MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SAN DIEGO STATE 57 CREIGHTON 56
MIAMI 88 TEXAS 81
FINAL FOUR
SATURDAY APRIL 1
FLORIDA ATLANTIC VS. SAN DIEGO STATE 6:09PM (CBS)
UCONN VS. MIAMI 8:49PM (CBS)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
MONDAY APRIL 3 9:30PM
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
LSU 54 MIAMI FLORIDA 42
IOWA 97 LOUISVILLE 83
MONDAY
MARYLAND VS. SOUTH CAROLINA 7:00
OHIO STATE VS. VIRGINIA TECH 9:00
NBA SCOREBOARD
CHARLOTTE 110 DALLAS 104
CHICAGO 118 LA LAKERS 108
MEMPHIS 123 ATLANTA 119
BOSTON 137 SAN ANTONIO 93
CLEVELAND 108 HOUSTON 91
ORLANDO 119 BROOKLYN 106
TORONTO 114 WASHINGTON 104
OKLAHOMA CITY 118 PORTLAND 112
MINNESOTA 99 GOLDEN STATE 96
NHL SCOREBOARD
COLORADO 4 ARIZONA 3
BOSTON 4 CAROLINA 3
VANCOUVER 4 CHICAGO 2
TORONTO 3 NASHVILLE 2
LOS ANGELES 7 ST. LOUIS 6
MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY TOURNEY
QUINNIPIAC 4 OHIO STATE 1
PENN STATE 1 MICHIGAN 1 OT
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
COLORADO 4 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
CLEVELAND 3 CINCINNATI 2
CHICAGO CUBS 5 KANSAS CITY 0
SAN FRANCISCO 9 OAKLAND 5
ARIZONA 4 MILWAUKEE 4
SEATTLE 5 SAN DIEGO 5
CINCINNATI 7 COLORADO 5
LA DODGERS 3 LA ANGELS 0
HOUSTON 24 ST. LOUIS 1
BALTIMORE 4 PHILADELPHIA 2
MINNESOTA 7 BOSTON 2
DETROIT 11 TAMPA BAY 10
NY YANKEES 6 TORONTO 2
ATLANTA 8 PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 2 MIAMI 2
MIAMI 3 NY METS 3
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP INDIANA (RELEASES)
CENTRAL INDIANA’S TOP BASEBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS SEASON
DAVIS WAGNER, GUERIN CATHOLIC, JR., OF/P
MAX CLARK, FRANKLIN, OF/P
CHASE WAGNER, ZIONSVILLE, JR., P
ANDREW WIGGINS, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN, OF/P
HUNTER SNOW, CARMEL, OF
TRIPP SCHROEDER, CARMEL, SR., C
CAM HEANEY, CARMEL, SR., P
KEVIN REED, MARTINSVILLE, P
JACOB PHILLIPS, PERRY MERIDIAN, SR., P
EVAN RUSS, WESTFIELD, SR., OF
JACOB CULP, WESTFIELD, SR., P
COLLIN LINDSEY, WESTFIELD, SR. C
AHMAAD DUFF, LAWRENCE CENTRAL, C/OF
HOGAN DENNY, MARTINSVILLE, C/INF/P
JAKE HOOKER, UNIVERSITY, SS/P
MICAH RIENSTRA-KIRACOFE, NORTH CENTRAL, JR., OF
JACK FERGUSON, NORTH CENTRAL, SR., C
ARJUN LOTHE, INDIAN CREEK, SR., 1B/P
GRANT KESSLER, MORRISTOWN, SR., 1B/P
TREY HARNEY III, GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN, SR., INF/P
LOGAN GIBBS, CASCADE, JR., C
NOAH COY, CENTER GROVE, JR., INF
MICHAEL CARTER, PERRY MERIDIAN, SR., INF
CAM BROWN, BEECH GROVE, SR., P
EVAN ZAPP, CENTER GROVE, SR., OF
DREW CULBERTSON, CENTER GROVE, SR., SS
GARRISON BARILE, CENTER GROVE, OF
LANDEN SMITH, GREENWOOD, JR., SS
J.T. STINER, CATHEDRAL, JR., C
KYUSS GARGETT, CATHEDRAL, SR., SS
ELI SHAW, WARREN CENTRAL, SR., P
BRYCE RIGGS, NOBLESVILLE, SR., INF/P
JAYDEN OHMER, BREBEUF JESUIT, SR., OF
BEN MURPHY, CENTER GROVE, SR., P
WILL LOFTUS, BREBEUF JESUIT, JR. C
CARSON DUNN, FISHERS, SR., OF
JACK BROWN, FISHERS, OF/P
TREVOR CORBETT, NOBLESVILLE, SO., INF
ELI BRIDENTHAL, MT. VERNON, SR., SS/P
INDIANA HS SOFTBALL POLLS
CLASS 4A
1. RONCALLI, 180
2. CENTER GROVE, 129
3. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE, 120
4. MOORESVILLE, 110
5. LAKE CENTRAL, 95
6. PENN, 90
7. NEW PALESTINE, 78
8. PENDLETON HEIGHTS, 76
T-9. COLUMBUS NORTH, 64
T-9. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE), 64
11. CASTLE, 62
12. SHELBYVILLE, 46
13. WHITELAND, 36
T-14. BROWNSBURG, 32
T-14. NOBLESVILLE, 32
CLASS 3A
1. TRI-WEST HENDRICKS, 30
T-2. LEO, 26
T-2. CORYDON CENTRAL, 26
4. YORKTOWN, 24
5. KANKAKEE VALLEY, 22
6. PIKE CENTRAL, 21
7. FRANKLIN COUNTY, 11
T-8. NEW PRAIRIE, 10
T-8. GIBSON SOUTHERN, 10
T-8. HANOVER CENTRAL, 10
11. BELLMONT, 9
12. CONNERSVILLE, 8
13. WESTERN, 7
T-14. HERITAGE HILLS, 6
T-14. SCOTTSBURG, 6
CLASS 2A
1. EASTSIDE, 88
2. NORTH POSEY, 75
3. NORTH NEWTON, 58
4. SOUTH VERMILLION, 43
5. MADISON-GRANT, 36
6. EASTERN HANCOCK, 35
7. HAUSER, 29
8. WHITKO, 21
T-9. EASTERN (GREENTOWN), 20
T-9. BOONE GROVE, 20
11. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN, 19
12. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL, 17
T-13. BENTON CENTRAL, 16
T-13. FRANKTON, 16
15. FAIRFIELD, 14
CLASS A
1. TECUMSEH, 74
2. ROSSVILLE, 54
3. NORTH MIAMI, 48
T-4. CASTON, 42
T-4. COWAN, 42
6. CLAY CITY, 36
7. RISING SUN, 35
8. BARR-REEVE, 26
9. WEST CENTRAL, 24
10. RIVERTON PARKE, 20
11. MORGAN TOWNSHIP, 19
12. WEST WASHINGTON, 15
13. NORTHEAST DUBOIS, 14
14. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS), 13
15. TRINITY LUTHERAN, 12
INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS MAVERICKS
If the Indiana Pacers advance to the postseason, it will be because the team took care of business on home court during its final stretch of games.
The Pacers (33-42) will kick off a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks (36-39) on Monday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Of the remaining seven games on the team’s calendar, five will be played in Indianapolis.
Both the Pacers and Mavericks are flirting with postseason berths.
As of Saturday night, following a 143-130 loss to the Atlanta Hawks (37-37), the Pacers ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference. Indiana is two and a half games back from 10th place, which is the final seed for the Play-In Tournament.
In the Western Conference postseason race, which is shifting nightly, just two games or fewer separate seeds seven through 11. The Mavericks are 11th after being swept by the Charlotte Hornets in a home-and-home set over the weekend.
Indiana has lost two straight games and four of its last five. Against the Hawks, Jordan Nwora had a historic night by scoring 25 points in the second quarter — the most by any Pacers player in a regular season quarter — before finishing with a game-high 33 off the bench.
Despite Nwora’s offensive outpouring, and 19 points and 13 assists from All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers gave up at least 33 points in each quarter. Eight players scored in double digits for Indiana in the loss.
The Pacers were without Myles Turner (sore back). Chris Duarte returned after missing five games due to a sore ankle, but did not play in the second half after re-aggravating his injury. In games without Turner, the Pacers have a record of 4-9 this season.
The Mavericks have struggled lately, losing three straight while going 3-7 over their last 10 games.
Prior to the trade deadline in February, the Mavericks made a splash by adding All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Despite the addition, the team is 6-8 this season in games Irving has played.
The Mavericks are led by phenom guard Luka Doncic, but will likely be without him on Monday. Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season on Sunday against Charlotte and by league rules will face a one-game suspension unless the technical is rescinded. Doncic is currently second in the NBA in scoring at 32.9 points per game – on 49.9 percent shooting – while also averaging 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
Like Indiana, Dallas likes to shoot 3-pointers, as they rank third in makes from deep while the Pacers are fifth.
After the Mavericks, the Pacers will welcome the Eastern Conference first-place Milwaukee Bucks (53-21) on Wednesday.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Aaron Nesmith, C – Myles Turner
Mavericks: G – Kyrie Irving, G – Tim Hardaway Jr., F – Reggie Bullock, F – Josh Green, C – Dwight Powell
Injury Report
Pacers: Chris Duarte – questionable (sore left ankle), Myles Turner – questionable (sore lower back), Kendall Brown – out (right tibia stress fracture)
Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr. – probable (non-COVID illness)
Last Meeting
Feb. 28, 2023: Securing a road win for the first time in almost two months, the Pacers held off a late Mavericks rally in a 124-122 victory at American Airlines Center.
Indiana led by 11 points with 6:11 left in the game, but then went scoreless for almost four straight minutes. The Mavericks strung together a 10-0 run to pull within reach, but missed multiple attempts to go ahead in the final minute.
Haliburton led the Pacers with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Turner was next with 24 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Six Pacers finished in double-digit scoring.
Doncic topped the Mavericks by recording 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Irving finished with a stat line of 16 points, nine assists and five rebounds.
Both teams shot over 50 percent in the game, but the Pacers finished with a big advantage in the free throw department making 31 of 40 attempts while the Mavericks made 18 of 24 from the charity stripe.
Noteworthy
Indiana and Dallas have split the season series each of the last four seasons. The last time the Pacers won the series was during the 2015-16 campaign.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was the head coach of the Mavericks from 2008 to 2021. He led the team to an NBA championship in 2011.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd played under Carlisle from 2008 to 2012.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers tip off a three-game homestand by hosting Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, March 27 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDY FUEL
FUEL COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT K-WINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fuel hosted the K-Wings for the second game of a back-to-back set. With Cam Gray getting the Sunday start, Indy hoped to claim a win on the weekend as they celebrated Family Fun Day. Despite allowing the first goal, Indy was able to come back in the third period and win 2-1.
1ST PERIOD
Much like their first meeting of the weekend last night, the K-Wings took the first penalty of the game with a delay of game call on Kyle Rhodes at 1:58. Kalamazoo was able to kill off the penalty.
Kalamazoo’s Kurt Gosselin took another penalty at 13:01. He sat for two minutes for interference.
Indy outshot Kalamazoo 14-3 in the first period despite neither team scoring.
2ND PERIOD
Gosselin took his second penalty of the game for roughing at 1:41. This was offset by a penalty to Indy’s Max Golod at the same time for slashing after the two exchanged words and shoves.
Both of those penalties were killed off but Golod took another minor penalty at 13:27 for slashing that resulted in a power play goal by Kalamazoo’s David Keefer at 14:10.
Just 22 seconds after that, Kalamazoo’s Brad Morrison was assessed a ten minute misconduct and left the ice for the period after both teams engaged in some chippy activity.
At 17:59, Coale Norris took a slashing penalty, giving the Fuel a power play opportunity. It did not last long as Indy’s Zach Vinnell also took a high-sticking penalty.
3RD PERIOD
That penalty carried over to the third period but the Fuel quickly killed it off.
At 6:43 in the third frame, Alex Wideman tied the game with a goal assisted by Koletrane Wilson and Luc Brown. This marked Wideman’s 63rd point of the season which is his single season best throughout his professional career.
At 7:42, Rhodes took his second penalty of the game for hooking to give the Fuel another power play opportunity. Kalamazoo’s Collin Saccoman took a cross-checking penalty a minute later. The Fuel took a timeout prior to their near minute of 5-on-3 play.
Wideman added another point with an assist on Chad Yetman’s power play goal at 9:30 to give Indy their first lead of the game. Max Golod had the other assist.
At 13:44, Nate Pionk and Raymond Brice took offsetting minor penalties for roughing, causing two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. There was a timeout after a big scuffle in front of Kalamazoo’s net and three more penalties were handed out.
The Wings had a few shots in the final minute of the game but Gray, in goal, made some huge saves as time expired and the Fuel were able to claim the win 2-1.
The Indy Fuel are back in action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 31 as they take on the Wheeling Nailers for Made In America Night / First Responders & Do317 Night.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
HOOSIERS WIN 15 STRAIGHT, SWEEP NO. 22 MARYLAND IN CONFERENCE OPENER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana softball (22-9, 3-0 B1G) extended their win streak to 15 after earning the series sweep against No. 22 Maryland (22-8, 0-3 B1G) at Andy Mohr Filed on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers run-ruled the Terps, 15-7, in the first game and clinched an 11-4 victory in the second for the win.
INDIANA 15, MARYLAND 7
KEY MOMENTS
• The Hoosiers were hot as they started the offense early scoring six runs off six hits in the bottom of the first.
• Sophomore Sarah Stone went yard sending one deep into left center in her first at bat of the day totaling three RBI, 3-0.
• Juniors Aaliyah Andrews and Brooke Benson hit RBI singles followed by a sac fly from senior Cora Bassett to score three more, 6-0.
• Freshman Taryn Kern hit a leadoff home run to start the bottom of the second. Classmate Avery Parker followed that up with a two RBI homer to right center, 9-0.
• Maryland added three runs in the top of the third to cut the lead.
• Indiana piled on five more runs to take a 13-3 lead behind doubles from Stone and Parker.
• The Terps continued to attack the Hoosier’s lead as they scored four runs in the top of the fifth, but Indiana still had an at bat before the run-rule took effect.
• Sophomore Brianna Copeland hit an infield RBI single as she scored freshman pinch runner Elle Smith for the victory.
INDIANA 11, MARYLAND 4
KEY MOMENTS
• Stone went yard for the second time today, hitting one over the center field wall, totaling two RBI in her first at bat of the game.
• The Terps would score three in the top of the second to take the lead, 3-2.
• Stone hit another home run to right field adding two more RBI to gain the lead before freshman Avery Parker slammed one out of the park deep into right field in the bottom of the third.
• The Hoosiers extended the lead in the fourth with three runs behind hits from Bassett, Minnick and a SAC fly from Stone, 7-3.
• UMD scored another on a single RBI to cut the lead, 7-4.
• Kern’s bat was hot as she hit the Hoosier’s third home run of the game for two RBI and a 9-4 lead heading into the seventh.
• Indiana earned the sweep with a pair of strikeouts from pitcher Macy Montgomery.
NOTABLES
• Indiana extends their win streak to 15 straight games for the longest streak since 2011.
• IU sweeps their first series as they improve to 22-9 on the season and 3-0 in the Big Ten.
• Sophomore pitcher Heather Johnson earns the win in game two of the series improving to 6-6 on the season, while Montgomery collected the victory in game three for a record of 5-3.
• Stone had five hits, one double, three home runs with 10 RBI on the weekend.
• Freshmen duo Parker and Kern had stellar performances in their first Big Ten series batting .556 on the weekend.
• Parker totaled five hits, one double, two home runs, four RBI and four runs scored.
• Kern tallied five hits, two doubles, two home runs, three RBI with three runs scored.
UP NEXT
Indiana hosts Butler at Andy Mohr Field on Tuesday with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.
INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO NO. 55 PENN STATE
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 55-ranked Penn State defeated Indiana Women’s Tennis (10-6, 1-3), 7-0, on Sunday afternoon at the Sarni Tennis Center.
Penn State won at No. 3 and No. 1 doubles to take momentum of the match and go up 1-0 heading into singles play.
From there, Penn State continued their run with winning all six singles matches. Wins at No. 6, 2 and 1 singles clinched the team victory.
The Nittany Lions added wins at No. 3, 4 and 5 singles to end the day.
PENN STATE 7, INDIANA 0
SINGLES
1. Sofiya Chekhlystova (PSU) def. Lara Schneider (IU), 7-5, 6-0
2. Yvonne Zuffova (PSU) def. Saby Nihalani (IU), 6-0, 6-4
3. Ioana Gheorghita (PSU) def. Mila Mejic (IU), 6-0, 6-4
4. Carla Girbau (PSU) def. Alex Staiculescu (IU), 6-4, 6-4
5. Olivia Dorner (PSU) def. Nicole Teodosescu (IU), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
6. Karly Friedland (PSU) def. Rose Hu (IU), 6-4, 6-1
DOUBLES
1. Chekhlystova/Carla Girbau (PSU) def. Nihalani/Schneider (IU), 6-2
2. Staiculescu/Teodosescu (IU) vs. Nielsen/Zuffova (PSU), 5-4
3. Gheorghita/Lebedeva (PSU) def. Mejic/ Lemonds (IU), 6-1
ORDER OF FINISH
Doubles: 3, 1, unfinished
Singles: 6, 2, 1, 3, 4, 5
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will be back in action at Nebraska on Friday, March 31 at 5 p.m. for their next match.
PURDUE BASEBALL
BIG INNINGS BURN BASEBALL IN DOUBLEHEADER AT MSU
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Purdue baseball scored first and held an early 2-0 lead in both games, but Michigan State rallied late to win game 1 and generated three consecutive big innings in the nightcap to sweep the Sunday doubleheader 5-4 and 12-6.
Jonathan Blackwell struck out six over six-plus innings of two-run ball as the Boilermakers’ game 1 starter, putting together his finest and longest outing of the season. Connor Caskenette connected for a two-run homer and two-run single in the nightcap, hitting his first home run as a Boilermaker as part of the four-RBI effort.
Purdue (10-12, 1-2 B1G) led 3-1 entering the seventh inning of game 1 and 2-0 going into the fourth inning of game 2. In the first game, the Spartans (13-8, 2-1 B1G) scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to take their first lead and then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth. All 12 runs for MSU were scored across the middle innings of the nightcap as the home team erupted for four-, three- and five-run frames.
