1 even without winning.

Otherwise, it was an eclectic mix of players at 69 or better, which is not unusual for the Players Stadium Course. It ranged from first-timers like Ramey and Min Woo Lee to major champions like Scheffler and Justin Rose (69) and Jordan Spieth (69).

Spieth nearly won The Players in his debut in 2014, losing to Martin Kaymer. He has missed the cut in five of his last seven appearances.

“It’s just one of those places where I felt like the way I played was really good a lot of times, and then I look at the board here, and I’m like, ‘Huh. I’m not even in the top 10.’ That’s just the way this tournament has been for me,” he said.

Xander Schauffele was a runner-up in his debut (four shots behind) and then missed the cut in his next three appearances. He looked like he was headed for another early departure when he was 4 over through 10 holes and had only three pars on his card. But he followed with an eagle on the 11th and added three other birdies to get back to 72.

The 17th hole had a front pin, typically not seen until Saturday’s round, and delivered plenty of excitement, good and bad. Buckley flung his cap into the air after his ball rolled down the slope and into the cup.

Kelly Kraft hit two into the water on his way to a quadruple-bogey 7. He had an 80, one of four players who shot 80 or higher. The weather conditions didn’t warrant such a score. The nature of the course allows for it just about every year.

“You just don’t get a lot of holes that you can kind of coast on,” Sam Burns said after his 68. “Every shot has your attention here.”

LEADERBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/GOLF/FINAL.ASP?TOUR=

WOODS FACING LEGAL CLASH WITH EX-GIRLFRIEND AS MASTERS NEARS

Tiger Woods’ former girlfriend wants to nullify a nondisclosure agreement she signed with golf’s biggest star in a legal dispute that involves allegations of an abrupt breakup after six years together.

The court documents have come to light a month before Woods, whose comeback from injuries has restored his popularity, returns to Augusta National to play in the Masters.

Attorneys for Woods’ ex-girlfriend, Erica Herman, are asking for clarity on what she can and cannot say, according to documents filed in Martin County Circuit Court in south Florida.

Woods lives in Hobe Sound in Martin County, north of West Palm Beach, and the complaint said Woods and Herman had been living together.

According to the complaint, a trust controlled by Woods is trying to silence Herman with an NDA she signed while involved in a “personal and professional relationship” with Woods.

The complaint argues it should be nullified under the “Speak Out Act,” which became federal law in December and prohibits an NDA from being enforced when sexual assault or sexual harassment is involved.

Herman has not specifically accused Woods of sexual abuse; the civil cover sheet indicates the case involves sexual abuse.

Herman filed a separate complaint on Oct. 26 accusing the trust established by Woods — the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust — of violating the Florida Residential Landlord Tenant Act.

She alleges they had an 11-year oral tenancy agreement, and that five years remained on it when she was removed from the property through what she described in the complaint as “trickery.”

Herman, who once worked at his Jupiter Woods restaurant, alleges Woods’ agents persuaded her to pack for a short vacation. She claims when she arrived at the airport, they told her she had been locked out of the house and was not to return.

She also alleges the agents “attempted to justify their illegal conduct” by paying for a hotel room and certain expenses for a short period of time. The complaint says the agents removed her belongings and misappropriated $40,000 in cash that belonged to her, “making scurrilous and defamatory allegations about how she obtained the money.”

Woods’ agent at Excel Sports Management, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to a phone call and a text message seeking comment.

Woods and his wife divorced in 2010, some nine months after he was caught in a series of extramarital affairs that cost him blue-chip corporate sponsors and tarnished an image that been largely impeccable.

Since then, he has had a series of injuries and surgeries, including fusion surgery on his lower back in 2017, and shattered bones in his right leg from a February 2021 crash in Los Angeles when he drove his SUV off a coastal road while driving about 85 mph.

He returned from four back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters for his first major in 11 years and his 15th career Grand Slam title. Equally remarkable was coming back from the car crash that he said nearly led to amputation of his right leg, playing in the Masters — and making the cut — just over a year later.

Woods is able to play only a limited schedule because of his injuries, and people continue to follow his every move. In Los Angeles three weeks ago, fans stood two-deep along just about every fairway for a glimpse of him.

Woods chose to sit out The Players Championship this week, instead resting for the Masters on April 6-9. He needs one more PGA Tour victory to set the career record he shares with Sam Snead at 82.

He was first seen in public with Herman at the Presidents Cup in late September 2017, and she had been a steady presence at the larger events, such as the 2019 Masters. But she was not with him at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas the first week in December, nor at the Genesis Invitational he hosted at Riviera in California three weeks ago.

The complaint filed Monday on the NDA doesn’t provide details about what information Herman might want to disclose or make specific allegations against Woods.

The complaint says because of “aggressive use” of the NDA, Herman is unsure whether she can disclose “facts giving rise to various legal claims she believes she has.” It also says she is unsure what other information about her own life she can discuss and with whom.

CATLIN AND MOSTERT SHARE LEAD AT KENYA OPEN AT 7 UNDER

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — John Catlin and Dylan Mostert shared the first-round lead at the European tour’s Kenya Open after beginning with impressive 64s on Thursday.

Catlin of the United States made five birdies and an eagle in his opening round of 7 under par. Mostert of South Africa had eight birdies and one bogey to join him.

They lead by a shot from Frenchman Pierre Pineau and the Netherlands’ Wil Besseling.

Catlin has won three times on the tour, with his last triumph coming in April 2021.

TOP INDIANA NEWS (RELEASES)

INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL

GAME REWIND: PACERS 134, ROCKETS 125 (OT)

It’s a good thing the scoreboard at Gainbridge Fieldhouse had a few days to cool down.

After putting up a season-high 143 points three days prior, the Indiana Pacers (30-37) posted a 134-125 overtime win against the Houston Rockets (15-51) on Thursday in Indianapolis.

Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton orchestrated the victory, scoring the team’s final 12 points in extra time en route to recording a team-high 29 points while also registering a career-high 19 assists. The 19 assists tied the fourth-most by an individual Pacer in a game in franchise history, trailing just Don Buse (20), Jalen Rose (20) and Jamaal Tinsley (23).

“It’s just part of my maturation as an NBA player, as the point guard of this organization,” Haliburton said. “I really love that. I love that expectation for me. If you told a little kid Tyrese that he’s expected to make game-winners, he’d be like ‘Let’s do it.’”

After leading for more than three and a half quarters, the Rockets used a 15-2 run to take a one-point, 110-109, lead for the first time in the game with 4:10 left in regulation.

With the Pacers up by three points, with four seconds remaining, Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, hit a fading 3-pointer from the right side of the arc for the Rockets to force extra minutes.

The Pacers opened overtime by going on a 7-0 run, thanks to four points by rookie Andrew Nembhard and a 3-pointer by Buddy Hield, before Haliburton supplied 12 straight points to put the game out of reach.

“He took over the game in the overtime,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Haliburton. “He certainly has demonstrated that is what he’s about. He loves those moments very much – the way Reggie Miller loved those moments.”

Indiana has now won seven straight games against the Rockets, which is a series high.

After Haliburton, center Myles Turner had 21 points, five rebounds and seven blocks, Jordan Nwora scored 18 points and Hield had 17 points and seven rebounds.

Smith topped the Rockets with 30 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, finished with 24 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. totaled 23 points to lead the Rockets.

For most of the game, it looked like the Pacers were going to run away with it.

In the opening frame, the Pacers shot 58 percent from the field, including making half of their 3-point attempts, to build an early double-digit lead.

Both teams made six of their first nine shots to start the game, with the Pacers maintaining the edge at 14-13 with 7:11 on the clock, before Carlisle called a timeout.

Out of the mini break, Hield drained a shot from deep which spurred a 20-4 Blue & Gold run, and the team led 34-17 with 3:19 left in the first quarter. During that stretch, Turner converted a pair of and-ones, Hield hit two 3-pointers, Aaron Nesmith drained a trey and T.J. McConnell got a layup and three to go.

Despite all the positive momentum, Pacers standout rookie Bennnedict Mathurin was helped off the floor with 90 seconds left in the first quarter with a right ankle sprain. He did not return.

Regardless, the Pacers carried a 38-27 lead into the second quarter by hitting 14 of their 24 shot attempts (6-for-12 3-point).

McConnell and Chris Duarte each hit 3-pointers to keep the Blue & Gold offense rolling to start the second quarter before an 8-2 run a few minutes later pushed the Pacers lead to 52-37 with 5:52 left in the half.

Houston found its footing in the waning minutes of the second quarter, going on a 14-4 run from 4:56 to 1:12, on four points each by Martin Jr. and Alperen Sengun, to narrow the deficit to 62-52.

At intermission, the Pacers led 64-58.

The Pacers strung together a 11-4 run behind two 3-pointers by Hield and an and-one conversion by Turner, to lead 75-62 out of halftime.

While the Rockets were able to chip away, making it a five-point game with five minutes left in the third quarter, the Pacers were able to keep the visitors from making it a one-possession game.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Pacers led 98-91. Smith scored 13 points in the third quarter for the Rockets, going 7-for-8 from the free throw line to keep the visitors in it.

Like the second and third quarters, the Pacers’ first offensive bucket in the fourth was a 3-pointer, but this time by Nwora. Nwora followed up that bucket with another trey and a basket from Jalen Smith then extended the Pacers lead to 106-95 with 9:17 left in the game.

The Rockets responded with their big run, as Green made a 3-pointer and converted an and-one in the process, to put the visitors ahead for the first time. Both teams struggled to score in the final three minutes of regulation, but the Pacers came up clutch down the stretch.

Overall the Pacers made 48 of 100 shots (18-for-45 3-point) and the Rockets hit 49 of 107 (6-for-17 3-point). In the paint, the Pacers were outscored 82-58.

Indiana will play two straight games at the Detroit Pistons starting on Saturday.

Inside the Numbers

The Pacers are 1-2 in overtime games this season.

Haliburton achieved his 31st double-double of the season.

The 82 points in the paint are the most allowed by the Pacers in a game this season.

Nesmith finished with a game-high +/- of +20.

There were two lead changes and two ties in the game.

Houston won the rebounding margin 58-42.

Nwora scored in double figures for a sixth straight game.

Turner’s seven blocks are the most by him in a game this season and one shy of tying his career-high in the stat category.

Houston’s six made 3-pointers are the second-fewest allowed by the Pacers in a game this season.

You Can Quote Me On That

“It ain’t pressure, it’s just basketball. Just understanding that guys expect you to make plays, and that’s what I’m here for.” – Haliburton on being relied on in close games

“There’s no such thing as assists if guys aren’t making shots. I’m just trying to share the wealth and get guys the ball. I’m just trying to play right.” – Haliburton on his 19 assists

“He’s just a super confident player and we all have a lot of belief in him.” – Turner on Halliburton’s performance

“They had some good energy going. It was infectious, and they were able to kind of get themselves rolling. It happens from time to time, a team goes on a run. We were able to withstand it.” – Turner on Houston coming back

“When you step in between the lines, a lot goes out the window. They’re going to go out there and compete. There are no surprises in this league” – Turner on not underestimating any team

“Things started clicking when he got here. He got an elevated opportunity in a different situation. He does some very unique things for a guy that plays the four position.” – Carlisle on Nwora

“Ty can take over a game at any point in time, we all know that. He’s an All-Star for a reason.” – Jalen Smith on Halliburton’s takeover in the waning minutes

“Obviously overtime makes or breaks teams. We wanted to win so bad, we were locked in and focused to the point we executed at a high ability.” – Jalen Smith on the win

“This team, we’ve been so together all season. Lately we’ve been figuring it out.” – Hield on the improved play as of late

“He’s our best player. Wherever he goes, we go. We will live and die with whatever shots he took at the end. I feel like any coach in the league would like to put the ball in his hands.” – Hield on Haliburton

Stat of the Night

Haliburton finished with a career-high 19 assists in the game. Just three Pacers players have recorded more assists in a game in franchise history: Don Buse (20), Jalen Rose (20) and Jamaal Tinsley (23).

Noteworthy

After missing two games with a sore left hip, Nesmith returned to the starting lineup for the Pacers. Nwora had started the previous two games in his place.

The teams have now played 101 times, with the Rockets leading the series 57-44.

Up Next

The Pacers head to Detroit for two straight games at the Pistons. The first is on Saturday, March 11 at 7:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, March 18 at 7:00 PM ET.

INDIANA MBB

INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 32 VS. MARYLAND

Opening Tip

• Indiana University opens the 2023 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Hoosiers will play the six-seeded Maryland Terrapins on March 10 at the United Center in Chicago. Tip is scheduled for approximately 9 p.m. ET on BTN.

• Indiana has entered the BTT as the third seed on three previous occasions: 1999, 2007, and 2008. The Hoosiers are 0-3 in those games.

• A win on Friday night would earn IU a spot in the semifinals for the seventh time in program history. Indiana has advanced to the title game just once, a 63-61 loss to Iowa in 2001.

Game Information

March 10, 2023 • 9 p.m. ET • 2023 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal

United Center (23,500) • Chicago, Ill.

TV: BTN (Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz)

Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)

Series History: Indiana leads, 11-9

Last Meeting: MARY 66, IU 55 on Jan. 31, 2023 in College Park

All-B1G Performers

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was one of two players (Zach Edey, Purdue) unanimously selected to the All-Big Ten First Team for both the coaches and the media. TJD was also named to the five-player All-Defensive Team.

The first team honor comes a season after earning second team accolades across all three voting outlets as a junior. Following his sophomore campaign, he was tabbed an All-Big Ten First Team performer by the media and a second team choice by the coaches. He was a third team honoree and was included on the All-Freshman Team after his rookie season.

The last Hoosier to be named to an All-Big Ten Team in four-straight seasons since Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (2013-16). He is the first Hoosier since Victor Oladipo (2012-13) to be named to the All-Defensive team in consecutive seasons.

The Greenwood native averaged 20.5 points (tied for 2nd in the Big Ten), 11.0 rebounds (2nd), 3.9 assists (7th), and 2.8 blocks (1st) per game. Jackson-Davis finished second in the league with 16 double-doubles. He produced 21.8 points (2nd), 12.4 rebounds (2nd), 4.7 assists (5th), and 2.9 blocks (1st) per game in 20 conference games this season.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by both the coaches and the media, an award not won by a Hoosier since Noah Vonleh (2014). The Pittsburgh, Pa., native also picked up enough votes to be named to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the media and the third team by the coaches.

JHS averaged 13.4 points (3rd among Big Ten freshmen), 4.1 rebounds (5th), 3.8 assists (2nd), 0.9 steals (3rd), and 1.2 made 3-pointers (7th) per contest this season. His scoring average increased to 14.9 points (2nd) per game in conference games.

• Fifth-year senior Miller Kopp was selected as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree for Indiana. In his final start at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Kopp broke the Big Ten record for conference games played with 99. He was one of three Hoosiers to appear in all 31 games this season and the only player to appear in the starting lineup each game.

Last Time Out

• Indiana mounted the program’s largest comeback of the season to erase a 12-point deficit in a 75-73 overtime triumph over Michigan on March 5. The game served as Senior Day for five Hoosier players.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis tallied 27 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks to will the team to victory.

• Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson picked up his first double-double of 2023 with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He added a game-high four steals, including one in the final minute of both regulation and overtime.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino tallied 13 points, including the game-tying triple with 59 seconds to play.

Jackson-Davis, The All-American

• Since the calendar flipped to 2023, senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has averaged 22.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game. His rebounding figure marks the second-highest tally in the NCAA during the 18-game stretch.

• In Big Ten play, Jackson-Davis ranks second in the league with 21.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per contest. He leads the conference with 2.9 blocked shots per game. His rebounding rate is the second highest in conference play in the last 25 seasons.

• Over the last 25 years of basketball only Jackson-Davis (Jan. 2023), Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal have averaged at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA.

• TJD posted three 30-pooint games in the month of January, including back-to-back games with 35 points at Illinois (Jan. 19) and 31 points against Michigan State (Jan. 22). He also grabbed at least 20 rebounds three times during the stretch of nine games.

The Trey Gallo-Way

• Junior guard Trey Galloway has averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 21 starts this season. Indiana is 14-7 in his starts this season.

• Overall this season, Gallo is shooting 49.3% from the floor and 47.5% from the 3-point line. He has made more 3-pointers (28) this season than his first two seasons on campus (12) combined.

• Galloway entered the season as a 19.7% 3-point shooter. His 29.6% increase from his career shooting number to his 2022-23 single-season split marks the highest in all of college basketball (min. 50 career made 3-pointers).

• The third-year player has recorded nine double-figure scoring games this season. In his previous two years combined, Gallo tallied five.

Miller Time

• Fifth-year senior forward Miller Kopp has knocked down a team-best 56 3-pointers this season, the second most of his career (65 in 2019-20). He is hitting the long ball at a 45.2% clip, the second-highest percentage on the team (min. 20 attempts).

• In the two games against Rutgers this season, Kopp averaged 19.5 points and hit 60.0% (9-of-15) of his shots from behind the arc. The two games mark his two highest scoring outputs of his season.

• Kopp provided the key stop on Michigan freshman Jett Howard on Feb. 11, forcing Howard into a difficult shot at the buzzer to preserve Indiana’s 62-61 victory in Ann Arbor.

Chasing History

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis currently sits fourth all-time at IU in scoring (2,163). He holds the program record in both rebounds (1,105) and blocked shots (255). He joins Alan Henderson as the only Hoosiers to be top-10 all-time in career scoring, rebounding, and blocks.

