“THE SCOREBOARD”
CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
MONROVIA 8 SPEEDWAY 0
RIVERTON PARKE 12 N. VERMILLION 2
KNIGHTSTOWN 9 DALEVILLE 2
TRITON CENTRAL 3 CASCADE 2
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 7 RUSHVILLE 2
FRANKTON 10 WAPAHANI 9
CATHEDRAL 17 INDIANAPOLIS TECH 1
GUERIN CATHOLIC 9 PARK TUDOR 5
MUNCIE BURRIS 13 PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 12
MOUNT VERNON 8 NEW CASTLE 2
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 14 SHORTRIDGE 0
UNION CITY 20 ANDERSON PREP 1
EASTERN GREENE 18 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 3
FRANKLIN 4 MARTINSVILLE 1
WES DEL 19 SETON CATHOLIC 1
WARREN CENTRAL 11 BEN DAVIS 10
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 5 RITTER 1
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 7 SCECINA 2
NORTHEASTERN 10 TRI 2
SHENANDOAH 10 EASTERN HANCOCK 6
PERRY MERIDIAN 8 PLAINFIELD 6
LAWRENCE NORTH 5 UNIVERSITY 4
BROWNSBURG 4 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 3
WESTERN 5 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 2
FRANKFORT 9 TRI-WEST 5
NEW PALESTINE 8 DELTA 2
MOORESVILLE 9 GREENWOOD 6
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 5 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 2
SHELBYVILLE 11 YORKTOWN 6
EAST CENTRAL 4 COLUMBUS NORTH 2
INDIAN CREEK 1 GREENCASTLE 0
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 6 SOUTHPORT 4
CENTER GROVE 9 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 2
FISHERS 5 AVON 1
CARMEL 5 HARRISON 2
STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/1/2024
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES
DALEVILLE 11 DELTA 10
WES DEL 7 WAPAHANI 5
SOUTHERN WELLS 6 MONROE CENTRAL 4
CHRISTEL HOUSE 20 INDIANAPOLIS TECH 6
BREBEUF 17 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 1
SOUTH ADAMS 15 WINCHESTER 0
SCECINA 4 PARK TUDOR 1
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 16 SHORTRIDGE 16
BROWNSBURG 3 CASCADE 2
CATHEDRAL 8 CARMEL 4
PLAINFIELD 12 PERRY MERIDIAN 2
RONCALLI 5 NEW PALESTINE 1
LAPEL 9 MADISON GRANT 3
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 14 ANDERSON 7
EASTERN HANCOCK 3 FRANKTON 0
NORTH CENTRAL 5 LIVING WATER HOMESCHOOL 2
TRITON CENTRAL 5 KNIGHTSTOWN 0
MARTINSVILLE 8 FRANKLIN 3
NEW CASTLE 3 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 2
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 19 GUERIN CATHOLIC 6
TRI-WEST 17 FRANKFORT 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3 ZIONSVILLE 2
HARRISON 5 AVON 4
LAWRENCE NORTH 10 DANVILLE 0
MOORESVILLE 6 GREENWOOD 4
TERRE HAUTE NORTH 15 S. VERMILLION 7
GREENCASTLE 3 INDIAN CREEK 1
TIPTON 9 NORTHWESTERN 8
DECATUR CENTRAL 8 WHITELAND 4
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 4 COLUMBUS NORTH 2
PIKE CENTRAL 18 S. SPENCER 8
BISHOP CHATARD 5 LAFAYETTE JEFF 4
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 15 SHENANDOAH 9
STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=5/1/2024
INDIANA TRACK RESULTS: HTTPS://IN.MILESPLIT.COM/RESULTS
INDIANA GIRLS TENNIS
TRI-WEST 4 SOUTH PUTNAM 1
EAST CENTRAL 5 COLUMBUS EAST 0
INDIANA BOYS GOLF
RITTER 185, LAWRENCE NORTH 200, LAWRENCE CENTRAL 205
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 159 PARKE HERITAGE 162
NBA PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
• GAME 1: CELTICS 114, HEAT 94
• GAME 2: HEAT 111, CELTICS 101
• GAME 3: CELTICS 104, HEAT 84
• GAME 4: CELTICS 102, HEAT 88
• GAME 5: CELTICS 118, HEAT 84
BOSTON WINS SERIES 4-1
(2) NEW YORK VS. (7) PHILADELPHIA
• GAME 1: KNICKS 111, 76ERS 104
• GAME 2: KNICKS 104, 76ERS 101
• GAME 3: 76ERS 125, KNICKS 114
• GAME 4: KNICKS 97, 76ERS 92
• GAME 5: 76ERS 112, KNICKS 106 (OT)
• GAME 6: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (9 ET, TNT)
• GAME 7: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 3-2
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: BUCKS 109, PACERS 94
• GAME 2: PACERS 125, BUCKS 108
• GAME 3: PACERS 121, BUCKS 118 (OT)
• GAME 4: PACERS 126, BUCKS 113
• GAME 5: BUCKS 115, PACERS 92
• GAME 6: BUCKS VS. PACERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (6:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 7: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
INDIANA LEADS SERIES 3-2
* = IF NECESSARY
• GAME 1: CAVALIERS 97, MAGIC 83
• GAME 2: CAVALIERS 96, MAGIC 86
• GAME 3: MAGIC 121, CAVALIERS 83
• GAME 4: MAGIC 112, CAVALIERS 89
• GAME 5: CAVALIERS 104, MAGIC 103
• GAME 6: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (7 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 7: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
CLEVELAND LEADS SERIES 3-2
* = IF NECESSARY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. (8) NEW ORLEANS
• GAME 1: THUNDER 94, PELICANS 92
• GAME 2: THUNDER 124, PELICANS 92
• GAME 3: THUNDER 106, PELICANS 85
• GAME 4: THUNDER 97, PELICANS 89
OKLAHOMA CITY WINS SERIES 4-0
(2) DENVER VS. (7) L.A. LAKERS
• GAME 1: NUGGETS 114, LAKERS 103
• GAME 2: NUGGETS 101, LAKERS 99
• GAME 3: NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105
• GAME 4: LAKERS 119, NUGGETS 108
• GAME 5: NUGGETS 108, LAKERS 106
DENVER WINS SERIES 4-1
• GAME 1: TIMBERWOLVES 120, SUNS 95
• GAME 2: TIMBERWOLVES 105, SUNS 93
• GAME 3: TIMBERWOLVES 126, SUNS 109
• GAME 4: TIMBERWOLVES 122, SUNS 116
MINNESOTA WINS SERIES 4-0
(4) LA CLIPPERS VS. (5) DALLAS
• GAME 1: CLIPPERS 109, MAVERICKS 97
• GAME 2: MAVERICKS 96, CLIPPERS 93
• GAME 3: MAVERICKS 101, CLIPPERS 90
• GAME 4: CLIPPERS 116, MAVERICKS 111
• GAME 5: MAVERICKS 123, CLIPPERS 93
• GAME 6: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (8 ET, TBD)*
DALLAS LEADS SERIES 3-2
* = IF NECESSARY
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
• GAME 1: TBD VS. CELTICS, TBD (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 2: TBD VS. CELTICS, TBD (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 3: CELTICS VS. TBD, TBD (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 4: CELTICS VS. TBD, TBD (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 5: TBD VS. CELTICS, TBD (TBD, TBD) *
• GAME 6: CELTICS VS. TBD, TBD (TBD, TBD) *
• GAME 7: TBD VS. CELTICS, TBD (TBD, TBD) *
SERIES TIED 0-0
* = IF NECESSARY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME
• GAME 1: WOLVES VS. NUGGETS, SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 2: WOLVES VS. NUGGETS, MONDAY, MAY 6 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 3: NUGGETS VS. WOLVES, FRIDAY, MAY 10 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 4: NUGGETS VS. WOLVES, SUNDAY, MAY 12 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 5: WOLVES VS. NUGGETS, TUESDAY, MAY 14 (TBD, TBD) *
• GAME 6: NUGGETS VS. WOLVES, THURSDAY, MAY 16 (TBD, TBD) *
• GAME 7: WOLVES VS. NUGGETS, SUNDAY, MAY 19 (TBD, TBD) *
SERIES TIED 0-0
* = IF NECESSARY
NHL PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (WC1)
FLORIDA WINS SERIES 4-1
GAME 1: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2
GAME 2: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2 (OT)
GAME 3: PANTHERS 5, LIGHTNING 3
GAME 4: LIGHTNING 6, PANTHERS 3
GAME 5: PANTHERS 6, LIGHTNING 1
COMPLETE PANTHERS-LIGHTNING SERIES COVERAGE
BOSTON BRUINS (2A) VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3A)
BOSTON LEADS SERIES 3-2
GAME 1: BRUINS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 1
GAME 2: MAPLE LEAFS 3, BRUINS 2
GAME 3: BRUINS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2
GAME 4: BRUINS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 1
GAME 5: MAPLE LEAFS 2, BRUINS 1 (OT)
GAME 6: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — MAY 2, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS)
+ GAME 7: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — MAY 4, 8 P.M. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS)
COMPLETE BRUINS-MAPLE LEAFS SERIES COVERAGE
NEW YORK RANGERS (1M) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (WC2)
NEW YORK WINS SERIES 4-0
GAME 1: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 1
GAME 2: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 3
GAME 3: RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 1
GAME 4: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 2
COMPLETE RANGERS-CAPITALS SERIES COVERAGE
CAROLINA HURRICANES (2M) VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (3M)
CAROLINA WINS SERIES 4-1
GAME 1: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 1
GAME 2: HURRICANES 5, ISLANDERS 3
GAME 3: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 2
GAME 4: ISLANDERS 3, HURRICANES 2 (2OT)
GAME 5: HURRICANES 6, ISLANDERS 3
COMPLETE HURRICANES-ISLANDERS SERIES COVERAGE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DALLAS STARS (1C) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (WC2)
DALLAS LEADS SERIES 3-2
GAME 1: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, STARS 3
GAME 2: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, STARS 1
GAME 3: STARS 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 (OT)
GAME 4: STARS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2
GAME 5: STARS 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2
GAME 6: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — MAY 3, 10 P.M. ET (TNT, MAX, SN, SN360, TVAS)
+ GAME 7: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE STARS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES COVERAGE
WINNIPEG JETS (2C) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (3C)
COLORADO WINS SERIES 4-1
GAME 1: JETS 7, AVALANCHE 6
GAME 2: AVALANCHE 5, JETS 2
GAME 3: AVALANCHE 6, JETS 2
GAME 4: AVALANCHE 5, JETS 1
GAME 5: AVALANCHE 6, JETS 3
COMPLETE JETS-AVALANCHE SERIES COVERAGE
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1P) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC1)
VANCOUVER LEADS SERIES 3-2
GAME 1: CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 2
GAME 2: PREDATORS 4, CANUCKS 1
GAME 3: CANUCKS 2, PREDATORS 1
GAME 4: CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 3 (OT)
GAME 5: PREDATORS 2, CANUCKS 1
GAME 6: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — MAY 3, 7 P.M. ET (TNT, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS)
+ GAME 7: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE CANUCKS-PREDATORS SERIES COVERAGE
EDMONTON OILERS (2P) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (3P)
EDMONTON WINS SERIES 4-1
GAME 1: OILERS 7, KINGS 4
GAME 2: KINGS 5, OILERS 4 (OT)
GAME 3: OILERS 6, KINGS 1
GAME 4: OILERS 1, KINGS 0
GAME 5: OILERS 4, KINGS 3
COMPLETE OILERS-KINGS SERIES COVERAGE
+ – IF NECESSARY
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MILWAUKEE 7 TAMPA BAY 1
DETROIT 4 ST. LOUIS 1
MINNESOTA 10 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 5
KANSAS CITY 6 TORONTO 1
OAKLAND 4 PITTSBURGH 0
ATLANTA 5 SEATTLE 2
PHILADELPHIA 2 LA ANGELS 1
SAN DIEGO 6 CINCINNATI 2
NY YANKEES 2 BALTIMORE 0
MIAMI 4 COLORADO 1
CHICAGO CUBS 1 NY METS 0
BOSTON 6 SAN FRANCISCO 2
WASHINGTON 1 TEXAS 0
CLEVELAND 3 HOUSTON 2 (10)
LA DODGERS 8 ARIZONA 0
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS 14 BUFFALO 5
SOUTH BEND 9 LANSING 3
LAKE COUNTY 7 FT. WAYNE 6
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NEBRASKA 8 KANSAS 0
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 21 IOWA 14
RUTGERS 8 PRINCETON 4
PURDUE 15 DEPAUW 0
OHIO STATE 18 AKRON 13
BOWLING GREEN 19 OAKLAND 8
OAKLAND 21 BOWLING GREEN 18
MILWAUKEE 6 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 5
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
MICHIGAN STATE 11 OAKLAND 0
NORTHERN IOWA 6 IOWA 5
BUFFALO 10 CANISIUS 2
CANISIUS 2 BUFFALO 0
UFL
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS
NBA NEWS
EMBIID LOVES BEING ‘PUNCHING BAG’ FOR KNICKS FANS
Joel Embiid has become the favorite target of New York Knicks fans during their first-round playoff series, but the Philadelphia 76ers star is embracing his role as public enemy No. 1.
“It’s not hostile. I love New York. New York is my favorite city in the world,” Embiid told reporters postgame, per SNY.
Embiid added: “The fans, when you play against a team, they’re always going to pick that guy … If I’ve got to be the punching bag and you hear a lot of ‘F Embiid,’ that’s okay. I love it.”
The Garden faithful showered the seven-time All-Star with “Fuck Embiid” chants throughout Tuesday’s Game 5 clash. Knicks fans also repeatedly taunted Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young when the two teams squared off in the postseason two years ago.
New York fans did the same thing in the main concourse area of Wells Fargo Center following the Knicks’ Game 4 road win over the 76ers.
Embiid maintains that he hasn’t been bothered by the rude reception. Instead, the two-time NBA scoring champ is using it as motivation as he looks to lead Philadelphia back from a 3-2 series deficit.
“It usually gets me going in those situations because you want to push yourself in those situations and kind of shut them up. But as long as you keep it basketball, they’ve been doing a great job, just supporting their team,” Embiid said. “They’ve been amazing. That’s why they’re the Knicks. They get hyped about everything, and they’ve been doing a fantastic job.”
BUCKS’ RIVERS: GIANNIS, DAME ‘VERY CLOSE’ TO RETURNING
Head coach Doc Rivers is optimistic his Milwaukee Bucks can get their two superstars back for Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
Speaking after the Bucks blew out the Pacers 115-92 without Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard, Rivers told reporters, including ESPN’s Jamal Collier, that the pair are “very, very, very close” to playing again.
Antetokounmpo has missed the entire series after straining his calf late in the regular season.
Meanwhile, Lillard averaged 32.3 points across Milwaukee’s first three playoff contests before injuring his Achilles late in Game 3. The Bucks dropped Game 4 without him but closed the gap to 3-2 on Tuesday.
In doing so, Milwaukee became the first team to ever win a playoff game without its two leading scorers, according to ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
Third-leading scorer Khris Middleton has stepped up in a big way for the shorthanded Bucks, averaging 32 points over his last three contests.
Antetokounmpo and Lillard have yet to play a postseason game together, as the latter joined the squad last offseason after an 11-year stint with the Portland Trail Blazers.
CELTICS ADVANCE TO EAST SEMIFINALS, BEATING SHORT-HANDED HEAT 118-84 IN GAME 5
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the short-handed Miami Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Boston will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series. The Cavaliers lead 3-2, with Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night.
Brown also had six assists, and White hit five 3-pointers. Sam Hauser added 17 points and Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 12 rebounds, The top-seeded Celtics never trailed and led by 35 points. They also got a measure of revenge a year after the Heat routed them in Game 7 of the conference finals in Boston.