Michigan State scored three-plus runs in four different innings Sunday. The 2-3-4 portion of the lineup ignited three of the rallies and it was 3-4-5 that started the other.
While Purdue’s bullpen was charged with 11 runs runs over 6 1/3 innings Sunday, Michigan State’s relievers excelled to the tune of 10 2/3 innings of five-run ball. The Boilermakers didn’t help their cause by committing six errors on the day – three in both games – after playing a clean game defensively in Friday’s win.
Purdue lost both ends of a doubleheader for the first time since March 2021 vs. Michigan in Greenville, South Carolina.
Mike Bolton Jr. singled, drew a free pass and scored a run in both games, extending his on-base streak to 14 consecutive games. The senior was on base twice and scored a run in all three games of the series. He’s been on base in 10 straight games in Big Ten play dating back to last season. Bolton now has the longest active on-base streak on the team after Evan Albrecht’s 23-game run came to an end in game 1 Sunday. Paul Toetz’s 13-game on-base streak was snapped in the nightcap. Couper Cornblum now has Purdue’s second longest active streak at nine straight games.
The Boilermakers are back in action Tuesday when they visit Indiana State for the front end of a midweek home and home. First pitch in Terre Haute is slated for 5 p.m. ET.
PURDUE MEN’S GOLF
BOILERMAKERS POST BEST SCORE OF SEASON AT THE HOOTIE
AWENDAW, S.C. – The Purdue men’s golf team posted its best 18-hole score of the season and finds itself in the hunt at The Hootie at Bulls Bay, sitting in second place after day one.
The Boilermakers recorded a 14-under par 274, five shots behind East Tennessee State’s 19-under par after 18 holes. Wisconsin is third at 11-under par 277, while Kentucky and North Carolina State are tied for fourth at 8-under par 280. Missouri is sixth at 7-under par 281.
Purdue’s 274 is a season-best tally and tied for the ninth-lowest round in school history. The Boilermakers had all five players shoot even-par or better and three golfers recorded rounds in the 60s.
Purdue started slow, as its five players were just a combined 2-under par through the back nine after starting its tournament teeing off hole No. 10. However, Purdue played the front nine in a combined 12-under par, including 10-under par on holes four through six.
Sophomore Kent Hsiao, playing in just his second event on the counting team, fired a career-best score of 5-under par 67 to sit in a sixth-place tie after 18 holes. He was even-par through nine holes, but played his final nine holes in 5-under par, including a eagle-par-birdie-birdie stretch to move him into the top 10.
Senior Nick Dentino after matched a career-best round with a 5-under par 67 with five birdies and an eagle against two bogeys.
Junior Herman Sekne recorded a 3-under par 69 to find himself in T-17th after 18 holes. It marked his seventh round this season in the 60s, already tied for the seventh most in a season in Purdue history. Nine of his 16 rounds this season have been even- or under par.
Peyton Snoeberger is tied for 29th at 1-under par 71, while Andrew Farraye is tied for 36th at even-par. Playing as an individual, Nels Surtani is tied for 63rd at 3-over par 75.
Purdue will begin round two at 10:21 a.m. ET, off hole No. 1 and will be paired with East Tennessee State and Wisconsin.
PURDUE WOMEN’S TENNIS
PURDUE FALLS TO ILLINOIS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue women’s tennis fell to Illinois in their first match back after being on the road.
Csilla Fodor recorded her first win over a ranked opponent for the season. The senior took down No. 121 Ashley Yeah from Illinois in the No. 2 match today. Fodor breezed through the match to get to her victory and record a 6-1, 6-2 win for the Boilers. She is now only five singles wins away from securing her spot in the program’s all time top-15 list in career victories.
Sophomores Carmen Gallardo Guevara and Tara Katarina Milic fought in the No. 2 doubles match. The pair were winning 5-4 over Josie Frazier and Emily Casati from Illinois when play was halted.
Gallardo Guevara also played a close singles match. After dropping the second set, she fought back to take the lead in the third. Fellow sophomore Juana Larranaga followed the same pattern. Both Boilermakers were leading their opponents when play was finished.
No. 44 PURDUE (11-4, 2-2) – 1, No. 34 ILLINOIS (11-5, 3-0) – 4
SINGLES
1. Kate Duong (ILL) def. Liz Norman (PUR) – 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Csilla Fodor (PUR) def. No. 121 Ashley Yeah (ILL) – 6-1, 6-2
3. Carmen Gallardo Guevara (PUR) vs. Megan Heuser (ILL) – 6-4, 4-6, 3-2, unfinished
4. Josie Frazier (ILL) def. Tara Katarina Milic (PUR) – 6-2, 6-4
5. Kasia Triber (ILL) def. Kennedy Gibbs (PUR) – 7-6 (5), 6-2
6. Juana Larranaga (PUR) vs. 6-3, 1-5, 5-2, unfinished
DOUBLES
1. No. 28 Kate Duong/Megan Heuser (ILL) def. Liz Norman/Csilla Fodor (PUR) – 6-1
2. Carmen Gallardo Guevara/Tara Katarina Milic (PUR) vs. Josie Frazier/Emily Casati (ILL) – 5-4, unfinished
3. Kida Ferrari/Violeta Martinez (ILL) def. Juana Larranaga/Kennedy Gibbs (PUR) – 6-4
ORDER OF FINISH
Singles: 2, 5, 4, 1
Doubles: 1, 3
PURDUE WOMEN’S GOLF
PURDUE TAKES FOURTH PLACE AS WEATHER CANCELS FINAL ROUND
ATHENS, Ga. – Purdue Women’s Golf bested a pair of Top-25 teams on the way to a fourth-place finish at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic. Inclement weather cancelled Sunday’s final round at the University of Georgia Golf Course, shortening the tournament to 36 holes.
The Boilermakers (+7) finished behind No. 10 Auburn (-13), No. 4 South Carolina (-2) and No. 21 Florida (+5) in the 15-team field, while beating ranked opponents in No. 19 Virginia (+10) and No. 9 Texas A&M (+13). As a squad, Purdue was second in par-3 scoring (+5) and pars (122) throughout the two rounds.
Momo Sugiyama secured her third Top-5 performance of the season, ending her tournament at 2-under (73-69—142) with the help of her fifth round in the 60s. The Purdue sophomore defeated 13 golfers ranked in Golfstat’s Top 100 in the nation, also tying Golfstat No. 2 Jenny Bae (Georgia) on her home course.
Ashley Kozlowski (+3) tied for 22nd, rising up the leaderboard with a 2-under 70 in the second round. Seniors Kan Bunnabodee (77-71—148) and Danielle du Toit (73-75—148) matched one another at 4-over to tie for 31st.
Up next, the Boilermakers travel to Oklahoma to battle foes in The Bruzzy Challenge hosted by North Texas (April 1-2). It will be the third consecutive weekend Purdue plays in a tournament.
BOILERMAKERS
T5. Momo Sugiyama: 73-69—142 (-2)
T22. Ashley Kozlowski: 77-70—147 (+3)
T31. Kan Bunnabodee: 77-71—148 (+4)
T31. Danielle du Toit: 73-75—148 (+4)
T66. Jocelyn Bruch: 75-79—154 (+10)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. #10 Auburn: 277-286—563 (-13)
2. #4 South Carolina: 290-284—574 (-2)
3. #21 Florida: 288-293—581 (+5)
T4. Purdue: 298-285—583 (+7)
T4. North Carolina: 295-288—583 (+7)
T6. #19 Virginia: 289-297—586 (+10)
T6. Georgia: 294-292—586 (+10)
T6. Louisville: 295-291—586 (+10)
9. #9 Texas A&M: 298-291—589 (+13)
10. Arkansas: 297-284—591 (+15)
11. College of Charleston: 298-297—595 (+14)
12. Alabama: 294-305—599 (+23)
13. Georgia Southern: 305-306—611 (+35)
14. San Diego State: 307-306—613 (+37)
15. Daytona State: 320-313—633 (+57)
PURDUE SOFTBALL
PURDUE FALLS IN SERIES FINALE AT NEBRASKA, 2-4
LINCOLN, Neb. — Purdue softball fell to the Big Ten leader Nebraska, 2-4 in the series finale. With the result, Nebraska takes the series in sweeping fashion as Purdue moves to 15-16 on the season and the Huskers improve to 23-9.
The Huskers had an answer for every run Purdue scored. The Boilermakers kept the game within one run until the fifth inning, when Nebraska pulled away to a 4-2 lead, sealing the game.
The Boilermakers left 11 runners stranded in the game.
Scoring runs for Purdue were Tyrina Jones and Olivia McFadden. Meanwhile, freshman Bella Bacon added her third RBI of the season in sac fly fashion for Purdue’s first run. McFadden notched the RBI for the fifth-inning score.
Purdue will be back in action for a doubleheader vs. Indiana, set for 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET. The games, which will be played at Purdue’s Bittinger Stadium, will air live on Big Ten Network. They are the only games this season slated for linear television.
Then, the Boilermakers will travel to Piscataway to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Friday at 3 p.m. ET, Saturday at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The series will be available on B1G+.
BUTLER WOMEN’S LAX
LEAH RUBINO’S PROGRAM-RECORD SEVEN GOALS LEADS BUTLER TO SUNDAY WIN
Butler women’s lacrosse won their matchup against Eastern Michigan 14-13 on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs reach .500 with a 4-4 record and the Eagles drop to 1-7 on the season.
How it happened
Butler started the game in a 4-0 hole as Eastern Michigan got out to an early lead. The Eagles won three of the first four draw controls in the game and scored on each of those possessions. The Bulldogs would battle back in the second half of the period. Five different Dawgs scored a goal, fueling a 5-1 run in the last 10:25 to tie things up at 5 a piece. Campbell Connors’ goal, which gave Butler their first lead of the game, put her in first place on the program’s all-time goals list.
The next period was all Leah Rubino, who outscored Eastern Michigan 4-1 by herself in the second. This gave Butler a 9-6 lead at the end of the first half.
The Eagles would not back down, however, outscoring the Bulldogs 4-2 in the third period. Draw controls played a big part in Eastern Michigan’s run as they maintained a 7-0 advantage in the period over Butler. A last-second connection from Julia Putzi to Rubino gave Butler an 11-10 lead heading into the fourth period.
In the final 10 minutes, both teams battled to gain any sort of advantage. Goals were traded back and forth, and the score was 13-13 with less than two minutes to play. A caused turnover by Rubino and ground ball pick-up by goalie Caroline Smith set up what was the go-ahead goal by Kate Kaptrosky with 34 seconds left in regulation. Butler forced a turnover once again and played keep-away as time expired to clinch their fourth win of the season.
Notable Stats
Leah Rubino scored a program-record seven goals in the win.
Campbell Connors is now the program’s all-time leader in career goals with 66.
KK Callaghan and Kate Katropsky both scored two goals.
Greer Bireley added one goal and one assist and Kaley Attaway ended with one goal and three ground balls.
Caroline Smith earned her third game this season with 10+ saves.
Butler committed a season-low 10 turnovers.
The Bulldogs tied their season-high in caused turnovers with nine.
Butler was –11 in draws controls in the contest.
Eastern Michigan’s Sydney Lawrence earned a season-high in points (7) and goals (5).
Up Next
Butler opens conference play at home against Xavier on April 1. First draw is set for 1 p.m.
BUTLER WOMEN’S TENNIS
BUTLER TENNIS SWEEPS SAINT LOUIS
The Butler women’s tennis team defeated Saint Louis on Sunday 7-0. The win is their third consecutive victory in the last three days.
In doubles play, teammates Norah Balthazor and Jordan Schildcrout started quickly winning 6-1 at the third court. Natalie Boesing and Chase Metcalf closed out the top spot to give Butler the point.
The Bulldogs continued their strong singles play, winning on all six courts in straight-sets. Delaney Schurhamer and Balthazor won comfortably giving up seven games combined at the No. 2 and No. 4. Boesing, Metcalf, Katie Beavin, and Emma Beavin all impressed as well to move the team’s singles record to 18-0 on the weekend.
Next Saturday, Butler hosts UCONN at the Outdoor Tennis Courts. First serve is set for 11 a.m.
Match Results – Butler vs. Saint Louis
Singles:
1. Natalie Boesing (BU) def. Elizabeth Mintusova (SLU) 7-5, 7-5
2. Delaney Schurhamer (BU) def. Norhan Hesham (SLU) 6-1, 6-3
3. Chase Metcalf (BU) def. Fiorella Duran (SLU) 6-4, 7-5
4. Norah Balthazor (BU) def. Mya Spencer (SLU) 6-0, 6-3
5. Katie Beavin (BU) def. Sandra Gines (SLU) 6-2, 7-5
6. Emma Beavin (BU) def. Elizabeth Barlow (SLU) 6-4, 5-4
Doubles:
1. Natalie Boesing/Chase Metcalf (BU) def. Norhan Hesham/Mya Spencer (SLU) 6-4
2. Elizabeth Mintusova/Sandra Gines (SLU) vs. Veronika Bruetting/Delaney Schurhamer (BU) 5-3, unfinished
3. Norah Balthazor/Jordan Schildcrout (BU) def. Fiorella Duran/Elizabeth Barlow (SLU) 6-1
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF HOSTS DON BENBOW SPRING INVITATIONAL MONDAY AND TUESDAY
Butler men’s golf team will host the Don Benbow Spring Invitational Monday and Tuesday in the team’s only home event of the season.
The tournament is named in honor of the late Don Benbow, who was inducted into the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame for his contributions as a standout football student-athlete, golf and football coach, and his time at Butler as an athletics administrator.
Highland Country Club, Butler’s home course, serves as the site of the event. The par-70 track is normally set up at 6,551 yards.
Butler will be one of 12 teams in the field fielding a complete scoring five. The Bulldogs will be joined by Ball State, Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Evansville, Green Bay, Franklin College, Indiana Hills, University of Indianapolis, IUPUI, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Youngstown State. Illinois, Indiana, Morehead State, Purdue, and West Virginia will have individuals competing as part of the event.
Monday will feature 36 holes of continuous play with the same playing groups. Tuesday will be a final 18 holes. Shotgun starts are slated for 9 a.m. both days.
IUPUI SOFTBALL
JAGS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER AT CLEVELAND STATE
CLEVELAND, Ohio – After having back-to-back days rained out in Cleveland, Ohio the Jags finally took the field against the Vikings on Sunday where they completed the two-game sweep. Game one was a pitchers’ duel decided by one run, 1-0. The Jags fell behind early in game two but came back to win, 5-2.
In game one, Madison Bryant threw a complete game shutout giving up just four hits to lead the Jags to a 1-0 victory. Bryant fanned nine batters in her second win of the season. Kendal Calvert scored the lone run for the Jags. The sophomore singled then advanced all the way around to score on back-to-back errors by the Vikings’ third baseman and the right fielder.
Calvert went 2-for-4 while Kennedy Cowan hit a double and Rachael Gregory, Jordan Jenkins and Jaida Speth each recorded a hit in the 1-0 win.
After the game one win, the Jags sealed the sweep with a comeback 5-2 win. Carly Metcalf also threw a complete game, giving up two runs on just three hits with five strikeouts.
Cleveland State took the lead early with a two-run homer off the bat of Brooke Albaugh in the bottom of the first inning. IUPUI cut the lead in half with one run in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Calvert was hit by pitch, scoring Maicey Bedrick, 2-1.
After a scoreless third inning, the Jags scored three runs in the top of the fourth frame. Cowan hit her fourth home run of the season with a two-run knock to give the Jags the lead. Calvert then scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2.
IUPUI added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Kinsey Pfieffer grounded out to shortstop to score Gregory. The Jags defense shut down the Cleveland State offense in the bottom half of the seventh to seal the win, 5-2.
Five Jags recorded hits in the win. Along with Cowan’s homer, Kayla Freiberg also recorded an extra base hit with a double. Calvert, Jenkins and Bedrick all collected a hit each.
With the two wins IUPUI improves their record to 6-16 overall and 3-1 in Horizon League play. The Jags will play a midweek game at Notre Dame on Tuesday, March 28 at 5:00 PM.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL COMPLETES SERIES SWEEP OF CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MUNCIE, Ind. – – The Ball State softball team completed a weekend sweep of Central Michigan with a pair of walk-off victories, by scores of 2-1 (8) and 10-2 (6), Sunday afternoon at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
“There is something special about this team when we are playing at home,” head coach Lacy Schurr said. “You can never count us out. If we have strikes and outs left on the board, we are still in the game.”
Trailing 1-0 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in the opening game, the Cardinals (14-12; 4-1 Mid-American Conference) received a clutch solo home run from junior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews to force extra innings.
Senior shortstop Amaia Daniel made sure the game ended in eight innings, following a pair of walks with a walk-off RBI single through the right side for the 2-1 (8) victory.
On the pitching front, junior transfer Francys King struck out five of the first six batters she faced to set the tone. She allowed just four hits and one unearned run in the game, while striking out a season-high six batters.
“Francys gave us a really good game today,” Schurr said. “I am proud of her. She’s worked hard the past couple weeks and she performed well under pressure. We needed her to throw a good game today and she did.”
While the Chippewas (10-16; 0-3 MAC) jumped out to another lead in the top of the first in the second game, redshirt junior first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata smashed a three-run shot in the bottom of the inning to give Ball State the momentum.
After CMU cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the fourth, the Cardinals scored seven unanswered runs to win the game on a two-out, walk-off, two-run home run from redshirt sophomore first baseman McKayla Timmons in the bottom of the sixth.
Bridie Murphy was credited with the pitching victory in both games, throwing the final inning in the opener and the third and fourth frames in the nightcap. Combined, she held CMU to just three hits and one run, while striking out three. With the two wins, she improved to 5-0 on the year.
“This weekend’s results set the table for us to ultimately reach the goals we have for ourselves,” Schurr added. “Every game in this conference matters and every game could be the difference of you hosting the MAC Tournament or not.”
HIGHLIGHTS
Senior third baseman Haley Wynn and Daniel each had four hits over the two games, allowing Wynn to raise her season average to .468 and Daniel to .442.
All five of Timmons’ home runs this season have been two-run shots, with four of the five coming with two outs, including today’s walk-off blast in the second game.
After picking up Saturday’s win, sophomore pitcher Angelina Russo threw the final two innings of Sunday’s nightcap, retiring all six batters she faced.