Up Next: Career Scoring Leaders

1. Calbert Cheaney (2,613)

2. Steve Alford (2,438)

3. Don Schlundt (2,192)

4. Trayce Jackson-Davis (2,163)

Up Next: Career Double-Doubles

1. Walt Bellamy (59)

2. Archie Dees (56)

3. Alan Henderson (49)

4. Trayce Jackson-Davis (48)

• The Center Grove product is the only active men’s Division I player to tally at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds, and 250 career blocks. In the last 25 seasons, only five players have achieved those numbers in college basketball. Only Kyle Hines (UNCG) produced those numbers on a higher career scoring average.

• Jackson-Davis is one of two high-major players (Zach Edey; Purdue) to average at least 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks

INDIANA BASEBALL

SERIES OPENING COMEBACK COMPLETE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the first time in 2023, the Indiana baseball team rallied from a deficit after six innings in a 5-3 victory over Bellarmine on Thursday (March 9) at Bart Kaufman Field.

A single run in the third inning and two runs in the fifth pushed Bellarmine (5-8) out to a 3-0 lead. Indiana (7-6) got a run back in the seventh inning and then scored four runs in the eighth for the comeback victory.

Freshman Brayden Risedorph (ND) made his first career start and allowed one unearned run over four innings of work. He allowed four hits, did not issue a walk, and struck out four batters. Freshman Evan Whiteaker struck out three over 2 2/3 innings scoreless innings of work out of the bullpen.

With a scoreless eighth inning of work, freshman Connor Foley (1-0) earned his first career win and sophomore Ryan Kraft (3) allowed a single in the ninth but shut the door for his third save of the season.

The offense hat just five hits over the first six innings and stranded six runners during that span, before senior Peter Serruto hit a solo home run to left field in the seventh inning. IU had four hits and six total base runners over the final two frames.

Sophomore Brock Tibbitts provided a pair of hits in the contest with one RBI and redshirt junior Bobby Whalen’s lone hit was a two-RBI double down the right field line to give IU the lead. Freshman Tyler Cerny provided the insurance run with a sacrifice fly. Seniors Phillip Glasser (two hits) and Hunter Jessee (three hits) both posted multi-hit games, while freshmen Josh Pyne and Carter Mathison each walked to start the eighth inning and scored.

Bellarmine starting pitcher Nolan Pender (ND) fired seven one-run innings with five strikeouts. He exited after allowing seven hits – six of those singles – with two walks and five strikeouts. Matt Craven (1-2) took the loss with four runs allowed on two hits and two walks in one inning. Peyton Back drove in all three RBIs for the Knights with a pair of hits. Dylan Byerly and Tommy Dilz each had three hits in the game, and Reed Blaszczyk had two hits and scored two runs.

Scoring Recap

Top Third

A one out base hit from Reed Blaszczyk was followed by two errors to move the runner to third. A fielder’s choice from Back drove in the first run of the game.

Bellarmine 1, Indiana 0

Top Fifth

After reliever Cooper Hellman recorded the first out, Blaszczyk and Tommy Dilz singled and moved to second and third, respectively, on a passed ball. Back followed with a base hit to score two runs.

Bellarmine 3, Indiana 0

Bottom Seventh

Peter Serruto hit a solo home run to left field with two outs.

Bellarmine 3, Indiana 1

Bottom Eighth

The first three base runners reached against reliever Matt Craven with Josh Pyne and Carter Mathison each working walks to start the inning. Brock Tibbitts doubled down the right field line to score the first run of the game and Bobby Whalen ripped a two-run double to five IU the lead. Tyler Cerny capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Indiana 5, Bellarmine 3

Up Next

Indiana and Bellarmine continue the series with a single game on Friday, March 10. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. and can be seen on B1G+ and heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network

INDIANA SWIMMING

FIVE HOOSIERS QUALIFY FOR NCAA MEET ON DAY ONE OF ZONES

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Five Indiana swimming and diving student-athletes punched their tickets to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on the first day of the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships on Thursday (March 9) inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

Indiana posted the top three qualifiers on the men’s 1-meter springboard and the top two on the women’s 3-meter board to confidently secure their spots in the national meet.

MEN’S 1-METER

For the second straight year, Indiana earned a third of the automatic qualifications in the men’s 1-meter dive. Redshirt senior Andrew Capobianco (790.00) and sophomores Quinn Henninger (744.50) and Carson Tyler (720.60) earned the top spots to clinch their first bids to this year’s national competition. Last season, the trio qualified for all three events before combining for 64 points at the NCAA Championships.

Capobianco led the way with four dives over 70 points, nine dives over 60 and all 12 over 50. The 10-time All-American, two-time NCAA Champion and four-time NCAA medalist will advance to his fifth NCAA meet.

Henninger was consistent over his 12 dives, with only two scoring fewer than 60 points. Tyler, the Big Ten Champion in the event, never made a major error and finished just 1.5 points off his fellow sophomore.

Freshman Maxwell Weinrich also made it to the final in the men’s 1-meter but finished just outside of automatic qualifying position. Needing to finish ninth, he placed 11th with a 648.15. However, with the top-12 finish, Weinrich could still qualify in the 1-meter should he earn an automatic bid in another event this weekend.

WOMEN’S 3-METER

Big Ten 3-meter Champion and junior Anne Fowler (737.90) and sophomore Skyler Liu (698.45) qualified for the national meet on Thursday.

Fowler posted just one dive scoring fewer than 50 points and earned the top qualifying spot by a margin of almost 40 points. The junior was locked in during the final, posting scores of 61.60, 67.20, 58.50, 56.70, 62.00 and 63.00 to secure her bid. Her best dive of the day scored 73.50 points after she executed a 5152B for her final dive in the prelim.

Liu, who, like Fowler, qualified for all three A finals in her debut at Big Tens last month, only tallied two dives scoring less than 50 points. She stuck close to Fowler in the prelim, with dives of 58.50, 60.00, 60.45, 49.30, 64.50 and 61.50.

NCAA ZONE C CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

MEN’S 1-METER

1. Andrew Capobianco – 790.00 (Automatic Qualifier)

2. Quinn Henninger – 744.50 (Automatic Qualifier)

3. Carson Tyler – 720.60 (Automatic Qualifier)

11. Maxwell Weinrich – 648.15

WOMEN’S 3-METER

1. Anne Fowler – 737.90 (Automatic Qualifier)

2. Skyler Liu – 698.45 (Automatic Qualifier)

15. Megan Carter – 541.65 (Finalist)

19. Morgan Casey – 266.55

27. Margaret Rogers – 258.50

UP NEXT

The men’s and women’s divers will swap boards Friday as they continue their qualification journey. Day two of the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships will kick off at 1 p.m. ET.

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

TOP-SEEDED PURDUE FACES RUTGERS IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

GAMEDAY INFO

Friday, March 10, 2023 | 12 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. CT

[1] Purdue (26-5) vs. [9] Rutgers (19-13)

Chicago, Illinois | United Center (20,917)

TELEVISION: BTN | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network

ANNOUNCERS: Kevin Kugler, Stephen Bardo

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Purdue heads to the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago in search of its second Big Ten Tournament title in school history, previously winning the title in 2009 in Indianapolis. Purdue has reached the finals in three of the last six tournaments, and owns a 6-6 record over the last six tournaments. The last three times that Purdue has won its first game in the Big Ten Tournament, it has reached the finals (2016, 2018, 2022).

• Head coach Matt Painter has finished in the top three of the Big Ten standings in seven of the last nine seasons. His 11 top-three finishes are the sixth most in Big Ten history, while his four Big Ten titles are tied for the ninth most in league history (sixth since 1950).

• Zach Edey became Purdue’s fifth Big Ten Player of the Year in school history, joining Caleb Swanigan (2017), JaJuan Johnson (2011), Glenn Robinson (1994) and Steve Scheffler (1990) as recipients. Edey became the fifth player in Big Ten history to win the league scoring title, be a conference champion and win POY honors (Swanigan, Evan Turner, Robinson, Jim Jackson).

• There have been 16 occurrences in Big Ten history of a team winning the league title by at least three games, including this season. Purdue is the only team in league history to have just one player named to the All-Big Ten teams.

• Purdue is 55-13 since the start of last season. The 55 wins over a two-year span are already the fourth most in school history and Purdue needs just two wins to tie the record for most wins in a two-year span (57 in 2017, 2018). Iowa is second among Big Ten teams with 45 wins.

• Purdue ranks fourth nationally in Quad-1 victories with nine and is tied with Alabama for the most among teams not in the Big 12. Purdue’s 16 Quad-1 and 2 victories are also the second most nationally. The Boilermakers’ 12 wins away from Mackey Arena are the most among power-conference squads. Purdue tied a school record with seven Big Ten road victories — the most in the league this season.

• Purdue is 4-0 in neutral-site games, ranking third nationally in efficiency (Barttorvik.com). Purdue’s four wins have come by 14.8 points per game and the wins have been against West Virginia, Gonzaga and Duke in Portland, Oregon, and over Davidson in Indianapolis.

• Purdue is 12-5 against KenPom top-50 teams (most wins nationally). Zach Edey is averaging 23.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG and 2.2 BPG in those games.

• Purdue has been ranked in the AP top 5 in 15 straight weeks, more than double the longest stretch in school history. Since the start of last season, Purdue has been ranked in the top 5 in 27 weeks, six more weeks than the next-closest team (Gonzaga).

• Purdue has MADE 472 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 334. Purdue has made 228 more free throws (472 to 244) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +228, Portland +184, Charleston +179, Texas A&M +176).

• Purdue is in search of its fourth No. 1 seed in school history, previously earning the No. 1 seed in 1988, 1994 and 1996. In addition, Zach Edey is the leader to earn consensus National Player of the Year accolades. The last time Purdue earned a No. 1 seed, it was led by its last consensus National Player of the Year recipient, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson.

PURDUE BASEBALL

PURDUE SET TO PLAY DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMP FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1967

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Purdue (8-4) at #4 Ole Miss (11-2)

3-Game Series / Friday-Sunday, March 10-12 / SECN+ on ESPN App

Swayze Field / Oxford, Miss.

Series Opener: Friday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Doubleheader: Saturday, March 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Series Finale: Sunday, March 12 at 2:30 p.m. ET

All-Time Series: Ole Miss leads 3-0

Previous Series: Ole Miss swept a 3-game set (March 2005 in Oxford)

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. OM’s Jack Dougherty (Jr, RHP)

Saturday: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. OM’s Grayson Saunier (Fr, RHP)

Sunday: TBA for Purdue vs. OM’s Xavier Rivas (Jr, LHP)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball’s toughest test of the season takes the Boilermakers to the Magnolia State for a weekend series vs. the defending national champion, No. 4-ranked Ole Miss.

It’s three bottom of the hour start times this weekend at Swayze Field in Oxford – 7:30 p.m. ET Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

THE LAST TIME PURDUE…

• Played the defending national champion: May 1967 at Ohio State (OSU swept the doubleheader)

• Played a top-five ranked opponent: April 2017 at No. 2 Louisville (L, 13-2)

• Won a game vs. a top-10 ranked opponent: April 2018 at Indiana (W, 4-2)

• Visited the state of Mississippi: February 2019 at Southern Miss (held the lead in all 3 games but USM swept the series)

• Played a series at an SEC opponent: March 2014 at LSU (LSU swept the series)

RACKING UP THE RBI EARLY – RBI IN THE FIRST 12 GAMES

• Cam Thompson in 2022: 19 (6 multi-RBI games – 1 4-RBI, 2 3-RBI, 3 2-RBI)

• Paul Toetz in 2023: 20 (4 multi-RBI games – 2 6-RBI, 2 3-RBI)

MULTIPLE MULTI-HR GAMES IN A SEASON (Since 2001)

• 4 – Dan Black in 2008 (at Miami Ohio, at Ohio State, vs Penn State, vs Indiana [3])

• 3 – Paul Toetz in 2023 (vs Holy Cross, 2 vs Akron)

• 3 – Dan Black in 2009 (at Texas State, at Tennessee-Martin, at Penn State)

• 3 – Daniel Underwood in 2003 (Miami Ohio, at Ball State, at Iowa [3])

• 2 – Cameron Perkins in 2012 (at Nebraska, at Iowa)

• 2 – Ryne White in 2008 (at Ohio State, at Illinois)

• 2 – Nick McIntyre in 2003 (at Ball State, Illinois)

DID YOU KNOW?

• Kyle Iwinski’s one-hitter in game 3 vs. Akron was a seven-inning complete game, winning him Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and a spot on Collegiate Baseball’s honor roll of National Players of the Week. It produced a game score of 83, the highest mark for any seven-inning complete game shutout by a Boilermaker since 2001. Purdue had not had a seven-inning complete-game since 2008, the final year that Big Ten weekend series were four games and featured a Saturday doubleheader with a pair of seven-inning affairs.

MORE ABOUT OLE MISS

• The Rebels have won three of four vs. Big Ten preseason favorite Maryland early this season and defeated Nebraska on Sunday to win Minnesota’s Cambria College Classic inside U.S. Bank Stadium. Maryland and Minnesota were also among the tournament field.

• The Ole Miss roster features a pair of Indiana natives – pitchers Xavier Rivas (Portage) and Matt Parenteau (Carmel) – and first baseman Anthony Calaraco, a grad transfer from Northwestern that was first-team All-Big Ten in 2021. Rivas and Parenteau also transferred in – Rivas after a breakout 2022 season at Division II UIndy and Parenteau from Parkland College. Calarco is batting in the middle of the lineup, hitting .390 with 15 RBI and more walks than strikeouts in his 12 games. He’s one of six regulars for the Rebels hitting better than .350 early this season.

• Rivas has been starting on Sundays and racked up 17 strikeouts vs. 10 hits allowed in 12 1/3 innings, though five of those 10 hits have been home runs. Parenteau has made a relief appearance in each of the first three weekends.

PURDUE SWIMMING

4 DIVERS QUALIFY FOR NCAAS ON DAY 1 AT ZONES

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Purdue divers accounted for four top-seven finishes on the springboards Thursday, earning four bids to the NCAA Championships as automatic qualifiers from Zone C.

Daryn Wright, Sophie McAfee, Jordan Rzepka and Sam Bennett all earned their berths at the national championship meet. Now they only need to be among the top 12 in any other events this week to add to their schedules at NCAAs.

Among a field of 49 divers in the women’s 3-meter competition, Wright placed third and McAfee took fifth.

Rzepka rallied via a 62-point improvement from the prelim to final, placing fourth overall in the men’s 1-meter action. Bennett finished seventh while enjoying a 36-point improvement in the final.

Bennett, McAfee and Rzepka are all going back to NCAAs as sophomores. McAfee and Rzepka are now 4-for-4 in NCAAs qualifications at Zones. Bennett clinched his first career bid to NCAAs on 1-meter after he was a 3-meter qualifier last season.

As a freshman, Wright qualified for NCAAs in her debut at Zones. She improved on her prelim score by 20 points in the final and made a run at the Purdue freshman record (354.53) she set in the Jan. 7 dual meet win at Illinois.

Zones continues Friday with the women on 1-meter and the men on 3-meter. Action begins at 1 p.m. ET.

THURSDAY AT THE ZONE C DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men’s 1-Meter

• Jordan Rzepka, 688.40 (313.15 Prelim, 375.25 Final) – Finished 4th; NCAAs Qualifier

• Sam Bennett, 668.40 (315.80 Prelim, 352.60 Final) – Finished 7th; NCAAs Qualifier

Women’s 3-Meter

• Daryn Wright, 677.05 (328.35 Prelim, 348.70 Final) – Finished 3rd; NCAAs Qualifier

• Sophie McAfee, 654.50 (324.80 Prelim, 329.70 Final) – Finished 5th; NCAAs Qualifier

• Jenna Sonnenberg, 263.60 – Finished 21st in Prelims

• Kaitlin Simons, 222.65 – Finished 40th in Prelims

AUTOMATIC QUALIFYING SPOTS TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM ZONE C

Top 12 in an event also qualify for NCAAs if he or she has already auto-qualified

• 1-Meter – Women: 9 // Men: 9

• 3-Meter – Women: 10 // Men: 8

• Platform – Women: 11 // Men: 12

PURDUE’S DAILY SCHEDULES

Friday

• Women’s 1-Meter: Jenna, Sophie, Daryn, Kaitlin

• Men’s 3-Meter: Jordan, Sam

Saturday

• Men’s Platform: Jordan

• Women’s Platform: Maggie, Maycey, Sophie, Daryn

PURDUE FOOTBALL

ALL 32 NFL TEAMS ATTEND PURDUE FOOTBALL PRO DAY

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The eyes of the National Football League were on Purdue Football Thursday (March 9), as 10 Boilermakers participated in the team’s annual Pro Day. All 32 NFL teams arrived in West Lafayette to see which Boilermakers could be a good fit for them to choose in next month’s NFL Draft.

The following Boilermakers participated in the day’s events: Payne Durham, Mitchell Fineran, Jalen Graham, Bryce Hampton, Chris Jefferson, Charlie Jones, Aidan O’Connell, Reese Taylor, Cory Trice and Nick Zecchino.

For five Boilermakers (Durham, Graham, Jones, O’Connell, Trice), it was their second straight week in front of scouts after participating in the NFL Combine (March 2-5). Purdue Football Pro Day gave Fineran, Hampton, Jefferson, Taylor and Zecchino the opportunity to showcase their skills for the next level. While some opted out of certain aspects, each Boilermaker went through their specific position drills to conclude the day.

Unofficial results for Pro Day can be found below. All of the Boilermakers hope to hear their name called during the 2023 NFL Draft, set for April 27-29 in Kansas City.

