“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS REGIONAL PAIRINGS
NORTHERN HOSTS
MICHIGAN CITY
CLASS 3A | 1 PM CT | EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (19-8) VS. HANOVER CENTRAL (15-11)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM CT | PORTAGE (20-5) VS. CROWN POINT (21-2)
LOGANSPORT
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | MANCHESTER (22-2) VS. TIPTON (19-6)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | HOMESTEAD (21-5) VS. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (11-15)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (23-3) VS. COLUMBIA CITY (17-9)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | SOUTH BEND RILEY (21-4) VS. WARSAW COMMUNITY (25-4)
NEW CASTLE
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | DALEVILLE (9-15) VS. MONROE CENTRAL (18-6)
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | DELTA (16-7) VS. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN (24-3)
NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE
CLASS 1A | 1 PM CT | KOUTS (22-4) VS. TRI-COUNTY (14-11)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM CT | FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (21-6) VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY (19-6)
LAPEL
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | WESTERN BOONE (11-14) VS. WAPAHANI (25-1)
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | MACONAQUAH (20-5) VS. MARION (14-11)
TRITON
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | TRITON (22-4) VS. LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN (7-16)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | JIMTOWN (15-10) VS. WESTVIEW (18-7)
FRANKFORT
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | CLINTON PRAIRIE (23-2) VS. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (12-14)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | FISHERS (27-0) VS. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (19-6)
SOUTHERN HOSTS
SOUTHPORT
CLASS 4A | 1 PM ET | MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE) (20-) VS. BROWNSBURG (13-12)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | MOORESVILLE (14-11) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (20-6)
SEYMOUR
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (18-8) VS. ORLEANS (21-4)
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | SOUTH RIPLEY (23-1) VS. FOREST PARK (18-6)
LEBANON
CLASS 2A | 1 PM ET | TRITON CENTRAL (16-9) VS. UNIVERSITY (17-9)
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS CRISPUS ATTUCKS (19-6) VS. NORTHVIEW (24-2)
WASHINGTON
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (23-2) VS. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (18-6)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO (20-5) VS. WHITELAND COMMUNITY (15-11)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | NORTH DECATUR (14-13) VS. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (17-8)
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | GUERIN CATHOLIC (23-4) VS. NEW PALESTINE (24-3)
SOUTHRIDGE
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | JENNINGS COUNTY (12-14) VS. PRINCETON COMMUNITY (23-2)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | JEFFERSONVILLE (20-5) VS. EVANSVILLE HARRISON (17-7)
MARTINSVILLE
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (8-15) VS. HAUSER (23-3)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | PARKE HERITAGE (23-4) VS. CENTERVILLE (20-7)
LOOGOOTEE
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | NORTHEAST DUBOIS (16-9) VS. CLAY CITY (24-1)
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | LINTON-STOCKTON (20-6) VS. PROVIDENCE (17-4)
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
GONZAGA 58 #19 ST. MARY’S 51
NOTRE DAME 55 PITTSBURGH 54
CALIFORNIA 82 VIRGINIA TECH 73 2OT
Cincinnati 87 Oklahoma State 68
COLORADO 69 TCU 67
KANSAS STATE 71 ARIZONA STATE 66
SYRACUSE 66 FLORIDA STATE 62
CENTRAL FLORIDA 87 UTAH 72
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
VANDERBILT 12 VALPARAISO 0
NOTRE DAME 6 WINTHOP 3
INDIANA 9 INDIANA STATE 4
BALL STATE 13 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 10
SE MISSOURI STATE 17 EVANSVILLE 6
SOUTHERN INDIANA 6 AUSTIN PEAY 4
INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL
OHIO STATE 3 NOTRE DAME 2
INDIANA 13 BUTLER 0
VALPO 4 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 1
PURDUE FT. WAYNE AT BALL STATE CANCELLED
ILLINOIS 6 INDIANA STATE 4
INDIANA MEN’S COLLEGE LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA WOMEN’S COLLEGE LAX
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCOREBOARD
CLEVELAND 109 BROOKLYN 104
DETROIT 123 WASHINGTON 103
INDIANA 115 MILWAUKEE 114
NEW ORLEANS 127 LA CLIPPERS 120
NHL SCOREBOARD
OTTAWA 5 PHILADELPHIA 2
PITTSBURGH 3 VEGAS 2 OT
BOSTON 3 FLORIDA 2
NEW JERSEY 5 COLUMBUS 3
CAROLINA 4 TAMPA BAY 1
WINNIPEG 2 NY RANGERS 1
MINNESOTA 2 COLORADO 1
WASHINGTON 7 ANAHEIM 4
MONTRÉAL 4 VANCOUVER 2
NASHVILLE 3 SAN JOSE 2
LOS ANGELES 4 NY ISLANDERS 1
MLB SCOREBOARD
HOUSTON 7 NY METS 4
DETROIT 3 ATLANTA 1
PHILADELPHIA 18 BOSTON 8
BALTIMORE 6 NY YANKEES 2
PITTSBURGH 9 NY YANKEES 1
MIAMI 12 ST. LOUIS 5
TORONTO 3 MINNESOTA 2
LA DODGERS 10 CLEVELAND 4
MILWAUKEE 9 CHICAGO CUBS 7
CINCINNATI 8 COLORADO 5
TEXAS 13 LA ANGELS 6
SAN DIEGO 7 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 5
ARIZONA 3 KANSAS CITY 2
SAN FRANCISCO 5 LAS VEGAS 3
MLS SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BIG TEN ANNOUNCES 2025 MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON HONORS
####ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Teams and individual award winners for the 2024-25 season. Due to ties, a total of 20 student-athletes were selected to the All-Big Ten teams by the coaches and the media. Additionally, 14 student-athletes were awarded honorable mention status.
Purdue’s Braden Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the media. Smith joins Zach Edey as the Boilermakers third consecutive Big Ten Player of the Year and earns Purdue’s seventh Player of the Year award.
Smith enters the postseason ranked second on the team with 16.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, while his 8.8 assists lead the conference and rank second in the country. With 506 points, 272 assists, 145 rebounds and 70 steals on the season, Smith becomes the fourth player in NCAA history to have at least 500 points, 270 assists, 140 rebounds and 70 steals in a season joining BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth, California’s Jason Kidd, and Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson.
Penn State’s Ace Baldwin Jr. was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, becoming the first repeat winner since Purdue’s Kenneth Lowe in 2003 and 2004. One of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist in February, Baldwin ranks 10th in the country with 2.37 steals per game, while his 71 total steals are good for 15th.
Maryland’s Derik Queen was selected as Freshman of the Year honors by both the coaches and the media. Queen becomes the third Terps’ freshman named the league’s top rookie and the first since Joe Smith was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 1994. Queen leads Maryland with 15.7 points and 1.0 blocked shots, while his 9.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals rank second. Queen is also second in the Big Ten and 18th in Division I with 13 double-doubles on the season.
Illinois freshman Will Riley earned Sixth Man of the Year accolades, joining Andre Curbelo (2021) as Illini Sixth Men of the Year. Riley paired 12.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 31 contests. Riley exploded on the scene with 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting in his collegiate debut, a win over Eastern Illinois. Since then, Riley has scored in double figures 18 times, including 10 of Illinois’ final 11 regular season games.
Both the coaches and media selected Michigan State’s Tom Izzo as Coach of the Year. This is the third Big Ten Coach of the Yeah honor for Izzo, who led the Spartans to a 26-5 record, including 17-3 in the Big Ten. Izzo led Michigan State to its 17th Big Ten championship, including 11 under Izzo, while extending his conference wins record to 360.
Michigan State Associate Head Coach Doug Wojcik is this year’s recipient of the Howard Moore Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Now in his seventh season on the Spartans’ bench, Wojcik has helped Michigan State to three Big Ten championships, one Big Ten Tournament title and the 2019 Final Four.
The Howard Moore Award, which honors former Wisconsin student-athlete and assistant coach Howard Moore, is presented to a men’s basketball assistant coach who demonstrates commitment to the development of student-athletes on and off the court; who has made a measurable contribution to the betterment of their community; and who has shown a commitment to diversity and inclusion. The recipient shall have made a demonstrable positive impact on the lives of those with whom they interact.
Moore has had an impact on the Big Ten Conference at all levels, playing on the Wisconsin basketball team from 1992-95, holding an assistant coaching role for the Badgers from 2006-10 and 2016-19 and serving as an analyst on the Big Ten Network. His impact extends far beyond basketball where his Moore Foundation was an extension of the way he lives his life: being selfless and putting others first. His career was tragically cut short in May of 2019 when an accident with a drunk driver claimed the lives of his wife and daughter and left him with life-altering disabilities.
The Big Ten also recognized 18 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
The awards are voted on by conference coaches and a select media panel. The complete list of All-Conference honorees and individual award winners is below.
2024-25 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Big Ten Coaches
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Braden Smith, Purdue
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Derik Queen, Maryland
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Will Riley, Illinois
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
HOWARD MOORE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Doug Wojcik, Michigan State
FIRST TEAM
Derik Queen, Maryland
Brice Williams, Nebraska
TREY KAUFMAN-RENN, Purdue
BRADEN SMITH, Purdue
JOHN TONJE, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM
Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
Danny Wolf, Michigan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
THIRD TEAM*
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland
Jaden Akins, Michigan State
Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
HONORABLE MENTION
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Julian Reese, Maryland
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dyler Harper, Rutgers
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
DERIK QUEEN, Maryland
Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Jadin Akins, Michigan State
TJ Bamba, Oregon
NateBittle, Oregon
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Kobe Johnson, UCLA
2024-25 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Ben Humrichous, ILL; Anthony Leal, IND, Ladji Dembele, IOWA; Selton Miguel, MD; Nimari Burnett, MICH; Nick Sanders, MSU; Kadyn Betts, MINN; Rollie Worster, NEB; Brooks Barnhizer, NU; James Cooper, ORE; Kalen Etzler, OSU; Puff Johnson, PSU; Caleb Furst, PUR; Zach Martini, RU; Lazar Stefanovic, UCLA; Harrison Hornery, USC; Wilhelm Breidenbach, WASH; Markus Ilver, WIS.
2024-25 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Media Voting Panel
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Braden Smith, Purdue
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Derik Queen, Maryland
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
FIRST TEAM
Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
Brice Williams, Nebraska
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
BRADEN SMITH, Purdue
JOHN TONJE, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM
Derik Queen, Maryland
Danny Wolf, Michigan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
THIRD TEAM
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland
Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
HONORABLE MENTION
Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
Malik Reneau, Indiana
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Julian Reese, Maryland
Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
Desmond Claude, USC
Great Osobor, Washington
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
*Additional honorees due to ties
####KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is in favor of expanding the men’s NCAA Tournament to 76 teams, and he believes a decision could come in the next few months, opening the possibility of proposed changes being implemented as soon as next year.
Yormark spoke before the start of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday.
“I’m in favor of expansion to 76. I think that’s the right number,” he said. “I think the economics candidly have to work. CBS and TNT have a marquee (television) asset with the tournament. I know they know that. But in order for us to expand, they need to come to the table and provide the right economics.”
This year’s edition of March Madness will be the 40th men’s bracket since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985; it later grew to the current 68-team configuration. The women’s bracket increased to 64 in 1994 and added four more teams in 2022.
Last year, the NCAA presented a plan to Division I commissioners that would expand the men’s and women’s tournaments by four or eight teams alongside an option to leave each field at 68. The time-honored 64-team bracket would remain and the added teams would be part of the play-in games involving the 10-through-12 seeds.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said in a recent CBS Sports interview that he doesn’t expect a vote in the near future, but he left open the possibility of a spring vote. Gavitt said changes in game operation and travel were among many issues to consider, and that the decision is “not taken in a lighthearted way at all.”
“Expansion, even in a modest level, is complex, more complex than I think has been recognized and reported, because it is expensive,” said Gavitt, whose father Dave Gavitt helped oversee the 1985 expansion as chair of the selection committee.
Gavitt said during the CBS interview that he isn’t sure whether the field should expand, but he sounded more positive about the possibility than he was a few years ago. Name, image and likeness, conference realignment and the transfer portal have changed the dynamics, and Gavitt said men’s basketball, in particular, might be suited to handle it.
“There’s no sport that is deeper overall and has more parity than men’s college basketball,” he said. “There’s great basketball played at every level in men’s basketball right now. So I think it’s important to keep the tournament contemporary and relevant, based on what is going on in college athletics.”
That was the case made by Yormark, who said Tuesday he believes there is an appetite for more teams and games.
“I think there will be some decisions over the next 90 days, 60 days,” Yormark said. “No one wants to be diluted, and we have a great asset here. We’ll see how it plays out.”
####ACC TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: Andrej Stojakovic scored 29 points and 15th-seeded Cal, playing in its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, scored the first eight points of the second overtime session to defeat 10th-seeded Virginia Tech 82-73 in a first-round game Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C.
Rytis Petraitis added 16 points for the Golden Bears (14-18), who won for the second time in their last nine games. They lost in quadruple overtime Saturday at Notre Dame. Cal meets No. 7 seed Stanford, which received a first-round bye, in the second round Wednesday night.
Brandon Rechsteiner racked up 19 points, Tobi Lawal had 17, Mylyjael Poteat added 13 and Jaydon Young posted 12 for Virginia Tech (13-19).
Rechsteiner’s 3-pointer put the Hokies up 65-61 in the first overtime before Petraitis notched the next four points. Lawal made a pair of free throws with 48 seconds remaining before Stojakovic matched those with 27 seconds to go, tying the score at 67.
Syracuse 66, Florida State 62
JJ Starling finished with 27 points and five rebounds to help the 14th-seeded Orange hold off the No. 11 seed Seminoles.
The Orange (14-18) advanced to the second round and will play the No. 6 seed SMU Mustangs (22-9) on Wednesday night. Syracuse has won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 7 and 11.
The loss finished the season for the Seminoles (17-15) and marked the end of longtime coach Leonard Hamilton’s career. Former FSU player Luke Loucks will take over as coach next season.
Notre Dame 55, Pittsburgh 54
Tae Davis made a free throw with 0.5 second remaining and the No. 12 seed Fighting Irish slipped by the 13th-seeded Panthers in the first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C.
The winning opportunity came after Notre Dame’s Markus Burton missed a shot. Davis collected the rebound, was fouled and made the first free throw. Davis had a team-leading 11 points and Burton, the ACC scoring leader at 22.2 points per game, and Nikita Konstantynovskyi both posted 10 points for the Irish (15-17). Notre Dame, which has won three games in a row, takes on fifth-seeded North Carolina in the second round Wednesday. The Tar Heels beat the host Fighting Irish 74-73 on Jan. 4.
Jalan Lowe’s 17 points and Cameron Corhen’s 10 paced Pitt (17-15), which lost five of its last six games.
####BIG 12 TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Keyshawn Hall scored 23 points, including 17 in the second half, as UCF defeated Utah 87-72 in the first round of the Big 12 tournament Tuesday.
The Knights will face No. 6 seed Kansas in the second round Wednesday night.
It was the 15th 20-point game for Hall, who led the Big 12 in scoring but was not a first-team All-Big 12 selection. He was 12 of 14 from the free-throw line.
The 14th-seeded Knights (17-15) also got 20 points from Darius Johnson, 15 from Jordan Ivy-Curry and 14 points and 11 rebounds from Moustapha Thiam.
No. 11 seed Utah (16-16) was led by Keanu Dawes with 21 points and 15 rebounds. The Utes also got 11 points from Lawson Lovering and 10 from Gabe Madsen.
Colorado 69, TCU 67
Andrej Jakimovski’s 18 points, including 16 in the second half, helped the 16th-seeded Buffaloes beat the No. 9 Horned Frogs.
Julian Hammond III added 16 points for Colorado (13-19), which will face No. 8 West Virginia on Wednesday. The Buffs led by 14 in the second half before TCU chipped away, cutting the deficit to 65-63 with under a minute to go. Colorado hit free throws down the stretch to secure the upset.
Noah Reynolds scored all 17 of his points in the second half for TCU (16-16), while Trazarien White supplied 13.
Cincinnati 87, Oklahoma State 68
Behind Dillon Mitchell’s 18 points and career-best 15 rebounds, the No. 13-seeded Bearcats advanced to the second round of the tournament with a win over the No. 12 Cowboys.
Day Day Thomas had a season-high 21 points for Cincinnati (18-14), which forced a season-high 24 turnovers. Josh Reed had a career-best 19 points for the Bearcats, who will face No. 5 Iowa State on Wednesday.
Connor Dow paced Oklahoma State (15-17) with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range.
Kansas State 71, Arizona State 66
Coleman Hawkins scored a season-high 26 points as Kansas State held on to defeat depleted Arizona State.
Kansas State (16-16) got only five points in 17 minutes from leading scorer David N’Guessan because of foul trouble. Dug McDaniel put up 12 of his 14 points in the second half, and Max Jones and Brendan Hausen added 10 points each for the 10th-seeded Wildcats, who will face seventh-seed Baylor in the second round Wednesday.
The Sun Devils (13-19), down to seven scholarship players, were led by Alston Mason with 17 points. He was joined in double figures by Joson Sanon and Basheer Jihad with 13 each plus Shawn Phillips Jr. with 11.
####Braden Huff scored 18 points and Gonzaga officially sewed up its 26th straight NCAA Tournament appearance with a 58-51 victory over No. 19 Saint Mary’s on Tuesday night in the West Coast Conference title game at Las Vegas.
Khalif Battle had 14 points and five steals as the second-seeded Bulldogs (25-8) earned the WCC’s automatic berth to the NCAA tourney. Top-seeded Saint Mary’s (28-5) will be an at-large selection.
Graham Ike added 11 points and seven rebounds and Ryan Nembhard had 10 points, six assists and three steals for Gonzaga, which defeated the Gaels in the title game for the third time in the past four seasons.
Mitchell Saxen had 20 points and seven rebounds for Saint Mary’s. Augustas Marciulionis added 12 points, eight assists and five boards for the Gaels.
The teams were a combined 1-for-31 from 3-point range with Saint Mary’s missing all 16 attempts. Huff had Gonzaga’s lone trey in 15 tries.
Overall, the Bulldogs shot 41.3 percent from the field, while the Gaels made 38.5 percent.
Saint Mary’s outrebounded the Zags 43-28 but committed 18 turnovers. Gonzaga had just four miscues.
The Gaels swept the Bulldogs in the regular season but never once led in this affair.
Saint Mary’s fought back from an early 13-point deficit to pull level 11 seconds into the second half when Saxen slammed home a dunk.
A Battle layup and a Huff three-point play immediately put the Zags back up by five.
Consecutive baskets from Huff and Battle gave Gonzaga a 48-42 lead with 10:17 left in the contest.
Huff’s short runner pushed the lead to 54-47 with 2:05 remaining. Saxen scored on a dunk 21 seconds later before the Bulldogs all but sealed the win with a layup by Nembhard with 51.7 seconds left and a ferocious dunk by Battle with 33.9 seconds to play for a nine-point lead.
Huff scored nine first-half points as the Bulldogs led 33-31 at the break. Saxen scored 14 in the half for Saint Mary’s.
Gonzaga started the game hot and enjoyed an 18-5 lead less than six minutes into the contest. Battle scored six of the final nine points during the run.
The Bulldogs were ahead 30-20 after Nembhard’s basket with four minutes left in the half. The Gaels then erupted with an 11-3 surge to finish the half. Marciulionis sank two technical foul shots with 33.7 seconds left to make it a two-point deficit.
NBA NEWS
####LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Junior Bridgeman, a basketball standout who led Louisville to a Final Four, played 12 seasons in the NBA and then launched an even more successful career as a businessman with stakes in publishing, restaurants and the Milwaukee Bucks, died Tuesday. He was 71.
Bridgeman was a fixture in Louisville after his playing days, and Mayor Craig Greenberg announced his death, saying the city had “lost a kind, generous and groundbreaking legend.”