Bam Adebayo scored 23 points and Tyler Herro had 15 for Miami, which made its first exit from the playoffs prior to the conference finals since 2021. The Heat struggled throughout, going 3 of 29 from 3-point range.
Boston played for the first time this postseason without center Kristaps Porzingis after he strained his right calf in the Celtics’ Game 4 victory. His teammates filled in the gaps, as the Celtics’ lead reached 30 points in the first half.
Boston exploited a Heat team that was the most injured it’d been in the series. Jaime Jaquez Jr. sat out after suffering a hip injury in Game 4. He was replaced in the lineup by Delon Wright, marking the 37th starting five the Heat used this season. Jaquez joined Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck), who had both been sidelined since the start of the series.
It made for unique rotations for Miami, which included veteran Patty Mills logging minutes for just the third time in the series.
Boston seized on the vulnerabilities in the Heat’s defense, spreading them out and knocking down eight 3-pointers in the opening period. It helped the Celtics carry an 18-point lead into the second quarter.
The highlight of the opening 12 minutes came courtesy of White, who pulverized Miami from long distance with eight 3s in Game 4. He stayed on the attack early Wednesday, faking a 3-point attempt and then driving in for an uncontested one-handed dunk.
White played to the home crowd afterward, holding his hand in front of his face as he backpedaled up the court. After the Heat called a timeout, a courtside fan near the Celtics’ bench could be seen pantomiming fanning White on the sideline.
LUKA DONCIC SCORES 35 POINTS, LEADS MAVERICKS TO 123-93 VICTORY AND 3-2 SERIES LEAD OVER CLIPPERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half and added 10 assists and seven rebounds, propelling the Dallas Mavericks to a 123-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 on Wednesday night and a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.
Maxi Kleber hit five 3-pointers and Kyrie Irving added 14 points for the Mavericks, who clamped down on the Clippers defensively and won decisively in Los Angeles for the second time in the series. Dallas moved to the brink of its first playoff series victory since 2022 and only its third since winning the NBA title in 2011.
Doncic is playing on a sprained right knee that limited him at times in the series, but the Slovenian superstar clearly got more comfortable and more dangerous as Game 5 went on. He had 14 points in the third quarter while the Mavs stretched their lead to 25 and eventually took an 89-69 advantage into the fourth, where the Clippers never threatened to do an imitation of Dallas’ rally back from a 31-point deficit in Game 4.
Game 6 is Friday night in Dallas. If necessary, Game 7 will be back in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Paul George and Ivica Zubac scored 15 points apiece for the Clippers, who played their second straight game and third of the series without Kawhi Leonard. LA’s leading scorer has right knee inflammation at the most critical point in the season, and his teammates were unable to win without him in Game 5 after doing it twice earlier in the series.
Leonard’s fellow stars couldn’t step up in Game 5, and Dallas’ defense deserved much of the credit.
George went 4 for 13 and missed four of his six 3-point attempts, failing to assert himself offensively except during a brief stretch of the third quarter.
Harden had another perplexing playoff performance, going 2 for 12 and missing six of his seven 3s. Russell Westbrook also struggled off the bench, missing his first eight shots before finally scoring in the third quarter.
Both teams pulled their starters midway through the fourth quarter, grabbing rest for the potential closeout in Dallas.
Although Doncic and Irving each missed their first three 3-point attempts in the first half of Game 5, the Mavs jumped to a 10-point halftime lead. Dallas got 12 first-half points from Kleber, the German shooter who famously hit a buzzer-beating 3 in this building to beat the Lakers just over a year ago.
George and Harden both struggled with their shots under Dallas’ signature defensive pressure early, but the Clippers’ supporting cast kept it close. Zubac, the Clippers’ veteran center, had yet another unusually big offensive game against the Mavs, scoring 13 points in the first half while making his first six shots, while Terance Mann added 11 points before getting shut out in the second half.
Doncic scorched the Clips for 14 points in the third quarter, stretching Dallas’ lead to 23 points during a 17-2 run. Los Angeles missed nine consecutive shots and committed four turnovers during the 6:23 between their first and second baskets of the second half.
Leonard missed the Clippers’ victories in Games 1 and 4, but played haltingly in LA’s losses in the second and third games of the series. The results weren’t incredibly surprising: Although Leonard had been mostly healthy this year until missing the final eight games of the regular season, the two-time NBA champion’s frequent injuries over the years have left his teammates comfortable playing without him.
But nothing worked in Game 5, leaving the Clippers facing the possibility that it was their last as the home team at the downtown Los Angeles arena they share with the lakers. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s palatial Intuit Dome opens next season in Inglewood.
NHL NEWS
STARS FIRST TO HOLD SERVE AT HOME, BEAT KNIGHTS 3-2 IN GAME 5 FOR SERIES LEAD IN NHL PLAYOFFS
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored a power-play goal to put Dallas ahead late in the second period after Tyler Seguin took a shot to the face and the Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 5 on Wednesday night, becoming the first home team to win in this opening-round series that they now lead.
Evgenii Dadonov and Matt Duchene also scored for the Stars, who have won three in a row after dropping the first two games at home last week as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Seguin was down on the ice and a bit dazed after Alex Pietrangelo took a big backhanded swing and connected to the face of the Stars forward when they were together against the boards. The play was initially called a five-minute major, but changed to a minor penalty after replay review.
Still, it was a major hit against the Knights since Robertson scored on their first shot with an advantage. His third goal of this series came after he got his own ricochet and knocked the puck through traffic in front of the net and past Adin Hill, the goalie starting his first game for the Knights this series.
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots, including a nearly full-split save to deny Chandler Stephenson on a charge with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the game.
Hill had 22 saves after Logan Thompson had started the first four games.
Mark Stone and William Carrier scored the goals for Vegas.
Game 6 is Friday night in Las Vegas, where the Stars won twice — 3-2 in overtime in Game 3, then 4-2 in Game 4. Wyatt Johnston, who had two assists in the return home, scored three goals on the road, including the OT winner in Game 3.
Reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas never trailed the Stars in the Western Conference Final last year, winning the first three games before wrapping up the series in six games.
Duchene scored on a power play for a 2-1 Dallas lead after a tripping penalty against Carrier. Seguin had a shot off the upper body of Hill, before Johnston got a stick on the puck that then pinged off a Vegas defender and was stuffed in by Duchene.
Knights captain Stone, playing his 73th playoff game for Vegas and his 100th overall in his career, put them up 1-0 with a power-play goal four minutes into the game. He redirected Noah Hanifin’s shot, sending the puck between Tomas Hertl and Stars defenseman Esa Lindell who were in front of Oettinger.
Their lead lasted only only about a minute before Dadonov scored on a pass from rookie Logan Stankoven, who did some nifty stick work to push the puck ahead of defenseman Brayden McNabb sliding feet-first on the ice after falling down.
The Knights did get back even at 2-2 on Carrier’s goal when he withstood a hit from Lindell against the boards behind the net but kept possession of the puck and then stuffed it around the post to Oettinger’s right. They came inches from taking the lead after that when Brett Howden had a shot across the front of the goalie that ricocheted off the top of the other post.
DRAISAITL SCORES TWICE AS OILERS BEAT KINGS 4-3 TO ADVANCE TO 2ND ROUND
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored twice, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their first-round NHL playoff series.
Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in the opening round for the third straight year after coming out on top in six games in 2023 and seven in 2022.
Zach Hyman — with his seventh goal of the post-season — and Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton, which only dropped a 5-4 loss in overtime of Game 2 in the best-of-seven series.
Evan Bouchard added three assists, and Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two each as Edmonton’s offense broke out at Rogers Place. McDavid extended his points total to a playoff-leading 12 (one goal, 11 assists).
Stuart Skinner made 18 saves after posting a shutout in Edmonton’s 1-0 win at Los Angeles in Game 4.
Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere and Blake Lizotte scored for Los Angeles, and David Rittich stopped 22 shots in his second straight start.
The Oilers move on to the second round, where they’ll face the winner of a matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators. Vancouver leads the series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Friday in Nashville.
Down 2-1 in the second period, the Oilers scored three consecutive goals to take 4-2 lead.
Draisaitl had a power-play goal at 7:44 after a couple exchanges with McDavid to tie it. Rittich appeared to rob Draisaitl with a desperation glove save, but fans cheered as if it were a goal upon seeing the replay and officials ruled the puck crossed the line after a video review.
The Oilers’ power play went 1 for 4 but scored twice just after time expired on a penalty. Edmonton finished 9 for 19 with the man-advantage in the series. Los Angeles was 0 for 1, going scoreless on 12 power plays in the series.
McDavid and Draisaitl connected again just after a penalty expired with 7:39 left in the period for the German forward’s fifth of the playoffs.
The undisciplined Kings put Edmonton up a man again near the end of the period. This time, Hyman tapped home a puck on the goal line moments after Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois stepped out of the box to make it 4-2.
The Oilers hunkered down to hold off the Kings most of the third. But with the goalie pulled, Kempe deflected a shot past Skinner with 2:18 left to trim the deficit to one.
The Kings pressured for an equalizer in the final two minutes until Phillip Danault hooked Draisaitl with 19.7 seconds left — sending Edmonton on a power play and squashing L.A.’s chances of a comeback.
The Kings limited the Oilers to 13 shots in Sunday’s 1-0 loss and had the same game plan working early, holding Edmonton to one shot through the first 10 minutes of the game.
Kane, however, opened the scoring on Edmonton’s second shot of the night at 10:17 with a soft backhand that slipped past Rittich.
Los Angeles tied it with 28 seconds left in the first when the puck caromed around the boards and bounced in front of the net to Laferriere, who shot into an open net with Skinner out to play the puck.
Lizotte then scored 3:08 into the second to give Los Angeles its only lead of the game and quiet Rogers Place before Edmonton replied with an onslaught.
It’s the first time the Oilers have advanced from the first round in three straight years since 1990-92.
The Oilers fell 4-2 in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights last year.
McDavid became the sixth player to record 10 or more assists through the first five games of the playoffs — and the first in nearly 30 years. Draisaitl joined McDavid and Sidney Crosby as the third active player to record 10 points in four or more playoff series.
MLB NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: CUBS’ SHOTA IMANAGA STELLAR AGAIN IN WIN
Rookie Shota Imanaga had another strong start and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth inning Wednesday night as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 1-0.
Nico Hoerner had two hits and a stolen base for the Cubs, who have won two of the first three games of the four-game series. Jeff McNeil collected a pair of hits for the Mets, who have lost seven of 10.
Imanaga (5-0) gave up three hits and one walk while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings. The seven innings are a career high for Imanaga, who lowered his ERA from 0.98 to 0.78.
Imanaga entered the game as the first starting pitcher to begin his career with a 4-0 record or better and an ERA below 1.00 in his first five starts since Dave Ferriss (5-0 with a 0.60 ERA) for the Boston Red Sox in 1945.
Twins 9, White Sox 5
Jose Miranda and Willi Castro had three hits apiece and Alex Kirilloff homered as Minnesota defeated host Chicago, extending its winning streak to 10 games.
Ryan Jeffers’ two-run double punctuated the Twins’ four-run ninth. His two RBIs matched Miranda for the team high. Tommy Pham homered, doubled and drove in two runs, and Robbie Grossman doubled twice to keep Chicago afloat before bullpen woes took a toll. The Twins scored six runs in the seventh inning or later.
Twins starter Bailey Ober (3-1) worked six innings, allowing four runs and six hits while striking out three. White Sox reliever Dominic Leone (0-1) took the loss after yielding two runs in two-thirds of an inning with two walks and two strikeouts.
Tigers 4, Cardinals 1
Matt Vierling belted a two-run home run as part of a three-RBI performance and host Detroit defeated St. Louis.
Colt Keith added an RBI double for the Tigers. Kenta Maeda (1-1) gave up one run on four hits in six innings for his first win with Detroit.
Willson Contreras accounted for St. Louis’ lone run with a home run. Starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (2-4) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. The Cardinals have lost three of their past four games.
Brewers 7, Rays 1
Willy Adames belted two home runs and drove in four runs and Colin Rea pitched six shutout innings as host Milwaukee defeated Tampa Bay in the final meeting of a three-game series.
Adames, who also homered in Tuesday’s win, stayed hot at the plate with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning and a three-run home run in the seventh. The Rays were unable to crack Rea (3-0), as the Brewers’ starting pitcher limited them to four hits and two walks while striking out five batters.
Tampa Bay has lost five of its past six games. Starter Zach Eflin (1-4) was relieved midway through the sixth inning after Adames had his first home run of the day. Eflin allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out six batters.
Royals 6, Blue Jays 1
Michael Massey hit a three-run homer, right-hander Seth Lugo allowed two hits over seven innings and visiting Kansas City defeated Toronto.
Danny Jansen hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays in the rubber match of the three-game series. The Royals took the season series between the teams, 5-2.
Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (2-5) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He also hit a batter but did not allow a hit until Kansas City put together a three-run sixth. Lugo (5-1) allowed one run, walked two and fanned eight.
Athletics 4, Pirates 0
Ross Stripling won for the first time since 2022, Abraham Toro and Tyler Nevin hit home runs and Oakland completed a three-game sweep of visiting Pittsburgh.
T.J. McFarland, Austin Adams, Dany Jimenez, Michael Kelly and Mason Miller extended the Oakland bullpen’s run of consecutive scoreless innings to 27 1/3 with three more, capping a four-hit effort that produced the A’s season-best fourth straight win.
Stripling (1-5), who entered the game 0-5 after having gone 0-5 for the San Francisco Giants in 2023, worked six innings, allowing three hits and no walks. Pirates starter Quinn Priester went six innings, charged with three runs (two earned) on five hits.
Phillies 2, Angels 1
Kyle Schwarber had two singles and two RBIs to lift Philadelphia past Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Whit Merrifield added two hits for the Phillies, who won despite striking out 18 times. Starter Zack Wheeler (3-3) tossed five innings and allowed five hits, one run and one walk with six strikeouts. Gregory Soto threw a scoreless ninth for his second save.
Ehire Adrianza hit a solo home run for the Angels in the second. Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel had two hits each. Starter Patrick Sandoval (1-5) gave up four hits and two runs with 10 strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
Red Sox 6, Giants 2
Kutter Crawford threw a career-high seven innings and Connor Wong went 3-for-4 with two doubles as host Boston eased past San Francisco.
Three two-out RBIs, including Jarren Duran’s run-scoring triple in the fourth inning, helped Boston to its fourth straight win and second to begin the three-game series. Crawford (2-1) held up his end on the mound, striking out six while allowing two runs on four hits.
For the Giants, Tom Murphy’s solo home run in the third opened the scoring, while Mike Yastrzemski had the only other RBI.
Braves 5, Mariners 2
Austin Riley hit a two-run triple and Chris Sale allowed one run over five innings as Atlanta salvaged the finale of a three-game series at Seattle.
Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. each had two hits for the Braves, who snapped their first two-game losing streak of the season. Sale (4-1) gave up six hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine.
Julio Rodriguez had three hits, including a double, and Jorge Polanco had two RBIs for the Mariners, who lost for just the fourth time in their past 15 games.
Yankees 2, Orioles 0
Luis Gil pitched 6 1/3 innings and Oswaldo Cabrera hit a two-run home run as New York beat host Baltimore.
Caleb Ferguson, Ian Hamilton and Clay Holmes worked out of the bullpen to secure the Yankees’ second shutout win of the season. Holmes logged 1 2/3 innings for this 10th save.
Orioles starter Corbin Burnes (3-1) worked six innings, allowing both runs and four hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Padres 6, Reds 2
Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the seventh inning to help San Diego win the rubber contest of the three-game series against visiting Cincinnati.
Jurickson Profar went 4-for-4 in the leadoff spot with two RBIs and a run scored for the Padres, who beat the Reds on Tuesday to snap a five-game skid. Joe Musgrove allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, striking out a season-high nine.
Spencer Steer homered and right-hander Graham Ashcraft allowed two runs, both unearned, and five hits in six innings for the Reds.