BALL STATE MEN’S BB

BALL STATE FALLS TO OHIO MAC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

CLEVELAND – The Ball State men’s basketball team returned to the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals against Ohio on Thursday. Payton Sparks led the team in points and rebounds, but the Cardinals fell to the Bobcats 90-70.

Ball State fell to 20-12 on the season, while Ohio improved 19-13.

“Congratulations to Jeff and his team,” said Head Coach Michael Lewis. “I thought we got off to a really good start. I was pleased with our first four-minute segment. Once Ohio punched back, we didn’t have any response. That was disappointing. We didn’t have an answer on the backboard. Our turnovers led to transition points, and it got away from us quickly. What these guys did over the course of 32 games, they took a major step forward for our program at Ball State. Them winning 20 games is a hell of an accomplishment, especially when you look at the history of our program. That doesn’t happen very often.”

Sparks led the team with 21 points and a team-high seven rebounds. He also produced the team’s only blocks, with two. Demarius Jacobs finished with 11 points and one rebound. Jarron Coleman chipped in with 10 points and two rebounds. He tied for a game-high five assists. Jaylin Sellers closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points. He added one rebound. Luke Bumbalough tied for a game-high five assists.

The Cardinals came out of the gate strong and took an early 10-4 lead at the first media timeout. Demarius Jacobs scored five or the team’s 10 points to start the game.

The Bobcats answered with a 12-4 run and took a 16-14 lead at the second media timeout with 11:52 left in the first half. Ohio added an 11-5 and extended its lead to 27-19 with 8:37 left in the opening stanza.

The Bobcats kept the pressure up and went on a 23-7 run and held a 50-26 lead with 3:27 left in the half. The Cardinals finished the half by outscoring the Bobcats 6-4 but trailed 54-32 at the break.

Ohio opened the second stanza on a 15-7 run and took a 69-39 lead with 15:05 left in regulation. The Cardinals answered with a 9-5 run over the next 2:30 and cut the deficit to 74-48 with 12:02 left to play.

The Bobcats outscored the Cardinals 9-8 over the 3:30 and held an 83-56 lead with 8:08 left in regulation. Ball State went on a 7-2 run and cut the deficit to 85-63 with 4:42 left to play. The Cardinals continued to fight the remainder of the game but fell 90-70.

AJ Brown recorded a game-high 28 points along with seven rebounds, three steals, and one block. Jaylin Hunter posted 13 points, a team-high four assists, two steals, and one rebound. Elmore James added 11 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Dwight Wilson notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BB

WBB FACES BGSU IN A HEATED REMATCH AT THE MAC TOURNEY SEMIFINALS FRIDAY

#3 Ball State (25-7) vs. #2 BGSU (26-5)

Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals

March 10, 2023 >>Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse>>Cleveland, Ohio

Opening Tip:

– The Cardinals and the Falcons have met a total of seven times in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2007, 2009 and 2014. Ball State has won two of the seven meetings but have won the last two including the last time they met in the 2014 semifinal game by a score of 73-55.

– The last time Ball State was the No. 3 seed in the MAC Tournament was in 2018. That year the Cardinals fell to No. 6 Western Michigan on March 7 by a score of 65-54.

– The Cardinals split their two-game MAC series against the Falcons this season winning at home on Jan. 4, 81-73 and then recently fell at Bowling Green, March 1 in overtime, 81-76. That game was selected to represent the MAC on national television on ESPNU.

– This marks the 33rd appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in program history.  Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 21 out of the past 23 seasons.  The Cardinals are 22-31 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on six occasions.  Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game.  This is the eighth time in current head coach Brady Sallee’s tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.

– Ball State is one game away from tying the programs record for most wins in a season.  In 2008-09, the Cardinals went 26-9 under the direction of former head coach Kelly Packard.  Current associate head coach, Audrey Spencer was the starting guard for that team.

– Ball State’s 25-7 record is the second best start in program history.  Currently, there are only eight Division I women’s basketball programs in the country that have suffered only seven losses.

– Ball State and Bowling Green have met a total of 73 times in program history with the Falcons leading the all-time series record, 47-26.

– The last time Ball State pulled off an upset in the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed was in 2003 when the Cardinals defeated No. 2 Miami by a score of 93-84 in the semifinals.  Ball State then fell to No. 4 Western Michigan in the championship game, 81-76.  The last time a No. 3 seed won the MAC Championship was in 2014 when No. 3 Akron defeated No. 5 Ball State, 79-58.

– A Cardinal win will send Ball State to the title game for the second-straight season. The third-seeded Cardinals will play the winner of semifinal game No. 1 against the No. 1 seed Toledo Rockets or the No. 4 seeded Kent State Golden Flashes. Ball State fell to Toledo twice in MAC regular season play and defeated Kent State in their lone meeting.

 – The last time the Cardinals faced the Falcons at the MAC Tournament was in the semifinal round in 2014. Ball State pulled off the upset as the fifth-seed over the top-seeded Falcons that year by a score of 73-55.

– If Ball State were to face Toledo in the MAC Tournament finals it will be the first time the two teams have met in the championship game. The Cardinals last faced the Rockets in the tournament last season pulling off the upset over top-seeded Toledo in the semifinals by a score of 71-66.

– If Ball State were to take on Kent State in the MAC Tournament finals it will be the first time the two teams have met in the championship game since the 2001-02 season. That year Kent State defeated Ball State, 73-59 and as a matter of fact, Ball State head coach Brady Sallee was on the Golden Flashes coaching staff as an assistant that year.

BALL STATE BASEBALL

CARDINALS WELCOME BRONCOS FOR MAC OPENER

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team returns to the friendly confines of the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark for the home opener as well as the Mid-American Conference opener against Western Michigan on Friday. The Cardinals and Broncos are slated for a 2 p.m. start on Friday and a 1 p.m. first pitch on Saturday and Sunday.

The Cardinals are coming off an 11-9 victory against the FAMU Rattlers on Tuesday. Ball State enters the weekend with an 8-5 record, while Western Michigan enters with a 3-8 mark. 

Gold Glove Peltier

At the conclusion of last season, Ryan Peltier was honored as the best defensive third baseman in the NCAA and received an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. After being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team for back-to-back seasons, Peltier was awarded the first Gold Glove in BSU history. He was a 2023 Preseason All-American honoree from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Peltier leads the Cardinals with a .417 batting average. He has pelted a team-best five homers and has a team-high 12 RBIs. His five home runs are tied for 49th in the NCAA and tied for third in the conference. He has a slugging percentage of .792. Peltier has scored 17 runs, which is tied for 60th in the NCAA and leads the MAC.

What Can Brown Do for You?

Ryan Brown was named the No. 49 prospect in college baseball by D1 Baseball. Brown was the only Mid-American Conference player selected to the top-100 list. He was also tabbed as one of the top mid-major prospects for the 2023 season. Brown also landed on the 2023 MLB Draft: Rising Righthanded Pitchers watch list. Last season, Brown earned recognition as a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American along with the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team.

Brown is currently leads in the NCAA with 19.93 strikeouts per nine innings and tied for third in the NCAA with 31 strikeouts. He his 3-1 on the year and has thrown 14 innings. Opponents are hitting just .130 against him for the season.

Scouting the Cardinals

Matthew Rivera is second on the team with a .393 batting average. He has nine RBIs, six runs scored, five doubles, and two home runs. He has a slugging percentage of .786. Nick Gregory might only be hitting .222, but he leads the team with 12 walks. He has scored 12 runs and driven in two runs.

The Cardinal pitching staff is led by Trennor O’Donnell with a 1.88 ERA. He is expected to get the start in game one for Ball State. He has 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings of work. Tanner Knapp as added 15 innings in five relief appearances for the Cardinals. Knapp has 19 strikeouts on the year.

Ball State vs. Western Michigan: The Series

WMU holds the series lead over BSU, 101-86. The Cardinals have won 10 of the last 12 meetings, but the Broncos won the last meeting 14-2 in Kalamazoo, on April 19. Ball State is 49-54 at home against WMU.

Scouting the Broncos

Will Morrison leads WMU with a .488 batting average. He paces the team with 14 runs scored and has a team-best five doubles. He has added 12 RBIs and one home run. Cade Sullivan has a team-best 14 RBIs on a team-high four home runs. Dane Armbrustmacher leads the Bronco pitching staff with 20 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings of work. He has a 1-1 record and opponents are hitting .258 off of him. Brady Miller is the only other WMU player in double-digit strikeouts with 10.

NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

SERIES PREVIEW: ACC OPENER AT GEORGIA TECH

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Fighting Irish (5-4) are coming off of their second series win, taking down UAB on the road last weekend as they’ve been gearing up for conference play. Notre Dame will head south for their fourth road series of the season to open up ACC play against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2) in Atlanta, Georgia. The Irish and Yellow Jacket matchup starts Friday, March 10 at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Friday, March 10 @ Georgia Tech – 6:00 PM  | Live Stats | ACCNX

Probable Starters: RHP Blake Hely (0-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. RHP Dawson Brown (1-1, ERA 11.25)

Saturday, March 11 @ Georgia Tech – 2:00 PM  | Live Stats | ACCNX

Probable Starters: TBA vs. TBA

Sunday, March 12 @ Georgia Tech – 1:00 PM | Live Stats | ACCNX

Probable Starters: RHP Jackson Dennies (0-1, 5.23 ERA) vs. RHP Jackson Finley (1-0, ERA 1.38)

Notre Dame Baseball Game Notes (PDF)

Conference Play Opens Up at Georgia Tech

• The Fighting Irish open up ACC play on the road in Atlanta, GA at Georgia Tech.
• This will be the 24th matchup between the Irish and Yellow Jackets as Notre Dame trails 11-12 in the overall series. 
• The Irish have defended their home turf, posting a 5-1 record against Georgia Tech at Frank Eck Stadium. The Irish are 6-10 on the road at Georgia Tech’s Russ Chandler Stadium and 0-1 at neutral sites.
• The first-ever matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia was almost 100 years ago on April 12, 1924 in Atlanta. The Irish took home the win first ever win in the series with a 4-3 win over the Yellow Jackets.
• While Georgia Tech and Notre Dame did not face each other last season, their last matchup was a three-game series in the 2021 season in South Bend (April 9-11). 
• The Irish won the series 2-1 after taking the first two games of the series. 
• Notre Dame took game one despite trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth and 9-6 in the bottom of the eighth, scoring eight runs in the final two innings to come back and win.
• The 12th-ranked Notre Dame baseball team kept the momentum rolling with a 7-0 win over No. 14 Georgia Tech to clinch the series the next morning in game two. The Yellow Jackets would go on to take game three 4-2.
• Georgia Tech enters the weekend 11-2 and 9-1 at home this season after taking down Lipscomb 10-5 at Russ Chandler. The Yellow Jackets only losses come from the Georgia Bulldogs (L 7-2, L 16-6, W 4-1) last weekend. 

Irish Travel to UAB

• The Irish took home their second series win of the season after taking down the Blazers 2-1 last weekend in Birmingham, AL.
• Danny Neri led the Irish against UAB, batting .500 (4-8 at the plate) and scoring three runs. Neri finished with a triple, a home run, and three RBI.
• Zack Prajzner batted .333 on the weekend recorded three hits and two runs. Pinch hitter Nick Juaire came in and went 2-2 at the plate and scored one run while also recording two RBI.
• The Irish took home game one of the series 7-2 on Friday, March 3 at Young Memorial Field after tallying runs in each of the first three innings and out-hitting the Blazers 10-5 on Friday. Jack Findlay (2-0) took home his second win of the season, finishing with six strikeouts on the day.
• Game two went to the Irish 7-3 after trailing 3-0 to start the top of the sixth. Notre Dame scored six runs in the top of the sixth, including a first career home run from Estevan Moreno. Will Mercer took home his first win of the season in game two.
• The Irish fell 5-2 in game three, falling to 5-4 on the season.

Notre Dame Wins First Series of the Year at UNCG

• The Notre Dame baseball team won their first series of the 2023 season after taking down UNCG on the road. 
• Carter Putz led the way for the Irish,  batting .400 on the weekend, finishing with four hits and three runs. 
• The Irish took home game one on Friday, Feb. 17 in a 6-5 win after Danny Neri stepped up to the plate and homered to right field. After an even ballgame at 4-4 heading into the top of the ninth, Neri’s home run scored Putz and added two more runs to the board. 
• Jack Findlay’s three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth closed out Notre Dame’s game one win.
• Despite falling 12-0 to UNCG on Saturday, the Irish responded with a game three win 7-4 over Sunday to take the series.
• The Irish struck first as grad students Zack Prajzner and Brooks Coetzee got the Notre Dame offense rolling. Coetzee recorded an RBI single to send Prajzner home and put the Irish on the board. Notre Dame held the Spartans scoreless the first three innings and led 1-0 to start the fourth.
• Notre Dame scored another four runs in the top of the fourth with runs from Prajzner, Putz, Penney, and Martinez.
• Bedford, who got the win for Notre Dame on Sunday, dominated at the hill for the Irish. He threw four strikeouts over three innings and allowed no runs and only one hit. 

Irish Open Campaign at Lipscomb

• The Notre Dame baseball team took on the Lipscomb Bisons for just the second time in program history Feb. 17-19 in Nashville, Tennessee. 
• The Irish fell 5-4 in game one despite scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to close the gap within one. 
• Norte Dame bounced back in game two, defeating the Bison 8-4 after a big seven-run inning in the top of the seventh. 
• Despite taking home game two, the Irish struggled to connect at the plate and fell in game three 4-2, falling to 1-2 to start the 2023 season. 
• With only 10 hits as a team on the weekend, TJ Williams and Jack Penney both hit their first home runs of the 2023 season.
• Freshmen Rory Fox and David Lally Jr. made their debuts on the mound on Sunday, as well as graduate transfers Carter Bosch and Blake Hely who pitched in an Irish uniform for the first time.  

Lethal Lineup is Back for 2022

• Coming off the most successful season in almost 20 years, a strong portion of the 2022 leadership returns as seven graduate students are back for another year with the Irish, four of which were every day starters.
• Graduate students Carter Putz, Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, and Brooks Coetzee all return to the field for the Irish. 
• Putz started all 58 games and was a big piece of Notre Dame’s success last season. He also led the team in hits (81) and runs (55) and was second on the squad in doubles (13)  and batting average (.339). 
• Putz’s 81 hits were the most hits in a single season since 2013 when World Series Champion Trey Mancini had 89 hits on the year.
• Prajzner returns to the Irish after starting all 58 games and setting career highs in runs, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs last season. He was also fourth on the team in hits and runs as he finished with 44 runs and 58 hits. 
• Prajzner was named to the 2022 Statesboro Regional All-Tournament Team after hitting the game-tying home run in the 6-4 win over No. 22 Georgia Southern to advance to the Statesboro Regional Championship. 
• Both Putz and Prajzner were also recognized by Perfect Game as two of the top 50 seniors in the country heading into the 2023 season.
• Zyska made 38 starts on the season and was a big piece of the Super Regional win over No. 1 Tennessee as he hit one of four home runs in the 8-6 win over the Volunteers in game one and set a career-high four hits against Tennessee in game two. 
• He finished with 34 runs, 45 hits, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, and seven stolen bases.
• Coetzee started all 58 games and had a big year with the Irish as he set career highs in runs (42), hits (59), home runs (12), and RBI (43). 
• He finished second on the team in home runs and was one of three Irish players to hit double-digit home runs last season as the Irish set the program record for home runs in a single season with 79 homers.

Findlay, Tyrell, and Mercer Return 

• While the Irish lost main starters John Bertrand and Austin Temple, the Irish return Freshman All-American LHP Jack Findlay.
• Findlay capped off his freshman season as a pivotal piece of Notre Dame’s postseason success. He made 20 appearances, including eight starts, but was recognized as a big-time closer for the Irish. 
• Findlay led the Irish in ERA and saves, was second in wins and third on the team in innings pitched after finishing the 2022 season with a 2.17 ERA, 54 strikeouts, and 6-2 record with four saves through 49.2 innings. 
• Findlay was named a 2022 Perfect Game Second Team Freshman All-American and a 2022 Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. 
• At the beginning of this year, Findlay was also recognized by Perfect Game as one of the top 50 sophomores in the country. 
• Graduate student Aidan Tyrell also returns to the mound for Notre Dame. 
• Tyrell made 26 appearances and had five starts for the Irish as he finished the year with a 3.75 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and a 5-2 record with two saves through 48.0 innings pitched.
• Tyrell won his first three starts of the season after allowing just one run in 16.0 innings pitched and had a string of four and five-straight appearances out of the bullpen without allowing a run.
• Graduate student Will Mercer returns for his fifth season after making 13 appearances and 3 starts in 2022. 
• Mercer finished his senior year with a 4.18 ERA and a 2-1 record with one save through 23.2 innings pitched along with 24 strikeouts. He tossed a season-best 3.2 innings pitched and did not allow a run against #5 Texas A&M at the College World Series. 

Newcomers 

• The Irish also have 14 newcomers, featuring 10 freshmen and four grad transfers. 
• Blake Hely is a graduate transfer that joined the Irish this fall after spending four years at Davidson. 
• He was another Notre Dame player recognized by Perfect Game this year as one of the top 50 impact transfers in the nation. Hely was a weekend starter for the Wildcats, appearing in and starting 15 games with a 3.80 ERA and a 9-2 record after leading Davidson in 2022 with 85.1 innings pitched. 
• Hely was also named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, Atlantic 10 First Team, and ABCA All-Atlantic Region Team this past season.
• Hely held opponents to a .207 batting average, led the A-10 with 6.86 hits allowed per nine innings and was second in the league with 97 strikeouts.
• Graduate transfers Vincent Martinez (C) and Justin Moore (RHP) joined the Irish this fall after each of them spent four years at Stanford. 
• RHP Carter Bosch is another graduate transfer who joins the Irish  from Georgetown.
• David Lally Jr., of Grand Blanc, Michigan, is predicted to be a force on the mound as he helped guide his high school to a 2021 State Championship, is a two-time Collegiate Baseball First Team All-American and was recognized this year as one of the top 100 freshmen in the country by Perfect Game.  