“He was an All-American at U of L, an NBA All-Star and a self-made billionaire,” Greenberg said in a statement. “Yet I will most remember Junior Bridgeman for his quiet, impactful assistance to others in need” as well as his love for his family and his “never-ending support for our community.”
According to media reports, Bridgeman suffered a medial emergency at a Louisville hotel during a fundraising event Tuesday.
Bridgeman’s 711 games played for Milwaukee ranks third in franchise history, behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. His No. 2 jersey was retired by the Bucks in 1988.
“His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner,” the Bucks said in a statement. “His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization.”
The Bucks announced Bridgeman had bought a stake in the team last year at a news conference that included co-owner Jimmy Haslam, coach Doc Rivers, general manager Jon Horst and most of the team’s current players. Bridgeman said afterward he had a 10% stake.
“The opportunity to get back involved with the team in a different way and take advantage of it was something that was kind of a dream,” Bridgeman said at the time.
During his playing days, Bridgeman was involved in one of the biggest trades in NBA history.
After the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bridgeman out of Louisville with the eighth pick in the 1975 draft, they sent him to Milwaukee as part of the trade that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the West Coast.
Bridgeman played for the Bucks from 1975-84 and then spent two years with the Los Angeles Clippers before coming back to Milwaukee for his final NBA season in 1986-87. He ranks seventh in Bucks history in field goals (4,142), ninth in points (9,892) and 10th in minutes (18,054).
According to the Bucks, Bridgeman’s survivors include his wife, Doris, and children Eden, Justin and Ryan.
####Darius Garland had team highs of 30 points and eight assists as Cleveland rallied for a 109-104 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, the Cavaliers’ 15th consecutive win.
Jarrett Allen added 23 points and 13 rebounds as Cleveland matched the longest win streak in franchise history, which the current group set to begin the season. Evan Mobley had 21 points, nine boards and six assists while Max Strus chipped in 10 points for the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 18 points.
Cam Thomas’ 27 points led Brooklyn, while Cameron Johnson put up 17 and Ziaire Williams had 14. Noah Clowney added 12 points off the bench for the Nets, who dropped their eighth game in nine tries.
Pacers 115, Bucks 114
Tyrese Haliburton knocked down a 3-pointer and a free throw in the final seconds to propel Indiana past visiting Milwaukee in Indianapolis.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana, which ended a three-game skid, with 25 points and 12 boards. Bennedict Mathurin added 17 points and Haliburton scored 14.
Brook Lopez scored 23 points for Milwaukee, which lost its third in a row. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points and added 17 boards but committed the foul on Haliburton’s 3-pointer.
Pelicans 127, Clippers 120
Zion Williamson had his second career triple-double while leading a balanced scoring effort as host New Orleans defeated Los Angeles.
Williamson finished with 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds just 11 days after recording his first triple-double. CJ McCollum posted 23 points and seven assists, Trey Murphy III had 21 points, Karlo Matkovic added 15, Jose Alvarado had 14, Bruce Brown scored 12 and Jordan Hawkins added 11 for the Pelicans, who ended a four-game skid.
Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, James Harden had 25 points and 17 assists, and Ivica Zubac had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who were coached by assistant Brian Shaw for a second consecutive game while head coach Tyronn Lue is sidelined because of back pain. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 11 points apiece.
Pistons 123, Wizards 103
Cade Cunningham had 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to lead host Detroit to a victory over Washington.
Jalen Duren supplied 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Malik Beasley added 14 points. Tobias Harris contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 11 points apiece for Detroit, which has won 12 of its last 15 games. The Pistons will also host Washington on Thursday night.
Marcus Smart led the Wizards with 16 points. Jordan Poole and Bub Carrington had 15 points each. Richaun Holmes added 14 points and eight rebounds before he was ejected in the fourth quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul.
NFL NEWS
####The Buffalo Bills reportedly reached a one-year, $12.6 million agreement with defensive end Joey Bosa on Tuesday.
The deal could end up worth $15.6 million, according to NFL Network.
Bosa played the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, before being released on March 5.
The third overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Bosa has racked up 72 sacks, second in Chargers history. The 29-year-old is a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
Injuries have hampered the star pass rusher in recent years, as he played only five games in 2022 and nine games in 2023. Last season, Bosa suited up for 14 contests, recording 22 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He generated 19 quarterback pressures and 13 quarterback hits.
The veteran essentially replaces Von Miller, the 35-year-old former Pro Bowl player who was released by the Bills on Saturday after spending the past three seasons with the team.
####On the same day that Leonard Floyd was released by the San Francisco 49ers, the edge rusher agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, ESPN and NFL.com reported.
Floyd, 32, is headed to his fourth team in four seasons and his fifth NFL team overall.
He lasted just one season in San Francisco despite signing a two-year, $20 million contract last year. Floyd started all 17 games for the 49ers, recording 8.5 sacks, 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one pass defensed.
In 138 NFL games for the Chicago Bears (2016-19), Los Angeles Rams (2020-22), Buffalo Bills (2023) and San Francisco (2024), Floyd has 66.5 sacks, 412 tackles, 71 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 15 passes defensed.
Floyd started all four playoff games for the Rams during their championship run in 2021-22. He had two sacks in that postseason, including one in the Super Bowl.
He heads back to his home state, as he grew up in Georgia and played for the University of Georgia.
Floyd joins a Falcons pass rush that managed just 31 sacks in 2024, the second-worst figure in the NFL.
####Five-time Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
It is reportedly a $5 million contract that could reach up to $6 million.
Hopkins, 32, had a down season in 2024 while splitting time between the Tennessee Titans (six games) and Kansas City Chiefs (10). Overall, he caught 56 passes for 610 yards and five touchdowns.
The Ravens undoubtedly see a track record that includes 984 receptions for 12,965 yards and 83 touchdown catches in 178 NFL games.
Hopkins has seven career 1,000-yard receiving seasons and has caught over 100 passes four times. He earned first-team All-Pro honors three straight years (2017-19).
Hopkins spent his first seven seasons with the Houston Texans before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals. He spent three seasons with Arizona before being released and he joined the Titans prior to the 2023 campaign.
The Titans traded Hopkins to the Chiefs in late October.
####The Philadelphia Eagles’ top-ranked defense is getting a major makeover a month after ending Patrick Mahomes’ bid to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a third consecutive Super Bowl title.
A day after defensive tackle Milton Williams and edge rusher Josh Sweat agreed to leave Philly via free agency, the Super Bowl champs agreed to send safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for guard Kenyon Green and a swap of late-round draft picks, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Like free agent contracts, trades will become official with the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Green, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft, started 23 games for Houston over two seasons. He didn’t play in 2023 because of a shoulder injury.
The Texans also agreed to trade left tackle Laremy Tunsil to Washington on Monday. They have big holes up front on an offensive line that struggled to protect C.J. Stroud last season.
On Monday when the league’s 52-hour legal tampering window opened, Williams agreed to a deal with New England worth $26 million annually and Sweat is heading to the Arizona Cardinals on a four-year, $76.4 million contract.
The terms of the deals are all according to people familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because teams generally don’t announce contract terms and the deals can’t be signed until Wednesday, the start of the new league year.
The Minnesota Vikings continued an aggressive reconstruction of the interior lines on Tuesday by agreeing to terms on contracts with former Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (three years, $60 million) and former Indianapolis guard Will Fries (five years, $88 million), who followed center Ryan Kelly from the Colts to the Vikings.
Allen missed half of last season after tearing a pectoral muscle, but he returned for the final four games, including the playoffs as the Commanders reached the NFC championship game.
Because Allen was released last week for salary cap savings before the expiration of his previous contract, the Vikings were allowed to host the two-time Pro Bowl pick on a visit to team headquarters and announce the deal ahead of the signing period.
With the addition of Fries and Kelly, the Vikings have taken two big steps toward smoothing out the expected debut of quarterback J.J. McCarthy — after his rookie season was waylaid by a knee injury and Sam Darnold departed for Seattle.
Fries will bring instant chemistry with Kelly, a four-time Pro Bowl pick over nine seasons with the Colts whose arrival might well mean the end of Garrett Bradbury’s six-year tenure as Minnesota’s starting center.
The Vikings have had one of the best tackle tandems in the league with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, but interior pass protection has hurt them often. That was never more apparent than in their wild-card round loss to the Rams two months ago, when Darnold was sacked nine times.
QB moves
Challenging Anthony Richardson for the starting quarterback job in Indianapolis will be Daniel Jones, who agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard projected this sort of move was in the works when he told reporters at the NFL’s annual scouting combine Indy would have an “open” competition for the job.
“I think it’s good for the team, I think it’s good for Anthony,” Ballard said in late February. “Look, we drafted Anthony high, knowing it was going to take some time, and we knew there was going to be some hiccups along the way.”
Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 by the Giants who went 24-44-1 in New York with one playoff victory, will get a chance to prove he can still be a starter in the league. He finished last season as a backup for the Vikings after the Giants released him.
Richardson was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft but has struggled with both injuries and accuracy in his first two NFL seasons. He’s just 8-7 as a starter and last season had the lowest completion rate, 47.7%, of any starting quarterback in the NFL. In two seasons, Richardson also has 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.
Other deals
— The Commanders agreed to sign safety Will Harris to a two-year contract. Harris leaves New Orleans after one season to become the replacement for Jeremy Chinn in Washington.
— The 49ers added some depth at safety a day after losing Talanoa Hufanga to Denver. San Francisco agreed to a one-year deal with former Atlanta second-round pick Richie Grant, who started 33 games for the Falcons but was mostly a backup and special teams player last season.
— The Cowboys retained free agent DT Osa Odighizuwa (four years, $80 million) and shored up their thin interior defensive line by adding former Jets DT Solomon Thomas (two years, $8 million).
— The Falcons’ first free agent addition is LB Divine Deablo (two years), who had 63 tackles in 14 games with the Raiders last season and 106 in 15 games in 2023.
— The Chiefs have agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract with former Titans and Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton. His size, physicality and versatility will help to free up All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie.
— Carolina released veteran running back Miles Sanders.
####SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks locked up a key player on their defense, signing linebacker Ernest Jones IV to a three-year contract worth a reported $28.5 million.
Jones was set to become a free agent at the start of the new league year on Wednesday but now will remain in Seattle after being acquired in a midseason trade last year.
“I’m super excited, super blessed, thankful to be a part of this team and what’s to come,” Jones told the team’s website on Tuesday. “We’ve got some good things brewing here, and I’m super excited to be a part of it.”
Jones finds a long-term home after making two big moves last season. He was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to Tennessee just before the start of the season and then dealt again to Seattle in October for a fourth-round pick and linebacker Jerome Baker.
The addition of Jones played a big part in Seattle’s defensive turnaround last season under first-year coach Mike Macdonald. Jones took over as middle linebacker as soon as he arrived and had 94 tackles, two passes defensed, one forced fumble and one interception in 10 games.
The Seahawks allowed three fewer points per game with Jones in the lineup than before he arrived.
Jones was originally picked in the third round of the 2021 draft by the Rams and played a key role in helping Los Angeles win the Super Bowl as a rookie.
NHL NEWS
Pavel Zacha scored the game-winner with 3:17 left in regulation to punctuate the Boston Bruins’ three-goal third period in a 3-2 win over the visiting Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
David Pastrnak was the lone Bruin with multiple points (one goal, one assist). His 33rd goal of the season came on the power play and got Boston on the scoreboard with 11:04 left in regulation.
Mason Lohrei also scored and Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 shots for the Bruins, who have won back-to-back games since finalizing a series of deadline transactions that included dealing captain Brad Marchand to Florida. The long-time Bruin didn’t suit up against his former team in this one.
Dmitry Kulikov and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers, who had a six-game win streak snapped. Sam Bennett and Seth Jones had one assist each for Florida, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves.
Capitals 7, Ducks 4
Nic Dowd scored the winning goal with 6:35 remaining and Aliaksei Protas recorded his first career hat trick for Washington, which pulled away to a victory at Anaheim.
Washington’s Pierre-Luc Dubois posted a goal and two assists. Dylan Strome and Anthony Beauvillier scored goals, and Alex Ovechkin tied a season high with three assists. Tom Wilson and Brandon Duhaime notched two assists each. Logan Thompson made 25 saves as the Capitals won their fifth straight game.
Frank Vatrano, Pavel Mintyukov and Drew Helleson each had a goal and an assist for Anaheim, which has lost three in a row. Jacob Trouba added a goal, and Lukas Dostal finished with 36 saves.
Devils 5, Blue Jackets 3
Jesper Bratt collected a goal and two assists and defenseman Luke Hughes had one of each, fueling New Jersey’s win over Columbus in Newark, N.J.
New Jersey’s Paul Cotter scored his career-high 14th goal and captain Nico Hischier and Timo Meier also tallied to send the Devils to their second straight win. Recent trade acquisition Cody Glass notched two assists and Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for New Jersey.
Columbus winger Mathieu Olivier scored twice to extend his career-high goal total to 15 on the season. Marchenko added his team-leading 25th goal and Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 23 shots for the Blue Jackets, who fell to 11-19-4 on the road this season.
Jets 2, Rangers 1
Winnipeg secured its NHL-leading 45th victory with a win over visiting New York.
Vladislav Namestnikov and Gabriel Vilardi provided the scoring for the Jets, while Cole Perfetti contributed two assists. Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves.
Mika Zibanejad netted the Rangers’ only goal, assisted by J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin. Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots.
Senators 5, Flyers 2
Michael Amadio continued his hot streak, netting the go-ahead goal for Ottawa in a road win over Philadelphia.
Amadio finished with a goal and an assist while newcomer Dylan Cozens also tallied a key goal for Ottawa, which has won four games in a row and five out of six (5-0-1). Brady Tkachuk, Tyler Kleven and Shane Pinto also scored for the Senators. Jake Sanderson had two assists, and Anton Forsberg made 20 saves to earn the victory.
Jamie Drysdale and Rodrigo Abols scored for Philadelphia, which has lost the first five games of a seven-game homestand. Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov finished with 19 saves.
Hurricanes 4, Lightning 1
Seth Jarvis began the scoring with a short-handed goal and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 shots as Carolina beat Tampa Bay in Raleigh, N.C.
Jordan Martinook, Jack Roslovic and Sean Walker also scored as the Hurricanes notched their fifth consecutive victory.
Gage Goncalves broke up Kochetkov’s shutout bid 4:38 into the third period. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves for the Lightning, who dropped their second game in a row despite an overall stretch with 10 victories in 13 games.
Wild 2, Avalanche 1 (SO)
Filip Gustavsson turned aside 27 of 28 shots and denied Nathan MacKinnon in the shootout to lead Minnesota to a win over Colorado in Saint Paul, Minn.
Mats Zuccarello scored in regulation for Minnesota, which snapped a two-game skid. Zuccarello and Matt Boldy each scored in the shootout after the game remained tied at 1-1 through overtime.
Joel Kiviranta scored the lone goal for Colorado. Gustavsson stopped MacKinnon’s wrist shot in the shootout and Martin Necas missed wide right on his attempt.
Penguins 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
After Sidney Crosby recorded two goals, Erik Karlsson scored 49 seconds into overtime, giving Pittsburgh a win over visiting Vegas.
Vegas tied the contest with 6.7 seconds remaining in regulation after a timeout. Noah Hanifin’s drive blew past a screened Tristan Jarry (35 saves). Hanifin and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal with an assist for the Golden Knights, who have dropped two straight after winning seven of the prior eight.
Despite being outshot 37-17, Pittsburgh won for a second straight game following a 1-7-1 rut. Crosby has recorded back-to-back two-goal games while Rickard Rakell had two assists.
Kings 4, Islanders 1
Phillip Danault and Quinton Byfield scored the clinching goals within a span of five minutes for host Los Angeles, which rode a potent penalty kill to a win over New York.
Vladislav Gavrikov opened the scoring in the first and Drew Doughty added a short-handed empty-netter late in the third for the Kings, who were 8-for-8 on the penalty kill. Darcy Kuemper made 33 saves for the Kings.
Anders Lee scored in the second period for the Islanders, who lost their second straight to end a three-game West Coast road trip at 1-2-0. New York remains five points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in the race for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Canadiens 4, Canucks 2
Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and two assists as Montreal held on for a road win over Vancouver.
The Canadiens are 6-1-1 in their last eight games, moving Montreal two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card slot. Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault stopped 29 of 31 shots to improve to 5-0-1 in his past six starts. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.
A win Tuesday would have elevated the Canucks into the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, but Vancouver instead lost for the fourth time in six games. Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist and Elias Pettersson scored Vancouver’s other goal.
Predators 3, Sharks 2
Filip Forsberg scored once and added an assist, and Kieffer Bellows broke a third-period tie to give visiting Nashville a victory over San Jose.
Steven Stamkos also scored for the Predators, who have won four straight games. Juuse Saros, who increased his all-time record against San Jose to 13-2-1, made 25 saves.
Patrick Giles and Collin Graf replied for the Sharks, who sit at the bottom of the league standings and have won only two of the past 13 games (2-8-3). Alexandar Georgiev stopped 16 shots.
BASEBALL NEWS
Buddy Kennedy homered and drove in three runs to help the Philadelphia Phillies outlast the host Boston Red Sox 18-8 on Tuesday afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla.
Josh Breaux also homered while Alec Bohm and Otto Kemp each drove in two runs for the Phillies, who racked up 13 hits.
Ceddanne Rafaela had two RBIs for the Red Sox, who had 11 hits. Boston reliever Adam Ottavino recorded just one out in the second inning, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks, part of a seven-run inning that gave Philadelphia a 9-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second.
The Phillies were 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position, and Boston was 6-for-9.
Orioles 6, Yankees 2
Ryan Mountcastle slugged a three-run homer in the first inning to lead visiting Baltimore past a New York split squad in Tampa, Fla.
Colton Cowser and Vimael Machin had two hits apiece in Baltimore’s 11-hit attack. Four pitchers combined to strike out 12 Yankees.
Paul Goldschmidt had an RBI double and Dominic Smith stroked a run-scoring single for New York. Clarke Schmidt served up Mountcastle’s blast.
Tigers 3, Braves 1
Jack Flaherty tossed four no-hit innings and Thayron Liranzo had a two-run double to lead visiting Detroit past Atlanta in North Port, Fla.
Jace Jung hit a homer in the sixth inning off Braves reliever Dylan Covey to break a scoreless tie. Liranzo’s double came in the seventh to make it 3-0.
Geraldo Quintero homered in the bottom of the seventh for Atlanta’s lone run. Grant Holmes allowed one hit in five scoreless innings for the Braves.
Blue Jays 3, Twins 2
Josh Rivera delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning to lift the Blue Jays over the visiting Twins in Dunedin, Fla.
Toronto trailed 2-0 before Bo Bichette hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Daulton Varsho connected on a game-tying blast in the seventh. Chris Bassitt allowed two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
Jose Miranda clubbed a two-run homer to stake Minnesota to the lead. Andrew Morris allowed one hit in three innings for the Twins.
Pirates 9, Yankees 1
Oneil Cruz smacked a three-run homer in a four-run third inning to help Pittsburgh rout a visiting New York split squad in Bradenton, Fla.
Billy Cook homered earlier in the third for the Pirates. Paul Skenes pitched four innings for Pittsburgh and gave up one run on four hits while striking out five.
Skenes served up a homer to Trent Grisham in the fourth for the lone New York run. Cameron Schlittler was torched for six runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Astros 7, Mets 4
Jose Altuve stroked a two-run double as part of a five-run seventh inning as host Houston rallied to beat New York in Palm Beach, Fla.
The Astros trailed 4-0 before Brendan Rodgers hit a two-run double in the seventh. Altuve doubled later in the inning and Luis Guillorme followed with a pinch-hit single to put the Astros ahead.
Donovan Walton hit a grand slam for New York in the top of the seventh. Luisangel Acuna had two of the Mets’ six hits.