Marlins 4, Rockies 1
Emmanuel Rivera had two hits and scored twice and host Miami beat Colorado to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
Roddery Munoz (1-0) tossed six strong innings to earn his first major league victory and Anthony Maldonado got the final three outs of the contest for his first save of the season for the Marlins.
Elias Diaz had the only RBI for Colorado, which has yet to put together a winning streak this season. The Rockies have trailed in each of their first 30 games of the campaign, a feat no team has ever accomplished before in league history.
Nationals 1, Rangers 0
Trevor Williams and four relievers combined on a six-hit shutout as visiting Washington beat Texas.
Williams (3-0) pitched five scoreless innings despite allowing five hits with four walks and three strikeouts for the Nationals. Derek Law, Dylan Floro and Hunter Harvey combined for three scoreless innings before Kyle Finnegan struck out the side in the ninth for his 10th save.
Texas outhit the Nationals 6-5 but was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The Rangers stranded 11 baserunners and were shut out for the third time this season.
Guardians 3, Astros 2 (10)
Steven Kwan hit an RBI double in the top of the 10th inning before Emmanuel Clase recorded his ninth save as visiting Cleveland beat Houston.
Kwan finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Guardians. He followed a leadoff walk from Brayan Rocchio with a double to left field off Astros reliever Shawn Dubin (0-1) that scored automatic runner Gabrial Arias with the go-ahead run. Rocchio finished 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.
Justin Verlander allowed two runs on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts in seven innings for the Astros.
INFIELDER ZACK SHORT ACQUIRED BY RED SOX FROM METS FOR CASH
BOSTON (AP) — Infielder Zack Short was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the New York Mets on Wednesday for cash.
The 28-year-old hit .111 (1 for 9) with no RBIs in 10 games with the Mets this season, making three starts at third base. He was designated for assignment on April 26.
Short has a .172 average with 13 homers, 55 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 189 games with Detroit (2021-23) and the Mets.
MIKE TROUT’S SUBLIME TALENT DEFINED HIS FIRST DECADE IN BASEBALL. INJURIES ARE THE STORY NOW
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout never had a significant injury in his charmed baseball career until May 2017, when he tore a thumb ligament sliding headfirst into second base.
On his first day back from a 39-game absence, the superstar slugger stole second — and he slid headfirst again.
“I’m not changing the way I play,” a grinning Trout said that night in the Los Angeles Angels’ clubhouse, a singular young athlete confident in his exceptionalism.
Less than seven years later in the hallway outside that same Anaheim clubhouse, Trout repeatedly fought back tears Tuesday while he publicly processed his fourth major injury in the past four seasons.
“It’s just frustrating,” he said quietly, his eyes downcast. “But we’ll get through it. … I play the game hard, and (stuff) happens.”
Trout still might be the greatest baseball player produced by his generation, but he’ll never again be that 25-year-old who seemed pretty sure he was invincible. Like Ken Griffey Jr. before him, Trout’s mid-career injury problems have waylaid a meteoric career and stalled his historic rate of production at the plate.
The 32-year-old Trout’s talent and passion still shine when he’s on the field, but they haven’t kept him healthy in his second decade in baseball.
Since the start of the 2021 season, Trout has played in 266 games. The Angels’ meeting with Philadelphia on Wednesday will be the 251st game he has missed in that stretch.
Trout had 285 career homers when he won his third AL MVP award in 2019. The Angels’ center fielder has hit just 93 homers in the four-plus seasons since then, with COVID-19 shortening his 2020 campaign and injuries doing the rest.
Trout had 1,324 hits after the 2019 season, but he has compiled just 324 since, greatly slowing his march toward 2,000 or 3,000. His batting average (.277) and OPS (.958) since 2019 are also significantly below his career marks.
While Trout’s bat speed remains among the fastest in the majors, he has acknowledged several struggles with his mechanics for the past two seasons, including a declining contact rate and troubles with high-velocity pitching. Trout still led the majors with 10 homers when he got hurt this week, but his batting average was down to .220 — even dipping his career average below .300 shortly before his injury.
Trout now has a torn meniscus in his left knee. Compounding his frustration, he doesn’t know how it happened — perhaps while running in the outfield, perhaps while simply walking to the dugout.
“Nobody wants to play more than Mike does,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “He loves this. He loves everything about this. He wakes up thinking about it. He goes to bed thinking about it. He eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. I really feel for him.”
Trout was baseball’s breakout star of the 2010s, a strapping slugger from small-town southern New Jersey who dazzled the sport when he landed in Orange County. He’s an electrifying hitter, an exciting fielder, and a fiery competitor often described as the spiritual heir to Mickey Mantle.
Trout seemed capable of anything, even if he only got the Angels to the playoffs once in 2014. But as the Halos’ losing seasons piled up, he gradually became familiar with pain, sleepless nights and interminable medical procedures.
Trout missed all but 36 games of the 2021 season with a strained calf that healed confoundingly slowly. He missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, although he still hit 40 homers.
Trout then broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball last July 3. He tried to return in August when it briefly looked like the Angels might make a postseason run, but he played only one painful game before shutting it down for the year.
Trout had been in “a good frame of mind” this season, new Angels manager Ron Washington said. “He was loving coming to the ballpark, and he was loving going out there, trying to get in the swing of things of the season, and then this happened.”
The Angels have provided no timeline for Trout’s recovery from surgery, but most athletes with the injury miss at least a couple of months, often more.
With or without Trout, the Angels are reeling.
The club lost Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million free-agent deal with the nearby Dodgers, and the front office signed no significant help for Trout. At 11-19 heading into May after losing 10 of 12, a 10th consecutive non-playoff season and a ninth straight losing season — both the longest active streaks in the majors — seem increasingly likely for the Halos.
Trout’s injury problems have been crushing for his franchise — but so have the extensive injury woes of Anthony Rendon, the $245 million third baseman signed by owner Arte Moreno to provide Trout with a dynamic counterpart. Rendon is currently out with yet another injury, a hamstring tear that probably won’t heal quickly.
When Rendon arrived for the short 2020 season, Trout and Rendon played together 46 times in 60 games. Since then, the Angels’ two highest-paid players have appeared together in only 118 of the Angels’ 516 games (22.8%) from the start of the 2021 season.
Trout is older and more fragile than that golden youth of the previous decade, but he’s also wiser: When he slides these days, he tries to go feet-first — and he wears a bulky sliding mitt.
His $426.5 million contract runs through 2030, and he has repeatedly said he isn’t interested in leaving Anaheim. Trout still wants to turn the Angels into a winner, believing it will be even sweeter because it took so long.
But first, another surgery and another recovery await.
“It’s a pretty simple procedure,” Trout said. “I’ll have it right away and get back as fast as I can. (But) this is tough.”
NFL NEWS
HOUSTON STEPS UP TO NFL, PLANS TO WEAR COLUMBIA BLUE UNIFORMS
The University of Houston has executed a reverse by informing the NFL that it plans to proceed with adding an alternate uniform that features the Columbia blue color scheme.
The decision comes approximately six months after the NFL’s merchandising and licensing division threatened legal action in a cease-and-desist letter, citing the school’s “blatant copying” of the old Houston Oilers. The Cougars initially wore their Columbia blue uniforms in a 17-14 season-opening win over Texas-San Antonio on Sept. 2, 2023.
“We literally have a story we can show the city uses it,” athletic director Chris Pezman told the Houston Chronicle. “This isn’t a reach. This is a layup. We’ve got a very defensible position.”
Pezman also added, “We’re doing it. We’ve reviewed everything and come to the conclusion that we are going to proceed.”
Per Pezman, Houston has informed the NFL of its decision.
“We’re giving them two or three weeks to respond,” Pezman said. “We’re waiting on a response to see if we get one.”
The Houston Texans unveiled four variations of new uniforms on April 23. One of those variations included a light blue helmet as part of its Color Rush look, complete with “H-Town” on the front of its uniforms.
The Texans also featured a light blue “H” that is outlined in red on a dark blue helmet.
Last October, the NFL sent a letter to the university that said in part that “the Houston Cougars’ attempt to free ride on the popularity of the NFL and the club violates the intellectual property rights of the NFL and (Tennessee) Titans.”
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
UNC’S RJ DAVIS IS RETURNING TO SCHOOL FOR A 5TH SEASON. HE WAS AN AP 1ST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN LAST YEAR
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — First-team Associated Press All-American RJ Davis is returning to North Carolina to play his fifth season of eligibility, which could have him ultimately contending for the school and Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring record.
The school and Davis announced the decision in social media posts Wednesday.
The 6-foot, 180-pound guard averaged 21.2 points to lead the ACC and rank 16th in Division I in scoring. He also shot 39.8% from 3-point range and 87.3% from the foul line in a big season that included going for 42 points against Miami to set a record for any player in the Smith Center, UNC’s home arena since January 1986.
His first season came during the 2020-21 season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with players competing that year getting a free year of eligibility. He has 2,088 career points to rank fifth on the school’s career record list. If he matches last season’s output (784 points), he would tie program great Tyler Hansbrough for the ACC career scoring record (2,872).
Davis led the Tar Heels to their first ACC outright regular-season title since 2017 and a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
GOLF NEWS
GOLF GLANCE: BYRON NELSON FINAL SHOT AT SIGNATURE WELLS FARGO SPOTS
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Zurich Classic (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry)
THIS WEEK: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, McKinney, Texas, May 2-5
Course: TPC Craig Ranch (Par 71, 7,414 Yards)
Purse: $9.5M (Winners: $1.710M)
Defending Champion: Jason Day
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @CJByronNelson
NOTES: Will Zalatoris withdrew on Tuesday, citing the need to rest his surgically repaired back. He was replaced in the field by Nick Watney. … This is the final of three events that count toward the Aon Swing 5 for the Wells Fargo Championship, with the five players not otherwise exempt who earned the most points in those three events qualifying for the next signature event. The current top five are Billy Horschel, Chad Ramey, Wesley Bryan, Martin Trainer and Kevin Tway. The top 10 players in the FedEx Cup standings after this week who are not otherwise exempt will also qualify via the Aon Next 10. … 2,021 birdies were recorded at TPC Craig Ranch in 2023, the third most of any course on tour last season. … Zach Johnson will make his 500th career PGA Tour start this week. … England’s Kris Kim, the 16-year-old son of former LPGA Tour player Ji-Hyun Suh, will make his tour debut.
BEST BETS: Jordan Spieth (+1600 at BetMGM) is the top-ranked player in the field at No. 20. He has missed three of his past five cuts, but the Texas native did finish T10 at the Valero Texas Open and was runner-up here two years ago. … Si Woo Kim (+1600) tied for second last year and enters with four consecutive top-30 results, highlighted by a T6 at The Players. … Jason Day (+2000) claimed his most recent victory at last year’s Byron Nelson, but his most recent top-10 finish came at the Genesis in February. … Sungjae Im (+2500) is coming off a win on the Korean Tour last week following a T12 at the RBC Heritage. … Tom Kim (+2800) has finished T30 and T18 while showing improved form in his past two starts.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Wells Fargo Championship, Charlotte, May 9-12
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: JM Eagle LA Championship (Hannah Green)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Cognizant Founders Cup, Clifton, N.J., May 9-12
PGA Tour Champions
LAST TOURNAMENT: Mitsubishi Electric Classic (Stephen Ames)
THIS WEEK: Insperity Invitational, The Woodlands, Texas, May 3-5
Course: The Woodlands Country Club (Par 72, 7,002 yards)
Purse: $2.7M (Winner: $405,000)
Defending Champion: Steven Alker
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ames
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday, 12:30-3:3 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
Twitter: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: Alker is the two-time defending champion of the 54-hole event. … Bernhard Langer will make his competitive return just three months after undergoing surgery to repair an Achilles injury sustained while playing pickleball. Langer is the tour’s all-time leader with 46 career victories, including four in this event. He is also one of seven World Golf Hall of Fame members in this week’s 78-player field.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Regions Tradition, Birmingham, Ala., May 9-12
LIV Golf League
LAST TOURNAMENT: Adelaide (Individual: Brendan Steele; Team: Ripper GC)
THIS WEEK: Singapore, May 3-5
Course: Sentosa Golf Club, The Serapong (Par 71, 7,406 Yards)
Purse: Individual, $25M (Winner, $20M); Team, $4M (Winner, $3M)
Defending Champion: Individual: Talor Gooch; Team: RangeGoats GC
2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday (CW App, LIV Golf Plus, Caffeine); Saturday-Sunday (CW Network, CW App, LIV Golf Plus)
Twitter: @livgolf_league
NOTES: This is the seventh of 14 events on the 2024 schedule. … The daily shotgun start will begin at 9:15 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday and 9:05 p.m. on Saturday. … The 54-player field includes 13 teams of four players along with two wild cards. Each team’s top three scores count for every round, while all four scores are counted for the final round. … Jon Rahm has yet to win an individual title but is the only player with top-10 finishes in each of the first six events. … Sergio Garcia has been part of all three LIV Golf playoffs to date, including last year’s loss to Gooch in Singapore.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Houston, June 7-9
TIGER WOODS: STILL ON TRACK FOR TOURNAMENT PER MONTH TARGET
Tiger Woods remains hopeful he can play one tournament per month for the rest of 2024 season.
Woods, appearing on the “Today” show on Wednesday morning, said he’s still following the calendar he mapped out before the season began. But physical limitations continue to give the 15-time major winner pause.
He completed the Masters last month but requires a “cold plunge every day, religiously” to get his body going and was “extremely sore” when he left Augusta National.
“I have basically the next three months — three majors — and hopefully that works out,” said Woods, 48.
Woods last won a major in 2019, but he’s focused on what’s ahead. Up next is the PGA Championship at Valhalla in two weeks. The U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 begins on June 13, and The Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland begins on July 18.
Woods said he hopes to capture his 16th major title and ruin the “15 Stripes” logo design — each stripe represents a major victory — on his new apparel line, Sun Day Red.
“My goal is to ruin the logo. I want to keep ruining the logo,” Woods said.
To get the elusive win in one of golf’s marquee events, Woods must contend with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Woods said he remains wide-eyed by the Masters champion.
“If you just stand back and watch ball flight, there’s something different about his,” Woods said. “It’s just so consistent. It’s just a matter of — if he putts decent he’s going to win. If he putts great, he blows away fields. If he has a bad putting week, he contends. He’s just that good a ball-striker.”
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS BUCKS (GAME 6)
Game Preview
The Pacers have chance to close out their first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks at home. The best-of-seven series shifts back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday for Game 6 with the Pacers holding a 3-2 lead. If the Blue & Gold can protect their home court and come away with a victory, they will advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Bucks staved off elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Milwaukee despite being without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (who has not played in the series due to a left soleus strain) and Damian Lillard (who has missed the past two games with Achilles tendinitis). The Bucks outscored Indiana 64-36 over the second and third quarters on their way to a 115-92 victory.
PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana’s Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>
Milwaukee looked like the more desperate team, winning the majority of loose balls while also dictating the pace of the game, slowing down the Pacers’ up-tempo offensive attack.
It was a lesson for a young Pacers team that has limited playoff experience about how difficult it is to close out a series.
“We’ve just got to understand that they’re a team that’s on the brink of their season being done,” Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “They’re playing desperate, they’re playing hard, as they should be. At the end of the day, they out-competed us tonight. They played harder, they played better.”
The good news for the Blue & Gold is they are returning home to the building where they swept a pair of games over the weekend. Indiana won in dramatic fashion in a 121-118 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday before rolling to a 126-113 victory in Game 4 on Sunday. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was sold out for both games and players raved about the fan support and noise level.
“These were the first two (playoff) games I’ve played in this building and (it was) incredibly, incredibly loud,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “They’ve been incredibly important to what having a home court (advantage) is like in the playoffs. They have really willed us to win these games.”