NOTRE DAME SB

IRISH HEAD BACK TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR ACC SERIES WITH THE WOLFPACK

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team heads back to North Carolina for the second consecutive weekend as the Fighting Irish are set to take on the NC State Wolfpack in a three-game series this weekend. The Irish are coming off of a hard-fought series with the Duke Blue Devils, having earned an 11-6 overall record and a 1-2 mark in league play. NC State is 5-13 and 0-3 in the conference and have undergone a coaching change this season.

The Irish enter the weekend having dropped two of three games at Duke over the weekend, but battled the 15th-ranked team in the country to the limit. Notre Dame took Friday’s game by a 5-4 tally over the Blue Devils before falling 6-2 Saturday and took the lead late in the finale Sunday before ultimately ending up on the wrong side of a 4-3 game.

Notre Dame hits for a .288 team average, led by freshman Mickey Winchell. Winchell works as the second lead-off and is hitting .368 in her rookie season, earning a .429 on-base percentage. Carlli Kloss, Jane Kronenberger and Payton Tidd each hit over the .300 plateau. Kloss and Kronenberger have started all 17 games, hitting at .309 and .305, respectively, each with a pair of home runs. Lexi Orozco lead the team with 14 RBI and four home runs. The graduate student infielder hits at a .275 average with a .383 on-base percentage.

The circle has been dominated by graduate student Payton Tidd. Tidd has worked in 53.0 of 116.2 innings this season. Tidd has a 2.51 ERA this season, striking out 50 hitters and earning a team-high six wins. Shannon Becker has started the most games in the circle this season in eight. The sophomore is 3-3 in 39.0 innings, earning a 3.95 ERA. She’s struck out 33 hitters and thrown a complete game shutout this season. Micaela Kastor has been tough out of the bullpen this season. The freshman has 10 appearances, eight out of the ‘pen. She’s earned a 2-0 record and two saves in 22.2 innings. She’s earned a 0.93 ERA, striking out 19 and limiting opponents to a .167 average against.

The Wolfpack enters the weekend the weekend at 6-14 after splitting a doubleheader with NC Central at Dail Softball Stadium Wednesday evening. NC State opened the ACC schedule in Blacksburg, taking on Virginia Tech and falling in all three games. They bounced back for a 19-9 six inning victory in the first leg of the doubleheader Wednesday, before falling 10-3 in the nightcap.

Rebecca Murray leads the offense with a .350 average playing in all 20 games. She is second on the team with four home runs, to go along with three doubles, a triple and 11 RBI. She’s added a pair of stolen bases and scored 13 runs. Taylor Ensley is the second-leading hitter on the team, driving in a team-best 15 runs. She hits at a .288 clip with 15 hits, five leaving the yard. Amanda Hasler adds double digit RBI with 11, hitting a pair of home runs and hitting at a .250 average.

In the circle, Madison Inscoe leads the Wolfpack with 44.1 innings pitched, earning a 4.11 ERA. She’s gone 4-4 on the season, striking out 22 hitters and allowing just nine free passes. Ryle Wyman chips in 34.1 innings, having earned a 7.95 ERA in her 10 appearances. She’s added 23 strikeouts while walking 21. Aisha Weixlmann has logged nine relief appearances in her 11 games this season. She’s worked 25.0 innings, picking up an 8.40 ERA to go with a team-best 30 strikeouts.

Up Next

The Irish stay in North Carolina for spring break as the squad will take on Elon, UNCG and East Carolina, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively before heading back to South Bend.

NOTRE DAME WBB

IVEY ONE OF 10 NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS

ATLANTA, Ga. — Ten days after earning her first ACC Coach of the Year honors, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top men’s and women’s head coaches, ones who “achieve tremendous on-court success,” per the website.

To date, Ivey has led her team to a 25-5 record and Notre Dame’s first ACC regular season title since 2019. The Irish fell to Louisville in the semifinals of last week’s 2023 Ally ACC Tournament, although they did avenge a loss to NC State earlier this year by topping the Wolfpack in the quarterfinals last Friday.

Notre Dame posted multiple notable victories this season under Ivey’s leadership. The Irish knocked off rival UConn at home in early December before opening up ACC play with a road win against Virginia Tech. Both the Huskies and the Hokies went on to win their respective conference tournaments, and they remain top-10 teams in the most recent AP Poll. 

After the winter holiday, Notre Dame continued finding ways to win against conference foes. The Irish battled back in games against Clemson and Florida State and won in hostile environments like Syracuse and Louisville. Notre Dame’s 83-43 win at Pittsburgh on Feb. 19 and 76-53 victory over Georgia Tech four days later was the first time the Irish have won back-to-back ACC games by 20+ points since 2019. 

In addition to the big wins, Ivey and her staff have overcome interruptions brought by several injuries. Dara Mabrey suffered a season-ending knee injury against Virginia, Lauren Ebo was out for five games with a lower body injury, and Olivia Miles went down with a knee injury at Louisville on Feb. 26. In the face of adversity, Ivey challenged each member of her team to step up. They answered the call and brought the ACC trophy home from Louisville as a result. 

Should Ivey win the Naismith Award, she would join Muffet McGraw as the only other Notre Dame head coach — male or female — to earn the honor. McGraw won it in 2001, 2013 and 2014.

The only other ACC coach on the list this season is Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks. The complete set of semifinalists can be found here.

INDIANA STATE WBB

SYCAMORE RALLY FALLS JUST SHORT IN HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND OPENING ROUND

MOLINE, Ill. – Indiana State rallied from a double-digit deficit to take a late lead Thursday night in the opening round of Hoops in the Heartland, but the Sycamores’ hard-fought effort came up just short in an 81-79 loss to Southern Illinois.

Del’Janae Williams led all players with 27 points and eight assists, while Anna McKendree had a career-high 25 points and seven 3-pointers. Chelsea Cain was also in double-figures for the Sycamores with 14 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double.

In a game full of runs, Indiana State jumped out to a nine-point lead thanks to Williams and McKendree. SIU responded and took a lead going into halftime, but the Sycamores answered back, with Cain converting a three-point play to give ISU the lead in the third quarter. SIU’s pressure saw the Sycamores trail by 12 midway through the fourth, but a 15-2 run capped by a Williams 3-pointer put the Trees in front 79-78 inside the last minute. A late foul call with 10 seconds left allowed SIU to take the lead and, eventually, hang on to advance.

First Half

Indiana State got out to a slow start, as the Sycamores found themselves down 14-4 in the first quarter. The Trees responded, though, with a Caitlin Anderson fastbreak basket starting a 12-2 run for the Blue and White to close the quarter. McKendree and Williams combined to score the last seven points of the quarter, with a transition layup from Williams leveling the score at 16-all heading to the second.

Williams continued her strong start into the second with the first five points of the quarter. McKendree followed with a pair of 3-pointers as Indiana State took a 27-18 lead. Southern Illinois went on a run of its own to tie the score once again, only to have Williams give Indiana State the lead with a jumper in the paint. The Salukis closed the half strong, though, and took a 39-33 lead into the intermission.

Second Half

Back-to-back baskets from Anderson and Williams helped the Sycamores claw their way back early in the third, with 3-pointers from both Williams and McKendree cutting Indiana State’s deficit to one at 44-43. A 3-pointer from McKendree, followed by a Hattie Westerfeld basket, gave Indiana State its largest lead of the second half at 53-49 with three minutes left in the third. Mya Glanton added a late second-chance basket, as the Trees took a slim 55-54 lead to the fourth.

Similar to the previous meetings this season, SIU’s pressure intensified in the final frame, and the Salukis took advantage of that in building a double-digit lead. This time, however, the Sycamores came roaring back. Down by 12 with four minutes left, Williams started a 15-2 run for the Trees with a jumper, which was followed by free throws by Cain and another McKendree 3-pointer. Indiana State rattled off 11 straight points starting with the McKendree three-ball, with Williams and Cain scoring back-to-back buckets to make it a one-possession game. A Williams 3-pointer from the top of the key gave Indiana State the lead with less than 30 seconds left before SIU won it at the free throw line off a foul inside the last 10 seconds.

Inside the Numbers

Caitlin Anderson (plus-22) and Hattie Westerfeld (plus-21) had the highest plus-minus numbers of any player on either team.

Indiana State had three of the top five scorers in the game in Del’Janae Williams (27), Anna McKendree (25) and Chelsea Cain (14).

Indiana State scored 46 points in the second half, going 17-for-28 from the field (60.7 percent) and 6-for-8 from 3-point range (75 percent).

News & Notes

Indiana State closes the 2022-23 season, its second under head coach Chad Killinger, at 11-19 overall and 6-14 in MVC play.

Del’Janae Williams moved into a tie for 22nd in program history with 1,112 career points. 804 of those points have come in the last two seasons.

Indiana State’s 17 assists were the Sycamores’ most in an MVC tournament game since the conference tournament moved to Moline.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

SYCAMORES HEAD TO MEMPHIS FOR THREE-GAME SERIES AGAINST THE TIGERS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State remains on the road this weekend as the Sycamores travel to Memphis, Tenn. to take on the University of Memphis for a three-game series at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field from March 10-12.

Friday’s opener is set for 7 p.m. ET, Saturday will feature a 4 p.m. ET first pitch and Sunday’s series finale is slated to begin at 2 p.m. ET. Friday’s game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, while live stats will be provided for all three contests.

ISU continues its season-opening road trip to start 2023 as the Sycamores first 16 games will occur away from the friendly confines of Bob Warn Field. ISU opened up the year competing at the Snowbird Baseball Classic against Iowa, Quinnipiac, Florida Gulf Coast and Northeastern, while also making a trip to Miami (Fla.) for a midweek contest.

Scouting The Tigers

Memphis enters the weekend series with an 8-5 overall record on the year, but the Tigers have dropped three straight after falling in their Tuesday night contest at UL-Monroe, 4-3. The three-game skid includes falling in the final two games of the series at Nichols in Thibodaux, La. The Tigers opened the season with seven consecutive games at home and boast a 6-2 mark at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field.

Austin Baskin (.413) and Anthony Hansen (.405) lead a strong Memphis offense that is hitting .294 as a team through 13 games in the 2023 season. Baskin leads the team with seven doubles and has added three home runs and 11 RBI, while Hansen has connected on a team-leading four home runs and has drawn 14 walks. Brayland Skinner (15), Tyler Heckert (13), and RJ Jimerson (10) also have reached double-digit RBI on the season. Memphis has also not been shy on the base paths with 23 stolen bases out of 29 attempts on the year.

The Memphis pitching staff has posted a 5.13 ERA on the year with 15 different pitchers already making appearances in 2023. Dalton Kendrick has made a team-high eight appearances over the 13 games and has posted a 2.08 ERA with three saves. Dalton Fowler (3.31 ERA), David Warren (5.09 ERA), and Seth Garner (7.11 ERA) all have three starts on the year and could be in play for the Tigers’ rotation over the weekend.

The Tigers feature a new face in the dugout this season as Kerrick Johnson was named the new head coach in May 2022. Johnson is a familiar face across baseball most recently serving as the President of the MLB Draft League and the head coach at Southern University (2018-20) prior to assuming the role at the head of the Tigers.

Indiana State – Memphis History

Indiana State and Memphis are all tied up at 6-6 in the all-time series between the two schools dating back to 1976. The Sycamores and Tigers split their inaugural doubleheader back on March 10, 1976 with ISU winning the opener 6-3, before falling in the finale 14-10. The Sycamores are 3-5 against the Tigers in games played in Memphis with ISU last winning in the series finale on March 15, 2009, 12-6. The Sycamores took both games in Terre Haute last season winning 12-0 and 3-1 on March 25 & 27. The game on March 26 was called due to weather conditions.

Sycamore-SEMO Recap

The Sycamores enter the weekend after sweeping the series at Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday and Wednesday in Cape Girardeau, Mo. at Capaha Field. ISU’s bats came to life in the series against the Redhawks with the Sycamores hitting .282 in the two-game sweep paced by Seth Gergely (.833) reaching base eight times over his nine plate appearances.

Mike Sears connected on his team-leading fourth home run of the season to cap ISU’s 8-3 win in the series opener on Tuesday, while Randal Diaz made his first home run of 2023 one to remember with the go-ahead three-run shot in game two’s 7-4 win.

Parker Stinson’s bat has also come to life recently with the redshirt sophomore hitting .444 with a double, a triple and three RBI against SEMO. He also added his first home run of 2023 this past weekend against Kentucky.

Cameron Holycross (0.82 ERA) continues to add to his dominant season on the mound so far following a 3.0-inning stint on Wednesday afternoon, while the Sycamore bullpen picked up both wins against SEMO with Zach Davidson and Jared Spencer getting the nod after strong performances out of the pen.

For the Season

Stinson (.333) is one of three ISU players hitting above .300 on the year with six hits (three extra-bases) over his last three games. Seth Gergely carries a career-best 19-game on-base streak into the weekend and boasts a .324 batting average, while Luis Hernandez is hitting .306 with a team-high five doubles. Sears continues to bring the power bat with a team-high four home runs and has boasts ISU’s longest hitting streak in 2023 running it to eight consecutive games.

Fifteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year paced by Matt Jachec’s three starts on the rubber. The Sycamore ace has posted an 18:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over four appearances and has added ISU’s lone save of the season against Florida Gulf Coast.

Connor Fenlong is coming off another five-inning stint on the mound as the redshirt senior is projected to be back in the rotation this weekend. The Gouverneur, N.Y. native has gone at least five innings in all three appearances this year and has posted a 12:4 K:BB ratio.

Jared Spencer leads the bullpen with a team-high seven appearances following his Wednesday win over SEMO. The sophomore left-hander has posted a 4.32 ERA over 8.1 innings, while Jacob Pruitt and Brennyn Cutts have also gone at least eight innings in 2023.

Indiana State Baseball Season Tickets

Season tickets for the 2023 Indiana State baseball season are on sale now as the Sycamores continue to gear up for the upcoming season. ISU will play 19 games at Bob Warn Field this season starting on March 17-19 with a weekend series against Michigan State.

Overall, the Sycamores home schedule features nonconference contests against Michigan State (Mar. 17-19), Purdue (Mar. 28), Indiana (Apr. 4), Illinois (May 2), and Ball State (May 9). The conference slate features Valparaiso (Mar. 24-26), Illinois State (Apr. 7-9), Southern Illinois (Apr. 21-23), and Murray State (May 12-14).

INDIANA STATE SB

SYCAMORES TO CONCLUDE TOURNAMENT PLAY AT TIGER CLASSIC IN MEMPHIS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball wraps up their pre-conference tournament slate this weekend, traveling to Memphis, Tennessee this weekend for the Tiger Classic which begins on Friday, March 10 at the Tiger Softball Complex.

The Sycamores will play five games over three days, beginning Friday with matchups against Pittsburgh (12 p.m ET) and Memphis (5 p.m. ET). On Saturday, ISU begins the day against North Alabama (10 a.m. ET) followed by an afternoon contest against Memphis (3 p.m. ET). Indiana State will close out the weekend with another matchup with Pittsburgh (12 p.m. ET).

Last Time Out

Indiana State went 2-2 at the Colonel Classic hosted by Eastern Kentucky in Richmond. The Sycamores fell to Dayton and Ohio while defeating the host Colonels twice. Hailey Griffin earned her first win of the season in Friday’s extra-innings win over EKU, throwing 3.1 innings in relief while allowing just one unearned run and striking out five. In Sunday’s weekend finale against the Colonels, Lexi Benko threw a complete game, allowing just one run in the 6-1 victory where she also recorded her 200th career strikeout. Olivia Patton had a pair of multi-hit games to give her a team best six hits over the weekend. Isabella Henning and Annie Tokarek both hit home runs, giving the Sycamores four on the season.

Weekend Look Ahead

The Sycamores enter the weekend with a 7-7 record, trying to enter Missouri Valley Conference play above .500 on the season. Offensively, Isabella Henning and Olivia Patton are pacing the Sycamores, batting .357 and .347 on the season. Annie Tokarek leads the ISU offense with 11 RBI as well as a team-high five walks. In 22 at-bats, Kennedy Shade is batting .409 and has drove in a pair of runs. Hannah Welch has a team-best four stolen bases.

In the circle, Lexi Benko is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA which ranks second among MVC pitchers. Cassi Newbanks is 1-3 with a 2.24 ERA, allowing just eight runs in 25 innings. Lauren Sackett is 2-3 and has a team-high 31 strikeouts as well as a save. The Sycamores have a league-best eight errors defensively which ranks them 17th in the country with a .981 fielding percentage.

Pittsburgh will be the first matchup of the weekend for ISU, coming into the Tiger Classic with an 11-6 record in 2023. This will be the first ever matchup between the two programs. The Panthers are led by head coach Jodi Hermanek who is in her fifth season at the school. Hermanek has 16 years of experience as a head coach at the DI level, amassing over 450 wins in her career. Infielder Sarah Seamans leads the Pitt offense, batting .453 with 5 home runs and 10 RBI on the year. Abby Edwards and Dani Drogemuller have been the main arms for the Panthers, combining for a 7-6 record and 78 strikeouts.