Marlins 12, Cardinals 5
Otto Lopez hit two of Miami’s five homers as the Marlins powered past host St. Louis in Jupiter, Fla.
Griffin Conine went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs for Miami. Nick Fortis and Matt Mervis also went deep for the Marlins.
Jose Barrero had two hits and two RBIs for the Cardinals. St. Louis starter Erick Fedde allowed six runs and seven hits over four innings.
GOLF NEWS
####PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods had a less invasive surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday, which will keep him out of the Masters and leaves in question whether he can play in any other major championship the rest of the year.
Woods posted the development on his social media accounts without saying how long he expected to be out or any other details except that the surgery went well.
“As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured,” Woods said.
He said he had a minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon that the doctor said went smoothly. Such surgeries involve smaller incisions, and the recovery time is quicker. But most recoveries take at least a month before someone can even put weight on their foot.
Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer had a tear in his Achilles tendon last year that kept him out for three months.
Dr. Charlton Stucken of the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach performed the surgery and said in the post, “The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”
The Masters is April 10-13.
Woods set the tournament record last year by making the cut for the 24th time in a row. He missed the cut in the other three majors in 2024. The British Open in July was the last time he played against top competition. He played with his son in the 36-hole PNC Championship in December. Woods also has played his TGL indoor circuit, the 18-hole Seminole Pro-Member last week and a round with President Donald Trump a month ago.
Woods entered the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines until withdrawing because he was still processing the Feb. 4 death of his mother, Kultida.
Woods had a sixth back surgery last September. He had issues with the Achilles tendon before, injuring the left one from hitting a shot at the Masters with an awkward stance. He also cited the left Achilles tendon in withdrawing from The Players Championship in 2011, when he was out for two months.
Woods badly damaged his right leg and ankle in a February 2021 car crash outside Los Angeles.
####PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Arnold Palmer Invitational (Russell Henley)
THIS WEEK: The Players Championship, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., March 13-16
Course: TPC Sawgrass, The Players Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,352 Yards)
Purse: $25M (Winner: $4.5M)
Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler
FedExCup leader: Sepp Straka
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 2-7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock); Sunday: 1-7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @ThePlayers
NOTES: Scheffler was the first player to successfully defend his title at The Players last year. His 64 on Sunday matched the lowest closing-round score in tournament history. Jack Nicklaus (1974, ’76, ’78) is the only three-time winner of the event. Steve Stricker is the last player to win the same event three consecutive years (John Deere Classic/2009-11). … Each of the past five winners has entered the week in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. … The field includes 48 of the top 50 players in the OWGR, and 25 players who will be making their debut at The Players, including eight rookies. … Adam Scott will make his 23rd appearance in the event, the most of any player in the field. … The Players has not been decided by a playoff since Rickie Fowler beat Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia in 2015. … Laurie Canter is the first former LIV Golf player to compete at The Players, having qualified more than a year after his most recent LIV event. … Former LIV Golf CEO and current board member Greg Norman holds the tournament scoring record of 264 set in 1994. Tom Hoge holds the 18-hole record of 62, set in the third round two years ago.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+400 at DraftKings) was pleased with his ball-striking last week but said he struggled on the rock-hard Bay Hill greens. This is his fifth start since returning from a hand injury. … Rory McIlroy (+1000) settled for a T15 last week but does already have a win this year at Pebble Beach. He won The Players in 2019 but does not have a top-10 in the event since. … Collin Morikawa (+1400) keeps knocking on the door of his first win since 2023, with his solo second last week his tour-high fourth in the past two years. … (Ludvig Aberg (+1600) is coming off a disappointing T22 following his win at the Genesis, but does live in Ponte Vedra Beach and is extremely familiar with the course. … Justin Thomas (+2200), like Morikawa, is trying to snap a lengthy win drought that dates to 2022. His T36 last week followed a pair of top-10s. Thomas won The Players in 2021 … Tommy Fleetwood (+2800) hasn’t finished worse than T22 in his past 13 worldwide starts, but is still seeking his first win in the United States. … Corey Conners (+5500) leapt 20 spots to No. 30 in the world with his quiet third-place finish last week. He tied for 13th here last year. … Michael Kim (+6500) might be the hottest player few people are talking about with five consecutive finishes of T13 or better, including fourth at Bay Hill. His lone PGA Tour title to date came seven years ago at the John Deere.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Fla., March 20-23
LPGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Blue Bay LPGA (Rio Takeda)
THIS WEEK: OFF
Race to the CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Ford Championship, Chandler, Ariz., March 27-30
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LAST TOURNAMENT: Hong Kong (Individual: Sergio Garcia; Team: Fireballs GC)
THIS WEEK: Singapore, March 14-16
Course: Sentosa Golf Club at Fanling, Serapong (Par 71, 7,406 Yards)
Individual Purse: $20M (Winner: $4M)
Team Purse: $5M (Winners: $3M)
Defending Champions: Individual: Brooks Koepka; Team: Ripper GC
Season Leaders: Individual: Garcia; Team: Fireballs GC
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV/Streaming: Thursday-Saturday: 11 p.m.-4 a.m. ET (FOX, LIV Golf Plus)
X: livegolf_league
NOTES: This is the fourth of 13 events on the 2025 schedule, which will be followed by the Team Championship. … The field consists of 13 four-player teams competing in daily shotgun starts over 54 holes. … John Catlin, who led the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit in 2024, earned a spot in this week’s field by winning the league’s first 18-hole, four-player qualifying playoff on Tuesday. He will replace injured Iron Heads GC player Jinichiro Kozuma this week. Catlin competed in six LIV Golf events last year, including as part of the winning Smash GC team at the Greenbrier.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Miami, April 4-6
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
LAST TOURNAMENT: Cologuard Classic (Steven Alker)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Hoag Classic, Newport Beach, Calif., March 21-23
AUTO RACING NEWS
####NASCAR CUP SERIES
Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Site: Las Vegas.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 1:35 p.m., qualifying, 2:40 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 267 laps, 400.5 miles.
Last year: Kyle Larson led a race-high 181 laps, surviving a late surge from Tyler Reddick that earned him his third-straight win in Vegas.
Last race: Christopher Bell became the first to win three straight races in the NextGen car, edging teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds in Phoenix Raceway’s second-closest finish.
Next race: March 23, Homestead, Florida.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
The LiUNA!
Site: Las Vegas.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 6:05 p.m., qualifying, 7:10 p.m.: Saturday, race, 4:30 p.m. (CW).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 200 laps, 300 miles.
Last year: John Hunter Nemechek earned his first Las Vegas victory, leading a race-high 99 laps in a wind-swept race with gusts up to 70 mph.
Last race: Aric Almirola claimed an overtime victory in Phoenix after a dramatic last-lap pass of Alex Bowman.
Next race: March 22, Homestead, Florida.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES
Ecosave 200
Site: Las Vegas.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:35 p.m., qualifying, 4:40 p.m., race, 9 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 134 laps, 201 miles.
Last year: Rajah Caruth took the win from the pole position, becoming the third Black driver to win a NASCAR series race.
Last race: Kyle Busch pulled away from Stewart Friesen in the final seconds in Atlanta, earning him his 67th series victory.
Next race: March 21, Homestead, Florida.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix
Site: Melbourne, Australia.
Schedule: Thursday, practice, 9:25 p.m.; Friday, practice, 12:55 a.m.,: Saturday, qualifying, 12:35 a.m., race, 11:55 p.m. (ESPN).
Track: Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.
Race distance: 58 laps, 190 miles.
Last year: Carlos Sainz earned the win after taking advantage of Max Verstappen’s early exit due to mechanical issues. Charles Leclerc finished in second place while Lando Norris took third after a dramatic crash from George Russell.
Last race: Lando Norris claimed his first championship in Abu Dhabi, ending Verstappen’s four-year winning streak.
Next race: March 23, Shanghai, China.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Last race: Two-time defending champ Alex Palou battled his way past Newgarden and Dixon to win the season opener.
Next race: March 23, Thermal, California.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Next race: March 23, Chandler, Ariz.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
World of Outlaws Tennessee Tipoff
Site: Maryville, Tennessee.
Track: Smoky Mountain Speedway.
World of Outlaws Cowtown Classic
Site: Kennedale, Texas.
Track: Kennedale Motor Speedway.
Next events: March 21-21 Swainsboro, Georgia & Paige, Texas.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
ALL-MARION COUNTY TEAM
First team
Azavier Robinson, Lawrence North, Sr.
Papi Rivera, North Central, Sr.
Jashawn Ladd, Ben Davis, Jr.
E.J. Hazelett, Franklin Central, Jr.
Isaiah Hill, Pike, So.
Second team
Jevon Guess, Warren Central, Sr.
Brennan Miller, Lawrence North, Jr.
Nijah Jewell, North Central, Sr.
Doron Harris, Lawrence Central, Jr.
Nizyi Davis, Lawrence Central, Sr.
Third team
Kai McGrew, Lawrence North, Jr.
Tavion Williams, Ben Davis, Sr.
Damon Howard, Pike, Sr.
Jahari Miller, Pike, So.
James Kalala, Southport, Jr.
Honorable mention
Bishop Moore, Beech Grove
Austin Ford, Brebeuf Jesuit
Nick Sobek, Brebeuf Jesuit
Eli Thompson, Franklin Central
L.J. Ward, Lutheran
Bryce Mathis, Perry Meridian
Joe Taylor, Roncalli
Will Hegwood, Roncalli
Drew Matelic, Speedway
Sherman Moss, Ben Davis
Quintyn Voltz, Decatur Central
Albert Gooden III, Lawrence Central
K.J. Mark, Park Tudor
Jalen Ashley, Pike
Jack Turner, Southport
Kaleb Elkins, Warren Central
Davion Hampton, Warren Central
Zeke Kirby, Warren Central
COLTS NEWS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts wanted someone to challenge quarterback Anthony Richardson for the starting job.
They opted for Daniel Jones.
The former New York Giants starter agreed Tuesday to a one-year, $14 million contract with the Colts, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because free agents can’t sign until Wednesday, said Jones’ deal is worth up to $17.7 million.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard projected this sort of move was in the works when he told reporters at the NFL’s annual scouting combine Indy would have an “open” competition for the job.
“I think it’s good for the team, I think it’s good for Anthony,” Ballard said in late February. “Look, we drafted Anthony high, knowing it was going to take some time, and we knew there was going to be some hiccups along the way.”
Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 by the Giants who went 24-44-1 in New York with one playoff victory, will get a chance to prove he can still be a starter in the league. He finished last season as a backup for the Vikings after the Giants released him.
Minnesota appears set to start J.J. McCarthy, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury. Sam Darnold, who led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in the regular season, agreed to a deal with Seattle on Monday.
Richardson was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft but has struggled with both injuries and accuracy in his first two NFL seasons. He’s just 8-7 as a starter and last season had the lowest completion rate, 47.7%, of any starting quarterback in the NFL. In two seasons, Richardson also has 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.
Coach Shane Steichen also benched Richardson for two games after he took himself out of a game for one play because he was tired. Some teammates publicly criticized Richardson’s decision. He was reinstated as the starter when Steichen said he saw Richardson had showed the growth Steichen was seeking.
“I think consistency is the biggest thing,” Steichen said in February when asked where he wanted to see Richardson’s biggest improvement in 2025. “We’ve had these conversations, myself and him, about being consistent. He’s played 15 games, he played 11 last year and did some really good things, but we’re just looking for the consistency, right?”
Even if Richardson wins the competition, though, Jones still may get an opportunity to prove himself all over again. Richardson played only four games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder, which required surgery.
He missed four additional games with injuries last season.
It wouldn’t be the first time a Colts quarterback took advantage of such a chance.
Gardner Minshew nearly led the Colts to the playoffs in 2023, made the Pro Bowl roster and then signed a free agent deal with Las Vegas.
Last season, the Colts brought in 39-year-old Joe Flacco, the 2023 AP Comeback Player of the Year. He went 2-4 in six starts and relieved Richardson in two other games.
The Colts also had four-year veteran Sam Ehlinger on the roster and undrafted rookie Jason Bean on the practice squad in 2024. Ehlinger now is a free agent.
While Ballard and Steichen each have said they believe Richardson still can fulfill the potential they saw in the strong-armed 6-foot-4, 244-pound star at Florida, they also think a real competition and a healthy offseason could expedite Richardson’s learning process.
“I know we all want to see a finished product right now,” Ballard said at the combine. “I do, you do, fans do. We all do. But I think as he continues to progress, adding competition, I think, will help up everybody’s game.”
INDIANA PACERS
With Reggie Miller himself calling the game courtside, Tyrese Haliburton rose to the occasion in a Miller-esque fashion, converting a four-point play with three seconds remaining to lift Indiana (36-28) to a critical and improbable 115-114 victory over the Bucks (36-28) on Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Back after missing the last three games with a left hip flexor strain, Haliburton was the hero on Tuesday, catching an inbounds pass from Andrew Nembhard and hitting a fallaway three along the sideline in front of Milwaukee’s bench through contact from Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. After a lengthy review, he sank the game-winning free throw.
The Bucks were out of timeouts and forced to go the length of the floor, with Antetokounmpo missing a contested three at the buzzer. As soon as the buzzer sounded, Haliburton was mobbed by his teammates near midcourt, mere feet away from Miller and the TNT broadcast.
“What a game,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “They don’t get much closer than that…Just an amazing sequence of events. What a shot. What a play at the end. And Reggie Miller’s in the building. You’ve got to feel like that gave us a little bit of good fortune as well.”
With the win, the Pacers are now tied with Milwaukee for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bucks currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to a 2-1 lead in the season series, but Indiana can even the series when the two teams meet again on Saturday in Milwaukee.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 12 rebounds, and five assists on Tuesday. But it was Haliburton who played the hero, finishing with 14 points and 10 assists.
The two teams were tied 20 times over the first 44 minutes of Tuesday’s contest, including at 105 with under four minutes to play.
Nembhard’s corner three from in front of Milwaukee’s bench put the Pacers in front. On the other end, Aaron Nesmith batted an errant pass away from Kevin Porter Jr., springing a breakaway dunk for Haliburton to put Indiana up by five with 3:31 remaining.
Brook Lopez’s hook shot with 2:54 to play pulled the Bucks back within three. Taurean Prince’s layup a minute later made it a one-point game.
After Haliburton was called for a traveling violation on the other end, Antetokounmpo found Gary Trent Jr. in the right corner for a go-ahead three with 1:07 remaining.
The two teams traded misses on their next possessions, but Nembhard drove and drew a foul on Prince with 6.8 seconds to play. The third-year guard missed the first free throw, however, but managed to hit the second.
The Pacers fouled Damian Lillard with 3.9 seconds remaining. The nine-time All-Star made both foul shots to push Milwaukee’s lead to three.
After a timeout, the Pacers ran a play that featured a streaking Haliburton catching a pass in the right corner and hitting the shot of the season.
“It’s a play we have in for late-game (situations),” Haliburton said. “Usually I hate running that play because I feel like I never get the ball…AA (Aaron Nesmith) and Myles did a great job of causing confusion in the middle of the court and I just kind of came off, got open, Drew found me and just made a shot.”
Seven players finished in double figures in the win for Indiana. Bennedict Mathurin scored 17 points off the bench, while Myles Turner added 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
Lopez had a team-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo tallied 19 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists, while Lillard added 15 points and 11 assists.
Neither team created much separation in a back-and-forth first quarter that featured seven ties and nine lead changes.
Siakam had nine points and seven rebounds in the opening frame. On the other end, Prince made three 3-pointers and Antetokounmpo added six points and seven boards, but it was the Pacers that led 32-28 after the first 12 minutes.
The Blue & Gold mounted the first significant surge of the night midway through the second quarter with a memorable 8-0 spurt. T.J. McConnell converted a layup and then set up Mathurin for a three on consecutive possessions to push Indiana’s lead to 44-36 and force a Bucks timeout. After the stoppage, McConnell intercepted Milwaukee’s inbounds pass and quickly dished back to Mathurin, who drained another trey to give Indiana an 11-point lead.
But the Pacers would fail to score on their next seven possessions and the visitors took advantage, reeling off 12 unanswered points to retake the lead.
Turner’s runner with 3:48 remaining in the first half broke a nearly four-minute scoring drought and put Indiana back in front. Threes by Aaron Nesmith and Siakam helped keep the Blue & Gold ahead for the rest of the half, as the hosts took a 57-55 lead into the intermission.
The score remained tight in the second half, as neither team led by more than four points in a third quarter that featured seven more ties and 10 lead changes. Fittingly, the two rivals headed to the fourth quarter tied at 88.
The Pacers surged ahead early in the final frame. Their run started with a 6-0 spurt that featured back-to-back baskets by Siakam followed by him dishing out of a double-team to a cutting Turner for a layup.
After a timeout, McConnell added a jumper and Mathurin got a steal and score to make it 10 unanswered points and push Indiana’s lead to 103-93.
But the Bucks came right back, reeling off a 10-0 run of their own over the next 2:34, tying the game yet again on Trent’s 3-pointer with 5:34 remaining in regulation.
That set the stage for a dramatic finish.
Nembhard and McConnell each had 12 points for Indiana in the win, while Thomas Bryant tallied 10 off the bench.
After two days off, the Pacers will embark on a three-game road trip, heading to Philadelphia on Friday, Milwaukee on Saturday, and Minnesota on Monday. They will then tip off a five-game homestand next Wednesday.
Inside the Numbers
Tuesday’s game featured 22 ties and 21 lead changes. There were only 2 minutes and 18 seconds of game time where either team led by more than five points.
Haliburton has recorded a double-double in seven straight games, the second-longest streak of his career. He had nine straight double-doubles from Dec. 20, 2023 to Jan. 5, 2024.
Siakam had his 36th 20-point game and 10th double-double of the season on Tuesday.
The Pacers outscored Milwaukee 31-3 in fastbreak points. Their 31 fastbreak points were a new season high, while the Bucks’ three points matched the lowest total by a Pacers opponent this season.
Indiana scored 23 points off 15 Bucks turnovers, while Milwaukee managed just 12 points off 10 Pacers takeaways.
INDY FUEL
- INDY FUEL WEEK NINETEEN RESULTS 1-1-0-1
- INDY FUEL OVERALL RECORD 23-25-4-4 (t-5th in Central Division)
GAME 55 – FRIDAY, MARCH 7 VS. FORT WAYNE – 2-1 SOL
The Fuel started their weekend hosting the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night. After heading into the third period tied 1-1, the Fuel and Komets headed to the shootout and after six rounds, the Komets took the 2-1 win.
GAME 56 – SATURDAY, MARCH 8 VS. WICHITA – 4-3 W
The Fuel hosted the Wichita Thunder for the first of two games this weekend against the Mountain division team. In front of a sold out crowd of 6,590 fans on Indy 500 Night powered by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which took place 78 days out from “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Memorial Day weekend, the Fuel defeated the Wichita Thunder 4-3.
GAME 57 – SUNDAY, MARCH 9 VS. WICHITA – 5-4 L
The Fuel hosted the Wichita Thunder for the second day in a row on Sunday for Bluey Day. In front of the first sold out Sunday crowd in franchise history, Indy took an early lead but ultimately fell 5-4 to Wichita.
OIL DROPS
- Kevin Lynch is on a six-game point streak, spanning eight years.
- Kyle Maksimovich is on a five-game goal-scoring streak.
- Sunday, Nathan Burke netted his sixth power play goal of the season, the most for a Fuel player this season.
- Jesse Tucker scored his first professional goal Saturday, he is on a two-game goal-scoring streak as he scored Sunday as well.
TEAM NOTES
- With one game on the road against Cincinnati on Saturday, the Fuel are first in the league for road penalty kill.
- The team had its first penalty shot on Saturday. Ben Gaudreau made the save against Wichita’s Kobe Walker.
- The Fuel are ranked seventh in the league in goals against with a 2.70 average.
