INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL PAIRINGS
REGIONAL PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A
MICHIGAN CITY
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL [22-4] VS. MISHAWAKA [19-7]
**EAST CHICAGO FAVORED BY 6
MICHIGAN CITY
WARSAW [19-5] VS. CROWN POINT [19-5]
**CROWN POINT FAVORED BY 7
NEW CASTLE
KOKOMO [25-3] VS. FISHERS [25-1]
**FISHERS FAVORED BY 8
LOGANSPORT
FORT WAYNE NORTH [19-8] VS. FORT WAYNE WAYNE [21-3]
**FT. WAYNE WAYNE FAVORED BY 8
GREENFIELD
AVON [15-10] VS. LAWRENCE NORTH [24-3]
**LAWRENCE NORTH FAVORED BY 15
SOUTHPORT
NEW PALESTINE [22-5] VS. BEN DAVIS [20-5]
**BEN DAVIS FAVORED BY 5
SOUTHRIDGE
JEFFERSONVILLE [18-7] VS. EVANSVILLE HARRISON [20-4]
**JEFFERSONVILLE FAVORED BY 1
SOUTHPORT
FRANKLIN [18-4] VS. CENTER GROVE [20-4]
**CENTER GROVE FAVORED BY 3
CLASS 3A
TRITON
HAMMOND NOLL [20-7] VS. FAIRFIELD [19-6]
**HAMMON NOLLFAVORED BY 4
SB WASHINGTON
JOHN GLENN [13-13] VS. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH [17-9]
**ST. JOSEPH FAVORED BY 19
LOGANSPORT
PERU [15-10] VS. WEST LAFAYETTE [19-6]
**WEST LAFAYETTE FAVORED BY 1
LAPEL
DELTA [21-6] VS. FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA [14-12]
**DELTA FAVORED BY 11
GREENFIELD
GUERIN CATHOLIC [20-7] VS. INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON [14-12]
**GUERIN FAVORED BY 9
LEBANON
NORTHVIEW [14-11] VS. DANVILLE [21-3]
**DANVILLE FAVORED BY 9
SEYMOUR
BATESVILLE [20-5] VS. SCOTTSBURG [21-5]
**SCOTTSBURG FAVORED BY 14
SOUTHRIDGE
SOUTHRIDGE [19-6] VS. EVANSVILLE BOSSE [14-10]
**BOSSE FAVORED BY 1
CLASS 2A
TRITON
WABASH [20-5] VS. WESTVIEW [20-5]
**WESTVIEW FAVORED BY 2
NORTH JUDSON
NORTH JUDSON [15-9] VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY [20-6]
**GARY 21ST FAVORED BY 19
LAPEL
WAPAHANI [23-2] VS. TIPTON [24-2]
**WAPAHANI FAVORED BY 3
FRANKFORT
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK [20-6] VS. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC [17-8]
**FW BLACKHAWK FAVORED BY 11
LEBANON
IRVINGTON PREP [16-9] VS. PARK TUDOR [19-5]
**PARK TUDOR FAVORED BY 27
MARTINSVILLE
PARKE HERITAGE [22-5] VS. NORTHEASTERN [18-7]
**PARKE HERITAGE FAVORED BY 6
SEYMOUR
SWITZERLAND COUNTY [15-10] VS. FOREST PARK [17-9]
**FOREST PARKE FAVORED BY 10
WASHINGTON
SULLIVAN [21-5] VS. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL [24-4]
**BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL FAVORED BY 22
CLASS 1A
SB WASHINGTON
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC [11-15] VS. DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN [19-7]
**MARQUETTE FAVORED BY 2
NORTH JUDSON
TRI-COUNTY [14-11] VS. ELKHART CHRISTIAN [16-9]
**ELKHART CHRISTIAN FAVORED BY 7
NEW CASTLE
SETON CATHOLIC [19-7] VS. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN [16-9]
**LIBERTY CHRIATIAN FAVORED BY 1
FRANKFORT
FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY [15-9] VS. NORTH VERMILLION [15-10]
**FW CANTERBURY FAVORED BY 15
MARTINSVILLE
OLDENBURG ACADEMY [13-11] VS. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN [17-7]
**GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN FAVORED BY 9
WASHINGTON
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN [20-7] VS. CLAY CITY [21-5]
**BETHESDA CHRISTIAN FAVORD BY 2
LOOGOOTEE
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY [22-4] VS. BARR-REEVE [23-2]
**BARR-REEVE FAVORED BY 8
LOOGOOTEE
TRINITY LUTHERAN [14-11] VS. EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN [23-2]
**EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN FAVORED BY 29
2023-24 GIRLS GYMNASTICS STATE TOURNAMENT
Site: Worthen Arena, Ball State University, 1699 W. Bethel Avenue, Muncie | Facility
Time: Doors open to spectators at 10 am ET; Opening ceremonies at 11 am ET; Competition at 11:30 am ET.
Admission: All tickets will be digital through your mobile phone and may be purchased through Eventlink (additional fees may apply). No cash. Present your purchase verification on your mobile phone at the gate for admission. $15 per person. Children age 5 and younger admitted free. All seats general admission. No pass outs. Patrons will enter at Gate 1 on the northeast side of the facility.
Results: Unofficial live results are available online once the meet begins. Official results will be posted following the conclusion of the event.
Streaming: Competition will be streamed exclusively (no commentary) at IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv suite of apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV) via pay-per-view for $15.
Photography: Double Edge Media is the Official Photography Service of the IHSAA and posts state championship images for purchase. Website
Sports Medicine: Athletic trainers from Forté Sports Medicine, the Official Sports Medicine Provider to the IHSAA, will be on hand to assist student-athletes as needed. Website
Apparel: Contact Team IP, our official online provider of state tournament apparel. Website
MEN’S TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#25 DAYTON 91 VCU 86 OT
BOISE STATE 79 #21 SAN DIEGO STATE 77 OT
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 SCORES
#14 NOTRE DAME 77 #24 LOUISVILLE 68
#1 SOUTH CAROLINA 79 TEXAS A&M 68
#17 BAYLOR 71 TEXAS TECH 60
MARYLAND 82 #4 OHIO STATE 61
#11 VIRGINIA TECH 55 MIAMI FLORIDA 47
#10 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 54 DUKE 51
#8 LSU 78 AUBURN 48
#3 IOWA 95 PENN STATE 62
FLORIDA STATE 78 #20 SYRACUSE 65
#2 STANFORD 66 #13 OREGON STATE 57
MICHIGAN 69 #12 INDIANA 56
#5 USC 80 #7 UCLA 70 2OT
ELSEWHERE:
PROVIDENCE 75 BUTLER 60
SOUTHERN INDIANA 69 EASTERN ILLINOIS 54
NEBRASKA 73 MICHIGAN STATE 61
NBA SCOREBOARD
NEW ORLEANS 103 PHILADELPHIA 95
WASHINGTON 112 CHARLOTTE 100
CLEVELAND 113 MINNESOTA 104 OT
NEW YORK 98 ORLANDO 74
ATLANTA 99 MEMPHIS 92
OKLAHOMA CITY 107 MIAMI 100
HOUSTON 123 PORTLAND 107
LA LAKERS 123 MILWAUKEE 122
NHL SCOREBOARD
ARIZONA 4 DETROIT 0
COLORADO 2 MINNESOTA 1 OT
WINNIPEG 3 SEATTLE 0
DALLAS 6 ANAHEIM 2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
CINCINNATI 4 LA DODGERS 0
SAN FRANCISCO 0 SAN DIEGO 0
PITTSBURGH 6 ATLANTA 6
PHILADELPHIA 6 HOUSTON 3
PITTSBURGH 6 MINNESOTA 3
TORONTO 2 NY YANKEES 1
CLEVELAND 2 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
KANSAS CITY 4 TEXAS 2
CHICAGO CUBS 9 SEATTLE 5
LA ANGELS 8 COLORADO 7
MILWAUKEE 7 OAKLAND 4
ARIZONA 7 CHICAGO CUBS 5
ST. LOUIS 7 WASHINGTON 6
BALTIMORE 4 DETROIT 3
NY METS 3 MIAMI 1
MILWAUKEE 5 OAKLAND 4
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
COASTAL CAROLINA 8 MICHIGAN 7 (12)
TENNESSEE 6 ILLINOIS 3
BUTLER 7 MEMPHIS 6
LOUISVILLE 11 NORTHWESTERN 5
VIRGINIA TECH 11 NOTRE DAME 3
RUTGERS 7 HIGH POINT 4
PENN STATE 5 HARVARD 3
CHARLOTTE 9 MARYLAND 5
MICHIGAN STATE 5 WESTERN MICHIGAN 3
SOUTH ALABAMA 11 NEBRASKA 3
MINNESOTA 8 GONZAGA 5
CAL POLY 4 OHIO STATE 2
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 9 MISSOURI 7
EASTERN MICHIGAN 10 BALL STATE 9
VALPARAISO 3 CITADEL 2
VALPARAISO 10 CITADEL 5
MISSISSIPPI STATE 5 EVANSVILLE 2
INDIANA STATE 8 FLORIDA A&M 4
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
FLORIDA STATE 8 PURDUE 3
OHIO STATE 6 MISSOURI STATE 2
NEBRASKA 13 NORTHERN IOWA 3
PURDUE 9 PITTSBURGH 2
OHIO STATE 6 SOUTH DAKOTA 3
NOTRE DAME 5 INDIANA STATE 2
MINNESOTA 6 LONGWOOD 1
IOWA 17 CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 1
BOSTON COLLEGE 3 MARYLAND 1
NEBRASKA 7 ST. FRANCIS 6
TEXAS STATE 2 PENN STATE 1
MARYLAND 3 BOSTON COLLEGE 2
IOWA 3 SAN JOSE STATE 2
NOTRE DAME 6 MARSHALL 4
TEXAS STATE 6 PENN STATE 0
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
KIRK COUSINS, CHRIS JONES, SAQUON BARKLEY ARE AMONG THE STAR PLAYERS SET TO TEST NFL FREE AGENCY
Kirk Cousins will be a free agent for the first time since the Vikings gave him the first fully-guaranteed quarterback deal in the NFL. Baker Mayfield is expected to stay put in Tampa Bay. Russell Wilson has to make another move. Joe Flacco could find a new home, too.
The quarterback carousel will start spinning when the NFL’s free agency period opens Monday with the legal tampering period. Players can’t officially sign new deals until the opening of the league’s new year on Wednesday.
While the quarterbacks get much of the attention, many of the best players available play other positions.
All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones heads a list that includes fellow defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, edge rushers Danielle Hunter, Chase Young and Jonathan Greenard, safeties Justin Simmons and Xavier McKinney, cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Tre’Davious White, linebackers Patrick Queen and Lavonte David, and many others.
There’s also plenty of talented guys on the offensive side, including running backs Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and D’Andre Swift, offensive tackles Tyron Smith, Jonah Williams and Trent Brown, wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown and Odell Beckham Jr., and more.
Eight players received the non-exclusive franchise tag, including wide receivers Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman, edge rusher Josh Allen and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield. They can still test the open market, but teams would have to give up a pair of first-round picks to sign them.
Jones will have an opportunity to cash in after helping Kansas City win its third Super Bowl in five years. The Chiefs tagged cornerback L’Jarius Sneed instead of placing it on Jones for the second straight season.
Jones’ price tag will likely exceed the $95 million, three-year deal eight-time All-Pro DT Aaron Donald got from the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
The Chiefs already made it clear re-signing Jones is a top priority. They can get Sneed back for at least one year for the $19.8 million tag, give him a long-term deal or trade him.
Half of the NFL’s teams have more than $30 million available in salary cap, making it a player-friendly market to a certain degree.
There’s much interest in how the running backs will fare.
Barkley, Jacobs and Tony Pollard received franchise tags last season but no team wanted to commit $11.9 million to its running back. Austin Ekeler rounds out the top six.
The Giants seem ready to move on from Barkley, who should get interest from plenty of teams, including a pair of New York’s NFC East rivals. The Eagles will be looking for a running back at the right price, of course, if they don’t retain Swift, who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season. Barkley would be an upgrade for the Cowboys over Pollard.
Henry is 30 but he ran for 1,167 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in 2023 and has had five 1,000-yard seasons in the last six years. He’d be a better fit for a Super Bowl contender than Tennessee.
NFL teams have undervalued the running back position to the point where they have the lowest franchise tag number among the skill players. Wide receivers are now nearly $10 million higher at $21.8 million.
“I think that, at the end of the day, talented players end up getting paid,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “So, I think everyone will kind of have value on players just like any other position. Obviously, those guys handle the ball a lot, and they’re important players.”
Nobody gets paid quite like the quarterbacks, whose franchise tag is $38.3 million.
Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl pick, is coming off a torn an Achilles tendon that ended his season in October.
Minnesota wants him back and he prefers to stay there but there’s a possibility another QB-needy team like Atlanta steals him away.
Mayfield revived his career with the Buccaneers, had his best all-around season and led the team to the second round of the playoffs. Now, he’s set to cash in. Tampa Bay already re-signed wide receiver Mike Evans and tagged Winfield. They plan to keep Mayfield, who loves playing in the city.
“Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize just what a great dude he was and what a great teammate he was,” Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said of Mayfield. “As the season went on more and more, how important it was for him to set an example of what we’re trying to be as a team, and that’s a tough team, that endures adversity, but also a physical tone setter out on the field. Typically, it’s not a good recipe to have your quarterback trying to run over linebackers and be the tone setter, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. So, it’s a selfless nature of his.”
Wilson already was informed the Broncos will release him after two seasons in Denver. The Falcons, Steelers and Raiders are his most likely landing spots. If the Vikings lose Cousins, they’d have to consider Wilson. The Patriots could view him as a stopgap if they don’t take a QB with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft or prefer to let a rookie QB start the season on the sideline.
Justin Fields is another big-name quarterback expected to switch teams, though Chicago will have to trade him. The Bears have the No. 1 pick and it would be a shocker if they don’t take Caleb Williams.
More quality players could become available over the weekend as teams continue to manage their salary caps.
The frenzy begins Monday. Just one month after the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl, the NFL is set to dominate the headlines again.
49ERS RT COLTON MCKIVITZ GETS 1-YEAR, $7M EXTENSION
The San Francisco 49ers signed right tackle Colton McKivitz to a one-year, $7 million extension, his agents said Friday.
According to his representatives at AMDG Sports, 65 percent of that compensation is fully guaranteed.
McKivitz, 27, started all 20 games for the NFC champion 49ers in 2023, including the postseason.
He has played 45 regular season games (22 starts) since San Francisco drafted him in the fifth round in 2020.
The extension announced on Friday covers the 2025 campaign. McKivitz is set to earn $2.525 million in base salary in 2024.
REPORT: WILSON HAS ‘EXPLORATORY MEETING’ WITH GIANTS
Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson had “an exploratory meeting” with the New York Giants in New Jersey before flying to Pittsburgh on Friday to meet with the Steelers, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Wilson is expected to meet with more teams, including possibly the Las Vegas Raiders, Schefter reports. The Broncos have permitted Wilson to visit other clubs before officially releasing him when the new league year begins.
The Giants signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160-million contract last offseason. He’s guaranteed $36 million in salary in 2024 and scheduled to have a $47.1-million cap hit, according to Over The Cap.
Jones missed three games last campaign due to a neck injury before tearing his ACL in Week 9 against the Raiders. The 26-year-old struggled when healthy last year, throwing for 909 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 70.5 passer rating in six starts.
New York could release Jones following the 2024 season but would take a $22.2-million dead cap hit in 2025 for the move.
Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor is scheduled to hit free agency next week after two campaigns with the Giants, and Tommy DeVito is under contract for one more season with the club.
The Broncos owe Wilson $39 million in salary next season, and the nine-time Pro Bowler could be a cheap option for other teams looking for quarterback depth.
Wilson had 3,070 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year.
REPORT: STEELERS RELEASING PATRICK PETERSON
The Pittsburgh Steelers are releasing veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Pittsburgh will save $6.85 million in cap space with the move, according to Over The Cap.
After spending two campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson signed a two-year, $14-million deal with the Steelers last offseason. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Peterson in the first round in 2011. He made eight Pro Bowls during his 10-year tenure in Arizona before signing with Minnesota in 2021.
Peterson played all 17 games (16 starts) for Pittsburgh last season, totaling 11 passes defended and two interceptions. The 33-year-old allowed 431 receiving yards on 33 receptions in coverage, according to PFF.
The Steelers invested significantly in the cornerback position last year, selecting Joey Porter Jr. as the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 draft. After seeing limited playing time to begin the campaign, Porter started the team’s final 11 games.
Peterson has 652 tackles and 36 interceptions in 201 career contests.
BUFFALO BILLS SIGN TAYLOR RAPP TO A 3-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION IN REBUILDING DEPLETED SECONDARY
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills began addressing their secondary needs by re-signing Taylor Rapp to a three-year contract extension on Friday, days before he was eligible to become a free agent.
The 26-year-old Rapp will now have the opportunity to take over a starting role after spending much of last season as a backup behind the veteran tandem of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. Buffalo released Poyer on Wednesday as part of a major salary cap-related purge of players, and Hyde is contemplating retirement after completing the final year of his contract.
Rapp signed with the Bills in free agency last offseason after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where he played at various secondary positions.
In Buffalo, he had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the defensive system while also being used in a hybrid safety/linebacker role to account for season-ending injuries to linebacker Matt Milano and cornerback Tre’Davious White. Rapp finished with one interception and a forced fumble in 16 games, including four starts last year.
RIGHT GUARD KEVIN DOTSON TO RE-SIGN WITH LOS ANGELES RAMS, SKIPPING FREE AGENCY
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Right guard Kevin Dotson agreed to terms on a three-year contract to stay with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.
The deal is expected to be worth $48 million for Dotson, who became one of the NFL’s top-rated guards and a pillar of the Rams’ offense last season after they acquired him from Pittsburgh in training camp.
Dotson, a fourth-round pick by the Steelers out of Louisiana in 2022, was consistently graded as one of the league’s best interior offensive linemen by Pro Football Focus and other evaluators during his first season with the Rams.
Dotson and rookie left guard Steve Avila dramatically boosted the Rams’ offense, which improved from 25th to 11th in the NFL in yards rushing while allowing just 2.0 sacks per game of Matthew Stafford, who was sacked 3.2 times per game in 2022.
Dotson excelled as a run-blocker while also committing only two penalties for the Rams, who finished 10-7 and made the playoffs one year after going 5-12.
Los Angeles gave up almost nothing for Dotson, sending two Day 3 draft picks to Pittsburgh to get the guard and two more Day 3 draft choices. Dotson largely played left guard for the Steelers, who gave his starting job to Isaac Seumalo.
Dotson and safety Jordan Fuller were expected to be the Rams’ most prominent unrestricted free agents this offseason.
SAINTS SAFETY TYRANN MATHIEU REWORKS HIS CONTRACT TO ADD A YEAR THROUGH 2025
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu agreed to a new two-year contract on Thursday that runs through the 2025 season.
The 31-year-old Mathieu, a 11-year veteran out of LSU and a New Orleans native, previously was under contract through 2024. His reworked deal, reportedly worth about $13 million, gives him one additional year in a trade-off that lowers his annual salary, thereby providing the Saints with a measure of salary cap relief.
“I like the situation I’m in. I’ve come along in the system. For me, that’s exciting,” Mathieu said. “Where I’m at in my life today, I love being in New Orlans, love being around family, loving being in the community.
“Just having that extra year to do all the things I really want to do while I’m at home, that meant a lot to me,” Mathieu added.
Mathieu has started 34 games for the Saints during the past two seasons and has seven interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Mathieu, a 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist at LSU as a sophomore, was a third-round draft choice by Arizona in 2013 after sitting out the 2012 season because of repeated violations of team rules.
Mathieu also played for Houston and Kansas City, winning a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in the 2019 season.
TIGHT END HUNTER HENRY RETURNING TO PATRIOTS ON 3-YEAR DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Patriots have taken a step toward securing some continuity at tight end, agreeing to terms on a new contract to retain pending free agent Hunter Henry.
The 29-year-old intends to sign a three-year deal, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because new contracts can’t officially be signed until Wednesday.
Henry caught 42 passes for 419 yards and a team-high six touchdowns last season. He has 133 receptions for 1,531 yards and 17 touchdowns since arriving in New England in 2021.
It is the second big move for the Patriots this week. They also used the one-year transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger. New England has until July 17 to reach a long-term deal with him, or he will make the average of the top 10 salaries at his position next season.
REPORT: BRONCOS BRING BACK WR TIM PATRICK ON ADJUSTED CONTRACT
Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick will be back in Denver next season after reportedly agreeing to an adjusted one-year deal on Friday, Colorado TV station 9News reported.
Patrick was owed a base salary of $9.5 million for the 2024 season with a salary cap charge over $15 million. Because of season-ending knee and Achilles injuries, Patrick hasn’t played in a game since signing a three-year, $34 million contract that took effect in 2022.
Patrick tore his left Achilles tendon last August in practice and had surgery, landing on injured reserve. He missed all of the 2022 season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament.
Patrick caught 53 passes for 734 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games in 2021.
An undrafted free agent who struggled to catch on with a team, the Broncos added him to the practice squad in 2018 after he spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens.
Patrick amassed 143 receptions for 2,009 yards and 12 TDs in four seasons (2018-21) on the Broncos’ roster.
BUCCANEERS WR MIKE EVANS INKS TWO-YEAR, $41M DEAL
With a chance to run a fly pattern into free agency, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans opted for the comeback route.
Evans officially signed a two-year, $41 million contract on Friday to extend his career in Tampa Bay into an 11th season.
The deal includes $29 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. He’ll resume his pursuit of Jerry Rice’s record of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2024 after hitting that mark in each of his first 10 years with the Bucs.
“The first 10 years of Mike’s time in Tampa have been truly unprecedented and we look forward to seeing him continue to break records and add to his legendary career as a Buccaneer,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said. “Mike is a special player who has made a lasting impact on this franchise and in our community. As great as he’s been on the field, Mike and his wife, Ashli, have had an even bigger effect in the Tampa Bay area through all their charitable work. He is crucial to our team success and exemplifies everything we want our players to be.”
Evans said Friday his goal all along was to be with the same franchise from the start of his career to the finish.
“Tampa is home,” Evans said, noting he and his wife briefly discussed what it would be like to play elsewhere before coming to the joint realization a return was the option they wanted.
Evans was the first draft pick Licht made as general manager, selected seventh overall in the 2014 draft. Now the Buccaneers are focused on bringing back quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is ticketed for unrestricted free agency after leading Tampa Bay to the NFC South title and playoffs in his only season with the team.
This is Evans’ third contract with the Buccaneers.
Evans has been a team captain seven consecutive seasons.
The 30-year-old was ticketed for free agency at the turn of the new league year next week. He just finished a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Bucs, but Licht and head coach Todd Bowles sent strong signals in recent days that they weren’t letting Evans out of town.
“He came to work every day, he came into play every day, as you can see as a result from his statistics,” Bowles said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. “You know, he he’s been here for like a decade and he’s done the same thing every year. He’s been very consistent. He’s very dynamic yet he’s very humble off the field, but he’s a confident player. He’s one of my favorite players. I have a lot of respect for Mike and everything he does. He’s earned what he done.”
Evans had 79 catches for 1,255 yards with a league-leading 13 touchdowns last season.
He has 762 career receptions for 11,680 yards and 94 TDs in 154 games (153 starts). He also has 709 yards receiving and five TDs in nine postseason games, two of those TDs coming in the 2020 Super Bowl run.
RAVENS, JUSTIN MADUBUIKE REACH 4-YEAR DEAL WORTH REPORTED $98M
The Baltimore Ravens reached agreement with standout defensive tackle Justin Madubuike on a four-year contract Friday. It is worth $98 million, according to multiple reports.
The reports also peg the guarantees at $75.5 million, including $53.5 million as a signing bonus.
Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald ($31.66 million) is the only defensive tackle with a higher average annual salary than Madubuike’s $24.5 million average.
“Justin is one of the best defensive tackles in the entire NFL and a cornerstone on our defense,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a news release. “This is a great way to start the new league year!”
The deal comes three days after the Ravens placed the franchise tag ($22.1 million in 2024) on Madubuike. But negotiations continued, resulting in the long-term deal.
Madubuike, 26, had 13 sacks and 33 quarterback hits in 2023 while earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He registered 56 tackles in 17 games.
The 2020 third-round pick has 21.5 sacks and 153 tackles in 59 career games (47 starts) with the Ravens.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: WIZARDS DEFEAT HORNETS TO END 16-GAME SKID
Kyle Kuzma poured in 28 points and Deni Avdija had a big fourth quarter to finish with 18 points as the Washington Wizards ended a 16-game losing streak by defeating the visiting Charlotte Hornets 112-100 on Friday night.
The Wizards trailed 76-68 going to the fourth quarter, but they gave their fans a rare homecourt treat. They scored 44 points in the final quarter, more than twice their total in the third quarter. Jordan Poole finished with 15 points off the bench, Richaun Holmes provided 14 points and 11 rebounds, reserve Corey Kispert produced 13 points and Bilal Coulibaly had 11 points. Avdija added 14 rebounds.
Washington hadn’t won since Jan. 29 at San Antonio. Its previous home victory came Dec. 29 against Brooklyn.
Miles Bridges did his part with 32 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost six in a row. They shot 40 percent from the floor, making 9 of 42 shots from 3-point range. Bridges was 1-for-10 on 3s and 12-for-17 from inside the arc.
Knicks 98, Magic 74
Jalen Brunson returned to the New York lineup and scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Knicks to a wire-to-wire win over visiting in a clash with pivotal Eastern Conference playoff implications.
With their fourth win in the last 12 games, the Knicks moved a half-game ahead of the Magic — who had their five-game winning streak snapped — into fourth place in the East. The top four teams in each conference have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Brunson missed Tuesday’s 116-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks with a left knee bruise suffered in the opening minute of Sunday’s 107-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pelicans 103, 76ers 95
Zion Williamson had 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, Naji Marshall added 19 points and New Orleans built a 35-point lead before holding on for a victory over host Philadelphia.
Brandon Ingram scored 17 points while CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III chipped in with 10 apiece for the Pelicans, who won their third game in a row.
Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 20 points and Paul Reed had 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Cameron Payne scored 13 points for the Sixers, who have dropped three straight and seven of 10.
Cavaliers 113, Timberwolves 104 (OT)
Darius Garland scored 34 points and dished eight assists, and Cleveland outlasted visiting Minnesota.
Jarrett Allen added 33 points and 18 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Georges Niang contributed 16 points and shot 4 for 7 from beyond the arc.
Naz Reid finished with 34 points on 10-for-18 shooting, including 7 for 11 on 3-pointers, to lead Minnesota. Anthony Edwards scored 19 points but shot only 7 for 27 from the field and 0 for 7 from deep.
Thunder 107, Heat 100
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to help host Oklahoma City top Miami.
The win was the ninth in 11 games for the Thunder, who swept the two-game season series with the Heat.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting while Jimmy Butler added 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Lakers 123, Bucks 122
D’Angelo Russell scored a season-high 44 points with nine assists, including a go-ahead floater with 5.9 seconds remaining, and Los Angeles beat visiting Milwaukee.
The Lakers won without LeBron James after he aggravated a left ankle injury during a loss Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Los Angeles is 5-4 in games that James has missed this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points with 14 rebounds and 12 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season but the Bucks lost their second consecutive game after a six-game winning streak.
Hawks 99, Grizzlies 92
Dejounte Murray scored a game-high 41 points to help lead visiting Atlanta to a win over Memphis.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 points for the Hawks, who won their third straight game. Clint Capela collected 15 points and 11 rebounds, while De’Andre Hunter scored 12.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 21 points, followed by Vince Williams Jr. and Jake LaRavia, who each finished with 14 points. Santi Aldama and Lamar Stevens each scored 13 for the Grizzlies, who saw their two-game winning streak snapped.
Rockets 123, Blazers 107
Jalen Green scored 27 points and Alperen Sengun added 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists to help Houston beat host Portland.
