“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS REGIONAL PAIRINGS
NORTHERN HOSTS
MICHIGAN CITY
CLASS 3A | 1 PM CT | EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (19-8) VS. HANOVER CENTRAL (15-11)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM CT | PORTAGE (20-5) VS. CROWN POINT (21-2)
LOGANSPORT
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | MANCHESTER (22-2) VS. TIPTON (19-6)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | HOMESTEAD (21-5) VS. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (11-15)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (23-3) VS. COLUMBIA CITY (17-9)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | SOUTH BEND RILEY (21-4) VS. WARSAW COMMUNITY (25-4)
NEW CASTLE
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | DALEVILLE (9-15) VS. MONROE CENTRAL (18-6)
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | DELTA (16-7) VS. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN (24-3)
NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE
CLASS 1A | 1 PM CT | KOUTS (22-4) VS. TRI-COUNTY (14-11)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM CT | FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (21-6) VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY (19-6)
LAPEL
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | WESTERN BOONE (11-14) VS. WAPAHANI (25-1)
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | MACONAQUAH (20-5) VS. MARION (14-11)
TRITON
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | TRITON (22-4) VS. LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN (7-16)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | JIMTOWN (15-10) VS. WESTVIEW (18-7)
FRANKFORT
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | CLINTON PRAIRIE (23-2) VS. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (12-14)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | FISHERS (27-0) VS. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (19-6)
SOUTHERN HOSTS
SOUTHPORT
CLASS 4A | 1 PM ET | MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE) (20-) VS. BROWNSBURG (13-12)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | MOORESVILLE (14-11) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (20-6)
SEYMOUR
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (18-8) VS. ORLEANS (21-4)
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | SOUTH RIPLEY (23-1) VS. FOREST PARK (18-6)
LEBANON
CLASS 2A | 1 PM ET | TRITON CENTRAL (16-9) VS. UNIVERSITY (17-9)
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS CRISPUS ATTUCKS (19-6) VS. NORTHVIEW (24-2)
WASHINGTON
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (23-2) VS. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (18-6)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO (20-5) VS. WHITELAND COMMUNITY (15-11)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | NORTH DECATUR (14-13) VS. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (17-8)
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | GUERIN CATHOLIC (23-4) VS. NEW PALESTINE (24-3)
SOUTHRIDGE
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | JENNINGS COUNTY (12-14) VS. PRINCETON COMMUNITY (23-2)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | JEFFERSONVILLE (20-5) VS. EVANSVILLE HARRISON (17-7)
MARTINSVILLE
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (8-15) VS. HAUSER (23-3)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | PARKE HERITAGE (23-4) VS. CENTERVILLE (20-7)
LOOGOOTEE
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | NORTHEAST DUBOIS (16-9) VS. CLAY CITY (24-1)
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | LINTON-STOCKTON (20-6) VS. PROVIDENCE (17-4)
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#12 IOWA STATE 76 CINCINNATI 56
GEORGIA TECH 66 VIRGINIA 60
ARKANSAS 72 SOUTH CAROLINA 68
DAVIDSON 69 RICHMOND 65
CHARLOTTE 64 RICE 61
SAN JOSE STATE 66 WYOMING 61
NORTH CAROLINA 76 NOTRE DAME 56
COLORADO 67 WEST VIRGINIA 60
NORTHWESTERN 72 MINNESOTA 64
TEXAS 79 VANDERBILT 72
BUTLER 75 PROVIDENCE 69
NEVADA 86 FRESNO STATE 71
IOWA 77 OHIO STATE 70
DEPAUL 71 GEORGETOWN 67
LIBERTY 81 UTEP 60
MISSISSIPPI STATE 91 LSU 62
UNLV 68 AIR FORCE 59
AMERICAN 74 NAVY 52
STANFORD 78 CALIFORNIA 73
BAYLOR 70 KANSAS STATE 56
USC 97 RUTGERS 89 2OT
VILLANOVA 67 SETON HALL 55
SMU 73 SYRACUSE 53
OKLAHOMA 81 GEORGIA 75
KANSAS 98 CENTRAL FLORIDA 94 OT
GRAND CANYON 98 TEXAS ARLINGTON 75
CAL POLY 86 UC DAVIS 76
MONTANA 91 NORTHERN COLORADO 83
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BALL STATE 82 WESTERN MICHIGAN 53
INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
NOTRE DAME 12 WINTHROP 3
BELLARMINE 10 SOUTHERN INDIANA 8
PURDUE 10 BUTLER 1
SIU EDWARDSVILLE 12 EVANSVILLE 11
INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL
INDIANA 6 SOUTHERN INDIANA 5
EVANSVILLE 2 LINDENWOOD 1
EVANSVILLE 3 LINDENWOOD 1
INDIANA MEN’S COLLEGE LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA WOMEN’S COLLEGE LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCOREBOARD
OKLAHOMA CITY 118 BOSTON 112
ATLANTA 123 CHARLOTTE 110
TORONTO 118 PHILADELPHIA 105
MEMPHIS 122 UTAH 115
SAN ANTONIO 126 DALLAS 116
HOUSTON 111 PHOENIX 104
LA CLIPPERS 119 MIAMI 104
NEW YORK 114 PORTLAND 113 OT
MINNESOTA 115 DENVER 95
NHL SCOREBOARD
DETROIT 7 BUFFALO 3
VANCOUVER 4 CALGARY 3
UTAH 3 ANAHEIM 2
SEATTLE 5 MONTRÉAL 4 OT
MLB SCOREBOARD
ATLANTA 13 BALTIMORE 5
WASHINGTON 9 HOUSTON 3
DETROIT 5 TAMPA BAY 1
NY METS 2 ST. LOUIS 0
TEXAS 4 CINCINNATI 3
LA ANGELS 1 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
SAN FRANCISCO 11 CLEVELAND 2
ARIZONA 5 LAS VEGAS 2
COLORADO 13 SAN DIEGO 2
KANSAS CITY 7 SEATTLE 6
BOSTON 6 MINNESOTA 5
MLS SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP
Desmond Claude scored 22 of his game-high 28 points after halftime, helping No. 14 seed Southern California recover after coughing up a 15-point lead to oust No. 11 seed Rutgers from the Big Ten tournament’s opening round 97-89 in double overtime on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Rutgers’ Jeremiah Williams missed two foul shots with 19 seconds left in regulation. Claude then went one-on-one to the basket, scoring what proved to be the overtime-forcing layup after Dylan Harper’s last-ditch fadeaway attempt on the other end airballed.
The Trojans (16-16), who play No. 6 seed Purdue on Thursday, started the second OT with a layup from Claude and a 3-pointer from Rashaun Agee, and Rutgers never caught up. USC got 24 points from Wesley Yates III plus 23 points and 11 rebounds from Agee.
Harper finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for Rutgers (15-17). Ace Bailey wound up with 17 points before fouling out, and Lathan Sommerville and Tyson Acuff each contributed 16 points.
Northwestern 72, Minnesota 64
Nick Martinelli scored a game-high 28 points and Ty Berry added 14 to lift the Wildcats to a victory against the Golden Gophers.
Thirteenth-seeded Northwestern (17-15) advances to face fifth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday afternoon.
The Wildcats shot 48.2 percent compared to 37.7 percent for the 12th-seeded Golden Gophers. Minnesota (15-17) lost its third straight game while struggling to support leading scorer Dawson Garcia, who scored 22 points.
Iowa 77, Ohio State 70
Payton Sandfort scored 17 points and Josh Dix added 16 to help 15th-seeded Hawkeyes pull away in the second half for a victory over the 10th-seeded Buckeyes.
Iowa (17-15) plays No. 7 seed Illinois on Thursday. Brock Harding had 15 points and Pryce Sandfort 10 for the Hawkeyes.
Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes (17-15) with 24 points and nine assists, and Devin Royal added 17 points.
SEC TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP
Trevon Brazile scored 16 points Wednesday and Jonas Aidoo added a double-double as No. 9 seed Arkansas built a 20-point lead, then barely held on to eliminate 16th-seeded South Carolina 72-68 in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville.
Aidoo finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Razorbacks (20-12) advanced to a second-round matchup Thursday with No. 8 seed Ole Miss. Johnell Davis added 14 points, including two foul shots with 2.5 seconds left to seal the outcome, and D.J. Wagner chipped in 13 points plus six assists.
Collin Murray-Boyles scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who finished their season with a 12-20 record. Jamarii Thomas added 16 points and Jacobi Wright hit for 13 plus four assists.
Texas 79, Vanderbilt 72
Tre Johnson and Tramon Mark scored 19 points each to help the 13th-seeded Longhorns hold off the 12th-seeded Commodores in a Southeastern Conference tournament first-round slugfest.
The Longhorns won despite not making a field goal in the final 6:17. Texas (18-14) — considered a bubble team to make the NCAA Tournament — advanced to play rival Texas A&M, the No. 5 seed, in the second round on Thursday. Texas and Texas A&M split their two games this season.
Jordan Pope added 14 points, Arthur Kaluma scored 11 and Jayson Kent took 10 rebounds for Texas. Vanderbilt’s Jason Edwards led all scorers with 20 points while Tyler Nickel had 14. The Commodores now await their fate for the NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi State 91, LSU 62
Josh Hubbard scored 26 points and the No. 10 seed Bulldogs routed the No. 15 seed Tigers in Nashville.
Hubbard made more 3-pointers (six) than all of the Tigers combined (five), and Mississippi State finished with a 30-point advantage from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs (21-11) will oppose No. 21 Missouri, the No. 7 seed, in the second round.
Jordan Sears scored 20 points, Robert Miller III had 14 and Cam Carter added 13 for LSU (14-18).
Oklahoma 81, Georgia 75
Freshman Jeremiah Fears scored 29 points and led a late run that lifted the 14th-seeded Sooners to a win over the 11th-seed Bulldogs.
The Sooners (20-12) strengthened their case to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. Oklahoma will oppose sixth-seeded Kentucky in the second round on Thursday. Jalon Moore scored 14 points, hitting a career-high four 3-pointers, while Fears tied a season high with four 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs (20-12), who figure to be in the NCAAs for the first time since 2015, now await their tournament fate. Silas Demary Jr. led the Bulldogs with 24 points while freshman Asa Newell added 21 and a season-high 17 rebounds.
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP
Joshua Jefferson recorded 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead No. 12 Iowa State to a 76-56 victory over Cincinnati on Wednesday afternoon in the second round of the Big 12 tournament at Kansas City.
Tamin Lipsey scored 16 points and Milan Momcilovic added 13 for the fifth-seeded Cyclones (24-8). Dishon Jackson registered 10 points and a career-best 15 rebounds.
Jizzle James scored 17 points but was just 6-of-20 shooting for 13th-seeded Cincinnati (18-15). Josh Reed added 10 points for the Bearcats.
Iowa State, the fifth seed, will face fourth-seeded BYU (24-8) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The No. 17-ranked Cougars have won eight straight games.
Kansas 98, UCF 94 (OT)
Hunter Dickinson had six of his 23 points in overtime as the Jayhawks escaped with a victory over the Knights.
Kansas will face No. 3 seed Arizona in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Jayhawks defeated the visiting Wildcats 83-76 in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The sixth-seeded Jayhawks (21-11) were led by Zeke Mayo with 24 points. AJ Storr scored a season-high 19 and KJ Adams Jr. added 15.
The 14th-seeded Knights (17-16) were led by Keyshawn Hall with 25 points. Darius Johnson scored 22 and Moustapha Thiam and Jordan Ivy-Curry had 13 apiece.
Colorado 67, West Virginia 60
Reserve Elijah Malone scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to help the Buffaloes defeat the Mountaineers.
It was the second straight upset for the Buffaloes, who knocked off TCU in the first round. The Buffs, who used a huge second-half run to seize control, will face top-seeded Houston in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
The 16th-seeded Buffaloes (14-19) also got 13 points from RJ Smith off the bench and Andrej Jakimovski tallied 11. Eighth-seeded West Virginia (19-13) was led by Javon Small with 23 points. Toby Okani added 11.
Baylor 70, Kansas State 56
V.J. Edgecombe scored 19 points and Jayden Nunn added 18 off the bench as the Bears rolled to a win over the Wildcats.
The Bears (19-13) advance to play second-seeded Texas Tech in the tournament quarterfinals on Thursday. Baylor is expected to be chosen as an at-large team for the NCAA Tournament if it does not automatically qualify by winning this event. Norchad Omier added 12 points, all in the first half, and 14 rebounds for the Bears.