INDY FUEL WEEK 22 SCHEDULE
- GAME 58 – FRIDAY, MARCH 14 VS. KALAMAZOO
- GAME 59 – SATURDAY, MARCH 15 AT CINCINNATI
- GAME 60 – SUNDAY, MARCH 16 VS. FORT WAYNE
BROADCAST
Don’t miss a moment of the action! Get your tickets to an Indy Fuel game or tune in live!
UPCOMING FAN EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS
Get ready for lots of fun at Fishers Event Center this season! Check out some of our upcoming promotions and special fan experiences!
- FRIDAY, MARCH 14 – Come out to Fishers Event Center to celebrate Indy Fuel hockey, family, faith and fellowship! Also, START YOUR ENGINES! It’s USAC Racing Night! Stay after the game for postgame autographs!
- SUNDAY, MARCH 16 – Celebrating all farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers across the state of Indiana for Agriculture Day at the Fishers Event Center! First 800 kids 12 and under receive vouchers to eat free. After the game, enjoy a free postgame skate with the team!
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana sixth-year center Oumar Ballo, junior forward Malik Reneau, and fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal were honored by the Big Ten Conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Ballo earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten status as voted on by the conference head coaches and select media members. He adds to his decorated history of all-conference accolades, which includes two All-Pac-12 First Team nods, two Pac-12 All-Tournament Team selections, a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honor, and a Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year trophy. The Arizona transfer closed the season with team highs in points per game (13.2), rebounds (9.1), and blocks (1.3). He also averaged a career-best 2.1 assists per night and shot 63.5% (153-of-241) from the floor. Ballo produced 10 double-doubles, nine multi-block games, and three games with five or more assists.
Despite missing the better part of seven games with injury and illness, Reneau was voted to the Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Team for the second-straight season by the media. The Miami, Fla., native averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per outing. He shot 55.3% (131-of-237) from the floor and 72.4% (63-of-87) from the free throw line. Reneau tallied double-figure scoring outputs in 18-of-25 games played, added 15-plus in 12 contests, and recorded three 20-point nights. The Hoosiers racked up a 10-2 record in games in which the lefty posted at least 15 points.
Leal was listed among the 2024-25 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Sportsmanship Award Honorees. He appeared in 25 games with starts in his final 13 appearances. Leal averaged 3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.2 stocks (steals+blocks) in his 13 starts. The Bloomington native recorded at least one steal or block in 16 games with 11 multi-stock performances. The Hoosiers posted a record of 6-3 in Big Ten Conference games when Leal played at least 25 minutes, which included road wins over Ohio State and at Michigan State, and a home victory over in-state rival Purdue.
Indiana will begin postseason play in the second round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament against No. 23/RV Oregon at noon ET on March 13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be available on BTN.
INDIANA BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Six different pitchers combined to record 13 strikeouts as the Indiana Baseball team (8-9, 1-2 B1G) finished off its first midweek victory of the season. The Hoosiers used a five-run sixth inning to beat Indiana State, 9-4, at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute on Tuesday (March 11) afternoon.
Senior southpaw Deron Swanson made his IU debut with three innings of one-run ball. He racked up five strikeouts in an efficient start that the Hoosiers had been searching for. Redshirt junior Pete Haas (W, 1-1) was the winning pitcher after recording three strikeouts in 1.1 innings of action. He was still in the game when IU scored five runs in the top of the sixth. Redshirt senior pitcher Gavin Seebold (SV, 1) recorded the final seven outs and picked up his first save of the year.
IU had 13-straight batters retired in order from the end of the first inning through the fifth but still managed to put nine runs on the board. The visitors broke the game open when freshman infielder Will Moore laid down a bunt with the bases loaded. He would’ve beaten out the play for an infield single but an errant throw from Indiana State allowed all three baserunners to score.
The Hoosiers added additional insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a RBI triple from redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson and a sacrifice fly from freshman first baseman Jake Hanley. Dickerson and Hanley combined for five of IU’s eight hits.
It was a much-needed road win for the program before beginning a four-game homestand this weekend. The win was IU’s first in Terre Haute since 2022. It was the seventh time this season that the Hoosiers limited their opponent to five-or-fewer earned runs.
Next up for head coach Jeff Mercer and IU is a visit from Ohio State this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field. The two teams are scheduled for first pitch on Friday (March 14) at 6:00 p.m. The next midweek contest will come at home next Tuesday (March 18) against Evansville.
Scoring Recap
Top First
IU got a pair of early runs in its first trip to the plate. Korbyn Dickerson beat out an infield single to drive in Devin Taylor. Jake Hanley did some more damage with a single into right field to score a second run.
Indiana 2, Indiana State 0
Bottom Second
Andrew Ortiz countered for Indiana State with a RBI double off the right field wall to score Jeremy Martinez. It was the only run that IU starter Deron Swanson allowed on the day.
Indiana 2, Indiana State 1
Bottom Fifth
Carter Beck leveled the game with a solo home run off the scoreboard.
Indiana 2, Indiana State 2
Top Sixth
The Hoosiers put together a big inning in the sixth with most of the damage coming on two outs. Jake Stadler doubled off the wall to score Dickerson and retake the advantage. Hogan Denny reached on a throwing error from the third baseman that plated Hanley. With the bases loaded, Will Moore put down a perfectly executed bunt down the line. It was a single that scored one but eventually cleared the bases on a throwing error from Indiana State.
Indiana 7, Indiana State 2
Top Seventh
Indiana State got one back on a bases-loaded walk. Gavin Seebold came on to induce a pop out to strand the bases loaded in the home half.
Indiana 7, Indiana State 3
Bottom Eighth
Beck grounded out to the shortstop, Tyler Cerny, for the second out. That scored a run after a leadoff triple.
Indiana 7, Indiana State 4
Top Ninth
IU added insurance in the top of the ninth. Dickerson tripled to drive home Taylor before Hanley connected on a sacrifice fly that drove in the diving Dickerson.
Indiana 9, Indiana State 4
Top Hoosier Performers
#41 Swanson, Deron
3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K
#20 Dickerson, Korbyn
3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 3B
#34 Hanley, Jake
2-3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
Inside the Box Score
• The Hoosiers recorded more hits (8-7) and more runs (9-4) than the hosts.
• Jake Hanley and Korbyn Dickerson each had multi-hit games.
• IU’s pitching staff recorded 13 strikeouts, its five double-digit strikeout effort of the year.
• This was the fifth game of the year that IU had zero errors.
Notes to Know
• Redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson recorded his team-best 11th multi-hit game of the year. It was the fourth such contest with three hits. On the afternoon, he also had his first triple of the campaign. Dickerson has now reached base in 14-straight games.
• IU did a great job at driving in runners on base on Tuesday afternoon. The six runners left on base was the second-fewest in any contest for the Hoosiers this season (5 – vs. Oregon State). IU was 4-for-10 (.400) in RBI opportunities in the victory.
• The Hoosiers added six more walks against Indiana State, extending their Big Ten-leading walk total to 125 on the season. Redshirt sophomore Joey Brenczewski walked twice to take his season total to 10. Seven different players have walked at least 10 times on the year. IU has a combined 154 walks and hit-by-pitches this year in comparison to just 128 strikeouts.
Up Next
Big Ten action returns to Bart Kaufman Field this weekend for the first time in 2025. First pitch Friday is tentatively scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Projected Saturday weather could alter the schedule going forward. All games will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– It was all Indiana in an in-state clash against Butler, as the Hoosiers’ bats powered their way to a dominating 13-0 victory in five innings on Tuesday at Andy Mohr Field.
The Hoosiers’ record now stands at 18-5 for the season.
INDIANA 13, BUTLER 0
KEY MOMENTS
• Brianna Copeland did not give up a hit in the top of the first to set the tone for the Hoosiers’ dominance and lead into a strong opening from Indiana’s bats.
• Avery Parker homered to left center to bring in three runners, giving Indiana a 3-0 advantage out of the gate.
• Aly VanBrandt got the momentum rolling in the third inning with a 2-RBI double to left center to make it a 6-0 game.
• In the next at bat, Sydni Burko hit a home run over the center field wall to bring two runs in and make it 8-0.
• The offensive push continued into the fourth with Indiana seeing another 5-run inning to extend the lead to 13.
• In that fourth inning, the Hoosiers scored by way of an error, stealing home, and RBI singles from VanBrandt and Cassidy Kettleman.
• Indiana’s defense ended the game on a rundown in the top of the fifth inning with Copeland tagging Leigh Vande Hei going back to third. That out not only ended the game, but kept the game scoreless as the Bulldogs had the bases loaded.
NOTABLES
• Burko hit her first career home run during the contest and Parker added to a season-total of six. Team 52 has come together to hit 22 total long balls during their campaign.
• Copeland struck out a total of eight batters, with her last opportunity at the mound being her 50th strikeout in the 2025 season.
• Four Hoosiers added two hits, including Melina Wilkison, Taylor Minnick, Parker, and VanBrandt. Burko, Hannah Haberstroh, and Kettleman would each contribute one of their own.
• Indiana outhit Butler, 11-5.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers stay at Andy Mohr Field to take on the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior point guard Braden Smith was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, while Trey Kaufman-Renn was named a first-team All-Big Ten honoree, the league office announced today.
Both players were unanimously selected by the Big Ten coaches, while Smith was a unanimous selection on the media team. Wisconsin’s John Tonje was also a unanimous selection by both the coaches and media. The group was joined on the first team by Maryland freshman Derik Queen and Nebraska’s Brice Williams on the coaches vote. The media vote went to Williams and Michigan’s Vladislav Goldin.
For the first time in Big Ten history, a team has had three straight unanimous (coaches and media) Big Ten Player of the Year recipients as Zach Edey won the award in both 2023 and 2024. Michigan State previously had three straight Players of the Year from 1998-00, but only via the coaches vote.
It marks the second straight year that Purdue has had two first-team selections and Smith is named to the first team for the second time. Since the 2015-16 season, Purdue has had 11 first-team honorees. Iowa and Illinois are next with six first-team selections in that timeframe.
Smith becomes Purdue’s seventh Big Ten Player of the Year, now the second most in league history behind Michigan State’s nine. Five of the winners have come since the 2011 season.
In addition, Fletcher Loyer was voted to the honorable mention team by the media and Caleb Furst was named the team’s Sportsmanship Award recipient.
The No. 20 Boilermakers will open Big Ten Tournament play Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, against the winner of USC and Rutgers.
First-Team All-Big Ten // Big Ten Player of the Year – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
Averages 16.3 points, 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, but saw his averages increase to 17.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during Big Ten play.
Set the Big Ten record for assists in conference play only with 175, smashing the previous record set by Michigan State’s Cassius Winston (157) by 18 assists – almost a full assist per game.
Became the second player in Big Ten history, joining Michigan State’s Magic Johnson, to register 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. Smith has reached those numbers in each of the last two seasons.
Became the school’s career assists leader, now with 717 assists in just 105 career games.
Needs just three assists, five rebounds and three steals to become the second player in NCAA history to have 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season, joining Georgia Tech standout Kenny Anderson (1989-90) as members of that group.
Is on pace to be the first player since California’s Jason Kidd (1993-94) to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Smith’s 717 assists (and counting) are the eighth most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season.
Recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games this season. Prior to this year, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist games in school history – the last one coming in the 1987-88 season.
His nine point-assist double-doubles are the third most for a high-major player in the last 20 seasons (14 – Oklahoma’s Trae Young, 2018; 10 – Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, 2023).
Smith has posted two games of 30 or more points this season (34 vs. Toledo; 31 vs. Iowa).
Has 12 games of 10 or more assists this season, and 22 games of 10 or more assists for his career. His 22 career games of 10 or more assists are the most in Big Ten history. The 22, 10-assist games are the fourth most by a player in his junior season or younger in the last 20 years (Kay Felder – 32; Kendall Marshall – 23; Ja Morant – 23).
First-Team All-Big Ten – Trey-Kaufman-Renn, Forward
Named first-team All-Big Ten after averaging 19.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for the season, but saw his scoring increase to 20.5 points per game in Big Ten play.
Finished second in the Big Ten in scoring, finishing just four points off the scoring title won by Nebraska’s Brice Williams.
Is one-of-four players in Big Ten history to average 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shoot at least 60.0 percent from the field (Zach Edey, Evan Eschmeyer, Chris Webber).
Is one-of-two players nationally this season to average at least 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shoot 60.0 percent from the field (South Dakota State’s Oscar Cluff).
Surpassed 600 points for the season and 1,000 career points in the regular-season finale against Illinois. Scored 408 points in his first two seasons, but has 612 this season.
Leads the country in 2-point field goals made (246).
Scored 20 or more points 15 times during the regular season, including 11 in Big Ten play.
Over the last 12 games, is averaging 22.7 points and 5.6 rebounds, while shooting 64.0 percent from the field and 75.9 percent from the free throw line. Has five games of at least 25 points in that span, including a career-high 30 points against Wisconsin.
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten – Fletcher Loyer, Guard
Named honorable mention All-Big Ten after averaging 14.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in league play.
Led the Big Ten in 3-point percentage, making 46-of-99 (.465) from long range during Big Ten play.
Ranks second on team with 26 double-digit scoring games and posted four games this season of 20 or more points.
Is playing his best entering the postseason, making 29-of-49 (.592) from 3-point range in the last 11 games.
Dating to last year in 11 games played in March, Loyer is 23-of-41 (.561) from 3-point range, and has scored at least 20 points in two of the last four games.
PURDUE WOMEN’S GOLF
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. – With the help of a career-low 68 (-4) in the final round, sophomore Jasmine Kahler tied a 36-hole school record to lead Purdue Women’s Golf to a runner-up finish at the Briar’s Creek Invitational. Kahler earned runner-up honors herself with her 6-under 138 (70-68) that matched Melati Purti’s two-round program best set at the 2019 Big Ten Championships.
The Boilermakers carded a final round 290 (+2) as a team to tie for second alongside SMU at 5-over and 14 shots back of No. 6 Florida State (-9). Purdue’s 581 (291-290) became the third-best 36-hole team score in school history.
Along with tying a school record, Kahler finished 6-under for Purdue’s lowest score (in relation to par) for a tournament this season. The second-place performance was her best as a Boilermaker, and she collected her fifth career Top 10. The Carlsbad, California, native led the 99-player field with 11 birdies over the 36 holes, while ranking second in par-4 scoring (-3).
Kahler’s final round began with a birdie at the first, but she gave the stroke back with a bogey at the par-3 second. However, she quickly bounced back and went on a roll. Over her next 12 holes, Kahler went 5-under with five birdies and seven pars during the bogey-free stretch. Draining a 15-footer for par on No. 18, the sophomore secured her career-low 68 and etched her name in the Purdue record book.
Momo Sugiyama was only two strokes behind Kahler, firing a 70 (-2) for the second straight round to finish 4-under for the tournament and earn the eighth Top-5 performance of her Purdue career. Her 140 (70-70) total became the third-best 36-hole score in school history, just behind the record marks of Kahler and Purti. The Aussie birdied three of the four par 5s during the final round, playing the final 15 holes bogey free at 3-under par. Making only two bogeys in each round, Sugiyama committed the fewest miscues by a Boilermaker throughout the tournament.
Samantha Brown, Natasha Kiel and Lauren Timpf all shot 76 (+4) during the final round. Kiel finished 7-over through 36 holes, while freshmen Brown and Timpf were 8-over and 10-over, respectively.
Up next, ending March and rolling into April, the Boilermakers travel to St. Augustine, Florida for the Coach Mo Classic (March 30-April 1).
BOILERMAKERS
2. Jasmine Kahler: 70-68—138 (-6)*
T5. Momo Sugiyama: 70-70—140 (-4)
T45. Natasha Kiel: 75-76—151 (+7)
T49. Samantha Brown: 76-76—152 (+8)
T65. Lauren Timpf: 78-76—154 (+10)
*Ties 36-Hole School Record
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. #6 Florida State: 280-287—567 (-9)
T2. Purdue: 291-290—581 (+5)
T2. SMU: 293-288—581 (+5)
4. Campbell: 297-288—585 (+9)
T5. East Carolina: 293-293—586 (+10)
T5. Tulsa: 306-280—586 (+10)
7. NC State: 291-298—589 (+13)
T8. Kent State: 289-301—590 (+14)
T8. Charleston: 293-297—590 (+14)
T8. Iowa: 297-293—590 (+14)
T11. Maryland: 293-299—592 (+16)
T11. Miami (FL): 295-297—592 (+16)
13. Old Dominion: 303-306—609 (+33)
T14. Minnesota: 308-303—611 (+35)
T14. Penn State: 310-301—611 (+35)
16. Furman: 312-312—624 (+48)
17. Rutgers: 315-311—626 (+50)
PURDUE BASEBALL
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Butler (6-8) at Purdue (14-2)
Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. ET / Stream B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
$3 Deals on GA Tickets, Hot Dogs, Beers, Popcorn & Nachos
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (So, RHP) vs. BU’s Jack Griffiths (Fr, RHP)
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 106-37-3
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 69-16-1
Purdue Under Greg Goff vs. Butler: Purdue leads 2-0 (Since 2020)
Last Meeting: Purdue 16, Butler 9 (April 2023 in West Lafayette)
First Meeting: Purdue 9, Butler 0 (June 1888 in West Lafayette)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As a 70-degree week brings the long live spring vibes back to campus, Purdue Baseball’s home opener Wednesday vs. Butler doubles as the lid lifter of a season-long 13-game homestand.
First pitch at Alexander Field is slated for 4 p.m. ET. It’s the first of many $3 midweek matchups in which general admission tickets, hot dogs, beers, popcorn and nachos are all specially priced at $3.
The Boilermakers carry a Big Ten-best 14-2 record into their home opener, their best mark since the 2022 team was 12-0 entering a March 10 home opener, at the time the earliest ever. Purdue played its first home game on March 9 last season.
UIC, Milwaukee, Michigan, Valparaiso, UCLA and Northern Illinois also visit Alexander Field during the 13-game homestand, which is the same length as the home-opening run the Boilermakers had in March 2024. A year ago, Purdue went 8-5 on that homestand, 4-2 in midweek home dates and 16-13 at Alexander overall. They’ll aim to improve on all three marks this season to build upon the solid profile the 14-2 start has provided. April features just one home weekend (April 11-13 vs Rutgers) as the Boilers visit Washington, Penn State and Illinois for Big Ten series.
Butler features a familiar face in the dugout, alumnus and two-time All-American Ross Learnard – the program’s single-season record holder for saves (15 in 2018). Learnard is in his third season as the pitching coach at Butler after spending the 2022 season as the Boilermakers’ lead on operations and pitching analytics.
Butler is averaging 8.4 runs per game over its first 14 games and scored 11 runs in its Feb. 26 midweek opener at Louisville, albeit in a 15-11 loss. The Bulldogs’ 146 runs allowed is skewed a bit by a 31-5 drubbing at Tarleton State on the second day of the season.
Butler has a pair of Jacks powering the lineup like a quality full house. Jack Moroknek (.456/.536/1.088) and Jack Bello (.510/.519/.918) have combined for 28 extra-base hits and 33 RBI. Moroknek’s 10 home runs are tied for second nationally entering the week.
Purdue has scored 160 runs in its 16 games, averaging 10 per contest to rank 13th nationally entering the week. Brandon Anderson, Logan Sutter, Aaron Manias and Keenan Spence have teamed up to form a formidable heart of the lineup over the last couple weeks – combining for 17 extra-base hits and 33 RBI over the last five games. Spence hit his 17th home run in 64 games as a Boilermaker on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Cole Van Assen earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors last season largely based on his success as a midweek starter. He gave Purdue three scoreless innings Saturday night in Minneapolis to close out the series-clinching win at Minnesota, earning his first collegiate save. He started eight of the nine midweek games a year ago, posting a 4.34 ERA and 24 strikeouts vs. 11 walks in 29 innings while pitching in an assortment of high-scoring midweek games. Van Assen had a 3.77 ERA in all games at Alexander a year ago, with his 28 2/3 innings ranking third on the team behind only Jordan Morales and Luke Wagner – the two season-long constants in the weekend rotation.
