“THE SCOREBOARD”
CENTRAL INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL REPORTED BASEBALL SCORES
BREBEUF 6 WHEATON NORTH 1
UNIVERSITY 8 OWENSBORO CATHOLIC 3
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 14 SETON CATHOLIC 8
WARREN CENTRAL 13 SPEEDWAY 13
CENTRAL INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL REPORTED SOFTBALL SCORES
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 11 PLEASURE RIDGE 2
NEW PALESTINE 10 EASTERN HANCOCK 0
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TV SCHEDULE/RESULTS
FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, APRIL 5 (FINAL FOUR IN SAN ANTONIO)
(1) FLORIDA VS. (1) AUBURN, 6:09 P.M | CBS
(1) DUKE VS. (1) HOUSTON, 8:49 P.M. | CBS
MONDAY, APRIL 7 (NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN SAN ANTONIO)
8:50 P.M. ON CBS
NIT SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT TV SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, APRIL 4 (FINAL FOUR IN TAMPA, FLA.)
(1) SOUTH CAROLINA VS. (1) TEXAS, 7 P.M. ON ESPN
(1) UCLA VS. (2) UCONN, 9:30 P.M. ON ESPN
SUNDAY, APRIL 6 (NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN TAMPA, FLA.)
3 P.M. ON ABC
WNIT
BUFFALO 74 CLEVELAND STATE 69
TROY 99 ILLINOIS STATE 96
INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
EASTERN MICHIGAN AT NOTRE DAME PPD
INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE HOCKEY PLAYOFFS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA COLLEGE MEN’S LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA COLLEGE WOMEN’S LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCOREBOARD
WASHINGTON 116 SACRAMENTO 111
INDIANA 119 CHARLOTTE 105
CLEVELAND 124 NEW YORK 105
MIAMI 124 BOSTON 103
HOUSTON 143 UTAH 105
DALLAS 120 ATLANTA 118
SAN ANTONIO 113 DENVER 106
OKLAHOMA CITY 119 DETROIT 103
LA CLIPPERS 114 NEW ORLEANS 98
NHL SCOREBOARD
NY RANGERS 5 MINNESOTA 4 OT
CAROLINA 5 WASHINGTON 1
TORONTO 3 FLORIDA 2
COLORADO 3 CHICAGO 2
SEATTLE 5 VANCOUVER 0
MLB SCOREBOARD
TEXAS 1 CINCINNATI 0
PITTSBURGH 4 TAMPA BAY 2
MILWAUKEE 3 KANSAS CITY 2 (11)
ST. LOUIS 12 LA ANGELS 5
MINNESOTA 6 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
TORONTO 4 WASHINGTON 2
CHICAGO CUBS 10 LAS VEGAS 2
SAN DIEGO 5 CLEVELAND 2
SEATTLE 3 DETROIT 2
SAN FRANCISCO 6 HOUSTON 3
NY METS 6 MIAMI 5 (11)
BOSTON 3 BALTIMORE 0
PHILADELPHIA 5 COLORADO 1
ARIZONA 4 NY YANKEES 3
LA DODGERS 6 ATLANTA 5
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
IOWA AT INDIANAPOLIS PPD
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
UFL SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
BASEBALL
MLB’S AVERAGE SALARY TOPS $5 MILLION FOR FIRST TIME, AP STUDY SHOWS
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s average salary broke the $5 million barrier on opening day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press.
The New York Mets, with Juan Soto’s record $61.9 million pay, led MLB for the third straight opening day with a $322.6 million payroll, just ahead of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at $319.5 million. Those two teams each spent roughly five times as much as the Miami Marlins, who at $64.9 million ended the Athletics’ three-year streak as the lowest spender.
Still, the Mets were down from their record high of $355.4 million in 2023.
The average rose 3.6% to $5,160,245. That was up from a 1.5% increase last year but down from an 11.1% increase in 2023.
Adding Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers boosted payroll by a big league-high $69 million from opening day last year. Baltimore hiked spending by $66 million, followed by Arizona ($55 million), San Diego ($47 million), Philadelphia ($41 million) and Detroit ($39 million).
Los Angeles’ payroll figure was held down by deferred payments. Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million salary was discounted to a present-day value of $28.2 million because it won’t be paid in full until 2035, causing him to be listed as the 18th-highest-paid player. Other Dodgers with deferred payments include Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Scott, Will Smith and Snell.
Following their record 121-loss season, the Chicago White Sox cut payroll by $60.8 million, San Francisco by $39.1 million, Miami by $31.7 million and St. Louis by $31.6 million. The American League champion Yankees dropped by $18.5 million.
Just five teams were under $100 million, with the Marlins joined by the A’s ($74.9 million), Tampa Bay ($79.2 million), the White Sox ($80.9 million) and Pittsburgh ($87.9 million).
Soto broke the previous high of $43.3 million shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander under deals they agreed to with the Mets.
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is second at $42 million, followed by Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge at $40 million each.
Of 953 players in the major leagues on opening day, 526 had salaries of $1 million or more, 55%, and down from 532 last year and 546 in 2023.
There were 15 players at $30 million or more, a drop of two; 66 at $20 million, up from 66; and 177 at $10 million, an increase from 166.
A total of 35 players made the $760,000 minimum.
The top 50 players make 29% of the salaries, the same as in the prior two years, and the top 100 earn 48%, up from 47%.
Baseball’s median salary, the point at which an equal number of players are above and below, dropped to $1.35 million from $1.5 million and well below the record high of $1.65 million at the start of 2015.
Average and median salaries decline over the course of the season as veterans are released and replaced by younger players making closer to the minimum. The AP’s average was $4.98 million at the start of last season; MLB calculated the final average at $4.59 million and the players’ association at $4.66 million.
Because they started the season in the minor leagues, Baltimore pitcher Kyle Gibson ($5.25 million), Detroit pitcher Jason Foley ($3.15 million) and Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim ($2.8 million) were among the players not included in the opening day payroll figures.
The AP’s figures include salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income.
Payroll figures factor in adjustments for cash transactions in trades, signing bonuses that are the responsibility of the club agreeing to the contract, option buyouts and termination pay for released players.
MLB ROUNDUP: DODGERS WALK OFF ON SHOHEI OHTANI’S HR
Shohei Ohtani flipped a game-ending home run to left-center field in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their season-opening win streak alive by rallying from an early five-run deficit to earn a 6-5 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Max Muncy had a game-tying two-run double in the eighth to atone for two early errors as the Dodgers became the first defending champion to open a season 8-0. Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto homered for the Dodgers to help Blake Snell overcome a rocky outing. All five runs Snell allowed over four innings were unearned while he walked four with two strikeouts.
Ohtani’s home run, his third of the season, came on the first pitch from right-hander Raisel Iglesias (0-1) and sent a near sold-out crowd into a frenzy on the star’s first of four bobblehead nights of the season. Rookie Jack Dreyer (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his first career win.
The Braves dropped to 0-7 as they head toward their home opener Friday. Nick Allen, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson delivered run-scoring doubles for Atlanta, whose season-opening losing streak is its worst since an 0-9 start in 2016.
Brewers 3, Royals 2 (11 innings)
Brice Turang laid down a suicide squeeze in the 11th inning to lift Milwaukee to a win against visiting Kansas City in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Kansas City reliever Sam Long (0-2) came in for the 11th and Garrett Mitchell moved designated runner Oliver Dunn to third with a grounder to second. Joey Ortiz then drew a walk, bringing up Turang, who had struck out three times in the game, but he bunted the first pitch up the first-base line for the walk-off win.
Brewers starter Freddy Peralta allowed one run and two hits over eight innings, striking out eight without walking a batter. Jared Koenig (1-0) pitched a scoreless 11th inning for Milwaukee. Jackson Chourio had three hits, including a solo home run for the Brewers. Royals left-hander Cole Ragans struck out 10 batters over five innings of one-run ball.
Cardinals 12, Angels 5
Ivan Herrera hit three home runs to lift host St. Louis to a victory over Los Angeles, avoiding a sweep by winning the finale of the three-game series.
Herrera hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, a two-run homer in the sixth, and his three-run homer in the eighth capped a seven-run outburst that broke open a close game. It was the first three-homer game by a Cardinal since Paul Goldschmidt hit three in May of 2023.
Logan O’Hoppe’s grand slam in the seventh inning gave the Angels a 5-3 lead, but the Cardinals rallied against the Angels’ bullpen with two runs in the seventh to tie the game and seven in the eighth.
Padres 5, Guardians 2
Jackson Merrill and Luis Arraez homered as San Diego extended its franchise-record season-opening winning streak to seven games with a win over visiting Cleveland.
Dylan Cease (1-0) worked 6 1/3 solid innings for the win, allowing just four hits and a run with a walk and seven strikeouts. Three relievers got the final eight outs, with Robert Suarez pitching the ninth for his third save in as many chances.
Ben Lively (0-1) absorbed the loss for Cleveland, lasting just 4 1/3 innings and permitting four runs off seven hits. Lane Thomas and Kyle Manzardo notched RBI shits for the Guardians, who have lost three in a row and four out of five.
Pirates 4, Rays 2
Ace Paul Skenes gave Pittsburgh a much-needed boost with seven quality innings, Oneil Cruz homered and visiting Pittsburgh salvaged a win in its three-game series against Tampa Bay.
In a strong start, Skenes (1-0) allowed just one unearned run on three singles, lowering his ERA to 1.46. He struck out six without a walk over 102 pitches (72 for strikes). Cruz was 2-for-4 with a solo homer, two RBIs and a stolen base, while Adam Frazier had two hits, an RBI and was hit by a pitch.
In his second start, Ryan Pepiot (0-1) had to battle, yielding two runs on five hits over five innings in 88 pitches (56 strikes). The right-hander struck out three and walked three. Jonny DeLuca went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and stolen base, but the Rays managed only four singles.
Red Sox 3, Orioles 0
Garrett Crochet pitched eight shutout innings, and Boston beat host Baltimore Orioles to snap a four-game losing streak.
Trevor Story homered and had three hits and Rafael Devers ended a horrid season-beginning slump with an RBI double and later added a single. Devers broke a 0-for-21 stretch. Crochet (1-0) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out eight on 102 pitches.
Orioles starter Zach Eflin (0-2) lasted six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. He has surrendered a home run in both of his outings this season. Baltimore managed four singles and two walks. Tyler O’Neill struck out three times.
Rangers 1, Reds 0
Jack Leiter allowed one hit over five scoreless innings and four relievers combined for four scoreless innings to lead visiting Texas to its second straight 1-0 win over Cincinnati.
Leiter (2-0) struck out six before the right-hander was pulled after just 70 pitches as a precaution with a finger blister on his pitching hand. Luke Jackson pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save as Elly De La Cruz made the game’s last out for the second straight game.
Hunter Greene (0-1) nearly matched Leiter out for out, allowing just one run on three hits, throwing 94 pitches through seven innings, striking out eight. The Rangers broke through in the fourth when Joc Pederson opened with a single. After Greene retired the next two batters, Josh Smith doubled to score Pederson with the game’s only run.
Diamondbacks 4, Yankees 3
Zac Gallen tied a career high with 13 strikeouts without a walk in 6 2/3 dominating innings as Arizona took an early lead and hung on for a victory over host New York.
On a frigid 42-degree night, the Diamondbacks won their third straight by getting a four-run lead in the opening two innings against New York’s Carlos Rodon (1-1) and an overpowering outing by Gallen, who has pitched 18 2/3 scoreless innings in three career starts against the Yankees.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. blasted a two-run homer three batters into the game. Geraldo Perdomo lifted a sacrifice fly and Ketel Marte hit an RBI single after signing a six-year contract earlier in the day. A.J. Puk allowed Anthony Volpe’s three-run homer in the ninth, then finished off his second save by retiring Austin Wells and Jasson Dominguez.
Cubs 10, Athletics 2
Chicago completed a three-game demolition of the Athletics’ new home in Sacramento, Calif., riding two home runs from Seiya Suzuki to a victory and a sweep of the interleague series.
Suzuki smacked a three-run homer in the second inning, a solo shot in the fourth and added a run-scoring single in the seventh, driving in five runs and accounting for half the scoring in Chicago’s second double-digit output in three days. The Cubs bombarded A’s pitching in the series for 35 runs and 41 hits, eight of which were home runs.
Jameson Taillon (1-1) benefited from Wednesday’s attack, coasting through six innings while allowing two runs and four hits. A’s starter Jeffrey Springs (1-1) was pulled after three innings and was charged with five runs (four earned) on five hits. Brent Rooker hit a two-run homer in the third.
Phillies 5, Rockies 1
Zack Wheeler struck out 10 over seven strong innings as Philadelphia topped visiting Colorado.
Edmundo Sosa (two RBIs) and Trea Turner each recorded three hits in support of Wheeler (1-0), who allowed one run and three hits without a walk. Sosa has been hot, in particular, as the utilityman is 9-for-15 with four straight multi-hit games to begin the season.
Hunter Goodman homered for the second straight game for Colorado, which will look to avoid a three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon. Kyle Freeland (0-1) absorbed the defeat while allowing three runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk.
Twins 6, White Sox 1
Byron Buxton homered, doubled and drove in two runs and Harrison Bader hit a three-run homer to lead visiting Minnesota to a victory over Chicago in a rain-delayed rubber game of their three-game series.
Pablo Lopez (1-1) picked up the win, allowing one run on four hits over seven sharp innings. He walked one and struck out five. Jhoan Duran and Danny Coulombe each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Buxton, Carlos Correa – who snapped a season-opening 0-for-18 streak – and Ty France each had two hits for Minnesota, which won its second straight game following an 0-4 start.
Brooks Baldwin homered for Chicago, which lost for the fourth time in five games. Sean Burke (1-1) picked up the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out one and hit a batter.
Mariners 3, Tigers 2
Dylan Moore homered, Luis Castillo pitched seven strong innings and Andres Munoz got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth as Seattle defeated visiting Detroit.
The Mariners topped reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal (0-2) to avoid being swept in the three-game series. Castillo (1-1) gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings. The veteran right-hander walked two and struck out five.
Skubal, a lefty who starred at nearby Seattle University, gave up three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Giants 6, Astros 3
Wilmer Flores slugged his fourth home run of the season, Heliot Ramos extended his extra-base hit streak and visiting San Francisco completed a three-game interleague sweep of Houston.
Flores belted the first of three homers by the Giants and ignited an early ambush of Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (1-1), who gave up five runs on four hits and four walks with nine strikeouts in five innings. Luis Matos and LaMonte Wade Jr. also went deep for San Francisco.
In the fifth, Yordan Alvarez greeted Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez (1-0) with a two-run single. But Rodriguez held the line there, notching strikeouts of Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Pena to preserve the lead. Zach Dezenzo hit an RBI single for Houston.
Mets 6, Marlins 5 (11 innings)
Jesse Winker drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning for visiting New York, which overcame a late three-run deficit to earn a win over Miami in the rubber game of a three-game series.
After Winker worked the walk against Xzavion Curry (0-1), Pete Alonso (3-for-4, 3-run HR, four RBIs) scored a vital insurance run when Xavier Edwards misplayed Mark Vientos’ grounder to short. Jose Butto (1-0) threw two perfect innings for the Mets, who have split their first six games. Huascar Brazoban earned his first career save.
Griffin Conine finished 3-for-6 for the Marlins, who went 4-3 with three walk-off wins during a season-opening homestand. Matt Mervis, Lopez and Nick Fortes had an RBI apiece. Alonso’s blast cost Connor Gillispie a chance at his first major league win. Gillispie allowed one run on four hits and no walks while striking out six in five innings.
Blue Jays 4, Nationals 2
Left-hander Easton Lucas pitched five scoreless innings in his first major-league start as Toronto defeated visiting Washington.
George Springer had a solo home run and Myles Straw had three hits for the Blue Jays, who swept the three-game series over the Nationals and won their fourth straight overall. Lucas (1-0), making his 15th major-league appearance, allowed one hit and two walks with three strikeouts.
CJ Abrams homered for the Nationals. Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore (0-1), who allowed one hit and no runs in six innings on Opening Day, allowed three runs, nine hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings on Wednesday.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: HEAT STAY HOT, HALT CELTICS’ WIN STREAK AT 9
Tyler Herro scored a game-high 25 points and Bam Adebayo tossed in 21 as the visiting Miami Heat extended their winning streak to six games by beating the Boston Celtics 124-103 on Wednesday night.
The result ended the Celtics’ nine-game winning streak. Kyle Anderson came off the bench and added 19 points for Miami, which shot 14-for-30 from 3-point range (46.7 percent). Seven Heat players scored in double figures.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Derrick White and Jayson Tatum each finished with 16 points. Miami’s 21-point victory matched Boston’s worst loss of the season.
The Celtics trailed 100-95 with 7:46 to play, but the Heat used an 8-0 run to push the lead to 13 and were in control the rest of the way. Boston outrebounded Miami 43-34 but shot 44.8 percent from the floor (39 of 87) and fell to 24-13 at home.
Thunder 119, Pistons 103
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points as host Oklahoma City tied franchise record for wins in a season by beating Detroit. The Thunder equaled the franchise’s win total (64) from 1995-96, when the team was based in Seattle.
Jalen Williams added 23 points and Chet Holmgren had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Oklahoma City stretched its winning streak to 11 games.
The Pistons were short-handed, playing without Cade Cunningham (calf) and the suspended trio of Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser and Ronald Holland II. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Detroit with 23 points.
Mavericks 120, Hawks 118
Anthony Davis made a go-ahead floater with 3.4 seconds left, helping Dallas post a victory over visiting Atlanta.
Trae Young’s contested 3-point attempt at the buzzer came up short. Young posted 25 points and 12 assists, while Onyeka Okongwu finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks, who fell a half-game behind the Orlando Magic for the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Davis had 34 points and 15 rebounds for the Mavericks, who earned their third win in four tries. Thompson added 17 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie collected 14 points and 10 assists for Dallas.
Clippers 114, Pelicans 98
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and James Harden added 21 points and 10 assists to help Los Angeles post a victory over New Orleans in Inglewood, Calif.
Ivica Zubac recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Clippers, who pulled into a three-way tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies for sixth place in the Western Conference. The fifth-place Golden State Warriors are just a half-game ahead of the trio.
Jose Alvarado had 17 points and 10 assists and Bruce Brown added 16 points as the injury-ravaged Pelicans lost for the 11th time in the past 15 games.
Cavaliers 124, Knicks 105
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to pace the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, as they used a fourth-quarter run to put away the visiting New York Knicks.
Cleveland went on a 15-3 spurt that carried over into the fourth quarter, while holding New York without a field goal for the first 2:48 of the period. Six Cavaliers scored in double-figures, including Jarrett Allen, who finished with 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the floor.
New York got a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double from Karl-Anthony Towns, who returned after missing Tuesday’s first leg of the back-to-back. OG Anunoby added 23 points for the Knicks, going 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
Wizards 116, Kings 111
Jordan Poole scored 23 points, and JT Thor sank a crucial 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, lifting host Washington to a victory over Sacramento.
Wizards rookies AJ Johnson, Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr enjoyed successful outings. Johnson scored 19 points. Carrington sank five 3-pointers to highlight his 19-point performance, and Sarr finished with 15 points.
Sacramento’s DeMar DeRozan recorded 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Domantas Sabonis added 18 points, 16 boards and seven assists. The Kings have lost three in a row and seven of their last eight games.
Rockets 143, Jazz 105
Alperen Sengun finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists as Houston blew out visiting Utah. The Rockets won for the 13th time in 15 outings and maintained their No. 2 position in the Western Conference.
Jalen Green led seven Rockets in double figures with 22 points. Dillon Brooks chipped in with 21 points, while Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.
Isaiah Collier produced 22 points and 10 assists, but the Jazz took their seventh loss in a row. Utah, which has dropped 17 of 18, owns the worst record in the NBA with five games remaining.
Spurs 113, Nuggets 106
Stephon Castle, one of seven San Antonio players to score in double figures, had 15 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the visiting Spurs beat short-handed Denver.
San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes scored 20 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 17 points and eight assists.
The Nuggets were without six of its top seven players, including Nikola Jokic (ankle). Russell Westbrook had a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Jalen Pickett added 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double.
Pacers 119, Hornets 105
Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and 10 assists as Indiana defeated Charlotte Hornets in Indianapolis for its eighth win in 10 games.
Haliburton logged his double-double without a turnover for the Pacers. He received support from Aaron Nesmith (16 points), Pascal Siakam (15) and Myles Turner (15).
Miles Bridges had 18 points for the Hornets, who have lost six of seven. Mark Williams posted 16 points and 12 rebounds and Seth Curry added 16 points.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: AVS FORCE OT, BEAT BLACKHAWKS IN SHOOTOUT
Artturi Lehkonen scored the decisive goal in a shootout and Cale Makar had a goal and assist in regulation as the visiting Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
Colorado forced overtime with 10.8 seconds left in regulation, as Martin Necas deflected in Cale Makar’s shot from inside the right point with play at six-on-five. Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves for the Avalanche.
Colorado (46-26-4, 96 points) remained in the No. 3 position in the Central Division, six points behind the second-place Dallas Stars and seven points clear of both the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues.
Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon scored to cap the second round of the shootout, but Teuvo Teravainen answered for Chicago. Lehkonen ended the game moments later by beating Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight.
Connor Murphy had a goal and assist for the Blackhawks, and Ilya Mikheyev also tallied. Knight stopped 29 shots.
Rangers 5, Wild 4 (OT)
Vincent Trocheck capped a back-and-forth game by scoring 24 seconds into overtime for host New York, which moved into a tie for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot by edging Minnesota.
After the teams combined to collect four game-tying goals in regulation, the Rangers ended overtime quickly after JT Miller won the overtime faceoff with Marco Rossi and immediately headed off the ice in favor of Trocheck, who got a stick on Artemi Panarin’s shot before the puck trickled into the net beyond Filip Gustavsson. Panarin, Braden Schneider, K’Andre Miller and Chris Kreider had a goal apiece for the Rangers, who are tied with the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card berth.
Rossi, Gustav Nyquist, Brock Faber and Marcus Johansson scored for the Wild, who lost their third straight (0-2-1) but still climbed into a tie with the idle St. Louis Blues for the Western Conference first wild-card spot.
Hurricanes 5, Capitals 1
Alex Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal to move within three of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record in Washington’s loss to Carolina in Raleigh, N.C.
Ovechkin scored during a five-on-three power play at 19:25 of the second period to pull the Capitals within 4-1. Jackson Blake scored two goals while Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who have won 12 of 14 games and clinched a Stanley Cup playoff berth with the victory.
Ovechkin has 39 goals in 59 games this season for Washington, which has lost four of five (1-3-1) and was playing the second night of a back-to-back set.
Maple Leafs 3, Panthers 2
Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies each tallied a goal and an assist to help beat visiting Florida, allowing Toronto to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs and stretch its lead atop the Atlantic Division.
John Tavares also found the net for the first-place Maple Leafs, who earned their seventh win over the past nine games (7-1-1). Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves against his former team.
Sam Reinhart collected a goal and an assist and Gustav Forsling scored for the third-place Panthers, who are one point behind the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 23 shots.
Kraken 5, Canucks 0
Andre Burakovsky collected a goal and an assist and goaltender Joey Daccord recorded his second shutout of the season as visiting Seattle blanked Vancouver.
Michael Eyssimont, Chandler Stephenson, Shane Wright and Adam Larsson also scored for the Kraken, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Jared McCann collected three assists, Vince Dunn posted a pair of helpers and Daccord made 25 saves to post his fifth career shutout.
The Kraken, who won three of four meetings with the Canucks this season, have already been eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention. The Wednesday result puts Vancouver’s hopes in jeopardy. The Canucks, who are winless in three games (0-2-1), sit eight points back of a playoff position with seven games remaining.
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 119, HORNETS 105
The Indiana Pacers’ march to the playoffs keeps on rolling.
In a midweek matchup with the Charlotte Hornets (19-57), the Pacers (45-31) led at the end of each quarter in a 119-105 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
With the win, Indiana remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with six games remaining on its regular season schedule. The Pacers have won eight of their last 10 games, including two straight, and will wrap up a three-game homestand on Friday night against the Utah Jazz.
Retaining home-court advantage in the playoffs is top of mind for the Pacers as they enter their final stretch of games.
“We’re still trying to get homecourt advantage,” Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “… Having that top-four seed we think is really beneficial for us just because we feel really comfortable playing at home. We feel like in last year’s playoffs, the success we had at home, the second half of the season, how much success we’ve had at home. …We really want a top-four seed, so we’re trying to take care of business there. That’s what’s really important.”
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Potential Matchups, and More >>
The Pacers led by eight points at halftime before extending their lead to 14 heading into the fourth quarter. In the final frame, the Hornets got as close as six points before Aaron Nesmith scored 11 points in the quarter to help the Pacers hold on.
The Hornets actually outshot the Pacers 52.6 to 49.5 percent, but the Blue & Gold made 18 3-pointers to their visitors’ 10 treys. Charlotte turned the ball over 18 times in the game which the Pacers turned into 29 points.
Haliburton topped the Pacers with 22 points and 10 assists, Nesmith had 16 points, and Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner each supplied 15 points. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 18 points, Mark Williams posted 16 points and 12 rebounds and Seth Curry also scored 16.
Indiana made nine 3-pointers in the first half and held Charlotte to 38.6 percent shooting to lead 54-38 at the break. Haliburton had 14 points and three assists and Turner had 12 points and seven of his nine total rebounds at halftime.
The Pacers splashed seven 3-pointers in the first quarter to build a 32-25 lead. Five players made one from deep in the period, including two each from Haliburton and Turner.
After a back-and-forth start, Indiana mustered a 17-7 run midway through the first quarter to lead 26-17. During the stretch, four different players made a three for the Blue & Gold.
A bucket by T.J. McConnell, a free throw from Siakam, and a 3-pointer by Jarace Walker in the final 1:15 of the frame then pushed the Pacers lead to seven.
The Pacers offense continued its momentum into the second quarter, as another Walker three ignited a 10-2 scoring spree to start the frame to put the Pacers ahead 41-27.
Charlotte responded with a 12-2 run midway through the second quarter thanks to five points by Bridges, cutting the visitors’ deficit to four points, before back-to-back buckets by Turner, a dunk from Haliburton and a layup by Siakam kept the Pacers ahead 53-48.
Out of intermission, Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Nesmith all hit 3-pointers and Siakam added a layup to help the Blue & Gold to a 64-49 lead.
An 18-4 Hornets run midway through the third quarter, featuring five points by Bridges and a corner three by Curry, narrowed the score to 68-67 with 4:58 on the clock before back-to-back buckets from McConnell got the Pacers offense back on track.
In the final 4:46 of the third quarter, the Pacers outscored the Hornets 19-6 thanks to the All-NBA play of Haliburton. During the sequence, Haliburton hit a 3-pointer, bounced a high pass off the ground up to Obi Toppin for a slam dunk, and got a layup to fall. Thomas Bryant was also dominant during the stretch, flushing two dunks in the last 42 seconds to give the Pacers their 87-73 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.
Nesmith scored 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter to help hold off any chance of a Hornets comeback.
Eleven quick points by the Hornets to start the fourth quarter made it 96-90, but the Pacers responded with a 15-5 burst, featuring a 3-pointer by Ben Sheppard and-and-one from Nesmith, to go up 102-89 midway through the period.
Nesmith stayed hot after his first make, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and making a tough layup to extend the Pacers lead to 110-95 with 3:18 left.
From there, the Hornets never threatened.
Inside the Numbers
Tyrese Haliburton has recorded 29 double-doubles this season.
Indiana outscored Charlotte 16-7 in fast-break points.
Jarace Walker has scored at least 10 points in four straight games for the Pacers. He finished with a team-high +/- of +21 in the win.
The Hornets outscored the Pacers 54-44 in the paint and outrebounded Indiana 44-38.
Indiana turned the ball over just six times.
The Hornets made 13 of 18 free throws while the Hornets finished 7-for-10.
There were three lead changes and two ties in the game. The Hornets never led by more than two points.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SMITH NAMED A WOODEN AWARD ALL-AMERICAN
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Consensus first-team All-American Braden Smith added another trophy to his collection on Tuesday night, being named one-of-five Wooden Award All-Americans, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Smith is joined by Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Alabama’s Mark Sears and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., on the five-person Wooden All-American team. It marks the third straight season that a Boilermaker has been a Wooden Award All-American after Zach Edey won the award following both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Smith has previously been named a first-team All American by the four entities that make up consensus honors – The Sporting News, The Associated Press, the USBWA and the NABC, as well as one of four finalists for the Naismith Award.
It marks the seventh consensus All-America award during the Matt Painter era, as Smith joins JaJuan Johnson (1st – 2011), Caleb Swanigan (1st – 2017), Carsen Edwards (2nd – 2019), Jaden Ivey (2nd – 2022) and Zach Edey (1st – 2023, 2024) as players to be named consensus All-American. Six of the seven awards have come in the last nine seasons.
The awards are recognition for what has been an incredible season for the point guard from Westfield, Indiana. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and is the front-runner for the Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard. He didn’t disappoint after being named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year in October.
The Cousy Award will be announced Saturday morning on ESPN’s College Gameday.
Smith and the Boilermakers finished with a 24-12 overall record and reached the Sweet 16. Next year’s Boilermaker squad is expected to be ranked high when the “way-too-early” top-25 polls come out next week.
Wooden Award All-American – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
A finalist for the Wooden Award, Smith is considered the top point guard in the country.
Consensus first-team All-American, being named to the first team by the Sporting News, the Associated Press, the USBWA, the NABC as well as a Naismith Trophy finalist.
Named the Big Ten Player of the Year after being selected as the preseason Player of the Year.
Averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, but saw his averages increase to 17.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during Big Ten play.
Set the Big Ten record for assists in conference play only with 175, smashing the previous record set by Michigan State’s Cassius Winston (157) by 18 assists – almost a full assist per game.
Is the second player in NCAA history to record at least 550 points, 300 assists and 150 rebounds in a season (Murray State’s Ja Morant – 2018-19). Is the only player to add at least 75 steals to the list.
With 15 assists against Houston in the Sweet 16 last Friday, Smith is the only player in NCAA Tournament history to have two games of at least 15 assists. Both came in the Sweet 16 (2024 – Gonzaga; 2025 – Houston).
Became the second player in Big Ten history, joining Michigan State’s Magic Johnson, to register 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. Smith has reached those numbers in each of the last two seasons.
Became the school’s career assists leader, now with 758 assists in just 110 career games. Smith already ranks fourth on the Big Ten’s career assists list, despite playing three seasons.
Became the first player since California’s Jason Kidd (1993-94) to average at least 15.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, and only the third player in NCAA history (Kidd, Loyola Marymount’s Terrell Lowery – 1990-91).
Smith’s 758 assists (and counting) are the third most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season (Duke’s Bobby Hurley; Oakland’s Kay Felder). He is the only player in NCAA history with 1,300 points, 700 assists and 500 rebounds in his first three seasons.
Recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games this season. Prior to this year, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist games in school history – the last one coming in the 1987-88 season.
His nine point-assist double-doubles are the third most for a high-major player in the last 20 seasons (14 – Oklahoma’s Trae Young, 2018; 10 – Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, 2023).
Smith has posted two games of 30 or more points this season (34 vs. Toledo; 31 vs. Iowa).
Has 13 games of 10 or more assists this season, and 23 games of 10 or more assists for his career. His 22 career games of 10 or more assists are the most in Big Ten history. The 22, 10-assist games are the fourth most by a player in his junior season or younger in the last 20 years (Kay Felder – 32; Kendall Marshall – 23; Ja Morant – 23).
Enters his senior season needing just 125 points and 242 assists to become the first player in NCAA history with 1,500 points, 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds for his career. He needs 318 assists to tie Bobby Hurley for the NCAA all-time assists record with 1,076.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HIDALGO NAMED A WOODEN AWARD FINALIST
LOS ANGELES — For the second time in as many years, Hannah Hidalgo is a finalist for the top award in women’s college basketball.
On Tuesday, the Irish sophomore was named one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, which is given to the nation’s best player.
Hidalgo averaged 23.8 points per game this season, breaking her own Notre Dame scoring record from last year (22.6). This year’s mark currently ranks fifth in the country. Additionally, Hidalgo joined Irish legend Arike Ogunbowale as the only players in Notre Dame history to post multiple 700-point seasons.
The sophomore also finished the season with 119 steals, the Irish sophomore record. It is just the fourth time in program history a Notre Dame player has had a 100-steal season. Hidalgo did it last year as well (160).
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MVB HITS THE ROAD FOR TWO MORE
No. 15 Ball State (17-9, 9-4 MIVA) vs No. 18 Ohio State (12-10, 7-5 MIVA)
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Ohio State 2 (2/27/25)
Series History (Since 2002): Ohio State leads the series 32-23
No. 15 Ball State (17-9, 9-4 MIVA) vs Purdue Fort Wayne (10-11, 3-9 MIVA)
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Purdue Fort Wayne 2 (2/6/25)
Series History (Since 2002): Ball State leads the series 38-12
This Week in Ball State Men’s Volleyball: Ball State opens its week on Thursday (Apr. 3) in Columbus, Ohio to take on the No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes. Following Thursday’s match, the team will head to Fort Wayne, Indiana for Saturday’s (Apr. 5) matchup against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Last Serve:
• After two weeks on the road, the Cardinals returned home to host Quincy and No. 10 McKendree Friday (Mar. 28) and Saturday (Mar. 29). Despite opening the match against the Hawks in a 25-13 first set, Ball State ultimately fell 2-3 (25-13, 20-25, 25-16, 21-25, 8-15). Tinaishe Ndavazocheva still had an impressive performance as the Cardinals’ offensive leader, hitting at a .382 clip with 17 kills and three aces.
• In response to the loss, Ball State returned to Worthen Saturday night to complete an upset of its own over No. 10 McKendree. For a senior night special, the Cardinals beat the Bearcats 3-1 (25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23), giving the team its first top 10 win of the season. Rogers led the Cardinals in their victory, hitting a .424 clip with 20 kills. Ndavazocheva was also a major impact, adding 15 kills at a .433 clip and an ace. At the net, Ndavazocheva led the team with five block assists and one block solo.
FIRST SERVE VS OHIO STATE:
• In these two teams’ first match this season, Ball State defeated the Buckeyes 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-25, 15-12) at home in Worthen Arena. Patrick Rogers led the offense with 18 kills and an ace. Defensively, Vanis Buckholz, Rogers, and Braydon Savitski-Lynde protected at the net, each recording four blocks. Cameron Gray led the team in digs with nine.
• Last time the Cardinals traveled to Columbus (Mar. 14, 2024), they defeated the Buckeyes 3-1 (34-32, 15-25, 25-22, 26-24). Rogers once again led the team, recording a career best 24 kills.
Scouting Ohio State:
• Ohio State’s Daniel Henwood Rodriguez won his first Player of the Week award after being named this week’s Defensive Player of the Week.
• The Buckeyes are coming off a five-set victory over McKendree, upsetting the Bearcats at home in Covelli Center and snapping a two match losing streak.
• Ohio State is second in the MIVA and 12th in the NCAA for service aces. The team averages 1.65 aces per set and has recorded a total of 139 on the season.
• Senior middle blocker, Cole Young, is ranked fourth in the MIVA for his hitting percentage of .327. Immediately following in fifth is freshman outside hitter, Stanislaw Chacinski, with a .326 percentage.
• Chacinski is also fifth in the conference for aces, averaging .43 aces per set at a recorded 36.
• Junior opposite, Shane Wetzel, is fourth in the MIVA and 22nd in the NCAA for kills, averaging 3.54 kills per set. Wetzel is also fourth in the conference for aces at a .44 per set average, and fourth in the conference for points, averaging 4.23 points per set.
First Serve vs Purdue Fort Wayne:
• This season, the Cardinals opened MIVA play against the Mastodons at home in Muncie, Indiana. Ball State won in a close 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13) battle. The team was led by Patrick Rogers and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva who recorded 19 and 18 kills, respectively. Sophomore setter, Lucas Machado, had a particularly strong performance, tying his career high with 54 assists.
• The Cardinals victory over Purdue Fort Wayne earlier this season extended Ball State to a 10-match win streak over the Mastodons.
Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne:
• Purdue Fort Wayne’s Axel Melendez Watts won his first Player of the Week award after being named this week’s Offensive Player of the Week.
• The Mastodons completed their season sweep over Quincy last week, beating the Hawks 3-1 (25-22, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22).
• Sophomore opposite, Logan Muir, is among the top leaders of the MIVA in multiple categories. Muir is second in the conference for kills and points, averaging 4.05 kills per set and 4.90 points per set. He is also ranked third for service aces, averaging .461 per set with a total of 35 on the season. In the NCAA, Muir’s numbers place him eighth for kills, seventh for points and 14th for aces.
Ball State in the NCAA:
• Ball State is among the winningest men’s volleyball teams in the NCAA. Going into the 2025 season, the Cardinals claimed the fifth highest all-time winning percentage at .701 (1283-546). Loyola was fourth at .701 (577-246), Ohio State third at .703 (1189-502), Penn State second at .755 and UCLA led the NCAA with the highest winning percentage of .793 (1482-387). Ball State was also ranked fifth for the most amount of wins from a program in the last five years with 88 wins and a .704 percentage. Rounding out the top five were Lincoln Memorial with 89 wins, UCLA with 104, Penn State with 106 and Hawaii leading the past five years with 111 program wins.
Coach Cruz:
• Ball State head coach Donan Cruz enters his fourth season at the helm of the Cardinals and owns an overall record at BSU of 81-32 (.717) along with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament Championship, three MIVA regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Looking ahead:
• Approaching the final week of regular season play, the Cardinals will head to Chicago, Illinois next Saturday (Apr. 12) to take on No. 6 Loyola Chicago. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
INDIANA STATE CONTINUES MISSOURI VALLEY PLAY WITH WEEKEND SERIES AT BELMONT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana state is back on the road this weekend as the Sycamores head to Nashville, Tenn. and E.S. Rose Park for a three-game weekend series at Belmont over April 4-6. All three games are projected to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
The weekend series marks just the second time in program history Indiana State heads to Nashville to take on Belmont with the Bruins joining the league back in 2023. The Sycamores swept the previous series at E.S. Rose Park back in the 2023 season over the April 14-16 weekend as a part of the team’s 14-game winning streak.
The Sycamores (14-14, 4-2) enter the weekend series sitting tied for third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings after winning weekend series against Valparaiso and at UIC. Indiana State is tied with Evansville and Illinois State, while trailing leaders Missouri State (5-1) and Southern Illinois (5-1) by one game.
Recapping the Midweek
Indiana State utilized timely hitting, patience at the plate, and strong relief outings from Jack Armstrong and Colby Morse to take Tuesday night’s midweek contest at SIUE, 12-5.
The Sycamores seized control of the contest early as Indiana State had runners on base often over the opening frames. Jeremy Martinez, Jackson Taylor, and Keegan Garis all drove in runs over the first three innings, before the Indiana State hitters started to work the count against the SIUE pitching staff.
Indiana State drew five bases-loaded walks over the course of the contest on their way to drawing 14 walks against the Cougars’ pitching staff. Eli Gipson drew a season-high four walks in the contest, while four additional Sycamores had multiple walks in the game as Indiana State steadily built a commanding lead in the game.
Emil Estrella drew his first collegiate start on the mound and went 2.0 innings allowing one hit and one run, while walking three and strikeout out two. He turned the ball over to Jack Armstrong (2-0) in the bottom of the third inning and the junior right-hander delivered another standout performance on the mound.
Pena, Weston Fulk, Garis, and Garcia all had multi-hit games on Tuesday night as the Sycamores connected on 11 hits in the win. Fulk added a pair of doubles, while four different Indiana State players recorded a stolen base.
Conference Play
Jackson Taylor leads the Indiana State offensive efforts over the first two conference weekend as the redshirt junior infielder is hitting at a .409 clip with a team-high nine hits, two doubles, and three stolen bases. Keegan Garis (.364), Carlos Pena (.364), and Jeremy Martinez (.353) are also hitting above the .300 mark in conference competition boosting a Sycamore offense hitting .286 overall from the plate in the MVC.
The Sycamores’ power bats have come alive in conference competition with 23 of the team’s 57 hits going for extra bases over the six games. Garis has been the major proponent of the power swing with a team-high four home runs and 12 RBIs, while Carter Beck has added a pair of home runs, two doubles, and eight RBIs. Elip Gipson has also been effective with eight RBIs in conference play while also playing solid defense. Nomar Garcia is the team leader with eight runs scored.
The Indiana State pitching staff remains one of the best in the Missouri Valley this year as the Sycamores sit second in conference play in ERA (4.50), while leading the Valley in opponent batting average (.237). The Sycamores are third in the conference in strikeouts (51).
Gavin Morris (2-0, 0.00 ERA) and Breyllin Suriel (0-1, 0.79 ERA) are among the conference ERA, opponent batting average, and strikeout leaders through the first two weekends of the season. The duo are 1-2 in opponent batting average with Morris at .103 and Suriel at .125, while Suriel leads the MVC in strikeouts with 16. Carson Seeman (0-0, 0.00 ERA) has also kept the opposition scoreless in conference play over two appearances on the mound.
Ty Brooks (1-0, 3.38 ERA) and Max McEwen (0-1, 8.64 ERA) have been in the weekend rotation over the first two weeks with Brooks siting second on the team in innings pitched (10.2), while McEwen is second in strikeouts (11).
Season Overall
Carlos Pena (.346) continues to pace the Sycamore offense at the plate as the senior infielder/outfielder leads the Sycamores in hits (36) and doubles (9), while sitting among the team leaders in RBIs (26), runs (21), and slugging percentage (.596). Jackson Taylor (.333) has seen his average climb above the .300 mark over the last few weeks, while Keegan Garis (.330) is also hitting above the .300 mark with a team-high nine home runs, 28 runs scored, and a .681 slugging percentage.
Eli Gipson (.284) and Carter Beck (.274) have been atop the lineup consistently throughout the course of the 2025 season. Beck is the team leader with 28 RBIs while sitting second on the team with 31 hits, while Gipson has posted a .417 on-base percentage while lining up at both shortstop and third base.
The Indiana State pitching staff has combined to post a 5.68 team ERA on the season over 239.1 innings played. Seventeen different arms have taken the mound combining for a 192:120 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .263 opponent batting average.
Jack Armstrong (2-0, 3.78 ERA) has been among the team leaders on the mound this season, while Aaron Moss (1-0, 6.19 ERA), Carson Seeman (0-0, 5.71 ERA), Colby Morse (2-1, 4.97 ERA), and Gavin Morris (4-2, 4.44 ERA) have all made multiple appearances and could be in play on the mound in the weekend.
Scouting Belmont
Belmont enters the week with a 10-19 record and 2-4 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play prior to their Wednesday contest against Trevecca Nazarene. The Bruins have dropped six of their last eight games including series to Illinois State and Missouri State, while picking up the wins in the middle games of both weekend series.
Belmont was picked tied for eighth overall in the Missouri Valley preseason coaches poll with the Bruins recording 38 total points to finish in a tie with Bradley. The Bruins did not have a player recognized on the preseason MVC All-Conference team.
Pete Daniel is one of three Belmont players hitting above the .300 mark on the season with a team-high .376 batting average. The Bruins’ infielder paces Belmont with a team-high 41 hits and 10 doubles, while adding 11 stolen bases on the year. Ty Allen (.324) and Landon Godsey (.302) are also hitting above .300 on the season with Allen connecting on seven home runs with 30 RBIs. Mike Sprockett (.273) is the team’s power bat with nine home runs on the season.
Joe Ruzicka (2-1, 5.34 ERA), Jake Timbes (1-3, 6.46 ERA), and Zach Hernandez (0-2, 7.82 ERA) have been among the team’s primary starters over the season with Ruzicka pacing the way in innings pitched (30.1), while sitting second in strikeouts (26). The Bruins have posted a team 7.63 ERA over 236.0 innings with a 249:158 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Belmont is also allowing opponents to hit .286 from the plate.
Series History
Indiana State leads the all-time series against Belmont with a 9-0 record over the Bruins dating back to the inaugural contest in the 2014 season. The Sycamores have swept each of the weekend series against Belmont over the last two seasons, while adding a win in the 2023 MVC Baseball Championships.
The Sycamores claimed the weekend series in Nashville back in the 2023 season by scores of 2-1, 10-2, and 5-3 in the first MVC matchups between the two programs. The Sycamores are 5-0 all-time against the Bruins in Nashville.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
April 3
1923 — In Chicago, Ill., two Black Sox sue the White Sox. Swede Risberg and Happy Felsch seek $400,000 in damages and $6,750 in back salary for conspiracy and injury to their reputation in the aftermath of the scandalous 1919 World Series court case. Their suit will be unsuccessful.
1966 — The New York Mets sign University of Southern California star P Tom Seaver to his first contract.
1974 — The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6 in 11 innings before a crowd of 52,000 at Riverfront Stadium. In his first at-bat, Hank Aaron hit a three-run homer off Jack Billingham. It was his 714th, tying Babe Ruth’s career record. The Braves had considered keeping Aaron on the bench for the season-opening series in Cincinnati so that he could attempt to tie the record four days later in Atlanta. But commissioner Bowie Kuhn would not allow it and ordered the Braves to put Aaron into the lineup for at least two of the three games.
1985 — A major league owners’ proposal is agreed to by the Players Association. The American and National leagues playoff formats are changed to best-of-sevens.
1987 — The Chicago Cubs trade starting pitcher Dennis Eckersley to the Oakland Athletics for three minor leaguers. Eckersley will emerge as the game’s dominant closer, saving 291 games over the next eight seasons.
1988 — George Bell became the first player to hit three home runs on opening day, leading the Toronto Blue Jays past the Kansas City Royals 5-3. Bell, bitter throughout spring training with his move to designated hitter, homered three times in that role off Bret Saberhagen.
1989 — Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Seattle Mariners makes his major league debut.
1994 — Chicago’s Karl Rhodes hit three solo home runs off Dwight Gooden in a 12-8 loss to the New York Mets on opening day at Wrigley Field. Rhodes became the second player to homer three times in an opener.
1998 — Mark McGwire tied Willie Mays’ National League record by hitting a home run in each of his first four games of the season. McGwire launched a towering three-run shot in the sixth inning of an 8-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.
1999 — America’s pastime opened in Mexico for the first time. The Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 8-2 in baseball’s first season opener away from the United States and Canada.
2000 — A new major league record for Opening Day is set with five players having multiple home run games.
2001 — Hideo Nomo became the fourth pitcher in major-league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues in Boston’s 3-0 victory over Baltimore. Nomo, who threw the first no-hitter in Colorado’s Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, for Los Angeles, walked three and struck out 11 in the first no-hitter in the 10-year history of Camden Yards. Nomo joined Cy Young, Jim Bunning and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers with no-hitters in both leagues.
2003 — Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs became the 18th player to hit 500 career homers, connecting for a solo shot in a 10-9 loss to Cincinnati. He became the fifth player to reach 500 homers before his 35th birthday. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Jimmie Foxx were the others.
2005 — Dmitri Young became the third player to hit three homers on opening day, and Jeremy Bonderman won as the youngest opening day starter in the major-leagues since 1986 to lead Detroit over the Royals 11-2.
2005 — In his first outing for the New York Yankees, Randy Johnson allows a run and five hits in six innings as New York open the major league season with a 9 – 2 win.
2006 — Seattle Mariners rookie Kenji Johjima, the first catcher from Japan to start a major league game, hits a home run for his first hit.
2015 — MLB suspends P Ervin Santana, who signed the largest free agent contract in Twins history this off-season, for 80 games for testing positive to the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
April 3
1923 — “Black Sox” sue White Sox (unsuccessfully) for back salary.
1930 — The Montreal Canadiens win the NHL Stanley Cup with a two-game sweep of the Boston Bruins.
1933 — Ken Doraty’s overtime goal gives the Toronto Maple Leafs and 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins in semifinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The goal comes at one hour, 44 minutes and 46 seconds of the overtime beyond the one-hour regulation game.
1966 — P Tom Seaver signs with the NY Mets.
1975 — Bobby Fischer stripped of world chess title for refusing to defend it, title awarded to Russian Anatoly Karpov.
1977 — Jean Ratelle of the Boston Bruins scores his 1,000th point with an assist in a 7-4 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1982 — Buffalo’s Gil Perrault scores his 1,000th point with an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
1983 — 2nd NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: USC beats Louisiana Tech, 69-67.
1987 — Chicago Cubs trade Dennis Eckersley to Oakland A’s.
1988 — Louisiana Tech wins the NCAA women’s basketball championship with a 56-54 come-from-behind victory over Auburn.
1988 — Amy Alcott shoots a 1-under 71 to win the Dinah Shore by two shots over Colleen Walker.
1988 — Mario Lemieux wins NHL scoring title, stopping Gretzky’s 7 year streak.
1989 — Michigan beats Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime to win the NCAA basketball championship. Rumeal Robinson hits two free throws with three seconds left for the Wolverines. It’s the first time that a first-year coach, Steve Fisher, wins the national title.
1991 — Bo Jackson signs 1-year contract with Chicago White Sox.
1993 — For the first time in its 157-year history, the Grand National steeplechase is declared void because of a false start. Esha Ness crosses the line first, but most of the jockeys are unaware a false start is called and the majority of the 39-horse field continue the 4½-mile race around the Aintree course even though nine stay behind at the start line.
1994 — Charlotte Smith’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gives North Carolina a 60-59 victory over Louisiana Tech in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game.
1995 — UCLA wins its first national basketball championship in 20 years and record 11th NCAA title, keeping Arkansas from repeating with an 89-78 victory.
1996 — St Francis Fighting Saints scores college baseball run record with 71.
2000 — 62nd NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76.
2004 — St. Louis clinches its 25th consecutive NHL playoff berth, the longest in major league sports, with a 4-1 win over Nashville.
2006 — Joakim Noah dominates UCLA with 16 points, nine rebounds and a record seven blocks to key a 73-57 blowout for Florida’s first national title in men’s basketball.
2006 — Steve Yzerman scores his final NHL goal (#692).
2007 — After a nine-year title drought, Tennessee and coach Pat Summitt are NCAA champions. The Lady Vols capture an elusive seventh national title, beating Rutgers 59-46.
2010 — Bernard Hopkins wins a brutal unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. in their long-delayed rematch, emphatically avenging his loss in the famed champions’ first fight nearly 17 years earlier.
2012 — Brittney Griner scores 26 points and grabs 13 rebounds to help Baylor finish off an undefeated season with an 80-61 win over Notre Dame in the women’s national championship game. Baylor becomes the first team in NCAA history to win 40 games.
2017 — Justin Jackson delivers the go-ahead three-point play and North Carolina scores the last eight points for a 71-65 win over Gonzaga and an NCAA title that heartbreakingly eluded the Tar Heels last year. It’s an ugly game, filled with 44 fouls and 52 free throws. Carolina was down 2 with 1:40 left when Jackson took a pass under the bucket from Theo Pinson, made a layup and got fouled. The free throw made it 66-65, and after a Gonzaga miss on the other end, Isaiah Hicks made a shot to help North Carolina start pulling away to the school’s sixth title.
2019 — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is ejected after an NBA record low 63 seconds in the Spurs 113-85 loss in Denver; receives 2 technical fouls in a verbal confrontation with a referee.
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April 4
1921 — The NHL champion Ottawa Senators beat the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champion Vancouver Millionaires 2-1 to win the Stanley Cup 3 games to 2.
1937 — Byron Nelson shoots a 283 to win the Masters by two strokes over Ralph Guldahl.
1938 — Henry Picard beats Ralph Guldahl and Harry Cooper by two strokes to capture the Masters.
1959 — France beats Wales, 11-3 at Stade Colombes to win the Five Nations Rugby Championship outright for the first time.
1974 — Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth’s home-run record by hitting his 714th.
1983 — Lorenzo Charles scores on a dunk after Derek Whittenburg’s 35-foot desperation shot falls short to give North Carolina State a 54-52 triumph over Houston in the NCAA championship.
1985 — Tulane University cancels its basketball season.
1986 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky breaks his own NHL single-season points record with three assists to increase his total to 214. He scored 212 points in 1981-82.
1987 — New York’s Denis Potvin, the highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history, scores his 1,000th point.
1988 — Danny Manning scores 31 points and grabs 18 rebounds as Kansas wins its second NCAA championship with an 83-79 victory over Oklahoma.
1989 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays final NBA game.
1989 — NY Yankee Tommy John ties record of playing 26 seasons.
1993 — Sheryl Swoopes shatters the women’s championship game record by scoring 47 points to lead Texas Tech to an 84-82 victory over Ohio State.
1993 — Mario Andretti, at 53, wins the Valvoline 200 in Phoenix to become the oldest driver to win an Indy car race and the first driver to win a race in four different decades.
1994 — Arkansas wins its first men’s national championship with a 76-72 victory over Duke, depriving the Blue Devils of a third title in four years.
1997 — Anaheim Ducks clinch their 1st-ever playoff berth.
1997 — Braves officially open Turner Field.
1998 — Mark McGwire ties Willie Mays’ National League record by hitting a home run in each of his first four games. McGwire launches a towering three-run shot in the sixth inning of an 8-6 victory over the San Diego
2001 — Hideo Nomo becomes the fourth pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues in Boston’s 3-0 victory over Baltimore.
2003 — Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs becomes the 18th player to hit 500 career homers, connecting for a solo shot in a 10-9 loss to Cincinnati.
2004 — Carolina’s Brad Fast beat Florida goalie Roberto Luongo with a wrist shot to tie the game at 6-6 late in the third period. It’s the final tie game in NHL history.
2005 — North Carolina defeats Illinois to win the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship. Sean May has 26 points and the Tar Heels don’t allow a basket over the final 2 1/2 minutes to defeat Illinois 75-70.
2006 — 25th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Maryland beats Duke, 78-75 OT.
2011 — Kemba Walker scores 16 points and Alex Oriakhi has 11 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead Connecticut to a 53-41 win over Butler in the men’s NCAA championship game. g 2015 — The United States defends their women’s world hockey championship with a 7-5 win over Canada.
2016 — Kris Jenkins hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Villanova to the national title with a 77-74 victory over North Carolina — one of the wildest finishes in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Jenkins’ shot comes moments after Marcus Paige hit a double-clutch 3 from beyond the arc to tie the game at 74 with 4.7 seconds left.
2021 — 39th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Stanford Cardinal defeat Arizona Wildcats, 54–53.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
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