“THE SCOREBOARD”
CENTRAL INDIANA BASEBALL SCORES
COVINGTON 8 DANVILLE 5
SHENANDOAH 13 MONROE CENTRAL 0
MONROVIA 2 CASCADE 1
HAGERSTOWN 13 TRI 0
DALEVILLE 5 WES DEL 1
GREENCASTLE 1 CLOVERDALE 0
MUNCIE BURRIS 19 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 6
GREENSBURG 10 HAUSER 4
BEECH GROVE 6 RITTER 2
DELTA 5 NEW CASTLE 4
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 6 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 4
EASTERN HANCOCK 7 BLUE RIVER 2
WHITELAND 9 FRANKLIN 7
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 18 CHRISTEL HOUSE 0
RICHMOND 11 ANDERSON 1
INDIANAPOLIS KINGS 7 INDY GENESIS 6
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 10 TIPTON 0
PIKE 7 WARREN CENTRAL 6
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 6 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 3
INDIANA DEAF 18 HERRON 4
BEN DAVIS 13 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 12
NORTHEASTERN 6 KNIGHTSTOWN 4
PURDUE POLY 9 PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 2
ANDERSON PREP 8 SETON CATHOLIC 3
SECEINA 9 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 5
GREENWOOD 12 DECATUR CENTRAL 2
GUERIN CATHOLIC 5 BREBEUF 2
CONNERSVILLE 1 UNION COUNTY 0
MARTINSVILLE 6 PLAINFIELD 4
ZIONSVILLE 12 LAFAYETTE JEFF 2
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 3 YORKTOWN 2
SHELBYVILLE 5 PENDLETON HEIGHTS 3
MOORESVILLE 10 PERRY MERIDIAN 2
AVON 6 SOUTHPORT 3
SILVER CREEK 8 COLUMBUS EAST 7
COLUMBUS NORTH 15 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 4
NEW PALESTINE 5 MOUNT VERNON 1
CENTER GROVE 6 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 4
CRAWFORDSVILLE 13 TRI WEST 2
STATE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/baseball/scores/?date=4/16/2024
CENTRAL INDIANA SOFTBALL SCORES
SHELBYVILLE 11 CONNERSVILLE 1
NEW CASTLE 11 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 1
EASTBROOK 3 SOUTHWOOD 2
GIBSON SOUTHERN 12 SOUTHRIDGE 2
DALEVILLE 15 WES DEL 5
SHENANDOAH 10 MONROE CENTRAL 0
CARMEL 15 N. CENTRAL 5
UNION COUNTY 3 UNION CITY 0
GREENSBURG 9 N. DECATUR 0
GREENCASTLE 6 CLOVERDALE 5
HERRON 7 CHRISTEL HOUSE 6
SHORTRIDGE 21 RIVERSIDE 14
DANVILLE 12 N. MONTGOMERY 2
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 22 RITTER 6
NEW PALESTINE 11 YORKTOWN 2
BEECH GROVE 11 MONROVIA 0
EMINENCE 14 INDIANA DEAF 0
TRITON CENTRAL 10 SCECINA 8
LAWRENCEBURG 8 BATESVILLE 0
EASTERN HANCOCK 15 COWAN 2
TRI-WEST 18 CRAWFORDSVILLE 0
COLUMBUS NORTH 8 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 6
LAPEL 4 MISSISSINEWA 2
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 12 TIPTON 5
CLAY CITY 10 RIVERTON PARKE 2
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 9 ANDERSON 1
FRANKTON 13 MOUNT VERNON 3
CASCADE 10 SPEEDWAY 0
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 15 GUERIN CATHOLIC 6
BEN DAVIS 12 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 2
PARK TUDOR 14 HORIZON CHRISTIAN 6
TRI 5 CENTERVILLE 2
NOBLESVILLE 10 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 1
GREENWOOD 3 DECATUR CENTRAL 1
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 7 AVON 4
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 13 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 2
MOORESVILLE 17 PERRY MERIDIAN 0
ZIONSVILLE 1 BROWNSBURG 0
PLAINFIELD 5 MARTINSVILLE 4
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 14 DELTA 0
FISHERS 1 WESTFIELD 0
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 9 MADISON GRANT 3
STATE SCOREBOARD: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/softball/scores/?date=4/16/2024
INDIANA TRACK RESULTS: https://in.milesplit.com/results
INDIANA GIRLS TENNIS
TRI-WEST 3 NORTH MONTGOMERY 2
NEW CASTLE 5 PENDLETON HEIGHTS 0
INDIANA BOYS GOLF
FRANKTON 161 MADISON GRANT 180
NBA PLAYOFFS
LA LAKERS 110 NEW ORLEANS 106
SACRAMENTO 118 GOLDEN STATE 94
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
- 7/8 GAME: MIAMI VS. PHILADELPHIA; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 (7 ET, ESPN)
- 9/10 GAME: ATLANTA VS. CHICAGO; WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
GAME 1: TBD VS. CELTICS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21
*WINNER OF GAME BETWEEN LOSER OF 7/8 GAME AND WINNER OF 9/10 GAME
GAME 1: TBD VS. KNICKS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20
*WINNER OF 7/8 GAME
GAME 1: PACERS VS. BUCKS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21
GAME 1: CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC; SATURDAY, APRIL 20
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS. (8) SACRAMENTO
GAME 1: TBD VS. THUNDER; SUNDAY, APRIL 21
*WINNER OF GAME BETWEEN LOSER OF 7/8 GAME AND WINNER OF 9/10 GAME
(2) DENVER VS. (7) LA LAKERS
GAME 1: TBD VS. NUGGETS; SATURDAY, APRIL 20
*WINNER OF 7/8 GAME
GAME 1: SUNS VS. TIMBERWOLVES; SATURDAY, APRIL 20
(4) LA CLIPPERS VS. (5) DALLAS
GAME 1: MAVERICKS VS. CLIPPERS; SUNDAY, APRIL 21
NHL SCOREBOARD
COLUMBUS 6 CAROLINA 3
DETROIT 5 MONTRÉAL 4
OTTAWA 3 BOSTON 1
WASHINGTON 2 PHILADELPHIA 1
FLORIDA 5 TORONTO 2
WINNIPEG 4 SEATTLE 3
VEGAS 3 CHICAGO 1
VANCOUVER 4 CALGARY 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
DETROIT 4 TEXAS 2
BALTIMORE 11 MINNESOTA 3
PHILADELPHIA 5 COLORADO 0
MIAMI 6 SAN FRANCISCO 3
TAMPA BAY 7 LA ANGELS 6 (13)
TORONTO 5 NY YANKEES 4
CLEVELAND 10 BOSTON 7 (11)
NY METS 3 PITTSBURGH 1
SAN DIEGO 6 MILWAUKEE 3
ATLANTA 6 HOUSTON 2
ARIZONA 12 CHICAGO CUBS 11 (10)
ST. LOUIS 3 OAKLAND 2
SEATTLE 3 CINCINNATI 1
LA DODGERS 6 WASHINGTON 2
KANSAS CITY AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX POSTPONED
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 10 ST. PAUL 6
BELOIT 11 SOUTH BEND 5
DAYTON 4 FT. WAYNE 1
UFL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
STANDINGS: https://www.theufl.com/standings
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
STANDINGS: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings/2024/conference#season=2024&live=true
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NOTRE DAME 7 VALPARAISO 6
BUTLER 16 EASTERN MICHIGAN 10
RUTGERS 19 MONMOUTH 4
MARYLAND 11 DELAWARE 10
PURDUE 13 BALL STATE 3
EVANSVILLE 5 INDIANA 4
KENT STATE 10 PENN STATE 3
OHIO STATE 14 WRIGHT STATE 13
MICHIGAN 6 TOLEDO 4
CREIGHTON 6 NEBRASKA 4
NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT MINNESOTA CANCELED
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE AT ILLINOIS CANCELED
WESTERN KENTUCKY 2 SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 11 CLEARY 1
BOWLING GREEN 12 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 9
DAYTON 20 AKRON 6
WESTERN MICHIGAN 12 GOSHEN 2
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
INDIANA 5 NOTRE DAME 3
RUTGERS 10 LONG ISLAND 2
NORTHWESTERN 4 ILLINOIS 1
OHIO STATE 16 PENN STATE 8
OHIO STATE 2 PENN STATE 1
MICHIGAN 5 MICHIGAN STATE 1
IOWA AT IOWA STATE POSTPONED
AKRON 7 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
WESTERN MICHIGAN 2 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 0
TOLEDO 7 OHIO 0
WESTERN MICHIGAN 2 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 9 BOWLING GREEN 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 8 BOWLING GREEN 7
KENT STATE 6 BUFFALO 1
OHIO 3 TOLEDO 0
MIAMI OHIO 8 BALL STATE 3
MIAMI OHIO 4 BALL STATE 2
BUFFALO 2 KENT STATE 1
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
NBA NEWS
THE KINGS ELIMINATE THE WARRIORS FROM PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT WITH 118-94 WIN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Keegan Murray scored 32 points, De’Aaron Fox added 24 and the Sacramento Kings stayed alive in the play-in tournament, eliminating the Golden State Warriors with a 118-94 victory on Tuesday night.
Sacramento advanced to play at New Orleans on Friday night with a chance to return to the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference after snapping an NBA record 16-year playoff drought last season.
The Kings avenged a Game 7 loss at home to Golden State in last year’s first round by playing cleaner and being quicker to loose balls against the older Warriors in what was one of the most consequential wins for the franchise in two decades.
The loss kept Golden State out of the playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons, including two eliminations in the play-in tournament. The Warriors committed 16 turnovers, gave up 15 offensive rebounds and way too many open 3-pointers, looking nothing like the dynastic team that won four titles from 2015-22.
Klay Thompson missed all 10 shots from the field and Stephen Curry didn’t get nearly enough help. Curry finished with 22 points but was hounded for much of the game by Keon Ellis.
The undrafted Ellis, who was on a two-way contract until February, added 15 points to go with his strong defense. Harrison Barnes scored 17 and Domantas Sabonis had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento.
The meeting between the Northern California rivals separated by less than 100 miles was a rematch of last year’s series won by Golden State. Curry scored 50 points in the seventh game.
The crowd was loud from the start even if the energy didn’t quite reach the level of last year’s matchup, when Sacramento fans celebrated the end of the record-long playoff drought.
Murray hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and the Kings built their lead to 16 points in the second quarter before the Warriors rallied behind their bench to cut the deficit to 54-50 at the half.
Golden State got within one early in the third quarter before Sacramento responded with a 19-5 win keyed by a pair of 3-pointers from Ellis to build the lead back to 15 points.
The Kings were never threatened in the fourth quarter, leading to cheers to “Light the beam!” over the final few minutes.
UP NEXT
Kings: Sacramento went 0-5 in the regular season against New Orleans and hasn’t gone winless in six or more games against the same opponent in a season since going 0-8 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983-84 regular season and playoffs.
LEBRON JAMES AND THE LAKERS BEAT PELICANS IN PLAY-IN, EARN A PLAYOFF REMATCH WITH THE NUGGETS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — LeBron James, Anthony Davis and their supporting cast have the Los Angeles Lakers looking like a tougher out in the playoffs than they appeared to be just a few weeks earlier.
The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, find themselves on the brink of elimination and wondering about the health of star power forward Zion Williamson, whose dominant NBA postseason debut was cut short by an injury in the final minutes of a tight game.
James had 23 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament on Tuesday night.
“Tonight we showcased what we were able to do both offensively and defensively,” said James, whose team enters the playoffs having won 12 of 15 games. “We’ve got a good group going right now, good rotation, good plan and guys are coming in ready to go.”
Williamson had 40 points and 11 rebounds. But shortly after tying the game at 95 on a driving layup with 3:19 to go, Williamson went to the locker room, throwing a towel to the floor in disgust as he walked into the tunnel with an apparent injury.
After the game, Pelicans coach Willie Green said Williamson had “left leg soreness.”
“He’s going to have some imaging on it tomorrow and we’ll figure out more,” Green said.
Soon after Williamson went out, James hit a jumper, Davis dunked Austin Reaves’ alley-oop lob, DeAngelo Russell hit a 3 and Davis grabbed a crucial offensive rebound, after which he hit two free throws to help the Lakers hold on.
The Pelicans “threw some heavy blows at us,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “They kept swinging. We kept fighting back.
“It revealed a lot about us and what we’re made of,” he added.
Davis finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Russell scored 21, hitting five times from deep. James was 10 of 10 on free throws and Davis 8 of 10.
The Lakers advance to face defending champion Denver in the first round in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals, a sweep by the Nuggets. Game 1 is Saturday night.
The Pelicans will host Sacramento on Friday, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the West. The Kings eliminated Golden State in the later play-in game on Wednesday night.
“Obviously a tough loss for us,” said Green, whose team could have secured the sixth seed in the playoffs on Sunday but lost at home to the Lakers, 124-108, setting up the rematch in the play-in. “We’ve got to feel this one tonight and regroup and get ready for another one.”
Williamson, Green said, was “fantastic.”
“He settled into the game. He just continued to attack. He found seams. He rebounded the ball. He played fast,” Green continued. “(If) we have him for a few more minutes, maybe we have a chance to pull this thing out.”
The Lakers went 14 of 35 from 3-point range. The Pelicans hit 9 of 29 from deep and Williamson didn’t get a lot of help from the Pelicans’ usual high scorers. Brandon Ingram — in his second game back from a 12-game absence because of a knee injury — missed 8 of 12 shots and finished with 11 points after spending the final few minutes on the bench.
“I just like the group that was on the floor at that time,” Green said. “BI is still getting back, he’s still finding his rhythm. So, I didn’t want to force the issue.”
CJ McCollum missed 11 of 15 shots and scored nine points.
Trey Murphy III scored 12, hitting two 3s from beyond 28 feet in the second half to help New Orleans come back from an 18-point second-half deficit to tie it.
The Lakers led 75-57 after Rui Hachimura’s layup in the third quarter. But New Orleans got back in the game by outscoring Los Angeles 19-8 during the final 5:31 of the period.
Williamson sparked the surge with a pair of layups. Murphy pulled up for a 31-foot 3-pointer in the final minute of the quarter and Williamson’s free throw made it 83-76 at the end of the period.
The Pelicans finally tied it when Williamson slammed down Jose Alvarado’s alley-oop lob in transition to make it 93-all with 3:53 to go.
Looking to redeem themselves for a lackluster loss to the Lakers on Sunday, the Pelicans put together a promising opening quarter and took a 34-28 lead on Herb Jones’ 3.
Los Angeles surged into the lead by outscoring New Orleans 34-16 in the second quarter, leading by as many as 14 after James, who had 15 first-half points, hit two free throws to make it 58-44.
In the final seconds of the half, Williamson sprinted nearly the length of the court on the dribble for a floating layup at the horn that made it 60-50.
BLAKE GRIFFIN RETIRES AFTER HIGH-FLYING NBA CAREER THAT INCLUDED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, ALL-STAR HONORS
Blake Griffin announced his retirement Tuesday after a 14-year career that included six All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honors and a dunk contest victory.
Griffin said in a social media post that he’s “thankful for every single moment” of his career. He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers out of Oklahoma in 2009. He missed his first season with a knee injury, but rebounded to earn Rookie of the Year honors in 2011, when he won the All-Star Game dunk contest.
Alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, Griffin’s high-flying plays rejuvenated the Clippers franchise and earned it the nickname “Lob City.” He was traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2018 season as his ability to soar dwindled and injuries piled up.
Griffin was able to reinvent his game in Detroit with a reliable 3-point shot and was selected for his sixth All-Star Game in the 2018-19 season. He averaged 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds that season.
Griffin, 35, also had stints in Brooklyn and Boston. He did not play in the 2023-24 season.
He averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in his career. He finished third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James in the 2013-14 season.
“I’m thankful for every single moment — not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates and coaches,” Griffin said in his Instagram post, thanking his family and agent, Sam Goldfeder. “I am equally thankful for the not-so-good moments: the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn’t be sports retirement letter without acknowledging the ‘haters.’
REPORT: BUCKS EXPECT GIANNIS TO MISS START OF PACERS SERIES
The Milwaukee Bucks anticipate that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined for the start of their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers due to his calf strain, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The team is reportedly hopeful the two-time MVP will be able to return later in the series.
Antetokounmpo is reportedly receiving consistent treatment and has not played since going down with a non-contact injury on April 9 against the Boston Celtics. He missed the team’s final three games of the regular season, in which the Bucks went 1-2. Milwaukee went 4-5 in nine games without the forward in 2023-24.
The first-round series against Indiana opens with Game 1 on Sunday, but no other dates have been determined. The Pacers present a difficult matchup for the Bucks; Indiana went 4-1 against Milwaukee during the regular season – the only team to defeat the Bucks four times this year.
USA BASKETBALL FILLS THE 12 AVAILABLE SLOTS FOR THE PARIS OLYMPICS ROSTER, AP SOURCES SAY
LeBron James plans to go back to the Olympics. Stephen Curry is planning on going for the first time. Kevin Durant will go there with his eye on history.
And they’re just part of a star-studded roster the Americans have assembled for the Paris Games.
USA Basketball has gotten confirmations from 12 players — James, Curry, Durant, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard — that they will accept invitations to be on the Olympic roster, three people with knowledge of the decisions said. That group includes seven previous gold medalists.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because it was believed USA Basketball was planning to release the names on Wednesday, which marks 100 days remaining before the Paris Games. Leonard — a finalist for each of the last two Olympic teams — was the last piece of the roster puzzle to be finalized, one of the people said.
The amount of talent on the U.S. roster is staggering. Of the 12 commits, seven finished the season ranked among the NBA’s top 15 scorers per game. James is the league’s all-time scoring leader, Curry the all-time leader in 3-pointers, Haliburton won the assist-per-game title this season and 10 were All-Stars this season as well.
Players around the NBA have been told of the decisions USA Basketball made over the past several days, one of the people said. USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill has led the task of assembling the roster for the past several months, and the plan all along was to put together the team well in advance of training camp starting at Las Vegas in early July. Tryouts were never part of the plan for this team.
Durant has said since last year that he plans to play, which means he will pursue becoming the first men’s player in Olympic history with four basketball gold medals. He and Carmelo Anthony are the only men’s players with three Olympic golds; there are six women, all American, with at least four Olympic basketball golds. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each have five, while Teresa Edwards, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles and Lisa Leslie each won four.
James will seek a fourth medal, after winning bronze in 2004 and golds in 2008 and 2012. The other past gold medalists on the roster are Davis (2012), Adebayo (2020), Booker (2020), Tatum (2020) and Holiday (2020). The 2020 gold medals were won in 2021, since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a one-year delay of the Tokyo Games.
Curry will play in the Olympics for the first time, as will Embiid — who chose to play for the U.S. last year after becoming an American citizen. The Cameroon-born center also could have chosen to represent France at the Paris Games.
The other first-time Olympians on the current roster are Haliburton and Edwards, both of whom played for the U.S. team that finished fourth at the World Cup in Manila last year.
Many of the commitments are not surprises: Durant and Curry said in October that they wanted to play this summer, Adebayo said then that he had already committed to the team, and it’s been assumed for some time that if players like James want to play, then all they have to do is say so.
The U.S. men have competed in basketball at the Olympics 19 times, winning 19 medals — 16 gold, one silver and two bronze.
The Paris team will be coached by Steve Kerr, assisted by Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue and Mark Few. It’s still possible that the roster changes before the summer, if injuries or deep runs in the NBA playoffs force players to change their minds about committing to the national team.
BASEBALL NEWS
WHITEY HERZOG, HALL OF FAME MANAGER WHO LED ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TO 3 PENNANTS, DIES AT 92
NEW YORK (AP) — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. He was 92.
Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team had been informed of his death by Herzog’s family. The team did not immediately have additional details about Herzog, who had been at Busch Stadium on April 4 for the Cardinals’ home opener.
“Whitey Herzog devoted his lifetime to the game he loved, excelling as a leader on and off the field,” Jane Forbes Clark, chair of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors, said in a statement. “Whitey always brought the best out of every player he managed with a forthright style that won him respect throughout the game.”
A crew-cut, pot-bellied tobacco chewer who had no patience for the “buddy-buddy” school of management, Herzog joined the Cardinals in 1980 and helped end the team’s decade-plus pennant drought by adapting it to the artificial surface and distant fences of Busch Memorial Stadium. A typical Cardinals victory under Herzog was a low-scoring, 1-run game, sealed in the final innings by a “bullpen by committee,” relievers who might be replaced after a single pitch, or temporarily shifted to the outfield, then brought back to the mound.
The Cardinals had power hitters in George Hendrick and Jack Clark, but they mostly relied on the speed and resourcefulness of switch-hitters Vince Coleman and Willie McGee, the acrobatic fielding of shortstop and future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and the effective pitching of starters such as John Tudor and Danny Cox and relievers Todd Worrell, Ken Dayley and Jeff Lahti. For the ’82 champions, Herzog didn’t bother rotating relievers, but simply brought in future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to finish the job.
“They (the media) seemed to think there was something wrong with the way we played baseball, with speed and defense and line-drive hitters,” Herzog wrote in his memoir “White Rat: A Life in Baseball,” published in 1987. “They called it ‘Whiteyball’ and said it couldn’t last.”
Under Herzog, the Cards won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987, and the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. Herzog managed the Kansas City Royals to division titles in 1976-78, but they lost each time in the league championship to the New York Yankees.
Overall, Herzog was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling a record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985 and voted into the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2010, his plaque noting his “stern, yet good-natured style,” and his emphasis on speed, pitching and defense. Just before he formally entered the Hall, the Cardinals retired his uniform number, 24.
When asked about the secrets of managing, he would reply a sense of humor and a good bullpen.
Herzog is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mary Lou Herzog; their three children, Debra, David and Jim, and their spouses; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog was born in New Athens, Illinois, a blue-collar community that would shape him long after he left. He excelled in baseball and basketball and was open to skipping the occasional class to take in a Cardinals game. Signed up by the Yankees, he was a center fielder who discovered that he had competition from a prospect born just weeks before him, Mickey Mantle.
Herzog never played for the Yankees, but he did get to know manager Casey Stengel, another master shuffler of players who became a key influence. The light-haired Herzog was named “The White Rat” because of his resemblance to Yankees pitcher Bob “The White Rat” Kuzava.
Like so many successful managers, Herzog was a mediocre player, batting just .257 over eight seasons and playing several positions. His best year was with Baltimore in 1961, when he hit .291. He also played for the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers, with whom he ended his playing career, in 1963.
“Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it,” he liked to say.
After working as a scout and coach, Herzog was hired in 1967 by the New York Mets as director of player development, with Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan among the future stars he helped bring along. The Mets liked him well enough to designate him the successor to Gil Hodges, but when the manager died suddenly in 1972 the job went to Yogi Berra. Herzog instead debuted with the Texas Rangers the following season, finishing just 47-91 before being replaced by Billy Martin. He managed the Angels for a few games in 1974 and joined the Royals the following season, his time with Kansas City peaking in 1977 when the team finished 102-60.
Many players spoke warmly of Herzog, but he didn’t hesitate to rid his teams of those he no longer wanted, dumping such Cardinals stars as outfielder Lonnie Smith and starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar. One trade worked out brilliantly: Before the 1982 season, he exchanged .300 hitting shortstop Garry Templeton, whom Herzog had chastised for not hustling, for the Padres’ light-hitting Ozzie Smith, now widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop in history. Another deal was less far successful: Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez, with whom Herzog had feuded, to the Mets in the middle of 1983 for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez led New York to the World Series title in 1986, while Allen and Ownbey were soon forgotten.
Herzog was just as tough on himself, resigning in the middle of 1990 because he was “embarrassed” by the team’s 33-47 record. He served as a consultant and general manager for the Angels in the early ‘90s and briefly considered managing the Red Sox before the 1997 season.
If the ’82 championship was the highlight of his career, his greatest blow was the ’85 series. The Cardinals were up 3 games to 2 against his former team, the Royals, and in Game 6 led 1-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, with Worrell brought in to finish the job.
Jorge Orta led off and grounded a 0-2 pitch between the mound and first base. In one of the most famous blown calls in baseball history, he was ruled safe by umpire Don Denkinger, even though replays showed first baseman Jack Clark’s toss to Worrell was in time. The Cardinals never recovered. Kansas City rallied for two runs to tie the series and crushed the Cards 11-0 in Game 7.
“No, I’m not bitter at Denkinger,” Herzog told the AP years later. “He’s a good guy, he knows he made a mistake, and he’s a human being. It happened at an inopportune time but I do think they ought to have instant replay in the playoffs and World Series.”
As if testing Herzog’s humor, the Hall inducted him alongside an umpire, Doug Harvey.
“I don’t know why he should get in,” Herzog joked at the time. “Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire.”
RANGERS CALLING UP RHP JACK LEITER FOR THURSDAY DEBUT
The Texas Rangers are calling up right-hander Jack Leiter to make his major league debut on Thursday.
Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, is scheduled to start the series finale against the Tigers in Detroit.
Leiter is 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in three games (two starts) this season at Triple-A Round Rock.
He is the son of left-hander Al Leiter, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series winner who pitched in the majors for 19 seasons (1987-2005) with the New York Yankees and Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and then-Florida Marlins. Al Leiter retired with 162 wins and 1,974 strikeouts.
His uncle is Mark Leiter, a right-hander who spent 11 seasons in the majors with eight teams from 1990-2001. And his cousin is Mark Leiter Jr., who is part of the Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff.
Jack Leiter, who turns 24 on Sunday, currently is ranked as the Rangers’ No. 8 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.
MLB ROUNDUP: AMED ROSARIO RALLIES RAYS OVER ANGELS IN 13
Amed Rosario’s two-out infield single scored Richie Palacios from third base in the bottom of the 13th inning Tuesday, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in St. Petersburg, Fla.
An RBI single by Zach Neto in the top of the 13th gave the Angels a 6-5 lead, but the Rays scored twice in the bottom of the inning with two-out hits to earn the win.
Garrett Cleavinger (3-0), the last of eight Rays who pitched in the game, got the win over Carson Fulmer (0-1), one of seven Angels pitchers.
Los Angeles’ Jose Caballero hit a two-run triple with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings.
Dodgers 6, Nationals 2
Mookie Betts had his third career five-hit game, Enrique Hernandez hit his first home run of the season and Los Angeles beat visiting Washington.
Betts drove in two runs, Austin Barnes added his first RBI and right-hander Kyle Hurt went two scoreless innings in his first career start as the Dodgers’ opener.
Jesse Winker hit a two-run home run for the Nationals, while left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-3) gave up five runs over 6 1/3 innings. He has allowed at least four runs in each of his first four starts.
Padres 6, Brewers 3
Ha-Seong Kim hit a three-run homer and Dylan Cease allowed one run over six innings to pace visiting San Diego over Milwaukee.
Cease (2-1) allowed just two hits and struck out seven, but he walked five in a 110-pitch outing. Fernando Tatis Jr. went 3-for-4 and scored twice, and Jurickson Profar also scored twice. The Padres jumped on Wade Miley (0-1) for four runs in the first after loading the bases with no outs. Manny Machado hit an RBI groundout and Kim followed with his third homer.
Jake Bauers hit an RBI double, and William Contreras drove in two runs for Milwaukee. Miley allowed four runs — three earned — on four hits, walking two and striking out two.
Braves 6, Astros 2
Reynaldo Lopez produced his second consecutive scoreless start, Orlando Arcia homered and Atlanta defeated host Houston.
Lopez (2-0) retired the final seven batters he faced while twirling six shutout frames. Kyle Tucker homered in the ninth inning to break up the Braves’ shutout bid and the Astros added a run, prompting Atlanta to bring in Raisel Iglesias. The closer got the final out for his fourth save.
Arcia finished with two hits, two runs and two RBIs, and Luis Guillorme and Chadwick Tromp each knocked in two runs for the Braves, too.
Mets 3, Pirates 1
Joey Wendle and Jeff McNeil each had an RBI double in the seventh inning as host New York mounted another comeback to beat Pittsburgh.
It was the second straight comeback win for the Mets, who trailed 3-0 in the sixth inning of a 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Monday night. New York has overcome deficits in six of its wins and has won nine of 12 since an 0-5 start. The Pirates have lost five of their past seven.
Mets starter Jose Quintana allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings. The Pirates scored their lone run against Quintana in the fifth, when Alika Williams doubled with one out and scored on Bryan Reynolds’ two-out, check-swing single.
Blue Jays 5, Yankees 4
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi struck out nine in six innings as Toronto defeated visiting New York.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a two-run single while going 2-for-3 with two walks for the Blue Jays, who have won four in a row. Kikuchi yielded one run, four hits and one walk.
Jose Trevino drove in three runs for the Yankees, who have lost three straight for the first time this season. Carlos Rodon (1-1) allowed three runs, five hits and four walks in four innings. He fanned five.
Diamondbacks 12, Cubs 11 (10 innings)
Pinch hitter Randal Grichuk delivered a walk-off double in the 10th inning to give Arizona a wild win against Chicago in Phoenix.
Arizona’s Ketel Marte had four hits, including a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth, and scored three runs. Blaze Alexander had two hits and three RBIs for the Diamondbacks, who lost the opener of the three-game series 3-2 in 11 innings on Monday.
Chicago’s Ian Happ had three hits, including a grand slam in the seventh inning, and Nico Hoerner had four hits and scored two runs. Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks went 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked three.
Phillies 5, Rockies 0
Ranger Suarez tossed a shutout as host Philadelphia defeated Colorado.
Suarez (3-0) allowed seven hits, with eight strikeouts and one walk. It was the second career shutout for Suarez, who threw a career-high 112 pitches. Bryce Harper homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Phillies. J.T. Realmuto added a two-run home run and Trea Turner doubled and scored two runs.
Ryan McMahon had two hits for the struggling Rockies, who lost for the fourth straight game. Austin Gomber (0-1) gave up five hits and three runs (one earned), with four strikeouts and no walks, in 5 1/3 innings.
Mariners 3, Reds 1
Logan Gilbert pitched 6 2/3 strong innings to earn his first victory of the season as Seattle topped visiting Cincinnati for the second day in a row.
Julio Rodriguez had two hits to move his batting average past .200 and threw out the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz at third base to potentially prevent a big inning as the Mariners matched their season-long winning streak at two.
Gilbert (1-0) allowed one run on three hits. The right-hander walked one and struck out six. Reds starter Hunter Greene didn’t factor into the decision, leaving after four innings and 98 pitches. The right-hander gave up a run on four hits, walked three and fanned eight.
Tigers 4, Rangers 2
Gio Urshela’s two-out single knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and host Detroit defeated Texas.
Tigers starter Casey Mize, making his first home start since April 9, 2022, held Texas to two runs and five hits in six innings with six strikeouts. Andrew Chafin (1-0) struck out three of the four batters he faced and Jason Foley escaped a ninth-inning jam for his fifth save.
Rangers starter Jon Gray gave up two runs (one earned) and three hits in six innings, striking out seven. Ezequiel Duran scored and knocked in a run.
Orioles 11, Twins 3
Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Ryan O’Hearn all smashed two-run home runs as Baltimore beat visiting Minnesota.
Henderson finished with three hits and three RBIs and Colton Cowser knocked in two runs as the Orioles stretched their winning streak to three games.
Starter Grayson Rodriguez worked six strong innings for Baltimore, which will go for a sweep of the three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. Rodriguez (3-0) struck out six and walked three, giving up two runs on four hits. Twins starter Chris Paddack (0-1) was rocked for nine runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and fanned two.
Marlins 6, Giants 3
Luis Arraez hit a two-run single and a double as Miami beat visiting San Francisco.
Marlins starter Ryan Weathers (2-1) allowed two runs and fanned a career-high 10 over six innings. He exited before throwing a pitch in the seventh inning due to cramping in his pitching hand. Tanner Scott stranded two baserunners in the ninth inning for his second save.
Matt Chapman hit a solo homer among his two hits for the Giants, who struck out 13 times. The teams will play the rubber game of a three-game series on Wednesday.
Guardians 10, Red Sox 7 (11 innings)
Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 11th inning and Estevan Florial followed with a two-run single as Cleveland earned a road victory over Boston.
The Guardians scored a run in the ninth to force extra innings, and then each team added a run in the 10th. The decisive hits in the 11th came against Josh Winckowski (1-1). Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase (1-0) pitched the 10th and was credited with the win.
Boston received solo home runs from Enmanuel Valdez and Triston Casas plus a two-run homer from Connor Wong. Tyler Freeman hit a solo home run for the Guardians.
Cardinals 3, A’s 2
Lance Lynn combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker hit consecutive sacrifice flies in a go-ahead sixth inning, and St. Louis made it two in a row over host Oakland.
Lynn (1-0) worked seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned). JoJo Romero threw a hitless eighth before Ryan Helsley tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save in two nights.
Kyle McCann had two hits, including his first career homer, for the A’s. Dany Jimenez (1-1) took the loss after JP Sears tossed five innings of one-run ball.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
MICHIGAN GETS 3 YEARS OF PROBATION FOR FOOTBALL RECRUITING VIOLATIONS; CASE VS. JIM HARBAUGH PENDING
Michigan was given three years of probation, fined and hit with recruiting limits by the NCAA on Tuesday after football coaches and staff had impermissible contact with recruits and players under coach Jim Harbaugh while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCAA said it had reached a negotiated resolution with the school that has been approved by the committee on infractions involving five former and current coaches and staffers, but it did not include allegations that Harbaugh failed to cooperate with investigators. That is now a separate case.
“We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward. We have no additional information and cannot comment further on other aspects of the NCAA’s inquiries,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in statement.
The recruiting case is also separate from the NCAA’s investigation into impermissible in-person scouting and sign stealing that roiled Michigan’s national championship season in 2023, and resulted in a three-game suspension of Harbaugh by the Big Ten.
After leading Michigan to its first national championship since 1997, Harbaugh left his alma mater earlier this year to become coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
The NCAA did not name Harbaugh in Tuesday’s announcement.
“The negotiated resolution also involved the school’s agreement that the underlying violations demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation and the former football head coach failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation,” the NCAA said. “The school also agreed that it failed to deter and detect the impermissible recruiting contacts and did not ensure that the football program adhered to rules for noncoaching staff members.”
The committee said a final decision, including potential violations and penalties for the former coach, was pending.
TRANSFER ROUNDUP: COLORADO CB CORMANI MCCLAIN ENTERS PORTAL
Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain, a former five-star high school recruit, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
Tuesday was the first day of the spring transfer window. The portal will remain open for players to enter until April 30.
McClain appeared in nine games for the Buffaloes in 2023, Deion Sanders’ first season as Colorado’s coach. McClain started four games and finished the season with 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
He was the No. 1 cornerback in the Class of 2023, per the 247Sports composite rankings.
–Miami lost leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. and backup quarterback Jacurri Brown to the portal.
Parrish gained 625 yards on the ground and scored six touchdowns for the Hurricanes in 2023. Across four seasons with Ole Miss (2020-21) and Miami (2022-23), Parrish amassed 2,057 rushing yards, 56 receptions for 384 yards and 17 total touchdowns (15 rushing).
Brown has seen action in nine games over the past two seasons at Miami. He was likely to rank behind Emory Williams and incoming transfers Cam Ward and Reese Poffenbarger on the QB depth chart.
–Oregon State running back Damien Martinez is officially in the portal, with On3 reporting that he will visit Miami, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arizona.
It was reported last week that Martinez intended to enter the portal. He was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team by rushing for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns on 194 carries in 12 games last season for an average of 6.1 yards per carry. He recorded six 100-yard games on the ground, with a high of 146 against Stanford.
In two seasons with the Beavers, Martinez had 2,167 rushing yards and 16 TDs on 355 carries in 25 games.
–True freshman offensive lineman Jason Zandamela is looking to transfer from Southern California, 247Sports reported.
Zandamela was the No. 4 interior offensive line prospect in the Class of 2024, per the 247Sports composite. He is a native of Mozambique who played rugby before moving to the United States.
–Kadyn Proctor is back in the portal with a “do not contact” label, multiple reports said, indicating the offensive lineman plans to return to Alabama.
Once a five-star offensive tackle prospect in the Class of 2023, Proctor — a native of Des Moines, Iowa — originally committed to Iowa before flipping to Alabama. After spending his freshman season with the Crimson Tide, he entered the portal following coach Nick Saban’s decision to retire.
Proctor committed to Iowa during the previous transfer window but announced on March 19 that he would not be staying with the Hawkeyes’ program and would re-enter the portal in the spring.
–Former four-star quarterback recruit Tad Hudson plans to transfer out of North Carolina, On3 reported.
Hudson did not see the field as a true freshman in Chapel Hill while backing up Drake Maye, a likely first-round pick in this month’s NFL draft.
NFL: AP MOCK DRAFT
1. Chicago Bears: CALEB WILLIAMS, QUARTERBACK, USC
Williams is the consensus No. 1 pick. The Bears already traded away Justin Fields, their 2021 first-round pick, and now finally may have a long-term answer at the most important position.
2. Washington Commanders: JAYDEN DANIELS, QUARTERBACK, LSU
The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is an ideal fit for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who had some success with dual-threat QB Kyler Murray in Arizona.
3. Minnesota Vikings (mock trade with New England): DRAKE MAYE, QUARTERBACK, NORTH CAROLINA
Despite signing Sam Darnold to a $10 million, one-year deal after losing Kirk Cousins to Atlanta, the Vikings are looking for a franchise QB. They send picks Nos. 11 and 23 plus a 2025 first-rounder to New England for No. 3 and 2025 third and sixth-rounders.
Maye won’t have to start right away but could replace Darnold after a handful of games.
4. Buffalo Bills (mock trade with Arizona): MARVIN HARRISON JR., WIDE RECEIVER, OHIO STATE
Harrison, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, was the best WR on the field last season. His stock has slipped some because he skipped offseason workouts but his tape is enough. The Bills are under pressure to win a Super Bowl and need a No. 1 wideout after trading Stefon Diggs. This blockbuster deal sends pick No. 28, a second-rounder (60), a fourth (128), a fifth (160) and a 2025 first and second to Arizona for No. 4 and a 2025 fourth.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: MALIK NABERS, WIDE RECEIVER, LSU
New Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh loves offensive linemen but Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are gone. Justin Herbert needs playmakers. Nabers gives them a physical receiver with elite ball skills and explosive route-running ability. He caught 89 balls for 1,569 yards and 14 TDs last season.
6. New York Giants: ROME ODUNZE, WIDE RECEIVER, WASHINGTON
Odunze has size, speed and skills to be elite. He had 92 catches for 1,640 yards, 13 TDs in 2023. The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018.
7. Tennessee Titans: JOE ALT, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, NOTRE DAME
The 6-9, 321-pound Alt is an athletic, versatile player widely considered the best blocker in a strong draft class. His father, John Alt, was a two-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Kansas City. The Titans need to protect Will Levis after allowing an AFC-high 64 sacks last season.
8. New England Patriots (mock trade with Atlanta): J.J. MCCARTHY, QUARTERBACK, MICHIGAN
After trading down from No. 3, the Patriots move up to add the Michigan quarterback, hoping McCarthy can have just a fraction of the success former Wolverines QB Tom Brady had in New England.