Kansas State (16-17) is likely done for the season, finishing with its worst record since a 14-17 campaign in 2021-22. David N’Guessan led Kansas State with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Dug McDaniel added 14 points for the Wildcats, and Max Jones chipped in 10.
ACC TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP
Chuck Harris and Matt Cross both scored 12 points and SMU had a successful debut in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, defeating Syracuse 73-53 in Wednesday night’s second-round game in Charlotte.
SMU’s defense did most of the good work as Syracuse, which had a season-low point total, couldn’t get untracked in the second half. Boopie Miller and Keon Ambrose-Hylton each contributed 10 points for the Mustangs, who are in their first season in the ACC.
SMU needs to string together victories to get into position for an NCAA Tournament bid and this was a good start, beating the Orange for the second week in a row. The sixth-seeded Mustangs (23-9) meet third-seeded Clemson (26-5) in Thursday’s late-night quarterfinal.
J.J. Starling scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half for 14th-seeded Syracuse (14-19). Jyare Davis added 14 points and Eddie Lampkin Jr. had 10 rebounds, but the Orange have never won more than one game in the ACC tournament since joining in 2013-14.
North Carolina 76, Notre Dame 56
Jae’Lyn Withers connected on seven 3-pointers to account for his career-high 21 points and the Tar Heels rolled to a victory against the Fighting Irish in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament’s second round at Charlotte, N.C.
Ven-Allen Lubin provided 17 points and 10 rebounds, and RJ Davis had 13 points for North Carolina, which raced to an early lead and didn’t let up. Withers tied a North Carolina team record for 3-point baskets in the ACC tournament. Fifth-seeded North Carolina (21-12), which has won seven of its last eight games, meets fourth-seeded Wake Forest (21-10) in Thursday afternoon’s quarterfinals.
ACC scoring leader Markus Burton scored 11 points for 12th-seeded Notre Dame (15-18).
Stanford 78, Cal 73
Maxime Raynaud’s 23 points and Jaylen Blakes’ 21 points combined with clutch baskets from backups Benny Gealer and Chisom Okpara enabled the Cardinal to survive their first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game with a second-round win over the Golden Bears.
Stanford’s late burst countered a 37-point outing by Cal’s Andrej Stojakovic. DJ Campbell’s 19 points and 10 rebounds and Mady Sissoko’s 11 points boosted No. 15 seed Cal (14-19), which shot 52.8 percent from the field. Stojakovic went 13-for-22, which included four 3-pointers.
Seventh-seeded Stanford (20-12), which had a first-round bye, meets No. 13 Louisville (25-6), the second seed, in Thursday night’s quarterfinals. Oziyah Sellers added 13 points and Okpara had 12 points for Stanford.
Georgia Tech 66, Virginia 60
Duncan Powell scored 21 points in his first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game as the Yellow Jackets defeated the Cavaliers in a second-round contest.
Baye Ndongo provided 16 points and 10 rebounds and Naithan George added 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Yellow Jackets avenged a regular-season loss. Eighth-seeded Georgia Tech (17-15) will face top-seeded Duke (28-3), the No. 1 team in the nation, in the first quarterfinal on Thursday afternoon.
Isaac McKneely led ninth-seeded Virginia (15-17) with 27 points, shooting 7-for-11 on 3-pointers. Playing under interim coach Ron Sanchez, the Cavaliers completed their first losing season in 15 years. He was elevated to the position a few weeks prior to the start of the season after the sudden retirement of coach Tony Bennett.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP
In a potential NBA Finals preview, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tossed in 34 points and Chet Holmgren added 23 points and 15 rebounds to lead the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder over the Boston Celtics 118-112 on Wednesday.
Oklahoma City, which outscored Boston 30-24 in the fourth quarter, has won eight of its past nine games. The result ended Boston’s five-game winning streak.
The game was tied at 98 with 8:12 to play, but the Thunder took control by scoring 15 of the next 19 points. Seven Oklahoma City players scored in double figures.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The Celtics received 22 points and eight rebounds from Derrick White, while Al Horford added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Timberwolves 115, Nuggets 95
Anthony Edwards scored 29 points, Julius Randle added 25 and visiting Minnesota beat Denver for its season-high sixth win in a row.
Jaden McDaniels contributed 16 points while Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have beaten the Nuggets five straight times dating back to the 2024 playoffs.
Nikola Jokic had 34 points and eight rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 19 points for the Nuggets, who fell into a tie with the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference. Denver struggled from deep, making just 7 of 30 shots (23.3 percent).
Knicks 114, Trail Blazers 113 (OT)
Mikal Bridges scored 33 points and drilled the winning 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to give New York a victory over host Portland.
Deni Avdija Avdija (27 points, 15 rebounds) converted a three-point play with 3.4 seconds left to put Portland ahead by two before the Knicks ran a play for Bridges, who finished off a stellar 13-of-21 shooting effort with the decisive trey.
OG Anunoby recorded 23 points and seven rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and seven boards and Josh Hart contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Knicks. Scoot Henderson scored 20 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime for Portland, which lost its fifth straight.
Rockets 111, Suns 104
Jalen Green scored a game-high 29 points, Alperen Sengun and Dillon Brooks combined for 39 points and Houston topped visiting Phoenix for its fourth win in a row.
Green finished 10-for-11 from the free-throw line and grabbed seven rebounds while Sengun paired 20 points with seven assists. Brooks added 19 points on 8-of-14-shooting from the field.
Bradley Beal paced the Suns with 25 points while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker scored 19 each. Phoenix shot 53.4 percent from the field but committed 17 turnovers en route to its fourth loss in six games.
Grizzlies 122, Jazz 115
Luke Kennard came off the bench to score a career-high-tying 30 points and Ja Morant added 28 points and seven assists to lead Memphis past visiting Utah.
Kennard made 11 of 14 shots from the field, including 7 of 9 from beyond the arc. Kennard and Morant made key 3-pointers in the final minute to give the Grizzlies their fourth straight win. Utah lost its seventh straight.
Desmond Bane chipped in 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds for Memphis, which improved to 24-10 at home. Utah got 22 points apiece from John Collins and Collin Sexton.
Clippers 119, Heat 104
James Harden posted 24 points, eight rebounds and a game-high 11 assists while leading visiting Los Angeles past struggling Miami.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 30 points and 10 rebounds and Ivica Zubac posted 26 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won four of their past five. Kawhi Leonard, who had 29 points in a loss at New Orleans on Tuesday, was held out as the Clippers played on consecutive nights.
Miami took its season-worst fifth straight despite a game-high 31 points plus seven assists and six rebounds from Tyler Herro. Andrew Wiggins added 22 points, but Bam Adebayo was held to six points, though he had seven rebounds, seven assists and a game-high five steals.
Raptors 118, 76ers 105
Jared Rhoden posted a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds and A.J. Lawson added 28 points as Toronto defeated visiting Philadelphia.
Toronto led by as many as 22 points in the first half, but the margin dwindled to three entering the fourth quarter. Rhoden had a steal and a dunk, however, to put the Raptors ahead by 10 with 8:28 left in the fourth, and he followed with a 3-pointer to bump the margin to 13.
Orlando Robinson added a career-best 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who got 14 rebounds from Colin Castleton. Quentin Grimes scored 29 points for the 76ers and Jeff Dowtin Jr. added a career-best 20 points.
Hawks 123, Hornets 110
Trae Young returned to the lineup to produce his 39th double-double of the season and help Atlanta win its fourth consecutive game, taking down visiting Charlotte.
Young, who missed a Monday game with a bruised left quadriceps, came back to score 35 points — going 21-for-21 at the foul line. He added 12 assists and seven rebounds. Young became only the eighth player in NBA history to have 21-plus free throws without a miss.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges logged 31 points and 11 rebounds. LaMelo Ball contributed 25 points and nine assists, and DaQuan Jeffries scored a career-high 20 points. The Hornets had their two-game winning streak end.
Spurs 126, Mavericks 116
De’Aaron Fox racked up 32 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to lead host San Antonio past Dallas, giving the Spurs a split of the teams’ two-games-in-three-nights series.
Fox registered his highest point output as a member of the Spurs since being acquired from the Sacramento Kings in early February. Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan each added 18 points off the San Antonio bench.
Reserve Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 19 points, while Dante Exum added 17.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP
Brandon Montour had two goals and two assists, and he scored the winner on a breakaway four seconds into overtime as the Seattle Kraken rallied for a 5-4 victory against the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
Jani Nyman scored in his NHL debut, Eeli Tolvanen and Matty Beniers also tallied and Jordan Eberle added three assists for the Kraken. Joey Daccord made 21 saves as Seattle won for the second time in three games.
Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice for Montreal, and Patrik Laine, who missed the previous two games with the flu, had a goal and an assist. Alex Newhook also tallied, Lane Hutson and captain Nick Suzuki had two assists apiece and Jakub Dobes stopped 30 of 35 shots.
Seattle scored the game’s first two goals, fell behind 4-2, then tied it with a pair of power-play goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Canadiens, who were 6-1-1 in their previous eight games, missed a chance to move into a tie with Columbus for the Eastern Conference’s second and final wild-card playoff spot.
Red Wings 7, Sabres 3
Patrick Kane piled up two goals and three assists and host Detroit snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Buffalo.
Marco Kasper supplied two goals and an assist, while Alex DeBrincat had a goal and three assists for the Red Wings. Vladimir Tarasenko and Moritz Seider also scored, and Dylan Larkin added three assists. Petr Mrazek, making his first start since being acquired from Chicago, made 23 saves.
Tage Thompson and Zach Benson each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, and Josh Norris also scored. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 shots.
Canucks 4, Flames 3 (SO)
Conor Garland’s goal clinched a shootout in a comeback victory for Vancouver over host Calgary.
Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist in regulation and also scored Vancouver’s first goal of the shootout. Pius Suter and Jake DeBrusk added goals and Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves through overtime and three of four in the shootout as the Canucks snapped a two-game skid.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice, then notched the Flames’ only goal in the shootout. Nazem Kadri collected one goal and one assist, and Dustin Wolf stopped 28 shots. MacKenzie Weegar recorded a pair of assists.
Utah 3, Ducks 2
Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist for the Utah Hockey Club in a win against Anaheim in Salt Lake City.
Jack McBain and Alexander Kerfoot also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves for Utah, which ran its point streak to four games (2-0-2) and moved within two points of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Alex Killorn and Mason McTavish scored and Ville Husso made 36 saves in his team debut for the Ducks, who are 1-4-0 in their past five games.
BASEBALL NEWS
SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP
Michael Harris II led off the fifth with a home run and added a three-run shot later in the frame to highlight a nine-run inning as the Atlanta Braves battered the host Baltimore Orioles 13-5 Wednesday in Sarasota, Fla.
Sandy Leon popped a three-run homer in the fifth while Nick Allen and Chandler Seagle cracked homers in other innings as the Braves built an 11-0 lead.
Atlanta starter Ian Anderson (2-1) gave up four walks, two hits and two runs in his four-inning stint to pick up the win.
Ryan Mountcastle and Dylan Carlson stroked homers for the Orioles. Jackson Holliday started at shortstop for the second time in three days and went 0-for-2. Dean Kremer (0-2) surrendered seven hits (including Harris’ first homer), three walks and four runs in four-plus innings.
Nationals 9, Astros 3
MacKenzie Gore fired 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball and Washington piled up 12 hits to claim the win over visiting Houston in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Gore (2-0) fanned six while allowing two hits and three walks. Backup shortstop Nasim Nunez posted two hits after entering the game for CJ Abrams, who legged out a triple in the first and then left with quadriceps cramps.
Nehomar Ochoa, a 19-year-old outfielder, went 2-for-2 with two RBI to pace the Astros. Starter Brandon Walter (0-1) struck out three in three innings but gave up four hits and two runs.
Mets 2, Cardinals 0
New York starter Paul Blackburn twirled four perfect innings, then A.J. Minter, Danny Young, Tyler Zuber and TJ Shook handled the rest as host St. Louis was blanked on two hits in Jupiter, Fla.
Blackburn (1-1) struck out two, and Francisco Lindor went 1-for-3 and stole his first base of the spring in the leadoff spot for the Mets. William Lugo poked a solo homer in the ninth to provide insurance.
Pedro Pages broke up the Mets’ no-no with a sixth-inning double. Victor Scott II added a single and his fifth steal in the ninth. Miles Mikolas (0-1) went five innings for the Cardinals and gave up just one run while fanning three, walking one and scattering five hits.
Tigers 5, Rays 1
Spencer Torkelson opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the fourth and finished with four RBIs as Detroit took care of visiting Tampa Bay in Lakeland, Fla.
Tigers starter Casey Mize struck out four, walked three and allowed one single and no runs in his 3 1/3-inning stint. Brenan Hanifee (1-0) followed Mize and earned the win while fanning four in 1 2/3 shutout innings. Gleyber Torres went 1-for-1 with two walks at the top of Detroit’s order.
Tanner Murray provided the Rays’ only run with an eighth-inning homer off Will Vest. Ryan Pepiot (0-2) struck out four in four innings but gave up three hits, two walks and two runs.
Rangers 4, Reds 3
Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer in the first inning to lead Texas to a win over visiting Cincinnati in Surprise, Ariz.
The Rangers split their innings among nine pitchers, and Jacob Webb (1-0) claimed the win for tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball while whiffing two. Adolis Garcia doubled and scored a run.
Nick Martinez (0-1) worked four innings for the Reds and allowed four hits and four runs (three earned). Jeimer Candelario poked a three-run double off Hoby Milner in the third to account for all of Cincinnati’s scoring. TJ Friedl added two hits from the leadoff slot.
Giants 11, Guardians 2
Tyler Fitzgerald went 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI as San Francisco rolled over host Cleveland in Goodyear, Ariz.
David Villar knocked two hits and scored two runs while Sam Huff added a solo homer for the Giants. Starter Tristan Beck (1-0) struck out three and allowed just one run and one hit in his 2 2/3-inning stint.
Bo Naylor cracked his third round-tripper of the spring for the Guardians, and Jose Ramirez added an RBI double. Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo (1-2) racked up nine strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, but he surrendered four runs and six hits.
Diamondbacks 5, Athletics 2
Juan Corniel’s RBI single in the eighth snapped a 2-2 tie and guided visiting Arizona to the win over the Athletics in Mesa, Ariz.
Pavin Smith popped a solo homer for the Diamondbacks. Starter Ryne Nelson allowed just one baserunner during his 3 2/3 innings — a solo homer by CJ Alexander in the third.
A’s starter Osvaldo Bido went five innings and allowed four hits and two runs while fanning four. The Athletics’ top four hitters — Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers — combined to go 0-for-11.
Royals 7, Mariners 6
Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez smashed a second-inning grand slam, but it wasn’t enough as Tyler Tolbert drilled a two-run homer to spark a four-run ninth that rallied Kansas City past the host Mariners in Peoria, Ariz.
Vinnie Pasquantino rapped two doubles for the Royals. Starter Ross Stripling surrendered five runs (four earned) on five hits in his two innings. Austin Cox (3-0) claimed the win with a perfect eighth.
Rodriguez finished 2-for-3 with his third homer of the spring. Victor Robles went 2-for-4 with two runs and a solo homer from the leadoff spot. Seth Martinez (0-1) took the loss as he was responsible for Kansas City’s four-run ninth.
Rockies 13, Padres 2
Nolan Jones went 4-for-4 with a double, two runs and three RBIs to spark host Colorado over San Diego in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Sean Bouchard added a two-run homer as part of his three-hit, three-RBI day and Zac Veen contributed a bases-loaded triple as the Rockies racked up 17 hits. Bradley Blalock (2-0) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief.
Jose Iglesias led off the game with a double and went 2-for-3 for the Padres. Robert Suarez (0-1) took the loss as he allowed four runs, five hits and one walk while retiring just one batter in the fourth.
Angels 1, White Sox 1
Chicago outhit Los Angeles 11-3, but the host White Sox went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position to end matters with a tie in Phoenix.
Miguel Vargas and Josh Rojas notched two hits apiece for the White Sox while starter Justin Dunn threw three hitless innings.
Jose Soriano handled the first three innings for the Angels and amassed five strikeouts while yielding three walks, five hits and one run. Former White Sox catcher Chuckie Robinson forged the tie with an RBI single in the eighth.
Red Sox 6, Twins 5
RBI singles by Marcelo Mayer and Mark Kolozsvary in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Boston to a win over visiting Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Triston Casas hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox in the first inning. Boston starter Tanner Houck was tagged for five runs on eight hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.
Ryan Jeffers knocked in two runs while Matt Wallner and Carlos Correa each collected two hits for the Twins. Joe Ryan permitted four runs on two hits (including Casas’ slam) in 2 1/3 innings.
NFL NEWS
###The Philadelphia Eagles are signing free agent running back AJ Dillon, who missed the entire 2024 season with a neck injury, according to reports from NFL Network and the Associated Press.
It’s a one-year deal for Dillon, though financial terms were not reported.
The 6-foot, 247-pound back gives the Eagles a power rusher behind star RB Saquon Barkley.
Dillon, 26, has rushed for 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns in 60 career games (11 starts) with the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2020 draft. He also has 86 receptions out of the backfield for 763 yards and two scores.
Dillon sat out last season with a neck stinger. He also finished the 2023 season on injured reserve with the same injury that forced him to miss the final two games.
Dillon has received clearances from the top neck specialists in the country, per NFL Network.
###The Denver Broncos reached a two-year deal with two-time Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram, according to reports on Wednesday.
The contract is worth $23 million, including $16.5 million guaranteed.
Engram was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after having a down season in 2024 that followed a career-best campaign in which Engram caught 114 passes for 963 yards and four touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3 tight end was hindered by hamstring and shoulder injuries last season, posting just 47 receptions for 365 yards and one score.
Engram, 30, has 496 career receptions for 4,922 yards and 25 touchdowns in 108 games (89 starts) with the New York Giants (2017-21) and Jaguars (2022-24). He was a first-round pick (23rd overall) by the Giants in 2017.
###The Seattle Seahawks reeled in veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence on Wednesday with a three-year deal worth a reported $42 million.
The deal for the longtime Dallas Cowboys standout includes $18 million guaranteed.
Seattle’s defensive coordinator is Aden Durde, Dallas’ defensive line coach from 2021-23.
The four-time Pro Bowler has 61.5 sacks in 11 seasons, all with the Cowboys.
Lawrence, who turns 33 next month, was limited to four games last season due to a sprained right foot. He had 14 tackles and three sacks.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound lineman had 25 sacks across a two-season period earlier in his career — 14.5 in 2017 and 10.5 in 2018. He was an All-Pro second-team choice in 2017.
Lawrence has 450 tackles, including 97 for losses, in 141 regular-season games (123 starts). He has compiled 21 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
A former college star at Boise State, Lawrence was a second-round pick by the Cowboys in 2014.
###Free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson will meet with both the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants this week, multiple outlets reported, as he looks to join his third team in four seasons.
Wilson, 36, played his first 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, but has been on the move of late after playing two seasons with the Denver Broncos and spending last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson passed for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 starts for the Steelers last season, while going 6-5. He missed time with a calf injury as the Steelers ended the season 10-7 and lost 28-14 to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Wilson was 20-of-29 passing against the Ravens for 270 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Browns, who went 3-14 last season, will be without quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2025 because of an Achilles injury that required surgery. The Giants, who also went 3-14, moved on from quarterback Daniel Jones last season.
In 199 career NFL games, Wilson has completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 46,135 yards, 350 TDs and 111 interceptions. A 10-tme Pro Bowler, Wilson led the Seahawks to a 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII following the 2013 season.
###The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, according to multiple reports.
Slay, 34, has 28 career interceptions and 160 passes defensed in 177 games (167 starts) with the Lions (2013-19) and Eagles. He was drafted in the second round by Detroit in 2013, going on to make three Pro Bowls for the Lions.
A string of three more consecutive Pro Bowl nominations was snapped in 2024, when he started all 14 games in which he played for the Super Bowl champions. He recorded 13 passes defensed and 49 tackles.
The Steelers will pair Slay with 2023 second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. He will also be reunited with former Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell, who also signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh.
Releasing Slay with a post-June 1 designation will save the Eagles $4.3 million against their salary cap in 2025. Philadelphia is reportedly also parting ways with former Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry, who spent the entire 2024 season on injured reserve as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon.
###Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was released by the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday after the team failed to find a trade partner.
Kupp, 31, was designated as a post-June 1 cut which costs the Rams $14.78 million in dead cap in 2025 and $7.48 million in 2026. Kupp’s release will save the Rams $15 million in cap space next season.
Kupp spent eight seasons with the Rams, but Los Angeles moved in a new direction, signing Davante Adams to a two-year deal.
Kupp had a season for the ages in 2021 when he won the NFL receiving triple crown with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He caught two TD passes in the Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection.
That postseason he totaled 33 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four games and was named MVP of Super Bowl LVI with eight receptions for 92 yards and the two TDs, including the winning 1-yard score with 1:25 left in the Rams’ 23-20 victory.
But Kupp has been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons and has only topped 800 yards once during the span. This season, he injured an ankle in Week 2 and was limited to 12 games, producing 67 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns.
Kupp, who turns 32 in June, is eager to recapture his form.
“2024 began with one of the best training camps of my career,” Kupp wrote in February when he learned the Rams would try to trade him. “Preparations start now for 2025. Highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come.”
Kupp was due to make $20 million in 2025 in salary and bonuses with a cap hit of $29.78 million, making it difficult to find a trade partner.
Current Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was the Rams’ offensive coordinator when Kupp had his mammoth campaign, which has prompted speculation that Minnesota could be interested.
Kupp was a college star at FCS Eastern Washington before the Rams drafted him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He has 634 catches for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns in 104 regular-season games (89 starts).
###The Dallas Cowboys acquired cornerback Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday in exchange for two draft picks.
The Cowboys sent a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and a seventh-rounder in 2026 for Elam, a former first-round pick. The Cowboys also get a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Elam, 23, has two interceptions, six passes defensed and 81 tackles in 29 career games (12 starts) for the Bills, who took him No. 23 overall in the 2022 draft.
The Cowboys are trying to shore up their secondary after losing Jourdan Lewis in free agency and with uncertainty surrounding Trevon Diggs after graft surgery to his left knee in January.
Elam is in the final season of his rookie contract with a club option for 2026. He’s set to count $2.57 million against the salary cap in 2025.
###Quarterback Marcus Mariota is staying with the Washington Commanders, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
His deal is for one year and $8 million, according to NFL Network.
Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, spent his first five seasons with the Tennessee Titans and has bounced around the league since — two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, then one each in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, largely in a backup role.
Mariota will continue to be a valuable mentor to starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. Coach Dan Quinn credited Mariota for the assistance he offered the rookie last season, and the two quarterbacks developed a bond.
Now 31, Mariota won the 2014 Heisman Trophy, has appeared in 93 NFL games and is 34-40 as a starter. He’s completed 63 percent of his passes for 16,184 yards with 97 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.
###The Seattle Seahawks are in agreement with free agent wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
The Seahawks would be the wideout’s fifth team in eight seasons.
Valdes-Scantling, 30, began the 2024 season in Buffalo before the Bills released him on Oct. 15. He signed with New Orleans six days later and went to post 17 catches for 385 yards and four touchdowns in eight games (all starts) for the Saints.
Valdes-Scantling has 205 career receptions for 3,556 yards and 20 TDs in 106 games (68 starts). He led the league in yards per reception in 2020 with 20.9 while with the Green Bay Packers, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft. He won two Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Seahawks are retooling their WR room after releasing Tyler Lockett and trading DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh, a deal that’s expected to become official later Wednesday.
###Kenneth Gainwell is set to join the Pittsburgh Steelers in a reshaped backfield without Najee Harris and no defined answer at quarterback.
Gainwell agreed to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports Wednesday, and gives the Steelers some insurance behind restricted free agent Jaylen Warren. Warren was given a second-round tender offer by the Steelers this week and is projected to be Pittsburgh’s starter in the absence of Harris. Harris, a 2021 first-round pick, agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers in free agency.
Gainwell, who turns 26 on Friday, was a fifth-round pick in 2021 and averaged 4.2 yards per carry in four seasons with the Eagles. He’s capable of being a third-down back and averaged 7.1 yards per catch with 102 receptions for 721 yards. He had a total of 1,906 yards and 13 touchdowns with Philadelphia.
Warren, 26, averaged 4.8 yards per carry with 127 receptions in his first three seasons. He was expected to start the 2024 season in a co-No. 1 role with Harris until a hamstring injury slowed him down.
–Defensive tackle Greg Gaines re-signed with the Buccaneers.
Gaines reportedly will receive $3.5 million for the 2025 season, his third with the team. A backup nose tackle, he played in 15 games (three starts) in 2024 and had 17 tackles with one sack.
Gaines, 28, is entering his seventh season after four years with the Los Angeles Rams. He has 163 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 91 career games (30 starts).
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
COLTS NEWS
COLTS RE-SIGN WR ASHTON DULIN
The Colts on Wednesday re-signed wide receiver Ashton Dulin.
The 27-year-old Dulin will enter his seventh year with the Colts after joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Over 70 games (five starts), Dulin has 35 receptions on 60 targets for 517 yards with four touchdowns; he’s also established himself as a core player on special teams, earning second-team AP All-Pro honors as a special teamer in 2021.
Dulin in 2024 earned an 86.0 Pro Football Focus special teams grade, 13th-highest among players with at least 200 special teams snaps. Dulin has played at least 50 percent of the Colts’ special teams snaps in each of his five seasons with the team (he missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn ACL sustained in training camp). In 2024, Dulin played a career-high 295 special teams snaps.
As a wide receiver, the Colts have consistently valued Dulin’s speed and versatility – multiple coaching staffs have trusted him to step in at any receiver position and play well if asked. Dulin in 2024 caught just two passes, but one was a 54-yard touchdown in the Colts’ season opener against the Houston Texans. He also caught a 60-yard touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
The Colts previously signed Dulin to a contract extension prior to the 2023 season.
COLTS RE-SIGN C DANNY PINTER
The Colts on Wednesday re-signed center/guard Danny Pinter.
This is the second time the Colts have re-signed Pinter, as the team brought him back as a free agent in 2024. The 28-year-old Pinter has appeared in 60 games (nine starts) over four seasons, tagging in at both center and guard on the interior of the Colts’ offensive line.
Pinter in 2024 appeared in 14 games and started at center in Weeks 13 and 15. Pinter earned a career-high 82.9 Pro Football Focus overall grade as a starter in the Colts’ Week 13 win over the New England Patriots.
The Colts initially selected Pinter in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. Pinter has exclusively played football for teams based in Indiana; he’s a native of South Bend and played in college at Ball State.
COLTS RE-SIGN C WESLEY FRENCH
The Colts on Wednesday re-signed center Wesley French.
French appeared in 17 games and started at center in Weeks 3, 4 and 12 of the 2023 season, his second year with the Colts. The 6-foot-4, 307 pound French also saw action on offense in Weeks 2, 9 and 10 during 2023.
French sustained a season-ending injury during training camp in 2024 and spent the entire season on injured reserve.
The Colts initially signed French as an undrafted free agent in 2022. French earned a spot on the Colts’ 53-man roster out of training camp that year but did not see game action.
The 28-year-old French played his college ball at Western Michigan.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
Opening Tip
• Indiana University begins postseason play in the 125th season of competition in men’s basketball against No. 23 Oregon at noon ET on Thursday, March 13 in Indianapolis. The second-round game of the Big Ten Tournament will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game can be viewed on BTN with Guy Haberman (pxp) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) on the call. Rick Pizzo will handle sideline reporting duties.
• The eighth-seeded Ducks enter the game with a record of 23-8 (12-8 Big Ten) under 15th-year head coach Dana Altman. Oregon is led by senior center Nate Bittle. The All-Big Ten Third Team selection averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 points, and 2.2 blocks per game in the regular season. Sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad (13.3 points per game), senior guard TJ Bamba (10.2), and senior guard Keeshawn Barthelemy (10.2) all contributed double-figure scoring for Oregon.
Game Information
Thursday, March 13, 2025 • Noon ET
Big Ten Tournament Second Round
Gainbridge Fieldhouse (20,000) • Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: BTN (Guy Haberman, Stephen Bardo, Rick Pizzo)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: OU 73, IU 63 on March 4, 2025, in Eugene
Series History
• The Hoosiers are 3-1 in the brief series against the Ducks, one of the Big Ten’s newest additions. IU won the first three meetings in Portland as part of the Far West Classic.
• Indiana defeated Oregon by a score of 68-60 on Dec. 28, 1978, the last time the Hoosiers claimed victory. Current IU head coach Mike Woodson led the way with 36 points and nine rebounds.
• Oregon used a 10-0 run over the final 1:58 of game time to topple Indiana (73-64) in the first matchup as conference foe at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway paced the IU attack with 16 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
Last Time Out
• Indiana closed out the regular season with a home 66-60 home win over Ohio State on Saturday, March 8. Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway scored 16 points, including a 30-foot 3-pointer to seal the game, and added six assists to lead IU on Senior Day. Junior forward Malik Reneau paced the Hoosier bench with 16 points and five boards. The IU reserves outscored the second unit from OSU by a mark of 19-9.
• IU trailed 29-25 at the halftime break and by as many as 10 (46-36) with just over 12 minutes to play before out-pacing the visitors 30-14 down the stretch.
Following the Gallo-Way
• Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway holds the program record for all-time games played with 139. Gallo is eighth in career assists (424), and 56th in career points scored (1,005). He became the 56th player in program history to score 1,000 career points on March 8. He is one of seven players in IU history on both the 1,000-point and 400-assist lists. He joins Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (2012-16), Tom Coverdale (2000-04), A.J. Guyton (1997-01), Damon Bailey (1991-95), Randy Wittman (1979-84), and Quinn Buckner (1973-77) on the exclusive list.
• The Culver Academies alum has handed out at least five helpers in 39 career games and at least eight dimes in eight contests. The Hoosiers hold a record of 7-1 in those games.
• He was one of three B1G players (Brock Harding, Iowa; Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State) to average at least 4.0 assists in under 30.0 minutes per game in the regular season.
• Galloway is one of two active Big Ten players (Braden Smith, Purdue) to have collected 1,000 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds, and 100 steals in their careers.
Reneau for Two
• Junior forward Malik Reneau has averaged 13.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game across 25 contests. He has shot 55.3% (131-of-237) from the floor and 72.4% (63-of-87) from the free throw line in 23.2 minutes per game. He became the 55th player in program history to score 1,000 career points on Feb. 23.
• Reneau made 17-straight shots from the floor from the close of the UCLA game (Feb. 14) through the first half of the contest at Washington (March 1). The streak marked the longest for any Hoosier in the last 25 seasons.
• He has tallied 15-plus points 31 times in his career, including 12 games this season, and topped the 20-point threshold 10 times. IU holds a record of 22-9 in games Reneau scores at least 15 points throughout his career.
Three Hoosiers Honored by Big Ten Conference
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by both the conference coaches and voting media members.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau was selected Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by the league’s media voters.
• Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal was chosen as the Indiana representative on the 2024-25 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Sportsmanship Team.
Late Run Dooms Indiana in Eugene
• Indiana dropped a 73-64 contest at Oregon on Tuesday, March 4. Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway paced the IU attack with 16 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Sixth-year center Oumar Ballo recorded a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double in 30 minutes of run.
• The Hoosiers held a 64-63 on a Galloway triple with 1:58 to play in the second half. The Ducks responded with a 10-0 run to close the game.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– Indiana trailed 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning to Southern Indiana on Wednesday night at Andy Mohr Field before Taylor Minnick got to the plate.
The senior and Bloomington native then crushed a grand slam over the center field wall to give Indiana the 6-5 lead and propel it to the win.
With the win, Indiana’s season record now stands at 19-5 heading into conference play.
INDIANA 6, SOUTHERN INDIANA 5
KEY MOMENTS
• Southern Indiana struck first, breaking a scoreless tie in the top of the second inning when Jordan Mackey doubled to left center to bring in two runs and put USI up 2-0.
• The Screaming Eagles added to their lead with another RBI double in the top of the fifth inning when Whitley Hunter hit a double to center field and brought Caroline Stapleton home to make it a 3-0 game.
• Indiana got on the board when Kinsey Mitchell hit a sac fly out to center field which brought Brianna Copeland in to score and draw closer, only trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
• Southern Indiana extended their lead with another RBI single from Mackey to make it 4-1. Not long after, Southern Indiana capitalized on an Indiana error as Grace Huffman made it from second to home to make it 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning.
• In the next half inning, Indiana flipped the momentum.
• Aly VanBrandt got the rally started with a single. Sydni Burko hit a single through the left side to score VanBrandt and make it 5-2.
• Then, Madalyn Strader singled and Alex Cooper walked to load the bases.
• Then, with Minnick up to bat, she hit the ball well over the center field wall for a grand slam and 6-5 Indiana lead.
NOTABLES
• The grand slam was the first of Minnick’s career.
• Indiana has won seven games in a row.
• Brianna Copeland improved her season record to 4-2 in the circle.
• Reyes tied her career high of four strikeouts.
• Minnick, VanBrandt and Strader each logged two hits.
INDIANA SWIMMING
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana swimming and diving added eight Hoosiers to its rosters for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships during this week’s NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, which concluded Wednesday (March 12) inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University.
With the four diving additions to both the men’s and women’s teams, IU improved its men’s roster to 17 athletes and women’s squad to 14 – with divers counting as half a participant.
Junior Dash Glasberg and freshman Mary Kate Cavanaugh became the fourth divers for the men’s and women’s teams to qualify for the national meet with their platform performances Wednesday. Glasberg finished right above the cutline in 10th, while Cavanaugh placed sixth in the women’s event. Having both also placed top 12 in a previous event, both athletes will be eligible to dive on a second board – Glasberg on 1-meter and Cavanaugh on 3-meter.
Five Indiana divers qualified on all three boards. On the men’s side, seniors Quinn Henninger, Carson Tyler and Maxwell Weinrich – who combined for 121 points at last year’s NCAA Championships – will again look to give Indiana a significant advantage in the diving well. Sophomores Ella Roselli and Lily Witte swept the NCAA bids on the women’s side. Senior Skyler Liu will compete in the 3-meter and platform events.
RESULTS
Women’s Platform
T1. Skyler Liu – 634.80 (NCAA Qualifier)
4. Ella Roselli – 582.20 (NCAA Qualifier)
6. Mary Kate Cavanaugh – 515.60 (NCAA Qualifier)
7. Lily Witte – 493.35 (NCAA Qualifier)
20. James Jones – 212.35
25. Morgan Casey – 202.40
Men’s Platform
2. Maxwell Weinrich – 814.60 (NCAA Qualifier)
3. Carson Tyler – 793.95 (NCAA Qualifier)
5. Quinn Henninger – 780.30 (NCAA Qualifier)
10. Dash Glasberg – 658.65 (NCAA Qualifier)
18. William Jansen – 553.90 (Finalist)
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior guard Braden Smith has been named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News, the organization announced today.
The Sporting News is one of four entities that comprise consensus All-America recognition, and is joined by the NABC, Associated Press and USBWA, all of which will be announced later this month.
It marks the first All-American honor for the Westfield, Indiana, native and it marks the fourth straight year that a Boilermaker has earned at least one first-team All-American accolade. Jaden Ivey was named a NABC first-team honoree in 2022, while Zach Edey earned back-to-back National Player of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024.
In addition, Purdue has now had three guards named All-American in the last seven years (Carsen Edwards – 2018, 2019; Jaden Ivey – 2022; Braden Smith – 2025). Purdue and Marquette are the only schools in the country to make that claim.
Purdue’s five first-team honors since the 2016-17 season are tied for the most in the country with Kansas (Caleb Swanigan – 2017; Jaden Ivey – 2022; Zach Edey – 2023, 2024; Braden Smith – 2025).
First-Team All America – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
Named the Big Ten Player of the Year.
Averages 16.3 points, 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, but saw his averages increase to 17.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during Big Ten play.
Set the Big Ten record for assists in conference play only with 175, smashing the previous record set by Michigan State’s Cassius Winston (157) by 18 assists – almost a full assist per game.
Became the second player in Big Ten history, joining Michigan State’s Magic Johnson, to register 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. Smith has reached those numbers in each of the last two seasons.
Became the school’s career assists leader, now with 717 assists in just 105 career games.
Needs just three assists, five rebounds and three steals to become the second player in NCAA history to have 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season, joining Georgia Tech standout Kenny Anderson (1989-90) as members of that group.
Is on pace to be the first player since California’s Jason Kidd (1993-94) to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Smith’s 717 assists (and counting) are the eighth most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season.
Recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games this season. Prior to this year, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist games in school history – the last one coming in the 1987-88 season.
His nine point-assist double-doubles are the third most for a high-major player in the last 20 seasons (14 – Oklahoma’s Trae Young, 2018; 10 – Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, 2023).
Smith has posted two games of 30 or more points this season (34 vs. Toledo; 31 vs. Iowa).
Has 12 games of 10 or more assists this season, and 22 games of 10 or more assists for his career. His 22 career games of 10 or more assists are the most in Big Ten history. The 22, 10-assist games are the fourth most by a player in his junior season or younger in the last 20 years (Kay Felder – 32; Kendall Marshall – 23; Ja Morant – 23).
###GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 32
[6 seed] Purdue (21-10) vs. [14] USC (16-16)
Thursday, March 13, 2025 | 9 p.m. ET
Indianapolis, Indiana | Gainbridge Fieldhouse (18,345)
TELEVISION: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
ABOUT GAMEDAY
• The No. 20 Purdue men’s basketball team begins postseason play on Thursday night, when it will face USC in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Purdue is looking for its third tournament title, and second in three years, after previously winning championships in 2009 and 2023.
THE KEY NOTES
THE NUMBERS (AS OF MARCH 12): A look at Purdue’s numbers entering the Big Ten Tournament.
• NCAA NET: 14th
• Quad-1: 7-9 | Quad 2: 8-1 | Quad 3: 2-0 | Quad 4: 4-0
• KenPom: 14th | Off. Efficiency: 8th | Def. Efficiency: 53rd
• Strength of Schedule (KenPom): 6th
• Associated Press: 20th | USA Today Coaches Poll: 20th
• BracketMatrix.com (Seed): 4 seed
CONSISTENT SUCCESS: There are only three power-5 conference teams, Purdue (Big Ten), Connecticut (Big East) and Tennessee (SEC), that have finished in the top four of their conference races in five straight years (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25).
THE OBVIOUS CHOICE:Braden Smith was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, giving Purdue three straight Big Ten Player of the Year awards (Zach Edey – 2023, 2024). Purdue is the first team in league history with three straight unanimous POY recipients.
500-POINT DUO:Trey Kaufman-Renn (612) and Braden Smith (506) are 1-of-2 Big Ten tandems to have each scored 500 points this season (Rutgers). The pair is averaging a combined 36.0 points, the most at Purdue since 2011 (Johnson, Moore).
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS THREE: Purdue is looking for its third Big Ten Tournament title in school history, after winning championships in 2009 and 2023.
THE LEADERS: Purdue’s shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in 14 of 20 Big Ten contests, leading the league in field goal percentage (.503) and 3-point percentage (.380).
• Braden Smith led the league in assists for the second straight season, while Trey Kaufman-Renn was second in scoring. Fletcher Loyer led the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (min. 2 3PM / game). Smith was also second in the league in steals.
• Braden Smith’s 8.8 assists average smashed the Big Ten record for assists per game (2019 – Cassius Winston, 7.9).
ONE OF ONE:Braden Smith became the first player in NCAA history to have scored at least 1,300 points, dish out 700 assists and grab 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
• Smith needs three assists, five rebounds and three steals to become the second player in NCAA history to have 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season (Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson – 1990).
FAMILIAR SETTING: Purdue has won eight of its last 10 games in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, dating to the 2020-21 season.
THE QUICK HITTERS: For the first time since the Big Ten implemeted the Big Ten Tournament’s double-bye before the 2014-15 season, Purdue will play before Friday. The Boilermakers had received a double-bye in every tournament played since the 2014-15 tournament. Purdue did not receive a double-bye in 2020, but that tournament was canceled.
• Purdue lost its regular-season finale for the first time entering a Big Ten Tournament that was actually played since falling in the 2013-14 regular-season finale.
• Purdue has won six of its last eight games in the Big Ten Tournament, winning the 2023 title in Chicago.
• The last two times that the tournament was played in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Purdue reached the title game (2016, 2022).
• Purdue has won eight of its last 10 games in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, dating to the 2020-21 season. The losses came to Iowa in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament and in this year’s Indy Classic vs. Texas A&M.
• Expected to hear its name called on Selection Sunday, the Boilermakers have been to nine straight NCAA Tournaments, the fourth-longest streak in America (Kansas – 34; Michigan State – 26; Gonzaga – 25). This year should make 10 straight.
• Purdue has finished in the top four of the Big Ten standings in 11 of the last 12 seasons. It is the only Big Ten school to currently have five straight top-four finishes.
• In Big Ten play only, Purdue led the league in field goal percentage (.503), 3-point percentage (.380) and steals per game (7.4). The Boilermakers have led the league in field goal percentage in three of the last four years and led the league in 3-point percentage for the fourth time in the last nine years. It led the league in steals for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
• Purdue has ranked in the top two in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage in six of the last nine seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025).
• Purdue has three players (Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer) averaging at least 14 points per game. It marks the first time since the 2017-18 team that three players are averaging at least 14.0 points per game.
• Braden Smith’s 175 assists in Big Ten play are the most in league history and the fifth most by a player in conference play (any league) over the last 20 seasons. Smith is one-of-three players to have at least 340 points, 170 assists and 80 rebounds in conference play over the last 20 years (2019 – Murray State’s Ja Morant; 2021 – Oakland’s Jalen Moore). He is the only one of the three to add at least 40 steals.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn became Purdue’s fourth player during Matt Painter’s tenure to average at least 20.0 points per game in conference play (Zach Edey twice, Carsen Edwards, JaJuan Johnson). Kaufman-Renn missed out on the conference scoring title by just four points, scoring 410 points (Brice Williams – 414).
• Braden Smith was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, giving Purdue the POY for three straight years. It marks the first time in Big Ten history that a team has won three straight unanimous Player of the Year accolades (Zach Edey – 2023, 2024).
• With Smith and Kaufman-Renn being named first-team All-Big Ten on Tuesday, Purdue has had two players named to the first team in consecutive seasons (Edey, Smith last season).
• Since the 2015-16 season, Purdue has had 11 first-team All-Big Ten honorees, almost double the amount of the next closest teams (Iowa, Illinois – 6). The only season without one was in 2019-20.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Notre Dame bats exploded for 12 runs while the Irish pitching staff took care of business on the bump in a 12-3 win at Winthrop on Wednesday afternoon.
The Irish got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning. Estevan Moreno drew a lead-off walk, and Davis Johnson dropped a double down the right field line to drive in Moreno while advancing to third on an error. Jayce Lee drew a walk two batters later, and Brady Gumpf punched a single through the left side to plate Johnson. Nick DeMarco cleared the bases with a three-run home run the other way to put the Irish ahead 5-0.
Notre Dame added another run in the top of the third. Davis Johnson reached on a dropped fly ball by the center fielder, and Brady Gumpf was hit by a pitch with two outs to keep the inning alive. Nick DeMarco then put the ball in play, and another error by the Eagles allowed Johnson to score for a 6-0 advantage.
Keenan Mork and Brady Koester had a combined effort over the third, and Sammy Cooper came on in the fourth as the trio kept the Eagles off the scoreboard.
The top of the fifth saw Notre Dame add to the lead yet again. Jayce Lee hit a lead-off single, and Brady Gumpf drew a walk. A sacrifice bunt with an error loaded the bases, and Noah Coy used a sacrifice fly to drive in Lee. In the bottom of the inning, Oisin Lee struck out the first two batters he faced before inducing a grounder to end the inning.
The Irish tacked on four more in the top of the seventh. Bino Watters led off with a double, and Estevan Moreno laced a single to put runners on the corners. Davis Johnson drew a walk, and Jayce Lee drove the right-center gap for a bases-clearing triple to put Notre Dame ahead 10-0. Brady Gumpf then drove in Lee with a sacrifice fly to left field for an 11-0 advantage for the Irish.
The Eagles plated an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth and added two in the bottom of the seventh.
Jared Zimbardo belted his first home run in an Irish uniform in the top of the eighth to get Notre Dame back in the scoring column while making it a 12-3 game. Xavier Hirsch, meanwhile, tallied his first career strikeout and and went the final 2.2 innings in the 12-3 victory.
Kellan Klosterman went two complete with a strikeout in his first career start on the mound. Keenan Mork and Brady Koester teamed up for the third inning. Sammy Cooper, Oisin Lee, and Justin Mayes Jr. each threw an inning. Radek Birkholz recorded an out, and Xavier Hirsch closed out the final two-and-two-thirds while earning his first win on the bump.
Jayce Lee went 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBI, and three runs scored. Nick DeMarco was 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a run. Davis Johnson added a 2-for-4 effort with a double, an RBI, and three runs scored. Jared Zimbardo belted his first home run in an Irish uniform to help pace the offense.
The Irish (10-4) return to ACC play when they travel downstate to Clemson for a three-game series starting on Friday.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
CHARLOTTE – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team’s 2024-25 campaign came to an end in the second round of the ACC Tournament after falling 56-76 to a game North Carolina squad desperate to be on the right side of the NCAA bubble. The Fighting Irish finished the season with a 15-18 overall record.
Guard Markus Burton led with 11 points on Wednesday. He finishes the season averaging 21.3 points per game which will undoubtedly land in the top-10 in the country when the dust settles.
Burton becomes the first Irish player since Luke Harangody in 2009-10 to average 20+ points in a season. Burton also joined very elite Irish company with Ring of Honor inductee David Rivers as the only two Notre Dame players to average 20+ points and 3+ assists in a season – Burton averaged exactly 3.0 assists per game.
Burton is now a two-time All-ACC honoree after earning Second-Team All-ACC honors. He earned First Team All-ACC honors from the Associated Press.
Matt Allocco finishes with the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in program history at 3.5. He also produced the third-highest three-point shooting percentage for a season in program history, finishing at 46.5 percent.
HOW IT HAPPENED
North Carolina just couldn’t miss from three, particularly Jae’lyn Withers. The Tar Heels started the game 6-9 from beyond the arc while Notre Dame began 3-16 overall from the field, resulting in an early 8-22 deficit.
Next, Markus Burton attacked the rim and scored five straight points. That led to a 7-0 run after a pair of Tae Davis free throws.
The Tar Heels kept feeding the hot hand of Jae’lyn Withers. He entered the game averaging 6.0 ppg and shooting 43.5 percent from three. He proceeded to go 5-6 in the first half from beyond the arc ultimately building a 20-point advantage at 17-37.
The Fighting Irish ended the half on a 9-2 run comprised of two Allocco treys and an and-one from Davis, thus cutting the deficit to 14 at 29-43.
Notre Dame was 10-34 from the field and 4-11 from three, while North Carolina was 14-30 overall and 9-17 from deep. The Irish were led by nine points from Allocco who was 3-4 from deep.
Davis scored the first bucket of the second half to pull the Irish within 12. Then UNC’s Ven-Allen Lubin worked down low to score five of the next seven, coupled with yet another Withers three (his sixth) and the Tar Heel lead was back up to 19 at 34-53 with 14:39 remaining.
The Irish just couldn’t cut into the deficit after this point. Withers finished with 21 points on 7-10 shooting from three-point range. Ven-Allen Lubin supplied the power in the paint with a 17-point, 10-rebound, double-double.
Tae Davis finished with nine points and three rebounds. Nikita Konstantynovskyi recorded eight points and a team-high nine boards. J.R. Konieczny tallied seven points and three boards.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
Twenty-five points from Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs to a 75-69 win over Providence in the first round of the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament.
Butler advances to play top-seeded St. John’s in Thursday’s quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
With the win, Butler is now 14-18 on the season; Providence falls to 12-20.
OF NOTE:
Butler never trailed in the contest, with a 14-point lead in the second half being the largest of the game.
Brooks went 11-for-18 from the field, adding seven rebounds. It was the ninth 20-point game of the season for Brooks.
Jahmyl Telfort added 16 points for Butler, including 13 in the first half.
Landon Moore came off the bench to score nine points – all in the second half. It was his best scoring output since Feb. 15 when he put up 13 points in the win over Georgetown.
Butler shot 48 percent from the field.
The Bulldogs committed only six turnovers, while forcing Providence into 13 miscues.
Providence held a 53-29 rebounding advantage behind 25 offensive rebounds. The Friars only converted those 25 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points.
Butler’s defense limited PC to 38-percent shooting, including only 8-for-35 from three-point range. The Friars hit a combined 26 three-pointers in the two regular season games against Butler.
Bensley Joseph led Providence with 20 points. Oswin Erhunmwunse had 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
UP NEXT: It’s a quick turnaround for the Bulldogs, who will tip off the BIG EAST Quarterfinals Thursday with a noon tip against No. 1 seed St. John’s. The game will stream on Peacock.
ALSO:
Butler (14-18, No. 9 Seed) vs. No. 6/5 St. John’s (27-4, No. 1 Seed)
BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 13 • 12PM
Madison Square Garden • New York City
TV: Peacock • Noah Eagle, Donny Marshall & John Fanta
Butler Basketball Live (Audio) with @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner): Varsity Network App, SiriusXM, XM App & TuneIn
• Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs with 25 points against Providence; his 11 made field goals set a career-high and tied the season-high for a Butler player.
• Brooks has nine 20-point games on the season.
• Butler limited Providence to 38-percent shooting; Butler’s defense also accounted for a season-high 10 steals as the Friars committed 13 turnovers, which tied the season-high for a Butler opponent.
• Jahmyl Telfort scored 16 points in the win over Providence Wednesday.
• Landon Moore came off the bench to chip in nine points for the Bulldogs; he entered the game shooting 3-for-24 (13 percent) from three-point range this season, but connected on two of his three three-point attempts against Providence Wednesday.
• Brooks and Telfort are in their respective second seasons at Butler; in 65 games played for Butler, Brooks has 983 career points while Telfort has 977 career points.
• Butler was able to overcome a 53-29 rebounding disadvantage against Providence Wednesday; the Friars had 25 offensive rebounds, but were able to convert those into only 18 second-chance points.
• Telfort earned All-BIG EAST Third Team honors, as announced by the conference Sunday.
• At the conclusion of the regular season, Telfort was among the BIG EAST leaders in a number of categories: scoring average (eighth), assists (11th), field goal percentage (seventh), free throw percentage (seventh), and minutes played (fourth).
• Butler had only six turnovers Wednesday against Providence; over the last six games, Butler is averaging only 6.8 turnovers per game.
• Butler committed only one turnover in Saturday’s contest at Creighton. Villanova also had only a single turnover in their Dec. 21 game at Creighton. Prior to the two occurrences this season, the last BIG EAST team to have only one turnover in a game was Louisville, which had one turnover Feb. 7, 2007 against Georgetown (Rick Pitino was the coach of that Louisville team).
• Telfort has scored 518 points this season, putting him just outside the Top 25 in Butler program history for points scored in a single season (535 points ranks 25th).
• The Bulldogs committed a season-low five fouls at Creighton Saturday; entering the BIG EAST Tournament, Butler ranked 15th in the country at only 13.7 fouls per game.
• Butler is 9-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points, including all six of their BIG EAST wins.
• Butler has shot at least 50 percent from the field in each of its six BIG EAST wins.
• Telfort went over 2,000 career points in the Feb. 26 game against St. John’s. Telfort currently is 15th in career scoring among active players who have spent their entire collegiate careers at Division I schools.
• Patrick McCaffery scored 19 points Saturday at Creighton; it marked his fourth-best scoring output in a game this season; McCaffery has hit multiple three-pointers in 20 games this season.
• Entering the BI G EAST Tournament, Andre Screen ranked eighth in the BIG EAST in blocks and tenth in rebounding.
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving.
At The Garden
• The first meeting in the Butler-St. John’s series came in the 1958 NIT (a 78-68 St. John’s win). That was also Butler’s first game playing at Madison Square Garden. Tony Hinkle coached Butler in that game. Lou Carnesecca would join the St. John’s staff as an assistant coach the next season.
• Butler and St. John’s have played once in the BIG EAST Tournament, a 76-63 Red Storm win in the 2023 bracket.
• The Bulldogs captured the 2006 Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden, posting wins over Tennessee and Gonzaga.
• Butler’s best performance in the BIG EAST Tournament was a semifinals appearance in 2018.
The First Two Match-ups
• St. John’s won both regular season games against Butler this season: Jan. 4 at Carnesecca Arena (70-62) and Feb. 26 at Hinkle Fieldhouse (76-70).
• The Jan. 4 game saw St. John’s force Butler into 21 turnovers; the Red Storm went only 1-for-21 from three-point range in that game.
• In the Feb. 26 match-up, St. John’s shot 49 percent from the field, while limiting Butler to only a 39-percent clip.
A Quick Breakdown of St. John’s
• St. John’s is among the national leaders in several categories, including blocks (5.4 per game; tenth), offensive rebounds (14.7 per game, second), steals (9.3 per game, 16th), turnover margin (+4.4; 11th) and turnovers forced (15.6 per game; 11th).
• RJ Luis is the 2024-25 BIG EAST Player of the Year, while Zuby Ejiofor was named the league’s Most Improved Player; Ejiofor is averaging 4.3 offensive rebounds per game, the most in the nation.
Connection Points
• Butler’s Kolby King started his collegiate career at St. John’s, playing his freshman season (2022-23) for the Red Storm.
• St. John’s radio play-by-play voice John Minko is a 1975 graduate of Butler.
• Butler men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach Tyler Watson worked with the St. John’s program during the 2021-22 season before arriving at Butler in 2022.
The Series with St. John’s
• The 1958 NIT contest was the only game in the series that took place before Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.
Series: St. John’s Leads, 15-11
Streak: St. John’s, W5
In BIG EAST Tournament: SJU, 1-0
First Meeting: March 13, 1958; St. John’s, 78-68 (NIT)
Last Meeting: Feb. 26, 2025; St. John’s, 76-70 (at BU)
BUTLER BASEBALL
The Purdue Boilermakers improved to 15-2 on the season after recording a 10-1 win over the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon. All 11 runs in the contest were scored in the first five innings of the game. Ryan Drumm highlighted the action for BU with a solo home run.
Drumm’s lone hit of the game came in the fifth inning and would leave the park in left field. As a team, the Bulldogs recorded seven hits against six PU pitchers. Harry Carr and Jack Moroknek had two each. Moroknek was also walked once to end the game 2-for-3 from the dish.
Cole Van Assen was credited with the win while the loss went to BU starter Jack Griffiths. All 10 earned runs went to Griffiths and Tre Benjamin.
Butler shifted their weekend series at Belmont today to make way for a Saturday storm. They will now play a doubleheader on Friday followed by a doubleheader on Sunday. Each game on Friday will be a full nine-inning contest, while the Sunday contests will be trimmed down to just seven innings each.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The top-seeded Ball State women’s basketball team (25-7) defeated No. 8 Western Michigan (12-18) by a score of 82-53 Wednesday afternoon at Rocket Arena to advance to the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals for the fourth straight season.
It was an all-around team effort for the Cardinals, led by reigning MAC Player of the Week and Second Team All-MAC recipient, Alex Richard, who tallied 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field.
The MAC Player of the Year, Ally Becki, chipped in 14 points while dishing out eight assists. Madelyn Bischoff also added 14 points, while Marie Keifer, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, finished the game with a double-double by scoring 10 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Nerves dominated the first few possessions, with a double missed shots and early turnovers. However, Richard would score at the top of the key on Ball State’s third possession to get the offense on the right track. A few possessions later, Bischoff would knock down back-to-back 3-point baskets and the Cardinals would shoot a staggering 65 percent from the field in the first quarter to take a 25-15 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
The Cardinals hot shooting hand cooled off early in the second frame as Ball State only scored six points by the media timeout at the 3:13 mark. But the Broncos struggled just as much to get anything going. Some key rebounds by Ball State and a last second 3-pointer from Lachelle Austin put the stamp on the half with the Cardinals taking an 18-point advantage, at 38-20, into intermission.
After the break, Western Michigan came out of the gates strong on offense and defense outpacing Ball State 13-9 to make it a 47-33 ball game at the media break. It did not take long for the Cardinals to regroup, however, ending the third quarter with a 17-7 scoring spree to leave the Broncos speechless. As the final stanza was on the horizon Ball State would enter the last 10 minutes of play with a 24-point (64-40) cushion.
Despite the Broncos efforts the remainder of the game, the Cardinals kept their composure and stayed in control of their destiny ending the contest with an 82-53 victory.
For the game, the Cardinals shot 53 percent from the field, scoring 38 points in the paint along with 19 second-chance points for a well-balanced offense.
The top-seeded Ball State women’s basketball team continues its journey for a Mid-American Conference Tournament title when it faces either fourth-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes or fifth-seeded Miami RedHawks Friday at 10 am ET in the first semifinal game.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Jermahri Hill and Payton Sparks have been named Honorable Mention All-MAC by the Mid-American Conference office, the league announced Wednesday morning.
Hill, a junior from Bessemer, Ala., led the Cardinals in scoring (15.8 points per game) and assists (3.2 per game) while finishing third in rebounding (5.1 per game) in his first season in Muncie. The guard is fifth in the conference in total points (489), first in free throw attempts (207) and third in free throws made (207).
Hill’s season was highlighted by a game-winning dunk in the closing seconds of overtime in an 86-84 win over Eastern Michigan on Feb. 11. The junior also made the assists on Sparks’ go-ahead and-1 in the final seconds of Ball State’s 63-61 win against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 25 in Florida.
Sparks finished the campaign averaging 12.6 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. The senior from Winchester, Ind., led the league in rebounding, and his numbers improved against MAC teams (14.1 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game).
This is the third season Sparks has won a postseason honor from the conference after being named Second Team All-MAC in 2023 and Third Team All-MAC and the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2022. Sparks wrapped up his collegiate career ranking 23rd in career points (1,220) in Ball State history, 9th in rebounding (771), 10th in blocks (64), 5th in free throws made (387) and 3rd in field goal percentage (.568).
2024-25 MAC Men’s Basketball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: John Groce, Akron
Player of the Year: Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Defensive Player of the Year: Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Freshman of the Year: Brant Byers, Forward, Miami
Sixth Man of the Year: Shammah Scott, Senior, Guard, Akron
All-MAC First Team
Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Tavari Johnson, Junior, Guard, Akron
Ugnius Jarusevicius, Junior, Forward, Central Michigan
VonCameron Davis, Redshirt Senior, Forward, Kent State
Peter Suder, Junior, Guard, Miami
All-MAC Second Team
Da’Sean Nelson, Senior, Forward, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Terry, Senior, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Sullinger, Senior, Guard, Kent State
Sam Lewis, Sophomore, Guard, Toledo
Chansey Willis Jr., Junior, Guard, Western Michigan
All-MAC Third Team
Javontae Campbell, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
Kam Craft, Redshirt Sophomore, Guard, Miami
AJ Clayton, Senior, Forward, Ohio
Jackson Paveletzke, Junior, Guard, Ohio
Sonny Wilson, Sophomore, Guard, Toledo
All-MAC Honorable Mention
Isaiah Gray, Senior, Guard, Akron
Jermahri Hill, Junior, Guard, Ball State
Payton Sparks, Senior, Center, Ball State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
Javan Simmons, Sophomore, Forward, Toledo
MAC All-Defensive Team
Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Javontae Campbell, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
Cli’ron Hornbeak, Senior, Center, Kent State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
MAC All-Freshman Team
Sharron Young, Guard, Akron
Jamai Felt, Forward, Bowling Green
Ben Michaels, Forward, Buffalo
Brant Byers, Forward, Miami
Elijah Elliot, Guard, Ohio
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Wednesday’s doubleheader at Lindenwood saw the pitching staff for the University of Evansville shine, limiting the Lions to just two runs as the Purple Aces took both contests.
Game 1 – UE 3, Lindenwood 1
Jess Willsey belted a 3-run home run in the top of the first and that would be enough as the Purple Aces opened the day with a 3-1 win over the Lions. Niki Bode reached on a 1-out walk in the first while Morgan Adams followed with a double. Next up was Willsey who put UE on the board with the homer.
Bode picked up a hit in the second while Eliza Piggott added a hit in the third, but the lead remained at 3-0. After recording three hits in the first four frames, Lindenwood scored their first run in the bottom half of the fifth.
From that point on, the Aces pitching held strong to clinch the 3-1 win. Gracie Hollingsworth pitched five innings in the start with one run scoring on five hits. She picked up her fifth win of the season. Kate Ridgway threw the final two frames allowing one hit. Ridgway was credited with her first save of the season.
Evansville completed the game with six hits as six different players recorded one.
Game 2 – UE 2, Lindenwood 1
Cassidy Gall pitched a complete game 3-hitter to lead the Aces to a 2-1 win in the second game of the day. Following a scoreless three frames, Evansville jumped in front with a run in the top of the fourth. Jess Willsey opened with a double before scoring on a sac fly by Eliza Piggott.
Lindenwood fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, but UE countered in the fifth. Miriah Powell hit a 1-out double before scoring what would be the winning run on a double from Niki Bode.
Gall continued her stellar outing as she did not allow a baserunner over the final three frames to seal the 2-1 victory. She struck out three batters while picking up the first win of her collegiate career.
On Friday, the Aces open the MVC schedule at home against UNI.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The University of Evansville baseball team came just short of a bounce-back game in its second midweek contest falling in the bottom of the ninth 12-11 to the SIUE Cougars.
The Purple Aces scored 10 runs in the first three innings of Wednesday’s contest. But with only one run scored in the last two-thirds of the game, UE couldn’t shut down SIUE’s offense. The Cougars put together three straight hits in the bottom of the ninth to score the winning run, handing Evansville its second loss in as many days. Third baseman Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) and catcher Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. / Bellarmine) led the Aces on offense with two hits each and a combined seven RBIs.
“We didn’t do enough on the back end of a double midweek to secure the win,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the game. “We’re going to have to fight as a program to get back in the win column this weekend.”
UE had another quick lead in its second-midweek game in as many days. Even though center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) struck out to begin the game Evansville soon had the bases loaded without a hit. Two walks and an error with two outs on the board was the situation when Flaherty stepped up to the plate. He delivered for the Aces with a single to third base that brought home two runs.
The two runners still on base for UE after the single moved into scoring position during the next at-bat on a wild pitch from SIUE’s starter. First baseman Kevin McCormick then added UE’s second hit of the day with a double to third, scoring Flaherty and left fielder Charlie Longmeier to make it a 4-0 Evansville lead after the half inning. After a lead off double for the Cougars the Aces defense was able to get three straight outs, stranding the runner at second.
UE began the second inning similar to its first with two batters taking base without a hit. McConnell connected on his first of two hits Wednesday afternoon to score a run for a 5-0 Evansville lead. The Aces quickly added to their lead when Flaherty doubled to score two more runs and put himself along with designated hitter Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / North Bedford Lawrence HS) into scoring position. Waggoner crossed home for UE two batters later as third baseman Ben Stuart (Mason, Ohio / William Mason HS) reached on an error. Evansville’s third out came just after, but the Aces now had an 8-0 lead.
SIUE didn’t answer in the bottom of the inning as UE added another two runs in the top of the third. Rumsey avenged his earlier strikeout with a single to third base. He then quickly stole both second and third during right fielder Harrison Taubert’s (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) at-bat. While Taubert didn’t connect McConnell had his second hit of the afternoon to drive Rumsey in. McConnell was only on base momentarily as Waggoner swung on the first pitch and doubled down the left field line, scoring the 10th Evansville run of the game.
But the Aces offense grew cold over the next three innings as the Cougars began their comeback. SIUE added eight runs in the middle frames making it only a two-run UE lead going into the top of the seventh. Evansville was able to add another run in the seventh as the first three batters reached base. With the bases loaded McConnell hit a sacrifice fly to right scoring Stuart for the 11th Aces run and the second out. Waggoner ground out in the next at-bat ending the top of the seventh.
UE held the Cougars scoreless in both the seventh and eighth innings. But Evansville also didn’t find another run in the eighth or the top of the ninth. The Aces headed into the final frame of the game still holding a three-run lead. SIUE got two runners on base and scored on a sacrifice fly early in the bottom of the ninth. Three straight hits after the sac fly gave the Cougars the win as they scored three more runs for the 12-11 final.
UE gets a day off before returning to the diamond on Friday afternoon for a doubleheader with the Samford Bulldogs. The first of the two games on March 14 begins at 1 p.m. in Birmingham.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Despite a strong offensive performance, University of Southern Indiana Baseball fell to host Bellarmine University, 10-8, in an Ohio Valley Conference versus Atlantic Sun Conference tilt.
The Screaming Eagles (7-9) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over their former Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals when sophomore infielder Parker Martin drove in senior outfielder Khi Holiday in the top of the first inning.
Bellarmine (3-13), however, answered with a five-run third inning to take a 5-1 lead over the Eagles. The Knights took advantage of a wild pitch and had a pair of home runs in the inning to take the four-run advantage.
USI wasted little time answering the Knights’ challenge as it put up a five spot in the top of the fourth inning to retake the lead. Junior infielder Noah Smallwood opened the scoring with an RBI-double down the leftfield line, while sophomore infielder Anthony Umbach had a sacrifice fly to cut Bellarmine’s lead to 5-3.
Junior catcher Micajah Wall pushed across the next run with a single, while Holiday tied the game with an infield single. The Eagles reclaimed the lead with an RBI-single by junior infielder Cole Kitchens.
Bellarmine, once again, put up crooked numbers in the last half of the fifth inning to take a 9-6 advantage. A two-run single capped off a four-run frame for the Knights, who scored their first two runs on wild pitches.
USI looked as if it might answer the Knights once more in the top of the sixth as it had the bases loaded with no outs. However, a double-play groundout that scored a run put a damper on the Eagles’ charge. Martin had an RBI-single to cut the Eagles’ deficit to 9-8, but that was all USI would get out of the inning.
Bellarmine tacked on an insurance run in the home half of the sixth inning and the Eagles threatened with a two-out rally in the top of the ninth, but the Knight’s pitching induced a ground-out to end the threat and preserve the victory.
Freshman pitcher Marshall Loch (0-2) was charged with the loss for USI after giving up four runs off two hits and three walks in an inning of work.
Junior outfielder Patrick McLellan led the Eagles at the plate, going 3-of-4 with a double and three runs scored.
USI returns to action Friday at 6 p.m. when it opens a three-game home series with Murray State University at the USI Baseball Field. Stay tuned to USIScreamingEagles.com and USI’s social media platforms (@USIAthletics) for any weather-related changes.
Schedule Note: USI has rescheduled its February 22 home game with the University of Evansville for May 13 (6 p.m.), while its March 5 road game at Saint Louis University has been rescheduled for April 22 (5 p.m.)
VALPO BASEBALL
Valparaiso (3-9, 0-0 MVC)
at Illinois (8-6, 1-2 Big Ten)
Friday, March 14, 6 p.m. CT – RHP Connor Lockwood
Saturday, March 15, 3 p.m. CT – RHP Harry Deliyannis
Sunday, March 16, 1 p.m. CT – RHP Spencer Boynton
Illinois Field (3,000) | Champaign, Ill.
Next Up in Valpo Baseball: The Valparaiso University baseball team will continue a stretch of 15 straight road games including seven straight against power conference competition by beginning a three-game weekend series with Illinois on Friday night. The Beacons already own one Big Ten victory this season after taking the series opener from Ohio State last weekend.
Last Time Out: Valpo fell 12-0 in seven innings against national powerhouse Vanderbilt, as No. 12 Vandy put up crooked numbers in each of the first three frames on Tuesday night in Nashville. There was traffic on the bases for the Beacons, who stranded the sacks packed in the second and third innings.
Following the Beacons: All three games in the series will be carried on B1G+ with Peter Hanson and Ethan Oskroba on the call. For links to live video and stats, visit ValpoAthletics.com. For in-game updates, follow @ValpoBaseball on X.
Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (205-341) is in his 11th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he coached his 500th game on March 17, 2024 at Campbell. On April 19 vs. Missouri State, he became the third head coach in program history to secure his 200th win. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.
A Look Back at 2024: Valpo finished 14-38 overall and 6-21 in Missouri Valley Conference play last season and hopes to return to the MVC Tournament field in 2025. Kaleb Hannahs earned Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors last season, while Kyle Schmack finished one home run shy of tying the program’s career and single-season records. The team launched 71 home runs, the second most in program history and most since 2001. Alex Ryan made an incredible leaping catch that was featured at No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, robbing a grand slam as part of a 20-0 victory at UIC on April 28. The 2024 campaign also saw Valpo post a fielding percentage of .970 that ranked fourth in program history. The season also saw head coach Brian Schmack reach the 200-win threshold.
Series Notes: Valpo is 4-16 in 20 all-time matchups with the Illini including a victory over an Illinois team that was ranked 25th nationally at the time in the most recent matchup between the two teams. Valpo won that memorable midweek 11-7 on April 17, 2018. This will mark the first ever three-game series between the two foes in a series that goes all the way back to 1946.
Notes Wrapping Up March 11: No. 16 Vanderbilt 12, Valpo 0
Valpo starting pitcher Josh Cottrill made his return from Tommy John surgery, seeing his first action since March 2, 2024.
Valpo faced a Top-25 opponent for the first time this season. Last year, Valpo had 10 games against ranked competition, playing No. 7 Vandy, No. 17 Alabama, No. 20 Indiana State and No.21 Campbell.
Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi went 2-for-3 and reached base three times including a double. He is the younger brother of Christian Barczi, who played at Valpo from 2017-2020.
Valpo got hits from Case Sullivan, Kevin Denty and Spencer Warfield. Denty reached base twice as he also drew a walk.
In the Other Dugout: Illinois
The Illini are coming off an 11-4 win over Western Illinois on Tuesday after dropping two of three to Michigan over the weekend in Vero Beach, Fla. to start Big Ten play.
Under the direction of Dan Hartleb, who is in his 20th season as head coach and 35th season on staff.
Illinois’ Grant Ross started his collegiate career at Valpo, redshirting due to injury in 2022. He has the team’s top batting average at .400.
The Illini went 35-21 overall and 18-6 in Big Ten play last year including a 20-3 home record. They are 22-3 in their last 25 home games.
Illinois earned an NCAA Regional bid last season, eventually falling to Indiana State of the Missouri Valley Conference.
While Valpo is playing its second of four Big Ten opponents this season (Ohio State, Purdue, Northwest), Illinois is playing its first of four Missouri Valley Conference opponents as the Illini also have games against Indiana State, Illinois State and Bradley.
Among League and National Leaders
Starting pitcher Connor Lockwood leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks 25th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings at 0.98.
Lockwood’s strikeout-to-walk ratio of 8.00 ranks first in the MVC and 41st nationally.
Lockwood ranks second in the MVC in total strikeouts with 24. Missouri State’s Michael Yusypchuk leads with 27.
Case Sullivan ranks second in the league in walks per game at 1.00. He has drawn the 56th most bases on balls per game nationally this season thus far.
Valpo ranks third in the MVC in on-base percentage at .388.
Beating a B1G Foe
Valpo enjoyed a 10-7 series-opening win on March 7 at Ohio State, the program’s second power-conference win in the last three seasons after beating Kansas 11-3 on Feb. 18, 2023.
The win over the Buckeyes snapped a 10-game skid against power-conference competition.
The Beacons earned their first Big Ten win since 2018, when they prevailed 11-7 at No. 25 Illinois.
The win came against an Ohio State club that won 29 games last season.
Since Brian Schmack took over as head coach, Valpo has wins over four different Big Ten opponents – Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue.
Notes Wrapping Up Ohio State March 7-9 (W 10-7, L 14-4, L 8-3)
Liam Patton had four RBIs in the series opener, making it seven RBIs in a two-game span after recording three in the final game against Niagara the previous weekend.
Friday’s opener saw Kade Reinertson collect three hits as well, tying a career high from May 10, 2024 at Murray State.
Case Sullivan enjoyed his fourth multi-hit game of the season in the series-opening victory.
Connor Lockwood picked up his first victory of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits while walking none and striking out four in the Friday game. He went walk-free for the third time in his first four starts this season.
The series-opening win gave Valpo its first set of back-to-back wins this season and first since March 30-31, 2024 vs. Bradley.
The Beacons outhit the Buckeyes 13-9 and drew nine walks while issuing just three in the series opener.
In the second game of the series, Austin Amburgey and Connor Giusti hit back-to-back home runs. Amburgey’s was his first in a Valpo uniform, while Giusti hit his eighth total and first of the season.
In Sunday’s finale, Valpo turned an unusual 8-4-2-5 double play.
Kevin Denty had Valpo’s only multi-hit game in the series finale and accounted for one of the team’s three doubles.
Ryan Kruse had the best pitching line of the day for Valpo in the series finale with one inning, no hits or walks allowed and two strikeouts.
Notes Wrapping Up Niagara: Feb. 28 (L 11-1, W 16-11)
Senior Ryan Maka was the primary bright spot of Game 1, accounting for four of the team’s seven hits and going 4-for-4.
Redshirt freshman Deuce Musial tossed a scoreless inning in his Valpo debut, a highlight for the pitching staff.
In Game 2, senior Harry Deliyannis picked up the victory with four innings of five-run, four-hit relief while striking out four and walking one. He retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings.
Patrick Ilitch’s home run was the second of his collegiate career and first since 2023 at Missouri State. Spencer Warfield’s home run was the third of his career and also his first since the 2023 campaign.
Spencer Warfield had the tough half of the cycle as he also tripled in the nightcap, his first career triple.
Bryan Hatch had three hits, leading six Beacons who had multi-hit games. Valpo got production from the lower half of the order, as the four through nine batters in the lineup all produced multiple hits.
Redshirt freshman Case Sullivan walked four times and scored three runs. He became the first Beacon with four walks in a game since Kyle Schmack on April 30, 2023 at Missouri State.
Valpo’s 16 runs marked the team’s highest total since beating UIC 20-0 on April 28 of last season, Valpo’s previous game at Curtis Granderson Stadium prior to Friday.
Early Opener
This year marked the earliest Valpo has ever opened the home portion of the season.
Valpo did not play a home game until March 19 in 2024 and March 28 in 2023 but started the home docket on Feb. 28 this season.
That was Valpo’s first nonconference home weekend series since hosting St. Bonaventure in March 2022 and just the third nonconference home weekend in Brian Schmack’s 11 years as head coach. Valpo hosted Butler for a nonconference home weekend in 2019.
Maka Pushing the Home Run List
Ryan Maka slugged a home run in both games of the Feb. 14 season-opening doubleheader at Samford.
Maka moved his career home-run total to 18, moving to within three of cracking the program’s all-time top 10.
On the first day of the season, Maka already had half as many home runs as he had all of last season, when he slugged four.
Three more home runs would put Maka in a tie for 10th in career program history, joining Dan Schrum (1999-2002), Jamie Sykes (1994-1997), Dale Polonus (1986-1988), Marc Boggio (1999-2003) and Sam Shaikin (2016-2019).
Inside the Schedule
Valpo will once again face a competitive schedule, which started against a Samford program that won 36 games last season.
Valpo hosted the earliest home games in program history against a Niagara team that went 38-17 overall and 20-4 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference en route to a league title and NCAA Regional appearance last year.
After the early-season home weekend, Valpo went back on the road for 15 straight, starting with a set at Ohio State (March 7-9), a 29-win Big Ten Conference club in 2024. That trip continued with a visit to national baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt (March 11) of the Southeastern Conference, a 38-win NCAA Regional team last year against whom Valpo played a competitive, one-run game.
The Beacons head to Illinois (March 14-16) for the final nonconference weekend series. The Illini went 35-21 overall and 18-6 in Big Ten Conference play last season on their way to the NCAA Regional.
Valpo begins MVC play against instate foe Indiana State (March 21-23), the defending Valley regular-season champions and a team that won two NCAA Regional games as part of a 44-win season in 2024.
The league docket features a visit to Evansville, the defending MVC Tournament champion and a team that won 39 games including a regional title and made an NCAA Super Regional appearance last season.
Valpo will play 10 of its first 24 games against NCAA Regional teams from a year ago.
Beacon Blasts
Valpo launched 71 home runs last season, surpassing the 1985 season (64) to climb into second in program history.
Valpo held its highest single-season home run total during the BBCOR bat era that began in 2011.
The 71 bombs marked the program’s most since 2001, a year where the team launched a program-record 81 long balls.
This marked the first time ever that Valpo has hit at least 50 home runs in back-to-back years, as the Beacons hit 50 long balls in 2023, the fifth most in program history.
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
1915 “Help me, Lads, I’m covered with my own blood!” – WILBERT ROBINSON, reacting to the fluid dripping down from his chest before quickly realizing it’s only grapefruit juice. Dodger manager Wilbert Robinson, thinking he will catch a baseball dropped from a plane, is surprised and splattered when the sphere turns out to be a grapefruit. Although legend has it that Casey Stengel is behind the prank, the pilot, Ruth Law, a pioneer in American aviation, substituted part of her lunch when she realized she forgot to bring a baseball.
1944 It’s True, Cy Young’s middle name is not Tecumseh, as sometimes listed, but the initial T stands for True. The Hall of Fame right-hander’s middle name mix-up may result from his teammates calling him ‘The Chief,’ the English word for Tecumseh.
1953 On the day that will become known as ‘Black Friday’ in Boston, Lou Perini announces he will seek permission from the National League to move his franchise to Milwaukee, home of the team’s top minor-league affiliate. The Braves owner cites low attendance as the reason for relocating the club after it had been in the New England city for 82 years.
1954 During an exhibition game against the Yankees, recently acquired Brave Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle in three places, sidelining him until July 14. The ’51 National League playoff hero is replaced in the Braves’ lineup by a promising prospect named Hank Aaron.
1960 Much to the chagrin of other owners and most of his players, Bill Veeck’s White Sox becomes the first team to put the players’ names on the back of the jersey, unveiling the new look on their road uniforms in an exhibition game against Cincinnati in Tampa. After the rest of the league’s clubs protest the Chicago owner’s innovation, the commissioner’s office will rule that in addition to displaying traditional numbers, each team will have the option to use monikered uniforms.
1979 The Tigers and Mets swap relievers, with Detroit sending Ed Glynn to the Big Apple in exchange for Mardie Cornejo, who, after posting a 4-2 record as a rookie last season, will never play in another major league game. The latest addition to the New York bullpen will make 84 appearances, compiling an ERA of 3.53 during the two years with his new club.
1986 Designated hitter Hal McRae, 39, and Brian, his 18-year-old second baseman son, play in a Royals preseason game against the Phillies at Terry Field to become the first father and son combination to appear as major league teammates. Kansas City manager Dick Howser refers to the pair as a ‘Big Mac Attack.’
1987 The Phillies sign Tiger free-agent catcher Lance Parrish to a one-year deal worth $800,000, plus another $200,000 if the 31-year-old has no problems with his chronic back. The former six-time All-Star backstop, a winner of five Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Glove Awards playing for the Tigers, is a bust in Philadelphia, batting .230 in his two seasons in the City of Brotherly Love.
1997 In their first-ever minor league spring training game, the Rays defeated Philadelphia, 6-0. John Kaufman, Tom Bergan, Matt Williams, and Jamie Ybarra combine to throw a no-hitter in the exhibition contest against the major league team.
2001 Rick Ankiel makes his first appearance since last year’s playoffs, throwing 22 strikes out of 29 pitches while tossing two innings of shutout ball in his surprise start against the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. The 21-year-old southpaw starter lost his control at the end of last season, throwing nine wild pitches in three postseason appearances last year.
2006 Three pitches into the top of the seventh inning, the stadium lights at Tradition Field partially fail. With fifty percent of the lighting not functioning, the exhibition game ends after a 15-minute delay, with the Mets leading the Nationals, 10-4.
2008 Joining Garth Brooks and Tom Selleck as celebrities who have appeared in a spring exhibition game, Billy Crystal strikes out in the first inning as the Yankees’ leadoff batter. The comedian, who signed a one-day contract with the Bronx Bombers, wears the number sixty to honor his 60th birthday tomorrow.
2008 The pitching-poor Cardinals bolster their rotation by agreeing to a preliminary one-year deal with Kyle Lohse (9-12, 4.62). The 29-year-old right-hander, who pitched for the Reds and Phillies last season, will make $4.25 million hurling for the Redbirds.
2009 “Through good times and bad, I never doubted the support that all of you had for my teammates and me…I hope to see you in October.” – PAT BURRELL, former Phillies outfielder, thanking the Philadelphia fans. Pat Burrell takes out ads in two of Philadelphia’s largest newspapers, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, to thank Phillies fans for their support during his nine years with the team. The 32-year-old slugging ‘Pat the Bat’ signed a free-agent deal in the off-season with the Rays, the club the Phils beat in last season’s World Series.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| Atlanta vs Philadelphia | 1:05pm | MLBN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons | 7:00 pm | MNMT FanDuel Sports DET |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks | 7:30pm | TNT MAX |
| Orlando Magic vs New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports FL GCSN |
| Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00pm | CHSN YES |
| Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | TNT MAX |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Scripps Sportsnet |
| Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00pm | ESPN+ NBCS-PHI FanDuel Sports Sun |
| Boston Bruins vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00pm | ESPN+ NESN Sportsnet |
| Vegas Golden Knights vs Columbus Blue Jackets | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Scripps FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| St. Louis Blues vs Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00pm | ESPN+ ATTSN-PIT FanDuel Sports MW |
| Edmonton Oilers vs New Jersey Devils | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Hulu |
| New York Rangers vs Minnesota Wild | 8:00pm | ESPN+ MSG FanDuel Sports North |
| Chicago Blackhawks vs San Jose Sharks | 10:30pm | ESPN+ CHSN NBCS_CA |
| Washington Capitals vs Los Angeles Kings | 10:30pm | ESPN+ MNMT2 FanDuel Sports West |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| MAC Quarterfinal | 11:00am | ESPN+ |
| Atlantic 10 Second Round | 11:30am | USA |
| ACC Quarterfinal | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Big Ten Second Round | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Big East Quarterfinal | 12:00pm | Peacock |
| Big 12 Quarterfinal | 12:30pm | ESPN2 |
| American Second Round | 12:30pm | ESPNU |
| SEC Second Round | 1:00pm | SECN |
| MAC Quarterfinal | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Atlantic 10 Second Round | 2:00pm | USA |
| SWAC Quarterfinal | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ACC Quarterfinal | 2:30pm | ESPN |
| Big Ten Second Round | 2:30pm | BTN |
| Big East Quarterfinal | 2:30pm | Peacock |
| Big 12 Quarterfinal | 3:00pm | ESPN2 |
| American Second Round | 3:00pm | ESPNU |
| SEC Second Round | 3:00pm | SECN |
| Mountain West Quarterfinal | 3:00pm | CBSSN |
| MAC Quarterfinal | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Atlantic 10 Second Round | 5:00pm | USA |
| Mountain West Quarterfinal | 5:30pm | CBSSN |
| MEAC Quarterfinal | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| MAAC Quarterfinal | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Big Ten Second Round | 6:30pm | BTN |
| Conference USA Quarterfinal | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| MAC Quarterfinal | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| ACC Quarterfinal | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Big 12 Quarterfinal | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Big East Quarterfinal | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| American Second Round | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| SEC Second Round | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Atlantic 10 Second Round | 7:30pm | USA |
| SWAC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| MEAC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| MAAC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Big Ten Second Round | 9:00pm | BTN |
| SEC Second Round | 9:00pm | SECN |
| Mountain West Quarterfinal | 9:00pm | CBSSN |
| Big West Quarterfinal | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Conference USA Quarterfinal | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WAC Quarterfinal | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ACC Quarterfinal | 9:30pm | ESPN |
| Big 12 Quarterfinal | 9:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Big East Quarterfinal | 9:30pm | FS1 |
| American Second Round | 9:30pm | ESPNU |
| Mountain West Quarterfinal | 11:30pm | CBSSN |
| Big West Quarterfinal | 11:30pm | ESPN+ |
| WAC Quarterfinal | 11:30pm | ESPN+ |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA Tour: The Players Championship | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Europa League: Athletic Club vs Roma | 12:45pm | CBSSN Paramount+ fuboTV VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Ajax | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Olympiakos Piraeus vs Bodø / Glimt | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Lazio vs Viktoria Plzeň | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Cercle Brugge vs Jagiellonia Białystok | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Djurgården vs Paphos | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Lugano vs Celje | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Rapid Wien vs Borac Banja Luka | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Manchester United vs Real Sociedad | 3:00pm | CBSSN Paramount+ fuboTV VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Olympique Lyonnais vs FCSB | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Europa League: Rangers vs Fenerbahçe | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Chelsea vs København | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Fiorentina vs Panathinaikos | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Legia Warszawa vs Molde | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Conference League: Vitória Guimarães vs Real Betis | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |