THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2024

“THE SCOREBOARD”

CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES

HAGERSTOWN 3 WAPAHANI 2

BLUE RIVER 10 RANDOLPH SOUTERN 0

NEW PALESTINE 9 WARREN CENTRAL 1

FRANKTON 4 EASTERN HANCOCK 1

LAWRENCE CENTRAL 12 HERRON 2

FRANKLIN COUNTY 5 GREENSBURG 4

COLUMBUS NORTH 2 SHELBYVILLE 1

BATESVILLE 3 LAWRENCEBURG 2

IRVINGTON PREP 7 CHRSITEL HOUSE 0

CENTERVILLE 6 WINCHESTER 2

STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/BASEBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/29/2024

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL RANKINGS

1 CENTER GROVE

2 NOBLESVILLE

3 MCCUTCHEON

4 MOORESVILLE

5 FLOYD CENTRAL

5 COLUMBUS NORTH

7 EVANSVILLE NORTH

8 CARMEL

9 VALPARAISO

10 SOUTH BEND ADAMS

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: FISHERS, PALESTINE, ZIONSVILLE, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, SEYMOUR, HOMESTEAD, LAWRENCE NORTH

1 ANDREAN

2 GUERIN CATHOLIC

3 JASPER

4 HANOVER CENTRAL

5 NEW PRAIRIE

5 PRINCETON

7 WESTERN

7 SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH

9 BISHOP CHATARD

10 BREBEUF

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: LAWRENCEBURG, TWIN LAKES, SILVER CREEK, INDIAN CREEK, MISHAWAKA MARIAN, MISSISSINEWA, HERITAGE

1 HAGERSTOWN

2 FOREST PARK

3 NORTH POSEY

4 TRITON CENTRAL

5 PARK TUDOR

6 ILLIANA CHRISTIAN

7 SEEGER

8 MITCHELL

9 CASCADE

10 MANCHESTER

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: EVANSVILLE MATER DEI, WABASH, EASTSIDE, LAPEL, PROVIDENCE, NORTH NEWTON

1 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC

2 BARR REEVE

3 SHAKAMAK

4 KOUTS

5 WES DEL

6 UNION CITY

7 BLOOMFIELD

7 ROSSVILLE

9 NORTH DAVIESS

10 NORTH DECATUR

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: BORDEN, SOUTH DECATUR, LOOGOOTEE, NORTHFIELD, WEST WASHINGTON, TRI-COUNTY, EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN, SOUTH-CENTRAL, NORTHEAST DUBOIS, COWAN, FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK

CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES

DELTA 20 MUNCIE CENTRAL 0

TRI 11 WINCHESTER 0

EAST CENTRAL 8 RUSHVILLE 0

CENTERVILLE 8 WAPAHANI 2

GREENSBURG 23 S. DECATUR 0

CONNERSVILLE 7 LAWRENCEBURG 4

EASTERN HANCOCK 12 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 0

SOUTH DEARBORN 9 BATESVILLE 3

STATE SCOREBOARD: HTTPS://WWW.MAXPREPS.COM/IN/SOFTBALL/SCORES/?DATE=4/29/2024

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL RANKINGS

1 LAKE CENTRAL

2 CASTLE

3 NEW PALESTINE

4 PENN

5 MOORESVILLE

6 RONCALLI

7 SB ST. JOSEPH

8 FLOYD CENTRAL

9 CATHEDRAL

10 CENTER GROVE

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN, HARRISON, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, AVON, BROWNSBURG

1 GIBSON SOUTHERN

2 WESTERN

3 NEW PRAIRIE

4 SILVER CREEK

5 TRI-WEST

6 CHARLESTOWN

7 LEO

8 SB RILEY

9 YORKTOWN

10 GREENSBURG

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: HERITAGE HILLS, HANOVER CENTRAL, BOONE GROVE, JIMTOWN, BEECH GROVE

1 ANDREAN

2 CASCADE

3 SOUTH ADAMS

4 EASTSIDE

5 ILLIANA CHRISTIAN

6 NORTH POSEY

7 LAPEL

8 PIONEER

9 BREMEN

10 SOUTH-CENTRAL

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: UNION COUNTY, SULLIVAN, ROUNDS DOWN CENTRAL, EASTERN HANCOCK, ALEXANDRIA MONROE

1 CLAY CITY

2 ROSSVILLE

3 TECUMSEH

4 RIVERTON PARKE

5 CASTON

6 RISING SUN

7 TRI-COUNTY

8 LUTHERAN

9 WEST WASHINGTON

10 LANESVILLE

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: BARR REEVE, WEST CENTRAL, SOUTHWOOD, WES DEL, TRI

INDIANA GIRLS TENNIS POLL

1.SB ST. JOSEPH

2.FISHERS

3.CARMEL

4.JASPER

5.BREBEUF

6.FRANKLIN COMMUNITY

7.LAWRENCE NORTH

8.NORTH CENTRAL

9.LAFAYETTE HARRISON

10.ZIONSVILLE

11.PARK TUDOR

12.COLUMBUS NORTH

13.WESTFIELD

14TMOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)

14TCENTER GROVE

16.GUERIN CATHOLIC

17.NOBLESVILLE

18.CATHEDRAL

19.EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL

20.DELTA

21.PENN

22.CASTLE

23.WARSAW

24.SOUTH KNOX

25.BROWNSBURG

26.FW CARROLL

27.HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN

28.PROVIDENCE

29.CULVER ACADEMY

30.HOMESTEAD

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LAX RANKINGS

CATHEDRAL
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
CARMEL
CULVER ACADEMY
CENTER GROVE
WESTFIELD
ZIONSVILLE
GUERIN CATHOLIC
CROWN POINT
NOBLESVILLE
BROWNSBURG
PENN
NORTH CENTRAL
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
HOMESTEAD

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
BREBEUF
EVANSVILLE NORTH
FORT WAYNE DWENGER
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN
BISHOP CHATARD
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
GIBSON SOUTHERN
CASTLE
NORTHRIDGE
EVANSVILLE REITZ
PARK TUDOR
RONCALLI
BLOOMINGTON NORTH
MARIAN

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LAX RANKINGS

GUERIN CATHOLIC
CARMEL
ZIONSVILLE
NOBLESVILLE
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
BISHOP CHATARD
CATHEDRAL
EVANSVILLE NORTH
CULVER ACADEMY
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN
WESTFIELD
BREBEUF
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
CASTLE
PENN

PARK TUDOR
CENTER GROVE
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
NORTHRIDGE
BROWNSBURG
EVANSVILLE BOSSE
EVANSVILLE REITZ
WARREN CENTRAL
CROWN POINT
RONCALLI
BLOOMINGTON NORTH
AVON
HOMESTEAD
CHESTERTON

NBA PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME

(1) BOSTON VS. (8) MIAMI

• 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: HEAT VS. CELTICS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (7:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: CELTICS VS. HEAT; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: HEAT VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
BOSTON LEADS SERIES 3-1

* = IF NECESSARY

(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 VS. KNICKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (7 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: KNICKS VS. 76ERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TNT)*
• GAME 7: 76ERS VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 3-1

* = IF NECESSARY

(3) MILWAUKEE VS. (6) INDIANA

• 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: PACERS VS. BUCKS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (9:30 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: BUCKS VS. PACERS; THURSDAY, MAY 2 (TBD, TBD)*
• GAME 7: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SATURDAY, MAY 4 (TBD, TNT)*
INDIANA LEADS SERIES 3-1

* = IF NECESSARY

(4) CLEVELAND VS. (5) ORLANDO

• 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: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; TUESDAY, APRIL 30 (8 ET, NBA TV)
• GAME 6: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (TBD, TBD)
• GAME 7: MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
SERIES TIED 2-2

* = 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

(3) MINNESOTA VS. (6) PHOENIX

• 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 VS. CLIPPERS; WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 (10 ET, TNT)
• GAME 6: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS; FRIDAY, MAY 3 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
• GAME 7: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, MAY 5 (TBD, TBD)*
SERIES TIED 2-2

* = IF NECESSARY

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE

WESTERN CONFERENCE

ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD TIME

(2) DENVER VS. (3) MINNESOTA

• 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 3-1

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 AT BRUINS — APRIL 30, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
+ GAME 6: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — MAY 2, TBD
+ GAME 7: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — MAY 4, TBD

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 LEADS SERIES 3-1

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: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — APRIL 30, 7:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN360, TVAS)
+ GAME 6: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — MAY 2, TBD
+ GAME 7: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — MAY 4, TBD

COMPLETE HURRICANES-ISLANDERS SERIES COVERAGE

WESTERN CONFERENCE

DALLAS STARS (1C) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (WC2)

SERIES TIED 2-2

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: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 1, 7:30 P.M. ET (ESPN)
GAME 6: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — MAY 3, TBD
+ GAME 7: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 5, TBD

COMPLETE STARS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES COVERAGE

WINNIPEG JETS (2C) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (3C)

COLORADO LEADS SERIES 3-1

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 AT JETS — APRIL 30, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, CBC, TVAS, SNW)
+ GAME 6: JETS AT AVALANCHE — MAY 2, TBD
+ GAME 7: AVALANCHE AT JETS — MAY 4, TBD

COMPLETE JETS-AVALANCHE SERIES COVERAGE

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1P) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC1)

VANCOUVER LEADS SERIES 3-1

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 AT CANUCKS — APRIL 30, 10 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
+ GAME 6: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — MAY 3, TBD
+ GAME 7: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — MAY 5, TBD

COMPLETE CANUCKS-PREDATORS SERIES COVERAGE

EDMONTON OILERS (2P) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (3P)

EDMONTON LEADS SERIES 3-1

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: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 1, 10 P.M. ET (ESPN)
+ GAME 6: OILERS AT KINGS — MAY 3, TBD
+ GAME 7: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 5, TBD

COMPLETE OILERS-KINGS SERIES COVERAGE

+ – IF NECESSARY

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

BALTIMORE 2 NY YANKEES 0

WASHINGTON 7 MIAMI 2

TORONTO 6 KANSAS CITY 5

CHICAGO CUBS 3 NY METS 1

TAMPA BAY 1 MILWAUKEE 0

MINNESOTA 3 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2

LA ANGELS 6 PHILADELPHIA 5

CINCINNATI 5 SAN DIEGO 2

LA DODGERS 8 ARIZONA 4

SEATTLE 2 ATLANTA 1

OAKLAND 5 PITTSBURGH 1

ST. LOUIS AT DETROIT POSTPONED

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

COLLEGE BASEBALL RANKINGS

D1BASEBALL

TEXAS A&M
ARKANSAS
TENNESSEE
CLEMSON
EAST CAROLINA
OREGON STATE
FLORIDA STATE
KENTUCKY
UC IRVINE
DUKE
VIRGINIA
NORTH CAROLINA
WAKE FOREST
OKLAHOMA STATE
SOUTH CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI STATE
VANDERBILT
LOUISIANA
GEORGIA
NC STATE
ARIZONA
OKLAHOMA
ALABAMA
INDIANA STATE
UTAH

COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES

MINNESOTA 5 IOWA 1

UFL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

TOP NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS

NBA NEWS

NBA ROUNDUP: JAMAL MURRAY, NUGGETS KO LAKERS

Jamal Murray hit a tiebreaking 14-footer with four seconds left to send the host Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference semifinals with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series on Monday.

The second-seeded Nuggets won the best-of-seven series 4-1 and will face the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Saturday in Denver.

As he did in Game 2, Murray came alive in the fourth quarter and beat Los Angeles with a clutch jumper. He finished with a game-high 32 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, despite playing on a strained left calf.

Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and seven turnovers, Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points and Aaron Gordon grabbed 13 rebounds for the Nuggets.

LeBron James put up 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds while playing through an injured left shoulder. Taurean Prince missed a long 3-point attempt for the win at the buzzer.

Celtics 102, Heat 88

Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points on 15-for-26 shooting, including 8-for-15 success from 3-point range, and Boston cruised to a win at Miami.

Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. However, Boston lost Kristaps Porzingis to a calf injury in the first half.

Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Tyler Herro contributed 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for Miami.

Thunder 97, Pelicans 89

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams scored 24 points each, Gilgeous-Alexander added 10 rebounds and visiting Oklahoma City completed a first-round playoff sweep of New Orleans.

Williams put up eight of his points during a pivotal 10-0 fourth-quarter run for the top-seeded Thunder, who advance to face either the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers or the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.

CJ McCollum registered 20 points while Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Pelicans, who didn’t score more than 92 points in any game of the series.

PACERS TO PLAY TWO GAMES IN PARIS IN 2025

Victor Wembanyama will return to his native France next year to lead the San Antonio Spurs in two regular-season games against the Indiana Pacers.

The NBA Paris Games 2025 will take place on Jan. 23 and 25, the league announced Monday.

Wembanyama, the presumptive 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after starring for Metropolitans 92 in the French capital.

Wembanyama, 20, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game this season. The 7-foot-4 center averaged 29.7 minutes in 71 games (all starts).

These will be third and fourth games for the Spurs in Paris, having last played there in a 2006 preseason game. Indiana has never played a game in France.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

FAU’S VLADISLAV GOLDIN TO JOIN DUSTY MAY AT MICHIGAN, PULLS NAME OUT OF NBA DRAFT

Vladislav Goldin has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will join his coach from Florida Atlantic, Dusty May, as a graduate transfer at Michigan.

Goldin’s decision was first reported Monday by ESPN. The Michigan men’s basketball program reposted the news on its X account.

The 7-foot-1, 240-pound Goldin averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game and shot 67% for the Owls last season. He had declared for the draft on April 2 but with the option to return to school. Goldin, who is from Russia, played one season at Texas Tech before transferring to FAU.

May was announced as Michigan’s coach on March 24 after six seasons at FAU, which he led to the NCAA Final Four in 2023.

Goldin is the sixth player from the transfer portal to land at Michigan. The Wolverines fired fifth-year coach Juwan Howard on March 18 after an 8-24 season.

Meanwhile, Belmont’s Cade Tyson announced on social media that he would transfer to North Carolina, where he will have two years of eligibility. Tyson averaged 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season and he was second in Division I in 3-point shooting percentage at 46.5%.

REPORT: GEORGETOWN C RYAN MUTOMBO ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL

Georgetown center Ryan Mutombo, son of Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, has entered the transfer portal, 247Sports reported Monday.

The 7-foot-2 junior averaged 3.7 minutes and 1.2 rebounds in 15 games off the Hoyas’ bench during the 2023-24 season.

Mutombo was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2021 but saw his playing time decline steadily over three seasons at Georgetown, where his father was a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Ryan Mutombo averaged 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 8.1 minutes in 54 games (one start) for the Hoyas, shooting 51.8 percent from the field.

SAINT MARY’S G AIDAN MAHANEY COMMITS TO UCONN

Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney committed to two-time defending national champion UConn on Monday.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard led the Gaels with 13.9 points per game and made the All-West Coast Conference first team in 2023-24.

“I chose UConn because I want to compete for national championships,” Mahaney told ESPN. “UConn is a place that keeps the main thing the main thing. The coaching staff has proven themselves to be the best in the country the last two years.”

Mahaney burst onto the scene as a freshman by shooting 40 percent from 3-point range for the Gaels. In 69 games (60 starts) at Saint Mary’s, he averaged 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.

With Mahaney’s help, Saint Mary’s won the WCC regular season and conference tournament titles in 2023-24 and earned its third straight NCAA Tournament berth, earning a No. 5 seed. The Gaels lost their first-round game to 12th-seeded Grand Canyon.

Mahaney also visited Creighton and Virginia before committing to coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies.

“Coach Hurley will push me to be the best player I can be and I can’t wait to pick his brain and the rest of the staff,” Mahaney told ESPN. “… I chose UConn to be pushed, to be a part of something bigger than myself, to compete for a national championship and to become a pro.”

FIVE-STAR F JAYDEN QUAINTANCE COMMITS TO ARIZONA STATE

Five-star recruit Jayden Quaintance, a consensus top-15 recruit in the Class of 2024, has committed to Arizona State, ESPN reported Monday.

The big man decommitted from Kentucky earlier this month after John Calipari left to coach Arkansas.

Quaintance is rated the No. 8 overall recruit in the Class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite rankings.

Extremely young for his grade, Quaintance is only 16 and cannot enter the NBA draft until 2026 at the earliest. He reclassified from the 2025 cycle to 2024 and is spending his last year of high school basketball at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C.

The physically imposing Quaintance, 6-feet-10 with a power element in his game, played for Team USA’s 16-and-under squad and is the son of former Kent State player Hamin Quaintance.

WAKE FOREST F ANDREW CARR TRANSFERRING TO KENTUCKY

Former Wake Forest power forward Andrew Carr announced his commitment to Kentucky on Sunday night.

The 6-foot-10 senior has one year of eligibility remaining and chose the Wildcats over Villanova and Texas Tech.

This will be the third stop for Carr, who played two seasons at Delaware and two with the Demon Deacons.

He averaged a career-high 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 35 starts for Wake Forest last season.

Carr has career marks of 11.0 points on 51.7 percent shooting with 5.7 rebounds in 117 games (112 starts).

New Kentucky coach Mark Pope also landed weekend commitments from guards Lamont Butler (San Diego State) and Otega Oweh (Oklahoma).

NHL NEWS

ANALYSIS: THE NHL PLAYOFFS ARE OFF TO AN ODD START, FROM THE NET OUT

The greatest goal-scorer of his generation was held without a point for the first time in a series in his nearly two-decade NHL career.

The best goaltender in the league this season has given up a first round-high 19 goals. Vancouver has lost a Vezina Trophy finalist, used three different guys in net and taken a 3-1 series lead anyway; the Canucks, in fact, won Game 3 at Nashville 2-1 while putting the puck on net just 12 times. Edmonton, with all of its scorers, won a game with just 13 shots — a 1-0 shutout behind the goalie everyone thought was their biggest liability to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

The start of the playoffs has been anything but predictable, which is exactly what hockey fans have come to expect this time of year.

Bucking the trend of recent Presidents’ Trophy winners bowing out early, the New York Rangers swept Washington in the first round by keeping Alex Ovechkin off the scoresheet for the first time in his 15 trips to the postseason.

How did they do it? “It’s a secret,” MVP candidate and fellow Russian winger Artemi Panarin said.

Whatever secret sauce the Canucks are using, everyone in the league would take it. They lost Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko to injury after he won Game 1 against Nashville but Casey DeSmith bounced back from a loss to beat the Predators in Game 3. When he was unavailable, it was Arturs Silovs to the rescue in his playoff debut, backstopping a comeback overtime victory to put the Predators one loss from elimination.

“I don’t think the moment’s too big for him,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I’m proud of the goaltenders. It’s a next-man-up mentality. Those guys know it’s the next man up.”

Connor Hellebuyck is unquestionably the man for Winnipeg, and he’s the front-runner to win the Vezina after being the best goalie in the league during the regular season. In four playoff games against Colorado, Hellebuyck has allowed 19 goals for a save percentage of .870 — a far cry from his .921 over 60 starts from before the series began.

Hellebuyck allowed four goals to the Avalanche on 30 shots in a blowout loss Sunday that pushed the Jets to the brink of elimination. Coach Rick Bowness pulled him after two periods because he was under pressure the entire time he was in net.

“I don’t think those goals are his fault,” center Mark Scheifele said. “He’s our backbone. He’s our heart and soul. Just a change of scenery, I’m sure. He’s our backbone.”

The Edmonton Oilers didn’t expect goalie Stuart Skinner to be their backbone, especially having reigning MVP Connor McDavid and longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl around to score a bunch of goals. So, naturally, they beat the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 in Game 4 thanks to one goal set up by McDavid and Draisaitl, and Skinner stopping every shot he faced.

“He was great for us,” said defenseman Evan Bouchard, who scored. “He was the rock. When we made mistakes he was there to support us. When you’re not letting in any goals, you’re going to win the game.”

The other Vezina finalist, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, gave up 13 goals through the Panthers’ first three games against Tampa Bay. Yet he and the defending Eastern Conference champions are one win from moving on to face Boston or Toronto.

The Bruins are up 3-1 in that series and the Maple Leafs losing in the first round is a familiar stumble for Toronto fans. The team’s core group ed by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander is 1-6 in the first round over the previous seven years.

SEATTLE KRAKEN FIRE COACH DAVE HAKSTOL AFTER LEADING THE FRANCHISE FOR ITS FIRST 3 SEASONS

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday after the third-year franchise took a significant step back following a playoff appearance in their second season.

Hakstol was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year last season as Seattle finished with 100 points and reached the Western Conference semifinals in its second year.

But the Kraken failed to match expectations this season and spent most of the year trying to climb back into playoff contention after a terrible start, and failed to build on the success of that playoff run. Seattle finished tied for fifth in the Pacific Division after going 34-35-13 with 81 points, and was officially eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks left in the regular season.

Hakstol went 107-112-27 in his three seasons in charge of the Kraken.

Seattle general manager Ron Francis hinted that changes could be coming less than a week after the season ended. Given the chance to confirm Hakstol would get a fourth season, Francis instead hedged and said a review was underway to analyze the entire coaching staff.

A week later, Hakstol was out.

“I thank Dave for his hard work and dedication to the Kraken franchise,” Francis said in a statement. “Following our end-of-the-season review, we have decided to make a change at our head coach position. These decisions are never easy, but we feel this is a necessary step to help ensure our team continues to improve and evolve.

Francis also said assistant coach Paul McFarland would not return.

Hakstol was rewarded with a two-year extension after last season when Seattle reached the second round of the playoffs and kept Hakstol under contract through the 2025-26 season. But Seattle was unable to maintain the style of play that led to its success last season and couldn’t overcome significant injuries to Andre Burakovsky, Brandon Tanev and Philipp Grubauer early in the season. Seattle also played most of the final portion of the season without top defenseman Vince Dunn due to neck injury.

Seattle started this season 8-14-7 including an eight-game losing streak, before a big turnaround in late December and January that pushed the Kraken back into the playoff conversation. But the Kraken went just 13-16-3 after the All-Star break and a painful overtime loss at home to Vegas on March 12 brought an end to any reasonable playoff aspirations.

Scoring goals was a problem that the Kraken couldn’t solve all season. Seattle was 29th in the league in goals scored, 29th in shooting percentage and 18th on the power play, negating a season of strong defense and goaltending.

Hakstol was a surprise choice when Seattle hired him to be the first coach in franchise history. His first stint as a coach in the NHL started strong in Philadelphia in 2015-16 with two playoff appearances in his first three seasons. But it fell apart in the fourth season and he was fired 25 games into that year with the Flyers at 8-11-6 and just 22 points.

It was a rough inaugural season for Seattle as the team dealt with the expectations of trying to match what Vegas did in its expansion season while balancing COVID-19 restrictions that impacted much of that first season. Seattle finished at 27-49-6 in that first season but rebounded in Year 2 when the Kraken finished with 100 points, toppled defending champion Colorado in the first round of the playoffs and took Dallas to a Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.

Todd McLellan and 2019 Stanley Cup winner Craig Berube are among the experienced NHL head coaches available, pending more movement around the league in the coming weeks.

SERGEI BOBROVSKY MAKES 31 SAVES, PANTHERS BEAT LIGHTNING 6-1 TO ADVANCE TO 2ND ROUND

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaege each had two goals and an assist, and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 in Game 5 on Monday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs.

Niko Mikkola had a goal and an assist, Evan Rodrigues also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who won a playoff series against Tampa Bay for the first time in franchise history and clinched a postseason series at home for only the fourth time. Florida bested Boston and Philadelphia on home ice in the first two rounds of the 1996 playoffs, then eliminated Carolina at home in last season’s Eastern Conference finals en route to their second Stanley Cup Final appearance.

Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which was eliminated in the first round for the second straight year after reaching the Final three straight years. Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 33 shots.

Barkov gave Florida a 2-0 lead when he pounced on a rebound for a short-handed goal — his first of the playoffs — at 7:22 of the second period. He added another at 8:54 of a four-goal third to restore the Panthers’ two-goal cushion after Hedman got the Lightning on the board 59 seconds after Barkov’s first score.

The Panthers had 22 shots on goal in the second, which is the second-most in a single period of a playoff game in franchise history. Florida had 23 shots in the third period of a playoff win against Pittsburgh in 1996.

Verhaeghe opened scoring for the Panthers with a four-on-four goal just 45 seconds into the second period. Verhaeghe grabbed his own rebound and wristed a shot past Vasilevsky.

Rodrigues added a score for good measure with less than six minutes left to play on a wrist shot that was his first goal of the playoffs, and Verhaeghe scored an empty-netter with just under four minutes to play to stretch his franchise-record goals total to 20. Mikkola added another empty-netter nearly three minutes later.

Anthony Cirelli appeared to have scored Tampa Bay’s first goal when he tapped a loose puck past Bobrovsky with seven minutes left in the first period. The goal was overturned, however, after the Panthers challenged for goaltender interference. Former Panther Anthony Duclair’s right skate made contact with Bobrovsky as he was trying to make the save.

The Lightning had another goal waved off in the second period when Mikhail Sergachev appeared to tie it on a long-range shot from the blue line. The goal was immediately waved off because of goaltender interference by Cirelli, and upheld after a failed Tampa Bay challenge.

The Lightning’s NHL-best power play during the regular season was inconsistent in this first round. Tampa Bay had two man-advantages in the first 10 minutes of the opening period — Florida killed them both off — and finished the game 0 for 3 .

JOHNSTON SCORES AGAIN AS STARS EVEN SERIES VS. GOLDEN KNIGHTS

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The blast from the point hit Roope Hintz in the right arm, causing him to fall to the ice in pain.

Just seconds later, however, he sent the same puck into the empty net on the other side of the rink to seal the victory.

“That’s how you win championships,” Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger said.

The Stars as a team are showing their mettle, bouncing back from losing the first two games of their NHL playoffs first-round series at home by beating the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights twice in their building, including 4-2 on Monday night.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Dallas.

Evgenii Dadonov, Wyatt Johnston and Ty Dellandrea also scored for the Stars, and Oettinger made 33 saves. Johnston has three goals in the past two games, including the Game 3 winner in overtime.

Michael Amadio and Jack Eichel had goals for the Golden Knights, and Logan Thompson stopped 28 shots. Eichel has scored goals in three consecutive games and has six points in this series.

Both teams were the beneficiaries of goals in the first period the goalies would like to have back.

Amadio squeezed a rebound that trickled past Oettinger with 5:35 left, and 2 1/2 minutes later Dadonov scored from the goal line when the puck went off Thompson’s mask into the net. The Knights outshot the Stars 14-8 in the period.

That changed in the second when the Stars outshot Vegas 17-6 and scored twice to take a 3-2 lead.

Eichel knocked in a goal off a rebound 3:09 into the period, and Johnston had a power-play goal off a rebound midway through the period to tie it again. The Stars benefited from a bit of good luck when Craig Smith’s shot went off Dellandrea’s chest and into the net with 1:26 left.

Knights coach Bruce Cassidy called Dellandrea’s goal “inexcusable.”

“We can get out of the period 2-2,” Cassidy said. “We stayed too long in the shift. Then we mismanaged the puck. It’s a fortunate play, but they’re putting everything to the net. You’re going to get some of those bounces.”

Dellandrea scored two third-period goals in Game 5 of last year’s Western Conference final to keep the Stars’ playoff hopes alive.

“He likes playing in Vegas,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “He’s a playoff-type player. He doesn’t shrink in the room.”

Content with the lead, the Stars followed the Knights’ playbook from the first two games and focused on playing defense in the third period. Even though Vegas outshot Dallas 15-7 in the third, the Stars repeatedly broke up scoring chances and forced the Knights into difficult shots.

“I thought in the second period we really took control of the game,” DeBoer said. “The play in the third period was just lock it down. You don’t like to sit back that much, but I felt like we were smart like they were in Dallas when they had the lead going into the third.”

Dallas ended any doubts when Hintz buried the empty-netter with 1:22 left.

The Stars have shown they won’t be an easy out. They came to Las Vegas down 2-0 and in Game 4 twice had to rally.

“There’s no panic in our game,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “You knew they were going to come out hard. They’re a good team. We weathered the storm and found a way to win.”

Benn appeared in his 87th playoff game as the Stars’ captain, the most in franchise history. Derian Hatcher, captain of the 1999 Stanley Cup championship team, played in 86 games.

MLB NEWS

TWINS BRING CARLOS CORREA BACK FROM IL AFTER 16-GAME ABSENCE WITH STRAINED RIB CAGE MUSCLE

CHICAGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins reinstated shortstop Carlos Correa from the 10-day injured list on Monday before beginning a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox, after he missed 16 games with a strained right rib cage muscle.

Correa batted .306 with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs and eight walks in 11 games before he was hurt checking his swing during a strikeout on April 12. Willi Castro played the majority of the games at shortstop in Correa’s absence. The 29-year-old Correa didn’t need a rehabilitation assignment.

The Twins optioned multi-position player Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul to make room on the 26-man roster. Martin batted .226 with 16 runs, six doubles, six walks, two steals and one homer in 22 games.

REPORT: MLB TO MODIFY NIKE UNIFORMS AFTER COMPLAINTS FROM PLAYERS, FANS

Major League Baseball plans to modify its Nike uniforms by the start of the 2025 season following complaints this spring from players and fans, according to a report from ESPN.

The changes will include restoring larger lettering on the nameplates and correcting for mismatched gray tops and bottoms, pants that are sometimes see-through and fabric that looks different when players sweat. The changes were detailed in a memo distributed to players by the MLB Players Association on Sunday and will take affect by the beginning of 2025.

The report says the memo blamed Nike and its new performance-focused Vapor Premier uniform. The union declined comment to The Associated Press.

“This has been entirely a Nike issue,” the memo to players read. “At its core, what has happened here is that Nike was innovating something that didn’t need to be innovated.”

The union said Fanatics, which manufactures the Nike-designed uniforms, was not to blame. The memo said Fanatics “recognizes the vital importance of soliciting Player feedback, obtaining Player buy-in and not being afraid to have difficult conversations about jerseys or trading cards. Our hope is that, moving forward, Nike will take a similar approach.”

MLB ROUNDUP: M’S WIN PITCHERS’ DUEL VS. BRAVES

Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Atlanta Braves 2-1 Monday night in a pitching duel in which both starters had no-hitters through six innings.

Seattle’s Jorge Polanco grounded a single to left field leading off against Atlanta’s A.J. Minter (5-2). Garver then hammered a 3-2 cutter an estimated 412 feet off the facade of the second deck.

Neither Atlanta’s Max Fried nor Seattle’s Bryce Miller allowed a hit until the Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. led off the seventh with an infield single, stole second and third and scored on Ozzie Albies’ double to right field. Braves reliever Joe Jimenez lost the no-hitter in the eighth but got out of a bases-loaded jam to preserve the shutout.

Fried pitched six hitless innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts, while Miller allowed one run on two hits, walked one and fanned 10 in seven innings.

Cubs 3, Mets 1

Christopher Morel hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning for the Cubs, who were no-hit by Luis Severino into the eighth inning before coming back to beat host New York in the opener of a three-game series.

Mike Tauchman doubled with one out in the ninth against Edwin Diaz (0-1) before Ian Happ struck out. Morel followed by hitting a 3-1 pitch well into the left field seats. Mark Leiter Jr. (1-1) got the final two outs of the eighth and Hector Neris earned his fourth save in the ninth, when he walked two batters before closing out the win by whiffing DJ Stewart and Brett Baty.

Brandon Nimmo led off the first with a homer for the Mets. Nick Madrigal tied the score 1-1 by hitting into a run-scoring forceout in the eighth.

Orioles 2, Yankees 0

Gunnar Henderson homered, Grayson Rodriguez pitched 5 2/3 innings and Baltimore beat visiting New York.

Rodriguez (4-1) gave up five hits. The right-hander struck out three and walked three, throwing 101 pitches in the first meeting of the season between the teams. After scoring 15 runs in each of their past two games, the Yankees were shut out on seven hits.

New York had at least one baserunner in every inning except the eighth but went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Yankee starter Clarke Schmidt (2-1) allowed one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out five and walking three.

Rays 1, Brewers 0

Ryan Pepiot and three relievers combined on a three-hit shutout as visiting Tampa Bay beat Milwaukee.

Pepiot (3-2) allowed two hits over six innings before yielding to Shawn Armstrong, Kevin Kelly and Jason Adam. With the bases loaded in the ninth, Adam struck out Blake Perkins on three pitches for his first save.

The game’s lone run scored on a first-inning, double-play grounder from Isaac Paredes, who had two hits. Brewers starter Bryse Wilson (2-1) gave up one run in six innings.

Nationals 7, Marlins 2

Jake Irvin responded from his worst outing of the season to pitch six solid innings and CJ Abrams smacked a two-run homer to help Washington complete a four-game sweep of host Miami.

Irvin (2-2), who gave up four hits, struck out three and didn’t issue a walk, was unscathed until Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-out, two-run home run in the sixth. Dylan Floro and Matt Barnes completed the combined four-hitter.

The Marlins, with the worst record in the National League, have lost seven consecutive games. Miami starter Trevor Rogers (0-4) had another five-inning outing, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three.

Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 4

Andy Pages drove in three runs and Teoscar Hernandez stroked a two-run double as Los Angeles notched a victory over Arizona at Phoenix.

Will Smith homered to help the Dodgers win for the seventh time in the past eight games. Shohei Ohtani, Enrique Hernandez and Teoscar Hernandez had two hits apiece for Los Angeles. James Paxton (3-0) gave up four runs and six hits over five innings for the Dodgers.

Ketel Marte had two hits for the Diamondbacks as the defending National League champions lost in their first meeting of the season against the perennial powerful Dodgers. Blaze Alexander walked three times and scored twice for Arizona, which has dropped four of its last five games.

Blue Jays 6, Royals 5

Justin Turner hit two homers and drove in three runs as Toronto defeated visiting Kansas City.

Danny Jansen added a solo homer for the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Davis Schneider and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each had two hits for Toronto, which has won two straight since dropping five in a row.

Kyle Isbel and Freddy Fermin each had a solo homer and a single for the Royals, who took their third consecutive loss. Maikel Garcia also finished with two hits.

Twins 3, White Sox 2

Max Kepler hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning as Minnesota beat host Chicago for its eighth consecutive victory.

With the score 2-2, Byron Buxton led off the top of the ninth by slashing a double into left against White Sox reliever John Brebbia (0-1). Kepler then drilled a 2-2 fastball into right to score Buxton. Griffin Jax (2-2) got the win after throwing a scoreless eighth inning and Caleb Thielbar secured his second save.

Carlos Santana hit a two-run shot in the second for Minnesota, which ended Chicago’s three-game winning streak in the opener of a three-game series. Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn notched two hits, including an RBI single in a two-run first inning.

Angels 6, Phillies 5

Taylor Ward, Brandon Drury, Ehire Adrianza and Zach Neto had two hits each to help Los Angeles earn a come-from-behind win against Philadelphia in the opener in their three-game series at Anaheim, Calif.

Jo Adell homered and Luis Rengifo doubled and scored for Los Angeles, which had lost four in a row and nine of 10. Hunter Strickland, Adam Cimber (2-0) and Matt Moore each threw a scoreless inning of relief before Carlos Estevez gave up a run in the ninth before closing out his fifth save.

Alec Bohm, who extended his hitting streak to 13, also had a two-run single in the three-run first and Trea Turner had two hits and scored twice for Philadelphia, which had won four in a row and 11 of 13.

Athletics 5, Pirates 1

Joe Boyle overcame a wild start to throw five innings of one-hit ball as Oakland opened a 10-game homestand with a victory over Pittsburgh.

Dany Jimenez and Michael Kelly combined for three strikeouts over four shutout innings to put the wraps on a two-hit performance for the A’s, who won for the fourth time in five games. Oakland’s Tyler Nevin homered, singled and drove in two runs.

Coming off dropping two out of three games across San Francisco Bay against the Giants, Pittsburgh jumped on Boyle (2-4) for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Ke’Bryan Hayes leadoff single, two walks and two wild pitches.

Reds 5, Padres 2

Nick Lodolo gave up a leadoff homer, then didn’t allow another hit in seven dominant innings as Cincinnati won at San Diego.

Lodolo (3-0) walked two and struck out 11. Elly De La Cruz homered for the Reds, Santiago Espinal drove in two runs and Jeimer Candelario and Will Benson had two hits apiece.

Jurickson Profar opened the first inning with a homer for the Padres. Matt Waldron (1-3) permitted four runs in six innings.

NFL NEWS

COWBOYS AND RUNNING BACK EZEKIEL ELLIOTT REUNITING AFTER AGREEING TO DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are reuniting with running back Ezekiel Elliott after agreeing to terms on a contract with the former two-time rushing champion, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday.

Elliott returns to the Cowboys a year after they let him go in a cost-cutting move. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical.

The Cowboys acknowledged during the draft last weekend that they had recently met with Elliott and his representatives.

Dallas didn’t draft a running back after moving from its starter each of the past two seasons, and owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he thought Elliott was still a starting-caliber back.

Elliott rejoins a team that includes Rico Dowdle, Elliott’s teammate from 2020-22, and second-year players Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke. Dallas also added journeyman Royce Freeman this offseason.

Elliott, who will turn 29 just as the Cowboys report for training camp in California in July, spent last season as the backup to Rhamondre Stevenson in New England but started the last five games when Stephenson was injured.

Elliott won rushing titles in two of his first three seasons with the Cowboys and is the third-leading rusher in franchise history with 8,262 yards. He trails two Pro Football Hall of Famers — all-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.

Tony Pollard, a fourth-round pick by Dallas in 2019, replaced Elliott last season but didn’t have an impact to match his $10.1 million salary playing on the franchise tag. Pollard signed with Tennessee in free agency.

In 2016, Elliott teamed with quarterback Dak Prescott to create a dynamic rookie pairing that led the Cowboys on an 11-game winning streak and the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

Prescott then edged out Elliott for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after the Cowboys lost to Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay.

Elliott never matched the 1,631 yards rushing from his rookie season. His second year was marred by a two-month court fight with the NFL over a six-game suspension involving domestic violence allegations. Elliott served the suspension nine games into the season after losing an appeal.

The 2016 All-Pro still led the NFL in yards rushing per game in his second season, then won his other rushing title with 1,434 yards in 2018.

Elliott missed the offseason and training camp in 2019 in a contract holdout, finally joining the Cowboys during the week before the season opener after signing a $90 million, six-year extension.

While Elliott scored 22 touchdowns combined over the final two seasons of his first Dallas stint, he surpassed 1,000 yards just once in three years after signing the expensive extension.

Elliott rushed for 642 yards and three touchdowns in what ended up being coach Bill Belichick’s final season with the Patriots in 2023. Elliott visited the Cowboys in Week 4, gaining just 16 yards in New England’s 38-3 loss.

While they won 12 games for the third consecutive season in 2023, the Cowboys missed Elliott’s powerful running style in short-yardage situations.

Dallas is in flux with its offensive line, having to replace two starters. Three of Dallas’ eight draft picks last weekend were offensive linemen. Elliott’s return, however, would bolster the club’s pass protection.

REPORT: CHIEFS MAKE KELCE NFL’S HIGHEST-PAID TE

The Kansas City Chiefs are signing Travis Kelce to a two-year extension that will make him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The full terms of the agreement haven’t been reported.

Kelce, who was signed through 2026, previously ranked fourth among tight ends with a $14.3-million average annual salary, according to Spotrac. Darren Waller of the New York Giants topped the position at $17 million.

Kelce is the most productive tight end of his era, having eclipsed 1,000 yards seven times in his career. The 34-year-old caught 93 passes for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 15 appearances in 2023. He then helped Kansas City win another Super Bowl by leading the team in catches, yards, and touchdown receptions in the postseason.

The nine-time Pro Bowler has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs alongside coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Kelce battled a knee injury in 2023, leading to speculation he might retire, but he said in February that he was committed to helping the Chiefs achieve a historic three-peat in 2024.

Kelce has caught 907 career passes for 11,328 yards and 74 touchdowns since the Chiefs drafted him in the third round in 2013 out of Cincinnati.

CBS SPORTS ANNOUNCES MATT RYAN WILL JOIN NFL STUDIO SHOW. LONGTIME ANALYSTS SIMMS AND ESIASON DEPART

NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Ryan, who retired last week after 15 years in the NFL, will join CBS Sports as a studio analyst on “The NFL Today” and Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason will leave after long runs on the show, the network announced Monday.

Ryan will join James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and JJ Watt. The 2016 NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowl quarterback joined CBS Sports last season as an NFL game analyst and appeared in studio during the playoffs and Super Bowl.

“Matt had an outstanding first year at CBS Sports, excelling as both a studio and game analyst,” CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson said. “He is the consummate team player and a Hall of Fame person. We love the chemistry he has with the studio crew and we’re excited to see him entertain NFL fans and share his passion, insight and perspective alongside JB, Nate, Coach and JJ.”

The contracts of Simms and Esiason expired after the Super Bowl.

Simms came to CBS in 1998 after the network won the rights to the AFC. He was the lead game analyst until he moved to the studio in 2017.

“Great 26 yrs run with CBS SPORTS. Even though that part of my career is over I look forward to what is next,” Simms posted on social media.

Esiason was on “The NFL Today” for 22 years and was the show’s longest-tenured analyst. Esiason will continue working on a New York sports talk radio show simulcast on CBS Sports Network.

“Phil and Boomer set the standard of excellence for NFL analysts,” Berson said. “We are so grateful for their immeasurable contributions to CBS Sports. We genuinely thank them for being incredible teammates and for their passion, dedication and commitment to elevating CBS Sports’ NFL coverage every season.”

Ryan played for the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts and ranks in the top 10 in NFL history in passing yards (62,792), touchdowns (381), completions (5,551) and attempts (8,464).

The change is the first significant move under Berson, who took over three weeks ago following the retirement of chairman Sean McManus.

PATRIOTS’ CHRISTIAN BARMORE AGREES TO 4-YEAR EXTENSION WORTH UP TO $92 MILLION, AP SOURCE SAYS

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore has agreed to a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity on Monday because it has not been announced. The extension reportedly contains $41.8 million in guarantees.

Barmore, a second-round pick in 2021, has 133 tackles, 12 1/2 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, 32 quarterback hits and one forced fumble in 44 games (11 starts) over his three seasons. He twice appeared in all 17 games in 2021 and 2023.

Barmore’s agent, Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports, celebrated the new pact on the X social media platform, referencing the extended wait her client endured on draft night.

“Three years ago, Christian and I sat in the greenroom at the NFL Draft on night 1 and his name was not called. He would eventually slide to round 2, and that became one of the hardest nights of my career,” she posted. “Fast forward and now he is one of the highest paid DTs. God is always faithful!”

Barmore’s signing becomes the latest big retention for a defense that also had the offseason re-signings of safety Kyle Dugger and edge rushers Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings.

JASON KELCE JOINING ESPN’S ‘MNF’ PREGAME SHOW

Recently retired Jason Kelce is joining ESPN this fall to be part of its “Monday Night Countdown” pregame show, The Athletic reported Monday.

Kelce announced his retirement early last month after 13 seasons as the center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelce was sought after by CBS, NBC and Amazon, per the report. CBS was interested in Kelce for its “NFL Today” show, per the report.

Drafted in the sixth round (191st overall) in 2011, Kelce became a Super Bowl LII champion and one of the most durable, decorated and respected centers in NFL history — and one of the league’s most passionate players.

The six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection started 205 games for the Eagles, including the postseason.

Kelce, 36, is the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce. The siblings have a popular podcast called “New Heights.”

REPORTS: BILLS PICKING UP OPTION ON DE GREG ROUSSEAU

The Buffalo Bills are picking up the fifth-year option on defensive end Greg Rousseau, Fox Sports reported Monday.

NFL teams have until Thursday to exercise the 2025 options on their 2021 first-round draft picks.

Rousseau, the 30th overall selection in 2021, will earn a fully guaranteed salary of $13.387 million in 2025.

Rousseau, 24, registered five sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 42 tackles while starting 16 games last season.

His career totals include 17 sacks, 42 QB hits, 129 tackles and three forced fumbles in 46 games (all starts).

TENNIS NEWS

RAFAEL NADAL STORMS INTO QUARTERFINALS AT MADRID

With the fans from his home country behind him, Rafael Nadal continued to make a successful return from injuries by reaching the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open with a 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory over Pedro Cachin.

A five-time winner of the event in his native Spain, Nadal is playing in just his third event of 2024 and reached the fourth round of any event for the first time since 2022.

Nadal, 37, delivered on nine of his 18 break-point chances and fired 35 winners to reach the Madrid quarterfinals for a 10th time.

“I am enjoying (things, but) let’s see how I wake up tomorrow,” Nadal said after the three-hour, four-minute match. “I don’t know. Day by day, I am enjoying playing at home; it means everything to me.

“I am trying my best to keep dreaming. Tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming. To keep playing in front of this amazing crowd and to me that means everything.”

Nadal broke Cachin’s serve three times in the first five games in the opening set, closing it out against the Argentina native 6-1 on a service break.

Cachin answered by breaking Nadal in the opening game of the second set and then breaking again to lead 4-1. Nadal rallied back with three service breaks to force a tiebreaker, but Cachin took a 4-1 lead in the tiebreak and closed out the set to even the match.

Nadal lost his serve once in the final set but broke Cachin’s serve twice over the final five games to finish off the victory.

“In the third set, even with some mistakes, I was able to be a little more unpredictable and that probably changed the match,” Nadal said.

Nadal is set to square off in the quarterfinals against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, who was a 6-4, 7-6 (7) winner over Thaigo Monteiro of Brazil. Lehecka, 22, fired 10 aces and won 77 percent of his first service points to win in the third round.

Nadal has never faced Lehecka.

In other third-round matches, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, the No. 3 seed, rallied for a 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over No. 25 seed Sebastian Korda. No. 5 Casper Ruud of Norway, rolled to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over No. 29 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain.

No. 17 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan rallied for the 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over No. 14 Ben Shelton, while Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced when Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic retired after trailing 6-1, 1-0 in the second set.

COLLEGE BASEBALL NEWS

IOWA, MINNESOTA, OHIO STATE, PURDUE EARN BASEBALL HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its baseball weekly awards for games played April 23-28.

Co-Player of the Week
Hunter Rosson, Ohio State
Sr. – OF/1B — Aledo, Texas — Weatherford College

Compiled a slash of .545/.583/1.545 and a 2.129 OPS
Three of his six hits were home runs, including a grand slam against Wright State on April 23 in Dayton
Recorded multiple RBI in all three games played, including six against Michigan State on Saturday; finished with 12 RBI for the week
A utility player, earns his first Big Ten weekly award
Last Ohio State Player of the Week: Brent Todys (May 11, 2022)

Co-Player of the Week
Connor Caskenette, Purdue
Sr. – C — Duncan, British Columbia — Cochise JC

Led Purdue to a 4-0 week, highlighted by a series road sweep of Northwestern that extended the Boilermakers’ Big Ten win streak to 10 games (matching a school record)
Batted .467 (7-for-15) with three home runs and 11 RBI over four games
Scored eight runs and did not strikeout in 20 plate appearances
The Academic All-Big Ten recipient receives his first Big Ten Player award
Last Purdue Player of the Week: Paul Toetz (March 7, 2023)

Pitcher of the Week
Brody Brecht, Iowa
Jr. – S-RHP — Ankeny, Iowa — Ankeny

Threw 7.0 innings of 2-hit ball in Iowa’s 4-1 win over Nebraska on Sunday
Allowed one run and held the Cornhuskers to a .095 batting average
Finished with 11 strikeouts and a 0.71 WHIP to pick up his second win in as many weeks
The 2023 All-Big Ten First Team selection collects his second Big Ten Pitcher honor of the season and the fourth of his career
Last Iowa Pitcher of the Week: Brody Brecht (April 22, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Will Whelan, Minnesota
Fr. – R-LHP — Lino Lakes, Minn. — Centennial

Working in relief, appeared in three games, holding opponents to a 0.63 batting average
Allowed one hit and one run while fanning four over 5.1 innings
Earned first career save on Sunday to give Minnesota its first conference series win of the season
Secures his first Big Ten freshman weekly honor
Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Weber Neels (May 22, 2023)

MAC ANNOUNCES WEEKLY BASEBALL HONORS

MAC Baseball Player of the Week
Evan Appelwick, Miami, 1B
R-Sophomore, Madison, S.D. (IMG Academy)
Evan Appelwick had hits in all four of Miami’s games this past week, which included an 11-1 win over Xavier and three victories over Eastern Michigan. He drove in three runs and hit a home run in both Saturday and Sunday’s games over EMU. Throughout the course of the week, Appelwick racked up 14 bases, seven RBIs, seven hits, and six runs while batting .500 to help Miami extend their win streak to eight games.

MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Keegan Batka, Central Michigan, RHP
Senior, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Grand Rapids Christian)
Central Michigan senior right-hander Keegan Batka tossed a complete game three-hit shutout on Sunday in the Chippewas 2-0 MAC win over NIU. Batka struck out a career-high 14 and walked just two. His strikeout total is the most for a CMU pitcher since at least 2018. Batka began his week by throwing one hitless inning in the Chippewas’ 2-0 win at Notre Dame. He was one of seven CMU hurlers who combined on a one-hitter against the Irish.

HCAC 2024 BASEBALL NOTEBOOK, WEEK 11

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) baseball teams competed in week eleven of the 2024 season.

Around the League:
HCAC Baseball Schedule

Athletes of the Week:
Hitter of the Week:
David Newbanks (New Albany, Ind.) Hanover College | Junior – Newbanks helped lead Hanover last week as they swept Earlham. The junior recorded a 1.462 slugging percentage over the course of four games. He charted six RBI on eight hits including three home runs. He added three stolen bases and a .706 OB%. The sweep helped keep Hanover in a tie for the HCAC title.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Rocco Haines (Ossian, Ind.) Manchester University | Utility | Junior – Rocco Haines pitched a complete game on Saturday only allowing two runs in seven innings while also striking out eight of the batters he faced. Haines performance lead the Spartans to a crucial 13-2 win over Mount St. Joseph. Haines also batted .357 over the weekend.

Notable Performances:
Hitting Athletes:

Griffin Wolf (Carmel, Ind.) Anderson University | Outfield/Utility | Sophomore – Griffin Wolf went 4-for-10 with a homer, 4 RBI and 4 runs as Anderson went 2-2 overall and 2-1 in HCAC play. Wolf was also walked 3 times and hit by a pitch 3 times. He finished with a weekly slashline of .400/.625/.700.
Brody Hammersley (Coshocton, Ohio) Bluffton University | Utility | Junior – Hammersley made the most of his first significant action this season, going 9-of-12 for an astounding .750 batting average. He had 4 RBI, including the game winner on Sunday as Bluffton defeated Anderson 9-8 with his walkoff hit which snapped a sting of 14 straight losses for the Beavers! He also scored 3 runs and had a .769 on-base percentage.
Connor Gephart (Lima, Ohio) Defiance College | First Base | Sophomore – Connor Gephart continues to be an on-base machine for the Yellow Jackets and extended his on-base streak to 23 games. He ran his season-best hitting streak up to 11 games through the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against Rose-Hulman and went 3-for-13 with two walks. On Saturday, he sparked a furious comeback with a three-run homer and drove in four total runs in an 11-10 loss to the Engineers.
Max Fries (Cleves, Ohio) Earlham College | Pitcher/Utility | Graduate – Max Fries went 5-for-11 (.455) with five runs, two RBI and a solo homer against Hanover this weekend.
Gavin Gleason (Brookston, Ind.) Manchester University | Catcher | Junior – Gleason, in a game against Mount St. Joseph went 3-4 with two triples. Gleason racked up four RBI’s in the game that the Spartans won 13-2.
Anton Mere (Centerville, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Outfield | Junior – Lions outfield Anton Mere continued his hitting streak this week, he has now registered a hit in 12-consecutive games. For the week he was 8-for-18 (.444) with 3 multi-hit games. He also added four RBIs, a double and a stolen base this week.
Colton Brown (Bedford, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Insitute of Technology | Centerfield/Rightfield | Junior – Brown had a career weekend in the three-game sweep of Defiance with 6 hits including 2 doubles and his first two home runs of his career. His first home run proved to be the game winner in game one, and his second was an early grand slam to put the Fightin’ Engineers in control of the game. He also added 5 runs scored and 7 RBIs with an insane slash line of .545 / .538 / 1.273 and an OPS of 1.811.
Austin Taylor (Louisville, Ky.) Transylvania University | First Base | Junior – Taylor finished the week 6-16 with 10 RBI’s, including 2 doubles and 2 home runs. He had 7 RBI’s in the win at Webster on Sunday.

Pitching Athletes:

Landen Southern (Lafayette, Ind.) Anderson University | Pitcher | Junior – Landen Southern struck out 11 and allowed 2 runs in 6 and one-third innings in his win against Bluffton. He issued 4 walks and 5 hits.
William Nowakowski (Grand Rapids, Ohio) Bluffton University | Pitcher | Sophomore – Nowakowski did not allow a run in 5.1 innings of relief across two appearances for a 0.00 ERA. He struck out 3 and allowed just 3 hits, limiting the opposition to a .167 OBA.
Hayden Scalf (Richmond, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher | Sophomore – Hayden Scalf threw seven innings of one-run action to kick off the weekend series vs Hanover. The sophomore was charged with four hits and struck out six in the outing.
Matthew Alter (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Senior – Alter helped lead the Panthers as they swept Earlham over the weekend getting the game one win. He pitched eight complete innings allowing just four runs on seven hits. He added six strikeouts and moved to 6-0 overall on the year.
Matt Frye (Mt. Orab, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Fifth Year – Lions freshman starter was outstanding on Saturday, helping the Lions avoid a sweep against Manchester. He pitched the front 7.0 innings allowing working around six hits to only allow a single run, while striking out three. He got the win his fourth of the season.
Brady Strawmyer (Fishers, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | First Year – Strawmyer was lights out in Sunday’s 12-5 victory over Defiance to help Rose-Hulman sweep the Yellow Jackets and clinch their spot in the HCAC Tournament. He struck out a career-high 10 batters and became the first Rose-Hulman pitcher to do so in 2024. He also allowed just 5 hits and 0 earned runs while picking up his third win of the season.
Henry Craig (Louisville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | First Year – Craig earned 2 wins this week to improve to 6-0 on the season. He struckout 11 batters in 10.1 innings of work

COLLEGE SOFTBALL NEWS

HCAC 2024 SOFTBALL NOTEBOOK, WEEK 11

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) softball teams competed in week eleven of the 2024 season.

Around the League:
HCAC Softball Schedule

Athletes of the Week:
Hitting Athlete of the Week:
Eriana Wagner (Indianapolis, Ind.) Franklin College | Outfield | Junior – Wagner set the new single season record for home runs this week, clubbing three more long balls and helping Franklin stay unbeaten in conference play…went 6-for-11 during the week with three dingers, six RBI, five runs scored and four walks drawn…belted a three-run home run in game one of Franklin’s sweep of Rose-Hulman on Wednesday…slugged a solo home run in each of the Grizzlies’ wins over Bluffton on Saturday.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Carlee Jeter (Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Senior – Jeter pitched a perfect game against Wilmington on Sunday to earn her 14th win this season. She finished the week with 3 wins and 1 save.

Notable Performances:
Hitting Athletes:

Hayley Lewis (Kettering, Ohio) Bluffton University | Pitcher | Junior – Lewis went 7-of-12 for a .583 batting average with 3 RBI and 2 doubles. She slugged .750 and also picked up a win in the circle against Anderson on Sunday as Bluffton snapped a 16-game losing streak.
Madison Guggenbiller (Fort Recovery, Ohio) Defiance College | First Base/Utility | First Year – Went 4-for-7 at the plate in the series against Transylvania including 3-for-4 in game two and came through clutch in the ninth as she drove in the game-winning double to put the Yellow Jackets on top in the ninth inning that ended up being the game-winning hit in the game. She also hit a home run in the fifth to put DC on the board for their first run of the game. All four hits for the weekend were extra-base hits with three doubles and the one home run.
Morgan Cooksey (Williamsport, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher | First Year – Morgan Cooksey was the most efficient batter for the Quakers this week, posting a .556 batting average in three games. Cooksey went 5-for-9 at the plate, with a double and an RBI, while also throwing 11 strikeouts with a 1.75 ERA in the circle.
Carson Kruse (Fort Branch, Ind.) Hanover College | Junior – Kruse led Hanover to a 2-2 record on the week posting a .583 slugging percentage. She charted four RBI on four hits with a walk and two runs. Kruse also added a home run.
Macy Cornelius (New Palestine, Ind.) Mount St. Joseph University | First Base | First Year – Lions junior leftfield Macy Cornelius set the table all week for the Mount as the team went 4-0 this week. For the week she was 8-for-15 (.556) at the plate, with a double, four runs scored, 3 RBIs and was 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
Dakota Burke (Shelbyville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Catcher/Outfield | First Year – Burke batted .421 on the week with 8 hits, including 2 triple, with 5 RBI’s.

Pitching Athletes:

Anika Craft (Radnor, Ohio) Defiance College | Pitcher/Outfield | Junior – Went toe-to-toe against Transylvania’s Sophie Moshos and earned the victory for the Yellow Jackets as she helped snap a 15-game losing streak against the Pioneers, pitching all 9.0 innings and allowing just two earned runs with no walks and striking out five. Two of her five strikeouts came in the bottom of the ninth inning with the tying run on third and winning run at the plate as she struck out the final two batters to secure the victory.
Tatum Rickert (Muncie, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher/Outfield | First Year – Tatum Rickert was a strikeout machine this week with 19Ks in 14 innings of work. The freshman allowed just five earned runs (2.5 ERA) and allowed 1.21 WHIP in her two complete games this week.
Stephanni Kleber (Seymour, Ind.) Franklin College | Pitcher | Junior – Turned in two brilliant outings for the Grizzlies last week, collecting two wins and helping Franklin stay unbeaten in conference play…against Rose-Hulman on Wednesday, she tossed a two-hit shutout with one walk and a pair of strikeouts over five innings in an 8-0 Franklin win…Saturday against Bluffton, Kleber hurled 5.1 innings of perfect ball before eventually finishing with a two-hit complete game effort in a 7-2 Franklin win, giving up one earned run with one walk and a pair of strikeouts.
Lauren Beaman (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Junior – Beaman led Hanover to a 2-2 overall week as she pitched 14 complete innings with seven strikeouts. She allowed just five runs on 16 hits for a 2.00 ERA.
Casey Kemp (Blanchester, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Senior – Mount St. Joseph starting pitcher Casey Kemp was outstanding this week, helping the Lions to a 4-0 record. In her two starts she threw a pair of complete games, getting the win in both. Against Bluffton on Wednesday she allowed only three hits and a single run while striking out 6. Then on Saturday she carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, eventually allowing three hits but no runs, while striking out 7. For the week she threw 13.0 innings, allowed 6 hits, 1 run and struck out 13.
Audrey Theuring (Mason, Ohio) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | First Year – Theuring made four pitching appearances for 9.2 innings pitched throughout the week, allowing just 3 earned runs and striking out 3 batters for a 2.17 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.

TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES AND NEWS REPORTS

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

FULL RECOGNITION APPROVED FOR BOYS VOLLEYBALL, GIRLS WRESTLING

During its annual review of the Member School By-Laws on Monday afternoon, the Board of Directors of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. approved for full recognition the sports of Boys Volleyball and Girls Wrestling beginning next school year (2024-25). The Board of Directors, led by this year’s President Stacy Adams of Valparaiso High School and Vice President Chad Gilbert of Charlestown High School, approved 12 proposals, eight (8) failed to receive enough support, and one other was tabled during the meeting in Indianapolis. All proposals are considered in the order that the rule appears within the current by-laws. The Board of Directors has four options on each proposal: affirm, deny, table or amend a rule. A simple majority is necessary to act on any measure and all approved measures become effective immediately unless otherwise noted. With full recognition, an IHSAA state tournament will now be established for both sports with those details being announced in the coming months. Girls Wrestling will be a winter sport while Boys Volleyball will be played in the spring just as they have in previous years and during the IHSAA’s Emerging Sport Process. The Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association has been administering its state tournament since 1994 while the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association has been conducting a girls wrestling state tournament since 2017. After being added to the Emerging Sport Process in 2022, both have seen significant growth over the last 24 months. Girls Wrestling now touts more than 1,400 individuals representing 177 different schools while Boys Volleyball teams have now climbed to more than 100. They become the latest sports to be fully recognized following Unified Flag Football in 2018 and Unified Track & Field in 2013. Both are co-ed sports as part of the IHSAA’s partnership with Special Olympics Indiana. Prior to those, Boys & Girls Soccer became official IHSAA sports in 1994.

INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL

GAME 5 PREVIEW AT MILWAUKEE

(PACERS PRESS RELEASE)

After reeling off three straight wins, including two at Gainbridge Fieldhouse over the weekend, the Pacers have a chance to close out their best-of-seven first round series with the Bucks in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Milwaukee.

The sixth-seeded Pacers have taken firm control of the series by dictating the tempo over the last three games. In their three victories, the Blue & Gold have averaged 124 points while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from 3-point range.

In a 126-113 victory on Sunday night in Game 4, the Pacers went 22-for-43 (51.2 percent from beyond the arc). Myles Turner — the longest-tenured Pacer — was spectacular in the victory, going 7-for-9 from distance while racking up 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.

The Bucks have played all series playing without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is recovering from a calf injury suffered late in the regular season. Milwaukee also was without All-Star point guard Damian Lillard on Sunday after he reaggravated a lingering Achilles injury in Game 3. All-Star forward Khris Middleton has also been playing with a sprained right ankle.

It remains to be seen who will be available for the Bucks in Game 5. Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo went through a workout on Sunday morning that left him “optimistic” that the star forward could potentially return in the series, while he also said that Lillard could be back as well. Whether that means either will be available for Game 5 remains to be seen.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana’s Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

No matter who goes, the Pacers will face a tough test on Tuesday trying to close out a series in a road environment against a veteran team. Middleton, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton all were members of the Bucks’ 2021 NBA championship team, while Patrick Beverley and Jae Crowder also have extensive playoff experience.

For the young Pacers, winning the series would be a significant milestone. The Blue & Gold have undergone a significant roster rebuild over the past couple seasons, building around All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. This is the first playoff experience for many players on the roster, including Haliburton, but they’ve risen to the moment and are now on the precipice of leading the Pacers into the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in a decade.

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: Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)

Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo – TBA (left soleus strain), Damian Lillard – TBA (right Achilles tendinitis), Chris Livingston – TBA (non-COVID illness)

Last Meeting

April 28, 2024: The Pacers set a franchise playoff record by making 22 3-pointers in a 126-113 win over the Bucks in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers led by three points at halftime, but just a 14-2 run late in the third quarter to open up a 17-point lead. Milwaukee got back within six in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but eight straight points from Myles Turner (including back-to-back threes) pushed Indiana’s lead to double digits, where it remained for the rest of the night.

The Blue & Gold finished the night 22-for-43 (51.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Turner led the charge by going 7-for-9 from distance on his way to 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Turner’s seven threes tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers in a playoff game, joining a list that includes Chuck Person (1991), Reggie Miller (1995, 2000), Paul George (2014), and Bojan Bogdanovic (2018).

Six Pacers scored in double figures in Game 4. Tyrese Haliburton scored 24 points, Andrew Nembhard tallied 15 points and nine assists, while the trio of Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin all tallied 13 points.

Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting and nine rebounds. Khris Middleton added 25 points, 10 boards, and five assists.

Noteworthy

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.
Bucks forward Bobby Portis was ejected at the 5:01 mark in the first quarter of Game 3 after shoving and then slapping Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has 66 career playoff wins, tied with Billy Cunningham for 16th place on the NBA’s all-time list.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: TNT – Announcers TBA
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

Secure playoff tickets by placing a deposit on a 2024-25 season ticket package or get exclusive presale access for future rounds by subscribing to Pacers Insider. Get more details at Pacers.com/Playoffs.

INDIANA FOOTBALL

MINOR ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL

IU CB Kobe Minor surprised many by announcing he will enter the transfer portal according to 247Sports. Minor received All-Big Ten honorable mention honors last year with 29 tackles (20 solo) and four pass breakups.

According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed 18 receptions on 35 targets for 351 yards and one touchdown. He led all IU corners with 615 defensive snaps plays.

INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER

INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER ANNOUNCES 2024 SCHEDULE, SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana men’s soccer head coach Todd Yeagley announced his team’s 2024 schedule on Monday (April 29).

The 18-match regular season slate includes five teams that made the NCAA Tournament, 11 teams that finished top 60 in RPI rankings last fall, an expanded conference schedule and 11 home matches on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

Season tickets are on sale now, and fans can see every regular season home match for a one-time payment of $44 ($4 per match).

“It is going to a be an electric 2024 season,” Yeagley said. “UCLA and Washington bring great pedigree to Big Ten men’s soccer. In addition to our challenging conference slate, we once again take on an exciting and difficult non-conference portion of our schedule.”

IU has welcomed 175,561 fans to The Bill since 2017, the nation’s No. 1 attendance mark in that span. Within that time, the Hoosiers own a 68-6-10 (.869) home record, have won eight Big Ten Championships (five more than next-best school) and have reached the NCAA College Cup four times and the Sweet 16 all seven of those seasons. Last season, a program record 33,973 fans visited Armstrong Stadium as Indiana went 11-1-2 and celebrated both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles on Jerry Yeagley Field.

Indiana owns an all-time home record of 365-71-55 (.799).

“The Hoosier Army and loyal fan base will once again play a key role in our classic home-field advantage at Armstrong Stadium,” Yeagley said. “We can’t wait to get going in August as we pursue championship success this fall.”

Indiana opens its season on the road with a historic matchup featuring the two programs with the most NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championships. Ten-time title-winners Saint Louis will host the eight-time champion Hoosiers August 23 at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis.

IU’s home opener welcomes Notre Dame for a rematch of the 2023 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, decided by penalty shootout, on Thursday, August 29. The Hoosiers will then host another 2023 tourney team in Yale that Sunday, September 1.

Indiana renews its annual meeting with Butler September 4 as the derby returns to Indianapolis. Another tournament team will travel to The Bill on Monday, September 9, as IU welcomes Dayton.

The Hoosiers open Big Ten play on the road at Rutgers on Friday, September 13, before their conference home opener against soccer rival Maryland a week later (Sept. 20). Those two games sandwich a Tuesday (Sept. 17) matchup with in-state foe Evansville.

IU will play consecutive conference contests on the road at Ohio State (Sept. 27) and Wisconsin (Oct. 1) before a three-game homestand. The Hoosiers will welcome Big Ten newcomer Washington on October 4, tourney team Kentucky on October 8 and Penn State on October 11 – the latter a rematch of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament Final.

The Penn State contest is the first of five straight conference contests at the end of October. On October 15, IU will visit Michigan in Ann Arbor before hosting Michigan State that Friday (Oct. 18). The Hoosiers will have one week to prepare for cross-country travel to play Big Ten newcomer UCLA in Los Angeles on October 25. The conference slate closes with a home match against Northwestern on October 29.

The Hoosiers will not play on the final day of the Big Ten regular season (Nov. 3) but will host NCAA Division-III opponent Trine for the fourth-straight year on November 1.

IU has two exhibition matches scheduled in the buildup to the season. The Hoosiers will meet Bowling Green at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, Indiana, on August 13 before traveling to face Louisville August 17. The games mark the first chance to see IU’s 13 newcomers – four transfers and nine freshmen.

SEASON TICKET INFORMATION

Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or by calling the IU athletics ticket office at 1-866-IUSPORTS (487-7678). Adult season ticket packages are $44, and youth ticket packages (ages 3-18) are priced at $22. Each order will also receive 10 priority points in the ‘Other Sports’ category. For more information on the Varsity Club’s Priority Points program, visit here.

Season ticket holders will also receive an exclusive gift from Indiana men’s soccer, redeemable at any home match.

Single-match tickets will go on sale Aug. 2. Indiana University faculty/staff and students receive free admission to home matches with a valid Crimson Card.

Indiana Men’s Soccer Schedule by 2023 RPI

3. Notre Dame* (2)

20. UCLA* (13)

29. Yale*

30. Kentucky*

35. Washington

42. Saint Louis

43. Penn State

46. Northwestern

52. Ohio State

53. Michigan State

54. Michigan

63. Dayton*

66. Wisconsin

96. Rutgers

99. Maryland

109. Butler

113. Evansville

NA. Trine

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

OUMAR BALLO CHOOSES INDIANA

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – IU head coach Mike Woodson announced the addition of transfer Oumar Ballo (EW-mar BALL-oh) to the Indiana men’s basketball program on Monday. Ballo, a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, arrives at Indiana after spending five seasons at Arizona and Gonzaga.

The 7-0, 260-pound center averaged 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in three seasons at Arizona. He shot 64.6% (466-of-721) from the floor and posted 34 double-doubles, third most in Arizona basketball history. He was one of 10 players in program history to accumulate at least 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds. Ballo was twice named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team two times, and voted to a pair of Pac-12 All-Tournament Teams. He was named the 2022-23 Pac-12 Most Improved Player, the 2022 Maui Invitational Most Outstanding Player, and the 2021-22 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year.

Ballo began his career at Gonzaga with a redshirt season in 2019-20 before earning a spot in the rotation for a Bulldog program that finished 31-1, won both the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Championship game. Overall, Ballo has won 84.8% (112-of-132) of the games he has appeared in throughout his career.

Prior to his collegiate career, Ballo was highly successful in the international scene and was tabbed the top international prospect by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony in 2019. He led Mali to its best-ever finish (2nd) at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup, the highest-ever finish by an African team. He was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five after he averaged 17.6 points (7th in the tournament), 11.8 rebounds (1st), and 3.8 blocks (1st) while shooting 52.4% from the floor in five tournament games.

WOODSON ON BALLO

“Oumar is a dominating post presence on both ends of the floor with a winning background. His experience playing at the highest level will elevate our program. He is a big fella with soft touch around the rim, good hands, and solid footwork. He is very physical and is a perfect fit in our system and our league. We are really happy to welcome Oumar and his family to Bloomington.”

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MORTON TO TRANSFER TO CSU

Ethan Morton will take his talents to Colorado State. The former Purdue captain made the announcement on social media. Morton played four seasons at Purdue and started 29 games during his junior season in 2022-23. He is the second Boilermaker senior to find a new home via the portal. Mason Gillis committed to Duke earlier this month.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S TENNIS

IRISH HEAD TO MICHIGAN FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team will see its season continue in Ann Arbor, Michigan as the Fighting Irish have earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Irish finished the regular season at 17-9 and 7-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. After going five seasons without a postseason appearance, this will be the second-consecutive season that the Irish will head to Ann Arbor for the NCAA Tournament.

Joining the Irish at Michigan will be the host Wolverines (26-3), the Xavier Musketeers (19-5) and the Chicago State Cougars (16-12). Michigan and Chicago State will match up on their half of the bracket, with the Irish taking on Xavier on the other. Earlier this season, the Irish took on Xavier at a neutral site, earning a 4-0 win over the Musketeers.

The Irish have earned an Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking of 30 to this point of the season, led by Julia Andreach. Andreach is ranked 22nd nationally in singles play, going 19-1 this spring and 26-3 overall including the fall season. Andreach has also teamed with graduate student Page Freeman for doubles in recent events, as the pairing has earned a 7-4 mark, and a ranking of 44th.

The doubles teams in the latter half of the season have included Carrie Beckman and Akari Matsuno who have also earned a 7-4 mark, 6-4 in the ACC, primarily playing at the No. 2 flight. Nibi Ghosh and Yashna Yellayi have rounded out the doubles teams, playing at No. 3. The pairing has earned a 5-4 record and are 4-3 in ACC play.

After Andreach at the top of the singles lineup, the Irish have been consistent in playing Freeman at No. 2, Bojana Pozder at No. 3, Nibi Ghosh at No. 4 and Akari Matusno at No. 6. Freeman has split time between the top two flights, earning an 8-9 record, going 3-7 in the league. Pozder has had a phenomenal sophomore season, earning an 18-4 mark, and going 10-2 in the ACC. Ghosh has been productive, going 13-7 with a 5-6 mark in league action. Yellayi has earned seven wins at No. 5, four in league play as Matsuno has earned a 12-11 mark, five wins in conference action at No. 6.

There will be live stats and video available for each match with links available on the Notre Dame women’s tennis schedule page.

BUTLER BASEBALL

BULLDOGS TO HOST BILLIKENS TUESDAY AFTERNOON

INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler baseball team will play their fourth-straight game at Bulldog Park on Tuesday afternoon when they host the Saint Louis Billikens at 4 PM. BU defeated Seton Hall on Sunday and will use Tuesday to help prepare for a three-game home series vs. Xavier this weekend.

Scouting Saint Louis

The Billikens are 29-11 overall after winning a series at George Washington over the weekend. SLU has the 20th-best batting average in the nation (.312) and leads the A-10 scoring, slugging percentage, triples, sac flies, fielding percentage and WHIP.

Patrick Clohisy leads the conference with his .399 BA. Clohisy has 59 hits this year including 12 doubles, five triples and seven home runs. He leads the A-10 in runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage He is also a terror on the base paths swiping 24 bags on 25 attempts.

Last Meeting vs. Saint Louis

Butler and Saint Louis will meet on the diamond for the first time since 2017 on Tuesday afternoon. Butler hosted the Billikens in 2017 and secured two wins over a weekend series. They came out on top 6-3 in the opener and won the series with a 6-5 victory in game two. The finale went to the visitors 4-2.

Last Week

Butler went 2-2 last week with wins over Eastern Illinois and Seton Hall. Joey Urban hit .400 in four starts with three doubles and a homer. Billy Wurch and Carter Dorighi each had four RBIs for the ‘Dawgs and Jack Moroknek joined Dorighi with multiple doubles during the week. On the mound, BU got wins from Cole Graverson and Simon Linde. Graverson grinded out 5.2 innings of relief work vs. the Pirates to help BU record a BIG EAST win. Gage Vota had four strikeouts over two innings last week and Grant Brooks matched him with four strikeouts in his three-inning outing.

BIG EAST Standings

UConn 10-2, 25-18

Georgetown 10-4, 29-13

St. John’s 8-4, 27-11-1

Xavier 6-6, 22-22

Creighton 4-7, 30-11

Seton Hall 4-8, 21-23

Villanova 5-10, 14-27

Butler 3-9, 17-25

Parking at Bulldog Park

Fans may park in the Hinkle Fieldhouse parking lot or along the north side of 52nd Street for the game on Tuesday.

Bulldog Bits

– Carter Dorighi was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List last week

– Dorighi ranks 15th in the nation in hits (69)

– Dorighi on is a six-game hitting streak

– The Bulldogs rank third in the conference in hits (410) and home runs (53)

– Butler is now four home runs away from breaking the school record (56 in 1998)

– Jack Moroknek hit his team-high 12th home run of the season on Sunday

– Kade Lewis leads the BIG EAST in slugging percentage (.667)

– Lewis, Dorighi and Moroknek have all topped 100 total bases this season

– Joey Urban is batting .400 in BIG EAST action (12 games)

– Urban has reached base safely in 18-straight games

– Cole Graverson set new season-high totals vs. SHU, throwing 93 pitches over 5.2 innings

– Ben Whiteside was lights out in his last start limiting SHU to just one hit over 3.1 innings

– Coach Beemer needs one more win to reach 30 total at BU

Up Next

Butler’s three-game home series vs. Xavier begins on Friday at 3 PM. That game will stream on FloSports.com.

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BULLDOGS ADD KILYN MCGUFF TO 2024-25 ROSTER

INDIANAPOLIS – Belmont transfer Kilyn McGuff will continue her collegiate career at Butler, joining the women’s basketball program for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign. A 6-0 guard from Columbus Ohio, McGuff started in all 33 games for the Bruins last year. She averaged 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during her junior season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kilyn to our Butler family,” Head Coach Austin Parkinson said. “Kilyn is a veteran wing who is an excellent perimeter defender and can score in a variety of ways. She also rebounds very well from the wing spot which is something we must improve on as a team this season. Having played several times in the postseason, she understands what it takes to be successful. Bulldog fans will love watching how hard she competes at both ends of the floor.”

McGuff is a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection that played some of her best basketball in the postseason last year. She averaged 21 points (63.6 percent shooting), 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the 2024 WBIT, scoring 22 points in a win over Ball State and then 20 in the season finale vs. Penn State.

McGuff averaged 30 minutes of playing time per game last year (second on team) and was one of the best free throw shooters on the roster connecting on 77 percent of her attempts. She notched double-doubles against Lipscomb (14 rebounds, 13 points) and Troy (18 points, 10 rebounds).

Prior to Belmont, McGuff was a Third Team All-State selection that received First Team All-District honors at Bishop Watterson High School.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

BIZJACK RETURNS TO BUTLER

Butler guard Finley Bizjack has had a change of heart and will return to Butler. Bizjack, a 6-4 guard from Texas, announced his decision to return via social media Sunday with the simple phrase, “I’m back.” Bizjack averaged 4.2 points per game and shot 27% from 3 in his first Butler season, earning him Big East All-Freshman team honors.

BALL STATE SOFTBALL

SOFTBALL OPENS PIVOTAL WEEK TUESDAY AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS

» THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE SOFTBALL: It is a pivotal week for the Ball State softball program as it hunts a berth in the 2024 MAC Softball Championship at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio … It starts Tuesday with a 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT doubleheader at Northern Illinois … The Cardinals will then close the regular season with a three-game series at Central Michigan with a Saturday double dip (1 p.m.) and a Sunday single game (Noon).

» WHERE THEY STAND: With five games remaining in the regular season for most league programs, Ball State enters the week just outside a berth into the conference tournament, ranking seventh in the league at 9-11 … Akron is currently the sixth seed, a half-game ahead of the Cardinals at 10-11 … Miami leads the league at 21-1, followed by Ohio (14-8), Western Michigan (14-8), Toledo (12-8) and Central Michigan (11-9) … Northern Illinois is currently ninth at 8-15.

» THE OVERALL RECORD: Ball State enters Tuesday’s doubleheader with a 1170-1167-4 (.501) overall record dating back to 1975 … The Cardinals have tallied 30-or-more wins in 16 seasons, most recently a 37-18 mark in 2021 … Of the 16 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 11 have come in the past 16 years.

» A QUICK LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Led by first-year head coach Helen Peña, the Cardinals own a 22-25 overall record … Ball State maintains a .265 team batting average, led by redshirt junior utility player McKayla Timmons at .388 … Timmons ranks third both in the MAC and nationally with 21 home runs, while ranking fourth in the league and 31st among all NCAA Division I players with 50 RBIs … Sophomore Ashlee Lovett is second on the squad with a .306 average, while graduate third baseman Haley Wynnis third at .300 … Wynn is also second in runs scored (34) and third in both home runs (7) and RBI (22) … In the circle, the Cardinals own a 3.99 ERA led by senior Francys King who boasts an 11-11 record and a 3.54 ERA over 132.2 innings of work … King has also tallied three complete game shutouts this season and 68 strikeouts … Sophomore Bridie Murphy has a .269 average against over 113.2 innings, to go along with an 8-9 record, one save and 67 strikeouts.

» CARDINALS VERSUS THE HUSKIES: While Northern Illinois holds a 52-39 edge in the all-time series, Ball State maintains a 19-18 advantage in DeKalb, including wins in four of the last five games played at Mary M. Bell Field … All four of those wins came via run rule, before NIU rallied to win the latest game on its home field by a score of 13-9 in the second game of an April 6, 2022, twinbill … Last season, the Cardinals took two of three games in Muncie.

» SCOUTING NIU: The Huskies enter Tuesday’s doubleheader with a 17-30 overall record, including an 8-15 mark in MAC play … Last weekend, NIU took two of three games at Bowling Green, capping the series with a 14-4 (6) win in the rubber game … Ellis Erikson leads the NIU offense with a .395 batting average, including team-highs of eight home and 18 doubles … Caitlyn Shumaker leads the team with 28 RBI and is tied with Erickson for the team lead with 31 runs scored, while also being credited with six doubles, three triples and six home runs … Danielle Steward leads the NIU pitching staff with a 2.27 ERA over 114 innings of work, including 109 strikeouts … She has a 9-8 record and a pair of complete game shutouts … Lili Cassell is second on the squad with a 4.17 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 43.2 innings.

BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:

» MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Ball State was picked to finish fourth among 11 teams in the Mid-American Conference’s annual preseason poll … The Cardinals, who finished fourth in the league last season with a 17-12 MAC record, are looking for a second consecutive MAC Softball Championship berth, with the league’s top six teams advancing to Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, for the three-day event which runs May 8-11.

» THE WYNN FACTOR: Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn has taken advantage of her extra year of eligibility, ranking second on the team with 48 hits so far this season … That raises her career total to 229 which is sixth in program history … Wynn has registered at least one hit in 32 of BSU’s first 46 games of the season, including seven home runs to up her career long ball total to 26 which is tied for eighth in program history.

» MORE ON WYNN: Haley Wynn is one of the most prolific batters in program history ranking 20th on Ball State’s career charts with a .327 career average … She is also 13th all-time in slugging percentage (.531) and 17th in on base percentage (.403) … In addition, her 166 career runs scored are third in program history and 37th among all active NCAA Division I players … She also ranks 29th among active DI players with 45 career doubles which is seventh in program history, while her 10 career triples are 43rd among active DI players and tied for 11th at BSU.

» TIMMONS CLIMBING THE CHARTS TOO: After leading the Ball State offense with a .388 batting average, a .892 slugging percentage and a .503 on base percentage through the first 47 games of the season, McKayla Timmons continues her climb up BSU’s career charts … She currently ranks third in program history in slugging percentage (.722), second in on base percentage (.465) and fifth in batting average (.359) … Timmons has blasted a team-leading 21 home runs so far this season, including her first collegiate grand slam at Georgia State (Feb. 24), is also one of the program’s top home run hitters with her 37 career long balls ranking fifth on BSU’s all-time list.

» RBI LEADER: McKayla Timmons enters the week ranked 31st nationally with her 50 RBIs this season … The effort included seven RBIs in the 9-5 (9) win over Georgia State (Feb. 24) and six in the 13-9 victory at Marshall (March 7) … The program record for RBIs in a single game is eight by Stacy Payton versus Oakland on May 4, 2019.

» SHINING BEHIND THE PLATE TOO: In addition to pacing the offense, McKayla Timmons has proven to be one of the nation’s top threats behind the plate and was recently named one of the nation’s best catchers by Softball America, ranking sixth on the April position list … The effort is aided by Timmons throwing out eight of the 29 runners attempting to steal a base on her so far this season.

» BALL STATE’S BEST THIEF: Senior outfielder Remington Ross enters the week as the greatest base thief in program history with a .966 (56-for-58) career stolen base percentage at Ball State … Last season, she went a perfect 23-for-23 in stolen base attempts and ranked second in the MAC and 54th nationally with a 0.47 steals-per-game average … Ross, who is seventh in program history with 56 career stolen bases, had been successful in her previous 36 stolen base attempts before being caught stealing for just the second time in her Ball State career at Georgia State (Feb. 24) … She has stolen seven straight bases since.

» SPEAKING OF STOLEN BASES: Ball State enters the NIU doubleheader ranked second in the league and 24th nationally with 84 stolen bases this season … Haley Wynn and McKayla Timmons lead the squad with 14 apiece, while senior outfielder Kaitlyn Mathews has 12 and Remington Ross has 11 … Overall, 11 different Cardinals have stolen at least one base this season … Ball State’s 84 stolen bases in 2024 are the eighth-most in a season in program history … The program record is 151 set by the 2008 squad.

» A SLAMMING FIRST HIT: Redshirt sophomore Jessica Hoffman had just two career at bats when she stepped up to the plate with bases loaded in the 10-8 win over Fordham (Feb. 11) … She proceeded to blast her first career hit over the fence in right center field for her first career home run and Ball State’s first grand slam since April 6, 2022 … A regular in the lineup since, Hoffman has 34 career hits and is fourth on the team with a .281 average this season … Of her 34 hits, 16 have driven in at least one RBI and she currently ranks second on the squad with 30 RBIs.

» SPEAKING OF SLAMS: Kaitlyn Mathews blasted her first career grand slam in the 13-9 (8) victory at Buffalo (April 6), taking a two-out, 3-2 pitch over the fence in center field … It was Mathews’ first home run of the season and Ball State’s fourth grand slam on the campaign … She would add two more home runs in the Akron series and another at Purdue to raise her career total to eight.

» KING OF THE PEN: Senior Francys King leads the Ball State pitching staff with a 3.54 ERA over 132.2 innings of work … She has earned the victory in 11 of BSU’s 22 wins, including three of the team’s five complete game shutouts … King has 20 career collegiate pitching victories, with 14 coming at Ball State and six coming in her two seasons at Tennessee State (2021-22).

» TRIPLING UP: The Ball State defense owns one of the nation’s seven triple plays this season, turning what was a squeeze bunt attempt into a triple killing in the fifth inning of the 5-4 win over Jacksonville State on Feb. 17 … The bunt was fielded by Haley Wynnat third base, who threw to McKayla Timmons to get the out at first … The play then went to catcher Jazmyne Armendariz to get the runner out trying to advance home, who in turn threw to shortstop Maia Pietrzak to get the final out … It was just the second recorded triple play in program history, with the first coming in 1985.

BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL

MACHADO, NDAVAZOCHEVA AND ROGERS EARNS AVCA HONORS

MUNCIE, Ind. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced today that three Ball State men’s volleyball players earned postseason honors.

Junior outside hitter/opposite Tinaishe Ndavazocheva was tabbed to the AVCA Second Team for the second-straight season while Lucas Machado and Patrick Rogers were named AVCA Honorable Mention.

Ndavazocheva, who recently earned All-MIVA First Team honors, led the Cardinals in kills (327) and points (374.5) this season. Ndavazocheva has turned in a double-digit kill performance 21 times this season including a season best 27-kills against McKendree on April 6 in a five-set thrilling win over the Bearcats in the Cardinals’ MIVA regular season finale. Ndavazocheva earned MIVA Offensive Player of the Week honors on Feb. 27 for the third time in his career.

A true freshman, the Cardinals’ offense cannot operate without its setter Machado who tallied his first MIVA postseason conference honor as he was voted to the All-MIVA Second Team. Machado dished out 812 assists while averaging 9.44 assists per set. Machado dished out a season-best 51 assists twice this season against Purdue Fort Wayne (3/23/24) and Lewis (3/30/24). Machado also led the squad in defensive digs with 140 and is second on the team in total blocks with 51.

In his first year as a Cardinal, Rogers made quite the impact on the Cardinals offense, earning his first All-MIVA First Team postseason honor. Rogers garnered MIVA Offensive Player of the Week accolades on Feb. 20 after he led Ball State to a pair of wins over Purdue Fort Wayne and then-No. 10 Loyola Chicago. The sophomore outside hitter totaled 40 kills in eight sets for a 5.00 average per set while hitting .395 for the week. Against the Mastodons, he had 22 kills in three sets on a blistering .515 hitting clip then followed it up with 18 kills on .302 hitting in five sets against the Ramblers. He added an ace against the Mastodons. Rogers ranks second on the team in kills (269) and first in hitting percentage (.361). He has tallied 14 double-kill performances with a career best 24-kills against Ohio State (3/34/24).

All three players helped the Cardinals win their third-straight Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season title. The Ball state men’s volleyball team finished the season with an overall mark of 21-10 and a 13-3 conference ledger.

BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF

CARDINALS EARN AUTOMATIC BID TO NCAA GOLF REGIONAL; SELECTION SHOW ON WEDNESDAY

MUNCIE, Ind. – Anticipating its first NCAA Regional appearance since an at-large berth in 2013, the Ball State men’s golf team awaits announcement of its regional destination during the NCAA’s Division I Men’s Golf Selection Show on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. ET. The show airs live on Golf Channel.

Ball State earned an automatic bid to this year’s NCAA golf championship by virtue of its first-place finish at last weekend’s Mid-American Conference Championship. The Cardinals will play as one of 27 teams at an NCAA regional site, May 13-15, and 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 will be 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). The six regional sites are below:

The University of Texas Golf Club | Austin, TX (Texas, host)

University Club | Baton Rouge, LA (LSU, host)

UNC Finley Golf Course | Chapel Hill, NC (UNC, host)

The Farms Golf Club | Rancho Santa Fe, CA (San Diego, host)

Stanford Golf Course | Stanford, CA (Stanford, host)

Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex | West Lafayette, IN (Purdue, host)

Nearby Purdue is the only one of six sites whose state is not bordered by an ocean, leaving a realistic thought that Ball State could be sent an hour down the road to play at the site which the Cardinals competed in Purdue’s Fall Invite last October. But a bracketology prediction by college golf writer Brentley Romine forecasts Ball State as a No. 12-seed in a 14-team regional at Chapel Hill, N.C. No matter where the Cardinals are sent in two weeks, it will be their 16th NCAA postseason appearance as a team.

“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 and we look forward to our name being called Wednesday afternoon. From there, we will get back to work preparing to compete wherever they send us.”

For Fleck, it will be 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 lead the 2024 Cardinals who won the MAC last weekend by five strokes over Miami University. Bellar, a fourth-place finisher in the MAC Championships in two straight seasons, and Khan, also tied in fourth, both were named to the MAC’s all-tournament team. With Canadian lefty Braxton Kuntz and freshman Alec Cesare, the Cardinals venture into this year’s NCAA competition without a senior in their lineup and with depth as their calling card. Kuntz’ 71.87 average was Ball State’s best during the month leading into the MAC Championships, and Cesare’s 2-under-par round last Sunday was the Cardinals’ best round on Championship Sunday.

INDIANA STATE BASEBALL

SYCAMORES RANKED IN ALL FIVE POLLS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE WEEK

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State baseball was ranked in all five national Division I polls for the second consecutive week as the various organizations announced their Top 25 rankings on Monday.

Indiana State was ranked in all five major NCAA Division I polls for the second time in the 2024 season this week as the Sycamores were recognized in the D1Baseball (No. 24), Baseball America (No. 24), Perfect Game (No. 14), NCBWA (No. 20) and USA Today (No. 22) polls.

The Sycamores also remained inside the top-10 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) standings sitting at No. 10 overall boasting the No. 25 non-conference strength of schedule and No. 66 overall strength of schedule through 40 games. The Sycamores boast an 20-8 record in road or neutral site games with their 20 wins away from Terre Haute the most in the NCAA Division I through April 29.

Indiana State looks to continue its winning ways after taking two of three this past weekend at Southern Illinois as the Sycamores clinched their 16th consecutive Missouri Valley Conference series win. ISU bounced back after falling in the Friday opener, 3-2, by winning 9-7 and 7-2 over the final two contests to claim the series over the Salukis in Carbondale, Ill.

Indiana State closes out its seven-game road trip on Tuesday night as the Sycamores travel to Big Ten co-leader Illinois to wrap up the home-and-home schedule with the Fighting Illini in the 2024 season. First pitch between the Sycamores and Illinois is set for 7 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend.

SYCAMORES CLOSE OUT ROAD TRIP AT BIG TEN CO-LEADER ILLINOIS ON TUESDAY NIGHT

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes out its seven-game road trip on Tuesday night as the Sycamores travel to Big Ten co-leader Illinois to wrap up the home-and-home schedule with the Fighting Illini in the 2024 season. First pitch between the Sycamores and Illinois is set for 7 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend.

The Sycamores (31-9) head into the midweek looking to continue another strong campaign against Big Ten competition winning five of their six contests against the conference in the 2024 season. Indiana State saw their 10-game winning streak against the Big Ten snapped earlier this month at Indiana but bounced back with a 9-3 midweek win over Purdue back on April 9.

Part of the 10-game winning streak against the Big Ten included an earlier win this season against Illinois (25-15) on March 12 in Indiana State’s 2024 home opener. The Sycamores’ offense exploded for six runs in the game-deciding bottom of the seventh inning to hold off visiting Illinois at Bob Warn Field with the 7-6 win.

The Sycamores sent 11 batters to the plate with the first six reaching base safely and scoring in the decisive frame as Indiana State rallied back against the Illinois bullpen in the contest. Grant Magill provided the first spark of the inning following Josue Urdaneta’s leadoff walk with a two-run home run over the wall in centerfield to cut the Illinois lead down to 6-3.

Randal Diaz connected on a line drive double down the left field line against UI reliever Will Lavin. Following a wild pitch, Dominic Listi brought home Diaz with a soft single to left field cutting the deficit down to 6-4. Luis Hernandez followed with a sharp single back up the middle setting the stage for Mike Sears, and the senior third baseman delivered with his team-leading sixth home run of the season giving ISU the lead for the first time on Tuesday afternoon.

Zach Davidson and Simon Gregersen worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings for the Sycamore bullpen in the game to help ISU secure its third consecutive win in the series against Illinois and seventh consecutive win over the Fighting Illini at Bob Warn Field dating back to the 2006 season.

Luis Hernandez (.365), Dominic Listi (.355), and Randal Diaz (.329) lead an Indiana State offense that his connecting at a .286 clip from the plate in the 2024 season. Parker Stinson (.297), Grant Magill (.287), and Adam Pottinger (.282) have all approached the .300 mark on the year and continue to sit among the every day leader on the team.

Mike Sears (15) paces four different Sycamores to hit double-digit home runs in the 2024 season marking the first time ISU has accomplished the feat since the 1987 season. Luis Hernandez (12), Parker Stinson (11), and Randal Diaz (10) have also hit the mark on the year making the Sycamores one of two teams in the MVC to have four players hit the mark on the year.

The Sycamore pitching staff continues to pace the Valley and sit among the nation’s best with a 4.07 ERA over 347.1 innings pitched on the year. The Indiana State staff has had sixteen different pitchers combine to post a 402:171 strikeout-to-walk ratio while limiting opponents to a .236 batting average on the year.

Scouting the Illinois Fighting Illini

Since falling to 5-10 overall after facing Indiana State in the first meeting, the Fighting Illini have gone on a tear winning 20 of their last 25 contests including sweeping a weekend series two weeks ago against Northwestern to move to the top of the Big Ten standings. Illinois dropped two of three this past weekend at Maryland to sit tied with Purdue in the conference standings with an 11-4 mark on the year.

Illinois Field has been a true home field advantage for UI this season with the Fighting Illini posting a 15-1 mark in Champaign this season. Their lone home loss came back on March 17 in the Sunday contest against Southern Indiana. Since then, Illinois has won 12 consecutive home games including victories over MVC opponents Bradley and Illinois State.

Camden Janik (.379) and Jacob Schroeder (.362) lead six different Illinois players hitting .300 or better on the season as Illinois enters the midweek matchup boasting a .303 team batting average over 40 games played. Schroeder, Drake Westcott, and Ryan Moerman have 12 homers apiece for Illinois on the year to power a team that has connected on 76 homers in the 2024 season.

Fifteen different Illinois pitchers have seen time on the mound in 2024 posting a team 6.02 ERA over 348.1 innings. The Illini have posted a 334:183 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .258 opponent batting average.

Series History

Indiana State has won three in a row and four of the last six contests between the two programs including this season’s win over Illinois at Bob Warn Field. The Sycamores topped the Fighting Illini last season in extra-innings with a 7-3 win in the 10th on March 15, 2023, in posting their first win at Illinois since the 2007 season.

Illinois leads the all-time series 45-40-2 dating back to the inaugural matchup in 1906. The Illini lead the series 28-16-1 overall in Champaign.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

JON DIEDRICH AND MARK FRAZIER NAMED AVCA ALL-AMERICA HONORABLE MENTIONS

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball players Jon Diedrich and Mark Frazier have been named All-America Honorable Mention, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced on Monday (April 29).

This is the second All-America distinction of Diedrich’s career. He was also an All-America Honorable Mention in 2022. Diedrich was the MIVA Offensive Player of the Week three times in his final season with the Mastodons. He averaged 3.74 kills per set with a .292 hitting percentage and a team-high 28 aces. Diedrich’s season was highlighted by a 37-kill performance against No. 12 Ball State, which is the most in a match by any player in the NCAA since 2018. He had three double-digit dig efforts this season and three matches with 20 kills or more.

Frazier earned the All-America honor for the first time in his junior season. Frazier averaged a team-best 3.85 kills per set this season on an efficient .324 hitting percentage. He had 27 aces from the service line and registered a team-high 1.56 digs per set. Frazier had a season-high of 24 kills twice. The first came in a 3-2 win over No. 8 Penn State and the second came in the final weekend of the regular season against No. 14 Lewis. He had four performances with double-digit digs.

This is the first time since 2022 that two Mastodons have earned All-America status.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S SOCCER ANNOUNCES CYANN RETZLOFF SIGNING TO ROUND OUT 2024 CLASS

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team has announced the signing of Cyann Retzloff for 2024. Retzloff rounds out the 10-member 2024 signing class.

“To be able to complete our 2024 class with a player of the quality of Cyann this late in the process is really exciting for our team,” head coach Jason Burr said. “We have a strong group of returning players for this fall and are so thrilled about the group of incoming players that signed for us earlier in the process. Cyann adds another attacking threat with pace for our program and we can’t wait to integrate her in with the rest of her class and the program as a whole. We are very much looking forward to getting back out on the field with all of these talented players soon.”

Retzloff is a forward from Sante, California. She tallied more than 40 goals and 40 assists at her four years at West Hills. Retzloff was awarded the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year with a 2024 Athlete of the Week award. She was named to the 2024 Grossmont Conference Girls Soccer Hills All-League Second Team. During her time with the Wolf Pack, she led the team to become two-time Varsity Grossmont Hills League Champions (2022 and 2023) and Varsity Grossmont Hills League runner-up the other two seasons (2021 and 2024). In 2022, West Hills became the CIF SDS D1 champions and CIF SDS D2 State semifinalist. She played club ball for Rebels SC since 2021, where they were the 2021 Pats Cup Champions and 2021 Rebels Showcase Finalist. Retzloff was on the A/B Honor Roll in all four years, earning the 2021 Alpha+ Award for Physical Education and 2024 Science Full Paw Award. She was also a member of the 2023-24 AVID Club.

Retzloff and her nine fellow newcomers will join the Mastodons for the 2024 season, which kicks off in August.

EVANSVILLE BASEBALL

SHALLENBERGER NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK; BASEBALL HEADS TO SEMO TUESDAY

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second time in the month of April, University of Evansville graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week after slashing an unbelievable .692/1.308/.800 in four games last week for the Purple Aces.

Shallenberger went 9-for-13 on the week overall with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI. He had a pair of games in which he reached base in all five trips to the plate, including going 4-for-4 with two home runs in Sunday’s series finale against Missouri State. Overall, he reached base in 16 of his 20 trips to the plate, and did not go more than two trips to home plate without reaching base.

The monster week helped Shallenberger take over the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference in batting average (.389), slugging percentage (.720), on-base percentage (.535), and OPS (1.255). He also ranks in the nation’s top 75 in all three main categories (average, on-base, and slugging), ranking as high as 12th nationally in on-base percentage at .535. He has reached base safely in 41 of UE’s 43 games this season, and in 57 of his last 59 games overall dating back to last year.

Shallenberger and the Purple Aces will try to wrap up the month of April on a winning note on Tuesday night, as UE will travel southwest to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to battle the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. UE knocked off SEMO, 6-5, in extra innings in Evansville on March 13 thanks to a walk-off RBI single by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert in the 10th inning. Taubert and Shallenberger were a part of a group of five Purple Aces who had multi-hit games that night, as UE pounded out 12 base hits in the win.

UE will bring a 24-19 overall record into Tuesday night’s game. The Purple Aces are 13-3 in the month of April so far. Evansville has won 15 of its last 19 games overall.

SEMO will bring a 22-22 overall record into Tuesday’s game after dropping two of three games to Morehead State over the weekend. Senior infielder Ty Stauss currently leads the Redhawks in batting average at .336 with 12 doubles, a triple and eight home runs. Senior infielder Ben Palmer and junior outfielder Michael Mugan lead the Redhawks in home runs with 12 and 10, respectively, and both homered against Evansville on March 13, with Mugan going a team-best 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI.

Freshman left-hander Kevin Reed (3-1, 8.10 ERA) will get the start on Tuesday night for UE. SEMO has not yet announced a starter for Tuesday night. Tuesday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+.

SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL

USI BATTLES SIU, SIUE THIS WEEK

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — In a battle of the “Southerns,” the University of Southern Indiana Baseball visits Southern Illinois University Tuesday and before hosting Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for an Ohio Valley Conference three-game set this weekend. The Screaming Eagles head over to SIU for a 6 p.m. Tuesday in Carbondale, Illinois, before hosting SIUE Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the USI Baseball Field.

Links to follow the Eagles (19-25, 8-10 OVC) during the 2024 season can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and on the USI Baseball Schedule.

USI Baseball Notes:

USI goes 3-1 last week. The USI Screaming 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 of 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.

USI in the OVC. USI is tied for seventh in the OVC standing (8-10) after winning the series and tiebreaker with EIU. Senior rightfielder 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 rightfielder Ren Tachioka leads the Eagles with a .359 average (28-78), while senior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-high 24 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 rightfielder Ren Tachioka is hitting a team best .383(51-133) in 34 of the 44 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 41 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 .273 on the road (22 games). Senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka is hitting a team-high .420 (21-50) at the USI Baseball Field, but .351 on the road. On the opposite side, junior leftfielder Adam Euler is batting a team-best .355 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 sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus has 16 (12 with 2; 4 with 3). Senior first baseman/designated hitter Tucker Ebest has a team-high 12 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.

SIU in 2024. The Salukis of Southern Illinois University are 25-19 overall in 2024 after losing two of three with Indiana State over the weekend.

USI vs. SIU. The Eagles dropped both sides of a home-and-home series last season. USI lost at home, 16-9, and on the road, 14-3.

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.

UINDY SOFTBALL

SMITH EARNS 14TH GLVC SOFTBALL WEEKLY PITCHER OF THE WEEK AWARD

INDIANAPOLIS – University of Indianapolis senior pitcher Kenzee Smith was named Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) weekly award winner in softball, it was announced by the league office Monday. This is the fourth consecutive week in a row that the senior won the award.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Kenzee Smith, #2 Indianapolis

Sr. | RHP | Indianapolis, Ill.

Major: Nursing

Team Results: 9-2 W (8 inn.), 5-0 W at Thomas More (4/24) | 3-0 W, 8-2 W vs. Quincy (4/25) | 4-1 W, 5-2 W vs. Illinois Springfield (4/28)

Helped UIndy go 6-0 on the week and improve overall record to 50-3

Tossed 22.0 innings in three complete-game starts, allowing just one earned run

Currently holds 0.23 ERA which leads Division II

Earned the win in all three appearances to improve her record to 29-1

Allowed 10 hits and two walks, while punching out 27 batters

Highlighted by seven-inning shutout in first game against the Hawks, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out nine

Earns 14th career Pitcher of the Week Award (4/29/24, 4/22/24, 4/15/24, 4/8/24, 3/18/24, 3/4/24, 2/26/24, 5/1/23, 4/10/23, 2/28/22, 2/21/22, 4/12/21, 3/29/21, 3/22/21)

Last Greyhounds’ Pitcher of the Week: Kenzee Smith (4/22/24)

UINDY WOMEN’S LAX

GREYHOUNDS CLIMB THREE SPOTS IN NATIONAL POLL FOLLOWING GLVC TITLE WIN

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Fresh off its sixth straight conference championship – and fourth consecutive GLVC title – the UIndy women’s lacrosse team climbed three spots in the most recent IWLCA national poll, released Monday morning. The Greyhounds are now 14-5 this season.

The Greyhounds have won all four titles since the league began crowning a champion in 2021. Head coach Peyton Romig has now been a part of three, the first two as a player in 2021 and 2022.

Prior to the GLVC Championship Tournament over the weekend, Olivia Bladon, Megan Dunn, and Amanda Hurry were all named to the All-GLVC First Team. Additionally, Hurry was voted as the league’s Freshman of the Year, marking the third time a Greyhound has been selected for the award.

Several players are etching their name deep into the program record book as the season continues, including Dunn, who sits just eight points away from tying Abigail Lagos’ mark of 118 in 2022. Mackenzie Winn is just behind her teammate with 105 points, which currently ranks fifth all-time in a single season. Bladon, who is on the verge of becoming the first Greyhound in program history to lead her team in goals (63) and draw controls (81), ranks fourth and eighth, respectively. Also in Sunday’s win, freshman Ava Graham became the third Greyhound goalkeeper ever to reach 100 saves in a season and is 12 stops from surpassing Audrey Moran’s 2023 total.

Midwest Region foes Regis (6), Grand Valley State (7), and Maryville (8) all appear just ahead of UIndy.

The poll marks the 83rd consecutive edition in which UIndy has appeared, including its 82nd straight time in the top 15. The complete poll can be found below.

IWCLA DII Poll

RK	SCHOOL (REC)	PTS (FPV)	PREV
1.	Pace (16 – 0)	574 (22)	1
2.	West Chester (15 – 0)	553 (1)	2
3.	Adelphi (14 – 2)	524	3
4.	Tampa (15 – 3)	502	5
5.	Florida Southern (15 – 4)	476	4
6.	Regis (CO) (16 – 1)	456	7
7.	Grand Valley (14 – 1)	445	8
8.	Maryville (17 – 1)	402	6
9.	Flagler (17 – 2)	395	9
10.	Kutztown (13 – 2)	358	10
11.	UIndy (14 – 5)	349	14
12.	East Stroudsburg (10 – 5)	301	11
13.	Lynn (13 – 5)	298	12
14.	Saint Leo (12 – 6)	282	13
15.	Limestone (17 – 1)	239	17
16.	Embry-Riddle (12 – 6)	235	15
17.	Wingate (13 – 5)	198	16
18.	Bentley (9 – 6)	166	18
19.	Assumption (10 – 6)	136	20
20.	Rollins (11 – 6)	131	19
21.	New Haven (9 – 5)	104	22
22.	Saint Anselm (10 – 6)	101	23
23.	Florida Tech (7 – 10)	77	21
24.	Mount Olive (16 – 3)	61	25
25.	Anderson (SC) (15 – 3)	47

UINDY MEN’S LAX

MEN’S LACROSSE DROPS BACK IN LATEST USILA RANKINGS

BALTIMORE – The UIndy men’s lacrosse team slipped three spots to No. 13 in the most recent USILA national poll following a loss over the weekend, announced on Monday.

The Greyhounds dropped a 13-10 decision to Maryville, now ranked 12th, in the regular season finale in St. Louis. KC Carlson made 12 saves between the pipes for the Hounds, while Nick Randgaard led the team with three goals.

The usual suspects of Limestone, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Tampa fill out the top three once again. Other South Region program ahead of the Hounds are Wingate (6), Rollins (9), and Newberry (10). The Greyhounds battle No. 18 Lewis in a GLVC semifinal on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. ET in Romeoville, Ill.

UINDY WOMEN’S GOLF

WOMEN’S GOLF TABBED NO. 2 SEED AT UPCOMING EAST REGIONAL

INDIANAPOLIS – The 2024 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships field was announced Monday, with the Greyhounds earning the No. 2 seed at the upcoming East Regional. UIndy will be one of 15 teams competing at the postseason tournament, set for May 6-8 at Prairie View Golf Club in nearby Carmel, Ind.

Making their 17th consecutive postseason appearance, the Hounds will be gunning for their ninth regional crown since 2012. Last season, UIndy secured the runner-up spot at regionals on the way to a earning a quarterfinal berth at nationals.

Fresh off its GLVC championship performance, UIndy garnered an automatic bid to the regional this year and will be joined by other conference champs Findlay (GMAC champ, 1 seed), Grand Valley State (GLIAC, 3), Gannon (PSAC, 6)., Glenville State (Mountain East, 9) and Franklin Pierce (NE10, 15).

Overall, the championship will feature 48 teams and 24 individuals spread across four regions. All participants will compete through the 54 holes of competition. The top three (Central), five (South), five (West) and five (East) teams along with the top two individuals not on an advancing team will advance to nationals.

The 2024 DII Women’s Golf Championships are set for May 21-25 at Orange County National Golf Center in Orlando, Fla.

MARIAN WOMEN’S GOLF

MARIAN TAKES 36-HOLE LEAD AT CROSSROADS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Columbus, Ind. – The Marian women’s golf team powered through round one and controlled their game through weather conditions in the second round on Monday at the Crossroads League Championships, as the Knights took a 36-hole lead over the nine-team field. Marian holds all five of their golfers in the top-10 in the individual standings, knocking on the door for the individual medalist on Tuesday.

Indiana Wesleyan held the lead after the first 18 holes on Monday, out-scoring Marian by a one stroke. The Wildcats would card a 308 in round one, but managed to just drop one stroke in the second round as they shot a 307. The Knights scored a 309 in the first round, but in the second round managed to drop 11 strokes from their first 18 holes, firing a 298 in the second stage. Marian’s turn of fortune gives them an eight-stroke lead entering the final 18 holes on Tuesday.

Taylor sits in third after two rounds with a +52 score, placing 21 strokes behind Marian and 13 behind Indiana Wesleyan. Huntington holds the fourth spot on the leaderboard, while Bethel completes the top-five. Grace, St. Francis, Spring Arbor, and Mount Vernon Nazarene make up the final order of the remaining four teams entering the final round.

Individually, Hailey Kirkland leads Marian as she sits in a tie for second after two rounds of golf. Kirkland shot a 78 in round one and a 73 in round two, getting into medalist contention as she sits four shots behind the leader Caroline Gibson of Indiana Wesleyan. Sidney Parmer was the individual leader after round one, and fell back into a tie for fifth place with teammate MacKendzie Dresbaugh, as both players are carded a 153 total. Parmer fired a 74 in the first round and 79 in the second, while Dresbaugh shot an 80 in round one and 73 in round two.

Emma Weiler and Keara Eder hold the final spots in the top-10 entering the final round, respectively sitting at eighth and tenth. Weiler shot a 154, shooting a 78 and 76 for her two rounds, while Eder shot a 79 and 76 to total 155.

Marian will tee off at 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday morning as they start the final 18 holes of the tournament. Eder will have the honors as the lead-off for Marian, with Weiler, Dresbaugh, Parmer, and Kirkland to follow.

MARIAN SOFTBALL

SIERRA NORMAN NAMED CROSSROADS LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jackson, Mich. – For the third time in her career, Marian softball senior Sierra Norman has been named the Crossroads League Player of the Week. Norman’s honor comes after a record-setting week, while her performance helped Marian to an outright Crossroads League Championship.

Norman dominated in the final week of the regular season, leading Marian’s offense with a .600 average and 1.100 slugging mark. Norman homered three times in a doubleheader at Taylor with 8 RBI over 2 games, and in total had 13 RBI on the week, becoming Marian’s all-time leader in RBI with one at Mt. Vernon. Norman had 12 hits and drew four walks, recording four multi-hit games.

Marian will be the top-seed in the upcoming Crossroads League Tournament, playing at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.

MARIAN MEN’S GOLF

BRANDON HEFFNER CLAIMS SECOND CROSSROADS LEAGUE GOLFER OF THE WEEK HONOR

Jackson, Mich. – On Monday afternoon, the Crossroads League announced that Brandon Heffner of the Marian men’s golf team has been named the CL Men’s Golfer of the Week. Heffner’s honor is his second this season, and comes after his third tournament win in his senior season last Monday.

Heffner played to medalist honors for RV Marian at the Sagamore Invitational, carding scores of 69 and 73 to pace the field of 62. Marian’s team win was their third of the year, with Heffner winning for the third time. Marian now has five Crossroads League Golfer of the Week honors this season.

Marian will tee off at the Crossroads League Championships next Monday and Tuesday at Chariot’s Run Golf Course.

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 – 17 – 6 – 22 – 33 – 1

April 30, 1922 – Chicago White Sox pitcher Charlie Robertson, threw a perfect game as the White Sox beat Detroit Tigers, 2-0 at Navin Field.

April 30, 1939 – New York Yankees legend, Number 4, Lou Gehrig set an MLB record playing his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the Yankees.

April 30, 1944 – New York Giants great, Mel Ott, Number 4 scored 6 runs in 1 game drawing 5 walks for 4th time

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Football History Headlines from April 30

Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the day came from the May 2, 1921 edition of the Rock Island Argus in Rock Island, Illinois. It read, “Pro Football Heads Seek One Big Association!” Of course they were writing about the April 30, 1921 meeting in Akron, Ohio of the American Professional Football Association.

The Buffalo Evening News printed this headline that same day: “Buffalo Included in Pro Football League! Organization to include 24 cities in Association Effected in Akron”

At the American Professional Football Association meeting in Akron, Ohio on April 30 months before their second season commenced, the Association was reorganized, with Joe Carr of the Columbus Panhandles named as president. Remember that Jim Thorpe had been the president in year one and the group was years away from having a commissioner according to the ProFootballHOF.com. With Carr being named as the head the Association’s headquarters was moved to Columbus, Ohio, and a league constitution and by-laws were drafted, giving teams territorial rights, restricting player movements, and developing membership criteria for the franchises. The league would play under the rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Foot Ball Rules of 1921, and official standings were issued for the first time so that there would be a clear champion. Probably the most significant revisions to the by-laws were that only games played against fellow league teams would count toward the standings. This single change inspired two forms of growth and unity because it both encouraged outside independent teams (such as those from the Ohio League and the NYPFL) to join, but also caused those that did not join to fold within a few years, because NFL teams, particularly those competing for a championship, would be much less willing to play what were effectively exhibition games against teams that would not help them in the standings. Speaking of that…

April 30, 1921 – The first American Professional Football Association Championship which was for the 1920 season was officially awarded to the Akron Pros. The haste of putting together the APFA left may loose ends and when there is wiggle room controversy will soon arise. According to the SBNation.com the APFA founders hadn’t decided how to determine their champion prior to that inaugural season. Games against non-APFA teams were counted to beef-up records, and none of the team managers were shy in proclaiming their rights to the title.

Akron had two wins to its credit against non-AFPA teams. Decatur would finish the season 10-1-2, but with five of its wins coming against non-AFPA teams. Buffalo finished the season 9-1-1, with five of its wins coming against non-AFPA teams. Neither had lost to Akron, but neither had beaten Akron either. And Akron ended up with the most AFPA wins when all was said and done. Even Canton still had eyes for that championship cup but Akron had the best claim to the title, but wouldn’t be given the trophy until this April, 1921 league meeting. By that time, the challenges had cooled off a bit, and other teams from other leagues were even declaring themselves champions.

April 30, 1985 – Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith was the first pick by Buffalo Bills in the 1985 NFL Draft. The great pass rusher found himself in the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he was eligible. Others from this class that have been found worthy of the Gold Jacket according to the Pro Football Reference are Chris Doleman who was selected fourth by Minnesota, wide receiver Jerry Rice who was the 16th overall selection by San Fran and fellow wideout Andre Reed who was taken at the 86th spot by the Bills. The steal of the draft though was the Rams selection of linebacker Kevin Greene with the 5th round 113th pick. A selection that should not go unnoticed was that of Dallas at 114 who selected Herschel Walker a running back that headed for the USFL but when that league folded Dallas had his rights and they parlayed that a few years later to receive multiple players and draft pick for him from the Vikings and the Cowboys used the capitol to become a dynasty in just a few short years thereafter.

April 30, 2015 – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used the 2015 NFL Draft’s number one overall pick to select Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. It is interesting, and surely a sign of what the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap has spawned , that though this draft was only a mere 6 years ago there is only one player in the top ten picks that in 2020 was still with his original franchise that drafted the player. Here is the Pro Football Reference top ten picks from the 2015 NFL Draft.

Pick Tm Player Pos College/Univ

1 TAM Jameis Winston QB Florida St.

2 TEN Marcus Mariota QB Oregon

3 JAX Dante Fowler OLB Florida

4 OAK Amari Cooper WR Alabama

5 WAS Brandon Scherff T Iowa

6 NYJ Leonard Williams DE USC

7 CHI Kevin White WR West Virginia

8 ATL Vic Beasley OLB Clemson

9 NYG Ereck Flowers T Miami (FL)

10 STL Todd Gurley RB Georgia

Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 30

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 April 30 Football History.

April 30, 1887 – Scranton, Pennsylvania – Doc Fenton the great signal caller of Mansfield Normal School from 1904 to 1906 and LSU from 1907 to 1909 arrived into the world. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Doc Fenton into their legendary museum in 1971.

April 30, 1918 – East Boston, Massachusetts – Georgetown University’s tough guard, Augie Lio was born. Augie Lio’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1979.

April 30, 1941 – West Monroe, Louisiana – The LSU Tigers two-way halfback and defensive back from 1960 to 1962, Jerry Stovall celebrated his day of birth. Stovall was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 30

1903 — The New York Highlanders won their home opener at Hilltop Park, 6-2 over Washington.

1919 — Philadelphia’s Joe Oeschger and Brooklyn’s Burleigh Grimes pitched complete games in a 9-9, 20-inning tie. Both teams scored three runs in the 19th inning. Oeschger gave up 22 hits and walked five, while Grimes allowed 15 hits and walked five.

1922 — Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox pitched a 2-0 perfect game against the Detroit Tigers. Johnny Mostil, playing left field for the only time, made two outstanding catches.

1923 — The New York Yankees sign 20-year-old prospect Lou Gehrig to a contract paying him a salary of $2,000 and a bonus of $1,500.

1940 — James “Tex” Carleton of the Brooklyn Dodgers threw a 3-0 no-hitter at Cincinnati.

1944 — In the first game of a doubleheader split, New York first baseman Phil Weintraub drove in 11 runs and player-manager Mel Ott scored six runs as the Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 26-8. Brooklyn won the nightcap 5-4.

1946 — Bob Feller struck out 11 New York Yankees en route to his second of three career no-hitters, a 1-0 victory at Yankee Stadium.

1952 — Ted Williams plays his final game before leaving for military duty in Korea.

1958 —Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox became the 10th major leaguer to reach 1,000 extra-base hits in a 10-4 loss to the Kansas City Athletics at Fenway Park.

1961 — Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hit four home runs and drove in eight runs in a 14-4 victory over the Braves in Milwaukee. Hank Aaron hit two homers for the Braves.

1967 — Steve Barber and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles combined on a no-hitter in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader.

1969 — Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds struck out 13 en route to a 10-0 no-hitter over the Houston Astros, the third of his career.

1986 — The Seattle Mariners strike out 16 more times in a 9 – 4 loss to the Boston Red Sox, to set a major league record of 36 strikeouts in two consecutive games.

1988 — New York and Cincinnati hooked up in a wild game at Riverfront Stadium, with the Mets winning 6-5 on a delayed call by first base umpire Dave Pallone. The call resulted in a $10,000 fine and 30-day suspension of Reds manager Pete Rose when Pallone accidentally poked Rose in the cheek and Rose shoved Pallone twice.

1994 — Toronto’s Joe Carter finished April with 31 RBIs to set a major league record for the month. Colorado’s Andres Galarraga finished with 30 to set a National League record.

1996 — Jeff King of the Pittsburgh Pirates becomes the third major leaguer to hit two home runs in one inning twice in his career.

2000 — Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks defeats the Chicago Cubs, 6-0, as he becomes only the third pitcher in major league history to win six games in April.

2002 — Al Leiter cruised through seven three-hit innings in the New York Mets’ 10-1 rout of Arizona to become the first pitcher to beat all 30 teams in the majors.

2005 — Major league players are asked by Commissioner Bud Selig to agree to a 50-game suspension for the first offense, a 100-game suspension for the second offense and a lifelong ban after the third offense for the use of steroids.

2008 — Julio Franco announces his retirement as a player at age 49.

2012 — Ryan Braun hit three homers and a two-run triple in Milwaukee’s 8-3 win over San Diego. No player had hit three homers and a triple in a game since Fred Lynn in 1975.

2017 — Anthony Rendon had 10 RBIs, three home runs and six hits, powering the Washington Nationals past the New York Mets 23-5. Rendon went a career-best 6 for 6 and scored five times.

2019 — CC Sabathia becomes the 17th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts.

2020 — The latest event to be cancelled due to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic is the annual Little League World Series.

2022 — Clayton Kershaw becomes the Dodgers all-time franchise leader for strikeouts when he fans Spencer Torkelson of the Tigers in the 4th inning. With 2,697 strikeouts, he moves past Hall of Famer Don Sutton.

BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1990 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..

Off the field…

The Hubble Space Telescope was originally due to be launched in 1986, but the explosion
of the Space Shuttle Challenger delayed the launch until April of 1990. The twelve-ton telescope was equipped with a ninety-four inch mirror and was sent into orbit by the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Within two months, a flaw in the mirror was discovered, placing in jeopardy the largest investment ever in astronomy. Three years later, the defect was finally repaired by specialists aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor who restored the telescope to its full optical capabilities.

Microsoft Corporation introduced their new operating system Windows 3.0 which featured a graphical user interface similar to the Macintosh platform from Apple. The PC version of the software was geared towards the novice home user and forever changed the world of personal computers. Some of the new features included the use of a mouse, which allowed the user to navigate the screen with a pointer and manipulate data with one hand.

America’s favorite dysfunctional cartoon family, The Simpsons debuted as a half hour-comedy on the FOX Network. Created by Matt Groening in 1987, the characters of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie were featured as thirty-second spots on The Tracey Ullman Show before going solo in 1990. The controversial series had been repeatedly confirmed by fans and critics to be one of the most humorous and lifelike portraits of the average American family and it received the 1990 and 1991 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program.

In the American League…

The Seattle Mariner’s Randy Johnson tossed the franchise’s first no-hitter with a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. The “Big Unit”, who earned his nickname as the tallest pitcher in Major League history at six feet ten inches, struck out eight batters and walked six with fifty of his pitches clocked at ninety-four miles per hour or above.

As a tribute to days gone by, the Chicago White Sox held a throwback tribute to honor their 1917 World Championship team. The players donned old-fashioned uniforms and the promoters at Comiskey Park scaled all concessions back to World War I prices. The home team went on to lose 12-9 at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers in a thirteen inning nail-biter.

The Minnesota Twins set a Major League record by pulling off two triple plays in the same game, one in the fourth and another in the eighth. Both were started on grounders to third baseman Gary Gaetti who had started five of the Twins’ last six triple efforts. Despite the record, the Red Sox went on to win 1-0. The following day both teams combined to set yet another major league mark for defensive plays when Boston hit into six double plays and Minnesota grounded into four. The previous mark of nine double plays was last accomplished on April 15, 1961.

In the National League…

The National League announced it plans to expand from twelve to fourteen teams for the 1993 season opening the doors for expansion franchises in Denver and Miami. The price of admission into the National League was set at a whopping ninety-five million dollars.

Eddie Murray of the Los Angeles Dodgers homered from both sides of the plate during a 6-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. In doing so he became the first major leaguer to pull the feat in both the National and American Leagues.

Chicago Cubs’ ace Greg Maddux set a Major League record for pitchers when he recorded seven putouts in a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the course of the season he recorded thirty-nine putouts for the year to tie Vic Willis for the National League mark set in 1904. Maddux went on to match it again both in 1991 and 1993.

Around the league…

The Boston Red Sox hired Elaine Weddington as their newest assistant General Manager, making her the highest-ranking black female in the major leagues.

The Major League owners unanimously refused to open Spring Training camps without a new Basic Agreement with the Players’ Association. The standoff resulted in a thirty-two day lockout that postponed the start of the regular season by one week.

Both players and owners eventually reached a collective-bargaining agreement that increased the clubs’ contributions to the players’ pension fund, raised the minimum major league salary to $100,000 and also set a compromise on salary arbitration that left seventeen percent of the players with two and three years experience eligible.

On April 10th, President George Bush Sr. became the first U.S. president to throw out a first pitch on foreign soil after he was invited to the Toronto home opener by the Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. The Blue Jays later went on to beat the Texas Rangers (who were owned by a group led by George Bush Jr.) by a score of 2-1.

HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON ASTROS (BASEBALL ALMANAC)

Since their inception in 1962, the Houston Astros have had a difficult time establishing an identity in the National League, mostly due to their lack of superstar names and a dearth of postseason success — waiting 43 seasons to make it to the World Series where they were swept by the Chicago White Sox. It took them 18 years just to make it to October baseball, and it took them seven trips to the postseason before they finally won a series.

The Astros were born during the National League’s first expansion since the modern 10-team, two-league structure was established in 1901 (the Mets were the other team). A conglomeration of Houston businessmen headed by Judge Roy Hofheinz won the franchise and originally named the team the Colt .45’s.

The Colt .45’s first loaded up against the Chicago Cubs on April 10, 1962, and shot them down 11-2 behind Bobby Schantz. Houston spent its first three seasons playing second-division baseball with manager Harry Craft at Colt Stadium, a new open-air park where fans had to endure the constantly oppressive Texas heat and swarms of mosquitoes.

Two games of note did take place at Colts Stadium — a no-hitter won by Houston hurler Don Nottebart on May 17, 1963, and on April 23, 1964, Houston pitcher Ken Johnson became the first Major League pitcher to lose a complete game no-hitter; two errors, one by Johnson himself, cost him a 1-0 decision to Cincinnati.

HOUSTON ASTROS

In 1965, the team and its fans escaped the mid-summer Texas misery by moving into a new structure originally called the Harris County Domed Stadium, but soon dubbed the Astrodome. The team changed its name in a nod-of-the-head to its new stadium and the burgeoning NASA space center nearby. The Astros inaugurated indoor Major League Baseball with a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on April 12, 1965 (although trivia experts like to point out that the Yankees played the Astros in an exhibition game to open the Dome a few days earlier and Mickey Mantle hit the first home run there).

Four years later the Astros did something they had never done before — finishing at .500. In the 1970’s they began to show improvement, finishing as high as second place in 1978. During this time the Astros featured players such as Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn, a young Joe Morgan, Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson. Their pitching talent included Mike Cuellar, Don Wilson, Larry Dierker, Dave Giusti and Nolan Ryan.

Although his record was only 11-10 with 200 strikeouts, Ryan joined the team in time to celebrate Houston’s first division championship in 1980. Joe Niekro led the staff with 20 wins and the offense was anchored by Cedeno’s .309 average, Jose Cruz’s .302 average and 91 runs batted in, and the return of veteran Morgan, who had been traded away to help fuel the Big Red Machine in the mid-1970s. The Astros lost their first postseason series, a habit they would find hard to break.

The Astros took one of the two half-season championships during the strike-marred 1981 campaign, but would not see the postseason again until its 1986 team blew away National League West competition by 10 games. First baseman Glenn Davis had 101 runs batted in (no one else had more than 79) and the pitching again carried the day with Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott (18-10, 306 strikeouts and 2.22 ERA) leading the starters and Dave Smith leading the bullpen with 33 saves.

The Astros lost a legendary six game National League Championship Series to the Mets, with the last game in Houston one of the great games of all time. The Mets scored three in the ninth to tie the game 3-3, each team scored in the 14th inning, the Mets got three in the top of the 16th and the Astros scored two in the bottom of the inning before their frantic rally came up short.

The arrival of Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio started a new era for the Astros in the 1990’s and brought contender status virtually every year. Bagwell set new standards for Houston sluggers, even while he played in the spacious Astrodome. He had 39 home runs and 116 runs batted in when the strike ended the 1994 season (Houston was a half-game out of first). He became the National League’s third-ever unanimous Most Valuable Player Award choice.

Houston missed the wild card by one game in 1995 and faded in September of 1996, though Bagwell carried his weight with 31 homers and 120 RBI. With new manager Larry Dierker at the helm, the Astros won three consecutive National League Central titles in 1997-99, with a franchise record 102 wins in 1998. Bagwell becoming the team’s first 30-30 man in 1997 (41 home runs and 31 stolen bases) and Biggio getting 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases the next season. But Houston could still not get over the hump in the postseason. They would be swept by Atlanta in 1997, lose in 4 to San Diego in 1998 and lose in 4 to, again, Atlanta in 1999. They would play the final baseball game ever in the Astrodome on October 9th, 1999. They lost to Atlanta 5-7, which put a sour note on the end of the Dome’s 35 years of Astros Baseball.

Houston moved into Enron Field (Minute Maid Park as of 2002), a new, and more hitter-friendly ballpark in 2000, drawing three million fans despite missing a postseason berth. They came back to win the Central Division on the last day of the 2001 season, with Bagwell smashing 30 home runs, driving in 100 and scoring 100 for the sixth consecutive season. However, like every other postseason, the Astros could still not get out of the first round of the playoffs, getting swept by Atlanta again. This would lead to the resignation of manager Dierker. They would finish 2nd in the N.L. Central in 2002 and 2003, finishing 1 game behind the Cubs in ’03.

Houston, led by former Astros Phil Garner, made the playoffs again in 2004, sparked by the acquisition of Roger Clemens, who rescinded his retirement decision so he could pitch for his home town team. Having also signed Andy Pettitte from the Yankees, the Astros rode their veteran pitching to a wild card berth, which they would clinch on the final day of the season. This time they finally grabbed a postseason brass ring, defeating the Atlanta Braves in the first round, only to lose to the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series in seven games.

They continued to hammer away at producing postseason success, and earned their first World Series berth in 2005. The veteran crew hurdled the Atlanta Braves, then tasted sweet revenge against the Cardinals, only to face the Cinderella story Chicago White Sox in the Series who erased 88 years of frustration with a four game sweep.

The retirements of Bagwell in 2005 and Biggio in 2007, and the midseason trades of Lance Berkman to the Yankees and Roy Oswalt to the Phillies in 2010, signaled a changing of the guard for the Astros as they struggled to play .500 ball as the decade ended.

On November 21st, 2010, then owner Drayton McLane Jr. announced he was going to put the Astros Organization up for sale. On November 17th, 2011, Major League Baseball approved the sale of the Astros to Jim Crane for a reported $680 million. Major League Baseball gave him $35 million as compensation for Crane agreeing to move the Astros from the National League to the American League in 2013.

In 2011, the Astros suffered their first 100 loss season in franchise history, losing a total of 106 games. 2012 would mark the beginning of their youth movement with Jose Altuve, Marwin Gonzalez and Dallas Keuchel emerging on to the scene. 2012 was also their last season as a National League club in which they topped their worst record from the previous season with 107 losses. The Astros finished with 3999 wins and 4134 losses as a National League club.

In 2013, they joined in-state rivals the Texas Rangers as they made the move to the American League West Division. They played their first American League game against the Rangers on March 31st and won 8-2. It would turn out to be the 1st of only 2 wins against 17 losses to the Rangers that season. The next game, Yu Darvish would nearly hand the Astros their 2nd Perfect Game against in as many years; they were on the wrong end of one against Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants on June 13th, 2012. Darvish was 1 out away in the ninth with Marwin Gonzalez would single up the middle between Darvish’s legs. They would, one more time, top their worst record as a club when they lost 111 games. The season ended with a franchise worst 15 game losing streak and they finished 45 games out of 1st place in the West.

In 2014, they posted a 19 game increase from the previous year, winning 70 games. In 2015 they finish their first season above .500 in 7 years and made the play-offs for the 1st time in 10 years, when they went to the World Series in 2005. They clinched the 2nd A.L. Wild Card spot on the last day and won the A.L. Wild Card game against the Yankees. They became the 1st team in Major League History to win both N.L. (2004 & ’05) and the A.L. (’15) Wild Card. They would end up losing to the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS in 5 games. In Game 4, they held a 4 run lead with 6 outs to go but the bullpen gave up 7 unanswered runs in the 8th and 9th. Dallas Keuchel would win the Astros 3rd Cy Young Award and Carlos Correa won the Astros 2nd Rookie of the Year. 2016 was riddled with injuries and would finish in 3rd place in the A.L. West, 11 games behind the Rangers.

Back in 2014, Sports Illustrated posted an article, before the season started, naming the Astros as the 2017 World Series Champions based on their use of analytics in putting together the team. They were correct and claimed their first World Series title in the franchise’s fifty-sixth year. George Springer, who was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated article back in 2014, was the World Series MVP.

The article, however, did not predict the dynasty that took place after that – first place finishes in the American League West in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. Two narrow misses, an ALCS loss in 2018 and 2020, but three additional World Series appearances followed, including a 3-4 classic against the Washington Nationals in 2019, a 2-4 loss versus the Atlanta Braves in 2021, and a second world championship in 2022, during one of the most exciting Fall Classic series in baseball history.

BASEBALL GREATS

DON BAYLOR

A durable power hitter, Don Baylor will probably be most noted as the major league record holder for being hit by a pitch. Unafraid to crowd the plate, he was hit a major league-high 28 times in 1987, setting the career record (244) when plunked by Rick Rhoden on June 28. He was fast in the first half of his career, and retired with 285 stolen bases to go with his 338 HR. Known for his leadership as a player, Baylor played for seven first-place teams and made a fine manager after retirement.

Baylor was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1970 while playing for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. He eventually joined the big-league club in 1972, when he played 102 games behind the O’s everyday outfield of Merv Rettenmund, Paul Blair, and Don Buford. By 1974 Baylor was a steady mainstay in Earl Weaver’s outfield, filling an offensive hole that had existed ever since the Orioles traded Frank Robinson to Los Angeles in 1971.

Sent to the A’s before the 1976 season as part of the blockbuster trade which brought Reggie Jackson to the Orioles, Baylor slumped slightly with a .247 average and only 15 homers but stole a career-high 52 bases. Baylor blossomed after signing with the California Angels after the season as a free agent. In 1979 he won MVP honors after hitting .296 with 36 HR and leading the league with 139 RBI and 120 runs scored, leading California to their first AL West title ever.

Baylor’s production dropped after suffering both a broken wrist and dislocated toe in 1980, but by 1982 he had recovered and returned to form, hitting .263 with 24 homers with 80 RBIs. Now a slugger more than a speedster, he was lured to the Yankees (along with fellow free-agent Steve Kemp) by George Steinbrenner’s millions. After three successful but unhappy seasons in New York, he went to the Red Sox in exchange for Mike Easler.

Voted the AL’s top DH in 1985 and 1986, Baylor reached the 2,000-hit plateau the latter year. Although his offensive skills were declining, Baylor remained a top performer in the clutch and as a result reached the World Series three years in a row for three different teams — Boston in 1986, Minnesota (who traded for him halfway through the season) in 1987, and Oakland (where he had signed as a free agent) in 1988.

After retirement, Baylor worked as a hitting coach for the Brewers and Cardinals until he was named manager of the expansion Colorado Rockies for the 1993 season. By the end of the 162-game season Baylor had used 136 lineups, but after ending the season 31-21 his Rockies had won more games than any previous NL expansion team and even finished ahead of the San Diego Padres. By 1995 the Rockies had not only posted a winning record (77-67) but made the postseason as a wildcard team — as a result, Baylor won his first Manager of the Year award. After two straight 83-79 seasons in 1996 and 1997, Baylor’s team held the best five-year record (363-384) of any expansion club in history.

A deteriorating relationship with Rockies GM Bob Gebhard and a disastrous 1998 campaign ended Baylor’s tenure in Colorado, but solid work in Atlanta as the Braves’ hitting coach in 1999 (especially with emerging star Chipper Jones) prompted the Chicago Cubs to hire him as their new skipper for the 2000 season. Baylor, whose reputation for honesty convinced Cubs GM Ed Lynch that he was the right man to replace Jim Riggleman, beat out former Cub Billy Williams for the job and promptly announced that star right fielder Sammy Sosa needed to work on his defense.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

April 30

1922 — Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox pitches a 2-0 perfect game against the Detroit Tigers.

1939 — Lou Gehrig sets a MLB record playing his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the New York Yankees.

1958 — Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits.

1961 — Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits four home runs in a 14-4 victory over the Braves in Milwaukee.

1961 — LPGA Titleholders Championship Women’s Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 5th major title by 1 stroke from Patty Berg & Louise Suggs.

1962 — LPGA Titleholders Championship Women’s Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 8th major title in a playoff with Ruth Jessen.

1971 — The Milwaukee Bucks become the second team to register a four-game sweep in the NBA championship, beating the Baltimore Bullets 118-106.

1975 — Larry O’Brien is named the NBA’s third commissioner, following J. Walter Kennedy (1963-75) and Maurice Podoloff (1946-63). O’Brien holds the position until 1984.

1976 — Muhammad Ali wins a unanimous 15-round decision over Jimmy Young in Landover, Md., to retain his world heavyweight title.

1985 — NFL Draft: Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith first pick by Buffalo Bills.

1987 — NY Islander Mike Bossy plays his final game.

1989 — U.S. beats Costa Rica 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup.

1992 — The Red Wings and Canucks become the ninth and 10th teams in NHL history to rebound from 3-1 deficits to win playoff series. Detroit beats the Minnesota North Stars 5-2 in the Norris Division, while Vancouver defeats the Winnipeg Jets 5-0 in the Smythe Division.

1993 — Top-ranked Monica Seles is stabbed during a changeover in Hamburg, Germany. Guenter Parche, 38, reaches over a courtside railing and knifes Seles in the back. She has an inch-deep slit between her shoulder blades and missed the remainder of the 1993 season.

2005 — James Toney outpoints John Ruiz to win the WBA heavyweight title in New York. Toney, a former champion at three other weights, wins his third heavyweight bout, becoming the third one-time middleweight champion to take boxing’s top crown.

2010 — Tiger Woods matches the worst nine-hole score of his PGA Tour career and winds up with a 7-over 79 to miss the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship. Woods finishes at 9-over 153, the highest 36-hole total of his career. It’s the sixth time in his 14-year career he misses a cut.

2012 — Manchester City defeat Manchester United 1-0 in what is claimed to be the biggest match in the English Premier League’s history.

2014 — Anze Kopitar scores the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and Jonathan Quick makes 39 saves to cap the Los Angeles Kings’ comeback from three games down with a 5-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the first rounds. This is the fourth time an NHL team won a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games.

2015 — For the first time in 51 years, the NFL draft returns to Chicago. Florida State’s Jameis Winston is selected by Tampa Bay as the first selection.

2023 — Seattle Kraken become first NHL franchise to earn its first-ever playoff series win against reigning Stanley Cup champion, eliminating Colorado Avalanche in 7 games.

TV SPORTS TUESDAY

*MLB REGULAR SEASON*	*TIME ET*	TV
*NY Yankees at Baltimore*	*6:35pm*	YES MASN
*St. Louis at Detroit*	*6:40pm*	Bally Sports-Midwest Bally Sports-Detroit
*Colorado at Miami*	*6:40pm*	Rockies.TV Bally Sports-Florida
*Kansas City at Toronto*	*7:07pm*	Bally Sports-Kansas City Sportsnet
*Chi. Cubs at NY Mets*	*7:10pm*	MLBN MARQ SNY
*San Francisco at Boston*	*7:10pm*	MLBN NBC Sports-Bay Area NESN
*Tampa Bay at Milwuakee*	*7:40pm*	Bally Sports-Sun Bally Sports-Wisconsin
*Minnesota at Chi. White Sox*	*7:40pm*	Bally Sports-North NBC Sports-Chicago
*Washington at Texas*	*8:05pm*	MASN2 Bally Sports-Southwest
*Cleveland at Houston*	*8:10pm*	Bally Sports-Great Lakes SCHN
*Philadelphia at LA Angels*	*9:38pm*	NBC Sports-Philadelphia Bally Sports-West
*Atlanta at Seattle*	*9:40pm*	MLBN Bally Sports-South Root Sports
*LA Dodgers at Arizona*	*9:40pm*	MLBN SNLA YurView
*Pittsburgh at Oakland*	*9:40pm*	ATTSN-Pittsburgh NBC Sports-California
*Cincinnati at San Diego*	*9:40pm*	Bally Sports-Ohio Padres.TV
*NBA PLAYOFFS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*First Round Game 5: Indiana at Milwaukee*	–	–
*First Round Game 5: Orlando at Cleveland*	–	–
*First Round Game 5: Philadelphia at New York*	–	–
*First Round Game 5: Phoenix at Minnesota*	–	–
*NHL PLAYOFFS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*First Round Game 5: Toronto at Boston*	*7:00pm*	*ESPN*
*First Round Game 5: NY Islanders at Carolina*	*7:30pm*	*TBS*
*First Round Game 5: Colorado at Winnipeg*	*9:30pm*	*ESPN*
*First Round Game 5: Nashville at Vancouver*	*10:00pm*	*TBS*
*SOCCER*	*TIME ET*	TV
*King Cup: Al Ittihad vs Al Hilal*	*2:00pm*	*FS2*
*UEFA Champions League: Bayern München vs Real Madrid*	*3:00pm*	*Paramount+*
*CONCACAF Champions Cup: Pachuca vs América*	*9:15pm*	*FS1*
*COLLEGE BASEBALL*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Lindenwood vs Missouri*	*7:00pm*	*SECN*
*West Virginia vs Pittsburgh*	*7:00pm*	*ESPNU*
*Sam Houston vs Texas*	*7:30pm*	*LHN*
*UC San Diego vs Arizona State*	*9:30pm*	*PAC12N*
*TENNIS*	*TIME ET*	TV
*Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: ATP Round of 16, WTA Quarterfinals*	*5:00am*	*TENNIS*
*Mutua Madrid Open Tennis: ATP Round of 16, WTA Quarterfinals*	*1:00pm*	*TENNIS*