Memphis is a familiar non-conference foe for the Sycamores, with the two schools facing off nine previous times. The Tigers lead 5-4 all-time after a one-run victory last season. Entering the weekend, Memphis is 2-15 under first year head coach Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro who spent the previous 12 seasons as the pitching coach at Alabama. Kendall Lee leads the Tigers with a .342 average, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in six runs. In the circle for Memphis, Hallie Siems has thrown a team-high 63 innings and has 52 strikeouts.

Another first-time opponent for Indiana State is North Alabama who enters the Tiger Classic at 13-1 on the season. The Lions split a pair against MVC foe Bradley earlier this season. In her 10th season as head coach at UNA, Ashley Cozart has won over 500 games including 330 with the Lions. Through 14 games, Felicity Frame is batting .592 with a 1.294 OPS. She has 29 hits and 17 runs to go along with nine stolen bases. The UNA Lions pitching staff owns a 1.48 ERA led by Maci Birdyshaw who is 6-0 on the season with five complete games.

Up Next

Indiana State will play a non-conference game at IUPUI on Tuesday, March 14 at 3 ET before hosting UIC for a three-game series to begin conference play from March 17-19.

INDIANA STATE SWIMMING

SMITH MAKES HISTORY, GRAY SETS SCHOOL RECORD IN 50-YARD FLY

ELKHART & BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Zoe Smith made history as Indiana State’s first diver to compete at the NCAA Zones C Diving Championships, while Marni Gray became just the second ISU swimmer to advance to a CSCAA event final to highlight the first day of postseason competition.
 
Smith finished 44th overall in the 3M diving field to highlight her first trip to the postseason, while Gray set a new ISU record in the 50-yard Fly on her way to advancing to and finishing 14th overall in the finals.
 
2023 CSCAA National Invitational Championship – Thursday Finals – Elkhart, Ind.
Marni Gray followed up setting the fastest time in program history in the 50-yard Fly in the prelims, by posting the second-fastest time in the finals as the senior became just the second ISU athlete to compete in a CSCAA NIC event final.
 
Gray went 24.82 to post the second sub-25 second time in program history in the event on her way to finishing 14th overall in the field. She now boasts four of the top five times in program history and 10 of the top 20 in the event.
 
The Sycamores’ 200-yard Freestyle Relay team of Alexa Szadorski, Kaimi Matsumoto, Raine Boles, and Chloe Farro posted the 10th-fastest time in program history on their way to finishing 23rd overall in the field in 1:34.07.
 
ISU’s 400-yard Medley Relay team posted the fifth-fastest time in school history with Carmen Alard Vegas, Kaimi Matsuomto, Marni Gray, and Alexa Szadorski touching the wall in 3:44.36.
 
Thursday CSCAA Final Results
200-yard Free Relay: 23rd – Alexa Szadorski, Kaimi Matsumoto, Raine Boles, Chloe Farro (1:34.07); Exh – Peyton Heagy, Marni Gray, Alexandria Cotter, Carmen Alard Vegas (1:36.27)
50-yard Fly: 14th – Marni Gray (24.82)
400-yard Medley Relay: 20th – Carmen Alard Vegas, Kaimi Matsumoto, Marni Gray, Alexa Szadorski (3:44.36); Exh – Alexandria Cotter, Dorotea Bukvic, Raine Boles, Chloe Farro (3:51.22)
 
2023 NCAA Zone C Diving – Thursday Prelims – Bloomington, Ind.
Zoe Smith made history on Thursday afternoon as the junior became the first Indiana State diver in program history to compete at the NCAA Zones.
 
Smith went through all six dives on the board to finish 44th overall in the field following her 211.70 score. She saved her best dive for last with her forward 3 ½ somersault tuck posting a score of 47.60 sitting as the 23rd-best dive of the round.
 
Thursday NCAA Zone C Diving Prelim Results
3M Diving: 44th – Zoe Smith (211.70)
 
2023 CSCAA National Invitational Championship- Thursday Prelims – Elkhart, Ind.
Indiana State opened up the Thursday morning CSCAA Prelims at the Elkhart Health & Aquatics Center with the 50-yard Backstroke as Carmen Alard Vegas took on the field. The senior touched the wall in 26.42 to place 46th overall in the preliminary field.
 
The Sycamores placed two in the 500-yard Freestyle field with Rhiannon Wozny and Esther Rydbeck Norden competing in the prelim round. Wozny cracked the five-minute mark finishing 49th overall in 4:59.95, while Rydbeck Norden was 50th in 5:00.37.
 
Marni Gray set a new ISU record in the 50-yard Fly on her way to becoming the second ISU swimmer to advance to a CSCAA final. Gray touched the wall in 24.76 to finish 12th in the field, while Kaimi Matsumoto (25.18, 32nd) and Raine Boles (25.63, 50th) also battled it out in their opening events.
 
Dorotea Bukvic nearly became the third Sycamore to advance to the finals as the sophomore finished 29th overall in the 200-yard IM. Bukvic’s time of 2:04.35 put her outside the top-20, while Alexandria Cotter finished 49th in 2:06.30.
 
Alexa Szadorski took on the field in the 50-yard Freestyle. The 2023 MVC All-Conference selection finished 46th overall in 23.76.
 
Thursday CSCAA Preliminaries Results
50-yard Backstroke: 46th – Carmen Alard Vegas (26.42)
500-yard Freestyle: 49th – Rhiannon Wozny (4:59.95), 50th – Esther Rydbeck Norden (5:00.37)
50-yard Fly: 12th – Marni Gray (24.76), 32nd – Kaimi Matsumoto (25.18), 50th – Raine Boles (25.63)
200-yard IM: 29th – Dorotea Bukvic (2:04.35), 49th – Alexandria Cotter (2:06.30)
50-yard Freestyle: 46th – Alexa Szadorski (23.76)
50-yard Freestyle Time Trial: Peyton Heagy (24.05)
 
Up Next
NCAA Zone C Diving
Friday, March 10 – 1 p.m.

• Women’s 1M (Top 10 women qualify)

CSCAA National Invitational Championship
Friday, March 10

• Prelims (9:30 a.m.): 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay
• Finals (6 p.m.): 200 Medley Relay, 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay (20 Fastest A Relays)

INDIANA STATE TRACK

MOORE SET TO FACE NATION’S BEST AT NCAA INDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State sprinter JaVaughn Moore will compete with the nation’s best Friday night, as he takes center stage in the 60m dash at the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Friday’s prelims, which feature the top 16 sprinters in Division I, will begin at 9:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. MT), with the top eight times advancing to Saturday’s final at 9:10 p.m. ET (7:10 p.m. MT).

Schedule of Events

Friday, March 10 – Preliminary Round

9:15 p.m. ET – 60m dash

JaVaughn Moore is in the first heat and will be in lane 1

Saturday, March 11 – Finals

9:10 p.m. ET – 60m dash

Top eight times from Friday prelims advance to Saturday’s final

The Road to Albuquerque

After nearly cracking the top 16 last season to earn a spot in the championship field, Moore had this year’s championships circled and had every intent on being in the field. A 2022-23 indoor season full of consistency throughout the last month put Moore in a position to crack the top 16, and the Marietta, Georgia, native delivered with the entire Missouri Valley Conference watching.

Moore ran a 6.61 in the 60m prelims at the MVC Indoor Championships, but he knew what time he needed to crack the national championship field. After crossing the finish line in the finals in first and seeing 6.56 flash up next to his name, Moore knew he had the mark to qualify for the national championships and celebrations throughout the sprints group ensued.

Mr. Consistency

Moore has been a consistent force atop the MVC when it comes to short sprinters. He has won each of the last four 60m conference titles at the indoor championships, won back-to-back 100m conference titles at the outdoor championships and also has a 200m outdoor championship title. Moore set MVC Championship records in the indoor 60m (6.56, 2023) and the outdoor 100m (10.13, 2022).

When it comes to the 2022-23 season, Moore’s times are a sight to behold. His 60m times, from beginning to end this season: 6.72, 6.73, 6.74, 6.64, 6.69, 6.64, 6.62, 6.61, 6.56. Each of those last three times broke a school record that he has shattered on numerous occasions over the past two seasons.

Moore on the Big Stage

This will be Moore’s first national championships appearance, but it won’t be his first time competing in an NCAA championship atmosphere. Moore has appeared in each of the last two NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Rounds, ranking among the region’s best in the 100m and 200m while also playing a key role in the Sycamores’ 4x100m relay teams.

In addition Moore’s career-best marks have come when it matters most. His top marks in the 60m, 100m and 200m have all come at MVC Track and Field Championships that Indiana State has won.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VB

MASTODON MVB SHOWS POTENTIAL AGAINST NO. 1 HAWAII

HONOLULU – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team opened the Outrigger Invitational with a date with the No. 1 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, falling 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-20) late Thursday night (March 9).

The Mastodons gave the best team in the country everything it could ask for in the opening set. There were 11 ties and five lead changes in the first frame alone. After a well-timed timeout by Purdue Fort Wayne, Carlos Mercado got a kill that tied the set at 24 and sent it to extras. Jon Diedrich held off a set point with a kill, but the Rainbow Warriors converted some big kills to go up 1-0.

After an 8-8 tie, set two was all in favor of the home team. It was a 17-5 Hawaii extended run from there.

The third set looked similar to the first for about 26 points. The two teams were tied at 13 before Hawaii could string together four in a row.

Hawaii proved why it is the best team in the country. The Rainbow Warriors’ service pressure, defense and transition game were immaculate, particularly in sets two and three. Hawaii hit .436 as a team. Dimitrio Mouchlias and Spyros Chakas had 14 and 12 kills, respectively.

Mercado played arguably the best match of his career. The Puerto Rico native finished with a career-high nine kills. Bryce Walker had five kills in his first six attempts, then finished with nine kills and three aces.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 12-6 while Hawaii stays unbeaten at 16-0. The Mastodons will play No. 2 UCLA on Friday (March 10) at 9 p.m. ET.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MGOLF

PURDUE FORT WAYNE LEADS SACRED HEART INVITATIONAL WITH 18 HOLES TO PLAY

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s golf team had one of its best opening rounds in program history on Thursday (March 9) in the Sacred Heart Invitational.

The Mastodons shot 284, which is the fourth-best opening round by a Mastodon squad. It is just one stroke shy of the top-10 of all rounds played in Mastodon history. It was also good enough for first place in the 11-team event.

Nick Holder had the best round in the field, shooting 68. He was bogey-free for 16 holes, getting as low as 5-under par after a birdie on 16. His front nine featured eight pars in a row then a birdie on the ninth. On the back, he had three consecutive birdies on 11, 12 and 13. Holder was -3 on the four par-5s. His 68 was also a career-best.

Hunter Mefford was two shots back of Holder, turning in a first-round 70. He had six birdies on two, five, nine, 10, 12 and 13. His 2-under 70 put him in a tie for fourth place. Jadden Ousley was another two strokes back, finishing with a 72 for 17th place. He had a fantastic first 16 holes, going as low as 4-under after his birdie on 17. He had birdies on five, six, 10, 13 and 16.Kasey Lilly was the last contributor for the team score, firing a 74. He sits in 25th. He saw two birdies fall on nine and 14. He started his round with five pars in a row. Burke Pitz shot a 78 with three birdies on the front nine. He had a stretch of six holes that were bogey-free.

Reece Compton competed as an individual, turning in a 76 for 35th.

The Mastodons will look to defend their four-stroke lead over the rest of the field in the second and final round of the Sacred Heart Invitational on Friday (March 10).

PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL

‘DONS HEAD TO EVANSVILLE TO FACE AUSTIN PEAY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The final non-league weekend series of the season for the Mastodon baseball team is this weekend. The ‘Dons will face Austin Peay in Evansville, Indiana. The series was moved to Evansville due to damage at Austin Peay’s field.

Game Day Information

Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (2-11) at Austin Peay (3-9)

When: Friday, March 10 | 2 p.m. ET | Doubleheader

Saturday, March 11 | 2 p.m. ET | Doubleheader

Where: Great American Bank Field

Series History: First meeting

Weather: High of 46 on Friday and 50 on Saturday

Video: None

Live Stats: Link

Probable Starters:

Purdue Fort Wayne: Friday: JD Deany / Rex Stills | Saturday: TBD / TBD

Austin Peay:  Friday: Nick James / TBD | Saturday: Lyle Miller-Green / Jacob Kush

Scouting the Governors: Austin Peay has played a tough schedule this season with games against Dallas Baptist, Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. The Govs defeated Southern Indiana in Evansville 10-6 earlier this week. Lyle Miller-Green is a two-way standout that leads the team in hitting (.417) and OPS (1.234) at the plate while also in line to get a start on the mound this series.

Hey Batter Batter (of the Week): Braedon Blackford batted .429 and slugged 1.357 with four home runs in 14 at bats over four games played in Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 3-5). He also recorded one double, seven RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and 19 total bases. The Peoria, Ill. native began a doubleheader on Saturday against Cornell going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double to drive in two runs and score three times in a 6-3 victory. He ended the week driving in five more runs against Ball State on Sunday as he blasted two more long balls and finished the day going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk. He now has three career multi-home run games for the ‘Dons. Last season he had two against Cal Baptist on Feb. 26, 2022.

Walk This Way:Jacob Walker has four hits in his last two games, including three hits and three runs scored against Ball State on March 5.

Turn It!: The Mastodons are sixth in the nation double in plays turned with 14 this season.

Multi-verse: Nine different Mastodons have had a multi-hit game this season.

Record Within Striking Distance: The 2023 season is Justin Miller’s fifth as a Mastodon. Miller owns 187 career strikeouts, the second most in program history for a career. He will look to pass Jason Horvath (2001-04) for the most in program history this season. Horvath recorded 210 strikeouts.

Up Next: The ‘Dons play Ball State for the third time this season on Tuesday (March 14).

EVANSVILLE SWIMMING

UE POSTS THREE TOP-20 FINISHES ON FIRST DAY AT NATIONAL INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

ELKHART, Ind. –  The University of Evansville swimming & diving program posted three Top 20 finishes on Thursday on the first day of action at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships at the Beacon Health Aquatic Center in Elkhart, Indiana.

“Overall, it was a solid first day,” said UE head coach Stuart Wilson.  “Obviously, with a meet of this size, there were some nerves, but we were able to get those out of the way, and I thought that there were some really good swims on both the men’s and women’s sides.  Hopefully, we can build on this effort the next two days.”

On the women’s side, junior Iryna Tsesiul (Minsk, Belarus) finished second in the consolation final of the 50-Yard Backstroke to place 12th overall with a finals time of 25.54.  It was a 0.17-second improvement from her preliminary round time of 25.71, as she placed 13th out of 93 competitors to advance to the consolation final.

The men’s 400-Yard Medley Relay team of senior Riccardo Di Domenico (Johannesburg, South Africa), junior Alon Baer (Gesher HaZiv, Israel), and sophomores Patrik Vilbergsson (Kopavogur, Iceland) and Daniel Santos Lopez (Madrid, Spain) posted UE’s best finish of the day, placing 11th out of 41 teams with a time of 3:15.23.  Santos Lopez also advanced to the consolation final in the 80-competitor 50-Yard Freestyle with a prelims time of 20:49, before posting an identical finals time to place 17th overall.

UE narrowly missed a top-20 finish in the 200-Yard Freestyle, as the Purple Aces’ quartet of Santos Lopez, Di Domenico, sophomore Jakob Grundbacher (Thalwil, Switzerland) and freshman Daniil Goncharuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) posted a time of 1:22.38 to place 23rd overall.  

Baer also posted a 23rd-place finish in the men’s 50-Yard Breaststroke with a time of 25.40.  Goncharuk was not far behind, placing 35th with a time of 25.64, with sophomore Benjamin Hasanovic (Innsbruck, Austria – 26.08), senior Max Dehen (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka – 26.16) and sophomore Carlos Souto (A Coruna, Spain – 26.43) all coming in shortly thereafter.

Di Domenico placed 33rd overall in the prelims of the 50 Free with a time of 20.64, with Goncharuk right behind him with a time of 21.21.  Vilbergsson also placed 34th in the men’s 50-Yard Backstroke with a time of 23.21.

Santos Lopez placed 44th overall in the men’s 50-Yard Butterfly with a time of 22.30.  On the women’s side, sophomore Sveva Brugnoli (Rome, Italy) posted a time of 25.76 in the women’s 50 Fly, while also posting a time of 2:07.60 in the 200 IM.  Junior Grant Kay (Ellicott City, Md./Hebron) also represented UE in the 500-Yard Freestyle, and posted a time of 4:43.67.

The National Invitational Championships will continue on Friday with preliminary rounds swims beginning at 8:30 a.m. central time, and the top 20 finishers from those races advancing to the finals at 5 p.m. central time.  Friday’s action will consist of action in the 400 IM, the 100-Yard Butterfly, the 200 Free, the 100-Yard Breaststroke, the 100 Back, the 800-Freestyle Relays, and the 200-Yard Medley Relay.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

BASEBALL ACES HOPE TO BOUNCE BACK THIS WEEKEND AT MTSU

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After dropping a heartbreaker in 17 innings on Wednesday night at #7 Vanderbilt, the University of Evansville baseball team will try to bounce back this weekend in a three-game series against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  The series will begin Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. in a contest that can be seen live on ESPN+.

Wednesday’s 2-1 loss in 17 innings snapped a seven-game winning streak for Evansville.  It was the longest game at UE since another 17-inning game at Wichita State in May, 2017 (a game UE won, 8-7), and was just four innings shy of tying the school record for longest game, set in a 4-4, 21-inning tie against Memphis in 1999.  Ironically, head coach Wes Carroll participated in all three contests, with the two 17-inning games coming as head coach, and the 21-inning game against Memphis coming as a player.