Redshirt sophomore Emma Eubank made her first appearance of the season by starting the nightcap, holding CMU to three hits and one run over 2.0 innings of work.
Remington Ross picked up her 10th stolen base of the season in the second game, improving to 10-for-10 on the year.
SCORING SUMMARY – GAME 1: Ball State 2 – Central Michigan 1 (8)
T4 | Central Michigan put the first run across with an infield single by Alyssa Hollo to second base, while Michaleigh Vallimont scored on a throwing error (0-1)
B7 | Ball State tied the game with a solo home run to left center from Mathews (1-1)
B8 | A single to right field by Daniel scores junior center fielder Remington Ross for a walk off win for the Cardinals (2-1)
SCORING SUMMARY – GAME 2: Ball State 10 – Central Michigan 2 (6)
T1 | Hollo singles up the middle to score Vallimont for the first run of the game (0-1)
B1 | Ball State takes the lead with a three-run home run to left center from Mata, scoring senior catcher Jazmyn Armendariz and Daniel (3-1)
T4| Samantha Mills singles to right field to score Skylar Coberley (3-2)
B4| Wynn extends the Ball State lead with a double down the left field line to score Ross (4-2)
B4| Daniel singles to right to score Wynn from second for her second RBI of the day (5-2)
B5| A Matthews sacrifice fly to center drives in freshman pinch runner Ashlee Lovett (6-2)
B5| Freshman pinch hitter Maddie Weaver reaches on a two-out error, which also allowed freshman pinch runner Grace Spencer to cross the plate (7-2)
B6| Armendariz doubles down the right field line scoring Ross (8-2)
B6| Timmons walks it off via run-rule for the Cardinals with a two-run home run to center field scoring Armendariz (10-2)
UP NEXT
It will be a quick turnaround for the Ball State softball team, which opens a midweek league series versus Northern Illinois with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday. The Cardinals and Huskies will also play a single game Wednesday at 1 p.m.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BALL STATE SWEEPS EASTERN MICHIGAN, EXTENDS WINNING STREAK TO EIGHT GAMES
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Ball State baseball team returned to Oestrike Stadium on Saturday for game two with Eastern Michigan. Hunter Dobbins launched his fourth home run of the season, as the Cardinals sweep the Eagles with a 7-3 victory.
Ball State improved to 17-6 overall and 8-1 in league games, while Eastern Michigan fell to 10-10 overall and 4-5 in Mid-American Conference action.
“Our boys battled all weekend long and earned a road sweep,” said Head Coach Rich Maloney. “The strength of this group is we are a team each day. There seems to be a couple of different guys contributing. In the series finale today, we had pitching contributions from Schulfer, Brown and Klein, with hitting contributions from Flood, Dobbins, and Lane.”
Eastern Michigan got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Matt Kirk.
Dobbins tied the game in the top of the third inning with a solo home run to left field.
The Eagles retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth with one run on no hits. EMU held a 2-1 lead after five innings.
Decker Scheffler led off the top of the seventh with a six-pitch walk. Logan Flood followed with a walk to give the Cardinals runners on first and second. Justin Conant drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Zach Lane reached on a fielder’s choice and scored Scheffler from third. The game was tied 2-2 after 7.5 innings.
Glenn Miller put the Eagles back on top with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh. EMU led 3-2.
Ryan Peltier led off the top of the eighth and was hit by a pitch. Scheffler drew a one-out walk to give the Cardinals runners on first and second. Logan Flood doubled to right center and drove in Peltier. Blake Bevis recorded a sac fly to right field as Scheffler tagged up from third. Dobbins followed with a single to right field to drive in Flood from third. The Cardinals regained the lead, 5-3.
Adam Tellier led off the top of the ninth with a single up the middle. Peltier grounded out to the shortstop and moved Tellier to second. Andrew Wilhite grounded out to first and moved Tellier to third. Scheffler singled through the right side and scored Tellier. Logan Flood singled to right field and moved Scheffler to third. Scheffler scored on a wild pitch. The Cardinals took a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Logan Schulfer got the start on the mound for the Cardinals. He went three innings and struck out five batters. He gave up one earned run on two hits. Ryan Brown went 3 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. He surrendered two earned runs on three hits. Sam Klein closed out the game with 2 2/3 innings and got the win. He moved to 2-0 on the season and had two strikeouts.
Luke Russo got the start for EMU and picked up a no decision. He struck out eight batters and gave up one earned run on five hits. Jagger Jefferies struck out one batter and gave up one earned run in 2/3 of an inning. Bobby Jones went one inning and surrendered three earned runs. He struck out two batters and picked up the loss. He fell to 0-2. Zach Gillig added an inning of relief with two earned runs. Trevor House threw a 1/3 of an inning.
Ball State returns to the friendly confines of the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark for a non-conference matchup with Southern Indiana. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28.
BALL STATE MEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS SUFFERS 4-3 SETBACK AT BUFFALO
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Ball State men’s tennis team dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker against Buffalo Sunday afternoon at the Miller Tennis Center
The Cardinals (10-7, 2-3 MAC) continues their strong play in doubles after earning the first point of the match by taking the top two courts from the Bulls (6-6, 2-3 MAC).
Danilo Kovacevic and Nathaniel Webster breezed through Buffalo’s No. 1 doubles tandem of Simon Wibler and Finn Macnamara beating the duo by a score of 6-2. Shortly after, Vince Orlando and Eli Herran clinched doubles play at the No. 2 slot with their 6-3 defeat versus UB’s Aleksandr Kalinin and Daniils Snaiders.
The Bulls began to make their comeback early on in singles play by capturing victories against the Cardinals at the No. 3 and No. 6 positions.
Herran knotted the match 2-2 with his three-set thriller over Buffalo’s No. 4 player Theodoros Mitsakos. But unfortunately for the Cardinals the Bulls were victorious once again on courts five and one. Those two points earned UB the win over BSU.
Orlando would end the match on a high note for Ball State after taking down Cheng Tang at the No. 2 position,7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (9).
The Ball State men’s tennis team continues Mid-American Conference action on the road when it plays at Toledo Friday. First serve is at 1 pm ET.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S TENNIS
WOMEN’S TENNIS FALLS TO TOLEDO IN MAC PLAY SUNDAY
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Ball State women’s tennis team dropped a tough 5-2 road loss to Toledo Sunday afternoon at the Twos Athletic Club.
The Cardinals (13-3, 2-1 MAC) and the Rockets (11-4, 3-0 MAC) have become quite the Mid-American Conference rivals in recent years with Ball State defeating Toledo 4-3 in last year’s 2022 MAC Tournament Championship.
Ball State entered this afternoon’s competition on an 11-match win streak.
Toledo took the early 1-0 edge over Ball State after registering wins on courts one and two in doubles play.
In singles, the Rockets continued their dominance taking victories from the Cardinals on four of the six courts.
Jessica Braun and Elena Malykh were the only two Cardinals who earned victories for the BSU today.
Braun picked up a 6-3, 7-6 (4) defeat against Toledo’s No. 4 singles player, Mariona Perez while Malykh won 7-5 in both sets at the No. 6 position.
The Ball State women’s tennis team returns home Friday against Northern Illinois at 1 pm ET. The match will be played at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center, weather permitting.
NOTRE DAME SWIMMING
IRISH POST BEST NCAA FINISH IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Minneapolis, Minn. — It was a historic week for Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving.
The 18th-ranked Irish aptly finished No. 18 overall at the 2022-23 NCAA Men’s Championships, which were held at the University of Minnesota from March 22-25. It was the program’s best finish in school history, and the 62 points posted was also a team best. Notre Dame broke seven school records en route to scoring 47 more points than originally projected.
A pair of record-breaking relays got Notre Dame started on Wednesday night. The 200 medley relay of Tommy Janton, Sean Faikish, Cason Wilburn and Chris Guiliano went 1:23.35 to break the existing mark of 1:23.76, which was set in 2022. Wilburn and Guiliano were members of that relay team as well. The 800 freestyle relay of Guiliano, Jack Hoagland, Wilburn and Alec DeLong smashed the existing record set earlier this year at ACCs (6:16.29). Guiliano’s 1:32.08 lead-off leg broke his own school record in the 200 freestyle.
Hoagland scored the first individual points of the meet by taking 10th place in the 500 freestyle on Thursday. His time of 4:12.49 was a season-best and around 2 seconds off of the school record.
Notre Dame’s sole diver, Daniel Knapp, competed in the men’s 1-meter on Day 2 as well. He finished 23rd, the third-highest finish for a freshman at the meet.
“Daniel did a solid job,” head diving coach Mark Bradshaw said. “He was consistent, and he didn’t really miss anything. It’s a very tough event, and I think it was a great learning experience for him moving forward. He had a fantastic freshman year, and I think we are going to hear a lot more from Daniel in the next three years.”
On Friday, Hoagland finished 12th in the 400 IM with a time of 3:40.82. He holds the school record, a 3:40.73 set in 2020. Guiliano won the consolation heat in the 200 freestyle (1:32.31). Janton got in on the action on Friday night, lowering his own school record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 45.43. He finished 14th overall.
On the final day, Hoagland earned Notre Dame’s highest finish of the meet. The senior took fifth in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 14:38.64. Guiliano and Janton closed down the individual events for the Irish. Janton became the first Notre Dame swimmer to break 1:40 in the 200 backstroke, as he took 10th with a time of 1:39.45. He broke the barrier during prelims as well (1:39.83). Guiliano broke his own school record in prelims in the 100 freestyle in the morning (41.48), and he took 10th place with a 41.64 at night.
The 400 freestyle relay composed of Guiliano, Wilburn, DeLong and Thacher Scannell ended Notre Dame’s time in Minneapolis, finishing 18th and just off the school record the same group set at ACCs a month back.
At the end of the meet, the following swimmers earned All-American status of some sort in individual events:
Hoagland: 500 & 1650 freestyle, 400 IM
Guiliano: 100 & 200 freestyle
Janton: 100 & 200 backstroke
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES COMPLETE SWEEP OF DRAKE TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED IN MVC PLAY
DES MOINES, Iowa – Indiana State softball won both games of a doubleheader against Drake on Saturday at Buel Field to complete a three-game sweep of the Bulldogs.
The Sycamores (17-12, 6-0) won 5-2 in game one while taking game two 8-5 over Drake (6-20, 0-6) to sweep their second-straight conference sweep to remain undefeated in the Missouri Valley.
Game One
Indiana State broke a scoreless tie in the third inning as Danielle Henning drove in Abi Chipps to put ISU up 1-0.
Drake would take over the lead in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of runs on RBI doubles to go up 2-1 over the Trees.
In the top of the fifth, Indiana State got RBI from Olivia Patton and Kennedy Shade to retake the lead, going up 3-2.
Annie Tokarek would put the game away for the Sycamores in the seventh, driving in Kennedy Shade and Isabella Henning with a double to make it a 5-2 game.
Cassi Newbanks started for ISU and went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs while striking out a pair. Hailey Griffin replaced her and went 2.1 scoreless to earn her second win of the season. Lauren Sackett closed out the game for the Sycamores, working 1.1 innings en route to her third save of the season.
The Sycamores finished with nine hits, led by Isabella Henning who went 3-for-4 for the game.
Game Two
Annie Tokarek got the Sycamores off to a quick start in game two, launching a three-run home run to put Indiana State in front 3-0.
Cassie Thomerson and Kaylee Barrett extended the lead to 5-0 in the third with a sacrifice fly and a single, respectively. Drake got a run back in the bottom half of the frame, making it a 5-1 game after three complete frames.
In the top of the fourth, Annie Tokarek and TeAnn Bringle each drove in a run to increase the Sycamore lead to 7-1. Tokarek would drive in her fifth RBI of the game in the sixth to put ISU up 8-1.
Drake would score four runs over the final two frames to make it 8-5 but Indiana State held on for the victory and completed the series sweep.
Indiana State finished with 12 hits as team, getting multi-hit games from Isabella Henning, Kennedy Shade, Annie Tokarek and Cassie Thomerson. Lexi Benko continued her stellar campaign, improving her record to to 8-3 with 5.2 innings of work with four strikeouts. She allowed three runs on four hits. Hailey Griffin threw 1.1 innings of relief.
Up Next
Indiana State will head to Illinois on Wednesday, March 29 for a doubleheader against the Illini beginning at 5 p.m. ET.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BASEBALL COMPLETES SERIES SWEEP AT MISSOURI STATE WITH 7-4 WIN
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – University of Evansville fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts was a one-man wrecking crew on Sunday, as he launched two home runs and drove in five runs to help the Purple Aces complete a Missouri Valley Conference series sweep at Missouri State with a 7-4 victory.
“What a special weekend this weekend at the ballyard by our club,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “To come on the road and sweep a very good ballclub in Missouri State is a great feather in the cap for our team, and a great way to start Missouri Valley Conference play.
“Today, it was fun to watch Eric Roberts hit, as he was really dialed in. But, like all weekend, we had different guys up and down the lineup come through in big spots today to pick up this win. It will be good to return home this week, and hopefully, we can keep this winning streak going.”
Evansville (16-7 overall, 3-0 MVC) won its ninth-straight game behind the bat of Roberts, who homered in back-to-back at-bats in the fourth and sixth innings to help UE overcome an early 2-0 deficit.
The Bears grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by freshman outfielder Zack Stewart, his fifth home run of the year. UE would get a run back in the third inning on an RBI single by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug. Then, Evansville would plate four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good.
Sophomore DH Ben Stuart tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI ground out. Then, after a more-than 10-pitch at-bat by sophomore outfielder Ty Rumsey led to a walk with two outs to put two men on base, Roberts crushed his first home run of the day onto the roof of the indoor facility in right-center field to give UE a 5-2 lead. Roberts would then launch another two-run home run in the sixth inning to help UE build a 7-2 cushion.
The Bears would score two runs in the eighth inning on a two-run double by Stewart to cut the lead to 7-4. UE closer Nate Hardman would get a strikeout against the potential tying run in the eighth inning, and induced a key double play in the ninth inning to earn his second save and make a winner of starter Donovan Schultz. Schultz (4-1) allowed just two runs on four hits in 5.0 innings of work, while striking out four.
Roberts finished the game going 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI. Hug also had a two-hit day for UE. Stewart went 3-for-4 with four RBI for Missouri State (11-11, 0-3 MVC).
Evansville will now return home to German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium to host Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. The game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network courtesy of 107.1 FM-WJPS.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
BEARS SHUT DOWN ACES TO TAKE FINALE
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Scoring one run in the third and two more in the fifth, Missouri State finished up its series against the University of Evansville softball team with a 3-0 win on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears accumulated five hits with three coming from Tess Weakly. Four Purple Aces registered hits in the game. Mikayla Jolly made the start and went 2 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits. Sydney Weatherford threw the final 3 1/3 frames with two runs scoring, one of which was earned. Mackenzie Chacon picked up the win for MSU, scattering four hits in seven innings.
Evansville made a threat in the top of the first with Taylor Howe reaching on a walk before Alexa Davis got on base with a fielder’s choice. In the third, Lacy Smith hit a leadoff single but both chances were halted by the Bears. Missouri State broke the scoreless tie with a run in the third.
UE picked up hits in the fourth and fifth innings, however, the Bears kept it at a 1-0 game before adding two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Hannah Hood led the comeback attempt in the seventh, hitting a 1-out double before the Bears recorded the final two outs to complete the win.
Midweek action will see the Aces on the road at Lindenwood for a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
EAGLES FALL SHORT AGAINST LIONS, 4-3
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (4-11, 0-2 OVC) started off strong but ended on a sour note after falling to Lindenwood University, 4-3, at the USI Tennis Courts Sunday afternoon.
Doubles: The Screaming Eagles notched a pair of doubles victories to begin the match. Junior Rachel McCorkle (Tulsa, Oklahoma)/sophomore Abby Myers (Evansville, Indiana) combination scored a 6-3 win at number two before sophomore Abby Brown (Evansville, Indiana)/freshman Khandice Thomas (Pickerington, Ohio) duo secured the doubles point for USI after their victory at number three (6-4).
Singles: McCorkle continued the hot streak going into singles play with a 6-3, 6-3 win at number two. Despite going up 2-0, the Eagles dropped three-straight sets. Junior Lauren Rowe (Terre Haute, Indiana) tied the match up after defeating her opponent at number one (6-4, 4-6, 6-3). USI would end the match with a loss at number three singles to give the Lions their first Ohio Valley Conference victory in program history.
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles continue OVC play next Sunday, April 2 when USI faces Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Illinois at 11 a.m. The Cougars have not faced the Eagles since April 2008 with USI holding a 12-2 record over SIUE since 2000.
VALPO BASEBALL
INDIANA STATE TAKES DOUBLEHEADER FROM BEACONS
The Valparaiso University baseball team dropped a doubleheader against Indiana State on Sunday at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute as the Sycamores remained a kryptonite for the Beacons by extending their long head-to-head winning streak. The Trees took the opening game 7-2 before finishing off the series with a 4-2 win in the nightcap.
How It Happened – Game 1
The Beacons started the scoring in the top of the first thanks to Jake Skrine (Longmont, Colo. / Mead [Indiana]), who lined a two-out single into right to allow Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central) to score from second.
Starting pitcher Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) did not yield a hit or a run over the first three frames, keeping the Beacons in front 1-0.
The Sycamores used a two-out double that got up into the wind and over the head of the right fielder in the fourth to get on the board and tie the game at one.
Indiana State scored five times in the sixth inning to take the lead. That frame included a three-run homer.
The Beacons got one back in the top of the seventh, but were thinking big inning when they had the bases loaded with nobody out and eventually settled for the single tally.
Indiana State’s Mike Sears led off the eighth inning with his second home run of the day to expand the lead to 7-2.
Tucker made an excellent snag at second base as he dove into shallow right to prevent a base hit to close out the eighth.
Valpo had a pair of hits in the top of the ninth, but could not cash in.
Inside the Game – Game 1
Skrine had two hits to account for the team’s lone multi-hit effort. He also tallied the team’s lone RBI, his 12th of the season.
First baseman Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) had a hit and a walk to extend his on-base streak to 16.
The hit column was level with each team owning eight hits, but the Sycamores strung together hits in their one big inning and had four extra base knocks to Valpo’s one.