Despite playing in a run-heavy offense, McCarthy’s stock has been on the rise after leading Michigan to a national championship. He’s a winner who brings plenty of intangibles along with a strong arm. With veteran Jacoby Brissett back in New England, McCarthy won’t have to start immediately.
To get No. 8, the Patriots send No. 11 and a second-rounder (34) to Atlanta and get back a third (74) and fifth (143).
9. Chicago Bears: DALLAS TURNER, EDGE, ALABAMA
The Bears turn to defense after taking Williams first and get the best pass rusher in the draft. Turner is an athletic edge rusher with size, speed and burst to get after playmaking QBs.
10. New York Jets: BROCK BOWERS, TIGHT END, GEORGIA
After addressing the offensive line in free agency, the Jets give Aaron Rodgers another playmaker by selecting the best tight end in the draft. Bowers has the versatility to line up anywhere and he’s a reliable blocker.
11. Atlanta Falcons (mock trade with New England via Minnesota): QUINYON MITCHELL, CORNERBACK, TOLEDO
Mitchell ran a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at the combine and gives Atlanta a potential shutdown cornerback after the Falcons bolstered the offense in free agency, adding Cousins and WR Darnell Mooney.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (mock trade with Denver): J.C. LATHAM, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, ALABAMA
Latham is an athletic, powerful right tackle who can play the left side. He can slide into the right guard spot and eventually replace Lane Johnson at right tackle. The Eagles value offensive line strength and general manager Howie Roseman is known for being aggressive. They send No. 22, a second-rounder (50) and a sixth (210) for this pick and a fifth (136).
13. Las Vegas Raiders: TERRION ARNOLD, CORNERBACK, ALABAMA
Arnold is an exceptional cover guy tough enough to be an asset against the run and has excellent ball skills. The Raiders already made a splash on defense in free agency, signing DT Christian Wilkins.
14. New Orleans Saints: OLUMUYIWA FASHANU, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, PENN STATE
The 6-6, 321-pound Fashanu is already an elite pass blocker on the right side. He didn’t allow a sack in college.
15. Indianapolis Colts: NATE WIGGINS, CORNERBACK, CLEMSON
Wiggins has elite speed, he’s versatile and is a playmaker. He bolsters a pass defense that finished middle of the pack.
16. Seattle Seahawks: LAIATU LATU, EDGE, UCLA
Latu was the best defensive end in college last season, earning both the Lombardi and Ted Hendricks awards. He’ll give the Seahawks a pass rusher with game-changing skills.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: JARED VERSE, EDGE, FLORIDA STATE
Verse has the skills to be an elite pass rusher for a team that finished 25th in the league in sacks.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: BYRON MURPHY, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, TEXAS
The Bengals bolster the interior of their defensive line by putting the powerful Murphy in the middle.
19. Los Angeles Rams: JER’ZHAN NEWTON, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, ILLINOIS
Newton is a disruptive interior defender who brings a physical presence in the middle of the line along with outstanding ability to get to the quarterback. He’d help replace future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, who retired.
20. Dallas Cowboys (mock trade with Pittsburgh): TALIESE FUAGA, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, OREGON STATE
The massive Fuaga, 6-6, 324, excels in pass protection and is a people-mover as a run blocker. He can play either tackle spot and the Cowboys lost two starting offensive linemen in free agency. Dallas sends No. 24, a third (87) and sixth (216) for this pick, a sixth (178) and 2025 fourth.
21. Miami Dolphins: CHOP ROBINSON, EDGE, PENN STATE
Robinson is a freakish athlete and three-down player who upgrades a defense that lost top edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips to serious injuries last season.
22. Kansas City Chiefs (mock trade with Denver via Philadelphia: BRIAN THOMAS JR., WIDE RECEIVER, LSU
Thomas had 1,177 yards receiving on 68 catches and ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine. The Chiefs added Marquis “Hollywood” Brown in free agency and have won two Super Bowls since trading Tyreek Hill but can’t pass up a potential superstar.
They send No. 32, a third-rounder (95) and a 2025 third to the Broncos, who move down again.
23. New England Patriots (mock trade with Minnesota): ADONAI MITCHELL, WIDE RECEIVER, TEXAS
The 6-3 burner ran a 4.34-second 40 at the combine and gives the Patriots a true No. 1.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (mock trade with Dallas): TROY FAUTANU, OFFENSIVE LINEMAN, WASHINGTON
A versatile linemen who can play tackle or fill a need at guard.
25. Green Bay Packers: GRAHAM BARTON, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, DUKE
Barton is a versatile pass protector who can play tackle or guard.
26. Carolina Panthers (mock trade with Tampa Bay): JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON, OFFENSIVE LINEMAN, OREGON
Powers-Johnson is the consensus No. 1 center/interior offensive lineman in the draft. The Panthers send the first pick in the second round (33), a fourth (96) and fifth (141) to slide up seven spots.
27. Arizona Cardinals: TROY FRANKLIN, WIDE RECEIVER, OREGON
Franklin has elite speed and gives the Cardinals a playmaker to stretch the field.
28. Arizona Cardinals (mock trade with Buffalo): AMARIUS MIMS, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, GEORGIA
The Cardinals get a combine superstar in Mims, who has outstanding speed for a giant (6-7, 340) of a man and slots in immediately at right tackle.
29. Detroit Lions: KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, CORNERBACK, ALABAMA
He’s a tough, physical cornerback with speed and quickness to bolster the secondary.
30. Denver Broncos (mock trade with Baltimore): MICHAEL PENIX JR., QUARTERBACK, WASHINGTON
After trading down twice to add draft capital, the Broncos move up and snag their quarterback. Penix said the Broncos were hard on him in their combine meeting, highlighting his bad plays. Playing for Sean Payton won’t get any easier for the talented southpaw QB. Denver sends No. 32, a fifth-rounder (136) and 2025 sixth to move up two spots.
31. San Francisco 49ers: TYLER GUYTON, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, OKLAHOMA
Guyton is a mammoth (6-8, 322) tackle versatile enough to play either side. Can start on the right side and eventually move over to replace Trent Williams.
32. Baltimore Ravens (mock trade with Denver): JORDAN MORGAN, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, ARIZONA
Morgan is a versatile lineman who played tackle but can move to guard.
2024 NFL DRAFT: TOP 100
Top 100 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft generated via consensus of Field Level Media draft analysts.
Rank Pos Name School
1. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
2. WR Malik Nabers, LSU
3. QB Caleb Williams, USC
4. QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
5. QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
6. OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
7. WR Rome Odunze, Washington
8. DE Jared Verse, Florida State
9. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
10. OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
11. OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama
12. CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
13. CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
14. DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
15. OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
16. WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
17. CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
18. DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
19. DT Darius Robinson, Missouri
20. DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan
21. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
22. CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
23. OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
24. OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
25. OLB Chop Robinson, Penn State
26. C Graham Barton, Duke
27. OT JC Latham, Alabama
28. OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
29. QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
30. ILB Cedric Gray, North Carolina
31. OT Troy Fautanu, Washington
32. DT Byron Murphy II, Texas
33. WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
34. OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
35. ILB Payton Wilson, NC State
36. OG Christian Haynes, Connecticut
37. CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
38. DE Adisa Isaac, Penn State
39. WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
40. WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina
41. DE Austin Booker, Kansas
42. S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
43. OLB Junior Colson, Michigan
44. QB Bo Nix, Oregon
45. DT Maason Smith, LSU
46. DT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
47. C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
48. S Kamren Kinchens, Miami
49. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
50. WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
51. ILB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
52. WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
53. OG Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
54. CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
55. CB Kalen King, Penn State
56. RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
57. ILB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
58. RB Jonathon Brooks, Texas
59. RB Will Shipley, Clemson
60. C Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
61. DE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
62. S Calen Bullock, USC
63. OLB Chris Braswell, Alabama
64. RB Trey Benson, Florida State
65. S Javon Bullard, Georgia
66. DE Braiden McGregor, Michigan
67. C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
68. CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
69. WR Roman Wilson, Michigan
70. WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
71. OG Isaiah Adams, Illinois
72. DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
73. DT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
74. RB Blake Corum, Michigan
75. CB Khyree Jackson, Oregon
76. S Jaden Hicks, Washington State
77. S Cole Bishop, Utah
78. WR Devontez Walker, North Carolina
79. WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
80. DE Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
81. OLB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
82. OG Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
83. TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
84. RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
85. DE Bralen Trice, Washington
86. TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
87. OT Delmar Glaze, Maryland
88. CB T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
89. TE Cade Stover, Ohio State
90. CB Josh Newton, TCU
91. OG Brandon Coleman, TCU
92. S Beau Brade, Maryland
93. S James Williams, Miami
94. DT Braden Fiske, Florida State
95. RB Jase McClellan, Alabama
96. TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State
97. RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC
98. TE Jared Wiley, TCU
99. ILB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
100. ILB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
REPORT: BYU HIRING SUNS ASSISTANT YOUNG AS NEXT HEAD COACH
BYU is set to hire Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young to be its next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Young will succeed Mark Pope, who left earlier this month after five years in Utah to replace John Calipari at Kentucky.
The 42-year-old Young is a native of Salt Lake City – a one-hour drive from the BYU campus in Provo – and considered one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in basketball. He joined the Suns in October 2020 when he assumed a significant role on Monty Williams’ staff but remained with the franchise after the organization fired Williams. In June, he was rewarded with a new contract by the team that made him the best-paid assistant coach in the NBA.
Phoenix will retain Young for its pending playoff run, which begins Saturday on the road against the 56-win Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he will simultaneously begin putting together a coaching staff to focus on recruiting for the Cougars.
Prior to joining the Suns, Young worked four seasons as an assistant on the Philadelphia 76ers. He also spent multiple campaigns as a head coach in the G League with affiliates of the Minnesota Timberwolves (Iowa Energy) and the 76ers (Utah Flash and Delaware 87ers).
Young has frequently been mentioned as a strong candidate for several NBA coaching jobs, including the Suns, who considered promoting him after Williams’ departure. He was most recently linked to the Brooklyn Nets’ vacancy and was reportedly among three finalists before the franchise opted for Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, who also currently helms Canada’s senior national men’s squad.
ARIZONA’S CALEB LOVE TO TEST DRAFT, MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY
Arizona guard Caleb Love plans to test interest from the NBA during the pre-draft process without forfeiting his final year of college eligibility.
Love spent last season at Arizona and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a third-team All-American. He played his first three seasons at North Carolina.
“First and foremost, I’m filled with gratitude for such an amazing experience to play at the University of Arizona,” Love said in a social media post. “I thank God for allowing me to be in the position I’m in today. I want to thank my family for their unwavering support every step of the way. I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Coach Tommy Lloyd and the entire U of A coaching staff for embracing me and giving me this remarkable opportunity to become a Wildcat. I’m forever grateful! To my teammates, I’m thankful we were on this journey together. You all are my brothers for life. I’ve taken some much-needed time with my family to think about what’s next for me and I’ve decided to enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. Thank you, Wildcat Nation and Arizona community, for showing me so much love. You all will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Love, 22, has one year of eligibility remaining due to COVID-19 rules that afford an extra year to student-athletes in college during the pandemic. He was a McDonald’s High School All-American out of St. Louis and was with the Tar Heels during coach Roy Williams’ final season in Chapel Hill.
Love averaged a team-high 18.7 points in his only season with the Wildcats but went through multiple shooting slumps. He finished the year with a career-best 41.3 shooting percentage, but at 6-foot-3 is likely to be in for a transition to point guard in the NBA.
He is a career 37.5 percent shooter and averaged 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 137 games (132 starts).
FORMER VIRGINIA WALK-ON RYAN DUNN ENTERS NBA DRAFT
Former Virginia walk-on Ryan Dunn took the next step in his remarkable rise Tuesday by entering the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-8 sophomore guard is ranked No. 31 on ESPN’s top-100 prospects list heading into the June 26-27 draft.
Dunn originally committed to the Cavaliers without a scholarship, then averaged just 12.9 minutes per game off the bench as a freshman.
He broke out in 2023-24, however, averaging 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals in 34 games (all starts).
“I want to thank Coach (Tony) Bennett, as well as the entire coaching staff for believing in me and taking a chance on me,” Dunn posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. “To my teammates, suiting up with you guys has been something that I will cherish forever, you will always be my brothers.”
Dunn grabbed scouts’ attention this season with his outstanding athletic ability and 7-foot-2 wingspan. He scored in double figures 11 times and recorded five double-doubles.
TRANSFER ROUNDUP: INDIANA LANDS ARIZONA C OUMAR BALLO
Oumar Ballo, who averaged a double-double last season at Arizona, announced Tuesday he is transferring to Indiana.
“Hoosier Nation, c’est parti,” the native of Mali wrote on social media, using the French phrase for “let’s go.”
The 7-foot center was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and all-defensive team after putting up 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over 36 games (all starts) for the Wildcats.
Since transferring from Gonzaga to Arizona ahead of the 2021-22 season, Ballo has averaged 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest over 108 appearances (71 starts).
–Damian Dunn is transferring from Houston to Pitt for his final season of eligibility.
Dunn played in 72 games over parts of four seasons for Temple before heading to Houston, where the guard contributed 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in 37 contests, mostly off the bench.
Dunn has career averages of 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game over 109 appearances (62 starts).
–Rutgers added Merrimack guard Jordan Derkack, the Northeast Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year.
Derkack started all 32 games he played as a sophomore in 2023-24 and put up 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
The New Jersey native has career averages of 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals.
–Former Oklahoma forward John Hugley IV is taking his talents to Xavier.
Hugley paired 8.4 points with 3.8 rebounds per game in 24 games last season, with only one start. He arrived in Norman after playing parts of three seasons at Pitt, where he averaged 12.2 points and 6.6 rebounds over 47 games (38 starts).
Though a senior, Hugley has two years of eligibility remaining, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Cleveland native only played in eight games for Pitt in 2022-23 before stepping back to cope with mental health challenges as well as recover from a preseason injury.
–Colorado guard J’Vonne Hadley is moving to Louisville to join the Cardinals.
Hadley started all 36 games he played in his second year in Boulder, averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. In 71 games (55 starts) across one season at Northeastern and two at Colorado, he has averaged 8.5 points and 5.1 boards.
–Arrinten Page, a four-star center prospect coming out of high school last year, is transferring from Southern California to Cincinnati.
Page played in 27 games as a freshman in Los Angeles, starting four. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds.
Page had committed to the Trojans over finalists Cincinnati, Indiana and Miami last year. USC since has had a coaching change, with Andy Enfield leaving the university for the same job at SMU and being replaced by Eric Musselman.
–Villanova guard TJ Bamba entered the transfer portal, multiple reports said.
Bamba was one of the top prizes of the transfer portal last year following his eye-catching third season at Washington State. He put up 15.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 2022-23, shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range.
In his one year at Villanova, Bamba started all 33 games he played and averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and a career-high 1.8 assists while shooting 36.9 percent from deep. He has career averages of 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds over 119 career games in four seasons.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: CAPITALS CLIP FLYERS TO LAND PLAYOFF BERTH
T.J. Oshie scored the winning goal into an empty net with three minutes remaining as the visiting Washington Capitals clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Trailing the Capitals by two points, the Flyers needed to win in regulation to keep their playoff chances alive, so Philadelphia coach John Tortorella pulled goalie Samuel Ersson with 3:10 remaining in a 1-1 game. Seconds later, Oshie skated in along the right boards and shot into the empty net.
The Capitals completed the season with a third consecutive win to grab the No. 2 wild card in the Eastern Conference. They missed the postseason in 2022-23 after a streak of eight straight playoff campaigns.
The Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in a shootout on Tuesday to finish tied with the Capitals with 91 points, but Washington won the regulation-wins tiebreaker 32-27 to take the spot.
Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 2
Florida rallied to defeat Toronto in Sunrise, Fla., jumping the Boston Bruins in the standings to win the Atlantic Division title.
The Panthers got goals from Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour in the second period. Reinhart added an empty-net goal, giving him 57 tallies for the season — second in the league.
Mitch Marner and Noah Gregor scored for Toronto. Florida’s Anthony Stolarz (24 saves) beat Joseph Woll (37 saves) in a battle between backup goalies.
Canucks 4, Flames 1
Thatcher Demko was superb in his return from a 14-game absence caused by a knee injury, making 39 saves as Vancouver clinched the Pacific Division title with a convincing win over visiting Calgary.
Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist while Dakota Joshua, J.T. Miller and Nils Hoglander also scored for the playoff-bound Canucks, who are division champs for the first time in 11 years.
Brayden Pachal had the only marker for the Flames, while goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves.
Golden Knights 3, Blackhawks 1
Logan Thompson made 22 saves as Vegas moved into third place in the Pacific Division with a victory over visiting Chicago.
Brayden McNabb, Michael Amadio and Nicolas Roy scored for Vegas, which moved one point ahead of the idle Los Angeles Kings into third with one game remaining for both teams.
Vegas finishes the regular season on Thursday against the visiting Anaheim Ducks, while Los Angeles hosts Chicago. The Kings, who were idle on Tuesday while dropping into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, hold the regulation-wins tiebreaker.
Red Wings 5, Canadiens 4 (SO)
Patrick Kane scored the only goal of the shootout as visiting Detroit beat Montreal but still failed to reach the postseason for the eighth consecutive season.
The Red Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention moments earlier by virtue of Washington’s victory over Philadelphia. Detroit’s David Perron scored with under five seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Moritz Seider, Joe Veleno and Daniel Sprong scored the other goals for the Red Wings, while James Reimer made 29 saves.
Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Alex Newhook, Brendan Gallagher and Cole Caufield also scored, while Cayden Primeau stopped 36 shots.
Jets 4, Kraken 3
Kyle Connor scored twice as Winnipeg won its seventh game in a row, defeating visiting Seattle and ensuring home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
The victory gave the Jets 108 points, three more than the Colorado Avalanche with each team down to one game remaining. That gives Winnipeg second place in the Central Division and Colorado third. The Dallas Stars already have clinched the division.
Jets forwards Tyler Toffoli and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist, while Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk each had two assists. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves.
Blue Jackets 6, Hurricanes 3
Zach Werenski scored twice and added two assists as Columbus doubled up visiting Carolina.
Luca Del Bel Belluz, James Malatesta, Johnny Gaudreau and Alex Nylander also scored for the Blue Jackets, who wrapped up their season by snapping a four-game losing streak. Mathieu Olivier and Erik Gudbranson each added two assists and Jet Greaves made 38 saves.
Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and Jesperi Kotkaniemi added the other goal for Carolina, who were resting many regulars with their playoff fate already determined. Brent Burns and Stefan Nosen had two assists apiece in the loss. Spencer Martin stopped 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who saw their five-game winning streak end.
Senators 3, Bruins 1
Jiri Smejkal and Jakob Chychrun scored second-period goals to propel Ottawa to a win over host Boston, knocking the Bruins out of first place in the Atlantic Division as the regular season ended.
Pavel Zacha scored and Linus Ullmark made 17 saves for the Bruins, who lost for the third time in four games and wound up in second place behind Florida.
Smejkal collected his first NHL goal while Artem Zub also scored for the Senators. Ottawa goaltender Anton Forsberg was a rock, making a whopping 22 of his 34 saves in the third period.
COMMISSIONER: NHL ‘EXPLORING OUR OPTIONS’ WITH COYOTES
Despite widespread reports that the Arizona Coyotes are set to be sold and moved to Salt Lake City, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refused to confirm the transaction.
Bettman, speaking Tuesday at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles, merely lamented the franchise’s arena difficulties in the Phoenix area.
Earlier this month, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo unveiled a plan to buy a 110-acre site in Phoenix and build a privately funded arena.
However, last week numerous media outlets reported that the franchise was set to be sold ahead of a move to Utah. The NHL’s executive committee approved the team’s move on Monday, according to Sportico.
The Coyotes are about to conclude their second season of playing home games at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz.
Bettman said Tuesday, according to Sports Business Journal, that Meruelo’s new arena likely would need three to five years to be up and running, while the Coyotes were pointing at a three-year timeline.
“We’re exploring options as to how to deal with (the arena situation) because, particularly for the players, it isn’t an ideal circumstance,” Bettman said, per SBJ. “I know there’s a lot of rumors and speculation and, when we have something to announce, we’ll do it. But we are exploring our options.”
The league is set to buy the team from Meruelo for $1 billion before reselling it to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith for $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, according to SBJ. The portion above $1 billion would be split among the other teams as a relocation fee, per the report. Meruelo also reportedly would be given a chance to buy an expansion team when the Phoenix arena is in place.
GOLF NEWS
RORY REBUFFS $850M LIV REPORT, COMMITS TO TOUR
Rory McIlroy dispelled a British outlet’s report of a blockbuster move to LIV Golf on Tuesday.
“I honestly don’t know how these things get started,” McIlroy told NBC’s Todd Lewis. “I’ve never been offered a number from LIV, and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV.”
He added: “I will play the PGA TOUR for the rest of my career.”
City A.M., a London-based business and financial paper, reported Monday that McIlroy was close to joining LIV Golf in a stunning $850-million deal, plus 2% equity in the rival tour.
McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, dismissed the rumors as well.
“Fake news. Zero truth,” Sean O’Flaherty told Irish Independent’s Brian Keogh on Tuesday.
McIlroy has been among LIV’s most vocal critics since the tour commenced play, though his stance has softened in recent months.
The Northern Irishman walked back previous criticism of players who joined LIV, calling his remarks “a bit of a mistake” in January.
LIV made its biggest splash in December by signing 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm on a multi-year deal worth €450 million.
Last June, the PGA announced a shock framework deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV.
McIlroy is set to compete at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina this weekend.
GOLF GLANCE: SCHEFFLER SEEKS SIGNATURE WIN; LPGA KICKS OFF MAJOR SEASON
Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Masters (Scottie Scheffler)
THIS WEEK: RBC Heritage, Hilton Head Island, S.C., April 18-21
Course: Harbour Town Golf Links (Par 71, 7,213 yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Matt Fitzpatrick
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
X: @RBC_Heritage
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m.
NOTES: This is the fifth of eight signature events in 2024, featuring a $20 million purse along with 700 FedEx Cup points for the winner. … Fifty-four players in the field competed in the Masters last week, including all five players who finished tied for third or better. Five players are competing in their first signature event of the year: Erik Barnes, Brice Garnett, Chandler Phillips and Alejandro Tosti via the Aon Swing 5 standings along with sponsor exemption Kevin Kisner. Victor Perez was bumped from the Aon Swing 5 when Erik van Rooyen finished T55 at the Masters. That pushed Thomas Detry from the Aon Next 10 to the Aon Swing 5 and Perez out of this week’s field. … Five-time champion Davis Love III holds the tournament record with 33 career starts. … World No. 6 Viktor Hovland withdrew after missing the cut at the Masters.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+400 at BetMGM) has won three of his past four starts and finished tied for second in the other. The last player to win on tour following a major victory was Tiger Woods in 2006. … Xander Schauffele (+1200) finished eighth at the Masters despite failing to break 70 in any round. It was his third consecutive top-10 finish. … Ludvig Aberg (+1400) is coming off a solo second place in his Masters debut. … Rory McIlroy (+1400) hasn’t been in great form as of late, but did post a solo third two weeks ago at the Valero Texas Open. … Tommy Fleetwood (+1800) quietly tied for third at Augusta after a T7 in Texas. … Matt Fitzpatrick (+2500) finished fifth at the Players, T10 at the Valero Texas Open and was in contention before settling for T22 at the Masters in his past three starts. … Max Homa (+2500) finished T3 after shooting 73-73 over the weekend at Augusta, but missed the cut here last year. … Jordan Spieth (+2800) missed the cut at the Masters but won this event in 2022 and lost in a playoff last year.
THIS WEEK: Corales Puntacana Championship, April 18-21
Course: Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales Golf Course (Par 72, 7,670 yards)
Purse: $4M (Winner: $720,000)
Defending Champion: Matt Wallace
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 8-10 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-5 p.m. (GC)
X: @CoralesChamp
NOTES: This is the first of three events in which players can earn points to qualify for the next signature event, the Wells Fargo Championship. The other two are the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The five players who earn the most points in those three events who are not otherwise exempt via the Aon Next 10 or a higher category will qualify. … The winner will receive 300 FedEx Cup points and a two-year PGA Tour exemption. … No. 34 Nicolai Hojgaard is the highest-ranked player in this week’s field. He’s the only player in the field who also competed in last week’s Masters. … Alex Fitzpatrick, the brother of Matt Fitzpatrick, who is defending champion at the RBC Heritage, is making his tournament debut, as are Billy Horschel and Daniel Berger.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Avondale, La., April 25-28
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: T-Mobile Match Play (Nelly Korda)
THIS WEEK: The Chevron Championship, The Woodlands, Texas, April 18-21
Course: The Club at Carlton Woods (Par 72, 6,824 yards)
Purse: $7.9M
Defending Champion: Lilia Vu
Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW
Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 6-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/Peacock); Saturday, 2-3 p.m. (Peacock); 3-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock); Sunday, 2-3 p.m. (Peacock); 3-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Streaming (ESPN+ Featured Group Coverage): Thursday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
X: @Chevron_Golf
NOTES: This is the first of five major championships on the 2024 schedule. … World No. 1 Nelly Korda has won each of her past four starts. … Chevron has extended its title sponsorship of the event through 2029. Along with the increased purse this year, players who miss the cut will receive $10,000, double that of last year. … Twenty-time tour winner Lydia Ko would secure a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame with a victory this week. … The Course at Carlton Woods was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2001. It took over as the event host last year, replacing the Dinah Shore Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (1983-2022). … Vu defeated Angel Yin with a birdie on the first playoff hole last year.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: JM Eagle LA Championship, Los Angeles, April 25-28
PGA Tour Champions
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Galleri Classic (Retief Goosen)
THIS WEEK: Invited Celebrity Classic, Irving, Texas, April 19-21
Course: Las Colinas Country Club (Par 71, 6,703 yards)
Purse: $2.2M (Winner: $330,000)
Defending Champion: Mark Hensby (Celebrity, Tony Romo)
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steven Alker
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday, 9-11 p.m. ET (Golf Channel-Tape Delay); Saturday-Sunday, 5-7 p.m. (GC)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: The 78 professionals will play a 54-hole stroke-play event, while 40 celebrity players will compete under the modified Stableford Scoring System. … The field includes two World Golf Hall of Fame members: Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh. … Bernhard Langer, who tore an Achilles tendon in February, said that he hopes to return to competitive golf in May.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Duluth, Ga., April 26-28
LIV Golf
LAST TOURNAMENT: Miami, April 5-7 (Individual: Dean Burmester; Team: Legion XIII)
THIS WEEK: OFF
2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Adelaide, Australia, April 26-28
TENNIS NEWS
NADAL RETURNS WITH EASY WIN AT BARCELONA OPEN
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal looked good in a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Flavio Cobolli at the Barcelona Open in his first competitive match in more than three months on Tuesday.
The victory at the center court named after him allowed Nadal to advance to the second round at the clay-court tournament that the Spaniard has won a record 12 times. He will next face Alex de Minaur, who had a first-round bye.
Nadal converted on his second match point to seal the victory over the 21-year-old Italian ranked 62nd in the world.
Nadal was returning from yet another injury layoff and hadn’t played since an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in March. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had last played a tournament in Brisbane in January, when he played only three matches before skipping the Australian Open.
Nadal said it will likely be his last time playing the Barcelona Open. The 37-year-old Spaniard had hip surgery last summer and said 2024 will probably be his last year playing on tour.
Frustrated Rublev
World No. 8 Andrey Rublev smashed his racket to the ground several times after a 6-4, 7-6 (6) loss to American Brandon Nakashima.
It was the third consecutive first-round defeat for the second-seeded Rublev, who also lost in straight sets in Monte Carlo and Miami. He also lost in straight sets in the second round in Indian Wells.
It was only the second win over a top-10 opponent for the 22-year-old Nakashima, and the first on clay. The world No. 87 had beaten Holger Rune in Shanghai last October.
“I’m still out here competing as hard as I can,” said Nakashima, who reached No. 43 in the world in 2022. “I’m happy with getting my level back to where it was. Playing in front of these crowds and on this court was super special.”
Other results
Also Tuesday, Facundo Diaz Acosta defeated 15th-seeded Borna Coric 6-2, 7-5. Tomas Machac beat Shang Juncheng 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting with 11th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Roberto Carballes Baena defeated Hugo Grenier 6-2, 6-4, while Jaume Munar cruised past Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1.
WTA ROUNDUP: TEENAGER LINDA NOSKOVA PULLS OFF UPSET IN STUTTGART
Czech 19-year-old Linda Noskova fired eight aces and took down No. 8 seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Tuesday in Stuttgart, Germany.
Noskova saved 8 of 9 break points while going 5-for-5 on her opportunities to break Ostapenko. It’s already Noskova’s third win over a top 10 opponent this year, including an upset of World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland at the Australian Open.
In a match that took just 46 minutes, Jasmine Paolini dominated fellow Italian Sara Errani and prevailed 6-1, 6-0.
No. 5 seed Qinwen Zheng of China and No. 6 seed Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic won their first-round matches in straight sets, while Belgian Elise Mertens outlasted Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.
Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole
No. 2 seed Caroline Garcia of France got past Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in first-round action in Rouen, France.
Garcia hit 11 aces and capitalized on eight double faults by her opponent, but she fell behind in the third set and had to win four straight games to rally to victory. No. 1 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia had an easier time in defeating France’s Alice Robbe 6-2, 6-2 in 67 minutes.
No. 3 Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine took down Alize Cornet of France 6-4, 7-5, but it wasn’t all bad for the host country, as French seventh seed Clara Burel rallied past Ukrainian Katarina Zavatska 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Other winners included No. 4 seed Yue Yuan of China, Serbia’s Natalija Stevanovic, Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands and Elina Avanesyan of Russia.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA PACERS
NBA ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR PACERS’ FIRST ROUND SERIES VS MILWAUKEE
The NBA announced the full schedule for the Pacers’ first round Playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks early on Wednesday morning. Indiana is the sixth seed and will face third-seeded Milwaukee in a best-of-seven series.
Game 1 is set for Sunday, April 21 in Milwaukee at 7:00 PM ET and will air nationally on TNT. Game 2 will take place on Tuesday, April 23 at 8:30 PM ET and be broadcast on NBATV.
The series will then shift to Indianapolis, with the Pacers hosting Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, April 26 at 5:30 PM ET. The Blue & Gold will also host Game 4 on Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 PM ET. Game 3 will be televised by ESPN, while Game 4 will air on TNT.
If necessary, Game 5 would be in Milwaukee on April 30, Game 6 would be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 2, and Game 7 would be in Milwaukee on May 4. Times for those three games are TBD.
Single game tickets for Games 3, 4, and 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will go on sale on Wednesday, April 17 at 2:00 PM ET. Fans can visit Pacers.com/Playoffs to purchase tickets, sign up for exclusive presale access, and guarantee playoff seats by placing a deposit on a 2024-25 season ticket plan.
The complete schedule for the first round series is listed below.
Series Schedule: #6 Indiana vs. #3 Milwaukee
| DAY | DATE | AWAY | HOME | GAME | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Sunday | April 21 | Indiana | Milwaukee | 1 | 7:00 PM | TNT |
| Tuesday | April 23 | Indiana | Milwaukee | 2 | 8:30 PM | NBATV |
| Friday | April 26 | Milwaukee | Indiana | 3 | 5:30 PM | ESPN |
| Sunday | April 28 | Milwaukee | Indiana | 4 | 7:00 PM | TNT |
| Tuesday | April 30 | Indiana | Milwaukee | 5 | TBD | TBD |
| Thursday | May 2 | Milwaukee | Indiana | 6 | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday | May 4 | Indiana | Milwaukee | 7 | TBD | TNT |
INDIANA FEVER
FEVER PITCH: CAITLIN CLARK WNBA MERCHANDISE REPORTEDLY SELLS AT RECORD PACE
Just hours after the Indiana Fever made her the top pick in the WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark set another record on Monday.
Her merchandise became the top seller of any player in draft-day history, surpassing Trevor Lawrence, selected by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, according to cllct.com, a collectible media site.
Clark, who in the 2023-24 season became the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, saw jerseys fly off the Fanatics website. As of Tuesday morning, No. 22 Indiana Fever jerseys, priced at $99.99 for adults, were out of stock, available for pre-order only. Some T-shirts and sweatshirts were available.
Clark won the Wooden Award and Naismith Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons as she led Iowa to a second consecutive appearance in the national championship game in 2023-24. She set the record for most career 3-pointers in Division I history and now also owns NCAA Tournament records for most 3-pointers in a game and most career assists.
She became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to have three 40-point games.
Clark is expected to start at point guard for the Fever when they open the regular season on May 14 on the road against the Connecticut Sun. The contest will air on ESPN2.
INDY FUEL HOCKEY
INDY FUEL ANNOUNCE 2024 KELLY CUP PLAYOFF ROSTER
INDIANAPOLIS- The Indy Fuel announced on Tuesday, the 2024 Playoff Roster ahead of its Central Division Semifinals matchup with the Wheeling Nailers beginning this Friday, April 19 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
Playoff Rosters consist of a maximum of 24 Players – a 20-man active roster and a four-man reserve list. Upon submission of its Playoff Roster, each Member is required to include:
1. a minimum of 17 active, available (i.e. not injured or on recall) skaters to its Active Roster, and at least two (2) eligible goaltenders to its initial Playoff Roster.
2. a list of all other Players who meet the Playoff Roster Eligibility requirements, but who are unavailable at the time that Playoff Rosters are due to the League Office due to recall to the AHL or NHL. The Playoff Eligible List may only list Players who are unavailable due to recall. All other players (i.e. injured Players) must be listed on a Member’s initial Playoff Roster (active roster or reserve list) in order to participate in the Playoffs.
Throughout the Playoffs, but before the start of the Kelly Cup Finals, as the recalled Players listed on a Member’s Playoff Eligible List become available (due to assignment, release from PTO or their respective AHL teams’ seasons having ended), Members shall be permitted to supplement their initial Playoff Rosters with Players listed on their Playoff Eligible Lists, up to a maximum of 24 Players total. Once a Member has named a total of 24 Players to its Playoff Roster, or the Kelly Cup Finals have begun (whichever comes first), the Member’s Playoff Roster shall be fixed for the duration of the Playoffs (barring emergency conditions).
A Player who has finished the Regular Season on Injured Reserve may still be named to a Member’s 24-man Playoff Roster and will be eligible to participate in the Playoffs once his full IR time has been completed (provided all other playoff eligibility requirements have been satisfied). Once a Player has fully completed his remaining IR time, he may be activated and placed on the Member’s Active Roster.
Emergency conditions shall be established when the playing strength of the Member, by reason of injury, illness, recall or suspension by the League, is reduced below two (2) goalkeepers and sixteen (16) skaters. However, should a Member release a Player(s) from its Playoff Roster, its emergency conditions will drop by the same number as the Players they release. Only amateur
Players may be signed and added to the Active Roster under emergency conditions.
Indy Fuel 2024 Kelly Cup Playoff Roster:
Forwards
Colin Bilek (RFD)
Seamus Malone (RFD)
Cam Hausinger
Chase Lang (V)
Bryan Lemos (V)
Zach Jordan (CHI)
Kyle Maksimovich (R) (RFD)
Ryan Gagnier (R) (RFD)
Kale Howarth (RFD)
Andrew Bellant
Jon Martin (V)
Brett Bulmer (V)
Defensemen
Santino Centorame
Matt Cairns
Ross MacDougall (R) (RFD)
Andrew Perrott (RFD)
Chris Cameron
Goaltenders
Zach Driscoll
Mitchell Weeks (RFD)
Reserve List
Nick Grima (R) – D
Cam Hillis – F
Matus Spodniak (R) – F
Victor Hadfield – F/D
Playoff Eligible List [Players unavailable due to recall]:
DJ King (RFD) – D
R = Rookie – less than 25 regular season games of professional hockey going
into season
V = Veteran – 260+ regular season games of professional hockey
RFD = Rockford IceHogs contract
CHI = Chicago Wolves Contract
INDIANA BASEBALL
MISSED CHANCES HURT HOOSIERS IN MIDWEEK DEFEAT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With multiple chances to take the lead back throughout the game, the Hoosier bats couldn’t come up with the clutch hit on Tuesday afternoon. After falling behind 5-1, the Indiana Baseball team (20-17, 5-4 B1G) would score three over the final five innings but dropped a 5-4 contest to Evansville at Bart Kaufman Field.
Despite a number of walks and hit batters, the IU pitching staff held Evansville to just four hits and five runs, achieving its daily goal of holding opponents to six runs or fewer. Senior Jack Moffitt (L, 1-2) was handed the loss with three runs in just two-thirds of an inning. IU’s final four pitchers, which included three freshmen, held Evansville scoreless in the final four frames.
IU’s bats never got going on Tuesday despite a number of desirable scenarios in the middle innings. The Hoosiers grounded into a pair of double plays with less than two outs and stranded six runners on base. Known for extending pitch counts, IU walked just two times on the evening.
Redshirt freshman first baseman Joey Brenczewski and junior outfielder Nick Mitchell each had two hits while sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny and freshman designated hitter Andrew Wiggins combined for three RBIs.
The Hoosiers head to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers this weekend. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET/6:00 PM CT in Minneapolis.
Scoring Recap
Top Second
Andrew Wiggins laced a double into right field to score Joey Brenczewski.
Indiana 1, Evansville 0
Top Third
Mark Shallenberger answered back quickly with a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Ty Rumsey.
Indiana 1, Evansville 1
Top Fourth
Shallenberger drove in a pair of runs with a single that beat the shortstop, Tyler Cerny, to his right in the six-hole. Rumsey and Brendan Hord each scored to take the lead. Kip Fougerousse hit a groundball to the shortstop in the next at-bat to bring home Harrison Taubert.
Evansville 4, Indiana 1
Top Fifth
Simon Scherry hit a solo home run to left field to extend the lead.
Evansville 5, Indiana 1
Bottom Fifth
Cerny singled through the left side with the bases loaded to bring home Carter Mathison and TJ Schuyler.
Evansville 5, Indiana 3
Bottom Seventh
Nick Mitchell drove home Jake Stadler with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Evansville 5, Indiana 4
Top Hoosier Performers
#23 Brenczewski, Joey
2-4, 1 R
#8 Cerny, Tyler
1-4, 2 RBI
#55 Decker-Petty, Aydan
4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 6 K, SV
Notes to Know
• Redshirt freshman first baseman Joey Brenczewski recorded his 10th multi-hit game of the season. In his past two games, he’s got six hits and is a combined 6-9 from the plate.
• Sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny added a pair of RBIs to take his season total up to 41. He also has the team lead in hits with 55.
Up Next
This weekend will take IU to Minneapolis with a chance to make ground in the Big Ten race. The games will all be streamed on BTN+ or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
COOPER’S WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM LIFTS HOOSIERS OVER NOTRE DAME
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– Entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Indiana trailed Notre Dame, 3-1. With the bases loaded, Indiana freshman Alex Cooper hit a walk-off grand slam over the left center field wall to earn the Hoosiers a 5-3 win.
Indiana’s season record now stands at 30-12 on the season.
INDIANA 5, NOTRE DAME 3
KEY MOMENTS
• Notre Dame scored the first run of the game with a home run by Rachel Allen in the top of the second inning.
• The Irish would add to their lead with a two-run home run from Karina Gaskins to make it a 3-0 game in the top of the third.
• Freshman Alex Cooper got Indiana on the board with a solo home run out to left field in the bottom of the third inning.
• The combination of sophomore Sophie Kleiman and senior Macy Montgomery in the circle kept Notre Dame’s bats at bay from the fourth inning on, only allowing a combined three hits while not giving up a run.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Indiana’s rally got started with a freshman single from Aly VanBrandt up the middle. In the next at bat, redshirt senior Cora Bassett reached on an error to put two Hoosiers on base.
• Freshman Tristian Thompson walked to set up the bases loaded with Cooper up to bat.
• From there, Cooper went yard over the left center field wall for a walk-off grand slam to give Indiana the win, 5-3.
NOTABLES
• Cooper had two home runs in a game for the first time in her career.
• Cooper’s five RBI are a career high.
• Indiana’s pitching staff held Notre Dame to just three hits.
• Indiana has won seven games in a row.
UP NEXT
Indiana will be back at Andy Mohr Field tomorrow for a doubleheader against Purdue. The first game will start with a 5 p.m. first pitch with the second game beginning approximately at 7:30 p.m.
PURDUE BASEBALL
APRIL 26 SERIES OPENER AT NORTHWESTERN TO BE PLAYED AT WRIGLEY FIELD
EVANSTON, Ill. – Purdue Baseball’s Friday, April 26 game at Northwestern has been moved to Wrigley Field and will be televised live by the Big Ten Network, Northwestern Athletics has announced.
First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET at the home of the Chicago Cubs, which is located just 10.5 miles from Northwestern’s campus in Evanston. Tickets for the game are available at Cubs.com/NUbaseball and priced at $15 for general admission.
The remainder of the Big Ten weekend series will be contested at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park on the Northwestern campus. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. The Boilermakers will enter the series riding a seven-game win streak in Big Ten play, their longest since 2018.
Purdue opened the 2011 Big Ten season with a three-game series vs. Minnesota at Target Field, marking the last time the Boilermakers played at a big league stadium. Purdue has opened its last three seasons at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas – the Triple-A stadium in suburban Houston.
Purdue Football defeated Northwestern at Wrigley Field in November 2021.
Northwestern Baseball is scheduled to play at Wrigley for the third time. The Wildcats defeated Notre Dame on an 11-inning walk-off in May of last season and shutout Michigan at Wrigley in April 2013.
The Boilermakers return to Chicago on Tuesday, May 7 for a midweek rematch with UIC at Curtis Granderson Stadium.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
BOILERMAKERS TAKE ON HOOSIERS, WILDCATS IN WEEK 11
Wednesday, April 17
at Indiana (DH) | 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. | B1G+
Friday, April 19
vs. Northwestern | 5 p.m. | B1G+
Barbie at Bitt | Spring Cleaning – Bring in nonperishable food items for donation
Saturday, April 20
vs. Northwestern | 2 p.m. | B1G+
BKC Game | Camper Reunion | Kids Run the Bases
Sunday, April 21
vs. Northwestern | 1 p.m. | B1G+
Military Appreciation Day | Bark at the Park
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Entering the week with three consecutive Big Ten series wins, the Purdue softball team (20-19, 7-5 Big Ten) is set to take on Indiana (29-12, 6-6 Big Ten) for a Wednesday midweek in Bloomington followed by a three-game home series versus Northwestern (26-8, 12-1 Big Ten).
PARKING FOR SATURDAY, 4/20
Due to the Grand Prix Race and limited parking availability, overflow parking for fans attending the softball, baseball, and soccer games will be located in the R Lot, north of Ross-Ade Stadium. Shuttles will be provided for transportation to the Northwest Athletic Complex. This change will only affect Saturday’s events.
RECORD-SETTING SEASON
• Purdue set a program record for most consecutive wins in Big Ten play with seven straight.
• Sage Scarmardo’s 19 hit-by-pitches is a Purdue record.
THREE STRAIGHT SERIES WINS
• Purdue rode an 8-game winning streak with series wins vs. Rutgers, Iowa and Illinois and a midweek vs. Indiana St.
• The team’s series sweep vs. Iowa marked the first Big Ten series win since 2018.
• Purdue’s 8 straight wins came just three shy of tying the program record for longest winning streak.
LAST WEEK’S TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
• Ryen Ross registered a career-high two doubles, coming on each of her first to trips to the plate, including an RBI on her second hit. Meanwhile, she rounded out the performance with a run.
• Julia Gossett registered her second complete-game shutout, including the first in Big Ten action with Purdue’s 3-0 victory in Game 1 at Illinois.
• Alivia Meeks produced a .500 batting avg. and led the team with three runs, six hits, two doubles and 15 putouts.
LAST 10 GAMES
• Purdue owns an 8-2 record over its last 10 games and held opponents to a .207 batting avg.
• Ashlynn Campbell has led the way with a .355 batting avg. and is second in hits (11) behind Khloe Banks (12).
• Tyrina Jones leads the team in RBI with eight over the last 10 games.
• Julia Gossett has led the circle with a 1.52 ERA over her team-leading 27.2 innings pitched and 22 strikeouts.
• Gossett, Kendall Klochack and Jules Raymond have each held opponents to a 1.94 batting average or lower.
RIVALRY HISTORY VS INDIANA
• Purdue is looking for its first win vs. Indiana since April 4, 2021 (W 5-4 in 9 innings).
• There have been doubleheaders for the last eight seasons between the teams.
• Purdue last swept the series in 2014 with a pair of 4-1 wins in West Lafayette, part of a larger six consecutive wins in the rivalry (2012-2014).
SCOUTING THE INDIANA HOOSIERS
• The Indiana Hoosiers have an overall record of 29-12 and are 6-6 in Big Ten play, owning a six-game win streak entering their Tuesday midweek.
• Indiana and Purdue are the two fastest teams in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers (91-110) have more stolen base attempts than Purdue (79-93). However, Khloe Banks (17-21) and Moriah Polar (17-22) lead the Big Ten individually.
• The Boilermakers also have a better success rate compared to the Hoosiers (82.3%, 84.9%)
• The Hoosiers have a well-rounded line-up at the plate leading the Big Ten in team batting average (.322) with eight players on their roster averaging above .300. Junior Taylor Minnick has a batting average of .386, 1.116 OB% and earned 42 RBI.
• Brianna Copeland has a 15-7 record in the circle for the Hoosiers. She has an ERA of 2.53 and held her opponents to a batting average of .213. Copeland has struck out 126, walked 60 and allowed 95 hits. At the plate, the junior has earned a SLG% of .562 and scored a team high of 36 hits.
• In the Hoosier’s last two Big Ten series, they have scored 50 runs and allowed 17. Even though they rank eighth in the Big Ten, their overall winning percentage is the third-best in the conference (.707).
SCOUTING THE #21 NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
• Northwestern is first in the Big Ten standings with a record of 12-1 in conference action, are ranked #21 in the D1Softball poll and are currently on a seven-game winning streak.
• The team is coming off a series sweep vs. Maryland, where the Wildcats scored 19 runs and allowed six.
• Leading the Big Ten in pitching, the Wildcats own a league-best and rank 15th in the nation in ERA (2.21) and have allowed the least number of walks (87), hits (177) and runs (92) among all conference teams. Leading Northwestern’s pitching staff is Ashley Miller, who owns an ERA of 1.32 and has struck out batters 133 times this year.
• Sophomore Kansas Robinson ranks seventh in the NCAA batting average (.473). She has earned a slugging % of .861 and on-base % of .558. She also leads her team in RBI (30), hits (46) and home runs (10).
• Northwestern has notched two ranked wins this season vs. #23 South Carolina (4-3) and #24 Boston University (2-0).
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
BOILERMAKERS TO FACE TEXAS A&M IN 2024 INDY CLASSIC
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – One of the first pieces of Purdue’s 2024-25 men’s basketball schedule was revealed today as the Indy Sports Corporation announced that Purdue will face Texas A&M in the third annual Indy Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The game will be played Dec. 14, at a time and television network to be announced at a later date.
This marks the third rendition of the Indy Classic as Purdue defeated Davidson 69-60 in the 2022 event, then the No. 3-ranked Boilermakers toppled No. 1-ranked Arizona 92-84 in last year’s event.
This will mark the fifth meeting all-time between the two schools with Purdue holding a 3-1 advantage. The last meeting came in the 2010 NCAA Tournament second-round game, where Purdue defeated the Aggies 63-61 in overtime on a late Chris Kramer lay-up.
The other meetings came in Dec. 2001 (Texas A&M, 71-64), March 1982 (Purdue, 86-68) and Dec. 1941 (Purdue, 55-31).
The Aggies are coming a 21-15 season with a berth in the NCAA Tournament second round, falling in overtime to top-seeded Houston in the round of 32. Texas A&M was 15-13 entering the month of March, but won five straight games including a trip to the SEC Tournament semifinals and then posted a 98-83 win over Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Meanwhile, the Boilermakers are coming off a spot in the National Championship game and a 34-5 record. Three starters are scheduled to return in addition to three other players that played at least 31 games this past season. Head coach Matt Painter also welcomes a six-member recruiting class that is ranked in the top 10 nationally.
The other piece of the schedule that has been announced is the Boilermakers’ appearance in the Rady Children’s Hospital Invitational that features Arkansas, Notre Dame and BYU. Two of the four teams in that tournament will be breaking in new head coaches (Arkansas – John Calipari; BYU – TBA).
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE LANDS TOP WAC DEFENDER DESTANI LOMBARD
Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Destani Lombard announced her transfer to Purdue.
The 5-foot-9 senior guard averaged 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.6 steals in 34 starts in 2023-24 at Stephen F. Austin.
Lombard recorded three or more steals in 17 games and shot 48.0 percent from the field for the Ladyjacks.
She began her college career at LSU in 2020-21 and owns career averages of 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 101 games (36 starts).
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
NOTRE DAME FENDS OFF LATE PUSH TO EARN 7-6 VICTORY OVER VALPO
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame (16-18) held on for a 7-6 win over Valparaiso (11-23), staving off a ninth-inning comeback attempt from the Beacons to improve to 6-4 at home.
INF Connor Hincks led the Irish at the plate, nearly hitting for the cycle with a single, triple and home run, posting three RBI. He also added another fielding double play to his season total of 29.
RHP D.J. Helwig (1-0) made his first-career start and earned his first-career win on a bullpen day, as RHP Nate Hardman notched his fourth save of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides went three up, three down in the first inning, as Helwig notched two strikeouts in his half.
Valparaiso led off the second with a walk, singling to place two on base. Helwig struck out another, and a double steal attempt resulted in the second out. INF Simon Baumgardt grabbed a foul-out to send the Irish to bat in the second.
After a groundout to lead off for the Irish, Hincks singled, followed immediately by a Baumgardt single. DH Tito Flores walked to load the bases, and OF Brady Gumpf singled to bring in Notre Dame’s first run with Hincks. After a flyout, OF T.J. Williams singled to bring in two more runs, as Flores and Baumgardt scored. A walk by OF David Glancy loaded the bases, but a lineout ended the inning with a 3-0 Notre Dame lead.
Helwig and the Irish held Valparaiso scoreless again in the third, allowing just a single in the half. Notre Dame batters were retired in order in the bottom of the third.
RHP Bennett Flynn entered to begin the fourth inning on the mound for Notre Dame, holding Valparaiso scoreless and allowing a hit. The Irish again went down in order in the fourth.
In the fifth, Valpo delivered a one-out single and drew a walk to place two runners on base. A passed ball put both in scoring position. Flynn dealt a strikeout, but a subsequent single scored two runs for the Beacons. A popup ended the top half to preserve an Irish lead at 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Williams led off with a single and stole second. A flyout allowed Williams to take third, and INF Jack Penney singled to bring Williams home. After another flyout, Hincks tripled and scored Penney, allowing the Irish to take a 5-2 lead into the sixth.
RHP Ricky Reeth took the mound in the sixth, and Valpo started the inning off strong with a double and subsequent single to bring in a run, but a Penney-INF Estevan Moreno-Hincks double play, and a groundout, ended the scoring push. Gumpf and Williams added singles in the sixth, but the Irish were held from scoring, sending the game to the seventh at 5-3.
The Beacons added a double in the seventh, but Reeth posted a strikeout and the Irish went to bat with the 5-3 lead. Moreno drew a leadoff walk, and Hincks homered to score both for Notre Dame. After two popups, Gumpf doubled, but a foul-out ended the inning with the Irish up 7-3.
In the eighth, RHP Sammy Cooper entered to pitch, and struck out the leadoff batter. After a groundout, Valpo earned two walks and a single to load the bases. Williams grabbed a flyout to end the inning and strand all three on base. In the bottom of the eighth, Glancy delivered a one-out single, but a double play ended the inning.
Two HBP opened the ninth for Valparaiso, and Hardman took the mound in relief. After a strikeout, the Beacons homered to pull within one run of the Irish. However, Gumpf took care of the next two batters on flyouts to secure the 7-6 win.
UP NEXT
The Irish host the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne Wednesday at Frank Eck Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
IRISH FALL LATE AT INDIANA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team lost 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday evening to the Indiana Hoosiers at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington. Every run in the contest was scored via the home run as Indiana won the game with a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh. The Fighting Irish fall to 23-18 on the season, while Indiana improves to 30-12.
Alexis Laudenslager started in the circle, throwing 6.1 innings before being relieved. Laudenslager struck out six as she allowed just two hits, four runs and three earned. Shannon Becker faced one hitter, giving up the home run in the bottom of the seventh.
The Irish offense had six hits in the contest, led by a pair of two-hit efforts from Rachel Allen and Anna Holloway. Cassidy Grimm and Karina Gaskins also added hits. Allen hit a solo homer, her third of the season, while Gaskins hit her eighth of the year.
How It Happened
Allen put the Irish up first, hitting a solo home run with one out in the top of the second. Notre Dame used the long ball again the next inning as Gaskins lifted a fly ball to left to extend the lead to 3-0 with a two-run shot.
Indiana got on the board with a solo shot of their own in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 3-1.
After three scoreless innings, Indiana hit the game winner in the seventh inning. A one-out single got the rally started, as it was followed by a fielder’s choice with an error that put two on. A walk loaded the bases as the Irish went to the bullpen. With a 3-2 pitch, Indiana hit a walk-off grand slam to earn the 5-3 win.
Up Next
The Irish return home this weekend as they host the No. 21/20 Clemson Tigers in a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series. Friday night begins the series at 5 p.m. on ESPNU, with the series continuing Saturday at 1 p.m. on the ACC Network Extra and concluding Sunday at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S TENNIS
SENIORS SHINE IN HISTORIC WIN OVER NO. 21 DUKE; IRISH DROP BATTLE TO NO. 4 UNC
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Seniors Yashna Yellayi and Julia Andreach put on spectacular performances on Senior Day Friday, both going a perfect 2-0 in singles and doubles and leading the University of Notre Dame to its first win over Duke since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014.
Before the match, Yellayi and Andreach were honored on court alongside their teammates, coaches, and families for the tremendous impact each has made on the program and broader campus community. As play began, the Fighting Irish secured the doubles point with a gritty 6-4 win from Yellayi and Nibi Ghosh on court three, followed by a hard fought 7-6 (5) win at the top position from Andreach and Page Freeman.
Momentum continued for the Irish as Andreach, Bojana Pozder, and Yellayi each claimed opening sets at No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5, respectively. The Blue Devils leveled play with a win at No. 6, before Yellayi and Pozder locked down straight set wins to extend the Irish lead to 3-1. Duke would add one more point on the board with a competitive win on court two, but Notre Dame ultimately prevailed, as Andreach closed out a 7-5, 7-5 win to clinch the team’s milestone victory.
The Irish returned to action on Sunday against No. 4 North Carolina, the national defending champions. The Tar Heels took the doubles point with wins on courts one and two, but Notre Dame fought back by taking two first sets in singles. The visitors secured wins on courts three, four, and one to clinch the match, before adding another point on court six. The Irish did not relent, as Yellayi and Freeman both battled to defeat top 70-ranked opponents and bring the final match score to 2-5.
Next Up
Notre Dame looks forward to the ACC Tournament in Cary, North Carolina. The seventh-seeded Irish began play on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. ET against 10th-seeded Syracuse. Bracket, schedule, and more can be found at ACC Tournament Central, here.
#32 Notre Dame 4, #21 Duke 2
Singles
No. 1 – #28 Julia Andreach (ND) def. #87 Emma Jackson (DUKE) 7-5, 7-5
No. 2 – #58 Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) def. Page Freeman (ND) 6-4, 7-6(6)
No. 3 – Bojana Pozder (ND) def. #81 Iuliia Bryzgalova (DUKE) 6-4, 7-6(1)
No. 4 – Nibi Ghosh (ND) vs. #107 Katie Codd (DUKE) 4-6, 6-6 (1-3), DNF
No. 5 – Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Brianna Shvets (DUKE) 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 – Karolina Berankova (DUKE) def. Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 – #44 Page Freeman/Julia Andreach (ND) def. Karolina Berankova/Katie Codd (DUKE) 7-6(5)
No. 2 – Emma Jackson/Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) def. Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-1
No. 3 – Yashna Yellayi/Nibi Ghosh (ND) def. Brianna Shvets/Iuliia Bryzgalova (DUKE) 6-4
Order of finish
Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,5,3,2,1)
#4 North Carolina 5, #32 Notre Dame 2
Singles
No. 1 – #17 Fiona Crawley (UNC) def. #28 Julia Andreach (ND) 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 – Page Freeman (ND) def. #50 Reilly Tran (UNC) 6-3, 3-6, 4-0, ret.
No. 3 – #48 Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def. Bojana Pozder (ND) 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 – #27 Anika Yarlagadda (UNC) def. Nibi Ghosh (ND) 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 – Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. #70 Thea Rabman (UNC) 6-4, 7-6(5)
No. 6 – Tatum Evans (UNC) def. Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
No. 1 – #13 Fiona Crawley/Carson Tanguilig (NC) def. #44 Julia Andreach/Page Freeman (ND) 6-1
No. 2 – #47 Elizabeth Scotty/Anika Yarlagadda (NC) def. Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-2
No. 3 – Yashna Yellayi/Nibi Ghosh (ND) vs. #23 Abbey Forbes/Reilly Tran (NC) 3-4, DNF
Order of finish
Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,4,1,6,5,2)
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL TRAVELS TO INDIANA STATE FOR MIDWEEK GAME
The Butler softball team heads to Indiana State for a non-conference matchup on Wednesday. The Bulldogs (19-22, 8-10 BIG EAST) are coming off a 2-1 series victory over Georgetown. The Sycamores (16-22, 5-9 The Valley) most recently went 1-2 in a conference series with UIC.
Bulldog Bits
(as of 4-14-24)
Ella White is second in the BIG EAST with four sacrifice flies (25th nationally) and with 38 RBI (66th). Addition conference (national) rankings include: 12 doubles-3rd (59th), .658 slugging %-3rd, and 8 HR-6th.
Monique Hoosen leads the BIG EAST (71st nationally) with 10 home runs.
Kieli Ryan leads the BIG EAST (10th nationally) with 12 base runners caught stealing.
Katie Petran is second in the BIG EAST (63rd nationally) with 12 wins in the circle.
Cate Lehner leads the BIG EAST (61st nationally) with 0.20 sacrifice bunts per game, is third (30th) with 20 stolen bases, and ranks fourth in the conference with 46 hits.
vs. Georgetown (Apr. 12-14)
Monique Hoosen hit a home run in each of the three games, tallying nine RBI.
Hailey Conger led the Bulldogs with five hits over the series.
Makenna Alexander connected on her first two doubles of her career.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE (16-22, 5-9 The Valley)
Series- Indiana State leads, 35-19
The non-conference foes have played 12 times since 2015, with the Sycamores winning eight.
Indiana State has won the previous three contests.
Butler’s last win was (3-0) was in 2021 in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs’ last win in Terra Haute was in 2012.
Wins for the Sycamores this season include: Memphis, SIUE, Western Michigan, IUPUI, and Murray State.
Losses include: Houston, Rutgers, Purdue, Belmont, Marshall, Notre Dame, and Ball State.
Indiana State vs. (opponents) Butler
runs: 146-175 181
hits: 263-242 307
RBI: 127-163 164
SB: 42-43 41
ERA: 5.24-3.94 4.91
Batting Leaders:
#17 Abi Chipps (.349) 45H
#15 Kennedy Shade (.330) 7-2B, 3HR, 27RBI
#3 Abby Robakowski (.326) 4HR, 19RBI
#12 Isabella Henning (.319) 12-2B, 3HR, 18RBI
Pitching Leaders:
#71 Hailey Griffin (5-4) 3.84 ERA, 61K
#13 Lauren Sackett (7-10) 5.33 ERA, 66K
#20 Cassi Newbanks (2-8) 7.56 ERA, 18K
BUTLER BASEBALL
MOROKNEK TIES HOME RUN RECORD IN WIN AT EASTERN MICHIGAN
YPSILANTI – Jack Moroknek became just the fourth Bulldog in program history to hit three home runs in a single game as the Bulldogs took down the Eastern Michigan Eagles in Ypsilanti on Tuesday night 16-10. Moroknek went 4-for-6 in the game with five RBI’s and four runs scored. He homered in third, fifth and eighth to lead BU to their 14th win of the season.
Moroknek joins Tyler Houston (2017), Joe Pauley (2008) and Gordon Hansen (1983) as the only Bulldogs to homer three times in one game. He sparked a Bulldog offense that posted 16 runs on the road off 19 hits. BU scored in every inning but the first and the seventh.
Zach Munton, Evan Parks and Ian Choi also had multiple RBIs in the win. Munton had a double and a triple to send three runs in while Parks and Choi added two RBIs each. Yet another Bulldog that did damage from the plate was Ethan Vecrumba. The grad student played as the designated hitter on Tuesday and went 4-for-6 with a double and an RBI.
Butler used five pitchers to start the week with Gage Vota getting the start and Nick Miketinac earning the win. Vota tossed four innings before handing the ball off to Miketinac (2-0). Brett Sherrard was used as a specialist to get an out and Simon Linde would get the next two. Cole Graverson tossed the final two innings to keep BU on top. Graverson had four strikeouts and only allowed one hit while on the mound.
Butler will return to Indianapolis tonight and host the Miami Redhawks tomorrow at 4 PM.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL BATTLES MIAMI UNTIL THE FINAL OUT IN DOUBLEHEADER SETBACK
OXFORD, Ohio – – Despite redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons becoming just the second player in program history to smash 20-or-more home runs in a season Tuesday afternoon, the Ball State softball team dropped both ends of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader to No. 24 ranked Miami.
Battling the nation’s top home run hitting squad in the RedHawks (34-6; 16-0 MAC), it was Timmons which struck first with her solo blast two batters into the opening game to give the Cardinals (20-23; 7-10 MAC) an early lead.
Unfortunately, Miami would counter with four runs in the bottom of the inning, before adding solo home runs over each of the next three to pull ahead 7-1. The teams traded runs in the fifth, before Timmons’ second blast of the day, and 20th of the season, capped the scoring in the 8-3 setback.
Ball State’s single season record for home runs is 23 set by Jennifer Gilbert in her junior campaign in 2013.
In the nightcap, senior pitcher Francys King limited Miami to its fewest runs and fewest hits in league play this season. Unfortunately, BSU came up one key hit short, stranding the bases loaded in the top of the seventh in a 4-2 setback.
King would limit Miami to just five hits and four runs in the game, while striking out four batters.
Overall, Ball State’s pitching held the RedHawks to just 12 hits and five home runs over the two games. Miami, which has now won 21 straight outings, leads the nation with 118 home runs this season, with BSU holding them just under their average of 2.98 home runs per game.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 3 – Miami 8
T1 | Timmons blasts the first home run of the day with a solo shot to left (1-0)
B1 | Miami takes the lead on a bases loaded, two-run single to left field from Bartholomew (1-2)
B1 | Chloe Parks drives one in with a single, while an error on the throw to the plate allows another run to score (1-4)
B2 | Allie Cummins tallies Miami’s first home run of the game to center field (1-5)
B3 | Kate Kobayashi homers to center field (1-6)
B4 | Cummins makes it three straight innings with a solo home run for the RedHawks (1-7)
T5 | Senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman scores on an RBI single to right center from sophomore center fielder Ashlee Lovett (2-7)
B5 | An error allows Holly Blaska to score from third (2-8)
B6 | Timmons caps the scoring with her second home run of the game and 20th of the season (3-8)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 2 – Miami 4
B1 | A two-run blast from Blaska gives Miami an early lead (2-0)
T2 | With runners at first and third, redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland scores as freshman second Maia Pietrzak is caught stealing (2-1)
B6 | Cummins picks up her second home run of the day to center field (3-1)
B6 | Blaska smashes an RBI single up the middle (4-1)
T7 | Senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews draws a bases loaded walk (4-2)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team opens its final homestand of the 2024 season Saturday, when it hosts Akron for a 1 p.m. doubleheader to open Alumni Weekend at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
TRIO OF HOMERS NOT ENOUGH IN MIDWEEK SETBACK AT PURDUE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team hit three home runs at Purdue on Tuesday afternoon, but they weren’t enough as the host Boilermakers prevailed 13-3 in seven innings at Alexander Field.
Blake Bevis, Decker Scheffler and Korbin Griffin hit solo shots for the Cardinals (23-14), but the Boilermakers (24-13) put together a 7-run third inning and game-ending grand slam from catcher Connor Caskenette to clinch the win.
Bevis bashed his homer to left field with two outs in the second inning, as the visitors claimed a 1-0 lead after the first pair of frames thanks to the round-tripper and 2.0 scoreless innings from Ball State starting pitcher Logan Schulfer. Purdue responded with the big third and would lead by at least five runs the remainder of the contest.
Scheffler hit his shot down the left field line in the fourth to cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 7-2. Griffin’s first homer at Ball State in the seventh inning made the score 9-3 in Purdue’s favor. Bevis added a single to go 2-for-3 at the plate.
Cole Van Assen (3-0) threw 5.0 innings of 2-run ball to pick up the win for the Boilermakers, while Will Jacobson (1-2) allowed four runs in relief to suffer the loss.
Ball State is scheduled to start a three-game series at Western Michigan on Friday at 3 p.m.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES HOST BUTLER FOR A MIDWEEK MATCHUP
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- Indiana State will host Butler for a non-conference midweek matchup on Wednesday, April 17 at 4 p.m ET. Wednesday’s game will be Faculty and Staff night where the Sycamores will recognize those who support our student athletes before the game. This game will have live stats available and streamed on ESPN+.
The Sycamores (16-22, 5-9) are coming off a 1-2 weekend where they dropped their three-game series to UIC.
The Bulldogs (19-22, 8-10) are coming off of a 2-1 weekend where they won their three-game series against Georgetown.
Indiana State leads the all time series against Butler, 35-19. Indiana State has won the previous three contests.
Sycamore Standouts:
Abi Chipps leads the Sycamores offensively, with a .349 batting average, which consists of 45 hits, one triple, 26 runs, five RBIs, and only six strikeouts at leadoff. Chipps is ranked third in the MVC in hits.
Abby Robakowski went 3-3 on Saturday with one home run and one RBI. Robakowski leads the Sycamores in home runs, with 4. Bri Marx went 3-3 on Sunday with one RBI. Marx has eight hits on the season in 14 appearances.
Kennedy Shade has been dominant this season offensively and is fourth in the MVC in RBIs, with 28. Shade has a .330 batting average, which consists of 37 hits, seven doubles, three homeruns, 27 RBIs, and 16 runs scored.
Isabella Henning is ranked second in the conference in doubles, with 12. Henning has a .0478 on base percentage this season and a .568 slugging percentage.
In the Circle:
Hailey Griffin (5-4) leads the Sycamore pitching staff with a 3.84 ERA, where she has struck out 61 batters in the 2024 season. Griffin has been named Indiana State’s player of the week two times this season.
Scouting Butler:
Paige Dorsett and Ella White lead the Bulldogs offensively with a combined 86 hits, 20 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 38 runs scored. Ella White is second in the BIG EAST with four sacrifice flies (25th nationally) and with 38 RBI (66th).
Katie Petran (12-4) leads the Bulldogs pitching staff with a 3.94 ERA where she has three saves and 81 strikeouts in the 2024 season. Petran is second in the BIG EAST (63rd nationally) with 12 wins in the circle.
Up Next:
Indiana State will host Illinois State at Price Field to compete in a three-game MVC series this weekend, where play begins on Friday, April 19 at 3 p.m ET. Game times are listed below and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Friday, April 19 @ 3 p.m ET
Saturday, April 20 @ 2 p.m ET (Alumni Day)
Sunday, April 21 @ 12 p.m ET
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MASTODONS TAKE ON NOTRE DAME ON WEDNESDAY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Purdue Fort Wayne will take on their fourth power five opponent this season on Wednesday (April 17) when they travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.
Game Day Information
When: Tuesday, April 16 | 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Frank Eck Stadium | Notre Dame, Ind.
Watch:ACCNX
Live Stats:Link
Series History: Notre Dame has won all seven previous games since their first meeting in 2003.
Weather: High of 71/low of 48, 96% chance of rain earlier in the day
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne:
Notre Dame:
Scouting the Fighting Irish: Notre Dame is 15-18 this season and 2-16 in the ACC. Coming into this week, the Irish are 5-0 in midweek games this season. They’ll face Valparaiso on Tuesday ahead of their matchup with the ‘Dons on Wednesday. TJ Williams and Estevan Moreno lead the team in hitting each with an average over .300 and the latter with 14 doubles.
‘Dons & Ends:
– Jacob Walker leads the team with 49 hits and 13 doubles.
– Kevin Fee (3.94) is one of only three pitchers in the Horizon League with an ERA under four. Fee and Carter Sabol are also two of the 10 pitchers in the league holding opposing hitters below a .300 average.
– Sabol and Fee are tied with three other pitchers for the league lead in wins with four.
– Fee has allowed the fewest runs for a qualifying pitcher in the Horizon League (18).
– Jacob Walker leads the team with 16 multi hit games and is one of five Mastodons with double digit multi hit games. Justin Osterhouse has 14, Grant Thoroman and Nick Sutherlin have 13, and Ben Higgins has 10.
– The ‘Dons are 44-of-51 in stolen base attempts this season.
– Six Mastodons have thrown 20 or more innings this season.
Answering the Call: As Kevin Fee finished Sunday’s game on the mound for the Mastodons, he set the program record for career pitching appearances at 79. Fee moved ahead of Adam Feris (2002-05) on the pitching appearance leader board. Feris finished his career with 78 visits to the mound.
Big Ben: In two games on Saturday, Ben Higgins was a top 30 nationally hitter according to D1Baseball. He had four hits including two homers and a double. He also drove in six runs, scored three times, and walked once.
Last Time Out: The ‘Dons took one game of a three-game set with Oakland last weekend. In the win, Purdue Fort Wayne scored seven runs in the first three innings to win 11-6
Up Next: The ‘Dons play host to Youngstown State this weekend in their next Horizon League series.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
GRACE HOLLOPETER HOMERS IN LOSS AT AKRON
AKRON, Ohio – Grace Hollopeter hit a home run on the first pitch of the game on Tuesday (April 16), but Purdue Fort Wayne softball fell to Akron 7-1.
Hollopeter finished 1-for-2, drawing a walk in the fifth. Bailey Manos and Epiphany Hang each had a hit in the third and fourth innings, respectively.
Akron evened the score in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of hits. Two innings later, the Zips scored the go-ahead run with a single to right field. From there, the home team added five runs of insurance with two runs in each of the third, fourth and sixth.
Gracie Brinkerhoff threw all six innings for the Mastodons but took the loss. Haley Croyle got the win for Akron in 4.1 innings of work.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 9-29. Akron improves to 19-23. The Mastodons will be back to Horizon League play this weekend when they visit Detroit Mercy.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BASEBALL WINS FIFTH-STRAIGHT WITH 5-4 WIN AT IU
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – University of Evansville pitchers Kevin Reed, Drew Fieger and Max Hansmann combined to silence the Indiana baseball team on Tuesday evening, and graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger drove in three runs as the visiting Purple Aces knocked off the host Hoosiers, 5-4, at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington, Indiana to pick up its fifth-straight victory.
“What a tremendous job today by our pitching staff,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “They really stepped up and earned us this victory tonight.
“I thought that Kevin Reed was outstanding today. He was able to do a good job of keeping IU off-balance all night long, and he made some big pitches when he needed to. I also thought that Drew Fieger did a great job of coming in to get the ball to Max Hansmann, who really was dialed in tonight.”
Indiana struck first against Reed with back-to-back doubles in the second inning, but UE quickly responded to tie the game in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Shallenberger. Shallenberger then gave UE the lead for good in the fourth inning, with a two-run single to push the advantage to 3-1. Senior designated hitter Kip Fougerousse would add another run in the fourth inning on an RBI ground out, before senior shortstop Simon Scherry launched a solo home run into the IU bullpen in left field in the fifth inning to build a 5-1 lead.
The Hoosiers would take advantage of a UE error in the fifth inning to plate a pair of runs off of Reed and cut the advantage to 5-3, but the freshman earned the victory by scattering three runs (two earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings of work while striking out three.
Fieger would take over the sixth inning and worked a perfect sixth with a pair of strikeouts, before IU would scratch across a run in the seventh inning to trim the UE lead to 5-4. That’s when Hansmann took over, retiring all six men he faced over the final two innings to earn his second save of the season.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 19-17 overall and the Purple Aces have now won nine of its last 10 games overall. Indiana, meanwhile, falls to 20-17 overall with the loss. The Purple Aces will continue on the road this weekend, as UE will travel to Peoria, Illinois to battle the Bradley Braves in a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series. The series begins Friday night at 6 p.m. in a game that can be heard live on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on ESPN+.
VALPO BASEBALL
NOTRE DAME NIPS VALPO IN ONE-RUN AFFAIR
The Valparaiso University baseball team gave host Notre Dame just about all it could handle, but the Fighting Irish fended off the Beacons for a 7-6 victory on Tuesday at Frank Eck Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind. Carson Husmann (Hanna, Ind. / South Central [Bradley]) hit a late three-run shot for the Beacons.
How It Happened
Valpo starter Kaleb Krier (Altoona, Iowa / Southeast Polk [DMACC]) worked a 1-2-3 first with help from a nifty play by Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) in center field.
Notre Dame got three runs in the second to take a 3-0 lead.
Krier bounced back from the three-run frame to work his second perfect inning of the day in the third, delivering a 1-2-3.
The Beacons went to the bullpen in the fourth, and righty Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) sent down the Fighting Irish in order, the third time in four innings that Valpo pitching worked a flawless frame.
A two-out rip by Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) in the top of the fifth drove in a pair, reducing the Notre Dame lead to one at 3-2.
The Fighting Irish responded in the bottom of the fifth with two runs of their own including a two-out triple to drive in the second run of the frame and extend the lead back to three at 5-2.
A leadoff double by Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) started the sixth, then Ryan ripped a single to left and Renfro crossed the plate to cut the lead to 5-3.
Notre Dame had the bases loaded with only one away in the sixth, but Jake Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill. / Huntley [Heartland]) – who had entered mid-inning amidst a jam – worked out of it with no damage done as the hosts stranded the max. That kept the game very much within reach at 5-3 through six. Valpo had a chance of its own in the bottom of the inning thanks to a one-out double by Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central), but he was left at second.
Notre Dame’s Connor Hincks hit a two-run homer in the seventh to move to within a double of the cycle. That expanded the lead to 7-3.
Valpo got the tying run to the plate in the eighth, loading the bases with two down, but Notre Dame worked out of it with nothing across.
A big swing by Husmann made it interesting in the top of the ninth as his three-run jack slimmed the Notre Dame lead to one. However, the Fighting Irish escaped with the win.
Inside the Game
Husmann’s homer was his third in the last four games after he had two in his first 25 games. This was the 25th home run of his collegiate career.
Renfro and Ryan had two hits apiece as part of Valpo’s 10-hit effort. The game was played quite evenly with Notre Dame owning a slight 12-10 edge in the hit column and Valpo owning a 4-3 edge in walks.
This was Valpo’s seventh one-run game of the season and the team fell to 2-5 in such contests.
Valpo lost its 16th straight head-to-head matchup with Notre Dame, but nine of the last 10 meetings have been decided by four runs or fewer.
Valpo had a prior one-run loss against the Irish – then No. 8 nationally – on April 27, 2021 by a score of 8-7. Valpo also fell 4-3 in 2019 and 6-5 in 2018 but hasn’t been able to get over the hump against its instate foe.
Valpo’s last three one-run losses have all come against stiff competition – one power-5 opponent (Notre Dame), one nationally-ranked opponent (Campbell) and one nationally-ranked power-5 opponent (Vanderbilt.)
Up Next
Valpo (11-23) will begin a three-game weekend series on Friday at 3 p.m. against Missouri State at Emory G. Bauer Field. The game will air on ESPN+ with links to live video and stats available on ValpoAthletics.com.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
USI CRUISES PAST BRESCIA IN HOME FINALE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis (5-13) cruised past Brescia University (3-5) in their home finale at the USI Tennis Courts, 7-0. The wins sparks a three-game winning streak for the Screaming Eagles with two regular season matches left.
Doubles
USI was victorious in every match competed in on Tuesday. Sophomores Mathys Bove (Lyon, France) and Axel Sabourin (Marseille, France) earned their third doubles victory in a row, 6-0. Juniors Blake Deaton (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Quinten Gillespie (Whiteland, Indiana) played together for the first time this season winning their match, 6-0.
Singles
Bove improved his singles record to an impressive 11-5 mark in the number one match 6-2, 6-2. Freshman Eytan Michaeli (Beer Sheva, Israel) also looked sharp in the number two slot winning 6-2, 6-0. Guy Finkelstein (Lehavim, Israel) and Deaton dominated their matches in the fifth and sixth slot.
What’s Next
USI travels north to Terre Haute, Indiana to battle Rose-Hulman University in a non-conference matchup at 3 p.m on Wednesday.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF CONCLUDES SEASON AT OVC CHAMPIONSHIP
TUNICA, Miss.- University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf team concluded their season with an eighth-place tie at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in Tunica, Mississippi. The event was held over three days at the Tunica National Golf Course.
The championships are a culmination of the entire season for all nine OVC teams fighting for first place. The format included five golfers per team with the winner being awarded to the lowest team score after three rounds of play. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock hoisted the OVC Championship trophy.
Round One
The Screaming Eagles came out slow with an opening-round score of 346 on Sunday. Senior Halle Gutwein (DeMotte, Indiana) led the Eagles shooting an 82 (+10) for the round.
Round Two
USI improved throughout the tournament dropping nine strokes to their score in round two at 337. Gutwein’s consistent play led to an 82 (+10), but the biggest improvement came from junior Baileigh Schneider (Huntingburg, Indiana) who dropped her score by 10 strokes at 84 (+12) for the round.
Round Three
Round three saw the biggest jump in the tournament shooting a team score of 323, which marked a 23-stroke improvement from round one. Three Eagles shaved multiple strokes shooting below an 82 (+10). Senior Katelyn Sayyalinh (Rockford, Illinois) shot an 81 (+9), while freshman Alexis Wymer (Bridgeport, Illinois) and Gutwein both shot 80 (+8).
The Eagles had three seniors Haylee Exline (Poseyville, Indiana), Gutwein, and Sayyahlinh all playing pivotal roles in their time at USI.
Exline was sidelined this season with an injury but was a force for the Eagles in 2022-23. The Oakland City University transfer made an immediate impact in her junior season with a team-low 83.09 strokes per round after eight tournaments and owned the lowest 18-hole round of 73 at the OVC championship.
Gutwein is a four-year Eagle who has been through the GLVC and OVC era at USI. She has nabbed all-academic honors in both conferences. In 2021-2022, Gutwin posted her personal best strokes per round of 82.95. In 2023-24, she led the Eagles in three tournaments including the OVC championship.
Sayyalinh is also a four-year Eagle who has played at both levels. She made an immediate impact ranking second on the team in 2021-22 with an average strokes per round score of 81.8. In her sophomore campaign, she captured a GLVC Player of the Week honor along with an 80.24 strokes per round average. Sayyalinh won her first tournament at the Ohio Valley University Shiner’s Hospital Shootout after a season-best 36-hole performance of 156. She led the team in three different tournaments in the 2023-24 season.
Leaderboard:
1
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2
Morehead State University
3
Tennessee Tech University
4
Western Illinois Univesity
5
Lindenwood University
6
Chicago State University
7
Tennessee State University
T8
University of Southern Indiana
T8
Eastern Illinois University
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EAGLES LOSE A TOUGH ONE TO HILLTOPPERS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost hard fought game with Western Kentucky University, 2-1, Tuesday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 15-22, while WKU goes to 26-12.
The Screaming Eagles’ offense was stymied for the first seven innings, while WKU built a 2-0 lead on just two hits. The Hilltopper runs came courtesy of a home run in the second inning and a bases-loaded hit batter in in the fifth.
USI stayed in the game with good pitching from six different pitchers which blanked the Hilltoppers for seven of the nine frames and struck out eight hitters. USI junior right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) (0-4) started and took the loss for the Eagles, going two innings and allowing the second inning home run.
The Eagles made a run at WKU in the eighth inning, cutting the deficit to 2-1. USI junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) reached on an error and would score from first on a two-out double by senior designated hitter Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas), who also took third on a second WKU error in the inning before being stranded to end the frame.
After a USI held the Hilltoppers in the top of the ninth, USI went three-up and three-down as WKU closed out the 2-1 final.
USI junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) led the Eagles at the plate with a three-for-four performance and was the only Eagle to have multiple hits. Thompson-Allen has a team-high 18 multi-hit games this season.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles continue the five-game homestand this weekend (April 19-20) with a three-game OVC series versus the University of Tennessee at Martin. The first pitch Friday is set for 6 p.m. before continuing Saturday at 3 p.m. and concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.
This weekend is USI Faculty/Staff Appreciation Weekend. USI faculty, staff, and their families will be admitted free to any game this weekend. USI employees need to bring a valid University faculty/staff ID to the entrance of the USI Baseball Field for the free entry.
In addition to USI Faculty Appreciation Weekend, Friday is West Side Nut Club Night at the USI Baseball Field.
The Skyhawks of UT Martin are 13-23 overall and 5-7 in the OVC after losing two of three at home to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Eagles lead the all-time series with UTM, 7-5, despite losing two of three in their first season in the OVC last year.
UINDY SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL GRABS THIRD IN NEW NFCA POLL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After three weeks of being ranked fifth, the UIndy softball team moved up to third in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s (NFCA) DII poll. With two weeks left in the regular season, the Greyhounds are currently on a nine-game win streak and are undefeated at home. This is UIndy’s highest ranking since week 12 of the 2022 season where the Greyhounds were also ranked third.
Over the weekend the Hounds swept Missouri S&T and Maryville. Against Maryville, the two teams played through nine innings in game one. It was the first time this year that the Greyhounds went into extra innings. Two different program records have been broken since Sunday. Emily O’Connor became the new leader in career home runs with her 46th coming against Maryville. Kenzee Smith now has the most GLVC Pitcher of the Week wins with 12 after winning Pitcher of the Week yesterday.
Later today the Hounds will travel to Cedarville to take on the in-region rival. The two teams The two programs faced each other earlier in the season at the Music City Invitational on Feb. 17. The Greyhounds defeated the Yellow Jackets, 7-5. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3:30 p.m.
National Fastpitch Coaches Association DII Poll, Week 10
| Rk | Team | Rec | Pts | Prev |
| 1 | West Texas A&M (16) | 41-4 | 400 | 1 |
| 2 | Tampa | 35-6 | 375 | 3 |
| 3 | Indianapolis | 38-3 | 368 | 5 |
| 4 | North Georgia | 41-7 | 351 | 2 |
| 5 | UT Tyler | 37-7 | 335 | 6 |
| 6 | Central Oklahoma | 37-7 | 329 | 8 |
| 7 | Colorado Christian | 41-4 | 295 | 7 |
| 8 | Rogers State | 36-8 | 287 | 4 |
| 9 | Pittsburg State | 42-4 | 267 | 9 |
| 10 | Wingate | 41-6 | 257 | 10 |
| 11 | Western Washington | 34-4 | 242 | 11 |
| 12 | Mississippi College | 36-6 | 229 | 12 |
| 13 | Charleston | 33-2 | 216 | 13 |
| 14 | East Stroudsburg | 34-10 | 174 | 15 |
| 15 | Auburn Montgomery | 32-9 | 170 | 17 |
| 16 | Concordia | 34-10 | 154 | 16 |
| 17 | Northwest Nazarene | 33-8 | 131 | 18 |
| 18 | Grand Valley State | 23-12 | 124 | 14 |
| 19 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 36-10 | 119 | 19 |
| 20 | Rollins | 32-11 | 91 | 20 |
| 21 | Wilmington | 29-12 | 77 | 22 |
| 22 | Angelo State | 36-13 | 73 | 21 |
| 23 | Washburn | 36-12 | 43 | 23 |
| 24 | Francis Marion | 36-10 | 26 | – |
| 25 | UAH | 33-12 | 16 | – |
Other teams receiving votes: Colorado Mesa (15), Oklahoma Baptist (13), Nova Southeastern (9), Cal State Dominguez Hills (7), Trevecca Nazarene (7)
UINDY SOFTBALL
FROST EARNS 800TH WIN AT UINDY AS HOUND SHUTOUT CEDARVILLE
CEDARVILLE, Ohio – UIndy softball head coach Melissa Frost recorded her 800th win at UIndy with the Greyhounds’ shutout sweep at Cedarville Tuesday. Frost, who has been at the helm since 2005, is the winningest coach in program history and is on track for her 20th consecutive winning season with the Hounds.
GAME 1 | UIndy 4, Cedarville 0
The third-ranked Hounds got off to a hot start in the first inning with a three-run rally. With a runner on first and second, Emily O’Connor hit the ball into right field for a double and two RBIs. A hit by Braxton Downs brought in the final run to cap the rally.
Shelby Cook led the team in hits with four and was the final Greyhound to earn an RBI during the game. Megan Nichols and Cook each stole a base.
Kenzee Smith had another standout performance in the circle. The senior only allowed one hit in 24 batters while striking out seven.
GAME 2 | UIndy 4, Cedarville 0 (9 innings)
The game remained scoreless after regulation and went into extra innings. To start the ninth, each team was allowed to start with a runner on second base. Two of the runs came from singles hit by Dominique Proctor and Downs, one off a single by Lexy Rees, and one was off a throwing error.
Smith grabbed her second win of the day after entering the game in the fifth. The pitcher took on 15 batters and only allowed one hit. Smith grabbed eight strikeouts and pitched two perfect innings to close out the game.
Rees had two of the four Greyhound hits during game two, including an RBI double. Three other Hounds also had a stolen base as well — Nichols, Cook, and Proctor.
UP NEXT
UIndy will continue to stay on the road with a doubleheader against first-year GLVC member Upper Iowa. The Greyhounds haven’t played the Peacocks since 2008. The contest is slated for Saturday, April 19 with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET.
MARIAN WOMEN’S LAX
KNIGHTS ADVANCE TO WHAC SEMIFINALS WITH 16-10 WIN OVER SIENA HEIGHTS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian women’s lacrosse team put up a strong offensive game against Siena Heights as they began their postseason, winning the WHAC Tournament Quarterfinals by a 16-10 final score. Marian’s win advances them to the semifinals, as they improve to 9-5 on the year.
The Knights wasted little time scoring Tuesday night, pouring in a goal 53 seconds into the game as Katelynn Gray netted the opening goal of the contest. Siena Heights would chime back as they took advantage of an own goal, but the Knights had an answer with an Ella Grace Giedd Goal, as she scored off a caused turnover by Sarah Travis. The Saints would level the score once more two minutes after Giedd’s first goal of the game, but the sophomore had an answer to put Marian in the lead for good. Katie Murphy and Katelynn Gray would score before the opening quarter’s conclusion, giving Marian a 5-2 lead after 15 minutes.
Katie Murphy kept Marian’s scoring run going into the second quarter, as the graduate attacker scored a man-advantage goal less than five minutes into the period. Siena Heights would score twice in the second quarter to break up Marian’s offense, but the Knights kept in control, as Delaney Koles and Giedd put away scores sandwiched by the Saints, holding the score at 8-4. Katherine Hirsch made two of her game-high eight saves in the final seven minutes of the first half, as the keeper and her defense stymied their opposition’s attack.
The offense for Marian again took center stage in the third quarter, as the Knights out-scored the Saints by a 5-2 clip. Siena Heights’ Jenna Allie would score the first goal of the quarter 51 seconds into play, but a score from Ashlynn Gray ignited Marian, as the team scored three goals in 72 seconds. Katie Murphy and Ruby Mason put away goals in the run, helping Marian to an 11-5 lead. Marian did yield a second goal in the quarter to Catherine Androwski, but scores from Giedd and Murphy in the final 2:02 gave Marian a controlling 13-6 lead after three periods.
In the fourth quarter Marian was out-scored by Siena Heights 4-3, with the Saints scoring three unanswered goals in a stretch of four minutes to make the game closer on the board. Katelynn Gray and Ruby Mason scored in the first four minutes of the period to cap the team’s 4-0 run that began in the final moments of the third, and Ella Grace Giedd added a late goal to halt Siena Heights momentum. Marian would close the game on top 16-10, earning their WHAC Tournament Quarterfinal win.
Offensively, Giedd led the Knights with five goals, totaling seven points as she added a pair of assists. Murphy scored four goals, and Katelynn Gray netted a pair with one assist. Mason scored twice, and Ashlynn Gray had one goal with two assists, winning eight draw controls. Giedd and Sarah Travis each had three caused turnovers and ground balls on the defensive end, with Rylie Bozeman and Alex Dean each causing two turnovers.
In between the sticks, Katherine Hirsch earned her eighth win of the season, making eight saves in the victory for Marian.
Marian will take on Indiana Tech on Thursday afternoon, re-matching with the Warriors in Fort Wayne. Opening draw is slated for 5:00 p.m.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
MARIAN SOFTBALL SWEPT BETHEL PILOTS FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON
Mishawaka, Ind. – The Marian softball team claimed a sweep over the Bethel Pilots on the road, as the Knights won game one with a score of 13-3 and won game two with a score of 10-7. The Knights are now 33-7 overall and 21-5 in the conference.
Game 1 | Marian 13-3 Bethel
The Knights opened up game one strong with Savannah Harweger leading the game off with a walk and a steal of second base. Shortly after on two outs Sierra Norman singled into left center to allow Harweger to score and claim the 1-0 lead for the Knights.
After a quick three outs Marian continued to increase their lead with consecutive singles from Wendt and Greene and doubles from Harweger and Abby Madere. Which allowed for Abbey Hofmann, Greene, Wendt, and Harweger to score to increase the score 5-0 at the end of the second inning.
The Knights continued the no-hitter against the Pilots to allow the visitors to continue their lead. Wendt singled into left center to allow for Grace Meyer to score the sixth run and continue to increase the lead. Meyer continues to bring the heat into the fourth inning with a solo home run bomb into center field to bring the score 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Olivia Stunkel carried a no hitter into the fifth inning only giving up one single to the Pilots. Bethel pushed at the Knights lead with a single and a sacrifice fly out to center field to tally two runs to bring the score 7-2.
The Knights scored six runs claiming their win in game one with Mackenzie Dalton, Brenna Fink, Hofmann, and Ella Piercy all claiming RBI’s to bring the score 13-2. In attempts to rally in the bottom of the seventh with a single into right center to allow for the last run to be scored to allow the Knights to claim the 13-3 win over Bethel in game one.
Wendt and Greene led the team in hits with three, with Fink going 2-2 from the plate. Harweger and Dalton lead the team both claiming two each in 11 RBI’s tallied. Stunkel took the win pitching five innings and striking out five batters only giving up two hits. Abigail McPherson came in as relief pitching one inning and giving up two hits. Katie Lackman came in to close out the game pitching the last inning.
Game 2 | Marian 10-7 Bethel
The Knights got off to a slower start in game two after a pair of scoreless innings for both teams, Anna Pritchett singled into second base to allow Abbey Hofmann to score the first run of the game.
After another scoreless inning Marian increased their lead off of a Harweger double into center field to allow for Caroline Roop and Hayley Greene to score two more runs for the Knights. Shortly after Madere singled into right field allowing Harweger and Pritchett to score. The visitors continued their rally with Grace Meyer singling into right center to allow for Madere to score bringing the score 6-0 in favor of the Knights.
In the top of the fifth Abby Madere hit a grand slam deep into the right center to allow Harweger, Pritchett, and Greene to cross the plate as well, bringing the score 10-0. Bethel pushed at the Knights lead with a double into right field, a fly out to center, and a single into left field to score three runs to decrease the visitors lead. The Pilots continued to chip at the Knights lead with a walk on loaded bases to bring the score 10-5 in favor of Marian.
After a scoreless inning for the Knights the Pilots scored off of a consecutive double and single bringing the score 10-7 in favor of the Knights. Marian got out of the game with a strikeout looking, a fly out to left field, and a pop up to shortstop to claim the 10-7 win on the road.
Harweger and Pritchett led the team in hits with three each, with Norman and Madere not far behind both claiming two. Madere led the team in RBI’s claiming six out of the ten tallied. Macy Coan took the win striking out five batters and only giving up three hits. Jaylah Guilliam and Lauren Mayer both came in as relief in game two.
The Knights will be back in action tomorrow on the road against Taylor for a double header with first pitch set for 4:00 p.m.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
42 – 6 – 44 – 21
April 17, 1869 – What many expert historian of baseball consider to be the first professional baseball game is played. The Cincinnati Red Stockings scored 24 against the Cincinnati amateurs 15 runs.
April 17, 1947 – Number 42, Jackie Robinson laid down a bunt and beat the throw to earn his first Major League hit. Robinson would also walk two times as the Dodgers doubled up the Boston Braves 12-6 on that afternoon.
April 17, 1951 – Mickey Mantle played in his first MLB game for the New York Yankees and had one hit in four at bats. Mantle who wore Number 6 that season, played right field and knocked in a run in the 5-0 Yankees win over the Boston Red Sox.
Basketball Hall of Fame Moments for April 17
The website of NBA.com offers these nuggets of history for the day.
April 17, 1966 – The Los Angeles Lakers, getting 41 points from Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Guard, Number 44, Jerry West, came back from a 34-20 deficit after one quarter to beat the Boston Celtics 133-129 in overtime in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Boston, however, won the series in seven games. The Lakers’ comeback from 14 points down in the first quarter of Game 1 is the largest first quarter deficit ever overcome in NBA Finals play.
April 17, 1993 – Atlanta Hawks, Super Star, Number 21, Dominique Wilkins became the 11th player in NBA history to score 22,000 career points, after hitting for 41 in the Hawks’ 110-107 setback against Charlotte.
The Events Skated into April 17 History
Here are a couple of items from the Vintage Hockey Jerseys website
April 17, 1977 – The Los Angeles beat the Boston Bruins 7-4 with Kings’ right wing Don Kozak setting an NHL record for fastest goal from start of playoff game, scoring :06 into the game.
April 17, 1981 – The Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins 4-3 in game three of the Adams Division final with Mike Ramsey becoming the second defenseman in NHL history to score goals in four straight playoff games.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History Headlines for April 17
First Our Newspapers.com story of the day…
April 17, 1963 – Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers & Alex Karras from the Detroit Lions were suspended from the NFL indefinitely for betting on NFL games. According to a newspaper write up on that day in the Nashville Banner Not only were these two NFL stars suspended but five other Detroit Lions other than Karras were fined $2000 each and the Michigan franchise incurred a penalty of $4000 as a result of an investigation into pro football gambling. The five Lions players involved were guard John Gordy, DB Gordy Lowe, linebacker Joe Schmidt, DE Sam Williams and one other unnamed player who allegedly bet $50 each on the 1962 NFL Championship game played between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers. Alex Karras on the other hand incriminated himself in a television interview stating that he bet on games but only for cigarettes and cigars but the NFL judged his as guilty by association with individuals described by the Detroit Police as “known hoodlums.” Paul Hornung befriended a wealthy West Coast businessman just before the East-West Shrine game in 1956 in San Francisco and that mystery figure who was known to bet on both college and pro games from then on would call to “query” Hornung about football. In 1959 Hornung was said to have started placing bets on NFL games with this so called friend as they spoke twice per week and $100 to $500 bets were said to have been placed. Commissioner Pete Rozelle was quoted as saying that review of Karras and Hornung’s suspensions would not be reviewed until 1964. We now know there was a reprieve to the sentence on 3/16/1964 (See March 16 reinstatement).
If you want to be able to be able to read through some old articles like the Nashville Banner you need to check out Newspapers.com. At Newspapers.com, you can get access to over 640 million pages’ worth of news from the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland and more dating back from 1798 to yesterday. Get a free one week subscription to Newspapers.com by visiting SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers. And with a paid subscription, you’ll also be helping to support the production of this and other Sports History Network shows. That’s SportsHistoryNetwork.com/newspapers
April 17, 1999 – The 1999 version of the NFL Draft took place. University of Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch first pick by the expansion Cleveland Browns franchise. There were some pretty nice picks made too as Couch was followed by Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb to the Eagles, Cincy taking Akili Smith of Oregon, Hall of Fame back Edgerrin James went 4th to the Colts followed by Ricky Williams to New Orleans in the big trade by then coach Mike Ditka basically giving all of his 1999 picks for the opportunity to draft Williams. NC State Wideout Tory Holt went next to the St Louis Rams, Hall of Fame Defensive Back Champ Bailey was picked up by Washington according to the Pro Football Reference.com
Hall of Fame Birthdays for April 17
April 17, 1905 – Little Falls, Minnesota – Herb Joesting the Minnesota Golden Gophers fullback from 1925 to 1927 arrived into the world. According to the FootballFoundation.org website Joesting was a powerful runner and Gopher Coach Clarence “Doc” Spears knew how to use him, building the entire Minnesota offense around the style and talent of Herb. After two straight seasons of being frustrated by Joesting, Notre Dame head man Knute Rockne proclaimed ahead of the 1927 matchup,”I’ll buy a new suit for the guy who can throw Joesting for a loss.” No Irish player was able to collect on the new threads as Joesting and the Gophers ended up in a 7-7 tie with the Irish that season, ending up with a final record of 6-0-2. The “Owatonna Thunderbolt” as he was called, in that senior season received the honor of being called an All-American for the third straight year! Herb recorded 1,850 career yards in 24 games for a career average of 4.2 yards a carry. He knew only one way to play the game. “I play each game for all it’s worth,” he said. “No more can be asked of an athlete than that he goes all out in every situation.” Those words really inspired a young Gopher sophomore named Bronko Nagurski, who would be watched and learned from the great performances of Joesting during the next two seasons. Herb Joesting received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
April 17, 1941 – Red Bluff, California – The Occidental two-way quarterback/defensive back of the 1962 and 1963 seasons, Bill Redell was born. When the experts talk about a well balanced player three can’t be many more balanced than “the Falcon.” Redell passed for 1,567 yards and rushed for 1,583 for his collegiate career. He tossed 11 touchdowns and ran in eight more averaging 6.3 yards per carry per the NFF. Bill picked off seven passes on defense and kicked 36 of 43 extra-point attempts. It was consistent play like this that got him named to the NAIA All-America team in 1963. Bill Redell’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2001. After college, he played six years in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-cats, and the Calgary Stampeders. After hanging up the cleats in 1970, he became a football coach first as assistant at Cal State-Fullerton and California Lutheran and then later as the first head coach of a brand new program at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California.
April 17, 1972 – Modesto, California – The massive offensive tackle of the USC Trojans from 1991 to 1994, Tony Boselli celebrities his day of birth. Standing 6’-8” and weighing in at 305 pounds, Boselli was a two-time All-American and a 1994 NFF National Scholar-Athlete according to the NFF. Tony was highly decorated as a gridiron athlete as he was selected as a consensus First-Team All-America honors his senior season, the 1994 finalist for the Outland Trophy and a two-time semifinalist for the Lombardi Award. Boselli also was the 1994 Morris Trophy winner as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-10 Conference. The National Football Foundation selected Tony Boselli for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. Tony was the first-ever draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars when he was selected as the second overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. The five-time Pro Bowl selection played seven seasons with the Jaguars before finishing his career with the Houston Texans in 2002. For more chack out our full bio on Tony Boselli.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
April 17
1932 — New York first baseman Bill Terry tied an NL record with 21 putouts as the Giants beat Boston 5-0 behind Hal Schumacher’s two-hitter.
1951 — In his first major league game, Mickey Mantle went 1-for-4 in the New York Yankees’ 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
1953 — Mickey Mantle cleared the bleachers at Griffith Stadium with a 565-foot home run off Chuck Stobbs. The shot came in the fifth inning of a 7-3 win over the Senators.
1964 — The New York Mets lost their first game at Shea Stadium, falling 4-3 to the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell hit the first homer at Shea.
1969 — Bill Stoneman of Montreal pitched a 7-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th game of the Expos’ existence.
1976 — Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hit four consecutive home runs and a single in an 18-16, 10-inning victory over the Cubs in Wrigley Field. Hitting .167 going into the game, he connected twice off Rick Reuschel, once off Rick’s brother, Paul, and once off Darold Knowles. He drove in eight runs.
1983 — Nolan Ryan strikes out seven Expos in a 6-3 Houston victory to become only the second pitcher in major league history to record 3,500 career strikeouts.
2000 — Major League Baseball owners vote to approve the $96 million sale of the Kansas City Royals to team chairman David Glass.
2001 — Barry Bonds became the 17th major leaguer to hit 500 home runs. Bonds’ two-run, eighth-inning drive off Terry Adams went into San Francisco Bay to lead the Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.
2008 — Troy Tulowitzki’s RBI double with two outs in the 22nd inning scored Willy Taveras and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 in the longest game in the majors in nearly 15 years, a 6-hour, 16-minute marathon.
2008 — Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann hit consecutive home runs in a span of 12 pitches in the fifth inning off Florida’s Ricky Nolasco in Atlanta’s 8-0 win.
2009 — Jason Kubel completed the ninth cycle in Twins history with a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning that helped Minnesota to an 11-9 victory over the Angels.
2010 — Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in the Colorado Rockies’ 18-year history, dominating the Atlanta Braves in a 4-0 victory. Jimenez (3-0) walked six — all in the first five innings. He was helped by Dexter Fowler’s diving backhanded catch in left-center field in the seventh inning.
2010 — Jose Reyes hit a sacrifice fly in the 20th inning and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in the longest game in the majors in two years. Jeff Francoeur also had a sacrifice fly for New York in the 19th inning, snapping a scoreless tie, but Yadier Molina singled in Albert Pujols with two out in the bottom half. St. Louis left the bases loaded in the 10th, 12th and 14th and stranded 22 runners, including 14 in extra innings.
2012 — Jamie Moyer, 49, became the oldest pitcher to win a major league game. He threw seven masterful innings and Dexter Fowler hit a two-run homer, helping the Colorado Rockies hold on for a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres. Moyer’s 268th win tied him with Hall of Famer Jim Palmer for 34th on the career list.
2014 — Major League Baseball suspended Seattle Mariners first baseman Ji-Man Choi 50 games following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1977 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)..
Off the field…
In a seven hour period during the night of July 19-20, at least twelve inches of rain fell in the mountainous region around Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The emerging flood swept through the area, resulting in the deaths of seventy-seven people and damage in excess of $200 million. Despite the disaster, it paled in comparison to the first major flood that had devastated the area in 1889 killing 2,200 people.
David Berkowitz, also known as the “Son of Sam” terrorized the New York City area for over a year with a series of random shootings. Berkowitz had typically made victims of people in parked cars with a .44-caliber pistol and later explained that he adopted the name “Son of Sam” because of the “demons” in his neighbor Sam Carr’s dog that “made him do it.” Originally the serial killer pleaded insanity, but was later found competent to stand trial for six murders and seven attempted murders. After being found guilty on all counts, he was sentenced to twenty-five years to life for each of the murders.
The American Agricultural Movement was organized to preserve the family farm system and to seek 100% parity for all agricultural products. The nationwide farmer’s strike resulted when their demands were not met by the United States Government by midnight, December 13th, but eventually subsided by March 1978 without the farmers accomplishing their goals.
In the American League…
Baseball’s first black manager hired became the first also fired after Frank Robinson was let go by the struggling Cleveland Indians, who were 26-31 and in fourth place in the American League East by June. Jeff Torborg was named as his replacement.
On the Forth of July, the Boston Red Sox set off some “fireworks” of their own as they launched eight home run blasts out of Fenway Park, tying a Major League record and beating the Toronto Blue Jays 9-6. The home run derby ended a nine-game losing streak and featured round-trippers by Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrezemski, George Scott, Butch Hobson and Bernie Carbo.
On October 18th, Reggie Jackson officially became “Mr. October” after hitting three consecutive homeruns and five RBIs during Game 6 of the World Series. The New York Yankees followed his lead and went on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first World Championship title since 1962. Jackson finished the Series with five home runs, eight runs batted in and a .450 average.
In the National League…
During an 8-0 victory (in what be his last game in Shea Stadium as a Met until 1983) New York ace Tom Seaver sat down Dan Driessen, of the Cincinnati Reds, for his 2,397th K, passing Sandy Koufax for the twenty-third spot on the all-time strikeout kings list.
Three Atlanta Braves, Gary Matthews, Biff Pocoraba and Pat Rockett pulled off the impossible after they executed a triple steal over the San Diego Padres en-route to a 7-3 victory on September 11th.
Lou Brock stole the nine-hundredth base of his career and the thirty-fifth of the season during the opening game of a September 30th doubleheader between his St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets. The “Redbirds” went on to win the game 7-2.
Around the League…
Mary Shane became the first female play-by-play announcer in Major League Baseball history after she was signed by the Chicago White Sox to broadcast their games for the 1977 season.
As part of a promotional night to debut the new “Reggie Bar”, a candy bar named after Reggie Jackson, fans at Yankee Stadium received free samples. The marketing scheme backfired though as fans threw hundreds of them back onto the field forcing the game to be halted until the ground crew was able to clear them away.
Despite a miserable 54-107 record, the Toronto Blue Jays boasted a home attendance of 1,701,052 during their debut season (by comparison, the Seattle Mariners drew 1,338,511) — the most ever for a Major League expansion team through this season.
Prior to the start of the ’77 season, the Toronto Blue Jays had agreed to a trade that would send veteran pitcher Bill Singer to the New York Yankees for the then, little used, left-hander Ron Guidry. All bets were off though after the front office realized that Singer was on the cover of their printed media guide. By the end of the season, Singer had gone 2-8 and retired while Guidry compiled a 16-7 record and an impressive 2.82 ERA.
BASEBALL’S GREATS
HANK AARON
OF-1B 1954-1976 Braves, Brewers
Hank Aaron was normally not an excitable sort. One observer remarked that Aaron seemed to be looking for a place to sit down when he approached the batter’s box. Robin Roberts once remarked that Aaron was the only batter he knew that “could fall asleep between pitches and still wake up in time to hit the next one.”
On a muggy April night in Atlanta in 1974, relief pitcher Tom House carried a baseball in from the left-field bullpen. When he handed the ball that had eclipsed the most important record in baseball to the unemotional record breaker, House reported that there were tears in Hank Aaron’s eyes. Perhaps the emotion was in response to his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth‘s career record, but more likely it was in thanks that the ordeal was finally over. It was an ordeal similar to the one undergone by Roger Maris 13 summers earlier, one difference being that Hank Aaron’s pursuit of Ruth had racial implications to many. Aaron received hate mail and death threats and, when he failed to get number 714 at the end of the 1973 season, he left an entire off-season for speculation and building expectations. The tears may have been the reaction to a giant weight being lifted off his shoulders.
Aaron was able to become the all-time home run champ by sustaining a relatively unspectacular but remarkably consistent career. He was never hurt badly enough to be out of the lineup for an extended period of time. He was not a particularly aggressive base runner, so his legs suffered little wear and tear. He controlled his weight throughout his career. His remarkable physical condition allowed him to average 33 HR a year, hitting between 24 and 45 HR for 19 straight years. He drove in more than 100 runs 15 times, including a record 13 seasons in a row.
He was an All-Star in each of the 23 seasons he played. Sometimes lost among the home run hullaballoo are Aaron’s two batting titles and four Gold Gloves for his play in right field. He was consistent and dangerous, and he quickly gained the respect he was to enjoy throughout his entire career. Early in his career, the Braves played the Dodgers with Jackie Robinson at third. Hank Aaron twice faked bunts, but Robinson didn’t budge. After the game, Aaron asked him why he didn’t move in. Robinson told him, “We’ll give you first base anytime you want it.”
Hank Aaron had an understated style that could make him look lazy. He wasn’t. He didn’t play high school ball in Mobile, Alabama, which somehow hatched the strange story that he batted crosshanded early in his career. He played semi-pro ball when he was 15 and was the shortstop for two seasons with the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro leagues. In May 1952, the Braves paid $7,500 for Aaron, who spent the next season and a half tearing up three different minor and winter leagues. He desegregated the Braves in 1954 after Bobby Thomson broke a leg in spring training to open a spot. Aaron joined a powerful lineup featuring Eddie Mathews and Del Crandall that needed a final link.
Aaron won his first batting title in 1956, his third ML season. He came close to the Triple Crown the following year with league bests of 44 homers and 132 RBI, but he finished third in the batting race behind Stan Musial and Willie Mays. Hank Aaron blamed an ankle injury (he twisted it when he stepped on a bottle thrown onto the field) for slowing him up at bat. One of those 1957 homers is reputedly Aaron’s own favorite: the homer that clinched the 1957 NL pennant. For his efforts that season, he won his only MVP award. In the Braves World Series win over the Yankees, he batted .393 with three more homers and seven RBI.
In 1959, Aaron won his second batting title with a .355 average and led the league in slugging with a .636 average. In that year’s All-Star Game, he singled in the tying run in the eighth inning, then scored the eventual winner on Mays’s triple. In 1963, he again threatened to win the Triple Crown. He led the league with 44 HR and 130 RBI but again finished third in the batting race with a .319 average, beaten by Tommy Davis (.326) and Roberto Clemente (.320). He won HR titles in 1966 when he also won his final RBI crown, and in 1967, the Braves first two seasons in Atlanta. The Braves won a wild NL Western Division race in 1969, but lost in the LCS in three games to the Mets, despite a Hank Aaron homer in each game, seven RBI, and a .357 average.
It was around this time that Hank Aaron was acknowledged to be a serious threat to Ruth’s lifetime record. Heretofore soft-spoken and reserved, Aaron became more vociferous on the treatment of blacks in baseball’s upper echelon. In 1970, soon after collecting his 3,000th hit, he stated frankly: “I have to tell the truth, and when people ask me what progress Negroes have made in baseball, I tell them the Negro hasn’t made any progress on the field. We haven’t made any progress in the commissioner’s office. Even with Monte Irvin in there, I still think it’s tokenism. I think we have a lot of Negroes capable of handling front-office jobs. We don’t have Negro secretaries in some of the big league offices, and I think it’s time that the major leagues and baseball in general just took hold of themselves and started hiring some of these capable people.”
His quest for racial equality did not interrupt his chase of Ruth. In 1971, he had a career-high .669 slugging average and slammed 47 HR to climb to third place on the all-time list with 639, behind Ruth and Willie Mays. With 34 more in 1972, he passed Mays to go into second place. At the age of 39 in 1973, he cracked 40, the most HR ever for a player his age, ending the season one homer off the record. When the 1974 season opened, the Braves preferred he sit out the first series in Cincinnati so he’d hit the record shots in Atlanta.
Aaron and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn thought not. And Hank Aaron didn’t leave people in suspense long, hitting a 3-1 pitch off Jack Billingham in his second at-bat on Opening Day, the first homer to be struck at the new Riverfront Stadium. He sat out the next game before the scene shifted back to Atlanta. On April 8, a Monday night game on national TV, he leaned into a 1-0 fastball from Dodger lefty Al Downing. He hit the ball with his weight on his front foot, as was his custom, on a slow arc into the left-field bullpen, where reliever House made a nice catch. As he jogged around the bases, easily and emotionlessly with his head down, he was congratulated by the Dodger infielders. He was met at home plate by a small mob, including his mother.
Hank Aaron finished the year with 20 homers. Soon after the season was over, the Braves sent him to Milwaukee, where he hit 22 HR in two seasons for the Brewers. He finished his career tops all-time in HR, RBI, total bases, and extra-base hits, second in at-bats and runs (tied with Ruth), and third in games played and hits (3,771).
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
April 17
1939 — Joe Louis knocks out Jack Roper at 2:20 of the first round in Los Angeles to retain the world heavyweight title.
1947 — Jackie Robinson bunts for his 1st major league hit.
1951 — NY Yankee Mickey Mantle’s 1st game.
1967 — Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti beats American Emile Griffith in a 15 round points decision to win world middleweight crown.
1976 — Mike Schmidt hits four consecutive home runs and drives in eight runs as the Philadelphia Phillies overcome a 13-2 deficit to beat the Cubs 18-16 in 10 innings at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
1976 — Australian tennis star Evonne Goolagong Cawley wins her second WTA Tour Championship at the Los Angeles Sports Arena; beats Chris Evert.
1982 — The Denver Nuggets’ Alex English, Dan Issel and Kiki Vandeweghe each average 20 points a game, the first front court to do so since Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Clyde Lovellette of St. Louis in 1961.
1983 — Nolan Ryan strikes out his 3,500th batter.
1987 — Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers becomes the third player to score 30,000 points in his pro career. Erving scores 38 points to join Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
1994 — Carl Lewis and his Santa Monica Track Club teammates rewrite their world record in the 800-meter relay at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays. Lewis, Mike Marsh, Leroy Burrell and Floyd Heard are timed at 1:18.68, breaking the record of 1:19.11 they had set on April 25, 1992.
1995 — Wayne Gretzky reaches 2,500 career points when he sets up a power-play goal by Rob Blake in Los Angeles’ 5-2 loss to Calgary.
1997 — The New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur becomes the second NHL goalie to score in the playoffs. Brodeur’s empty net goal caps a three-goal third period that gives the Devils a 5-2 win and a 1-0 lead in a first-round series against Montreal.
1999 — Quarterbacks go 1-2-3 in the NFL Draft as Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith go to Cleveland, Philadelphia and Cincinnati — the first quarterback trifecta since 1971.
2001 — Barry Bonds becomes the 17th major leaguer to hit 500 home runs. Bonds’ two-run, eighth-inning drive off Terry Adams leads the San Francisco Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.
2006 — Sidney Crosby, scores three assists in Pittsburgh’s 6-1 win over the New York Islanders to become the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season. The 18-year-old becomes the seventh NHL rookie to reach the 100-point mark.
2010 — Ubaldo Jimenez pitches the first no-hitter in the Colorado Rockies’ 18-year history, dominating the Atlanta Braves in a 4-0 victory.
2011 — Jimmie Johnson wins the Aaron’s 499, edging Clint Bowyer by about a foot. The official margin of 0.002 seconds, ties for the closest finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup history.
2018 — Brayden McNabb scores against his former team in the second period, lifting Vegas to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings that makes the Golden Knights the first expansion team in NHL history to sweep its first playoff series. Marc-Andre Fleury turns in another stellar performance, stopping 31 shots as the Knights finish off their fourth one-goal victory of the series.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
BOWLING
7 p.m.
FS1 — PBA: The WSOB PBA Shark Championship, Allen Park, Mich.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
5 p.m.
SECN — Texas Tech at Arkansas
COLLEGE GOLF
7 p.m.
GOLF — The Western Intercollegiate: Final Round, Pasatiempo Golf Club, Santa Cruz, Calif.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
ACCN — Virginia at Virginia Tech
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
6:30 p.m.
BTN — Wisconsin at Minnesota
7 p.m.
PAC-12N — Weber St. at Utah
FUTSAL (MEN’S)
1:55 p.m.
FS2 — CONCACAF Championship: Costa Rica vs. Canada, Quarterfinal
3:55 p.m.
FS2 — CONCACAF Championship: Panama vs. U.S., Quarterfinal
5:55 p.m.
FS2 — CONCACAF Championship: Guatemala vs. Mexico, Quarterfinal
8 p.m.
FS2 — CONCACAF Championship: Dominican Republic vs. Cuba, Quarterfinal
MLB BASEBALL
Noon
MLBN — Regional Coverage: San Francisco at Miami OR San Diego at Milwaukee (1:10 p.m.)
3 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: NY Yankees at Toronto OR Cincinnati at Seattle (4:10 p.m.)
7 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Boston OR LA Angels at Tampa Bay (6:50 p.m.)
NBA BASKETBALL
7:10 p.m.
ESPN — Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: Miami at Philadelphia
ESPN2 — Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: Miami at Philadelphia (NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart)
9:35 p.m.
ESPN — Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: Atlanta at Chicago
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
TNT — Toronto at Tampa Bay
TRUTV — Toronto at Tampa Bay (BetCast)
9:30 p.m.
TNT — St. Louis at Dallas
TRUTV — St. Louis at Dallas (BetCast)
RUGBY (MEN’S)
5:30 a.m. (Thursday)
FS2 — NRL: Melbourne at Sydney
SOCCER (MEN’S)
CBS — UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid at Manchester City, Quarterfinal – Leg 2
TENNIS
5 a.m.
TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds
5 a.m. (Thursday)
TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds
6 a.m. (Thursday)TENNIS — Barcelona-ATP, Munich-ATP, Bucharest-ATP, Stuttgart-WTA, Rouen-WTA Early Rounds