Friday will be a special day for the 15-year dugout boss of the Purple Aces, as it will be Carroll’s 750th career game as head coach at his alma mater.  Carroll ranks second all-time at UE with 359 career victories as head coach, and his Purple Aces will bring a 7-6 overall record into the series.

Evansville features an offense led by two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Chase Hug, who will bring a .426 batting average and .578 on-base percentage into the series.  His .578 on-base percentage ranks 25th-best in Division I baseball.  Junior shortstop Simon Scherry (.365/0/7) and fifth-year outfielders Danny Borgstrom (.348/1/12) and Eric Roberts (.313/2/17) also boast batting averages above .300 entering the weekend.

On the mound, Evansville will turn to junior RHP Nick Smith (1-2, 7.02 ERA) to start Friday’s opener.  Smith is coming off of a complete-game win over Bowling Green last weekend in which he struck out a career-high 12 men.  He will try to shut down a MTSU lineup which ranks among the nation’s best with a team .310 batting average.  The Blue Raiders (6-6) boast two regular starters with batting averages above .400 in senior infielder JT Mabry (.455/1/9) and graduate transfer catcher Jeremiah Boyd (.409/4/12).

After Friday’s opener, the series will continue on both Saturday and Sunday with 1 p.m. contests.  Senior LHP Tyler Denu (1-0, 3.45 ERA) and junior LHP Donovan Schultz (1-1, 5.14 ERA) are expected to start those contests for UE.  All three games of the series can be seen live on ESPN+.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SB

USI SOFTBALL MAKES OVC DEBUT THIS WEEKEND AT MOREHEAD STATE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball makes its Ohio Valley Conference debut this weekend, opening the OVC season on the road Saturday and Sunday with a three-game set at Morehead State University.

Saturday’s doubleheader is slated to start at 11 a.m. CT, and Sunday’s series finale is also scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT first pitch.

USI is 6-10 heading into conference play, coming off a 3-5 week at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida. The Screaming Eagles picked up wins against Holy Cross, Creighton University and Long Island University at The Spring Games.

The Screaming Eagles closed out The Spring Games with a 5-3 win on Wednesday in the back half of a doubleheader against Long Island. USI grabbed a 5-0 lead after a big second inning against the Sharks. Junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) started the second frame with a solo home run. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) cleared the bases with a three-RBI double. Even though LIU tallied three runs in the fifth inning, USI sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) recorded her fourth complete game of the season and improved her record to 5-4 on the year. Newman struck out six and allowed one earned run in the full seven innings.

In the eight games played at The Spring Games, Bedrick led USI with a .360 batting average, tallying a team-best nine hits and five runs. Senior Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) batted .348 with a team-high three doubles. Bedrick and Goodin each had four RBIs. After a slow start to the season, Fair finished the trip strong, hitting a pair of home runs and recording three RBIs in the last three games.

In the circle, Newman went 3-1 with a 1.46 era and 29 strikeouts in 24 innings, tossing two shutouts and three complete games in four starts. In Tuesday’s 4-0 win against Creighton, Newman pitched a one-hitter for the second time this season.

On the season, Goodin leads the Screaming Eagles with a .378 batting average and six RBIs. Bedrick is behind Goodin with a .354 average and paces the squad with 10 runs scored. Among pitchers, Newman has a team-best five wins, 2.10 ERA, and 55 strikeouts. Newman has four complete games and three shutouts.

Also noteworthy, Fair is approaching USI’s all-time hit-by-pitch record. With two HBPs this season, Fair has been hit by a pitch 34 times in her career, sitting second all-time and three shy of tying the all-time mark of 37 set by Mena Fulton. Fair is also moving up the USI all-time charts in career home runs. Fair is currently tied for 12th all-time with 17 career home runs. She is one home run away from entering the top-10 and in a tie for ninth in career home runs.

Junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) is tied for sixth all-time in USI history with 68 career walks. She is four walks away from entering the top-five list. Currently, Kihega’s knack for taking good at-bats has led to a 14-game on-base streak, a career best.

Morehead State (4-6) are coming off a trip to Huntington, West Virginia for the Thundering Herd Round Robin. The Eagles went 1-3 with their win coming against Kent State University in a 6-5, nine-inning contest. Last time out, Morehead State fell 3-2 in eight innings against the University of Pittsburgh. While the Eagles have had some offensive struggles, hitting .199 as a team, they have been aggressive on the base paths with 10 stolen bases this season.

Morehead State leads the all-time series against USI, 3-2, taking the last two games against USI back in 2007 in Morehead, Kentucky. USI’s last win in the series history came in a two-game sweep at home in 2005.

All three games can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.

SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL

EAGLES HOSTS OAKLAND FOR THREE-GAME SET

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball (5-7) wraps up its four-game homestand this weekend with a three-game series versus Oakland University (Michigan) at the USI Baseball Field. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m. before continuing Saturday at 2 p.m. and concluding Sunday at noon.

Oakland (3-8) is making its first visit to USI since 1977 when the two teams split a doubleheader at the USI Baseball Field.

Links to follow the Eagles during 2023 can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com. 

USI Baseball Notes:

USI vetoed by Governors to start the week: The USI Screaming Eagles lost a 10-6 decision to Austin Peay State University to start the week. USI senior outfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) led with three hits, while freshman infielder Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) had a pair of RBIs.

Ciuffetelli posts career-best strikeouts versus Austin Peay: Junior lefthander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) posted a career-best seven strikeouts in relief versus Austin Peay. Ciuffetelli recorded his seven strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work.

USI frozen by Washington State: The USI Screaming Eagles suffered a three-game sweep by Washington State University over the weekend. The Eagles held it tight in the opening game 7-5 loss, leaving the bases loaded in the ninth, before losing 11-5 and 6-0 in the final two games.

Cook hit first collegiate home run: Junior infielder Nolan Cook (Evansville, Indiana) hit his first collegiate home run as an Eagle in game two of the series with Washington State. Cook hit his home run on his 108th at-bat as an Eagle.

Long ball Eagles: Junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) has a team-high three home runs in the first eight games. Freshman infielder Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) follows with a pair of round trippers.

Leading hitters: Sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) (12-32) and senior outfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) (15-45) are leading the Eagles in batting averages, hitting .375 and .333, respectively.

McNew climbing the USI All-Time charts: Senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) is sixth all-time at USI in home runs (21); 12th in RBIs (135) and 12th in doubles (42).

USI vs. Oakland: The all-time series between USI and Oakland is even at 1-1 after the Screaming Eagles and the Golden Grizzlies split a double-header in 1977. USI took the opening game, 8-3, but stumble in the nightcap, 4-0.

Oakland in 2023: The Grizzlies of Oakland are 3-8 to start the 2023 campaign after losing two of three at Wichita State University last weekend, but bouncing back to win at the University of Michigan, 4-1, Wednesday.

VALPO WBB

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON COMES TO AN END IN MOLINE

The Valpo women’s basketball season came to an end on Thursday night in the opening round of Hoops in the Heartland, the MVC women’s basketball conference tournament, in Moline, Ill., as sixth-seeded UIC defeated the 11th-seeded Beacons, 72-47.

How It Happened

UIC scored the game’s first 10 points over the opening 3:38, forcing Valpo to use an early timeout.

Trailing by 12, the Beacons strung together six straight points ­— including a basket in the post from junior Jayda Johnston (Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area) and a 3-point play from sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) — to close to within 14-8 with 1:04 to play in the first quarter. But UIC hit a 3-pointer inside the final minute to lead 17-8 at the end of the period.

Valpo scored the first four points of the second quarter on a mid-range jumper from redshirt junior Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) and a pair of free throws by freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) to cut its deficit to five points at 17-12. The Flames responded with a 9-2 run, pushing their lead back to 26-14 with 3:25 to play in the first half.

Valpo scored six of the half’s final eight points, including a 3-pointer by Tecca, to cut the UIC lead to 28-20 at intermission.

The Flames opened the second half on an 11-3 run to push their lead to 16 points, a margin it held at 50-34 at the end of the quarter. Valpo got no closer than 13 points in the final quarter.

Inside the Game

Tecca led Valpo with 11 points, one off her career best. She connected on three 3-pointers for the first time in her Beacon career.

Tecca was the only Valpo player in double figures, as senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) was next up with nine points.

Junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) pulled down a team-best six rebounds.

Valpo shot just 37.8% for the game, while the Flames hit at a 46.6% clip.

The Beacons committed 20 turnovers and forced just 11 UIC miscues, as the Flames held a 29-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

UIC also tallied 13 offensive rebounds which it converted into 15 second-chance points, while Valpo had no offensive boards.

Inside the Season

As a team this year, Valpo connected on 220 3-pointers, seventh-most in a single season in program history.

Saunders cracked a pair of shooting percentage charts, as she enjoyed one of the best years in program history in both 3-point percentage (.427, 7th) and free throw percentage (.844, 8th).

Brown also cracked Valpo’s single-season top-10 in 3-point percentage, as she sits in a tie for ninth, hitting at a .415 clip for the year.

Inside the Careers

Two Valpo careers came to an end with Thursday’s loss.

Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic) played in 111 games for Valpo over her five years on campus, starting all 30 games this season. She scored 355 career points and tallied 269 rebounds, 158 assists and 116 steals.

Maya Dunson (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne [Loyola]) appeared in 77 games over her three years at Valpo. Overall for her collegiate career, she totaled 423 points and 251 rebounds.

VALPO SB

SOFTBALL HEADS TO EKU FOR WEEKEND SERIES

Valparaiso (3-11, 0-0 MVC)

March 11 – at Eastern Kentucky (12-8) – noon CT DH

March 12 – at Eastern Kentucky – noon CT

Next Up in Valpo Softball: The Valpo softball team faces its final weekend of nonconference play this weekend, playing a three-game series over two days at Eastern Kentucky. The Beacons and Colonels will play a twinbill Saturday afternoon before closing the series with a single game on Sunday.

Previously: Valpo split four games last weekend, winning its lone matchup at host Bellarmine and taking one out of three against Eastern Illinois. A scheduled second game against Bellarmine was canceled due to darkness.

Looking Ahead: One last game before MVC play begins awaits next Wednesday, as the Beacons begin their road trip with a single game at Big Ten foe Illinois. Valpo continues on down to Southern Illinois, where the three-game MVC series against the Salukis opens on Friday, March 17.

Following Valpo Softball: All three games this weekend can be seen live on ESPN+. All games will have live stats as well.

Head Coach Meaggan Pettipiece: Meaggan Pettipiece was hired in September 2022 as head coach of the Valpo softball program. Pettipiece brings over a decade of experience as a collegiate head coach, most recently the last three seasons at the Division I level at Akron. Prior to her time at Akron, Pettipiece spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Kent State and was head coach at Northwood for 10 years. Pettipiece, who owns 253 career coaching victories, was an All-American on the diamond and helped California University of Pennsylvania to a D-II national title in 1998 collegiately before playing internationally for Team Canada, including at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Series Notes: Valpo enters this weekend 1-5 all-time against Eastern Kentucky. The Beacons fell to the Colonels last season in Lexington, Ky. by a 4-1 final. The two teams met on opening weekend of this season as well at the DePaul Dome Tournament, where EKU earned a 9-2 win. Valpo led 2-1 through five innings of that contest before EKU scored eight unanswered runs over the final two frames.

Scouting the Opposition: EKU enters this weekend’s series at 12-8 overall, but has lost its last three games – twice to Indiana State, and a midweek matchup on Wednesday against Westerne Kentucky, 3-2 in 13 innings. The Colonels rank 45th nationally in scoring, averaging 5.6 runs/game, and their offense is led by Vianna Barron, who is hitting .400 with 21 runs scored and 20 RBIs. In the circle, Lauren Narvaez has been one of the nation’s workhorses, throwing 74.1 innings to date with a 3.96 ERA and a 6-3 record.

What’s Back: Valpo returns 10 of 18 letterwinners from last season’s squad for the 2023 campaign. In all, 40.4% of Valpo’s plate appearances are back for this season and 63.6% of last season’s inning pitched return as well.

Who’s New: This year’s 16-player roster includes six newcomers donning the Brown and Gold for the first time. A quintet of freshmen – Kaia Garnica, Kimberli Rodas, Lexi Szostak, Lyna Vasquez and Cadence Augustine – are joined by Kent State transfer Autumn Acord. While Garnica was sidelined on opening weekend, the other five all made their Valpo debuts at the DePaul Dome Tournament.

Hitting the Road: This weekend’s games continue a long and winding road for the Beacons before they finally get the chance to play at the Valpo Softball Complex. This is the final weekend of action away from home prior to the start of conference play. The Beacons have a mid-week game at Illinois leading into their conference-opening weekend at Southern Illinois before finally opening the home slate at the Valpo Softball Complex March 24 versus Illinois State. All told, Valpo is slated to play its first 21 games of the season away from home.

Hecker Earns Weekly Award: Junior outfielder Regi Hecker was recognized by the MVC as its Player of the Week for her work in action on Saturday and Sunday. Hecker hit .667 and OPSed 1.528 over those three games, reaching base multiple times in each game out of the leadoff spot in the order and scoring the go-ahead run in both of Valpo’s wins. Hecker reached base in each of her last seven plate appearances of the weekend, a streak which extended to eight in Monday’s game. She is Valpo’s first offensive Player of the Week honoree since the program joined the MVC. Through three weekends of play, she is hitting a team-best .343 and ranks ninth in the Valley with a .477 on-base percentage.

A W and a SV for CK: Junior pitcher Caitlin Kowalski had a big hand in both of Valpo’s wins on Friday. Kowalski entered to start the 4th inning against Bellarmine with the score tied 1-1 and proceeded to throw four no-hit innings in relief, striking out eight and walking just two to earn the victory. Later that day, Kowalski came in to start the 6th inning with Valpo leading 2-1 against Eastern Illinois and tossed two shutout innings for her first career save. Kowalski has struck out 35 batters in 28.1 innings this year, ranking 66th nationally in Ks/7 innings.

Hersch Picks Up Hits: Fifth-year infielder Taylor Herschbach had a pair of multi-hit games in Louisville last weekend, picking up two hits and scoring a run in each of the first two games against EIU. Herschbach also reached base twice via a hit and a walk in the win over Bellarmine as well. On the season, Herschbach is hitting .289 and is tied for a team high with eight walks, reaching base at a .413 clip.

Turning Two: Defensively, Valpo turned a pair of double plays last weekend in Louisville – a 4-3 line drive twin killing in its first game against EIU and an unconventional 5-3 double play where the lead runner was tagged out in the second EIU game. Through their first 14 games of the season, the Beacons are averaging a double play every other game defensively, which ranks them 15th nationally in double plays/game.

U OF I SWIMMING

DIVING HIGHLIGHTS DAY 3 AT SWIMMING & DIVING NATIONALS

INDIANAPOLIS—The UIndy swimming & diving team turned in another successful day at the 2023 NCAA DII Championships Thursday night. The Greyhounds racked up 15 more All-America performances, four runners-up and another event championship.

The UIndy went 1-2-6 on the men’s 3-meter diving board, as Julio Osuna captured the Hounds’ third event title of the meet. His efforts helped the Greyhound men expand their lead in the team standings. The UIndy women, meanwhile, remain in second place behind leader Nova Southeastern.

The national meet is being held at the IU Natatorium in downtown Indianapolis Tuesday through Saturday. Action continues tomorrow with swimming preliminaries at 10 a.m. ET, followed by diving prelims at 1 p.m. and evening finals at 6 p.m.

Osuna, the runner-up on the 3-meter last year, earned the program’s first-ever championship in the event. He clinched it on his final dive with a score of 77.90 on a jaw-dropping forward four-and-a-half somersault. Just behind him was Jason Lenzo, who secured second place with an impressive performance of his own. Cade Hammond took sixth to net the team 50 points in a single event.  

In the competition pool, Mika Heideyer scored points in two events on the night. After starting the evening with an All-America Honorable Mention performance in the 100 butterfly, she orchestrated an historic effort in the 200 free. The GLVC Freshman of the Year recorded in a time of 1:47.51 to earn runner-up honors and also blow past one of the oldest records in the UIndy annals – a 1:48.25 set back in 2011 by Greyhound great Maura Donahue.

Cedric Buessing continued his impressive week with another school record. After winning the 1000 free national title last night, Buessing became a back-to-back national runner-up in the 400 IM. His time of 3:45.41 bested his own school record by six-tenths of a second.

Andrea Gomez earned her second straight fifth-place finish in the 400 IM, good for her fourth career All-America nod.

Butterfly-specialist Kael Yorke made his second consecutive appearance in the championship final of the 100 fly. He posted a time of 47.30 to earn eighth place among the nation’s best.

Serge Ahadzhanian won not one but two B finals, earning ninth-place points in both the 100 fly and 200 free. The latter race saw the Ukrainian speedster post a 1:36.81, good for the second-fastest 200 free time in program history. Teammate Jeron Thompson contributed to the team total as well, taking second in the 100 fly consolation final.

Karolina Dubcakova and Julia Magierowska also put up some big times in consolation finals. Dubcakova won the 400 IM B final by just .01 seconds, while Magierowska’s third-place showing the 100 fly consolation race came on a time of 54.77, which moved her into the Greyhounds’ all-time top five.

Finally, the Greyhound 400 medley relay teams cashed in with All-America performances on both sides. Kaitlyn McCoy, Celina Schmidt, Magierowska and Johanna Buys earned second place, while the quartet of Bartek Swiderski, Ahadzhanian and Joao Silva took fourth.

WEDNESDAY | gallery

Senior Johanna Buys headlined the story of day two. The Lusaka, Zambia native made history with the fastest 50 free time ever recorded by a Division II female student-athlete. She won her first career individual national title and fourth overall with a time of 22.10, breaking the school, meet and DII records in a single swim.

Buys would share the spotlight with sophomore Cedric Buessing, who won the men’s 1000 free. He shattered his own school record in the process, recording a time of 8:55.88.

Buys would later swim the butterfly leg of the 200 medley relay team, helping the Hounds take second place in the night’s penultimate race. She was joined by Julia Magierowska, Celina Schmidt and Leticia Vaselli, who combined for a runner-up time of 1:40.11.

The UIndy men also took second in the 200 MR. Jeron Thompson, Liki Prema, Kael Yorke and Diego Mas crafted a time of 1:25.01, slicing .02 seconds off the school record while touching just eight hundredths behind conference-rival Drury.

Earlier in the evening, Mas and Thompson earned some more major hardware. The paired sprinted to a third- and fifth-place finish, respectively, in the 50 free. Both student-athletes bested the previous school record, with Mas turning in a 19.32 and Thompson a 19.37.

Kaitlyn McCoy continued her fantastic Greyhound career with her ninth individual All-America honor. She placed fifth in the 200 IM final with a time of 2:01 flat, good for her third straight top-five finish in the event.

On the boards, Mikaela Starr earned her best-ever finish at Nationals, as her score of 433.55 on the 1-meter was good for fifth place. Teammate Alexis Lumaj also earned team points for the Hounds, placing 10th.

Vaselli won the dramatic consolation final of the women’s 50 free, matching her collegiate best with a time of 22.96 to take ninth overall by .01 seconds.

OTHER NOTABLE FINISHES

9th- Emilia Colti-Dumitrescu, W 1000 free

11th- Celina Schmidt, W 200 IM

11th- Christian Hedeen, M 1000 free

11th- Joao Silva, M 50 free

12th- Karolina Dubcakova, W 1000 free

13th- Brynhildur Traustadottir, W 1000 free

13th- Stanislaw Chalat, M 1000 free

TUESDAY

The Greyhound quartet of Kaitlyn McCoy, Leticia Vaselli, Mika Heideyer and Brynhildur Traustadottir opened the festivities by combining for the fastest women’s 800 freestyle relay time in program history. Their time of 7:21.52 not only earned eighth place and All-America accolodaes, but also bested the school record by .02 seconds.

The UIndy men’s team followed with an All-American performance of their own. Cedric Buessing, Serge Ahadzhanian, Christian Hedeen and Joao Silva also took eighth place, with their combined time of 6:29.40 topping a five-year-old school record.

Earlier in the day, the diving pre-qualification meet was held at the Natatorium. All five UIndy divers in attendance officially advanced to Nationals, with Alexis Lumaj, Mikaela Starr, Cade Hammond, Jason Lenzo and Julio Osuna all earning a chance at All-America and national championship accolades later this week.

U OF I WRESTLING

NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BEGIN FRIDAY

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships kick off on Friday at 11 a.m. ET at the Alliant Energy Power House in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The two-day event is being hosted by soon-to-be GLVC compatriot Upper Iowa University.

The No. 8-ranked Greyhounds are sending seven wrestlers to the big show after having a great showing at the NCAA Super Regional 4 tournament.

Three of the Hounds are high seeds with No. 2-seed Derek Blubaugh at 197, No. 5-seed Logan Bailey at 157 and No. 5-seed Jack Eiteljorge at 165. Breyden Bailey (133), Ray Rioux (141), Owen Butler (174) and Cale Gray (285) round out the UIndy’s line-up for this year’s national tournament.

Last year the team finished sixth behind finals appearances from Blubaugh and Andrew Sams. Alongside the finalist duo, the Hounds garnered two more All-Americans in Eiteljorge and Dawson Combest.

U OF I MBB

GREYHOUNDS HOST MCKENDREE IN NCAA OPENING ROUND

The UIndy men’s basketball team earned a berth to its 13th NCAA tournament and will square off with eighth-seeded McKendree on Saturday, March 11, at 5 p.m., from inside Nicoson Hall.

Saturday marks the first NCAA postseason contest for the Greyhounds since 2016. UIndy was initially scheduled to host the Midwest Regional in 2020 before the pandemic canceled the remainder of the postseason.

UIndy leads the all-time series with McKendree, 15-3. After winning the first 11 meetings, however, the Greyhounds hold a tight 4-3 series advantage, picking up wins in three of the last four games. UIndy dominated McKendree in the only matchup of the season back in January, when the Hounds earned a 75-50 victory on “Pack the House” night.

The Greyhounds are making their 13th appearance in the NCAA tournament this weekend, sporting a 6-11 overall record in their first 11 trips to the big dance.

UIndy junior Kendrick Tchoua leads all three NCAA divisions with a 72.5 field goal percentage (153 for 211). The fourth-year big man earned GLVC Player of the Year, averaging 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in 20 league contests. Meanwhile, Jesse Bingham tops the team with 15.4 points and 32.3 minutes per game.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

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

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

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

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

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

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

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

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

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

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPORTS EXTRA

NBA STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Milwaukee	48	18	.727	—	28-6	20-12	8-4	29-14	9-1	3 W
2 Boston	46	21	.687	2.5	26-9	20-12	9-4	28-16	5-5	1 W
3 Philadelphia	43	22	.662	4.5	24-10	19-12	7-6	25-15	7-3	3 W
4 Cleveland	42	26	.618	7.0	28-7	14-19	12-3	26-13	6-4	3 W
5 New York	39	29	.574	10.0	19-16	20-13	8-8	28-17	8-2	2 L
6 Brooklyn	37	29	.561	11.0	19-12	18-17	7-8	26-18	4-6	1 L
7 Miami	35	32	.522	13.5	21-13	14-19	9-4	18-22	3-7	1 L
8 Atlanta	33	33	.500	15.0	18-13	15-20	6-8	20-22	5-5	1 W
9 Toronto	32	35	.478	16.5	20-13	12-22	4-9	20-21	6-4	2 L
10 Washington	31	35	.470	17.0	15-16	16-19	7-4	18-22	5-5	1 L
11 Chicago	30	36	.455	18.0	18-15	12-21	6-8	23-22	4-6	1 W
12 Indiana	30	37	.448	18.5	19-16	11-21	5-5	20-19	5-5	1 W
13 Orlando	27	40	.403	21.5	15-19	12-21	4-8	14-28	4-6	3 L
14 Charlotte	22	46	.324	27.0	11-20	11-26	7-9	13-31	7-3	2 W
15 Detroit	15	52	.224	33.5	8-26	7-26	0-11	6-34	0-10	10 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	46	20	.697	—	30-5	16-15	10-5	32-12	8-2	1 L
2 Sacramento	39	26	.600	6.5	21-13	18-13	7-6	26-14	8-2	2 W
3 Memphis	39	26	.600	6.5	27-5	12-21	7-2	21-19	5-5	1 W
4 Phoenix	37	29	.561	9.0	22-10	15-19	9-1	24-15	7-3	4 W
5 LA Clippers	35	33	.515	12.0	17-15	18-18	6-7	20-21	4-6	2 W
6 Golden State	34	33	.507	12.5	27-7	7-26	5-8	22-18	5-5	3 L
7 Minnesota	34	33	.507	12.5	20-15	14-18	8-7	25-20	5-5	1 L
8 Dallas	34	33	.507	12.5	22-13	12-20	8-3	25-19	3-7	1 L
9 LA Lakers	32	34	.485	14.0	17-15	15-19	4-9	19-22	7-3	2 W
10 New Orleans	32	34	.485	14.0	21-11	11-23	8-4	21-17	3-7	1 W
11 Utah	32	35	.478	14.5	20-13	12-22	5-8	21-22	4-6	1 W
12 Oklahoma City	31	35	.470	15.0	20-15	11-20	7-7	18-23	4-6	1 L
13 Portland	31	35	.470	15.0	17-15	14-20	5-8	21-19	4-6	1 L
14 San Antonio	16	49	.246	29.5	10-22	6-27	2-10	6-34	2-8	2 L
15 Houston	15	51	.227	31.0	9-23	6-28	3-9	9-35	2-8	2 L

Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. 

X – Clinched Playoff Spot,  Y – Clinched Division,  Z – Clinched Conference

NHL STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	63	49	9	5	103	47	239	135	26-3-3	23-6-2	9-1-0
2 Carolina Hurricanes	63	43	12	8	94	39	217	158	23-7-2	20-5-6	8-2-0
3 New Jersey Devils	64	42	16	6	90	40	229	176	18-12-2	24-4-4	7-2-1
4 Toronto Maple Leafs	64	39	17	8	86	39	216	171	23-6-4	16-11-4	7-3-0
5 Tampa Bay Lightning	65	38	21	6	82	36	228	202	23-5-5	15-16-1	3-4-3
6 New York Rangers	64	36	19	9	81	32	213	182	17-11-4	19-8-5	4-5-1
7 New York Islanders	67	34	25	8	76	34	195	182	20-11-3	14-14-5	7-2-1
8 Pittsburgh Penguins	64	32	22	10	74	31	209	207	17-9-5	15-13-5	5-4-1
9 Ottawa Senators	64	33	27	4	70	31	204	202	19-12-2	14-15-2	7-3-0
10 Florida Panthers	65	32	27	6	70	30	221	218	18-10-3	14-17-3	6-4-0
11 Washington Capitals	66	31	28	7	69	30	203	199	15-13-4	16-15-3	3-6-1
12 Buffalo Sabres	64	32	28	4	68	31	237	234	13-18-2	19-10-2	4-6-0
13 Detroit Red Wings	64	29	26	9	67	27	192	211	16-12-4	13-14-5	3-6-1
14 Philadelphia Flyers	65	24	30	11	59	23	168	212	12-15-4	12-15-7	2-7-1
15 Montreal Canadiens	65	26	33	6	58	22	179	233	14-15-3	12-18-3	3-5-2
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	64	20	37	7	47	19	167	239	13-19-2	7-18-5	4-3-3
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Vegas Golden Knights	65	39	20	6	84	35	208	182	21-13-1	18-7-5	6-2-2
2 Dallas Stars	65	35	17	13	83	32	225	175	17-9-8	18-8-5	5-3-2
3 Los Angeles Kings	66	38	20	8	84	32	227	219	20-9-2	18-11-6	7-2-1
4 Minnesota Wild	65	37	21	7	81	30	186	171	21-10-3	16-11-4	8-0-2
5 Seattle Kraken	65	37	22	6	80	37	229	207	16-13-3	21-9-3	6-4-0
6 Colorado Avalanche	63	35	22	6	76	31	203	179	17-11-5	18-11-1	6-3-1
7 Edmonton Oilers	66	36	22	8	80	36	254	220	16-12-5	20-10-3	6-3-1
8 Winnipeg Jets	65	36	26	3	75	35	201	183	21-11-2	15-15-1	2-6-2
9 Calgary Flames	65	29	23	13	71	27	200	200	15-13-3	14-10-10	4-4-2
10 Nashville Predators	62	31	24	7	69	28	179	184	16-11-3	15-13-4	6-3-1
11 St. Louis Blues	64	28	31	5	61	25	197	235	14-14-4	14-17-1	2-6-2
12 Vancouver Canucks	64	27	32	5	59	23	216	248	14-17-1	13-15-4	6-3-1
13 Arizona Coyotes	65	23	32	10	56	20	181	230	16-11-3	7-21-7	4-4-2
14 Anaheim Ducks	65	21	35	9	51	18	165	265	11-16-2	10-19-7	4-3-3
15 San Jose Sharks	66	19	35	12	50	18	191	252	6-18-8	13-17-4	2-7-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	64	22	37	5	49	20	161	229	13-18-3	9-19-2	5-5-0

Last updated Mar. 10, 1:21 ET

Eight teams in each conference qualify for the divisional playoff format.  The top three teams from each division make up the first six spots.   The two remaining teams with the highest points, regardless of division, qualify for the final two wild card spots.  

X – Clinched Playoff Spot, Y – Clinched Division, Z – Clinched Conference

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1941      The Dodgers announce their players will start to wear helmets when batting. The safety headgear will not become mandatory in the National League until 1954, with the AL will follow suit four years later.

1951      J. Edgar Hoover, longtime director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, declines the baseball commissioner’s post. President Calvin Coolidge appointed him in 1924, and the nation’s top cop remained in the FBI until he died in 1972.

1963      In an exhibition game against the White Sox, 21-year-old rookie Pete Rose goes 2-for-2 in his first appearance in a Reds’ uniform. The future all-time major league leader in hits will be named the National League’s Rookie of the Year.

1966      The Orioles trade 22-year-old minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to the Indians for reserve catcher Camilo Carreon, who retires at the end of the season after playing in only four contests for his new team. The Tribe’s latest flycatcher will appear in more than 1,700 big-league games, but only six games for Cleveland, all in 1968, before his selection in the expansion draft by the Pilots, the team that trades him at the start of 1969 campaign to the Royals for John Gelnar and Steve Whitaker.

1967      Ted Davidson, who had five wins and four saves for the Reds last season, is gunned down in an alley as he leaves a local restaurant, telling police his estranged wife shot him once in the abdomen and twice in the chest. The judge dismisses the charge against Mary Ruth Davidson when the southpaw, who will return to the team in June, but without his same effectiveness, fails to appear in court on two occasions.

1992      The Pirates trade pitcher Neal Heaton (3-3, 4.33) to the Royals for outfielder Kirk Gibson (.236, 16 HR, 18 SB). After being released by the Bucs in May, the veteran flycatcher, who will turn down an offer to play for the Arena Football League’s Detroit Drive, ends his brief retirement, playing his last three years as a Tiger for his former manager Sparky Anderson.

1993      Sherry Davis becomes the first full-time female major league public address announcer when the Giants hire her to work at Candlestick Park. The legal secretary, chosen from five hundred contestants, won the job in an open audition.

1995      Former Chicago Bull superstar Michael Jordan, citing labor unrest as the reason, announces that he is leaving the White Sox organization to return to the Chicago Bulls. In his only season in professional baseball, the future NBA Hall of Famer batted .202, hit three home runs, drove in 51 runs, stole 30 bases, and made 11 errors playing the outfield for the Double-A Birmingham Barons last season.

2004      When asked by Senator John McCain to renegotiate the major league baseball’s contract concerning the use of controlled substances, Donald Fehr refuses to comply. Although the union boss condemns the use of steroids, he believes the players oppose random drug testing as a violation of privacy, an argument countered by the Arizona Republican as unacceptable, promising congressional action if the status quo remains in place.

2005      Singling off Brad Thompson in a Cardinal intrasquad game, former pitching prospect Rick Ankiel goes 1-for-2 in his debut as a position player. Historic wildness and injuries ended the 25-year-old’s once very-promising career on the mound.

2006      The Dodgers announce their players will start to wear helmets when batting. The safety headgear will not become mandatory in the National League until 1954, with the AL will follow suit four years later.

2006      The Dodgers announce their players will start to wear helmets when batting. The safety headgear will not become mandatory in the National League until 1954, with the AL will follow suit four years later.

2009      At Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium, the Netherlands World Baseball Classic team, mostly of unknown players, upsets a heavily-favored Dominican Republic club for the second time in four days, advancing to the next round. The Dominicans, considered to be an odds-on favorite, with a roster filled with major league All-Stars, including David Ortiz (Red Sox), Hanley Ramirez (Marlins), and Miguel Tejada (Astros), are eliminated in the first round of the 16-team tournament.

2010      Nomar Garciaparra, announcing his retirement before the exhibition game against Tampa Bay, signs a ceremonial one-day contract with Boston, six years after rejecting the team’s four-year, $60 million offer that resulted in an acrimonious trade to the Cubs in 2004. The former Rookie of the Year and AL batting champion, who finishes his 14-year major league career with a .313 batting average, gets his wish to leave the game in a Red Sox uniform when he throws out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Jason Varitek.

2010      Justin Upton (.300, 26, 86) and the Diamondbacks come to terms on a $51.25 million, six-year contract, the second-largest deal in franchise history being slightly less than Randy Johnson’s $52.4 million pact in 1999. The 22-year-old outfielder, the team’s No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, was selected to last season’s National League All-Star squad.

BASEBALL’S BEST

CAP ANSON BIOGRAPHY

Rarely would a ballplayer who accomplished such things as 3,000 hits lifetime (the first to do so), a .300 batting average in twenty-four of twenty-seven seasons played and five pennants won as a manager, be known just as much for his off the field doings. But such is the case of Cap Anson, baseball’s first superstar, who was the premier player of the 19th century but has drawn equal amount of attention through the years for his innovativeness and unique personality.

After spending one year at the University of Notre Dame, Anson began his professional career in 1871 with Rockford of the National Association (NA). The following season he went to the Philadelphia Athletics where he spent four years. During his five year NA stint Anson batted more than .350 four times. When the National League (NL) began play in 1876 he signed with the Chicago White Stockings where, as their captain, he led them to the circuits’ first pennant batting .356. Anson went on to bat .300 or better in nineteen of his twenty-two NL seasons, winning batting titles in 1881 and 1888, and fell just shy of the coveted .400 mark with a .399 average in 1881. Although he hit for little power (ninety-seven career home runs) his line drive hitting style produced five-hundred eighty-one doubles, and he led the league in runs batted in eight times. Anson drove in one-hundred runs or more seven times in his career, a remarkable feat considering he played fewer than one-hundred forty games every season.

As a manager, Cap Anson enjoyed similar success, leading the White Stockings to three consecutive pennants 1880-82 and first place finishes in 1885 and 1886. As a manager Anson devised and is responsible for many elements of the game that have become an integral part of the way it is played and managed. He was the first to implement a pitching rotation, use the hit and run, stress base stealing, and lead the way in raiding other leagues for talent which helped the National League evolve into a stronger league. Anson also initiated spring training as we know it today, taking his team south to take advantage of the warmer weather, and overseeing a diversified workout routine that included swinging Indian clubs (according to Anson “very good for the wrists, arms and shoulders”), skipping rope (“very good for the ankles, legs and wind”, he said), punching a heavy bag and playing handball.

Along with his genius Anson is defined by his rigid and crude personality. He ran his team with an iron hand disciplining his players for drinking, missing curfews and being overweight. He himself practiced what he preached. “I have not burned the candle at both ends. I have not drank and I have not smoked since I was convinced it was not well for me to do so”, said Anson in an 1898 Chicago Times-Herald feature. It was a style that won him few friends but won him respect and brought out the best effort and abilities of his team. He was known for an explosive temper and for being a ruthless bench jockey berating opponents as well as umpires. He was a bigot and is blamed for the banning of black players from baseball (this has long been debated) that didn’t end until 1947. He once pulled his team off the field when the opposition insisted on starting a black pitcher in an exhibition game, but prior to this incident a minor league had already formally voted to exclude blacks from the game. Anson was one of baseball’s first ambassadors taking part in tours of the world to promote and teach the game. He helped developed a top brand of baseball and increased the games popularity. He helped right the direction of the National League and breathe life into it by popularizing baseball in the important market of Chicago.

Anson won no more pennants after 1886. He became a part owner of the White Stockings in 1888 and continued his association with them until 1897. He briefly managed the Giants in 1898 and then left the game. He finished his playing career with a .331 batting average, 3,011 hits (twenty-fifth all-time) and 1,879RBI (eleventh all-time). As a manager he ended with a .578 winning percentage. Following his exit from the game he was beset by financial problems but refused the National Leagues help. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He died in 1922.

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW

YEAR IN REVIEW : 1909 AMERICAN LEAGUE

Off the field…

The United States military intervened to aid in the removal of President Jose Santos Zelaya from Nicaragua. Since 1893, Zelaya had been trying to create a union of Central American countries by intervening actively in their affairs. After he began executing those who opposed him (including two Americans) the U.S. took over the rebel faction and ousted him promptly.

In the American League…

On April 27th, the Chicago White Sox won their third 1-0 game over the St. Louis Browns in three days, setting an early American League record for consecutive 1-0 wins. Hits in all three games (by both teams combined) totaled a meager eighteen.

The Chicago White Sox also set a modern Major League record on July 2nd after stealing twelve bases (three of home) during a 15-3 massacre over the St. Louis Browns at South Side Park III.

Detroit Tigers legend Ty Cobb clinched the American League home run title after hitting nine, inside-the-park round-trippers. In doing so, he became the only player of the century to lead a league in home runs without ever actually hitting one “out of the park”.

In the National League…

The National League deprived umpires of the ability to levy fines and declared that all relief pitchers must retire at least one batter before being relieved themselves.

Pittsburgh Pirate Honus Wagner stole his way around the bases in the first inning of a May 2nd nightcap against the Chicago Cubs. In doing so, Wagner set a National League record as the first player ever to pull off the feat three times. Amazingly, he would duplicate the effort again the following day.

On July 3rd, the St. Louis Cardinals tied an unwanted Major League mark after committing seventeen individual errors during a doubleheader loss to the Cincinnati Reds, (10-2 and 13-7).

Around the League…

Play-By-Play, broadcasting came one step closer as the first use of wireless technology to transmit baseball results was conducted at the Columbia University Wireless Club. The proceedings of the game between the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia were relayed from the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia to New York’s Waldorf Astoria, where Columbia students received the messages.

National League President John Heydler called an emergency meeting with the league’s officials to propose a new two-umpire system for preventing fights with the players.

In June, Benjamin Shibe, of Bala, Pennsylvania, obtained a patent for a new cork-centered baseball. Spalding Sporting Goods later licensed the idea and began manufacturing it for distribution in both the major and minor leagues.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

March 10, 1919 – Plains, Texas – The stud center from Hardin-Simmons University in the late 1930’s, Clyde Bulldog Turner arrived into this life. The Pro Football Hall of Fame declares a big statement that Bulldog is one of the top five centers to have ever played college football! We have plenty more on this legend of the gridiron, simply click his name to be taken to our collection of posts gathered from around the web.

March 10, 1927 – Chicago, Illinois – The great two way guard and tackle of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1945 to 1948, Bill Moose Fischer was born. Fischer was relegated to kick off coverage duties as a Freshman at Notre Dame under Coach Frank Leahy but he started every year thereafter at guard on the Irish offense. Fischer helped lead Notre Dame to back-to-back national championships in 1946 and 1947 per the NFF. His fantastic play was rewarded when he received All-America honors in 1947 and 1948 and was just the third-ever recipient of the Outland Trophy in 1948 as the nation’s best interior lineman. Bill Fischer was honored with his very deserving place in the College Football Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1983. Moose was a two way starting player for the Chicago Cardinals for five seasons after the Redbirds took him with the tenth overall pick in the 1949 NFL Draft.

More Hall of Fame Birthdays for March 10

March 10, 1938 – Los Angeles., California – The 6’-4” 250 pound tackle from Southern Cal Ron Mix began his life story. Ron was the number one pick in both the 1950 NFL and AFL Drafts. The NFL’s Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers of the AFL got in a bidding war of sorts and Mix wisely took the better off and that kept him in Southern California where he spent all of his life. The Pro Football HOF website says, that his line coach with the Chargers gave him the nickname of “The Intellectual Assassin” because of his aggressive play and because he attended law school at night while as a player. Mix had only two confirmed holding calls called upon him in his entire 11 seasons played with the Chargers and the Raiders and he claims he only gave up five sacks in that same time span. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Ron Mix in 1979.

March 10, 1946 – Yuma, Arizona – The fierce Defensive Tackle from Arizona State University Curley Culp was born. Curley was the 31st overall player selected in the NFL Draft of 1968 by the Denver Broncos but got traded during training camp to the KC Chiefs after a failed experiment to convert him to an offensive line position failed. In just his second NFL season he was part of a dominant Kansas City D-line that helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV. Culp was traded in 1974 to the Houston Oilers as part of a blockbuster deal. He really thrived with the Oilers and became a prominent defender in the League there. According to the ProFootballHOF.com Culp in 1975 registered 11.5 sacks and was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Curley Culp was welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the 2013 enshrinement ceremonies.

March 10, 1949 – Atlanta, Georgia – Chip Kell the University of Tennessee great offensive lineman from 1968 to 1970 entered into life on earth. Kell was a powerhouse blocker as he played both center and guard for the Tennessee Volunteers. The NFF alludes to that Chip’s first game may have been the first ever game played outdoors on artificial turf. After his Sophomore season Kell was moved from tackle to guard and he thrived at the switch as he then won two consecutive Jacobs Memorial Awards as the top blocker in the Southeast Conference and the distinction of being called All-America. In Chip’s senior campaign he was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and garnered his second recognition of All-America status as this time it was of unanimous category. Chip Kell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. After school Chip played two years for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football league before beginning a long career in coaching.

March 10, 1960 – Towson, Maryland – Marked the birth of the fantastic wide receiver from Johns Hopkins University, Bill Stromberg. Stromberg set six national and 13 school records to become one of the most decorated wide receivers in Division III history per the NFF. Bill led the nation in receiving and was a first team All-America for the 1980 season. Stromberg’s national records were multiple as he had 39 touchdown catches for an NCAA record and his numbers for catches and yards per game were written down in the book too. He established other marks such as his total of 258 career receptions was an NCAA record until 1993, and his 3,776 career reception yards was a record until 1989. Bill Stromberg was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

7- 14 – 13

March 10, 1920 – The NHL’s Quebec Bulldog skater Joe Malone, wearing Number 7 scored 6 goals against the Ottawa Senators in a single game

March 10, 1963 – The Cincinnati Reds debuted an infielder named Pete Rose, who wore the Number 14, on this day. Rose started his career strong in this Spring Training game in Tampa, Florida as he hit safely in his first two times he got into the batter’s box.

March 10, 1963 – Wilt Chamberlain, Number 13 of the San Francisco Warriors dished in 70 points in a 163 to 148 loss at the hands of the Syracuse Nationals.

TV FRIDAY

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S	TIME ET	TV
Big Ten Quarterfinal	12:00pm	BTN
Conference USA Semifinal	12:30pm	CBSSN
SEC Quarterfinal: Alabama vsFlorida/Mississippi State	1:00pm	ESPN
American Quarterfinal: Houston vsSouth Florida/East Carolina	1:00pm	ESPN2
Big Ten Quarterfinal	2:30pm	BTN
Conference USA Semifinal	3:00pm	CBSSN
SWAC Semifinal	3:00pm	ESPN+
SEC Quarterfinal	3:30pm	ESPN
American Quarterfinal: Cincinnati vsTemple	3:30pm	ESPN2
MAC Semifinal	5:00pm	CBSSN
MAAC Semifinal	6:00pm	ESPNews
MEAC Semifinal	6:00pm	ESPN+
Big East Semifinal	6:30pm	FS1
Big Ten Quarterfinal	6:30pm	BTN
ACC Semifinal	7:00pm	ESPN
Big 12 Semifinal	7:00pm	ESPN2
American Quarterfinal: Memphis vsUCF/SMU	7:00pm	ESPNU
SEC Quarterfinal: Texas A&M vsAuburn/Arkansas	7:00pm	SECN
MAC Semifinal	7:30pm	CBSSN
MAAC Semifinal	8:30pm	ESPNews
MEAC Semifinal	8:30pm	ESPN+
Big East Semifinal	9:00pm	FS1
Big Ten Quarterfinal	9:00pm	BTN
Pac-12 Semifinal	9:00pm	PAC12N
Big West Semifinal	9:00pm	ESPN+
WAC Semifinal	9:00pm	ESPN+
ACC Semifinal	9:30pm	ESPN
Big 12 Semifinal	9:30pm	ESPN2
American Quarterfinal: Tulane vsWichita State/Tulsa	9:30pm	ESPNU
SEC Quarterfinal	9:30pm	SECN
Mountain West Semifinal	9:30pm	CBSSN
SWAC Semifinal	9:30pm	ESPN+
WAC Semifinal	11:00pm	ESPN+
Pac-12 Semifinal	11:30pm	ESPN
Big West Semifinal	11:30pm	ESPNU
Mountain West Semifinal	11:59pm	CBSSN
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S	TIME ET	TV
Big 12: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma St.	12:00pm	ESPNU
Big 12: TBA vs. Texas	2:30pm	ESPNU
America East: Albany at Vermont	5:00pm	ESPNU
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
2023 Players Championship	12:00pm	GOLF
MLB SPRING TRAINING	TIME ET	TV
Atlanta vs Tampa Bay	1:05pm	MLBN
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
Portland at Philadelphia	7:00pm	Root Sports NBCS-PHI
Atlanta at Washington	7:00pm	NBCS-WSH Bally Sports
Cleveland at Miami	8:00pm	NBATV Bally Sports
Brooklyn at Minnesota	8:00pm	YES Bally Sports
Denver at San Antonio	8:00pm	ALT Bally Sports
Toronto at LA Lakers	10:30pm	NBATV Spectrum
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
Chicago at Florida	7:00pm	NBCS-CHI Bally Sports
Anaheim at Calgary	9:00pm	Sportsnet Bally Sports
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Spezia vs Internazionale	2:45pm	Paramount+
La Liga: Cádiz vs Getafe	3:00pm	ESPN+
Ligue 1: Lille vs Olympique Lyonnais	3:00pm	beIN Sports
Argentina Primera División: Barracas Central vs Independiente	3:00pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Argentinos Juniors vs Arsenal	7:00pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Instituto vs Atlético Tucumán	7:00pm	Paramount+
Liga MX: Puebla vs Guadalajara	10:05pm	TUDN
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC	TIME ET	TV
Japan vs Korea	5:00am	FS2
Chinese Taipei vs Italy	6:00am	Tubi
Australia vs China	10:00pm	FS2
Italy vs Panama	11:00pm	FS1

TV SATURDAY

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S	TIME ET	TV
America East Championship	11:00 AM	ESPN2
Ivy League Semifinal: Yale vs. Cornell	11:00 AM	ESPNU
Big Ten Semifinal	1:00pm	CBS
SEC Semifinal	1:00pm	ESPN
MEAC Championship	1:00pm	ESPN2
Atlantic 10 Semifinal	1:00pm	CBSSN
Ivy League Semifinal: Princeton vs. Penn	1:30pm	ESPNU
American Semifinal	3:00pm	ESPN2
Big Ten Semifinal	3:30pm	CBS
SEC Semifinal	3:30pm	ESPN
Atlantic 10 Semifinal	3:30pm	CBSSN
American Semifinal	5:30pm	ESPN2
SWAC Championship	5:30pm	ESPNU
Mountain West Championship	6:00pm	CBS
Big 12 Championship	6:00pm	ESPN
Big East Championship	6:30pm	FOX
MAC Championship	7:30pm	ESPN2
MAAC Championship	7:30pm	ESPNU
ACC Championship	8:30pm	ESPN
Conference USA Championship	8:30pm	CBSSN
Big West Championship	9:30pm	ESPN2
Pac-12 Championship	10:30pm	ESPN
WAC Championship	11:30pm	ESPN2
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S	TIME ET	TV
MAC Tournament	11:00am	ESPNU
Ivy League Tournament	5:00pm	ESPNews
CUSA Tournament	5:30pm	CBSSN
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
2023 Players Championship	12:00pm	NBC
MLB SPRING TRAINING	TIME ET	TV
Boston vs Minnesota	1:05pm	MLBN
MOTORSPORTS	TIME ET	TV
Xfinity: United Rentals 200	4:30pm	FS1
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
New York at LA Clippers	4:00pm	Bally Sports MSG
Utah at Charlotte	7:00pm	ATTSN-RM Bally Sports
Indiana at Detroit	8:00pm	Bally Sports
Miami at Orlando	7:00pm	Bally Sports
Boston at Atlanta	7:30pm	NBCS-BOS Bally Sports
Chicago at Houston	8:00pm	NBCS-CHI ATTSN-RM
Dallas at Memphis	8:00pm	Bally Sports
Milwaukee at Golden State	8:30pm	ABC
Oklahoma City at New Orleans	8:30pm	Bally Sports
Sacramento at Phoenix	9:00pm	NBCS-CA Bally Sports
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
Detroit at Boston	1:00pm	ABC ESPN+
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh	3:30pm	ABC ESPN+
NY Rangers at Buffalo	5:00pm	MSG MSG-BUF
Arizona at Colorado	6:00pm	ALT Bally Sports
Chicago at Tampa Bay	7:00pm	NBCS-CHI Bally Sports
Edmonton at Toronto	7:00pm	Sportsnet
New Jersey at Montréal	7:00pm	MSGSN Sportsnet
St. Louis at Columbus	7:00pm	Bally Sports
Vegas at Carolina	7:00pm	ATTSN-RM Bally Sports
Winnipeg at Florida	7:00pm	Sportsnet Bally Sports
Washington at NY Islanders	7:30pm	NBCS-WSH MSGSN
Dallas at Seattle	10:00pm	Root Sports Bally Sports
Ottawa at Vancouver	10:00pm	Sportsnet
Minnesota at San Jose	10:30pm	NBCS-CA Bally Sports
Nashville at Los Angeles	10:30pm	Bally Sports
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
English Premier League: AFC Bournemouth vs Liverpool	7:30am	USA
La Liga: Real Madrid vs Espanyol	8:00am	ESPN+
Serie A: Empoli vs Udinese	9:00am	Paramount+
English Premier League: Everton vs Brentford	10:00am	Peacock
English Premier League: Leeds United vs Brighton & Hove Albion	10:00am	Peacock
English Premier League: Leicester City vs Chelsea	10:00am	USA
English Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest	10:00am	Peacock
La Liga: Elche vs Real Valladolid	10:15am	ESPN+
Ligue 1: Auxerre vs Rennes	11:00am	beIN Sports
MLS: Charlotte vs Atlanta United	12:00pm	FOX
Serie A: Napoli vs Atalanta	12:00pm	Paramount+
English Premier League: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City	12:30pm	USA
La Liga: Celta de Vigo vs Rayo Vallecano	12:30pm	ESPN+
Serie A: Bologna vs Lazio	2:45pm	Paramount+
La Liga: Valencia vs Osasuna	3:00pm	ESPN+
Ligue 1: Brest vs PSG	3:00pm	beIN Sports
Argentina Primera División: San Lorenzo vs Gimnasia La Plata	3:00pm	Paramount+
MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Dallas	5:00pm	MLS Pass
Liga MX: Atlas vs León	6:00pm	TUDN
MLS: DC United vs Orlando City SC	7:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: New York City vs Inter Miami	7:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders FC	7:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew	7:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire	7:30pm	MLS Pass
Argentina Primera División: Central Córdoba SdE vs Tigre	7:30pm	Paramount+
Argentina Primera División: Belgrano vs Lanús	7:30pm	Paramount+
Liga MX: Cruz Azul vs Pumas UNAM	8:05pm	TUDN
MLS: Minnesota United vs New York RB	8:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy	8:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: Real Salt Lake vs Austin	9:30pm	MLS Pass
Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs América	10:10pm	TUDN
MLS: Portland Timbers vs St. Louis City	10:30pm	MLS Pass
MLS: SJ Earthquakes vs Colorado Rapids	10:30pm	MLS Pass
XFL	TIME ET	TV
Houston at Orlando	7:00pm	FX
San Antonio at Seattle	10:00pm	FX