Valpo struck first for the 11th time in 16 games this season and jumped on the board in the first inning for the eighth time in 16 contests.
How It Happened – Game 2
Valpo struck first yet again as Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) ripped a two-out double before Renfro stroked a single to plate the game’s first run in the top of the first.
Indiana State tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first, but had a chance for more with the bases loaded and nobody out. Valpo starting pitcher Griffin McCluskey (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) picked up a timely strikeout then induced an inning-ending double play to keep the damage minimal.
Valpo threatened in the bottom of the second, but stranded two in scoring position. The Sycamores plated two in the bottom of the inning to grab a 3-1 lead.
The Beacons made outs on the base paths in both the third and fourth innings. In the fourth frame it proved costly as they did not score despite the first three batters of the inning reaching via a double, single and walk.
Indiana State tacked on in the third by producing a two-out run to make it 4-1, then neither team scored again until the seventh, when a sac fly by Renfro helped the Beacons move a step closer at 4-2.
McCluskey left after three innings, but Nathan Chasey (Ames, Iowa / Gilbert [Indiana Hills CC]) did great work out of the bullpen to help keep the guests well within striking distance. He yielded just two hits over three scoreless frames.
The Valpo bullpen remained the Game 2 bright spot when Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) put up a goose egg in the seventh, then Bobby Nowak (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central [Kankakee]) completed the outstanding day for the relief corps with a flawless bottom of the eighth.
Inside the Game – Game 2
Valpo scored first for the 12th time in 17 games this season and in the first inning for the ninth time in 17 contests.
Renfro extended his on-base streak to 17 as he’s reached in every game this year.
Schmack and Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) both had multi-hit games. Maka had his fifth of the year and Schmack had his team-leading eighth.
The hit column once again did not tell the story of the game’s outcome, as Valpo outhit Indiana State 10-8.
Renfro added two more RBIs, lifting his season total to 15, second on the team.
Up Next
Valpo (7-10, 0-3 MVC) is scheduled to open the home portion of the season on Tuesday at 3 p.m. vs. Milwaukee at Emory G. Bauer Field. The game will air on ESPN+.
VALPO WOMEN’S TENNIS
BERTINO, DOUBLES TANDEMS EARN WINS OVER UIC
The Valparaiso University tennis team dropped Sunday’s match 5-2 to UIC at The Courts of Northwest Indiana, but the match came down to the wire and was closer than the 5-2 final would indicate. The Flames won on five of the six singles courts, but three of those UIC victories and four singles matches in total required a third set.
How It Happened
Valpo started the match in style by taking the doubles point as Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) and Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Houston Tennis Academy) teamed up for a 6-3 win over Agnes Gustafsson and Ana Jover to clinch the point. That came after Amanda Tabanera (Valencia, Calif. / Valencia) and Elizabeth Sobieski (Muskego, Wis. / Muskego) had achieved their goal at No. 2, besting the UIC tandem 6-2.
UIC won in straight sets at No. 2 and No. 3, but the four remaining singles matches went the distance and Valpo needed to win three of the four to take the match.
In all four of the matches that went three sets, the Beacons won the opening set and the Flames came back to take Set 2. Mia Bertino (Lockport, Ill. / Joliet Catholic) defeated Paula Rodriguez in her third set at No. 6 singles, capturing the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
The other three matches all went the UIC way, with the Flames taking three-set wins at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 5.
Inside the Match
Bertino upped her season singles win total to 15 and her career mark to 36.
Czerwonka and Silva picked up their 15th doubles win of the year, one away from climbing into the top 10 on the program’s single-season doubles wins list.
The doubles win for Czerwonka was the 60th of her career. That ranks second in program history behind only her sister Claire (72).
UIC was picked third of nine in the MVC preseason poll and hauled in three of the nine first-place votes.
Czerwonka and Silva beat a pair that featured Gustafsson, the Horizon League Player of the Year last season.
Up Next
The Beacons (10-5, 0-3) will hit the road for its Iowa swing this coming weekend. The Beacons will visit UNI on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
VALPO SOFTBALL
BEACONS DROP SERIES FINALE TO ILLINOIS STATE
The Valpo softball team’s first home series of the season wrapped up on Sunday afternoon at the Valpo Softball Complex, as the Beacons fell by a 15-0 final to Illinois State.
How It Happened
Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) snagged a low liner to end the top of the first and strand an ISU runner at third.
The Redbirds pushed 13 runs across the plate in the second inning.
Freshman Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) continued her hot stretch at the plate with a leadoff double in the bottom of the second.
ISU scored two in the fifth to cap the scoring.
Inside the Game
Rodas extended her on-base streak to six consecutive games with her second-inning double. She is slashing .556/.733/.667 through Valpo’s first two MVC series.
Senior Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) pitched in relief and threw 3.1 innings, going the first three without surrendering a run before the Redbirds’ two-run, two-out single in the fifth.
Next Up
Valpo (3-21, 0-6 MVC) steps away from Valley play for a midweek game at Purdue Fort Wayne. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT.
U OF INDY WOMEN’S LAX
#4 WOMEN’S LACROSSE DOMINATES LEWIS TO OPEN GLVC PLAY
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy women’s lacrosse team (10-1, 1-0 GLVC) dominated the Lewis Flyers on Sunday afternoon at Key Stadium by a final of 22-8 to open play in the GLVC.
In total, 10 different players scored one or more points for the Hounds. Megan Dunn had eight with six assists and two goals while Anna Ziemba had seven with her dominating seven-goal outing.
On defense, Ziemba had a team-high three caused turnovers while Delaney Stahrr had two. Between the pipes, Audrey Moran played the first half while Lylian Iman took over in the second half and collected a career-high seven saves in a solid outing.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite giving up the first goal of the game, it was all UIndy from the opening whistle as the team built up a lead of 11-1 through the opening half before Lewis could score another goal. The Hounds took a lead of 10 into the intermission while Ziemba produced all seven of her goals through the opening 30 minutes. The Greyhounds would outscore the Flyers by four in the second half.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-UIndy fired 33 total shots while Lewis had just 16.
-Caroline Krauch had a team-high three draw controls.
-The Flyers dominated the draw control circle at 22-10.
-Lewis ended with 19 turnovers and went just 4-for-11 on clear attempts.
-The Hounds corralled 17 ground balls.
UP NEXT
UIndy is now set to prepare for a tall test on Saturday, April 1 as the team will travel to Greensburg, Penn., for a battle against top-ranked West Chester. That match is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on the campus of Seton Hill University.
U OF I BASEBALL
GREYHOUNDS FALL TO #23 UIS IN FINAL TWO GAMES OF SERIES
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The University of Indianapolis baseball team lost the last two games of their four game set against the No. 23-ranked University of Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars.
GAME 1 – UIS 3, UIndy 0
For game one it was a tride and true pitching battle, with the Hounds tossing Brandon DeWitt who went six innings with four hits and eight Ks. The Hounds bats were quieted, minus a late triple by Easton Good and singles by DeWitt, Drew Donaldson and Will Spear.
The Prairie Stars were kept quiet by DeWitt throughout most of the contest but two blasts by their catcher, one in the fourth and one in the sixth were the difference makers.
GAME 2 – UIS 11, UIndy 6
Game two saw the UIS pitching staff continue to keep the Hounds off the scoreboard through four. Caleb Vaughn was the one to break the scoring drought, roping a single into centerfield scoring Good.
The Hounds were not content with just one, however, with Isaac Bair absolutely hammering a ball over the right field wall for a two-2RBI dinger. Denton Shepler was right behind Bair and he did the same, seeing two fastballs before crushing a slider over the wall, making it 4-3 in the Hounds favor.
The Prairie Stars refused to quit, answering back in the bottom of the fifth with a run to tie it up. They added more and more in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, hitting two homers of their own. Donaldson capped off the contest in the top of the ninth with a two run shot to right field for his second home run of the season.
UP NEXT
The Hounds have a brief respite before they’re right back on the road again closing out the series with the Findlay Oilers at their place.
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
TOP NATIONAL NEWS
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SAN DIEGO STATE MUSCLES PAST CREIGHTON, MAKES 1ST FINAL FOUR
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Darrion Trammell converted a go-ahead free throw after he was fouled on a floater with 1.2 seconds left, and San Diego State muscled its way into its first Final Four, grinding out a 57-56 victory over Creighton on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region final.
Lamont Butler scored 18 points and Trammell had 12 for the fifth-seeded Aztecs (31-6), who slowed down the high-scoring, sixth-seeded Bluejays (24-13) and became the first Mountain West Conference team to reach the national semifinals.
The experienced Aztecs, in their sixth season under coach Brian Dutcher, will play the surprising East Region champion, ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic, on Saturday in Houston for a spot in the national title game.
With the game tied at 56-all on San Diego State’s final possession, Trammell drove toward the free-throw line, elevated for the shot and was fouled by Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard. Trammell missed the first free throw but converted the second.
“I’ve been dreaming this my whole life, grateful to be here and thankful to everyone who believed in me,” Trammell said.
Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman threw the ensuing inbound pass the length of the floor. San Diego State’s Aguek Arop and Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma both jumped for it and the ball deflected out of bounds. Officials reviewed the play and determined that time had expired, and the celebration was on for the Aztecs.
“I wasn’t given an explanation other than there was no time on the clock,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “They made no call on the floor but officiating is part of the game and we’re not gonna go there.”
Scheierman had tied the game at 56-all when he stole an inbounds pass and converted a layup with 34 seconds remaining.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 17 points and Scheierman and Kaluma had 12 apiece for the Bluejays, who went 2 of 17 from 3-point range.
The Aztecs, who got this far thanks to defense and physical play, held the Bluejays to 23 second-half points on 28% shooting as they won for the 14th time in 15 games. Creighton shot 40% overall.
San Diego State shot 38% but got clutch baskets from Nathan Mensah, whose jumper gave the Aztecs a 56-54 lead with 1:37 left, and Arop, who made two straight shots for a 54-50 advantage with 3:03 remaining.
Creighton, which beat San Diego State in overtime in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, fell just short of joining Big East rival UConn in the Final Four.
The teams didn’t appear to share any hard feelings from last year’s meeting. They shared a round-trip flight to Hawaii last fall for the Maui Invitational, and there were no dustups during a tight, physical game in which no team led by more than eight points.
DIVIDED LOYALTIES
Kaluma played against his brother, San Diego State’s Adam Seiko. Their parents sat a few rows up at midcourt, sitting quietly before joining Seiko to celebrate.
BIG PICTURE
Creighton’s offense started well enough as the Bluejays built a 33-28 halftime lead and extended their advantage to seven in the second half. But Creighton didn’t make a single 3-pointer after halftime.
San Diego State proved again that defense matters, especially since the Aztecs also scuffled for points. Their experience as depth showed as Mensah and Arop, who averaged just 6.1 and 4.5 points per game respectively, converted the last three baskets.
MILLER, WONG RALLY MIAMI PAST TEXAS 88-81 FOR 1ST FINAL FOUR
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong rallied Miami from a 13-point second-half deficit, Norchad Omier made two big free throws and an even more important steal down the stretch, and the fifth-seeded Hurricanes stunned No. 2 seed Texas 88-81 on Sunday to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history.
Miller finished with 27 points, going 7 of 7 from the field and 13 of 13 from the foul line, while Wong scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to beat the Longhorns, who had been the top remaining seed in a topsy-turvy NCAA Tournament.
Now, after falling short in the Elite Eight a year ago, the fifth-seeded Hurricanes (29-7) are headed to NRG Stadium in Houston for a date with No. 4 seed UConn on Saturday night. Two more first-time Final Four participants, 5 seed San Diego State and 9 seed Florida Atlantic, will play in the other national semifinal.
It’s the first time since seeding began in 1979 that no team seeded better than No. 4 made the Final Four, and perhaps it’s fitting that Miami coach Jim Larrañaga is involved. He returns to the Final Four after taking George Mason there as an 11 seed in 2006.
“No one wanted to go home,” said Miller, who joined Duke’s Christian Laettner as the only players since 1960 to go 20 for 20 combined from the field and foul line in an NCAA Tournament game. “We came together. We stuck together. We showed really good perseverance and the will — the will to just want to get there.”
Miami and Texas were tied 79-all when Omier, known for his bruising style of play, was fouled by the Longhorns’ Brock Cunningham while going for a loose ball. He made both of the foul shots to give the Hurricanes the lead, then stole the ball from Texas star Marcus Carr at the other end, and Wong made to more free throws with 34 seconds left.
Miller kept drilling foul shots down the stretch to ice the Midwest Region title for the Hurricanes.
Wooga Poplar scored 16 points, and Nijel Pack followed up his virtuoso performance against top-seeded Houston with 15, as the same school that once dropped hoops entirely in the 1970s advanced to the game’s biggest stage.
Marcus Carr led the Longhorns (29-9) with 17 points, though he appeared to be bothered by a hamstring injury that he picked up late in the game. Timmy Allen added 16 points and Sir’Jabari Rice finished with 15 in a season that began with the firing of Chris Beard over domestic violence charges that were later dropped and ended with interim coach Rodney Terry consoling his team after a gut-wrenching defeat.
The Longhorns revealed about 90 minutes before tipoff that Dylan Disu, the Big 12 tourney MVP and early star of the NCAA Tournament, would miss the game with a foot injury. He hurt it in the second round against Penn State and only played about 90 seconds in the Sweet 16 against Xavier before watching the rest of that game in a walking boot.
He was still wearing that cumbersome boot as he watched in anguish Sunday.
Without their 6-foot-9 star in the paint, the Longhorns’ deep group of dangerous guards resorted to potshots from the perimeter against Miami’s porous defense. Rice hit two 3s early, Carr added two of his own, and the Longhorns — who tied a school tourney record with 13 3s in the first round against Colgate — hit seven in storming to a 45-37 halftime lead.
On the other end, Texas resolved to keep Pack and Wong from producing a sequel to their 3-point barrage against Houston.
Pack, who dropped seven 3s in the regional semifinal, didn’t even attempt one until there were 7 1/2 minutes left in the first half, and his best shot — a looping rainbow over the backboard as he fell out of bounds — didn’t even count.
Wong took as many shots and scored as many points (two) as he had turnovers in the game’s first 20 minutes.
The Longhorns’ advantage stretched to 13 in the second half, and tension began to build on the Miami bench. At one point, Harlond Beverly unsuccessfully tried driving against two well-established defenders, and Larrañaga not only gave the backup guard a tongue-lashing during the next stoppage but then yanked him from the game.
Fortunately for the ’Canes, Pack and Wong were poised, Poplar and Miller seemingly possessed.
Still trailing 72-64 with about eight minutes to play, the backcourt dynamo joined Miller and Omier in turbocharging a 13-3 run to give the Hurricanes a 77-75 lead, their first since the opening minutes. And when Rice answered at the other end for Texas, it was Miller who began his late-game parade to the foul line with two go-ahead free throws.
Carr made a nifty turnaround jumper to tie the game again for Texas, but the Miami momentum never slowed.
Omier made his free throws with a minute left, swiped the ball from Carr, and Miller and Co. made good at the foul line.
“Last year we got to the Elite Eight here and it comes to a crushing end,” Larrañaga said. “Today, last night, all the guys just kept talking, ‘We’ve got to go past the Elite Eight and get to the Final Four.’”
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
REESE, LSU WOMEN PUSH PAST MIAMI 54-42 TO REACH FINAL FOUR
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) So much for Kim Mulkey’s timelines and cautioning against expecting too much, too soon at LSU.
Two years in, and Mulkey’s return to lead her home-state program already includes another Final Four trip – and dreams of more.
Angel Reese had 18 rebounds and LSU returned to the women’s Final Four for the first time in 15 years by beating Miami 54-42 on Sunday night, carrying a rapid rise under Mulkey straight to the sport’s biggest stage.
Alexis Morris scored 21 points and Reese added 13 for the third-seeded Tigers (32-2), who asserted control of a grinding, defense-first game. LSU’s length caused Miami problems even with Reese – an Associated Press first-team All-American – having a brutal shooting day, and the Tigers offset their offensive hiccups by dominating the glass.
Not bad for a group that began with nine new players, with Morris as the lone returning starter.
“Coach Mulkey, she’s had a plan for us, since Day One,” Morris said, pausing from munching on chicken wings in the locker room. “This year, she had 12 players who just bought in, bought into the system. What you’re witnessing right now is the result of a team commitment.
“We all made a commitment and we all just want one thing, and that’s just to win.”
The reward came at the horn, with Mulkey turning to her bench and leaning forward to put her hands on her knees as though in disbelief. Players ran to midcourt to celebrate, except for Morris running straight to the scorer’s table and jumping on top of it in a moment she said she had long dreamed of.
As players posed for cellphone photos with the regional-title trophy, the 60-year-old Mulkey looked eager to take it all in after players dumped a cooler of confetti on her. She danced briefly with Reese. She watched her grandchildren roll around in the confetti laying at midcourt. She took a moment to acknowledge LSU fans in the stands by gazing their way while patting her heart.
Mulkey arrived at LSU with a resume headlined by three NCAA titles from her time at Baylor along with some flamboyant sideline looks such as her silver-shimmering jacket with white pants for this one. She had cautioned that the Tigers were overachieving when they’re still strengthening a program for the long haul.
Maybe so, but they’re ahead of schedule after pushing their way through the NCAA Tournament’s Greenville 2 Region. The Tigers head to Dallas to face Ohio State or Virginia Tech in Friday’s national semifinals.
“What really makes me smile is not cutting that net down,” Mulkey said. “It’s looking around out there at all those LSU people, looking at that team I get to coach experience it for the first time.”
Reese, a Maryland transfer who has led Mulkey’s team all year with her physical play, was named the region’s most outstanding player despite missing her first nine shots and going 3 for 15 for the game.
LSU shot 30.2% and went 1 for 12 from 3-point range, including misses on its first nine attempts. But Miami was even worse from 3, missing all 15 tries.
The third-seeded Tigers finished with a 49-35 rebounding edge behind Reese, which led to a 15-3 edge in second-chance points – all desperately needed on a day with offensive rebounds readily available. They also made 15 of 26 free throws while Miami got to the line just nine times.
Jasmyne Roberts scored 22 points for ninth-seeded Miami (22-13), which had taken a wild ride here. The Hurricanes rallied from a huge deficit to beat Oklahoma State in the first round, stunned No. 1 seed Indiana on the road, then beat Villanova in Friday’s Sweet 16 despite blowing a 21-point lead.