The biggest question mark for Game 6 is if either or both of Antetokounmpo will return. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said before Game 5 that Lillard did no basketball activities on Tuesday while Antetokounmpo only did light shooting, but in his postgame press conference he left the door open for both to return, saying “I think they’re very, very, very close.”
Both players were listed as doubtful for Game 6 in the Bucks’ initial injury report released Wednesday evening.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Bucks: G – Patrick Beverley, G – Malik Beasley, F – Khris Middleton, F – Bobby Portis, C – Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (lower back spasms), Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)
Bucks: Patrick Beverley – probable (right oblique muscle strain), Khris Middleton – probable (right ankle sprain), Giannis Antetokounmpo – doubtful (left soleus strain), Damian Lillard – doubtful (right Achilles tendinitis)
Last Meeting
April 30, 2024: The Bucks staved off elimination with a 115-92 win on their home court.
Indiana led by as many as 10 in the opening quarter, but Milwaukee outscored the Pacers 64-36 over the second and third quarters to seize control.
Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in the win. After being ejected in the opening minutes of Game 4, Bobby Portis had a bounce-back game, tallying 29 points on 14-of-24 shooting and 10 rebounds. Patrick Beverley (13 points and 12 assists) also had a double-double for Milwaukee.
Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 16 points and six assists in the loss, going 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Myles Turner added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and five rebounds, while Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Obi Toppin each scored 12 points.
After going 7-for-13 from 3-point range in the first quarter, the Pacers were just 5-for-25 from beyond the arc over the final three quarters. Milwaukee shot 52.4 percent from the field in the win and scored 23 points off of 13 Indiana turnovers.
Noteworthy
- Game 6 will be a “Gold Out” at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with all fans in attendance receiving a gold t-shirt.
- With a win on Tuesday, the Pacers would improve to 3-0 in playoff series against the Bucks. Indiana previously beat Milwaukee in the first round in 1999 and 2000.
- The last time the Pacers won a playoff series was in 2014, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating Atlanta in the first round and Washington in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
- There will be a Pregame Party on Bicentennial Unity Plaza on Thursday from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. Activations will include a DJ, face painting, caricature and balloon artists, basketball, and concessions. Fans must have ticket to Game 6 for entry to the Pregame Party.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: TNT – Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Greg Anthony (analyst), Stephanie Ready (sideline reporter)
Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host the Bucks for Game 6 on Thursday, May 2 at 6:30 PM ET. Find Tickets >>
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANS 17-HIT ATTACK OVERPOWERS BISONS IN MATINEE MATCHUP
INDIANAPOLIS – Ji Hwan Bae energized the offense with four hits and all 10 batters to appear for the Indianapolis Indians recorded at least one base knock in a 14-5 rout over the Buffalo Bisons at Victory Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Bae continued to excel at the plate, finishing the game one hit shy of tying his career-high from April 29, 2022, at Iowa. The utilityman is hitting .391 (18-for-46) in 12 games with Indianapolis after going 4-for-6 with two runs, a double, RBI and stolen bases against Buffalo.
Indianapolis (14-12) jumped on the board in the first inning with three runs on a two-run single from Yasmani Grandal and a run-scoring groundout from Liover Peguero. The Indians did not look back, putting up 14 runs on 17 hit to never relinquish the lead.
Buffalo (16-12) cut into the lead in the second with a two-run blast courtesy of Steward Berroa, but the effort was quickly dismissed by a five-run frame by Indianapolis. In his first plate appearance at Victory Field, Andrés Alvarez launched his first home run of the season to deep center field to jumpstart the scoring. Three errors, two singles, an RBI groundout and double led to four additional runs scoring in the inning.
The Bisons made another offensive push in the top of the third, as Orelvis Martinez and Damiano Palmegiani launched back-to-back solo shots off southpaw Eric Lauer. Indy countered with one run in the fourth, four runs in the fifth on three RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk, and one run in the sixth to erase Buffalo’s effort and extend the lead.
As a team, the Indians’ season-high 14 runs on 17 hits included five doubles, a triple and home run. Two doubles came off the bat of Jake Lamb, with Matt Gorski tagging on his third three-bagger of the season.
Lauer started his fourth game for the Indians and allowed four runs off eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. After exiting the game, Brad Case (W, 1-0), Ryder Ryan and Fineas Del Bonta-Smith tossed 5.0 innings of one-run baseball.
Bisons starter Paolo Espino (L, 0-1) surrendered eight runs (four earned) in 1.2 innings pitched.
Indianapolis sent double-digit batters to the plate in both the second and fifth innings, marking the first time the team batted around the order twice in the same game since Sept. 11, 2022, at Omaha in a 19-9 Indians victory.
Indianapolis and Buffalo will square off in the third game of the six-game set tomorrow at 6:35 PM ET. LHP Cam Alldred (0-3, 9.00) gets the nod for Indy against RHP Chad Dallas (0-1, 7.04).
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ALI PATBERG PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT COACH; KEYANNA WARTHEN ADDED TO INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STAFF
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball head coach Teri Moren has announced that Ali Patberg has been promoted to full-time assistant coach and Keyanna Warthen has been added to the program’s staff as a team and recruitment coordinator/assistant coach.
“It is especially exciting to announce these additions to our staff in two program alums who were both instrumental in building culture and success that we’ve had at Indiana,” Moren said. “Ali has continued to thrive in her role on staff and has been an integral part of what Indiana women’s basketball has become. It’s such a joy to be able to bring Keyanna back home to Bloomington. She has had the opportunity to be a full-time assistant last year at Miami and will bring valuable experience for our student-athletes.”
Patberg enters her third season with the Hoosiers, spending the two seasons as the team and recruitment coordinator while also taking on assistant coaching duties last season. She is influential in development of Indiana’s guards, including 2023-24 All-Big Ten selections Chloe Moore-McNeil and Yarden Garzon. The Hoosiers have continued to see success with Patberg on staff. In her two seasons, Indiana won its first Big Ten title in 40 years and are 54-10 in her time on the sideline. Other primary responsibilities for Patberg include recruiting, scouting, game planning and player development.
She wrapped up her career at IU as a four-time All-Big Ten honoree in 2021-22 as she led Indiana to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances and three NCAA Tournaments. She finished ninth in all-time scoring at IU with 1,752 points, third in assists (527) and a career average of 14.2 points per game which ranked eight. She was a two-time Nancy Lieberman Award finalist and WBCA All-American honorable mention. Patberg was drafted 33rd overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.
The Columbus, Ind. native also excelled in the classroom where she was a 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-American, four-time All-Big Ten selection and is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She holds a pair of degrees from Indiana, a bachelor’s degree in finance from IU’s Kelley School of Business in May 2020 and a master’s degree in recreational administration in May 2022.
Warthen returns to Bloomington after spending a year at Miami (OH) as an assistant coach under former IU associate head coach Glenn Box. In her four seasons at Indiana, Warthen played in 116 career games and finished her career at the time as the all-time winningest player in school history where she collected 89 wins. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native was part of three postseason appearances including two NCAA Tournament runs and a WNIT Championship. She was a member of the squad in 2021 when the Hoosiers advanced to its first ever Elite Eight. Warthen finished her playing career at Southern Methodist University for the 2021-22 campaign.
In her season with the RedHawks, Warthen helped secure one of the best defenses in the MAC, holding opponents to 60.4 points (third in MAC) and allowing a MAC low 38.1% field goal percentage to the opposition.
Warthen arrived in Miami after spending the 2022-23 as a graduate assistant with the women’s basketball program at Oklahoma State. While with the Cowgirls, she supervised off-season programs for current student athletes and played a vital role with OSU’s recruiting efforts. She also worked directly with head coach Jacie Hoyt to implement teaching and instructions for sport specific skills and strategy in practice. OSU went 21-12 in her season in Stillwater and securing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to joining OSU, Warthen served as a marketing intern with the Dallas Wings of the WNBA in 2022. While gaining marketing experience in a professional league setting, she added skills in social and digital content as well. She graduated from IU with a youth development degree in 2021 and completed her master’s degree in sports management from SMU in 2022.
INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
INDIANA MEN’S GOLF SELECTED FOR NCAA WEST LAFAYETTE REGIONAL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana men’s golf team has earned a bid to the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional played at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Course, the NCAA announced on Wednesday via a selection show on The Golf Channel.
After making the 2021 NCAA Tallahassee Regional, the 2022 NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional, and the 2023 NCAA Auburn Regional, Indiana has made four-straight regional appearances as a team for the first time since making six-consecutive NCAA events from 2008-13. In total, the Hoosiers have made it to 13 NCAA Regionals under head coach Mike Mayer.
“We are thrilled to be going to West Lafayette,” Mayer said. “We know that golf course extremely well. We have played there numerous times and we have won tournaments on that course. We are comfortable there.
“The field is going to be great in all six regionals, so that was not part of our concern. We wanted to stay on grass we were familiar with. We feel great about our chances of advancing to the NCAA Finals.”
The 2024 NCAA Regionals will be held May 13-15 at one of six sites across the country: University of Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas), University Club (Baton Rouge, La.), UNC Finley Golf Course, (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Farms Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.), Birck Boilermaker Golf Course (West Lafayette, Ind.).
Three regional sites will have 13 teams and 10 individuals competing and three will have 14 teams and five individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team from each regional site (six individuals total) will advance to the NCAA Championships, set for May 24-29 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional Teams
1. Vanderbilt
2. Arizona
3. Florida
4. New Mexico
5. Purdue
6. San Diego State
7. Mississippi State
8. INDIANA
9. College of Charleston
10. Stetson
11. Colorado State
12. Southern Illinois
13. Tennessee Tech
2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional Individuals
1. Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
2. Hunter Thomson, Michigan
3. Cameron Huss, Wisconsin
4. Barend Botha, Toledo
5. Valentin Peugnet, Illinois State
6. Owen Stamper, Middle Tennessee State
7. Alex McCulla, Illinois State
8. Ty Gingerich, Cincinnati
9. Luke Fuller, Western Kentucky
10. Ben Ortwein, Ride
NCAA Tournament Appearances Under Mike Mayer
2023-24: Regional
2022-23: 7th (Regional); Drew Salyers (NCAA Finals individual, t-131st)
2021-22: 12th (Regional)
2020-21: 9th (Regional)
2017-18: Jake Brown (Individual Regional, t-14th)
2012-13: 13th (Regional)
2011-12: 9th (Regional)
2010-11: t-8th (Regional)
2009-10: 9th (Regional)
2008-09: 12th (Regional)
2007-08: 10th (Regional); 21st (NCAA Finals); Jorge Campillo (NCAA Finals individual runner-up)
2006-07: Jorge Campillo (Individual Regional, t-72nd)
2005-06: t-11th (Regional)
2004-05: t-18th (Regional)
2003-04: t-20th (Regional); Jeff Overton (NCAA Finals individual, t-20th)
2002-03: Jeff Overton (Individual Regional, t-38th)
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG TEN ANNOUNCES 2024-25 MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced men’s basketball league opponents for the 2024-25 season. The conference enters its seventh year playing a 20-game schedule. With the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, each team will play three opponents twice, seven opponents only at home, and seven opponents only on the road. Dates, times, and television designations will be announced later this summer.
In non-conference play, the Hoosiers will play compete in the 13th-annual Battle 4 Atlantis. Indiana will be joined by Arizona, Creighton, Davidson, Gonzaga, Louisville, Oklahoma, and West Virginia in the three-day event played at the Imperial Arena. Games are televised on ESPN networks throughout the tournament. All games will be played between Wednesday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 29.
IU 2024-25 Big Ten Conference Opponents
Home Only
Illinois
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Rutgers
UCLA
USC
Away Only
Iowa
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
Oregon
Washington
Wisconsin
Home and Away
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
INDIANA SOFTBALL
INDIANA TO FACE NO. 20 NORTHWESTERN FOR REGULAR SEASON FINALE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana travels to Evanston, Ill. this weekend to take on No. 20 Northwestern in the final regular season series of the 2024 campaign.
The Hoosiers enter the series with a 36-15 mark on the regular season and an 11-9 record in conference play.
QUICK HITTERS:
There is a lot on the line heading into the final weekend of the regular season as Indiana is in pursuit of the best possible seed for the Big Ten Tournament and to bolster their resume ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
Currently, Indiana is in sixth in the conference, but is only one game out of third place Rutgers who is 12-8 in Big Ten play. There is a serious logjam in the Big Ten standings as every team who is between third and ninth in the standings has between 10-12 conference wins and eight to 10 conference losses.
Seven different Hoosiers in the lineup have posted 20-plus RBI on the season, including Taylor Minnick (51), Sarah Stone (41), Avery Parker (41), Alex Cooper (31), Brianna Copeland (30), Cora Bassett (26) and Brooke Benson (26). Minnick’s 51 are the third-most in the conference.
Three Hoosiers are hitting .340 or better from the plate: Aly VanBrandt (.382), Taylor Minnick (.381), and Brianna Copeland (.348).
LAST TIME OUT:
Indiana came up short last weekend against Wisconsin, dropping two of three games to the Badgers after winning the Friday game, 6-5.
The win on Friday provided plenty of excitement for Indiana fans as after trailing 5-0 through four innings, the team mounted a comeback to win 6-5. The game was decided in the bottom of the seventh inning when freshman Alex Cooper hit a walk-off single to score two runners and give Indiana the win.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Hoosiers did not generate enough offense to pull through, falling 8-6 on Saturday and 7-1 on Sunday.
Despite the difficult results, a number of Hoosiers had good individual weekends. Senior Aaliyah Andrews hit .500 on the series, including making an impressive diving catch in center field on Sunday. Freshmen Aly VanBrandt and Alex Cooper each played well, too, hitting .444 and .400 in the series, respectively.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Northwestern enters the weekend with a 31-9 record and 17-2 showing in the Big Ten. The Wildcats won the two games they played in last weekend at Nebraska, but the third game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Northwestern currently leads the Big Ten in a tight race for the regular season title. Northwestern’s 17-2 mark barely edges Michigan’s 17-3 conference record. The Wildcats do have the head-to-head advantage as they swept Michigan earlier this season.
In addition to the Michigan sweep and Nebraska wins, Northwestern owns notable wins over Georgia Tech, No. 24 Boston, Minnesota and No. 23 South Carolina.
The Wildcats’ Kansas Robinson is second in the Big Ten in batting average, hitting .418. Kelsey Nader and Angela Zedak also are hitting .367 and .328, respectively.
Ashley Miller is the team’s ace, owning a Big Ten best 1.31 ERA along with a 16-4 record and 157 strikeouts.
SERIES NOTES:
Northwestern leads the all-time series over Indiana, 38-74.
The last meeting between the two teams was in the 2023 Big Ten Championship when Northwestern won, 2-1.
PURDUE BASEBALL
ALEXANDER ATTENDANCE RECORD ECLIPSED AS BOILERS POST 30TH WIN
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Connor Caskenette, Jo Stevens and Logan Sutter all connected for a 400-foot home run in front of an Alexander Field-record crowd of 2,569 fans as Purdue Baseball rolled to a 15-0 victory vs. DePauw on Wednesday, registering its 30th win of the season.
The Boilermakers (30-15) improved to 14-3 since March 31. They’re the first Big Ten Conference team to reach the 30-win plateau this year. Purdue achieved the 30-win mark for the first time since 2018 and did so by May 1 for the first time since the 2012 Big Ten championship season.
Caskenette and Stevens both homered for the third game in a row – hitting four long balls apiece during that stretch. Sutter’s grand slam was the Boilermakers’ fourth of the season. Purdue has hit 12 home runs in the last three games.
The Boilermakers blew the game open with an 11-run third inning, sending 16 men to the plate. It was their third inning of the season in which they’ve scored 10 runs or more.
Purdue also won in shutout fashion for the fourth time this season, achieving that feat for the first time since 2018. With five different pitchers taking the mound Wednesday, 10 different Boilermakers have contributed to a shutout on the mound this year. Cole Van Assen retired the final seven batters he faced over three innings of one-hit ball. The freshman gave Purdue at least eight outs while surrendering no more than two runs for the ninth time in his 10 appearances.