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Logan Sutter – 18-game on-base (since May 21, 2024), on-base safely multiple times in all 16 games
• Albert Choi – 16-game on-base (as a Boilermaker)
• Brandon Anderson – 15-game on-base
• Lukas Cook: 6-game hit
• Aaron Manias: 6-game hit
• Keenan Spence – 5-game hit
• Breck Nowik – 5-game on-base
• Houston Russell – 5-game on-base
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
CHARLOTTE – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team (15-17) has a flair for the dramatics and they once again did just enough to punch their ticket into the second round of the ACC Tournament. With the game tied at 54-all against the Pitt Panthers (17-15) with under 15 seconds left, the Irish had the ball with a chance at the win. Markus Burton put up a shot and then Tae Davis was fouled on the rebound. Davis then went to the line with one second left and secured the 55-54 victory. It marked the third straight Irish game decided by one possession.
Tae Davis led the offense with 11 points, stepping up to the line and hitting free throws when the Irish needed it most as he went 5-6 from the charity stripe. Markus Burton finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and a team-best three assists.
Nikita Konstantynovskyi finished just one rebound shy of a double-double as he tallied 10 points and nine boards in the win, going a perfect 4-4 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. The 10 points were a season high.
Matt Allocco registered nine points and five rebounds while Julian Roper II supplied eight points, two steals and one block.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame got off to an 11-5 start after four points from Nikita Konstantynovskyi, buckets from Julian Roper II and Markus Burton, then a Matt Allocco three. Later J.R. Konieczny found Sir Mohammed for an easy layup and Allocco drained another three and the Irish were firing on all cylinders up 16-7 at 11:50. At this point Notre Dame was 6-12 with four assists.
Out of a Pitt timeout, Notre Dame capped a 4-5 shooting stretch from the field to go up double digits, 20-10, at 9:49.
Other first half highlights include a Roper II block that fed into an Allocco drive and dish to the corner for a Cole Certa three. Soon after, a Burton dish to Roper II for another easy layup kept the Irish ahead at 25-20.
However, the Irish ended the half on a 4.5-minute scoring drought, recording five turnovers in that stretch to bring their half total to 10. Yet, Notre Dame held onto a slim lead still at 25-22.
Back-to-back takes from Davis kickstarted the second half to keep the Irish up 29-24. However, Coach Shrewsberry soon had to call a timeout to rally the effort out of his team as Pitt closed the gap. The Panthers then grabbed their first lead of the game at 14:06, now 31-32.
Burton scored eight of the team’s next 12 to keep trading blows with Pitt, as the Irish tied it 43-43 with 6:54 remaining.
Later down 43-47, Matt Allocco drained a big three to pull ND within one, then down on the defensive end, Burton stripped the ball and drove to the basket where Roper II followed for the tip-in slam. As a result, Notre Dame recaptured the lead 48-47.
It was back and forth between the two squads as a Pitt layup put them in front 49-48, but a pair of Davis free throws gave Irish a one-point advantage yet again.
The Panthers knocked down a pair of free throws of their own before Davis responded with another pair from behind the charity stripe to make it 52-51 with 1:21 remaining.
Pitt recaptured the lead 54-52 after knocking one down from behind the arc, but Konstantynovskyi came in clutch with a tip-in layup to tie it up at 54-all.
After a Pitt turnover with 20 seconds remaining, Burton looked to attack the rim as Davis grabbed the rebound and was fouled on the putback with one-second remaining.
Just when you thought it may be going into overtime yet again, Davis had the opportunity to put the Irish in front at the free throw line. Knocking down the first shot put Notre Dame in front 55-54 as the clock expired and the Irish claimed their first ACC tournament win of the postseason.
UP NEXT
The Irish are back in action at the Spectrum Center tomorrow afternoon as they take on North Carolina at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Notre Dame Softball team dropped Tuesday night’s midweek matchup on the road to Ohio State, 3-2. The Irish drop to 11-13 on the season.
Olivia Levitt hit her first career homer in the second inning, a shot out to right center to open the scoring for the Irish. Notre Dame has now homered in six straight games.
Sydny Poeck and Addison Amaral both reached base three times. Poeck singled twice to left and walked once while Amaral walked twice and had a single up the middle in the seventh.
How it happened
Notre Dame managed to get its first two runners of the game on base, but stranded both of them in scoring position after Ohio State starter Kennedy Kay got a foul out to end the early Irish threat.
The Buckeyes scored two in the bottom of the first after an RBI double into the left center field gap and a run on a ground out to first right after.
Levitt wasted no time countering those runs, blasting a home run off the top of the right center field fence and over in the top of the second to cut the deficit to one.
Brianne Weiss took over in the circle to start the top of the third. The freshman was coming off a 14-strikeout weekend at Louisville and threw a scoreless third inning.
The Buckeyes got one off Weiss in the bottom of the fourth, a solo home run to right that pushed the lead back to two after four innings.
The Irish got their second run of the day off a Paige Cowley pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the fifth. Cowley has been the most effective pinch hitter for Notre Dame, hitting .667 in the role. It was the fifth RBI of the year for the junior.
After two leadoff base runners for Ohio State in the top of the sixth, Micaela Kastor took over for Brianne Weiss. Weiss finished the day allowing only one run over three innings. She struck out three.
Kastor, making only her second appearance out of the bullpen this year, struck out her first two batters for the first outs of the bottom of the sixth. After a walk to load the bases, Kastor got a fly out from one of the NCAA top hitters in Jasmyn Burns to masterfully escape the Buckeye threat.
After getting a couple runners on in the top of the seventh, Notre Dame couldn’t muster enough off Lorin Boutte, who got the save for Ohio State.
Notre Dame heads to Raleigh, North Carolina this weekend to continue conference play at NC State. Friday night’s game against the Wolfpack is set for 6:00 p.m. and will air nationally on ACC Network.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
ROCK HILL, S.C. – The pitching staff did not allow an earned run, seven different players had a hit, and six different Irish scored a run in a 6-3 victory over Winthrop on Tuesday night.
The defense shut the door on the Eagles in the bottom of the first. Winthrop put runners on first and second with one out before Jared Zimbardo snagged a line drive on the fly in the right-center gap to record the second out. Dylan Heine then shut the door with a strikeout swinging to blank the Eagles in the opening frame.
Heine had the strong pick-off move in the bottom of the second to cut down a runner for Winthrop. The Eagles hit a two-out double, but Heine induced a fly ball to DM Jefferson in center field to keep the game scoreless.
Nick DeMarco drew a lead-off walk and Jayce Lee was hit by a pitch in the top of the third. DM Jefferson had a bunt single to drive in DeMarco, and Noah Coy used a safety sacrifice squeeze bunt to plate Lee from third. Bino Watters delivered a bouncer up the right foul line and into the corner for a triple, and Jefferson scored the third run of the inning for the Irish.
Heine used a three-up, three down third inning. The Eagles, however, got a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within one.
DM Jefferson and Noah Coy drew back-to-back walks in the top of the fifth to get things going with one out gone, but the Irish were unable to add to the lead. Dylan Heine got a one-pitch out, struck out the next batter, and induced an infield grounder to Estevan Moreno to make quick work of the Eagles’ offense in the bottom of the fifth.
Estevan Moreno laced a double to the left-center gap with one out and advanced to third on a groundout. Moreno then scored on a passed ball to put the Irish ahead 4-2 midway through the sixth. The Eagles put a pair on base with no outs. Nick DeMarco ran down a ball in foul territory for the first out. Estevan Moreno picked a tough grounder in the 5-6 hole, and DeMarco tagged out the runner for the second out. DJ Helwig then registered his first strikeout of the game to close out the inning.
Notre Dame added a run in the top of the seventh. Noah Coy beat out an infield single, and Parker Brzustewicz had a triple down the right field line to drive in Coy for a 5-3 advantage. DJ Helwig and the defense locked down the Eagles in the seventh. Estevan Moreno snagged a soft liner, Helwig dialed up another strikeout, and Brady Gumpf tracked down a fly ball in left to end the inning.
Gumpf then smashed a two-out solo home run over the left field fence for a 6-3 Notre Dame midway through the eighth. Ricky Reeth struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning. Reeth continued to deal and retired the side in order in the ninth to close out the 6-3 decision and earn the save on the bump – the first save of his collegiate career.
Dylan Heine earned the win on the mound for the Irish after going 5.0 and striking out four with no earned runs allowed. DJ Helwig went two complete with a pair of strikeouts, and Ricky Reeth went the final two innings and struck out four.
Seven different players registered a hit in the Notre Dame win. Brady Gumpf had a solo home run while Parker Brzustewicz and Bino Watters each tallied an RBI triple. Estevan Moreno had a double and scored a run, and Noah Coy had a hit, drove in a run, and scored once. DM Jefferson added a hit, a run, and an RBI for the Irish while Jayce Lee had a hit and scored once. Nick DeMarco drew two walks and scored a run in the victory.
The Irish (9-4) are back on the field tomorrow when they take on Winthrop starting at 4:00 p.m.
BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF
Sophie McGinnis fired a one-over 73 Tuesday in the final round of the Butler Don Benbow Spring Invitational, which gave her a two-shot victory in the 36-hole event.
McGinnis entered the day as part of a four-player group that was tied for third after her opening-round, four-over 76. Her Tuesday round included four birdies on the 6,052-yard Ardea Country Club south course in Oldsmar, Fla. McGinnis’s 36-hole total of five-over 149 was two shots clear of runner-up Ava Lucas of Merrimack. McGinnis was competing as an individual.
The Bulldogs entered the final round third in the team standings and were able to make move into the runner-up spot. Western Michigan held onto the team title at 626 (+50). Butler was able to shave a single shot off Western Michigan’s 18-hole lead, but did jump Fairleigh Dickinson Tuesday. Butler finished second at 630 (+54), one shot better than FDU, which entered Tuesday three shots in front of the Bulldogs. Butler shot 315 in both rounds. There were a total of 15 teams in the field.
Butler’s Katie Steinman started the day in a tie for seventh and was able to move into fourth with her second consecutive five-over 77. Ashley Freitas climbed 17 shots on the leaderboard Tuesday, finishing in a tie seventh after her four-over 76 in the final round.
THE BULLDOGS:
1) Sophie McGinnis, playing as an individual, 76-73–149 (+5)
4) Katie Steinman, 77-77–154 (+10)
T7) Ashley Freitas, 80-76–156 (+12)
T21) Kelli Scheck, 80-79–159 (+15)
T25) Yaya Sadamoto, playing as an individual, 82-78–160 (+16)
T45) Cybil Stillson, 78-86–164 (+20)
T48) Treva Dodd, 82-83–165 (+21)
T73) Maddie Diedrich, playing as an individual, 88-83–171 (+27)
Butler hosted the tournament, which is named in honor of the late Don Benbow, who was inducted into the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame for his contributions as a standout football student-athlete, golf and football coach, and his time at Butler as an athletics administrator.
The Bulldogs return to action March 24-25, traveling down I-65 for The Nashville (Tenn.) Invitational.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
The BIG EAST Tournament begins Wednesday at Madison Square Garden; Butler and Providence will meet in the opening game of the tournament in the No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed contest. Butler and Providence split two regular season match-ups, with each winning on its home floor. Wednesday’s winner will play top-seeded St. John’s in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Butler (13-18, No. 9 Seed) vs. Providence (12-19, No. 8 Seed)
BIG EAST Tournament First Round
Wednesday, March 12 • 4PM
Madison Square Garden • New York City
TV: Peacock • Noah Eagle, Donny Marshall & John Fanta
Butler Basketball Live (Audio) with @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner): Varsity Network App, SiriusXM, XM App & TuneIn
• Jahmyl Telfort averaged 20.5 points per game in the two meetings with Providence this season, while Pierre Brooks II averaged 17.5 points per contest against the Friars.
• Telfort earned All-BIG EAST Third Team honors, as announced by the conference Sunday.
• Telfort’s scoring average of 16.2 points per game ranks eighth in the BIG EAST. Telfort is among the BIG EAST leaders in scoring, assists (11th), field goal percentage (seventh), free throw percentage (seventh), and minutes played (fourth).
• Butler enters the game off an 87-74 loss at Creighton Saturday in the regular season finale.
• Butler committed only one turnover in Saturday’s contest at Creighton. Villanova also had only a single turnover in their Dec. 21 game at Creighton. Prior to the two occurrences this season, the last BIG EAST team to have only one turnover in a game was Louisville, which had one turnover Feb. 7, 2007 against Georgetown (Rick Pitino was the coach of that Louisville team).
• Telfort has scored 502 points this season, putting him just outside the Top 25 in Butler program history for points scored in a single season (535 points ranks 25th).
• The Bulldogs committed a season-low five fouls at Creighton Saturday; Butler ranks 15th in the country at only 13.7 fouls per game.
• Butler is 9-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points, including all six of their BIG EAST wins.
• Butler has shot at least 50 percent from the field in each of its six BIG EAST wins.
• Telfort went over 2,000 career points in the Feb. 26 game against St. John’s. Telfort currently is 15th in career scoring among active players who have spent their entire collegiate careers at Division I schools.
• On the season, Butler ranks 39th nationally in three-point percentage (37.1), while allowing opponents to shoot only 31.6 percent from behind the arc, a figure that is 68th nationally.
• Butler’s season-long free throw accuracy of 74.6 percent is 91st nationally; the Bulldogs have been even better over the last four games (a combined 47-for-55 for 85 percent).
• Butler attempted a season-low six free throws Saturday at Creighton, making a season-low five. On the season, the Bulldogs average 15.7 made free throws per game, which is 63rd nationally.
• Patrick McCaffery scored 19 points Saturday at Creighton; it marked his fourth-best scoring output in a game this season; McCaffery is shooting 9-for-20 (45 percent) from three-point range over his last three games, making a trio of three-pointers in each one.
• McCaffery has hit multiple three-pointers in 20 games this season.
• Pierre Brooks II has eight 20-point games on the season, most recently leading Butler with 24 points in the Feb. 22 win at DePaul.
• Andre Screen is eighth in the BIG EAST in blocks and tenth in rebounding.
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving.
At The Garden
• Three of the match-ups between Providence and Butler have been part of the BIG EAST Tournament as the Friars picked up wins in 2016, 2019 and 2022.
• Butler’s best performance in the BIG EAST Tournament was a semifinals appearance in 2018.
• The Bulldogs captured the 2006 Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden, posting wins over Tennessee and Gonzaga.
The First Two Match-ups
• Butler and Providence split the two regular season match-ups with each winning on its home floor.
• Providence made a total of 26 three-pointers in the two games, which included 16 against the Bulldogs in Butler’s Feb. 8 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• The winning team had a significant rebounding advantage in both games: Providence held a 43-26 edge in their Jan. 8 win, while Butler out-rebounded the Friars, 34-24, in the Feb. 8 win.
The Series with The Friars
• All 27 meetings in the series have come since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.
Series: Providence Leads, 20-7
Streak: Butler, W1
At MSG: Providence Leads, 3-0
First Meeting: Jan. 21, 2014; Providence, 65-56 (at PC)
Last Meeting: Feb. 8, 2025; Butler, 82-81 (at BU)
BUTLER BASEBALL
The Bulldogs will travel to West Lafayette on Wednesday to face the Purdue Boilermakers. The 4 p.m. contest will stream live on B1G+ and will serve as the home opener for the Boilers.
GameDay
Date: Wednesday, March 12
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Field: Alexander Field
Watch: B1G+
Live Stats: PurdueSports.com (Statbroadcast)
Pitching Matchup
RHP Jack Griffiths vs. RHP Cole Van Assen
Scouting Purdue
The Boilermakers are 14-2 this year with each setback coming down to the wire. They lost to Akron in 11 innings back on March 1 and most recently took a 10-8 loss at Minnesota. Purdue run-ruled Akron twice, and Indiana State once before opening up Big Ten action. PU hits .330 as a team while leading the conference in doubles and on-base percentage.
Logan Sutter, Brandon Anderson and Lukas Cook have been hot at the plate over the first month of the season. Sutter is batting .509 with 10 doubles and five home runs. He has 28 RBI and 54 total bases. Anderson has five doubles and three home runs; Cook is a .440 batter with three doubles and a triple.
Purdue is projected to start right-hander Cole Van Assen. This will be the sophomore’s fourth start of the year. He is still 0-0 on the mound with a 2.87 ERA. Over 15.2 innings, Van Assen has 12 strikeouts and just three walks.
Last Meeting
Butler’s last game against Purdue was played at Alexander Field in 2023. The Boilers notched a 16-9 win in the matchup. Butler’s last win against Purdue game on their diamond in 2017. The Bulldogs no-hit Purdue to win 4-2.
About Butler
The Bulldogs are 6-8 on the year after winning a pair of games at Lindenwood over the weekend. The offense has been explosive this season averaging 8.4 runs per game. Jack Bello leads the team with a .510 batting average and Jack Moroknek is second on the club at .456. Bello has a team-high seven doubles, two triples and three home runs on the year for 14 RBI. Moroknek has six doubles and a team-best 10 home runs. He is already up to 19 RBI and 62 total bases.
Bello Makes BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Jack Bello did it all for the Bulldogs over a four-game weekend, collecting at least two hits in every game, in addition to earning a win on the mound. Bello capped the week with 10 hits and four RBI, while pitching two innings with a strikeout.
Home Run King
Jack Moroknek has 10 home runs over his first 14 games, ranking him second in the country in homers. Justin Lebron from Alabama leads the nation with 11 and Morknek is tied with Alex Calarco (Maryland) and Ryland Zaborowski for second.
Moroknek hit three home runs in a single game at Lindenwood to tie his own school record. Moroknek also homered three times in the same game last year at Eastern Michigan.
A Look at Last Week
Butler went 2-2 last week in a four-game series at Lindenwood. They split a Friday doubleheader with a 13-3 loss followed by a 9-8 win. Saturday’s game was another one-run victory for the Bulldogs as they edge the Lions 11-10. The finale went to the home team 5-4.
Jack Bello and Jack Moroknek were outstanding in in St. Charles, Mo. Bello led the Bulldogs with a .588 batting average while also picking up a win on the mound. Bello recorded 10 hits with five of those going for extra bases. Moroknek hit four home runs to push his season total to 10.
On the mound, Gabe Pancratz and Jack Bello had wins while a save was recorded by Simon Linde. Tate Foxson led all pitchers with five strikeouts and Marcus Goodpaster had the longest outing at 6.1 innings.
Best in the BIG EAST
The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST in hits (159), batting average (.321), doubles (35), home runs (23), on-base percentage (.401), slugging percentage (.554), and runs (117)
Bulldog Bits
– Jack Bello and Jack Moroknek rank first and second in the BIG EAST in batting average
– Bello leads the BIG EAST with seven doubles and Moroknek leads the league with 10 home runs
– Moroknek is the overall hit leader in the league with 26; Bello is pushing him with 25
– Bello is on an 11-game hitting streak
– Bello has had multiple hits in 10 of his 12 games played this year
– Harry Carr has reached base safely in 13-straight games
– David Ayers had a season-high three RBIs at Lindenwood on Saturday
– Danny Barbero hit his fourth home run of the season over the weekend
– Tre Benjamin threw a clean inning at Lindenwood on just seven pitches
– Ryan Drumm had two multi-hit games at Lindenwood over the weekend
– Tate Foxson struck out a season-high five batters at Lindenwood
– Marcus Goodpaster gave Butler his longest outing of the season at Lindenwood (6.1 IP)
– Aidan Hatcher made his season debut at Lindenwood
– Simon Linde was credited with his first save of the season over the weekend
– Zach Munton had a season-high three-RBI game at Lindenwood
– AJ Solomon has five hits over his last three games
BIG EAST Standings
Creighton 7-4
Villanova 8-6
Xavier 7-9
Georgetown 6-9
Butler 6-8
UConn 4-8
Seton Hall 4-9
St. John’s 3-10
Up Next
Butler will play a four-game series at Belmont this weekend. Friday’s night game at E.S. Rose Park will get going at 5 p.m. eastern (4 p.m. central) while the Saturday doubleheader is slated for a 2 p.m. start. The getaway game on Sunday will also start at 2 p.m.
IU INDY SWIMMING
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The IU Indy dive program concluded day two of the NCAA Zone C Championships with junior Sebastian Otero sealing his spot in the 3-meter NCAA Championships.
Otero, a junior from Fishers, Indiana finished in sixth with a total score of 726.90 to secure his spot. He will now compete in the men’s 1-meter and 3-meter at the NCAA Championships in Federal Way, Washington.
Adam Schmehl also competed in the men’s 3-meter dive, finishing in 26th.
Otero will now turn his attention to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. — Blake Bevis and Korbin Griffin each had three hits, among six Ball State batters that had multiple hits in a 13-10 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday, but the early evening victory belonged to Rich Maloney, the 30-year head coach who recorded the 1,000th win of his coaching career.
Maloney, just the 10th active Division I coach with over 1,000 wins, is just the sixth among those active coaches to have won at least 1,000 with Division I programs, alone. In his second stint and 20th season guiding the Cardinals, Maloney also coached Michigan for 10 years. He is the 69th coach in college baseball history to reach the 1,000-win plateau, and the 50th to eclipse 1,000 exclusively at Division I schools.
Consecutive singles by Dylan Grego, Nick Husovsky, Bevis and Griffin sparked a three-run seventh for Ball State, putting the Cardinals in command for good. They added a final tally in the bottom of the eighth on a double by leadoff man Alex Richter who finished with three runs with a pair of hits and RBI.
Maloney’s 1,000th victory began, however, with an ominous start as the Mastadons used five runs in the opening frame to race to a 7-1 lead.
Maloney’s boys, though, kept fighting. Ball State got a run in the first, two in the second and two in the third to close within 7-5. Purdue Fort Wayne scored again in the top of the sixth for an 8-6 advantage, but Richter’s homer to lead off the bottom of the sixth pulled the Cardinals within 8-7. Bevis’ triple off the center field wall plated Dylan Grego and Houston King later in the inning, and Ball State was on top.
The Mastadons, themselves, weren’t ready to watch the Cardinals and over 700 fans celebrate just yet. PFW added two more runs to re-take the lead at 10-9, but they never scored again and the Cardinals’ three-run seventh steered Maloney towards the milestone win.
Zach Leduc (2-0) was credited with the win for Ball State, firing 1.2 scoreless innings over the seventh and eighth innings. In a game featuring 23 runs and 28 hits, Leduc was one of 16 pitchers (10 by PFW) in the contest that lasted nearly three hours, 40 minutes.
BALL STATE SWIMMING
MUNCIE, Ind. – Following impressive performances throughout the 2024-25 season, 13 members of the Ball State swimming & diving program will compete in postseason action beginning Thursday.
The Cardinals travel to Ocala, Florida for the 2025 CSCAA National Invitational Championships at the FAST (Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training). The three-day meet runs Thursday through Saturday, with prelims starting at 9:30 a.m. each day and finals at 6 p.m.
In addition, student-athletes have the option to compete in Sunday’s Long Course Time Trials.
Members of the Ball State men’s squad that will compete during the week include Aidan Biddle, AJ Friend, Dominick Perkowski, Malcolm Slater, Nathan Harper, Tommy Brunner and Alexander Eddy.
Joining the Cardinals on the women’s side are Anna Keen, Ava Butterfield, Callie Tuma, Julia Ofman, McKenna Potteiger and Payton Kelly.
A complete breakdown of the expected NIC Schedule is below.
Fans can follow the action live on MeetMobile, with live video found here.
Ball State Schedule at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships
Thursday Schedule – MEN
200 Freestyle Relay
18th – Ball State – 1:20.39
500 Freestyle
20th – Malcolm Slater – 4:27.61
35th – Tommy Brunner – 4:31.83
50 Butterfly
41st – AJ Friend – 22.37
50 Breaststroke
16th – Aidan Biddle – 25.26
50 Freestyle
38th – AJ Friend – 20.22
400 Medley Relay
19th – Ball State – 3:14.22
Thursday Schedule – WOMEN
200 Freestyle Relay
19th – Ball State – 1:31.68
50 Backstroke
29th – Payton Kelly – 25.74
49th – Ava Butterfield – 26.44
50 Butterfly
5th – Anna Keen – 24.48
50 Breaststroke
7th – Anna Keen – 28.27
50th – Julia Ofman – 29.60
50 Freestyle
1st – Payton Kelly – 22.23
400 Medley Relay
19th – Ball State – 3:40.31
Friday Schedule – MEN
200 Medley Relay
19th – Ball State – 1:28.03
400 IM
20th – Tommy Brunner – 3:59.50
100 Butterfly
43rd – AJ Friend – 48.62
200 Freestyle
24th – Malcolm Slater – 1:38.08
30th – Nathan Harper – 1:38.74
100 Breaststroke
12th – Aidan Biddle – 53.81
800 Freestyle Relay
16th – Ball State – 6:34.49
Friday Schedule – WOMEN
200 Medley Relay
15th – Ball State – 1:39.56
400 IM
38th – Callie Tuma – 4:24.75
47th – McKenna Potteiger – 4:27.61
100 Butterfly
12th – Anna Keen – 53.64
100 Backstroke
43rd – Ava Butterfield – 55.17
Saturday Schedule – MEN
1650 Freestyle
12th – Malcolm Slater – 15:34.59
16th – Tommy Brunner – 15:38.08
23rd – Alexander Eddy – 15:58.21
200 Backstroke
39th – Nathan Harper – 1:51.31
200 Butterfly
30th – AJ Friend – 1:49.38
400 Freestyle Relay
19th – Ball State – 2:59.18
Saturday Schedule – WOMEN
1650 Freestyle
26th – McKenna Potteiger – 17:03.20
32nd – Callie Tuma – 17:05.20
100 Freestyle
1st – Payton Kelly – 48.82
400 Freestyle Relay
13th – Ball State – 3:20.89
BALL STATE MEN’S SOCCER
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell has announced the hiring of Andy Stoots as the Cardinals next head soccer coach. Stoots will direct a women’s soccer program at Ball State which finished in the top three of the Mid-American Conference in two of the past three seasons.
Stoots arrives in Muncie following a four-year stint as associate head coach at the University of Missouri. He brings to Ball State a rich history of success over the past decade that includes five years and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances at Louisville, and a two-year stay at Minnesota with another NCAA berth.
“We are excited to welcome Andy Stoots and his family to the Ball State community,” said Mitchell. “We engaged in a thorough and thoughtful search process, and what strikes me about Coach Stoots is his breadth of experience at all levels of the game. His tactical and technical expertise and his track record of proven recruiting will serve him well as the leader for our women’s soccer program.”
“I am extremely grateful and humbled to be named the head coach of Ball State women’s soccer,” said Stoots. “I want to thank President Mearns, Jeff Mitchell and his staff for trusting me to lead the program, build on the history of success and compete for MAC championships while developing our student-athletes off the field and in the classroom. I am looking forward to getting to Muncie and getting started!”
A native of Bristol, Tennessee, and a four-year letterwinner as a goalkeeper at Milligan University, Stoots began his coaching career in 2003 at Troy after serving as the Buffaloes’ team captain during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He helped Milligan to a school-record 15 wins in 2001, and he graduated with program records for shutouts, goals-against average and wins.
He was an assistant coach for one year at Troy before serving six years (2004-09) at East Tennessee State, a season at Belmont in 2010, then four at Samford from 2011-14.
Stoots landed at Minnesota in 2015 under head coach Stefanie Golan, who later brought him to Missouri. In 2016, the Gophers earned the program’s first sweep of the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. Minnesota ranked in the Top 15 nationally after earning the highest national ranking in program history at No. 8. That squad also boasted the Big Ten Forward of the Year in Simone Kolander and the Big Ten Defender of the Year in Rashida Beal, who earned All-America honors and later drafted by FC Kansas City.
Stoots landed at Mizzou by way of the University of Louisville. He spent five years with the Cardinals’ program (2017-21), making two NCAA Tournament appearances. Working primarily with the goalkeepers and attacking players, Stoots helped Louisville’s offensive production increase while improving its final RPI and win total in each of his last three seasons with the team.
The Cardinals reached the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and 2019. Each season, they topped their previous program-best finish in ACC regular-season play, finishing sixth in 2018 and fourth the following year. Louisville reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2019.
Most recently with Missouri (2021-24), he coached four all-conference selections over the past three seasons, and helped the Tigers to an upset of No. 13-ranked Ole Miss during his first year with the program. Milena Fischer earned All-SEC third team honors last season, Kylee Simmons led the SEC in points (24) and goals (11) en route to first team All-SEC accolades in 2023. In 2022, defender Grace Pettit was an All-SEC second teamer and Bella Hollenbach landed on the All-SEC Freshman Team.
His 22-year coaching resume includes three NCAA Tournament appearances and the past 11 seasons in Big Ten and SEC power conferences.
Stoots and his wife Tiffany have three children: Ethan, Audrey and Sawyer.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Opening Tip:
– The last time Ball State and Western Michigan met in the Mid-American Conference Tournament was in the first round in 2010. The Cardinals defeated then Broncos that year by a score of 67-43 in Worthen Arena.
– Wednesday’s game against Western Michigan will mark the 95th time in program history the two schools have met with Ball State leading the all-time series record, 55-39. The Cardinals won the two-game series over the Broncos this season after beating WMU 61-51 in Muncie (2/2/25) and then in Kalamazoo by a 55-45 decision (3/1/25). Ball State has won 11-straight over Western Michigan.
– Ball State owns a 35-8 ledger over Western Michigan dating back to the 2004-05 season. Brady Sallee holds an 22-4 career mark against the Broncos.
– With the win against Buffalo on March 5, the Cardinals claimed sole possession of the Mid-American Conference regular season title for the first time in 22 years. The last time the Cardinals earned the title was in 2002-03. Ball State will enter next week’s MAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed in Cleveland for the first time since 2009 when Ball State won the tournament.
– This marks the 35th appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 23 out of the past 25 seasons. The Cardinals are 24-33 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on six occasions. Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game. This is the 10th time in current head coach Brady Sallee’s tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.
– Ball State head coach Brady Sallee owns a 8-11 overall Mid-American Conference Tournament mark. The last time the Cardinals reached the final game was in 2022 when Ball State fell to Buffalo by a score of 79-74.
– Ball State has been the No. 1 seed in the tournament only four times; 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2025.
– Ball State owns a 10-2 record in the 2025 MAC Tournament bracket. The two losses for the Cardinals game against second-seeded Toledo and fourth-seeded Kent State.
Last Time They Met in the MAC Tourney:
– No. 2 Bowling Green 70, No. 3 Ball State 61 (2023 MAC Semifinals)
– No. 2 Buffalo 75, No. 2 Ball State 79 (2022 MAC Finals)
– No. 5 Ball State 71, No. 1 Toledo 66, (2022 MAC Semifinals)
– No. 3 Kent State 65, No. 2 Ball State 50 (2024 MAC Semifinals)
– No. 6 Western Michigan 65, No. 3 Ball State 54 (2010 MAC Quarterfinals)
– No. 5 Central Michigan 86, No. 12 Ball State 62 (2012 MAC First Round)
– No. 1W Ball State 76, No. 4E Miami 51 (2009 MAC Quarterfinals)
A Look Back at the Road to the 2009 MAC Tourney Win:
Quarterfinals • Quicken Loans Arena • Cleveland, Ohio (2,523)
W1 Ball State 76, E4 Miami 51
Semifinals • Quicken Loans Arena • Cleveland, Ohio (2,571)
W1 Ball State 68, E6 Buffalo 54
Championship • Quicken Loans Arena • Cleveland, Ohio (3,113)
W1 Ball State 55, E1 Bowling Green 51
Scouting Western Michigan:
– This is the second-straight season the Broncos have earned a spot at the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Broncos were the No. 8 seed last season losing to top-seeded Toledo on March 13, 2024 by a 72-61 decision.
– The Cardinals and the Broncos first meeting in the Mid-American Conference Tournament was in 1989 when Ball State was the No. 4 seed defeating fifth-seeded Western Michigan by a score of 81-59.
– Shane Clipfell first year as the head coach of the Broncos was also Brady Sallee’s first year at Ball State. Clipfell was familiar with the MAC as he was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan for nine seasons.
– The Broncos are led in scoring by Hannah Spitzley (13.6 ppg) and Marina Asensio (13.3) ppg. Spitzley also leads the squad defensively averaging 5.3 rebounds per game.
ALSO: CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ball State senior Ally Becki was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year while senior Marie Kiefer was tabbed the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and Brady Sallee earned MAC Coach of the Year, the conference office announced today.
Along with those accolades, Becki received First Team and Defensive Team All-MAC honors while Alex Richard garnered Second Team All-MAC accolades. Kiefer was also tabbed to the MAC All-Defensive Team.
This marks only the sixth time Ball State has had a MAC Player of the Year recipient, with the others being Nathalie Fontaine (2015-16), Kate Endress (2004-05), Tamara Bowie (2002-03 & 2000-01) and Jenny Eckert (1989-90). It is also only the third time in school annals that the Cardinals have received MAC Coach of the Year, Sallee joins Tracy Roller (2002) and Brenda Oldfield (2000).
“We are absolutely thrilled to see Ally get rewarded with MAC Player of the Year,” Sallee said. “She would be the first to tell you that this is a team award, and she is correct, but the year she has had and the career that she has put together at Ball State deserves this award.”
Becki earns postseason accolades for the fourth straight year. The senior guard is known as the Cardinals’ play maker and recently became the program’s all-time assists leader with 699. She ranks first in the MAC this season in assists (194), assists per game (6.3), assist/turnover ratio (2.20) and field goal percentage (47.1). Becki is also currently seventh nationally in assists (194) and assists per game (6.3).
The star-studded senior has earned MAC weekly honors three times this season and 10 times for her career. She enters this week’s MAC Tournament just one assist away from becoming the seventh player in NCAA women’s basketball college history to have scored 1,600+ career points, pulled down 700+ rebounds and dished 700+ assists. Becki has scored 1,624 points, totaled 716 rebounds and 699 assists so far for her career.
Thanks to Kiefer’s defensive effort, this is the second-straight season a Cardinals player has earned the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Kiefer joins Nyla Hampton who earned the award last season. Kiefer, who leads the league in blocks (58) and blocks per game (1.87), was also named to the All-MAC Defensive squad for the first time in her career. Kiefer recently broke the Cardinals’ single-season record for most blocks (58) and enters the MAC Tournament as the Ball State women’s basketball all-time blocks leader with 198 career blocks.
Along with her solid blocking numbers, Kiefer ranks ninth all-time in program history in rebounds with 793, including 226 so far this season. She has registered a block in every game but two this season and has tallied eight double-digit rebounding performances including a career best 16 rebound performances twice this season against Ohio (1/29/25) and Central Michigan (2/26/25).
“I’m so excited to see Marie get recognized for her impact on the defensive end of the floor,” Sallee said. “She allows us to do so much on defensive end because of her ability to block and change shots. What sometimes goes unnoticed is the deflections and steals that she comes up with! She is one of the best defenders I have coached, and we are so proud of her.”
This is the first postseason award for Richard who leads the Cardinals in scoring (16.2 ppg) and is second on the squad in rebounding (7.2 rpg). After missing most of the non-conference season due to injury, Richard came back just in time for MAC play. Her biggest achievement was joining the 1,000-point club at Toledo (Feb. 19) with a career high 33-point performance. In the 18 games since her return, she has averaged 16.2 points per game while pulling down 7.2 rebounds per contest.
Richard has been efficient from the field as well, shooting 52 percent. She also garnered the last MAC weekly honor on Monday for her performance last week when she averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. She shot 63 percent from the field and 70 percent from the charity stripe in wins over Buffalo (March 5) and Ohio (March 8).
Sallee earns MAC Coach of the Year honors for the first time in his 13-year career after guiding the Cardinals to a 24-7 record this season and its first MAC regular season title in the last 22 years with a 16-2 league mark. The third-winningest coach in MAC history with 159 victories, Sallee has helped the Cardinals to the NCAA’s first-ever postseason Women’s Basketball lnvitation Tournament (WBIT), nine postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournaments (WNIT), a WNIT Final 16 appearance, a Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division title (2014), 11 MAC Tournament appearances, and eight 20-plus win seasons; a feat no head coach at Ball State has done.
Under Sallee’s direction, the Cardinals have had 41 postseason All-MAC selections, two MAC Player of the Year winners, three MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, two Sixth Player of the Year awards and three MAC Freshman of the Year honorees.
“I’m humbled and thankful that our staff was recognized for all of their work that went into this year,” Sallee said. “This truly is a Staff of the Year Award that happens when you have a special team that buys in to each other. I’m thankful to have an incredible staff around me.”
The Ball State women’s basketball team will be the No. 1 seed in this week’s 2025 MAC Tournament and will face eighth-seeded Western Michigan on Wednesday in the quarterfinals at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Tipoff is at 11 am ET.
2024-25 MAC Women’s Basketball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Brady Sallee, Ball State
Player of the Year: Ally Becki, Senior, Ball State, Guard
Defensive Player of the Year: Marie Kiefer, Senior, Ball State, Forward
Freshman of the Year: Madi Morson, Freshman, Central Michigan, Guard
Sixth Player of the Year: Nan Garcia, Graduate Student, Toledo, Guard/Forward
All-MAC First Team
Ally Becki, Senior, Ball State, Guard
Amy Velasco, Senior, Bowling Green, Guard
Chellia Watson, Redshirt Senior, Buffalo, Guard
Enjulina Gonzalez, Sophomore, Miami, Guard
Jenna Batsch, Senior, Kent State, Guard
All-MAC Second Team
Alex Richard, Senior, Ball State, Forward
Kirsten Lewis-Williams, Sophomore, Buffalo, Guard
Madi Morson, Freshman, Central Michigan, Guard
Sammi Mikonowicz, Graduate Student, Toledo, Guard/Forward
Sisi Eleko, Junior, Eastern Michigan, Forward
All-MAC Third Team
Chelby Koker, Graduate Student, Northern Illinois, Guard
Hannah Spitzley, Graduate Student, Western Michigan, Guard
Kennedi Watkins, Senior, Ohio, Guard
Lexi Fleming, Fifth-Year, Bowling Green, Guard
Shelbee Brown, Redshirt Senior, Akron, Forward
All-MAC Honorable Mention
Amber Tretter, Sophomore, Miami, Forward
Janae Tyler, Sophomore, Kent State, Forward
Kendall Carruthers, Sophomore, Toledo, Guard
Marina Asensio, Junior, Western Michigan, Guard
Paige Kohler, Sophomore, Bowling Green, Guard
MAC All-Freshman Team
Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, Freshman, Central Michigan, Forward
Faith Fedd-Robinson, Freshman, Toledo, Guard
Johnea Donahue, Freshman, Bowling Green, Guard
Lexi Carlsen, Freshman, Northern Illinois, Guard
Madi Morson, Freshman, Central Michigan, Guard
MAC All-Defensive Team
Ally Becki, Senior, Ball State, Guard,
Hannah Spitzley, Graduate Student, Western Michigan, Guard
Johnea Donahue, Freshman, Bowling Green, Guard
Lani Cornfield, Fifth-Year, Buffalo, Guard
Marie Kiefer, Senior, Ball State, Forward
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S GOLF
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Indiana State women’s golf opened their spring season with a ninth place finish at the Butler Don Benbow Spring Invitational. Rosalie DiNunzio led the Sycamores tying in 11th place.
DiNunzio shot a two-day 157 (+13, 80-77) to lead Indiana State. She jumped 13 spots after the first round with a pair of birdies in round two. The sophomore’s 77 is her lowest since shooting a 77 at the Butler Invitational, the fourth tournament of the fall season.
Yang Tai and Sophia Florek both tied for 30th place with a +17. They each shot an 80-81 in the tournament.
Briana LeMaire shot 22-over (83-83) to tie in 54th while Alana Gilbert rounded out the starting five with a +26 (86-84), tying in 66th.
For the three individual golfers, Gabby Cone moved up 15 spots after the first round to finish +18 in the tournament tying in 36th place. The freshman shot an 84 in the first round but finished the second round with a 78 setting a new career low. Cone finished the tournament shooting even on par-5s, tying for fifth best in the tournament.
Eliza Baker finished tying for 73rd shooting 80-91, while Nicole Feistl shot a two-day 87-93 (86th place) to round out the Sycamore golfers.
As a team, Indiana State shot a total 645 (+69, 323-322) between the two days. This beats the Sycamores’ score in this tournament last season by one stroke (646, 324-322).
Indiana State finished behind UIC (7th, +64) and Belmont (8th, +67) while beating Valparaiso (13th, +106).
Up Next
The Sycamores turnaround quickly, playing in the PFW Hammock Beach Invitational on March 13-14 in Palm Coast, Fla. Round One tee times start at 10:30 a.m. ET; Round Two uses a shotgun start, beginning at 8 a.m. ET.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A five-run sixth inning highlighted by a pair of Indiana State errors led to the host Sycamores falling on Tuesday night to visiting Indiana, 9-4, at Bob Warn Field.
Indiana State (7-10) rallied back to tie the game up at 2-2 on Carter Beck’s solo home run off the scoreboard in right center in the bottom of the fifth inning to even the score against the Hoosiers (8-9). Indiana responded by sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth as IU took advantage of a pair of Sycamore errors in the frame to plate five runs and take control of the contest.
The Sycamores continued to fight their way back into the contest, loading the bases in the seventh inning as Beck (HBP), Keegan Garis (single), and Jeremy Martinez (walk) all reached base with two outs. Miguel Cantu drew a bases-loaded walk to pull Indiana State back within 7-3, before IU reliever Gavin Seebold (S, 1) retired the final batter of the frame.
Indiana State added another run in the eighth as Andrew Ortiz connected on a leadoff triple to right center off Seebold and came around to score on Beck’s RBI groundout to pull the game back within striking distance. However, IU plated a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth and Seebold allowed just a Carlos Pena single in the bottom of the frame in closing out the win.
Indiana State starter Breyllin Suriel (0-1) was sharp over his second start of the 2025 season. The Sycamore right-hander went 5.1 innings allowing four hits and three runs, while striking out four. He retired 14 batters in a row from the end of the first through the start of the sixth inning, before leaving the contest after a one-out single from IU’s Korbyn Dickerson.
Carson Seeman, Aaron Moss, Brady Banker, and Zac Laird went the final 3.2 innings on the mound with Banker hurling 1.2 innings of shutout baseball while striking out one.
Beck, Carlos Pena, and Ortiz combined for six of Indiana State’s seven hits in the contest. Beck homered and drove in a pair of RBIs, while Ortiz doubled and tripled for his first two collegiate extra-base hits.
Pete Haas (1-1) picked up the win going 1.2 innings in relief, allowing one run and three strikeouts. Deron Swanson took the no-decision in the start allowing three hits and a run while striking out five. Will Eldridge, Brayton Thomas, and Matthew Bohnert bridged the gap to Seebold who went the final 2.1 innings in his first save of the 2025 season.
Dickerson paced the Hoosiers’ offense going 3-for-5 from the plate with a triple and three runs scored. Dickerson and Hanley led IU with two RBIs apiece.
How They Scored
Indiana struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning as Korbyn Dickerson singled home Devin Taylor, while Jake Hanley followed two batters later with an RBI single plating Dickerson to give the Hoosiers the 2-0 lead.
The Sycamores took one back in the bottom of the second as Andrew Ortiz connected on an RBI double off the wall in right field scoring Jeremy Martinez to cut the lead down to 2-1.
Carter Beck tied the ballgame up at 2-2 as the sophomore outfielder connected on a solo home run off the scoreboard in right center in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Jake Stadler put Indiana back in the lead with an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning scoring Dickerson to give IU the 3-2 lead.
The Hoosiers added to the lead in the sixth as Hogan Denny reached on an Indiana State error allowing Jake Hanley to score to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
Indiana added three more runs on a second Indiana State error in the sixth as Will Moore beat out a bases-loaded bunt single. The relay to first went down the right field line allowing all three runners to score and Moore ended up on third as IU took the 7-2 lead.
The Sycamores continued to battle in the bottom of the seventh as Indiana State worked the bases loaded before Miguel Cantu drew a pinch-hit walk scoring Beck to make it a 7-3 ballgame.
Ortiz connected on a leadoff triple in the bottom of the eighth inning as the freshman drilled the ball off the bottom of the wall in right center, and then came around to score two batters later on Beck’s RBI groundout to cut Indiana State’s deficit down to 7-4.
Dickerson put IU back in the scoring column with an RBI triple bringing home Taylor in the top of the ninth, while Hanley’s sacrifice fly to left scored Dickerson to provide the final 9-4 margin.
News & Notes
Carlos Pena ran his on-base streak to 11 consecutive games following his single in the bottom of the first inning. The senior designated hitter added his eighth multi-hit game of the season and sixth in the last seven games.
Suriel went a season-best 5.1 innings in his second collegiate start with the Sycamores. The senior tied his career-high with four strikeouts, equaling the mark set against Bethune-Cookman back on February 25.
Carter Beck’s third home run of 2025 ties him for the Indiana State lead with both Pena and Keegan Garis. It marked Beck’s first home run since February 18 against Florida Gulf Coast.
Ortiz, making his first collegiate start, also recorded the first two hits of his Indiana State career after doubling and tripling on Tuesday afternoon.
Ortiz’s triple marked Indiana State’s fifth triple of the 2025 season and marked the fifth different player in the Sycamore lineup to hit a triple this year.
Up Next
Indiana State continues the homestand this weekend starting on Friday afternoon as the Sycamores welcome Pacific to Bob Warn Field. First pitch in the series opener is set for 4 p.m. and will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
Urbana, Ill. – The Sycamores fell to Illinois 6-4 on Tuesday, despite a strong offensive effort led by Abby Widmar, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Indiana State struck first and took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Abby Widmar’s RBI single scored Hannah Welch, and Kenzie Cornwell reached on an error, bringing in another run.
Illinois surged ahead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs to take a 4-2 lead. After loading the bases with no outs, Berkmeyer delivered a grand slam to left field.
Illinois extended its lead to 6-2 in the fifth, with Caryl scoring on Donahue’s RBI single and Cushing adding another run with an RBI single.
ISU trimmed the deficit in the sixth, making it 6-3. After Welch led off with a single but was erased on a double play, the Sycamores strung together three straight hits to load the bases. Bri Marx then drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Widmar before Illinois escaped the inning.
The Sycamores put up a fight in the seventh but fell short, 6-4. Annie Waggoner led off with a single, and after two strikeouts, Colip delivered an RBI double to score Goodrich. Widmar followed with a single to put runners on the corners, but Illinois secured the final out to seal the win.
Abby Widmar (3), Annie Waggoner, Sophie Esposito, Hannah Welch, Livi Colip, Kenzie Cornwell, Lauren Marsicek, and Madison Poulson each recorded one of the team’s ten hits, facing Illini pitchers Nuechterlein and Yergler.
Hailey Griffin started strong in the circle for the Sycamores, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing just two hits while striking out two batters and keeping Illinois scoreless.
Cassi Newbanks (2-4) faced some challenges, giving up four hits and four earned runs in her appearance at Eichelberger Field.
Megan Asher came in for 3.0 innings of relief, allowing four hits and two earned runs while recording two strikeouts for the Sycamores pitching staff.
Up Next: The Sycamores will kick off their home schedule this weekend, facing Valparaiso at 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 p.m. on Sunday.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team fell in non-league play at Ball State on Tuesday (March 11) afternoon 13-10. Justin Osterhouse got on base four times in the contest.
Colton Shirley and Grant Sawa each had three hits. Shirley had an RBI triple in the seventh to put the ‘Dons ahead 10-9.
Osterhouse helped lead the ‘Dons to a 7-1 lead with two-run home run in the second and an RBI single in the first. In addition to his two hits, Osterhouse also walked twice in the contest.
The Mastodons scored five runs in the first inning. The ‘Dons had five hits in the first including a leadoff double by Brooks Sailors. Sawa also had a double in the inning.
Ball State took their first lead of the game at 9-8 with a three-spot in the sixth.
In true mid-week game fashion, the Mastodons used 10 pitchers in the contest. Dillon Fischer received the loss. John Chambers got the save for Ball State, throwing the final 1.1 innings. Zach Leduc earned the win in relief.
Blake Bevis and Korbin Griffin each had three hits for the Cardinals.
The Mastodons fall to 1-14. Ball State improves to 12-5. The Mastodons return to the diamond this week in the first Horizon League series of the year at Northern Kentucky.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team fell to top-seeded Green Bay 76-63 on Tuesday (March 11) in the Barbasol Horizon League Championship title game.
Amellia Bromenschenkel and Sydney Freeman were selected to the 2025 Barbasol #HLWBB Championship All-Tournament Team, joining Green Bay’s Natalie McNeal and Maddy Schreiber, and Cleveland State’s Mickayla Perdue. McNeal was named the Key4Women Tournament MVP.
The Mastodons will await their postseason futures in the coming week.
The Mastodons and Phoenix played a great first half, with the two teams all square at 40. Sydney Freeman had 14 of her 18 points in the first half.
Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year Jordan Reid came on strong in the second half, scoring eight of her 12 after the halftime break, including a 3-pointer that put the Mastodons up 50-48 in the third quarter.
Ultimately, the game came down to rebounding. Green Bay had 36 rebounds with 11 of the offensive variety while Purdue Fort Wayne had just 20 total boards.
Freeman finished with a team-high 18 points, while Reid added 12 and Linbo had 11.
Green Bay’s MVP McNeal finished with 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting.
Purdue Fort Wayne fell to 25-8 while Green Bay improved to 29-5 and moves on to the NCAA Tournament.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team outlasted the Maryville Saints in a five-set thriller (20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 16-14) on Tuesday (March 11).
Entering the fifth set, after each team claimed two sets a piece, Maryville jumped out to a 5-1 lead. However, the ‘Dons were able to counter with a 4-0 run of their own. The Saints owned a 8-6 lead as the teams switched sides. But, the Mastodons charged into a 10-6 run that lead them through a halted match-point and then a victory.
To start the match, Maryville quickly took a firm grasp of set one. The Saints’ 5-0 run, led by Luke Kraft’s three aces, propelled them to a 11-3 lead. Maryville continued to apply pressure late into the set, after a 4-0 run put them up 10 (22-12). The ‘Dons managed to answer with their own scoring blitz, putting up an 8-2 surge off of two Andrej Polomac service aces. The Saints closed the door on the Mastodons’ momentum, taking the first set at 25-20.
Purdue Fort Wayne’s momentum bled into the second set, taking a 15-9 lead going into the media break. The ‘Dons pulled out a 7-1 run, taking a 19-10 lead. The Mastodon’s .667 hitting percentage in the set guided them to a 25-19 conclusion.
The ‘Dons didn’t stop there, opening the third with a controlling 9-1 run. The Saints showed some life, stringing together a 5-1 counter. Purdue Fort Wayne closed out the set on a 15-10 tear to take the third, and a 2-1 set lead.
The Saints were not ready to pack up just yet, taking an early lead in the fourth set and leading 15-11 at the media break. The Mastodons managed to fight back, tying the game at 20-20 after a 6-2 run. Purdue Fort Wayne took a 23-22 lead, but Maryville unleashed a 3-0 run that won them the fourth.
JP Candrian posted his second double-double of the season with 15 kills and 10 digs. Andrej Polomac finished with a season-high 54 assists on the night. Logan Muir hit a match-high 21 kills, along with nine digs. Axel Melendez Watts added 18 kills and four aces, despite only playing in four sets.
Purdue Fort Wayne climb to to 8-9. Maryville falls to 9-8. The ‘Dons will return to MIVA competition on Friday (March 14) against No. 8 Loyola Chicago. Purdue Fort Wayne will be honoring Mastodon legend Hector Soto by retiring his jersey prior to the match.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In its final non-conference contest before opening the Missouri Valley Conference slate this weekend, the University of Evansville softball team travels to Lindenwood for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday.
Over the weekend, the Purple Aces played in a tournament hosted by Bellarmine where they picked up wins over Stonehill and the Knights. Niki Bode batted a team-high .438 last week as she picked up seven hits in 16 at-bats. Bode recorded four runs, four RBI, and three walks. After drawing a walk in Friday’s game versus Stonehill, she went 2-3 with two RBI, a run and walk in Saturday’s rematch against the Skyhawks. On Sunday, Bode put forth a huge effort against Ball State going 3-4 with two runs, two doubles, and an RBI. In the win over Bellarmine, Bode notched two hits in four at-bats while adding an RBI, run, and walk.
Freshman Eliza Piggott recorded five hits in 10 at-bats while scoring three runs and adding a home run. Despite going 0-for-2 on Saturday against Stonehill, she recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Sunday’s opener versus Ball State saw her go 2-3 while scoring her first run of the weekend. In the win over Bellarmine, she went 3-5 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Aces to a 7-4 win.
Another solid week saw Morgan Adams bat .308 with four hits, four walks, and two RBI. After earning a walk in the weekend opener versus Stonehill, Adams went 3-for-4 in the rematch against the Skyhawks. She had a double and run in the victory. Saturday’s game versus Ball State saw her pick up her second walk of the weekend before going 1-3 with two RBI and another walk in game two against BSU on Sunday. She added walk #4 of the weekend in the win over Bellarmine and completed the weekend with a .500 on-base percentage.
The Lions enter Wednesday’s games with a 10-9 record. They opened their Ohio Valley Conference schedule last weekend, dropping two of their three games to Eastern Illinois. Jolie McMinn is batting a team-high .318.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball posted its first-ever win over Austin Peay State University, 6-4, Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI, which snapped a six-game losing streak tonight, is 7-8 overall in 2025, while APSU goes 11-6 this year.
The Screaming Eagles took the early lead, 1-0, with a tally in the second inning. Sophomore second baseman Parker Martin singled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a single and a flyout before scoring on an RBI single by junior catcher Macajah Wall.
The USI bats continued to stay hot in the third inning, extending the lead to 3-0 on an RBI squeeze play by junior first baseman Kannon Coakley and an RBI single by sophomore rightfielder Cameron Boyd.
The Eagles would increase the lead to 5-0 with two more tallies in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore leftfielder Evan Zapp knocked in his first RBI of the season with a single to make the score 4-0, while junior shortstop Clayton Slack scored on a wild pitch to up the advantage to 5-0.
APSU would shrink into USI’s lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the seventh. The Governors would get closer, 5-3, with a run in the eighth before the Eagles re-extended the lead to 6-3 on an RBI single by junior third baseman Patrick McLellan.
The Governors tried to rally in the ninth, getting one more run before freshman right-hander Sage Stout closed the door by stranding the tying runs on base. The save was Stout’s first of the season and his first at USI.
On the mound, junior left-hander Jake Porter picked up the win on a staff day for the Eagles. Porter blanked the Governors on four hits and two walks, while striking out two in 3.2 innings of work.
At the plate, junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens continues to have the hot stick, going three-for-four in the victory and is 11-of-15 (.733) in his last four games.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles are back on the road Wednesday when they travel to Bellarmine University for a 1 p.m. (CDT) contest. The Knights are 2-13 after falling to Eastern Illinois University, 15-8, today in Louisville. Bellarmine has lost four straight following today’s action.
USI holds an 88-77 all-time series lead over the Knights after sweeping a three-game series last year, 3-0.
Following the trip to Louisville, USI comes back home to host its first three-game series of the spring when Murray State University visits the USI Baseball Field. The series is slated to start Friday at 6 p.m.; continues Saturday at 3 p.m.; and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
The first game of the USI-Murray State series is “Free Custard Friday” at the USI Baseball Field. Fans will receive a free custard coupon at each Friday USI home game when the Eagles win.
The Racers are 9-3 this spring after winning the first of a two-game series with Lindenwood University, 12-11, in 10 innings this afternoon. Murray State and Lindenwood complete the series Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Murray State leads the all-time series with USI, 9-3-1, and swept the last series in 2023, 3-0, in Murray, Kentucky.
USI Schedule Update:
USI has rescheduled a pair of games that were postponed due to weather. The Screaming Eagles will visit Saint Louis University on April 22 at 5 p.m. in a game that was postponed from March 5 and will host the University of Evansville May 13 at 6 p.m. for a game that was postponed February 22.
Due to the ever-changing weather in March, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.
VALPO WOMEN’S GOLF
The Valparaiso University women’s golf team concluded the two-day, 36-hole Benbow Spring Invitational hosted by Butler at the par-72, 6119-yard Ardea Country Club south course in Oldsmar, Fla. on Tuesday. Senior Madison Keil (LaGrange, Ind. / Lakeland) finished just outside the top 10 on the player leaderboard.
How It Happened
Keil carded an 81 (+9) in Tuesday’s final round, finishing the tournament at 157. She tied for 11th in a 95-player field. She birdied the Par-4 11th hole, her fourth birdie of the tournament.
Sophomore Bella Campos (Honolulu, Hawaii / IMG Academy) was the other Beacon to finish the tournament in the top 25. She tied for 25th by totaling 160 in the two rounds including an 82 (+10) on Tuesday.
Valpo golfed a 345 as a team on Tuesday, finishing tied for 13th. The Beacons were even with IU Indy and ahead of Southern Indiana on the team leaderboard.
Thoughts from Head Coach Jill McCoy
“It was a tough golf course today. We had some good shots out there and we’re hoping to continue to build momentum as we continue to build for the conference tournament.”
Up Next
The Beacons will be back in action on Monday, March 24 to begin Northern Kentucky’s The Julie at Elks Run Golf Course in Batavia, Ohio.
VALPO SOFTBALL
The Valpo softball team heads into MVC play on a winning note, as the Beacons used a three-run sixth inning to conclude preconference play with a 4-1 victory at Northern Kentucky Tuesday afternoon.
How It Happened
Valpo opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) led off the frame by working a full-count walk and eventually scored on a two-out RBI single from Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame).
The host Norse got the run back in the fourth inning on a solo homer.
The Beacons had a strong chance to regain the lead in the top of the fifth, getting runners to second and third with one out, but a pop-up and a strikeout ended the threat.
Valpo broke the game up in the top of the sixth. Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) and Lopez led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and pinch-runners Kyndal Shively (Bloomington, Ill./University) and Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) came around to score on a Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) sacrifice fly and an NKU error, respectively.
Krug picked up her second run-scoring hit of the game, knocking home Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) to cap the three-run frame as Valpo led 4-1.
The Beacons’ pitching and defense brought the win home, as a leadoff single in the seventh was the only blemish in the final two innings.
Inside the Game
Valpo boasts an 11-9 record as it heads into MVC play, its best record at the start of the conference slate since sitting at 12-8 to start the 2018 Valley schedule.
Gallagher and Krug both had multi-hit efforts Tuesday afternoon, Krug her fourth of the year and Gallagher her second of the season.
Krug drove in multiple runs as well, her fifth multi-RBI game this year, and also drew a walk to reach base three times.
Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) extended her on-base streak to start her collegiate career to 20 games and her current hitting streak to 11 games with a fifth-inning single.
Vrastil is one of just eight Valpo players since 1999 to have an on-base streak of at least 20 straight games.
Lopez improved to 5-5 this season in the circle, earning the win with three innings of one-hit shutout relief.
Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) started at pitcher and went the first three frames, striking out four while surrendering just one hit.
Next Up
Valpo (11-9) opens MVC play this weekend with a three-game series at Indiana State. The series begins Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT, with all three games scheduled for broadcast on ESPN+.
VALPO BASEBALL
The Valparaiso University baseball team faced off with one of the nation’s baseball powerhouses, falling 12-0 in seven innings at No. 16 Vanderbilt on Tuesday evening in Nashville, Tenn. Vandy, under the direction of legendary head coach Tim Corbin, won national championships in 2014 and 2019.
How It Happened
A double and a sac fly in the bottom of the first both drove in runs, putting Vandy out to a 2-0 lead. Valpo’s Josh Cottrill (Pewaukee, Wis. / Pewaukee) ended the opening frame with a strikeout to prevent further damage.
In the top of the second, Valpo juiced the bases by working two walks and benefiting from a Vandy error, but the Beacons stranded runners at all three stations.
Vanderbilt added on three runs on three hits in the bottom of the second, opening up the lead to 5-0.
The Beacons loaded the bases for the second straight inning in the top of the third, a frame that started with two outs and nobody on base. However, Vandy once again worked out of it.
The Valpo defense made four errors in the third, leading to four Vanderbilt runs as the hosts built up the lead to 9-0.
Vandy tacked on another in the fourth to stretch the lead to 10-0.
Valpo lefty Lucas Foley (Deer Park, Ill. / Lake Zurich) put up the team’s first scoreless inning of the day in the fifth, yielding one hit but nothing else to keep the margin at 10.
Vandy got two more in the sixth to account for the final margin.
Inside the Game
This marked Valpo’s first game against a Top-25 foe this season. Last year, Valpo finished the season with three home games against No. 20 Indiana State and also played No. 17 Alabama for three, No. 21 Campbell for three and a midweek against No. 7 Vandy.
Valpo got hits from Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel), Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) and Spencer Warfield (Fullerton, Calif. / Servite). Denty reached base twice as he also drew a walk.
Cottrill made his first appearance since March 2, 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi went 2-for-3 and reached base three times including a double. He is the brother of Christian Barczi, who played at Valpo from 2017-2020.
Up Next
Valpo will face off with Illinois for a three-game weekend series in Champaign beginning on Friday night at 6 p.m. The series will air on B1G+. For links to live video and stats, visit ValpoAthletics.com.
UINDY SWIMMING
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy swimming & diving team kicked off the 2025 NCAA DII Championships Tuesday night with a pair of memorable performances. With just two events being held on day one, the Greyhounds earned All-America honors and broke school records in both the men’s and women’s 800 free relays.
Running through Saturday, the marquee meet is being held at the IU Natatorium in downtown Indy as part of the 2025 DII National Championships Festival.
In the timed final, both UIndy teams found themselves in the second-to-last heat, but both managed top-eight times. The women’s quartet of Andrea Gomez, Lillie Arps, Mia Krstevska and Brynhildur Traustadottir won their heat with a school-record time of 7:20.26. After the final heat was competed, their time settling at No. 7 on the scoreboard, earning All-America status.
The UIndy men saw their event play out in similar fashion, winning heat 2 and ultimately earning fifth overall. Cedric Buessing, Silas Buessing, Jokubas Jankauskas and Jeremias Pock reset the program record to 6:27.77, while Cedric’s leadoff leg of 1:34.28 broke the UIndy 200 free mark.
The national meet is being held at the IU Natatorium in downtown Indy Tuesday through Saturday. Action continues tomorrow with morning prelims at 10 a.m. ET, followed by diving at 1 p.m. and evening finals at 5:30 p.m.
UINDY SOFTBALL
CLERMONT, Fla. – The No. 16 UIndy softball team split a pair of contests at THE Spring Games Wednesday afternoon. UIndy fell to Saint Martin’s, 11-7, before cruising to a run-rule win over Sheperd, 9-1.
Box score from the Saint Martin’s game will be posted when available.
UIndy 9, Shepherd 1 (5 inn.)
UIndy used a big first inning to take control in the bottom of the first. The Hounds batted around in the frame, racking up three walks and five singles to chase Shepherd starter Abby McBride before she could get three outs.
McBride’s counterpart, meanwhile, notched a complete game. Pitcher Cheyenne Eads evened her record at 5-5, hanging four zeros on the board before the Rams managed a single tally in the fifth.
The Greyhounds responded with a four spot in the bottom of the fifth to walk it off via run-rule. Each of the first four UIndy batters in the inning reached base and eventually scored.
Brooklyn Willis and Sydney Oliver combined for four hits and three runs scored. Jocelyn Calvin had a single and two walks, while Josie Jager was credited with two RBIs.
St. Martin’s 11, UIndy 7
Cheyenne Eads’ RBI groundout in the top of the first gave the Hounds an early lead, but the Saints responded with crooked numbers in three of the next four innings to pull away.
UIndy’s top two hitters—Jocelyn Calvin and Cara Cooper—combined for five of the Greyhounds 12 hits and five of their 11 runs. Collecting two singles and a double, Cooper extended her hit streak to 11 games.
Eads garnered an RBI on each of her first three plate appearances.
UP NEXT
UIndy takes a break from competition on Wednesday before wrapping up their stay in the Sunshine State on Thursday with two final contests. The Hounds will face Indiana (Pa.) at 9 a.m. followed by a matchup versus Bemidji State at 11:15 a.m.
ALSO: LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The UIndy softball team climbed one spot to No. 16 in this week’s NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, released Tuesday. The Greyhounds went 3-1 to open GLVC play last weekend and are currently on their annual Spring Break trip to Florida.
Tuesday’s release extends the Hounds’ school record for consecutive top-25 poll appearances to 65 weeks, dating back to the 2021 preseason edition.
NFCA DII COACHES POLL
| RK | TEAM (1st-place votes) | PTS | REC | PREV |
| 1. | UT Tyler (14) | 398 | 23-2 | 1 |
| 2. | Tampa (2) | 384 | 21-1 | 3 |
| 3. | West Texas A&M | 363 | 24-2 | 5 |
| 4. | Angelo State | 345 | 22-4 | 4 |
| 5. | AUM | 328 | 15-6 | 2 |
| 6. | Rogers State | 322 | 17-4 | 6 |
| 7. | Francis Marion | 308 | 20-2 | 8 |
| 8. | Augustana | 294 | 12-4 | 7 |
| 9. | North Georgia | 274 | 19-4 | 10 |
| 10. | Central Oklahoma | 237 | 21-4 | 13 |
| 11. | Western Washington | 233 | 14-7 | 9 |
| 12. | East Stroudsburg | 214 | 13-3 | 14 |
| 13. | Trevecca Nazarene | 210 | 15-6 | 12 |
| 14. | Cal State East Bay | 192 | 19-2 | 15 |
| 15. | Harding | 184 | 20-3 | 16 |
| 16. | UIndy | 147 | 11-5 | 17 |
| 17. | Cal State San Marcos | 143 | 17-4 | 18 |
| 18. | Oklahoma Christian | 125 | 17-7 | 19 |
| 19. | Kutztown | 123 | 15-2 | 21 |
| 20. | McKendree | 88 | 15-6 | 20 |
| 21. | San Francisco State | 71 | 18-6 | 24 |
| 22. | Barry | 63 | 22-8 | RV |
| 23. | Tusculum | 47 | 25-1 | NR |
| 24. | West Alabama | 32 | 14-9 | 22 |
| 25. | Concordia Irvine | 28 | 20-3 | RV |
Others receiving votes: Wilmington (27), Nova Southeastern (11), Pittsburg State (5), Findlay (3), Southern Arkansas (1).
UINDY TRACK
NEW ORLEANS – The UIndy men’s track and field team remained at No. 25 in the last indoor edition of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rating index.
The Hounds will send five athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend in Indy. The only individuals competing will be Alex Meyer in the long and high jump, and Josue Le Cadre in the 800m. Le Cadre will run with Josiah Adams, Felix Rivet, and Tom Saint-Juvin in the DMR competition.
IU INDY WRESTLING
INDIANAPOLIS —UIndy wrestling senior Jackson Hoover was honored Tuesday as the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships for the second consecutive season. Hoover is currently studying biology and pre-medicine, while also carrying a 4.0 GPA.
Along with excelling in the classroom, Hoover is making his second consecutive appearance in the NCAA National Championships after winning the 149 weight class at the 2025 Super Regional IV.
The Elite 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite 90 is proudly awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Hoover is the only UIndy wrestler in program history to win this award, the third two-time winner at UIndy, and the 13th overall Greyhound to win the NCAA Elite 90 award.
MARIAN MEN’S GOLF
West Palm Beach, Fla. – The Marian men’s golf team battled Sunday through Tuesday at the annual Keiser Kona Ice Kup, hosted in West Palm Beach at Okeeheelee Golf Club. The Knights placed 10th overall in the field, and were led by Weston Ogden who ascended to a top-15 finish.
Marian struggled on the opening day of the tournament, holding 12th place in the 14-team field after the first day of the championship. Weston Ogden led the Knights on the opening day with a four-over 75 score, holding 28th place on day one. Brandon Heffner shot a 79 in round one, while Luke Beetz carded an 80 and Lane Zedrick fired an 81. Augie Mann rounded out Marian’s five-man lineup with an 84 on the opening day of the tournament.
Marian gained ground on the second day, scoring a 311 as they moved into 11th place. Ogden shot a 76, Beetz carded a 77, and Heffner and Zedrick each shot a 79. Mann finished the five in the lineup with an 81 in round two. In the third round, the Knights played their best golf of the week, firing a 301 team score to move into 10th place. Ogden shot a 71, gaining 15 positions on the final day to place 11th overall with his 222 score. Beetz finished 49th overall with a 78 on the final day, tallying a 235 as his total score. Mann gained 15 positions as well on the last day as he shot a 72 and totaled a 237 in 52nd place, while Brandon Heffner shot an 80, placing 55th with his 238 total. Lane Zedrick finished the event in 63rd place overall, as he recorded an 83 on the final day to total 243.
Nolan Potter and Peyton Butler both played as individuals, and in the first round the pair of Knights each shot a 79. In round two Potter fired an 84 and finished with an identical 84 in the third round, scoring a 247 for the tournament. Butler shot a 95 in round two, but recovered on the final day with a 78, finishing with a total of 252.
Keiser won their tournament, shooting an 872 on the par-71 course. The Seahawks B-team finished second, and Palm Beach Atlantic took third. Marian finished with a 927 score for their three days.
The Knights compete next at the Wayland Baptist Battle, taking place March 23 through 25 in Bullhead City, Arizona.
MARIAN SOFTBALL
Indianapolis, Ind. – The Marian softball team comes out with two wins in their home and Crossroads League opener against Huntington. The Knights won game one 4-2 and game two 9-1 ending in five innings with a run rule. Marian is now 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the Crossroads League.
Game 1 | Marian 4-2 Huntington
Huntington struck first hitting a triple early in the first inning leading to that runner scoring the first run of the game. The Foresters extended their 2-0 lead with a double to right center to score a runner. Marian was able to fight back in the bottom of the fifth with Abby Madere singling into right center to allow Anna Pritchett to advance to third and Abbey Hofmann to score. In the next at bat Lily Wendt singled into left field allowing Pritchett to score and bring the game to a 2-2 bottleneck. In the next inning Jenna Minnix had an infield single to advance Mystic Means to home plate and claim the lead. In the next at bat Hofmann homered into center field to claim the 4-2 lead. Huntington attempted to come back with a single up the middle but three straight ground outs to second ended the game and allowed the Knights to take the 4-2 win in game one.
Abbey Madere led the Knights going 2-2 from the plate with one RBI on the day while Lily Wendt went 3-2 from the plate with one RBI as well. Abbey Hofmann punched the Knights sole home run in game one and went 4-1 from the plate with two runs and one RBI. Wendt and Mystic Means each stole a base for the Knights. In the circle Olivia Stunkel earned the start pitching five innings where she struck out 7 of the 23 batters faced and gave up five hits. Katie Lackman came in to close out the last two innings taking the win with only one hit given up to the seven batters faced.
Game 2 | Marian 9-1 Huntington
Marian struck early in game two with Lily Wendt hitting a bomb into left field to score herself and Abbey Hofmann. Grace Meyer in the next at bat had an infield single to get on base and then stole second during Caroline Roop’s at bat. Roop reached on an error by ss which allowed Meyer to score and increase the Knights lead to 3-0.
The Knights hit yet another home run in the bottom of the second with Abby Madere hitting a grand slam into right field to allow Anna Pritchett, Jenna Minnix, and Brooke Knox to score and increase the lead 7-0. After a pair of dry innings for each team Hayley Greene singled into left field to allo Madere to score and increase Marian’s lead 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth.
Huntington was able to keep the run rule off for a half inning recording their only point in the top of the fifth with a runner scored on a groundout to shortstop. In the first at bat in the bottom of the fifth inning Jenna Minnix was able to seal the deal with a solo walk-off home run to end the game and claim the 9-1 win for the Knights.
Abbey Hofmann, Abby Madere, Lily Wendt, and Jenna Minnix led the Knights in game two all going 3-2 from the plate. Hofmann and Wendt each recorded one run while Madere and Minnix recorded two each. Grace Meyer and Anna Pritchett each went 2-1 from the plate as well with each recording one run. Madere led the team in RBIs with four while Wendt recorded two and Hayley Greene, Caroline Roop, and Jenna Minnix each recorded one each. In the circle Macy Coan earned the win pitching four innings striking out two batters in her 13 faced and only giving up one hit. Lauren Mayer came in to close the last inning and faced four batters and gave up one hit and run.
Marian will return to action on Friday, March 15th as they travel up to Spring Arbor to take on the Cougars in their first meeting of the season with first pitch for game one set at 3 pm.
MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1903 After the club ceases operations in the Charm City, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase the original American League team in Baltimore, receiving approval from 15 of 16 major league owners to move the team to New York to play as the Highlanders. Giants’ owner John T. Brush cast the dissenting vote, believing the new club, known as the Yankees starting in 1913, will compete for fans in the Big Apple.
1971 The Cubs catcher Randy Hundley suffers a badly sprained knee and will play only nine games this season. In 1968, the venerable backstop caught 160 games for Chicago, starting 156 of those contests and playing every inning in 146 of those games.
1980 The BBWAA elects National League outfielder Chuck Klein, who compiled a .320 batting average during his 17-year career, and former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey to the Hall of Fame. Yawkey becomes the first person selected who was not a player, manager, or general manager.
1982 Ballantine Books publishes the first of seven annual Bill James Abstracts, bringing the author into the national spotlight for his statistical insight into the game. The sabermetrician’s initial self-published efforts, written on the night shift as a security guard at the Stokely-Van Camp’s pork and beans cannery, introduce baseball fans to new ways of measuring a player’s ability with stats such as Runs Created.
1991 At the age of 45, Jim Palmer’s attempted comeback ends when the newly elected Hall of Famer tears his hamstring warming up before an exhibition appearance against Boston. The Orioles right-hander, who hadn’t thrown a major league pitch in seven seasons, keeps his 268-152 and 2.86 ERA intact, which he accomplished during a 19-year career on the mound.
2001 Richard Hidalgo signs the third-richest contract in Astro history with a four-year $32-million deal with the club. The outfielder’s pact is less than teammates Jeff Bagwell’s $85 million (5 years) and Craig Biggio’s $33 million (4 years).
2003 This week’s second exhibition season bench-clearing brawl occurs when a raging Mike Piazza charges the mound after being hit by a pitch thrown by Guillermo Mota, who makes it to the dugout without being caught. The incident may be a follow-up to a similar event last spring when a shoving match between the two players resulted when the Mets’ All-Star catcher waited for Mota and grabbed the Dodger reliever’s jersey coming off the field in the eighth inning of the game.
2006 Over 15,000 Twins fans attend a memorial service at the Metrodome to pay their final respects to Kirby Puckett, who died unexpectedly, at 45, after suffering a stroke last week. During the emotional ceremony, former teammates and fellow Hall of Famer Cal Ripken lighten the mood by sharing humorous anecdotes about the beloved Minnesota outfielder with the crowd.
2008 The benches clear in a rare spring training brawl when Shelley Duncan slides into second base, with his spikes aimed at Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura after being thrown out by a wide margin. Tampa Bay’s aggressive play four days ago, which resulted in a home-plate collision that injured Yankee catcher Francisco Cervelli, may have precipitated the incident.
2010 In the opener of a scheduled three-game exhibition series in Taiwan, the Dodgers are defeated by an All-Star squad from the Chinese Professional League (CPBL) at Taipei’s Tienmu Baseball Stadium, 5-3. The road trip is the team’s second journey to the Chinese island, having finished with one win and two losses during a trio of spring training games in 1993.
2015 Will Ferrell, hoping to raise awareness of organizations trying to cure cancer, plays nine positions while appearing for ten teams in five Cactus League exhibition games. The comedian’s effort in Arizona, detailed in an upcoming HBO documentary, is severely criticized by former NFL coach and broadcasting legend John Madden, who calls the stunt disrespectful and insulting to the game of baseball.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| Tampa Bay vs Detroit | 1:05pm | MLBN |
| LA Angels vs Chi. White Sox | 4:05pm | MLBN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors | 7:30 pm | NBCS-PHI Sportsnet |
| Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports ATL FanDuel Sports CHA |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | ESPN NESN FanDuel Sports OKC |
| Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | KFAA FanDuel Sports SW |
| Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | KJZZ FanDuel Sports MEM |
| Phoenix Suns vs Houston Rockets | 8:00pm | AFSN SCHN |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs Miami Heat | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Sun FanDuel Sports SoCal |
| New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | MSG Rip City |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets | 10:00pm | ESPN ALT FanDuel Sports North |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Buffalo Sabres vs Detroit Red Wings | 7:30pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Vancouver Canucks vs Calgary Flames | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet |
| Anaheim Ducks vs Utah Hockey Club | 10:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Montreal Canadiens vs Seattle Kraken | 10:30pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet KONG |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Atlantic 10 First Round | 11:30am | USA |
| ACC Second Round | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Big 12 Second Round | 12:30pm | ESPN2 |
| SEC First Round | 1:00pm | SECN |
| American First Round | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Atlantic 10 First Round | 2:00pm | USA |
| Mountain West First Round | 2:00pm | MWN |
| SWAC Quarterfinal | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ACC Second Round | 2:30pm | ESPN |
| SEC First Round | 3:00pm | SECN |
| Big 12 Second Round | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Big Ten First Round | 3:30pm | Peacock |
| Big East First Round | 4:00pm | Peacock |
| Atlantic 10 First Round | 4:30pm | USA |
| Mountain West First Round | 4:30pm | MWN |
| Southland Championship | 5:00pm | ESPN2 |
| MEAC Quarterfinal | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Big Ten First Round | 6:00pm | Peacock |
| MAAC Quarterfinal | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Big East First Round | 6:30pm | Peacock |
| Conference USA Quarterfinal | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| ACC Second Round | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| SEC First Round | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Patriot League Championship | 7:00pm | CBSSN |
| Mountain West First Round | 7:00pm | MWN |
| Big 12 Second Round | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Big Ten First Round | 8:30pm | Peacock |
| MEAC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| MAAC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SWAC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SEC First Round | 9:00pm | SECN |
| Big East First Round | 9:00pm | Peacock |
| Conference USA Quarterfinal | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WAC Second Round | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Big West First Round | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ACC Second Round | 9:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Big 12 Second Round | 9:30pm | ESPNU |
| WAC Second Round | 11:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Big Sky Championship | 11:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Big West First Round | 11:30pm | ESPN+ |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Champions League: Lille vs Borussia Dortmund | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Arsenal vs PSV | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Aston Villa vs Club Brugge | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: Monterrey vs Vancouver Whitecaps | 8:30pm | FS1 VIX fuboTV |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: LA Galaxy vs Herediano | 10:30pm | FS1 VIX fuboTV |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: América vs Guadalajara | 10:30pm | Tubi VIX |