The last win set off an emotional on-court celebration for Katie Meier’s bunch, which had played with toughness and athleticism to get to its first Elite Eight. The Hurricanes were trying to match the record for lowest-seeded team ever to reach a Final Four, set by Arkansas in 1998.
But the Hurricanes struggled the entire way offensively, even as their defense kept them hanging around and leaving open opportunities.
Outside of Roberts – coming off a career-best 26 points against Villanova – seemingly no Hurricanes player could make a shot.
“I know we were exhausted because we were pouring our heart and soul into the defensive end and the rebounding effort,” Meier said, adding: “And that’s all the credit to LSU for being so hard to guard inside and for taking our legs out so much.”
The Hurricanes shot 31.6% and plenty of their missed 3-pointers came off clean looks. Destiny Harden, who hit the shot to beat Indiana, scored three points on 0-for-9 shooting with seven missed 3s.
It was a disappointing conclusion to an incredible run for Miami, and the school fell short of making history twice in one day.
The men’s and women’s teams were each playing Sunday to reach the programs’ first Final Four. The men pulled it off, beating Texas in Kansas City, Missouri. That game went final during the first quarter of the women’s game – drawing cheers when the final play was shown on the arena scoreboards.
Miami battled but couldn’t complete the double.
“I mean, it hurts because we competed, we gave it our all,” Harden said. “We took the program somewhere it’s never been.”
CAITLIN CLARK LEADS IOWA TO FIRST FINAL FOUR SINCE 1993
SEATTLE (AP) Caitlin Clark put on quite a show, having one of the greatest performances in NCAA Tournament history to help Iowa end a 30-year Final Four drought.
She had 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes to a 97-83 win over fifth-seeded Louisville on Sunday night and send the team to its first women’s Final Four in since 1993.
“I dreamed of this moment as a little girl, to take a team to the Final Four and be in these moments and have confetti fall down on me,” said Clark, who is a Iowa native.
The unanimous first-team All-American was as dominant as she’s been all season in getting the Hawkeyes to Dallas for the women’s NCAA Tournament national semifinals on Friday night. The Seattle 4 Region champion will face the winner of the Greenville 1 region that has South Carolina playing Maryland on Monday night.
“I thought our team played really well. That’s what it’s all about. I was going to give it every single thing I had,” said Clark, who was the region’s most outstanding player. “When I came here I said I wanted to take this program to the Final Four, and all you’ve got to do is dream. And all you’ve got to do is believe and work your butt off to get there. That’s what I did, and that’s what our girls did and that’s what our coaches did and we’re going to Dallas, baby.”
Iowa (30-6) hadn’t been to the Final Four since Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer led the team to its lone appearance in 1993. Before Sunday, the team had only been to one other Elite Eight – in 2019 – since the Final Four team.
Clark had the 11th triple-double of her career and the 19th in NCAA Tournament history. She had the first 30- and 40-point triple-double in March Madness history.
“It’s like a storybook, been like that all year long,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “We keep talking about destiny and how it’s supposed to happen. … She’s spectacular. I don’t know how else to describe what she does on the basketball court. A 40-point triple-double against Louisville to go to the Final Four. Are you kidding me? That’s mind-boggling.”
Trailing by five at the half, Louisville cut its deficit to 48-47 before Clark and the Hawkeyes scored the next 11 points as part of a 17-6 run to blow the game open. That brought most of the pro-Iowa crowd of nearly 12,000 fans to their feet.
Louisville was down 22 with just under 6 minutes left before going on a 13-1 run to get within 86-76 with 2:10 left. The Cardinals could get no closer.
Clark left the game with 22.7 seconds left to a loud ovation from the crowd as she hugged her coach. After the game, Clark paraded around the court holding the regional trophy high above her head, delighting the thousands of fans who stuck around to celebrate their Hawkeyes.
Hailey Van Lith scored 27 points and Olivia Cochran had 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead Louisville (26-12).
Clark hit eight of the Hawkeyes’ season-high 16 3-pointers, including a few from just past the March Madness logo. It was a school record for the Hawkeyes in the NCAA Tournament, blowing past the previous mark of 13 against Gonzaga in 2011.
Louisville scored the first eight points of the game, forcing Iowa to call timeout. Then Clark got going. The 6-foot junior scored the first seven points for the Hawkeyes and finished the opening quarter with 15 points. When she wasn’t scoring, she found open teammates with precision passes.
She also had four assists in the first 10 minutes, accounting for every one of Iowa’s points as the Hawkeyes led 25-21.
Clark continued her mastery in the second quarter, hitting shots from all over the court, including a few of her famous long-distance 3s from near the logo.
Louisville was able to stay in the game, thanks to Van Lith. After scoring the first six points of the game, she went quiet before getting going late in the second quarter. She had 11 points in the second quarter as the Cardinals found themselves down 48-43 at the break.
Clark had 22 points and eight assists in the opening 20 minutes enroute to the fourth-highest scoring total all-time in a NCAA regional.
“She played great, she made some big shots,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said of Clark. “She passed the ball well. we turned her over at times.”
1,000-POINT CLUB
Clark has 984 points this season and is looking to join form Hawkeye Megan Gustafson with 1,000 points in a single year. Four other players have done it, including Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist, who accomplished the feat this season. Kelsey Plum, Jackie Stiles and Odyssey Sims were the others to do it.
HOMETOWN HERO
Van Lith once again played well in her home state. The small-town standout from 130 miles away from Seattle grew into being one of the best prep players in the country, the all-time state high school leader in scoring and now a star for the Cardinals.
Hundreds of fans from her hometown of Cashmere, which has a population of 3,200, took in the game, cheering the Louisville star on.
EMOTIONAL DAY
It was a bittersweet day for Iowa assistant coach Jan Jensen. Her dad Dale died in the morning after battling pancreatic cancer for a year. He was 86.
“He didn’t sound so good the last couple days and I was kind of fretting, ‘When am I going to go if we go to Dallas?’” she said. “I just feel like he knew. He was never a high maintenance guy, he was never a guy who made it complicated with me in anything. So I think, he told my people at home, I’m not ready to go until Jan’s team is done.”
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: CAVS BLAST ROCKETS, PUNCH TICKET TO POSTSEASON
CAVS 108 ROCKETS 91
Jarrett Allen recorded his 32nd double-double of the season and helped Cleveland stave off the visiting Houston Rockets 108-91 on Sunday, a victory that clinched the Cavaliers’ first postseason berth since falling in the 2018 NBA Finals.
Allen finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Evan Mobley also recorded three blocks while posting 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and Darius Garland paired 17 points with eight assists.
Jalen Green led Houston with 30 points, his 14th game of at least 30 this season. Alperen Sengun added 14 points, Kenyon Martin Jr. 13 and Jabari Smith Jr. 12 for the Rockets, who dropped their fifth consecutive game.
After the Rockets sliced a 20-point deficit to five through three quarters, Allen elevated the Cavaliers with his two-way play. Allen followed his block of Tari Eason’s dunk attempt with two free throws that pushed the lead to 89-82 with 9:20 left. He tallied two more free throws and a dunk at the 8:06 mark that extended the lead back to double digits at 93-82. The Cavaliers were not seriously threatened from there.
TIMBERWOLVES 99, WARRIORS 96
Kyle Anderson intercepted a Draymond Green pass and Karl-Anthony Towns turned it into a go-ahead 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds remaining, delivering Minnesota a key victory over Golden State in San Francisco.
Naz Reid had a team-high 23 points off the bench and Rudy Gobert chipped in with 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Jordan Poole had 27 points for the Warriors, but he failed to connect with Stephen Curry on a pass that bounced out of bounds with 4.4 seconds remaining when Golden State had a chance to tie or take the lead.
The Warriors, who were seeking a 10th straight home win, got one more opportunity to tie after Jaden McDaniels missed 1 of 2 free throws with 2.4 seconds left, leaving Minnesota with a 99-96 lead. But Curry couldn’t hit a desperation 3-pointer, completing his 4-for-13 night from deep.
HORNETS 110, MAVERICKS 104
Gordon Hayward scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and Charlotte beat visiting Dallas to deliver another blow to the Mavericks’ playoff hopes.
P.J. Washington scored 21 points and had 12 rebounds and rookie center Mark Williams, making his first start after missing a couple of weeks with a thumb injury, added 15 points and 16 rebounds for Charlotte, which has won three of its last four games.
Luka Doncic racked up 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, but it might have been a costly outing for numerous reasons. In the third quarter, Doncic picked up a technical foul — his 16th of the season — so he’ll face a one-game suspension unless that infraction is overturned.
BULLS 118, LAKERS 108
Zach LaVine scored a game-high 32 points and DeMar DeRozan notched a double-double of 17 points and 10 assists to help visiting Chicago defeat Los Angeles to earn its seventh victory in nine games.
Chicago exhaled as the win let it move into a tie with Toronto for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but the Raptors beat the Wizards later Sunday to re-establish a half-game lead over the Bulls. Los Angeles remains in the Western Conference play-in picture after Sunday’s loss ended a three-game winning streak.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 19 points, while Troy Brown Jr. and Malik Beasley chipped in 18 apiece. Dennis Schroder (17 points), Anthony Davis (15) and Austin Reaves (13) also finished in double figures for the Lakers.
GRIZZLIES 123, HAWKS 119
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined for 52 points to help visiting Memphis beat Atlanta and extend its winning streak to six games.
Morant, in his first start since returning from an eight-game suspension, scored 27 points and had six assists. Bane scored 25 points, while Memphis also got 15 points and eight rebounds apiece from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman Sr.
Atlanta was led by Trae Young with 28 points and 10 assists and Clint Capela with 18 points and 16 rebounds. De’Andre Hunter returned after missing Saturday’s game with a sore knee and scored 17 points.
CELTICS 137, SPURS 93
Jaylen Brown tossed in 41 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Boston moved closer to the NBA’s best record by earning a home victory against San Antonio.
Malcolm Brogdon added 20 points, nine assists and five rebounds for the Celtics, who also received 19 points and eight rebounds from Derrick White.
Zach Collins led San Antonio with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Malaki Branham finished with 15 points for the Spurs.
MAGIC 119, NETS 106
Cole Anthony led eight players in double figures with 21 points as host Orlando took control in the second quarter and pulled away in the third for a victory over slumping Brooklyn.
Orlando, which overcame 44 points by Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges, won its third straight by leading for the final 2 1/2 quarters and by as many as 20. Orlando outscored the Nets 68-49 in the second and third quarters. Franz Wagner collected 19 points and 10 rebounds as Orlando outscored the Nets 58-38 in the paint.
Bridges shot 13-for-22 but had little help as Brooklyn’s other four starters (Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson and Nic Claxton) combined for 23 points on 9-of-35 shooting. Cam Thomas added 18 points and Johnson was the only other starter in double figures with 10.
RAPTORS 114, WIZARDS 104
O.G. Anunoby had 29 points and eight rebounds, and Toronto defeated visiting Washington.
Fred VanVleet added 28 points and seven assists for the Raptors, who are 2-1 during a four-game homestand. Pascal Siakam had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto. Scottie Barnes contributed 13 points after missing two games with a wrist injury, and Jakob Poeltl had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 points for the Wizards, who have lost five of their past six games. Corey Kispert added 19 points, Deni Avdija had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Johnny Davis scored a career-best 15 points and Daniel Gafford had 10 points and eight rebounds.
THUNDER 118, TRAIL BLAZERS 112
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Jalen Williams added 23 to lead Oklahoma City to a crucial victory over host Portland.
Isaiah Joe contributed 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench for the Thunder, who are in 10th place in the tightly-bunched Western Conference. Shaedon Sharpe scored a career-high 29 points and Nassir Little added his season best of 28 for Portland, which played without Damian Lillard (calf).
Matisse Thybulle’s 3-pointer pulled Portland within 116-112 with 1:43 left. The Trail Blazers had a chance to creep closer, but Sharpe missed two free throws with 38.6 seconds left. Lu Dort put the game away with a layup with 11.2 seconds left as the Thunder prevailed for the ninth time in their past 13 games.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: BRUINS KNOCK OFF HURRICANES FOR 7TH STRAIGHT WIN
BRUINS 4 HURRICANES 3
David Pastrnak scored twice in regulation to eclipse the 50-goal mark before Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk tallied in the shootout, helping the Boston Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.
Boston picked up its seventh straight win after Carolina scored twice in the third period to force overtime in a matchup of the NHL’s top two teams.
Jakub Lauko also scored, Charlie McAvoy logged a pair of assists and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves for the Bruins, who tied their franchise record for single-season victories. Swayman blanked the Canes in the shootout to pick up his fourth straight win.
Jack Drury, Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho scored, while Brett Pesce had two assists for Carolina, which has lost two of three. Frederik Andersen made 35 saves, including 10 in the third period and five in overtime.
AVALANCHE 4, COYOTES 3 (SO)
Valeri Nichushkin had the only goal in a seven-round shootout and also scored in regulation as Colorado beat Arizona in Tempe, Ariz.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, Bowen Byram also scored and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 27 shots through overtime and seven more in the shootout for the Avalanche.
Clayton Keller had a goal to extend his point streak to 12 games, Matias Maccelli and Christian Fischer also had goals and Connor Ingram made 29 saves and six in the shootout for the Coyotes.
KINGS 7, BLUES 6
Viktor Arvidsson had two goals and an assist and host Los Angeles set a franchise record for the longest point streak by beating St. Louis.
The Kings improved to 10-0-2 in their past 12 games to surpass their previous longest point streak first set in 1974 and matched in 2011 and 2013. Adrian Kempe also scored two goals, Trevor Moore had a goal and an assist, Phillip Danault produced three assists and Pheonix Copley made 16 saves for the Kings.
Jordan Kyrou scored two goals, and Justin Faulk and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who were coming off a 6-3 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. Joel Hofer gave up five goals on 17 shots before he was replaced by Jordan Binnington, who finished with 12 saves for St. Louis.
MAPLE LEAFS 3, PREDATORS 2
John Tavares had two goals with an assist in his fourth multi-point game in his last six as Toronto held on to beat host Nashville to finish off a 3-2-0 road stretch.
Alexander Kerfoot also scored, Auston Matthews had two assists and Mitchell Marner added one to extend his point streak to 10 games. Leafs goalie Joseph Woll made 23 saves during his fourth start of the season, and his first since being recalled from the AHL, while Ilya Samsonov is away for the birth of his child.
Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist, and Cody Glass also scored for Nashville. Kevin Lankinen made 31 saves. The Predators also lost star Matt Duchene to a hand injury early in the second period, and coach John Hynes said after the game that Duchene is considered week to week.
CANUCKS 4, BLACKHAWKS 2
Elias Pettersson scored a pair of third-period goals, and visiting Vancouver completed a comeback over struggling Chicago.
Brock Boeser collected one goal and one assist and Phillip Di Giuseppe also scored for the Canucks, who have won three straight games and 10 of their last 12. Andrei Kuzmenko and Ethan Bear each supplied two assists, and goaltender Collin Delia made 29 saves, 16 in the third period.
Connor Murphy and Lukas Reichel had a goal apiece for the Blackhawks, who have lost five straight games and won only three of their last 15 (3-11-1). Goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots.
NFL NEWS
NFL TO VOTE ON CHANGES TO PUNTS, KICKOFFS FOR SAFETY
The NFL will consider significant changes to the kicking game with the competition committee proposing that the league adopt the college rule that allows touchbacks on fair catches of kickoffs and moving the touchback spot on punts to the 25-yard line.
NFL executive Troy Vincent said Friday that the competition committee looked at various rules on kickoffs in college and the spring leagues to try to reduce injuries on what is one of the more dangerous plays.
Vincent said the league needs more data from an XFL rule that reduces high speed collisions by lining up coverage players 35 yards ahead of the kicker and 5 yards apart from blockers, but said that the college rule that allows fair catches to be treated like touchbacks will reduce injuries about “20 to 25%”
“It may not be perfect. I think it will warrant some good discussion on the floor,” Vincent said.
“The one thing that we all agreed upon was you can’t leave that play as it is, not with the injury rates at what we saw. You can’t leave it as is.”
Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, said the league looked at several ideas to change the punt play, which currently has the highest rate of injuries and penalties.
But for now, the committee is proposing a simple approach of moving touchbacks from the 20 to the 25-yard line in hopes of reducing the number of punts.
“The idea would be that if we put this rule in place, you actually might incentivize people to go for it on fourth down more,” McKay said.
Those two rule changes were among the eight put forward by the competition committee that will be considered by owners at their meeting next week in Arizona. Any rule change requires the support of at least 24 of the 32 teams.
There are also nine potential rule changes proposed by teams that were previously announced by the league and will be voted on next week.
Those include making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review, the option to try to convert a fourth-and-20 from the kicking team’s 20-yard line instead of attempting an onside kick, the addition of tenths of seconds to the stadium clock late in both halves and an extra game-day roster spot for an emergency quarterback.
The league will continue to study but is not ready to vote on any potential rule changes in two other areas that were under scrutiny last season: the “push play” and “hip drop tackles.”
The so-called “push play” was used extensively by the NFC champion Eagles this season with players pushing quarterback Jalen Hurts forward on short-yardage QB sneaks.
McKay said there was no evidence the play caused more injuries and there was no consensus about a rule change.
“I do think it’s something we’ll look at and continue to study if that changes,” he said. “There are certainly not 24 people that think it should be changed.”
The “hip-drop” tackle led to several injuries, including a broken leg for Dallas running back Tony Pollard and the ankle injury to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs.
Vincent said the injury rate on hip drop tackles is 20% higher than normal, saying it’s similar to “horse collar” tackles that are already banned. But figuring out the best way to change the rule has been difficult.
“I think the challenge that we have is how do you define it, what is the true prevalence of it and how do you get it out of the game,” McKay said. “There’s a process to that. I think that’s what we’ll go through. I give you no timeline, but we’re on it. … We understand that there is injury data that says we should be looking at this. So we are.”
The owners also will consider whether to add a “flex” option for Thursday night football to make sure Amazon has more competitive games in that package. While players would balk at some teams being forced to play additional Thursday games and it would inconvenience ticket holders, Miller said there is no evidence that games played on shorter rest lead to more injuries.
BRONCOS’ PAYTON SAYS JEUDY, SUTTON AREN’T ON THE TRADE BLOCK
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) The NFL’s veteran wide receiver market is a little thinner after Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton declared neither Jerry Jeudy nor Courtland Sutton are on the trade block.