Fred VanVleet had 18 points and 10 assists for the Rockets, who outscored the Trail Blazers 68-44 in the second half. Houston has won three of its last four games.
Dalano Banton scored a career-high 30 points and Anfernee Simons added 23 for the Trail Blazers, who lost for the 12th time in 14 games. Duop Reath added 16 points and Kris Murray registered 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Portland.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TEMPLE REVIEWING REPORTS OF UNUSUAL WAGERING ACTIVITY AHEAD OF MEN’S BASKETBALL LOSS TO UAB
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Temple University will review reports that show at least one game involving its men’s basketball team has been flagged by gambling watchdog company U.S. Integrity for unusual betting activity.
The betting line for Thursday night’s game between Temple and UAB surged from the Blazers opening as a two-point favorite to reaching as high as eight points, per tracking website Covers.com. UAB covered the spread with a 100-72 win at Temple.
“We are aware of the media reports regarding last night’s men’s basketball game,” Temple said Friday in a statement. “We will review the reports thoroughly in accordance with university and NCAA policies. While we can’t comment any further at this time, we take this matter very seriously.”
The Owls are members of the American Athletic Conference, which confirmed it is a client of U.S. Integrity and had no additional comment. U.S. Integrity said it was in the “very early stages of acquiring information” but otherwise declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. A UAB spokesman declined comment, adding “this does not apply to us.”
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it “received the alert and are reviewing the matter to see if there’s any impact in Pennsylvania.”
The point spread can dramatically shift when sportsbooks are taking in money on one side of a game. The line could be suspicious if, for example, an overwhelming amount of money came in on UAB — unusual in an otherwise meaningless college basketball game without major injuries or suspensions to key players.
The Owls were outrebound by UAB 41-19, the worst margin since it was outrebounded by 26 against Cincinnati in January 2019.
Temple is just 11-19 in coach Adam Fisher’s first season and plays the regular-season finale Sunday in San Antonio against UTSA. The Owls open the conference tournament next week in Fort Worth, Texas.
The growth of legal sports betting in the U.S., especially among college-aged people, has prompted concerns about increased stress on athletes and raised the potential for wrongdoing. NCAA President Charlie Baker said earlier this year the NCAA is trying to modify “draconian” penalties college athletes face for breaking rules regarding betting on sports.
The topic drew headlines last year in two prominent cases: About two dozen Iowa State and Iowa athletes were criminally charged after a state investigation into illegal sports wagering; some charges were dropped after investigators were found to have misused tracking software that detected open mobile betting apps in Iowa State athletic facilities.
That happened not long after Alabama fired its baseball coach amid an investigation into suspicious bets involving a Crimson Tide game at LSU; Brad Bohannon was accused of providing information to a gambler who used it to make illegal wagers against the Crimson Tide.
U.S Integrity last May launched a tip line to help athletes, coaches and staff to anonymously report suspicions about gambling activity to regulators and law enforcement.
ELVIS SCORES 10 OF HIS 15 POINTS IN OT, NO. 25 DAYTON RALLIES TO DOWN VCU 91-68 TO GO 15-0 AT HOME
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Kobe Elvis hit back-to-back 3-pointers and a pair of free throws in the last 1:09 of overtime to lift No. 25 Dayton to a 91-86 win over VCU in a white-knuckle final regular-season game Friday night.
Max Shulga hit a 3-pointer to get VCU within two points with 4 seconds left in OT, but Enoch Cheeks and DaRon Holmes II hit foul shots to seal it for Dayton (24-6, 14-4 Atlantic 10), which finished 15-0 on its home court.
Elvis scored 10 of his 15 points in overtime as the Flyers fought back from a 17-point first-half deficit to tie the game in the last 2 1/2 minutes of regulation. Holmes finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, leading all five Dayton starters in double-digit scoring.
Zeb Jackson had 26 points, including 6 3-pointers in 14 attempts, for VCU (19-12, 11-7). Shulga finished with 14 points.
The notoriously slow-starting Flyers showed signs they might be ambushed again by the Rams, who had prevailed 49-47 in their last lethargic meeting on Feb. 9.
VCU bombed away from the 3-point stripe to start the game, hitting six from long range in the first 10 minutes but cooled off. The Rams jumped out to a 17-point lead at the 10-minute mark until Dayton, which turned the ball over nine times in the half, finally woke up.
A 10-2 run by the Flyers helped them climb back into the game. Dayton closed the deficit to 38-31 at the break but didn’t lead in the game until the 5:57 mark of the second half.
BIG PICTURE
VCU: The Rams deserved to win but let Dayton creep back in and outplay them in overtime.
Dayton: The Flyers will reach their goal of getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, regardless of whether they win the conference tournament. They are 21st in the NCAA evaluation rankings.
UP NEXT
Atlantic 10 tournament opens Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York. Schedule still to be determined.
LATE GAME HEROICS NETS WIN AT RANKED SAN DIEGO STATE
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Battle back. That was the mantra for Boise State men’s basketball.
The Broncos battled back from a 10-point deficit in the second half.
They battled back to force overtime with seven seconds remaining.
They battled back when Cam Martin grabbed a rebound on a missed shot and drew a foul with 1.7 seconds remaining in overtime.
Martin battled back when he made both free throws for a 79-77 win at No. 21/19 San Diego State, Friday at Viejas Arena.
It is only the fifth road win over a ranked opponent and the fourth win at Viejas Arena in program history. The win also clinches the No. 3 seed in the Mountain West tournament for Boise State (22-9, 13-5 MW). The Broncos can clinch a share of the Mountain West title with a Utah State loss on Saturday.
San Diego State (22-9, 11-7 MW) tied the game at 77 off a Darrion Trammel 3-pointer. Martin grabbed a rebound, and as he was going up for a putback he drew the foul. He made both free throws for the 79-77 win.
Boise State cut a 10-point deficit down to one with a 5-for-5 stretch from the field to pull within the Aztecs, 63-62, with 6:31 remaining in the game.
Max Rice, Tyson Degenhart and Chibuzo Agbo made 3-pointers from the left wing, while Jace Whiting and O’Mar Stanley made baskets in the paint to pull within a point and force San Diego State to call timeout.
A fadeaway jumper from Agbo tied the game at 65 with 3:05 remaining in the game. After San Diego State went up 72-70, Roddie Anderson III drove to the basket and got the shot to fall to send the game to overtime.
Quotables
“We’ve got such tough guys, we have seven road wins in the league,” said head coach Leon Rice. “This is one of the hardest places in the country to win and you can’t do that without grit. We kept fighting, made timely threes and changed up our defense to get the win.”
“You dream about these moments as a kid,” said Roddie Anderson III. “We had a little play called up and I went down the middle and felt I was able to make the floater and by the grace of God it went in.”
Top Broncos
Roddie Anderson III scored 16 points to go with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Tyson Degenhart knocked down 14 points with 11 rebounds and an assist.
Cam Martin added 10 points, four rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Max Rice recorded 10 points, two assists and a rebound.
Notable
The win means Boise State heads to the 2024 Mountain West Championships as the three seed.
The Broncos can clinch a share of the Mountain West regular season title with a Utah State loss on Saturday.
Six of the last seven meetings between the two programs have been decided by single digits — all six have been Bronco wins.
First overtime win against San Diego State.
Fifth road victory over an AP Top 25 team — second this season.
Fourth victory over a ranked team this season (most in a single season)
Fourth victory at Viejas Arena in program history.
This is the most points Boise State has scored at Viejas Arena — previous was 68 in the first meeting (Dec. 16, 1976).
Only the second time going to OT against San Diego State — previous was a loss in 2021.
San Diego State did not score in the first 4:27 of the game, opening 0-for-7 from the field.
The trio of Chibuzo Agbo, Tyson Degenhart and Max Rice opened the game 0-for-5 from the field . . . did not make a field goal until 5:24 in the first half on a Tyson Degenhart putback.
It is the second time San Diego State has lost when they have a positive rebound margin against Boise State this season.
Only the seventh time since 2010-11 that the Aztecs have lost when having at least 40 rebounds.
Boise State swept the season series against San Diego State for the third time — both other times were in years in which the Broncos won the league.
The Broncos had six scorers in double figures for the first time since Jan. 13, 2021 against Wyoming.
What’s Next
Boise State heads to the Mountain West tournament, where it will open play on Thursday, March 14, in the quarterfinals as the three seed.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: MARYLAND BLASTS NO. 4 OHIO STATE
Shyanne Sellers dominated with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead Maryland to an 82-61 rout of No. 4 Ohio State on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament in Minneapolis.
Brinae Alexander and Jakia Brown-Turner added 19 points apiece for the eighth-seeded Terrapins (19-12). Faith Masonius scored 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting and collected 11 rebounds for Maryland, which had a stunning 55-31 rebounding advantage.
It was the second straight loss for top-seeded Ohio State (25-5) and this one is expected to knock them off the No. 1 seed line in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes are just the third No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 in the Big Ten women’s tournament.
Rebeka Mikulasikova had 16 points and Taylor Thierry added 13 points for the Buckeyes. Cotie McMahon had 12 points and nine rebounds and Jacy Sheldon tallied 10 points for Ohio State.
Maryland will face either fourth-seeded Michigan State or fifth-seeded Nebraska in Saturday’s semifinals.
No. 1 South Carolina 79, Texas A&M 68
Kamilla Cardoso scored 17 points to lead the top-seeded Gamecocks past the ninth-seeded Aggies to reach the SEC tournament semifinals in Greenville, S.C.
Tessa Johnson added 13 points and Ashlyn Watkins had 10 for the Gamecocks (30-0), who reached the 30-win mark for the third straight season. South Carolina will face fifth-seeded Tennessee in the semifinals.
Aicha Coulibaly scored 26 of her career-high 32 points in the second half for the Aggies (19-12). Janiah Barker scored 11 points and Lauren Ware added 10 for Texas A&M.
No. 11 Virginia Tech 55, Miami 47
Georgia Amoore scored 23 of her 27 points in the second half and the top-seeded Hokies knocked off the ninth-seeded Hurricanes to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals in Greensboro, N.C.
Virginia Tech (24-6) prevailed without three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, who is sitting out the tournament due to a knee injury. Clara Strack added 10 points for the Hokies, who will play Notre Dame in Saturday’s semifinals.
Jasmyne Roberts scored 12 points and Shayeann Day-Wilson added 11 for Miami (19-12).
No. 14 Notre Dame 77, No. 24 Louisville 68
Sonia Citron scored 26 points to help the fourth-seeded Fighting Irish beat the fifth-seeded Cardinals and reach the semifinals of the ACC tournament in Greensboro.
Hannah Hidalgo added 21 points, six rebounds and six assists for Notre Dame (24-6). Maddy Westbeld had 13 points for the Irish, who never trailed and led by as many as 22 points.
Jayda Curry scored 15 of her season-high 26 points in the fourth quarter for Louisville (24-9). Sydney Taylor added 13 points and Olivia Cochran had 10 for the Cardinals.
No. 17 Baylor 71, Texas Tech 60
Sarah Andrews scored 13 points and Aijha Blackwell added 11 points and nine rebounds as the fifth-seeded Bears defeated the 12th-seeded Lady Raiders to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Bella Fontleroy and Yaya Felder had 10 points apiece for Baylor (24-6), which will face fourth-seeded Iowa State in Saturday’s quarterfinals. The Bears never trailed and led by as many as 15 points.
Jasmine Shavers scored 20 points and Bailey Maupin added 15 for Texas Tech (17-16). The Red Raiders were outscored 19-10 in the final quarter.
BASEBALL NEWS
JOEY VOTTO SAYS HE HAS AGREED TO MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT WITH HOMETOWN TORONTO BLUE JAYS
TORONTO (AP) — Former NL MVP Joey Votto says he has agreed to a minor league contract with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays.
The 40-year-old first baseman became a free agent last fall after the end of a $251.5 million, 12-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds, his only team over 17 major league seasons.
“I am excited about the opportunity to work my way back to the Major Leagues. It’s even sweeter to attempt this while wearing the uniform of my hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays,” Votto wrote Friday on X.
There was no immediate announcement by the team.
Votto hit .202 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in 65 games last year. He didn’t play his first game until June 19, 10 months to the day after surgery on his left biceps and rotator cuff.
A six-time All-Star and the 2010 NL MVP, Votto has a .294 average with 356 homers, 1,144 RBIs and a .409 on-base percentage in 2,056 games.
Cincinnati declined his $20 million option for 2024.
RANGERS 1B NATHANIEL LOWE (OBLIQUE) COULD MISS OPENING DAY
Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe could miss Opening Day with an oblique strain, manager Bruce Bochy said Friday.
Lowe, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, has a timeline for returning from the muscle injury of at least three weeks. He hit .262 with 17 home runs and 82 RBIs in 2023 but had three hits in 18 at-bats this spring.
Texas opens the season March 28 against the Chicago Cubs.
Lowe, 28, played 161 games in the regular season last year and was in the lineup for all 17 postseason games the Rangers played. He has never been on the injured list.
“It sucks, you know?” Lowe said. “I’m climbing up the list. I’m creating value for myself and making money and now getting paid to do nothing. It feels pretty slimy. I don’t love it. It’s something that’s new for me and I’m taking it in stride.”
The World Series champion Rangers are already without shortstop Corey Seager, who was cleared this week to begin baseball activities in a throttled upramp from a sports hernia.
Texas opens the regular season at home on March 28 with a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.
REPORTS: MARINERS SIGNING RHP RYNE STANEK
The Seattle Mariners are signing right-hander Ryne Stanek to a one-year deal, multiple outlets reported Friday.
MLB Network reported the 32-year-old reliever’s agreement is for $4 million plus up to $2 million in incentives.
Stanek spent the past three seasons in the Houston bullpen, posting an 8-7 record, a 2.90 ERA and three saves in 186 games.
He is 10-14 with a 3.45 ERA in 338 games (56 starts) for the Tampa Bay Rays (2017-19), Miami Marlins (2019-20) and Astros.
Stanek won a World Series with Houston in 2022 and is 3-0 in the postseason with a 2.70 ERA in 23 career relief appearances.
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: ANGELS WALK OFF ROCKIES
Samuel Brown bounced a walk-off single to right field to push the Los Angeles Angels past the visiting Colorado Rockies 8-7 in a back-and-forth spring training game Friday in Tempe, Ariz.
Brown’s hit off Jake Bird (1-1) barely stayed fair, scoring Jordyn Adams from third to end the game and make a winner out of Hunter Strickland (1-0). Strickland tossed a spotless top of the ninth with one strikeout for the Angels.
The Rockies built leads of 3-0 and 4-1 before the Angels used a six-run fifth inning to jump ahead. After Taylor Ward hit a two-run double, Brandon Drury singled Ward home and Logan O’Hoppe walked.
Miguel Sano then crushed a three-run homer off Victor Vodnik.
Colorado rallied as Alan Trejo homered, Elehuris Montero drove in a run on a groundout and Hunter Goodman scored on a wild pitch.
Brenton Doyle had a two-run, second-inning single that gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead.
Phillies 6, Astros 3
Bryson Stott went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, J.T. Realmuto batted 3-for-3 and host Philadelphia defeated Houston in Clearwater, Fla.
Stott drove in a run on a first-inning groundout, bashed a two-run homer in the third and tacked on an RBI single in the sixth. Realmuto and David Dahl (double) added RBIs for the Phillies. Starter Ranger Suarez (1-0) struck out five over 3 1/3 scoreless innings with two hits.
Corey Julks hit a solo shot for the Astros. Spencer Arrighetti (0-1) got the start and gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits in three innings.
Pirates 6, Twins 3
Matt Frazier’s go-ahead RBI double sparked a three-run eighth inning and helped Pittsburgh beat visiting Minnesota in Bradenton, Fla.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Andrew McCutchen had early solo home runs for the Pirates. Hayes and Jake Lamb each finished with two hits. Reliever Chase Anderson (1-0) threw two scoreless, hitless innings around Pittsburgh’s eighth-inning outburst.
Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot and an RBI single for the Twins. Cole Sands (1-1) yielded Pittsburgh’s three runs in the eighth on four hits and a walk.
Pirates 6, Braves 6
Luis Liberato bashed a three-run home run to center in the seventh inning for host Atlanta to tie Pittsburgh’s split squad in North Port, Fla.
The Pirates had gone up 6-3 with a pair of runs in the fifth before Liberato hit his first homer of spring training off Pittsburgh’s Colin Selby. Braves starter Max Fried was dinged for four runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in three innings.
Billy McKinney had a two-run double and an RBI single for the Pirates, while Canaan Smith-Njigba homered and added an RBI sacrifice fly.
Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1
Nathan Lukes’ two-run triple pushed Toronto past visiting New York in Dunedin, Fla.
The Blue Jays needed only three hits to beat the Yankees after Toronto starter Chris Bassitt held them to one run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings with four strikeouts. Yimi Garcia (2-0) threw a scoreless sixth with two strikeouts.
DJ LeMahieu had an RBI double in the third for the Yankees. Marcus Stroman tossed four scoreless, hitless innings with two strikeouts before Yerry De Los Santos (0-2) blew the save.
Guardians 2, White Sox 1
Jose Ramirez hit a solo bomb to right to provide the eventual winning run as host Cleveland beat Chicago in Goodyear, Ariz.
With Bo Naylor’s RBI single off Erick Fedde (0-1) giving the Guardians a one-run lead, Ramirez’s homer in the fourth inning was crucial after the White Sox scored their only run on Braden Shewmake’s sac fly in the seventh.
Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (1-0) didn’t allow a hit over three innings, fanning three and walking two.
Royals 4, Rangers 2
Michael Massey struck a two-run homer and Salvador Perez hit an RBI double to lift Kansas City over Texas in Surprise, Ariz.
Tyler Tolbert’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth gave the Royals an insurance run. Starter Seth Lugo (2-0) was perfect through three innings with two strikeouts.
Once the Royals’ bullpen came in, Wyatt Langford hit his fourth homer of the spring in the fourth inning and Jared Walsh added his second of the spring in the seventh for the Rangers. Jack Leiter (0-1) yielded two runs on two hits and two walks over three innings in his start.
Cubs 9, Mariners 5
Matthew Shaw followed an RBI triple in the second inning with a two-run homer in the ninth as host Chicago toppled Seattle in Mesa, Ariz.
Garrett Cooper and Dominic Smith also homered for the Cubs. Cooper’s was a three-run shot to provide Shota Imanaga (1-1) enough run support for his first win of spring. The new signing from Japan gave up two runs on four hits and two walks over three innings, fanning five.
Luis Urias had a solo shot before Cal Raleigh hit a three-run homer for the Mariners. Starter Emerson Hancock (0-1) was tagged for six runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts over 1 2/3 frames.
Diamondbacks 7, Cubs 5
Joc Pederson bashed a two-run home run and supplied an RBI single to push host Arizona past Chicago’s split squad in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (1-0) threw two perfect innings and struck out three. Arizona outhit the Cubs 11-5, including two hits and an RBI from Eugenio Suarez.
Chicago fell behind 7-1 before Darius Hill capped a futile comeback effort with a solo shot in the ninth. Mike Tauchman also homered, and starter Kyle Hendricks (0-1) gave up three runs on five hits and a walk over 3 1/3 innings, fanning two.
Brewers 7, Athletics 4
Rhys Hoskins hit a grand slam to carry host Milwaukee past Oakland in Phoenix.
Hoskins made it five RBIs when he doubled home a run in the fifth for the Brewers. Reliever Thyago Vieira (1-0) struck out two in the third inning to get the win.
The Athletics fell despite out-hitting the Brewers 13-8. JJ Bleday went 3-for-4 with two runs and Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer for the A’s. Starter Ross Stripling (0-1) yielded six runs (five earned) on five hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings.
NHL NEWS
KRAKEN KEEP VETERAN JORDAN EBERLE AT TRADE DEADLINE AFTER AGREEING TO 2-YEAR EXTENSION
SEATTLE (AP) — Veteran forward Jordan Eberle stayed put at the NHL trade deadline. He’ll be in Seattle a little longer.
Eberle and the Kraken reached agreement on a $9.5 million, two-year contract extension on Friday that will keep one of the originals for the expansion franchise in Seattle for a couple more seasons.
Eberle was slated to be an unrestricted free agent after this season and was viewed as one of the top options going into the final hours before the trade deadline. But Eberle had indicated his desire was to remain in Seattle.
“It’s a relief. I mentioned quite a bit that I wanted to be here. My family wants to be here. And more than anything, just have it over with,” Eberle said after morning skate on Friday. “Get back to what we’re doing and get back to trying to win some games and put ourselves in position to get in.”
Seattle was in a challenging spot of finding balance at the trade deadline. The Kraken entered Friday night’s game against Winnipeg six points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference behind Vegas, but with two games remaining against the Golden Knights.
Seattle traded Alex Wennberg to the New York Rangers. Wennberg was also on an expiring contract and seemed unlikely to re-sign with the Kraken.
But the 33-year-old Eberle was one of the foundational picks made by Seattle during the 2021 expansion draft ahead of the first year of the franchise. He scored 21 goals in Seattle’s disappointing inaugural season and last year had 20 goals and 43 assists playing in all 82 regular season games in helping Seattle to the playoffs.
In the postseason, Eberle added six goals and five assists — including a memorable overtime winner in Game 4 of Seattle’s first-round series against Colorado.
After a slow start to this season, Eberle has 14 goals and 23 assists in 58 games — 10 of those goals have come in the past 25 games since Jan. 1.
“I’m happy the way it got done. Excited for the last 20 games here that we have,” Eberle said. “We continue to play meaningful hockey and that’s what it’s all about.”
CAPITALS SEND KUZNETSOV TO HURRICANES
The Washington Capitals are trading forward Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick, the clubs announced.
Washington will retain 50% of Kuznetsov’s $7.8-million cap hit through 2024-25.
Kuznetsov had spent his entire 11-year career with the Capitals. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2018, leading all playoff skaters with 20 assists and 32 points in 24 games.
However, the veteran forward has had a difficult 2023-24 campaign. He entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in early February and was cleared last Saturday. But the Capitals placed him on waivers shortly thereafter, and he went unclaimed on the wire Sunday.
Kuznetsov, who’ll turn 32 on May 19, has collected six goals and 11 assists while averaging 18:47 of ice time over 43 contests this season.
DEVILS SHIP TOFFOLI TO JETS FOR 2 DRAFT PICKS
The New Jersey Devils traded winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-rounder, the teams announced.
Toffoli is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.25-million cap hit, but the Devils are retaining 50% of his salary.
The Jets add some offensive juice with the acquisition of Toffoli. The 31-year-old has eight 20-goal campaigns under his belt and has found twine 26 times in 61 games this season. His underlying offensive numbers are stellar too.
Once Gabe Vilardi is healthy, Toffoli is a logical candidate to slot in on Winnipeg’s second line alongside fellow newcomer Sean Monahan and speedy Danish winger Nikolaj Ehlers.
Toffoli was in his first season with the Devils after the Calgary Flames traded him in the offseason for a third-round pick and Yegor Sharangovich.
He comes with loads of postseason experience. Toffoli has tallied 18 goals and 26 assists in 88 career playoff games and helped the Los Angeles Kings win the 2014 Stanley Cup.
This is the third time Toffoli has been dealt ahead of a deadline after he joined the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames for playoff pushes in 2020, and 2022, respectively. Winnipeg also marks the fourth Canadian team for the former Montreal Canadiens forward.
BRUINS ACQUIRE F PAT MAROON FROM WILD
The Boston Bruins acquired three-time Stanley Cup winner Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
The Wild picked up forward Luke Toporowski and a conditional sixth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft in return. Toporowski will be sent to Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Maroon, 35, has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) and 60 penalty minutes in 49 games this season. He underwent back surgery on Feb. 6 and was scheduled to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks.
The rugged forward won three consecutive Stanley Cups with the St. Louis Blues (2019) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021).
The Bruins (37-13-15), who entered Friday’s action in second place in the Eastern Conference, have not lifted the Stanley Cup since 2011.
Maroon has tallied 304 points (121 goals, 183 assists) and 990 penalty minutes in 778 games over 13 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Blues, Lightning and Wild. He has 23 goals and 28 assists in 150 career postseason games.
Toporowski, 22, has recorded 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 49 games this season with AHL Providence.
Also Friday, the Bruins announced a one-year, $800,000 contract extension for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. The 26-year-old has six assists, a plus-five rating, 54 blocks and 67 hits in 32 games this season.
SHARKS ACQUIRE F KLIM KOSTIN FROM RED WINGS
The San Jose Sharks acquired forward Klim Kostin from the Detroit Red Wings on Friday in exchange for defenseman Radim Simek and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Kostin, 24, has recorded four points (three goals, one assist) in 33 games this season. The former first-round pick has one season remaining on his two-year, $4 million contract.
Kostin has totaled 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists) in 136 career games with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and Red Wings. He was selected by the Blues with the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Simek, 31, has collected 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 209 career games with the Sharks. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
PREDATORS ACQUIRE F JASON ZUCKER FROM COYOTES
The Nashville Predators acquired forward Jason Zucker from the Arizona Coyotes on Friday for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Per reports, the Coyotes did not have to retain any of Zucker’s $5.3 million salary.
The trade was made hours before the official NHL trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.
The Predators have bolstered their forward depth in the past two days. They acquired forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Zucker, 32, has recorded 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 51 games this season, his first with the Coyotes. He signed a one-year contract with Arizona in the offseason and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Zucker has totaled 363 points (191 goals, 172 assists) in 679 career games with the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Coyotes.
PANTHERS ACQUIRE KYLE OKPOSO FROM SABRES
The Florida Panthers acquired Sabres captain Kyle Okposo from Buffalo on Friday.
The Sabres, in turn, will receive defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The trade was made hours before the official NHL trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.
Okposo, who turns 36 on April 16, has recorded 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 61 games this season.
The forward is playing on a one-year, $2.5 million extension and can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
“Kyle is an exceptionally respected veteran who brings leadership and a competitive edge to our team, and we are thrilled to be able to add him to our group,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said.
Okposo has 614 points (242 goals, 372 assists) in 1,045 career games with the New York Islanders (2007-16) and Sabres. The Islanders selected Okposo with the seventh overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.
Sjalin, 24, has three assists and 14 penalty minutes in 22 games this season with Charlotte of the American Hockey League. He has yet to make his NHL debut since being selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round of the 2017 draft.
DUCKS ACQUIRE F BEN MEYERS FROM AVALANCHE
The Anaheim Ducks acquired forward Ben Meyers from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Meyers, 25, has 53 games of NHL experience for the Avalanche over the past three seasons, including one goal in nine games this season. He has six career goals.
Meyers, a native of Delano, Minn., has six games of playoff experience for Colorado. He was also a member of Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, scoring two goals with two assists in four games.
NHL ROUNDUP: VALERI NICHUSHKIN MAKES WINNING RETURN FOR AVS
Valeri Nichushkin capped his return to action by scoring a power-play goal in overtime, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild in Denver on Friday night.
Nichushkin, who missed 22 games over the past two months after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, knocked in his 23rd goal of the season at 2:32 of the extra session.
Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to extend his home point streak to 32 games, Artturi Lehkonen also had a goal and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 29 shots for the Avalanche. Brock Faber scored and Filip Gustavsson had 38 saves for Minnesota.
MacKinnon tied Guy Lafleur for the third-longest home point streak in NHL history. He can tie Wayne Gretzky for second if he gets a point in Colorado’s next home game, March 22 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Stars 6, Ducks 2
Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists as Dallas won in Anaheim to keep pace in its chase for a division crown. The first-place Stars hold a two-point lead on both Winnipeg and Colorado.
The Stars, who won their fourth straight game, got a goal and an assist apiece from Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski. Christopher Tanev, Mason Marchment and Radek Faksa also scored, and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the win.
Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, and Alex Killorn scored a power-play marker. John Gibson stopped 30 of 36 shots.
Jets 3, Kraken 0
Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry and Nikolaj Ehlers scored third-period goals and Laurent Brossoit earned his first shutout of the season as Winnipeg defeated host Seattle.
Brossoit made 17 saves, logging his fourth career shutout, as the Jets avenged a 4-3 loss to visiting Seattle on Tuesday. Winnipeg won for the 10th time in 13 games.
Joey Daccord stopped 29 of 31 shots for the Kraken, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Coyotes 4, Red Wings 0
Connor Ingram recorded his sixth shutout of the season, Nick Bjugstad had a goal and an assist and Arizona silenced slumping Detroit in Tempe, Ariz.
Ingram made 28 saves while notching his first win since Jan. 22, ending a 0-7-2 stretch. Jack McBain, Logan Kerfoot and Logan Cooley also scored for the Coyotes, who have won three of their past five games following a 14-game winless streak (0-12-2).
Alex Lyon made 20 saves for the Red Wings, who have lost four straight, including two shutout defeats.
NASCAR NEWS
TOSS-THE-TROPHY TREND ALIVE AS NASCAR JUMPS TO PHOENIX
With Auto Club Speedway in Fontana no longer on the schedule and the next California stop for the circuit in June, the NASCAR Cup Series’ West Coast swing jumps from one desert to another this week.
And if there is truly just one race on the NASCAR 2024 schedule that drivers want to get right on their first visit, it’s at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., where the Shriners Children’s 500 runs on Sunday.
While the young Cup season produced three entertaining finishes with three drivers visiting Victory Lane, there is significant evidence this might be one of the more competitive seasons in recent vintage.
If the three non-points races — the Busch Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and twin qualifiers at Daytona — are taken into consideration, NASCAR produced six different winners in six events.
After Kyle Larson held off Tyler Reddick to win the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas last Sunday, every driver’s attention quickly turned to the mildly banked, 1-mile tri-oval 20 miles outside of Phoenix.
Do well in this race in the desert and a driver may be holding up a title trophy in the return for November’s Championship 4 weekend.
Only twice in its 55 races has Phoenix Raceway had a race go less than its scheduled 312 laps. Those were wins by Rusty Wallace in 1998 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015, both shortened by rain to 257 and 219 circuits.
Chase Briscoe’s only career win in 111 starts was two years ago in Phoenix.
“It was obviously a super special day and one that I’ll certainly never forget,” Briscoe said. “I remember truthfully going there that weekend, not super excited. Phoenix had never been a track that I necessarily looked forward to going to.
“I had to hold off Chase Elliott for like 60, 70 laps. … It was a really hard one to win and one of those races where you really had to keep your elbows up and just a really cool day overall.”
NASCAR announced on Thursday a mandatory two-race suspension for two members of the No. 17 RFK Ford driven by Chris Buescher, who had his wheel fall off and wrecked in Turn 1 early at Vegas.
Buescher came home last and completed 29 laps.
“I’ve probably had three of these now in the last couple of years (with this car),” said the Prosper, Texas, native. “Haven’t had a warning on any of them. (It’s) nothing like the old five-lug stuff where you get a vibration or shimmy or have some kind of clue. It just happens all of a sudden.”
The suspension of jackman Nicholas Patterson and front tire changer Jakob Prall was deferred until an appeal is heard by an independent panel. Buescher finished fifth at Phoenix Raceway in November’s title race and heads to the Southwest with confidence.
“Truthfully, for the first time in my career, I can say I’m excited about Phoenix after what we had there last time, so I won’t have to lie about that,” Buescher said.
MEN’S GOLF
TIGER WOODS NOT IN FIELD FOR THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Tiger Woods will not return to the PGA Tour next week at The Players Championship.
The tour released the field of 144 players for next week’s flagship event at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and Woods was not on the list. He hasn’t competed at The Players since 2019.
Woods made his 2024 debut last month at the event he hosts, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles. It marked his first official event since withdrawing from last year’s Masters and undergoing ankle surgery.
But his return was cut on the seventh hole of his second round, as he withdrew due to illness. It was later revealed Woods had influenza and received an IV treatment.
The 15-time major champion has said he hoped to play one tour event per month going forward. Woods, 48, might be opting to rest now and gear up for the Masters, scheduled for April 11-14.
Woods played in the one-day pro-member at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla., earlier this week. He partnered with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh at the event that typically attracts high-profile PGA Tour players.
NEW GRANDFATHER STEWART CINK FIRES 62 TO TAKE LEAD AT COLOGUARD
Stewart Cink rolled in nine birdies, five coming on the back nine, to shoot a 9-under 62 and establish the first-round lead at the Cologuard Classic on Friday in Tucson, Ariz.
Cink kept a clean card and entered the weekend two strokes ahead of Cameron Beckman and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, who both shot 64. England’s Paul Broadhurst and Australia’s David Bransdon round out the top five with rounds of 5-under 66.
After years at Omni Tucson National, the Cologuard Classic is being held at La Paloma Country Club, a course that fits Cink’s eye in the 50-year-old’s tournament debut.
“This is the exact definition of a target golf course,” Cink said. “It’s not just you want to keep it left and right, from missing left and right, but you’ve got to hit the right distance off the tee on a lot of these holes. Me and my caddie, Chris Jones, have like a really good game plan I think off the tee and that just sets up the golf course.”
It is only Cink’s sixth event on the PGA Tour Champions since turning 50 last May, but his 62 marks his lowest round on the senior circuit so far.
As a bonus, he also became a first-time grandfather last month when his son and daughter-in-law welcomed a daughter.
“Three weeks old today,” Cink said. “It’s like walking on the clouds, it’s awesome.”
Beckman, like Cink, stayed bogey-free. His highlight was an eagle 3 at No. 3.
“Just played really well,” said Beckman, whose lone win on the Champions tour came in 2021. “Drove it nice, didn’t have any troubles off the tee, putted nice, hit a lot of greens. It was just a really nice day of golf for me and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Jimenez was at 8 under through 14 holes before picking up a bogey at the par-5 16th.
Jerry Kelly, David Toms, South Africa’s Retief Goosen and South Korea’s K.J. Choi are among the notable players five back at 4-under 67.
JOE HIGHSMITH EKES IN FRONT AT PUERTO RICO OPEN
Joe Highsmith clung to a one-shot lead at the Puerto Rico Open with three holes left in his second round when play was suspended Friday in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Highsmith, one of eight co-leaders after the first 18 holes were complete, was 6 under for his round and 13 under for the tournament when play was halted due to darkness. The 18 players who still need to complete their rounds, including Highsmith, will resume at 7 a.m. local time Saturday.
Six players are tied at 12-under 132: Germany’s Matti Schmid (65), Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos (67), Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (67). Brice Garnett (66), Erik Barnes (66) and Kevin Streelman (67).
Highsmith started his round on the back nine at Grand Reserve Golf Club, birdieing Nos. 10 and 17 and holing an eagle at the par-5 18th. After his lone bogey thus far at No. 1, he bounced back with birdies at Nos. 2, 4 and 5.
Highsmith is a rookie making his eighth career PGA Tour start.
“I felt like this year I just haven’t done a great job kind of just focusing and being like clear on what I’m trying to do out there,” Highsmith told reporters after Thursday’s round. “It’s been easy to get distracted with a lot of stuff out here. (Thursday) was nice to kind of get back to the basics and see that work, which was great.”
Campos, 35, is continuing his quest to become the first native of Puerto Rico to win the tournament. This is his 15th appearance in the Puerto Rico Open; his best showing was a third-place finish in 2020.
“I’m happy I’m playing good, I really am, because I know these (fans) are coming out because they want to see some good golf,” Campos said. “It’s very difficult, it truly is. I have a lot of pressure, a lot of stress out there, but truth is I try to really blank out and not really pay attention to what’s going on in my surroundings.”
The projected cut line was 4 under par. Camilo Villegas of Colombia (3 under), Russell Knox of Scotland (3 under), Brandt Snedeker (3 under) and South Korea’s S.H. Kim (2 under) were among the notables on track to miss the cut.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER PART OF SIX-WAY TIE FOR LEAD AT ARNOLD PALMER
Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark made late charges on Friday to join a six-way tie for the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Russell Henley, who carded a 69 Friday, shares the lead at 7-under 137 with five former major winners: Scheffler (67), Clark (66), Brian Harman (68), Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (70) and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (71). They are one stroke ahead of Will Zalatoris, who shot a 69 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
Scheffler, who won this event in 2022, was even for his round through 11 holes when a chip-in eagle at the par-5 12th gave him a boost. The World No. 1 birdied Nos. 15-17 to join the leaders.
Clark, the reigning U.S. Open champion, birdied five of his last six holes to rocket up the leaderboard, his tough, curling 27-footer at No. 18 getting him to 7 under for the week.
Germany’s Stephan Jaeger (67) and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (70) are tied for eighth at 5 under. A large knot at 4 under features Max Homa (69), Justin Thomas (71), Sam Burns (72) and Norway’s Viktor Hovland (69).
Though it’s a signature event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational still features a 36-hole cut down to the top 50 and ties, plus anyone within 10 strokes of the leaders. Notables who couldn’t get to 3 over or better included England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (5 over), England’s Justin Rose (5 over), Australia’s Adam Scott (5 over) and 2023 Arnold Palmer winner Kurt Kitayama (7 over).
Collin Morikawa and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood each shot rounds of 80 on Friday and missed the cut at 6 over and 9 over, respectively.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDY FUEL
EARLY SCORING LEADS TO WIN IN KALAMAZOO
KALAMAZOO – The Fuel took to Kalamazoo for Dumb and Dumber Night against the Wings. A hot first period stayed with the Fuel all night as they would go on to get a much-needed win 4-1 against Kalamazoo.
1ST PERIOD
The scoring started fast just under 90 seconds into the game when Jon Martin put his 20th goal of the season past Wings netminder Jonathan Lemieux, starting a multi-goal period for the Fuel.
Colin Bilek joined the scoring at 6:24 off a feed from Ryan Gagnier then Bryan Lemos found his eighth of the season at 15:40. This would be the second three-goal period for the Fuel in their last five games.
The Wings did score one in between the barrage of shots from Indy. At 9:25, Dylan Keefer scored for Kalamazoo, putting his 16th of the season past Mitchell Weeks.
A common theme that has carried over from previous games, the Fuel outshot the Wings 15-13 in the period. A lone hooking penalty was committed by Santino Centorame at 7:45.
2ND PERIOD
After a high-scoring first, it was the exact opposite in the second.
Both sides had opportunities but the goaltending locked down in the second period to deny all 19 total shots, 15 from Kalamazoo and four from the Fuel.
The game stayed clean with just one penalty recorded by the Wings in this period at 14:02.
3RD PERIOD
The cleanliness began to fade as the Fuel would take on two minor penalties back-to-back within the first 7 minutes of the period. Colin Bilek was called for roughing at 5:04 and, just four seconds after the penalty was killed off, too many men was called and Kyle Maksimovich served the penalty for the Fuel.
Luckily, no harm was done as the Fuel would kill off almost four straight minutes being a man down. Jon Martin would go on to receive a high-stick at 13:51 and, once again, the Fuel would have no trouble keeping Kalamazoo at bay.
It was setting up to be a 6 on 5 situation with an empty net for Kalamazoo until Brad Morrison was called for a hook at 17:38. The Wings would opt to still pull the goalie in a 5 on 5 situation and with 41 seconds left on the game clock, Anthony Petruzzelli outraced the Wings to the puck and scored the empty netter to officially put the game away 4-1.
For the first time in 13 games, the Fuel were outshot by their opponents with the Wings having 39 shots on goal to the Fuel’s 25.
ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:
The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, are back at Indiana Farmers Coliseum for their tenth season.
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
INDY ELEVEN OPENS 2024 SEASON SATURDAY AT OAKLAND ROOTS SC
#OAKvIND Preview
Oakland Roots SC vs Indy Eleven
Saturday, March 9, 2023 – 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Pioneer Stadium – Hayward, Calif.
Follow Live
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive
Stats: #OAKvIND MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2024 USL Championship Records
Oakland Roots SC: 0-0-0 (0)
Indy Eleven: 0-0-0 (0)
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: D. Barbir (lower leg), A. Quinn (knee), M. King (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: None
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue open the 2024 USL Championship season Saturday at Oakland Roots SC in a 10 p.m. ET kickoff. Indy is 0-1-0 all-time vs Oakland, with the lone meeting a 3-0 decision in Indianapolis on April 8, 2023.
The Boys in Blue finished the 2023 season 13-11-10 and sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season. Indy posted a franchise-best eight road wins during the campaign. Oakland finished the year 11-14-9 missing out on a playoff spot at 10th in the Western Conference.
SERIES VS. OAKLAND
Saturday marks only the second all-time meeting between Indy Eleven and Oakland Roots SC, with Oakland holding the 1-0-0 advantage.
Indy Trails 0-1-0 | GF 0, GA 3
Recent Meetings
4.8.23 | Home | L, 3-0
INDY IN SEASON OPENERS
The Boys in Blue are 3-2-1 in season openers since joining the USL Championship ahead of the 2018 season, with all matches coming on the road.
PRESEASON RECAP
The Boys in Blue capped off the 2024 preseason unbeaten, finishing with a 5-0-1 record with multiple statement wins. Indy started with a 0-0 draw at Pittsburgh, then hosted Chicago Fire II in a 2-0 win. Next Indiana Wesleyan University was in town and the Boys in Blue dominated winning 5-0, next they hosted Columbus Crew 2, winning 7-1. On the road to Lexington SC Indy left victorious winning 1-0. Finally, the preseason ended at home vs Detroit City where the Boys in Blue emerged on top 3-1.
Indy was firing on all cylinders with an overall goal differential of +16. Leading the way in scoring was midfielder Jack Blake with seven goals in the preseason including a first half hattrick against Columbus Crew 2. Midfielder Cam Lindley led the team in assists tallying four. All the keepers were sharp recording four total shutouts in six matches.
THE [NEW] GAFFER
2024 is Indy’s first season under head coach Sean McAuley, who previously served as interim head coach/assistant at MLS-side Minnesota United FC. McAuley helped Minnesota to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2020. In 2015, he hoisted the MLS Cup with Portland Timbers. McAuley opened his playing career with Manchester United and played for Portland Timbers and the U-21 Scottish National Team, among others
TOP-10 TEAMMATES
Sebastian Guenzatti (7th, 70) and Augi Williams (10th, 66) serve as the only pair of active teammates in the USL Championship’s top 10 for all-time regular season goals.
ALL-LEAGUE TALENT
This season’s squad features 2023 All-USL Championship selections DF Adrian Diz Pe and MF Cam Lindley.
Diz Pe earned four team of the week selections during the 2023 playing in 31 total matches, making 29 starts, finishing in in the league’s top 15 in four statistical categories including clearances, aerial duels won, duels won and interceptions. His three goals tied for the sixth most by a defender in the league.
The accolade was the second consecutive for Lindley, who started all 34 matches played in 2023 and led Indy in assists, passes and chances created, with six of his last eight assists coming in the final six regular season matches.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Eleven finished the 2023 regular season 8-5-4 on the road, giving them their most regular season wins away from home in the club’s USLC history (previously 6 in 2019). Indy outscored its opponents 27-21 on the road with eight multi-goal performances and four of 3+ (3 at ELP, PIT, SA; 4 at CHS).
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HOOSIERS FALL TO MICHIGAN IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
MINNEAPOLIS – 3-seeded Indiana couldn’t withstand a second-half comeback by 6-seed Michigan as it fell 69-56 on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal at Target Center.
KEY MOMENTS
Offense was hard to come by in the first quarter, as neither team shot over 30 percent in the opening frame as Indiana (24-5) held the narrow 12-9 edge. The Hoosiers offense awakened in the second, outscoring the Wolverines 23-12.
Sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser had eight points in the second quarter as IU went 9-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. It closed the first half by going 5-for-7 from the floor and took its largest lead of the half into the locker room at the break, 35-21.
Indiana got a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Yarden Garzon to start the third quarter, but it went south for the Hoosiers after that as the Wolverines pulled within three on a 19-8 edge.
Keeping it a one possession game, the Hoosiers got an and-1 from senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil but Michigan pulled away in the final 3:33 of the fourth on back-to-back 3-pointers.
NOTABLE
Three players scored in double figures behind 14 points from Scalia.
Senior guard Sydney Parrish added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Moore-McNeil also added 10 points and five assists.
Indiana shot just 36.1 percent, its second lowest percentage in a game this season.
UP NEXT
Indiana will await the NCAA postseason selection show on Sunday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
IUWT CONTINUES CONFERENCE PLAY AGAINST MINNESOTA, NO. 24 WISCONSIN
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s tennis (6-8, 0-1 B1G) continues conference play as they welcome Minnesota (7-4, 0-0 B1G) on Saturday before closing out the weekend against No. 24 Wisconsin (8-2, 0-0 B1G) on Sunday.
The Hoosiers will play both opponents at IU Tennis Center at 11 a.m. ET.
STATS
• Livestats (Minnesota)
• Livestats (Wisconsin)
• Livestream (both matches)
SERIES HISTORY
• The Hoosiers hold a 28-10 advantage over the Golden Gophers (7-4, 0-0 B1G). The Hoosiers won by forfeit in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
• IU leads the series against Wisconsin 34-9. The Hoosiers are looking for their first win over the Badgers since 2017 after dropping the last three matchups.
ABOUT THE HOOSIERS
• Freshman Elisabeth Dunac continues to lead the Hoosiers with a 9-2 singles record.
• Sophomore Nicole Teodosescu is also off to a great start holding a 1-1 record at No. 1 singles and a 3-0 record in the No. 3 spot. She holds an overall singles record of 6-4.
• Doubles partners Lara Schneider and Teodosescu lead the Hoosiers with a 4-1 record. Schneider is also 4-2 alongside Lene Mari Hovda.
• Indiana will look for their first conference win of the season and have an opportunity to defeat a ranked opponent.
INDIANA WRESTLING
INDIANA TO COMPETE IN BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLLEGE PARK, Md. –––– Wrestling’s postseason has arrived as Indiana is slated to compete in the 2024 Big Ten Championships on Saturday March 9 and Sunday March 10 at the XFINITY Center.
The conference tournament’s format will feature four sessions across the two days to determine the Big Ten’s best wrestler at each weight class and which wrestlers will clinch automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.
For the full list of NCAA automatic qualification spots available at each weight class in each conference tournament this weekend.
B1G TIME:
-The most exciting time of the season is here as postseason wrestling has arrived. The 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will take place from March 9-10 at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.
-This is the first time that Maryland has hosted the Big Ten Championships in the event’s history.
-All 14 Big Ten teams will have a representative at each weight class as they compete for conference supremacy.
-Each day of the tournament will include two sessions with the first day culminating in the semifinal matches at night.
-Sunday afternoon will end with all placing matches and any necessary matches to determine NCAA qualification spots.
SEEDING SITUATION:
-Earlier this week, the Big Ten’s Pre-Seeds for the Conference Championships were announced.
-The Hoosiers were seeded as follows: No. 14 Blaine Frazier (125), No. 10 Cayden Rooks (133), No. T-9 Dan Fongaro (141), No. 8 Graham Rooks (149), No. 3 Brayton Lee (157), No. 9 Tyler Lillard (165), No. 8 DJ Washington (174), No. 10 Roman Rogotzke (184), No. 10 Gabe Sollars (197) and No. 6 Nick Willham (285).
-Lee’s seed of No. 3 is the best seed acquired by an Indiana wrestler at the Big Ten Championships in Angel Escobedo’s time as a head coach at Indiana.
-After the coaches meeting the day prior to the Championships, the seeds will be finalized.
CHASING GLORY:
-For the ten wrestlers competing for Indiana at Big Tens, there is opportunity to add to Indiana’s program history and legacy.
-Indiana has 13 Big Ten Team Titles and 53 individual Big Ten Champions in its program history.
-Last season, Indiana had three wrestlers finish on the podium at Big Tens with Graham Rooks reaching the semifinals and finishing in fifth at 149 lbs. with Derek Gilcher (157) and DJ Washington (174) both finishing in eighth place at their weight.
-In 2023, Indiana finished in 12th at Big Tens, scoring 30 points in the team race.
-Indiana is seeking its first Big Ten Champion since head coach Angel Escobedo was an IU wrestler, when he took first place at 125 lbs. in 2010.
NEXT STEPS:
-The results at the Big Ten Championships will determine the Hoosiers’ path forward for the pinnacle of wrestling season, the 2024 NCAA Championships in Kansas City, Mo..
-Last week, the allocations of automatic bids at each weight class for each conference tournament was distributed by the NCAA.
-For the Big Ten, the amount of automatic bids for the Big Ten Championships were announced as follows, 125: 9, 133: 7, 141: 11, 149: 9, 157: 9, 165: 10, 174: 8, 184: 8, 197: 7, 285: 7.
-Indiana will seek to take another step forward as a program with its amount of NCAA qualifiers this season.
-Last year, Indiana had four NCAA qualifiers, its most since 2018.
-If Indiana has five or more qualifiers this season, that will be its most since 2013.
INDIANA TRACK
MERCIER, DMR EARN PODIUM FINISHES; PHILLIPS ADVANCES TO FINALS ON DAY ONE OF NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOSTON, Mass. – Five Hoosiers earned First-Team All-America status after earning a spot on the podium on day one of the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Austin Haskett, Antonio Laidler, Parker Raymond and Camden Marshall finished sixth in the men’s Distance Medley Relay to earn First-Team All-American status. They ran the No. 10 fastest time in program history with a time of 9:29.
“I am really proud of the way the guys competed,” Associate Track and Field Coach (Distance) Eric Heins said. “We had Austin, who has never run at this meet before, lead us off and that’s a lot of pressure for him. I thought he handled it very well and put us in good position getting the stick around somewhere close to eight or tenth (place). It was a great run for Tone (Antonio Laidler). Parker has been dealing with a little bit of a hip injury over the past couple of weeks. He didn’t run on the team to qualify, so for him to get here and give us a real strong leg to give it to Cam (Camden Marshall). We thought if Cam could get it near that eighth-place spot, we could kick it in to the scoring position, which he did. Everyone ran well as about as well as we were hoping they could and put it all together at the National meet. That is kind of what you’re hoping for.”
Marshall and Raymond are three-time All-Americans while Laidler and Haskett earn their first honor.
The Hoosiers earned their 12th top-eight finish dating back to have qualified 14 times dating back to 2009 and have finished in the top-eight 12 times.
Jessica Mercier cleared a height of 4.40m/14-5.25 to place eighth on the podium. She was also named a First Team All-American in her final collegiate competition and is the first indoor All-American pole vaulter since Sydney Clute in 2016.
“This one is bittersweet,” Mercier said. “I like the atmosphere, and I love to Pole Vault. But I am a little sad. I know I could have done better. I had a few issues the last two weeks, but I was confident in my ability to make the jumps. We were changing things around, but these were my best jumps I’ve taken today. I was nervous my first time at Nationals, so I had a different mindset coming in of I can compete with these people. I can be the best. It’s just a normal meet. I had some issues keeping a consistent run, so I knew I had to hit it, and I did. That’s the worst part is even when you hit it, if the pole is too small, it’s too small.”
Mercier ended a great season with the indoor school record, Big Ten runner-up, podium finish at the National meet and of course All-American status.
Kenisha Phillips ran a 52.42 to qualify for the 400 Meter finals. She held the seventh fastest time on the day.
Up Next, Phillips will close out the Indoor season for the Hoosiers in the 400 Meter final at 7:20 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
NO. 43 INDIANA TOPS ILLINOIS STATE, 6-1
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana Men’s Tennis opened up the month strong, taking care of Illinois State 6-1 Friday Afternoon at the IU Tennis Center.
In doubles play, duo Michael Andre and Ilya Tiraspolsky struck first, taking the win at No. 1 doubles, 6-4. Sam Landau and Carson Haskins would follow up moments later with a win at No. 2 doubles, 6-2, to secure the lead for the Hoosiers heading into singles play.
In singles play, Michael Andre would extend the Hoosiers lead with a win at No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-3. Ilya Tiraspolsky would also earn a win at No. 4 singles, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, to put Indiana in a position to clinch the match.
Senior Jagger Saylor would secure the match victory for the hoosiers with a win at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 7-5.
Deacon Thomas and Facundo Yunis would finish off the afternoon with wins at No. 6 and No. 1 singles.
With the win, Indiana improves their record to 11-3 on the season.
The Hoosiers will be back in action on Thursday, March 14, as they travel to California to take on UC San Diego.
Final Results
INDIANA 6, ILLINOIS STATE 1
Singles competition
1. Facundo Yunis (IU) def. Nam Pham (ISU), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 10-6.
2. Michael Andre (IU) def. Arvid Hjalte (ISU), 7-5, 6-3.
3. Jagger Saylor (IU) def. Adrian Dibildox (ISU, 6-2, 7-5.
4. Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU) def. Emiliano Gonzalez (ISU), 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
5. Tomas Valencia (ISU) def. Nikola Kolyachev (IU), 6-4, 6-4.
6. Deacon Thomas (IU) def. Tin Ostro (ISU), 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).
Doubles competition
1. Michael Andre/Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU) def. Tin Ostro/Emiliano Gonzalez (ISU), 6-4.
2. Sam Landau/Carson Haskins (IU) def.. Arvid Hjalte/Tom Bevan (ISU), 6-2.
3. Facundo Yunis/Luc Boulier (IU) vs. Caden Scarlett/Tomas Valencia (ISU), 4-5, unfinished.
Order of finish
Singles: 1, 2, unfinished
Doubles: 2, 4, 3, 5, 6, 1
INDIANA SOFTBALL
INDIANA SOFTBALL TO HOST INDIANA INVITE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– After an alteration to the schedule the Indiana Invite will now take place from Saturday March 9 to Monday March 11 with the Hoosiers hosting Oakland, IUPUI and Dayton throughout the weekend.
This will be the second home weekend in a row for Indiana after holding the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field last weekend.
QUICK HITTERS:
Inclement weather has caused plenty of schedule changes for the Indiana Softball team this week. Tuesday’s midweek game against Western Kentucky was called off midgame due to lightning in the area.
Moreover, the Indiana Invite pushed back its start time for the weekend, originally being scheduled for a Friday start, the tournament will now take place from Saturday to Monday.
Regardless of any schedule changes due to weather, the Hoosiers are riding a five-game winning streak heading into the Indiana Invite.
The Indiana Invite games will make eight consecutive home games, excluding the WKU cancellation.
Indiana has recorded a winning record in each weekend and tournament of the season thus far, bringing the season record to 15-4. Prior to the 4-0 Hoosier Classic weekend, Indiana went 4-1 at both the NFCA Leadoff Classic and Troy Invitational and 3-2 in the Hillenbrand Invitational.
LAST TIME OUT:
It was a highly successful weekend for Indiana in the Hoosier Classic as it defeated both Bowling Green and Valpo twice. Indiana defeated both teams by a combined score of 35-9.
Two of Indiana’s wins came by run-rule, as it beat Bowling Green, 8-0, in six innings on Saturday and beat Valparaiso 10-0 in five innings on Sunday.
Over the course of the weekend, Indiana hit a combined nine home runs. Cora Bassett, Brooke Benson, Taylor Minnick and Avery Parker each hit two. Freshman Tristian Thompson hit the first one of her career in Sunday’s win over Valpo.
In the second game against Bowling Green, Brianna Copeland was very impressive in the circle, throwing a complete game and earning the win, while striking out 11 and only giving up two hits and no runs.
Parker went 8-for-11 (.727) at the plate in the Hoosier Classic with two home runs and eight RBI.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Indiana’s first opponent on the weekend ––– Oakland ––– is off to a 6-4 start on the season, playing all of their games in either the state of North or South Carolina thus far. Oakland owns wins over Coastal Carolina and College of Charleston, among others.
Redshirt senior Jen Krizka is hitting for a .533 batting average through ten games with 11 RBI for Oakland.
IUPUI enters the Indiana Invite coming off an 8-7 win over city rival Butler. The Jaguars carry a 4-16 record on the season after playing in four separate tournaments in addition to the Butler game.
Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton was previously the head coach of IUPUI. Stanton only coached the Jaguars for one year, in 1999 when she led the team to a 27-25 season.
The Dayton Flyers are 7-6 thus far in 2024. The team got off to a hot start, going 7-2 in their first two tournaments.
SERIES NOTES:
Indiana’s all-time records against their Indiana Invite opponents are listed below.
Dayton: 2-0, IUPUI: 4-1, Oakland: 1-0.
BIG-TIME BRI:
Junior Brianna Copeland has been dominant as ever both at the plate and in the circle for the Hoosiers.
Copeland has posted 63 strikeouts and a 1.37 ERA with 51.0 innings of work. She has an 8-3 record and has only allowed ten earned runs all season.
At bat, Copeland is hitting for a .333 average with four home runs and 15 RBI.
MINNICK MANIA:
Junior Taylor Minnick picked up right where she left off from her All-American sophomore season in 2023.
In the first four weekends, Minnick has hit for a .375 batting average with 21 hits and 22 RBI. The junior has logged two doubles, one triple and two home runs.
Minnick hit home runs on back-to-back days in the Hoosier Classic.
CONTROL IN THE CIRCLE:
Indiana’s pitching staff has been a reliable force for the Hoosiers through the season’s early window.
Copeland is leading the charge with 51.0 innings of work and 63 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.37. She has only allowed ten earned runs all season and is holding opposing hitters to a .200 batting average.
Sophomore Sophie Kleiman also has a 0.85 ERA and 34 strikeouts while going 4-0. She threw her first career no-hitter against Central Michigan on Feb. 23.
Senior Macy Montgomery made the best start of her career in a six-inning complete game win over FAMU, throwing 10 strikeouts and only allowing four hits while not giving up a run.
Junior Heather Johnson owns a 1-1 mark and has been a part of some impressive victories. She made the start in the season-opening win against No. 15 Oregon and a run-rule win over Army.
LEADING IT OFF:
Indiana redshirt senior Cora Bassett has been a sparkplug in the Hoosier lineup, serving as the routine leadoff hitter and the ignition to the offense.
Bassett is hitting for a .393 average with 24 hits and 10 RBI. In the Hoosier Classic, she had two home runs, including one inside the park home run.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BASEBALL CENTRAL: TROY
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A matchup of two NCAA Tournament teams from last season will take center stage at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington this weekend. The Indiana Baseball team (8-4) welcomes Troy (10-4) for the first three-game home series of the season.
The return trip of a three-game set played at Troy in 2022, the Trojans won all three games, will pit one of the best mid-major programs in the country with IU in a highly-anticipated early-March matchup.
Projected weather in the area will cause the weekend to begin on Saturday with a doubleheader on Sunday. IU is no stranger to Sun Belt programs, having beaten No. 18 Coastal Carolina earlier in the season.
Head coach Jeff Mercer picked up his 150th win as the skipper of the Hoosiers on Wednesday (11-5 over Northern Kentucky) and will now look to get the Hoosiers rolling with 14 of their next 17 games scheduled for Bart Kaufman Field.
Already 8-4 and possessing a pair of top-25 wins, IU is off to an outstanding start in the new season. Three of its four losses came to NCAA Tournament teams from last season including a pair of Friday night defeats to No. 12 Duke and No. 16 Alabama.
Junior catcher Brock Tibbitts picked up four hits in the Wednesday night victory and is hitting .471 (8-17) over his last five games with three runs, three doubles and six RBIs.
All three games this weekend will be broadcasted on BTN+. For more information on the altered schedule, parking information and ticket information, visit this link.
Gameday Info
vs. Troy (Saturday, March 9th)
Live Video: t.ly/lZb33
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/L5jvc
vs. Troy (Sunday, March 10th – Game 1)
Live Video: t.ly/XIAc9
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/Xp5G0
vs. Troy (Sunday, March 10th – Game 2)
Live Video: t.ly/XVY1a
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/49Myy0y
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Troy – Saturday
• Connor Foley (1-0, 2.51 ERA) vs. Luke Lyon (1-0, 0.61 ERA)
Indiana vs. Troy – Sunday (Game 1)
• TBD vs. TBD
Indiana vs. Troy – Sunday (Game 2)
• TBD vs. TBD
Notable
Top-25 Wins
• The Hoosiers have collected two top-25 wins in four tries to begin the season after a rigorous opening three weekends to the season. Down five runs to Dallas Baptist on Saturday, junior catcher Brock Tibbitts sparked a comeback victory with 4 RBI’s, two doubles and a triple.
• Now through three weekends, IU has wins over No. 18 Coastal Carolina and No. 25 Dallas Baptist, two of the top mid-major teams in the entire nation. Two of IU’s losses are to consensus top-20 teams in Alabama and Duke.
Home Sweet Home
• After three weekends on the road, IU returns to the friendly confines of Bart Kaufman Field for 14 of its next 17 contests. Sprinkled in there are weekend series against Troy, Belmont, Butler and the Big Ten opening weekend against Illinois.
• The Hoosiers were 26-4 at home last year and are 2-1 so far this season. IU is nine wins away from 200 all-time wins at Bart Kaufman Field, a stadium that opened in 2013.
First RPI Release
• The NCAA released the first edition of the RPI ratings for the 2024 baseball season. The Hoosiers come in at No. 26, the third-highest team in the entire Big Ten Conference.
• Early-season opponents Alabama (7), Duke (13), Dallas Baptist (17) and Coastal Carolina (23) all rank inside the top-25. IU will also play Nebraska (3), Rutgers (6), Indiana State (37) and Purdue (38) as the year progresses.
Saturday Standard
• Connor Foley and Ty Bothwell have combined to form an outstanding pitching duo on Saturday afternoons. The pair has pitched all 27 innings on Saturdays, helping the Hoosiers to wins against No. 18 Coastal Carolina, Baylor and No. 25 Bothwell.
Early-Season Numbers
– Connor Foley: 1-0, 14.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 21 K
– Ty Bothwell: 2-0, 1 SV, 12.2 IP, 13 H, 3 ER. 11 K
Mitchell Makes an Impact
• After missing the first six games of the season, Nick Mitchell earned his first start of the season on the Sunday at Baylor. Since then, he’s started all games and appeared in right field on three occasions.
• Through six games with the Hoosiers, he’s hitting .350 (7-20) with nine runs and one RBI. He had a three-hit game in the win over Dallas Baptist and scored three times in the victory.
Wednesday Night Bounce Back
• The Hoosiers returned to winning ways on Wednesday night against Northern Kentucky with a 11-5 win. Brock Tibbitts went 4-for-4 in the victory while Jake Stadler and Andrew Wiggins each homered.
• Ethan Phillips was awarded the win in his second start in four days. Julian Tonghini tallied a save with a 3.2-inning performance and four strikeouts.
Scouting the Opponent
Troy (10-4, 0-0)
• Led by third-year skipper Skyler Meade, Troy is off to a 10-4 start this season after a tough midweek defeat at Alabama. The Trojans own weekend series wins over SIUE and Harvard and also swept Kent State in a pair of midweek games at the end of February.
• Troy owns a potent offensive attack led by Ethan Kavanagh who is hitting .453 (24-53) with 22 runs, two home runs and 14 RBI’s through 14 contests this season. Kole Myers is also hitting above .400 and leads the team with six home runs.
• Typical Sunday starter Clete Hartzog, a Florida transfer, is 3-0 with a 0.54 earned run average on the season. He’s allowed just one run through 16.2 innings pitched in 2024.
• The Trojans went to the NCAA Tournament in 2023, beating Boston College in the opening game of the Tuscaloosa Regional before dropping their final two contests of the year. Meade’s squad is projected to be back in the tournament this year among a host of talented Sun Belt teams.
Inside the Series
Indiana vs. Troy
• The two schools played a three-game series in 2022, the freshman year for the likes of Brock Tibbitts and Carter Mathison. Troy swept the series, winning all three games by three-or-fewer runs.
• Troy has won the last four games, including a contest in 2007. IU’s only two wins came in 1996 and 1997. The schools have never met in Bloomington.
PURDUE WRESTLING
BRACKETS RELEASED FOR 2024 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Big Ten Conference has released the final brackets and opening round matchups for the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. All 10 of the previously announced seeds for the Boilermakers remained unchanged following Friday’s coaches’ meeting.
The Boilermakers drew matchups against wrestlers from Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Wisconsin in round one which is scheduled to start at 10:00 am ET on Saturday morning. Five of the nine opening round bouts are rematches from earlier in the season.
Top-ranked Matt Ramos continues to lead the line for the Boilermakers as the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds. He is followed by team captain Stoney Buell at No. 7 and true freshman Joey Blaze at No. 8. Greyson Clark in the No. 12 spot faces off with fellow true freshman Sergio Lemely of Michigan, the only first round square-off between two first years.
For more information on the tournament, visit the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships home page.
Purdue Seeds & Match-Ups
125: #1 Matt Ramos (R-Junior)
First Round: Bye
Quarterfinals: Winner of #8 McCrone (Ohio State) and #9 Peterson (Rutgers)
133: #11 Dustin Norris (R-Sophomore)
First Round: #6 Anthony Madrigal (Illinois)
141: #12 Greyson Clark (Freshman)
First Round: #5 Sergio Lemley (Michigan)
149: #11 Marcos Polanco (R-Senior)
First Round: #6 Ethan Miller (Maryland)
157: #8 Joey Blaze (Freshman)
First Round: #9 Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern)
165: #7 Stoney Buell (R-Sophomore)
First Round: #10 Blaine Brenner (Minnesota)
174: #10 Brody Baumann (R-Freshman)
First Round: #7 Max Maylor (Wisconsin)
184: #12 James Rowley (R-Freshman)
First Round: #5 Jaden Bullock (Michigan)
197: #9 Ben Vanadia (R-Sophomore)
First Round: #8 Evan Bates (Northwestern)
285: #14 Hayden Filipovich (R-Freshman)
First Round: #3 Lucas Davison (Michigan)
PURDUE BASEBALL
FRIDAY RAINOUT AT ALEXANDER; 2 DOUBLEHEADERS THIS WEEKEND
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Friday’s Purdue-UAlbany series opener at Alexander Field has been rained out and postponed to Sunday, setting up consecutive doubleheaders as part of the four-game series.
The teams are now planning to play doubleheaders Saturday at 1 p.m. ET and Sunday at noon.
Tickets for Friday’s game can be exchanged for GA seats for either Saturday or Sunday this weekend. Or as is the case with all schedule changes at Alexander, tickets can always be exchanged for any future home game (excluding May 3-5 this year).
The Super Mario t-shirt giveaway for Sunday’s Mar10 Day remains in place, with the gates opening at 11 a.m. The giveaway is planned for the first 100 fans in attendance.
Doubleheader Policy at Alexander Field for 2023
• Pre-Scheduled Doubleheaders (like Saturday): One ticket good for both games and reentry is permitted
• Late-Addition Doubleheaders (like Sunday): Reentry is NOT permitted; fans that leave the stadium need to scan a new ticket to return; one ticket still good for both games if fans remain in the stadium
March 9 still marks the earliest home opener in program history. Purdue has not played doubleheaders on consecutive days since February 2022 vs. Princeton in Holly Springs, N.C. Alexander Field has hosted consecutive doubleheaders just once before — on the final two days of the 2021 regular season with Minnesota and Penn State in town for the three-team West Lafayette Pod weekend. Saturday, Purdue and Penn State finished a suspended game that had started Thursday followed by a Minnesota-Penn State game. The Boilermakers and Gophers played a traditional doubleheader Sunday.
PURDUE TRACK
MILLER QUALIFIES FOR FINAL AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOSTON – Graduate student Cameron Miller of the Purdue track & field team qualified for the final in the 200-meter at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday evening in Boston.
Miller crossed the finish line in 20.54 seconds to earn one of eight spots in Saturday’s final. He ran the sixth-fastest time overall and registered the best time in the first of four heats. Miller will race again for a national title in one of the two-section finals tomorrow at The Track at New Balance in Boston.
The time is the second-fastest for Miller this season, just behind his school-record 20.40 set on January 20. Prior to Friday’s race, he won bronze in the 200m at the Big Ten Championships on February 24.
One of sixteen competitors to qualify for the national championship meet in the event, Miller entered the meet as the No. 4 overall seed. He will be joined on Saturday by junior Praise Aniamaka, who qualified for the championships in the triple jump. The 200m final is at 4:50 p.m. ET, while the triple jump prelims and final will be at 3:30 p.m.
Fans can follow along with live results and watch the full championships live on ESPN+. Championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at NCAA.com. Additional updates from Boston also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
EDEY NAMED FINALIST FOR KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR AWARD
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue senior center Zach Edey has been named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given annually to the nation’s top center, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
Edey won last year’s award and is looking to become just the second repeat winner of the award (Iowa’s Luka Garza – 2020, 2021). A Big Ten player has won the award in five of the nine seasons (2015 – Frank Kaminsky; 2019 – Ethan Happ; 2020 – Luka Garza; 2021 – Luka Garza; 2023 – Zach Edey).
Edey is joined by Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, North Carolina’s Armando Bacot and Clemson’s P.J. Hall as finalists. Teammate Braden Smith was announced as a Cousy Award finalist earlier this week.
Edey is having one of most-statistically dominating seasons in college basketball history, averaging 24.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 62.0 percent from the field. Edey needs just 26 points and 50 rebounds to become just the fifth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 400 rebounds (Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Jerry West).
In Big Ten play, Edey’s averages balloon to 25.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, while shooting 63.0 percent from the field.
Edey has moved into second place on Purdue’s career scoring chart, now with 2,257 points and needing 66 points to tie Rick Mount for the school’s career scoring record. He has moved into the top 10 on the Big Ten’s all-time scoring list.
Edey’s seven career 30-15 games are the most for a high-major player in the last 15 years (Marvin Bagley, Blake Griffin – 4) by three games. His 10 career games of at least 25 points and 15 rebounds are also the most nationally in that span (Blake Griffin – 9).
His 15 career 30-10 games are the second most for any player in the last 15 years (South Dakota State’s Mike Daum – 21). Edey needs just three rebounds to become the first player in Big Ten history with 2,200 career points and 1,200 career rebounds. Edey has joined David Robinson (Navy, 1984-87) as the only players in NCAA history with 2,200 career points, 1,100 career rebounds, 200 career blocks and to shoot over 60.0 percent from the field.
Edey and the No. 3-ranked Boilermakers host Wisconsin on Sunday, March 10, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. It will be the final home game of the season.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL SPLITS DAY 1 IN FORT MYERS
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Purdue softball squad split the opening day of the FGCU Spring Break Classic, downing Pitt 9-2 before falling to #12 Florida State, 3-8.
With the morning’s win, head coach Magali Frezzotti reached her 10th win at the helm of the program, as Purdue moves to 10-9 on the season.
Purdue notched 13 hits in the victory vs. Pitt, one shy of the team’s season-high. Moreover, it marked the second consecutive game with double-digit hits and the fifth of the season. The effort led by designated player Kate Claypool’s three hits. The Boilermaker went a perfect three-for-three from the plate, and posted two RBI singles.
Madi Elish tossed the complete-game victory vs. Pitt, improving to 2-3 on the season after allowing no walks, two runs and seven hits in seven innings. Her win marked the second straight for the junior, who was coming off a complete-game victory at Marshall (3/3).
Against No.12 Florida State, Purdue started off strong with three runs to open the game, however the Seminoles responded with four homers accounting for five runs in the bottom of the frame, which proved to be the deciding runs. In total, Purdue recorded five hits and committed a season-high four errors in the loss. Pitcher Kendall Klochack was credited the loss for her first of the season (3-1).
The Boilermakers will face both Florida State (12-4) and Pitt (6-12) tomorrow, opening the day vs. the Seminoles at 10 a.m. ET followed by the Panthers at 3 p.m. ET.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NOTRE DAME ADVANCES TO ACC SEMIS WITH 77-68 WIN OVER LOUISVILLE
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The rubber match goes to the Irish.
On Friday, No. 4 Notre Dame (24-6) defeated No. 5 Louisville (24-9) 77-68 in the 2024 ACC Tournament to advance to the semifinals for the third consecutive year. Sonia Citron led the way with 26 points and 10 made free throws, and Hannah Hidalgo had 21 points and 11 made free throws of her own.
The Irish jumped out to a double-digit lead early and had the Cardinals doubled-up 34-17 at the half. It was Louisville’s lowest first half scoring output to date. The previous low was 26. Louisville had 13 turnovers heading into the break, and Notre Dame had 15 points off those turnovers. The Irish did not commit a Q1 turnover and went to the locker room with 5.
Both teams shot well below their averages through 20 minutes. Notre Dame was 10-31 (32.3 percent) and averages 45.8 from the floor. Louisville was 6-29 (20.7 percent) and averages 45.4.
The cool shooting was nowhere to be seen for most of the second half, as Louisville put up 51 points to Notre Dame’s 43. Louisville guard Jayda Curry had 23 second-half points and was 7-11 from the floor.
The Cardinals cut it to 70-66 with 43 seconds to go. It hovered around 10 for most of the fourth quarter, but Louisville could never quite get over the hump. The Irish went 2-1 against rival Louisville this year and have now won four of the last six meetings.
NOTRE DAME TRACK
O’BRIEN WINS BACK-TO-BACK NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
BOSTON, Mass. – Jadin O’Brien has done it yet again. The senior took home the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Pentathlon title for the second straight year and did so in dominating fashion.
O’Brien set a facility record at The Track at New Balance as she finished with a score of 4497 points, surpassing the previous facility record of 4329.
She took home first in shot put, second in the 800 meter race and finished fourth in the 60 meter hurdles.
Alaina Brady placed in the top ten at the NCAA Championship as she secured a 10th place finish in the pentathlon with 4101 points.
The women’s DMR team of Sophie Novak, Jordyn Borsch, Gretchen Farley, and Olivia Markezich capped off the evening with a runner-up finish. It was a close race as Markezich led the way before BYU was able to take the lead and pull away on the final lap. The team ran a time of 10:53.14 to secure the second place finish.
Michael Shoaf will be competing in shot put tomorrow at 2:45 PM and Markezich will run the 3000m race at 8 PM.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S TENNIS
IRISH BLANK NORTHWESTERN TO START SPRING BREAK
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – As the University of Notre Dame’s 49th-ranked men’s tennis team enters their spring break week from classes, the Fighting Irish began with a 4-0 win over #50 Northwestern Friday night inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
The doubles point would be a split decision but the home team would prevail to take the early lead. Sebastian Dominko and Jean-Marc Malkowski, who came into this weekend ranked #11 in the country, raced to a 6-1 win at #1 doubles. Northwestern responded winning the #3 position so all eyes turned to the #2 doubles team of Nil Giraldez and Chase Thompson. A back and forth set saw the battle extend late into the match but the Irish duo broke serve to win the match 7-5. This is the fourth win for this pairing in the last two weeks and they are 4-0 on the season together.
In singles, #34 ranked Dominko put up a quick point on the scoreboard at the top position with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 win. Malkowski started slowly and found himself behind in the first set but would complete the comeback to win a tiebreak 7-6 before winning the second without relinquishing a game, 6-0.
Needing one more point, freshman Thompson won the other first set for the Irish on the night. After dropping the second set, Thompson ran away with the third set 6-1 to clinch the team win. Giraldez, Jamie Corsillo and Yu Zhang all lost the first sets in their respective matches but all fought valiantly and were close in the second with Zhang forcing a third.
Up Next:
The men’s team will hit the road for spring break. After a few days in Washington D.C., the Irish will play a pair of conference matches in the state of Virginia. First up will be a match against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Friday at 2:30 p.m. Then on Sunday, a trip to Charlottesville will see Notre Dame take on the two-time defending NCAA champions, the Virginia Cavaliers with the first serve at 1 p.m.
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Box Score
#49 Notre Dame 4 – #50 Northwestern 0
Doubles
- #11 Dominko/Malkowski(ND) def. Thieneman/Blekher(NU) 6-1
- Giraldez/Thompson(ND) def. Casey/Nordby(NU) 7-5
- Goli/Miller(NU) def. Lee/Zhang(ND) 6-3
Order of Finish(1, 3, 2)
Singles
- #34 Dominko(ND) def. Thieneman(NU) 6-3, 6-2
- Giraldez(ND) vs. Blekher(NU) 4-6, 4-3 DNF
- Corsillo(ND) vs. Goli(NU) 6-7(6), 2-3
- Thompson(ND) def. Nordby(NU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
- Malkowski(ND) def. Casey(NU) 7-6(5), 6-0
- Zhang(ND) vs. 4-6, 6-3, 0-1 DNF
Order of Finish(1, 5, 4)
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH HOLD OFF THE THUNDERING HERD AT MARSHALL MARCH MADNESS
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.. – The University of Notre Dame softball team earned a 6-4 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd Friday night at Dot Hicks Stadium. Karina Gaskins hit her third home run of the season, proving to be the difference as the Fighting Irish improved to 10-8 on the season with their second win of the day.
Micaela Kastor got the start in the circle. The sophomore threw 6.1 innings, allowing 12 hits, scattering four earned runs and striking out a season-best five hitters. Alexis Laudenslager picked up the save, throwing the final 0.2 innings. The graduate transfer got a strikeout and a pop up to earn her third career save, and her first as a member of Notre Dame.
The Irish offense was paced by a two-hit effort from Gaskins, who finished with three RBI, a run scored and a home run. Carlli Kloss and Emily Tran added the other two hits in the contest, with Tran driving in a pair of runs. Kastor got her first start in the hitting lineup, finishing 0-for-1, but drew a pair of walks and scored a run.
How It Happened
Notre Dame broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. Kastor led off with a walk and moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Kloss singled through the right side and moved up when Marshall threw home to prevent the run from scoring. Tran got the Irish on the board with a ground ball to the right side to bring in the first run. Gaskins followed with a moonshot to left field as the Irish took the 3-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Marshall put a couple runners on, but some heady defense helped snuff the rally. With runners on second and third with one out, the Marshall hitter popped up high on the infield, Holloway let the ball fall to the turf before throwing to grimm for an out and the relay to second got the third out of the inning to retire the side.
The Irish added three more in the top of the seventh inning. Kastor started the frame with a walk and Holloway laid down a bunt that was misplayed, putting runners on second and third. Tran drove in a run with a ground ball, and the throw to get the runner at home kicked away, allowing Kloss to score. Gaskins followed with a single up the middle for the third run of the inning to extend the lead to 6-1.
The Thundering Herd came storming back in the bottom of the inning, using three-consecutive doubles to cut the lead down to two. Laudenslager came on in relief, getting a strikeout and a pop up to secure the win.
Next Up
The Irish are back in action Saturday with a doubleheader against Indiana State and Ball State, beginning at 11 a.m.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
THIRD PERIOD PENALTY KILL HALTS IRISH
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A strong second period showing by the Irish came up just short in the game one quarterfinals loss to Michigan 5-4, Friday night. A pair of powerplay goals from the Wolverines in the third period proved the difference in the contest as the Irish face a must-win game two tomorrow night as they look to extend their season in the Big Ten playoffs.
The Irish were handed the first powerplay opportunity of the night with just 3:02 elapsed in the first period.
Despite not being able to capitalize on the man-advantage early on, the Irish took the 1-0 lead at 5:33 of the opening period with a shot from the senior captain Landon Slaggert fired top shelf.
A physical first period continued before the Irish were whistled for a hook with 10:09 to play in the first frame. The Wolverines would capitalize on the man-advantage after a brief contact with Bischel by the Michigan attacker threw off the Notre Dame netminder.
The Wolverines scored again after a miscommunication at the blueline by the Irish defenders resulted in a 2-on-0 chance for the home team.
The 2-1 held through the end of the first period as the Irish skated to the locker room down by one through 20 minutes of play.
The Irish held play in the offensive end for a majority of the second stanza, outshooting the Wolverines 8-2 through the first nine minutes of play in the frame. Michigan was called for a hook at 7:55 of the middle period as the Irish looked to even the score on their second powerplay opportunity of the night.
Despite a few looks on net, the Irish were unable to break the Michigan netminding on the man-advantage and the Wolverines returned to full strength. The 5-on-5 did not last long however, as Michigan was whistled for another infraction, this time a trip, just moments later.
Notre Dame capitalized on the powerplay with a goal from Drew Bavaro to draw even with the Wolverines at 12:42 of the second period.
Patrick Moynihan and Bavaro kept the scoring going with a pair of tallies just 58 seconds apart to make it 4-2 in favor of the Irish late in the second but a goal from the Wolverines drew them back within one.
The Irish were called for a penalty with just over 18 minutes into the stanza to force the Irish to close out the period while on the kill but a hit along the boards in the defensive end drew a major and Notre Dame was tasked to kill off 46 seconds of a 5-on-3 disadvantage to maintain the lead through two periods.
The Irish escaped the second period with the 4-3 lead and just 10 seconds remaining on the two-man disadvantage.
Despite killing off the 5-on-3, Michigan capitalized on the major just 11 seconds into the third period to make it a 4-4 game.
The Wolverines scored again on the Irish major infraction to take the 5-4 lead at 3:04 of the third.
With just over two minutes to play in regulation, the Irish opted for the extra attacker. The Wolverines thought they had buried the final dagger but an early whistle from an official for icing negated the goal and the Irish hopes were revived with 90 seconds to play.
The Irish had a flurry of chances in the waning seconds but were unable to find their fifth goal of the night as they fell to the Wolverines, 5-4, Friday night in game one of the quarterfinals.
GOALS
Patrick Moynihan held the puck along the end wall before blueliner Drew Bavaro came to retrieve the puck from the pile. The senior defensemen then fed a pass over to Landon Slaggert who raced up ice and fired a shot top shelf over the glove of the Michigan netminder for the 1-0 tally.
The Irish knotted it up on the powerplay with a one-timer from Drew Bavaro from the point to make it a 2-2 game. After sending the puck in deep, Maddox Fleming intercepted a clear attempt by the Michigan netminder to set up the tying goal. Hunter Strand was also credited with an assist on the play.
Moynihan scored with a sweep of the puck at the foot of the circle midway through the second period to give the Irish the 3-2 lead after Cole Knuble won the offensive zone faceoff.
Bavaro scored his second of the night less than a minute after Moynihan’s tally to give the Irish the 4-2 lead. His shot on goal trickled through the five-hole of Barczewski in the Michigan net and crossed the line before a Michigan defender could clear it from the crease. Jayden Davis was credited with an assist on the goal, the first of his career.
KEY STATS
Drew Bavaro led the team with three points on the night, including a pair of second period goals to give the Irish the lead heading into the third period. The senior blueliner also earned an assist on the night’s opening goal.
Patrick Moynihan was named third star of the game after a goal and an assist in the contest. His goal, the ninth of the season for the graduate, sparked a two-goal in under a minute run for the Irish late in the second period.
Jayden Davis scored his first collegiate assist Friday.
Trevor Janicke, Bavaro and Davis all led the team in plus-minus with a +2 on-ice rating.
Davis won 10 face-offs on the night with Hunter Strand also finishing with a .600 average.
UP NEXT
The Irish and Wolverines return to Yost Ice Arena Saturday night for game two of the best-of-three series with the Irish looking to extend their season in a must-win second game.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH DROP SERIES OPENER TO VIRGINIA TECH
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Notre Dame (9-3) dropped the ACC opener at Virginia Tech (9-3) Friday, 11-3. INF Jack Penney, OF Brady Gumpf and C Joey Spence were responsible for Notre Dame’s three runs, with OF David Glancy, INF Connor Hincks and OF T.J. Williams responsible for the RBI.
RHP Ricky Reeth (0-1) went 3.0 innings in his first-career start, posting three strikeouts but shouldering the loss. RHP Jack Radel went 2.0 innings with one strikeout, and LHP Ryan Lynch entered briefly in the sixth inning, followed by RHP Caden Spivey. Spivey went 2.0 innings with four strikeouts, and RHP DJ Helwig entered to pitch the final inning for his first-career appearance, allowing one hit.
In addition to Helwig’s first-career appearance, C Davis Johnson made his first collegiate appearance as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish made a mark in the first, as Penney drew a walk and stole second, continuing to third on a throwing error. Hincks hit a sac fly to score Penney, putting the Irish on the board heading to the bottom of the inning.
The Hokies responded, placing runners on first and third after a HBP and single. An RBI single brought in Virginia Tech’s first run, and a double gave the Hokies the lead. Another RBI single scored a third run before the Irish closed the inning on a groundout to INF Estevan Moreno.
Notre Dame was retired in order in the second, and after a single and sac bunt from Virginia Tech, the Hokies added another run on an RBI double.
Spence led off the third with a single to center field, Notre Dame’s first hit of the day. After two outs, Spence took second on a wild pitch, and Glancy sent a single to center field to score Spence and make the score 2-4.
Virginia Tech posted two hits in the third inning, executing a double steal to score another run and enter the fourth leading by three.
Notre Dame again sat down in order in the fourth, and Radel entered to pitch for the Irish to begin the bottom half of the inning. The Hokies led off with a triple, scoring on a subsequent RBI single. After a flyout and two walks, Virginia Tech loaded the bases. Radel struck out the next batter, and OF Tito Flores grabbed a low line drive to right field, diving to make the out and end the inning at 2-6.
Gumpf led off the fifth with a double, taking third on a Spence flyout. Williams dropped a sac bunt to score Gumpf, cutting the Virginia Tech lead to 3-6. Radel and the Irish sat the Hokie side down in order in the bottom of the inning.
The Irish went three up, three down in the sixth. After two singles and a HBP to lead off the bottom of the sixth, Lynch entered for the Irish with bases loaded. Virginia Tech took advantage of its runners and hit a grand slam, their first of the season. Spivey entered to pitch for Notre Dame, posting two strikeouts before Virginia Tech scored another run. Spivey earned a third strikeout to end the inning down 3-11.
Both sides went scoreless in the seventh, the first scoreless inning of the game. Notre Dame was retired in order in the eighth, and a new Irish battery entered to begin the bottom of the eighth, with Helwig on the mound and C Tony Lindwedel behind the plate. Virginia Tech reached on an error, placing one back on first on a fielder’s choice as the Irish tagged out the lead runner. After a Virginia Tech single, OF Simon Baumgardt made an impressive grab on a lineout, tossing to Moreno at second base for a double play to end the inning.
INF Casey Kmet, INF Nick DeMarco and Johnson all entered to pinch-hit in the ninth. Virginia Tech retired the Irish in order to close out the game.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and Virginia Tech return to English Field Saturday for a 6 p.m. ET first pitch. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PROVIDENCE ELIMINATES BUTLER FROM BIG EAST TOURNAMENT WITH 75-60 VICTORY
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – No. 9 seed Providence upset No. 8 seed Butler in the first game of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament. Caroline Strande scored a game-high 20 points, but the Friars had four players in double figures to earn the 75-60 victory. Providence will advance to play No. 1 seed UConn tomorrow at Noon.
Providence held a 23-18 lead over Butler after the first quarter and would take control of the game by outscoring BU 21-10 in the third. A 10-0 scoring run early in the game gave the Friars an advantage and they would stay on top of the Bulldogs for nearly 32 minutes.
The Bulldogs trailed Providence 21-13 in the first quarter after the 10-0 scoring run but would fight back to finish the frame by making four of their last five shots. The opening 10 minutes was highlighted by a Strande buzzer beater from deep 3-point range.
Butler outscored PC by a point in the second quarter to make the game 37-33 at the half. Strande had 11 at the break and Providence was paced by Olivia Olsen and Grace Efosa with 10 each. The third quarter told the rest of the story with BU shooting 4-for-14 during that stretch. Providence on the other hand went 3-for-4 from 3-point range and made eight of their 15 attempts.
The Bulldogs jumped into a full court press in the fourth trying to force some turnovers, but each team would leave Mohegan Sun Arena with 17 points in the period. Butler ends the year with a 14-16 overall record.
Coach Quote
I think you have to give a lot of credit to Providence. Every mistake we made; they punished us for it. To have Archibald play well and record 17 points was big. I thought she was a real difference for them on their end of the floor.
On our end of the floor, I thought we had a good week of practice. I thought we felt really good coming into the game, but it’s different when you get out here in a conference tournament setting. When we’re getting open shots and not able to convert and then they’re going down and laying it up, it makes it for a tough way to make a comeback. We have a competitive group of kids; I think we’re on the right track. I’m encouraged by what we’re doing as we move forward.
Inside the Box Score
– Caroline Strande went 9-for-10 from the field to score 20 points
– Strande also led BU with seven rebounds
– Butler made 10 3-pointers in the setback
– Rachel Kent ended her career with six points, four assists and two steals
– Cristen Carter and Riley Makalusky also had six points for BU
– Karsyn Norman led the team in assists with five
– Ari Wiggins and Sydney Jaynes each came off the bench to score seven points
– Jordan Meulemans hit two 3-pointers helping her score eight
– Providence shot 53 percent from the field and 66 percent from 3 (10-15)
– PC scored 20 points off 13 BU turnovers
– Emily Archibald had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists
– Olivia Olsen had 16 points and 12 rebounds
– Grace Efosa had 13 points
– Brynn Farrell finished with 11 points
BUTLER WOMEN’S LAX
BUTLER WLACROSSE HEADS TO CALIFORNIA FOR SPRING BREAK MATCHUPS
The Butler women’s lacrosse team will spend spring break in California to take on two PAC 12 Conference opponents, UC Davis and California.
GameDay
Butler vs. UC Davis
4PM ET (1PM PT)
Saturday, March 9
Davis, Calif.
GameDay
Butler vs. California
2PM ET (11AM PT)
Tuesday, March 12
Berkeley, Calif.
Bulldog Bits:
Maggie Zentgraf is in her second season as head coach for the Bulldogs. Zentgraf is a former member of the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team. Zentgraf previously coached at Division III Lake Forest, going 11-4 in the program’s first-ever season.
The Bulldogs currently sit at 1-4 for the 2024 season after facing a hard-fought loss to Ohio State last week.
In the Bulldog’s fight against the Buckeyes, sophomore Luci Selander lead the team with four goals, three assists, and three draw controls.
Senior midfielder Leah Rubino currently leads the team overall with 17 goals on 37 shots and 19 points.
Goalie Caroline Smith has recorded 56 saves thus far for the Bulldogs during the 2024 season.
Scouting UC Davis:
The Aggies currently hold a 5-2 record overall for the 2024 season after facing a 21-7 loss to #11 Florida earlier this week.
The UC Davis women’s lacrosse team is led by Suzanne Isidor. She is her seventh season as head coach.
This is the first ever match between the Bulldogs and the Aggies.
Junior attacker Grade Gebhardt leads the team with 18 goals on 35 shots, accounting for a total of 26 points. Gebhardt also leads the program with eight assists.
Scouting California:
California is 1-0 all time against the Bulldogs.
Head Coach Jennifer Wong is in her second season leading the Golden Bears. In her first season the Golden Bears finished with a 5-13 record overall, 2-8 in the PAC 12 Conference.
The Golden Bears are currently 1-5 overall for the 2024 season. They will play on Winthrop on Sunday, March 10 before taking on the Bulldogs.
Senior attacker Kennedy Goss currently leads the program with 11 goals on 28 shots, accounting for a total of 14 points.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will wrap up spring break with a match against Eastern Michigan on Friday, March 15 in Ypsilanti, Mich. The first draw is set for 12 p.m.
BUTLER BASEBALL
BUTLER BEATS MEMPHIS 7-6
MEMPHIS – Ryan Drumm and Ian Choi each hit two-run home runs for Butler to help the Bulldogs win at Memphis on Friday afternoon by the final score of 7-6. Ben Whiteside was credited with the win on the mound and Cole Graverson came up clutch with a two-inning save.
Memphis homered in the bottom of the first to grab a quick lead, but the Bulldogs would knot the score in the top of the third at 3-3. Joey Urban doubled to right centerfield to score Munton and Dorighi and Xavier Carter added an RBI single to left that allowed Lewis to score.
Compton hit his second home run of the game in the bottom half of the third to regain the lead for the home team. Butler countered with homers in the sixth and seventh to take control of the action. Drumm homered to left to put BU on top and Choi’s homer in the seventh gave BU some insurance.
The ‘Dawgs needed the cushion as Smigelski homered in the bottom of the eighth and back-to-back doubles in the ninth would put Memphis in a position to tie the game. Graverson kept his cool on the mound and got Stuart to fly out after the extra base hit by Baskin. With the game on the line, Graverson went after Compton and struck him out to win the game.
Urban went 2-for-5 in the game with the double and two RBIs and Carter Dorighi was 2-for-4 in the box score. BU tallied 10 total hits to score their seven runs.
On the mound, Whiteside tossed three full frames to earn the win. Nick Miketinac was also key in the outcome by throwing 3.2 innings of ball. He struck out three.
Butler returns to action tomorrow with a game against Jackson State. First pitch is set for 1 PM.
IUPUI SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL WASHED OUT ON DAY ONE OF INDIANA INVITATIONAL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Due to weather, Friday’s games at the Indiana Invitational have been postponed. Howard also dropped out of the invitational, causing more changes to this weekend’s schedule.
The Jags’ two games against Howard were canceled while Friday’s game against Dayton will now be played on Saturday. IUPUI will now play one game on Saturday and two games on Sunday. The updated schedule for the weekend is below.
Saturday, March 9 – 5:30 PM vs. Dayton
Sunday, March 10 – 1:30 PM at Indiana
Sunday, March 10 – 4:00 PM vs. Dayton
IUPUI MEN’S TENNIS
TENNIS DROPS THURSDAY MATCH AT LIPSCOMB
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The IUPUI men’s tennis team dropped Thursday night’s match in the road at Lipscomb. Kamil Kozerski, Steven Paz and Eli Mercer all recorded singles points in the loss.
The Jags opened with doubles play, falling in two out of the three, dropping the doubles point. Kozerski and Emil Jankowski fell in the number one spot, 6-1 while Blessing Benibo and Noah Viste dropped the number two doubles match, 6-3. Luka Rodic and Paz were winning, 5-3 in the number three doubles match when it went unfinished.
After dropping the doubles point, the Jags earned three singles points but couldn’t seal a fourth point falling, 4-3. Kozerski defeated his opponent in the number one singles match in a dominate two sets, 6-2, 6-4. Paz won in the number four spot in two sets, 6-4, 7-6 while Mercer earned the third singles point in the number six spot, 7-6, 4-6, 13-11.
Viste fought hard to give the Jags their fourth point taking the number two singles match to three sets but he ultimately found himself on the wrong side of the outcome, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Nate Day dropped the number three singles match, 6-2, 6-3 while Rodic fell in the number five spot, 6-1, 6-2.
The Jags will next travel to Orlando, Florida to face Lehigh on March 11 and Lafayette College on March 13.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CLOSES MAC REGULAR SEASON PLAY ON THE ROAD AT BUFFALO SATURDAY
Ball State (26-4, 15-2 MAC) vs. Buffalo (17-11, 10-7 MAC)
March 9, 2024 >> Alumni Arena >>Buffalo, N.Y.>> 2 pm ET
Opening Tip:
– The Cardinals are coming off of a 75-71 win against the Golden Flashes Wednesday in from of a national audience on ESPNU.
– Ball State improved to 26-4 overall and 15-2 in Mid-American Conference action. Its is the second-straight season the Cardinals have earned 26 wins which ties the program record for most victories in a season. Also, the 15 league wins is the most in program history.
– Ball State closed out its home portion of the regular season last Saturday with a 75-47 victory over Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals went 13-1 in Worthen Arena and welcomed 28,173 fans which was more than their opponents.
– The Cardinals have held a halftime lead in 14 of their 17 Mid-American Conference games so far this season. Ball State is 14-3 in those contests.
– For the seventh time under 12th-year head coach Brady Sallee and the second season in a row, the Cardinals have reached the 20-win plateau. Sallee’s 20-win seasons at Ball State are — 22-10 (2015-16), 21-11 (2016-17) 25-7 (2017-18), 21-10 (2019-20), 20-13 (2021-22), 26-9 (2022-23) and 26-4 (2023-24).
– With only one MAC games left, Ball State still sits in second in the league standings with a 15-2 mark just one game behind Toledo. The Cardinals could still be crowned the MAC regular season champions or have share of the title depending on the results after Saturday’s games.
– Saturday’s game against Buffalo will mark the 38th time in program history the two schools have met, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series, 21-16.
– Ball State has not lost on the road at Buffalo since the 2018-19 season when the score was 77-65 on Jan. 16, 2019. Since then, the Cardinals have brought home a victory. Ball State and Buffalo’s first-ever meeting was on Jan. 30 at Buffalo in 1998-99.
1,000+ PTS, 500+ RBS & 500+ ASST.
Only 18 players have scored 1,000+ career points and have tallied 500+ career rebounds in program history at Ball State. Current players Ally Becki (17th player) and Annie Rauch (18th player) are among the elite in those categories. Rauch recently scored her 1,000th point on Saturday, March 2 against Eastern Michigan. Rauch is 23rd all-time in rebounds with 537 and needs four to move into 22nd while Becki sits at 24th place with 529 rebounds. Also, Becki is 21 assists away from 500 which would make her only the third player in program history to reach the 500 assist plateau. Becki will also become the only player to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.
Career Milestones:
– Ally Becki needs 21 assists 500 mark.
– Marie Kiefer has 130 blocks for her career — needs 24 to move into first place.
If the MAC Tourney was Today:
If the Mid-American Conference Tournament were to start today the Cardinals would be the No. 2 seed. Ball State would face the No. 7 seed which is currently held by Western Michigan. That contest would be Game No. 3 of the quarterfinal round in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cardinals last played the Broncos in the quarterfinals on March 7, 2018 which resulted in a 65-54 loss for Ball State.
MAC Tourney Appearances:
This season will mark the 34th appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 22 out of the past 24 seasons. The Cardinals are 22-31 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on six occasions. Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BALL STATE UNVEILS BASEBALL STADIUM IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING LARGEST AND FIRST ALL-DIGITAL VIDEOBOARD IN MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
MUNCIE, Ind. – When the Ball State Cardinals open their 2024 home schedule this weekend and open their Mid-American Conference slate vs. Eastern Michigan, a new, state-of-the-art Daktronics videoboard will decorate the view behind left-centerfield. In front of the new video display and surrounding the field is new fence padding adorned in premium graphics that highlight the Cardinals baseball success – MAC championships, MLB first-round draft picks and NCAA appearances.
Ball State, currently 9-4, returns this weekend to the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex for the first time since winning the 2023 MAC Tournament and making its fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Under the leadership of 19th-year head coach Rich Maloney, two major gifts allowed completion of both projects – the videoboard and the new padding. The Daktronics videoboard is the largest scoreboard display in the MAC, and the league’s first all-digital scoreboard for baseball.
“We are thankful for two very generous gifts that afford us a state-of-the-art videoboard which will enhance our player and fan experience,” said Maloney, whose Ball State teams have won more than 30 games 17 times. “This is a big step towards our dream of completing our stadium. This gift continues our progression in celebrating our great baseball tradition and the value our university puts on the future of Ball State Baseball.”
Daktronics installed the new audiovisual system in time for the 2024 home season, which is scheduled to begin Friday against the Eagles. It features an outfield video display that measures 18-feet high by 32.5-feet wide and a Sportsound 1500HD audio system.
The padding and decor, installed by Sport Graphics of Indianapolis, accents a visual facelift that showcases the success of the Cardinals program.
The new videoboard, located adjacent to the former scoreboard, will be used in a variety of ways to boost the gameday experience.
“As we work to enhance our baseball and softball facilities, the new videoboard at Ball Diamond will add an exciting feature to our baseball fan experience,” said Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. “We are grateful for the generosity of our donors and fans who support the vibrant future of our Ball State baseball program.”
Maloney and the Cardinals play seven consecutive home games over the next two weeks, including next week’s conference series against Bowling Green.
LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT AS CARDINALS UNVEIL SPARKLING NEW VIDEOBOARD IN 2024 HOME OPENER
MUNCIE, Ind. – With a sparkling new videoboard shining over left-centerfield at the Ball Diamond at First Merchant Ballpark Complex, Ball State welcomed Eastern Michigan for a nailbiting opening game in the Mid-American Conference on Friday, before the visiting Eagles escaped with a 10-9 win in the Cardinals’ home opener.
The Eagles led early, 8-1 through 4 ½ innings, but the Cardinals closed in a fury with runs in each of the last four innings while leaving the bases filled in the bottom of the ninth.
“Our boys battled back and just fell a hair short,” said 19th-year Cardinals coach Rich Maloney who saw visions of his future stadium complex take one more step toward completion on this day. “We dug ourselves too big of a hole,” he added, “but it’s a new day tomorrow!”
As the drama unfolded in the bottom of the ninth beneath the largest and first all-digital videoboard in the MAC, Ball State trailed 10-6 before sending nine batters to the plate. Catcher Michael Gonzalez sparked the rally with a solo shot to left. Hunter Dobbins was hit by pitch, Dylan Grego walked and Blake Bevis was hit by pitch to load the bases for the first time in the dramatic rally.
The Cardinals pushed another run across on Houston King’s sacrifice fly in front of the beaming videoboard, and the Cardinals pulled within 10-9 on Matthew Kamins’ double down the leftfield line – leaving Bevis at third with just one out. Nick Gregory worked the count to 3-0 before being walked intentionally to load the bases again and set the stage for the top of the Ball State batting order.
But Drew Jones, no relation to EMU starter and winner Bobby Jones (2-1), earned a save after Decker Scheffler went down looking and Michael Hallquist lined a near-game-winning single that was nabbed by shortstop Cooper Vance for the game’s final out.
Eastern Michigan gained its advantage on the strength of 15 base hits and fourth-inning home runs by Lucas Johnson and Logan Hugo. With the home team pulled within 8-6 through eight innings, EMU got insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run shot by Cory Taylor.
The Cardinals got 13 hits of their own but left 11 on base as they squandered opportunities to decorate the new videoboard with its first victory.
Ball State and Eastern Michigan resume their three-game series on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
BALL STATE SWIMMING
GARBERICK’S FOURTH STRAIGHT GOLD LEADS MEN’S S&D FRIDAY AT MACS
CARBONDALE, Ill. – – With a double record performance, Ball State’s Joey Garberick became just the second student-athlete in Mid-American Conference history to win four consecutive 100 breaststroke titles at the 2024 MAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships Friday evening at SIU’s Shea Natatorium.
Garberick positioned himself well for the four-peat Friday morning, earning the top seed into the finals with a then-program record time of 52.10. He saved his best for the night session, however, tying the league record of 51.93 set by Missouri State’s Blair Bish in 2018 and joining Miami’s Tim Winans (1982-1985) as the only two MAC student-athletes to win four consecutive 100 breaststroke titles.
It was the first of two medals on the day for Garberick, who also swam the second leg of the third place 200 freestyle relay which also turned in a program record performance of 1:18.88. He was joined on the relay by senior Owen Chaye, sophomore Jacob Siewers and junior Ethan Pheifer.
The night also started with a program record, as senior Bryce Handshoe placed fifth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 47.84. It was .09 faster than his own time of 47.93 set at the 2023 MAC Championships.
Siewers and Pheifer also made appearances in championship finals for the Cardinals on Friday placing eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:38.92) and 100 backstroke (48.93), respectively.
Overall, Ball State had 13 different swimmers and all three divers advance to either the championship or consolation finals of their respective events on Friday.
After three days of competition, the Cardinals remain fifth among the seven teams with 275 points. Miami is first overall at 497, followed by Missouri State with 468.5.
Action in the 2024 MAC Championships concludes Saturday with five more individual swimming events, finals of 3-meter diving, and the 400 freestyle relay. Prelims start at 11:30 a.m. ET and finals at 7 p.m. ET
Ball State Results on Day 3 of MAC Championships
FINALS SESSION
100 Butterfly | Program Record – 47.84 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
5th – Bryce Handshoe – 47.84 – Program Record
13th – Mason Young – 49.24 – T-5th in Program History
15th – Michael Mitsynskyy – 50.20
DQ – Benjamin Clarkston – 49.77
400 IM | Program Record – 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
11th – Max Kruglov – 3:57.48 – 2nd in Program History
12th – Zach Zishka – 3:57.66
14th – Tommy Brunner – 3:58.58 – 3rd in Program History
200 Freestyle | Program Record – 1:37.05 by Jacob Siewers in 2024
8th – Jacob Siewers – 1:38.92
14th – Malcolm Slater – 1:40.44
100 Breaststroke | Program Record – 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
1st – Joey Garberick – 51.93 – Program Record & Ties MAC Record
10th – Aidan Biddle – 54.80 – 3rd in Program History
14th – Michael Burns – 55.39
100 Backstroke | Program Record – 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
8th – Ethan Pheifer – 48.93
200 Freestyle Relay | Program Record – 1:18.88 by Chaye, Garberick, Siewers, Pheifer in 2024
3rd – Owen Chaye, Joey Garberick, Jacob Siewers, Ethan Pheifer – 1:18.88 – Program Record
MORNING SESSION
100 Butterfly | Program Record – 47.93 by Bryce Handshoe in 2023
Advanced to A Finals – 8th – Bryce Handshoe – 48.13
Advanced to B Finals – 12th – Michael Mitsynskyy – 49.59 – 9th in Program History
Advanced to B Finals – 14th – Benjamin Clarkston – 49.77 – 10th in Program History
Advanced to B Finals – 15th – Mason Young – 49.79
Prelims
20th – Reeve Ferber – 50.88
EX – Reece Manning – 50.01
EX – Kenny Reed – 51.72
400 IM | Program Record – 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
Advanced to B Finals – 12th – Max Kruglov – 4:00.06
Advanced to B Finals – 13th – Zach Zishka – 4:00.21
Advanced to B Finals – 15th – Tommy Brunner – 4:01.56 – 3rd in Program History
200 Freestyle | Program Record – 1:37.05 by Jacob Siewers in 2024
Advanced to A Finals – 8th – Jacob Siewers – 1:38.04
Advanced to B Finals – 14th – Malcolm Slater – 1:40.42 – 10th in Program History
Prelims
18th – Seth Blossom – 1:42.21
19th – Alexander Eddy – 1:42.52
100 Breaststroke | Program Record – 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
Advanced to A Finals – 1st – Joey Garberick – 52.10
Advanced to B Finals – 9th – Aidan Biddle – 54.83 – 3rd in Program History
Advanced to B Finals – 16th – Michael Burns – 55.63
Prelims:
EX – Noah Berryman – 56.64
100 Backstroke | Program Record – 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
Advanced to B Finals – 12th – Ethan Pheifer – 49.49
Prelims:
EX – Reece Manning – 49.84
EX – Chance Buckles – 51.29
EX – Logan Ayres – 51.29
3M Diving | Program Record – 359.25 by Wyatt Blake in 2023
Advanced to A Finals – 4th – Porter Brovont – 292.70
Advanced to B Finals – 14th – Isaac Hunter – 244.05
Advanced to B Finals – 15th – Wyatt Blake – 242.80
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL’S SECOND HALF RALLY AT BOWLING GREEN FALLS SHORT
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Ball State men’s basketball team nearly erased a 13-point second half deficit to trail by only one with under five minutes to play, but ultimately fell 80-70 to Bowling Green on Friday night at the Stroh Center.
The Cardinals finished the season with a 15-16 record (7-11 Mid-American Conference) and one spot in the league standings from making the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. Bowling Green (19-12, 10-8 MAC) locked up the No. 5 seed in the conference tourney, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
Ball State trailed 35-26 at the halftime break and 48-35 with 15:27 to play but whittled the deficit down to 60-59 at the 4:29 mark of the second half following a Mickey Pearson Jr. 3-pointer from the left corner. The Falcons responded with a triple of their own, and they would lead by at least two possessions the remainder of the game.
Jalin Anderson (22 points, four assists, three rebounds) scored 10 of his points in the first 10 minutes of the game to get the Ball State offense going. Basheer Jihad put up 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals a game after having to sit out against Kent State due to injury.
Anderson netted seven points in the Ball State rally to cut Bowling Green’s advantage to the minimum, while Jihad chipped in six and Ben Hendriks scored five straight points during the 24-12 second half scoring run. Hendriks tallied 10 points and three rebounds off the bench, and Mason Jones went for 10 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks for the Cardinals. Trent Middleton Jr. added nine points, three rebounds and three assists.
The Cardinals were playing without the services of leading 3-point shooter Davion Bailey, who suffered an injury in practice. Ball State shot 44.4 percent (24-54) from the field including 26.3 percent (5-19) from distance and hit 73.9 percent (17-23) at the free throw line.
Bowling Green got a game high 24 points from leading scorer Marcus Hill, who added five assists and five steals. The Falcons went 46.7 percent (28-60) from the field, 40.9 percent (9-22) on 3-pointers and 83.3 percent (15-18) on foul shots.
The hosts outrebounded the Cardinals 35-32 and had one less turnover (15-14).
Ball State’s season was highlighted by a 7-0 nonconference home record and late-season wins at Central Michigan and at home against Kent State to provide an opportunity to earn a postseason berth. Jihad (18.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game) and Anderson (15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game) earned consideration for the MAC All-Conference teams, which will be announced next week.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL SCORES FRIDAY SPLIT AT MARSHALL MARCH MADNESS
HUNTINGTON, WV – – The Ball State softball team blasted three more home runs on its way to a Friday split on the second day of the Marshall March Madness invitational at Dot Hicks Field.
The first two blasts came in the opener, when the Cardinals (12-11) rallied past, and then held on, to top in-state rival Indiana State by a score of 6-5.
The Sycamores (11-9) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, scoring three off redshirt sophomore pitcher / designated player Jessica Hoffman in the top of the first. After moving back to the DP role, Hoffman would even the score in the top of the fourth with her fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field.
Senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews and graduate first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata followed the Hoffman blast with back-to-back doubles to give BSU a 4-3 lead. Ball State would extend its lead to three in the top of the fourth, as redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons blasted a two-run shot to left center, her 13th homer of the season which ranks second nationally.
ISU would get a solo home run in the sixth and another with two outs in the top of the seventh before senior Francys King forced a foul out to secure her sixth win of the season. King would allow just five hits and two runs over her 7.0 innings of work, while recording three strikeouts after entering six batters into the game.
In the nightcap, graduate third baseman Haley Wynn provided the early fireworks with her fourth home run of the season in the top of the first against host Marshall. Unfortunately, The Herd would score three in the fourth and two more in the sixth and earn the 5-2 win.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 6 – Indiana State 5
B1 | A. Chipps scores on a bases loaded error by the Cardinals (1-0)
B1 | A two-run single from A. Robakowski gives Indiana State a three-run edge (3-0)
T3 | A three-run blast from Hoffman evens the scores, as graduate second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz and Wynn score on the play (3-3)
T3 | Back-to-back doubles from Mathews and Mata give Ball State a one-run edge (3-4)
T4 | Timmons provides yet more fireworks with a two-run bomb to left center, bringing home Armendariz along the way (3-6)
B6 | A solo shot from H. Webb cuts BSU’s lead down to two (4-6)
B7 | Robakowski adds a two-out solo home run to make things interesting (5-6)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 2 – Marshall 5
T1 | Wynn opens the scoring with a solo shot to left field (1-0)
B4 | A bunt single from Kasia Parks with runners at second and third ties the score (1-1)
B4 | A bases loaded single by Destiny Washington pushes The Herd ahead (1-2)
B4 | Rielly Lucas extends the Marshall lead with a sac fly to center field (1-3)
T6 | After reaching on a leadoff error, Timmons eventually comes around to score on a wild pitch (2-3)
B6 | Sydney Bickel caps the scoring in the game with a two-run single (2-5)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team continues play in the Marshall March Madness tournament Saturday with a scheduled 1:30 p.m. first pitch versus Notre Dame weather permitting.
BALL STATE TRACK
ROGERS SECURES SILVER IN THE PENTATHLON AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOSTON, Mass. — Jenelle Rogers is bringing home the silver medal in the pentathlon after securing 4,430 points, a new Ball State indoor record. Entering the competition on Friday morning, Rogers was ranked 10th with a score of 4,163.
The meet began with the 60m hurdles where she finished 7th in 8.50. She continued to move up the leaderboard in the high jump as she hit a mark of 1.75m, just .01m off her personal best.
In the shot put, Rogers threw 13.96m, third among her competitors.
Heading into the long jump, Rogers had 2,724 points. She continued impressing her competitors, hitting a new indoor best mark of 6.28m.
After a day full of competing, the pentathlon wrapped up with the 800m. Rogers entered her last event with 3,661 points. In a hard-fought race, she ran a new indoor best time of 2:24.08 and secured the second-place finish among the best multis athletes in the world. Her final score of 4,430 points will place her as the highest scoring pentathlon athlete in Ball State history, surpassing Charity (Griffith) Hufnagel’s record from last year of 4,315.
This was Rogers’s second NCAA appearance. Her first appearance at this level occurred last year at the 2023 Outdoor Championships where she finished 5th in the heptathlon with a score of 6,018.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SEARS HOMERS TWICE TO POWER SYCAMORES PAST FLORIDA A&M IN FRIDAY OPENER
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Mike Sears homered twice and Luis Hernandez also went deep as Indiana State topped host Florida A&M 8-4 in the series opener at Moore-Kittles Field on Friday afternoon.
Sears’ fourth collegiate multi-home run game was highlighted by a solo shot in the second and a two-run blast in the ninth inning as the Sycamores (9-3) utilized the long ball in their first contest against FAMU (5-9) connecting on a season-high three home runs in the contest.
ISU set the tone early in the game scoring two runs in both the first and second innings to take the early 4-0 advantage over FAMU and providing Cameron Holycross (1-0) all the run support he’d need in the win. Holycross went 5.0 innings in his first start of the season allowing four hits and one run while striking out six in the game.
The Sycamores added runs in the seventh and eighth frames before Sears’ two-run shot in the ninth capped the scoring in the ISU win.
Sears and Randal Diaz both finished with multi-hit games on Friday afternoon with Diaz and Josue Urdaneta both connecting on doubles in the win. Sears (twice) and Hernandez both homered against the FAMU pitching staff as ISU connected on 11 hits in the win.
Holycross went the first five innings retiring nine of the first 11 batters he faced in his first win of the season. Zach Davidson went 2.0 innings in relief allowing one hit and two runs while striking out three. Simon Gregersen closed out the game on the mound going the final 2.0 innings striking out two.
Florida A&M’s offense was paced by Ty Jackson’s multi-hit game, including a key three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that cut the Indiana State lead down to 6-4. Jackson and Sebastian Greico added triples in the loss.
Caleb Granger (2-1) took the loss allowing five hits and four runs over 6.0-innings of work. Andrew Ginther, Josh Scragg, and Cody Williams all went an inning apiece to close out the game on the mound.
How They Scored
Indiana State took the early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Parker Stinson’s RBI groundout scored Randal Diaz and Dominic Listi scored on a wild pitch to put the Sycamores ahead early.
ISU added two more run in the second with Mike Sears connecting on a leadoff solo home run and Listi singling home Josue Urdaneta to make it 4-0 ISU through two innings.
Florida A&M scored in the top of the fourth as Joseph Pierini’s RBI single brought home Sebastian Greico to cut the margin to 4-1.
The Sycamores took one back in the seventh on Luis Hernandez’s solo home run putting the score at 5-1.
ISU added another run in the top of the eighth as Randal Diaz singled home Jorge Pereira to put the margin at 6-1.
Ty Jackson connected on a three-run home run in the bottom of the frame scoring Ben Kim and Jalen Niles to cut the Indiana State lead down to 6-4.
Sears came through for the second time with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning scoring Adam Pottinger to provide the final 8-4 margin.
News & Notes
Indiana State picked up its first win in the all-time series against Florida A&M in the two teams’ inaugural contest. It marked the fifth time Indiana State has lined up against a SWAC school in program history and first since 2015.
Mike Sears posted a two-homer game for the fourth time in his collegiate career and first since going deep twice against Ball State back on May 9, 2023, in ISU’s 11-1 win over the Cardinals.
Sears is now tied with Parker Stinson for the team lead in home runs after hitting his third over the last two games.
Cameron Holycross’ last start on the mound also came in an Indiana State win in the 2023 season as the redshirt senior went the first 3.0 innings at SEMO back on March 8, 2023, in ISU’s 7-4 win.
Luis Hernandez continued his 11-game hitting streak on Friday afternoon with his solo home run.
Dominic Listi continued his 12-game on-base streak after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning and reached base safely in each of his first three plate appearances.
The Sycamore pitching staff recorded double-digit strikeouts on Friday and have accomplished the feat in eight of their last nine games dating back to Florida Gulf Coast (Feb. 19).
Up Next
Indiana State continues the weekend series in Tallahassee, Fla. with a scheduled doubleheader against Florida A&M at Moore-Kittles Field. First pitch in the Saturday afternoon doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. ET.
INDIANA STATE TRACK
STAGGS EARNS SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICA HONORS WITH TOP-10 FINISH AT NCAA INDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOSTON – Indiana State pole vaulter Will Staggs capped off a stellar indoor season Friday afternoon at the NCAA Indoor National Championships, earning a top-10 finish in the pole vault at The TRACK at New Balance.
Staggs cleared marks of 5.30m (17-04.50) on his second attempt and 5.40m (17-08.50) on his third attempt, placing ninth in the field. The ninth-place finish earns Staggs Second Team All-America honors.
For Staggs, Friday’s All-America performance caps an indoor season which saw him break the school pole vault record twice, along with the Indiana State facility record in the pole vault. He became the first MVC Athlete since 2001 to clear a mark of 5.50m (18-00.50) or better, having done so twice this season. A model of consistency this season, Staggs cleared 5.25m (17-02.75) or better at every meet he competed in this season.
Staggs’ marks from this season were: 5.34m (17-06.26), 5.35m (17-06.50), 5.25m (17-02.75), 5.41m (17-09.00), 5.50m (18-00.50), 5.52m (18-01.25), 5.45m (17-10.50) and 5.40m (17-08.50).
Staggs won the MVC indoor pole vault title for the third straight year, becoming the sixth athlete in conference history to win three straight pole vault titles. He was named the MVC’s Elite 17 Award winner for being the medalist with the highest cumulative GPA.
In addition, Staggs became the first Sycamore men’s pole vaulter since 1996 to compete at the NCAA Indoor National Championships and just the 17th Indiana State men’s track and field athlete in program history to make an NCAA Indoor National Championship field. Staggs also became the 29th athlete, men’s or women’s, in program history to qualify for multiple NCAA Track and Field National Championships.
Staggs’ performance at the NCAA Indoor National Championships gave Indiana State Second Team All-Americans in back-to-back seasons after JaVaughn Moore’s ninth-place finish in the 60m in 2023.
Staggs and the Sycamores look to continue their success in the 2024 outdoor season. Indiana State swept the MVC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second time in the last three years, while Indiana State men’s track and field team has won each of the last two MVC Outdoor Championships. The Sycamores will host the 2024 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES FACE DRAKE FOR SENIOR DAY SATURDAY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes out the regular season Saturday afternoon when it plays Drake at 1 p.m.
The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Gameday Promotions
This weekend is Senior Weekend for the Sycamores. Indiana State will honor its senior class, consisting of forward Chelsea Cain, guard Ella Sawyer and manager Reagan Smalley, across the weekend, culminating with a pregame recognition prior to Saturday’s regular season finale against Drake.
Planet Fitness is Saturday’s game sponsor. For more information on our game sponsor, visit HERE.
Last Time Out
Mya Glanton registered her sixth double-double of the season Thursday night, but visiting Northern Iowa shot better than 50 percent from the field and held Indiana State below 30 percent in a 91-62 win over the Sycamores inside Hulman Center.
Glanton finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores, while Bella Finnegan, Keslyn Secrist and Asia Donald had eight points each. Jailah Pelly and Saige Stahl had career-highs of six and five points, respectively.
Indiana State got off to a good start courtesy of a pair of Finnegan 3-pointers as part of a 10-2 run, but Northern Iowa worked its way back. The Panthers cut Indiana State’s lead to a point by the end of the first quarter, then began the second on a 10-3 run and never looked back. Northern Iowa shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last three quarters and better than 60 percent in both the second and fourth on their way to a lopsided win over the Sycamores.
Senior Weekend Special
This weekend’s homestand also marks Senior Weekend for Indiana State, with the Sycamores set to recognize their senior class on Saturday.
This year’s senior class has a special meaning to the program, as it is the first senior class fully recruited by the current coaching staff. Indiana State will recognize Chelsea Cain, Ella Sawyer and Reagan Smalley over the course of the weekend.
Cain and Sawyer have both played two seasons (2022-24) at Indiana State after transferring from Nicholls State and Austin Peay, respectively. The duo represented part of the first signing class for the current Sycamore coaching staff, and have been mainstays in the starting lineup for Indiana State.
Smalley joined the Indiana State program during the 2021-22 season and has played an instrumental role behind the scenes of the Sycamore program over the last three seasons. A lot of her work often goes unnoticed by outsiders, but her hard work has earned the respect and admiration of both the staff and student-athletes.
Fab Freshmen
Indiana State’s freshmen took full advantage of their second half playing time against Northern Iowa on Thursday, with the group combining to score 27 points against the Panthers.
Asia Donald and Keslyn Secrist scored eight points for the Sycamores, tied for the second-most on the team in the game. Jailah Pelly added six points and Saige Stahl had five. For Pelly and Stahl, the point totals represented career highs.
Spread The Wealth
Although the score was not in Indiana State’s favor Thursday, the Sycamores found plenty of balance on the scoresheet against Northern Iowa.
Indiana State had nine different players score four or more points, including five with six or more points. Three of the Sycamores’ five with six-plus points Thursday were freshmen. The balance in Indiana State’s scoring allowed the Sycamores to finish Thursday’s game with 30 bench points.
Seeding Scenarios
Indiana State enters the final weekend of the season already aware of its path to a conference tournament title.
The Sycamores will be seeded either eighth or ninth for the 2024 MVC Tournament and will play in the 1 p.m. game on the opening day. Indiana State will play Southern Illinois in the opening round.
Should the Sycamores win their opening round game next week, they will play regular season champion Drake in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. on the second day of the tournament.
Shot-Swatting Sycamores
Indiana State has recorded 13 games with four or more blocks this season, including eight with five or more rejections. The Sycamores’ most recent five-block game came in their most recent game against Northern Iowa.
As a team, Indiana State ranks fourth in the conference with 3.7 blocks per game and have improved that average to 3.8 blocks per game against Valley foes. The Sycamores tied the program single-game high of 10 blocked shots earlier this season against Southern Illinois, while Savannah White matched the program individual single-game high of seven blocks in the aforementioned game against the Salukis.
Get To The Line
Indiana State has fared well when it gets to the free throw line this season, connecting on 75 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe during the 2023-24 campaign.
Since the start of conference play, Indiana State’s free throw percentage has improved to 76.7 percent.
Downtown
Indiana State has shot the ball better from behind the arc in conference play, with the Sycamores knocking down 33.6 percent of their 3-pointers against MVC foes. The 33 percent clip is a 10 percent improvement from the Trees’ non-conference mark and also ranks fourth in the conference.
Indiana State shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range in both ends of their recent two-game trip to Belmont and Murray State.
Sharing Is Caring
Indiana State dished out a season-high 20 assists in its most recent win over Bradley, with the Sycamores assisting on nearly 75 percent of their made baskets.
The 20-assist game was Indiana State’s first since a March 2023 win over Bradley at home. All five starters for the Sycamores had at least three assists.
Drake at a Glance
Drake enters Saturday’s game at 25-5 overall and 18-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs have clinched the regular season title at the No. 1 seed for Hoops in the Heartland and are the best 3-point shooting team in the MVC with 245 this season.
Katie Dinnebier leads the Bulldogs with 18.3 points and a conference-high 6.9 assists per game. Grace Berg (17.0) and Anna Miller (12.8) also average double-figure scoring for the Bulldogs, with Miller also pulling down an MVC-high 9.8 rebounds per game. All five Drake startesr average at least eight points and three rebounds per game while dishing out 50 or more assists this season.
Allison Pohlman is in her third season as the head coach at Drake and has a 67-29 career record. Pohlman led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Series History Against Drake
Drake leads the all-time series 63-24 and has won the last three meetings. Indiana State’s last win in the series came in the 2021-22 conference opener, while the Sycamores’ last home win in the series came in the 2015-16 season.
Last Meeting Against Drake (Jan. 4, 2024)
Homestanding Drake used a 16-0 run across the first and second quarters and never looked back on its way to a 77-47 win over Indiana State inside the Knapp Center.
Asia Donald led the Sycamores with nine points off the bench, while Chloe Williams added seven. Savannah White pulled down a team-high five rebounds, while Deja Jones dished out three assists in her first Missouri Valley
Conference contest.
Indiana State got within a point early on following a 10-0 run which featured six points from Mya Glanton. The ensuing 16-0 run for Drake saw the Trees go down by double-digits, and the Bulldogs further extended their lead by outscoring the Sycamores 29-8 in the second quarter. Indiana State showed fight in the second half and outscored Drake in the fourth quarter, but the early run was too much for the Sycamores to overcome.
Up Next
Indiana State turns its attention to Hoops in the Heartland, with the Sycamores opening the MVC Tournament against Southern Illinois Thursday at 1 p.m.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS IN MVC TOURNAMENT WITH WIN OVER MISSOURI STATE
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – No. 1 Indiana State outlasted a strong effort from No. 9 Missouri State on Friday afternoon with Jayson Kent posting a double-double and four of ISU’s five starters scoring double-digits to advance to Saturday’s Arch Madness semifinal round following the 75-59 win.
Ryan Conwell led all scorers with 20 points and added six rebounds in his inaugural appearance inside the Enterprise Center as the Sycamores broke a 34-31 halftime lead going up by double-digits with an 18-10 run over the first five minutes of the second half in securing the win.
Jayson Kent had 10 of his game-high 14 rebounds in the first half to go with 12 points, while Robbie Avila added 14 points and four assists. Isaiah Swope was the fourth Sycamore in double-digits with 13 points, while Julian Larry narrowly missed out on one of his own finishing with nine points and nine assists in the game.
The Sycamores and Bears battled back and forth over the first 20 minutes of the contest before heading into the locker room with a three-point game. Indiana State went up 29-17 with 5:45 remaining in the first half on the back of a 10-0 run highlighted by Kent and Conwell three-pointers for their largest lead of the opening stanza. The Bears responded with a 10-0 run of their own to cut the deficit down to 29-27 over the next three minutes.
Indiana State’s lead was cut down to one point on two separate occasions over the closing minutes. Donovan Clay converted a three-point play to cut the gap to 31-30 with 1:44 left, while Raphe Ayers made one of two free throws at the 1:21 mark to cut it to 32-31. Kent put the score at 34-31 with a layup on ISU’s final possession of the half to send the teams into the break.
Coming out of the half, the Sycamores combined to hit their first four shots from the floor with Kent, Larry, and Conwell all hitting three-pointers, while Conwell hit a floater to put the score at 45-38 three minutes into the second half. The lead hit double-digits at 52-41 on Avila’s layup off the pass from Xavier Bledson at the 14:56 mark.
Missouri State kept the game within two possessions until the eight-minute mark of the second half when Swope’s fast-break layup gave ISU the 58-48 lead. The lead never went below double-digits the rest of the way with the Sycamores going up 67-52 on a Conwell three-point play as the Sycamores cruised to the quarterfinal win over the Bears.
Bledson finished with seven points and four assists off the bench, while Jake Wolfe provided key minutes down the stretch finishing with two assists and five rebounds.
Clay paced Missouri State with 18 points and seven rebounds, while N.J. Benson added 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocked shots for the Bears. Alston Mason was also in double-digits with 12 points in the loss.
News and Notes
Indiana State in back-to-back seasons opened Arch Madness with a win.
The Sycamores assisted on 82.14% of all field goals made, a season-high.
The ISU defense held MSU’s leading scorer Alston Mason to only 4-for-14 from the field, with Julian Larry playing a key role in the effort.
ISU scored 14 points off 13 turnovers by the Bears, which is slightly higher than the season average of 12.87 entering Friday’s game.
Indiana State is now 25-2 when at least four Sycamores score in double figures.
Julian Larry recorded nine assists, one shy of tying his career high
Jayson Kent’s double-double was his ninth of the season.
Ryan Conwell scored 20+ points in all three games against the Bears this season (25, 24, 20) for 22.33 PPG.
Jayson Kent recorded double-doubles in two of three games this season against MSU.
Up Next
Indiana State is back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET in the Enterprise Center. The Sycamores will face No. 4 Northern Iowa.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL FALLS TO BALL STATE AND NOTRE DAME ON DAY 1 IN HUNTINGTON
Game one: Ball State 6, Indiana State 5
Indiana State took the early lead, but couldn’t hold on, and fell to Ball State in game one.
The Sycamores scored three runs in the first inning when Abi Chipps and Isabella Henning were both hit by pitches, and Danielle Henning connected on a single which loaded the bases for Indiana State. Kennedy Shade reached first base on an error by third basemen, and Abi Chipps scored to take the lead. Abby Robakowski recorded a 2 RBI single where she advanced to second on the throw, to score D. Henning and I. Henning to advance the Sycamores lead to 3-0 over Ball State with zero outs to cause a pitching change for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals rallied in inning three where they scored four runs to take the 4-3 lead over the Sycamores. Jessica Hoffman recorded a three-run home run before Samantha-Jo Mata doubled and drove in the fourth run.
Ball State put two more runs on the board in inning four where McKayla Timmons recorded a two-run home run to advance the lead 6-3 over the Sycamores.
Haley Webb recorded her first collegiate home run in the sixth inning cutting the Cardinals lead to 6-4. Abby Robakowski connected on her second home run of the 2024 season in the bottom of the seventh inning, to make the score 6-5 but the Sycamores fell short to the Cardinals.
Lauren Sackett (5-5) took the loss in the circle for the Sycamores in game one against Ball State where she went 4.0 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs scored, while striking out two. Annie Waggoner took over the ball in the fifth inning where she went the final 3.0 innings, striking out two, while allowing only one hit and zero runs scored in the loss.
Game two: Notre Dame 5 , Indiana State 2
The Sycamores lost game two against Notre Dame with a score of 5-2. Indiana State scored both of their runs late in the seventh inning.
Notre Dame scored four runs in the first inning to take an early lead over the Sycamores 4-0, and advanced the lead 5-0 over the Sycamores in the third inning when Cassidy Grimm singled to left field and drove in the final run for Notre Dame.
The Sycamores rallied late in the seventh inning with two outs to cut the lead to 5-2 when Danielle Henning connected on a 2 RBI double to drive in runs from Macha and Cornwell, but the Notre Dame defense stopped Indiana State from scoring more runs when they got the final out to end the game.
Danielle Henning led the Sycamores with two hits and two RBIs. Kennedy Shade, Livi Colip, and Kenzie Cornwell all recorded hits in the loss.
Hailey Griffin (2-1) took the loss in the circle for the Sycamores where she allowed six hits and five runs scored, while striking out two.
Up Next:
Play will continue tomorrow for the Sycamores at 11 a.m. ET. beginning with a matchup against Ball State and they will turn around to play Notre Dame at 6:00 p.m. ET.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
‘DONS RALLY IN NINTH FOR 9-7 WIN AT MISSOURI
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A three-run ninth inning lifted the Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team to a 9-7 victory at Missouri on Friday (March 8). It is the second win for the Mastodons over a Power 5 school this year after winning at Indiana earlier this season.
The ‘Dons entered the ninth down 7-6. However Grant Thoroman hit a one-out two-run home run to put the Mastodons up for good at 8-7. Two batters later Justin Osterhouse hit his second home run of the day to give the Mastodons some cushion at 9-7.
The ‘Dons got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with three runs in the top of the first inning off the bat of a three-run home run by Osterhouse.
Purdue Fort Wayne put up two runs in the third, punctuated with an RBI triple off the bat of Nick Sutherlin, which brought the Mastodon lead to 5-1. The Tigers took their first lead of the game in the eighth at 7-6 thanks to a three-run inning. However it only set up the Mastodons’ dramatic ninth.
Senior Kevin Fee (2-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Purdue Fort Wayne. The right-hander went 1.2 shutout innings, giving up one hit, two walks and striking out one.
Offensively, the Mastodons were paced by the freshman Osterhouse, who went 4-for-5 on the day with a double, two home runs and five RBI. Sutherlin was a home run short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and an RBI.
Mac Ayres got a no-decision for the ‘Dons. He struck out five Tigers hitters, going 5.2 innings.
Missouri was led offensively by Trevor Austin, who went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI.
The Mastodons are now 5-9. Missouri is 6-7. The ‘Dons and Tigers will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
EVANSVILLE SWIMMING
ANOTHER RECORD FALLS ON STRONG THIRD DAY AT MAC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
CARBONDALE, Ill. – For the third-straight day, University of Evansville junior swimmer Daniel Santos Lopez (Madrid, Spain) broke a school record on Friday, this time in the 100-Yard Butterfly event, as the Purple Aces had a strong third day at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships in Carbondale, Illinois.
After helping UE break the 200-Yard Medley Record on Wednesday and breaking the 50-Yard Freestyle record on Thursday, Santos Lopez rewrote his own record in the 100 Fly with a preliminary round time of 47.88 to advance to Friday’s A Final. He would go on to place eighth overall in the MAC with a finals time of 48.05, and he was one of eight different Purple Aces who advanced to the final round on Friday.
Joining Santos Lopez in an A Final on Friday night were junior Patrik Vilbergsson (Kopavogur, Iceland) in the 100-Yard Backstroke and sophomore Daniil Goncharuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) in the 100-Yard Breaststroke. Vilbergsson would place eighth in the 100 Back with a finals time of 49.08, while Goncharuk would also place eighth in the 100 Breast with a finals time of 54.89. Goncharuk earned the finals berth in the A Final after posting a P.R. time of 54.73 in the preliminary round, which ranks him as the second-fastest UE male in the event in school history.
Vilbergsson was joined in the 100-Yard Backstroke finals on Friday by freshman Boris Tavrovsky (Jerusalem, Israel), who became the fourth-fastest UE male in the event in the prelims with a time of 49.61, before posting a B Final time of 49.88 to place 16th overall in the MAC. Meanwhile, Goncharuk was joined in the 100-Yard Breaststroke finals by junior Carlos Souto (A Coruna, Spain), who placed 13th overall in the MAC with a finals time of 55.27. He moved into third place on UE’s career chart earlier in the day by posting a preliminary round time of 54.92.
Freshman Omar Hassan (Doha, Qatar) also competed on Friday night in the event finals, as he placed 15th overall in the 400-Yard IM with a time of 4:00.17. Hassan nearly became just the second UE male to break the four-minute barrier in the 400 IM with his finals time. Fellow freshman Joseph Capo (Luling, La./Jesuit) also advanced to Friday’s B Final in the 200-Yard Freestyle, where he placed 13th overall with a time of 1:40.18. That time ranks Capo as the sixth-fastest male in UE history in the event.
On the diving boards, sophomore Levi McKinney (Boonville, Ind./Boonville) had a strong showing in the preliminary round of the men’s three-meter diving competition. McKinney placed eighth overall in prelims with a score of 280.95 to advance to Saturday’s A Final in the event.
Evansville nearly broke another school record to cap the evening on Friday, as UE fell just 0.11 seconds shy of the school record in the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay, as the Purple Aces posted a time of 1:21.40 to place fifth overall.
Overall, Evansville ranks sixth as a team heading into Saturday’s final day of competition. Miami of Ohio currently holds a 29-point lead over Missouri State in the team standings.
The 2024 MAC Swimming & Diving Championships conclude on Saturday with preliminary round action beginning at 10:30 a.m. and final-round action beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday’s event list includes action in the 200-Yard Backstroke, the 100-Yard Freestyle, the 200-Yard Breaststroke, the 200-Yard Butterfly, the 1,650-Yard Freestyle, the main final of the men’s three-meter diving competition, and the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
MISSISSIPPI STATE TAKES OPENER, 5-2, OVER UE
STARKVILLE, Miss. – A three-run home run by Mississippi State outfielder Dakota Jordan in the bottom of the third inning proved to be the difference on Friday night, as the host Bulldogs picked up a 5-2 victory over the visiting University of Evansville baseball team in the series opener at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
“We had a chance tonight,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “I thought our offense did a great job of putting us into position to have a chance in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings tonight, but we just couldn’t get that next big hit to really unlock things. You really have to credit their bullpen, as they did a great job of mixing and matching their relievers tonight.
“Overall, I thought we gave a great effort today, and it was just a really good college baseball game that didn’t go our way. We are ready to get ourselves back in the series tomorrow.”
Jordan drilled a 1-2 fastball from UE starter Nick Smith (0-2) to left field for his sixth home run of the year to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. It came as part of a 4-for-4 night for Jordan, as he teamed with first baseman Hunter Hines to produce seven of Mississippi State’s 11 hits on the night, and drive in all five runs for the Bulldogs.
Following Jordan’s home run in the third inning, Evansville answered back with a run of its own in the fourth thanks to a triple off the wall in right field by senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse and a sacrifice fly by junior outfielder Ty Rumsey to cut the MSU lead to 3-1. Jordan would follow in the fourth with another RBI single though, and Hines beat out an infield single to push the Mississippi State lead to 5-1.
The score would remain 5-1 until the seventh inning, when Evansville would load the bases and score a run on an infield RBI single by graduate third baseman Brent Widder. UE would load the bases in the seventh, but back-to-back strikeouts would end UE’s threat.
Evansville would then bring the tying run to the plate in the eighth inning as well, after a double by graduate catcher Brendan Hord and a single by Rumsey, but the Bulldogs would once again escape the jam with a fly out and ground out. Mississippi State closer Brooks Auger then worked around a single by Widder in the ninth inning to slam the door on Evansville for his second save of the year.
Widder paced Evansville offensively by going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Rumsey also went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Overall, Evansville pounded out 11 base hits, including three doubles on the evening. Reliever Shane Harris kept Evansville in the contest, as he entered the game in the fifth inning with two on and no one out, and tossed 4.0 scoreless innings of relief, while striking out five men.
“The job that Shane Harris did tonight was special,” said Carroll. “To come in with runners on first and second and no one out and then to put up a goose egg was huge. And, he just continued to battle all night from there and really did a great job of giving us a chance. I am really proud of his effort tonight.”
With the victory, Mississippi State improves to 10-4 on the season, as the Bulldogs run their win streak to seven-straight games. Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 7-6 with the loss. The series will continue on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., as UE will send senior LHP Donovan Schultz to the mound for the start. Saturday’s game can be seen live on the SEC Network+ streaming service.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES FALL TO BULLDOGS IN ARCH MADNESS MATCHUP
ST. LOUIS – Tucker DeVries scored a game-high 19 points to pace Drake to a 79-58 victory over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in Friday’s Arch Madness contest inside the Enterprise Center.
“We want to start by congratulating Drake. They set the tone with the physicality on the defensive end and it took us a little while to settle in. It evened out in the second half but it was a little too late,” Evansville head men’s basketball coach David Ragland stated. “I could not be more proud of our group; we have phenomenal people in that locker room. I would not change that experience for the world. Tonight does not define us or who we are.”
Yacine Toumi led the Purple Aces with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. and Chuck Bailey III had 9 points apiece while Antonio Thomas registered 8. DeVries led a trio of Bulldogs in double figures.
Drake’s quick start saw them open a 5-0 lead. Evansville quickly countered by scoring seven in a row to take their first lead at 7-5. After scoring Evansville’s first basket of the game, Yacine Toumi forced a turnover and took it in for the slam to make it a 5-4 game. That is when Ben Humrichous got on the board with a triple to put UE in front.
Evansville stayed within a possession for the majority of the first half. After the Bulldogs took 6-point edge, Chuck Bailey III hit a nice floater as he drove down the lane and the Aces chopped the deficit back down to three. With 5:16 left in the half, Kevin Overton capped a 7-0 Drake run as they took the first double digit lead of the game at 28-18.
Tanner Cuff made a nice move to cut to the basket and end a scoring drought of just under four minutes before the Bulldogs added seven in a row to extend their lead to 15 as the half entered its final two minutes. The rally for Drake continued as they went into the halftime break with a 43-22 lead. Over the final 8:10 of the period, DU outscored UE by a 22-4 margin.
Converting its first three field goal attempts of the second half, the Purple Aces chopped the deficit down to 17 points. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. registered the first basket of the second half while Gage Bobe added a triple and Toumi moved into double figures with his fifth basket of the contest. Another quick spurt by the Bulldogs saw them take a 54-31 advantage with 16:27 remaining.
The final 16 minutes of the night saw the lead hover between 18 and 26 points. UE was poised to cut the deficit to under 18 as it attempted a comeback, but Drake answered each time and completed the night with the 79-58 win. The Bulldogs completed the night shooting 41.9% while the Aces checked in at 41.8%. Drake finished with a 37-31 edge on the boards.
UE finished the season with 16 victories is awaiting the potential opportunity for postseason play.
“We are going to talk about it and see what is best for us as a team,” Ragland said. “Leaving things better than you find them is important and the respect this group has earned from other teams in the Valley, around the country, officials and fans around the country has been impressive. Just to be talking about it is a great thing for our program.”
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ADVANCES TO OVC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, FACES UT MARTIN ON SATURDAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball seized its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament win Friday afternoon with a 69-54 semifinal victory over Eastern Illinois University at Ford Center in downtown Evansville, advancing the Screaming Eagles to the championship final on Saturday at 2 p.m.
With each side trying to settle into Friday’s semifinal contest, the first points came two minutes in by USI senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana). Webb finished strong inside to capitalize on a three-point play. Southern Indiana’s defense held Eastern Illinois scoreless for the first four minutes of the game. Made shots were hard to come by for the opening period, as each team shot under 30 percent in the first quarter. The Screaming Eagles led 11-9 through the first 10 minutes of action.
Just past the first minute of play in the second quarter, Southern Indiana converted another three-point play. Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) absorbed the foul and knocked down the shot while falling away from the basket, giving USI a four-point lead. In the middle of the second frame, the Screaming Eagles cashed in six consecutive shots from the floor to create a 26-16 advantage around the four-minute mark. USI’s post players continued to go to work inside. Webb recorded another three-point play with two minutes remaining until halftime to put USI up 31-20. However, Eastern Illinois concluded the first half on a 7-0 run to cut the Screaming Eagles’ lead down to 31-27 at the intermission.
Following halftime, a competitive start to the second half led to multiple ties in the early minutes of the third quarter. At the seven-minute mark of the third, Webb dropped in back-to-back baskets to USI back ahead by four, 37-33. The forward joined Raley in double figures for the game. EIU made another push to tie the game, but freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) canned consecutive makes to once again put USI up by four. The Panthers were able to get to within one possession for most of the back half of the third quarter, but a basket from Raley and a last-second bucket by junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) gave Southern Indiana a 50-45 advantage going to the fourth stanza.
In the first 75 seconds of the fourth quarter, graduate guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) and Raley splashed back-to-back triples to make the score 56-46 USI. The Screaming Eagles continued to find success inside, as consecutive buckets from Gannon with one in transition increased Southern Indiana’s lead to 62-49. Down the stretch, Southern Indiana went with a systematic approach to run some time off the clock. A three-pointer and a layup by sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) iced the victory to advance Southern Indiana to Saturday’s championship game.
On Friday, Southern Indiana grasped its 23rd win of the 2023-24 season, matching USI’s best overall record since the 2021-22 campaign. The Screaming Eagles were 46 percent (28-61) from the floor with five triples and went 8-10 at the foul line. USI cleaned up the glass, outrebounding EIU 45-37. USI also finished with 38 points in the paint. Individually, Webb had a game-high 18 points, Raley poured in 17 points with nine rebounds, and Gannon notched 15 points. Saunders flirted with a triple-double, registering 10 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. The sophomore guard’s rebound and assist totals were new individual career marks.
Eastern Illinois moved to a 15-18 overall record with the loss. The Panthers had three players score 10 or more, led by junior Miah Monahan’s 15 points. Eastern Illinois was held to 31 percent (20-64) from the floor with six three-pointers while going 8-13 at the charity stripe.
Compared to recent history, USI’s 2023-24 OVC regular season championship already put Southern Indiana with the likes of South Dakota State University, which won the 2007-08 Summit League regular season title in its final year of transition to Division I. The University of North Dakota also achieved the same in its second reclassification year with a Great West Conference season title in 2009-10. With a win on Saturday and an OVC Tournament championship, Southern Indiana would join North Dakota’s 2011-12 team (Great West Conference) and California Baptist University’s 2020-21 team (Western Athletic Conference) to win a regular season and conference tournament championship in the same season during a transition period.
Southern Indiana will battle No. 3 seed University of Tennessee at Martin in Saturday’s championship game at 2 p.m. from Ford Center. The Skyhawks defeated No. 2 seed University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 54-48, in Friday’s second semifinal to secure the OVC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with USI not eligible due to NCAA program reclassification rules.
USI is 1-2 all-time against UT Martin, as the Screaming Eagles defeated the Skyhawks on the road in their only regular-season meeting this year in mid-February. USI won 73-67 behind 20 points by Saunders and a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds from Gannon.
UT Martin is 16-15 overall and went 11-7 in the OVC regular season. Prior to their win against Little Rock on Friday, the Skyhawks defeated Tennessee Tech University, 79-71, in the tournament quarterfinals on Thursday. UT Martin averages 64.1 points per game on 44.2 percent shooting. The Skyhawks are led by all-conference selections in redshirt freshman Kenley McCarn and sophomore Anaya Brown. The two average 16.7 and 15.1 points, respectively.
The OVC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament finale can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+. 95.7 FM The Spin and 97.7 FM WREF will also have radio coverage.
There will be a USI pregame pep rally Saturday at Tiki on Main before the championship game tips off from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Tickets are $80 for all women’s tournament session passes and can be purchased through the Ford Center Ticket Office. Individual session tickets are also on sale now through the Ford Center and Ticketmaster. USI students receive free tickets to all USI games at the OVC Tournament at Ford Center by showing their student ID.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
MOTHER NATURE FORCES EAGLES TO POSTPONE GAMES
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Rain has forced the University of Southern Indiana baseball team to postpone its non-conference, three-game series at Bellarmine University from Friday through Sunday to Sunday-Monday in Louisville, Kentucky. First pitch for the new series schedule is to be determine by field conditions on Sunday.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
USI SOFTBALL OPENS OVC PLAY AT TENNESSEE TECH
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball opens the Ohio Valley Conference season Sunday and Monday with a three-game set at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee.
The series was originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday but was pushed back due to inclement weather in the forecast. Sunday is scheduled as a doubleheader at 1 p.m. with Monday’s series finale at 11 a.m.
Southern Indiana (6-9) is riding a three-game winning streak heading into conference play. USI is coming off a five-game set at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida, to conclude the main portion of the non-conference schedule. After dropping the first two games against Quinnipiac University and Western Michigan University, the Screaming Eagles won three straight games against Monmouth University, Sacred Heart University, and the University of North Dakota. USI posted back-to-back shutouts against Sacred Heart and North Dakota.
At The Spring Games, six different players tallied at least two RBIs during the trip south. Senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) had two RBIs and batted for .357. Junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) also had two RBIs, including a walk-off game-winning RBI, with two doubles and three runs. Freshman Alyssa Mumaw (Greenfield, Indiana) and senior Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) each had a home run. Junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) got it done both at the plate and in the pitching circle. Offensively, Newman went 6-9 with an RBI and two runs scored. On the mound, Newman went 2-1 with three complete games and two shutouts, posting a 0.84 ERA. The right-hander struck out 37 in 25 innings of work, including 26 strikeouts in the last two shutout starts.
Leading USI offensively this season has been a dynamic duo at the top of the batting order in Bedrick and sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana). Both players are hitting over .300 through the first 15 games. Bedrick has started all 15 games and Stapleton has made 11 starts. Bedrick is hitting .302 with five runs and nine stolen bases, and Stapleton is batting .375 and reaching base at a .487 clip with a team-best seven runs scored. Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) tops the team with eight RBIs.
Newman has led the USI pitching staff, going into OVC play with a 5-4 record and a 2.41 ERA in 10 starts and 64 innings pitched. The right-hander has nine complete games with two shutouts, including a one-hitter last time out against North Dakota. Newman has 69 strikeouts this season.
Tennessee Tech is 7-6 this season, surpassing its win total from 2023 of six wins. However, the Golden Eagles have dropped two straight and are 1-4 in their last five games. Tennessee Tech has hit .272 as a team and has a collective 3.83 ERA in 13 games played. Six players are batting above .300, and senior Carmen Betts has a team-high 10 RBIs while posting a .333 batting average. Freshman Emily York paces the pitching staff with a 1.79 ERA and 3-0 record in eight appearances, while junior Payton Wagner and senior Lennon Spicer have made five starts each.
Last season, USI went 2-0 in the first-ever series against Tennessee Tech. The series finale was canceled in 2023 due to weather. The Screaming Eagles outscored the Golden Eagles 16-7 in the series. USI won the opener 8-0 in five innings before rallying from five runs down in the second game to walk off with an 8-7 victory. In those two games, USI hit .377 collectively, including four doubles and sending three over the fence. Out of the returning Screaming Eagle players, Gotshall went 4-7 in the series with three runs, and Bedrick had two hits, four walks, and scored three times. Newman tossed a five-inning shutout win, and Gotshall was credited with the second win after pitching four scoreless innings in relief.
Live stats and coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
EAGLES DOWNED BY COLONELS, 7-0
RICHMOND, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis (1-8) suffered a 7-0 defeat Friday afternoon against Eastern Kentucky University (15-4).
Doubles: The Screaming Eagles could not muster a win in doubles play, dropping two decisions to the Colonels. The duo of senior Guy Finkelstein (Lehavim, Israel)/sophomore Mathys Bove (Lyon, France) went toe-to-toe with their opponents at number three before EKU stole the doubles point.
Singles: USI struggled in singles play, losing all six matchups.
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles end the road trip in St. Louis, Missouri when USI takes on former conference foe, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Sunday at 11 a.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S TENNIS
USI WOMEN’S TENNIS SHOCKS EKU ON THE ROAD, 4-3
RICHMOND, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (3-6) went on the road and upset Eastern Kentucky University (7-10) at the Greg Adams Tennis Center Friday morning. The Screaming Eagles took down the Colonels, 4-3, in come-from-behind fashion after going down 3-1 early in the match.
Doubles: USI stole the doubles decision thanks to the senior duo of Rachel McCorkle (Tulsa, Oklahoma)/Lauren Rowe (Terre Haute, Indiana) won their dual at number two, 6-3, before junior Madison Windham (Clarksville, Tennessee)/freshman Antonia Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) combination sealed EKU’s fate with a 6-4 win at number three.
Singles: Despite losing the first three singles matchups, the Eagles stormed back with three-straight victories. Ferrarini kicked off the surge with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win at number three right before freshman Anais Negrail (Maisons-Alfort, France) picked up the 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 decision at number four. Capping off the Eagles’ run was freshman Sofia Davidoff (Lagny-sur-Marne, France) who took down her opponent 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in thrilling fashion.
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles’ road trip concludes in St. Louis, Missouri when USI takes on former conference foe, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Sunday at 11 a.m.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS MISSOURI STATE SATURDAY ON SENIOR DAY
Valparaiso (5-23, 4-15 MVC)
Game #29 – March 9, 2024 – 1 p.m.
Missouri State (20-8, 14-5 MVC)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team finishes up the regular season Saturday afternoon, taking on Missouri State. It will be Senior Day at the ARC, with Jill Harris, Emma Tecca, Olivia Brown and Ava Interrante being honored prior to the contest.
Previously: Leah Earnest scored a game-high 25 points Thursday evening, but the Beacons were unable to get over the hump in the second half as Southern Illinois held off every Valpo rally, eventually sending the Beacons to a 60-51 defeat.
Following Valpo Basketball: Streaming Video: ESPN+
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her sixth year at the helm of the program in 2023-24 and owns a record of 60-114. Evans has made an impact on the program in her first five years, raising the team’s level of play to be competitive in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. The 2022-23 season saw Evans lead Valpo to the first win in program history over perennial MVC power Missouri State. The Beacons also won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the first time the program accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.
Series Notes: Missouri State owns an 11-1 advantage in the all-time series over Valpo. The Beacons earned their first win in program history over the Lady Bears in the lone meeting during the 2022-23 campaign. In the first meeting this season in Springfield, MSU limited Valpo to five first-quarter points as the Beacons fell, 67-47. Olivia Brown scored a game-high 15 points in that matchup, while Leah Earnest fell just shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
@ValpoWBB…
…and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo was picked to finish in 10th place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 162 points, coming in ahead of Evansville and Bradley.
– Valpo is in its seventh season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– The Valley was ranked 13th in conference NET last season. The MVC ranked 10th in conference NET in 2021-22, seventh in conference NET in 2020-21 and was eighth in conference RPI in 2019-20.
…looking back at last year
– Valpo finished last season with a 7-23 overall record and finished at 5-15 in MVC play, good for 11th in the Valley standings.
– The Beacons earned their first win in program history over perennial MVC power Missouri State.
– Valpo also won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the first time the program accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.
…versus Southern Illinois
– The Salukis led 14-12 at the end of the opening quarter.
– SIU used a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter to extend its lead to double digits and got its advantage to 10 points on three occasions in the period, eventually taking a 31-23 lead into halftime.
– Valpo held SIU to just two points over the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter, enabling the Beacons to close to within 33-31 on a putback by Nevaeh Jackson.
– The Beacons got as close as one point twice in the third period, and by the end of the period, had possessed the ball seven times with a chance to tie or take the lead. They were never able to even the score, however, and SIU pushed its lead back out to 42-37 at the end of the third quarter.
– After giving up the first two points of the fourth quarter, Valpo scored eight of the next 10 points to close to within 46-45 with 6:02 to play.
– In a span of 30 seconds, SIU secured an offensive rebound, got a second-chance basket and came up with a steal which led to a fast-break bucket, quickly making it a 50-45 game with five minutes to play.
– Valpo never again possessed the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead.
– Leah Earnest led all players with 25 points on Thursday, going 9-of-16 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line, and also tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds.
– Earnest was the lone Beacon to score in double figures, however, as Valpo’s next-highest scorer tallied seven points.
– The Beacons finished 2-of-20 from 3-point range, their worst shooting percentage from deep in MVC play this year. They did hit 11-of-12 as a team from the foul line, the sixth time in the last eight games they have hit at least 80% accuracy from the charity stripe.
…at Drake
– Drake led 17-11 at the end of the first quarter and was up 36-28 at halftime.
– Saniya Jackson drilled a 3-pointer on Valpo’s first possession of the second half to make it a five-point game, and another triple by the freshman just over three minutes into the quarter had Valpo within 40-34.
– Drake came back with 12 points on its next five possessions for a 12-2 run which pushed the Bulldogs’ advantage out to 52-36.
– Valpo trailed 62-49 at the end of the third quarter and was unable to get any closer in the final period.
– Jackson led all players with her career-high effort of 19 points, going 7-of-10 from the field — including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
– Jackson has scored in double figures in seven of Valpo’s last eight games and 15 times overall this year.
– Brown came off the bench to hit her first five 3-point attempts, ending the game 5-of-7 from 3-point range and finishing the afternoon with 17 points.
– Earnest added 13 points, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 13 consecutive games.
– The Beacons shot 41.5% (22-of-53) from the field Saturday, but Drake connected at a 54.5% (30-of-55) clip.
– Valpo did excel from behind the arc, going 11-of-20 from 3-point range. The 55% clip was the Beacons’ best from deep since hitting 55.6% of their 3-point attempts last February at Evansville.
– Drake held a substantial 41-21 advantage on the glass and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to Valpo’s five. The Bulldogs finished with a 20-6 edge in second-chance points and a 42-20 advantage in points in the paint.
…looking ahead
– Hoops in the Heartland awaits, as the Beacons travel to Moline, Ill. for the MVC Tournament starting next Thursday.
…at the ARC
– Valpo will play 12 regular season home games during the 2023-24 campaign. Thursday is the Beacons’ final home game of the season.
– The Beacons are 2-9 at home so far this year and posted a 3-12 record at home last season.
VALPO BASEBALL
VALPO TAKES DOUBLEHEADER FROM THE CITADEL ON EVENTFUL DAY ON THE DIAMOND
Name something you love to see on the baseball diamond, and chances are it happened on Friday in Charleston, S.C.
From a pitcher flirting with a perfect game to a squeeze bunt to back-to-back home runs to defensive web gems to late drama and clutch hits, it was all part of an entertaining doubleheader sweep of The Citadel for the Valparaiso University baseball team, which prevailed 3-2 in the opener before pulling out a 10-5, 10-inning win in a nightcap that went haywire late after starting with Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) retiring the first 16 Bulldogs. Liam Patton’s (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw [Wabash]) 10th-inning bases-clearing double, Alex Thurston’s game-tying squeeze bunt in the ninth and a Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]) home run in each game were a few of the many highlights of an entertaining day in The Holy City.
How It Happened – Game 1
The two starting pitchers exchanged zeros over the game’s first three innings. Valpo threatened but did not score in the third, leaving two in scoring position after a two-out double by Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic).
Over those first three frames, The Citadel’s best chance came in the third, but a strikeout by Valpo starter Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) snuffed out the threat.
The first scoring of the game came in the top of the fourth, when Husmann drilled a solo shot to right to put the Beacons on the board first. Thurston added an RBI single, then Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo) tripled off the wall in deep center to bring home another run and make it 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) ripped one off the scoreboard in deep left, but the scoreboard is considered in play as opposed to a home run based on the ground rules at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Field. Ryan was stranded at third in that inning.
Lockwood left after five shutout innings in which the right-hander yielded four hits and three walks while striking out three.
The Citadel hit three Valpo batters in the top of the seventh, but the Beacons left the bases loaded.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the seventh to cut the lead to 3-2, but Trent Turzenski (Burlington, Wis. / Burlington) got out of the inning with a strikeout to keep the edge intact.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Bulldogs threatened with runners at second and third, but Joe Seiber (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport [College of DuPage]) worked out of the inning with Valpo still holding the razor-thin advantage. The inning started with a sprawling catch in left by Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) to take away an extra-base hit that would have eventually led to The Citadel tying or taking the lead in that frame.
Valpo threatened but did not score in the top of the ninth, then Seiber sent down three of the four men he faced in the bottom of the inning to close out the Valpo victory.
Inside the Game – Game 1
The triple by Hannahs was the second of his career and the first since the now senior’s freshman campaign on May 21, 2021 at Missouri State.
Denty’s double represented the fourth of his freshman season.
Husmann’s home run was his first in a Valpo uniform and the 21st of his collegiate career including four seasons at Bradley.
Lockwood earned the win to garner his first victory of the season and the third of his collegiate career. Seiber’s save was his first in a Valpo uniform.
Hannahs, Denty and Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd [Wisconsin Oshkosh]) reached base three times apiece, while Husmann was on base four times, walking twice and getting hit by a pitch in addition to the round tripper.
How It Happened – Game 2
After Guazzo started the day by sending down the side in order in the opening inning including a pair of strikeouts, Valpo struck first in the top of the second. Thurston poked a ground-rule double, followed by a Hannahs sac fly to make it 1-0 Beacons.
The Brown & Gold drilled back-to-back jacks in the third, first a two-run shot by Giusti that traveled 387 feet with an exit velocity of 105, then Husmann hit one 400 feet to dead center to increase the lead to 4-0.
Guazzo sent down the first 16 batters he faced, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning. With one away in the sixth, The Citadel picked up its first hit and produced two runs in the inning (one earned) to cut the lead to two at 4-2.
Guazzo left after six, with his final line featuring two runs (one earned) on two hits and no walks while striking out six.
Valpo carried a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Bulldogs scored three times including twice with two outs to take a 5-4 lead.
Pinch hitter Chase Maifield (Fox Lake, Ill. / Grant [Augustana]) started the bottom of the ninth with a double and eventually came around to score the tying run as Thurston laid down a squeeze.
The game went to extra innings after Jake Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill. / Huntley [Heartland]) worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to keep it deadlocked at five.
In the top of the 10th, Patton unloaded a bases-clearing double to put Valpo ahead 8-5, and later Thurston added a two-run single to make it 10-5.
Jakubowski stayed on to record the final three outs in succession in the last of the 10th. He was the winning pitcher.
Inside the Game – Game 2
Humann’s second home run of the day was the 22nd of his collegiate career.
Giusti’s dinger was his second at Valpo and the 12th of his collegiate career.
Thurston enjoyed a 4-for-4 performance, while Schmack had three hits and three other Beacons posted multi-hit efforts. Thurston totaled five hits during the doubleheader, while Husmann had three hits, five walks, two home runs, three runs scored and a hit by pitch, reaching base nine times over the two games.
In the nightcap, Valpo collected a season-high 18 hits, the team’s highest total since May 1, 2021 vs. Illinois State and the team’s highest hit total in a road game since May 8, 2018 at Western Michigan.
Valpo improved to 4-0 in doubleheader games this season after previously sweeping Alabama State on Feb. 17 in Montgomery.
The Beacons played bonus baseball for the first time this season, the team’s first extra-inning game since April 28 of last season at Missouri State.
The 10 runs marked the team’s highest output of the season.
Valpo’s last four games have either been one-run affairs or to gone extra innings.
Up Next
Valpo (6-7) and The Citadel will close out the series on Sunday at noon CT on ESPN+. Links to live coverage can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.
VALPO SWIMMING
MEN’S SWIMMING CONTINUES STRONG MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS FRIDAY
Four of the top-seven times in program history in the 100 fly, including a school-record swim from sophomore Anthony Martin (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), highlighted another strong day at the MAC Championships for the Valpo men’s swimming team on Friday.
How It Happened
Martin led an impressive performance by the Valpo contingent in the prelims of the 100 fly Friday morning, posting a school-record time of 50.24, surpassing the previous mark by seven-tenths of a second.
Sophomore Tim Mai (St. Johns, Fla./Creekside) lowered his PR in the 100 fly by over half a second, coming in with a time of 50.61, third-fastest in program history.
Sophomore Luke Snider (Germantown, Tenn./Memphis University School) knocked eight-tenths off his PR, posting the sixth-fastest time in program history with a mark of 51.11. Sophomore Garrett Hoppman (Midland, Texas/Midland) came in right behind Snider, seventh-best in program history with a time of 51.37.
After setting three school records over the first two days of the meet, sophomore Jackson Oostman (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) posted the second-fastest time in Valpo history in the 400 IM prelims, touching the wall in 4:01.66 to lower his PR by over two seconds. Oostman qualified for the ‘B’ final in the event, where he ended up placing 16th.
Junior Andrew Berzai (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) registered a prelim time of 4:06.01 in the 400 IM, while sophomore Ricky Helmboldt (Tucson, Ariz./Arizona Connections Academy) covered the distance in 4:11.69, ninth-fastest in program history.
Freshman Nate Bolinger (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) lowered his 200 free PR by over four seconds as he led the Beacons in the event prelims with a time of 1:43.96 to move into seventh in program history.
Freshman Ian Muffett (Zillah, Wash./Zillah) ranks eighth all-time at Valpo in the 100 breast after his team-best prelim time of 58.38, knocking .85 of a second off his event PR.
Sophomore Dathan Wolf (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) paced the Beacons in the 100 back prelims with a time of 52.51.
The quartet of Martin, Oostman, Wolf and Snider contested the 200 free relay for Valpo, coming home in 1:24.64, seventh-fastest in program history.
Valpo closed the third day of competition with 97 points.
Next Up
Valpo closes the season on Saturday with the fourth and final day of action from the MAC Championships. Prelims begin at 10:30 a.m. and event finals start at 6:10 p.m.
UINDY WRESTLING
NCAA NATIONALS BRACKETS REVEALED ALONGSIDE FINAL NWCA RANKINGS
MANHEIM, Pa. – With the Super Regional IV tournament completed, the final rankings for UIndy wrestling are here as the Hounds will enter the NCAA Championships as the No. 16-ranked squad.
Only a pair of Greyhounds grace the top-12 of their weight class, those being Derek Blubaugh, and Trey Sizemore, while the Hounds will send three more to the big dance in Wichita, Kan.
Derek Blubaugh, after a runner-up finish at the Super Regional, arrives at No. 2 in the final rankings of the year and as the No. 2-seed in the bracket for 197. Trey Sizemore’s third-place finish has him sit at the No. 7-seed for the 174 bracket.
Jackson Hoover at 149, Owen Zablocki at 157 and Owen Butler at 184 make up the rest of the Hounds contingent in Kansas. You can view all five Greyhounds paths to championship glory here.
UINDY TRACK
PENTECOST BECOMES NATIONAL CHAMPION ON DAY ONE OF 2024 INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Zoe Pentecost finished day one as the 2024 weight throw champion. Sabrina Robison also competed and earned her second All-American title in the pole vault. These impressive performances started off the festivities for the UIndy women’s track and field team at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. The event is taking place in Pittsburg Kan. at the Robert W. Plaster Center.
With 16 points, the Greyhounds finished the day tied for fourth with Azusa Pacific.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pentecost reached the top of the leaderboard quickly. Her first throw reached 19.81 meters and started the day at the top spot. After falling into second after the second round of throws, Pentecost fought her way back into first place. Her third attempt of the day reached 20.47 meters, a new personal best for the junior. Pentecost passed her previous personal best, which was created in Dec. of 2022, by .37 meters. She continued to hold first place for the final three throws earning her first national title of her career.
Robison secured All-American status with a third-place finish with a height of 4.12m in the pole vault. The senior was able to clear 3.77m, 3.92m, 4.02m, and 4.12m all in one attempt. Robison would bow out at 4.11 meters. With her performance Robison grabs a third place, All-American for the second year in a row.
UP NEXT
On day two of the festivities, Ellie Lengerich will compete in the pentathlon. The event will begin at 11 a.m. ET and continue throughout the day.
MARIAN FOOTBALL
MARIAN FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES 2024 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
INDIANAPOLIS – With the Marian football team set to begin spring football practices on March 12, the Knights and head coach Ted Karras Jr. have finalized their regular season schedule for the 2024 season. Marian will play 10 games in 2024, with a balanced schedule of five home and five away games.
The Knights will begin the 2024 season with a different schedule than fans are accustomed to, as Marian will play former conference matchups to kick off their season as the Knights are transitioning to a member of the MSFA Midwest League in 2024. Marian’s schedule, which traditionally opens with non-conference foes from the MSFA Midwest, will now open with MSFA Mideast teams as crossover games.
Marian’s regular season will begin on the road in Adrian, Michigan, with Marian traveling to play Siena Heights on September 7. The Knights, who are 11-0 all-time against Siena Heights, will make their first trip to Adrian since the 2021 season, and will play the Saints in the month of September for just the second time. This will be the first time the two teams meet in the season opener.
Marian’s home opener will take place on September 14, with the Knights playing under the lights against Concordia University. The yearly night game will be the first-ever matchup between the two sides under the lights, and will also be the first-ever matchup in the month of September, with 10 of the 13 meetings between the two sides having previously been played in October.
The Knights will go on the road for consecutive weeks to end September, playing at Lawrence Tech on the 21st and at Taylor on September 28. Marian’s game at Taylor will be a night contest, with the short trip to Upland being the first night game between the two sides since 2019.
After a bye week on October 5, Marian will gear up for three consecutive home games, opening October on the second Saturday of the month with a matchup against rival Indiana Wesleyan. The October 12 contest will kickoff at 1:05 p.m., and will be Marian’s final non-conference regular season matchup. On October 19, Marian kicks off MSFA Midwest play as they host Olivet Nazarene to mark the second consecutive season playing the Tigers, and on October 26 the Knights once again host the Franciscan Bowl, taking on the Cougars of St. Francis (Ind.) at 1:05 p.m.
Marian will finish their season with two of three games on the road, making a pair of trips to the Chicago area with a November 2 matchup at St. Xavier starting the stretch run. Marian will host Judson for senior day on November 9, and will end the year in Joiliet, Illinois, taking on the St. Francis Fighting Saints.
The NAIA Football Championship Series is scheduled to begin on November 23 with the First Round, and will go through December 23 with the NAIA National Championship game.
Updated game times will be announced when they are finalized. All home games are scheduled as is, and all road times but the Taylor matchup are subject to change.
The annual spring football game will conclude Marian’s 2023-24 season, as their spring football practices end on April 13 with a 12 PM kickoff of the Blue-White game.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
FOOTBALL HISTORY
The Headline Events of March 9 Football History
March 9, 1960 – Per Joe Ziemba the Cardinals announce that rumors of the franchise would be leaving Chicago and go to St Louis. Joe tells all of the details in his latest When Football was Football on the Sports History Network.
March 9, 1876 – Freeport, Illinois – Princeton’s standout tackle from 1896 through 1899, Art Doc Hillebrand arrived into life. Learn about this interesting gridiron person by clicking his name.
March 9, 1927 – San Francisco, California – Jackie Jensen the stud Cal fullback from 1946 to 1948 celebrated his birth. We have alot more on this Hall of Fame player when you mash the link on his name.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for March 9
March 9, 1944 – Waterville, Maine – The standout linebacker for the Black Bears of the University of Maine in the years of 1964 to 1966, John Huard was born. John made his fellow statesmen proud when he helped the Black Bears earn their first ever trip to the postseason. The fans at Maine knew they had a special player right at the onset of his collegiate career as in his first game he registered an amazing 22 tackles! The National Football Foundation states that John was a two-time First-Team All-America selection in the gridiron seasons of 1965 and 1966. Huard achieved the prestigious acclaim of becoming the first member of Alfond Stadium’s Ring of Honor and Sports Illustrated named him as one of the top twenty athletes that came out of the State of Maine. John Huard was given further honor for his brilliant career when he earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. After graduation John was picked up by the Denver Broncos and he played in that organization in addition to the New Orleans Saint for a total of four NFL seasons.
March 9, 1965 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The “Boz”, Brian Bosworth who started at linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners in the years of 1984 to 1986 was a stork delivery. Brian has the distinction of being the only two time winner of the Butkus Award for being the top linebacker in the country! Footballfoundation.org says Boz helped the Sooners and Coach Barry Switzer reach the heights of the 1985 National Championship with his outstanding play in the Oklahoma defense. In Brian’s three years at the school they won the Big Eight Conference three times, played in the Orange bowl each year and garnered an incredible 31-4-1 record. Despite playing alongside College Hall of Fame greats Keith Jackson and Tony Casillas, Bosworth led the Sooners in tackles each year he played accumulating a total of 395 in his college career. The National Football Foundation placed the legendary college career of Brian Bosworth into their College Football Hall of Fame in 2015. The Seattle Seahawks gained the right of Boz in the 1987 Supplemental NFL Draft and he played there for 3 years before injury forced him to retire.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1897 The Cleveland Spiders sign Penobscot Indian Louis Sockalexis. Although the former Holy Cross star plays only three seasons due to alcoholism, the fans, admiring his outstanding skills, refer to the team as the Indians, a name that will become official in 1915.
1922 Rogers Hornsby, coveted by John McGraw of the Giants, signs a three-year contract with Sam Breadon’s Cardinals. The 25-year-old second baseman, who will hit .404 over the three years of the deal, agrees to $18,500 per season, making him the highest-paid player in National League history.
1943 The Dodgers trade first baseman Babe Dahlgren to the Phillies for outfielder Lloyd Waner and infielder Al Glossop. Philadelphia’s new 31-year-old infielder will enjoy an all-star season during his only year in the City of Brotherly Love, hitting a solid .287 for the seventh-place team.
1948 “Golf is a game of coordination, rhythm, and grace; women have these to a high degree.” – BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS, commenting on women’s ability to play golf. Ted Williams accepts Babe Didrikson Zaharias’s challenge to compete in a driving contest at a local range. The former Olympic track star, turned golf champion, playfully teases the Red Sox superstar, giving him pointers when he slices most of his drives as her shots go straight, usually further.
1960 The police find Arnold Johnson en route to his Palm Beach home after watching his A’s play a spring training intrasquad game semi-conscious and slumped behind the wheel of his car. The 53-year-old club owner will die early tomorrow morning due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
1961 The Yankees announce the team will be leaving its spring training home in St. Petersburg to move to Fort Lauderdale by 1963. Also, the team owners encourage the new, yet unnamed, National League New York franchise to play its home games at the Polo Grounds and not consider Yankee Stadium.
1963 Songwriters Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz introduced the official Met theme song, Meet the Mets, to the public. The tune will be modernized in 1984, adding Long Island, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Queens, Uptown and Down, to the team’s East Side, West Side geographical realm.
1979 Fearing legal consequences, Bowie Kuhn gives female reporters access to major league locker rooms. The commissioner’s unpopular ruling puts the players in an awkward position in their once-all-male domain.
1994 John Kruk will be diagnosed with testicular cancer after being hit in the groin by an errant pickoff throw from teammate Mitch Williams that breaks his protective cup. The Phillies’ first baseman/outfielder will fully recover after surgery, hitting .304 in 120 games with Philadelphia and the White Sox over the next two seasons.
1995 At a meeting in West Palm Beach (FL), the major league owners vote unanimously, 28-0, to add their 13th and 14th expansion teams, officially granting franchises to Phoenix and Tampa Bay. The new cities, selected over municipalities that included bids from Orlando and two by groups from Washington, DC, will be assigned leagues in January of 1997.
1995 Tampa Bay’s new expansion team will be known as the Devil Rays, a name that will prove unpopular due to its un-Christian reference after being selected from more than 7,000 entries submitted by the public. The club’s owner Vince Naimoli preferred his team be called the Sting Rays, but he refused to pay the $35,000 needed to buy the trademark from a club in the Hawaiian Winter League, which owned the nickname’s rights.
2005 Current and former big-league players and baseball executives are issued subpoenas to appear on March 17 by the House Committee on Government Reform. The eleven ‘invitees’ to the congressional hearing on steroid use include Sandy Alderson, Jose Canseco, Donald Fehr, Jason Giambi, Rob Manfred, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, and Kevin Towers.
2005 Nikko Smith, Ozzie’s son who made it to the third round of the American Idol semi-finals, is voted off the popular reality show. Days later, the young entertainer will be asked back by the producers to replace contestant Mario Vazquez, prompting judge Paula Abdul to call him “The Comeback Kid” after his performance of West Side Story’s “One Hand, One Heart.”
2006 At Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, a Cuban official attending Cuba’s 11-2 WBC win over the Netherlands confronts a person holding a “Down with Fidel” sign, an image seen by millions of television viewers, including those watching the contest in Cuba. The local police quickly intercede, taking Angel Iglesias to a nearby police station, where authorities remind Cuba’s National Institute of Sports vice president that Puerto Ricans enjoy the right to freedom of speech.
2009 Alex Rodriguez undergoes an 80-minute arthroscopic surgical procedure to repair torn cartilage in his right hip. The Yankee’s third baseman, who will need a more extensive operation in the offseason, expects to return to the lineup in May.
2010 Amidst much hoopla, former San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg throws two scoreless innings against Detroit in his first exhibition start for the Nationals this spring. The recipient of the Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur baseball player in the nation was selected as the number one overall pick in last year’s draft, signing a record $15.1 million, four-year deal with Washington.
2011 A helicopter airlifts Luis Salazar from just outside Champion Stadium in Kissimmee (FL) to Orlando Regional Medical Center after he is struck in the face by a line drive pulled into the dugout by Brian McCann in the first inning of a Braves’ exhibition game. The 54-year-old minor league manager sustained a concussion and will lose his left eye due to the injury.
2014 Barry Bonds returns to the Giants as a special spring training instructor for the young Giants’ hitters, a role the organization believes will benefit the club for years. The much-maligned former superstar, who played in his last major league game in 2007, has a ten-year personal services contract with San Francisco, which has yet to commence.
2017 Kris Bryant (.292, 39, 102), who made $652K in his rookie year, becomes the highest-paid second-year player when he comes to terms with the World Champion Cubs on a contract reportedly worth $1.05 million. The Chicago third baseman’s deal surpasses the previous record major league record of one million dollars, given to sophomore outfielder Mike Trout in 2014 by the Angels.
2017 “Major League Baseball’s greatest responsibility is to ensure that today’s youth become active participants in our game as players and fans. The ‘MLB Little League Classic’ exemplifies our entire sport’s commitment to building a stronger connection between young people and the National Pastime” – ROB MANFRED, Commissioner of Baseball. Major League Baseball announces Williamsport’s BB&T Ballpark, the second-oldest minor league ballpark in the United States, formerly known as Bowman Field when it opened in 1926, will host the first “MLB Little League Classic.” The regular-season game between the Cardinals and Pirates on August 20, originally scheduled to be played at PNC Park, will occur in conjunction with the Little League World Series that will be taking place in nearby Howard J. Lamade Stadium.
2022 After being picked off first base in the second inning, University of Mississippi junior Peyton Chatagnier steals three bases on one play in a game against Alcorn State University. The 21-year-old second baseman swipes second with a head-first slide, takes third when the bag is left uncovered and continues to a vacant home plate as the catcher leaves his position in an attempt to make a play at third.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1935 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
American political leader Huey Long was assassinated in Louisiana. Known as “The Kingfish”, Long narrowly defeated for governor of Louisiana in 1924 and moved into office four years later. When the state legislature obstructed his program of economic and social reform, he established control of the state through extensive use of patronage. Long was responsible for the building of badly needed roads and bridges, the expansion of state-owned hospitals, and the extension of the school system into remote rural regions. He also increased the taxes of large businesses in Louisiana, especially those of the big oil companies. In September, he was assassinated by Dr. Carl A. Weiss, who was also slain by Long’s bodyguards. Despite his untimely death, Long’s administration continued to prosper for several years and the Long family remained an important political power in the state.
In the American League…
Jo-Jo White of the Detroit Tigers and Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees both tied an American League record after tallying five walks each in a single game.
The Cleveland Indians set a new American League marathon mark (forty-one innings) on April 21st after playing in their third consecutive extra-inning game: fourteen innings against the St. Louis Browns, then a fourteen inning contest and thirteen inning contest versus the Detroit Tigers.
On August 31st, Chicago White Sox ace Vern Kennedy tossed the first no-hitter (5-0) ever at Comiskey Park as well as the first no-no in Major League Baseball since 1931.
In the National League…
Blondy Ryan of the Philadelphia Phillies tied a Major League record (for an individual) on April 21st after turning five separate double plays against the New York Giants. After collectively adding a sixth, the Phillies themselves tied the National League record (for a team) with six double plays.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi tied the Major League record for most consecutive doubles after hitting four straight (off of four different pitchers) en route to a 15-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on May 8th.
Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder Lloyd Waner set a still-standing Major League record with eighteen put outs during a doubleheader sweep against the Boston Braves on June 26th.
Around the League…
Babe Ruth, who was recently released by the New York Yankees, signed a short-term contract with the National League’s Boston Braves that included $20,000 and a substantial share in the team’s profits.
The Cincinnati Reds hosted the Philadelphia Phillies for the first ever night game on May 24th. Under the lights, the home team prevailed 2-1 before a Crosley Field crowd of 24,422.
On May 25th, Babe Ruth hit the last three homeruns of his career (712, 713, 714) during an 11-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. “The Sultan”, who had a previously boasted a three-homer game in the American League (May 21, 1930), became the first Major League player ever to turn a “hat trick” in both leagues.
In November, the National League temporarily assumed control over the bankrupt Boston Braves after several failed attempts to sell the club. Finishing the season with one-hundred fifteen losses, (a record that remained until the 1962 expansion New York Mets lost one-hundred twenty) the fledgling franchise had barely managed a winning percentage of .248, which remained a twentieth century low.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3 – 9
March 9, 1895 – The Stanley Cup is played and handed out at Victoria Rink in Montreal, Quebec. The Montreal Victorias clinched the trophy as Montreal HC defeated Queens University of Kingston, Ontario by the score of 5-1
March 9, 1897 – The Cleveland baseball fans start calling their team the “Indians.” The moniker did not become official in the MLB until 1915.
March 9, 1904 – Lester Patrick of Brandon became the first recorded defensive player to score have scored a goal.
March 9, 1936 – Babe Ruth, Number 3 graciously rejected an offer by the Cincinnati Reds to make a comeback as a player on their roster.
March 9, 1946 – The Mexican baseball League offered Ted Williams, Number 9, $500,000 to play in their league, Williams turned down their offer and stayed with the Boston Red Sox and lead the League in RBIs, Homeruns, walks, runs and more in 1947.
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
March 9, 1958
George Yardley of the Detroit Pistons became the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a single season.
March 9, 1960
The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 148-128 at Boston Garden, giving the Celtics their 59th win of the season, topping the previous NBA high for wins in a season by seven. The Celtics also set NBA records during that 1959-60 season for the most field goals made per game (49.9) and field goal attempted per game (119.6) and the most rebounds per game (71.5). All three records still stand more than 40 years later.
March 9, 1979
Detroit’s Kevin Porter handed out a franchise-record 25 assists as the Pistons defeated Boston 160-117 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Porter finished the 1978-79 season with 1,099 (13.4 apg) assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to garner over 1,000 assists in a season.
March 9, 1985
Fat Lever of the Denver Nuggets set an NBA record for steals in one quarter when he notched eight against the Indiana Pacers.
March 9, 1988
Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley recorded his 400th career victory in a 104-99 win over the Knicks in New York, reaching the 400 victory plateau faster (540 games) than any other coach in NBA history.
March 9, 1997
Utah’s Karl Malone became the fifth player in NBA history with 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds during a 115-106 vicotry at Minnesota.
March 9, 1999
Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon blocks career shot No. 3,500 in game against Denver. He finishes the game with 3,503 career blocks and is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots, an official statistic beginning with the 1973-74 season.
March 9, 2000
Wilt Chamberlain, who played one season with the Harlem Globetrotters before moving to the NBA, has his No. 13 retired by the Globetrotters when they play at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Chamberlain’s alma mater. Chamberlain, who is the first Globetrotter to have his number retired, is one of five people with Globetrotters ties to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The four others are William “Pop” Gates, Connie Hawkins, Marques Haynes, and founder Abe Saperstein.
March 9, 2011
With 16 points and 21 rebounds in a 101-75 win over the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Kevin Love records his 52nd straight double-double, breaking Moses Malone’s record for the most consecutive double-doubles since the NBA-ABA merger.
March 9, 2016
Four-time NBA All-Star Clyde Lovellette dies at the age of 86.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1943 — Eddie Dancker banks in a desperation 25-foot hook shot from the corner to give Sheboygan a 30-29 win over Fort Wayne and the National Basketball League crown. The defeat of the Pistons is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in pro basketball history.
1948 — NHL President Clarence Campbell expels Billy Taylor of the New York Rangers and Don Gallagher of the Boston Bruins because of gambling associations.
1958 — George Yardley of the Detroit Pistons becomes the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season. Yardley averages 27.8 points in the 72-game season.
1968 — Houston’s Elvin Hayes scores 49 points and pulls down 27 rebounds in a 94-76 win over Loyola of Chicago in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
1977 — Anthony Roberts of Oral Roberts sets an NIT record with 65 points in a 90-89 loss to Oregon in the first round.
1979 — Detroit’s Kevin Porter hands out a franchise-record 25 assists as the Pistons defeat the Boston Celtics 160-117.
1984 — Tim Witherspoon wins the vacant WBC heavyweight title with a 12-round majority decision over Greg Page.
1986 — Buffalo’s Gilbert Perreault scores his 500th goal in a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.
1994 — Detroit’s Dino Ciccarelli scores his 1,000th career point with a goal in a 5-1 win over Calgary.
2001 — Ty Tryon, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, makes the cut in his first PGA Tour event. He’s 1 over after the second round of the Honda Classic, making him the second-youngest player to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.
2011 — Kevin Love records his 52nd consecutive double-double to surpass Moses Malone for the longest such streak since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976 in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 101-75 over the Indiana Pacers. Love overcomes a bruised left knee to put up 16 points and 21 rebounds in just 27 minutes.
2013 — Liberty becomes the second 20-loss team to reach the NCAA tournament, beating Charleston Southern 87-76 to win the Big South Conference title. It joins Coppin State in 2008 as the only schools with 20 or more defeats in the field of 68.
2013 — Bernard Hopkins at 48 becomes the oldest boxer to win a major title, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Tavoris Cloud to claim the IBF light heavyweight championship in New York.
2016 — Russell Westbrook has 25 points, a career-high 20 assists and 11 rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-108. It’s the first triple-double with at least 20 points and 20 assists since Rod Strickland did it for the Washington Wizards in 1998.
2017 — Villanova Wildcats shoot 63 percent and commits just five turnovers in a record-setting 108-67 victory over St. John’s in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. It’s the most points and largest margin of victory in the tournament for Villanova and the worst loss ever for the Red Storm.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
SATURDAY, MAR. 9
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
3:30 a.m.
FS1 — AFL: Collingwood at Greater Western Sydney
AUTO RACING
11:55 a.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: The STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
ESPNEWS — Formula 1: The STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (F1 Kids Broadcast)
Noon
FS2 — NHRA: Qualifying, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
12:30 p.m.
FS2 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix
2 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix
4:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix
7 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: The Top Fuel All-Star Callout, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
BASKETBAL AFRICA LEAGUE
9 a.m.
NBATV — FUS de Rabat vs. Petro de Luanda, Pretoria, South Africa
Noon
NBATV — Dynamo Basketball Club vs. Cape Town Tigers, South Africa
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
CBS — Memphis at FAU
ESPN — Arkansas at Alabama
FOX — Georgetown at St. John’s
12:30 p.m.
USA — Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure
2 p.m.
CBS — Texas A&M at Mississippi
ESPN — Oklahoma at Texas
ESPN2 — Iowa St. at Kansas St.
2:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
FOX — Creighton at Villanova
SECN — South Carolina at Mississippi St.
USA — Richmond at George Mason
3:30 p.m.
CBSSN — Missouri Valley Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, St. Louis
4 p.m.
CBS — Kentucky at Tennessee
ESPN — Kansas at Houston
4:30 p.m.
SECN — Florida at Vanderbilt
5 p.m.
FOX — Marquette at Xavier
PAC-12N — Colorado at Oregon St.
5:30 p.m.
CW — Boston College at Louisville
6 p.m.
ACCN — Clemson at Wake Forest
CBSSN — Missouri Valley Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, St. Louis
ESPN2 — Baylor at Texas Tech
6:30 p.m.
ESPN — North Carolina at Duke
SECN — Georgia at Auburn
7 p.m.
PAC-12N — Utah at Oregon
7:45 p.m.
CW — NC State at Pittsburgh
8 p.m.
ACCN — Georgia Tech at Virginia
ESPN2 — Ohio Valley Tournament: TBD, Championship, Evansville, Ind.
FOX — UConn at Providence
8:30 p.m.
CBSSN — New Mexico at Utah St.
FS1 — DePaul at Seton Hall
SECN — Missouri at LSU
9 p.m.
BTN — Minnesota at Northwestern
10 p.m.
ESPN — Arizona at Southern Cal
ESPN2 — West Coast Tournament: TBD vs. Santa Clara, Quarterfinal, Las Vegas
10:30 p.m.
CBSSN — UNLV at Nevada
11 p.m.
FS1 — Arizona St. at UCLA
12:30 a.m. (Sunday)
ESPN2 — West Coast Tournament: TBD vs. San Francisco, Quarterfinal, Las Vegas
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
11 a.m.
CBSSN — Atlantic 10 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Henrico, Va.
Noon
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Greensboro, N.C.
FS1 — Big East Tournament: TBD vs. UConn, Quarterfinal, Uncasville, Conn.
1:30 p.m.
CBSSN — Atlantic 10 Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Henrico, Va.
2 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Minneapolis
2:30 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Greensboro, N.C.
FS2 — Big East Tournament: Marquette vs. Villanova, Quarterfinal, Uncasville, Conn.
4:30 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Minneapolis
ESPNU — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Greenville, S.C.
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Greenville, S.C.
FS2 — Big East Tournament: TBD vs. Creighton, Quarterfinal, Uncasville, Conn.
9:30 p.m.
FS2 — Big East Tournament: TBD vs. St. John’s, Quarterfinal, Uncasville, Conn.
COLLEGE GYMNASTICS (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
PAC-12N — UCLA at Arizona St.
COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN’S)
4:30 p.m.
FS2 — Big Ten Tournament: Penn St. at Minnesota, Quarterfinal – Game 2
COLLEGE HOCKEY (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ESPNU — Hockey East Tournament: Northeastern at UConn, Championship
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Noon
SECN — LSU at Kentucky
COLLEGE SWIMMING & DIVING
9 p.m.
PAC-12N — Pac-12 Championships: From Federal Way, Wash.
10:55 p.m.
PAC-12N — Pac-12 Championships: From Federal Way, Wash.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
10 a.m.
BTN — Big Ten Championships: From College Park, Md.
7 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Championships: From College Park, Md.
FISHING
8 a.m.
FS1 — Bassmaster Opens: The 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Santee Cooper Lakes presented by SEVIIN, Clarendon County, S.C.
GOLF
6 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Jonsson Workwear Open, Third Round, Glendower Golf Club, Gauteng, South Africa
12:30 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Second Round, Hong Kong Golf Club, Sheung Shui, China (Taped)
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Third Round, Bay Hill Golf Course, Orlando, Fla.
2:30 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Puerto Rico Open, Third Round, Grand Reserve Country Club (Old), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
NBC — PGA Tour: The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Third Round, Bay Hill Golf Course, Orlando, Fla.
5 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Cologuard Classic, Second Round, La Paloma Country Club, Catalina Foothills, Ariz.
11 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Blue Bay LPGA, Final Round, Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club, Hainan, China
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
8:30 p.m.
ESPN — UFC 299 Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Miami
NBA BASKETBALL
8:30 p.m.
ABC — Boston at Phoenix
NHL HOCKEY
12:25 p.m.
ABC — Carolina at New Jersey
3 p.m.
ABC — Pittsburgh at Boston
7 p.m.
NHLN — Toronto at Montreal
SOCCER (MEN’S)
7:30 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Everton at Manchester United
10 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Luton Town at Crystal Palace
12:30 p.m.
NBC — Premier League: Brentford at Arsenal
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
7 a.m.
CBSSN — Bundesliga: Bayern at Eintracht
SWIMMING
1:30 p.m.
CNBC — TYR: Pro Swim Series, Westmont, Ill. (Taped)
TENNIS
2 p.m.
TENNIS — Indian Wells-ATP/WTA Early Rounds
_____
SUNDAY, MAR. 10
AUTO RACING
10:30 a.m.
FS1 — NHRA: Gainesville Rounds 1 & 2, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
12:30 p.m.
NBC — NTT IndyCar Series: The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla.
3:30 p.m.
FOX — NASCAR Cup Series: The Shriners Children’s 500, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix
8:30 p.m.
CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MX2, Villa La Angostura, Argentina (Taped)
9 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla. (Taped)
9:30 p.m.
CBSSN — FIM Motocross: The MXGP, Villa La Angostura, Argentina (Taped)
1 a.m. (Monday)
CNBC — AMA Supercross Series: Round 9, Birmingham, Ala. (Taped)
BASKETBAL AFRICA LEAGUE
10 a.m.
NBATV — FUS de Rabat vs. Dynamo Basketball Club, Pretoria, South Africa
1 p.m.
NBATV — Cape Town Tigers vs. Petro de Luanda, South Africa
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
BTN — Nebraska at Michigan
ESPN2 — Big South Tournament: TBD, Championship, High Point, N.C.
12:30 p.m.
FOX — Wisconsin at Purdue
2 p.m.
BTN — Ohio St. at Rutgers
CBS — Missouri Valley Tournament: TBD, Championship, St. Louis
CBSSN — Patriot League Tournament: TBD, Semifinal
ESPN2 — Atlantic Sun Tournament: TBD, Championship
4 p.m.
CBSSN — Patriot League Tournament: TBD, Semifinal
ESPNU — Southern Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Asheville, N.C.
4:30 p.m.
CBS — Michigan St. at Indiana
6:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Southern Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Asheville, N.C.
7 p.m.
FS1 — Illinois at Iowa
7:30 p.m.
BTN — Maryland at Penn St.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
Noon
CBS — Big Ten Tournament: TBD, Championship, Minneapolis
ESPNU — Southern Tournament: TBD, Championship, Asheville, N.C.
1 p.m.
ESPN — Atlantic Coast Tournament: TBD, Championship, Greensboro, N.C.
2:30 p.m.
FS1 — Big East Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Uncasville, Conn.
3 p.m.
ESPN — Southeastern Tournament: TBD, Championship, Greenville, S.C.
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — Atlantic 10 Tournament: TBD, Championship, Henrico, Va.
5 p.m.
ESPN — Pac-12 Tournament: TBD, Championship, Las Vegas
FS1 — Big East Tournament: TBD, Semifinal, Uncasville, Conn.
6 p.m.
ESPN2 — Big South Tournament: TBD, Championship, High Point, N.C.
COLLEGE GYMNASTICS (WOMEN’S)
5 p.m.
PAC-12N — California at Stanford
COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
FS2 — Big Ten Tournament: Penn St. at Minnesota, Quarterfinal – Game 3 (If Necessary)
COLLEGE HOCKEY (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ESPNEWS — NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Selection Show
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
ESPNU — Syracuse at Johns Hopkins
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
12 p.m.
SECN — LSU at Kentucky
2 p.m.
SECN — South Carolina at Texas A&M
4 p.m.
SECN — Mississippi St. at Mississippi
4:30 p.m.
ACCN — Virginia Tech at Louisville
6 p.m.
SECN — Florida at Alabama
COLLEGE WRESTLING
4:30 p.m.
BTN — Big Ten Championships: From College Park, Md.
7 p.m.
ACCN — Atlantic Coast Championships: Chapel Hill, N.C.
8:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Big 12 Championships: From Tulsa, Okla.
9 p.m.
PAC-12N — Pac-12 Championships: From Corvallis, Ore.
CYCLING
2 p.m.
CNBC — UCI: The Paris-Nice, Final Stage, 68 miles, Nice, France (Taped)
GOLF
7 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Jonsson Workwear Open, Final Round, Glendower Golf Club, Gauteng, South Africa
12:30 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Final Round, Bay Hill Golf Course, Orlando, Fla.
1 p.m.
CW — LIV Golf League: Final Round, Hong Kong Golf Club, Sheung Shui, China (Taped)
2:30 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Puerto Rico Open, Final Round, Grand Reserve Country Club (Old), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
NBC — PGA Tour: The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Final Round, Bay Hill Golf Course, Orlando, Fla.
5 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Cologuard Classic, Final Round, La Paloma Country Club, Catalina Foothills, Ariz.
HORSE RACING
3 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
4 p.m.
MLBN — Spring Training: Chicago Cubs vs. Texas, Surprise, Ariz.
NBA BASKETBALL
7:10 p.m.
ESPN — Philadelphia at New York
9:35 p.m.
ESPN — Minnesota at LA Lakers
NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL
3:30 p.m.
NBATV — Rio Grande Valley at Santa Cruz
NHL HOCKEY
1 p.m.
TNT — Edmonton at Pittsburgh
3:30 p.m.
TNT — Nashville at Minnesota
6 p.m.
NHLN — Arizona at Chicago
RODEO
6 p.m.
CBSSN — PBR: Round 2 & Championship Round, Milwaukee
RUGBY (MEN’S)
Noon
CNBC — Six Nations: Wales vs. France, Cardiff, Wales (Taped)
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur at Aston Villa
10 a.m.
CBSSN — Serie A: Empoli at AC Milan
11:45 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Liverpool
SWIMMING
10:30 a.m.
CNBC — TYR: Pro Swim Series, Westmont, Ill. (Taped)
TENNIS
2 p.m.
TENNIS — Indian Wells-ATP/WTA Early Rounds