Caskenette hit a three-run blast off the videoboard in this first inning, his team-leading 12th home run of the season. He also reached the 60-RBI mark for the season, tying teammate Luke Gaffney for the Big Ten lead. Both players rank sixth on the program’s single-season list. Their 120 RBI remain the second most ever by Boilermaker teammates, trailing only Brett Roach and Archi Cianfrocco (134 in 1987).
Stevens hit an opposite-field homer to right center, his eighth of the season, as the second batter of the long bottom of the third. Stevens has an RBI in five consecutive games, as does Caskenette. They’ve both joined Gaffney as Boilermakers to homer in three straight games this season.
Sutter had two hits in the third inning, punctuated by his towering grand slam on a full-count pitch in his second at-bat of the frame. It was Sutter’s eighth homer of the year. Three of Purdue’s four grand slams this season have come in the last six home games dating back to April 16.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 24-game on-base streak; 14-game on-base streak at home
• Camden Gasser – Reached base safely multiple times in 11 consecutive games
• Connor Caskenette – Hit safely, drove in a run, scored a run in 5 consecutive games
• Jo Stevens – 5-game RBI streak
• Keenan Spence – 8-game on-base streak at home
• Ty Gill – 8-game on-base streak at home
• Couper Cornblum – 97 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
DePauw (21-15) loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but Van Assen induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam. It was Purdue’s 48th twin killing turned this season. Carter Doorn, Easton Storey and Enas Hayden faced only four batters each in their scoreless innings of relief.
The game ended in the middle of the seventh due to the 10-run rule. It was the Boilermakers’ sixth run-rule victory of the season. Purdue has scored 55 runs during its five-game win streak and racked up 130 runs while compiling a 9-2 record in the last 11 games.
The previous attendance record at Alexander Field was 2,369 in an April 2018 win vs. Indiana, coincidentally also a midweek matchup. Next up, the Boilermakers host IU for just the third Big Ten weekend series between the rivals at Alexander since the stadium opened in 2013. First pitch Friday is slated for 6 p.m. ET.
PURDUE MEN’S GOLF
BOILERMAKERS EARN NO. 5 SEED FOR NCAA REGIONALS; WILL HOST AT KAMPEN-COSLER COURSE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the ninth time in the last 10 tournaments, the Purdue men’s golf team has been selected for the NCAA Regional Championships announced Wednesday afternoon on the Golf Channel.
Purdue will host the Regional at the Kampen-Cosler Course on May 13 through 15, receiving the No. 5 seed. The No. 5 seed matches the highest of the Rob Bradley tenure, also receiving a No. 5 seed in 2022 at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The Boilermakers will be joined in seed order by Vanderbilt, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Purdue, San Diego State, Mississippi State, Indiana, College of Charleston, Stetson, Colorado State, Southern Illinois and Tennessee Tech.
The top five teams at Regionals will advance to the NCAA National Championships held at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa’s North Course in Carlsbad, California, on May 24 through 29.
“We’re obviously thrilled to be hosting Regionals and to have a chance to compete for a Regional Championship is something we have built toward all season,” Purdue head coach Rob Bradley said. “We’ve had a solid year and to bring some of the nation’s elite teams to our course is very exciting for us. This is a great field with a lot of very good teams, so we will have to play very well to advance, but I’m excited to see what this team can do. We will be ready.”
Under Bradley, Purdue is currently in one of its best stretches in school history, reaching the postseason for the ninth time in 10 tournaments, the best stretch for the program since the 1950s and 60s. Purdue has been a top-10 seed in all nine regionals and surpassed its seed in five of the previous eight regionals.
Purdue’s nine appearances in the last 10 years are the second most in the Big Ten behind Illinois’ 10 appearances. Only Illinois (10), Purdue (9), Ohio State (8), Northwestern (7) and Michigan State (6) have more than five trips to the last 10 Regionals.
Purdue enters the NCAA West Lafayette Regional ranked No. 30 in the country, posting seven top-three finishes in nine events while posting a head-to-head record of 93-35-3 (.721). The Boilermakers won the Windon Memorial Classic and Purdue Fall Classic and have placed in the top three in each of their last four tournaments (Hootie at Bulls Bay, Calusa Cup, Robert Kepler Intercollegiate and Big Ten Championships).
On the individual side, the Boilermakers are led by All-America candidate Herman Sekne, who was just voted the Big Ten Golfer of the Year and awarded the Les Bolstad Award given to the Big Ten golfer with the lowest stroke average during the season. He owns five top-five finishes in his nine events played, while owning the school record for stroke average (70.27). He was joined on the All-Big Ten team by second-team selection Nels Surtani, who won the Puerto Rico Classic and owns a 72.21 stroke average. Purdue’ top-five golfers all have a stroke average under 73.00 strokes per round.
During the Bradley era that started before the 2013-14 season, Purdue has made the National Championships in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Purdue’s three appearances are the second most in the Big Ten during that span (Illinois 8, Purdue 3, Ohio State 3, Northwestern 1, Penn State 1).
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG TEN UNVEILS 2024-25 MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference has announced the single-play and home-and-away conference opponents for the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.
For the seventh straight season, the league will play a 20-game league schedule and with the addition of the four West Coast teams, teams will play just three home-and-away contests during the upcoming season. Over the previous six years with the 20-game schedule, Purdue owns the league’s best record with an 84-35 (.706) record, the Big Ten’s best mark by eight-and-a-half games (Illinois – 76-44).
Home-and-Away Series (3)
Indiana
Michigan
Rutgers
Single-Play Home Games (7)
Maryland
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio State
UCLA
USC
Wisconsin
Single-Play Road Games (7)
Illinois
Iowa
Michigan State
Minnesota
Oregon
Penn State
Washington
Purdue’s Home Games: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Purdue’s Road Games: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Finalized dates, times and television assignments will come at a later date.
Last season, Purdue finished with a 34-5 overall record, won the Big Ten regular-season title for the second straight year and reached the National Championship game. The Boilermakers return three starters and are ranked in the top 15 of almost all “way-too-early” top-25 polls.
SCHEDULE NOTES
Purdue will carry an 11-game home winning streak against Big Ten opponents into the season.
It will mark the second straight season that Purdue will play Indiana, Michigan and Rutgers both home-and-away.
UCLA will visit Mackey Arena for the first time since Dec. 30, 2000. The Bruins and Boilermakers opened Mackey Arena’s doors for its first game on Dec. 6, 1967, when Lew Alcindor and the top-ranked Bruins defeated Rick Mount and the Boilermakers 73-71.
USC has never played in Mackey Arena and its last trip to West Lafayette came in 1939.
Purdue will make its first trip to Seattle to face Washington since Dec. 9, 1967, when the Boilermakers completed a two-game series with the Huskies on Dec. 8 and 9, 1967.
Purdue’s last visit to Eugene, Oregon, came on Dec. 23, 1988.
Purdue IS SCHEDULED to play at the Bryce Jordan Center against Penn State for the first time since Jan. 8, 2022. Purdue played the Nittany Lions at The Palestra in Philadelphia in its last road game against Penn State on Jan. 8, 2023.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX
WOLAK NAMED ACC ATTACKER OF THE YEAR
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A 2024 Tewaaraton Nominee and First Team All-ACC honoree, the University of Notre Dame’s Jackie Wolak has been named the ACC Women’s Lacrosse Attacker of the Year, as announced by the conference Wednesday afternoon.
With 92 points thus far, Wolak leads the team in the category while also boasting the most goals (54) and assists (38), having started all 18 contests for the Irish this season. In her 18 games played, the Ridgewood, New Jersey native averages over five points per game and has ranked among the nation’s top scorers throughout the duration of the season.
Her nearly 100 points this season through the ACC Tournament ranks fifth nationally and leads all ACC attackers while her 5.11 points per game average is also top-15 in the country.
In conference play, the graduate owns 27 goals and more than half of her total points in nine ACC games played.
At the ACC Tournament last week, Wolak posted 10 points over two games played, including four goals and three assists in the team’s 14-12 win over Clemson to advance to their fourth consecutive conference semifinal and was later named to the All-Tournament team.
An ILWomen Midseason First Team All-American honoree, Wolak came one point shy of the program record in one of her final regular season games at Arlotta. When the Irish hosted Pitt at the end of March, Wolak soared to a career-best 11 points behind five goals and six assists and tied the program record for assists in a game.
The graduate attacker has recorded a hat trick in 11 games this season, six of which came against conference foes while she boasts multi-point games in all but one contest this year.
Wolak becomes just the first ACC Attacker of the Year honoree for the Irish while picking up the first conference yearly award for the team since Barbara Sullivan was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. The last offensive player of the year recognition came in 2009 when Jillian Byers was named the Big East Attack Player of the Year.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S TENNIS
DOMINKO AND MALKOWSKI EARN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sebastian Dominko and Jean-Marc Malkowski have earned their way into the NCAA Tennis Championships hosted by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma May 16-25. This will be Dominko’s second-consecutive season heading to the individual tournament as a singles player, and his second as a doubles tandem, pairing with Malkowski this season. It will be Malkowski’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
The doubles pairing earned a top eight seed in the doubles tournament coming up. With the top eight ranking, they have earned All-America honors. It’s the first All-America award for Malkowski, and the second for Dominko. Dominko was an individual All-American as a freshman in singles after entering the tournament as a seed in 2023. Dominko is the 20th All-American in program history, and Malkowski the 21st.
Dominko concluded the spring season with a 14-6 singles record, earning a 6-4 mark against Atlantic Coast Conference competition, playing at the top spot of the lineup. He is 16-7 overall including the fall season, and played 19 ranked singles opponents. He won eight of those matches with five going unfinished. For his efforts, Dominko earned All-ACC First Team honors.
Malkowski and Dominko formed one of the top doubles tandems in the country this season, going 13-7 with nine ranked wins at the top of the doubles lineup and earning a ranking as high as 8th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The duo earned wins over a top-20 ranked pairing from Boston College, and the fourth-ranked team in the country from Kentucky. The tandem also earned ACC wins over pairings from Miami, Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S LAX
ACC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL PREVIEW: #5/5 VIRGINIA
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 1 Notre Dame travels to Charlotte this weekend to play in the ACC Tournament as the top-seed in the tournament at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Notre Dame will play Virginia in the semifinals at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, May 3 and the game will air on ACCN.
GAME DETAILS
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina | American Legion Memorial Stadium
Schedule: May 3 — 5 p.m. ET
TV: ACCN
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Twitter Updates: @NDlacrosse
For a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame
IRISH IN THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Notre Dame will be playing in its seventh ACC Championship this weekend. The Irish have an all-time record of 6-4 at the ACC Championships.
• The Irish have won two ACC titles in its previous six appearances, winning the 2014 and 2018 championships.
• The Fighting Irish have advanced to the title game in four of the previous six ACC Tournaments.
• Notre Dame claimed an ACC Championship title in the team’s first season in the league in 2014. Notre Dame won a pair of one goal games over Maryland (6-5) in the semifinal and Syracuse (15-14) in the final.
• In 2018, Notre Dame defeated Duke in the semifinals by a final score of 14-11 before claiming the crown in a dominant 17-7 win over Virginia at Klockner Stadium.
THE VIRGINIA SERIES
• Friday will be the 22nd meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Virginia. The Irish trail the Cavaliers in the series by a narrow margin of 10-11.
• The Irish have won each of the last two matchups, including the final regular season game of the 2024 season at Klockner Stadium by a score of 11-9.
• The two sides faced off three times last season with Virginia winning both regular season matchups before the Irish won a 13-12 overtime thriller in the NCAA Championship semifinals.
• Brian Tevlin was the hero in the win, scoring on the first possession of overtime to send the Irish to the championship game on Memorial Day.
• Eric Dobson had arguably the best performance of his career, scoring four goals and adding an assist to carry the ND attack.
• Will Lynch went 13-of-22 from the faceoff dot and Liam Entenmann finished with 11 saves.
ACC HONORS
• The Irish cleaned up four of the five major awards handed out by the ACC following the regular season, as Pat Kavanagh was named Offensive Player of the Year, Liam Entenmann claimed Defensive Player of the Year and Goalie of the Year, and Kevin Corrigan was named the Coach of the Year.
• Entenmann became just the second player in ACC history to earn multiple ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining former Notre Dame great Matt Landis.
• Entenmann picks up Notre Dame’s sixth ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, which marks the most for any program since it was created during the 2012 season.
• Pat Kavanagh is the second Fighting Irish player in program history to earn ACC Offensive Player of the Year, as former standout Bryan Costabile took home the award in 2019.
• Corrigan garners the honor for the first time in his career and has now has now earned seven conference coach of the year honors over his career, with the previous six coming from other leagues.
• Entenmann and Kavanagh were one of seven Irish players on the All-ACC team, being joined by Chris Kavanagh (A), Eric Dobson (M), Will Donovan (LSM), Ben Ramsey (SSDM) and Will Lynch (FO).
• The seven Irish honorees are tied for the most All-ACC selections of any team in conference history, as Notre Dame also had seven representatives last season. Of the 19 total All-ACC Team members, Donovan, Lynch and Ramsey are the only representatives at their positions.
VIDEO GAME NUMBERS
• The Irish enter Friday’s matchup leading the ACC and second in the country in scoring offense (15.82 goals per game), second in the country in points per game (25.18) and fifth in assists per game (9.36).
• Notre Dame has reached double-digit scoring in every game this season.
• Five of ND’s 11 opponents have allowed their most goals in a game this season to the Irish (Cleveland St., Marquette, Maryland, Michigan, Duke).
• The 22-goal win over Cleveland State, the 13-goal victory at Marquette and the five-goal win over Maryland represent the largest margin of victory for the Irish in the respective all-time series.
• The Irish have also played fairly clean games thus far, as they are averaging just 14.27 turnovers per game which is the eighth best mark in the country.
PICK YOUR POISON
• The Irish starting attack has combined for 137 points this season.
• Pat Kavanagh (19G, 34A), Chris Kavanagh (26G, 24A) and Jake Taylor (31G, 3A) are each having great seasons.
• The three attackman have a combined 516 points in their career off 288 goals and 228 assists.
• The Irish starting midfield also presents headaches for the opposition with Eric Dobson, Jordan Faison and Devon McLane each presenting different challenges to try to stop.
• McLane leads the unit with 29 points (21G, 8A) while Faison has 21 (17G, 4A) and Dobson has added 21 (13G, 8A).
CASHING IN ON THE EMO
• For the third-straight season, Notre Dame’s man-up offense is among the nation’s best, scoring on 71.0 percent of its opportunities.
• Notre Dame comes into the weekend 22-of-31 on man-up situations.
• The mark of 71.0 percent is on pace to be the best single-season percentage in NCAA history.
• Jeffery Ricciardelli leads the unit with seven goals, ranking fifth in the country, while Chris Kavanagh, Devon McLane and Jake Taylor have each scored four goals for the Irish when having the player advantage this season.
• The Irish finished the 2023 season going 22-for-41 (.537) on the EMO ranking fifth in the country.
• The Irish EMO unit cashed in on 21-of-31 chances (.677) during the 2022 season.
DOMINATING DEFENSE
• The Irish have allowed just 106 total goals over the course of the season, giving up 9.64 goals per game despite playing some of the top attacks in the country.
• Not only has the Irish defense been stingy but they have also been disruptive, averaging 9.64 caused turnovers per game, which is the 11th best mark in the country.
• Dating back to last season, which includes an NCAA Championship run, the Irish have held 11 of their last 16 opponents to 10 or fewer goals.
• Notre Dame gave up just nine goals in the win over UVA at Klockner Stadium on 4/27, marking the fewest goals the Cavaliers have scored at Klockner during the shot clock era and the fewest since scoring seven at home against Notre Dame during the 2018 season.
• The unit allowed just three goals in the win over Cleveland State, which is tied for the second fewest given up by ND in a season opener in program history.
• The Irish finished 2023 allowing just 9.69 goals per game, leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the country, despite playing nine games against opponents that ranked in the top 10 in goals scored per game.
• Notre Dame led the ACC and ranked ninth in the country in caused turnovers per game last season, averaging 9.69.
THREES ARE WILD
• The Irish have faced the No. 3 ranked team in the country on three occasions this season, going 3-0 in the matchups.
• Notre Dame racked up wins over No. 3 Maryland, No. 3 Syracuse and No. 3 Duke.
• The Irish have scored at least 14 goals in each of the three contests.
THE CONDUCTOR
• Pat Kavanagh became the first Notre Dame player to be named a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist two times, earning the honor in 2021 and 2023.
• The graduate student was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year this season after leading the Irish to an undefeated 4-0 regular-season record in league play.
With four points in the win over Virginia, Kavanagh became the all-time career points record holder at Notre Dame, which was previously held by Randy Colley (273). Kavanagh has 274 career points (105G, 169A).
• The attackman is the current NCAA DI active career leader in assists per game (3.02) and is second for total career assists (169).
• The Rockville, New York, native broke the program record for points in a season in 2023 with 77 points off 25 goals and 52 assists.
• Kavanagh became the program record holder for career assists during the 2023 season and has 169 in his illustrious career.
• The attackman also shattered his own single-season program assists record in 2023, totaling 52 on the season. Kavanagh now holds the top four marks for assists in a season.
• Kavanagh is also the only player in program history to record 10 points in a single game, a feat which he has achieved three times in his career.
• Kavanagh has recorded three or more points in every game this season.
• The grad student is one of three attackmen currently averaging 1.0 or more caused turnovers per game this season.
THE STOPPER
• Grad student Liam Entenmann was named the 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Goalie of the Year, claiming both awards for the second straight season.
• Entenmann joins former Irish great Matt Landis as the only two players in ACC history to garner ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors multiple times.
The goalie cemented his status as the top goalie in the country with his play in 2023, being named the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding Goalie by the USILA, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Goalie of the Year and NCAA Championships Most Valuable Player.
• Entenmann became the all-time program saves leader in the win over Cornell, surpassing Joey Kemp (633 saves) for the top spot. The shot stopper enters the weekend with 670 saves.
• As the weather is heating up, so is Entenmann. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week after making 13 saves against UNC (4/20) while allowing just six goals.
• The goalie had a big game against No. 3 Maryland this season, making 13 saves while limiting the Terrapins to just nine goals and made a season-high 15 saves in the win over No. 18 Michigan.
• Entenmann led the ACC and ranked sixth in the country in goals against average, allowing just 9.55 goals per game in 2023.
• Entenmann had a save percentage of .570 (196 saves, 148 goals allowed), ranking fourth in the country last season.
• Entenmann made double-digit saves in each of the final 13 games in 2023, including a season-high 18 in the win over No. 1 Duke to win the national title.
THE SCORER
• Chris Kavanagh had one of the most prolific goal scoring seasons in program history in 2023, recording a career-high 46 goals to lead the Irish attack.
• Kavanagh hasn’t missed a beat in 2024, as the junior is second on the team in points (50) with 26 goals and 24 assists
•The junior not only paced Notre Dame’s offense in 2023 but his 46 goals ranked third all-time in program history for a single season, just three behind Randy Colley’s record of 49 goals set in 1995.
• The attackman also added 16 assists to total 62 points, which ranks 10th all-time in Notre Dame men’s lacrosse history.
• Chris finished with 10 hat tricks during the 2023 campaign and has 15 in his career.
• The Rockville Centre, New York, native has 94 career goals.
BEATING THE BEST
• Notre Dame has never shied away from putting together a challenging schedule and the 2024 slate is no different.
• Of Notre Dame’s 11 regular-season opponents, eight are currently ranked in the USILA or Inside Lacrosse Top 20 Polls.
• The Irish are now 5-0 against top-10 teams at the time of the matchup this season, tying the program record for most regular season top-10 wins in a season (2013 – 5-1).
• Six of Notre Dame’s 2024 opponents are currently ranked in the top 10 in the country.
• The Irish have three wins against teams ranked No. 3 in the country at the time of the matchup (Maryland, Syracuse and Duke).
• Notre Dame is 7-1 against teams currently ranked.
CORRIGAN ALL-TIME DI PROGRAM WINS LEADER
• With the win over No. 1 Duke on April 10, 2021, Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan broke the NCAA record for most wins at a DI program with 311, passing Bob Shillinglaw (Delaware).
• Corrigan became just the third coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to reach the 300-win mark at a single school with the win over Marquette on April 10, 2019.
• Corrigan is one of just four active Division I coaches to reach the 300-win mark in his career.
• Corrigan has an overall record of 355-175 in his 38 seasons of coaching.
• The head coach is 345-160 in his 36 seasons at Notre Dame.
• Corrigan is the longest tenured men’s lacrosse coach at the DI level.
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF
BULLDOGS SELECTED TO GOLFWEEK NATIONAL GOLF INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
Butler will compete in the 2024 postseason after being named to the field for the GOLFWEEK National Golf Invitational Championship.
The NGI gives teams on the outside of the NCAA postseason a chance to have a season-ending championship of their own.
The event, in its second year, is a 54-hole tournament scheduled for May 17-19 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz.
This year, the NGI will again feature a men’s and women’s championship, each with a maximum of 18 teams playing 54 holes of stroke play. The field is selected using rankings and committee picks. The women’s event begins May 10.
The scoring format will be like a traditional college team event with each team starting five players and counting the four best scores. Substitutions will be allowed as in NCAA play. Individual and team champions will be determined after 54 holes. There will be a playoff for team and/or individual competition if needed. A practice round is scheduled for May 16.
The Bulldogs are coming off a runner-up finish at the 2024 BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship presented by JEEP. The runner-up finish for the Bulldogs is the best result for Butler’s men’s golf program since joining the BIG EAST prior to the 2014 championship.
BUTLER WLACROSSE RUBINO AND SELANDER AWARDED ALL-BIG EAST HONORS
Butler’s Leah Rubino and Luci Selander earned All-BIG EAST honors for the 2024 women’s lacrosse season. The selections, made by the BIG EAST coaches, were announced by the conference on Wednesday, May 1. Rubino was a first team selection and Selander was named to the second team.
Rubino, a senior from Potomac, Md. received this honor after the 2023 season. Rubino won BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week honors after the first week of the season and was awarded a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll once this season. Rubino set a new Butler record for the most all-time goals earlier this season, she finishes her Butler career with 93 career goals. Rubino led the team with 42 goals and recorded 47 points and five assists
Selander, a sophomore from Inver Grove, Minn. was named to the BIG EAST honor roll earlier this season and was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week during the 2023 season. Selander finished her 2024 campaign as Butler’s new leader in points scored within a single season. She led the team in points (57) and assists (19) and recorded 38 goals.
This is Rubino’s second time being named to the All-BIG EAST First Team and is the third player to receive this honor. Selander is now the fifth player to the be named to the All-BIG East Second Team. The Bulldogs finished the season with two wins, including a win over BIG EAST member Xavier under Head Coach Maggie Zentgraf.
2024 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Awards
BIG EAST Attacker of the Year
Julia Gilbert, Denver, Gr., A
BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Leigh Steiner, Marquette, Sr., M
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Trinity McPherson, Denver, Gr., D
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Landyn White, Connecticut, Gr., GK
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Mary Moore, Villanova, Fr., M
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Denver
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Leah Rubino, Butler, Sr., M
Abby Beran, Connecticut, Fr., D
Riley Daly, Connecticut, Jr., D*
Rayea Davis, Connecticut, R-So., A*
Madelyn George, Connecticut, Gr., M
Kate Shaffer, Connecticut, Gr., A*
Landyn White, Connecticut, Gr., GK
Lauren Black, Denver, Jr., A
Caroline Colimore, Denver, Jr., M
Julia Gilbert, Denver, Gr., A*
Abby Jenkins, Denver, Sr., DS
Trinity McPherson, Denver, Gr., D*
Anna Palmisano, Denver, Sr., D*
Olivia Penoyer, Denver, Gr., A
Maggie O’Brien, Georgetown, Gr., D
Meg Bireley, Marquette, Jr., A*
Josie Kropp, Marquette, Sr., DS
Leigh Steiner, Marquette, Sr., M*
Mary Moore, Villanova, Fr., M
Sydney Pappas, Villanova, Jr., A*
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Luci Selander, Butler, So., A
Abby Charron, Connecticut, Sr., A
Emelia Bohi, Denver, Jr., GK
Bryn McCaughey, Denver, Sr., D
Gracie Driggs, Georgetown, So., A
Emma Gebhardt, Georgetown, Jr., A
Tatum Geist, Georgetown, Sr., M
Melissa Massimino, Georgetown, Sr., D
Maley Starr, Georgetown, Jr., M
Leah Warehime, Georgetown, Jr., GK
Kaitlyn Huber, Marquette, Sr., D
Tess Osburn, Marquette, So., A
Sami Carey, Villanova, Jr., A
Maddy Stoddard, Villanova, Jr., D
Emma Verhoest, Villanova, Fr., DS
Lola Mancuso, Xavier, So., M
*denotes unanimous selection
^extra players added due to a tie in voting
BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
CARDINALS TO PLAY IN NCAA REGIONAL AT CHAPEL HILL, N.C., MAY 13-15
MUNCIE, Ind. – Playing as the champions of the Mid-American Conference, the Ball State men’s golf team will play in the Chapel Hill Regional at the UNC Finley Golf Course, May 13-15, as announced today by the NCAA. The Cardinals earned a No. 12 seed, in a regional featuring 13 teams and 10 individuals not among those teams.
The Cardinals make their first NCAA Regional appearance since an at-large berth in 2013. Ball State plays as one of 81 teams at an NCAA regional site, with hope to be one of 30 teams to qualify for the NCAA national championships, May 24-29 in at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
Regionals are conducted at six sites – three of which will host 13 teams and 10 individuals (not on qualifying teams), the other three hosting 14 teams and five individuals (not on those teams). Other sites hosting regionals this year are Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Rancho Santa Fe, California; Stanford, California; and West Lafayette, Indiana.
“I’m just so excited for this group to have the opportunity to continue in the postseason and play in one of the NCAA regionals, with the chance to move on to the finals,” said 26th-year head coach Mike Fleck who was named the MAC’s Coach of the Year. “They have worked hard, and battled through a challenging and competitive schedule while proving they are one of the top teams around. We are not done yet. We are excited to keep competing.”
For Fleck, it is his second trip to NCAA competition as a coach, having guided the 2013 club to a regional appearance in Pullman, Washington, then qualifying for the national tournament in Atlanta. It is Fleck’s third national postseason appearance, following last year’s squad that qualified as a team for the inaugural National Golf Invitational conducted in Maricopa, Arizona. The Cardinals finished fourth as a team, with Kash Bellar finishing as the individual champion.
Bellar, Carter Smith and Ali Khan all competed in last year’s fourth-place finish in the NGI. Bellar and Khan each earned honors last weekend on the MAC Championships All-Tournament Team. The Cardinals’ lineup also includes 2023-24 newcomers Alec Cesare, a freshman, and Braxton Kuntz, a junior transfer.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
USI HOSTS SIUE IN AN OVC SERIES
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The University of Southern Indiana Baseball hosts Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for an Ohio Valley Conference three-game set this weekend. The Screaming Eagles (19-26, 8-10 OVC) welcome the Cougars (18-25-1, 10-8) to the USI Baseball for a first pitch Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s game is USI Dugout Club Day, while Sunday series finale is Bark at the Park with USI encouraging fans to bring along their “best friends” to the ballpark.
Following the weekend series, USI makes a trip across town to play the University of Evansville Tuesday at 6p.m. and start a four-game road swing that concludes with three games at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock next weekend. Links to follow the Eagles during the 2024 season can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and on the USI Baseball Schedule.
USI Baseball Notes
Eagles fall short at SIU. The USI Screaming Eagles fell short at Southern Illinois University Tuesday in Carbondale, Illinois. Senior first baseman Tucker Ebest led the way for USI with a pair of hits, including a double, and two RBIs.
USI went 3-1 last week. The USI Eagles were 3-1 last week last week, taking a mid-week game from Belmont University, 4-3, in 11 innings at home and took two of three from Eastern Illinois University in a road/home series due to weather. Senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka led the Eagles with a .471 average (8-17), while junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken and junior first baseman Thomas Emerich followed by batting .467 (7-15) and .438 (7-16), respectively. Junior right-handers Carson Seeman, Adam Weihe, and Gavin Seebold posted the victories for USI.
USI won 5th series of the year. USI won its fifth series of the season after taking two-of-three from EIU last weekend. The Eagles won only four series all last season.
USI manufactured a win vs. Belmont. The Eagles scored four times without the aid of a hit in the 4-3, 11 inning, win over Belmont. USI, which had eight hits in the game, used nine walks, two hit batters, and two sacrifice flies in the win.
Van Grieken heating up. USI junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken has been heating up the last five games. Van Grieken has raised his batting average 25 points over the last week (.189 to .214) by hitting .389 (7-18) in the last five games. He also has scored five runs, driven four more, and banged three doubles.
Kapust the surprise hitter this spring. Senior catcher Tyler Kapust, who has played nearly as many games this season (24) as he has the first three seasons (31), is having a career year at the plate. Kapust is hitting .283 (17-60) this season, compared to the .188 career average (10-53) he entered the season with. He also has a career-high eight RBIs and one home run.
Comes down to pitching. USI’s 19 wins in 2024 (year two of the Division I transition) are two victories better than last season with 11 regular season games to play and a lot of this year’s improvement has come down to pitching. The Eagles have a 5.87 ERA, 1.83 better than last season’s 7.70 ERA and the lowest since 2021.
One run games. The Eagles are battle tested in close games this spring, playing in nine one-run games, going 2-7, and 10 two-run games, going 4-6.
USI in the OVC. USI is tied for seventh in the OVC standing (8-10) after winning the series and tiebreaker with EIU. Senior outfielder Ren Tachioka leads USI at the plate in conference play, batting .418 (23-55). Senior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-high 17 RBIs in league action and is tied with senior designated hitter Jack Ellis with team-best three home runs in OVC play.
USI in non-conference. In the 26 non-conference games, senior outfielder Ren Tachioka leads the Eagles with a .366 average (30-82), while senior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-high 26 RBIs. Ebest also is tied with senior designated hitter Jack Ellis with a team-best four home runs outside of the OVC. Four pitchers have a team-best two victories each in the non-conference schedule.
Season leaders at the plate in 2024. Senior outfielder Ren Tachioka is hitting a team best .387 (53-137) in 35 of the 45 games, while senior designated hitter Jack Ellis and senior infielder/designated hitter Tucker Ebest have hit a team-high seven home runs. Ebest has driven in a team-best 43 RBIs.
Leaders on the mound in 2024. USI junior right-handers Gavin Seebold has recorded a team-best six wins this season (6-2). Freshman right-hander Grant Parson and junior right-hander Gavin Morris follow with three wins each, while Parson also has a team-high 51 strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Clayton Weisheit leads USI hurlers with a team-low 3.27 ERA in 33.0 innings this season.
At home versus the road. USI, as a team, is hitting .289 at the home (20 games), compared to .271 on the road (23 games). Senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka is hitting a team-high .420 at the USI Baseball Field, but team-high .359 on the road. On the opposite side, junior outfielder Adam Euler is batting .314 on the road, compared to .130 at the USI Baseball Field.
Multi-hit/Multi-RBI Games. USI junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen leads the Eagles with 20 multi-hit games (18 with 2; 2 with 3), followed by senior outfielder Ren Tachioka has 17 (11 with 2; 5 with 3; 1 with 4). Senior first baseman/designated hitter Tucker Ebest has a team-high 13 multi-RBI games. Niehaus has the top RBI game with five versus Southeast Missouri State University.
In the OVC statistically. USI as a team is third in the OVC in pitching with a team 5.83 ERA and fifth in the league in hitting with a .279 team batting average. Junior right-hander Gavin Seebold is tied for second in the OVC with six wins and sixth in with a 4.12 ERA, while freshman right-hander Grant Parson is seventh with a 4.25 ERA and seventh with 51 strikeouts.
In OVC Games Only. USI is fourth in the league with a .296 team batting average for OVC games only, but sixth with a 6.20 team ERA.
SIUE in 2024. The Cougars of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are 18-25-1 overall and 10-8 in the OVC this season. The 10-8 record puts the Cougars in a five-way tie for second in the OVC. SIUE is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
USI vs. SIUE. The Cougars lead the all-time series with USI, 58-45, after taking two of three from the Eagles last spring.
UE in 2024. The Aces are 25-19 overall in 2024 and will play a three-game series with Valparaiso University this weekend. UE also is 16-4 in the last 20 games after starting 9-15.
USI vs. UE. Evansville leads the all-time series with USI, 33-20, but the Eagles won the last meeting in 2018, 5-3.
VALPO MEN’S GOLF
VANARRAGON SELECTED FOR NCAA REGIONAL; TEAM ACCEPTS INVITE TO NATIONAL GOLF INVITATIONAL
The good news continues to flood in for the Valparaiso University men’s golf program.
For the second consecutive year, Valparaiso University men’s golf fifth-year senior Caleb VanArragon (Blaine, Minn. / Blaine) has earned an at-large NCAA Regional berth as he was selected to participate in the West Lafayette Regional, which will be hosted by Purdue at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. beginning on Monday, May 13 and running through Wednesday, May 15 with 18 holes each day. VanArragon is the top-seeded individual among the 10 invited to join the 13 participating teams at the West Lafayette Regional.
Also for the second consecutive season, the Beacons have earned a postseason tournament bid as the team has accepted an invitation to compete in the National Golf Invitational (NGI), a postseason tournament similar to the NIT in basketball. The 54-hole event will be held from May 17-19 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz.
Invitations for the NGI are extended to the top teams that did not secure automatic or at-large bids into the NCAA Regional Field. VanArragon will not be eligible to compete in the NGI due to his NCAA postseason competition, but the remainder of the team will participate in the event.
This marks the third straight year that Valpo has had at least one individual in the NCAA Regional field. VanArragon, the Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Year, is ranked No. 66 nationally in the latest Clippd rankings. He owns a 69.35 scoring average over 31 rounds and finished as the runner-up at the MVC Championship.
Valpo, led by veteran head coach Dave Gring, possesses a team scoring average of 289.13, the best in program history, and placed third as a team at the MVC Championship. VanArragon led a trio of top-5 finishers at the MVC Championship as junior Anthony Delisanti (Sanborn, N.Y. / Niagara Wheatfield) placed third and freshman Adam Melliere (Zionsville, Ind. / Zionsville) tied for fourth.
Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex – West Lafayette, Indiana
Hosted by Purdue
Teams (seeded in the following order):
1. Vanderbilt
2. Arizona
3. Florida
4. New Mexico
5. Purdue
6. San Diego State [Mountain West Conference]
7. Mississippi State
8. Indiana
9. College of Charleston [Coastal Athletic Association]
10. Stetson
11. Colorado State
12. Southern Illinois [Missouri Valley Conference]
13. Tennessee Tech [Ohio Valley Conference]
Individuals (seeded in the following order):
1. Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
2. Hunter Thomson, Michigan
3. Cameron Huss, Wisconsin
4. Barend Botha, Toledo
5. Valentin Peugnet, Illinois State
6. Owen Stamper, Middle Tennessee
7. Alex McCulla, Illinois State
8. Ty Gingerich, Cincinnati
9. Luke Fuller, Western Kentucky
10. Ben Ortwein, Rider
GREYHOUNDS STAY ON TOP OF REGIONAL RANKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis women’s tennis, after a pair of GLVC victories, continued to hold on top of the NCAA Regional Rankings.
The Hounds currently sit at 10-3 against DII opponents, with an 10-1 mark in the region.
The GLVC features three representatives, with Drury and Lewis arriving at No. 9 and No. 10.
The Hounds have been a constant force in the Midwest, making every single regional tournament held since 2015.
MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKINGS
| RK. | TEAM | VS. DII | VS. REGION |
| 1 | UIndy | 10-3 | 10-1 |
| 2 | Tiffin | 25-2 | 25-2 |
| 3 | Wayne St. | 16-5 | 13-2 |
| 4 | Findlay | 14-6 | 13-5 |
| 5 | Grand Valley State | 12-9 | 12-6 |
| 6 | Ferris State | 11-9 | 11-6 |
| 7 | Northwood | 13-5 | 12-4 |
| 8 | Drury | 11-5 | 10-3 |
| 9 | Rockhurst | 12-6 | 10-5 |
MARIAN SOFTBALL
TOP-SEEDED KNIGHTS TAKE FIFTH WIN FROM HUNTINGTON IN CL TOURNAMENT OPENER
Spring Arbor, Mich. – The Knights start off the Crossroads League Tournament play with a win over the Huntington Foresters, to proceed in the tournament. The Knights are now 42-9 overall in the season and ranked first in the tournament.
Marian 10-7 Huntington
Huntington got on the board first in the top of the first inning with a consecutive double and single to claim the first two runs of the day. Marian fired back with Abby Madere doubling down the left field line to allow both Brooke Knox and Savannah Harweger to score and tie up the game. In the next at bat Grace Meyer grounded out to first base which allowed Madere to score and claim the Knights 3-2 lead at the end of the first inning.
The Foresters rallied with back-to-back singles to claim the 5-3 lead from the Knights. Marian fought back with Meyer tripling down the right field line to allow Sierra Norman to cross home plate to score a run. Abbey Hofmann hit a sacrifice fly into right field to allow Meyer to score and tie the game 5-5.
The Knights showed no sings of stopping with four unanswered runs between the fourth and sixth innings to clinch the 10-5 lead. Madere grounded out to short stop in the bottom of the fourth which allowed Harweger and Anna Pritchett to score. In the bottom of the sixth inning Madere singled into center field to allow Harweger and Pritchett to cross home plate once again to increase the Knights lead. In the next at bat Hofmann walked which allowed Madere to score and increase the Knights lead to five runs.
In attempts to rally back the Foresters took advantage of a wild pitch and scored a run to decrease the Knights lead. Huntington singled through right field to score their seventh run of the game. The Knights got out of the inning with a ground out to short stop to claim the 10-7 win.
Harweger, Madere, Meyer, and Pritchett led the team in hits with two each, and Norman was close behind with one. Madere led the team in RBI’s with six on the day. Olivia Stunkel claimed her 24th win of the season pitching all seven innings and striking out two batters.
The Knights will be back in action tomorrow in Crossroads League Tournament action.
MARIAN BASEBALL
KNIGHTS SURVIVE SPRING ARBOR RALLY IN 11-9 CL TOURNAMENT VICTORY
Upland, Ind. – The Marian baseball team survived a late rally Wednesday in the opening game of the Crossroads League Tournament, taking down Spring Arbor 11-9 to advance into the double elimination bracket on Thursday. Marian’s win moves their record to 23-25 overall on the season.
Davis Enfield got the start in the win-or-go home game, and limited Spring Arbor to one run in the opening inning of the game, as an unearned run would cross the plate with two outs. In the home half, Marian responded with a four-run frame, getting runners on base with a Kameron Salazar single and Rylan Huntley walk. With two outs, the runs started scoring, as Pierson Barnes hammered a three-run to right field, pushing Marian in the lead. Johnny Roeder followed the at-bat with a double to center, scoring on a single from Max Steffen to push the Knights on top 4-1.
Enfield responded in the second and tossed a three-up, three-down inning to shut down the Cougars, and found more run support in the home half as Rylan Huntley delivered a two-out home run, driving the lead to five runs. Huntley’s home run established a new program record for home runs, surpassing the mark recorded in 2022.
With a 6-1 lead at hand, Marian controlled the tempo of the game over innings three through six, as Enfield tossed a pair of scoreless innings in the stretch. Spring Arbor would manage a two-out run in the top of the third inning, but the Knights would get the run back in bottom of the fourth, plating two runs without a hit. Dawson Estep would score on an error in the fourth after initially reaching on an error, and Josh Lamb recorded a sacrifice fly to make the contest an 8-2 affair. Enfield picked up another scoreless frame in the fifth, seeing his offense drive in three runs with Estep, Lamb, and Salazar each recording RBI.
Leading 11-2 after the three-run fifth, Spring Arbor slowly started to make their comeback, getting a solo home run from Ryan Gonzalez. Enfield would get out of the inning with an 11-3 lead, but in the seventh the wheels began to fall off, as a pair of walks and base hit surrounding two fly outs loaded the bases. Marian went to the bullpen with Deacon Spencer entering the game, but the redshirt-freshman was unsuccessful in ending the inning cleanly, giving up four runs in the frame. Spring Arbor’s rally would make the score at the end of the seventh inning 11-7 in favor of Marian.
Jayson Cottrell came on in the eighth inning to attempt a six-out finish, and started his relief outing strong with a scoreless eighth, stranding a two-out walk. In the ninth inning, Cottrell managed to pick up the first two outs with just a single reaching, but the southpaw was unable to cleanly get the third, allowing two more base hits that scored a run. Marian made one final call to the bullpen with starter Chris Adams coming on in relief. Adams would give up a base hit that scored a ninth run for Spring Arbor on his first offering to the plate, but regrouped and threw a strikeout to end the inning, completing the 11-9 victory.
Enfield earned the win on the mound allowing six hits and six runs in 6.2 innings of work, with five of the six runs going in the book as earned. Cottrell pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, and Adams recorded his first career save, facing two batters. Adams had one strikeout, and Enfield led the way with four of the team’s seven.
Offensively Marian had 11 base hits and recorded 10 RBI, with Lamb, Salazar, and Roeder each having two-hit games. Rylan Huntley went 1-1 with two RBI and two runs scored, walking four times. Barnes led the team in RBI with three, and Salazar finished the game with two RBI.
Marian will take on either Indiana Wesleyan or Taylor on Thursday, pending the result of Grace and Mt. Vernon Nazarene. If Mt. Vernon were to win Wednesday’s play-in game, Marian would take on Taylor at 2:30 p.m. If Grace wins the play-in, the Knights take on Indiana Wesleyan at 11:00 a.m.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
4
May 2, 1876 – Second baseman for the Chicago White Stockings, Ross Barnes hit the first home run in National League history. In a way Barnes helped the formation of the NL. From 1871 to 1875 Barnes was the leader in many batting categories of the National Association. Just before the 1875 season ended however Barnes and four other Boston Red Stockings players jumped ship and committed to play for Chicago. As the story goes, Chicago owner William Hulbert made a move to form the National League just before the migration of these players occurred and causing the NA to disband.
May 2, 1909 – Honus Wagner stole second base, then third and even home plate in first inning against Cubs.
May 2, 1923 – Pitching sensation of the Washington Senators, Walter Johnson blanked the New York Yankees 3-0 as he tossed his 100th shutout.
May 2, 1939 – Number 4, New York Yankee, Lou Gehrig had his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played end, as the Yankees crushed the Detroit Tigers 22-2.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines
May 2, 1978 – The first pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers was Earl Campbell from University of Texas. Campbell had a remarkable career in the NFL and was eventually enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Other members of the 1978 Draft class that have joined him in Canton according to the Pro Football Reference website are Stanford wide receiver James Lofton who was picked 6th in that draft by the Green Bay Packers and Alabama tight end Ozzie Newsome was chosen by the Browns at the 23rd overall selection.
May 2, 1983 – Elway traded to Broncos
Back on April 26, 1983 we discussed the 1983 NFL Draft as Stanford University quarterback John Elway was the first pick by the Baltimore Colts. The Colts were not able to work out a deal with their player of choice prior to the Draft and allegedly turned down multiple trade offers for the spot and still decided to choose Stanford QB. Elway made it no secret that he did not want to play for Baltimore and said so in multiple quotes. He even threatened to play baseball instead playing with the Colts unless he was traded to a West Coast team. The Colts kept trying to work out a deal with Elway and then finally on May 2nd, over a week after the Draft this headline came out in the St. Joseph News-Press via the New York Times News Service, “Colts send Elway to Broncos.” The article says that for the rights of Elway the Colts received the Broncos top pick in the Draft, Chris Hinton, a guard from Northwestern who was the fourth overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. The Blue Horseshoe also took 3rd year quarterback Mark Hermann from Denver as well as the Broncos 1984 1st round pick. Elway was excited to be headed for Denver and with the trade devoted himself to the NFL forgoing the earlier threats of MLB. What a career he had with Denver. Elway took the Broncos to five Super Bowl games, winning two Titles and was selected to the Pro Bowl 9 times in his career. Elway was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in the 2000 class and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
If you want to be able to be able to read through some old articles like the St. Joseph News-Press, you need to check out Newspapers.com. At Newspapers.com, you can get access to over 640 million pages’ worth of news from the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and more dating back from 1798 to yesterday. Get a free one week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you’ll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows.
May 2 was indeed a big day in the career of John Elway as on
May 2, 1999 he announced his retirement from the NFL.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for May 2
Here are the bios on some birthday boys that are either in the College Football Hall of Fame or the Pro Football Hall of Fame that were born on this day. There is plenty more about them to read by either clicking their high-lighted name or at the top of this page clicking the “On This Day in Football History” and going to May 2 Football History.
May 2, 1887 – St. Louis, Missouri – The halfback from Texas A&M from 1905 to 1907 Joe Utay was born. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Joe Utay into their legendary museum in 1974.
May 2, 1945 – Fort Worth, Texas – The Arkansas Razorbacks tackle from 1964 through the 1966 season, Loyd Phillips arrived into the world. Phillips was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.
May 2, 1955 – Mineral Wells, Texas – Richard Ritchie the Texas A&I Quarterback from 1973 to 1976 was born. The National Football Foundation selected Richard Ritchie for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
May 2
1917 — Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds and Hippo Vaughn of the Chicago Cubs pitched a double no-hitter for nine innings, but the Reds won 1-0 on two hits in the 10th. Jim Thorpe drove in the winning run.
1923 — Walter Johnson recorded his first shutout of the season and the 100th of his major league record 113 career shutouts as the Washington Senators defeated the New York Yankees 3-0. Yankees shortstop Everett Scott received a medal from the American League for playing in his 1,000th consecutive game.
1927 — Babe Ruth becomes the highest-paid player in major league history when the Yankees announce he will earn $70,000 per season for the next three years.
1939 — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees did not play against the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium, ending at 2,130 his streak of consecutive games. Gehrig never played again. Babe Dahlgren took his place at first base. The Yankees didn’t miss his bat, however, beating the Tigers 22-2.
1954 — Stan Musial hit five home runs in a doubleheader split with the New York Giants at St. Louis. The Cardinals won the first game 10-6 but lost the second 9-7. His fifth home run, off Hoyt Wilhelm, went over the roof in right center.
1959 — Frank Robinson of Cincinnati hit for the cycle and drove in five runs to lead the Reds to a 16-4 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1964 — The Minnesota Twins became the third team in major league history to hit four consecutive home runs in an inning. Tony Oliva, Bob Allison and Jimmie Hall connected off Dan Pfister and Harmon Killebrew went deep off Vern Handrahan in the top of the 11th inning for a 7-3 win at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium.
1992 — The highest-paid player tag now belongs to Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs. The All-Star second baseman signs a four-year contract extension worth $7.1 million per season.
2000 — Atlanta became the first NL team in 49 years to win 15 straight games by defeating Los Angeles 5-3.
2002 — Mike Cameron hit four homers and came close to a record-setting fifth in leading the Seattle Mariners to a 15-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He became the 13th major leaguer to homer four times in a game. Cameron connected in his first four at-bats in just five innings. He joined Bret Boone as the first teammates to hit two home runs in the same inning. They connected back-to-back twice in a 10-run first.
2005 — Thirty-two years after his death, Jackie Robinson receives the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, the highest honor Congress can bestow.
2005 — Jim Edmonds hit a three-run homer off closer Danny Graves, and John Mabry added a two-run shot that completed the greatest ninth-inning comeback in St. Louis Cardinals history. The Cardinals sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the top of the ninth to beat Cincinnati 10-9.
2006 — Bret Boone retires at the New York Mets training camp, the culmination of a swift decline for a player who was one of baseball’s best second basemen only a few years ago.
2012 — Jered Weaver pitched the second no-hitter in the majors in less than two weeks, completely overmatching Minnesota and leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-0 win over the Twins. The Twins never came close to getting a hit against Weaver, who struck out nine and walked one.
2013 — The 2013 World Baseball Classic gets under way with three games played in the Far East. In the opener, Taiwan exceeds its performance in the 2009 tournament with a 4 – 1 win over Australia, thanks to six scoreless innings by starting P Chien-Ming Wang and a homer by Cheng-Min Peng. Taiwan had to win a qualifying pool to enter this year’s event after exiting without a single win four years ago. In the other Pool B game, the Netherlands upset 2009 finalists South Korea with a 5 – 0 shutout. Ps Diegomar Markwell and Orlando Yntema combine for seven scoreless frames, while the Dutch hitters scratch a handful of runs with singles and some good fundamental baseball. OF Roger Bernadina drives in a pair of runs. Japan survives a scare in the Pool A opener at home, overcoming a 3 – 2 deficit against upstarts Brazil, who are playing in the World Baseball Classic for the first time, with a three-run outburst in the 8th to win, 5 – 3. Injured Japanese captain Shinnosuke Abe, pinch-hitting with the bases loaded and the score tied, drives a bullet up the middle on which 2B Felipe Burin makes a diving stop, but he is only able to get the runner at second base, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Leonardo Reginatto goes 3 for 4 with a pair of RBIs to lead Brazil’s attack.
2018 — One of the biggest stories in spring training this year has been the presence of NFL quarterback Russell Wilson at the Yankees’ camp.
2019 — The Phillies introduce their new marquee player in free agent OF Bryce Harper, just signed to a record-breaking 13-year deal worth $330 million.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1992 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..
Off the field…
South-Central Los Angeles burned amidst several days of rioting, following a jury’s acquittal of white L.A. police officers that had been videotaped beating a black motorist named Rodney King. The violent protest was the worst civil disobedience incident since the Watts Riots of 1964 and resulted in $785 million in property damage.
America’s most notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, was sentenced to fifteen life terms (957 years) in prison for the vicious torture and murder of seventeen young men. He himself was murdered in prison by a fellow inmate on November 28, 1994.
Hurricane Andrew, the most destructive United States hurricane of record (a category four), caused twenty-three deaths in the U.S. and three more in the Bahamas. The massive storm had a peak gust of 164 mph and caused $26.5 billion in damage.
In the American League…
Oakland Athletics outfielder and perennial base thief Rickey Henderson snatched the 1,000th base of his career in the first inning of the A’s 7-6 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Nolan Ryan, of the Texas Rangers, struck out his 100th batter for a record twenty-third year in a row. In doing so, he passed Phil Niekro as number twelve on the all-time win list with three-hundred nineteen victories.
Milwaukee Brewer Robin Yount reached the 3,000th hit of his career as his team lost 5-4 against the Cleveland Indians. He also became the second player in Major League history (behind Willie Mays) to record two-hundred home runs, two-hundred stolen bases and one-hundred triples.
In the National League…
Pittsburgh’s Andy Van Slyke became the first outfielder in nearly eighteen years to record an unassisted double play. As the Pirates took on the Houston Astros, Van Slyke made a running catch in shallow center followed by a tag on Ken Caminiti, who was running from second base on the play.
Los Angeles Dodger Kevin Gross dominated the mound after tossing ninety-nine pitches (seventy-one for strikes) in a no-hitter, 2-0 triumph over the San Francisco Giants.
Eddie Murray topped the New York Yankees’ Mickey Mantle for the most RBIs ever by a switch-hitter (1,510) after blasting two home two runs in the Mets 15-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Around the league…
Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame while Pete Rose, ineligible because of his ban from baseball for allegedly betting on games, surprisingly received forty-one write-in votes.
Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi of Japan petitioned the baseball owners for permission to purchase the Seattle Mariners. The owners approved the request 25-1 marking the first non-North American ownership of a Major League team.
Commissioner Fay Vincent ordered the realignment of the National League moving the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals into the Western Division. Later in the season, the owners voted 18-9 (with one abstention) calling for Vincent’s resignation and the Commissioner obliged them three days after failing to receive a vote of confidence. Baseball’s executive council rescinded the National League realignment following Vincent’s departure.
In November, baseball held an expansion draft, resulting in seventy-two selections, to fill the rosters of the National League’s two newest teams, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies.
HISTORY OF THE ROYALS (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
For a shining 10 year period, the Royals successfully played the big time team in the small town market. Starting with their first division title in 1976 and culminating with their 1985 World Championship, the Royals were considered a model baseball organization from the owner through the front office to the manager, coaching staff and players on the field.
The Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City in 1955, but after 13 unlucky seasons, the A’s continued westward to Oakland. Baseball plugged the gap left by the A’s departure by awarding Kansas City a franchise under the aegis of pharmaceutical magnate Ewing Kauffman. The team was named the Royals as a respectful nod to the “American Royal” – an annual livestock show/horse show/rodeo/BBQ contest held each year in Kansas City since 1899.
Not surprisingly, the Royals did not fare well in their inaugural season, although they did begin their history with a stirring 4-3 win against the eventual division champion Minnesota Twins. They won only 68 more games while losing 93. Despite a roster heavy with veterans, it was fiery first-year outfielder Lou Piniella who stole the spotlight by winning Rookie of the Year honors.
The Royals surprised the baseball world with a strong second place showing under Bob Lemon in 1971. Otherwise, the franchise’s first four years at the major league level were undistinguished. The turning point came in 1973.
That’s the year the Royals unveiled a third baseman named George Brett, who would become the cornerstone of the franchise for the next two decades. Shortly thereafter, Frank White became the team’s second baseman. Also that year, the Royals moved from creaky Municipal Stadium into Royals Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility with artificial turf and distant outfield walls.
The Royals tailored their team to succeed in the new ball park – Brett, White, Amos Otis, Hal McRae, Al Cowens and Willie Wilson were all line drive hitters who could bunt and steal on the artificial turf and take the extra base on gap hits. They could also gobble up ground in the spacious outfield when playing defense. Add to them the traditional slugging power of first baseman John Mayberry and the pitching excellence of Dennis Leonard and Paul Splittorff, and the Royals became a big time baseball power.
Whitey Herzog managed the team to three straight division titles in 1976-77-78. They played and lost to the New York Yankees in all three American League Championship Series. When the teams re-matched again in 1980, the Royals finally got their revenge, sweeping the Yankees three straight, with Brett icing the series by slamming a homer in New York against ace reliever Goose Gossage. It capped an incredible season for the eventual Hall-of-Famer, who made a serious run at hitting .400 until a September slump “dropped” him to .390. The Royals lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
The Royals earned a post season berth in the strike shortened 1981 season, followed by two off years in a row. The 1983 season was particularly difficult as four regulars were suspended by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn after they were accused of trying to purchase cocaine. The original suspension would have had them miss all of 1984, but the suspensions were reduced, the players returned in mid-May and helped the Royals win the 1984 division flag.
Then came 1985 — Brett (.335, 30 HR, 112 RBI) carried a team on which Willie Wilson hit .278 and no other regular bested .260. The pitching staff carried the load, led by Bret Saberhagen, Charlie Liebrant and closer Dan Quisenberry. The Royals went 91-71, defeated Toronto in the ALCS and then dispatched their cross-state rival Cardinals in the World Series, rallying from a 3-1 deficit in games to win in seven.
Things went south for the Royals since. Popular manager Dick Howser was diagnosed with a brain tumor and could not finish the 1986 season. He died in June of 1987. Frank White retired in 1992 and Brett called it quits the following season. A hit machine with power, Brett amassed more than 3,000 career hits and is the only player to win batting titles in three different decades (1976, 1980 and 1990).
Ewing Kauffman, owner of the Kansas City Royals also died in 1993.
David Glass, a former Walmart executive, bought the team in 2000. At first the new ownership seemed unwilling or unable to compete with the larger market teams. In 2006, the Glass family hired Dayton Moore as the general manager.
Moore and his staff have worked to build a strong farm system for the Royals. That paid off in 2014, when the Royals won the Wild Card Game against Oakland and went on to sweep the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS and the Baltimore Orioles to win the ALCS. Although Kansas City lost to the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series, the core of homegrown talent stayed intact.
In 2015, the Royals won 95 games, defeated the Astros in the ALDS and the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. They won the World Series against the New York Mets in Game 5 at Citi Field. A quick look at their percentages show that they had improved, as a team consistently over six seasons, each year since 2009, getting better and better.
The Royals were .500 on the season in 2016. Some of the players who came up through Royals’s farm system will reach free agency after 2017, and are expected to leave the team. Some, however have negotiated team-friendly longer-term contracts: Catcher Salvador Perez and Left-fielder Alex Gordon, for example.
Over the years, the Royals have lost a number of stars and budding stars including Zach Greinke, Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, Kevin Seitzer and Mike Sweeney mostly through free agency or trades because they could no longer afford their services.
If management continues to support the farm system and can provide an atmosphere that makes players want to stay, the Kansas City Royals will continue to be competitive.
THE MEN OF BASEBALL
COOL PAPA BELL
ell was offered a chance to play for the Browns in 1951, but he turned it down; he was nearly 48 years old. He earned his nickname for his demeanor under pressure while pitching for the St. Louis Stars as a 19-year-old in 1922. A sterling fielder and an outstanding batter, what made Bell stand out more than anything else was his uncanny speed. Two exaggerated stories demonstrate the effect it had on his contemporaries. Satchel Paige often regaled audiences with the story that when he and Bell roomed together, Bell was so fast that he could turn out the light and be in bed before the room got dark. In truth, he did it one night, but only because there was a short in the wires. Another story has him hitting a ball up the middle and being struck by it as he slid into second base.
A verified story is that during an inter-racial all-star exhibition game on the West Coast, Paige laid down a bunt with Bell on first base. As catcher Roy Partee of the Indians set to throw to first, Bell brushed by him to score. By his own count, Bell once stole 175 bases in a 200-game season. The scanty statistics of the Negro Leagues credit him with several years over 400.
There is little doubt that Bell could have starred in the major leagues had there been no color ban during his prime. An unselfish man off the field and on, in 1946 (Jackie Robinson‘s first year in white organized baseball), Bell deliberately forfeited the batting title to Monte Irvin to enhance Irvin’s chance to follow Robinson to the majors. While coaching and playing with the Monarchs, Bell demonstrated to the young Robinson that he would never make it with his weak arm at shortstop. Bell, in his forties, beat out everything hit to Robinson’s right.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
May 2
1903 — 29th Kentucky Derby: Hal Booker riding Judge Himes wins in 2:09.
1904 — Laska Durnell becomes the first woman to own a Kentucky Derby starter and winner when longshot Elwood wins the 30th Run for the Roses. Elwood is also the first Derby winner whose breeder is a woman, Mrs. J.B. Prather.
1906 — 32nd Kentucky Derby: Roscoe Troxler aboard Sir Huon wins in 2:08.8.
1917 — Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds and James “Hippo” Vaughn of the Chicago Cubs pitch a double no-hitter for nine innings, but the Reds win 1-0 with two hits in the 10th.
1939 — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees does not play against the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium, ending his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.
1953 — Dark Star, a 25-1 longshot, wins the Kentucky Derby, beating 7-10 favorite Native Dancer by a head. It’s Native Dancer’s first defeat after 11 straight wins and the only defeat in 22 career starts.
1964 — Northern Dancer, ridden by Bill Hartack, wins the Kentucky Derby by a neck over Hill Rise in a race record 2:00.
1967 — The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to win the Stanley Cup in six games.
1968 — 22nd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 2.
1970 — Diane Crump becomes the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Her mount, Fathom, finishes 15th in a field of 17. Dust Commander, with Mike Manganello aboard, wins the race.
1978 — 1978 NFL Draft: Earl Campbell from University of Texas first pick by Houston Oilers.
1999 — John Elway announces his retirement from the NFL.
2001 — James Hylton, a construction worker from Keizer, Ore., bowls the fifth perfect 900 series in the 106-year history of the sport.
2002 — Mike Cameron hits four homers and comes close to a record-setting fifth in leading the Seattle Mariners to a 15-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Cameron and Bret Boone become the first teammates to hit two home runs in the same inning.
2002 — Patrick Lalime becomes the 14th goalie in NHL history to record four shutouts in one postseason with his 27-save performance in Ottawa’s 5-0 defeat of Toronto.
2009 — Mine That Bird, a 50-1 shot ridden by Calvin Borel, wins the Kentucky Derby with a dynamic stretch run through the mud. Borel finds room along the rail and pulls away in one of the biggest upsets in the 135-year history of the race.
2010 — Ryo Ishikawa shoots a 12-under 58 — the lowest score on a major tour — to win The Crowns in Togo, Japan. The 18-year-old Ishikawa has 12 birdies in his bogey-free round on the 6,545-yard Nagoya Golf Club course.
2010 — Cleveland’s LeBron James becomes the 10th player in NBA history to win consecutive MVP awards.
2012 — Barcelona football player Lionel Messi breaks the European goal-scoring record with 68 goals.
2015 — American Pharoah rallies in the stretch to beat Firing Line by a length for trainer Bob Baffert’s first Kentucky Derby victory since 2002. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite by the record crowd of 170,513, American Pharoah is ridden by Victor Espinoza.
2015 — Floyd Mayweather Jr. uses his reach and his jab to frustrate Manny Pacquiao for a unanimous decision in their welterweight title bout. Mayweather remains unbeaten in 48 fights, cementing his legacy as the best of his generation.
2016 — Leicester City win the English Premier League title after starting the season at 5,000-1 odds.
2017 — Isaiah Thomas scores 53 points — the second-highest total in Celtics playoff history — to help Boston beat the Washington Wizards 129-119 in overtime and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Colorado at Miami | 12:10pm | Rockies.TV Bally Sports-Florida |
| NY Yankees at Baltimore | 1:05pm | MLBN YES MASN |
| Chi. Cubs at NY Mets | 1:10pm | MARQ SNY |
| San Francisco at Boston | 1:35pm | MLBN NBC Sports-Bay Area NESN |
| Washington at Texas | 2:35pm | MLBN MASN2 Bally Sports-Southwest |
| Cleveland at Houston | 8:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports-Great Lakes SCHN |
| NBA PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| First Round Game 6: Milwaukee at Indiana | 6:30pm | TNT Fubo |
| First Round Game 6: New York at Philadelphia | 9:00pm | TNT Fubo |
| NHL PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| First Round Game 6: Boston at Toronto | 8:00pm | TBS |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Volvo China Open | 1:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour Golf: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson | 4:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur | 2:30pm | USA |
| UEFA Europa League: Olympique Marseille vs Atalanta | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Europa League: Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Europa Conference League: Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Piraeus | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Europa Conference League: Fiorentina vs Club Brugge | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| COLLEGE BASEBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Tennessee vs Florida | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Louisville vs Boston College | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| COLLEGE SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Kentucky vs Tennessee | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Alabama vs Auburn | 8:00pm | ESPNU |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: ATP Quarterfinal | 6:00am | TENNIS |
| Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: WTA Semifinal | 10:00am | TENNIS |
| Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: ATP Quarterfinal, WTA Semifinal | 2:00pm | TENNIS |