Payton made the comments while speaking to the NFL Network on Sunday, the first day of the league’s spring owners meetings in Arizona.
“We’re not trading those two players,” Payton said, acknowledging the Broncos have received inquiries about the availability of the wide receivers who combined for 1,801 yards receiving and eight TD receptions in 2022.
“We’ve received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players,” Payton said. “But we’re in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we’re void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we’re working with.”
The Broncos have just five picks in the NFL draft next month and they own no selections until the third round after parting with premium picks to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson from Seattle last year and Payton from the Saints this winter.
Wilson cost them first- and second-round picks last year and this year and they had to send a first-rounder they acquired from Miami in the Bradley Chubb trade to New Orleans in order to hire Payton.
Jeudy has never lived up to his status as a 2020 first-round pick, mostly because of injuries, although he came on strong at the end of last season, posting big numbers after he was moved to the flanker position.
Sutton, a second-round selection in 2019, hasn’t been the same since tearing an ACL in 2020. He has caught just two touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons.
Also, the Broncos’ depth at the position took a hit last week when speedster K.J. Hamler, another receiver whose career has been marked by injuries, tore a chest muscle while working out. He’s expected to be out up to six months.
Tim Patrick, the Broncos’ most productive receiver, is returning from a torn ACL that cost him all of the 2022 season.
Following Hamler’s latest injury, the Broncos signed free agent wide receiver Marquez Callaway, a fourth-year pro who played for Payton in New Orleans.
It was also revealed last week that Wilson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the season, but is on track to participate in the team’s offseason program next month.
MLB SPRING TRAINING
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: ASTROS POUND CARDINALS 24-1
ASTROS 24 CARDINALS 1
Yainer Diaz went 3-for-3 with six RBIs and the Houston Astros rang up nine runs in the bottom of the eighth to pile on the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 24-1 in a spring training game on Sunday in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Diaz hit a two-run single in the first inning before blasting a grand slam in the second. Will Wagner added three RBIs and Corey Julks had a two-run shot in the seventh that made it 15-1 Houston.
The Astros then batted around in the eighth, totaling 14 at-bats. Rylan Bannon had both a run-scoring single and an RBI sacrifice fly during the inning.
Astros starter Jose Urquidy scattered four hits over four innings, allowing the lone run on a multiple-error play in the second that scored Oscar Mercado. Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty yielded six earned runs on four hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings.
TIGERS 11, RAYS 10
After Detroit stormed ahead in the eighth inning, Ryan Kreidler hit a walk-off RBI single in a win over visiting Tampa Bay in Lakeland, Fla.
Kerry Carpenter’s two-run single in the eighth launched a four-run Tigers uprising, but Matthew Dyer’s three-run shot in the top of the ninth allowed the Rays to tie it 10-10 before Kreidler drove home Jonathan Davis.
Riley Greene mashed a three-run home run 410 feet to center and Jonathan Schoop added a solo shot for the Tigers. Francisco Mejia had a solo homer for the Rays.
YANKEES 6, BLUE JAYS 2
Jhony Brito tossed 5 1/3 perfect innings to help host New York beat Toronto in Tampa, Fla.
Brito (2-0), who split last season between Double-A and Triple-A and has yet to crack the big leagues, threw three strikeouts (all in the first inning) and threw 58 pitches. He received run support from Aaron Judge’s second homer of the spring and Anthony Rizzo’s first.
Matt Chapman and Andres Sosa drove in the Blue Jays’ runs.
ORIOLES 4, PHILLIES 2
Anthony Santander hit his first home run of the spring, a two-run shot, to help host Baltimore beat Philadelphia in Sarasota, Fla.
The Orioles scored their other runs on a balk and a throwing error by Phillies catcher Aramis Garcia. Starter Kyle Bradish allowed just one run and one hit in five innings with three strikeouts.
Jake Cave went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and Jim Haley homered for the Phillies.
TWINS 7, RED SOX 2
Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro and Hernan Perez each smacked a two-run homer to lift visiting Minnesota past Boston in Fort Myers, Fla.
Twins starter Sonny Gray threw three perfect innings with four strikeouts. Chris Sale gave up Jeffers’ homer and four other hits over five innings, walking two and fanning three.
Rafael Devers hit his first homer of the spring for the Red Sox.
BRAVES 8, PIRATES 1
Austin Riley and Eddie Rosario hit early solo home runs and Ozzie Albies had a two-run single as host Atlanta beat Pittsburgh in North Port, Fla.
Braves starter Spencer Strider struck out four batters over four scoreless innings with one walk and two hits.
Chris Owings got the Pirates on the board in the ninth with a sac fly.
NATIONALS 2, MARLINS (SS) 2
Victor Mesa Jr.’s RBI single for Miami in the sixth inning tied the game for good against visiting Washington in Sarasota, Fla.
Bryan De La Cruz scored for the Marlins on a throwing error and starter Jesus Luzardo gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in five innings, with four strikeouts.
Jeimer Candelario and Alex Call supplied the RBIs for the Nationals. Starter Josiah Gray gave up just one hit, one walk and one unearned run over four innings with three strikeouts.
MARLINS (SS) 3, METS 3
Francisco Lindor’s RBI single tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, and neither team scored again as host New York drew with Miami’s split squad in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Starling Marte went 3-for-3 with an RBI double and a run for the Mets. Justin Verlander started and gave up three runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out three over five frames.
Troy Johnston hit a run-scoring triple to launch the Marlins’ three-run fourth. Jose Devers went 3-for-4 with a run.
GUARDIANS 3, REDS (SS) 2
Amed Rosario and Johnathan Rodriguez homered in all three of Cleveland’s runs in a win over visiting Cincinnati in Goodyear, Ariz.
Rosario hit a solo shot in the third inning and Rodriguez added a two-run blast in the fourth. Guardians starter Triston McKenzie was removed after one inning as a precautionary measure due to right arm tightness.
Wil Myers hit an RBI double and Michael Siani added an RBI single for the Reds.
ROCKIES 4, WHITE SOX 2
Michael Toglia went 2-for-5 and opened the scoring with an RBI double to help Colorado beat host Chicago in Phoenix.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber (2-1) allowed just one hit and one walk in five scoreless innings, tossing three strikeouts.
White Sox starter Lucas Giolito (0-2) went 5 1/3 innings and yielded just one run on four hits and a walk, striking out six. Seby Zavala hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth for Chicago.
CUBS 5, ROYALS 0
Justin Steele and three relievers held Kansas City to five hits in a shutout win for host Chicago in Mesa, Ariz.
Steele (1-1) scattered four hits and one walk across six innings, recording six strikeouts. He got his run support from home runs by Patrick Wisdom (solo), Dansby Swanson (two-run) and Cody Bellinger (two-run).
Royals starter Ryan Yarbrough (0-1) allowed three runs and three hits while striking out three over three innings.
GIANTS 9, ATHLETICS 5
David Villar hit a three-run shot and Brett Auerbach went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs to lift San Francisco past host Oakland in California.
Joc Pederson added a solo shot for the Giants. Starter Alex Wood tossed 10 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks.
Solo homers in the bottom of the ninth by Pablo Reyes and Carlos Perez weren’t enough for the Athletics to rally in front of their home fans.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, BREWERS 4
Noah Campbell drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to help host Milwaukee tie Arizona in Phoenix.
Christian Yelich homered for the third time this spring, a two-run shot that tied the game 3-3 in the fifth following Joey Wiemer’s RBI double.
P.J. Higgins homered in the top of the ninth to put the Diamondbacks ahead 4-3 before the game-tying walk. Jake McCarthy went 2-for-3 with an RBI double.
REDS (SS) 7, ROCKIES 5
Nine-hole hitter Daniel Vellojin had two RBIs and Cincinnati’s split squad led wire to wire to beat host Colorado in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Jason Vosler went 2-for-3 with two runs for the Reds, who had nine pitchers each complete one inning.
Elehuris Montero hit his fifth homer of the spring, a two-run shot, and Brenton Doyle went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple for the Rockies.
MARINERS 5, PADRES 5
Trent Grisham collected all five RBIs for San Diego in its tie with visiting Seattle in Peoria, Ariz.
Grisham went 3-for-3 with two two-run homers and an RBI single. Padres starter Michael Wacha went five innings and yielded eight hits, two walks and four runs.
Teoscar Hernandez had two RBIs for the Mariners, and Gabriel Gonzalez’s run-scoring double forged the 5-5 score in the seventh. Starter Logan Gilbert allowed just two runs on two hits without a walk over four innings, fanning three.
DODGERS 3, ANGELS 0
Clayton Kershaw struck out seven in six shutout innings as the host Dodgers blanked the Angels in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers scored twice in the second inning on back-to-back homers by Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. James Outman added a solo shot in the eighth inning.
Angels starter Tucker Davidson gave up three hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings.
TOP PROSPECT VOLPE, 21, WINS YANKEES’ STARTING SHORTSTOP JOB
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Anthony Volpe grew up watching Derek Jeter star at shortstop for the New York Yankees.
Now, the 21-year-old is getting the chance to be the Yankees’ opening day shortstop Thursday against the San Francisco Giants.
The team announced after a 6-2 spring training win over Toronto on Sunday that Volpe had won the spot.
New York manager Aaron Boone called the kid into his office to deliver the news.
“My heart was beating pretty hard,” said Volpe, rated one of baseball’s best prospects. “Incredible. I’m just so excited. It’s hard for me to even put into words.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, hitting coach Dillon Lawson and bench coach Carlos Mendoza were also present.
Volpe was able to share the news with his parents and other family members near the Yankees’ dugout and said it is something he will never forget.
“It was pretty emotional,” Volpe said. “It was just an unbelievable moment to share with them.”
Volpe, who grew up a Yankees fan, lived in Manhattan as a child before moving to New Jersey. Jeter was his favorite player.
“It’s very surreal,” Volpe said. “I’ve only ever been to games at Yankee Stadium and for the most part only watched him play there.”
Volpe is hitting .314 with three homers, five RBIs and a .417 on-base percentage in 17 Grapefruit League games. He has just 22 games of experience at Triple-A.
Spring training started with Volpe, Oswald Peraza and holdover Isiah Kiner-Falefa competing for the everyday shortstop job. Kiner-Falefa was shifted into a utility role midway through camp.
“While certainly the performance was there, he killed it between the lines,” Boone said of Volpe. “All the other things that we’ve been hearing about showed up. There’s an energy he plays the game with, and an instinct that he has that is evident. He really checked every box that we could have had for him. Absolutely kicked the door in and earned his opportunity.”
Volpe arrived in Florida in December to work out at the Yankees’ minor league complex.
“He’s earned the right to take that spot, and we’re excited for him and excited for us,” Cashman said. “He just dominated all sides of the ball during February and March, and that bodes well obviously for him as we move forward.”
Volpe was selected out of high school with the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft from Delbarton School in New Jersey. He passed up a college commitment to Vanderbilt to sign with the Yankees.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get into the organization,” Volpe said. “This day, this feeling, this moment was kind of what I’ve worked my whole life for when I made that big decision.”
“Right now it’s crazy,” he added. “I don’t even know what lies ahead but Thursday I just want to go out and play, and have fun.”
BRAVES ROOKIES GET ROTATION SPOTS WITH WRIGHT HEADED TO IL
NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) The Atlanta Braves will open the season with two rookie left-handers in their rotation while giving right-hander Kyle Wright more time to prepare for his first start.
Wright was told Sunday he would start the season on the 15-day injured list. He was the only 20-game winner in the majors last season but had a slow start this spring after getting a cortisone shot in January to address a shoulder issue.
Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd, who each have impressed the team this spring while competing for what was believed to have been one spot in the rotation, were told Sunday they will open the season with the team. The Braves optioned Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on March 14 to clear the path for Shuster and Dodd.
Shuster, 24, was Atlanta’s first-round draft pick in 2020. He is expected to start in the Braves’ third game at Washington on April 2.
Dodd is expected to take the No. 5 spot in the rotation and start on April 4 at St. Louis.
Both rookies have impressed the Braves with good control this spring.
Shuster has posted a 1.45 ERA in five spring training games. He has 18 strikeouts and only four walks in 18 2/3 innings.
Dodd, 24, has a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings this spring, with 20 strikeouts and four walks. He was a third-round draft pick in 2021.
Wright was 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA in his breakout 2022 season.
MEN’S GOLF
SAM BURNS WINS FINAL MATCH PLAY IN ROUT OVER CAMERON YOUNG
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The final hours of the last WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play turned into a dud for everyone but Sam Burns.
Burns went on a tear Sunday afternoon in the championship match with eight birdies on his final 10 holes and enough help from Cameron Young for a 6-and-5 victory. It was the second-largest margin in an 18-hole match in this tournament.
Burns won for the fifth time on the PGA Tour. Young, who had a late rally with clutch birdies to eliminate Rory McIlroy in the semifinals, had to settle for his sixth runner-up finish in the last 18 months.
“What a week,” Burns said. “I’m so tired.”
Burns made it to the championship match Sunday afternoon only when defending champion Scottie Scheffler missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 20th hole of their semifinal match. Given new life, Burns made birdie from a fairway bunker with a 15-foot putt to advance.
Young had an early lead. Burns squared the match on the fifth hole and took the lead with a chip-and-putt birdie on the par-5 sixth. And then on the next hole, Young missed a 6-foot par putt to fall 2 down. It was his first bogey since the seventh hole on Thursday.
All the momentum Young had built up over the week seemed to vanish. And the silky putting stroke of Burns was never better.
He holed a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 8. He made a 12-footer on No. 10 to go 4 up. He birdied the 11th hole from 25 feet – Young made his from 20 to halve the hole – and then it ended so abruptly.
Young pulled his shot from rough into the water on the par-5 12th, and then he came up short of the green and into the water on the reachable par-4 13th.
Burns chipped to just inside 3 feet, and Young removed his cap without making him putt.
“It’s easy to think you’re so close,” Young said. “There’s one guy standing between you and winning the tournament. And that one guy is Sam Burns playing really well.”
The highlight was his semifinal win over McIlroy, who was in full flight for so much of the week. McIlroy was 2 up with three holes to play when Young won the 16th with a birdie and then hit a nifty pitch-and-run up the slope and his purest putt of the week.
On the first extra hole at the par-5 12th, Young was in such a bad spot in the bunker next to the lip that he could only blast out to 169 yards with McIlroy just over 200 yards for his second. Young hammered pitching wedge to 9 feet and made birdie. McIlroy played short and right of the green, chipped to just inside 9 feet and missed.
That was the kind of theater that graced Austin Country Club all week, particularly Sunday morning. Scheffler was trying to join Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners, and he had a 2-up lead over Burns through 10 holes.
Burns rallied back against his best friend on tour, and Scheffler had to get up-and-down from short of the 18th green for birdie to force overtime. He had it won on the second extra hole at No. 13 – except he missed the putt – and Burns escaped.
Burns in the championship match was close to unbeatable.
McIlroy and Scheffler wound up in the consolation match, which McIlroy won, 2 and 1. That gave the thin crowd something to watch when Burns ended the title match early. Scheffler played four years for the Longhorns. McIlroy is popular everywhere.
And while that was going on the, the Longhorns were on TV trying to get to the Final Four.
It was a flat ending to what has been 23 dynamic events of Match Play since the World Golf Championships began in 1999. Match Play was the first one, a 38-hole final won by Jeff Maggert at La Costa. That was a nail-biter. This was a rout.
Match Play will not be on the schedule in 2024 as the PGA Tour moves toward elevated events for the top 70 or so players, a response to the threat of Saudi-funded LIV Golf.
Burns, who made 40 birdies for the week, moved to No. 10 in the world and collected $3.5 million from the $20 million purse. Young got $2.2 million for finishing second, though a trophy after so many close calls would seem to be invaluable.
AUTO RACING
REDDICK WINS COTA CRASHFEST IN TRIPLE OT FOR 23XI RACING
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Tyler Reddick had the lead and the fastest car on the track when calamity nearly struck.
Caution. Restart. Caution. Restart. Caution. Restart.
Enough slowdowns to make a driver lose his mind.
Or at least his cool.
Reddick handled it nearly to perfection Sunday, earning his first victory with new team 23XI Racing by holding on over multiple late restarts to win in triple overtime Sunday at Circuit of the Americas, the first road course race on this year’s NASCAR schedule.
“Didn’t quite get the restarts perfectly, but we got the one that mattered,” Reddick said. “The last one.”
Reddick’s victory was the first of the year for Toyota and his first since joining the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. It was Reddick’s fourth career Cup Series win, third on a road course. Reddick won a year ago at Road America and on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his final season with Richard Childress Racing.
This one might have been the most nerve wracking.
Reddick had to hold the front through the elevated, switchback left hand turn that saw the field bunch up and smash each other time after time on the restarts. The race had eight cautions for 17 laps and went to three overtimes and seven laps past the scheduled distance.
Hamlin said Reddick showed poise to match talent that could lead to a whole lot of victories. He got Reddick to agree to sign with 23XI with a full year remaining on his RCR contract, and then was able to secure Reddick early for 2023 when Kurt Busch was forced to retire because of a concussion.
“I knew he was going to be the most coveted free agent in a very, very, very long time. That’s why I got the jump on it and it cost me a lot of money to do it,” Hamlin said. “You have to have that driver you feel can carry you to championships … I feel like we have that guy.”
Kyle Busch, who pushed Reddick through the final three restarts, finished second in the Chevrolet for RCR that became available to the two-time Cup champion when Reddick jumped to 23XI.
“When we tested here, they were lights out,” Busch said of 23XI. “Tyler obviously is a really good road racer. He proved it driving this car here last year. I’ve been trying to emulate the things he did in order to make this car fast last year, but not quite all the way there.”
Alex Bowman, who had a chance to win on the final lap at COTA last season, was third in a Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports.
Ross Chastain, the defending race winner, finished fourth and was confronted post-race inside his car by Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez over the aggressive nature of the race. Suarez also exchanged words with Bowman. NASCAR may take action against Suarez for using his car to bump both Bowman and Chastain on pit road.
“He just thought I drove in and tried to drive through him,” Bowman said. “Daniel and I, we’ve been teammates in the past, raced together a long time. I respect the hell out of him. I’m sure he’s still not super happy. Just tried to explain that I wouldn’t race him like that, that I was shoved in there.”
William Byron finished fifth for Hendrick and Austin Cindric was the highest-finishing Ford driver in sixth for Team Penske.
There were no stage breaks for the first time this season under a rule change introduced for the six road course races in 2023. That left teams to manage different pit stop strategies.
Reddick appeared to have managed the perfect strategy before the rash of late collisions, caution flags and restarts left him with a harder path to win.
The race included former Formula One champions Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button. Raikkonen drove Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 entry that is designed to give a seat in NASCAR to drivers from others disciplines. He finished 27th. Button drove the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing as part of a three-race deal for road courses this season. He was 18th.
Raikkonen was running as high as fourth on a late late restart but was quickly shuffled into the pack.
Another “road course ringer” on the track Sunday was sports car driver four-time IMSA champion Jordan Taylor driving for injured Chase Elliott, who is still recovering from a fractured leg in a snowboarding accident and participated in the Fox Sports broadcast booth remotely from Colorado.
Taylor finished 24th.
CROSSOVER APPEAL
Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks expects Project91 to run several times this season. Project91 ran only Watkins Glen with Raikkonen last season.
“We’re going to definitely race this car multiple times this year,” Marks said.
COTA’S NASCAR FUTURE
After three years racing at the track built for Formula One, signs point to a possible return for NASCAR in 2024.
Speedway Motorsports, which runs the event and rents the track for a week, has an option to return next season. Ticket holders have been given an option to reserve spots for 2024.
UP NEXT
The series moves to short track racing next Sunday at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Denny Hamlin is the defending race winner.
ALLMENDINGER BEATS BYRON TO XFINITY ROAD COURSE WIN AT COTA
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A.J. Allmendinger dominated early, then had to fight to retake the lead at the start of the final stage to earn his 11th career NASCAR Xfinity series road course victory Saturday at the Circuit of the Americas.
Allmendinger bumped Sheldon Creed out of the lead with 14 laps to go, then held off William Byron over the next couple of laps before pulling away late for the victory, his second in a row at the Texas track. Byron will be starting Sunday’s NASCAR Cup series race from the pole position.
“I spent a lot of years not winning anything, so I’m going to celebrate everything like its my last one, because you never know,” the 41-year-old Allmendinger said. “We fought hard.”
Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing had the dominant car for much of the race and started Saturday from the pole. He built a big lead early before a pit stop strategy misstep and getting caught in some caution flag restart traffic dropped him to the back.
“I feel like I’m on vacation,” Allmendinger told his garage in an early radio message as he steadily pulled away from the pack in the first stage.
The race got much harder from there.
With NASCAR running a new format that doesn’t have breaks at the end of the road course race stages, Allmendinger pitted from the front. That dropped him to 27th and turned a 3.5-second lead into deficit of about 37 seconds. He then got stuck in the pack on a restart, one of four in stage two, and the car in front of him got bumped and spun around, forcing Allmendinger into a complete stop.
“I wasn’t sure how the race was going to play out,” Allmendinger said. “I knew we had a really fast car, it was about getting back up there.”
Creed won the second stage, giving the Richard Childress driver a chance to race for his first career Xfinity series win. But another restart saw Allmendinger launch from sixth to second and right on Creed’s bumper.
With those two battling for the lead and Byron waiting behind them for an opening, Allmendinger tagged Creed’s left rear wheel and pushed him sideways. Creed fought back to finish ninth.
“He turned. I was trying to stay off him. I hate that happened,” Allmendinger said. “(Creed) has all the right to be mad … It’s the way it goes. It’s not they way I wanted to take the lead.”
Creed noted Allmendinger had the speed to eventually pass him, but was frustrated by the contact that cost him a podium.
“I don’t know if I had his pace in the long run,” Creed said. “I thought I gave him enough room, but I don’t know. I need to watch it.”
Byron, who will have a chance to grab yet another Cup series win for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday, pushed Allmendinger until the last two laps, before a wobble through the track’s S-curves forced him to pull back for second.
“I was getting one final run at him,” Byron said. “He’s just so good on these road courses.”
Ty Gibbs finished third for Joe Gibbs Racing. Austin Hill, who won at Daytona, Las Vegas and Atlanta, for the Richard Childress, retired early after reporting gear change problems in the opening laps.
UP NEXT
The series moves to short track racing next Saturday at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.
SPORTS EXTRA
NBA STANDINGS
| Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 x-Milwaukee | 53 | 21 | .716 | — | 30-7 | 23-14 | 8-5 | 30-15 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 2 x-Boston | 52 | 23 | .693 | 1.5 | 28-9 | 24-14 | 9-4 | 30-16 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 3 x-Philadelphia | 49 | 25 | .662 | 4.0 | 26-11 | 23-14 | 7-6 | 30-16 | 7-3 | 2 L | ||
| 4 Cleveland | 48 | 28 | .632 | 6.0 | 30-8 | 18-20 | 12-3 | 31-15 | 8-2 | 4 W | ||
| 5 New York | 42 | 33 | .560 | 11.5 | 20-17 | 22-16 | 8-8 | 28-19 | 4-6 | 3 L | ||
| 6 Brooklyn | 40 | 35 | .533 | 13.5 | 19-16 | 21-19 | 7-8 | 27-21 | 3-7 | 1 L | ||
| 7 Miami | 40 | 35 | .533 | 13.5 | 25-14 | 15-21 | 9-5 | 21-25 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 8 Atlanta | 37 | 38 | .493 | 16.5 | 21-16 | 16-22 | 7-8 | 23-23 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 9 Toronto | 37 | 38 | .493 | 16.5 | 25-14 | 12-24 | 4-9 | 22-23 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 10 Chicago | 36 | 38 | .486 | 17.0 | 20-17 | 16-21 | 6-8 | 25-23 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 11 Indiana | 33 | 42 | .440 | 20.5 | 19-17 | 14-25 | 7-6 | 23-24 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| 12 Washington | 33 | 42 | .440 | 20.5 | 17-19 | 16-23 | 7-6 | 19-27 | 2-8 | 1 L | ||
| 13 Orlando | 32 | 43 | .427 | 21.5 | 19-19 | 13-24 | 6-8 | 18-28 | 5-5 | 3 W | ||
| 14 Charlotte | 25 | 51 | .329 | 29.0 | 13-24 | 12-27 | 7-9 | 14-34 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 15 Detroit | 16 | 58 | .216 | 37.0 | 9-29 | 7-29 | 1-12 | 7-39 | 1-9 | 5 L | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| W | L | Pct | Conf GB | Home | Road | Div | Conf | Last 10 | Streak | |||
| 1 xy-Denver | 50 | 24 | .676 | — | 31-6 | 19-18 | 10-5 | 32-13 | 5-5 | 3 W | ||
| 2 xy-Memphis | 47 | 27 | .635 | 3.0 | 32-5 | 15-22 | 13-2 | 28-19 | 9-1 | 6 W | ||
| 3 Sacramento | 45 | 29 | .608 | 5.0 | 23-15 | 22-14 | 9-6 | 29-15 | 7-3 | 2 W | ||
| 4 Phoenix | 39 | 35 | .527 | 11.0 | 24-12 | 15-23 | 9-5 | 24-20 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 5 LA Clippers | 39 | 36 | .520 | 11.5 | 20-18 | 19-18 | 7-7 | 23-23 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 6 Golden State | 39 | 37 | .513 | 12.0 | 30-8 | 9-29 | 6-9 | 25-21 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 7 Minnesota | 38 | 37 | .507 | 12.5 | 21-17 | 17-20 | 8-7 | 26-20 | 5-5 | 3 W | ||
| 8 New Orleans | 37 | 37 | .500 | 13.0 | 24-13 | 13-24 | 10-5 | 25-20 | 6-4 | 4 W | ||
| 9 LA Lakers | 37 | 38 | .493 | 13.5 | 21-18 | 16-20 | 5-9 | 22-24 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 10 Oklahoma City | 37 | 38 | .493 | 13.5 | 22-15 | 15-23 | 8-7 | 23-25 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 11 Dallas | 36 | 39 | .480 | 14.5 | 22-16 | 14-23 | 9-6 | 27-23 | 3-7 | 4 L | ||
| 12 Utah | 35 | 39 | .473 | 15.0 | 22-15 | 13-24 | 5-9 | 22-24 | 4-6 | 3 L | ||
| 13 Portland | 32 | 42 | .432 | 18.0 | 17-20 | 15-22 | 6-9 | 22-22 | 2-8 | 2 L | ||
| 14 San Antonio | 19 | 56 | .253 | 31.5 | 13-25 | 6-31 | 2-13 | 7-38 | 3-7 | 4 L | ||
| 15 Houston | 18 | 57 | .240 | 32.5 | 12-26 | 6-31 | 4-12 | 11-39 | 3-7 | 5 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 xy-Boston Bruins | 73 | 57 | 11 | 5 | 119 | 54 | 275 | 157 | 30-3-3 | 27-8-2 | 8-2-0 | |
| 2 x-Carolina Hurricanes | 72 | 47 | 16 | 9 | 103 | 43 | 241 | 188 | 25-9-3 | 22-7-6 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 x-New Jersey Devils | 73 | 46 | 19 | 8 | 100 | 44 | 256 | 201 | 20-13-4 | 26-6-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 4 Toronto Maple Leafs | 73 | 44 | 20 | 9 | 97 | 43 | 251 | 203 | 25-7-5 | 19-13-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 New York Rangers | 73 | 43 | 20 | 10 | 96 | 39 | 247 | 198 | 21-12-4 | 22-8-6 | 8-1-1 | |
| 6 Tampa Bay Lightning | 74 | 42 | 26 | 6 | 90 | 39 | 253 | 230 | 25-7-5 | 17-19-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 New York Islanders | 74 | 37 | 28 | 9 | 83 | 37 | 219 | 205 | 21-13-3 | 16-15-6 | 6-3-1 | |
| 8 Pittsburgh Penguins | 73 | 36 | 27 | 10 | 82 | 35 | 235 | 236 | 20-11-5 | 16-16-5 | 4-5-1 | |
| 9 Florida Panthers | 73 | 36 | 30 | 7 | 79 | 34 | 255 | 251 | 21-12-4 | 15-18-3 | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 Buffalo Sabres | 72 | 35 | 31 | 6 | 76 | 34 | 258 | 267 | 14-20-3 | 21-11-3 | 3-5-2 | |
| 11 Washington Capitals | 74 | 34 | 32 | 8 | 76 | 32 | 236 | 231 | 17-14-5 | 17-18-3 | 3-5-2 | |
| 12 Ottawa Senators | 73 | 35 | 33 | 5 | 75 | 33 | 231 | 238 | 20-13-3 | 15-20-2 | 3-6-1 | |
| 13 Detroit Red Wings | 72 | 31 | 32 | 9 | 71 | 28 | 209 | 238 | 17-15-4 | 14-17-5 | 3-7-0 | |
| 14 Philadelphia Flyers | 72 | 28 | 32 | 12 | 68 | 26 | 195 | 236 | 16-16-5 | 12-16-7 | 5-4-1 | |
| 15 Montreal Canadiens | 73 | 29 | 38 | 6 | 64 | 25 | 211 | 270 | 16-17-3 | 13-21-3 | 3-5-2 | |
| 16 Columbus Blue Jackets | 72 | 23 | 42 | 7 | 53 | 22 | 196 | 285 | 14-20-2 | 9-22-5 | 3-6-1 | |
| Western Conference | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Home | Road | L10 | ||
| 1 Vegas Golden Knights | 73 | 46 | 21 | 6 | 98 | 42 | 242 | 205 | 22-14-1 | 24-7-5 | 8-2-0 | |
| 2 Minnesota Wild | 73 | 42 | 22 | 9 | 93 | 35 | 219 | 198 | 23-11-3 | 19-11-6 | 6-1-3 | |
| 3 Los Angeles Kings | 73 | 43 | 20 | 10 | 96 | 37 | 258 | 236 | 25-9-4 | 18-11-6 | 8-0-2 | |
| 4 Colorado Avalanche | 72 | 43 | 23 | 6 | 92 | 37 | 240 | 200 | 20-12-5 | 23-11-1 | 8-2-0 | |
| 5 Dallas Stars | 73 | 39 | 20 | 14 | 92 | 36 | 251 | 204 | 18-10-9 | 21-10-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 Edmonton Oilers | 73 | 41 | 23 | 9 | 91 | 41 | 286 | 246 | 20-12-6 | 21-11-3 | 7-2-1 | |
| 7 Seattle Kraken | 72 | 40 | 24 | 8 | 88 | 40 | 253 | 231 | 16-15-4 | 24-9-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| 8 Winnipeg Jets | 74 | 41 | 30 | 3 | 85 | 40 | 221 | 209 | 22-12-2 | 19-18-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 9 Calgary Flames | 74 | 33 | 26 | 15 | 81 | 31 | 235 | 231 | 17-15-4 | 16-11-11 | 5-3-2 | |
| 10 Nashville Predators | 72 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 80 | 31 | 204 | 216 | 18-14-4 | 18-14-4 | 5-4-1 | |
| 11 Vancouver Canucks | 73 | 34 | 34 | 5 | 73 | 29 | 250 | 267 | 17-18-1 | 17-16-4 | 8-2-0 | |
| 12 St. Louis Blues | 73 | 33 | 34 | 6 | 72 | 30 | 236 | 268 | 15-16-5 | 18-18-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 13 Arizona Coyotes | 74 | 27 | 34 | 13 | 67 | 24 | 207 | 257 | 20-11-4 | 7-23-9 | 5-2-3 | |
| 14 Anaheim Ducks | 73 | 23 | 40 | 10 | 56 | 20 | 189 | 297 | 12-21-3 | 11-19-7 | 2-6-2 | |
| 15 Chicago Blackhawks | 73 | 24 | 43 | 6 | 54 | 22 | 179 | 262 | 14-19-3 | 10-24-3 | 2-7-1 | |
| 16 San Jose Sharks | 73 | 19 | 39 | 15 | 53 | 18 | 209 | 286 | 6-20-10 | 13-19-5 | 1-6-3 | |
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
1902 A Chicago Daily News headline reads, ‘Manager of the Cubs is in Doubt Only on Two Positions,’ marking the first time the team’s nickname has appeared in print. Although the moniker has been around since 1890, the Orphans, also known as the Colts and White Stockings, will not officially adopt the Cubs as its new name until 1907.
1935 In the bottom of the ninth inning, Russell Hinaga singles off future Hall of Fame Russian-born pitcher Victor Starffin, giving the San Jose Asahi, a hometown Japanese American semi-pro team, a 3-2 victory over the powerful Tokyo Giants. The visitors, who will avenge their loss to the ‘Morning Suns,’ next year, are touring the United States to promote the formation of a Japanese professional league, which they plan to establish in the Land of the Rising Sun next season.
1967 Giants’ right-hander Juan Marichal ends his 29-day holdout when he becomes the third $100,000 major league pitcher in history, joining Dodger hurlers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. The ‘Dominican Dandy’ also reported to spring training late last season but proceeded to win his first ten games en route to a 25-6 record.
1973 Twins’ right-hander Jim Perry becomes the first player to use the ’10 and 5 rule’ when he okays his trade to the Tigers for minor league pitcher Dan Fife and cash. During his one season with Detroit, Gaylord’s brother will post a 14-13 (.519) record and an ERA of 4.03 in 35 appearances.
1973 Hoping to make the team in spring training, right-hander Denny McLain is released by the Braves, ending his career two days before his 29th birthday. During his ten-year major league tenure, the former 30-game winner compiled a 131-92 career record with an ERA of 3.39.
1981 Boston’s Gold Glove catcher Carlton Fisk is declared a free agent by major league baseball, much to the chagrin of the Fenway Faithful. The 33-year-old backstop can now negotiate with other teams for his services because he received his contract from the Red Sox two days after the deadline.
1987 The Mets trade backup catcher Ed Hearn, right-hander Rick A. Anderson, and pitching prospect Mauro Gozzo to the Royals for David Cone and minor leaguer Chris Jelic. The 24-year-old right-hander, who will compile an 80-48 (.625) record during his first six seasons in New York, posts a 5-6 mark this season, with Hearn appearing in only 15 games for Kansas City.
1989 The April 3 issue of Sports Illustrated, available on newsstands today, features a six-page article by Craig Neff and Lieber that exposes Pete Rose’s gambling activities. The piece entitled Rose’s Grim Vigil alleges ‘Charlie Hustle’ bet from the Riverfront Stadium dugout using hand gestures with an associate.
1992 The Brewers deal Gary Sheffield to the Padres for pitcher Ricky Bones and minor leaguers Jose Valentin and Matt Mieske. Sheffield, Milwaukee’s first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 1986 draft, will hit .330 for his new team this season, winning the National League batting crown.
2002 After being told he would not be an everyday player, the Expos give 37-year-old Jose Canseco his unconditional release. The 1986 Rookie of the Year and 1988 MVP of the American League ends his 17-year career with 462 home runs while batting .266, playing with five different clubs in the Junior Circuit.
2002 The Cubs, in need of a closer due to Tom Gordon’s muscle tear, trade righties Julian Tavarez (10-9, 4.52) and Jose Cueto, southpaw Dontrelle Willis, and catcher Ryan Jorgensen to the Marlins for Antonio Alfonseca (4-4, 28 saves) and right-hander Matt Clement (9-10, 5.05). Willis, next season’s National League Rookie of the Year, will become a 20-game winner for the Fish in 2005.
2008 At the start of spring training, Hideki Matsui, planning to wed in a few weeks, a fact unknown to the Bronx Bombers, makes a wager with some of his teammates about who would be the first to get married. A surprised Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu agree to pay off the bet after learning the Yankee slugger pulled a fast one on them by getting ‘hitched’ in New York on the club’s off-day yesterday.
2009 In a Kansai Independent League game played at the Osaka Dome, knuckleballer Eri Yoshida makes her debut, becoming Japan’s first female professional baseball player. On Opening Day, the 17-year-old faces two batters, walking one and striking out the other, in the ninth inning of the Kobe 9 Cruise’s 5-0 victory over the hometown Gold Villicanes.
2011 Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka will make a $1 million contribution to the Red Sox Foundation for earthquake and tsunami victims in his native Japan. The team’s official charity has raised more than $1.3 million in response to the March 11 disaster, including personal donations from other Japanese players, Hideki Okajima, Junichi Tazawa, and Itsuki Shoda.
2011 The Nationals deal Nyjer Morgan to the Brewers for minor league infielder Cutter Dykstra and cash. Washington sends the light-hitting fleet-footed outfielder to Milwaukee to obtain the Class A minor league third baseman, the son of former major leaguer Lenny Dykstra.
2012 Embattled owner Frank McCourt agrees to sell the Dodgers to a group that includes former LA Lakers star Magic Johnson and former baseball executive Stan Kasten for $2 billion, the highest amount ever paid for a team in the history of professional sports. The sale price far exceeds the $1.47 billion Malcolm Glazer paid for the English soccer team Manchester United in 2005.
BASEBALL’S BEST
LOU BROCK
He was baseball’s most dangerous player for more than a decade, pressuring opponents with speed and daring on the basepaths.
But Lou Brock was much more than a stolen base specialist. And by the end of his spectacular 19-year big league career, Brock was recognized as one of baseball’s most complete – and clutch – players of the 20th Century.
Born June 18, 1939, in El Dorado, Ark., Louis Clark Brock played college baseball at Southern University before signing as an amateur free agent with the Cubs in 1960. After two years tearing up the minor leagues, Brock surfaced in Chicago at the tail end of the 1961 season, becoming the Cubs’ regular center fielder in 1962. The following year, the 24-year-old Brock played 148 games as Chicago’s right fielder, scoring 79 runs while stealing 24 bases and hitting .258.
But on June 15, 1964, the Cubs – desperate for pitching – dealt Brock to the Cardinals as part of a trade for Ernie Broglio, an 18-game winner in 1963.
“I guess that fewer than two percent of the people in baseball thought it was a good trade for us,” said Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer.
Brock proved the doubters wrong, hitting .348 with 81 runs scored and 33 stolen bases in just 103 games for St. Louis while leading the Cardinals to the National League pennant. In the World Series, the Cardinals’ new left fielder hit .300 with five RBI to help St. Louis beat the Yankees in seven games.
The next year, Brock began a stretch of 12 seasons where he averaged 65 steals and 99 runs scored a year. He led the Cardinals to back-to-back NL pennants in 1967 and 1968 and the World Series title in 1967, hitting .439 in the two Fall Classics, which included a record 13 hits in the 1968 World Series and 12 the year before.
In 1974, the 35-year-old Brock mounted a successful challenge to Maury Wills’ 12-year-old stolen base record, amassing 118 steals while finishing second in the NL Most Valuable Player voting.
Brock surpassed Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base mark of 892 during the 1977 season. He led the NL in steals every year but one between 1966 and 1974.
He finished his career in 1979 with an All-Star Game appearance that year (his sixth) while hitting .304. He totaled 3,023 hits, 1,610 runs, 900 RBI and 938 steals – a stolen base mark that stood until 1991.
Brock was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985 in his first year of eligibility, becoming just the 20th player elected in his first year on the ballot. He passed away on Sept. 6, 2020.
DAN BROUTHERS
He was a power hitter in an era built for speed and contact at the plate. Dan Brouthers, however, was strong enough – and smart enough – to become one of baseball’s first great long-ball hitters.
Born May 8, 1858 in Sylvan Lake, N.Y., Brouthers became an amateur star in upstate New York thanks to a strapping 6-foot-2, 207-pound build that made him one of the larger players of his era. He made his big league debut in 1879 with the Troy Trojans of the National League, but was released after just 39 games.
After playing in the minors for most of the 1880 season, Brouthers appeared in three more games with Troy, then hooked on with the National League’s Buffalo Bisons in 1881. Over the next five seasons, Brouthers led the league in batting average twice, hits twice, triples once and runs batted in once.
From 1886 through 1894, Brouthers starred for NL teams in Detroit, Boston, Brooklyn and Baltimore – and also made stops with teams in the Players League and the American Association.
“He was a great hitter, one of the most powerful batters of all time,” said future Hall of Fame manager John McGraw, who was a teammate of Brouthers with the 1894 Baltimore team that scored 1,171 runs in just 129 games. “Big Dan in his prime, against (modern) pitching and the modern lively ball, would have hit as many home runs as anybody.”
Brouthers was a part-time player in his final three big league seasons, retiring for good after the 1904 campaign. He won five batting titles and led the league in slugging percentage seven times. The powerful lefty batter never hit worse than .300 in a full season, compiling a .342 career average. He drove in at least 100 runs in five different seasons and scored 100-or-more runs in eight seasons.
Brouthers’ total of 107 career home runs ranks fourth among players who were active in the 19th Century.
“Brouthers meant little to the younger generation,” wrote baseball historian Si Goodfriend. “But he was a great player among great players in his day.”
Brouthers passed away on Aug. 2, 1932. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW
1924 AMERICAN LEAGUE
Off the field…
Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall and oilmen Harry Sinclair and Edward L. Doheny were all charged with conspiracy and bribery in the “Teapot Dome scandal” which involved fraudulent leases of naval oil reserves. Fall was later indicted for conspiracy and for accepting bribes and after being convicted of the latter; he was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000. In another trial for bribery Doheny and Sinclair were acquitted, although Sinclair was subsequently sentenced to prison for contempt of the Senate and for employing detectives to shadow members of the jury in his case. Eventually, the oil fields were restored to the U.S. government through a Supreme Court decision in 1927.
In the American League…
During a 12-4 Philadelphia Athletics’ victory over the Cleveland Indians, first baseman Joe Hauser set an American League record with three homeruns and a double for a total of fourteen bases. Ty Cobb later broke the record with sixteen bags of his own on May 5, 1925.
On May 1st, White Sox shortstop Bill Barrett stole home twice (first and ninth innings) tying the Major League mark for home-plate thievery. Chicago went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 13-7.
Washington Senators’ ace Walter Johnson struck out fourteen on May 23rd (including six in a row) for a 4-0 one-hitter over the Chicago White Sox and his one-hundred third shutout. Johnson went on to finish the season with his best record in five years while going 23-7.
In the National League…
On April 15th, Rogers Hornsby of the St. Louis Cardinals went two-for-five on Opening Day (against Vic Aldridge of the Chicago Cubs) giving him a .400 batting average with one game under his belt. Later in the season, his .424 batting average would mark the highest Major League batting average of the twentieth century and from Opening Day forward his average never dipped at or below the .400 mark again.
Giant’s first baseman George Kelly went “solo” on June 14th after hitting three homers to drive in all of New York’s runs during an 8-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Over a decade later, Bob Johnson of the Philadelphia Athletics matched the “one-man-show” with an 8-3 win over the St. Louis Browns.
On July 11th, Chicago Cubs first baseman Lee Cotter equaled a Major League record with twenty-one putouts and one assist during a 9-1 loss against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Around the League…
Following the American League’s lead, the Nationals agreed to offer a $1000 cash prize to the player named their most valuable player as selected by an exclusive panel of sports writers.
Sen Kaney called the first live radio broadcast (from a grandstand behind home plate) on October 1st at Cubs’ Park in Chicago. The home team went on to beat their cross-town rival White Sox with a solid 10-7 effort.
On December 10th, both leagues agreed to a permanent rotation system for World Series play with the first two games at one league’s park, next three at the other leagues park, last two (if needed) back at the first league’s park, and all future openers to alternate between leagues. The National League was granted the inaugural advantage in 1925.
ALSO:
BABE RUTH ALL TIME, ALL STAR TEAM
Shortly before his death in 1948, Babe Ruth, in an interview with The Saturday Evening Post, picked an all-time all-star team, minus the right fielder—though he offered some suggestions. “I just don’t want to pick myself,” he said. His most surprising omission, however, was that of Lou Gehrig. You’re probably thinking: “Maybe he went with Jimmie Foxx or George Sisler?” Wrong. Babe chose the infamous Hal Chase for the top spot. “He had unbelievable fielding ability,” explained Ruth, “and he was no punk at the plate, either.” Well, let’s get to it. With no further ado, here’s the Bambino’s lineup as it appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, and numerous newspapers, in March 1948:
“Pitchers—Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Herb Pennock; Catcher—Ray Schalk; First base—Chase; Second base—Napoleon Lajoie; Shortstop—Honus Wagner; Third base—Jimmy Collins; Left Field—Ty Cobb; Center field—Tris Speaker; Right field—Mr. X.”
Ruth said he left it up to the readers to choose a right fielder and offered up a list of players—Mel Ott, Ross Youngs, Joe Jackson, Harry Heilmann, and Harry Hooper—he thought worthy of consideration. As for his other picks: “I put Larry Lajoie at second for his remarkable hitting skill,” said Ruth, “and because Lajoie could make the hardest chances look easy.” As for the left side of the infield, Babe proclaimed: “Honus Wagner was just head and shoulders over anyone else at shortstop, [and] Jimmy Collins could come in and pounce on bunts and short hits like a cat.”
Moving on to the outfield, Ruth declared: “No one can dispute Ty Cobb’s right to be placed on anyone’s all-star team. . . . [H]e was a player with unbeatable competitive spirit. My old sidekick, Tris Speaker wins center field in my book, even though I recognize that Joe DiMaggio . . . is a great center fielder. But ‘Spoke’ had something extra-special.”
Ruth chose Ray Schalk, a defensive whiz, as his catcher because “he was one of the greatest throwers I’ve ever seen.” Getting to his pitching staff, Babe offered a quick rundown: “Walter Johnson always knew what to pitch. Christy Mathewson belongs among the pitching immortals. Old Alec was just a born pitcher. Herb Pennock was a left-handed Mathewson.”
FOOTBALL HISTORY
THE BEST
MORTEN ANDERSON
Morten Andersen entered the National Football League as the fourth round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1982. He left the game 25 seasons later as the most prolific scorer in league history.
Following a strike-shortened rookie season, Andersen kicked into high gear in his second season as he netted 91 points for New Orleans in 1983. It marked the first of 22 seasons in which he recorded 90 points or more. He topped the 100-point total 14 times in his career. The first occasion of reaching the century mark came in 1985 when he connected on 31 of 35 field goals and added 27 extra points for 120 points. For his efforts, he earned the first of seven Pro Bowl nominations and was also named first-team All-Pro for the first of five times.
After 13 seasons in New Orleans and ranking as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Andersen joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1995 and eventually became that team’s career scoring leader. He recorded a spectacular season his first year in Atlanta when he scored a career-high 122 points that included a then-NFL record for most 50-yard field goals in a season (8). On Dec. 10, 1995, in a 19-14 win over his former team the Saints, he made NFL history when he became the first kicker ever to convert three field goals of 50 yards or longer in the same game.
Andersen kicked for the Falcons for six seasons before continuing his reliable scoring with the New York Giants (2001), Kansas City Chiefs (2002-03), and Minnesota Vikings (2004). In 2006 he was lured out of retirement by Atlanta and finished his career with two more campaigns with the Falcons.
Among the most notable league records he set were career points (2,544), most field goals (565), and games played (382). In addition, his 40 field goals of 50 yards or longer were the most in NFL history at his retirement.
He is one of the rare players to be named to two NFL All-Decade Teams (1980s and 1990s). In all, he converted 565 of 709 field goal attempts and 849 of 859 point-after-attempts. He led his teams in scoring 22 times, led the NFL in field goals in 1987, the NFC in scoring in 1992 and topped all conference kickers in most field goals in 1985, 1987, and 1995.
HISTORY
March 27, 1991 – NCAA bans University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football program from postseason play in 1992. Ed Sherman in an article he did for the Chicago Tribune tells the tale of the incident quite well. A former University of Minnesota administrator, Luther Darville started the practice way back in 1982 of handing out cash to football players. Others in the Minnesota program caught him red handed in 1988 and stopped the practice with consequences. Therefore the NCAA felt obligated to do their own investigation and in its aftermath they laid the hammer down on the program in 1991 not allowing the team to participate in a bowl game for the 1991 postseason. Mr. Sherman brings up some great points to people that did crime both in Darville’s handing out the funds and the 1982 era players that accepted them did not suffer much at all from the NCAA penalty. But the legacy players and coaches in the Golden Gophers program almost a decade later served the penance for what their predecessors did so long ago. D. Alan Williams, chairman of the NCAA’s infraction committee in 1991, had a different opinion according to the article. First, he said, the NCAA isn’t penalizing individuals. ”The penalties are to the institution. It’s always unfortunate , but the committee has before it what it is required to do .” The matter comes down that there has to be a better solution of punishment of violating institutions, perhaps a more efficient and timely investigation, rather than one three years in length would be a good place to start.
March 27, 2000 – It was announced by the NFL officials that the 1999 season was the first time that paid attendance reached an average of over 65,000 fans per game. It was also the first time in the League’s history that paid attendance reached over 20 million for all games in a single season.
MARCH 27 FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS
March 27, 1898 – Warren, Ohio – The prolific University of Pittsburgh interior lineman, Herb Stein was born.
March 27, 1921 – Dallas, Texas – Malcolm Kutner the tough University of Texas end from 1939 to 1941 arrived into life. The NFF tells us that as a college athlete Kutner had it all going on. He was big at 6’2” weighing in at 190 pounds and was very mobile as shown as he starred in not only football but basketball and track as well. His leaping ability was off the charts making for an extremely big catch radius for QB’s to launch passes to. Once he caught the ball he was often off to the races because most DB’s could not compare with his great foot speed. Kutner led the Longhorns in receiving as a junior, hauling in 16 aerials for 237 yards while helping the Burnt Orange and White to an 8-2-0 record in 1940. The following year, Kutner was named All- Southwest Conference and All-America as the ‘Horns finished 8-1-1. Malcolm Kutner was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes. Malcolm served his country during World War II and even got a chance to play ball with the Navy Pre-Flight School. He picked up in the pro ranks just where he left off in college before the war as he earned Rookie of the Year honors with the Chicago Cardinals in 1946. The next year, Kutner led the Cardinals to the World Championship and, in 1948, was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
March 27, 1922 – Chicago, Illinois – The stalwart Purdue guard of the seasons of 1941-1943 and 1946, Alex Agase was born. The FootballFoundation.org tells us that though he was the starting right guard in the line up he had stats that running backs would be proud of. Playing for Illinois against Minnesota in 1942, he scored two touchdowns. On the first, he stole the ball from Bill Daley and ran 38 yards to the goal line. On the second, he recovered Vic Kulbitski’s fumble. This was only the second time in history a guard scored two touchdowns in a game. He was a defensive stud as he was credited with 22 tackles against Great lakes in 1942. Alex earned All- America status in 1942. He played at Purdue as a Marine Trainee in 1943 and again made All-America. He returned to play at Illinois in 1946, was All- America a third time and the Big 10’s Most Valuable Player. Alex Agase received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1963. Agase played pro football 1947-53 and was on three championship teams with the Cleveland Browns. He then went on to be the Northwestern head coach from 1964-72 and the Purdue head coach 1973-76. The Football Writers Association named him national coach of the year, 1970.
March 27, 1963 – Santa Barbara, California – Randall Cunningham the Nevada las Vegas quarterback with the great moves and an arm to go with it was born. The NFF says that Randall Cunningham left Las Vegas as the most accomplished player in school history as not only was he the career best passer and punter at UNLV ever but he became the first Rebel player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. First Team All-America punter in 1983, Cunningham received second team honors as a senior while also garnering honorable mention as a quarterback. The two-position star broke 18 UNLV records, including career marks for 8020 passing yards , 59 touchdown passes and a stellar punting average of 45.6 yards. Randall is only the third quarterback in the history of collegiate football to pass for at least 2,500 yards in three consecutive seasons, and he finished his career with 142 punts for 6,471 yards. After college Randall was picked in round number 2 of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham went on to play for 17 years in the NFL for the Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. The four-time Pro Bowl player also finished second in NFL history for yardage rushing by a QB.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
8 – 90 – 1 – 21
March 27, 1939 – The inaugural NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship commenced finding the University of Oregon defeating Ohio State, 46-33. Ohio State’s Number 8, forward Jimmy Hull is named tournament Most Outstanding Player.
March 27, 1945 – Oklahoma State beats NYU, 49-44 at the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Number 90, Bob Kurland the center of the Cowboys team is named tournament Most Outstanding Player.
March 27, 1962 – Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante, Number 1, tied an NHL record by winning his sixth NHL Vezina trophy. The award was given to the goalie that was judged to be the best in the League at his position for the season. Quite prestigious indeed. Oh by the was Jacques would go on to win it a seventh time in later years as well!
March 27, 1978 – At the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship it was Kentucky dumping Duke, 94-88. The Wildcats recorded their fifth overall title. The star of the game was ‘Cats forward Jack Givens, Number 21 who scored 41 points in the contest.
TV MONDAY
| COLLEGE BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| Maryland vs. South Carolina | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| Tampa Bay vs NY Yankees | 1:05pm | MLBN |
| Seattle vs San Diego | 4:10pm | MLBN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Milwaukee at Detroit | 7:00pm | Bally Sports |
| Dallas at Indiana | 7:00pm | NBATV Bally Sports |
| Houston at New York | 7:30pm | ATTSN-SW MSG |
| Phoenix at Utah | 9:00pm | ATTSN-RM Bally Sports |
| Philadelphia at Denver | 9:30pm | NBATV NBCS-PHI ALT |
| New Orleans at Portland | 10:00pm | Bally Sports Root Sports |
| Minnesota at Sacramento | 10:00pm | Bally Sports NBCS-CA |
| Chicago at LA Clippers | 10:30pm | NBCS-CHI Bally Sports |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| Florida at Ottawa | 7:00pm | Bally Sports Sportsnet |
| Montréal at Buffalo | 7:00pm | MSG-BUF Sportsnet |
| New Jersey at NY Islanders | 7:30pm | MSGSN MSGSN2 |
| Seattle at Minnesota | 8:00pm | ESPN+ HULU |
| Colorado at Anaheim | 10:00pm | ALT2 Bally Sports |
| Edmonton at Arizona | 10:00pm | Sportsnet Bally Sports |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Euro Qualifying: Ireland Republic vs France | 2:45pm | FS1 |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs Bahamas | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: St. Kitts and Nevis vs Aruba | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Dominican Republic vs Belize | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: St. Lucia vs Dominica | 7:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: USA vs El Salvador | 7:30pm | TNT |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Trinidad and Tobago vs Nicaragua | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF Nations League: Guatemala vs French Guiana | 10:00pm | Paramount+ |
| XFL | TIME ET | TV |
| Houston at D.C. | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |